Dance With Darkness

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  Shabina was like a deadly dancer as she whirled, ducked, dove, jumped and spun. Each swipe of her blades drew blood, and each kick seemed to be placed just right to do the most damage.

  Denale began to sweat, and his breath wheezed from his chest. Then he began to make mistakes.

  Then Shabina put him on the floor.

  “Stay down,” she said, a booted foot on his chest.

  Enyowas watched Jager, ready to leap if the knife went back to Elianna’s neck, but instead, Jager let his hand fall.

  Then everything happened so fast, it was hard to keep track.

  Amit and Ky entered the room and stopped just inside.

  Jager swiped down with his knife, then moved away from Elianna.

  Enyowas hurried over to her, frowning, but not about to question why Jager had cut her bindings. “You okay?” he asked, checking her out.

  “Y-yeah.”

  He pulled her over to Genevevia, who was huddled up on the floor with her hands secured to a pipe in the wall. Enyowas cut her free, and with a moan, she curled up into a ball.

  Enyowas glanced up for help and noticed that Amit and Ky had their arms raised up in surrender. Another male stood behind them, holding them at gunpoint.

  Another cousin? What the hell? How many of his own kids had Denale recruited in his insane plan? This cousin was a good fifteen years older than Enyowas, and one he hadn’t seen very much of, since the guy had always been away on some mission or other.

  “You two boys took long enough to catch up to my sons.” Denale smirked at Amit and Ky.

  “We almost got them back in Colorado,” Amit said.

  “But you didn’t,” Denale said, and lunged upward. He snatched one of Shabina’s blades from her hand and stuck her in the leg.

  Shabina cried out and tried to kick him back, but Denale grabbed her in a choke hold as he got to his feet. He yanked the knife from her leg and pressed it against her neck, drawing blood.

  Denale snarled when he noticed Enyowas with Elianna. “Jager, what’d I tell you, boy? You’re supposed to be watching the leopard bitch.”

  Jager shrugged, went up to him, and shoved the dagger he was supposed to use on Elianna deep into his father’s back. Then he pointed a Glock—that Enyowas hadn’t even noticed—at Amit and Ky.

  “No!” Enyowas shouted, pushing Elianna behind him. He raised his own weapon, but he was too late.

  The bang was deafening.

  Amit and Ky jumped away as Jager’s older brother collapsed right behind them.

  “You useless bastard, I should have killed you when you were born!” Denale whirled on his youngest son and snatched the gun from Jager’s hand He pointed it at his son for a moment, then waved it at the rest of them as he began to drag Shabina from the room. “Any of you follow me, I’ll kill her. This isn’t over.”

  As his father left the room, Jager dropped to his knees and put his hands over his head.

  Outside the room another two gunshots rang out, and Enyowas trained his gun on the door, ready for anything.

  Amit slipped past him and went to pick up Genevevia.

  Enyowas lowered his weapon when Shabina limped back into the room, followed by Ferno. “You get him?” Enyowas asked, relived she’d escaped his uncle.

  “He’s been shot, but he got out,” Shabina said.

  “Two of my team are tracking him right now,” Ferno added. “But if he makes it into the forest—”

  “They won’t catch him,” Jager said without looking up.

  Shabina scowled at him. “Bastard needs to die.” She handed Enyowas the dagger Jager had used on his father. “I managed to stab him again with this as well, but his wounds aren’t life-threatening, so he’ll heal.”

  “I know Denale,” Enyowas said. “I can track him—he needs to be found before he hurts anyone else.” He looked at Veldi, who’d just joined them. “I need you to take Elianna home.”

  “No,” she said, panic in her eyes.

  “It doesn’t have to be you, Enyo,” Veldi said. “Ferno’s team has been highly trained by the both of us. Let them chase the demented bastard.”

  “No—” He started to object. He couldn’t let Denale cause more harm. But as he stared into Elianna’s eyes, the words wouldn’t come out.

  Dark fog filled his mind, and then he was standing under a heavy black cloud. All around him was death—an angry, swirling, soul-eating ghoul. It hovered, waiting, ready to pounce—to grasp and devour him whole. The ground was littered with bones as far as he could see, and as he turned in a circle, he saw himself lying amid the carcasses, slowly rotting away. Then the image changed, and the sky cleared. Death moved away, leaving sunlight and clouds of gold.

  The past is death, clouds of gold—salvation.

  Death would be his if he went after Denale, and where once he wouldn’t have cared, now he did. Now he had someone to live for.

  His mind cleared and a vast relief filled him. Enyowas nodded at Ferno. “Tell your team to keep me informed, and shoot to kill. Don’t let Denale get close to anyone.” Then he pulled Elianna close. She was his clouds of gold, and he wasn’t ready to lose her. He only hoped that after tonight she felt the same way.

  Having made his decision, the darkness inside of him eased away like a puff of smoke, and though he didn’t realize how broken he’d been, Enyowas could feel his heart and soul healing.

  Ky, who had quickly retrieved his and Amit’s weapons from their dead cousin, covered Jager with his gun. “What we doing with him?”

  Enyowas looked at Jager who kept his gaze on the floor. “What was that, a last-ditch effort to get on the right side?”

  Elianna tugged on his arm. “He kept his father from hurting Gen and me,” she whispered.

  Enyowas gently cupped her neck, his fingers feeling the wound on the back of her head. “But you are hurt.”

  “That happened at clan home during the fire … when they took me,” she said, then lowered her gaze.

  Enyowas realized that she was hiding something that she was afraid would hurt him. “I need to know, did my mother set the fire.”

  Elianna licked her lips and glanced quickly at everyone before looking back up at him. “Yes. I went out to confront her when they got me.”

  “Denale has been meeting up with your mother,” Jager said, though he kept his eyes on the ground.

  “That’s why she refused to run with a partner.” Sickened by all the hatred and senseless killing, Enyowas hugged Elianna close, afraid that if he let her go, he’d never see her again. He looked at Jager. “And what about you?”

  Jager lifted his head and finally met his gaze. The desolation in the eyes staring back at Enyowas shredded him. “This was my father, not me. Kill me, or let me go. I really don’t care.”

  Enyowas recognized the look as one he’d seen in the mirror a million times over the years. But before he could ask Shabina to read him, she nodded.

  “He wasn’t a part of his father’s evil plan.”

  Jager glanced at her.

  “Will you come after me or my family if we let you go?” Enyowas asked.

  “Only if you include my father in your family,” Jager said.

  “That’s a hard no.” Enyowas waved Ky away, and held out the dagger Shabina had taken from Denale to Jager. “Off you go, then.”

  Jager slowly got to his feet. He gazed around at all of them for a moment, eyes pausing again on Shabina, then he took the deadly blade from Enyowas and proceeded to remove the heads of the two males—one his own brother—who lay dead on the ground.

  Then without a word, he walked out.

  “We would have taken care of that,” Veldi said after a long moment.

  “Yeah,” Enyowas agreed, suddenly worried about a cousin he really didn’t know and hadn’t seen since he was twelve.

  Chapter 29

  As they drove in silence back to the EfPP, Elianna held his hand. Enyowas didn’t know if it was for her own comfort, or his. Either way, he didn’t mind. All
that he’d learned seemed to have caught up to him, and he realized that his mother truly did hate him and his siblings. To the point of wanting them dead. What was worse, she didn’t care who else she hurt in the meantime. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

  Exhausted and still on edge, he pulled up behind the building and shut off the engine.

  “Are you all right?” Elianna asked.

  He looked at her. “I should be asking you that. How’s the head?”

  She smiled, and his heart warmed.

  “I don’t know what I’d have done if I lost you,” he said. “I know you may not want to stay here anymore, but I really hope you’ll give me another chance to make things right.”

  “What about Genevevia?”

  “Gen—? No, she was someone I used to see once in a while, but she was never my girlfriend.” He hesitated, but nothing less than the truth would do. “I’ve never actually had a girlfriend, and you’re the only one I’ve ever felt this way for.”

  “I’ve never felt this way for anyone either,” she said, then bit her lip and looked out the windshield.

  “I’m sorry you were hurt by my family,” he said, aching to bite her lip as well. To nibble on it, and then work his way all over the rest of her.

  “I love your family, well, other than your uncle and mother …”

  “Yeah, they’re both something.” Enyowas sighed heavily. “My uncle has always been evil, but my mother wasn’t always like that. But after years of trying to survive with my father …” He shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not making excuses for her. I just see now that she’s been broken for a very long time, and instead of pulling herself together, she grew hateful just like the ones who hurt her.”

  Elianna rubbed his arm. “She told me how your father treated her, and I’m sorry for that, but it’s still hard to imagine having children and not loving them regardless of how they were born.”

  “Each time she saw us, she saw how we were conceived,” he said.

  “That was not your—or your siblings—fault,” Elianna said, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. “I’m sorry she treated you all that way. If I am ever a mother, I know I’d die for my child.”

  God she was so hot. Enyowas framed her face with his hands and claimed her lips, loving the moan he drew from her. She tasted just as he remembered, and he never wanted to let her go.

  Her hands tangled in his hair as she deepened the kiss, then she pulled away to stare into his eyes. “Enyowas.” She paused, her eyes searching his. “I was so scared. Not scared because I was kidnapped—well, I was, Denale seemed crazy evil, and his older sons had these dead eyes—” She shuddered. “But more than anything, I was scared that I’d never see you again, or that Denale and his sons would kill you before I got a chance to tell you how I feel. I’ve never cared about anyone the way I do for you. I … I love you, Enyowas. I know you don’t want to be in a relationship, but … I just had to tell you.”

  Unable to resist a moment longer, Enyowas pulled her onto his lap. “I was stupid.”

  “What?”

  “I was an idiot, and you need to strike me saying I didn’t want a relationship from our conversation history. Please. I locked my emotions away years ago, but you’ve opened the vault.” He caressed her cheek and looked down at her, losing himself in her gaze. “Elianna, the things you do to me. I think I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you, and my feelings since have been confusing, and terrifying, but only because you made me feel so much. It’s like you’ve bewitched me. I find myself thinking of you when I should be concentrating on work, wanting you, needing you, all the time. I want you like I never wanted anyone in my life, and I still do.”

  “I feel the same way,” she said, breathlessly.

  Enyowas claimed her mouth once again, knowing he’d never get enough of her. She melted into him, but then finally pulled away. “What about your mother?”

  “Yeah, my mother, she ran off. I have no idea where she is, but when we find her, she’ll have to pay for her crimes.”

  “And your sister, Elsary, you said you found her?” Elianna asked.

  “We did. She’s inside being treated by Doc.” Elianna’s hand covered his chest, and Enyowas wanted to keep it there forever. With her by his side he could get through anything. “Come on, let’s go check on Sary, because I can’t wait to take you home to bed.”

  Chapter 30

  With Elianna at his side, Enyowas entered the EfPP, and led her down the hall to where his siblings stood anxiously waiting.

  His dark-haired brother stood outside one of the exam rooms. “Amit, how’s Gen?”

  “Doc’s checking her now,” he said, just as the door opened.

  “I see you didn’t forget my coffee,” Doc said, spying it in Elianna’s hand.

  With a smile, she held it out to him.

  He accepted, a grin on his face as he took a long swallow. “I needed that,” he said when he was done, then addressed Enyowas’s question. “She’s shaken, but not physically hurt.”

  “And Sary?” Enyowas asked as Sima and Kayta gathered around him.

  “Awake. You can go see her now, but don’t be too long. She needs to rest.”

  “We won’t,” Sima assured him as they all filed into Elsary’s room.

  Enyowas stopped when he noticed Amit holding back, and Ky waiting down the hall. “Come on, she’ll want to see you.”

  Amit blinked, and then followed him into the room, and after a long moment, Ky entered as well, though he stayed close to the door.

  “Amit!” Elsary cried, tears of happiness running down her face.

  “Hey, little sis.”

  After explaining how he was here, Amit moved back and stood near Ky.

  Enyowas clapped him on the shoulder and then went up to his sister. He held out her lucky four-leaf clover necklace. “Thought you might want this back.”

  Elsary’s eyes filled with sadness. “I gave that to my friend. She was such a sweet girl, and I was helping her get back on her feet. But then she met this guy and he scared her. She was going to tell him she couldn’t see him again, but feared he wouldn’t take it well. She was right. I found her—he killed her—” She swallowed deeply. “I tried to stop him, but it was too late …” She stopped speaking.

  Enyowas took her hand in his. “We know, I’m sorry about your friend.”

  “I hurt him and he ran off. He was some kind of leopard shifter, with blond hair and cold blue eyes.” She shivered. “I … I was about to call you, but Veldi’s girlfriend called me in a panic.” Elsary looked at Veldi. “I’m so sorry, Vel, I should’ve sent her straight here, but she wanted to see me. She sounded so scared, so I agreed, and then my phone died.” She shook her head, then winced.

  “Easy,” Enyowas said, stroking her hair. “You can tell us later.”

  “No, you need to know. She called me, terrified because a big guy broke into her house and started drilling her about you both. She managed to get out when another man came in and distracted the big guy. She picked me up and we were on our way here, but they found us and …”

  “And caused the accident,” Enyowas said.

  Elsary reached out her other hand for Veldi. “She loved you, brother. I’m so sorry.”

  With a nod, Veldi kissed Sary’s cheek and then quickly took his leave.

  They all talked for a few more minutes, then Enyowas led Elianna out of the room and over to Doc. “How is Genevevia?”

  “Bruised and shaken more than anything. She just needs some time,” he said.

  “I know you’ve been busy, but do you mind taking a look at Elianna?” Enyowas asked. “She was hit in the head when she was taken.”

  “I can do that,” Doc said with a smile. “How about we go in here.” He led Elianna into another room.

  “I’ll be right out here,” Enyowas assured her.

  Amit and Ky joined him in the hall.

  “How is your mate?” Amit asked.

  �
�Doc’s just checking her out,” Enyowas said.

  “So, I hear you’re the regis of your clan,” Amit said.

  “Tom,” Enyowas said.

  “What?” Amit asked.

  “We don’t use the term regis. I’m the Tom,” Enyowas said.

  Amit grinned. “I like that.” Then he grew serious. “Veldi told me all you’ve done to build this clan, taking in those who have no clan, those no one else wants. And everything you did to keep our family together. I’m just sorry I wasn’t here to help. If you and your clan will have Ky and me—”

  “I told you, you can stay, but I’m outta here.” Ky interrupted him.

  “No.” Amit glared at him, then looked back at Enyowas. “As I was saying, if you’ll have Ky and me, I’d appreciate the chance to make it up to you, Veldi, and our sisters.”

  Enyowas’s heart hurt, and his eyes grew blurry. He blinked. “You have nothing to make up, brother. I’m really glad you’re alive. There’s not a day that goes by that I didn’t hate myself for everything that happened when we left.”

  “No, little brother, you did what you were supposed to do,” Amit said. “You, we all danced with the darkness, but you managed to get our family away from hell.”

  “But I didn’t, not all of them, did it?” Enyowas said, looking at Ky. “I assumed you had betrayed us, and I’m sorry about that. I hope in time you might be able to forgive me, and I hope you will give me a chance to get to know you better.”

  Ky scowled until Amit shoved him.

  “Fine,” he said, drawing in a deep breath, then letting it out. “I guess I can give it a try, besides—” He looked at Amit. “If I went with you that day like Amit wanted, then he really would be dead.”

  “Well, I thank you for saving his dumb ass,” Enyowas said, then punched Amit on the arm. “If you ever scare me like that again, you and I are going to go a few rounds.”

  Amit shoved him, then put his arm over Enyowas’s shoulder. “Can’t wait, it’ll be fun.”

  Enyowas narrowed his eyes on Ky. “How exactly did you save him?”