Demon Dark (23 page)

Children,

I echoed and blinked.

He grasped my chin.

Can you not see it?

He brushed his lips softly over mine.

The Seer can. There is a possibility.

Ana had seen us together in the future with children? How much else has she told Breandan and not me?

By gods, I never thought it possible, but I was too distracted to return his kiss.

Mulling over his words, I raked my upper teeth over my lower lip and stared into the middle distance.

Such commonplace thoughts were not exactly encouraged when I d been growing up at Temple, and to be honest, I wasn t thinking much further than a day or two ahead. Life had become kind of & dangerous and unpredictable. Breandan obviously had been. A lot. Did it scare me to ponder a small family of my own, a joining of Breandan and I? No, not at all. It just sounded so strange and & normal. Something I most assuredly was not nor ever had been, but there was every possibility I could be. To live in the Wyld, at ClanTree with my friends and family around me seemed a wondrous dream I was too cautious to dwell on, even dream up, but now he d touched on it images of what our life could be once all this strife was over flashed before my eyes.

Fierce yearning lodged in the pit of my stomach. I wanted it. This vision of our future he had, I wanted it too.

It was another something deeply private between Breandan and I to fight for.

Sighing, I rested my head on his chest and smiled. Dreams were sweet, but I would not linger on them if it meant this violent need he d managed to abruptly plant inside me would grow and divert my already flaky resolve.

There was no reservation on my part for this handfasting plan of his. I just wasn t so sure that Lochlann would indulge us. Maybe if I found a way to twist his arm & literally. Hmmm. Handfasting was another way for Breandan to tie us together, and I was all for it.

When my mouth was shut for what Breandan obviously considered too long a time, he ducked down to see my expression. Inexplicably shy, I turned my face into his chest.

Talking like this, you re definitely going to keep me,

I murmured happily.

Oh yes.

He laughed, loud and long.

After everything, you doubted it?

Feigning outrage, I punched his shoulder, somewhat feebly. When that made his throaty rumbles louder, I bit him.

The laughter died down, and the stark reality had me clutching Breandan to me. He caught my chin and tilted my chin up to kiss me. It was fierce and filled with promise. I took that promise a bit too literally and shifted to press myself close, desire quick to take the place of fear and uncertainty.

Ah, we have no more time. Sunset approaches.

He ground his back teeth together.

I am sorely tempted to lose myself in you and damn the rest.

He muzzled my ear but his mind was already wandering elsewhere. I could feel him retreating, drawing everything inside so he could be calm and level headed. He held himself aloof and kept me at a distance, so he could focus. I saw that now. Whereas I let myself get distracted, he didn t allow himself to be.

I held one of his hands in mine and traced the lifelines I found there. The hot flush left my face and cooled my desire. Fear was ever ready to creep back in. My fear for him was infinitely greater than that for myself. Breandan would not think twice about giving his life for mine, and that is something I would not allow to happen.

We ll survive this,

I whispered more to myself but it ended up a question when I added,

won t we?

I had no altruistic desire to sacrifice him or myself for the greater good. I was here for my friends and family, and because it was the right thing to do. Didn t mean I had to enjoy the prospect of us throwing ourselves into harms way, standing to face the heart of the conflict with an uncertain chance of survival.

Breandan stood and kissed my hand.

We ll be together, not matter what happens. That is what is important.

I held onto his voice, repeated to myself as we snuck closer to the Wyld to plan our next steps. I had a bright future ahead of me & if I could survive all fate had to throw at me & I was resolved to see it

Breandan and I crept closer to the Wyld and peered past the trees. There was a lot of movement, but the direction of it confused me.

Screwing up my face, I pointed at the small cluster of Knights forming a phalanx to plough their way through the swarm of vampires blocking their path.

Um, are the fairies trying to fight their way into the Wyld?

Breandan cursed.

Something has gone wrong.

What we had talked about earlier was true. Cael wanted the power that lay in the heart of the Wyld. Somehow, he d lured the fairies out and had managed to plant himself exactly where he wanted to be.

How could Lochlann let this happen?

Whatever,

I muttered.

I have to reach Cael.

Breandan nodded slowly and turned me to face him. He stared down into my face.

If we are separated, call to me and I will come for you.

I managed a smile to assure him I was ready, and drew in a shaky breath that I down played with laughter.

You d better. If it s been too long you get your ass in gear and come save me, right?

He grinned and everything melted away. His eyes glowed and his face was animated, so handsome. His smiles came easy now, and it made me happy that I was the one to put them there.

The happiness faded.

His head lowered, mine tilted up. The kiss was sweet, a chaste supping of lips, but my heart fluttered regardless, and the heat of him made a delicious shiver travel down my spine.

We both were left breathless, foreheads pressed together, arms locked in a tight embrace, wings fluttering restlessly.

Survive,

he breathed in my ear. Hand slipping around my waist he pushed my cloak aside and tucked his dagger into a sheath hidden behind my back. The hilt pressed into the base of my spine, just above and to the side of where my tail began

No matter what you survive.

He backed away and winked before the stone mask was back and he spun to face the battle before us.

Do not hesitate to destroy anybody who blocks your path.

A pinpoint of light appeared a few paces away blinding it made me squint before it bloated into a cerulean sphere slashed with green. It buzzed, hovered in front of us, highlighting the contours of Breandan face until he looked like an otherworldly specter.

Breandan s magic was awe inspiring, controlled, and fluid.

His sphere was smooth as glass yet the inside broiled like a turbulent sea. It was like Breandan himself, a placid surface that concealed the terrifying might beneath.

Gods of valor,

he murmured.

Hearken to me. Give me the strength to protect whom I love.

I risked a glance at him, and found his face drawn, eyes closed, and expression intense as his lips moved, silently repeating the small call for help.

I still needed my body to help my form and focus my magics. My hands opened and closed into an oval. As I moved whips of power rushed over my arms to merge and create a fireball. The edges rough and untamed, it wasn t as pretty a colour as Breandan s simply a roaring orange flame that I forced into a violent ball of aggression.

I took my cue from Breandan and let the ball of fire expand to extreme dimensions.

We d been spotted.

Breandan grabbed my hand as his sphere hurtled forward and knocked down a line of combatants before exploding.

He bolted, yanking me behind him. My fireball towed behind me, we ran through the space he d cleared, blazing past those struggling to stand. We ran so hard we tore the ground. Faces blurred as we rushed past, knowing that the fighting would swell behind us to close the gap.

Swinging back my arm to throw it forward in a tossing motion, I sent my own fireball flying. It hammered through to clear an even greater distance, but before I could add the extra oomph it needed to explode, control of the fireball was wrestled from me.

The flow of my magic was just & switched off.

The fireball flipped over and sped back toward us.

Shocked at how control had been ripped from me, I halted, and stared at it.

Breandan skidded to a stop, retraced his step, and grabbed my arm. Pivoting, he threw me into the teeming host.

The last I saw of Breandan was him ducking as vampires swarmed over him.

The ball of flames exploded, jettisoning streaks of blue and silver magic into the sky. The aftershock ripples of magic were like sonic booms. Everyone was shunted or knocked over as they fanned out over the battlefield.

I screamed, knowing Breandan would ve been too close to not be harmed and the sudden pain that stabbed through the bond was proof of that.

Wings extended, tail straight, I landed on my feet, already surging up to race back to where he was. Thoughts of the direction I should be going were chased away by my panic.

I ran forward then rocked back on my heels, arms cart-wheeling to dodge the leap of a were-cat as he landed on a vampire with a vicious snarl scratching, maw chomping. The two tumbled to the ground, both battling for the advantage then the vampire locked wiry arms around the lynx s torso and squeezed. There was a sickening crunch and the lynx went limp. The vampire grabbed the whimpering shifter s head in his hands, struggling for a good hold.

Coming up from behind, I hooked my hand in the vampire s mouth and yanked. Shrieking, he let go of the lynx to dig dirty fingernails into my hand. His fangs dropped and cut into my palm.

The short reprieve was all the shifter needed to twist around and go for the jugular.

I let go, shaking my hand, and left them there.

The small diversion muddled my sense of direction until I closed my eyes and focused on the bond to centre me.

A flurry of blonde knocked into me from the side toppling us both over. The hellion straddled me, her fangs bared and eyes inked over black.

I hissed and struggled, bucking to get her off.

Rae! Why am I not surprised to find you standing like a simpleton exactly where you re not supposed to be? No doubt this is a plan from that fool of a fairy of yours.

Stilling, my nose twitched, and I focused long enough to recognize the snarling person behind the blood and dirt.

I glowered at her.

Nice to see you too Daphne. Get off me.

She eased off, eyes on the fight around us, still crouched and ready to attack.

I regained my feet with more caution. I too scanned the turmoil, looking for Breandan.

Dying screams filled the air. Hunting screeches echoed and forewarned the hollow thuds of bodies falling to the ground. The sound of flesh ripping and bones breaking swelled and overwhelmed me until I thought I would pass out.

Blood and offal soaked into the black soil, splattered over the golden grass.

The dank scents of earthy minerals were strong, mixing with the heady evergreen fragrance that floated from the Wyld, and infused a giddy zing into the atmosphere. The overhanging scent of death was now stronger, a pungent aroma that stung the nostrils and made your eyes water from the smoke.

The vapor from spent magics hung heavy in the air, coating my skin with a thin layer of black dust speckled with rich jewel colors, emeralds, and sapphires. The clouds of it riddling the empty spaces between fighting bodies were too wispy to be called smoke, but too dense to be considered tainted air. They left a sharp taste on the tongue and a gritty feel on the fingertips.

Deadly magics streaked through the heavens in colorful spears of death, then whizzed down to strike were-cats and wolves weaving close to the ground, or wounding the fairy Knights determined to break past and regain their home.

Arrows and daggers sliced past to bite into the skin of vampire and witch.

Huddles of Clerics in crimson cloaks stood in tight formations, herding vampires that had been lured away from the main body of the Nest to take the demon down in a group.

Wolves howled.

Somewhere, deep in the conflict, a bear roared.

Bolts of brilliant lightning blazed from a cloudless sky to punch the earth, tossing clusters of fairies onto their backs, skin blackened and charred.

Starving vampires sank fang into the throats of humans and fairies alike, greedily dragging their flailing bodies into shadows.

Darting shadows high above had me tilting my head back to search the dark.

Raptors dropped from the sky, darting into the mêlée and shooting back up with snarling vampires clamped in their claws. A ruthless jerk of a beak ripped heads from necks. Dead bodies were tossed to earth, dropped from slashing talons.

One of the Raptors, an eagle with off-white feathers cresting her brow and neck, dived so close her vast wingspan stirred up a whirlpool of dust. Large, unblinking eyes with bright amber irides keen of sight and crisp with intelligence spied her prey. Thick feathers fluttered on wings that stiffened as she swopped low, skimming the ground. Her plumage bristled in warning as razor claws extended, and grabbed a vampire from behind. Her talons snapped shut, impaling the spindly demon torso. The sharp hook of her yellow beak snagged the vampire s neck to hinder its struggles. With a skilful beating of wings, and precise angling of her wedge-shaped tail, she lifted high into the sky away from imminent danger to finish him off.