by ML Guida
With a heavy sigh, he stopped and exhaled a warm breath against her cheek. “Dona be sorry for bein’ upset. You wouldna be human if ye didna.”
She backed away before they were a tangled mess of heat and flesh. She held his hand tight. “Thank you.”
The song “What’s This?” from The Nightmare Before Christmas jingled loud. Immediate dread slammed into her gut.
He scowled. “What is that annoyin’ sound?”
“It’s my cell phone. Something’s wrong. I can feel it.” Her hand shaking, she grabbed her phone out of her purse.
“Hello?”
“Pandora, there’s been another murder. I’m sending Martin to pick up the vampire.”
Theo’s hard voice turned her to ice. She put the back of her hand on her forehead. “Who?” Her voice was very small—afraid who had been next.
“Sam Nelson.”
The blood drained from her face and the twinge of guilt surged through her at the sweet moment she’d just endured. Sam was the oldest resident in Magic. He was a warlock that had escaped prosecution from the witch trials in Europe and Salem. He was the gentlest man she knew. Her chest hurt, and she struggled to talk. “Cé didn’t do it, Theo.”
“Yeah, I know. But he might know who did.”
Pandora hung up. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
Cé opened her plantation shutters. “I figured. There’s a huntin’ party out for me?”
“Yes.” She opened her purse to grab her keys, but they weren’t there. “Shit, where are my car keys?”
“Where did ye leave them last?”
She searched her pockets, but they weren’t there. “Um, I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
He shook his head, reminding her of Lacey, who was always nagging her about her damn keys. She wanted to punch him. Lacey was always telling her to put her keys in the exact same place so she could find them. But she never did.
She looked around her usual familiar places—the coffee table, the end table, the kitchen counter.
Nothing.
“God, why is this happening now? We gotta go. Theo or Martin are coming.”
As if on cue, a siren wailed outside.
She slammed her arms to her side. “Damn it!”
“We’re goin’ to escape my way.”
Before she could ask what he meant, he lifted her into his arms and raced out the back door. She didn’t have a chance to lock her door, grab her cellular phone, or her purse. Theo would think foul play had fallen on Pandora and blame Cé.
The siren grew louder.
Her heart pounding, she wiggled in his arms. Adrenaline thundered through her veins. “Let me go. We have to run or hide.”
He laughed. “Ye’ll see I’m full of surprises.” He cradled her close. “Hang on.”
His eyes turned red, then he sped across her yard into the desert faster than a freight train. Her hair whipped around her face, and she couldn’t breathe. She looked over his shoulder to see the speeding police cruiser fall into a whirlwind of dust.
Chapter Ten
Cé held Pandora close as he raced across the desert. He could still taste her on his lips, and her face was chaffed where he had kissed her. She smelled clean and earthy—not dirty and perfumed.
“Cé, please stop. We lost them—for now.”
He stopped and lowered her to the ground. Her cheeks were flushed from the run; her eyes shone as she looked up at him. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t prevent himself from kissing her briefly on those delicious lips. She swayed, and he caught her arm.
“Thanks.”
Her hair was a tangled mess, but she quickly combed it with her fingers into a wavy locks.
“Wow, I’ve never moved that fast. I don’t even remember our vampires moving as fast as you.”
“They probably werena cursed by a demon.”
Color had returned to her face, and the sun highlighted the ruddy glow of her skin. Her eyes widened. “A demon did this to you?”
Dread crawled up his spine at the thought Zuto would drag him back. Now for the first time, he wasn’t sure he wanted to return. Serving a blood-thirsty captain and evil demon had made his life a living hell. “A very crafty, evil one. He cursed a lake, and we drank from it.”
“What—”
He held up his hand. “I dona want to talk about him.”
She pulled out the silver box and opened it again. “Maybe I missed something.” The dark brown of her eyes sparked with light flecks of excitement. Where there had been confusion a few brief moments ago, a depth of determination now stole his breath away.
The same evil feeling sank into his bones. The sooner they got rid of this thing the better. “Pandora, I think we need to return to the place where ye found this thing.”
She slowly turned her gaze. “That is as good as any other place. But first, we need to look around where Lisa was murdered. Maybe there’s something Theo and his men missed.”
“He was looking for evidence of a vampire—not some murderous cloud.” An endless barrage of sage brush, cacti, rugged hills, and sparse trees failed to give him the faintest hint of what direction to go. “Where is the ravine?”
She pointed north. “Over that hill.”
As far as he could tell, without his vampire speed, it was at least a two-hour hike if they didn’t take any breaks. “If we walk, I fear we will be caught.”
She snapped the box shut. “I know. Go ahead and be The Flash.”
“The flash? Who is this?”
“A movie hero.” She motioned with her hands. “Come on, let’s get this over with, and I’ll try not to lose my cookies.”
He hadn’t even realized she was carrying any confections. “We’ll be there before ye know it, lass.”
Before she changed her mind, he whipped her into his arms and ran faster than he ever had before. Wind and sand lashed around them. The landscape became a blur of green, gray, and red. Tingles brushed over him. It always happened when he sensed something dangerous was coming. It was getting closer. And closer.
A screech of pure fear stopped his heart, and he skidded to a halt.
Pandora’s flying hair settled around her shoulders. “Why—”
Another cry jerked her attention. She grabbed his arms. “Cé—that’s Jonah!”
Without another word, Cé flew across the desert, his feet barely touching the red, pebbled earth.
Jonah came running toward them. “Pandora, the cloud—” His voice croaked. “The cloud has Joseph!”
Startled, Cé put Pandora down slowly. His first thought was that Pandora hadn’t been lying. A short distance away, a sparkling cloud covered Joseph like a shroud. The second paralyzing thought was that Joseph was dying—his blood was being drained.
Pandora raced toward the boy, drawing Cé out of his trance. He yanked her back. “No! It will kill you. Stay here!”
“But—”
Joseph and Jonah were not her children, but he could feel the love she had for them. Her eyelashes wet with tears and her face stricken, she looked at him with the panic of mother about ready to lose a child.
“I can’t let them die. It’s my fault.”
He ignored her and sprinted toward the boy, who was on his knees and holding his throat as if someone was choking him. His face had turned gray, and Cé could feel his life force leaving his body. That wasn’t the only feeling that pressed upon him—evil darker than the demon’s slapped him like an icy wave, trying to beat him back toward Pandora.
Cé felt a knot grow tight in his chest and cut off his air. He lagged as if he had stepped into quicksand and had to drag his legs up high to move. He gritted his teeth and drew on his vampire strength, battling the malevolence. He refused to let that cheerful boy die.
He needed to do something quick to throw the thing off balance. He transformed into a bat, and for an instant the pressure vanished. He was three times the size of an ordinary bat and as strong as an eagle. He soared into the white cloud and gagged,
as if he’d crashed into a barrel of overly sweet honey. He clawed at an invisible presence and thought he heard a curse.
The evil fought back. Claws tore through Cé’s fur and flesh. Pain rippled over his body. His wings faltered, and he spiraled toward the ground. It was as if millions of tiny fangs dug into his flesh, drinking his blood. If he had been a normal bat, he would have died quickly.
But he was a vampire and not easy to kill. This wasn’t true with Joseph. He had collapsed onto all fours and struggled to breathe. In a few minutes, the poor boy would be dead.
Blocking out the agony, Cé unleashed his claws and clasped Joseph’s shoulders. Drawing on every ounce of strength he possessed, he flapped his wings to drag the boy out of the suffocating cloud. He could have benefited from Leif’s dragon abilities to help him, but Leif was in another place, in another time.
Put that away.
A foul voice hissed in his ears, and the grip preventing Cé to move lessened.
That was the sliver opening he needed. He dug his talons deeper into Joseph’s flesh, ignoring the boy’s moan, and flew out of the cloud. Fresh air filled Cé’s lungs, and he could breathe. He had to get Joseph away from here or he’d die.
He quickly transformed back into a man. He glanced over his shoulder, and the cloud hovered then slipped into a ravine. Pandora and Jonah both reached him, each gasping for breath.
“Cé, your chest!” Pandora cried, as concern and fear flashed into her eyes. “What happened?”
A long deep scratch ran down the length of his chest as if a sword had swiped his flesh, and three ugly scratches throbbed on his arm. Every time he took a breath, blood oozed from the grisly swipe down his chest. He didn’t answer. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was Joseph.
“Joseph?” Jonah asked as tears welled in his grief-stricken face. “Pandora, he won’t die, will he?”
“Not if I can help it,” Cé said, as he cradled Joseph’s limp body to his chest. “He needs a surgeon. Where is the nearest one?”
Jonah whipped a tear away from his cheeks. “A surgeon? Joseph needs an operation?”
“I don’t know, honey.” Pandora put her hand over Joseph’s forehead. “He’s cold, really cold. I think he’s going into shock.”
Doubt and dread tore at Cé’s heart. He could sense the evil lurking, waiting. If he left Jonah and Pandora, they’d be vulnerable, but if he stayed, the boy would die.
As if sensing his hesitation, Pandora held the silver box in her hand. “Go, Cé. I don’t think that thing will attack as long as I have this. It’s afraid of it. I just wish I knew how to use it.” She kissed Joseph’s forehead. “You need to take care of him. Hurry, please.”
“Look!” Jonah pointed. “I see red lights flashing. It’s Theo!”
Relief eased the tension in Cé’s heart. Joseph groaned, and his lips turned bluer. “I canna wait for him. Tell Theo what happened. He just might believe ye this time.”
Weariness weighed heavy on Cé’s body, and the demanding hunger returned. His throat turned parched as if he was dying from thirst. His muscles and skin contracted, and he felt overly stretched in his own body. His vampire strength was fading. He needed blood badly. He hurried toward the flashing lights, leaving Pandora and Jonah behind, and prayed he wasn’t making a deadly mistake.
It wasn’t Theo behind the wheel, but his deputy—Martin. He must have trailed them from the house. Too bad the bastard hadn’t gotten here earlier. Maybe Joseph wouldn’t have been hurt so severely.
Martin slammed on his brakes, then got out of the car, wielding a gun. “Stop right there, vampire. This gun is loaded with magical bullets powerful enough to drop a vampire.” Shock and anger flashed into his narrowed eyes. “What did you do to that poor boy?” His accusatory tone snapped Cé’s attention.
“I didna hurt him, ye bloody eejit.”
Wetness spread across Cé’s chest and mingled with Joseph’s. Crimson leaked from his arm onto Joseph. Joseph’s shirt was ripped, and blood seeped from deep wounds onto his shoulders. He flushed with guilt. Joseph was bleeding profusely, but not from the cloud, but from Cé’s talons clutching and tearing into his small frame.
“The cloud—”
“The damn cloud again,” Martin growled. He talked into his shirt collar that had some kind of device snapped to it. “Theo, this is Martin. I found the pirate. Send an ambulance. The bastard attacked Joseph.”
Fuzziness swirled in front of Cé’s eyes, and his legs wobbled. “He needs blood.” His voice had turned into a tired gasp.
“I can see that vampire. What kind of creature are you to attack such a loving boy?” He drew back on the trigger. “I oughta shoot you now and ask questions latter.”
An angry screech sent hope surging through Cé’s veins. For a brief moment, he thought it was Leif and he’d come through time. But this was a bluish-green dragon not red.
“Good, the sheriff’s coming, and he’s liable to burn you to a crisp after what you did to that poor boy.”
“I told you—I didna hurt him.” The deputy and the gun turned into murky circles that spun around him. He swayed, his vampire strength deserting him, and he collapsed onto the pebbly ground into a crumpled heap. Voices shouted around him. He moved his lips to vow his innocence and insist they get Joseph to a surgeon, but only a groan escaped his throat. His eyes fluttered shut, and he remembered no more.
Chapter Eleven
Pandora stared at Cé’s sleeping form in the hospital bed. A bandage was wrapped around his muscular torso and nasty-looking stitches were on his right arm. An IV attached to a plastic bag filled with blood pumped into his still hand. His sunken cheeks and gaunt face had lost their ghoulish color, but he’d been unconscious for the last couple of days. She laid her head on his broad chest to make sure he was breathing. He’d have a deep scar on his chest that would match the others on his back. Or would he? He was a vampire—an incredibly strong vampire—and that creature had almost killed him. What the devil had been in that vicious cloud?
She’d tried using a spell to save both him and Joseph, but as usual, her magic had failed her. When she opened the box, she felt a quiver of fear run over her that emitted from the cloud. Whatever it was, it feared the box. If only she could figure out a way to use the damn thing, she might be able to capture or destroy the creature.
Murmured voices and soft footsteps walked past Cé’s room. She was the only one in here, but on the other side of the wall, Joseph had an army protecting him. He’d required a fifth blood transfusion. He was lucky to be alive. If it hadn’t been for Cé, he would have surely died. She had a horrible time convincing Martin and Theo, who both wanted to decapitate him without a trial. Luckily, Jonah had a better time convincing them, and they held off on the execution.
Cé had risked his life to save Joseph. He’d changed into the biggest bat she’d ever seen, then snarled and battled an unknown darkness in the cloud all to rescue a little boy he didn’t know. For a ruthless pirate, he had a heart that outshone any cruel deed he’d ever done. Her feelings had deepened for him at this selfless act. Not many men would have sacrificed their own skin to save a child.
She’d been so mad at Martin for being such a thunderhead. He’d apologized a zillion times for not realizing that Cé had been wounded.
She wound her fingers through Cé’s rigid ones. “Wake up. Please wake up.” Her brittle voice cracked. She laid her head down on his bed and prayed for him to live, for forgiveness, for help.
She felt movement in his stiff fingers and jerked her head up. Something hot and stinging welled in Pandora’s eyes, turning his blond hair and hospital bed into a blur.
He watched her with hooded eyes. He blinked a second time, and third, as if trying to fight a fogginess threatening to overtake him. “Where am I?” He moved his lips, but she had to strain to hear his husky voice.
She released a sound that was a mix of a laugh and a gasp. “In a hospital. You’re alive.”
He took a deep ragged
breath. “I told you. I’m not that easy to kill.” Despite his arrogance, his voice was weak and his face pale.
“Oh, really? You’ve been unconscious for forty-eight hours.”
Cé’s reaction to her sarcasm was to tighten the lines around his mouth. He closed his eyes, and fear stabbed her heart.
“Cé?” She held his hand with both of hers.
His long black eyes lashes closed, then opened again. “I canna remember what happened.”
“You fought the evil in the cloud. Blood burst inside the cloud. You were bleeding and so was Joseph.”
He squeezed her hand. “Dona worry. I’ll live.”
She kissed his knuckles. “You had that big slash on your chest, and you were so pale, so deathly pale.” She cleared her throat to keep annoying tears at bay. “Then...then you passed out.”
There was a soft knock on the door, and Joseph’s and Jonah’s parents, Tory and Simon, walked into the room. The twins had Tory’s dark hair and their father’s intense eyes.
Tory clapped her hands together. “You’re finally awake. Jonah told us what you did for Joseph.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “I just came to thank you for saving my son. I can never...repay you.”
“We’re indebted to you,” Simon said as wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist and held her close. “This beautiful woman is my wife Tory, and I am Simon. If there’s anything we can do, all you need to do is ask.”
Tory gave Pandora a knowing smile. “Pandora hasn’t left your side for a minute.”
The beginnings of a defensive flush crawled up Pandora’s throat, but before she could protest, the doctor walked in.
