Everlasting: Revelations
-1-
Early September,
Friday, Mid-afternoon:
Kira was finally allowed to stand up and stretch, keeping her long hair draped over one shoulder. She'd been laying on the tattooist's table in her bra and jeans folded down low for hours while the needles stung her skin over and over. Granted the pain wasn't all that bad, not with her high tolerance for it, but the dark-haired young woman was irritated about this whole situation. Cade watching her intently—when he hadn't been drooling over the woman in a thong getting a tattoo on her ass or the one exposing her breast—hadn't helped her mood any. She was somewhat pissed at him in general, as well as Ryan for insisting that she do this.
Also, Cade had gotten to take a break, the bastard. Eddie, the tattooist and owner of the shop, had insisted Kira needed to remain on the table until he'd finished. So Cade had left for about forty-five minutes, then came back seemingly subdued yet anxious at the same time.
Eddie put down the ink-filled needle, examining his work with dark, critical eyes as he finished wiping her lower back. He nodded to himself, raking his straight, shoulder-length dark hair out of his face. Kira glanced up at the man Ryan had sent her to as he stretched. He was average in height and weight, but well-toned from what she could see. His own multitude of tattoos were visible on his arms, revealed by his sleeveless t-shirt. She guessed he probably had more.
“Well? How'd they come out?” Kira asked as she sat up, clutching her green, thrift store t-shirt to her chest while trying not to seem obvious about it. If the woman with her ass showing could sit exposed, then Kira didn't want to make a big deal out of her lack of attire.
Eddie nodded, pulling on his dark goatee. “Perfect,” he answered, his voice deep. “Like I told you, these were meant for you, therefore they are perfect.”
“Let me see,” Cade said, standing from where he'd straddled a chair backward.
Cade whistled in appreciation at the demon and spirit protection tattoos that Kira now possessed. She had refused to have as many as he did, which Cade couldn't blame her, but Ryan had insisted she be protected as a human because they still didn't know what immortal gente she was and her human blood made her vulnerable to possession to some degree. He also noticed how the scars on her back from the whipping that the bitch wer had given her just weeks ago were now barely noticeable white lines. No scars or anything permanent. He'd never seen anyone heal so quickly.
Just like Cade's pagan pentagram surrounded by a sun on the right side of his chest, Kira now wore one on her right shoulder blade. Only it was slightly larger, more intricate and different than Cade's. He'd never seen anything like it before, but it felt powerful. Cade frowned. He didn't know why he'd thought that, tattoos didn't usually give off vibes...but the hell if this one didn't feel alive to him.
“Well?” Kira asked impatiently, sliding off the table and going to a wall mirror. She picked up a hand mirror and held it up to see her back. “Wow,” she said, stunned at how beautiful the tattoo on her shoulder was. Where Cade's was all black ink, her's had a little touch of color...white, true silver, and gold.
Eddie had insisted that he choose the tattoos she would wear. If Ryan had sent her, he had said, then he had to provide her with the best protection against demons that he could. It was then Kira and Cade figured he was some sort of immortal or at least knowledgeable about the everlasting.
“That's some damn fine work,” Cade glanced at Eddie, who nodded his thanks and walked over to work station. “Despite all the mumbling he was doing,” Cade whispered to Kira, who shushed him with a smack on his arm.
But it had been somewhat weird how Eddie kept murmuring under his breath.
“What about the other one?” Kira asked, now moving the mirror to see her lower back.
This one was an intricate design that ran across her lower back and dipped down in the middle. Celtic designs, Eddie had explained when he'd sketched out his idea. Strong protection from the supernatural in general. Again this one had white, silver, and gold amidst the black.
Cade whistled again as he leaned over. It didn't escape his attention that Kira's faded jeans were down low enough that he could see a tease of white underwear to match her plain, white bra. He did his best to focus on the tattoo, ignoring how something so white and plain could look so sexy. But Cade knew Kira wasn't like that, she wouldn't appreciate his attention in that way. He'd mostly guessed back when they were investigating the wers that she'd not had much, if any, experience with guys. He didn't want to upset her.
“Beautiful,” he said. “Seriously...and hey!”
“What?” Kira tried to turn around to see but only succeeded in knocking into Cade's head.
“Watch it!” he warned teasingly. “But, damn, Kira, there's a dragon in the middle. It's small but very, very cool.”
Kira's eyes sought out Eddie in the mirror. She found him staring at her enigmatically, his dark eyes nearly boring into her. He was so serious he was almost scary looking. The dragon hadn't been in the original sketch the tattooist had shown her. How the hell had he known? Kira hadn't told anyone, to her recollection, that she loved dragons. Even she didn't know why she felt so drawn to them, still not remembering her past. She especially didn't remember telling Ryan, so there was no way Eddie could have known! Kira turned back and held the mirror to get a better look. The dragon was gorgeous and fierce at the same time, and about three inches high with its wings slightly spread as it looked out from her back.
Cade barely touched the small necklace in his pocket. He'd seen it while he was out and something told him to buy it for Kira. He'd never given her...or any girl, for that matter...a present and wasn't sure why he felt such a strong urge this time. But the small metal dragon hadn't left his mind until he'd gone back into the store to purchase it. Now Kira had one on her back and seemed to love it. He wondered if she'd like the necklace just as much.
Eddie returned to cover up her new additions with large gauze pads and taped them lightly to her skin. “Just wear these for a few of hours,” he said. “Here's some instructions for the healing, but I'm betting you don't have any problems. You'll heal faster than normal.”
Kira carefully pulled her jeans back up and fastened them, then slipped on her t-shirt, grateful to no longer be standing around in her bra. She let her hair fall down her back, then gathered it up into a quick ponytail.
“Okay, thanks,” she said, tucking the paper in a back pocket.
“Tell Ryan I'll bill him,” Eddie said, giving Kira a teasing grin, something he apparently didn't do often because it came with difficulty to his lips. “And, you,” he said to Cade, “come back again, and I'll add a little something to yours, make them stronger.”
Cade shrugged. “They should be good as is,” he said. He'd worked hard on choosing the right ones and so far they'd mostly served him well.
Eddie nodded, not offended. “Well, the offer stands if you ever change your mind.” Then he turned his back to the pair.
As they headed toward the front of the shop, Cade asked, “Does it hurt?”
Kira shrugged. “Stings a little,” she said. “Hurt more when he was doing it,” she added in some exaggeration. “I may have to get you back for making me go through this.”
“What?” Cade exclaimed. “It wasn't my idea...,” he paused as Kira glared at him. “Well, not totally my idea,” he finished. “Besides, you need these. And for someone who's half-immortal this is kind of wimpy behavior.”
Kira couldn't help but laugh as Cade opened the door to the shop. A strange feeling made her turn around. She gasped. Cade turned on alert, tensing up for whatever Kira had seen. Then they both merely stared. Eddie had pulled off his t-shirt to reveal the tattoos on his back, one a giant, intricate wolf's head in profile, snout pointing up toward his right shoulder.
But then the head lowered and moved. It turned slowly from side to side as if searching before stopping to stare at them full on. No one else in the shop seemed to notice.
Cade pushed open the glass door and nearly shoved Kira out in front of him as they stumbled out onto the sidewalk. They headed wordlessly to his truck a few yards down the street, where he opened the passenger door. Kira hauled herself up on the step and climbed into the big, black Sierra. Sitting sideways in the seat to avoid touching her back to the seat, she waited for Cade to climb in.
As soon as he shut the door they both exclaimed...
“Oh my god, how was that even possible! Did that really happen?”
“Sonofabitch and goddamn, what the hell was that?”
They both stared at each other wide-eyed, having no explanation other than the obvious.
Magick.
Cade was used to demons and monsters, but this magick business still rated up high on the bizarre level. He ran a hand through his short cropped hair.
Kira sighed and shook her head. “Go with the supernatural flow,” she said in resignation at the weirdness.
“Ryan has some explaining to do when we get...back to the house,” Cade insisted, starting up the truck's powerful engine.
Friday, Mid-afternoon:
Kira was finally allowed to stand up and stretch, keeping her long hair draped over one shoulder. She'd been laying on the tattooist's table in her bra and jeans folded down low for hours while the needles stung her skin over and over. Granted the pain wasn't all that bad, not with her high tolerance for it, but the dark-haired young woman was irritated about this whole situation. Cade watching her intently—when he hadn't been drooling over the woman in a thong getting a tattoo on her ass or the one exposing her breast—hadn't helped her mood any. She was somewhat pissed at him in general, as well as Ryan for insisting that she do this.
Also, Cade had gotten to take a break, the bastard. Eddie, the tattooist and owner of the shop, had insisted Kira needed to remain on the table until he'd finished. So Cade had left for about forty-five minutes, then came back seemingly subdued yet anxious at the same time.
Eddie put down the ink-filled needle, examining his work with dark, critical eyes as he finished wiping her lower back. He nodded to himself, raking his straight, shoulder-length dark hair out of his face. Kira glanced up at the man Ryan had sent her to as he stretched. He was average in height and weight, but well-toned from what she could see. His own multitude of tattoos were visible on his arms, revealed by his sleeveless t-shirt. She guessed he probably had more.
“Well? How'd they come out?” Kira asked as she sat up, clutching her green, thrift store t-shirt to her chest while trying not to seem obvious about it. If the woman with her ass showing could sit exposed, then Kira didn't want to make a big deal out of her lack of attire.
Eddie nodded, pulling on his dark goatee. “Perfect,” he answered, his voice deep. “Like I told you, these were meant for you, therefore they are perfect.”
“Let me see,” Cade said, standing from where he'd straddled a chair backward.
Cade whistled in appreciation at the demon and spirit protection tattoos that Kira now possessed. She had refused to have as many as he did, which Cade couldn't blame her, but Ryan had insisted she be protected as a human because they still didn't know what immortal gente she was and her human blood made her vulnerable to possession to some degree. He also noticed how the scars on her back from the whipping that the bitch wer had given her just weeks ago were now barely noticeable white lines. No scars or anything permanent. He'd never seen anyone heal so quickly.
Just like Cade's pagan pentagram surrounded by a sun on the right side of his chest, Kira now wore one on her right shoulder blade. Only it was slightly larger, more intricate and different than Cade's. He'd never seen anything like it before, but it felt powerful. Cade frowned. He didn't know why he'd thought that, tattoos didn't usually give off vibes...but the hell if this one didn't feel alive to him.
“Well?” Kira asked impatiently, sliding off the table and going to a wall mirror. She picked up a hand mirror and held it up to see her back. “Wow,” she said, stunned at how beautiful the tattoo on her shoulder was. Where Cade's was all black ink, her's had a little touch of color...white, true silver, and gold.
Eddie had insisted that he choose the tattoos she would wear. If Ryan had sent her, he had said, then he had to provide her with the best protection against demons that he could. It was then Kira and Cade figured he was some sort of immortal or at least knowledgeable about the everlasting.
“That's some damn fine work,” Cade glanced at Eddie, who nodded his thanks and walked over to work station. “Despite all the mumbling he was doing,” Cade whispered to Kira, who shushed him with a smack on his arm.
But it had been somewhat weird how Eddie kept murmuring under his breath.
“What about the other one?” Kira asked, now moving the mirror to see her lower back.
This one was an intricate design that ran across her lower back and dipped down in the middle. Celtic designs, Eddie had explained when he'd sketched out his idea. Strong protection from the supernatural in general. Again this one had white, silver, and gold amidst the black.
Cade whistled again as he leaned over. It didn't escape his attention that Kira's faded jeans were down low enough that he could see a tease of white underwear to match her plain, white bra. He did his best to focus on the tattoo, ignoring how something so white and plain could look so sexy. But Cade knew Kira wasn't like that, she wouldn't appreciate his attention in that way. He'd mostly guessed back when they were investigating the wers that she'd not had much, if any, experience with guys. He didn't want to upset her.
“Beautiful,” he said. “Seriously...and hey!”
“What?” Kira tried to turn around to see but only succeeded in knocking into Cade's head.
“Watch it!” he warned teasingly. “But, damn, Kira, there's a dragon in the middle. It's small but very, very cool.”
Kira's eyes sought out Eddie in the mirror. She found him staring at her enigmatically, his dark eyes nearly boring into her. He was so serious he was almost scary looking. The dragon hadn't been in the original sketch the tattooist had shown her. How the hell had he known? Kira hadn't told anyone, to her recollection, that she loved dragons. Even she didn't know why she felt so drawn to them, still not remembering her past. She especially didn't remember telling Ryan, so there was no way Eddie could have known! Kira turned back and held the mirror to get a better look. The dragon was gorgeous and fierce at the same time, and about three inches high with its wings slightly spread as it looked out from her back.
Cade barely touched the small necklace in his pocket. He'd seen it while he was out and something told him to buy it for Kira. He'd never given her...or any girl, for that matter...a present and wasn't sure why he felt such a strong urge this time. But the small metal dragon hadn't left his mind until he'd gone back into the store to purchase it. Now Kira had one on her back and seemed to love it. He wondered if she'd like the necklace just as much.
Eddie returned to cover up her new additions with large gauze pads and taped them lightly to her skin. “Just wear these for a few of hours,” he said. “Here's some instructions for the healing, but I'm betting you don't have any problems. You'll heal faster than normal.”
Kira carefully pulled her jeans back up and fastened them, then slipped on her t-shirt, grateful to no longer be standing around in her bra. She let her hair fall down her back, then gathered it up into a quick ponytail.
“Okay, thanks,” she said, tucking the paper in a back pocket.
“Tell Ryan I'll bill him,” Eddie said, giving Kira a teasing grin, something he apparently didn't do often because it came with difficulty to his lips. “And, you,” he said to Cade, “come back again, and I'll add a little something to yours, make them stronger.”
Cade shrugged. “They should be good as is,” he said. He'd worked hard on choosing the right ones and so far they'd mostly served him well.
Eddie nodded, not offended. “Well, the offer stands if you ever change your mind.” Then he turned his back to the pair.
As they headed toward the front of the shop, Cade asked, “Does it hurt?”
Kira shrugged. “Stings a little,” she said. “Hurt more when he was doing it,” she added in some exaggeration. “I may have to get you back for making me go through this.”
“What?” Cade exclaimed. “It wasn't my idea...,” he paused as Kira glared at him. “Well, not totally my idea,” he finished. “Besides, you need these. And for someone who's half-immortal this is kind of wimpy behavior.”
Kira couldn't help but laugh as Cade opened the door to the shop. A strange feeling made her turn around. She gasped. Cade turned on alert, tensing up for whatever Kira had seen. Then they both merely stared. Eddie had pulled off his t-shirt to reveal the tattoos on his back, one a giant, intricate wolf's head in profile, snout pointing up toward his right shoulder.
But then the head lowered and moved. It turned slowly from side to side as if searching before stopping to stare at them full on. No one else in the shop seemed to notice.
Cade pushed open the glass door and nearly shoved Kira out in front of him as they stumbled out onto the sidewalk. They headed wordlessly to his truck a few yards down the street, where he opened the passenger door. Kira hauled herself up on the step and climbed into the big, black Sierra. Sitting sideways in the seat to avoid touching her back to the seat, she waited for Cade to climb in.
As soon as he shut the door they both exclaimed...
“Oh my god, how was that even possible! Did that really happen?”
“Sonofabitch and goddamn, what the hell was that?”
They both stared at each other wide-eyed, having no explanation other than the obvious.
Magick.
Cade was used to demons and monsters, but this magick business still rated up high on the bizarre level. He ran a hand through his short cropped hair.
Kira sighed and shook her head. “Go with the supernatural flow,” she said in resignation at the weirdness.
“Ryan has some explaining to do when we get...back to the house,” Cade insisted, starting up the truck's powerful engine.
-2-
Although he'd lived at the Landry Pointe mansion for two weeks now, it was still strange for Cade to drive into the large garage at the back of the house. Ryan had made the offer in his emotionless and logical way that night of the great elf rescue, and Cade had accepted, albeit feeling a bit awkward. But the truth was, he'd had no place else to go for the time being and still needed to heal. Living with Kira was just downright bizarre in Cade's world, but she seemed to be handling it graciously after the initial shock had worn off.
Although, Cade thought with a smirk as he pulled next to Kira's Mustang, he knew better than to phrase it as “living with Kira,” instead thinking of it as staying with Detective Laurent of the New Bellwich Police Force. Someone who was just as protective of Kira as Cade was but was an immortal and made of stone. That pretty much garnered Cade's respect. The spot in the garage where Ryan parked his sweet '67 black Impala was empty, meaning he must still be at work.
Although, Cade thought with a smirk as he pulled next to Kira's Mustang, he knew better than to phrase it as “living with Kira,” instead thinking of it as staying with Detective Laurent of the New Bellwich Police Force. Someone who was just as protective of Kira as Cade was but was an immortal and made of stone. That pretty much garnered Cade's respect. The spot in the garage where Ryan parked his sweet '67 black Impala was empty, meaning he must still be at work.
-3-
The house was empty save for the two of them when the young demon hunters walked though the back door. As he shut the door behind him, the sounds of the summer insects and animals of the bayou outside were cut off. The kitchen was quiet as usual. Cade had become somewhat accustomed to Ryan not actually ever eating, so the kitchen had been Kira's to do with as she pleased over the last couple of months. Cade enjoyed being there, it was bright and inviting without being overwhelming.
“You want your leftover pizza?” Kira asked knowingly, even after only two weeks, as she opened the side by side refrigerator looking for a late lunch. She still wasn't quite sure how she felt about Ryan inviting Cade to come live with them temporarily.
“You betcha,” he answered, heading for the table.
“Good, you know where it is,” Kira said with a smirk.
Cade grinned and grabbed a beer and the pizza box from the shelves, reaching around Kira. He tried not to make too much physical contact as she ducked under his arm with her boxes of leftover Chinese. The fading but pleasing scent of her shampoo wafted by as she moved.
Kira glanced at Cade as he made his way to the table. It being hot out he'd only worn a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up over a t-shirt and his jeans. His muscles moved under the shirt and his back was broad. She thought that with the way he scarfed down food and drank his beer the past two weeks, that if he ever gave up demon hunting he'd totally get fat. She giggled.
Cade sat down and raised his eyebrows. He rarely heard Kira laugh...or giggle, as she was actually doing. “Something amusing you want to share with the class?” he asked, taking a swig of beer.
“Nope,” she replied, pouring steak, broccoli, and rice onto a dish.
As she heated it up in the microwave, Cade took huge bites of cold pizza. They talked of safe, non-personal subjects while they ate.
“You want your leftover pizza?” Kira asked knowingly, even after only two weeks, as she opened the side by side refrigerator looking for a late lunch. She still wasn't quite sure how she felt about Ryan inviting Cade to come live with them temporarily.
“You betcha,” he answered, heading for the table.
“Good, you know where it is,” Kira said with a smirk.
Cade grinned and grabbed a beer and the pizza box from the shelves, reaching around Kira. He tried not to make too much physical contact as she ducked under his arm with her boxes of leftover Chinese. The fading but pleasing scent of her shampoo wafted by as she moved.
Kira glanced at Cade as he made his way to the table. It being hot out he'd only worn a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up over a t-shirt and his jeans. His muscles moved under the shirt and his back was broad. She thought that with the way he scarfed down food and drank his beer the past two weeks, that if he ever gave up demon hunting he'd totally get fat. She giggled.
Cade sat down and raised his eyebrows. He rarely heard Kira laugh...or giggle, as she was actually doing. “Something amusing you want to share with the class?” he asked, taking a swig of beer.
“Nope,” she replied, pouring steak, broccoli, and rice onto a dish.
As she heated it up in the microwave, Cade took huge bites of cold pizza. They talked of safe, non-personal subjects while they ate.
-4-
At least until Ryan arrived home.
He entered in through the kitchen door to find Kira and Cade at the table eating, deep in an animated conversation that seemed to be taking all their attention. Kira had her back to the door, while Cade sat across from her. In the few seconds it took for them to notice him, the gargoyle paused in the open doorway and observed. While he felt no physical feelings or emotions for the young man and woman, Ryan knew it was good the way they were eating and talking. He was beginning to realize it could be beneficial to everyone if Cade and Kira continued to work together as a team.
Also, Ryan had thought it prudent to keep Cade close by in the beginning, while Nat'ethal figured out why Cade's blood registered as immortal, and so his training could continue. There was much the boy still had to learn about the gentes, the Death Knell, and the Secret World. He had not yet even experienced the Reverie the way Kira had when she had visited the elven nations and descended to the drow kingdom underneath New Bellwich.
It was Cade who noticed him first. The boy's head jerked up from where he sat, his expression one of protectiveness and alertness. Ryan nodded. Good, the young demon hunter was wary even in a supposedly safe place such as the house. Then Kira turned partway around in her chair to look at him. He'd barely made any noise, even the door had opened silently. Now Ryan entered the back of the mansion all the way and shut the door behind him.
“Ryan!” Kira exclaimed. “Holy crap, we need to tell you something,” she said in excitement.
Even in the late summer heat Ryan wore a light jacket over his short-sleeved shirt and tie that concealed his holster and gun. Since he had no sense of the temperature, the extra clothing didn't bother him. He draped the jacket over the back of a chair, leaving his detective's badge hanging on its chain around his neck. He leaned his hands on the back of the chair between the two young people.
Without thinking Cade offered up a beer. “You want one?” he asked.
Ryan raised his eyebrows briefly. “I have no sense of taste and don't need to eat, you know that,” he reminded Cade neutrally. “Therefore, I have no desire to drink alcohol, either.”
“Oh, right,” Cade said. Damn, there was so much to remember about all the races...gentes...of the eldritch. He was trying to learn as fast as he could, but Kira said even she didn't know everything yet. “I have to say, though, you don't know what you're missing. A good buzz never hurt anyone.”
Cade upended the bottle of beer and drained it with an audible sigh at the end. He thought that Ryan was probably boring at parties...if he even went to any.
“Did you get your tattoos, Kira?” Ryan asked. He wanted to see Eddie's work but wasn't sure where Kira had gotten the markings placed.
“Yeah,” Kira said quickly, “and that's what we need to tell you about. Oh my god, Ryan, Eddie had this huge wolf tattoo on his back...,” she began in an excited rush.
“...and the damn thing freakin' moved,” Cade finished more slowly. “Literally turned its head and stared at us.”
Ryan nodded his head. “Yes.”
Two pairs of eyes drilled into him and the silence grew longer.
Finally Kira said, “'Yes?' Just yes. What the hell does that mean?”
Then Ryan understood. “Ah, I did not tell you.”
Cade narrowed his eyes. “No, apparently you...did not tell us,” he said in slight imitation of Ryan.
“I apologize then, I meant to. Eddie is a magician, a mage, if you will. Granted he has only limited magick left...that's his story to tell...but his tattoos protect him. I wouldn't be surprised if he imbued Kira's tattoos with some sort of magick. He still has that power left to him, although he rarely uses it.”
“Dude!” Cade exclaimed, standing up and stepping back, nearly knocking the chair over. “That's something you definitely tell someone before they go get a tattoo!”
“Cade!” Kira exclaimed as she saw Ryan narrow his eyes at him warningly. “It's okay...I mean, well...seriously?” she asked Ryan, becoming a little freaked out now.
“May I see them?” Ryan asked, ignoring Cade's reference to him as 'dude'.
Nodding Kira stood.
“That explains all the mumbling he was doing,” Cade said. “Or maybe it doesn't.”
Kira had put on a tank top earlier and now turned her back to Ryan. “Take off the bandage,” she said, gesturing with her right shoulder as she lowered her thin strap and bra strap together.
Peeling off the tape that held the gauze, Ryan noticed that tattoo was already healing. That he had expected. What he hadn't expected was the intricacy of the pagan pentagram design and the colors: white, true silver, and gold. Interesting choices. Ryan held a hand over the design and closed his eyes for a moment, knowing Cade was watching him closely.
“What?” Kira asked when there was no comment. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all,” Ryan answered. “Eddie did an excellent job. But...there is magick in the design,” he admitted.
Kira wasn't sure how to feel about that bit of information.
“Show him the other one,” Cade said.
Kira nodded and undid her jeans, knowing the top half of the gauze was showing above her waistband, then folded them down revealing the rest of that gauze pad. She didn't see Cade's jaw clench slightly as Ryan's knuckles brushed her skin as he peeled down the gauze. Luckily Ryan didn't either.
Cade frowned as a feeling of fierce protectiveness shot through him. He knew Ryan was her uncle...something Cade had been meaning to talk to Kira about...and a police detective, but his instincts to kick ass on anyone who came near Kira turned on for a moment.
“Again, excellent work,” Ryan commented.
The intricately designed band that ran across her lower back and dipped down in the middle was strong protection from the supernatural in general, Ryan knew. Again this one had white, silver, and gold amidst the black.
“Do you see the dragon?” Kira asked. “Isn't it awesome? And I never even told Eddie I liked dragons. Did you, Ryan? Did I tell you that and don't remember?”
“No, I didn't know you liked dragons, Kira,” Ryan replied, his mind storing that away for some reason.
“Does that one have magick in it, too?” she asked. Kira turned her head and saw Cade staring at her. When Ryan answered in the affirmative, they both exchanged a look. What sort of magick and what would her tattoos do?
Ryan placed the gauze back over Kira's lower back and waited while she fixed her jeans and turned around. He crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles of his simulacrum standing out.
“Now, I need to talk to you both. Do either of you know anything about extradimensional rifts? A temporary vortex that opens between the realms?”
Cade was actually startled at Ryan's question. Yeah, he thought he might know something about them, if it was the same thing he saw when his family was killed eight years ago. But Cade kept quiet, mirroring Ryan's serious expression. Not that the man...gargoyle...or whatever...had any other expression until he purposely faked one. That much Cade had learned.
Kira shook her head. Apparently her studies hadn't yet covered that subject.
He entered in through the kitchen door to find Kira and Cade at the table eating, deep in an animated conversation that seemed to be taking all their attention. Kira had her back to the door, while Cade sat across from her. In the few seconds it took for them to notice him, the gargoyle paused in the open doorway and observed. While he felt no physical feelings or emotions for the young man and woman, Ryan knew it was good the way they were eating and talking. He was beginning to realize it could be beneficial to everyone if Cade and Kira continued to work together as a team.
Also, Ryan had thought it prudent to keep Cade close by in the beginning, while Nat'ethal figured out why Cade's blood registered as immortal, and so his training could continue. There was much the boy still had to learn about the gentes, the Death Knell, and the Secret World. He had not yet even experienced the Reverie the way Kira had when she had visited the elven nations and descended to the drow kingdom underneath New Bellwich.
It was Cade who noticed him first. The boy's head jerked up from where he sat, his expression one of protectiveness and alertness. Ryan nodded. Good, the young demon hunter was wary even in a supposedly safe place such as the house. Then Kira turned partway around in her chair to look at him. He'd barely made any noise, even the door had opened silently. Now Ryan entered the back of the mansion all the way and shut the door behind him.
“Ryan!” Kira exclaimed. “Holy crap, we need to tell you something,” she said in excitement.
Even in the late summer heat Ryan wore a light jacket over his short-sleeved shirt and tie that concealed his holster and gun. Since he had no sense of the temperature, the extra clothing didn't bother him. He draped the jacket over the back of a chair, leaving his detective's badge hanging on its chain around his neck. He leaned his hands on the back of the chair between the two young people.
Without thinking Cade offered up a beer. “You want one?” he asked.
Ryan raised his eyebrows briefly. “I have no sense of taste and don't need to eat, you know that,” he reminded Cade neutrally. “Therefore, I have no desire to drink alcohol, either.”
“Oh, right,” Cade said. Damn, there was so much to remember about all the races...gentes...of the eldritch. He was trying to learn as fast as he could, but Kira said even she didn't know everything yet. “I have to say, though, you don't know what you're missing. A good buzz never hurt anyone.”
Cade upended the bottle of beer and drained it with an audible sigh at the end. He thought that Ryan was probably boring at parties...if he even went to any.
“Did you get your tattoos, Kira?” Ryan asked. He wanted to see Eddie's work but wasn't sure where Kira had gotten the markings placed.
“Yeah,” Kira said quickly, “and that's what we need to tell you about. Oh my god, Ryan, Eddie had this huge wolf tattoo on his back...,” she began in an excited rush.
“...and the damn thing freakin' moved,” Cade finished more slowly. “Literally turned its head and stared at us.”
Ryan nodded his head. “Yes.”
Two pairs of eyes drilled into him and the silence grew longer.
Finally Kira said, “'Yes?' Just yes. What the hell does that mean?”
Then Ryan understood. “Ah, I did not tell you.”
Cade narrowed his eyes. “No, apparently you...did not tell us,” he said in slight imitation of Ryan.
“I apologize then, I meant to. Eddie is a magician, a mage, if you will. Granted he has only limited magick left...that's his story to tell...but his tattoos protect him. I wouldn't be surprised if he imbued Kira's tattoos with some sort of magick. He still has that power left to him, although he rarely uses it.”
“Dude!” Cade exclaimed, standing up and stepping back, nearly knocking the chair over. “That's something you definitely tell someone before they go get a tattoo!”
“Cade!” Kira exclaimed as she saw Ryan narrow his eyes at him warningly. “It's okay...I mean, well...seriously?” she asked Ryan, becoming a little freaked out now.
“May I see them?” Ryan asked, ignoring Cade's reference to him as 'dude'.
Nodding Kira stood.
“That explains all the mumbling he was doing,” Cade said. “Or maybe it doesn't.”
Kira had put on a tank top earlier and now turned her back to Ryan. “Take off the bandage,” she said, gesturing with her right shoulder as she lowered her thin strap and bra strap together.
Peeling off the tape that held the gauze, Ryan noticed that tattoo was already healing. That he had expected. What he hadn't expected was the intricacy of the pagan pentagram design and the colors: white, true silver, and gold. Interesting choices. Ryan held a hand over the design and closed his eyes for a moment, knowing Cade was watching him closely.
“What?” Kira asked when there was no comment. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all,” Ryan answered. “Eddie did an excellent job. But...there is magick in the design,” he admitted.
Kira wasn't sure how to feel about that bit of information.
“Show him the other one,” Cade said.
Kira nodded and undid her jeans, knowing the top half of the gauze was showing above her waistband, then folded them down revealing the rest of that gauze pad. She didn't see Cade's jaw clench slightly as Ryan's knuckles brushed her skin as he peeled down the gauze. Luckily Ryan didn't either.
Cade frowned as a feeling of fierce protectiveness shot through him. He knew Ryan was her uncle...something Cade had been meaning to talk to Kira about...and a police detective, but his instincts to kick ass on anyone who came near Kira turned on for a moment.
“Again, excellent work,” Ryan commented.
The intricately designed band that ran across her lower back and dipped down in the middle was strong protection from the supernatural in general, Ryan knew. Again this one had white, silver, and gold amidst the black.
“Do you see the dragon?” Kira asked. “Isn't it awesome? And I never even told Eddie I liked dragons. Did you, Ryan? Did I tell you that and don't remember?”
“No, I didn't know you liked dragons, Kira,” Ryan replied, his mind storing that away for some reason.
“Does that one have magick in it, too?” she asked. Kira turned her head and saw Cade staring at her. When Ryan answered in the affirmative, they both exchanged a look. What sort of magick and what would her tattoos do?
Ryan placed the gauze back over Kira's lower back and waited while she fixed her jeans and turned around. He crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles of his simulacrum standing out.
“Now, I need to talk to you both. Do either of you know anything about extradimensional rifts? A temporary vortex that opens between the realms?”
Cade was actually startled at Ryan's question. Yeah, he thought he might know something about them, if it was the same thing he saw when his family was killed eight years ago. But Cade kept quiet, mirroring Ryan's serious expression. Not that the man...gargoyle...or whatever...had any other expression until he purposely faked one. That much Cade had learned.
Kira shook her head. Apparently her studies hadn't yet covered that subject.
-5-
Saturday,
The next day:
As he drove down the back country Mississippi road that early Saturday evening, Cade glanced out the side window of the huge Sierra truck. A four-hour drive had brought them here from Louisiana. A passing summer thunderstorm had clouded up the sky for the time being and left the asphalt road slick and shiny but drying quickly in the heat. Damn if all these hick roads didn't look the same, Cade thought, as what Kira had told him about gargoyles...Ryan specifically...sank in.
“So, let me get this straight...he literally turns into a stone...granite...gargoyle? Like...grrr...big, ugly monster, real gargoyle?”
“Well, I'm not sure if he 'grrrs' but yeah, basically. And seven feet tall, don't forget,” Kira added, turning sideways in the truck.
She glanced out the back window to see Ryan's Chevy Impala behind them. Ahead was a blue pickup truck, which they were both following to their final destination. The pickup had simply met them along the road and pulled in front. Neither she nor Cade knew who they were following--except that they were elves--, and Ryan had waved Cade to position himself in the middle. The sun was beginning its descent behind the retreating storm clouds.
“Not likely to forget that,” Cade said with a grimace. “With huge, black leather wings, claws, glowing red eyes when he's hunting...what did you call it? The sins of others? What's that mean anyway?”
Kira shook her head. She briefly took in the appearance of the young man next to her, and not the first time during this trip either. Loose jeans, yet another t-shirt, and his heavy black boots he usually wore. His demon ass-kicking boots, he called them. It was too hot for his customary long or short-sleeve overshirt that he usually kept unbuttoned, and Kira couldn't help but notice the muscles in his arms and chest.
“I'm not sure exactly," she went on. "I'm supposed to learn everything, but he's avoiding telling me completely. It's something horrible actually, but gargoyles need the sins of others to survive, like we need food and water. But the more he does it, the closer it brings him...well, not Ryan but the spirit inside him...to eventual death. He calls it the Horrification.” Kira frowned at the thought and briefly chewed on a fingernail. “He's so emotionless now because that's the spirit in control; but when he begins to feel, to have emotions, that's actually a bad thing. It means he's descending toward being evil.”
“Damn, that's harsh,” Cade said. It was also unbelievable, but he was learning that was true about most of the immortal races...or gentes, he reminded himself. They weren't just the monsters of people's nightmares, but complicated creatures. “And the spirit, that's the real him? Or rather the real creature inside of the gargoyle?”
“I think so,” Kira said. “It's called a celestine spirit, they're good and protective and kind creatures; however, they're trapped inside of these gargoyle bodies by some ancient evil curse. The spirits want to be good, but the gargoyles need to eat which makes them bad.”
This time Cade glanced at Kira out of the corner of his eye as the long road unfolded in front of them. She was still slim, almost too thin, in her jeans, tank top, and high top tennis shoes; but he knew there was strength in her muscles and bones that belied her appearance. He decided then that he planned on being around when the gargoyle inside of Ryan turned evil. No telling who he would try to hurt...and it sure as hell wasn't gonna be Kira.
“So how did he get to be human? Or in a human-looking body?” Cade asked. Ryan had told him before that he wasn't human, but damn the man looked human.
“That's called his simulacrum, it's all fake but looks real. Apparently as time has moved on, the outer appearances have gotten more advanced and realistic. His is made of some high-tech rubber flesh over a granite skeleton, and well, some of it is magick. He can heal himself quickly, he obviously doesn't bleed, and believe it or not, he's got these knives up in his forearms that come out through slits in the skin.”
Cade took a deep breath. “Well, why not?” he said to no one in particular. “After all this time, how can I not believe that on top of everything else.”
The resigned tone in Cade's voice made Kira laugh a little. Then she sighed, “But Ryan's assured me it'll be decades before he even comes close to dying this time,” Kira said, not meaning to say that out loud but it was too late to take it back.
“This time?!” Cade exclaimed, taking his eyes off the road to stare at Kira. He turned his eyes back to the truck in front of them when Kira gestured frantically toward the window...and the road in front of them. “What do you mean? How old is he, for god's sake?”
Kira brushed her long, dark hair out of her face and began to gather it up into a ponytail. “I don't know...but it's gotta be hundreds of years. I know he's known Na'ethal forever, and I found out that he's 398.”
Cade just had nothing more to say about that. His doctor—for the elf was technically his doctor now—was almost four hundred years old. Then Cade had a disturbing thought.
“So if Ryan's really a spirit inside of a gargoyle, how the hell is he your uncle?”
“Well...,” Kira began hesitantly, but just then her cell phone rang.
* * * * *
“Okay, Ryan said to watch the truck. It's going to turn soon onto a side road, and we're to just follow. Even if strange things happen or we feel weird, just keep driving,” Kira said as she disconnected the call by tapping the phone's screen. “The elves have put some spells around to keep people out.”
“How “strange”? How “weird”?” Cade asked cautiously, not sure if he wanted to know.
“I don't know, he didn't say,” Kira admitted nervously, then, “Oh! There goes the pick-up turning, don't lose it!” she exclaimed.
Cade sighed. “I think I can manage to keep it in sight, thanks,” he said sarcastically, as he followed the other vehicle's left turn across the two-lane road. In his side mirror, he saw Ryan's car several yards behind them.
Before she could respond to Cade's attitude, Kira gasped. Even Cade grimaced.
“Oh crap, turn around, Cade, it's awful here!” Kira exclaimed, feeling her stomach clench like she wanted to throw up. “Wait, what am I saying?” she asked, shaking her head to clear it. “We can't turn around. Do you feel that?”
Cade was gripping the wheel of the truck tight enough to turn his knuckles white. A feeling of fear shot through him and for a moment he wasn't sure where he was going or why the hell he would choose to come here. He resisted the urge to crank the wheel and spin around on the dirt road. He blew out a breath forcefully and focused on the pick-up in front.
“Sonofabitch, I can see why people would turn around. Hell, I wanna turn around!”
Kira was gripping the dashboard, breathing deeply. A feeling of trepidation and dismay flowed through her, but Ryan had said to keep going. “Oh, this is awful...this...,” she paused as her head began to clear a little. “Wait, I think it's going away.”
Cade nodded. “Yeah, I feel it lessening. Maybe we're getting used to it or something.”
“I don't know, but whichever I'm glad. That was just nasty. Those elves have some wicked magick if they can make people feel like that.”
Eventually the pick-up truck stopped next to a van, pulling in backward. Cade did the same, as did Ryan.
“So, these elven protection spells, they're around us now?” Cade asked curiously as he shut off the huge, rumbling engine.
Kira nodded. “Uh huh. They're like the ones that protected the elven nations inside the national forest back home, only I didn't feel those. We managed to get through here because we had no choice, but for anyone else they would either not even notice the area and keep driving, or would feel disoriented, confused, sick, even scared if they tried to come down this road.”
Cade shook his head. “I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this whole magick with a 'k' thing, you know.”
Kira smiled and glanced over at Cade. “Welcome to the club,” she admitted. “So, apparently the local elves cast the spells to protect the Real World from this extradimensional rift and to contain whatever might escape the still open vortex.”
“Yeah, that sounds like bad news all around,” Cade admitted. “Not sure I'd want to be one of those vortex hunters Ryan was telling us about.”
“Well, we sort of are now,” Kira reminded him as they opened the truck's doors. “We're here to stop this one, hopefully destroy it.”
From Ryan, Cade and Kira had learned that within the last twenty years or so, strange things had been occurring to the barriers between the realms within the Secret World. For unknown reasons, temporary vortices would form, allowing individuals to wander from one realm into another, opening and closing in various places without patterns or warnings. Sometimes the rifts would be visible through actual spatial or temporal distortions, but other times there would be no indication of a rift until someone accidentally went through. They would be transported back to real times and places. The stories of those that managed to return was how the eldritch had found out about the rifts.
Unfortunately, these rifts in time and space also allowed many strange things from other worlds to find their way onto earth, sometimes horrible things that caused havoc and chaos.
The next day:
As he drove down the back country Mississippi road that early Saturday evening, Cade glanced out the side window of the huge Sierra truck. A four-hour drive had brought them here from Louisiana. A passing summer thunderstorm had clouded up the sky for the time being and left the asphalt road slick and shiny but drying quickly in the heat. Damn if all these hick roads didn't look the same, Cade thought, as what Kira had told him about gargoyles...Ryan specifically...sank in.
“So, let me get this straight...he literally turns into a stone...granite...gargoyle? Like...grrr...big, ugly monster, real gargoyle?”
“Well, I'm not sure if he 'grrrs' but yeah, basically. And seven feet tall, don't forget,” Kira added, turning sideways in the truck.
She glanced out the back window to see Ryan's Chevy Impala behind them. Ahead was a blue pickup truck, which they were both following to their final destination. The pickup had simply met them along the road and pulled in front. Neither she nor Cade knew who they were following--except that they were elves--, and Ryan had waved Cade to position himself in the middle. The sun was beginning its descent behind the retreating storm clouds.
“Not likely to forget that,” Cade said with a grimace. “With huge, black leather wings, claws, glowing red eyes when he's hunting...what did you call it? The sins of others? What's that mean anyway?”
Kira shook her head. She briefly took in the appearance of the young man next to her, and not the first time during this trip either. Loose jeans, yet another t-shirt, and his heavy black boots he usually wore. His demon ass-kicking boots, he called them. It was too hot for his customary long or short-sleeve overshirt that he usually kept unbuttoned, and Kira couldn't help but notice the muscles in his arms and chest.
“I'm not sure exactly," she went on. "I'm supposed to learn everything, but he's avoiding telling me completely. It's something horrible actually, but gargoyles need the sins of others to survive, like we need food and water. But the more he does it, the closer it brings him...well, not Ryan but the spirit inside him...to eventual death. He calls it the Horrification.” Kira frowned at the thought and briefly chewed on a fingernail. “He's so emotionless now because that's the spirit in control; but when he begins to feel, to have emotions, that's actually a bad thing. It means he's descending toward being evil.”
“Damn, that's harsh,” Cade said. It was also unbelievable, but he was learning that was true about most of the immortal races...or gentes, he reminded himself. They weren't just the monsters of people's nightmares, but complicated creatures. “And the spirit, that's the real him? Or rather the real creature inside of the gargoyle?”
“I think so,” Kira said. “It's called a celestine spirit, they're good and protective and kind creatures; however, they're trapped inside of these gargoyle bodies by some ancient evil curse. The spirits want to be good, but the gargoyles need to eat which makes them bad.”
This time Cade glanced at Kira out of the corner of his eye as the long road unfolded in front of them. She was still slim, almost too thin, in her jeans, tank top, and high top tennis shoes; but he knew there was strength in her muscles and bones that belied her appearance. He decided then that he planned on being around when the gargoyle inside of Ryan turned evil. No telling who he would try to hurt...and it sure as hell wasn't gonna be Kira.
“So how did he get to be human? Or in a human-looking body?” Cade asked. Ryan had told him before that he wasn't human, but damn the man looked human.
“That's called his simulacrum, it's all fake but looks real. Apparently as time has moved on, the outer appearances have gotten more advanced and realistic. His is made of some high-tech rubber flesh over a granite skeleton, and well, some of it is magick. He can heal himself quickly, he obviously doesn't bleed, and believe it or not, he's got these knives up in his forearms that come out through slits in the skin.”
Cade took a deep breath. “Well, why not?” he said to no one in particular. “After all this time, how can I not believe that on top of everything else.”
The resigned tone in Cade's voice made Kira laugh a little. Then she sighed, “But Ryan's assured me it'll be decades before he even comes close to dying this time,” Kira said, not meaning to say that out loud but it was too late to take it back.
“This time?!” Cade exclaimed, taking his eyes off the road to stare at Kira. He turned his eyes back to the truck in front of them when Kira gestured frantically toward the window...and the road in front of them. “What do you mean? How old is he, for god's sake?”
Kira brushed her long, dark hair out of her face and began to gather it up into a ponytail. “I don't know...but it's gotta be hundreds of years. I know he's known Na'ethal forever, and I found out that he's 398.”
Cade just had nothing more to say about that. His doctor—for the elf was technically his doctor now—was almost four hundred years old. Then Cade had a disturbing thought.
“So if Ryan's really a spirit inside of a gargoyle, how the hell is he your uncle?”
“Well...,” Kira began hesitantly, but just then her cell phone rang.
* * * * *
“Okay, Ryan said to watch the truck. It's going to turn soon onto a side road, and we're to just follow. Even if strange things happen or we feel weird, just keep driving,” Kira said as she disconnected the call by tapping the phone's screen. “The elves have put some spells around to keep people out.”
“How “strange”? How “weird”?” Cade asked cautiously, not sure if he wanted to know.
“I don't know, he didn't say,” Kira admitted nervously, then, “Oh! There goes the pick-up turning, don't lose it!” she exclaimed.
Cade sighed. “I think I can manage to keep it in sight, thanks,” he said sarcastically, as he followed the other vehicle's left turn across the two-lane road. In his side mirror, he saw Ryan's car several yards behind them.
Before she could respond to Cade's attitude, Kira gasped. Even Cade grimaced.
“Oh crap, turn around, Cade, it's awful here!” Kira exclaimed, feeling her stomach clench like she wanted to throw up. “Wait, what am I saying?” she asked, shaking her head to clear it. “We can't turn around. Do you feel that?”
Cade was gripping the wheel of the truck tight enough to turn his knuckles white. A feeling of fear shot through him and for a moment he wasn't sure where he was going or why the hell he would choose to come here. He resisted the urge to crank the wheel and spin around on the dirt road. He blew out a breath forcefully and focused on the pick-up in front.
“Sonofabitch, I can see why people would turn around. Hell, I wanna turn around!”
Kira was gripping the dashboard, breathing deeply. A feeling of trepidation and dismay flowed through her, but Ryan had said to keep going. “Oh, this is awful...this...,” she paused as her head began to clear a little. “Wait, I think it's going away.”
Cade nodded. “Yeah, I feel it lessening. Maybe we're getting used to it or something.”
“I don't know, but whichever I'm glad. That was just nasty. Those elves have some wicked magick if they can make people feel like that.”
Eventually the pick-up truck stopped next to a van, pulling in backward. Cade did the same, as did Ryan.
“So, these elven protection spells, they're around us now?” Cade asked curiously as he shut off the huge, rumbling engine.
Kira nodded. “Uh huh. They're like the ones that protected the elven nations inside the national forest back home, only I didn't feel those. We managed to get through here because we had no choice, but for anyone else they would either not even notice the area and keep driving, or would feel disoriented, confused, sick, even scared if they tried to come down this road.”
Cade shook his head. “I'm still trying to wrap my brain around this whole magick with a 'k' thing, you know.”
Kira smiled and glanced over at Cade. “Welcome to the club,” she admitted. “So, apparently the local elves cast the spells to protect the Real World from this extradimensional rift and to contain whatever might escape the still open vortex.”
“Yeah, that sounds like bad news all around,” Cade admitted. “Not sure I'd want to be one of those vortex hunters Ryan was telling us about.”
“Well, we sort of are now,” Kira reminded him as they opened the truck's doors. “We're here to stop this one, hopefully destroy it.”
From Ryan, Cade and Kira had learned that within the last twenty years or so, strange things had been occurring to the barriers between the realms within the Secret World. For unknown reasons, temporary vortices would form, allowing individuals to wander from one realm into another, opening and closing in various places without patterns or warnings. Sometimes the rifts would be visible through actual spatial or temporal distortions, but other times there would be no indication of a rift until someone accidentally went through. They would be transported back to real times and places. The stories of those that managed to return was how the eldritch had found out about the rifts.
Unfortunately, these rifts in time and space also allowed many strange things from other worlds to find their way onto earth, sometimes horrible things that caused havoc and chaos.
-6-
Cade looked around him as they stood in a partially open field surrounded by thick trees. The clouds had moved on and now there were a multitude of shadows in the trees, although where they stood was still fairly well-lit. He glanced back down the road they had come, not eager to make that trip again.
There was a small group of them that were gathered in what used to be Shankstown, an old and now extinct town in the southwest corner of Mississippi. Not much was left: just a few old wood skeletons of buildings that had decayed and fallen apart; rotten parts of fences toppled here and there, and rusty, metal objects that had lost their identity. Grass grew up around everything and trees had grown where most of the town once stood. A country road passed by about a half mile back down the dirt road they'd driven, but rarely did anyone make the turn anymore to come this far.
The four vehicles...Cade's truck, Ryan's car, the pick-up truck, and a gray van with no windows save the front ones...were parked ass-end facing an opening of a thick stand of trees that supposedly went for several miles north and east of them.
Ryan waved them closer to the group that had formed. It seemed to Cade that he'd automatically taken over. Whether that was his personality, because he was a cop, or because they'd been the ones called out here to help stop whatever was in the trees, Cade didn't know. He still felt uneasy about not being in command...at least of himself...but he was smart enough to know when he was out of his league and needed to learn from the beginning all over again. Like he'd done with the older hunters he'd met almost eight years ago. But the young demon hunter was damned sure going to learn fast.
Without thinking Kira grabbed Cade's hand and pulled him toward the others. Their hands clasped together briefly but loosened a moment later. Cade let it both things happen without any reaction, although he hadn't minded the contact. His gaze did drift appreciatively, however, to the smoking hot red-headed elf that had ridden with Ryan. She was frankly amazing looking: olive-hued skin with fine features, long red hair held back by intricate braids, large pointed ears, bright green eyes, tall, and the owner of a seriously toned and fit body.
Then again all elves seemed to be in perfect physical condition.
Ryan had introduced her as Ky'ali, and Kira had added, when they were alone, that the elf was a Valmori, one of the ones had helped to rescue Sa'miria. Cade had a feeling that the elf wouldn't give him the time of day, so to speak, but he could still admire a beautiful female.
“Come, meet the others,” Ryan said as the pair approached.
“We appreciate you all coming,” an elf with long brown hair and pale skin said with a nod.
Ryan inclined his head. “This is Zy'reth. And this is Kira, Cade, and you know Ky'ali.'”
Zy'reth nodded. “I am part of the eldritch council in Natchez, we deal with the southwestern part of the state,” he explained. “In the Real World I'm called Seth, but you may use whichever name you wish. This is Tahl'ari and Ja'deth.”
Two other elves nodded, one with blond hair in a ponytail and the other had a long, dark brown braid down his back.
None of the three elves were bothering to hide their true selves behind masquery at the moment, Cade noticed. Or perhaps he was just seeing their true appearance, as Kira said she did with Na'ethal more often than not.
A large, barrel chested man, who looked part Native American and part Hispanic stood silently with the group. He had short cropped black hair, rough-looking skin, and dark eyes. His expression was intimidating.
“That's Cheveyo, but you can call him Chev,” Zy'reth gestured toward the other man who looked to be in his late twenties.
Cade blinked in surprise as a bear's head replaced Chev's head for a split second. He felt Kira twitch against him as she was standing close. He assumed she'd seen it, too. Zy'reth laughed, musically and light, as did Chev, only his was deep and resonating. He finally didn't look so serious and frightening.
“You're manitou,” Kira said.
“I am,” Chev replied with a respectful nod to the young woman who'd seen his spirit form.
Cade frowned. “He's what?”
Ryan interrupted. “He's a manitou...an animal spirit inside a human...you'll have to learn about them later, there's no time now. Just know he's on our side should he change, and yes, he'll remember.”
Ryan moved things along, giving Cade no time to answer that cryptic comment. “Tell us about the interdimensional rift you've found,” he said to Zy'reth.
“Well, you'll have to see it for yourself, it's a short walk into the trees. So far as we know nothing has escaped, at least there have been no reports of attacks or damage. One of our kind was walking the woods and saw the opening. We were able to seal off the area quickly after that.”
Kira found herself asking a question. She didn't see Ryan's nod of approval. “Do you know where it leads? I mean, can you see anything through the rift?”
Zy'reth ran a long-fingered hand gracefully through his straight hair. “We can see into the rift, yes...somewhat. Where it leads, we're not certain. But it's no place good, I can tell you that. That's why we called Ryan. He's had more experience with these rifts.”
Cade turned to look at Ryan curiously at the same time as Kira. He found himself looking at the detective over Kira's head.
Ryan merely shrugged at them. “Arm yourselves,” he said to everyone. “We won't know what we'll find until we see it, but we can attempt to be prepared. Worst case scenario, we're looking at demons.”
There was a small group of them that were gathered in what used to be Shankstown, an old and now extinct town in the southwest corner of Mississippi. Not much was left: just a few old wood skeletons of buildings that had decayed and fallen apart; rotten parts of fences toppled here and there, and rusty, metal objects that had lost their identity. Grass grew up around everything and trees had grown where most of the town once stood. A country road passed by about a half mile back down the dirt road they'd driven, but rarely did anyone make the turn anymore to come this far.
The four vehicles...Cade's truck, Ryan's car, the pick-up truck, and a gray van with no windows save the front ones...were parked ass-end facing an opening of a thick stand of trees that supposedly went for several miles north and east of them.
Ryan waved them closer to the group that had formed. It seemed to Cade that he'd automatically taken over. Whether that was his personality, because he was a cop, or because they'd been the ones called out here to help stop whatever was in the trees, Cade didn't know. He still felt uneasy about not being in command...at least of himself...but he was smart enough to know when he was out of his league and needed to learn from the beginning all over again. Like he'd done with the older hunters he'd met almost eight years ago. But the young demon hunter was damned sure going to learn fast.
Without thinking Kira grabbed Cade's hand and pulled him toward the others. Their hands clasped together briefly but loosened a moment later. Cade let it both things happen without any reaction, although he hadn't minded the contact. His gaze did drift appreciatively, however, to the smoking hot red-headed elf that had ridden with Ryan. She was frankly amazing looking: olive-hued skin with fine features, long red hair held back by intricate braids, large pointed ears, bright green eyes, tall, and the owner of a seriously toned and fit body.
Then again all elves seemed to be in perfect physical condition.
Ryan had introduced her as Ky'ali, and Kira had added, when they were alone, that the elf was a Valmori, one of the ones had helped to rescue Sa'miria. Cade had a feeling that the elf wouldn't give him the time of day, so to speak, but he could still admire a beautiful female.
“Come, meet the others,” Ryan said as the pair approached.
“We appreciate you all coming,” an elf with long brown hair and pale skin said with a nod.
Ryan inclined his head. “This is Zy'reth. And this is Kira, Cade, and you know Ky'ali.'”
Zy'reth nodded. “I am part of the eldritch council in Natchez, we deal with the southwestern part of the state,” he explained. “In the Real World I'm called Seth, but you may use whichever name you wish. This is Tahl'ari and Ja'deth.”
Two other elves nodded, one with blond hair in a ponytail and the other had a long, dark brown braid down his back.
None of the three elves were bothering to hide their true selves behind masquery at the moment, Cade noticed. Or perhaps he was just seeing their true appearance, as Kira said she did with Na'ethal more often than not.
A large, barrel chested man, who looked part Native American and part Hispanic stood silently with the group. He had short cropped black hair, rough-looking skin, and dark eyes. His expression was intimidating.
“That's Cheveyo, but you can call him Chev,” Zy'reth gestured toward the other man who looked to be in his late twenties.
Cade blinked in surprise as a bear's head replaced Chev's head for a split second. He felt Kira twitch against him as she was standing close. He assumed she'd seen it, too. Zy'reth laughed, musically and light, as did Chev, only his was deep and resonating. He finally didn't look so serious and frightening.
“You're manitou,” Kira said.
“I am,” Chev replied with a respectful nod to the young woman who'd seen his spirit form.
Cade frowned. “He's what?”
Ryan interrupted. “He's a manitou...an animal spirit inside a human...you'll have to learn about them later, there's no time now. Just know he's on our side should he change, and yes, he'll remember.”
Ryan moved things along, giving Cade no time to answer that cryptic comment. “Tell us about the interdimensional rift you've found,” he said to Zy'reth.
“Well, you'll have to see it for yourself, it's a short walk into the trees. So far as we know nothing has escaped, at least there have been no reports of attacks or damage. One of our kind was walking the woods and saw the opening. We were able to seal off the area quickly after that.”
Kira found herself asking a question. She didn't see Ryan's nod of approval. “Do you know where it leads? I mean, can you see anything through the rift?”
Zy'reth ran a long-fingered hand gracefully through his straight hair. “We can see into the rift, yes...somewhat. Where it leads, we're not certain. But it's no place good, I can tell you that. That's why we called Ryan. He's had more experience with these rifts.”
Cade turned to look at Ryan curiously at the same time as Kira. He found himself looking at the detective over Kira's head.
Ryan merely shrugged at them. “Arm yourselves,” he said to everyone. “We won't know what we'll find until we see it, but we can attempt to be prepared. Worst case scenario, we're looking at demons.”
-7-
Taking the knife Cade handed her, Kira slid it into the leather sheath of his that she'd strapped on to her thigh. He'd had to quickly poke a hole through the leather straps so it would fit. Cade reached back toward the weapons compartment that was concealed inside the covered bed of his truck and gave her a sawed off shotgun.
“It's the one you stunned the demon dog bitch with in the woods that night we met, remember?” he said with a grin. “Who knows what we'll find in there. Worst comes to worst, you can whack someone or something over the head with it,” he joked in order to relieve the tension.
Kira didn't feel awkward about holding the rock salt-fillled pump shotgun this time, she'd had a great deal more practice with firearms since that night. But she glanced over at Ryan as Cade strapped on this and that and armed himself. The detective nodded once at her and the shotgun as Kira held it up questioningly. She had her own autoloader 9mm, one of Ryan's old Smith and Wesson gun, tucked in her waistband of her jeans. She saw Ryan tuck his personal gun in the small of his back, but that was it. All his other “weapons” were a part of him. Since they were with other immortals, he'd be able to use them freely.
Her gaze swept to the others. Most everyone had on jeans of some color, although the three elves appeared more well-dressed than the rest of them. Zy'reth, Tahl'ari, and Ja'deth slung beautifully made bows and quivers of arrows over their shoulders, along with swords hanging from their belts. Ky'ali merely had a long sword hanging from her belt. Kira knew the elf's main weapon was magickal in nature. Chev pulled a huge rifle out of the pick-up truck and balanced it over one broad shoulder.
Soon the group found themselves walking single file along a faint path the twisted through the trees. Zy'reth led the way, while Chev brought up the rear. As far as Kira could tell, she, Cade, and Chev were the only ones making any noise while they walked. She knew the elves were light and sure-footed, able to walk without being heard, but she wondered if Ryan were levitating at all. Surely with a stone skeleton he would be heavy. Kira focused on her footsteps, listening to the crunch of leaves and small twigs and the thud as she walked. But try as she might, she couldn't seem to lighten her step. For as thin as she was, she did seem to walk heavy.
Of course, then Kira tripped over a rock. She felt Cade catch her arm from behind but still managed to bump into Tahl'ari, who was in front of her.
“Sorry,” she mumbled when the elf turned around curiously and looked down at her. His blond ponytail swung along his back. He, of course, didn't miss a step, Kira noticed.
“What are you doing?” Cade hissed in her ear, trying to hide the laughter. “You were looking so intense there, staring at the ground.”
Kira scowled at him. “Shut up,” she grumbled.
Cade smirked but didn't say another word.
“It's the one you stunned the demon dog bitch with in the woods that night we met, remember?” he said with a grin. “Who knows what we'll find in there. Worst comes to worst, you can whack someone or something over the head with it,” he joked in order to relieve the tension.
Kira didn't feel awkward about holding the rock salt-fillled pump shotgun this time, she'd had a great deal more practice with firearms since that night. But she glanced over at Ryan as Cade strapped on this and that and armed himself. The detective nodded once at her and the shotgun as Kira held it up questioningly. She had her own autoloader 9mm, one of Ryan's old Smith and Wesson gun, tucked in her waistband of her jeans. She saw Ryan tuck his personal gun in the small of his back, but that was it. All his other “weapons” were a part of him. Since they were with other immortals, he'd be able to use them freely.
Her gaze swept to the others. Most everyone had on jeans of some color, although the three elves appeared more well-dressed than the rest of them. Zy'reth, Tahl'ari, and Ja'deth slung beautifully made bows and quivers of arrows over their shoulders, along with swords hanging from their belts. Ky'ali merely had a long sword hanging from her belt. Kira knew the elf's main weapon was magickal in nature. Chev pulled a huge rifle out of the pick-up truck and balanced it over one broad shoulder.
Soon the group found themselves walking single file along a faint path the twisted through the trees. Zy'reth led the way, while Chev brought up the rear. As far as Kira could tell, she, Cade, and Chev were the only ones making any noise while they walked. She knew the elves were light and sure-footed, able to walk without being heard, but she wondered if Ryan were levitating at all. Surely with a stone skeleton he would be heavy. Kira focused on her footsteps, listening to the crunch of leaves and small twigs and the thud as she walked. But try as she might, she couldn't seem to lighten her step. For as thin as she was, she did seem to walk heavy.
Of course, then Kira tripped over a rock. She felt Cade catch her arm from behind but still managed to bump into Tahl'ari, who was in front of her.
“Sorry,” she mumbled when the elf turned around curiously and looked down at her. His blond ponytail swung along his back. He, of course, didn't miss a step, Kira noticed.
“What are you doing?” Cade hissed in her ear, trying to hide the laughter. “You were looking so intense there, staring at the ground.”
Kira scowled at him. “Shut up,” she grumbled.
Cade smirked but didn't say another word.
-8-
“Well....son of a bitch!” Cade exclaimed as they all stood a safe distance from the interdimensional rift in the clearing surrounded by trees. The low sun shone through the branches. He was taken back eight years to when his family had been killed. He was staring at something that closely resembled what he'd seen then. Cade was now near positive that whatever killed his family when he was eighteen had come from one of these rifts.
But where did it lead? Where did the things that attacked them come from?
There wasn't just a shimmering of displaced air hovering several feet about the ground. No, there was a literal rip in the air, blocking out the trees behind it. It was like looking into another dimension or world, but it was shimmering and the view was hazy, blurred. The only thing for certain was that it was dark, smokey, and devoid of light save the glow of flames. The group stood silently for a moment.
Although the rift didn't resemble the flaming, swirling vortex that the wer had been planning on dropping Kira into, sending her into the arms of some demon, it did remind her of the reality of other dimensions...some too horrible to contemplate from what she'd read and learned so far.
“Is...is that one of the realms in the Astra?” she asked quietly. Her voice broke through the silence in the forest.
Zy'reth raised his eyebrows, the action delicate and curious at the same time. He exchanged a look with Ryan regarding this human girl that he'd brought along. “And what do you know know about the Astra?” he asked gently, not wanting to sound rude.
Cade, too, was interested. This was the first he'd heard about whatever the Astra was. Damn, he needed to get reading and study more with Kira. He was definitely behind in his knowledge base to be fighting this Death Knell he was now involved in.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to butt in,” Kira said, glancing at Ryan to see if he was angry.
But everyone was looking at her neutrally, no one seemed mad or thought she was overstepping.
“Well...really just that they are like spirit worlds with all the realms linked together by...by,” Kira paused and thought, “astral space which is made up of something, I forget the name, but it's basically thoughts given form.” Kira had read that but didn't totally understand how that could be possible.
“It's called ephemera,” Ryan said. “Thoughts given form, yes...for now think of the Astra as worlds that exist because of the imagination of humans...and some eldritch..., their thoughts, and the magick that is already inherent in the universe.”
“You're serious, aren't you?” Cade asked, then held up his hand. “Never mind, of course you are,” he said to Ryan in a resigned tone. “Damn, an astral plane, huh?”
Zy'reth nodded. “Indeed. They may not seem real, these otherlands as they are also called, because they are entered into by thought only...and we won't explain how many there are or how they work...but just know that once you are there, it is very real.”
“So, you think this rift goes to another world, in the Astra?” Cade asked. “But isn't that alright, I mean if it's just thoughts then nothing can come out that will hurt anyone.”
But where did it lead? Where did the things that attacked them come from?
There wasn't just a shimmering of displaced air hovering several feet about the ground. No, there was a literal rip in the air, blocking out the trees behind it. It was like looking into another dimension or world, but it was shimmering and the view was hazy, blurred. The only thing for certain was that it was dark, smokey, and devoid of light save the glow of flames. The group stood silently for a moment.
Although the rift didn't resemble the flaming, swirling vortex that the wer had been planning on dropping Kira into, sending her into the arms of some demon, it did remind her of the reality of other dimensions...some too horrible to contemplate from what she'd read and learned so far.
“Is...is that one of the realms in the Astra?” she asked quietly. Her voice broke through the silence in the forest.
Zy'reth raised his eyebrows, the action delicate and curious at the same time. He exchanged a look with Ryan regarding this human girl that he'd brought along. “And what do you know know about the Astra?” he asked gently, not wanting to sound rude.
Cade, too, was interested. This was the first he'd heard about whatever the Astra was. Damn, he needed to get reading and study more with Kira. He was definitely behind in his knowledge base to be fighting this Death Knell he was now involved in.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to butt in,” Kira said, glancing at Ryan to see if he was angry.
But everyone was looking at her neutrally, no one seemed mad or thought she was overstepping.
“Well...really just that they are like spirit worlds with all the realms linked together by...by,” Kira paused and thought, “astral space which is made up of something, I forget the name, but it's basically thoughts given form.” Kira had read that but didn't totally understand how that could be possible.
“It's called ephemera,” Ryan said. “Thoughts given form, yes...for now think of the Astra as worlds that exist because of the imagination of humans...and some eldritch..., their thoughts, and the magick that is already inherent in the universe.”
“You're serious, aren't you?” Cade asked, then held up his hand. “Never mind, of course you are,” he said to Ryan in a resigned tone. “Damn, an astral plane, huh?”
Zy'reth nodded. “Indeed. They may not seem real, these otherlands as they are also called, because they are entered into by thought only...and we won't explain how many there are or how they work...but just know that once you are there, it is very real.”
“So, you think this rift goes to another world, in the Astra?” Cade asked. “But isn't that alright, I mean if it's just thoughts then nothing can come out that will hurt anyone.”
-9-
A voice came from the trees as a figure stepped out, nearly camouflaged until she appeared out into the open. Even then she blended in somewhat. “That's not necessarily true.”
“Eolande,” Ryan's voice was even, while the others looked at the forest spirit faery with surprise. “How did you get here?”
“How did I not get here?” Eolande answered brightly in return, standing in front of the group and tilting her head from side to side. She had what appeared to be real green hair, but there were also leaves as a living part of her hair, and her green-rimmed, green eyes flicked to all of them in turn. “You know space constantly changes, opening here, closing there, making all places one. Since I am not good enough for Heaven, not evil enough for the Netherworlds, I travel the extradimensional realms. I came In-Between and here I am!”
Eolande clapped her hands as if pleased with herself and gazed at the group through her long green lashes. She focused on Kira for a moment. “You are still you and beautiful, I am pleased. You will be pleased as well,” she said, then frowned, “or maybe not. Do you know yet? Do you know what you are?”
“Well, isn't this a treat,” Cade murmured under his breath, “it's the return of the crazy-ass faery.” Then he grunted as Kira elbowed him in the ribs.
“Ah, so you lived!” Eolande exclaimed, gently pushing Kira aside to now focus on Cade. “Very good! All bloody and torn up, insides all out and your life hanging on by a thread connected to Kira...we saw it...now look at you.” She smiled brightly.
Cade grew nervous with the petite faery so close to him. He didn't have time to react before Eolande had lifted up his t-shirt to expose his muscular yet still scarred chest and stomach. She leaned forward and kissed him in the middle of his chest, which is about where she came in terms of height.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed, but unable to ignore the softness of her lips and the feel of her hair and leaves touching his skin. “Hey now!”
“You are lucky, Kira,” the faery said, “he is beautiful, is he not? Even with scars.”
“Eolande, now isn't the time,” Ryan said as his form of a warning. Then to Cade, “Faerie have no sense of modesty or embarrassment,” he explained matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Cade said in irritation. With a frown as he yanked down his shirt, watching Eolande back away with a small twirl, her arms outstretched.
Kira sort of wanted to sink into the ground just on general principle.
Ryan gently took the forest faery by the arm and made her focus on him. “Let me rephrase my question. Why are you here?”
“Now that was the right question,” Eolande said mischievously, then her smiled faded. She turned toward the open rift. “I'm here because of that.”
“Eolande,” Ryan's voice was even, while the others looked at the forest spirit faery with surprise. “How did you get here?”
“How did I not get here?” Eolande answered brightly in return, standing in front of the group and tilting her head from side to side. She had what appeared to be real green hair, but there were also leaves as a living part of her hair, and her green-rimmed, green eyes flicked to all of them in turn. “You know space constantly changes, opening here, closing there, making all places one. Since I am not good enough for Heaven, not evil enough for the Netherworlds, I travel the extradimensional realms. I came In-Between and here I am!”
Eolande clapped her hands as if pleased with herself and gazed at the group through her long green lashes. She focused on Kira for a moment. “You are still you and beautiful, I am pleased. You will be pleased as well,” she said, then frowned, “or maybe not. Do you know yet? Do you know what you are?”
“Well, isn't this a treat,” Cade murmured under his breath, “it's the return of the crazy-ass faery.” Then he grunted as Kira elbowed him in the ribs.
“Ah, so you lived!” Eolande exclaimed, gently pushing Kira aside to now focus on Cade. “Very good! All bloody and torn up, insides all out and your life hanging on by a thread connected to Kira...we saw it...now look at you.” She smiled brightly.
Cade grew nervous with the petite faery so close to him. He didn't have time to react before Eolande had lifted up his t-shirt to expose his muscular yet still scarred chest and stomach. She leaned forward and kissed him in the middle of his chest, which is about where she came in terms of height.
“Whoa!” he exclaimed, but unable to ignore the softness of her lips and the feel of her hair and leaves touching his skin. “Hey now!”
“You are lucky, Kira,” the faery said, “he is beautiful, is he not? Even with scars.”
“Eolande, now isn't the time,” Ryan said as his form of a warning. Then to Cade, “Faerie have no sense of modesty or embarrassment,” he explained matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Cade said in irritation. With a frown as he yanked down his shirt, watching Eolande back away with a small twirl, her arms outstretched.
Kira sort of wanted to sink into the ground just on general principle.
Ryan gently took the forest faery by the arm and made her focus on him. “Let me rephrase my question. Why are you here?”
“Now that was the right question,” Eolande said mischievously, then her smiled faded. She turned toward the open rift. “I'm here because of that.”
-10-
Zy'reth, Chev, Ky'ali, and the other two elves had watched the exchange in silence, knowing better than to interrupt the faery until she was ready to enlighten them. Tahl'ari and Ja'deth wandered a short distance away toward the sides of the rift to get a better look at it, while Ky'ali drew her sword and held it loosely by her side. She walked slowly around those left in the group, staring into the trees. Chev stood between the rift and the rest of the group, turning his head this way and that to examine the decaying buildings on either side. Both were in the shadows of the trees, and the manitou didn't like the feel of either one. They'd be the first things he checked out when it was time. None of the eldritch had brought flashlights as they could all see in the dark.
They hadn't thought about Kira and Cade.
“What do you know about the rift?” Zy'reth asked the faery.
“I know it opens up into one of the Netherworlds,” Eolande replied, her voice low and wary.
Chev spoke up roughly from where he stood. “How?”
If that were true, they could be in a world of trouble.
“Why, the earthquake told me,” Eolande said firmly.
Cade was about to roll his eyes, wondering how the hell anyone carried on a normal conversation with a damn faery when her next words brought his attention back.
“The breaching of any of the great seals on the Netherworlds causes massive magickal quakes. This has deeply hurt the stability of Faeryland over the decades. When this one opened we were alerted by our sensors. Perhaps another seal has been broken, perhaps not...but the fragile balance of Faeryland is in danger.”
Cade couldn't help himself. “Faeryland?” he asked. “Really?”
Ryan eyed him warningly, and Kira nudged him in the ribs again. Cade got the message to shut up. But seriously?
Eolande narrowed her green-rimmed eyes at him, then blew him a kiss. Cade could swear he felt a soft tickle on his lips. It was all he could do to resist wiping at them.
“I was sent to investigate,” Eolande informed the group. Then she turned to Kira and took her hands, seeming to stare around her. “It's so beautiful,” she purred.
Kira sighed, getting the hang of dealing with faerie. “Eolande,” she said, trying to make the faery focus. “What's the Netherworlds?”
“Oooh, evil...pure evil, Kira. You don't ever want to go there,” the faery said, then stopped.
Kira glanced toward Ryan as Eolande turned to stare at the rift.
“They are another realm of the Astra. There are nine well-known Netherworlds, called the Nine Planes of Perdition. Basically, they are where the demons live, nightmarish lands, cities, and charnel pits filled with human spirits captured by the demons. They are the demons' prisons but also their places of power. These realms were once shut firmly away from the Astra by the great bronze seals, but over time many of the seals have been broken on some of the lesser realms, and the demons run amok.”
Cade shook his head, his brow furrowed. “But if the Astra is made of thoughts, then nothing should be able to come from there, right? At least not be real over here.”
Zy'reth sighed. “Unfortunately, demons are able to emerge from these realms into the Astra, and onto other realms, including the physical plane of earth itself. Here, they become real enough to kill what lives here. Fortunately, they are somewhat less powerful in the Real World and can die here, too.”
Cade scowled. The Netherworlds. Was that where the demons he fought and killed came from? Is that where his exorcisms sent them back to? Is that where the rift of eight years ago opened up to, letting out demons to kill his family? He had no answers to his questions, and that annoyed Cade to no end.
“What if they come out now? Will we be able to fight them?” Kira asked worriedly, cutting her eyes toward the rift. Eolande was getting awfully close, and it made Kira nervous. She'd even walked past Chev. “Eolande, please be careful.”
The faery turned around, wide eyed and shrugged her slim shoulders. “At the heart of the Netherworlds is Pandemonium,” she said, her voice low and in a horrible awe. “The place that spews forth dark energies composed of humanity's collective perversity, hatred, and evil thoughts. It is said...to be the gateway to the true Hell.”
“Goddamn!” Cade swore. “Who would open something like that?”
Ryan and the other were silent for a moment. No one had an answer to Cade's question. The darkness began to deepen around them, although the glow from the sun could still be seen through the trees.
They hadn't thought about Kira and Cade.
“What do you know about the rift?” Zy'reth asked the faery.
“I know it opens up into one of the Netherworlds,” Eolande replied, her voice low and wary.
Chev spoke up roughly from where he stood. “How?”
If that were true, they could be in a world of trouble.
“Why, the earthquake told me,” Eolande said firmly.
Cade was about to roll his eyes, wondering how the hell anyone carried on a normal conversation with a damn faery when her next words brought his attention back.
“The breaching of any of the great seals on the Netherworlds causes massive magickal quakes. This has deeply hurt the stability of Faeryland over the decades. When this one opened we were alerted by our sensors. Perhaps another seal has been broken, perhaps not...but the fragile balance of Faeryland is in danger.”
Cade couldn't help himself. “Faeryland?” he asked. “Really?”
Ryan eyed him warningly, and Kira nudged him in the ribs again. Cade got the message to shut up. But seriously?
Eolande narrowed her green-rimmed eyes at him, then blew him a kiss. Cade could swear he felt a soft tickle on his lips. It was all he could do to resist wiping at them.
“I was sent to investigate,” Eolande informed the group. Then she turned to Kira and took her hands, seeming to stare around her. “It's so beautiful,” she purred.
Kira sighed, getting the hang of dealing with faerie. “Eolande,” she said, trying to make the faery focus. “What's the Netherworlds?”
“Oooh, evil...pure evil, Kira. You don't ever want to go there,” the faery said, then stopped.
Kira glanced toward Ryan as Eolande turned to stare at the rift.
“They are another realm of the Astra. There are nine well-known Netherworlds, called the Nine Planes of Perdition. Basically, they are where the demons live, nightmarish lands, cities, and charnel pits filled with human spirits captured by the demons. They are the demons' prisons but also their places of power. These realms were once shut firmly away from the Astra by the great bronze seals, but over time many of the seals have been broken on some of the lesser realms, and the demons run amok.”
Cade shook his head, his brow furrowed. “But if the Astra is made of thoughts, then nothing should be able to come from there, right? At least not be real over here.”
Zy'reth sighed. “Unfortunately, demons are able to emerge from these realms into the Astra, and onto other realms, including the physical plane of earth itself. Here, they become real enough to kill what lives here. Fortunately, they are somewhat less powerful in the Real World and can die here, too.”
Cade scowled. The Netherworlds. Was that where the demons he fought and killed came from? Is that where his exorcisms sent them back to? Is that where the rift of eight years ago opened up to, letting out demons to kill his family? He had no answers to his questions, and that annoyed Cade to no end.
“What if they come out now? Will we be able to fight them?” Kira asked worriedly, cutting her eyes toward the rift. Eolande was getting awfully close, and it made Kira nervous. She'd even walked past Chev. “Eolande, please be careful.”
The faery turned around, wide eyed and shrugged her slim shoulders. “At the heart of the Netherworlds is Pandemonium,” she said, her voice low and in a horrible awe. “The place that spews forth dark energies composed of humanity's collective perversity, hatred, and evil thoughts. It is said...to be the gateway to the true Hell.”
“Goddamn!” Cade swore. “Who would open something like that?”
Ryan and the other were silent for a moment. No one had an answer to Cade's question. The darkness began to deepen around them, although the glow from the sun could still be seen through the trees.
-11-
In the large area around the group in the forest, there remained the two old buildings, like small barns or old storehouses, that Chev had noticed. The two buildings stood across from each other on opposite sides of the clearing. Both decrepit and falling apart, they were hidden in the shadows of the trees.
From inside one, three men silently watched. Dressed all in black...short-sleeved shirts tucked neatly into black trousers and wearing black boots...all of them had close-cropped hair. One was dark-skinned with dark hair; the other were two light skinned, one with blond hair, the other brown. They stood away from a large window empty of glass, staring out but unseen behind the wavering air that surrounded them. The arcane shroud spell that created the shield conformed loosely to the shape of the men. Leviathan sensory magic hid them from the group of nine outside by changing their perception of what they'd see should they look briefly toward the window.
“Too many,” the dark skinned one murmured, his accent reminiscent of Africa but different somehow. “They must not see us. Five are obviously eldritch, the other four unknown.”
“Perhaps the missing weapon is this girl, and we will be the ones to bring her back,” the brown hair one commented. His American speech pattern was close to perfect but with a slightly unrecognizable accent. “That one is of the approximate age.”
The blond man, sounding vaguely European, shushed the other two. “Don't make assumptions, Brother, we must wait and see. Certainty is the only way; otherwise we risk being banned like Brother Leos.”
The brown haired man nodded. “We will have patience. The rift we opened attracted the eldritch as planned. The demons that escaped the Netherworlds will return soon when they find they cannot break through the elven ward.”
“Yes, now stand still,” the dark haired one commanded. “So long as we stay in the shadows and no one looks directly at us, we won't be seen until it's too late.”
From inside one, three men silently watched. Dressed all in black...short-sleeved shirts tucked neatly into black trousers and wearing black boots...all of them had close-cropped hair. One was dark-skinned with dark hair; the other were two light skinned, one with blond hair, the other brown. They stood away from a large window empty of glass, staring out but unseen behind the wavering air that surrounded them. The arcane shroud spell that created the shield conformed loosely to the shape of the men. Leviathan sensory magic hid them from the group of nine outside by changing their perception of what they'd see should they look briefly toward the window.
“Too many,” the dark skinned one murmured, his accent reminiscent of Africa but different somehow. “They must not see us. Five are obviously eldritch, the other four unknown.”
“Perhaps the missing weapon is this girl, and we will be the ones to bring her back,” the brown hair one commented. His American speech pattern was close to perfect but with a slightly unrecognizable accent. “That one is of the approximate age.”
The blond man, sounding vaguely European, shushed the other two. “Don't make assumptions, Brother, we must wait and see. Certainty is the only way; otherwise we risk being banned like Brother Leos.”
The brown haired man nodded. “We will have patience. The rift we opened attracted the eldritch as planned. The demons that escaped the Netherworlds will return soon when they find they cannot break through the elven ward.”
“Yes, now stand still,” the dark haired one commanded. “So long as we stay in the shadows and no one looks directly at us, we won't be seen until it's too late.”
-12-
The teenage boy watched the strange group from the other building, his hideout these past few days on his way through Mississippi, walking the back roads at night and sleeping during the day. He'd stolen food—something he'd done back in the city for the past three years since he'd been on his own—from a garden several miles away, intending to have only remained here a night or two.
The fourteen year old, shaggy-haired and somewhat dirty, cursed the unexpected activity at his private spot. He'd planned to leave two days ago when three men with nearly shaved heads had come nosing around, but found he couldn't get past them. First, they'd done something unbelievable and created a damn hole in the air that looked on to some creepy, dark, smokey place. It was something out of a nightmare land, but how was that even possible? Then they'd went into the other building and never came out, so he'd assumed they'd left. But the presence of another man a short time later had delayed him yet another day.
The final incident that had left him hiding in fear until this evening were the horrors that had made their way out of the hole in the air this morning and then disappeared into the trees. Now, just as he was preparing to run, this group of odd looking people with weapons showed up. He glanced over at the last of his small stockpile of food and water...he'd starve after today, if he didn't get away.
Shaking his head, the teenager crouched back down still trying to make his brain believe what he was seeing: some girl with green hair and real leaves attached, and three men and a woman with really pointed ears. What the hell? Was this some sort of weird group of actors or people where some of them pretended to be elves with bows and arrows? And what was the deal with the green woman? The other three men looked normal, and the girl with the dark hair was actually kinda pretty.
He was thinking that maybe he could sneak out the back of the old, ramshackle building when the first of the monsters attacked right in front of his eyes. He covered his mouth with one hand to keep from screaming. But he found he couldn't take his eyes off the battle that suddenly erupted.
The fourteen year old, shaggy-haired and somewhat dirty, cursed the unexpected activity at his private spot. He'd planned to leave two days ago when three men with nearly shaved heads had come nosing around, but found he couldn't get past them. First, they'd done something unbelievable and created a damn hole in the air that looked on to some creepy, dark, smokey place. It was something out of a nightmare land, but how was that even possible? Then they'd went into the other building and never came out, so he'd assumed they'd left. But the presence of another man a short time later had delayed him yet another day.
The final incident that had left him hiding in fear until this evening were the horrors that had made their way out of the hole in the air this morning and then disappeared into the trees. Now, just as he was preparing to run, this group of odd looking people with weapons showed up. He glanced over at the last of his small stockpile of food and water...he'd starve after today, if he didn't get away.
Shaking his head, the teenager crouched back down still trying to make his brain believe what he was seeing: some girl with green hair and real leaves attached, and three men and a woman with really pointed ears. What the hell? Was this some sort of weird group of actors or people where some of them pretended to be elves with bows and arrows? And what was the deal with the green woman? The other three men looked normal, and the girl with the dark hair was actually kinda pretty.
He was thinking that maybe he could sneak out the back of the old, ramshackle building when the first of the monsters attacked right in front of his eyes. He covered his mouth with one hand to keep from screaming. But he found he couldn't take his eyes off the battle that suddenly erupted.
-13-
Zy'reth was about to ask Eolande if the faerie knew of any way to close the extradimensional rift, when the demons attacked, crashing out of the trees, both on the ground and from the tops. There was no time left for thinking. The demons were in their true form, their countenance frightening and disgusting.
“INCOMING!” Ky'ali shouted, whirling around to assess the influx of demons.
With superhuman fluidity, she leaped up into the air to meet two demons, their swept-back horns pointed and lethal, jumping through the air at her. In mid-air, the elf sliced at them with her elven-bladed sword, taking off their long-faced heads with sprays of blood, then somersaulted before landing in a crouch. Ky'ali kicked the heads into the trees, knowing of the demons' ability to regenerate lost body parts and not wanting to risk the possibility of reattachment as well. Suddenly she felt another land heavily on her back, its ugly face coming next to hers. Ky'ali rolled to the ground and reached back with her free hand to grab one of the long horns, hoping to dislodge the human-sized beast.
“INCOMING!” Ky'ali shouted, whirling around to assess the influx of demons.
With superhuman fluidity, she leaped up into the air to meet two demons, their swept-back horns pointed and lethal, jumping through the air at her. In mid-air, the elf sliced at them with her elven-bladed sword, taking off their long-faced heads with sprays of blood, then somersaulted before landing in a crouch. Ky'ali kicked the heads into the trees, knowing of the demons' ability to regenerate lost body parts and not wanting to risk the possibility of reattachment as well. Suddenly she felt another land heavily on her back, its ugly face coming next to hers. Ky'ali rolled to the ground and reached back with her free hand to grab one of the long horns, hoping to dislodge the human-sized beast.
Chaos then ruled the night.
The next to get hit by demon bodies were Tahl'ari and Ja'deth. They were on the perimeter of the clearing on either side of the rift, nearer the trees than the others. Six demons, all small and deformed-looking but fast, attacked viciously, tumbling and spinning through the air like fiendish acrobats with tails. Three went for Tahl'ari, and three for Ja'deth.
Gun shots took out two of the monkey-like creatures as Cade took aim and didn't miss.
Gun shots took out two of the monkey-like creatures as Cade took aim and didn't miss.
A light gray, stone-like demon launched itself at Ryan from the tops of the trees, its bat wings springing from its back. Its goal appeared to be to knock him over. But Ryan's black, feather wings blinked into view for a moment as he jumped from the ground to meet the demon in the air. Surprise crossed the demon's face for a split second before he roared in anger. Ryan wasted no time. The knives embedded in his wrists snicked out from their slots, and he gripped the handles, ready to slice and dice some demon.
The massive, fur covered beast that charged toward Kira, its horns curved back and down harmlessly, bared its long, razor sharp teeth. The not so harmless teeth snapped and clicked in Kira's face as she frantically lashed out with the shotgun to keep it away. The slobber smoked as it hit her clothes and the ground. Luckily none hit her face, but she swore as her skin was peppered with small bits of wetness, then began to burn.
Cade leaped in to help, jamming his gun back into the thigh holster. He couldn't risk shooting, not this close to Kira or the others fighting.
Cade leaped in to help, jamming his gun back into the thigh holster. He couldn't risk shooting, not this close to Kira or the others fighting.
Zy'reth was tossed up into the air by the impact of a cloaked figure, the most human-looking of the demons that had escaped the Netherworlds. The creature's skin gleamed a dull blue in the waning light while his eyes glowed. Zy'reth flipped in mid-air, his hair making a fan behind him, and landed effortlessly on his feet behind the demon.
A demon who walked on wolf's legs raced for Eolande. It came at the faery with large clawed hands, but she melted away and reappeared behind Chev.
Chev struck out with his rifle and used the butt to slam it into the creature's head...or heads, rather. Blood splattered from one of the lower sets of eyes. But the loss of sight didn't seem to faze the muscular demon as another head with only eyes was melded directly on the head and back of the first. A body with short arms hanging from the demon's neck and legs like an insect was part of the demon.
Chev struck out with his rifle and used the butt to slam it into the creature's head...or heads, rather. Blood splattered from one of the lower sets of eyes. But the loss of sight didn't seem to faze the muscular demon as another head with only eyes was melded directly on the head and back of the first. A body with short arms hanging from the demon's neck and legs like an insect was part of the demon.
-14-
Rolling to her feet, Ky'ali confronted the dislodged demon sword to sword, the beast having materialized a weapon. It appeared with a puff of smoke and the smell of sulfur. The demon sword was thick and heavy, the metal a dull, angry black with a razor sharp blade. But Ky'ali wielded a Karges-forged weapon—the elven Karges being experts at metalwork and magick, second only to the dwarves—and she had confidence in her abilities and her steel. The clanging of metal against metal rang out in the clearing.
* * * * *
It was Ja'deth who fought off his remaining demons first, smashing them into two trees with his psychokinetic abilities. He unfastened his bow and arrow and let off a shot at one tumbling beast attacking Tahl'ari. That gave the other elf the advantage of one-on-one, and he ducked away from a set of barbed claws. Then the two creatures were upon Ja'deth again, having shaken off the impact, scratching and clawing at his entire body as well as attempting to wrap their hands around his long braid. Ja'deth felt the slicing of his skin from the barbed claws as he flipped and leaped out of reach while gripping his elven sword. Suddenly one demon was impaled against a tree, an arrow sticking out of its chest. Ja'deth nodded grimly to Tahl'ari before they were back fighting.
* * * * *
The flying stone demon was too powerful for Ryan in his simulacrum form. The demon's outer skin wasn't actually stone but it was hard and resilient, even to Ryan's knives. He'd barely scratched the beast, but had received several slashes to his rubber skin. He knew he had no choice but to reach into his Abyss and release the monster he was destined to become. There was always the risk of succumbing to his evil side, but letting loose the monster deliberately offered some slight control. If only he resisted sin-eating once the demon was defeated.
* * * * *
Kira and Cade found themselves in physical combat with the demon. Kira had no choice but to duck and weave, no way could she physically fight something like that. But her shotgun continued to be a handy club as she wielded it against the beast's head. Her strength surprised her, even though she knew she'd grown stronger over the past couple of month.
Cade lashed out with a punch then a side kick, assuming it would have no effect. But to his surprise, he seemed to have the strength to hurt the demon. Several well-placed kicks and punches drove the demon backward. They grimaced from the burning as the demon's saliva continued to create small burns on their skin and clothes.
Kira was able to join in the fight using her fist of stone martial arts training until they had the beast on the ground. Kira grabbed her shotgun and slammed it into the beast's face, while Cade drew his handgun from his thigh holster.
* * * * *
Zy'reth drew his bow quickly. But the arrow he let loose to impale the beast's back only seemed to enrage the creature. It turned and charged, forcing Zy'reth to back up quickly. He ran up the trunk of the tree, pushed off and somersaulted over the demon's head. A large hand flashed up and caught him by the wrist, yanking him down to the ground. Demon and elf crashed together, locking in combat to the death.
* * * * *
The demon with two bodies was so huge that there was no way for Chev to avoid shifting into his totem animal. Taking only a few seconds for the full transformation, the manitou transmuted the host's body into a spirit body safely in the Astra. With the demon about to impale him with its claws, the form of a large black bear materialized that the manitou could inhabit. Suddenly the giant bear was roaring, ripping, and biting at the demon. When a blast of fire came out from the demon's mouth, the bear roared as its fur was singed. The manitou barreled headfirst into the demon's mid-section.
* * * * *
Ja'deth finally defeated the agile demon that was still attacking him, slicing off the head and watching it slam against a nearby tree. Turning to Tahl'ari, he cursed to see his friend lying on the ground, silent and still and the demon gone. His long, blond hair had come loose and lay spread around him on the ground. With deep slashes in his chest and abdomen, too many of his vital organs were visible to leave any hope of healing. Tahl'ari had passed into Elantia.
* * * * *
Cade almost lost his concentration when he realized a huge bear was now part of the battle and that there was a massive, stone gargoyle in the air, but Kira's fierce yelling brought his attention back.
* * * * *
Suddenly an unfamiliar scream filled the air. “NO! NO! Get away from me! Let me go!”
The young male voice carried across the clearing, and all but the demons were drawn into a quick look. Kira was the most stunned to see a teenage boy in the grip of the demon that had been fighting Tahl'ari, the boy being dragged across the ground as if nothing more than a rag. But it was Ja'deth who was attempting to distract the creature. The ploy worked, but it resulted in the young teen being tossed through the air.
* * * * *
Kira screamed in panic, diverting her attention from the demon. Cade yelled when the furred, sharp toothed creature swung a leg at Kira, knocking her down. Cade fired his gun at the demon's chest, but its fur seemed to be hardened to the point where the bullet only went in a short distance. But Cade realized there were small patterns in the fur where skin showed through.
“Your knife, Kira! Focus!” Cade shouted. “Together!”
Drawing her knife, Kira scrambled to her feet. She began to stab then leap away, ducking and spinning to attack again from all sides of the demon. With Cade hacking at body parts with his large hunting knife, their weapons began to kill the demon, drawing blood and howls of pain. They had almost grown used to the burning sensation as the spittle continued to splash against their exposed skin.
* * * * *
The gargoyle gave a powerful kick to the stone demon, sending him tumbling through the air. He made an effort to swoop toward the strange boy, using his wings to give him more power. He didn't reach him in time to prevent a crash into a large tree, but the gargoyle managed to grab him before he plummeted to the ground.
* * * * *
The teen's eyes were terrified and in pain as he stared unbelieving into the red, glowing eyes.
He had been watching the battle in stunned horror, almost unable to accept this was actually happening. Now a stone creature, a damn gargoyle, was holding onto him in the air. Before he could scream, the teenager was down on the ground laying on his back but unable to move through the pain. The gargoyle simply left him there, flying back into the air to meet the demon with a resounding crash. The teenager couldn't move to save his life...figuratively and literally.
* * * * *
As the individual battles raged on a swarm of flying demons swooped down from the trees, Everyone was in danger as they couldn't fight the new arrivals as well as their current opponents. Ky'ali raised her bloody hands, fingers outstretched, and then closed them into fists drawing the darkness down with her movements. She gathered the shadows until they surrounded only the demons in the air. Screams and thuds could be heard as the flying beasts knocked into each other and couldn't seem to escape the dark prison. Ky'ali's clothes fell to the ground as she took a deadly shadow form. Winding her way through the chaos in the air, the elf as shadow flowed around the demons, squeezing the life out of them. They fell to the ground with definite thuds.
The light of the moon was blocked by the inky blackness, but the immortals didn't notice. They could see in the dark as well as they had by moonlight. Only Cade and Kira experienced a momentary sense of blindness and disorientation, but then found their eyes adjusting. This didn't surprise Kira as her vision has always been exceptional, but Cade was rather stunned that he could see so clearly. Luckily the demon they'd been fighting was laying slashed to death with blood pooling under its earthly form, at least for now; otherwise, Cade's momentary distraction could have meant his death.
Cade then clutched Kira to him firmly, holding her and leaning over her, determined to protect her from the bodies falling from the air. Kira stared around her for a moment, trying to sort out what was happening.
* * * * *
Soon the ground lay littered with the bodies of dead demons...and one elf. Everyone was silent, breathing heavily and injured. Except for Tahl'ari and the strange boy, the injuries were mostly minor. Even those that had drawn blood.
* * * * *
It was Ja'deth who fought off his remaining demons first, smashing them into two trees with his psychokinetic abilities. He unfastened his bow and arrow and let off a shot at one tumbling beast attacking Tahl'ari. That gave the other elf the advantage of one-on-one, and he ducked away from a set of barbed claws. Then the two creatures were upon Ja'deth again, having shaken off the impact, scratching and clawing at his entire body as well as attempting to wrap their hands around his long braid. Ja'deth felt the slicing of his skin from the barbed claws as he flipped and leaped out of reach while gripping his elven sword. Suddenly one demon was impaled against a tree, an arrow sticking out of its chest. Ja'deth nodded grimly to Tahl'ari before they were back fighting.
* * * * *
The flying stone demon was too powerful for Ryan in his simulacrum form. The demon's outer skin wasn't actually stone but it was hard and resilient, even to Ryan's knives. He'd barely scratched the beast, but had received several slashes to his rubber skin. He knew he had no choice but to reach into his Abyss and release the monster he was destined to become. There was always the risk of succumbing to his evil side, but letting loose the monster deliberately offered some slight control. If only he resisted sin-eating once the demon was defeated.
* * * * *
Kira and Cade found themselves in physical combat with the demon. Kira had no choice but to duck and weave, no way could she physically fight something like that. But her shotgun continued to be a handy club as she wielded it against the beast's head. Her strength surprised her, even though she knew she'd grown stronger over the past couple of month.
Cade lashed out with a punch then a side kick, assuming it would have no effect. But to his surprise, he seemed to have the strength to hurt the demon. Several well-placed kicks and punches drove the demon backward. They grimaced from the burning as the demon's saliva continued to create small burns on their skin and clothes.
Kira was able to join in the fight using her fist of stone martial arts training until they had the beast on the ground. Kira grabbed her shotgun and slammed it into the beast's face, while Cade drew his handgun from his thigh holster.
* * * * *
Zy'reth drew his bow quickly. But the arrow he let loose to impale the beast's back only seemed to enrage the creature. It turned and charged, forcing Zy'reth to back up quickly. He ran up the trunk of the tree, pushed off and somersaulted over the demon's head. A large hand flashed up and caught him by the wrist, yanking him down to the ground. Demon and elf crashed together, locking in combat to the death.
* * * * *
The demon with two bodies was so huge that there was no way for Chev to avoid shifting into his totem animal. Taking only a few seconds for the full transformation, the manitou transmuted the host's body into a spirit body safely in the Astra. With the demon about to impale him with its claws, the form of a large black bear materialized that the manitou could inhabit. Suddenly the giant bear was roaring, ripping, and biting at the demon. When a blast of fire came out from the demon's mouth, the bear roared as its fur was singed. The manitou barreled headfirst into the demon's mid-section.
* * * * *
Ja'deth finally defeated the agile demon that was still attacking him, slicing off the head and watching it slam against a nearby tree. Turning to Tahl'ari, he cursed to see his friend lying on the ground, silent and still and the demon gone. His long, blond hair had come loose and lay spread around him on the ground. With deep slashes in his chest and abdomen, too many of his vital organs were visible to leave any hope of healing. Tahl'ari had passed into Elantia.
* * * * *
Cade almost lost his concentration when he realized a huge bear was now part of the battle and that there was a massive, stone gargoyle in the air, but Kira's fierce yelling brought his attention back.
* * * * *
Suddenly an unfamiliar scream filled the air. “NO! NO! Get away from me! Let me go!”
The young male voice carried across the clearing, and all but the demons were drawn into a quick look. Kira was the most stunned to see a teenage boy in the grip of the demon that had been fighting Tahl'ari, the boy being dragged across the ground as if nothing more than a rag. But it was Ja'deth who was attempting to distract the creature. The ploy worked, but it resulted in the young teen being tossed through the air.
* * * * *
Kira screamed in panic, diverting her attention from the demon. Cade yelled when the furred, sharp toothed creature swung a leg at Kira, knocking her down. Cade fired his gun at the demon's chest, but its fur seemed to be hardened to the point where the bullet only went in a short distance. But Cade realized there were small patterns in the fur where skin showed through.
“Your knife, Kira! Focus!” Cade shouted. “Together!”
Drawing her knife, Kira scrambled to her feet. She began to stab then leap away, ducking and spinning to attack again from all sides of the demon. With Cade hacking at body parts with his large hunting knife, their weapons began to kill the demon, drawing blood and howls of pain. They had almost grown used to the burning sensation as the spittle continued to splash against their exposed skin.
* * * * *
The gargoyle gave a powerful kick to the stone demon, sending him tumbling through the air. He made an effort to swoop toward the strange boy, using his wings to give him more power. He didn't reach him in time to prevent a crash into a large tree, but the gargoyle managed to grab him before he plummeted to the ground.
* * * * *
The teen's eyes were terrified and in pain as he stared unbelieving into the red, glowing eyes.
He had been watching the battle in stunned horror, almost unable to accept this was actually happening. Now a stone creature, a damn gargoyle, was holding onto him in the air. Before he could scream, the teenager was down on the ground laying on his back but unable to move through the pain. The gargoyle simply left him there, flying back into the air to meet the demon with a resounding crash. The teenager couldn't move to save his life...figuratively and literally.
* * * * *
As the individual battles raged on a swarm of flying demons swooped down from the trees, Everyone was in danger as they couldn't fight the new arrivals as well as their current opponents. Ky'ali raised her bloody hands, fingers outstretched, and then closed them into fists drawing the darkness down with her movements. She gathered the shadows until they surrounded only the demons in the air. Screams and thuds could be heard as the flying beasts knocked into each other and couldn't seem to escape the dark prison. Ky'ali's clothes fell to the ground as she took a deadly shadow form. Winding her way through the chaos in the air, the elf as shadow flowed around the demons, squeezing the life out of them. They fell to the ground with definite thuds.
The light of the moon was blocked by the inky blackness, but the immortals didn't notice. They could see in the dark as well as they had by moonlight. Only Cade and Kira experienced a momentary sense of blindness and disorientation, but then found their eyes adjusting. This didn't surprise Kira as her vision has always been exceptional, but Cade was rather stunned that he could see so clearly. Luckily the demon they'd been fighting was laying slashed to death with blood pooling under its earthly form, at least for now; otherwise, Cade's momentary distraction could have meant his death.
Cade then clutched Kira to him firmly, holding her and leaning over her, determined to protect her from the bodies falling from the air. Kira stared around her for a moment, trying to sort out what was happening.
* * * * *
Soon the ground lay littered with the bodies of dead demons...and one elf. Everyone was silent, breathing heavily and injured. Except for Tahl'ari and the strange boy, the injuries were mostly minor. Even those that had drawn blood.
-15-
When Chev shifted back into his human host's form, he stood staring at Tahl'ari's body laying lifeless on the bloody and churned up ground. Ky'ali landed in the shadows and took her elven form, dressing quickly and joining the others. The darkness retreated as the moon shone down once again.
Zay'reth stood over the demon he'd pierced through the heart, his sword still impaled clear through to the ground. Eolande appeared out of the darkness, her green hair nearly glowing in the moonlight. Her face full of curiosity, she glanced around at the death at her feet. The faery had no problems with the killing of demons. She even rejoiced that Tahl'ari's spirit was now free to transcend his physical body.
“No, oh no,” Kira said softly. She felt Cade pull her against him, his arm around her shoulders. She tried to move, to go to the dead elf but Cade wouldn't release her.
Ryan maneuvered them both away, leaving Ja'deth kneeling on the ground next to Tahl'ari and Ky'ali standing over them. They would mourn his passing silently. Kira glanced back as she was hustled away.
“He will be welcomed into the fair fields for a very long time before passing into the afterlife,” Ryan assured her. “But the boy,” he said, gesturing. This brought Kira's attention away from the true death of one of their own.
She broke away from Cade and ran over. Kneeling down by the teenager, Kira brushed his dirty, brownish hair from his face where it hung in his eyes. He had the look of a runaway, she thought. And she ought to know. Suddenly his eyes opened, a dull brown and scared.
“Shh, it's okay,” Kira said softly. She felt Cade squat down next to her and Ryan stood over them. “I think he's human,” she said, looking up.
“Hey,” Cade said in a low voice, putting a hand on the teen's chest. He reminded Cade of his own little brother, long dead now. “Can you hear me?”
They watched the boy nod slowly, staring at them.
“Can you move?” Cade asked, remembering the boy had been slammed into a tree.
The boy grimaced then tried to move. It hurt like hell but he managed to raise himself up on one elbow, his head hanging down. He thought he might puke, though.
“Ryan, we can't leave him here!” Kira exclaimed. “We have to take him with us.”
“To a hospital,” Ryan said firmly. “We can leave him there.”
“No! No, not after all this...not after what he saw,” she replied just as firmly, realizing the teen could hear her. She hated it when people talked about her when she was right there. “What's your name?” she asked softly as he collapsed back to the ground.
He figured there was no point in keeping it a secret or trying to resist. The pain was taking all the fight and energy out of him. Besides, he sort of liked the feel of the girl's soft hands on his head. He even didn't mind the guy next to her hovering over him. But he was scared of the one standing.
“H...Hank,” he whispered.
“Hello, Hank. I'm Kira, this is Cade, and that's Ryan,” Kira said with a reassuring smile.
Cade spoke up now. “Kira's right, Ryan,” he insisted. “If he makes it, we need to take him..."
Kira interrupted. "Hank," she said. "His name is Hank."
Cade nodded. "We need to take Hank to...Nathan.” He used the elven doctor's human name to avoid exposing the kid to anymore weirdness for one night.
Ryan sighed. Logically, they were right. As a police detective he could tell the teen was a possible runaway, or at least homeless. It was his job to take care of him until someplace could be found for him and he was healed. As an immortal, he could not let the boy leave and possibly tell what he'd seen, not until Ryan could figure out a way to make him keep silent.
“Very well,” Ryan agreed.
Zay'reth stood over the demon he'd pierced through the heart, his sword still impaled clear through to the ground. Eolande appeared out of the darkness, her green hair nearly glowing in the moonlight. Her face full of curiosity, she glanced around at the death at her feet. The faery had no problems with the killing of demons. She even rejoiced that Tahl'ari's spirit was now free to transcend his physical body.
“No, oh no,” Kira said softly. She felt Cade pull her against him, his arm around her shoulders. She tried to move, to go to the dead elf but Cade wouldn't release her.
Ryan maneuvered them both away, leaving Ja'deth kneeling on the ground next to Tahl'ari and Ky'ali standing over them. They would mourn his passing silently. Kira glanced back as she was hustled away.
“He will be welcomed into the fair fields for a very long time before passing into the afterlife,” Ryan assured her. “But the boy,” he said, gesturing. This brought Kira's attention away from the true death of one of their own.
She broke away from Cade and ran over. Kneeling down by the teenager, Kira brushed his dirty, brownish hair from his face where it hung in his eyes. He had the look of a runaway, she thought. And she ought to know. Suddenly his eyes opened, a dull brown and scared.
“Shh, it's okay,” Kira said softly. She felt Cade squat down next to her and Ryan stood over them. “I think he's human,” she said, looking up.
“Hey,” Cade said in a low voice, putting a hand on the teen's chest. He reminded Cade of his own little brother, long dead now. “Can you hear me?”
They watched the boy nod slowly, staring at them.
“Can you move?” Cade asked, remembering the boy had been slammed into a tree.
The boy grimaced then tried to move. It hurt like hell but he managed to raise himself up on one elbow, his head hanging down. He thought he might puke, though.
“Ryan, we can't leave him here!” Kira exclaimed. “We have to take him with us.”
“To a hospital,” Ryan said firmly. “We can leave him there.”
“No! No, not after all this...not after what he saw,” she replied just as firmly, realizing the teen could hear her. She hated it when people talked about her when she was right there. “What's your name?” she asked softly as he collapsed back to the ground.
He figured there was no point in keeping it a secret or trying to resist. The pain was taking all the fight and energy out of him. Besides, he sort of liked the feel of the girl's soft hands on his head. He even didn't mind the guy next to her hovering over him. But he was scared of the one standing.
“H...Hank,” he whispered.
“Hello, Hank. I'm Kira, this is Cade, and that's Ryan,” Kira said with a reassuring smile.
Cade spoke up now. “Kira's right, Ryan,” he insisted. “If he makes it, we need to take him..."
Kira interrupted. "Hank," she said. "His name is Hank."
Cade nodded. "We need to take Hank to...Nathan.” He used the elven doctor's human name to avoid exposing the kid to anymore weirdness for one night.
Ryan sighed. Logically, they were right. As a police detective he could tell the teen was a possible runaway, or at least homeless. It was his job to take care of him until someplace could be found for him and he was healed. As an immortal, he could not let the boy leave and possibly tell what he'd seen, not until Ryan could figure out a way to make him keep silent.
“Very well,” Ryan agreed.
-16-
Zy'reth, Eolande, and Chev stood staring at the rift that still revealed one of the Netherworlds.
“These abominations need to go back where they came from,” Zy'reth insisted. “Before they regenerate or heal themselves.”
Ky'ali and Ja'deth had joined them. Zy'reth dislodged his eleven sword from the human-looking demon and dragged him toward the rift. The elves had a strength that belied their almost frail, ethereal appearance. The demon was swallowed up by the darkness as the elf threw him into the vortex.
Cade and Ryan left Kira with Hank, letting her sit with him near the tree as they went to help toss bodies and body parts back into the rift. The elves had decided all they could do for the time being was cover the rift in a barrier ward, like an iris of sorts, situated directly against the opening. Then they'd figure out how to close it or perhaps it would close on its own in time.
“These abominations need to go back where they came from,” Zy'reth insisted. “Before they regenerate or heal themselves.”
Ky'ali and Ja'deth had joined them. Zy'reth dislodged his eleven sword from the human-looking demon and dragged him toward the rift. The elves had a strength that belied their almost frail, ethereal appearance. The demon was swallowed up by the darkness as the elf threw him into the vortex.
Cade and Ryan left Kira with Hank, letting her sit with him near the tree as they went to help toss bodies and body parts back into the rift. The elves had decided all they could do for the time being was cover the rift in a barrier ward, like an iris of sorts, situated directly against the opening. Then they'd figure out how to close it or perhaps it would close on its own in time.
-17-
The three men in the shadows of the building decided this was their chance. They needed to grab the girl and steal her away, before the others noticed, to be tested and examined. She'd shown amazing strength and agility while fighting the demon, more so than a normal human. The shrouding spell was released, and they walked silently through the darkness.
Kira heard the nearly silent footsteps behind her. She knew something was wrong, but before she could react arms grabbed her and lifted her up. She screamed at the same time as Hank yelled.
“NO! Leave her alone!”
It was all the fourteen year old could do to try and reach up and grab Kira's leg. But he knew he wouldn't be able to hold her, especially when all he could grasp was the hem of her jeans.
Fortunately, the eldritch were faster. Eolande appeared behind the three men and directed a wave of negative energy at them, knocking them away from Kira. The faery was surprised the blast didn't knock them down.
“They may not be human,” she announced calmly, standing back to let the others do what they wanted.
Cade caught one with dark brown hair and skin and spun him around, punching him in the face for touching Kira.
“You damn sonofabitch!” Cade growled.
When the man merely stumbled backward and shook off the hit, Cade drew his gun with a snarl and put a bullet in the man's head before anyone could react. He didn't give a damn whether the man was human or not, he'd tried to hurt Kira.
Cade heard Kira's sharp intake of breath at his actions, but allowed the dead man to fall to the ground.
Ryan had the blond in his grip, the man's arms wrenched behind his back; while Chev held the brown haired one down on the ground, his large foot on the man's back. Both were putting up a fight and struggling to escape.
“Where did they come from?” Zy'reth yelled as he dumped another demon into the rift, careful not to get too close.
Kira slid down to the ground next to Hank. He yanked her down to him and whispered in her ear. Her expression grew horrified.
“Hank says they were in the building this whole time!” she shouted. “And that they did this!”
“How did we not see them?” Ky'ali asked in concern.
“Stop, don't kill them!” Zy'reth yelled to Ryan and Chev. “They did this, they're responsible. We need to question them.”
It was too late to stop Chev as the manitou was already reaching down with the brown haired man's head between his hands. He twisted, breaking his neck.
“Oh, whoops, sorry,” he said to the others, not having heard in time.
But Ryan showed some degree of self-control. The fight had drained him of some of his life force and he felt the urge to feed on his prisoner's sins, but instead he continued to hold the struggling blond man's arms tightly behind him. Ryan was surprised at how strong he was.
“We'll take him back with us,” Ryan said to Zy'reth. “He tried to kidnap one of ours, we'll be responsible. You have enough to deal with here.”
“Wait,” Ja'deth said. The elf stepped up and lay a hand roughly on the man's forehead, shoving his head back. “You are paralyzed, unable to move on your own. You will hear and see nothing until told to awaken.”
The mysterious attacker suddenly dropped to the ground.
“What the hell?!” Cade exclaimed, stepping back a few paces.
“Ja'deth can cast illusions,” Zy'reth explained. “The man is lucky Ja'deth does not cast more vile illusions for bringing this on us and for Tahl'ari's death.
“Damn, remind me not to piss him off,” Cade said, shaking his head. With the toe of one boot he nudged the unconscious figure but there was no response. “Someone will have to carry him now, but that's damn good magick.”
Kira heard the nearly silent footsteps behind her. She knew something was wrong, but before she could react arms grabbed her and lifted her up. She screamed at the same time as Hank yelled.
“NO! Leave her alone!”
It was all the fourteen year old could do to try and reach up and grab Kira's leg. But he knew he wouldn't be able to hold her, especially when all he could grasp was the hem of her jeans.
Fortunately, the eldritch were faster. Eolande appeared behind the three men and directed a wave of negative energy at them, knocking them away from Kira. The faery was surprised the blast didn't knock them down.
“They may not be human,” she announced calmly, standing back to let the others do what they wanted.
Cade caught one with dark brown hair and skin and spun him around, punching him in the face for touching Kira.
“You damn sonofabitch!” Cade growled.
When the man merely stumbled backward and shook off the hit, Cade drew his gun with a snarl and put a bullet in the man's head before anyone could react. He didn't give a damn whether the man was human or not, he'd tried to hurt Kira.
Cade heard Kira's sharp intake of breath at his actions, but allowed the dead man to fall to the ground.
Ryan had the blond in his grip, the man's arms wrenched behind his back; while Chev held the brown haired one down on the ground, his large foot on the man's back. Both were putting up a fight and struggling to escape.
“Where did they come from?” Zy'reth yelled as he dumped another demon into the rift, careful not to get too close.
Kira slid down to the ground next to Hank. He yanked her down to him and whispered in her ear. Her expression grew horrified.
“Hank says they were in the building this whole time!” she shouted. “And that they did this!”
“How did we not see them?” Ky'ali asked in concern.
“Stop, don't kill them!” Zy'reth yelled to Ryan and Chev. “They did this, they're responsible. We need to question them.”
It was too late to stop Chev as the manitou was already reaching down with the brown haired man's head between his hands. He twisted, breaking his neck.
“Oh, whoops, sorry,” he said to the others, not having heard in time.
But Ryan showed some degree of self-control. The fight had drained him of some of his life force and he felt the urge to feed on his prisoner's sins, but instead he continued to hold the struggling blond man's arms tightly behind him. Ryan was surprised at how strong he was.
“We'll take him back with us,” Ryan said to Zy'reth. “He tried to kidnap one of ours, we'll be responsible. You have enough to deal with here.”
“Wait,” Ja'deth said. The elf stepped up and lay a hand roughly on the man's forehead, shoving his head back. “You are paralyzed, unable to move on your own. You will hear and see nothing until told to awaken.”
The mysterious attacker suddenly dropped to the ground.
“What the hell?!” Cade exclaimed, stepping back a few paces.
“Ja'deth can cast illusions,” Zy'reth explained. “The man is lucky Ja'deth does not cast more vile illusions for bringing this on us and for Tahl'ari's death.
“Damn, remind me not to piss him off,” Cade said, shaking his head. With the toe of one boot he nudged the unconscious figure but there was no response. “Someone will have to carry him now, but that's damn good magick.”
-18-
In the early morning hours of that Sunday, four vehicles left the site of the extinct town behind. The demons had been dumped back into the interdimensional rift, the opening at least sealed for the time being, injuries had been taken care of, and two new passengers were making the trip back to New Bellwich.
Hank had been propped up against the locked passenger door of Cade's Sierra, using blankets to keep him cushioned. Ja'deth had put him to sleep, as well, although in a kinder way, having also taken away the pain for the time being. The effects would wear off in a couple of days, but by then they hoped to have him at Na'ethal's clinic. To give their passenger room, Kira was in the middle, just barely brushing against Cade, although both tried to pretend they didn't really notice. She sat straight up with her legs on the other side of the four-wheel drive shift, but her shoulder pressed against his arm now and then.
In Ryan's Impala, the unknown prisoner was laying stiffly in the back seat. For now he was immobilized. Ryan planned on having him locked away somewhere where he couldn't escape until they could figure out what to do with him and get some answers.
The four-hour drive home was uneventful. Despite having been awake since early yesterday morning, neither driver needed to sleep...one didn't require it and the other couldn't have at the moment to save his life.
Hank had been propped up against the locked passenger door of Cade's Sierra, using blankets to keep him cushioned. Ja'deth had put him to sleep, as well, although in a kinder way, having also taken away the pain for the time being. The effects would wear off in a couple of days, but by then they hoped to have him at Na'ethal's clinic. To give their passenger room, Kira was in the middle, just barely brushing against Cade, although both tried to pretend they didn't really notice. She sat straight up with her legs on the other side of the four-wheel drive shift, but her shoulder pressed against his arm now and then.
In Ryan's Impala, the unknown prisoner was laying stiffly in the back seat. For now he was immobilized. Ryan planned on having him locked away somewhere where he couldn't escape until they could figure out what to do with him and get some answers.
The four-hour drive home was uneventful. Despite having been awake since early yesterday morning, neither driver needed to sleep...one didn't require it and the other couldn't have at the moment to save his life.
-19-
Monday afternoon:
Upon returning the New Bellwich, Ryan had taken the prisoner to the Tantalusi vampires' adyta, where the Coven Mistress, Cassandra, of course had a dungeon hidden away beneath the French Quarter. Being the keepers of peace and order among the vampires, the Police of the Undead they were called, sometimes imprisonment was necessary. Also it was where the Eldritch Council met, so the choice for Ryan was logical. He'd remained since Sunday when he broke the spell by ordering the man to awaken as he lay on the hard, stone floor of a cell.
The prisoner's first reaction had been anger, and he spent a good amount of time yanking on the bars of the dungeon's cell and yelling. The prison was lit by dim lights high above which cast a bluish glow over the dark stone. There were no windows as other vampires were sometimes held here, and the cells had nothing in them until occupied. Cassandra refused to have vermin or bugs in her dungeon. The latest prisoner had been given a bale of straw to do with what he chose, either keep it as a seat or make a bed. His first choice had been to kick it and demand to be released. When that had not been forthcoming, he'd stood in the middle of the cell as if in a trance. So far no one had escaped the Tantalusi prison, but unsure of what sort of powers he had, if he wasn't human, Cassandra had sent in her best to deal with him..
Upon returning the New Bellwich, Ryan had taken the prisoner to the Tantalusi vampires' adyta, where the Coven Mistress, Cassandra, of course had a dungeon hidden away beneath the French Quarter. Being the keepers of peace and order among the vampires, the Police of the Undead they were called, sometimes imprisonment was necessary. Also it was where the Eldritch Council met, so the choice for Ryan was logical. He'd remained since Sunday when he broke the spell by ordering the man to awaken as he lay on the hard, stone floor of a cell.
The prisoner's first reaction had been anger, and he spent a good amount of time yanking on the bars of the dungeon's cell and yelling. The prison was lit by dim lights high above which cast a bluish glow over the dark stone. There were no windows as other vampires were sometimes held here, and the cells had nothing in them until occupied. Cassandra refused to have vermin or bugs in her dungeon. The latest prisoner had been given a bale of straw to do with what he chose, either keep it as a seat or make a bed. His first choice had been to kick it and demand to be released. When that had not been forthcoming, he'd stood in the middle of the cell as if in a trance. So far no one had escaped the Tantalusi prison, but unsure of what sort of powers he had, if he wasn't human, Cassandra had sent in her best to deal with him..
Ryan, Cassandra, and Sebastian had watched the man go from silent to spilling his guts as it was discovered he bled red blood when sharp vampire claws raked over his chest, shredding his clothes. Then, hung by his wrists bound together as the blood dripped to the floor and covered with painful bite marks, the man had finally broke.
Or maybe he'd gone crazy, for what he'd screamed could only be insanity.
“The brethren of the Sons of Belial will not be stopped! We will have the weapon to defeat the dragons...that wretched evil will never walk the earth again when we are done. The Return shall never happen...the weapon will be ours. She will be ours!”
Then the prisoner had lost consciousness.
* * * * *
Now as Ryan drove toward Na'ethal's upscale clinic to meet Kira and Cade, he went over the words of the prisoner, supposedly from some group called the Sons of Belial. He and Cassandra had been skeptical of the claims he'd spewed. True dragons hadn't been seen for thousands of years, and most eldritch believed them to be extinct now...perhaps not a myth as the draconis did once exist, but surely there weren't enough to stage a “Return” as the prisoner had claimed.
But there was the question of the weapon he had mentioned. Not just a weapon, but a person...a female. Cassandra had excitedly promised to do her best to get more information from the prisoner, especially why the three men had attempted to kidnap Kira. Ryan had warned her that all information was to be shared with the council.
Or maybe he'd gone crazy, for what he'd screamed could only be insanity.
“The brethren of the Sons of Belial will not be stopped! We will have the weapon to defeat the dragons...that wretched evil will never walk the earth again when we are done. The Return shall never happen...the weapon will be ours. She will be ours!”
Then the prisoner had lost consciousness.
* * * * *
Now as Ryan drove toward Na'ethal's upscale clinic to meet Kira and Cade, he went over the words of the prisoner, supposedly from some group called the Sons of Belial. He and Cassandra had been skeptical of the claims he'd spewed. True dragons hadn't been seen for thousands of years, and most eldritch believed them to be extinct now...perhaps not a myth as the draconis did once exist, but surely there weren't enough to stage a “Return” as the prisoner had claimed.
But there was the question of the weapon he had mentioned. Not just a weapon, but a person...a female. Cassandra had excitedly promised to do her best to get more information from the prisoner, especially why the three men had attempted to kidnap Kira. Ryan had warned her that all information was to be shared with the council.
-20-
Cade and Kira waited in the small room at the doctor's clinic. Although late afternoon, Dr. Allen was still seeing patients. They'd come to see the teenager they'd rescued, but Hank was being kept asleep on the second floor. His injuries had been severe, and it was taking elven medicine plus complete immobility through a magickally induced sleep to heal him. When they'd reached New Bellwich on Sunday morning, Cade and Kira had delivered the boy to Na'ethal's clinic where the elf had been waiting. They'd helped with his settling in, despite the boy being unconscious. Kira had wanted to be there with him. Then they returned to the mansion in Landry Pointe to sleep. Exhausted, both had slept until late this morning.
Nathan had just left the private waiting room on the first level, telling the young pair to wait for him. His masquery was strong today, so they'd seen him in human form with short, white blond hair. They couldn't help but think of him as Nathan.
The television was on low but neither were watching as they lounged on the couch. They were busy picking at a container of vegetables with dip in a plastic tub and crackers that one of the nurses had brought in. Sitting in silence, Kira and Cade were content to remain that way for the moment.
Then Kira suddenly asked, “So how'd you get into hunting anyway?”
The silence went from comfortable to awkward as there was no response from Cade. Kira glanced over at him to see his eyes hard and his hand halfway to his mouth with another carrot stick. He was staring at her with his brow furrowed, and Kira blushed.
“Cade...I...I'm sorry,” she stammered. “I didn't mean to pry, honest. You've never talked about it, so I...well, I shouldn't have pried. There's probably a reason you don't talk about it,” Kira babbled on, unable to just shut up. “You'd have mentioned it otherwise...,”
Kira turned her attention to the television even though she didn't even hear it. She was afraid to look at Cade and didn't know what else to do.
“If I tell you, will you tell me?” Cade's voice came quietly from his side of the soft couch.
“What?” Kira asked in surprise, knowing what he meant but now understanding how she had made him feel. “I mean...,” she paused.
“C'mon,” Cade said, looking more like himself now having relaxed somewhat. He took another handful of crackers, wishing it were pizza, and talked through the food. “If I tell you my story, you need to tell me yours. No secrets. Not if we're going to fight this damn Death Knell together. We gotta know we can trust each other, Kira.”
Kira turned slowly on the couch, her movement putting her nearer Cade. “I do trust you, Cade. With my life, you know that. Along with the wer situation, you saved me the other night, don't forget. My god, you...you killed for me,” she whispered softly, not really wanting to remember that. “But...yeah, okay. Maybe we should tell each other.”
This scared Kira, confessing her past to someone else; but she felt more confident now that she knew Cade wouldn't judge her or make fun of her, not like when they'd first worked together for the Tantalusi vampires to rid the city of the wers.
Cade took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his arm along the back of the couch facing Kira. This brought him even closer to her. Cade pretended not to notice, nor did he admit that the closeness gave him a small amount of comfort.
“So,” he said, exhaling. “The life and times of Cade Jansen, huh? And Kira Laurent,” he added pointedly. “This oughta be exciting.”
Kira suddenly couldn't look at Cade and her smile faded. Already she'd lied.
“Did I say something wrong?” Cade asked, frowning. “That'd even be a new one for me since I've not even started yet.”
Kira shook her head. “No, it's not you...it's...me. Remember in Mississippi, in the truck, you asked me how Ryan could be my uncle? Well, Laurent's not my real last name.”
Cade raised his eyebrows. This was getting interesting right away. “Oh? Maybe you should go first then...or at least start us out. What is your real name?”
Kira shook her head and couldn't make eye contact.
“You're not gonna tell me?” Cade asked with a slight frown but trying to sound joking. “How're we supposed to trust...,” he began but Kira interrupted.
“Not won't...can't. I, well, I don't remember my real name. I made up Kira. I don't even know why I chose that name, but it just came to me when the police arrested me one night.”
“Do tell,” Cade said with genuine interest. “I have to assume then that Ryan's not your real uncle.” He'd suspected as much ever since their talk about gargoyles when they were in Mississippi.
“No, he's not,” Kira confessed. “I don't actually have a gargoyle for an uncle.”
Nathan had just left the private waiting room on the first level, telling the young pair to wait for him. His masquery was strong today, so they'd seen him in human form with short, white blond hair. They couldn't help but think of him as Nathan.
The television was on low but neither were watching as they lounged on the couch. They were busy picking at a container of vegetables with dip in a plastic tub and crackers that one of the nurses had brought in. Sitting in silence, Kira and Cade were content to remain that way for the moment.
Then Kira suddenly asked, “So how'd you get into hunting anyway?”
The silence went from comfortable to awkward as there was no response from Cade. Kira glanced over at him to see his eyes hard and his hand halfway to his mouth with another carrot stick. He was staring at her with his brow furrowed, and Kira blushed.
“Cade...I...I'm sorry,” she stammered. “I didn't mean to pry, honest. You've never talked about it, so I...well, I shouldn't have pried. There's probably a reason you don't talk about it,” Kira babbled on, unable to just shut up. “You'd have mentioned it otherwise...,”
Kira turned her attention to the television even though she didn't even hear it. She was afraid to look at Cade and didn't know what else to do.
“If I tell you, will you tell me?” Cade's voice came quietly from his side of the soft couch.
“What?” Kira asked in surprise, knowing what he meant but now understanding how she had made him feel. “I mean...,” she paused.
“C'mon,” Cade said, looking more like himself now having relaxed somewhat. He took another handful of crackers, wishing it were pizza, and talked through the food. “If I tell you my story, you need to tell me yours. No secrets. Not if we're going to fight this damn Death Knell together. We gotta know we can trust each other, Kira.”
Kira turned slowly on the couch, her movement putting her nearer Cade. “I do trust you, Cade. With my life, you know that. Along with the wer situation, you saved me the other night, don't forget. My god, you...you killed for me,” she whispered softly, not really wanting to remember that. “But...yeah, okay. Maybe we should tell each other.”
This scared Kira, confessing her past to someone else; but she felt more confident now that she knew Cade wouldn't judge her or make fun of her, not like when they'd first worked together for the Tantalusi vampires to rid the city of the wers.
Cade took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his arm along the back of the couch facing Kira. This brought him even closer to her. Cade pretended not to notice, nor did he admit that the closeness gave him a small amount of comfort.
“So,” he said, exhaling. “The life and times of Cade Jansen, huh? And Kira Laurent,” he added pointedly. “This oughta be exciting.”
Kira suddenly couldn't look at Cade and her smile faded. Already she'd lied.
“Did I say something wrong?” Cade asked, frowning. “That'd even be a new one for me since I've not even started yet.”
Kira shook her head. “No, it's not you...it's...me. Remember in Mississippi, in the truck, you asked me how Ryan could be my uncle? Well, Laurent's not my real last name.”
Cade raised his eyebrows. This was getting interesting right away. “Oh? Maybe you should go first then...or at least start us out. What is your real name?”
Kira shook her head and couldn't make eye contact.
“You're not gonna tell me?” Cade asked with a slight frown but trying to sound joking. “How're we supposed to trust...,” he began but Kira interrupted.
“Not won't...can't. I, well, I don't remember my real name. I made up Kira. I don't even know why I chose that name, but it just came to me when the police arrested me one night.”
“Do tell,” Cade said with genuine interest. “I have to assume then that Ryan's not your real uncle.” He'd suspected as much ever since their talk about gargoyles when they were in Mississippi.
“No, he's not,” Kira confessed. “I don't actually have a gargoyle for an uncle.”
-21-
As they walked through the clinic, Ryan brought Na'ethal up to speed on the man they'd captured. The Brother, as he'd called himself, of the Sons of Belial had confessed under vampire persuasion of a weapon against the dragons, a weapon that he'd called 'she'. Neither knew what to make of that. They personally hadn't known of any dragons for centuries; if any were here, they were keeping themselves well hidden.
Then Na'ethal told Ryan more of what he'd found in Cade's blood. Already tested for immortal markers, his blood and life force similar to the everlasting, the elven doctor hadn't found a match so far despite his tests. Either he'd had the blood in him all along and never said anything, or the infusions of Thomas and Bella's life forces when they'd healed him had triggered something. The elf was going to wait and watch, until he had some clue as to what advancements Cade would manifest.
The gargoyle and elf reached the open door of the waiting room and paused.
Then Na'ethal told Ryan more of what he'd found in Cade's blood. Already tested for immortal markers, his blood and life force similar to the everlasting, the elven doctor hadn't found a match so far despite his tests. Either he'd had the blood in him all along and never said anything, or the infusions of Thomas and Bella's life forces when they'd healed him had triggered something. The elf was going to wait and watch, until he had some clue as to what advancements Cade would manifest.
The gargoyle and elf reached the open door of the waiting room and paused.
-22-
Kira ended up going first. She hesitantly admitted that she started her life here in New Bellwich as an inhabitant of Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital back in February. She spent five agonizing months there before escaping not knowing who she was or what had happened to her and believing she had lost her mind...she literally had gone crazy complete with drugs pumped into her and all. With all her ranting about supernatural creatures and weird, chaotic dreams of monsters and strange places it was no wonder the doctors diagnosed her as crazy. Insane. Psychotic. Only they had a medical definition for it: afflicted with bizarre delusional disorder possibly with schizophrenia, where the delusions were strange and completely implausible. She admitted to Cade that she'd withdrawn from reality for most of that time as it was the easiest way to survive.
“You don't remember anything before that?” Cade asked seriously, hating everyone at the hospital for what they'd done to Kira, even though he hadn't known her then. He wanted to hurt them. “Not how you got there or anything?”
“Well, yes and no. I remember my parents...or I guess they were my parents...being brutally killed. Oh, Cade, “ Kira said softly, “they weren't human, the things that attacked. At the time I had no idea about demons, but I believe that's what they were. I barely remember that night now, we were at home...at least it was a home, a house, it seems like it was new to me...and then they came from the sky. Terrifying, misshapen, and fiendish. They were horrible looking, but they were a blur. I remember seeing red and wings and twisted faces with horns.”
“Son of a bitch,” Cade said softly but continued to listen.
“Long story short...I screamed, I ran into the dark, I fell down and saw the house go up in huge flames. Somehow I made it to New Bellwich, although apparently a month had passed. Everything about that night and before is like a dream, surreal and bizarre, you know. And I don't even remember anything about my life or myself before that,” Kira admitted, running a hand anxiously through her long hair. “I don't remember what happened after I ran.”
“You have no idea who you really are or where you came from?” Cade wanted to reach out and touch Kira, to make physical contact but wasn't sure if that would be welcomed or rejected.
“None,” Kira shook her head, her voice sad. “Ryan's been looking into it...missing persons, fires where the family was caught inside or killed, that sort of thing, but he never seems to find anything fitting what I told him. Then again, he'd have to search the entire country. There's no telling how far I came in a month.”
Cade whistled softly. He never would have guessed all that. “You're not the only one who saw demons like that, Kira,” he suddenly said, for the first time wanting to tell someone his story.
“What do you mean?” Kira asked.
“Eight years ago...when I was eighteen...my family was attacked, too, at our home. We lived sort of out in the country, a few miles out of town. I had a younger brother and sister...,” Cade stopped almost unable to go on. He hadn't really thought of Kris and Brett in a long time. He felt Kira put her hand tentatively on his on the back of the couch, doing what he'd wanted to do. Instead of moving his away, he barely let one of her fingers fall through his, keeping the two of them linked together. “They were like you described...the demons we saw came out of this weird shimmering thing in the trees. Only we couldn't see the trees where it was, only something dark and glowing, like there was fire there.”
Cade saw the scene in his mind again. He and his dad barbequing in the late evening, his mom putting food on the table outside, and his brother and sister running around. He clenched his jaw for a moment.
“Oh crap, Cade! You mean like the rift in the woods? You think it was one of those?”
Cade nodded.
“They just attacked without warning. Silently but without mercy. Dad and I, we grabbed our shotguns...we always kept guns around...and tried to fight them off. But long story short,” Cade gave Kira a slight smile for stealing her line, “bastards won and we lost. I lost. My whole family was butchered, but somehow I survived. I woke up in the trees later on when it was growing light out. I was injured, but able to get to the phone to call the cops.”
Kira was devastated for Cade. She'd never have guessed. “What did you tell them?” she asked breathlessly.
“Same thing you did: not a damn thing. Not the truth anyway. The investigation was for 'unknown assailants' and when nothing was ever found after several months the case was put on a back burner, and I was left with everything but my family.”
Cade told Kira how he sold the house and most of their possessions, stashing most of the money in the bank. He took his father's truck and, over time customized it for weapons and hunting demons. All the time the police were doing their investigation, and then afterward, Cade had been researching and learning about demons and monsters, and found out many of them were real. He began to “see” things that others didn't. Things he now knew were real.
Then he hit the road. He learned to fight, to shoot to kill, and all about rituals and exorcisms. He found the network of supernatural hunters that existed below the grid and learned more. What had started out as a revenge thing, had ended up being more for helping others and saving lives.
Kira was silent, completely absorbed in Cade's story.
Cade stopped and was silent for a moment as if spent. But he felt strangely cleansed, too, as if getting all that out had lightened his soul, but only a little. He couldn't bring himself to tell Kira that it was still his punishment to keep fighting, to save the world one demon at a time. His hidden secret—the heartache, fear, depression, and yes, even doubt—that had tormented Cade had lessened slightly for the moment.
His own life still didn't matter, now it was Kira's that was important. Cade knew this somehow. He was here to help her with the fight in the Death Knell. Especially after the same demons had come after her family as had attacked his. Vengeance against what had taken his family and his life from him could still be his. Cade would always blame himself for his family's deaths. He wouldn't allow himself to stop hunting demons, not until he was forced to.
Which meant he'd be dead.
The part of him that used to be angry that he had been denied a normal life seemed to loosen its noose around his soul. Now he had Kira to fight for, to fight with. He had a home of sorts. And he had a friend, which scared the crap out of Cade.
In the silence he glanced at Kira. “So, how did you get to become Kira Laurent?” he asked, the rest of her story still untold.
“You remember when you said I had no idea what it was like to be homeless?” Kira asked.
Cade nodded, having a bad feeling about this all of a sudden.
Kira continued her story of after her escape from the psych hospital...of how it had been Jareth who'd rescued her only he'd looked different then...of how she'd lived on the streets for nearly two weeks in filth, digging through the trash for her food as the anti-psychotic drugs wore off...and of the brutal, painful attack by the orc and Ryan's rescue. She told of learning about the Secret World and the Death Knell...of how she thought Ryan was crazy, but then again having seen what she'd already seen figured he must be telling the truth...of the eldritch, and the reality of the supernatural...of watching Ryan battle a djinnee in his gargoyle form...of Ryan making her decide what she wanted of her life and what direction she wanted it to go in.
“He told me there was pain and suffering for the eldritch and even humans because of the Death Knell, but in the end if we could save humanity...and the world of the immortals...from the demons, everything would have been worth it,” Kira paused in her story.
Cade was silent, understanding there was more.
“Ryan told me that the Secret World had already chosen me...and if I decided to stay, my path would not be an easy one. That scared the living crap out of me, I can tell you that,” she admitted.
“Jesus Christ, Kira,” Cade leaned back against the arm of the couch, shaking his head. He realized they lost the their physical contact but there was no way to get it back without being obvious. “And you stayed?”
Kira shrugged. “What choice did I really have? I had no home, no family, no memories! Where else would I have gone?” She exhaled slowly and stood up then sat on the arm of the couch. “Besides, something about it felt as if it was my destiny, as corny as that sounds. That's when I first told myself to just go with the supernatural flow...I thought that would pretty much help me accept anything.”
Cade laughed. “Did it?”
“Not so much,” Kira replied with a reluctant grin, “but maybe a little.”
Then she added, “And that's when I first dreamed about you getting killed, of dying so horribly.” Kira shuddered in remembrance. “Of course, obviously I didn't know it was you, if you know what I mean,” she tried to explain.
“I was wrong about you that night,” Cade admitted. “I thought you were some innocent girl who'd stumbled upon my exorcism site and was going to ruin everything. I had no idea you'd been through all the crap you've just told me. I'm sorry about that,” he added with a bit of embarrassment.
“You were rather an ass that night,” Kira said, trying to be serious. But after all this time and what they'd been through, she'd forgiven Cade for his behavior.
“I'm an ass a lot of nights...and days...and...,” Cade said matter-of-factly.
“Mmm, true,” Kira agreed.
They both laughed. Then Cade's smile faded.
“I was sorry I left you behind on the road by yourself, though,” he said. “I didn't want you to get hurt, to get involved with my life. I'd always made sure I never had any close friends...or real friends...for that matter, never to get emotionally involved. Then no one else could die on my watch,” he said out loud before he could stop himself.
Kira gasped. “Cade! Your family's death wasn't your fault!” she exclaimed, sitting back down on the couch near him without thinking.
But Cade shut down then, his face growing hard. “Don't go there,” he warned Kira. “Just drop it.”
Kira nodded and there was a short, uncomfortable silence. Cade rose from the couch. He stood with his back to her staring out the window of the waiting room at the lush gardens surrounding the clinic. He absently twisted the silver ring on his hand.
“At one point, when you touched me, when you were telling me about your dream,” Cade began, “I had this flash or vision in my mind. You were in my arms, we were somewhere I didn't recognize but it was a horrible place I never want to go...and you were dead, Kira. Dead.”
Cade turned around. Kira was sitting silently on the couch, her knees now pulled up her to chest and arms wrapped around them. She was staring at him with huge brown eyes.
“I didn't want that to happen. Ever. I thought you'd get hurt if I stayed, if I got to know you like I wanted.” Cade collapsed back down on the couch leaned his head back.
Kira stared at his clenched jaw, the strong lines shadowed with a faint hint of stubble. She tried not focus on how much she liked his appearance or that she sort of wanted to kiss him. “But it won't, Cade, it won't! I'm not the girl you thought I was...and I'm not even the same as I was then,” Kira protested.
But Cade shook his head, almost as if he hadn't heard. “I'll die before that happens, believe me. You'll never die in my arms, Kira.”
Cade jammed his hands in his jeans and his finger jabbed into something pointed and felt his skin punctured slightly. He pulled his hand out and wiped the small bead of blood on his leg before he opened it to Kira. She gasped at the small gold and white dragon on a gold chain in the palm of his hand.
“You don't remember anything before that?” Cade asked seriously, hating everyone at the hospital for what they'd done to Kira, even though he hadn't known her then. He wanted to hurt them. “Not how you got there or anything?”
“Well, yes and no. I remember my parents...or I guess they were my parents...being brutally killed. Oh, Cade, “ Kira said softly, “they weren't human, the things that attacked. At the time I had no idea about demons, but I believe that's what they were. I barely remember that night now, we were at home...at least it was a home, a house, it seems like it was new to me...and then they came from the sky. Terrifying, misshapen, and fiendish. They were horrible looking, but they were a blur. I remember seeing red and wings and twisted faces with horns.”
“Son of a bitch,” Cade said softly but continued to listen.
“Long story short...I screamed, I ran into the dark, I fell down and saw the house go up in huge flames. Somehow I made it to New Bellwich, although apparently a month had passed. Everything about that night and before is like a dream, surreal and bizarre, you know. And I don't even remember anything about my life or myself before that,” Kira admitted, running a hand anxiously through her long hair. “I don't remember what happened after I ran.”
“You have no idea who you really are or where you came from?” Cade wanted to reach out and touch Kira, to make physical contact but wasn't sure if that would be welcomed or rejected.
“None,” Kira shook her head, her voice sad. “Ryan's been looking into it...missing persons, fires where the family was caught inside or killed, that sort of thing, but he never seems to find anything fitting what I told him. Then again, he'd have to search the entire country. There's no telling how far I came in a month.”
Cade whistled softly. He never would have guessed all that. “You're not the only one who saw demons like that, Kira,” he suddenly said, for the first time wanting to tell someone his story.
“What do you mean?” Kira asked.
“Eight years ago...when I was eighteen...my family was attacked, too, at our home. We lived sort of out in the country, a few miles out of town. I had a younger brother and sister...,” Cade stopped almost unable to go on. He hadn't really thought of Kris and Brett in a long time. He felt Kira put her hand tentatively on his on the back of the couch, doing what he'd wanted to do. Instead of moving his away, he barely let one of her fingers fall through his, keeping the two of them linked together. “They were like you described...the demons we saw came out of this weird shimmering thing in the trees. Only we couldn't see the trees where it was, only something dark and glowing, like there was fire there.”
Cade saw the scene in his mind again. He and his dad barbequing in the late evening, his mom putting food on the table outside, and his brother and sister running around. He clenched his jaw for a moment.
“Oh crap, Cade! You mean like the rift in the woods? You think it was one of those?”
Cade nodded.
“They just attacked without warning. Silently but without mercy. Dad and I, we grabbed our shotguns...we always kept guns around...and tried to fight them off. But long story short,” Cade gave Kira a slight smile for stealing her line, “bastards won and we lost. I lost. My whole family was butchered, but somehow I survived. I woke up in the trees later on when it was growing light out. I was injured, but able to get to the phone to call the cops.”
Kira was devastated for Cade. She'd never have guessed. “What did you tell them?” she asked breathlessly.
“Same thing you did: not a damn thing. Not the truth anyway. The investigation was for 'unknown assailants' and when nothing was ever found after several months the case was put on a back burner, and I was left with everything but my family.”
Cade told Kira how he sold the house and most of their possessions, stashing most of the money in the bank. He took his father's truck and, over time customized it for weapons and hunting demons. All the time the police were doing their investigation, and then afterward, Cade had been researching and learning about demons and monsters, and found out many of them were real. He began to “see” things that others didn't. Things he now knew were real.
Then he hit the road. He learned to fight, to shoot to kill, and all about rituals and exorcisms. He found the network of supernatural hunters that existed below the grid and learned more. What had started out as a revenge thing, had ended up being more for helping others and saving lives.
Kira was silent, completely absorbed in Cade's story.
Cade stopped and was silent for a moment as if spent. But he felt strangely cleansed, too, as if getting all that out had lightened his soul, but only a little. He couldn't bring himself to tell Kira that it was still his punishment to keep fighting, to save the world one demon at a time. His hidden secret—the heartache, fear, depression, and yes, even doubt—that had tormented Cade had lessened slightly for the moment.
His own life still didn't matter, now it was Kira's that was important. Cade knew this somehow. He was here to help her with the fight in the Death Knell. Especially after the same demons had come after her family as had attacked his. Vengeance against what had taken his family and his life from him could still be his. Cade would always blame himself for his family's deaths. He wouldn't allow himself to stop hunting demons, not until he was forced to.
Which meant he'd be dead.
The part of him that used to be angry that he had been denied a normal life seemed to loosen its noose around his soul. Now he had Kira to fight for, to fight with. He had a home of sorts. And he had a friend, which scared the crap out of Cade.
In the silence he glanced at Kira. “So, how did you get to become Kira Laurent?” he asked, the rest of her story still untold.
“You remember when you said I had no idea what it was like to be homeless?” Kira asked.
Cade nodded, having a bad feeling about this all of a sudden.
Kira continued her story of after her escape from the psych hospital...of how it had been Jareth who'd rescued her only he'd looked different then...of how she'd lived on the streets for nearly two weeks in filth, digging through the trash for her food as the anti-psychotic drugs wore off...and of the brutal, painful attack by the orc and Ryan's rescue. She told of learning about the Secret World and the Death Knell...of how she thought Ryan was crazy, but then again having seen what she'd already seen figured he must be telling the truth...of the eldritch, and the reality of the supernatural...of watching Ryan battle a djinnee in his gargoyle form...of Ryan making her decide what she wanted of her life and what direction she wanted it to go in.
“He told me there was pain and suffering for the eldritch and even humans because of the Death Knell, but in the end if we could save humanity...and the world of the immortals...from the demons, everything would have been worth it,” Kira paused in her story.
Cade was silent, understanding there was more.
“Ryan told me that the Secret World had already chosen me...and if I decided to stay, my path would not be an easy one. That scared the living crap out of me, I can tell you that,” she admitted.
“Jesus Christ, Kira,” Cade leaned back against the arm of the couch, shaking his head. He realized they lost the their physical contact but there was no way to get it back without being obvious. “And you stayed?”
Kira shrugged. “What choice did I really have? I had no home, no family, no memories! Where else would I have gone?” She exhaled slowly and stood up then sat on the arm of the couch. “Besides, something about it felt as if it was my destiny, as corny as that sounds. That's when I first told myself to just go with the supernatural flow...I thought that would pretty much help me accept anything.”
Cade laughed. “Did it?”
“Not so much,” Kira replied with a reluctant grin, “but maybe a little.”
Then she added, “And that's when I first dreamed about you getting killed, of dying so horribly.” Kira shuddered in remembrance. “Of course, obviously I didn't know it was you, if you know what I mean,” she tried to explain.
“I was wrong about you that night,” Cade admitted. “I thought you were some innocent girl who'd stumbled upon my exorcism site and was going to ruin everything. I had no idea you'd been through all the crap you've just told me. I'm sorry about that,” he added with a bit of embarrassment.
“You were rather an ass that night,” Kira said, trying to be serious. But after all this time and what they'd been through, she'd forgiven Cade for his behavior.
“I'm an ass a lot of nights...and days...and...,” Cade said matter-of-factly.
“Mmm, true,” Kira agreed.
They both laughed. Then Cade's smile faded.
“I was sorry I left you behind on the road by yourself, though,” he said. “I didn't want you to get hurt, to get involved with my life. I'd always made sure I never had any close friends...or real friends...for that matter, never to get emotionally involved. Then no one else could die on my watch,” he said out loud before he could stop himself.
Kira gasped. “Cade! Your family's death wasn't your fault!” she exclaimed, sitting back down on the couch near him without thinking.
But Cade shut down then, his face growing hard. “Don't go there,” he warned Kira. “Just drop it.”
Kira nodded and there was a short, uncomfortable silence. Cade rose from the couch. He stood with his back to her staring out the window of the waiting room at the lush gardens surrounding the clinic. He absently twisted the silver ring on his hand.
“At one point, when you touched me, when you were telling me about your dream,” Cade began, “I had this flash or vision in my mind. You were in my arms, we were somewhere I didn't recognize but it was a horrible place I never want to go...and you were dead, Kira. Dead.”
Cade turned around. Kira was sitting silently on the couch, her knees now pulled up her to chest and arms wrapped around them. She was staring at him with huge brown eyes.
“I didn't want that to happen. Ever. I thought you'd get hurt if I stayed, if I got to know you like I wanted.” Cade collapsed back down on the couch leaned his head back.
Kira stared at his clenched jaw, the strong lines shadowed with a faint hint of stubble. She tried not focus on how much she liked his appearance or that she sort of wanted to kiss him. “But it won't, Cade, it won't! I'm not the girl you thought I was...and I'm not even the same as I was then,” Kira protested.
But Cade shook his head, almost as if he hadn't heard. “I'll die before that happens, believe me. You'll never die in my arms, Kira.”
Cade jammed his hands in his jeans and his finger jabbed into something pointed and felt his skin punctured slightly. He pulled his hand out and wiped the small bead of blood on his leg before he opened it to Kira. She gasped at the small gold and white dragon on a gold chain in the palm of his hand.
-23-
“I bought this for you...the day you had your tattoos done,” Cade confessed with some embarrassment. “I don't know why...I mean, I bought it because I wanted to give it to you, but I don't know why I bought this particular one. A dragon.” Cade shut his mouth to stop babbling like an idiot.
Kira tentatively reached out to stroke the beautiful dragon pendant. “I love dragons,” she whispered. “How does everyone know that? First my tattoo, now this...I've never told anyone, Cade! I don't even know why I love dragons, I mean don't remember why. I just know that I do.”
Cade shook his head. But he sat up and made Kira turn around while he clasped the necklace around her neck. When she turned back the dragon was resting in her palm and she was staring at it.
“I love it. Thank you,” she said, “I...,”
But Kira never got any further. Ryan's voice came from the doorway.
“Cade, I'd like a word with you alone.”
Kira tentatively reached out to stroke the beautiful dragon pendant. “I love dragons,” she whispered. “How does everyone know that? First my tattoo, now this...I've never told anyone, Cade! I don't even know why I love dragons, I mean don't remember why. I just know that I do.”
Cade shook his head. But he sat up and made Kira turn around while he clasped the necklace around her neck. When she turned back the dragon was resting in her palm and she was staring at it.
“I love it. Thank you,” she said, “I...,”
But Kira never got any further. Ryan's voice came from the doorway.
“Cade, I'd like a word with you alone.”
-24-
Kira stood quickly, almost in front of Cade. “Ryan?” she asked warily. “What's wrong?”
But Ryan merely looked at Cade. He'd been a police detective long enough to know how to get his point across without words; and a gargoyle forever, which meant the protection of others was in his very soul. He'd heard most of what the two young Death Knell warriors had said to each other. Ryan wondered how much of Cade's talk was just that...talk...and how much he really meant, especially about not allowing Kira to die, wondered how much the boy really believed what he was saying. He sounded sincere and committed, but Ryan had to be certain.
Cade moved in front of Kira and strode toward Ryan, trying not to show his emotions. If the damn gargoyle could do it, then so could he. At least the young demon hunter hoped so. Ryan had him beat when it came to hiding emotions, considering the man...gargoyle...whatever he was...didn't freakin' have any!
When Ryan turned and walked out of the waiting room, Cade followed.
“Hey! You two wait a minute!” Kira shouted. “What's going on?”
But Na'ethal caught her with an arm around her midsection as she exited the room. She looked up at him and realized that the elven doctor had dropped his masquery. He stood before her in his button down shirt, tie, and trousers but had long, white blond hair, pointed ears; and those cobalt-blue eyes of his were peering into her own.
“What's wrong?” Kira whispered, watching Cade, his broad shoulders so apparent under his t-shirt, follow Ryan through the clinic. For all intents and purposes he was her guardian now, and she felt his actions had something to do with her.
“Show me your necklace,” Na'ethal said, ignoring her question. He'd heard about and seen Kira's tattoo earlier, having insisted on checking the healing process.“You say you don't remember why you like dragons?”
Something made the elf frown slightly. Suddenly, where before there had been none, there were too many references to dragons surrounding Kira and now the Eldritch Council.
But Ryan merely looked at Cade. He'd been a police detective long enough to know how to get his point across without words; and a gargoyle forever, which meant the protection of others was in his very soul. He'd heard most of what the two young Death Knell warriors had said to each other. Ryan wondered how much of Cade's talk was just that...talk...and how much he really meant, especially about not allowing Kira to die, wondered how much the boy really believed what he was saying. He sounded sincere and committed, but Ryan had to be certain.
Cade moved in front of Kira and strode toward Ryan, trying not to show his emotions. If the damn gargoyle could do it, then so could he. At least the young demon hunter hoped so. Ryan had him beat when it came to hiding emotions, considering the man...gargoyle...whatever he was...didn't freakin' have any!
When Ryan turned and walked out of the waiting room, Cade followed.
“Hey! You two wait a minute!” Kira shouted. “What's going on?”
But Na'ethal caught her with an arm around her midsection as she exited the room. She looked up at him and realized that the elven doctor had dropped his masquery. He stood before her in his button down shirt, tie, and trousers but had long, white blond hair, pointed ears; and those cobalt-blue eyes of his were peering into her own.
“What's wrong?” Kira whispered, watching Cade, his broad shoulders so apparent under his t-shirt, follow Ryan through the clinic. For all intents and purposes he was her guardian now, and she felt his actions had something to do with her.
“Show me your necklace,” Na'ethal said, ignoring her question. He'd heard about and seen Kira's tattoo earlier, having insisted on checking the healing process.“You say you don't remember why you like dragons?”
Something made the elf frown slightly. Suddenly, where before there had been none, there were too many references to dragons surrounding Kira and now the Eldritch Council.
-25-
Cade stood outside in the humid warmth of summer with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. Despite his size and physical abilities, he was well aware that Ryan could literally kick his ass, not to mention kill him easily. Cade refused to be intimidated. However, it was somewhat distracting that he could faintly see Ryan's black feathered wings folded up behind him. He hoped he'd get used to them and stop seeing the damn things.
“Now that you've come this far, there's no backing out of this, boy,” Ryan growled warningly without preamble.
Cade narrowed his eyes and turned to stare at Ryan. The determination in his eyes was fierce. “No, there's not,” he said deadly serious, the tone of his voice standing up to Ryan, man to man as it were.
“You made some promises to that girl, promises that I now hold you to keeping.”
Cade was silent. He wasn't going to defend himself. He knew what he'd said and he'd meant it. He merely held Ryan's gaze, his own gaze steady and sure.
It was then, as Ryan was drawn into the eyes of the young man, that the gargoyle heard the truth.
He was spoken to in the voice of the celestines, the ancestral language of light and sound that all celestine spirits, such as Ryan, knew. Through sounds, vibrations, and pulses of light that flashed in Ryan's mind and in Cade's eyes, Ryan witnessed what none had ever seen, what Cade was deep inside.
What even Cade didn't know.
He was the demons' Eternal Foe. And not just one of many...but potentially the most formidable warrior ever to fight the darkness. He was driven by determination, vengeance, and human guilt, which together gave him the incredible willpower to fight to the end. Ryan now understood that Cade would hunt relentlessly until he died or was killed, but until that time his faith in his survival lay in the rightness of killing demons and protecting Kira.
The communication that came from a source Ryan couldn't identify took only seconds, but it convinced the gargolye that Cade was committed to the Death Knell.
Still, Ryan was committed to watch over Kira and felt it his duty to warn Cade.
“You've agreed to protect and work with Kira...and you'll have to let her help protect you, as well. You will have to accept her as she is...and as she will become,” Ryan said.
Cade glanced toward the clinic where somewhere Kira waited, probably wondering what was happening out here. “I wouldn't have it any other way,...Ryan,” Cade said, using Ryan's name to put himself on the same level.
Ryan nodded once, then inclined his head back toward the clinic.
It was time to return.
It was time to continue the battle against the Death Knell and the many horrors which had crossed the barriers between the realms within the Secret World, as well as passed into the Real World.
It was time Kira and Cade learned to fight as a team, to rely upon one another, and what real horrors the Secret World held.
“Now that you've come this far, there's no backing out of this, boy,” Ryan growled warningly without preamble.
Cade narrowed his eyes and turned to stare at Ryan. The determination in his eyes was fierce. “No, there's not,” he said deadly serious, the tone of his voice standing up to Ryan, man to man as it were.
“You made some promises to that girl, promises that I now hold you to keeping.”
Cade was silent. He wasn't going to defend himself. He knew what he'd said and he'd meant it. He merely held Ryan's gaze, his own gaze steady and sure.
It was then, as Ryan was drawn into the eyes of the young man, that the gargoyle heard the truth.
He was spoken to in the voice of the celestines, the ancestral language of light and sound that all celestine spirits, such as Ryan, knew. Through sounds, vibrations, and pulses of light that flashed in Ryan's mind and in Cade's eyes, Ryan witnessed what none had ever seen, what Cade was deep inside.
What even Cade didn't know.
He was the demons' Eternal Foe. And not just one of many...but potentially the most formidable warrior ever to fight the darkness. He was driven by determination, vengeance, and human guilt, which together gave him the incredible willpower to fight to the end. Ryan now understood that Cade would hunt relentlessly until he died or was killed, but until that time his faith in his survival lay in the rightness of killing demons and protecting Kira.
The communication that came from a source Ryan couldn't identify took only seconds, but it convinced the gargolye that Cade was committed to the Death Knell.
Still, Ryan was committed to watch over Kira and felt it his duty to warn Cade.
“You've agreed to protect and work with Kira...and you'll have to let her help protect you, as well. You will have to accept her as she is...and as she will become,” Ryan said.
Cade glanced toward the clinic where somewhere Kira waited, probably wondering what was happening out here. “I wouldn't have it any other way,...Ryan,” Cade said, using Ryan's name to put himself on the same level.
Ryan nodded once, then inclined his head back toward the clinic.
It was time to return.
It was time to continue the battle against the Death Knell and the many horrors which had crossed the barriers between the realms within the Secret World, as well as passed into the Real World.
It was time Kira and Cade learned to fight as a team, to rely upon one another, and what real horrors the Secret World held.