Scent of Salvation (Chronicles of Eorthe #1) (10 page)

Sorin crossed the room with two long strides.

Her heart skipped as she scurried back against the wall. All the self-defense classes she’d taken in college vanished in a flash of girly panic.

He knelt in front of her and shook his head. “I’m doing this all wrong. I know I am.” He held out his hand toward her but didn’t touch. “There’s not much time before they discover I’ve escaped. Come with me.” He audibly grounded his teeth. “Please.”

“You’re escaping?” She stared at his hand, and a glimmer of hope bloomed. “And you want to take me?”

“Yes. Let’s go.”

She reached for his hand, then hesitated. “The Payami will treat me like a stray. Why do you want me?” Not grabbing his hand was the hardest thing she’d ever done. She was a woman overboard, and Sorin was tossing her a life saver.

He made an impatient noise. “My people are sick. I have no healer. You falling almost into my lap in my greatest time of need—”

“Your Goddess didn’t send me, Sorin. I’m from another world, not Heaven.” She grabbed his hand. “But I might be able to help anyway.” Finally, something she could understand and do. “I’m not a healer but I understand things your people might not.” Like bacteria and viruses, disinfecting areas and quarantining the sick. “Let’s do this.”

A huge grin spread across his face, and it devastated her. The pure joy in his eyes made her realize how desperate Sorin was, and she’d just given him hope. He pulled her to her feet with one hard tug and stood to catch her in his solid arms.

Pressed against his bare chest, Susan couldn’t find enough oxygen in the room. “Th-thanks.” There wasn’t an ounce of fat under his flesh. All muscle. All male shifter.

His gaze softened, much like Benic’s had when looking at Kele, and he brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. “The Payami didn’t treat you well, but you have nothing to fear from me.” Slowly, he released her, then retreated a step, but didn’t let go of her hand. “I’m not familiar with this den. I think I found the exit though.”

She slapped the heel of her other hand against her forehead. “The maze. There’s a maze of caves we have to go through to enter or exit, and it’s completely dark.”

He nodded. “Together, we will find a way through.” Yanking her by the hand, he led her back to the ground floor. He held onto her the whole way, thank goodness, because she couldn’t see in the darkness of the night. The moon, wherever it was, didn’t shine within the den. Only a scattering of stars above gave her any light.

At the bottom, he shoved her against the wall and pressed his body over hers. “Someone’s coming.”

Her heart pounded so hard she was sure he could feel it against his chest. She heard footsteps approaching and glanced around Sorin’s huge bulk to watch the dark shifter climb the stairs with two females at his back.

“You want to change your mind?” Sorin whispered in her ear.

“Never.”

He brushed his fingertips along her waist under her coat. “Good.” Then he led her to the exit. Hand-in-hand, they entered the maze.

Chapter Eight

Benic strode across Temple lands, oil lattern in hand. He couldn’t wait for morning for proof of Susan’s story. This might be the most important encounter of his life. Sleep could wait and so could safety. He knew there existed shifters who would like nothing better than to get him alone and chew on his bones, but he wasn’t an idiot. He traveled armed with his well-used sword and wore his chainmail. It not only turned blades, but claws and teeth as well.

He waved the lantern back and forth over the foliage, looking for a plastic badge. Unlike shifters, vampires needed some light to see by. He didn’t even know what plastic looked like, but he imagined he’d know it when he saw it.

The Temple loomed above him, a shell of a species’ culture and religion. It was a shame what vampires had done to the shifters. They’d been such a strong and wild people; now most lived in the cities as tamed versions of their ancestors. Only the reserves held the wild packs, and there were rumors of vast lands with packs far out west.

Maybe one day he’d travel to see for himself. For now he had a mystery to solve.

If Susan spoke the truth, she’d be a treasure trove of knowledge. They could bring enlightenment to this world through scientific information. Together they could hopefully find a way to increase the fertility of vampire females and lead the world into a new age.

Light flashed on something by a large, thick bed of moss. His heart did a double beat, and he knelt next to the white, rectangular object. Cautiously, he picked it up and flexed the thin material between his fingers. He brought it closer to his face and scratched the smooth surface. Susan’s image was perfectly affixed to the thing. “Amazing.” He flicked the badge. There were symbols written on it but he couldn’t read the words. Odd, since they spoke the same language. He’d think the written word would have developed similar lettering.

He blinked.

Susan was truly from another world. This proved her story. A world of science, populated by a much more advanced race he’d never heard of, truly existed.

Rising, he moved with a swiftness born in every vampire. As soon as the sun rose he’d offer to take Inali’s stray problem off his hands, and Susan would accompany him home. In record time, he crossed the forested area separating the Temple from the Payami den and entered the dark maze.

Sorin crouched low to the ground and sniffed. He could swear they’d just passed this fucking spot not long ago, but in civil form, his sense of smell was not as good.

Susan’s hand landed on his bare shoulder, stroking his skin for a moment before jerking it away as if burned. “Sorry.”

A residue of her touch still tingled on his flesh. He wasn’t sorry at all.

“I can’t see in this darkness.” Her fingertips trembled as they brushed the back of his neck.

He took her slender hand and squeezed. “I see you. I won’t leave you behind.” Her voice sounded steady, yet he could smell her rising anxiety.

She gave a feeble laugh. “I hate feeling like this. Weak. Helpless.”

He could relate. He hated feeling that way as well, but he didn’t view her as either. Especially after confronting the Payami alpha as she’d done. No female he knew would have done it. Not many of the males either.

He returned to his feet and undid his kilt. They’d never find their way out if he remained in civil form. Handing Susan his only piece of clothing, he shifted.

She ran her hands over the leather, her blinded eyes staring straight ahead. “What’s this?”

“My kilt.” He sniffed, searching for a hint of fresh air.

“Are you naked? What the fuck, Sorin?” She clutched the kilt to her chest like a shield.

He took her hand in his. “It would have ripped while I shifted.”

With a hesitant finger, she touched one of his claws. “You’re in beast form?”

“We call it a feral form. My sense of smell is much better like this, and I can defend us if we’re discovered, which is becoming more likely. I hate to admit it but this maze is an excellent defense.”

“Or a trap.” Her soft whisper sparked an old memory. A young pup frightened of the thunder and his loving mother who eased those fears with a fierce hug. The urge to gather Susan in his arms and reassure her surged through him, but he let the wave crash. Emotional tides needed to be stronger to move him.

“Keep pace.” He guided her hand to his back where she clung to his fur as he tracked the air for a sign of an exit. Kele would have returned to her room by now and found it empty. Would she raise an alarm? Maybe she’d search the den for Susan first. He doubted the pack would care if a stray left but it might stir them enough to check on him. An escaped alpha would definitely bring out the hunters.

The scents of shifters didn’t fade as they took several turns within the maze. The Payami were smart. He could have tracked their way out by scent alone if they only used one route, but the scents were well dispersed. That meant hunters roamed the maze on a regular basis to keep from creating a clear scent trail.

Once more he paused and bent close to the ground, searching for anything that could help. Would it be too much for the divine to toss him a bone? A little aid in an escape would be appreciated.

Susan clenched his fur, almost pulling it from its roots. “Sorin. I see light.” She pressed against him.

In one swift motion he rose and slid her behind him. At the end of an adjacent tunnel, a dim light grew brighter. He sniffed in that direction then once more to be sure he smelled it right. A growl rumbled in his chest as he recognized the source, and he grinned. Things were finally going his way. “Vampire.”

He’d always wondered what Lord Benic would taste like. Striding toward the light, he extended his claws to their fullest length. In hand-to-hand combat, shifter versus vampire, shifter always won. The only reason the vampires had won the war was their advanced weaponry, which killed multiple shifters at a time and from a distance. Benic could be carrying a musket, but Sorin would risk getting shot for just one good bite. Vampire bastards all deserved to die slow, agonizing deaths.

The shuffle of feet behind him caught his attention. He glanced over his shoulder and met Susan’s wide-eyed gaze. She still clutched his kilt to her chest.

With a sigh, the fury slipped from his soul. Benic’s death wouldn’t change the past—all shifters would still be under the vampire yoke—yet he could use Benic’s presence to their advantage. Obviously the vampire knew his way around the maze.

Sorin set his fingertip over Susan’s mouth so she’d stay quiet. It was almost a mistake since he froze at the touch of her soft lips on his flesh. The fur on the nape of his neck rose. When had he last kissed a female?

He shook himself to wake from his living fantasy. Exhaustion and hunger were playing with his head. He left her to wait by the tunnel’s entrance until the lantern came into his view. With the speed only a few alphas possessed, he grabbed Benic’s wrist and yanked him against the far wall.

The lantern tumbled to the ground in Benic’s surprise. Pinned to the stone wall, he met Sorin’s gaze with an unnatural calm. “So you escaped. You’re more resourceful than I’d have guessed.” His glare broke from Sorin’s and followed Susan as she gathered the lantern. “Stealing the human was not expected though. What do you want with her?”

“None of your business.” He squeezed Benic’s throat tighter. Vampires didn’t need to breathe but they all feared decapitation—one of the ways to truly kill them. With his claws extended and buried in Benic’s flesh, it wouldn’t take much force to rip his head from his shoulders. The way the vampire tensed, this thought must have occurred to him as well. “You’re going to show us the way out. Quietly and quickly.”

Benic’s gaze darted to Susan. “Give her to me and I’ll show you the best route.”

“She’s not for trade.” Blood oozed from the wounds on Benic’s neck and onto Sorin’s claws. Sorin’s skin crawled at the oily texture. He changed his mind. He didn’t want to bite him after all. “How about I let you live if you help us escape?”

“This isn’t a negotiation. The Payami will realize you’re gone soon. They won’t treat you so kindly if they catch you again.” Benic grinned, his fangs glinting in the lantern light.

Sorin resisted the desire to pluck those sharp teeth from Benic’s mouth. His pack’s needs came first, and his pack needed Susan. “She chose to come with me.”

“Does she know that returning with me to my castle is an option?” Benic now spoke toward Susan. “I can help you return home. Vampire technology is more advanced than shifters’. Come to my castle, and we can work on it together.”

With a jerk, Sorin twisted to see the confusion on her face.

Her gaze traveled from him back to Benic. “Sorin’s told me about your advanced weaponry, and I fear it’s nowhere near what I need to build a new machine. I’d have to rebuild hundreds of years of technology before we’d be anywhere close.”

“We can try.” Benic flinched as Sorin’s claws dug deeper.

“Enough. She comes home with me.” He glimpsed a shadow of doubt creeping over her face and ground his canines. “Right?” he asked Susan.

Chapter Nine

Susan clutched the lantern handle tightly. “I—I don’t know. The only thing I know for certain is I’m not staying with the Payami.” And that she wasn’t staying another minute in the maze. She’d never been afraid of the dark until she discovered monsters truly did exist.

Sorin loomed well over her head in his feral form. The tips of his ears brushed the tunnel ceilings when he stood straight. At the moment, he leaned forward as he held Benic against the wall with one huge hand. His fur shone silver in the lantern’s soft yellow light. If not for the teeth and claws, he would have been magnificent.

The vampire struggled in his grasp but didn’t budge the shifter’s arm an inch. It said much for Sorin’s strength, but did little for Susan’s desire to follow him home. A shiver ran up her spine. What if he didn’t keep his word and treated her worse than the Payami? She couldn’t fight him. “Whatever I decide, we need to go. Benic, please, show us the way?”

His eyebrows rose at her plea. “Very well, but if you choose him I get little out of this deal.”

A small noise of frustration escaped her. She couldn’t hear any sounds of pursuit yet she knew it wouldn’t be too long before she did. Every second wasted meant a better chance at her being caught once more and possibly turned over to Ahote. “What do you want, then?”