by Rhea, Lani
“I do, I just miss them. I had a dream about my dad. He rescued me from a Reaper. I’ve been dreaming of my mom too. She turns into either the Reaper or a Soulscape.”
Ryant kissed her head. “I’m sorry. I hope to make it all better soon.”
She trailed her hand down and stopped on his stomach. “What about you?”
“What about me, love?”
“Do you want to see your parents?”
“I’d have to write and let them know we’re visiting New York while we’re there. They may or may not accept me.”
Beneath his embrace, she cupped his chin. “I’m sure they would want their long, lost son back.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” He leaned over and captured her plush lips with his. He desired her so much he could lie in bed with her all day and find interesting things to occupy them. It would be time well worth spending.
She laid her cheek on his chest. “Tell me something about your past, something you’ve never revealed to me or anyone.”
Ryant inhaled. “In my human life, I was married.”
She reared back, her gaze wide. “You were?”
The memory of his beloved wife, Sarah, tumbled back. Her beautiful golden hair, how it swayed in the wind when she stood looking out over the Atlantic. He loved how her long hair felt in his hands when he would make love to her, soft and delicate, like an angel. But she wasn’t Kris. “Yes, we even expected a child. They both died in the delivery.”
She balled her fist over his stomach. “Gods, Ryant, I’m so sorry.”
“That was many years ago. She’s still in my memory, as well as our daughter.”
“Do you miss being a husband?”
“Yes, very much so.” He captured her hand in his and rubbed small circles with his thumb. Soon, he would ask Kris to be his wife. He loved Sarah but he loved Kris with a hunger that would never be assuaged.
“You must have been devastated,” she murmured.
“I was. I ran around, got into the most trouble I could think of. Dealt with medieval warfare and crossed the Atlantic after I’d met Cekah, and she turned me vampire.”
“Why would she do that? My friend, Josh, is set on vampirism as a virus.”
“I can assure you, a virus has played no part in being a vampire. We are dead, yes, but it takes a lot to kill us. When first turned, our thirst is dangerously mad. I’ve killed many humans. As the years pass, vampires can live longer without feeding. With today’s technology, we can live a few months without real blood.”
“So, that’s why you had a small bottle of blood in your office that day.”
“Yes. Some of us have liquid, like me, and others have powdered.”
“Who turned your parents?”
He lay motionless. Given how she felt about her parents, he’d hope never to have to tell her this. “Me. They asked me to. They wanted to be a part of my life.”
“I bet that was hard.”
In her voice, he only heard acceptance and understanding. A knot released in his chest. “I did have to wait a few years before I knew I could withstand the thirst. I do remember being terrified.”
“So you have full power over your parents, yet you still obey them as a son would with any parents?”
“Yes. They will always be my parents. I respect them.”
“When this chaos is over, we will make sure you’re reunited with your parents. Okay?” Kris kissed his stomach.
“We will see.”
“No, we will. We will get past the demons, and we will travel to New York. First, what’s the plan to be rid of them and save Rita. It’s already been too long. Maybe too long.”
“Tomorrow night we’ll start. They will never expect us to launch an attack so soon.”
“Good.”
He smoothed her hair from her forehead and kissed her. “You should get some rest. It’s late. The sun will rise soon.”
Kris snuggled closer. “Mmm, so nice. Okay. Good night, Ryant. I love you.”
“I love you, sweetling.”
Several minutes passed before her breathing slowed. Ryant eased off the bed and looked down at his sleeping beauty. He never wanted to let her out of his sight.
A loose, curly strand of her hair fell over her face, and he reached down to move the lock. When he did, her hair wrapped his finger as he pushed the strand away. Before tucking her hair behind her ear, he smoothed his fingers down the strand, caressing it to the end.
With a final inhalation of her scent, he left the room. He went to his office to turn on the computer. As he sat staring at the screen, he finally typed in Google Earth and zoned in on his parents’ house in New York City.
“Once we survive the war with the soul demons, I promise to visit you both.”
He zoomed in. The frozen image showed a purple flag with his family’s name in gold. He clenched his jaw. Would they ever accept him back after going against the vampire law?
29
When twilight painted the earth with streaks of fuchsia, lavender and titian, Kris awoke. She stretched an arm across the spacious, vacant bed and fumbled over an empty pillow. Where was Ryant? She leaned on an elbow and searched the room. And found no sign of him.
Quickly, she threw off the heavy down cover and got up, she walked to the dresser to check the time on her cell. Almost nine in the evening. When she placed the phone down, she saw a note.
Clothes for you are in the armoire, my love.
She smiled. Shifting gears, she decided she needed a shower, then to find and thank him. She padded across the open room toward the bathroom. Hours spent with Ryant in bed flashed back. The slide of his cock made her center dripping wet again. A delicious thrill swept over her body, and she became hyper sensitive. With the remembered joy, she grinned at the mere brush of her thighs.
She kept the shower brief and dried quickly then went for the armoire. Opening the doors, she was relieved to find street clothes. Thank the gods. Wearing a ball gown to fight demons would be like wearing a tube top to a family reunion. It wasn’t appropriate.
Shoving past the varieties, she stopped on a pair of stretchable, black jeans. The pants were perfect for high kicks. She slid them off the hanger and searched for a shirt. Louisiana nights always held heat from the scorching sun, barely leaving room for cool temps. A nice sleeveless shirt would do the trick to keep her cool. She was pretty damn certain things would get heated with the situation as it was. She spotted a navy tank and pulled the garment off the hanger and swung around at the sound of a slight thunk.
A necklace had fallen from the pants and skidded across the floor.
Kris narrowed her eyes at the gold chain and diamond. Who the hell did this belong to? After she picked it up off of the ground, she turned the diamond over in her fingers. The cool chain linked between her fingers. The necklace definitely wasn’t hers. How long had it been in the pants? Who else had worn it?
Ryant wouldn’t plant a necklace for her to find. He’d outright give it to her. She didn’t want to wear the pants now. She found another pair, except they weren’t stretchy. Damn Ryant. He had some explaining to do.
After dressing, she left his room and weaved her way through the halls and found the den. Inside, V and Darin stood talking near the unlit fireplace.
“Hi, you two. Are we ready to do this tonight?”
With a tender smile still on her face, V looked from Darin to Kris. Her eyes squinted. “What’s in your hand?”
“This?” Kris held up the jewelry. “A necklace I found it in a pair of jeans.”
V blinked, her wary expression alerting Kris. Maybe Ryant had a lot to explain. “Who does this necklace belong to? You, V?”
Ryant walked into the room and V turned to stare at him.
“Am I missing something?” Kris tightened her hand around the diamond.
“Would you excuse us?” The question was directed at V and Darin but Kris felt like going with them.
As V walked past Kris, her head hung low. Why did Kris
get the funny feeling she wasn’t going to like what Ryant had to say? Darin shrugged as he followed the vampiress.
When Ryant neared, Kris pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin. “Got something to tell me?”
“How can I put this in a way you’ll understand?” He plucked at his lower lip with his right hand while his other hand clasped his hip. “This has been over for a year.”
“What,” she growled, “has been over with for a year?”
“A brief relationship with V.”
And let’s lay our hearts out on the butcher table. “With V?”
“Yes.”
“Did you know, at the time, she was my cousin?”
He nodded. She threw the necklace to the floor yet resisted the urge to stomp on it. It belonged to another woman, her cousin. Okay, she could handle this like an adult. Something else gnawed from the inside. Something green with disbelief, leaving bitterness in her mouth. “When Thore mentioned you placed a mark on me, did he mean one or two?”
Ryant crossed his arms over his wide chest as he tilted his head. “Two. Another accident.”
“What’s the other mark, Ryant?” Red heat licked the nape of her neck, inching around to settle on her face.
Her breathing skyrocketed. How could he do this to her? Hot tears filled her eyes and her throat burned. She thought they had entered a new phase in their relationship, but instead, hearing the truth made her stability rock with betrayal.
“Nothing to worry about, it’s harmless. I can read your mind better, step inside your dreams. That’s all, my love.”
My love. This wasn’t love. He should have never done such a thing to her. If he didn’t truthfully answer her next question, she would be out of there faster than a flash of lightning. “You promise to never put another mark on me?”
“I can’t answer that. You may be in danger and need the next mark.”
“Okay, if I’m not in any danger whatsoever, do you promise to never mark me?” He’d better promise. Her hands clenched by her sides as her body vibrated with the need to explode. As her wolf awoke and weaved through her senses, she knew she was on the verge of releasing the beast and lashing out. An expansive amount of time passed as Kris stared him down.
“I promise. Only if you’re in danger will I cast the third mark.”
“How many marks are there?”
“Four.”
“What happens after four?”
“You will be my slave. Forever.”
Kris opened her mouth but he raised a hand to silence her. “I will not look at you that way. I will never own you. You will have the choice of free will, no matter what.”
Despite how much he worked to reassure her, bitter bile rose into her throat until she thought she’d be sick. Sleeping with V was, apparently, the least of his betrayals. “Well, I hope so.” Even to her, her voice came out unrecognizable and raspy.
Ryant moved forward. She looked from him down to the open palms he presented. Her body quivered as adrenaline pumped through her. As angry as she was, right now would be the best time to rip out some fucking demon throats. She locked the anger inside, stored it for later and took his hands with hers. Dear lord, what shit had she stepped into? Would she be able to get over this?
30
Kris stood in the center of the death ring. In close proximity, hundreds of vampires and fae surrounded the ring and watched from the balconies. She glanced at their attire of medieval battle gear with guns, swords, crossbows and whips as their weapons of choice. She’d stick with her gun.
She inhaled. A wolf and a human, she and Darin were way out numbered. She blew out in a slow exhalation. There were way too many creatures for her comfort even if they were on her side. Thore and Felix must have summoned them. In front of her were the leaders—Thore, Felix and Ryant.
Thore held a bag of unknown contents. “We have gathered to take back what has always been ours. We must handle the matter before it escalates to the queen and shows we are unable to handle our own affairs. We must not let that happen.” He held the bag into the air. The crowd roared as the hot scent of revenge filtered through the air.
She eyed the various combatants. Not far from her, Zeke swelled a couple sizes. He breathed heavily, his shoulders rising and falling. His fingers elongated to sharp points. The tattoos rippled on his head as he clenched his jaw. The black ink shot up into spikes. He looked at her and winked. Definitely ready to kick some Soulscape ass. She smiled and nodded at him.
Beyond him, Sparky stood in a different posture. Back hunched with hands out in front of him in clawed balls of electric currents. Kris opened her eyes wide. She’d known he had the gift of electricity but to actually be able to throw the stuff? Holy shit. His spine was like a porcupine through his t-shirt. Very cool.
Next to Sparky hovered Shade. She didn’t care much for him. He was one sick puppy who needed his own ass kicked after the battle. His eyes were wide with craziness as he beat his chest with his fists, slapping his face like a caged animal. Lovely.
She switched her focus to Darin to see V staring at him with longing. He had become Kris’s best friend, and she for damn sure would make certain his life was better than what it already was. V had her arm laced through his. How cute. Miss Seductress had her new plaything. V caught Kris’s eyes. For a moment, they locked gazes before V glanced away. Good grief, it was more than that for the female vampire.
Thore shouted, “Do whatever possible to destroy the Soulscapes.” He withdrew a vase more suited for cremation.
The vase, a creamy, milky hue, looked as if were made from bleached bones. Knowing the Thrones, it likely was. Human or otherwise. He unscrewed the lid and extracted several small pouches then handed a couple to Ryant, who examined each bag, weighed them in his palms and glanced at Kris.
“Tonight, we will make history in the Darkworld. Let us serve our queen and our brethren well.” Thore pointed toward the sky as his voice roared.
Kris followed the gesture. Twinkling lights caught her eyes. In the balconies each fae turned transparent, then flashed, almost like tiny stars and shot to the ceiling. They disappeared. Fae on the sand floor followed their sisters and brothers. Vampires slowly faded, turning to clear, wavy substances and vanished.
Despite the thrill that rushed through her at their demonstration and enthusiasm, she gazed at the sand floor. A pair of black combat boots stepped into sight.
“Are you worried, my love?” Ryant whispered.
Channeling every bit of anger she held inside, her jaws gave a tic. “Just take me where I need to be. When this is over, we will look for Stanley and Rita, and I don’t know after that.” Kris squared her shoulders and met Ryant’s hard stance.
Right now, despite her feelings for him, she wasn’t sure she could ever look at him without either seeing him and V or a reminder of the marks and what they meant.
“If you wish.” His voice held a hint of uncertainty. “I am truly sorry.” He wrapped his arms around her.
She knew he was but right now that didn’t matter. Bitterness lurked in her mind, in her mouth. Yet, she would turn these emotions to her advantage and destroy the demons. The Soulscapes were after her blood, and they would pay. Then she would decide about Ryant.
The air hummed. Her body tingled, and in a white flash, they disappeared.
31
They transported to the east side of the hell house property, inside the dark forest. In the lengthy distance the house, sitting in its gloom and gory, came into sight—in between them, Hallow’s Peak Cemetery as she’d learned the cemetery was called.
The full moon overhead shone bright, illuminating the graveyard’s densely populated headstones, crypts and crosses. The wind blew from the south. The air was thick and whipped the scent of marsh and rotted trees around them. Calls from bull gators growled in the swamps. The bugs were thick tonight, buzzing their heads, making the night perfect for them to feast on death.
In a straight line across the forest edge, soldie
rs stood geared for the fight, ready for battle. Adrenaline strummed through them. Each one breathed heavily, their chests rising and falling. Their legs couldn’t keep still as they swayed from side-to-side, shaking their hands.
“Are we ready to do this?” Darin asked from behind her.
Kris wished V would have left him behind in the safety of the death ring. Yeah, she got the irony but at least the ring would keep him protected. A mere mortal couldn’t handle this war. Veering her gaze, Kris stared at V, who looked ahead.
“Kris, I’m good. I want to be here,” Darin said. “It’s my battle too.”
His expression told her he truly did want to be there. The conviction in his gaze was just as strong, just as determined as the rest. If this didn’t get respect from her fellow preternaturals, maybe she didn’t want to be associated with them.
She gave him a smile and nod then focused on the leaders. Despite Darin’s strength, she’d keep an eye on him. Now that she’d found him, she didn’t want anything to happen to him. She had far too few friends.
Felix raised a hand then closed his fingers into a fist.
Obviously a signal the soldiers, resembling wild predators on the hunt for prey, prowled forward, peppering the moonlit landscape and reaching the edge of the cemetery iron fence in no time. She followed, leaving her gang to join the footmen’s warpath.
“What are you doing?” Ryant shuffled behind over leaves and grabbed her wrist, turning her to face him. His brows creased with concern.
Was he kidding? “This is a battle, Ryant. I’m following them to fight, to find Rita. Let me go.” She could have hissed the words, but what went on between them wasn’t for everyone’s eyes and ears to witness.
She thought she was going to have to get physical with him. He must have heard it in her mind since he let loose. As she walked away, she could see his anger and fear in an equal mix, directed at her. She didn’t care. She was not about to stay on the sidelines and let others fight. If he didn’t want her involved then he should never have involved her.
