Still, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that something wasn’t right…that he needed her. But she’d made that mistake back in the castle.
When it came to Nik, her emotions went haywire.
She scrubbed her face and tracked back to the wooden chair where she’d left her washed underwear to dry, picked it up, and pulled it on. With no clothes here, she had to make do and recycle what she wore. As she smoothed the large sweater over her short plaid skirt, a faint masculine scent drifted to her. Unable to stop herself, she pressed the soft knit to her nose, inhaling deeply.
Ugh, this wasn’t helping. She flopped down on the chair, propped her feet on the old wooden table, and wrapped her arms around her waist, her restless mind slipping to Joyce, hoping the woman had taken her advice and had gone to The Shelter.
With hours to go and nothing to do until Nik’s return, her edginess grew like fire ants beneath her skin—
“You can’t catch me, Shady Shadow…” Shadow froze at the childish voice echoing in her mind and desperately tried to hang onto the wisp of a memory, but it dissipated like mist. Christ, she rubbed her achy temples, wishing she knew who the voice belonged to.
She jumped to her feet, needing to keep moving. Her gaze settled on the granite balustrade. Hell, why not?
Adrenaline pumping, she grasped the pillar, leaped onto the rail—her kicks giving her enough of a grip—grabbed the support beam, and scrambled up onto the roof. The wound on her chest pulled a little, but it didn’t stop her.
More in her element now, she raced along the slightly sloping rooftop, her gaze darting to the dark clouds submerging a part of the tower, her destination. Exhilarated, she slowed near the circular structure, but a glow coming from below drew her. Shadow skirted around the turret to the rim of the roof and peered down into the courtyard.
Beneath the tree in the backyard, the angel, Lore, practiced with some kind of glowing sword, the weapon leaving shimmery waves in the air. Curious, she grasped the edge of the roof and swung down, landing on her feet like a cat.
Lore stopped mid-swing, his expression a little annoyed. “Human, you put yourself in danger.”
“I’m fine.” She studied the shimmering weapon. “You use that to kill—”
“Demons.” He rested the silver sword against his black, tunic-clad shoulder, waiting.
Right. Shadow furtively eased back, just in case the sword possessed demon seeking magic or something and detected her other, darker side.
A sharp, pulsing sensation tugged at her to move. Her throbbing nodes jacked up, and she pressed a hand to injured chest, biting back a wince of pain. Maybe a demon about?
As if. None would find the Guardians’ warded residence. They were zealous about their privacy, so she’d learned while at the castle.
But she had to get out of here before Lore sensed her strumming nodes and their demonic connection. She didn’t want a Heavenly weapon in her chest.
“I’m going to explore this ghostly monastery.”
“Why?”
“It’s fun.” Please don’t say you’re coming, too.
“Suit yourself.” He went back to his sword dance.
Thank God. He’d probably know if danger was around, anyway.
Shadow headed indoors. Once clear of the angel, she raced along the cracks marbling the granite floor in the softly lit corridor. Moments later, she entered a gloomy, seemingly unused part of the monastery, and she stopped at a bricked-up passage.
Musty air hung dank and heavy here. The pull inside her didn’t subside. In fact, it ramped up like earlier today when she’d thought Nik was in trouble…but he was out on patrol.
A sudden chilly breeze swept past, and she shivered. She rubbed her arms, spying a narrow entrance in the shadows. A wooden door stood slightly ajar.
Cautiously, she stepped through and made her way down the crudely excavated steps going deeper into the mountain.
The stairs spilled into a dark corridor. Only her keen eyesight prevented her from crashing into the granite wall. As if invisible strings drew her, she followed the tug inside her along the passageway. Torches burned, casting eerie shadows, revealing the dingy walls and a ceiling thick with cobwebs. Heck, she lived underground, the dark didn’t scare her, but this place had a spooky vibe. The several wooden doors she passed were far too close to each other, almost like narrow crypts.
Stopping midway, she glanced back at the shut doors. All of them appeared ancient and worn, except for the last one, which was the only door made of heavy metal. How odd.
Did it cage a wild animal? A supernatural beast? Demons?
Frowning, she drew closer and pressed her ears to the unexpectedly freezing metal and concentrated. A low growl, no, a groan reached her, followed by a grunt.
The familiar smell of stormy nights and cedar permeated the air, stronger than the faint one from the sweater she wore. She reared back and frowned.
A pained moan reached her again.
Her heart banged against her ribs then took off in a frantic sprint to her throat. She hammered her fists on the chilly door. “Nik?”
“Get out!” A guttural growl. “You can’t fuckin’ haunt me here, too!”
Panic cramped her chest. Why the hell was he locked in a cell?
Terrified for him, she shoved at the heavy door. Then she saw the key in the lock, dripping icicles. Even the frame sported a layer of frost. What the hell? Who would bolt him inside? Anger tearing at her, she unlocked and shoved the heavy steel door open. Ice creaked, crackled, and crashed. More frost coated the door, the floor. Icicles hung from the ceiling.
The oppressive darkness in the cell made her desperately want to turn tail and run, but Nik was here. Her sight adjusted, and she saw him crouched in the corner. A thick, sulfuric odor burned her nose, but there were no demons around.
“Nik?” she whispered, holding onto the icy door.
His eyes gone a gleaming white fixed on her. Sweat dripped down his face to his heaving, bare, tattooed chest. A tiny glint of metal flashed. Nipple piercings.
“Nik—” She stepped into his den and cautiously approached him. He reminded her of a wild animal—a wounded predator. “What’s wrong? Why are you locked in this place?”
“No!” He leaped to his feet, pressing his back into the granite wall as if to escape her. Sparks of power shot out of him. A flare streaked across his torso, illuminating his tatts like lightning. “Go,” he snarled, fingers pressing into his inked chest as if to hold himself together. “Get out!”
A tortured groan escaped him, and he doubled over, a dark fog burst out of him. Shadow stumbled back, bumping into the door and slamming it shut, trapping her inside. More smog shot out of him, breaking open his sternum. Bones cracked like thunder rumbling. Blood flowed. Nik fell to his knees.
“Nik!” She darted across to him, falling on her knees and grasping his thick biceps, trying to push him up—
Power blasted her, and she flew back, hitting the wall and dropping on her backside. A hail of ice splinters slammed her, piercing her skin, hurting like hell.
“Shadow,” Nik croaked.
Tears burned her eyes at the pain splintering through her.
“Hold on, baby. Hold on. I’ll get it out of you.” He crawled across, his hands flying as he frantically pulled out the pieces of ice embedded all over her.