Aflame (Apotheosis) (21 page)

Grayce hadn’t realized she was frozen until he nudged her to move forward through the illusion. It shimmied and misted around them showing hallway, then jungle, then hallway again.

“Can you please tell me what the hell is going on?” Anger fizzled before it could manifest into more. The scene was so beautiful, so real, the only thing missing was a coconut bra and a palm leaf sarong.

“You’ve frightened my lady, Marcus. I might have to give you a beat down for that.”

In an instant, the jungle lifted and disappeared into the ceiling, leaving behind the hallway and a beast of a man. He rested, shoulder against the wall, chiseled arms crossed over a massive chest, head held in a playful tilt.

“Did you just say lady?” Marcus headed straight for her, ignored Zander and pinned Grayce with a smoldering gaze.

He offered a muscular hand. “I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you. Marcus Lothario, treasure hunter, master illusionist and sexy mother fucker, at your service.” His eyes widened and his nostrils flared when she grabbed his hand and gave it one good shake before letting go.

“A beacon,” he whispered so only Grayce could hear. “How wonderful.”

She recoiled. Oh shit. Was he drawn to her too?

“I’m Grayce. Are you mated?” she asked with a nervous quake to her voice. Zander’s arm tightened around her shoulder.

Marcus’ lips quivered. “No.”

She huffed. “Just my fucking luck.”

Marcus took a step back and held her gaze with haunting hazel eyes, dangerous and seductive with a hint of playfulness. It pissed her off beyond measure that she couldn’t stop the natural urge to study the fine male specimen standing before her. Deep brown hair hung just below broad shoulders in natural waves. An unkempt goatee graced his angular face framing a pair of full lips. Thick brows formed a deep angle over his eyes giving him a downright dangerous appearance. His black t-shirt clung to his muscular body like a second skin. No way in hell would she let her eyes wander any lower. His shape brought to mind an ancient warrior and a shiver made its way across her skin. He was death waiting to strike. A beautiful yet savage beast. A shudder rocked her body at the thought of another powerful man being in the house.

“Z, my man!” Marcus continued to hold Grayce’s gaze. “Looks like we’ve got some catching up to do.”

Zander released Grayce and trapped his friend in a hearty embrace. They clapped each other’s shoulders.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about.” Zander gestured for them to walk. “I’ve missed you. It’s been way too long. Let’s go find Nikolas. I’m sure Chelsea already knows you’re here.”

Zander grabbed Grayce’s hand and started toward the kitchen. “Marcus lives here with us when he’s not hunting.”

“Hunting?” Grayce asked. Yeah, she could picture him with big ass guns and knives.

“Treasure hunting. We have Marcus to thank for most of what we know about our race. He’s collected artifacts from all over the world.” Zander chuckled. “Bastard gets himself in trouble more often than not. But he always comes home with a killer story and another piece of the puzzle.”

Marcus walked a few steps ahead. Comparable in height to Zander, he wasn’t as wide, but carried solid muscle over his long limbs and lean midsection. His gait was every bit, if not more confident and cocky as Zander’s.

Marcus turned and pulled up beside them. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about this gorgeous lady of yours first.” He punched Zander in the shoulder. “Damn, boy. You found yourself one hot
tamale
.” Marcus winked at Grayce and she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Zander grunted. “You have no idea.”

* * * *

The blond toy lay limp across the wooden table. No need for wrist restraints, for much to his displeasure, she passed out over an hour ago. Too bad, things had just started to get fun. Tyr threw a blanket across her naked form and huffed out of the room, locking it from the outside.

He loathed the dank, musty smell of the mining tunnels. Unfortunately, in this small sleepy town, hiding places were limited. Funding and resources were not an issue. He could make it livable, for a while anyway. Grayce’s apartment was no longer an option due to increased police activity. He had no choice but to find a new place to stay. To play. Set up his new playroom. Nobody would think of searching the long abandoned and mostly forgotten mine for the missing girls. Or Grayce, when he reclaimed her.

He’d been staying in Grayce’s apartment for some time between detective visits, being able to teleport in and out as he so desired. It was there her essence, her addictive energy was the strongest. But he needed his playthings and he couldn’t keep them in her abandoned home. So, he made a temporary abode deep underground, in a mountain that absorbed their screams.

And thank his lucky stars, the land the mine belonged to had come up for sale, the previous proprietor having died a sudden and unexplainable death. Along with the land came a modest but livable hunting cabin located near one of the tunnel entrances, complete with a wood burning stove and a dog. A convenient coincidence? Tyr didn’t believe in happenstance. He designed his own destiny.

The time had come to put Houghton to use again. The convict had failed him miserably, but remained an important pawn in the game.

Rules had changed slightly.

Confident he’d be able to lure Grayce out of hiding, he headed for the hospital. Having just fueled himself with his blond toy, he’d be able to transport a few times before being drained physically, but he chose to drive. Gave him more time to contemplate Grayce.

Behind the wheel of his Porsche he was young again. Elated. And the women, all the pathetic females, fell like Jezebels at his feet when they discovered he was the owner of the beauty. God, they were so easy to manipulate.

He waited patiently down the hall until visiting hours were over and the reporters and detectives retired for the evening. After the security guards at Houghton’s door nodded off, which they did frequently, Tyr transported into the prisoner’s room. It was a short trip so didn’t require much effort.

The paunchy man stared out the window. “What the fuck are you doing here? You gonna kill me?” Houghton refused to look at Tyr, a clear indication that he was either scared to death of his punishment or just didn’t give a shit anymore. Tyr guessed it was the latter.

Punishment was coming. It was inevitable. No one failed Tyr without facing his wrath.

“Make it quick, will you. This catheter is a motherfucker.” The man struggled to reach his dick but padded handcuffs had his arms restrained to the bed, inches out of reach.

Tyr stepped into Houghton’s line of sight. It disgusted him how ugly this man was. His oily balding head and fat bulbous nose made Tyr grateful for the genes he’d been blessed with. “I’m not going to kill you.”

Not yet anyway.

“We still have work to do.”

* * * *

Zander’s chest brimmed with pride for the family that surrounded him and the overflowing table of food. He was seated next to Grayce in his usual manner, with his body pressed firm against hers wherever possible. Thigh, shoulder, elbow. Hell. He’d have her in his lap if it was appropriate lunchtime behavior.

Stephen claimed the spot on Grayce’s other side. He too, had his chair scooted as close to her as possible. Although they weren’t touching, he was noticeably more relaxed next to Grayce.

Nikolas, the patriarch of the family, sat at the head of the table where he belonged, and struggled with a bottle of wine. After he muttered a few curse words under his breath, he gave up on the bottle opener and uncorked it with his mind. So much for being suave. He rarely used his telekinesis, but since Stephen’s arrival, he pulled out his mad mind skills more often to get a giggle out of the boy.

Marcus, whom he loved as a brother, sat next to Chelsea, and hadn’t stopped talking since they sat down.

Everyone, except for Grayce, listened intently to the stories Marcus told of his latest adventures. She sat, stiff and quiet, no doubt battling the demons that had her convinced all men were bad, and each and every one of them was out to get her. But she was trying. And that was progress. She pretended to listen. Zander kept a careful eye on her, ready to spring into action at the slightest mood shift.

“Marcus, please say you’re going to stay for awhile.” Chelsea begged, holding his hand to her chest. “We’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve got no immediate plans.” Eyeing the last turkey and Swiss, he hit Stephen with a challenging smile. “Anyone wanna fight me for that sandwich?” Stephen’s eyes lit up as he shook his head and rubbed his stomach.

“It’s mine then.” Marcus snatched the sandwich from the tray. “So, you two gonna tell me how you met?”

Zander and Grayce exchanged a quick glance. The mood in the room darkened.

“That’s a conversation for later, my friend.” Zander glanced sideways to Stephen and tilted his head.

“So Stephen, I hear you have the gift.” Marcus considered everyone’s powers a gift. Complete opposite view to Zander, who’d always regarded his powers as a curse.

“I have lightning.” Stephen beamed. “Do you want to see? I’ll show you after lunch.”

“That would be awesome.” Marcus downed the sandwich in three bites and chased it with half a glass of Barolo.

“What can you do?” No sooner did the question leave the boys lips when the kitchen turned into a dense jungle. Stephen reached out to grab a giant leaf and laughed when it misted around his arm. “That’s hella dope.”

Chelsea cleared her throat. “Marcus, I hear you brought something home. Where is it? I can’t wait to see what you found us this time.”

“Nikolas quarantined it until we figure out exactly what it is. Right now it looks like a large clump of dirt. I excavated it from a tomb in the northern part of Sudan.” Marcus brushed crumbs off the table and shot Grayce a nervous glance.

“So, Grayce is a beacon. Does that mean we’re staying put for a while?”

The room fell silent, except for the loud ding as Nikolas’ spoon dropped to the floor.

“A beacon!” Nikolas shouted. “How did I not figure that out?”

Grayce’s red glow had already seeped from her skin. “What the fu—I mean, what the heck is a beacon?” Grayce glanced at Stephen and mouthed a “sorry” to him.

Zander jumped in. “Firecracker, you give unmated males power. That’s why Stephen is so strong around you, and that’s why men horde you at the bar. It’s why...” He shook his head and couldn’t continue.

Nikolas finished his sentence. “It’s why Tyr won’t leave you alone. He can’t leave you alone. He’s addicted to you.”

Zander fisted his napkin in his lap. “You probably gave him his power.”

“But there’s more,” Chelsea chimed in. “Our kind will be drawn to you. Unfortunately, the dark warriors will be drawn to you as well as the light, which means—”

“The war is coming,” Stephen interrupted.

For the second time, the room fell silent. Zander stared at the fragile boy. How could he know anything about a war? He was too young.

“What did you just say?” Marcus asked.

Stephen shrugged his shoulders “What? Am I in trouble?”

“No, Stephen, it’s just that—”

Chelsea jumped from the table. “We are finished with this conversation for now.”

With that, Marcus changed the topic of conversation back to himself and his latest acquisition.

* * * *

Grayce watched the interactions play out in front of her with a heart yearning for the kinship they shared. Why was it so hard for her to like these men? Why couldn’t she relax and join the conversation?

Every muscle, every fiber of her being wanted to recoil, slip into the dark corners of her mind. She had to keep reminding herself that Zander was her safe place now, not the black shadows of her soul she’d been forced to escape to for so many years.

Now they’re telling her she’s a beacon, attracting more males? What kind of cruel joke were the fates playing on her? Shit.

She overflowed with guilt, knowing that she’d never be able to love, not the way these people loved each other.

Chelsea pressed into her thoughts.
“Honey, would you like to take a walk with me?”
Glancing across the table, she nodded yes.

“Zander, I’m going to kidnap Grayce for a while.” Panic bulged his eyes and Chelsea giggled. “Don’t worry, we won’t go far enough away for you to miss her.” She stood, planted a peck on Marcus’ cheek and turned to give Nikolas a real kiss. Every face in the room blushed at their show of affection.