“Ahhh… Mi pequeño bebé. Don’t cry your madre will join us soon.” The calmness in Chavez vanished, instead his impatience showed. “Your daughter is immortal as we are. You can join us now or I will make sure her last breaths are not easy ones.”
It couldn’t be true, Fallon told herself. Christy hadn’t been alive all this time living beneath the cruelty of Chavez’s hands.
Something flashed outside the window drawing Fallon’s attention. Terror ripped through her sending ice shards through her veins. “Christy.” Her daughter’s name was only a breath. The child stood between Chavez and one of his minions in the lacy pink dress Fallon had purchased for her last birthday.
Without a second thought Fallon ran for the door, tore it open, and raced through it. In the back of her mind she heard Maggie call her name, Adrian’s furious roar, but it was nothing compared to her daughter’s tears. They echoed over and over in Fallon’s head.
She flew into Christy’s open arms, weeping.
As soon as she touched Christy, Fallon felt a thick cloud of evil surround her. Slowly she leaned back to gaze at her daughter’s soft face. The beautiful smile that greeted her began to fade, as well as her delicate features that began to twist and contort along with her small body beneath Fallon’s hands. She tried to push away, but Christy’s grip was unyielding. Panic rose fast and ruthless, crashing into Fallon when she found herself in the arms of Chavez’s second minion. The oily smell of his greased-back dark hair made her cringe. His breath was hot and foul, the stench of death, as his laughter brushed across her face. With a quick twist she was turned in the vampire’s embrace, so she faced Chavez.
She cringed when he reached for her. His chuckle was sadistic, as he stroked her cheek making her stomach twist with pain. Lightly he ran a finger along her jawbone, tracing her features. “Mi belleza, how I have missed you. You are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.” He offered her his crooked arm in invitation. “Shall we go home?”
Fallon released a heavy breath of resignation and linked her arm with his. There was nothing left of her life. She would seek death no matter the struggle. It was a waiting game, she would win. Either way she took comfort in knowing that Chavez was a dead man. For the deaths he had taken on Adrian’s soil, Chavez would die. Adrian would never give up until it was so.
And then, Fallon’s revenge would be complete.
The roar that tore from Adrian’s diaphragm when he saw Fallon dissolve before his eyes had everyone around him taking a step backward. Dread like he had never known before swelled up inside and threatened to consume him. He couldn’t lose Fallon—not now when he had found his only true love. A woman who completed him so thoroughly she felt like the very air he breathed.
Maggie pushed open the front door of the house and ran to meet them. “Adrian, he tempted her with a child—a little girl.” She shook, even as Tucker gripped her hands to still the tremors. “It-it was heartbreaking to see her flee into the child’s arms.” Horror stole Maggie’s voice as her tone turned frantic. “But it was all an illusion. Oh my God. That beautiful child didn’t exist. Instead it was one of Chavez’s minions in disguise.”
“Christy,” Adrian whispered more to himself than any one else.
Maggie’s green eyes gaped. “Yes. That’s the name Fallon screamed as she ran from the house.”
“Christy was Fallon’s daughter. Chavez killed the child and then enslaved Fallon.” The group of people surrounding Adrian grew quiet—deathly quiet.
Briar broke from the group. “What do you want us to do, Boss? How do we get your woman back?”
“We can’t rush him. We saw what happened to Doreen.” The memory made Adrian weak in the knees. Just the thought of not waking each morning with Fallon was driving him wild. When he imagined what Chavez would do to her—
He shook his head driving the pictures from his mind. There was no way he would lose Fallon to Chavez.
No way.
Slowly he released his magic, allowing it to stroke the land, requesting its assistance to locate Fallon. Within seconds his senses jumped as if lightning struck one nerve and then another. He could feel Fallon’s acquiescence—feel her despair. But strangely he also felt peacefulness surrounding her, an emotion he didn’t understand. He started to reach out to her, but instead pulled back. Better no contact than to allow Chavez to know how close they would be very soon.
“They’re in the sacred caves.” A maze of man-made caves and caches were carved by the Apaches many years ago used for shelter from the cold and their enemies. It was a sacred place hidden from view that he and Cougar had visited to bless the earth on many occasions. One could stare right at the entrances and never see them.
How Chavez had stumbled upon them Adrian had no idea.
Familiar pain washed over him as he began to shape-shift into a large black bird. Cougar, Tucker, and Briar followed suit and together they rose into the air.
Beneath them the sing-song Indian tongue of his human friends began a chant. “Ai-Ai-Ai.” Softly at first their voices sang, and then louder as they called upon the spirits of the creator to come to their aid.
Adrian knew they would need all the help they could get.
Fallon hadn’t even known the labyrinth of caves existed. They were cool and damp, as Chavez led the way through a network of winding pathways. A fresh breeze joined the smell of rich soil. There had to be many exits for such a strong current to exist. Something brittle popped beneath their feet. Once she almost fell, but the man behind her caught her then pushed her forward. Pain from the previous night’s adventures and this evening’s blurred to one large ache across her body. Chavez stopped at a place where water seeped through several crevices before creating a stream that flowed ahead of them into the darkness.
“You will wait here for us, mi belleza.”
As if she had a choice. His power ripped her arms from her sides, pinning them to the hard, uneven wall behind her. Next she felt her ankles secured. Just the thought of being alone, Chavez gone, gave Fallon peace of mind.
Then he pressed his mouth firmly to hers. She fought the urge to vomit knowing she would be harshly beaten or something worse. Instead she let him take what he wanted.
His triumphant grin was almost too much for her to bear.
“Su entrega prueba tan dulce.” The smacking sound he made as he placed his pinched thumb and forefinger next to his mouth made her tense. She knew enough Spanish to understand that he was rejoicing in her surrender, the taste of it so very sweet. “We must feed again before we leave this godforsaken country. You will miss me, sí?”
Yeah. Like a fucking hole in my head, she wanted to say. Instead she lowered her gaze and remained silent.
As he turned and walked away, Fallon couldn’t help the tears that fell. She would never see Adrian again. Never feel his hands caressing her body, his kiss washing away the bitterness of Chavez’s.
“Adrian,” she whispered not even attempting to hide the sorrow in her cry. There was no answer, and yet she knew he heard. Instead of a reply she felt a brush of power so strong she couldn’t resist adding her own to it. Mental clicks went off in her head as her arms fell to her sides. In a second her ankles were freed.
“Run, darlin’. Use the link between us to come to me.” His warmth surrounded her with hope. If she could find her way out of the caves and to his side, maybe—just maybe she could feel his lips against hers one more time. The need to taste him gave her the energy she needed to try escaping Chavez once more.
Her keen sight helped her to see the twists and turns as she moved through the maze of caverns, but it was the thickened air and stench of evil that lead her out of the cave without any problems. A full moon brightened her path as she stepped into the night. She took a deep breath. Stars twinkled above her like nothing was amiss.
Sharp tingles raised the hair at the nape of her neck just as Chavez materialized before her.
A terrified scream tore from her throat.
&n
bsp; With just a thought she dissolved into a fine mist and scattered. Quickly she planted some of her essence in a grove of trees like Adrian had taught her.
Evidence of another death dripped from Chavez’s lips and teeth. His silky white shirt was splattered red. Fingers blood-stained, he raised them to his mouth and licked one and then the other slowly as if he savored the taste. He flashed an evil grin in the direction of the trees, as she continued to choose places to mislead him.
His eyes turned into darken holes, as she felt his anger rise. “Leaving so soon, mi belleza?” Handsome features melted into madness. He stared cold and motionless, using his magic to rattle the treetops above her.
A flock of birds hiding within their branches scattered, their wings brushing against the air. Quickly Fallon climbed aboard one of them, pulling her essence from the trees and connecting them to the other fleeing birds.
Lightning erupted from a cloudless sky. One bird squawked before it exploded into flames and began to fall. Another splintered into a fiery mass as Chavez picked them off one after another out of the sky, until the only bird left in flight was the one she rode upon.
She pulled from the bird just as a flash of light incinerated it. The blast was so bright, so powerful that it knocked the vision of mist from her mind and she began to shape-shift midair. Sweat beaded her forehead as she dropped. Arms and legs flailed as she fought to take human form again. The thunder she heard was not in the sky, but her chest—heart pounding as the ground appeared to be rising fast to greet her.
She closed her eyes not wanting to see the death that awaited her.
A surprised squeak squeezed from her lungs as she was jolted to a stop. Warm, strong arms caught her and then gently placed her feet on the ground. When her eyelids rose she couldn’t believe that Adrian held her. She threw her arms around his neck.
“Later,” he whispered the promise, but she could hear the tension in his voice as he guided her behind him.
Chavez’s eyes reddened with fury. His vicious fangs gnashed and clicked together. Spit and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. With a roar he grabbed both sides of his shirt and tore, baring his chest heaving with his anger.
Fallon was shaking so hard her teeth chattered. She had seen Chavez mad, but never like this.
From the chaotic emotions of Chavez’s rage and her fear came a confident, almost arrogant feeling from Adrian. Yet when he stepped forward to meet Chavez his face was void of all expression.
“You know the law,” Adrian stated matter-of-factly. “You have wreaked havoc on my people. For that you will pay with your life.”
The power and strength emanating from Adrian released like steam from a geyser. She felt it slam into Chavez and sling him across the ground as he attempted to touch her mind with a compulsion.
As Chavez scrambled to his feet, for the first time Fallon saw fear flash across his face, but was quickly replaced with a dauntless grin when his minions joined him.
“It is you that has broken the law. The woman is mine,” Chavez reminded Adrian.
“Was,” Adrian corrected firmly. “She’s mine now.”
Chapter Twenty
Adrian meant every word. Fallon was his. He would die to protect her.
A gust of wind rose quickly, lifting pine needles from the ground that were sharp missiles hurling toward him and Fallon.
“Stay behind me,” he ordered, as a dozen or so penetrated his skin. The needlelike leaves stung as they burrowed deep. With a swipe of his hand he erected a barrier to repel the remainder. The sharp darts made snappy noises as they hit, bouncing off the invisible wall and falling to the ground.
“Give me back mi belleza and I will let you live.” Chavez released a slow, ominous growl. “Resist me and you will die painfully, watching me devour her.”
Just the thought tightened Adrian’s resolve.
Already Chavez’s minions had slid away from his side, moving into position to attack.
But Adrian knew one thing they didn’t. Briar and Tucker had arrived. Their footsteps were silent, deadly, as they came to stand directly behind Chavez’s men.
Ever the jokester, Tucker tapped the one before him on the shoulder. “Ready to party?”
Lightning fast, the vampire swung around and attacked.
The battle had begun.
Claws and fangs gnashed as the vampire fought to slit Tucker’s throat. But Tucker was quick. As he darted away his cowboy hat flew off his head. He ducked and dodged like a boxer, left jab—right jab, leaving gaping cuts in the vampire’s flesh with each strike. Tucker’s feet were a blur as he shuffled about moving and separating his opponent away from the rest of the group. A light film of dust rose around their ankles, rising to encompass their knees.
Damn Tucker. He was playing with the man. Adrian felt Tucker’s excitement, the thrill of the fight burning inside him. All his pent-up anger and worry he had felt for Maggie was being released. And Adrian sensed his friend wanted to make the most of this confrontation.
“Kill him and get it over with,” Briar barked, his voice firm with impatience.
The vampire in front of Briar was dead before he knew what happened. Briar rammed his hand into the guy’s chest. Adrian knew he held the vampire’s heart in his hand when the Spaniard’s eyes widened, pain splintering across his face. His entire body shook, as Briar raised him off his feet. Several brisk movements of his dangling feet and the fight vanished from the vampire. A sucking sound followed the withdrawal of Briar’s hand from the vampire. He fell to the ground and ruptured into flames on impact.
Chavez stood unmoving as he watched his minions die. His calm mask slipped—his face was red with fury.
“From the darkness of hell, I call to you.” Chavez’s voice shook with his rage. The earth trembled and mounds of black soil in five different locations rose around his feet. Like oil bubbling to the surface, they grew, stretching slowly until they measured at least seven feet long and about three feet wide. Then the ground shifted, taking form to create five separate human shapes with arms, legs and a head, except they appeared vaporous. He could see right through them to the grass and dirt beneath them.
“What are they?” Fallon’s voice quivered. Cautiously, she stepped from behind Adrian. He carefully guided her back where she would be safe.
Adrian had never seen such beings before. “I don’t know.”
The opaque creatures slithered across the ground. Every place they touched grass and small plants withered and died leaving a blackened path behind them. A pair of them headed toward Briar and another in Tucker’s direction.
Eerily, their gloomy figures rose to stand vertically, looming over each of the men. The last darkling remained beside Chavez as if he guarded him.
“Any ideas?” Tucker asked, a hint of nervousness edging his voice.
Adrian didn’t have time to answer as the shimmering shadows fell across Tucker. He heard his friend gasp. Tucker’s face went sheet white, as if the night creatures were sucking the very life out of him.
A strangled groan from Briar announced the creatures had attacked. As he swung around his razor sharp talons cut through his enemies without making a mark. It was like his hand passed through running water. The closer the darklings got to him the slower he appeared to be moving, until he stood paralyzed, struggling to raise his hands, to release his power. Ominously, the shadows swirled around him. Briar choked, his eyes widening. The demons were sucking the life from him.
Chavez thrust his hand out before him, curling his fingers.
“Adrian!” Fallon’s cry made him glance over his shoulder as she grasped her neck. Whitened pressure points appeared where Chavez’s invisible claw-like fingers wrapped around her throat.
Shit! Adrian had to think fast.
With all his strength, he raised Briar and Tucker from the ground, sending their bodies crashing into Chavez. All three men flew in different directions as they rebounded off each other.
The five dusky entities cir
cled Chavez, guarding him as he rose. His anger resounded like thunder across the land.
Adrian could hear Fallon sucking in much needed breaths, as were Briar and Tucker as they slowly pushed from the ground to stand.
“We end this now.” Adrian raised his hands to the sky, pulling down a gust of wind that whipped around Chavez’s ankles stirring his pant legs.
Chavez’s laugh was a husky whisper. “I expected more from you. Now return that which is mine.” He jerked his outstretched hand to his chest and Fallon began choking, again. An invisible force raised her into the air and thrust forward, so that just the tips of her toes dragged through the pine needles, grass and dirt straight for Chavez and his guardians.
Briar’s and Tucker’s strength, though weakened, join his.
The flurry of air currents surrounding Chavez snapped and hissed, moving violently in a circular motion as they moved up his body, encompassing the darklings as well.
Adrian felt the hot and cold pockets that fed the gale. Winds spiraling inward sucked loose pine needles, leaves, debris into the air and even uprooted small trees as it drew upon its fury. He had to duck as a seedling whizzed by his head. In the distance, Briar and Tucker fell to the ground to avoid being hauled into the wrath of wind. Then Adrian localized his anger and energy, focusing it around Chavez and his creatures.
Chavez roared, suddenly releasing his hold on Fallon. With a thud she fell to the ground. The groan forced from her throat was deep and long.
Pain once again radiated across Fallon’s body. She crawled on hands and knees in time to witness panic flare across Chavez’s face. The funnel cloud was smaller at the base, losing strength as it broadened at top where his shoulders and head were still visible. He tried to step from the cyclone revolving like a child’s top around and around him, but he was tossed back and forth between the swiftly moving walls. The soft buzzing sound that had begun when the wind started was now loud and reverberating.
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