the fire drenching Parnell’s body and Rune knew that his enemy had a well of power to draw on. The dark ones had claimed him and Parnell had surrendered to them, in a futile effort to claim what was never his.
“Bastard!” Parnell shouted as his own knife swept across Rune’s broad chest. Blood welled and then stopped as the wound sealed itself in the eternal flames wrapped around his body.
“You sold yourself to a demon,” Rune shouted, pummeling his enemy with his huge fist even as his knife hand arced for a deep blow.
“We found power!” Parnell pushed away, breath heaving, flames darkening as demon energy pumped anew inside him. “The power your god denied us.” He threw his head back and shouted, “Belen! See what you did! Look at us and tremble!”
Madness ruled him. Through the flames swallowing Parnell’s body, Rune saw the glint of insanity in the immortal’s eyes and wondered if it had always been there. Or had the demon energy pushed him over the edge?
Parnell charged again, his hamlike fists swinging. The blade of his knife winked in the light. Rune rolled with a punch thrown by his opponent and gained his feet instantly. Teresa continued to chant as Rune charged at Parnell again, his knife leading the way. Rune stabbed and slashed at the man trying to take Teresa from him.
Outside, lightning boomed and pummeled the earth in a series of electrical blasts as the very sky came alive to Teresa’s power. Each bolt seemed to shudder through the ancient stone walls, shaking them to their foundations.
His head snapped back with the slam of Parnell’s fist into his jaw, but Rune wouldn’t be stopped. Again and again, the two immortals battled for supremacy as the witch they both wanted called on the moon and the skyfire she wielded so well.
Parnell, fighting wildly now, dealt a blow aimed at Rune’s neck and missed. Rune came up fast and swung out with his own knife, its edge razor sharp. In the last flickering moment before his blade made contact with Parnell’s neck, he saw the immortal’s eyes widen in the knowledge of what was to come.
Then it was over.
Parnell’s body and severed head hit the stone floor and a moment later the lightning suddenly ceased. A curtain of silence descended on the ancient, sacred place. Rune let his own fire fade away and drew in heavy, fast breaths before turning from the fallen immortal to Teresa.
She stood near the altar, wrapped in a cloak of moonlight pouring through one of the stained glass windows above. The Artifact lay in her cupped palms, secure in a glowing sphere of silvery light. Within that sphere, miniature lightning bolts crackled and spat at the black silver as if daring it to challenge Teresa’s power.
“Teresa?”
Her gaze met his and she smiled. “I called on the moon, Rune. I used her magic to capture the Artifact. With the strength of the Mating and the influx of raw energy from Palenque, I’m strong enough to hold it. Its lure can’t tempt me. Or you.”
Humbled, awed, he walked to her and carefully placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You are the witch you were always meant to be. You are the woman who holds my heart. You are the air I breathe and the light to my darkness. You are … everything.”
Tears shone in her eyes, but a beautiful smile curved her mouth as she looked up at him. “I love you, too. And thank you.”
“For what?”
“For the gift of your trust,” she said, lifting one hand to stroke her fingers along the line of his jaw. “You gave me the strength I needed, Rune. Knowing you believed I would do the right thing made all the difference to me.”
“I have loved you throughout time,” he said, “and Belen willing, I will love you until eternity itself ends. And then beyond.”
She went up on her toes and kissed him. Then she said, “Let’s get this thing back to Haven. Then I want a weekend in bed with you. No interruptions.”
In spite of everything, Rune’s body tightened and an ache of desire erupted inside him. “One weekend? I think we can do better than that.”
Sighing in anticipation, Teresa unwillingly looked past Rune to the fallen immortal. Quickly, she looked away. “What about … ? We can’t leave him here.”
Drawing on the fire, Rune allowed the flames to cover both of his hands. “I’ll take care of it.”