Saving Daylight

by Shannon K. Butcher

  He’d been created to protect and defend those around him. He’d been raised to fight and keep others safe. He’d spent his entire long life taking risks so that those weaker than himself didn’t have to. And now, thanks to his vow, he had to stand by and let the woman he should have sworn to protect above all others, walk into danger.

  She hadn’t had much time to learn how to channel his power. She probably didn’t even know where her strengths and weaknesses lie when it came to magic. Some women were more gifted in certain areas where others struggled. Without experience there was no way to know when she might falter.

  And here he was, powerless to stop her from walking straight into the mouth of danger.

  It grated against every cell in his body, every spark of his essence, but there was no choice. He’d bound himself to his word and was stuck with his choices.

  All he could do now was stay right by her side so that he was there to protect her when shit went down. Because it would. It always did.

  They parked next to the ruined remains of her Nissan. Demons had clawed and chopped their way inside, leaving curling ribbons of metal behind. Every window was smashed, along with most of the mirrors. The tires were rubber streamers, and her belongings had been ripped out and spread around the area.

  Frilly gowns and practical combat clothing were strewn in a fifty-foot radius around the car. Each piece had been shredded and stained with foul, greasy smears. Even the seats had been torn to shreds, stuffing exploding from the cuts like synthetic guts.

  The only part of her vehicle that hadn’t been penetrated was the trunk. Morgan guessed there wasn’t as much of her scent there, making it far less appealing a target to the demons that had destroyed the rest of her car.

  Serena eyed the mess. Her gaze lingered on some of the more sparkly clothing, filled with sadness and grief.

  “So many pretty things, all gone,” she said on a regretful sigh.

  He vowed then and there that when they got out of this cave, he was going to take her to a mall and buy her all the frilly, sequined, ruffled clothing he could carry.

  It was midday. The sky was a clear, blue field overhead. The caves would be stuffed full of Synestryn hiding from the sun, but that was part of her plan. She was convinced that the more monsters there were inside, the more likely she was to find whatever nest these new, red-eyed demons were coming from.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked. He didn’t add that letting her walk into caves stuffed full of Synestryn was making him regret his vow.

  “If the caves are empty, how are we to find the offspring we seek?”

  “Maybe they stay behind while the adults go hunting. It could be that the nest will be easier to find without all the other monsters getting in our way.”

  She shook her head. Her fiery hair swayed around her face to caress her soft cheeks.

  He knew what her skin felt like now. He knew how she smelled when her body heated with arousal, how she sounded when she came.

  His abdomen clenched against a hard punch of need. His cock began to swell, not caring that the timing was about as bad as it could get.

  What he really wanted to do was find the closest gerai house, spread her out naked on a bed and devour her. He wanted to take her over and over until they were both too tired to even care what demons lurked in those caves, much less go hunt them.

  But that wasn’t going to happen. He’d given her his vow not to hold her back and that meant marching down into darkness with her.

  Whatever it took, he’d keep her safe, because there was no way he was going to deprive himself the sound of her screaming in climax.

  With a silent sigh for what he couldn’t have, he led the way inside.

  Even after centuries of fighting, Morgan could never get used to the smell of demon filth. It hung in the air, pungent and so thick he was certain he could see the fog hovering in the still air of the cave.

  As before, he struggled to work his way through the tight confines of the tunnels. Rock scraped the shoulders of his new jacket as he went. A few times, he had to turn sideways to fit through a narrow opening.

  And then there was that low spot where they had to crawl through—the place where they’d almost died the last time they were in here.

  There was no trace of their blood on the rocky floor, only a sheen where grit and refuse had been swept away. Based on the smears left behind, he was certain that demons had lapped up their blood until there was none left.

  Behind him, Serena whispered, “I hate this part.”

  Morgan did too, but he didn’t respond. His voice was deeper than hers and would carry much farther in the tunnels.

  Once he was on the far side of the low tunnel, he rose to his feet and drew his sword. Not having it out had been a risk, but trying to maneuver with it out was also risky. He couldn’t swing his weapon in that space and holding it only slowed him down.

  But he hadn’t been afraid. He knew that if Synestryn caught them in that tight spot, Serena would have been able to use his power to protect them.

  It was strange having a partner after years of being on his own. Stranger still was the idea that he knew he could rely on her. There was no question about her motives or loyalty. He never had to wonder what she was thinking or what she wanted. She always made her wishes clear.

  He knew without a doubt that she would do whatever it took to turn them into a killing machine. Together, they were powerful. Together, they were the dangerous thing that went bump in the night. They were the thing the demons feared.

  He let that truth fill him with strength and resolve. People were relying on them to do a job. Dangerous or not, they were going to do it.

  And maybe, if they came out victorious, Serena would decide that they belonged together permanently. She would save him from his pain, his isolation. She would stay by his side and perhaps together they could turn the tide of war.

  Then again, if they failed, maybe she’d decide that she was better off with another man. Even if she didn’t like Link, there were so many other unbound male Theronai that she would likely find another whose power was compatible with her.

  As Serena gained her feet, Morgan saw the first flicker of movement up ahead.

  Dark eyes landed on him, then lit with an eerie red fire as the demon realized prey was near.

  Morgan charged.

  The thing seemed to slow as it neared. Morgan had no trouble lopping off its head, as if it were waiting for him to do just that. Dodging the arching pulse of black blood coming from its neck was the more difficult job.

  Before the demon’s head had come to a complete stop a few feet away, more of those red-eyed demons came.

  He felt a sucking sensation he wasn’t yet used to as Serena pulled power from him to do her bidding.

  A disc of almost invisible light streaked toward the incoming demons. It spun through the air, making a faint whirring sound that was instantly drowned out by the clicks and grunts of monsters.

  That glowing disc sliced through the line of gray demons flowing out of a tunnel, neatly removing their heads.

  Morgan had barely had a chance to warm up his sword arm, but he knew the day was still young. He’d get his fill.

  They fought their way through the network of tunnels, slicing through demons right and left—his sword and her magic. It was messy, disgusting work, but someone had to do it.

  Side-by-side, they scoured every inch of that cave system, only to find nothing more than bones, filth and gray corpses.

  As they made their way back outside, Serena said, “I was sure this was the source.” Her tone was desolate and defeated. If he hadn’t been so dirty, he would have pulled her into his arms and offered her what comfort he could.

  It was dark by the time they left the cave. They were both covered in sweat and plastered with grime. He’d earned a few shallow cuts along the way, but nothing serious, thanks to her ability to slow the blow of any enemy who came at him.

  Unlike most Sy
nestryn, these creatures weren’t poisonous. Had they been, he wouldn’t have made it through the first ten minutes.

  His guess was that whoever had created these things had willingly traded that deadly Synestryn trait for a more human appearance. Not human enough to stop Morgan from cutting them down, but the new look was definitely creepy.

  There were reports from the field that the Synestryn were altering human children from a young age so that they could breed more human-looking demons. Whether the intent was to allow those creatures to pass as humans out in the world, or if it was to tie the hands of those who’d sworn to protect humans, he wasn’t sure. But what he did know was that the progress toward hybrids was moving far faster than any of them cared to think about.

  And strangely, in all the places they’d looked, there hadn’t been a single smaller, childish version of the gray demons. It was as if they had some way of hiding their young from sight.

  “What made you so sure this was the source?” he asked.

  “Joseph sent me some maps of all known attacks and sightings of those demons.”

  “We need a name for them,” he said. “Let’s call them baldies since they don’t have fur.”

  She wrinkled her nose and laughed. “If we ever do have children, I’m naming them.”

  If she gave him a child, he’d give her the world—whatever she wanted would be hers.

  “You don’t like it?” he asked, grinning.

  She shook her head. “How about daylight demons?”

  “Whatever makes you happy, Serena.” He meant that, from the depths of his soul. He wanted this woman to be filled with joy. Maybe he couldn’t give her love, but he could give her nearly everything else. And he would, given the chance.

  She beamed at his agreement.

  “So, what did the maps show?” he asked.

  “I didn’t see a pattern until recently—until Joseph told me of Sibyl’s prophecy. Her dire warning made me look closer at the notes I made on the maps. As it turns out, there is a high concentration of daylight demons near Austin, followed by a second, less-concentrated area in southern Missouri.”

  “Maybe they don’t like the cold. They are bald, after all.”

  “You think they migrate?” she asked.

  “Could be.”

  He followed her back to the gutted remains of her car. She tried to open the trunk with the interior release, but the battery cables had been ripped free along with most of the wiring under the hood.

  “The maps are in the trunk,” she said. “Can you open it?”

  The metal was dented and bent, but hadn’t been penetrated with claws, teeth or swords. He found a section where the edge of the trunk flared out from a dent, braced his fingers and pulled.

  Metal squealed as it ripped loose of its moorings. With a sharp crack, the trunk latch broke free and released the lid.

  Inside were some emergency supplies that all cars were stocked with as well as a few other items. She reached in and pulled out a long, plastic tube of maps. She opened the tube and spread out a stack on the hood of his truck.

  “You might be right,” she said. “Look.”

  She opened two maps side-by-side on the hood of his truck. They held down the curling edges so they could see the whole picture.

  “This one is six months old,” she said, pointing to the right. “This one is from a few days ago. Each dot is a sighting or attack.”

  There were red dots covering the maps like pimples, but there were definitely clusters in a few areas: Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama. Next to them were handwritten notes in Serena’s tidy, curving script.

  “See how the clusters shifted further south this winter?” she asked.

  He did. There were still plenty of sightings surrounding Dabyr, but that place was a demon magnet without trying—especially now that it was easy to get in. “There aren’t any sightings very far north, even though there are tons of known Synestryn caves up there.”

  “Maybe that’s too far to migrate on foot. Or underground. I’ve seen underground passages that go for miles.”

  “Could be. Or it could be something else entirely. Maybe they’re moving for some other reason.”

  She frowned. “Let’s assume for now that they don’t like the cold. We’ll need another year of data to know for sure, but we don’t have that kind of time. We have to find the source of the infestation and their spawning grounds.”

  “Spawning grounds? What makes you think they aren’t reproducing wherever they are?”

  She blinked at him like he’d missed something big. “They have no genitals.”

  “Oh. Well. That would make things difficult. Guess I don’t pay much attention to demon junk.”

  “One of the Sanguinar dissected three of them and found no trace of reproductive organs, internally or externally. In fact, he couldn’t detect gender at all—they’re identical.”

  “And since they have to come from somewhere, it’s our job to find how they’re being spawned.”

  “I spoke to Sibyl. She warned me that I need to hurry.”

  Morgan hadn’t told his boss that they’d bonded. He didn’t want anyone to know yet—not because he was ashamed, but because he wanted to keep her all to himself. Once word got out, their little bubble of isolation would be burst as every unbound male Theronai would want to give her his vow to protect her.

  He couldn’t see Serena suffering through a pile of men who promised to protect her with their lives. She hadn’t even wanted that vow from Morgan.

  And if those same men got word that Serena had the power to end her bond to Morgan whenever she wished…there were too many desperate men in their ranks to risk the kind of chaos that news would cause. Men would start fighting each other for a chance at her, even if they weren’t compatible.

  Serena looked up at Morgan, her deep blue eyes troubled. “You’re not thinking about going back to Dabyr or to one of those shelters, are you? Because I won’t—”

  He covered her lips with his finger. They were smooth and warm and made him think of how they’d felt against his skin as she’d kissed him.

  He needed more of her mouth on his, more wherever she wanted to put it. Even the idea was enough to make him tremble with lust.

  “I made you a promise. I have no choice but to keep it. Besides, there’s not much Dabyr left to go back to, and I don’t like the idea of sharing you yet.”

  She arched a fiery brow in challenge. “So, you think one day you will want to share?”

  Never. He knew he was far too possessive to pretend otherwise. Still, he said nothing to give away the fact that he wanted to keep her all to himself. She might see that as too close to a cage for his peace of mind.

  “I think today is the only one we have room to worry about,” he said. “We don’t even know what the source of the daylight demons is, much less where to find it.”

  “Or them,” she amended. “There could be more than once source.”

  “So, how do you want to play this?” he asked.

  “I remember hunting for game in the dead of winter,” she said. “My father would bring me along to teach me. There was a lot of walking, endless hours of cold, numb feet, and sometimes days would go by without anything to show for your suffering.”

  “You’re not saying you want to give up, are you?” he asked.

  “Never. It’s not in my nature to do so.”

  “Then what?”

  She looked him up and down, then surveyed herself. “I think that if we want to go hunting, we’re going to need warm boots.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Serena was glad the caves she and Morgan hunted in were dark, because otherwise, the daylight demons would have seen her coming a mile off in the new, sparkly boots she wore.

  Women of this time were so lucky, with so many fine choices of clothing. It made her feel like a queen. A very warm, comfortable one.

  For the last week, every day had been the same. They woke up before dawn, we
nt into the next cave on their list, moving steadily northeast through Texas, Oklahoma, then into Missouri. They cleaned out each cave from one end to another, searching for signs of whatever it was that spawned the daylight demons.

  After they could fight no more, they would go to the nearest gerai house where they would bathe, eat and sleep.

  Morgan hadn’t come to her bed, and she hadn’t gone to his. They’d barely touched outside of combat. They were two distinct people who came together for their work, but that’s where the bond ended.

  The conduit between them that channeled his power to her hadn’t changed much since the night they’d bonded, even with her intentionally trying to widen it every day. He had plenty of reserves to give her—she could feel a sea of power shimmering on the other end of the pipeline that connected them—but she could only take in a small amount of energy at a time.

  She was beginning to think the fault was hers. What else could it be? Everything about him was healthy—it was she who must be lacking.

  Serena briefly considered calling one of the bonded women at the shelters and asking for advice, but quickly tossed the idea aside. How could she get advice when she would never be able to explain to anyone the unusual vow she and Morgan had agreed upon.

  Neither of them was interested in love.

  No, that was not exactly true. She craved love, but the price was too high, especially with a man who was still in love with his dead wife. Even if she could bring herself to let go of Iain in her heart, Morgan’s belonged to another.

  But with Sibyl’s warning still fresh in her mind and that eerie nightmare of her children coming back every night, Serena had to do something. She needed more of Morgan’s power. She needed their link to grow.

  A couple of times in combat, she’d almost been too weak to protect him. The conduit of magic between them hadn’t been wide enough for her to send it in so many places, to block the path of so many swords headed Morgan’s way.

  What if they got in an even worse situation? What if she failed to protect him on all sides and it cost him his life?

  She couldn’t let that happen. He was a good man. His people needed him—needed both of them, together, strong and functioning as a team.