Darkness Divides (Sensor #3) (29 page)

He stiffened upon seeing me. “What are you doing here?”

Since Zoe and her crew had rented out the entire floor it wasn’t surprising he asked. I already had my knife concealed in my hand as I moved toward him.

“This is the third floor, right?” I asked, giving him a friendly smile.

The werewolf relaxed a fraction. “You need to go back down one floor.”

“Oh, I can be such an idiot sometimes.” I waved my non-knife carrying hand in a dramatic gesture and moved closer to him. “Good thing I have you here to help me.”

Heat entered his eyes. I was willing to bet Zoe didn’t let her people have much fun since arriving.

“I might have time later to help you with something else, if you want,” he suggested.

I put a hand on his beefy chest. “That would be nice.”

The werewolf took a quick glance around the hallway. While he had his gaze averted, I struck. My knife sunk deep into his throat and I twisted for good measure. He was a younger werewolf—turned about five years ago—and wouldn’t recover from the wound easily. I shoved him through the door of his room and tossed him on the floor. He was too busy gurgling blood to stop me.

I pulled some rope from a pocket in my pack and bound him. He might not survive, but on the off chance he recovered soon I didn’t want to make it too easy for him to alert his buddies. Then I took a washcloth from the bathroom and stuffed that in his mouth. His eyes were glazed over by that point and blood was soaking the floor. It didn’t look too good for him.

If he had family somewhere like the other guy, I couldn’t afford to think about it. Getting the fae device—and Lucas—back was more important. I’d do anything to get him free. Feeling a brief moment of remorse, though, I put another clean washcloth on his wound to stem the flow of blood. That was the most I could do for him.

Picking my pack up from where I’d dropped it while attending to him, I headed out and shut the door quietly behind me. No one else came out of their rooms as I crept up to Zoe’s. They weren’t moving about and no emotions came from any of them. This was probably their downtime before their next shift started.

I pulled a keycard Cori had gotten for me out of my pocket and opened Zoe’s door before stepping inside. Her room was a suite with a large garden tub in it. The werewolf’s room had been a standard one.

I took a quick look around, glad to see the only signs of the female nephilim were the luggage she’d stacked against a wall. She’d brought five suitcases. Not all that surprising, considering she’d had a high maintenance look about her when I’d met her before.

At least I didn’t sense anything strange in the room—other than the fae device. Its magic called to me even more strongly now that I was close to it. I found the closet where it was hidden behind a mirrored door. Several garment bags hung inside and a portable safe that was about the size of a small microwave sat at the bottom. It taunted me. The device was inside, but first I had to get the damn thing open.

After Ariel had told me it was locked in a safe, I’d hoped it would be one belonging to the hotel. Cori had to break the news to me that there weren’t any supplied in the rooms, which meant Zoe had brought her own. There was no easy way to bypass the locks.

I put down my pack and began setting up the acetylene torch I’d need to break into the safe. There were two tanks, plus multiple hoses and gauges. Charlie had loaned it to me and showed me how to use it. We’d had to find a large pack to conceal all the parts since it was rather bulky. A propane torch—which would have been easier to carry—didn’t get hot enough to get through the types of metals most safes used. This had been the only option we could come up with on short notice.

As soon as I had everything in place, I put on my safety glasses and a pair of gloves. Just because I could heal didn’t mean I wanted to risk getting burned doing the job. That would make my getaway a lot more difficult. I lit the torch and adjusted the gauges as needed to getting it going hot enough.

After checking my senses to be sure no one nearby was awake, I set to work burning through the hinges on the safe. It seemed to take forever. My heart pounded and I worried one of the weres with enhanced hearing would pick up what I was doing, but no one came.

Eventually, I’d cut through enough to ensure it would open. I turned the torch off and wedged a screwdriver into the groves, prying at the safe. It resisted at first, but I put my full force into it and cringed when the door came off and banged into the wall. Once again, I checked my senses, but no one was stirring about.

The fae device sat inside the safe by itself. I hadn’t known what to expect, but a flat oval stone with a small red jewel inlaid in the middle wasn’t it. The surface felt cool and smooth when I picked it up. The device fit into the palm of my hand, resonating with a kind of magic unlike any I’d sensed before. It tickled at my mind, almost feeling alive.

I tucked the disc into the inside pocket of my jacket and stood up. There was no point in taking the torch equipment with me. It would just slow me down and Zoe would figure out I’d taken her prize soon after she got back anyway. I put all the torch equipment back into the pack and shoved it into the closet, closing the door. At least that would buy a couple more minutes before she discovered the theft. I’d just have to pay Charlie back for the loss of his equipment.

The coast was clear as I snuck back out into the hallway. I rushed to the stairwell door and raced down the stairs. It was almost nine o’clock. Zoe could be coming back at any time now and I had no desire to run into her. Once I hit the lobby I slowed my pace to a casual walk. Even checked my hair in one of the mirrors I passed and tucked a few stray locks back in place. It was all about looking natural.

The same two werewolves were sitting in their chairs by the lobby entrance. One sat drinking a Coke while watching everyone else nearby. The other had a sports magazine in his hands that he looked mildly interested in.

I put my hands in my pockets and nodded at them as if I had every right to be there. Weres could smell fear and nervousness at close distances. I worked to keep my breathing under control and thought about how much I’d kill for a cappuccino right now. Surprisingly, that helped and I made it out the doors without drawing their suspicion.

A warlock pulled his rental car into the parking spot next to my bike. I mentally cursed his timing. It was even worse when I realized I recognized his signature.

The same warlock who’d been giving Micah trouble in Juneau was here helping Zoe. Could he have been in cahoots with her back when we’d been fighting the demons? It would explain a few things about his behavior.

I ducked my head down and prayed he didn’t recognize me. There was nothing for me to do at this point since I was already halfway to the bike and couldn’t change my direction without drawing more attention. No other sups were outside, but more could show up at any moment.

The warlock opened his car door about the time I came up next to his vehicle. I needed to put my helmet on, but that would mean letting my hair fall free. My weak disguise wouldn’t hold up if he saw it. Still, I delayed as long as I could by fiddling in my pockets for my keys. The warlock did a double take when he turned his head and glimpsed my face. I knew by his expression that he’d recognized me anyway.

There was no time to hesitate. He’d scream for the cavalry if I didn’t act fast. I leaped up close to him and grabbed his head with both my hands, twisting it hard. His neck snapped loud enough to ring in my ears.

I took a quick glance around to make sure no one had seen anything before shoving him into the still-open door of his car. With some quick maneuvering, I made him look like he was sitting there with his head bowed as if he were taking a nap.

Hopefully no one would notice him for awhile. He wouldn’t show up on a sensor’s radar any more with him dead so they’d have to notice him sitting there first. I pressed the lock button for good measure before shutting the door. This was one death I didn’t feel quite so bad about.

I quickly switched my cap for my helmet before starting the bike and taking off. The fae device rested against my chest reassuringly. I headed straight for the trail I’d used before and followed it until I reached the highway. It took some zigzagging after that to avoid the strategically-placed male sensors who were stationed along the outskirts of town. They were the same two I’d had to dodge on the way into town.

I kept riding until I was a couple miles from Fairbanks. Finding another dirt trail I’d identified ahead of time, I rode along it until I couldn’t see the paved road behind me. As soon as I stopped, I pulled my phone out and checked my messages.

There weren’t any more from Cori’s guy. He’d said the one text message would be all we’d get from him. There were several from Derrick, though. His part of the mission had been successful and they’d managed to free a dozen of his people, including his third in command—Kariann. I was especially glad he’d gotten her back. We’d need her for the upcoming battle with Zoe and her forces.

I typed out a message letting them know I’d gotten the fae device and made it out of town. After a brief hesitation, I sent one more saying I had to make a stop first before meeting them. They’d probably get upset over it, but at least they wouldn’t expect me soon.

I shut the phone off and put it away. It was time for the next step. I pulled my helmet off and set it on the bike before walking a few yards away from it. The archangel’s stone felt warm in my hand as I drew it from my pocket and called for her.

She didn’t make me wait long.

Chapter Thirty-three

In a brilliant flash of light she appeared before me. Once again she wore her white robe and had her hair loose, falling neatly behind her back. With the sun about to set, her inner glow showed more than the last time I saw her and lit up the woods around us. Remiel—the archangel who handled Lucas—usually kept his toned down to a more tolerable level.

“Melena.” Ariel nodded at me. “I must congratulate you on obtaining the device, though I’d hoped you’d manage it with less bloodshed.”

Who was she to question things when I was the one who had to take all the risks?

“I did the best I could,” I replied, hiding my annoyance.

“It was a simple task compared to the one you are about to undertake. I do hope you’re ready.” She gave me an inquiring look.

“Oh, I’m ready,” I reassured her. In fact, I wanted to hurry up and get going.

“Very well, there are a few things you should know first. Purgatory is a harsh place. You’ll find it extremely uncomfortable when you arrive. It is daytime there now and extremely hot with very little oxygen to fuel your lungs. You’ll find this will weaken your body to a certain extent.”

Micah had told me a little about Purgatory after I’d prodded him enough times. Ariel’s description matched his fairly close.

I shifted on my feet. “What else?”

“The portal you’ll travel through will take you to the nearest tunnel entrance into the mountains where Lucas is located. You’ll still need to walk approximately one mile to get there, but there is a shimmer that you should be able to see even from a distance. Go toward that. Once inside, stay in the larger tunnel and don’t veer into any of the smaller ones that branch off. You should be able to sense Lucas when you get close to where he is located and be able to find him.”

That sounded simple enough. I was glad she was giving me specific details because if there were winding tunnels my senses wouldn’t help much. My radar didn’t give me a map of the area I traveled. It just told me where the sups were located.

“Anything else?” I asked.

“Yes.” She took a step closer. “I know that you’ve arranged to take some weaponry with you. While coating your bullets with your blood is not an issue, you must not do it with the heavier ammunition you’ll be using. The caves are protected with magic, but if you use large explosives that can bypass the spells, it could cause them to collapse. For your own sake, I’d hate to see you buried alive under the rubble.”

I would have considered that myself after seeing the caves, but perhaps not before I’d prepped my weaponry. It would have rendered it useless, so I appreciated her warning.

“Fair enough. Can you tell me how to use the portal device now?” I pulled it from my pocket to show her.

She glanced at it before meeting my eyes again. “There is one other thing you must know first. You cannot liberate anyone else from Purgatory—no matter who you see or what you sense. It will require all of my standing with the other archangels to keep him from having to go back. If you take anyone else, none of you will be free.”

I’d been planning all sorts of crazy ways to keep Lucas out of there. Keeping him circled in my blood so he couldn’t be found by magic. Maintaining an arsenal to fight off any archangels who might show up anyway. I was willing to do whatever it took. If Ariel could make a deal for me, it would be that much easier.

“Don’t worry,” I reassured her. “Lucas is the only one who matters. I won’t take anyone else out and risk losing him again.”

She gave me a doubtful look that had me wondering who else could possibly be in Purgatory that I’d want to take out. She clearly didn’t understand. I had no intention of messing up any deal that could keep him free without me having to wage a constant battle.

“Let’s hope you keep your word.” She nodded at the device in my hand. “Now, the portal moves around every few days, but it is currently located in the men’s locker rooms at the place humans call Chena Hot Springs. It will remain there for at least another day, allowing you to return to the same point. Once you’ve entered, head for the area next to the lockers and hold the device out. Press on the jewel in the middle until the portal becomes visible. It won’t remain open for long, so you must step through it quickly.”

Doubt niggled at me. “If the portal is magic, how can I use it?”