Fading Light: Shadow Born, Book 2 (11 page)

“My husband.” Brenna finished. She glared at the ghost.

Hilda raised her hands in front of her body. “I’m not. Would never. He’s ugly as sin,” she sputtered. “Can’t bear to look at him.” She backed away. Since Hilda had learned Shadow Bearers held power over death, and thus could extinguish her eternal soul, she made a point to keep on their good side.

“Keep it that way.” Brenna turned her back on Hilda, somehow managing to hide her laughter.

Then, she stopped. Hilda had managed something neither she nor Gray had. She had given them a crumb, a place to start in the search for Adare. She didn’t deserve to be teased. Turning back, Brenna smiled. “I’m kidding,” she said, although she hadn’t been. “Thanks, Hilda. You did well.”

The ghost gave her a blank stare. “Excuse me?”

“You did well. Thank you.” Brenna crossed her arms. “I’m glad you’re part of the team.”

Keegan snorted. They glared at him.

Hilda nodded. “I want to avenge Marissa as much as you do. She was my friend.”

“I know,” Brenna replied. “One way or another we’ll get Adare.”

“And I’ll roast him on a nice long painful stake,” Keegan interrupted. “Demons taste yummy.”

Chapter Eleven

Several hours later Gray slipped into the bedroom he shared with Brenna. She had fallen asleep waiting for him and lay strewn across the bed, her head buried in a tower of feather pillows. Her face was peaceful, unlined by the stressors of their day, and a smile played across her lips. Hopefully, she was dreaming of him.

Careful not to wake her, he lifted her in his arms. With his free hand, he pulled back the covers and repositioned her on the bed. She stirred, yawning, but didn’t wake. When he was sure she was asleep, he covered her with the quilt. His magic wrapped around her as he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. He needed her to sleep. She couldn’t follow where he was going.

“What’s the plan?” She rolled to face him even as he stepped away. After a long yawn, she opened her eyes. Her golden gaze was hazy, but alert.

“Seraph sent feelers out to the airport. He’ll report back when he knows something.” Gray walked to the closet and pulled out his black leather jacket.

Brenna tried to sit, but the spell made her weak. The more she fought, the stronger it became.

“I shouldn’t be this tired,” she complained. The air in the room thickened as she tested her shields. The spell he had used was impossible to detect. After a few moments, her eyes slid closed, and her breathing evened.

Gray sighed. She would never understand why he had to find Ga’loh on his own. He needed to know the truth about what Ga’loh had used to heal him, and it wasn’t a conversation he wanted overheard.

With one last glance at her prone form, he left the bedroom to find Keegan. The dragon was seated at the kitchen table, his feet propped up and a book in one hand. He glanced up as Gray entered.

“Going out?” Keegan stood, wiping his hands on his soiled jeans. “Kill me something. I’m starving.”

Gray shook his head. He slipped a hand into his jacket and pulled out a granola bar Brenna had made him. She claimed they were healthy, but they tasted like birdseed. “Try this.” He tossed it to the dragon.

Keegan pulled off the wrapper and shoved it in his mouth whole. “Not bad,” he said between bites.

Gray moved closer. He didn’t want to be overheard. “I need a favor.”

“What?” The dragon eyed him cautiously.

“I’m going to the Underground. I spelled Brenna so she couldn’t follow me.” Gray ignored Keegan’s snort. “Watch over her until I get back.” He was the last person Gray wanted to ask, but he had no choice. Keegan was the strongest.

“Sure.” Keegan smiled, his teeth shone in the candlelight. “As long as you’re not going after Ga’loh. It’s too big a risk to go without back-up.”

“I’m only going to talk. We need him on our side, so pissing him off defeats our purpose.”

Keegan watched him intently. “Only talk. Nothing else?” He blew out a long breath, smoke dancing around his jawline.

“I’m not going in there to kick his ass, if that’s what you’re asking. Although I’d like to.” Gray met Keegan’s gaze in a moment of complete understanding.

The dragon nodded, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t do diplomacy anyway.” He grinned. “Don’t worry about Brenna. I’ll take care of her. She’ll never know you were gone.”

As Gray splashed through the ankle-deep water, he knew something wasn’t right. The tunnels were empty. No refugees hid in their dark corners. Silence had replaced the steady hum of the busy marketplace.

As he stepped into the clearing, the multi-colored tents sat empty. They swayed in the breeze from the tunnels, but no one stood in front of them hocking wares. Half-filled cups and plates lay sprawled across the concrete, abandoned mid-meal.

“Come to play hero?” Lilura stepped from behind a broken-down enclosure. “You’re a little late.”

“What happened?” Gray moved forward. Dark magic thickened the air. It wasn’t Adare’s.

She shrugged as she walked toward him. “What do you think? The humans attacked us. They need to learn their place.”

“Humans didn’t do this.” The magical residue told a different story. One he knew Lilura was strong enough to read. So why was she lying?

“Of course they did.” She laughed. “Wait till the rest of the world hears about this.”

“You’re the last person I would expect to be spreading Adare’s propaganda.” He shook his head. “What did he offer you?”

“Are you calling me a liar?” Her spell exploded around him in sparks of light. He swatted it away.

“You don’t want this war,” Gray said, ignoring her attack. “Adare’s the only one that wins.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Psychic now?” She laughed. “Humans serve no purpose. They’re food.”

“We’re not monsters. This plane belongs to the humans; they deserve to live here.” Gray studied her. She didn’t look well. Her damp hair lay in soggy curls around her pale face. Her neck and chest were smeared with blood.

“Not anymore.” She threw up her hands. “It’s ours now. Adare opened my eyes. The humans don’t appreciate us. They hide behind laws and sympathetic deviants. They don’t deserve all this.”

Gray wrapped his power around Lilura, searching for discrepancies in her magic. She didn’t appear altered, but after the situation with Ga’loh, he didn’t trust his instincts. “I’m disappointed in you, Lilura. Humans have sustained you for years. Why would you want them dead?”

“I don’t need them anymore. I can feed off deviants. Their power sustains me longer.” Laughing, she looked at the ceiling then glanced around as if looking for someone

Gray had a sneaking suspicion he knew who she was looking for. “How long have you known about Ga’loh?”

She froze. Not meeting his gaze, she played with the edges of her frayed dress. “Ga’loh has nothing to do with this.”

“Really?” Gray moved beside her. He grabbed her by the chin and forced her to face him. “I think he has everything to do with it.”

She spit on the ground at his feet. “I hope he tortures you. You strut around like you’re better than us. Ga’loh could kill you with a thought.”

Gray bit his tongue. His fight wasn’t with her. “Where is he?”

She grinned, licking her lips. “Closer than you think.” She twirled on her tiptoes, her laughter echoing through the passageways.

His patience was wearing thin. But she was powerful, so he had to watch his step. “Do you know where Ga’loh is?”

Her laughter was wild as she danced around him. “I hope he eats you for dinner.” She ran her eyes down the length of his body. “Better yet, maybe he’ll give you to me. I bet you’re tasty.” Eyes wild, she backed toward the entrance to the tunnels.

Gray couldn’t decide whether it was an act or she had truly jumped over the edge. When she turned and ran like the devil was at her heels, he was relieved. Ga’loh would require his full attention.

He smelled Ga’loh before he saw him. His pungent clove aroma was unmistakable. As he turned to face the demon, Gray gave himself a quick pep talk. No matter what happened, the goal was to sway Ga’loh to their side. Killing him would have to wait.

“Damn witches,” Ga’loh said as he moved into the clearing. “They never know when to keep their mouths shut.”

“So you’re a demon?” Gray watched him carefully. The broken cadence which once marked his stride was gone as was the diminished posture. Although Ga’loh’s skin continued to rot off his bones, the power he had meticulously masked was evident in every movement.

“Prince.” Ga’loh took a long drag of his cigarette. “To be honest I’m surprised it took you this long to figure it out. I thought you were smarter.”

“I am.” Gray grimaced. The words sounded trite.

“Sure.” Ga’loh smiled. The movement jarred one of his teeth and it fell to the concrete with a ting. “Damn. I only have five left.” He picked it up and shoved it in his pocket.

“Did you use demon magic to bring me back to life?” Gray waited for his answer with bated breath.

“What do you think?” Ga’loh stepped forward. “I’m a demon. I used magic. Hmmm,” he considered. “I believe that would constitute demon magic.”

Gray’s breathing quickened. “Did you taint my blood?”

Ga’loh stepped closer. His rancid breath was hot against Gray’s skin. “My blood knit you back together. Haven’t you noticed your powers are different? Stronger?”

Gray closed his eyes. Ga’loh had given voice to his biggest fear.

“You’re wondering if your brothers knew what I was.” He grinned. “Of course they did. Even a powerful war mage wouldn’t have been able to save you. They called for me, and I came. They did what I asked, and I healed you. The end.”

“What did they give you?” Dread fueled Gray’s words. “What did you do to me? Tell me. I have a right to know.”

“Perhaps.” Ga’loh took another long drag of his cigarette. “Don’t make this personal, Gray. You don’t want me as an enemy.”

Ga’loh was right. Gray knew his brothers were to blame. They had made the deal with the demon. Ga’loh had simply agreed. Now Gray needed to keep on the demon’s good side, but he felt betrayed and violated and Ga’loh was an easy target. “Why did you let me believe you were a mage? Why not tell me the truth?”

“Sore spot?” Ga’loh laughed. “What difference would it have made?”

“Plenty,” said Gray. He moved forward until they were inches apart. “You’re a demon prince and I work for IRT. It seems there’s a conflict of interest somewhere.”

“There is.” His rancid breath danced across Gray’s skin, but Gray barely noticed. “The entire time you were depending on me, using me to get information about Adare, I was helping him.”

“Did you help him capture Brenna for Orien?” Gray clenched his fists. He wanted to slam the beast against the wall and destroy what was left of his human form. Gray’s magic swirled round him, cloaking him with power. He closed his eyes and tried to control both it and his temper. They needed Ga’loh. He had to remember that.

Ga’loh shrugged, a grin spreading across his bloody lips. “I told Adare he should kill her and give Orien the body with a big red bow, but then I realized how powerful her healing skills were. Rumor has it she healed twenty hunters at the same time during Orien’s attack. I need that power, so I need her.”

“You wanted her dead?” Gray took several deep breaths, but rage was taking over.

Ga’loh smirked. “We needed Orien’s help, and he needed Brenna. Seemed easier that way.”

Gray closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. If he lost his temper and attacked, he would be playing right into Ga’loh’s hand. It was clearly what the demon wanted or he wouldn’t be trying to provoke him. Gray took a moment and thought things through. As he calmed, the cloud of magic surrounding him stilled, then dissipated. “You may need Brenna, but she doesn’t need you,” he bluffed.

Ga’loh took a long drag of his cigarette, eyes gleaming. “That’s where you’re wrong. She needs me.” He grinned. “You both need me. Unless you want all the pretty humans to die.”

Gray shrugged. “You’re working with Adare. If she heals you, who’s to say you won’t kill them anyway? She should let you rot.”

“Then you’ll never get the cure.”

“So she heals you and you’ll just hand it over? Right.” Gray prayed he was playing this right. “We’ll need some assurances.”

“I’ll give you your damn assurances,” Ga’loh hissed. A dark cloud of magic began to form at his feet. “Either she heals me, or I kill every human in this city.” He slipped his coat from his shoulders, letting it pool at his feet. Puss and blood oozed through his white shirt, staining it black and yellow. “Look at me. I’m a monster.” A cough wracked his body, and he leaned forward, spitting blood onto the ground. “And the pain is unbearable.” He raised his head, locking gazes with Gray. “Brenna’s the only one I’ve encountered that might be strong enough to fix this. And she will fix me, one way or another.”

Gray shook his head. “You talk a good game, but you’re weak. Brenna’s not going to fix you for free, and you’re not strong enough to force her.”

Ga’loh laughed. The raspy cadence echoed through the concrete room. “It’s dangerous to assume. Especially when you don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Rising to his full height, Ga’loh began to transform.

Gray stared at him, shocked. “The witches cursed you to one form.”

Ga’loh paused, mid-transition. “Adare broke the curse. He’s part mage. Lucky me.” He shed his humanoid form with vigor. But his demon form wasn’t much better. The golden horns that spiraled from the top of his head were bent and bloody and the scales on his elongated snout oozed with decay. His reptilian body was covered in a mismatched pattern of boils and open sores.

Gray took a closer look. “You looked better as a human. Rotting demon is even less appealing.”

Ga’loh hissed, flames shooting from his mouth. “Watch yourself, Shadow Bearer. The witches weakened me, but I’m still more powerful than you. My forms are too intimately connected for both of them not to be affected, but the curse damaged my bodies, not my magic.”

Gray raised a brow. “Good bluff. But if you were shooting on all cylinders, you wouldn’t need Brenna. Last I checked, demons didn’t need to be pretty, just powerful.”

“Damn you.” A razor sharp blade shot from Ga’loh’s hand. Too quick to see, it sliced across Gray’s lower legs. He hit the ground with a curse, the scabbard of his katana sliding across the concrete. Pain darkened his vision as he crawled to find cover.

When he was securely behind a concrete barricade, he looked down at his injured legs. The pain from the wounds was debilitating, and healing wasn’t his forte. He needed Brenna. The best he could do was a partial mend. But it wouldn’t last long.

“What the hell?” Gray shouted. “I thought we were negotiating.”

Scraping his long black nails across the concrete wall, Ga’loh moved toward him. “We are. Pay attention. I’m explaining why you shouldn’t screw with me.”

A spell on his lips, Gray stood, his legs still screaming, and lobbed a ball of electricity at Ga’loh. It hit him square in the chest. Sparks flew from his body as he threw his head back and screamed. The cry sounded more irritated than painful. The next spell sent a fireball slamming against the wound. The foul smell of melting scales filled the air.

“That was uncalled for.” Ga’loh glared at him, blowing smoke from his nostrils. “I was just making a point.”