Evans, Gabrielle - Shades of Black [Fatefully Yours 5] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever ManLove) (17 page)

Chapter Thirteen

The storm didn’t blow out by the end of the morning, or even the next night, and Echo had a strong suspicion the new moon would find them right there in the middle of the cave. He didn’t know what would come, didn’t know how they would fight it, but at least they were together and relatively safe for the moment.

Still, they had done nothing to prepare for Syx’s task. Echo didn’t even know how to begin to help the man either. When he replayed his time with the Oracle, he clearly remembered the darkening sky, but he didn’t think the sun could literally fall. How would they fight against that?

“I can’t help you,” Echo whispered to Syx, finally admitting defeat. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t know how. Your gift is not like the others. I can make it stronger like I did with Jet, but I don’t see how that will make any difference when the new moon comes.”

Syx’s arm wound around his shoulder, and he brushed his lips over Echo’s cheek. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. I think I’m on my own with this one, but that’s okay. There’s a reason for it. I just have to figure out what that reason is.”

His lover’s new, optimistic attitude confused the hell out of Echo. “Why are you so confident all of the sudden?”

“Because I’ve been thinking.”

Echo smirked. Of course he had. Syx was always thinking. That big, beautiful brain of his never slept, not even in sleep. Echo couldn’t count the number of times he’d laid awake and listened to Syx mumbling in his sleep.

“Well, are you going to tell us?” Myst questioned as he plopped down beside them.

“I think it’s better if I don’t,” Syx replied. “Just know that I have a plan and I’m not afraid. We can win this.”

“We trust you,” Vapre offered. “If you say we’re golden, then that’s good enough for me.”

Well, goody gumdrops for Vapre. It was nowhere near enough for Echo. “I need to know,” he demanded. “Maybe I can help.”

Syx chuckled and kissed his lips. “You can’t, baby, not this time. I’m not going to fail you again, though. Just trust me.”

“I do trust you, I just don’t like surprises. I’d rather be prepared.” Echo huffed and drew in the dirt between his legs with his index finger. “Just tell me if I can do something, okay?”

“I promise.”

“Can you just give me a little hint?” Echo looked up at Syx with his best puppy dog eyes. They almost always worked, especially when he slid his bottom lip out and made it tremble like he was now.

Syx didn’t go for it this time, though. He laughed harder and shook his head. “You’re adorable, but it won’t work this time. I’m doing this for your own good.” He released Echo’s shoulders and pushed to his feet. “Behave yourself.” Then he winked and sauntered to the other side of the cave where Craze, Hex, and Fiero were sitting together.

“I bet you money that Hex knows what the hell is going on.”

Myst nodded his agreement. “Yeah, and Craze, too. They’re planning something, and the best we can do is trust them. Hex and Syx would never do anything to put us in danger. Craze, well, I can’t say for sure, but I don’t think he would, either.”

Craze’s attitude had seemed to take a complete one-eighty after their first night together in the cave. Echo still caught him watching the warriors from time to time, though. He didn’t know how he felt about the guy, and until he figured it out, he didn’t trust him. “If you say so,” he mumbled. “I just wish I could help like I did with Fiero and Vapre.”

“You never did tell us about the dream you had before you sent us off after Hex.” Vapre moved closer and bumped his shoulder against Echo’s. “So, spill it.”

Echo knew his lover was only trying to distract him from his thoughts, but he was grateful and grabbed onto the topic. He outlined the dream, the dream within a dream, and the words the Oracle had spoken to him. “She said Syx’s test would be one of endurance. That a warrior does not always fight with a shield and sword. I just don’t really know what that means.”

Vapre thought it over for a while, his eyebrows scrunched together and his brow creased. “I might have an idea, but nothing really concrete. I wish I knew what he was fighting. I mean the sun can’t really fall from the sky.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” Echo sighed and pushed his dirty hair over his shoulder. “I’d kill for a shower right now.”

“Same here,” Onyx agreed as he scrubbed both hands over his face. “A hot shower, some good sex, a warm bed, and I could sleep for a week.”

“Believe me,” Echo said shrewdly, “it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

* * * *

“It’s almost sunset,” Syx announced the next evening. “No matter what happens, I need you to all stay calm, okay?” He and Craze had put their heads together, and though it rubbed him the wrong way to accept the man’s help, he couldn’t deny that Craze had some damn good ideas.

“Tell me what’s going to happen,” Echo demanded. He’d been more and more vocal over the last few hours, and Syx knew his little mate was terrified.

“The lights are going to go out, baby.” There was no point in keeping it from him any longer. In about ten minutes, Echo would find out for himself. It was better if he began preparing for it now.

“But what about the fire?”

“I don’t think we can count on that, sweetheart. Just remember that we’re all here, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure we get home as soon as possible.”

“You’re not going to do anything stupid, right?”

“Define stupid.” Syx laughed when Echo glared at him. “No, I won’t do anything stupid. Just stick close to the others and try to keep your mind calm.” Syx met each of his lovers’ eyes as he went around the group. “That goes for all of you. I need to concentrate, and you have no idea how difficult that is when I have eight different voices yelling inside my head.”

“We’ll do our best,” Onyx swore immediately. “I might have an idea of how to help with that.”

Syx read the plan inside Onyx’s head and smiled in appreciation. “Perfect. Hold on to that until we need it, okay?”

All at once, the wind outside the cave stopped, just stopped, and Syx took a deep breath. “Here we go.” He’d no more gotten the words out of his mouth when the entire cave was plunged into total darkness.

Echo didn’t exactly scream, but his yelp pierced Syx’s eardrums just the same. “I’m blind!”

“No,” Syx said, trying to soothe his mate. “You’re not blind. Whatever we’re facing is consuming all the light. That’s all, baby. I promise.” Syx paused for a moment and sighed. “Onyx.”

“On it,” Onyx answered from somewhere in the darkness.

Syx could still feel the warmth from the fire, but he couldn’t see it. Hell, he couldn’t even see his hand right in front of his face. He waved it back and forth a few times and ended up whacking himself in the nose before he gave up on it. He knew if he turned left and walked straight ahead, he’d reach the mouth of the cave, but when he looked in the direction, he could see nothing but black.

It wasn’t even varying degrees of darkness, no shadows or vague shapes. It was just a complete and utter void of any light. “Craze,” he called calmly.

“Right here,” Craze answered from his right. A body bumped against his shoulder, and Syx nodded, though no one could see him.

Slipping into Echo’s mind to make sure his mate was calm and occupied, Syx bit his lip to keep from laughing. Echo’s entire world revolved around the lips working up and down his cock, the hands roaming his body, the mouth sucking on his tongue, and the fingers sliding in and out of his hole. Onyx had the perfect plan to keep them all happy, and the other warriors were jumping right in to do their part.

Yes, what a sacrifice
, Syx thought to himself with an indulgent shake of his head. “Let’s go.” Moving slowly, he led them to the opposite wall away from his lovers and followed it further into the cave toward the doorway he’d found before they’d been trapped. “Can you see anything?”

“Not really. I can see your outline, but that’s about it. Whatever this is, it’s really powerful. I’ve been trying to lift the shadows since it started.”

Syx knew it had been a long shot, but with Craze’s ability to manipulate light, he’d hoped the Addonexus could have helped more. Still, if things worked out the way they planned it, he’d be forever in debt to the guy—which kind of pissed him off. Still, he’d take whatever help he could get if it meant saving the men he loved.

“I feel it,” Craze whispered. “Can you feel that?”

“We’re close.” Syx hadn’t shared his dream with anyone but Craze and Hex. He hadn’t wanted to worry his men any more than they already were. He’d known the minute they’d rushed into the cave during the storm that this would be where he faced down his enemy. His conversation with the Oracle only strengthened his conviction.

He felt the coldness push against him and ebb, like the beating of a heart. It crawled over his skin and seeped into his bones, causing him to shiver as he inched further along the wall.

“Do you really think it’s Erebus?” Craze sounded uneasy.

“A trial from the Underworld that can fill every nook and cranny with darkness,” Syx mumbled. “What else do you think it could be?”

“Man, Erebus is a god, though.”

“Yes, a god from the Underworld.”

“I don’t like this.”

“We talked about this. As much as it makes me want to vomit to admit it, I need your help. Don’t flake out on me now, fucker!”

“Okay, okay, but damn! I really don’t like this, Syx. I’m strong, but I don’t know if I’m strong enough to take on a freakin’ god.”

“That’s why we’re doing this together.” Syx growled at having to explain the plan yet again. “Just do what we talked about, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

When Syx’s hand encountered the upward curve of the archway, he took a deep breath to steel his courage and stepped through it with Craze right at his back. He didn’t venture any further inside, for he could already feel the presence of the man they sought. Though the Greeks had believed Erebus to be only a personification of darkness, the god was very much real, and very much a physical being. Syx had only encountered him once in the Underworld, and he hoped this would be their last meeting.

“Erebus,” he said with much more calm than he felt. “Why have you come?”

He didn’t receive an answer, but he hadn’t expected one. Dropping his shields, he probed into the darkness, searching out the swirling thought waves of the god. It didn’t take much effort to find them directly in front of him, maybe only eight feet away at the most. Syx resisted the urge to take a step in retreat.

“Can you see?” he whispered.

“Can I lie and say no?”

Syx didn’t waste his energy on a response. Gathering all of his strength, he pushed out with his mind, boring his way into the god’s thoughts like a drill. It was like being plunged into a pit of snakes then doused in ice water.

With a shiver, Syx continued to prod, forcing his way further into Erebus’s mind, searching out the meaning of his appearance in the cave. It wasn’t an easy task. Erebus pushed back at him, repelling Syx’s power and forcing his own suggestions into Syx’s head.

Murder, fire, screaming children, plague—over and over the images whirled inside Syx’s brain. His muscles began to quiver, his legs shaking to the point he thought he’d fall to the ground, but he didn’t stop.

Back and forth they struggled, a constant game of tug-of-war, each vying for dominance. Syx didn’t know how long it went on. It could have been minutes or maybe even hours, but eventually he locked into Erebus’s mind and kept a firm hold.

“Now,” he whispered.

With Erebus focused on Syx, Craze took a tentative step forward and cast out his own power, tossing a mental net over Erebus and neutralizing his own elemental powers. That finally got a reaction from the irate god.