Darkness Rises (Immortal Guardians #4)

Wait, Etienne said. He remembered Richart telling him Melanie had freaked out when Bastien had tested the antidote on himself because it was so strong it could kill an elephant. She had feared it might make his heart beat so fast that it would merely flutter instead of beating and cease pumping blood through his body.

Melanie ignored him, jamming the pen into Krysta’s arm.

Krysta gasped. Eyes widening, she jackknifed into a seated position, chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.

“Are you okay?” Melanie asked, taking her by the wrist.

Krysta nodded. “My heart is racing.”

“Any chest pain?”

“No.”

“Difficulty breathing?”

“I’m breathing kind of fast, but . . . I think I’m okay.”

“Let me know immediately if that changes for the worse.”

Krysta nodded and scrambled to her feet, picking up the swords she had dropped.

Melanie caught Etienne’s gaze. Tell the others the mercenaries have upped the dose. One dart will fell them so swiftly they won’t have time to use the antidote. Any immortal felled should be given the antidote twice. “You’re sure you’re okay?” she asked Krysta.

Nodding, Krysta leaped into the fray again, a big grin lighting her face. “I’m fine. Thank you!”

Melanie darted out the door.

Seth warned the others before Etienne had a chance.

Etienne jerked his head to the side just in time to avoid a dart.

Moments later, the last mercenary fell and Etienne raced forward to yank Krysta into his arms.

“I’m okay,” she muttered into his shirt.

He could feel how swiftly her chest rose and fell, heard her racing heart, and wasn’t so sure about that. “You’re practically panting.”

“What can I say? You turn me on,” she retorted.

“Don’t joke about this!” he snapped, tightening his hold on her.

“I’m sorry,” she said and leaned back. “I’m okay. Really. I think double the antidote is a little too strong, but I don’t feel like I’m dying or anything.”

“Forgive me. I didn’t mean to snap.”

“I know, honey. I really am okay. I actually feel . . . great.” And damned near danced in place, seeming unable to remain still. “Really juiced. Like I could . . . I don’t know . . . take out a helicopter or something.” Laughing, she tugged him toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go. We still have lots of ass to kick.”

Etienne steadied her when she nearly tripped over a body in her haste, then followed her outside.

Bastien and Melanie raced past toward the third and last barracks.

“We’ve got the last one,” Bastien called and plunged inside, Melanie right behind him.

Richart appeared in front of Etienne and gave Krysta a quick once-over. “Are you all right?” he asked, face full of concern.

“I’m awesome!” she declared with worrisome enthusiasm.

Richart cast Etienne a dubious glance.

“You heard Seth?” Etienne asked.

His brother nodded. “Stay safe.” He vanished.

You, too, Etienne thought.

Ethan and Edward, along with Richart, steadily reduced the numbers of the guards outside.

All hell had broken loose in the hangars, judging by the sounds of it, so Yuri and Stanislov appeared to have things under control there.

Or not.

Three mercenaries fled one hangar and scrambled into a helicopter. The blades began to rotate as the engine hummed to life.

Krysta gave Etienne a huge grin, her face lighting with excitement. “I’m doing it!” she blurted, sheathing her swords and drawing two daggers.

“What?”

“I’m taking out that helicopter!” Whooping, she dashed away.

“Wait!” He took off after Krysta. Melanie!

Yes?

Can a double dose of the antidote cause erratic behavior?

That’s definitely a possibility. It’s a stimulant and frighteningly strong. Why?

The helicopter lifted off the ground.

Krysta picked up speed, running damned near as fast as an elder.

Because I think Krysta has lost her damned mind!

The helicopter began to move away, strafing the yard with machine gun fire.

Krysta veered toward a Humvee, jumped onto the hood and, without slowing, leaped into the air.

Etienne nearly dropped dead of a fucking heart attack as he watched her fly through the air and dive through a side door, tackling one of the door gunners.

Fuck!

Jumping onto the Humvee, he leaped after her.

The helicopter wobbled and began to spin away.

Etienne brushed the landing gear with his fingers and latched on, pulling himself up and through a side door.

One door gunner was dead. A second soldier fell out the other side. The pilot . . .

Krysta buried a dagger in his heart as he spun toward her with a 9mm.

The helicopter tilted and spun as the pilot abandoned the controls and slumped over dead.

“Now what?” Etienne demanded incredulously as she turned a triumphant smile on him. He sure as hell couldn’t fly this thing. And they couldn’t jump without being caught in the rotors.

Her face fell. “Oh, shit. I didn’t think of that.”

Seth!

The ground rushed toward them.

Seth appeared in the helicopter and promptly bumped his head. “Ah! Shit!” Reaching out with both hands, he grabbed their shoulders.

Etienne breathed a sigh of relief when they teleported to the tarmac in front of one of the hangars.

Fire reached toward the sky as the helicopter crashed and exploded. Pieces of the rotor blades tore off and shot through the night, taking out several more mercenaries for them.

“You!” Seth said, pointing an authoritative finger at Krysta. “Calm the fuck down!”

Eyes wide, she nodded hastily. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what—”

“It’s the drug. I know. Etienne, keep her in check.” He vanished.

Krysta stared up at Etienne, eyes wide. “I can’t believe I just did that. I’m so sorry. Are you hurt? You aren’t hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine. You just scared the hell out of me.”

“I’m sorry,” she said again. She hadn’t thought. Energy had poured through her, demanding an immediate outlet. She had seen the helicopter and . . .

She hadn’t thought. She had just acted.

“Are you okay?” he asked, grabbing one of her Glocks and firing over her shoulder at some threat behind her.

“Yes.”

“No chest pains?”

“No. My breathing is even beginning to slow.” And rational thought was returning.

He nodded.

“I really am sorry,” she said. They could have died in that helicopter. One of the rotor blades could have decapitated them when it crashed. Or they could have burned to death in the fire.

Could fire kill immortals?

“It’s all right. Let’s go help Yuri and Stanislov—”

Eyes rolling back in his head, he dropped to the pavement.

“Etienne!”

A dart stuck out of his shoulder.

Looking past him, she jerked to the side to avoid a dart aimed at her, then flung a dagger at the mercenary aiming his tranquilizer gun at them.

It sank to the hilt in the man’s chest, felling him as quickly as the dart had dropped Etienne.

Kneeling, Krysta rolled Etienne onto his back and drew out two autoinjectors with shaking fingers. “Etienne?” She flipped the lids open and jabbed them into his neck.

A few seconds later he gasped. Eyes flying open, he sat up so swiftly he rammed his head into hers.

“Ow! Shit, your head is hard!” she complained, rubbing her throbbing forehead.

“What happened?”

“Seriously, you didn’t feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“Never mind. You were tranqed. Are you okay?”

“I’m good.” His chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. “I’m great!” He leapt to his feet, a wide smile splitting his blood-painted face. “Let’s go kick some ass!”

Krysta scrambled to her feet as he sped into the nearest hangar. “Wait!”

Something exploded inside.

“Oh, crap.” She took off after him.

As Seth swung his katanas with deadly precision, he heard David laugh on the other side of the building.

Seth smiled wryly, confusing his opponents. I think we may have a new problem on our hands.

It would seem so.

Have you been hit with a dart yet?

No. Strike that. Yes.

Do you need me?

No. It’s a great deal stronger than the darts used against us in the past. I had to use the antidote.

Two doses?

No. One sufficed for me. The young ones must be more susceptible.

The closer Seth came to the back of the building, the thicker the soldiers grew. They were definitely protecting something.

Or someone.

A dart hit him in the chest.

Seth yanked it out.

Another hit him in the neck.

Again he yanked it out and cursed the damned hallway that allowed so little maneuvering. All the humans had to do was fire blindly in his direction and sooner or later they’d hit him.

He worried anew about David.

I’m fine.

Warn me if you need to use another dose of the antidote. If it juiced David up as it had Krysta and Etienne . . .

Hell, with his power, there was no telling what havoc he could wreak.

David laughed. Don’t worry. I won’t risk it. And shouldn’t have to. I’ve nearly eliminated all of the soldiers over here.

Any sign of the commander?

No. And the soldiers’ minds are too chaotic and plentiful to read.

I suspect I’m on his trail.

Bullets continually peppered Seth’s large form.

The soldiers’ panic multiplied as they watched with wide eyes as every bullet that pierced him, within seconds, reemerged from his body and fell to the floor at his feet.

“What the hell are you?” one shouted.