Wicked Waves: Solsti Prophecy #2 (37 page)

“These work just as well on Lash demons.” Kai flexed his knife.

Cale’s face contorted as he spewed foul curses. “Kill him!” he yelled to the dark-haired demon.

In one swift move, Raniero’s sword pressed against Kai’s throat.

Brooke shrieked, not recognizing the animal-like sound of her own voice.
No, no, no
!
 
She didn’t care that this wasn’t exactly like her dream. It was too close.

“Raniero!
 
What the fuck?” Mathias roared.

Raniero turned their way, flicked a brief glance to Mathias. “Stay out of this, Hunter.”
 
His dark eyes danced with crazed emotions.

“You forget your oath, demon!” Mathias bellowed.

Oath?
 
Brooke’s eyes snapped to Mathias. “What oa—”

 
“Kill him if you want her to live!” Cale shouted to Raniero, jostling the female. The drops of blood increased to a thin stream.

Raniero stood in profile to Brooke, pain and anger contorting his face.

Brooke grabbed Mathias’ sleeve and spoke through gritted teeth. “Make these guards mad!”

His hazel eyes scowled. “What?”

“Make them breathe their toxin!
 
I can work with it.”

Mathias slanted her a look.

Impatience fired her blood. “Just do it!”

“Never tried to purposely get a Serus to breathe on me.”
 
He slumped, shifting his center of gravity. The Serus demon behind him grunted and started to yank him up.

Mathias twisted in its grip, slamming his shoulder just below its ribs. It stumbled to the side. Silver flashed in Mathias’ hand. He moved like a dark lightning bolt, his dagger sunk deep in the Serus’ gut.

It roared and released a white cloud of poison breath.

Yes!
 
Brooke reached for it with her mind. She visualized the structure of the cloud and coaxed apart the water molecules, ready to send them into Cale’s face.

She gasped. Pain sliced down her throat. Her hands flew to her chest, clawing at her skin. Her lungs felt like they were full of knives. Knives that were heated to a thousand degrees.

She fell to her knees.
Can’t breathe. Need air
.
God, what is this?

She registered Mathias’ voice, sounding miles away. “Fight it, Brooke!
 
You only breathed a little of it.”

Two other Serus tackled Mathias to the ground.

Fight it?
 
Fight what?
 
Her vision swam, the edges black.
How did I breathe any of it?

Cale’s voice drifted to her ears, rising above the commotion. “I said, kill him!
 
Goddamn it, Raniero.
 
You fucking work for me.
 
Kill him!”

She dropped to the ground, body on fire from the inside out. Her hands pressed into the dirt, scrabbling futilely as she choked. Short harsh breaths fought to get through her airway. Each one seared. Agony exploded in her chest.

No
.
Won’t…let...Raniero kill Kai
. He survived too much to die this way, by the hand of another Watcher. He was a fighter. He was
hers
.

She raised her head, peering between the legs in front of her, searching for Cale in the melee. His face glowered with rage. Blood trailed down the female’s chest.

Brooke fought the pain in her lungs and focused on Kai. At his side, she had found a friend she could fight with, and fight for. Someone who had never held her back. Someone who encouraged her power. In his arms, she had found a lover who affected her like no other, who melted her body with one heated glance.

I love him
.

The knowledge surged through her soul, crashing down in a tsunami of urgency.

Think you can do that to a Neshi?
 
His words from their first day on Torth echoed in her mind. Hell yeah, she’d do it to a Neshi. But first?

She’d do it to a Lash demon.

Staring at Cale, she focused her power. Drew energy from every cell in her body. Pictured the gray grass when it had surrendered its life-giving water.

The air around her charged and swirled. The Serus grunted. Mathias was talking, but she couldn’t make out the words. Brooke never broke her mental and visual lock on Cale.

She frowned and concentrated harder.
Come on!
 
She would not let her man die.
My power is NOT worthless. I can do this!

A shot of warm energy careened through her heart.
Kai
. Her body felt like it was plugged into a city power station. Forcing away the last of the pain in her lungs, she inhaled. Kai’s strength flowed into her. She didn’t know how, but she’d take every advantage right now.

A growl filled the air and it took a second before she realized it came from her. Cale turned to her, eyes narrowed, mouth open to speak.

His face twisted sharply in agony, lips parted on a silent scream. The knife fell from his hand. The female ran to Raniero, who dropped his sword to fold her in his arms.

Kai held his Neshi knife poised, but Cale sunk to his knees. Liquid burst from the pores of his skin, spewing out in all directions like a psychotic sieve. A choking noise escaped his mouth as he rotated his arms, staring in horror at the fronts and backs of his hands.

Brooke narrowed her eyes and continued to pour her mental energy into Cale. Gripped by determination and transfixed by the macabre spectacle of her own creation, one thought rang in her mind.
No one threatens Kai.

Water flowed from Cale’s nose and gaping mouth. It ran down his chest in a sickly flood, cascading over the arms he wrapped around his stomach. His skin puckered and wrinkled, shrinking in on itself as it lost life-giving liquid. Once golden and smooth, it morphed into mummified, crepe-like tissue. Useless arms went slack. His shaking body listed to one side.

Face distorted, his lips pulled back across his teeth. The color of his skin turned a sallow yellow-brown. His eyelids stretched back, pupils wide in terror. The flow of water changed to blood as crimson streamed from his mouth, nose, and ears.

Her jaw dropped.
I must have gotten all the water out.
The pulpy mess sludged from his pores and coated his shivering frame.
Is that what’s left of his insides?
 
Bile rose in her throat.

Brooke’s muscles quaked as she halted her power on a huge exhale. Unable to look away from Cale, her breath came in jagged gasps.

With a massive twitch, his shoulder slammed the forest floor. His head hit the ground, blond hair mashed into a mix of water, dirt and blood. The thundering fall jolted his eyeballs free. Still attached by the retinal nerves, they hung loose like shriveled grapes, staring at nothing.
 

Kai stepped back. He turned to her, jaw slack. His familiar brown eyes danced with wonder and awe.
I love you
.

She heard his words in her mind, his voice clear as if he sat beside her.

And I love you
. The thought blasted through her. Lit up her soul like a supernova. It winked out just as fast, the last thing she could comprehend.
I love him.
Her muscles collapsed. Her body rushed toward the ground. Darkness closed in.
 

C
HAPTER
26

“B
ROOKE
!”
 
K
AI
HURTLED
ACROSS
THE
short distance of forest floor.

Brooke’s body lay limp in the grass. Sweat covered her skin, dark hair sticking to her face.

Kneeling, he gathered her into his arms. “Brooke, baby. It’s over. Wake up.”
 
Faint breaths told him she was alive. The ticking pulse at her neck confirmed it. He shook her by the shoulders. Her head lolled to one side, but she didn’t stir.

Holy hell. She did it
. His mind spun, amazed by her power. A week ago, she’d learned to pull water from grass. Now, she’d pulled water from Cale’s body. Killed him with her mind. In a disgusting, horror-movie-worthy way.

But at what cost?
 
Her head slumped against his chest, porcelain skin more pale than usual. He settled on the ground with her across his lap. “Brooke.”
 
His throat scratched. Had he imagined her words in his head before she passed out?
 
Did she love him?

Mathias laid a hand on his shoulder. “She gonna be okay?”

“I don’t know.” Kai’s voice caught in his throat.

The Hunter swore. “Look, dude, I know this is a bad time and all, but…Shit. We have about thirty Serus demons to smoke.”

“Fuck.”
 
Kai’s gaze snapped toward their enemies. He itched for a fight, but there was no way he was letting Brooke out of his arms. “I’m not leaving her.”

The Serus looked confused, but Kai would never underestimate them. They drew together, exchanging words in their native tongue, then turned as a group toward him and Mathias. Their black eyes burned with malice, and their hands clenched as they spread out in an offensive formation.
This can’t be good
. “What about our rogue Watcher?”

“Raniero!” Mathias barked. He picked up one of Kai’s short swords. “Getcha ass moving!”

Raniero picked up his sword and grabbed his female’s hand. They dashed over to Mathias.

“Kill half these bastards and you’re partially redeemed,” Mathias growled at his comrade. “Kai, cover your female and use your demonfire.”

“Got it,” Kai said.

Raniero nudged the dark-haired female toward the shrubs behind Kai.
 

“Wait!”
 
She stood her ground and gestured to Brooke. “She needs help.”

The Serus growled and advanced.

Concern and anger warred across Raniero’s face. “Ash—”

“Join the fight or get the fuck down!”
 
Mathias shot a glance to the trees and whistled

The female darted toward Kai, crouching when she got close. “My name’s Ashina. I’m a healer. May I—”

A zinging noise rang out as arrows filled the air. The first seven Serus demons fell, clutching sizzling gray skin pierced by the elegant projectiles.

The elves. Seven in all, with Jason, his brothers, and his search party.

Kai looked up. Jason perched in a nearby tree, nocking another arrow. His hand lifted in a silent command, and a second volley flew from the trees into the group of Serus. The remaining demons roared and charged in a chaotic rush, belching clouds of white misty poison.

“Can’t let the elves have all the fun. Let’s go!”
 
Mathias sprinted toward the nearest demon. Raniero shot a glance at Ashina before darting toward the Serus horde.

Kai studied the healer. The woman radiated warm confidence. Goodness, not evil. But who the hell was she?
 
His eyes flicked down to Brooke and back up. “She stays where she is.”

Ashina held his gaze for a beat and then nodded. “I’ll just feel her pulse.”
 
She took Brooke’s hand.

Shouts and cries echoed off the trees behind him. He twisted sideways and cursed. In the midst of the fight, two Serus were closing in fast on one elf who’d dropped down from his tree.

Kai lobbed two balls of demonfire in rapid succession, hitting both larger gray demons. Turning back, he saw Ashina’s eyes close as she held Brooke’s hand. He frowned. Healers were great, and he respected most of them, but he would bet this one had never treated a Solsti.

Shooting a glance over his shoulder, he spotted more Serus with their guards down and hurled more fire balls at them. One. Two. Three. Raniero and Mathias took down two apiece.

The fight didn’t last long. Serus bodies lay strewn across the forest floor. The elves climbed down from their perches to inspect the fallen demons, ensuring their grisly task was complete.

Raniero jogged toward Ashina, concern evident on his face.

Kai leapt to his feet, yanking Brooke out of Ashina’s grasp. “Stop right there, demon.”

Fists clenched, Mathias stalked into Raniero’s personal space. “You have five seconds to explain yourself, Watcher.”

“She’s my mate,” Raniero nodded to Ashina. “And Cale’s daughter.”

Mathias let out a loud string of curses. “His daughter?
 
What kind of a sick fuck—”

“My father’s dead, thanks to this woman.” Ashina crossed her arms over her chest and leveled a no-nonsense look at Mathias. “I’d like to make sure she’s okay.”

“Ask him.” Mathias jerked his head toward Kai.

Kai narrowed his eyes.
Raniero’s mate?
 
Shit
. The desire to protect a mate was the only thing powerful enough to make Watchers forsake their oath. Given the confrontation they’d all just witnessed, there was no love between father and daughter. Fear for Brooke outweighed any trepidation. “Fine, but he stays back.”

Ashina turned to him. “Can you lay her down, please?”

Kai obliged, smoothing back Brooke’s tangle of chestnut waves.

Ashina moved gently and efficiently, like she’d done this a hundred times. She laid her ear against Brooke’s heart and belly. “What happened first?”

Mathias spoke. “She inhaled Serus breath. Not much though. She fought it.”

Ashina frowned and laid her head close to Brooke’s chest again. “Her lungs are clear. Functioning normally.”
 
She touched Brooke’s forehead. “No fever. It seems she just passed out. She hit her head pretty hard on the ground. Does she have any medical issues, or anything else I should know about?”
 
She looked at Kai, clinical concern in her green eyes.

Kai held her gaze for a second before answering. “She’s a Solsti.”

Ashina frowned, then tilted her head and gave him a patronizing smile. “The Solsti are mythical creatures.”
 
She raised her eyebrows. “Maybe this battle got to you, as well?”

“She’s Nicole’s sister?” Raniero’s eyebrows shot up.

Kai’s head whipped around to stare. “How do you know Nicole?”
 

“Who’s Nicole?” Mathias asked.