Hunter Betrayed, page 20
part #1 of Wild Hunt Series
For the first time in his life, the familiar rage that fueled his Huntsman form slipped through his fingers. His sorrow overshadowed everything.
* * * * *
Harley’s mouth opened on a soundless shriek. Hands pressed to her chest, she tried desperately to hold onto Calan. The silken second skin slipped through her fingers. Fire replaced it, burning every inch of her body. Her back arched and the final piece pulled free. She slammed into the ground. Air rushed out of her lungs.
For a long moment, she lay there unmoving. Finally, she turned her hand over. One by one, she forced her fingers to unclench. Where two circles had been, only one remained. Hers.
“He did it. He abandoned me.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “No, dammit. He’s trying to save me and the world.”
She pushed to her feet and shuffled the remaining few feet to the section of ground between the lake and Calan’s prison. Doubt and fear rushed up. She shoved it aside.
“You’re not the only one who can sacrifice, Calan.” She glanced into the pit that looked deeper and darker than it had the last time she’d seen it. “So can I.”
She stepped into the nearest stream of chaos. It snaked up her legs, twined around her torso and lifted her hair. Instead of experiencing temptation, her skin crawled. She ignored the sensation and slid over the edge of the sinkhole.
At the bottom, she stared wide-eyed at the entrance. The beam that had sagged the last time she’d seen it, had cracked. The earthen roof, partially collapsed, only allowed a crawl space into the underground chamber.
“Oh god.” Tremors started. The full impact of what she was about to do gripped her.
Memories returned of her time spent in the bunker—plush carpet, comfy furniture, books and videos. The image of Calan’s prison overlaid it—the chains, the silence, the isolation.
A whimper escaped, but she forced her feet to move. At the opening, she dropped to her knees and breached the entrance. The soot in the air choked her lungs. She breathed shallowly and crawled forward. Some places, she had to shimmy on her belly, squeezing through the collapsed tunnel, but the farther she traveled, the wider the opening grew. Near the final stairwell, she stood, brushed off the dirt on her pants and descended.
The unlit torch on the wall drew her eye. She grabbed a flint stored near it, scraping the small block over the stone. The spark caught, lighting the partially burned, cloth-wrapped stick. A flickering glow illuminated the room. She didn’t need the light, but it comforted her.
She swept her gaze over Calan’s bedroom. Her attention focused on the rumpled bed where they’d made love. Another sob choked her. On shaky legs, she walked forward. She lifted the pillow to her nose and inhaled her Huntsman’s woodsy scent. She greedily let it seep into her then forced her fingers to unclench, dropping it onto the mattress.
Heart-stopping fear seized her. The chains hanging from the wall glowed, swinging softly on a breeze she didn’t feel.
“This is it.” Her voice echoed.
She swallowed around the lump in her throat and took a step, then another. Without allowing herself to think, she yanked the dagger out of her boot and clutched it while she backed into position against the wall.
The chains she’d thought would be too short for her small frame, lengthened. The ones at her feet slithered across the ground. The manacle snapped over her left foot, her right next, and pulled. Her hips cracked with the tight stretch. She winced but didn’t have time to cry out. The one above her head snagged her free wrist and jerked it up. Fearing the other chain would capture her last limb, she raised the blade and slammed it into her chest. It sank deeper and deeper until her body absorbed it completely.
Fiery ice slithered into her veins. It seized her, locking her muscles, stopping her heart and throwing her body and mind into the worst agony she’d ever experienced. Words skittered through her brain. She couldn’t make sense of the guttural chant. The language was one she’d never heard, but the meaning of it settled into her heart.
She had to suffer for crimes she had never committed. The images danced across her vision—bloated bodies, rapes, torture and utter destruction. In every one, a face repeated. Although she’d never seen him, she knew who he was—her father, the sick bastard who’d forced his seed into her mom. Hatred whipped through her. Pain followed. She welcomed it, hoped if she accepted it, the sheer agony would stop. It didn’t. More anguish added to the weight crushing her.
The earth around her trembled, groaned and finally shook in a violent quake. The ground shifted. A boom rocked the world and the sound of crashing and shifting rock filled her ears. I’m being buried alive. The thought came and went. She couldn’t hold onto the fear it brought. Hell had finally found her and it was worse than she ever imagined.
* * * * *
A tremor shook the earth. Calan pushed to his feet. He stared in the direction of the lake and cursed. Something horrible had happened. He let his Huntsman form emerge and ran toward it.
He cleared the tree line and stumbled to a halt. Raul stood behind a wall of sluaghs. Beyond him, the sinkhole that led to his prison’s entrance was filling in. The sight didn’t make sense. Calan pushed the concern aside and focused on the appearance of the redcap. Raul needed to die.
Calan willed his sword to appear. He called his hounds to him then rushed forward. The sluaghs charged him. Calan cut them down with a ferocity he rarely showed. The wrath he always kept tightly contained spilled over and consumed him. He let it fill him up and used the strength it offered to annihilate his enemies.
The last sluagh fell. Calan pivoted on his heel and spied Raul running across the grass. Calan directed his hounds to block his path. He charged the redcap, sword outstretched. Raul clawed at the dogs attacking him. He grabbed one and flung the beast. Calan wrapped his arms around the animal, set him to the side and swung his sword in the redcap’s direction. His blade met air. Raul stood several feet away, a sneer on his face.
“Do you feel your mate’s pain?”
Calan froze. “What have you done with Harley?”
“Other than use her to break my tie to Dahm?” Raul took a step backward. “Not a damn thing. She did this herself.”
Did what? Calan reached out to Harley. Silence met him. He should’ve been able to touch her mind as he’d done before they’d mated.
Raul took another step back. “She decided to make herself a martyr and save the Huntsmen.” He chuckled. “Well the ones who aren’t stark raving mad, anyway.”
Oh god. The sinkhole.
Calan glanced over his shoulder. The sound of falling rocks and rushing dirt reached him. It was filling in because the curse had been transferred to a fairy. Not to Dahm, though. To Harley.
She’d sacrificed herself.
The sound of a car starting reached him. He gave the sight of his prison being buried along with the woman he loved one last glance. Emotions warred within him but he could not allow Harley’s sacrifice to be for naught.
He turned his back on her and ran after Raul’s retreating vehicle. The power of the Hunt fueled Calan’s limbs. He leapt onto the car and dug his talons into the roof. Screeching accompanied the slashing of the metal under his clawed hands. He reached into the opening and grabbed the redcap. Sharpened nails dug into his shoulders.
Raul cursed and twisted the steering wheel. The car veered right then left. Calan slid over the torn roof. The jagged metal ripped his chest open. The pain meant nothing. The blood slickening the surface did, however. Calan lost his grip. His feet dangled over the side. Only his talons sunk into the redcap stopped him from going airborne. Raul jerked the car. Calan’s back bounced off the trees lining the road. Still, he held on.
The second time he smacked into a tree, he pushed his feet off the bark. The car tipped over. Calan scrambled up and yanked the redcap’s head free. His screech cut off. Raul’s soul rushed out.
Calan stared at the sight of the pulsing orb. A redcap’s soul could not be freed. It belonged to its fairy master. Calan didn’t know what to make of the occurrence nor did he have time to ponder what it meant. Harley was being buried alive.
He ordered Death to collect Raul’s soul then raced toward the lake. He had to save her. He only wished he knew how.
* * * * *
Harley’s scream turned into one continuous shriek. Pain as she’d never known consumed her. Fire raced through her veins. Her skin burned. Flesh shriveled. Every cell in her body hurt.
God, please help me. Make it stop.
It didn’t. More misery gripped her.
She squeezed her eyes shut and willed her heart to stop, but it raced, faster and faster. Fear rushed over her. She knew what would happen. Death had claimed her several times since she’d stabbed herself. She didn’t want it to happen again.
She couldn’t stop it.
Her chest squeezed tight. Her last breath wheezed out. Black overtook her eyes, but unconsciousness didn’t come. Her heart expanded then burst.
Laughter surrounded her. That too faded along with the pure misery. Silence stretched. Her moment of peace. She felt her body mending. Her shattered heart glued itself back together and took its first beat.
How would she ever survive an eternity of repeatedly dying?
She didn’t even get the chance to ponder her question. The first shards of pain slithered through her. It was time to die again.
She whimpered. Can’t do it. I can’t.
A man reached out to her, not her beloved Calan but his brother Rhys. He fed her the knowledge. Share the curse with me. I will bear it too.
Tegan wrapped Harley in her mental arms. As will I.
More voices, more gentle hands caressed her. She shook her head and pushed against their comforting embrace. No. Not meant for the Huntsmen.
“Nor is it meant for you.”
The voice came, not from inside her head, but from in front of her. She cracked her eyelids open, the best she could do with the pain building in her chest. A fuzzy, glowing shape of a man stood several feet away. He had no face, no body, yet she knew him or should she say—them.
The Triad, the triple-faceted god that ruled over all.
It waved its arm. The pain choking her faded. “Why have you condemned yourself?”
Why? She had so many reasons. She wanted to spare Calan, free his siblings, ensure hell didn’t spill over into the world. Yet, she knew her motive was simpler.
“For love.”
The Triad spun in a slow circle. “And Huntsmen, is love your reason for helping her?”
Murmurs of agreement resounded in her head.
“So be it.” The god floated toward her. She dropped her gaze to the ground. The deity’s light blinded her, but it tipped up her chin. She couldn’t look away. “Then love you shall receive. Your sacrifice has been made and the barrier will be stabilized.”
She blinked back tears. “Thank you.”
“Do not thank us yet.” The Triad turned its back on her and stretched out its arms. “Arawn’s beloved children, hear us and listen to what we have to say. The fate of the world rests upon you once more. You too will be required to sacrifice what is most precious to you and you will receive only one chance to figure out what it is. If you fail to meet your challenges, you will all return here and the deterioration to the barrier will resume.”
The god approached her. She squinted but kept her attention on its face. It laid a hand over her heart. “Harley Callahan, mate to Calan, you have one more life to give. Die well.”
A bolt of energy shot through her body. The god disappeared. Her back arched, but the chains held her in place. She couldn’t escape. The pain grew. She shrieked. The sound turned into a bellowed roar shared by all the Huntsmen.
Power rushed up her legs. Energy crackled and bolts of pure, white light pierced her. The pressure in the air around her collapsed her lungs. Her cry of agony cut off abruptly, yet her mouth hung open on an endless scream.
On and on, the agony consumed her. Her heart expanded once more then burst. Blessed darkness dropped over her and she knew no more.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Calan skidded to a halt at the edge of his prison. Dirt was filling up the sinkhole, burying it.
With Harley inside.
“By the gods, no!”
He called on the well of power he rarely tapped into. Energy rushed into him. He directed it into the hole. Dirt and rocks whipped upward, forming a cyclone. The whirlwind grew until it towered hundreds of feet into the air. It hung for a breathless moment then burst, showering the area with soot and stone.
He yanked the force back. His gaze darted to the partially collapsed entrance of his prison. Fear rushed up. He swung his legs over the lip and let gravity pull him in. He slid down the sloped banks, pushed to his feet and raced into the hell he’d thought he’d escaped for good.
The tunnel had collapsed in several spaces. He clawed at the rocks, used his shoulders to widen the gaps and kept crawling, deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth. He didn’t care if the ceiling buried him. He’d dig himself out. Nothing would stop him from getting to Harley.
He cleared the last obstruction and raced into his cell. His attention zeroed in on the female he loved and had given up.
Harley hung from the manacles that had bound him. Her head slumped forward. The wild mess of her curls obscured her face. Throughout the platinum strands, black streaks bisected her hair. The change meant something. He didn’t know what nor did he have time to ponder it. The stillness of her chest worried him more.
He ran the few feet separating them and tipped up her chin. “Harley! Wake up.” She didn’t stir. He gently shook her. “Angel, it’s me.”
Nothing.
She couldn’t die. The knowledge didn’t explain the cold, clammy touch of her skin nor the fact that her heart didn’t beat. He pried her eyelids open.
Vacant.
“No, she can’t be dead. She’s a fairy. Immortal. Can’t die.” He shook her again. “Dammit, Harley, wake up!”
Any minute the healing process would begin. She’d start breathing again, but a minute passed, then two. Still, nothing. She grew colder.
He opened his mind to Rhys. Brother, what happened?
Silence met him.
Calan lifted his head. His eyes widened at the alteration to his cell. Open alcoves replaced the sleek stone walls, each leading to another room, another cell. His prison had been the center. His siblings hung lifeless from their chains. Although no black streaks bisected their hair, their slumped bodies mimicked Harley’s.
What had happened?
He reached out metaphysically and examined the barrier separating hell from the human world. Not mended, but the deterioration had returned to the state it had been when he’d been released.
They’d sacrificed to stop the barrier from cracking open completely, the only explanation. Not their pain, that was obvious. They couldn’t suffer while unconscious, but something more precious. What?
He glanced at Harley. Dead. She looked dead.
He slipped his finger into the torn fabric of her shirt. Blood coated the swell of her breast but there was no wound. He spun and raced to the bed. The key no longer lay on the pillow. He tossed the sheets aside, crawled on his hands and knees and spotted a glint of silver. He snatched it and hurried back to Harley.
He knelt and unlocked her feet. Her body sagged. He wrapped an arm around her waist and stretched for her bound wrist. A click and the manacle opened. Harley tumbled against him. He carried her dead weight back to the bed and laid her out. She didn’t move. He stared at her sprawled on the sheets and didn’t know what to do. A long moment passed before he climbed onto the bed. He reached for her hand and froze.
A circle shown on her palm.
Her circle.
“She never gave the words. I made sure of it.” The knowledge didn’t change what his eyes showed him. She’d completed the bond, but he’d ripped his half away.
And killed her?
“No, please, no.” He cupped her cheeks and kissed her cold lips. Over and over, he worshipped her. He willed his life to hers, prayed he could return what he’d taken. “Harley, don’t leave me alone.”
He covered her mouth with his and breathed into her, hoping to share his warmth with her. Love you, my flower, love you always.
Harley sighed. Her lips moved against his. He jerked back. Beautiful blue eyes focused on him.
“Harley?”
“Don’t ever leave me again.” Her teeth chattered with each word.
“Never, by the gods, never. I love you.”
A small smile spread over her angelic face. “Good. Now kiss me, Calan. I’m cold, so cold.”
“Yes.” He bent his head and captured her mouth, kissing her with teeth, tongue and love. His essence poured into Harley with each breath he fed her. The silken second skin that had tied them together slipped through her once more but instead of acting as a barrier, it melded them together. Her essence joined with his and her purity resonated through them.
The chaotic taint staining her body and soul was gone.
He felt the awareness of each of his siblings. Rhys first, then Tegan. The others stirred and he was reunited with each of his brothers and sisters, but where before he felt them as an extension of his soul, now he touched them through Harley.
“You did it.”
She grinned at him and held out her hand. Two overlapping circles shown on her palm. “We did it. We had to sacrifice what was most precious to us.”
He pressed his fingertips to her cheek. “Each other.”
She nodded. “Let’s go release the Huntsmen. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have survived. They sacrificed their freedom to ease the pain I felt.”
Thank you. He whispered the words into their minds. I’ll never forget what you did for my mate.
Out of habit, Calan went to Rhys first. His translucent eyes pierced him. Rhys remained silent while Calan unlocked him. Free of the bindings, Rhys extended his right hand, palm up. In the center was a black jagged line that extended from between his middle and ring finger to his wrist.
