The Light of Asteria (23 page)

“Do you hear that?” she whispered.

My senses heightened as I strained to
listen—the silence echoed in the cave. Rena dashed in front of me,
turning toward the sealed entrance of the tunnel. Her eyes grew
wide.

“Rena, what is it?” Adrenaline kicked in;
Gavin and Tark flew down the stairs.

“Gavin?” Fear bolted through me. His hand
found my waist.

A thunderous explosion shook the house to its
foundation, sending large chunks of rock careening throughout the
cave. Supplies and blank canvases shot out in all directions. Dust
from the rubble billowed through the studio, and the world turned
to all shades of gray. Black silhouettes rushed through, and the
fetid air became as cold as death. Gavin grabbed my waist, knocking
the wind out of me and ran up the stairs. Rena and Tark stood
back-to-back as a sea of black surrounded them.

They need us, Gavin, put me down!
I
shrieked, struggling to free myself from his intolerably strong
hold. He flew to the Tahoe and shoved me in the front seat,
slamming the door. Shadows flashed from the forest, as a
contingency of Dokkalfar bounded on him. His wake left decapitated
bodies puddled in liquid ooze. The SUV rocked at the force of the
fight, and I was surprised the windows hadn’t broken.

Gavin’s tall frame appeared by the hood, and
my mind instantly opened. The truck blazed with a brilliant light.
Delicate nests of blue diaphanous strands surrounded me, and I
realized the truck had been imbedded with webbing. The demons
helplessly dropped, and Gavin quickly snapped their heads from
their bodies. The driver’s side flew open and he jumped in. His
pants saturated in Dokkalfar blood clung to his form, and the
stench of putrid rotting flesh filled the truck. With a cold look
of resolve, he threw it in drive.

We have to go back, there are too many of
them
. Sheer terror burned in my veins; there was no way Rena
and Tark could survive. Gavin winced.

“You’re right, there are too many.” His voice
was as hard as the jewel in his eyes. “And your protection is my
first priority.”

I couldn’t believe it. Rena and Tark would
surely die if we didn’t do something.

“And you might die if we go back. They are
warriors, Nora. They can defend themselves and you can’t.” I turned
back and watched the lights of the mansion disappear into the
night.

Go back Gavin; I can make the webs work
for us
. He never wavered; I grabbed his arm.
Rena and Tark
can then take care of them easily. You can get the ones that try to
flee.

He slammed on the brakes and glared.

I know it will work, instinct tells me
so.
Tears streaked down my face, my eyes were wide from the
desperation surging through my heart.

“I cannot lose Rena and Tark. It’ll be my
fault.” I whispered. His eyes blanked and he growled in
frustration.

“You must promise you will not leave this
vehicle. Not for any reason,” he ordered.

“I promise,” I said with everything I had. He
shot the SUV in reverse and the gravel sprayed back up the narrow
road. The truck stopped just inches from the living room
windows.

Silhouettes streaked as soon as Gavin was out
the door. My heart sped, as the black converged and circled the
truck. I opened my mind, and energy filled every cell from the tip
of my head to the bottom of my feet.

The windows throughout the house flamed hot
white and seemed in danger of melting. It was as if a dwarf star
had landed on the mountain. Hideous screams filtered through the
truck’s webbing as the Dokkalfar writhed in agony. The crunch of
flesh being torn from bone slowly replaced the nightmarish shrieks
as the dark elves perished.

I shut my eyes to the carnage, as the pile of
dismembered black bodies grew. Dokkalfar blood smattered the
windows, and a low hiss sizzled from the bubbling ooze. The carnage
went on and on, and white noise eventually stopped. Gavin’s
emotions warmed my heart, but my mind stayed focused on the
webbing. He tapped on the window.

“Nora, you have to rein it in; Rena and Tark
cannot get out. You were right; the elves in the house were
helpless. They are no more. You must let go, love.”

The shield protested as I forced it up. Gavin
unlocked the door and jumped in the driver’s seat, pulling me
close, and we watched the window’s fade.

The front door burst open. Rena and Tark
jumped in the backseat, and Gavin reversed the truck and flipped it
forward. We drove with the lights off, winding through the
mountains at a high rate of speed. The night roared around us, but
knowing we were enveloped in gossamer strands eased my fears.

“Nora, was that you? You did that?” Rena
uttered. She definitely was worse for the wear. Her hair was soaked
with Dokkalfar blood as if someone had poured it on her, and her
clothes were ripped. She was black and blue all over, and looked as
if she had been in a car accident. Tark wasn’t much better off, but
he grinned, openly amazed.

“What happened, my lady?” I asked with a
smile on my face. Gavin jolted at the term, but knew better than to
say anything.

“We were in the studio, and they kept coming.
There was an army of them, Gavin. I know I killed at least forty on
my own, and Tark is much faster than I. They completely overwhelmed
us, and I thought we were going to perish when the screaming
started. The ceiling of the studio lit up the cave walls, sending a
number of Dokkalfar running back to the entryway. Others ran
upstairs trying to find another way out. The light grew stronger,
and they fell helplessly to their knees, waiting to die.” Rena’s
voice faded with the effort. Tark kissed the side of her cheek and
finished the story.

“We swept through the house. When we hit the
second floor, some of the Dokkalfar tried to fight back, but they
were too weak. The walls in the house were hot to the touch from
the power of the webbing. I was afraid it might catch fire, but it
was cooling when we exited.”

Rena’s purple, yellow and green bruised skin
faded to tan; the gash on her cheekbone was nothing more than an
angry purple reminder. My heart finally slowed, as relief washed
over me.

“Nora, if it weren’t for you, Tark and I
would be dead. You will always have my service, should you find
need,” Rena said, and I knew she was yet again bound to her
word.

“As you will mine,” Tark said, startling me a
little.

“Ditto,” I replied, making them both
smile.

Conflict and remorse burned in Gavin as he
glanced in the rear view mirror. I sighed, and Rena spoke
aloud.

“I would have done the same, Gavin of Frey.
She is the priority and must be saved. Do not think of your
decision ... I would have done the same,” she repeated once more.
He would not keep it from them that he was willing to leave them in
order to keep me safe.

“There will never be a need for such a thing
to occur.” I insisted to all three, making sure my blue filter was
in place. As I grew in power, I noticed I had to strengthen the
shield.

“We won’t be separated again. This vehicle
will serve as protection, and I can bolster it if need be. Rena and
Tark will have to be on the opposite side of the doors, but any of
the dark elves that come close will be helpless. Who thought of
using the webs for the truck?” I asked. I was exhausted, and my
mind started shooting off in random thoughts.

“Elias worked on it as soon as he knew about
the first nightmare,” Gavin said. I could tell his mind was
elsewhere, and I thought I knew whom he was talking to.

“Tell Elaine I said hello. She would be
horrified—we look awful.” My random thoughts winning again. Gavin
smiled, unbuckled my seatbelt, and pulled me close.

“Why don’t you try and get some rest. Rena
and Tark need to meditate and recover. We will not stop until the
sun is high in the sky,” he murmured. The smell of the Dokkalfar
blood nauseated me, but I found I was too tired to care.

Can we find a shower somewhere … we all
stink
.

Gavin chuckled. “That will be my first
priority. For now, try and get some rest.”

I unbuttoned his shirt halfway down, opening
it so my head rested on his bare chest. His delicious scent was an
antidote to the rotting smell of the blood, and I nestled my head
next to him, as he stroked my hair.

The trucks slowing speed seeped into my
slumber, and the sun beamed its welcoming rays through the
windshield. Gavin pulled into a resort parking lot. Rena and Tark
were already going through the packs to find fresh clothes.

“We need to stay in the truck until the last
minute. You cannot leave the Tahoe for any reason on your own,” he
insisted.

Rena and Tark took in the necessary
provisions, showered first, and then stood guard while we hurried
in. Gavin refused to even close the door, and I tried not to think
that there was only a thin sheet of plastic between us while the
air whisked around my naked body. His insatiable need to protect
squashed any thoughts of desire.

“Could you turn around please, I’m
finished.”

I got out of the shower and wrapped my towel
under my arms, passing him in the doorframe. He kissed me quickly
and took off his shirt. The beauty of his sculpted shoulders and
back reflected in the mirror, and he grinned at where my mind was
going. I blushed and turned toward the bedroom. The shower started
back up, and the putrid smell softened as the Dokkalfar blood
washed down the drain.

“I’m coming out,” Gavin warned, and I turned
around. His well defined tapered form gleamed from water droplets
cascading to the towel around his hips, his anklet gleamed in the
light. He stepped into the bedroom while I stayed in the bathroom
brushing my hair. I blushed at the thought that we would someday be
able to just jump in together. I loved that idea.

“We’ll have to try that some time,” he said
as he chuckled.

We opened the door, and Rena glanced at
Gavin; she grinned and then ran to the truck. The Tahoe rocked for
a minute or two and then she was back out holding a dirty towel and
a disinfectant spray bottle. She tossed them back into the cabin,
and we proceeded to the SUV. The smell of clean hotel room hit my
senses, and I turned to Rena in appreciation.

“Thank you so much. I am so relieved to get
that stench out of my nose.”

“I find it odd the odor of elves bothers you
so. You’ve lived with us for so long, it never occurred to me you
found our smell unappealing. What do we smell like to you?” she
asked with real curiosity. I turned around, as Gavin started the
engine.

“
You
smell great. Your scent is like
the fresh earth after a rainstorm, mixed with baby powder. Tark
smells like the salty air on a sunny day. I’ve only seen the ocean
once, yet when he enters the room, I long to see it again. But the
black elves stink of rancid dirt, and their blood is like rotting
flesh. That’s the smell that makes me nauseous. What does it smell
like to you?”

My blue fog up, I was truly mystified as I
felt a jolt of Gavin’s shock. Rena and Tark’s embarrassment glared
from the back seat. I turned to Gavin.

“Is this significant in some way? What does
the Dokkalfar smell like to you?” My heart jumped, as his emotions
became stilted.

“They smell like elf, Nora. There are
distinct differences, though. Jakkar is a little different than
say, Elias.” He glanced at the rearview mirror. “You have described
what Rena and Tark experience when they share power.” The silence
stretched as I looked out the window.

“I didn’t know … sorry.” I apologized,
suddenly feeling like I had invaded their privacy without meaning
to.

“Don’t worry about it, love. I find it
fascinating that you can pick that up. It must be part of your
gift.” Gavin became interested in the road, avoiding my gaze. “We
should not share this knowledge with too many elves, though. I know
they would find it extremely disturbing that something as intimate
as their scent could be enjoyed by someone other than their mate.”
I could feel Gavin try to suppress his emotions; a small tinge of
jealousy pierced my heart.

“I can’t help it … and I can’t turn it off.
But I would if I thought for one minute that my having the nose of
a bloodhound bothered you. Besides, everyone else pales in
comparison to you, and if I could only take in your scent for the
rest of my life, I would be the happiest woman in the world.”

The prickly, awkward silence heightened in
the back seat, and I turned to Rena and Tark.

“Sorry … forgot you were back there for a
sec,” I said, with a grin. Neither one of them met my gaze.

Gavin pulled in front of the local grocery
store, dropping Rena and Tark off to get some necessities. We made
our way across the street to the gas station. He was quiet as he
filled up the tank; turmoil simmered, and I grew leery.

As soon as he got back in, I opened my mind.
Jealousy was a black emotion, and I knew he must not dwell on this.
I started going through the list of things I had only experienced
with him, focusing on every detail. My first kiss, the first time
anyone had ever touched me, the crazy attraction I felt for him,
the way only his emotions coursed through me, our circle ... all of
these things completely belonged to him, and no one else. I could
distinguish the scent of others, but that paled in comparison to
all of the things I had only experienced with him.

I promise you have every part of me I can
control. Do not let this one little trait I have no control over
mar the others.
His emotions started cycling back; I loved
being his personal gas station. He grinned at that. When Rena and
Tark exited the grocery store, Gavin’s eyes once more had a light
shining within.

The day turned out to be clear and bright. As
we wound through the mountains, I couldn’t help but appreciate the
first signs of spring.