Shadow Dweller - Redemption Part 8

"Not without permission."

She glanced over her shoulder at the shadows, her brow furrowed. Val squeezed her hand rea.s.suringly.

"Don't worry, I'm not without a plan."

"Yeah, but did you tellthem that?"

He grinned as he closed his eyes and reached inside himself. Sending out his energy, he sought Maeve within the confines of the house. Finding her, he bade her come outside and let them in.

Within seconds, the front door opened and Maeve stepped outside, a knife held before her in a defensive stance. Behind her lurked a man who wasn't Sinjin.

"Val?" Maeve peered into the darkness.

"Just your friendly neighborhood vampires come to pay a call." "Well, come in. Why are you standing here?" Her tone was bewildered.

"They can't come in until we invite them." The stranger stepped around her.

Judging from the leashed energy he exuded, here was the witch who'd laid the circle. Tall and blond, his gaze was direct and unfaltering as he approached. Any man who'd stare an elder vampire in the eye was a man to be reckoned with. Val made a mental note to keep a close eye on this one.

"How do we invite them in?" Maeve slid her knife into her boot and followed the stranger.

"Pick up the sword and say 'All who walk in light are welcome here.'"

Val resisted the urge to smile. Whoever he was, he was smart. If those who dared to breach the circle were of dark intent, harm would befall them. What that harm would consist of would be interesting to see.

The chilling slide of steel over stone brought his attention back as Maeve lifted the sword. Her voice was soft and even as she repeated the witch's words and stepped back to allow them entrance.

Val squeezed Shai's hand, then stepped past the salt line, pulling her with him. Power flowed warm over his skin, and he heard her utter an inarticulate gasp before the wave subsided, leaving them unharmed within the confines of the circle.

As Maeve and Shai threw their arms around one another for a hearty hug, Val's gaze met the stranger's over their heads. He and Shai had pa.s.sed the first test, but there would be more.

An off-key whistle pierced the night, causing them to turn. Two of the minions broke from the shadows and flew at the unprotected opening. Without a sound, the stranger grabbed the sword from Maeve's hand and pushed both women out of harm's way. Just as the creatures reached the ring of salt, he replaced the sword on the ground pointing out.

With a flash, one of the minion's brown robes burst into flames. It screamed, a piercing, animal-like sound, as it flailed about, the flames increasing. It collapsed into a burning pile just outside the ring, the scent of burnt wool and cotton candy permeating the night.

The other one, seeing the demise of its cohort, came to an abrupt halt in mid- air. A low hiss emitted from the hood and it moved away, zipping back to those waiting near the woods.

Val had grabbed Shai's arm as she moved forward to inspect the receding flames and pulled her into his arms. Now that she was secure by his side, he looked at the stranger, who watched him with a guarded, yet approving, expression.

The lines were drawn. No matter what happened, both men would do whatever they could to s.h.i.+eld their women from harm.

"What do you think is wrong with Sinjin?"

Quinn heard the apprehension in Maeve's voice. He glanced at her stone-faced friend. Whatever thevampire was thinking, none of it showed in his expression.

"She's leeching his powers." Val spoke. "I've never seen anything like it.""How does she get past Sinjin's 'guards'?" Shai asked.

"She's obviously very determined," Val said.

Maeve frowned. "Why? What does she want from him?"

Val shrugged. "I don't know for sure, possibly to kill him. By stealing his power, she's rendering him vulnerable to her. Vampires acquire various powers as they age, some more than others. Mortianna is taking them away, one by one, literally stealing his life force."

"She's using theA' bhais Cadail ." Quinn caught Maeve's startled gaze across Sinjin's unconscious body.

Good. Let her see firsthand what the spell she seeks could do.It destroys lives.

She looked away.

"How can we break the spell?" Val spoke.

"We can't."

"What do you mean we can't?" Shai stepped forward. "We can't just stand here and watch Sinjin die."

"There's no counterspell that I know of." Quinn shook his head. "You have to understand what it is and what it's used for. She's put St. James into something like a trance. In this dream state, Mortianna can perpetrate any ill upon him she wishes. If he were awake and aware, he'd could fight back, but, as is, he's a sitting duck."

"What if we move him?" Sunni laid her hand on Sinjin's arm. "What if she couldn't find him?"

"Wouldn't matter. There's nowhere on earth we can hide him where Mortianna wouldn't find him."

"Wehave to do something," Sunni squeaked. "We can't just let her kill him."

"What about Mac?" asked Shai. "Can he do something?"

Maeve shook her head. "Both Mac and Fayne are still in Colorado, trying to find Renault." She looked at Quinn, her expression solemn. "I don't think we have much time."

Quinn looked at the still face of the vampire. He had the face of a warrior, strong and still, yet humanity lurked also. Laugh lines around his eyes and mouth proclaimed him as kind. It was easy to see how he'd beguiled Bliss. But a question nagged, one that he needed answered.

"Did Bliss love him?" he asked of the room at large.

"Very much so." Val answered. "She was an exceptional woman, and her loss is felt very deeply right here." He touched his breastbone in a gesture that conveyed his sorrow. "Many years ago, they were head-over-heels in love and completely inseparable. She'd begged Sinjin to make her immortal as she couldn't bear the thought of ever parting from him." "I thought all witches were immortal," Sunni spoke.

"They can be." Quinn said. "Some are born that way while others use magic to achieve it. No one knows exactly how old Mortianna is, nor do I know if her immortality is magic or innate."

"I think Bliss wanted more than her mother would allow. She told me witchcraft wasn't something that came easily to her. She tried a love spell for a friend once, and the man in question ended up falling in love with her twin instead." Val shook his head. "It was a constant source of strife between her and Mortianna."

"It takes more than being born of a witch tobe a witch." Quinn acknowledged.

"After Sinjin transformed her, she lost what little powers she'd possessed." Val continued. "Mortianna was enraged and came after both of them. Only her love for her daughter kept her from killing Sinjin.

Bliss was literally between a rock and a hard place. She made her mother swear to leave Sinjin alone. In exchange, she broke her relations.h.i.+p with him."

Quinn nodded. This part of the story he knew well. Mortianna had kept her word and Sinjin had lived in peace. But all bets had died with Bliss.

Now Sinjin would die because he'd dared to love a daughter of light.

He shook his head. So much waste. His sister was dead, her lover dying-his mother ruling like a macabre puppet-master who pulled strings at will. When would Mortianna learn that one should never tryst with the fates? To damage someone else for personal gain went against everything he valued. Lives were being lost, and for what?

It was time to end it.

"There's one thing we can try." He met Maeve's shuttered gaze. "I need you to find me some light-colored paint." He turned to Sunni and Shai. "I need you to bring the candelabra from the upper gallery. The ones that hold the single, tall, fat white candles-I need five. Put them in the dining room."

Sunni and Shai scrambled from the cramped room with Maeve following at a slower pace. Her expression was quizzical, yet she said nothing. He nodded rea.s.suringly and she walked out the door.

"We need to get him out of here."

Val's brow furrowed as he a.s.sessed the walls of the underground chamber. "You're sure?"

He nodded. "While vampires feel safer below ground, I can help him more if he's above. Being underground is unnatural for us."

"You're the boss."

With his vampire strength, Val lifted Sinjin from his deathbed and slung him over one shoulder. Quinn picked up the torch, one corner of his brain noting the incongruity of his actions. Vampires were creatures of darkness and many of them, even after having aged to the point of being able to walk in the daytime, spent their lives as such. Now, he was about to introduce Damien St. James to the light.

Maeve adjusted the small pillow under Sinjin's head as Shai straightened the white cotton sheet covering him. They were almost ready. She stepped back, watching to avoid the still-damp pentagram painted on the floor. The pale-blue figure wasn't perfectly even, but she hoped it would do. Art had never been her strongest subject in school.

The scene was eerily reminiscent of Bliss' funeral chamber, minus the flowers and gla.s.s coffin. Even the minions were in attendance this evening. Beyond the windows, the darkness was complete, but she could feel their malevolent presence, waiting, watching.

"They can see us." Her voice came out scratchy.

"Let them." Quinn stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She resisted the urge to lean into his warmth if only for a few seconds. "Mortianna will know within minutes what we're about to do. The minions will carry the tale directly to her."

She nodded and looked across the p.r.o.ne body of her friend to where Val stood, one arm around Shai and the other around Sunni. Shai stared out the window, scowling into the darkness as if she could see them hovering, waiting for an opening. Every now and then, she flashed her fangs as if to warn them away.

Sunni's fingers were curled into small fists, worry lining her lovely face. In her lifetime, she'd been a flapper, flower child and an artist. She was a gentle soul who only wanted to love her friends and enjoy her limitless life. Adversity, struggle and the unpleasantness of life were alien to her.

Her gaze traveled to Val. He could more than take care of himself. Shai and Sunni were the most vulnerable, but they'd be safe as long as Quinn and Val were around.

She reached up and patted Quinn on the hand he'd rested on her shoulder. "Thank you for what you're doing. They mean a great deal to me."

He chuckled. "And you mean a great deal to them."

Disturbed, she pulled out of his loose embrace. She didn't deserve their friends.h.i.+p, or his tenderness. If Quinn knew about her past and her plans for revenge, he'd abandon her just like her family.

She heard his sigh and knew that, once again, she'd baffled him. "What do we need to do now?" She asked.

"I'm going to meditate, then we're going to cast a spell. You and everyone else can relax for a while.

You'll need to take your positions at five 'til midnight."

She looked at her watch to confirm the time. They had fifteen minutes before the show began. She raised her head, watching Quinn as he walked to the central point of the pentagram surrounding Sinjin.

Moving about ten feet north of the point, he dropped into an easy crouch, then lowered himself to sit cross-legged.

Their gazes locked and a tremor of apprehension sparked to life. He gave her a small wink, and her fear faded as answering warmth bloomed in her chest. He removed his shoes, then his s.h.i.+rt, setting them aside. Placing his hands palm up, one on each knee, he nodded before closing his eyes. A chill raced down her spine.

He was lost to her in more ways than one.

Chapter 8.

"We're ready to begin."

Quinn's soft words jolted her into action. Pulling the lighter out of her pocket, Maeve lit the fat, white candle in the floor candelabrum in front of her. She glanced around the room to see Val, Shai and Sunni doing the same.

Barefoot, Quinn walked to the edge of the pentagram near the central point of the star. He wore baggy, white cotton pants and a matching, oversized, long- sleeved s.h.i.+rt. Runic symbols in gold thread decorated the hem of the s.h.i.+rt. His expression was solemn and his mannerisms calm and confident.

He withdrew a fat vial of clear liquid from his pocket. Opening the cap, he dipped his fingers in the substance.

"Guardians of All that is righteous." He anointed the candle, starting in the middle then moving up. "I call upon you to attend our circle here." He started in the middle once again, this time moving down to the base. One by one, he walked to each of the remaining candles aligned with the points of the pentagram and performed the same ritual.

Once completed, he returned to the center point.

"I call to you, G.o.ddess, to attend our circle here." He raised his hands toward the ceiling. "Our G.o.ddess of the moon reigns over all who attend me tonight. Those who strive to subvert her work have no power within this circle."

The icy finger of a breeze tickled the back of her neck as the temperature in the room dropped. Maeve s.h.i.+vered and barely managed to resist looking over her shoulder to see what stood behind her.

"I call upon the power of the G.o.ddess to set the darkness to light within this sacred place. Banish that which is ill and protect that which is yours by right and natural law."

Cool air washed down her back, causing gooseflesh to break out on her skin and the candles to flicker.

"Hold your children to your bosom and cast out what is malignant. Those who serve themselves by doing only harm are not welcome here."

Her vision wavered as a slight movement caught her attention. She blinked, staring hard at the area several inches from Sinjin's chest. Smoke appeared to seep from the front of his s.h.i.+rt just above his heart.

She glanced at the others to see if they'd noticed the phenomenon, but they were paying rapt attention to Quinn's ritual.

"Protect your child, Damien St. James, so he may work in your name. Nas miosa imich an seo-a mhainan leus failte."

The smoke thickened with each word. With a wave of his hand, Quinn urged Val to join with him in the chant. As his voice joined the witch's, Maeve turned to see Val had noticed the smoke and was now staring at it with an expression of fascinated horror.

"Nas miosa imich an seo-a mhain an leus failte."

The small cloud began to thicken and enlarge.

"Nas miosa imich an seo-a mhain an leus failte."

It swirled like a miniature thunderhead.

"Nas miosa imich an seo-a mhain an leus failte."