Song of Midnight Embers

by Dana Marie Bell

  Mollie began firing once more, scouring the blob with flames so hot they burned white. They nearly blinded Greer as he kept dicing the creature. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Tyrone Douglas also battling the massive blob, a sword made entirely of flames burning the blob to ash wherever it touched. In his other hand, a shield made of flame fended off any tendrils that reached for him.

  He’d forgotten that Dr. T was one of Mollie’s elementals. His technique was vastly different from Mollie’s but it was getting the job done. Between the three of them, they’d whittled away more than half of the blob.

  Then a silver sword slashed beside him, and the blob gave the loudest shriek yet. Ash had arrived, and he was slicing and dicing alongside Greer as they had since they’d first realized what their roles in the Throne would be, working together with an ease that came of a long partnership. The difference was, while Greer’s blades burned, Ash’s sword flashed, and where it touched, the blob simply disappeared.

  He could hear Selena chanting something behind them but couldn’t quite focus on the words, not when his own song continued to ring out. With Mollie, Tyrone, Ash and Selena all working together, they managed to destroy the blob far quicker than Greer had thought possible. And it was Ash who made the difference.

  Greer stopped singing, his twin daggers returning once more to their original state. He waved his hand, dismissing his silver sword. Bending over, he put his hands on his knees and heaved out a relieved breath or two.

  The blob had taken so long to die his arms felt like tenderized meat.

  “What the fuck was that?” Ash was staring at the spot where the last of the blob had disappeared.

  “Blood,” Mollie heaved out, her hands hovering over a lit Bunsen burner. Tyrone had his own burner going, both of them sighing in relief as they absorbed the flame into their drained bodies.

  Ash’s expression was horrified as he glanced at his mate. “Selena?”

  She grimaced, pushed her glasses up her nose and sighed. “Looks like it’s not dead after all.”

  “Shit.” Ash turned on Tyrone. “I thought you said it was.”

  Tyrone didn’t even flinch. “I did think it was. Every test we ran indicated that the black blood was lifeless, inert. Do you really think I would have risked my people facing that if I thought for one moment it was a possibility?”

  Greer straightened up, still barely able to catch his breath. “None of us suspected, or I wouldn’t have sent Mollie in here alone to burn it.” He put a shaking hand on Ash’s shoulder. “Trust me, bro.”

  Ash stared at him for a moment before reluctantly nodding. “Nothing hurts her again.”

  Greer understood. Selena had been through hell and back again, and Ash was furious that the entity they thought they’d defeated was back again for round three. Or was it four? Greer was beginning to lose count. “Agreed.”

  “Is it gone? All of it?” Mollie was walking around, checking the floor for any sign of the blob monster. She was wobbling slightly, but her color was good and her teeth weren’t chattering. Greer was going to count that as a win all around.

  “I think so.” Selena’s eyes were pure white, the rainbow colors of her markings shining brightly. The Tree of Life symbol on her forehead had changed since her bonding with Ash. It now more closely mirrored Ash’s tree, with green, glowing leaves on the branches. “I can’t sense a trace of it left.”

  “Good.” Mollie slumped to the floor, her back against one of the cabinets. “Good.”

  “Is there any other place you can think of that the black blood was stored?” Greer glanced around, but the maze of lab equipment was baffling.

  “No.” Tyrone shook his head. “And now we’ve lost any chance at finding a vaccine.”

  Ash was cursing softly.

  Greer’s brows rose. “I’m going to go with that’s bad.”

  Ash snarled. “Very.”

  Greer stared at the floor where the blob monster had met its end. “Well, shit.”

  * * *

  Mollie was sitting in Greer’s lap, nestled up against his tree. He’d insisted she was exhausted from her fight with the blob, and nothing she said or did could alter his opinion.

  She was more inclined to believe he needed the reassurance that she really was all right, that she hadn’t been somehow infected by the black blood as they’d battled it. She’d been terrified when one of the tendrils had latched onto her wrist, afraid it would somehow find its way inside her body and turn her into whatever it had done to Kate, the witch who’d allowed the Van Helsings to take them all in the first place. Mollie was beginning to suspect Kate had been infected all along, but how it had happened, Mollie had no clue.

  Mollie was certain she was in the clear when the Throne allowed her to enter. It had protested the presence of Selena when the witch doctor had battled the black blood in her own body, but it had let Mollie pass without a single quivering leaf. Her relief was only overshadowed by Greer’s.

  Still, he’d put her in his lap, cuddling her close as they listened to their friends discuss what had happened in the lab.

  “So you’re saying Ash’s sword had the biggest effect on it?” Mina was pacing, her brows furrowed with concern. “Why would that be?”

  “I have a theory on that.” Selena, too, was cuddling up to her mate, both of them sitting near Greer and Mollie. “Ash fought the shadow man in the spirit realm. He called his sword there, and we all imbued him with a bit of our power. I think...” She bit her lip and stared at Ash. “I think it altered your sword, gave you a power that you wouldn’t normally have.”

  Ash nodded. “My weapon reflects my mate, of course. I mated the witch doctor. I’m not surprised I wound up with a power that affects spiritual entities.” He kissed the tip of Selena’s nose. “It makes it easier to protect you, little witch.”

  Selena growled. “Stupid nickname.”

  Greer laughed, and whispered in Mollie’s ear, “I need to give you a nickname too.”

  “Don’t even think about it.” Mollie tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but Greer held fast.

  “Is there a problem, my little lightning bug?”

  Selena and Mollie shared a disgusted look. “Lightning bug?”

  Greer tilted his head. “There is this beetle that farts fire out its butt, but I didn’t think you’d like that nickname.”

  She elbowed him in the stomach as hard as she could. “You are not calling me a bug.”

  Greer rubbed her elbow. “Was that supposed to hurt me or you?”

  “I hate you so much right now.”

  “Children.” Mina shook her head at them. “We need to figure out if any of the blood got into the community. It’s probable that it did and it’s using that as the means to not only spy on us, but kill.”

  Mollie nodded. “I agree. It has to be the answer.”

  “Then we need to figure out how to find it.” Mina was pacing again, her agitation going up. “Ash, Greer. I want you two to concentrate on the town for now. The wolves will take over patrol until we’ve found every drop of black blood and eradicated it.”

  “Yes, my queen.” Ash bowed, somehow looking elegant even as his mate squirmed in his lap.

  Greer, on the other hand, did nothing. He was staring off into space, his fingers tapping on his leg. “There has to be a better way than searching every stinking square inch of the town. Now that we know it can move, it will simply hide from us. And something the size of a pinhead can be easily overlooked.”

  “You have a better idea?” Mollie stared at his profile, marveling that this strong man had finally begun to claim her. “Because I’m pretty much tapped out.”

  He was silent, but Mollie had no doubt he was thinking hard.

  “Right.” Mina nodded. “Until we come up with a better idea, we need to at least sta
rt looking.” She stared across the Throne to where Noah was curled up under Iva’s tree in his wolf form, still guarding her from harm. “I wish Iva was awake.”

  “We all do.” Mollie held out her hand to Mina, smiling when the Queen of the Forest took it in a tight grip. “She’ll be here soon, I can feel it.”

  “You can?” Mina glanced once more at Iva’s yew tree, where Iva slept and healed from her horrific abduction. “How?”

  Mollie shrugged. “I have no idea.” She poked Greer in the thigh. “Might have something to do with him, though.”

  “We haven’t bonded yet.” Greer’s tone was absentminded, his expression pained. “I’ll rectify that soon.”

  “Really?” Mollie wasn’t quite certain how dryads bonded, but she knew how fire elementals did. She’d held off on marking him until he was ready, but what was holding him back?

  Aw, hell. He didn’t think she had a thing for Carter, did he? Shit. That was still biting her in the ass?

  She took hold of his face in a firm grip. “Greer! I don’t want to fuck Carter!”

  Greer blinked. “You have no idea how glad that makes me. Can I go back to figuring out how to kick the shit out of the demon now?”

  “Promise me you believe me.” She glared at him, daring him to deny her request.

  He held up his hand like he was swearing on a bible. “I promise.”

  She snarled, not happy with his response. “Like you mean it, Mr. Berkley!”

  “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. I believe you.” He patted her on the head hard enough that her chin bobbed. “Now settle down, love bug. I have to think.”

  “Fine.” She settled her head against his chest. “I’m marking the fuck out of you later tonight, though.”

  He jolted under her and coughed. “Duly noted.”

  She almost laughed at the way his voice squawked. “I mean it. No more doubting me, got it?”

  “When did I doubt you?” Greer tugged gently on her hair until she glared at him. “When during this conversation did I say, ‘Oh, Mollie’s fucking around on me’?”

  “Then why haven’t you claimed me?” Oh, man, that came out far whinier than she’d meant it to.

  His expression changed instantly. Instead of confused anger, it was filled with affection and a touch of regret. “I was giving you time.” He pressed his forehead against hers. “Trust me. I want it to be perfect. You deserve nothing less.”

  She gulped, praying she wouldn’t start crying like a wuss in front of their friends. It was bad enough she could feel the tears burning in the back of her eyes, but letting them spill would just mark her as a weenie. She’d cry in private...or maybe with Greer. With Greer, she could let go and stay safe. “Okay.”

  “You sure? No more doubts?”

  Well, she had a few, but if Greer was good, then so was she. “No more doubts.”

  “Good.”

  “Now that that’s out of the way, can we get back to business?” Ash was grinning at Greer, silently laughing at him.

  Selena had her head in her hands, but because of her glasses, Mollie could still see the bright red color of her cheeks.

  “I’m so glad you two got that out of the way.” Mina tilted her head. “Make sure you, ah, what was that again? Oh, yeah.” She shot Mollie an evil grin. “Kiss his face off first.”

  Mollie hid her head in Greer’s chest. “Ass. Holes.”

  They all laughed. Well, Mina, Ash and Greer did. Mollie was too busy trying to pretend she hadn’t just lost it in front of their best friends, and Selena seemed to have gotten her blushing back under control and was staring up at Ash’s tree, lost in thought.

  Greer sighed and settled back against his tree. “So. The black blood. I have an idea, but I’m not sure if it’ll work.”

  “Okay,” Mina drawled, her gaze darting between Mollie and Greer. “So long as it’s rated PG, give it to us.”

  Mollie grumbled under her breath but refused to say anything out loud. She was probably never going to hear the end of this. Stupid friendships.

  “Selena says she can sense the black blood because of its connection to the spirit world.” Greer rubbed his chin against her hair, humming softly to himself. “What if we use that connection to hunt it down?”

  Selena was slowly rising to her feet. “I could do that.” Now the witch doctor was pacing, but it was excitement that sent her back and forth, rather than anxiety. “And I’m not the only one with that sort of tie.”

  “Brian Cunningham-West.” Ash grinned. “I bet he and his ghostly mate would love a little payback.”

  “And the other mediums.” Mollie lifted her head off Greer’s chest and nodded. Greer was a genius. “They all have friends and loved ones who were taken away.”

  “The vampires might be able to scent it out, and the wolves as well.” Mina rubbed her hands together. “We have a plan, people.”

  “Once they find it, we send in the elementals to deal with it. We don’t have enough men with magical swords to do the job, so we’ll have to see what else besides fire hurts it.” Mollie rose to her feet, ready to set things in motion. “We need to get Lore here, make sure this will work.”

  “And Dragos. I’ll inform him as soon as he wakes up. He’ll rally the vamps for us.” Mina strode toward her home. “Noah?”

  He lifted his head and nodded once before his howl rent the air.

  “I think he approves of your plan.” Mollie grinned at Greer.

  “I’m glad.” Greer also stood, dusting off his bottom. “Now, about that claiming...”

  Mollie backed up, well aware that Greer could catch her no matter how fast she ran. While she was just as eager as he was, there were things she hadn’t told him yet about elemental matings. “I said later tonight.”

  He glanced up. “I think it’s late enough, don’t you?”

  Oh, man. What had she done? “Aren’t we supposed to go hunting?” She almost tripped over a branch. She needed to watch where she was going, but if she took her eyes off him, she was a goner. Who knew dryads liked to play chase?

  “Let the others start. You and I are probably going on clean-up duty anyway.” He twisted his hand, and Mollie nearly tripped again.

  “You’re cheating!” The rat bastard was using his powers over the trees to slow her down, causing her to trip over roots and branches that hadn’t been there a moment before.

  “Who, me?” He gave her his most innocent look, the one that no longer deceived her in the least.

  “You’re lucky you’re cute.” Mollie was now trying to keep an eye both on the tricky dryad and the ground at the same time, and losing at both. “Knock it off, Greer.”

  “Or what?” He finally caught her just before Mina’s throne. “You know you’re just blowing smoke right now. There’s no real fire, not yet.”

  She blew her bangs out of her face. “I didn’t tell you what’s involved in a fire elemental binding. You...might want to wait.”

  He opened the secret passage to their home. “Lay it on me, love bug.”

  “Ugh.” She headed into their apartment in disgust. “Never mind. I’m not binding you yet.”

  “Aw, c’mon, bug.” He picked her up from behind, carrying her toward the bedroom even as she half-heartedly struggled against him. “You know you want me.”

  She grimaced. She needed to tell him now, before it was too late. Already her palms itched to lay the brand on his skin, the one that would mark him as the mate of a fire elemental. “Greer. It’s going to hurt. A lot.”

  He lifted his head from her neck, where he’d slowly been nibbling up to her earlobe. “You’ll brand me with living fire. The mark will glow whenever someone even attempts to flirt with me, warning the person off.” He smiled sweetly. “You forget, as a dryad, and one of the rule
rs, I’m very familiar with the ways of the elementals.” Their lips were a breath apart when he added, “And you have no idea how badly I want that brand. Mark me. Claim me. Make me yours in every possible way. I need it, Mollie. Do it.”

  That was all she needed to hear.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Mollie pushed him through the door, her hand on his chest, her eyes glued to his right shoulder. “There.” A fire-tipped finger traced a path of flame just hot enough to make him wince.

  She saw the reaction and immediately dampened her flame. “I told you it would hurt.”

  Guilt. She felt guilt for hurting him, when that was the last thing he wanted. “No.” He took his shirt off, tossing it wherever the fuck, because all he wanted was her fire on his skin. “What will it look like?”

  Her gaze was enraptured as she stared at his bared flesh. “Like this.” She traced the fire again, this time burning him enough that red marks appeared on his skin in the shape of flames.

  Of course. He’d known it would be something like that, containing a fraction of Mollie’s fire within. A burn that would leave a mark for everyone to see he’d been claimed.

  Greer stared at her, watching her trace the area over and over again. He took hold of her hips, guiding her to the bedroom, dropping their clothes in a trail on the floor behind them.

  Thank the gods for elastic-waist shorts.

  When they entered the bedroom, Greer sat on the bed, allowing his mate to crawl all over him. Whatever she needed, she would have. If she wanted to bring out the cuffs and tie him down, he would do it, and gladly. Being at the mercy of his lover was almost as enticing a thought as the reverse. And if it was as good as when he’d tied her down...

  He shivered, and his cock jerked.

  “Up on the bed,” she whispered. “Put your head on your pillow. I want you comfortable.”

  He complied, following her silent directions until he was exactly the way she wanted him. His head and shoulders rested on a pillow, while his dick was slowly being tortured.