Shadow Rising (31 page)

As we neared the Galaxy club, I pointed it out to Camille. “You should check it out—I have a feeling the bhouts may have gotten in there. Just a hunch.”

“No time like the present.” She grabbed her purse. “Pull over and let me out. I’ll go in and scope it out, and you can pick me up after you talk to Carter. His place is only a few blocks from here.”

Morio swerved into a parking space and turned off the ignition. “Fine, but you are
not
going in there alone. I forbid it.”

“I’ll be fine—” she started to say, but he grabbed her wrist.

“
No.
Just, no. You will take Menolly and Shade with you. They can put down just about anything that happens. Meanwhile, Delilah, Chase, and I will go see Carter.”

I repressed a grin, waiting for the blowup. Camille had three very possessive and alpha husbands, although Morio was the least volatile. When they tried to run her life, she usually exploded. But as they locked gazes, he leaned in, staring at her intently.

“Don’t even
think
about arguing or I’ll tell Smoky and Trillian and we’ll all have ourselves a field day.” Arching one eyebrow, he planted a quick kiss on her nose. “You hear me, wife?”

“Fine. I hear you.” She let out a little huff. “Come on, you two.” She slipped out of the car and—with no real time to argue—Shade and I followed her down the street to the club. I’d wanted to go visit Carter, but Morio was right. This was the safest arrangement.

“Your husbands have a firm hand with you.” Shade moved to the outside of the sidewalk, and I moved to the inside so we buttressed Camille from both directions.

I laughed. “They have to, considering Camille’s nature.”

“Hey, what is this, Pick on Camille Day?” She rolled her eyes.

Shade shrugged. “I rather think it’s called for with you at the helm.”

Camille whipped around, glaring, but when she saw the grin on his face, she swatted him. “You’re lucky you’re my sister’s fiancé, or I’d—”

“You’d what? I don’t think you have room in your harem for another dragon.” Again, the laugh, and a long wink. Shade had it going on, but he was totally devoted to Delilah and we knew it.

Camille shook her head, a disgruntled look on her face, but then she laughed. “Twit.”

“Don’t be so sure about that.” I skipped ahead, dancing over the cracks in the sidewalk. “Camille’s got a heart that keeps growing with every addition. But you’re probably right. Smoky would put his foot down at another dragon, and I don’t think it would be a pretty sight.”

The easy banter felt a welcome respite after all the shit that had gone down, and by the time we reached the club, we were in a better frame of mind. Camille glanced at the few FBHs who were hanging outside and said nothing, but she gave me a look that read something was definitely wrong.

We entered the club and an instant wave of technopop hit us, loud and pounding the walls. But nobody was really doing much of anything. The people on the dance floor were
lethargic, moving back and forth in a slow shuffle. Nerissa and I loved to go clubbing, but the feel of this club was one of quiet desperation.

The décor was olive green, purple, and silver. It wasn’t the most coordinated set of colors, and the large room was scattered with tables and booths that took up valuable space. Whoever had laid it out sure didn’t have an eye for interior decorating or for proper utilization of a floor plan. If I took control of this club, it would seat twice as many and have a bigger dance floor. All it required was some organization.

Camille leaned close. “The energy is fucked up here. Really fucked up.”

“How so?”

“This is supposed to be a club for those who use magic? I’m not feeling so much magic…and what there is, feels tainted. Not as if they dabble in dark spells like sorcery…just…off.”

We threaded through the crowd, heading toward the bar. Even at the tables and booths, people didn’t appear to be having fun. They sat, drinks in hand, just staring around laconically.

“She’s right. This is fucking creepy,” Shade mumbled, glaring at a couple who were hanging off each other. “I feel like I’m in a zombie bar rather than one that should be alive with magic.” He glanced around. “Even the few Fae I see seem…lackluster.”

Camille slipped up to the bar, and we joined her. She climbed onto one of the stools and motioned to the bartender. He was lean and tall, and he set me on alert.

“What’ll it be?” He slapped the bar towel over his shoulder and gave us a gaunt, hungry look.

“Coke, please.” She tossed a ten-dollar bill on the counter. “Shade, what do you want?”

“Coffee, if you have it.” He slid onto the stool next to her and I took the other side, waving off the bartender when he turned to me. As he moved away to get the drinks, Shade glanced around again, then leaned close. “Bhouts…I can sense them. They’re thick in here.”

The barkeep came back with their drinks, and Camille
waved away the change. “Keep it. Listen, this is my first time in. You usually have such a low-key clientele?” She turned on the glamour and the barkeep’s eyes lit up.

He tilted his head, leaning across the counter. “Nah, not until lately. Usually it’s jumping in here but the past week or so, things have been pretty quiet. Maybe everybody’s studying for their second-degree tests or something.” He stared at her, then over at me. “You’re from Otherworld, aren’t you? What are your names?”

I studied him for a moment. Shadow Wing already knew who we were. Gulakah knew us. There was no more hiding, no more skulking in shadows.

“I’m Menolly, and this is my sister Camille. That’s Shade over there.” I pointed to Shade, then flashed the bartender a glimpse of my fangs. When in doubt, intimidate.

He stared at me, and I could hear the pulse of his blood, the quick intake of breath. He was afraid, all right.

“Welcome to the Galaxy. Too bad it’s not more active in here. I bet you girls could liven things up.” He paused. “Do you want…we have bottled blood. Finest cow, pig, and…” Again, the pause. “Human, if you like.”

Fuck me hard.
It was against the law to serve human blood in bars unless you had voluntary bloodwhores right on the premises. Even then, it wasn’t encouraged. I looked around, and he must have known what I was searching for.

“Bloodwhores stay in the back. We don’t have many—don’t get many vamps, but some of them prefer the blood of those who work magic.” And his eyes took on a starry glaze.

I glanced at Camille, who seemed a million miles away, then glanced back at the bartender. “And you? Why are you here? Do you work magic?” I knew the answer already, but decided to ask anyway.

He shrugged and again, the hungry-jackal look returned. “Me? No, haven’t got the gift. But I like being around the energy. I’ve got a thing for witches.” And he again turned to Camille, his eyes practically jumping out of his head.

Just like the Faerie Maids, who were groupies looking for sex with the Fae, there were guys who went all horn-toad for women who had power, and witches were their first choice.
This guy would always be an outsider, but like a moth, he desperately craved to touch the flame.

“Yeah, well I’d put the tongue back in the mouth, if I were you. She’s got three husbands and they’re all strong enough to tear you to pieces.” Shade leaned in. “Pay the lady some respect and quit talking to her boobs.”

Camille jerked, as if she’d just noticed what was going on. “Um…I feel funny,” she whispered to me.

“What’s going on—”

Shade suddenly jumped to his feet, dragging Camille to hers. “Come on. We should get going.”

Camille looked confused but didn’t argue.

“What’s going on?” I felt agitated, like ants were crawling over me. “Camille? Camille? What’s happening?”

Camille started to waver, her eyes fluttering. Unsure as to what was wrong, I followed Shade’s lead and grabbed Camille’s other arm. We hurried her out of the club, pushing through the throng.

The minute we were out of the club, he tossed her over his shoulder and took off running up the street. I followed, easily keeping pace.

“What the fuck happened?”

“The bhouts have gained a stronghold in that place, and I sensed one trying to latch onto Camille. I don’t know if we got her out in time, but we couldn’t stay there or it would be feeding on her, like that one caught hold of Chase.” He sat her down after we reached the intersection of Broadmore and Wales, and she leaned against the brick wall of the apartment building. We were only a couple blocks to the left from Carter’s.

“Let’s go. Carter lives up ahead. Can you carry her, or do you want me to?” It only seemed polite to offer him a choice whether he wanted to lug my sister that far, or whether I ended up doing so.

“I can go…I think…” Camille still looked confused, but she seemed to be snapping out of it. But when she took a step forward, her knees buckled and she started to fall. Shade swept her up in his arms and we took off at a jog. We
were a block from the Galaxy when Camille urged him to put her down.

“I think I’m better. I’m still a little shaky, but I don’t feel so light-headed.” She stood, unsteadily, for a moment, then was able to walk with us supporting her. It took us less than five more minutes to reach Carter’s apartment, all uphill. The Seattle streets were notorious for their grades, and walking in the city beat any treadmill for exercise.

Morio’s SUV was parked outside. We navigated down the stairs and knocked on Carter’s door. He answered almost immediately.

As we stumbled in, Morio, Delilah, and Chase were sitting in the living room, looking over some photographs and documents. Camille paused, leaning against the back of the sofa.

Carter seemed to notice something amiss because he hurried to the bar, where he poured her a brandy and pressed it into her hands. She gratefully took a sip and lowered herself to the seat beside Morio.

“What’s wrong?” Morio looked her up and down, then craned his neck around to look at us. “What happened to her?”

“A bhout got to her at the club.” Shade sat opposite. “I need to double-check to make sure it’s not still attached to her. I couldn’t do that out in the street, but we left the club as soon as we knew something was wrong. Camille, if you’ll permit me…sit back and close your eyes.”

She shivered. “Leeches—the damned things remind me of leeches. Fucking parasites. I’m cold. Carter, do you have a throw I could wrap around my shoulders? Even my jacket doesn’t help.”

“Certainly.” He brought her a light throw that was hanging over a rocking chair. It had pictures of cats on it, along with plenty of cat hair, and she smiled as she wrapped it around her shoulders.

One of his cats—I could never remember which one was which—came up and jumped in her lap, kneading gently against Camille’s chiffon skirt, but my sister didn’t shoo her
away or try to stop her. She just gently scratched behind her ears, and the cream-colored fuzzball curled up in her lap and began to snooze.

“I have a request, too, if you don’t mind. I need shadow in which to do my best work. Can we turn off all but a dim light?” Shade slipped out of his duster and stretched, flexing his fingers.

Carter acquiesced, then retook his seat, watching with fascination as Shade lowered himself into trance. A pale haze of smoke began to rise around him, obscuring him from easy sight, and then he vanished into the fog, and it settled around Camille. The cat leaped off her lap and padded over to Chase, who gave her a long eye and grudgingly let her climb up on his nice black suit. Oh yeah, a lovely trail of cat hairs was going to follow.

As Shade engulfed Camille in his moving shadow, he swirled around her and then seemed to vanish into her body. Morio didn’t look all that happy, but I tapped him on the arm and shook my head, and he relaxed. We waited, silent, Delilah leaning forward, a worried look on her face.

“I feel…so strange…” Camille said, her eyes still closed. “I can feel Shade working—moving through my energy field— but it’s like there’s more than him there. I can’t explain it.”

A few moments later, the smoke issued out from her mouth and she let out a deep sigh, as if she’d been holding her breath. The shadow drifted back over to where Shade had been sitting and re-formed into a cloud, from which he emerged, shimmering back into view, his eyes crackling with purple fire, a grave look on his face.

“Thankfully, the bhout wasn’t able to fully attach to you, but it did siphon off some of your energy. You’ll be particularly susceptible to them now, so you’re going to have to work on some protection magic and wards to carry with you.”

“Was it in the club? Or just hanging out in the astral?” I asked.

“I think a group of them are focusing on the club. They found a ready feeding source, although that won’t last too long. Not at the rate they’re draining the clientele there.”

“Do you think the bartender is in on it?” I hadn’t liked
him, he was a seedy little thing, but I didn’t want to blame him for something that wasn’t his fault.

Shade shook his head. “No, he doesn’t have anything to do with it, in my opinion. I think he was as mystified as we were about why the customers are so lethargic. And, probably a bit disappointed, considering he’s an energy whore.” Shade turned to Carter. “I only know so much about these creatures. Do you have any information on them, since they’re of both the spirit and demonic realms?”

Carter frowned. “I’ll have to look in the archives. Meanwhile, Morio, why don’t you fill them in on what I told you. I’ll consult my files and be back in a few moments.” He excused himself and retreated to his desk.

Before Morio launched into what Carter had been telling them, he took Camille’s hands and held them tightly. “I should never have let you go in there. We should have thought about what might happen.”

She shook her head. “We didn’t know. We can’t hesitate every time there might be danger involved. You know that. Don’t you start acting like Smoky!” She looked ready to scold him but then dropped back in her seat. “I’m too tired to argue, so don’t even start on me.”

He looked like he wanted to say something, and a lock of his hair escaped his ponytail and trailed down the side of his face, stirring something inside me. I wanted to lick his face and sink…
Whoa, Menolly, back it up pronto.