Caressed by Shadows (Rulers of Darkness Book 4) (12 page)

Falcon chuckled. “You never cease to surprise.” He made a right turn; his gaze flickered to the mirror again. The blue Volkswagen was still behind them.

“You have to admit, they look like fun in the movies,” Sonya insisted.

He made a quick u-turn and so did the Volkswagen. “Well, Your Majesty, your wish is about to come true.” Falcon shifted and floored the gas pedal.

Chapter Twelve

They went speeding through the crowded Birmingham streets, weaving in and out of lanes.

The blue Volkswagen was joined by a red Renault, which suddenly appeared, shooting across an intersection straight for them. Falcon slammed on the breaks, sending their old BMW sliding. They narrowly missed the Renault, but now the Volkswagen was beside them. Falcon shifted furiously and gunned the engine. The BMW lurched forward as the Volkswagen rammed the back bumper.

Falcon cut across the lanes into oncoming traffic, both cars followed. As they dodged the cars coming at them, the BMW jerked from side to side until Falcon slammed the brakes, causing the car to fish tail as he swung it around. Turing sharply, they charged down a dark ally with their pursers hot on their tail.

Sonya turned in her seat and came up on her knees. “Keep it steady,” she said before leaning out the window.

She fired, the bullets of her gun shattering the Volkswagen’s windshield. The car swerved as the hunters tried to escape the spray. She aimed for their tires, blowing the front left out. The witches spun out and slammed into the wall.

Falcon tugged on her shirt, pulling her back into the car as they cleared the ally and shot back out onto the busy city streets. Horns blared as they flew through another intersection, cutting through the traffic. Watching in the rearview mirror, he saw the Renault squeeze past the Volkswagen wreckage.

Sonya slapped another clip into her gun. “It doesn’t look like we are picking up our next car in Birmingham.”

“Pauline must have set us up,” Falcon bit out as he skillfully maneuvered the BMW through the streets.

“Not surprising. The bitch hates me,” Sonya growled.

Falcon swung them on to the highway, cutting across the lanes. The Renault was right behind them. He cursed as the witches began firing at them. Breaks screamed as people swerved off the road, the scent of panic spiked as hysteria spread amongst the humans. 

“I’ll handle the witches. Just get us out of the city.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Falcon said with a grin. 

Sonya blew him a kiss then leaned back out the window. Her hair whipped wildly in the wind as she aimed for the tires of the Renault. The hunter’s bullets whistled past her head. She squeezed the trigger, aiming for the enemy’s tires. The car swerved so Sonya switched her target and she shot at the hood. The car spun and slid into a ditch.

Smoke tinted the night sky as Falcon sped away.

Sonya slipped back into her seat and casually rolled the window up.

“This has been a thrilling ride,” she said with a laugh.

“I’m glad you find it amusing,” Falcon grumbled.

“You don’t?”

“I enjoy battle as much as any Black Knight,” he replied with an easy roll of his wide shoulders. “But I’d rather our jaunt across England stay quiet and uneventful.”

“Boring, you mean,” Sonya teased.

Falcon ignored the sparkling glint of her gold eyes. He relished fighting. As a mortal he had been a knight. His oath was law, his word his life. Nothing had changed when he became a vampire. He had pledged is fealty to Hadrian, vowed to protect the royal houses and the hunters were no
t making his job easy.

He studied Sonya for a moment. Running his gaze over her body searching for any sign of injury. She could have been shot again or w
orse. If she had even been grazed by a poison tipped bullet her life would be over.

“I wasn’t hit,” she said, noticing his gaze upon her.

Falcon refocused his gaze on the road. “We’ll need a new car.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Gabriel Erhard.

*
                            *                            *                            *                            *                           

Snow drifted from a clear sky, lightly blanketing the city of Denver Colorado. Gabriel stood before the windows of his high rise condo. It was just past eight, which meant it was about three in the morning over in England. Sir Falcon Kenwrec needed another car, a simple enough task. It had been taken care of with one phone call, as was
Pauline. The spiteful vampress was a traitor, not to her clan, but to her species. She had indeed let the hunters know what car the Black Knight and the Queen traveled in. She had also shared with the filthy witches the couple’s next destination. The hunters had been waiting in Birmingham.

Gabriel turned away from the windows and stalked toward to his desk. There, he poured himself a glass of Silver Moon.

Pauline would speak no more. Falcon and Sonya would get a new car and make their way back to their Clans.

He tossed the liquor back and refilled his glass. The soft sound of footsteps drifted on the air. Using his senses, Gabriel searched the condo. Gannon had returned. With good news, he hoped. They had spent more time in Denver than he had planned. He needed to return to Las Vegas. He needed to return to his work. Though Colorado was part of his territory, the desert city was his home.

Gabriel cradled his glass with one hand as he reached into the pocket of his black suit jacket. With gentle fingers, he removed the photo he kept beside his heart.

He had come to Denver for one reason. He had come to find her, to save her from a life worse than Hell.

Gabriel gently brushed his thumb over the tattered photograph. Though the color was beginning to fade, he could still see the vibrant maroon color of her hair, the delicious red of her lips, the light blush that colored her high cheekbones and the electrifying violet of her eyes. Her gaze was powerful. It was as if she could see directly into his soul. She was beautiful, an exotic treasure that his enemy, Boras, sought to enslave.

His stomach twisted as he thought of the cold, empty cell that awaited her. Months had passed since Gabriel and his men had raided Boras’s slave warehouse. It was there that he had discovered the photo. It had been tapped to cage that had been assigned for her. Boras intended to make her a blood slave and sell her to the highest bidder.

Rage boiled his blood. He finished his drink and quickly poured another. His chest burned as dark, hateful memories of his past struggled to surface in his mind, but he shoved them aside.

Gannon knocked before entering the shadows dominated room. He closed the door, hesitated a moment, then came forward.

“Did I ever tell you that I hate snow? Wait, hate isn’t a strong enough word. I loathe snow. It sticks to my boots and,” he removed his black leather jacket, “ruins my clothes.” He shook out the jacket before draping it over the high back of the sofa. “My people are from the South.We don’t do snow.”

Gabriel ignored Gannon’s ramblings. He placed the photo back in his pocket and stepped back to the windows. He stood
, still gazing out the window. His hands clasped behind his back.

“We finally locat
ed the human,” Gannon declared. He poured himself a drink.

Gannon by the throat and demand he tell him everything. Now! Gabriel’s men had been searching all over the city for weeks with no luck. He knew it was a race against time to save the girl. Boras had her in his sights, which meant Gabriel had to find her first. He was beginning to fear she had already been taken.

“Details,” Gabriel bit out, his impatience rising.

Gannon took a sip. His expression became serious, all humor gone from his voice. “Jordan Culver. Twenty-one. Born to Tyler and Christy Culver. Raised by her aunt from age three to ten, parent’s died in a car accident. Her aunt passed of breast cancer. Ms. Culver floated through the foster care system until she turned eighteen. She worked as a waitress and took out student loans to attend college for business. She recently graduated and completed her personal training certification. Ms. Culver now works part time as a yoga instructor and pl
ans on opening her own studio. In her spare time she sings with a rock band.”

“Smart ass. We knew all that already,” he snapped. “Why did it take so long to locate her?”

Gannon was unfazed by Gabriel’s irritated tone. “She was with some friends, staying at a cabin in the mountains. She severed all connection, leaving behind her cell phone and credit cards.” He shrugged. “According to our intel, it was a last minute trip. Before you ask, yes, I placed guards at her home. There have yet to be any sign of Boras’s lackeys.”

Gabriel watched his reflection in the window as his green eyes faded
to black. Having been a blood slave for centuries, Gabriel knew better than most what the traders valued. She was young, stunning, physically fit, and it was rumored that she could sing better than an angel. 

“They will come for the girl,” he growled.

Chapter Thirteen

The sun was rising, its rays peeking over the horizon. Sonya inched further into the
foyer’s shadows, keeping away from the windows of the old bed and breakfast. Falcon was speaking with the owner.

“Honeymooners, you say?” the man said.

Falcon glanced over his shoulder and she nodded. Sure, she would play along, if it got them the cottage at the edge of the property.

“Yes, we are trekking across the country side,” Sonya added, stepping forward. She wrapped her hands around his thick bicep and smiled up at him. “We spent the first night in London, then stopped
at a quaint town before driving through Birmingham.”

“We are
heading to the highlands tomorrow,” Falcon said.

The innkeeper began to speak again, but Sonya’s attention was caught by laughter and the sound of thundering feet upstairs. A woman came down
the starir, smoothing her sweater.

“Did I hear you two are on your honeymoon?” she asked, her smile wide and bright, her gaze warm with kindness. “Frank, give them the place out back. They could certainly use the privacy.”

“Splendid idea,” the man announced.

The giggles grew louder as two young girls came barreling down the stairwell to the left. Sonya jumped back, releasing her hold on Falcon. The children stampeded across the landing. Sonya spun, narrowly missing the girls that darted around her. She tried to remain in the shadows, but she lost her balance. She bit back a hiss and quickly tucked her burnt fingertips inside the back pocket of her jeans.

Falcon’s head whipped around. The unmistakable scent of burnt vampire flesh drifted on the air. His gaze traveled down the length of her body, searching for her injury. When his eyes met hers, she gave him a smile. It wasn’t the first sunburn she had and it was mild.

“Ladies,” the owner chided. “We have guests. Please, behave.”

“Sorry, papa,” they said in unison as they gathered their coats from the entry closet.

“Come. Off to school with you,” the woman added, ushering the girls towards the door. “If you two are…able you should join us and the other guests for dinner. I’ll do something special.”

“Here you are,” he handed Falcon a set of keys. “Just follow the drive around to the left. You’ll see the cottage.”

Falcon thanked the owner and followed Sonya out the door. She flipped the hood of her sweater up, covering her head and shielding her face from the sun. She tucked her hands inside her pockets and darted to the car. She hid in the back seat, protected by the tinted windows as Falcon drove them around.

When they reached the cottage, Falcon got out and grabbed their bags from the trunk. Sonya pushed open the car door and braced herself for the sun, but Falcon was there, holding his jacket up to shield her in its shadow.

“The key is in my pocket,” he said.

Sonya inched her fingers of her non-injured hand into jeans pocket. She really wanted to take hold of something else, but pulled the keys free instead of lingering. She could feel her strength waning as the sun climbed higher. Sleep is what she needed. Her head began to ache. Her muscles were tight. She could sense the curse rising within her.

Sonya unlocked the door and entered the lemon-scented cottage. There was a small kitchenette and a door that she assumed led to the bathroom. One large bed rested against the back wall and two arm chairs sat before the bay window.

Falcon brushed past her, dropped the bags and pulled the curtains closed, concealing the room in darkness. He quickly returned to her side and gently took hold of her elbow.

“What are you doing?” she asked as he led her over to one of the floral printed chairs. She sat and
he quickly snatched up one of his bags.

“Tending to your hand,” he answered, pulling out a small plastic bottle.

He twisted the cap free and Sonya gagged. It smelled terrible. Her nose wrinkled and her stomach churned with disgust when he stuck his fingers into the ointment. When he reached for her hand she flinched.

“It’s not that bad,” she insisted.

Falcon scowled. “Your fingers are black.”

She glanced down at them and gave a lazy shrug. “I’ll heal.”

He caught her wrist. She tried to twist away but his grip was strong. “You’ll heal faster if you use the soothing balm.”

With a groan, Sonya gave up the struggle and allowed Falcon to coat her fingers with the ointment.  Instantly, her chard fingers were cool, the stinging pain vanished. She watched her skin rejuvenate. Magic never ceased to amaze her. Too bad there isn’t a balm for the scares on her heart or the lashes her soul bore.

Whispers of her past echoed through her mind. Sonya groaned. The curse was gathering strength. She could feel the attack building. Her muscles tensed in anticipation and her vision blurred. Panic sparked to life within her chest. The curse was growing stronger. Her episodes were becoming more frequent and fierce.

She forced herself to her feet. Her legs trembled. She managed to smile and thank Falcon before fumbling with her bag.

Damn, she needed to get to the bathroom. She could not let Falcon see her this way. Her headache intensified until it felt like a demolition team was blasting against her skull.

“Tonight was exciting,”
she said, praying he wouldn’t hear the pain in her voice.

Falcon chuckled. The deep baritone was soothing to her ears. “You make every night exciting
. You have an amazing talent for finding trouble.”

Sonya smiled despite the pain that lanced through her. “What can I say, I’m a trouble magnet.”

His gaze fell to her lips and lust rocketed through her nervous system. He stepped forward. She could feel the heat of his body; his fresh masculine scent invaded her senses. She shivered when he traced her jaw with his index finger. Her pain was forgotten as she turned her face towards his touch. Her body trembled as she watched him lick his lips.

Oh, god she wanted to feel those lips on her neck, on her breast, her hips and lower. She moaned thinking of how his tongue would feel against her as his hands cupped her ass and lifted her…

Falcon moved to advance then stopped. His hand fell to his side, his gaze shifted to the side. Her cheek was cold, her desire drowned by loss. Her soul mourned the loss of his touch and nearness. Remorse took root within her and she had turn away before he saw the tears gathering in her eyes. The Death Curse had her in its vise like grip. She would die never knowing love, never knowing what she and Falcon could have had.

Keep it together
, she told herself. She took in a deep breath, stretching her lungs, and slowly released it as she walked to the bathroom.

She closed the door behind her, shutting herself i
n the closet sized room. Dropping her bag, she went to the tub and turned on the water. Stepping to the pedestal sink, she gripped the edge and hung her head low, refusing to meet her reflection in the antique mirror.

“Keep it together,” she whispered.

Her body shook beneath the weight of the curse. She slowly undressed, sheer will power kept her on her feet. The pain had tripled and continued to grow. Her skull felt like it would split in two at any moment.

“You are a bringer of death.”

Sonya shook her head. That voice. The child’s voice sliced through her.

“The world was never meant to know the wolf shifter.”

Sonya stepped into the tub and pulled the curtain closed. Steam billowed around her, yet she was freezing. Images of fire and blood danced before her. She squeezed her eyes shut, but there was no hiding from her past or the curse.

She gasped for air as her heart struggled to continue to beat. 

Reality faded away. Sonya swayed and braced herself against the wall of the shower.

She was there. Sonya was standing in the yard that
fateful night. Her father and her mother were dead. She felt the sword slice through her gut. She had expected to feel pain; instead a cold numbness consumed her. The shifters laughed as they turned away from her, leaving her to bleed to death. Using all the strength she had left, she gathered her little sister in her arms. Sveta’s small frame trembled as she took her last breath.

Justice. Revenge,
her demon whispered.

The shifters deserved death for what they had done to her family.

Stricken, pale faces stared up at her. Blood dripped from her claws and fangs. The sweet metallic taste filled her mouth. Sonya looked down at her hands. Blood. It was everywhere.

In the distance, she could hear a woman screaming. Pain. Fear. Rage. Pure hate. She could hear and feel
every emotion the woman was feeling. Oh, god she hoped it was not the innkeeper’s wife and children.

The bathroom
door flew open, crashing against the wall. The force made the entire cottage shake. Falcon tore open the curtain. He was speaking, but she could hear nothing over the screaming.

Justice. Revenge!

She cradled Sveta in her arms. Her sweet face pale, her beautiful gaze void of life.

No. Sveta
. God, no!

She was young, too young. Sonya roared. She would make those bastards pay. She would make sure they suffered, she would make sure they felt all the pain they had inflicted upon her family. She would hunt them down and kill them all.

Sonya blinked. She saw Falcon reach for her. His shirt dripped with water from the shower. She flinched away. Looking down, she brushed Sveta’s blood crusted hair away from her face. She would never let her go.

Falcon’s hands gripped her waist. She struggled against him, refusing to release Sveta. Sonya watched his lips move again, but she still heard nothing other than the screams.

Then darkness claimed her.

Falcon cradled Sonya in his arms. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he cupped the back of her head and pressed her head against his shoulder as he gently rocked her.

Sonya’s screams had crystallized his blood. He had burst through the door convinced the hunters had found them. When he pulled back the curtain he found a heart breaking sight. Sonya sat on the floor of the tub, her knees pressed tightly against her chest, her hair soaked, tangled and falling over her shoulders. Her eyes were wide, her gaze wild and unfocused. Her fangs were bear, her claws anchored into her calves. She had refused to release her legs and fought him as he tried to pick her up. Once in his arms, her body gave out and her mind slipped into sweet oblivion.

She lay
limp in his arms even now.

Before this night the word fear had not existed in his vocabulary but in that moment, he was consumed by the emotion.

Sonya was marked.

His arms tightened around her. He folded her against him, shielding her from
the world, praying that he could protect her from death.

Death. He shook his head. Why hadn’t she told him about the Death Curse? Hell, how could he not have noticed? He had witnessed many great warrior kings perish and she was next.

Damn Sonya and her pride. She was skilled at hiding her pain. No. Agony was a more suitable word. The curse attacked the soul; feeding off what humanity a vampire had left. It preyed on the mind, twisting reality, causing hallucinations. It tortured its victims with overwhelming emotions such as guilt, sorrow and self-loathing while it slowly destroyed the body.

The man and demon within him roared in anguish and anger. She had been taken from
him once and he could not bear to lose her again. He would find a way to break the curse. He would speak with Silvie. The Priestess was powerful, stronger than even the Shaman of her tribe. And if she could not help, he would barter what remained of his soul to save his Sonya.

Falcon pressed a kiss to her temple before laying her on the bed. Without his heat, she began to shiver. She trembled so badly her teeth began to chatter. He pulled the sheets and blankets up to her chin, but they had little impact.

He stripped free of his shirt and kicked off his shoes before joining her. She turned toward him, seeking his warmth and touch even in her sleep. He held her against his side and she relaxed, as he stroked his fingers up and down her arm.

Sonya expressed no evidence
of life. Her heart was quiet, her lungs still, and she was cold to the touch. Falcon could barely sense her aurora. Her energy was weak.

Falcon’s chest tightened as he felt his heart crack beneath the pressure of his warring emotions. He had never felt more terrified or enrage
d in his unnatural life. Nor had he ever experienced such fierce love and determination.

Instinct told him Sonya would soon be departing the realm of the living
. The curse was strong within her and death would be coming to collect his bounty.

Falcon drew her closer and held her tighter, wrapping his body around hers protectively. Death would have to take him first.