Hearts In Darkness

Chapter Twenty

Michael!She lunged forward, dropping full length to the ground and peering over the hole's edge. It was so dark her flashlight barely penetrated more than a few feet. Wind rose steadily, a stream strong enough to blow her hair backwards.

Michael! Are you okay? Can you hear me?

Yes.He hesitated, and pain slithered through the link, through her. It feels like I've twisted my damn ankle.

His mind voice was distant. The hole was obviously very deep. Where are you?

God knows. I'm hip deep in water. It probably saved me from greater injury.

I'll lift you up kinetically.

No.His sharpness stung her mind. I've seen what lifting the weight of a human can do to you. Get

Rodeman and get out of the tunnels. I'll go after Cordell alone.

Michael, you can't—

Damn it, we have no choice now. I haven't survived three hundred and sixty years without being careful.

I'll be okay.

Elizabeth had been around a lot longer than that, and yet she was now under Cordell's control. What made Michael think he would fair any differently?

I'm still wearing Seline's charm, Nikki. I'll be okay. I'm more worried about leaving you alone up there.

Then forget Cordell and come back to me!

Cordell has to be my first priority. We have to stop him if we can.

I know, I know.But knowing didn't mean she had to accept it willingly. Just make sure you come back alive.

A little hard, considering I'm already dead.

She grinned. You know what I mean.

Yes.

The link flared to full life and his mind entwined hers, caressing her soul with such love and caring that tears stung her eyes. She blinked them away rapidly. She didn't want to lose him, and yet she had a feeling she might if he wasn't very careful. Damn it, she couldn't just leave him alone down there.

Somehow, she had to find him and help him.

He sighed. Don't. Look after Rodeman. I'll be okay.

But—

No buts. Promise me you'll do as I ask. I need to know you're safe so I can concentrate wholly on

Cordell.

Okay. I promise. Not to come after you until after I've made sure Rodeman is safe, she added silently.

Be careful. I'll see you later.

You'd better.She hesitated, biting her lip. Love you.

His smile shimmered through the link. And I you. Be safe, Nikki.

The link died. She rose and dusted the dirt from her shirt and jeans. Overhead, the flame imp hovered, its color still wavering between red and blue, deepening the shadows filling the cell's far corners.

"I wish you could damn well talk," she muttered. "I'd love to know what you know."

Gold flickered across the red, pulsating quickly. Maybe it could understand her, even if it couldn't talk.

Stepping around the hole, she headed towards Rodeman. The millionaire lay stretched out on the bed, his hands tied to the headboard. His color was awful—his skin looked gray and sweat beaded his forehead.

She squatted next to him and felt for a pulse. Michael was right; it was sluggish. She frowned and touched his face. His skin burned. He's sick, she thought, and wondered if he'd had a stroke or something.

She pinched his cheek. "Mr. Rodeman? Can you hear me?"

He didn't stir. Didn't bat an eyelid. Great, she thought. What in the hell was she going to do now? The man had indulged in too much of the good life, and there was no way on this Earth she could lift his rotund figure.

She could lift him kinetically, but even then, she probably wouldn't get far. The pain would be incapacitating long before she reached the stairs.

First things first, she thought. She untied his hands then moved down to the foot of the bed and untied his feet. The flame imp skimmed past her hand, its color bright red and movements suddenly frantic.

Fear surged. She looked around wildly. Nothing stirred the shadows, and yet a chill crawled across her skin. The flame imp skimmed past her hand again, then whisked toward the door. Almost as if it was telling her to get out.

Why? Did it want to lead her away from a trap or into one? She had no way of knowing if this flame imp was under Cordell's control or not.

Frowning, she half rose, then stopped, staring. In the far corner, yellow-tinged smoke billowed, curling through the darkness with unnatural heaviness.

Horror filled her. This wasn't fog or smoke or anything as simple as that.

This was the second devil spawn.

Michael limped through the shallows, following the strong breeze and hoping that it actually led somewhere. The darkness was veil-heavy and the air dank, rich with the smell of decay and things long dead. It was the sort of smell usually associated with city sewers, not a natural spring system like this.

Unless, of course, this is where Cordell and Elizabeth had been dumping the remains of their meals.

Elizabeth wouldn't have worried about polluting the local streams. She'd never been particularly interested in environmental considerations.

Ahead, water dripped steadily, echoing through the silence. The lake around him had dropped from his hips to his knees and was steadily falling. Walking was at least easier. He just wished he knew where he was going.

He spun his senses through the darkness, searching for some hint, some sound, of life. No vampires nor humans anywhere in the near vicinity. Although that didn't mean there wasn't anything near. Cordell would have prepared for guests, of that much he was certain.

He splashed on. The mud under his feet gave way to rock, and the path began to climb upwards.

Ahead, several mounds became visible, casting a palish-green light through the red of his vampire vision.

Bodies, he thought with distaste, and wondered if perhaps he'd found the final resting place of Vance

Hutton and the other missing abductees.

Their bloated, decaying smell hit him. He held his breath and hurried past. True death was never attractive at the best of times. When it had been left to rot like this, even the strongest stomach would revolt.

Just as well Nikki wasn't with him—she'd have lost her breakfast for sure. She might have lived on the streets and had a tougher life than some, but in many ways, she was still innocent when it came to the true horrors of life. Jasper had shown her some of that, but he was far from the worst.

He had to protect her from that. She was the one truly good thing that had happened to him since he'd turned. Somehow, he had to keep her from the horror that was such a major part of his life. And that was not going to be an easy thing to do.

The path continued to climb. In the distance, a heart thumped. Just a solitary beat, then silence. Vampire, he thought, flexing his fingers. Magic tingled across his skin, so close and sharp it burned. He stopped abruptly.

Heat of a different kind hit his senses. Vampires. Six of them, moving in fast from in front and behind, their bodies little more than red blurs in the night. Wind whistled. Swearing softly, he ducked. A baseball bat swished over his head. He clenched his fist and swung hard. His hand sank deep into flesh, and there was a cough of pain.

Movement behind him. He kicked backward, connecting with bone, then dodged sideways as one of the vamps lashed at him with a knife. Kicked out again and heard a thump as someone fell. Another blur of red heat, this time to his left. Metal gleamed, flashing downwards. Hands grabbed his arms, fingers digging deep into his flesh. Teeth tore at him. Fledglings, he thought. Fledglings desperate for someone, anyone, to eat. Which made his situation a whole lot more dangerous. Fledglings this hungry couldn't be reasoned with and wouldn't know fear like Rachel had.

He dropped, making them support his weight, and kicked away the descending knife. The fledgling didn't seem to notice, his hand hitting Michael's chest, his eyes wide and filled with desperation and blood lust. Michael head-butted him, knocking him away, then twisted, dislodging the two vampires holding his arms.

They fell like ninepins, scattering their companions. He leapt over the nearest vampire and ran back down the cavern. Past the bloated pile of bodies and into the water. There'd been a ledge around the last bend—a semicircular jutting of rock protected on two sides. An ideal place to make a stand.

The fledglings followed, their desperation reaching across the night and stirring the darkness within him.

He knew the taste of that desperation only too well.

He climbed onto the ledge and backed against the wall. They swarmed after him and attacked. Hands grabbed him. Teeth tore at his clothes and his flesh. He punched one in the face then grabbed her hair, twisting her around and pulling her against him. Her companions tore at her instead, and the smell of blood stung the air. She mewed, fighting him, fighting them. Her distress was sharp and sweet and filled his soul with the need to taste her. His canines lengthened, and the darkness rose sharply, threatening to overwhelm his control.

He swallowed heavily, then shifted his hold and shattered the fledgling's neck. He thrust her away. Two of her companions followed, tearing at her like rabid dogs. At least she was dead. They would not be so kind to him.

Teeth tore into his arms, his legs. He punched in the face of the one on his arm, knocking him away. He then bent and picked up the two gnawing at his legs, knocking their heads together and thrusting them back into the water. Metal knifed into his side, and pain fired through his body. Heat flashed, followed sharply by a wash of cold sweat. He gritted his teeth against the agony and grabbed the hand holding the knife, squeezing hard. The fledgling screamed—a high pitched, prepubescent sound.

Kids, he thought in horror, they were only damn kids . Elizabeth's doing, surely. Anger rose swift and sharp, washing away the knife-edged pain. Nikki was right. Elizabeth had to be stopped.

He pulled the knife from his flesh then stabbed at the kid approaching from the right. The point went straight through the fledgling's eye and buried deep in his brain. He fell in a heap at Michael's feet and was immediately set upon by one of the other fledglings. Michael kicked her away, then turned back to the vamp whose arm he still held. He was kicking and screaming, his need for blood so intense Michael could almost taste it. Twisting him around, he wrapped an arm around his neck and gave him final release.

Three down, three to go. Better odds by far. Two fledglings attacked as one. He ducked under their blows, punching one in the balls and knifing the other through the gut. Both dropped. He finished them quickly, then turned to the fledgling still suckling on the body of one of her companions. Swallowing the rise of bile, he walked over and broke her neck. She fell backwards, her blue eyes wide, face still so young and pretty despite the ravages of turning. He felt like crying.

He dropped down on the ledge and rubbed a hand across his eyes. God grant me the strength to kill

Elizabeth, because this cannot go on. She had to be stopped before she ruined more young lives.

Warmth ran down his side, and the metallic taste of blood stung the air. He tugged his shirt free and twisted around to look at the wound. Blood flowed freely, staining his jeans. The wound looked nasty, but it wasn't that deep. The fledgling must have stabbed at him while he was climbing up on the ledge, because the knife appeared to have nicked his jeans and gone off on an angle through his side rather than straight in. Luck had been smiling on him.

He leaned forward and grabbed one of the fledglings, dragging the body toward him. Removing the youngster's shirt, he tore it into strips and wrapped them tightly around his waist.

The rest he wrapped around the worst of his bite wounds—an open slash on his left calf. The remaining wounds were little more than nicks. He hadn't given his attackers enough time to do more damage.

Thank the gods Nikki hadn't been with him. Her kinetic power had its limits and protecting her might have been the downfall of them both.

He rubbed his eyes wearily, then pushed up from the ledge. Time to get moving. He splashed through the shadows, ignoring the ache in his side and the red-hot needles that thrust through his leg muscles every time he put weight on his left leg.

Up the hill and past the bloated pile of humanity. Past the corner where the fledglings had sprung from their hideaways. The air became cleaner, fresher, and his footsteps began to echo. He glanced up. The tunnel was widening, the roof pitching upwards. He had to be approaching a cavern.

He slowed, casting his senses forward. There was no sound, no shimmer of life, and yet… something was there. He edged forward, back to the wall. The darkness of the tunnels opened into a cave of immense proportions. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, gleaming cold silver in the light of a single candle that sat on an outcropping of rock.

Beside that candle waited Elizabeth.

For several seconds, Nikki didn't move. Couldn't move. Her heart was lodged somewhere in her throat, and she couldn't even breathe. All she could do was watch in horror as the smoke creature found form.

The flame imp whisked past her, flashing heat across her face. She blinked. It had paused near the door again, pulsing a deep, distressed red, then flew out.

She swallowed, took one final look at the billowing smoke and the sharp teeth just forming, and ran after the flame imp.

The spawn screamed—a high-pitched sound not unlike a woman in distress. Fear spurted fresh energy into her legs. She flew down the tunnel, following the flame imp and hoping it was leading her to safety and not into some trap.

Suddenly it stopped then dropped to the floor. Horror rolled through her, and the sharp taste of evil filled every corner of her mind. She fell to the ground. Claws scraped her back, burning like fire, then the spawn was past her, billowing like a sail as it struggled to stop. She scrambled to her feet and hit it with everything she had.

It screamed and was flung backwards, splattering against a wall. Moisture dribbled from it, searing into the rock as if it were acid.

She shivered. The flame imp pulsed its warning. She ran after it, her footsteps as frantic as the beat of her heart. Warmth dribbled down her back. She knew she was bleeding, but she felt no pain. Terror had numbed her.

Ahead, the sound of running water was becoming stronger. Was that where the flame imp was leading her? She hoped so. Michael had said water repelled it, but what good would it really do? She couldn't stay in the water forever, and the spawn would have her the minute she stepped out of it.

The bitter taste of evil rushed through her again. Her stomach rose swiftly. Swallowing bile, she fell to the left. Her shoulder hit rock, bruising her. The spawn billowed past again, screaming in frustration. She hit it again, pushing it back against the wall. Glancing at the ceiling, she saw a fissure in the roof line and pulled.

There was a sharp crack, and a huge chunk of ceiling fell, covering the smoky form with rocks and stones. Dust flew in the air, catching in her throat, making her cough.

The spawn screamed its fury. It was contained, but not for long. Tendrils of smoke were beginning to hiss from the gaps and solidify.

She ran on. The flame imp pulsated ahead, splashing red streams of color across the walls. Like blood, she thought. Her blood, if the spawn got hold of her.

Dread clutched her heart, squeezing tight. Energy tingled across her fingers in response, but the familiar ache was also beginning in her head. If she pushed too much further she'd lock her mind in pain, and the spawn would surely grab her.

She wished Michael were here, wished she could reach for the comfort of the link. But she couldn't.

There wasn't anything he could do to help her, and opening the link so he could taste her terror would only panic him. If she wanted to be a full partner in his life, then she was going to have to cope with situations like this without his help.

Behind her, the spawn roared its fury. A chill chased across her skin. It was free. Ahead, the flame imp had stopped again. Color splashed across the walls—across the surface of a stream that cut through the tunnel.

If it's deep I'll drown, she thought, and dove toward the water anyway. Better death by water than being consumed by the smoke demon behind her.

Talons of smoke wrapped around her calf and fire burned up her leg. She yelped, swallowing water as she dove under. Stones grazed the side of her face then her head smashed into something solid. Stars danced briefly and panic surged. She thrust upwards, breaking the surface, coughing the water from her throat. Warmth trickled down the side of her face. She ignored it, twisting around frantically, searching for the spawn.

It was diving for her head. She screamed and battered it away kinetically. It splattered against the wall; rock hissed and bubbled as clear liquid spurted from it. It peeled itself away, then dove toward her again.

She ducked under the water. The spawn hovered above her, yellow smoke body pulsating, as if in frustration. Again, she lashed at it kinetically. Pain burned through her head. She rose, coughing and spluttering, gasping for breath and looking around frantically.

The flame imp whisked heat past her face again, then dove under the water. It rose, spinning frantically, then shot upwards, out of sight again. She frowned, wondering what… the burning sensation of evil filled her senses again. She twisted, saw the spawn coming in from behind. Grabbed it kinetically and thrust it under the water.

Steam rose, hissing through the darkness. The spawn became frenzied, twisting and surging against her hold. Pain shot through her brain, sharper than before. She wouldn't be able to hold it much longer.

The flame imp shot past her and hovered above a pile of rubble, its color washing between red and green. She reached kinetically, picking up the pile of rubble and dumping it on the twisting, screaming spawn. It didn't cover the creature completely. She bit her lip and reached again. Hot lances of fire burned through her brain. She blinked back tears and thrust a second load of rubble over the creature.

This time it was covered. But just to be sure, she grabbed the remaining stones and dumped those over the creature as well.

She released her hold and scrambled backwards down the stream. The spawn's scream was a sound of combined fury and pain. But unlike the last time she'd buried the thing, there was no telltale leakage of smoke, nothing to indicate the creature was escaping. If water repelled it, maybe it could also contain it.

Maybe that was what the flame imp had been trying to tell her.

She glanced up. The flame imp hovered several feet above her head, its color a muted green. It had saved her life. "Thank you."

As if in response, gold flicked through the green. She smiled and dragged herself from the water. Heat burned across her right calf, and her stomach churned. Biting her lip, she looked down. When the spawn had grabbed her leg, it had burned a hole through her jeans and seared her skin. In the muted green light provided by the flame imp, her calf looked scarlet with heat and was already beginning to blister.

But there was nothing she could do about it right now, except put up with the pain. She'd promised

Michael she'd get Rodeman out of here, and that had to be her first priority. After that, she fully intended to go find Michael and provide whatever help she could. Maybe somewhere in between the two she could grab some pain killers and something to numb the burn.

How in hell was she going to get Rodeman out? She thrust a hand through her wet hair. She still wasn't sure, but there had to be some way. Maybe she'd just have to keep trying to wake him. He wouldn't stay under forever. Consciousness would eventually surface. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

She glanced up at the flame imp. "You want to lend me some light and maybe lead the way back to that cell?" Somewhere along the line, she'd dropped her flashlight.

The flame imp zipped past her, flashing gold across the walls. The color changed abruptly to red. Fear surged through her, but before she could react, hands grabbed her, covering her mouth and dragging her back into the water.