Mystik Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 2)

by Brenda Trim

  Copyright © 2015 by Brenda Trim and Tami Julka eISBN: 978-1-63452-604-3

  Editor: Amanda Fitzpatrick Cover Art by Patricia Schmitt (Pickyme) *****

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writers’ imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the authors.

  Dedication

  Our biggest supporters from day one have been our mothers and they continue to believe in our dream. Their love and devotion is as endless as the energy drinks we consume. We love you!

  We want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our readers who have joined us on this thrilling adventure. You enjoyed Dream Warrior enough to beg for the next book, so here it is. Buckle up, baby!

  Table of contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Authors’ Note

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Thanks for picking me up tonight, especially this late. I owe you,” Cailyn murmured as she embraced her best friend on the curb outside baggage claim at San Francisco International airport.

  “Anytime, you know that. And thanks for letting me drive your car, I love it. It’s the nicest car I’ll ever drive,” Jessie joked while holding the trunk open for Cailyn to throw in her bags. “So how was the wedding? And more importantly, did you spend quality time with the hot Doctor Jace?” her friend finished as she slammed the trunk closed. Cailyn was still reeling over the fact Zander had placed some of his Dark Warriors in human occupations to keep the supernaturals’ existence secret. Jace was one of those undercover supernaturals, a renowned ER physician in Seattle. But he certainly wasn’t like any doctor she’d ever been to; he looked more like a model.

  Thinking of Jace, a smile crept over Cailyn’s mouth. She shook her head and crossed to the driver’s door and jumped into the plush leather seat. She thought about the question as she put the car in drive and headed away from the airport. “Surprisingly, the wedding was incredible...magical. Elsie is so happy with her sexy Scot,” she finally responded. Jessie would come unglued if she knew Zander was a vampire, let alone the Vampire King. She was dying to tell her, but some things you couldn’t even share with your best friend, like how your sister was turned into a vampire to save her life and mated to the Vampire King. “And, you should see the huge house these guys live in. It was a perfect setting, with thousands of twinkling lights…it looked like a scene from a fairytale. How were things here?”

  “You didn’t miss much. I’m glad your sister is happy, after everything she went through when Dalton was killed. There is no one who deserves it more. But, you, my friend, are avoiding the real issue. You broke off your engagement to John months ago because of your attraction to this doctor. Now, spill it, MacGregor.”

  Cailyn heaved a breath of exasperation. She loved Jessie, but wished she wasn’t so tenacious. She had no desire to talk about Jace. The smallest thoughts about him caused an intense arousal she had never experienced before with anyone else, not even while in the throes of passion. Then, there was this unexplainable pull, drawing her toward him. His strange, stunning amethyst eyes, and his incredible body all drew her in, like a moth to the flame.

  From the moment Jace had entered Elsie’s apartment, Cailyn had been captivated by him, which surprised her. Typically, the kind of man who had a long braid, and wore a large, silver cuff wasn’t her type. The combination made her think of an effeminate man, but there certainly wasn’t anything effeminate about Jace. He was all masculine strength, and a fierce warrior to his core. She would never forget the vicious battle that destroyed Club Confetti, where he had wielded his weapons with expert precision.

  She had found herself in the middle of a supernatural war, and had been terrified beyond reason, but the way Jace had moved so fluidly, and fought with confidence and vigor caused her heart to pound for different reasons. She recalled how she’d stood there unable to do anything to help or defend herself. She had been way out of her element. On one hand, she was horrified at the blood and violence, and wanted to run and hide, but on the other hand, she was captivated and enthralled by this mystical warrior. Needless to say, the situation had caused her a whole load of turmoil.

  Like Jessie had said, that unrelenting attraction and confusion had made her call off her engagement to John months before. Thoughts of John reared an ugly, yet familiar guilt. He was attractive, caring, loyal, and supportive, everything she wanted in a husband. It was ridiculous to be lusting after Jace. After all, there were plenty of good-looking men in the world. Not to mention that Jace didn’t see her as anything other than Elsie’s big sister.

  She glanced in her rear view mirror at the dark, empty highway behind her, contemplating how to answer Jessie. “I didn’t spend any time alone with him. It was a short trip and he was at the hospital nearly the entire time. I sort of danced with him at the reception. Well, we were all together in a big group, but we were so close we touched several times and the heat between us….” Cailyn trailed off as her body shivered in remembrance.

  “How are you supposed to figure out your feelings for John versus Jace if you didn’t spend any time with him? I thought you were going to get him alone.” Jessie waggled her eyebrows at Cailyn, making her chuckle.

  “You make it sound so easy. What was I supposed to do, walk up to him and drag him to the nearest closet? Look, you know how confused this whole situation has made me. I was committed to John, and I love him, yet I can’t stop thinking about Jace. Honestly, I didn’t trust myself to be alone with him. My body tends to have a mind of its own where he is concerned.”

  “I have got to see this guy. He has to be smokin’ to make you, the most faithful person I know, question yourself. Did you at least finally tell your sister that you broke your engagement to John?”

  “No, I didn’t have the heart to tell her. It was her big day and she has been through so much the past two years that she deserved it to be perfect. If I had told her, she would have spent too much time worrying about me. I will tell her if it becomes necessary. Things may still work out you know.” She hated how her voice sounded so uncertain. She typically had no problems making decisions, big or small. This was infuriating.

  She meant what she said though. It was possible that things with John would work out. She and John had continued talking since she broke things off, and he continued to try and win her back. She refused to go back to him until she extinguished her desire for Jace though. She kept telling herself that the draw to Jace was a phase, and that it would end. The problem was, her attraction was stronger now than it had been before.

  �
�If you don’t want Jace, can I have him? Does he make house calls? I’m suddenly feeling under the weather,” Jessie moaned and leaned her head back against the seat, placing the back of her hand over her brown eyes.

  Normally, Cailyn would have laughed that off, but jealousy hot and vicious stabbed through her veins. She wanted to punch her best friend in the face, repeatedly. What was wrong with her? This was out of control. She needed to escape the confines of the car. She was close to harming her best friend. The drive to her condo in Potrero Hill was going to be a long one tonight.

  “No, you can’t have him,” she bit out before she could stop herself, immediately regretting her words. “I’m sorry, Jess. I get a bit crazy where Jace is concerned. Remember, I nearly clawed some girl’s eyes out for kissing him. If you have any advice about how to resolve this, I’m all ears.”

  “Cai, you need to stop being so hard on yourself. You did the respectable thing and broke up with John despite the fact that you still love him. I know you would never hurt…”

  An engine revving drew Cailyn’s attention. Peering into her side and rearview mirrors she noticed a big, dark colored SUV quickly closing in on them. Cailyn got the sense that something was wrong. The aggressive manner of the other driver had panic setting in.

  The large SUV loomed closer, and she realized her convertible didn’t stand a chance against the beast barreling toward her. And, it was obvious they were gunning right for her car. Her heart sped up as adrenaline dumped into her system.

  “What the hell? What’s their problem?” She blurted and switched lanes getting out of their way.

  “What?”

  “That car behind us is all over my ass,” she replied, tension lacing her voice.

  Jessie turned around in her seat. “They changed lanes with you. Are they following us?”

  Cailyn had the ability to read the minds of those around her, and despite the fact that she had come to loathe her power, she lifted the barriers she had in place to protect her mind and opened her telepathy toward the inhabitants in the vehicle behind her.

  She recoiled as malevolence and anger coated her mind like slime on a bog in the bayou. Cailyn could read human thoughts like an open book, but it was difficult for her to read supernaturals. The jumbled mess she was picking up on told her that she was being followed by supernaturals. The intentions of the SUV’s occupants were tinged with dark malice, causing a shiver to run up her spine. She tried to get enough information to know what they were facing, but it became difficult for Cailyn to concentrate through her growing fear.

  She had to get ahold of herself if they were going to get out of this alive. Tuning everything else out, she focused on the driver and finally caught a few disconcerting words: mate, vampire king, Triskele Amulet, Kadir, capture. These few words caused a lump to settle in her stomach. This was connected to Elsie and Zander and the archdemons desire for the power of the Triskele Amulet. They must think she had information, or worse, they planned to use her to force Zander to give up the amulet. That meant big trouble for her and Jessie.

  Flooring the accelerator, she flew back into her seat as the car sped. She glanced in the mirror again and saw that she had managed to put space between her and the SUV. She clutched the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white. Her victory was short-lived as the engine of her pursuer roared and a quick check told her the vehicle was closing the gap. They were in deep shit.

  “Hang onto your seat, Jess. They’re after us,” she advised, glancing around at the closely grouped houses of South San Francisco, searching for an escape route. The last thing she wanted was to take this chase into the suburbs and place innocent people in danger. She contemplated going to the police, but dismissed the idea right away. The individuals chasing them were not human, and the police would be ineffectual against their power. Having seen the violence in Zander’s world firsthand, she knew no human was capable of protecting her and Jessie.

  “Why would they be after us? Do you recognize the vehicle?” The tremor in Jessie’s voice made her want to reassure her friend, and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but she knew that would be a lie. Cailyn had no idea what was going to happen.

  A jolt, followed by the sound of metal crunching, cut off her reply as she was sideswiped. The wheel swerved, and she tried to steer away, but they managed to push her car, forcing her to exit the freeway. She realized why when she saw the signs for San Bruno State Park. That was as close to being in the boondocks as they could get her in the middle of the city.

  From the corner of her eye she saw that Jessie had turned in the passenger seat and was wide-eyed, gaping at the car behind them. She wondered if Jessie saw the red-ringed eyes or fangs of the young men. She guessed not, since Jessie wasn’t screaming bloody murder.

  As she opened her mouth to tell Jessie to call Elsie, Cailyn saw two creatures that had haunted her nightmares for months. Shock and horror coursed through her, as she saw Azazel and Aquiel mere yards in front of her car. Azazel was a terrifying archdemon working for Lucifer’s right hand demon, Kadir, who wanted Zander’s Triskele Amulet to free Lucifer from hell. Aquiel was a gorgeous, but dangerous Fae helping the demons. Both of these supernaturals together meant deep trouble for Cailyn and Jessie. The fact that they had found her, and clearly believed she was a way to obtain the amulet, terrified her.

  Dread engulfed her at the malicious intent on their attractive faces. Azazel’s red eyes glowed with rage, and Aquiel’s silver eyes glowed bright with anticipation. Her heart sank when she scanned the area for an escape, and found nothing but trees and green shrubbery. They were well outside of the suburbs, which meant her and Jessie were left to face them alone.

  The SUV pulled alongside her, threatening to hit her again. “There’s nowhere for me to go, Jess,” she blurted. Flooring the accelerator didn’t give them any headway. The sound of cars colliding echoed before her body was thrown to the right. She struggled to maintain her grip on the steering wheel determined not to be driven off the road. She gritted her teeth as she clutched the steering wheel.

  “They are going to kill us! Oh, God. Watch out, Cai!” Jessie screamed.

  Ear piercing metal screeched, and she was jolted in her seat when she steered as hard as she could into the other car. She lost control of the steering wheel, and as gravity left her, she could no longer tell which way was up. As the car rolled end over end, glass shattered and air rushed through the broken window, the wind slapping her face. A loud snap was followed by excruciating pain in her right leg. The limb was on fire and engulfed by sharp pain. Without looking, she knew that she had broken a bone.

  Jessie shrieked, and despite the fact that the both had on seatbelts, they were tossed around the vehicle. Cailyn’s purse smacked her face, and before she knew what was happening, their bodies were thrown forward as the car slammed into a hard object. The front airbags exploded, knocking the breath from her lungs. She felt like one giant bruise from head to toe.

  The car slammed down onto its roof, sending debris raining around them. The sound of glass hitting the pavement was the only noise in the aftermath. Cailyn prayed that the hard top roof would not collapse and crush her and Jessie. One look out the spider-webbed windshield told her they had hit a tree. The sound of screeching tires meant they had no time to waist. The SUV full of skirm had reached them. She had no idea if the archdemon and Fae were still in the street or not. Her fear was a bitter tang in her mouth as she prepared to die. She had no way to combat these powerful creatures.

  They needed help. Her telepathy had never enabled her to communicate with others, but she had to try. She stretched her mind and screamed out an SOS to anyone who may be close enough. She begged for someone to send the police, fire department, anything to distract her pursuers. She was beyond worrying about who else became involved. She was desperate for her and Jessie to survive this.

  Speaking of Jessie, there was only silence from the seat next to her. Was she alive? Terrified of what she would see,
she glanced over to see blood dripping from Jessie’s temple into her long, bleach blonde hair. Hand shaking, she reached out to feel for a pulse. It was faint but there, thank God.

  Leaves rustling and twigs snapping drew her attention. Outside the passenger window she saw the demon in his black combat boots approach her vehicle. “Jessie, wake-up, we need to get out—” She yelped as a knife cut through her seat belt and someone grabbed her hair, dragging her from the car. Craning her neck, she saw that Aquiel had a firm hold of her.

  When Azazel snatched Jessie from the car she screamed, “Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this.”

  “Unfortunately for her, now she does,” Azazel taunted. Jessie whimpered and cried out. Jessie had come around, and her eyes were wide with fear. Cailyn would have preferred that Jessie remain unconscious and unaware of the danger they were in.

  “What do you want?” Cailyn asked, distracting the demon while she focused on the thoughts and snippets of conversations running through her mind. She was typically bombarded and overwhelmed quickly when she lifted her barriers, but she was far enough away from a heavily populated area that it was easy to focus on what was coming through. A spark of hope ignited when she heard Zander’s name accompanied by a sense of loyalty and dedication. Whoever was thinking of Zander respected the Vampire King and she prayed they were his Dark Warriors. She knew they were close by, but would they reach her and Jessie in time?

  “You’ll know soon enough. I must say you’re a pretty one, princess. Much more voluptuous than your sister, the Queen,” Azazel purred. She shuddered as he ran a claw-tipped finger along Jessie’s cheek while maintaining his hold around her neck. She knew that all he had to do was flex his fingers and he would end Jessie’s life. She opened her mind again and screamed her plea for help.

  “Who is that I hear tearing through the brush? More playthings?” Nausea rose at Azazel’s words. She cursed supernatural senses. She was hoping that there were Dark Warriors headed her way, supernaturals who could take them by surprise. She didn’t want to die like this, and they could end her and Jessie in the blink of an eye. They must want them for something, she reasoned. Otherwise, they’d be dead. She had to stall him.