by Tina Folsom
The sound of screeching tires outside suddenly drowned out their grunts. The demon cast a glance at the open door, and a look of panic crossed his face.
Manus didn’t have to follow his gaze. Reinforcements had arrived. “Finally!”
But the knowledge of impending doom seemed to give the demon a new lease for life. Out of nowhere, he kicked Manus in the stomach and catapulted him back against a filing cabinet. In the process, Manus lost the grip on his dagger and it flew across the room and landed near the manager’s body.
Meanwhile, the demon dove for the floor and picked up an item that had lain there. Though momentarily dazed from the impact, Manus managed to recognize it.
“The book!” he screamed.
The demon made a movement with his free hand. A vortex opened up in the middle of the room, the centrical force of it pushing Manus back against the filing cabinet.
“No!”
Suddenly, there was a movement next to the desk. Kim was lunging toward the demon’s feet, Manus’s dagger in her hand. Fearless, she stabbed the demon in the thigh before he could step into the vortex. When he cried out in pain, Kim jumped up, dropped the dagger, and reached for the book. She grabbed it with both hands, ripping it from him. He tried to grasp it, and it opened in the middle with Kim holding on to the front and back covers.
Manus barreled toward them and kicked one foot into the demon’s wound. He stumbled backward into the vortex. As the demon disappeared in it, Manus heard a page ripping and watched the demon’s hand clutch one page before he vanished completely and the vortex closed behind him.
Manus breathed hard. He crouched down to the floor to where Kim had sunk back, leaning against the side of the desk, breathing raggedly. Her hands were shaking, but she was clutching the book.
Manus took her face into his hands. He kissed her quickly. “You saved the book. You saved us all. I’ve never met anybody braver than you.”
She tried to smile but groaned in pain instead.
“Don’t move,” he said. “I’m gonna get you help.”
Manus rose and ran toward the front office. But he didn’t get far. His fellow Stealth Guardians were already pouring in. Hamish was the first he laid eyes on.
“Need help?” Hamish asked.
Manus shook his head quickly. “Are the other demons dead?”
“Dead as doornails,” Hamish confirmed.
Aiden appeared next to him and grinned. “There were only two out there. No big deal.”
Behind them, Logan entered. “Did you get the book?”
Manus turned halfway, pointing at Kim. “Kim ripped it from the demon’s clutches.” He smiled at her proudly, then turned back to the guys and looked past them to where the two hybrids were standing. “Ryder, care to donate some blood to heal Kim? She’s hurting.”
“No problem.” The young hybrid approached and kneeled down next to Kim. Then he motioned to the manager’s body. “Do you want me to take care of him first?”
Manus rushed closer. “He’s alive?”
Ryder nodded. “I can hear his heartbeat. Faint. But he’s still alive.”
Manus looked over his shoulder. “Grayson, you’re needed. Make sure the manager survives.”
“Piece of cake,” Grayson said and approached with a swagger in his step.
While he moved behind the desk to heal Songhurst, Manus kneeled down next to Kim and Ryder. “It’ll take the pain away and heal you faster,” he said to Kim. “There’s nothing to fear.”
She looked up at him and handed him the book she’d fought so bravely for. “I know.” Then she nodded at Ryder, who pierced his wrist with his fangs and set it against Kim’s lips.
“Drink. I’ll stop you when I know you’ve had enough.”
Knowing that Kim would be okay, Manus rose and walked to his colleagues. “We have a problem.” He sighed. “The demon managed to rip a page from the book.”
All three of his brethren cursed.
“I have a feeling I know who this demon was,” Manus added
“He called himself Zoltan,” Kim suddenly said.
Manus pivoted and nodded. “The Great One. He’s their leader. This won’t be the last time we see him. And whatever information is on that page he stole, he’ll use it against us.”
“Then we’d better find out what we’re up against,” Logan said.
Hamish nodded. “Just as soon as we’re done with cleanup here.”
38
In the command center of the compound, Manus turned toward the opening door.
“Finally,” he said with relief when he saw Logan enter with a book in his hand.
“Found it.” Logan waved the book in the air and walked toward where Manus, Kim, as well as Pearce, Hamish, Aiden, and the two hybrids had been waiting for him. “I knew we had one in the vault that was the same edition as the one Kim’s mother found.”
Logan placed the book on the table next to the one Zoltan had managed to rip a page from.
“Then let’s see what he’s got.” And whether they needed to be worried about what kind of information the Great One had obtained.
Manus leafed through the book to the page that was missing in the book Kim had so bravely ripped from Zoltan’s clutches. He couldn’t even express how proud he was of her for having risked her own life though he was still shaking at the thought of what could have happened.
“There.” Aiden pointed at the page Zoltan had managed to steal.
Manus pored over it and started reading. “My Celtic is a little rusty, but if I’m not mistaken, this page is a reference to the source dagger.”
Pearce leaned in and pulled the book closer, so he could read it. “I can run it through the translation program, but from what I’m reading here, you’re right. It’s about the powers it has. That it can create an unlimited number of portals.” He pointed to a spot in the middle of the page. “And here it refers to its healing properties.”
“Can Zoltan do anything with this information?” Kim asked.
Manus turned his head to her. “I don’t see how. The dagger doesn’t exist anymore.” He pointed to the page. “It probably even says so in here, considering that the book was written well after the source dagger was lost. Right, Pearce?”
Pearce nodded. “Correct.” He continued reading the Celtic sentences, then turned the page and stopped abruptly.
“What?” Manus asked and looked at the flipside of the page Zoltan had managed to snag. He didn’t need to wait for Pearce’s answer because he saw for himself what it contained: a drawing of the dagger.
Everybody drew closer to examine it.
“Can the demons make a replica?” Kim asked, her voice shaking. “I mean, like you made a replica of my mother’s bracelet?”
“Sure, they can,” Manus said, “but it won’t help them. A replica won’t have the powers of the source dagger. It’s not how it works.” He gave her a reassuring look. “Trust me on that. Right, guys?”
“Right,” Pearce said, and the others nodded though they didn’t look pleased.
Kim seemed to notice it and asked, “Then why are you all looking so concerned? What are you not telling me?”
“It’s because we screwed up. Any piece of information the demons get about us can eventually bite us in the ass, even if it seems harmless now.” Manus glanced at Aiden. “Your father won’t be pleased that we let Zoltan get that page.”
Aiden shrugged. “My father doesn’t need to know everything.” He looked at the other Stealth Guardians. “If we all stick to the same story, tell him that the book was recovered and is now safely locked away in our vault, he’ll never need to find out that a page is missing.”
Manus felt Kim fidget next to him. “Aiden’s father? What does he have to do with this?” she whispered to Manus.
Aiden had heard her and looked straight at her. “My father is Primus, the head of our Council, our ruling body. He’s the president, so to speak.”
Kim’s chin dropped. “Oh.” Then her loo
k bounced back and forth between Manus and his brethren. “And you’re going to lie to him? What if he wants to see the book?”
“Good point,” Hamish said.
“Not a problem,” Manus insisted and lifted the intact book Logan had retrieved from the archives. “We’ll show him this one. He’s not gonna know the difference. I never told the Council about the inscription in it.”
“What about Virginia? You said she’s on the Council too,” Kim continued. “What if she sees that it’s not her book?”
“You worry too m—” Manus said.
“She’s got a point,” Hamish interrupted.
Manus sighed. “Fine. Then I guess we’ll have to do a little cutting and pasting.”
“Cutting and pasting?” Hamish asked, shaking his head. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. You want to take the missing page out of this book and glue it into the one we just recovered?”
“That’s exactly what we’re gonna do,” Manus said. “Objections anybody?”
There were none.
“Good, then it’s agreed. Let’s get to work.”
The door suddenly opened, and everyone fell silent. Enya entered and froze. She tilted her head to the side, regarding them suspiciously.
“Did I miss something?” she asked.
“Just a fight with the Great One himself,” Manus said casually and lifted the book for her to see. “And we got what he was after, the book Kim’s mother hid.”
Enya stomped her foot. Her long blond locks cascaded over her shoulders. “Really?” She cursed under her breath. “Come on, that’s so not fair! Every damn time you guys fight him, I’m stuck somewhere else. They really didn’t need me in Seattle. There was no demon activity whatsoever. I was bored out of my skull all day long!”
“Don’t worry,” Manus said calmly. “You’ll be there next time.”
Because there would be a next time, for sure. There always was. The Stealth Guardians wouldn’t stop until Zoltan was crushed and his demons annihilated.
“Oh, I’d better!” Enya vowed.
Pearce playfully boxed her in the shoulder. “You and me both! I had to man the command center while they got to have all the fun. We’ll show them next time, shall we?”
“You’re on,” Enya promised.
39
Kim stopped at the door that connected the bathroom with Manus’s bedroom, hesitating for a moment. For a week now, she’d spent practically every night at the compound with Manus even though there was no reason Manus still needed to protect her. The demons knew that the book was now in the possession of the Stealth Guardians again, safe and sound, locked away in a vault they would never gain access to. Kim was of no more value to them anymore and therefore of no consequence to the Stealth Guardians either.
Still, Manus had come to see her every day since he’d rescued her from Zoltan and taken her back to his private quarters at the compound, practically devouring her the moment the door closed behind them. But how long could this last? Sure, Tessa and Hamish were somehow making their relationship work, just as Aiden and Leila did. Logan and Winter were a different story. At least they were both preternaturals, and while Kim hadn’t dared ask such a personal question, she assumed that as a preternatural creature, Winter was immortal like her husband. But Tessa and Leila? Wouldn’t they eventually age and die while their husbands remained young and alive? How could such an unequal situation ever turn out to be satisfactory? How could they ever be happy?
Kim sighed. She couldn’t face this prospect, a future where Manus would eventually lose interest in her because she would turn into an old woman, and he would remain a young man with needs she would eventually not be able to satisfy anymore. That’s why she’d come to a decision. Tonight would be her last night with Manus. She would tell him that he had no obligations toward her, and that he shouldn’t feel guilty if he broke it off with her.
She understood now why he’d never formed any emotional attachments after his parents’ death: for him, love would eventually end in heartbreak. And she couldn’t do that to him. At least now, this early in their relationship, his heart was still his, and therefore she couldn’t hurt him. That she had, however, already lost her heart to him, he would never have to find out. A clean break was best now before their feelings for each other deepened.
With a steely resolve, Kim opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom. She froze at the sight of what Manus had done to it. Dozens of candles gave the room a soft glow. Flickering shadows drew abstract pictures on the walls. And amidst all of it, Manus stood waiting for her. His robe stood open, giving her a clear view of his boxer briefs that stretched tightly over his groin. He was ready for her, just like he’d been ready every night since her rescue.
This would be so much harder than she’d expected.
“You look stunning,” Manus said, his eyes roaming over her body.
She’d donned her sexiest nightgown, a concoction of red silk and black lace, wanting to make their last night a memorable one though she knew she wouldn’t wear the expensive outfit for too long. But she also knew that Manus liked to feast his eyes on her, and she was more than willing to oblige him.
Kim ran her eyes over him now. He’d finally gotten more comfortable with presenting his bare chest, with not hiding it anymore, despite the ugly scars that marred it. She didn’t really notice them anymore. They were part of who he was.
“Something wrong?” Manus slowly walked toward her.
She met his eyes, and he suddenly stopped in his approach.
“Did something happen?”
She didn’t know how to broach the subject. How could she tell the man she loved that she was breaking up with him because they couldn’t have a future together?
“Kim, you’re making me nervous. Talk to me.”
She swallowed hard. “I need to tell you something… We can’t be…”
Two more steps, and he stood in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “We can’t be what?”
“Doing this… anymore. It’s not… There’s no…” Her voice cracked. She couldn’t find the right words.
“Doing what? Damn it, Kim, what are you trying to say?”
“We can’t have a relationship,” Kim finally said.
Visibly startled, Manus pulled back until his arms were straight. “Are you breaking up with me?”
“It’s best this way.”
He tossed her an incredulous look. “Best? For whom?”
“For both of us.” She dropped her gaze to her bare feet, unable to withstand his penetrating eyes for fear she would cry.
“I see,” he said slowly and took his hands off her shoulders. “So, you’ve finally woken up and decided you don’t want to be fucked by the scarred guy anymore. I should have known.”
“Scarred—” She gasped involuntarily. “It’s not your scars, it’s—”
“Spare me the lies,” Manus snapped, cutting her off. “I should have known.”
“Manus, believe me. It’s not that.”
He pivoted, turning his back to her. “Why don’t you get dressed and leave?”
“Not like this, Manus.” She couldn’t let him think that she was leaving him because of his scars. “It has nothing to do with your scars.”
He huffed out a disgusted grunt.
“I can’t be with you because I know we’ll break each others’ hearts.”
She saw his shoulders stiffen.
“Because one day, you’ll look at me and you’ll realize you can do better. And with every wrinkle I develop, with every line in my face, every gray hair, I’ll wonder when you’ll trade me in for a younger woman.”
He started turning, slowly. “A younger woman?”
Kim avoided meeting his eyes and continued, “Yes. Maybe not in the next five or ten years, but once the first signs of me aging show in my face, you’ll wonder why you’re still with me when you could be with somebody who’s…”
“Younger?” he helped.
She s
wallowed away the bad taste that word created in her mouth. “Yes, while you’re still looking the same as now.” She sighed. “It must have occurred to you. I’m sure you’re looking at your colleagues’ wives and think the same. How long will it last? You and your brethren are immortal. You don’t have to worry about aging. But I’m human. I’ll grow old. And I don’t think I want my heart broken in fifteen or twenty years when reality catches up with us.”
“So, that’s why you’ve decided to break my heart now.” There was no anger in his voice.
Kim gave a slight shake of her head. “I can’t possibly be breaking your heart. Manus, we’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks. Your feelings for me aren’t that deep yet. You still have a chance to get away unscathed.” Even though she didn’t. She was already in too deep. “Take the chance. Do it for my sake. So that I know that at least I didn’t hurt you. Because you deserve to be happy, Manus. You’ve gone through so much. I don’t want to be the person who breaks your heart.”
“Let me make sure I get this right. You want to break up with me because I’m immortal and won’t age, and you’re human and will age. Am I understanding this correctly?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“So, you’re giving me a way out. It’s generous, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not gonna take it. I have a counteroffer.”
Surprised at his words, she shifted her gaze to his face and looked into his eyes. “A counteroffer? This is not a negotiation. It’s a breakup.”
He chuckled. “Kim, if this is a breakup, you’re not doing it right.”
“Wha—”
“In a real breakup, you’d be tossing insults at me, telling me that you can’t stand me, that I’m bad in bed, impossible to live with, emotionally abusive, and just not marriage material. I mean, you’ve done it, right? You broke up with Todd. I’m sure you told him that it just wasn’t working between the two of you. Well, I don’t hear you saying these things to me. So, it’s not a breakup.”