Sorcerer: Betrayal: Power of Air (Book 4) by D. L. Harrison Read Free Book Online Page A

wasn’t too worried.  Vampires were fueled by
the power of air, my own element.
    When I arrived at the building I checked for wards, just in
case they’d been clever enough to hire a coven to help them.  I walked in and
saw Diana waiting by the elevators, standing between them.  She was in leathers
that showed her curvy body, and a pair of calf high boots.  Her light blonde
hair was up and she looked very good.  Okay, honestly she looked sexy as hell. 
She didn’t have a welcoming look on her face or in her eyes though, but I knew
she was still angry, if not with me, because of me.
    I was tempted to reach out and grab the whole plan just
then, but I truthfully didn’t want to know if she knew.  Despite knowing she’d
have no choice due to her oath, I didn’t want to know if she’d chosen the
council over me in her heart as well.  Perhaps I should have, but I was
confident in my shields.
    As I walked over she reached behind her and pushed the
button to call the elevator.  I just nodded, and she nodded back.  I missed my
friend, the friendly vibrant woman I’d met ten months ago who led me through my
first steps in the supernatural world.  Yes, I had Sierra, and wouldn’t change
that for anything.  That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.  I didn’t say anything
though, because at this point it would just cause her pain, so I sucked it up
and pulled on my big boy pants.
    The elevator door opened and I walked in.  Diana followed
me, hit a button and turned toward me, standing in front of the buttons.  I
didn’t understand my mistake, or what she had done, until the elevator started
moving, and not up as it usually did.  Diana had blocked my view, so I didn’t
see her hit the down button out in the lobby, and she had blocked my view again
in the elevator, so I didn’t see her hit the basement button.
    I imagine my face drained of blood as I realized how stupid
I was for not pulling the whole plan, just because I was guarding my heart, and
I was so damned arrogant that the council could never take me with my shields. 
I think I might have growled as my connection to air faded as I sunk beneath
the ground.  But I wasn’t the same kid that had to be rescued by Diana in a
basement, that could hardly control fire.
    I had a fifty-foot radius now to draw for my elemental fire,
and an understanding of fire beyond that ability.  I pumped as much energy as I
could into my fire shield.  I took all my freaked out emotions and fears at
being below ground, and added it to the mix.  I also modified it since now it
would be impossible to speed my body and perceptions, it wouldn’t just protect
me, it would burn anything that tried to touch me.
    I spared Diana a glare and warned her, “Don’t touch me,” and
then I faced the door, and when it reached the third basement level, the door
dinged. 
    Ding.  It stuck in my mind.
    It was such an absurd sound to herald fighting, and death. 
The doors opened, and I could see down a long hallway.  A long, empty hallway.
    Diana said, “I’m sorry love, I don’t have a choice.”
    Her words were nonsensical at first, I didn’t understand. 
But then I did, the council wasn’t down here at all, the damned cowards had
ordered Diana to do it all, not just trick me to get me down here for them to
kill as I’d first thought.  In a panic now, I tried to turn off the deadly
nature of my fire shield, but it was too late.  Just as I’d had the thought,
Diana’s teeth dropped and she rushed forward to grab my head, presumably to
twist it and feed on me.
    She lit up like a torch, and I stared at her in horror.
    I reached for the fire, called it back to me desperately,
but it was too late.  I’d made my shield deadly, and she fell to the ground,
blackened, eyes open, unseeing, and so very empty.  I shook my head in denial,
and my roar of outrage came out like a sob.
    Arrogant, stupidly so.  It would have been so easy to stop
this, prevent her death if I’d just pulled