The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) (76 page)

“Shit!”

The air pressure shifted just slightly and he whipped out his Primani blade and spun to face his visitor.

Raphael inclined his head and observed, “Surely there’s no need to draw your weapon on me?”

Flushing, Killian hastily slid the blade into its sheath. Holding out his hand in apology, he said, “Forgive me, Raphael. I’m afraid I’ve been surrounded by less than desirable company lately.”

Raphael shook his hand and said, “So I’ve heard. Have you made any progress with
Sgaine Dutre
?”

“Not a lot. I can track Jordan but he’s been one step ahead of me. It’s a game to him.” He paused and drank the last swallow of his water. “But it’s not a game he can win. I promise you that.”

Raphael tensed and demanded, “The rumors are true then? He intends to challenge our God? Is he crazy?”

Snorting with disgust, Killian said, “Of course he’s crazy! But more than that…he’s made a deal...” He left the word hang in the silence that followed.

Raphael’s look of shock turned to anger and then dismay all in rapid succession. Slowly, he said, “Well, then. That’s it. Michael will be most disappointed.” He flexed his fingers and a tiny ball of light appeared in the middle of his palm. Rolling it about with the pad of his thumb, he sank into thought.

Well accustomed to Raphael’s powers, Killian waited respectfully. The tiny white light seemed familiar somehow.

“You’re going to have company on your journey very soon. I’m afraid our Mica will not be able to anchor Sean. Even now, he’s walking a very thin, very dangerous line. It will happen tonight. She will come to you in Paris. Let her make the journey on her own.”

Swearing in several languages, Killian gripped the balcony railing. “Damn it! Is there nothing I can do for him?”

“No! You
cannot
interfere! This is his destiny. We all come to a crossroads, Killian. Think back upon your own.” His tone brooked no argument and Killian ground his teeth together helplessly.

“I won’t interfere. I give you my word. But I have to know that Mica will be safe with him. Is he too far gone to stop himself from hurting her? He could tear her to pieces. I’ll be damned before I let him do that.”

Raphael studied the tiny light again and sighed. “I like to think I know Sean and he’s not the type to hurt an innocent.”

“But?”

Raphael looked uncomfortable now. “She’s a means to the end. He’s hunting an old enemy and he’s found him. He’ll use her to get what he wants. He’s already pushing the boundaries; anything more serious and he’s looking at a meeting with Michael.”

Killian was stunned. A meeting with Michael was a euphemism for standing trial in their world. Humans could elect a jury by their peers. Primani had one option: Michael. He ruled them without mercy. He didn’t see you unless you were guilty beyond any doubt, reasonable or otherwise. If Sean ended up in front of Michael, he was screwed.

“Well, fuck.”

“Yes, well, I’m inclined to agree with your sentiments, if not your colorful wording of them. Let us hope he’s not beyond redemption. Now, would you like some more news?”

“Probably not, but go ahead.”

Chuckling, Raphael said, “Mica is nearing the end of her tribulations. She is well on her way to fulfilling her destiny.” He paused to give it a minute to sink in. “And Killian, my friend, that destiny is intricately entwined with your own.” He smiled with genuine warmth then and clapped his hand on Killian’s shoulder.

It was over?

Killian was speechless for a minute. His heart thudded to a halt. It was too much to hope for; too good to be true. So much time had passed. Was it possible?

Holding his breath, he asked, “So she’ll live after all?”

“
That
remains to be seen.”

I WOKE TO THE SOUND of the shower running. I sat up and blinked in the darkness. What time was it? My head swam and I closed my eyes. I tried again. The walls stood still this time. I was about to get out of bed when my door swung open and bounced against the wall.

Sean said, “Good, you’re up. Get in the shower. You have about 15 minutes to make yourself look good.”

“Whoa, what?” I swung my feet off the bed, making my head swim oddly again. What was going on now?

He poked his head in and said, “You’re wasting time. At least brush your teeth.”

My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and I was swinging between confusion and anger. What the hell was he doing? Brush my teeth? I stumbled into the shower and sat on the floor with the hot water sluicing over me like a volcanic waterfall. My mind was blank. I couldn’t even remember what day it was. My hands shook when I tried to pick up the soap. That’s when I realized I was naked…

“What did you do to me?” I demanded as soon as I found him in the living room. I’d managed to wash up, brush my teeth, and put on a dress and sandals that had appeared on my dresser. I ran out of time so my hair was damp and hanging like a curtain down my back.

He looked me up and down and seemed satisfied. “Did you find your gun? I cleaned it for you and loaded it with fresh rounds. Your knives are cleaned too. You should take better care of your weapons; salt water will ruin them.”

With that, he headed for the door. I followed numbly. What on earth was he up to? He’d gone shopping? My new dress was nearly transparent white cotton and came to the middle of my thighs. The tiny straps meant I had to go braless since I didn’t have a strapless here. It was summery and sexier than I would’ve wanted. My locket hung between my breasts like a warm talisman. He’d gotten himself an ordinary pair of jeans and a new t-shirt. Combat boots completed his stylish look. I caught the glimpse of blue fire at his wrist and stumbled a bit. My wristband? He had put it back on. When? Why?

Reaching back, he snatched my hand and pulled me to the car so quickly my feet didn’t touch the ground. When we stopped, my insides lurched with a slosh. Ugh! I hated this feeling and he knew it. Glaring, I started to snap at him and lost my audio. His eyes were dark and stormy as he looked directly into mine. A ripple of fear crawled down my back.

His mouth curled into a slow, terrible smile and he said, “I want something from you.”

He reeled me closer. I tried to back away.

“No!” I mouthed shaking my head in denial.

His smile widened.

Panicking, I tried to run but he grabbed me and held me in front of him with one arm banded around my waist. His skin burned through the sheer material of my dress as he held me pressed against him. I struggled to shove him away but he only tightened his arm, bringing me closer to him. He gripped my chin between his fingers and refused to let me turn away.

“Stop fighting me. You can’t win.” His voice came deep and amused.

Time froze as he stared into my eyes, searching, searching, and I couldn’t do a thing to stop him. My brain was too fuzzy to think and I couldn’t keep him out. My defenses were shot and I stood helplessly while he plundered through my head.

My memories, my thoughts…

My emotions, my soul...

He took and he took.

Without conscience, he ripped out what he wanted to see, casting aside whatever he didn’t need.

By the time he was satisfied, tears slid down my cheeks and I bit my lip to keep from sobbing. How could he do this to me? He coldly violated the most secret, private part of me. I was beginning to see what Killian meant by
losing his humanity
.

Primani never violated an innocent person’s mind. It was one of the principles they lived by, part of their code. He’d taken my memories for no better reason than he wanted them. He wanted to see them. I hoped they ate him alive.

“You’re going to pay for that. I won’t forget it.”

Without a hint of emotion, he ignored me and started the truck.

“We’re going hunting. They’ll be at the pub. We need to find them and get rid of them tonight. We’ll use our typical cover. You remember it, right? I expect you to play your part. Act your little heart out. If they get suspicious they will bolt and I’ll be pissed. I’ve been waiting 20 years for this. Don’t ruin it for me!” He glanced over at me. “Can you handle this? You look sick.”

I wanted to kill him. Or run screaming away from him. He was losing his mind. That was the only explanation for all this. But running away wasn’t an option and neither was killing him. Who would keep him from falling if I ran away? No one. He’d be lost to us forever. He was scaring the hell out of me though and it was starting to piss me off in a distracted sort of way. My head was still fuzzy and I felt too weak to strangle him right now. So instead of killing him, I asked, “How many days was I asleep?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Three, I think.”

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I was rethinking killing him. He put me to sleep for three days? That means three more days without food and water. That’s a week without eating. The tiny bowl of soup was totally not enough fuel for my body…it was no wonder my head wasn’t working. I held out a hand and it trembled like palsy. I was so weak. I wasn’t in any shape to get into a fight, especially not with demons. I wasn’t sure I could call up any of my
saol
. I hadn’t eaten in so long I was probably surviving on it…

Oh, Sean, what have you done?

I started to braid my hair and he stopped me. “Leave it down. It hides your face better.”

Flushing at the innuendo, I felt my blood pressure spike like a blip on a radar screen. I clenched my fingers together and thought of places I could bite him.

After parking, he came around to open my door with a familiar sexy smile on his lips. Leaning down, he brushed his lips over my ear and breathed, “Show time, darlin’!”

The pub was noisy and warm. It would’ve been inviting except for the smell of sweaty bodies that assaulted me and turned my stomach. Gagging, I held my breath and frantically looked around for a bathroom.

Sean squeezed my arm and said, “Smile, baby. Everybody’s staring at you.”

Glancing up I saw he was right. Every person in the pub was looking at us. Sliding into his role as my lucky boyfriend, Sean wrapped a possessive arm around me with his fingers resting just under my breast. He leaned down and kissed the curve of my jaw. He had the nerve to run his fingers under the bottom of my breast until I jammed four fingernails into his back.

“Move it or lose a kidney,” I hissed through my fake smile.

Tensing, he lowered his roaming hand and led us to the bar.

The smell of fried food was almost as overpowering as the heat, and my head swam in a slow circle. Sean’s hand tightened around me and he pulled me against him. I leaned into him trying to look natural. Maybe I could steal his
saol
without him noticing. I could feel it running under the skin of his arm like a fine current of power. Maybe I could siphon it off, like gas…

“Here, drink this.” He sat a glass of water down in front of me and turned to look for our prey.

Biting my lower lip to keep from venting my frustration, I sipped the water and looked around for an escape route. Just then, the bartender strolled up to me and looked at me with concern. All four of his mouths were frowning…

“Hey now, you okay, sweetheart?”

Dizzy, I peered up at him and froze. He was a good looking blond-haired man. He seemed to be about 30 and looked kind of familiar to me. His wavy hair was curling over his collar and he had emerald green eyes. I stared, rapt.

With a quick look to make sure Sean wasn’t paying attention, he laid his hand over my wrist and pinned it gently in place on the bar. His hand was warm, large, and finely shaped. His skin was tanned and sprinkled with fine blond hairs. I stared at it as it swam in and out of focus. The delicate hairs caught the light and burned like tiny golden flames…His fingers moved rhythmically over my wrist spreading heat into my cold numb hand. The warmth drifted up my arm like a sunbeam.

“Dec?” I whispered and lifted my eyes to his face. I wanted it to be him so badly.

With a warning frown in Sean’s direction, he shook his head and kept rubbing my wrist. Slowly, the feeling of pins and needles disappeared and I felt my own
saol
flowing again. It was like a jump start for my batteries…Sean’s gaze sharpened and he tensed watchfully. Something had his undivided attention. The bartender looked into my eyes and winked solemnly. One dimple popped up and I opened my mouth but no words would come out. He reached over and popped a peanut into my mouth and pressed my chin up to close it.

“Nibble on these for a minute. I’ll go get you something proper to eat.”

I tentatively chewed the peanut and swallowed. Oh, please stay down, I prayed. I sipped some water and chewed another peanut. So far, so good. Sean turned his back to the door and playfully gathered me close. His broad back was to the crowd so I knew no one could see me now. Bending his head, he buried his face against my neck letting my hair drape over us.

He murmured, “They’re sitting in the booth in the right corner. The dark one.” His lips brushed my ear sending little sparks of electricity dancing through my veins. He felt me shiver and pulled my earlobe between his teeth. My leg twitched in response. He smiled against my neck and I wanted to smack him.

Instead, I dug a nail into the back of his hand and warned, “Don’t be a jerk,” in a voice more breathless than I intended. It was more prayer than threat.

I adjusted my angle so my hair fell across my back again. His curtain was gone. He still leaned against me too closely, one palm splayed along my waist, and my heart pounded uncertainly. What was he playing at? His eyes bored into mine in an epic staring contest. He was getting on my last nerve tonight. The loud clank of silverware hitting the bar broke us apart. Sean studied the bartender with unfriendly eyes.

Holding out a hand, he said, “I’m Michael. I’ve brought the lass a bit of a snack. I hope you don’t mind. She was looking a little peaked.” He winked at me and added, “Eat all of it, lass. It’ll give you strength you’ll need tonight.”

“Michael?” Sean and I both lifted our eyebrows at that. Suspicious now, I rubbed at my wrist thoughtfully. Sean shook his hand and thanked him for the food.

He’d brought me a small cup of clear broth, a slice of bread, a small piece of cheese and a perfect heart-shaped strawberry. It still had the leaves and a tiny green berry attached to its stem. The entire plate was perfect. How did he know? I buried my nose in the broth and inhaled. Mmm, chicken. I took a sip and swallowed. Ambrosia.

“Oh, Michael, this is lovely--” I broke off when I realized he was gone. I leaned up and looked everywhere. He was gone. Just like that. A small piece of paper was wedged under the plate.

Primani may not die, but there are fates worse than death.

What on earth? What did that mean? With every intention of searching for Michael, I pulled away from the bar and Sean stopped me with an arm around the waist. Smiling down at me, his eyes a soft ocean blue, he seemed like himself again. His mouth curled up at the edges and his posture was more relaxed. He ran his hand over my back like he’d done a million times before. Lulled by his sweet side, I relaxed and smiled up at him in relief. His moods were making me crazy. He bent and dropped a kiss on my mouth. I blinked and turned my head away. Grinning smugly, he pulled me against him and kissed me with more passion. When he slipped his tongue against mine, I froze and tried to push him back without causing a huge scene.

“Get the fuck off me!” I snapped while shoving at his chest. It was hard to bite his head off without blowing our cover, but I gave it a shot.

He had one hand wrapped in my hair holding me still. Against my neck, he said, “Get over your morals, sweetheart. You’ve got Sarin’s full attention now. He’ll come over here and snatch you away from me if you give him a reason.” He slid his lips over mine again and sneered, “If it helps, you can pretend I’m Killian.”

“You bastard!” I hissed under my breath. “I hate you!”

Mockingly, he said, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. You’ll hate me more later. Just keep to your cover; we have work to do. Now eat so we can kill these guys.” With that, he slapped my butt and laughed.

I was literally trembling with fury. My pulse was off the charts and my eyes were burning in their sockets. It was all I could do to keep from blowing him up again. I’d have to thank Killian for that. He’d spent hours teaching me how to tone it down so no one would find out about my powers. They were so strongly tied to my emotions, especially anger, that I had to learn how to mask them quickly. It seemed like I spent the last year pissed off at something. It hadn’t been a good year until a few months ago, when Killian and I finally decided to leap into a real relationship. Even that cocoon of happiness was surrounded by fear, pain, and madness. Demons, zombies, and Jordan, oh my! Not to mention, my doomed pregnancy, Sean’s descent into…whatever this was, and Dec’s death. Damn. I needed a beer more than food.