Sacred

by Long, Samantha

  He distracted her, and right now she had to be strong and focused on finding Lilli.

  After drying off, she dressed and went into the bedroom. Her heart stuttered in her chest as she saw Tristan at her small table, fresh from his own shower, in a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. He'd brought two plates of steaming food up. His intense stare pinned her to the spot, and it took her a minute to move.

  Her hands shook as she sat at the table, but she hid them underneath it. "Thanks for the food."

  "Welcome." Anger threaded through the restraint in his voice.

  She stared down at the meal, then looked back at him. "Why are you angry?"

  He took a bite, chewed it slowly. "Why do you think I'm angry?"

  "I don't know." A headache throbbed behind her right eye. His emotions felt volatile, hidden behind a calm façade.

  He set the fork down and looked her in the eyes, frowning. "Maybe I have a problem with how carelessly you treat yourself. With how easy you slip into life-threatening situations with no worry to how any of us feel, with no worry to how I feel."

  She set her fork down. "I do not carelessly throw my life around."

  He stood and started pacing, the food forgotten. "After the church burned down, you went with a demon-possessed policeman. In the woods after we escaped, you walked right up to Akeldama. And now, with the demon, you wouldn't call for help. Don't give me that bull about wanting us to capture Cabariel."

  She stood, forcing herself to not run. To face his anger, even if she thought it wasn’t justified. "We needed him to find Lilli."

  He turned and stalked toward her, the predator in him near the surface. "What about needing to have all six of us to defeat Akeldama?" He held up his hand when she started to protest. "I know we need Lilli, but we also need you. We aren't going to have you if you keep putting yourself in needless danger.”

  Sophie dampened down her hurt with anger. "How could you say that? I did those things to protect you. To protect the others!"

  Tristan shook his head. "You don't have to protect everyone."

  Sophie crossed her arms.

  He stepped closer. "You don't. We're a team. We protect each other. You don't have to be the strong one all the time. You don't have to hold those walls up."

  Hot tears pricked Sophie's eyes, and the pain in her heart rocked her. "I have to."

  Tristan shook his head. The love in his eyes made her want to crumble to the floor, but she had to hold on. She couldn't let herself sink into him and lose sight of Lilli. She had to find her.

  "Why won't you just let me in?" He stepped even closer.

  Sophie tried to brush past him. His fingers wrapped around her arm, and he lowered his face close to hers. "Let me take care of you."

  She shook off his arm, but made no move to put any distance between them. His voice lowered to a fierce whisper. "What are you afraid of?"

  Sophie swallowed and walked to the window. The sun was rising over the ocean, but the beautiful sight did nothing to calm her. Her heart raced, and her palms were damp. The urge to run threatened to drown her.

  "I love you."

  Sophie's breath caught. She shut her eyes to block out the mix of exhilaration and pain. He stepped up behind her. He didn't touch her in any way, but she was still aware of him. Every nerve ending in her body tingled. How could she fight this?

  "I love you, Sophie," he repeated. "I don't care if this was predestined." He turned her until she faced him. "Look at me."

  She was lost when her eyes met his. Love shone through, and his essence wrapped around her, pushed at the mental barrier.

  "Let me in." His voice caressed her, and all her earlier anger weakened. "I want to take care of you. I want to be the rock that you lean on, share your secrets with, turn to in the night with your nightmares. What we do, the demons we fight—we never know if today is the last day that we'll be together. Don't make me miss out on you." He rested his forehead on hers.

  Her defenses crumbled. Their souls crashed together with a fever that inflamed both of their bodies. Tristan's gray eyes were almost black with desire. He leaned back and ran his fingertips up her arms. Heat followed. A small smile curved his lips and as his mouth descended on hers, all thoughts fled from her mind.

  She drowned in the taste of him. He walked them backward until the backs of her knees hit her bed. Sophie whimpered when his teeth bit her lower lip. This Tristan, the dominant one, made her feel alive. His heat and power surrounded her as he lowered them to the bed.

  He pulled back and stared down at her. Sophie reached for him. "What is it?"

  His eyes traveled over her face. Are you sure?

  Yes. Sophie pulled him down to her.

  ***

  When Sophie opened her eyes, it was to darkness. Instantly, she knew she wasn't in her bed, or even in her room, because she could feel the hard ground beneath her. Something sharp jabbed her side, and she swiveled her head to look. An arrow stuck out from her right hip.

  The pain was immediate, but the wound was old. Her blood was dry.

  How long had she been here?

  Sophie bit her lip against the throbbing and looked around. Up ahead a pocket of light shone in the darkness. Briefly, she wondered if she'd make it that far.

  Using every bit of her remaining strength, she stood. The pain sharpened until it was all she could focus on. Her breath came in short gasps of agony. She balanced herself by leaning on a stone wall. The coldness of it seeped deep into her body.

  Sophie tried to shake the fog away in her mind. She needed to figure out what she was supposed to be seeing in this very real, very powerful vision. One foot in front of the other. I'll just make it to the light, she thought.

  Slowly, her feet obeyed. Every step made the throbbing worse. Twice she stopped and squeezed her eyes shut when the pain got so intense that it overtook her thoughts. Her lip bled from where she bit down to keep from crying out. Until she knew where she was, she didn't want to alert anyone to her presence.

  After ten minutes, she reached the edge of the darkness. She blinked. Her eyes adjusted to the light and then widened in wonder.

  She knew this place.

  Moss and vines covered the crumbling buildings, and grass had taken over the cobblestone pathways. The fountain that graced the middle of the city had long since run out of water, and the statue was missing. Sophie remembered how the buildings had once stood proudly, and she silently wept for the death of her city.

  Mocking laughter rang out in the empty streets. It seemed to float on the icy breeze and swirled around her. A flash of red streaked by her.

  She jumped and paled as the arrow lodged itself deeper. Fresh blood spilled from the wound.

  Akeldama was here.

  Something white followed the Demoness. Sophie's heart dropped. It looked like Tristan in his werewolf form, but they moved too fast for her to see them clearly.

  When Sophie glanced back at the buildings, she paled even more.

  Bodies hung by their ankles from the rooftops, their heads gone. They swayed eerily in the wind and sprayed blood along the walls and street. More bodies plagued the ground. These were not headless, but they barely resembled humans—other than the fact that they had two arms and two legs.

  Sophie placed a hand to her stomach. She couldn't throw up here. Not now. She had to get to Tristan. Where were the others?

  The mocking laugh rang out again. It was high-pitched and gravelly at the same time, and it ripped her attention from the massacre.

  Tristan's familiar roar propelled her forward.

  She forced down the pain and thought only of getting to him. In her heart, she could feel how tired he was. Like he was giving up. The same despair settled over part of her.

  Using her senses, she followed the trail his power left behind. A right onto a street took her through an alley. Tufts of white fur floated in blood pooled on the ground.

  She stumbled faster. The alley took her out onto another street, which led he
r to the arena. Her shallow breaths did nothing to ease the pain, and her eyes blurred. Her entire side was warm and sticky.

  With the exception of the temple and palace, the arena was the biggest building on the island. This is where the army would practice and fairs would be held. Several arches served as doorways, and Sophie passed through one. The flames of the torches flared higher.

  The circular arena had a dome ceiling made of stained glass. Purple and blue light filtered down, covering the dirt in creative designs.

  Sophie.

  Sophie's brows furrowed at Morgan’s faint voice in her head. She spun to the right, wincing, and spotted Morgan.

  She, Aidan, and Jackson were lying in a heap on the dirt floor. Sophie cried out and ran to them, not caring if the arrow lodged itself all the way to her heart. She had to get to them.

  Sophie reached Morgan first. She knelt down and gently lifted her head. With her other hand, she touched Morgan's cheek. "Morgan?

  Her friend's face was covered in blood and bruises. Her right arm was broken at the elbow. There were faded scars on her face and body that definitely weren’t caused from this battle.

  "So dizzy," Morgan groaned.

  Relief washed over Sophie. She'd started to think she’d imagined Morgan's voice. "What happened?"

  "Sorry, Soph." Morgan's raw voice stung Sophie. "We tried to stop her."

  Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes and Sophie brushed back the hair from Morgan's face. "It's going to be okay," she said even as Morgan's blood mixed with her own, staining her clothes.

  "She's too strong." Morgan swallowed blood as she tried to speak. Something gurgled in her throat. "Aidan." The grief Morgan put into that one word caused Sophie's stomach to clench again. Morgan's eyes rolled toward Aidan. "He's...."

  Sophie followed her line of sight and saw Aidan and then Jackson. Their bodies were in much the same abuse with one gruesome exception—both their throats were cut from ear to ear. Sophie choked on a sob.

  Noise burst around her as the arena filled with spectators appearing out of thin air. Vampires, beautiful and ugly alike, sat on one side. Trolls, demons, and creatures that Sophie didn't recognize filled the other. They jeered and booed.

  The depth of Sophie's anger surprised her. She didn't think she could ever feel that much hate and fury.

  "Get out...of here," Morgan whispered, and Sophie glanced down at her. "She'll kill you, too." Then her eyes closed and her body went limp in Sophie's arms. Morgan was gone.

  Sophie gently rested her friend's head back on the dirt. Her anger built until it swallowed the pain and grief.

  The crowd erupted into cheers, the sound thundering around her.

  Sophie looked toward the opposite end of the arena. Tristan knelt in the dirt in human form. Akeldama stood over him, a sneer marring her beautiful features.

  Sophie started to run.

  Akeldama pulled a sword from its scabbard. Her laughter filled the arena while she swung the sword from side to side, taunting Sophie. The sound of the metal cutting the air chilled Sophie's skin. She wasn't going to watch him to die, too.

  It seemed to happen slowly. Sophie was still running when she saw Akeldama raise the sword over her head.

  Tristan hunched forward, his eyes meeting Sophie's. Love shone on his face and in his smile.

  "No!" Sophie screamed at the top of her lungs.

  Akeldama let the sword arc downward. It severed Tristan's head from his body in one clean stroke.

  Sophie’s legs gave out. She shut her eyes, but the sight didn't go away. It replayed over and over in her mind. Agony ripped through her body so deep that she couldn't make a sound. She shook. "Please. Please just let me wake up."

  "You aren't going to wake up, darling," Akeldama whispered right next to her ear.

  Sophie's eyes shot open.

  Akeldama gripped her hair and yanked back. Tears automatically formed in Sophie's eyes, but she glared through them. Akeldama laughed. "You are such a delight. Did you really think I would let you kill me?"

  Sophie saw the flash of the sword glinting in purple and blue light. The cold steel stabbed into her chest, and fiery pain overtook her.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  "NO!" SOPHIE SCREAMED as she sat up in the bed, coughing against the pain in her chest.

  Tristan sat up next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "You're shaking." He pulled her close, warming her with his body heat.

  She twisted in his arms and latched onto him. His head rolling on the dirt floor of the arena kept repeating in her mind. Her hands roamed over his skin, his muscles, into his hair. She had to make sure that he was alive and in one piece.

  "I love that you want to touch me, but are you okay?" Tristan caught her hands and held them to his chest. "What is it?"

  Sophie shook her head, the tears hot on her face. She put her head in the crook of his shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent. "Just hold me."

  His worry enveloped her, but he kept quiet and rocked her back and forth.

  A small sense of darkness nudged her mind. She wanted to ignore it at first, because Tristan next to her—breathing—was too consuming.

  Then, darkness slammed into her. Sophie jumped back. "Something's wrong." She pushed out with her mind. "Oh, God, Morgan!" She threw the covers off and frantically searched for her clothes. Guys, something's wrong with Morgan!

  Tristan zipped his jeans and threw a shirt on. "She's not answering."

  The others entered the hall at the same time. Jackson pounded on Ruth's door.

  "Where is she, Sophie?" Aidan grabbed Sophie's arm. "Where?"

  Flashes of the vision shot before her eyes. She pressed a hand to her temple to staunch the headache. Now she knew how Morgan got her horrible scars. "Cabariel! He's got her somehow!"

  "Go! Cabariel's in the holding cells. I'll wake Demetri." Ruth pushed at them.

  It only took two minutes to get to the holding cells, but it felt like hours. A row on each side held the standard five by ten, but at the end was the concrete-encased cell the Society used for demonic prisoners. It was laced with spells and runes that kept the demons there.

  "I can't get it open. It won’t open," Aidan’s voice cracked and he hit his palm against the door. Flames lit up the steel for a second.

  "Move." Tristan morphed into his werewolf form, the white fur rippling down his muscles.

  "God, what is he? Seven feet tall?" Rory skidded to a halt, Seline and Ruth behind him.

  "What is going on?" Demetri asked as he came up to them. He paused when Tristan reared his arms back and arched his claws ripping through the steel door and tore it off the hinges. The steel clattered to the floor as Tristan growled.

  "Remind me not to piss him off." Rory rocked back on his heels, eyeing Tristan nervously.

  "Morgan's in there!" Sophie told them. Aidan and Jackson rushed through the doorway.

  Demetri scowled. "Why would she go in there alone?"

  "She wouldn't have."

  Aidan's furious bellow preceded the wall of fire that erupted. Jackson jerked his hand, and a shield formed between them and the roiling flames. Aidan’s brows were turned in, and the look in his eyes went beyond anger. It was a mix of fury and emotional agony.

  Sophie's hand went to her mouth. Cabariel stood over Morgan's still form and blood was everywhere, coating his scales, his claws, her body. Jackson sent a force careening into the demon.

  Cabariel hit the wall and slid to the floor, and Aidan was on him. The sound of bone crunching filled Sophie's ears as Aidan punched Cabariel over and over.

  Sophie knelt beside Morgan, feeling like she was there in the holding cell and on the dirt floor of the arena at the same time. Relief washed over her when Morgan's chest rose and fell shallowly.

  "Don't kill him!" Demetri yelled as he stepped into the room. "We need to get information about Lilli."

  "Lilli." The demon's unnaturally deep voice boomed with laughter. "Little Bl
ondie."

  A feral growl rose in Jackson's chest. It was something Sophie thought she'd only hear from Tristan. Jackson pulled Aidan off of Cabariel, shoving him toward Sophie. "Go to Morgan. She needs you."

  "Let me have her." Rory reached for Morgan. "I'll take her straight to Allison."

  Sophie reluctantly let him pick her up, then stared at the blood staining her clothes and hands. She was going to lose it, any second, but knew she had to keep it together for the others. They didn’t need to try and take care of her right now.

  "I'll go with you." Ruth paled at the sight of the long, open wounds covering Morgan's body, as if Cabariel had used her as a scratching post.

  Aidan protested as Rory settled Morgan in his arms.

  "I'll protect her with my life." Rory's solemn eyes stayed on Aidan. "No one but Allison will go near her. Just take care of that demon."

  Aidan’s struggle was easy to see. Everyone stood, tense, until Aidan gave a single, quick nod. Rory left after Aidan turned burning eyes on Cabariel.

  Seline and Demetri aimed guns at the demon, keeping their gazes steady on him.

  Cabariel laughed as he stood. "What is it that you wish to know? Where the charming little healer is?"

  "I will kill you." Jackson stepped forward, his face shining with fury.

  Looking at him confronting the demon brought back a past life memory for Sophie. The prince, Julius—Jackson—stood in front of an army, raising their determination with his impassioned words, his cool demeanor.

  "Not yet, Jackson,” Demetri said, bringing Sophie back to the present.

  "Your precious Lilli is dead." Cabariel spat the words.

  Demetri cast a sharp glance at Jackson. "Do you know what are in these bullets, Cabariel?"

  "Lead, perhaps?" Cabariel glared at them. His wings twitched.

  Fire formed in Aidan's hands. "Don't even think about it."

  Sophie couldn't stop thinking about the vision that had stopped her from coming to Morgan’s rescue on time. Her stomach churned. Was Cabariel speaking the truth? Lilli wasn’t in the vision.

  "Holy water, Cabariel. I could shoot you in the blink of an eye."

  "It won't kill me."