The sun had begun to set, the blue sky above her shifting to the beautiful hues of pink, orange, and gold. The silent hush of the forest made her realize just how insignificant they really were in the overall scope of the universe. Little dots of the heavens above were faint hints behind the swirls of color, the night closing in on them.
It wasn’t the only thing closing in on them.
Britt felt a shimmer of darkness steal over her, and she stopped, rooted to the ground as she reached out to determine what it was she sensed. Nicolas and Matthias continued on, oblivious to the evil encroaching and of her stopping. Power began to churn within her, her gift taking over quickly this time. Darkness had touched her, and she knew it as it closed in on her. She opened her mouth to warn Matthias and Nicolas, but no sound came forth. Blue light speared from her open lips as her feet lifted from the ground.
The last time this had happened, she’d not been aware. Her gift had taken over and left her in darkness. All she had of those instances had been what the guys had told her and tiny slivers of memory. Now, she was fully conscious and cognizant. And a tad bit afraid of what she was doing.
A group of Illuminati stepped into the clearing around her, circling her completely. She was cut off from her knights. Matthias and Nicolas had finally sensed the danger and turned back for her. She watched them return as if they moved in slow motion. Matthias drew his sword, his face a contorted, fierce mask as he prepared for battle. Nicolas aimed his bow at the men, ready to take them down.
She knew they would be too late. The six men surrounding her were filled with evil. They needed to be healed and allowed to pass over to the other side. If they remained, they would continue to hurt innocent people, and she couldn’t allow that. The Illuminati soon realized they couldn’t move and their faces contorted into a mask of helpless rage or confusion.
Her power reached out to each of them and drew them closer. Blue light burst around them, and she felt as if the dark tentacles she’d once had on her skin had now been transformed into her own radiant blue ones. Each struck into the chest of one of the men surrounding her, and she used them to draw the darkness from inside. Britt ripped the evil from them, feeding on it. She felt stronger from the action, not weak like the evil she’d fought from Nicolas.
Soon, their bodies weathered and wrinkled before her. Time passed quickly, aging them to the age they should be now. Mummified remains stood in the places men had held moments before.
Britt should’ve felt horrified. She didn’t. She realized in that moment, she had unchained their souls from evil and they were now free. Released from battle, they would no longer hurt anyone, and they would no longer damage their souls.
They were healed.
****
Nicolas watched with horror as the half dozen men surrounded a glowing Britt. He ran as fast as he could through the melting snow, his bow at the ready. As soon as he was in close range, he let one fly, only to have it hit an invisible field encircling them. The deflected bow sat on the ground, discarded. The Illuminati stepped closer to her, their faces a distorted twist of vile satisfaction. They were looking forward to destroying her, and they had a protection around them to do it.
Matthias ran to the edge of the field and tried to slash through it with his sword, sparks flying as it hit the edge of the surface. “No! Britt, don’t leave us out!”
“What are you saying? The field isn’t Illuminati?”
“She did the same thing when she healed you. I was scared she would kill herself trying to save you, and I tried to stop her. She erected a force field to keep me at bay.”
“You mean she’s locked herself in with six of them? Is she mad?” Nicolas turned back to the scene inside, his heart beating loudly in his ears. Fear filled him, his stomach twisted in a knot. She’d just regained her strength after saving him. There was no way she could take on six enemy foes on her own.
Her light intensified, a beacon in the falling darkness. All six men were suddenly lifted in the air, just as the man in the hospital had been. Their faces began to contort in pain, expressions exaggerated as they began to wrinkle and age in quick succession. Britt’s head fell back as the men bucked, trying to release her hold on them. None were successful as the life was slowly drained from them.
As the men were transformed into empty husks, Britt’s light subsided and the force field gave way. The men were dropped to the ground, falling in a plop in the wet snow at their feet. Britt’s eyes were glowing brightly as they had before, and they both raced to her, expecting her to pass out as she had the first time she’d taken an Illuminati’s life.
Yet she stood strong this time, her body no longer glowing, except for her eyes. They glowed the soft blue still as she looked at the men on the ground.
“They are healed.”
The echoed voice wasn’t Britt’s. Nicolas approached her carefully, seeing the arcs of electricity moving over the surface of her skin. She was an overloaded battery at the moment, and he wasn’t sure how to proceed. “Britt? Are you okay?”
“Okay? No.” A sly smile formed across her lips. “I am superb.”
Nicolas caught Matthias’ gaze before returning to hers. “Your eyes still glow.”
“They fed me well.”
“Fed you?”
“I fed on their evil. Their hate. Their duplicity and greed.”
“You killed them.”
“No. I healed them, just as I did you, Nicolas.”
“But I survived.”
“You weren’t filled to the brim with evil yet. They were. Once I took that from them, there was nothing left of who they once were.”
Britt faltered, her legs giving out from under her. Nicolas swept in and steadied her, her body a warm mass against his. Her hand touched his, and he was shot with a rush of power, of emotion, of raw energy. His eyes rolled back into his head as she shared it with him, his body recharging. He felt his muscles tighten and flex, his heart beat faster.
It brought him to his knees, taking her with him. As the sensation passed, he looked to her and saw the blue release from her gaze. She looked normal again, the demi-goddess within her gone. “What was that?”
Her brow furrowed as she looked to him with a question on her face. “What was what?”
****
Britt’s head buzzed as they continued on down the mountain. The two of them handled her with kid gloves as they moved, one before and one behind her. They had no reason to fear her, especially now that she had been conscious through the last experience.
She wasn’t a killer. Her gift had benefited many. She’d used it in a positive way since she’d first learned what she could do. It started as a child. Britt had come across a bird that had been hit by a car lying on the side of the road. She had sensed its pain, and it made her cry. She’d dropped to her knees beside it and suddenly, it was healed. The power had just come over her, and she’d instinctively known what to do and moments later, the bird had flown away. Britt had stood there for a long time, watching as it soared high above.
Since that moment, she had followed the path her gift had put her on, and she now realized this was the next step in the progression. It was time to elevate her game. She had liked the power the men had given her, had enjoyed the ripple of energy flowing through her. Even now, her body trembled with the immense burst they had bestowed upon her.
Though it had still been hard to see the six corpses on the ground. She had always seen herself as giving life, not taking it away. Britt kept reminding herself that the men had been evil and had done many terrible things. She saw glimpses of who they were, the evil they’d done. They had all done many awful things, things they needed to pay penance for.
As the three of them approached a rocky outcropping, she saw an airstrip and hangar in the distance. The next few hundred feet would be treacherous and slow going, but it helped to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Escape was within their reach, and she needed off that mountain, away from the litter of the corps
es left in her wake, as soon as possible.
Matthias offered her a tentative hand as they began to cross the stony terrain. He feared her touch, and that knowledge shook her to her core. After all they’d shared, she was stunned by his uncertainty, and she worried she would never regain his trust. He’d already erected a wall between them after their lovemaking and now there was a new layer in his fear. She took his hand and captured his stare for a moment, hoping to find some solace in his gaze. The energy flow between them wasn’t there. He’d covered his hand in thick leather gloves once they’d arrived at the outcropping. He looked for a brief moment before looking away from her, a sadness in his eyes. An ache centered in her chest as she followed behind him, his hold on her hand timid.
Anger soon replaced her sadness. She’d opened herself to him completely and knew of his past. He had killed hundreds of men in the name of all that was good. How could he look to her like he did? If anyone should understand her, it should be him.
She squeezed his hand tightly, getting his attention. He stopped in his tracks, turning to look at her as they approached the bottom. “Are you alright?”
“No, I’m not.”
He searched her face and then her body, looking for whatever it was that was wrong.
“It’s not me. It’s you. How dare you fear me?”
Matthias stood up straighter, anger filling him. “I don’t fear you.”
“The hell you don’t. You don’t even want to touch me. You think I’ll do to you what I did to those men up there, don’t you?”
Matthias’ cheeks reddened slightly before his face went completely blank. “I don’t fear you. Now come on, we need to get a move on before more of them catch up with us. We can’t afford them following us to our next destination.”
“I’m not moving until you admit it.”
Nicolas had continued on down, not realizing they had stopped. He was at the bottom of the outcropping, looking up to them attentively, his brows furrowed in confusion. She and Matthias were alone for all intents and purposes.
“I’m not afraid of you. Can we go now?”
His eyes told her the truth. He was lying. A cold breeze swept down the mountain, and she shivered against it. Or perhaps it was the cold coming from him. “After all we’ve shared, why would you think I’d do that to you?”
“After all we’ve shared? I’ve known you for a few days.”
“And in that time, I know you’ve felt the connection. We’ve shared more in a single touch than lovers who’ve been together for years.”
Matthias was quiet to that, his face showing the swirl of emotion he felt, but he didn’t deny it. “I’ve done a lot of horrible things over the years, Britt. I’ve killed many men. What if one day you choose to heal me of my evil? It appears you don’t control it, it controls you.”
“You aren’t evil. I’ve seen inside you. You may have done bad things, but with good intent.”
“Good intent? Running into battle and lopping off head after head is good intent? I enjoy the kill. I look forward to it. I can’t imagine a day where I miss the chance to mow down every Illuminati I can get my hands on. That isn’t good intent. I’m only a shade different from the evil I destroy.”
“You do what you do in order to protect the billions of people on earth. There is purpose behind your choices. If you didn’t kill them, they would destroy this world, and you know it.”
“It doesn’t make me the good guy, and we both know it.”
“Just because you’ve had to make hard choices doesn’t make you evil.”
“We’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one.” Matthias reached out his hand once more to continue leading her down the outcropping.
“Take off the glove.”
He stopped and eyed her, looked to his gloved hand, and then back to her. After several moments, he ripped the glove off and lifted his palm to her. “Better?”
She grasped his hand, and she felt the emotional and seductive swell flow through her again. He felt it, too; she was sure as his irises dilated before returning to normal. “You haven’t shriveled up and died yet, so I say there’s your proof.”
Her laughter died as she looked to his graven face. “Britt, I’m not a good man. Stop deluding yourself. No matter how you paint me in your mind, I’m a guy you need to stay away from.”
Before she could respond, he tugged her forward, almost making her slide on the gravel terrain. She followed behind him, her teeth clenched. Britt would show him he was acting a fool soon enough.
****
Nicolas had watched the interaction between Britt and Matthias earnestly. There seemed to be some great divide between them, and he honestly hoped it wasn’t because of his insertion into their lovemaking. He hoped they would get over whatever it was, because even during their argument, he could see the link the two shared. There was fire between them. They fit together perfectly, if they would only open their eyes and see it.
The lord knew he felt it. Did they? There was a natural tension frizzling in the air when they were close, the magnetic poles they were drawing one another closer. Anyone stupid enough to get caught in the way would eventually be trampled. He’d inserted himself once for the benefit of the greater good, but he wasn’t dumb enough to do it again. The two of them would have to get whatever it was bothering them out of their systems without his interference.
As they finally began descending the final few feet, he turned and began walking to the hangar. They had a jet to prep for take-off. Nicolas had learned to pilot an aircraft years before, when the technology was new. He’d been in the Outer Banks of North Carolina when the Wright brothers had flown one of their first planes, amazed yet again with human ingenuity. There had been something about flying which had drawn him in, making him know he had to master the new skill and quickly. Over the years, the power of flight had at times been the key to them winning a battle, or being able to get to a location in time to thwart their enemy.
This private strip was one several local pilots used, but wasn’t open to the general public. There was a mechanic who lived on location, an older man who liked his liquor more than he cared about their comings and goings. Fortunately, his imbibing never seemed to prevent him from maintaining their small jet with precision, refilling their plane with fuel when contacted to. They owned a small hangar near the rear of the strip that housed their aircraft. Once he was close to the doors, he removed his sword, ready to potentially engage more of the enemy.
He opened the space, not sensing anyone there. After an inspection of the hangar, he was confident they were alone. The open bay left little room for anyone to hide, save the jet itself. Nicolas opened the cabin and began to ascend the stairs, his sword at the ready. Again, it was empty.
Inside the cabin had been quickly cleaned, and he moved toward the cockpit, starting his pre-flight checks. The engine had been fueled and was ready to prep. Soon, he heard the passengers arrive. He ducked his head out of the cockpit to see Matthias and Britt enter in and sit across from each other, a silent glare shared between them.
This ought to be an interesting flight.
Nicolas turned back to the instrument panel and began to prep, trying to ignore the weird energy coming from the cabin. The interior of the plane slowly warmed as the heat kicked in, and he drew off his heavy layers before they got into the air, even though his hands and feet were still icy.
As they taxied down the airstrip, Nicolas kept one eye on the skies and another on the passengers in the back, knowing World War III might be about to commence.
Chapter Eight
“So are you going to ignore me the entire way to Germany?”
Matthias turned his chair from the window, where he’d been trying to do a good job of watching the scenery pass below. He hadn’t seen one bit of it, if he were honest with himself, the darkening sky muting most of it. Even had it been lit, he wouldn’t have noted much. His mind was a flurry with random thoughts, and all he could envision was she. Britt s
at across from him with her arms crossed over her chest, the look of spite on her face nearly comical. Even angry she was beautiful, and all he wanted to do was kiss her sneer from her.
“That was the plan.”
“I’m not going to let you do that. Just like I’m not going to let you ignore our conversation earlier. We’re not done.”
He sighed. He knew the moment he stepped foot inside the cabin she’d have a captive audience and she’d eventually corner him again. It hadn’t stopped him from hoping she wouldn’t. “I’m done. Let it go.”
Her eyes alit with an illumination that had nothing to do with power and everything to do with anger. He could feel the wave of her emotion as she bore down on him, jumping from her seat to press a slim finger in the middle of his chest.
“Stop pushing me away. I’m not going anywhere.”
Matthias looked her over, her eyes bright, her cheeks rosy, and all his thoughts about control went out the window. He grasped her wrist and sucked in a breath at the flow of emotion and carnality. It would never get old, no matter how many times he touched her.
He drew her into his lap and captured her mouth in a fiery kiss, letting her know in that one action just how much he felt for her. Matthias grasped the side of her head, pinning her to him, not allowing her to pull away, no matter how she pushed at his chest with her hands. She tasted sweet, her tongue soon dancing over his. He chuckled in victory, her acquiescence heightening his pleasure. Her arms were soon wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him even closer as her mouth battled with his.
Once she was under his spell, he lowered his hands, caressing every inch of flesh he could manage. Each stroke of his fingers pushed him ever closer to the edge of abandon. He forgot where he was. It was only her, only this woman. She was his everything in that moment and his only focus.
His control was a fragile thing, and he shuddered against her. She played dirty, rolling her hips against his. He could feel the heat of her pussy against his hard cock, through the layers of clothing. Instead of slowing her movements, his traitorous hands clasped her hips and rocked them faster, making her crash over his cock. He felt the dampness at the tip, pre-cum oozing from the head, ready to penetrate her.
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