Sarah appeared before him, kneeling above Edward’s head, facing Max. Her eyes were imploring, and Lord help him, Max couldn’t hide what was inside him, couldn’t hide the beast. No telling what she saw in those moments, what she would think of him, how she might fear him.
“Edward’s body is possessed by a demon,” she explained hoarsely. “But Edward might still be in there. We have to try. Please.”
As if denying Sarah’s words, Edward started squirming, shouting nasty things at her. Max ground his teeth, holding Edward with ease, but feeling rage bubbling within, threatening to consume him.
“You’re sure?” he asked, his teeth clenched. “Sure enough to take a chance with your life, Sarah? He tried to kill you. Even now, he wants you dead.”
“We have to try,” she said, repeating her words and eyeing the sheriff. “We need something to tie him up with.”
Max wasn’t convinced Edward was still human, if he ever had been in the first place. “Sarah—” Edward spouted out nasty words, cutting off Max’s sentence.
“It’s the demon talking,” she assured Max. The sheriff came over with some rope and Sarah continued her argument. “We’ll tie him up until we can figure out what to do. Cathy comes from a family with deep and varied magical roots. If anyone can figure out how to get Edward back, she can.”
He shoved the blade back into his belt holster, still uncomfortable about his actions. “Do it,” he ordered the sheriff. “Tie him up, but you’ll need more rope. He’s unnaturally strong right now.”
The sheriff grunted. “You aren’t kidding.”
“I’ll find something,” Cathy said.
“Electrical cords,” Max said. “They’ll be strong.”
“Let’s tie this bastard up good and tight,” Sheriff Jenson said, offering his approval.
Sarah studied the sheriff with a probing gaze. “You okay, Sheriff?”
“No,” he said in a grouchy voice, working the rope around Edward’s wrist, as Max continued to hold it. “I’m living a nightmare no one is going to believe.”
Cathy reappeared with several cords and Sarah surveyed her, as well. “You look pretty beat up,” she said.
“I’m fine,” Cathy said, touching the scratch on her face. “Nothing that a little Band-Aid and some ointment won’t cure.”
“He dragged her across the room by her hair,” Max commented, moving away from Edward, the restraints secure. “I’ve seen grown men whimper over less.” He gave her tiny frame and cutesy bobbed hair a once-over. “You’re tougher than you look.”
Cathy’s expression registered surprise and appreciation. “I do believe that was a compliment.”
Cathy’s obvious dedication to knowledge, coupled with her warrior spirit, was beginning to earn his respect. “It is.”
Cathy’s lips hinted at a smile but Edward threw his head from side to side, drawing her attention, and her expression quickly sobered.
“Actually,” she said, “I think I got the good end of this deal. Edward is lost in there somewhere.”
“I hope you’re right,” Sarah whispered, hugging herself, her voice shaking a bit. Max looked at her and realized she was rattled. Not a little. A lot. This thing with Edward had hit some sort of nerve. She wasn’t any more certain than he was that Edward was still human. Yet, unlike him, she’d wanted to save him.
Edward mumbled more profanity and ended with, “Bitch!” right before the sheriff gagged him.
Max noted the way Sarah took a solid backward step. Max stared down at Edward, the implications of what had gone down between the two of them starting to take hold. He didn’t know what to think about Edward but if Cathy were right, if Edward was still inside that body, then Max had almost killed another human. He’d been so sure that wasn’t the case, so driven by the rage of Edward trying to take Sarah from him. The same way he’d seen red when that human had tried to kill Des’s mate. The beast had risen and Max had handed over power.
Max squeezed his eyes shut, recognizing that this could have been part of his test, tormented by how close he’d come to failing. Salvador had known Max would face humans such as Edward, possessed and out of control. Had known Max would have to fight to determine right and wrong, to show he still knew the difference. His human side did, indeed, have faith, but how much of the human was left? Enough to be saved? After this, he wasn’t sure.
Sarah’s hand settled on his arm. “Max?”
The touch slid along his nerve endings and delivered calmness that he wouldn’t have believed possible in that moment of turmoil. Slowly, he turned to face her, not sure what to say, or how to explain his actions toward Edward. He’d been ready to convict the man rather than save him.
Touching Max delivered a calmness Sarah didn’t quite understand, but she didn’t fight the feeling. She needed calm now, needed a bit of comfort. Seeing Edward taken over by a demon brought some demons of the past back to Sarah. She’d seen a friend possessed, seen him kill her family. Was Edward evil? Could a demon control someone truly good? Her gaze went to the turbulent expression on Max’s face, and her heart clenched. He’d been so afraid for her.
As if he read her mind, he spoke. “I was afraid he was going to kill you.”
Sarah stared at Max and the minute her gaze locked with his, she felt herself at a loss for words, felt her chest tighten with emotion—-his emotion. Just as she’d felt his utter fear for her during her vision. How could she feel what he felt? The same way she would feel a spirit sliding into her mind and body.
Somehow, she found her voice, though it was gravelly, and laced with the potency of her feelings. “If you hadn’t been here,” she whispered, “he might have succeeded.”
“And if you hadn’t stopped me, I would have killed him.”
“But you didn’t,” she said, uncertain about what to do next. Maybe she should have warned Max about the potential for possession. She’d been so afraid to trust him, to let him know her past, her secrets. Cathy and Edward both knew about her parents, about the friend that had killed them. Her fears of exposing herself to yet another person had impacted Max, left him unprepared. What had just happened to Edward should make her less willing to trust Max, but oddly, she wanted someone to trust right now more than ever. Max shared a connection with her. She sensed his emotions and they didn’t feel evil. Besides, Max was involved; he was working with them now. He deserved to be armed with data that could protect him—protect all of them.
Decision made, she leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. “There are things you need to know.” She discreetly glanced at the others. “Just not here and now.”
“Did you find out anything with that little vision of yours?” Cathy asked, breaking into their private conversation, as she and the sheriff piled books into a box.
Reluctantly, Sarah pulled her attention from Max, their unfinished business bothering her. “I did,” Sarah said, snapping back into the imminent danger of their circumstances. “I assume that’s why Edward was turned against me. The demon imprisoned beneath the town is directly below the cabin.”
“Did you get a name?” Cathy quickly asked, her voice lifting with urgency.
“Why is the name so important?” the sheriff asked.
Cathy explained, “You have to have the true name of the spirit or demon to evoke it or summon any form of control over its actions.”
“Right,” Sarah agreed. “And it has to be the exact, proper name. Problem is, I’m not sure if I remember it correctly. Prince Vars is what keeps replaying in my head.”
“A prince,” Cathy said. “Interesting. Royalty in the demon world spells power. Each member of royalty in the Underworld is thought to have an army of evil spirits beneath him. If that’s true, then we can assume one of Vars’s spirits is inside Edward.”
Sarah looked concerned. “I just hope the name is right. When Kate was trying to speak to me, there was some sort of evil entity there, shoving her away. Maybe Vars. Maybe some of his demon army. I don’t really know. Botto
m line—I couldn’t absorb everything the way I normally would in a vision.”
Cathy patted one of the leather books in front of her. “I’d venture to say one of Allen’s resources here will refer to the name or something similar because he had to find it somewhere. Most likely in a reference to the town legend.”
“And the library has the same book that I have in my office,” the sheriff offered. “Minus the torn page.”
Sarah continued relaying the details of her vision. “Vars—if that is the right name—told Allen he would be strong enough to bring Kate back from the dead once he had his freedom.”
Max frowned at that. “Which he achieves how?”
“Honestly, that’s where things are a little cloudy.” Sarah leaned against the wall, digging deep into her mind, working through the pain still splintering her head. “This is where it gets a little weird.”
“It gets weirder than this?” the sheriff asked, motioning to where Edward lay on the floor, tied up. “I doubt that.”
“’Fraid it does, Sheriff,” she said, her tone grim. “From what I gathered, Allen needs the source of power held by the three Shadow Masters.” She frowned. “I’m not sure. There are stones of some sort, I think. The stones have some sort of power and these ‘Masters’ guard them. I think. Damn it, I’m really not sure. For some reason, that doesn’t seem quite right.”
“The three Shadow Masters,” Cathy repeated, brows dipping. “That’s remotely familiar. I think they are part of some sort of cult.” She let out a breath. “I could find out if we actually had communication with the outside world.”
“Okay,” Sheriff Jenson concurred. “Maybe it does get weirder.”
Cathy’s voice became grim. “I doubt I need to say this, but we need to get to Allen before he gets to these Shadow Masters. He’ll come back here, though, once he has them. I’m sure of it. Most likely he intends to return by the next full moon ten days from now. That would be the optimal time for a ritual. This is where Vars is contained and where he must be released. But I need to point out a tiny little problem. Stopping Allen might not be all that simple. Vars could potentially use Allen like a vessel for his own magic, if they made a blood pact. And they did. I see dried blood in the circle.”
“Ten days is something at least,” Sarah said. “We have some hope of heading this off.” She glanced at the sheriff. “Thank goodness you called when you did.”
“It’s not a lot of time when you consider the implications of Vars escaping,” Cathy reminded her.
Max quickly offered support. “My people will help; they’ll respond quickly and secure the town.” His lips thinned. “But I have to get out of this town and to a working telephone.”
“Then we should move on that now,” Sarah said. “I get the feeling every second counts.”
“Wait now,” Sheriff Jenson chimed in, hands going up stop-sign fashion. “Someone is going to stay here in Nowhere to help me, right? As much as I hate admitting I’m over my head, clearly I am. I need help.”
“He’s right and I’ll stay,” Cathy said without hesitation. “I think I can bind the demon inside Edward for at least a while, but I need a calm environment and focus to do it. Plus, he’s in no condition to travel. That means not moving him beyond the local doctor’s office.” Her expression turned bleak. “But I don’t think I’m strong enough to expel it alone. I’ll need you to call for help.”
“I don’t feel good about leaving town with you and Edward still here,” Sarah objected. “I should stay, too. You have no way to contact us if you get into trouble.”
“We’ll be fine,” Cathy assured Sarah. “You and Max have to go after Allen and those Shadow Masters. Max is the muscles, and you have the connection to Kate. It makes sense for me to stay here and help the sheriff. Just send help. Our people. Max’s people. Whoever. I’ll take what I can get.”
With surprise, Sarah realized this was what she had sensed earlier, she and Max would have to team up to defeat this enemy. But after the situation with Edward, she felt torn. To trust anyone frightened her. But Max was different. She thought. She hoped. She needed it to be so. And it seemed their teaming up was the logical answer to finding Allen.
“I still don’t like this,” Sarah murmured, half to herself, fretting over the choice put before her, even though she knew there wasn’t one. She had to leave Cathy and Edward in town and go after Allen. “But I’ll go.”
“Obstacle one is getting out of this cabin safely,” Max said, spilling the hard-core facts. “Based on what we have seen thus far, I find it hard to believe we are going anywhere without some resistance.”
With those words, Sarah thought of the demon directly beneath the cabin, felt the evil within the walls closing in on them. She had no doubt the source of that evil would destroy anything, or anyone, in its path. It had already tried to kill Sarah to keep her from relaying what Kate had shared.
They’d come there determined to find answers, and they had, indeed, found them. But would they get out of there alive?
Chapter 10
Max wasted no time dropping Edward to the floor of the van, right next to the box of books that Cathy had collected from the cabin. The feeling of being watched was still biting at his nerves. He quickly turned to check on the sheriff. He was pouring gas into the van’s tank from a can they had found next to the lawn mover in the storage shed out back.
“Done,” the sheriff confirmed, tossing the can to the side of the driveway, clearly no longer worried about Allen knowing they’d been there. He joined Max near the front of the van. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Agreed,” Max said, one hand resting on a weapon, in ready position as he motioned Sarah and Cathy forward. The sooner they were out of this place, the better.
The two women darted forward, clearly as eager as the men to get moving. Sarah and Cathy were almost at the van doors—Cathy at the driver’s side, Sarah at the passenger’s side—when Max felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle and then stand on end. He barely had time to blink before two Hell Hounds darted around the side of the cabin. One headed straight for Sarah; the other charged toward Cathy.
The sheriff pulled his gun at the same moment Max unsheathed his swords. “Shoot between the eyes,” Max shouted at him, as Cathy managed to get inside the van and the sheriff slammed the door shut, firing his weapon as he did.
Sarah screamed, yanking at her door which appeared to be jammed. With a full body tug, she managed to jerk it open. But the Hound was stalking her. It had jumped to the hood of the vehicle, and then to the roof to come at her from above. Max went from a fast run to a stealth-like vault on top of the hood. The Hound turned away from Sarah to face off with Max, giving her the time to escape and slam the door shut.
Max leapt at the Hound, knowing the creature would go up in flames when he killed it, concerned about fire making contact with the gas tank. As he shoved the Hound toward the edge, the damn thing sunk its teeth into Max’s leg. Pain tore through his body as he went over the edge with the Hound. Swords in hand, Max had to either drop them and risk facing the Hound without protection, or try to control how he fell. He maneuvered the blades, trying to make sure they didn’t end up in his body, but with limited success. A slice ripped down his midsection, opening up a gaping wound.
Max shoved aside the pain, survival instincts controlling his actions. He maneuvered to his feet at the same moment the Hound did. Even wounded, defeating a Hound was nothing, compared to a Beast, and in a swift practiced move, Max took the creature’s head. The animal burst into flames and crumbled into ash as Max turned away; he stalked toward the other Hound that had the sheriff trapped at the driver’s side of the van.
Max rounded the hood to find the Sheriff Jenson on the ground and Sarah hanging out of the window firing a gun at the Hound. The Hound took several bullets to the head and stumbled before falling to its side. Max held up his hand, silently telling Sarah to hold her fire—not interested in adding a bullet wound to his oth
er injuries.
Once he knew Sarah understood his request, he went into action, lifting his sword and rearing back. A second later, Max’s blade claimed the creature’s head. Fire and ash consumed the Hound almost instantly, and Max turned away, not giving himself time to consider what Sarah might think of his ability to kill so readily. Reminding himself she’d been quick to fire her own gun, that she understood this world enough not to fear him for what he’d just done.
He slid his swords back into their holsters and turned his attention to the sheriff’s wounded body lying on the ground. Max squatted next to him, checking for a pulse and finding it—weak, but there. At least, he was alive.
“Is he okay?” Sarah asked, her voice urgent, worried, as she shoved open the van door and darted forward. Her eyes went wide. “Oh, God. You’re hurt, too.” She squatted down next to Max, her hands shaking as she steadied them on her knees, her gaze raking his leg and stomach. “You’re hurt bad, Max.”
“I’m fine,” he said, his attention on the sheriff as he noted numerous cuts and scrapes, but the worst was the huge slit in his wrist spouting blood. “He’s losing too much blood.” Max reached for the knife inside his boot, the wound on his leg all but numb, though his gut hurt like a son-of-a-bitch. He leaned back to cut off part of his shirt and decided it was too blood soaked.
Sarah gasped, her gaze locked on Max’s midsection. “Your stomach is wide-open,” Sarah whispered.
Max sliced off some of the sheriff’s shirt to make the bandage. “It looks worse than it is,” he said, referring to his injuries. Which was the truth. Max, like all Knights, didn’t die easily. Beheading or bleeding to death were pretty much the only ways he’d die. He was a long way from bleeding to death, though he couldn’t ignore the need for medical attention forever.
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