Not Quite Dead (A NightHunter Novel) (42 page)

Eric vaulted forward, throwing his shoulders forward and jerking Cicatrice over his head. The vampire careened through the air, his arms outstretched for a split second, almost tearing Eric's heart out. Jordyn took advantage of the moment, and plunged her hand into Cicatrice's chest. Her fingers closed around the searing hot metal, and she ripped it free.

Cicatrice landed on his back, dragging Eric with him so Eric landed on top of him, his back crashing against Cicatrice's chest. As the two men came together, the force of it shoved Cicatrice's hand right through his body, bursting out of the front wall of Eric's chest. Eric gasped, and grabbed Cicatrice's wrists, keeping the vampire from pulling his hands back through and taking Eric's heart with him.
That hurt like a son of bitch
.

Fear tore through Jordyn at the extent of his grievous injury, and she tried not to panic.She palmed the ring.
Do you accept my love for all eternity, Eric? It will only work if you do.

Eric met her gaze for a split second, and for a moment, she thought he was going to reject her. But he didn't hesitate. He nodded.
I'll love you until the end of time, Jordyn, and I accept your love in return. If you didn't love me, I'd just give up and die right now. I live for you, honey. Nothing else. Just you.

His words were so heartfelt that tears filled her eyes. She pressed the gold ring against the blackened skin over his heart, and it sank instantly beneath the flesh. The gold band in her own chest glowed, and energy rushed through her. It was Eric's spiritual essence, filling her like a great burst of sunshine, locking them together. It was so different from when Cicatrice had bound them, and she knew now why she'd been able to take the ring from Cicatrice both times: because he hadn't loved her back. He'd wanted to possess her, but he hadn't loved her.

Eric did.

God, I love you, woman.
He inhaled deeply, and then his magic exploded outward. It slammed into Cicatrice and the rest of the room in a violent explosion of smoke and ash, but it flew around her, parting like a split in the ocean. The assault was instant, and violent, a storm unleashed from the very depths of mother earth, and she felt it tearing him away from her, trying to take him.

"No! He's mine!" she shouted, summoning all the benevolence within her soul and holding it out to him. "Come back to me!"

For an agonizing moment, Eric's body continued to disintegrate, spilling out into the room, and then she felt his soul reach for her. She lunged for him, wrapping her arms around his body, pulling him toward her as she opened herself completely to him, calling him back to her, just like Cicatrice had done to her grandmother for all those years. The pain howled through her, trying to rip her apart.
Eric! Accept me!

Eric shuddered, and then his arm went around her, locking her against him. He buried his face in her neck, holding her desperately against him as the wind roared around them. NightHunter to vampire, and vampire to NightHunter, they solidified their bond and promised eternity. As they clung to each other, their energy mixed, two halves of a whole weaving together, balancing itself out until it had encircled them in a sphere of protection. The evil, howling spirits battered at them, tearing at their clothes, screaming in fury that it couldn't get past the barrier of their pure love. It spun away, searching for another victim...and then everything became silent.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. She was shaking violently, and she could feel that Eric was as well, but he was solid against her, and there was no more pain or cold. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and pulled back. Eric's face was ashen, and blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth, but his skin was solid.

They both looked around. The walls and ceiling were solid ash, held together by a whisper. Behind them, Cicatrice was hovering in midair, a shocked look on his face. Eric flicked his index finger, and everything simply disintegrated. The walls, the ceiling, and Cicatrice himself, leaving them in a room that was open to a sky filled with the oranges and yellows of a sunset. It poured onto Eric, but no smoke rose from his flesh.

He held her tightly, his fingers tangling in her hair, as if he was terrified she would disintegrate in his arms. "You bound yourself to me," he said, his voice raw. "You protected me with your love." He held out his arm, watching the sun glisten harmlessly across his skin. "You protect me even now."

"I know."

His gaze swept her face, as if searching for answers he couldn't fathom. "You're independent. You don't do things like bind yourself to men for all eternity. It's not your thing."

She smiled, tears filling her eyes as she noticed the gaping wound in his chest. "I'm entitled to make an exception for the man I love. Is that okay with you? I mean, I know you're a self-proclaimed player and all that—"

"Shut up, honey." He grinned and then kissed her. Hard, passionately, and emphatically, leaving her absolutely no doubt as to how he felt about it. She kissed him back without reservations, her entire heart singing with joy for the man in her arms.

After much too short of a time, he pulled back, brushing the hair back from her face. "Tristan," he said. "We have to get to him. He's on the roof."

At his words, they both looked up again, at the sunlight streaming through the missing ceiling. At the same moment, they both realized what the sun must be doing to his brother. Eric swore, and lunged to his feet. He staggered, and went down on his knees, his hand going to his chest. "Cicatrice's efforts are going to leave a mark, I think," he said.

"Battle scars are sexy." Her heart squeezing tightly at how bad a shape he was in, she slipped his arm over her shoulder. "Come on, big guy. You can do it. If you make it to the roof, I promise I'll have sex with you."

He cocked his head, studying her for a brief moment. "Did you use that line on me before?"

"I did."

He grinned, a lascivious light gleaming in his eyes. "As I recall, you fulfilled your promise, so yeah, that works for me." His arms tightened around her shoulders, and he surged to his feet, staggering only slightly. "Let's go get my brother."

"Stop."

At Skye's sharp command, Jordyn and Eric froze as they stepped out on the roof.

Skye was crouched over David's body as if she were a predator ready to attack. David's skin was seared, and smoke was rising from his chest. Blackened blood was dripping from his shoulder, from which the stake still protruded. Tristan was on his side next to them, his eyes closed and his body still. There were holes all over Tristan, and a pile of bloodied stakes was on the roof beside him. There was white powder in his wounds, as if Skye had been treating them.

"Tristan?" Jordyn couldn't keep the fear from her voice. "Is he dead?"

No. I would be dead if he was.

But even as Eric said it, she felt his doubt. Was she so connected to Eric that she could sustain him now, even if Tristan died?

 There was danger emanating from Skye, something so fierce that Jordyn felt it prickle over her skin. She looked nothing like the sweet child Jordyn had once known. She looked like a killer, poised to attack.

Beside her, Eric's muscles tensed, and he shifted his weight away from her, giving himself space to fight if necessary.

"Who hurt David?" Skye's eyes went back and forth between them, her body poised to attack.

"Skye. It's me. I'm not going to hurt you." Urgency pulsed at Jordyn, and she began to walk across the roof. "We need to help them."

Skye didn't move. "Tell me what happened." Her voice was low and deadly.

"David stabbed both of us," Eric said, slowly moving alongside Jordyn. Despite his weakened state, he was keeping Jordyn slightly behind him, putting himself between the two women. "I needed to stop him to save Jordyn, but I didn't want to kill him. He's the only one who knows how to cleanse the poison." His voice was steady, but Jordyn felt his tension as he glanced apprehensively toward Tristan. "David's a vampire."

Jordyn sucked in her breath, looking sharply at Eric. "What? He
stabbed
you? And he's a vampire?" Betrayal rushed through her, and she stopped, staring down at the man who'd been her best friend. His eyes were closed, and his chest wasn't moving. "David?"

Skye nodded. "I know he's a vampire." She suddenly relaxed, and she sat back on her heels. "He's dangerous," she said, as she sheathed a knife that Jordyn hadn't even noticed she was holding. "I had to make sure what side Eric was on. My friend Richard and I have been trying to stop David for a while, but it's been impossible to get him in a situation where he was vulnerable. He's murdered so many," she said softly. "All in the name of honor, but terrible things nonetheless." She looked up at them. "Do you guys happen to know where Richard is? He never came by the house to check on me. I'm worried about him."

Eric cleared his throat, and Jordyn's throat tightened. "Skye, Richard's—"

Skye's face paled, and she held up her hand. "No." Her voice broke. "Don't say it. I can't hear that right now." She lifted her chin, but that didn't hide the glistening of tears in her eyes. "You bastard," she hissed at David. "How could you hurt him?"

"David was the one who attacked Richard?" She thought of the poor man and how crazed he'd been. David had done that to him? Her David, the one who had dragged her to safety so many times when her father had drunk too much, had hurt good people? Jordyn's chest ached with betrayal as she stared down at David. "What happened to you?" she whispered. "What happened to my best friend?"

He didn't respond, but Skye stood up, her body lithe and muscular, and apparently entirely recovered from being almost dead. "Tristan needs earth," she said briskly, wiping the back of her wrist across her eyes. She looked at Eric. "And so do you."

Jordyn didn't move. "What about David?"

Skye and Eric looked at each other. "I think we leave him," Skye said.

"What?" Jordyn stared at her. "He's our friend!"

"He's not anymore. He hasn't been anyone's friend for a long time." Skye walked across the roof toward her, and Jordyn noticed that there were scars on her throat, old scars, not the ones David had healed. Terrible things had happened to Skye since the last time they'd met. "Some vampires retain their humanity. Many become crazed killers. And some..." she gestured at David. "Become worse."

"Worse?" Sadness filled her, and she knelt beside him, taking his hand. "David," she whispered.

"Get back." Eric's voice was heavy with warning. "Don't go near him."

"Jordyn." Skye knelt beside her, taking her hands. Skye's fingers were cold, too cold, making Jordyn realize that Skye wasn't actually in as good a shape as she'd first appeared. "This is a new battle for us," she said softly. "Your grandmother was a great NightHunter. She understood the nuances of vampires and creatures of the night. David believes that NightHunters should destroy all vampires. Once he became a vampire, he believed it was a gift from the NightHunters to enable him to destroy the vampires. He's merciless and cruel, and he's destroyed all values of what the NightHunters stand for."

Tears filled Jordyn's eyes. "How many people has he killed?" She had to ask. She had to know.

"Over a hundred that I know of. And not all of them were vampires. Some of them simply aided vampires. Some of them were great NightHunters who had been bitten so many times that their blood was mixed." She held out a note. "He came here to kill you, Jordyn."

Jordyn took the paper and looked down at it. The note was scrawled in David's messy handwriting that she knew so well.
Skye, my beloved Jordyn has become like her grandmother. I have to destroy her before she bonds with Cicatrice or Eric and strengthens them. I've gone to your old house to find her. Prepare a burial site. My heart bleeds for what I have to do, but I will not stray from my mission.

Jordyn crushed the paper in her hand. "He did read the rest of the book. He was waiting to see what side I would choose."

Eric nodded.
I love you, Jordyn. You are the bravest warrior I have ever met, and I will stand by you as you rebuild the NightHunters, as they were meant to be.

Tears filled her eyes.
I love you, too.

Skye wrinkled her nose. "Are you guys doing that mental telepathy thing? Because it's really rude, you know." Then she held out her arms. "Welcome home, Jordyn. We have a lot of catching up to do, including sorting out the mess that David has turned the NightHunters into."

Welcome home? Was she going to stay in the town she'd run away from so long ago? She looked up at Eric, who was using the side of the chimney to keep himself upright. He looked so handsome and dangerous, a lethal predator ready to wipe out any monster at any moment, despite the fact that she was pretty sure he might collapse if she sneezed on him.

I'm your predator.
He grinned.
I can even do the magic without losing my mind, thanks to you. Why would I go anywhere else? You know you belong here, and so do I.

Tears filled her eyes, and suddenly, all the tension she'd been holding in her body since the day she'd walked away so many years ago finally vanished. She was home, and this was where she needed to be. "Okay," she said. "I'll stay." She leaned forward to hug Skye, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw David move.

They both spun around as David drove the stake right toward her heart, his eyes etched with agony. "I'm so sorry, Jordyn—"

All three of them reacted, grabbing stakes from the pile by Tristan and throwing them. The three stakes hit him in quick succession, driving him back into the sunlight. His eyes rolled back in his head and he reached for her, as his skin caught fire. "Jordyn," he gasped. "Don't abandon me."

"He's too weak to withstand the sun," Skye said, her voice cold, but heavy with emotional pain she couldn't hide, because David had been her savior as well as Jordyn's when they were kids. "He'll die from it."