“Can you tell anything, or is it just white noise?” he asked, teeth ground together.
“White noise?” I mused. It was strange which sayings Abram did and didn’t pick up on. He couldn’t tell you what a podcast was to save his life, but he knew the words to every Springsteen song I could think of and had spent more than one night telling me about his favorite Twilight Zone episodes.
Maybe he was like any other person. There were things that he did and did not gravitate towards, and the reality that he was over a century and a half old only accentuated that fact. But no. I had held his hand, kissed his lips, and felt his heart beat against mine. He was absolutely, one hundred percent not like any other person. And I was thrilled about that.
“Charisse?” he asked, breaking me out of my contemplative state. “Can you give me anything to go on? This place reeks of death.”
Oh, right. His heightened sense of smell was probably more of a burden than a gift here, where so many people had met their demise.
“It seems like it might be strongest at the foot of the cliff…where all of the bodies landed,” I answered, gulping hard. “But it’s hard to tell.”
I had never been the type of girl who was comfortable around blood, guts, and the like. I had never even been the type to watch Law and Order. Chalk outlines and this girl—they did not go well together.
So how did I end up here, at the epicenter of mystical death and destruction? The world was truly a crazy place.
“Of course it’s hard to tell,” he muttered. He turned back the way we had just come. “Let’s go back that way then and get this over with.”
I followed a few steps behind. “I don’t know what I’m doing here, and I’m not even sure the information I’m giving you is accurate.”
“You’re trying,” he said, without breaking stride. “That’s more than you’re obligated to do. And it means something. Don’t think it doesn’t.”
A wry smile spread across my face, though it was tinted with the sadness that came with knowing my personal clock was ticking down quickly toward a violent and splat-filled death at the exact spot where we now stood.
It felt strange to settle at the foot of the cliff. So many people had died here. Supplicants, like me. And the numbers would only increase unless I got my shit together. Soon.
“This is just sand,” I said, sweeping my hand at the ground by our feet. “It’s dirt. There’s nothing special about it.”
I would be here, lying on this dirt with Abram standing over me. I would never feel his touch again, or the sunlight bounce across my skin. I would never taste ice cream or have grandchildren or grow old beside an ageless man with a tight ass and a barb-wired heart of gold. It would be taken from me—all of it.
“I just…” I started, panting heavily. “I can’t do this anymore, Abram. It’s too much. We’re looking so hard, and fighting so hard, and it’s too much. It doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t matter. What if it never mattered? What if we all end up down here, broken and defeated, and dead? And for no reason, Abram! And there’s nothing we can do! And there’s—”
He collided into me, pulling me up hard into his arms and pressing his lips against mine in a hungry and soothing balm of heat and desire. I melted into him, letting the emotions and feelings loose inside my mind and heart. I pulled into him and felt his steady, stalwart chest beneath my own.
And the rest of it went away. Suddenly, the world was okay. I was his, and he was mine. And no Conduit in this or any other world could challenge that. Right then, as my mind reduced to pinpricks of pleasure and satisfaction, the answer descended on me like a gift from above.
“Behind you,” I murmured, achingly pulling my lips from his. “It’s behind you.”
Abram turned slowly, his eyes widening. I knew what he saw, because I saw it, too. I’d seen it first. A small opening sat at the base of the cliff, carved into the rock. It was a sliver of a cave, but it was something. And I could tell by the way Abram gazed at it that he was impressed.
“I guess I’m good inspiration,” he said, giving me another peck on the lips and setting me back on the ground.
“That’s it,” I said. “It has to be. That’s why the magic led me here.”
Abram moved toward the cave’s opening, holding a hand back behind him. “Why don’t you stay out here? I’ll see what’s going on inside.”
“No!” I said, much too loudly. I didn’t want to be out here—where my fellow Supplicants had fallen—for a moment longer than I had to. Of course, I couldn’t exactly tell him why. “What I mean is, what if there’s something in there that you can’t see…something magical?”
Abram spied me up and down. “Stay close. The instant I get even a whiff of trouble, we’re out of there. Do you understand?”
“Completely.” I grabbed his hand and stepped in closer to his body, following right behind him.
I expected the cave to be dark as we entered. It was still light out, but the opening was so small that I couldn’t imagine there would be much illumination. Surprisingly though, when we moved through the opening, I found myself able to see pretty easily.
Not that that was a good thing.
The cave was covered—absolutely slathered—in what looked like blood. It stretched out across the walls, circling and weaving to create the sort of strange symbols that I had come to relate with Conduits ever since my connection to the mystical world forced me to consider that type of stuff.
“This is the least romantic thing ever,” I said, trying my damnedest to control my gag reflex.
The entire thing made me sick. The blood in this cave was undoubtedly Supplicant blood and, if we didn’t stop the Conduit, mine might very well cover these walls in a day and a half’s time as well.
Abram’s nostrils flared. “This is inexcusable!”
I squeezed his hand gently. “Supplicant blood,” I whispered. “It has to be.”
“It’s the blood of someone’s daughter, someone’s father, or someone’s loved one. That’s what matters.” He looked back at me. “I’m going to do it, Charisse. Whoever is responsible for this—whoever is hunting these people like cattle and spreading their blood over these walls like some sick, magical trophy—I’m going to kill them.”
“Good,” I said, my voice cracking.
Abram turned toward the cave. “Let’s look around, see if we can find something that indicates who this person is.”
Before we could separate, a loud boom sounded throughout the corridor.
My body tensed but, before I could react in any other way, it appeared.
Shimmering as if out of thin air, a huge monster took shape in the darkness. It was tall—taller than Abram even, with broad shoulders, ripped muscles, dark fur and…and the head of a wolf.
“How many of you are there?” I gulped, nudging Abram as I took the thing in.
Fangs jutted out of its mouth, a long snout huffed hot breath, and, as my eyes neared the ground, I saw it had massive paws where its feet should be.
“A lot more than I figured.” Abram growled, pushing me backward and crouching. “Get out of here.”
A loud howl ripped from his throat and, as his body morphed and changed, I realized he wasn’t trying to hold back the beast anymore. He was cutting loose entirely.
“Run!’ he screamed at me, more a bark than an actual command.
“No,” the wolf-man huffed. “The girl is who she wants. The master can make use of her.”
Oh, God. This wasn’t the Conduit. This was just some lackey—a big ass scary-as-hell lackey, but a lackey nonetheless.
“Good luck with that,” Abram said, darting through the air and swiping toward the beast. Abram struck hard against the monster, but his claws, as razor-sharp as they were, did nothing to pierce the fur-covered hide.
Once on the ground, Abram went after him again, but the beast reared back and kicked him hard, sending him flying into the cave’s stone wall.
I ran toward Abram, finding blood spl
attered across his fur. Was that the Supplicant blood now covering him, or his own? His flesh didn’t seem to be burning, so it must have been his, which worried me more.
“Go!” he growled at me.
But it was too late. The monster was atop us now. With a huge hand, it picked Abram off the ground.
“You should take your own advice.” It huffed, fangs glistening in the ambient light. With that, the beast heaved Abram through the air again. This time, he went flying out of the cave entirely.
Crap. Now I was alone with the monster. My eyes widened as I scrambled to my feet and darted toward the opening. But the wolf clapped its paw-like hands, making the blood on the wall shimmer and glow. Just as I was about to reach the cave’s opening, it sealed shut.
The wolf-man advanced on me. His claws pounded on the ground, and the light in the room dissipated. “She wants you,” he said. “And she will have what she wants.”
Chapter 22
The darkness in the cave was broken only by the monster’s bright red eyes.
My heart pounded as I watched those eyes dart around. In another world, they would have been Abram’s eyes. They certainly looked the part—at least when Abram was in beast form. But Abram was trapped outside, certainly clawing at the rocks and mounds that had somehow closed off behind him. Magic probably sealed the entrance and, as strong as he was, Abram couldn’t fight through that. And even if he could, he probably wouldn’t get to me before this monster tore me into tiny (if quite fashionable) pieces.
No. If I was going to get out of here, it would be up to me.
I stood shakily, grabbing at the jagged rocks that made up the cave wall for support. I had to be careful. They were slick with blood—Supplicant blood which was somehow still fresh and wet. How was the Conduit doing that? Supplicant blood had a very short shelf life, but clearly the witch bitch of this island had found a way around that.
“You better let me out of here,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, trying to keep my mind steady. “I’m not like the others, you know.”
The red eyes flickered, more and more terrible as they neared. “You are exactly like them.” The monster growled. “That’s why she marked you. Why she used the beauty to number your days. And, like the others, you will die. And she will be made glorious because of it.”
His voice lulled up and down, moving from frantic to slow in a way that made me think he was grappling with pain. Did it hurt to be in this condition? Did it hurt Abram, too?
“What do you mean she’ll be made glorious?” I asked, tensing as the red eyes grew even closer.
“You will see.” The monster huffed. “Right before the end, you will see.”
I felt its breath against me now. Could it see in the dark? Probably. That would be my luck.
Grappling scraped from the outside. Abram’s hands were likely bloodied and broken by now. But he wouldn’t stop. Not ever. Would they kill him next? Would they torture him for trying to help me or, worse, would this Conduit bitch turn him into the sort of whimpering slave thing like the beast that stood before me now?
Anger flashed through me, white-hot and blistering. Taking me was one thing, stealing every day from tomorrow until my natural last was bad enough. But I would be damned if I was going to let whoever this person was hurt the man I loved.
Thinking about what Ramsey said, I let go of my emotions. It was easier this time. Perhaps because I was literally staring down death, perhaps because I had done it before, or maybe because I wanted it so much this time—but the power flew threw me with ease.
It lit me up, and not just metaphorically. A bright light started to shine through my pores. The light broke through the darkness, causing the monster to stumble backward, illuminated everything, including the rips that Abram had put along the monster’s flesh.
The light grew brighter, pulsating as it seared through my clothes. “I told you,” I said, swallowing hard, unsure of what would happen next. “I told you I wasn’t like the rest.” The light pulsated again into a blinding explosion of pure white.
When it subsided, I was left standing stark naked in the cave with an unconscious monster at my feet.
The rocks fell away and, like a bullet shooting out of a gun, Abram darted in toward me.
He pounced atop the monster, not even taking the time to assess the situation, to see that the wolf-man was already thoroughly beaten. His paw reared back, razor sharp claws ready to tear deep into the monster and end him.
“Wait!” I screamed.
Abram turned to me, his eyes widening as they slid the length of my body. “Where are your clothes?” he asked, his hands shaking. “What did this thing do to you?”
I shook my head. “It was me. It was the magic. Listen,” I said, using my arms to cover my bare chest. “This isn’t the Conduit. This is just one of her servants. We don’t have to kill him.”
“Of course we do.” Abram’s beast face scrunched. “He’ll never stop. If anything happens to you—”
“He’s just a person, Abram. I can feel it. He’s as much a victim in this as you and me. And if we kill him all because he might be troublesome in the future, then what does that make us? What has she turned us into then?”
Abram’s body and face shifted back to its human form. He stared at the monster on the cave floor and then back at me.
“What do you suggest we do with him?” Abram asked. “We can’t leave him here.”
“There’s a chain over there,” I said, motioning to the far end and using my best ‘please’ voice. “Maybe you can tie him up until we come up with a more permanent solution.”
“You’re lucky you’re pretty,” he said, marching over to the chain. “While I’m doing this, look around and see if you can find any clues. And here.” He picked up the shirt he had discarded when he transformed. “Put this on. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the view, but we have no idea what we’re going to find in here. And if we need to act quickly—”
“You’d rather I not flash the entire island on the way out. I get it.” I grabbed the shirt and pulled it over my head, slipping my arms through the holes at nearly the same time. No one can get dressed faster than a clothing model. The shirt billowed around my curves like an ill-fitting dress, but at least it smelled like Abram, which was always a plus.
The ambient light that was once again pouring into the cave thanks to the opening lit the area just enough. Sure, not as brightly as when I had momentarily turned into a human flashlight, but I had already burned through one set of clothes, and doing it again didn’t seem like the best idea.
As I moved through the cave, I was careful to stay away from the walls. A desk sat in the far corner, which was almost as absurd as the rest of what we’d been faced with today.
I walked toward it, the chain rattling behind me as Abram secured the monster. The first thing I saw on the desk was a folded piece of paper with a smudge of lipstick in the shape of puckered lips across it.
Opening it, I read the contents.
Keep this kiss until we meet again.
It’s never enough, my love. It’ll never be enough.
-Yours Now and Forever
It was a love letter. This murderous bitch was hording a love letter? I had to admit, I didn’t see that coming.
I refolded the note, kiss side up, and placed it back on the table. I should have torn it up. The people she killed, the single mom she forced off that cliff, would never get another love letter. Why should she? But that seemed petty in the scheme of things. Besides, if I was going to save myself, I was going to need to find an actual clue.
I felt around the top of the counter, coming up empty save for a pressed feather and what I was pretty sure was a hollowed-out animal skull. Pulling open a drawer, I found another letter. It took all of a second and a half for me to know who it came from. I recognized the opening line immediately.
Dear Valued Customer,
It has been brought to our attention that you’ve been dabbling with pow
ers that exceed the recommended usage outlined in our guidelines for ethical use of magic and energy. While it not our desire to police you in this matter, nor is it our policy to insert ourselves within the conflicts of those practicing on your plane, we must inform you that any further complaints and accusations will be addressed as violations of our code.
And, should you need a reminder of the consequences of violating our code, we ask you to look no farther than the poor residents of Camelot, now reduced to nothing more than the nearly forgotten tales of those with overactive imaginations.
Of course, should your adversary in this matter meet an unfortunate end and thus is rendered unable to issue further complaints, we’ll be left with no choice but to forget it in its entirety.
Best regards, and to the victors go the spoils,
The Company.
I swallowed hard. What was a blur on the last letter was more than clear on this one. The Company…King Archibald had mentioned them to Huntsman, but we still didn’t know who they were. Not that it mattered. They were pitting this Conduit against King Archibald and—because we had the best luck in the whole wide world—Abram and I were stuck in the middle.
“Abram,” I said, realizing I hadn’t heard the chains rattling in quite some time. “I think I found something. Maybe if we keep digging there will be some clue as to who she is under all this magic and mystery.”
I turned around to find Abram lifted off the ground. His hands were around his throat, and his feet were dangling helplessly, thrashing as he worked to free himself from whatever was doing this.
“Abram!” I yelled, rushing toward him.
As I neared, the Conduit seemed to materialize out of nowhere. I stopped in my tracks as I took her in, feeling the power pouring off her in waves, radiating as it literally pushed me away. But I still couldn’t tell who this person was. Her body had been transformed, but not into the usual monster form I’d grown accustomed to. Instead of a human-looking woman, and instead of a wolf-like beast, she was a creature unlike anything I had ever seen before.
Sleeping with the Beast: an Adult Paranormal Shifter Romance (The Conduit Series Book 2) Page 15