Eternal Pleasure (25 page)

Ty wasn’t surprised that Nine could read his thoughts. He made a concentrated effort not to think about anything Nine could use.

Thadeus came into Ty’s line of vision. He was tracing a large circle that would take up most of the arena floor. “As you can see, my sorcerer is casting a circle. Once he closes it, neither of you will be able to escape.”

Crap. Ty was now a believer. He had no doubt Nine could deliver on his boasts.

Nine watched Thadeus do his thing. Then he nodded. “I’ll leave you now. And you have my sincere gratitude for making all this possible.” He walked away.

Fin
. Ty’s last shot. Taking the chance that Nine wasn’t in his head right now, he tried to open his mental link. Nothing. Nine had closed all doors, physical and mental. Ty was out of ideas. Now all he could do was survive. For Kelly.

In those last few minutes, with his memories intact, he thought of Kelly. Would the others get to her in time? He had to believe they’d both come out the other side of this alive.

Ty watched Nine step outside the circle. And as Thadeus closed it, Ty felt all that made him human slipping away. His last link with humanity had Kelly’s name attached, and then it too was gone.

Kelly watched the scene unfold with numbing fear. She was a spectator at a tragedy she couldn’t stop. As soon as Nine had come out of the tunnel with Ty and another member of the Eleven, she’d realized he had them under his control. What had he done to them?

Fury and a fierce protectiveness tightened her chest. She’d been known to help spiders out of tubs, but right now she’d kill Nine without one regret. Despair tugged at her. She didn’t have the power to kill Nine. No one did. But she could have stopped him, if only she’d had her flute with her.

Who was the guy with Ty? She took a closer look. Gig. She remembered his name along with his pale, scary eyes, but not what soul form he’d take on. She’d find out soon enough.

The crowd roared as Thadeus closed the circle. She could see the flare of the energy barrier. Too bad the sorcerer wasn’t on the inside of his little creation.

Suddenly, Nine released Ty and Gig from whatever hold he had on them. But before either man could move more than a few feet, their souls took command.

Kelly bit her lip, her heart pounding in tandem with her silent cries of
no, no, no
. She watched as the two massive dinosaurs took form in the middle of the Astrodome. Omigod. She’d thought nothing could be more intimidating than a T. rex. She’d been wrong. Gig looked a lot like Ty, only bigger and even more terrifying. Fear such as she’d never felt before left her cold and shaking. Ty couldn’t die here. It wouldn’t be fair. But fair didn’t have a lot to do with life.

Both dinosaurs roared their challenges as they flung themselves at each other. The whole building shook with the savagery of their coming together. The shouts of the mob played counterpoint to the sounds of the death battle. Blood began to flow.
Real
blood.

The flickering flames of the torches threw shadows across the dimly lit arena and the massive animals in its center. Ty came in fast on the larger, but maybe a little slower, Gig. Opening immense jaws, he sank his teeth into Gig’s neck, tearing and rending. Gig’s enraged bellow drew screams of delight from the audience.

The scent of blood made Kelly gag. She wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. God, Ty had to win. But at what cost? Nine wouldn’t let the winner live anyway.

Gig threw all his weight at Ty, and they went down in a cloud of dust. The floor vibrated beneath her.

Ty lost his grip. As they lurched to their feet, Gig struck at Ty’s side, tearing a long, bloody gash in his flesh. Blood poured from the wound onto the dirt, where it seeped into the earth. Gig raised his head, and his huge teeth dripped with Ty’s blood.

The proof of Ty’s vulnerability hardened something in Kelly.
Enough
. If her hands had been free, she would have swiped at the tears sliding down her face. She was done with tears. They wouldn’t help Ty or Gig. Frantically, she looked around. There had to be someone who could help her.

As if on cue, a voice spoke softly behind her. “Don’t turn your head. Don’t talk. Just listen.”

Seir? She opened her mouth to tell him what she thought of him, but something in his voice made her shut it again.

“Good. Wyatt looks like he isn’t in any hurry to rejoin you. So while he’s busy playing the asshole, I’m going to get you out of here. That’s what Ty wanted.”

She felt him working at her ankles and wrists as the thuds of huge bodies colliding and the shouts of the crowd battered at her. At last she was free. Taking a deep breath, she tried to think. Oh, God, she couldn’t focus. But she had to come up with something before one of the combatants died.

Both Ty and Gig looked unsteady on their feet, but still they fought on. Even as she watched, Ty gouged flesh from Gig’s flank right before Gig swung his lethal tail, hurling Ty to the ground. She held her breath until Ty got to his feet again. They left a trail of blood as they battled across the Astrodome.

“I don’t know what you’re planning,” Seir whispered, “but forget it. Ty’s friends plus Jude’s and Macario’s people are outside ready to storm this place as soon as you’re safe.”

Kelly still wasn’t sure whose side Seir was on, but he’d freed her, so she’d give him the benefit of the doubt. “Do you really think anyone outside will be able to get in? You’ve seen what that immortal dirtbag can do. If Fin can protect his condo from attacks by Nine, then I bet Nine can do the same thing. I bet he’d added extra juice to the sorcerer’s wards. Have you tried to reach anyone on your cell phone?”

“Yeah. Nothing.”

They were both silent for a few seconds, the screams of the mob’s bloodlust and the roars of the two crazed predators a Greek chorus for their thoughts. Kelly stared unblinkingly at the two animals trying to destroy each other.
At Ty slowly dying
. “I can’t see his humanity.”

“What?”

“Always before I could see Ty’s human form at the heart of his beast. He’s not there this time.” Kelly felt tears slide down her face. “I won’t leave, Seir. You try to get out and tell everyone we need them
now
.” Before it was too late for Ty and Gig.

Seir’s deep exhalation had all his frustration with her stubbornness packed into it. “You can’t help him.”

If only she had her flute she could…Wait. Fin had said it was the
melody
that would send Nine back to where he came from. Sure, he’d seen her playing it on a flute in his vision, but it was the actual tune that had the power.

Okay, it was grasping-at-straws time. She didn’t have the flute, but the melody was carved into her mind and soul. Every time she closed her eyes she heard it, every note perfect.

Fin had said he’d seen the future, but the future wasn’t immutable. People had free will; they could change the future. So why did she have to play her brain music on the flute?

She took a deep breath. Inside the circle, Ty and Gig continued to circle and strike, searching for that moment of weakness when they could move in for the killing blow. Covered in blood and physically overmatched by his larger enemy, Ty refused to give up. He had huge gashes and bites over most of his body, but at least nothing seemed broken. Again and again Gig knocked him to the ground. Again and again he rose from the clouds of dust. Gig’s growing exhaustion was the only thing saving Ty. But he wouldn’t last much longer.

“I’m going to try something. Can you protect me for even a few minutes?” Kelly didn’t have much hope that Seir could. Nine’s power would probably trump everyone’s except Fin’s. Sure, Nine couldn’t kill her directly, but he had a few thousand true believers ready and willing to do it for him.

Seir surprised her by not arguing. “What do you want?”

“Pick up the hand mike that Nine left on the floor. Make sure it’s turned on and then hand it to me. After that, do whatever you can to protect me.” She paused. “And if you can’t, thanks for trying.”

“You’ll have all the time you need.” He sounded sure of that.

She swallowed hard, trying to relax her throat muscles. Oh, what the hell. She gave up and nodded to Seir. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ty go down again. She willed him to his feet. Struggling to rise, he finally righted himself, but soon he wouldn’t get up again. Hurry, she had to
hurry
.

Seir grabbed the mike and passed it to her. Standing, Kelly blocked out the horror taking place inside the circle. Then she sang. As the first notes filled the stadium, the audience fell silent. All faces turned toward her even as Gig swung his massive tail once again, catching Ty a blow that staggered him.

At first, Nine just looked startled, and then dawning realization twisted his face into something grotesque. “You bitch!” His scream reached her across the space between them. “Kill her.” Nine’s order fell on deaf ears because his followers seemed frozen in place as they stared at her.

What the…Kelly shot Seir a quick glance. Was he powerful enough to control thousands of nonhumans? But she didn’t have time to think about Seir now. She sang on, her voice perfectly pitched, the melody true and clear.

“No!” Nine started to shimmer as he thrust his arms out in front of him. A blast of power vibrated and pulsed before smashing into some of the speakers. The speakers vaporized.

Oh, shit. If he couldn’t hear her voice, this wouldn’t work.

“Don’t worry, I have it covered.” Seir’s quiet confidence eased her panic.

Seir didn’t move, but the next blast that Nine aimed at the remaining speakers hit whatever shield the demon had thrown up. Brilliant flashes of diffused energy sparkled and hissed against the invisible wall Seir had erected.

She sang on, her voice soaring as she neared the end. Kelly refused to look at what was happening to Ty and Gig. She couldn’t take the chance that what she saw might stop her song. Only the melody mattered.

The shimmer around Nine grew as he flung blast after blast at the speakers and then at Seir. The walls of the Astrodome threatened to cave as each blast shook them. Seir stood strong. Whatever that shield was, he should patent it.

In final desperation, Nine clapped his hands over his ears. Too late, much too late.

And as she sang the last notes of her melody, her eyes
widened. The crowd sat paralyzed as they watched. Even Ty and Gig were silent. She was afraid to think what that might mean.

Nine began to disintegrate into glowing particles from his feet up.

“No! I was promised more time. I’m not ready to go back. I waited and waited and—” His screams were cut off as his head became just so many glowing bits. Then the bits coalesced into one whirling ball of light and winked out.

For a moment after her song ended, none of the thousands in the audience made a sound. Trying to hold panic at bay, Kelly turned to look at Ty. She was just in time to see both men’s human forms return. Ty’s hair was matted with sweat and blood, and it seemed that every inch of skin exposed by his torn clothes was cut. Wiping blood from his face, he staggered toward her. Gig didn’t look much better. But both men were alive.
Alive
.

Almost sobbing with relief, Kelly started forward. Seir put his hand on her arm. “Wait.” She watched him walk across to the sorcerer. She didn’t have any trouble interpreting the expression on Thadeus’s face. Terror. A moment later, he did something to the circle. Seir returned to her, dragging the sorcerer with him.

“Okay, Ty and Gig can get out of the circle now. I’d wait here for them to come to you.” He glanced around at the audience as an angry buzz rose, growing louder with each second. “I think they’re a little ticked at having their fun spoiled.”

Frantic, Kelly searched the crowd. “Ty. Where is he?”

“Here.” Ty was suddenly beside her. His voice sounded exhausted but relieved.

And inexplicably, she was furious at him. “Don’t ever, ever scare me like that again.” Then she wrapped her arms around him, drew his head down to hers, and kissed him.

Covered in blood and sweat, he was still the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. His kiss was hot, crazy, and primal. And it didn’t matter at all that the mob was working itself into a killing rage.

Seir interrupted. “As touching as this reunion is, we’d better get out of here fast. In a few seconds, everyone’s going to realize their great leader is gone for good, and then they’ll be looking around for someone to eat.”

Dragging a frightened Thadeus along with him, Seir led the charge toward the exit. Behind them, a howl of fury from the audience suggested they’d gotten out of Dodge just in time.

“Damn, that was incredible.” A limping Gig was grinning as they finally reached the door.

“Get rid of the wards, sorcerer.” Seir’s voice held the promise of death.

His hands shaking, Thadeus did what he was asked. “Please, don’t kill me. It wasn’t my idea. He forced me. Don’t kill me, don’t kill me, don’t—”

With a disgusted grunt, Seir shoved Thadeus back down the tunnel. The sorcerer recovered his footing and ran into the Astrodome again.

Kelly had her arms around Ty, trying to keep him upright as they reached the SUV. She glanced back to see Jude and some of his vampires standing near the entrance, waiting for whoever came out. That’s when she realized Seir was gone. He’d just disappeared. But she didn’t have time to worry about him.

She was ready to get into the driver’s seat when she realized it was already occupied. Fin grinned at her. Gig got
into the passenger side. Kelly and Ty scrambled into the rear seat. Q sat beside them, while Al and Lio crowded into the very back of the vehicle. Then Fin backed the SUV up.

Fin put lots of space between the car and the Astrodome before stopping. Kelly watched as his gaze grew distant. After a few seconds, Jude’s vampires and Macario’s wolves erupted from every side of the building as they raced from the stadium.

“You said something to them, didn’t you?” See, she was learning. “What did you say?”

Fin’s gaze remained fixed on the Astrodome. Suddenly, a giant crack opened under the building. As she watched, horrified, the crack widened and widened and widened until with a thunderous boom that shook the ground and rocked the SUV, the whole Astrodome imploded. Disbelieving, she watched as the remains of one of Houston’s landmarks sank into the gigantic hole and disappeared. Then the hole closed.