It was time for the final Stone ceremony.
Adrian laughed as Salvador waded into the water before reluctantly flashing away from the scene of his enemy’s demise, and into one of the many caverns Caden had prepared as the possible ceremonial location. Once again, Adrian became an observer, standing in the back of the lust-laden room filled with naked humans, candles flickering across bare skin. Everywhere he looked, bodies were pressed together in pleasure. Only one man stood without a partner, and that man was Allen. He sat in a corner, rocking back and forth. Adrian could feel guilt coming off the man. How pathetic. He’d come this far to bring his wife back, and now he felt guilty for the three lives that would be lost to empower the stones.
Disgusted at the sight of such weakness, Adrian jerked his gaze away, focusing on the podium in the center of the room, several feel above the collage of bodies. The three robed Stone Masters stood center stage on top of it, waiting, even welcoming, their final moments of life in this realm. A stone lay at each man’s feet.
Excitement flared inside Adrian as Caden weaved his way through the crowd and stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading to the podium. Adrian was so close to embracing Vars’s powers he could almost taste the pleasure of it. Caden spoke into a small microphone and began an underworld chant that Adrian knew well. It was meant to taint the souls of humans, meant to hypnotize. And it worked. It always worked. The humans quickly joined the chant, repeating his words, their desire for one another lost as they walked toward the podium, joining hands and forming a circle. The Stone Masters disrobed, giving their bodies to their cause, as they would soon give their souls. Caden began a slow walk up the stairs, the magic within already called to life, crackling in the air.
Adrian watched as Caden stepped to the center of the podium, watched as blue lightning shot from one stone to its master. Seconds passed, and the master crumbled to the ground. The two others quickly followed. The stones crackled with electricity, glowing blue.
Pleasure filled Adrian. Things were going his way. With the ceremony complete and Salvador out of the way, nothing would stop Adrian from claiming Vars’s magic and his rightful place in the Underworld. Pleasure filled Adrian. Things were going his way.
Chapter 22
For two days the town had been silent, almost normal. A facade that no one believed. And now, the night of the full moon had arrived.
Max stood on the porch of the inn, Des by his side. “You don’t have to do this,” Max reminded Des. “You have a mate now to think about. Go back to the ranch and take care of her.”
Des snorted. “Right. Like me leaving is really going to happen.” His hand went to Max’s shoulder before he leaned on the railing. “Jessica would kick my ass if I deserted you in your time of need. Not to mention I’d never miss a fight like this one.” He sobered. “You helped me save Jessica’s life, man. I am in your debt for eternity.”
“If I have an eternity left,” Max said, his gaze traveling the dark horizon where lightning struck, searching for the trouble, his senses raw with warning.
“You still don’t remember what happened that day, do you?” Des asked.
Max’s gaze shot to Des. “Do you?”
“I was freaking out over Jessica being stabbed. I didn’t see what happened. I wish I had because, man, I don’t believe you went all dark and just killed that man. Not for a minute. You believed in me when I thought I couldn’t be saved. Back at you, brother.” He emphasized the last word, letting Max know he had a new brother, he had Des. “I choose to believe in you now, too.”
His eyes lifted, searched, and he pushed off the railing, tense and alert. “You getting that vibe I’m getting?”
Before Max could say, “Hell yes,” an army of Beasts appeared in the far distance. Jag orbed onto the porch. Rinehart and Rock rushed through the door of the inn. The Knights stood side by side, swords drawn. They all knew a team of their own army would close in from behind the Beasts. Just as they had Knights at the outskirts of the cabin, waiting, ready.
Cathy, Sarah and Edward appeared on the porch. Sarah stepped to Max’s side. “Oh, my God,” she whispered. “There are so many of them.”
“They’re early,” Cathy said. “They shouldn’t be able to do the ritual until midnight. It’s not even nightfall.”
“Apparently, they have other ideas,” Edward commented dryly, back to his normal form.
“Max,” Jag said, his tone clipped, short. “The minute our men attack, you and Des hit the road. Take Sarah and the others to the cabin.”
Max nodded. As much as he didn’t want Sarah at the cabin, her team could stop Allen and Caden from liberating Vars if they worked together with Marisol to counter the magic.
Jag turned to Rinehart and Rock. “Get the humans under cover. I’ll come back for you, with Marisol in tow.”
Black rain began to fall. Hell was calling. Max and Des looked at each other, their shared look saying they were ready to answer that call; they were ready to fight.
And they planned to win.
The van hit a pothole and flew into the air, crashing down to the road with a heavy thud that threw Sarah against Max. Des reached for a handle on the door; Max grabbed Sarah, righting her before she hit the wall of the van. His gut wrenched. He wasn’t going to be able to protect her so easily. Her eyes lifted to his and her hand went to his where it rested on her shoulder. She laced her fingers with his. This was it and they both knew it. Live or die, eternally together, or forever separated. This town, their lives, their futures were on the line. Somehow, Max was certain his test ended here, today, along with this battle to stop Vars—both outcomes uncertain.
“Holy shit!” Edward yelled from the driver’s seat.
Cathy shouted a similar proclamation from beside him. Max pulled away from Sarah to look out the front window, the cabin in their sights. Knights and Beasts were heavy in combat. A Mercedes sat beside the cabin.
Sarah pushed to Max’s side. “They’re here already. Please don’t let us be too late.”
Jag and Marisol appeared in the van. “Stop the van,” Jag ordered.
Edward slammed on the brakes. Marisol moved between Cathy and Edward and took their hands. Jag did the same with Max and Sarah and issued a warning. “We have no idea what we’re headed into. Be ready for anything.”
Marisol offered a grave reminder. “Take your positions around the triangle where Vars will appear, and let Max and Jag deal with Caden and Allen.”
“Right,” Max said. “We’ll break the magic circle and end the ceremony.”
“And get the vial,” Jag added.
“But if they fail,” Marisol said, “we have to be ready to send Vars back to his prison.”
“Looks like I’m the fifth wheel,” Des said. “I’ll be outside kicking ass.” His gaze settled on Max. “I’ve got your back, man. Nothing is getting inside that isn’t already there. Be safe, brother.”
Jag eyed the group. “Ready?”
Sarah and Max stared at each other. “Ready,” they said at once.
Max had barely set foot in the cabin before things spun out of control. The pure evil lacing the air damn near stole his breath, and he knew Vars was stronger now, ready for the freedom they’d come to prevent him from receiving. Caden and Allen were both there already, both wearing black robes, both holding knives. And they were not without protection.
Four Beasts stepped between their team and the ritual area. The drawings on the floor were ready for use. Max wasn’t surprised to find William was one of those Beasts; he’d expected another confrontation. Even welcomed it. Well-armed, the Beasts wore their vinyl-looking armored suits. There was no facade of humanity; the Beasts bared their fangs as quickly as they did their swords. Max wrestled down his fear for Sarah, willing himself to stay focused on the battle. There was no turning back now.
He and Jag placed themselves in front of their group, both drawing their weapons. The Beasts charged forward. With practiced precision, Max and Jag took on two enemi
es each, both quickly beheading the first of their foes. The heads tumbled to the ground in flames that quickly turned to ash.
As Jag dealt with his second opponent, William darted toward Sarah. Edward grabbed her and shoved her behind him. William growled and yanked Edward forward, his fangs sinking into his neck, Edward’s feet dangling from the ground.
Sarah screamed, and the sound sent guilt rocketing through Max’s body. He should have killed William while he had the chance. Rage ripped through him, and Max attacked William’s back. Jag appeared in front of William, pulling Edward from his grip. Max threw William with all his might, and William stumbled, a loud angry sound erupting from his throat. He turned to face Max at the same moment that Max’s sword cut through the air. William’s head tumbled to the ground, turning to ash within seconds.
Without warning, wind erupted in the room, throwing things everywhere, hissing with evil bliss. You could feel its menacing quality, its impatience for the demon prince to be freed.
“The ritual has started!” Cathy yelled over the chaos from where she leaned over Edward’s limp body. “Break the circle.”
Max turned to see Caden and Allen slice their palms, bleeding into the circle. Vars appeared inside the triangle, one step closer to freedom. His deep, evil laugh resonated eerily through the room.
Before Max could stop her, Sarah dashed toward the circle, brave, without hesitation. Max’s heart kicked into double time, concern for Sarah pushing him forward. She crossed the line of the circle before he could get to her and Vars roared with anger.
“Adrian!” he shouted, and then faded away, back into his hell hole.
The circle broken, the ritual had temporarily come to a halt. But they needed the vial to stop it permanently and Sarah grabbed it from Allen’s neck and yanked. Max appeared at the edge of the circle and ripped Sarah from its confines an instant before Caden’s blade would have claimed her. She stumbled backward onto the ground. Max stripped Caden of his knife, and shoved him far out of the circle, his peripheral vision catching Allen diving for Sarah and the vial.
Sarah. He had to save Sarah.
Max turned to find her on her back, Allen crouched over her as they struggled for the vial. Max bent over Allen and grabbed his shirt, the blade he’d just removed from Caden in his hand—throwing it down would be handing it over to Caden again. Before he could get a good grip on Allen, Caden pounced on his back. Max tried to hold the weight, fearful of all three men falling on top of Sarah. He saw Jag’s boots, knew he was going after Caden. But Allen panicked and shoved upward. To Max’s horror the blade he held ripped through Allen’s back.
Everything seemed to fade into slow motion. Memories assailed Max. Memories of the day he killed the human. The man had turned into his blade much as Allen had now. The entire scene replayed in his mind with brilliant clarity. Max squeezed his eyes shut, realizing for the first time that killing the human had indeed been an accident. He hadn’t lost control, hadn’t allowed his dark side to kill.
Feeling the weight of Caden yanked off his back, Max rolled off Allen. Briefly, his gaze flicked to Jag as he shoved Caden out the front door, into the mix of the battle still raging beyond these walls. Then Max’s attention returned to Allen.
Max lifted Allen off of Sarah. The knife was deep in his back. Max’s eyes locked with Sarah’s and relief flooded him when he noted she was unhurt. The vial remained in her hand, crushed, glass splintered in her palm.
Assured of Sarah’s safety, his concerns returned to Allen. Please, God. Don’t let him die. Not again. Not Allen. “Marisol!” he shouted, bending down over Allen, desperate to somehow make this right.
Sarah tossed the vial aside, scrambling to her knees, ignoring any pain she might feel as she crouched next to Max.
Her good hand went to Max’s back. “It was an accident Max. An accident.” She called out as he had. “Marisol!”
Marisol was finally there kneeling beside Allen. She touched his head as if she would find answers there. Max held his breath as he waited for her conclusion and he sensed Sarah did the same.
She glanced up at Max. “Remove the knife.”
He nodded and did as she said. “Please tell me you can fix him.”
“I can.”
Max exhaled, relief washing over him. Relief that lasted only a minute as Adrian appeared beside the ritual circle, four Beasts by his side. “You will pay for interfering in my plans,” he said. “The Knights will lose their leader this day. Jag will die.” Two more Beasts appeared in the room. Then two more.
Max shoved to his feet, stepping to Jag’s side. Neither Knight looked at the other, both ready for battle.
Sarah took in the sight of the man who’d promised Jag’s death. He wore black leather, his long blond hair and muscular body making him look more Sex God than demon. But there was no mistaking the pure evil surrounding him. She pushed to her feet, sick to her stomach, certain that death would follow.
In astonishment, she watched another man appear in front of Jag and Max; his presence was like a shield. She could see only his back, his long black hair, his simple clothing of jeans and T-shirt. But just as there was no mistaking the other man’s evil, there was no mistaking this man’s power. “Hello, Adrian,” the newcomer said. “Sorry I’m late. Did I miss anything?”
The man, Adrian, contorted into a beastly image. “Salvador! You can’t be here. I stripped your powers.”
“You should never underestimate me, Adrian. Your Water of the Damned was nothing but a temporary thorn in my side. Consequently, I’ve sealed Vars’s prison. He won’t be coming out anytime soon. And I believe one of your Beasts already dealt with Caden. You seem to be the only loose end. I’d suggest you and your Beasts retreat before I send you to join Vars. I filled him in on your plan to steal his demon legions. I’m certain he’d welcome a visit from you right about now.”
Adrian pointed at Salvador, the act ominous, threatening. A laugh bubbled from Salvador’s throat. Rich. Pure. It rippled down Sarah’s spine. Was he an angel? Sarah wondered.
“Please do give me a reason to strike back,” Salvador challenged, his voice laced with a taunt. Adrian hesitated before his hands balled by his sides. A second later, he thrust his fist forward and fire shot at Salvador. Palm up, Salvador received the fire, throwing it back at Adrian. A wild eruption of fireballs went back and forth, one after the other until Salvador and Adrian stood in a face-off, neither a victor nor a failure. With red, blazing eyes, Adrian glared at Salvador, the entire room crackling with his menace. There was no doubt a vicious battle could evolve from this confrontation, no doubt the danger of just that was but a hair from conception.
Abruptly, Adrian thrust his head back in the air and roared, the entire building shaking with the impact. When he finally calmed, his chin tilted downward and his stare fixed once again on Salvador. “This isn’t over. Mark my words—in the not-so-distant future your Knights will fall to my Beasts. And I will revel in watching you suffer through their pain.”
Fire erupted around him, and he and his Beasts disappeared. Max turned to Sarah and pulled her close. She clung to him, seeing the tension in his face. The worry in his eyes spoke volumes. He thought this was it. His final moments.
Salvador rotated around to face those who observed him but he appeared to see only Max and Sarah. That’s when she saw his eyes. Green, serene, devastating in their impact. His features were not handsome, yet he was beautiful beyond belief. She shook as he approached, but not from fear.
“Hello, Sarah. I’m Salvador.”
“Hello,” she replied, at a loss for anything more brilliant to say.
“You’ve done well,” he said. “Your parents are proud. They want you to know they are always with you.”
Tears came instantly, because Sarah knew, absolutely knew, he had spoken to them. She collapsed against Max, shaken to the core.
“Max,” Salvador said. “You, too, have done well. You selflessly refused to find the peace Sarah would have given
you. You put her first. Over and over, I have watched you fight your darkness. Even when you thought you had no hope of survival, you fought to help Des find his. You had faith in everyone but yourself, and I couldn’t allow that. Ultimately, it weakened you and it would have led to your destruction.”
He smiled. “Now you have Sarah. I’m quite certain you have another four centuries to give me, don’t you?”
“As long as you will have me,” Max said, his voice cracking.
“I’d say an eternity should do,” Salvador said, smiling. Sarah’s heart swelled and she hugged Max tighter than she’d ever hugged anyone.
He kissed her, his hands framing her face, his finger wiping the tears from her cheeks. “And as long as you will have me.”
“An eternity should do,” she whispered.
“One more thing,” Salvador said, drawing their attention. “Cathy is the mate of a future Knight. I’d like you both to look out for her, though I’ve arranged a big brother of sorts for her.” His gaze shifted to Sarah. “Edward will be joining the Knights. I trust you can deal with mediating Cathy and Edward’s arguments a little longer?”
Sarah smiled, laughter bubbling from her throat. “Oh, yes. I believe I can.”
“Good. Good. And don’t worry about Allen. Marisol will wipe his memories and he will live a long life. How he spends the afterlife comes down to how he lives that long life. But he still has hope of seeing his wife again one day.” He winked at Sarah. “Kate is quite appreciative by the way.” He motioned Jag forward. “Jag and I will ease the town back into their comfort zone. I thought the two of you might enjoy heading to the ranch and settling in.”
Sarah looked up at Max, happiness shining in his eyes. “Yes,” they said together.
Salvador touched them both, filling them with warmth. Sarah and Max disappeared and reappeared on the front lawn of a house.
Max smiled down at her. “Welcome to the ranch. The home of The Knights of White, and your home—our home together—if you decide to make it so.” He pressed his fingers to her lips before she could respond. “And don’t say you’ve already decided. I’ve waited four centuries for you, Sarah. I can wait a little longer. I need to know you come to me not out of duress, not out of the heat of danger. Be here. Be with me. Then make your choice.”