Runestone (7 page)

* * * * *

Sean spat a stream of Spanish into his phone, frustrations mounting by the moment. His Spanish was broken at best. Fighting to make SenBora Fernandez understand that he wanted her husband to go up the mountain and check on Will was nearly impossible using the few phrases he knew.

He balled his fist and smacked his thigh. He could send the authorities more easily. He knew for certain the local police had a translator. But what good would it do to involve mortals in what was obviously an immortal war? Long ago, he had realized the man who answered Will’s cell phone had to know what he was dealing with.

“Dammit,” he said. Evangeline’s head snapped up, and confusion blurred her eyes. Luckily, her Spanish was worse than his. He didn’t want to tell her he’d requested that SenBor Fernandez check on Will, in case there was danger.

But she’d sensed it long ago. In a flash, she was pacing, small feet pattering on the carpet. The release he’d given her had been too brief. Within moments, the madness was upon her. As she raked her fingers through her hair and Called to a man who would not, could not answer her, Sean’s heart broke a little more.

He hung up with SenBora Fernandez, giving it up as a lost cause, and turned to Evangeline. He gripped her elbows and brought her against his chest. “Sweetheart, we’ll find him. We’ll get through the flooding. Right now, I’m very, very worried about you. Please tell me what I can do.”

“Nothing.” She rubbed her forehead back and forth across his chest. “I need Will.”

She needed an immortal. If only she’d share her blood and Make him one, his touch on her tattoo would stop the shaking, perhaps give her enough ease to sleep. Hollows stood beneath each eye and though she still wore an ethereal glow, her skin was pale.

“Tell me another way. There must be something. Someone you know. Another immortal—?”

Her head lifted slowly, and when she looked into his eyes, she looked through him. He wondered if she was having a Vision or if Will was suddenly communicating with her, when she said, “There is someone.”

“Who?” Desperation made his voice crack.

“Immortal friends of Will’s, in Barre, Vermont. They were very kind to me when I. . . when I was there.”  Her forehead creased with the mention of the time after she’d left Sean and driven for hours to find Will.

His throat clogged. He nodded. “Vermont. No flooding in Vermont. I can have you there in hours.” Fishing in the front of his jeans, he whipped out his cell and started making arrangements, while keeping one arm around her waist. Her tremors rolled through her constantly, sometimes violently. He didn’t like the brittle way she felt either.

As he made flight arrangements, he stared at the cold blue of the winter sky and thought of Will, somewhere out there, hunted. If things ended badly, Evangeline’s only chance of retaining her sanity was in the bosom of her kind.

* * * *

Sean ground the gas pedal to the floor and whipped the rental car across the double yellow lines, pushing the engine to the max around the hulking box truck. Twenty minutes more and they’d descend on the immortals in Barre, Vermont. Sean’s mind raced with demands.

Evangeline was not well, and someone was going to help her if he had to use his fists to convince them.

He reached across the console and caressed the crest of one stark cheekbone with the backs of his knuckles. She wasn’t able to eat, and she was so slight, the deprivation was beginning to show.

Get her to the immortals. And then see if they can keep her safe while I go after Will.

This plan had been revolving through his mind since the man on the phone told him Will was as good as dead. Knowing he was in danger, Will would have set off into the mountains. He spent much time hiking and skiing the nearby peaks. In the wilds, he’d be in his elements—hiding easily and hopefully preying upon his adversary.

Damn, what have I gotten myself into?
In the past nine months, he’d been caught in the web of more danger than he’d ever faced walking the Chicago streets. Immortals, kidnappings, and now this.

As long as Evangeline was safe, he could immerse himself in the underworld again, and hopefully find Will. Besides needing this for Evangeline, he needed this for himself.

Will’s handsome face loomed in his mind’s eye, and he swallowed hard. Yeah, it was time to talk to Will like a man. Time to admit his feelings ran deeper than affection and camaraderie. He deserved to know.

The GPS delivered the directions to the home of Dante and Maria, and within half an hour, Sean and Evangeline were turning up a long drive. At the end stood a stately brick mansion, with tall windows and a yard creaming with fresh snow. The midday sun glared off it, and Sean’s eyes watered.

He parked the car between a Land Rover and a pale green VW Beetle, and turned to Evangeline. Her hands were knotted in her lap, her knee bouncing.

“It’s all right, baby. They’ll know how to help.”

Climbing from the vehicle, he circled to her door and pulled her out. As they tread up the freshly shoveled path to the great double doors, he kept her hand in his.

By the time they reached the door, debilitating shivers racked her. Urgently, he stabbed the doorbell. No one answered immediately and his irritation grew. “Goddammit, what’s taking so long?” He leaned on the doorbell. A few more seconds passed, and her shaking increased.

“Screw this.” He pressed on the door lever, and was surprised to find it unlocked. He shoved it open, and stepped inside, hauling her in behind him.

Two women appeared and stopped short. A petite woman with mahogany hair touched a forefinger to her temple, and then a blond man appeared from another corridor that emptied into the main foyer.

“Evangeline.” The gorgeous immortal rushed forward, arms outstretched, her faced pinched with concern. “What’s happened? Where’s Will?”

“He. . . . ” A fresh round of shivering seized Evangeline, and her lower jaw trembled. “He’s gone!”

Whips of pain lashed at Sean’s heart. “For God’s sake, someone help her,” he cried. “She’s tearing apart at the seams!”

In three strides, the tall immortal man was upon her, catching her up in his embrace and splaying his fingers over her immortal tattoo. Evangeline gasped. Her back bowed, and then her knees buckled. Sean lurched forward, but the man caught her up before he reached her.

“Get her to the sitting room. Let her lie down. Gracie, you fetch Maria and Dante, and then something hot to drink.” The petite woman turned glorious gray eyes on Sean, and he found himself stunned by the dark fringe of her lashes and the glow she wore. “You must be Sean. Come with us.”

She whirled on a heel, and Nathan followed without a word with Evangeline in his arms. Leaving Sean close behind, feeling lost. Horribly displaced. And wishing to hell he was immortal.

They led him into a small and cozy sitting room furnished in pale blues and ivories. A fire blazed on the hearth, and suffused his limbs with immediate warmth. The immortal placed Evangeline on a velvet sofa and Sean dropped to his knees beside her, reaching for her. Her cheek was icy against his, and he spattered kisses across her face. Suddenly, he realized she was no longer shaking.

He looked up at the immortal man. “Thank you.” His voice sounded rough and he cleared his throat.

“The least I can do.” He extended a hand. “I’m Nathan Halbrook.”

“Sean Livingston.” He accepted the man’s hand, gripping it like a lifeline.

“This is my immortal mate, Lillian. And that. . . ” He nodded toward the blonde vixen that appeared in the doorway. “Is Gracie.”

The woman moved into the space with the fluid gait of a supermodel, all legs and arms and long waving hair. Sean looked between them. The three immortals all appeared to be about the same age—the same as Will and Evangeline as well—and yet there was something fresher about Gracie. Perhaps it was her wide green eyes.

“Maria is bringing tea. She and Dante are on their way.” She edged into the room and leaned against the only chair where Lillian sat, leaning anxiously forward and staring at Evangeline.

“We won’t ask any questions until we’re all assembled,” Nathan said.

Sean sank to the sofa and drew Evangeline into his arms. She slumped against him like a sick child. It was only a matter of time before she started the infernal shaking again.

At the sound of footsteps, they all looked up. A dashing Spaniard appeared in the doorway, along with a small, dark-skinned woman with glossy black hair and snapping eyes. When she spied Evangeline, she charged forward and threw her arms around her.

“My dear, we’re so glad you’ve come to us.”

Evangeline’s face reddened, and then she abruptly burst into tears.

“Ohhh.” The woman named Maria stroked Evangeline’s hair off her face, and deliberately touched her immortal tattoo. Sean looked on, wondering where the others’ tattoos were located. If two tattoos touched, they’d receive a shocking sensation, followed by a rush of endorphins. Between immortal mates, desire would arise.

He clenched his jaw.

“Where’s Will?” Dante asked without preamble.

Sean stood. Nathan was taller than him, but Dante slightly shorter. Both men exuded power and confidence. Just as Will did.

“Last we knew he was at our villa in Argentina. Evangeline and I came to Los Angeles on business, and when we. . . eloped. . . Will stopped communicating.” Heat climbed his throat, aware of the eyes on him, and hating that they might judge him for this misstep. Taking an immortal woman from her mate and marrying her wouldn’t exactly endear them to him.

“He gave his blessing,” he clarified. “Since then, she’s heard nothing. I’ve been trying to reach him by phone, but he hasn’t responded.”

“I’ve had Visions.” Evangeline’s raspy voice was full of tears. “He’s in danger. I’ve seen men, and Will wielding a weapon. How are we going to find him?” Her pitch escalated, and she was overcome with a bout of tremors so violent, her dark waves writhed around her pale face like a stormy sea.

The three women were on her in a moment. Maria’s little palm rested the length of Evangeline’s tattoo. Lillian lifted Evangeline’s hands, placing one on Gracie’s waist and the other on Maria’s bicep. A ragged moan escaped Evangeline’s lips.

Sean pressed a fist to his mouth, biting off his own despair. Looking up, he met Nathan’s level green-eyed gaze. “Please. Help us. I can’t ease her. You can. And I need to go after Will.” He darted a glance at his wife.

Her head snapped up, and she shook her head wildly. “No! Sean, no.”

He dropped to his knees at her feet. “I have to. Baby, you know I can find him.”

“If he’s in danger, you will be too. And you’re mortal!”

Then Make me immortal.
The words blazed in his throat, but now was not the time. He cradled her cheek. “I have to.”

“You intend to leave her here with us, while you run through South America, searching for Will?” Dante asked.

He nodded jerkily. “I have to,” he repeated.

A sudden hissing noise sounded, and everyone focused on the dark-haired Maria. “Mon Dieu,” she whispered.

Dante sprang forward and tilted Evangeline’s face so her throat was exposed. Sean tensed. Fear snaked through his chest. His heart thrummed with a fresh shot of adrenaline as Dante and Maria gazed into one another’s eyes. After living with immortal mates for nine months, Sean was quite aware that they were silently communicating.

“What is it?” Nathan put a hand on Lillian’s shoulder, as if rooting her to the chair.

“Her tattoo. . . ” Maria tore her gaze from Dante’s, and fixed it upon Evangeline’s throat. “I didn’t notice before. But the runes. . . . ”

Sean’s stomach quivered. “What?”

“The runes spell something.”

Gracie stopped pacing before the fire. “What do they spell, Maria?”

Maria’s face shivered with emotion. Her dark eyes flicked over the tattoo.  “See this rune? It means a journey. And this.” She pointed to another blue-black rune. “Stars as guides. Astronomy.” Here, she looked to Dante.

From her expression, Sean could discern nothing.

“And this. . . . ” She swallowed hard, and looked into Sean’s eyes. “It’s the symbol for mate.”

Evangeline jerked. She scrabbled at her throat, as if to tear free the runes and see for herself. Sean caught her hands and folded them over his heart.

“Baby, it’s okay. We’ve got some answers that will help us.”

But her blue eyes were wild, her shivers returning though Maria’s forefinger prodded the runes.

Maria made a sound deep in her throat, almost a groan. Dante bowed his head, and Nathan moved forward. “What is it?” he asked, crowding around Evangeline.

Dante issued a long sigh. When he spoke, his voice was low. “Destructive forces. The rune means destructive forces.”

Will plunged the small spade deep into the spongy forest floor, bent his knees, and scooped out the dirt. Sweat streamed down his bare chest and back. A rivulet trickled into one eye, and he squinted around the salt as he tossed the thick leaf mold to the side.

“Tell me again why this is important to our cause, Amsdell.”

The other immortal shot him a crooked grin and swiped a forearm through the sweat on his forehead. “We’re laying traps, my boy. The army passes through here every few days. If we snare their phones and possessions, sooner or later we’ll find the location of their commander. Wipe out the leader, and the operation falls apart.”

“Yeah, except that didn’t exactly happen with Marcus.”

Amsdell waved his shovel before jamming it into the dirt. “They don’t know that. As far as they know, Marcus is out there gathering forces, gathering power.”

Will snorted. “The only thing he’s gathering is buzzards.”

The rainforest was alive with the sounds of animal life. A flock of birds swooped from tree to tree, roosting in the enormous canopies like colorful ornaments. At times, their chatter was deafening. In the underbrush, iguanas and rodents scurried about, seeking food or material for their nests. Beneath the canopy, the world appeared dim and aqueous.

Amsdell claimed to see a path the immortals traversed, but Will saw only green.

“How long have you been in this part of the world?” Will asked, leaning on his shovel handle and backhanding the perspiration from his eyes.

“Over a year.” Amsdell’s breathing grew ragged as he dug deep enough to lay the metal snares. “I was living in New York City after I lost my lover. In Greenwich Village, there is a huge community of immortals. Several have been Walking for millennia. Obviously, they are the advisors since they have much life experience.

“Through them, I met Marcus. From the start, he and I clashed. You might say I could see through his guise. In the wars, I was a spy, and I suppose I will always be a spy. I followed him and learned of his plans. He was amassing his army and already slaying immortals.”

A shudder rocked Will, thinking of what he might have done to Evangeline. As he thought of her, a glow blossomed in his mind. His body was trying to force him to Call to her, but he couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Until this business was ended, he must keep her at a distance.

Amsdell stopped shoveling and looked at Will hard. “You all right?”

“Yes.” His voice was unconvincing.

“What you’re trying to do—keeping your woman at bay—is a noble thing. But do you not realize the pain she must be in, being cut off from you?”

Will made a slashing gesture with his hand. He could think of little else. Knowing the debilitating tremors and fear must be consuming Evangeline was the worst part of this situation. He’d gladly battle every immortal in the world to keep her safe, but personally causing her physical and emotional pain was almost unbearable.

“I don’t like it either, Amsdell, but it’s best. When this is over, I’ll let her back in.” He assumed she and Sean were fighting to reach home right now, and hindered by the flooding. No matter what, Sean would keep her safe.

As if reading his thoughts, Amsdell asked, “What about this mortal man she’s with. Explain him to me.”

Will could keep this part of his world private, but Amsdell had been quite open with him, even confiding that he had spent his life with one male lover after another. Will started on a new hole.

“Sean was Evangeline’s lover before she knew she was immortal. The Calling was upon us, but I was being an ass, refusing to claim her. She was already experiencing the beginnings of madness. After a short time, I knew what I had to do and I Called her to me. She left Sean, but she never recovered from losing him.

“Marcus snagged her from the Chicago streets, and I went after her. But Marcus was clever. He roped Sean into it, knowing he would do anything to save Evangeline. When she was reunited with Sean, I saw the love they felt for one another couldn’t be set aside. I suggested. . . . ” He looked at Amsdell’s carved body and felt a flush of heat climb his face.

Amsdell’s face creased with confusion as he waited for Will to continue.

“I suggested we share her.”

The pale eyebrows shot up to Amsdell’s hairline, and then with obvious effort, he tore his gaze away and resumed digging. “So you have a male lover, too.”

“I do.” Will’s heart filled with emotion. Months had passed in harmony, but Will suddenly realized he’d never let Sean know how he truly felt about him. At that moment, he ached for Sean nearly as much as Evangeline.

“We’ve lived together for nine months. I would trust Sean with my life. In fact, I have. I have entrusted him with Evangeline. And I can’t help but think that their trip to L.A. was written in the stars—karma’s way of getting her safely away while I wage this war.”

“I agree. I’m very glad she is cared for by a man you trust. Thank you for being honest with me, Will. I’m honored.”

Will watched Amsdell’s bulging biceps as he scooped the dirt and flung it to the side. After a moment, he spoke. “I don’t consider my relationship with Sean to be something shameful. I believe that love comes in all forms. Don’t you?”

Refusing to look at him, Amsdell dropped the shovel and bent to place a ring of wire in the hole. He slowly sifted dirt atop it, and then followed with wet leaves. Mud smeared his sharp cheekbone and coated his forearms. Will’s body stirred at the sight of Amsdell’s flush.

“Of course I believe that,” he said shortly. “But you must remember the time from which I’ve hailed. There weren’t openly gay Saxon warriors. It was considered sinful. Something disgusting. I suppose habits are hard to break. I hid my preference for so long, it comes naturally to me. Of course, I do take women to bed, like the woman in the pub.”

“Well, you don’t have to hide anything from me.” Will’s words hung in the moist air, sounding full of innuendo. Amsdell’s gaze snapped to his and held. Will’s pulse tripped at the levity of that gray gaze.
Did
he mean to draw this immortal man to him, the way he’d drawn in Sean?

A crunch sounded to their left, and simultaneously, they whipped toward it. Amsdell’s Glock was trained on the swaying foliage before Will could blink. In a flash, his weapon was in hand too.

Will silently edged toward Amsdell until they stood shoulder to shoulder. Amsdell waggled one finger to indicate where the noise had come from. Will’s heart thundered in his ears as he waited. What would happen to Evangeline if he was killed? Immortals who lost their mates faced the worst kind of madness. Most begged for death.

Again, a snapping sounded, like a man’s foot on a twig. Some natives hunted in these parts, but the forest was so thick and so vast, the chances of it being a random visitor were slim.

These are your immortals.
His jaw hardened, and he gripped the automatic handgun, prepared to take out any threat. At that moment, an image of Evangeline loomed into his mind. Dark hair curling about her shoulders in the full, gorgeous halo he loved. Nose ring glinting in the firelight. A low voice nearby, and a fingertip pressed into the runes of her tattoo.

Destructive forces.

The world exploded. A bullet whizzed past his temple, and he dodged, fired. Amsdell unloaded into an immortal before he completely cleared the bushes. The man collapsed at Will’s feet, his immortal glow seeping into the foliage.

Out of nowhere, another immortal leapt at Will. Flash of white. Glint of steel.

He struck him in the chest, tumbling them both to the forest floor. The stale reek of sweat filled Will’s nose as he grappled with the man, who was heavier, taller, more muscled. Grunting with effort, Will jammed a knee between their bodies and using his thigh muscles, shoved him off. Before the man could scrabble to his feet, Will shot him through the heart.

The immortal fell forward slowly, face slack, eyes blurred as death took him.

At his side, Amsdell jabbed the barrel of his weapon into another immortal’s neck and fired. The bitter scent of gunpowder burnt Will’s nose. Gasping, he leapt to his feet and turned a slow circle, waiting for more men to jump out.

“You take the north and east. I’ll take west and south.” Amsdell nodded at Will, and took off into the underbrush, taking no care to be quiet.

Swallowing the bile in his throat, Will thrashed into the forest too, keeping alert for signs of more immortals. Together, he and Amsdell had killed three men. His body was aquiver, both from his need for Evangeline, and from the shock of taking more lives. God, this war could last for years. How would he live without Evangeline or Sean for that long?

Again, the tunnel between him and Evangeline cracked, and he was suddenly experiencing her shaking and the soft rain of tears on her cheeks. Before he could see more, he slammed the link and nailed it shut as if nailing a lid on a coffin.

He tread through the forest carefully, watching for snakes and other poisonous creatures that couldn’t kill him, but could make his life pretty damn uncomfortable. Sweat beaded on his forehead and dripped down his temple. Stiff-armed, he held his weapon straight out, but it wavered in his grasp. These damn shakes weren’t helping the situation.

After scouring the area for more than half an hour, he found nothing. So he picked his way back to the place where he’d left Amsdell, avoiding the snares they’d set. Amsdell was already there, seated with his back against a tree trunk, head bowed.

At the sound of Will’s step, he reared up, but when he spotted Will, he relaxed once more. “All clear?”

“Yes.” Will crouched before his new friend. He studied his face, noting the lines around his mouth. “Come on,” he said, reaching out a hand for him. “Let’s go. We’ve done enough here for one day.”

Amsdell met his gaze with a nod. He clasped Will’s hand and allowed him to pull him to his feet. Before he could think better of it, Will grasped the man roughly to him. He needed the touch of another right now. Their bare chests bumped, and then Amsdell snaked an arm around Will’s back, drawing him fully against him.

And as their hips connected, a shock ripped through them.

“Your immortal tattoo,” Will rasped. “It’s on your lower abdomen too?”

Amsdell’s eyes were aglow. His lips fell open, eyes blurred. He nodded. “Yes.”

Will planted a hand on his back and brought their hips into contact once more just to experience that amazing thrill of touching another tattoo. Their mouths were inches away. Amsdell’s pulse throbbed in the thick vein in his throat, and Will felt the stirrings of the man’s cock between their jeans.

What would Evangeline think if he got carried away with this man? Swept up in a moment of fear and adrenaline and pure desire? It was one thing to enjoy another person in her presence, as he once had on a plane to Chicago when he’d shared her with a young soldier. But how would she feel about this?

Amsdell stepped away, and bent to gather his and Will’s abandoned shirts. He passed the wadded fabric to Will without meeting his eyes, and then turned, and disappeared into the brush.

* * * * *

Will focused on the lean lines of Amsdell’s back as he preceded him down the trail. They hadn’t spoken in several hours, and Will racked his brain, trying to think of a way to set him at ease. He was obviously rattled from their brief contact. But Will couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for it. It had eased his shaking, albeit momentarily.

Suddenly, Amsdell stopped in his tracks. He dug in the front of his jeans and withdrew a couple cell phones—one of which was Will’s.

“Where’d you get that?” he asked, reaching to pluck it from his palm. He’d dropped it in the alley when he’d killed the other immortal and re-Made Amsdell.

“From that man I killed. I went through all of their pockets.”

Will’s thumbs worked over the keypad, checking the incoming and outgoing calls. His blood ran cold, seeing Sean had called him thirty-seven times and left no less than thirty messages. During the times he’d called, the phone had been in the other immortal’s possession. Had he answered it?

“Fuck.” Quickly, he checked the rest of the phone. Everything seemed in order. He took the other phone from Amsdell and did the same searches, discovering numbers of other immortals—some helpful contacts in the immortal army.

When he reached the photos in memory, fear dripped over him. Photo upon photo of houses were saved. And one of them was the villa.

Those son-of-a-bitches. Our villa.

Amsdell was looking over his shoulder. “Targets.”

Will nodded hard. “Yes. See this? This is my home.” He showed him the photo, and then continued to flip through until he spotted another structure he recognized. “Oh, my God.” He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to dispel the feeling of dread.

Amsdell’s hand clamped over his shoulder. His voice was rough. “Sit, Will, and let me ease you. Your shaking is intense.”

He shook his head, and spun away, bringing his phone to his ear. Sean’s messages began trickling through. His muscles tensed when one in Evangeline’s raspy tones begged him to respond. She so rarely used a phone that her leaving a message at all was a sign of her desperation. He shut down the emotions that leapt at the sound of her voice, afraid he would be overwhelmed and let down his guard. That link between them might open against his will, and she’d tumble headlong into his thoughts, and know the dangers he was in.