Beyond the Veil (19 page)

I lifted the gun, not entirely sure how many bullets I had left. My arm trembled, aim all over the place. Then I heard an all too familiar voice.

“
Invite me in, and I
’
ll call them off.
”

Flinging my stare over my shoulder, I watched in horror as Akil walked around the hound outside, running a hand down its quivering, hairless flank. The beast jerked its snout, sniffing the air and chomping its jaws. There could be no doubt who controlled them. Stefan stepped back into me, then glanced behind him at the hound beneath the stairs. His eyes found mine, a brutal honesty raw on his face. We were in trouble. I tightened my hand in his, saw the fleeting smile on his lips, and then he let go to face Akil.

“
Come in, make yourself at home.
”
Stefan stepped aside, sweeping a gesture into the house.
“
Sorry about the mess. Unexpected guests.
”

Akil stepped across the threshold. He slid his gaze over the chaos in the room before straightening his shirt cuffs. His stoic expression gave nothing away. Dressed immaculately in a dinner jacket and black trousers, right down to his polished Oxford shoes, he looked every inch the city tycoon. Silver cufflinks caught the moonlight seeping in through the back windows. The same light danced in his dark eyes when they settled on me. Instinct told me to shirk back. I might have done, had I not learned what he
’
d done. The suave son-of-a-bitch had murdered Sam
—
my friend
—
in cold blood. I was under no illusions about Akil.

I stood there in my underwear, wearing Stefan
’
s shirt and glared back at Akil, my chin up, shoulders straight. I was not backing down.

He humphed a laugh and said,
“
Amitto,
”
with a flurry of his hand. The Hellhounds slumped in unison. Their leathery hides began to dissolve. Fizzling embers devoured them, spiraling dust into the air until nothing remained.

With the hounds gone, I became aware of the wind flowing through the open door and through the house, into the kitchen where the panoramic windows had been smashed. I heard the trees outside creaking against the weight of the wind, branches snapping. The forest groaned as though it recognized the ageless forces of chaos inside the house. I lifted the gun, my aim surprisingly steady.

Akil glared back at me and smiled.
“
Shoot me.
”

Finger on the trigger, I wanted to. It would take just a twitch, the smallest of movements to blow him away.
“
You killed Sam.
”

Akil looked away, blinking slowly. His smile widened.
“
Is that what Stefan told you?
”

“
No.
”
My hand began to tremble.
“
I saw it in the sword.
”

He met my glare once more.
“
Did you? You
’
re sure? Because
…
from what you
’
ve told me in the past
…
The images can be difficult to define. Blurry. Inconsistent.
”

No, he wasn
’
t going to do this. I knew what I
’
d seen. I had felt the sword plunge through Sam
’
s chest. It was real.
“
Why?
”
I hissed through gritted teeth.

“
Put the gun down, Muse.
”
The growl beneath his words offered a clear warning.

Stefan stood beside me. He reached up and closed his hand around the top of the gun, bringing the weapon down, so it pointed toward the floor in front of Akil.
“
You don
’
t want to do that.
”

He eased the gun from my hand and flicked the safety back on. Frowning, I watched him toss the gun onto the couch and then hand the sword to Akil. Unease crawled across my skin as Akil lifted the katana in his right hand, his heated gaze admiring the blade.
“
A fine weapon, don
’
t you agree, Muse?
”

Stefan stood to Akil
’
s left, hand tucked casually into his jeans pocket.

I frowned, eyes narrowing on Stefan. What was going on here? I searched his face for any sign to indicate this was wrong, but he just stood there, cold.

Akil ran a hand down the flat plain of the blade.
“
Your little stunt earlier, drawing your element from beyond the veil
…
That was... astonishing. I knew the moment you called the heat to you. Even in Boston, I felt the shift in power. It
’
s how I found you.
”

My hands clenched into fists.
“
I
’
m not the pathetic half-human girl you think I am.
”

“
I know that. Why do you think I
’
ve kept you all these years? I even had Stefan test you, to see whether you were capable.
”

I clamped my teeth together. Anger trembled through my muscles. My demon twisted, eager to break free but unable to do so. Stefan didn
’
t deny Akil
’
s words. Even under the weight of my stare, he didn
’
t flinch. He just met my gaze as though none of this mattered to him.

Akil
’
s lips hitched up at the corner as he glanced from Stefan to me.
“
Stefan
’
s working for me, Muse. Always was.
”

I knew that, well sort of, but was I meant to know it? If I revealed I knew, would that put Stefan in danger?
“
What
—
what do you mean?
”
Was Stefan still working for him? Even now?

Akil closed the distance between us in a few strides. I stumbled back, bumping against the wall as he invaded my personal space.
“
You don
’
t get to walk away from me, Muse. Ever,
”
he said with a snarl.

I sneered up at him.
“
I got that when you tried to kill me at the marina.
”

He slid a hand over my shoulder and laced his fingers around my throat, but the tightening of his grip didn
’
t come. His thumb rubbed lightly against my neck.
“
That was
…
a mistake.
”

“
A mistake? I nearly died, Akil.
”

“
That was not my intention
…”
He bowed his head, bumping his forehead against mine as he brought his hand higher, cupping my face.
“
I just meant to
…
I wanted you to react. To see your demon. She
’
s quite remarkable.
”

I turned my head away, fighting to breathe beneath his overbearing presence.

“
That
’
s what this has all been about,
”
he whispered in my ear.

Hands on his chest, I pushed against him, trying to force him back, but I might as well have been pushing against stone.

He breathed in through my hair, his chin brushing my forehead.
“
It
’
s her I want. Not your weak human shell.
”

“
Akil
…
Please.
”
I shoved again, pushing hard enough to force him back a step, but that only gave him the room he needed to bring the sword up between us and press the blade against my throat.

The sharp edge nicked my skin. A warm trickle of blood dribbled down my neck. I pleaded with wide-eyes, snatching breaths where I could without worsening the dig of the sword against my flesh.

“
Your previous owner had no notion of the creature he kept in chains.
”
Akil slid his left hand over my hip.

I couldn
’
t stop the shivering. As the demon thrashed inside me, my human body had become riddled with fear. My heart galloped, thudding in my ears.
“
You don
’
t own me,
”
I growled.

“
No?
”
He leaned into me, pushing the blade against my neck, forcing my head back.
“
I beg to differ.
”

I heard the metallic chink-chink of a gun slider being pulled back.
“
Step away from her.
”
Stefan had pressed the gun against the back of Akil
’
s head. From my awkward angle, I peered down my nose and over Akil
’
s shoulder at Stefan. His element swirled in his arctic eyes, their intense blue fracturing deep, revealing his ice-bound soul.

Akil chuckled. The lurid ripples of his laughter rode over me. My head was light and my legs weak. Fear robbed me of my will.
“
I
’
ll cut her throat,
”
he snarled.

“
Do it. But know I
’
ll blow your skull apart. Immortal or not, that
’
s gotta hurt.
”

Akil raked his gaze across me, almost as though his glare alone could slice through me. He measured his options. Indecision narrowed his eyes and then, reluctantly, he pulled back. Stefan countered behind him. Only when Akil withdrew the sword from my throat did I slump against the wall, able to breathe again. After dabbing at my neck, my trembling hand came away slick with blood.

I looked up at Akil in time to catch a twisted smile lashing across his lips. He didn
’
t resemble the man I could have loved, didn
’
t even look like the demon that inhabited his body. He was a stranger to me. The darkness had corrupted him, creating a monster, or had he always been that way?

“
You fell for her, didn
’
t you?
”
I noticed Akil
’
s fingers flexing around the sword
’
s grip.
“
I killed the last man who touched her.
”

Stefan couldn
’
t help looking at me. I may have seen some acknowledgement in his eyes, right before Akil twisted around, knocking Stefan
’
s gun-arm up before plunging the katana deep into Stefan
’
s left shoulder, driving him to his knees.

Instinct lurched me forward as Stefan cried out. He fought to bring the gun around, but Akil twisted the sword deeper into his flesh, wrenching a strangled cry from Stefan
’
s lips.

“
Stop!
”
I yelled.

Akil swung his head around, yanking the blade free from Stefan
’
s flesh. He rounded on me, bringing the bloodied sword around to point the tip at me.
“
You are mine,
”
he growled.
“
And I
’
m taking you home.
”

“
No!
”
He didn
’
t mean home to Boston, he meant the netherworld, and the thought flushed my veins with white-hot terror, wrenching my strength out from under me. I dropped to my knees.
“
No, please.
”
I shook my head from side to side, and tears blurred my vision. Panic tightened my chest. I clenched my fist over my heart. I couldn
’
t go back home.

Akil
’
s face twisted into a hideous mask of disgust.
“
I will tear that demon from your human flesh if I have to peel your skin off piece by piece.
”
The venom behind those words severed the last vestiges of hope I might have had that, somewhere deep inside, he still cared for me.

A gunshot cracked through the air.

Blinking rapidly, I watched the curious bloom of blood spread across Akil
’
s white shirt. He looked down, as though wondering where the blood had come from. Another shot, and his torso jerked. Another, and I felt a warm spray of blood mist across my face. The forth gunshot rang out, its deafening retort causing me to flinch. Akil sank to his knees, his face white with shock and then he collapsed forward, motionless.

Stefan had propped himself up on an elbow, gun quivering in his right hand. His aim wavered with his labored breathing. He gritted his teeth as he pulled himself up onto his knees.
“
Go,
”
he grunted.
“
He won
’
t stay down
…
for long.
”

Adrenalin ousted my fear. Self-preservation kicked in. I rushed to Stefan and hooked an arm under his, helping him to his feet. I staggered as he fell against me.
“
Can we kill him? While he
’
s out?
”

“
No. He
’
ll come back no matter what we do.
”

I glanced back at Akil
’
s motionless body, expecting him to twitch awake at any moment.

“
Go. Take my car
—
just go, Muse.
”

I felt Stefan
’
s element stirring, it
’
s chilling touch snapping at my flesh, lashing out protectively.
“
Where exactly?
”

Stefan pried himself from my grip and stumbled toward the door.
“
Ryder.
”

“
Ryder?
”
He was the least likely go-to guy to get me out of this. I stole one last fleeting look at Akil
’
s body, tremors rattling my bones, then followed Stefan outside. The bitterly cold night air nipped at my face. My trembling intensified. If I could hold myself together a little while longer, just long enough to get away
…

Stefan had slumped against the driver
’
s door, his left arm limp at his side. Blood dripped from his fingers, creating bright red rivulets down the car
’
s paint until it pooled along the door seal.