Eternal Flame

“Hell. Just what we don’t need.” Jude seemed to be sweating. Zane didn’t blame him. The last thing a shifter would want to hear is that his beast could be taken from him.

“Did Marcus shift?” Zane asked Jana, pulling her attention back to him. “When you were with him, did Marcus’s claws grow, did his teeth—”

“He was too weak to shift.” Said with sadness. “Just like he was too weak to fight off the bastard who came for him.”

The bastard that he suspected had Tony. The light overhead shattered and sent down a hail of sparks.

“Easy,” Dee said.

Fuck easy. Where was Tony? “I’m not standing here with my thumb up my a—”

The door flew open. Catalina stood in the doorway, sweating, chest heaving, and with what looked like tear tracks of blood on her cheeks. “I found him!” A broken mirror, the glass gone black, was gripped tightly in her blood-soaked hands. Simon loomed behind her, but Zane knew the blood hadn’t come from a vampire’s bite. No, this time, it had come from something far worse.

“Dee, tell me you didn’t ask her to—”

Dee brushed by him and headed for Catalina. “We needed to find him. She had to scry.”

Dee had never understood about scrying. She didn’t realize … Cat looked into the spirit world every time she tried to see the future. And the spirit world … it looked back at her. When Death looked at you, it was never a good thing.

He marks you. She’d told Zane that once. Told him that she’d felt Death’s claws in her flesh. He’d seen the scars on her back to prove the claim.

“What did you see?” Jude asked, circling close to her.

Her chest heaving, she said, “Demons-demons were all around him. Closing in.”

“A den?” The question came from Simon. He was right at Catalina’s back. Good thing. The woman would be collapsing soon.

Catalina nodded. “It was black. Covered in darkness. Like a fire had scorched—”

“I know the place,” Jana cut in, a thread of excitement in her voice. “If you’re talking about demons in a den and fire, then you’re talking about Dusk.”

Because she’d lit up that place. Scorched the walls and ceiling.

Catalina swallowed. “Th-there’s not much time.” Her gaze met Zane’s. “Death’s already there.” She turned her body a bit, and he caught sight of her shoulder, and the long, bloody claw marks that ravaged the back of her arm.

He heard Jana’s gasp and knew she’d seen the marks, too.

“Who has Tony?” He had to understand just what he was walking into at that den.

A trickle of blood slipped from her mouth. “A demon. I saw-saw his eyes. So dark. So black.”

Her own eyes began to close. He lunged forward.

But Simon had her. He caught the witch and lifted her up high against his chest. Shit. With all that blood, he’d better not be—

Simon shoved Catalina into Jude’s arms. A muscle jerked in his jaw, and Simon stepped back, fast.

“Didn’t … let you down this time.” Catalina’s voice was a whisper. “This time … did my part. T-tell Tony … didn’t … leave him alone.”

“We’ll tell him.” Because they were finding him alive. “Just rest, Cat. We’ll get him.”

And he’d make the bastard who took him pay. Perseus had picked the wrong demon to screw, and the wrong human to take.

Hold on, Tony.

Zane wrapped his fingers around Jana’s. Help was coming-and help would be in the form of that Perseus bastard’s worst nightmare.

Chapter 18

“How are we going to do this?” Jana asked. Her gut tightened as they approached the darkened shell that was Dusk.

Dusk. Well, dawn was actually breaking as they headed for the hollowed-out demon’s den, and dawn wasn’t a real good time when your backup consisted of a pair of vamps. Vamps were weaker during the day. Pretty much at human level. Since they were about to go up against some amped-up demons …

Yeah, stronger backup, or maybe actual dusk would have been better.

“We’re going in, and we’re kicking ass until we get our man back,” Dee said, not looking real fazed by the fact that the sun had started to rise.

The male vamp, Simon, was at her side. Figured. From what Jana could tell, he always stayed pretty close to her. Tall, dark, scary … the guy had done a major freak-out when the blonde was hurt. A freak-out that still had her head throbbing.

Her eyes narrowed. She’d owe him for that. And she always paid her debts.

“We don’t know how many are waiting inside.” Tension had tightened Zane’s muscles. They were three blocks away from the den. “So you two will be our distraction.”

The vamps nodded, but didn’t look particularly happy.

“You go in the front, loud and strong, and we’ll take the back.” Zane pointed at Jude. “You go with us.”

The big shifter’s face was etched into tight lines of fury. “I can smell his blood from here.”

Oh, that couldn’t be good. Death’s already there. That was what the witch had said. The last thing Jana wanted to do was walk in there and find the cop’s dead body. For a cop, Tony hadn’t been a bad guy. Not really bad at all.

The bees began to buzz in Jana’s head. She reached for Zane. “It … hurts when you do that.”

He blinked, then glanced quickly at Dee and Jude. They both shrugged, each with No-I-Don’t-Know-What-the-Hell-She-Means expressions.

“They’re not human,” she muttered. “I am. When you amp up the power, I can feel it.”

His eyes widened. “Then you stay here. Because if we go in there, and I find Tony and he’s—” He shook his head. “You need to be far enough away that the blast doesn’t hit you.”

The blast? She shook her head. “No, you need me.”

“He’s got two vamps,” Simon said. “And a shifter. I think we’ve got this covered.”

The vamp really wanted payback from her. She didn’t look away from Zane. “You need me.”

“I told you already,” he said. “I need you more than I’ve ever needed anyone.” He almost looked sad for an instant. No, not sad. Like he was—

“So I hope you understand when you wake up,” he continued, “I only did this to keep you safe.”

Then those bees swarmed in her mind. The green bled from Zane’s eyes, and the darkness she saw in his gaze seemed to reach out to her. She felt his arms catch her as she fell, and then … nothing.

“She’s going to be so pissed with you.” Dee shook her head and frowned down at Jana’s body. “And when that woman gets angry”—she shook her right hand—“she burns.” He grunted. “I’d rather have her pissed than hurt.”

“So what … you’re just going to leave her here?” Dee asked, lips pulling down. “What if some of the other assholes out here find her?”

Good fucking point. He grunted and looked at Jude. “Keep her safe.”

“But you need me in there! You don’t know what’s—”

“I need you to stay with Jana.” The shifter would understand. He might not like it, but he’d understand. Jude had his own lady that he’d die to protect. “I can track Tony. He’s human. I can send out a psychic wave and feel him once I’m inside.” He just had to get closer to make contact. “Jude, keep her safe.”

When had she come to mean so much? Come to mean … everything? When she’d gone after the demons who’d attacked him? When she’d braved the fires at Perseus for him? When they’d made love and she whispered his name?

Hell, it didn’t matter when. She was under his skin, locked in what was left of his heart, and he wasn’t risking her.

Don’t let them know your weakness.

The killer already knew, and Zane would be damned if he put Jana at risk. He would have left her back at Night Watch, but the drugs had dulled his powers and he hadn’t been able to put her out then.

Now his strength had returned. Real good thing.

“Be back soon, baby,” he whispered and brushed a kiss over her still lips. He looked up at Jude.

The shifter nodded his head in agreement. “Watch your ass, demon.”

“Always.” He squared his shoulders, ignored the throbbing in his head, and walked away from the woman who could break him. The demons were waiting for him. Holding the human he called his friend.

“Distract them,” he ordered Dee and knew that she would. With her new vampire skills, she’d tear a path right through any demons who were waiting inside. She and Simon would be more than a match for at least a dozen demons. Well, they’d be a match while the sun stayed low. Since time was against them, they all needed to haul ass.

But how many were inside? Catalina hadn’t told them for sure. Just that Tony was surrounded by Zane’s brethren.

He split from the vampires and kept to the waning shadows. The stench of burnt wood and ash hung in the air. He slipped down the alley, moving as soundlessly as he could. He sure didn’t want to tip off his prey. Not now.

The back door was boarded up. Boarded from the outside, as if someone had tried to keep the demons in.

He stared at those boards and let his power flare. The nails began to ease out of the wood. Slowly, so slowly, and carefully. The nails dropped to the ground with a soft clink. He caught the boards before they could fall.

Then he heard a roar. A loud, guttural cry of female fury.

Dee. Timing her distraction perfectly. More shouts filled the air as the demons inside attacked or were attacked.

He eased open the door and went into the hollowed-out hell. The scents were stronger. The ash stained his fingers when his hand brushed against the wall. The odor of blood was stronger. Thicker. His heart slammed into his chest. Too much blood.

Zane’s breath rasped out. If Tony was dead …

A floorboard squeaked and he whirled around. A demon stared back at him. A demon with the face of innocence and eyes blacker than the ash. Screams echoed from the front of the den. Curses filled the air.

The demon smiled at him. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to get here,” Davey said, and he shook his blond head. “I mean, it’s not like the human had that long to keep living. We were running out of time.”

Zane lunged for him and grabbed the kid by his shirt. He jerked Davey close. “You fucking bastard.” Davey. The kid. The barely legal asshole.

My damn fault. I let him live.

Davey must have read the thoughts on Zane’s face because he laughed. “Guess you’re wishing you’d just let me burn, huh? But don’t feel too bad. I would’ve gotten out anyway.”

But the little bastard had been all but begging for help then. As powerful as he seemed now, why would he have—

He’d taken the shifter’s powers. And his weaknesses. That cage-Zane would fucking bet it had been made of silver. Couldn’t move it, could you, asshole?

Zane shoved his fist into Davey’s face. The demon’s nose shattered, and blood sprayed in the air. “Where. Is. He?”

Davey wrenched away from him. That perfect smile was bloody now. “I got ‘em both, you know.”

More screams. “Vampire bitch!”

Something heavy thudded, shaking the den. Probably a demon hitting a wall.

“I’ve got the cop.” Davey swiped the back of his right hand over his mouth and smeared the blood. “And the agent.”

His back teeth clenched. Attack. “I’ll find them both after I kill you.”

“No.” Davey shook his head. “You’ll find their bodies. I sprayed the blood all around the place. Without a shifter, you won’t be able to find ‘em. Not until it’s too late.”

Fuck that. He’d send out his blast and he’d find them.

“Tell you what …” Davey nodded, as if he’d just reached some kind of big, damn decision. “I’ll let you hunt ‘em. I’ll give you two minutes-because hey, you’re supposed to be the big, super demon, right? The badass hybrid.”

Zane didn’t speak, but his nostrils flared. He sent out his power, searching for Tony. Searching …

And he hit a damn brick wall of darkness.

Davey laughed and jumped back. “Really, did you think I’d make it that easy? I can’t let you just probe and find them.”

The fucker had blocked the humans. Shielded them somehow.

“Two minutes,” Davey said again. “And this whole place will be going down. Think you can save one of them in that time?”

Flames began to flicker near Davey’s feet.

Zane sent out a hard burst of his power. The flames didn’t die. They didn’t flicker. They surged higher. Hotter.

“I learn from my mistakes.” Davey bared his teeth. Teeth that were too sharp for a demon. “This time, I’m using all of my power, too.”

And the little bastard was strong.

The lines of fire raced across the room, then the fire split in two, one branch of flames snaking toward the right, one to the left.

“Better hurry,” Davey murmured. “If the fire gets there first …”

Shit. Zane ran to the left.

“Choose well, demon. Because one of them is already dead. No point in saving the dead.” Death is already there.

“'Course, vampires don’t like the fire too much, either, do they?”

Zane didn’t look back at the taunt, but he felt the rush of heat and knew that Davey had sent another blast of flame out into the den. How was the demon so strong? Because he’d stolen power from the shifter? Or from a hell of a lot more paranormals?