Exquisite Breath of Darkness

by Candice Stauffer

Flatter him.

  I was kidding. You’ve completely lost your fucking mind if you think I’m going to make nice with a vampire.

  Do it. Please. Buy me some time to get to you.

  No. Wait, Joseph, this is a trap. He wants you to come. And I know something is wrong. You’re injured. I feel it. You’re in pain, terrible pain.

  “This is an interesting development.” Narrowing his gaze on her, Jeremy rubbed his chin, “I’ve never seen a woman actually feel the need to protect a demon.”

  “Actually, I just don’t see any need for him to waste his time screwing with such a pathetic loser.”

  I will never be unable to get to you. And when I said flatter him I wasn’t meaning for you to call him hurtful, unpleasant names. Joseph knew she was afraid because the vampire getting into her mind—it was the first time one had ever succeeded in breaching the barriers that always protected her—but she was more afraid because vampire wanted to face Joseph.

  “Are you going to do something other than stand here and waste my time?” Joseph couldn’t believe she was purposely pissing Jeremy off. Life would be much easier if she’d learn to be afraid. Locking her away somewhere safe seemed the best plan.

  Just as fast Joseph felt the poison overcome him, he felt power and strength return, and he sent it to her to stop the vampire from touching her. You’re getting one hell of a spanking, Mia. He’s dangerous. Stop provoking the son of a bitch.

  All at once the ground shook, lightning streaked across the sky, and thunder exploded.

  “Do you see what you’ve done? He’s really pissed off.” Mia smiled at Jeremy. “I tried to keep him out of our little squabble, but you just had to provoke him.” She shrugged. “You should probably go back into hiding real quick before he gets here.”

  Joseph knew she was waiting for the vampire to respond. He also knew it wouldn’t, since he’d paralyzed the vampire.

  She stepped closer and waved her hand in his face. “Hello.” She grinned. I don’t know how you did it, but it’s cool. I love it, Joseph. What did you do to him?

  He was a problem. When there’s a problem, I solve it. I can’t believe you were planning to face him alone rather than wait for me.

  Mia laughed out loud. Can I help it if I feel the need to protect the weak and helpless?

  You’re one damn naughty woman. And mean. You’re mean as hell, Mia.

  Well, I hope you’re not trying to say you’re perfect, because you aren’t. You make me crazy mad all the time. The warmth in her voice caused his stomach to flutter. She couldn’t hide the love she had for him even if she wanted to. And Joseph, it’s not that I can’t hide the love I feel for you, it’s that I don’t want to.

  He smiled. Just keep looking at him. He felt better knowing he’d taken control of the vampire, but he didn’t slow down or risk a separation by moving through time and space. Not even for an instant. I know you’re just a girl, but don’t get scared and close your eyes. You’re really helping me keep control of him. Yes, he was teasing her—though he wished she would gain a healthy fear of the darker side. He was still several miles away, and though he was moving as quickly as possible, it wasn’t quick enough for his liking.

  You don’t really think I‘m going to … I mean, no problem. I was just thinking how nice it is to actually have a good-looking man to gawk at. Don’t worry. I’ve no plans of denying my eyes such a fabulous treat.

  Now you decide to flatter him. The soft sound of her giggle and taunting words caused him to smile. You’re pure wickedness, Mia. Her laughter embraced him. It filled him with joy like nothing else could.

  Joseph, he’s different. It’s a trap. He wanted you to come all along. Are you sure Julie is safe?

  Julie is safe. You know that as long as she lives with Brianna, her home is protected by Nikolas. Nothing could get inside to harm them. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was being totally serious now. She was worried.

  Be calm. There’s no reason for a woman to be afraid when she has a man like me to protect her.

  Mia rolled her eyes. I keep telling you, arrogance is a major turn-off for me. And it’s also a good way to get yourself killed.

  I wasn’t bragging. It’s the truth. And I’ve no intention of allowing a vampire to kill me. It’s Jeremy Lang, the one we’ve been hunting since he attacked Lee Anne.

  Duh. I figured it out. He wanted you to come. This was planned. I think this is a trap. I think there are more of them. They’re hiding. I can feel them. Joseph could sense her worry—if he were hurt because of her actions, she would never be able to live with herself. And he was able to get into my head. They’ve never been able to influence my thoughts before.

  Joseph smiled. It was good they knew he was united with Mia. Do you seriously doubt my ability to take care of a vampire? I’m not even there, and he’s under my control. Don’t worry about me. I can handle them.

  Wait. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Something is really wrong, Joseph.

  He was already searching for the source of her distress. When he realized he could no longer see the vampire, fear nearly caused his heart to burst.

  My eyes. My vision is getting … oh, shit. I can’t see a damn thing. Oh, shit. Can you still see him?

  Yes.

  Seriously? You’re going to lie now? She shook her head. Do you really think I can’t tell you’re freaking out when we’re merged like this? For being a demon you’re a terrible liar. Add to that you’re a lousy stalker, and it’s not a very appealing resume.

  Good thing you already know I‘m the right demon to get the job done. Joseph knew the vampire was nearly free and close to getting beyond the barrier of protection surrounding her. Stay calm. Your fear will strengthen him. I’m working on reversing whatever he’s doing.

  Whatever? You don’t know? And you’re admitting it?

  Don’t be afraid. I know everything. I was just making sure you were paying attention. Joseph made sure she felt the heat of his breath on the back of her neck, made sure her body was set ablaze by it. He wanted her to feel as if she could simply collapse and his arms would catch her.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I hate when you pretend to be with me when you’re not.

  You cannot lie to me. You love the way your body responds to the thought of me touching you.

  The thought of you touching me irritates the hell out of me.

  That’s not what you were saying when you wrapped your legs around me. I know what your problem is.

  Do you?

  Yep. I’m sexy as hell, and you want me. Admit it. You want me bad. Real bad. Once it’s out you’ll feel much better. Lust deepened his voice.

  If this vampire doesn’t kill me, I’m going to kill you, Joseph. She couldn’t hide the truth from him … They both knew he was trying to distract her, comfort her. I can’t believe you’re trying to make me feel all warm and fuzzy just before a vampire kills me. You’re an ass, Joseph. A big, fat ass.

  He’s not going to kill you.

  Oh, shit.

  What? But there was no need to ask. He was suddenly aware the vampire was working his way free.

  I think he’s moving toward me. Joseph felt her heart was racing. Her mind was processing her options quickly. I feel it. He’s closer. Joseph, I can’t see anything. Please. Help me see him.

  Never once had she ever asked him for help. Feeling her desperation was like nothing he’d ever known. Joseph knew the second the vampire grabbed her shoulders with bone-crushing force. He gave her all that he had. Fight! My strength, my power, my speed belongs to you! My vision is yours. It was a decree, a command that was impossible for her body to defy. Use all that I have, Mia! Fight! Joseph couldn’t believe he was commanding her to fight. Male demons never allowed their women to fight. There was no place for a woman in battle, no reason for it. But there was now.

  She needed to fight for a few minutes, or she would die.

  * * *

  She felt surge after surge of Joseph’s power, his s
trength slamming into her, filling her. It was unlike anything she’d ever known. Suddenly she could see, and her knife from out of nowhere manifested in her hand. She immediately attacked the vampire. She knew the rules. Attack! Attack! Attack! Never stop attacking. She slashed him with the knife again and again. His blood burned her hands, and immediately rain started to fall, rinsing it from her flesh.

  Knowledge flooded her mind. Normally she relied on her instincts, but Joseph’s knowledge was incredible. She realized several more vampires were waiting for Joseph, eager to attack him. They believed that with their numbers they could easily kill him. Obviously, they didn’t know her man.

  Her man? She froze. He was her man. She instantly, not realizing what she was doing, closed her mind from Joseph to keep him from hearing her thoughts.

  Jeremy seemed to know the moment she was relying solely on her own power and strength. He lashed out at her, his claws raking at her flesh.

  Mia felt Joseph reaching for her, desperately attempting to repair the link. The instant he regained it, she heard his cry of outrage and knew he felt the sharp pain of claws in her flesh. She knew she needed to fight to survive, but she couldn’t. Her mind was in a strange fog. Her arms and legs felt too heavy to move.

  No! Do not stop! Fight, Mia. Fight! It was a command.

  Mia shook her head. Joseph? I can’t. I can’t move. I can’t see. She was in serious trouble. The vampire was too strong. Too fast. And there were many more waiting to ambush Joseph. They were both going to die, and it was her fault.

  They can’t kill me. It’s a trick. Merge with me again. Fully. Open your mind to me. No barriers.

  She did as he said. He was right. She could see again.

  Just then, a doglike creature moved out from behind the car where she’d seen the shadow disappear earlier. Its fur was matted and filthy. It smelled worse than rotten chicken. Joseph immediately took charge. One second it was snarling and snapping its jaws at her, and then the next a bolt of lightning came from above and struck it dead.

  She ignored the pain of the deep gouges in her arms by pushing it as far from her conscious mind as possible as she attacked the vampire. She knew her arm was slashed wide open and she was losing too much blood. But she also knew that Joseph with her, guiding her, aiding her with his amazing strength and power. Mia lunged for Jeremy and managed to bury the knife deep in his side before she pulled it out.

  Turning, stumbling, he screamed his outrage as his tainted blood flowed from his body. “You bitch!”

  She didn’t hesitate. She thrust the knife into his back. Jeremy turned around, grabbed her, and threw her towards the building. Then he was thrown back by an unseen surge of power.

  Joseph caught Mia just before she hit the wall. “You never break a link with me when you’re in danger.” He gently set her on her feet and bent down to rest his forehead against hers. “Never again, Mia.” He straightened to his full height and gave her a stern look. “You remain merged with me no matter what.”

  Mia blinked up at Joseph. She wasn’t the type of woman to be so overcome with emotions that she was reduced to tears, but at that moment she wanted to collapse in his arms and cry. She wanted to thank him. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her. However, if she did those things, he’d either freak out and think she was dying, or go around for the next week being insufferably smug. Actually, he’d probably manage to do both. So instead, she just asked him, “What took you so long?”

  “I stopped for a cup of coffee.” He wrapped his hand around her arm and sent a burst of healing energy into it to close the deepest wound and stop the bleeding. “You’ve lost a lot of blood.” He placed his hand on her cheek and sent healing energy into her flesh to close that deep gash as well. “Just stay behind me.” He turned away from her to face the seemingly unconscious vampire sprawled out on his back.

  “Yeah. Sure thing. I’ll be the perfect little damsel in distress. I’ll stand back here and stare at your ass while you fight the vampire that tried to kill me.” Rolling her eyes, Mia moved forward to take her place at Joseph’s side, making sure they each had room to fight. “Stop stalling. You know I don’t plan on allowing you to have all the fun. Let’s kick some nasty, bloodsucker ass.” She refused to be anything but the warrior she was. “Unless you’re too afraid and would rather hide behind me.”

  “Hmm … I suppose watching you from behind does offer an extremely pleasant view.” He smacked her butt. “Forget it. I will do the ass kicking tonight.” She lifted her chin and smiled rebelliously. “Interfere, and I’ll do things to you that’ll cause you to scream my name and beg for more.” Joseph’s voice was a low, seductive growl that caused Mia’s stomach to flutter and blood to heat.

  She blushed but managed to smile and wink at him before she shifted her gaze to his groin. “Why would I beg for … oh. Oops. Poor li’l guy. Your equipment is a tad bit inadequate.” Frowning, she looked up at him. “What a terrible tragedy. I was hoping to try it out sometime in the very distant, ‘I’ve been stranded on a sub-zero, snow-covered mountain for years and there is no other man to warm me up’ future.”

  “Be careful what you hope for,” he growled, lust burning in his eyes. “It can very easily be arranged.”

  “You wouldn’t dare.” His lips lifted in that slow, sexy smile that always caused her heart to race and blood to burn. Okay. He would dare to do it. It was time to change the subject. “Since he’s starting to wake up, don’t you think we should get to doing something about the vampire?”

  * * *

  Joseph knew Mia would never just stand back and allow him to take care of the vampire, but he had a plan. The moment Jeremy got to his feet, Joseph moved too fast for her to even think of keeping up with him. Another vampire moved in front of Jeremy, allowing Jeremy to escape. Joseph killed the newcomer instantly, crushing its skull, but then suddenly he realized his mistake. Another, more powerful vampire was close by. Too close.

  Joseph’s gaze collided with Mia’s. “Stay next to me.” Feeling a threat from behind, he turned away from her to scan the area and search for the vampire as he sent a call out to any other of his kind that might be near. He didn’t have time to make sure anyone received it before he was forced to face his worst nightmare.

  “Joseph, watch out!” Mia leapt into action and slammed into the vampire that was charging at him from behind.

  Joseph turned just in time to see her land flat on her back and the vampire pounce on her. Before his next breath, he yanked the vampire off her and made quick work of destroying it by ripping its head from its shoulders.

  The dragon’s rage took over. There was no time to think, for more vampires had appeared, surrounding them. And Mia was dying at his feet. Joseph stood over her and raised his hands to the heavens to summon the most violent forces of nature. Normally, he would never pull so much power to him with her so near—it was simply too dangerous. But in that moment it didn’t matter. He felt her life slipping further and further away. He had to end the fight now.

  Gusts of wind coming from every direction blasted the vampires back as torrential rain instantly flooded the street. Countless streaks of blinding lightning crisscrossed the sky in a violent frenzy. The intensity and power of the lightning burned the vampires’ eyes and flesh seconds before they were all incinerated by simultaneous direct hits.

  ~ Nine ~

  ALREADY ASSESSING HER injuries, Joseph stared down at Mia, his body trembling. “No.” She was absolutely still … so tiny … and fragile, and so … broken.

  Many of her bones were crushed beyond any hope of repair. Her flesh was as pale as ash. Her lips were blue. She was dead. And he was falling apart. He couldn’t detect a single sign of life in her. “No! No! No!”

  He stared down at her, hoping to see the slightest movement of her chest rising and falling. But it didn’t. “Mia.” She wasn’t breathing. Her heart wasn’t beating. “Please, Mia.”

  Mia opened her eyes and gasped one last breath.

  Despa
ir slammed into him. Grief like no other gripped his heart, causing it to physically ache. “Mia.” He, one of the most powerful immortals warriors, dropped to his knees in defeat. “No!”

  He wouldn’t be defeated. He reached for her spirit and held on tight, refusing to allow it to move to the next realm. She wasn’t leaving him. “Come back to me, Mia.”

  His entire world was gone. Without her, there was nothing, no reason for him to continue on. He bent down over her to search deeper for any sign of life. But there were none. Rage filled him. This was his fault. He should’ve protected her.

  Moving slowly, he gently pulled her hair away from her face. He knew she could move on to an existence of peace. He knew she could travel to a place where she would never again feel pain. He should’ve been strong enough to let her go, but he wasn’t. He ached to pick her up off the cold, wet pavement and cradle her, but too many of her bones were crushed.

  Body trembling and tears streaming down his face, he bent his head and kissed her lips gently. “This cannot be how it ends. You cannot leave me, Mia. Not like this. Not ever. I could never get through a single moment without you.”

  She wasn’t his mate, and as a male demon he possessed the right to use the power of resurrection only to save his mate. Bringing her back would be considered one of the greatest offences against the laws of his kind. His soul would be condemned. But it didn’t matter.

  She mattered. Nothing else mattered. “Forgive me, angel,” he whispered to her spirit. “I didn’t protect you. But I cannot let you go away from me. Don’t be afraid. If I can’t bring you back to me I will come to you.”