Dark Flight (The Shadow Slayers) (2 page)

It took everything Gavin had to call his claws back when they began pushing at the tips of his fingers. “She won’t truly be safe until he’s gone. Your help would be a great benefit to the cause…not for me, but for Kara.”

Head held high, Julian glared down his nose at Gavin. “If not for her, I wouldn’t reveal this to any man…but the rules of the Shadowland continue to elude me. It takes all of my concentration to hold that chair together so that you may sit upon it. No matter how much I agree that Brakken deserves the Abyss, until I master this realm, I can’t help you.”

“Have you tried gaining control over your powers?”

“Of course I’ve been trying! I’ve done nothing but try.”

Gavin’s brow furrowed. “There is Mazeki. He’s Aniliáre, like you, and he helped Kara’s father once. I’ve spoken with him regarding your predicament, and he’s willing to help you explore your gifts.”

Julian snorted. “Why would he do that? I don’t know him.”

“He knew you before your rising, but unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be reason enough to gain his assistance. He will consider it only after I bring Kara to see him here in the Shadowland.”

The clouds darkened, and the sound of thunder pealed across the skies. Julian stood and his chair winked out of existence. “No. I won’t allow it. With Brakken’s scout tracking Kara’s movements, bringing her to this realm is too dangerous.”

Gavin, too, rose from his chair and stood with his feet set apart. “I agree, but the fact remains—I need your help, Julian. To send Brakken to the Abyss will require more energy than I myself can provide. And don’t be deceived, brother…if you want to keep Kara safe, there is no other way. You must learn to channel your powers and learn it quickly. If not Mazeki’s instruction, then whose?”

“I don’t want Kara stepping foot in the Shadowland again—not even to speak to this
Mazeki
. I didn’t send her away only to risk her life now. If you want my help, you’ll have to find another way.”

Gavin glanced up at the darkening sky and took a deep breath. “I don’t know another way. No other black-wing will help me do what has to be done. You, my brother…are my only hope.”

Julian laughed. “
Brother
,
brother
. You are so free with this word when it suits your purpose, Gavin Cross. You don’t think I see how you look at Kara? If you could run a blade over my throat and seal me back in that grave, I have no doubt you would.”

Of everything this new Julian had said in the months since his Shadow Rising, these words were the worst. They struck Gavin like a physical blow. “In a thousand years of life, I never had a friend as dear to me as you were. You may not remember—hell, you may even despise me now—but you will never take away the memory of my friend and brother.”

When Julian paused, seeming unsure of what to do in the face of Gavin’s strong emotion, Gavin forged ahead. So many words he’d wanted to say and never a right moment to say them to this cold bastard. “You’re right to notice how I look at Kara.

“When you were in your grave, I admitted to her that I loved her. I told her that I’d share her with you if I had to—that I’d even change the laws. And then I waited. Out of respect for you, I waited to see what you would decide after you’d regenerated. I couldn’t have guessed that the man who rose wouldn’t be the man I knew.”

Julian’s eyes were so dark, his irises seemed to be bleeding black along the edges. “Are you saying you thought I would actually agree to that insanity?”

Gavin chuckled, feeling balanced at his tipping point, teetering toward out-of-control. “We shared women before, Julian. Just never a woman we were both in love with. Never a woman we both wanted for all time. But for a life with my best friend and the woman I loved, I was willing to take a chance.”

Julian sighed and shook his head. “You are a strange, strange man.”

Gavin shrugged. He couldn’t disagree that since he’d met Kara, some of his decisions were strange, indeed. “Will you help me?”

Julian crossed his arms over his chest and regarded Gavin for a long time before he finally spoke. “Keep her safe on the surface where she belongs. Do this for me and you have my word—even if the Abyss snaps open its jaws and swallows me whole, I will do my damnedest to take Brakken with me.”

Chapter Two

The Office of Paranormal Affairs was after Kara. She was sure of it.

The same brown-haired guy was sitting at the same spot at the bar for the third night this week. Some muscle-head, body-builder type who looked too young and stupid for his own good. He’d even purchased a touristy Hoolecha Inn T-shirt at some point, as though wearing one helped him blend in. No one wore a Hoolecha Inn T-shirt to the Hoolecha Inn—unless they had the misfortune of working here.

The guy didn’t talk to other patrons. He didn’t try to make small talk with Kara. He just sat, nursing his beer, as though disinterested in life. But when she turned around, she could almost feel his gaze boring holes in her back.

She’d reached out with her mind plenty of times, and she felt
something
, but she didn’t feel any evil intent like she might with a psycho stalker. And that’s how she knew he was O.P.A. Who else would be so curious about her?

She adjusted the charms under her shirt that she could use to summon her friends in two seconds flat, but decided against using them. When she’d had enough, she finally set her bar rag down in front of him and glared straight into his eyes. “Shouldn’t you have a notepad or something?”

He scooted back on his barstool. “Excuse me?”

“You know, for all your observations. Your
stakeout
.”

He put his hands up, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, miss.”

Kara bent lower so she wouldn’t be overheard. “Listen to me, buddy. I have my local O.P.A. representative on speed dial, and you can bet he’s going to be hearing from my…lawyer.” Okay, she wasn’t sure the clan employed lawyers. The promise of Gavin’s wrath was all it usually took for these stiffs to back down.

“I…uh…” He scratched his head. “What’s the O.P.A?”

This guy was so convincing at playing stupid that Kara had to rethink her appraisal of him. The meat-head thing was clearly a front hiding a very clever mind.

She put her hands flat on the bar to either side of him. “My clan has a written treaty with you guys stating that I am not to be questioned or harassed in any way. You wanna talk to me? You wanna get in my business? You go through the proper channels.”

“I don’t want to get in your business. I just want to drink my beer.”

“That’s it.” Kara’s lips thinned into a harsh line. “Show me some I.D.”

“But I was just carded at the door.”

“Now!” she hissed, trying not to lose her composure lest she lose tips from other patrons along with it.

He fished out his very thin wallet and retrieved the only thing he seemed to have in there. When he handed her his California I.D., she frowned. It was horrible. “This is the worst fake I.D. I’ve seen in all my years of working here.”

Now he looked guilty. “It is?”

She nodded, and the truth hit her like a hammer—she was off her rocker. The O.P.A. would have way better forgeries than this one. No—she glanced again at his name—
Donald
was clearly something much more serious. A teen alcoholic.

“Donald,” she tried, softening to the maternal-Kara persona she so rarely got to use. “You can’t be here.”

“I can’t?” he repeated. “But I paid for this beer.”

She really didn’t like to mess with people’s minds, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She leaned down and met his gaze, letting her energy wash over him, allowing her mind to take control of his.

“You want to go home to your parents. You want to finish school. And most of all—you don’t want to drink anymore. It’s nasty. And your breath will smell like beer.” She brushed her hands in his direction. “Shoo. Go now, Donald. You’re free of this addiction.”

By the time she was finished, his eyes were as round as half-dollar pieces, but he pushed from his stool. “Shit, lady. You’re a total nutjob. I’m outta here—and don’t think you’re getting a tip.”

He chugged the last of his drink. “And by the way, whatever the O.P.A. is—I hope they nail your ass!” And with that, he headed for the door. That meant she’d won, right? She’d saved him?

Aiden passed the teen at the exit, and briefly narrowed his eyes, as though trying to place him. Seeing Aiden walk into the Hoolecha Inn was even stranger than drunken teens or O.P.A. stakeouts. Kara’s brows were still stuck halfway up her forehead when Aiden sat at the bar across from her.

“Hey…Aiden. Gavin knows I’m working tonight. He’s not picking me up for training again until the day after tomorrow.”

“Kara.” He nodded in greeting. His short, white-blond hair was gelled into spikes, and the style clashed with the button-down white shirt and gray slacks he wore. “I’ll take a glass of scotch.”

Not being a very good actress, Kara imagined she looked perturbed when she set the drink in front of him and poised her hands on her hips, waiting to hear what he had to say. “You look like the harbinger of doom. What’s going on?”

This was too much. Whatever happened to normal nights at the bar with regular drunk people and guys who left tips based on breast size? She almost felt nostalgic thinking of it.

Aiden put the glass to his lips and took a small sip. “Do you care for Gavin?”

“What?” Kara swallowed and stepped back to lean a hand against the counter. “Where is this question coming from?” It was no secret that she’d always cared for Gavin, and spending so much time with him in the past few months only made her feelings and their friendship that much stronger.

Aiden leaned back on the stool and finished his drink. “I think you do.”

“You know I do.”

“Then I need your help.”

Kara approached the counter. “Stop being so damn cryptic, and tell me what’s going on.”

“Gavin is putting you above everything else once again. And you’re a sweet woman, Kara, but the universe does not revolve around you.”

“Thanks for the astronomy lesson.” Asshole. At least he’d attempted to use the word “sweet” in the same sentence as Kara’s name…but knowing Aiden that could only mean he wanted something big. “Please don’t tell me he knocked up another female on my behalf or something equally crazy.”

A server gave Kara a drink order and accompanied it with a dirty look. Oops. Looked like these heart-to-hearts were slowing her down, and people were starting to notice. “I get off in ten minutes, Aiden. Can you wait for me outside?”

Aiden nodded, pushed his glass toward Kara and then left out the front door. Conveniently, he’d forgotten to pay.

As soon as the clock struck eleven pm, she put down her apron and her pad, handed her drink orders to her replacement and went to meet Aiden. He was leaning against the side of the Hoolecha Inn with his hands thrust in his pockets. Kara came to a stop in front of him and fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest.

The graying security guard at the door eyed them both. He was pretty tough given his age and the fact that he was human. Too bad his eyesight wasn’t too good when it came to fake I.D.s. If word of that got out into the local high schools, her place of employment would be stormed by every teen with access to a photocopy machine and a laminator.

“Everything okay, Kara?” the security guard asked.

“We’re all good.” She smiled at the older man and then turned back to Aiden. “Tell me.”

Aiden lowered his voice. “Gavin needs a black-wing to help in his plan to defeat Brakken, but Julian isn’t strong enough. The Aniliáre who helped hide you when you were born was Gavin’s only other option. Gavin thought maybe this black-wing, Mazeki, would be willing to teach Julian some of the skills he needs not only to thrive in the Shadowland, but to help send Brakken to the Abyss.”

Kara took a second to process his words then nodded. “That sounds like a good idea to me, but I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that Julian isn’t going to ask my opinion. He hasn’t really been himself lately.”

Aiden’s brow quirked. “He hasn’t been himself for eight months now, Kara. Rising from the dead didn’t do wonders for his cheery disposition. But that’s beside the point…”

“You have a point? Good. Let’s hear it, ’cause I know you well enough to know you didn’t come here to fill me in on the latest other-realmly gossip.”

“Mazeki refused to help.”

“Oh.” She paused and bit her lip. “That’s not good. Julian needs this. And Gavin needs Julian.”

He pushed up from the wall. “Yes, that’s exactly right. Which is why I thought if I came to you, you would help.”

“What can I do?”

“You see, when Gavin went to see Mazeki, the black-wing said he required payment in exchange for offering assistance to Julian.”

“Okay…”

“And what he wants is an audience with you.”

Kara’s whole face drooped. “Me? Why me?”

“Because he was connected to your mother and father. He simply wants to see how their child turned out and have the opportunity to speak with you.”

She thought it over. “That sounds easy enough. What I’m confused about is why you’re here and why I’m getting the whole cloak-and-dagger vibe.”