by Sue Wilder
She turned and ran. A man charged after her as she slammed into a table, knocking over a vase. The crash exploded into a thousand shards of glass. Lexi picked up a broken table leg and threw it behind her, tripping the mercenary who was closer than she’d expected.
He said something in rough Italian. From the tone, she knew they weren’t there to protect her, and then a hand twisted into her hair. Her head was jerked backward and a fist sliced from the right so swiftly she couldn’t scream. She fell to her knees, gasping. Her lungs seized. Her stomach was on fire and she bent over, gagging on the bile that rose in her throat.
“Breathe. Push up to your feet and run, cara.”
It was Christan’s voice. Lexi heard him clearly, and it was enough to break her immobility. She pushed to her feet, slammed both palms against the double doors so hard one swung open and then back, crashing into her shoulder. Pain was instantaneous. Lexi forced herself down the concrete steps to the grass slick with dark patches that weren’t caused by rain.
The larger man followed and tried to circle her shoulders from behind. He was the one who spoke with rough Italian-accented English. He smelled of stale garlic and tobacco. Lexi twisted to the side, turning into him instead of struggling away. She blocked his arm, hit him hard beneath the nose, shoving up with her open palm. Cartilage crunched and the part of her that was Gaia smiled at the piercing scream.
Around her, the noises and bodies and memories of the alley raged. The vineyards had been trampled into blood and mud. The defensive perimeter had slowed the assault, but not long enough to contain the enemy. Now the fighting had reached the open terrace in front of the villa. It was hand-to-hand, warrior against warrior. Lexi stared at the destruction and a sob caught in her throat. She wondered if she could ever live in this place again, if Christan would ever ask her to live here. Despite the bitterness, they had loved each other here. Now there was violence and death.
“Go to the trees, cara.” Urgency in that mental voice. Christan was there; she could feel his energy, pulsing and wild, but he was lost somewhere in the churning bodies. “Now. Darius will meet you there.” It was an order, followed by a grunt of pain.
“I’m not leaving.” Lexi wasn’t sure if she was doing the telepathy right. It could be a one-way transmission, where Christan could talk to her but she couldn’t talk to him. Besides, she was more Gaia, now, fighting the lions. She saw a discarded staff on the ground, thought it should fit her hand. Picked it up without thinking beyond how naturally the wood fit against her palm. “I won’t give up on you.”
A scream broke above the sound of bodies and the air vibrated. Someone had shifted. Then another. Both blacker than the night, larger than any natural predator, reaching back into prehistoric nightmares of violence and blood. Moonlight silvered massive shoulders. The eyes of one predator glinted with the killing-edge of obsidian, while the other animal vibrated with the sin-dark eyes of a fallen angel, broken and profane.
Two enemies began a death dance, matched for size and strength. Blood was running freely. Pelts were ripped and bones exposed. Night sounds surged and then receded. Another warrior approached, shifted and was immediately sent to the ground. An area widened in the blood-soaked grass as men fell back. The two remaining combatants circled. The meaning was obvious. There would be no other interference. A cry rose in Lexi’s throat, but she choked it back. It was enough, though, even with the sounds around. Both massive creatures turned in her direction.
The shape of the battle changed, sharpened with lethal urgency. One primal creature struck out with vicious claws while the other stood in its way. The severity of the attacks increased as if everything depended upon winning.
Lexi was wrenching at the throat of her sweatshirt, tears blinding her eyes. Arsen was screaming at her. She didn’t seem to hear him. Her vision had narrowed down to a single focus. One creature leapt into the air. The other intercepted with a devastating demonstration of power and the air ripped in two. White-hot energy slammed Lexi toward the ground. But the assault was not against her; the motionless body at her feet shimmered once before shifting into a man. Three feet away, Kace flashed into human form, holding out his hand.
“Come,” he ordered.
He forced a wave of energy toward her. Lexi slammed the power back in his face. She thought she was screaming as she did it, calling him Wallace and Nico and all other names he’d ever used when he’d lied to her.
He stepped back. Lexi ignored him, concentrating on the man lying by her knees. She dragged the sweatshirt over her head. Balled it up and pressed the fabric against the gaping wound in Christan’s side. Felt the blood hot against her palms, the flow between her fingers that wouldn’t stop.
“Christan,” she said sharply, “stay with me.”
His eyes remained closed. She gripped the sweatshirt pressed into his side, her other hand against his ribs, holding on to him through sheer will alone. Her hands were slick with the essence of his life, and it hurt so damn much she couldn’t breathe. But she held on, held her hands tight against the wound in his side as she poured every bit of energy she had into him, her mind screaming while blood still ran on the ground.
Men were running toward her. Others were running away. The night was tumultuous and hot with immortal fire. Out of the corner of her eye, Lexi watched as Kace took another step backward. The air vibrated violently around him, scattering bits of grass. In an instant, he disappeared.
Beneath Lexi’s hands, Christan arched. Hot heat vibrated. Something was tugging him from her grasp. And then he was he was gone.
CHAPTER 36
“What the hell did you do?” Arsen was struggling to contain his rage. Lexi looked up into his face “Goddamn it, Lexi, did you fucking do it?”
Arsen was in the mud with her, his fingers gripping her arms but he didn’t pull her to her feet. He was on his knees where Christan should have been. Blood spatter marred the side of one cheek. An angry red wound in his arm gaped wide. Lexi bent beneath the swirling force of the one word she never wanted and had once used. She looked at the bloody shirt still gripped in her hands, unable to answer him.
“Did you say it again?” Arsen’s voice was hollow. His accusation was a blade that continued to slice.
“God, no.” Lexi’s fingers were shaking so hard she wondered if they were even a part of her now. “How could you think that?”
“Shit.” Arsen’s fingers tightened, but he refused to pull her into his arms. He swore again and glanced around when Luca came into view, followed by Giam. Luca shook his head, and Arsen looked back; his expression brought tears into her throat.
“Lexi.” His voice was tight but his grip was softening. “What happened?”
“He was here.” She closed her eyes and struggled to remember. “I was trying to stop the bleeding.”
“And?”
“He disappeared after Kace did—how was that possible?”
“I don’t know.” Arsen’s voice was ragged. The look in his eyes was terrifying.
“Something pulled him away, Arsen. Was it Six?”
“I don’t know.” Arsen flashed into a wild monstrosity and then back into a man. Luca placed a hand on Arsen’s shoulder. Lexi curled her fingers into the shirt soaked in Christan’s blood and her heart began a heavy beat. Other warriors were joining them, standing in a silent circle, their expressions tense. Were they mourning Christan? He wasn’t dead! She would know it if he was, feel it.
Energy writhed in her mind and she wanted to scream at them to do something. Anything. The pain of inaction was so intense she was surprised she was still breathing. She didn’t stop to think, just met Arsen’s blue gaze.
“Tell me about the blood bond.” She was on the verge of hyperventilation. Her mind raced forward into territory she didn’t understand, and she was more than Gaia, now. Much more. She cried out when Arsen yanked on her wrists and brought her back.
“What?” he ground out. “What did you ask?”
“The blood bond.�
� Lexi was half angry he hadn’t figured it out, hadn’t been ten steps ahead of her like he always was. “I know you know it.”
Arsen raked a hand through his hair, struggling. “Each person cuts their hand and they exchange blood.”
“Does it say that—they cut their hands and exchange blood?”
Arsen closed his eyes for a moment. “It says a mixing of the blood.”
“There’s more. Tell me.” Lexi rose to her knees, so sure she didn’t need to ask. “There’s a one word for it, isn’t there?”
“Lexi, we don’t understand the blood bond. The magic might kill him. It could kill you.” Arsen reached out, pushed a bloody strand of hair from her face, leaving a red smear. “Don’t risk this. We’ll find him.”
Lexi’s fingers shook. Swirling energies in her mind coalesced into something frightening, powerful. She looked at Arsen.
“They haven’t made warriors in over two thousand years. They can’t! The blood bond would never risk a limited resource. Whatever happens, I won’t be killing him.”
“It could kill you, Slick.” Arsen gripped her arms, tried to give a little shake. “Six probably compelled him, along with Kace. We’ll contact Three. Don’t risk this.”
“You’re in a war.” Lexi held up the bloody shirt, then reached for a shard of glass, gripped it until her fingers bled. “Please, Arsen, they might be killing him right now. Let me do this for him, give him additional strength.”
“Lexi...”
“Trust me.” Tears were in her eyes but her expression was serene. “The honor is in the action, Arsen. Tell me.”
Arsen hesitated a second longer, then the power crashed against Lexi’s mind, doubling her over as she pressed the shard deep into her skin. The words settled. She saw the visual sounds that flared into living fire when she wrapped her hand in the bloody shirt. Felt grains of sand like whispered words in a desert storm. They were ancient words, filled with something so ferocious it consumed her.
A tugging sensation ripped as if trying to pull her muscles apart. The pain was instantaneous.
Christan lay propped against the cold wall, his legs spayed out in front of him. They had broken both his hands, and three of his ribs. Six was using his magic to impair the healing process, not unexpected, since Six preferred to drag interrogations out until they died of exhaustion. This was nothing new. They’d played this game many times before, just switched the roles for who lay on the floor.
Christan had known Six compelled him the moment it happened, recognized the distinctive tugging, as if his body was being ripped apart. Then the few seconds of oblivion. He’d resisted, felt Lexi’s hands on his side. But the wound Kace inflicted had gone too deep and the blood loss weakened him. Even now, Christan could not move without using the precious energy he needed to conserve.
Christan estimated he’d been on the floor no more than ten minutes. It hadn’t taken that long to break his hands, and the ribs had been earlier. He stared at the pool of blood creeping outward from his hip, focused on slowing the bleeding. His eyes were nearly swollen shut, but he was able see enough to assess his surroundings.
Six stood near a massive desk. The immortal was wearing one of the dark gray suits he’d purchased from an exclusive tailor in London, along with a dove grey shirt and red tie. Apparently, Six had noticed that American Presidents wore the color of power and thought he belonged in the club. Kace was in his usual jeans and shirt, and some of the wounds Christan had inflicted were still healing. Six would have been wise to conduct his game without Kace; the Enforcer’s presence only fueled Christan’s aggression. But perhaps that was the point of the exercise. Six wouldn’t kill Christan, at least not yet, but when he did, Six wouldn’t try it alone. He’d learned that lesson long ago.
Kace was staring at the ceiling. He looked like a bored man waiting for a meeting to end while Six paraded around the desk. It was still night, and this was probably Zurich—Christan had read the dossier about the embassy-styled building Six maintained. It was in an upscale neighborhood, three stories, with a view of the lake from the top floor. The attack on the villa would have ended by now. Three would be looking for him. One would get in the way, but she always did, and if anything was going to happen on that end it would take time.
The windows beyond the desk were thick glass blackened by the night, reflecting Christan’s image in reverse. His body was sprawled painfully. He pressed against the floor, tried to shift the weight from his left hip while ignoring the broken ribs. He knew Six watched him.
“Enjoying yourself, Enforcer?”
“Immensely.”
“How long before Three figures out where you are?”
“Not long. There can’t be many choices.”
“Less than you think,” the immortal said. “Seven lost himself in Australia and Five doesn’t have the strength—he drank it away with the vodka.”
“Maybe you should tell him that to his face.”
Six leaned back against the desk, crossed his arms. Kace walked forward and kicked Christan in the kidney, then bent down and pummeled his head and shoulders until Six told him to stop. Christan didn’t hear the order. He was on the verge of unconsciousness.
But the Calata member continued to talk, his voice penetrating the haze of pain and forcing Christan back to awareness. The immortal was holding a photograph.
“Pretty girl.” Six waited until Christan was able to focus, then tossed the photograph aside. “Can’t say I like her name this time around. Lucy, is it? Lexi?” His lip curled. “I hear she ran into your mess tonight. Looked like she was trying to save you. But you don’t want to be saved, do you, Christan? You like to do things on your own. Maybe you should have warned her.”
Christan grunted, spit blood from his mouth. “She’s stubborn that way. Not one to listen to the advice from others.”
“I was thinking the same about you,” Six agreed. “You went off the deep end four centuries ago, didn’t you? You were a menace. Wisest decision you ever made, putting yourself in the Void. You should have stayed there. All you’ve done is put your girl in danger again.”
“You don’t want her, Six. She’s human. She lives and she dies and she comes back again.”
“But you want her.”
“Three won’t leave her unprotected.”
“I can assure you, Enforcer, that Three has her problems just like One. Complacency causes a certain vulnerability, don’t you think?”
“I’ll have to ask Phillipe,” Christan said. “I hear he’s familiar with Three’s vulnerabilities.”
“Christan.” The immortal shook his head, readjusted his position against the desk. “You were always courageous in your rebellion. Why do you care who wins our little wars? You’ll always be employed as long as you switch sides—something you’ll never do.”
“What do you want, Six?”
“What does any Calata member want? Not everyone is happy about the way One runs her territory. If she can’t control the growing violence someone else will do it for her.”
“And once the useful idiots have run the course, you’re willing to pick up the flag?”
Six shrugged. “You know how it is—power abhors a vacuum. What better way to disrupt power than by provoking the Enforcers and the violence they bring? You of all people should have seen the pattern. I attacked your girl to get your attention. Then I went after that dark-haired girl Arsen is so fond of because it would bring you here. But perhaps the rumors are true and you lost your edge in the Void. Which means you’re going to lie there on my floor until I decide what to do with you.”
“I didn’t think there was any question about that.”
“I’m still considering it,” Six said. “I was fond of you, once. You were Three’s greatest accomplishment. A legend. And I did like that gold dragon.”
“I could find some carnage and dump you there,” Christan suggested.
Six made a subtle movement with his hand. Kace stepped forward, kicked once and ground hi
s heel into one of Christan’s broken hands.
The conversation continued as if nothing had happened.
Lexi thought there was a hood over her head, but it was only the bloody sweatshirt she still clutched in her hands. Voices were present, dry and rustling like brittle leaves. She recognized them. They were the same voices she associated with the one word Christan had given her all those weeks ago. And there was another one word. Arsen had forced it into her mind when she’d been on her knees with a shattered piece of glass in her hand. Lexi glanced at her palm and saw the red slice. It was still bleeding. Odd, she thought, that the wound didn’t hurt as much as it throbbed with energy, pulling her toward some invisible destination.
Cold was seeping through her, though, and Lexi reached for a location. The earth responded. This was Zurich and she was sitting on the floor, in a darkened hallway with no idea how she’d gotten there. Lexi opened her senses and the answering energy had her heart racing. Christan was near. So was Kace. Male voices carried through a closed door.
“Christan?” She whispered his name in her mind, wondering if she could still reach him telepathically. The floor beneath her palms heaved violently. The wave of power held both aggression and disbelief, and Lexi was certain Christan heard her. The reaction was definitely his.
There was a sharp sound and Lexi struggled to her feet. The door opened, allowing a shaft of bitter light to fall across her face. A male voice, filled with the sibilant hiss of a snake, coiled around her.
“Bring her inside,” the man ordered pleasantly.
Kace nodded, stepping forward with a controlled smile.
CHAPTER 37
Zurich, Switzerland
Christan moved his head, his eyes tracking Kace’s movements. A moment ago, he’d heard Lexi’s voice and thought he was hallucinating. Now he realized she was here, and when Kace opened the door Christan bled from a deeper wound. This woman, he realized, was the sole reason for his existence. She alone filled the emptiness in the dark, settled him when he would search the world for what would make him whole. This woman. Who was beautiful even when she was terrified.
