Ancient Blood: The Fallen (17 page)

              Suddenly the sound of battle seemed to jar something within Dante, and his face contorted, changing, becoming something harsh and deadly before my eyes, as climbing to his feet, he jerked me to my own as, half dragging, half pulling me behind him towards a rotted, fallen tree he stooped and shoved me into its interior snapping, “keep your ass down” then returning to his feet, he joined the fray.              

Dazed and helpless, crouched low and trapped within the low crumbling walls of a fallen tree, and unable to see, yet clearly able to hear the sound of the battle going on outside the old chunk of log, I ducked my head and began to pray.

Twelve hours later I was scooping a mouthful of canned beans into my mouth, when I lost the fight with my emotions.

The tears began to flow freely down my cheeks, and though I tried to stem them, they just kept coming, for over and over I kept hearing the words Sirrus had said to me after I’d finally learned the total of our losses.

Whispering that I didn't understand, didn't understand the reason
any
of this was occurring in the first place, he'd taken my hand and  patted it in a rough, sort of gruff comfort, then murmured, “there are times when understanding can nearly be impossible, but it
can
be gained, however, only in baby steps Kira.”

Now I found myself setting aside my plate with a hiccuping sob as I ran from the camp, never aware that I was being followed.

When I finally came to a stop, I had no memory of the time from leaving the camp until now, as I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands.

My tears dribbled between my fingers as I gave a watery snort, baby steps my
ass
, I’d been forced into taking huge, giant strides into a world I couldn’t, no,
didn’t
understand, and though Dante had said we’d won the battle for now, and that the unholy had retreated, it was the words,
for now
, that had me impaled with even further fear, for within them was laced the words he
hadn’t
spoken.

Silent words that foretold of further battle, and more death yet to come…for the unholy had not gained what they wanted…
me
.

Until recently, I’d thought I’d handled everything rather well. However, I knew in this instance, I was floundering, to young to be the adult I found I needed to be, and to old to be the child I wished I could hide within, very much unprepared for the battle that had ensued, or the reality of the death and pain that had resulted from it.

To make matters worse, the ones that had been lost to us, half a dozen in number, had received no formal burial, instead had been hurriedly massed and placed within a large hole in the ground.

When I'd complained of the inhumane treatment, I’d been told there was no other choice, for the chance of another attack was too high, and so the camp had been jerked down and placed on the move again within hours of the attack, and now I found myself staring into the sky and wailing, "oh God help me, I don’t know if I can
do
this!”

To the man standing several yards behind her, the words Kira uttered were like a physical blow, and he felt his shoulders slump, for he could not tell her that her pain and heart break had only begun, nor could he tell her of the sacrifices unknown to her that had already been made, or of those yet that were to come in the name of keeping her and the earth safe.

However, the evil within her was an inheritance that she would one-day be forced to face. A darkness that he had chosen for himself for her.

A stirring of that very evil was growing within him, becoming more active everyday now, for the flow of impurity, a tainted force, had begun cruising strongly through him, an evilness that before too much longer would overtake him, and bring about the full effects of his sacrifice, bring forth a darkness that testified to the extent of what he had done.

Yet, he feared with everything in him that before he could see Kira to safety, the part of him that remained for now, would be brought to its knees.

* * *

I frowned as the birds called greetings to one another, interacting within merry conversations known only to themselves, as though nothing unusual had occurred within the last few days, as though nothing had shaken
the
very
foundation of
their
understanding such as what had happened to me, and my mood was, to say the least, not a good one.

I’d slept very little, if at all, and had crawled out of my tent that morning just as the sky was turning from the inky blue black of night into the glorious rainbows of sunrise, but even the splendid beauty of Mother Natures display had failed to lighten the sour disposition I found myself in.

The heavy feeling of guilt had settled deeply upon me over the last few days, and now as I sipped at my coffee, my eyes swung about the camp, my heart breaking again at the faces that were missing, and though I had only known them a short period, I'd come to look upon them as my friends.

I found my mood darkening even further when my gaze fell upon Elena, who was staring in my direction, a frown marring her perfect complexion. Jerking off the large rock I’d been using for a seat, I tossed the remainder of coffee in the bottom of the cup to the ground, then stomping over to the makeshift table, I plopped the ceramic container down with a resounding thud.

Turning to where I was no longer facing her, the decision clear and precise within my mind that I was returning to my tent, even if it did mean risking heat stroke within its suffocating hot interior, for I’d be
damned
if I was going to speak with the vile woman again, and hurriedly stepped away from the table.

As I walked, my mind took me backwards to the evening before, and the confrontation between her and I that had been more than enough to place a bad taste in my mouth!

I'd just returned to the camp from seeking the much-needed solitude to lick my wounds and gather my thoughts, when I’d been waylaid, as without any pretense or form of hesitation, Elena spat “so what was the invocation you used?”

I blinked, then exclaimed, “
excuse
me” wondering if I'd slipped a gear at some point and missed part of the conversation.

Elena laughed sarcastically, “oh come
on
, don’t act as if you don’t know what I’m talking about!”

“I’m not
acting
,” I spat, my tone as hard as my expression before I continued on in a hiss “and I’m sorry if you believe I know what you’re talking about, but I can assure you, I
don't.
”

I made to go around her at that point, and I'd almost made it when she grabbed me by the arm and pulled me backwards until I was once again standing before her as she muttered caustically, “oh come Kira…you
must
have  spelled him somehow, I mean, why
else
would Dante have given everything up for
you
!”

Gritting my teeth, hot anger blasting through my veins I snarled, “and again, I’m
telling
you, I have no idea of what you're talking about, and I haven't
spelled
anybody!”

Elena’s face infused with anger and took on a mask of hatred, hatred that was clearly directed at me, and so intense in its loathing that it could have liquefied steel as she hissed “you’re a fucking
liar.
...” then after a few seconds of observing me in silence she continued, as pinching her bottom lip between her thumb and index finger, she sarcastically sneered, “so, you're trying to tell me that you don't know that Dante's...
changing.
..and
you're
at fault
?”

However, after a few more seconds of my continued silence, where I just stared at her, she murmured condescendingly, “well fuck sugar, you're just plain stupid then! You need to ask him…ask him about the symbols on his back…about what they are, and
how
the hell he got them…might be time for a reality check fairy princess” then without another word, she turned and walked away.

Though distance had rapidly grown between us, I'd felt a prickle of apprehension slither down my spine as my gaze had followed her, for I sensed reality was about to bite me in the ass.

Waiting and uncertainty had both become an enemy. Their mental assault worse than if another physical attack from the unholy had occurred, and several more days passed with nothing, and the uncertainty of it all was causing everyone to be jumpy and grumpy, yet still we waited, waited even as we moved deeper into the jungle, hacking, whacking, swiping, griping, swearing and, yet again,
waiting
…with that gut clenching uncertainty!

It was at the end of another day of both, that I found myself sitting several yards away from the entrance of Dante’s tent. My knees drawn up to my chest, and my arms wrapped around them as I gazed at the sky.

              I’d watched the golden glow of the day change into encroaching dusk, which quickly fell into nightfall with the occasional sighting of the moon peaking through the swaying canopy of the trees, allowing for the occasional break from the darkness that had overtaken the jungle as I'd sat, motionless.

              I'd been debating what approach I should take, for through out the last several days I'
d
watched Dante, and as much as I hated to admit it, Elena hadn't been lying, he
was
changing, and if it
was
something I'd done that was bringing it about, then I needed to know what, so I could correct it, uncast it...de-spell it, well crud-apples, un
do
what
ever
the hell I'd unknowingly done!

The source of my thoughts had slipped inside his tent not thirty minutes earlier, and now, shoving myself to my feet, I made my way over to stand before his tent.

Stretching out a hand, I pulled the unzipped flap back, stepping inside before I screeched to a complete standstill, losing my train of thought, my chaotic mind wailing,
oh
shit
, how stupid could I
be, as I stared at the sight of the man before me
.
             

Dante's body was clothed in the soft glow of a low burning lantern, and nothing else but the sheen of sweat that covered his naked, sleep sprawled form, completely unaware of his surroundings, as well my presence within his tent.

God, he’d always been sexy, carrying about him an air of danger, a sense of the untamed just barely suppressed below the surface…but Jesus, since he'd reappeared after being gone for these past six months, the intensity of it had become almost overwhelming in its effect on me, hell, it was even obvious in his
sleep
for Christ sake!

Suddenly I was jerked from my thoughts when Dante moved, and holding my breath I waited, fearing I’d been caught staring down at his naked form, but he’d only shifted, restless in his slumber.

A tidal wave of guilt washed over me for staring at him when he was so oblivious to his surroundings, and I began inching my way backwards towards the opening, where turning to run, I found myself caught and held fast by the hand that had snaked out and grasped me around the ankle, then it began tugging, and I felt my foot slide out from beneath me, before losing my balance, I tumbled none to gently on top of Dante.

The change in his breathing was instant, becoming faster, harsher, deeper, and suddenly the need to feel him buried within me set up so strong, I nearly wept with it. Want flowed through my veins, wrapping sensuously around me until I was nearly mad with hunger, for I could feel the heat coming off Dante in waves, a smell of sweetness emitting from his skin that betrayed his own need of
me,
and
,
with
a growl he surged forward, grinding his cock against the softness between my legs, as pulling my head to his, he covered my lips with his in bone melting possession.              

I could feel my desire grow with each stroke until I was practically panting, squirming to be touched until finally he tugged my shirt over my head and cupped my breasts within his hands, squeezing as he weighed their fullness within his palms, then with a slight movement he began to stroke at the budding hardness of one of my nipples.

A groan slipped past my lips at his touch, and I pushed into his fingers, thrilling at the sensation.

Then moving until I had him beneath me, I straddled his hips and rocked against the hardness of his cock, while his eyes bathed my breast in their heated gaze, before pulling me down towards him, he drew a peaked nipple into his mouth, flicking at it with his tongue, forcing a broken cry of pleasure from between my lips.

With a deep growl, Dante began to work at the button and zipper of my shorts, continuing to pleasure my breast with his mouth, as rolling us until my back was again against the floor of the tent, he knelt beside me, pushing my shorts and panties past my hips and downward until they rested around my ankles, where I finished kicking them off my feet.

Voice rough and husky, he groaned, “
fuck
, I need you…”