Jewel of Darkness (5 page)

“What are you up to, Perizada?”
her mate’s voice rumbled in her head. She heard the disapproval and suspicion in his tone. She couldn’t let the fact that she really didn’t like disappointing him get in the way of keeping him safe. Lucian might be possessive and protective of her, but she was every bit as possessive and protective of him.

The intimacy of their bond tested her resolve so she answered him out loud, “Nothing you need to be concerned about.”

“Perizada,” he drew her name out in low warning.

She huffed. “Ugh, fine. I’m not up to anything. I was just thinking.”

“About?” he prompted.

“About children. I guess this” ― she motioned down the tunnel indicating the coming confrontation ― “just has me thinking about crumb catchers and having them with you. And if we have them, how many do we have? Should we have a whole herd, but then I thought no, it wouldn’t be a herd, it would be a pack. And if we had a whole pack does that mean we would become our own pack and call ourselves the Faerie Realm Pack. And then I ended back up at how many of the little dirt magnets should we have?”

Lucian’s eyes had widened gradually as she had barreled forward. She inwardly counted to herself,
three, two, one.
And there it was, the question she knew he’d ask first.

“You really want a pack of pups?”

“No, not really. But I’ve successfully gotten your mind and wolf thinking about babies and, by default, baby making. Now, let’s go before I have to come up with some other sentimental crap to distract you with.” She turned back in the direction they were headed and started forward.

Peri heard Dillon let out a low whistle. “Brother, you’ve got your hands full,” he chuckled.

“For so long my existence was bleak and dull, as though there was no color in the world. Then The Great Luna gave me Perizada. I will take her tantrums, rude comments, and idle threats to turn me into a handbag because she brought color back into my dull life. I am sure to never be bored again.”

Lucian’s words filled Peri with a warmth and security she’d never even realized she had been lacking until he’d come into her life. She knew she drove him and his wolf bat-shit crazy with worry, but he never tried to change her. Her mate accepted her as she was, and because of that, Peri was able to be vulnerable with him. Lucian was the only person that would see her crumble when it all got too heavy. He would be the only shoulder she would lean on, the only hand allowed to comfort her, and the only wolf that could make her feel safe.

Even with all of those feelings running through her, she didn’t change her plan. If she had to bind her wolf, and the others, in order to get them out of the coven, she would do it in a heartbeat. Dillon had asked why she didn’t just flash them directly to the vampires’ location. She’d pointed out that when something surprised a predator, that something often didn’t live.

Peri felt Lucian’s presence before she saw him join her from the corner of her eye. He reached over and took her hand and his love immediately enveloped her. She would realize later that his action had allowed her to keep him from charging forward when they rounded a sharp corner and stepped into a large circular room.

Peri immediately threw out her other hand and cast an invisible barrier at the same time Dillon, Dalton, and Lucian lunged forward. They bounced off of the shield, snarling, and cursing. But instead of staying away from the invisible wall, they began punching at the offending obstacle. All three males were being controlled by their beasts. The need of the dominant wolves to protect the innocent had completely benched their human halves as they took over. Peri understood their rage. She herself was fighting back the need to destroy every filthy life drainer in front of her. The red splashes across the walls and floor looked as though an artist had dipped a large brush in red paint and recklessly slung it around. There was no pattern to the stains. They were spread out all over the chamber, large and small splatters, covering every surface. Movement to her right had her eyes focusing on the beings in the room instead of the evidence of their carnage.

There were at least forty vampires, some lounging lazily looking like overstuffed cats. Others were standing rigid staring at them, their lips pulled back in snarls, with large fangs visible even from where she stood. Peri wasn’t impressed. Suddenly all of their heads turned in unison as though they were connected by an invisible string that had been tugged. Peri’s gaze followed the vampires and she watched as a man and woman stepped out of the shadows of another opening. Their skin was pale and waxy in appearance and dark circles cradled their bloodshot eyes. From the stance they took, shoulders back, chins up, haughty expressions attempting to intimidate, she guessed that these must be the leaders of the coven.

Peri had brought the wolves to this particular coven because of rumors ― whispered rumors ― in the supernatural world about these two. Apparently, these two had become aggressive in their leadership; the coven had become more and more bloodthirsty under their watch. Their hunts were getting out of control. She figured they could kill two vamps with one stone and remind them that they were far from being at the top of the supernatural food chain. In the process she could see what they knew about Volcan, if anything. Peri held their hostile stares with one of her own, and when a smirk emerged on the male’s lips, she felt her gut tighten. He looked like a cat with his paws clamped over a little bird enjoying the victory of his hunt before devouring it. It was a look she loathed on anyone’s face.

He turned and motioned for whoever was behind him to come forward and then pointed to the center of the room. As they stepped out of the shadows, obeying his silent command, Peri felt bile rise in her throat. Her heart hammered painfully in her chest, and her power surged in response to her emotions. She would have fallen to the ground had Lucian not caught her.

“No. No, no, no.” The words were breathless as she spoke as though they were being pulled out of her. She wanted to close her eyes, wishing she could un-see what was before them, but she also couldn’t look away. Peri felt the tears on her cheeks but she didn’t attempt to wipe them away. She let them fall, dedicating each one to those who had fallen victim to the monsters.

The next words were resolute. She’d like to say that it was an out of control reaction. That would be a lie. This was calm, cold, and calculated. There would be no later regrets, remorse, or second thoughts.

She didn’t speak the words out loud because she didn’t know if her voice would even work. So instead she opened the bond fully and implored her mate.
“Kill them. Rip them limb from limb and make their throat the last thing you take so that they feel the entire assault. Then rip out their fangs. The vampires have overstayed their time on earth. We are going to send a message to all of their kind. No mercy, no exceptions. They have pissed off the wrong fae.”

J
ewel knew that it was probably essential for her survival to humor Volcan, and that had been her plan, but as she stared at the wild gleam in the evil fae’s eyes, she second-guessed her decision. She took several deep breaths as she stood up from the bed. Her mind began to do what it did best and search out the facts. She tried to remember what she’d read about psychopaths and sociopaths. She remembered reading an article that explained the common misconception among most people that they were the same mental disorder. The article said that even many experts use the terms interchangeably when, in fact, there are clear differences.

A sociopath isn’t born with a mental disorder, but rather becomes unstable based upon childhood experiences ― commonly including a lack of love and nurture. A psychopath, on the other hand, actually has an underdevelopment in the area of the brain where emotions originate. Sociopaths are usually uneducated, anti-social, and poor. Meanwhile, psychopaths are often very educated, successful, and able to mimic emotions so well that they lead regular lives never arousing suspicions as to their true nature.

Jewel looked at Volcan and wondered if a fae, a supernatural being, could be a psychopath. He definitely wasn’t antisocial or uneducated, so sociopath was out. As he walked over to her, she fought the urge to step back from him. He reached up and trailed a finger down her cheek. His eyes were dancing with eagerness and his mouth was pulled up into a wicked grin.
Definitely a psychopath,
she decided.

His hand dropped from her face and landed on her shoulder. Slowly he trailed it down her arm and then moved it to her stomach. Jewel tensed. She’d never been touched by a man, well, other than Dalton, but his touch wasn’t slimy feeling like this. Volcan’s hand on her was nausea inducing. He muttered something under his breath and she felt his hand began to warm. She sucked in a deep breath.

“What are you doing?” she asked, attempting to keep the tremble from her voice.

He let out a curse when he finally released her. The excitement had dimmed a bit as he looked down at her. “You humans and your cycles,” he grumbled. “When was your last blood?”

Jewel recognized the antiquated reference to a woman’s menstrual cycle. She’d seen it called the same thing in old books. While reading it, the reference didn’t seem offensive, but coming from Volcan’s mouth, it sounded vulgar. She decided the best way to handle this, and not fall prey to her emotions, was from a matter of fact, medical point of view.

“I just finished a… cycle. It will be another 28 days until my next.” The look on Volcan’s face told her that he hadn’t been expecting her to be so forthcoming about it. Little did he know that stating the facts out loud not only made her feel in control but also made her realize that she couldn’t get pregnant right away. She had a reprieve from the coming activities, at least for a little while. Maybe in that time frame, she could figure out a way to destroy Volcan and free herself.

“Well, I suppose your lessons will have to begin first. We will get to the other once you’re fertile.”

Jewel nodded as though she had been a participant in his schemes, rather than his prisoner. There was something powerful in deciding that she wasn’t going to be a victim.

“Are you ready to learn what real magic is and just how powerful it can be?” Volcan took her hand in his. She ignored the feeling of having a snake wrapped around her threatening to squeeze the life out of her.

“So the magic that Peri wields isn’t real?” she asked.

“Oh, it is real enough, but it is weak. Come.” He pulled her behind him, leaving the room where she’d been confined. She noticed that the walls around her were stone as was the floor beneath her feet. She was in a castle, an old castle. Her mind searched quickly for what that information could tell her. There were no true castles in the United States, only manors built in a gothic style to make them look like castles. Volcan didn’t strike her as the type to accept a substitute, so she could most likely rule out the whole of North America.

Volcan spoke again, snapping her attention back to him, “First you need to learn about the essence of the magic — where it comes from and how it is maintained.”

Her eyes widened at the statement. He glanced back at her. “Surprised? Magic isn’t something that just is. It has to be nurtured by those who have it living inside of them. And supernatural beings feed off of each other. When supernaturals gather together, each of them individually becomes stronger. The human realm used to have much more power in it, before…” He paused and his feet had stopped moving. His eyes took on that faraway look that said a person was remembering.

“Before?” she prompted. Would some find it strange that she was engaging her captor? Yes, probably. But Jewel reasoned that learning as much as possible was her only key to escaping. Also, she was just too dang curious for her own good.

The high fae shook his head and resurfaced to the present. “Before the fae killed all of the witches, before the werewolves warred with one another, before the gypsy healers suddenly disappeared, and before my people slithered back to their realm taking all of their power with them. The magic in the human world is dying.”

“What does that mean?” Something about the ominous way he said the words told her that this death was going to have serious repercussions.

“It means that any magical being — one that has any innate magical ability inside it — will not be able to survive in this realm. They will be forced to retreat to a supernatural realm.”

Jewel felt like a heavy rock had been dropped into her stomach. Dalton was one such as that. He was a supernatural being with magic dwelling in him. The thought of him no longer existing in her world was earth shattering.