Broken Souls (Primani Book 4)

by Laurie Olerich

  Fuck you very much, witch.

  Mica smothered a laugh behind her hand and pointed to the tray. “Grab the bottle and go see your girl. She’s taking a shower.” She made a big display of sniffing the air and added, “You two reek. Maybe you need a shower too.”

  The guest bathroom was small and tidy. It was decorated very simply with pale blue towels and throw rugs over gleaming white tiles. All of the faucets and towel bars were polished chrome. No potpourri or knickknacks, no magazine baskets full of Good Housekeeping magazines, no candles. No one would ever consider it a fussy room. It had an efficient sort of feel to it. Mica’s only feminine touch was a small watercolor painting of a flower market set near the Eiffel Tower. Even though the room was small, it had a huge glass shower that practically screamed ‘have sex here’ and a marble vanity topped by a huge mirror. Rori and Dec had been gracious guests and christened that shower in ways that would surely shock Mica. She hoped Dec would finish whatever he was doing and get his sexy ass in here.

  The room was chilly so she cranked up the shower, setting it to just below scalding, loving the heat as it pounded between her shoulder blades. Closing her eyes, she rubbed the lemongrass body wash across her arms and breasts, enjoying the slippery soap and the heavenly scent. She just lathered her hair with shampoo when she heard the bathroom door click closed. About time! “Dec?”

  No answer.

  The scalding water had steamed up the shower stall. She couldn’t see anything clearly. Rubbing shampoo away from her eyes, she peered into the glass. Nothing. Did she hear something or not? Cocking her ear, she strained to listen above the running water. After standing that way for several seconds, she scoffed at her twitchiness and started to lean back into the water. Just as she closed her eyes, a shadowy shape darkened the glass. “Is that you, Dec?”

  An uneasy feeling wormed through her gut. With way more stupidity than bravery, she yanked the door open and nearly stopped breathing. The room’s temperature dropped at least 50 degrees. The steam on the vanity mirror had frozen to frost; frozen except for a section that had been scraped clear.

  Two words were scratched into the mirror below it.

  Hello, Rori.

  Dec was halfway to the bedroom when he heard her scream. Taking off at a full sprint, he cleared the door just in time to see her being dragged through the bathroom mirror. Her head and shoulders vanished, the rest of her still inside the room. She was clinging to the marble sink, knuckles white, fingernails broken, legs kicking behind her.

  She was screaming at someone, the sound warbled as if under water. “I don’t want you! Leave me alone!”

  “Killian!” He grabbed her around the waist, trying to pull her back. As strong as he was, he couldn’t hold her against the force. Wet, soapy, naked, she slipped forward, inch by inch, as he dug in his heels and hung on. Desperate to pull her back, he reached for her hair. The mirror was solid where he touched it. He tried to put his hand through it and it bounced off, yet she was still sliding through the glass as easy as water. What kind of magic was this?

  “Hold on, Rori!” Where the hell was Killian? She was half way through now, her body arched like a bow as she strained to resist the momentum.

  From the corner of his eye, he caught a movement in the mirror. From infinite darkness, a hand reached for her, grasping at her face. Like a living statue, the hand was hard and black as onyx, gleaming like a burning ember. It opened, spreading its fingers wide, a fiery sigil branded on the palm, moving to her face. The voice shouted with fury inside his head.

  She’s mine! I’m coming for her.

  “Let her go!”

  Killian burst in with Sgaine Dutre blazing in his fist. He took one look at the mirror and shouted, “Sgaine Dutre seao demonae. Eiron es finiate!”

  The sigil burst into flames before vanishing into smoke. Rori tumbled backwards into Dec. She was completely hysterical, clinging to him like a life preserver, chanting, “Don’t lose me! Don’t lose me!”

  “Here, take this and put her to bed.” Killian draped a towel over her, tucking the edges in and actually patting her back. His eyes were troubled as he inspected the mirror. He muttered something to the blade and held it to the glass. The silver gleamed until he crossed the part of the mirror where Rori had been grabbed. When it passed the section, it was covered with frost. The blue stone flared at the same time. He ground his teeth together and hissed, “Stay the fuck out of my house, Azrael. This is my turf. I’ll bind you so fast your fucking head will spin.”

  Dec lifted an eyebrow. “Can you do that?”

  “Shut up.”

  The sun was long since gone when she opened her eyes to find herself in bed. A single white candle burned on the nightstand. The flame leaped in the darkness sending shadows jumping against the gauzy white curtains. Something had woken her from a fitful sleep full of fire and shadows. The flames were so real she felt their blistering heat on the backs of her legs as she ran. But it was only a dream, a nightmare. One she was both familiar with and tired of.

  As her mind began to clear, she felt heat again. Mmm... Not fire; a different kind of flame, but one that would consume her more completely. Dec. He was gloriously naked, gloriously hard, and oh, so very hot. They lay facing each other, barely touching, yet connected from head to toe. The pale strands appeared one by one as she watched in astonishment. The lines began to undulate and grow, wrapping themselves around their bodies, joining them more tightly. They didn’t have to work so hard. She wasn’t going anywhere. Purring like a cat, she rubbed her cheek against the sandpapery shadow that darkened his jaw. The scruffiness made him look more dangerous, more mercenary. He lay perfectly still with eyes closed, face serious.

  Rubbing her lips across that shadow, she went just a little limp at the idea of danger. Danger and Dec. That had sexy, sexy appeal. She teased his jaw with her tongue, dipping along his throat, before murmuring, “You are so damn hot. I can’t control myself around you.” His only response was a groan and hard inhale when she nipped his earlobe. She could feel his tension building and it made her bolder. She looked into his face and swallowed the instinct to run. His eyes gleamed with hunger that sent her heart skittering into overdrive.

  “Rori, you had that dream again.” His hand shook as he caressed the side of her face, spreading gentle kisses across her jaw. His lips were gentle but the rest of him was tense, poised, ready to pounce.

  She nodded. “Yeah, but it’s over.”

  She shivered as he smiled into her eyes. It wasn’t simply a smile; it was more of a promise, maybe a warning.

  “It’s not going to happen again.” His voice was husky with strain, almost sad. He fingered a lock of her hair and brought it to his nose with a sigh.

  She started to tell him it was okay, she didn’t fear the dreams now. She knew he would keep her safe.

  He put his finger to her lips and shook his head so close his eye lashes brushed her nose. “Shh. I’m trying to work a little miracle and get laid at the same time. Cooperate, wench.”

  He leaned in and tugged her bottom lip between his teeth. At her yelp of surprise, he sucked it in with gentle strokes while drawing her closer to him. The second his tongue met hers, she lost any kind of will to resist. Letting him take control was her wildest fantasy… she’d been nursing the dream for months.

  “Do what you need to.”

  He blinked in surprise. “What I need might be more than you can give. Trust me?”

  “With my soul.”

  He held her with one hand around her waist while he took control with his other hand. Moving intentionally slowly, he dragged his hand up her the back of her thigh, squeezing gently, following the curve of her butt, before resting it on her waist. The gentle pressure was an order to stay still while he used the other hand to set her on fire. With the lightest touch, he skimmed his palm over her thigh, between her legs, and across her belly. Exploring everything he wanted, he watched her melt. She whimpered and pressed his hand against her breast.<
br />
  “Patience, love. Let me do this my way.”

  Her entire world tunneled to nothing but the feel of his mouth on her neck, his hand kneading her breast, the velvety heat of his cock pressing against her core. Tiny lights sparkled behind her eyelids. The scent of the forest filled the air as her body dissolved into a puddle. Clutching at his hair, she held his mouth to hers, taking everything from him. Rocking her hips forward, she stroked him with her body, urging him to put out the fire. He pulled away, still touching her, but not enough to ease her hunger.

  He kissed her hard before growling, “No more nightmares of him. I want to fill your head.” He cupped her breast hard enough to make her gasp aloud. The twinge of pain sent ripples of desire curling through her veins. He worked the nipple between his fingers while capturing her mouth in a kiss that was nowhere near tender. His mouth plundered hers… demanding her response, sending her control into pieces. He took everything in that moment, her mouth, her body, her soul. Her back arched as his fingers sank deep, pressing harder, twisting… until she cried out, the explosion brilliant as a star.

  Breathing harshly, he held her face between his palms, thumbs caressing fragile cheekbones, eyes glowing cobalt. “When you close your eyes, you’ll dream of me.”

  Like a fan slowly unfolding, her mind opened to the vision he created… The first thing she saw was the candle flame flickering over the walls, blurry, indistinct, wavering in the darkness. As the images grew clearer, she found herself looking down at the bed, seeing them from above. A vision? A memory? Yes. A memory that was more vivid as she relived it again. She watched the scene below her… her legs wrapped around his hips, head flung back… his strong hand clutching her breast like a treasure, his beautiful mouth sucking at her throat, the muscles bunching in his arms as he held her tightly… The explosion left her dazed, but he wasn’t done yet.

  Turning her onto her stomach, he rubbed her aching shoulders and legs. Stroking surely, firmly, he massaged away her aches and pains. Stopping to stroke her more sensitive areas along the way, he feathered kisses across each vertebrate, over each cheek, across the backs of her knees, down to each toe. Drawing them into his mouth one at a time, he teased her until she squirmed with pleasure. Surely she was in Heaven. She was more relaxed than she’d ever been in her life. Just as she thought about dozing off, he buried his face against the nape of her neck and nibbled. At her moan of approval, he draped his body over her back and cocooned her beneath him. Holding his weight from squashing her into the pillow, he worked his mouth around to her lips and back to her neck.

  “You’re so beautiful… I didn’t know how much I was missing until I met you. Making love to you is a miracle. We’re meant to be together, love. See the beauty of us?”

  As before, her mind opened to fill with the memories he created. Everything was crystal clear. The muscles in his shoulders and back flexed as he covered her, his ass was tight and bitable as she looked down at it. His thighs wrapped around her hips, spread to hold her between them. Just the sight made her mouth water with anticipation, causing an involuntary shiver. Instinct took over and she tilted her hips for him. This time, there was no urgency, no roughness, he lifted her hips, kissed her back softly and slowly pushed inside. As the pressure built, she closed her eyes to see the images flow.

  “Remember the beauty, Rori. Always remember.”

  He looked into her sleepy eyes with a feeling of satisfaction he didn’t recognize. He’d never thought of himself as an alpha male; he was a surfer, a boarder, a sucker for babies and sad women. Something about Rori changed him. He didn’t make love to the woman; he’d claimed her as his to the universe. Just the thought of her belonging to that demon made him mental, pushed him past the edges of his civilized self. He knew what her life would be like--knew what the demon would do to her delicate body, her fragile soul. Those nightmares were one step away from his taking control.

  Over his dead body.

  Oh, he meant that when he said it, and he meant it now. He was throwing up every weapon he could think of. He’d be damned before he’d let the demon win. God, he handled her roughly… he should feel ashamed, but she surprised him with her passion. He’d brought her to the brink and stood by her side while she fell. She embraced his touch with complete abandon. Not only did she go along with him, she pushed him to go harder, faster, rougher. This woman brought out every alpha instinct hiding in his DNA. He wanted to protect her, true. But more than that, he was driven to claim her. There was no doubt in his mind that they were made for each other. Their hearts knew it; their saols knew it. The binding didn’t lie. That alone spoke volumes. Where on earth had she come from? Who was her father? There were a lot of mysteries to wrap up, but he was all in.

  Sighing with contentment, she curled into his arms, rubbing her cheek against his chest like a kitten before saying, “I can’t get the images out of my head. I keep seeing us. Not that I’m complaining, though it might be distracting when I’m trying to drive. On the other hand, having an orgasm at a red light does have some appeal. Did you do that?”

  He smirked over the top of her head. Mission accomplished. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  Chapter 20: A Serpent Coiled and Waiting

  “WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE KILLIAN?” She was trying to be reasonable, really she was. But they had to understand where she was coming from. She didn’t feel even a little bit comfortable with this latest plan. Killian? No thank you!

  Using the same patient expression she used to placate the triplets, Mica squeezed her hand and dropped another marshmallow into the top of Rori’s untouched hot chocolate. The woman was clever. She’d give her that. Mica seemed to have a theory that food or alcohol could break all resistance. She used both to get the men in her life to do whatever she wanted.

  Before she could say another word, Mica cut her off. “Look, Rori. It’s simple. Killian has psychic abilities that none of us have. He’s got other powers that no one else has. Period. Dot. If anyone can teach you to project safely, it’s going to be him.”

  Safely? How could zinging off to random places and times ever be safe? She didn’t want to learn to control it; she wanted to learn how to stop it altogether! It was terrifying. Over the past six months she’d been forced to accept a lot of things that she’d never believed before. Angels, demons, psychic abilities… All of it blew her mind, but she was grateful for the knowledge. It freed her from the lingering fear that had shadowed her life for so long. Once she’d gotten over the shock of it all, she felt something click in her head. Accepting these crazy notions answered so many questions, steadied her in a way. She was still afraid, but now she knew what she feared. Now the faceless terror had a name. Azrael.

  Along the way, her new friends helped her learn more about her abilities. For that, she was also grateful. Mica taught her how to shield from psychic attacks. Dec taught her all about retrocognition and how it could actually be helpful. It was a big relief to know she hadn’t really let people die. That was a huge weight from her shoulders. She wasn’t useless after all. She was abso-positively thrilled to learn the fugues weren’t random breaks from sanity. Astral projection? Never in a million years! She’d never even heard of it. Oh, she understood it now. Thanks to Dec and Killian, she had more knowledge about it than she ever wanted. The projections might be uncontrolled, but they weren’t random. She was projecting to protect her soul from that RBD. Self-defense for the soul. Crazy how the mind works!

  Okay, she needed to learn to control it. She’d agree to that. But going off alone with Mica’s gigantic husband? She shuddered at the thought. He could be a friggin’ saint for all she knew. He still scared the shit out of her. And apparently he was reading her mind again. Note to scary dude, the scowl isn’t helping your case.

  Across the table, Killian studied her with barely concealed annoyance. He tapped his fingers on the table top and rubbed at his jaw every few minutes. Finally he stood up and said, “Here’s the deal. If you don’t learn to control you
r projections, you will die. Simple as that. Your soul can’t just wander around the universe every time you’re scared.”

  Leaning into her face, he slapped his palms on the table and snapped, “You want to live or not? It’s your choice, but it seems to me you’re being pretty selfish here. Dec nearly died trying to save your chicken ass. I know for a fact he’s killed for you already. Do you think this is easy for him? Just another day at work? No. He has to deal with the things he does. We all do. Sometimes it eats us half to death before we get numb to the guilt. If you love him like you say you do, you need to step up and take care of your business.”

  Twenty minutes later, Dec and Mica waited to see them off. They were both struggling not to laugh. Oh, sure, ha ha. There was absolutely nothing funny about this.

  Mica squeezed her in a tight hug and warned, “You need to be in and out of Eden fast or weird things might happen. I’m warning you now, if you kiss my husband, I will slap your face off.”

  Dec burst out laughing and tried to glare at Mica. “Dude, that’s just wrong. Rori doesn’t even like Killian.”

  Rori’s face went up in flames. Why does the man have no filter? “I’m sure it’ll be fine… right?”

  Mica leaned up to give her husband a kiss and slapped his butt. At his wince, she threatened, “I know what magic happens there, remember? Six hours. Max. Be back here, or you’ll be cut off.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry, babe. I’m a one-woman man.” With that smiling declaration, he bent her over his arm and kissed her so thoroughly she was glowing by the time he straightened her back up. “Keep the light on for me!”

  Playfully jabbing her finger into his chest, she said, “It’s two days until Christmas. I’m actually looking forward to having this house packed with family and food. Don’t be late!”

  Before Rori could say goodbye to Dec, Killian took her hand. There was no sensation of movement at all. One second they were in the living room, the next they were here. Well, that was easy. They reappeared in a windswept landscape next to a seacoast. A slope of stubby clumps of grass and purple heather ended at the top of a sheer cliff. Though she could see for miles, the horizon felt closer than usual, contained in a defined space. The sky shimmered in the brilliant sunlight, cloudless except for a few wispy mares’ tails zipping very high above them. It was warm here. Not winter… maybe spring? The grass was green, the plain dotted with bright wildflowers. The roar of water was the only sound. Curious, she dropped his hand and walked over to get a better look. The cliff ended abruptly in a 100-foot drop to piles of blackened rocks and angry surf. Suddenly lightheaded, she stumbled back a few steps.