Electric Heat (28 page)

“I did what you asked.”

“If you’re not going to give up the sword, kill the vampire.”
The demand was for no reason other than the witch’s sadistic pleasure.

“No.”

“Do it.” A muscle ticked in Nicholas’ jaw as he gritted his
teeth. “I’m a dead man anyway.”

Her very soul rebelled at the idea of taking his life. She
shook her head and backed away, nearly losing her balance in the water. “No.”

Magic flared, and they hurled a spell at Nicholas. The
strike hit him center chest before she could react, and he froze. “It would have
been much kinder had you killed him. Now, he will be swept away by the current.
If he’s lucky, they’ll take pity on him and fish him out. If not, he’ll be dragged
out to sea. I wonder how long he’ll last once the spell wears off.”

Rage swelled around Nicholas, his body shaking as he fought
the effects of the spell, but he was held fast. The fury turned to acceptance of
his fate. Pleading eyes met hers, and she knew what he wanted.

An honorable, true death.

Hatred for the witches thundered through her. If the Prime
didn’t kill her first, she’d make it her personal mission to hunt all four of
them down.

Her intent must have shown, and primal fear darkened the witches’
faces. The man took a step back, while the mouse fled with a squeak of fear.

Raven lifted the sword toward Nicholas, dread crushing her
chest. The edge of the blade was just inches away when it blazed to life, a
hunger in it a living thing. The tarnish burned away to reveal gleaming metal,
and ancient runes shimmered like blue fire. The spell wrapped around Nicholas shriveled
like it had been burned away and drifted down in strings of ash. All that
remained were glittery pieces of energy that settled on the sword, smothering
the flame.

No, not smothered.

The sword had absorbed it all.

With no escape, the flames imploded.

Searing pain spilled up her arm, consuming her bones like a
firestorm, and a cry of pain escaped her parted lips before she could bite it
back. Armor locked together under her skin, blocking the agony, and she glanced
up to see Nicholas’ black eyes staring back at her.

His smile was all fangs.

Then he was gone, using his speed to barrel into the
witches. The man went flying, barely missing her when his body torpedoed past.
He splashed into the water. By the time he surfaced, he was ten feet down the
tunnel, his head barely above water. Terror filled his eyes just before he was
sucked down in the swirling mass and disappeared from view.

When she turned, Nicholas had the leader in his grasp,
feeding on her. “Nicholas, stop.”

Raven struggled against the current, trying to reach the
ledge, but the sword had done a number on her. She was as weak as a kitten.
Instead of leaping out of the current, she was forced to heave her upper body
on the edge and roll free from her watery grave.

By the time she could stand, the witch was a pasty mixture
of gray and white.

She touched his shoulder, nothing more, knowing better than
to interrupt a vampire lost in a feeding frenzy. “Enough.”

Surprisingly, he listened.

She expected to see blood drip down his chin and a ghastly
wound, but apparently he was a neat eater, only a single drop of blood remained
on his lips. He studied her for a few seconds, deciding whether she was food.
Something
other
stared back at her, something totally inhuman that had
been banished to wander the darkness of night, too dangerous to be released in
the light of day.

Raven remained perfectly still, dread slowing her pulse. Her
hand tightened on the sword, but she couldn’t bring herself to raise it.

His humanity returned slowly, almost reluctantly, as he
wrestled for control. He released his hold on the woman, and she collapsed to
the ground like a bag of bones. Since the witch hadn’t shriveled up and died,
Raven had to assume her magic was keeping her alive.

Pity that, but the last thing they needed was to be held
responsible for her death.

“You back with me?”

He nodded but wouldn’t meet her gaze. “You could’ve saved
your pack by killing me.”

Shame had her turning away, unable to face him. “I nearly
did.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Her head snapped up to find him studying her with such
intensity she nearly backed away. “I had a sword at your throat.”

“My master wouldn’t have hesitated to kill his whole clan if
it meant saving his own life.”

Raven studied the bodies to avoid the uncomfortable tension
between them. “Yeah, well, I guess we’ll never know if I could’ve gone through
with it.”

But his unchanging expression spoke volumes.

“We need to get back.”

His posture changed, growing more aggressive. “What do you
want done with the bodies?”

“I’d love to throw them in the water and leave them to the
fate they planned for us, but I think we need proof they’re alive, or we might
not make it out of the caves.”

Distaste curled his lips, but he nodded.

Urgency to find Durant pounded through her, but she resisted
the urge to run through the tunnels and search for him. They’d never find him
in time. “We’ll use these two as hostages to make sure they turn over Durant.”

The witches had better pray nothing happened to Durant, or
they’d wish the Prime had killed them before she could get her hands on them.

Nicholas bent, grabbed the ankles of the two bodies and dragged
them to the stream. He dipped them in the water and held them there until they
thrashed. His arms trembled under the strain, not of their weight, but against
the urge to just keep holding them there until they drowned.

He held them there for a little longer than necessary, but
Raven didn’t object. When he finally pulled them out, he dropped them on the
ground and watched them scurry backwards.

She gestured with the sword. “Get up.”

They cringed and scrambled to their feet, backing away from
the weapon. Their leader swayed from the blood loss, her hand clamped against
her neck. Shaking like a leaf, her hair sopping wet, she looked miserable, but
Raven didn’t feel an ounce of remorse.

They filed out of the cavern and headed back to the main
entrance. With every step, her shoes squished, and she caught Nicholas repressing
a smile.

The sounds of battle gained volume as they wound their way
up a few levels and surfaced in the main living space. The warmth was welcoming.
Though the creature flooded her with heat, nothing penetrated the chill that
had taken residence in her bones since she’d learned of Durant’s disappearance.

“I see you managed to figure out how to use the sword just
in the nick of time,” Nicholas ventured.

Raven wished it were so easy. “I had nothing to do with it.
It didn’t obey my command. I think it sensed a threat and reacted.”

He gave her a curious look, flashing his fangs when one of
the witches stumbled. “You were threatened long before then.”

“But not with magic.” They both glanced at the gleaming
blade, so different from the tarnished steel she first held. “It reacted at the
first sign of magic.”

Nicholas rubbed his chin. “So when the magic hit me, and you
brought up the sword—”

“It drank it down.” Giddiness leaked through her worry, and
her hand clamped down on the sword. All she had to do was finish with this
nightmare, and her pack would be safe.

Nicholas’ brows furrowed, slicing through her hope. “You
cried out when the spell shattered.”

“It hurt.” An understatement, but she kept her mouth shut.
She couldn’t risk her pack taking the sword from her if they found out about
the backlash.

Panic crushed all the air out of her lungs at the thought of
losing the sword. She’d grown even more possessive of the damned thing, despite
the fact that one tiny spell nearly kicked her on her ass.

What would the power of the Prime do to her?

Raven rubbed her arm, still able to feel the echoes of pain,
but there was more. The rush of power was addicting. Like a craving, she longed
to wield the weapon again.

The sword was trying to influence her, its hunger to consume
more almost overwhelming. It made her leery to use it, but she didn’t have a
choice. She just had to be stronger, her resolve unbreakable. She was just beginning
to cope with the creature. She hoped the addition of the sword wouldn’t shatter
the fragile peace between them.

“You don’t have to do this. We can find another way.”

They both knew it was a lie, but she smiled at him anyway.
“I’ll be fine.”

They travelled only a few more yards when they heard voices.

“Where is she?” Durant’s silky smooth voice was threaded
with menace.

The chill that frosted her insides slowly thawed.

He was alive.

She gave in to the irrational urge to smile.

Nicholas chuckled and gestured in the direction of Durant’s
voice. “Go.”

She didn’t need to be told twice and hurried down the tunnel.

 Chapter Twenty-four

R
aven
rounded the corner to see Durant pinned to the wall like flypaper, a spell
holding him still.

Almost.

Muscles strained as he peeled himself away.

Power swirled in the air, and she saw his wards flare to
life. He dropped to the floor on all fours, his eyes molten, fangs and claws at
the ready. Stark fear was etched on the witches as they backed away, busily
trying to amplify the spell to hold him in place.

“Durant.”

His head snapped in her direction, his eyes unfocused. Her
gut sank, and a deep foreboding raised the hairs on the back of her neck. If
she didn’t stop him, the witches would do whatever it took to protect
themselves. “Durant, you have to stop. They’ve drugged you.”

He shook his head as if to clear it and narrowed his eyes.
“You’re not real. They conjured you up to trick me.”

He prowled toward her on all fours, nothing in his eyes
remotely friendly. She would not back away. She would not be prey. She lifted
her hand as if to hold him off. “Wait.”

Raven raised her sword, and he cocked his head, his smile
turning predatory. “Raven would never raise a sword to me.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” She grabbed the blade in her fist and jerked
the sword free. The edge was so sharp, the pain she expected never came. Blood
welled between her fingers, and she held her clenched fist out to him. “Witches
can mess with what you see, but they can’t alter scents. Shifters’ senses are
too keen for them to be fooled.”

It took all her strength to hold her hand steady while he
approached. He sniffed the air, then came closer, a low rumble in his chest.
Before she could move, he launched to his feet and had her wrapped in his arms.

He trembled, his hold squeezing the breath from her, but she
didn’t care. “It’s me.”

“I almost killed you.” He didn’t look up as he buried his
face in the crook of her neck.

“They drugged you to get you out of the way.” She gave a
pointed look over his shoulder at Heloise. “A few of the witches contacted
those on the outside and made a deal. They were going to hand me over in
exchange for their freedom.”

Nicholas had come up behind her and shoved their two
captives. They sprawled on the floor in a heap. Durant stiffened in her arms as
his attention fell on them.

“Don’t.”

The floor rolled as the mountain shook, and Heloise stepped
forward. “We only have a few minutes before the wards fall. Their belief is not
shared by all of us. I can assure you that they’ll be punished. Will you still
fight with us? We won’t survive without you.”

“I have a feeling none of us will come out alive if we don’t
start working together.” Dominic and Rylan edged closer to her, us versus them,
ready to stand beside her in whatever she decided. “But don’t expect us to
trust you. At every turn, you’ve lied and tricked us. You won’t get another
chance. Turn on us, and I will hunt you down and kill you myself.”

“I deserve that.” Heloise gave a wry smile. “Despite my good
intentions, we’ve done nothing but betray you from the start. I have no right
to ask you to sacrifice more, but I have no choice. Without your help, my
people will be slaughtered.”

The witch who’d tried to kidnap her struggled to her feet. “They’ll
still honor the treaty we negotiated. All you have to do is hand her over, and
we will be safe.”

Raven braced for an attack, her hand tightening around the sword
hilt as all eyes swung toward her. Durant stiffened, while Rylan just rolled up
his sleeves in his precise way as he readied for a fight.

“No.” Heloise’s eyes darkened to shadows and power threaded
her voice. “We need more than survival.”

Magic built in the confined space until it clogged Raven’s
chest. The blade hummed under her hand, eager for a taste. Durant grabbed her
arm when she took a step forward, tucking her up against his side, his leather
scent clearing the haze that had taken hold of her.

Hatred distorted the witch’s face. “Then you’ve killed us
all.”

Energy sizzled in the air, and she hurled magic at Heloise.

She deflected the spell like swatting away a mosquito. Power
thrummed in the tunnel, the shadows groaning as they were torn away and sucked
toward Heloise. With a flick of her hand, the witch flew backwards and smashed into
the wall with a sickening crunch.

“Anyone else want to protest?” Enriched with power, her
voice thundered in the narrow space.

No one said a word.

Raven’s vision flickered, her second sight stealing over her,
and she saw Heloise as she truly was…a real-life voodoo priestess. The images
at the mansion now made sense. She wasn’t a long lost relative. The woman she’d
been arguing with had been her mother…the voodoo queen, Marie Laveau. They’d
never found Heloise’s grave because she’d escaped her mother’s fate and headed
west to start her own coven.

Shock knocked Raven out of her vision.

A nasty blow rumbled through the mountain, the very stones shuddered,
and Heloise closed her eyes. When they snapped open, they were pure black. “The
wards have fallen. Do you fight with us?”

Durant bristled, his grip on her tightening. “You don’t have
to do this.”

She touched his arm then stepped out of his hold. “If we
run, he’ll come after us. If we stay and fight, we have a chance to avert a
war.”

A small glow seemed to swell around Heloise as she gathered
her power back into herself. “Then we’ll stick to our plan. I hope you’ve had
time to learn how to use that thing.” She gestured toward the weapon Raven held
at her side.

Raven lifted the sword, angling it for the others to see.
“It seems that I might.”

“It’s active.” She sounded surprised, pausing briefly to
study the symbols on the blade.

“In a way.” Not wanting to tell the truth, that she had no
idea what she was doing, she forged ahead with their plan. “I’ll go out first.
Get your people ready to move.”

* * *

“Raven.”

Her name echoed down the tunnel, and she scurried away to
avoid the confrontation she knew was coming. She couldn’t deal with another argument
with Durant. Something in the way he said her name warned her that she didn’t
want to be caught.

She rounded the corner, then skidded to a stop to find him
waiting for her. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, but the way his
chest heaved belied his casual pose. When his gaze locked onto her, menace
tightened his face, and he dropped his arms.

To have his fury directed at her was unnerving.

Raven couldn’t help it, she backed up a step.

She wasn’t afraid…exactly.

He stalked her down the tunnel, filling up the narrow space.
Even if she was quick, she’d never be able to squeeze past him without getting
caught. “You should be waiting with the rest.”

But he kept coming until he stood right in her space, damned
touchy-feely shifters. They had no sense of personal boundaries.

“I know what you and that vampire have planned, and I have no
intention of watching you die.”

Her stomach dropped to her knees. He was talking about
Rylan’s promise to make sure she wouldn’t hurt any innocents. She tried to hold
Durant’s gaze, but the recriminations she saw there made her drop her eyes to
stare at anything but him.

“It was only a last resort,” She mumbled, and everything
about him stiffened. Damned shifter hearing.

He touched her chin with a finger and lifted her face to
his. She saw the last thing she ever expected.

Hurt.

Something in her chest cracked at the knowledge that she’d
wounded him. “You don’t understand. I was only trying to protect you.”

“No. You were taking the easy way out. If you wanted to
protect us, you’d never try to abandon us.” The accusation hit her fragile
heart with enough force to make it crumble around the edges.

 Worse, he was partially right.

Shame burned through her, before anger flared to life. She
knocked his hand away, unable to bear his touch. “Do you think I want to
leave?”

She shoved her hands behind her to resist the urge to deck
the bastard.

Durant shrugged, bruises still darkening his eyes. “You
never wanted a pack in the first place. You were forced to take me. What do you
expect us to believe?”

“That I wanted to protect you.” She snarled the words
between clenched teeth.

His face softened a little, and he pressed closer until she
felt cool stone against her back and hot male smashed against her front. “You’re
the only one who believes we need protection from you.”

The creature hummed its agreement.

His golden eyes shimmered as he studied every inch of her
face.

“Rylan only agreed because I forced him into it years ago. He’s
refused to do anything unless there was no other choice.”

“Smart man.” His gravelly voice warned that any other answer
would’ve had the two men at each other’s throats. He leaned closer, never once
looking away. Being the center of attention from an alpha male like Durant was
flustering…and flattering. “Tell me you’re not going out there to get yourself
killed.”

“The thought never crossed my mind.” Which was true in a way.
She just didn’t expect to survive, but it didn’t seem prudent to say that last bit
out loud.

But he knew anyway. He traced her face with light fingers, as
though memorizing every detail. Saying good-bye. Something fierce danced in his
gaze as he ducked his head toward hers. “I won’t let you die on me.”

Before she could protest, he covered his mouth with hers.
His kiss was hot and ruthless and pushed everything else out of her head but
him.

Raven didn’t try to stop him, giving as good as she got. She
wrapped her arms around his waist, scraping her nails lightly down his back. A
growl rumbled from him, sending a thrill coursing through every cell, making
her crave more.

He bent and scooped her ass up in his large hands, and she automatically
wrapped her legs around his waist. His arousal pressed intimately against her,
and Durant tore his mouth away and rested his forehead against hers.

“You will live.” It was a vow.

Raven leaned forward and nipped at the strong cords of his
neck, relishing the way he shuddered.

He pressed her back against the wall to hold her in place,
and then those hands of his sneaked into her hair and pulled her head back.
“Promise.”

Raven narrowed her eyes on him, annoyed at being denied.
Wanting a little payback, she flexed her legs and wiggled. “Kiss me.”

It was a demand.

He growled, and his fangs lengthened. Instead of fear, heat
sped through her at the tantalizing danger. He dropped his head, teeth nibbling
along her neck, and she simply melted. The hand in her hair skimmed down the
side of her face, and trailed around her neck before slowly brushing across her
collarbone. His mouth skimmed upwards until his lips hovered over hers.

“Promise me.”

“Yes.” She’d promise him anything if he just kissed her one
more time and made her forget their uncertain future.

His hand slid behind her, cradling her against him, when
something changed. The kiss he gave her was slow and gentle, worshiping her, reducing
her to a puddle of emotions.

Fierce she could handle.

Gentleness destroyed her.

He loosened his hold, allowing her to slide down the front
of his body, forcing her to feel every inch of him against her. Then, without a
word, he broke the kiss. Her legs wobbled when she tried to stand on her own.

The last thing she saw was the brittle set of his shoulders
as he stormed away.

She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, panting for
breath, still able to feel him pressed against her everywhere.

She should be embarrassed, angry that he took instead of
asking permission.

And maybe she’d tell him so if she could remember how to
form words again.