Stained Souls: The Salsang Chronicles Part V Read online

  One without me.

  And knowing what the bond meant to them, that was the equivalent of a slow death.

  The SUV jerked me from my thoughts when Gideon braked sharply as a fox scurried into our path. Only his lightning fast reflexes saved the little furbaby, and I was relieved to watch him skip off, his bushy tail flitting from side to side as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Though Gideon snorted at the sight, he was slow to set off, leaving me to study our surroundings at a pace that wasn’t a hundred and ten miles an hour.

  The road was lined with trees that formed an archway over it, so it felt like we were in a tunnel. When there weren’t any trees, there were short stone walls with rock stacked on top of rock until it formed a barrier. I marveled at the rolling hills and the way the lands looked like a patchwork quilt from all the different crops grown by neighboring farms.

  The guys were quiet as we drove toward the gorge. I wasn’t sure how we were going to find this tree-prison Merlin was in, since it was in the middle of the forest judging from the map, but anything was worth a shot. And if that sounded desperate, I’d hold my hands up high and admit it. I was lost, floundering, and it seemed like the guys felt the same way as well.

  Talk about discouraging. We were all roaming around like headless chickens, and I just hoped that didn’t come back to bite us on the ass.

  The tree line at the edge of the road occasionally broke, sprouting old, wooden fences between sections of lush, green foliage. Short stone walls still made up a lot of the ground we were passing, and as we approached the gorge, it became obvious that this was a tourist attraction. The little brown sign with the logo of the National Trust—which we followed—pointed in the direction of a large parking area.

  Darius was the first out of the car, leaping from it before it had fully stopped moving. The others all followed, with Barclay bringing up the rear and me in the middle.

  “Are we sure this is the right spot?” I asked warily, feeling like the prison wouldn’t be somewhere that was a tourist destination. The Lady wouldn’t have allowed it, surely? Plus the darkness of Merlin’s magic would have made people want to stay away—at least, that was what made sense to me.

  “I don’t think any of us are sure of anything at this point,” Gideon admitted, and his words, so similar to my thoughts, cut close to the bone. He looked around and took in a deep breath of air, clearly flourishing now that he was surrounded by nature, especially in contrast to how peaky he’d been on board the plane. “Let’s just have a look around and see if we notice anything unusual. Besides, this was just my first guess, we can always look elsewhere.

  “Considering their roots, England has to be where Merlin’s prison is. We’re in the right country, so that has to mean something.”

  Murmurs of agreement sounded from the guys, but as little as it was on the map, it wasn’t like Britain wasn’t an enormous territory to explore for a single fucking tree. Talk about needle in a damn haystack!

  Still, I didn’t want to be a total neg-head, so I kept my mouth shut as we all started walking toward some wooden steps that led up into the forest. Past the stairs was a wooden bridge that was held together by rope. It swung gently in the breeze and from the wet footprints of other pedestrians walking along it, we were definitely not the only ones here.

  As we walked, it was hard to keep our conversation away from anything that could sound strange to human ears—which basically accounted for all our conversation—so we just fell into silence again.

  With each step, however, I could feel the stress from the guys through the mating bond, and though I wanted to take it away from them, it wasn’t like I was feeling totally tickety-fucking-boo. This was a miserable position to be in, and I considered it a win that we weren’t pulling our hair out.

  By the time we reached the White Lady Waterfall, I felt overdressed and sweaty. It would’ve been easier if I could run using my Vampire’s speed, but with so many humans around, that was out of the question.

  The waterfall itself was beautiful. Frothy white water cascaded over a ridge, making it look like a fluffy, white dress. It almost reminded me of the wedding dresses human females wore. There was a crowd around the bottom of the waterfall on the rocks, taking photos and chatting, and generally having a good time. A thread of jealousy ran through me that they got to enjoy such a simple activity while my mates and I were out here looking for the prison containing the Maker.

  A part of me wondered if we’d ever have any leisure time, and then I shrugged off the useless thought. There was no point in being jealous, no use in wondering at what our future might look like. Lessons in futility were only going to ramp up my frustration, and I needed to keep a clear head, not irritate myself with stupid thoughts.

  We stood off to one side, trying not to get in anyone’s way or be noticed by any of the humans. I felt Gideon pull on his runes and saw them glow faintly in the shadow from the trees. It was only because of my bond with my druid that I knew he was trying to pick up on any unusual activity in the area. I could sense that he was looking for an area animals avoided or an area where the trees were ancient. It made sense, since the forest animals would surely want to avoid land that was densely packed with magics the likes of which the Lady had used to contain a being as powerful as Merlin.

  “Everything here is old, not necessarily ancient, but old. I don’t sense anything infused with magic though,” Gideon informed us with a scowl. I reached up and rubbed the furrow between his brows with my fingers, smiling when he grabbed my wrist, lowered my hand, and kissed the tips of the digits in a gentle caress.

  After we explored the area some more, trying to look like tourists, we all came to the same conclusion.

  Merlin and his prison weren’t there.

  Fuck.

  “Can we go find some food? I’m starving,” Barclay whined, sounding like a teenage boy instead of a full-grown shifter.

  “Tavistock isn’t far from here, and they have some really nice restaurants,” a stranger suggested as he passed us, evidently overhearing Barclay’s comment. “I highly recommend The Cornish Arms.”

  “Thanks,” Darius replied, smiling at the man who was dressed in full hiking gear.

  “Sounds good to me,” I agreed. The time change was really starting to screw with me, and I didn’t know if we would be having breakfast or dinner. All I was certain of was that if I didn’t get some food into my belly, I’d be snacking on my guys, not that I thought they’d complain…

  The journey to Tavistock didn’t take long, yet took forever as well. With each mile that passed, I wasn’t sure whether I fretted more about being hungry or that Merlin hadn’t been where we’d hoped.

  Eventually, we pulled up and Gideon parallel-parked like a pro on the street. There was no way I could have managed that, especially not with them driving on the opposite side of the road as well. And when he did that thing all men seemed to—hooked his arm over the back of the passenger seat—I wanted to nibble on his bicep.

  The building we were next to had a stone exterior and purple shutters with doors trimmed with a bright white. Framing each side of the door were copper streetlights, which were hanging from the stone front. The sign next to the front door was advertising their lunch special and their beer garden in the back, both of which sounded fantastic in that moment.

  As soon as Darius opened the front door for me, we were whisked away by a server to a table that could seat all of us. The large rectangle was just big enough, and as we ordered, I went with the Cornish yarg, a type of cheese, with cured meats, bread, and a small salad, and my mouth watered even as I gave my order to the waiter.

  “So, if he wasn’t by the waterfall, then where the fuck is he?” Cade grumbled as soon as we had a minute to ourselves.

  Sure, we could have been discussing this on the drive, but I knew I wasn’t alone in feeling the jet lag. The promise of food was reviving us though.

  “What did He say again?” Keir asked, quirki
ng one of his eyebrows at me as though silently adding Merlin to the question.

  Truth was, Merlin and our situation was the last thing I wanted to talk about. It wasn’t just my belly that was hungry, but my Vampire as well. I wanted to be with my mates more than I wanted food, but it would have to wait. I knew that everything going on right now was more important than satisfying my libido. Even as I tried to be sensible, I knew they could feel my need through the bond, and I watched as their eyes darkened with a hunger all their own.

  My voice was huskier than I meant it to be when I reiterated, “He told me that he was where the sun sets over water and the sea rises to meet us. The isle beyond Land’s End. I just have no idea where that is.”

  “Are you going down to the coast?” the waiter inquired, as he served the first round, evidently having heard the latter part of our conversation.

  “I’m sorry?” Darius replied, sounding like the quintessential gentleman—his accent morphed from a cultured American to a man who would have fit in at a royal wedding.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear you mention Land’s End, and I was wondering if you were visiting. It’s supposed to be beautiful. On my list of things to see, eventually that is,” he said, and smiled as he served the last dish.

  “Is there anything beyond Land’s End?” I probed, feigning complete ignorance.

  “Well, that’s the question, isn’t it?” the waiter responded with a wink and a chuckle. “I suppose back when they named it, they didn’t know about the Isles of Scilly or anything like that. It probably really looked like the end of the world. Enjoy!”

  As soon as he walked away, the pleasant expressions on everyone’s faces turned more serious. It was hard not to feel like all the enjoyment was sucked out of the meal.

  “So, it’s a place. Land’s End, I mean. And he’s on one of the islands, Sicily?” Barclay surmised. I appreciated the gesture and knew he just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page after that interesting tidbit from the waiter.

  “It was Scilly, but yes,” Darius answered, as he all but inhaled his steak. He’d ordered it rare and it came bloodier than any steak I’d ever seen, which wasn’t exactly a problem for us. Well, it was, kind of, since he was the only one at the table eating like that. My stomach rumbled loudly, even as I was shoving forkfuls of delicious cheese and meats into my mouth. Not that the food on my plate would satisfy me fully, but it went some way to quenching the nauseating ache in my belly.

  Darius got the waiter’s attention once more, and the man came straight over. “We’re on an extended trip and were wondering what can you tell us about Scilly? Is it inhabited? We would love to visit.”

  “It’s an archipelago. Some of the islands are inhabited and some of them aren’t, from what I understand. I believe you can get a ferry from Penzance to Saint Mary’s, which is the main island. If you want, I can see if any of the other staff know more.”

  Darius shook his head and thanked the young man.

  “Penzance, as in the Pirates of?” I asked with a grin.

  “Exactly,” the waiter replied, grinning back at me. The guys all shuffled in their seats, and the waiter beat a quick retreat, not wanting to offend anyone. The guy was clearly trying to get a good tip, and who could blame him?

  “So, we drive to Penzance, hop on the ferry, and then we’ll be able to finally track the bastard down,” Raven summarized.

  There were nods all around the table, which made me happy, especially because there was no more talking and just eating after that. The food was beyond delicious, and the atmosphere in the inn was relaxing and cozy as there was a large fire blasting out heat.

  Before I was ready to be done with our break, we were getting back in the car, and beginning our trek southwest toward Penzance. It was only thanks to the guys’ international phone SIMs that we knew where the hell we were going.

  As the food settled in my belly and the rhythm of the car took over, I drifted into the blackness of sleep, praying that this time, Merlin wasn’t going to interrupt me. I needed the Z’s more than I needed another chat with him—especially when his conversational sallies gave me more of a headache than a pneumatic drill revving nonstop all day.

  3

  Barclay

  When we hit Penzance, Marcella was still sleeping and, honestly, I was thankful for it.

  We were all feeling the jet lag, but Marcella was exhausted. After what she’d been through, she needed the rest. Plus, if she was asleep, she wasn’t tying my cock into knots, which was always an added bonus.

  It was totally inappropriate to get a hard-on because your woman was eating cheese and crackers, but what the fuck was I supposed to do about it?

  Complain?

  Hell, no.

  It had been a long time since we’d been in the UK, and we’d never come this far down the coast. If we had, maybe we’d have realized that Land’s End was a place, although I actually blamed Darius for not knowing that.

  Jesus, as old as he was, he must have heard of Land’s End.

  The man was losing his edge, but then, a mate did that to you. Especially one who the Lady had a boner for.

  Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, our mate was wanted by a deity. Not because she’d been a naughty girl in her current life, but because she’d make a great human outfit. Talk about a class act.

  Even though it was late afternoon, the sun was still gleaming hotly on the ocean, and it was a bright, blinding blue that made me smile. There was something about the U.K. that did that, cheered me up whenever I was here. I could totally have settled down in England, but my brothers loved the States, and if we took it to a vote, I knew I’d lose hands down.

  We’d need a ferry to get to the islands, and the ferry office was just about to close, according to the timetable on the glass door. I was grateful when I headed into the small office to find there was a woman behind the desk, not a guy. I was mated, sure, but that didn’t mean a dose of Barc charm wouldn’t get me some answers.

  “Hey there,” I chirped, sounding bright and breezy when, deep inside, I was feeling anything but.

  The woman, in her thirties and I had to admit, cute, blinked at me. “Erm, hello. How may I help you?”

  “You can help me get a ferry to Scilly tonight,” I replied, beaming a megawatt grin her way. “My phone isn’t working here or I’d have reserved online, and I need to get there tonight.”

  Another slow blink, and then a hesitant, “I’m sorry, sir, but the next available launch is tomorrow at nine-fifteen. I can book you in then though.”

  “There’s nothing earlier?”

  “No. There’s only one ferry a day.”

  My nose wrinkled. “That was a waste of a reservation.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I’m on the hunt,” I told her sheepishly.

  “The hunt? What for?”

  “You’ll think I’m crazy.”

  Her lips twitched. “You know people around here are considered a bit Bodmin, don’t you?”

  “They are?” Bodmin? What the hell did that mean?

  “Oh yes. We still say someone is going Bodmin if they’re going crazy.” Her eyes sparkled. “Now, what’s this hunt? Like a treasure hunt?”

  I still had no idea what she was talking about, but I decided to go along with it if it meant she’d help me out. Before heading into the office, I’d known there was only one ferry, but figuring out which island there might be a ‘magical’ tree on was harder to discern.

  The feeling that we were running out of time was hitting us hard, and because I was the only one of us who didn’t regularly scare the shit out of humans, we’d decided that I’d be the best one to pump the locals for information.

  We didn’t have all year to figure out where a fucking tree might be, and considering Merlin couldn’t give us more than a random riddle to save his sorry ass… Well, it was safe to say we were all pissed about this time suck.

  I cleared my throat and admitted, “So, I’m on this forum. It’s this game we play. It
’s kind of like Dungeons & Dragons.” When her nose wrinkled, I knew I was losing her. Quickly, I pumped up the charm and was pleased to see her eyes flare in response to my grin. “Anyway, this guy gave me a riddle to solve, and if I win, then he has to shut down his account.”

  “Is that a bad thing?” she asked, her brow puckering.

  “It’s the worst. He totally thinks I’m going to lose.”

  “Well, we can’t have that, can we? Not when you’ve gone to all this trouble. Where are you from in America?”

  “Miami,” I lied.

  She sighed. “Oh, wow. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

  “It’s a beautiful place,” I told her.

  “I’ll bet.” The lady, with a name tag of Diana, sighed. “Nothing like that around here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help you. Now, what’s this riddle?” When I told her, her brow furrowed.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s just that bit about the sea rising to meet you.” She shook her head. “But no, it can’t be.”

  “Can’t be what?”

  “It happens very rarely, but it’s happening as we speak.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There’s this place called Mount’s Bay. All the locals know it. It’s this Arthurian legend.”

  I’d be lying if my heart didn’t almost beat through my chest.

  Fucking A.

  “Oh? Arthurian? That sounds like it would fit with my online friend. He’s obsessed with Merlin.”

  Her wrinkled nose told me her opinion on that. She sniffed and said, “We all learn this story around these parts when we’re kids, but it goes that this place called Lyonesse… it was the site of the final battle between Arthur and Mordred. When the battle ended, the island sank.

  “And when the tide is very low, you can see a sunken forest that appears just off Mount’s Bay. Five thousand years ago, they reckon there were lots of trees around those parts. And after storms, you can see the petrified trunks. Well, this past week, we had some terrible ones. My bathroom flooded!” she exclaimed.