Chapter 2
She was covered in blood. But had it come from her, or the twelve demons she'd apparently slain?
Her eyes were. . . silver, glowing in the shadows. Which meant Valkyrie. Somehow she was no longer a mere human.
A Valkyrie at Gibson Hall. Holly was indeed the Vessel.
She had her knees drawn up to her chest and was trying to cover her breasts while baring her little claws at him to ward him off. She was trembling with fear and shock, and tears coursed down her blood-splattered face.
It was killing him.
"Easy," he murmured. "I don't want to hurt you. "
Her eyes darted from his horns to those on one of the heads lolling on the stone floor.
"Yeah, I'm a demon, too," he said. "But not at all like them. My name's Cadeon Woede. "
How far had they gotten with her before she'd turned and attacked? Though the carnage looked to have been done some time ago, Holly still had gashes on her arm from the claws of one of these demons.
She might have been turned to a Valkyrie, but she hadn't yet been granted the accelerated healing and immortality of one. Which meant that she was still incredibly vulnerable to harm. Like a human.
Humans die so easily.
"Did they injure more than your arm?"
She finally shook her head.
"Hurt you anywhere? Do I need to get you to a hospital?" he asked, even as he knew that wouldn't work.
Other factions were searching for her. He would be surprised if they hadn't already scried the lightning he'd seen from a distance. Power still sizzled from her and throughout the chamber. New power was easily traceable.
She whispered, "They d-didn't hurt me. "
"Good. I want to help you, Holly. "
She frowned at his use of her name, studying his face.
"We've met before," Cade said, but she was in no way calmed - lightning continued to strike in constant streams. Lightning gave Valkyrie strength, but it also mirrored their emotions.
When he began unbuttoning his shirt to cover her, she gave a cry, and bloody claws swiped out at him. Then she stared in horror at her fingertips.
Just hours ago, she'd been living as a normal human - or near normal with some eccentricities. Now she had become something he never could have predicted. A Valkyrie. Or half one. He hadn't known she'd possessed this latent potential. The shock of the ritual must have triggered the transformation.
If not for this power, she would have been brutalized, her womb offered to the dark god this order of demons worshipped.
When he removed his shirt, she bared her small fangs and hissed, then looked aghast at her reaction.
"There, now, a good hiss never hurt anyone. " He crouched beside her, fighting the urge to clasp her to his chest. "I'm going to put this on you. Easy. . . "
She gazed up at him with eyes wavering between silver and the intense violet he recognized. "Wh-what's happening to me?"
"You know all those creatures you thought were myths?" When she shakily nodded, he said, "Well, they're not. And you're changing from a human to an immortal. "
Which meant it had become possible for Cade to claim her for his own.
And you've just become my target - the Vessel. The means to pay for a sword to kill our enemy.
She equaled the crown he'd worked for nine hundred years to reclaim - the unyielding pursuit that had given him a reason to go on living.
Never had it been so close. . . .
All he had to do was use and betray the woman he'd waited just as long to possess.
3
Holly turned and hunched to button the shirt, peering over her shoulder to keep this Cadeon in sight.
She remembered meeting him before. As if she could ever forget those stunning green eyes. She recalled his accent as well - it sounded like some type of British colonial, and he spoke with an unusual intonation.
Months ago, he'd approached her on campus. Initially he'd been cocky, then grew tongue-tied, stammering, even as he'd boldly studied her figure.
She'd found him weird. And that was before she'd known what had been hidden beneath the hat he'd worn.
Now she could see what had been covered by his shirt as well. His bared chest was rippling with muscles, and he wore a wide gold band just above his bulging bicep.
He was as massive as the others, admittedly one of them. She shuddered, trying to block out the sight of the corpses all around her.
But he looked different as well, his facial features appearing more human. His horns ran back along his head through his tawny hair, instead of jutting forward.
How can I see this well without my glasses? "Why should I t-trust you?"
"Because it's my job to protect you. More will be coming - I'll explain everything later. "
When she still hesitated, he said, "These twelve were just the first round intended for you. "
"First round?" she cried.
A creaking door sounded from somewhere on a floor above them. He shot to his feet. "Come with me if you want to get out of here alive. "
"Wh-where are we going?"
"We're going to run for it. I'll keep you safe, but you'll have to trust me. " He held out his big hand to her.
Seeing no other choice, she took it, and he pulled her up. She was surprisingly steady on her feet, all things considered. Never relinquishing her hand, he led her out of the chamber, then down a murky stone corridor.
When the passageway intersected with an alcove, they spied a group of three males, robed like the ones before, speaking that same odd language. Cadeon pulled her back against the wall, then whispered directly at her ear, "Don't make the smallest sound. You stay here until I return for you. Clear?"
She nodded, and he turned back. As he prepared to attack, the broad muscles in his back grew before her eyes. His horns straightened and blackened.
Her lips parted when he lunged for the others. His speed was mind-boggling, and his roar shook the room, paining her sensitive ears. He snatched the horns of one demon and twisted its head until an audible pop sounded.
As he faced off against the other two, his upper and lower fangs shot longer. He used them like an animal as he bit and clawed.
Had she looked that overcome with rage when she'd killed? Her earlier fearlessness disappeared. When his eyes flooded with black like the other one's had, she shuddered, backing away.
Had she thought him different? I just want to go home. Forget this ever happened. Why should she trust him? I can find my own way out.
Clear of the fray, she hastened in the direction they'd been traveling, eventually stumbling into an open gallery.
More bizarre symbols were stamped into the wooden chairs and stone floor. Ancient-looking tapestries hung on the walls. On a display shelf were skulls that looked human, but they had horns and upper and lower fangs.
Then she saw what appeared to be double doors to the outside. If she could get outside, she could find a car or hide -
Rapid gunshots exploded the plaster just feet to the right of her. She sucked in a breath and dared a glance as she ran to her left. Men aimed machine guns at her with deadly intent.
A second man began shooting from the other direction. Bullets riddled the wall on either side of her, closing in. She darted right, then left once more, blocked each way. The sweep grew closer. . . closer.
A foot away on each side. She froze with terror.
A bellow sounded over the gunfire. Cadeon hurdled the line of bullets to get to her. Scooping her up in his arms, he tucked her against his chest. Just as the shots reached them, he pressed her against the wall until his body covered every inch of hers.
He gritted his teeth when the first bullet hit him, unable to turn to run without risking her. She burst into tears. Two bullets, three, four. . .
He stared down at her, those jet eyes seeming to consume her, and grated, "No more. . . running from me. Yeah?"
/> "Y-yeah," she whispered brokenly, crying harder every time his big body jerked from the impact.
Over his shoulder, he roared at them, a furious warning growl, and she whimpered. His voice a harsh rasp, he said to her, "No, no, female. Shh. " He petted at her tears with huge fingers tipped with short black claws.
The shots abruptly stopped. Holly peered over Cadeon's shoulder. The robed demons were attacking the gunmen.
As the others clashed, Cadeon sprinted toward those double doors with her in his arms. He turned in midstride, hitting the doors with his bullet-riddled back, bursting them from their hinges.
Charging out into the night, he made for an older truck parked off to the side of the manor. After opening the groaning cab door, he tossed her inside on the cracked vinyl seat and followed her in. He pinched the key and turned. Nothing.
"Is the battery dead?" she asked, shaking off some of the shock and fog. "Does this thing still run?" Wrappers and crushed cans littered the floorboards.
"Hey, hey, no