Wes hesitated. Then he moved toward the display. “This means I can’t hide you anymore. Everything must change.” His fingers traveled across the keypad, methodically entering a six-digit code. The case lit up, bringing the relic into full view. And Wes’s words came true. Everything changed.
#
Neither moon nor star twinkled in the sky. Two hours ago, darkness had settled over Holsenbeck Hall and its surrounding acres. The air was heavy, thick with anticipation for an approaching storm. Swollen rain clouds loomed above the estate, water ready to burst forth from black and menacing wombs.
The first fruits of the storm splattered onto the pickup’s windshield. Over twenty-four hours had passed since Rhane had last slept. Seeing the file from Mack Ventures, Inc spawned an impromptu flight to Baotou on a semi-private jet. After meeting with a contact of indistinct loyalties, he returned from the other side of the world distracted and frustrated.
Time had the tendency of blurring lines of ownership, especially when it came to artifacts. And though The Siren’s Heart was already rightfully his, Rhane had been forced to it back from the Chinese government. According to his liaison, the sale was a done deal. Instead the artifact was stolen again, this time by the company Kalista worked for, Mack Ventures, Inc. If Rhane wanted The Siren’s Heart, he would have to bargain with a scumbag millionaire treasure hunter. He snatched the front door open with disgust. Two back to back flights was a whole lot of wasted time. On top of it all, the discovery that Kalista was only a teenager had been a bucket of cold water dumped on the campfire keeping him warm.
He tossed an aged leather scroll on the coffee table. “Quarter of a million dollars and all I get is a stupid map.” He rubbed his face. “What a useless middleman. I should have killed him.”
He paced around the living room and sat down. The words his contact had spoken circled his mind like a drain.
If The Siren’s Heart is lost to you, then take this scroll. Guard it well.
Something big brushed against his leg. Without looking, he knew it was the black canine. The animal quietly took a seat beside him and placed its large head on his lap.
“Oh, quit it. I know you smelled the Chinese food before I even got out of the truck.”
The canine sat up to lick Rhane’s face, whose bad mood fled as he pushed at the animal playfully. “You don’t have to kiss my butt. I promise there’ll be plenty of leftovers.”
Shoving its nose closer, the canine mauled him with a barrage of drooling kisses. Rhane threw up his hands to ward off the attack. “All right, you win! You can have yours now, Lassie.”
He retrieved a large dog dish from a kitchen cabinet and filled it with two orders of general tso chicken and lo mien. The canine pounced on the food while Rhane watched in mild amusement. “At least one of us is happy.”
He sat on the couch but stood again restlessly. Lighting several candles, he situated them around the room. The soft light flickered and swayed in and out of unison with the dark silhouettes of the flames. Rhane watched them dance, letting memories take him to another world existing long ago. A world he sometimes longed for.
Outside, the rain was hammering every surface with a densely walled downpour. The noise of it almost hid the sound of car tires crunching over the gravel drive. Rhane frowned. He hadn’t been expecting anyone. His frown became a smile as he recognized the scent. A soft knock pounded lightly on the front door. Already there, the canine sat waiting.
“Now you get to meet someone really special,” he told it.
But as he turned the knob, the canine pressed forward and nudged Rhane’s hand. Then it quickly disappeared. Rhane scratched his head at the odd behavior. Looking back, he realized he should have paid more attention to that warning. It would’ve saved him a lot of pain. But when he opened the door, on his porch stood the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on.
All thought of anything else fled Rhane’s his mind.
Chapter 22
His eyes trailed over her sinful lack of clothing, stalling at the spiked high heels and bare legs, long and muscular, ending in a tiny skirt. Rhane’s pulse charged forward and slowed all at once. His fingers twitched with the urge to tear the clothing from her body. But he clenched them at his side and reminded himself that Kalista was only seventeen.
“You keep it dark in here.” Smiling as if reading his conflicted thoughts, she came inside without waiting for invitation.
A warning buzzed in the back of his head. Something was different. Something was wrong. Trying to keep it light, he quoted the mechanical words of an operator he’d spoken to earlier. “We apologize for the delay. Your power will not be restored until our next business day, between ten a.m. and five p.m.”
Ignoring the lame attempt at deflecting humor, Kalista took another step toward him. “That’s okay.” Her voice was low and husky. “I like the dark.” She pressed her body into his, rolling her hips as she did so.
Reflexively, his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. The silky fabric of her blouse glided between his fingers. The skirt was essentially nonexistent. He felt every inch of her body against him, warm and getting hotter by the second. With a forceful exhale, he disentangled himself from all that hotness. Thinking became somewhat easier. “It’s late. What are you doing here?”
Red lips pursed into a full pout. “I hoped you’d be glad to see me.”
“I am,” he croaked. Clearing his throat, he repeated, “I am.” He shook away the fog, forced reason to the fore of his brain. “But you shouldn’t be out here. Your parents will worry.”
She suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair. Bringing his head to her level, she kissed him slowly, used her tongue and teeth to find his lips. The kiss gradually deepened, and Rhane forgot why he shouldn’t be kissing her. A stab of pain made an effective reminder. Touching his tongue to his lip, he wasn’t surprised to taste blood. Rhane really looked at her then. Peering into her heavily lined eyes, he sensed rather than saw the change. Tiny muscles tensed all over his neck, pulling every hair upright. Averting his eyes, he kissed her again. He gave himself into her softness, inhaled the light and tangy scent of her skin, the lavender and rose of her hair. His hands stroked the small of her back, moved down the curves of her hips. Finally, and with a resigned sigh, he eased away.
Stupid, he berated himself silently. “Let me take you home,” he said aloud.
Kalista closed her eyes. She began to sing in a voice that came from all directions. Strong and beautiful, her song was a haunting serenade of indistinct echoes.
“Kalista?” Rhane touched a hand to her forehead. The skin was remarkably hot, as if a fire burned inside. He said her name again softly.
The voice fell silent. Every candle died at once, pitching them into darkness. The temperature plummeted until Rhane’s breath became visible in weightless puffs. He listened to her hearts beating, and understood. What had come to his doorstep wasn’t a seventeen-year-old girl who dreamed of being an archaeologist. This was an entirely different creature.
The light returned. Flames burned high in shades of gray and white. Rhane turned, and she was behind him, standing as still as a stone. Her face was ashen, framed in black by curtains of hair. Even her eyes had changed. Soft brown was now the pitch of night. The creature stalked toward him, baring her teeth into a wicked grin. Rhane retreated, stepping backward each time the thing advanced. He was careful to keep something between her and him, for the first time grateful for all the ugly old furniture that cluttered the house.
The creature beckoned him in a silky voice, demanding what was hers. She wanted his life, hungered for Rhane’s spirit to feed her own. Because of the bond forged between them, her will was very strong.
Rhane didn’t understand what had caused the change. Only days ago, Kalista had been basically ignorant of what she was and her powers. Now she had abruptly evolved to another extreme…out of control and dangerous.
“Kalista,” he appealed to her. “I need you to come back.”
Eerie laughter rang out, stirring more echoes within the manor. “I’m right here.”
At a speed nearly faster than even he could move, the creature came for him. Rhane scrambled, backing over a low table and swore as he almost lost his footing.
“I’m so hungry,” she purred. Her eyes closed again as she stopped. Her body swayed from side to side like waves of the ocean. “They were not enough.”
That doesn’t sound good.
“What do you mean? Who are they?”
“They were not you, Rhane of Whytetree,” the siren whispered, so dark and still so beautiful. Her eyes opened. “Give me what I need.”
He gasped as intense heat rippled through his body. The furnace built, increasing until it felt as if he were burning alive. He doubled over as his lungs constricted. It was a struggle not to pass out. The physical torment weakened his body, while the siren’s call attacked his mind, urging him sweetly. Rhane’s defenses, dormant for centuries, rallied out of the blue. He watched with a mixture fascination and alarm as white fur spread across his forearms.
No. You could hurt her.
He mustered enough concentration to smother the changes, and looked in time to see the siren approach.
Seizing his hair, she yanked him upright. Sharp teeth tore against his mouth, kissed him with anger and passion. Yet, her hands remained gentle. Fingers danced up his back and rested lightly on his shoulders. She kissed his ear, prodded inside with her tongue. “I was going to make this painless but…”
Her nails extended like claws. They shredded flesh and tore through muscle. Rhane cried out as her talons forged a trail down the length of his back. Finally, she let go, and Rhane staggered away. He took a shuddering breath. He was bleeding heavily. But it wasn’t over.
The siren followed, shoved him roughly to the hardwood floor. She slashed his jeans leaving angry red swells and more blood where claws nicked skin. He grabbed her wrists to dampen the assault. He knew what would come next.
The flames were burning higher and hotter. She was thrashing, excited by his resistance and the smell of blood. Rhane gritted his teeth as two-inch talons on her feet dug into the muscle of his right calf. Repositioning his body, he managed to pin her hands and feet. Her teeth stayed at a safe distance. But she continued to struggle.
“Stop it. This isn’t you.”
She responded with a hiss. Searing heat erupted beneath his hands, forcing him to let go. The flames died again. And darkness masked her escape. Rhane sensed movement. Too late, he felt her breath against his throat. His flesh caved beneath the pressure of sharp teeth. And then she was gone. Rhane crumpled to the floor with pain raging through his veins like wildfire.
Chapter 23
The candles relit. She was kneeled across the room, watching him. Grey scales shimmered in dim light, dotting the flesh of her arms and legs. She seemed rather pleased with herself. She had struck fast. The bite injected venom into his system, turning him into easy prey. His vision blurred. His muscles were sluggish or unresponsive. Pins and needles carpeted his body inside and out.
She slinked across the floor, creeping toward Rhane ever so slowly. She crouched over him, breathed his scent like it was a drug. “I’m so glad you found me.”
So many open wounds left little need to summon a spark. His power was hers for the taking. She began extracting his energy, dragging the life from his blood. She drank deeply, moaning with pleasure as she fed, and he was helpless to stop it. Rhane gasped for air. He tried to crawl away. His body received the message but did not respond. Darkness seeped at the edges of his sight as he fought to remain conscious. It was too much, even for him.
He lifted his hand. The fingers, cold and nearly numb, found her cheek. He could barely feel the smooth patch of scales.
“Kalista… Kali, you have to stop.”
The candles flickered. A gust of air swept through the room. She reached forward and brought his face close, cradling his head in both hands. Her eyes were human again, and stretched wide with confusion.
“Rhane?”
“It’s…okay.”
The flames went out. And Rhane saw nothing else for quite a while.
#
Rhane awoke uncertain how long he had been out. The candles were burning dangerously low. Puddles of dripping wax indicated more than a few hours had passed. The feeling in his upper body gradually returned. He registered weight lying across his chest. Pain replaced numbness as his brain found his legs again.
Shifting Kalista gently to the floor, he rolled onto his side. No part of his body didn’t hurt. Climbing to his feet was pure agony. And then he was suddenly very lightheaded. Rhane clutched his head and moved unsteadily to the wall. It was either find support or fall down. Several moments passed before he felt steady enough to risk doing anything else.
He surveyed the area. The living room was a mess. Most of the furniture was knocked over or out of place. An alarming amount of blood redecorated the upholstery. All of it was undoubtedly his.
That explains the dizziness
.