Free Night Huntress 03.5 - Devil to Pay by Jeaniene Frost

this way. Why didn’t you tell me?”
     
    “Because you had to believe you would lose him in order to realize what he meant to you,” Mencheres replied. “It’s been so long since you cared for anyone. I wanted that for you again.”
     
    Elise looked once more at the items in the van. There were no guarantees that this would work, and she had a lot to learn in a short amount of time, but there was hope. At last, there was hope.
     
    “All right,” Elise said. “Let’s get started.”

Chapter Fourteen
     
    T he Bonneville Salt Flats looked like a white, desolate ocean. They stretched for miles in a peninsula that was bordered on the west by the mountains and on the south by the interstate. Mencheres drove by the sign at the end of the access road that told visitors to park and venture on foot into the tourist section. Blake knew why they weren’t stopping at the tourist section; they were heading for the middle of the flats, where two and a half miles was the closest distance between him and the end of the salt barrier.
     
    It was blazing hot outside, but in this case, that was a bonus. In the spring, Mencheres said, the salt would be turned to mush in places, making driving on it impossible—and they needed the van with its cache of equipment. But in the middle of the summer, the salt was hard, like crystallized gravel, allowing the van to ride easily over its flat, sparkling surface.
     
    Blake sat between them in the front. There were too many instruments in the back that could be used to kill him, if and when Xaphan appeared. Blake had no doubt the demon would come forth at any second. In fact, he wondered what Xaphan was waiting for.
     
    At last, Mencheres stopped. Blake glanced around. There was nothing to see except miles of white and the mountains to their left. Steeling himself, Blake took in a deep breath.
     
    “Okay. I’m ready.”
     
    Despite Elise’s optimism about being able to bring him back, Blake didn’t think it would work. Chances were, when he died, he’d stay dead. Successful resuscitation happened in less than half the cases, he knew that from his army days when they taught him field triage. Still, he didn’t share his doubts with Elise. Let her think he died believing he’d be saved. Why make this harder on her?
     
    Blake went into the back of the van. There wasn’t much room with all the equipment around. Mencheres opened the doors and set up the generators outside. No need to ruin even his slim chance with carbon-monoxide poisoning.
     
    Elise gestured to the large rectangular piece in the van, which looked to Blake like an elaborate, water-filled coffin.
     
    “It’ll be easier if you take your clothes off… most of them, at least.”
     
    She looked almost shy saying that, as if he’d take her suggestion as perverted voyeurism. Blake’s heart squeezed. I’ll miss you forever, he thought, staring into Elise’s beautiful blue-green eyes.
     
    He stripped to his boxers, then took her in his arms. She hugged him back tightly, her whole body shuddering like something inside her was trying to break out.
     
    “I know this makes no sense, since we’ve only known each other less than a week, but Blake… if I could spend the rest of my life with just one person, it would be you,” she whispered.
     
    Blake pulled away. Looked at her face and saw the naked vulnerability, emotion, and need there. He smiled, brushing back a strand of her blond hair.
     
    “No, Elise. We’ve known each other forever, because that’s how long I’ll love you.”
     
    Then he kissed her, trying to imprint the feel of her on his mouth, hands, and body before death came to take him away.
     
     
     
    Elise knelt next to the hydro chamber. Blake had been immersed in the glacial water for over fifty minutes. His initial, massive shivering had slowed, as had his pulse and breathing. Confusion was starting to set in even as his eyes kept fluttering closed.
     
    “Where am I?” he mumbled to