His Darkest Embrace (25 page)

He continued to rock her gently, each pass slower than the last, until he finally collapsed onto her, his arms pulling her close as he withdrew, and they fell back into the pool of water.

Skye lay against his hard, heaving chest and there were no words.

She opened her eyes and watched the water fall from above and relished the feel of it as it slid across her heated body.

In the sky the sun was fading fast and she could feel the power that it gave her slipping away. Clouds were hanging low and they were growing thicker as the moments passed. They were dark, ominous.

She sniffed the air and knew that rain was definitely coming.

She flipped over, pushing away from Jagger and immersing her body in the silky liquid. The basin was shallow here and she took care not to scrape along the rock near the bottom. The water felt amazing, magical, and she wished it had the power to wash away everything about her. To truly make her into that girl she so desperately wanted to become.

When she broke the surface and shook the water from her face and hair she sighed. Her eyes found Jagger immediately and a thrill went through her at the look that graced his handsome face.

But it was gone already, the glow of their lovemaking, and a heavy weight once more was pressing against her chest. Things were not finished here.

Angrily, she kicked her feet and swam the few feet to the edge. But then what had she expected?

“Hey.” His soft voice was there, sliding across her like velvet. His smell was all around and she shuddered at the intensity of her feelings for him. A jaguar.

Skye turned to him and let him gather her into his arms. The heat from his body felt wonderful and she relaxed against him, once more fighting the sting of tears.

He was the man she loved, and she had no freaking clue what the future was going to bring.

“I’m so tired,” she whispered.

Jagger scooped her up and grabbed her scattered clothes along the way as he walked back to where he’d found her.

“What’s that?”

Skye followed his gaze. “It was the home of the portal.”

At that precise moment the first splash of rain fell across her face, quickly followed by another.

“Looks like shelter to me,” he answered and nipped at her nose. “Can you get me through the protection ward?”

“As long as we’re together I can get you through.”

“Good. That means we’ll be safe. We’ll rest here this evening and then figure out the plan in the morning.” He continued to nuzzle her neck and small shivers of delight were once more making their way across her body.

“Don’t worry, Skye, we’ll find the damn thing and end this once and for all.”

Skye closed her eyes and let her body relax into the strength of his. Her euphoria had already faded. She didn’t want to think about tomorrow, or finding the portal.

Because once that happened, she’d no longer have him.

They lay down together, under the dais inside the stone structure that had been built by her people. A jaguar and an eagle.

Skye couldn’t help but wince at the irony in that and as she snuggled closer to him she cleared her mind of everything except the warrior who held her so tightly. Long moments passed and eventually she felt his breathing slow, as did the beat of his heart, and eventually he fell asleep.

She couldn’t shake the heavy ball of dread that clutched at her midsection. Something bad was coming. She could feel it. This was so not over.

Eventually her exhaustion won out and she felt herself slipping away into the arms of the sandman.

She wasn’t sure how long she slept, but when she awoke abruptly, darkness blanketed the area. Skye was instantly on alert. She felt uneasy, and even though Jagger’s arms encircled her, feeding her body with his warmth, she was cold and shivering.

Gently, she turned and looked at him. He was relaxed and it amazed her how boyish he looked in repose. A smile tugged at her mouth and her fingers touched his lips as she slowly traced their outline.

He turned toward her touch and she felt a pang inside her heart at the gesture. She bent, meaning to touch his lips softly, smiling wickedly as she thought to wake him and maybe “play” once more.

Skye.

One word whispered and her world stopped.
Skye.

She stilled, blowing out a fine sheen of mist as the stone shelter became unbearably cold. It was filled with an arctic blast of chill air.

She wasn’t surprised he’d come. In fact, on some level she’d expected it sooner. She wasn’t even afraid. Carefully she sat up, disengaging her limbs from Jagger’s.

Come to me.

A shadowy form stood not more than two feet away, staring down at the two of them. She fought the urge to cover her nakedness but instead rose to her feet, studying the figure closely.

He wasn’t real, or at least, his form wasn’t corporeal.
But he was there.
Skye could feel the strength and power that he wielded. It was thick, potent, invading the very air that she breathed.

She held her head high and as his eyes locked on hers, the very ones she’d come to know since she was a little child. She saw the fury that shadowed them and she swallowed heavily.

Azaiel.

He raised his hand, holding it out, palm facing her and she
felt
his touch at her cheek. It was hot and stung her flesh. It was a peculiar sensation, considering how cold she was. His eyes burned red and the slash of teeth that cut through the gloom was feral.

Follow me to the portal.

Skye looked at him in surprise. That had not been what she was expecting to hear. How the hell did he know where the disc was?

She shook her head. “No.” The word slipped from her lips before she even knew it was out. The feel of Jagger was still soft against her skin and the pain in her heart made breathing difficult.
I want to live,
she thought,
there has to be another way.

“No,” she said again, this time her voice firm.

He was only a shadow man. He had no power over her.

He laughed then, the sound echoing harshly inside her brain and she fought the urge to cover her ears. Pressure began to build along the sides of her neck, erupting from the inside, and her hands went to her throat as her airway was blocked. She looked at him in panic and gasped loudly as she struggled to breathe.

Oh God, he was going to kill her! The thought burst through her brain and she staggered a few feet, dry raspy noises coming from her throat as she struggled to breathe.

She was released just as the inky black of unconsciousness rode the edges of her mind. She took great hulking gasps of air as she looked at Azaiel, her eyes flaming twins of hatred.

Shadow man indeed; the fucker was full of powerful mojo, even though he was nothing more than a wall of mist. Bitterly, she shook her head as an image of the demon, Tag, dissolving into a puddle of crap entered her thoughts. He’d done that.

Disobey me and the jaguar dies.

A whisper of blackness flew through the room and Azaiel smiled at her, his lips slowly parting into a grin that left her feeling sick to her stomach. She whipped around, her fingers still massaging her sore throat and froze at the sight before her. Shadowy figures bent over Jagger, gray visions of evil that hung in the air, waiting to pounce. She had no clue what the hell they were, but their presence was enough.

The threat to Jagger was real.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” she croaked, her voice coarse from his attack. “But you have to promise me, Jagger will be safe.”

He smiled at her, and she blinked as his features began to solidify before her eyes. They wavered for a second before blurring into mist once more.

You’re in no position to ask for anything.

He held his hand out again and she shuddered as his eyes slowly drifted over her nakedness. When she felt the cold touch of him on her skin she hissed and stepped back.

His eyes burned heavily, the black depths sinking into a rush of gold.

Cover yourself and follow me.

Skye hesitated as panic began to join in the fun. If only she could find a way—

I will kill him, slowly, and take you regardless. Do not test me. I’m giving you a choice, which is not something I do lightly.

His voice was amplified inside her skull and she wanted nothing more than to rip him from her brain, but she bent her head instead.

Skye quickly gathered her clothes, slipping them over her limbs as her mind raced ahead, trying to figure a way out of this.

None of this made sense. The fucking portal was missing, she’d just had the best sex ever with a man she could envision spending the rest of her life with, and the demon Azaiel, the one who’d visited her in her dreams and nightmares for decades, was nearly corporeal.

Giving her orders. Telling her he’d lead her to the portal. What the hell was in it for him?

“Why is it you’re willing to lead me to the disc? How do you even know where it is?” she asked once she was dressed. “Seems to me you’d want it to remain hidden.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t get it. You must know I plan to seal it forever.”

Azaiel stared at her for several long seconds and she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. His silent stare made her uncomfortable, nervous.

A cold, dead smile drifted over his handsome face and she felt a ripple of alarm slide through her veins. Skye took a step back as the power inside of him slithered across his shadowy form, draping him in another layer that solidified him even more.

I’ve been waiting years for this moment, millennia, in fact. You’ll find out soon enough.

He turned and his laughter echoed inside her head once more. The alarm bells were ringing and the intensity of it all was giving her a headache. His cryptic words did little to shed light on the situation. In fact they scared the crap out of her, but at the moment she had no choice but to obey.

Skye was gonna have to play fast and loose. There were too many balls in the air, and at the moment she didn’t want to catch any of them.

She followed Azaiel out of the stone structure and didn’t look back at Jagger. She couldn’t. To do that would break her, and she had a long road ahead.

Chapter 24

D
ark and light mixed together to form a low-lying fog that clung to the jungle floor like a silk blanket. It ebbed and flowed with the rain that had been falling steadily ever since the night before. Alas, it seemed the rainy season had finally found its way to Belize.

Skye was soaked, her hair plastered to her skin, and though it was warm, unbearably so, it only added to the misery she felt inside. They’d been walking for hours, it seemed, and after everything she’d been through over the last several days, Skye could feel her strength waning. She gritted her teeth as she pressed on. She had to keep her wits about her.

Yes, we’re nearly there.

Once more Azaiel’s voice penetrated her mind and she grimaced, ignoring him completely. She’d studied him closely as they moved through the jungle, her shadow man from hell.

He confused her and she didn’t quite know what to make of him. Oh, he still scared the crap out of her and she tried to avoid his gaze. His eyes were dark, opaque, almost dead-looking. When they were focused on her, there was an intensity about him that made her very nervous.

There were many layers to her dream demon, and her gut was telling her that he was not at all what she thought he was.

She wished she had more of a handle on him, because time was definitely running out.

When they’d left Jagger the jungle had been dark, full of night’s caress, but now she could feel the warmth of the sun as dawn broke, and she held on to that. She drew in the power that floated on the air and kept it close to her heart. She would gather as much as she could and use it when she had the chance.

If
she got the chance.

Tiredly, she rested her eyes on Azaiel. Somehow she felt his power was tied to the portal. She just wished she knew how. She could feel his strength increasing, the closer they got to it. The air around him moved differently, coating his form with an energy that was vibrant, alive. Any other time Skye would have been fascinated by such a sight.

As it was, it did nothing but terrify her. He paused abruptly and Skye stumbled to a halt. Her stomach tightened and she felt sick to her stomach.

They were deep in the jungle, the vegetation thick and lush. Before them a great heap of tangled vines rose up, their long arms twisted into a cloak of greenery. Skye’s eyes narrowed. Something didn’t seem right here, and she moved forward cautiously, until she stood a few feet from the shadow man.

He looked at her and she was shocked to see that his eyes had changed yet again. The black had been shot through with gold, and it echoed in the streaks of darkness that now graced the blond of his hair.

Can you feel it?

She nodded her head, her eyes widening as she took in the pulsating mist that formed a halo around his entire body. She let her gaze travel the length of him and though he was not yet fully in this realm, he was definitely getting more solid.

Which meant he was
uber
dangerous.

She was going to have to be careful.

He pointed toward the intricate mass of vines and they began to transform in front of her, pulling back and sliding away from the ancient structure that they guarded. The magick that clung to them was powerful,
familiar.
It was of her people.

Skye took a step forward. She couldn’t help herself. She felt a keen sense of wonder as she studied the stone dwelling laid bare to her eyes. It was beautiful. Like nothing she’d ever seen before.

Each stone was unique in color, size, and texture, and they’d been arranged in such a way that she could see an eagle and a sun guarding the entrance.

“Is this … I thought …” She stopped, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

This is the true Cave of the Sun, and it’s where your father moved the portal many months ago.

Azaiel’s eyes began to glow in earnest, and Skye was ashamed to admit that the fear that sat heavily in her belly was threatening to explode. Her knees trembled and it took every ounce of energy inside of her to remain standing.

It’s time for you to claim your destiny, Skye.

A dark sense of foreboding seeped into her soul, but she quickly pushed it away. Skye squared her shoulders. The demon was right about one thing. It was time for her to end this.

She held her head high and walked past him, swallowing her fear as she paused before the entrance. She closed her mind to everything but what needed to be done and then slipped into the cool interior of the cave.

She pushed long, wet strands of hair away from her face and ignored the blast of cold that crossed her skin. Her wet clothes offered no protection from the damp interior and she began to shiver as she walked further inside.

The magick of her people was much stronger here and she basked in its power. It fed the eagle inside and her great raptor awakened, overwhelming her with its need to act. She smiled sadly and forced her animal to be quiet. This was not the time to battle.

The magick coated everything in a glow and she welcomed the warmth that soothed her cold skin. It was fashioned somewhat like the previous structure, but there was nothing of ceremony to announce that such a valuable artifact as the disc was anywhere inside.

Her eyes found a low-slung stone altar in the far corner. The closer she got to it, the faster everything faded to nothing, until all her eyes could see was the round disc. She stopped a few feet away.

She was aware of her heart beating heavily inside the walls of her chest and each time she inhaled air deep into her lungs, the sound amplified, hitting her from both within and outside her head.

Her eyes drank in every detail of the ancient relic and she was surprised to note the very modest aura that surrounded such an extraordinary object. It was a simple disc, really, bereft of any type of grandeur and quite plain, in fact.

To most people it would appear to be nothing more than a round piece of stone with some markings etched on it.

Skye couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, and as she took the final few steps that brought her to the stone ledge it sat upon, she shook her head, marveling that such an ordinary-looking disc could wield such power.

A cold wash of dread rolled over her as she stared down at the disc. It looked as if it had been placed there with almost casual indifference. But there was nothing casual about the situation, and the reality of what she was about to do crashed through her.

She buckled over, her hands going to her head as a million thoughts rushed through her brain.

“Ugh,” she whimpered weakly, trying to push away the image of Jagger’s smiling face.

Could she do this? Did she have enough strength to carry through?

Don’t stop now. You’re nearly there.

The words spoken were much clearer this time. Skye’s head whipped up and she felt the earth tremble beneath her feet as her eyes took in the shimmering form that stood on the other side of the altar.

Winter’s kiss fell from Azaiel’s mouth as he smiled and she felt it drip into her body, like shards of ice melting into her soul.

His features hardened and Skye felt the cold inside of her feather outward. She shivered and tried to look away, but couldn’t.

You need to touch the portal. Pick it up, Skye.
His tone was cajoling, as if she were a small child who needed guidance.

Irritation flashed through her.
No shit,
she thought.

Pick it up, Skye,
he said once again, this time with much more force.
You are the one.

“The one?” she said dully. Skye’s brain felt weird and mushy, and she tried desperately to keep her thoughts coherent.

The one to free me.
His voice whispered through her brain like a lover’s caress and he smiled at her, his eyes swirling ribbons of gold and black.

Skye bit her tongue. The taste of copper filled her mouth and she tore her gaze away from Azaiel and settled instead on the disc. It had begun to glow from within and she fought the urge to grab it and hold it near her heart.

It was calling to her.

“I don’t want this,” she said as tears threatened once more and her gaze settled on the demon. “I wish …”

You must finish this. Do you want the legions of hell running mad in the human realm? Can you live knowing it was because of your weakness that humanity was destroyed?

His voice thundered inside her mind and Skye winced at the ferocity of it.

They are like maggots, the demons that live here. They will destroy everything in their path. Darkness will fall upon the earth and only those with evil in their hearts will survive.

His eyes swirled faster still and Skye found that she was mesmerized by them. Every minute that ticked by brought more substance to his body. It scared her because she didn’t know what it meant.

“Why do you care?” she asked suddenly, as if a small crack had opened and let some form of her own thoughts through. “You’re demon. Why are you helping me seal the portal?”

Azaiel stared at her, his eyes electric, and she could feel the rage that radiated from deep within him. It was a tangible thing, thick and meaty in the air. In that moment she had a glimpse of the power that he possessed.

It was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.

His face darkened and the air around him crackled with energy. He paused, visibly relaxed, and she heard his voice in her mind once more.

You will open the portal now.

His voice commanded her and she found herself nodding, even though deep inside a scream erupted. One that echoed in her ears until it fell away, silent.

“Yes,” Skye whispered. She felt strange, like she had no control over her thoughts or actions. “I need to open the portal.”

Except something was wrong.

She wasn’t there to open the portal. She was there to seal it.

“No!” she whispered hoarsely as she shook her head in denial. But it was no use. Azaiel was much too powerful.

The words that were buried deep within her mind, the ones her father had taught her, slipped away until there was nothing but Azaiel.

She stepped up onto the ledge and focused her mind on the disc. Gently she reached for it and when she picked it up in her fingers, the earth trembled. Electricity flew from the stone into her hands, running along her body like a conduit until it erupted into the air, showering the room in a hail of sparks.

The power was nearly overwhelming but she defied the weakness that pulled at her legs. Her breaths blew hard from her lips. Something foreign tugged at her mind and she tried to shake off the eerie sensation.

But it was no use, and after a few seconds, words she’d never heard before began to fall from her tongue.

Heat began to swirl up along her body and she felt dazed as the power from deep within her fed the disc in her hand, running back and forth between herself and the portal.

Skye’s vision began to blur and it felt like she was watching the entire exercise from above. As if her brain had separated from her body. In her mind’s eye she could clearly see herself clutching the disc and Azaiel standing a few feet from her.

His image began to pulsate as he wavered between the two worlds that she now straddled.

Terror hit her, but it only seemed to feed the power of the disc. It began to glow bright red and the heat was scorching against her skin. The wind rushed into the small stone structure and a great roaring began to infiltrate her skull. It sounded like the very depths of hell were loose inside her head and she cried out as an intense pain ripped into her mind.

A million screams were let loose and she closed her eyes in anguish as the pressure inside her head intensified until she thought she was going to come apart. Darkness crossed over, encircling her body, and a great sadness welled up from within. Anguish and pain like none she’d ever experienced before enveloped her, and Skye wanted nothing more than to fade away and forget all of it.

And then it was over.

Skye trembled, her limbs shaking violently as her teeth chattered loudly. She didn’t know what the hell had just happened, but she was pretty sure the mission had just taken a header south.

Like way south, into the shitter.

Her skin began to tingle, and she was aware that she still clutched the disc hard against her chest.

Warm breath along her cheek startled her and her eyes opened. She tried to scream but couldn’t. Her vocal chords were no longer working.

A hand, strong and warm with flesh that was fueled by blood, cupped her chin and turned her face upward.

Somehow Skye found the strength to wrench free from him and she stumbled back several steps.