As Carina lunged forward, Cade called on his magic. It funneled around them, a fiery glow that swept them from the kitchen and placed them in a field of aspen. Cade fell back, collapsing into the grass as Carina screamed Brenna’s name.
Brenna ran toward them, Gwen at her back. The remnants of their spell glittered in the dim light. Brenna knelt beside them, placing her hands in the air above Hilda’s wounds. “Damn, that’s deep. What happened?”
“She thought if we combined our powers we could break through the weakened ward. If I hadn’t helped her, she’d have done it herself.” Carina’s voice shook. “Said she’d rather be dead than stay in the Void.”
“With this kind of wound, it’s amazing she’s not.” Brenna settled on the ground, pulling Hilda onto her lap. Hilda didn’t stir. She was as limp as a rag doll. “The Guardians pulled her out just in time.” She placed her fingers lightly against Hilda’s temples and began to chant. After a few moments, she ran her hands over Hilda’s still form, erecting a fiery barrier around them to purify the air and prevent infection. Waves of energy caressed the open wounds.
When he couldn’t watch anymore, Cade walked to Carina. He wanted answers. “How could you do that much damage? You could have killed her.”
Carina met his gaze, unflinching. “You have no right to judge what we did until you’ve spent a night in a hell dimension. We had to move quickly. The creatures were lurking, waiting. Once they struck, they would have tortured us beyond caring, weakened us until we couldn’t perform the spell. And the Guardians were healing the seals. We could feel them working, reconstructing their prison. We did what we had to.”
“You should have waited. We were working on it.” His voice was steady, but the guilt bled through.
Carina grabbed his hand. “Don’t blame yourself. Hilda’s a strong woman. She made the decision.”
“And she’s going to need you once she’s healed,” Gray said, clasping his shoulder. “She’s got a hell of a transition to make, getting used to being human again. Holding onto the past isn’t going to do either of you any good. So she made a mistake, almost died. Be thankful she survived, take advantage of it. Besides, you’re good together. You temper her.” Gray released Cade as Brenna joined them.
“She’s okay. A little shaken, but fine.” Brenna wrapped her arm around Gray’s waist, leaning against him, exhaustion clear in the lines on her face. “We need to get everyone back to the house. Hilda needs to rest, and we’re too vulnerable out here when we’re weakened.”
“Agreed.” Gray turned back to Cade. “I’ve got this. You haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours. I’m surprised you’re still standing.”
Cade laughed, almost manic from relief. “Yeah. Me too. Have at it.” They crossed the field to where Hilda lay on the grass, her eyes closed, her breathing steady. He crouched beside her, brushing his fingertips across her cheek. “You okay?”
She opened her eyes, a faint smile on her lips. “I am now.” Stretching, she glanced around, noticing the others. “Where are we?”
“Doesn’t matter. Gray is going to teleport us back to the boarding house so we can all get some rest.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Gray’s magic swirled around them, sweeping them from the field and back to the boarding house.
The transition was smooth, but Cade couldn’t help but tighten his grasp around Hilda. “How do you feel?”
She snuggled into him, her breath hot against his neck. “Better. Much better.”
Knowing she wouldn’t rest unless he made her, he gathered her in his arms and walked to the stairs, taking them two at a time until they reached his bedroom. Once inside, he kicked the door shut and laid her gently on the bed. He ran his hands across her body, needing to reassure himself she was okay.
“You scared the hell out of me.” He sank on the floor beside the bed. “When I saw you in the parlor, I thought you were dead.”
“I almost was.”
“Not helping.”
She leaned forward and ran her fingers through his hair, but he didn’t turn around. She’d distract him, and he needed to get the words out. “I was an ass before. I told you I loved you, then took back your ring.” He shoved a hand in his pocket, pulling out the emerald. Turning, he rose up on one knee. “I love you, Hilda. This ring is as much yours as it was fifty years ago. I don’t want to waste any more time living without you.”
She pulled him forward, her arms wrapping around him. “When I gave you up…it broke something inside me.” She took a ragged breath. “I never thought we’d have another chance. It didn’t seem possible. The thought of going through that, losing you again, terrifies me.”
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he laid his head in her lap. “I feel the same way. I want to grab you and never let go. But, before, it felt like you were pushing me away.”
“I was.” She closed her eyes. “I’m not good at this crap. I never have been.” When her eyes opened they were filled with tears. “But I loved you in our first life together. That love didn’t disappear. Death made me realize what I had missed. And still I almost threw it away.” She shook her head. “Not anymore. I don’t care if we’re in the middle of a war, or if the world’s ending. I want to spend the rest of this life with you, by your side.”
Cade grinned. “Then you will. I love you, Hilda. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted. I don’t care how many lifetimes we have, I want to spend them all with you.” He slipped the ring on her trembling finger. “Marry me. I know you think it’s old fashioned, but I want the world to know how much I love you. I want to celebrate what we have.”
She grinned as she leaned down to kiss him. “I think I can manage that. But I want to heal first, before any ceremony. I’m still adjusting to this being reborn thing. I need to get comfortable in my body and figure out what my new role is with the Taskforce now that I’m not a ghost.”
“So is that a yes?”
“It’s a hell yes.” She lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Demon apocalypse or not, I want my happily ever after.”
He cupped her face, tasting her lips. “Then I’ll damn well give it to you.”
About the Author
Angela Dennis lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, son and a sheltie with a hero complex. When she is not at her computer crafting stories, she can be found feeding her coffee addiction, playing peek-a-boo, or teaching her son about the great adventures found only in books.
You can visit Angela at her blog angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from her readers, so find her on Twitter for a chat using @angeladennis.
Look for these titles by Angela Dennis
Now Available:
Shadow Born
Shadows of Fate
Fading Light
Coming Soon:
Soul’s Harbor Pride
Dance With the Devil
Everyone has a breaking point.
Fading Light
© 2014 Angela Dennis
Shadow Born, Book 2
Her hundred-year penance lifted, Shadow Bearer Brenna Baudouin returns to the Earthly plane with her partner, Gray Warlow, to keep the peace between humans and supernatural creatures—and to prevent another apocalyptic war from happening.
The attraction between them is nearing a critical point, but their checkered history has left Brenna unable to trust either her heart or her instincts.
It’s chaotic business as usual until humans begin turning to statues of dust. There is no explanation, no sign of magical foul play or a biological toxin. The humans are convinced it’s the work of a deviant supernatural faction, twisting the knife in the already tense relationship between their species. Brenna and Gray agree—the deaths have a former comrade-turned-rogue stamped all over them.
In a race against time, they enlist the help of both friend and
foe to save the human race and stop the impending civil war. Along the way, they are forced to come to terms with their past and decide, once and for all, whether they will come together or fall apart.
Warning: Contains a heroine who knows her weapons but not her own heart, an outbreak of supernatural proportions, copious bloodletting, and a race to save an endangered species—humans. All tied up in a tight bow of sexual tension.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Fading Light:
Darkness embraced Brenna like a thick wool blanket. It wrapped around her, blocking the dim lamplight as she walked toward the seedy bar. Glass residue from the riots crunched beneath her leather boots. Mixed with snow, the bits of broken beer bottles and smashed windows glittered like an army of broken icicles. She breathed deeply, inhaling the cool night air. It smelled of sour beer and clove cigarettes and left a bitter taste on her tongue.
Shadows embraced the sides of the stone structure that housed the Dirty Ruby, one of the few multi-species bars in Denver proper. They stalked across the snow and mixed with the night to merge into a black mass. From its midst stepped a man. Well over six feet, he moved with grace in contrast to his size. The moonlight played across his face, highlighting his chiseled features.
Brenna’s pulse quickened and she took an involuntary step forward. Self-conscious, she ran a hand through her copper curls, freeing them from the careless bun. The thick strands streamed down her back like fire as she moved, her breath coming in quick harsh bursts. She slipped off her black leather duster and draped it across her arm. Without it the tight black corset left her taut belly and back exposed, but she didn’t feel the cold. She never did around Gray.
“Four demons. Thirty humans. Keep the casualties to a minimum.” Brenna brushed past him, tossing him her coat. “I’ll bring them out. You send them back to hell.”
“Hell?” Gray grinned. His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. “You speak human now?”
She shrugged. “When in Rome.”
Her back to him, she turned toward the freshly white-washed door. But before she could move, he had her shoulder in a vise grip. His fingers twined in the hair at the base of her skull. His breath hot against her cheek. “I know your other partners let you boss them around.” He turned her to face him. “I’m not them.”
He stepped forward, forcing her back. They moved in an awkward dance until her ass hit the stone wall. Trapped, she stared at him, wary. A shadow fell across his face hiding all but his piercing violet eyes.
“We enter together. Once they’re dead, we leave.” He stepped back, loosening his hold.
“The humans—”
“Won’t remember a thing.” He crushed his lips to hers even as he slid the duster across her shoulders. “And I’m not your coat rack.” Releasing her, he stepped back.
Brenna rubbed the back of her hand against her bruised lips. Gray would be the death of her.
If she didn’t kill him first.
She leaned against the wall to regain her bearings as he stepped into the light. He moved like a jungle cat. Ropes of strong muscles slid beneath his bronzed skin as his wild untapped power stirred beneath the surface. Akin to a force of nature, he would never go unnoticed. Even incognito, only a fool wouldn’t recognize Gray was dangerous. He was a beautiful, powerful thing to behold. And he was hers.
If she wanted him.
His black hair shimmered in the pale lamplight. It was tied with the usual brown leather strap, but a few pieces had slipped free. They curled around his face, softening his features. The sight of him stirred memories of what they had been to each other. Memories she had struggled for nearly a hundred years to repress. But she still wanted him with a fervor that was both frightening and exhilarating.
A sigh slipped from her lips as she pushed off the wall to follow him into the bar. Wooden planks creaked beneath their feet as they stepped inside. The room was crammed wall-to-wall with sweaty bodies. Humans surged on the dance floor, moving in chaotic abandon. Brenna stripped off her duster. The heat from the wood stoves was overpowering. Sweat beaded on her forehead. It dribbled down her face, sliding across her bare skin to pool between her breasts.
She threw the duster on the seat of a red plastic booth then slid in beside it. Her leather pants moved across the slick fabric like silk as she took a quick inventory of the room. Humans clanked beer bottles together, their shouts drowning out the death metal band screeching in the far corner. She closed her eyes to focus and searched for her prey. It took several minutes, but she found what she was looking for. The stench of rotten flesh and brimstone. It was subtle, but unmistakable. The demon was here, but he wasn’t alone.
Her seat shifted as Gray slid into the booth beside her. “This is new. They don’t usually hunt together.” He tossed a muscular arm across her shoulders.
Brenna leaned into his body. Her head against his chest, she breathed him in. He smelled of sage and wood smoke. “I doubt they’re aware of each other. Demons are territorial. They don’t play nice, and they’re not that bright.”
Gray shrugged. “There’s a first time for everything.”
“True.”
He brushed a stray curl from her face. Unable to resist, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the simple touch.
“You take the males. I’ve got the females.” His breath was hot against her skin.
Her body tightened. She pulled back, a false smile playing on her lips. Beneath it she cursed her inability to keep him at a distance, even on a job. With a quick nod, she tossed back the shot of whiskey he shoved across the table. She leaned into him, her hands pressed against his chest. “We’ll meet at the van.”
“Agreed.” Gray kissed her lips. “Sam knows the drill.”
She could still taste him as he walked away, and that treacherous part inside her yearned for more. The best way to blend in was to act like a couple, but they needed another option. She was already sexually frustrated, and the night had barely begun. But there was nothing more cathartic than a good hunt.
Brenna glanced at the demon. It lounged on a barstool, deep inside a human man around thirty. With a bored look, he watched as a young woman, her shirt in tatters on the dirty floor, straddled him. Her skirt hiked to her crotch, her body trembled as he drained her life force. A second woman stood behind him. Clad in tiny purple panties and a lace bra, she swayed to the music. Glassy eyed, breasts heaving, she waited her turn. It was disgusting.
It had been a human war that had ripped through the Veil between the planes of reality, and the humans had paid the price. Supernatural creatures, the humans now called deviants, had poured onto the Earthly plane, only to be trapped once the Veil had healed. The humans had managed to survive the onslaught by allying themselves with sympathetic deviants, but they had gotten too comfortable. And the demons were taking full advantage.
Brenna slammed the shot glass on the table. Time to play human.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Piercing the Darkness
Copyright © 2015 by Angela Dennis
ISBN: 978-1-61922-626-5
Edited by Jessica Corra
Cover by Kanaxa
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publi
shing, Ltd. electronic publication: April 2015
www.samhainpublishing.com
Piercing the Darkness Page 9
