EMBRACE THE DARK (The Blood Rose Novella Series) (3 page)

She parted her lips and his tongue entered her, piercing her, plunging in and out.

She connected her hips low and felt the long rope of him. Her knees weakened further.

She suckled his tongue and he groaned again. The waves came faster now and seemed to pluck at every part of her body at once. She wanted to fall on the ground, but in gentle stages he eased back. But by then she was in agony and breathed hard. She pressed her forehead into his shoulder.

What is happening
? she asked.

I fear it is something that will alter your life forever, unless you are wise, and choose to leave Merhaine. You would be wise, Abigail, not to come back and I’m begging you to do just that. You are not realm. You don’t understand our customs. My people would have great difficulty accepting you.

But beyond that, the Invictus have grown active again.
A polite euphemism for death and destruction.

She drew back, but in her heels the uneven ground put her off-balance. She started to fall.

He caught her, righting her, then held her steady.

“Just tell me one thing,” she said. “What are the waves that you send through my body. They almost undo me. I…that is…you could have…I wouldn’t have objected.”

She met his gaze but she was blushing.

A soft strange growl left his lips. So vampires growled at such moments. He wasn’t human, but why didn’t that seem to matter to her? And why could she speak with him mind to mind? She should have cared, it should have been paramount. And her vein still throbbed, begging for him to take her very life-force.

“I swear you’ve enthralled me,” he said, a deep furrow now between his brows. “This must be your doing, Abigail. It was there from the first.”

“Gerrod are you saying that you’ve been attracted to me since that first day?”

“I won’t deny it.”

“I thought you disapproved of me.”

“I’m frustrated, even distressed, that I’m drawn to you, a very different thing.”

She put her finger in the furrow between his brows and rubbed. He let loose with a sigh, closing his eyes. She added, “You’re worried all the time.”

“Yes.” His voice was always little more than a deep, gravelly growl.

“One of the fae told me that there are a million realm in Merhaine. Is this true?”

He nodded.

“You have charge of a million souls then?”

“I do.”

“No wonder you rarely laugh.” She had meant to tease him but when he didn’t even smile, when he looked away from her, she finally understood his most essential self. He was responsible and he put those responsibilities above everything else in his life including his own happiness.

“No wonder your people thrive,” she said.

His gaze snapped back to her. “Why do you say that?” Again that deep furrow appeared.

“You’ve laid your life down for your people, no doubt for decades. Why wouldn’t they thrive? But what of you, Gerrod? What of your own happiness?”

He stared down at her with a stunned look in his eye as though she had asked something never heard of before. Then he just looked confused. But as other thoughts intruded, his face hardened. He looked like a vampire who had been standing in a strong wind for a very long time, centuries perhaps.

“We should get back.”

She nodded. The moment had passed. The only understanding that had been reached was that she desired him and he desired her, and that the realm world had no place for a human female in a mastyr vampire’s life.

As he turned to offer his arm, however, a strange keening sound broke through the forest, a sound that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

Abigail turned toward the sound and watched as a red mist moved between the trees toward the reception.

“Red wind,” she whispered.

His gaze shot to her once more. “You can see that?”

She nodded.

He turned back as well. “The Invictus are here. Dear Goddess help us this night.”

*** *** ***

“I will path you,” Gerrod said. “It’s the fastest way. Do you trust me?”

She blinked as though surprised. “Yes, of course.”

He didn’t exactly have time to explain. He slid his arm around her waist, dragged her against his side, lifted her off her feet, and sped back to the reception.

Her hand clutched his soft shirt, but other than a small, ‘oh,’ she didn’t offer a single protest.

Five seconds later, he took her to Augustus. “The Invictus are coming. See to everyone.”

“Yes, Mastyr.”

He turned to Abigail. “Go with Gus.”

She nodded in several quick bobs of her head.

He looked around, still holding her hand. There were at least three hundred realm-folk at the festivities, including the caterers and musicians.

He telepathed Jason.
How far away are you?

Seven minutes.

Hurry. We’ve got Invictus sign.

He looked down at Abigail’s hand not understanding why he was so damn reluctant to let it go. He met her gaze and saw in her eyes so much compassion that he had to look away.

Finally, he released her hand. “Go to the castle with Gus. Go quickly.”

Again, she did nothing more than nod in agreement as though she understood. Well, she had been in and out of Merhaine for a year now and she had numerous realm friends. She would have heard many times about the Invictus. She would understand the trouble they faced.

“Go,” she said softly. “Do what you do best.”

He searched her gaze. Satisfied that she truly was all right, he turned on his heel and headed straight for the groom. He spoke swiftly to him. Gillet handed him the microphone.

He faced the people he knew so well. The red wind drew closer, flowing through the trees, brightening. He was always surprised that so few could see it.

“The Invictus are upon us. Please move into the castle with all due haste. Stay away from the forest. No one will be safe there. I will create a shield.”

He heard Gus calling out in a powerful voice, bidding the guests follow him. The wedding party began to move, a little slow at first, as though stunned. But soon, those closest to the castle were running.

Once the crowd was past him, he began spreading his power off to each side, high in the air, wider and wider, a barrier of protection. The Invictus would not be able to pass, but would be forced to do battle with him. As he had done for the past century and a half, since he had reached mastyr vampire status, he gathered his battling power.

And there they were, at least twenty powerful Invictus wraith pairs. Their mates came to do battle as well, some vampires, a couple of trolls, several fae, and one elf. But all were soldiers now. Most of the realm-folk that had made the decision to bond with a wraith, sported spiked hair and gold loops hanging from their ears. All were air-borne in a strong form of levitation. Apparently, pairing with a wraith to form Invictus sharpened all powers. Blades of varying kinds were the weapon of choice.

As though the numerous pairs acted as one, the blades began to spin and then fly toward him. The massive shield held, deflecting the blades, which made it possible for him to bring his battling power down his arms, readying at the tips of his fingers, the frequency vibrating strongly. Once he was warmed up, the same power would also fly in scattered blasts from his chest, shoulders and arms.

The real battle commenced as he released his frequency power in bursts of focused killing energy. He moved his arms and hands swiftly, aiming for the wraiths who had the greater battling skill. The wraiths, however, had their own frequency energy and began to answer his powerful strikes, so that soon he saw dozens of red streams of light flying toward him again and again.

Though his shield held and kept him safe, each hit weakened him in the depths of his battle energy. He wouldn’t be able to do this forever.

He hoped to hell that Jason arrived soon.

Chapter Two

Abigail trotted at the edge of the crowd, but saw something streak off to her left.

She glanced into the forest and saw a young troll child smile and dash behind a tree. The boy was playing.

She didn’t take even a second to assess the situation, but did the only thing she knew to do. She ran straight for him and tried to take his hand, but he drew back. “You’re human. I’m not supposed to speak to humans.”

He ran farther away, deeper into the forest, in the direction of the Invictus. She called to him, but he didn’t stop, not until she called out, “The Invictus are here, little one. Please come to me.”

At that the boy stopped and turned toward her, his eyes wide. “Invictus?”

She nodded. “Mastyr Gerrod wants everyone in the castle. Now. Come to the castle.”

He ran toward her, but again, she saw another streak of movement. This time, however, it was the red wind. “Oh, no.”

The boy ran into her arms and started to cry. He looked up and screamed. A wraith was close, maybe twenty feet away. She could feel Gerrod’s power, she could even see it a few feet away. It was a huge wall of shimmering blue energy. But the wraith had been exploring the same phenomenon and had found the outer reaches, right where she stood.

Gerrod
, she pathed.
I am west of you and I have a troll child with me. Can you shift your power another ten feet and cover us?

She pulled the boy against a tree and held him tight. She looked up once more.

The wraith was a fierce-looking creature, almost opaque, with small eyes, yellow fangs and dark lips. This one, a female, was covered in red gauze-like strips of fabric, sewn loosely together, but floating easily around her long thin legs. She was barefoot and in flight, which was a wraith’s preference most of the time.

She smiled, showing red gums.

Gerrod?

I’m trying Abigail, but I’m battling three Invictus. Can you reach a position where I can see you? Then I’ll know better what to do.

The wraith taunted her, shifting back and forth through the air. “A human caught in the forest. What am I to do?” She laughed, almost a cackle.

Abigail lifted her chin and stood up. She knew this could be the end of her life, but she had to do something. Still holding the boy against her legs, she moved a foot forward then another. “What do you want with a human, wraith? I am nothing to you.”

“Human blood tastes quite good.” She hissed and bared her fangs a little more.

Gerrod, can you see me yet?

No.

She took another step, then another, each putting her closer to the wraith. A couple more feet and she would reach a pool of light cast by the distant floodlights which was also in line with Gerrod’s shield.

“Why don’t you battle those who have weapons?” Abigail called out, hoping to distract the wraith into a conversation. “Or are you just a coward, like all of your kind?”

The wraith’s clothing stilled and she advanced forward, as Abigail advanced. Abigail put her foot in the beam of light, then brought the other one forward, the troll still hidden in the skirts of her gown, but he wept against her leg. He’d seen the wraith and he could hear her hiss.

“Foolish human. I won’t just take your blood. I’ll tear each of your limbs off just for the pleasure of it.”

She launched, but at the same time, Gerrod’s voice streaked through her head.
I’ve got you.
His power shield slipped between them and the wraith collided into that shield, as though she’d struck a brick wall.

Abigail heard a terrible crunching sound, the wraith’s eyes rolled, then she plummeted to the ground falling hard. She didn’t move.

Stay where you are. You will be safe.

She dropped to the ground and drew the boy onto her lap, holding him close. Gerrod’s power wrapped around them. She could see him now. He moved like lightning in the distance, well above the ground as he made use of his levitation power. Pulsing lights flashed from his arms, hands and shoulders in powerful streaks. Each time, a wraith screeched and fell, or one of the Invictus realm-folk cried out in pain then toppled over. The wraiths still fighting sent repeated red streaks of energy toward Gerrod. Each one hit his shield which protected him, but even she could see that his shield had holes in it here and there.

The flash of lights grew quicker.

Then suddenly, another Guard appeared, dropping from high in the sky, to levitate beside Gerrod. The lights flashed faster now and within another minute, the last of the Invictus lay on the ground.

Abigail rose, helping the boy to slide off her lap. She could hear a woman screaming in the distance, calling for ‘Petrus’.

“That’s my mama.”

He pulled against Abigail’s hand, but she didn’t let him go. Instead, she began to run in the direction of the castle with him. But one last glance in Gerrod’s direction revealed that all of the Invictus pairs lay dead in front of the ruined wedding cake.

*** *** ***

Gerrod was breathing hard and so damn weak. He had used up a tremendous amount of energy. He’d never seen so many wraith-pairs before and all well-armed. As his shield had weakened, he’d gotten nicked a couple of times, nothing serious but he was damn glad Jason had shown up when he did.

He glanced behind him and saw Abigail running with her hand clasped around a troll boy’s hand. Until that moment the reality of her plight hadn’t sunk in. Sweet Goddess she could have been killed.

He brought his power shield back toward him, reabsorbing as much of the energy as possible.

Jason sat down on the ground to catch his breath. Gerrod knew he had pushed hard to get here. They had both used up some serious reserves.

Jason looked up at him and pushed his light brown hair off his face. He wiped sweat from his forehead with the woven sleeve of his shirt. “That was fucking close, wasn’t it?”

Gerrod nodded. “Very. There were forty in all.”

“Sweet Goddess. What has happened? How have the Invictus grown in such numbers? Someone must have charge of them. I’ve never known these pairs to join together like this.”

“I know. I have thought the very same thing.” Gerrod swallowed hard. His left hand trembled, a sure sign that his blood-starvation was reaching a critical point. He should have summoned one of his
doneuses
to stabilize him long before tonight, but he hated to disturb the women. Each of his three donors were married to good men. The act seemed disloyal and he despised having to ask.