Claimed by Light (15 page)

Hell yeah it was. Talk about seeing her in a different light. This calm, relaxed version of Halena rocked!

“How do you know that movie? You weren’t even born when it released.”

“It’s a classic.”

“Frat boy.”

They walked in silence a while longer, then she tugged them to a stop. “Slade. I meant what I said back in the ocean. And you said that once we were fully clothed and in our right minds…” She stepped into him. “I know I’m only wearing shorts and a tiny tank top, but that’s
mostly
clothed.”

“And we’re both in our right minds.” But what about Votar and the demons? They wanted Lena and him to seal the bond. What if—?

“It’s only a kiss.”

“
Only
. Lena, you know it’s entirely more than that.”

“It’s not sex, Slade. I’m not ready for that yet.”

“Yet? You mean…it’s a possibility? Even though I—”

“I’m not exactly sure when it changed from if to when, but…it did.” She framed his face with her hands, and her pink tongue brushed along her bottom lip. “Small steps, right?”

He’d tasted her back in France, before he knew anything about Ahavah Marks, Mates… And, hell yeah, he wanted to feel that firm flesh between his teeth again.

“There’s no going back once we do this.” He stepped closer, holding his breath. “We might be playing right into Votar’s hands.”

“I’m ready to…connect with you even more.”

Hot breath against his lips had him licking them as she’d just done. Less than an inch from his choice: to further the bond or step back.

Stepping back was no longer an option. Only forward. Only with Lena.

Her whole body tensed within his grasp, and she said, “Damn it.”

“What?” He glanced around but didn’t see anything.

“Brenton’s coming.”

They were a good quarter mile from the compound. “Where? I don’t—”

“Something’s wrong.” She grabbed his hand and took off.

A figure came into focus and appeared to be running as well. It was Brenton.

“What’s going on?” Slade asked as he approached.

“Um…I tried to”—he glanced at Halena—“contact you, but you weren’t really receiving messages at the time.”

Her cheeks went crimson, then her eyes grew wide. She looked at Slade. “It’s Mae.”

Brenton waved them back toward the compound. “Come on.” They took off running. “Mae texted you and Addie. But, Slade, your phone is at the compound.”

“Is she okay?” he asked.

“Got an address. That’s all it said.” Brenton breathed heavily. “Then Addie called your phone. I answered. She’s freaking. Says she’s headed to Grams.”

“No.”

“Don’t worry. I convinced her to stay put and tell Justin what’s going on, and that I’d get you.” He glanced at Lena. “But you had the do-not-disturb hanger out.”

Oh, Slade finally got it. Brenton had tried to telepathically reach Lena, but she and Slade had been together. No interrupting Mates when they were intimate or in danger. The end results weren’t pretty. He knew that much from his studies.

The compound came into view as Lena said, “We have to hurry. Get plane tickets. Or is Theo well enough to come splice us?”

“He’s out. His hand is still healing. But don’t worry. I got you covered.”

There was an SUV, doors open and running, in the driveway.

“Plane is secured. Ten minutes to the airstrip, and we’re there in a few hours.”

“We?” Lena asked as she climbed into the backseat, leaving the front for Slade while Brenton drove.

“I’m with you guys. Consider it more on-the-job training.”

“How’d you get all this in place so quickly?”

“I may be a newbie, but I’m not completely inept.”

A dainty hand patted Brenton’s shoulder and Slade looked back. “Nice work, Brenton. Don’t worry, Slade. Mae’s fine. Try her cell.”

Brenton handed Slade his phone. He tapped it to life and dialed Grams. It went right to voicemail. He called Addie.

“Slade. Omigosh. Did you get Grams’s text?” she asked.

“Yes. She’s in Florida. I’ll be to her in three hours.”

“Justin and Yvonne won’t take me. Slade. I need to see Grams. I can help.”

“No, you can’t. Just stay put. I’ll text you when I land, and then when I’m with her.”

“She’s not answering her cell.”

“I know. I just tried her.” He held on to the dashboard as Brenton steered the car around the corner, tires squealing. “I’ll reach her. Don’t worry.”

“I’m supposed to tell Halena that Sadie’s gone into labor.”

“Okay. Sadie’s in labor. Got it,” Slade said so Lena would know what’s going on, though she probably was reading his mind now that he thought about it. “You stay put, okay? None of this running off shit you’re known for. You realize how dangerous this situation is, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Doesn’t sound very convincing, Addison.” He looked at Lena. “We can’t fight full strength if we’re worried about you. We’ll get hurt. Swear you won’t run.”

Addie started crying. “I won’t, Slade. I promise. I pinkie swear. Just get Grams.”

“We will. Keep training. Focus on Grams. See if you can find her. Okay?”

“I thought you had the address. She sent it on the text.”

“I know, but I want you to practice. Things can change quickly. So stay with her.”

“I’ll try.” She sniffled. “Hurry, Slade.”

“Love you.” He shut the phone off just as the SUV arrived at the airstrip.

“Let’s go.” Brenton shoved open the car door and tossed the keys to a kid in a black tank top. “Thanks, Law. Just keep my baby safe. See you in a few days.”

“Friend of yours?” Lena asked as she rounded the front end of the SUV. “For being around only a few weeks, you’re pretty connected.”

“Mother is a good teacher. Or don’t you remember,
old one
?”

Lena punched the young Shomrei’s shoulder. “This old one can mop the floor with your face. You’d best remember that.” She tugged Slade toward the stairs to the tiny plane. “Come on, it’s time to try out your visions on command again. I have an idea for how to give your powers a little jump-start.”

Chapter Twenty

The plane leveled out and Halena unhooked her seat belt. These tiny puddle jumpers freaked her out. So turbulent.

“Ready to try?” She lifted the armrest between them.

“I’ll go fly copilot.” Brenton shuffled away, ducking so his head wouldn’t hit the ceiling.

“What’s going on?” Slade asked.

“Sit up.” She hoisted her shirt over her head, then sat astride his lap.

“What are you doing?”

She pulled his shirt off. “Trust me.”

“Not that I wouldn’t love exploring what we started in the ocean a little further, but here? Now?” He glanced at the door to the cockpit only feet away.

“You know how you fuel me? I’m that for you, too. It’s just not as obvious as your effect on me—you know, the light on my skin. But when we touch, I can share my power, for lack of a better way to say it.” She inched closer until she straddled his core. “I won’t lie. It can get intense. Just stay focused. Think about Mae. Reach out to her with your ability.”

“Staying focused on Grams with you straddling me like this…might be difficult.”

Beneath her, she felt him responding, and her fangs descended as her body warmed for him, wanting to feel him inside her.
Focus.

She had to completely surrender, opening herself to Slade to give him a power boost. If it would even work. Had they mated, it would be easy. They’d be physically, emotionally, and spiritually linked. But still, she had to try. She had a terrible feeling about Mae.

They had an address, but it had come via text. Anyone could have sent that. If the demons had her, this could be a trap.

“The more skin contact, the better.” She pressed her body to his. His arms wove around her back, and his palms flattened on either side of her spine. “So. Go to it.”

She buried her face in his neck, breathing him in. A hint of salt laced the all-male smell that was Slade. Her fangs dropped even further, grazing his flesh. Yep, tasted like salt. His grip tightened as his hips jutted forward.

I give you my power, Slade. Take it. Find Mae.

Slade tensed, and she tilted her head back. White eyes looked up at her.

Grams? Where are you?
Slade’s sexy voice slid along Halena’s awareness. She closed her eyes and nuzzled him again. Opening her senses.

Heat roared through her chest and to her neck. Her pulse quickened. It must be working.

Darkness faded into light. She stood, hand in hand with Slade, in the middle of a road. A single lane in each direction.

“Grams?” Slade’s voice disappeared up the endless road. Bright sun hung above, and a lone gas station to their left sat empty, surrounded by desert. Miles and miles of desert.

“Text said she was in Florida. This doesn’t feel like Florida.” Slade shaded his eyes with his free hand. “Thanks for the power boost. No headache or anything. Just jumped right into it.”

She smiled, happy to provide for her Mate.

“Mae?” she yelled.

“Hi, honey.” Mae’s image appeared directly in front of them.

“Grams.” Slade released his hold on Halena and pulled his grandmother into a hug.

Halena had expected to disappear when he dropped her hand, and by the way Slade quickly reached for her, he had, too.

But she didn’t.

Halena raised her hands. She looked a little ghostlike, as did Mae, but she was still there in his vision. “Cool.”

Mae smiled. “It’s because you’re his Mate. You empower him.” She looked up at Slade. “You got my text, I see.”

“So, you did send it?” Halena asked, checking the surroundings. “You alone?”

“For now. But I have a bad feeling, Halena.”

“You and me both.”

“They have their own Oracles working furiously to find me.”

“Why do they want you so badly all of a sudden?” Halena asked. “You’ve lived in peace for how many years?”

“Seems they need someone from our bloodline for something.” She shook her head. “Ever hear of the Gem of Desmios?”

“Hell yeah,” Halena said. “It fits with the Necklace. But we’ve got that, so the Gem is useless.”

“You have the Necklace for now.”

“Do they raid Theo’s compound?” Halena asked, fearing the worst. “Sadie just went into labor. Addie’s there.”

“It’s protected,” Slade said. “How could they?”

“It’s unclear. Doesn’t feel like they breach the compound. No. It’s something else. Somehow. It’s so fuzzy, but they get the Necklace,” Mae said. “They need you to get the Gem. Using Slade’s Oracle abilities, possibly. I can’t quite see it.”

“Or, they get the Gem and demand a trade for the Necklace,” Slade said.

“I knew you’d be strong, Slade. I felt it.” Mae smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes like Halena had seen it before. She knew more, had seen something she wasn’t telling them. “They realized you couldn’t be turned. Would never become demon. You proved that in the cave. They’ve had to alter their plans.”

“What is it, Grams? What aren’t you telling me?”

Halena checked around them. All seemed quiet. Why were they meeting in this desolate place and not in Florida, where Mae was? Something didn’t feel right. Halena grasped Slade’s hand. Her heart pounded. Sweat dribbled down her back.

Mae’s image flickered. “I love you. Love you so much.”

Slade reached for her, and she grasped his hand. “Your mom and dad would be so proud.”

“Grams!”

She was gone.

Reality smacked into Halena as Slade threw them back into the present. Sweat covered his forehead. He looked at her with wide, bloodshot eyes. “Something’s wrong.”

She nodded, threading her arms through her shirt. “She’ll be fine. Feisty, remember? We’ve got to believe that.”

“Shit.”

“You okay? I mean from the vision?”

“Tired a little. No headache.” The corner of his mouth lifted in a lazy smile. “You really are an energy boost.”

Just wait until they mated. He hadn’t seen anything yet.

…

Slade kicked in the door to the empty hotel room, and shards of wood scattered across the puke-green carpet.

But no Grams. This had been the address she’d given Addie and Slade. A grimy, abandoned single-level hotel.

“Slade!” Lena yelled.

He ran out onto the sidewalk. Two doors to his left Lena peeked out from a doorway. Among Brenton, Slade, and Lena, they’d kicked in every single door of this dump.

His soaked shirt clung to his skin in the balmy heat as he stomped toward the room. Lena stepped out, her face ashen.

“It’s bad, Slade.”

Brenton backed away, his head down.

The air around Slade seemed to evaporate, stealing the breath from his lungs along with it. Grams was dead. He knew it by the instant heaviness in his heart.

She squeezed his fingers, then moved to the side as he passed by. “I’ll be right outside here, just holler if you need me.”

Breathe, man
.

Inside the room, the stench of death battered his soul with lead fists. Total stillness. Not a sound. A void of nothingness. He choked in some air and stepped past the bed.

Grams lay on her side at the foot of a wooden chair that sat next to a small bedside table, her eyes fixed open and her mouth ajar.

“Son of a bitch!” He fell to his knees. “Grams.” Tears pricked at his eyes as his stomach churned.

She was all alone. In this shitty place.
Damn it.
He should have…protected her, been here for her.
Grams!

Cold. Still. Nothing.

Cradling her head in his lap, he let the tears fall. Images of her smile, the sound of her laugh, and her wicked sense of humor flooded his mind. If only he would have known about all this Oracle stuff sooner. He could have learned so much from her. Could have helped her.
Grams!

“Zander!” Lena yelled from outside. “You piece of shit.”

Slade sprinted to the door. A guy, maybe five foot ten, stood in front of Lena, palms up and head down. Blood trickled from his temple.

“What’s going on?” Slade asked.

“I’m just about to kick the snot out of this demon and find out.”

“Demon?”

“Technically, yes. But…” The stranger looked up. “Not…”

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Brenton said, circling the guy, the gravel of the tattered sidewalk crunching beneath his boots. “Zander? Zander… Witch. You’re the one who studied under Evania. Helped Justin’s Mate, Yvonne, hide from the demons after her.”

“The one and only.” He broadened his shoulders but still looked like a wimp Slade could flatten with his left pinkie. Which he might just do if he had anything to do with Grams’s death.

“The one who’s been gone since Lucifer breached Theo’s compound and nearly killed Sadie.” Lena rushed the guy, and Slade hurried after her. “You did this? You killed Mae?”

“No…” He cringed. “Not exactly.”

Slade smacked Zander’s face, sending the guy spinning.

Zander put his hands up and redirected his focus to the side. “Just wait. I can help. I can tell you what happened.”

Lena looked at Brenton. “Can you secure Mae, please, while we deal with this miscreant?”

“Secure?” Brenton asked.

“You should burn her,” Zander said. “How she died…that’ll be suspect if there’s an autopsy.”

Lena’s fangs dropped. “I’m so going to send you back to Hades.” She unsheathed her Mavet. “But not before I bleed every bit of information from your pissant brain. Along with your blood. Every. Fucking. Drop!”

Slade had never seen her so enraged. Then again, he didn’t know the history with this Zander guy, but the fact that he took part in killing Grams was enough for him to let her go Shomrei on his ass.

Hands up again and slowly backing away, Zander said, “Jace found me. He knew I was a Mekhash witch. He needed a…spell.” He cleared his throat. “I had
no
idea of any connection to you guys. I swear on my black heart. I was pretty focused on staying topside, and they made a deal with me. Said they wouldn’t give my whereabouts away to my coven if I cooperated. They needed a retrieving spell to get to a certain person.” Zander kicked at the plush, overgrown grass growing through the cracks of the crumbling sidewalk.

“Get a certain person?” Slade asked.

“Yeah.” Zander let out a deep breath. “Okay. Let me start from the beginning. Jace said he needed to get through a protection spell to reach a particular person who was being guarded by some pretty hefty magic.”

“Got a name?”

“I heard Addie and Slade mentioned, but I don’t know who they are.”

Lena growled and looked at Slade. “
Merde
.”

His stomach dropped as he reached into his pocket for his phone. He needed to warn Addie.

“Wait, Slade. Two more minutes. Let’s get the whole story. Go, Zander. Quickly.”

“You’re Slade? But you’re not anywhere protected. I don’t—”

“He was until just recently. And Addie still is. Go on. Talk.”

“I needed the blood from either the person I’m to find or someone in their bloodline. Like a brother, sister, parent, whoever. They brought me here. Seems this old woman was the grandmother.” He shifted his weight. “The spell calls for a
lot
of blood. Not enough to kill the person, but it leaves them pretty weak after. When I had enough, I told them to stop.”

“But they didn’t. They bled her dry. A message to us. To me.” Slade ground his molars together.

“Where’s Jace? Did he tell you his next move?” Lena asked, hands planted on her waist. She’d sheathed her Mavet dagger for some reason. Was she really going to let this guy live?

“I didn’t ask. But they left me here.”

“When?”

“About five hours ago.” He held up his cell phone. “I called a cab, but we’re a ways out—they probably thought I was a prank or something.”

Lena pointed her long, slender finger at Zander as her fangs descended. “You’re with us, and you will help us fix this. Where the hell have you been all this time?”

“Long story, I’ll fill you in later. We need to get moving.”

Slade stepped forward, hands itching to strangle this demon. “You can’t let him live. He’s demon. He’s—”

“An enigma. I’ll tell you everything, but first we need to take care of Mae.” Lena looked up at Slade. “He’s right about having to burn her unless we arrange for her to be delivered to Theo’s compound. That would take some time, though, and I don’t think we have it.”

“But Addie. She didn’t get to say good-bye.”

“Who’s Addie?” Zander asked.

“My sister.”

Zander looked at Lena. “Wait. You have a Mark.” He glanced at Slade. “Are you her Mate?”

Lena stepped in front of Slade, facing Zander square on. “He is. What’s going on in that wicked brain of yours?”

“She’s an Oracle. Your sister is a damn Oracle.”

“You knew that and you still did the spell?” Lena shoved him. “You’re really a—”

“No! I’m demon but not stupid. I found out
after
they had everything they needed. Holy fuck! When demons kill an Oracle to get to an Oracle, there’s some big shit going down. I don’t want any part of it.”

“Yeah, well, meet the true Oracle.” Lena pointed to Slade. “Addie’s only sixteen, just barely into seeing visions. This one…he’s the one with the real power.”

Zander looked up at him. “Then we need to hurry back to town so I can pick up a few things.”

“
As if
,” Lena said.

“Trust me. You’ll want what I’m going to cook up, because that spell I made for Jace can yank your Mate right out of any location at any time, just like it can his sister.”