The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) (71 page)

Killian’s voice rang in a shout of triumph that I felt in my bones.

“
Sgaine dios a liane! Sgaine dios a liane!
”

He called the lightning and it came.

With immense control, he slowly released a blue ball of lightning from the palm of his outstretched hand, and like St. Elmo’s fire, it hovered in a sphere of light. Instinctively, I reached for it and linked my fingers through his. The twin runes exploded into light as the sphere raced into my body. The jolt of electricity sent my heart galloping in my chest and turned my vision white. Time stopped as I relished my sudden strength. I could move mountains…They were nearly on us and still we waited. Both tunnels were filled with hundreds of them. Raising my silver blade with his golden one, I took a deep breath.

“Now!” he shouted and crushed my hand in his.

Channeled through the metal blades, the lightning arced across the tunnel ceilings. Pulsing with heat, I stood perfectly still as it snaked down the walls around us casting everything in its eerie light. As in the cave, the current formed a web across the ceilings and the walls pulsed with the power. Killian’s blade burned like a star in his fist. His body burned with the power of the lightning.

Ready?

Nodding, I followed his lead. Together, we drew the web around the stunned zombies and tightened its hold. The lightning arced between us creating a storm of wind and heat that swirled violently around us.  Ready to end this, he released a surge of power into my hand that nearly knocked me over. Planting my feet, I took a deep breath and let the electricity pulse and build until it was so strong I could feel my skin splitting across my back. My body shook with the force and my eyes felt like they were melting in their sockets…finally, he nodded at me and we released the lightning with a loud crack.

For the barest of seconds, the blue fire raced up their bodies outlining them in the eerie light. They pulsed for a split second before exploding into the tempest. My hair whipped against my eyes as the winds howled around us. Killian met my eyes, his expression triumphant. Slowly lowering the pulsing blade, he scanned the two tunnels for survivors. They were empty of everything except bits of dust floating on the air. Bowing his head respectfully, he murmured a prayer to send the undead to their resting places.

He said something to me, but I couldn’t hear him. My ears hummed and I shook my head to clear them. He said it again and I just shook my head at him.

Don’t you hear that?
I asked silently.

Shaking his head like he had water in his ears, he nodded seriously.
It’s from the lightning. It’ll pass. Are you hurt?

I’m not sure. Am I bleeding?

Sheathing the knife, he ran his hands up my shirt to look at my back. His fingers stung as he traced an outline across my shoulder blade. When he was done, the burning was gone. Coming around to my front side, he pulled up the material and stopped in surprise. Wonderingly, he traced the undamaged rune over my heart and smiled faintly.

You did good, Princess.

Grinning at him now, I licked my finger and dabbed at a smear of grey ash on his cheek. “We kicked butt!”

“Bravo! Well done!” The sound of someone clapping echoed around us.

Killian pushed me behind him and hissed, “Jordan!”

All motion stopped.

Dec’s mouth dropped open and he pushed himself to his feet. Dagin froze and Sean took advantage of his distraction to snatch up his knife and plunge it into Dagin’s shoulder. But just as the knife should’ve sunk into his body, it clattered to the floor and Dagin flew to Jordan’s side. All eyes on him now, Jordan smiled ruefully and gestured in apology.

“I do apologize, my dear Sean. But I simply cannot allow you to destroy Dagin.” Inclining his head politely, he said, “I’ve certain…ah, business arrangements that require me to offer my protection. I’m sure you understand.”

Furious by the interference, but confused by his sudden appearance, Sean ventured in a formal tone, “I’m not sure I do understand. Would you care to elaborate?”

I twitched against Killian’s side drawing his attention. Unconsciously, he stepped slightly to the side so I could see around his back. Jordan’s eyes widened at the intimate gesture and he smiled at me. Once I’d thought Jordan to be a nice angel. He’d been gracious and efficient as the house manager in Manhattan. We’d had many comfortable talks in the kitchen. Now though? He made my skin crawl.

His eyes were too knowing, too cynical...creepy.

I edged close enough to Killian that my breasts brushed his back. The steady thumping of his heart calmed my sudden urge to panic, but this wasn’t going to end well. Adrenaline zinged around inside of me and I knew this was going to be bad…

“Ah, Mica, sweet girl! I’ve missed you! I must say you look remarkably well considering the tragic loss you’ve suffered. The resilience of youth, I suppose.” He bowed respectfully. “Please allow me to offer you and Sean my condolences on the loss of your son.”

Twin gasps of shock broke the silence.

Dec and Sean swung around towards me and Killian. Sean’s eyes snapped to my face and I looked at him helplessly. His eyes were desperate as he searched my face. Instead of answering him, I shook my head, unable to find the words. When he realized it was true, his eyes died like a match in the wind.

Defeated, his shoulders slumped.

Dec growled low in his throat. With clenched fists, he tensed to attack. Killian pulled me against his side and firmly restrained me from my darker instincts.

Watching our reactions carefully, Jordan continued in that same insincere tone. “I see you didn’t know. Oh, but I am so sorry to spring it on you like that. That was most discourteous of me. Of course, had you been where you were supposed to be, you would’ve been there the night I sent my new friends to your house. You and Mica would’ve been destroyed along with the baby you spawned on her. Fortunately, the baby didn’t survive; sadly, you both did.“

It was my turn to gasp. “It was you? You did that? Why?”

“I do regret having to disappoint you like this. But I have my own--” His voice abruptly stopped and his attention swiveled to Dec who had lunged at him.

With impossible strength, Jordan lifted Dec off his feet and broke his neck with a heartbreaking snap. Seeing nothing but white-hot fury, I threw myself at Jordan only to be snatched back by Killian’s hand. Pinning me to his chest, he wrapped his arm around me to keep me there. Out of control with grief, I struggled to get loose, even biting his arm, but he refused to let me go.

“Stop! You can’t help him!” he whispered harshly in my ear. With his other hand, he whipped out his knife but before he could hit Jordan, he let go of Dec.

Dec crumbled to the ground, his face ashen, eyes staring.

Oh, God, Dec!

I was crying and struggling to get away from Killian who could barely hold me with both hands. Dec was so still…

His beautiful, terrible eyes were dimming in front of us.

Sean was at his side frantically feeling for a pulse when Dani stumbled to her feet and raced to Jordan’s open arms.

“Sean? Sean? Is he alive?” I cried, desperately wanting it to be true.

With his head bowed over Dec’s chest, his shoulders shook and I knew it was too late.

He was gone.

My legs wouldn’t hold me and I crumbled over Killian’s arm.

Oh, God, no. Not Dec…Not Dec…Not Dec…

Shaking me gently, Killian sent his thoughts to me.
Listen to me! Mica, listen!

I was beyond hearing him.

He dug his fingers into my arm and I gulped at a steadying breath.

Mica, please! I need you to be strong! I have to go after Jordan! I have to. Will you be strong for me?

Still crying, I nodded mutely.
I’m going with you.

Killian glared into Jordan’s eyes and said in a voice so hushed it was less than a whisper, “Why? Why would you do that? What deal have you made with Satan?”

Satan? My ears perked up and my tears shut off like a faucet.
The
Satan?

Jordan stayed silent.

Sensing a soft spot, Killian goaded, “It has to be good. Money? Women? Power? Hmmm. What would a
butler
want?” He said the word
butler
as if it was a filthy word. The effect was electrifying.

Jordan’s voice shook the mortar from the bricks around us. His face caught fire with an unholy glow that made me cringe against Killian. “Butler? Butler? I was
never
a simple butler! My family comes from ancient magic; I’m more powerful than you idiots will ever be! I had to bide my time…waiting for you to make a mistake. And you didn’t. Not for almost 3,000 years. Not until you let your hormones overrule your Primani duty.”

“Yes, yes, we’re all very impressed with you, Jordan. I’m going to ask you just one more time. What
deal
did you make with Satan?” His soft tone brooked no argument.

Unimpressed, Jordan crowed, “I followed you to your altar. Once you left, I simply retrieved
Sgaine Dutre
and left the plane. You were so preoccupied with Mica that you didn’t sense my presence. It was disappointingly easy. Now
Sgaine Dutre
belongs to me. I will master it and use it to fulfill my destiny.”

“And what is that, exactly?” Killian said between his teeth.

“I’m going to replace God. He’s gotten too soft. Mankind needs more discipline.”

My mouth fell open and Killian inhaled sharply. Several things happened after that. Dec’s still form began to shimmer like a mirage. His beautiful soul swirled from his body like gold dust and disappeared into the air. We watched in horror as his body vanished, leaving nothing but his scent trickling through Sean’s desperate hands. Devastated, he collapsed against the wall with empty black eyes. Killian swore savagely and yanked me around to face him.

“Anchor him!”

With one hand he threw me into Sean’s arms just as Jordan began to shimmer.

Killian’s eyes held mine and then he was gone.

As the world spun out from under me, Killian’s last words rang in my ears.

Don’t let him fall!

####

Stone Angels

By Laurie Olerich

I close my eyes and he comes to me,

My heart breaks and he comes to me,

A child cries and he comes to me,

The world dies and he comes to me.

TUMBLING THROUGH INKY DARKNESS, I landed face first in the freezing ocean, legs and arms sprawled, grasping for anything solid. My breath whooshed out and the black water crashed over me, driving me under again and again until I was completely disoriented. Panicking, I flailed helplessly against the vicious surf. My head bounced against a jagged rock, starbursts of light exploded behind my eyes.

Out of the darkness, Killian’s face swam in front of me like a mirage. The memory of his words echoed and disappeared like a dying breeze.

I will give you a child, Princess.

He’d smiled into my eyes and kissed me with promise.

Such beautiful promise.

Part of me wanted that…
his
child, our child…a tiny magical creature to carry on his name.

Part of me just wanted to practice.

But now, I felt nothing, sensed nothing. There was no wind, no ocean, nothing but darkness and absolute silence.

Was I in Hell?

Wasn’t there supposed to be fire? Brimstone?

I squinted into the void and saw nothing, not even my hand in front of my face. If this was Heaven, it was a huge disappointment. Spending eternity in a black cocoon wasn’t my idea of bliss. I was
claustrophobic
, didn’t anyone remember that? Hello? Anyone?

Killian? Where are you?

I sent my thoughts to him in the darkness. His face shimmered in my mind, his voice coming from far away.

What are you doing?
Get back to Sean! He’s going to bolt!

Sean? He’s already gone.

A great weight landed on my back and someone pushed me into the wet sand until my spine nearly cracked. Over and over again, someone shoved me into the sand until I thought I’d drown in it.  My cozy world of darkness crumbled and both light and pain came pouring in even as the water poured out of my mouth.

“Good girl, do it again!”  Strong hands pushed against my back until I coughed up all of the water in my lungs.

Gasping and coughing, I lay on the sand trying to stop the stars that circled my head like a cartoon.

“Come on, keep coughing.” He turned me over to my side and hovered next to me while I coughed weakly.

Finally, I collapsed and closed my eyes trying to breathe normally. It hurt to inhale and I groaned and coughed some more. Being dead was far more comfortable…

Killian’s voice came to me again.
That’s my girl! Anchor him. Don’t let him go!

I sensed, rather than physically felt, the man next to me begin to pull away. He tensed as if he was about to stand up and I realized it must be Sean.

Anchor him? How?

I was saved from spending too much time thinking about this because he abruptly stood and stepped away from me. Feeling his sudden tension, I knew he was about to bolt. Instinctively, I grabbed him around his ankle and dragged him down to the sand. Totally surprised, he fell on his butt with an indignant shout.

“What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!”

Sitting up without letting go, I choked out, “Where do you think you’re going? You can’t just leave me here in...” I looked around the gloomy sandy beach without a clue about where we were. “You can’t leave me here!”

He shoved furiously at my hand, but my grip was strong and I was a desperate woman. No way was I letting go. He raised a hand to me as if he’d use his powers to move me. He could probably throw me all the way back home if he wanted to. I lifted my own in challenge.

“You’d use your powers on me now? How low will you stoop?”

Lowering his hand, he flushed faintly. His voice held a sad note of desperation that tugged at my gut, just a little. “Damn it, Mica. What are you doing here?”

“Right now, I’m freezing to death. Can we
please
go somewhere with walls and a fire? You know where we are, right?”

Looking like he’d rather be spit-roasted in Hell than spend another minute with me, he agreed with bad grace. Gritting his teeth, he helped me up and watched detachedly as I wobbled on my feet. Making no move to steady me, he stood with arms crossed and glanced around the beach. Yeah, he totally didn’t want me here. Well, at least he didn’t let me die. That had to be a good sign…of course, he
was
my protector, my own personal Primani and they were supposed to be
angels
…of a sort.

A gust of wind roared in from the ocean nearly knocking me down again. Lunging forward, I shoved my hair out of my eyes and grabbed his hand. He shook me off but I linked my fingers in his and refused to let him go. Now that my brain was settling down from its near-death experience, I was able to put together coherent thoughts and wished I couldn’t. Like a bad dream, tonight’s events came drifting back to me.

We hadn’t ended up here on a whim. We were here for safe haven. Ireland was home.

Devastated by Dec’s death, Sean had teleported out of the underground tunnels in Brooklyn. Knowing Sean was close to collapsing, Killian had thrown me against him just before he vanished. He wanted me to anchor Sean, keep him from going, but it hadn’t worked out that way. Startled, Sean grabbed me out of reflex and we’d tumbled end over end through the void of time and space until my disastrous reentry in the Atlantic Ocean.

“Where are we going?” I swiveled around but didn’t see any lights from a town or even a tiny village anywhere.

The overcast light revealed an empty wild land covered with stubby grass and clumps of grey heather. The coast was dotted with craggy black rock with tiny patches of sand peeking through. Looking at the rocks with respect, I gingerly touched the lump on my temple. It had swollen to the size of an ostrich egg and was dripping blood down my neck.

“Sean, I’m dripping like a faucet here. Can we stop for a minute? I need to do something with this cut.” My free hand was slippery with fresh blood but wasn’t doing a good job of stopping the flow. I needed a bandage, or better yet, time to heal myself properly.

Seeming to notice me for the first time, he blinked at me in surprise. Surprise turned to annoyance and then irritation. There’s the Sean I know and love…He grunted something intelligible and lifted my hair. Wincing at his roughness, I set my jaw and let him poke and prod.

“We’re almost there,” he said, pulling off his own bloody t-shirt. After wadding it into a ball, he pushed it into my hands. “That’s my only shirt. I expect you to wash it and give it back if you don’t die.”

“Nice.” I shoved the balled up cotton against the cut and pressed. Oh, sure, I’d wash it…jerk.

His eyes swiveled sharply to mine and I caught my breath. Brilliantly blue and intense on a good day, they were nearly black and emotionless now. Flat and cold…and lost. The dim light cast eerie shadows across his cheekbones, making him somehow harder, more dangerous, feral.

“Don’t push me, Mica. You won’t like where it takes me.” His eyes traveled over my face and lingered on my mouth.

Nervously, I licked my lips and looked away. What was he thinking? Once upon a time, I knew. Now, his face was blank, giving nothing away.

After another mile or so of stumbling across the grass, we stopped near the base of a small hill. It was more of a rise in elevation than a real hill. Sean stared at the top of it searching for something. I scanned the hillside for warm bodies…animals, people, demons…

We trudged around the base until we came to a tiny indention in the grass that zigzagged up the side of the hill. Sean took off up the trail with me on his heels. Killian’s words still echoed in my head and I didn’t trust Sean not to leave me here and disappear without a trace. He’d been on edge before tonight--angry and frustrated with me and with himself. Killian was worried about him already, but then the fight in the tunnels...

Tonight had been a disaster.

It was all I could do to block the memories. I swallowed the lump in my throat and sniffed hard. There would be time to grieve later. Right now, I needed to keep Sean from losing himself completely. For once,
I
was protecting
him
. I guess it’s my turn. We reached the top and he mechanically took my hand and yanked me over a ragged lip of tumbled dirt. Not paying attention to his strength, he pulled so hard I practically flew over the other side. Landing on my knees, I glared at him, but his mind was a million miles away again and he’d acted automatically without seeing me.

“Oh! What is that?” I asked.

“Shelter. Come on. Let’s see if the roof is still there.”

The stone hut was more substantial than the collapsed rock walls of Killian’s temple on Eden, but it was probably as ancient. It had been dug into the hillside so had a natural roof of earth. It didn’t look too safe to me though…I hung back just outside and waved Sean ahead of me. It was like a passage tomb. Being buried alive was my deepest, darkest fear. I really, really didn’t want to go inside. He kept walking though. Sighing mentally, I focused my power to the palm of my hand until it lit up like a flashlight. Blinking spastically, it gave me a little comfort in the overwhelming blackness. Jumping at the sudden burst of light, Sean whirled and nearly blew me up.

“Whoa! It’s just me! Don’t shoot!” I wiggled my hand. “Look, it’s a new trick I learned from Killian.”

Frozen at the sound of my voice, a fine thread of energy hovered just on the edge of his fingertips. It collapsed onto itself into a tiny ball of light. His energy core, or
saol
, had its own intelligence and retreated from hurting me because it was intimately tied to my own; it wouldn’t hurt me. Not as long as he was Primani. A wink of blue caught my eye, but was soon hidden by the dark again.

Lowering his hand, he studied me for a minute and said, “Useful trick. Are you coming in or do you plan to stand there shaking like a chick? It’d be more helpful if I could see the back of the room.”

Against my better judgment, I left the dubious safety of the doorway and met him in the back of the room. Taking my hand, he raised it over my head to illuminate the ceiling. Mushrooms grew here and there giving it a weird warty appearance. Other than that, it seemed sturdy enough. It smelled damp and musty though and Sean sneezed. After the third sneeze, I stifled a small grin. Who knew Primani could have allergies? A small stone brazier sat in one corner with an ancient chunk of wood sitting in it. It looked petrified to me, but Sean didn’t notice. He moved the brazier away from the wall and used his hand to light the log. The log caught a spark and soon glowed with a cheery golden flame. The floor was dirt and there were no other supplies. Great. It was going to be a long, cold, dirty night.

I sat near the fire rubbing my hands. Soaking wet, I was shaking with cold and the cut on my head was aching. Now that we were sitting still, I noticed my fingers and toes were still numb and tingling. How long would that last? I had no idea. I wished Killian was here to ask; he’d know. I was pretty sure the tingling was left over from channeling lightning through my body when we fried the zombies. My hair smelled singed but it didn’t feel burnt so I thought it was probably fine. I peered over at Sean from under my lashes. He stood tensely, shoulders slumped, his eyes staring at nothing. Sensing my attention, he huffed under his breath and rolled his shoulders.

Coming over to me, he squatted and said flatly, “Do you have enough energy to heal yourself
and
keep warm?”

“I’m not sure. I’m feeling a little hollow. I might need some help. Can you…would you help me?” I hesitated to ask given the mercurial mood he was in.

“I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“Ouch.”

Impervious to the damp cold, he sat with his bare back against the wall and pointed to the dirt between his legs. I scooted over and leaned my back against his chest. The warmth was immediate and heavenly. With his arms wrapped carelessly around me, he shared his heat while staring off into space. Gradually my shivering stopped and I took a deep breath and relaxed against him completely. His heat swirled through my skin like sunlight and I closed my eyes in relief and focused on healing myself. As my
saol
flowed under my skin, I let myself drift, let it take over. It thrummed through my veins bringing strength and heat to every part of me. Drawing it to the gash on my head, I slowly surrounded the torn skin and bruised muscle and felt them knit back together. It
flowed smoothly through me as it healed the tiny wounds, warming me from the inside out.

“You should take off your wet clothes,” he said in a practical tone.

“That’s
so
not going to happen.”

Uncaring, he shrugged, “It’s your life. Don’t blame me if you get pneumonia.” He pulled his arms away and crossed them against his chest. Closing his eyes, he added, “Don’t forget about my shirt.”

Emotionally and physically drained, I turned away from him and curled up in a ball in front of the weak fire. I was as close as possible without lying on top of it. I was still cold but there were worse things. I could be dead, for real this time. Like Dec…the memory of Dec’s pure golden soul swirling into the air struck me hard and my throat tightened so I could barely breathe.