His Darkest Salvation (Jaguar Warriors 3)

Ready to join Father?

She prayed for strength, and hissed, “Are you?”

Her fingers grasped the edge of the blade and she attacked with all her might. She screamed, venting her pain, frustration, and rage as she heaved forward and swiped the dagger across Degas’s neck. She felt it cut through flesh and bone. She felt the warm spray of blood as it splattered against her flesh. He thrashed against her, and still she held, not relaxing until his body stilled.

She turned from him, feeling the cold wet concrete at her back, and stared into the lifeless eyes of her father. A roaring echoed inside her head, gripping her painfully.

And then she felt nothing.

Chapter 29

Julian leapt away from the dead jaguar, leaving its broken body to fall to the ground. His only thought was to get to Jaden, and her scream penetrated the black wall of rage that clouded his eyes.

The ancient magick of his people slid over his limbs as he shifted back into human form. He was at her side in an instant and gripped the body on top of her, throwing Degas aside in his effort to get to her.

Blood was everywhere, agitating his jaguar, and for a second his heart stopped cold.

Was she dead?

Pain the likes of which he’d not yet experienced rushed through him, gripping his heart and pulling every string available. Not even when he was ensconced deep within the armpit of hell, had he felt such anguish.

Gently, he gathered her close, and when he heard her heart beating, felt the air in her lungs, something akin to peace settled over him. He shuddered from the strength of it.

The darkness was still there, but he could manage. As long as she was alive.

Her eyes flew open, stared up into his, and she shifted in his embrace, her arms encircling his chest with a strength that was surprising. He closed his eyes, relishing her touch, wanting her to crawl inside him.

“Julian.” Her whispered word, the sound of her voice, was like a soothing balm that slid across his flesh.

She trembled in his arms, and he pulled her away from the carnage that was her family. He buried his face within the silken length of her hair and inhaled her scent. He knew it was something he’d never lose. Her smell. The memory of her touch.

Wherever the hell he ended up, at least he’d have that.

He could have stayed like that for hours, simply drinking in the warmth of her flesh and the feel of her in his arms. There was no time.

“Where is the rest of the team?” he asked.

She shook her head. “I don’t know. Nico, Ana, and I were doing a grid search, but the shadows, they . . .” She paused, and he felt her gather her strength. “They’re full of dark magick, and we became separated.”

“We need to get to Declan.” His tone was urgent, and Jaden nodded in understanding.

“Let’s do this,” she answered.

His hand rose to gently remove the solitary tear she’d allowed to fall. She rested her cheek in his palm, her soft skin like velvet against his rough hand. Such need gripped him that he gritted his teeth until his jaw ached.

She pulled away and turned without another look back. “Come on, Castille. We’ve a date with the devil.”

His warrior woman had returned, sliding back into her skin with ease.

Julian snarled as he scooped up the remnants of his trousers and followed her into the dark.

Declan felt dead eyes watching him from the shadows. He paid them no mind. The shades were there in abundance, but they held back, wary of the power that clung to him.

The bastards were smart to stay away.

Small puffs of mist evaporated as he exhaled slowly. Just ahead, he saw the outline of a large contained area. Above it, the thread of energy that called to him writhed and shimmered in a chaotic blend of mist and magick. It coated the room in a protective shield, and he felt the power of it hanging in the air.

It really was stunning. He’d have to compliment Cormac on it.