Mystik Warrior: (Dark Warrior Alliance Book 2) Read online

  “That won’t be a problem. We’ve linked our energies for centuries, but we will need all our focus to be successful,” Gerrick replied. He was right. Jace needed to keep his head in the game. Ever since he had rescued Cailyn, his mind had been preoccupied with her, and he needed to be on his A-game if they were going to succeed.

  Instinctively, Jace’s finger traced the moon and nighthawk etched in his silver cuff. His father had given him the Cuff de Draiocht when he passed his stripling years, and his words came back to him. His father had told him that the cuff couldn’t be removed once it was placed on his wrist, and that it provided Jace with immense power. When Jace encountered new or stressful situations, all he had to do was touch the cuff and access what waited beneath the surface. Unfortunately, when he had been chained in Angelica’s dungeon, he was unable to access its power. He hoped it didn’t fail him now.

  “Let’s get Zander and Bhric and head out,” Jace told Gerrick. He was ready to be on the road.

  *****

  “Shit, Nikko,” Jace cursed at the council member flying the plane, “can you cruise at a higher altitude for fucks sake?” Jace barked as they hit another pocket of turbulence and his nausea surged again. Recalling the all-too-brief kiss he had shared with Cailyn wasn’t helping matters. It struck him that he had never felt ill for so long after an encounter with a female. Then again, he had never been aroused like he was at the merest thought of her. It didn’t help that images of her naked and spread on his bed plagued him about every five seconds.

  “Working on it Jace. Hey, can someone bring me one of those sandwiches and a drink?” Nikko hollered from the cockpit. Nikko was one of the most even-keeled males Jace knew, which was why he was the best suited to train new Dark Warriors.

  “Aye, but all you get is a coke because you did a shite-job of stocking the bar. What’s up with that? You knew we were going to be on the plane for several hours,” Bhric griped as he reclined in the pale leather seats.

  “Fuck you, lush. Do it yourself next time,” Nikko teased. Jace would bet his last dollar that Zander had told Nikko to remove all the alcohol from the plane given Bhric’s tendency to overindulge. Hoping to settle his stomach, Jace got up and made his way to the fridge and grabbed a soda.

  “I will. And, when I do I’ll bring some lasses along with the booze. Why do we even have a bed back there if I canna pound a willing nymph into the springs?” Bhric shot back.

  Jace also grabbed a sandwich then handed them both to Nikko before he sat back down. Unable to relax, he crossed and uncrossed his shit-kicker over his knee, pulling at a loose string on his faded blue jeans. Sweat dripped down his spine and his heart raced as images of him putting that bed to use with Cailyn filled his overactive imagination. He wanted to punch Bhric in the face for putting that image in his head. He was wrongly blaming the male, but he was okay with that.

  Needing a distraction, he ran through preparations in his mind. “Who is meeting us when we land?” he asked Zander.

  Zander finished off his food and lobbed the trash into the can in the corner. “Aison and Luke will meet us at Lakefront and take us back to Les Augres Manor.” Jace smiled at the mention of the New Orleans Dark Warrior compound. He hadn’t been there in at least a century.

  “I say we go straight to the voodoo shops Micah researched, not the manor,” Gerrick proposed. For once, Jace appreciated how focused Gerrick always was on the mission at hand. The warrior was the epitome of ruthless focus and determination.

  Jace wanted to get this done and get back to Cailyn. Oddly enough, he already missed her. Her scent…her body. He wanted more of Cailyn. The kiss he stole was a tease. He wanted to trail his lips and tongue across her mouth to her neck and lower to her breasts and then even lower to her sex.

  He imagined her head thrown back with her eyes screwed shut while her back bowed off the bed with her release. Would she scream out her pleasure? She was going to be a sight when he got her beneath him. His cock hardened, bringing on more nausea, reminding him why this little fantasy was destined to remain just that…a fantasy. But he still wanted more than anything to enjoy this erotic fantasy.

  He had never been more bitter or angrier about Lady Angelica’s torture. For the millionth time he considered hunting Lady Angelica down and ripping her limb from limb. He knew he wouldn’t, and hated that he didn’t understand what stopped him.

  From the time Zander rescued him six centuries before, he had planned to exact his revenge for the torture he suffered at her hands. Countless times he had outlined his strategy, but something stopped him every time he attempted to take action. He questioned if magic was at play, but dismissed the notion, as he was unable to detect anything. He left the past and refocused on the present.

  “I agree with Gerrick. We have the names of some voodoo shops. I say we don’t delay and start right away. It’s going to take some time to find an authentic Mambo, and then convince her to disclose Marie’s location,” Jace suggested as he restlessly shifted in his seat.

  “Sounds good, but I’m going to call Aison and make sure he brings booze and beignets to the airport, and lines up a lass or two for later,” Bhric said between bites of his sandwich. “I for one, need to get drunk then laid.”

  “Dude, why do you always lead with your dick?” Gerrick scoffed.

  “Because my dick usually leads me…straight to Annwyn,” Bhric chuckled as a big smile spread across his face. Jace rolled his eyes at Bhric’s brash sense of humor. This was going to be a long trip.

  *****

  “Hell no! You aren’t leaving,” Orlando insisted. “You heard what Zander said.”

  Elsie threw her hands up in exasperation. She wasn’t helpless any longer. She was a strong vampire, and she had a friend she needed to talk to. “I am going, Orlando. Zander cannot dictate everything I do. I can protect myself. I killed skirm before you guys came along and now I am a powerful vampire. You know I can kick some serious ass. This is important to me. I have to be the one to tell her about the dangers to SOVA. I care about her and the others, more than you know. Besides, she’s more likely to listen to me,” Elsie said as she climbed behind the wheel of Rhys’ Denali. She yelped when Rhys picked her up and tossed her into the passenger seat.

  “Unlike him, I get that you are going, but I’m driving, sweet cheeks. That’s how I roll,” Rhys purred, insinuation dripping from every word. It was easy for Elsie to ignore the cambion’s innuendos, because nearly every comment he made was sexual in nature. It’s just how he was.

  She rolled her eyes. “You are such a chauvinist, but thank you. I didn’t want to go alone.”

  “You are the most stubborn female I have ever met,” Orlando grumbled as he jumped into the backseat. “I just got back into Zander’s good graces. He is so going to kill me, or remove vital body parts. I like my body parts where they are and in working order, thank you very much.” She glanced back and laughed when she noticed the grimace as Orlando protectively cupped his groin.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they stay where they are,” she promised.

  The garage door on the far right opened and Kyran pulled in. Crap, she wanted to be gone before he returned. He, unlike the others, would not hesitate to chain her up to keep her in the house. She chewed her lip when he loped over to them and tapped on her window. “So, where are we off to?”

  “I am going to meet with Mackendra from SOVA—”

  Orlando cut her off. “She insists on leaving the compound.”

  She ignored him and continued talking, “so I can inform her about the death of her friend and warn her about the danger and the police involvement—”

  Orlando’s voice rose above hers, trying to drown out her words as he continued, “She won’t listen to reason and let me and Santiago handle this.”

  Again, she ignored Orlando. “And, they are coming along to protect me. Want to join us?” she finished, figuring she wasn’t going to win with Kyran, given her brother-in-law’s protectiveness of her. Beside
s, it couldn’t hurt to have more warriors with her.

  Rhys laughed at Orlando’s groan when Kyran nodded and silently climbed into the other back seat. The air became thicker in the quiet of the vehicle as they pulled out of the compound. The three hulking men took all the free space in the vehicle. Elsie felt claustrophobic with them surrounding her and rolled down her window, letting in fresh air.

  Kyran finally broke the silence as they drove across town. “So what’s the plan?”

  “You guys are going with me so I can speak to Mackendra. She is the leader of SOVA and my friend, so you guys need to hide your weapons and don’t be so intimidating. This woman is a soldier and won’t miss anything. Friend or not, she will be skittish if she suspects something. I haven’t told her that I am a vampire, and I don’t think it is a good idea that she knows that right now. She has hunted skirm for many years and would likely shove a dagger in my chest if she knew.”

  “Sounds like my date from Saturday night,” Rhys quipped.

  “Be careful of your emotions, Elsie. You are new to vampirism, and your control is so-so at best. Your fangs tend to come down and your eyes glow when you get riled up,” Orlando warned when they parked close to the busy square.

  “Okay,” she breathed as she climbed out of the car. Control, she told herself. Remembering that was going to be a challenge. She wasn’t going to back down now though, she considered this woman her friend. After all, Mack had helped her through the toughest times of her life.

  Mackendra was easily spotted across the crowd with her short, spiky, black hair and sleeve of tattoos. She grinned to herself as she read the pink t-shirt stretched across Mackendra’s ample bosom. The woman was an activist to the core, sporting a top that read ‘Check Your Boobies Bitches’ with a pink ribbon. The message was clear, and cut to the chase, much like the wearer. Elsie wanted a shirt for herself.

  “Hey, thanks for meeting me,” she called out as they approached. She embraced Mackendra and held her close for a moment. She had missed her friend. “I love your shirt.”

  Mackendra looked down then met her gaze with a small smile. “I wear it in honor of my aunt. One in eight women are affected by breast cancer, and we’ve got to get the message out. It’s been way too long, El. What happened to you? And who are your new friends?” Mackendra eyed the guys suspiciously, lingering on Kyran for several moments.

  Elsie noticed the dichotomy between Kyran and Rhys. Kyran stood rigidly with his arms crossed over his chest while and Rhys was flirting with a couple women to their left. Rhys was no surprise, but something was up with Kyran. His tension was palpable. She didn’t have time to ferret that out at the moment though, and focused back on Mack.

  “I’m sorry for not calling sooner. My life took an unexpected, but wonderful turn,” Elsie said then turned to the guys. “This is Detective Orlando Trovatelli. He is one of the detectives who investigated my first husband’s murder.”

  Mackendra’s head snapped back to Elsie, then Orlando, and returned to Kyran, whose eyes had yet to leave the female’s face. “You said first husband. Does that mean you remarried?” Elsie wasn’t surprised that her friend had honed in on that little fact.

  Elsie felt bad for not including her friend in her life of late, but didn’t allow the censure to rile her. “Yes, I have and I want to tell you all about it, but that’s a story for another time. Orlando and I are here for much less pleasant conversation, I’m afraid.”

  Orlando stepped forward and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you Ms. Callaghan.”

  After a few seconds consideration Mackendra shook Orlando’s outstretched hand. “I’m not sure if it’s nice or not. What can I do for you?” Elsie had missed Mack’s direct and brash personality. With her, what you saw was what you got.

  “Ms. Callaghan, I wanted to ask you about a member of your organization. Elsie told me that you formed the vigilante group SOVA. I’m sure you are aware there have been a rash of unexplained murders in the city...well, we found one victim wearing a SOVA jacket.”

  “Oh God, no. Who?” Mackendra’s voice cracked.

  “That’s the problem. We aren’t sure. She was a Caucasian with dark brown, shoulder length hair, approximately five feet six inches tall, and around one hundred thirty pounds. That’s all we have at this point,” Orlando replied gently.

  “I was thinking it may be Ellen,” Elsie suggested.

  Mack turned back to Elsie and then once again turned to Kyran who was staring intently at Mack. “Could be. I haven’t heard from her for a few days, but there are a couple women in my organization who could meet that description. Can you tell me more?” Mackendra asked, crossing her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts against the tight t-shirt. Elsie heard Kyran suck in a breath before he darted off. She wasn’t sure what was up with him, and didn’t have time to decipher it.

  “What the fuck is his problem? And, how did he move so fast?” Mackendra demanded. Elsie wanted to curse at Kyran. There was no way Mack was going to miss his movements.

  She glanced around and saw Kyran standing in an alley then turned back to Mack. Kyran had taken a huge risk by showing his preternatural speed. “I have no idea. He is difficult to understand on the best days. We are here because my new friends care about the victims of these evil creatures as much as we do. They have fought against them far longer than even you have. I haven’t given up the fight, either, and have been working with them. We want to help keep you guys safe. There have been reports that there has been an increase in the number of women who have gone missing. After finding this latest victim, the police are now looking into SOVA and ways to stop your patrols.”

  “I can’t believe you left us for some guy. I never pegged you for one of those women, but I appreciate your help now,” Mack said, looking around, likely searching for Kyran. The woman never let anything go. It gave Elsie time to calm her nerves before her vampiric nature slipped. Showing Mack her fangs or glowing eyes would earn her a dagger in the heart.

  “That’s not fair, Mack. I never left the cause. I have done far more than you know,” Elsie protested.

  “So, do you have anything else you can tell me?” Mackendra asked Orlando, ignoring her completely.

  “She had a bite mark on the left side of her neck and a dove tattooed on her right wrist. You’re being too harsh on Elsie. And, you have been misinforming your members. Vampires do exist, but what attacked you and your friends weren’t vampires. They are called skirm, minions created by archdemons. Now, what can you tell me about your friend? I’d like to notify her family,” Orlando responded.

  “I don’t even know where to begin with all that. Are you telling me that vampires are real, but they aren’t evil? I know evil. Evil did this to me and so many others,” Mack spat as she pulled the neck of her shirt away to reveal her scars. “And, you were right, Elsie, it was Ellen. I will tell her family,” Mack insisted, and Elsie noticed the weight Mack carried, weighing her down even more.

  Elsie hoped that their friendship wasn’t ruined as she tuned them out while Orlando clarified the difference between vampires and skirm and they began to talk about the dangers and how the two groups could collaborate. She looked around for Kyran, surely he hadn’t left. Where the hell was he? Rhys was still happily flirting with the humans, and finally saw Kyran pacing in front of the fountain.

  He was clearly struggling with something. Their eyes locked across the square and he shook his head then vanished. Elsie wanted to throttle her brother-in-law for sifting in the presence of so many humans. Fifty feet away Elsie saw him reappear in a dark alley. He looked at Mackendra one more time and took off running. She looked over at Rhys who had ditched the bimbos and was gaping in shock. The last thing they needed with Zander out of town was Kyran going off the deep end.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “This whole city is filled with fakes and phonies,” Bhric grumbled. He hadn’t gotten his booze, babes, or beignets. Normally, Jace would have laughed and made sure to visit a realm club to allo
w the vampire an outlet, but today he had no patience for anything but the mission. He had to find a cure for Cailyn, and time was of the essence. He didn’t allow himself to scrutinize why this was such a driving force. He didn’t have the time to go down that path at the moment. He needed to focus entirely on the task at hand. Simple thoughts of Cailyn always led him down a path of lust and desire that wreaked havoc on him, both physically and emotionally.

  Zander’s voice brought Jace back. “Not all are fake, brathair. And from the looks of it, I need to remind a subject of his proper place,” Zander quipped, shaking his head as they left the latest bogus curio shop. Jace followed Zander’s gaze and noticed a vampire and a human female. They were having sex against a brick wall at the end of the alley while the vampire openly fed from the human. Because he was a sorcerer, Jace saw the aura as Zander sent out a burst of his power and froze the couple’s action. The vampire and human were paralyzed, only able to move their eyes, which bulged when they saw the vampire king.

  “Let go of the female, now,” Zander barked, then turned midnight eyes on the human. Jace saw the deep purple of the magic emanating from Zander as he held the human’s gaze. “You left the bar early because you were no’ feeling well and took a cab home,” Zander told the female as he erased her memory of the encounter, and nudged her towards the cab Bhric had hailed. She teetered off pulling her skirt down.

  “Now, Jacque. Pray tell, what were you thinking? I am one step from ripping your head from your shoulders. You know the rules. Never expose our existence to the humans!” thundered Zander, fists balled at his sides as he loomed over the shaking vampire. “Feeding openly in an alley off one of the busiest streets in the country is pretty fucking visible.”

  “Liege,” Jacque’s body quaked with his fear. Jace expected him to piss himself any second. “Th-this k-kind of thing happens here all the time. Let me explain,” he rushed out when he saw Zander’s anger rise further. “In this city, the humans are steeped in the paranormal. They seek it. There are nighttime tours of graveyards, and people pretend to be paranormal creatures, especially vampires. They are on every street corner. I would have erased her memory of the bite, Liege. I swear. We never leave their memories of the bite, but we don’t worry about being seen.”