Sweet Dreams (Sweetwater Book 2)

by Rivi Jacks

  Diane is curled up in a fetal position on the floor. Her arms wrapped around her legs in a bid to retain as much of her body heat as she can. It’s not working in this cold, damp hole, I can hear her teeth chatter with her violent shaking.

  My skin feels flushed with the rush of my blood as rage whips through me. They didn’t even have the decency to leave the comforter for her. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a desire for vengeance.

  “Bastards!” Sawyer swears as he moves me aside. Shrugging out of his jacket, he steps into the cramped space, squatting to cover Diane. I hear her whimper. “It’s Sawyer, Diane.” He tucks his jacket around her, and I drop down, crawling over to her.

  I take hold of her hand as I lean close. “We’re going to get you out of here, hon.”

  “Sofie?” she whispers and then she starts crying.

  “Shhh, it’s okay. You’re safe. Are you hurt?”

  “No,” she whispers. “I want to go home.”

  I smooth the hair off her face before looking up at Sawyer. “Ready?” I ask, and he nods. “I’m going to move out of the way now so that Sawyer can pick you up, Di. Don’t be afraid, I’m right here. Sam’s here too.”

  I move back, and Sawyer carefully lifts her and carries her out into the passageway.

  “Here,” Sam says. “Give her to me, I’ll carry her.” Sam cradles her against his chest, and I tuck Sawyer’s coat around her, berating myself for not thinking ahead and bringing a blanket.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Christian says the urgency clear in his voice. “I’ll take the lead with Sawyer bringing up the rear.”

  Sawyer and Christian close the door and place the bar back in the brackets before we head out. I walk beside Sam, softly reassuring Diane as we retrace our steps. When we come to the first turn, I hold my breath, letting it whoosh out when nothing is waiting for us around the corner. Christian gives a quick look back at me.

  The pathway angles up now, and we trudge along at a slower pace in the thick fog that still shrouds the cave floor. Labored breathing has me looking up at Sam.

  “You okay? This incline getting to you?”

  He gives a low chuckle. “No, Diane probably only weighs a hundred and ten pounds. I’m fine.”

  “One hundred and five,” she squeaks.

  Sam and I both grin. I take it as a good sign.

  “Sorry, honey.” Sam drops his head closer to her, and I hear him whisper, “You’re as light as a feather.”

  We’re nearing the junction of two pathways when I step up beside Christian. “You okay?” I could swear I heard him breathing hard, and I don’t think we’re walking as fast as we were.

  He gives me a quick look. “I’m not sure.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  He lifts his hand to his chest. “I—feel winded.”

  Huh? Now I’ve been around Lucas’ men long enough to know they never tire. Ever. “That’s not good, is it?”

  He hesitates, looking down at me again. “No,” he wheezes.

  Crap! I knew this was going too smoothly. I was just beginning to think that maybe Lucas’ anger would be manageable if we all made it out safely with no trouble.

  “Please walk behind me,” Christian says.

  With a concerned look in his direction, I drop back not so sure if that’s what I need to do. I slow my step to talk to Sawyer. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “I’m not sure, but something is wrong with Christian,” I say softly.

  Sawyer frowns and looks at the vampire. “Do I need to move up there?”

  “Let me check.”

  “Remember to turn to your left,” I say as I step back up beside Christian. “We’re almost out of here, and Sawyer can move up if you think he needs to. Give you a chance to slow down a little.” We approach the intersecting pathways, and I look up at him.

  That’s when all hell breaks loose.

  A huge Kihn comes barreling around the corner, and Christian doesn’t hesitate as he lunges forward.

  Both supernatural beings meet with a powerful thud.

  “Back up!” Sam yells.

  I do, but I remain out in the middle of the pathway, my shotgun raised and ready. Without a second thought, I know Sawyer has our backs.

  The vampire and the Kihn break apart and circle each other for all of two seconds before charging toward each other again.

  I cringe when their bodies meet with a sickening, heavy sound.

  Their blows fall fast and hard.

  Blood flies out into the air, splattering against the tunnel walls.

  And against me.

  The metallic, coppery smell assails my senses, and I know it’s Christian’s blood. Vampire blood smells similar to human blood. A Kihn’s does not.

  I have a split second for it to register how bizarre it is for a twenty-two-year-old girl to know something like that.

  After several moments of watching both Christian and the Kihn trying to land a killing blow, the Kihn resorts to using his teeth.

  His powerful jaws snap dangerously close to Christian’s neck.

  I’m afraid to breathe, afraid any noise will break Christian’s concentration. The only thing I can hear is the hoarse rasp of his labored breathing.

  The Kihn suddenly lunges for Christian and Christian moves too slow to avoid him. The Kihn reaches out to dig his long, thick nails into Christian’s skin and the vampire releases a loud hiss. They struggle, locked in each other’s grip.

  The Kihn attempts to seize Christian by the throat again, but Christian manages to avoid the long, yellowed fangs.

  And just as quickly, the vampire claims his moment and buries his deadly fangs in the throat of the Kihn. There’s a horrible sound when Christian rips away the whole front of the Kihn’s neck.

  It’s over.

  But it’s not good.

  I rush to Christian as he staggers. His clothes are drenched in blood. Some of that blood is the Kihn’s, and some of it is Christian’s.

  A lot of it is Christian’s.

  I realize this when I reach him. It’s all I can do to remain calm when I see the damage done to his body. His skin is heavily lacerated in several areas with some areas missing chunks of flesh leaving gaping, bloody wounds. He also has deep puncture sites that are quickly becoming discolored from the internal bleeding. It’s a gruesome sight, and it’s evident the vampire is in immense pain.

  He stumbles back a step. “The Kihn,” he chokes.

  I know what he’s trying to say and I hand over the mini-crossbow to Sawyer who shoots the downed Kihn.

  “Let me help you, Christian.” I reach out and put my arm around his waist. “Put your arm around my shoulder.”

  “Here,” Sawyer says. “I’ll need to help him, Sofie. You won’t be able to hold him up.”

  Christian sways, his balance and coordination quickly declining. His jaw is clamped tight, and he’s sweating profusely. All color suddenly drains from his face as his body begins to collapse.

  “Christian!” I cry.

  “Damn it,” Sawyer says as we both work to keep the vampire on his feet.

  “We’ve got to get him out of here and home,” I urge. Cold fear grips my heart. Vampires may be hard to kill, but something tells me Christian is in serious trouble. Something about this cave diminished his strength. That’s the only explanation for the Kihn being able to do the damage he did. And now what strength he has left is quickly being depleted.

  “I’ve got him,” Sawyer says.

  I’m not so sure about that. He and Christian are about the same height and build, and if the vampire goes down, I don’t think Sawyer will be able to hold him up by himself.

  “I’ll carry him if I have to, Sofie. Now lead the way a
nd get us the hell out of here!”

  I nod looking over at Sam, still holding Diane in his arms. “She’s okay,” he says, silently mouthing, “Go.”

  We continue at a much slower pace that sets my nerves on edge. We’re on the home stretch out of here, but I know we’re still in danger of running into more Kihn.

  And with that thought—

  Our way is clear one moment, and the next three Kihn are blocking our path. We come to an abrupt halt, as either side assesses the other. I’m not conscious of anything said or any action taken by the others behind me as I zero in on the Kihn. My first thought is, it’s the three Kihn who brought Diane here, but I quickly decide it’s not. These three are too small. I almost laugh at that characterization. There’s nothing small about any of the Kihn. Even their women stand over six feet tall. I have a moment of trepidation with that thought. There’s no way I can… I shake myself mentally. This is exactly why I have been working with the witches. Brit wove a special type of protection spell around me for a time when I’d come face to face with a Kihn. But three? I take a deep calming breath and straighten my spine. This will work. I do as Estella instructed and I feel the shields rise around me.

  Crap.

  What about the others? They have no protection spell woven around them and at this point fighting the Kihn is not an option. Not with Christian and Diane.

  I almost yelp, when the amulet Taylor gave me, suddenly becomes warm. Very warm. And it transfers that warmth throughout my body. What the hell?

  I feel an adrenaline rush like I’ve never experienced.

  Holy shit!

  Is the amulet doing this to me?

  My thought process, the heat transfer, adrenaline spike, and the shields activating all happen in a matter of seconds, and during the last of those seconds, Brit’s voice comes to me loud and clear, “those within reach.”

  My voice sounds shaky when I say, “Move in close to me.” I don’t look to see if they do as I ask because I’m keeping my attention and my shotgun focused on the Kihn. “Stay very close to me as we walk out of here,” I instruct. Neither Sam nor Sawyer question my bidding.

  I watch as the Kihn try to move closer to us but can’t. As we near them, the protection field actually pushes the three Kihn back against the rock wall of the tunnel. They stare at us as we approach, and I have the uncanny feeling that they can see the bubble of protection around us. That’s how Estella explained the protection charm. She said it would be as if I were in a bubble that nothing could penetrate to reach me. Me. Not the others. Does the spell that Brit added to the amulet protect those within my reach? Is that what she meant? I certainly hope so because I’m counting on it to get all of us safely out of here.

  When we’re abreast of the Kihn, Christian staggers, swaying away from Sawyer who fights to pull him back to his side. One of the Kihn seizes the moment, grabs Christian by the arm and attempts to wrench him away from Sawyer.

  “No!” I scream, and a blast of energy knocks all three of the Kihn back about fifteen feet from us. I immediately grab the burning hot amulet where it rests against my chest, pulling it away from my skin.

  “Sonovabitch!” Sawyer exclaims as he struggles to re-position Christian between the two of us.

  My thoughts, exactly. I hold the heated amulet away from my body by the chain and look at it. Did this small piece of jewelry just emit that flash of power? I frown and look back at the Kihn who don’t appear to be getting up anytime soon.

  Taylor and I need to have a long talk.

  Sam steps around us. “Let’s get the hell out of here,” he says.

  My arm goes around Christian’s waist next to Sawyer’s, and with stark determination, we make our way out of the cave.

  “Be careful and stay close to me, Sam,” I advise as we step out into the night. “Within touching distance.”

  Sawyer and I have managed to keep Christian on his feet but as soon as we clear the cave, he bumps against me, and I can feel him going down. I panic knowing we need to keep moving, we’re not safe yet, and I know I have to stay focused on what I’m doing for the protective shields to continue working well. That’s the proactive part Brit told me about. But right now, I can’t seem to focus on anything other than I don’t want to watch Christian die.

  “Sawyer—”

  “Sofe, just keep moving.”

  I can actually feel the field diminish in strength as my concentration lags. My thoughts are all over the place, and I don’t know if it’s the Kihn that were laid out in the cave or if it’s another bunch I hear, but something is coming after us.

  When the mournful howl of Wolf splits the night air, I’m no longer able to focus. A sob escapes my throat, and in the same moment, Christian’s body folds in on itself as he collapses, nearly taking Sawyer and me down with him.

  I cry out, feeling as if I’m seeing angels when Max and Taylor hurry toward us. There are more of the Guard with them, and they take off back toward the cave, but not before Sam warns them not to go into the cave.

  I whimper Max’s name as I sink down beside Christian.

  Max is quickly beside us. “Are you hurt?” he asks as he starts inspecting the damage done to Christian’s body.

  I look up to see Taylor now carrying Diane as he and Sam head down the path. “No.” Looking back at Max I inhale a sharp breath as new fear grips me. The shocked concern on Max’s face terrifies me.

  “What did this to him?” he asks looking up at me.

  “He fought a Kihn.” Max frowns as his attention returns to the injured vampire. “Something was wrong inside that cave.” Max’s gaze flashes back to mine. “It weakened Christian,” I tell him.

  Taylor is soon back, and he’s brought a couple of blankets and another one of the Guard.

  “We’ll slide these blankets under Christian and carry him between us,” Max says.

  Taylor steps close and reaches down to give my shoulder a squeeze. “Are you okay?” he asks gently.

  I raise my head and blink at him, just realizing I have tears on my face. Fresh tears pool in my eyes. “What can I do to help him?” I ask.

  Max looks up. “Give her the first aid kit.” He then returns his attention to helping Sawyer carefully pull Christian to his side as they place the blankets beneath him. “Sofie, use the gauze packs in there to cover as many of the wounds as you can—the ones that are bleeding,” Max instructs.

  All the wounds are oozing blood. He’s lost so much.

  I quickly do what I can, and within minutes Christian is loaded into the back of the armored vehicle that is parked by Sawyer’s Jeep. I climb in, kneeling beside his body as Taylor works on him. He runs a tube down Christian’s throat and feeds him blood from a bag hanging on an IV pole, which rapidly dispels a little of the ashen color of Christian’s skin, bringing back a bit of his natural color.

  I keep applying fresh gauze to his wounds and work at keeping my balance around curves as we speed back to the compound.

  It’s a fast trip, and when the back end opens, Dr. Lewis quickly gives instructions before he lets them move Christian into the building that houses the infirmary. I wondered why vampires would need an infirmary—when Lucas told me where Dr. Lewis stayed and kept his office—now I know.

  “What can you tell me, Sofie?” Lewis asks as they place Christian on a gurney to wheel him inside.

  “He was having trouble breathing on our way out of the cave. Whatever was going on in there only affected Christian. He was weak—” I can’t stop my soft sob. “Is he going to be okay?”

  Lewis gives me a steady stare. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Please,” I whisper, but he’s already following the others back through the door, and I follow.

  Max requests that I detail our rescue mission for him and then I have Sam take me back to the room where
Diane is sleeping. Sawyer is sitting with her, and he tells us that Lewis gave her a mild sedative. I hold her warm hand, giving thanks that she’s safe. The three of us sit in silence. We’re tired and still in shock to the point we can’t keep up a conversation.

  Sam and I eventually head back to the front room where Max and Taylor wait. Cal is there too, and I feel my face flush when I see him.

  I stumble, so tired I can barely remain standing and Sam reaches out to steady me.

  “I’ll take you to the house, Sofie,” he says.

  “No.” I shake my head. I’m not going anywhere until I know Christian is going to be okay.

  “There’s nothing you can do, Sofie, and you’re about to drop.”

  “I’m staying right here, Sam,” I say firmly.

  Taylor walks out of the room and is soon back with a blanket. “You can lie down on the couch,” he says when he hands it to me. “It’s going to be a while.”

  “Thank you.” I murmur. But instead of the couch, I sit in the chair next to Cal’s. I look around the room. It’s a typical waiting room. There’s even a TV.

  I look back at Cal. “I’m sorry.” He glances over at me, and after a moment he nods. “I’m so sorry I lied to you, Cal.”

  “I understand why you did it, Miss Sofie.”

  I think I would feel better if he yelled at me or just refused to talk, but his compassionate response causes me to struggle against the lump in my throat.

  Taylor walks over to squat down in front of me. “Let me take you to the house so you can clean up and get some rest. Lewis said it would be a few hours. You can’t do anything right now, and if you don’t rest, you won’t be able to function when Christian does wake.”

  “It’s my fault,” I whisper, clutching the blanket to my chest.

  Taylor frowns. “It’s no one’s fault but the Kihn’s. You had no way of knowing there was a spell on that cave. They knew you wouldn’t come alone, Sofie. It probably would have affected any supernatural the way it did Christian. It wasn’t your fault.”