Bringing her to climax while she shouted his name.
Two hissing black plum clouds flew past his shoulder and slammed into the far wall of his mind. The moment they hit, Gray's body jerked, his muscles spasming. The little bit of air he'd managed to draw in evaporated, and darkness once again crept insidious fingers around him. Images of Jewel faded.
"What's happening?" he croaked.
"Don't worry about that right now." She smoothed a gentle hand over his brow. "Concentrate on me."
Yes, Gray thought. Jewel. Think only of Jewel. His gaze met hers, silver against fathomless blue, and he was overwhelmed by a compulsion to do whatever she asked. She was his lifeline.
In an obsidian swirl of sulfur and blood-scented evil, the dark clouds whirled and gelled until two separate creatures formed, circling each other. One vampire - fangs elongated, saliva dripping from its mouth. One demon - claws sharpened, eyes glowing bright red.
Shock chilled him from head to toe.
The two creatures leapt at each other, oblivious to everything except the other's destruction. As they sliced, bit and kicked, it was Gray who experienced pain. Gray who felt the sting of each blow.
Their combating forms maneuvered toward Jewel, and for a long, protracted moment, she was wrapped in a cloak of malfeasance, shielding her from his view. When Gray lost sight of her beautiful face, his body cramped horrendously. Sharp. Like knives slicing him. He fought against the pain, determined to save Jewel.
Growling low in his throat, pushing past his injuries, he leapt to his feet and attacked full force. He used the only weapons he currently possessed - his fists and legs. But each time he punched or kicked, the cloud darted away with a violent, taunting laugh.
"Step away from them," Jewel commanded.
"Get out of here." As the battling pair whizzed past him, he jumped onto the demon's back, wrapping the winged creature in a chokehold.
"Gray," she shouted, frantic. "You cannot beat them alone, but I can do nothing while you are in the middle of them. Let me help you."
The demon threw him off. Gray immediately sprang up and launched himself atop the vampire, ripping at its throat. All the while teeth and nails sliced at his back. His breath grew ragged, unsteady. His limbs shook with increasing lethargy. He'd spent his entire life protecting those weaker than himself, first prowling the streets of Dallas as a police officer, then as a detective, then stalking other worlds as an OBI agent.
He wouldn't stop now. He'd kill these hell-bound bastards if he had to die to do so. "Please," Jewel cried, the sound distant. "Please step away from them, and let me help you."
Her desperation and fear penetrated his killing rage, but he refused to do as she asked. If he released the creatures, they might attack her and that he would not allow. Not knowing what else to do, he used the last of his mental strength to shove her out of his mind.
He would not risk her.
"Leave. Now!" he shouted.
A burst of white light erupted, and she disappeared.
A hint of sadness lingered where she'd been, making his chest constrict. His deepest male instincts wanted only her happiness. Wanted to grant her every wish. But if her wishes put her in danger, he'd refuse her every time.
Using his distraction to their advantage, the creatures closed over him, cutting at him, drawing blood. Abruptly Jewel jolted upright.
Panic thundered inside her, panic she could not subdue. Gray had actually shoved her from his mind, and she'd been unable to maintain her hold. Right now his physical body lay at her side, jerking every few seconds as the creatures ravaged him.
The golden stick still glowed, chasing away lingering hints of night's shadows. As she forced her heartbeat to slow, she studied him. His skin carried the greenish hue of sickness, and several cuts on his face and chest bled profusely. Bruises curved under his eyes.
How much longer he had, she didn't know. Not long, though. The dire warning echoed through her. Not long.
Hand shaky, she reached out, wrapping her fingers around his wrist. His skin was cold, his pulse weak. Before her eyes, a cut appeared on his forehead, slashing from brow to hairline. Every wound he received internally appeared externally.
All her life, he'd been her anchor and her only source of happiness. Watching his life unfold had been her greatest joy. If she had any hope of helping him, she had to find a way back inside his mind.