by Karen Lynch
“Okay.”
He reached over and brushed a strand of damp hair out of my face. “You did well tonight. I know that was harder for you than you’re letting on.”
“It was,” I admitted quietly.
He nodded perceptively, and I knew he wasn’t going to press me until I was ready to talk about it. I followed him out of the jet and back into the SUV where Geffrey, Jordan, and Chris waited for us.
The drive to the safe house took less than ten minutes despite the heavy rain that was causing traffic backups. Geoffrey pulled into the two-car garage, and one of the other SUVs parked beside us. The last one had to park in the driveway. I hoped the house was bigger than it had looked from the street because it was going to be crowded with all of us. All I needed was a quiet corner where I could stay out of everyone’s way until it was time to leave.
The house turned out to be a lot bigger than I’d expected, with five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a finished basement where the warriors kept their computer equipment. In every room we walked through, there were weapons and gear that made Jordan’s eyes go round with envy. She asked the warriors a ton of questions about their operation, and they all sounded happy to answer. I left her talking to one of them about swords to explore alone.
On the main floor I found a small den with a black leather couch, which was just what I was looking for. I left the light off and the door open, took off my jacket, and curled up on the couch with a sigh, drawing comfort from Nikolas’s presence in another part of the house. The rain pelting the window drowned out most of the voices and sounds from the rest of the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
A chapter in my life had ended tonight, but I didn’t feel the closure I’d thought I would get after confronting Madeline. I didn’t understand how she could have loved my dad as much as she obviously had and still walked away from him. I would do anything to hold onto the people I loved. I’d give up my life for Nikolas, and I’d fight any person or thing that tried to take him from me. She should have made my dad listen to her when she went back to warn him. She should have done anything to protect us. There wasn’t a compulsion strong enough to override the love I had for Nikolas.
I turned on my side so I could watch the rain running down the window. I’d always loved storms. There was something about their raw power that made me feel more alive and bolstered me when I was down. Maybe it was the undine in me. I wished this storm would help ease the weight that had settled in my chest since I’d left Madeline. I had been so sure finding her would give us what we needed to free us from the Master forever. But we were no closer to finding him now than we ever had been. For months my main goal had been to find Madeleine, and I didn’t know what to do anymore.
I felt Nikolas coming closer and I knew he was searching for me. I was about to call out to him when he appeared in the doorway. He entered the room and crouched in front of me.
“Why are you hiding in here alone?”
I summoned a smile. “If I was hiding, I’d be behind the couch.”
“You’d never hide behind a couch.”
“True. There is no dignity in lying in dust bunnies.”
His smile was barely visible in the light from the window. “Want some company?”
“Behind the couch?”
“Wherever you want.”
The huskiness in his voice made my stomach dip. “Yes,” I said shyly, moving to sit up.
He surprised me by moving to stretch out behind me with his arm under my head. The couch wasn’t that deep, and he pulled me against his delicious warmth with his free arm wrapped around my waist. Heat shot straight to my belly, and I tensed nervously before I relaxed against him.
“Comfortable?” he asked softly, his warm breath caressing my ear.
“Yes.” Comfortable wasn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe how it felt having Nikolas pressed against the length of me. Every nerve ending in my body thrummed with electricity, and my lungs seemed to have forgotten how to work. At the same time, I felt completely safe and loved. It was a heady mix of emotions.
“Do you want to talk about her?”
I was quiet for a moment while I gathered my thoughts. “She wasn’t what I expected. I pity her. Except for Adele, she has no one, and she spends her life running and afraid and regretting the love she gave up. I think of her and I realize how lucky I am to have you and everyone else in my life.”
His arm squeezed me. “That’s not luck. You have so many people who love you because you’re a good person. Madeline was always selfish. She proved that when she left home the way she did, and with her behavior since then. I’m not saying she deserves the things that have happened to her, but I do believe she brought most of them on herself. That you can feel sad for her after all you’ve been through shows how kind you are.”
I thought about his words. He always knew just what to say or do to make me feel better. It was as if he could read my mind sometimes.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“How do you always know when I need you?”
“When you’re hurting, I feel it,” he said gruffly.
“You do?”
“Yes.” He kissed my temple. “So don’t ever try to hide your pain from me.”
“Why can’t I do the same with you?”
“You will, someday.” When the bond is complete. He didn’t have to say the words for me to know what he meant. What would it be like to know someone on such an intimate level? To know him that way? The thought brought a smile to my lips, and I snuggled closer to him.
“I love you, Nikolas.”
He turned my face toward him until he could press his lips to mine. “I love you too, moy malen’kiy voin.”
Lightning flashed and a peal of thunder shook the house as if Mother Nature was giving her approval. Or it was more likely that she was saying, “It’s about damn time.”
All too soon, the world crept into my little cocoon of happiness. I sighed when I thought about starting over in our search for the Master. We were no closer to finding him than we’d been months ago. “What do we do now?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out together. Like you told Madeline, you found her when no one else could. We’ll go back to California and come up with a plan for what to do next.”
I suddenly felt so world weary, and all I wanted was to see Nate and Tristan and to walk in the woods with Hugo and Woolf. “I don’t want to go back to California,” I said hoarsely.
“Where do you want to go?”
I shifted until I was on my back, looking up at him. “Can we go home?”
The smile that spread across his face stole my breath away. “I thought you’d never ask.”
* * *
I awoke with a gasp as ice filled my chest and made it hard to breathe. “Oh God!” I rolled off the couch and stumbled to the door of the dark room. Down the hallway I heard voices, and I ran toward them.
“Vampires!” I cried as I burst into the living room.
Nikolas was standing by the fireplace with Chris and Geoffrey, and the three of them spun toward me at once. Geoffrey looked confused, but Nikolas and Chris leapt into action. Nikolas was at my side in a heartbeat.
“Where? How many?”
“Everywhere,” I choked out. “At least fifteen.”
Geoffrey ran over to us. “How does she know that?”
“No time to explain. Get ready.” Nikolas grabbed the first sword he saw. “Chris?”
Chris stood by the living room window, peering through the closed blinds with a sword in his hand. “Nothing yet.”
“What’s going on?” Jordan ran down the stairs as six warriors spilled from the basement. The moment she saw my face, she snatched a katana from the wall over the fireplace. “Where?”
Nikolas took charge. “We have at least fifteen hostiles incoming. Jordan and Abigail, you’re with Chris. Elijah, you, Joseph, and Noah cover upstairs. Travis and Oliver take the kit
chen. Geoffrey and I will cover the back.”
“What about me?” I asked as everyone ran to take up defensive positions.
Geoffrey ran up to me, carrying two swords, one of which he held out to me. “Can you fight?”
I held up my hands. “Not with that thing.”
“Sara, you stay with me.” Nikolas’s eyes were dark with worry. “Do not leave my sight.”
“She needs a weapon.”
Geoffrey had a long silver dagger in a sheath on his leg. I grabbed it just as a crash sounded from the den. At the same time, a window broke upstairs and another broke in the kitchen.
My heart pounded as I raced after Nikolas and Geoffrey to the den just as two male vampires flew through the broken window. Rain blew into the room and glass covered the couch where I’d been sleeping a few minutes before.
Nikolas was on the first vampire before he knew what was coming. His sword carried a ghostly gleam as it swung in an upward arc, eviscerating the vampire before it had time to attack. He brought the sword back down and sliced cleanly through the vampire’s neck.
Beside him, Geoffrey was still fighting his opponent when two more vampires leapt through the window. I watched helplessly as Nikolas glanced over his shoulder at me then moved to intercept the new vampires. I wanted to help him, but I was afraid to distract him by joining the fight. Instead, I backed out into the hallway to give him and Geoffrey room to fight without worrying about me getting caught in the fray.
From all over the house came shouts and screams and the sounds of battle. Over my head, heavy footsteps pounded, followed by loud thumps like something hitting a wall. A moment later, a vampire’s screech was abruptly cut short.
I heard Jordan yell and Chris swear as a door crashed open. Shouts and sounds of struggle filled the hallway, and I knew my friends were in trouble. I couldn’t just stand here while everyone else fought for their lives.
I met my first vampire in the hallway. He came up short as if he was surprised to see me, and then he smiled, revealing his long fangs. I could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he thought I was easy pickings. I dropped into a half crouch and smiled as I crooked my finger at him. Come and get me.
He didn’t say a word as he sped toward me. He was fast but not mature, and he had obviously never fought a warrior. He went for my throat. I dropped to one knee and brought the dagger up into his ribs. It wasn’t close enough to pierce his heart, but he screamed as the silver burned him. He flew over my head and crashed into the wall. Before he could recover, I was on him, shoving my blade home. His eyes grew wide with shock and his body went limp.
I jumped to my feet and gasped as pain lanced through my shoulder. I winced at the bloody tears in my shirt, and my first thought was I’d better cover them before Nikolas saw them. He was already going to be pissed that I’d left his sight. Shaking my head, I turned to the living room. We were in the middle of a battle for our lives, and I was worried about his feelings.
I pushed all thoughts of Nikolas aside as I ran into the living room. Three dead vampires lay on the floor, and two more vampires were trying to attack Jordan and Abigail. My eyes flew to the missing window, and I spotted movement outside. On the front lawn, Chris battled four vampires and they were gaining the upper hand. Apparently, they didn’t know the rules of fair play.
I vaulted through the window and landed three feet from the fight. Two of the vampires spun to face me, and Chris stared at me with a mixture of shock and worry. He opened his mouth to yell at me, but I was already moving. I dropped my dagger as I released my real weapon. In the words of my mentor: it was time to go all Fae on their demon asses.
“Get back, Chris!” I backed away from him as electricity crackled over my skin. I was pretty good at focusing my magic now, but I didn’t want to take the chance of him being caught up in it.
Instead of throwing my power at the vampires circling me, I raised my arms and threw it up into the air, calling to the magic in the water falling from the sky. Fat raindrops froze into thousands of sharp needles of ice that swirled around me to rip through the vampires’ clothes and skin. Screams tore from their throats, and they raised their arms to protect themselves.
“Sara!” Nikolas roared from somewhere in the house. His voice startled me, and I lost my concentration. Ice turned back to water.
The vampires turned their ravaged faces toward me, their mouths twisted into snarls. But turning water to ice was only one of the tricks I’d picked up in the last few months.
I feinted toward one of them, then dropped and kicked the legs out from under another. I landed in a puddle of water, which was exactly where I wanted to be. With one hand I grabbed the ankle of the downed vampire while my other hand flew up to meet the chest of another vampire as it pounced on me.
The blast lit up the lawn like lightning. Screams tore at my eardrums before the two vampires stiffened and collapsed on the grass in smoking heaps.
Above me, a sword flashed through the air and decapitated one of the two remaining vampires. The last one, sensing the battle was lost, turned to run, but Chris cut him down before he reached the edge of the lawn.
I sat up and rolled to my feet, ready to take on the next threat, but Chris and I were alone on the lawn. That was when it struck me that all I could hear was rain and thunder. Turning toward the house, I looked up at the window I’d come through and found Jordan and several of the other warriors staring at me like I was the main attraction at a circus sideshow.
“What the hell just happened?” someone asked.
Before anyone could answer, a furious male bellow came from inside the house. Seconds later, the people in the window parted as Nikolas leapt through it. His eyes swept over the bodies on the lawn as he strode toward me. I couldn’t tell how close he was to a rage, but something told me it wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge.
Ignoring our audience, he pulled me into his arms, and the tremors moving through him told me he was on the verge of losing it. My arms went around his neck, and I pulled his face down to mine. “I love you,” I whispered against his lips before I kissed him.
His body was rigid, and for a moment I thought he wasn’t going to respond. But then his mouth moved over mine and he made a sound deep in his chest as he pulled me closer. At first the kiss was urgent, desperate, but it soon became soft and exploring as the rage drained out of him.
He broke the kiss and let out a ragged breath. “You were supposed to stay with me.”
I smiled at him, barely aware of the rain drenching us. “You didn’t need my help, and someone had to save Chris’s ass. Again.”
He looked like he was about to argue, but he groaned and rested his forehead against mine. “Now I know why Nate’s going gray. At this rate, I’ll be white before him.”
“Well, there’s always Clairol for Men.”
The exasperated look in his eyes made laughter bubble from me. I hugged him tightly, pressing my face into his neck and breathing in the scent that could only be Nikolas.
“Damn, are they always like that?” I heard Abigail ask.
Jordan snickered. “Pretty much.”
Chris chuckled behind me. “Do you two want us to give you some privacy?”
I started to retort until I realized the reason for his comment. Heat flooded my face, as well as a few other places, when I looked down at my legs wrapped around Nikolas’s waist like a monkey. I lifted my eyes to his and caught him smiling like a man who was very pleased with himself. His hands slid down my back to cradle my bottom, their heat seeping through my wet jeans. My body grew so warm despite my wet clothes that I was sure there had to be steam coming off me.
His chest rumbled. “On second thought, this might be worth a few gray hairs.”
I scowled at him as I dropped my legs and let them dangle until he saw fit to lower me to the ground. He kissed the tip of my nose before he released me, making it impossible to keep a smile from creeping across my face.
Nikolas looked over my head at
Geoffrey, who had joined us on the lawn. “How many?”
“Fifteen.” Geoffrey ran a hand over his shaved head. “Jesus! If you and your team hadn’t been here, it would have been a massacre.”
“Or maybe they came because we were here,” Chris said meaningfully.
Geoffrey’s gaze fell on me “How did you know? You said fifteen were coming. How could you possibly guess that?”
“I wasn’t guessing.” I broke off as I realized the coldness hadn’t completely disappeared from my chest. “I was wrong. There were sixteen. There’s still one here.”
“The house is clear,” Elijah called from the doorway.
I moved away from them, trying to let my radar do its thing. It was a little out of whack after being hit with so many vampires at one time, and I needed to make sure I wasn’t just being paranoid.
“Chris, can you and Elijah do a sweep out here to be safe?” I heard Nikolas ask as I walked toward the front door. He was right behind me when I stepped into the house.
Water ran off me to pool on the hardwood floor as I stood in the living room, trying to locate the remaining vampire. “There.” I pointed to the basement door.
“There’s no way for anyone to get in down there,” Geoffrey said. “The basement windows are all too small.
“Then one tried to go out that way and got trapped, because there is a vampire in that basement.”
Geoffrey still looked doubtful. “We’ll have to flush him out. Abigail and I will go down, and the rest of you keep an eye on this door in case he comes through it.”
“We need to find out how they found this place and if they knew who was here,” Nikolas said. “Unless you’re in immediate danger, do not kill him.” Everyone nodded, and he turned to me. “I don’t suppose it would do any good to ask you to let the others handle this one.”
“I’ve done enough killing for one night. This one is all yours.” I didn’t add that my shoulder was starting to hurt like hell. I’d covered it with my hair so he wouldn’t get upset, but I had to get it looked at. Something told me there was gunna paste in my immediate future.