Possession (12 page)

“So if you die, I turn into some sort of nymphomaniac huh?” she asked him, not looking away.

“I’m sorry,” he told her picking up her hand and holding it to his chest. “I should have refrained from bonding with you. Please forgive me.”

Tonia’s half smile reassured him. She stood and neared Julian looking up at him. “He rescinds his choice.” She turned back and stabbed Fallon in the chest with a hard poke. “Your ass better not die.” She stood and walked out.

Roderick cleared his throat and looked at Fallon with a crooked smile. “She told you.”

Fallon frowned looking at the now empty doorway. “Yes she did.”

“Great.” Julian sat down, shaking his head. “Are all Georgia women like this?”

Roderick laughed, “You’d do good to find a mate here too Julian.”

Julian sputtered. “I think not.”

Chapter 16

Tonia didn’t fall asleep until very late. Fallon had returned early from his patrol. He’d blacked out around midnight and his partner forced him to return to the house. Kieran had half-carried him to the bedroom. Fallon complained of his inability to shoulder his share of their responsibility, his entire body tense with barely restrained frustration. Tonia coaxed him to lay face down and gave him a massage until he fell into a fitful sleep.

Now snuggled against him, the warmth became unbearable and she woke up dripping in sweat. Had someone turned the thermostat up to Hell level? Fallon jerked. Something was wrong. He mumbled in his sleep and his body jolted several times. She placed her hand on his face. He was scorching hot.

She shook him. “Fallon? Wake up.” She tried again, but he did not react.

It was almost four in the morning, she had to get help.  Had someone else returned from patrol yet?  She slid from the bed grabbed her discarded pajamas from the foot of the bed and jammed them on. Maybe she should get a wet rag for his brow?  Not sure if immortals reacted to illness the same as regular humans, she decided it was best to go find someone to ask.

She rushed down the stairs to the second floor, pausing at Wendy and Kieran’s doorway only for a moment before knocking.

A groggy Wendy opened the door, her eyes widening at seeing her. “Oh God, I overslept, it's dinner time right?" She paused and studied Tonia. "What’s wrong?”

“Fallon, there is something wrong with him, he’s got a very high fever.”

Wendy flew back into the room. She wrapped a robe around herself and motioned for Tonia to lead the way. “I don’t think they’re supposed to get sick. The others should be home in an hour or so.” She pulled out a cell phone and pushed a button.

As they rushed back up the stairs, Wendy spoke to someone on the phone. “Yes I know we can’t call them while they’re on duty, I need to find out what we’re supposed to do about Fallon Trent, he’s burning up with a fever."

She huffed and hung up. "Stupid dispatch people. I wonder if she’s even human. When I meet her, I’m going to pull all the hairs out of her fool head."

“Is she going to call anyone?” Tonia could barely breathe.

“She said she’d send them a ping, or a ding, or some shit.” Wendy shook her head. "Good thing he’s not bleeding to death."

They stopped short upon entering the room, the bed loomed empty, the blankets dragged halfway off the bed.

Wendy grabbed her arm. “Are you sure he was here?” She whispered.

“Yes,” she hissed back. “Why are we whispering?”

Wendy shuddered, “Something feels wonky. I think we need to leave the room and wait for someone to come.”

Tonia scanned the room, something did feel wrong. She began moving back out when movement caught her attention. Fallon lay on the floor, thrashing.

“Oh God,” she hurried toward him, only to stop when he snarled at her, his reddened eyes taking them in, without blinking.

With stealth-like movements, he crouched as if ready to spring if they moved.

“Oh shit,” Wendy said, hand reaching for hers.

Tonia eyed her dagger on a table only a couple steps away. Could she do it, could she kill him if he attacked them?

Her voice trembled. “Fallon what are you doing? You need to get back in bed, you’re not feeling well.”

His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t move.

“Let me try,” Wendy told her. “Fallon, if you get back in bed, I’ll bring you some tea.”

He snarled and they took a step back. “Don’t move,” Tonia told Wendy who pressed her lips together, not exactly looking fearful.

Tonia raised her eyebrows at her.

“It’s hard to be terrified of a naked Fallon.” Wendy explained.

Just then he stood and moved closer to them. Wendy flinched. “He’s going to attack us. Okay, I’m getting scared now.”

“Can’t you do something?” Tonia asked. “Aren’t you something other than human?”

“Well, yeah, but I don’t do demon killing or fighting,” Wendy answered, taking another step back. "Besides, I could never hurt Fallon anyway, he brings me cookies."

"Let's move back slowly." When they stepped back, his narrowed eyes tracked their movements. They stilled.

Fallon began to shake and stumbled backward. “He’s fighting it,” Tonia told Wendy, taking advantage of the moment to grab her dagger. She shoved Wendy back out of the doorway. “Run, lock yourself in your room.”

“I’m going to get Albert,” Wendy said, leaving.

Tonia gasped when Fallon rushed her, she fell on the floor hitting the side of her head on the table. After a hard shake of her head to clear her vision, she shoved him off. He snarled and tried to bite her, his fangs fully extended.

Now the moment of truth, she had no choice but to strike. She kicked at him, once again he began to shake which gave her a chance to somehow manage to get to her feet.

Waiting for him to rush again, she palmed the dagger, stood ready, her feet planted, and knees slightly bent, ready for impact.

Only he didn’t move, he blinked and when his confused gaze rose up to hers, his eyes were back to normal. “What did I do?” His eyes widened at seeing the dagger in her hand.

“You’re burning up, your eyes were red and you tried to attack me and Wendy.”

With shaky hands, he turned away and grabbed his jeans and a T-shirt off the floor putting them on with jerky moves. His face glistened from the fever. “I need to be locked up,” he told her. “I can sense it, he’s coming for me.”

She followed close behind as he rushed from the room, wondering where he was headed.

They went to the basement, past the clinic. Fallon entered a small room only about ten by ten, with a thick steel door.  A cell. “Tie my wrists together.  Once you do, strap me to this bed and use the key over there and lock the door,” he instructed while grabbing some straps from the medical supply closet.

Her heart pounded and mouth went dry. “Are you sure I need to lock you up now? Wendy called and they’re sending someone.” She reached for the key on a hook hesitating to take the straps from him.

When she met his eyes, she gasped and stepped back, the red swirled around his iris. It was back. He snarled and pushed her so hard she slammed against the wall. His incisors snapped down, fully extended and she pulled her dagger from the small of her back. His head tilted to the side, the red-shot eyes taking her in.

"Fallon don't do this, come back to me." He neared, his eyes locked on her throat. Saliva dripped from the tips of his fangs. Tears streamed as she stabbed him in the shoulder. He sprung away, but didn’t fall, only stumbled. Taking a few unsteady steps, he began to laugh, the sound not at all Fallon’s voice.

Fallon took a step towards her, and she lifted the dagger ready to strike again.

When he came closer, she could not bring herself to stab him and lowered her hand. Tonia expected a vicious attack ending in her death. Instead he shoved past her and sprinted from the room and up the stairs.  In the distance she heard the sounds of glass breaking and some crashing.

It took a few moments before she could force herself to leave the room. On shaky legs, she went back upstairs.

When she got to the first floor, the front door was thrown open.

Fallon was nowhere in sight.

Julian and Sebastian rushed in. Julian took one look at her, turned back around and burst into a sprint. “Stay with her until the others arrive,” he called to the Incubus over his shoulder.

The cool air blew over her as Sebastian closed the door and guided her to the kitchen table. He placed a glass of water in front of her, which she ignored.  She wanted to laugh at the irony that a demon attempted to comfort her at the second worst moment of her life.

A couple hours later as the sun rose, she still remained in the kitchen, with Sebastian and Wendy, whose worried gaze fell on her once again. “They’ll find him, don’t worry. Julian is the most powerful Protector, he can’t fail.”

“I agree,” Sebastian said, and took a sip from an endless lineup of cups of coffee. “I’m sure they’ll find him.”

“And what happens then? I think the demon’s got him,” Tonia told them. “He’s my life mate, I’m mated to a demon.” Angry at the pitch in her voice, she slammed her hand on the tabletop and stood.

"Hold him tight," someone barked. Julian, Logan and Kieran dragged a snarling Fallon into the house. Sebastian rushed over and helped them haul the struggling Fallon through the kitchen going down to the basement.

“Oh God,” Wendy exclaimed, her face pale. “He looks worse.”

Not wanting to be there a moment longer, Tonia grabbed her purse from the counter and headed for the door.

Bonded to him or not, she could not stay and be mated to a demon. Her Fallon was gone.

In the garage, she jumped into her car and stared at the back door. What if he needed her? Was she being a coward? The jingle of her cell phone made her jump.

"Mohr?" Douglas' voice grounded her.

"Yeah?"

"We got an assignment to Portland. We leave tomorrow. Thought you'd like time to say see ya later to Mr. Boyfriend." He continued giving her flight information while she stared at the door without blinking.

***

Fallon opened his eyes. Inside the small room in his basement, he lay on a hospital bed strapped in so tight his arms throbbed. He wondered how he'd gotten to the room and how long he'd been there. In the corner of the room Logan strummed his guitar, and watched him.

“Hey there, who are you?” Logan asked, his right hand dropping to his sword.

“Who the bloody hell do you think?” he replied tugging at the restraints. “What happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Logan’s eyebrows rose. “Well, you are like Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde right now. One minute you’re Fallon, the next you're foaming and snarling and shit.”

Fallon closed his eyes and immediately regretted it. Darkness swirled and foreign thoughts filled his head. His eyes popped back open. “Where’s Julian? Can’t he do something?”

Logan put the guitar down. “Yeah, he’s been here doing whatever it is he does to you, but the demon is hanging tight.”

“Shit.” Fallon looked toward the doorway, he wondered if Tonia had seen him in the demon state. “How long have I been down here?”

“Since yesterday. Full moon tonight.”

Julian came in, his eyes locked with his. “Fallon, I’m glad to see you.”

He didn’t feel as delighted, but decided not to say anything.

“Leave us please Logan,” Julian told the cowboy, who picked up his sword and guitar. At the doorway, Logan turned to him, “See you later Fallon.”

“Yeah, see you. I'll hang here for a while,” he replied although he wanted to beg the guy not to leave him alone with Julian. Not that he feared pain. It was that sometimes Julian didn’t seem to know when to stop.

“The Protectors upstairs hold to the thought that you’ll get through this,” Julian told him, his gaze piercing him. “I am not so sure.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Julian’s lips pressed together, his eyebrows drew close. “I have an idea, it won’t be pleasant, but it may be the only way to keep Gerard from possessing you tonight.”

Dread curdled in his stomach. "Tell me."

“You’ll have to die.”

"Well that's a novel idea. You can kill me and it's over, makes sense. Why didn't I think of that?"  Fallon snapped.

Julian stared at him, his gaze flat. “Theoretically I can stop your heart with drugs and because you are immortal, you won’t be dead right away, but in a type of stasis.”

“Theoretically?” Fallon tugged at the straps. “How about a plan with more assuredness included?”

“I am certain it will work,” Roderick walked in, his sheer size shrinking the already tiny room. “I will be here the entire time and restart your heart at day break.”

Fallon swallowed, not sure. It wasn’t that he feared death, if he didn’t reach his next birthday, so be it. But something tugged at him and he realized what it was.

He hoped it wasn’t too late.

“I need to rescind the bond with Tonia. Get Logan back in here.”