Eternal Breath of Darkness (22 page)

His knees buckled, and he
collapsed, taking her down with him. He held her tightly, her legs straddled
over his lap. He was silent for several moments, just holding her close.
Savoring the moment. “That, little love, was by far the single most amazing
experience I’ve ever had.”

Drowsy, she nuzzled his
neck. “Truly amazing.” Teeth chattering, she started to shiver.

“You’re freezing.”

She yawned. “It’s a very
small price to pay.”

He kissed the top of her
head. “I suppose you’re right.” Standing up, he lifted her, and then gently
lowered her onto her feet. “But we need to get you warmed up.” He replaced
their clothing with a thought.

“For the end of June it’s a
little too cold out here, don’t you think?” Smiling, she looked up at him. Her
heart stopped. The sight of him, the change in his posture and expression, told
her something was seriously wrong.

~
Fifteen ~

TAKING CAYLEE’S ARM, Haden dragged her to his side, and his wings
momentarily shimmered and then solidified. Expanding his mind, black eyes
glittering, he stood completely still, barely breathing, receiving and sorting
through the hidden information in the night air.

Caylee felt subtle movement
under her feet. It was barely noticeable, but something beneath the soil
groaned.

“Haden.” Lowering her gaze,
she studied the steady movement of the forest floor. “What’s … oh, God.”
It wasn’t him. Whatever was beneath the ground was evil. Pure evil. Murderous.
An icy shiver started at the soles of her feet and ran up her spine to the back
of her neck. “It not you, is it?”

“No.” The situation was
unlike any Haden had ever encountered. He was too old, too experienced to be
caught unaware by an enemy. They were under attack, and he hadn’t seen it
coming. This didn’t happen to him.

Caylee saw something move
above the trees. “Haden!” she screamed, pointing toward something that swooped
down and moved quickly toward them. He threw her to the ground and, using his
body to shield her from the impact, landed on top of her.

A scream welled up, but she
bit it back. “What was that?” Holding her breath, she stared up at him, waiting
for but not particularly wanting further enlightenment.

He stood and helped her up.
“A ghoul.” He was already creating a barrier around them to prevent further
attacks from above.

“With wings?” She shook her
head. “But you said they’re dogs. Dogs don’t have wings.”

“Mostly dogs, little love,
not always.”

Why had she asked? She
didn’t want to know. Taking a breath, she choked. A noxious, ammonia-like odor
burned her nose, throat, and lungs. Eyes watering, she coughed and gagged,
struggling to get air to pass through her throat.

With his hand, he turned her
head, pressing her face against his chest. “It’s okay. Breathe.” It instantly
helped, and she filled her lungs with his addicting scent. She opened her mouth
to ask him what was happening, but she was silenced by a high-pitched scream.

It quickly escalated,
becoming a blaring outcry of fury that echoed all around. She covered her ears,
but it did nothing to muffle the sound. She was beyond afraid. She was
terrified. She would’ve collapsed if Haden hadn't been holding her up. The
pressure and pain were so intense. She’d never experienced such extreme agony.
Her skull actually felt as if it were in the process of imploding. It was
impossible to determine where the sound was coming from. It was generating from
every possible direction. It seemed forever, but within seconds, Haden took the
pain from her, closing her ears to the sound before her eardrums ruptured.

All senses on alert, he
studied the black vapor rising and extending in every direction for as far as
he could see. It swirled a few feet above ground. Waving his hand, he created a
hedge, preventing it from getting close enough to touch them. It was a form of
black magic. He was unfamiliar with it, but he knew its roots were human. And
he knew it was only the beginning of the attack; there would be more. Much,
much more.

Something very powerful was
aiding the human’s magic. Paul was part of it, but the energy thrumming through
the air was a thousand times more powerful than any vampire could ever hope to
produce. It was demonic. He quickly realized it was Demetri’s energy. Demetri
was thousands of years older, and he possessed greater power and knowledge than
any other demon. Why would Demetri help Paul? It was shocking. Until now Haden
hadn’t believed Zack’s accusations against Demetri. It didn’t make sense for
one as great as Demetri to unite with the living dead.

Holding Caylee as close to
his body as possible, he slowly spun around, scanning the forest, sorting
through his centuries of warfare knowledge. They were surrounded. Completely
surrounded. A low, threatening growl rumbled in Haden’s chest and throat.
Violence and hatred lurked just out of sight, hidden in the shadows, encompassing
them. They were in the heart of a deadly trap. The essence of pure evil was
pulsating in the atmosphere. Sadistic. Ferocious. It was everywhere, below
ground and above the treetops. But what exactly was it?

The temperature was rising
quickly. Caylee was completely out of her element. The air was so sweltering
hot that, besides sweating profusely, she felt weak and a little lightheaded.
This didn’t happen in her world. She didn’t know what to do. She knew they were
in a bad situation, but she didn’t have the slightest clue of what was
happening and what would come next.

She looked up at Haden. He
appeared confident and strong, silently searching the area, assessing the
enemy, preparing for the battle. There was no doubt in her mind he could and
would do anything to keep her safe. Closing her eyes, she thanked God for
Haden, for the way he held her so close, shielding her with his body.

He knelt down, taking her
with him. He placed his hand on the ground and whispered in a strange language.
She didn’t have a clue of what he was saying, but his voice was beautiful,
hypnotic. The ground rippled in response to his touch and voice. Without any
warning, a snake burst out of the dirt.

Caylee would’ve screamed if
she could’ve breathed. Standing up, Haden pulled her closer, keeping her hand
in his. “He’s a friend. He won’t hurt you. He can tell us what is happening
below ground.”

In denial, she shook her
head. Oh sure, the giant snake was a friend.

Why hadn’t she thought of it
sooner? None of it was real. Not the snake. Not Haden. And definitely not the
vampire and flying ghouls. They were all figments of her demented imagination.
She smiled. Yep, that was it. She was in an asylum, curled up in corner, her
mind fried beyond the point of repair.

Lifting her chin, she looked
up at Haden and smiled. “Well, at least my alternate reality includes the most
amazing, mind-blowing sex with tall, dark, and yummy as hell.”

He laughed aloud. “You’re
not losing your mind, little love. This is real. I’m real. And the amazing, mind-blowing
sex is most definitely real.”

His deep voice was a
seductive caress, touching her everywhere at once, causing her body to ache.
She frowned. There was no way in hell she was going to let him know his voice
was wreaking havoc in her body. Not when he could’ve and should’ve warned her
about the snake before it popped up out of the ground. Cursing beneath her
breath, she rolled her eyes at him. She was definitely getting a spray bottle
of holy water in the near future.

He bent down to kiss her,
and then he turned to face the snake.

Head raised, seemingly
prepared to strike, the snake swayed from side to side, its body rapidly
growing in length and width. It was huge—larger than any other she’d ever seen.
A shiver ran through Caylee’s body. And she’d recently started watching Animal
Planet, so she’d seen a quite few large snakes.

Glowing, blood-red eyes
locked onto Haden’s gaze, venom dripping from sharp fangs, the serpent hissed.
“I smell your mate’s fear of me.” Suspicious, the serpent moved closer to her,
locking his gaze onto hers.

Caylee felt it moving in her
mind, searching for information.

“Interesting.” Looking
amused, he met Haden’s gaze. “She has no idea who you are.”

“Leave her alone.” Haden
glared at the snake. “I called you to the surface because I need to know what
lies beneath us.”

“You know very well what’s
happening here. This vampire is obsessed with your mate. He’s driven by lust.
Why have you entered his trap with your mate? She’s mortal. You know you can’t
escape this with her.”

“You know what I’m asking. I
need details.”

“This is an ancient burial
ground. Its occupants, unable to rise, have remained in turmoil for a very long
time. They’re violent savages. Murderers. And now, the blood of the undead
flows through their bodies. They thirst for blood.”

“How many?”

“Thousands.” The snake
looked up at the ghouls circling the treetops, and then it moved closer. “Since
when have demons and vampires united? Any fool can see this uprising is far too
great a feat for any vampire or human. A demon is either behind it or at least
in some way supporting this attack.”

Sighing, Haden nodded. “I’ve
been told Demetri is lost to us.”

“You believe Demetri is
behind this?”

“I feel his energy.”
Chanting in a strange language, Haden waved his hand. The snake shimmered for a
few seconds, and then it disappeared.

Considering his options,
Haden turned to face Caylee. His first urge was to scoop her up and take her
through time and space to a place of safety, but he knew better than to try.
She was mortal. Fragile. Vulnerable to death. The snake was right. He would
never be able to safely take her through the spells surrounding them. She
wouldn’t survive it. He couldn’t fly with her. She would be ripped to shreds by
the ghouls. He needed to fight. He needed to win. There was no other option. He
needed to destroy the evil, or she would die.

Zack, I need you now!

What the hell have you
started? Joseph and I were searching for your vampire when we felt the
disturbance. We’re coming as quickly as possible, but there is much opposition
all around.

It’s a rising. There are too
many for me to defeat on my own. Demetri is aiding the vampire, enabling it to
bring thousands of warriors to the surface to fight. Caylee is here with me.

Zack froze midair. Not
because he was shocked Caylee was there. He already knew. He was shocked
because he’d never heard Haden plead for anything before. And Haden was
pleading. He was begging for help. The woman had made him weak. She would be
his demise.

She’s still mortal, Zack.
We’re trapped.

You’re not trapped. She is.
And you’ll stay right by her side and die with her rather than leave her.
Zack
didn’t even try to hide his disgust.
We know she’s with you. We will fight
with you to protect her, but once this is over, you must either give her
immortality or leave her with no memory of your existence. This cannot
continue.

Joseph connected with Haden.
Demetri is powerful, but he’s very far away. It’s odd, but I don’t believe
he’s even aware of what’s happening. We won’t arrive to aide you before it
starts. Demetri’s spells are reproducing as quickly as we destroy them. Keep
her in one place. We will combine our powers with yours to create a sturdier
hedge of protection around her.

Haden framed Caylee’s face
between his hands, forcing her to focus on him. “I won’t lie to you, little
love. I need you to trust me. It’s going to get bad. You’re going see, hear,
and feel horrible, frightening things your mind has never conjured up.”

She blinked. Obviously, he
didn’t know about the nightmares that haunted her.

“I know every dream and
every nightmare you’ve ever experienced. What’s happening here is worse than
any thought that has ever entered your mind.” Taking her hand, he brought it to
the warmth of his mouth. “I love you, Caylee. Forever and completely, I will
love and cherish every breath you take. Know that you’re safe with me. Trust
me. I won’t allow you to be harmed.”

“Haden.” Eyes wide, she
stared up at him. “I trust you. I really do. But I don’t want to be here for
another minute. Take me somewhere else, anywhere. I don’t even care how we get
there. I’ll fly with you. I won’t complain about it. I promise. Please, Haden,
I want to leave now.”

She was breaking his heart,
shattering it into thousands of tiny pieces. He rubbed the bridge of his nose,
forcing himself to think with his brain and not his heart. Every fiber of his
being wanted … no, needed to give her everything she wanted, but he
couldn’t this time. It was simply too dangerous.

He bent his head to kiss
her. “I’m sorry. I can’t. It would be too dangerous. There are too many waiting
to ambush us in the sky. I should’ve known better. I never should’ve stayed out
here with you long enough to be trapped like this. Please, Caylee, forgive me.”
He kissed her once more. “We will survive this together. I know this is all
strange to you, but it’s not strange to me at all. This is what I was created
for. I’ve fought many battles like this one, and I’ve never experienced
defeat.” He wasn’t bragging about his power and strength; he was stating a fact,
hoping it would give her peace.

Hot tears streaming down her
face, she took his hand and placed it over her heart. He needed her to have
faith in him. He was begging her to believe in him, in his love and devotion.
He needed her cooperation to do what needed to be done.

“I love you, Haden. And I
trust you to protect me.” Looking so sexy that his heart skipped a beat, she
smiled at him. “But I refuse to forgive you. As I remember, it’s my fault we
remained out here.” Savoring the memory of the taste and feel of him, hard and
swollen, helplessly surging into her mouth, she bit her lower lip. “I owned you
for a moment. You cannot be blamed for it. I was simply too tempting for you
resist. Admit it, I seduced you into a state of ignorant bliss.”