Hunted hon-5

by P. C. Cast

  “I am,” Aphrodite said. Her face was pale, but she lifted her chin and met Neferet’s frigid gaze.

  “Then you belong out there.” Neferet made a vague motion away from us.

  “No, she doesn’t,” I said. Concentrating on Neferet had broken the spell staring at Kalona had cast over me. I barely recognized my own voice. It sounded like a whispery, weak old woman, but Neferet didn’t have any problem hearing me, and she turned her attention from Aphrodite to me. “Aphrodite still has visions from Nyx. She belongs here,” I managed to say, even though I had to blink rapidly because gray spots kept messing up my sight.

  “Visions?” Kalona’s deep voice cut the air between us. This time I refused to look at him, though he was standing so close that I could feel the weird chill that came from his body. “What type of visions?”

  “Warnings of future disasters,” Aphrodite spoke up.

  “Interesting.” He drew the word out. “Neferet, my Queen, you did not tell me you had a prophetess at the House of Night.” Before Neferet could speak, he continued, “Most excellent, most excellent. A prophetess can be quite useful.”

  “But she is not a fledgling, nor is she a vampyre, and thus she does not belong at the House of Night. So I say she should leave.” Neferet’s voice had an odd tone to it I didn’t recognize at first, and then as I blinked more and my vision cleared enough for me to get a good look at her body language—she was all but hanging on Kalona—I realized with a little shock that Neferet was actually pouting.

  Then, mesmerized, I watched Kalona reach out and stroke the side of Neferet’s cheek, sweeping his palm along the curve of her long, smooth neck, continuing to caress her shoulder, and finally trailing off down the length of her back. Neferet trembled under his touch and her eyes dilated, as if his caress made her high.

  “My Queen, surely a prophetess will be of some use to us,” he said.

  Still staring at him, Neferet nodded.

  “You stay, little prophetess,” Kalona told Aphrodite.

  “Yes,” she said firmly. “I do. I stay with Zoey.”

  Okay, I’ll freely admit that Aphrodite was utterly surprising me. I mean, yes, I was hurt badly and probably in serious shock, so I can blame my altered mental and physical state on that and hope that some of the weirdly hypnotic affect the fallen angel was having on me was because I very well might be dying. But obviously everyone else was being affected by Kalona to some degree. Everyone except Aphrodite. She totally sounded like her normal bitchy self. I just didn’t get it.

  “Prophetess,” Kalona said. “You say you are given warning of future disasters?”

  “Yes,” Aphrodite said.

  “Tell me, what do you see in the future if we were to turn Zoey away at this moment?”

  “I haven’t had a vision, but I know Zoey needs to be here. She’s been hurt badly,” Aphrodite said.

  “Then let me assure you that I, too, have been known to prophesy.” Kalona spoke. His voice, which had been so delicious and deep that I honestly wanted nothing more than to curl up and listen to him forever, had started to change. Subtly, at first, I felt the shift in timbre. As he continued to speak to Aphrodite, my flesh began to crawl with fear. His obvious displeasure was reflected in his voice, until even Darius took a staggering step away from him. “And on my oath I tell you if you do not do as I command, this priestess will not live another night. Leave us now!”

  Kalona’s words crackled through my body, causing my already dizzied senses to reel. I clung to Darius’s shoulders. “Just do what he says,” I told Aphrodite, pausing to try to catch my breath. “He’s right. I’m not gonna last long if I don’t get help.”

  “Give the priestess to me. I shall not ask another time,” said Kalona, spreading his arms for me again.

  Aphrodite hesitated for just a moment, then she reached over and grasped my hand. “We’ll be here when you’re better.” She squeezed my hand and I suddenly felt the rush of spirit reenter my body.

  I wanted to tell her no, she needed to keep the element—she needed its protection—but Aphrodite had already turned to Damien and given him a nudge toward me, saying, “Tell Zoey bye, and give her your strongest get-well wishes.”

  I watched Damien glance quickly at Aphrodite, who nodded slightly. Then he grabbed my hand and squeezed, too. “Be well, Z,” he said, and when he let loose my hand I could feel a sweet breeze wrap around me.

  “You guys, too,” Aphrodite told the Twins.

  Shaunee took one of my hands, and Erin the other. “We’re pulling for you, Z,” Erin said, and when they turned away, I was left with the warmth of summer and the freshness of a cleansing rain.

  “Enough sentimentality. I’ll take her now.” And before I could draw another breath Kalona had taken me from Darius. Pressed against his naked chest I closed my eyes and tried to cling to the strength of the elements as I trembled at the wonderful cold heat of his body.

  “I will wait here.” I heard Darius say before the door closed with a sickening thud of finality, shutting my friends out and leaving me alone with my enemy, a fallen angel, and the monstrous bird creature his ancient lust had created.

  Then I did something I’d only done twice before in my entire life. I fainted.

  CHAPTER 18

  The first thing I realized as I began to regain consciousness was that the crisp sheets of the infirmary bed were cool against my naked skin, which meant I didn’t have any clothes on.

  The second thing I realized was everything within me was telling me to keep my eyes closed and keep breathing deeply. In other words, I needed to pretend I was still out.

  Staying as still as possible I tried to take inventory of my body. Okay, the long nasty wound on my chest was hurting considerably less than it had been when I’d passed out. I searched around with my senses (except sight, of course) and could feel and smell the lingering presence of spirit, air, water, and fire. The elements weren’t fully manifested and glaringly obvious, but they were there around me, soothing and strengthening—and making me worried as hell for my friends. Go back to the others! I ordered the elements silently, and felt their reluctant departures. All except for spirit. I wanted to sigh and roll my eyes. Instead I concentrated harder. Spirit, go to Aphrodite. Stay close to her. Almost instantly I felt the absence of the powerful element. I must have made an involuntary movement at the departure of spirit because from somewhere near my feet Neferet spoke up.

  “She stirred. I do not doubt she will regain consciousness soon.” There was a pause, and I could hear her moving as if she were pacing as she continued to speak. “I still say I should not have healed her. Zoey’s death could have been easily explained. She was almost dead when she arrived here.”

  “If what you have told me is true and she has dominion over all five of the elements, she is too powerful to be allowed to perish,” Kalona said. He, too, sounded like he was standing near the end of my bed.

  “What I’ve told you is the complete truth,” Neferet said. “She controls the elements.”

  “Then we can use her. Why not include her in our new vision of the future? Having her allegiance would sway any members of the Council who would not readily succumb to me.”

  New vision of the future? Swaying the Council? As in the High Council of Vampyres? Holy crap!

  Neferet’s response was smooth and confident. “We won’t need her, my love. Our plan will succeed. You should know that Zoey will never use her power for us anyway. She is entirely too infatuated with the Goddess.”

  “Ah, but that can change.” His deep voice was like melted chocolate. Even though my mind was racing with the news I’d just overheard, my body was mesmerized by the sound of him; it felt good just to listen to him. “I seem to recall another priestess whose infatuation with the Goddess was broken.”

  “She is young and not wise enough to allow her eyes to be opened to more intriguing possibilities, as mine have been.” Their voices were so close together that I knew she must be in his arms. “All
Zoey can ever be to us is another enemy. I believe the day will come when either you or I will have to kill her.”

  Kalona chuckled. “You are such a delightfully bloodthirsty creature. If the young priestess is not a benefit to us, then of course she shall eventually be disposed of. Until then I will see what I can do about breaking the shackles that bind her.”

  “No. I want you to stay away from her!” Neferet snapped.

  “You would do well to remember who is master here. I will not be ruled or commanded or trapped, ever again. And I am not your impotent Goddess. What I give I will take away if I am displeased!” The sexy silkiness was gone from Kalona’s voice, and a terrible coldness had replaced it.

  “Don’t be angry.” Neferet was instantly contrite. “It is just that I cannot bear to share you.”

  “Then do not displease me!” he shouted, but already the anger was fading from his voice.

  “Come with me from this room and I promise I will not displease you,” Neferet said teasingly. I could hear the disgusting moist sounds of them kissing. Neferet’s breathless moans were enough to make me gag.

  After way too many totally R-rated nasty sound effects, Kalona finally said, “Go to our chamber. Ready yourself for me. I will follow you there shortly.”

  I could almost hear Neferet’s No! Come with me now! shriek through the room, but she surprised me by saying, “Come to me soon, my dark angel,” and that in a sweet, sultry voice. Then there was the swish of her clothes and the opening and closing of a door.

  She’s actually manipulating him. I wondered if Kalona knew it. Surely an immortal being would be wise to a vampyre High Priestess’s mind games (well, and body games, too—eesh). Then I remembered the spectral image of Neferet I’d glimpsed at the depot. How had she done that? Maybe turning to the Dark Side has given her different powers; maybe she’s not just a fallen vampyre High Priestess. Who knows what being Queen of the Tsi Sgili really means? This new thought terrified me.

  A rustling around my bed interrupted my awful inner musings. I lay very still. I wanted to hold my breath, but knew that I had to keep taking deep, even breaths. I swear I could feel Kalona’s eyes on me and was unbelievably glad that the sheet had been pulled modestly up over my breasts and tucked tight around my body.

  I felt the familiar chill coming from his body. Kalona must be close to me. He was probably standing right there, right beside my bed. I heard the ominous rustle of feathers and could imagine him spreading those beautiful black wings. He could be getting ready to pull me into his arms again and wrap them around me, like he had in my dream.

  And that was it. No matter what my instincts were screaming at me, I couldn’t keep my eyes closed any longer. Sure that I was going to be looking up at his indescribably perfect face, I opened my eyes to find myself staring up at the mutated features of Rephaim. The Raven Mocker was bent over me, his terrible bird face just inches from mine. His beak was open and his tongue was flicking in my direction.

  My reaction was immediate and automatic, and several things happened all at once. Shrieking my most piercing girl scream, I clutched the sheet to my chest and scrambled back so fast I smacked myself against the headboard of the bed. As I did that, the disgusting Raven Mocker hissed and spread his wings, looking like he was going to pounce on me, and the door burst open. Darius rushed into the room, took one look at the malevolent creature hovering over me, and with a move that was as graceful as it was lethal, reached inside his leather jacket to the knife he holstered there, pulled it free, and threw. The blade struck Rephaim high in his chest. The creature shrieked and staggered back, clutching at the pearl-inlaid hilt of the knife.

  “You dare attack my son!” It took Kalona only two strides to reach Darius. With the strength of a god, he grabbed the warrior by the throat and lifted him off his feet. Kalona was so tall, his arms so long and muscular, that he was able to slam Darius against the ceiling of the room. He held Darius there as the warrior’s legs kicked spasmodically and his fists beat ineffectually against Kalona’s massive arms.

  “Stop it! Don’t hurt him!” Pulling the sheet with me off the bed I staggered over to the two of them, not realizing until I’d gotten to my feet how weak I still was. Kalona’s black wings were unfurled, and I had to duck under one of them to get to Darius. I didn’t know what I thought I was going to do when I leaped off the bed. Even if I had been myself and not hurt and drained I would have been no match for this immortal being—and right now, though I was screaming at him and pounding on his side, I could tell I was less troubling to him than an annoying mosquito would have been. But one thing did happen. As I looked up at Kalona, I saw his blazing amber eyes and how his teeth were bared in a feral smile, and I understood that he was enjoying slowly choking the life from Darius.

  At that moment Kalona’s true self was revealed to me. He was not a misunderstood hero who was waiting for love to bring out his good side. Kalona didn’t have a good side. Whether he had always been like this or not wasn’t important. What he’d become—what he was now—was evil. The spell he had worked over me shattered like a dream made of glass. I hoped desperately that it was too broken to ever be pieced back together again.

  Drawing a deep breath, I raised my hands, palms out, not caring that the sheet fell away from my body, leaving me standing there naked. Then I used the last of my strength to evoke, “Wind and fire, come to me. I need you.” Instantly I felt the presence of the two elements, and beyond their presence I could sense Damien and Shaunee and had a brief flash of the two of them concentrating with their eyes closed as they added their combined wills to strengthen their elements. That little burst of power was all I needed. I narrowed my eyes and put everything I had into my command. “Make the winged guy get off Darius!” I threw my hands at Kalona, focusing the elements on the movement, and at the same time thinking how fire and wind had gotten me out of some pretty tight spots with those stupid Raven Mockers, so using them against their daddy should work, too.

  The effect of the blast of hot air was immediate. It caught Kalona’s outstretched wings and tossed him up and back, and there was a weird sizzling sound as the heated air touched his naked skin, actually causing mist to form in the air around him.

  Darius had fallen heavily to the floor, but he was gasping for air while he tried to stand, putting his body between Kalona, Rephaim, and me. I couldn’t do much more than try to control my breathing and blink hard to clear the weird little bright spots from my vision. Fire and wind had gone, leaving me barely able to stay on my feet.

  A movement at the edge of my vision had me glancing at the open door and I gasped in surprise as Stark ran into the room, his bowstring already notched with a deadly-looking arrow. He lifted it to take aim at Darius, and then hesitated, shook his head like he was trying to clear it, and stared at me.

  At the first sight of him I felt a wonderful rush of happiness. He looked like himself again! His eyes weren’t glowing red. He didn’t seem crazed and wasn’t hollow-cheeked and skeletal. Then I realized I was standing there completely naked as he and I stared at each other. I grabbed the sheet pooling at my feet and hurriedly wrapped it around me, bath towel–style. Even in the middle of the big mess and stress that was going on around me, I could tell that my face was blazing red with embarrassment. I should have said something, anything to him, and instead my mind was frozen by the fact that he had just seen me completely naked.

  Recovering his composure sooner than me, Stark lifted his bow again, renotching the arrow and sighting it at Darius.

  “Stark! Don’t shoot him!” I cried. I didn’t bother to try to block his view of Darius. If Stark shot, he wouldn’t miss no matter what I did. He couldn’t miss. Unlike Kalona, my Goddess didn’t take back a gift once she’d given it.

  “If you are meaning to kill the person who threw me across the room, then that arrow will strike the priestess and not the warrior,” Kalona said. He had gotten to his feet and he sounded perfectly normal. His expression was calm, but the skin
of his naked chest looked flushed and kinda odd, like he’d suddenly gotten a sunburn. Small wisps of vapor were still lifting lazily from his exposed skin, even though both elements had left the room. “And it is not the priestess I want killed. It is the warrior.”

  Before Stark could fire his deadly arrow, I turned to Kalona, beseeching him, “Darius was just protecting me. It was a Raven Mocker who did this.” I pointed to the long wound across my chest that was no longer gaping nastily open, but was instead an angry, jagged red line. “When Darius heard me scream and he saw Rephaim bending over me, it was only logical for him to assume I was being attacked again.” Kalona had held up a hand to Stark, halting the shot. With the fallen angel’s attention fully on me, I continued, “Darius has sworn to protect me. He was just doing his job. Please don’t kill him for that.”

  I held my breath during a long pause. Kalona stared at me, and I stared right back at him. The weird, hypnotic allure I’d felt for him hadn’t returned. Not that he wasn’t totally the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen. He definitely was. Then I felt a little start of surprise as I realized exactly what I was seeing as I gawked at him.

  Kalona had gotten younger.

  When he’d first risen from his imprisonment in the earth, he’d been utterly and completely handsome, but he’d also been a man. Well, one that was abnormally big and had huge black wings, but still, a man. He’d had an ageless look about him, appearing anywhere from thirty to fifty. But that had changed. If I had to guess his age, I’d say he was about eighteen. Definitely no older than twenty-one.