Amethyst Flame (The Flame Series Book 2) (17 page)

She was on her own now as Beth jumped from one barred cell wall to the next, her gaze fixed on Emma, her eyes manic as she stared at Emma’s throat.

The triplets joined her in the cell, moving back and forth frenetically.
We don’t know what to do or how to help.

Emma reached into the future focusing on Vaughn and the triplets. A series of quick snapshots emerged.
Becca, find Vaughn. Be with him. He’ll need you in this. You must remind him that we’re a team. Tell him that. Tell him that he and I are a team.

Becca nodded and the ghosts vanished.

Now for the other problem.

Emma had to try something. She shouted telepathically, hoping she could make contact with the woman.
Beth! I’m a friend of Vaughn’s! Can you hear me? Understand me?

But the minute or so of clear-mindedness that Beth had experienced earlier, when she’d first recognized her brother, had long since ended. The dementia from a steady diet of amethyst-tainted blood had taken over again.

Beth leaped from the cell bars once more, only this time she landed on the dirt floor. She hunched over as she moved, her arms dragging lower and lower, her hands in the shapes of claws. Her eyes were red-rimmed and blazed with hunger. They’d darkened as well and no longer looked gray, like Vaughn’s. Her fangs made a sudden frightening appearance.

Emma jumped to her feet, intent on bolting for the door. But Beth sprang, knocking Emma flat on her back. Before Emma could prevent the attack, Beth bit hard, tearing into Emma’s throat.

She cried out in pain and started to struggle, but the moment Beth began to suck down Emma’s blood, Emma fell into a deeply enthralled state. Her body grew completely lax and her mind fell into a sublime state of peace, the tearing of her skin and vein a distant agony.

Emma wondered if this was how she would die, with Vaughn’s sister, demented because of a second-hand addiction to amethyst flame and drinking her to death.

~ ~ ~

Vaughn awoke suddenly when a wave of cold water hit the back of his head. For a few long seconds, he couldn’t remember where he was or what had happened to him. But the memories rushed back swiftly. He and Emma had been knocked to the ground and something had smashed into his skull.

“Emma.” His voice was hoarse.

“Calling out for your girlfriend? She can’t help you now. She can’t even help herself.”

Dagen, again. “Fuck you.”

A boot kicked Vaughn hard in the ribs, the reinforced steel crunching a couple of his ribs. He grunted in pain as Dagen moved closer to his face. All Vaughn could see was a pair of dusty shitkickers. The low light and a view of diverging paths a few yards away, told Vaughn he was still in the labyrinth. His head hurt like hell. He forced himself to begin the healing process, but it would take forever at this rate.

“Where’s Emma? What did you do to her?” The broken ribs made it hard to breathe then to get the words out.

“She’s with Beth, of course. Your sister is no doubt feeding on Emma right now, drinking from her vein. Again, another piece of Five Bridges’s poetry. Unfortunately, Emma will be dead soon. Not your sister, of course. She’s Loghry’s pet, so she’ll live on and on. Did you know Loghry let’s Beth feed from his vein? Of course you do. It’s part of the charm of the whole picture.”

Vaughn didn’t answer him.

“On your feet.” Dagen spoke sharply, his voice echoing through the small space.

Vaughn rose up, but struggled to get his weight over his knees. His head ached from the concussion and his ribs were killing him. Though he could eventually fix himself up with his vampire healing, it would take hours. Right now, however, he had only minutes.

When he finally stood upright, five warlocks surrounded him. Dagen, the only shifter present, stood directly in front of him. He no longer held his AR-15.

Dagen had small dark eyes and a vicious face, the latter no doubt hardened from his experience as an
alter
shifter in Savage Territory. He was a couple of inches shorter than either Vaughn or the powerful warlocks who surrounded him. But he had complete command of the situation.

“What do you want, Dagen?”

“I want you running for your life through the labyrinth, like all the other frightened rabbits I’ve chased over the years. If you’re clever, you might even find your way back to Emma. First, though, I intend to give myself a small advantage.”

Before Vaughn knew what Dagen meant to do, something metal hit Vaughn hard at the back of his knee. He heard the bone crunch and at the same time he fell, rolling to the side. He gripped his leg and gritted his teeth. But despite his attempts to hold it in, an anguished sound came out of his throat.

Through waves of pain, he watched Dagen and his force of five warlocks disappear down different paths, until he was alone. Because of his ribs, each breath was a struggle. Was he going to die like a wounded animal in Loghry’s maze?

Emma came to mind. Somehow, he had to get back to her, had to save her from Beth’s mania. But he had broken ribs, a shattered knee, and six men ready to do more damage no matter which route he took.

Worse, he had no idea where he was in relation to the central part of the labyrinth or how far away Beth’s cell might be. He had to try. He forced himself to stand up.

The moment he hobbled in the direction of the nearest path, however, one of the warlocks rushed him, punching him hard in the gut, afterward disappearing.

With the wind knocked out of him, Vaughn slumped to the dirt again, rolling once more onto his side to avoid landing on his shattered knee.

For one of the few times in his life, Vaughn had no idea what the fuck he should do. But it was clear that if he remained where he was, he’d be slowly beaten to death. Physical strength wouldn’t get him out of this situation and his healing ability sucked given the dire nature of his injuries.

But he had to figure this out. He had two women counting on him. If he stayed as he was, both he and Emma would die and Beth would remain Loghry’s slave for years to come.

He scooted himself backward to lean against the wall of the passageway. His leg was on fire and it was taking him time to catch his breath. Every draw on his lungs hurt.

His thoughts kept rolling toward Emma and his certainty that his sister was slowly draining her to death. But what good would it do for him to focus on Emma?

Yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep his thoughts away from her. He’d dreaded this moment from the time he’d started caring about her because there was no way he could help her now. He was physically incapable of even getting to her.

Vaughn?

He sat up a little straighter.
Emma? You sound so faint.

I’m drifting away here. I just want you to know … that I love you … and I’m so sorry about Beth.
No other words followed.

Emma?
He tried contacting her several more times, but heard nothing in response.

Emma!

Nothing.

So Dagen was right and Emma was being drained to death.

He was stuck in the labyrinth, his body broken, the woman he loved dying, and not a damn thing he could do about it. He felt as he had when he’d seen Beth abducted right in front of his house with no way to save her. This was the reason he’d avoided any kind of closeness, why he’d held back from Emma. He’d never wanted to feel this way again, the complete impotence of being unable to save someone he loved.

The triplets suddenly appeared, floating in the air in front of him. They swayed back and forth and a strange mournful sound filled the air.

He felt in his bones that Emma had sent the ghosts to him. But why? What could three spirits do to help in this situation?

Becca, can you talk to me?

Her eyes popped wide.
Yes. Yes. Yes.

Did Emma send you?

Becca nodded.
She was searching the future and said we must be with you, to help you.

Did she say in what way?

She wanted us to remind you that you’re a team, you and Emma.

Vaughn didn’t think this was much help at all.
Was that it? She didn’t say anything else?

Becca’s face twisted in anguish.
No, only that she wanted you to remember that you’re a team. Is there anything we can do?

Let me think.

Vaughn stared at the ghosts for a long time, his hand to his ribs, holding them in place while he took each breath. He shook from the pain, which didn’t help.

So, what had Emma been trying to tell him?

Emma’s abilities had brought the triplets back into their lives. She’d helped them escape their bodies in the Graveyard and she’d encouraged their presence in her home.

He loved that about Emma, that she was generous with her heart and her time. Helping the girls initially almost got her killed because he and Emma had stayed with them way too long.

She’d given Vaughn so much in the short time he’d known her. She’d become a friend, a good friend. He’d treasured their phone conversations. Each one had eased his heart.

Emma had made Five Bridges tolerable. That’s what she’d done for him. She’d done the same for these three young ghosts. And he didn’t want her to die. Dammit, the woman deserved to live.

But she’d done something more as well. She’d reached into the darkest place of his heart and filled it with hope. Her love had made him feel like Five Bridges was a place he wanted to be.

It was Emma. Always Emma.

That’s when he realized that she had truly changed everything for him, just as she had for these ghosts.

Vaughn?
Becca looked worried.

Emma’s the key.
She sent you here to help me see that.

His thoughts flew back to the gun battle against Loghry and his forces in Savage Territory. Vaughn had gotten hit, his shin bone shattered. Then Emma had healed him with her witch power.

She’d healed him.

She’d healed him
.

For whatever reason, from the time they’d come together, they’d actually shared their powers. His presence in her spellroom had enhanced Emma’s abilities. She could now levitate because of him and she could reach into the future.

He could fly faster now and see ghosts when he never could before. But he wondered if there was something else he could do. Could he utilize her profound healing ability?

He looked down at his wrecked knee and put both hands around it. Was it possible? Could he make use of Emma’s healing gift and restore his broken body in time to save himself as well as Emma and Beth?

He turned every thought to Emma and her
alter
witch gifts.

As he did, small jolts of electricity began flowing down his arms and into his hands and fingers. And just like that, healing began to work on his knee at lightning speed. The more he focused, the stronger the wave became. Only it didn’t just heal his knee, but began to flow through his body to his ribs and higher to repair the ache in his head.

After a few more seconds, he could breathe easily and the throbbing in his ribs and his knee began to drift away.

You look better.
Becca clapped her hands together, though there was no accompanying sound.

He met her gaze and smiled.
I am, and you’ve helped me tremendously by delivering Emma’s message. But I want you to go be with her now. I’ve got this.

Becca grinned and the three ghosts vanished.

As Vaughn let the last of the healing process take him over, he thought of Dagen and the warlocks waiting for him. Vaughn knew he couldn’t defeat them with only his fully-restored physical strength.

He needed another advantage.

He needed Emma’s other gift, the one that had led them to reach the center of the labyrinth in the first place. She could see snapshots of the future which meant there was a strong possibility he’d be able to access similar images as well. In order to make it back to Emma in one piece, he’d have to know what his opponents would do in the immediate future, how each would attack him.

He heard voices moving in his direction. They weren’t far away.

His vampire hearing picked up the words. “He’s just sitting there.”

“Then let’s cut him up. I’d like to see the vampire bastard bleed.”

Vaughn focused on Emma and the future. The snapshots appeared quickly and began to flow in a steady stream.

Fully healed, he leaped to his feet. The snapshots showed him what he needed to do moment-by-moment.

He levitated to the ceiling and drew his knees up tight to his chest. A warlock flew hard across the space below Vaughn. He would have knocked Vaughn to the ground otherwise, or worse, since the warlock carried a sword.

Instead, he landed square against the stone wall where Vaughn had been sitting.

The sound of a bone snapping, confirmed the next set of images that showed the warlock face down on the ground, his neck broken.

As Vaughn lowered himself to the dirt, he kept the future snapshots moving swiftly. The second attacker would arrive within seconds. Vaughn shifted to a horizontal position at the same time that a sword flew through the air sliding well above his body. The sword clattered against the wall, but if Vaughn hadn’t moved, it would have caught his upper torso.

Vaughn glanced at the next few snapshots, dove for the sword, grabbed it by the handle, then levitated toward the far right pathway at the same time that the second warlock shouted and lunged toward him. But Vaughn was faster because of the vision. He sliced upward in a diagonal thrust, caught the warlock in the abdomen and stabbed him through to the spine.

The man screamed and fell, then writhed in the dirt.

Vaughn caught the next set of images and darted down the same pathway from which the warlock had emerged. Because of the vision, he knew where he was headed. He levitated swiftly.

The snapshots showed the third warlock, sword in hand, at the next intersection. When Vaughn arrived, he pulled his knees up, then kicked out hard. He caught the warlock in the back, shoved with all his might and slammed the man against the stone wall. He slumped to the dirt, his head bashed in, blood everywhere.