The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5)

by Laurie Olerich

  This wasn’t right. This shouldn’t be.

  The air around me was thick and heavy like a curtain. Curious now, I ran my fingers through it and marveled as it flowed like silk and fell into place with a soft whisper.

  It was warm, inviting...the silkiness wrapped around me, caressing my skin, soothing me. I closed my eyes and relaxed in the warmth. The baby turned in my belly and stretched languidly. With eyes still closed, I rubbed my palm over his tiny head and smiled.

  The silky air began to writhe and tighten around me. My arms were pressed to my sides, my legs unable to move. Around and around the air swirled like a web cocooning me. I tried to scream but my mouth was covered and then my eyes.

  I was trapped.

  The baby squirmed frantically within me as my heartbeat slowed to a stop.

  “Mica! Wake up!” Dec’s voice rumbled in my ear as I struggled to wake up from the nightmare.

  Startled awake now, I looked around and grimaced. Safe. I was safe here. The baby was fine. It was that damn dream again. I’d been having it off and on for weeks. I stood and stretched the kinks out of my back. Falling asleep on the couch was something I did a lot these days. Apparently sleepiness is a side effect of early pregnancy...as was nausea, dizziness, and headaches.

  “You okay?” he asked, totally invading my personal space.

  Pushing him back a few inches, I said, “Geez, dude. Back off. It’s just a worry dream.”

  I was pretty sure that was true; it didn’t feel like any kind of premonition, and God knew I was REALLY good at worrying. Especially since Killian was gone and Raphael told us that Sean was officially underground. I hoped he didn’t mean that literally.

  Dec draped his lean self across the back of the couch and idly stroked Domino behind her silky ears. She closed her eyes and sighed. I think she started to purr but caught herself.

  Taking a long deep breath, he plunged in. “Soooo, I’m starving like a hostage. You want me to make you some soup too?” His expression begged me to just say yes.

  I didn’t want soup. What I wanted was to snap his gorgeous blond head right off his neck.

  Knowing he wouldn’t cooperate with that plan, I resisted the impulse.

  It wasn’t his fault. Really it wasn’t.

  Oh sure, two weeks cooped up with a hot muscular guy who looks like a poster child for Australian tourism sounds like a great fantasy come true. You know, you spend days lounging on each other, feeding each other peeled grapes and laughing over silly things. Nights are spent lost in the throes of erotic adventures...

  NOT!

  The fantasy comes to a screeching halt when said handsome dude is more like your brother, will never be your lover, and you’re puking your guts out like clockwork. Add the constant tiredness, endless worry, and total seclusion and you get...

  One viciously cranky bi-otch.

  Poor Dec. In another lifetime, I would’ve felt sorry for him. Right now, I just felt...caged.

  Feeling stronger after my nap, I paced near the small window and parted the ugly beige drapes. Huge sigh. It was raining. Of course it was. This was the wettest freaking place on the entire planet. It made me wonder why there weren’t more vampires slinking around London. I’d have to ask about that. Another huge sigh. Thumping my forehead against the cold glass didn’t make me feel much better but I did it anyway. My stomach gurgled unhappily and I scowled at it in dire warning. Don’t even think about it! You puked already today. You have a one-yack-a-day limit. Period.

  The smell of chicken broth drifted to my nose. Another gurgle from the nether regions...

  “Hey, little momma, you need to try to eat.” His face was carefully blank, somber, as he came over to me. A lock of streaky blond hair fell over his forehead, making him irresistible. “Please, sweetheart.”

  I gave him a disgruntled half-smile and his face lit with pleasure. It was the sun bursting through a cloud bank. Yep, he was just that happy.

  I smiled a real smile for him then.

  “There’s my girl! I put rice in the broth so maybe it’ll stick with you. Come on, sit down and eat with me.” He wrapped a warm paw around my wrist and tugged me with him.

  Carefully blowing on my spoon before each bite, I managed to put away the bowl without any lip from my stomach. Apparently the baby approved of rice.

  “I have an idea,” Dec announced.

  Domino trotted over and leaned her chin on his thigh with a small whine.

  “You can come too, little spotted princess.” He gave me a full-dimple grin and tapped his watch. “Get some warmer clothes on. We’re getting out of this dump.”

  “Seriously?”

  “As a heart attack. You need some fresh air before you lose your mind and I wake up dead again!”

  Three hours later, he pulled the car to the side of the road and parked. I wanted to jump out of the car, but the sight in front of me stunned me into mouth-hanging-open immobility.

  Wow.

  “Omigod, Dec! It’s so cool!” I gushed in whispered awe as I got out of the car.

  Avebury.

  It was breathtaking. I’d never seen anything like it. Mother Nature seemed to want to add to the drama by putting on a grumpy display of force. The winter sky was swollen with thick grey clouds that cast the field into early twilight. Tiny sunbeams trickled out to backlight the standing stones like works of art in a museum. Pale snow dusted the grey rock and the ground around the circle. The sky was grey, the rocks were grey; the air shimmered with darkness and light. But for the miracle of sunlight, the stone circle would’ve been creepy. As it was, it was mystical, inviting somehow. My heart quickened as a faint vibration ran through the earth under my feet. It felt like a welcome.

  Taking my hand, Dec crossed the outer ditch and moved into the circle. Domino bounded with doggy joy and we let her go. There was no one here but us. To the casual observer, Dec would be a well-bundled young man out walking his spotted furball. I was cloaked. In other words, I was invisible to anyone but Dec. He held my hand to keep the magic in place. As long as we were connected, I was cloaked. It wasn’t always convenient, but it worked.

  That’s what happened when you faked your own death.

  Dec talked as he loped across the frozen ground. He said, “This is one of my favorite henges. It was built around 2,600 B.C., but it’s still a magical place. Can you feel the energy?”

  Absolutely. It was like a constant hum in my blood. The waves of an unseen force washed over us like a gentle tide of warm sea water. It was like nothing I’d felt before.

  “My teeth are vibrating. Does everyone feel this?” For some reason, I didn’t think so.

  He glanced down at me and smiled softly, boyishly. “Now, darlin’, surely you know the answer to that?”

  Okay...that was a big fat NO.

  Guess we were special...

  We wandered down the stone avenue and I was quiet for once.

  Dec mused, “Someone’s named this West Kennet Avenue. It’s odd to me. Why does man feel the need to own everything? Why name this? Surely the Stone Age humans who built this place didn’t call it that.”

  There weren’t a lot of standing stones anymore. It had been bigger a long time ago. It felt massive, powerful even. I asked, “What happened to all the stones? There were more than this, weren’t there?”

  “Oh, yeah. Originally there were around 98 sarsen stones. By the time the Iron Age rolled around, no one used this place and the locals had no memory of why it was built. By the Middle Ages, overzealous Christians decided it was built by the devil and the villagers tried to dismantle it.”

  That wasn’t a shock. Humans liked to destroy what they didn’t understand. I looked around at the lonely stones and sighed in sympathy. Men had built this place with sweat and blood only to have other men rip it down. The ghosts should be pissed, but I didn’t feel anything malevolent here.

  “Why didn’t they destroy all of it?”

  Dec chuckled and squeezed my fingers. His eyes reflected
the eerie sunlight back at me. “Hard to haul rocks when you’re busy dying from the plague.” He shrugged and added with a wink, “Funny how no one took that as a sign.”

  Laughing up at him, I said, “Oooh, you’re bad, Dec.”

  He shot me a ‘who me?’ look of perfect innocence. “I am never, ever bad, sweetheart. I’m the good one, remember?”

  Uh-huh. Yeah. Sure.

  A gust of chilly wind swept through the stones. I pulled my knit hat down over my ears and shuddered. The sky was seriously thinking about dumping something wet and cold on us. I nudged him and gestured at the deepening gloom.

  Whistling shrilly, Dec waited for our frolicking demon dog to race back to us. Her head snapped up and she took off like a rocket. Screeching to a stop beside Dec, she panted with her tongue lolling. She was in doggy Heaven.

  This place rocks!

  “Here you go, Princess. Have some water.” I stooped and poured some water into her grinning jaws. She suddenly stiffened and snarled deep in her chest.

  Dec froze and gripped my hand in warning. He scanned the circle with narrowed eyes. I reached out with my own vision.

  “Oh, crap. Dec, something’s here.” A cold shiver crawled up my neck that had nothing to do with the wind. The gust of frigid air numbed my face and stole my breath.

  Dec’s entire body tensed and heated for battle. The snow melted beneath his feet. Still gripping my fingers, he searched for the entity I sensed. Domino was growling loudly now and barely controlling the urge to lunge and destroy. Her body trembled with adrenaline, but she planted all four paws firmly in the dead grass and guarded me.

  Dec’s eyes turned fiery and he breathed, “Shit. Time to bolt. Let’s go!”

  With a challenging glare at the unseen presence across the circle, Dec dragged me to the parked car and practically shoved me inside. Domino sat on my lap snarling out the window.

  After we were several miles away and Dec was sure we weren’t followed, he let out the breath he was holding and said, “Damn it! That was messed up. Any other time I would’ve slaughtered that amateur.” He smacked the top of the steering wheel in serious the-one-that-got-away frustration. Primani NEVER ran from a fight.

  Seeing my questioning stare, he shook his head and grumbled, “Dude, it was alone! I could’ve taken it with one hand tied behind my back. This feels so wrong!”

  “What did it want? Was it me?” I hoped I wasn’t still sending out ‘kill me, please’ vibes to all of demondom.

  “Nah, not you, darlin’. Me. Demons can sense our presence if they’re close enough. That one probably stays around here and picked up on my energy. It’s no biggie. He couldn’t see you so you’re safe enough.” He smacked the wheel with less force this time. “I hate walking away! I feel like such a girl!”

  He blushed and hurriedly added, “No offense.”

  “None taken,” I smiled placidly.

  He was really, really annoyed right now. His emotions were careening out of him like a tiny nuclear meltdown. Annoyance, frustration, anger, and just a bit of fear (probably for me!) swamped me as my empathic powers went to work. The thing was, I couldn’t stay cloaked if he let go of me. The demons couldn’t find out I was still alive or they’d use it against Sean. On top of that, we didn’t know if the Primani powers or the demons’ powers would hurt the baby...like radiation or something. So we’d agreed to avoid all fighting and use of magic unless absolutely necessary. It was killing poor Dec!

  An unfamiliar motorcycle was parked in the garage when we got to the house. The big Harley was still dripping wet. Who the heck was crazy enough to drive a motorcycle in the snow?

  “Dimitri,” my bodyguard breathed with surprise. His bad mood vanished like smoke. “Come on, little momma. You’re gonna love this guy!”

  Domino bounded up the steps and pranced impatiently while I picked my way across the slushy sidewalk.

  Impatient himself, Dec lifted me up and carried me to the cleared porch. As soon as we came inside, the tallest man I’d ever seen froze and stared with surprise etched into his very handsome face. Straight golden hair fell to his shoulders, with a thin intricate braid hanging against his right cheek. Primani blue eyes blazed out of a pale face with high slanted cheekbones and feathery brows. A full mouth that curled into a natural smile completed the picture. He was easily taller than Killian and made strong and lean like a jungle cat. His black leather pants and heavy biker boots left no doubt that he owned the Harley.

  Before anyone said a word, Domino gave a yip of mad joy and leapt into his arms. The blond giant laughed as she licked his face from top to bottom.

  Geez. Was she greeting him or tasting him? The dog had no sense whatsoever.

  “Dec? You can set me down now,” I suggested.

  At the sound of my voice, the new guy stopped laughing and locked eyes with me. With a sound of annoyance, I flipped down my psychic shutters and closed my head to him. What was it with these guys?

  “Stay out of my head, Legolas. I like my space.”

  He blinked and inclined his head respectfully. “I meant no offense, miss.”

  Dec cleared his throat and grinned from ear to ear. “Uh, maybe I should introduce you two? Dimitri, this is Mica. Mica Leahy.” He gave heavy emphasis to my last name.

  Dimitri considered me again with a whole new expression on his face. Part curiosity, part fear, he respectfully looked me over and bowed at the waist. Without seeming to move at all, he suddenly stood in front of me and took my hand in his. His huge hand completely enveloped mine as he shook it gently. A small black rune was inked into the underside of his right wrist. There was a strange blue symbol in the center of it. It winked up at me like a gem, its iridescence surprising me.

  “It’s my pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard much about your power, but not enough of your beauty, Mrs. Leahy.” His voice was deep and lightly accented. It wasn’t Irish. German? Russian?

  “Mica. Please just call me Mica. It’s nice to meet a friend of Dec’s. Are you staying here?”

  His mouth widened into a devastating smile and most of my blood rushed to my face in a burst of heat. He was captivating and supernaturally compelling--impossibly adorable. What was the deal with these Primani? They’re not gods; they’re warriors for crying out loud!

  “It’s a job requirement, isn’t it?” I muttered to Dec. “Blond, blue, and bad ass.”

  He burst into hoots of laughter until Dimitri frowned.

  Dec finally calmed down enough to gasp, “You’re priceless.”

  Amused, I shrugged out of my heavy coat and peeled off my hat. Underneath, I had on a pair of jeans and a sweater. Nothing special. It was more practical than stylish. Yet Dimitri’s eyes brightened at the sight of me.

  Angel or not, I’ll bite you if you try anything. I shot him a warning glance and he ignored me. Before I could stop him, he placed his big paw over my belly and closed his eyes.

  Really? “Haven’t any of you heard of personal space?”

  Dec chuckled and patted my arm lightly. Apparently this was normal for Dimitri.

  He murmured several words in his native language, and then smiled peacefully. “Does Killian know?”

  “Of course he knows. He was there.”

  Grinning wider, he nodded and said, “Of that I have no doubt. But that’s not what I meant.”

  Chapter 20: Where Angels Fear to Tread

  Hell, sort of:

  THE DEMON’S FACE TURNED PURPLE. Sean’s fingers turned white as he tightened them around the rubbery neck. The demon cried out and weakly kicked at Sean’s stomach. Unperturbed, Sean growled in satisfaction as the reptilian eyes grew dim in the darkness of the corridor.

  That’s a good demon. Time to die now.

  “Sean!” Jordan’s harsh voice interrupted his playtime. “Put Xairin down this minute!”

  Shit! Busted...again.

  Sean’s eyes glittered dangerously as Jordan came up behind him. He wanted to turn around and grab Jordan’s throat and end
this right now. But those were dangerous thoughts, so he shoved them out of his mind. Now wasn’t the time. Xairin gasped for breath and grumbled angrily when Sean threw him to the floor.

  Jordan’s tone was gently chiding but his eyes seared him in place. “My boy, I thought we had an understanding. You are not supposed to kill my army. I need them to move my plan forward. He’s one of Dagin’s soldiers, correct?”

  Sean forced himself to appear respectful and said, “I was simply defending myself, Commander. You don’t expect me to let them fuck with me, do you?”

  Jordan shook his head in doubt. “I expect you to lead your army as I’ve instructed you to. Leave Dagin’s soldiers to him. If you have any trouble, bring it up with Dagin. I would dearly love, just once, to see you two brilliant strategists work together without having to scrape body parts off of the floor.” His tone had gone from chiding to complete exasperation. He threw his hands up and dismissed Sean.

  Sean ground his teeth together as he stalked off towards his quarters. It had been a looonnnggg few weeks, beginning the night Sean called for Jordan. He’d been escorted here by his favorite demon. Of course it had been Dagin! He’d shimmered into the yard at the safe house and Sean immediately launched into attack mode. He’d seen nothing but red the second Dagin showed his face. His face! By the time they were done going at each other, Dagin’s mask was shredded into pieces and the black scales of his true form were all that was left.

  To say that Jordan was pissed was an understatement. He’d sent two other demons to grab them and then read them the riot act. Dagin was forbidden to don Sean’s face again and Sean was hung up by his arms for three days--to think about his attitude. Jordan’s words, not Sean’s.

  That soul-sucking bastard was going to pay for that. Oh yeah, Dagin would pay. He was so sick of him--had been for centuries. It was about time for that asshole to kick it.

  Yanking a can of Coke from the vending machine, he headed into his room and carefully shut the door and locked it. Some welcome he’d gotten that first night. It had taken five of them to force his wrists into the metal manacles and he’d killed two of them by the time they were finished. Bloody and furious, he cursed them as they laughed and left him alone in the dark. His left arm was dislocated in the fight and the pain nearly drove him insane for three days.