Incubus (14 page)

John leaned over and kissed her forehead. “It'll feel a little weird until you get used to wearing it, and there may be some initial discomfort, but knowing you, you'll be running circles around Dash in no time at all.”

Caroline hugged him tight. “I don't know how to thank you.”

"Just promise us you'll call us if you're in danger."

T
hirsty…so thirsty…he was on fire…

Meical opened his eyes and peered around at bare rock walls. The light of a single lantern burned his eyes. Even that feeble flame seemed hot. He could make out wooden beams here and there. It was damp, and the air would have been soothingly cool if not for his feverish thirst.

It looked like he was in an old coal mine.

Meical jerked his aching limbs to attention and heard the clang of chains. He found himself shackled to the wall behind him at the wrists.

Good old Neshi, thorough to a fault.

Thank you.

Meical curled his lip and snarled in the darkness. “You'd better be glad I can't get to you.”

Your actions have made it clear, Grabian. You're disinclined to survive. You made that decision all on your own. I'm merely acting on it. But you've done so much better than your predecessors, I think you deserve something more merciful than termination.

Bitter amusement ebbed beneath Meical's anger. “How generous. I don't care what you do with me, you maniac—”

I gathered that, yes.

“—but leave Caroline alone. She's finished with this.”

Finished, yes. Done for, in fact. It's a pity.

Meical's heart stuttered, then pounded. And it had nothing to do with his weakening body. “What?”

The human who's tracking her now is a formidable foe for her to face. It's doubtful she'll survive.

Meical hung his head and closed his eyes. “Rivera.”

Not Rivera, but the one Rivera has sent to kill her. He's professional, twisted and powerful. For a human, that is. Too bad for her.

Meical yanked at his chains and growled. Why hadn't he stayed with her?

Neshi's sigh of exasperation sliced through Meical's thoughts.
Because, fool that you are, you decided she could not love you, and in doing so, left her choiceless in the matter of her own fate. Your protectiveness blinded you to the fact that she was yours already. Of course, none of this will matter when she's dead.

“Let me go to her, Neshi.”

And what good are you to her in your current
condition? No, all you can do for her now is decide if you want to live for something or die for something. You wasted most of your human life and your existence as a vampire trying to choose between the two. You'd best decide soon, or she will perish.

Meical shook his head.
Damn you.

The Alchemist laughed. The sound curled around Meical's senses like an icy breath.
The feat of my damnation rests in more powerful hands than yours. Heed me: I'm going to give you two ways out of this. Either way, you may have time to save Caroline.

Despair drove Meical's breath away. “Neshi, please, don't let him hurt her.”

Silence taunted him.

“Neshi!”

An impenetrable fog closed the connection between them.

 

Drifting on the edge of the deep sleep, though his body lay dormant in repose, Neshi pushed back the oblivion that sought to close his mind as it had closed his eyes and stilled his heart. There were things to be done if Grabian was going to survive whatever choice he was about to make.

Across the long miles Neshi expanded his consciousness, until he found the two for whom he searched. They lay entwined in the darkness of Ellory Benedikt's cellar room. Neshi regarded the serene scene of vampiric domesticity. Talisen lay in the arms of her dormant mate, as still and silent as he, though she was merely dozing. Revenants never slept.

She had given up the restoration of sleep, along with everything else in her that was human, just as Grabian had given up his existence as a vampire. All for the sake of Benedikt and his fledglings. So much sacrifice. So much devotion.

Neshi brushed Talisen's mind with a feather touch.

She stirred, pouty-mouthed like a sleepy child. He allowed himself a glimpse of the riches that belonged to Benedikt, just before she sensed that she and her mate were not alone and reached for the blanket at her feet.

Forgive the intrusion,
he whispered in her mind.

Her eyes widened and she looked around the dark room as though she expected him to be there in the flesh.
Neshi?

Soft, madam. I need to tell you where Grabian is and how you must help him. Are you ready to do the work of a revenant?
She frowned.
What have you done to him?

I'll spare you the details. Listen carefully because I may not be able to communicate with you again. The key to Grabian's survival is his mate.
She blinked.
Meical has a mate?

Yes, and at some point, you're going to have to help her get to him because he's going to do something very stupid, and she won't be able to reach him in time to save him without some help.

Talisen sat up.
Okay, I'm listening. What do I do first?

I knew I could count on you.

That seemed to surprise her. Neshi watched her
expression soften.
Hey…I think you should know…there's an Ancient called Badru hunting you.

I know. We have no time to discuss it. The sun is climbing, and I'm weakening. This is what you need to do for Grabian. There is a human you must contact.

Okay, just show me.

He filled her mind with phone numbers, locations, faces and voices, everything she needed to know, everything she needed to do, everything she needed to tell Ellory when he revived, and a myriad of tasks only a revenant could do in a vampire's place.

Who's the doctor for?
she asked.
Meical's mate?

Yes, and…there is someone else who may need his help before this is all over. I will explain everything to him. You just do what I have asked you to do.

Wait. What about Badru? Is there a way to get rid of him?

Neshi couldn't help but laugh.
You're asking me, the one you regard as your enemy?

Better the devil you know…

Neshi laughed again.
There is nothing you can do about Badru. But I can vouch for his nature. He is high-minded, but not evil. I know him well, and have, for a very long time.

Neshi, who is this guy to you?

He withdrew from her without answering. Sleep was upon him.

 

What were these “options” Neshi had mentioned? Meical wondered. His only way out was to strengthen himself.

Impossible.

The least he could do was warn Caroline. If he could pick up on her life force from here, he might connect with her long enough to do that much. He rested his head against the icy wall and closed his eyes.

There. Wrapped around his soul, a thread of her very essence vibrated between them. He had their oneness to thank for that. He followed the fragile trail, lost it and fell back into nothingness, then tried again.

The brilliant colors of a sunset filled his mind's eye, and the image of a large, rambling edifice shimmered and firmed into gables and windows. Meical could sense Caroline's presence inside the house. He clung to the vision, trying to ascertain its location. Woods. That was all he could see beyond the clearing that surrounded the old house.

A tainted cloud blotted out the sunlight, darker than the coming night, and Meical focused on its source. Her enemy was approaching, but Meical was too weak to discern how soon he'd reach Caroline. He focused his will on touching her mind.

Caroline.

He sensed the way she paused as though to listen. He could almost see her…touch her…

Caroline, you're in danger. You must hide. I can't get to you yet, but…I will…

The effort to push the words at her mind bled his strength from him and he had to let it all go. The image faded except for the darkness that crept closer to Caroline.

He had to find the strength to get to her, whatever
the cost to him. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered but seeing that she was safe.

A hushed whisper sounded from the darkness of the mine.

Meical fell still and eyed the blackness beyond the lantern. Suddenly the whisper rushed past his face. He gasped and jerked aside. Someone was here with him.

A warm fragrant breath touched his cheek.
Here, sugar boy.

Meical found himself staring into a pair of glinting black eyes six inches away from his face. Beautiful, winsome eyes.

She glimmered from head to toe, not quite opaque, and slowly materialized, crouching beside him in a long lavender gown of wispy, nearly transparent material. Exquisite…an angel with chocolate-colored skin…and that fragrance…it lulled his mind into thoughts of…

Meical sucked in his breath and felt his head spin.
“What are you?”

“I,” she replied, “am a succubus. Benemerut asked me to look you over and see if there was something I could do for you.”

“So, you're like me, then?”

“No, sugar boy. I'm the real thing. You're a conversion model.” She crossed her arms and gave him a meticulous once-over. Her gaze touched him as though her hands would follow in their wake. “I see Ben hasn't lost his touch for the dramatic.”

Meical drew his legs together and winced. “Neshi mentioned two ways out of my predicament. You're one of them?”

“Yes, and you'll like me better than your other choice.”

“All I care about is saving Caroline.”

“You'll have a chance to do that, no matter what choice you make.”

“You're sure?”

She nodded. “So, shall I fix you?”

Fix him? Meical cleared his throat. “Doesn't that mean we have to…um…”

“Yes, doll, it does.” Her eyes glittered like gold for an instant. “But you can think of her every minute, if you like. It won't hurt my feelings. I'm doing this as a favor for Ben.”

It was tidy. Smart. Foolproof. He'd be strong enough to save Caroline. He'd have the rest of his existence to protect her…love her…

Except for one problem.

He smiled slowly at the ethereal beauty before him. “I'm sorry. I can't…be with another woman. Only Caroline.”

She quirked a brow at him. “You sound surprised.”

“I want to survive long enough to protect her. That's all. But I have to do it with a clear conscience.”

The succubus tilted her head and looked at him with true sorrow in her eyes. “Are you sure? I am your chance to survive forever. Your other choice…” she frowned and stood up with an air of queenly impatience “…will make you unfit for her. And then you'll die.”

Unfit for her? What did that mean?

“Life or death?” she prodded.

Meical let his gaze fall and eyed her brown bare feet.
His gaze caught on the silver ankle bracelet she wore. It twinkled in the light of the lantern like Caroline's eyes.

Life or death? Neshi was right. He'd existed between the two for centuries, and all the while, honor had seemed so far from him. Once it had been as important to him as his very soul. He had let it go over these long years past, as though it were merely some earthly vestige.

Until Caroline. She had brought out the best in him.

But saving himself at the cost of what little honor he had left seemed the coward's way out.

“She'll be all right without me,” he murmured. “She'll be all right. She just needs my help now, in this moment.”

The succubus crouched again, her eyes alight with a fire almost too robust for Meical to bear. It seeped into his mind, his body—but not his heart.

She flattened her hand on his chest and leaned closer. Meical felt her sift through his thoughts, memories, feelings…his very soul…as delicately as a surgeon with a scalpel. Whatever she was looking for was a mystery to him, but she nodded, as though she'd found it.

“Listen, sugar boy, this girl is your heart's song. No matter what happens, you just remember, you've saved her once already.”

“I have?” Meical swallowed hard. “When?”

Her eyes twinkled, but she shook her head. “I can't tell you that. But this I know. If things go badly for you
tonight, don't lose hope. You won't always be without her. The two of you are meant to be together.”

Meical's heart ached to believe her words. “Thank you.”

She looked him up and down again. “I told Ben I wouldn't toy with you. And I won't. But I didn't tell him I wouldn't help you along a little. It won't be enough to get you out of this, but it might help you with your second choice.”

Before Meical could draw his next breath, the succubus pressed her lips to his and poured an ancient flame into every inch of him. Fire and power. In an instant, he was fit to burst. He gasped in an exquisite heat that boiled his blood.

All for Caroline. Only for her.

His strength flooded into his muscles and bones so fast that his head spun. He was still gasping with relief when he realized the succubus had gone. Satiation brought restful sleep he couldn't escape. His eyes closed, and he laid his head back and drifted in and out of gossamer mists, fragrant with Caroline's scent. He didn't know how long he slept, but when he came to, he wasn't alone.

“You thought you were tough. Now look at you, freak.”

Meical's senses cleared enough for him to recognize who that voice belonged to. What was
he
doing here? He peered through the half light. Before him swam a trio of human-looking apes. He concentrated on the one in the middle, and a moment later, his triple vision cleared and he could see.

“Hicks, you have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Hicks snorted. “You're the one who's chained to a wall.
I'm
working for Neshi now.”

Neshi wouldn't. Not Hicks. What was he thinking?