by Grey, T. A.
Then he pulled back and let fly a kick so hard that when it landed on her back she screamed feeling as though her spine just got split in half. Hacking coughs racked through her, making her stomach muscles tighten in reflex and hurting her all the more. All her energy was sapped. She lied there uselessly as he dragged her into the living room and towards the door.
“Where are you taking me?” she whispered between unsteady breaths. She didn't expect him to answer and he didn't.
She stared up at the ceiling watching it pass by in increments. They made it over the doorway and started down the hall. Her breathing finally started to return to normal, which gave her a boost of energy. It wasn't much of one, but it was there. Lily forced her legs to work and awkwardly came to a stand. With a hard shove, she pushed her back against the demon. He didn't even budge.
Turning around on her, his eyes feral, he let his fist fly. The blow caught her cheek and she expected to see stars but all she saw were black dots coloring her vision. She knew she hit the floor but everything went hazy from there.
The last of her adrenaline rush vanished. She lay clumped in a pile on the floor steadily trying to suck in air through her nose as the pain from her mouth, shoulder, and stomach suddenly came at her with full force.
She heard something but the more she blinked her eyes the worse the black dots clouded her vision until she didn't know if she was still staring at the carpet or not. A hand curled around her hurt shoulder and she cried out as burning agony scorched the hurt muscle there. She couldn't do it anymore, was sick of being tired and scared. The black clouds took over her vision and Lily let it take her wherever it wanted to go.
CHAPTER 31
Telal had no magic left from the poison eating away inside him. If he didn't get it out of him soon then he'd never be able to use magic again; it would suck away all of his natural powers.
Each step felt like he was dragging a mountain behind him. He'd never felt so weak in his life. Whoever these demons were, they were good, real good. Telal stopped at the top of the stairs that led to the rec room to catch his breath.
A feminine scream pierced his ears and he took off. No thoughts of his injury ever entered his mind, no thoughts to the poison draining him, or the blood slowing him down. He just moved. He didn't bother with stealth anymore. He charged in like a bull.
He went through the doorway just in time to see a green-haired demon's fist crash into Lily's face. Even as he flinched, a fierce rage stole through him, tightening his muscles for action, pumping his blood fast to make him move quicker, and the protest rose inside him like a roar.
Telal let that roar fly and channeled it at the demon. The demon jerked around, startled and Telal charged letting his war cry go. He didn't just slam into the demon but barreled into him like a supernatural linebacker. They soared through the air for a good ten feet before landing with the demon’s back smacking hard against the floor.
Telal had no questions in his mind, only purpose. To kill. And he used his fist, pummeling the demon again and again. The sound of flesh meeting flesh was like a blood thirst being quenched. All he could see was his woman being hurt, being met with another's brutal anger. Bones snapped and cracked under his fist; blood splattered his hand and still he kept going.
He couldn't be sure how long ago the demon had stopped struggling for his life before he finally scooted off of him, panting and raging still. Pulling a knife from the demon's own belt he took it in his good hand and impaled the demon's heart just in case.
Stumbling away from the dead demon, Telal crouched down next to Lily. It wasn't until he saw the rise and fall of her chest that he knew for certain she was alive. He gently touched her shoulder shaking her to try to wake her, but she didn't even make a sound.
With the only thought of getting them out of there on his mind, he closed his eyes ported them out of there. He kept a small secluded cabin in Northern Georgia. It hadn't been used in more than five years. Dust had collected in a heavy layer along the floor and furniture. Telal pulled Lily up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. The top comforter was covered in that layer of dust so he pulled it off the bed and laid her on the clean sheets.
His knees shook as he stood and it took everything in him not to collapse. But he had one more trip to make. Closing his eyes, he ported back to his headquarters. Kearnyn sat on the floor his head bowed forward, his skin paler than normal.
“Kearnyn?”
The vampire was slow to respond but eventually his head lifted and his unfocused gave settled on him.
“I've got to get you out of here.”
Kearnyn nodded then his head drooped back down. The ten steps it took to reach him felt like ten miles. When he finally neared him, he touched his shoulder.
“Rosa,” Kearnyn whispered.
“What?”
“Take me to Rosa.”
Telal didn't question it. He literally didn’t' even have the energy to. He just ported Kearnyn inside Rosa's shop and didn't even stay for longer than a second before he ported back to the cabin. Once there, his knees gave out and his cheek crashed against the dirty floor.
He felt blissful lying on that rotten floor. He didn't even remember falling asleep.
CHAPTER 32
Rosa's ears twitched as she heard a sound from the other room. Grabbing her pepper spray from her bedroom, she slowly made her way through the workroom. She'd closed shop to get some work done on the weapons so no one should be here. She felt with some certainty that she could handle a robber if that's what it came down to. Not only did she have her pepper spray, but enough spells in her mind to make him change his mind and back away.
She peered around the beaded doorway and into the living room. A man lay on the floor unmoving. In a second, it hit her. The pepper can fell from her numb fingers. She ran to him sliding on her knees.
“Kearnyn? Kearnyn baby? What's wrong? What happened?” Tears filled her eyes as she gently rolled him onto his back.
He groaned but his eyes didn't flutter. She blanched at his stomach, her mind going into freak-out mode at the sight of all that blood.
“Oh my god, what happened to you?”
She proceeded to lift up his shirt to get a better look at the wound but gasped at the sight of the ghastly cut. He'd been cut clear from hip to hip. The wound was so deep the skin had separated creating a gap where she could see inside of him. He looked awfully pale like he hadn't fed in days. Panic faded. She needed to help him. She could do this, she coached herself.
In methodical movements, she stripped off his shirt and pants. For modesty's sake, she left his briefs on. She grabbed a basket full of supplies from the workroom then came back to him.
She started creating a poultice first with a mixture of healing herbs then some oils. Using her pestle, she mushed the ingredients together until they formed together in a nice clump. She hesitated over the wound then closed her eyes and gently pushed the oily herbs into the wound. The wound was so big she had to make even more until finally she had it covered.
With a wet cloth, she cleaned the blood from his waist. The area around the wound beat bright red with inflammation. She nibbled on her lip as the wound was still spread open. She'd never taken a needle to someone before.
Maybe I should take him to the hospital?
She cringed at the thought. Not only would they ask questions she surely didn't have answers to, but whoever attacked him might be coming for him. Cursing, she went around to the front and back door making sure they were locked, all the windows sealed tight. Then she opened her spell book to the page on warding off energies. In the next hour, she cast a spell around the building that would ward off any visitors with negative doings. It would need to be reapplied every day to last but at least they'd have some protection for now. Until he woke up.
She hated seeing him lying on the floor like this but she knew he was way too big for her to attempt to pull him into the bedroom. And even if she managed to get him there, he had to be at leas
t two and fifty pounds of muscle; no way could she lift him onto the bed.
With that in mind, she grabbed a sheet and pillow from her bed. After tucking the pillow under his head and covering him with the sheet she felt only slightly better.
Her chest felt way too tight. As the hours passed and she sat over his breathing form, watching the rise and fall of his chest, she came to a rocky realization. It didn't hit her like a bolt of electricity but settled inside her in a warm melting feeling.
She cupped his cheek, leaned down, and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Do not die, Kearnyn. I care too much.”
Care might not have been a strong enough word for what she felt but she couldn't bring herself to say the other. In a surprisingly short amount of time, he'd brought out feelings she hadn't felt in a long time. She'd forgotten what it was like to care for a man. To be with him simply because you enjoyed his company.
Rosa lay out beside him, careful not to get too close and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I'll be here when you wake up, okay?”
He didn't answer; didn't even blink. But that was okay. As she closed her eyes, her senses flared to life. Natural instincts, which couldn't be hindered or ignored. It came as a thought as if someone spoke the words in her mind, but they were not words so much as a thought.
Something awful was coming.
A shiver raked over her and she scooted as close as she could. Then she waited.
CHAPTER 33
Lily came to with a startled cry on her throat. It registered that what she'd seen had been a dream. No, not a dream, but a vision. But she couldn't recall it. As soon as she came into consciousness the vision faded from her like an ocean's wave swept it away. She squeezed her eyes shut. Fuck, she had to remember it! It was important.
She punched the mattress beneath her and the bitter scent of dust reached her nose making her sneeze. AT once, the muscles in her stomach tensed at the sneeze and then everything came to her in a rush, her dream forgotten as the all the aches in her body awakened.
“God,” she groaned.
She inspected the damage. Her stomach had a vicious bruise the size of a grapefruit and was multicolored with yellows, reds, and blues. She rolled her shoulder back and winced at the sharp pain. Well, that arm was useless for now. Everything else seemed in working order so she got off the bed and stopped dead.
“Telal!”
His body was on the floor, his face flat on it, his arms and legs sprawled. He looked like a murder victim lying there just waiting to have chalk drawn around his body.
“Telal?” She pushed the hair out of his face. When his lashes fluttered a sob left her and she realized just how scared she'd been.
It took some effort but eventually she got him rolled over onto his back so she could assess his injuries. He looked battered and pale but no obvious bleeding anywhere. She made quick work of opening his shirt and found she was wrong about the blood. He had two wounds on his chest. One near the center that looked as though it'd barely missed his heart and the other in the meat of his shoulder. What startled her most about the wounds was the greenish tint surrounding the outlying skin from the wound.
Lily sat back and tried to figure out what to do. She had no clue where she was but the place smelled heavily of mildew and dust. Moving quickly, she found a bathroom and rummaged through it for any kind of medical supplies. She cursed, finding nothing. She went to the kitchen, slamming open every cabinet and drawer until she was almost shaking by time she finished. Nothing, not even so much as a band aid.
She heard a deep groan and ran into the bedroom. Telal's eyes were slowly opening, his lips pulling to a tight grimace.
“Telal! Are you okay?” Her voice shook and she realized that wasn't the only thing. Her hands trembled and even her stomach felt like it was vibrating. Fear and panic threatened to overwhelm her and she wished like hell she had her herbs with her to make her special juice. Just to calm her nerves.
“Lily?” His voice was a mere croak.
“I'll be right back.” She darted for the kitchen and poured a glass of water, thankful the water didn't come out brown or sludgy. She took it back to him and lifted his head, pressing the glass to his lips. He took in a good five sips before he jerked his head away.
His eyes opened all the way and he scanned the room and sighed. “God, I feel like shit.”
A choking laugh left her and a stupid tear slid down her cheek. He looked up at her and his eyes narrowed on the betraying tear. His hand slid up and a finger caught it.
“You cry for me?”
She nodded because she was afraid if she tried to speak she'd sound like a horse. “What can I do to help?”
He grunted and started to sit up. “There's nothing you can do. I just need time.”
“What's happened to your skin? It's green.”
He looked down at his chest. “Oh that? It's poison.” He stood and rocked on his feet. She immediately stood and wrapped an arm around his waist to brace him.
“What kind of poison?” Please don't say the killing kind.
“It removes my magic from me. I'm pretty sure I'm completely depleted.” He closed his eyes and sighed. “Yes, I am.”
“How do you know? What did you try to do just now?”
“Port us to Tyrian's castle. It looks like we'll have to travel the old-fashioned way.” He started to the bathroom adjoining the bedroom and with each step he seemed to grow stronger, steadier.
“How long will it last?” she asked, following him.
He reached into the shower and turned it on. When steam billowed out from the stall something like a smile curled his mouth. “I knew there was a reason I kept this place.”
“How long?” she insisted.
He shrugged. “Could be as long as week. I don't know. I got two darts shot in me and they stayed long enough to release all the poison.” He pulled off his suit shirt with a fierce grimace and started unbuttoning his pants.
“Who were they?” She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. Really scared. Even seeing the demon she and her sisters summoned from the rift in London didn't scare her as badly as this. If only she had her medicine, then everything would be all right. He got into the shower and she realized how itchy her skin felt. So she undressed too and got in beside him. He didn't say anything so she sidled up next to him. The shower wasn't nearly the size of the one they'd been in together. It had only a normal showerhead meant for a single person.
“Demons.”
She sighed. “I know that. But who were they and why were they trying to kill us?”
“Alrik,” was his only answer.
A bar of soap still wrapped in its package sat on an indented ledge in the shower. Lily opened it and started making her hands sudsy to clean herself.
“What are you going to do?”
Telal slammed his fist in the shower; the bang sounded so loud in the close confines that she jerked back, her foot slid in the water and she fell back against the shower wall, her shoulders landing hard.
“Ow. What was that for?” She rubbed at her shoulders blades and when she met his eyes she saw he was furious. “What?” she said more softly.
He tore the soap from her hands. “I'm not doing anything right now. What would you have me do, Lily?”
She suddenly felt like they were back in his rec room having the same conversation they'd left off at. “Well, do you think he'll send more of those...demons?”
“Probably.”
“Then are we going into hiding or something? Is that why we're here...wherever we are?”
He soaped his whole body and his hair then rinsed off under the spray. Then without a word, he stepped out of the shower completely wet and left the bathroom. Lily wanted nothing more than to curl up on the floor of the shower and let the water rain over her. She hated the feeling; hated even more that tears filled her eyes at his retreating back. She should be happy she knew that they were still alive. But she wasn't. Her emotions were a torrent of
negative energy swirling around in her like a hurricane. She wanted to cry; she wanted to scream at Telal. Most of all, she wanted her juice because that always made her feel better.
With robotic movements, she washed herself then her hair. The water turned cold and she let it pour over her as goose bumps beaded her arms and legs. It did felt good. It seemed to numb her skin which mirrored how she felt inside. Ignoring Telal, ignoring everything she in the tub and let the water drown her in its frigidity.
Tears came and she let them. Let the harsh sound of the water drown her out. She wasn't sure what she cried for. For making it out alive, for Telal's fucked up problems or the way he treated her, or because she was so much further away now from saving her mother. Or maybe because she was so fucking weak it made her sick. Made her sick that she needed her special little concoction just to deal with life. Without it all she wanted to do was curl up in her house and never leave, never speak to anyone.
The water turned off. Blinking, Lily looked up to see a strong golden arm pressing down on the handle. She didn't know why but that made her cry harder, made her heart squeeze so tight she thought it might burst. He grabbed her by the waist and picked her up into his arms. She couldn't bear to look at him, to let him see how pathetic she was, so she buried her face in his shoulder.
He carried her to the bed and set her onto it. His body followed hers and wrapped around her. He felt so incredibly warm against her cold wet skin. She shivered hard as her body tried to meet his temperature. At some point she managed to stop crying and just stared numbly at the wall as he held her.
“This wasn't how it was supposed to be,” she said, her voice hollow.
“I know.”
“I just wanted to be with you.” Her chest squeezed tight with the urge to cry but she bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut until the feeling went away.
