Stygian Read online

  “How old are you?” Balen asked.

  “Twenty-seven.”

  “We stop aging at thirty-two.” He pulled the car off a side street and turned down a dark dirt road.

  “Sweet.” That was a woman’s fantasy come true. “No more anti-aging creams and worrying about varicose veins and sagging boobs.”

  His eyes locked with mine and shivers trickled across my skin. “I’d still want you. I’ll always want you.”

  I looked away. He spoke as if we’d be together forever, but the reality was, we barely knew one another and we were connected because of a spell. All this, what we felt, would disappear. “So, are we stopping soon?”

  “Ryker’s place is just ahead. We’ll stay there until Waleron lets us know it’s safe to fly to Spain.”

  I crossed my legs, shifting in my seat. “Can you be more specific on just ahead because I drank a lot of water and my bladder is bursting.”

  Balen raised his brows. “Do you ever not say it like it is? No, don’t answer that. I think I already know.” He slowed the car. “I could pull over?”

  I snorted. “You concentrate on finding me a washroom fast. One with four walls and a toilet.”

  He put his foot back down on the gas and the car skidded forward. “How long?”

  “Before what?”

  “Before it bursts?” Balen smirked and it was cute, he could be cute and sweet and I didn’t want this to vanish.

  I liked how comfortable it was talking to him. Usually, guys were taken back by my forwardness, but Balen adapted to my nature and it made me feel as if I’d known him for ages. “Maybe, five minutes.”

  “Then I’ll get you there in two.”

  Balen held my hand as we walked up to a massive, old, stone house that sat on top of a hill a half mile back from the road. It appeared desolate and cold, snow blanketing the bare limbs of trees scattered randomly across the expansive property.

  He kept himself slightly in front of me as we approached the house. The door opened before we reached the stone steps and a man with shoulder-length, black hair, tall and muscled, blocked the doorway.

  I hesitated and Balen squeezed my hand reassuringly.

  The guy grinned, flashing perfect white teeth. “Balen.” He held out his hand and they shook and slapped one another on the back. “Good to see you.” Turning to me, he nodded politely. “A pleasure, Danielle. I’m Ryker.”

  “Please, call me Danni.” Ryker’s eyes roamed the length of me. It wasn’t sexual or anything, more as if he was assessing me.

  “Come in.” Ryker stepped back from the door and Balen looped his arm around my waist as we went inside.

  “Keir tell you what’s going down?” Balen asked.

  “That the Wraiths want your head on their altar?” Ryker shrugged. “We protect our own.”

  “And we’re not a fan of the Wraiths anyway.” A woman’s soft, lyrical voice billowed down from the top of the spiral staircase.

  Her hair was the color of the sun, and as she drew closer, I noticed her soft, angelic features with azure eyes that sparkled with intelligence and warmth.

  Ryker strode over to her and kissed her, his hands lingering on her hips. “My other half. Hannah.”

  She radiated a brilliant smile as she walked over to Balen and kissed both his cheeks. “It’s good to see you made it here safely. I’m so pleased Keir asked us for our assistance. Ryker and I heard what happened with Ryszard a couple years ago.” Hannah pulled me into a warm embrace. “I’m honored to meet you.”

  Ryker chuckled. “My maite, Hannah, has been eager to meet you, Danni.”

  Hannah took my hand from Balen’s. “Come on. I’ll show you where the washroom is so you can get cleaned up and then we will have tea. In the morning, you can meet Kilter. He loves to cook and makes the best eggs you’ve ever tasted.”

  Balen’s firm voice caused me to hesitate from leaving his side. “Kilter resides here?”

  Ryker replied, “Yes. But he’s . . . controlled. He’ll never harm your woman, Balen.” Well, that was good to know. “Well, not physically anyway, can’t say much for his mouth. Hannah has taken a real liking to him over the years.”

  Balen grunted then looked at me and nodded. “It’s okay.”

  “Sweetie, go show Balen the guest rooms.”

  “Our room,” Balen corrected. “She stays with me.”

  Hannah laughed. “Oh, man, he has it bad. Don’t worry, you get used to the caveman shit.”

  After I used the bathroom, we sat in the kitchen at the island on barstools with two steaming cups of green tea. I was overwhelmed by Hannah’s kindness as it was three in the morning and I could tell she was exhausted by her pale face and slow movements. But she insisted on chatting and making me feel at home. “When Keir told my husband you were coming, I was so excited to meet you. Not that I’m glad about the Wraiths pursuing Balen, it’s just that I heard about what happened with Ryzsard. It’s not often a human survives a vampire. Balen saved your life.”

  I cupped my hands around the warm mug of tea. “Yeah, he did,” I said quietly. He protected me from Ryszard by sacrificing himself.

  Hannah patted my arm. “Don’t worry. It will work out. Waleron won’t have it any other way. Have you met him yet?” I nodded. “Isn’t he an ice-cold asshole?”

  I snorted. “I nearly peed my pants when I met him. Then when he opened his mouth, I wanted to punch him and run and hide.”

  Hannah laughed and it sounded light and infectious. “I’ve never told Ryker this because it would go to his head, but I thanked God he was with me when I met Waleron. I can face an enemy like any Scar, but Waleron . . . Jesus, he’s scary.”

  “You’re a Scar? Like Balen?” I hadn’t considered that she was one as well, but it made sense. I was surprised this fragile woman fought against guys like Ryszard.

  Hannah nodded. “That’s how I met Ryker. I’m a Sounder.” I wasn’t sure what that meant and Hannah must’ve picked up on my puzzled expression, because she said, “I can hear sounds for about a two-mile radius. “I met Ryker about sixty years ago when my Talde was attacked. Long story short, Ryker saved my life. Been together ever since.” She smiled. “Ryker is a Visionary. He and Keir are good friends, although we haven’t been to Toronto in decades.”

  “Okay, info overload, this all has been . . . pretty freaky.” Or insane. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Scars, vampires and witches exist. And the Wraiths . . . I don’t even know what to think of them.”

  Hannah put her hand on mine. “You’re a brave woman, Danni. What you survived with Ryszard, and now this.”

  “I’ve been scared for two years, Hannah. That’s not brave.”

  “Bravery is defined in many ways,” Hannah said, keeping her voice soft as a feather floating through the air. “You survived. You sit here beside me and breathe and smile and look radiant. You feel for Balen, not for saving your life, but for who he is. And yes, I can tell how much you care for him. Anyone can see it just by how you look at him.” Hannah sighed and rested her hand on top of mine. “The Wraiths abide by the laws. Just be careful. Don’t stay too long in one place or nature will tell them where you are.”

  “Will they know you helped us?”

  “Yes.” Hannah smiled. “And they’ll do something to piss Ryker off.” She lowered her voice and leaned in. “But when Ryker gets mad, he’s hotter than hell and the sex . . .”

  I laughed.

  “And speaking of which,” Hannah winked and got up, “my husband is insisting I come to bed. We were up most of the night . . . working.” I had no idea what working meant to a Scar and I suspected now wasn’t the time to ask. “Truth is, Ryker hates to sleep alone. Balen is in the guest room beside the bathroom. From the sounds of it, he’s in the shower. When Kilter gets back, he’ll fix you and Balen something to eat. Or help yourself.”

  “I am hungry. Balen would only stop for bathroom breaks and snacks,” I admitted. “Thank you, Hannah.”


  Hannah kissed me on the cheeks then straightened abruptly, her gaze turning toward the window. “God, I must be really tired. I’m hearing things. I’ll be right back. I just need to check something.”

  “Do you need some help?” I asked. Not that I could help a Scar.

  Hannah opened the side door. “No. No. Just relax. Sometimes when I’m overtired, I have trouble blocking sounds out. I’ll just check it out.”

  I helped myself to more tea and decided I’d get started on making something to eat for me and Balen.

  I found the frying pan in the drawer beneath the stainless-steel stove and grabbed the carton of eggs out of the refrigerator. I was about to place them on the counter when a loud crash next to me sent the eggs flying and I stumbled backward into the barstools. The window above the sink shattered, sending shards of glass everywhere.

  Something flew through the air and landed under the stool and began leaking green smoke. What the hell? I coughed and gagged at the smell and quickly covered my nose and mouth as the pungent smell filled the room in a dense cloud.

  I stumbled from the kitchen and plowed into a hard chest. “Balen what is . . .” I looked up and saw the man was wearing a balaclava and holding a knife.

  I spun around to run in the other direction when a hand locked on my arm and yanked me back. I slammed my elbow into his stomach and the guy grunted then hitched my arm up behind my back until I cried out.

  “Got one,” the man said.

  I screamed as he jerked up harder on my arm and I fell to my knees. I struggle against his hold, but he flipped me onto my back, straddled me and wrapped his hand around my neck, crushing my windpipe. I pulled and pried at his fingers, my lungs screaming for air.

  Then I saw it. A needle. He bit off the cap and thrust it toward my neck.

  I kicked my legs as I felt the pinprick.

  Suddenly, he was thrown off me and fell beside me; a knife plunged into the side of his neck. He made this strange gurgling noise as blood spewed from his mouth before his eyes went dead.

  “Oh, my God.” I scrambled to my hands and knees, trying to get away, when someone grabbed my elbow and jerked me to my feet.

  “No. Let me go!” I clutched the doorframe.

  His fingers dug into both my shoulders and he gave me a vicious shake. “For fuck’s sake. Stop being a bitch and stop fighting me,” the man said in a deep graveled tone. He knocked my hand away from the frame, lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

  “No,” I screamed. “Put me down.” I pounded my fists into his back, but it had no effect as he ran out the front door.

  “Shut the fuck up before I shut you up for good.”

  I stilled.

  He darted across the yard then down the side of a steep hill into a wooded area. He skidded to a stop, threw me off his shoulder and I landed on my butt in the snow. I scuttled to my feet and was about to run back toward the house when his words stopped me.

  “Run and I’ll kill you.”

  I looked up when I heard a click.

  The guy pointed a gun at me and he was staring at me like he’d pull the trigger if I even considered moving. He had to be over six-foot-two with jet black eyes and severe features. There was no forgiveness in this man’s expression and I had no doubt he’d shoot me if I pissed him off.

  He strode over to a large rock in the side of the hill and pressed something on the rough surface. My breath hitched as a door creaked open. “Inside,” he said.

  My chest tightened as I stared at the small darkened door. No way in hell was I going in there. I’d take my chances with pissing him off.

  He dove for me before I even made a step in the opposite direction. “Don’t. Even. Try it.” He grabbed my arm and shoved me ahead of him into the cave. The door rumbled and slid closed behind us and I tried to scream but my throat was so tight I wheezed. He pushed me forward and I stumbled into the wall, palms scrapping against the harsh surface.

  “Move,” he said.

  I couldn’t. My limbs refused to function.

  Dampness. Water dripping, echoing. The musty scent. Damn it, why wouldn’t this shit go away? I struggled to block it out, fight the panic that encroached.

  Suddenly, my feet left the ground and I was picked up and thrown over his shoulder again.

  After a few minutes, he stopped, dumped me on my ass again and strode away. Darkness turned into a flickering soft haze as he lit several large white candles, which were perched on a ledge. We were in a small clearing inside the cave.

  “Are you fuckin’ stupid?”

  I jerked at his abrupt harsh tone. “What?” For a split second, my anger lessened the panic trolling my insides.

  “If you had any fuckin’ sense, you would’ve pulled that knife from your back pocket and killed that guy. What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Who are—”

  “Shut up so I can think.”

  “I can’t be separated from—”

  “Balen. I know. You’re Bonded.” He strode toward me and I noticed the stark black tattoo on the back of his hand, a hand that was holding the gun.

  “Who are you? What do you want with me?”

  He grunted. “I want you not to be so fuckin’ stupid next time. And the name’s Kilter.” He saw my surprised expression and laughed. It was a mean laugh and I didn’t like it at all.

  Hannah had said this Kilter guy could cook—what? Humans?

  The candlelight flickered and I glimpsed a scar that ran across his face, long and jagged from his brow down to the lobe of his right ear. His eyes flashed a look of humor at my perusal of his disfigurement.

  “A gift from an old friend. He’s dead.” His long, lean legs moved with precision as he walked to the tunnel we’d just come from. “Don’t fuckin’ move.”

  He was leaving? Relief and panic played tug-of-war with my mind. I watched the candlelight dance on the walls of the cave, struggling to fight the flashbacks of the cages. I squeezed my eyes closed, and a flash of me lying on a steel table, long dagger-like fingernails trailing down my chest.

  Chains tied me down. I was so cold. Shivering constantly. Then I saw him. Ryszard hovering over me, his fangs dripping with blood.

  I screamed at the memory . . . at Ryszard. He wasn’t going to win.

  I jolted as something hard smacked me on the cheek. “Woman, open your eyes and look at me.”

  I opened my eyes and stared into Kilter’s furious expression. My cheek burned and his bruising fingers dug into my shoulders. I pushed his hands off me then used the wall for support as I climbed to my feet. “I have to find Balen.”

  “Sit the fuck down. We’ll wait until the fight is over,” Kilter said as he pushed me back down on my butt again.

  “Fight?”

  “Are you deaf?”

  Was it the Wraiths? Had they found us? They’ll take Balen.

  “No, it’s not the Wraiths. If it was, you’d be dead by now and Balen in Rest.”

  He was reading my thoughts. I felt him lurking, like a cement weight dragging across my mind. “Stop it. It hurts,” I said and put my hands to my head.

  “Do I look like I care?”

  No, he looked like he didn’t care about anything or anyone.

  “You’re right about that. And I don’t give a shit about you.” He shrugged. “But I protect the Talde, and if that means protecting you, then so be it. But don’t think I won’t kill you if you risk the lives of the others. I’d hand you over to the Wraiths on a silver platter if I had to. And baby, I’d sleep just fine.”

  I swiftly inhaled as footsteps charged down the tunnel. I tensed, but when I looked at Kilter, he was completely relaxed, leaning up against the cave wall, arms and ankles crossed.

  Two men came into the clearing; one had short, blond hair curled at the tips, and eyes a pale green. The other was taller and the complete opposite, dark with spiked hair and tattoos all over the backs of his hands. He was first to step forward.

  He frowned
at Kilter and gestured to the gun. “You scaring the crap out of her? You’re such an ass.” He walked over and extended his hand. “I’m Sandor and that is Derek.”

  “Balen?”

  “He’s fine.” He smiled. “He told Kilter to get you out of there. Asshole here was closest to you. Sorry you had to put up with his shit.”

  Kilter shrugged then shoved passed Derek and disappeared down the tunnel.

  “Is he always like that?”

  “You mean a total dick?” He guided me toward the tunnel, his hand casually on the small of my back. “Yeah. It takes a few decades before you get used to him.”

  As soon as I walked out of the tunnel and the wind hit my skin, the anxiety eased. I took several deep breaths and the tingling in my limbs slowly disappeared. I didn’t wait for Sandor or Derek as I took off for the house. I pushed open the door, and ran for the guest bedroom, slamming into Balen so hard we crashed to the floor.

  “Danni,” Balen said then chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. “You good?”

  God, he sounded like what just happened wasn’t a big deal. Shit, it probably wasn’t—to him. To me, this was scary as hell.

  I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him toward me then kissed him. His groan vibrated against my mouth and then his hand was in my hair and the other under my shirt at the small of my back, holding me tight to him.

  I pulled back, breathing hard, my insides quaking with a mixture of desire and fear and uncertainty at what the hell was happening.

  “Are you going to kiss me like that every time we get attacked? Because that’s hot, babe.” He tweaked my chin with his thumb and kissed my temple.

  “I thought you were . . . I mean, Kilter took me . . . I was scared out of my mind and . . .” I paused and took a breath.

  We were running for our lives away from some spirit things. We were Bonded by a spell, and we’d just been attacked by guys with needles. “Don’t you ever die on me.”

  He ran his finger down the side of my face. “I’ll try not to, little one.”

  I WALKED INTO THE kitchen an hour later while Balen talked on his phone in the living room. Hannah sat on the kitchen counter with Ryker standing between her legs, kissing her. I cleared my throat and they took their time separating. Well, Ryker did, and Hannah was beet red by the time he stepped back, but her eyes were smoldering with desire.