He laughs with Deke, who I'm sure saw our passionate disappearance from the party. I blush lightly as I make my way into the kitchen. Amy's secret art room door is cracked ever so slightly, and curiosity invites me in. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I quietly push through and head in.
Artwork decorates the walls in abundance, but one really grabs my attention in an infuriating manner. There's one of Kane displayed proudly. The attention to detail would be amazing if not for the fact she's a psycho stalker.
One thing strikes me as odd. She colored in his eyes as blue, and there's a dark aura surrounding his beauty. I'm sure to the scorned woman, he does seem dark. To me, he's absolutely stunningly light.
My witch senses kick in, and I feel the faintest trickle of air coming from a hollow wall. It piques my interest enough to draw me in, and I kneel before it to find the slightest bit of a gap from the baseboard.
"False wall, perhaps?" I mumble aloud.
This home obviously belonged to immortals before, and every good immortal has a hidden room designed to be a safe-room. What troubles me, is that it's usually not meant to be safe in the same sense a human defines the word.
Secret rooms are designed for discreet killings and disposal thereafter. Torture rooms, holding cells... so many different things could lie below. I'm sure Kane and his friends have been oblivious to all of the dark things that could be hidden beneath, but I can taste the darkness embedded in the wall beyond this point.
With a steadying breath, I step back and bypass searching for the hidden switch that would open this. Using my abilities, I slide the wall open.
A dark stairwell lies in front of me, warning me to drop this search. There's no reason I should need to see what's below. I know darkness once etched this place. I can feel it.
And Kane thinks my house has darkness lurking within.
Against my better judgment and the voice in my head screaming for me to stop, I start my descent, closing the false door behind me as the darkness cloaks me. I push a piece of magic out of my body to light the room.
The glowing ball resembles the sun as it floats to the center and rests high overhead to cast a light on all the hidden, ghastly sights.
My footfalls echo through the silent room. The music can't reach this heavily padded portion of the house, further proving my theory that nothing good ever came from this room.
As I head down, I start seeing many different chains, steel collars, shackles of all kinds, and heavy bars lined up like cages. There are enchanted crests on all of them, making this seem like a prison for the immortal world as opposed to a torture room for human victims.
"Shit," I gripe aloud.
Kane lives in a home where creatures such as myself were probably held and bled... or worse. This is not good. The darkness that owned this place could always return to claim its rights. Immortals are deadly serious about their possessions. Though this house has been sold, the prior tenant might decide to be sentimental and come to reclaim their memories. And they'll take the lives of anyone in their way.
Swallowing hard, I cast a hand forth to draw in the remnants left behind. It's hard to tell what was trapped in that cage because I suck at this, but I finally see the aura staining the ground. There are a few, dried drops of blood to help me cipher what once stayed in here.
"Lycan," I almost whisper to myself.
Someone had a lycan trapped in here. I can almost feel the hatred burning through the bars from the lycan that tried to escape numerous times. Oddly enough, I don't sense a death. This place is full of darkness, but no death? How is that possible?
A shudder passes through me, and I decide I've seen enough to know my house is much, much safer than this one. I don't care if it is against the light law to intentionally use magic against a human. I'll do it to push Kane out of this place if I have to.
I rush back up the stairs, and I close my eyes to check for any presence on the other side of the hidden door. When I feel it's safe, I push through and quickly seal the door behind me, extinguishing my magical light that had lit the room.
Just as I reach the door to escape the art room, Kane steps in, gasping when he sees me.
"What are you doing in here?"
Finding out you live in a dark house I have to save you from.
"I was curious. Then I saw the um... picture of you with the wrong eye color. For such a stalker bitch, you'd think Amy could get that one detail right."
His eyes flash to the oversized sketch of himself, and he shakes his head while cursing under his breath.
"Come on. Let's get out of here. I don't like you being so close to such... craziness."
I laugh a little. If he only knew the craziness we're close to. He'd probably flip the fuck out. Maybe I should show him. It might make him think some twisted serial killer lived here and he would probably leave on his own.
I wouldn't scar him with that though.
"Yeah. Right behind you. I still need something to eat and drink."
He frowns, realizing I've been in here for a while now, and then he nods as I walk out in front of his ushered hand.
"Go on to the room. I'll bring you something."
"I can get it."
"Please. I don't want you in this madhouse any longer. This party has gotten out of control, and I don't know all of these people. Deke has started clearing them out, but it'll take a while. Just head on."
With a shrug, I do as he says after he kisses me on top of my head. His breath warms me through my hair, and I smile before making my way back through the sweaty bodies. I'm really glad I can't see their auras right now. I can smell the sex in the air without seeing how desperate this crowd really is.
Shutting the door behind me, I head to the bed. Sudden panic consumes me when I feel a hand clamp over my mouth and strong arms pulling me to a body. I've tasted this scent before, and I know it well.
Heath.
The same pervert who trapped me not long ago has me in his clutches once more. I struggle, but he's so frigging strong. Unless I use my magic, I can only pray Kane steps in soon.
"Easy, girl. It's just me."
The alcohol on his breath floods my senses and makes me sick. When he's drunk, he's a fucking psycho.
"Let me go," I try to say, but it's so muffled by his hand that it's completely lost on him.
"I only came here tonight because I knew you'd be here. We never finished what we started, and damn you look good enough right now to make this trip worth while."
I feel his erection in my back, and it almost makes me gag. His teeth scrape my neck as he trails his tongue over my skin.
I squeal out in a cry, but his grip tightens on my mouth. I don't care if I do get sentenced, I'm not letting him touch me anywhere I won't recover from.
Right as I've found my resolve, the door bursts open, and darkening the doorway is my human hero.
"Let her the fuck go before I tear your head off your shoulders."
The venom in Kane's eyes is unmistakably scary. It even scares me, and I know he'd never hurt me. He stalks toward us, and I feel Heath starting to tremble, almost convulsing as Kane nears with a steady approach.
There's something... I don't know what. The air seems to be thicker, as if there's some magical... it's so odd.
The hand over my mouth falls free, and before I realize what's going on, Kane is on top of Heath. His fists are already bloody, and Heath is unconscious as Kane continues to brutally pound the life out of him.
"Kane!" I scream when I worry how far he might go.
A rush of wind stirs, and suddenly Deke and Zee are ripping Kane off Heath who is a bloody mess of lifelessness.
"Is he-"
"No, but he's not far from," Zee interrupts. "Get Dray in here."
I don't know who Dray is, so how do I get him in here?
"Okay," Sierra answers from behind me, and then I realize his eyes weren't on me, but on her.
Kane fights the two of them, and for a second, I'm worried he reall
y is going to break free and finish the job.
"Damn it, Kane! Let it be! You proved your point," Zee pleads.
"Obviously, I didn't, or he wouldn't have tried touching her again. Stupid mother fucker. He has no idea who he's fucking with."
I swear there was a low growl in his throat. I've never seen anyone so pissed in all my life.
I walk over to step in front of him, and my arms go around his waist without hesitation. I bury my head in his chest as I fight off the tears that have been teetering.
He stops fighting his friends, and then his arms wrap around me almost too tightly as he pulls me close, breathing me in.
"I'm sorry, baby. I had no idea he was here."
I shake my head, wanting his comfort instead of his guilt.
"I'm fine. He didn't-"
"This fool just doesn't know when to stop, does he?" a stranger asks as he comes into view.
"Thanks, Dray. I sort of lost it," Kane says through gritted teeth, not sounding apologetic at all.
"No worries," he says while swatting away the guilt exuding from Kane. "I'll get him patched up and then I'll ship him off to the hospital. This creep deserved much worse. See you after while."
Dray's eyes catch mine briefly, and he tilts his head, smirking slightly. Then he throws the bloody heap of a man over his shoulder, and leaves just as quickly as he came.
It's as if it's no big deal Kane almost killed a guy. Granted, Heath had it coming, but none of them seem very affected by the whole ordeal.
"We'll leave you to it," Sierra says as she ushers the guys out. "Sorry about this, Alyssa."
I start to speak, but the door closes before I can. Kane lifts me from the ground, his lips closing over mine as he carries me to the bed.
I give up on food and drink. I'm too tired to even try to process all the events from this horrid night.
Since the sun set, I played bait and nearly ended up being devoured by a fanged demon. I was saved by both of my enemies - dark user and night stalker. I tried breaking up with my boyfriend, told him I love him instead, had insanely hot sex, found a dungeon full of dark play toys, and I was nearly.... well, I don't even want to think about that last bit. Not to mention, I almost watched Kane kill a guy over me.
A shiver spreads over me as the soft bed swallows me up. Kane's arms tighten around my waist, and my eyes instantly feel too heavy to hold open.
Again, I feel... something, but I don't know what. I've got to get him out of this house. I think the dark energy is starting to affect his human mind.
Chapter Seventeen
"Kane," a voice whispers into what's left of the night, rousing me from my sleep.
I stay still as Kane stirs.
"What the fuck, Zee?" he whispers back.
"It's Amy... again. I don't know what we're going to do with her if she keeps this up. She's gone though, and we need your help."
"Fuck," he mumbles, and then I feel him leaning over as if to check on my sleeping status.
I remain perfectly still, keeping my breaths even to ensure him I haven't woken up.
"Fine. I'll be out front in a second. Make sure nothing can get in here. Keep her safe."
"I'll stay. It's you they need. You're the only one she responds to when she loses it."
"I think that's just the game she's playing. She's doing everything she fucking can to break me and Alyssa up. I'm sick of this shit. I plan on making that very clear."
Their conversation halts as Kane's warmth disappears from the bed. I silently scramble to my feet the second the door shuts behind him.
I'm tired of this shit, too. I'm desperate to see what the hell is going on with Little Miss Crazy Bitch. I want to know why they need his help so fucking bad.
"If she wakes up, tell her I won't be long," Kane says from the living room.
"What should I tell her? You got a good lie lined up?"
Lie? What the fuck?
"No. Don't lie to her. I don't want to do that. Just tell her I'll be back. It's time to explain this shit anyway. I told her I love her."
My heart beats fiercely. The way he says it... it's almost like he's worried about something. Is he worried he said it too soon?
"Shit, Kane. You know she'll be coming for you now. What are you going to do?"
What? Who? Huh?
These guys are more confusing than immortals with their constantly cryptic conversations.
"What I have to. No matter how bad it gets, I won't lose Alyssa because of her. Lock up. I'll be back soon."
Who the fuck is her?
As soon as the door shuts, I pull on my shoes and sneak onto the balcony. I'm still wearing my wrinkled clothes I never changed out of, but spy missions don't really have to have a prepared ensemble.
Kane quickly disappears into the woods, and I have to jump from the balcony to keep up.
At the last minute, I use my magic to call to a tree limb to me. It wraps around my waist and halts my fall, turning it into a graceful landing.
Kane's already gone, obviously on his way to town. I can't even sense his trail at all. It's as though he's just disappeared. I'm not giving up though.
I head out deeper, straining to hear one crunch of leaves or one snap of a twig. I'm met with only the stir of the wind against the trees. How in the hell did I lose him that quickly?
Scowling, I trek on, but I quickly learn the woods are trickier in the dark than in the light. After an hour, I'm completely lost. This should have been a quick trip - twenty minutes at most - but now I've somehow wandered into a never-ending circle.
Then I sense it - eyes on me. I look around, casually gauging my surroundings as I inconspicuously search for the creature lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to pounce.
Glowing orange eyes appear behind a pile of brush, and my stomach flops against my sides.
Lycan.
I turn around, and after a heavy breath, I start running with every ounce of energy I have, regretting my thin-soled shoes immediately. I hear the furious growl and the fierce roar, and then the chase is underway behind me as the beast launches itself out of hiding to pursue its prey - me.
I risk a glance over my shoulder to see it's too fast for me. The monstrous size of the she-devil behind me makes me gasp, and I lose my balance, pummeling to the ground with a loud thud and an accidental scream.
I leap to my feet just as the vicious beast catches up. It swipes at me before lunging, and I hurl my body out of its path just before impact. Back on my feet again, I don't hesitate. Using mother nature's energy, the ground jumps up and pins her into place.
The vines and plants spring to life to act as natural restraints. I'm both surprised and impressed at the power that fell out at my fingertips. I've never used my mother's power with such success before, and I'm not conflicted with the dark high that follows my father's power.
Shock seems to cloak the glowing orange eyes. Obviously, it hadn't known it was fucking with a witch.
I hear the cracking of the vines restraining the creature, and I start running again before it has the chance to escape. Breathless and terrified, I reach the edge of the woods, coming out behind Gage's house.
I start to rush to the door, but Kane's voice jars me out of my attempt.
"Alyssa! What the hell are you doing out here?"
Shit! I have to get him out of here before that lycan catches up.
"Kane! Go! We have to go! There's a-"
Before I can speak again, the lycan crashes through the threshold of the forest in a mad dash for me. The desperate desire for my death radiates in its eyes. I start to summon the power, knowing I'll forever scar my love, but I don't have a choice.
But before I can release anything, Kane appears in front of me, catching the airborne beast by the throat. I gasp in disbelief as the lycan cries out in pain from his crushing force.
No. No. There's no way. Please, God, no. No!
Kane's eyes glow blue as he growls at the lycan.
"What the fuck
are you doing, Amy? I'll kill you for this!"
Amy? Oh no.
My heart breaks and the pieces plummet to the ground. This can't be happening. This has to be a nightmare. Wake the fuck up, Alyssa.
With a grunt from his exerted effort, Kane launches Amy backwards, throwing her lycan body back into the forest. Trees crack and break against her as she disappears into the darkness.
I scramble backwards as Kane turns to me, his glowing blues dulling back to green as his vampiric side slinks back into hiding. Sickness attacks me without mercy, and I double over to expel the contents of my stomach in the most ungraceful manner.
"Alyssa, baby, it's just me. I know this is a lot, but-"
"Night stalker." The hushed words flow through my lips like a blasphemous whisper.
He tilts his head, confusion seeming to gather in his traitorous green eyes as I back away again.
"What did you just call me?" he asks, a touch of disbelief and anger mingling in his tone.
"Kane!" Amy screams, her human body back intact as she runs toward us with a robe covering her nakedness. "She's a fucking witch!"
Pain, anger, and so much more flashes through his eyes. All of this was an elaborate hoax. I was tricked into loving the enemy. My hands burn with fury as the silver grabs me and tries to pull me to the darkness, begging me to release my devious power.
"Gage!" I cry out, but he doesn't come... doesn't hear me. I turn to Kane, my eyes watering. "It can't... You can't... I've seen you... How? Why?" I sob out, my tears pouring down.
"You damn witch! You fucking trickster bitch!" Amy growls, and suddenly the sound of shredding fabric rings out as her body distorts and changes in front of my eyes.
Her flesh turns from a tanned glow to a gray ash as the lycan rises to the surface. She launches herself at me again, but Kane grabs her, and rips her back. I don't give him the chance to take me down himself.
Using the energy around me, I slash through Gage's bedroom window, shattering it as I scream once more. "Gage!"
Within a blink, he materializes in front of me, and his eyes gauge the craziness as Kane's glowing blue eyes jump forth to show his defensive stance before he slings Amy behind him.
Immortal Dreams Page 23