Light in Darkness Read online

“Hmm,” she murmured, struggling to keep her eyes open as her body crept closer to ecstasy.

  “I love you. Everything about you.”

  She turned in his arms. “I love you, Lincoln. I’ve been falling for you for months.”

  He gave her a brief kiss. “Watch the sunrise. I’ll make love to you in full daylight, as long as you’re comfortable.”

  She nodded. “Even behind the normal window, I don’t feel that same prickling sensation from yesterday.”

  * * * *

  His fingers went back to teasing her. He needed no guidance in bringing her pleasure.

  Her hips rocked against his hand, his hard length pressing against her round rump. He wanted to sink deep into her. Her walls clenched as he stroked inside, finding that rough patch that elicited the sexiest moan from her lips.

  She came apart as the sun rose into the sky. When she finally stilled, he brought his fingers to his lips to taste her nectar. She rolled over and watched as he sucked her juices with a groan.

  Devious glint in her eyes, she pushed him to his back and crawled between his legs. “My turn to taste you.”

  His eyes went wide. “You wouldn’t let me our first time.”

  She grinned. “That was our first time. I needed you too bad.”

  “But I haven’t made love to you yet,” he uttered as her hand wrapped around his base. The contrast of her pale digits and his dark flesh excited him.

  She licked her lips. “No, but you made me come. Now I want to do this. After, you can repay me.” She winked before tracing every ridge of muscle on her way to his straining erection.

  He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her as her dark hair spilled over him, trailing the same path. Each caress of her tongue sent a shiver of pleasure up his spine.

  Can I last with her mouth wrapped around me?

  She giggled, looking up at him with a slight shake of her head as she held his cock. She swirled her tongue around his crown and his head fell back on a groan.

  Not likely.

  “You’re not supposed to,” she murmured before her lips closed over the head and worked down his shaft with a steady wet pressure.

  The sensation was so intense he nearly passed out. Instead his hips jerked and he hit the back of her throat. Panicked he hurt her, he tried to sit up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mea—”

  She shoved him back down with a grin. “If you hurt me, I’ll tell you. That’s unlikely though. I want you to lose any inhibition with me.”

  He nodded, trying to catch his breath.

  “Lincoln, sometimes I love it rough. If you need to thrust, do it. And if I need to stop, I will.”

  “Okay.”

  Her mouth was back on him, taking him deeper than he thought possible. A cry escaped his lips as the suction brought him higher, closer to the peak.

  His hips pistoned and she made that sexy growl proving she was enjoying his ride to ecstasy as much as he was. Lost to the pleasure, he didn’t attempt to reign in his release.

  He heard her swallowing, felt her lips and throat working. Lincoln managed to get his head up to catch her twinkling dark eyes as she pulled off with a pop and pressed her lips to his tip before crawling up beside him.

  Letting his head fall back, he wrapped her in his arms. “I’m not sure I can move.”

  She laughed softly, placing a kiss over his heart. “No rush. I’m happy in your arms.”

  * * * *

  Jophiel sat at the counter drinking a cup of coffee, looking through the book. He rubbed a hand over his face as despair settled in.

  Hadraniel came to the counter to grab a mug. He looked over with a frown. “Bad news?”

  He sighed. “Seems that my connection to Ethyl is severed. If I don’t find her again, I cannot reforge our bond. It’s tearing me apart to know I can’t go to her until I’m done here.”

  “You could,” Hadraniel pointed out.

  “I’m not leaving my son to deal with this mess on his own. And I’m sure Ethyl wouldn’t appreciate my choice to seek her out before ensuring our son’s safety.”

  “First, I agree. Second, however, he is not alone. They have the whole town behind them. Third, I’m here for you through everything as always.”

  He sighed. “The prospect that I could really lose her forever shatters my heart.”

  “You haven’t lost her forever. You will find her again. You always do. Have faith.”

  Jophiel pushed his dreads over his shoulder. “You’re right. No reason to give up.”

  “Did the book say what may have caused the rift between you two?”

  He nodded. “Seems that our bond transferred to our son. The bond will remain severed until I find her.”

  “And when you do? Will that break the bond to Lincoln?”

  He shook his head. “No. That bond is different, stemming from the one Ethyl and I shared. Most angels never have this problem because they stay with their other half through pregnancy and after the birth. I was with her once this last incarnation, and never got to reestablish our bond.”

  “It hasn’t been long since she left this realm. She’s usually in heaven for a few months. That means she will likely be there waiting when we finish here.”

  “And if it takes longer than that to finish here?”

  “Together, we’ll find her. Remember, my mission is to bring souls together. Your souls belong together.”

  “Why is it the angel of love has never found his soul companion?”

  Hadraniel filled his mug before hopping up on the counter with a faraway look. “Never felt the spark. Not for myself anyway. I’ve felt others.”

  Jophiel gave him a sympathetic nod. “One day you will.”

  “I have faith.” He smiled wistfully.

  * * * *

  The whimpering, sobbing mess at the foot of the altar was a symphony to his ears. Fear filled the room, as well as pain. Mena’s wounds were healing nicely. Soon, she would start moving.

  Jones hoped sooner rather than later. He didn’t mind torture, but she was the expert and that was her eight course meal. Stalking around the room, he contemplated his next round of action.

  She had strips of skin peeled from her body, deep enough to make her extra sensitive, but not bad enough to bleed much. He’d broken each of her fingers and toes. If she tried to escape, he planned to hobble her, but so far terror kept her rooted to her spot.

  Poor, pitiful human. She made him sick.

  Karla took a ragged breath and managed to look up as he came toward her. He saw a flash of desperate determination.

  “Aw, can’t have that,” he muttered before kicking her in the face, crunching her nose before she fell back, cracking her head. He crouched down to find her gaze as more tears streamed down her face. “You’re not going anywhere. You will die here, but it’s going to be awhile before you earn that privilege.”

  “Why? What have I done?” she wailed.

  “Nothing. You’re a means to an end.”

  “You’re an evil man,” she spat.

  With a grin, he let his true face show. She stared at his deep red skin over an angular face. His horns flowed from his forehead back and down around his jaw. Pure black eyes stared at her as a cruel smile twisted his lips. “That’s right. Not a man at all. I’m a demon, taking you to hell.”

  She screamed until she blacked out on the floor.

  A gurgled laugh caught his attention. Jones stood to find Mena sitting up, clutching her throat as if it still hurt.

  “Please don’t scare the woman to death,” she half-pleaded.

  “Finally.” He stalked toward her, roughly catching her jaw before kissing her hard. She groaned, pressing closer as her claws ripped down his back, cutting skin. Pain and pleasure flowed through his veins. They had time for a rough ride while Karla was still passed out on the floor.

  * * * *

  Robert popped into Preston’s office with a journal that had to be hundreds of years old. Frowning, Preston arched a single brow. “Dare I as
k?”

  “You want to solve this case, right?”

  Rolling his eyes, he nodded. “Generally though, a journal that old is mixed with enough superstition to wonder if any of it has a grain of truth.”

  Robert shrugged and tossed the book in front of Preston. “It’s from one of the HARP leaders. The man who recruited Jones and Mena to begin with. Seems they have a long-term plan to bring the end of the world and start from scratch with a society of hybrids.”

  Preston rubbed a hand over his face. “Then why employ humans and train them to hunt?”

  “They’re expendable.”

  “Why hybrids and not pure Others?”

  Robert sighed and sank onto a seat across from Preston. “Because hybrids are rarely treated as equal by either side of their family trees. Their hunger to belong makes them vulnerable.”

  “Fuck me standing. That makes perfect sense. And shit. This is bad. How did we not know before?”

  Robert sat back in his seat. “Because there were two very powerful Silver Council Mages involved in HARP. They disappeared six hundred years ago.”

  “Oh shit, Julius and Antoine? Those shady bastards we studied so long and hard, who supposedly could do no wrong, yet only seemed to leave chaos in their wake?”

  Robert nodded, sliding the book across the desk. “Apparently, they were both half-fae.”

  Preston’s gaze snapped up, insecurity banked in his eyes. “Does that mean you think I’m going the way of those two assholes?”

  Quickly shaking his head, Robert swore, “Not a chance in hell. Wanted you to be aware what their thought pattern was. You’re on the side of the currently reforming council and I have never doubted you, my friend.”

  Relaxing, he nodded. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to jump to the worst possible conclusion.”

  Robert shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I could have worded my discovery better.”

  Preston pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat back. “So what do we do? Think those two assclowns are still alive?”

  “Most likely, they seem to be the ones recruiting their higher rung. The question is, how do we find them?”

  Preston shook his head. “For now, we need to find Jones and Mena. I did some digging of my own. Apparently they were considered Mayan deities at one point. There’s a pyramid devoted to them.”

  “Where?”

  Preston pulled out a map and pointed at the approximate location, high up in the mountains. “Problem is, I don’t think we have anyone we can really trust down there.”

  “I’m not sure I want to take us there either.” He tapped his chin. “What about your father? Could you ask Toryn if he has any contacts who could find out if they’re there, and then when they leave?”

  “Already did. He’s sending a couple scouts, but it’s going to take them time. The location is way the fuck up in no-man’s land.”

  Chapter 24

  Victoria slept in her bed while three enforcers, Brody, Simons and Brian, all stood guard. No one expected Mena and Jones so soon, but they didn’t want Victoria vulnerable.

  The other two, Clint and Mark, had gone with Lincoln. They were hiking up to a waterfall with a deep pool below for flight training.

  Lincoln rarely complained, but this seemed like a bad idea. “Won’t I get hypothermia if I fall in the water?”

  Hadraniel looked back at him with a smirk. “We can heal anything that ails you. Even if you fell and broke every bone in your body, you’d be whole in no time.”

  “Comforting,” he muttered.

  Clint chuckled. “Never heard you bitch before.”

  “Not exactly warm out here,” he pointed out.

  “True enough,” Mark replied, but shrugged. “Extra motivation to nail it the first time.”

  “Flying’s not so hard. It comes fast,” Jophiel assured him.

  “Do I even want to know how long you’ve been flying?”

  Shrugging, he looked back with a wink. “Eons.”

  “Yeah, pretty much figured that.” He sucked in a breath. “Never expected to have wings.”

  “Did you ever wish for them?”

  He dipped his head slightly. “Used to dream about it.”

  “Then you are already a step ahead. It’s like those dreams.”

  Lincoln blinked, wondering if he really believed it. He didn’t think the angels were lying, but lacked confidence in his abilities of the actual doing what they assured was possible.

  “If it helps,” Hadraniel offered, “your father was a natural. I was not.”

  “Oh, no?” Lincoln asked.

  He shrugged. “My wings had a mind of their own.”

  “Well, I haven’t really willed my wings out yet. They appear when they feel like it.”

  Jophiel clapped him on his shoulder. “That’s how it starts.”

  Clint shook his head. “I’m not sure if I should envy flight or be thankful I can’t.”

  “Flying is cooler than what we can do,” Mark offered with a chuckle.

  Lincoln swallowed, nodding. Time to man up and do it. He climbed to the top and looked over the edge. Never real fond of heights, his stomach dropped out as he looked down. A sweat broke out across his forehead.

  Can I do this?

  Someone stepped up beside him. Lincoln looked over to find his dad smiling back. “Don’t stop to think. Follow my lead without thought.”

  He jumped and fell like a lead weight until about halfway down. Then his wings spread and he flew back up to hover before him.

  Lincoln blanched and looked down again. He heard steps behind him and decided jumping was better than being pushed. Closing his eyes did nothing to mask the speed at which he fell.

  His wings appeared, slowing his descent before flapping and taking him higher. Opening his eyes, he soared into the sky, past his father and toward the clouds. The wind in his face was exhilarating.

  Everything was fine until he looked down and started to plummet.

  “Whoa, buddy,” Hadraniel said as he caught one arm. Jophiel grabbed the other. “Scared of heights?”

  Lincoln fought to hold down breakfast as he nodded slowly.

  “Trust your wings. They’ll carry you where you want,” Jophiel urged.

  They let go, moving away as his wings slowly moved through the air, keeping him in the sky. Then gently, he started to descend. It was tempting to close his eyes again, but he needed to see the lake below.

  Hadraniel sped past him, heading straight down. When he got to the water, he abruptly changed direction, flying several feet over the surface, turning to slice the water with the tip of one wing. Then he flipped to the other side as he passed Mark and Clint, sending a wave of water over them.

  “Shit, that’s cold,” Clint complained.

  Mark’s brow arched. “It’s not that bad.”

  Lincoln made it to the lake, his feet dangling a foot above the surface. His chest heaved as he looked up. “Okay,” he whispered. Then gained some strength in his voice. “I need to try that again.”

  He shot up, flying higher.

  * * * *

  The scent of death lingered on Karla. The woman was barely hanging on. Awake, she was filled with terror and pain.

  Jones stood back, watching Mena stalking around her prey. She was now naked, missing whole slabs of flesh, leaving muscle and bones exposed, blood dripping down her flabby body.

  It was clear Mena waited for Karla to wake. The finale would be gruesome, it always was. Fully healed, Mena couldn’t resist playing until there was nothing left to give. Much like a cat who lost interest in the mouse once it was dead.

  In all honesty, Jones had always been impressed with Mena’s drive and creativity. He didn’t mind getting his hands dirty, but he preferred to stand back and watch.

  Karla’s eyes fluttered open and Mena came to a stop before her. She shifted into her other form. Her joints reoriented, her body filling out as fur flowed over her.

  When her victim shrieked, Mena laughed, a burst o
f flame escaped her lips, instantly engulfing the battered torso. Nope, not long at all. Weak human nerves couldn’t take it, nor her heart, or anything else for that matter.

  Mena stepped away from the flames with an evil glint in her orange eyes. The woman dangled, her muscles twitching as the light left her eyes.

  “Finally,” Jones exclaimed. “We should head back up to Edenton. I’ve already contacted the team.”

  “You think that bitch is still alive?”

  He had a feeling that with the two angels and her Nephilim bastard present, the vampire had indeed survived. Still, ensuring her death hadn’t been worth risking Mena’s life. No matter how much they loved to fight, she still made him feel alive and complete. True fear had licked at his soul when he thought he might actually lose her.

  Jones cleared his throat. “Anything is possible. You know that by now.”

  “Then she will have a slow death.”

  “Perhaps. Consider the facts though. Vampires don’t die easily, and she called shadows when there were no shadows to be found. She also woke up easily in the middle of the day.” Early was one thing, around noon, not so much.

  “You will not take this from me. She needs to pay,” she snarled.

  He nodded, but had no intention of prolonging the slippery vamp’s life. The sooner she died, the better.

  * * * *

  Preston scrubbed the back of his neck. “Why are we here?”

  “Byron believes he has information for us. I’m not sure why he couldn’t relate it over the phone. He wanted to see us.”

  “No clue what for?”

  “Other than info? No.” He lifted his hand to knock.

  Byron opened the door, looking around. “Come on in.”

  Robert and Preston did, taking seats on the chairs near the fire. Byron took a seat on the couch across from them and combed both hands through his hair.

  Robert frowned. The guy was even more jittery than he’d sounded on the phone. “Are you okay?”