Caressed by Shadows (Rulers of Darkness Book 4) Read online

  “He is a waste of blood, Hadrian,” one said.

  “Death has him in its clutches. It would be useless,” another added. “If you feel so strongly, give me your vow now and I will grant you the right to sire fledglings.”

  Hadrian snarled. “You will never have my loyalty, Erik.”

  “Those are treasonous words, general,” the vampire named Erik spat.

  Falcon had been certain the beasts would fight, but when Hadrian’s eyes flashed red Erik mumbled a curse and walked away. Hadrian stood at Falcon’s side as he drifted in and out of consciousness. After an eternity, Hadrian knelt beside him in the mud.

  “You will not meet death this night,” Hadrian whispered. His fingers burned Falcon’s hand as he pried his sword from his death like grip. Hadrian drew the blade of Falcon’s weapon across his wrist. “I look at you and I see…myself. You know our kind. You loathe our kind. Just as I had when I was changed.” Hadrian brushed mud from Falcon’s face, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Fight, witch.” He pressed his bloodied wrist against Falcon’s lips and placed his palm above Falcon’s heart.

  Falcon never expected to embrace his new life or to be grateful for all that Hadrian had done for him. He had awoken his first night as a vampire, intent on killing the vile creature that had changed him. He searched the caves the Validus Clan had been using as their desert base. When he found Hadrian, the demon offered Falcon his sword and encouraged him to carry out the death sentence he had set. Hadrian understood Falcon’s drive to kill him. He had freely admitted his sin, “I killed my maker.”

  Falcon shook his head, dispelling the memory. “Yes, I was aware of what I would become.”

  “Erik Ragner, he was your maker?”

  Falcon bit back the truth. No one besides Dimitri and he suspected Dorian knew Hadrian was his maker.

  “That’s the rumor,” he said, unable to bring himself to lie to her.

  Sonya frowned then shrugged. Falcon was relieved that she did not press the matter. It was imperative that everyone continues to believe Erik was his maker. Hadrian had not been given the right to sire fledglings and yet he had changed Falcon anyway, which meant, Falcon was a blood bastard. A vampire made without the consent of the Clan Chieftain. Blood bastards were to be outcasts not Black Knights. Though, being a bastard was not new to him. He had been conceived, born and raised outside of holy wedlock in the middle ages.

  “All I knew what awaited me on the other side of the transformation was power and, at the time, that was all I cared about.”

  Falcon nodded and remained silent. He knew Sonya’s tragic story. She had shared it with him centuries ago when they had first met. Shifters had invaded her home. The animals slaughtered her family and had left her to bleed to death. Dorian had found her and had taken her to King Gudmund.

  “Now, I miss feeling the warmth of the sun and…”

  Sonya pivoted in her seat to gaze out the window.

  Falcon wanted to press her to continue, but he would not.

  “Anyway,” she said waving her hand dismissively. “Back to my question and please try not to be vague. How is it you can walk in the daylight?”

  “After I was changed, I feared returning home. I was ashamed of what I had become and I knew I could not handle seeing the hate in my mother’s eyes.” He shook his head. “To this day, I will never understand how Hadrian convinced me to go home. I’m thankful he did. My mother…she had known I was going to become a vampire.”

  “Was she a seer? Did she have visions?”

  “No, her father had told her. He had also given her this.” He reached into the collar of his shirt and removed the necklace he wore. An amulet dangled from the leather strap, the stones catching the city lights.

  Sonya caught sight of the necklace in the reflection of the glass and turned around. She reached forward. Her fingers brushed the shinning metal. The power shocked her, sending a strong electric current through her body, making the tiny hairs on her nape stand straight. Her eyes rounded with awe.

  “So much power,” she whispered, her eyes wide with admiration. “This is a shaman relic. Only the chieftain of the Shaw Tribe, their shaman, has access to such items.”

  Falcon nodded. “My grandfather was the shaman of the tribe at the time.”

  Sonya slowly relaxed back against her seat, her brow furrowed with a frown. “The shaman is continuously reincarnated, but there is no record of him ever reproducing.”

  He shrugged. History claimed the Shaman never had children, but that didn’t mean the history record was correct. “Perhaps I’m not a direct descendent of the shaman,” he said as he tucked the necklace away for safekeeping. “The fact remains, the amulet is enchanted and its magic acts as a shield.”

  Sonya brushed her hand through her long hair and tugged at her bottom lip. Her eyes lingered on his chest where the amulet hung. Falcon had an overwhelming desire to kiss her. Instead, he returned his attention to the road and made a left. They were passing through Birmingham, a hunter infested city. He hoped they could pass through the city without notice.

  He glanced at the rearview mirror. There had been a blue Volkswagen on their tale since they entered the city limits. Were they hunters? It was possible. Pauline could have tipped off the witches. She could have given them the make, model, color and plate number of the car. Had Nick told her they would be picking up their next car in Birmingham?

  It did not matter. If hunters were in fact on their tail then he would need a new plan.

  She straightened in her seat, her fingers gently resting on the gun she had strapped to her thigh. “You’ve noticed the car behind us?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve always wanted to be in a car chase.” She rolled down her window, preparing for a shoot out.

  Falcon chuckled. “You never cease to surprise.” He made a right turn; his gaze flickered to the mirror again. The blue Volkswagen was still behind them.

  “You have to admit, they look like fun in the movies,” Sonya insisted.

  He made a quick u-turn and so did the Volkswagen. “Well, Your Majesty, your wish is about to come true.” Falcon shifted and floored the gas pedal.

  Chapter Twelve

  They went speeding through the crowded Birmingham streets, weaving in and out of lanes.

  The blue Volkswagen was joined by a red Renault, which suddenly appeared, shooting across an intersection straight for them. Falcon slammed on the breaks, sending their old BMW sliding. They narrowly missed the Renault, but now the Volkswagen was beside them. Falcon shifted furiously and gunned the engine. The BMW lurched forward as the Volkswagen rammed the back bumper.

  Falcon cut across the lanes into oncoming traffic, both cars followed. As they dodged the cars coming at them, the BMW jerked from side to side until Falcon slammed the brakes, causing the car to fish tail as he swung it around. Turing sharply, they charged down a dark ally with their pursers hot on their tail.

  Sonya turned in her seat and came up on her knees. “Keep it steady,” she said before leaning out the window.

  She fired, the bullets of her gun shattering the Volkswagen’s windshield. The car swerved as the hunters tried to escape the spray. She aimed for their tires, blowing the front left out. The witches spun out and slammed into the wall.

  Falcon tugged on her shirt, pulling her back into the car as they cleared the ally and shot back out onto the busy city streets. Horns blared as they flew through another intersection, cutting through the traffic. Watching in the rearview mirror, he saw the Renault squeeze past the Volkswagen wreckage.

  Sonya slapped another clip into her gun. “It doesn’t look like we are picking up our next car in Birmingham.”

  “Pauline must have set us up,” Falcon bit out as he skillfully maneuvered the BMW through the streets.

  “Not surprising. The bitch hates me,” Sonya growled.

  Falcon swung them on to the highway, cutting across the lanes. The Renault was right behind them. He cursed as the witches began firi
ng at them. Breaks screamed as people swerved off the road, the scent of panic spiked as hysteria spread amongst the humans.

  “I’ll handle the witches. Just get us out of the city.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” Falcon said with a grin.

  Sonya blew him a kiss then leaned back out the window. Her hair whipped wildly in the wind as she aimed for the tires of the Renault. The hunter’s bullets whistled past her head. She squeezed the trigger, aiming for the enemy’s tires. The car swerved so Sonya switched her target and she shot at the hood. The car spun and slid into a ditch.

  Smoke tinted the night sky as Falcon sped away.

  Sonya slipped back into her seat and casually rolled the window up.

  “This has been a thrilling ride,” she said with a laugh.

  “I’m glad you find it amusing,” Falcon grumbled.

  “You don’t?”

  “I enjoy battle as much as any Black Knight,” he replied with an easy roll of his wide shoulders. “But I’d rather our jaunt across England stay quiet and uneventful.”

  “Boring, you mean,” Sonya teased.

  Falcon ignored the sparkling glint of her gold eyes. He relished fighting. As a mortal he had been a knight. His oath was law, his word his life. Nothing had changed when he became a vampire. He had pledged is fealty to Hadrian, vowed to protect the royal houses and the hunters were not making his job easy.

  He studied Sonya for a moment. Running his gaze over her body searching for any sign of injury. She could have been shot again or worse. If she had even been grazed by a poison tipped bullet her life would be over.

  “I wasn’t hit,” she said, noticing his gaze upon her.

  Falcon refocused his gaze on the road. “We’ll need a new car.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Gabriel Erhard.

  * * * * *

  Snow drifted from a clear sky, lightly blanketing the city of Denver Colorado. Gabriel stood before the windows of his high rise condo. It was just past eight, which meant it was about three in the morning over in England. Sir Falcon Kenwrec needed another car, a simple enough task. It had been taken care of with one phone call, as was Pauline. The spiteful vampress was a traitor, not to her clan, but to her species. She had indeed let the hunters know what car the Black Knight and the Queen traveled in. She had also shared with the filthy witches the couple’s next destination. The hunters had been waiting in Birmingham.

  Gabriel turned away from the windows and stalked toward to his desk. There, he poured himself a glass of Silver Moon.

  Pauline would speak no more. Falcon and Sonya would get a new car and make their way back to their Clans.

  He tossed the liquor back and refilled his glass. The soft sound of footsteps drifted on the air. Using his senses, Gabriel searched the condo. Gannon had returned. With good news, he hoped. They had spent more time in Denver than he had planned. He needed to return to Las Vegas. He needed to return to his work. Though Colorado was part of his territory, the desert city was his home.

  Gabriel cradled his glass with one hand as he reached into the pocket of his black suit jacket. With gentle fingers, he removed the photo he kept beside his heart.

  He had come to Denver for one reason. He had come to find her, to save her from a life worse than Hell.

  Gabriel gently brushed his thumb over the tattered photograph. Though the color was beginning to fade, he could still see the vibrant maroon color of her hair, the delicious red of her lips, the light blush that colored her high cheekbones and the electrifying violet of her eyes. Her gaze was powerful. It was as if she could see directly into his soul. She was beautiful, an exotic treasure that his enemy, Boras, sought to enslave.

  His stomach twisted as he thought of the cold, empty cell that awaited her. Months had passed since Gabriel and his men had raided Boras’s slave warehouse. It was there that he had discovered the photo. It had been tapped to cage that had been assigned for her. Boras intended to make her a blood slave and sell her to the highest bidder.

  Rage boiled his blood. He finished his drink and quickly poured another. His chest burned as dark, hateful memories of his past struggled to surface in his mind, but he shoved them aside.

  Gannon knocked before entering the shadows dominated room. He closed the door, hesitated a moment, then came forward.

  “Did I ever tell you that I hate snow? Wait, hate isn’t a strong enough word. I loathe snow. It sticks to my boots and,” he removed his black leather jacket, “ruins my clothes.” He shook out the jacket before draping it over the high back of the sofa. “My people are from the South.We don’t do snow.”

  Gabriel ignored Gannon’s ramblings. He placed the photo back in his pocket and stepped back to the windows. He stood, still gazing out the window. His hands clasped behind his back.

  “We finally located the human,” Gannon declared. He poured himself a drink.

  Gannon by the throat and demand he tell him everything. Now! Gabriel’s men had been searching all over the city for weeks with no luck. He knew it was a race against time to save the girl. Boras had her in his sights, which meant Gabriel had to find her first. He was beginning to fear she had already been taken.

  “Details,” Gabriel bit out, his impatience rising.

  Gannon took a sip. His expression became serious, all humor gone from his voice. “Jordan Culver. Twenty-one. Born to Tyler and Christy Culver. Raised by her aunt from age three to ten, parent’s died in a car accident. Her aunt passed of breast cancer. Ms. Culver floated through the foster care system until she turned eighteen. She worked as a waitress and took out student loans to attend college for business. She recently graduated and completed her personal training certification. Ms. Culver now works part time as a yoga instructor and plans on opening her own studio. In her spare time she sings with a rock band.”

  “Smart ass. We knew all that already,” he snapped. “Why did it take so long to locate her?”

  Gannon was unfazed by Gabriel’s irritated tone. “She was with some friends, staying at a cabin in the mountains. She severed all connection, leaving behind her cell phone and credit cards.” He shrugged. “According to our intel, it was a last minute trip. Before you ask, yes, I placed guards at her home. There have yet to be any sign of Boras’s lackeys.”

  Gabriel watched his reflection in the window as his green eyes faded to black. Having been a blood slave for centuries, Gabriel knew better than most what the traders valued. She was young, stunning, physically fit, and it was rumored that she could sing better than an angel.

  “They will come for the girl,” he growled.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The sun was rising, its rays peeking over the horizon. Sonya inched further into the foyer’s shadows, keeping away from the windows of the old bed and breakfast. Falcon was speaking with the owner.

  “Honeymooners, you say?” the man said.

  Falcon glanced over his shoulder and she nodded. Sure, she would play along, if it got them the cottage at the edge of the property.

  “Yes, we are trekking across the country side,” Sonya added, stepping forward. She wrapped her hands around his thick bicep and smiled up at him. “We spent the first night in London, then stopped at a quaint town before driving through Birmingham.”

  “We are heading to the highlands tomorrow,” Falcon said.

  The innkeeper began to speak again, but Sonya’s attention was caught by laughter and the sound of thundering feet upstairs. A woman came down the starir, smoothing her sweater.

  “Did I hear you two are on your honeymoon?” she asked, her smile wide and bright, her gaze warm with kindness. “Frank, give them the place out back. They could certainly use the privacy.”

  “Splendid idea,” the man announced.

  The giggles grew louder as two young girls came barreling down the stairwell to the left. Sonya jumped back, releasing her hold on Falcon. The children stampeded across the landing. Sonya spun, narrowly missing the girls that darted around her. She tried to remain in the s
hadows, but she lost her balance. She bit back a hiss and quickly tucked her burnt fingertips inside the back pocket of her jeans.

  Falcon’s head whipped around. The unmistakable scent of burnt vampire flesh drifted on the air. His gaze traveled down the length of her body, searching for her injury. When his eyes met hers, she gave him a smile. It wasn’t the first sunburn she had and it was mild.

  “Ladies,” the owner chided. “We have guests. Please, behave.”

  “Sorry, papa,” they said in unison as they gathered their coats from the entry closet.

  “Come. Off to school with you,” the woman added, ushering the girls towards the door. “If you two are…able you should join us and the other guests for dinner. I’ll do something special.”

  “Here you are,” he handed Falcon a set of keys. “Just follow the drive around to the left. You’ll see the cottage.”

  Falcon thanked the owner and followed Sonya out the door. She flipped the hood of her sweater up, covering her head and shielding her face from the sun. She tucked her hands inside her pockets and darted to the car. She hid in the back seat, protected by the tinted windows as Falcon drove them around.

  When they reached the cottage, Falcon got out and grabbed their bags from the trunk. Sonya pushed open the car door and braced herself for the sun, but Falcon was there, holding his jacket up to shield her in its shadow.

  “The key is in my pocket,” he said.

  Sonya inched her fingers of her non-injured hand into jeans pocket. She really wanted to take hold of something else, but pulled the keys free instead of lingering. She could feel her strength waning as the sun climbed higher. Sleep is what she needed. Her head began to ache. Her muscles were tight. She could sense the curse rising within her.

  Sonya unlocked the door and entered the lemon-scented cottage. There was a small kitchenette and a door that she assumed led to the bathroom. One large bed rested against the back wall and two arm chairs sat before the bay window.