His Darkest Embrace (Jaguar Warriors 2)

She wished she had more of a handle on him, because time was definitely running out.

When they’d left Jagger the jungle had been dark, full of night’s caress, but now she could feel the warmth of the sun as dawn broke, and she held on to that. She drew in the power that floated on the air and kept it close to her heart. She would gather as much as she could and use it when she had the chance.

If she got the chance.

Tiredly, she rested her eyes on Azaiel. Somehow she felt his power was tied to the portal. She just wished she knew how. She could feel his strength increasing, the closer they got to it. The air around him moved differently, coating his form with an energy that was vibrant, alive. Any other time Skye would have been fascinated by such a sight.

As it was, it did nothing but terrify her. He paused abruptly and Skye stumbled to a halt. Her stomach tightened and she felt sick to her stomach.

They were deep in the jungle, the vegetation thick and lush. Before them a great heap of tangled vines rose up, their long arms twisted into a cloak of greenery. Skye’s eyes narrowed. Something didn’t seem right here, and she moved forward cautiously, until she stood a few feet from the shadow man.

He looked at her and she was shocked to see that his eyes had changed yet again. The black had been shot through with gold, and it echoed in the streaks of darkness that now graced the blond of his hair.

Can you feel it?

She nodded her head, her eyes widening as she took in the pulsating mist that formed a halo around his entire body. She let her gaze travel the length of him and though he was not yet fully in this realm, he was definitely getting more solid.

Which meant he was uber dangerous.

She was going to have to be careful.

He pointed toward the intricate mass of vines and they began to transform in front of her, pulling back and sliding away from the ancient structure that they guarded. The magick that clung to them was powerful, familiar. It was of her people.

Skye took a step forward. She couldn’t help herself. She felt a keen sense of wonder as she studied the stone dwelling laid bare to her eyes. It was beautiful. Like nothing she’d ever seen before.

Each stone was unique in color, size, and texture, and they’d been arranged in such a way that she could see an eagle and a sun guarding the entrance.

“Is this … I thought …” She stopped, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

This is the true Cave of the Sun, and it’s where your father moved the portal many months ago.

Azaiel’s eyes began to glow in earnest, and Skye was ashamed to admit that the fear that sat heavily in her belly was threatening to explode. Her knees trembled and it took every ounce of energy inside of her to remain standing.

It’s time for you to claim your destiny, Skye.

A dark sense of foreboding seeped into her soul, but she quickly pushed it away. Sk

ye squared her shoulders. The demon was right about one thing. It was time for her to end this.

She held her head high and walked past him, swallowing her fear as she paused before the entrance. She closed her mind to everything but what needed to be done and then slipped into the cool interior of the cave.

She pushed long, wet strands of hair away from her face and ignored the blast of cold that crossed her skin. Her wet clothes offered no protection from the damp interior and she began to shiver as she walked further inside.

The magick of her people was much stronger here and she basked in its power. It fed the eagle inside and her great raptor awakened, overwhelming her with its need to act. She smiled sadly and forced her animal to be quiet. This was not the time to battle.

The magick coated everything in a glow and she welcomed the warmth that soothed her cold skin. It was fashioned somewhat like the previous structure, but there was nothing of ceremony to announce that such a valuable artifact as the disc was anywhere inside.

Her eyes found a low-slung stone altar in the far corner. The closer she got to it, the faster everything faded to nothing, until all her eyes could see was the round disc. She stopped a few feet away.

She was aware of her heart beating heavily inside the walls of her chest and each time she inhaled air deep into her lungs, the sound amplified, hitting her from both within and outside her head.

Her eyes drank in every detail of the ancient relic and she was surprised to note the very modest aura that surrounded such an extraordinary object. It was a simple disc, really, bereft of any type of grandeur and quite plain, in fact.

To most people it would appear to be nothing more than a round piece of stone with some markings etched on it.

Skye couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, and as she took the final few steps that brought her to the stone ledge it sat upon, she shook her head, marveling that such an ordinary-looking disc could wield such power.

A cold wash of dread rolled over her as she stared down at the disc. It looked as if it had been placed there with almost casual indifference. But there was nothing casual about the situation, and the reality of what she was about to do crashed through her.