Salvation (Book Two of the Prophecy Series) Read online

  Nick suppressed a humorless chuckle. Like he knew? He slit his eyes open. Their hands glowed golden with the combined light of their Gifts. All it waited for was their command. A single word was all it would take to unleash it, but what was the word?

  “Nick,” Sakura whispered. Her eyes weren’t open as far as his, but the same light shone in them. Then she mouthed a single word to him.

  He nodded. “Together, then.”

  “Purify!”

  The air in the room thinned and a crack reverberated against his eardrums as his healing powers were sucked directly into Storo’s body; like water into the parched ground. Drained away. There was nothing left inside him but an aching emptiness. Alone. Bereft. Tears gathered in his eyes. This should be his dream come true. His unwanted Gift had left him, but now it felt so…wrong.

  He stared down at the still unconscious Storo and swallowed hard against the unbidden panic rising in his chest. Jesus, if it didn’t come back then he and Sakura might have accidently created the very first Anferthian healer.

  He glanced up, meeting her stricken gaze. Shit, this loss of power probably had a more devastating effect on her than him. She lived to heal.

  Storo’s body twitched, glowing faintly from within. The ill Anferthian’s neck arched and his roar echoed through the room. What was going on inside him? Would their combined power heal him, or kill him?

  “What can we do to help?” Desperation edged Sakura’s question.

  “Hell if I know. Just keep your hands in place and…I dunno. Pray?” This was redefining “winging it” in his mind.

  Her mouth snapped shut, then she nodded.

  As suddenly as it had disappeared, his power surged out of Storo’s body, traveling back up his arms to lodge in its accustomed place, warm and reassuring. Thank God!

  Something had changed about it, though, but he couldn’t spare the time to analyze what was different.

  Sakura exhaled a sigh. “Was that it?”

  “Jesus, I hope so.”

  “Me too,” Storo croaked. “I do not know what you did, but it felt like liquid fire burning my veins to ashes.”

  Relief surged through him at the sound of his friend’s voice. “We need to run a probe, Storo. We need to know if the illness has been eradicated.”

  The Anferthian nodded, giving him a weak grin. “I am in no condition to stop you, even if I wanted to.”

  Extending his senses, Nick traveled the workings of Storo’s body, searching for any hint of what had made him so deathly ill just moments before. There was nothing.

  “It is as if he were never sick,” Saku said a moment later.

  Nick gave her a nod. “I agree. Storo, stay here, in bed. Sakura and I are going to try this out on Nero now. Don’t get up until we get back, okay?”

  “Movement is beyond me,” Storo murmured. “Go, save Nero. And may all that’s holy go with you.”

  Nick gave his friend’s shoulder a pat, then grabbed Sakura’s hand. Together they raced out the door.

  “Nick, you did it!” Even though he was once again hauling her across the street, Sakura didn’t object. In fact, she seemed more alive than she had been since they’d arrived.

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “No, we did it, Saku. One down, one to go.”

  A heart-rending howl erupted from inside Nero and Dacey’s cube, the pain in it nearly freezing Nick’s heart. “Fuck.”

  A moment later he stood in the doorway to Nero’s room. Dacey lay on the floor in the fetal position as though curling herself around her grief. K’rona and Ita comforted her without much effect. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

  Nero roared, straining against the straps holding him to the bed. An icy tingle trickled along Nick’s scalp and down his spine. Death was imminent. Not again. This couldn’t happen again.

  He rounded the bed. “Same as before, Saku.”

  Their hands in place, Nick turned inward to tap his Source. “Calm your mind. Center yourself.” His words came out as a whisper as he willed his inner turmoil to be still.

  “Two are stronger than one.” Her words washed over him and he relaxed further. He entered his Source, and the power of his Gift rushed to his hands.

  “Purify.” His voice melded with hers.

  Crack! Once again the power that had been his for so long flooded out of him, leaving him naked and as vulnerable as child. His gaze locked with Sakura. A tear rolled over her cheek, mirroring the grief welling up in him.

  Nero jerked violently as if fighting off a demon.

  “Where is the glow?” Sakura asked.

  Nick’s gaze raked Nero from head to toe. No glow. Nothing. Where they too late? “K’rona, get Dacey over here, now!”

  A teary-eyed Dacey appeared at his side a moment later. “Dacey, talk to him, about anything. What he means to you, the wedding, anything that will give him a reason to fight to stay with us.”

  Immediately Dacey launched into a full diatribe, professing her love to Nero and how happy they’d be together. How one day they’d go home to Anferthia and their families, and walk in the pink ocean surf. Anferthians possessed a gift of the gab that would make an Irishman envious. Was it coincidence that they were as green as the Emerald Isle?

  Nero thrashed, but a glow was appearing in places now. Patches of healing power shimmering through. It was working, but would it be enough? An icy finger of dread slid down Nick’s spine, and Sakura gasped. He jerked his head in the direction she was looking. The familiar darkly garbed figure near the foot of the bed appeared to be looking directly at him. A boulder-sized lump rose in Nick’s chest. Did it recognize him? Because being recognized by Death probably wasn’t a good thing.

  He swallowed against the knot of apprehension. “Nothing personal, but I’ll do everything I can to keep you from taking this one, too.” Pissing off Death was not something he wanted to risk. Even with his Gift, he wouldn’t stand a chance against such a powerful force.

  Nero’s entire body arched. The glow flashed a brilliant gold, washing over him as he let loose a blood-curdling scream. The dark entity faced Nick for another chilling heartbeat, then disappeared in a blink. Nick stared at the empty space as an amused chuckle echoed in his ears.

  Had Death just laughed at him?

  ~*~

  Nick sat next to Sakura on the floor in Dacey’s living room, their backs pressed against the large sofa and mugs of steaming kumi in their hands. A tenuous bond had formed between them from their shared experience saving Storo and Nero. Words would just break the spell. For now, sitting and sipping the revitalizing liquid was all he needed.

  He lowered his eyelids and reached out to touch his Source of Peace. It was still there, whole and possibly a little stronger than it had been. And there seemed to be a hint of cherry blossoms mixed in. Could a piece of Sakura’s Gift be part of him now, or was what he sensed more like the lingering perfume from close contact of their powers?

  “Nick,” Sakura said softly. “Was that thing…Death?”

  He met her even gaze and gave his shoulders a shrug. “It looked like it, at least how I remember.”

  “I do not think anyone else saw it,” she said.

  “It didn’t appear so.”

  Silence descended again. Then she turned her head, a perplexed V between her brows. “You have seen that thing before, yes?”

  Companionably he draped his arm across her shoulders and she leaned against his side. He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I’ve definitely seen some weird shit in my life.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Nick stood in the crowd of Anferthians, warmed by the towering bonfire and stuffed full by all the food served for the wedding feast. Dacey and Nero’s “traditional” Anferthian wedding had been interesting and beautiful, even via a translator. The wedding party had moved through the entire village accepting greetings, blessings, and food from everyone. There were even representatives from the Directional villages in attendan
ce. It reminded him of the progressive potlucks his parents had dragged him on as a kid, only this time he was attending voluntarily.

  All in all, a complicated but well-choreographed event that had ended here, at the huge bonfire in the middle of the street outside the happy couple’s cube. As Storo had explained, this was where Dacey and Nero would perform maitz’a, the ritual that led to consummation, while their guests made toasts to them.

  And that disturbed him more than he would admit, especially within earshot of Storo. His friend must be pulling his chain. It was impossible to imagine the Nero and Dacey he knew having sex in the street in front of everyone. Watching any couple consummate their marriage was a sight he could live without. Especially while standing next to Sakura. It would be like the whole Anferthian male anatomy picture in the book all over again. Only a thousand times worse. He surreptitiously scanned the crowd. Best to have an exit strategy in mind in case things got too hot for him to handle.

  K’rona and Storo appeared in front of him, blocking his view. They pressed large, wooden cups of golden liquid into his and Sakura’s hands.

  “Ryma,” K’rona explained. “The golden rum we toast the new couple with. There will be many toasts as they dance, so drink conservatively. To finish your ryma before the end of the dance is an insult to the bride and groom.”

  A dance? Not sex in the street? He looked up at Storo. This was a glare-worthy moment. “So, they’re just dancing?”

  Storo’s grin was on the almost wicked end of mischievous, but K’rona answered, “Yes.”

  That was a relief. “How long do these dances go on?”

  K’rona shrugged her shoulders. “From minutes to hours. It all depends on how long the couple has known each other and how much they have experienced together. Sometimes their stories include their individual childhoods, and sometimes they begin from the moment they met. It ends when Dacey brings Nero to the frenzy.”

  Nick frowned. “Forgive my ignorance, K’rona, but shouldn’t they do that inside?”

  “Maitz’a is the ultimate trust between a husband and wife, Nicholaus,” she explained. “He trusts her enough to allow her to publicly initiate the frenzy. She trusts him to get them inside before he completely loses control. This is why it is done so close to their door.”

  Now it made more sense.

  “On rare occasion, couples do not make it inside.” Storo’s grin had turned evil.

  “I’m not listening to you anymore.” Nick raised the cup to his nose, inhaling the nutty scent of the liquid inside.

  “Be careful, little man, you have not had ryma before. It comes to the inexperienced on quiet feet.” Message delivered, Storo turned away to talk to someone else.

  Nick leaned toward Sakura. “I could go for a nice mellow lager about now.”

  She shook her head. “Sake.”

  “Sake?” He gave her a look of mock horror. “Isn’t that the base for kerosene?”

  Her tinkling laugh brushed over his skin like a gentle breeze. “I believe you mean vodka. More for me, then. This ryma, it looks like egg yolks, yes?”

  He gazed down into the contents of his cup. She was right, it really did look like well-mixed, bright yellow egg yolks. “Bet it doesn’t scramble well, though.”

  The first drumbeat sounded and Dacey and Nero stepped into the large circle made by their guests. Everyone lifted their cups and Nick followed suit, then drank a sip. He raised his eyebrows and met Sakura’s surprised gaze. Thick, like egg nog, but exceedingly refreshing, like a chilled pallet cleanser after a heavy meal. Hard to believe it was alcoholic.

  A loud roll of the drums sounded like thunder, marking the beginning of the dance. Sakura’s shoulder brushed his bicep as she turned toward the dancers in the center of the circle of onlookers. Dacey and Nero’s bodies flowed, the dance almost tribal in nature as it told the story of how the couple met and how their relationship had developed. The only way to keep up with all the enthusiastic toasts was to keep his eye on K’rona. It seemed like the bridal couple’s lives together had more highlights then a movie blooper reel.

  Dacey and Nero danced to a stop directly in front of him and Sakura, sinking to their knees.

  “For Nero’s life, we honor you,” Dacey said. “You are fyhen.”

  “Fyhen,” Nero shouted, his voice echoing through the circle.

  “Fyhen!” The tremendous roar from the gathered Anferthians resonated in the chilly night air. All of them using the voice level normally reserved for battle.

  Had they just been officially—and personally—accepted by the dissenters as their own? Nick gave Sakura a bewildered glance. She appeared to be as stunned by this proclamation as he.

  Another toast was made to each Sakura and him before the newlyweds spun away, laughing. Their dance was now uninhibited with wild abandon. If anything, Dacey appeared to be challenging Nero. Ducking and spinning, then coming at him with a wordless shriek only to duck away again. They both seemed to be enjoying their game immensely.

  K’rona bent closer. “For what you have done for us, you are now part of our family of exiles. You are claimed as fyhen, and are forever ours.”

  This wasn’t an honor he’d expected. Once an Anferthian claimed you as their own, you were family and they would fight to the death for you, like bloody Berserkers if need be.

  “Welcome to the family,” Storo boomed, lifting his cup. The toast was picked up by all the Anferthians in their immediate vicinity.

  Heat prickled the back of Nick’s neck, and he took a somewhat larger swallow of the ryma than he’d meant to. As he choked back a cough, Storo’s large hand swept down and pounded him squarely between the shoulder blades, nearly knocking him to his knees.

  “Little man is having a difficult time holding his drink?” Storo chuckled next to his ear.

  “No. I’m fine, really.” That sounded anything but convincing, even to him. But Storo had moved to roar his approval and toast to another life event for the happy couple.

  “Nick, they toasted again. Take another sip,” Sakura whispered urgently.

  He did as she said, then caught her gaze. Everything about her was etched in sharp relief. The whites of her eyes were really white, and her dark pupils well defined. Soft pink lips opened and a song flowed from them like water in a cool mountain stream.

  Yup, this stuff really did sneak up on you, but he wasn’t much more than moderately buzzed yet. Still, baby sips were in order for the duration of the dance.

  Another roar of approval drew Nick’s attention back to the dancers. Dacey reached out and lovingly stroked the fan shape of her husband’s ears. Nero’s expression transformed from satisfied bliss to wild and raw male sexual desire. Dacey’s shout was nothing less than pure joy, and she all but jumped into his arms. The crowd whooped and roared as the newlyweds quickly disappeared into their cube.

  Nick gazed into his cup of golden liquid. With the dance over, he wouldn’t need this anymore. Would pouring it in the bushes be an insult? Fyhen or not, it wasn’t worth the risk. He threw it back in one gulp, then closed his eyes for a moment savoring the mellow flavor of the drink.

  The sounds of celebration continued around him, echoing in his ears. That was definitely an experience. Thank god Nero had taken Dacey inside to consummate with her…three times. Dayum. Dacey would be smiling for a month. How, exactly, did those ear receptors work? He’d have to finish reading that part in the green bible.

  Nick frowned. There was one question the book would not have an answer to. Why did his maleness now desire company?

  He opened his eyes. The stars above him seemed to spin and twirl in their own suggestive dance. Yup, he was a little drunk and most definitely aroused. Maybe he should try to find his way back to the cube and sleep it off.

  He lifted his free hand to rub his eyes, but something held it at his side. His gaze was drawn to his immobile hand, its fingers laced with Sakura’s, then traveled up, up to her lovely face. Desire bl
oomed in the dark depths of her eyes and he became fully alert. Everywhere. Literally. God, he wanted her so deeply he ached all over, like a fever.

  He sucked in a sharp breath as pink-white cherry blossoms unfurled their delicate petals in her silky black hair.

  Something was in his other hand, the one she wasn’t holding. Something he was certain he didn’t need anymore, and it kept him from touching the flowers. He opened his hand and the object disappeared. How convenient. He ran his fingertips over the cascading blooms. Soft, remarkably soft. His hand cupped her cheek. She was so beautiful, so perfect. Tears welled in his eyes. Why had he wasted so much time?

  Saku stepped backward, pulling his hand, and he followed, slipping away from the crowd with her.

  ~*~

  The drums still thudded, and Nick’s brain vibrated painfully with each beat. How long did Anferthian wedding parties go on, anyway? He groaned and forced his sticky eyelids to open. A ceiling, not stars, was above him. He was inside? When had he come inside? And what in the hell had he been thinking inviting the drummers to come into—his room? He frowned. How did he get to his room? And into his bed?

  Someone chuckled. Nick opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again because the words had floated away and now gently bounced against the ceiling like day old helium balloons. How odd. Wait...someone had laughed, which meant he wasn’t alone. He rolled his head carefully to the left and blinked. Huh. The dark-headed man seated in the chair at his bedside looked familiar. His name was….

  “Dante?”

  The Matiran healer raised one eyebrow. “Nick?”

  “Uh, yeah. Who else would I be?” He creased his brow. “Wait, how do I know you’re not another hallucination?” Like the balloon words still floating above his bed. “Can you make the drummers shut up?”

  Dante leaned forward in his chair. “First, you’ve been many people over the past forty-five hours. Second, there are no drummers in here. That is your pulse you hear in your ears. Third, have any of your hallucinations been able to do this?” His mentor pinched his upper arm and twisted hard.