The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) (17 page)

I reappeared with a shiny pink face, and my hair in a ponytail. I curtseyed for effect. “Better?”

He flashed that sexy smile of his, and said, “You know I’ve seen you looking much, much worse. You’re fine. Now come here and talk to me.” He patted the bed. Domino jumped up to curl up against him. Wench. I’m pretty sure I was supposed to sit there.

Instead, I sat cross-legged across from him to drink him in. He needed a haircut. His black hair was starting to curl up on his neck and around his ears. It made him look younger and somehow innocent. The shadow on his jaw was a few days old, and his eyes looked tired. They were still that vivid ocean blue, but they looked more shuttered than before. He didn’t hold my gaze very long and looked away. As before, he had a long scratch down one side of his neck and a blue bruise on one cheekbone. He’s been fighting again. Who this time? He seemed happy enough so it must have gone well. He wasn’t covered in ash so it must’ve been humans. Well, that seemed safer than fighting demons. I’m not sure what’s more bizarre to me; the fact that my boyfriend kills demons, or the fact that I just accept it as part of his day.

“I don’t have much time, but I want to share my news with you. I went to visit my mentor to sort some of this out. I told him about you--”

I interrupted, “Me? Did you tell him about us?”

“Very little, only as much as I needed to. I’m pretty sure he already knows how I feel about you. There are very few secrets among us.” He grimaced at the idea of our business being on the street.

“Sorry, go on. I’ll be quiet.”

“He thinks you have a role to play in what we do, but you are not ready for what’s coming.” He held up a hand. “Yes, you’ve been doing some training, but you don’t know what you’re up against. Humans are one thing, demons are another. There’s a zero percent chance you could survive against a demon.” He smiled wickedly, and added, “And after hearing how bad your aim is, I don’t know if you’ll survive against a human!”

“Hey! That’s not fair! I hit targets! It was freezing, and my hands were numb! I know I’ll be better when it’s warmer!”

He yawned with a groan, and said, “Maybe so, but we can’t control the temperature so you have to be able to aim in the cold. This is New York, you know. It’s cold here a lot.”

We talked for another hour or so before he stood up and stretched. He looked pale and more tired. We decided I needed some more training with the gun and a few other things. He still didn’t give me any details about their mission, other than it involved demons, weapons, and possibly terrorists. Their mentors thought there were other players involved that were confusing the typical battle lines between Primani and demons. The Primani were still getting snatches of intel and didn’t have a clear picture yet. They were getting worried though and stepping up efforts to track down informants across the east coast. There were more Primani in the area than before, but Sean didn’t know where they were working. He was given orders to hang tight here, keep eyes open, and be ready to move out with no notice. Oh, and keep babysitting me since no one knew what I was capable of yet. He was going to have to help me develop my intuition. No wonder he was tired!

“Will you stay here and have Christmas morning with my family? I know it’s not your thing… but you just got back, and I’m not ready to let you go yet. Please stay.”

He started to shake his head and stopped. He yawned again, and said, “Okay, but I need a power nap first.”

An hour later, I struggled not to laugh as I watched his version of the “power nap.” He was lying on my bed looking like any normal person does when they sleep, with the small, but notable, exception that his body was outlined in his
saol
. He gave a whole new meaning to the power nap.

After Sean recharged his batteries, so to speak, we went to the main house for breakfast and presents. Dad was not especially happy to see us together so early in the morning.

Sean, as usual, had a great cover story. “My family’s from Ireland, and I was really interested in seeing how Americans celebrate Christmas. I hope you don’t mind, I sort of invited myself.” He finished with a totally disarming smile that had Janet flustered and running to the kitchen for fresh coffee for Sean.

Dad was less flustered but grunted his acceptance. We spent an hour passing out gifts, and oohing and ahhing over all the things we got. The kids were happily comparing loot and arguing over who got to use the new computer first. Trevor was bouncing up and down with his latest video game and wanted us to leave the living room so he could turn on the Xbox. He was being obnoxious and a little embarrassing. Janet and I were getting breakfast ready when I noticed my dad pull Sean to the side. Uh-oh, what’s this about? I tried to read my dad’s lips, but he was talking too fast. He looked serious, but not particularly angry. Still…

“Don’t worry, hon. Your dad’s not chasing him away. He only wants to be sure you’re safe. You know this was a hard year. He worries about you.” Janet shrugged. “Besides your boyfriend isn’t exactly helpless.”

“Should I rescue him?”

She gestured between the two men. “Sean or your father?”

I saw her point. Dad might be all fatherly and stern, but Sean still looked like a mercenary even when he tried to seem harmless. I tried to see him from a father’s perspective. Um, yeah. The way he carried himself, plus the hard body and watchful eyes, would raise alarm bells in most people. Not to mention he was bruised, unshaven, and towered over my dad’s modest height. No wonder my father was twitchy. Sean seemed to be tolerating my dad though. His expression was respectful, and he nodded occasionally. What are they talking about? I marched over and wrapped my hand around Sean’s.

“Okay, Dad, that’s enough of the third degree! Sean’s harmless!” I winked at my patient boyfriend.

Sean squeezed my fingers a little too hard. Maybe not so patient after all. He pulled my hand up and kissed it softly.

“
Harmless
, that’s right.” He smiled at my dad to reinforce the words.

Sean whispered in my ear, “I have to get back to the farmhouse. I can hear Killian yelling from here.” He tapped his ear for emphasis.

“I’m coming with you. Give me a minute.”

He waited impatiently by the door while I ran around giving everyone last minute Christmas hugs. My official story was I was spending the afternoon with his family. That was sort of true… The guys
were
family after all. We wouldn’t be celebrating Christmas though.

We were both quiet on the ride over to the farmhouse. I was thinking, and I don’t know what he was doing. He faced the road but seemed to be seeing much farther away. He was distracted by something. I didn’t want to add to it so I kept to my own thoughts. We pulled up to the house and parked. Someone had thoughtfully cleared snow off the sidewalk so I didn’t have to wade through it. The sidewalk was a weird color though… it was… blue. Huh? Without thinking, I stepped onto it, promptly falling hard on my butt, cracking my head, and then sliding several feet before stopping. I lay flat on my back staring up at the blue sky watching the pretty little sparkles float around my head. Why do these things always happen to me?

Sean hauled me to my feet. I swayed dizzily, but cried, “What did you do to that sidewalk? It’s solid ice!”

Killian appeared in the doorway, looking chagrined. “It’s my fault. I cleared the snow this morning.”

“Snow shovels don’t leave two inches of ice behind. What did you use, a flamethrower?” I joked.

He studied his feet and hesitated. “Something like that… I was in a hurry!”

Sean burst out laughing. “Dumb ass.”

Killian flushed red. “Shut it, little brother! You weren’t here. I had to improvise.”

Sean laughed a little harder. “Whatever. Come on, love.”

After towing me across the ice to the porch, he stopped by the front door and waited.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go in. It’s freezing out here!”

“Patience, sweetheart, Dec’s not ready for you yet.” He turned me around to face the yard and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned against him and warmed up. After a minute or two, the front door flew open, and Dec stood beaming at me. What were they up to?

He was vibrating with so much excitement that he was practically glowing. He nudged Sean aside and put his hands over my eyes. Carefully, he walked me into the front room and spun me around until I was dizzy and laughing.

He pulled his hands back with a flourish. “Ta da!”

I blinked. I blinked again and tears filled my eyes. Oh, wow!

Standing in front of me was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. A tree decorated with gossamer threads of gold, glittering with thousands of crystals, lit by pure
saol.
Waves of gentle heat floated from it, the very air hummed with energy. They made this with their own
saols
. For me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. In awe, I walked closer and was immediately surrounded with an overwhelming feeling of peace. I reached out to touch the crystals, but my hand was shaking so hard I was afraid I would knock the tree over. Sean guided my hand to the tree. I brushed one finger over the crystals which were brilliant but razor sharp. My fingertip started to seep blood but didn’t hurt.

“Sean? What is this?”

He caught my mouth in a long, lingering kiss, and said, “You’ll be okay, love. Go on now, find your present.” He nodded toward the tree again.

Nestled in between two branches was a small heart-shaped ornament. I started to reach for it, but Sean stopped me.

He picked up my bleeding hand, and said, “No, this one.”

I reached for the ornament, and it moved in my hand as I pulled it out of its hiding place. It wasn’t an ornament at all. It was a locket on a braided gold chain. I sucked in my breath. It was too beautiful to be for me. I blinked back tears again. When I looked up, Killian had joined us. The three of them surrounded me, their faces shining with hope. Then I understood. The heart wasn’t just moving; it was beating. I held it against my cheek to feel the rhythm of it.

Dec broke the spell. “Open it up. It won’t hurt you.”

It had two overlapping circles carved into each half of the locket. Three of the circles were filled with shiny gold drops. The fourth circle was empty. I gazed up at the faces I loved and everything was suddenly crystal clear. I touched the tip of my finger to the locket and watched in amazement as the tiny drop of blood filled the circle and turned to gold.

Chapter 17: Snowflakes and Bloodstains

“SEAN? EARTH TO SEAN?” I nudged my distracted boyfriend with my elbow. He blinked. “What’s up with you today?”

“I’m sorry, Mica. I’m beat.”

Hmm. He was tired today, but that didn’t explain his distraction yesterday or last week. He’s been distracted a lot lately. What’s going on with him? He’s always got a secret, but this seems different to me.

“Talk to me, please. I can tell something’s going on.” I was surprised to find his eyes unguarded. As before, I could see every strand of color in the iris and the gold flecks stood out in bold relief. He caught my intention and kissed my nose.

“That’s enough of that. I’m not in the mood to watch you puke.” He said as he drew me onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around me so I wouldn’t fall but then zoned out again.

Sighing heavily, I put my cheek against his shoulder and watched the snow fall. It was Sunday, and we were hanging out at his place. We were alone for now, and the house was completely quiet. The snow was coming down hard and the wind was whistling through the pine trees around the house. The roaring fire in the fireplace paled in comparison to my Christmas tree. The beautiful tree was still standing even though it had been three weeks since Christmas day. I couldn’t imagine taking it down and putting it into a box. Surely the box would catch on fire? How did you put a magical tree out? Why would you want to? I didn’t.

Sean was asleep. I snuggled against him and closed my eyes too. I was dozing off pretty well when Sean started to mumble. The words were indistinct, but the urgency wasn’t. Was he afraid? I strained to catch another word, but he was quiet again. I gently extricated myself and peered into his face. His eyes were moving under the lids, his breathing shallow. He twisted beneath me and flung an arm out to one side. He mumbled something that sounded like my name.

I started to shake him awake. “Sean, wake up. You’re dreaming.”

He mumbled, “Mica? Mica? Where are you?”

He wasn’t waking up. I tried to shake him by the shoulder again. One big hand caught mine in a death grip. He groaned like a wounded animal, and said clearly, “No! Mica!” and then he went limp. The dream was gone, but his tortured expression remained. Sleep was history for me now so I reached out and stroked his cheek. Come on, wake up.

“Did you finally kill him?”

I jumped and loudly shushed Killian who was lounging in the doorway. I didn’t hear him come in. Did he even use doors?

“How long have you been standing there? I didn’t hear you come in.”

“No, you didn’t. And you never will unless I want you to.” He gave me a smirk and peeled himself away from the doorframe. “To answer your question though: about 20 seconds.”

He asked, “Nightmare?”

“How did you know?”

“He’s been having them for a few weeks. I’ve heard him through the walls.” He gestured casually at the wall. At my alarmed look, he added, “No, he’s not that loud. We all have really good hearing. I can hear beads of sweat running down the back of someone I’m about to eliminate.” He smiled showing his canines.

Normally I would have laughed, but this wasn’t funny. I’m supposed to be the one with the crazy dreams. That’s my job! He’s the not-quite-human one of us so I assumed he didn’t dream. Huh. Guess I was wrong. The object of my distress suddenly sat up straight and blinked at me and Killian.

Killian said, “Good, you’re awake. You might as well tell us about the dreams now or Mica will nag you about it until you do. Easier to get it over with.” With this statement, he pulled up a chair and sat.

Sean scowled at both of us, and grumbled, “Dreams? What are you talking about?”

Was he serious? “You’ve been having bad dreams, haven’t you?”

“No, that’s your job. I don’t dream.”

Killian narrowed his eyes a bit and sat back, looking speculative. I prodded at Sean some more until he finally got snippy and stood up. No, he didn’t remember having any dreams, and he did not want to talk about it. Even when I told him what he’d mumbled, he denied it. I was more worried than before and unconsciously fondled my locket. This was not over.

The next day was clear and sunny so we decided to go to Vermont for snowboarding. Dec wanted to go, but Killian decided to send him off on a mission of some kind. So it was just me and Sean in the car. We took the ferry across the lake and ended up at Stowe. Mt. Mansfield is only 4,300 feet high but is rumored to have some nice trails. The mountain was totally blanketed in new snow with forests of bare grey trees reaching towards the sky. Here and there, an optimistic pine tree raised its face towards the sun. It was starkly gorgeous, and I couldn’t wait to jump on my board. I was in the mood for speed today… Sean better keep up! I was clipping my lift ticket to my jacket when Sean came up with our boards. He scanned the area while I checked my board straps.

“Are you worried about something? You’ve been on high alert since we crossed into Vermont. What’s up?”

He shook his head slightly, and said, “I’m sensing something… but I can’t place it. Just a feeling… I can’t explain it.” He shrugged. “Let’s go before we lose the daylight.”

Three hours later, I was catching my breath at the top of Bypass, one of the double diamond trails we were hitting today. The sun was getting low in the sky. This would be our last run of the day. Sean sat on the ground, adjusting his straps. I plopped down beside him. The view from up here was amazing. I could see for miles in every direction. There’s something about being out in the middle of the mountains… it’s humbling. This place could turn hostile in five minutes and eat us alive. We’re just little specks against the endless snow.

“You’re happy.” he observed with a cheeky grin. His black and silver Oakleys were propped on top of his head while he adjusted his straps one last time. Dressed in black board pants and an unzipped black and red fleece, he was ridiculously gorgeous sitting so comfortably in the snow. His flushed cheeks and glimmering sexy eyes only added to his hotness. A natural athlete, he moved with confidence that I envied.

A couple of snow bunnies slowed down to gawk at him. He politely inclined his head their direction, and they erupted into giggles and sped down the trail. I must’ve growled out loud because he chuckled at me. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

Breathing in the crisp air, I grinned back. “Well…”

With a short bark of laughter, he tossed a handful of powder at me. “Come over here, you crazy witch!”

I scooted my butt a little closer. Without seeming to move, he lunged, dragging me down on top of him. Kissing me dizzy in the snow, he finally rolled me to one side when someone whistled on their way down the mountain.

Pink with pleasure, I nibbled on his lower lip, and purred, “You’re crazy…”

Kissing me thoroughly one last time, he helped me to my feet. “Come on, darlin’. We’re going to do this in the dark if we don’t get moving.”

Well, damn. My legs were like jelly after all that kissing. Did he think I could just stand up? I wobbled for a second or two. After his comment about darkness, I studied the sky to gauge the sun. The purple-grey clouds rolling in from the north promised more snow. They also promised slow driving home. I pointed to the clouds. He glanced at them without concern and jumped in front of me on the trail. In a flash, he was gone over the drop.

The trees blurred as I flew down the steep trail. It took all of my concentration to stay upright. I didn’t dare get distracted or I’d end up over the edge of a very steep ravine. We were mostly alone up here so the race was on. I leaned to the right to pass him, and he blocked me. I swooped around his left side, and he blocked me again. He rode with amazing grace and skill. I was impressed. His body moved as one with his board, and he had wicked quick reflexes. It would have been entertaining to watch if he wasn’t beating me down the mountain! As it was, by the time we reached Lower Nosedive, the last trail leading into the lodge area, I was still behind him when he stopped smoothly in front of me. I stopped too, but not as gracefully. As my board dug to a stop, I promptly fell on my butt and lay breathless and laughing in the snow. He plopped down next to me and caught his breath. Smiling, I held my lips up for a cold kiss.

“You are
amazing
! I don’t even feel bad that you totally kicked my ass today. It’s actually sort of sexy.” I stole another kiss as I ran my fingers through the fine spikiness of his hair.

“You’re not so bad yourself. You need to work on sticking your landing though!” He patted my butt for emphasis.

Snow started falling as we were putting the boards in the trunk, and the sun was nearly gone here. I wasn’t worried about driving home in the dark, but wanted to get off the mountain roads before they got bad. Sean was frowning again and staring towards the west. The wind was picking up, swirling the snow around us. It was a little creepy.

“What’s out there?”

“I don’t know, and it’s bugging me. There’s something here…” His voice trailed off, eyes growing distant. After a minute, he snapped to attention. “Let’s go! I need to check something out.”

My knuckles were white on the arm rest as Sean slowly navigated the slippery mountain road. Conditions were shitty. Mother Nature had let loose with blinding snow and howling winds that shoved the car all over the lane. Snow was piling up, and the tires were slipping. Off to my right, the ravine was bottomless in the failing light. I gripped the arm rest harder and closed my eyes when the car suddenly slid sideways. Oh God, please get me off this mountain!

“Are you
praying
?”

“No…”

“Mica, do you really think I’m going to get us killed this way? In a
car
wreck? Come on, you should know better by now!” He was both amused and irritated.

The car slid across the road again, but he expertly brought it back to our lane. I sighed. Okay, so he was a good driver. Maybe I didn’t really need to pray, but I didn’t let go of the arm rest until we got to the main highway below the mountain. The weather was better here. It was still snowing, but the wind wasn’t blowing as hard. The roads weren’t covered in snow yet so I relaxed. We were probably safe enough. Sean seemed to be on autopilot now. He was completely focused on something I didn’t see. He drove perfectly well, but I wasn’t sure he was really seeing the road. His eyes were distant as we moved along. I asked him what he saw, and he shushed me. Intrigued, I sat back and shut up. We were on a small road out in the middle of nowhere. I was lost about 20 minutes ago. I had no idea where we were. The road cut through a valley that had a series of rolling hills on one side and a forest on the other. The hills were probably part of someone’s farm; barns dotted the landscape in the twilight. The forest was dark and creepy as only bare trees in winter can be. It conjured up thoughts of werewolves.

It was fully dark when Sean pulled the car to a stop. “Okay, you stay here, and I’ll go check this out.”

“What? I’m not staying here! Are you crazy?”

He looked me in the eye, and said firmly, “You’re not coming with me. I don’t know what’s over there, and you aren’t armed. Stay here and
don’t
make me chase you down when it’s time to go.”

I bristled at his bossy tone, but he was right. I wasn’t armed. “Fine, I’ll stay here.”

“Good girl. Turn the car around for me. I’ll be back as fast as I can.” He squeezed my knee, and added, “Don’t go anywhere!”

As he disappeared through the trees, I shivered uneasily. The woods seemed to close in. Malevolent eyes watched, and I whipped around to look behind me. A shadow moved in the tree line. My heart stopped in my chest, and I froze. I frantically searched the trees but didn’t see anything. The feeling of being watched was gone. I must’ve imagined it. It was really creepy out here alone, and I have an overactive imagination. I looked around again and got back in the car. After turning it around, per orders from Sean, I sat there trying to see into the darkness. Where was he? He’s been gone more than 15 minutes, and I was going out of my mind waiting. The snow was coming down so heavily that I couldn’t see out the window. Visions of being buried alive popped into my not-helpful imagination. I flipped on the defroster and fidgeted with the radio dials. Come on, come on. Where are you, Sean? In the movies, it’s always the girl who gets eaten first…

What was that? A flicker of light illuminated the trees. I strained to see, but the snow distorted everything. There it was again! This was a bigger flash, spread across a wider space. Slipping from the car, I peered into the woods, ears straining. Muffled popping noises accompanied more bursts of light. What the heck? The wind shifted and brought with it the staccato sound of automatic weapons. Shit, shit, shit! Where is Sean? The sound of weapons fire was getting closer now. I sprinted back to the car for cover. They were getting closer. The muzzle flashes were clearly visible. I counted six shooters. Six people were shooting at whom?

Shadows moved in the tree line. Sean and Killian appeared dragging someone between them. They hit the car doors at a full run just as three men came out of the trees behind them. Bullets tore through the side window, imploding glass hitting me in the face, the sound deafening. I threw myself across the seat and slammed my foot on the gas pedal. The tires slipped all over the place, but we managed to get out of range. After a mile or two, I slowed just enough to climb out of the driver’s seat and crawl into the back. Sean took the wheel and floored the gas. Killian climbed into the front seat and started barking orders.