M&L03 - SS (29 page)

“Fair is fair Rachel,” I told
her striding closer while they straightened their clothes. “Why should you get
to enjoy your postcoital bliss when you were so eager to ruin ours?”

She started towards me but
Grayson grabbed her around the waist and glued her back to his front with a
strong arm. “Let go of me Grayson.”

“Not a chance Rachel,”
Grayson responded in a firm voice. “Solomon would not have come looking for us
without a good reason. I think you need to calm down and find out what it is.”

Rachel looked from me to
Solomon. Then she huffed and said, “I’m not interested in anything he has to
say.”

“Alright Rachel,” Solomon
said with a shrug, “but I thought you might like a heads up before I tell Rook
my theory.”

She let out an exaggerated
sigh, but her eyes were weary. “What are you talking about?”

“When I heard your voice in
the club I tried to make you stop talking before you said something to set
Renee off, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t get a hold of your mind no matter
how hard I tried.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”
Rachel snapped. “You told me you wouldn’t do that anymore.”

“No, I told you I wouldn’t do
it unless I thought it was really necessary, but that’s not the point. Three
days ago, it took me half a second to get a hold of your mind. Then tonight, it
wasn’t happening no matter how long I tried.”

“Again; how is that a bad
thing?”

“What was the first sign that
there was something special about your mother Rachel?” Solomon asked, and then
waited.

Rachel’s brows drew together
for a moment before she began struggling desperately against Grayson’s hold.
“Let me go Grayson! Let go of me now!” When he finally let her go, she pointed
a finger at him and backed away from all of us. “This is not happening! First
Jasper gets all possessive and now you think you’re in love with me. Can’t you
guys get it through your heads? I don’t want to be tied down to anyone.”

Grayson looked as lost as I
felt when Rachel turned and stalked back towards the club.

“What just happened Solomon?”
Grayson asked before I had a chance.

Solomon rubbed his hands over
his face and I felt his unease through the bond. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now
that Angela, Rook’s
anai
and Rachel’s mother, is a conduit.”

Grayson nodded. “I’ve heard
the rumors, but I wasn’t sure what to make of them. I always thought conduits
were legends - not real, but I’ve felt the power emanating from Sa’jon Ruk, and
there can be no other explanation. Somehow he is tied directly into the River
of Time.”

“Trust me, conduits are real
and I think you’re about to discover exactly how they work.”

Grayson turned his head in
the direction Rachel had gone. “You’re not saying...?”

“That’s exactly what I’m
saying.” Solomon confirmed. “Rook believes conduits are descendants of your
Goddess. Rachel’s mother is a conduit, so it only follows that she is too. Rook
also believes a conduit’s ability to channel the River of Time can only be
awakened and used by a time demon who loves her.

None of us could get into
Angela’s head while Rook was getting to know her. We didn’t understand why
until he finally realized he loved her and she started traveling through time
with him. I believe your feelings for Rachel have awakened her conduit abilities,
and if they continue to grow, she will eventually follow you through time. If
you chose to become
anai
, you would be tied to the River through Rachel,
just like Rook is through Angela.”

Grayson looked like he was
going to be sick, but I didn’t know how to make him feel better. I was just as
stunned as he was. As far as I knew, he’d only met Rachel a few days ago. How
could he already be falling in love with her?

Solomon went over and put his
hand on Grayson’s shoulder. “I suggest you sit down and talk to Rook as soon as
possible, before something crazy happens and you don’t know how to handle it.”

Grayson nodded, but not like
he agreed, more like it was an automatic response.

“Do you want me to tell Rook
my suspicions before you see him?”

“No,” Grayson answered, his
eyes clearing as he straightened his spine. “I will tell Sa’jon Ruk what I have
done.”

“You haven’t done anything
wrong Grayson. Rook will see that you care for Rachel, and I honestly think
he’ll be relieved. She could have hooked up with a lot worse.”

Grayson’s black eyes met
Solomon’s gaze. “Your faith in me means a lot Solomon. I will meet with Sa’jon
Ruk as soon as possible and let the Goddess determine my fate.”

Grayson left and Solomon
pulled me into his arms.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?”
I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist.

He tucked my hair behind my
ear. “He’ll be fine. He just needs some time to sort this out in his head.”

“Why is he so afraid of Rook?
I mean sure, Rook can be pretty scary, but he only hurts people who really
deserve it.”

“Grayson doesn’t know Rook
the way we do. He sees Rook as an Elder, and when he sees Elders, he sees
corruption. The previous lot killed his parents before Rook stepped in and took
them out. I’m sure he’ll come around, but trust will take time.”

“Well time is something those
demons have in spades,” I told him, smiling. “Since our time is limited; what
do you think we should do with it?”

He flashed me that sexy grin
of his. “I can think of a few ways to spend the next several hours.”

“Oh you can?” I slid my hand
up his back and burrowed my fingers into his hair. “Maybe you should tell me
what you have in mind. Or better yet, maybe you should show me.”

I went up on my toes and he
bent his head down to kiss me. Just before our lips met he breathed, “It would
be my pleasure...”

For the next several hours,
Solomon demonstrated exactly how creative he could be. By the time we passed
out, euphoric and exhausted, he’d proven that centuries of practice really did
pay off and he was
pretty damn close to perfect.

~ Renee ~

It was the final night of
competition and the stadium was full to capacity. Excitement ran through the
crowd like an electric current, anticipation gripping us all as we eagerly
awaited the bloodshed. As a vampire, blood, violence, and the thrill of the
hunt had all been enticing, but now as a nightshifter, they were positively
intoxicating. I wasn’t sure if it was the fox that made it all so much more
appealing or if it was my ties to Solomon. Either way, I craved the coming
carnage down to my very core.

Normally the marksmanship
finale would have been first, but with Danarius competing in two of the three
final matches, the order was changed to allow him time to rest between events.

A thick fog rolled in and
settled down below in the battlefield. Moments later, a blustery wind blew
through the area, swirling the fog and revealing the two contestants. Katerina
stood facing Danarius. Though she was by no means small, her lithe form certainly
looked to be no match for the hulking vampire. Thankfully, she had her sword in
hand, ready to keep him at arm’s length. The wind slowed to a light breeze,
leaving only a thin mist behind.

The sound of a gunshot echoed
through the night signaling the start of the match. Dramatic music played in
the background as Katerina and Danarius circled each other. Katerina was the
first one to strike, moving quickly, but not quite fast enough. The vampire was
skilled and graceful. The two of them danced, clashing swords, twirling and
thrusting with deadly precision. Katerina’s long, dark hair flared around her
as she dodged and spun, always gone before Danarius could manage to draw her
blood.

“They’re beautiful Solomon,”
I breathed, not taking my eyes off the breathtaking couple down below on the
battlefield. “I couldn’t have choreographed a better show if I tried.”

“It is beautiful, and perhaps
we’ll recreate this dance on stage someday, but look closer. There’s something
even more amazing than their beauty.”

I narrowed my eyes, taking a
closer look as he suggested and noticed that Katerina’s eyes were closed. I’d
seen her train with a blindfold on before and I knew she was quite good even
without the use of her eyes, but that was training. This was the final match of
the annual tournament.

“Why would she risk it?”

“I don’t know,” Solomon
answered, shaking his head. “But whatever her reasons, it doesn’t seem to be
hindering her in the slightest.”

“It’s very Jedi of her, don’t
you think?” Claire asked, peeking around Liliana who was between us. Most of
our friends were seated nearby in the stands.

I snorted. “If you say so,
but Katerina never mentioned being one with the force.”

“You’d be surprised dear.”
Claire smiled serenely and sat back in her chair.

I turned to Solomon with one
eyebrow raised, but he just shrugged his shoulder and smiled. Shaking my head,
I refocused on Katerina and Danarius. They were still going strong, neither one
of them giving the other an inch. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when the ground
began rolling beneath their feet. Grayson must have been given the go-ahead to
make things more complicated for the two sword masters. It was a common
practice to shorten what could otherwise be a very lengthy match.

Not long after that, Katerina
took a misstep and Danarius drew first blood. It was just a shallow cut on her
upper arm that was healed before she even noticed it, but it was enough. The
arena was momentarily plunged into darkness signaling the black contestant had
scored a point.

Danarius moved back as though
he thought they might pause for a breath, but Katerina had no such intentions.
She thrust her sword forward, lightning fast and the stadium was bathed in
blood red. Danarius wiped blood from his cheek and smirked at Katerina, his dark
eyes appreciative.

Only a second later, Katerina
lunged forward and barely missed impaling the vampire with her sword. Danarius
spun out of the way and they danced across the arena. Leaping and spinning, they
always managed to remain on their feet even as the earth rose and fell beneath
them.

All the spectators in the
packed house were riveted to their seats, taking in the action with a sense of
awe that none of them would soon forget.

Suddenly blood red drenched
the stadium awarding Katerina a second point, but the deadly dance never even
paused. Their swords clashed, more furious than ever. The clang of metal rang
through the stadium, a perfect accompaniment to the heart-pounding music still
playing in the background.

They came together in a rush,
swords held between them, muscles straining. Katerina’s chin came up and ever
so slowly, her eyes opened. For one long, intense moment, their eyes met. Then
Katerina spun away, drawing her sword down as she did to slice through the
vampire’s pants. The arena was once again drowned in the blood red glow that
signaled Katerina had drawn the vampire’s blood.

The crowd went wild, everyone
jumping to their feet and cheering for the proud clan leader. Katerina took a
graceful but quick bow and then wrapped herself in the shadows and disappeared.
Danarius, who had been standing there frozen like a statue, shook himself and
followed her example.

“Now that was just weird,” I
remarked.

“Weird, yes,” Solomon agreed.
“I would have expected her to do a few victory laps, and Danarius usually adds
a little more flare to his exits.”

Solomon’s brows drew together
and he pulled his phone out of his pocket. It was vibrating with the screen lit
up. He read the text and then showed it to me. Dragon wanted Solomon to meet
him in the security office right away. I glanced down a few rows and saw that
Dragon was already saying goodbye to Serafina. Rook remained seated by her side
with a whole cadre of security personnel surrounding the area.

“I’ll be right here when you
get back,” I said before kissing him goodbye.

I was disappointed to see
Solomon go, but I knew Dragon, and his reasons for making the request had to be
important.

Settling back into my seat, I
waited for the next event to begin. After a few moments, a dense forest erupted
from the sand below. A cool breeze blew through the stadium, carrying the damp
scent of trees and moss with an earthy undertone that reminded me of hiking
with my parents when I was younger. Grayson had really gone all out with this
spell.

The shimmering rainbow of a
portal appeared near the center of the arena. Five prisoners emerged, each one
holding a different weapon - crossbow, longbow, rifle, handgun, and throwing
knife. The remaining two contestants - Lucien and Ethan, a wolf shifter from Doyle’s
clan - entered the forest from opposite ends of the stadium. For now, they were
completely unarmed.

The contestants would have to
hunt down the prisoners and confiscate their weapons. Then they would use those
weapons against each other. To win this round, one of the contestants would
have to successfully target his opponent with all five weapons. To make things
more complicated, the weapons were charmed. The prisoners could use them right
from the start, but they wouldn’t operate properly for the competitors until
the spell was broken - which would only happened when the prisoners lost their
heads.

Lucien and Ethan prowled
through the forest stalking their prey. Both of them were skilled hunters, but
even in human form, Lucien had a definite advantage as a lion.

“I can’t believe they’re
going to hunt each other.” Distress was clear in Lilliana’s voice. “It’s bad
enough they’re hunting those prisoners, but to hunt each other...” She shook
her head. “Ethan is our friend.”

“I know how you see our world
Liliana because I’ve been where you are now,” I told the other woman. “Then I
let Solomon change me over, and things I used to find barbaric suddenly became
appealing. I know you have your reasons for not wanting to be a nightshifter,
but you’re not part of the human world any more. The sooner you accept that,
the better off you and Lucien will both be.”

Her chin came up when she
replied, “Lucien said he doesn’t mind waiting.”

“And I’m sure he doesn’t,” I
agreed. “But you know how his clan feels about that decision. The females are
already confronting you. How long do you think it will be before someone
challenges Lucien?”

Her eyes widened and I
continued, “Do you know how many clan leaders survive lost challenges?”

She shook her head and I
answered for her, “None, Liliana. That means Lucien will either have to kill
any clan members who challenge him, or die trying.”

“I don’t want him to die, but
I don’t know if I can accept this way of life.”

Tears welled in her eyes,
threatening to spill over but I had to give it to her straight. She needed a
wakeup call before someone got hurt. “It’s too late for that; you’re already
mated. The only thing you can do now is move forward. To do that, you need to
be a nightshifter. Just try to see all of this through his eyes. Concentrate on
him and feel what he feels.”

She gave me the barest of
nods and closed her eyes.

A few minutes later Lucien
caught up to the prisoner carrying the handgun. He came in fast, leaping
silently from branch to branch, above the vampire’s head. The vampire sensed
him but it was a moment too late. Just as the vampire turned and aimed his
weapon, Lucien was on him, savagely tearing through flesh and bone. With a
mighty roar, Lucien tossed the prisoner’s head aside and scooped up the
handgun. A second later, he was already in motion searching for his next
victim.

Beside me, Liliana shivered
and opened her eyes. “My God. The thrill he gets from stalking and catching his
prey is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It’s almost sexual.”

“Not almost,” I corrected.
“It is sexual. As a human you might think that’s sick and twisted, but that’s
not how we see it at all.”

She shivered again and I had
a feeling Lucien was only getting more turned on as the hunt progressed.

“Let go of all your human
thoughts and let his darker side seep into your soul. I know you’re already
bound, but I think you’re somehow holding that part of him at bay. Let him in,
all of him, and you’ll finally see your mate for what he truly is; a man, a
vampire, and a lion.”

Liliana turned away from me
to watch as her mate came up behind his next victim. When Lucien was just about
to strike, my phone began vibrating. I pulled it out and saw that I had a text
from Katerina. She wanted me to meet her outside the stadium right away.

The crowd cheered as one and
I looked up to see Lucien ripping the head off a blue-skinned demon. Liliana’s
eyes were wide, but her breasts were heaving, her breaths coming in shallow
gasps. Win or lose, I was sure Lucien was going to get very lucky tonight.

“I’ll catch you later
Liliana, Katerina wants me to meet her outside the stadium now.”

She nodded but I wasn’t sure
she even registered a word I said. On my way out of the stadium, I sent Solomon
a text letting him know where I was going. Once I cleared the main entrance, I
looked around and finally spotted Katerina near the tree line.

I jogged over and asked,
“What’s up that can’t wait until after the competition?”

“It’s that human, Rachel.
Honestly I couldn’t care less what happens to her, but Rook and Angela are tied
up protecting Serafina and I just don’t trust that fire demon.”

“Wait... What fire demon?”

“Dimitri. The human left with
him and they went off into the forest. I don’t know what he has planned, but
I’m sure it’s more than the child can handle.”

I remembered the darkness
slithering behind Dimitri’s eyes and knew I had to help find Rachel. Whether
she meant anything to me or not, she was important to Solomon.

“Alright, lead the way,” I
told Katerina and we set out at a fast clip.

The trail led us to the
waterfall where it ended. Thinking they might have gone into the water, I
glanced around but found no sign of them. I was about to give up and go back
for reinforcements when Katerina pointed to a ledge near the top of the
waterfall.

“There they are, up there.”

“What the hell are they doing
up there? She’s human. She’ll die if she tries jumping or diving from that
high.”

“We better get up there
before she tries anything that stupid.”

Katerina unzipped her boots
and tossed them onto the beach along with her electronics. Then she waded into
the water and swam towards the falls. I knew there were a series of ledges
behind the falls that could be used to reach the top of the cliff. Shaking my
head at the absurdity of the situation, I too tossed my boots and cell phone
onto the beach, and then struck out into the water. How I wound up being
Rachel’s savior was beyond me, but I couldn’t leave her with Dimitri, knowing
she had no idea what she was getting into.

~ Solomon ~

I came through the door of
the security office right behind Dragon and was surprised to see Danarius
there, waiting for us to arrive. There was a seating arrangement along the back
wall with two sofas and two chairs forming a rectangle with a coffee table in
the middle. Danarius was relaxing in the armchair on the right. Dragon sat
across from him in the other chair and I flopped onto the couch along the wall.