Chained by Darkness (Sensor Series, Book 2.5)

by Illene, Susan

  “Lucas won’t be the one to do it,” the guardian scoffed.

  “No,” the archangel smiled, “he won’t.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Melena

  They say you can’t run from your problems. Trying to do it while on a treadmill probably made that even more difficult. I’d been pushing myself to go faster and faster for the past hour and didn’t feel much better than when I’d started. It didn’t even tire me out as much as it once did. Apparently, ingesting nephilim blood would do that to a person.

  I stepped off the machine and grabbed a towel, wiping at a light sheen of sweat that had gathered on my face. It was late—almost midnight—but I couldn’t face going to bed just yet. The dreams might come. I’d experienced a lot of horrible things in my life, but the images I saw in my sleep rivaled them all. It was the feelings of helplessness they gave me that bothered me the most.

  Water. I needed to rehydrate after that run so if the dreams did come I wouldn’t feel quite so thirsty. Heading to the kitchen, I grabbed a bottle out of the fridge and started chugging it down. A moment later I almost choked. My senses came alive as two supernatural beings headed this way—both of them rather unexpected. The pattering of feet upstairs let me know someone else had picked them up on her radar as well. She’d been in bed just a minute before.

  A black and gray tabby made it down first. The lynx curled around my legs and looked up at me expectantly. She’d gotten good at knowing when Emily and I sensed something coming toward us.

  “Turn into a panther, Sable,” I ordered her.

  She didn’t hesitate. With a stretch of her limbs and a low growl, Sable went from being the size of a large house cat to something that could rub its head against my hips without coming off its four paws. Despite my initial misgivings, I’d grown fond of the feline shape-shifter Lucas and Aeson had gifted me. Too bad they hadn’t been around to see me receive it.

  Emily, my fifteen-year-old adopted daughter, came down the stairs next. She must have gotten dressed first. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, along with some tennis shoes. Her brown hair was brushed back into a ponytail as well. I had to give her credit for getting ready so fast.

  “He’s here!” she said, grinning.

  I grunted and opened the coat closet door. At the bottom was a gun safe—there was one upstairs too. I pressed my finger to the scanner and entered my code. As soon as it unlocked, I pulled the latch. My newest .45 Sig sat there waiting for me. I grabbed it, along with some ammo, and locked the safe back up.

  “Mel, why are you loading a gun when Lucas is on his way here?” Emily asked.

  She had every right to be confused. I’d never told her what happened, though not by choice.

  “Do you sense who is with him?”

  Emily’s forehead creased for a moment as she concentrated. Then a smile lit her face. “It feels like an angel.”

  I nodded. “Smart as ever. Let’s go meet them outside.”

  In case things turned ugly, I wanted room to maneuver. Plus bullet holes were a pain in the ass to repair inside the home—not that I had to do that too often, but it happens when you have a vampire for a landlord.

  We stepped outside the house with Sable staying close to us. I could sense her confused emotions, but her eyes were fully alert. A light breeze ran over my skin, helping to cool it from my previous workout. If I’d known Lucas was coming, I might have planned to wear something besides shorts and a tank top. It was June in Fairbanks, though, and that’s about all I wore anyway. Seventy degrees was a heat wave around this place.

  The angel and nephilim were almost here. Part of me was excited for the chance to see Lucas again. I’d wished on every damn shooting star I saw over the last few months and even moved on to wishing on the northern lights. It was pathetic, but that brought my thoughts to why I was also afraid to see him again.

  He could very well hate me now and I couldn’t blame him. It was my fault he’d been taken to Purgatory and tortured nearly every day. I’d ignored his warnings when he’d asked me not to join the battle against the demons. Maybe I hadn’t known the ramifications of my decision, but that didn’t take away the guilt. Seeing him tortured over and over again in my sleep killed me a little more inside each time. Micah had confirmed the dreams were real, though I’d pretty much guessed that for myself. They were too vivid not to be.

  Lucas and the archangel appeared out of the darkness and over the trees. As they moved toward the clearing in front of our house, they descended slowly. I could sense the invisibility spell Remiel had up to hide them, but there were always some races like mine who were immune to it. He was being cautious despite the darkness. It would have been easier if he’d just flashed them here, but maybe he had some reason for not doing so that I didn’t know about. The ways of angels were a complete mystery to me.

  As soon as Remiel touched the ground and folded his wings, he let go of Lucas and unfroze him. The nephilim’s eyes blazed gold as they locked with mine. I couldn’t read any emotion coming from him, but neither of us seemed able to move. He didn’t even blink when Emily rushed up and hugged him, but he did wrap his arms around her. I’d never seen him do that before. At least it proved he wasn’t angry with her.

  “I missed you,” Emily said to him. “Where have you been?”

  He finally broke eye contact with me to look down at the girl still clinging to him. “Not here,” he said. “Melena is going to explain everything to you later.”

  I was?

  “What’s up with these weird things on your wrists?” she asked, fingering what looked like shackles. “They’re making you weaker. I can feel it.”

  At some point I was going to have to stop standing around like an idiot and move. Sooner would probably be better than later. I put one foot in front of the other until I was within arm’s reach of Lucas. Emily had pulled away from him as soon as she saw me coming. We all glanced down when Sable started growling at the archangel. She must have followed me over.

  Lucas reached down to pet her. She turned her head into his hand and ate it up. Time apart must not have broken the bond he’d established with her before I’d gotten her.

  He stood up and looked at me. There was a hint of warmth in his gaze that made my stomach clench. “We need to talk…in private.”

  God, but I was a mess. This seemed less real than the dreams.

  “Okay,” I said. At least I’d found my voice.

  I looked at a bewildered Emily whose blue eyes kept glancing between all the adults trying to figure us out. Now this was a girl who could provide a good distraction. I was coming back from my shock at seeing Lucas enough to see I needed to keep her busy while he and I talked.

  “You want to know where Lucas has been for the last four months?” I asked her. “Talk to the archangel.”

  She glared at Remiel, homing in on a target for all the questions I’d never been able to answer. At least if he gave her some of them, I’d have less to deal with later. Lucas and I would have to go inside for any real privacy, but I felt safe leaving her out here. There was no reason for the angel to harm a young girl and clearly they thought it was their business to protect sensors anyway.

  I handed her my gun. She knew how to use it, though I kept them locked up except when we went out to practice. Our lives were too dangerous for her to not know how to protect herself. “If the archangel tries coming in the house, shoot him until you run out of bullets.”

  Remiel lifted his brows. “You do realize I could block those?”

  “With my blood coated on them?” I asked.

  He frowned. Until this moment, I hadn’t been sure if a sensor’s ability to nullify magic worked with angels, but his expression confirmed it.

  Lucas took my hand. The tingles that used to be there when we touched were gone. A lump formed in my throat. I hadn’t realized until now how much I’d valued our souls being bound together until Remiel had separated us—not that I’d known on a conscious level, but I ha
d to have known deep inside. Without the binding, Lucas’ hands just felt warm and comforting. I could still enjoy that, though it wasn’t the same as the tingles.

  “Are you trying for role model of the year?” he asked, nodding to the gun I’d given Emily.

  I shrugged. “You beat me for first place last year, so I’m trying harder this time around.”

  He laughed. It came out deep and rich like it always did. Lucas and I were as different as night and day, but the one thing we had in common was using sarcasm to cover emotions. Feeling him this close, after months of waiting and worrying, made me want to crawl into his arms and bury myself there. I wouldn’t show that kind of weakness in front of the archangel, though.

  “Let’s go inside. Emily shouldn’t have any problem keeping him occupied out here,” Lucas said, tugging me toward the front door.

  “You have fifteen minutes before I test the young girl’s resolve to shoot me,” Remiel called after us.

  I turned back and met gazes with Sable. “If that angel tries coming into this house, you turn into the biggest lion you can and bite his head off.”

  Her black tail perked up and swished from side to side a little. I knew she’d do it. She might be a pain in the ass—particularly with the local wildlife—and hog the bed at night, but she was loyal to a fault.

  Lucas didn’t give me a chance to say more. He just took my arm again and pulled me inside. As soon as the door closed behind us, he had my back pressed up against the wall. When his lips met mine, I melted. He wouldn’t do this if he didn’t still care.

  I opened my mouth and sank into the kiss like a woman who hadn’t seen her lover in, well, many months. The touch of his warm body against mine didn’t seem real. I wrapped my arms around his neck in an effort to get closer. He grabbed my legs and lifted, curling them around his waist. The tingles might not be there, but the passion between us was still as strong as before. No one had ever made me feel more alive than he did.

  It seemed we’d barely started when he pulled back and lowered me to the ground. I slowly let my arms drop, not wanting to let go. He reached out a hand and took down my ponytail. As soon as it was free he ran his fingers through my auburn hair. He did it in a way that made me think it was the most precious thing in the world to him.

  If he kept it up, all the tears I’d been holding back for so long would unleash. It didn’t help that he was allowing himself to feel again. My senses were picking up his sadness and regret in waves that almost brought me to my knees. He’d never shown this level of emotion in all the years I’d known him. It was my fault. Everything. I dropped my head on his hard chest and clutched at his t-shirt.

  “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

  His hand moved to my chin and lifted it. “Don’t. This isn’t your fault.”

  “It is, and the dreams…”

  He shook his head. “If I could find a way to stop those, I would.”

  “Someday, I’m going to find a way to kill Kerbasi for all the things he’s done to you,” I vowed.

  “No.” Lucas went back to touching my hair. “You’re going to stay here and be safe. Kerbasi is in a place no mortal can survive and I wouldn’t want you anywhere near Purgatory anyway.”

  “We’ll see,” I said, not meeting his eyes. “So how did you manage to get out?”

  “You’re in danger. Zoe is going to be finishing her sentence in Purgatory spring of next year. Without me around, you’re going to be vulnerable.” He went on to explain why the female nephilim wanted to come after me so badly. Every time I thought I had my fair share of enemies, more always popped up.

  “You need to take another dose of my blood,” Lucas said after finishing his explanation about Zoe.

  I searched his eyes. “Remiel said it’s forbidden.”

  “They’ve made an exception for you. I’m going to be gone for a long time and this is the only way I can help keep you safe.”

  He was avoiding saying for how long. I decided to let it slide for the moment, but he would be telling me before he left. First, I needed to find out about this blood exchange Lucas wanted to do.

  “The first dose has already changed me. What will happen with this one?” I asked.

  “You’ll heal faster, age slower, and become stronger. It will take time for your body to adjust, but it will make you more difficult to kill.”

  “What about my sensor abilities? They haven’t been affected so far, but what if more of your blood takes them away?” I used to hate having my abilities, but over time I’d realized I could never give them up. They were a part of me.

  Lucas shook his head. “Remiel assured me that my blood won’t affect them. It’s only changing you physically, but not in any magical way that would conflict with your abilities. I think that’s why it’s always been forbidden. You’ll have many advantages and fewer weaknesses.”

  “Do they expect me to keep hiding this? It’s already difficult with what little changes I’ve had and Emily’s getting suspicious.” She was the most observant teenager I’d ever seen.

  “You have to keep hiding it for now. They’ve put some kind of protection spell on you so no one intending you or Emily harm can find you. It’s only in place so long as you don’t reveal yourself. Once you do, it’s gone. They have made exceptions for Emily, Micah, and Charlie. They are allowed to know about everything, so use them if you need help.”

  I sighed. “They have to make everything so complicated, don’t they?”

  “Unfortunately, they think they do. Will you accept my blood?” There was anxiety in his voice. He really wanted me to do this.

  “You don’t have to protect me anymore, Lucas. Why are you doing this?” I knew he cared about me, but this was above and beyond anything I’d ever imagined. The angels must be exacting a price from him to do something that had always been forbidden.

  His hand cupped my cheek and he looked at me with an intensity I’d never seen before. “Do you remember when I told you I’d always protect you?”

  A lump formed in my throat. I remembered it quite clearly because I’d been convinced he hated me at that time. His vow had thrown me completely off guard. Then he’d disappeared in typical Lucas style so I couldn’t ask what he meant by it.

  “Yes, I remember.”

  His eyes stayed locked on mine. “Did your senses tell you I was lying or telling the truth?”

  “The truth—but that can always change. You don’t have to…”

  He locked his lips with mine. I forgot whatever I was about to say. When he pulled away from me a moment later, I wanted to protest. Couldn’t we just lock ourselves up somewhere the angels couldn’t find us and stay close to each other forever? He cupped both sides of my face and looked down at me with eyes burning with emotion.

  “Nothing has changed, or will ever change. Melena, you belong to me. I would walk through the fires of hell for you. I would face anyone or do anything if it could keep you alive even one extra day. There is no price too high that I wouldn’t pay.”

  He leaned in closer. “You are the only woman who has ever made me feel alive. You give me hope for a future I thought would never be anything but bleak. I’m going to be in that hellhole for a very long time. I can survive it, but only if I know you’ll be here when I get out. To do that, you’re going to have to accept my offer and take my blood. Please.”

  Despite my vow to keep my emotions under control, I had tears streaking down my face. My senses could not only feel the emotion of every word he said, but the truth of it. How could a man like this feel the way he did about someone he’d always considered an enemy? It was the “please” that really got me, though. Lucas did not like to use that word.

  “Yes,” I answered him. “I’ll do it.”

  He crushed me close to him in a tight hug. It was a good thing I’d already had one dose of his blood or he might have broken something. A full minute passed as I enjoyed being so close to him, but I was running out air.

  “Mortal here, Lucas. Need…oxyg
en,” I managed to squeeze out with the last of my breath.

  He jerked away fast. “My apologies.”

  He used one of his fingernails to slash at his forearm above the manacle. I really wished I could take the awful things off of him. Blood pooled at the wound as he extended his arm out toward me. I grabbed him and pressed my lips to his skin, tasting him. The first time he’d given me blood, I hadn’t been conscious—or alive for that matter. This time when I took it in, I got the full force of it. The rich taste and the thrum of power as it surged into me. It was intoxicating in a way I’d never felt before.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lucas

  Watching Melena take in his blood while fully aware of what she was doing did something to him. Knowing he was giving her strength and power so she could survive filled him with pride. He wished he could keep letting her drink, but Remiel had been very adamant about the amount she could handle. Lucas had to stop her.

  He put his free hand to the side of her head and pressed lightly. “Enough, Melena.”

  She lifted her head and gazed up at him. His blood tinged her lips. He could feel his cock grow hard and wished they had more time. By the look in her eyes, she was considering the same thing.

  “How good of a shot is Emily?” he asked.

  Melena smiled. That alone was almost enough to make him lose control.

  “Em’s almost as good as me,” she said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t think she’d be able to buy us more than a minute, though.”

  “Isn’t that why you ordered Sable to be the back-up?” Lucas had been glad to see she was getting along with her new pet. He’d hoped she would. “Nice name, by the way.”

  “Thanks, but yeah, I doubt she’ll give us more than another minute. He’ll probably freeze her or something.”

  “That’s two minutes, and I believe we have three left from the original time. If you’re up for quick and hard…” He didn’t get a chance to finish.