Dangerous Lovers

by Becca Vincenza

  The creatures behind her tried to move in, but she was fast, much faster than they had anticipated. Every time they tried to touch her, her power would erupt and send them flying. It didn’t kill them. Only her Praestani weapons would do that. On she fought until the last one finally turned to dust. When the final bits of it were blown away by the night breeze, that evil voice reverberated in her mind once again.

  “We will be back, again and again. We will take all that you love and destroy it until we have you Sarah Liana St. Davis. You belong to us.”

  “NOOOO!” she screamed into the empty sky.

  Chapter Thirty

  Jurek and his men returned in the early morning hours to find every light in the headquarters on. Liasare was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, ashen faced, trembling and freezing cold.

  Her lips were blue and when Jurek tried to get her to speak, her teeth were chattering so badly, he feared they would chip.

  “Christ, Liasare, what the fuck happened?”

  “I-I-I w-w-went t-t-to C-c-c-cos-s-sm-m-m-m...”

  “Sshh. Never mind. Don’t try to speak.”

  He gathered her frigid body in his arms and carried her to their room. Stripping her clothes off and then his, he took her into the bathroom and ran the shower on hot until it filled the room with steam, then he stepped into the shower with her in his arms. Standing beneath the spray, he let the heat warm her until he finally felt her shivering disappear.

  “Now can you tell me what happened?”

  Liasare went through the process of her vile episode with the dark creatures. She knew Jurek would be furious with her, but the voice in her mind had shaken her up so badly she didn’t care.

  “He knew my name! Oh God, Jurek, he knows me, my background. He said he would take all that I love. That means you!” She started to tremble again.

  Jurek’s mouth hardened and eyes grew dark. “Liasare, no one will touch me. It’s you I’m concerned about. Why do you leave and put yourself in vulnerable situations like this?”

  “Are you not listening to me? Forget about that! That fucking voice was in my head, Jurek. He wasn’t there speaking to me. He was in my fucking head. This thing, whatever it is, is powerful! I have a feeling it sent those creatures to test my abilities. It doesn’t give a flying fuck about their existence; they’re there to serve him. He’s going to hurt you, or do his damnedest, just to get to me!” Tears streaked down her cheeks as she grabbed his face, trying to get him to understand.

  “Okay, okay. I’ve got you love. He won’t get me; not tonight anyway. I’m here with you.” He held her tightly to him.

  “I swear to God, Alaric, if anything happens to you, I’ll destroy the universe and anything that gets in my way. And hunt down whoever hurt you.”

  The way she said his name and the intensity of her voice reached into to his soul and for the first time in his life, he felt true fear … fear because he was fighting an unknown enemy who had its sights on his one true love. “Hey, Liasare. No talk of that. We’ll find this thing, whatever it is, and destroy it, before it can get to any of us.”

  They stood there, letting the hot water wash over them, as they held each other.

  ***

  The evil presence in the hooded cloak was in their headquarters, beckoning for her to follow him. He promised Jurek would not be harmed if she would come peacefully. Liasare slipped out of bed and tiptoed on silent feet. Someone kept screaming her name, pulling her arm, but she was afraid the evil presence would kill Jurek so she shrugged her arm loose from whoever it was. When she neared the exit, a swirling wind and streaks of lightning infused the room, making it look like a summer storm was taking place indoors. Liasare’s hair stood on end from the static charge in the room. In the midst of the wind and electrical activity, she finally recognized Jurek’s mother.

  Standing tall with her arms spread wide and her power emanating from her, she was a fearsome sight as she screamed at the hooded being, “Get away from her! Keep your filthy hands off Liasare! You have no right to her!”

  The room took on a life of its own then, filling with Praestani power. Liasare was drawn to it, just like she was drawn to Jurek. Her body began to tingle with the current that had become so familiar to her. The cloaked figure stared at her, its red eyes glowing, and then its ghastly mouth opened to reveal a set of blackened fangs. “This won’t end until she is mine,” he snarled. “She belongs to me. You stole her and I want her back.”

  Jurek’s mother spread her arms up to the sky, increasing her power as it cascaded from her, and shouted at the evil presence, “She was never yours. She has chosen her path, Abaddon. She has my protection and that of my son!”

  Abaddon spat, his mouth dripping saliva, “You can’t protect her forever. She will soon be mine; you shall see. Then we shall see how powerful you are.”

  The cloaked figure disappeared and the energy faded in the room. Liasare looked to Jurek’s mother and begged, “Please give me some answers!” But she was already fading away.

  “Don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me!” she screamed.

  Lights flicked on, voices were heard as Liasare fell to her knees.

  “What the hell? Liasare? What’s going on?”

  “He came for me! The voice in my head! He was here,” she kept screaming. Jurek looked at his men, and they all shared a thought between them. They were in for some seriously bad shit.

  Jurek led her to the couch and Tak handed her a glass of brandy. She gave them explicit details of what she had seen.

  “Why do you think Lexus only shows herself in Liasare’s dreams?” Tak asked.

  Jurek was now pacing and continually running his hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t know. She hasn’t come to me in weeks now. It’s as if she’s transferred everything to Liasare.”

  Liasare sat on the couch clenching the glass in her hand. She clutched her arm to her stomach, pale and scared out of her wits.

  “If she hadn’t come when she did, I would have followed him. I was under his spell or something. She saved me.” She brought the glass to her lips, or tried to anyway. Her hand was trembling so badly that the contents sloshed around and never quite made it to her mouth. Tak, seeing her difficulties, gently pried the glass out of her stiff fingers and went to refill it. He returned with a fresh one, along with a towel so she could wipe herself off. Jurek was oblivious to her brandy issues.

  “I need to get you out of here,” Jurek said to Liasare. “It’s not safe anymore.”

  Liasare was making another attempt at drinking from her glass and spilling half of it again, when Jurek noticed what was going on. He was at her side, removing the glass and putting it to her lips, letting her sip from it. “More please,” she begged.

  “Tak, Marik, Ludo, opinions. Now.”

  “Praestan.” All three concurred.

  Liasare piped in. “Nowhere is safe. He’s supernatural. Do any of you know who Abaddon is?”

  All heads whipped around to look at her. Jurek was the only one who spoke. “What did you say?” The tone of his voice sent a chill down her spine.

  “Abaddon.”

  “Where did you hear that?” he asked her.

  “That’s the name your mother called him. She said, ‘She has chosen her path, Abaddon,’ and I quote.”

  “Oh, holy fuck!”

  The men stared at each other collectively.

  “Well?” Liasare wanted to know. “Tell me because now I’m even more freaked out.”

  “Abaddon is the devil, Satan, Lucifer, Apollyon, The Destroyer, or whatever else you want to call him.”

  Liasare felt the blood draining from her face. The room began to spin, voices faded and she slumped forward.

  When she woke up, she was lying across Jurek’s lap with a cool cloth on her forehead. He was holding her hand, sliding his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. His other hand rested against her face as he passed his power into her.

  “Are you back with us?�
��

  She gave him a weak smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared Alaric.” She used his ruling name for emphasis, and he squeezed her hand in return.

  “Nor have I.”

  “That’s quite an admission coming from you, I suppose,” she said weakly.

  Jurek glanced at his men before answering her. “Liasare, I’m frightened for your safety, not mine. Abaddon had always been after us. It’s the Dark versus the Light. He has always coveted our strength and power and for centuries has tried to find ways to harness it for himself. It’s never worked before, but now I’m wondering if the prophecy has something to do with all this. And you fit in as the key to both sides, Dark and Light.”

  Liasare grabbed Jurek’s hand with both of hers, squeezing it so hard, her knuckles became white.

  “Easy there, love.”

  “Sorry, but if what you just told me was supposed to make me feel better, you just had an epic fail.”

  “I only want you to know the truth.”

  “He’s in my mind Jurek. I’m not safe anywhere. What worries me most is that I’m endangering all of you too.”

  They looked at each other and the men came to an agreement.

  “We are going to tell you everything we know about Abaddon and how he has tried to tap into Praestani power. Then the information highway will be shut down. Do you understand? I know this will be particularly difficult for you, but the less you know the better it will be for everyone. Are we clear? We’ll move you every day and you won’t know where you are until you get there. Sometimes you won’t even know then. Liasare, I need your agreement on this because you’re going to feel like a prisoner and knowing you, you’re not going to like it.”

  “Okay. I know I may act like an asshat, but I agree.”

  When they finished telling their story of Abaddon, Liasare felt like she barely knew more than before they told her anything. Other than being the devil, Satan, or whatever, he wanted their power. He wanted to be the top dog and was tired of taking second place to God. He kept getting pushed back down into the world below, the realm of hell, and he wanted to rule everything, power hungry creep that he was.

  “Um, Alaric,” Liasare began, reaching for him, fisting his shirt in her hands and pulling him to her so only he could hear her, “are you like God or something? Because if you are, I’m not so sure if you and I are...”

  “Hush, Liasare.” He wrapped his arms around her. “Look, I understand all this is freaking you out and I get that. I am not God, nor do I pretend to be anything like Him. I make no claim such as that. I represent the Light, but not that Light. Yes, we are the opposite of the Dark, the antithesis of that kind of evil. But we are not God or any god for that matter. We are powerful, very powerful beings, that have been graced with this gift and use it to control evil in the universe. There was a time in my life I did things, terrible things, and I’ll spend the rest of my life repenting those sins. But I don’t claim to be something I’m not.”

  “What kinds of sins?”

  He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment. He knew the time was here where he would have to confess his sins to her and he was dreading that day. He had put it off because he knew he would lose her when she learned the truth of his evil deeds. “I’ll tell you all about them someday, and then you’ll despise me for the hateful creature that I am. For the present, I want to focus on keeping you safe. If Abaddon wants you, he’ll be persistent, and we need to put him back in his realm. Only then will you be safe.”

  Liasare gazed into Jurek’s beautiful eyes of lavender and silver and wrapped her hands in his lovely black silken strands. Putting her lips on his, she softly kissed him and said, “I could never despise you Alaric, no matter what you’ve done. I love you with everything I have. I shelter your heart within me. You are my life, my reason for breathing.” She kissed him again.

  “And I love you. I only pray you still feel that way when you learn the truth. Let’s get you out of here.”

  “I need to change first.”

  “No you don’t...you’re fine.” He bundled her in his arms and they were gone.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The whole team traveled with them. Liasare had no idea where they were. No one told her either and she didn’t even bother to ask. She was shown to a room, quite an opulent one, with a huge inviting bed draped in white chiffon. She was so weary that she crawled in and fell fast asleep.

  Her dreams were mired in horror. Dark winged creatures, small and large with huge fangs chased her. The grim reaper waited for her at the end of a wooded path. Abaddon was also there, but he didn’t speak to her. She kept asking questions about the key but no one would answer her. She ran and ran, but the harder she ran, the slower she went. Her legs felt trapped in quick sand and the more she struggled to escape, the further she sank within its depths. She tried to cry out, but her cries became stuck in her throat. Instead of a scream, she only ended up emitting a tiny croak. She whimpered in frustration, wanting help, but finding none. Suddenly she found herself moving through a forest where branches tore her clothing and scratched her skin, feeling like claws ripping at her. It reminded her of the dungeon and she was instantly transported back to that chamber of horrors, screaming and thrashing, fighting every step of the way.

  “NOOOO!” she cried. Her face was wet from the tears she was shedding. When the huge door scraped open, her worst nightmare came to life. Jurek was chained from the ceiling, each arm extended until his shoulders appeared as if they would snap. Abaddon was draining his power from him, while Jurek screamed in agony.

  “NOOOO! PLEASE STOP! NOOOO!” Her throat was raw from her screams, as she tried to run to him. Arms banded across her abdomen and chest, dragging her away from him. She fought her captor, trying to escape to get to Jurek.

  “Liasare! Liasare wake up!” That spicy scent came floating into her being, bringing her to her senses and waking her. Her eyes fluttered open to find herself in the corner of the room, lying in Jurek’s lap as he clutched her tightly to him.

  The memory of the nightmare came crashing into her and she screamed his name and held him tightly to her, stroking his hair, his back, his arms, anywhere her hands could make contact.

  “Oh dear God, Jurek. Don’t leave me. Don’t leave my side ever.” She touched his mouth with her fingers, not letting him speak. Running her hands all over his body, she inspected every inch of him to satisfy herself that he was unharmed. He didn’t interrupt her or try to stop her in any way because he somehow knew she needed to do this. When she finally exhausted every section of his perfect body and realized he was fine, she exhaled and sagged for a moment within his arms. Then, lifting her body until she straddled him, she took his head and holding it between her hands, she kissed him, passionately, demanding, letting him know he was hers.

  “Hey, what’s going on? Talk to me Liasare.”

  “The worst nightmare ever. He was stealing your power and you were screaming.” She shuddered.

  “It was a dream Liasare. I’m here and I’m fine.” He massaged her back, infusing his comforting energy into her.

  “He has that kind of control over me.”

  “Now, but we’re going to teach you how to mind block. Then he won’t.”

  “You can do that?”

  “Yes, but it takes time. Right now I want you back in bed, in my arms, getting some sleep.”

  “I don’t think...”

  “I do. Come.”

  He coaxed her back into bed and with his help she was able to fall back asleep. Jurek lay awake for hours. He was more worried than he’d let on. Abaddon had never been this bold before. This could only mean one thing. He really thought he had a chance at getting Liasare, which was not good at all. Being the key to the either powering hell or keeping hell from becoming more powerful was a crapster of a place to be. And worse yet, how the fuck was he supposed to protect her, the love of his life, from the clutches of Abaddon, the most powerful creature other than God? Keeping up this fa
cade of not being afraid was going to be tough, because the truth of it was he was scared shitless.

  ***

  The longer Liasare thought about it, the more she wondered if they could somehow trap Tommy and get him off Earth and somewhere safe. Maybe they could deprogram that chip or do some kind of extraction and pull the data off it. There had to be some kind of connection between Abaddon and the disappearances or the army of minions. She wasn’t one to believe in coincidences.

  Voicing this opinion at breakfast the next morning, everyone seemed to concur. Jurek gave Ludo the order to find out everything he could about those nanochips. In the interim, Jurek and Liasare would meet with January and Rykerian later in the week, although Liasare wasn’t aware of this.

  Several hours later, Tak was attempting to teach Liasare mind blocking.

  After thirty minutes, Tak groaned in frustration as he rose to his feet. “You cannot just think it will happen and expect it to. You have to work at it, dammit,” he yelled at her.

  Liasare threw him a nasty look. “Do you think I’m an idiot? I thought we’d gotten way beyond that point. I do realize that I have to work at it. It’s just that I don’t know what it is I’m supposed to do. Can you not even give me so much as a freaking hint, Tak?”

  Tak let loose a long sigh. “Imagine your mind is a large window. It’s open for all the light to enter. What you’re aiming to do is lower the blinds so you can block the light from entering. Close the curtains, so you can take a nap. Is that a better metaphor? Now close your eyes and try to picture that.” He didn’t try to hide the sarcasm.

  She closed her eyes, but she was so angry with Tak for his brusque manner and for always assuming she knew everything when she knew nothing. Rising to her feet, she walked to where he stood.

  “Why do you always deliberately go out of your way to try to make me angry?”