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

  Falcon brushed past her, dropped the bags and pulled the curtains closed, concealing the room in darkness. He quickly returned to her side and gently took hold of her elbow.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as he led her over to one of the floral printed chairs. She sat and he quickly snatched up one of his bags.

  “Tending to your hand,” he answered, pulling out a small plastic bottle.

  He twisted the cap free and Sonya gagged. It smelled terrible. Her nose wrinkled and her stomach churned with disgust when he stuck his fingers into the ointment. When he reached for her hand she flinched.

  “It’s not that bad,” she insisted.

  Falcon scowled. “Your fingers are black.”

  She glanced down at them and gave a lazy shrug. “I’ll heal.”

  He caught her wrist. She tried to twist away but his grip was strong. “You’ll heal faster if you use the soothing balm.”

  With a groan, Sonya gave up the struggle and allowed Falcon to coat her fingers with the ointment. Instantly, her chard fingers were cool, the stinging pain vanished. She watched her skin rejuvenate. Magic never ceased to amaze her. Too bad there isn’t a balm for the scares on her heart or the lashes her soul bore.

  Whispers of her past echoed through her mind. Sonya groaned. The curse was gathering strength. She could feel the attack building. Her muscles tensed in anticipation and her vision blurred. Panic sparked to life within her chest. The curse was growing stronger. Her episodes were becoming more frequent and fierce.

  She forced herself to her feet. Her legs trembled. She managed to smile and thank Falcon before fumbling with her bag.

  Damn, she needed to get to the bathroom. She could not let Falcon see her this way. Her headache intensified until it felt like a demolition team was blasting against her skull.

  “Tonight was exciting,” she said, praying he wouldn’t hear the pain in her voice.

  Falcon chuckled. The deep baritone was soothing to her ears. “You make every night exciting. You have an amazing talent for finding trouble.”

  Sonya smiled despite the pain that lanced through her. “What can I say, I’m a trouble magnet.”

  His gaze fell to her lips and lust rocketed through her nervous system. He stepped forward. She could feel the heat of his body; his fresh masculine scent invaded her senses. She shivered when he traced her jaw with his index finger. Her pain was forgotten as she turned her face towards his touch. Her body trembled as she watched him lick his lips.

  Oh, god she wanted to feel those lips on her neck, on her breast, her hips and lower. She moaned thinking of how his tongue would feel against her as his hands cupped her ass and lifted her…

  Falcon moved to advance then stopped. His hand fell to his side, his gaze shifted to the side. Her cheek was cold, her desire drowned by loss. Her soul mourned the loss of his touch and nearness. Remorse took root within her and she had turn away before he saw the tears gathering in her eyes. The Death Curse had her in its vise like grip. She would die never knowing love, never knowing what she and Falcon could have had.

  Keep it together, she told herself. She took in a deep breath, stretching her lungs, and slowly released it as she walked to the bathroom.

  She closed the door behind her, shutting herself in the closet sized room. Dropping her bag, she went to the tub and turned on the water. Stepping to the pedestal sink, she gripped the edge and hung her head low, refusing to meet her reflection in the antique mirror.

  “Keep it together,” she whispered.

  Her body shook beneath the weight of the curse. She slowly undressed, sheer will power kept her on her feet. The pain had tripled and continued to grow. Her skull felt like it would split in two at any moment.

  “You are a bringer of death.”

  Sonya shook her head. That voice. The child’s voice sliced through her.

  “The world was never meant to know the wolf shifter.”

  Sonya stepped into the tub and pulled the curtain closed. Steam billowed around her, yet she was freezing. Images of fire and blood danced before her. She squeezed her eyes shut, but there was no hiding from her past or the curse.

  She gasped for air as her heart struggled to continue to beat.

  Reality faded away. Sonya swayed and braced herself against the wall of the shower.

  She was there. Sonya was standing in the yard that fateful night. Her father and her mother were dead. She felt the sword slice through her gut. She had expected to feel pain; instead a cold numbness consumed her. The shifters laughed as they turned away from her, leaving her to bleed to death. Using all the strength she had left, she gathered her little sister in her arms. Sveta’s small frame trembled as she took her last breath.

  Justice. Revenge, her demon whispered.

  The shifters deserved death for what they had done to her family.

  Stricken, pale faces stared up at her. Blood dripped from her claws and fangs. The sweet metallic taste filled her mouth. Sonya looked down at her hands. Blood. It was everywhere.

  In the distance, she could hear a woman screaming. Pain. Fear. Rage. Pure hate. She could hear and feel every emotion the woman was feeling. Oh, god she hoped it was not the innkeeper’s wife and children.

  The bathroom door flew open, crashing against the wall. The force made the entire cottage shake. Falcon tore open the curtain. He was speaking, but she could hear nothing over the screaming.

  Justice. Revenge!

  She cradled Sveta in her arms. Her sweet face pale, her beautiful gaze void of life.

  No. Sveta. God, no!

  She was young, too young. Sonya roared. She would make those bastards pay. She would make sure they suffered, she would make sure they felt all the pain they had inflicted upon her family. She would hunt them down and kill them all.

  Sonya blinked. She saw Falcon reach for her. His shirt dripped with water from the shower. She flinched away. Looking down, she brushed Sveta’s blood crusted hair away from her face. She would never let her go.

  Falcon’s hands gripped her waist. She struggled against him, refusing to release Sveta. Sonya watched his lips move again, but she still heard nothing other than the screams.

  Then darkness claimed her.

  Falcon cradled Sonya in his arms. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he cupped the back of her head and pressed her head against his shoulder as he gently rocked her.

  Sonya’s screams had crystallized his blood. He had burst through the door convinced the hunters had found them. When he pulled back the curtain he found a heart breaking sight. Sonya sat on the floor of the tub, her knees pressed tightly against her chest, her hair soaked, tangled and falling over her shoulders. Her eyes were wide, her gaze wild and unfocused. Her fangs were bear, her claws anchored into her calves. She had refused to release her legs and fought him as he tried to pick her up. Once in his arms, her body gave out and her mind slipped into sweet oblivion.

  She lay limp in his arms even now.

  Before this night the word fear had not existed in his vocabulary but in that moment, he was consumed by the emotion.

  Sonya was marked.

  His arms tightened around her. He folded her against him, shielding her from the world, praying that he could protect her from death.

  Death. He shook his head. Why hadn’t she told him about the Death Curse? Hell, how could he not have noticed? He had witnessed many great warrior kings perish and she was next.

  Damn Sonya and her pride. She was skilled at hiding her pain. No. Agony was a more suitable word. The curse attacked the soul; feeding off what humanity a vampire had left. It preyed on the mind, twisting reality, causing hallucinations. It tortured its victims with overwhelming emotions such as guilt, sorrow and self-loathing while it slowly destroyed the body.

  The man and demon within him roared in anguish and anger. She had been taken from him once and he could not bear to lose her again. He would find a way to break the curse. He would speak with Silvie. The Priestess was powerful, stronger than even
the Shaman of her tribe. And if she could not help, he would barter what remained of his soul to save his Sonya.

  Falcon pressed a kiss to her temple before laying her on the bed. Without his heat, she began to shiver. She trembled so badly her teeth began to chatter. He pulled the sheets and blankets up to her chin, but they had little impact.

  He stripped free of his shirt and kicked off his shoes before joining her. She turned toward him, seeking his warmth and touch even in her sleep. He held her against his side and she relaxed, as he stroked his fingers up and down her arm.

  Sonya expressed no evidence of life. Her heart was quiet, her lungs still, and she was cold to the touch. Falcon could barely sense her aurora. Her energy was weak.

  Falcon’s chest tightened as he felt his heart crack beneath the pressure of his warring emotions. He had never felt more terrified or enraged in his unnatural life. Nor had he ever experienced such fierce love and determination.

  Instinct told him Sonya would soon be departing the realm of the living. The curse was strong within her and death would be coming to collect his bounty.

  Falcon drew her closer and held her tighter, wrapping his body around hers protectively. Death would have to take him first.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “At long last,” Sonya whispered as she lowered herself to the leafy forest floor. Crossing her legs, she leaned back on her elbows and waited for peace to claim her.

  She had spent the last seven years in the dark, hunting beneath the moon’s harsh glow taking her revenge. Finally, she had killed the last wolf shifter and she was…disappointed and conflicted. She had expected to feel relief, to be overwhelmed by sweet gratification when she eliminated the shifters from this world. Instead, she felt hallow, lost, and to her shock, regretful, but it did not matter. The deed was done.

  Pink danced across the horizon as the sun rose. Sonya closed her eyes and released a deep sigh. She had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity to feel the warmth of the sun heat her skin. Her vampire senses screamed for her to go to ground, to find a dark sanctuary where the damn rays could not reach her. But she would not hide. It was time. She had achieved her mission of killing all the wolf shifters, and now she would join her family. That is, if she was accepted into Heaven. She harbored a demon within her. It craved blood, it murdered, and it destroyed without discrimination. Today, it would meet its end. She would face the sun and greet death.

  “Beautiful morn.”

  Sonya snapped to attention. On instinct she pulled her hunting knife free of its sheath strapped to her thigh. In one fluid movement, she came to her knees and spun around to face the source of the voice.

  A small girl, with her long blonde hair in matching braids, stood just out of her reach. The child smiled, laugher lighting her dark brown eyes.

  Sonya searched the forest with her senses. She did not hear anyone, our scent anyone. The child was alone.

  “Where are you parents?” Sonya asked.

  The girl shrugged. “What are you doing?”

  Sonya frowned and slowly lowered her dagger. “I’m waiting.”

  “For?”

  “The sunrise.”

  The young girl turned to look at the horizon. Moments of silence passed. Finally, she shook her head, sending her braids waving over her shoulders.

  “You think that is wise, vampire?”

  Sonya’s grip tightened on her blade, her eyes narrowed. “What is your purpose, girl?” Sonya demanded.

  The child turned back and smiled. Her pupils dilated, the black consuming the bright green of her irises.

  A witch! She was member of the Shaw tribe, an extremely powerful race of witches. And she was gifted. Sonya had seen her kind before. She was a seer and she was having a vision.

  “My purpose,” she began, her voice deepening an octave, “is my own and will be revealed in due course.” Her eyes flicked back to their normal, innocent green.

  Chills of foreboding raced up Sonya’s spine. Unease settled like a rock in her stomach. “What is your name, child?”

  The girl shrugged her tiny shoulders. “Kirsa is the name given to me for this life.”

  Sonya was about to ask what she meant when Kirsa asked, “Will you release the weapon?”

  Sonya looked down. Her grip on the dagger was tight her knuckles were white. With a steady hand she sheathed the blade, but kept it close. Kirsa was a member of the Shaw, a peaceful people, unlike the Red Order witch tribe. But there was something odd about the child. Something entirely otherworldly and Sonya could not decide if the she was a friend or a threat. Her speech did not match that of a child and her voice was steady, sure, and powerful.

  Kirsa came forward and sat at Sonya’s side. Sonya lowered from her kneeling position to sit next to her. Kirsa hummed as she plucked blades of grass and played with the fallen leaves. With every passing moment, the sun climbed higher, lighting the sky, chasing away the night.

  Sonya’s nerves were rising. She did not want the girl to witness her death. As a vampire, she would burn in the sun, her body turning to ash.

  “Do not fret,” Kirsa said, “I know why you have come to this place.”

  Sonya flinched. Had Kirsa seen her meet the sun? Did the girl know why she had decided to greet death? Oh, dear lord, Sonya hoped Kirsa had not seen her ugly past, which was filled with blood and gruesome carnage.

  “The world was never meant to know the wolf shifter.”

  Sonya shot to her feet. “You can hear my thoughts?”

  She nodded. “Your thoughts are what led me to you. I know all you have done.”

  Bile rose in Sonya’s throat.

  “The world was never meant to know the wolf shifter.”

  Her heart stopped. “What?”

  Kirsa shrugged. “The wolf shifter was created much like the vampire race, through a curse. They were…unnatural. Men twisted by magic and hate.”

  Sonya blinked. This was no mere child beside her. The girl knew too much, spoke too well, and her eyes…they were haunted. Her gaze cut through Sonya.

  “Fate is a fickle creature,” Kirsa mumbled as she snapped a twig with her delicate hands. “But you must forgive.”

  Sonya’s lips peeled back from her fangs. Flames of rage and loathing flashed in her eyes. “I will never forgive the shifters. They took everything from me.”

  Kirsa shook her head, her braids bouncing against her shoulders again. She looked so innocent, perfectly angelic. “Not them, vampire. You must forgive yourself. As I said, the world was never meant to know the wolf shifter.” She picked a blade of grass and twisted the green tether about her index finger. “You were meant to kill them. That was your purpose, from the day you entered this realm you were set on this path.” She dropped it and turned her face upward.

  Pink, orange, and yellow streaked the sky. Sunlight spread, claiming the world.

  “You should leave, Kirsa. You will not want to see―”

  “You burn,” Kirsa said as she stood. She dusted off her dress and smoothed the fabric. “No, vampire. I will not watch you burn.” She held her tiny hand out to Sonya. “Fate and I have other plans for you.”

  Sonya glared at Kirsa’s out stretched hand. The girl was a lunatic. She was a witch and perhaps a seer, but Sonya had made up her mind. Today she would watch the sun rise and welcome the fire. Today she would reunite with her family, if she were permitted into heaven.

  Kirsa’s small shoulders fell with an exasperated sigh. “Will you trust me?”

  “I know naught who you are or…what you are.”

  The child smiled brightly. “I am the Shaman of the Shaw Tribe.”

  Sonya was struck speechless. She stared down at the girl, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. “No. You could not possibly―”

  “I have been reincarnated for centuries and will continue to be until my mission is complete.”

  Sonya slowly shook her head as she struggled to understand what was happening. Kirsa was the reincarnation of the all-knowing S
haman? This slip of a girl was the most powerful witch ever to live? God, she would never grow accustomed to magic.

  “Come along.”

  “H-how? I mean,” Sonya cleared her throat, “why? If what you say is true, I’ve served my purpose. I killed every last wolf shifter.”

  “You are destined for so much more. You will do wondrous things for your Clan. Please, take my hand, vampire.”

  The sun’s rays shimmered just inches above her head. Nervousness twisted her gut as hope fluttered within her chest. Could she trust Krisa? Would her clan even welcome her back? Gudmund, the Voidukas king had changed her and she thanked him by leaving. She had set out to hunt the wolf shifters days after her transformation. According to vampire law, those who turned their back on their clans were outcasts. Would he pardon her?

  “The Voidukas Clan will be glad of your return.”

  Sonya peered up into the trees. The sun made them glow a vibrant dark green. She could always greet death; any day she could chose to meet the sunrise. But for now, she would follow the witch. Her curiosity was pricked and the thought of returning to the Voidukas felt…right.

  Taking a deep breath, Sonya laced her fingers with Kirsa’s. Instantly peace settled over her, quelling her fears, calming her anger, and soothing her soul.

  “A wise decision, one you will never regret,” Kirsa said just before they vanished from the forest.

  Sonya flinched awake. Her lungs painfully expanded, filling with air so cold it burned. Her eyes were sensitive to the dim light that barely illuminated the room.

  Falcon shot to his feet and was at her side in a flash of movement. Lines of stress streaked his face.

  “What happened?” she demanded. Why did her voice sound so weak? Had the hunters found them? Was she injured again? The last thing she remembered had been Falcon kicking the bathroom door down.

  She tried to sit up but he pressed her back against the pillows with a hand on her shoulder.