Out of Shadows
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Sunshine washed through the room. She closed her eyes and raised her face to the warmth. What must it be like to never be able to be in the sunshine, to bask in its glorious heat? She couldn’t even begin to imagine.
Shoving the curtain wide, she turned and noticed something lying on the floor. She went to it and picked it up, holding it in front of her. Hadeon’s T-shirt. Lifting it to her face, she inhaled. His scent washed over her, a combination of man, leather and earth. It stimulated her senses, making her body ache. Reluctantly, she folded it and set it on the bedside table. She needed to get to work.
Padding back to the table where her laptop sat, she flicked a switch to power it up. She sipped her coffee and tapped a few keys to open her email, scanning the new messages. Her stomach growled. She had missed breakfast and needed to eat. But first, she needed to do some research. This time, it wasn’t about myths or literature, but about the paranormal.
Hadeon existed. If she believed that he truly was an immortal warrior, a Shadow Ryder, that meant there were more of them. This wasn’t the first time he, or someone like him, had interacted with this realm. She needed all the information she could get. Knowledge was power and she was tired of feeling helpless when it came to facing this horseman. If there was one thing she was good at, it was research. She knew how to ferret out facts on even the most arcane subject.
Due to her unusual subject matter, she’d made some interesting contacts all over the world. Somebody had to know something. It was time to put her agile brain to use. Sitting in the chair, she pulled her laptop closer and began to send some queries. An hour later, her stomach was rebelling. The loud noises it was making were distracting. “Fine,” she told it as she shut down her computer. Her online searches had yielded nothing concrete. All she could do now was wait for her contacts to email her with some answers. It was time to get something to eat.
After she ate brunch, she planned on touring Sunnyside, the home of Washington Irving, the writer of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Then she wanted to explore the Old Dutch Church and a few other sites around town. Hadeon would show up at dusk or he wouldn’t. Her time here was limited and she planned on making the most of it. Packing up her knapsack, she checked to make sure she had her wallet. Hefting the oversized leather satchel over her shoulder, she left the room, locking it behind her and pocketing the key.
The first order of business was to find a diner that served an all-day breakfast. She was starving.
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* * * * *
Hadeon didn’t want to leave Dovina. Last night had been the most amazing one of his entire life. She’d given herself to him without reservation, holding back nothing. She responded to his every touch, every caress. Just thinking about her was making him hard.
His fingers itched to touch her soft skin. He longed to bury his face in her curly red hair and inhale her essence. She smelled sweet and spicy. One moment she was shy, the next she was bold. Dovina had faced down the evil entity that was the horseman. She had more courage than most men.
He’d held her for hours while she’d slept, simply enjoying the feel of her in his arms, the puff of her breath against his skin. He knew if he had an eternity with her, he’d never get tired of touching her, uncovering what made her sigh with pleasure and scream with desire.
His shoulders bunched, his fists clenched. He didn’t have eternity. Dovina was human and he wasn’t. Their paths could cross but there could be nothing lasting between them.
Hadeon cursed the fates that had let them meet several thousand years too late. Dovina deserved more than he could give her, but he wasn’t noble enough to walk away from what she offered.
He couldn’t.
It was the first warmth, the first light he’d had in his life for so long. He hadn’t realized how cold and empty he’d become until he’d met her and she began to fill all those places within him.
His resolve hardened. Whatever he had to do to protect her, he would. Deep in a heart that he would have denied even existed, a spark had been ignited. It grew with each passing second until it threatened to explode out of his chest. Dovina was his heart. She might not know it, but she held it in her small, capable hands. For whatever time they had together, he wanted to bring her as much physical pleasure as possible. He would not speak of love. That would only make it worse for both of them. But he could no longer deny its existence.
He stepped out of the shadow and into the great hall, striding purposefully toward the Shadow Lord. “What have you learned?”
The Shadow Lord sat back in his chair and raised an eyebrow. Hadeon barely stifled a curse. This was no time to stand on ceremony and wait for his Lord to acknowledge him. He needed answers.
“Jarda and Aris are still searching the Otherworld.”
“Whatever he is, the horseman entered her dreams.”
The Shadow Lord sat forward, every line of his body rigid. “Tell me.”
Hadeon explained about the dream Dovina had and how he’d been pulled into it. He left out what had happened after they’d escaped the horseman. The Shadow Lord 55
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didn’t need to know about that. Their physical relationship was between him and Dovina.
“Interesting.” The Shadow Lord sat back, appearing lost in thought. Frustration ate at Hadeon. Not understanding his enemy could be fatal. He wanted to howl his anger. Instead, he stood silently in front of the Shadow Lord, waiting, sensing there was more.
“The woman I have sent you to protect is special.”
Hadeon leaned closer. He’d assumed she was special, otherwise he’d never have been assigned to her. He knew in his heart that there was something exceptional about her, but he wanted to know exactly why this creature was after Dovina. The Shadow Lord leaned back in his chair and sighed. “There is a light about her, within her, that is powerful.”
Some of the other warriors stirred in the dark corners, standing and moving closer.
“We have lost ourselves to the shadows for too many years.” The Shadow Lord pushed out of his chair and stood, towering over all of them. “That is my fault. The shadows that protect and strengthen us have become our prison. I knew no way to reverse what had happened, until recently.”
“It’s lighter now.” Araman spoke from the shadows.
“And why is that do you suppose?” the Shadow Lord questioned.
“The women.” There was no hesitation. Hadeon knew it had something to do with the women his fellow warriors, Gideon and Blade, had been sent to protect.
“Correct. I had a vision. I saw the future and it was not a pleasant one. All of us would be locked in this realm forever, leaving those we’d sworn to protect without a shield against evil.”
The men began to murmur, but the Shadow Lord held up his hand. Quiet soon reigned. “I also saw that there are a small group of women in the world who hold a light within them. A light that can strengthen us and help us find our way back to our true purpose. Almost too late, I learned that light is needed to make shadows. If there is no light, there is only darkness, which will swallow the shadows whole.”
Hadeon nodded and knew the others did too. They’d all felt it. The growing apathy, the inability to care, to feel anything. Years had been lost simply sitting and staring into the darkness.
Shame washed over him. He was a warrior, sworn to protect those in the human realm, yet he’d given up without a fight, allowing the darkness to overtake him.
“We’re all guilty of that, Hadeon.”
His head jerked up and he stared at the Shadow Lord, knowing the man had read his thoughts.
“There is no shame. We are fighting now and that is all that matters.” He stared off into the darkness, seeing things none of the rest of them could see. “Dovina can help us. The dark creature must want her light as well. Whereas we don’t want to hurt her, he 56
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would most definitely drain every ounce of her life essence to gain that li
ght. It will strengthen him and kill her.”
Hadeon growled low in his chest. His sword was in his hand without him having a memory of ever drawing it. “No one will harm her.”
The Shadow Lord dipped his head in acknowledgement of Hadeon’s vow. “Protect her well. Until we discover exactly who or what we’re dealing with, we don’t know for certain how to destroy him. And we must destroy him. A creature like that will not stop. If he does not get Dovina, he will find another.”
Hadeon thumped his fist against his chest and bowed. “It will be done.” He turned and hurried back to the shadows. Time passed differently in this realm. Sometimes a few minutes could be hours, even years. Or he could return seconds after he left. There was no knowing until he returned to the human world.
“Hadeon.”
He paused and turned back to his Lord.
“I will send word as soon as Jarda and Aris return.”
Hadeon nodded. He turned back to the shadows and plunged into them, riding them back to the hotel room. It was empty. He inhaled and caught a whiff of Dovina—
the soap she used in the shower, the lotion she rubbed on her skin and the essence of the woman herself. With his keen senses, he could also smell the bitter coffee as well as the underlying scent of their lovemaking from the night before. His balls pulled up tight and his cock stirred. He ignored his physical reaction as he closed his eyes and searched for her with his mind. There was a connection between them that had been strengthened by the physical but went far beyond it. He picked through the tendrils of shadows, searching for her. Distance was no barrier. Walls ceased to exist. There. He sensed her life force and homed in on it. He felt the pull of the shadows, the brush of soundless air that enveloped him as his body was swiftly propelled down the dark corridor of nothingness. Opening his eyes, he found himself in a shady corner of a churchyard. Dovina was chatting with two women and gesturing to one of the headstones.
Her fiery hair glinted in the late afternoon sun. Her hands moved in an animated gesture. His muscles tensed and he groaned. He knew just how talented those hands were, could feel her fingernails digging into his shoulders as he fucked her hard and fast. Could remember how her fingers had circled his shaft, pumping up and down in an erotic rhythm.
His cock surged to life, pressing against the placket of his pants. Hadeon reached down to adjust himself. It was marginally better, but not much. He saw her, he wanted her. It was that simple and that complicated. She paused and glanced over her shoulder, staring right at him. Once again, she amazed him. There was no way she could see him. He was one with the shadows. But she sensed him there. Or at least sensed something.
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That was a good thing. Hopefully, she would be able to sense the horseman too. That would give her another measure of protection against him. Hadeon waited until the older of the two women touched her arm, reclaiming her attention, before checking out the rest of the graveyard. The shadows were growing longer. It was twenty-five minutes until the sun set for the evening. All Shadow Ryders had an innate sense of the position of the sun at all times. It was a defense mechanism. Lucky for them they had it or many of them would have perished years ago. If he could be here, then so could the horseman. Hadeon smirked. Whoever the entity was, he was a theatrical bastard. Probably smart too. If anyone saw him, it would just lend to the local legend. Most folks, however, wouldn’t believe they’d actually seen him and would write it off as a hallucination or the power of suggestion. Hadeon would like to cap his head for real. If he were a creature much like the Shadow Ryders, then perhaps beheading him would kill him. Maybe that’s why the shape he took showed him with no head. It was a layer of protection for him. Once again, frustration ate at Hadeon. He needed to figure out how to kill this enemy or, at the very least, severely wound him. That would give the other Shadow Ryders time to discover more in the Otherworld.
He watched the graveyard as the sun slowly sank in the west. The two women said goodbye to Dovina and headed toward the parking lot. The younger one took the older woman’s arm, helping her along the path. He narrowed his eyes as she stood alone watching the sun disappear.
Just as the last ray blinked out, she turned to where he was standing. “I know you’re there.” She held her hand out to him. He stepped out of the shadows and went to her.
Dovina held her breath as Hadeon materialized from the gray depths, his form taking shape with each step he took until he was solid. The man took her breath away. Tall and strong, and clad from head to toe in black leather, he was a force to be reckoned with. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Just his long duster over his bare chest. He was also angry. She could see it in the hard set of his jaw and the way the scar on his right cheek appeared paler than usual.
Anyone in their right mind would be afraid of him. At the very least, cautious. She was so glad to see him, she threw herself into his arms. They tightened around her and she was dragged against a hard male chest.
“Are you out of your mind?” His voice was gruff, yet tender. She pushed away and tipped her head back so she could see him. “No. I knew you were there. If you hadn’t shown, I would have gone to a café or something. I was half afraid to go back to my hotel room.”
His hands flexed, tightening on her hips. “You’ve had no trouble today.”
It wasn’t a question, but she answered him anyway. “No.” She shook her head. “It’s been quiet. I did the tourist thing, took lots of pictures, and had a great brunch at a local 58
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diner while I chatted up the waitress and a few of the locals. One man claimed to have seen the horseman near the cemetery just two weeks ago.” That had both intrigued Dovina and frightened her. Was it the horseman of legend or the one stalking her? And where they one and the same or different?
“I also did one of the haunted hike tours and talked to the guide. Interviewed a couple of women about their personal experiences with the horseman legend.” She motioned to the path the women had taken. Dovina had been thrilled when Anna had called her to set up a meeting here in the cemetery. She had Mrs. Van Herk’s recollection of what happened all those years ago, along with Anna’s more recent tale, safe on her digital recorder. “What did you do?”
She really wanted to know where he’d been and what he’d been doing in the hours since he left her. She knew she really had no right, no claim to him. They’d had sex. Great sex. Stupendous sex. But that didn’t mean they were in a relationship. Not that rationalizing things made them any different. She still wanted to know.
“I went to the Shadow Realm.”
“Did you learn anything?”
He glanced around. “We’ll talk later. First, I want to drop you off somewhere well lit and very public. I want to go back to the bridge in the forest and look for clues. Maybe learn more about the horseman.”
She wasn’t having any of it. “I’m going with you.”
Oh, he didn’t like that one bit. He tensed and she noticed a tic start beneath his right eye. “No.”
She took a step back and put her hands on her hips. “I wasn’t asking you. I was telling you.” It might not be the smartest thing to do, but Dovina wanted to be with Hadeon. It was her life being threatened by this unknown entity. She wanted to help him discover exactly who or what they were up against.
“You need to be protected,” he protested.
“I need to be with you,” she whispered softly. And she did. All day long, she’d been looking over her shoulder, watching for the horseman. The only time she felt safe was when she was with Hadeon.
His sigh of masculine displeasure ruffled her hair. She knew she’d won and was careful not to smile. He grasped her shoulders, shaking her lightly. “You will do exactly as I tell you. This is not a game, Dovina. This is your life, possibly even your soul we are talking about.”
Fear bubbled up inside her, but she beat it back. She had to keep her head about her or she’d never survive. “What did you learn?” Obv
iously, he knew something she didn’t.
“Later.” Without another word, he took her by the hand and tugged her behind him. She hurried to keep up, his legs being much longer than hers. 59
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He stopped suddenly, swore and then spun around. Yanking her into his arms, he lifted her up onto her toes and slammed his mouth down on hers. His erection pressed against her stomach, sending a blast of pure lust rocketing from her breasts to her pussy. Oh god, she wanted him.
He ate at her mouth, tasting her, consuming her. Dovina forgot that they were in a public place where anyone could see them, a cemetery no less. Nothing mattered but Hadeon.
The brittle grass crackled beneath toes. The light fall breeze did little to cool her flushed cheeks or heated body. Leaves danced around their legs. The sound of people and traffic faded into the background. She thought she heard someone whistling in the distance.
The hot taste of his mouth, the feel of his hard hands caressing her shoulders and back aroused her to a fever pitch. She lifted one leg, wrapping it around his hip to get closer. Her breasts ached, so she rubbed them against his chest. He made a low rumbling sound of pleasure. His massive hands cupped her ass and pulled her closer into the notch of his thighs.
Suddenly, he thrust her away. “Later,” he growled. She stumbled and he grabbed her hand again, pulling her behind him.
Dovina could barely think straight. Hadeon went from cold to hot and back to cold so fast it was making her head spin. She knew it was because he was focused on getting what information he could on the horseman and then taking her to safety. The man pushed all her sexual buttons. No doubt about it. In under three minutes, she was primed and ready for him. Her panties were damp and her nipples hurt where they rubbed against her bra. Her lips felt swollen from his kiss. She shook her head, grateful for the cool breeze. He was right. This wasn’t the time or the place. But later…that was another thing altogether. 60
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Chapter Seven
Hadeon thought his cock would explode. Even the crisp evening air couldn’t cool his ardor. He was very aware of Dovina hurrying to keep up with him. He didn’t want her here. He wanted her somewhere safe. But he knew if he left her in a restaurant or coffee shop, she’d just leave and come looking for him.