by Caris Roane
As he zipped, he glanced at her over his shoulder. “Are you watching me?”
She sighed. “More than I should.”
“Well, I’m glad. I like you looking at me and I like even better how that makes you feel.” He shrugged into a snug black T-shirt then crossed to a cabinet in the far corner. He began sliding battle chains into thin slits in the leather pants. Larger rings dangled from the top, undoubtedly for ease of removal.
“This change between us is about you, Shayna. Your blood has pumped me up.”
“I guess it has.” She moved closer and felt down both arms. “You are bigger. I mean, I thought so at the time, but you are.” She then reached down to touch one of the rings. “Are these the chains you battled with last night?”
“No, this is a new set. Those need to be cleaned up and polished. I’ll get to them eventually, but right now you’re my priority—and getting that damn weapon.”
The part of her that had boundless curiosity, that had caused her to choose anthropology in the first place, launched into hyperdrive. The questions flowed rapid-fire. Why did he carry so many weapons? What was the advantage of the long chain over the short? How many daggers? Why did he carry different sizes? Did the battle situations dictate which weapon to use, and how did he make the decision?
He smiled and finally answered the last question. She’d hardly given him time to do more than that. “I make my decision by instinct mostly at this point.” Seeing her interest, he took a couple of minutes and showed her each weapon, even demonstrating how the long chains spun and describing how with the exact right flick of the wrist the chain could incapacitate the enemy. The short chain was used for strangulation and, with enough force, decapitation. The daggers didn’t require explanation.
She’d watched him fight, and the other vampires as well. She could still hear the whirring of the chains, the grunts of the men, and sometimes the crack of a head against stone.
“You don’t use guns?”
“No, but I think that time is coming, another reason we need to take care of Daniel’s threat in our world. You asked earlier what he spent his money on. If it’s been the acquiring of handguns and assault rifles, we’ll have a war on our hands like nothing my world has seen before. Now come with me. Let’s see if Rumy provided the right clothes for a trip into the cold northern lands.”
She sensed that he’d shifted into what she could only think of as “warrior mode.” He vibrated with a new level of energy, and she could feel that his heart rate had increased.
She followed him across the room to the inset closet in which she’d stowed the clothes Rumy had brought her. He pulled out a fur-lined jacket. “You’ll need this. I know that you’re streaming my power, but you’ll feel the cold. If what you’ve described is accurate, we’re heading to what is called an ice cave. It will be like a freezer in there.”
“That would be my guess as well.”
He reached down and pulled out a pair of fur-lined boots. “Better put these on.” He looked her up and down, then handed her a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. “You should be okay with just these as opposed to long underwear, which I doubt Rumy provided anyway.”
“Any socks?”
He pushed a few things around and hunted through the shelves. “Well, just these.” He handed her a pair of thin black ankle socks.
She took them. “These will do.”
He stepped back and gestured to one of the middle shelves. “You’ll want to pick something out yourself.”
Ah, bras and thongs, mostly lace and sexy as anything. Marius turned away and stared up at the ceiling while she lost her towel. And in what she’d come to learn was Rumy’s style, when she put her way-too-snug bra on, then the shirt, the low cut in front revealed another long line of cleavage. Marius had shared a few details about Rumy as well, and one of them was the fact that he believed if a woman wasn’t dressed up in something sexy, she didn’t have a grain of sense. Clearly, owning a sex-club complex as Rumy did had given him a skewed view of the world.
Fortunately, the jacket would cover things up.
She pulled on the boots, which fit really well. Despite the bra choices, she’d have to thank Rumy later for his attention to detail. Shrugging into the jacket, Marius turned back to her, then held out his arm for her.
He now wore a tight-fitting vest as well, also loaded with weapons, and as she hopped onto his booted right foot and slid her arm around his neck, she could feel the daggers beneath.
He put his hand to her face. “Ready for this?”
“Absolutely. But how do you know where to go?”
“I’ll head northwest in the direction of Europe. As we get closer to Sweden, you can guide me in. Not sure how it’ll work, but I’m confident we can figure this out.”
“Sounds good. Now what do we do about the fast-flight issue I have?”
He smiled. “I’ve been thinking about that and I have a feeling it’s not going to be a problem. If our proximity issue is gone, you should be okay.”
She smiled. “Then let’s go.” But her heart hammered hard. When she’d seen the vision, the cave had been empty. However, that didn’t mean that something could change by the time they got there.
As he switched to altered flight and took off, she closed her eyes, not wanting to see the stone wall rush at her. He soon had them high in the sky, flying faster and faster, but she didn’t feel a thing, not a single twinge of pain. Marius, this is amazing.
No pain?
Not even a little. Incredible.
While he flew, she watched the moving landscape below, the breadth of ocean, then the shape of the Indian subcontinent. Soon the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Maybe twelve minutes had passed, but not much more, before they were descending. As she looked down she saw a good portion of Europe stretched out below. He’d taken her high into the air, high enough to get a bird’s-eye view of this part of the planet.
Soon enough he started to slow, then finally hovered in the air. We’re close now. Try forming a picture in your head of the pathway into the cavern system. I’ll admit, I’ve never been here before. I don’t think it’s inhabited.
Okay. I’ll see what I can do. She brought the vision forward, and as before, it arrived with the dark wavy lines. She felt a sudden disappointment that Marius’s increase in power hadn’t translated into her images improving. She began to think the problem lay with her.
She directed the destination point toward him as though speaking telepathically, then asked, Are you receiving this?
I am, though it’s difficult with all the waves.
I know, I’d hoped they would have disappeared by now, especially because you have more power. I’ve even wondered if Daniel has been interfering, but I’m beginning to suspect that the problem is mine. The question is, do you think you can make your way to the weapon with what I’m giving you?
He set them in motion again, though much slower this time, as though hunting. I’m not sure. See if you can bring up the vision again and really focus.
Shayna closed her eyes and worked on bringing the images forward. She’d seen it much more clearly earlier. Michelson’s critique of her came back, roaring through her mind: You lack focus, Shayna, you always have. Even your papers have this singular disappointing absence of purpose and commitment.
The vision grew even more muddled as her ex’s criticisms rolled through mind.
She knew he’d messed with her head, that all the negative things he’d told her during their six-month relationship weren’t true. But at a time like this, her confidence took a plunge.
However, she refused to let Michelson dominate the moment. Dipping her chin, she brought the vision up once more. She took several deep breaths and let her mind relax. Her ex was wrong and right now she meant to prove it.
This time when the location filled her mind, she immediately sent it in Marius’s direction. Though still riddled with the strange wavy lines, the image was much clearer. She could make out all the
elements now, including the size of the cavern, the massive flow of ice at the northern end, and the red square metal piece that she knew belonged to the extinction weapon.
But suddenly the image revealed a new element: Daniel and his security team. Did you get all this? I’m seeing Daniel and his men.
I see them.
So do we head back to New Zealand?
She heard him laugh. Hell, no.
Shayna’s heart flipped over a couple of times. You mean we’re going in, even though Daniel and his men are already there?
Damn straight. Hey, this is what I do and there’s something more, what you’ve given me. I know that I can take them, and I wouldn’t have before you fed me. But if you’re worried, I can leave you outside the cavern or even topside. Your choice.
Shayna really appreciated his attitude. In fact, given what she’d been used to, she was stunned. She actually had a choice. She was almost light-headed with the power he’d placed in her hands, to choose for herself, for her safety, for whatever the hell she wanted to do right now.
As she considered her options, she focused on the cavern and instinctively felt that she needed to be there, that she’d have a part to play.
Leaning away from him slightly, she met his gaze firmly. I’m in. I trust you, and I’m in.
He held her gaze for a long moment, and she saw admiration shining in his eyes. You have more courage than any woman I’ve ever known. He planted a full kiss on her lips and she swore that for the rest of her life, she’d let what he’d just said to her rule her life.
Let’s go.
He nodded. And as soon as we land, I want you to disappear like you did before.
I will. And you’re absolutely sure you can manage this many warrior-types?
I can do this. Trust me.
“Trust me.” On principle, she hated those exact words. How many times had she heard them roll off Michelson’s tongue, always with that condescending tone as if she were an idiot. “Trusting him” had usually meant that she’d had to give something up like a personal boundary, a belief, or her precious time.
But she worked hard to set her prejudice aside because in this case, Marius had spoken the words. And on a fundamental level, as well as in this situation, she did trust him.
One more deep breath. Let’s do this thing.
He flew once more, and because passing through anything solid still freaked her out, she closed her eyes. She could tell by the way the air felt full of feathers that they were passing through solid rock.
The flight lasted longer than she’d expected, but she’d once heard that cavern systems could go on for hundreds of miles.
When at last he began to slow, she could feel that they were within just a few yards of their destination.
One more wall of rock, then we’ll be inside. Marius’s muscles had begun to twitch.
Shayna’s heart rate skyrocketed. And I can feel that a portion of the weapon is just behind this wall.
Ready?
Yes.
He passed through the stone and touched down just inside, which placed them against the wall opposite the massive flow of ice.
Quill and Lev stood by the red hood of the extinction weapon off to her left and Daniel levitated just above the ice, his men in an arc in front of him, weapons in hand.
The bluish-white ice created a perfect backdrop for the would-be dictator, dressed all in black. Daniel had a flare for the dramatic.
He didn’t look at Marius, however. Instead, he’d trained his gaze fully on her.
She felt him beating at the edges of her mind, trying to establish contact. The power that he focused in her direction made her tremble, but the last thing she wanted was Daniel in her head, communicating telepathically. Streaming more of Marius’s power, she blocked him mentally, looking away as he continued his assault.
Disappear, Shayna. His voice was a steel command inside her head.
She didn’t hesitate but took another hit of Marius’s power, opened up the pathway that let her do this impossible thing, then made herself invisible.
Most of Daniel’s security team had their hands on daggers or short chains. But at least two of them spun the long chains, and she thought that whirring sound would live in her mind forever.
Marius stood slightly hunched, knees bent, ready for action. He radiated so much energy and power right now that she swore he gave off a slight glow. Yep, something had changed within him.
Daniel levitated slowly, moving forward, away from the ice. He smiled, something that seemed more sinister to Shayna than if he’d scowled.
He no longer tried to make contact with Shayna. Instead, all his attention was now on Marius.
She didn’t understand why Daniel didn’t tell his men to attack or why he flew until he stood on the floor in front of his men now, as though he had no fear of what Marius might do.
But she felt Marius’s level of determination. Even this was stronger than before.
Still, he faced over twenty men and she couldn’t imagine how he was going to defeat them all.
CHAPTER 8
From the time he’d fed from Shayna, Marius felt power swirling through him as never before, heightening his perception, awakening latent power. His gaze flashed from one powerful guard to the next in quick milliseconds.
“My son, my patience won’t last forever and I can feel your power awakening. You’re beginning to realize who you are in our world and I want you with me, to rule beside me. Join me now, and once we have the extinction weapon in hand, I’ll let you destroy it.”
He knew Daniel intended to lull him with talk, but Marius was having none of it. Not tonight. He had a woman to protect, someone he was coming quickly to value. It was clear to him she had a unique place in his world.
He also fully intended to get out alive and to take this portion of the extinction weapon with him.
He didn’t bother to answer Daniel. Instead, he saw the moment for the unique opportunity it was.
He moved his hands like lightning and before Daniel had blinked he had a dagger in his chest and had slumped to his knees, staring at the finely crafted piece of steel as though thunderstruck.
And at the same time, four of his men had daggers in their throats, all thrown by Marius.
Another blink and two more were down.
He moved faster than he’d ever moved before. Several of the guards were now grouped around Daniel to protect him, others were dead, the rest in shock. Quill and Lev shouted things he couldn’t hear.
Using the short chain while levitating, along with altered flight to disappear and reappear, he decapitated man after man before any of them knew what was happening.
With his lightning reflexes and enhanced vision, he saw two men moving in what would be Shayna’s direction, maybe on Daniel’s command.
He flew in a quick, straight shot, intercepting them both, a long chain whirring in one hand. Before a dagger left the hand of his left opponent, Marius flicked his wrist and the long chain flew swiftly and wrapped around his neck.
The other opponent let a long chain fly as well. But with perceptions Marius had never had before, he stepped sideways, caught the chain mid-spin, and with another flick sent it back to its owner, catching him around the neck. He’d never done that before and he didn’t know anyone who could.
Daggers now flew in his direction. Shayna, are you all right?
I’m in the air high above the battle. I’m safe.
Marius caught and returned each dagger, striking home each time, so that a moment later the battlefield was silent. Those not dead stared at him, including Quill and Lev.
He hovered in the air, his gaze sweeping over the field, making sure that no one feigned injury and attacked him.
He needed to know if he’d killed Daniel, but he didn’t dare draw close—not when Quill and Lev could attack. By then, he was hovering high in the air, plotting how to get to Daniel and finish him off. Being this close to offing Daniel was more than he’d hoped for.
The next moment, however, Daniel and the remains of his team vanished, along with the Quill, Lev, and the extinction weapon. He felt the effect of his father’s power. Only Daniel could have done that.
But he left bodies on the ground.
Marius dropped to the floor of the cave, his boots landing with a thud. He felt almost light-headed that he’d come so close to ending his father’s life. Moving to the spot where Daniel had bled, Marius stood over this small victory.
Shayna, come join me.
He watched her become visible then float down to him, her eyes wide. “How did I levitate like that? I couldn’t before. Is it the same power that you just exhibited? Marius, you moved so fast. At times you simply vanished.”
“Was that what it seemed like? That I disappeared?”
Shayna touched down on the cavern floor, her nose pink from the cold. “That’s exactly what it was like, as though you fought the battle from an invisible place.”
He glanced up at the ceiling. “And you levitated.”
“I did. I saw that the weapons were flying really fast and I was afraid I’d get caught in the crossfire. I thought the thought and the next thing I knew I’d bumped into the ceiling a little too hard.” She rubbed the top of her head and winced. “I have a small knot right now, but even so the power I’m siphoning from you is taking care of it.”
He hardly felt like himself. “It is incredible. Mostly, I don’t understand the source.”
“Marius, not to be insensitive, but I’m having a hard time with all this. Can we leave now?” She splayed her fingers, gesturing to the corpses.
He wished he could leave, but he and his brothers had rules about returning any place of battle to its former condition, at least as much as possible. “I have to take care of this mess first. This is one of the ways we keep our world hidden from yours.”
“Sure. Okay.” Something caught her eye, and as he followed her gaze he saw that she’d just recognized the carvings that she’d been asking about the night before.
“Why don’t you check it out, while I oversee cleanup?”