Not Quite Dead (A NightHunter Novel)

by Stephanie Rowe

  The scar on her breast began to burn, and she raised her chin, refusing to give in to the fear that he'd stoked in her for so long.

  "Look at me, Jordyn." His eyes were bottomless and black, and she felt their pull the moment she obeyed him.

  She immediately closed her eyes, cutting herself off from his allure. How could she possibly stop him? She had nothing to fight him with. Nothing except her mind. She thought of all the lessons her grandmother had given her, and she carefully, quickly began to weave the protections in her mind to block him.

  A touch whispered across her throat, and she snapped her eyes open. Cicatrice was still standing on the other side of the room, but she could feel his fingers grazing along her neck and down her collarbone, a treacherous seduction. "Do you know how she was able to kill me?" he asked.

  She brushed at her neck, rubbing the sensation of his touch away, even as she kept weaving her mental shields. "No. Tell me."

  He smiled, sauntering across the floor toward the dresser across the room. A pair of gold rings sat there in a dish. "Because she was a NightHunter." He picked up a ring, and twirled it on his hand. "NightHunters aren't made. They're born." He watched the gold spinning, reflecting the light from all the candles. "They are the vampire's ultimate enemy, the only ones who are a true threat to the most powerful of us."

  She watched him carefully, weighing his words. Her grandmother had always told her that she'd been born to take over for her, to continue her work. She'd assumed Oba was talking about magic. Was she a NightHunter? Was she one of the chosen few?

  Cicatrice smiled and tossed the ring into the air, watching it spin with surreal speed before he snatched it out of the air in a lightning fast move. "Yes, you are. You've always known it."

  Her heart began to pound. "How did she kill you?"

  He extended a sinewy index finger toward her and shook it. "There's a special relationship between vampires and NightHunters, a symbiotic relationship." He picked up the other ring from the table and began weaving it through his fingers. "The reason she, and you, could kill me is because our magic is entwined." He began to walk toward her, still flipping the rings until they were moving with dizzying speed, the light from the candles bouncing off them. "But that also means you're the most powerful source of magic for me." He came to a stop in front of her. "You have the power to sustain me through any death, through any battle, through any lifetime." He held up the golden circle. "With this ring, I bind myself to you."

  He jerked his shirt open, and then pressed the ring to his chest, above his heart. It glowed brightly, then sank into his flesh until it was a burning circle on his skin. Pain pierced her own heart, and she pressed her hand to her chest, in the exact spot where he'd carved his mark so many years ago. Icy panic tightened in her lungs. "No," she said. "You can't bind me."

  "No? I can't?" He laughed softly. "Such innocence. I cherish the boldness of youth." He trailed his finger along her jaw, and she stiffened.

  Her mind was frantic as she tried to find a solution. "That's what you did to my grandmother," she said, her heart pounding. "She didn't love you. You bound her to you. You trapped her. And yet somehow, she still managed to be strong enough to kill you. So it doesn't work."

  He grabbed her by the neck and yanked her against him. Her chest hit his body. Solid muscle, and burning hot, not the ice cold she would have expected of a man who'd been dead for so long. "She loved me," he snarled. "As will you." She felt the push of his mind at hers, and she rebelled.

  "No!" Instinctively, she jammed her fingernails into his chest. Her fingers closed on the hot metal, and she tore it out of his skin.

  He screamed his rage and lunged at her, his face contorting with anger. She grabbed a nearby candle and shoved it into his face, right into the scar her grandmother had left. He screamed and tumbled, gripping his face as steam hissed out of the crevice. She leapt past him and raced to the window, throwing the shutters open. She searched the driveway where she'd last seen Eric, but he wasn't there. Eric?

  Cicatrice grabbed her hair and yanked her backward. She twisted out of his reach and flung the ring out the window, shoving all her magic at it. She opened her mind to Eric, and wrapped her spirit around it, calling upon the magic of her grandmother, of the power that ran so deeply through her. She threw it all into the ring and sent it to Eric. Take this ring, vampire, and bind yourself to me, your NightHunter. For a brief moment, it rose, as if he was somewhere above her, and then Cicatrice lunged for it, snatching it out of the air and shoving it into her chest in a single move.

  The pain ripped through her breast and she screamed, falling to her knees as the shock reverberated through her body. She gasped, fighting for breath as she clawed at her chest, trying to pry it out of her flesh. It burrowed deeper, seeping into her body, anchoring itself to her very soul. Why couldn't she get it out of her own chest, when she could get it out of Cicatrice's? "No!"

  "You can't get it out because you accepted it when you offered it to your lover," Cicatrice snarled. "But he's not going to get the other ring. I am." He grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, his eyes red and glowing. "And now, you are mine." He twisted her neck back, until pain shot through her. Then he held up the other ring. "It is done."

  Then, with a flick of his fingers, he flipped it over so it landed on his bare chest. It floated there for a moment, hovering against the skin.

  She lunged for him, trying to knock it free, but he jerked her back, pulling relentlessly on her hair as it sank into his skin. It sat there, glowing on his flesh, and she knew with sudden certainty, that she had to do something to stop it from sinking into his heart. Once it went inside, it would be too late to break it. She closed her eyes, and summoned all the spirits she could, raking them toward her with ruthless ferocity, tapping into her own magic, and the remnants of Eric that he'd left behind. His dark magic raced through her, hitting her full force, as if it had been waiting for her to call it. She felt her skin change, and the shadows tore through her, every bit the monster that had been trying to claim him before.

  For a split second, she hesitated, realizing what was happening. His magic was hers, and it was there to claim her. If she released it, it would own her, just as it had tried to take him. Did she dare risk it?

  In her split second of indecision, Cicatrice jerked her head back and slammed his teeth into her neck. She screamed at the invasion, and thrust Eric's magic at Cicatrice, but it was too late.

  He drank her blood, and she became his.

  Chapter 24

  Eric. Jordyn's energy suddenly swept through Eric, galvanizing him.

  He rolled to the right just in time, and David's stake slammed harmlessly into the roof deck by his shoulder. Eric kicked David's legs out from under him, and then tackled him as the man went down. He pinned David down and yanked the stake out of the roof. He elbowed David's head back into the deck, and pressed the stake to his chest. "Save my brother, you piece of shit."

  David's eyes were wide, but they weren't red. Hate flooded his face. "He's a fucking vampire."

  What the hell? "So are you, you hypocrite. Save him, or you die." He shoved the tip of the stake into David's chest, and the man's skin turned black. Energy was rushing through Eric, fierce, violent energy. His energy. Jordyn's. He could feel her presence within him, igniting his cells, firing up his very soul. Jordyn! He reached out to her, and felt a howl of emptiness, and the screams of thousands of voices. He went cold, realizing that his magic had taken her. "Shit!" He grabbed David's shirt and threw him up against the chimney. The red brick cracked, and David fell to the ground, still clutching his chest.

  Beside him, Tristan lay still. "He's not going to save me," Tristan managed. "Can't you feel his hate?"

  "He's the only one who knows how to save you. He's a psychopath, but he's brilliant." Eric felt another wash of his magic from Jordyn, and he knew he had no time. Somehow, she was empowering him, and he couldn't waste it. "We can't kill him." He slammed one of the less fatal stak
es through David's shoulder, pinning him to the chimney, just as Tristan had been staked to the roof.

  The vampire screamed, clutching his shoulder as black smoke poured from the wound, but he couldn't free himself.

  Eric knelt beside his brother and put his hand on Tristan's chest, giving him some of Jordyn's energy. Tristan inhaled, and his body shuddered violently, and then he took another breath, a smoother one that didn't make his body convulse. He met Eric's eyes. "That's enough. Go get her. I'll be here."

  Eric didn't waste time. He simply opened his mind to hers and followed the trail she'd left. He was in a full sprint by the time he crashed through the wooden deck door and into the house.

  The scent of blood permeated the air as Eric raced down the attic stairs and through the ancient corridors. Dust was everywhere, and the plaster walls were cracked. He felt Jordyn's presence below, mixed with Cicatrice's, and the scent of blood was hers.

  He tried to shift into mist, but he couldn't summon the strength. Already the energy that Jordyn had sent him was fading, and weakness was pervading his body. He ran harder, forcing his muscles to respond, knowing he had so little time to act.

  He vaulted over the railing to the second floor, stumbling when he hit the Oriental carpet. He righted himself and then bolted for a set of closed French doors, knowing unerringly where Jordyn was. He rammed his shoulder into the doors, and they burst open under the force of his assault. The impact threw him off balance, and he crashed, skidding across the floor as he fought to regain his footing.

  He leapt to his feet and whirled around, his heart freezing in his chest when he saw Jordyn limp in Cicatrice's arms, the vampire's teeth buried in her neck. Her skin was ashen, her body limp as she dangled over his forearm, as if she'd swooned in his arms. Her skin was shadowed, and he could see his magic coursing through her, trying to get a foothold, but she was unconscious, so it couldn't take her.

  Cicatrice was in some sort of trance, entirely focused on Jordyn. He hadn't even noticed Eric's arrival. A small, golden circle was glowing on her left breast, in the same location that Cicatrice had marked before, and a matching one was blazing on Cicatrice's chest.

  Shit. That couldn't be good.

  Staying silent, so as not to break Cicatrice's trance, Eric palmed his hands and summoned the energy racing through Jordyn. It was his magic, and it leapt from her, tearing across the room toward him, greedily seeking his life force. It plunged into him and he turned it right back on Cicatrice in a seamless, brutal attack. It hit the vampire hard, flinging him backward and tearing him away from Jordyn. Cicatrice crashed through the massive window, careening out into the late afternoon light.

  She slumped to the floor, still unconscious, blood trickling from the two pinprick holes in her neck. "Jordyn!" Eric raced over to her and swept her up in arms. "Jordyn, wake up. It's me—"

  A claw slammed into his back, and he gasped, stumbling forward as Cicatrice's hand shot through his chest and locked around his heart. He staggered, and Jordyn slipped from his arms as Cicatrice's fingers closed around his heart once again. Eric reached behind him and grabbed the vampire's wrist, trying to keep him from tearing out his heart. Cicatrice's fingers closed tighter around the organ, his claws digging in as he twisted it.

  Desperate, Eric threw energy back at the vampire. It hit hard, and he felt the vampire's grip loosen, but he didn't release him. Weakness seized him, but Eric kept firing magic at Cicatrice, slamming him again and again. He could feel the magnitude of the energy he was summoning, but he didn't stop. He could feel the howling abyss growing inside him, but he didn't dare cease his attack. Shadows swirled through him, taking root, and still he kept going. He had to get Cicatrice's hand off his heart.

  Even as he thought it, he felt the claws dig in, and he knew he was almost out of time. Cicatrice would kill him within a split second, and if he did… Eric looked down at Jordyn, unconscious on the floor, the circle on her chest still glowing. She was utterly defenseless against a four-hundred-year-old vampire. Eric was her last line of protection, but if he lost his shit, she couldn't shield herself from him. She was helpless against his wrath, just like Jane had been when he'd killed her. She had no way to save herself from him. The dagger he'd given her was long gone. Despair filled him as Cicatrice tightened his grip on his heart. If Eric succumbed to his darkest magic, she would die. If he didn't, Cicatrice would kill him, and she would be left vulnerable and alone.

  Her eyelids fluttered, and her eyes opened. She looked at Eric as he fell to his knees, no longer able to stand. His grip on Cicatrice's wrist was weakening, and he knew that he'd lose the battle within moments. She quickly took in the situation, and he saw her register how close to the edge he was. The shadows were raging in him—

  Her energy swirled through him, warm and loving. Do it.

  He met her gaze. I love you, Jordyn. As he said it, his words filled him with absolute rightness and conviction. He'd done everything in his power to never bond with another woman again, and yet, it had happened. She was so deep in his soul that he knew he would never take another breath without her being a part of it.

  She smiled. Do it.

  Her voice was so clear and steady that it filled him with resolve he'd never had before. What the fuck was he doing? Afraid he would hurt her? He knew there was no chance in hell of that ever happening. He loved her, for hell's sake. He would never, ever hurt her. Freedom exploded through him, the first sense of liberation he'd felt since the day he'd killed Jane. He couldn't hurt Jordyn. He could tap into his greatest powers, and she would be safe!

  With a roar of fury, he dropped his shields completely. The rage came fast and hard, tearing through him, inciting a violence unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He sent it all at Cicatrice, hitting him so hard that the vampire screamed in agony, but still his hand stayed locked around Eric's heart. Swearing, Eric tried to twist around, still gripping Cicatrice's arm, but he couldn't turn far enough. He couldn't let go or Cicatrice would rip out his heart.

  He hit him again, and this time Cicatrice slammed his other hand through Eric's back, shattering his ribs as he grabbed Eric's heart with his other hand. Eric gasped, and reached behind him, gripping Cicatrice's other arm to keep him from being able to pull Eric's heart out. With both of his hands occupied, Eric couldn't throw any more magic, so he just let the darkness consume him from the inside out.

  Lethal cold assaulted him, and his skin began to dissolve into fragments. He heard Cicatrice scream as the demon spirits began to flood him, reaching Cicatrice through their physical connection. Cicatrice began to fragment as well, and the pain assaulted them both, ripping through them as it shredded their bodies. But even as they both went down, Cicatrice's claws tightened in Eric's chest, fighting with all his strength to kill Eric before he destroyed them both.

  They were all going to die.

  ***

  Jordyn lurched to her hands and knees, her body so weak she could barely hold herself up. Eric was half-disintegrated, but Cicatrice was in much better shape. Somehow, he was holding Eric off. Eric was going to lose himself before he killed Cicatrice.

  Eric's gaze met hers, and she saw in them only bottomless depths of hell. The moment they made contact, the fragments of his being began to stream toward her, away from Cicatrice.

  Shit. Eric's desperate gasp filled her. They recognize you. Cicatrice isn't letting them in fast enough. They want to possess you.

  She struggled to her feet. There's a ring embedded in Cicatrice's chest. I need it.

  Eric's face was pure smoke now, and his shoulders were starting to fade. He didn't question her or hesitate. On three.

  She ran across the floor toward Eric, right into the stream of demons coming at her. It hit her in the chest, and she couldn't stop the scream of agony that ripped out of her. The cold was virulent, paralyzing her lungs. She went down on her knees in front of Eric, staying focused on his face. Three, she said. There was no time for a countdown. Three was now.

  Eric va
ulted forward, throwing his shoulders forward and jerking Cicatrice over his head. The vampire careened through the air, his arms outstretched for a split second, almost tearing Eric's heart out. Jordyn took advantage of the moment, and plunged her hand into Cicatrice's chest. Her fingers closed around the searing hot metal, and she ripped it free.

  Cicatrice landed on his back, dragging Eric with him so Eric landed on top of him, his back crashing against Cicatrice's chest. As the two men came together, the force of it shoved Cicatrice's hand right through his body, bursting out of the front wall of Eric's chest. Eric gasped, and grabbed Cicatrice's wrists, keeping the vampire from pulling his hands back through and taking Eric's heart with him. That hurt like a son of bitch.

  Fear tore through Jordyn at the extent of his grievous injury, and she tried not to panic.She palmed the ring. Do you accept my love for all eternity, Eric? It will only work if you do.

  Eric met her gaze for a split second, and for a moment, she thought he was going to reject her. But he didn't hesitate. He nodded. I'll love you until the end of time, Jordyn, and I accept your love in return. If you didn't love me, I'd just give up and die right now. I live for you, honey. Nothing else. Just you.

  His words were so heartfelt that tears filled her eyes. She pressed the gold ring against the blackened skin over his heart, and it sank instantly beneath the flesh. The gold band in her own chest glowed, and energy rushed through her. It was Eric's spiritual essence, filling her like a great burst of sunshine, locking them together. It was so different from when Cicatrice had bound them, and she knew now why she'd been able to take the ring from Cicatrice both times: because he hadn't loved her back. He'd wanted to possess her, but he hadn't loved her.

  Eric did.

  God, I love you, woman. He inhaled deeply, and then his magic exploded outward. It slammed into Cicatrice and the rest of the room in a violent explosion of smoke and ash, but it flew around her, parting like a split in the ocean. The assault was instant, and violent, a storm unleashed from the very depths of mother earth, and she felt it tearing him away from her, trying to take him.