Embrace the Desire (22 page)

The memory blurred as the blood transformation completed itself and heat gripped Payne's insides. He had to let her have the blood back and he crawled back to the bed. Payne grimaced as his skin contacted hers; she was as cold as ice.

• • •

Damon stood from his throne of bones as he felt Payne become weakened. He gritted his teeth and went to the cauldron of flame. He waved his hand over it and Payne's image appeared as he kissed Chanta. Damon's lips tightened over his teeth and his eyes narrowed; he couldn't have him falling in love with her.

Damon's hand flew to his bare chest, to the spot where his heart should have been.

Love! Of all things Payne was finding, it fucking had to be love! It was the one emotion that Damon could not touch or twist to his needs.

The image blurred and Damon waved his hand over it again trying to keep it from fading. He raged as it shimmered and disappeared.

Flames and snakes poured from his mouth and fingers. He turned to the witches who were showering him with sacrifices and their bodies twisted in agony as he curled his fingers into a fist. Their screams were pure pleasure to his ears and the snakes hissed and swayed to the music of their cries.

Someone would pay dearly for this. With a roar, he sent his snakes out from his body and watched with a snarl on his black lips as they strangled the witches in his throne room. Their pitiful cries of pleading went to his ears, sent shivers of pleasure down his spine.

He had once intended on bringing Chanta to the Underworld and now it seemed he couldn't lay a finger on her. When he took Bastilla, he had placed Chanta's face over hers and had found the only real pleasure he had ever felt. Chanta was going to be his queen, his lover, his new wife, and his mistress! But those things had changed. Now she would carry his child. A child that would have no part of the Underworld, no part of the torments and tortures of Damon's life. Her name was a soft whisper in his mind. In his entire life, she had been the only woman that had offered him a real challenge. He could have feasted on her pain and misery for the remainder of his lifetime.

He could still taste her and had kept her hair in the satin bag that hung from his belt. He pulled it out and brought it to his nose. She smelled like honey and he ran his tongue over the light blonde curls.

But now, he had to settle for what she could give him, what she could do for his unborn child. His son, his prize, had taken what should have been his. His soul was in a rage, his temper escalating beyond reasons that he couldn't understand.

Damon's insides trembled, his guts twisting into knots. His hand grasped at his chest, his claws digging into his flesh until black blood poured over his knuckles and dripped onto the floor. Something inside of his chest broke, snapped into tiny pieces.

Falling to his knees, he watched as the snakes dragged the dead bodies of the witches into the flame of the Underworld. Their souls cried out in agony as Damon shimmered and vanished. His cold laughter echoed in the Underworld and the demons cowered under its ferocity.

Chanta was twisting and jerking in her unconsciousness as Payne pulled himself onto the bed. Every muscle in his body felt like it was frozen, his teeth chattering. His strength was fading as he pulled her closer and dragged his fingernails over his heart. Blood oozed from the wound and he placed her lips over the deep gash.

Payne wanted to scream as her body seized and jerked again. He knew it was time, but she wasn't taking his blood. His hand began to shake, his heart pounding in his chest. An ache developed inside his heart, his mind. What if she didn't survive this?

His stomach jerked as her thoughts spilled into his mind. Part of her wanted to let go, wanted no part of the life that was waiting for her as an immortal. But he could sense the part of her that wanted to survive. All he had to do was find a way to reach her.

“Chanta.” Her name was a pathetic plea from his lips, but he didn't care. “You must survive. For the love of the gods, take my blood.”

A scream ripped from her throat. Her body jerked again, her fingernails extending. Without warning, her eyes flew open, a white glow so bright Payne winced. Her fangs elongated as she inhaled and turned her face toward his chest.

“That's it. Take it.” Payne urged her harder, pulling her closer hoping that the scent of his blood would push her on over. “Don't die on me. Please, do it for me. Survive for me.”

Immediately, she responded and grabbed his shoulders as she bit into the wound and sucked. Payne's eyes rolled back into his head as her lips created a powerful lust-filled sensation. He became all too aware of how much she wanted him and if he had been able, he would have taken her as she fed from him. He groaned as her hand slid down his chest and went to his erection. His pants came undone and his zipper went down as her hand slid in and found his tender flesh.

Her name rolled off his tongue as she stroked him, “Chanta . . . ”

Her mouth released him and she licked her lips as she slid down his body. Payne's eyes flew open as her mouth covered the head of his erection and his hands flew to her face. She sucked on him and he groaned with pleasure as her hands slid his pants off.

Payne's heart thundered, his body so alive and pumped up that even the soft brush of her hair against his skin made his erection jump. He had never wanted a woman like this, had never felt this overwhelming need to have sex. Even after the horrors and depravity that he had been subjected to in his youth, he wanted this.

His thoughts melded with hers and they became one, needing and wanting. Visions of him poised over her arching body, his erection buried to the hilt inside of her brought out a growl of pleasure from his throat. Her naked flesh rubbing against his, tiny beads of his sweat dripping onto her pearled nipples, and her hot breath whispering on his skin was too much to bear, too much to resist. He cursed as her face blurred and his eyes closed.

Not now! Let me enjoy this!

• • •

Varick settled on the roof of Chanta's apartment. The clouds overhead rolled in silence as the moonlight cascaded down. He waited and watched through the shadows from his perch. His mind drifted, the night reminding him of his mate, Angelica.

The sound of crunching leaves brought him out of his thoughts. In a wisp of smoke, Charon appeared, his black robes fluttering in the light wind. Varick nodded as Charon pointed down.

“One of the books is in Chanta's apartment.” Varick searched Charon's face for any sign of emotion. “She is mine sister. No harm is to come to her.”

Charon bowed slightly. “Do you wish to make a bargain with me?”

“No.” Purple sparks jumped from Varick's fingers. “I will protect her with my life.”

“Of that, I am certain you will. Fear not Varick, I will cause her no harm on this night.” Charon looked up at the moon. “But I cannot promise others will not.”

Varick nodded. “Is it true?”

“Truth is deceiving, no matter the subject.” Charon laughed. “I assume you are asking about Jaiden.”

“Is he alive?” Varick stepped onto the ledge of the building. “Is he seeking revenge against Isten?”

“Why don't you ask him yourself?”

“I'm asking you.”

Charon's face switched from human to skeleton. “I have lived countless ages. I have served the gods before me with unwavering devotion. I have given up family, home, soul, and even my free will for the sake of the hierarchy because someone had to do so. Someone had to make sure the balance remained.”

“Is Jaiden gunning for Isten or not? It's a pretty damn simple question.” Varick spun around and stepped off the ledge taking two steps to Charon. “And does Jaiden plan on destroying this world that Isten created?”

Charon laughed, his body slithering away into ribbons of smoke. “Only time will tell that tale.”

Varick spun around as the sound of dead crunching leaves echoed in the night air. The clouds darkened hiding the moon's light. With stubborn pride, Varick launched into the air, his body shifting into dragon form. With a roar, he rose above the clouds and circled Chanta's apartment.

His job was to protect his sister and Payne, not worry about the fate of the universe. But he couldn't fight the need to know and the curiosity of Jaiden and those damn books.

“Awaken Chanta!”

Chanta bolted upright in her bed as the sound of misery wailed around her. At first, she thought she was dreaming; then she thought she had died and gone to hell.

In front of her bed stood the grim reaper of nightmares, his bony fingers wrapped around a scythe of bone and blood. Her bed was completely surrounded by darkness except for the eerie red haze that radiated out of the reaper's eyes. When he spoke, she cringed, his voice sending the misery of millions of souls careening around her bed. Like ghosts, images swirled around her running their fingers along her skin.

“There is a choice to be made on this night of agony. A choice that will lead to destruction or salvation.” He pointed the scythe toward the right side of her bed and Payne's frozen body appeared as if reaching for her. “Some say that pain is the harbinger of vengeance. Some say it's the one thing in this universe that will condemn all species.”

She tried to scoot up in the bed, but found she was immobile, her voice lodging in her throat. The reaper laughed as her fear came crawling up her throat. He waved the scythe through the air and pointed to the bottom of her bed. Her eyes latched onto the book that appeared, her mother's book. Opening his bony hand, a glowing ball of light appeared hovering an inch above his palm. Inside, she could make out the silhouette of a fetus.

“There is a war coming. The Heavens above and the hells below are rising against one another and all that you have ever known and loved will be destroyed.” Chanta tried to scream, but the reaper shook his head. “Payne will die and Damon will arise from the Underworld and lay havoc to this world. Gyth will fall and the Heavens will descend upon the world of man. Would you change the future of this condemned world if you could? Would you save those children you are so fond of?”

Her head became mobile and she nodded slowly.

“The Apocalypse is upon this realm. And the decision is yours to make.” His voice swirled, winds whipping about the dark room like razor blades. Her skin burned as sulfuric black smoke rolled from Charon's mouth and nose. “The destruction this night will be on your head.”

He held out his hand, the fetus glowing brighter. The sound of crunching leaves screamed in her mind and the wail of the unborn child wrapped around every one of her nerve endings.

“This fetus is Payne's brother. If you don't accept him into your body and raise him as your own, he will never exist. But be warned, he is Damon's son.” The fetus disappeared as the reaper pointed back to Payne. “In two days, Payne will die giving his life for yours, but it will all be in vain.”

Chanta shook her head, her voice still lost. She didn't want anyone to die.

“You'll die as well and that death will unleash Varick Ta Farg's powers of destruction and he will kill your father in his blinding pain.” Again the reaper laughed sending goose bumps along her spine. “Your mother will take the throne of the Heavens and all humanity will be condemned. But I can change those destinies for a price.” He paused, the bones of his face shimmering as muscle, blood, and skin covered them. “Speak now and ask what questions are in your mind.”

“Who are you?” She wasn't expecting much of an answer, was seriously expecting to wake up from the nightmare. “What do you want from me?”

“I am Charon, descended from Isten the same as you.” His red eyes glared at her. “I want to make a bargain with you. You have something I want.”

She had heard his legend. He was infamous ferryman of the River Styx and he had a lust for bargaining with members of the One Race and the gods. But what could she possibly have that he would want?

“What kind of bargain?” Chanta contemplated the reaper's words. “And how do you know what will and what won't happen. Destinies aren't preordained, they are made.”

“As the guardian of the Tree of Life and the Book of Creation, I know all destinies and how to change them.” He clicked his tongue. “Only humans have the right to make their own destinies.” He reached down and picked up her book. “In exchange for Payne's life as well as your own, I want this book.”

“Before I commit to a bargain with some demon I know virtually nothing about and before I can even begin to trust your words are true, I'm going to need some kind of proof or something.” Chanta snorted as Charon threw his head back and laughed. “And furthermore, even if I consider your little bargain, I may have some bargaining of my own to do for that book.”

Charon's now handsome face hardened. “Indeed.”

She nodded although her feet were itching to run. “And before anything else is said, tell me why that book is so important.”

Charon tilted his head as if he was studying her face. “It's the Book of Light, one of many books that belonged to Jaiden.”

“But why do you want it?”

“I have been commanded to gather his books and place them at the roots of the Tree of Life.” Charon grinned, almost mischievously. “I have been given free reign to do as needed to collect his books.”

“Who commanded it of you?” She narrowed her eyes. She was sure he was barely skimming the surface of the reasons.

“I'm offering to save this world from the Apocalypse, to save Payne and you, does it really matter who commanded it?”

“Do you want the book?” She tried to move her toes, but they refused to budge.

“Yes. I must have the book.”

She idly wondered why he didn't just take it. “Then here's the bargain. Payne's life and mine as well as the baby's and answer some questions truthfully in exchange for the book.”