Authors Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. My muse went on vacation for a while. But do you know what keeps my muse happy and keeps me from getting writer's block? Reviews. My muse is a glutton for reviews. She doesn't even care if they're anonymous. So after you read this chapter, just go ahead and click that tempting little button on the bottom on the screen. Just a few words is all it takes. Constructive criticism is appreciated, but no flames please. And to those of you who have reviewed, my muse and I thank you. So now without further ado, here is chapter 2 of Dark Salvation. (FYI: The breaks represent a change in point of view)
Chapter 2
"I can't believe you went behind my back and told Slavica to bring our children to a place of strangers!" Falcon called back to his lifemate on their private path.
"It was church! I'm not going to apologize for sending our children to a place of worship! With everything that has been going on, we all need to keep a strong faith." Sara was fed up with Falcon trying to run everything, especially when it came to their children.
"I don't care if it was a garden full of fluffy little bunnies. We have to check out every place thoroughly before sending them somewhere without us. You know that Sara," Falcon reprimanded her as he raced to the inn in the body of an eagle.
"I know, love. I'm sorry. It's just, with the pregnancy and the stress from the recent attacks, I only wanted our children to have something to believe in. I guess I didn't think this one through."
"I'm sure with Slavica there everything went smoothly. Let's just pray that nobody heard something they shouldn't and followed them back to the inn. With all the fanatics out there, we can't be too careful. One of them might come and…" Falcon trailed off as he caught sight of the inn. Through the window, he noticed a huge wall of flame, and it wasn't coming from the fireplace.
"Falcon what is it?" There was panic in Sara's voice. Falcon sent her a mental picture of the inn and then in a tone only a frightened mother can possess she said, "Get them out of there, now!"
Sara's order was unnecessary, for Falcon had already resumed human form and was tearing through the inn. While searching frantically for his children he began calling their names both telepathically and out loud. "Travis! Ryan! Caleb! Chrissy! Emma! Jase! Blythe! Where are you?"
"Falcon, we're all with Gary." Falcon came to a halt as the voice of five-year-old Caleb filled his head. "But Savy pushed us in here about a half an hour ago, and Gary won't let us leave the room, not even to go potty. I have to pee real bad and Emma is screaming and talking crazy about a lady being on fire in another room. Falcon, I'm scared."
Falcon took a look around and noticed the fire he had seen hadn't spread one bit. Something strange was going on. "Caleb, I need you to hold it just a little bit longer. Don't go anywhere and don't open the door for anyone but me. Promise me you'll stay where you are unless I say otherwise. I need to go check on this fire."
"Okay Falcon I promise. But please don't take too long. I don't know how much longer I can hold it in."
Falcon turned back toward the living room where he now noticed the piercing cries of agony.
"Falcon, what's happening? Why didn't you get them out of there?" Sara's panicked cry rang through his head.
"They're safer where they are, Sara. I don't know what's happening but they don't appear to be in any immediate danger." That's when he saw it. Deepening their connection, Falcon allowed Sara to see the horrifying scene before him. A woman was indeed on fire, and they weren't natural flames.
Falcon called out to the prince. "Mikhail, I think you and Gregori should come to the inn."
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Zohra's return to reality came in the most painful way possible. Flames covered every inch of her skin, and her insides felt like a sea of lava. She touched a hand to her throat. Just as she suspected, the collar was off. The final charm had been activated. She could only hope Razvan's gift of healing fire, could counteract it completely. She had already almost died from the charm that made her sick to use her magic. The parasites now tearing through her organs almost made her wish she had let the collar strangle her. But no, she didn't have the luxury of dying anymore. She had to find Dominic.
Zohra struggled to stand up as the fire drew the parasites through her pores and burned them one by one. She gritted her teeth as wave after wave of pure agony swept over her. Her insides were being torn to shreds. There was absolutely no way the healing fire could destroy all the parasites before they killed her. She surveyed her surroundings through the bright orange flames. Some kind of foam was being sprayed at her only to disintegrate in the fire. No one else would be able to aid her in this. She would have to expend more energy she didn't have. Zohra fought through the pain to find the tranquil state needed to heal herself. It was difficult, but finally she was able to let go of the physical world. The chaos taking place inside her body was appalling. The parasites were multiplying at an alarming rate. There was no way she could destroy them all in her weakened state. Luckily she didn't have to. As bright healing light, Zohra chased after the parasites, leaving no part of her body unchecked. She was relentless, forcing the parasites to run from her light only to be drawn out of her body and destroyed by the healing fire. She made a few more sweeps until she was certain no more were hiding, and then came back to herself. She collapsed back onto the floor as the last of the flames died down.
Zohra looked up to see a crowd of people staring at her in both fear and confusion—three Carpathian men and her four human rescuers. The Carpathians must have come to investigate the flames. Zohra was suddenly very aware of her nakedness. Feeling very vulnerable she addressed the crowd in front of her. "Um… If you are all going to keep staring at me, could you at least get me some clothes? I'm feeling very exposed."
One of the Carpathian men waved a hand and a sweatshirt and jeans formed over her body. "You are clothed," he said. "Now please tell us who you are and what you are doing here."
Zohra looked down at her new clothes. They were simple and plain looking, but they were so much better than the rags Xavier had given her. In fact, Xavier usually didn't give her anything at all. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at the man who had conjured them. "Thank you. I had forgotten that Carpathians could do that." Zohra looked around the room until she spotted her human rescuers. "Thanks to you as well. I never would have gotten that collar off without your help." She rubbed a hand against her neck where burns from the collar still lingered.
The Carpathian, unswayed by her gratitude, grabbed her by the scruff of her new shirt, shoved her toward him and forced her to meet his gaze. "I asked you a question," he growled at her. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
Zohra could feel herself falling into those eyes. Exhausted as she was, she was helpless to resist the compulsion. "M-my name is Z-Zohra," she forced out, the man's demanding presence causing her to stutter. "Zohra K-Kovalevsky. I c-came here to f-find my l-lifemate."
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Falcon tightened his grip on the woman. She looked helpless, but so did that old woman at the Christmas celebration and he knew how that turned out. This woman, Zohra, threatened his family with her very presence. Emma was still screaming in the back room of the inn. The woman seemed to be telling the truth, but not all of it. He increased the intensity of his gaze. "Who sent you here?"
The woman was quivering now under the onslaught of his penetrating stare. "N-no one. No one sent me. P-please let me go."
Falcon felt a tight grip on his shoulder. "Stand down Falcon. She's no threat to anyone."
Falcon ignored the prince, for the first time disobeying a direct order. The woman was hiding something from him and he intended to find out what it was. Shaking the woman, he barked out the question again.
"I told you the truth." She was crying now, bloody tears streaming down her face. "You're supposed to be one of the good guys. Why are you hurting me?"
Before Falcon could do any more damage, he was dragged away from the woman and pushed into the wall by the prince's second in command.
"You dare disobey a direct order from your prince?" Gregori snarled at him. "You just attacked an unclaimed female. I should kill you where you stand."
Shocked by Gregori's words, Falcon met his slashing silver gaze. "Don't you threaten me Dark One. This woman's very presence here is frightening my children. Emma is back there screaming; can you not hear?"
"Gregori, let him go." The prince became the voice of reason. "That's an empty threat and you know it. His lifemate is carrying. That alone is enough to put him on edge. With seven adopted children in the midst of this chaos, it's no wonder he attacked her."
As Gregori released him, the prince turned to Falcon. "Get your children and go home to your lifemate, Falcon. I'm sure Sara is worried sick."
"You're right. I am." They all turned around to see a very upset Sara in the doorway.
Falcon ran to his wife. "What are you doing here Sara?" He placed a hand on her round belly. "You are supposed to be resting. The baby can't take the strain."
"I'm not the one causing the strain Falcon. Right now the baby is upset because her daddy isn't home with her mommy like he belongs." Sara clutched her head. "And the children are giving me a migraine from how scared they are."
"Because of this woman, Sara. She's disrupting the natural order!"
Sara gave him a look that was a cross between frustration and disbelief. "Do you even hear yourself?" She grabbed his chin and turned it to face the woman he had attacked. Zohra was now whimpering on the floor in the fetal position. "Look at her. You are disrupting the natural order Falcon. This woman couldn't hurt a fly in her condition." She forced his gaze back to her. "Emma is an empath. She was screaming because of this woman's pain and now you've instilled a fear in her that her father will attack someone who is suffering. Now let's get our children and go home before anything else can frighten them—or me."
Falcon was taken aback. Sara's words finally hit home. He had attacked a woman who couldn't fight back. He looked into his lifemate's eyes. "Forgive me, my love. Let us return home. I have thoroughly shamed myself this evening." He turned to Zohra and approached her quivering body. "I do not ask for forgiveness, only understanding. In my effort to protect my family I have done more harm than good. I shall leave before I hurt anyone else."
As Falcon turned with Sara to collect his children and exit the back door, he heard a voice. It wasn't out loud and it wasn't in his head. The words seem to speak to his soul. "You are forgiven." It sounded like the unclaimed female he had just attacked, but when he turned around he saw she had slipped into unconsciousness.
Well that's it for now. I know you are all waiting for Dominic to enter the scene. I'm sorry to say that he wont be in the next chapter either, but I'm hoping to get him in by chapter 4. To give you a little sneak peek, in chapter 3 I'm planning on having a big scene where Skyler and Dimitri meet Zohra. I'm going to try to have Natalya and Vikernoff in the next chapter as well. Thanks for reading. Now please tell me what you think of my fic so far.
