Five: Out of the Pit (Five #2)

by Anderson, Holli

  That was more than Johnathan could take. I didn’t blame him. If the tables had been turned, I would have been fuming. He shot up and walked a few paces away from me. I could hear his teeth grinding.

  “I was afraid of that,” Joe went on, once again ignoring Johnathan’s reaction.

  “Afraid of what?” Alec asked. “Who was he?”

  “I have one more question, for Halli, before I give you an answer to that. Halli, did you get a good look at him? What did he look like?”

  She paused before answering. “He was… he was a very… extremely… uh, hot, guy. I almost didn’t kick him because his face was so beautiful. I couldn’t guess an age on him—he looked younger yet older. Ageless. He looked up when I kicked him, his eyes were ice blue—that could have just been the star-bright reflecting off of them, though. He was shirtless. He had… nice muscles.” I pictured Halli blushing, sure that she was.

  “That’s enough description, Hal,” Johnathan said with an edge to his voice. “He was inhumanly fast, too, Joe. He was just a blur when he flew past me.”

  “Well, thank you. That pretty much confirms my initial theory. I’m almost certain that we’re dealing with an Incubus, here.”

  I sat in silence, stunned. My mind flashed to a picture I’d seen while studying the White Book Madame LaForte had given us when Johnathan and I had first found each other. I couldn’t hold back a shudder.

  “What’s an Incubus?” Alec asked.

  Johnathan returned to my side, his anger under control for the moment.

  “An Incubus is a Demon that looks like a man—usually an irresistibly handsome man.” Joe explained. “His main purpose in life is to… well, to have intercourse with women. I’ve heard that they incite desires in these women that only they can satisfy. Repeated… exposure… to an Incubus can cause a victim’s health to deteriorate along with her mental state. An Incubus can impregnate a woman…”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that,” Seth interrupted. “Isn’t Merlin supposedly the son of an Incubus?”

  “Not supposedly, his father was an Incubus.”

  “Wait,” Alec said. “Are you talking about the Merlin? The King Arthur guy? He was real?”

  “Yes,” Joe said. “Merlin was real, and he trained the first Five.”

  A hush ensued for a moment as that statement sunk in.

  “So, who were the first Five?” Alec broke the silence.

  “Really, you guys?” Johnathan forced through clenched teeth. “You want to talk about King Arthur? Shouldn’t we be tracking down and killing Paige’s attacker? Come on Joe, let’s go find him.”

  I squeezed his hand and winced as pain shot up my arm from my crushed wrist.

  Joe must have noticed the wince. “We should take care of Paige’s injuries before we do anything else.”

  “Oh, are you injured?” Johnathan reached down and touched my face. “I’m sorry, Paige. That should have been the first thing I asked. I’m so sorry. All I can think about is killing the thing that did this to you.”

  “I’m fine. He just squeezed my wrist pretty hard when I pulled his hair.”

  “Let’s see it, Paige.” Joe’s footsteps brought him closer to me. He touched my shoulder and I held my arm out for his inspection.

  “Ouch,” I said when he moved my hand up and down. I could feel and hear bones grinding—or pieces of bones. I really hadn’t paid attention to the pain since the attack had occurred, but now that everyone was focused on my wrist, the pain came across loud and clear. Shards of glass sliced through my wrist bones. Each beat of my heart caused a throbbing ache from fingertips to elbow.

  “That didn’t sound good.” Johnathan had retained a few things from his time spent as a werewolf. None of the bad things, thankfully. Just that his senses were all still heightened—hearing, smelling, and eyesight. And, his strength was still well above average. Seth guessed that Johnathan lost the bad stuff, like the anger and lust issues, because they were strictly a part of the Demon, none of it came from Johnathan himself. The things like his senses and strength, Seth hypothesized, stayed because Johnathan’s body had evolved during those months when he was infected with the lycanthropic Demon.

  “No, it didn’t feel right, either,” said Joe, still probing my now extremely tender wrist bones. “I’m afraid he crushed several small bones in your wrist. Possibly even your radius and ulna bones.”

  “Yeah, I could have told you that before you started moving it around,” I said. “So, what do we do about it?”

  Joe sighed. “Well, since I haven’t taught you the healing spells, and I’ve become too weak in magic to perform them for this extensive of an injury, you’re going to have to go to a hospital, I’m afraid, and heal the old fashioned way—with a cast.”

  “Why can’t you teach us now?” Halli asked.

  Joe sighed. “Newly fractured bones are too hard for learning on. If they were to be healed incorrectly, it could leave Paige with a decreased ability to use that wrist and arm.”

  “A trip to the ER is really going to dip into our emergency funds,” Alec muttered.

  “Let me worry about the funds. My store is still running in Seattle and a trusted friend deposits money into my account.” Joe laid my arm down on my lap.

  “I’ll take her,” Johnathan volunteered. “The rest of you get some sleep. We have an Incubus to catch.”

  “That’s a good idea. Before we sleep we’ll set up some special wards to warn us if he approaches again. You two get going before the swelling increases much more. Oh, and, think of a good excuse for her injury and for not having a parent with you,” Joe added.

  “Why don’t you just write a note?” Seth asked. “That’s what my mom did when I went to stay with my cousins for the summer once. Just write a note giving permission for her to be medically treated and sign it like you’re her dad. I doubt they’ll question it, especially if Johnathan and Paige have money in hand.”

  “Why didn’t I think of that? Hand me my pack please, Halli.” The scratching of pen on paper told me Joe was writing the note. “Here, Johnathan. I hope they accept this. And this should be enough money to cover the bill.”

  Our hideout was miles from town and we had no transportation and couldn’t portal. So, we walked. Not that I didn’t enjoy spending some alone-time with Johnathan, but my wrist throbbed and my head was starting to hurt, too.

  I fired up my sonar spell so I didn’t trip over any rocks or lizards or the occasional sagebrush. Johnathan held my unbroken hand as we walked in silence. I wondered what he was thinking about; if he was angry with me. I would probably be angry if I was him; if he’d admitted to wanting another woman who had kissed him. Even though it was irrational to be angry in this situation—I still would be, I was afraid.

  My thoughts turned to the attack. At first I felt the remnants of fear as the scenario replayed in my head, but then my mind took off on its own dark path. I remembered how the man’s lips had felt, so soft and hot. How they’d expertly pressed against mine; how my heart had raced and my mind had become all fuzzy with desire. I tried to picture what he looked like from Halli’s description. Lost in thought, I stopped paying attention to my sonar. I tripped over something and went flying. Johnathan had a hold of my uninjured hand and tried to hold me up, but I fell to the ground anyway and out of instinct I caught myself with my injured left hand.

  I hadn’t felt such pain since the Demon had taken my sight. I couldn’t breathe as burning needles shot up my arm. I rolled to my back and cradled my wrist next to my chest. I whimpered. Like a mewling kitten. Tears slipped from the corners of my sightless eyes. Johnathan knelt next to me, touching my shoulder.

  “Crap! Are you okay?”

  A pained huff somewhat resembling laughter escaped my throat. “Dumb question, Johnny,” I groaned through gritted teeth.

  “I know. I’m sorry. Let me see your wrist.”

  I held my arm out to him.

  “Oh, man. It’s crooked now. It wasn’t like this before. We
need to hurry, what if your circulation is cut off or something?”

  “My fingers are numb. I wish everything else was.” Serves me right for the thoughts I was having.

  “If Alec was here I’d have him portal us the rest of the way.”

  Alec’s strength was portalling. He’s the only one who could pull it off with more than just himself—though he’d only practiced it one time and it was Joe he’d taken with him. I couldn’t portal anymore because you had to be able to visualize where you wanted to go and I couldn’t visualize what I hadn’t seen. Joe had me practice trying to visualize the way a place felt or something unique about it. I only succeeded about a third of the time. Many rocks and sticks were sent to the in-between by my hand. There was no way I was ready to try to portal myself.

  So we walked for another hour. Johnathan cast a freezing spell on some dry grass we came across and wrapped it around my wrist. The pain was eased until the cold wore off.

  I decided I wouldn’t allow myself to think about the attack anymore. It was dangerous in more ways than just causing inattentiveness.

  “Johnathan, I’m really sorry.”

  “Sorry for what?”

  “You know, for my reaction to… to… him.”

  “It wasn’t your fault, Paige. That’s what those Devil’s spawn do. It’s their magic, their talent. Don’t blame yourself. It’s amazing you were strong enough to break through the spell when you did. I don’t think most people could have—or even would have tried.”

  “But I can tell you’re hurt. And angry. I would be, too, if I were you.”

  I felt him shrug his shoulders. “Yeah, I am. But that doesn’t mean I don’t understand what happened. The thought of another man’s lips touching you, kissing you—it makes me homicidal. But not toward you, just toward him. I love you, Paige.”

  He pulled me to a stop and wrapped his arms around me, careful not to bump my wrist. I rested my injured arm on his shoulder, encircled my other arm around his neck, and laid my head against his chest. I loved the sound of his heart beating—especially when it sped up just for me. We stood embracing each other for several quiet minutes. Then he kissed me, slow and gentle. And, my heart sped up for him. All thoughts of the Incubus vanished from my head as Johnathan’s lips moved against mine, his hands caressing my back. The warmth of his kiss turned to a burning fire that spread from my lips throughout the rest of my body. The motion of his hands on my back stopped and the kiss deepened as he pressed our bodies closer together. He pulled away enough to lay his moist lips against the tender skin just below my jaw. A low groan rumbled in my throat as he laid gentle kisses there.

  The false desire forced upon me by the Incubus was a pile of maggot infested dung compared to the real thing. Johnathan was the real thing.

  he cast on my left hand and arm was going to be annoying. I was just glad it wasn’t the middle of the summer. Heat plus a fiberglass arm prison would not have been a good combination. The nurse at the emergency room explained that they don’t usually put a cast on a new break; they splint it until the swelling goes down, and then put a cast on. Johnathan talked them into the cast by explaining to them that we wouldn’t be able to follow up with the orthopedist any time soon like they wanted.

  Getting the okay for treatment hadn’t been as easy as Seth said it would, either. The registration clerk questioned the legality of the note from Joe and had to get her boss involved. We were questioned as to why there was no accompanying adult and no way to reach one. I told them we were visiting the state, as kind of a fall break and my father was out of the country and not available by phone.

  The ER doctor finally came to my rescue. “The right thing to do is to treat her obviously broken arm. Quit delaying her care and get her signed in so we can take care of her.”

  The x-ray machine mysteriously quit working after the first of three ordered x-rays was completed. The blood pressure machine kept shutting off and the nurse had to take my vital signs the old fashioned way.

  “When we get back,” I whispered, “remind me to tell Joe he needs to start teaching us healing. This hospital stuff just isn’t working out.”

  They tried to send me home with pain pills, but I requested to have only ibuprofen. My arm felt much better with just the immobilization alone; I didn’t want the loopy-ness of pain pills. I needed all my wits about me.

  We paid cash for the visit and still had enough left over to stop for breakfast at Denny’s. Eating out was a rare treat—this was the second time since Brendon had invited us to his family’s diner back in Seattle. That seemed like a century ago. Eating while blind was difficult enough, adding in a broken arm and a bulky cast made it comedic—in a tragic sort of way. I was just glad it was my left hand that was incapacitated and not my right. Johnathan patiently cut my French toast into bite sized pieces and helped me find the bites with my fork. I only knocked my drink over once, and he took the blame for it when the waitress came to wipe up the mess.

  Exhaustion took over when we were still several miles from our new rock home. “I need to rest a minute.” I sat on the packed dirt of the trail we followed.

  Sitting next to me, Johnathan reached to rub my back. He stopped when he felt the tremors undulating across the muscles there, then wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me to him. “Why are you trembling? Are you in pain?”

  I shook my head then laid it on his shoulder. “I’m just tired, I think. And cold.” I could just barely feel the rays of the morning sun as it rose. There hadn’t been time for its warmth to reach us yet.

  “I need to get you home so you can warm up and get some sleep.” He stood and pulled me to my feet. I almost fell as a wave of dizziness washed over me, but Johnathan steadied me.

  I let out a little squeak when he picked me up and carried me like a bride over a threshold. “John, really, I can walk. I just need to rest for a minute.” My chattering teeth weren’t very convincing, apparently, because he refused to put me down.

  “Call off your sonar spell so it isn’t draining your reserves any more than they’re already drained. No arguing; I’m going to carry you the rest of the way.” He planted a kiss on the top of my head.

  Who could argue with that? I draped my uninjured arm around his neck, laid my head on his shoulder, and breathed in the scent that was uniquely him. His warmth flooded through me and I soon stopped shivering. I think I even dozed off a few times before we reached home.

  Halli had infused the walls of our room with a warming spell—rocks were awesome at holding in heat—so it was nice and cozy when Johnathan led me in to my sleeping bag and helped me lay down. As soon as my head hit the pillow I had a flashback of the Incubus laying atop me, holding my arms down, holding my legs with his—kissing me. I shot up to a sitting position.

  “What’s wrong?” Johnathan asked.

  “Don’t leave me alone in here.” I hated acting like a wimp, especially in front of Johnathan, but fear enveloped me.

  The Incubus said he’d be back for me.

  “I wasn’t planning on it. You sleep and I’ll keep watch. Don’t worry; I won’t leave your side. Now, lay down.”

  He smoothed the hair away from my face and planted a kiss on my forehead before moving to sit at my feet, closer to the entrance. His hand rested on my ankle. Knowing he was there—and that he wasn’t going anywhere—gave me the courage to sleep.

  I slept, dreamless at first; the kind of sleep that only true exhaustion brings. Then, he came to me as I slept. Stronger and more real than a dream. I could still feel Johnathan’s hand on my ankle, which meant I was aware of the waking world. Yet, I slept, unable to fight my way back to wakefulness.

  “Paige, I’m here with you.”

  His warm lips brushed mine. The softness of that touch awakened the desire for more. If my mind had been in any shape to think at all, I would have recognized this as more than a dream—when I opened my eyes in a dream I could see, and it was a glorious feeling. I opened my eyes now, as he hovered over m
e, touching my face with the silk of his hands, but all I saw, eyes opened or closed, was the endless darkness that was my vision now.

  I couldn’t speak. He had more control of me in this dream state. I could only move my head—and that only minutely. I tilted my head, bringing my mouth toward where I could feel his hot breath with each slow exhalation. His lips closed over mine, soft and gentle, teasing. His hand snaked around my head and grabbed a fistful of my hair—not painfully, but in a sensual way, tilting my head further back. My lips parted and his tongue slid between them. He kissed me so gently, never increasing the pressure or intensity—it was like torture. Pleasurable torture.

  With his other hand, he pulled the collar of my t-shirt away from my neck. I mourned the loss of his lips on mine as he broke the kiss. A breath caught in my throat as his lips moved to the side of my neck, the hand in my hair expertly guiding my head into a position so the softness of his mouth could reach the tender spot just where earlobe met neck. His lips were hot but his breath turned suddenly cool—the diverging sensations sent a chill down my spine. He pulled my collar further to the side and trailed the freezing-hot kisses down my neck and onto my shoulder.

  I’m forgetting about something.

  I gasped when his lips returned to mine with renewed intensity. He unraveled his hand from my hair and traced his fingers slowly around to the front of my neck. He rested his hand on my upper chest so his fingers rested on my throat. This is wrong. Something’s not right.

  As the trance he held me in deepened, he released the binding and allowed me to move. I raised my hand to his arm, thinking I would make him move his hand away. That thought fled as soon as I felt the strong muscles beneath his silky skin. His other arm wrapped around my torso and lifted me against him. We were both floating now, levitating above the floor. Think Paige. There is something you’re forgetting. Someone…

  A vision of Johnathan broke through the mind control. A vision of our first kiss. Only then did I start fighting. I tried to move my mouth away from his. Instantly, he took away my ability to move again. I strained against the paralysis even as his kiss increased in passion.