Amethyst Flame (The Flame Series Book 2) (15 page)

He smiled wryly. “It’s not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I agree that your witch ability should be involved, especially because we’re dealing with a wizard.”

~ ~ ~

Vaughn followed Emma into the spellroom, and immediately his mind grew clouded with the level of power in the space. He had to pause for a moment to gain his bearings. The owl was on his perch facing the door to the backyard, but he swung his head around to have a good look at Vaughn.

When Vaughn acclimated to the room, he remained at a distance. He felt irritable as he watched Emma begin her preparations. The warrior in him needed to get going, to start making a plan to catch Loghry in his home. He also didn’t want Emma in danger. If there was a way he could prevent her from going, he’d do it.

She ground herbs, seeds and twigs with a mortar and pestle, the various scents filling the air. The whole time her power rolled at him in waves. His mind grew loose again, yet the muscles of his body twitched with readiness. It was a strange combination of sensations.

She drank her potion, then carried the small, red ceramic bowl from her worktable to the
chaise-longue
and slid it beneath. She took her time lighting the previous arc of seven candles above the area where she would settle her head.

When she lay down, he felt disconnected from her, maybe because he’d lost his motivation to have her with him when he went to Loghry’s.

~ ~ ~

Emma knew this experience was completely different from the last one with Vaughn. He was keeping his distance but not for a selfish reason. His desire to keep her safe was why he wanted to go it alone and it warmed her heart to know he cared so much.

However, protection wasn’t what she needed right now. She had her own score to settle with the vile wizard who had tormented so many girls all these years. She could only hope that somewhere in the process of reaching into the future, Vaughn would accept whatever role she was supposed to play.

The triplets arrived but they were in a solemn state. Becca didn’t attempt to communicate telepathically. Instead, she waited with her sisters and offered one serious dip of her chin. Clearly, the ghosts believed she was on the right path.

She drew a deep breath, the nature of her witchy power stronger than ever. She kept herself open to what the future might tell her. After all, it was possible she and Vaughn were meant to go somewhere else besides Loghry’s home. Therefore, she didn’t focus on anything specific at first, but let her mind move from her spellroom all the way to Savage Territory and even over to Crescent.

But only as she dwelled on Elegance did a few snapshots finally emerge. The moment she settled on Loghry’s mansion, sure enough, the images increased and formed a spinning carousel in her mind.

Her heartrate ramped up. Tonight would be about the wizard.

His mansion was only three miles away near one of the few hills in the Elegance portion of Phoenix. Within the connected snapshots, she saw herself flying beside Vaughn, which settled the matter of her going once and for all.

They would do this together. Vaughn would simply have to adjust to her role in the night’s events.

The images moved rapidly, so she engaged as she had last time, placing herself within the stream of snapshots. She flew over the top of the mansion all the way past the pool and landed behind a distant guest house. Trees cloaked the area, which made it an excellent location for entering Loghry’s several-acre complex.

Once on the ground, she and Vaughn passed through a gate, then descended a set of stone steps leading below the guest house and well into the earth.

She knew then that she’d located Loghry’s infamous labyrinth, the place he supposedly kept a female vampire locked up. Rumors had it she suffered from a second-hand addiction to amethyst flame because of the wizard’s lust for the powerful flame drug combined with his need to have a vampire drinking from him.

Within the images, she followed Vaughn, levitating behind him through a series of pillars and narrow stone passageways. Electric light bulbs, encased in small wire cages, hung from posts at various intervals but were never bright enough to fully illuminate any given space. She could feel the sinister nature of the structure, how the maze-like web of paths would make it difficult for anyone to escape.

She heard the sound of distant weeping and watched Vaughn turn to the right to follow the curve of the strange underground space. She felt herself directing him to make a series of turns, one after the other, as though she’d always known how to navigate the labyrinth.

The last path led them to the heart of the maze with a huge open area of dirt surrounded by a dozen large cages. All of them were empty except two. The biggest cage, directly across from Emma, held five human female teens. Three of them were weeping. Each was badly bruised.

A hissing sound drew Emma’s attention to the other occupied cage at her right.

The space was like a jail cell because it had a toilet, a sink and a cot, but nothing else. The floor, like the rest of the central part of the labyrinth, was made of dirt.

The woman inside, a vampire, wore a dirty, red tunic and crouched on all fours as though ready to spring. She had mottled violet flame marks on her arms, neck and face, indicating she satisfied her blood needs from a donor addicted to amethyst flame. The mottling was a sure sign of second-hand addiction.

So here she was, the fabled woman Loghry had kept imprisoned in his labyrinth for years.

The woman, her black hair hanging over her face, leaped at the bars, latching on with her hands and toes like a wild animal. “He’s coming for you. Don’t you see? He’s created this vision to draw you here, then he’ll kill you.”

Emma was so startled by her vehemence and by the wild light in her gray eyes that the images scattered like leaves caught by a sudden wind.

She blinked and opened her eyes.

Vaughn still stood far away, near Stormy’s post. The owl blinked his large eyes at her.

Emma sat up and met Vaughn’s gaze. “We were in Loghry’s labyrinth, together, you and I. We made it to the center, but there were five more girls caged there who need to be rescued. I saw a deranged female vampire as well, locked up in a cage. Vaughn, this isn’t about Loghry tonight. It’s about saving these girls.”

She then shared all the details of the vision.

~ ~ ~

Vaughn didn’t know what to think.
He’d been prepared to tell Emma he couldn’t let her go into another dangerous situation. She served as a Trib officer and rarely saw the kind of action the Border Patrol officers encountered.

But it appeared the nature of the mission had gotten changed up to a rescue operation.

Emma rose from her couch and drew close to him. “Vaughn, what’s going on here? You had no problem with me going into Savage. How is this different?”

He settled his hands on her arms. Jesus his throat was tight. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She nodded. “I know. I get it. I don’t want you to get hurt either.”

“What if it’s a trap?”

She shrugged but planted her hands on his chest, her strange witchy electricity flowing over him. “I’m pretty confident that’s exactly what it is. But we were there, you and I, together. Neither of us held back. I won’t say I’m not scared, because I am. But we have to do this, both of us.”

Vaughn released a heavy sigh. “I’ve been trying to avoid this moment ever since I took you to bed. I don’t want this time with you to end and I don’t want you to get hurt. I know you should go. My instincts confirm that you need to do this. But I hate it.”

She slid her hands up to caress his shoulders. “If it helps, I don’t want to go either. I’d rather stay here with you secure in my home until the end of time. But we’re beyond all that, aren’t we? I mean, we live and work and battle impossible enemies because we’re both
alter
creatures and we live in this hellhole.”

He pulled her tight against him. “Being with you felt so normal. That’s all. And I wanted more of it, greedy bastard that I am.”

She drew back, smiling up at him. “I’d almost join a dark coven if it meant I’d get to spend one more night with you.”

At that, he smiled. “No you wouldn’t.” He stroked a hand the length of her hair.

“I said ‘almost’. But you’re right. I’d die before I took up the dark arts.”

“And that’s exactly why I don’t want my time with you to end. I love who you are in this world. You’ve been the biggest surprise and you’ve given me something I shouldn’t be feeling. Something like hope.”

“I know what you mean. After Max died, I shut down. I wasn’t willing to go through that kind of pain again. Then we pulled the triplets out of Loghry’s flower van and it changed things for me.”

He nodded slowly. “It did, including what we both need to do next.”

“And that we need to do it together.”

“Yes. Together.” He was resigned now. He knew this was the right thing. “So, tell me everything you saw in this recent vision so we can start planning.”

She reviewed the details once more up to the point the female vampire frightened her and the images scrambled.

“And it was just you and me?”

“Yes. I didn’t see anyone else around. No one.”

“And no guards at the gate? Or on the property?” It sounded suspicious to him.

“No guards. Nothing.”

“And above the property, you didn’t see an active spell? Anything that might prevent us from flying to this central area?”

She shook her head in response. “You also have to remember that Wizard Loghry is one of the most powerful warlocks in Elegance. I might not even be able to detect a spell he created. On the other hand, he may believe his reputation is strong enough to keep his enemies away. ”

“And no obvious signs of a security system?” Vaughn had always heard that Loghry’s mansion had a high-tech set-up. He said as much to Emma.

She shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. I encountered nothing like that. Which of course makes it all sound like a trap.”

“Yes, it does.”

“Do you think we should try a different approach?”

“I think we need back-up. It’s clear from your vision that we’ll make it inside, but who knows what we’ll face coming out. I’m going to call Brannick and Fergus. I have no doubt they’ll want in on this.”

Emma leaned up and kissed him. Familiar erotic jolts of electricity moved over his lips, reminding him of everything they’d done in bed together, all the hours spent tangled up and lost in each other’s arms.

He returned the kiss, feeling desperate. He drew back, but not to let her go. Instead, he pulled her into a tight embrace and held on.

When at last he released her, Emma took a deep breath. “I think calling the troops is exactly what we should do. And if we stick together, we might be able to get these girls out.”

He nodded. “I’ll make some calls.”

~ ~ ~

When Vaughn left the spellroom, Emma headed back to her bedroom. The labyrinth was cold, so she made the decision to switch out her short-sleeved t-shirt for one with long sleeves, tucking it in so she would still have access to her gun. She threaded her belt through the pant loops.

She brushed out her hair again, more to calm her nerves than anything else. Securing the top knot, she pushed the rest past her shoulders to lie in a wave down her back. She turned while looking at herself in the mirror. Her hair was almost to her waist.

Her cheeks grew flushed as she recalled a time in bed early this morning, when Vaughn, while taking her from behind, kept kissing and petting her hair. It had been very tender, yet erotic.

She didn’t want this time with Vaughn to end and for a few seconds hot tears brimmed in her eyes.

Giving herself a shake, she returned to her bedroom and clipped her holster onto her belt and checked her Sig. She’d been unable to see what happened after they reached the center of the underground labyrinth, but Loghry was a wizard of great power. It might be a simple thing to get in, but a very different matter trying to leave.

Once she was dressed, she met Vaughn outside. He wore his Glock and holster and was full of tension. The triplets hovered nearby, but were as grim-faced as before, another sure sign how important the mission was.

Becca? Everything okay?

She nodded.
Going to Loghry’s will be very dangerous. We’re worried for you guys.

You don’t have to come with.

Becca glanced at each of her sisters in turn.
We want to. This is the man who stole our lives and if we can help to bring him down, even in a small way, we want to do that.

Okay, then.

When she reverted her attention to Vaughn, she saw he was watching the girls. His gaze slipped back to her. “What did they say?”

“They’re worried about the mission, but they’ll be with us and will do what they can.”

His straight black brows were drawn tightly together. “All right. Sounds good.” He nodded several times as though regrouping his thoughts. “Brannick will be in the air above your house soon. He’s bringing my half-sword because we don’t know what we’re going to find once we’re inside. He’s in the process of coordinating back-up. He’s contacted a couple of trustworthy Elegance Border Patrol officers and Fergus in Savage wanted in on anything have to do with shutting Loghry down. We’ll have a mixed-force detail.”

She nodded. “I think this is fantastic.” Until last night, she’d thought she was alone in her battle against the perverse, brutal elements of Five Bridges.

He gripped her arms. “Are you ready for this, Em, for whatever we find?”

“I am.”

A smile touched his lips as he released her arms then glanced down at her feet. “Let me see you levitate.”

He probably thought she’d lift up a couple of inches. Instead, she shot into the air then came down behind him and jumped on his back.

He caught her legs so that she was essentially having a piggy-back ride. She surrounded his neck with both arms, then leaned into him and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Vaughn. Whatever happens, I love you.”

He caught her arms with both hands and squeezed. “Back atcha.”

When his cell made a soft ding, he pulled it from the pocket of his jeans while keeping her balanced on his back. He spoke quietly for a couple of minutes, then put it away. “Brannick’s not far, just east of your house. He said the skies are clear and he has my weapons. We’re ready to go.”