The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5)

by Laurie Olerich

  I scooted down so I could rest my head against his shoulder. He tucked his arm around me and pressed me into a comfortable angle. “She’s got her emotions on lock down, but I’ve caught traces of betrayal, hurt, fear, and...”

  “Go on, say it.”

  “Darkness.”

  Killian sighed heavily and asked, “Walk with me?”

  “Help me up?” I countered with a hand on my back.

  Taking my hand, he turned towards the gravel path that circled the park. “I hoped I was wrong, but you’re sensing it too.”

  “At first I thought it was just the overwhelming tangle of emotions. I wasn’t able to isolate them; they all ran together when you first brought her here. But I’m still sensing a shadow, a darkness in her that sets my teeth on edge.”

  It was a darkness that I didn’t want to talk about. I didn’t want to put my thoughts into words for fear they would become fact.

  I wished my empath side could be wrong just this once.

  Killian stopped and gazed at Sean and Aisling. They were taking turns pushing Sean Michael on a swing. The little boy hooted with joy, but his parents stood stone faced, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

  “Do you want to tell me what happened when you found them?” I asked. We had plenty of time to kill and I wanted to hear the whole story. He’d started to tell it a few nights ago but Sean, the toddler, got grouchy and had to go to bed. Killian got sidetracked and we never did hear the whole story.

  “All right, but let’s walk a little so you can stretch your back.” He dug the heels of his hands into my lower back as he spoke. It was heavenly.

  Dec and Domino trotted up to us then. He’d been throwing the hacky sack to her and she finally refused to give it back. It hung from her right canine in a sloppy mess. Her tongue lolled to the left.

  “I swear the air is toxic over by the playground. It makes me want to throw Aisling into the pond. Man, she is something else. I don’t get her.”

  Those were strong words coming from Declan. He never had a mean word to say about anyone. She was really getting on everyone’s nerves.

  Killian snorted a laugh and said, “Yeah, she’s something, all right.” His eyes were troubled despite the laugh, and he rolled his shoulders to shrug off the bad feeling. “So anyhow, I was moving from one plane to another and landed in a creek bed when I rematerialized into that plane. The creek was running high and the bank was pretty muddy. It had been raining for a while. Clouds were low and rain was still coming down, but soft, like it was almost done. I could tell right away that it would be habitable. Then I spotted the homestead. It was just like Sean described--a small cabin with some sheds scattered around it. The cabin was a few hundred yards from the creek, set back close to the trees. I thought it must be the right place.”

  “Were you sure it was Aisling? I mean, how could you tell it was her and not some other...life form?”

  “That’s easy, babe. Sgaine Dutre recognized the saol of a Primani as soon as we got there, and warned me. It could’ve been another Primani, but I was betting on Aisling. After all the running around I’d done, I was hoping the angels would show some mercy and help me out!” He wasn’t kidding now. He had been praying for a break for weeks. Raphael was in his corner but hadn’t been able to sense the lost Primani.

  Dec asked, “Could you tell there was something wrong? Did you know she was sick?”

  Killian frowned at the memory and tightened his grip on my hand. “Yeah, I sensed the sickness. You know it lingers in the air. I could tell something wasn’t right.”

  “Oh, for God’s sake! You’re impossible!” Sean’s exasperation was morphing into anger and I glanced over at the couple.

  “They’ll be fine, darlin’. Let Killian finish before we get interrupted again and never hear the flippin’ ending.” Dec was getting testy too.

  “So anyhow, the rest is pretty simple. I knocked on the door and no one answered, so I pulled out my Sig, just in case, and went in. Aisling and the boy were on the bed asleep. I checked to make sure they were alive and got them up and moving. It took a few minutes to help her get some things together and then we left.”

  “Wait a minute. What did she say when she saw you? I can’t believe she just left with you.” Dec was glaring at the female in question who was now yelling at his best friend.

  Killian grinned and said, “Yeaaahh. It wasn’t that simple. Basically, she took one look at me and demanded, ‘Who the hell are you?’ and then threw a pot of piss at me. Lucky for her, it missed. I probably would’ve left her there if she’d hit me.”

  Dec burst out laughing. “Damn, I mean, darn, dude. That’s harsh!”

  It was my turn to glare at her. That woman was getting on my nerves too. Ungrateful wench!

  “It took a few minutes to convince her I was Primani and there to rescue her. She doesn’t much like us these days. I’m guessing Sean wasn’t the first one to disappoint her.”

  Sean risked his life for thousands, no, millions of humans, and she was hung up on the fact that he left her? Geez. What an idiot. He didn’t leave her on purpose! She was lucky she’d been with Sean to begin with! If it wasn’t for that, no one would’ve ever found her! She should be thankful. Plus she had a great kid. You’d think she’d be a little nicer to the baby’s daddy. Ugh!

  Killian nudged me and said, “She’ll come around. It’s a tough adjustment for her.”

  Dec’s eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. “Are you defending her? You? Mr. Hard Ass? She’s Primani; she’s supposed to be a warrior, like us. She should be able to adjust without ripping Sean’s head off over every little thing.”

  “Whatever, little brother. I’m just saying we don’t need to add to the drama by taking sides. We need to help her get her own place and get settled. She and Sean will work out something in time.”

  “Sooooo, why did you show up in a car that night? Why didn’t you travel to the safe house?” I interrupted the argument that was about to break out.

  Our hero looked a little annoyed at the question. “I’m lucky I got them as far as I did. It was hard trying to concentrate my powers to bring both of them with me. I got us to the area but my powers dropped and I couldn’t dematerialize again. I borrowed that car and drove us the rest of the way here.”

  Dec whistled softly, “Note to self--”

  “Don’t try to teleport with a set of hot Swedish twins!” I joked.

  Later, I dragged Sean out to help me with shopping. You’d think I’d asked him to donate a kidney, but he came along with minor grumbling. Aisling watched us from the kitchen and I waved as the screen door swung closed. She didn’t wave back.

  Unaware of Aisling’s expression, Sean perked up when I handed him the keys to the McLaren. Like a kid with a new toy, he spent way too long touching all the buttons and adjusting the seat, the steering wheel, the mirrors, and the stereo. The engine growled when he pressed the gas, and he grinned like an idiot and settled into the buttery leather.

  As soon as we got away from the house, I turned to him and said, “We need to talk.”

  His sigh was long and meaningful. He looked down his nose at me, trying to be stern. “We’re not going shopping, are we?”

  “Of course we are! We can’t go back empty handed. She’ll know I lied. I get the feeling your baby mama doesn’t like me much.”

  He snorted and said, “She doesn’t like any of us too much!

  “What gives? Have you been a dick?”

  “Oh, sure. I’m just always a dick, so you naturally assume I’m being one now? Jesus, Mica. Give me some credit!”

  “Whoa! Hold up, I didn’t mean it like that.” I giggled and added, “Well, not really! You have to admit you can be hard to deal with.”

  He rolled his eyes at me. “Pot. Kettle.”

  “So not true! I’m ridiculously easy to please.”

  “Ha! Whatever! Your mood swings make Stalin look like Tinkerbell!”

  It was my turn to gasp and sputter. “You...y
ou...that’s not fair! I can’t help it. I’m not just having a baby--I’m having a litter! It’s so bad that Domino’s giving me advice!”

  He laughed so hard he nearly sideswiped another car. The driver leaned on his horn and we swerved back to our lane.

  Wiping his eyes, he finally managed speech. “Killian always was a show off! Could he have one kid? Nooooo, he has to give you three at the same time. He prob--” He stared at me with horror in his eyes.

  “What? What’s that face for?”

  His eyes dropped to my lap and he said slowly, “Did anyone touch you right after you conceived? Anyone with powers?”

  “Besides Killian? Only you and Dec. Remember Christmas morning?”

  Silence.

  Fingers tapping the steering wheel and more silence.

  “Sean, what are you hiding? You look so guilty right now.”

  Flushing even more, he dragged his fingers through his hair so violently that it stood up like a Mohawk.

  This couldn’t be good news.

  He glanced sideways and swallowed hard. “I, uh, think maybe we...” He stopped talking and waved a hand in the general direction of my uterus.

  “Oh, no you didn’t! What did you idiots do to my egg?”

  “Well hell, I think we split it up.”

  “WHAT??”

  “It was an accident!” Backpedalling now, he smiled down at me and deftly captured my hand before I could hit him. “Look on the bright side. All three have magical blood...and you can name them after all of us! No one gets their feelings hurt.”

  I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. “You should both be shot! What were you thinking? Didn’t you know better?”

  “No! How was I to know? I haven’t personally known anyone pregnant by a Primani...well fuck, now I can add Aisling to that list, can’t I?”

  I leaned my head back and tried to be mad. The expression on Sean’s face was just too funny though. Killian’s reaction was priceless too. Watching him faint was worth it. How hard can three babies be?

  “It’s no biggie. Just don’t do it again! I think three are enough! So back to you and your woman problems. What’s going on?”

  “Look, I promise you that I’ve been nice to Aisling. I gotta tell you it’s hard though. She won’t talk to me and she’s got no sense of humor. Sometimes I catch her looking at me, but every time I try to tease her or lighten things up, she gets all serious and pissed off. I can’t win for losing.”

  “Well, what do you want from her?”

  He snapped very succinctly, “Nothing. I want to be a father to my son. If her and I can be friends, than that’s great.” He rubbed his fingers over the short spikes of his hair in a gesture I knew well. “Don’t you see? I don’t know her. I barely knew her when I slept with her. I’m relieved they’re safe, but I’m not ready for more.”

  His voice had turned wistful underneath the frustration. I reached over and squeezed his hand. Surprised, he glanced over and smiled that old heartbreaking grin that tugged my heart to his. He said softly, “I don’t love her. I don’t think I ever will.”

  “Never say never, darlin’. I couldn’t stand Killian when we first met.” I rubbed my fingers across the rune on my hand. It glowed happily. “Look what happened to us.”

  “Yeah.” Lost inside his head, he stared at the road for a minute. His tone was a little sad when he finally admitted, “I think she might be too broken for me to fix. She’s not quite right.”

  “Yeah, there’s something going on there.”

  He thumped his fist on the steering wheel and changed the subject. “Besides, I just got back from more near-death experiences than I’d like. I still have to murder me one crazy-ass fallen angel, and I need to get used to the idea that I’m a daddy. Shit, Mica, I need some fucking me time before my head explodes!”

  “Don’t say the f word. I don’t want the babies to hear it.”

  He lifted both eyebrows and said, “Don’t say fu--“

  “Don’t say it!” I held up my hand and tried to look stern. “It’s not good for them to hear bad language.”

  He grinned at me. “Oh, sure, I see how you are. For the record, I’ll be filming you when you go into labor. Try to be creative.”

  The grocery store was just up ahead and I pointed to the corner. He pulled in and parked.

  “Can I wait in the car?” He rubbed his palm over the leather in manly bliss.

  It was a beautiful, powerful machine. The black and silver paint gleamed in the sun. The music surrounded us like a full body headphone. He missed his Camaro.

  “No! If I fall over, I’ll never get up! Geez. You can pet the steering wheel when we get done!”

  I didn’t have a list but figured we’d need milk and cereal. I shoved a basket into his capable hands and waddled ahead. We slipped into the old rhythm of shopping together and were bickering over the ripeness of melons when an odd sensation crawled between my shoulder blades.

  Something dark watched us.

  With one hand protectively covering my belly, I sidled closer to Sean until I was nearly inside his clothes with him.

  Sean stopped talking in mid-sentence and glanced around the aisle. The creepy feeling raised goose bumps on my chest and I stomped down a feeling of panic.

  Slipping into soldier-mode, he angled his big body in front of me and scanned for threats. A slight lift of his mouth was the only sign he’d found it.

  “Shh, it’s okay, sweetheart,” he murmured under his breath. “I’ve got you.”

  He relaxed and headed to the checkout. I followed quickly behind, unwilling to put any distance between us. Still fighting the dark feeling, I shoved money at the cashier. As soon as we were in the parking lot, I rounded on him. “Who’s here? And why aren’t you freaked out?”

  Instead of answering, he towed me carefully to the car. “Is there someplace public around here where we could go meet someone? We need neutral ground like a park or something.”

  “Uh, yeah, okay. You’re scaring me.”

  “Just tell me. I know what I’m doing.”

  The demon wasn’t at all what I expected. Short, wiry, and humanoid, he walked with a hurried, shuffling gait and kept his eyes focused on the ground in front of him. He wore a blue baseball cap jammed onto his head, but wispy blond hair escaped to blow around his pale face. There wasn’t anything obviously demonic about him, but I smelled him. He smelled like burnt earth.

  Demons were bad, especially around pregnant women. Like me.

  Was Sean nuts? What was he doing?

  I glanced at my Primani and he stood with arms folded in front of him and sunglasses hiding his scalding eyes. His long frame was casually draped against a tree, showing no tension at all. I leaned just behind him and rubbed ruefully at my lower back. One of my little buggers was kicking my kidney again. For the millionth time I wondered how on earth they could all fit inside of me. I still had four months to go...I was going to explode.

  The little demon stopped a few feet in front of us. He seemed to be trying to gather his courage before he spoke to Sean.

  Sean didn’t encourage him. “Kyrrin.”

  Kyrrin lifted his chin and said haltingly, “I know you’re surprised to see me here. I didn’t know who else to go to. It’s been bad. I mean, really, really bad since you left.” His fingers worked against each other in agitation. “The Commander’s put Irku in charge of Dagin’s soldiers. There’s only one battalion now. They, uh, killed yours. All of your soldiers are dead.”

  “They were evil so you’ll forgive me for not caring.”

  Kyrrin flinched. “Irku’s put out an SOS on you. Thought you should know.”

  Kyrrin’s emotions were all over the map. Mostly he was terrified. Terror was mixed with a little courage and a lot more fear. Waves of desperation drifted towards me and I understood him completely. He wanted out. Sean was his only hope.

  Wait a second. Since when did my empath powers work on demons?

  “What do you expect m
e to do?” Sean’s bluntness wasn’t making Kyrrin feel any better.

  Kyrrin’s eyes darted around the park and he gulped. “I have information.”

  On the way home, I had to ask, “What’s an SOS?”

  Sean barked a laugh and answered, “Shoot on sight, or in this case, probably ‘skin on sight.’ Skinning is the kill method of choice. Those fuc...er, jerks love to skin things. Preferably while they’re still alive so they can struggle. It’s messier with blood flying all over the place. Sends them into a feeding frenzy.”

  Ewww! “Gross!”

  “You’ve got no idea. It’s barbaric. J. ordered Dagin to skin me when one of my patrols messed up. He changed his mind just as the first strip of skin came off.” He held out his right arm to show me the faint ribbon of a scar that ran from shoulder to wrist. About a half inch across, it was faded to a pearly white against the beautiful tawny color of Sean’s Primani skin.

  It was just the width of Dagin’s favorite obsidian athame.

  “Pull over!”

  So much for lunch.

  In the strange red light of dreams, the four horsemen stood shoulder to shoulder atop the rise of a dry rocky hill. Red dust swirled around the wicked black hooves as the horses stamped and snorted. The setting sun threw them into shadow so their faces were featureless and stark--empty skulls atop powerful bodies. Standing on the barren plain far below, I studied them without fear.

  “Why do you summon me?” I called out. I stood loosely with my hand gripping the hilt of a blade. I wasn’t afraid.

  I knew them. Knew of them.

  One by one, they peeled off and picked their way down the rocky slope. The first horse to reach me was as pale as the witches’ moon.

  The rider’s eyes were bright gold in the deep sockets of the skull. His face melted and morphed into something beautiful and human before he answered, “We are here to claim our warriors.”

  “They’re not yours to claim.”

  The rider’s voice rose and he demanded, “It is time. Give them to us.”

  Digging my heels into the packed sand, I said, “No. You can’t have them.”

  A hot wind whipped between us forcing me to cover my eyes against the driving sand. Harder and harder the wind blew, pushing me backwards and away. Only seconds passed, but it felt like hours. When at last I opened my eyes, the miles of land between us gleamed as flaming glass. Blinded, I cried out and fell to my knees.