Wicked Wind (Solsti Prophecy #1) (35 page)

“Release her.” The words Gunnar meant to say came out as a series of snarls.

Maeron seemed to know the intent behind Gunnar’s rough voice. “Oh, I don’t think so. This little female has caused me quite a bit of trouble today. Besides, I want her to work for me. She has a most unusual talent.”

In one swift move, Gunnar leapt toward Nicole. He swung his sword at the Ghazsul in front of her, severing one of its arms. Gunnar wanted to roar that its head was next, but he was no longer capable of speech. Only a furious, deafening sound came out of his mouth. The Ghazsul screeched in pain, but still managed to lunge for Gunnar.

Gunnar growled in victory, knowing that the lunge would put his opponent off balance. He spun in a circle and swung his sword up in a flashing arc, decapitating the Ghazsul. Its head thudded dully as it hit the cement floor behind him.

Standing in front of Nicole, he hissed at the sight of her bruised and filthy face. Her jeans hung on her hips, half of the denim gone. At least the claw marks on her leg seemed to be clotting. He tried to say her name, but could only manage a low rumble.

He turned to Maeron, releasing a bellow that shook the glass on the shelves, and charged. The Domu was prepared for him and blocked Gunnar’s sword, but Gunnar was the faster fighter. And he was in the throes of battle-rage.

His senses flared as they registered the presence of another male in the room.
Brenin
. Gunnar struck out at Maeron, carving a long line into his chest.

The Domu cursed and jumped back, and then muttered something under his breath. Gunnar realized he was casting a spell and lunged at him to stop the flow of words.

Maeron finished too soon, smirking. “Ah, ah. I wouldn’t be so quick to wound me now.”

Behind him, Nicole let out a sigh and a tiny moan.

What did you do to her?
The thought pounded in his head, his voice reduced to jumbled, animalistic sounds. Terror for his mate fought through the fury in his mind, forcing him to pause.

“I can just about see the wheels turning in your little brain,” the Domu sneered. “What could I have done from over here? Why don’t you take another swing at me and see?”

His beast was beyond tolerating the Domu’s jeers. The pause over, Gunnar lashed out with his sword and connected with the thick muscles of Maeron’s shoulder. A second too late, he understood that the Domu allowed the strike, though he dodged just far enough to ensure it was non-lethal. He heard an agonized shriek behind him as blood poured from Maeron’s wound.

His own shoulder burned white hot. Looking down, he saw no wound. He blinked, but his confusion was buried under a surging wave of concern for Nicole.

Turning to vent his rage on whoever had hurt her, he froze as he saw the fresh wound on her shoulder. It was identical to the one he had just inflicted on the Domu.

And no one was near her.

“Fuck!” Kai shouted. “He linked his pain, his wounds, to her with that spell!”

“Oh, the blonde gets points for having brains,” Maeron jeered.

“You cocksucking piece of shit!” Kai rushed the Domu, but Brenin grabbed his arm and clamped a brawny hand just above his elbow.

“Watch it, Kai!” Brenin shouted. “Hold off until we reverse that damn spell.”

“You won’t succeed, Lash. I’ve amassed a collection of spells, amulets and magic that is beyond anything you can comprehend. Some of the most ancient and powerful evil that ever existed has contributed to my personal grimoires.”

Gunnar couldn’t move. The rage-filled demon inside him howled at seeing its mate hurt. Its desire for revenge on Maeron licked at his soul like an inferno. But the rational part of his mind fought its way to the forefront, staying his hand. He couldn’t risk harming Nicole. Kai’s words rolled around in his head as he stood there, torn.

“Gunnar.” Nicole’s whisper broke into his thoughts.

He rushed to her side, trying to tell her not to speak, but the sounds that came out were muddled. One side of her face was swollen and turning purple, and blood flowed from her shoulder. Her arms dangled in the chains, her weight balanced between her uninjured leg and the wall.

Gently taking one of her hands in his, he grasped the metal cuff to snap it in two, but it didn’t budge. He grunted, low and frustrated. Of course Maeron wouldn’t have put her in ordinary manacles; he would have ensorcelled them.

She blinked up at him. “You’re here.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but words wouldn’t form around his sharpened teeth. Her eyes opened wider as she registered the scene before her and then settled back on him. “Oh,” she sighed, “I know you can’t talk. But I knew you’d find me.”

She smiled and gazed at him, her green eyes radiating relief and hope. His beast backed down from its seething rage, basking as her strength flooded him. Good gods, she shouldn’t be trying to talk right now, but her coherent words eased his heart.

Finally his voice started working again, coming out as a throaty croak. “We’ll get you out of here,” he rasped, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

“Well, isn’t this a pretty scene,” Maeron chuckled behind them.

Gunnar turned, standing in front of Nicole, and saw that Rhys had made his way down to the basement. That meant that any demons who had been upstairs were now dead. Kai motioned to the other two Lash, and spoke in a low, quick tone

“Ah, one more Lash joins the party. You all better get used to these walls. You’re going to be looking at them for a while.” Maeron’s eyes flared with yellow light, and his lips moved with rapidly murmured words.

Gunnar’s skin prickled with warning, his eyes drawn to movement at the base of the stairs.

A pale blue fog took shape, snaking along the perimeter of the basement. It stretched and rose until it was as tall as the Lash demons.

The fog pulsed and sighed like a living creature. Vertical lines of a darker blue ran up and down it, like the warp threads on a giant loom. All of them, including the injured Ghazsul and the Skells, stood trapped within the misty barricade.

Dark magic rolled off it like a slap of humid July air. Beads of sweat formed on Gunnar’s brow, and he fought the pull to let it envelope him. In his long years of fighting, he’d encountered this sentient mist once before. It was an enticing trap as well as an impenetrable wall. Weaker-minded creatures tended to fall prey to it sooner rather than later.

One of the Skell demons chattered to itself, transfixed by the mist. Its mouth formed soft cooing sounds, its eyes growing wide. Gunnar could guess what would come next, but couldn’t look away. As if drawn, the Skell moved forward in a flash, all gangly gray limbs, and dove into the barrier.

Its shriek filled the room and cut off, ending on a pop. A small flash of light shone from within the fog and the smell of burning flesh spilled into the room.

Nicole gasped behind him. “What–”

Maeron’s chuckle rumbled through the room. “You see? And when the last of my Skells returns to me tonight, I will have everything I need to crush you. I’ll make you sorry you ever existed. And that female will be mine.”

“Never!” Gunnar roared and started to lunge for him, but he was stopped by the combination of Kai’s loud protest and Nicole’s soft whisper behind him. “Be careful, Gunnar. He’s so dangerous.”

“I know, love.” He turned to her, aching inside at the sight of her bonds and wounds. “Don’t worry. He won’t hurt you again.”

“Of course I won’t,” Maeron said. “You’ll do it for me.”

C
HAPTER
25

Y
OU
’
LL
DO
IT
for me?
Nicole sucked in a breath.
What the hell does that mean?
After seeing a Skell demon get vaporized by the blue fog, she wasn’t about to put
anything
past Maeron.

Don’t worry.
Gunnar had said those words to her before, and each time everything had turned out okay. The difference was during those times she hadn’t been chained, beaten up, and in the presence of a psychotic demon who could cast spells and who laughed when other creatures went up in smoke.

The searing pain in her shoulder had jerked her back to the realm of consciousness, the burn fading as she took in the view of Gunnar. She knew he was caught up in his battle rage. His eyes radiated an unnatural turquoise, the planes of his face sharp and defiant. And when he opened his mouth...it was like when they had been on Torth. Not words, but instead a vicious rumble had torn out.

She sensed his agony at not being able to free her. Standing before her now, he radiated savage fury, but it was coiled and ready to strike, rather than unhinged delirium.
Because of me
. She knew this on an instinctive level that she couldn’t explain. And when he spoke to her, his rough cadence full of tenderness, she fell in love with him all over again.

“Gunnar,” she whispered. “Do you have the ash?”

“Yes.” His voice was still gritty from rage. “But anything we do to him, also happens to you. I won’t risk it.”

Being this close to Gunnar while he was all raged-out was giving her a powerful burst of strength.
Funny, it didn’t feel this way on Torth
. It was like her own energy had been infused with high-octane fuel. Not about to question it, she let the new feeling zip through her veins. Her eyes landed on the blue fog.

She gazed at the dark blue vertical lines as they moved and swayed. An image flashed in her mind of the tall slender grasses she had parted earlier in the day. Invisible sparks danced down her arms, an idea crystallizing in her mind.

“Goodbye, creepy fog,” she murmured, focusing on one blue line directly opposite her. She didn’t have to summon the forceful blast of air. It simply sprang from her body, shooting across the room like a cannonball.

An eerie shriek echoed in the room as a ragged hole appeared in the pulsing mist. Nicole couldn’t tell what had made the sound–the mist or Maeron. The tear widened until the wispy, cloud-like fingers separated, leaving a gap several feet wide.

Every creature in the room stared at her. No one moved as her heart thudded once…twice. Gunnar’s bright blue eyes rounded in surprise, and she thought she saw him fight back a smile.

He whirled around and bellowed, “Go!” Rhys and Brenin darted through the opening and ran up the stairs. Kai moved to stand beside Gunnar.

“I’ll kill you all!” Maeron’s ashy face contorted with fury. He raised his hand and hurled a ball of blue fire from his palm, followed by another and another.

Kai blocked them with his sword, sending some of them flying into the Skells. A couple of them shrieked and collapsed right where they stood. “Is that all you got, Domu? Because I can do this shit all night.” He continued deflecting the blue fire. “You need some more human blood for your spell. But none of your little slave laborers are coming home. Not tonight. Not fucking ever.”

“Gunnar,” she whispered urgently as Kai distracted the huge Domu. “Use the ash.”

“Not until we get you untangled from him.” His ragged tone was absolute.

“It may be the only way to stop him. You have to try!”

“The only thing I have to do is keep you safe.” His eyes glowed blue as he took her hand in his.

“But your assignment was to find out what he was doing and stop him.”

“And finding you was an important side note to my assignment.” His azure gaze locked with hers. “You’re more important than you can ever know, not just to the world, but…to me.”

Her heart skipped at his words. She knew that he was still fueled by rage, and knew that the fury-drenched demon inside him accepted her as well.

“Gunnar...I need to tell you something.”
He reached a claw-tipped hand toward her face, turning it so that his knuckles brushed her cheek. “You should save your strength, love. Rilan is working on a counter spell. Rhys is talking to him right now. I promise we’ll get you out of this.”

“I feel stronger than I ever have. And I know you’ll do whatever it takes to get rid of Maeron. But,” she paused,
just in case things go wrong
...She needed to tell him how she felt. “Gunnar, I love you.”

He stared at her and sucked in a breath.

“I’m yours. I’ll be your mate, or whatever you call it. I love you.”

He raised his other hand toward her and opened his mouth to speak, but a ball of blue flame blasted the wall near her head.

“You may as well savor this moment of domestic bliss, Lash, because it will be your last.” Maeron raised his hand. This time a white fiery line arced from his palm toward Gunnar, who darted to the side just in time.

Gunnar roared and charged the Domu, tackling him to the ground and pinning him face down. Kai shouted at him to stop, but Nicole sensed Gunnar’s inner beast had reached its limit with Maeron’s antics.

His frustration seething in her own blood. She understood that even though he held the larger demon trapped beneath him, he was doing it with care. She felt the iron grip of his arms as he kept Maeron motionless, but no pain.

The Domu laughed, the unearthly sound echoing around the room. The blue fog shifted and pulsed, but hadn’t knit itself back together. “Well, what shall we do now? It seems as though we’re at an impasse. I’ve got your female, and you plan to kill all my Skells. We may as well settle in and get comfortable.”

Feet thudded on the steps, then Rhys barreled down the stairs and leaped across the split in the mist. “Fuck you, Domu.” He closed his eyes and chanted in a language she couldn’t understand. Everyone in the room paused, except Maeron. He twisted sharply to one side, trying to get free of Gunnar.

“What is this?” he shouted. “Do you think you possess any magic as great as mine?”

The air in the room swirled gently. Everyone else was quiet, waiting for something to happen.

Rhys paused and opened his eyes. His dark gaze shot to Gunnar, who looked like he wanted to introduce Maeron’s head to the concrete floor about a hundred times. Instead, Gunnar grabbed the larger demon’s hand and started to bend one finger backward.

Nicole gasped and let out a small cry at the ache that shot up her own hand.