Jocelynn Drake - Nightwalker

“No!” I said sharply. The fresh surge of fear snapped me awake. “No one else comes in or out of here.” I turned my gaze over to Michael and Gabriel, who were inspecting the room. “And you do not open the door for anyone besides Danaus. No one!” Both gave me a slight nod before resuming their inspection.

I hesitantly stepped inside and turned to face Danaus, who had moved back out of the room. He pulled the heavy iron key out of the door and handed it to me so I could lock the room from the inside. I didn’t ask him if it was the only copy. I didn’t want to know the answer or to see him lie to me if it wasn’t.

“Sweet dreams,” I said. I tried to smile but knew it never reached my eyes.

Danaus reached up and slowly moved a lock of hair from where it had fallen in front of my eyes. His beautiful sapphire eyes caressed my face as if he were trying to memorize my features. “You too,” he finally said before closing the door.

My hand was trembling when I put the cold key into the lock and turned it, the metal grinding against metal. It had been a while since anyone bothered to lock this door. Moving into the room, I tossed Gabriel the key. In one corner, Michael was already sifting through the large basket of food. It had been a long night already, and I hoped they could catch a little sleep in shifts, having no idea what tomorrow would bring for any of us.

On the opposite wall, Sadira and Tristan lay on the dusty floor, wrapped in each other’s arms. Their eyes were closed, already giving over to the daylight sleep. We could sleep at any time but had no choice when the sun rose. It was the tradeoff we all had to face. During the long night hours, we were practically gods among the humans, with abilities beyond their comprehension. But as the sun touched the earth, we were reduced to helpless husks, completely unable to protect ourselves. I sat on a crate against the wall and stretched out my legs. With my arms crossed over my chest, I waited, staring at the opposite wall. I didn’t want to close my eyes regardless of how tired I was. I didn’t want the dawn to come and take away my ability to defend myself.

But it came despite my protests. I could feel the night give one last feeble gasp, clawing at the earth as it finally shriveled up and died. The light crept steadily toward the horizon, the gray sky giving way to the warm yellows and pinks that I had watched paint the clouds in my youth. Despite the fact that I had not been reborn until I was twenty-five, all my memories of the dawn came from my youth. I could recall walking down to the shore to watch the sun lifting into the sky, its delicate rays jumping and dancing on the waves. The cries of the gulls filled the air as they left their nighttime perch.

As the light broke across the sky, my body clenched, struggling to hold my powers locked within this poor frame. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, still it slipped through my skin and down into the earth. As my eyes fell shut, the last thing I recalled was the feeling of Danaus. Strong and powerful, his warmth washed through me, protecting me as he stood guard outside the door. I tried to reach out with the last bit of my powers to touch his warmth. The hunter was still protecting. He could have so easily left Tristan and me in the woods, allowing me to slowly die while he returned to Themis to destroy Sadira. Despite his angry protests about my kind being the root of all evil, he had saved me twice from Rowe and now stood guarding me from his own people during my weakest moment.

Ascream erupted from my throat as my eyes snapped open. Machu Picchu rose up around me and Nerian stood close with knife in hand. This time I had been lying on Intihuatana as he prepared to remove my heart. It took a moment for my vision to clear. Blinking again, I found Michael standing before me, his warm hands cradling my face. I pulled away, moving out of his grasp, and pressed my back into the cold stone wall. The weight of Sadira’s worried gaze pushed down on my tense shoulders. I couldn’t blame her for her fears. I was supposed to protect her, and I was slowly being driven mad by nightmares that I shouldn’t have had in the first place.

“I thought you had escaped the nightmares,” she said, her voice a soft caress that reminded me vaguely of flannel pajamas. She was standing near the door. Tristan hovered close by, his arm around her slim shoulders. His body and face had become as still and stiff as a marble statue as he tried to mentally remove himself from Sadira, but I saw a flicker of concern flash through his eyes before he could squash it.

“They’re back.” I was only mildly surprised that she’d asked Jabari about me. I jumped down from my resting spot on top of the crates, wincing at the movement. My body was mostly healed, but I was still sore. “It’s nothing. It will pass. What time is it?”

“Two hours past sunset.”

I barely stifled the curse that had risen to my lips. I was a late sleeper, but I’d never slept that late. The nightmares combined with the injuries were draining me, forcing me to sleep later into the night. That left me vulnerable not only to humans and naturi, but also to other nightwalkers.

“Let’s get out of here.” I held my hand up and Gabriel tossed me the key. He looked rumpled and a little weary, but otherwise fine. Michael wasn’t wearing his homemade sling and seemed to move a bit easier. Both of my angels had also regained their color from my previous feedings. I unlocked the door and pushed it easily open, the metal hinges groaning in the silence. My little band trooped across the basement and up the stairs, where James met us. I was surprised to find him wearing a pair of jeans and a hunter green T-shirt. It was a little disconcerting to see him looking so casual, even though his hair was still perfectly arranged and his shirt neatly tucked into his pants. His brown belt even matched his dark brown shoes.

“Nice outfit,” I said with a half smile.

James flushed, his hand absently reaching for a tie that wasn’t there. “I had a feeling I was a bit overdressed for assisting you.”

“No doubt.”

“Are you leaving now?”

“Soon. Where’s Danaus?”

“Resting, I believe. He stood guard in the basement all day.” My stomach muscles twisted and knotted at the thought of him sitting outside my door while I lay helpless. Yet, instead of fear gripping me, I was surprised to feel my cheeks flush. I felt important…almost cherished. I hadn’t expected the hunter to stay all day.

“Do we need him anymore?” Sadira asked from behind me, shaking me from my thoughts and reminding me that she was the valuable commodity here, not me. I was just part of a game Rowe was playing.

I turned my head so I could see her out of the corner of my eye. “No, I guess not,” I said, disappointment threading itself through each syllable. I had become accustomed to having him there, someone protecting my back—even though he meant to stick a knife in it the first chance he got. “We need to find Jabari and a replacement for Tabor. We might as well stay while you search.”

“And then where?” Sadira’s soft voice was edged with fear and doubt.

“Back to London. My jet is still there, and we can take it to the Coven. If Jabari is not there, one of the other Elders will be. It’s also the safest place I can think of. You can stay there while I fetch Tabor’s replacement or search for the location of the next sacrifice.”

“I will show you to a comfortable room you may use,” James said, leading us down the hall. He opened the door and my two guardians entered first, sweeping the room, one hand always on the butt of one of their guns. They were good at what they did and I felt a small swell of pride as I watched them. I entered only after Gabriel gave a single nod, indicating that it was clear.