Chapter 18

 

 

Brent moved through the forest without sound. He couldn’t find a damned thing in all the vegetation. It seemed like the forest itself had grown denser in the months since he’d last visited. Now he followed Preston and Toryn. Robert was a few paces over. Lonny and Scotty, trusted friends of Toryn were in the woods too. Not to mention several mages and a couple casters, part of the DSF.

They should have come to the Old House by then, but no, they were still searching, going in circles. Strange magic had cropped up. Things he hadn’t sensed in ages.

The fact they couldn’t find the old building sent a chill through Brent.

The Fae couldn’t even find it. Neither could Mike, who happened to be a druid, who should have sensed the shift in locale. Unless the damned thing was sucked out of this plane, into the realm between?

Brent stopped and closed his eyes, reaching, sensing for any type of spirit. Badb spoke up. You won’t find the place you seek without help from one within.

“Are you within?” Brent asked out loud.

Preston stopped to stare at him.

He lifted a shoulder in response.

Badb continued. Vampires are coming.

Interesting that the only spirit speaking was that of a supposed goddess. Then again, when he was in the cavern with the vampires, she was the only one to speak up. The other spirits offered strength at times, but they certainly didn’t speak to him. Perhaps they were afraid of offending her?

He didn’t have time to consider the possibility. He felt the darkness closing in. “They’re coming,” Brent whispered, letting a spell carry the warning to the entire search party.

Two cloaked figures appeared out of the shadows in the brush. Brent rushed forward to send a jolt of power through each. The vampires fell to their backs, and Robert touched them and took them away from the area.

Two down, how many to go?

And he found himself wishing Eddie was with them. The boy’s senses were phenomenal, and he was faster than most vampires. But he was with Jackie at the moment, in Faery, visiting Brent’s current sister, the queen of the Water Realm.

Brent stopped as shadows formed before him. He threw his hands out, calling on fire, something he’d never been great with, but he was able to pull leftover energy from those around him, and considering he’d never seen fire hotter than Toryn’s, augmenting his own magic was easy.

The vampire screamed as he went up in flames.

Another vampire stepped into the clearing, away from everyone, and glittering shields surrounded him. “The Old House no longer stands. Leave if that is your goal. If not, prepare for a battle you cannot win.”

Robert zapped everyone away.

Brent leaned against the wall in Robert’s office. “I had a message from someone. Amelia needs to get inside the house for us to find her.”

“Message from who?” Robert asked.

“A spirit, or something close enough. Look, she’s one we can trust, and I don’t say that lightly. If I had any doubt in my mind, I would ignore everything said. However, she was the one who helped me get through my ordeal at the same vampire’s hands two centuries ago, and she has never attempted to have me do anything for her.”

Robert paced away, rubbing at his head.

“Come on, Robert,” Preston insisted. “You know sometimes we get help from sources we don’t expect. And Brent is one of the handful of sorcerers I would trust with something like this.”

Toryn spoke up, “A spirit can see a lot more than we can. And right now, if they are somehow increasing the flux in the area, we may not be able to get to them without help from the inside.”

“Meaning Amelia.” Brent paced away. “I wish I knew how she was holding up with Eamon.”

“Still worried she’s going to sleep with him?” Toryn asked.

Brent nodded. He couldn’t get the images from her memory out of his head.

“She hasn’t. There was a blood exchange and a kiss, but that was it. She’s alone now. Perhaps you could go to her, discuss what she can do to get us closer to the captives.”

“How do you know?”

“I had cameras installed when I set up the room. We’ve been keeping an eye on your girl.” Toryn walked over and took his shoulders. “I wanted to give you good news about what happened. She’s good. She’s setting boundaries and still gaining Eamon’s trust.”

That was a relief. “Find out anything about a curse on her family?”

“Don’t think that matters. Eamon found a way to unlock her magic. She could use your expertise to help guide her through figuring it out. Though, not in that room.”

“Are the wards in place at my home?” Brent asked.

“They are.”

“I can open a portal to her from there to my house, as long as she’ll trust me enough to step through.”

“She will,” Toryn assured.

“And what do we do in the meantime? There has to be something.” Brent asked, though he wanted time with Amelia more.

“Let us worry about that. Go talk to Amelia, find out how we can get inside there. That’s what we need right now. We’ll see if we can find any other rumors,” Robert answered.

Brent nodded. They knew where to go, but clearly that wasn’t enough. The vampires would move the blood slaves if search in the open continued.

“Wait, what about the two in custody?” Brent asked.

“We’ll question them. You go to Amelia,” Preston urged. “We need her help, more than ever. Now go.”

Robert touched his shoulder and moved him to his home in a blink. “Honest, Brent, take care of Amelia. New magic, new senses, on top of being a vampire, and past life memories. I’m sure she needs you.”

“If you need either of us, let me know.”

“Will do.” Robert disappeared.

Brent called Amelia. She answered in a ring. “Brent, I need out of this room. He has someone watching the door. And they’ll know if you’re here.”

“Don’t worry about that. You only have to step through the portal I’m about to open to be here with me, and the place is warded in such a way no one will know you’re here, and no one will know you’ve left the room.”

“That can be done?”

“Sure can, and I expected them to watch over you. Toryn had cameras installed, and before you get upset, he just told me about the cameras.”

A laugh escaped. “He was looking out for me. Open the damned portal already.”

He cast the spell and stared through the glowing green light.

Amelia stepped through and wrapped her arms around his neck. Brent closed the portal in time for her mouth to collide with his. Her tongue dueled with his as he caressed down her body.

She gripped his flannel and ripped it open, sending buttons across the room, before she tore his pants down the center.

He pushed her back to look into the devilish gleam in her eyes. She waited for him, and he wasn’t going to disappoint her. Gripping the hem of her dress, he lifted it over her head and spun her around, shoving her lacy panties down. Then he pushed her over the back of the couch where he entered her hard.

She screamed his name, bucking back to take more in. He couldn’t fucking think of anything but her and the heat building between them.

 

* * * *

 

Brent gave her exactly what she needed. She wanted him to claim her. He pounded into her with such perfect force the couch creaked forward.

His grip bruised and she loved it. Her legs shuddered as she climbed toward ecstasy. He washed out all thought about any man who came before in this life and all the others.

Lost in Brent’s need and her desire, she rode the pleasure. A second before she came, he pulled out and dropped down behind her. She looked back as his tongue flicked her clit.

She came hard, crying out in pleasure as he made love to her with his mouth. So damned good she gripped the cushions and held on.

By the time she came again, he stood and thrust into her before she could recover. She was so sensitive she couldn’t focus on anything as he pumped in and out of her, driving her back over the edge as he followed her into release.

Brent lifted her and settled on the couch with her in his arms. She turned to lie on his chest, her hand over his heart, head on his shoulder, her legs entwined with his while she caught her breath.

“Needed that, all of it,” she admitted.

His mouth curved into a smile. “I hated leaving you in that room, knowing what he would want.”

“I did let him kiss me, but the moment he tried to touch me, I ended it. I needed him to believe I could choose him. I think he understands I’m a different woman and I have new rules, and even if not, he’s playing along for now.”

“We need to talk about what’s coming. Robert can talk to Christian. There’s at least one person in bad shape. Seems Leanan attempted to fight off sexual advances, but we’re not sure if she succeeded. She’s been unconscious the whole time. Christian’s worried about her.”

“What can I do?”

He closed his eyes. “We need Eamon to take you there. I don’t trust Inuala as far as I can throw her, and if she’s the one who’s orchestrated your death in the past, I’m worried. Christian was unconscious when they took him to the Old House. He can’t get us in. It has to be you.”

Closing her eyes, she nodded. “I think I know how to manage that. She wants to bring Crom Cruach into the realm. Eamon does too. Thing is, bringing Crom Cruach into the world means Eamon’s death. But I think I know how to banish him if you help, without killing Eamon.”

Brent stilled. “You don’t want him?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then why does it matter if he dies?”

“Inuala created the situation that created Eamon. He reacted the way she expected. I fucked everything up.” A bitter laugh escaped. “I’m not one hundred percent against his death, especially if he tries to bring Crom into the world, but if he can see things our way, give up on Crom, does he have to die?”

“He’ll still want you,” Brent pointed out.

“Maybe, maybe not. He’s starting to understand I’m not exactly as I was back then. I want to make him fall out of love with me and still gain his trust. This will be a lot easier if the king of these vampires leads them away from Crom Cruach. If not, things get messy.”

“Damn it, you’re right.” He rubbed at his face.

“Besides, I’m hoping I can make him understand that I tried to bind Crom to me so he would die with my dying body, but his rage and anger pushed him to a brutal murder of his parents. Crom latched onto the death and rage and corrupted Eamon. That’s how he came to be a vampire. I took Crom from him before he could get a foothold, but because his essence tainted Eamon, he’s now a vampire.”

“What? You sacrificed yourself?”

She groaned. “I tried, in a way. I was dying anyway and the only chance I had to remove Crom from the world, as far as I knew, was taking him with me when I died. Eamon might have been able to heal me, but I had a chance to end it there. What other choice did I have but let Eamon kill me? Trenton understood what would happen if Crom Cruach came into this world. Yet, I already knew he couldn’t kill me to get rid of Crom. No, I needed to hold onto Crom while I lay dying under Eamon. It’s the same reason I kept him within me when you fought off Crom in that room when I was so young. I held onto him because I could keep him locked deep inside. And I fucked up in the end.”

He combed his fingers into her hair, staring into her eyes. “You were always braver than most. And that takes strength most don’t have. I don’t have the strength to resist the power. It’s why I don’t share my body with a spirit or any entity. I’ve seen what happens when that goes wrong.”

“I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t know how to banish him on my own, and my parents wanted to use him to take the world. Inuala wanted him for herself, but knew she wasn’t the vessel.” Her mouth fell open. “God, I remember her voice when Oriana was young. She was afraid of my magic then. I don’t know what happened to her after that.”

Brent snorted. “Your mother gave her to the royal guards. They used her as they pleased for a year before she escaped. And still her goal is to bring Crom Cruach into this world.”

Amelia’s eyes closed. “Crom Cruach wanted me all along. I remember his voice in the cradle. I never understood why.”

He shook his head. “I have no answer. Only that you fought him the best you could.”

“His essence recognized me. When I exchanged blood with Eamon, I heard him, briefly. Badb helped me shut out Crom Cruach and the other spirits. But should I worry about what she wants?”

“No, because she’s a protector, and she doesn’t want to fully step into this realm. If she did, she wouldn’t be able to watch the other realms, looking for threats.”

“How do you know this?” she asked.

“She told me. And I believe her. She had plenty of opportunity to use me as she saw fit, but only helped me out of situations I didn’t have the strength and knowledge to handle on my own.”

She nodded, but there was a chance Badb was far more patient than anyone else. Who could say what a being wanted after so many thousands of years.

Brent pulled her gaze back to his. “I’m not concerned with anything but you and how you’re dealing with what you are now that the magic was awakened.”

“Haven’t even attempted anything yet, but I certainly hear the voices, see the auras, and sense things I never have in this life. Wait, that’s not totally true. After bonding with you, I’ve caught hints of spirits’ voices and hints of auras from the spirits and people.”

Brent sat up. “You were seeing colors from the spirits?”

“A bit,” she admitted.

“You were already reaching for your own magic. That’s not something I see often. And not lately.”

Her head tipped.

He ran his thumb across her cheek. “You were pure sorcerer in those lives. In this one you are at least half. I don’t know if your father had any sorcerer blood, but half is enough. My strength lies in sorcery, and I’m nowhere near half, and it’s still stronger than most. You could likely have exceptional skill, even as a vampire, which means you need practice and training, but you already have a strong sense of where you should and shouldn’t go with it.”

“I saw what Crom wanted to do to the world. The desolate, dark place it would become. I didn’t want that to happen.” She blew out a breath. “I loved the sun too much.”

He ran his fingers along her jaw. “I wish I could have dealt with Daloisha in another way. I would have done anything to keep you alive, and that was the only option I saw.”

Her eyes slid shut as she placed her head over his heart. “You would have kept pushing me away.”

“No, every day I came closer to giving in and chasing after you. If you hadn’t wound up with Tyrone, I would have faster. I guess I should have anyway, but knew we had more than enough time. You weren’t going to die, and he wouldn’t be around forever.”

“Don’t let me go again.”

Brent held her tight. “I’m going to have to send you to Eamon. You need to get him to take you to where they’re holding everyone. Either tell him you have a plan to bring Crom into the world, or you want to see the preparations being made.”

“I will, but for now, hold me. If I go before sundown tomorrow, he’s going to decide I choose him.”

“Let’s work on your abilities for now. Once you’re asleep, I’ll see what other things I can learn, and we can go from there.”

“Teach me.”