Shadow Rising (32 page)

This was neither the time nor the place for these thoughts. In fact, there was no time or place that would be right for them. Enough was enough. There had to be a way to break the bond that had formed between us.

A thought struck me. “I’m so stupid,” I blurted out.

Everyone looked at me, confused.

Flustered, I shook my head. “Never mind, just something I was thinking about.” Talking about how I wanted to fuck my sister’s husband wasn’t going to add much to the conversation except tension. But it had suddenly occurred to me to ask Roman what to do. If anybody knew how to break a vampire-blood bond, he would. Why hadn’t I thought of that in the first place?

Morio held my gaze. His nostrils flared slightly, but then he turned back to Camille, making sure she was tucked under the throw and that her brandy was refilled. When he was satisfied she was okay, he looked over at Delilah and Chase, and they nodded.

“Menolly, why don’t you and Shade move over next to Camille so you can all look at these pictures together?”

We did, flanking her sides.

Morio took what had been Carter’s chair. “Okay, here’s what Carter found out for us.” He motioned for Delilah to hand us the sheaf of photographs. “Reports have filtered up from Portland, Oregon, of bhout activity, but they thought they were just ghosts. They didn’t realize that the spirits were demonic.”

“We didn’t either, at first,” I said, glancing at the first photograph. It was taken with a special camera, and it had actually captured one of the wispy jellyfish-like creatures on film. The spirit was latching onto the aura of a woman sitting in a recliner with her eyes closed. “That’s one of those things I saw on the Dream-Time. That must be its natural shape. But who took this? How did they get a picture of it, if the bhouts aren’t corporeal?”

“One of the paranormal investigators down there used a special film he developed to see if he could figure out why she was languishing. And
languish
seems to be the word.” Delilah handed me another piece of paper. It seemed to be some form that had been filled out, and when I glanced over it, I saw that it was a from the Oregon Psychic League, a paranormal investigatory outfit.

As I scanned the contents, it became clear that, at least down in Portland, the psychic community was better organized than up here in Seattle. They’d recognized the problem sooner than we had and had formed a task force to investigate.

“So she’s a test subject who reported lack of energy, inability to concentrate, and a drop in her psychic energy that didn’t seem normal?” I pointed to one of the fields. “Here it says she runs one of the bigger covens down there.”

“Yes, and apparently the entire coven has been affected.
When they heard this from several groups, they wondered if something was systematically draining their energy. Hence the tests. That photograph is one of the results. The other pictures are of ghosts and apparitions. Apparently, hauntings have picked up there, too.” Morio glanced over to the desk, where Carter waved for him to continue. “Carter checked with a few other major cities on the West Coast and nothing there, yet. So if this is spreading, it’s only reached down the coast so far.”

“Is there anything else?” We had too many pieces of the puzzle that weren’t quite fitting yet.

“Yes, I’ve found more,” Carter said, returning to us.

He held another folder of papers in his hand and motioned for Morio to stay seated. Instead, he pulled the rocking chair over and sat in it.

“I found more information on bhouts. I also just received a fax from one of my operatives in the Demonica Vacana society. I’d contacted him about Gulakah. But I also asked him about the bhouts, to see if he knew anything about how they’re controlled and how to stop them.”

“What did you find? Anything we can use?” Camille sat forward, still looking wrung out. “If this is what it feels like to just be grazed by one, I’d hate to know what the FBH pagans and witches are dealing with.”

“They’ll feel it in a different way than you, since the magical abilities of Fae and humans vary widely.” Carter frowned, glancing at the clock. “It’s one in the morning. Do you want to go over this now?”

I nodded. “I have a good five hours left till the sun calls me down. I’d like to hear what you found out instead of waiting until tomorrow evening.”

He held up his hand. “Very well, but give me a moment.” And he disappeared through the curtains that cordoned off the rest of his apartment.

As we waited for him, my phone jangled. I pulled it out and glanced at the text. It was from Nerissa. Are you okay, and are you ever coming home?

Shit…I knew she was feeling left out, even though she understood what we were facing. But she’d gone out shopping
for our wedding and I hadn’t even glanced at what she’d bought.

I frowned and texted back, We’re fine. At Carter’s. Camille had a run-in with a bhout. Be home as soon as we can. Go to sleep, will wake you up when I get there. Love you.

A few seconds later, she texted back, Love you, too. You owe me big, babe.

I glanced up. They were looking at me, quizzically. After a moment, I rolled my eyes and said, “Nerissa. She’s pissed at me again and I don’t really blame her. She went out and shopped for our wedding and I haven’t had the chance to see anything she bought.” I sighed. “I wish she could understand that it doesn’t mean I don’t love her.”

Camille nodded. “She’ll be okay. As long as you give her some input.”

“Well, I told her about a gown I thought I might like to wear. Honestly, I was winging it. I don’t know what I want—I always thought I’d like to wear something someone in our family made. Aunt Rythwar is a beautiful seamstress. But I doubt that’s going to happen. I’m just no good at these things.”

“Good at it or not, sometimes you just have to fake it.”

Morio grinned. “You never fake it, babe.” He leered at her and licked his lips, and Camille gave him a withering look but then laughed.

“This is neither the time nor the place for that.” She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders as Carter returned.

He was carrying a tray with sandwiches and cookies, and a goblet of blood. “We all need something to eat.”

I looked at the blood and realized that I was hungry. Accepting the goblet, I tried to drink it without spilling any. No sense in squicking everybody out. As I tucked a sandwich into Camille’s hand and encouraged her to eat, Carter poured himself an aperitif of cognac and settled into the rocking chair.

“All right, here’s what I’ve found. The bhouts aren’t easily controlled—it requires a central, physical anchor to control them, and
all
of them are controlled through this anchor. Only the most powerful sorcerers or demons can control
bhouts—they’re strong-willed spirits and only the strongest of bindings can bend them to your will.” Carter set aside one piece of paper and picked up another.

“Does the anchor have to be in the actual possession of the demon—or sorcerer—who’s summoning the demons?” If so, we were screwed.

At least Carter had good news on that front. “No. In fact, the anchor for this sort of gate is far too big to carry around. It’s more of a
place
, than a thing. In my opinion,” he said, glancing over the page he held, “you’re looking for a cave. A good-sized one in which to hide the operation necessary to open a gate the size of a Demon Gate. Not only that, but for what he’s up to, it must be near running water—a stream or a creek rather than a pond.” He looked up. “That may narrow your search.”

Delilah frowned. “A cave? That indicates a place out of town. There are a few small cubbyholes in the city, but nothing the size of what you’re talking about. Do you think that means Gulakah is hiding out of the city proper?”

Shade chimed in. “I know something of Gulakah, being from the Netherworld.” He rubbed his hands together. “Gulakah was the Lord of Dreams, as you know, and was cast out into the Subterranean Realms for misusing his powers. He isn’t the sort of demon who enjoys skulking around in corners. He likes to be honored, respected—though that came to mean through fear rather than love.”

“So he’s a ham. What’s that got to do with it?” Delilah was getting punchy; she was listing to the side and looked like she might drop at any moment. Everybody needed sleep.

“It means this, my little pussycat. While Gulakah might have to do his dirty work in the dark corners of caverns, he’s not one to stay there the rest of the time. He has to be the one summoning the bhouts. Telazhar is in Otherworld and you cannot be that far from an anchor to control your minions.”

Carter slowly thumbed through the rest of his papers. “That coincides with the information I have here. Gulakah is, to put it mildly, pompous and egotistical. He needs to see the results of his havoc. No, he’s in Seattle somewhere, except for
when he needs to summon more creatures. He hasn’t revealed himself yet, probably due to direct orders from Shadow Wing, but the time is coming when he’ll slip up.”

“Until then, what do we do?” Morio asked.

“Simple. Find the cave and destroy the Gate. However…” Here, Carter paused, shaking his head, “That’s not going to be as easily done as said.”

“What haven’t you told us yet?” I could tell by the look in his eye that there was something else—something we weren’t going to want to hear.

Carter winced, then shrugged. “All right, here it is…none of you are strong enough to destroy a Demon Gate of this magnitude. Morio and Camille don’t even dare try—if they go near it, they’ll immediately be attacked by the bhouts. There are few creatures who are immune to them.”

Shade blinked. “Dragons, for one.”

“Yes, dragons. And some demons. And…vampires. Very few others.” Carter tossed the papers on the table. “If you send in a human with magical abilities, they’ll be a target. Same with one of the Fae. Send in an FBH without magical powers and they’ll be ripped to shreds as the bhouts send objects flying through their bodies. Because with the bhouts come ghosts of all kinds.”

“Crap. So Smoky, Shade, Vanzir, Roz, and I can go after them, but Camille and Morio, not?” It wasn’t a bad force, but it would have been nice to be able to wield magic against them.

“What about me?” Delilah sat up straighter. “I don’t use magic.”

Carter held up his hand. “No, Delilah—not a good idea. But even if the five of you do go after the gate, you won’t be able to destroy it. You must have a powerful sorcerer to disrupt the field of the Demon Gate. And none of you can do it. It doesn’t take someone quite as powerful as the conjurer of the gate, but none of you have nearly enough power to destroy it.”

I sat very still for a moment. A thought was creeping into my head, and I really wished it would go away because it meant asking a favor from someone I never wanted to meet again. “How powerful?”

“Powerful enough to disrupt spirits—someone who’s been working magic for a long, long time. Again, they cannot be mortal—unless they’ve been around a thousand years.”

Anxious, I pushed myself to my feet and paced. “I might know somebody, but I have to make a call first. May I step into your kitchen, please?”

“Use my parlor.” Carter ushered me into a small chamber off the living room. I’d never been in here before and was quite surprised to see a television set and a stack of DVDs. Movies of all sorts. I gave Carter a quizzical look.

“Movies? TV? You?
Really?
”

Carter flashed me a sheepish smile. “I have my moments, Menolly. You are very quick to assume, I’ve noticed. Perhaps that is one quality you should be working on.” The rebuke was gently given, and I gave him one of those
what can you do
looks.

“I am what I am, Carter. I try, but…”

“But you enjoy jumping to conclusions; you leap first and look later, and I think that’s just your nature, girl.” He headed toward the door but stopped to look back at me. “I offer criticism only with the best of intentions. With your strength, and the fact that you are a vampire, it would be easy to act first and come to regret afterward. And I somehow think…regret weighs heavy on your shoulders when it makes its appearance.”

With that, he exited the room. I stared at the door behind him. He was right. I had a great deal of power and strength, and it would be so easy to abuse it. I’d seen that lack of restraint in other vampires, and I’d seen the bloody results.

“Maybe you’re right,” I whispered to the closed door, before taking out my phone. As I punched in Mallen’s number, I grimaced. I’d be waking him out of a sound sleep. But there was no help for it.

He answered the phone after three rings. “Menolly, charming. Do you realize what time it is?”

I’d never heard Mallen being quite so churlish before. “I’m sorry to disturb you. Is everything all right?”

He let out a long sigh. “No. We lost three patients today. We have no clue why they died—well, we do, but there’s
nothing we can do. Charlotine told me they were drained. Apparently, whatever it is, isn’t just draining of life force that can kill, but also draining magical abilities and energy.”

I held the phone to my ear, staring straight ahead. “Yeah, we know.” I made a decision and filled him in on the bhouts. “The deaths began with the guards on our land.”

“And they’re likely to continue. We’ve got a full schedule tomorrow of people complaining of the same symptoms. I don’t know what we’re going to do. Sharah’s having to slow down a little because of the baby. The pregnancy is taking a toll on her—she’s got such a slight frame.” Mallen usually wasn’t this outgoing with information. It worried me because it meant things were on the downswing for sure.

“We may be able to stop this plague. We have some information that might just change things. But if we can find the core of the problem, we’re going to need help in putting a stop to it. Apparently none of us are strong enough to do anything about it.” I paused.

“What can I do to help?”

I swallowed my pride. “Your friend—Charlotine. You said she’s a powerful sorceress? We need her. Will you talk to her and ask her to call me?”

Mallen chuckled. “Menolly, that’s the last thing I expected you to ask.”

“Me, too,” I said. “Me, too.”