Finn was already morphing into his animal form as the two men erupted from within the dark recesses of the cave. To most in their world, it would have been a peculiar sight, a jaguar and an eagle, enemies for centuries and yet now thrown together by fate.
A strange fog cloaked the entire side of the mountain, mixing with the steady downpour of rain that fell in sheets between the thick stands of trees. The eagle soared just above the canopy with the jaguar following his lead until they were both swallowed whole.
Julian Castille rolled his shoulders in an effort to shed the blanket of nervous tension that slid across his dark skin.
The rains had come, finally, after teasing them for weeks and he relished the feel of it against his body.
“I hate this fucking jungle,” Ana cursed loudly.
They’d hooked up with Ana and Jaxon hours earlier, and even though it was dawn, the heavy mist that clung to everything around them provided sufficient cover for her. He’d been surprised to learn years ago that vampires didn’t sleep in coffins during the day. In fact they required little or no sleep. They just needed to avoid direct sunlight or they’d literally fry.
Jaxon was deep in conversation with Cracker, getting up to speed. He wiped the slick moisture from his face and turned from them to peer out into the dark, quiet jungle. He felt anxious, as if he was traveling the same route over and over again. Lately he’d been constantly on edge, as if waiting for something to happen. He just didn’t know what.
“You all right, GQ?”
Julian nodded to Declan. “Yeah, just feeling the need to finish this once and for all.” He studied the tall sorcerer, watching him as Declan observed the vampire. It was obvious to pretty much everyone but Ana how deep the sorcerer’s feelings ran.
“And you?” Julian asked.
Declan laughed, but the sound was harsh, empty. “Just fucking lovely.” He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll feel a whole lot better when I get my hands wrapped around Cormac’s slimy neck.”
Julian remained silent, watching a muscle work its way across the tight skin of Declan’s jaw. Declan carried the sins of his father close to his heart and it was a weight that was tearing at him every day. Julian felt a certain kinship with him.
His father, while not the maniacal monster that Cormac was, was still a bastard nonetheless.
Sadly, no one could choose who their parents would be.
“The fucker has all but disappeared into thin air, and he’s got the entire jungle crawling with badasses from across the globe and beyond.”
Declan turned to Julian, his face hard, dark with the cold fury that lived inside of him. “I will track him down one day and when I do—”
His words were cut off as Jaxon shouted an alert. It was quick, precise.
Immediately all five of them went into battle mode and an unearthly quiet settled over Julian. He felt his pulse begin to race as his body shot adrenaline deep into his veins, goading the animal that lay underneath, teasing it with the hint of violence.
He clenched his teeth and held on, something he was finding harder and harder to do lately. Truthfully, he’d only just begun to understand Jagger’s need to live as a jaguar for the past three months.
It was something that ate at him constantly and the longer he’d been in the jungle, the more animalistic he’d become. He’d evolved and was still on the fence about whether or not the change was good.
When this was all over, he wasn’t so sure corporate America was ready to deal with the new Julian Castille. If they thought the old version was a cold, selfish bastard, then the new version was the devil himself.
Jaxon fisted his arm and they all fell into the shadows that bordered the area they were in.
His brother signaled to the left and Julian felt the burn of his animal yet again. He clenched his fists at his side, pushing the tremors back until he was able to focus. The thought of a fight was enough to send him over the edge.
He enjoyed it way too much.
His mind emptied and he concentrated on the shadows that flickered amongst the fog and rain that had laid claim to the jungle overnight. Carefully he scanned the area as he inhaled the myriad of scents in the air.
Something was there and it tingled along the edge of his mind. He turned to Jaxon in surprise.
But there was no need of words. The relief and anger on his brother’s face was enough.
A large black jaguar slipped through the underbrush and came to a halt several feet away. Its eyes glowed green.
Jagger had found them. And he wasn’t alone.
The animal paused, turned its head to the sky and Julian followed its gaze, watching as a large eagle swooped in, its great wings cutting through the air and sheets of water in silence. As the raptor approached he felt a sliver of unease.
There was dark energy here. He turned back to his brother Jagger, watching the large predator as it began to walk toward them, mist crawling along its black pelt as the magick took hold.
Above, the eagle circled once more and then disappeared into a fog of twirling mist that enveloped it whole. Seconds later two men appeared before them. His brother, Jagger, and a tall blond man, who, he was guessing, was the missing eagle knight, Finn, Skye’s brother.
Jagger looked at them, his face bleak, and Julian felt his belly tighten. He’d known Jagger was headed for heartbreak. Had Skye managed to seal the portal?
“So,” Jaxon said softly. “You need a haircut.”
“And some clothes,” Declan said. “Again.”
Julian watched in silence as his brother Jaxon crossed to the youngest Castille and gave him a hard hug. “Been way too long.” The two brothers stared at each other, the silence between them full of words they couldn’t articulate.
“Where’s Skye?” Julian asked, wanting to know even though he dreaded the answer.
“My sister is gone.”
All eyes turned to the blond stranger. He stood alone, aloof, and the energy that surrounded him was full of anger.
Declan moved to Julian’s side and quipped, “Gone where? She on vacation? Out shopping, getting her nails done, dunno, maybe hooking up with Cormac, what?”
The stranger hissed and took a step toward Declan, and Julian immediately tensed for battle. He could feel the darkness brewing, percolating and waiting to explode.
Jagger shoved his way in front of the stranger and snarled at the sorcerer. “Screw you, Declan,” he said roughly. “I don’t have time for your freaking comedy show, and you’d best watch your insults.”
Julian watched his younger brother struggle to gain control of his emotions and not for the first time, he wondered if it was all worth it. To give your heart to another, to love unconditionally … what the hell was so wonderful about that?
“This is Finn, Skye’s brother,” Jagger said, nodding toward the tall eagle knight. “He knows where Skye is.” Jagger winced slightly. “Or at least where we think she might be.”
Julian’s eyes narrowed. The tall stranger remained quiet and glared at them all.
Jagger exhaled heavily and asked no one in particular: “Got something for me to wear?” A hint of a tired smile played around the corners of his mouth. “I don’t particularly feel like trekking through the jungle with my junk hanging out.”
“Well as much as I’m enjoying the show, boys, I vote you cover up.” Ana arched her eyebrows and ignored the dark look Declan shot at her. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover and I for one don’t need any distractions.”
Julian went through his bags and threw some clothes toward Jagger and Finn. A shifter always carried extra clothing. He threw them each a pair of pants, thinking there was no point, really. They’d be as soaked as his in minutes.
“Is that all I have to do to snag your interest, lady? Walk around and be at one with Mother Nature?” Declan’s tone was light yet the hunger and irritation in his eyes was anything but.
Ana didn’t take her eyes from the men as she answered. “Snag my i
nterest, Declan?” She laughed softly. “To do that, I would have to at least like you … a little bit.”
Declan flipped his middle finger, but the vampire had already turned away from him.
Julian watched as Jagger pulled on a pair of ratty old jeans and then he walked over to his brother. He had no extra boots, however; the two of them were going to have to rough it.
“You all right?” he asked. He could feel the cold fury that sat heavy upon Jagger’s shoulders. His brother was wired tight and about to explode.
“I’ll be good once I have Skye back.”
Julian frowned, hating to point out the obvious, but he felt the need to have some clarity. “You do know what she needs to do to seal the portal.”
Jagger turned to him. His face was thunderous, black with anger, and he snarled. “Yeah, I do. So what are you trying to say? I just leave her out there at the mercy of some fucking dream demon?” Jagger was breathing hard, his breaths ragged as he shoved his finger into Julian’s chest. “That I don’t at least try to stop her from doing something totally insane? My God, there has to be another way.”
Inside, Julian’s cat began to growl and he felt the familiar burn begin once more. He paused, centered himself and pushed back. Now was not the time to fight against his own blood.
“Jagger, I—”
Jagger continued, cutting him off. “If one hair on her head is harmed I will tear Azaiel apart and burn his flesh from this earth.”
“Azaiel?” Alarm ripped through Julian. He knew that name. It tugged at the edges of his memory and it frustrated him greatly that nothing tangible came up.
“He’s the bastard that came for Skye last night.”
Julian considered his words carefully. “You know this might end badly?”
Jagger snorted and turned away, but not before Julian got a glimpse of the true heart of the jaguar. It was fierce, hard, cold, and calculating. He could feel his brother’s power and his own animal fed on it. Welcomed it, in fact.
“It will end how it ends,” Jagger snarled back at him. “Either way, nothing will keep me from Skye.”
“You ready to do this?” Finn asked. The eagle’s face was intense and he kept clenching and unclenching his hands as he turned to the west. “The sacred resting place is not far.”
Jagger nodded. “Okay,” Jagger said to them all. “Let’s go snag me a demon.”
Julian eyed Finn closely and noticed the tightening of the eagle’s mouth. It only confirmed what he’d already suspected.
Things were not as they seemed.
Chapter 26
Anger exploded deep from within Skye’s gut and she hissed at the man who stood before her. Her eyes blazed and she snarled.
“I belong to no one but myself.”
She clutched the disc hard against her abdomen, her fingers hot from its power as it continued to surge into her flesh. She felt it sizzle along nerve endings and as it rushed to her heart, the fast-beating organ was hit with a bolt of electricity.
She stumbled back and nearly fell to her knees. Christ, she felt so faint. She took a second and sucked in a great gulp of air.
Azaiel looked at her as if he were humoring a child. He took a step closer but she scrambled away, turning around as she searched wildly for the exit.
His voice stopped her cold. It slid across the distance between them, wrapping her in its seductive lilt. She turned back, confused and scared at the hold Azaiel seemed to have over her.
“I have watched you since the moment of your birth. When you took your first step, started first grade.” His hands tugged at a damp curl. “When you cut off that lovely blond hair of yours and dyed it magenta.” He took a step closer and Skye could feel the heat of him, fresh against her skin. “I was there.”
His eyes had an intensity that grabbed at her and she wanted to look away, but found that she couldn’t.
“When your heart was broken by that arrogant Swede, who do you think it was that reached out from beyond and plagued him with a sickness that lasted for seven days?”
Skye could do nothing but shake her head. She didn’t understand any of this.
“When you were held prisoner by the jaguars I kept you safe, and even as they tortured and attacked the other woman, you were spared the ferocity of their anger.”
“But how?” she asked, “and why?”
“Because you belong to me. I knew the moment you were conceived that you’d be the one to free me from my prison.” He smiled at her and in that moment she caught a glimpse of the true soul behind the man, or angel/demon.
Or whatever the hell he was.
He was full of ancient power, deep magick that was not of this world. He was seductive and incredibly attractive.
But he was not Jagger and her heart ached at the thought of him.
“Call it what you want but you’re nothing more than a glorified stalker.” Skye made a face. “It’s creepy.”
“You’re so like her,” Azaiel whispered then, his eyes and face changing as something dark slid across his memories.
“Like who?” Skye asked, a macabre curiosity fueling her on.
“The betrayer, Toniella.” His eyes focused and he held out his hand. “The one who tempted me from above with empty lies and the warmth of her body.”
Her gaze fell upon the markings that had been etched into his hands. They looked raw, painful, and she wondered what they meant. He lowered his voice, and it was full of anger and … sadness?
“She was a blond vision of the sun.”
Skye backed up yet again and felt the cool stone at her back. She was well and truly trapped with a pissed-off and jilted angel from hell.
She tried to hold still and not show any fear, but when he reached for her hair once more she shuddered and turned from him. She could feel the warmth of his body and the electrical pulses that encircled his tall form.
“Once we are far from here I will wipe the memory of the jaguar from your mind.”
Skye turned to him then, feeding off the small spark of anger that still curled in her belly. “You can never take him from me.” She licked her dry lips as the realization of what Jagger meant rolled over her. He was everything. To give him up? That was the hardest thing she’d ever have to do.
Yet she would give her life for him, again, if she had to.
“I will do whatever you want.” Her eyes widened, full of unshed tears. “Only because you promised that no harm will come to him.” She eyed his lips, so close to her own. “But he completes me. There will never be another.”
Azaiel pushed away from her, his eyes intense as they studied her carefully. Something slithered across his mind; it showed briefly as a flash of red that lit his eyes from behind.
“What now?” Skye asked suddenly as exhaustion rolled over her tired limbs.
“Now you will give me that which is mine.”
Skye’s fingers were numb from holding the portal so tightly. Her mind was a wild jumble of thoughts that made no sense.
“Are you going to destroy it?” she asked softly. “I know you’re the only one who has the power to do that.”
Azaiel’s face darkened and the earth began to shake underneath her feet. “Why would I destroy the one thing that gives me control over the legions of doom?”
God, she felt like she’d fallen into middle earth.
Nausea rolled inside Skye and she hissed sharply. Azaiel’s eyes had lost the gold and were completely black. He was pissed, and done playing games.
Her time was nearly up.
“But you said you hated the demons and what they would do to the human realm if let loose here.”
He smiled then, a wicked look that did nothing to warm the coldness of his eyes. “You were stronger than I thought you’d be. I couldn’t take the chance you’d be able to resist my powers of persuasion.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I would have said anything to get you to open the portal. Toniella taught me well.”
Skye’s right hand held the portal clo
se, her grip tight as she felt the power, taken from the still hot stone disc, begin to move where it was coiled inside her. It was fresh, hungry, and unlike anything she’d experienced before.
Thanks for that, asshole, she thought. At least you’ve left me with a little something extra to fight back with.
“I don’t understand,” Skye continued, trying to buy more time.
“There’s no need for you to understand. The portal has many uses.” He laughed, the sound wicked and grating. “The least of which unlocks the hell realm. Its secrets are vast, incomprehensible.”
He loomed over her, his countenance dark, angry. “Make no mistake, little bird, the portal belongs to me, as do you.” He looked toward the exit. “We’re done here.”
Her left hand was hidden from his view, behind her back. Skye struggled to keep her face calm, devoid of any emotion, as she felt her bones begin to shift and elongate. The pain was immediate, and seconds later she felt the sharp talons unfurl.
The time had come. There was no turning back.
Outside the rain continued to fall, the fresh scent mixing with that of the jungle and invoking a deluge of memories. Jagger, her father, Finn … all of them mixed together into a collage of pain. Sadness, deep and searing, hit her hard in the chest, but she held on, pushing it away as her lips tightened in resolve.
A sound erupted from outside, a howl unlike any she’d heard before. Skye looked up in surprise as Azaiel turned to the exit, enraged. The air around him blurred in a strange mist of gold and black, energy shooting in all directions, sizzling and then burning away.
It was ugly and beautiful at the same time.
Skye saw her chance and took it.
She clutched the disc tight within her right hand and brought her left out, the long, vicious claws curled and sharp as razors. Her heart beat fast, pumping the blood through her veins as she felt the power inside of her erupt.
She pushed away from the wall, leaping up into the air as high as she could. Her left arm fully extended, she brought it down in an arc as Azaiel turned to her, his face thunderous, his body shimmering with power.
His Darkest Embrace Page 28