Light in Darkness

by Brandy L Rivers

  Shifting back to shadow, Victoria slid from the woman’s grasp and swirled around her with a shriek.

  Smoke wafted from Mena’s ears as fire danced through her eyes.

  Confusion shocked Victoria into rematerializing.

  Before she could reverse the process, Mena whipped her arm out and sank her claws into Victoria’s throat. Another roar, this one accompanied by flame that seared Victoria’s side as she turned away and managed to become shadow again.

  She shot past Mena, who spun, attempting to anticipate where she’d reappear. Moving too fast for she-bitch to catch up, Victoria appeared behind her and sank her fangs as she caught Mena’s chin. Without swallowing the noxious blood that filled her mouth, she simultaneously tore her fangs through Mena’s jugular and twisted cat-woman’s head far enough to hear the sickening series of pops.

  Jones screamed, “I was willing to only take your blood, but for this, I’ll let Mena have her fill of your pain!”

  The door flew open and Victoria melded into shadows. Jones’ forked-tongue flicked as his skin darkened to crimson and horns sprouted from his temples to curl back behind his head. Sulfur filled her senses.

  Hoping the bastard would be more interested in saving his fire-breathing bitch-kitty, she shot past him, further into the room. Taking residence in the shadows, Lincoln came back in her head.

  His voice murmured through her, bringing peace. We’re coming as fast as we can. I’ll fix it.

  Fix what? she asked, still not feeling anything, and she wouldn’t until she took her form again. Maybe that was a bad thing. Still, she wasn’t making the damage worse in this form, and she couldn’t bleed out, so that was something.

  Nothing, Love, nothing, he whispered, but she felt his worry.

  Jones spun around, looking, but she fit nicely under the metal cabinet, compacted, with every intention of staying put until she figured out what the hell was going on.

  Jones’ head snapped up with a hiss. His eyes darted around the room. “Don’t hide from me, Victoria. It will only bring more punishment. Maybe to that boy you’re so fond of. I bet I can strip away every shred of innocence from him before your very eyes.”

  She wanted to close her eyes, but in this form that wasn’t possible.

  A gurgled moan came from the glass cell they’d held her in. The spotlight was still flowing in from above and below.

  Jones’ head whipped toward the sound. He crouched in a very inhuman way and his attention snapped to the hall. A split-second later she heard running. It sounded like a herd of elephants.

  * * * *

  Hayden finally pulled into a parking lot at some closed down research plant. Lincoln didn’t wait until the SUV came to a stop before jumping out of the vehicle to run for the doors.

  Robert popped beside him and caught his arm, hauling him to a stop. “Lincoln, slow down.”

  “She’s bleeding, ripped open, and burned bad. I need to get to her to fix it.”

  “We go together,” Robert insisted.

  He nodded once, not sure he actually meant it. They started moving. Everyone was behind him, but he didn’t turn to look before he started running at Robert’s pace.

  Jophiel appeared before him. “Already scouted, this way. Hurry, she doesn’t have much time and the door is barred.”

  Robert grabbed Lincoln’s arm and translocated him into a room. A demon snarled some acid remark but he didn’t pause to listen.

  Lincoln shot toward the man he recognized from Victoria’s vision as his wings flared out from his back. Catching Jones by the throat, he lifted him, slamming him against the wall as he pounded his fist into Jones’ stomach over and over.

  “That’s right,” Jones half-laughed, half-grunted. “Beat me to a pulp while your whore vampire dies.”

  Lincoln pulled him from the wall, then slammed him against it again. “You can’t scare me,” Lincoln snarled.

  Jones got his legs between them and shoved him back. Lincoln turned, his wings whipping up as he ducked.

  A growl ripped from Jones when he was knocked back by Lincoln’s wing. Lincoln stood up in time to see Jones fall on Mena.

  A burst of flame made him blink, then smoke filled the room, and the smell of sulfur intensified. His wings pushed air forward, clearing the scene. There was a circle of ash and Victoria’s smoldering comforter.

  With the threat gone, Lincoln turned to search for Victoria. He felt her at the metal cabinet. Throwing it open, he found nothing. Then he shoved the whole unit over.

  A pool of shadows reformed, Victoria taking its place. Blood spilled down her arm and chest. The tank was blood-soaked, nasty gashes in her throat and arm, charred skin.

  Lincoln splayed his hand over her wrist, but healing her was slower than it had been for Jess. His heart slammed against his ribs in a heavy pattern. Fear wound through him. “You need to drink from me.”

  She shook her head.

  He scooped her into his arms. “I’m not losing you. Drink!” Lincoln commanded.

  Slater snarled, “Don’t be stubborn, Victoria. No one wants to see you die.”

  Her eyes closed. Her essence was fading. Then she slipped into unconsciousness.

  “Someone have a knife?” Lincoln demanded.

  A dagger was placed in his outstretched hand. He pulled it across his wrist and pressed the bleeding wound to her lips. “Come on, Vic. You’re not leaving me,” he told her as he held her mouth to the cut.

  Closing his eyes, he funneled his energy into healing Victoria. She wasn’t moving, he wasn’t even sure his blood was going down her throat.

  “Come on, Love. You can’t die like this.” His heart threatened to implode if she didn’t respond soon.

  * * * *

  Floating through a sea of black in a starless midnight sky, Victoria felt the end coming. Until she solidified, she hadn’t felt an ounce of the pain that flooded her body the second she reformed. Her one regret was losing Lincoln when she had finally let him in.

  Blood wasn’t likely to fix her. If she were only bleeding and burned it would have worked, but that furry-bitch somehow poisoned her.

  Lincoln still pleaded with her to come back. His voice seemed to be moving closer, but she couldn’t quite reach him. Then the taste hit her tongue. The richest wine she’d ever smelled mixed with chocolate. Rich, somehow smooth and tangy in the same moment.

  Light shone above her, far away, but hope sprang anyway. Her heart slammed into a heavy rhythm as air filled her lungs, and the thick substance coated her throat sending warm sensations through every limb.

  Her vision came back slowly. A tear slipped down Lincoln’s cheek, his pale green eyes glowing, light shining from his body, reflecting off those gorgeous wings of his.

  His blood now pumped through her veins. A smile pulled at his lips. “Shh,” he whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”

  She pressed her tongue to her tooth, then the wound, sealing the cut. “Don’t want to control you, or tie you to me.”

  “Too late,” he murmured. “And don’t look at me like that. There’s one woman I want. I’m holding her now.” His hand caressed down her side. She felt the snag of charred fabric against her skin, then his warm hand. He looked down, his eyes warming as the glow faded. “See, all healed.”

  She looked, then leaned into him with a happy sigh. “My Angel.”

  “Don’t forget it.” He kissed her lips, before standing with her cradled in his arms. His wings unfolded and faded.

  Slater stood there with a dark look. “Am I going to have to talk sense into you?”

  Closing her eyes, she lay her cheek against Lincoln’s chest. “No. I already told Lincoln I can’t resist him. You can’t expect me not to worry I’ll mindfuck him into being something he’s not.”

  “You won’t,” Slater assured her.

  Hadraniel walked toward her. “Would it help if I told you that you couldn’t form that kind of bond because you’re already Lincoln’s soul companion?”

  Rel
uctantly she looked at the angel who’d watched over her through the darkest parts of her life. She knew he couldn’t lie. Shifting, she encouraged Lincoln to set her down, which he did.

  She turned toward Hadraniel. “What exactly does that mean?”

  He tipped his head. “You two were made for one another, as unlikely as that might seem. In fact, you may have the ability to be in the sun now.”

  Her mouth fell open. It had been more than a hundred and thirty years since she saw the sun. “That’s not exactly something I can easily test,” she challenged, afraid to hope.

  Jophiel’s brow arched. “Sure it is. The doors leading out of this place have sunlight shining from the entrance. We can go up there, and you can reach out. If the sun burns the hand you place in the rays, then we’ll have to wait for nightfall to get you out. Keep in mind, you didn’t burn to a crisp when HARP took you.”

  He had a point. They had to get her from the house to the car, in full daylight. “I was wrapped in a blanket,” she hedged.

  One corner of Slater’s mouth tipped up. “I knew Lincoln was perfect for you, but I’ll admit I didn’t realize your bond was this powerful.”

  Her thoughts spun out of control, but she focused on one very important thing. “What happened to Jones and Mena?”

  Jophiel flinched. “They took a portal through hell. Not sure where they wound up.”

  “How did they do that?” she snapped.

  “They are both half-demon. Jones is a fear demon and half-fae. Mena is a descendent of a mythological creature called Panther or Pantera as some prefer to call him, and half-pain demon.”

  “As in the myth? Dionysus’ favored mount?” Victoria asked with wide eyes.

  “Ah, but Pantera wasn’t as docile as some would like to believe. Spirited, not some tame cat, he had a fiery temper and a very short fuse.”

  “Let’s see if I can deal with the sun. I don’t want to be here any longer.”

  They made their way upstairs, to the hall. Victoria could see the sunlight reaching toward her. For the first time since becoming a vampire, she could see the sunlight. Panic floated through her, but she slowly walked toward the light, holding one hand out.

  She felt a prickling sensation. No pain, no burning, but it certainly wasn’t comfortable. Taking in a deep breath, she stepped into the sunrays and swallowed hard.

  Lincoln came up behind her, wrapping his wings around them. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Not exactly comfortable, but I’m not roasting.”

  He laughed softly, slowly releasing her from his wings before they disappeared again.

  Hayden took the lead, gun drawn, as he stalked toward the door. He threw it open and unlocked the SUV.

  Victoria blurred into the vehicle.

  Hayden got into the back and tossed her a blanket over the rear seat. “Wrap up. It’s the best I can do, but if the sunlight is that uncomfortable, maybe being covered will help.”

  “Thank you.”

  Chapter 21

  Using all his strength, Jones kicked Lincoln back and called a portal through hell, dragging Mena with him. It was their only chance to get far enough away to keep the Silver Council from finding them.

  Flames burst around them before rolling back into shadows as they blasted into the lowest pits. A short trek through the next portal, dumped them in the middle of a rainforest. Before them, a Mayan pyramid rose out of the mist and lush vegetation.

  Centuries ago, the fools who inhabited this mountain had worshiped them as gods. From this ignorant era, their reign of fear and torture had begun.

  They had a following of superstitious natives who would bring them any Others treading on their territory. When a group of dark mages posing as missionaries came through, Mena and Jones were recruited into HARP to hunt Others, either to kill, or bring in to make more powerful hunters.

  Jones scooped Mena up and cradled her in his arms. He carried her up the steep steps to the entrance. The trek to the ritual chamber was long. Finally, he laid her down on the altar. Spells wound around the room, keeping it clean and free from trespassers.

  Mena was back in her human shape. Her skin was pale and cold. Her chest barely moved. He knew what needed to be done to bring her back.

  He gestured at one of the guardians standing on the perimeter. The creature was something like a ghoul. Not quite dead, but not exactly alive either. He exclusively took orders from Mena and Jones.

  None of the creatures had a name. His yellow skin sagged, and murky dead eyes stared back. The minions didn’t need vision as they saw everything 360-degrees. Gifted with inhuman strength, and unable to deny a single command, they were the perfect tool.

  “Fetch a victim. One who should last long enough for some real torture.”

  Ever obedient, the creature turned to climb out of the pyramid.

  “Hold on, Mena,” he whispered as he climbed onto the table to straddle her. He gripped her head and pulled it straight, aligning her neck.

  Her eyes snapped open as her chest heaved. “Still want to play with the bitch?” she asked, her voice breathy from the tear.

  “Oh, I have every intention of letting you play when we recapture her. Even if we can’t produce Shadowstalkers from her. She does have another Shadowstalker in her care. He isn’t as powerful, but that may not be an issue.”

  * * * *

  Hayden pulled up to Victoria’s house. She saw a work truck and heard banging. Lincoln pulled the blanket over her head before scooping her into his arms and carrying her from the vehicle into the front door.

  She laughed softly. “It’s not that bad. I could handle the short walk.”

  “I like carrying you,” he admitted softly. She felt his desire pumping through her, igniting her own.

  “Then by all means, carry away.”

  He let out a low groan that vibrated along her nerves. Further inside, he set her down and peeled the blanket off. His hand caressed over the burned portion of the tank top again.

  His eyes flashed with light. “You scared me. No more refusing my blood. I’m not losing you.” The command in his voice was impossible to resist.

  Victoria smiled slightly, pushing away her own fear. “You have my word.”

  Closing the distance, his lips descended on hers as his arms wound around her, pulling her closer.

  Slater pointedly cleared his throat but Lincoln kissed her deeper. Victoria wanted to shoo everyone away, but knew they needed to deal with what was a very real threat

  Lincoln’s hands slipped under her shirt, and she reluctantly pushed him back. His passion burned bright in his eyes, and his chest heaved. “Mine, not letting you go for anything,” he promised.

  “Same goes for you, but we really should form some kind of plan. HARP’s not done with us.”

  He nodded, but wouldn’t pull his gaze from hers.

  Robert and Preston appeared beside them. Preston snarled, “They’re fucking gone. I couldn’t track them through the portal. I even tried as smoke, but couldn’t breach the barrier.”

  Hadraniel snorted. “Because you’re of this world. You can’t pass through hell without being stuck there for the rest of eternity.”

  Preston asked, “Why can they go back and forth? Besides the demon thing. Doesn’t being half make them part human? And aren’t most demons exiled to hell?”

  “There are ways for demons to enter our world. Not all demons are truly evil either. In this case, they are, but because they have Other blood and demon blood they can do an awful lot they shouldn’t be able to.”

  Lincoln’s voice was harsh. “Will we be able to find them when they come back? They’re coming back, right?”

  “Oh, they will be. Question is, who will they go after next?” Preston scrubbed his hand through his hair. “Maybe we should have Declan stay elsewhere for now. He’s new enough that being in their custody could prove disastrous.”

  Victoria took a slow breath. “Let’s give him the option. He’s never had Other blood and un
derstands the consequences. He may prove immune to the lure.”

  Hayden walked into the room. “Mark is almost done replacing the window and the steel shutter. Asked if you’re all right, Victoria.”

  “Perfect, and actually, I may have another job for him.”

  “What’s that?” Lincoln asked.

  “UV repellent windows.”

  His brow arched. “Why?”

  She turned toward him, a soft smile on her lips. “I may want to watch the sunrise while lying in your arms. I can’t recall what one looks like.”

  He licked his lips and nodded.

  She turned to Preston. “They didn’t touch Declan?”

  Preston shook his head. “Nope. He’s fine. I already checked.”

  That was a relief.

  Slater nodded to her side. “You should change. Under any other circumstances, you’d never be caught dead in something like that. You’re covered in blood, as well as half-naked thanks to charred clothes, which you should explain.”

  She turned to Lincoln. “Slater, mind going with Lincoln so he can change into something less bloody too?”

  “Of course.”

  Victoria went back to her room. The comforter was gone. Someone had come into her home, into her room, and abducted her while she was helpless.

  Payback’s a bitch named Victoria. Just wait until I get my hands on you.

  She went to the mirror to take a look at herself. Other than the burnt and blood-drenched clothes, she looked fine. Better than fine, actually. Her skin had a warm glow. She didn’t seem as pale as usual.

  Glancing down, she saw the note on the floor. She picked it up and read Lincoln’s words. Her jaw dropped. I didn’t die?

  * * * *

  Slater walked beside Lincoln on the way to his house.

  Lincoln looked over at him. “You and Victoria have always been close. Why wasn’t it more?”

  He took a slow breath and looked back with a huff. “I’ve known her all my life. We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember.”