Chaos Burning (37 page)

“How could you think standing up for yourself and kicking a cheater to the curb is you failing? You literally kicked him to the curb.” A laugh broke through the tears.

“I totally did. But I made a big moat around myself and I left you on the wrong side. I’m sorry.”

“I love you, Helena. You’re my big sister and I’ve missed you so much.”

“We need to survive this, okay? Promise me. Because I need to meet this Simon guy and you and I need to go snowboarding. And Mom can stop pestering me to make up with you. Are you really going to move to Seattle?”

“I’ve spent a lot of the last six weeks or so really thinking about my future. And then they offered me the job here. And then Simon. I… I can be who I need to be here. I can run this team my way. I… it’s selfish of me, I know, but I don’t have to be in anyone’s shadow here. I can build a life here. With this clan. With Simon. Here is where I’m meant to be.”

“All right. What about Nell though?”

“I don’t know if or when she’s coming back. This thing, well, it threw her life totally out of balance and she’s got a baby on the way and a super-protective, freaked-out human husband who doesn’t want her to do this job anymore. But if she came back I’d still have a place here. I don’t have to be the boss of everything. I’d like to beef up the investigative arm of the hunter team. But when we, you know, make the world safe again and beat the bad guy you come up here. Simon tells me there’s a lot of great skiing up here.”

“I have to go. They’re calling me back into the meeting. I love you, Lark. Watch your ass and stay alive.”

“You too. Tell Mom and Dad I love them.”

Chapter 31

SIMON
found her in her office, her face buried in her hands, weeping. There was nothing else but her as he rushed inside. “What is it?”

“Gennessee lost an entire haven. A smaller one, but all the witches there are gone. And I worked things out with Helena.”

He hugged her. “I’m glad you did. You two needed it. I’m sorry about the haven though.” He handed her a handkerchief.

“I love that you carry handkerchiefs. It’s so old-school guy. But it makes me nervous to use them because they’re so snowy white and I know my eyeliner and mascara are going to ruin them”

“I’ve got fifty of them. It’s not like I can’t spare one to dry your tears.”

“You need to understand I don’t cry all the time. Lately I have, I know. But I don’t normally.”

“I’ll excuse it this one time.”

“Okay, so yes, it’s silly of me and all. But still.”

He stood and pulled her up into a hug. “I’ve come to take you to dinner before we head out on patrol.”

“We?” She stepped back and looked him up and down. “You’re dressed like a commando and you still have handkerchiefs. We’re an odd couple, Simon. Just know that.”

“I may have to admit that I like the bright pink in your hair. That’s a start isn’t it?”

“Are those Gucci cargo pants?”

“No.” They were Dolce & Gabbana, but she didn’t need to know that.

“So you’re dressed in designer black ops gear to do a patrol with me?” She circled him.

“Yes. Things are dangerous. More than ever. I’m not willing to let you go out there alone. It’s not forever or anything so don’t panic. Just until we deal with the Magister.”

“Gage’s buddy got all sorts of stuff from that phone. The mage I killed on the stairs loved to text. Who he was texting to we don’t know yet. Part of it is encrypted. But it was to whoever was giving him info on locations of witches for him to grab.” She walked toward the door, pausing to grab her coat and holster her weapons. “By the way. I like working with you as my partner. We work well together. Plus your ass looks insane in those pants.”

Outside, she paused and took a deep breath.

“It’s coming soon,” she murmured to Simon.

“Yes. The Fae have closed the way to tir na nOg.” The Weres had sent many of their own to their version of havens as well and many older vampires had sent their human staff away for their protection.

They walked down Fourth Avenue and took a left down Cherry. This end of downtown bustled during the day with all the downtown business. But it was eleven at night and it was far quieter until they got closer to First. Pioneer Square was bustling with humans barhopping.

Existence had decided to hold its breath and she could feel the tension in the air. The number of those disappearing had risen to epic proportions. If the Magister was drawing that much power, she had no idea if they could stop it at all.

“Look at the sky. Northwest.” He pointed and she nearly goggled at the sight.

“Do you think?”

A large gray cloud billowed against the dark. Churning. “Don’t look at it.” She grabbed Simon’s arm. “We have to go to the office.”

They ran and she was glad she’d changed into her Docs. The ground was wet and slippery as they headed up the steep blocks they’d just come down. Her phone was out and she was barking orders as she went.

“Freight elevator,” she barked, pointing as they headed down a hall behind the security desk. She never trusted the main elevators and made it a point to take the freight ones whenever she could.

“What’s going on?” Meriel picked up.

“It’s happening, I think.” They rode up as she explained what they’d seen to Meriel.

“Okay, I’ll get my mother.”

“I’m stopping at the office. I need to get my weapons and alert all my people. I’ll be at your house as fast as I can. Don’t go with anyone but me, Meriel.”

She’d had the hunter who’d talked behind her back transferred from the hunter crew. They’d been watching him in the days since but he hadn’t done anything untoward that they could find.

But there was something off and she listened to her gut.

In the office she yelled out orders as the hunters in the office snapped to it.

Quinn handed her a shotgun. “I know this will be useless against the Magister, but not so much against his minions.”

“Kill them all.”

Simon growled his approval and Gage came running up.

“Lark, Rose got through part of the encryption. You were right. They had people on the inside. A vampire and it looks like more than one witch.”

“Owen witches?”

“She’s working on it. She can’t tell yet. Just that it’s clearly info only someone with intimate knowledge of our
process and governance would have. Some of it regards other places. I’ve had Craig under round-the-clock surveillance. He’s not going anywhere. Once we get the proof we’ll move.”

“Have Rose notify the clans in those areas that they’ve got a leak. Gage, you’re with me. We’re headed to get Meriel.”

He gave quick orders to Rose over the phone as they headed to Simon’s car, which he’d had brought around.

Simon drove as they worked.

She called Helena and then Arel and they agreed to notify the other hunters they’d been working with. The phone tree had gone nationwide and Lark hoped it would be enough.

“I’ll be right back.” She used her compact to look at the cloud, which now seemed to take up most of the sky.

Meriel and Edwina waited for her inside the house with Dominic and several of the guards she’d assigned them. Edwina’s magickal bond-mate, Ron, was there, as well as her husband and Meriel’s father, Abe. A lot of full-council magick in that space. The five most powerful witches in the clan were in the room. If their combined efforts couldn’t take the Magister out, they were fucked anyway.

“I’ve had the remaining full-council witches place themselves around the city to fortify our wards and protect our people as best they can.” Meriel smoothed the front of her blouse down, looking elegant and calm, even as the world might be ending. “My father will help with protection spells once we get there. Edwina and I will do the spell while Ron and Dominic anchor us.”

Thank goodness Meriel was as clever as she was.

Edwina looked back to Lark after she’d been staring out the window. “It’s Discovery Park. It has to be. That’s the biggest open space in that area unless it’s coming straight from the sound.”

“Discovery Park it is. Let’s go.”

SHE
had Gage inform them about the leak as she used her laptop to try to figure out some possible approaches to the park. While she did that, she managed to get her nervousness under control.

Simon was a rock through the whole thing. She reached out to squeeze his hand.

“If we survive this, I want this leak found and taken care of,” Meriel said quietly as they got out of the car.

They’d parked down the hill from the park and would head up on foot to try to keep the element of surprise.

The storm was huge but strangely no humans had come out. It wasn’t on the news either. Simon had wagered it was something paranormal so only Others could see it. Which she counted as a blessing. It would be far harder to deal with the situation if there’d been a bunch of freaked-out humans and cops all around.

“It’s bigger than it was before.” Edwina examined it through the mirror she and Meriel held.

“It’s breaking through. You can feel it.” The hair on the back of Lark’s arms stood on end. She felt strangely calm as they walked toward what could very well be their death.

“Gage, I want you, Quinn and Ginger on Meriel, Dominic and Edwina. Take four men with you. The rest with me. We’ll have to approach and clear a path for them to get into place. Don’t waste your time trying to hurt them. Kill them. If they can’t get into place to work this spell we’re FUBAR. Use the special ammo when you can.”

Before they moved, Simon hugged her and kissed her senseless. “You will
not
die. We will have children and you will poke at me and make me laugh at inappropriate times for the rest of our lives. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “Kids?”

“Yes. Four or five I think.” He looked to Meriel and Dominic. “You be careful too. After this is over, dinner is on you.”

They ducked up a heavily treed hillside to get a better view. Through her field glasses she was able to get a much better idea of the trouble they were in.

“I’m counting twenty-three guards. The Nazi storm is to the west of where they’re standing. Their backs are to it so they can’t look either.”

Teo moved to stand closer and he took the glasses. “Yes, that’s what I’m seeing.”

“I’ve been to this park dozens of times. Just behind the
cloud is a cliff. Straight down to the water. We can’t take it from that angle. However we approach it’ll be within its view.” Teo handed the glasses back and she tucked them away.

“Let’s hope it cares more about manifesting first before killing us all. You three.” She pointed to a group of hunters to her right. “Go right and approach from the top of that slope. You guys come from the left. We’ll head dead center. Don’t waste your magick. Abe will work on protective spells, but we need to take out as many minions as we can. Cut off any assistance the Magister might have on the ground. Meriel and Edwina need to do this and we need to make that possible.” She then alerted Meriel to be ready to move.

LARK
didn’t really remember shooting the first few times, only that the noise from the Magister was deafening. She couldn’t hear anything but the roar above her that she had to force herself not to look at.

The balls of dark magic being hurled in their direction were tossed back now that her witches had learned how. Turned out manipulating mage magic was pretty easy once you got the hang of it.

One of the hunters on the left flank looked up even as Teo shouted not to and before Lark’s eyes, he froze and then in half a breath he was nothing but dust. Dust sucked into the roaring storm.

There was no light. The Magister blocked out the sky and stars as she took out one more mage and dodged a ball of magic. One of her people fell but got up on her hands and knees, puking. At least the magic would get out of her that way, though she knew from experience it hurt like a bitch.

That’s when she got shot.

Simon knew it before he’d even finished turning his head. Knew she’d been harmed, felt it deep in his gut as if it had been him. She was on her knees as he reached her, blood blooming over the front of her shirt.

She got a shot off and the one who had harmed her fell to the ground and within moments he was nothing more than a puddle.

Teo shoved one of the hunters to the side to avoid a shot.

Behind them, Edwina and Meriel stood, backs to the fray, a mirror held up as Dominic and Ron drew a protective circle.

“All the mages have scattered,” he yelled into Lark’s ear as he dragged her behind a picnic table.

“We have to get them handled. We can’t let them flank Meriel and Edwina. This is it, Simon. I can feel the life being sucked from me. From this place.”

He ripped her shirt open and felt around. “Straight through. I need to pack this. Be still.”

He wanted to howl and tear things apart but he had to be ruthless and shove it all aside so he could get his shit together and pack that wound. He tore the shirt with hands that shook and managed to get them in place, and with another several strips tied it to her body the best he could.

Her lips moved and her color came back a little. “Man, I’m glad Shelley made me learn that pain-blocking spell. Simon, I’m all right.”

She tried to push to sit up and he just stared at her. “Stay here and be still.”

“Simon, it’s like cataclysm on ice out there! I have to protect Meriel. If they can’t do the spell, I don’t know what’s going to happen.” She grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him hard. “We can’t give up ’cause I’m totally going to nail you in your hot tub without making your nose bleed.”

He laughed and finally the ringing in his ears died. He got her pack and handed her the glasses.

It was a full moon; it should have been bright up there, bright enough to see but she had to use the night vision instead. He knew what she meant about it feeling as if the life was being sucked from this place. He looked around and caught sight of another one of the hunters getting sucked up into the Magister.

It was hard not to look, it was, after all, so huge it blotted out the sky. But he kept his gaze down ’cause he sure as hell didn’t want to get turned into Magister dust.