Any characters
you recognize belong to Sherrilyn Kenyon or Laurell K. Hamilton. I’m just doing
this for fun. This is rated PG-13 to be safe.
Once
again I have to thank Maggie for being an excellent beta! You guys wouldn't
believe what I send her to clean up. Thanks Maggie! Luna thanks so much for the
input and the use of your most fun character. Appreciate the assist!
It was hot. No,
it was damn hot. How long had I been here? Long enough to die but death would
have been a nice alternative to the constant thirst and hunger. Did I mention
the pain? I didn't know how I had gotten here. There was no calendar. No clock.
No time. It was just pain, thirst, and heat, so much heat. I couldn't move but
not because I was bound. No, I didn't want to use the energy. I knew that they
would be coming again. This time I was
determined to fight back. This time I was going to cause some pain.
I waited in the
stone cell, watching for the shadows to dance along the walls of the corridor,
watching for the demons to come to play again.
You could almost
smell them before you could see them, rancid and foul. They were pure evil with
knives and spikes and if they wanted to get really personal, they'd use their
claws. At first I screamed but after awhile I stopped feeling, just went numb…
No energy, just let it happen… Die, heal and wait for
the next time.
They rounded the
bend, shadows dancing off the walls. I took a deep breath and watched them
come. Just as they got to the cell door an odd thing happened. A creature, a
large black dragon, materialized between me and the demons. With one swipe of
its razor sharp claws, the demons were dispatched. The dragon whipped its
massive head around to look at me.
There was a
whisper in my mind as if the dragon was trying talking to me. “This is not your
dream, hunter. You do not belong here. Wake up!”
Swimming up from
the depths of where I had been, warm breath tickled the hair on my arm. I knew
who was there even without opening my eyes. The scent of fall leaves and fresh
earth played with my senses. Opening my eyes slightly and turning my head
slowly to the right, I saw her. Even in the low lighting, I knew. Raising my
hand I ran my fingers through the dark hair.
She raised her head and looked at me through tired, red rimmed eyes. I
licked dry lips and tried to swallow. It hurt.
When I thought I
could speak, I told Luna, “I don't like your dreams Princess.”
“I don't much
care for them either.” She smiled and laid a gentle kiss on my lips. “Let me
get you some water.”
“Don't...”
“I'll be
back. Maggie will want to check you out.”
With that statement she left.
I got tired of
waiting after about ten minutes and decided to leave. Sitting up slowly, I swung
my legs over the side of the bed and looked around the room for something to
throw on but there was nothing. The room was clean, too clean. Hospital? No, they wouldn't risk that but then the mayor
would probably have his own infirmary.
Then it hit me. Maggie. Dr. Rhodes. So I was at the Circus.
Standing I
pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around my waist. Finding the door I
tried to open it but it was locked. What the hell was going on? Was the threat
on the outside or the inside? Trying the handle again I pulled harder. I was left
holding the handle in my hand. Frustrated I threw the handle on the floor and
started beating on the door. Beating on
an inanimate object is great for letting off steam. It doesn't do much for the
knuckles though.
I felt trapped and
I hated that feeling. I began searching for another way out. There was no other
door, no windows, nothing. Where was she?
Why was I locked
up? I backed myself into a corner and
sat down. When she came back she'd tell me why, one way or the other.
So I waited not
knowing that elsewhere in the Circus Luna was in Asher’s suites.
*************
The leopard and
Asher had been talking, sometimes arguing for over an hour. Neither of them
seemed to know the answer to what was happening to the three of them and why it
was having such a strong effect on Nathan.
He was not a vampire not in the strictest sense of the word. He wasn't a
shifter either.
There was a
knock on the door, hard enough to almost splinter it. Luna knew who it was or more to the point who
they were. She had sent Nathaniel to Nathan's to pick the hunter up some fresh
clothing and essentials. Both Nathaniel
and a very irritated Micah were outside the door. Luna sighed and opened the
door to allow them entrance.
Her Nimir Raj growled. “I can't
believe you Luna! You were going to let Nathaniel walk into that room by
himself!”
She didn’t look
very intimidated by her leader. “Will you calm down? Nathan wouldn't hurt Nathaniel.
He's weak and confused.”
He shook his
head. “Confused maybe, but weak I highly doubt.”
“Do you believe
him to be a threat?” Asher asked.
He turned to the
vampire. “He's been unconscious for two days and when he wakes up she walk out
and leaves him with no answers.”
The blonde
haired vamp looked from one leopard to the others. “You think he will lash out
at whoever walks in.”
“Wouldn't you?” Micah asked then took the bag of clothing
from Nathaniel and left the room.
Passing Jean
Claude in the hallway, the leopard was giving off enough angry energy to cause
the master vampire to quirk an eyebrow at him.
“Ask Asher.” The
cat told the Master then stormed down the hall.
Jean Claude made
his way to his Second’s rooms. Nathaniel
opened the door to allow the Master of the City entry before leaving to catch
up to Micah.
Jean Claude
looked from Luna to Asher. “Why is there so much tension here Mon Ami? The Nimir Raj was quite agitated.
May I ask the reason?”
Luna sighed and
looked at Asher to begin.
The blond vampire
ran a hand through his hair. “Nathan is acting strangely. His senses are becoming
more acute. He shares our dreams. He knows when one of us is near, when I wake.”
The leopard
added. “But it's more than that. I feel
it when Asher and Nathan are together, when Asher feeds. I can see them in my mind’s eye.”
Jean Claude eyed
them both curiously. He tilted his head slightly toward Asher. “And when did
you notice this change? Is this why you have been shielding from me?”
Asher started to
speak but Luna answered for him. “I
thought it was necessary until we had a handle on whatever is happening.”
Jean Claude
bristled at the forwardness of the cat. He was before her in a flash, his dark
blue eyes boring into hers. “You thought it was necessary? You forget your
place. Asher is my Second.” He turned to his old friend, “Or do others speak
for you now, Mon Ami?”
The blonde
haired vampire shook his head. “Non. I speak for
myself. The last time I fed from Nathan
is when this started.”
The Master of St
Louis did not look amused. “And where is he?”
Asher sighed. “He
is locked in the infirmary. Micah has gone to see to him.”
Jean Claude’s
face went blank as he told them, “I want to know everything.”
Meanwhile the Nimir Raj had arrived down in the
infirmary. Micah walked into the room and heard the lock click after the door
was closed. He had given Noah specific instructions and expected them to be
followed. His eyes adjusted to the low lighting.
He found Nathan
sitting in the corner, just like Noah had shown him on the security cameras.
The hunter could have been asleep but Micah knew better. He sat the bag of
clothing on the bed and stepped closer to Nathan. He wanted to make sure the
man was alright. He reached out a hand and
that was when the hunter uncoiled and attacked.
Nathan slammed
into Micah and they hit the floor hard. The fight was on. Nathan was not as weak
as the others believed. Any man who could tear the handle off a steel door was
not weak. The two men wrestled on the floor trading punches and kicks like any normal
fight until Nathan sank his fangs into Micah's shoulder. The leopard cursed and
partially shifted his right hand and drove the claws into Nathan's gut. Still
the hunter kept fighting.
It was then that
Micah caught a familiar scent. Luna's scent was all over Nathan and he was
fighting like one of them. Micah grabbed Nathan around the waist, ran him into
the nearest wall and held him there.
Then he thought of something just before Nathan elbowed him. Micah took Nathan
to the floor placing his knee on the man’s throat.
With his clawed hand
poised above the hunter's heart he growled. “I am your Nimir
Raj! You will submit!” Nathan tried desperately to get Micah off of
him. “Submit Nathan.” Micah watched as
all of the energy just seemed to leave the hunter. He couldn't fight anymore.
Nathan stared up
at Micah with those dark eyes. “What's happening to me?”
The cat shook
his head. “I don't know.”
“Help me.
Please.” Tears trickled down his face.
“I'll find out
something. I promise.” Micah pulled the sobbing man into his arms to comfort him.
He heard the
door open and close. He knew that Nathaniel would find a way around Noah. The
young were sat down next to his Nimir Raj and his friend sliding his arms around both men.
Sometime later
Maggie had checked Nathan out, patched up the wounds from the fight and got
some liquids down the hunter. He managed to dress in the jeans and tee that
Nathaniel had brought before drifting off again. Both Maggie and Micah watched
Nathan for a bit while he slept. Nathaniel insisted on cuddling up beside the
hunter. Maggie wasn't sure it was a good
idea. Both Noah and Merle backed her up on that but Micah knew it would calm
Nathan to have someone he trusted near. Micah would rather it be pard.
The Nimir Raj was watching the
security feed of the infirmary when Jean Claude walked in.
The Master
looked at the feed. “How long has he been sleeping?”
“About
an hour.” Noah told him.
Micah added, “Every
time he twitches, Nathaniel holds him tighter. I think he's afraid Nathan is
going to fall off the bed.” Noah laughed as Micah asked, “Any idea what's going
on?”
Jean Claude
nodded. “Oui and Ma Petite is
not going to like it.” Both men looked at him, missing the sudden flash on the screen.
It caught the vampire’s eye though and he looked up. “Merde! They are gone!”