Daemon Uprising

by Mariah Ankenman

  “I’ll stay on him.”

  Saint didn’t seem to mind the suspicion. “Cade, Barrett, go with Kiernan and Tabitha back to headquarters. Report to Racine. Hopefully, we’ll be back soon with good news. Kiernan, take care of your Tira.”

  No need to tell him that.

  “Let’s go, Hyde.” Saint shifted again, taking to the sky as a peregrine falcon this time.

  Hyde spared one more glance at Tabitha and Kiernan, then followed the shape-shifter into the sky.

  “We’ll flank you in case they try to come back,” Cade said coming over to stand by Kiernan. Barrett followed, taking a position on his other side.

  He nodded his thanks. Grasping Tabitha in his arms, he stood. She moaned in pain as he lifted her. “Shhh baby, it’s okay I got you. We’re going to get you help.”

  The pain and blood loss causing her to drift in and out of consciousness, her eyes opened, focused on him. “Please…don’t…tell.”

  Every word was labored with heavy breathing, her gaze pleading and hazy with pain. The drive to kill Stryden rose even higher in him. Now it was personal. His arms tightened around Tabitha as his wings spread.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. I’ll keep you safe, Tabby Cat.”

  A smile curled her lips even as the pain stayed in her eyes. “Told you…to stop…calling me that.”

  He chuckled softly. He took it as a good sign she could still berate him. Tabitha’s eyes closed again, and she passed out, her head resting against his chest. Stryden would pay for hurting her. Kiernan made a silent vow to rip the Kako’s head clean off his shoulders the next time they met. He sent a glance to Cade and Barrett, and then they took off into the night.

  Chapter 29

  When they arrived back at council headquarters, the door was open. A small round figure stood in the doorway, Bucky. She took one look at the group, and her face fell with worry.

  “What happened?”

  “It was a trap,” Kiernan replied holding Tabitha tightly in his arms still. “Tabitha is wounded. She needs healing.”

  “She’s not the only one.” Bucky reached up to touch the large gash on his forehead.

  He brushed her off with a turn of his head. “I’m fine. Help her.”

  Bucky stared intently at him, more specifically at his eyes. “So it’s true?”

  Damn, the rumor mill at headquarters worked fast. Of course, he wasn’t surprised Bucky knew Tabitha was his Tira. The old woman seemed to know everything. Perhaps she was a Psychic. No one really knew her true identity. She didn’t talk about herself much but had been with the council forever, it seemed.

  “Yes, it’s true. Bucky, please, she’s lost a lot of blood.”

  Tabitha remained passed out through the entire flight. He was glad she couldn’t feel any pain right now, but he worried what her unconscious state meant. He was not very familiar with human anatomy. But she wasn’t human. Kiernan shook his head. Tabitha was a Tele. He wondered who knew. Racine? Her father? What level was she? And why hadn’t she told him?

  All questions that would have to wait. Bucky stepped forward to inspect Tabitha. “Bring her inside, quickly.”

  “Tell Racine what happened, and I’ll be in to report as soon as I get Tabitha settled,” Kiernan tossed over his shoulder to Cade and Barrett. He didn’t wait to see if they followed his order, just hurried after Bucky into the house.

  He followed her through the kitchen and then down the stairs to the basement. The medic section housed everything needed to cure, heal, and repair any species of supernatural or humans. Kiernan laid Tabitha on one of the pristine white examining tables.

  “What was it?” Bucky inquired pointing to the wound in Tabitha’s leg still seeping and now turning the white table red with blood.

  “An arrow,” he replied through clenched teeth. Seeing the ugly raw wound made his blood boil all over again. He was going to destroy those Kako sons of bitches. Every. Single. One.

  Bucky muttered something vile under her breath that made him smile. Obviously, her thoughts ran along the same lines. The old woman went over to the large cabinet along the far side of the wall. After rummaging for a moment, she emerged with a thick white towel and a bottle of clear liquid.

  “Hold her down, Kiernan. This is going to hurt.”

  His trust in everyone and everything wavering at the moment, he stared at the bottle warily. “What is it?”

  “High-strength antiseptic infused with herbs for healing. Stronger than Daemon saliva, but I haven’t yet found a way to add a pain-numbing agent without depleting its strength.”

  Bucky shook her head as if angry at herself for her inability to perfect the formula. Bucky had helped design the Daemon Salve with Celia. She worked with herbs and chemicals to create most of the remedies they had in the clinic. One of the reasons why some people thought she was a Witch, but, of course, no one was really sure.

  “I’m sorry, Kiernan. I wouldn’t hurt Tabitha for the world. You know if there was another option I would use it.”

  He did, and that’s what really sucked. Putting his trust in Bucky, Kiernan moved to Tabitha’s side, placing both hands firmly on her upper arms to hold her in place. Her eyes remained closed, breathing shallow. Bucky lifted Tabitha’s leg and placed the towel beneath it. Her gaze met his.

  “Hold her steady.”

  He nodded as the old woman opened the bottle and blew out a deep breath. She tipped the bottle and let the clear liquid pour out. The second it hit Tabitha’s wound, her eyes shot open. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream. Her body bucked. Kiernan held her tight, surprised at how much strength she had left after such a debilitating wound. Her limbs flailed, and Kiernan had to practically lie across her torso to keep her still. A scream finally ripped from her throat, the sound shattering his heart. Pain laced every cry torn from her lips.

  “Hold her still,” Bucky commanded, emptying the bottle over Tabitha’s leg.

  “I’m trying,” he grunted almost fully on top of her now. He leaned his head close to hers and whispered into her ear, “Shhh, baby, it’s going to be okay. It will be over soon. We have to do this to make you better.”

  The flailing stopped. The screaming ceased. Now only tears ran down Tabitha’s face. Bucky tossed the bottle in a sink and wrapped the rest of the towel around Tabitha’s leg.

  “It will seal up in an hour. Until then, she needs to rest.” She started to leave the room.

  “What about the blood loss?”

  Bucky turned at the door. “There’s an agent in the compound to regenerate blood cells quickly. She’ll be fine, Kiernan.”

  “Thank you, Bucky.”

  As Bucky closed the door, he settled next to his Tira on the table. He pulled her into his arms, careful not to hurt her. He breathed her scent in deeply, thankful she was all right.

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Tabitha?” he whispered against her forehead.

  She remained motionless. Her breathing back to normal, but her eyes remained closed. Kiernan lay at her side, holding her. The towel still wrapped around her leg, but the bleeding, mercifully, had stopped. He lost track of the time as they lay there together. Most likely only an hour passed, but to him it felt like days. Finally, Tabitha shuddered. Her breath hitched, and her eyes fluttered open.

  “Kiernan?” her hoarse voice croaked out.

  “I’m here, baby. I’m here.” Kiernan propped himself up on one elbow to stare down at her.

  “Council headquarters?”

  He nodded. “Bucky fixed you up. You’re going to be fine.”

  He took her into his arms and pulled her to him, lying back down on his side. He buried his face in her lush dark hair and breathed in her scent. It felt so good just to hold her. He was so afraid he would never get another chance.

  “Don’t ever scare me like that again, Tabitha.”

  “Uh-oh.” She chuckled.

  He pulled his face from her hair and stared into her dark chocolate-brown eyes. “What?”<
br />
  A small smile curved her lips. It warmed his heart to see it. “You only use my full name when you’re really pissed at me.”

  He was really pissed at her. She almost died, not her fault really, but that didn’t change his anger at the situation. He was also pissed at her for another reason entirely. A reason they were going to talk about whether she liked it or not. Now.

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Tabitha?”

  The playfulness in her face left, replaced by fear. Damn, he didn’t want her to be afraid of him.

  “I’m not going to lock you up, or hurt you, or tell anyone.” He spoke slowly, putting as much conviction into his voice as he could muster. He waited until the fear on her face eased a little. “You are my Tira. My mate. My other half. I love you, but I can’t make you trust me. I wish you had told me, trusted me.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. Ah, dammit. He didn’t want to make her cry either. He was going about this all wrong. Over two hundred years old and he still had no clue how to deal with women.

  “What did you say?”

  He raised a puzzled brow at her softly whispered words. “You should have trusted me?”

  “No.” Her voice got stronger. Tabitha sat up, forcing him to sit as well. “The part about loving me?”

  A smile tugged at his lips. “I love you, Tabitha.”

  Doubt flashed in her eyes. “You’re just saying that because of this.” She waved a hand in front of her eyes, motioning to their silver Tira marking.

  Kiernan growled low in his throat. His hand reached out, snagging the back of her head and pulling her to him. His lips descended on hers in a hard punishing kiss. She gasped. He took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. His tongue pushed past her slightly parted lips, demanding entrance. Tabitha complied, opening to him, her tongue battling with his. Hands soon joined in, stroking, petting, groping. His, hers, they were soon caught up in the fire that erupted whenever they touched.

  Kiernan pressed Tabitha back down onto the bed. His body covering hers. Careful not to injure her, he gently pushed her legs apart with his knee and settled himself between them. He was hard and throbbing painfully in his jeans, which now felt two sizes too small. He ground himself into the apex of her thighs, pressing against her center. She moaned into his mouth, arching her hips up to meet his thrust.

  Unable to take much more, he broke the kiss coming up onto his knees. Tabitha made a sound of protest. His hands fumbled with the zipper of her pants. Her hands quickly went to the button on his jeans when he made it clear he didn’t intended to stop. In quick succession, but not as quick as he would have liked, both sets of pants lay on the floor, followed by what little underwear there was.

  Too desperate for finesse, he thrust into her in one strong stroke. They gasped in unison as they joined. Kiernan stilled, gazing deep into Tabitha’s eyes. Her pupils so dilated the silver sparkled against the black.

  “When I say I love you, Tabitha, it is because I love you. Not for any other reason.”

  Her eyes watered as his words made their way past her hazy lust-filled mind. He pulled out until only the tip of him remained inside her.

  “Tell me you understand what I’m saying.”

  She arched her hips trying to take him back inside, but he stilled her movements with a firm hand on her hip. “Say it.”

  Her eyes focused solidly on his. “I understand, Kiernan.”

  “Understand what?”

  “You love me, not because I’m your Tira, but because I’m me. And I should have trusted you. I just didn’t want to put you in any danger.” The last part was whispered, but he heard it.

  He leaned in, brushing his lips across the shell of her ear. “I would face any danger for you, my love.”

  He brought his lips back to hers then and gave her a scorching kiss as he thrust back inside. The time for talking ended. He pounded into her; she lifted her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust.

  They worked together at a frenzied pace, racing for that ultimate pleasure. It hit Tabitha first. Her lips tore away from him as her body clenched around him. She screamed his name, falling apart in his arms. The sensations too much, he soon followed her into oblivion, muttering her name like a prayer.

  Chapter 30

  “You’re hurt,” Tabitha whispered once she found earth again. They had redressed and sat on the examining table.

  Kiernan brought a hand up to the gash on his head, already sealing up. The bleeding stopped long ago. Now, the cut was just a long, ugly healing wound. “I’m fine.”

  An unspoken we need to talk hung in the air. She took a deep breath. He knew. Kiernan knew her true identity. She could no longer hide it from him. The truth, the whole truth, had to come out. He said he loved her. Time to test his words.

  “My mother was a level one Tele,” she began. “She had the power of telekinesis. She passed it on to me. My father didn’t know what she was until after I was born.”

  He said nothing at her pause. He just stared and waited for her to continue.

  “When I was about a year old, I sat in the living room. My father watched some sports game while my mother made dinner in the kitchen. According to my mother, I wanted a toy high on the bookshelf. I tried to get my father’s attention, but he was wrapped up in the game. After a few minutes of unresponsive whining, I decided I would just get the toy myself.” She paused again taking a deep breath. “I didn’t really know what I was doing or how to use my powers yet, I just knew I wanted the toy and no one got it for me.”

  A sardonic smile turned up her lips as she remembered the incident. “Finesse is something no one-year-old has, in anything. I guess I was a little eager because in bringing the toy to me I also brought down the bookshelf.”

  Kiernan winced at the image. She didn’t blame him. The incident had been pretty awful. She didn’t really remember it, being so young, but her father brought it up constantly when telling her what a freak she was.

  “Needless to say, I finally got my father’s attention, and the toy. My mother ran into the room to see what had happened. When she saw the fallen bookshelf, me clutching my toy across the room, and my father’s horrified look, she knew she had to confess.” Moisture filled her eyes, but she blinked it back, determined to finish her story.

  “Of course, my father didn’t believe her, not even when she demonstrated her powers. He—he tried to lock her up.” Her breath hitched. “He sent her to a shrink, convinced she was crazy. Eventually, my father learned to look the other way. My mother began training me, but she was only a level one.”

  She paused, and this time Kiernan did speak.

  “What level are you?”

  Two.

  She spoke the word into his mind. His eyes widened. Needing to get the entire story out, she pressed on before he could speak.

  “She tried to help with my telepathy, but it was hard since she couldn’t show me how to control it, like with the telekinesis. There was an incident…I accidentally erased my mother’s memory for about a week.” She winced at the memory. “My mother brushed it off as nothing, but my father, he was furious. He demanded we stop it, all of it. He threatened to lock my mother up for good if she didn’t stop…being her.”

  Tears of anger and sadness welled in her eyes. She choked them back. She wasn’t that scared little seven-year-old girl anymore. She was stronger now.

  “I guess the threats just got too much for her. One day, I woke up, and she was gone. No note, nothing. I thought for a while my father had made good on his promise to lock her up, but he seemed just as surprised that Mom was gone. A few months later, he started dating again and then Krista came along. I kept practicing in secret. I guess I thought if I practiced hard enough my mom would come back. I’d be good enough for her to want me…”

  She couldn’t stop the tears of heartbreak from streaming down her cheeks. Kiernan pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, his strong hands rubbing her back in a soothing manner.

  “Your father is a scared fo
ol,” he murmured softly into her hair. “And I don’t know why your mother left without saying anything, but I damn sure know it wasn’t anything you did. You are amazing, Tabitha. You’re the strongest, smartest, most talented, and beautiful woman I have ever known, and someone would have to be crazy to walk away from you.”

  Her sobs abated. She raised her head and looked up at him. “I never wanted anyone to know. It’s dangerous, not just for me, but for them, too.”

  Leaning forward, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “No one is ever going to hurt you. I promise I’ll protect you.” He paused, letting the words sink in before he continued. “We have to tell Racine. You should have done it years ago.”

  Fear clutched at her.

  “He’s not going to lock you away. He won’t see you as a freak or treat you any differently. Hell, the man is over four hundred years old. I’m sure he’s known a Tele or two in his lifetime.”

  True. And she really should have told Racine. As their leader, it was important for him to know all the skills his Enforcers possessed.

  “I know. I just…” She couldn’t put her feelings into words. The reasons she kept her secret. But she didn’t have to. Kiernan brought a hand up and stroked her cheek softly.

  “I know, Tabby Cat, but now it’s time.”

  She smiled up at him. “I told you to stop calling me that.

  He responded with a smile of his own, bringing her close for a gentle kiss. Her heart beat furiously as it always did whenever Kiernan touched her, but they had places to be and things to explain. Breaking the kiss, she hopped down from the bed and started for the door. Kiernan followed, grasping her hand in his.

  “How’s the leg?” he asked, eyeing her with undisguised anxiety.

  “Good as ever.” She smiled up at him as they made their way to the stairs. “One of these days, I’m going to get Bucky to confess where her healing talents come from.”