Shadowed (Dark Protectors)

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Jase registered the sound of Janie hitting the far wall before Malco plowed into his stomach, throwing them both against the rock. Shards ripped down, cutting into his face and neck. Rage he had no intention of controlling roared through him, tightening his hands into fists. The first punch shot into Malco’s solar plexus, and Jase aimed for the stone behind him.

  Malco exhaled, slapping both hands against Jase’s ears.

  Brenna yelled Janie’s name and scrambled to the prone woman.

  It was too late. Everything in Jase knew it was way too late for Janie. His heart hurt. How was he going to tell Talen his daughter was dead? And Cara?

  The demon grabbed Jase’s still ringing ears, pressing in while leaning down and keeping his gaze. The black eyes swirled to purple, and the demon chanted in Latin. Words Jase had never heard before.

  Pressure compounded behind Jase’s eyes. His arms went slack. Nails poked holes in his brain, and a sucking sound filled his ears. Lights flashed, and his stomach revolted. Then blackness covered his vision.

  The room tilted, and he dropped to his knees. Blind and helpless.

  Brenna’s anguished cry filtered through the pain. “Janie,” Brenna yelled. “God, wake up.”

  There was no waking up for Janie Belle Kayrs. Jase stopped fighting the pain and blindness. He’d trained for this moment, and if it was his last, he’d go out swinging. There was no way on earth he’d allow Janie’s killer to breathe for one more day.

  Losing himself, losing any humanity he’d tried to keep, he allowed the pain to turn him into the creature they’d wanted. His eyes flashed open, and the nails in his mind slid away.

  Malco’s eyes widened.

  Jase smiled and punched straight up into the demon’s groin. Malco released him, leaning over with a pained oof. Jase sprang into the air to clamp his thighs around the demon’s head and twist. Vertebra popped, and they plunged to the hard ground.

  Straddling his enemy, Jase punched both fists into Malco’s face. His breath centered, his mind cleared, and he battered bones and flesh almost rhythmically. Blood flew into his cheeks, burning like cigarette ashes. Malco tried to punch back, and Jase himself levered up, bringing his knees down on the demon’s biceps with a force that broke bones.

  Malco cried out in pain, his skull shattering.

  Jase grunted, panting with the effort, his torso straining as each punch landed harder. He’d been training for five years for this moment, and yet he felt nothing. The demon’s skull crushed into bits beneath his hands, the man losing consciousness.

  “Damn it, Jase,” Brenna yelled.

  He kept hitting, the sound of flesh hitting wet flesh surrounding him.

  “Jase?” She yelled louder.

  He slowly turned his head, not halting his motions. His witch held her hands over Janie’s throat, blood coating them.

  She stretched and kicked his knife toward him. Green fire danced along her arms and through her hair. “Finish him and get over here.”

  The knife tumbled end over end toward him, finally landing near his foot. Blood coated his palm, and the handle slipped from his grasp when he reached for it. Stopping his movements, he wiped his hand down his chest. Grabbing the knife, he lifted it over his head and plunged the blade into Malco’s throat. The demon didn’t even move. Jase twisted both ways until the head was severed. Staggering to his feet, he kicked Malco’s head across the room.

  Then he turned and lurched toward Brenna.

  She had both hands over Janie’s throat, but it was too late. Janie’s blue eyes stared sightlessly at the ceiling, her body lax in death.

  Reaching Brenna, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let her go, Bren.” Fire burned his palm, and he released her.

  She turned her head, tears in her eyes. “Jane can’t be dead.” “She is,” Jase said woodenly. “Now get up. We have to get out of here.”

  Brenna slowly leaned back, her hands sliding to her knees. “Do something.”

  “There’s nothing to do.” He ignored the burn and hauled Brenna to her feet. They had mere minutes until midnight. “There’s still fighting going on, and we have to get you topside before the solstice. Let’s go.”

  Brenna pivoted and grabbed his shirt with both hands. “You don’t get to go numb. Not now and not here.” Her palms scorched through his bloody T-shirt to burn his chest.

  He shrugged her off, his mind wanting to clear. With a low growl, he shoved all emotion back down. “Move.”

  She stepped back, blood on her face, her eyes wide with tears. “No. Janie’s dead, but we’re not leaving her.”

  They had to go. If Brenna would only leave with Janie, then he’d have to carry his niece out. He bent and slid both hands under Janie’s still body.

  That one touch destroyed him.

  Memories flashed through him so quickly, he dropped again to his knees. The first time he’d met her—she’d only been four years old. Big blue eyes, wild hair, so fragile and breakable, he’d been scared to death to touch her. Yet she hadn’t given him a choice. She’d launched her tiny body at him, fully expecting and trusting he’d catch her. And he did. Then she’d patted both small hands against his face and smiled, showing a gap in her front teeth.

  From that second on, she’d been family. A girl he’d protected as she’d grown into a woman he’d trained.

  But it hadn’t been enough. Not nearly enough.

  He’d failed.

  Sorrow burst through him with a gale’s force, and tears welled in his eyes. They flowed unchecked down his face, mixing with blood and dirt. He hadn’t wanted to feel this—he hadn’t wanted to feel anything. As he looked down at her delicate bone structure, he finally broke.

  The rock walls morphed into faces around him. Faces he’d spent so much time with years ago. They shook their heads, eyes sad and full of recriminations. He’d let the demons win. They’d killed Janie, and they’d won.

  He’d lost.

  Brenna tried to cool the fire along her skin, reaching out to rub Jase’s shaking shoulders. His grief popped the oxygen and made the air too heavy to breathe. The rocks rumbled around them, pieces falling down. They really did have to get aboveground.

  She could feel the moon rise.

  The power of the comet as it careened by the earth.

  Power undulated around her, through her, trying to get in. She held it at bay. Barely. “Jase?” she forced out.

  He didn’t move. His head was down, his eyes slowly closing. Damn it. Allowing him to stay numb would’ve ruined him for all time—she knew that. But this? Maybe this was worse. Her heart broke for him. For the entire Kayrs family.

  Flames danced on her skin in colors of aqua and green. She stepped away from Jase to keep him from being burned. Energy rippled through her veins, through her muscles, to vibrate along her flesh.

  Entrancing and intriguing, the power tempted her.

  God, it tempted her.

  But she couldn’t contain so much by herself—not after a decade of weakness. Even so, she touched the pendant around her neck. Could she beat the virus?

  An explosion rocked the world outside, tilting the room, and she fell back against the wall.

  Jase stood with Janie in his arms, his shoulders slumping. “Follow me out.”

  Sparks danced inside Brenna’s skin. God. It was too much. A fireball careened from her hand and slammed into the doorway, tumbling the door inward, and making rocks fall to block the way. Shit.

  Jase paused.

  There was no way out now.

  Taking a breath, Jase placed Janie back on the floor and prowled over to the mound of rocks. “We need to dig out.”

  Power and the sense of life filtered through Brenna. She slowly turned to eye the dead woman on the ground. Wait a minute. Just how powerful could she become? Carefully, she made her way over to Janie, opening her senses on the way.

  No filters, no shields, no safety.

  It was a long shot, but Brenna was willing to take it. She turned her hands o
ver, palms out, allowing the universe in. The virus would have to wait.

  Jase chucked a rock aside, turning to glance her way. “What are you doing?”

  “Nothing,” she murmured, trying to concentrate.

  Jase bounded up. “Brenna, no. Stop it.”

  She turned toward him as a myriad of different hues sprang up along her exposed skin. Tons of colors, all vibrant and alive. “I may be able to bring her back.”

  Jase tucked his chin, grief filling his copper eyes. “No, sweetheart. You’ll just harm yourself. Stop. Now.”

  “No.” She allowed a sad smile to lift her lips, the sensation hurting. “I have to try. It might work.”

  Anger and regret flashed across his strong face. He stood and prowled toward her. “I can’t let you do this.”

  “You can’t stop me.” Her voice deepened, the sound resonating and not completely her.

  “I can.” His hand closed into a fist. “Don’t make me. Please.”

  Energy and strength coursed through her from her head down to her toes. Energy she drew in and reshaped to make it her own. “Step back. I don’t want to burn you.” Fire crackled along her legs, sounding like a campfire deep in the woods. The sensation pricked her nerves, burning and stinging. Yet, she kept drawing it in.

  “If I have to knock you out, I will.” His face was set, the expression hard. But emotion and pain swirled in his amazing eyes. “Stop it, now.”

  “No.” God. The pull of power was too addictive, too necessary. She couldn’t stop now even if she wanted to—which she didn’t. She might actually gain enough power to bring Janie back. The woman had only been gone for minutes, and surely it was possible. Untold power felt like something too wonderful to name—even though it kind of hurt. But in a good, too tempting way. “Go dig us out.”

  He swung.

  She stepped back and swept out an arm. Fire lanced out, forming a living wall between them. He lifted his chin, anger tightening his lips to a white line. “Drop the fire. Now.”

  “No.” She spread her arms, and the wall surrounded her and Janie. Jase couldn’t get in unless she allowed him passage.

  He growled and slid a hand into the fire. The scent of burning flesh filled the room.

  “Burn all you want. I’m not stopping.” Brenna shook her head, the power fuzzing her brain, her emotions washing away. Knowing full well the risks, she allowed them to disappear. She allowed the power to turn her into somebody else—somebody who might be able to heal Janie. To bring a human back from the dead, Brenna had to turn into something new. Something dangerous and probably something that couldn’t last.

  Sparks flew around the room. The earth rumbled below them, while thunder filled the night above them. Loud enough to be heard so deep in the earth.

  The rhythm of the wind, the strength of the storm, the life of the earth filled her, surrounded her, lifted her higher than she could’ve imagined. A song erupted down her spine, a new song, a melody she could only feel. Too high and strong to be heard, it wove through her skin and flesh, tightening in a universal truth.

  She was more powerful than the earth, sharper than the truth. More everlasting than reality—stronger than death.

  Her hands vibrated, a wild dark blue dancing along her fingers. Turning, she knelt and placed both hands across Janie’s throat.

  Tendrils danced from Janie to tickle through the blue. Brenna tipped her head to the side but couldn’t see anything. Yet something, a presence of a sort, reached for her hand. Was it Janie’s soul?

  “Stay in there,” Brenna whispered, pressing harder against ripped flesh and damaged tissue.

  The earth trembled, rumbling deep with the hint of violence. Something unnatural was happening, and the earth would object. That was fine. Brenna could fight the planet if necessary. Potent power filled her, entranced her, drugged her.

  She felt the exact second the comet drew close.

  Forcing the energy into her hands, she pressed Janie’s soul back into her body. Blood squirted, the vessels quickly mending before flesh drew together.

  Janie gasped, rearing up, her eyes wide.

  Brenna fell back. Holy crap.

  Janie clutched her neck, wheezing in air. “What . . . happened?”

  “You died.” Brenna lurched to stand and waved the fire wall down.

  Jase rushed forward to yank Janie up in a hug. Tears slid down his face. “I can’t believe it.”

  Brenna’s lungs heated and compressed. Uh-oh. She backed toward the demolished doorway, struggling to breathe. The sky bellowed a warning loud enough to be felt as well as heard. The ground shook. Rocks fell from the ceiling in large chunks.

  Her body filled with energy and insurmountable power. She tried to shove it out, but it was too late.

  Way too late.

  Chapter 31

  Jase settled Janie on the ground, her back to the rock. Faces morphed around him. Some familiar, some new. Had they missed him? He shook off the odd question, accepting the strangeness of his captivity. The faces had helped him to survive, to not be so alone. His brain had done what it could to keep him from going completely crazy.

  Brenna backtracked to the far wall, her eyes wide and an unfathomable black. Her hair cascaded around her, curling as if she’d been electrocuted.

  She was beautiful.

  And dangerous as hell.

  Flames danced on her skin, along her neck, even deep in her eyes. Panic lived there, as well. Then resignation.

  Oh, hell no. The woman wasn’t giving up. He shook his head, fighting to be heard above the rumbling earth. “Dig deep, Bren. Fight the power. You used it, you owned the bitch. Now let it go.”

  Crimson spread along her high cheekbones, and her eyelids half-closed. Ecstasy and pain raced across her face. “Caaan’t contain it,” she gasped.

  “You can.” He dodged to the side to avoid a falling boulder. They needed to get out of the ground before the tunnels collapsed. “Find the ice.”

  “There’s . . . no . . . ice,” she hissed out, grimacing. “Too much . . . too hot . . . step back. Now.”

  “No.” He moved closer to her, heat singeing his arms and face. So much heat.

  The fire wavered around her and crackled. She cried out, pain washing her face white.

  Janie cried out from behind him, scrambling out of the way as rocks pummeled down.

  Male voices echoed from the hallway as boulders were tossed aside. Talen and Conn shoved inside, bloody and bruised. But alive.

  “We have to go,” Talen growled, running to help his daughter stand and half-carry her into the hall. “Now.”

  “Go,” Brenna shouted above the shaking earth. Regret twisted her lips, and tears made steam rise on her face. “Get out. Now.”

  Jase shoved Conn into the hallway after Talen and Janie. “Go. We’ll be all right.”

  His brother turned and eyed Brenna. “I’ll stay with you.”

  “No.” Jase shook his head. “I can’t worry about both of you.”

  “But if she blows, you’ll both be buried.”

  “I know. Go home to your witch, Conn. I’ll take care of mine.” Jase couldn’t be responsible for his older brother’s death if this went the wrong way. His only chance to save Brenna lay in total concentration. “You have to go and make sure our brothers don’t try to come back down here.” They would, and that would be disastrous. The Kayrs men needed to get clear.

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “You are. I need you to trust me.” Jase fought to keep his face clear and confident. His older brother had always stood between him and danger, but that time had passed. “You have to help Talen get Janie out of here—it sounds like you’ll need to dig out, and time is running short. Janie is the only human, and she definitely won’t survive an explosion. The rest of us have a chance. Get going. Please.”

  Conn studied him as debris rained around them. Finally, with a nod, he grabbed Jase in a hard hug.

  Emotion choked Jase’s throat, and he claspe
d his brother tight. “I’ll see you topside.”

  Conn levered back, his eyes glazed. “Topside.” Then he turned and followed the path Talen had taken.

  Jase nodded and took a deep breath. Good.

  Brenna’s eyes filled with more tears. She grabbed the pendant around her neck. “I can’t focus the energy into the virus. I’m trying, but—”

  “Stop worrying about the virus. Concentrate so you don’t blow up.” Panic swept through his limbs along with a fierce determination.

  She cried out, pain scenting the air. “Please, go. Now.”

  He shook his head. “I won’t leave you. So you’d better control this.”

  “I can’t.” She winced as fire cut into her jugular, highlighting her veins in bright red through her pale skin. “Too much.”

  The fire was burning her. Jase stepped closer, his skin sizzling. Taking a deep breath of the heated air, he forced calmness through his nerves. The wall inside his mind had shattered, and he’d taken control. The last vestiges of his captivity, of his torture, had disappeared by his own effort. For years they’d tried to break him, but he was stronger than they’d imagined.

  “You failed,” he bellowed to the morphing rocks.

  Brenna tilted her head. “What?” she yelled through the smoke.

  He settled his stance and opened his hands. “Hold on, baby.” He could do this. It was time to reclaim his life, to be who he wanted to be and not who the demons had tried to turn him into. He was Jase-fucking-Kayrs, and he controlled the elements.

  Brenna’s mouth opened in a silent scream as the fire started to consume her.

  Jase peered into the raining debris to individual oxygen molecules. Digging deep, he commanded them to alter their state.

  Water dripped through the air.

  Exhilaration swept him. It was as if a missing limb had suddenly been returned. Power rushed through his veins in an electric arc.

  Brenna screamed, and he narrowed his focus. Water splashed over her, quickly turning to ice. Steam rose with a sharp hiss all around her. The fire fought him, and he pushed back with as much strength as he could without harming Brenna. The ice might sharpen and stab her, so he kept a tight rein on the power.