Inside her body, the jaguar erupted in anger. She felt the flood of power once more, infusing her cells with such a rush that she reacted instantly, yelling her warrior cry as she jerked her arms and began to struggle in earnest.
Nanauatl gripped her hard and yanked her upward until he held her in the air like a puppet, her limbs moving erratically as the dagger fell from her fingers.
Deep, guttural sounds escaped from between her lips, and as a red haze infiltrated her vision, she met his eyes one last time. She felt shame at her weakness and sadness for an end that would come much too soon.
A realization came to her. Was there really honor in such a death? One that would leave so many things unfinished? She gritted her teeth and prepared herself, pushing the despair from her mind.
And she knew the bastard would enjoy her death immensely.
Chapter 15
Julian knelt, his nose wrinkling at the otherworld stench that hung in the air. He grimaced and looked up at Declan. The entire area was rank with it.
“A fresh kill,” Declan observed, his eyes scanning the area around them. “She’s definitely here.”
Julian stood quickly. He was anxious, on edge, and his animal clawed beneath his skin. He wasn’t used to feeling, and much preferred the cold wall of nothing he’d enjoyed over the last six months.
He rolled his tense shoulders, his eyes slowly sweeping the area as he did so. They’d made damn good time, all things considered. The jet had been a no-go. Jakobi was still in the area, and it would have been a red flag. They’d cut some time by driving to La Corone, and from there, they’d chartered a small flight.
It was eerily quiet. He glanced down at his feet once more. They might be too late.
Finn and Nico came jogging up from the other side of the ruins. Julian ignored the warrior and focused on the eagle knight.
“Any sign of Cracker?” They’d contacted Jaxon and learned the operative had been dispatched the day before, when the first reports of demon activity had surfaced.
His conversation with his brother had been short and to the point. There’d been no time to fill Jaxon in about his whereabouts over the past six months. That would have to wait. It had been enough to hear his voice and to know that Libby and Logan were safe, as were Jagger and Skye.
The tall blond man glanced at the goop that lay in clumps along the ground before meeting his gaze.
“No.”
Nico grunted, and Julian arched an eyebrow. “Care to share?” he asked, though he ignored the warrior and spoke to the eagle. He felt the other jaguar’s glare, and it pleased him to know that he was irritating him, even if only in this one small manner.
Finn smiled wryly and shook his head. “It’s freaky quiet. We caught a security guard partying it up with two ladies; but other than that, nothing.”
“Are we going to sit here all night or are we going to find Jaden?” Nico exploded. “She’s here. I can smell her.”
Julian turned his attention to the warrior, his golden eyes dark, his mouth set into a hard line. He felt his beast stir once more, and the urge to pound his fist into the jaguar’s face was heavy. He took a step toward him, growling as he did so.
Nico’s tone was possessive and touched on something inside Julian he didn’t care to explore; however, he couldn’t help the way it made him feel.
“She’s mine.”
The words bounced around his brain, and he didn’t realize he’d spoken them aloud until Nico’s eyes widened in surprise, and the warrior snarled. “She belongs to no one.”
Julian clenched his fists together as the burn continued to rip along his flesh. The edge of his mind was dark, corroded, and the pure unbridled rage he felt at that moment fed his soul hungrily.
Nico lunged at him, the tall warrior ferocious as his own anger boiled over. He leapt into the air, but Julian was ready, his stance wide, a feral grin falling over his face.
His scars pulsated in rapid, sharp bursts, as they did whenever emotion took over, but he welcomed the pain. It meant that he was still somewhat alive.
And yet, the hit never came. Nico was pulled from the air like a puppet and slammed into the stone wall that was several feet away.
“You boys done playing?” Declan asked softly. The sorcerer stood casually off to side, looking like he was bored as hell. But Julian knew better.
Declan O’Hara was as damaged as he, and the dark, flat eyes that stared at him were but two shades above dead.
Nico snarled, kicking his feet as he bellowed in rage. Declan tossed him an easy smile, though his eyes remained fixed, cold. He arched an eyebrow, slowly walked toward them and, with a flick of his wrist, released the hold he’d had over the jaguar.
Nico’s body slowly slid to the ground, and he landed lightly on his feet, his face screwed up something nasty, pissed that he’d been bested.
And by a magick no less.
Declan spit into the ground and glanced at the warrior. “Oops.” His eyes swung back to Julian’s, and the two men stared at each other. No one would ever understand what they’d gone through.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing personal.” Declan’s eyes lowered, and he studied his fingernails, buffing them against the leg of his pants as if he had all the time in the world. “Seriously, a by-product of my vacation in hell. A little bit of extra mojo.”
Nico was breathing hard, both from the ferocity of his emotions and the bottled-up rage that left his limbs trembling.
Julian could relate. He was barely able to keep it together.
“You’re just like your father,” Nico rasped.
Declan stilled, and, for a second, his true self was revealed. The air around him charged with electricity, and Julian smiled as the power surged forth. It danced upon the air, crackling and stinging their flesh.
Everything went quiet, like the sound had been peeled back, leaving a layer of thick white noise ringing in their ears.
Declan’s face was devoid of emotion, but Julian knew how close he was riding the edge. Hell, he was right there with him.
Declan opened his mouth and was about to speak when a scream rent the night air. It was full-bodied and powerful, and it sang to the dead part of his soul.
It was the jaguar warrior battle cry.
It echoed on the night wind, then died, leaving the four of them in silence. The white noise disappeared abruptly, and everything came crashing back . . . the cool evening, the dark energy, and the need he felt to get to Jaden.
Julian whirled around and flew through the darkness as he ran toward the ruins.
Low-lying fog crept along the ground, mixing with the gray and the dark until the entire area was enveloped in a wall of forbidding mist.
They definitely weren’t alone.
Julian slowed as he passed a wall of skulls, his nostrils flaring as Jaden’s scent reached him. She was near. He could feel it.
“She’s definitely in the temple, the outer sanctum.” Finn spoke quietly, his manner grave. “I have no idea how she made it inside, or else I would have searched there first.”
“What do you mean?” Julian asked harshly.
“The wards that protect the temple are strong, only an eagle can gain access unless . . .”
“Unless what?” Declan stepped forward, his face was tight and his hands were clenched into fists at his sides.
“Someone let her in,” Finn said softly. “We need to hurry.”
They followed the eagle knight, moving forward as a unit, paying no mind to the scent of danger. It was dark, cloying, and stank of otherworld.
Julian glanced at Declan. It was an odor they knew too well. A shiver raced across his flesh as an eerie groan drifted across the breeze.
The bastards sounded hungry.
They approached a man-made tunnel with caution, and as soon as they were swallowed by its damp entry, Julian’s otherworld radar went into overdrive. The energy down here was thick, menacing. It mingled with Jaden’s scent, and that alone enraged his animal to t
he point that his skin itched and burned.
Another scream filled the tunnel, and the pain across his chest tripled at the sound. The four of them erupted into a chamber, and the sight that greeted him stopped him cold.
An eerie glow caressed the damp stone walls, enabling them all to see clear as day. For a moment he was filled with such blackened rage that his mind twisted, and he saw everything through a thick haze of red.
Deep red. Blood red.
The blood of whatever, or whoever the fuck it was that held Jaden like a rag doll.
He was aware of creatures, phantomlike beings that stood just behind Jaden, but it was the large asshole who gripped her by the neck that had all his attention.
Mist crawled up his legs as his body changed. His bones popped, and golden fur rippled along his flesh as the ancient magick took hold.
“Time to party, boys.” He heard Declan’s words echo in his brain and was vaguely aware that Nico was transforming as well, but his only thought was to get to Jaden.
The entity that held her turned eerie eyes toward them, and he sensed the madness that lay there as he shook the woman that he held.
Jaden’s toes dangled several feet above the ground, and her hands hung loose at her sides.
Was she dead?
He barked loudly and the power of his jaguar flooded him as his hind legs bunched tightly. He sprang forward with a roar and leapt into the air, his heavy, powerful frame carrying him forward with ease.
Julian snarled in pain as his body slammed into them. The man was not wholly corporeal in this plane of existence, yet, there was solid matter to him. It burned, an incredible flash of heat that enveloped his entire body as they connected.
Jaden was another story. He hit her hard but was able to shake her loose from the monster’s grip, and the two of them tumbled to the ground.
Nico was right behind him, the tall, powerful jaguar zipping by as he confronted whatever the hell these things were. An energy blast flew over top of his head, courtesy of Declan, and Julian positioned his body over Jaden’s limp form as his mind methodically processed the entire scene.
Declan was weaving a spell into the air, his hands making intricate patterns as energy flew from him in sporadic bursts. He was protected, a ward already in place, safe to do whatever the hell it was he was doing.
Finn, however, seemed frozen, his face set with disbelief.
And the tall man in front of him, the leader it seemed, ignored them all, his eyes focused solely on Julian.
“How perfect,” he said, and Julian shook his head as the man’s weird amplified voice hung in the air between them. “The little bitch has a mate.”
Julian snarled and faced him, his long tail waving back and forth as he prepared to fight. He’d tear the bastard apart before he let him touch the woman on the ground.
Behind him, a painful growl was torn from Nico, but Julian refused to turn around, though he was aware that Finn sprang into action as he swept by them in an effort to aid the other warrior.
Julian crouched low to the ground as he moved in front of Jaden, positioning his body in such a way that she was protected.
“You silly, pathetic animals. You know not what you deal with.” The creature smiled wickedly and showed off a healthy set of razor-sharp teeth.
Julian’s mind went still, and he pushed everything away, concentrating solely on the thing in front of him.
He bunched his powerful legs together, prepared to strike once more, and felt a rush of adrenaline kick in as he pushed off with a mighty shove.
The blackness inside him rose to the fore, and the dark power that lingered there exploded as he flew through the air, his jaws open wide.
His target’s arrogance soon vanished as Julian once more crashed into him, this time prepared for the shock of pain. His claws dug in, clinging to the weird feel of him, and he ignored the fire that spread along his body as the man’s arms closed around him.
He staggered back—his enemy—his legs nearly buckling under the weight and pressure of the large spotted jaguar. The two of them clung together in a macabre dance, and Julian snarled, exposing his deadly canines.
He strained against the man’s hold, his eyes focused on his head and neck. The need to crush and destroy was so strong in him that all else faded away.
The scent that rolled off him was definitely otherworld, but it was unlike anything Julian had come across in the last year.
“Brave little cat, aren’t you?” the man spit out, smiling sharply, though he grunted at the effort it took for him to contain the jaguar. “I will crush you, then eat the heart of your mate.”
Julian snapped his jaw wider and threw his weight at him full force. The two of them struggled for several long seconds, each trying to best the other in a game of pure brute strength.
The man dug his fingers into Julian’s side and Julian grunted in pain as the phantom’s fingers penetrated fur to rip into his flesh. Julian twisted sharply, feeling a keen sense of satisfaction when his claws sunk in farther and he was able to push until they both crashed to the hard ground.
Julian landed on top, but the man was able to hold him off, and the jaguar’s deadly canines were not getting any closer to his opponent’s jugular. A groan from behind caught his attention.
Jaden? He stilled for but a second, yet it was enough for his enemy to shift and throw him off.
Julian rolled to the side, his powerful paws digging in and propelling him forward once more, but the man was no longer there.
A loud blast bounced off the walls and he looked toward the entrance in shock. Smoke and dust nearly choked him as the ceiling near the doorway crumbled downward, forming a large pile of crap that blocked the only way out.
The tall man grinned back at him, licked his lips, and snarled. “Now we get down to business.”
Julian’s powerful body was still. Declan looked like he was in a trance, his fingers feverishly weaving symbols into the air as sparks of energy flew from them.
Another groan sounded to the side of him, soft and feminine. He chanced a quick glance and felt relief at the sight of Jaden sitting up. She looked dazed, but when her eyes connected with his, something sparked deep within their depths. An understanding.
She rolled to the side and jumped to her feet, a long deadly dagger clutched in her hands.
Nico roared behind him, and Finn’s cry of rage followed; they were pretty much cornered by the shadelike creatures.
Julian kept his eyes on the leader and slowly backed up until his body was next to that of his woman. He felt her warmth, heard the beating of her heart, and when her hand fell to the fur at his neck, for that one second, the pain, the anger . . . everything that was mad inside him faded away.
“Well, my eagle knights, looks like our evening has been enriched in ways we’d never expected.”
Julian’s instinct was to attack, but the hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing just that, and he remained in place, though his body trembled.
“Just wait,” Jaden whispered. “Declan is up to something.”
Julian’s mouth hung open, harsh pants falling from within, his canines exposed and deadly. He forced himself into somewhat of a state of calm. He needed to be smart.
He stared at the man before him. Who the hell was he?
“He’s Nanauatl, the eagles’ sun god.”
Jaden’s voice whispered close to his ear. It was eerie, how much the woman anticipated his every move and thought.
The sun god stared down at him, his superior attitude plainly evident in the arch of his brow, the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He snorted and looked behind them, and as his expression changed subtly, Julian moved against Jaden, pushing her slightly to the side so that he could better view the entire scene.
Nico hissed viciously, spitting and growling at the crew who had him cornered, while Finn stood tall and met the gaze of their leader with a calm that surprised Julian.
He had no f
ear, and Julian felt a spark of admiration for the eagle knight as the powerful shifter came forward, passed the two of them and stopped just in front of the leader.
“You are one of us,” Nanauatl whispered hoarsely, his nostrils flaring as he bent forward slightly. “A Knightly no less.”
“I am Finn, son of Michael, brother to Skye,” he answered solemnly.
“It is your family who lost the portal.” The sun god’s eyebrows closed together, his expression fierce as his face darkened. “Your line has grown weak.” He nodded to the rest of them, a snarl ripped from his throat as his eyes passed over Julian and Jaden. “And now you consort with the likes of them? Jaguars? The very people who’ve hunted our own for these last centuries? Our enemy?”
Nanauatl took another step, but Finn remained silent though Julian observed the clenched hands at his sides. He knew that the eagle knight was no match for any of them, without the strength he drew from the sun—he couldn’t shift, and his power was diminished—but it didn’t keep him from the fight.
Finn had honor.
“Who let you loose?” Finn asked abruptly. “I thought you were cursed to spend eternity etched in stone.”
The sun god roared his displeasure as did his followers. Julian eyed them cautiously and noticed that Nico had been able to move closer to his position. The shadelike warriors were focused on the drama being played out between Finn and Nanauatl.
If the jaguars were going to make some kind of move, it would have to be soon. Jaden’s warm hand dug into him once more as she knelt beside him. He noticed, for the first time, more bruising along her cheek and her neck. Blood ran from both her nose and her mouth, and he fought the urge to rub his head against her.
She looked at him, her large eyes dark as the night sky, and he thought they softened a bit. “Why is it every time we get together, I end up all bloody and shit?”
Julian growled softly and stilled as she grabbed him close, her scent invading his nostrils and pulling such savage need from him, that he barked and tried to back away.
She held fast, ignoring his action, and whispered hoarsely, “We need to get to Declan . . .” She pushed at him hard. “Now!” She glanced at Nico before pushing away and screamed like a banshee as she leapt forward, the dagger raised in front of her as if it were a shield.
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