Dark Flame

by Caris Roane

  The question was, should he engage in this kind of partnership with her?

  ~ ~ ~

  Juliet felt the wall Brannick had built between them as though if she extended her hand, she’d hit cement. She felt nothing warm and affectionate coming from him at all.

  However, she had no expectation of a relationship with him, and she’d meant every word she’d said. She wanted a working partnership, a duo of shared powers, for the purpose of re-shaping Five Bridges. Nothing more.

  Brannick might not know it, but she wouldn’t leave the White Flame without getting him on board. Besides, he’d quit his job. On a really basic level, they were in exactly the same place.

  Why did you leave the force tonight? she asked.

  Not sure, exactly. Easton has had me working real shit jobs for the past week. I was being punished for surviving Roche’s attack on you and Mary.

  Wait a minute. Do you honestly believe he knew what was going on?

  There’s not a doubt in my mind. He took a sip of scotch. When I arrived at the station just now, I had three drunk vampire prostitutes in the back of my SUV. The most I could charge any of them with was for creating a public disturbance. They weren’t engaged in committing a crime and Easton knew it.

  Juliet spun the straw in her mai-tai. That still doesn’t explain why you quit, because I’m sure this isn’t the first time Easton has made your service feel like a waste of time.

  His brow grew tight in that way of his. He swirled what remained of his whisky. I’ve been restless. Okay, more than restless.

  She smiled. You want to do this with me, don’t you?

  He lifted his gaze to her. Despite how careful she was being in holding her emotions in check, his eyes always got to her. They seemed to reach into her soul and grab on tight.

  She forced herself to take a breath then another.

  When he didn’t answer, she laid out her thoughts carefully. This will be a working relationship only. You have my word on that.

  He lifted a brow. Your word? And what is that worth?

  She’d thought about this issue a lot. Does one breach invalidate an entire life?

  In this case, I think it might.

  Are you saying no to working with me, then, because you believe you wouldn’t be able to trust me in the field?

  ~ ~ ~

  Brannick wanted to refuse the arrangement for more than one reason. He wanted to stay in the right and lord it over her. That way, he wouldn’t have to deal with how his gaze kept falling to her freckles. Jesus, he’d kissed them a lot during their shared time in the dreamglide. She’d make this soft cooing sound when he did it. Maybe it was the sound he wanted to hear more than anything else.

  He looked away from her and drank once more, finishing his scotch.

  Dammit, he was going to say yes. All right, I’m in. And I do trust you in the field. You were amazing the whole time we worked to recover Mary. Just keep your dreamglide away from me.

  Don’t worry, I will.

  So, what do you have in mind?

  He watched her chest rise and fall. He expected a swoosh of air to follow, but she held it in. She seemed so different, yet the same. I think we should start with Roche, find a way to take him down. I’m even wondering if we might be able to do it in the dreamglide.

  Wouldn’t he have to be asleep for that? Or unconscious?

  She shook her head, her expression somber. Not a fae of Roche’s power. Think of it as similar to telepathy. You have enough telepathic ability to pierce anyone’s mind, at any time, right?

  But I’d never do it.

  I know that, she said. My point is that you could. Remember how Roche once tried to hijack me in a waking dreamglide? That’s when Agnes taught me to build a dreamglide block.

  Okay. I get where you’re going. But are you suggesting we just enter his dreamglide and take him on?

  Some of her grimness left her features. Okay, here’s what I thought we could do. What if you and I use my dreamglide to stalk him? We could learn all about his operation then choose when and where to attack.

  Brannick nodded. I get it now and that’s exactly what we should do. What do you suggest?

  I’m still living in the cottage in Agnes’s compound. I’ve decided to stay there for my own safety. We could be in the cottage physically while we dreamglided back to the Fae Cathedral. How does that sound?

  Like a solid plan.

  So, how about we start now? She asked.

  Now?

  She smiled. Why not?

  You’re right. I said I was in and I am. I’m game if you are.

  Brannick rose from the table, and laid a couple of twenties down to cover the drinks and extra for the tip.

  When she headed toward the door, he followed and his hand automatically went to the small of her back, something he would have done had they been dating.

  He immediately withdrew it, but not before he heard her gasp.

  When she paused in her steps, he murmured over shoulder. “Sorry, Juliet. Force of habit. Won’t happen again.”

  She didn’t look at him, or even say anything to him in response, but continued on a path to the door.

  The one, small physical connection was unfortunate, however, because at least a dozen images whipped through his head of the various times he’d touched her in just that way, a hand to the small of her back, in the dreamglide.

  So, what exactly had he gotten himself into?

  CHAPTER TEN

  The moment Brannick had touched her back, a shiver raced up Juliet’s spine. She could still feel the warm pressure even though he’d quickly taken his hand away.

  As she passed by the couples dancing, a profound sensation of regret tightened her stomach.

  The past week had been difficult because of a lost relationship with Brann, and his sudden touch had reminded her of what she’d been missing.

  Despite the grief she felt on a personal level, the new business-like relationship she’d just established with the vampire gave her a feeling of hope, something that hadn’t been part of her life since she’d arrived in Five Bridges. There would no doubt be more difficult moments ahead, but she was willing to endure them for the plan she’d set in motion.

  Once outside, she levitated straight up into the air, wrapped herself up in her new vampire shield, then headed due west toward Revel Territory. Brannick flew beside her, on her left, but hadn’t said anything more to her after his apology.

  At the same time, she marveled how they could see each other. But this was one critical aspect of the vampire shielding ability, that vampires could see one another, even when shielded. Other species couldn’t.

  Within a few minutes, she reached Agnes’s compound, landing at the checkpoint outside the main entrance.

  The security detail moved swiftly into position, sidearms drawn, until the squad leader gave the order to stand down.

  Juliet led Brannick immediately back to the cottage without stopping to talk to Agnes. The sage fae had already given her permission for Brannick to come and go as he pleased.

  Since she’d be with Brannick in the dreamgliding world, their physical bodies would need to be secure. She thought about taking him upstairs to lie down on the bed, but she knew it would be a big mistake. She’d barely gotten used to being alone in that bed and didn’t want to start the process all over again.

  The past week hadn’t softened her desire for Brannick. She felt locked into a connection that she doubted time could ever change.

  No, her situation with him would never be about ‘time healing all wounds’ but about learning to adjust to being around Brannick as only a friend.

  Therefore the bedroom was definitely off-limits which meant the small living room to the right of the entrance would have to do.

  A cottage-like sofa in a light blue chenille sat against the far wall. Brannick was so big, he would almost take up the whole thing, which meant she’d be physically close to him throughout the dreamglide. Not a bad thing for a mission,
but really hard on her heart.

  She sat down first and patted the seat next to her.

  Brannick frowned slightly, but didn’t challenge her choice. She was glad for that. The less they talked about their relationship, the better.

  Once seated, he said, “As I recall from last time, I focused on the dreamglide and followed you in.”

  She stared at him for a moment. “It’s weird to have another species’ abilities, isn’t it?”

  “Very. And they’re fully formed, like the way you levitate as though you’ve been doing it since you were a kid.”

  “Exactly. Yet, there’s something else at work as well, a sort of strengthening of the skill as time passes.” She drew a deep breath. “You ready?”

  He leaned into the sofa a little more, his hands on his thighs. He looked both relaxed, yet at the same time ready to launch, an odd juxtaposition.

  She mirrored his position, settling herself against the couch, her hands in her lap. She closed her eyes and with little more than a thought moved into her dreamglide.

  She was in the same room, sitting on the sofa only her eyes were open. The dreamglide tended to move a few feet away from the real-time location, but the edges were blurred, the biggest indication she was in a different reality

  Brannick joined her immediately, then stood up from the sofa. “That was damn easy.”

  She rose to her feet as well. “Yeah, it was.”

  He turned to her, but his expression softened.

  She gasped softly.

  Oh, no. Somehow in all her planning, she’d forgotten that his less conscious self ruled him in the dreamglide.

  She could see from the light in his eye he was thinking something he shouldn’t. “Brannick, you’re not the same in the dreamglide as you are in real-time, are you?”

  He shook his head slowly. “I’m more like the man who made love to you for five months, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  No, no, no.

  He started to move toward her. She held up her hand to stop him and wagged her head, but he merely smiled.

  Surrounding her with his arms, he pulled her close. “Guess I’ll have to apologize right now for what I’m about to do.”

  Her protest got muffled as he slanted his lips over hers. When he pressed his tongue against her lips, begging for entrance, she resisted. This wasn’t Brann, not really. Though it gave her something like hope to know he was so torn internally that he’d kiss her in the dreamglide.

  When he didn’t give up, however, but began fondling her backside with his big strong hands, she melted against him. She parted her lips, savoring the thrust of his tongue and the way his chest muscles tightened as he drew her closer still.

  She’d forgotten for a moment how the dreamglide could feel as close to reality as anything could get.

  But she couldn’t give in, not all the way. This wasn’t Brann, and she knew the moment they left the dreamglide, he’d be really upset with her.

  He must have felt her shift in emotion, because he released her just enough to look down at her with a crooked smile. “Didn’t you like the kiss?”

  She planted her hands on his chest, her palms savoring the size and curve of his pecs. “What I don’t like is that I know you don’t want to be with me. Not really. And I want to respect your wishes here.”

  He lost his devilish smile and caressed her arms. “This is what I want, Juliet. Being this close to you.” He pulled away, if slowly. “But the moment you and I are back in real-time, that’s when my past shouts at me to be sensible, to weigh your actions against your words. You have to understand. I’ve kept my sanity in Five Bridges by holding to my commitments, to my values, and to the rule of law.”

  She pivoted away from him, forcing herself to quickly search for and find her internal balance. “I know.” She patted her thighs twice with the palms of her hands.

  Turning toward him again, she smiled. “How about we focus on what’s important here.”

  “Finding Roche?”

  She inclined her head.

  “So, what’s the best way to proceed?”

  “I think you should surround us both with your vampire cloak, even within the dreamglide. And I’ll engage as well. Maybe together, we’ll create something unusually strong.”

  When he stepped toward her and began the process, she could feel heat coming off his body. She accessed the same ability that now lived so oddly within her own bones. The cloaking shield seemed to mingle, moving back and forth between them, then solidifying.

  His green eyes widened. “Shit, that does feel powerful.”

  “I know,” she said. “And we’ll need it that way to be anywhere near Roche.”

  He narrowed his gaze. “The fae part of me knows we’re on the right track and that we’ll find him.”

  “How do you know that? Even I’m not feeling it, and I’m more fae than you.”

  “I think the vampire in me is more predatory than your wisdom-seeking faeness.”

  “That makes sense, sort of. Maybe you should do the hunting, then. I might get in the way, otherwise.”

  His lips curved slightly. “Oh, I don’t know. You hunted me once before and were very successful at it.”

  At that, she lifted her chin. “You are so not allowed to joke about the one thing for which your conscious self refuses to forgive me.”

  “You’re right. That’s not fair to you.”

  She could see he was hardly remorseful at all. “And it would help me a lot if you’d let me go. This part of you that loved being with me in the dreamglide was half the problem. Because, if you’ll recall, you engaged with me that first time without a moment’s hesitation. Remember? I would have left in a heartbeat if you’d made a single protest. But you didn’t.”

  He gripped her arms, his green eyes lit with sudden passion. “How could I do anything else, when you were riding me like a seductive Valkyrie, your hair and eyes wild? I loved it. I don’t regret it. Not any of it.”

  “Just your conscious self.”

  He nodded slowly.

  She saw the depth of his conflict and came to realize just how much their time together had truly meant to him. She wondered if there was something she could do about it, if there was some way she could help Brannick bring his two selves together.

  For the moment, however, she had to let go. “All right, let’s forget about our ongoing issue for now, Mr. Vampire-turned-Fae. Take the lead and see if you can find this bastard.”

  He released his hold on her arms. “Fine. But we’re not done, Juliet.”

  At that, she slammed both her hands against his chest. “Don’t put this on me. You have to figure this out for yourself. Both your selves.”

  “I know. Just, don’t give up on me.”

  Those words hit her hard, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her head to his chest. “I won’t and I can’t. You mean so damn much to me, Brann.”

  He surrounded her with his arms. “Ditto, and I mean that. Sorry that I’ve been such a pain. God, I’ve missed you, but why didn’t you come to me in the dreamglide this past week?”

  At that, she could only laugh as she pulled away from him. “Are you kidding me? This is what got me into trouble in the first place.”

  His lips twisted into a funny grin. “My conscious self is an idiot.”

  She saw the look in his eye and knew that he’d keep this up if she let him. He’d obviously missed her, and she was pretty sure if she encouraged him a little, he’d make love to her right now.

  “No.” She held his gaze in a strong grip. “You listen to me, there will be no more fooling around until you figure this out. Do you understand? I’m not going to violate you again, even if you gave me permission a thousand times. Have you got it?”

  ~ ~ ~

  Brannick thought it a strange thing to be so completely at odds with himself. But he’d always felt at peace with Juliet in the dreamglide, as though this was real-time and not the other way around.

&nb
sp; His jaw flexed a couple of times. “You’re right. It’s not fair to you when it’s my problem.” He glanced around, then took his time walking the perimeter of the dreamglide. He pushed his hand at the blurry walls, testing the physical boundaries over and over.

  He lifted his gaze to the top. More blur. But there was something else. He reached through and encountered what he could only describe as a strong metal meshwork made of something like reinforced steel bars.

  “Hey, these are the blocks you’ve built, aren’t they? The ones Agnes taught you to make.”

  “Yes. It took me a lot of practice, but I had to keep Roche out.”

  “So, it’s kind of a cage that travels with you when you move to a new location?”

  Her brows rose. “I think that’s one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard. But, yes. It’s exactly like that.”

  He kept exploring, checking for weaknesses. “You said you had a headache when you woke up, which was unusual, and that you knew Roche was coming after you again. So, is he tampering with your blocks, trying to find a way in?”

  “I don’t know what else it could be. Besides, it feels like Roche.”

  Brannick turned in a slow circle and let the space speak to him—very fae—as though his intuition meter had been switched on high. He focused on Roche, especially on the images of Roche in his sex shop just before Juliet slammed into him. He pictured the fae monster at the top of the double row of cells, his red hair, the teal flames on his cheeks, his small feral eyes.

  Juliet drew close to him and slid her hand in his palm. He felt an odd electrical impulse flow up his arm and spread through his body. He’d felt something similar when he’d made love to her in a combination of real-time and the dreamglide.

  Only this current situation wasn’t sexual at all.

  Her voice penetrated his mind. Keep focusing on Roche.

  He turned to look at her. You can feel me doing that?

  Yes, and it’s more than a guess. I can sense that you’re thinking about the moments just before we got Mary out.

  You’re right. I am.

  Her lips curved. How about we go there right now and have a look around?

  He loved her fighting spirit. She had the aura of a saint and maybe that was part of who she was, but she had no problem going to war. He shifted to face southeast, in the general direction of the underground world and Roche’s sex shop.