Shadows & Secrets (Lick of Fire Book 4)

by Jane Hinchey

  He grew harder, bigger, and his balls tightened in my hand. Almost there. He suddenly pulled away, his cock leaving my mouth with a slurping noise.

  “What’s wrong?” Had I hurt him? Scraped him with my teeth?

  “Your turn.” He gasped, dragging in a gulp of air.

  “Babe I had my turn already.” I reminded him.

  “I want you to come with me.” Grabbing my hands, he pulled me to my feet, pressed me back against the tiles and lifted one leg, hooking it around his hip. Then he slid into me in one smooth long stroke. He was close to the edge and I wasn’t far behind him, pleasuring him had heightened my own desire.

  “Harder.” I gasped, “faster.” He obliged, slamming into me with increasing speed and I met him thrust for thrust until we both tumbled over the edge, a gasp, a cry, and a long groan as I came back down from riding the delectable wave.

  “I love you.” He whispered, face buried against my neck. I hugged him tighter to me, not knowing what to say. This was the part where a girl was meant to respond in kind. And I have to admit my feelings for him were growing. He meant a lot to me…but love? What could I say that wasn’t trite? I know? He was so confident in everything, including his conviction that ours was a relationship destined in the stars.

  “It’s okay.” Cupping my face, he dropped a soft kiss on my lips, “I know you’re desperately searching for words, but you don’t need to say anything. When you’re ready the words will come and they’ll be all the sweeter for waiting.”

  “Gah.” Was my response. He was so friggin perfect – what did I do to deserve him?

  “Come on, turn around, I’ll wash your back.”

  I stayed in the shower to wash my hair while Jordan dried himself and disappeared into the bedroom. By the time I was done he was dressed and sitting on the bed – which was now neatly made – comparing the hand-drawn map to the image on his phone. Pulling on my clothes I unwrapped my hair from the towel and squeezed as much moisture from the strands as I could.

  “I think we’ve got something.” He told me, not looking up.

  “Oh?” Sitting next to him on the bed I leaned over and looked at the screen.

  “There’s what appear to be old buildings here.” He tapped the screen and it zoomed in. The image was a little blurry and pixelated and he seemed to have a better idea of what he was looking at than I did. “That roughly match up with the map, give or take.”

  “Okay.” I shrugged. I didn’t know there were old buildings on Grandpa’s land, but I guess it was a possibility. He’d bought a lot of land when they moved to Maxxan – he farmed some of it himself and leased out fields to others who couldn’t afford to buy their own land but needed some way to make a living.

  “Doesn’t ring any bells?”

  “Nope. My parents might know more, or more Aunts and Uncles, but given what’s going on with my dad right now I don’t really know who to trust.”

  “You think your Uncle’s are involved too?”

  “I don’t know. Grandpa didn’t mention them in his file, or any of his notes that I’ve found, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot. He wasn’t finished his investigation. Maybe my dad told them about whatever it is he’s up to?”

  “I agree. We’ll keep them out of it for now but monitor the situation.”

  “God, you sound sexy when you speak SIA.” I winked, combing my fingers through my hair, and the smile that showed his teeth made my heart dance. How could I feel happy amongst all this turmoil?

  “Come on, we’ll grab a coffee on the way.”

  Outside I eyed my truck and Bear who was sleeping in the back.

  “You want to take your vehicle?” He guessed. Bear wouldn’t fit in the nark mobile, it didn’t have an open tray.

  “Would you mind?”

  “I’m driving.” Was his response.

  * * *

  In the end, I was glad Jordan was driving because I was sure as hell lost. We’d been following the narrow dirt tracks for nearly two hours – I knew my grandparents owned a lot of land but I had no idea how vast it really was until we were out here, driving through it. He kept referring to the GPS on his phone and the satellite map the SIA had sent him and eventually we found what we were looking for.

  “Holy shit. I had no idea this was out here.”

  Coming to a stop I climbed out and looked at the collapsing brick building. It appeared to be an old homestead, long since abandoned. Bear jumped out and began sniffing around, tail wagging. I’m sure he’d smell lots of furry critters and other wildlife out here.

  “Original settlers of the land I’d imagine,” Jordan said, surveying the ruins. There were several other buildings, what looked like it might have been a barn at one point, although all that was left was the frame of the roof and part of one wall.

  “I wonder what Grandpa thinks is out here?” I couldn’t imagine building a home out here, so far from anywhere. It was quiet, almost deathly quiet, not even a bird chirping or a bee buzzing.

  “Something isn’t right.” We said in unison, looking at each other then back at the ruins.

  “Bear!” I called. He’d disappeared from sight but was soon back by my side, head cocked, tail wagging. I patted his head, glad I had the beast on my side. “What’s here boy?” I didn’t know if the hell hound would find anything, after all, we didn’t know what we were searching for and had given him no scent to follow, but Bear had skills and he might be able to sniff out something that didn’t belong.

  Bear sniffed the air, standing totally still, frozen. Then he gave a slight nod and headed towards what was left of the barn. We followed. When he sat in the middle of the rubble I scratched my head – there was seriously nothing here.

  “Where?” I asked the hound, confused. He pawed at the ground and wined. “Oh. Underground? Of course.” Should have known, after all, Grandpa had a secret room underground – seemed if you were hiding something in Maxxan, below ground level was the way to do it.

  Jordan began throwing timbers and rocks away from the area, I was on my hands and knees, scooping away layers of sand when I felt it. Wood.

  “I think there’s a trap door.” I breathed, brushing with my hands. Jordan got down on his knees next to me and joined in. Sure enough, a trapdoor revealed itself. Prying his fingers under the edge he pulled but couldn’t lift it.

  “Is it locked or something?” I asked, examining the sides. Jordan shook his head, “no, just really bloody heavy. Give me a hand will you?” Together we tugged the thick, heavy door open, letting it fall back with a crash and a cloud of dust. I coughed, covering my nose and mouth with my arm.

  “Look at that!” Jordan was pointing to a symbol on the inside of the trapdoor. Similar to what I’d seen on the floor in Grandpa’s cave, only a little different. This was a circle with a triangle and two arrows crossing each other. I had no idea what it meant. I snapped a photo. I’d look it up in Grandpa’s book later on.

  We stood above the trapdoor peering down. It was pitch black. Bear barked, making me jump and the earth tremble beneath my feet.

  “What is it, boy? Is there something down there? Is it safe?” Bear disappeared, jumping into the earth and into what I assumed was some sort of cellar or storage room beneath the barn. Then he started barking. It was like a bloody earthquake and I yelled out for him to be quiet before what was left of the barn collapsed on top of us.

  “There is definitely something down there and he wants us to go see.” I whispered.

  “You stay here, I’ll go check.” Jordan had pulled at his phone and using the flashlight app was shining light down into the hole. We both spotted the ladder at the same time.

  “Are you crazy? I’m not staying up here by myself. It’s as creepy as fuck.”

  “You don’t think it’s creepy down there?”

  “Shit yeah, but Bear is there. I feel safer standing next to him than here by myself.”

  “Good point. Okay. Just, stay behind me, okay?”

  “Sure. Whatever’
s down there can eat you first, I’m cool with that.” He shook his head in mock resignation and climbed down the ladder, shining a light on it so I could follow.

  It was considerably cooler down here and looking around I could see that the previous tenants most likely used this room for food storage – they probably didn’t even have electricity when this place was built, let along a refrigerator. Sturdy shelves lined each wall of the long narrow room. The walls were rock and I suspected the barn had been built over a cave, much like Grandpa had built his house over a cave. Smart. It smelled old, stale, and a little mouldy.

  Old jars and tins were still sitting on some of the shelves and I peered at them, wondering at the contents but not really wanting to find out what was inside. Maybe it wasn’t food. Maybe some mad cult had lived here and the jars contained body parts? My imagination was running riot so when Jordan grabbed my hand I screamed, then clamped my hand over my mouth. How embarrassing.

  “Okay?” He asked.

  “Sure.” I bluffed, ignoring the thundering of my heart and prickling of my skin. There was something or someone down here with us. I could sense it. I’m guessing Jordan could too for he’d drawn his gun. Where was Bear?

  “There.” Jordan motioned toward one end of the room and I could just make out the shape of Bear’s tail. He was sitting. But not wagging his tail. Waiting. He was waiting. I followed Jordan on reluctant feet, not sure I wanted to go through with this after all. Maybe it was best to let sleeping dogs lay and all that.

  “Jesus,” Jordan whispered and I peered over his shoulder. Bear was blocking my view. “What is it?” I whispered, craning my neck.

  “A woman. Chained to the wall.”

  “Fuck!” I was picturing the skeletal remains of a woman, the rags of her dress hanging of her bare bones, so when she groaned I just about pissed myself.

  “She’s still ALIVE?” I screeched. Bear turned his head to look at me and I beckoned him back to my side. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him, then looked at the woman.

  Definitely alive. Although she’d been here for quite some time judging by the look of her. Her hair was long, so long it reached the floor beneath her, and her clothes and skin were covered in dust, but she was breathing. Her eyes were closed and I wondered if she was in some sort of meditative state. Although she’d groaned, so she must have known we were there. I crept forward to stand next to Jordan. I didn’t like the way I felt. Terrified. It didn’t sit well with me, there had only ever been one thing I was truly afraid of – and that was being locked up in a small room and stuck with needles. It was the stuff of my nightmares. But this was a close second.

  Jordan crouched and pressed his fingers to her neck, checking for a pulse. I grabbed the back of his shirt and tried to tug him back. She was dangerous. I was sure of it. There was a reason she’d been chained up down here.

  “Rae.” Jordan shook me off. When the woman’s eyes sprang open I screamed again – I couldn’t help myself. Although on one hand, I did take a moment to appreciate the gorgeous emerald shade of her eyes – they were stunning. And bright. The light from Jordan’s phone illuminated her red hair. What a combination.

  “Who are you?” She whispered through cracked lips.

  “Go get the water from the truck,” Jordan told me. Before I could move she said firmly, “no. That is not necessary. Look at me.” There was something in her voice, something mesmerizing, something compelling.

  Jordan turned back to her and looked her in the eye. Then the air moved, started to swirl, like a hurricane, whirling faster and faster, picking up dust, biting into my skin and making me squeeze my eyes closed. Bear barked then disappeared – I hoped he hadn’t been sucked up into the whirlpool she was creating. It stopped as suddenly as it had begun and Jordan fell to the ground with a thump.

  “Oh my God. Jordan!” Running to his side I pressed my fingers against his throat and watched his chest. He had a pulse and was breathing. I was prepared to kill her if she’d killed him. He was mine, no-one touched him but me. The fury rising within me was startling.

  “Rest easy child, I just borrowed some of his energy. He will recover soon enough.”

  I spun to face her, gasping, my shock fast exceeding my fury. Her hair was a dazzling shade of red, her skin pink and flushed – she was beautiful. And restored.

  “I assume you’re the Red Witch?” I asked, eyeballing her. She inclined her head, “you’ve heard of me?”

  “Just your name in a notebook of my grandfathers.”

  “And who is your grandfather?”

  “Tom Shelton.” She appeared to mull this over and then shrugged. The chains fell from her wrists and she stepped free of them.

  “How did you do that?” I frowned. If she’d been able to get out of her chains why hadn’t she done so sooner?

  “The seal on the trapdoor suppressed my magic. You broke the seal. My magic has returned.” With a wave, the tattered clothes hanging from her body were restored.

  “The seventies called. They want their flares back.” I murmured, eyeing the yellow flared pants she wore and daisy patterned blouse. Not what I’d expect a witch to wear, but then I’d never met one before. Jordan hadn’t moved and Bear hadn’t returned. I was starting to dislike this woman.

  “Where’s my dog?”

  “The hellhound?” She laughed, “how cute that you think he’s a dog.”

  “I know he’s a hell hound.” Fuck me, she was starting to get on my nerves.

  “He is not harmed. He’s just returned home.”

  My heart froze in my chest. She’d sent him back to Hell? I mean, okay, sure, he’d probably be happy to be back but damn, I’d miss him. I swallowed past the lump in my throat, assessing the situation. Jordan was out for the count, no knowing when he’d wake up and what sort of shape he’d be in when he did. Bear was no longer in the game. I locked the feeling of loss into a little box. I’d learned to do that in the asylum, every little hurt, whether physical or mental, went into a box and the lid nailed shut. If I opened all those little boxes the hurt would be a tsunami that would leave devastation in its wake. It would break me. So the boxes remained shut. Forever.

  That left me. A fire demon who was still honing her skills.

  “Where is he?” The red witch walked around me, eyeing me up and down. I didn’t like the shiver that ran the length of my spine and set the hairs on my arms standing upright.

  “Who?” I watched her out of the corner of my eye.

  “The Gunslinger.” The way she breathed his name made my skin crawl. Kinda like she wanted to ride him every which way in a very sexual nature but skin him at the same time and revel in his screams while she bathed in his blood.

  “I don’t know,” I answered. She stepped in front of me and captured my chin in a tight grip, her nails biting into my skin. Seconds ticked by as she examined my face. I didn’t move. I sensed the power in her and was weighing up my chances of taking her. As if she could read my mind she shook her head, a smile curling her red lips. She tapped her finger on my chin.

  “I wouldn’t try it, child.” She warned.

  “I’m not a child.” It was the best protest I could produce on short notice. I frowned at myself, disappointed I’d dredged up such a lame response…usually I could do better.

  “You’re the child.” She told me and I frowned harder. “I feel it in you. In your blood. You’re special.”

  “I get told that a lot.”

  “Come.” Before I could so much as twitch she waved a hand at me and I promptly passed out, collapsing like a sack of potatoes, not feeling anything as my body hit the ground. Just an empty void of darkness.

  Chapter Seventeen

  When I came too I realized two things. We’d changed location and I really needed to pee. I was laying on the ground in what appeared to be another barn. Man, these vampires really loved their barns. Did they have a manual with the go-to place for mayhem and destruction being A – find a barn?

  I also had
the mother of all headaches. Curling on to my side I rubbed my temples, squeezing my eyes shut against the pain. Jesus, what did the witch do to me? Scramble my brain? The institute had done plenty of that, I didn’t think I could afford anyone else to be messing with my grey matter.

  Hearing voices I pried open one eye. I spied the red witch, at least I thought it was her. She’d changed. The gloriously long hair was now cut into a chic wavy bob and her flower power outfit was gone, replaced with a pair of what looked like black leather pants – man she had to be hot in those – and a sequined top. She looked like she was ready to go clubbing. She also looked awesome and I felt a twinge of envy. Maybe it was time I mixed things up a bit, wore something outside of jeans and a t-shirt.

  “You have two minutes.” The red witch studied her nails, not bothering to look at the vampire who was pacing in front of her.

  “I told you he’d be here.” He tried to sound confident but I could hear it in his voice. The fear. I assumed they were talking about the Gunslinger. I didn’t know how he tied into all of this, but Grandpa had been right, they were involved.

  When the door opened we all turned to look. I was still laying on the ground with the mother of all hangovers, but I managed to push myself up into a sitting position. Bit of a mistake. The barn swam and spun around me and I felt a wave of nausea roll in my stomach. Drawing up my legs I wrapped my arms around them and rested my head on knees, sucking in deep breaths. Slowly the nausea subsided and I tilted my head just enough to watch the proceedings.

  “Alice, I see you finally got out.” The vampire who walked in wore a long duster coat and a cowboy hat and carried an air of male confidence and authority. The Gunslinger I assumed.

  “Henry you bastard – that wasn’t very nice of you.” Her reply was sweet, but beneath her words, you could hear steel.

  “Business is business, my dear, I’m sure you understand.” He walked right up to her, wrapped a hand around her nape, tugged her forward and kissed her. My mouth dropped open. I hadn’t been expecting that. She didn’t embrace him but she didn’t pull away either and their kiss went on for several seconds. I was about to suggest they get a room – because I didn’t want to watch them fucking and let’s be honest, that’s where that little scenario was heading – when they broke apart. Her lipstick hadn’t budged and I wondered what brand she used. One of those twenty four hour stay put types I guessed. I thought about asking her but decided against it when she slapped him across the face. His head snapped to the side, but other than that, no reaction from him.