Can't Stop-Smoke

by Claudy Conn

  “Hey wait,” Shags interjected. “What? You spoke to him? You told him to come here? Why? Grail, we can’t trust him. Aw no, Grail, you can’t mean to let him join us—that is all out of whack.”

  “Trusom is here because we can use his help.” Grail put a hand on Shags’ shoulder. “I met with him and told him we have found his Frida. That is all he cares about, helping us free her,” Grail said quietly. “Do you have any objections that make sense?”

  He looked from Shags to Sharon and though they didn’t voice any opposition, I could see they didn’t quite trust the warlock, yet, weren’t ready to voice their opinions.

  I didn’t blame them for their lack of trust in Trusom. I had seen first-hand what he was willing to do to keep his mate alive.

  I had an objection and chewed my lip as I tried to formulate my words.

  Grail noticed and said, “You don’t look happy, Smoke.”

  “No, I’m not happy. I understand that you think Trusom might be helpful, but I have had a real up close and personal encounter with him and know, if things go wrong, guess what?” I proceeded to answer my own question, “He will fall right back into Vidal’s hands rather than allow his mate to be in danger.” I stood up, walked up to Trusom and raised an eyebrow.

  “She is not wrong,” Trusom said grimly, not looking at me, but at Grail. “I will do anything to save my Frida. You have to know that going in. If things go wrong…that is all that will drive me.”

  “I think we all understand that, but, believe me, Trusom, I have a trick or two up my sleeve. I am not called the Dark Lord for nothing,” Grail said confidently. “I have taken every scenario into consideration and believe me, we will be ready for your betrayal, if…er…things go wrong. I believe they won’t go wrong. After all, with you on our side, all Vidal has is a demon and a demon has never been a match for a shifter wolf, an ancient vamp…and for whatever my Smoke has become. And as I said, Dark Lord here.”

  “Then, what are we waiting for?” Trusom said and his eyes glinted with anticipation.

  “Grail,” I stuck in. “There is also the chance that Vidal has a small army of super crazy strong vamps.”

  “Also I believe they are no match for our combined magic and abilities,” Grail said softly.

  “But,” I whispered, and took him aside, “Things might go wrong real fast…so Trusom will need to be…contained if that happens. Can we contain the warlock?”

  “Never doubt me, baby,” Grail said and gave me a cocky grin. “I have that all worked out in my head.”

  “Want to share?” I asked and arched a brow.

  “No, not now,” he said and went to the open office door, “Shall we?”

  “Where is this portal of yours?” Sharon asked.

  “In Hazard’s upper floors, where else?” Grail said and grinned.

  ~ Twelve ~

  I STOOD BACK AND STUDIED the growing black hole in front of us. I could see it spark and sizzle as it stretched and funneled its way through the atmosphere.

  Grail told us to wait as it completed itself.

  I looked at Grail, “That will take us all the way to Ireland…to his castle?”

  “Right to his dungeon where he is keeping Frida,” Grail answered quietly.

  “How did it happen that you know his castle so well?”

  “There was a century where Vidal and I were…friends. Something went wrong with him, with his thinking, with his humanity and we parted ways.” He released my hand which he had tucked close to his heart and walked into the middle of the room. “The portal as are most portals, is a living thing,” he said. “Remember that. It needs energy to survive. It is as if the portal makes a pact with its travelers. It allows you to enter and use it, but it takes a certain amount of energy from you, thus…it plummets and bounces you off its walls. Don’t fight it. Just go with it. It won’t take more than you can spare.”

  Shags took Sharon’s hand and put it to his lips, “I won’t let go.”

  “You better not…ever,” she answered.

  I grinned at them, they didn’t notice me.

  Grail told them, “It’s ready when you are.”

  They stepped inside and I heard Sharon squeal. Trusom went next, silent and stoic, and then Grail put his arm around my waist and as we stepped inside, he held me to himself with both arms and that was good, because I wrapped my arms and legs around his middle.

  Bumpy? Hell yeah. Also, roller coaster. Up down, side to side. Did I squeal like Sharon who I could still hear up ahead, hell yeah!

  * * * * *

  Dark and dank, are actually good words for a dungeon.

  I unlocked my legs and set my feet firmly on the ground, but Grail, pulled me close as I looked around our surroundings.

  Think about whatever you have ever imagined a dungeon to look like—this one was worse.

  Everything evil, as evil as stone and mortar can be was how I would describe Vidal’s dungeon. I hadn’t realized just how awful it would smell—and feel when I had my vision, but now, with the dim light given off by the torches, I could see a table in the middle of the chamber with instruments of torture laid out and some were covered in dry blood. A rat scurried across the floor, followed by two others. Eweee.

  Repulsed, I cringed.

  No one appeared to be around guarding this horrible place. I noticed all the dungeon cells were empty.

  We were not expected, or so I thought as I pressed closer to Grail’s hard body and wished we were in bed, making love instead of in this horrible place making war.

  I was wrong about no one being around. They were there in the shadows. I counted fifteen huge vampire warriors. They advanced on us.

  I heard a low keening and then saw the uber vamps, released from what looked like a hidden door that led to another chamber. The door closed after them, trapping the ubers with us.

  The portal at our backs hummed.

  “Make a circle, easy now,” Grail told us as the vamps closed in.

  As they advanced they made threatening sounds and Trusom leaned in and told Grail, “Fire. We need it.”

  I saw it then, the iron cell block, just as the warrior vamps charged fast and furious.

  Grail cautioned, “Wait…another second…wait.”

  They were nearly on us.

  Luckily, the uber vamps were slow, almost zombie-like in their movements, and awkward. Scary looking in appearance, but Vidal had erred when he created them. Also, luckily there weren’t as many as I had assumed there would be. However, all had one purpose, drink our blood and kill.

  We made our circle, and waited till my Holy Grail stuck out his arm, pointed a finger that turned into a flame thrower. Vamp after vamp went up in flames, but there were more coming down the dungeon stairs. Holy shit…so many warrior vamps!

  Trusom and I took this cue and I found the magic in my mind to create a similar flame thrower, though not as powerful as Grails.

  Trusom said, “Fire is not my forte…but this is.”

  I saw him freeze vamp after vamp. He didn’t cover them in ice, he turned them into ice statues that quickly cracked into myriad pieces before each turned into ash.

  “Oh, I like that,” I told him. This was working, fire and ice.

  Sharon was doing her thing, fast and furious and taking off head after head of the slow moving uber vamps. Shags was with her, right by her side, tearing them apart. A shifter wolf’s bite is deadly to a vamp. We were piling up ashes everywhere.

  I was feeling over confident and found an opening. I ran towards the iron cell, careful to keep enough distance so I wouldn’t be rendered useless by its ill effects.

  Trusom followed me, leaving the others to hold off and destroy the vamps. He was able to approach the iron cell as it doesn’t affect him.

  “Smokie, help me…I need you to concentrate your magic and melt an opening in the cell’s wall. Can you do that? I can help increase its power once you get a steady flame going.”

  I saw that Grail and the others were
still busy taking on the vamps and ubers, so yes, I was going to have to try. I nodded and sent one flaming ball after another into the front of the cell block.

  “Yes!” Trusom yelled. “I can enlarge the fireballs.”

  I saw that it was working. He was close to the cell’s wall and as the fireball closed in on its target, I saw that he was not only enlarging it, but he had managed to increase its heat.

  “There!” I yelled as I saw a small hole the size of an grapefruit form and grow. I worked furiously and kept up a barrage of fireballs. He did his part.

  I looked over my shoulder and saw Grail busy but in control with the horde of vampires still storming into the dungeon from above. We had to get Frida and get the hell out of this place. There were too many of them.

  Fleetingly I wondered where Vidal was. No doubt, staying safe and sound with his demon protecting him. No sooner had this thought entered my head when a black tentacle surrounded me. Ah, Mr. Demon!

  Demons in general are no match for vampires and I am so much more than a vampire. Stronger, faster and loaded with more magic than he ever dreamed of.

  I smiled and gave him a wink. “Wondered where you were.”

  I broke out of the black tentacles and directed my fireball finger at him. Apparently demons of his realm aren’t affected by fire. I did no damage.

  I needed to use something else…water. I spun my finger in the air and the next thing Mr. Demon knew, he was in a tank of water trying to keep his head above and in the small space of air I left him between the water line and the spelled glass top.

  I learned something. Water negated his ability to use his magic and break out.

  I turned back to the iron cell block, but found Trusom had already managed to ice it over and break it down.

  I watched as he rushed inside and appeared with his mate in his arms. She seemed barely conscious.

  It was in that moment that I found out where Vidal was. Behind me.

  Suddenly I was held against him in a grip that I could break with magic, however, he had a dagger to my throat which made it all a bit tricky. Could I use magic before he severed my head?

  He shouted at Grail and his voice stopped everyone in their tracks.

  “I have your little magical vamp. This ancient dagger has magical qualities. It can easily cut off her head before she can use her magic to escape me. I will kill her if I have to. Better just let her come with me. I should like to use her talents, so don’t make me destroy her.”

  The demon was screaming for Vidal to free him. Ubers were grunting with need. They saw us a dinner and wanted a bite. His warriors stood very still.

  Vidal paid no attention to any of them, as he stared Grail down.

  I was very still as I went into my head and tried to find a means of escape.

  I saw Grail raise his hand and say, “Don’t be foolish, Vidal. If you hurt Smoke, you will never find the Hallow.”

  Sharon was out of Vidal’s line of vision. He couldn’t see her as she used her speed and managed to sneak up on him.

  He relaxed his hold on me when he suddenly realized someone was at his back. He yelped in pain as she shoved the stake into him, but he had thwarted death. He had moved and the stake missed its mark. She had not gotten his heart.

  I had enough space between us to break away without the dagger drawing blood. I turned to face him, but Vidal was an ancient and not so easily taken down.

  He was already in a fight to the death with Sharon.

  Yes, she was a born vampire, but he was an ancient and though she had some years and experience, he was far more ruthless.

  I pointed a finger, determined to give her the upper hand but they were a blur of color and suddenly it was over. He had Sharon in the same position he had had me in a few moments ago.

  Behind him, I saw Shags drop the weapon he had been using against the vamps. As a shifter he could transform at will and with ease.

  I watched, fascinated as he became wolf in his mid-air lunge.

  Deadly fury and determination covered his dear face and my heart stood still as he landed behind Vidal and took Vidal’s ankle nearly biting it off from Vidal’s leg.

  Vidal cried out in pain.

  Vidal had been bitten by a shifter wolf and he was not immune to the bite. Werewolf and shifter wolves have a bite that is fatal to a vampire.

  He turned and screamed curses before he vanished in a haze of black. I was reminded of the legend that tells of ancients turning into hundreds of black moths in order to escape.

  Sharon and I hugged each other as Grail and Shags finished off the last of the slow moving ubers.

  This done, Shags, still in wolf form, padded over to Sharon and put his huge head against Sharon’s hip, and she petted him which made me laugh.

  Grail hurried over to me and touched my face, “You gave me a scare, baby. I can’t tell you how I felt when I saw Vidal take you like that.”

  I smiled and snuggled against his chest.

  I looked up and saw Trusom, still holding Frida cradle like in his arms walk over. He looked like a different man as he said, “I have to get my mate to my sister who is a healer. Frida is in terrible pain from sustained time with the silver in those damned walls of iron.”

  “Go on, Trusom…we’ll talk later.”

  “What about Vidal?” I asked as Trusom stepped back into the portal.

  “My guess is he went in search of an antidote for the wolf bite,” Grail said and brushed my lips with his thumb.

  “Is there one?”

  “Yes, but, the question is, will he find it in time?” Grail shrugged. “I think he only has 48 hours and it won’t be easy because the pain he is about to endure will make it difficult for him to find what he needs.”

  “Well, with any good luck, he won’t find the antidote and the world will be a better safer place without him,” And then I got hit with a vision and felt as though I was falling into a well of darkness.

  I could feel Grail’s arms go around me. I could hear his voice as the full weight of the vision took me, but there was no stopping what I was about to see.

  All at once, I was near a dock in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and I heard a siren’s song calling my name. I looked down into the water and all at once hands, so many hands, pulled me into the river. I went down, down, down…I couldn’t breathe…I couldn’t breathe.”

  I spluttered out of my vision and held onto Grail for dear life before I said, “I think I know where the artifact is.”

  ~ Epilogue ~

  LIFE TEACHES US EVERY SINGLE day that there is no, happily ever after, but, oh, you can come close.

  That was how I felt whenever I was with Grail, in and out of his arms. A week has passed since our war with Vidal in Ireland.

  Never got to see a thing but a dungeon, but Grail has promised to take me back as soon as we get our hands on the Fae Hallow.

  My vision told me it was in the river in the French Quarter, but although we have searched and Shags has even used Scuba gear, we haven’t yet found it. I haven’t yet heard its song.

  Grail has been busy trying to get information on Vidal. We need to know if he is alive and thus far, no luck. No one we know has any information one way or another.

  Grail thinks he is alive and recovering somewhere.

  I love him, but, I haven’t told him. I think he might love me. He hasn’t told me. It is probably too soon for either of us to use the word—it means so much.

  I needed a day to myself, so I went home to my lovely little house. I dusted and tidied up and then curled up to read a book. Life had become intense and the quiet was good for me.

  His scent and then the black cloud and then him, gorgeous and larger than life stepping towards me.

  Without a word, he took me up from my sofa and crushed me in his arms. His kiss as always curled my toes. I don’t say that out loud, but, damn, it is the truth.

  When his lips moved away from mine it was to murmur, “I can’t seem to be without you, Smoke
, for more than a few hours. I missed you.”

  “Did you?” I ask hoping to hear more of what he might feel about me.

  “You know, don’t you, but you want to hear it?”

  “Do I?”

  “Smoke, you aren’t just joined with me. I don’t know where I end and you begin. I find myself thinking when I see chocolate, ‘ah, my baby would like that’ and I buy it. When I say something to a supernatural that you might think unkind, it makes my conscious cringe. When…you aren’t near, I ache. I love you more than I do myself.”

  I threw my arms around his neck and said, “Forever is a long, long time. Have you thought this out?”

  “Thank the fates that I have forever with you,” he whispered and kissed me hard.

  All at once, my living room which is not large, filled with a gold and silver dust and out of that dust, walked one of the most incredibly beautiful females I have ever seen.

  Her skin glistened. Her long platinum hair hung to her knees and over a gown that clung to her figure and was nearly transparent.

  Grail pulled me close and inclined his head low, so very low and pushed me to do the same, “Queen Aaibhe…we are honored.”

  Her smile was soft and her voice musical, “I am here against my better judgment, but, my trusted Prince Breslyn tells me there is a danger to humans and supernaturals that must be addressed. It is my understanding that you, Prince of Cumhacht, son of King Haevin, are attempting to retrieve our treasured Cumhachdach Hallow and return it to me.”

  “Yes, Queen Aaibhe, that is the truth,” Grail said.

  I think my mouth was open. I couldn’t stop staring, although the queen wasn’t looking at me.

  She twirled her hand and what looked like a huge crystal ball appeared in her palm. She said, “Open your hands.”

  My Holy Grail did just that and the crystal ball was transferred to both of his open hands.

  She inclined her head and said, “You may use my personal Orb to locate the approximate location of the Hallow. We as Seelie Fae are unable to see and locate our own Hallows. My orb cannot show it to me, but, my orb will show it you,” she turned to me. “You, my princess will hear its song when you are close. The orb can only direct you to its approximate location, and then you will need to hear its call.”