Obsidian (The Horsemen Chronicles Book 2)

by D. C. Gambel

  “He didn’t have to. I know my brother and since you came along he’s been different.”

  “Then maybe you should ask him why,” I spat slamming the dresser drawer closed before turning my full attention on the man before me. “Derek never let me know he had any interest in me until after Cam and I… got involved. It wasn’t something that we could help. Since Derek has shared with you some of the world we live in then I’ll enlighten you a little. Cam is my soul mate. I don’t mean that in some love-struck way, but in the literal other half of my soul. I couldn’t stay away from him even if I tried and believe me we tried. I hate that Derek was hurt. I didn’t want that. I love him the same as I love Tyler, but it’s not the way I love Cam. He and I were destined. So maybe get your facts together before you start throwing around accusations. Now move because I’m so pissed that I might risk touching you if you don’t.”

  We stood there facing of with the other for a pregnant moment.

  “You heard her.” Christian and I both jumped glancing behind him to see Derek standing there. He seemed to have emerged out of nowhere. He appeared equally upset, but I didn’t know who his hostility was aimed at, but judging by the icy stare focused on his brother, I was pretty sure it wasn’t me, at least not for the moment. When Christian moved, I scurried out the door. Derek grabbed my arm as I passed. “I’m sorry about my brother. I didn’t… I wouldn’t…”

  I cupped his cheek to stop his rambling. “I know.” Then I glanced back at his brother. “Just handle him,” I hissed.

  I didn’t want Cam to hear what Christian was spewing. He was already upset with Derek. He didn’t need any reason to add to it.

  He nodded.

  Tyler glared at me when I made it to the kitchen.

  “What?” I asked unsure of his sudden animosity.

  “On the table!” he griped. I bit back a grin realizing what he was upset over. “We eat there,” he spat tossing me a rag and a bottle of cleaner. I gawked it. He pointed off to the dining room. Stifling a chuckle, I did as requested and cleaned the table. Cam had already taken care of it, but I wasn’t about to argue over it with Ty. It’d only lead him to complain about my sex life. In my defense, I hadn’t known Derek was going to be showing up early, but I knew Tyler’s rebuttal would be that sex was meant for the privacy of the bedroom.

  The four of us sat at the table having brunch. Christian had excused himself to visit friends. I didn’t know who the native Californian knew in Maine besides his brother, but there were things to discuss that he didn’t need to be a part of.

  “Maya?” Derek asked. “You’re sure?”

  Ty nodded. “They didn’t take their dead. I examined every body myself. Every single one was marked and not one held another’s mark but hers. After what we found at the sirens house…”

  “What did you find?” I asked. With Cam and I leaving, we hadn’t been privy to anything that hadn’t seemed important.

  Derek sighed. “There were more vampires. I guess when the sirens ran out of humans they turned to vampires.”

  Cam leaned forward finding interest in what was being said. “I didn’t think that was possible. Sirens feed on the flesh of men. They’re not ghouls feeding on the dead.”

  Ty spoke up. “I think that was why Maya thought it’d be safe to send her people in there.”

  “Wait,” I stated bringing all eyes to me. “The vampires that attacked me didn’t seem too fearful on being there. They weren’t trying to escape. If the sirens were a true danger don’t you think they would have had the common sense to either escape or fight with us against them?”

  Cam’s lips tugged up in the corner. “She’s right. Are you sure the bodies you found were indeed vampires?”

  Ty rubbed the back of his head as he pondered Cam’s question. “They wore Maya’s mark, sure, but they all had fangs.”

  “Fangs could be aesthetic,” Derek suggested. “I mean we didn’t overly examine them. They could have been implants. A dead vampire looks just like a dead human save for fangs.”

  “But why would they disguise their humans as vampires?” I wondered.

  “And then feed them to the sirens?” Cam added.

  “Maya’s up to something,” Derek stated confidently. “We need to figure out what.”

  My boots stomped across the damp pavement as I followed behind Ty. It was our night to patrol. So far it had been fairly boring. We came across a werewolf spouting off with another shifter, but that had been the most interesting.

  “Well you are pretty loud,” Ty stated as I told him about my conversation with Christian that morning.

  “Is that actual appropriate to say to someone? I mean I’m really curious since my social interaction is made up from my limited exposure to Charlie.”

  He chuckled pausing, waiting for me to catch up to him. “No, it’s not, but you’re my friend which allows me some liberties especially when you brought up the subject in the first place and it’s true. There’s nothing wrong with being vocal. It doesn’t normally disturb anyone since you and Cam are down the hall. But Christian was out of line. Doesn’t matter that your first introduction to him was done nude.”

  “Uh,” I rolled my eyes. “No one was supposed to be home.”

  “But on the dinner table? We eat there, Evie.” He scolded, but I could hear the humor peeking through.

  Ty grabbed my arm as I moved to shove past him. I spun to glare at him, but the streetlights above flickered. I glanced down the way and saw that all the lights and electronics were doing a similar dance. The power surged and everything on the block where we stood was blown out.

  We froze there for a brief moment watching the darkness chase away the lights on the next block. A chill fell over us causing goose bumps to spread across my exposed skin. It happened whenever demons were near. I turned to tell Ty, but he spoke first.

  “Thor demon,” he hissed charging after the flickering lights. I chased after him unsure what I was looking for. We rounded the corner of the building and were met with total darkness.

  “How common are these guys?” I asked. I wanted to know the likelihood that this was the same demon that we saw on camera delivering Asher’s head. The coincidence just seemed too unlikely.

  “They’re not.”

  The power surged again and we were on the move once more. It led us to a rundown building.

  “Why is it always the scary looking, abandoned building,” I mumbled more to myself. “Why can’t the demons, for once, stay in a nice hotel? Hell, I’d even take a seedy one. Just something less,” I screeched doing my best impression of Psycho while moving my fist through the air like I was stabbing my imaginary knife.

  “I think that’s the point though,” he muttered under his breath as he typed on his phone. “The guys are on their way, but we need to make sure he doesn’t leave. You ready?” I nodded yanking off my gloves, but he was already shaking his head. “We need him alive, Evie.”

  I sighed. It meant that using my training was a necessity instead of relying on my gift. I followed carefully behind Ty using him as a shield. Not out of fear for me, but to protect anyone else from me. If someone reached out to grab him, the person wouldn’t instantly die like they would if they happened to touch me. The sound of a rock skittering across the floor in the distance had us both halting. Then the shuffle of feet resounded in the opposite direction. Ty signaled and we separated, both of us tracking a different noise. I was sent to follow the rock ricocheting knowing it was most likely a distraction.

  As stealthy as I could mange, I crept down the hall. My plan was if I encountered someone was to knock them out. It would be safer for us both. When I entered the room, my gaze immediately landed on a body lying in the corner. I glanced around but saw no one else. Remembering the vampire I encountered at the brothel, I kept my guard up. Scooting carefully across the room, I squatted down to examine the woman lying there. With one hand on my knife at my side, I used the other to roll her over with my glove-clad hand. I narrowed
my gaze when I saw that not only was she dead, but I recognized how.

  “What the…?” I gasped not fully comprehending what I was seeing.

  “It’s you,” someone whispered. I spun on my heels erecting myself to my full height in the same motion. A man with white hair and electric blue eyes stood eyeing me curiously. He didn’t appear much older than me.

  “Me?”

  He nodded eying me wearily. “You’re the one he seeks.”

  “He who?

  He shook his head with a smirk. “All in good time.” I opened my mouth to ask again but his opened hand shot forward sending a lightening bolt my way and it was the last thing I saw before I slammed into the wall. My head knocked hard against it denting the drywall, dazing me. When I blinked my eyes into focus I was alone except for the dead girl.

  I groaned silently cursing these beings that kept injuring my head. I didn’t know if I had been knocked unconscious or not, I was just grateful that vertigo was taking over as it had the last time I’d hit my head.

  The next thing I knew, feet pounded across the creaky wood floor racing towards me. Without looking up, I knew whom I’d see. I could feel him almost like a part of me. Cam rushed in flanked by Derek. The horsemen’s eyes landed on me, but Famine quickly glanced at the fallen woman. They parted ways as Cam came to my aid while Derek turned to the woman.

  A ghost of a smile tugged at my lips as Cam knelt beside me. His proximity helped me settle and the pain in my head quickly ebbed. Our eyes locked for a moment. It felt like he was able to see to my very soul.

  “Evie,” Derek groaned. “What did you do?”

  I blinked back to the present and shook my head feeling the pain again. “I didn’t. I swear. She was like that when I found her.”

  “What are you talking about?” Cam asked Derek, breaking his gaze away from me for the first time. He looked over to the girl that rested at Famine’s feet. I knew what he was seeing. The girl showed the telltale signs of my gift. Blood seeped from her eyes dripping down her face.

  Cam slowly turned back to me. I held my breath waiting for the accusation to flow, but he surprised me. “I believe you,” he stated leaving no room to argue. I visibly relaxed hearing his statement. I couldn’t believe how worried I was to hear him doubt me. “What happened?”

  I told him about the blackout and how Ty suspected a Thor demon. How we had separated to hunt him and then I came across the girl before the demon struck me.

  “Where’d he hit you?” I lifted my shirt to show my stomach. Cam’s fingers gently rubbed over the area, causing me to inhale sharply but not wince. There was no pain. His touch caused a different reaction in me. “There’s nothing there, Evie.”

  I glanced down and saw he was right. “It’s been happening. Since we came back from Hell I’ve been healing crazy fast.”

  “That seems convenient,” Derek mumbled under his breath, not in an asshole way, but still suspicious.

  “Ask Ty if you don’t believe me,” I called out a little defensive. I knew how this looked. This was the second time my fellow horsemen came across bodies that looked to be killed by my gift. “I don’t know how this happened.” I shook my head completely and utterly confused. “She was dead when I got here. There was no way that he could have used my gift on her.” I glanced up at Cam. “How is this happening?”

  “I don’t know baby. But we’ll figure it out.”

  “Do you really believe her?” Derek’s voice found me lying on my stomach in Cam’s bed. When I didn’t feel his warmth under me or the gentle rise and fall of his chest I reached across the mattress finding his side vacant. I sat up glancing around to see that I was alone.

  “I do,” Cam’s voice crept into the room.

  Throwing my feet over the side of the bed, I padded across the floor draped in Cam’s shirt to the bedroom door that was cracked. I peeked through the gap, but couldn’t see anyone. I didn’t dare risk opening the door further and risk the other horsemen becoming aware of my presence.

  “Cam,” Ty sighed but it sounded more like a groan. “Even you have to admit how it looks.” Hearing those words were like a punch to the chest. “Axel said her scent…”

  “I don’t give a damn about what Axel said! Do either of you really think she’s capable of killing innocent people? You saw her when we met. Derek you were the first person she touched in two years. She wasn’t just running around exposing herself. She was basically in solitary.”

  “I know,” Derek muttered then exhaled heavily. “Then how do you explain all these deaths? You don’t really believe that a vampire knocked her out and used her gift. Ty showed me pictures. There was only one set of footprints to the bodies. There was no retracting. So unless the guy walked perfectly backwards…”

  My mouth fell open. I hadn’t known that detail.

  “I know,” Cam sighed. “But we know Evie and she’s not capable of this.”

  “And the healing?” Derek stated.

  “That is true,” Ty commented. “It’s been that way since Hell.”

  “What if that’s it? What if hell changed her somehow?” Derek replied. “She used a huge amount of power. It should have killed her. Hell it did kill you, Cam. We don’t understand the logistics of hell. What if something got in her?”

  “And what if its just because her and Cam finally stopped being stupid and got together?” Tyler explained. “Cam can you say without a doubt that you’re not stronger since you two got together? Evie told me about you taking out the wall during training. They’re soul mates, Derek. Maybe it’s something to consider.”

  “That’s just some romantic notion,” Derek mumbled.

  “No,” Cam whispered. “It’s not. I’ve known for a while. You were just never that interested in reading up on us. None of us can tap into each others powers.”

  “Because Death is key to all our gifts,” Derek stated.

  I could practically see Cam shaking his head. “Then why can’t she tap into yours or Ty’s? I’m just saying that I know who she is to me. Nyx knew too. It’s why she wanted Evie gone. So I’d be devastated without my soul mate.”

  “None of us have our soul mates,” Derek commented trying to disprove Cam’s logic.

  “It’s one thing to have your soul mate and lose them. It’s another to not know what it is you’re missing.”

  “It doesn’t matter. We need to make sure that it’s not Evie. The supernatural community will be after her if they learn about these deaths,” Derek stated.

  “They know about the wolves,” Ty explained. “But we handled the girl. No one will know. I won’t see Evie condemned if she’s not the one doing this. But if she is…”

  When the silence grew, I scurried back to bed. I was lying on my side when Cam entered the room. I could feel his gaze caressing my skin. His feet padded across the floor, but he didn’t move to his side. My gaze flicked open and took in his lean form standing beside me. He communicated with me without uttering a word, yet I knew exactly what he was asking. I watched with a sharpened focus as he tugged his shirt over his head exposing his rippling muscles. When his pants fell to the floor leaving him completely nude. My hungry gaze raked over him. Throwing back the covers, I scooted over welcoming him. With a gaze half-mast, he crawled in beside me. He lied there silently for a moment just admiring me with a trace of his fingers before his lips claimed mine gently at first but quickly turned hungry.

  With a groan he ripped my shirt from my body. Quite literally tore it to pieces. I didn’t know if his conversation with the others was the cause of his aggression, but as his eyes locked with mine, the gold specks practically glowing, I could see War shining through. His impatience had me drenched and he’d barely touched me. As much as I loved Cam, I enjoyed when War came out to play. The conversation with Ty and Derek must have troubled him more than I knew for him to be struggling with control.

  His hands wrapped around my back yanking me from the warm confines of the bed, shoving me against the nearest wall. My pan
ties where torn away. The cool air barely had time to kiss my sensitive flesh before Cam was slamming into me. He pounded me hard making our bodies slap against each other’s. Moaning, I could do nothing more than hold on. Cam nipped at my neck his fingers dug into my ass as he gripped me with such force I was sure to bruise, but I didn’t care and I didn’t dare ask him to stop. When I came with a force that only happened when I was with War, he continued to move drawing it out.

  Laying me out on the bed, Cam cupped my face. His indigo eyes softened. Our bodies were still connected. Slowly he moved his hips pressing gently but deep into me. Kisses rained down across my face and neck. Fingers swirled around my nipples making me arch into his touch. He’d done a 180 from ravishing me to making love. It didn’t take long before I could feel my body crest again. The way Cam groaned he felt it too.

  “I love you, Evie,” he mumbled against my shoulder before kissing the spot.

  “I love you too,” I cried out then gasped as my insides began clenching around him feeling his body flood mine with pleasure.

  Afterwards, he rolled onto his back taking me with him. “Promise me you’d tell me if something was wrong. If you were losing time or something?”

  I sat up eyeing him. “You think I did it,” I stated.

  “No,” he shook his head.

  “Yes you do.”

  “I know you, Evie. I don’t think you would.”

  “But…”

  He sighed. “I know you heard us. I could feel you the moment you woke.” Weird ass soul mate thing. “What if Derek’s right and something happened in Hell. I don’t know how else to explain these people dying at your gift. I can’t not consider all possibilities simply because I don’t want it to be true.”

  “I don’t have any answers, Cam. I desperately wish I did. There has to be some other reason.” Cupping his face I turned him until his gaze locked with mine. “I’d tell you if I thought I was doing this, but that just doesn’t feel right.”

  He nodded. “To me either, Evie,” he whispered kissing my forehead. I snuggled into the man I loved. If I had known what was to come, I wouldn’t have slept but found pleasure in his company whether through sex or just his companionship. But I didn’t know. None of us did.