As Darkness Falls by Riley Storm

Chapter Six

“Is there anything you can do?”

Vir looked at me like I was crazy.

“You’re a god, man,” I said, pointing out the obvious. “You must have some kind of powers. Things you can do to heal him, give him a better chance of living. To pull through this, right? That’s something you can do?”

“Dani, this man tried to kill you,” Vir said, still crouched on the other side of Johnathan, who had slipped back into unconsciousness. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m well aware of what he tried to do,” I snapped defensively. “I also tried to kill him. The bond was driving us crazy. Don’t forget, I asked you to kill me. That’s how bad it was.”

Vir frowned, his lips compressing into a thin line. He didn’t like what I was asking of him, but neither was he denying it, which was good to see. It meant he did have some power to help.

“I would rather help you,” Vir said, gesturing toward my side, the wounds now hidden by Aaron’s clothing. They were baggy on me because I was smaller than him, but since I was five-ten, at least they didn’t hang overly long on me, which would be helpful when we started having to walk.

“I got beat up, Vir,” I told him sternly. “I’m up, about, breathing, talking, glaring at you. The wounds have stopped bleeding. Sure, I’m tired, weak, and ready to sleep for a month, but I’m alive. The same can’t be said for him. I’m not dying, Vir. He is. Help him.”

Truthfully, I wanted to let Vir heal me and give me some energy. I was running on the last dregs of fuel in my body, but the last thing I wanted was for Vir to start growing some sort of attachment to me. I didn’t want to give him any ideas about becoming my knight in shining armor, riding in to rescue me. I could take care of myself.

And to add to that, I don’t want to let myself learn to lean on him for help. That would be a dangerously seductive path for me to take, especially given how the Soulbond would amplify it.

No, I needed to keep my distance. I wasn’t sure what the unbreakable Soulbond meant or how I was going to go about severing myself from Vir, but it was going to happen, and in the meantime, I wasn’t about to let myself fall for him. Besides, I’d thought the bond between Johnathan and I was unbreakable as well until Vir had shown me otherwise.

There was a way, and I was going to find it. I was going to be free. Somehow. I just had to get rid of Vir. Now, there was an idea. What if I sent Vir back to the Direen? Being in a different realm would have to split us…Wouldn’t it?

I don’t know, but it seems worth a try. First things first, though…

“Help him,” I said quietly, making it an order.

Vir looked ready to protest, but a firm glare quieted the unspoken words. He sighed.

“Very well,” he rumbled, caving. “I’ll do what I can, but I make no promises. He’s very badly hurt. He might never recover.”

“Just try,” I said. “That’s all I’m asking of you.”

“More like ordering,” Vir said with a human-style pout, but he waved a hand over Johnathan, his signature blue energy flowing from his palm and into Johnathan.

Nothing outwardly visible happened, but I could hear that his ragged breathing had eased. Johnathan was sleeping peacefully now.

“There. I have done what I can,” Vir said. “Healing was never my specialty, and I am limited in my abilities to help. But I think he will live if he makes it through tonight.”

“Thank you,” I said, fighting back a reaction to reach out and rest my hand on his arm.

Enough, I snarled at my Soulbond, tired of its interference.

My wolf stirred at the mental lashing but quieted again quickly when I didn’t direct anything more her way. A brief stab of jealousy at her ability to sleep ran through me, but I shoved it aside. Sleep would come soon.

“Aaron,” I called, knowing he wouldn’t have gone far.

“Still here,” he replied, striding into the chamber, looking silly in boxers, boots, and nothing else. “What is it?”

“Where’s the rest of the team?” I asked, starting to push my exhausted mind into forming a plan.

“Out in the quad,” he said.

I stared blankly.

“Uh, the flat area outside, with all the big statues on either side?” he said.

“Right,” I said, tiredly, remembering the scene I’d witnessed as I’d run from Johnathan.

It was a flat space the size of a football field, lined with giant statues on either side. I’d raced past the area in my attempt to find what had been calling me. In the end, I’d ducked into the opening beneath the single statue at the end of the field, the only one not on either side.

“What are they doing?” I asked, pulling myself back from the memory.

Focus. Give some orders. Then, you can pass out.

“Maintaining a perimeter,” Aaron said immediately. “In case Lars or any of his friends try to come back.”

“I don’t think they’ll be a problem anymore,” I said. “Pretty sure they got what they wanted. At least, the part that wasn’t me.”

“I got that feeling, too,” Aaron remarked. “They didn’t seem too interested in sticking around. But I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“Fair,” I agreed. “Besides, nothing we can do about them at the moment. We’re in no condition to go after them.”

“I can see that,” Aaron said. “What’s the plan then, boss?”

I could feel Vir looking at me, too. Though he might be a god, this was my realm, not his, and he seemed to be deferring to me, for now at least. Being in charge of a god and someone who was most definitely more experienced and aware of the paranormal world that I was only just discovering was a jarring experience, to say the least. But I was determined to show them that the chick from nowhere could do the job just fine.

“First, we try and find me some clothes that fit, so you stop walking around like a Tommy Hilfiger model. That’s step one. Step two is food, because I can feel the hanger coming on, and it won’t be pretty.”

“Hanger?” Vir asked.

“It means hungry-angry,” Aaron supplied. “When you haven’t eaten in so long, you get irate.”

“That explains a lot,” Vir said, looking at me and nodding.

“Well, then there’s the fact that she’s probably on her–”

I fixed Aaron with a glare so harsh he stopped speaking instantly.

“Men,” I spat hotly, shaking my head.

“Hangry,” Vir repeated. “I get it now!”

“See!” Aaron cried. “It makes sense, doesn’t it? Great term.”

I groaned, rubbing my face. “I hate both of you. We also need to set up camp, Aaron. Somewhere we can rest. You’ll probably have to send some of your men for supplies, because Johnathan is in no condition to be moved far, and I’m not far behind him,” I said, admitting my condition.

“Supplies and a place to stay are not an issue.”

Both Aaron and I turned to regard Vir where he stood.

“They aren’t?” I asked. “I mean, we have them. They’re just back at the last camp Aaron’s team and I made.”

I glanced at Aaron for confirmation, and he nodded.

“You won’t have to get those,” Vir said. “I will take care of it.”

“Is this one of those god things?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay, great. Well, snap your fingers then. Or whatever you have to do. Aaron, call your men inside. We could all use some rest and recovery, I’m sure.”

“I can’t,” Vir said, interrupting my flow of thoughts.

Frowning, I paused, taking a deep breath. Dealing with gods was getting annoying. I just wanted a straight answer.

“Okay, Vir. You just said it wasn’t a problem. Now you’re saying you can’t do it? Why not? In detail, please.”

“We must go to my temple for that,” he said, gesturing past Aaron.

My frown deepened as I looked around the chamber. “Uh, I thought this was your temple,” I said quietly, fear rising inside me.

“No,” he said. “There are many temples. To all the gods.”

I closed my eyes, dreading the answer but needing to know, nonetheless. “And this one?”

“This is the temple of Amunlea,” Vir said quietly.

“Oh,” I squeaked. “Great.”

Why the hell had the temple of Amunlea, the freaking Empress of the Shifter Gods, reacted to me of all people.

That couldn’t be a good thing.