by ML Guida
“I heard you were awake. I’m Dr. Silvers.” She was shorter and slimmer than Pandora. Her loose blond ponytail swished back and forth as she moved. She picked up Cé’s chart with her slender fingers and took a red pen out of her white jacket.
One of Cé’s blond eyebrows took a mocking slant. “You’re the surgeon?”
“I’m not a surgeon. I’m the resident doctor on call.” Her voice was considerably patient, and she smiled. “Your color looks better. How are you feeling?”
He shrugged. “I’m a vampire. I’ll heal. It just takes time.”
“Of course you are, and I’m a werecat.” The pupils in her green eyes grew long, then changed back to normal. “But your body was completely drained, and you weren’t responding to the first two blood transfusions. Has this ever happened to you before?”
“No.”
Dr. Silvers’ face grew concerned. “I was afraid of this. I fear this thing that you fought has gone into hiding. You must have weakened it somehow, but if it’s like any other animal—hunger will drive it out.”
Pandora hung her head. “More people will die.”
Tory’s face paled.
“I need to return to Joseph.” She quickly exited with Simon on her heels.
The doctor checked the IV, then checked Cé’s vitals. “You’re on the mend, but I think you need to stay in for another day.”
Cé snorted.
Dr. Silvers glared. “You’re too weak to take on that creature, vampire. Pandora will see that you stay in bed. She hasn’t left your side for a moment. If you’ll excuse me, I have some more rounds to make.” She quickly exited as fast as she had entered.
He lifted Pandora’s hand and kissed the inside of her palm. “You’ve been here the whole time?”
His soft lips sent shivers down her arm, and she forgot what her answer would be with the warmth spreading down to her belly. He pulled her toward him, and she lost herself in deep blue eyes filled with desire. He kissed her hard enough to suck the breath from her mouth.
She broke off the kiss. “We shouldn’t—”
“Do what?” His breath was warm and spicy on her cheeks.
“You...just...woke up.”
“Aye, I’m hungry, too.”
She glanced at the almost empty IV bag. “But you’ve had blood.”
“I didna say I was hungry for blood.”
He threaded his fingers through her hair, then silenced her protest with a kiss that was longer and sensual than the last one. His mouth was warm, his tongue hot and moist, and he chased away any doubt that he was weak.
She startled when he slipped his calloused hand under her shirt and cupped her breast, his thumb caressing the bud of her nipple. The skin across her chest tightened, and she moaned with need.
A throat cleared that stopped the kiss. Pandora whirled around. Blood rushed to her face as the sheriff leaned against the doorway with a silly-ass grin on his face.
“I see you’re on the mend—vampire,” Theo said, dragging Pandora’s thoughts away from kissing more than Cé’s salty lips.
The passion in Cé’s eyes faded, replaced with a warrior’s steady gaze. “Has anyone else died?”
People were dying—people she cared about—and her mind kept wandering to sweet lips and hot hands. She held her breath, afraid of what Theo would say.
Theo shook his head. “No.”
She exhaled a jagged breath, then slumped into her chair.
“But I have a bad feeling all the way down to my claws.”
“Maybe it’s hiding, because of this.” Pandora pulled out the silver box out of her back pocket. “I think it’s afraid of it.”
Theo walked over and examined it. “Doesn’t look threatening. There’s no markings on it. Could be anyone’s.” Theo handed it back to her then, headed back to the door. “My men and I are going to search for this thing.”
After he left, Pandora rubbed her thumb over the smooth box. “I think he’s wrong. There’s something about that ravine. I know there is.”
Cé seized her hand and squeezed tightly. “Promise me ye’ll not go there without me.”
“Ow.” She frowned. “All right, all right. I promise.”
He stared at her with such intensity that she squirmed.
“I said I promised.”
He sighed and took a deep breath. He ran his free hand down the bandage wrapped tight around his chest. “’Tis still tender. I dona understand why I am so weak. I’ve been wounded before, and this has never happened before. ’Tis like all my energy and strength have been drained.”
It was apparent by his pale and taut face that the wound must be incredibly painful, and she’d just kissed him.
She brushed his hair and kissed his forehead. “Sleep, Cé. I promise I won’t leave you.”
“I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes.” His voice trailed off as slumberland overtook him.
His chest rose and fell and soft snores escaped his parted lips. He’d been so brave fighting to protect a young boy he hardly knew. She didn’t know what he’d been like in his previous life, but here, he’d shown what kind of man he really was, a man she could fall in love with.
What if Dr. Silvers was right and Cé would die if he battled the creature? Her throat closed at the thought of the last remaining energy being drained from him. She bit the inside of her lip and pulled out the slim case, then wracked her brain for a spell. One came to mind, one that she’d used to discover her Christmas presents when she was a little girl, but it was too simple.
Cé’s face grew paler and contorted as if pain wracked through his body. Despite his bravado, he wasn’t infallible.
She clutched the small box tighter and through clenched teeth murmured, “Cotton willows, icy waters, kitten whiskers.”
Strange symbols slowly appeared on the box, and the lid opened. A bright light filled the room as if ten thousand candles were lit, and she shielded her eyes. As quickly as it lit up, the light doused. No wonder the evil feared this. The illumination would torture any darkness.
Cé released a long snore.
She slowly let go of his hand, then kissed him on his parted lips. “Sleep well, my pirate.” She snatched her purse and stole one more glance at Cé. Guilt pierced her heart for breaking her promise, but she had to do this.
Bracing her shoulders, she drew on every ounce of bravery she possessed. Before she lost her nerve, she left without a sound. She hurried down the hallway and slipped past Joseph’s crowded room, avoiding curious glances or annoying questions. She jogged past the busy nurses’ station.
Then she fled the hospital to face the evil that waited for her in the ravine.
She started this. She had to finish this.
Chapter Twelve
Pandora drove her SUV back to the scene of the crime. The sun was halfway to the cliffs, its rays highlighting the red and pink rocks. She would have rather come tomorrow morning instead of facing the shadows of the night, but Cé’s strength might have returned. He’d insist on coming with her. It wasn’t a chance she was willing to take. She refused to have one more person die because of her stupidity.
The little box remained open, but with no instructions on how to use it, it was useless.
She parked her SUV. “Here goes nothing.” She picked up the box and walked toward the ravine.
Theo had said that his men had scoured every inch of the canyon and had moved their search south of here. He was wrong. The thing was here. She could feel it. The once clean air had an underlining thickness, and the hair on the back of her neck stood straight up. Goosebumps roamed up and down her limbs. Every nerve and every pump of her heart begged her to turn around and get in her SUV and drive away to safety.
She thought of Cé and the many battles he’d fought. Looking into his eyes had been like venturing into a world of salt and sea spray, of endless battles between pirate ships, of smoking cannons, and of blood-curdling violence. Yet with all the turmoil, he had survived, only to be brought to
his knees by a mysterious cloud. Magic, New Mexico, was filled with fairies, gnomes, vampires, dragons, and other worldly creatures, but not murdering clouds. Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t of earth.
She frowned, then looked around. Her boots crunched on the pebbles, and sweat dampened her clothes. She held the box in front of her, hoping it would act like a beacon and draw the evil out of hiding.
“I think Cé was lying closer to the trail head,” she mumbled to herself. She walked over to a sparse trail that weaved up the cliff she’d just come down.
Suddenly, the box trembled in her hands, and she had to hang on tight to keep it from flinging out of her hands.
In a surprisingly loud voice, she said, “Sweet cherries, bumble bees, angel’s wings.”
Engery surged through her, and the same glow flowed through her. The gold aura formed around her like a cocoon. The image of Cé’s drained body formed in her mind, and she hoped it was enough to protect her. But she couldn’t stop now. “Where are you? Show yourself, you coward.”
I am stronger. Your little spell is useless. You will die.
The foul words turned her blood to ice, and she shuddered, but she forced herself to remain where she stood. Of course, the cloud had fed on Cé. Vampire blood must have made the cloud more powerful, more lethal.
Something moved out of the corner of her eye.
An orange-colored haze lifted off a cliff.
“So, you can change colors?”
The box rocked in her hand, and a lightning bolt shot out of it. The cloud hissed, then returned to a sparkling white.
You don’t know how to use that.
A screaming roar stomped out her thoughts.
The evil screeched and shot into a nearby cave.
Rocks and pebbles jumped around as if an earthquake erupted. The wind whipped around, flattening the sagebrush, and a whirlwind of dust flew into Pandora’s eyes. Fiery heat blazed down on her as if she stood too close to an overheated engine.
Blood drummed through her veins. Her heart beat wildly. She choked on sand, and dirt flew into her mouth. Pandora put her arm over her forehead and stumbled backward.
A winged spaceship landed several yards away, crunching on the rocks and squashing sage brush. Pandora recognized it as the same one Frost commanded from the planet Glacier. It was a little bit bigger than the Navy’s lightning II fighter jet, but obviously more powerful and could move up and down like a helicopter. The engine died, and a door opened.
Pandora’s hands and face stung from the flying debris that had cut into her flesh.
A row of stairs flopped down to the ground from the doorway.
You do not know how to use the device. The voice taunted her.
A man with short, white hair strolled down the stairs. He looked every inch a pirate with weapons on his side, but instead of a pair of trousers and a shirt, he had on a sparkling gray jumper and a belt with a phaser. It was Frost’s older brother Idan, and like Frost, he was a fierce Star Ranger. Or at least, Frost used to be until he retired to play house with her cousin Lacey.
Idan sported the same white hair and light glowing blue eyes as Frost. Glacians possessed the ability to adapt to extreme cold temperatures, and they could freeze their enemies by the slightest touch, making them bad ass Star Rangers.
Idan had a deep scowl, and his icy eyes could freeze the canyon’s little creek. He stepped down the stairs. “Pandora, I see that once again your curiosity has doomed us all. Why the hell are you glowing?”
Pandora grimaced. “I used a spell to call up a protective aura.”
He rolled his eyes. “An aura is useless against this creature.”
She wanted to protect, but now wasn’t the time. “Idan—the silver box is yours? The cloud came from Glacier?”
“No, it was a prisoner that—” Pink glistened on his cheeks. “In the excitement of forcing Frost to go back to Glacier, the prison cell must have fallen out of my pocket. I only discovered recently that it was missing. I was on my way to retrieve it when the warning signal beeped that the prisoner had escaped.”
A rumor of the fight between the two brothers tugged at Pandora’s mind, and she raised an eyebrow. “So, you dropped it?”
Instead of answering her, he narrowed his eyes and held a phaser in his hand. “You are hereby remanded to the custody of the Coalition under violation of the Star Act Amendment under section twelve of releasing a dangerous fugitive without proper authorization.”
“I can’t believe this. You’re arresting me?”
“Yes.” He motioned with his fingers. “Give me the imprisonment cage.”
She looked at it closer. “How does it work?”
“The light is specially designed to immobilize and absorb a Mistonian.”
“That’s what the cloud is called—a Mistonian?”
“Yes, it feeds on blood, and the stronger it gets, the more abilities it has to subdue its victims. I had it trapped in the cage when I came to this primitive planet to retrieve my brother.”
Pandora grinned hugely and held the cage just out of his reach. “That was careless of you. Does the Coalition know? I doubt its worthy of a great Star Ranger.”
Anger shot into those blue eyes, and he lunged. “If you give me the cage, my mistake will be remedied.”
“Idan, no!” Pandora realized her mistake too late. She held on tight with both hands, but she was no match for his brute strength.
He ripped the cage out of her hand, and it slammed shut. He ran his thumb along the edge, and his light brows crammed together. “What the devil—something’s wrong.” He gave her an accusing stare. “What did you do?”
She avoided those hard eyes. “I...I...cast a spell.”
He muttered words she didn’t understand under his breath, but there was no doubt by his tone and deathly scowl that they were an angry curse. “You don’t realize what you’ve done, do you?”
She shook her head as shame cut off any rebuff.
He nearly stuffed the box right under her nose. “I can’t use this to re-capture the Mistonian.”
Prepare to die. The mocking voice had gotten closer, as if the creature had been hanging on their every word.
“Idan, did you hear that?”
She turned on her heel and looked at the New Mexican landscape with red and orange rocks, shrub bushes, and cacti. A wave of a mirage moved under a shadowed cliff.
“Hear what?”
“Look.” She pointed toward what looked like a moving cliff. “The Mistonian was listening.”
Idan grabbed her arm. “We’ve got to run.”
“You don’t have any weapons to stop it?”
“I did, but you contaminated it.” His condemning voice pushed her into action.
The Mistonian darted toward them faster than the wind making the cliff, brush, and cacti look like they were rolling waves.
“I got it open before. Give it to me, Idan. Hurry before it’s too late.”
“You’re crazy, woman!”
“Pandora!”
Pandora groaned at the angry familiar voice. Cé had woken up and escaped from the hospital somehow. A blur of dust headed straight for her and Idan. When Idan turned toward the voice, he lessened his grip and yanked her arm. She seized the box and ran toward the Mistonian. She wouldn’t let either man die.
“What are you doing?” Idan called behind her. He was right behind her, and she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck.
With a loud clear voice, she held up the box. “Cotton willows, icy waters, kitten whiskers.”
Like before, the lid slowly opened. The strange light streamed out, but not before the Mistonian overtook her. The same sickly sweet smell choked her, and she couldn’t breathe.
“Sweet cherries, bumble bees, angel’s wings.” Her voice lost its punch. Her strength faded and the golden aura around her dimmed. She could feel her blood draining slowly. Cold hands circled her throat, cutting off any air, and her eyes bulged. The landscape and Idan’
s concerned face circled around her eyes as her head grew dizzy. Her heart beat fiercely.
“Stay alive, Pandora!”
She recognized the angry voice—Cé. She tried to yell for her help, but her legs gave away, and she landed hard on her knees. Pain bolted through her.
A fast blur rushed into the thickness of evil threatening to kill her.
“Get out of here!” Cé ordered. He whirled her around and dug his fingers into arm. “You need to leave!”
As much as she wanted to, she was trapped, and all she could do was claw at her neck to try and breathe.
Cé fought like before—his arms flying wildly around, his teeth bared. Blood squirted into the air, and wetness splattered the side of her face.
The chokehold disappeared around her neck, and she gasped for air, but she wouldn’t let him die. His stubbornness could be the death of him.
“Push the button inside,” Idan yelled. He sounded far away as if a wide chasm separated him.
Suddenly, an angry scream and hiss echoed in her ear, then unbearable agony cut into her chest as if three hot pokers all scratched her at once.
She cried out.
I’ll kill him.
Ignoring the pain rippling through her, she hunted for the button. She hadn’t seen it, only blinding light. With determination, she pressed her thumb inside the box and something clicked. Tingles swept up her trembling arm like soft feathers caressing her skin.
A gust of wind whipped around her and Cé. Dirt, pebbles, twigs, and dust scratched her face and stung her eyes. The evil screeched, and the box flew out of her hand.
“No!” She put her arm over her eyes as she wildly searched for it. The box spun around faster and faster, and the whirlwind was sucked into it.
The evil withered as the wind died down, then a loud click split the deathly silence.
“You did it,” a distance voice said.
Pandora thought it might have been Idan, but the fuzziness in her brain mixed her judgment up.
“Lass, what have you done?”
That same accusation bruised her pride. She opened up her mouth to argue, but her lips wouldn’t move. Strong arms held her against a broad chest. She inhaled the warming smell of salt and sea air before she passed out.