Stretching his hand out into the mist, he flexed his palm, enjoying the new surge of power that filtered from his black heart and coursed through the rest of his body. For the first time in centuries since his transition into the Darkness, he felt alive. Flexing his outstretched palm into a fist, he stepped out onto the windowsill, allowing his senses to take over. The violently tumbling and crashing waves became the theme song as he plummeted one thousand feet toward the maelstrom.
Weightless yet falling at a speed that would guarantee an instant and messy death for a mortal being, he froze only inches above the water. Even an ordinary vampire with mastered skills and strength would not be able to prevent himself from slamming into the water’s surface. Daemon took a moment to gaze into his reflection on the surface of the water, black eyes staring back at him when a huge swell began to form, creating a threatening shadow that loomed over him. He closed his eyes and propelled himself in a backward flight to the windowsill.
Slightly disoriented, he stumbled back from the sill to find Selene idly lying on her side, offering him a lazy smile.
“How do you feel, lover?” she asked, her green eyes glued to his bare muscular chest.
“Powerful,” he growled. His fangs lengthened at the sight of her nude body lounging shamelessly on the silk sheets. Her flawless dark brown skin was a temptation difficult for any male to resist, and he found himself drawn in by her seductive pull.
“Good. And you will be ... As long as you feed from me, my love, you will always be powerful.”
“Where are we?” He tried to distract himself from thoughts involving Selene writhing beneath him in pleasure.
“Ireland. Here we are close enough to The Vatican to plan a preemptive strike against those wretched Guardians.” She sat up quickly and wrapped herself in the sheet, a reminder that there were greater stakes involved than a night of carnal indulgence.
“Are you aware that you are being hunted?” Daemon asked, approaching the bed. “And I am not just referring to The Council Slayers.”
“Ah, yes, the Beast wants to know where my father is,” she said slyly. “And I am sure you do, too, which is why you have been of aid to me.”
Daemon looked away.
“Of course, the other two old bags of dust you are now at odds with wish to gain favor of the Fallen One.” She used her will to raise Daemon’s chin so that his stare met hers. “We will destroy those two and then deal with the Dark Lord. My father is not a commodity to be used for bargaining. Besides, I think I have a much better bargain for the Fallen One—one I think he cannot refuse.”
“And what is that?”
“Me.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Archer zipped the last suitcase and took one last look at his apartment before grabbing his keys and heading out. The Louisiana Guardian teams still needed their help, and now that Sanaya was in the last phases of her transition, he felt it was safe enough as her Primary Guardian to step away and fulfill his other duties as the Head Guardian of The Academy.
Lois and Myra were staying behind to act as Head Guardians and to keep an eye on Sanaya and King until the final phase of her “Awakening” passed. Aklia offered to send Natasha down to keep watch over the Slayer while Archer was away, to make sure that his strong-willed protégé did not go rushing off into danger or worse—into King’s bed.
He sighed at the thought.
Those two were definitely Guardian Soul Mates—and possibly something more. The last thing Archer needed was a pregnant eighteen-year-old Slayer and a Guardian potential as a baby’s daddy. There was so much at stake, and the world needed Sanaya now more than ever. But the girl was eighteen, a legal adult, and whatever decision she made would be her own. The only thing Archer could do was hope for the best. This connection with King was too strong for Sanaya. Archer was certain she never kissed a boy before King. She still had a lot to learn about life and the battles that needed to be fought. If King broke her heart, that would be the end of it.
Or worse. If something happened to King, The Darkness would take Sanaya for sure.
“Help me, Lord,” he muttered as he grabbed his suitcases and headed out the door.
“Help whom?” Eve asked, startling him.
“Eve! You and your sneaky vampire stealth.”
“You should never let your guard down, Head Guardian,” she chuckled, kissing him on the cheek.
“Are you ready?” he asked, taking hold of her suitcase and carry on with his.
“Can you carry all of that?”
“Woman, who are you talking to?” Archer grimaced as he swung her bag over his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“But—”
“I said let’s go, woman.”
“I love it when you talk to me like that,” Eve breathed, fangs lengthening.
Eve skipped ahead, her dark messy bun bouncing with her. Archer dropped the bags long enough to give her backside a playful slap. She yelped with glee and led them to the parking lot where several black Humvees awaited them. While he and the hired driver from The Vatican loaded their bags into the back of the armored vehicle, Archer noticed other Guardians emerging from The Academy. Congo and Tatsu were the next to begin loading up their Humvee, followed by Asim, who was accompanied by another church assassin Archer was not familiar with. Just as Archer slammed the hood of the trunk down hard, a dozen more Guardians loaded their vehicles while engaging in quiet banter.
Archer slumped against the passenger door of the armored vehicle. “Some of them will not return from this trip, Eve.”
Eve gently touched his shoulder. “They know what we are up against, baby and they made peace with it.”
“I know,” Archer said, “but it still doesn’t feel right. I wish I could just send them all back.”
“We have a job to do,” Eve said. “But let’s have faith that we all make it back in one piece. And we will have some help from The Council.”
“You’re right,” Archer said, shaking his head. “I have to start having faith, considering who we work for. I’m always the pessimistic one.”
“No, you just understand what is at stake and try not to fool yourself.” Standing on her toes, she lightly brushed his lips with a kiss and spun around to the other side of the car where the driver stood patiently with the door held open for her.
Archer sighed once more and climbed inside. Twenty-four heavily-armed Guardians and church assassins were on their way through multiple time zones, crossing international waters and foreign airspaces on a private jumbo jet owned by The Vatican to face the unknown.
Unfortunately, Archer’s gut told him that Louisiana was going to be much more than they bargained for.
*****
Sanaya opened her eyes to the bright rays of the sun beaming in through her half-opened window. Maya was still snoring soundly across the room, and the vibe in the dorm was quiet.
Sanaya sat up, stretched, and wandered to the bathroom, her sleepy mind groggy from the memories of last night, and she almost tripped over own feet in the bathroom. What was she thinking? What was King thinking? Her cheeks flushed from embarrassment as she recalled Archer’s pissed off expression. She knew King’s life was over when her Primary Guardian’s muscles clenched in his jaw and his laser-like stare zeroed in on them. She chuckled, thinking about Congo stepping between Archer and King, not even wanting to contemplate what might have happened if he didn’t.
Sanaya grabbed her toothbrush from the holder and squeezed a huge glob of mint gel toothpaste onto her brush and began the methodical process of preparing for her day.
She thought about the conversation with Eve and their walk around the campus. Eve gave it to her straight as always, reminding her of the delicate changes taking place in her body, the intensity of the Guardian Mate Bond, and the dangers of allowing herself to become distracted by the throes of passion. Eve had warned her to take the necessary precautions required since it was obvious what direction Sanaya and King were headed.
Sanaya r
insed her mouth. Sex always seemed to be the underlying topic when it came to her and King. He already promised that he would wait for when she was ready, but these bursts of ... whatever it was ... confused everything. Her body was definitely ready, but there was another part of her that wasn’t.
What if she was never truly ready? Would King still wait for her? He already experienced sex before, and to go from having it perhaps regularly to nothing at all ... Sanaya wondered if King could wait for her.
King was not Roland. Her father was a creep of a man, and her mother was an unfortunate victim in his love game. But could that be a reason why men strayed?
Sanaya shook off these depressing thoughts and threw on a pair of pink and white sweats, her white Adidas and the matching hoodie, and grabbed her backpack.
Maya began to stir, kicking her leg over the mound of blankets and mumbling something unintelligible and turning over on her side.
Sanaya wanted to head to breakfast together, but with her darkening mood, she thought it best to head out solo and clear her head to avoid taking out her frustrations on innocent people.
The chill of the morning air smacked her in the face, numbing away some of the sadness she had yet to explain. The sound of the birds chirping off in the distance sounded like car horns blaring in her ears. She quickened her steps, trying to shake off the dark vibe that trailed her.
“Hey, Sanaya!” a student called out as she walked passed.
“Oh, hey!” Sanaya replied, offering a halfhearted wave. She needed to make it to the cafeteria. All she wanted was a blueberry muffin and some orange juice.
Archer, Eve, and a number of other Guardians left early this morning for Louisiana, and Sanaya was stuck with Lois and Mayra, which usually did not bother her. She liked both Guardians, but for some reason this morning, the idea of those two monitoring her made her grit her teeth.
I seriously need to chill, she thought. A few other students saw her approaching and waved good morning, which she politely returned. Images of King with LaQuita, another girl he dated, fluttered underneath her eyelids with each blink.
She’s his past. I don’t even know her!
Sanaya crossed the threshold of the cafeteria in one piece, and thankfully it was half empty. Most of the students were not even up yet. She picked up a tray and grabbed a muffin and a carton of orange juice, sitting near the window. A handful of students filtered in, which was her cue to eat quickly so she could leave before her teammates waltzed in looking for her.
An image of King backing a different girl up against the wall and pressing his lips against hers made Sanaya queasy. Why is this happening?
She felt cold dark tendrils connecting with her psyche, feeding off of her insecurities, and provoking her with the images of King’s past. A familiar. Someone was watching her, testing her strength and searching for a weakness. She closed her eyes, finding that quiet, dark space where it was only her and her alone. She summoned the Millennium blade into her hand and became still like Archer had taught her. Expanding her senses, she searched for the source of the connection and found it buried deep within the damned soul of her father. Someone was using him as a link to her, and she was certain that whoever it was knew everything. Her blade chimed in the darkness with a single swing and severed the black tentacle that had wrapped itself around her. Screeching exploded in her ear, and in a flash she was back in the cafeteria still holding the muffin. The images were gone and her psyche cleared.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she knew without looking at the ID who was calling. She took another bite of her muffin and slid her thumb across the screen to answer. “Hello?”
“Uh, so what happened this morning?” Maya fussed. “You just up and left and had us all wondering and scared that something happened. Are you mad at me or something?”
Sanaya imagined her best friend’s doe-eyed expression and pursed mouth, as she took a sip of her orange juice. “I just needed some head space. I woke up and, shoot, was trippin’ and just needed to clear my head without any distractions. I’m sorry I had you guys worried.”
“Girl, all you had to do was say ‘Maya, I need some space’ or something,” Maya said. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine now.”
“Are you still in the cafeteria?”
“Yup.”
“Cool. Me, Lisa, and Charlie are on our way.”
“Cool,” Sanaya chirped. “I will be here.”
As soon as she hit END, King’s name popped up and she had to laugh. Maya must have put out an APB on her behalf, and now her friends were scrambling to catch up with her.
“Hey,” Sanaya said.
“Where are you?” King demanded, sounding every bit as frantic as Maya.
“I’m in the cafeteria.”
“Maya called me a few minutes ago an’ had me ready to ride ‘cuz she thought you were missing!”
“I’m fine, King. I just told her I needed some head space.”
She could feel him exhale. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, now. I just … took a walk, that’s all.”
“Was it about last night? I’m sorry, ‘Naya, I don’t know what came over me.”
“No! It had nothing to do with that, King.”
“I felt you while I was sleeping, and I don’t know ... You weren’t happy this morning. It was like I broke your heart or something.”
“No, no. You didn’t. I just woke up with some heavy stuff on my mind, which I’m over. It turns out it was a damn familiar feeding bullcrap into my psyche, so I needed to get away.”
“I know you took care of it,” King said. “But I want to know what you saw. You know I can feel what you feel, boo. I woke up damn near in tears.”
Sanaya cringed and fought back those same feelings of sadness that threatened to ruin her day. “I don’t want to talk about it just yet, babe. I took care of it just how I was taught so I am good now. The thing is, now I am a beacon. Something has zeroed in on me, and with Archer gone for the next few days, I am concerned.”
“Say no more, boo. I’m lacing up now and will be there in the next few minutes. And ‘Naya?”
“Yes, babe?”
“I’m not going anywhere, and I will never pressure you to do something you aren’t ready for.”
“King …”
“I feel what you feel. Remember that, okay? And all those other girls combined don’t mean half as much as you do to me. I will see you when I get there.”
They disconnected the call, and Sanaya realized she no longer wanted her muffin. She gulped down the rest of her orange juice and played around with the apps on her phone until she sensed Maya waltz in with Lisa and Charlie.
Sanaya couldn’t put her finger on it, but she felt the presence of something off in the distance. She decided to consult Aklia about it later. Even though the connection to the familiar had been severed, Sanaya sensed this was only the beginning.
Chapter Twenty-Two
After a twelve-hour flight from Rome, the Guardians landed in Atlanta and almost had an international incident. A pack of wolves still in human form decided to make their presence known inside the airport. The standoff between the twenty-four Guardians and the small pack attracted the attention of the airport police. The pack drifted away, their alpha, a menacing blonde with piercing blue eyes, sending threatening glares in their direction.
Fortunately, this was one of the rare packs that had not submitted to the Darkness. The standoff was more about territory than anything. Guardians and Slayers typically did not hunt shifters unless they had gone rogue. The Atlanta pack was simply staking its claim after catching wind of the arrival of the Guardian team. With the help of one of the team’s strong Clairvoyants who had the gift of persuasion, both parties walked away unharmed once the clairvoyant convinced three officers that an “emergency” was taking place on the other side of the airport.
Nothing could have prepared Archer for the mournful welcome from the remaining Louisiana Guardian teams
in New Orleans. They had been reduced from 150 strong to less than fifty in a matter of days. It would take years for the teams to replace their ranks with strong members, which made the loss unfathomable.
Eight hours later they were hunkered down in a hall on the east side of New Orleans next to a Baptist church. They comforted the mourning and put together a game plan for tonight’s hunt. Exactly three days had passed since the massacre, and all of them knew the Guardians who didn’t make it into the grave that day would be waking up soon on a slab, ready to feed.
The leader of the New Orleans’ team, Dominique, leaned against the long metal table, her gunmetal gray eyes red from tears and lack of sleep. After hearing her detailed story of that horrible night, Archer and his team could not wait for the sun to set. These streets were about to get lit up Guardian style, and he could even sense Congo’s eagerness to unload his bazooka into anything that went bump in the night. The gentle giant was so agitated that the muscles in his shoulders and jawline twitched sporadically with each passing minute.
“He was only fifteen,” Dominique whispered.
The few members of her team lowered their gaze to the linoleum floor.
“I promised his mother before she passed that I would look out for him,” Dominique said. “He was destined to be a strong Guardian. He was always more fearless than the rest, and I told him to fall back ... but he just had to get to that couple ...”
Her erratic hiccup sobs became a vacuum of sorts, sucking out the air and making it difficult for Archer to breathe. This was the part of the calling that he hated.
Dominique buried her face in her hands and wailed. Her team member surrounded her, fighting back their own tears. “I failed him!” she cried. “I failed his mother, who was my best friend!”
“No, Dominique,” Eve said softly. “You did not. You did what you could.”
The Vampire Hunters Academy: The Shadows Page 13