“Echo, now,” Syx growled. “Move away from the water.”
Though he looked like he thought they’d all lost their minds, Echo nodded and took a step forward away from the edge of the pond. He lifted his foot to take another step, not moving nearly fast enough for Eyce’s liking, when water splashed up behind him, and along scaly arms wrapped around his torso.
“No!” Eyce charged forward, reaching Echo in only two steps, but it was too late. The water monster hissed something at him that he couldn’t understand then dove backward into the pond, taking a screaming Echo with him.
Without thought, Eyce continued toward the water, intent on saving his mate. Two sets of arms caught him around the waist and shoulders, dragging him back from the water’s edge as he roared his protest.
“Let me go!”
“You’re going to get yourself killed, and that sure as shit isn’t going to help Echo!” Fiero shoved him roughly, sending him to the ground to land on his ass. “You’re a goddamn water demon. Use your fucking head.”
Snarling up at his lover, Eyce sprang to his feet and took off running for the water before anyone could stop him again. His power flowed through him, more intense than he’d ever felt it before. It was almost physical, something he could bend and shape inside his mind.
He slowed to a walk when he reached the bank, but didn’t stop. He marched straight out into the middle of the pond, ignoring the gasps and mutter from the warriors behind him, as he strode upon the crimson waters.
The love he felt for Echo, the need to protect his mate raged inside him, pushing his powers to a strength he never knew he possessed. He’d finally admitted his feelings for the little imp, and he’d be damned if he would lose him now.
Once he reached the center, he stopped, took a deep breath, and threw his arms wide as he growled deep from within his chest. The water flowed away from the bottom of the lake to rise on three sides like an enormous, fifty-foot wall, revealing Eyce’s mate surrounded by five small creatures with lily pad-like indentions on the top of their heads.
“Kappas,” Eyce snarled at the beasts.
The water monsters dropped Echo’s limp body to the mud as they hissed and screeched, scrambling toward the wall of water. Eyce just smirked nastily, waving one hand and vanishing the water inside the indentions on the tops of their heads.
The kappas froze immediately, unable to move without the water to give them power. “Guys!”
He’d no more than spoken the words when his lovers raced past him, Hex dropping to his knees and scooping Echo into his arms. “I can’t hold it much longer,” Eyce warned. He could feel his power ebbing, the effort to hold back the waters becoming too much.
“Get the little fuckers,” Hex orders as he ran back toward the bank with Echo cradled against his chest.
The other demons moved fast, snatching up the kappas none too gently and dragging them across the muddy floor of the pond. Once his men had made it safely to the other side, Eyce started after them, closing his eyes as he walked and concentrating on keeping the water back.
He reached the shore just as he felt his power slip, giving way to the massive wall of water. Crawling up the embankment, he rolled to his back, gasping for breath as the water crashed back to the earth, refilling the pond in only seconds.
“Impressive.” Fiero smirked down at him, his face blocking out Eyce’s view of the night sky.
“Echo?” Eyce panted.
“Not happy, but he’s alive.”
Eyce flopped over to his side, feeling weak and disoriented, but needing to see his mate for himself. Echo coughed and gagged, his skin pale and his wet hair plastered to his face. He looked like shit, but Eyce decided he’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life.
Then Echo finally looked up to meet his gaze, his lower lip trembling, and his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He crawled across the grass, and Eyce opened his arms, catching his mate as Echo fell against him, shaking, sobbing, and clutching at his shirt.
Everyone gathered around them, stroking Echo’s back and Eyce’s chest, whispering words of comfort. Eventually, Echo’s sobs quieted, his tremors subsided, but he still leaned heavily against Eyce, his fingers twined in the fabric covering his chest.
“What are those things?” he asked softly, his voice breaking only once.
“Kappas,” Syx answered quietly. “Water sprites from Japanese folklore.”
“I’m looking right at them,” Echo said as he stretched out next to Eyce, resting his head on his chest. “They don’t look like fairy tales to me.”
“No, they’re very real.”
“Are they dead?”
“No, just paralyzed.” Syx stood and walked over to one of the creatures. “See the dip on their head that looks like a bowl? It has to be filled when they’re away from the water, or they are unable to move.”
“I’ve read about them.” Echo sat up slowly, but didn’t move away from Eyce’s side. “None of the myths mention anything about them turning the waters red, though.”
“They don’t.” Vapre sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. “I would guess that was just a diversionary tactic so we end up chasing our own asses. It worked.”
“So, what do we do with them now?”
“We put them back,” Eyce rolled to his side and pushed up on one arm with a groan. “We gather the other ones and bring them here as well.”
“What? Have you lost your fucking mind? They tried to eat me!”
“You said you’ve read about them?” He waited for Echo to nod. “So, if we refill the indentations on their heads…”
“They’ll serve us for eternity,” Echo mumbled slowly before a big shit-eating grin spread across his face. “They’d come in pretty handy in a war.”
Eyce leaned over and kissed the tip of Echo’s nose. “Exactly.” His heart still thundered inside his chest, making it difficult to form words. He had his entire world, his whole future, right here in his hands, and he’d almost lost it. He didn’t exactly understand it, but somewhere in the corner of his pounding heart, he knew Echo’s love had saved them all.
The Oracle spoke of surrender, and though the concept had made Eyce curl his lip in the beginning, he now knew what she’d meant. He hadn’t needed to surrender to his enemy, or even to Echo, though the man owned him heart and soul. The battle had been within him. Once he’d surrendered to himself, acknowledged and stop fighting his feelings for his lovers, everything had seemed so simple.
The idea had him rolling his eyes internally as a ironic grin spread over his lips. Love conquers all, he thought.
“So, how do we lure them out?” Fiero interrupted Eyce’s inner ramblings. He still knelt beside Echo, touching him everywhere he could reach. “I’m not keen on the idea of using Echo as bait again.”
“No, I don’t think I’d like that either.” Echo shook his head, the look on his face so serious that Eyce couldn’t help but chuckle.
“No, we don’t need bait,” he answered slowly. “We’re going to boil the lakes.”
* * * *
“That’s the last of them.” Echo groaned and slumped down on the ground. “We need to get some cucumbers.”
“Uh, why do we need cucumbers?” Onyx plopped down beside him and bumped their shoulders together.
“That’s what they eat. I guess it’s like a delicacy to them or something. I read it somewhere.”
“Hmm, well we certainly want to keep the little bastards happy.”
“They’re indebted to us now.” Syx sighed as he crouched down in front of them. “We still need to be careful near the pond, though.”
“Yeah, I’m not going anywhere near that thing.” Echo shook his head defiantly. “That was way worse than my dream.” He paused and took a deep breath. “That was way worse than my dream,” he added in a whisper.
“Hex just called. They’ve check all the ponds, lakes, and rivers, and everything is clear.” Eyce strolled up to them, slipping his cell phone back into hi
s pocket. “The waters are back to normal.”
“I knew you could do it.” Echo beamed up at his lover, so proud, he felt his heart would jump right out of his chest.
“I didn’t really do anything.” Eyce waved away the praise. “You were amazing, though.”
Echo didn’t feel like he had contributed much at all. The only thing he’d done was act as a conduit between Eyce and Fiero, so that they could combine their powers to boil the lakes. It had been kind of funny to see the little sprites come bursting out of the steaming waters, yelping and squealing.
Then Eyce would vanish the water from the indentations on their heads, paralyzing them so they could transport them back to the pond behind their house.
The kappas all seemed rather pleasant and polite once they’d replaced the water and allowed them movement. Echo still wasn’t taking any chances.
The hairs on the back his neck stood on end, and a shiver raced down his spine. The air suddenly seemed thick, humid, and suffocating. “I think we need to go.”
“What’s wrong?” Eyce asked immediately.
“I don’t know. It feels like someone’s watching us. I can’t explain it right, but we need to leave. Now!”
“He’s right.” Onyx rose gracefully and scanned the trees around them. “Something or someone is out there.”
“The Collector?” Syx suggested. “Gage said he was coming. I expected him a lot sooner than this to tell the truth.”
“None of this makes any sense,” Eyce growled. He pointed a finger at Onyx. “Why did they attack you guys on the way to Heavens Peak, but didn’t even follow you? No one has come looking for Echo. They’re playing with us.”
“Well, I don’t like this game. I vote for checkers.” Echo took Eyce’s hand and tugged. “We’re too exposed out here. Let’s go.”
Eyce dipped his head in assent and started off toward the direction of home, holding Echo’s hand and pulling him along. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing one-handed, and pressed the device to his ear.
“Hex,” he spoke a moment later. “Round everyone up and meet us at home. We need to have a meeting.”
A tingle of desire raced up Echo’s spine at the deep, commanding tone of Eyce’s voice. He licked his lips, staring up at his lover as they stepped into the darkness of the forest. He understood the need for a meeting, but he really hoped they’d be able to have it in the nude.
“Echo,” Syx groaned from behind him.
His ears and cheeks heated as his face flushed with embarrassment. He’d completely forgotten that Syx could hear his thoughts. Oh well, judging from the slight growl rumbling in his chest, the man seemed to like the idea of a naked powwow as much as Echo.
Looking over his shoulder, Echo smiled at the warrior, then puckered his lips to give him air kisses. Syx growled again, swatting Echo on the ass and eliciting a quiet yelp from him. “Behave.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Something doesn’t feel right.” Echo sat sandwiched between Onyx and Eyce on the couch as they tried to watch some stupid movie on television. They’d been home for over an hour, and he still couldn’t shake the feeling he’d had out by the pond.
Myst and Fiero had the love seat, while Gage and his mates were cuddled on the floor. Syx, Hex, and Vapre had disappeared a while ago, and judging by moans and panting that followed them out of the room, they were having a lot more fun than Echo.
“Like what?” Sony asked over his shoulder. “Nothing has happened in days.”
Echo bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Oh, if the guy only knew what had been happening right under his nose. Then he sobered quickly, wrinkling his brow as he tried to find the words to explain. “I don’t know. I feel nervous, anxious, kind of jittery.” Tension settled over him like a palpable force, making him fidget where you sat.
“I agree,” Eyce said softly. “I feel it, too. Almost like a charge in the air.”
“He’s coming,” Mac whispered harshly. He sat up, shaking his head and blinking his eyes. He looked at Echo for a long time before he scrambled to his feet, grabbing Gage’s hand and tugging on it insistently. “We have to go. He’s coming!”
“Who’s coming?” Onyx looked like his eyes would bug out of his head. “What was that?”
“Mac is psychic,” Echo explained. “He sees things. Usually things that haven’t happened yet, but sometimes he can see things that are happening in the present. Very rarely can he see events of the past.”
“Peachy,” Fiero grumbled. “Another damn Oracle.”
“Who’s coming?” Eyce repeated Onyx’s question as he pulled Echo closer, wrapping his arms around him protectively. “The Collector? Right now?”
“Yes!” Mac cried, still jerking on Gage’s arm. “We have to go! Why the hell are you all just sitting there?”
Fiero and Myst jumped to their feet, and Myst sprinted toward the staircase, presumably to go warn the others. “How long do we have?”
“I don’t know.” Mac shook his head frantically. “It doesn’t work that way. I can’t pinpoint it, but I know he’ll be here soon. Like really fucking soon. Can we go, please?”
Eyce gave Echo a tight squeeze then released him and stood from the sofa. “Gage, go hide them. Take Echo and do not let him leave your sight. No matter what happens, take care of them.”
“No!” Echo struggled out of the blanket around him and stood up on the cushions so he looked Eyce right in the eyes. “I’m not fucking hiding this time. I can help!”
“Echo.” Onyx sighed in exasperation. “We won’t be able to concentrate if we’re worried about you getting hurt. I know you have power, but you need to stay out of this.”
Echo opened his mouth to argue again, but Eyce’s hand on his hip stopped him. “No. He’s right.”
His mouth hanging open in shock, Echo just stared at the warrior.
“What’s the point of building this army if we’re not going to let them help?”
A very loud, though purely human roar sounded from outside, and Echo jumped, whirling around on the couch to face the front door. “He’s here,” he whispered.
“Guys, we have a problem,” Hex called as he barreled down the stairs, the others following on his heels.
“No. I don’t like problems. Tell me this is going to be easy,” Echo demanded. He crossed his arms over his chest and wrinkled his nose. “Do it.”
“I’m not going to lie. This sucks balls.”
“What is it? What’s going on?” Eyce faced their leader, his blue eyes blazing with determination. Whatever awaited them, Echo knew Eyce would meet it head-on without any thought of retreat. Anyone of his men would do the same. The knowledge scared the hell out of him.
“The Collector?”
Eyce growled. “Spit it out, Hex.”
Instead of answering, Hex turned to Echo and held out a hand, palm up. Echo’s brow formed a shallow V, but he took his lover’s hand, yelping when Hex jerked him forward and flipped him over the back of the couch. “Go to the window and tell me if that’s the man you call The Collector.”
Swallowing hard, Echo tried not to show his fear as he nodded once and slowly made his way across the room to the window beside the door. Pushing the curtain aside just an inch, he peered out into the night and gasped.
Clad in only a pair of black leather pants, The Collector stood halfway between the dirt drive and their front steps, his head thrown back on his shoulders and his hands fisted at his sides. The chords in his next strained as his muscles bunched and flexed beneath his tanned skin. His massive chest heaved, rising and falling in huge movements as he screamed out to the stars.
Then his head snapped up, his eyes locking with Echo’s through the window, and Echo froze, paralyzed with fear. “It’s him,” he breathed, so quietly he didn’t know if anyone had actually heard him.
“Okay, so what’s the problem? We knew he was coming.” Echo couldn’t look away from The Collector long enough to even acknowle
dge Eyce’s words.
“Look for yourself.”
Echo heard Eyce’s growl of frustration then his heavy footsteps as he marched across the room and pushed Echo behind him. Instead of just peeking through the cracks of the curtains as Echo had, Eyce fisted each in his hands and threw them open wide.
“This is bad,” he groaned.
“That’s what I said,” Hex replied calmly. “We are royally fucked.”
“Do you know him?” Echo stepped a little further away from the window and looked over his shoulder at the men gathered in the living room. “Guys? You know The Collector?”
“That’s not The Collector,” Eyce snarled. “That’s Ares.”
“As in the son of Zeus?” Echo’s chin dropped to his chest as his mouth fell open and his eyes widened until they felt like they’d pop out of his skull.
Eyce let the curtains fall back into place and turned around slowly. “As in the bloodthirsty god of savage war.”
“Come out, warriors!” Ares called, his voice ringing inside the house as though he stood just next to them. “Come out and face me like men!”
“What do we do?” Echo didn’t want to go out there, but he had a feeling that’s exactly what his men were going to say.
Sure enough, as soon as Hex opened his mouth, before he even spoke, Echo closed his eyes and groaned. “We go out there.” Hex snorted. “What did you think I was going to say?”
“A guy can always hope.”
“I don’t think he’s here to fight.” Eyce’s eyebrows drew together, and he scowled down at the floor. “He’s not a fucking vampire. He doesn’t need an invitation to come inside. I think he’s just trying to intimidate us.”
“Well, he’s doing a really good job,” Sony piped up from his hiding place behind Gage.
“If he’s not here to smite us, then what the hell does he want?” Echo trembled where he stood, but he refused to back down. He would not duck his head and cower in fear when his men needed him.
Evans, Gabrielle - Upon Crimson Waters [Fatefully Yours 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) Page 12
