“Move,” he barked, dragging her along with him.
The smell of smoke singed her nostrils. When she looked behind her, she saw a wall of gray ash tumbling down the mountainside toward them.
She stumbled over a rock and collided with Luc. He caught her and tossed her over his shoulder, continuing to race down the hill. The rest of the town clogged the narrow road, slowing their progress.
At last they made it to the boat houses that lined the shore. The screams of those behind them echoed in her ears and chilled her heart. Screams of pain, of torment, of death. Rocks rattled on the roof, punching holes through it and bruising her skin. The world was ending, and she was witnessing the full extent of the gods’ wrath. They were going to die.
She started crying. She’d fought so hard, had been so brave for so long. She wasn’t ready to meet her end.
“Shh, my love.” Luc pulled her into his arms and rocked her. “I’m so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt.”
His arms tightened around her as her skin burned from the blast of heat that engulfed them. The hot ash choked her throat, smothering her cries. Blackness descended around her, and the last thing she remembered was the dying beat of his heart.
The smell of burnt flesh still lingered in her nose when Daniela opened her eyes, and she flung her arms in alarm.
A groan stilled her. “It’s okay, Daniela. You’re safe.”
Luc. Relief washed over her and she wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him. Instead of returning her affection, he stiffened under her and drew in a hiss.
“What’s wrong, Luc?”
“Nothing that won’t heal on its own.” He pulled her arms away, and she noticed the soot covering them.
“You’re hurt.”
“Sunlight will do that to someone like me,” he said with a lopsided grin. “But I had to hold you, to make sure you were safe.”
The images of her dream flashed before her. He’d willingly suffered to protect her, and something in her heart softened. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”
“Me too.” He brushed her hair out of her face, and the corners of his mouth tilted down. “Although I wish we weren’t in this predicament at all. You’ve lost too much blood.”
The initial adrenaline rush from her dream fled, leaving her limbs slow and heavy. How much had she lost between Luc and Colette? “Just don’t take any more,” she teased.
He winced, and she instantly regretted her halfhearted joke. “As long as I live, I will try my hardest to not drink from you again, Daniela. The consequences would be…” His voice trailed off, and neither one of them dared to mention what the consequences would be.
“Where are we?” she asked, hoping to turn the conversation away from her blood.
“Somewhere in Germany, I believe.” He looked down at her. “I’ve noticed the train slows down when we pass through towns. The next one we come to, I want you to get off.”
“No.” Daniela dug her fingers into his shirt, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. “We need to stay together.”
He pried her hands off of him and covered them with his own. “Wrong. You’re not thinking clearly.”
“Yes, I am. Don’t you see? Neither one of us can take on Colette on our own. But together—”
“As long as we’re together, she’ll use you to manipulate me.” He pressed his lips against her forehead. “Believe me when I say letting go of you will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s the only way. Once you’re gone, she has nothing to threaten me with, no way to extract the location of the second piece of the staff.”
“Then she’ll kill you.”
He nodded, his expression solemn. “Perhaps, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take as long as you’re safe.”
Her mind seemed too fuzzy to make sense of all this, and fatigue was already threatening to claim her. She nestled closer to his chest. “Come with me.”
“I can’t go out into the sun.”
“Then let’s wait until night.”
“And have them chase us down like a group of hounds going after an injured pair of foxes?” He combed his fingers through her hair. “I’ve thought this through, and this is the best solution. You escape and get some medical attention. Once you’re well enough, find the second part of the staff before Colette. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”
As much as she hated to admit it, he made more sense than the stupid, childish voice in her head that demanded she stay with him. She lifted her face to him. “You promise?”
“With all my heart. I’m not letting you go that easily.”
“Good, because you owe me one hell of an explanation.” She tilted his face down until their lips met, and the rest of the world faded from her consciousness. All she knew was him—the intensity of his kiss, the scent of his skin, the taste of his tongue as it delved into her mouth. A moan rose from her throat and she tightened her hold on him. It was moments like this when she never wanted to let him go.
At last, he pulled away, leaving them both breathless. “You’re not making this any easier.”
“That’s the whole idea.” If she had to leave him, she wanted to make sure he didn’t forget about her when she was gone.
“And I’m forgiven?” When she didn’t answer him right away, he added, “I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, that I’m just like them—”
“You’re nothing like them.” She stroked his cheek. He was no more of a monster than she was. They were both given to moments of weakness and had unconsciously hurt people. She pushed the memories from her childhood deeper into her mind, not wanting to resurrect them. “And I know what I am too. Perhaps one day I’ll share the darkness of my past with you.”
“When you are ready. In the meantime,” he continued, pulling his cross over his head and placing it around her neck, “hold on to this. It’s given me strength when I needed it, and now I don’t need it anymore.”
She cradled the small piece of carved wood in her hand. It seemed too light when she took into account all it stood for. “I’m just keeping it safe until I can give it back to you.”
“Fair enough.”
They sat in silence as the countryside whizzed by outside the busted crate that sheltered them from the sun. But the moment the train started to slow, fear gripped her and made every muscle in her body tense.
“Are you ready to jump?” Luc asked.
“No.” But her mind argued with her. It was selfish of her to want to stay with him. He’d already suffered too much because of her. “But I will when the time comes.”
“That’s what I need to hear.” He tilted her chin up and brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. “I love you, Daniela. You’ve made me feel more alive than I have in centuries.”
His confession forced the air from her lungs. He loved her, and knowing that made their parting that much more painful. “I love you too, Luc.”
The tight lines of his face relaxed. “Thank you.”
The train continued to grind to a slow crawl, but Daniela’s pulse raced. It was time for her to leave, time for her to continue on without him and hope for the best. “Where do I need to go to find the second half?”
“The Gates of Hell in Houska Castle.”
“Houska Castle,” she repeated and gave him one final kiss. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to commit these final moments to her memory in case she never saw him again. “And where should I find you afterward?”
“I’ll find you.”
She nodded and stepped away from him. The sun warmed her back and loosened the knots that had formed in her legs. The train was moving slow enough for her to jump without getting hurt if she timed her escape carefully. She sat poised on the edge of the freight car and cast one more glance over her shoulder at him. He waved to her, and she jumped.
The ground rushed to meet her, and the impact pushed the air from her lungs. She rolled several times, the gravel crunching in her ears and digging into her skin. She stopped and
waited for her pain to ebb before moving. By the time she lifted her head, the train was almost out of sight.
She crawled to her hands and knees and waited for the world to stop spinning. Luc was right. She needed medical attention, but Foundation witches would heal her faster. She felt around in her pockets for her phone and let out a wail of frustration when she didn’t find it.
A small town lay across the tracks. Maybe someone would have a phone. She stumbled to her feet, reciting the Foundation’s number to herself with each step. She blindly moved forward until she ran into a chain-link fence. With the last bit of magic she could gather, she melted the metal and pushed her way through the brush to reach the road ahead. The spell, which would be so simple under normal circumstances, drained her, and her knees buckled.
The screech of tires filled her ears and she fell to the ground.
“Yoo-hoo, Daniela. Wake up!” an unfamiliar voice called. A soft slap stung Daniela’s cheek and pulled her from her dreams of Luc and ancient Rome. “Hospitals give me the creeps.”
“Leave her alone, Espe,” a more familiar voice replied.
What is Jen doing here? Daniela asked herself. Her fellow witch should be in New York.
“Then do some of that healing magic voodoo stuff and wake her up.”
Jen laughed. “I’m not that type of witch.”
“Can’t we just starting pulling out the IVs and sneak her out?” the woman called Espe asked. “Morwen just said to bring her back to New York. She didn’t say she had to be conscious.”
“Touch that IV and you’ll answer to me,” a deep male voice warned.
“Besides, it looks like she’s stirring anyway,” Jen added. “Daniela, can you hear us?”
“Yes.” The word sounded gruff and harsh, even though she didn’t intend for it to sound that way. The bright light stung her eyes when she first opened them. Three faces slowly came into focus. “Where am I?”
“In a hospital in Germany.” Jen brushed her hand across Daniela’s forehead, and a surge of magic awakened her senses. “Do you know who I am?”
“Yes, Jen,” she replied, this time with every bit of intended grumpiness. The younger witch was treating her like a child instead of a senior witch. She looked from Jen to the petite Latina woman and the tall black man in her room. “Who are they?”
“Espe and Demarcus. Hunters.”
Figures. Espe bounced from one foot to the next like she expected a vampire to appear from behind the curtain. Demarcus, on the other hand, bore the marks of an experienced hunter, from his cool, assessing gaze to the multiple scars that crisscrossed his beefy forearms. “What day is it?”
“Tuesday,” Demarcus replied.
“I’ve already lost a day.” She sat up and tugged at the tube pumping blood into her arm. “We have to get going.”
“Finally.” Espe jumped to the door. “I’m going to see if I can find the doctor.”
“Wait.” Espe froze as Demarcus uttered the single word. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “Where do you think you’re going, Daniela?”
“I need to find the other half of the staff before Colette does.” She started pulling the tape off her arm. Every second they wasted here meant one less second she had with Luc. But first, she needed to complete the mission.
Espe jumped up and down. “You mean we get to go hunting instead of playing wounded witch retrieval service?”
Irritation crackled along Daniela’s skin and small bolt of lightning sparked from her fingertips, hitting the young hunter squarely in the chest. A yelp filled the room. The look of shock on Espe’s face made Daniela feel slightly apologetic, but not enough to say the words.
“I’ve warned you to watch your tongue around these witches.” Demarcus led Espe out of the room, but his tone let Daniela know he wasn’t done talking about this. “Let’s go find a doctor.”
As soon as the door closed, Daniela resumed yanking on the tubes. “Help me remove all these things.”
“Why don’t you at least finish tanking up?” Jen gave the bag of blood a squeeze, and the room spun with such ferocity, Daniela was sure she’d lose the contents of her stomach if it wasn’t already empty. “Morwen said you’d been used as a snack.”
The bag emptied in a matter of seconds under Jen’s spell, and Daniela pulled out the IV. “Twice. But there were special circumstances the first time.”
Jen stepped back and tilted her head to the side. “You seem different now. That spell you used on Espe, for example. It wasn’t your usual element. What really happened?”
Daniela stopped and took a deep breath. How could she explain to the young witch that she’d fallen in love with a creature they’d been trained to destroy at all costs? And having two hunters in their entourage didn’t make things easier. If they saw Luc, they’d probably stake first and ask questions later. “It’s complicated.”
“No shit. I’ve never seen Morwen so wound up before. She had us on a plane to Paris two days ago, then had us re-routed to Copenhagen, and when the Foundation got the call you were here last night, we were uprooted and told to not let you out of our sights. I always wanted to take a tour of Europe, but this is a bit ridiculous.” Jen flipped her hair back. “You must have done something to really piss her off.”
“I told her I was leaving as soon as I finished this mission, so the sooner we find that piece of the staff, the sooner I can resume my normal life.” As if there was anything normal about my life. She got out of the bed, and a cool draft bathed her bare buttocks. “I don’t suppose you have a change of clothes for me, do you?”
Jen bit her bottom lip and color rose into her cheeks. “Um, no, not really, but I have a dress in my bag that might fit you.”
Daniela eyed the small, curvy strawberry blonde and inwardly groaned. Jen’s dress would probably cover less than the hospital gown. She held out her hand, though. “It will have to do until we can find something else.”
Jen was rummaging through her backpack when Demarcus came back in. “Espe’s tracking down someone to sign your discharge papers. So tell me, where are we going now?”
She had no idea where the journal went, but it didn’t matter now. Luc had told her where the other piece was. “Houska Castle.”
Demarcus arched one brow. “And where is that?”
“Google it.” Daniela grabbed the dress from Jen and disappeared into the bathroom. This mission couldn’t end soon enough.
Chapter Ten
The Land Rover rumbled along the crude Czech countryside road as the sun hung low on the horizon. Daniela stared at the lopsided square castle looming in the distance and tensed. She looked up in her mirror at the backseat. Jen and Espe prattled about some celebrity gossip as if they were sitting in a coffee shop back home. The only person that seemed as nervous as her was Demarcus. He gripped the steering wheel hard enough to blanch his fingertips.
Daniela squirmed in her seat. Her mind told her to think positive. They’d go in, grab the rod, and leave before the sun set. Her gut argued otherwise. And if she continued to listen to it, she’d be a nervous wreck by the time they got to Houska Castle.
“Demarcus, do you think all vampires are the same?” she asked in an attempt to ignore the churning in her stomach.
He continued to stare straight ahead. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you think they’re all evil?”
That made him turn his head. He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “Daniela, they’re all bloodsuckers, and we’re nothing but dinner to them. If one of them tricked you into thinking you were something more, then you need some serious help.”
“And what if you’re basing that assumption on a stereotype?”
All she got was a low grunt in reply. Obviously, he’d had some experience in that matter. After a few minutes, he said, “I will concede that there may be one or two that want to overcome their natures, but you’ve seen vampires when the bloodlust consumes them. All conscious thoughts leave them. They become more
like animals than humans.”
“Daniela, you must have had your brain really fried if you think there’s such a thing as a good vampire,” Espe added from the backseat.
Daniela squeezed her hand around Luc’s cross and swallowed back the defense that filled her mouth. The hunters were wrong. And when she saw Luc again, she’d asked him what had caused him to be different from the others of his kind.
They reached a gate and a man ran over to unlock it for them. As soon as they drove past, he closed it back up again. “Morwen must have gotten permission for us to be here,” Demarcus muttered. “That woman has so many connections, it’s a wonder she doesn’t run for political office.”
“And compromise the secrecy of the Foundation?” Daniela asked with a hint of sarcasm. “Never. The Foundation comes before everything as far as she’s concerned.”
Demarcus drove toward the main building at a snail’s pace, cocking his head to the side. “It’s an odd place to build a castle. It doesn’t seem to be near a river or any major trade routes, and there are no fortifications. You’d normally see some kind of defensive wall around a thirteenth-century castle.”
The feeling of a dozen spiders crawling up her back caused Daniela to stiffen in her seat. Judging by the gasp she heard behind her, Jen felt it too. It was far stronger than the signature of a coven of witches. “That’s because there’s magic guarding this place.”
“Dark magic,” Jen added. “And it seems to be coming from the chapel.”
Daniela wondered if that was the reason Luc had chosen this place to hide the other part of the staff. With the overlying magical barriers being so strong here, no one would be able to detect it. “Then let’s start looking there.”
Demarcus pulled the Land Rover in front of the chapel, and they all got out and grabbed their gear. They had maybe an hour before nightfall. She grimaced. Not as much time as she would’ve liked, but hopefully it would be enough.
The chapel seemed deserted when they entered, which suited her just fine. The fewer witnesses, the better.
Kiss of Temptation: The Kavanaugh Foundation, Book 3 Page 11