M&L03 - SS
Page 26
Solomon went over and put his hand on Grayson’s shoulder. “I suggest you sit down and talk to Rook as soon as possible, before something crazy happens and you don’t know how to handle it.”
Grayson nodded, but not like he agreed, more like it was an automatic response.
“Do you want me to tell Rook my suspicions before you see him?”
“No,” Grayson answered, his eyes clearing as he straightened his spine. “I will tell Sa’jon Ruk what I have done.”
“You haven’t done anything wrong Grayson. Rook will see that you care for Rachel, and I honestly think he’ll be relieved. She could have hooked up with a lot worse.”
Grayson’s black eyes met Solomon’s gaze. “Your faith in me means a lot Solomon. I will meet with Sa’jon Ruk as soon as possible and let the Goddess determine my fate.”
Grayson left and Solomon pulled me into his arms.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist.
He tucked my hair behind my ear. “He’ll be fine. He just needs some time to sort this out in his head.”
“Why is he so afraid of Rook? I mean sure, Rook can be pretty scary, but he only hurts people who really deserve it.”
“Grayson doesn’t know Rook the way we do. He sees Rook as an Elder, and when he sees Elders, he sees corruption. The previous lot killed his parents before Rook stepped in and took them out. I’m sure he’ll come around, but trust will take time.”
“Well time is something those demons have in spades,” I told him, smiling. “Since our time is limited; what do you think we should do with it?”
He flashed me that sexy grin of his. “I can think of a few ways to spend the next several hours.”
“Oh you can?” I slid my hand up his back and burrowed my fingers into his hair. “Maybe you should tell me what you have in mind. Or better yet, maybe you should show me.”
I went up on my toes and he bent his head down to kiss me. Just before our lips met he breathed, “It would be my pleasure...”
For the next several hours, Solomon demonstrated exactly how creative he could be. By the time we passed out, euphoric and exhausted, he’d proven that centuries of practice really did pay off and he was pretty damn close to perfect.
Chapter Twenty-Two
~ Renee ~
It was the final night of competition and the stadium was full to capacity. Excitement ran through the crowd like an electric current, anticipation gripping us all as we eagerly awaited the bloodshed. As a vampire, blood, violence, and the thrill of the hunt had all been enticing, but now as a nightshifter, they were positively intoxicating. I wasn’t sure if it was the fox that made it all so much more appealing or if it was my ties to Solomon. Either way, I craved the coming carnage down to my very core.
Normally the marksmanship finale would have been first, but with Danarius competing in two of the three final matches, the order was changed to allow him time to rest between events.
A thick fog rolled in and settled down below in the battlefield. Moments later, a blustery wind blew through the area, swirling the fog and revealing the two contestants. Katerina stood facing Danarius. Though she was by no means small, her lithe form certainly looked to be no match for the hulking vampire. Thankfully, she had her sword in hand, ready to keep him at arm’s length. The wind slowed to a light breeze, leaving only a thin mist behind.
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the night signaling the start of the match. Dramatic music played in the background as Katerina and Danarius circled each other. Katerina was the first one to strike, moving quickly, but not quite fast enough. The vampire was skilled and graceful. The two of them danced, clashing swords, twirling and thrusting with deadly precision. Katerina’s long, dark hair flared around her as she dodged and spun, always gone before Danarius could manage to draw her blood.
“They’re beautiful Solomon,” I breathed, not taking my eyes off the breathtaking couple down below on the battlefield. “I couldn’t have choreographed a better show if I tried.”
“It is beautiful, and perhaps we’ll recreate this dance on stage someday, but look closer. There’s something even more amazing than their beauty.”
I narrowed my eyes, taking a closer look as he suggested and noticed that Katerina’s eyes were closed. I’d seen her train with a blindfold on before and I knew she was quite good even without the use of her eyes, but that was training. This was the final match of the annual tournament.
“Why would she risk it?”
“I don’t know,” Solomon answered, shaking his head. “But whatever her reasons, it doesn’t seem to be hindering her in the slightest.”
“It’s very Jedi of her, don’t you think?” Claire asked, peeking around Liliana who was between us. Most of our friends were seated nearby in the stands.
I snorted. “If you say so, but Katerina never mentioned being one with the force.”
“You’d be surprised dear.” Claire smiled serenely and sat back in her chair.
I turned to Solomon with one eyebrow raised, but he just shrugged his shoulder and smiled. Shaking my head, I refocused on Katerina and Danarius. They were still going strong, neither one of them giving the other an inch. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when the ground began rolling beneath their feet. Grayson must have been given the go-ahead to make things more complicated for the two sword masters. It was a common practice to shorten what could otherwise be a very lengthy match.
Not long after that, Katerina took a misstep and Danarius drew first blood. It was just a shallow cut on her upper arm that was healed before she even noticed it, but it was enough. The arena was momentarily plunged into darkness signaling the black contestant had scored a point.
Danarius moved back as though he thought they might pause for a breath, but Katerina had no such intentions. She thrust her sword forward, lightning fast and the stadium was bathed in blood red. Danarius wiped blood from his cheek and smirked at Katerina, his dark eyes appreciative.
Only a second later, Katerina lunged forward and barely missed impaling the vampire with her sword. Danarius spun out of the way and they danced across the arena. Leaping and spinning, they always managed to remain on their feet even as the earth rose and fell beneath them.
All the spectators in the packed house were riveted to their seats, taking in the action with a sense of awe that none of them would soon forget.
Suddenly blood red drenched the stadium awarding Katerina a second point, but the deadly dance never even paused. Their swords clashed, more furious than ever. The clang of metal rang through the stadium, a perfect accompaniment to the heart-pounding music still playing in the background.
They came together in a rush, swords held between them, muscles straining. Katerina’s chin came up and ever so slowly, her eyes opened. For one long, intense moment, their eyes met. Then Katerina spun away, drawing her sword down as she did to slice through the vampire’s pants. The arena was once again drowned in the blood red glow that signaled Katerina had drawn the vampire’s blood.
The crowd went wild, everyone jumping to their feet and cheering for the proud clan leader. Katerina took a graceful but quick bow and then wrapped herself in the shadows and disappeared. Danarius, who had been standing there frozen like a statue, shook himself and followed her example.
“Now that was just weird,” I remarked.
“Weird, yes,” Solomon agreed. “I would have expected her to do a few victory laps, and Danarius usually adds a little more flare to his exits.”
Solomon’s brows drew together and he pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was vibrating with the screen lit up. He read the text and then showed it to me. Dragon wanted Solomon to meet him in the security office right away. I glanced down a few rows and saw that Dragon was already saying goodbye to Serafina. Rook remained seated by her side with a whole cadre of security personnel surrounding the area.
“I’ll be right here when you get back,” I said before kissing him goodbye.
Settling back into my seat, I waited for the next event to begin. After a few moments, a dense forest erupted from the sand below. A cool breeze blew through the stadium, carrying the damp scent of trees and moss with an earthy undertone that reminded me of hiking with my parents when I was younger. Grayson had really gone all out with this spell.
The shimmering rainbow of a portal appeared near the center of the arena. Five prisoners emerged, each one holding a different weapon - crossbow, longbow, rifle, handgun, and throwing knife. The remaining two contestants - Lucien and Ethan, a wolf shifter from Doyle’s clan - entered the forest from opposite ends of the stadium. For now, they were completely unarmed.
The contestants would have to hunt down the prisoners and confiscate their weapons. Then they would use those weapons against each other. To win this round, one of the contestants would have to successfully target his opponent with all five weapons. To make things more complicated, the weapons were charmed. The prisoners could use them right from the start, but they wouldn’t operate properly for the competitors until the spell was broken - which would only happened when the prisoners lost their heads.
Lucien and Ethan prowled through the forest stalking their prey. Both of them were skilled hunters, but even in human form, Lucien had a definite advantage as a lion.
“I can’t believe they’re going to hunt each other.” Distress was clear in Lilliana’s voice. “It’s bad enough they’re hunting those prisoners, but to hunt each other...” She shook her head. “Ethan is our friend.”
“I know how you see our world Liliana because I’ve been where you are now,” I told the other woman. “Then I let Solomon change me over, and things I used to find barbaric suddenly became appealing. I know you have your reasons for not wanting to be a nightshifter, but you’re not part of the human world any more. The sooner you accept that, the better off you and Lucien will both be.”
Her chin came up when she replied, “Lucien said he doesn’t mind waiting.”
“And I’m sure he doesn’t,” I agreed. “But you know how his clan feels about that decision. The females are already confronting you. How long do you think it will be before someone challenges Lucien?”
Her eyes widened and I continued, “Do you know how many clan leaders survive lost challenges?”
She shook her head and I answered for her, “None, Liliana. That means Lucien will either have to kill any clan members who challenge him, or die trying.”
“I don’t want him to die, but I don’t know if I can accept this way of life.”
Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over but I had to give it to her straight. She needed a wakeup call before someone got hurt. “It’s too late for that; you’re already mated. The only thing you can do now is move forward. To do that, you need to be a nightshifter. Just try to see all of this through his eyes. Concentrate on him and feel what he feels.”
She gave me the barest of nods and closed her eyes.
A few minutes later Lucien caught up to the prisoner carrying the handgun. He came in fast, leaping silently from branch to branch, above the vampire’s head. The vampire sensed him but it was a moment too late. Just as the vampire turned and aimed his weapon, Lucien was on him, savagely tearing through flesh and bone. With a mighty roar, Lucien tossed the prisoner’s head aside and scooped up the handgun. A second later, he was already in motion searching for his next victim.
Beside me, Liliana shivered and opened her eyes. “My God. The thrill he gets from stalking and catching his prey is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It’s almost sexual.”
“Not almost,” I corrected. “It is sexual. As a human you might think that’s sick and twisted, but that’s not how we see it at all.”
She shivered again and I had a feeling Lucien was only getting more turned on as the hunt progressed.
“Let go of all your human thoughts and let his darker side seep into your soul. I know you’re already bound, but I think you’re somehow holding that part of him at bay. Let him in, all of him, and you’ll finally see your mate for what he truly is; a man, a vampire, and a lion.”
Liliana turned away from me to watch as her mate came up behind his next victim. When Lucien was just about to strike, my phone began vibrating. I pulled it out and saw that I had a text from Katerina. She wanted me to meet her outside the stadium right away.
The crowd cheered as one and I looked up to see Lucien ripping the head off a blue-skinned demon. Liliana’s eyes were wide, but her breasts were heaving, her breaths coming in shallow gasps. Win or lose, I was sure Lucien was going to get very lucky tonight.
“I’ll catch you later Liliana, Katerina wants me to meet her outside the stadium now.”
She nodded but I wasn’t sure she even registered a word I said. On my way out of the stadium, I sent Solomon a text letting him know where I was going. Once I cleared the main entrance, I looked around and finally spotted Katerina near the tree line.
I jogged over and asked, “What’s up that can’t wait until after the competition?”
“It’s that human, Rachel. Honestly I couldn’t care less what happens to her, but Rook and Angela are tied up protecting Serafina and I just don’t trust that fire demon.”
“Wait... What fire demon?”
“Dimitri. The human left with him and they went off into the forest. I don’t know what he has planned, but I’m sure it’s more than the child can handle.”
I remembered the darkness slithering behind Dimitri’s eyes and knew I had to help find Rachel. Whether she meant anything to me or not, she was important to Solomon.
“Alright, lead the way,” I told Katerina and we set out at a fast clip.
The trail led us to the waterfall where it ended. Thinking they might have gone into the water, I glanced around but found no sign of them. I was about to give up and go back for reinforcements when Katerina pointed to a ledge near the top of the waterfall.
“There they are, up there.”
“What the hell are they doing up there? She’s human. She’ll die if she tries jumping or diving from that high.”
“We better get up there before she tries anything that stupid.”
Katerina unzipped her boots and tossed them onto the beach along with her electronics. Then she waded into the water and swam towards the falls. I knew there were a series of ledges behind the falls that could be used to reach the top of the cliff. Shaking my head at the absurdity of the situation, I too tossed my boots and cell phone onto the beach, and then struck out into the water. How I wound up being Rachel’s savior was beyond me, but I couldn’t leave her with Dimitri, knowing she had no idea what she was getting into.
~ Solomon ~
I came through the door of the security office right behind Dragon and was surprised to see Danarius there, waiting for us to arrive. There was a seating arrangement along the back wall with two sofas and two chairs forming a rectangle with a coffee table in the middle. Danarius was relaxing in the armchair on the right. Dragon sat across from him in the other chair and I flopped onto the couch along the wall.
“Thank you both for coming on such short notice,” Danarius began, and we inclined our heads. “I’ll get right to the point so we can all get back to the stadium before the final hand-to-hand match begins.” His dark eyes focused on me. “I know you can seal this world off and prevent anyone from coming or going. Can you do that with other worlds as well?”
I was surprised by the question and looked to Dragon before answering. We usually tried to hide the extent of my magic when it came to security matters. Dragon nodded so I answered Danarius honestly.
“Theoretically, I could seal off any world; it would simply be a matter of finding the right spells. This world is very small with only one weak spot between realms. Therefore, it is already sealed off from outside worlds. I just have to prevent anyone from opening porta
ls. The human world on the other hand, is very large and not only has thin spots in its barriers, but also several gateways that anyone with enough supernatural blood could pass through at will. Closing it off would take very strong magic and a multitude of spells that would take me years, if not decades to perfect.”
Danarius sat forward with his forearms resting on his thighs and his hands clasped between his knees. “What about the shadow demon realm?”
Now that was an interesting question, especially considering who was asking it. The shadow demon realm was the only known world where caprius plants could be found. The seemingly innocuous plants were beautiful with their multicolored flowers but it was the oil found in their stems that kept them in high demand. Caprius oil was the main ingredient in Oblivion.
Again, I looked to Dragon and he nodded. “I’ve studied the shadow demon realm at length and I believe its natural barriers would do most of the work for me. Only pure blood supernaturals and very powerful sorcerers have enough magic to cross over into the shadow demon realm. A second barrier that requires human blood would keep the pure bloods out and I have a few spells in mind to deal with the other sorcerers. Everything I need to shut down the shadow demon realm has been in place for decades now.”
“Considering how you and your people feel about Oblivion, why haven’t you asked Solomon to cast his spells?” Danarius asked Dragon.
“The political fallout would be too devastating. The drug is too popular in the supernatural community for me to simply cut off its supply without any backing from the other leaders. Hell, even my own people use it when they’re away from our territories. And I don’t have a problem with that so long as it doesn’t fall into human hands.”
“What if there were plans to use Oblivion against the humans to take over their world? Would you give the order then; consequences be damned?”