King Cave

by Scarlett Dawn

  That was when Antonio placed a hand on my shoulder and fucking zapped me with a morsel of his magic. I yelped, grabbing my shoulder, and he shoved me aside, swiftly striding across the room to stand toe to toe with Cahal. His jaw was clenched, and he thrust his face into Cahal’s. “Are you seriously asking me this?”

  Cahal’s face cracked, and furious, he shouted, “Goddamn it, Tony, tell me if you fucking knew!” He shoved Antonio’s shoulders even as Lynn quickly swiped up his kids, rushing them out back. Cahal’s chin trembled, his narrowed eyes darting back and forth between Antonio’s as he yelled, “Tell me, goddamn you!” He shoved Antonio again, still shouting. “After every damn thing we’ve been through, I would have expected a little fucking warning even if you hate me!” Another shove. “Did. You. Know?”

  I stood back, more than shocked at Cahal’s outburst after his studious calm during his grieving process. He didn’t want to kill Antonio. This was different. This was hurt that a friend would keep a secret from him. The kind of secret that would wreck his insides like losing a mate would, shredding his Core, the pain horrifying. One glance at Ezra, and I moved, grabbing his hand where he stood frozen from his dad’s explosion.

  Cahal grabbed fistfuls of Antonio’s shirt, slamming his back against a wall, his whole body trembling. “I loved her.”

  Antonio finally spoke quietly, his eyes down. “She was your mate. I know you did.”

  A whisper. “Did you know?”

  Antonio’s chest expanded. “If I had,” his eyes slowly lifted to meet Cahal’s, “you know I wouldn’t have been able to tell you, so does it really matter if I knew or not?”

  It was a growl. “Yes, it matters.”

  Swiftly, Antonio turned his head away, his jaw clenched.

  Suddenly, oddly, Cahal froze. “Fuck.” He stood motionless for a few moments before he slammed Antonio once more against the wall, then released him and swiftly strode out the back door, breaking it clean off its hinges he hit it so hard, his Vampire growling in fury.

  Ezra swiftly kissed the top of my head before blurring out the back door after his dad.

  I stared at Antonio where he leaned against the wall, head tilted back toward the ceiling. “So, Tony, huh?”

  He grunted, his eyes closing. “Don’t even think of calling me that damn name.”

  “Wouldn’t think of it.” I moved to lean back against the wall next to him, staring at the unremarkable ceiling where he had been, and calmly, I asked, “Did you know?”

  He was silent for a few moments and then stated evenly, “I knew one day she would die, but I didn’t know it would be on this trip.”

  Truth.

  I tilted my head toward him. “Why didn’t you just tell him that?”

  His lips tilted in a self-mocking smile as he glanced down at me. “You keep forgetting,” he tapped his ear, “about Vampires, Lil. I just did.” As I blinked, he turned and walked outside.

  Following him, I saw that Cahal had indeed heard. He rested against the Hummer with his bag at his feet, face back to blank in Elder Zeller fashion, but he watched Antonio until he looked his way, giving him a half-nod of appreciation for the information he so desperately wanted before turning to listen to whatever Ezra was saying to him.

  I picked the door up, which lay in the middle of the yard, walking past Lynn, who was settling his kids in their child seats, and I murmured, “Anything you see or hear while with us, I would appreciate your silence about.” And yes, I put a little command behind it, letting him know it was the Queen speaking.

  His lips tilted crookedly. “Mum’s the word, Your Highness.”

  Throwing the door inside the house, clean-up duty done for now, I turned to Antonio. “I need you to change the color of the Hummer and alter the tags.”

  Instantly my Hummer was black with different tags, which I was positive would work on any Com police scanner. Mage power may be a pain in the ass most of the time, but I still loved their magic. I clapped my hands, and when everyone quieted I asked Ezra, “Where are we heading?”

  His lips lifted as Bonnie and Clyde bounded out of the house, coming to sit between us. He opened the driver’s side door, sat inside, and readjusted the seat for his taller frame. “I’ll tell you on the way. While I drive. And you navigate.”

  My lips pinched. “Not funny.”

  He shrugged a shoulder and dangled my keys — which I had thought were in my damn pocket — from his fingers. “It wasn’t a joke.” His grin only increased as I started stomping toward him. He held up a finger when I tried to grab my keys, whispering, “What’s yours is mine, and vice versa, right?” He winked, chuckling evilly.

  Well, hell.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  My nerves were shot.

  There was no other way to describe it. Between two hard days of Ezra’s speed demon driving, Cahal’s boozing it up in the back seat, Antonio’s private bitching to me about the stench of said booze, and Lynn’s complaints of where we ate and slept, I was a frazzled mess. Add in the fact we were about fifty miles east of Seattle, Washington — the middle of fucking nowhere — and that Ezra was out on his lone hunt/duty for his Prodigy, the die leading us here, then faltering…well, I was debating stealing one of Cahal’s bottles to drown my worries.

  But instead I paced in my hotel room with cell phone in hand, waiting to hear from my husband, since he had promised to call every half-hour as I had done with him. He was keeping to his word, calling me diligently while he searched in the Hummer through the rugged terrain of the north-west area. I was at least relieved about that, afraid at first he would go all caveman on me and not respect my wishes…which I had expressed adamantly and specifically. A few times.

  Whatever.

  It was time for him to call again.

  I stopped pacing to stare at my phone, willing it to ring. Surprise, surprise, the damn thing actually did, jolting me so badly I jumped, before I quickly got a hold of myself, answering, “Ezra?”

  “I’m alright,” he stated instantly. Okay, I sounded a little breathless. “Sweetheart, why don’t you lie down and take a nap. You barely got any sleep last night worrying about this, and more than likely, you’ve been pacing back and forth all morning.”

  Instant. “I haven’t.” I had stopped pacing a few moments ago. “Besides, I’m worried.”

  “I know. Over nothing. All I’m doing is driving through a damn forest.” A pause. “And further to that point, what self-respecting Vamp lives in a damn forest? It’s giving me the freaking heebie-jeebies just being out here for the morning. Inside a SUV. These people are crazier than yours.”

  I started pacing again. “That’s what is worrying me, unless there’s a whole other King Cave in this area we don’t know about.”

  Ezra grunted. “I already called my dad to ask. His response was to laugh his ass off, so I’m taking that as a no, even though he already sounded lit and asked me to pick up some Chinese before I came back, and I don’t think he was talking about General Tso’s Chicken.”

  My feet stopped. “Oh, God. He’s thirsty.” Vivian was no longer there to supply blood.

  “Yep.” A pause. “It’s funny how when I was growing up he said Coms always tasted the same, from what he remembered before he was mated, but suddenly, he’s got a damn ethnic preference.” He grunted. “Are there even Chinese Coms in this area?”

  I blinked…because that sounded like an honest question. “Ezra.”

  He hummed.

  My God, he was serious. “This is America, land of the free and diversified. I’m sure you can find someone who has an Asian background easily enough.” My eyebrows puckered. “You traveled the damn world, how do you not know about the United States? Your home?”

  “You’re forgetting, I was running away from home.” He paused, and then chuckled. “God, speaking of home, this area is right up your alley. I just saw a fox.” Another pause as he continued chuckling. “Hey, you’re not following me are you?”

  “Ha, ha, funny man.
” I thought about it. “I’m bigger than an actual fox, aren’t I?”

  No response.

  My wolf growled.

  “Oh, sweetheart, you know I think you’re perfect. And your wolf is perfect, too.”

  My wolf huffed, loving hearing him say it. “Just call me in another half-hour.”

  “I will, but take a damn nap so you’re not worn out tonight for me, alright?”

  I glanced at the bed, and it did look inviting. “You sure you’re doing fine out there?”

  “It’s only me and the wildlife, sweetheart. Just try to relax for a little while.”

  “Fine…I’ll try.” No promises.

  “Promise me.”

  Damn it. “Fine,” I growled. “I promise.”

  He hummed happily. “I love you, wife.”

  “And I love your aggravating ass, too, husband.”

  “You say the sweetest things.”

  I yawned, eyes on the bed. “Just call me, smart ass.”

  He chuckled softly. “I’m Ezra Zeller, it’s nice to meet you, Smart Ass.” When I growled, he muttered, “Fine. I’ll call, sweetheart. I love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  I woke to a buzzing sound. Blinking open my eyes, I sat up instantly and scented my surroundings. Quickly, my heart rate decreased as I remembered where the hell I was. Another craphole motel. The setting sun was filtering in through the lone window, and I stretched before grabbing my phone that had been buzzing on the pillow next to mine. Glancing at it as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, I saw that I had a message.

  And it dawned on me…my eyes shot to the window.

  The sun was fucking setting.

  I quickly accessed my voicemail, and in a soft and calm voice, Ezra stated, “There’s an issue with my Prodigy. Coms are holding her.” My heart rate kicked into a wild gallop, only to increase when he paused, then said, “A lot of Coms.” He sighed. “There are Vamps in the area, and I’ve asked them to stay in the general vicinity, but they can’t go in with me because the die keeps faltering when they’re near, and I’ve tried Elder Farrar’s and my dad’s phones, but no one’s answering, so I only left messages.” A long pause. “I can’t leave her in there with them. I need to get her.” My heart rate stalled completely as he whispered, “I love you, sweetheart. Just…,” a pause, “just remember that.” The call ended.

  There were no other messages, the call having come in fifteen minutes ago.

  Jumping from the bed, I quickly called his number.

  No answer.

  I called again.

  No answer.

  Breath faltering, I placed a bracing hand on the wall before searching for Antonio’s number.

  A knock sounded at my door. It was more of a banging.

  I ran to it, hitting Antonio’s number as I threw the door open. It was Antonio, and he wore that expression. The one he had worn outside the cave before we had left on this journey. I shut my phone before it fell through my suddenly limp fingers.

  He walked inside, shutting the door behind him. “I can’t find Cahal anywhere. I think he went hunting.” He bent, grabbed my boots, and threw them at me. “I can tell by your face you know Ezra’s in trouble. Get your shoes on.”

  I dropped, shoving my boots on, lacing them up, my heart pounding so hard I could barely hear, but in a shaking voice, I asked, “How bad, Antonio?”

  He stopped in his tracks, staring at the wall. “Now you ask?”

  “Yes.” It was so soft, I was surprised he heard me.

  “If it’s what I think it is…it’s bad,” he muttered, sidestepping Bonnie — who growled at him as he dug through my bag — grabbing my red fur coat and tossing it to me. “I’m going to try to find Cahal again, and possibly Merrick and Jacobs after I drop you off.”

  My fingers shook as I stood, throwing the robe over my bra and underwear I had on, only managing to button the top one before I gave up on the others. “Is he going to live?”

  He ignored me, opening the case of my gifted Cizanos. “You’re going to need these.”

  I yanked them out but dropped them on the bed, quickly strapping my gun to my thigh before grabbing them again. “Antonio…”

  His lips thinned. “There’s no more time for questions, Lil.” Antonio reached out a hand, touching my hair and returning it to neon red, and he pointed to Bonnie, who returned to appearing like a lion cub. “Grab her.” As I did as told, he ordered, “No matter what, do not release me or try to pull away. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  Antonio slapped a hand on my shoulder. “This might take a few minutes.”

  I rested against him and had to shut my eyes, he glowed so bright. Sound ceased to exist as we went to a…well, what could only be perceived as a void. It was a golden open space, Antonio the only thing I could see. Bonnie growled in the circle of my arms but didn’t move, behaving.

  After what felt like five minutes, I asked into the nothing, “How much longer?”

  No response.

  After what seemed like another five minutes, I asked, “Antonio?”

  He squeezed my shoulder, but there was no verbal response.

  I waited, staying perfectly still. He was carting not just himself, but two other living beings through this void, while searching for Ezra. I supposed that had to take some concentration. I focused on my breathing and closed my eyes, figuring that darkness was better than opening them and expecting to see something. It was fucking claustrophobic, screwing with my Shifter senses.

  After another five minutes, I began to feel a breeze. I sighed, sucking in the scent of fresh pine and grass. And blood. I froze. Lots of fucking blood.

  My eyes slammed open, but there still wasn’t anything to see. Sounds came next. Screams and cries of pain began breaking through the silence in intervals. I stayed silent, not knowing where he would set us down from this void, uncertain of what we were stepping into. Ezra had only said there were a lot of Coms, not the layout of the location. And then we were in a forest, the wind whipping around us, blowing my robe and hair about.

  Antonio let go of my shoulder. “He’s straight ahead. Follow the sounds of the pain.”

  Abruptly, he disappeared.

  I sat Bonnie high on a branch and ordered her to stay, before my head fell back and I howled my demand. I could hear there were too many Coms ahead. I needed reinforcements. The type with sharp, deadly teeth, and this was a damn forest.

  They came.

  Even more came.

  Within a minute, I had over one hundred wolves of all shapes, sizes, and colors standing before me. I didn’t fear them. Not one bit. Every single one of their heads lowered in submission as my eyes glowed, and I growled, sending my will into them.

  Kill, by means of anger and protection.

  They all growled, peering past me. I didn’t worry for Ezra. He could run fast enough to escape them.

  But the Coms couldn’t.

  I grinned and turned, running full force toward the music of warfare, the wolves following behind. Coming out into a clearing, I saw what looked like a tiny town. The kind with only one street for its downtown, maybe four buildings long on each side, each two stories high, and a gravel road at the end leading through the thick tree growth. There were no houses surrounding the area, just the stone buildings. At the edge of the street, toward the gravel road in a large clearing where a picnic table sat, were at least two hundred Coms. Way too many for this little town with probably a population of fifty.

  I sucked air, seeing a long line of bodies littering the main road. About fifty. Peering side-to-side, I took off behind the building on the left with the wolves following, my direction bypassing the carnage they might stop and snack on. I ran at the mass, knowing that Ezra was still in there as Coms screamed and gunshots fired.

  There were two Vamps on the left of the circled clusterfuck, fighting the Coms, but I saw two others that lay dead, those bodies at their feet. They glanced my way, hearing me and the herd of wolves a
dvancing. Even though my adrenaline and heart rate were too high from fear and fury, I could still appreciate the looks of shock that graced their features.

  But they hadn’t stayed alive this long from stupidity. They shut their gaping jaws and went back to slaughtering. I, on the other hand, took off, speeding up for a few ticks before launching into the air. I stared down at the masses, scanning the crowd as quickly as I could.

  I saw Ezra.

  He was smack in the center, covered in blood, with a pile of bodies growing around him, Clyde darting in and out of Coms next to him and swiping at their ankles. And Ezra was hampered. He had only one arm to use because the other was holding a tiny Vampire girl, her face stuffed against his neck. Feeling gravity take hold, I tucked and flipped as I began to fall, automatically throwing my arms out, short swords extended, and began slicing into the Coms as I landed in a crouch to keep from breaking my bones, my training automatic.

  Ezra was only a few feet away now, taller than the rest, so I focused on getting to him as I diced Coms, going for the direct kill by slicing their heads clean off. I didn’t call out to him and risk him being distracted, but I knew that he heard the screams of the Coms from the far end of the mass. The wolves had attacked.

  He didn’t notice my prey fall.

  No screams.

  They fell silent.

  Dead.

  Breathing with the motion, I kept my ears open and pivoted anytime I heard a gun clicking over, my senses allowing me to be fast enough that the firing weapon would hit someone else. By the scent, they were all silver bullets. I sliced at an angle, my blades no longer shining but slinging blood and flesh.

  I twirled and landed at my husband’s side.

  He was starting to throw a Com male into the mass and glanced at me, fangs bared, but blinked and finished tossing the man, causing a line of them to stumble back. “Sweetheart?” His confusion was evident.