Breaking Free (12 page)

A wave of guilt hit Devlin. “Unlikely. I’ve made charms that can conceal the true nature of a
Shadowstalker, and other things. If I hadn’t, they would have kept torturing the innocent. I couldn’t stomach it. I’m sorry.” Devlin’s voice trailed off as he looked away.

Jamie caught him and grabbed his face, forcing his gaze to hers. “I told you, no one is going to blame you for doing what you needed in order to survive.
You were preventing innocents from more pain. We’ll make it right.”

“Tell me what I need to do
.”

Hayden
answered, “Help us figure out the best way to stop them. You have more information than the rest of us. You can tell us what we need to know and how to defeat them.”

“You have all my knowledge at your disposal.”

The light
tore through Sarah’s head. She couldn’t get away from it, and she couldn’t scream loud enough to shatter the glass. No one seemed to hear her outside the damned room.

No one came, no one made a sound. Curled up on the floor, she
attempted to block out the light, but it seemed to seep in no matter what she tried.

Then she felt them. Another
Shadowstalker and a dark mage. She recognized their scent. The world was plunged into shadow and she dissolved into the dark spreading out to find an escape. She filtered through the keyhole and reformed. Blind, but outside the cage.

Someone scooped her up, and snarled in her ear. “You’ll be punished for your disobedience.
First, we need to regroup before Edenton’s residents catch on.” The dark voice belonged to Santos. Malachi’s right-hand man and the one who literally beat and tortured her into their mold.

Knowing punishment was coming, she spent hours trying to come up with a good excuse.
“The very druid DeMarco wants is here. I found out, and tried to capture her. I was trying to move his plan ahead.”

“That wasn’t your mission. Not yet. Not until Malachi is brought into our realm.
He won’t be happy you disobeyed DeMarco. You know what that means. I’m going to enjoy your screams of agony.”

“Perhaps, but I’ve learned to crave it. It’s no longer punishment.
”

“Oh, I’ll find a way to punish you, little soldier.”

The air rushed past as she was carried out of the building.

“Drink,” Santos commanded
.

H
er lips were pressed to a warm neck. She felt magic laced with death lick through her. She pushed calm through him, taking away his instinct to fight.

* * * *

Devlin convinced everyone it was best to reinforce those watching over Sarah. They were nearly there when Hayden’s phone rang.

The voice on the other end was frantic
. “Erik’s down. They’ve drained him. Shit, we didn’t sense them, didn’t hear them, then he was on the ground bleeding.”

Devlin slammed his eyes shut and tried to
reach out with his senses to find Sarah. He felt nothing. Of course, there was a good chance his own jewelry was blocking, but he wasn’t about to take it off. Sarah had consumed enough of his blood to find him anywhere the second he removed his own wards.

“I can help him, whoever he is,” Devlin offered
.

Hayden looked at him in the mirror with narrowed eyes.

He further explained, “It was one of the first things I learned to do while the Dales had me.”

“Do what?” Jamie asked.

“I can replenish his blood via magic.”

“You can do that?” Hayden asked. “I didn’t think blood could be replaced by a spell.”

“Yes and no.” He shrugged, and searched for the words. “I don’t replace it. I force the blood cells to multiply at an extremely accelerated rate. It’s not perfect, but he’ll live and recover quickly. Too often and it can cause problems, but one time won’t be an issue.”

“Good. He’s a Necromancer, and we can use his skills against the
Shadowstalkers, if we can track them.”

“I have an idea. I’ll need jewelry, something from everyone. I can
cast wards to nullify the spells I’ve woven on the Dales pieces. Whoever wears a piece will be able to sense them as they normally would. It’s the best option I have.”

“You certainly are coming in handy,” Hayden replied.

“It’s the least I can do. I brought them here, though that was never my intention.”

Hayden
cleared his throat. “They were going to come for Fallon anyway. You said it yourself, they have a purpose for her.”

Jamie scooted closer to him. “
I’m glad you’re on our side,” she whispered.

“
I wish I could do more. I’m more likely to be in the way.”

“
You’re going to save Erik. That’s better than any of us can do,” Jamie quipped. “We all have our own gifts. Yours will be as important as Fallon’s or anyone else’s.”

He shook his head. “
I feel out of place. Nothing I do is that spectacular.”

“That’s not true, Dev. Your power is deeper, gentler, but no less profound. You bring life, protection, healing. Things I know Fallon a
nd Liz are jealous of at times.”

Hayden interrupted, “Show
time.”

Devlin
jumped out of the vehicle, Jamie on his heels. He made a dash to the necromancer laying on the ground, and a shaman trying to care for him.

“What are you doing?” Tom asked.

“Going to help if you’ll take your hand away. I need access to the wound.”

Uncertain,
Tom looked past Devlin to the rushing mass of people behind him.

Jamie shouted, “Let him, unless you want to watch Erik die.”

Tom pulled his hands away as Devlin covered the wound. He started chanting as his hands cooled. He concentrated on sending the blood rushing through his body, accelerating the reproduction of cells.

Once the
man’s blood pressure and heartbeat stabilized, he healed the wound.

* * * *

Jamie watched in awe as a golden glow seeped through Devlin’s skin. She could feel his magic spinning up, drawing from everything around them. It caressed past her, drawing her closer until she fell to her knees beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

His sigh blanketed her in his warmth, the bond forging stronger as she leant h
er energy.

Erik sat up straight, his eyes flying open as Jamie stared at her mate.

Devlin turned to her with an awed expression. “You shared your strength, sped the process. How?”

She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “
Not really sure. I was drawn to you and followed my instinct.”

“
What happened?” Erik’s voice was rough and shaky. He placed a hand over his neck and his brow wrinkled in confusion.

“What do you remember?” Preston asked.

“I was standing here, and then I couldn’t see anything. Someone was sucking, but calming me at the same time. Then I was falling. I was close to death.”

Devlin filled in what he expected,
“She was only able to block out your senses through the dark mage’s magic. Your wards are still intact.”

Devlin noticed the necklace around the man’s neck. “May I see your talisman?”

Erik looked back to Devlin, then Jamie. “This your new mate?”

Her smile grew. “He is, so play nice. And he’s being sincere. He’s trying to prevent anything like that from happening again.”

“He saved my ass, so I can’t complain too much. But I had to see your face when you admitted it.”

“You’re such a pain,” she muttered, feeling foolish. She had tried to get Erik in
to bed one night a week or so ago, but he didn’t want to upset his friend Preston. It left her feeling stupid. Now she was sitting between her mate, her ex, and a man she’d tried to seduce, all while her mate had his arm around her.

With a knowing smirk on his face, he
pulled the necklace off, handing it to Devlin.

Nodding, Devlin took the amulet
and wrapped his hands around it. His eyes closed and he started to chant once again.

Another lightshow, this one more colorful as various
hues flashed beneath his skin, causing strange shadows.

“I’ve
never seen anything like that,” Fallon admitted.

“Mom could do similar,” he answered without losing focus. Then he handed the medallion back to Erik. “You should be able to feel them when they come again. Even track their signature. I can do the same for everyone who needs it. It will offer more protection against them, but I understand Fallon has most
, if not all of you, covered defensively.”

Fallon grinned
. “I do, but extra wards never hurt anyone.”

Slater nodded. “She’s right. We’d appreciate it if you could. It doesn’t have to be everyone. The key people would work.”

“Does everyone have something they’re wearing? I’ll start there, and tomorrow, I can get whoever I missed. I like the idea of my wards being used for good, and against the Dales.”
 

* * * *

Sarah sat in the back of the vehicle. She could see again, but she was silent. Too many thoughts whirled through her head. Doubt, regret, anger, and so many more.

Maybe Hayden was right and the baby would have been fine. She hadn’t had a lot of choice though. It was let Malachi make her a monster, or die with their child. She was so sure, even after everything that bastard made her do
, Brody would still be there, missing her, and ready to take her back with open arms.

H
is gorgeous eyes were so cold. She hardly recognized the fury on his face. He used to be so sweet, gentle unless they were in bed, then he was full of fiery passion. And it was all gone.

She would
give anything to go back and explain why she made her choice. There was a time she had regretted it, wanted to fight against it, but it wouldn’t have done any good. She would be dead and gone.

The night was pitch black, the stars were even hiding as the caravan travelled to the airfield. Then everything spun out of control.

Each vehicle stopped moving forward, instead lifting straight
up as the engines whined. With a deafening jolt, they came crashing back down and the power for each unit shut off, plunging the night into silence that only lasted a second before the shouting began.

Sarah climbed from her Humvee and came
face-to-face with a tall, lean man covered in black. His eyes were pits of coal, his head shiny and bald. There were scars tracing up from his collar and shadows seeping around him like a dark nimbus.

Her blood went cold but she raised her gun. She couldn’t even track his movement as her weapon was flung away, the strap snapping
. Before she could fall, he caught her and sank his fangs into her neck.

Slamming her fists into him only caused his grip to tighten painfully. Then she heard him in her mind.

If you want to live, stop fighting. Otherwise, I’ll kill you like the rest.

“Don’t do this. I’m pregnant!”

His laugh echoed through her head.
By a werewolf. The child won’t live, and could very likely take you with it. Don’t you want to be stronger? Don’t you want to be enough for your werewolf back home?

Her resistance was slipping away as tears leaked down her face. She wanted to be in Brody’s arms, wanted their child. Wanted the life she was meant to have, but he was right. The baby wouldn’t survive. Images of mutated furry little embryos swirled through her
brain. She didn’t know where the thoughts were coming from, but she was terrified.

“I need Brody.”

All in good time. For now you need to be a good little soldier and do what I ask. You’ll see him again, but first we need you. You’ve been chosen to fulfill the plan.

“What plan?”

The vampire’s fangs slid out and his tongue swiped over her flesh. A wave of revulsion rolled through her as he stared into her eyes.

“Uh-uh-uh,” he chided. “All in good time. For now, you need
to do what you’re told.” His sharp white fangs sliced through his own wrist, and then the wound was pressed to her mouth. “Drink, now.”

It wasn’t long before she felt her body dying, her child with it. Then the real hell began, warping her, twisting her into something she hadn’t been.

Malachi got into her head, twist
ing her view of her happy life. And then the blood lust started.

At first Devlin calmed the need. He helped tame it, curb it. That is until
she earned Malachi’s wrath by asking too many questions and demanding to be set free.

She was thrown to the floor, a dozen feet from Devlin who sat behind bars with a devastated look on his face. He never offered a single word of condolence as pain etched his features.

Sarah flew at the bars
once the door was slammed shut. “Why are you doing this? You said I could go home.”

Malachi laughed coldly. “Not until you
play your part. Then you’ll be free.”

“When? It’s been months.”

“When I say so.”

Santos walked in and shoved
a torch between the bars, nearly catching her clothes on fire. She stumbled back and the door was flung open as a child was tossed in with her. The lock clicked into place.

Hating what she was becoming, and only taking solace in Devlin’s sweet and gentle nature, she tried to stop feeding. It had been days, and the blood lust roared to life as the small girl wailed in fear.