Caged Fire

by L M Preston

  EmVee raised a hand. “First, let’s save my mother. Then we’ll get this Sybil, and she will give us some answers.”

  Megan went to the door and opened it. “I’ll do better than that. I will find something the Overlord desires most and capture it. You can get your mother. I won’t rest until I save our fathers.”

  Rachel shook her head. “I will help you and your family in any way I can. Megan’s methods put the work of The Vigilant and my role within them at risk. I may have to help you from outside of her reach.”

  EmVee hugged Rachel. “I understand.”

  Rachel hugged her back then turned to Kayson. “Are you going to bond with him? It will make you both stronger and inseparable.”

  EmVee smiled. “Yes. I will.”

  “I can give him some of my healing magic to restore his strength, but it will only last a few hours. You’ll have to do it soon.”

  “I will.”

  Rachel touched EmVee’s arm. “You know how to do it?”

  EmVee frowned. “Not really.”

  Rachel bit her lip. “It involves biting and making love until the transformational bonding is complete. We may not see you both for twenty-four hours.”

  EmVee gulped. “I’ve never done…had…sex before. I don’t think I can do that for hours.”

  Rachel smirked. “Kayson will take care of you. He’s loved you for as long as he’s known you. He would never hurt you. Trust him.”

  “I will.”

  “Now leave me with him. It will only take a little while.”

  “All right.”

  EmVee walked over to Kayson, kissed his fevered forehead, and whispered, “Hold on my love. Fight it, for me, for us.”

  Demi grabbed EmVee as she passed the room she shared with Sax. Then she pulled her over to sit in one of the high-backed chairs in the room.

  “Where’s Sax?” EmVee looked around their room, which was much larger than the one she’d shared with Kayson. They didn’t have any books in their room. The walls were made of stone that protruded in uneven artful formations.

  “He went to meet someone in The Vigilant. They may have been watching the location you told us about and can give us more insight.” Demi plopped down in the chair in front of EmVee.

  “So, how are you feeling?” EmVee eyed her friend who seemed stronger, more sure of herself than before. Even sexier, if that could happen. After taking a sniff, she noted that Demi smelled human but had the residue of vampire on her.

  “Different. Much different than ever before. I was able to eat food without gagging. Sometimes though, I want to bite Sax.”

  EmVee sat up. “No!”

  She laughed. “He wants me to. Rachel warned me to hold off on any of that. She said that the antidote she gave me will stop me from becoming a vampire, provided I don’t get sucked into one of the Shadow Hounds’ tar puddles again or converted by a vampire.”

  “What about biting a human?”

  “She told me that if I did bite Sax, it would only give me strength, but until I fought the obsession to the point of overpowering it, I would likely not be able to control myself and could suck him dry.” She frowned. “And I wouldn’t want to do that, so I told Sax to stop teasing me.”

  EmVee smiled. “Did he stop?”

  “Yes, after he saw me battle with the Shadow Hounds.” Demi tapped her bottom lip with her forefinger. “He knew I could be dangerous.”

  “Well, at least he respects it now.”

  “You turned into a wolf that breathed fire. When the hell did that happen?”

  EmVee sighed. “When I was here before. A guy I’d fallen for was really part Fenrir and Soul Trainer. He was addicted to the Soul Trainer stone.”

  Demi frowned. “But you didn’t have the stone then.”

  EmVee snorted. “I did. I replayed the night over and over again. I realized that Megan had planted the stone on me. She’d used some magic to attach it to me when I saw her at school that afternoon. She hugged me, which I thought was weird. Then, when she’d lured Silas by baiting me, she withdrew the stone from my skin. She must have put some spell on me to make me forget or not remember, but when I first turned full wolf, her magic no longer worked, and turning revealed the truth of that night and of my first time in The Void.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, when I came here with my family at first, we were blinded by a magic spell, something I think The Vigilant did to protect us, or the Overlord did to keep us there. I don’t know how or who, but I do know I didn’t see things or people the way they really were.”

  “What are you going to do about Megan, the forked tongue evil creature that she is?”

  “Nothing. I don’t know really. After I save my mother and my family, I can’t go back to the Earth Province. My wolf couldn’t stand to be trapped within me forever. If I went back, she’d have to be restrained.”

  “Or she can find creatures that cross over and destroy them.”

  “Maybe, but there’s so much here left to clean up after I piece my life back together again.”

  “I guess.” Demi touched her. “I will help you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What about Kayson. Will we wait until that Siphoner returns to get him to kill it?”

  “I only want to save Kayson now. I will have to bond with him. I want to, badly, but now he’ll think I am doing this because I have to and that I don’t really love him.”

  “Why would he think that? You look at him with love.”

  “I guess because I’ve constantly pushed him away, mistrusted him, and basically told him that he was like Silas, if not worse, for knowing what Silas was and not doing anything to stop him.”

  Demi exhaled. “Wow. That’s a lot. But if he loves you, he will forgive you.”

  “Maybe, but what I’ve done is pushed my anger at him like a dagger into his heart, and he seems to be drowning in his guilt. It’s my fault. I don’t know how to fix it.”

  “Talk to him. Be honest. Show your love; you’re allowed to, you know. You’ve lost so much. Stop punishing yourself for actions you didn’t control. Take your moment. You owe it to yourself, to him.”

  EmVee rubbed away her tears and hugged Demi. “Thank you, bestie. I needed that.”

  EmVee walked into the bedroom to see Kayson getting dressed. He yanked on his jacket then went to his backpack and tossed a shirt into it. Kayson turned to face her.

  “What are you doing?” EmVee’s heart lurched at the anger on his face.

  He rubbed a towel on his wet hair and tossed it onto the chair. “Leaving here.”

  EmVee placed a hand on his chest. “Where to?”

  “To find that thing that did this to me and kill it. I’ve got a few hours. It won’t take long; I need to follow the melody in my ears. It won’t stop.”

  She shook her head and hugged him to her. “There is another way, Kayson.”

  He pushed her away. “I’m not doing it that way. Do you know what bonding means?”

  “It means your wolf and my wolf have a connection. It means I save you.”

  “I can save myself. I won’t have you sacrifice yourself for me.” He pivoted and kicked the chair. It flew across the room and tumbled the book tower in the corner.

  She ran to him and hugged him from behind. “Saving you won’t be a sacrifice. Kayson. I want to.”

  He broke her hold from around his waist and turned on her. “Until you can trust me, until you can forgive me, bonding with me will be torture. I will hear your thoughts, feel what you feel, know that you may want me because I’m convenient. I’m here, but I’ll know, deep in your heart, you don’t really know or trust me.” He wiped his hand down his face, picked up his bag, and moved to the door. “Or forgive me for the horrible things I’ve done.”

  EmVee stepped in behind him and slammed the door, holding him tightly. “I trust you. I do. I’m so sorry. Kayson, I love you. I love you. Please let me do this for you. For us. Please.” EmVee started to cry, and t
he tears wouldn’t stop falling.

  Kayson hit his head on the door, sliding his hand downward to the knob.

  EmVee jumped on his back. Holding on to him tightly, she bit his shoulder. “Bond with me. Kayson, please, forgive me. Don’t leave me.” She sobbed, “I need you.”

  He dropped his bag and turned. Kayson picked her up, hugging her. “God, I love you so much, EmVee.” He kissed her, ravaging her mouth with his. “I’m no good for you. But I will take you anyway I can. I shouldn’t. God help me, I shouldn’t.” He kissed her neck, her face, then pushed her from him. “If we bond, you will know it all and understand that I am flawed, that I am guilty, that I fed the monster Silas had become. That I’d become one myself for a while.”

  “I know that, Kayson. I accept that. No one is perfect. I’ve made mistakes. The first one was denying my attraction to you. I pushed you away that first moment, knowing I wanted you and feeling that you were…not my type. That wasn’t true. I was scared. I couldn’t control the way I felt for you, and it made me feel vulnerable. I wasn’t used to that. With Silas, I could control the relationship. I could set him apart from my heart and be sure he couldn’t break it.”

  Kayson stared at her then kneeled and rummaged through his bag. He pulled out a necklace with a small gold ring on it. Then, he removed the ring from the gold chain.

  He got down on one knee and took EmVee’s hand by her fingers. His hand was shaking. “This was my mother’s wedding band. She’d left it for my father, but I found it and kept it for myself. I knew he’d want to destroy it, but the ring was the only thing I had left of hers. She was the only other woman I would’ve died for…to keep in my life.” He kissed her hand.

  EmVee was trembling. Tears flowed freely down her face, but she didn’t move her gaze from his.

  “Vida Emily Lewis, my EmVee, will you be my wife, in spirit, in this life? Will you be mine forever? Forgive me for hurting you? Accept my undying love for you? Know that I will protect you and be yours forever?” He closed his eyes and laid his forehead on her hand.

  EmVee fell to her knees, said, “Yes,” and kissed him.

  Kayson stood, lifting her with him. “I’ll make our bonding gentle and slow, baby, make this good for you.”

  EmVee smiled. “I know.”

  He bent, lifted her in his arms, and laid her on the bed. Lying beside her, he kissed her tenderly and moved a wayward curl from her face. “I dreamed of this. So many nights. Sleeping in the same room with you was torture, but I couldn’t leave you for the night if I tried. I’d wait till you were asleep and watch you.”

  “You did? Did I talk in my sleep? My sister said I do.”

  “Sometimes.” He kissed her and smoothed her shirt down her shoulder. Kissed her cheek, her head, her neck, her shoulder.

  “Did you hear what I dreamed about?”

  He pulled back and grinned at her. “Sometimes.”

  “Then you knew I dreamt of you.”

  Kayson leaned in, barely touching his lips to hers. “Yes.”

  EmVee woke, spooned in Kayson’s warm embrace, and smiled. She felt the light kisses on her neck and the tingles all over her body that craved Kayson’s touch. He’d touched her everywhere, and yet it wasn’t enough.

  I love you. EmVee heard his thoughts clearer and felt an echo of his emotion. Tears fell, and she turned around to face him.

  “You know right?” she smiled.

  Kayson nodded, and his eyes watered. He used his thumb to wipe a wayward tear from under her eye. “I do know. You always wanted me first. You shouldn’t have been scared to dump him for me.”

  “I understand that now. I love you so much. For always.” EmVee kissed him and wrapped her arm around his neck. Her leg draped over his hips, pulling him closer to her.

  Kayson’s hand slid to her lower back. He smiled. “Always.” He kissed her deeper and deeper.

  Her hunger for him and the delicious things he’d made her feel, over and over through the night, encouraged her boldness to tease his nipple ring and build the urgency of their kiss.

  Kayson chuckled. “The bonding hunger getting to you again?” He growled.

  “My love for you is. I want to get closer, to be one with you again.” EmVee mumbled between biting nips to his neck. Kayson adjusted and allowed her to straddle his hips, flipping her with him as he lay on his back.

  “Take it.” His eyes dared her.

  Her beast whined, and EmVee leaned in to quench her new obsession with Kayson’s body.

  They’d driven through thick grass at the edge of the city. Then got onto a gravel-filled access road to the forest that backed the gym. Megan stopped the van at the edge of a gate at the end of the access road.

  EmVee leaned out the window, noting the warning signs that hung on stakes on the wrought iron fence at the perimeter of the woods.

  Keep Out! Enter at your own Risk!

  “Why can’t we get in through the main gym entrance?” EmVee asked.

  Megan looked down at her cell phone and played with the map. “The only way into the underground is through this forest if we want to go undetected.”

  “How do you know? I remember there are ways to the cellar of that building.”

  “Yes, that may be true, but we are going much deeper than the cellar. The entrance to the underground is not in the gym. They keep them separate.”

  EmVee watched the moon and wondered what caused some of the tops of the trees to ruffle.

  “Is your source reliable?”

  “Absolutely! He was the boy who came to call on Kayson.”

  EmVee turned to her. “You saw him?”

  “Well, yes, while you and Kayson were ‘bonding’ for nearly two days, the creature decided to pay a visit since he’d loss a food source.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me he was near?” Kayson moved between Megan and EmVee.

  “I didn’t want to disturb you even though you were disturbing the entire house.” Megan snorted. “Anyway, I bagged him, got the information I needed, and…”

  “Please say you didn’t kill him.” EmVee crossed her arms. “We may need him to find my father…your father.”

  “You think that badly of me? I admit I lost my temper with Zagan. He was arrogant, a braggart, and damn strong. He tried to kill me first, you know. Zagan nearly did, but no one worries about Megan’s welfare. No… My reflexes can get the best of me. This Siphoner was rather compliant when I took his flute and told him we may be related. I mean, who wouldn’t want a big sister like me? Then, he complied even more so when I brought a friend over to remove the effects of the death magic on him. His mind is his own now.”

  “And yours to manipulate since you gave him something.” EmVee rolled her eyes. “Did he have any answers about how to free men turned to sandmen? Or to even contact them?”

  “Well, in fact he did. The sandmen sometimes can go rogue, usually only for a moment before being discovered. Then they can communicate with someone they love, someone they have a connection to. When they do, they can give clues on how to do in their keeper.”

  “If that’s the case, why didn’t your father try to contact you in your sleep?”

  “I was a child. He had that connection with my mother. It’s likely why she was so distraught. She knew he was alive, but she was powerless to save him. He was tortured, and knowing that depressed her.” Megan placed her hand on EmVee’s arm. “Your mother may have been contacted by your father. It may be the only way we can get to them.”

  “I’m not buying that, Megan. What about your connections?” Kayson asked.

  “They are working at finding another way. This is our closest lead.”

  “Fine. You make sure you are in the gym parking lot when we get out.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Where’s Demi and Sax?” EmVee opened the door.

  “They left, said they were getting some additional help.”

  EmVee got out the van, closed the door, and followed Kayson who was starting toward t
he woods.

  “It took everything in me not to break her neck.” Kayson turned to EmVee and hugged her to him. “Knowing that she planted the soul charm on you and possibly the other girls to get revenge on Silas makes me sick. I hate being manipulated like this.”

  “She makes herself useful.”

  “I know. Are you ready for this?”

  “Yes, I want to save my mother. We are so close.”

  “Okay, this place—no one survives it. That’s the legend. People claimed it’s where the missing Soul Trainers went. It didn’t stick during my father’s investigations. Parts of their bodies were left in locations I now know Silas met them. Megan’s dangerous, but not willing to die for her answers. She’d rather we do that. It’s probably why Megan didn’t bother to come.”

  EmVee searched the crowd of trees around them. There was a crackle here and there and rustling. Her senses were on edge. There was something, and it was moving, picking up speed, coming toward them.

  “Stay behind me. Let me turn first if I need to. You can pull your strength without going full wolf. I’ll guard you.”

  “I won’t need it.” She smiled inside, loving his protectiveness of her. EmVee unsheathed the short-sword she’d brought with her. “I can destroy whatever it is with this or your chain whip.”

  “Take my bag so I can change after.” Kayson tossed his small leather arm bag to her.

  EmVee caught it and strapped it tight to hers.

  They walked further into the depth of brush around them. With each step, EmVee felt something watching her. The trees had thick spider webs woven on some of them. Crackling of something moving through the trees alerted her, and she raised her short-sword, ready for anything.

  As they broke through to a small clearing, her eyes widened at the attacking creatures. Black widow spiders, several feet tall, with lower halves of a spider but upper torsos human females. They had a covering of thick black hair that went from the breasts to meet the rounded spider bottom. Their eyes were completely black and oval in shape, and their heads were bald with the exception of several whips of hair from the forehead to the neck. The noses were human, petite, and the mouths showed two rounded fangs that curved over thin lower lips. Their human arms were long and thin, and their fingers were fused into two sets of curved claws.