by Cathryn Fox
A low, feral growl sounded deep in his throat. A burst of fury fired through his body until he felt as if all his arteries would split wide open and spill his boiling blood. How in the hell had they found her location? Curling his fingers in sheer frustration, he pounded his fists against the stone wall once again.
It only took minutes for Ayden to come. Mikel pushed open his massive castle door and waited for Ayden to climb the steps leading to the entrance. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding as his trusted friend and confidant arrived. Although Ayden looked to be approximately twenty-two in human years, he was an old soul, much wiser than most, with talents rare to human kind. Which led Mikel to believe he wasn’t human at all. Even though interplanetary travel was prohibited, for various reasons, including war, cross-species mating, and the fear of another Nallie incident, Mikel knew Ayden had come from far away. But he was Mikel’s friend, the only person he trusted, and had not turned him over to the military rule task force, like the laws demanded.
In search of work, Ayden had showed up in their small village one day, seemingly coming out of nowhere. Even though he wasn’t one to trust easily, Mikel immediately took to him, offering him a job as his caregiver, knowing that like himself, Ayden was different. Spending many nights together in his castle, sharing drinks, dinner, and occasionally, a bed, they’d grown exceptionally close over the last year. Mikel thought of Ayden as a friend, not a servant, and eventually, with Ayden’s encouragement and support, he’d opened up to him, sharing his painful past and his darkest secrets.
Although they shared everything, Ayden rarely talked about his ancestry. Mikel respected his right for privacy on that subject and therefore didn’t pry. But wherever he’d come from, Ayden had brought with him a special ability to soothe emotions and draw tension and negative energy from another’s body. A rare gift, indeed.
Mikel’s heart beat wildly. “Ayden, it’s Dari.” He rushed the words out and reached for his friend. “She’s in trouble. She’s been discovered. I must go to her.”
Ayden’s warm blue eyes softened as he touched Mikel’s shoulder. Ribbons of long golden hair fell forward, the tips brushing Mikel’s forearms. “Where is Dari right now?” His voice was low, calming. His energy like an anesthetic.
Mikel leaned into Ayden, drawing on his warm familiarity, in desperate need of his comradeship. The touch on his shoulder had already started to assuage his frayed nerves. He could feel Ayden drawing the negative energy away, replacing it with his own calm, helping Mikel to focus his thoughts more clearly.
Mikel drew a deep centering breath. “When I broke the connection she was in her bed. Grayson knows where she is. He is on her trail, and with the sun rising, time is definitely not on our side.”
Ayden grew pensive for a moment, then his soft cadence fell over him like a warm blanket. “You know you can’t leave the castle, Mikel. It’s not wise.”
Wise?
Mikel pushed past him. It was a response he hadn’t expected under the circumstances. Mikel didn’t care what was wise. Dari was his life. His one and only reason for going on. Without her, life meant nothing. “Fuck what is wise,” he shot back at his friend, his voice harsh. “I have to save her.”
“Mikel wait.” Ayden spoke in a clipped tone which immediately made Mikel come up short. Anger very rarely seeped into Ayden’s tone.
Mikel spun around and faced his friend. Ayden’s lips parted, prepared to speak. Mikel didn’t wait for an opening. “This isn’t up for debate, Ayden,” he growled between clenched teeth. “I’m going.”
Ayden’s expression softened. “Stop letting emotions rule your thoughts. Think logically about this for a moment. If you go to her rescue and bring her back here, your existence will be detected. As you travel through the sky, unprotected.” He cut his hand through the air, gesturing to the protective castle walls. “You two will create a stronger psychic signature. Grayson will be able to track you which will ultimately put Dari in more danger.”
Mikel paused to absorb his words, hating, absolutely hating that Ayden was right. But he couldn’t stand back and do nothing. He had to move. To do something. Fast. The sun was rising, Grayson was closing in on her, and time was a luxury he didn’t have. Mikel pressed his palm to his forehead, resisting the urge to connect with Dari just yet, knowing the bond could put her in more danger if she had gone into hiding.
He glanced into Ayden’s eyes, searching for answers. When Ayden saw that he was getting through to him he continued. “Dari is smart. Her natural-born instinct for self-preservation will kick in and she’ll fight.”
Fuck. He hated feeling so damn helpless. Mikel’s nostrils flared. His stomach churned and his heart plummeted. Even though all of Ayden’s points were valid, what if they overpowered her? He wasn’t about to sit on the sidelines while his enemies engaged in every debauched activity known to mankind with the woman he loved.
“I have to go get her, Ayden,” he insisted. “There is no choice in the matter. If I don’t go to her, then under the cover of darkness, they’ll take her back to Sayton and do unthinkable things to her.”
“Of course you have to save her. But I’ll go. Alone. I’ll bring her back. She’ll be scared and that anxiety will increase her signal as well. I can absorb and expel her fear.”
Once again, Mikel took a moment to digest Ayden’s words, playing over the scenario in his head, until he was certain it was the only logical solution. One that would help keep her safe, and undetected. Only Ayden could ease Dari’s mind and soothe her emotions and bring her back safely.
“Go,” Mikel said with a wave of his hand, feeling anxious, but suddenly hopeful. “Bring her back safely.”
Ayden nodded in acquiesce. “Stay in my head. I need you to keep the connection open so you can guide me to her exact location in the cave.”
Mikel touched his shoulder in a silent grateful gesture.
“You know I’ll do everything in my power to bring her back here safely,” he said reassuringly before he turned around and disappeared into the night. A moment later Mikel heard Ayden’s shuttle take to the sky. Mikel quickly ascended the stairs to his turret and made a three-way mind connection between Dari, Ayden and himself.
• • •
Dari, stop.
The sound of Mikel’s voice in her head nearly floored her. Her foot paused midair as she assimilated the information. The pause was long enough for the young man beneath her to gather himself and rise. In a defensive action, he stepped away from her, out of her personal space. He remained silent, watching her carefully, his face oddly serene.
It couldn’t be Mikel in her head. It had to be a trick. Grayson had to be messing with her mind. Mikel existed only in her dreams. She’d never heard him in her waking hours before. Ever.
Dari, listen to me. The man who is with you is Ayden. He’s there to help. To bring you to me.
She took a small step backwards, widening the space even more. Shaking her head, she stared into the man’s soft blue eyes. She’d never quite seen eyes like those before. For a moment she felt dizzy, drugged, mesmerized. She blinked her mind back into focus as he slowly, cautiously walked toward her, palms out.
“Don’t,” she bit out. “Don’t come any closer.” Her eyes scanned the cave quickly, looking for something, anything that she could use as a weapon.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Dari. Listen to Mikel.”
How does he know about Mikel? Her dream lover. She tried to clear her head so she could tap into his thoughts, but she hadn’t practiced it enough to do it upon command.
As though reading her thought, he continued, “Mikel has sent me here to help. I understand your fear, but it is not I who is here to harm you.” There was nothing in his voice to cause her to fret, to be anxious, or to fear for her safety.
Suddenly, a strange calm overtook her. What was going on? “How do I know you’re not with them? Trying to trick me?”
The calm that had fallen over her quickly disappea
red as angry voices echoed in the passageway behind her. A shiver skipped down her spine, kicking her self-preservation senses into high gear. In an instant she knew the rock had been removed from the mouth of the tunnel. She pressed her hands over her temple, concentrating on her next move.
Ayden reached out and placed a placating hand on her shoulder. She felt her body relax again, felt the fear drain from her soul. For some strange reason she was comforted by his touch.
“Dari…” The voice came from her head. From Mikel.
“Mikel. I don’t understand.” She said the words out loud. Ayden watched her carefully and listened as though he too could hear the entire conversation in her mind.
“I know, Dari. There is much to explain. You are being chased by vampires and you must not allow them to catch you.”
She furrowed her brow, pressed her palms harder against her temples as though that would help keep the connection between Mikel and herself, and gave a quick shake of her head. “Vampires? Mikel, vampires exist only in folklore.”
“No, Dari. They don’t.”
She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. “There will be time for questions later. Right now you must go with Ayden.”
She stared at the young man with the soft blue eyes and golden hair. “What is your name?” she asked, testing him.
He smiled as though pleased by her test. “I am Ayden.”
Oh God, could she trust him? Did she have a choice? Even though her gut instinct told her he was safe, she took a quick moment to try to read his thoughts again, catching glimpses of Mikel, a castle, and…affection. A different kind of affection than she’d ever known.
She stole a quick glance over her shoulder. The footsteps grew louder as the vampires closed in on her.
Vampires…
“We must hurry, Dari. We’re out of time.” He held his hand out to her.
Left with little choice she put her hand in his. He gripped her tight as together they bolted through the old mine shaft. She allowed him to lead her to the opening at the other end. There she found an air shuttle. She’d seen many shuttles in the sky, of course, the technology was common, but never had she been so close to one. Modern creations were prohibited in her commune.
“Climb in.” Ayden ran around the other side and jumped into the driver’s seat. Dari shimmied in beside him.
A moment later they were high in the sky, moving at such a great speed that her stomach swayed. Dari pressed the back of her hand over her mouth as a wave of nausea took hold.
Once again, as though sensing her distress, Ayden put his palm on hers. She felt her heartbeat slow in time to his. Felt her mind go fuzzy. Felt her tongue grow thick. Speech became harder to come by and it grew increasingly difficult to keep her eyes focused.
As she started to drift off, existing on a level somewhere between consciousness and sleep, she could still feel Mikel inside her, comforting her, encouraging her to accept the pull and succumb to sleep.
She nodded off for a quick second and then pulled herself awake. Dear God, she shouldn’t be dozing off at a time like this. She glanced at Ayden. What was this man doing to her? He somehow had control over her senses. Had her in some kind of trance. She willed her hand to reach for the door, not that she could escape while careening through the sky at breakneck speed. Her lethargic body refused to cooperate anyway. She needed to get away from him, but how? It took all her effort to twist her head to look at him. A warm smile reached his eyes and lulled her closer to sleep.
“Who are you and what do you want with me?”
Before he had a chance to answer, she fell asleep.
Chapter Four
Mikel stood inside his castle and looked out past his turret and waited for Ayden to arrive with Dari. He kept the three-way connection open the entire time, which allowed Ayden to share his every emotion, his every thought.
Finally a bright light broke through a layer of fog in the distant sky, indicating their near arrival. Dari remained fast asleep, as per Mikel’s orders. A precautionary measure for her own safety. While she slept it would lessen the chances of her signature being followed. Mikel needed to get her safely inside the walls of the castle before she awoke. With the two of them together, he had no idea how much protection his shields would provide but he hoped it would be enough for the time being, until they figured their next course of action.
With long strides, Mikel headed straight for the front entrance. He burst through the doorway and descended the stairs. Impatiently, he paced back and forth on his cobblestone walkway, taking long, deep breaths, and stared into the silent night, knowing it was dangerous to venture too far from his castle, or spend too much time outside his walls. Thick fog hung low over the mountains. It felt heavy, suffocating. A fitting match for his mood.
His thoughts raced. After all this time, how had Grayson suddenly located her? Had he stayed too long with her this evening? His stomach twisted as he considered his next thought. What if they had gotten hold of her? What if they had taken her with them? He couldn’t imagine the atrocities they’d put her through.
Dari. His innocent Dari.
His guts churned with the sudden turn of events, with his feelings of helplessness. Dari had been too close to those vile creatures that cared nothing about her and only wanted her for her body. Creatures that would keep her alive as nothing more than a breeding machine. He fisted his hands as a round of curses filled the great outdoors and echoed against the mountain peaks hugging his castle. He should have been there for her. He should have been able to help her, protect her. Even though she had been so brave and so smart in the face of danger, she never should have had to fight alone. Thankfully Ayden had reached her when he had.
He spotted Ayden’s silhouette off in the distance walking with Dari in his arms. Mikel pushed open the heavy gate protecting his estate. The old hinges groaned in protest. When Ayden brought Dari to him, he pulled her into his arms, cradling her small frame against his chest. She stirred as he turned around, retraced his steps and hurried back inside the castle.
Ayden followed close behind, he doubled his steps to keep pace. His heavy footfalls merged with Mikel’s and echoed in the eerily still night.
After Mikel entered the grand front entrance, he turned back to face his friend and spoke in a hushed tone. “Ayden, please stay. I’ll need you here tonight.”
Stepping farther inside, Ayden closed the heavy door behind him. “Of course, Mikel. I have no plans to leave. Dari needs us both.”
He glanced at Dari asleep in his arms, taking note of the scratches on her legs and arms. A wave of fury passed through him. Thankfully, Ayden had agreed to stay. He’d need him to help calm Dari when she woke. For the time had come to explain to her what she was and where she’d come from.
Ayden moved closer to Mikel and touched his shoulder. “I feel your love for her, Mikel. It is most powerful.” He narrowed his gaze. “You understand that when all three of us mentally connected you shared those emotions with me. I now share your memories and feel all that love for her as well.”
Mikel nodded in understanding, assuring Ayden he felt no sense of jealousy with Ayden’s new feelings. In fact, it gave him comfort to know that the only man he loved and trusted, also loved Dari. “I’m glad she now has two men who love her. Two protectors.”
Ayden smiled. “She is safe now, Mikel. You must relax. Even in sleep she can feel your anxiety.”
Mikel blew a calming breath and nodded.
Ayden squeezed Mikel’s shoulder. “Come, let’s put her in your chambers. She needs to rest. When she awakens she will have much to understand.”
With Ayden in tow, Mikel climbed the stone steps and carried Dari’s listless body to his chambers. Ayden pulled back the linen covers, preparing the bed, and then walked around the other side while Mikel placed her on the mattress. The bed dipped as Mikel sat beside her. He glanced at Ayden, motioning for him to join them. Ayden took a seat on the opposite side, brushed Dari’s dark hair from her
shoulders and pressed his hand over her heart, slowing her heartbeat even more, putting her into a deeper sleep.
“She won’t awaken for hours. Come. Let me pour you a drink and help you relax,” Ayden said.
Mikel turned his attention to Dari. She looked so small and vulnerable as she slept. He shouldn’t leave her side. Mikel opened his mouth to protest.
Reading his thoughts, Ayden cut him off. “It is what you need to do, Mikel. Sitting here worrying will do Dari no good. Feeling your anxiety will only serve to heighten hers. You must leave her alone, to sleep and gather strength. Come with me. Share a drink. Let me take away your anxiety.”
Mikel rose and followed his friend down the staircase to the liquor cabinet where Ayden poured two shots. He pressed one into Mikel’s hand.
Frustrated with the situation, Mikel raked his fingers through his hair, noted the time, and grabbed the bottle. “Let’s go outside. We still have a few moments before sun-up, and I need air to clear my head.” He walked away and his trusted confidant followed.
Out on the balcony, the wind seemed to die down, as if sensing the immediate danger was over. Temporarily. With the sun approaching the horizon, Grayson and his men would have taken to the underground, and he too would soon have to seek the shelter of the dark.
Mikel leaned against the brass rail and tossed back another shot. The liquid burned all the way down. Warmth spread like a brush fire through his veins. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced at Ayden. “This isn’t over, you know. Now that Grayson knows the rumors of Dari’s existence are true, he won’t stop until he finds her.”
