Chapter Nine

 

 

 

Dracen allowed a small smile to turn up her lips as they raced off into the Canadian wilderness. A few moments after they started riding on the sleds, an explosion rang out. She didn’t turn back, just asked the snowmobile for more speed while angling a bit to her left, allowing her to move up alongside Luc.

She thought about his question. She had been reliving their time in bed and creating some new fantasies of her own. Is he able to see what I do now? She slanted her gaze to him, but he was focused on the path ahead of them.

They took risks, pushing their transportation. Rising and falling with the terrain, they bounced, zipped and streaked over as well as around nature. The sun set low in the sky and the moon rose, soon becoming the only source of light aside from their headlights.

Her blood hummed and she hissed as she called forth a sword to her hand. In her periphery she noticed Luc paying attention and adjusting his grip on the weapon he held. Depending on her sign to guide her, she tensed as they continued along the ground. Releasing the handle, she hopped onto the seat then launched herself off. Flipping and striking down with two swords, she cut the demon that appeared before her.

By the time she hit the snowpack, she was surrounded. Focused on the battle before her, the short bursts of his semi-automatic as he killed didn’t register at first. She grimaced when one taloned claw raked along her calf. Flipping her knife, she stabbed the demon in the head.

As the last of her opponents fell, she looked for Luc. He battled one demon with the kama. Above him, the moon had that burning appearance she’d noticed once before. As she moved her gaze back to the man battling, she paused as a large shadow skated along the sky.

Lian?

It looked like a dragon. She nearly took down her shields to ask him if he was there. But she kept them in place at the last second. Eyes back on Luc, she stared as he blocked a high attack then used the second weapon to slice off one wing. While the creature howled in pain, he took its head.

The blood moon shone on him and silver mist surrounded him. It hit her. He was hers. She might not have her artifact, but this man was her mate. He glanced over his shoulder at her. With a singular motion, he put the kama back and strode toward her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, nearing her.

She reached out, gripped his coat and yanked him to her, covering his lips with hers. If he was shocked by her move, it didn’t last long. Their tongues dueled, teeth mashing against one another.

He slipped his arms around her, palming her ass and bringing her as tight as she could be against him. She stared into his eyes, noting again the way more gray had snuck into his irises.

“What was that for? Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

Like with everything else, Dracen gave him the blunt answer. “You’re my mate.”

“About time you figured that out.” He kissed her again. “Let’s go get to that nearby cabin.”

She narrowed her gaze. “How did you know there was a cabin near? It’s not on the map.”

“I don’t know, I just do.” He released her. “How do you know?”

“My sign.”

He didn’t respond, just pivoted and returned to his snowmobile. “Come on.”

Moments later they were weaving through the trees until they came upon a small copse that had a cabin smack in the middle of it. They parked a bit off to the side, utilizing the cover from the trees and she checked the area, beckoning him when she was content it was safe. She started a fire inside while he covered their rides and brought in their gear.

“Why didn’t you tell me you got injured?”

Dracen checked the flames. “Not much to do about it out there. I’ll fix it up now. My sign’s pretty much done most of the work.”

He dropped the bags on the lone table. “How does that work?”

She glanced at him over her shoulder. “How does what work?”

“Your sign healing you?”

“Not really sure. Feels all tingly, and I guess it works from the inside out. Eliminates poison. If it’s really bad, we need Cale to fix us up.”

“Let me look at it.”

Keeping her argument inside, she gave him a small nod. “Sure.” She went to her bag and pulled out another pair of leather pants then got out of the ones she currently wore.

“Christ, I meant once it warmed up in here.”

“I’m fine.”

“Definitely won’t get any argument from me on that, babe.” He neared and crouched by her side. “What do you want on this?”

She yawned. “Green bag of dried herbs in my pack.”

“Stay here.” He strode to her stuff and dug it out. “Does it need water?”

“I’ll use saliva.”

He shoved a pinch in his mouth before she could say another word. His grimace had her smiling. Soon he was back by her side and put some of it on the three-taloned strike.

“That shit is nasty,” he said once it was out of his mouth.

“Not supposed to taste nice, it’s supposed to heal.”

“God,” he complained, “I need a drink.”

She drew on her new pants while he got himself some water and rinsed the first bit out then drank. Then, as she tied back on her boots, he returned to her side and helped her back to her feet.

“Hungry?”

“No.”

“Tough shit. You have to eat.”

“Why ask then, if you’re just going to demand?” She arched an eyebrow at him.

“Wanted to give you the chance to say yes.”

“Sure you did.”

He dug for MREs while she spread out the sleeping bags on the small bed in the cabin. There were no chairs, so they ate side by side on the bed.

“You know your eyes are changing color?”

He paused at her question and had confusion in his gaze when she looked at him.

“What?”

“Your eyes. When we first met, they were forest green.”

He touched the corner of one. “And now?”

“Still green, but with some gray in them.”

“I’ve had gray flecks occasionally in them.”

She shook her head. “Not flecks. Streaks. Almost tiger-stripe like.”

“Do you have a mirror?”

“Bag.”

She finished up her chicken à la king while he checked out his eyes.

“Well, fuck me. I had no idea.”

“You don’t sound too worried.”

“I’m not. If anything, I can see better than I could. I told you I wasn’t as tired and had increased my speed. Well, my eyesight is improving as well.” He returned the mirror and grinned at her. “You’re good for me, babe.”

She brushed off his comment. “We can get about three hours then we need to press on.”

“Let’s get to it, then.” He neared and together they got on the bed, the narrowness pretty much having her lie atop him. “I could get used to you sleeping on me like this, Dray.”

“Sleep, Luc.” I could get used to it as well.

This was the only man who allowed her to feel small, feminine and even delicate, despite what she did. It wasn’t anything she longed to lose. She closed her eyes against the flames in the cabin which were warding off the freezing temperatures. Exhaustion won within moments.

 

* * * *

 

When she woke, the flames had nearly become embers. So warm and cozy, she’d no wish to depart.

“Ready?”

His whispered question made her wish even more that they weren’t in the middle of a hunt. For she wanted nothing more than to explore the hard body beneath her.

Duty first.

“Yes. Let’s get going.” They climbed out and she shrugged into her coat quickly. “Are you staying warm enough?”

“Surprisingly so.” He zipped up his parka.

In the fading light, she rolled up their bedding and tossed them to him. Luc headed out to secure everything on the snowmobiles. She turned on a flat light while she doused the embers in the fireplace.

“I topped off the tanks as well,” Luc announced as he walked back in.

She gave him a thumbs-up then unfolded the map. “We should be there in a few hours.”

“I don’t know if you had the radio on moments ago, but they found another chamber.”

She didn’t waste time putting in her own radio, just took the earbud from him and listened.

“I think this may be the one. I see more gold in this one. We’ll set up a perimeter and keep an eye on the gold. If and when it changes amount, will let you know.”

The voice was gone. She looked at Luc. “Tell me you got the coordinates.”

His grin was pure sex. “Of course.” He pointed at the map. “There.”

“On the other side. I still have to check this one out. Then we go there.”

“Agreed. Unless you want to split up? I take this one and you head for the other one.”

“You don’t know what you’re looking for.”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “And you do?”

He had a point.

 

Luc stared at her, waiting for a response. He loved pushing her, getting past the shell she’d erected for herself. They’d gotten on their rides, engines idling.

“No. We stick together. Seems a bit coincidental that they just now found another one. I think they know we’re here. Let’s stick to the plan.”

“Agreed.”

He winked and blew her a kiss before giving his sled more gas, leaving her to follow.

As expected, moments later she drew even to him. He thought back to the battle before they’d arrived at the cabin. He was in complete awe of her abilities. If this was just one Guardian, the six of them together must be a sight to behold.

The miles slid by as the sun rose. He slipped on his sunglasses, noting that she had hers on as well. At the top of a small crest, he stopped when she did. She killed the motor and he followed suit.

“What’s up?”

“It’s just over that ridge there. I think we should go on foot. They’re already going to be on alert, if we come in on the stolen snowmobiles, I think we’re overplaying our hand.”

“Sounds good. Let’s hide them. We may need them later.”

They hid and covered them before striking out on foot, keeping to the trees and moving at a good pace.

He held up his fist, pleased when she froze beside him. Luc noticed the long blade slide down, this time with a matte coating on it so it didn’t gleam in the sunlight. He tingled when the wing of her sign passed over him—he knew she was searching.

She met his gaze and he directed her with signals. With a sharp nod, she melted back into the trees. It never ceased to amaze him how she did that. In all this bright snow, she wore black and blended like they were in the shadows.

Two men walked into view, muttering about the cold and armed to the teeth.

Don’t kill them, babe.

As they moved by, part of him expected to see them fall to the ground void of life. But they walked on fine and continued on their way. After they’d gone, she reappeared beside him.

“You didn’t kill them.”

“Nope. You wanted them alive for a reason, otherwise you would have eliminated them. So, let’s go. You can tell me on the way.”

“We walk in their tracks.”

“Okay.”

They walked in silence and followed the tracks then came on a small encampment. In the middle he could identify a hole with ladders poking out of the top. All around the camp were armed guards.

“Ideas on how to get down the hole?”

She didn’t speak and he slanted a look to her. Her expression was one he couldn’t make out. It worried him however.

“Dracen?”

“You should go back and head to the other area.”

“What?” This was a complete one-eighty from what they’d planned.

She tipped her head and looked at him. There was a cold acceptance in her gaze and he wasn’t sure why.

“Go.”

“What happened to what we—”

“You need to find a phone that works and get a call off to your father, see if you can track down who’s supplying this expedition.”

“After we see if the artifact is there.”

Something flashed in her eyes, and he knew she longed to argue with him but had tabled it. “Deal. As soon as we learn one way or the other, you get going.”

“Fine.”

He didn’t want to leave her, but if that’s what she needed him to do, then he would do it. “So, that brings us back to how we get there.”

She wrapped her arm around him. “Hold on.”

Everything moved in a blur, and when he blinked away the sting from the rushing wind, they were down in the hole. He shook his head and looked at the woman beside him, weapons ready even as she took everything in.

The itch between his shoulder blades didn’t sit well with him but he focused on the task before him. She indicated she was going to go left to search and the right was his. He slipped off in that direction, impressed by the large chamber.

There was a small side room that, once he cleared, he pulled out his light and shone it around to search for something small, hidden. Wish I knew what I was looking for.

A flash hit him in his mind and he swore he was looking at a masher—like people used to grind up small items in a dish. Rounded on both ends, larger on one than the other. Luc paused for a moment, unsure of what had just happened.

“Do you see anything that looks as if there is a hint of gold around it?” She was in his ear, her voice warm and unintentionally sultry.

“Not yet.” He moved the light to another portion of the wall. “You?”

“Nothing. I did find another room off the small one here so there may be another where you are as well.”

“Will keep an eye out. Dray?”

“Yes?”

“Be careful, will you?”

“Always am.” As suddenly as she’d been in his ear she was gone, leaving him alone with his thoughts and a job to do.

He did find another door and it slid silently open. He waited at the entrance, shining the light all along the framework, checking for any traps. How the hell’d they manage to put a place like this down here? He never would have pegged the Boundary Waters for having this kind of place.

With caution, he stepped into the room. In the moment he went over the threshold to the small space, he knew he would find what they were looking for. His entire body felt like electrodes had been placed upon him and were sending in waves of pulses. Trusting his gut, he snapped off the light, putting it back in his pocket. Allowing his eyes to adjust, he waited.

Sure enough, he picked up on a faint trail of gold.

“Dracen,” he muttered.

“What’d you find?”

“Gold.”

Her presence surrounded him before she ever said a word. One minute he was alone and the next she stood beside him. His nose filled with her subtle scent.

“What do you think?”

“I say we figure out what it’s touching, get the artifact and get the fuck out.”

He moved forward, she kept pace, and they went to the shelf where the trail ended. Small knick-knacks dotted the clay protrusion. She never asked to turn on a light nor did she just add any, but allowed them to remain in darkness.

Luc didn’t touch anything, instead stared to see if he could locate any more gold dust. He also searched for the shape he’d seen in his head. There. Behind a bowl that would probably fetch a pretty price for being so old, he found it. Reaching out, he took hold of it. The smooth material beneath his gloved fingers had him tightening his grip.

“Here,” he said.

She held out her hand and he placed it there. “Why this one? I don’t see gold.”

“I saw it in my mind. That I needed to find this shape.”

“Interesting,” she said. She tugged off her glove and rolled the solid object in her fingers. “Take off your gloves and touch it.”

He listened to her order and placed a finger on the other end. The room filled with silver mist, skimming along his skin and hers. The mist landed in her hair and on her lashes, adding an ethereal glow to her.

“The artifact, I take it?” He couldn’t bring himself to release it.

“We’re complete,” she murmured, awe lining her words.

The ground shifted beneath them and her expression went razor-sharp. She took the item from him and gripped the front of his jacket.

Something was going on. He touched her cheek, swiping his thumb along the silver mist that lingered on her skin.

“You need to go.”

“What?”

“You need to go. Like we discussed. Get that call placed. Shit is going to move fast.”

“You’re going to fight.”

“Yes. Get going.” She pushed him toward the ladder.

The ground shifted once more and they struggled to keep their feet. She was at his back as they dashed to the ladder. He climbed up and turned his head in time to see her landing on the ground beside him. She’d jumped out.

“I should stay.”

“No!” Her tone was sharp. “Get as far away from here as you can.”

Voices grew louder. No, this isn’t right. Something is wrong.

“Dracen.”

She kissed him and he cupped her cheeks, the mist cool on his gloveless hand. “Go.”

He nodded, stared at her a moment longer, then left. Running and leaving her to fight. He got to the snowmobile and ripped off the cover. Hopping on, he started the engine and shot away.

It took him close to fifteen minutes before it hit him. He braked hard and stood as the sled stopped.

“Fuck! That wasn’t mist on her face, those were tears. She was saying goodbye. She’s sacrificing herself.”

He revved the engine before whipping around and rushing back to her. Praying with each tree he blew by that he made it back to her in time.