A cold wash of dread rolled over her as she stared down at the disc. It looked as if it had been placed there with almost casual indifference. But there was nothing casual about the situation, and the reality of what she was about to do crashed through her.
She buckled over, her hands going to her head as a million thoughts rushed through her brain.
“Ugh,” she whimpered weakly, trying to push away the image of Jagger’s smiling face.
Could she do this? Did she have enough strength to carry through?
Don’t stop now. You’re nearly there.
The words spoken were much clearer this time. Skye’s head whipped up and she felt the earth tremble beneath her feet as her eyes took in the shimmering form that stood on the other side of the altar.
Winter’s kiss fell from Azaiel’s mouth as he smiled and she felt it drip into her body, like shards of ice melting into her soul.
His features hardened and Skye felt the cold inside of her feather outward. She shivered and tried to look away, but couldn’t.
You need to touch the portal. Pick it up, Skye. His tone was cajoling, as if she were a small child who needed guidance.
Irritation flashed through her. No shit, she thought.
Pick it up, Skye, he said once again, this time with much more force. You are the one.
“The one?” she said dully. Skye’s brain felt weird and mushy, and she tried desperately to keep her thoughts coherent.
The one to free me. His voice whispered through her brain like a lover’s caress and he smiled at her, his eyes swirling ribbons of gold and black.
Skye bit her tongue. The taste of copper filled her mouth and she tore her gaze away from Azaiel and settled instead on the disc. It had begun to glow from within and she fought the urge to grab it and hold it near her heart.
It was calling to her.
“I don’t want this,” she said as tears threatened once more and her gaze settled on the demon. “I wish …”
You must finish this. Do you want the legions of hell running mad in the human realm? Can you live knowing it was because of your weakness that humanity was destroyed?
His voice thundered inside her mind and Skye winced at the ferocity of it.
They are like maggots, the demons that live here. They will destroy everything in their path. Darkness will fall upon the earth and only those with evil in their hearts will survive.
His eyes swirled faster still and Skye found that she was mesmerized by them. Every minute that ticked by brought more substance to his body. It scared her because she didn’t know what it meant.
“Why do you care?” she asked suddenly, as if a small crack had opened and let some form of her own thoughts through. “You’re demon. Why are you helping me seal the portal?”
Azaiel stared at her, his eyes electric, and she could feel the rage that radiated from deep within him. It was a tangible thing, thick and meaty in the air. In that moment she had a glimpse of the power that he possessed.
It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.
His face darkened and the air around him crackled with energy. He paused, visibly relaxed, and she heard his voice in her mind once more.
You will open the portal now.
His voice commanded her and she found herself nodding, even though deep inside a scream erupted. One that echoed in her ears until it fell away, silent.
“Yes,” Skye whispered. She felt strange, like she had no control over her thoughts or actions. “I need to open the portal.”
Except something was wrong.
She wasn’t there to open the portal. She was there to seal it.
“No!” she whispered hoarsely as she shook her head in denial. But it was no use. Azaiel was much too powerful.
The words that were buried deep within her mind, the ones her father had taught her, slipped away until there was nothing but Azaiel.
She stepped up onto the ledge and focused her mind on the disc. Gently she reached for it and when she picked it up in her fingers, the earth trembled. Electricity flew from the stone into her hands, running along her body like a conduit until it erupted into the air, showering the room in a hail of sparks.
The power was nearly overwhelming but she defied the weakness that pulled at her legs. Her breaths blew hard from her lips. Something foreign tugged at her mind and she tried to shake off the eerie sensation.
But it was no use, and after a few seconds, words she’d never heard before began to fall from her tongue.
Heat began to swirl up along her body and she felt dazed as the power from deep within her fed the disc in her hand, running back and forth between herself and the portal.
Skye’s vision began to blur and it felt like she was watching the entire exercise from above. As if her brain had separated from her body. In her mind’s eye she could clearly see herself clutching the disc and Azaiel standing a few feet from her.
His image began to pulsate as he wavered between the two worlds that she now straddled.
Terror hit her, but it only seemed to feed the power of the disc. It began to glow bright red and the heat was scorching against her skin. The wind rushed into the small stone structure and a great roaring began to infiltrate her skull. It sounded like the very depths of hell were loose inside her head and she cried out as an intense pain ripped into her mind.
A million screams were let loose and she closed her eyes in anguish as the pressure inside her head intensified until she thought she was going to come apart. Darkness crossed over, encircling her body, and a great sadness welled up from within. Anguish and pain like none she’d ever experienced before enveloped her, and Skye wanted nothing more than to fade away and forget all of it.
And then it was over.
Skye trembled, her limbs shaking violently as her teeth chattered loudly. She didn’t know what the hell had just happened, but she was pretty sure the mission had just taken a header south.
Like way south, into the shitter.
Her skin began to tingle, and she was aware that she still clutched the disc hard against her chest.
Warm breath along her cheek startled her and her eyes opened. She tried to scream but couldn’t. Her vocal chords were no longer working.
A hand, strong and warm with flesh that was fueled by blood, cupped her chin and turned her face upward.
Somehow Skye found the strength to wrench free from him and she stumbled back several steps.
“What happened?” Skye croaked. “What the hell are you?”
“Patience,” he whispered into the space between them. His handsome face opened wide as he smiled at her. “Hand me the portal.”
She ignored his command, her thoughts confused and whirling into a mad bucket of soup. “Oh God!” she said painfully. “What have I done?” Her hoarse whisper echoed into the silence and faded away as she stared at him in horror.
Her eyes were wild now. She hadn’t sealed the portal. She’d let something out!
He laughed at her then, the sound booming. It grated against her skull and she felt anger begin to unfurl deep in her gut.
“I’m one of the fallen.” He smiled once more. His voice was gentle, as if he were talking to a child, but his face was stern as he took a step toward her. “The portal belongs to me.”
“The portal belongs to my people. It is our burden to bear,” Skye said, her voice high as she continued to feed from her anger.
His manner changed in an instant and he snarled.
“The portal was made with these hands.” She watched as he held his palms out toward her, saw the bizarre markings that crisscrossed the skin in crimson detail. “It belongs to me.”
Azaiel’s eyes were focused on her, the gold receding until they were opaque black. His voice softened and he smiled.
“You belong to me.”
Chapter 25
Jagger awoke disoriented and full of the heavy weight of fear. For a moment blinding panic threatened to overwhelm him. He’d not felt this way since Iraq
and he railed against it, forcing it away as he sat up quickly.
He groaned loudly. His head was pounding like a calypso band was having a party inside his cranium. His fingers gently massaged his temples as he cracked open his eyes for a peek around.
He was in some sort of stone hut. Though it was still dark he could feel the shift of the earth’s cycle and he knew that dawn was close at hand. He inhaled the fresh crisp scent of rain and stood up quickly, feeling an urgent need to act, but puzzled as to where the hell he was and what was going on.
He shook his head violently and grimaced, not liking the creepy sensation that was there, like his brain had been fucked with.
He glanced at the ground and spied a bag lying up against what appeared to be an altar of some sort. Quickly he crossed over to it, his fingers clutching the worn leather as he brought it to his nose.
He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply and as the scent that lay there invaded his body and mind he felt the jaguar inside react violently. Images began to waver in front of him, memories bombarding him. He pushed against them, growling softly at the plethora of emotions that washed over him like a tidal wave.
Long blond hair, electric blue eyes, and soft golden skin that belonged to a goddess rose in front of his mind’s eye. Skye!
Jagger dropped the satchel and began to pant as his panic and anger increased tenfold. He dropped to the ground in a crouch, his eyes scouring the earth floor there, trying to make sense of what had happened.
His last memory was of the two of them, together, his body claiming hers as his own. His eyes frantically swept the room and he vaguely remembered an eerie gray mist that had invaded his dreams the night before. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, for it had been a dark, malevolent presence.
Realization dawned then. Fucking Azaiel. What the hell was he? How did he have the power to transcend time and the space between the two realms?
A new thought struck then and it was one that left him cold with fear. What if the portal had been found by Cormac? What if Azaiel and a thousand legions of demons were at this moment spreading their wings here in the human realm?
In one fluid motion Jagger stood, stretched out his long limbs, and squared his shoulders. A deadly calm settled over him as he let his animalistic traits rise to the surface. The hunter and killer that was as much a part of him as his humanity now had free reign. Electricity tingled along his nerves and he felt his jaguar react with vicious glee.
He cleared his mind of everything except Skye and focused.
Skye Knightly was as much a part of him as his right arm; all of her, every last delectable, infuriating, irritating, and wholly pleasurable piece of her. He would fucking rip apart anyone or anything that dared to lay a hand on her.
And he’d start kicking ass with whoever was lurking just outside the shelter.
His body tensed and inside the animal quieted. He slipped along the far wall, his body melting into the shadows, and he waited, ready to pounce.
A stranger slid into view and stopped several feet away. He was tall and of powerful build. Jagger’s teeth flashed through the gloom and he inhaled the intruder’s scent, his eyes widening at what it told him.
In a flash the stranger rushed him, and Jagger barely had time to react before the wall of muscle slammed into him. The force of the hit pushed him back, but Jagger’s arms went around the man’s shoulders and they both flew back into the hard rock wall.
Jagger growled loudly, feeling the burn rip up his skin as the jaguar threatened to erupt. He grunted and head-butted the intruder, his skull connecting hard with the other’s head. He felt instant satisfaction as bone crumbled and the scent of blood filled the air.
The large man yelled and grabbed Jagger’s hand, twisting it, as the stranger’s eyes began to glow. His body, too, began to shimmer and Jagger fought his way through the pain in his forearm as the intruder’s hand morphed into large, sharp claws. Avian claws.
The dude was an eagle. But the question was, whose side was he on?
The sharp talons gripped his arm tightly and as his blood began to flow and coat the air with its coppery scent, Jagger began to burn with the need to act. He needed to get to Skye. With a mighty growl he ripped his arm from the stranger’s and twisted away, using the rock at his back to propel himself through the air until he landed a few feet away, in a crouched position, hands fisted and ready to fight.
“Who the hell are you?” Jagger shouted, rage coloring his words so that his voice fell from him in layers.
The stranger stood slowly, chest heaving, and his eyes flashed through the gloom. He held his arms up, they were still in half shift and the deadly talons stared back at Jagger.
“Where is my sister?” he said, his words laced with emotion. “Christ, if I’m too late …”
Jagger stilled and straightened up from his crouched position. His mind rushed in several different directions, but one thing was clear. He needed to get to Skye, and the man before him could either help or hinder.
“Are you Finn?”
The light cast by the flashlight drew eerie shadows across the man’s features. Jagger studied him closely. He was golden, his coloring similar to Skye’s, and his eyes flashed blue.
The eagle’s features were tense as his eyes quickly scanned the interior of the stone shrine. They whitened even more and he turned to Jagger, a furious snarl coming from between clenched lips.
“What have you done to her?” His question ripped across the air and Jagger growled in reaction.
“If you’re suggesting I’ve somehow harmed Skye, you’re totally off.” Jagger took a step toward the eagle. “She’s mine and I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back.”
“Yours?” he asked, his voice low and deadly. “Care to elaborate, jaguar? How can an eagle knight belong to a jaguar?”
Jagger hissed and felt the burn once more ripple along his heated flesh. Every inch of his six-foot-six frame trembled with the need to act, and he flexed his fingers in anticipation.
“I don’t have time for this,” he said as he began to move toward the exit. “Believe whatever the fuck you want, but your sister is my woman. We’re mated and I will do whatever it takes to protect her.”
The man’s face was pained and he inhaled a ragged breath as his talons receded and his flesh morphed back into its human shape. His blue eyes were piercing. “She was mine to protect and I failed.” He exhaled harshly. “Did she open the path to the portal?” the eagle asked as he ran his hands through his thick blond hair.
“It wasn’t here,” Jagger answered, scowling as he continued. “I have no clue where it is, and at this point I don’t care.” He shot a look at the eagle. “I’ve got a bigger problem and its name is Azaiel.”
The eagle knight’s face whitened considerably. “Azaiel? He’s here? In this realm? How is that even possible?”
“I don’t know, but he came for her last night, used some of his fucking mojo on me and I need to get to her before …” Jagger exploded, his fury making him nearly incoherent. “If anything happens to her …” He couldn’t go on, not wanting to follow where his thoughts were leading.
“How long ago?” Finn asked as he moved toward Jagger.
“I’m guessing a few hours at least, which means I don’t have time to play catch up with you.” Jagger moved around the eagle, dismissing him, his mind already pushing ahead.
“He’s leading her to the portal.”
Jagger paused and turned back to the eagle knight. “You know where it is?”
Finn stared at him and then sighed heavily. “I only just learned where the real Cave of the Sun is located, I hope we’re not too late.”
Jagger stilled at Finn’s words, not liking the bleak look that hid behind the eagle shifter’s eyes.
“What’s going on that you’re not telling me?” he asked sharply.
“You don’t know, do you?”
Jagger’s anger exploded. “Know what? I don’t have time for these games. Can you
help me get to her or not?” His breathing was rough and the animal stirred beneath his skin, causing a burn to ripple along his flesh.
The eagle clenched his hands and Jagger could see he was struggling with something. “It should have been me, but the DaCostas …” He turned eyes that blazed with anger toward him. “I’d kill every last one of them if I could.”
“Yeah, get in line,” Jagger snarled. “You were saying?”
“To seal the portal requires a sacrifice.” He pinned Jagger with a black look. “Skye can only do that by sacrificing her soul.”
“Well, what the hell does that mean?” Jagger asked the question even as the dread that had been kicking him in the gut went into overdrive.
“It means that if Skye succeeds in sealing the portal she will never return.” Finn’s voice was dead. “She’ll be trapped forever in the demon realm.” He paused and his face went white.
In hell.
The eagle knight’s words exploded inside Jagger’s brain and for several long minutes he couldn’t breathe. It felt like his world had been suspended. The pain was incredible and he felt the anguish gathering inside his heart as his soul cried out in denial.
He knew what she’d been keeping from him. She’d never planned on having a life with him because she wasn’t coming back.
The fury he felt in that moment was unprecedented. If Skye were here in front of him right now, he wasn’t sure if he’d kiss every inch of her in relief or fucking kill her.
He couldn’t accept that she’d open his heart and then slam the door shut. He snarled loudly and turned away. It was simple, really.
He wouldn’t accept it.
“I’m going after your sister. I don’t give a flying fuck whether she’s sealed the portal or not, because even if she has, I will find a way to get to her.” Jagger clenched his teeth, welcoming the anger. “And when I do, hell will be the least of her worries.”
Jagger felt his power erupt along his spine, flowing out to every cell in his body as mist wound its way along his flesh, bringing with it the heavy black fur of his warrior.
His Darkest Embrace Page 27
