Warrior

by Karen Lynch

  I raced back to Sara and threw down my bloody sword. Grasping her shoulders, I rolled her over, afraid of what I’d find.

  She took a wheezing breath and coughed.

  Relief warred with the fear in my chest. “Sara!”

  Her eyes opened, and she croaked, “Nikolas.”

  I wanted to crush her in my arms, but there was no time. That vampire had gone for Sara and taken her instead of trying to kill her back at the road. Part of me had hoped it was a random attack on the Mohiri. Now I knew what they really wanted.

  Grabbing my sword, I picked her up and got to my feet. “It’s an ambush. I have to get you out of here.”

  “What about the others?” she cried.

  “It’s you they want.” I’d die before I let them take her.

  “But Emma –”

  Five vampires appeared from the trees in front of us. I set Sara on her feet, not taking my eyes off the new threat. They were mature or close to it based on how fast they’d arrived. I’d taken on five vampires at once, but not five mature ones.

  I pushed Sara behind me, hoping she was recovered enough to use her power. Something told me our attackers weren’t going to come at us one at a time.

  A ghostly white light spread across the snow to illuminate the clearing, drawing the vampires’ attention to Sara. I didn’t want them looking at her, but it provided a distraction we desperately needed.

  I struck first, my blade taking off a vampire’s arm. He screamed, and he and three of his friends started to circle me while the last one went for Sara. I sent up a silent prayer that she was back to full strength. Even a mature vampire was no match for her power.

  A vampire came at me, moving so fast only my demon sight saved me. I ducked to one side and slashed him across both thighs, deep enough to sever tendons and touch bone. He went down howling, but as old as he was, he’d heal within minutes.

  Behind me, a vampire roared in pain. I spun to see one backhand Sara with enough force to knock out a human. In the next moment, she retaliated when her glowing hand made contact with his chest.

  I heard someone come at me from behind, and claws ripped into the back of my leather jacket. As I threw him off me, Sara went after her downed vampire.

  Two more vampires stepped from the woods.

  “Sara, look out!” I shouted.

  Rage erupted inside me. I welcomed the red haze that dropped down over my vision and the roaring that filled my ears as my Mori’s aggression took over.

  The vampire I’d thrown off went for my stomach. He was dead before he touched me, his head flying into a snowbank. Two more flew at me, but my mind was too crazed to register them as a threat. One, I sent headfirst into a large rock. The second, I gutted from his navel to his throat.

  The first one gained his footing just as a furious roar split the air and the trees around us shook. Everyone stared at the large winged creature diving from the sky, flames shooting from its snout.

  The wyvern went straight for the two vampires stalking Sara. No one else moved as it engulfed the female vampire in flames. She was still screaming when Alex snatched up the male in his powerful claws and tore him to pieces.

  Blood and flesh rained down on us as the wyvern circled the clearing. I tore my gaze from him as the vampire whose thighs I’d cut leapt back to his feet, fully healed. He looked ready for payback, but their numbers had dropped drastically, and I was fueled by pure rage now.

  Alex dove again. I prayed he wouldn’t mistake Sara or me for the enemy. He rose into the air again, and I waited for the fresh shower of blood as I swung at the closest vampire.

  I gasped as I felt Sara’s presence pulling away from me. I stared around the clearing, but she was nowhere in sight.

  Sound above me drew my eyes to the sky. Fear exploded in my chest when I looked up in time to see Sara disappear over the tops of the trees in the wyvern’s claws.

  “Sara!” I bellowed.

  The rage consumed me, and I lost all conscious thought. When I came to, I was standing in the clearing, surrounded by at least a dozen bodies. More vampires must have arrived while I was out of it. I didn’t know how much time had passed. All I could think of was finding Sara.

  I set off in the direction the wyvern had flown, trying not to think about the overwhelming odds against me finding Sara out here. There were hundreds of miles to cover, and Alex left no tracks to follow.

  I headed north toward the mountains. Tristan had said they believed Alex was living in a cave up there. He could be taking Sara there. It was all I had to go on. I prayed I was right and that I got to her in time.

  Stop. She’ll be okay.

  If it had been anyone else, I’d have little hope of their survival with the wyvern. Sara wasn’t just anyone. She had a gift for connecting with creatures. I’d seen it in her friendship with the troll, the devotion of her hellhounds, and the adoration of the young griffin. Even the wyvern had come to help her the night we were attacked at Westhorne. He could have flown off, but he’d gone straight for Sara, according to the stories I’d heard about that night. Just like he went for the vampires attacking her back in the clearing.

  Using my Mori speed, I moved quickly over the ground. My enhanced vision pierced the heavy snow and the approaching dusk, searching for any sign of Sara and the wyvern. My hearing picked up every crack of a branch, every movement.

  I wanted to call to Sara, but I didn’t know if there were vampires out here searching for her too. A mature vampire could move as quickly and as quietly as me, and I couldn’t take the chance of leading one to her. I’d feel her once I got close enough.

  When the woods began to darken and the snow turned to sleet, a new fear settled in my chest. It was close to freezing, and the temperature was going to plummet once it got dark. Sara wasn’t dressed for this weather, and her Mori couldn’t regulate her body temperature to keep her warm. If she couldn’t find adequate shelter, she could die from exposure before I found her.

  I’d been searching for well over an hour when my nose caught the scent of blood nearby. My stomach lurched as I veered left toward the blood, and I braced myself for what I might find. But it was just the remains of some small animal – a fox, judging by the tuffs of red fur on the bloody snow.

  The sound of water ahead made me stop and visualize a map of the terrain. A large river ran through this area, alongside several game trails. If the wyvern lived within a few miles, he’d come here to hunt. I looked down at the bloody patch of snow and set off running toward the river.

  I came out of the trees beside the roaring water and began making my way upriver. Minutes later, I felt a rush of excitement when I came upon a patch of beaten down snow at the base of a large boulder. Footprints, too small to belong to a man, led away from the rock, heading upstream. It was Sara. It had to be.

  The freezing rain was coming down hard, spurring me to go faster. If Sara was walking, she couldn’t be badly hurt, but she wouldn’t last long in this weather. Even my Mori was working hard to keep me warm against the freezing onslaught.

  Above the rain and the roar of the river I heard what sounded like a growl. I thought my ears were playing tricks on me, until I peered through the darkness and saw a shape circling in the air a quarter of a mile upriver.

  Ten steps later, I felt the faintest brush against my mind.

  I sped over the uneven ground, her presence growing ever stronger. I’d almost reached the bend in the river when my name carried to me on the wind.

  My heart thundered. She knew I was near.

  I rounded the bend, and a pit opened in my stomach when I saw her lying facedown in the snow less than one hundred yards from a small cabin.

  “Sara!” I yelled, dropping to my knees beside her.

  “Sara, wake up,” I ordered as I checked her breathing and pulse. They were weak, but she was alive. “Stay, with me.”

  Her mouth opened, and she mumbled something that sounded like my name.

  “Sara, oh God.”

&nbs
p; I crushed her to me. Above us, the wyvern growled as it flew in circles like it was guarding her. It must have sensed I wasn’t a threat to her because it didn’t attack.

  “Are you hurt?” I asked her. When she didn’t respond I shook her gently. “Sara, talk to me.”

  “C-cold,” she muttered.

  I felt her jeans. “Khristu, you’re soaked through.”

  I picked her up and stood. I had to get her warm and out of those clothes. “I’ve got you. You need to stay awake for me.”

  “Okay,” she said weakly.

  In seconds, we were at the cabin perched on the edge of the river. One twist was all it took to break the padlock on the door. I shoved it open and carried Sara inside, kicking the door shut behind me.

  My eyes saw well enough in the darkness of the cabin to pick out a pair of twin beds. I sat Sara on the closest bed. A scan of the room revealed an oil lantern on a small table, and I went to light it.

  “Nikolas?” Sara called fearfully.

  “I’m here.”

  I struck a match and put it to the wick, thankful that whoever owned the cabin kept it well maintained. The lantern flared to life, and I left it on the table to go to the fireplace where kindling had already been arranged for a fire. It took no time to get a good blaze putting off heat into the small room.

  Now to get her out of those wet clothes. She didn’t protest when I peeled off her small coat and removed her shirt, boots, and jeans. Her skin had a bluish tint, and she was shivering violently by the time I got her outer clothes off.

  “Jesus, your skin is like ice,” I said when my hand brushed her thigh.

  I got to my feet and pulled off my coat and shirt. My Mori already knew what I wanted, and it increased my body temperature as I pulled her up and pressed her body against mine. She stood like a life-size doll while I rubbed her arms and back to get her circulation going again. Her lack of response scared me, even though I knew it was normal for someone suffering from hypothermia. She’d be herself again as soon as I got her core temperature up.

  She sighed softly when her skin began to warm. Relief washed over me, and I looked around the room to see if there was anything dry for her to wear. Between the two beds stood a large wooden chest that looked promising.

  I sat her on the bed and opened the chest. Inside were homemade quilts and two pillows. I grabbed a thick quilt, wrapped it around her, and carried her over to the fire. There was a small rug on the floor, and I set her down on it.

  “It will warm up in here soon,” I promised her.

  I added more wood to the fire, and then I went outside to bring in some of the chopped firewood I’d seen in a small lean-to by the side of the cabin. Freezing rain lashed my bare back as I filled my arms with wood. Ignoring the discomfort, I made three trips, creating a good-sized pile near the hearth. It was turning into a real storm out here, and I needed to make sure Sara stayed warm all night.

  On my last trip outside, I heard the flap of wings and the scratch of claws on shingles. Looking up, I saw the wyvern perched on top of the cabin like a sentry. He turned his head and stared at me for a moment before he settled down with his head under his wing.

  Shaking my head, I walked around the cabin to make sure it was as secure as it could be. It was small but made of logs, and storm shutters covered the two windows. The thick door wouldn’t keep out a determined vampire, but it would provide ample protection from the weather. I hadn’t run across a single vampire while I was searching for Sara, so I doubted there were any nearby. If by chance, one did find this place, the wyvern would make him think twice about paying a visit.

  I went back inside and pulled the bolt to lock us in. The cabin had warmed considerably since I set the fire, and I was glad to see Sara was starting to get some color back into her cheeks.

  Wind shook the cabin. Sara looked up at the ceiling when the beams creaked.

  “It’s the wyvern,” I told her as I added wood to the fire. “I think it’s guarding you.”

  If I hadn’t seen it myself, I might not have believed it. Wyverns could be trained to hunt vampires, but they were unpredictable, and only the most experienced handlers worked with them. Even a well-trained wyvern didn’t protect someone of its own accord. I was deeply grateful for this one. He’d saved Sara’s life when he carried her away, whether or not he knew what he was doing.

  Sara pulled the quilt up to her chin, reminding me she still needed dry clothes. There were no clothes in the chest, so I went to a tall cabinet in the corner where I found several folded men’s flannel shirts. I grabbed one and a towel and went back to kneel in front of her.

  She didn’t speak when I pushed the quilt off her shoulders. As I dressed her in the shirt, I was aware of the curve of her breasts above her bra, but my only thought was getting her warm. I buttoned the shirt and smiled when I saw how it engulfed her. If she stood, it would probably come to mid-thigh.

  Reaching for one arm then the other, I rolled up the sleeves for her. That done, I covered her with the quilt again and sat behind her to dry her hair with the towel. I stretched out my legs on either side of her and shifted us so she was facing the fire. Then I took up the towel and began to use it on her hair.

  Neither of us spoke for several minutes. The longer we sat there, the more I dwelled on how close I’d come to losing her. My throat tightened, and I wanted to hug her to me until the pain in my chest went away.

  “When I saw the wyvern carry you away I thought I’d lost you,” I said roughly. “And then I saw you lying in the snow.”

  Her voice was as raw as mine when she spoke. “How did you find me?”

  “I killed the rest of the vampires and headed in the direction the wyvern went with you. I can cover a lot of ground on foot, but there are hundreds of square miles of forest out here, and he didn’t leave a trail.”

  I closed my eyes, not wanting to think about how I would have missed her had I gone in a different direction.

  “It was sheer luck that I found where he landed by the river. The broken branches and footprints in the snow told me what way you’d gone.”

  “What about the others? Do you think they’re okay?”

  I stopped toweling. “Yes. Half the vampires went after you. Chris and the others would have been able to handle the rest. I’m sure Chris contacted Westhorne, and Tristan has half of the stronghold out there looking for us by now.”

  “I promised Emma I would keep her safe, and I left her there,” she said in a heavy voice.

  I resumed drying her hair. “You didn’t leave her; you were taken. Emma will understand.”

  She leaned back against me with a sigh. “Do you think we’ll be safe here?”

  “I don’t think we have anything to worry about. If any vampires did survive and somehow manage to find us, they are not getting past the wyvern.”

  She fell silent again, and I finished drying her hair. It was still a little damp, but the fire would take care of that soon. I tossed the wet towel on the rough wooden floor and laid my hands on her shoulders.

  “How do you feel?”

  “One of the vampires shot me with a dart and now I can’t use my power,” she said in a choked voice.

  Alarm filled me. They shot her?

  “What do you mean? It’s gone?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

  She swallowed. “It’s there but I can’t touch it or use it. What if…?”

  I put my arms around her, holding her close. The knowledge that vampires had a drug to disable her power scared the hell out of me. But I couldn’t let her see that.

  “We’ll contact Eldeorin when we get home. It’s obviously something that affects Fae magic, and he’ll know what to do.”

  I felt her body relax.

  “I thought you didn’t like him,” she said.

  “For you, I’ll tolerate him.” Unable to resist the bare skin so close to my lips, I kissed her throat beneath her ear.

  Her breath hitched, and my body instantly warmed in response. I im
agined laying her down beside the fire and removing that shirt I’d dressed her in.

  Groaning inwardly, I stood and put more wood on the fire. Then I went to one of the twin beds. It was colder over on this side of the room, but the mattress would make a comfortable bed for Sara by the fire. I planned to stay awake all night to keep watch.

  I looked at her and forgot what I was thinking. Framed by the fire, her damp hair fell around her shoulders in wild disarray. With the quilt hanging off one shoulder and a bare thigh peeking out from the bottom, she was a vision of sweet seduction.

  But it was the look she gave me that stole my breath and made my pulse race. Emerald eyes met mine before they moved down my body to linger on my bare stomach. Her gaze was like a caress against my skin, and my body hardened in response.

  Tearing my eyes from her, I turned to the bed to hide the evidence of her effect on me. I forced my heart to slow its crazy dance as I lifted the mattress and carried it over to the hearth. Then I went to the chest and took out a pillow, a blanket, and a quilt.

  “It’s warmer over here,” I explained as I made up her bed, glad for something to distract me.

  After the bed was made, I lifted the blanket for her, trying not to look at her naked legs as she dropped her quilt and got into the bed. I covered her and went to the door. Opening it, I looked outside, relishing the freezing air against my heated flesh.

  I locked the door again and doused the lantern since we didn’t need it with the fire. I could see well enough without either. I went back to sit on the floor beside her, keeping her between me and the fire. My wet jeans were uncomfortable, but I’d suffered a lot worse conditions.

  “Aren’t you cold?”

  I pulled the quilt up to her chin. “My Mori keeps me warm.”

  Her eyelids lowered. “Oh. I was just…”

  I stopped moving. “What?”

  She bit her lip and raised her eyes to mine again, and the shy hope on her face made my breath catch. “We can share.”