by Lisa Kessler
Tentatively, the cat raised his large head, taking in another whiff of air through his nostrils.
It couldn’t be.
The cat’s whiskers twitched as energy surrounded him, mutating his form until Issa’s dark skin blended into the night. Although he hadn’t fed, his skin burned hot, his heart raced.
Ch’en was nearby. He could never forget her scent.
Ducking under branches, stepping over roots, he made his way closer, until he heard a familiar voice.
Mulac.
“You waste time with your questions and your doubt. If you choose not to heed my warnings then so be it, but do not look to me for help when they find you. I will not aid you. Either of you.”
Issa burst through the foliage into the clearing to find his white-haired brother with another Night Walker who resembled the Spanish conquistadors who eradicated their people so long ago.
And beside him… Her skin was a lighter shade now, the angle of her jaw softer, but her eyes remained unchanged. The moon still lit the lower part of the iris of her right eye.
She lived again.
“Ch’en!” Issa took a step toward her, but her companion gripped her hand and ran.
Issa’s animal spirit consumed him almost without thought as he pursued Ch’en and her companion through the jungle. The moment he’d seen her face, hope flickered in his heart, hope that Camalotz could be silenced forever. But deeper inside, he felt an ancient wound tear open. Ch’en lived. Would he be forced to steal the light from her eyes again?
His earlier anger with Mulac dissipated with every stride as he called to him with his silent voice. Mulac, the Goddess of the Moon must not escape. She is our only hope to cage the Demon.
Issa saw the mighty bald eagle take flight, the moon casting Mulac’s shadow on the ground ahead of him. With Mulac in the air tracking Ch’en and her companion, Issa felt confident they would not escape. He and his immortal brothers could cage the Demon the following night, as soon as darkness blanketed the earth.
His black jaguar loped through the dense rainforest, following the faint moonlit shadow of Mulac’s wings. Relying almost completely on his sense of sight, Issa barely registered that Ch’en’s scent was no longer ahead of him.
He’d been certain that Mulac could see them from the sky above. He didn’t realize that his ears no longer heard footsteps ahead, and finally, he halted. Weakened from his earlier altercation with Camalotz, and further slowed by the rising of the sun, his energy was depleting fast. He should have fed and replenished his strength.
I cannot run any longer. I must rest.
Shifting back into his human form, Issa watched Mulac soar down from the twilight sky, his eyes rimmed with red from the burning of the rising sun. He landed on the jungle floor as a man, his eyes on his brother.
Clasping Issa’s shoulder, Mulac led him deeper into the rainforest, to a resting place safely hidden from the daylight. “We will find them, Issa. They, too, must rest. At nightfall, they will be ours.”
“You spoke to them. I heard you.”
Mulac nodded. “I tried to convince her that she needed to stay with us to avoid the Demon, but you approached and frightened her mate.”
Issa followed Mulac to shelter, but rage smoldered in his gut. He’d heard his brother speaking to Ch’en.
Do not look to me for help when they find you. I will not aid you.
Mulac was lying to him.
Chapter Twenty-One
Lukas held out his hand to her. “Trust me.”
As she took it, electricity shot through his body. He’d tried to be careful, keeping their working relationship on a strictly professional level from the start. But in the end, it hadn’t mattered. Seeing her sleeping at night, in the hour right before dawn, when that hint of a smile passed over her lips as he stroked her hair back. Or the nights he had to carry her to her cot when she tried to stay up with him and ended up falling asleep at her work table. Somehow, she’d knocked down all of his defenses. And although the entire world was in danger, for the first time since he became a Night Walker, he wanted another night.
Fate had a sick sense of humor.
He looked down into her lush green eyes. He hated himself for wasting so much time. How many nights passed by that he could have touched her skin, kissed her lips? He’d been so lost in his “curse” that he let it all slip away.
Lukas swept a stray lock behind her ear. “We’ve got to get you back to the Jeep, and I’ve got to get to my cave in the jungle before the sun comes up. I want you to drive to Cancun. Stay in a populated area away from ancient Night Walkers and the Demon until I meet you there after the sun goes down. Deal?”
Gretchen nodded. “Agreed. So how do we get there?”
“We fly.”
Gretchen jumped back from him so fast, he almost flinched.
“No. Way. No way.” She rubbed her hands up her arms while looking out at the water. “You are not suggesting what I think you are.” She glanced over at him with panic in her eyes. “You’re not seriously thinking you’re going to fly me over there yourself?” She shook her head vehemently. “I’m not going to be flown over the ocean by a giant owl.”
Lukas took a step toward her, trying to get her to meet his gaze. “We don’t have time for anything else, Gretchen. You know I would sooner die than see you hurt. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“But you can’t die. Big difference. I’m all kinds of fragile, remember?” She faced the waves again. “No way. Impossible.”
Lukas closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. Holding her close, he whispered into her hair. “I swear I will not let you fall. I will never let you fall.”
She pushed him away, swiping at a salty tear on her cheek. “If I agree to this, and I’m only committing to if, then we need to get some things straight between us.”
He opened his hands to her, wishing he could calm her fears. “All right.”
“Good.” She started pacing along the waterline. “Tell me your real name.”
“What?”
“Oh come on, Lukas.” She stopped, placing her hand on her hip. “It’s not a tough question. I’ve heard you mutter in Russian under your breath. Smith doesn’t sound like a Russian name to me. If I’m putting my life in your hands, I want to know exactly who I’m trusting.”
Lukas pressed his lips together, trying not to smile. “Stanislov. My real name is Lukas Stanislov.” Gods, it had been centuries since that name rolled off his tongue. “Now, can we get you back to the Jeep?”
“Not yet.” She walked toward him and rose up on her toes as she pulled him to her. The moment her lips brushed his, he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close. Her body fit against him like she’d been fashioned for him from the beginning of time. Before he was ready to let her go, Gretchen pulled back, her eyes searching his.
“Just in case this is it, I didn’t want to leave with any regrets.” She took a deep breath. “I must be insane.” She shook her head. “I swear to whatever gods might be listening, if you drop me I will come back and haunt you until the end of time.”
Lukas smiled. “Deal. Now don’t move.”
…
Gretchen could feel the air come alive around her, making the hair on her arms rise with electricity. She watched the metamorphosis as Lukas’s form shifted from a man into a huge great horned owl. His wingspan was at least ten feet, but she still looked too big for him to carry. She suddenly wished she’d paid more attention in biology classes. What was it about owls and bumble bees? They could carry three times their body weight, right? She couldn’t remember.
Panic swelled as the owl launched into the air.
“No. Wait. I’m not ready.” She hands tingled with anxiety, and she couldn’t catch her breath.
The owl circled above her. Suddenly heard Lukas’s voice in her head. I will never let you fall. Close your eyes, Milaya moya.
“What does that mean?” She followed his instructions, trying n
ot to hyperventilate.
I’ll tell you when we’re back at the Jeep.
Suddenly, she felt something clamp around her upper arms, and before she could say a word, her feet left the ground. Gretchen squealed, pressing her eyes closed as tightly as possible. The warm air caressed her, and other than the soreness in her arms, she could almost pretend she was on the beach back in San Diego with the wind in her hair.
Open your eyes.
“No way,” Gretchen gasped, noticing for the first time that Lukas’s wings were silent, like they were floating instead of flying.
This is my favorite time of night. As the stars glow and the sky lightens. It looks like hope.
She made no attempt to open her eyes. “Do you miss the sun?”
Always.
Gretchen could feel her eyes welling with tears. How hard would it be to be forced into an existence you never chose, a life you could never escape? She’d always known her path and forged forward in her career.
But what if everything changed?
Swallowing her terror, Gretchen opened her eyes and gasped. “Oh, jeezus! Don’t you dare drop me.”
Before she could close her eyes again, the beauty of the night seized her. Moonlight sparkled on the water below them, and stars twinkled above in a silent tapestry. From this vantage point, the world looked peaceful—no demons, no bloodshed.
“It’s gorgeous.”
I’ve never had anyone to share this with.
He crossed over the water, soaring over the dense jungle, the trees reaching up toward them, and gradually Gretchen felt her panic fade as awe took over. “I’ve never trusted anyone but myself.”
She could almost hear his smile in her mind. Then I really better not drop you.
In spite of the craziness of being flown through the night by a giant owl, Gretchen laughed.
…
Lukas carefully angled his wings toward the mainland beach, letting the updraft slow his descent. He’d never carried a person before, so the extra weight made it challenging, but finally her feet brushed the sand and he released her arms. He saw her stumble a few steps before she fell.
Turning in the air, his feet hit the sand, too, and he focused his energy, shifting quickly.
He rushed to her side. “Gretchen? Are you all right?”
She nodded, getting up on her knees. “Yeah. I didn’t mean to kiss the ground so literally.” Her smile warmed him all over. “It’s good to be back down here, though.”
He helped her to her feet and pulled her into his arms, his mouth claiming hers, savoring the warmth and softness. Gretchen parted her lips, welcoming his exploration with his tongue. She moaned against him, wrapping her legs around his waist as he lifted her into his arms.
Her fingers slid through his hair and heat shot to his groin. He wanted this woman, every part of her. He’d almost lost her. Never again.
He pulled back, his forehead pressed against hers, losing himself in the desire pooling in her eyes. “I’m through pushing you away.”
“I get that.” A sensual smile curved her lips, and if the sunrise wasn’t eminent, he would have taken her right on the beach.
Her lips caressed his again, her teeth tugging at his bottom lip. Lukas groaned, gripping her hips tighter. Her voice hummed against his mouth. “You kiss better than I imagined.”
He smiled, still shocked at how easily she could make him forget they sat on the brink of the end of the world. “What else have you imagined?”
Her eyes sparkled. “Kiss me again.”
He bent to claim her lips, and suddenly the barrier to her thoughts fell. Her mind opened to his, her fingers tightening in his hair. Visions of their bodies tangled filled his mind, his hips pressing into her, her fingernails scratching down his back. His erection pounded painfully against the zipper of his pants. Lukas brought one hand up her back, sliding under her shirt, needing to feel the heat of her skin. The sound of her gasping his name sent fire through his bloodstream.
“Lukas…”
He kept kissing her lips.
“Lukas.” She pulled back, breathless. “Daylight. The sun.”
It took a moment for the meaning of her words to soak through the haze of desire clouding his mind. Reality settled on his shoulders and slowly he lowered her to the ground. “I don’t want this night to be over.” The corner of his mouth cocked up as he pulled his hair back from his forehead. “That’s a new sensation for me.”
Gretchen smiled up at him, her skin flushed with color. “Consider this a reason to live through this mess. I have plans.”
He caught her hand, his fingers twining with hers as they jogged toward the trees. “I have a few plans of my own.” He swept her up into his arms. “Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
He rolled his eyes. “What happened to trusting me?”
“Fine.” She closed her eyes.
He ran, faster than a human could see. Gretchen gasped, keeping her eyes tightly shut. When he stopped, they were back at the tent. He placed her on her feet in front of the Jeep.
She tucked her hair behind her ears, swallowing hard. “Zafrina told me you could move fast, but…”
“But it’s a lot to handle.”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
…
The last thing she wanted was for Lukas to go. In fact, she wasn’t sure what made her head swim more—the feel of his strong hands on her body, or the crazy fast way he moved her through the jungle.
But she couldn’t ask him to stay.
He reached out for her hand, and she met his eyes. His skin was pasty white and his eyes were red-rimmed. She frowned. “You don’t look so good.”
He shook his head. “I’ll be fine. Remember our deal. Get in that Jeep and drive into Cancun. Stay in a populated area, and I’ll find you once the sun goes down. Don’t go to the pyramid without me.” He paused, his eyes searching hers. “If the Demon gets in your head—”
“I have my Ambien in the tent. I’ll take myself out of the game again if I feel her whispering in my head.”
He leaned down to brush a cool kiss on her forehead. “I’ll find you later tonight.”
Releasing her hand, he turned to go.
“Lukas?”
He stopped, glancing over his shoulder at her.
“You never told me what milaya moya means.”
His mouth curved into one of those smiles meant only for her. “My love.”
Before she could open her mouth to respond, he was gone.
…
Gretchen walked over to the Jeep and stared at the driver’s seat. Her equilibrium tilted. Between the rush of adrenaline of flying, the building desire for Lukas, and the realization that he might love her, she didn’t know if she was coming or going.
It was at least a two-hour drive to the city from here, and she hadn’t slept in almost twenty-four hours. Exhaustion weighed on her shoulders. She reached for the newspaper she’d brought from the airport.
Taking the paper inside the tent, she collapsed on her cot. The headline of the Mexican newspaper read “More Mass Suicides - A Sign of the Apocalypse?” She knew she should be reading the article, concerned for the future of the world, but instead she sat on her cot, daydreaming about Lukas.
The way he held her, the way he tasted. The sound of his laughter echoed in her mind.
She needed to focus. Save the world, then she could figure out what to do about her affection for a man who only lived at night.
She stared at the news article. What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.
She could almost hear her father’s clichéd wisdom in her head. He used to have a cliché ready for anything life could throw at her. Some of them were obscure, some tired and overused, but she came to rely on them as she grew up. She never dreamed she’d miss them so much.
Tossing the newspaper aside, Gretchen stood up and stretched.
“Oh, Dad, if I make it out of this mess alive, I’ll be freaking Wonder Woman,”
she mumbled under her breath.
There was no way she was going to be able to drive for two hours. She could already feel her body trying to shut down. Instead, she went back outside to the Jeep and dug around in her toolkit. She was exhausted, aching, and anxious, but she couldn’t allow herself to rest.
Not yet.
After giving the area near the tent entrance a good once-over, she began her work. Using the old spool of fishing-line and pliers from her tool kit, Gretchen rushed around the site, tying the clear line back and forth between the bases of the gnarled tree trunks until she had an invisible web tangled in front of the entry to the tent. Carefully, she made her way back to the Jeep without tripping herself up in her own trap, and then started her search for an alert system. Something to make noise if anything got close enough to push on her fishing-line force field.
She had constructed the makeshift alarm many times when she and her father used to camp in the mountains. She was in charge of tying the line, and he would supply the empty aluminum cans with pebbles inside. Together, Gretchen and her father would strategically place the cans. The moment a mountain lion or bear came near their campsite, it would hit one of the invisible lines, shaking the cans to alert them they were no longer alone.
She had a second sense for tying the lines in just the right spots. Her dad used to say she “thought like a lion,” because on more than one occasion, the cans had awakened them in the night, and when they peeked out they’d seen a frustrated mountain lion loping away. Thankfully, they never had an encounter with the large cats. The noise from the cans was usually more than enough to spook most wild animals.
But this wouldn’t be a wild animal searching for food. There were animals in this jungle with human minds and a thirst for blood.
Without any aluminum cans handy, she finally settled for keys instead, and meticulously tied her Jeep keys, her toolbox keys, and the keys to the food locker onto the main trip lines. This time, her jingling keys weren’t to frighten animals away. They were to wake her up and warn her of an enemy presence.