IK2 (29 page)

She knew she shouldn‟t trust a stranger, but this was a friendly college kid—and

there were plenty of people around. Someone who had ill intentions wouldn‟t want to

have a lot of witnesses. She did feel a little dizzy and she certainly knew the signs of shock. The kid was right. She shouldn‟t be driving.

“Well, okay. Thanks.”

“Great,” he said as they walked to his car and the valet helped her in. “I‟ll have

you there in no time.” He buckled up, then put the car in drive.

“I‟m really glad to meet you, Sophie,” he said as they pulled out of the hotel

driveway. “My name is Lucien.”

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 123

“Hi, Lucien,” Sophie said as they swung into traffic and then stopped, a cold chill

running down her spine. “How did you know my name?”

He smiled. “Relax. Your boyfriend called your name before he passed out.

When you showed up, I assumed you were Sophie.”

“Oh.” That made sense. The Mustang made a right turn and Sophie glanced at

the street sign. Tulane Avenue. Well, they were on the right road. This was just a nice college kid, helping her out. She was only worried and jittery because Michel was hurt.

A short distance later, the assorted buildings of the University hospital and the

clinics came into view. She breathed a sigh of relief as Lucien slowed the car down and turned into an adjacent lot to park the car.

“Thanks so much,” she said, reaching for the door handle. “I really

appreciate your help.”

“No problem,” Lucien said and leaned over to pull the door closed.

“There‟s just one more thing, though.”

“What?” Sophie asked uneasily, aware that although he wasn‟t touching her, she

was trapped between the seat and his body.

“Just this,” he said.

Sophie felt the sharp sting of a hypodermic needle in her arm. Her vision began

to blur and she struggled to open the door, but her arms were sluggish as though weighed down with bricks. She started to scream, but her throat closed and her tongue felt thick.

Lucien put the car back in gear. “The effects will wear off in about an hour,” he

said, “but you may wish they didn‟t.”

Then he laughed.

* * * *

Dimly, Michael was aware of voices around him. He tried to remember what

happened. He‟d been standing on the sidewalk, waiting for Sophie… The car! His

warlock adroitness had discerned the danger seconds too late, which meant the car had

been warded. Balor‟s work no doubt, but Michael hadn‟t sensed the heavy, black power

that hung in Balor‟s aura. The driver had been human, which was good or he‟d probably

have more than broken ribs.

He squinted, slowly opening his eyes to a glaring white light overhead.

Colors swirled around him as he tried to focus. He was attached to some kind of

machine.

“He‟s wakening,” a female voice said briskly.

A man in a white coat bent over him, shining an obnoxious flashlight into his

eyes. “No dilation,” the doctor said, “but I still think we should do an MRI.”

He was in the hospital. Now he remembered the ambulance and the sound of

Sophie‟s voice drifting toward him. An MRI was out of the question; they‟d find out he

wasn‟t totally human. His ribs were almost totally mended too. There wasn‟t a logical

answer he could give to that.

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 124

“No MRI,” he said distinctly as he began to sit up.

“Lie still. You‟ve had a concussion,” the doctor said with a firm hold on his

shoulder.

Michael‟s head was totally clear, but he did as the doctor asked. “I really feel

fine,” he said. “No MRI. I—I‟m claustrophobic.”

“We can give you a Valium,” the doctor replied.

He did not need to be taking drugs. They‟d limit the control he had on his

powers. Michael shook his head and sent a telepathic message. Since the doctor was

concentrating on him, the message went through easily. “Nope. Don‟t do drugs.”

The doctor hesitated, frowning. “All right. We‟ll keep you for observation for a

few hours.”

“I need to make a phone call then,” Michael said.

“Sorry,” the nurse replied. “Cell phones aren‟t allowed in the ER.”

He sighed, wishing he could just get up and walk out, but that would call too

much attention to himself. He gave the nurse an appreciative look and smiled. “I

understand. Could you make the call for me from a landline?” When she agreed, he

gave her the hotel number and a message for Sophie. A few minutes later, he was alone,

except for the machine that monitors his vital signs. Thankfully, those were all human.

As he pushed himself into a sitting position, something niggled at the back of his

mind. Why wasn‟t Sophie out in the waiting room? He was sure she had been there on

the street. Surely, someone would have told her where he was taken. He closed his eyes, envisioning the hotel room, seeking a mind- link.

Pendragon picked up his telepathic signal. “What‟s going on? Where are you?”

“At a hospital. Never mind that. Where‟s Sophie?”

“Don‟t know. She came up here to tell me about the sword, then said she was

going down to meet you. She said she‟d bring me some ice cream.”

“Forget about the ice cream for a minute. What time is it?”

“Nine o‟clock. Why?”

He‟d been in the ER a little over an hour. Where in the hell was Sophie?

He stretched his mind- link, searching the surrounding area. Nothing. It was like

she disappeared into thin air.

Then the hair along his nape began to prickle, always a sign of imminent danger.

He looked around the room, probed the hall with his mind. Nothing there. But still…

And then, faintly as though from a great distance, he felt Sophie‟s presence,

accompanied by a thick, murky, dense fog. Balor. Dear Goddess, the demon had

Sophie!

Michael began tearing off the various pads that were attached to him.

Machines beeped and he could hear footsteps running down the hall toward him.

He muttered an incantation, cloaking himself from human sight, as he slipped out the

door as two nurses brushed past him.

And then he heard Sophie scream.

* * * *

Pendragon was waiting for him when Michael burst through the hotel door, the

steel case holding Excalibur under his arm.

“Do you know where she is?” he asked.

Michael shook his head. “I got a small impression that she was north of here and

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 125

then the mind- link went black. She may be unconscious. We‟ve not time to lose. Get

into your cage so we can leave.”

Pendragon snorted smoke. “I‟d be a hell of a lot more effective if I could return

to my original form.”

“I‟m going to summon Tanio,” Michael said, “but we need to be outside when he

appears. I don‟t want to have to deal with the police finding a full-grown dragon and

blown out walls.”

Michael screeched the brakes to a stop a short time later as they drove into the

city park past the fairgrounds. “This will have to do,” he said as he opened Pendragon‟s cage. “Thank the Goddess it‟s dark.” Chanting an incantation, he lifted Excalibur high.

“Tanio, I summon thee!”

* * * *

When Sophie slowly awakened it was to the sensation of lying on damp grass.

She could hear water lapping nearby, but it lacked the salt smell of the Gulf.

Ponchartrain, she thought groggily as she opened her eyes to dim light. They must be in a very secluded area for it to be so quiet and dark. As she struggled to sit, she felt a metal chain hit her arm and realized that she also had a metal collar around her neck. Lifting the chain, she followed its length a short distance to a stake driven into the earth. She was chained like a dog.

A chuckle sounded from behind her. Twisting around, she saw three men not far

away. One of them was Lucien, another was the kid that had been on the Charleston

street and again on the boat. The third man was deep in the shadows, but it was he who

spoke.

“You did well, brother,” he said. “She‟s a fine-looking piece of ass. I think we‟ll

wait just a bit until her brain is fully functioning before we take turns screwing her. I want her to feel the full impact.”

Her muddled brain tried to absorb that information. “You…want to rape me?”

She looked from one young man to the other. “Why? Either of you could have your pick

of girls your age…”

The shadow man laughed again. „Well, maybe Landon could pick up a girl his

age, but you have no idea how old Lucifer is.”

Lucifer? His name was Lucien. Wasn‟t it? Lucifer was the devil—Her blood

chilled. The guy in the shadows had called him brother. Was he…Balor? Demons had

her! She tugged frantically at the steel collar, but it held fast.

Balor stepped out of the shadows and walked toward her, adjusting the patch over

his eye. “You‟ll be needing this to unlock the collar,” he said as he held up a key, “but we‟re not ready for that just yet. First, we‟ll have a little fun.” He reached down to jerk the chain, sending Sophie sprawling face-down into the grass. Balor placed his boot

between her splayed legs. “Don‟t make this too easy for us, okay?” He laughed as she

scrambled away. “That‟s better. The reason you aren‟t bound is because we—at least

Lucifer and I do—like a woman with a little fight in her. Regrettably, for you, you won‟t be able to get too far away.”

“Why are you doing this?” Sophie asked when she‟d backed as far away as

possible from him.

“That should be obvious. For Excalibur, of course. Landon did a fine job of

getting the warlock out of the way so we could hold you for ransom.”

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 126

“We haven‟t found the sword.”

Balor adjusted his eye-patch lifting it just a bit and Sophie doubled over in pain as

if a knife had seared her.

“I‟d suggest you don‟t lie to me,” he said. “You‟ve been followed everywhere.

Landon, Lucifer and by my pet, Sigurd.”

A low snort came from behind a stand of trees and Sophie swung her head in that

direction just in time to see a white hide slide past the trunks. Another low roar sounded, accompanied by smoke.

“
Sel stilll
!” Lucifer commanded.

Balor picked up the chain again and tugged. Sophie dug her feet into the soft

ground and grasped the collar to avoid being choked. Balor tugged harder and she

stumbled forward. “It‟s too bad your warlock won‟t be around to watch the three of us

rut with you,” he said, “but you can tell him how good it was after we get the sword.”

“Rape isn‟t my idea of fun!” Sophie hissed as she was forced to take another step

forward.

“She‟s right,” Lucifer said and stepped forward. “Let‟s make this more exciting.”

He took the key from Balor and unlocked the collar. “There now. You can run. We‟ll

catch you of course, but this is a little more sporting. I‟ll even give you a head start.”

Sophie rubbed her neck. “Like a fox in front of hounds?”

Lucifer grinned. “The chase always arouses me.”

Sophie didn‟t wait to hear more, but turned and fled, running faster than she even

knew was possible. Behind her, she heard him laugh and then he was on her, knocking

her to the ground. She twisted around, pummeling his chest.

He laughed again. “Fight me, bitch. It makes me hard.” His eyes glowed red as

horns sprouted from his head.

Sophie screamed and thrashed and then felt a surge of power in her fingertips.

Forcing herself to concentrate, she sent the purp le light at Lucifer. He cursed and put his hands around her throat. “You damn little white witch,” he hissed. “You dare…”

He stopped suddenly, tossing Sophie aside, as a mighty roar filled the air. Sophie

rolled, gasping for air and looked up.

Pendragon, in his full, lethal size flew straight at them, Michael riding astride,

holding a flaming Excalibur high. He leapt to the ground as the dragon swooped low and

then rose again.

A snarl sounded from behind the trees as the white dragon rose into the air,

shooting a flare of fire at Pendragon. The red dragon roared back with a fiery volley.

Leather wings flapping furiously, they flew at each other, claws extended, jaws open.

Their thunderous clash shook the earth as they grappled with each other, talons ripping

into metal scales.

Silver light shimmered around Michael as he stalked toward Balor, Excalibur in

hand.

“Showtime,” Balor said and lifted his patch.

Heavy, black air surrounded them, so dense it made breathing difficult. Sophie

squinted, able only to see the flickering light around Michael and the strange flame that clung to the sword. She tried to concentrate on where Balor was. Her magic may not be

strong, but maybe it would help.

Lucifer morphed into demon form, horns steel-tipped and fangs exposed as he

SWORD OF FIRE Cynthia Breeding 127

circled around the blackness behind Michael.

“Your back, Michael!” Sophie yelled and shot purple light toward Lucifer. He

turned, hissing, caught the light in one clawed hand and prepared to hurl it back in the form of a cannon-ball when Tanio manisfested.