Lethal Blow: (Succubus Hitwoman Book 2)
Page 14
“I have an idea,” I say, pulling my shoulders back.
Ace widens his stance and stiffens.
“Give me your ring,” I order.
He arches a brow, no doubt thinking I’ve lost my mind. We were transported here through a portal, which means the one way back is through another portal. Without the ring, there’s no way back. Well, unless he’s one of the traitors.
God… gorgeous and brilliant.
“Come on,” I say. “Hand it over.”
Although confused, he does as told and places it in the palm of my hand.
Behind us, a line has already formed, and one by one, people walk through the exit portal. I grab his arm and force my way toward the front of the line. “Excuse me. Sorry. Family emergency.”
A few oomphs and umphs come from people’s mouths as I push my way through, but no one tells me to back off.
“Rayne, what the hell—” Ace tries, but before he can argue, I push him as hard as I can into the portal.
I realize it’s a risk and possibly a stupid one, at that. But I need to be sure.
Fiery red sparks burst out of the portal, followed by a loud crackling noise similar to that of a forgotten fork inside a microwave. Before I can react, Ace shoots across the room and over everyone’s heads. He lands hard against the chief dwarf, and together, they tumble against the back wall.
Shrieks and shouts fill the room as people run to the back.
What a relief. I mean… Wow, that must have hurt.
“Oh my goddess,” I shout with a dumbed-down, ditsy voice. “Sorry. So sorry.” I rush across the room like I’m stepping on hot coals and offer the crowd a guilty smile. The looks I’m getting range from, Is he okay? to What the fuck just happened?
I raise Ace’s ring to my face and stretch a fake grin. “Silly me. His ring was dirty and I wanted to clean it for him. Then I find out my brother’s gone missing—” I fan my face. “Wow. I’m so sorry. My mind is all over the place.”
Grunting, Ace gets up but shoots his arms out to maintain balance, his focus wandering around the room.
“You’re okay,” I say, now letting out a ridiculous laugh. “Walk it off.”
I grab him by the arm and help him back to the portal. He’s too dazed now, but he’ll interrogate me soon enough and ask me if I need professional help.
Still smiling awkwardly at everyone, I slip his ring back on and flash Rachel a frown that translates to, Let’s go.
She hurries to the front with us, and together, we all jump through.
Chapter 25
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Rachel paces across the remains of the motel room as if trying to decipher some advanced calculus equation. She rubs her chin, scratches the back of her head, and then stands with her hands clutching her hips. “You realize there’s no guarantee this’ll work, right?”
I glance sideways at Ace sitting at the edge of the bed with an ice pack on his cheek.
He’s pissed off, but it had to be done.
Wincing apologetically, I say, “I had to be sure.
“I know,” he grumbles. “I would’ve done the same thing.”
Rachel glares at us as if she’s being paid by the minute to be here. “Hello?”
I sigh. “I know it isn’t certain, Rachel, but you’re the only one who has something that belongs to Zerachu.”
She doesn’t seem convinced. Why would she? This whole situation is a mess. I genuinely believe that the one person powerful enough to take down whoever did this is Zerachu. The Council of Elders is almighty, sure—but they don’t know what goes on in the Dark Hall. That area is Zerachu’s domain, and although she might be a bit of a whack job at times, she’s the one person I wouldn’t want to cross.
There’s a reason the Great Witch is missing. Whoever did this knows she’s a threat, which means we have to find her. And since no one can get back into the Dark Hall—I wish I’d known this before leaving—it’s impossible to use one of her belongings to cast a location spell.
What I’m asking Rachel is so insane it just might work.
“So, do I have to take it out of me, or what?”
Drax doesn’t look impressed, but I can tell he knows this is the only way.
“A bit,” I say, handing Rachel one of my knives.
She takes it reluctantly and lets it hover over her left palm.
“I don’t understand,” Ace says, stopping Rachel before she applies pressure. “Why is she the one doing this?”
No one says anything, which is explanation enough. With eyes doubled in size, he gapes at Rachel. “You’re related to—”
Rachel nods. “Apparently. So, am I doing this, or what? I do want to point out that this is some serious stuff. Once the portal opens, I don’t think we should leave it open.”
Ace stretches his swollen jaw and something pops. “Rachel’s right. I’ve seen someone create a blood portal once in my life, and the result, well… Let’s say it wasn’t a success.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Drax asks.
Behind him, Mr. Mushroom barks like he understands what we’re talking about.
“Things don’t always go as planned,” I say. “But what choice do we have? The world is about to go to shit. I can guarantee you that the war has already started—”
“About that…” Ace says, sounding like he’s withholding some big dark secret.
He may very well be, so I give him a stern look that translates to, I don’t have all day.
“I overheard a few people talking during the Battalion meeting. The Council of Elders will attempt to cast an Interruptu spell.”
Everyone in the room gasps, including me, which makes me feel like a total moron. “That’s impossible.”
He shakes his head. “I know it sounds insane, but this could change everything.”
Rachel, still standing awkwardly with my blade in her palm, grimaces at us like we’re speaking in another language. “What is that?”
“It pauses all feeble life,” I say. “Every feeble on Earth gets placed into this isolation realm and when they return, they have no idea what happened to them.”
“Well—” Drax says.
I roll my eyes. “The Council of Elders will never admit it, but they use the spell on certain individuals for unknown reasons. Some of these people have come forward with unusual marks on them, claiming they’ve been abducted by aliens.”
“Can you blame them?” Drax says. “That’s pretty invasive.”
I swat the air in front of my face. “Who cares about privacy? That’s not my point. I’ve never heard of the council being able to pull this off worldwide.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s never happened,” Ace says.
“Well, it hasn’t in the last thousand years,” I say. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s no way they’ll pull it off.”
“Still,” Ace says. “It’s a possibility. If we wait a while longer and the Council of Elders gets feebles out of our way—”
“It isn’t happening,” I cut him off. “And we can’t rely on some miracle to make this easier for us. We need to stop whoever stole the book and the amulet before things get out of hand. The longer we wait, the worse things will get.”
He tightens his lips.
Loud crunching fills the room, and everyone turns to look at Drax sitting on the bed with chips falling out of his mouth. “Hold up,” Drax says, bits of chip flakes bursting into the air. “Why are we the ones doing this? The Council of Elders has its own army.”
I point at Rachel with my nose. “But we have her.”
“Why didn’t you tell the Battalion people, or whatever they’re called?” Drax asks. But then he catches a glimpse of Rachel’s fake ring and snaps his fingers. “Oh, I get it. Don’t know who you can trust, right? For all we know, someone’ll kidnap her and kill her to stop her from—”
“Drax,” I hiss, and he stops talking.
His yellow eyes dart at Rachel. “Sorry, kid.”
I pause, my stare lingering on the carpet floor. If only I could get ahold of Veerka. She’s the one who sent me on this wild goose chase to begin with. So where is she now? Is she even on our side? If she isn’t, why send me to the Battalion? It doesn’t make sense. I’m surprised that this is the first time I think about her in hours, which I suppose makes sense given the fact that a dragon swallowed me and all.
“Are you ready?” I ask.
Rachel nods.
“Once I go in, close the portal. So long as I can get to Zerachu, we’ll be able to get out.”
“What?” Ace says. “You’re the one going in?”
My eyes narrow on him. Is he an idiot? Who else is supposed to go in? Rachel may be the one opening the portal, but no way in hell am I letting her go in there. There’s no telling what’s waiting on the other side, which means the right candidate is someone who knows how to defend themselves.
“I’ll go,” he says.
I scoff, though I don’t mean to. “I don’t need a hero, Ace. I’m a strong, independent woman who’s quite capable—”
Something slithers around my ankles and I let out a high-pitched shriek. The moment I jump backward, I realize it’s the iguana from earlier. Well, the dragon.
“What the hell is that thing doing in here?” I snap.
“Leave Spike alone,” Rachel says, bending down to pick him up.
“Spike,” I repeat. “How original.”
She pets the little spikes on the lizard’s head and its eyes turn into black lines.
“You plan on keeping that thing?” I ask.
She scratches him between the eyes. “For now.”
I’m about to say something mean, so instead, I wiggle a finger at the blade she’s holding. “Let’s get this over with.”
Chapter 26
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The portal twirls like a cyclone, its bloodred and majestic purple flashes mixing so perfectly it’s making me want ice cream. I’m thinking the colors have something to do with the fact that it’s related to blood magic, but I can’t be certain. The room fills with a loud hum—a sound that could easily be mistaken for a nearby helicopter.
Preparing myself for the worst, I offer Ace a brief nod. I’m not afraid for my safety; I’m afraid I’ll get lost and won’t make my way back to Veerka and Mr. Mushroom. Okay, the rest of the gang, too. It wouldn’t be the first time I get transported through another dimension only to return five years later.
What if Rachel fucked up? What if her portal does lead into another dimension? I made it clear that I need to remain on this Earth, but vocalizing my concerns doesn’t change her abilities.
I step toward the portal, its sheer power causing my hair to flow behind me. Everyone else takes a step back like I’m about to step into a bomb.
Thanks, guys. Real comforting.
“Where you headed?” comes a familiar voice.
I spin around, my hair webbing my entire face. When I move it out of the way, my eyes land on Zane. With his back against the half-torn wall, he smirks arrogantly at the portal, and then at us.
“How the hell did you get in here?” I ask.
He gives me a one-shoulder shrug and then gazes up at the missing roof. Obviously, that’s not how he got in, but he seems to be amused that he caught us all off guard.
More than likely, he teleported. He is a witch, after all.
“This doesn’t concern you,” I say sharply.
I don’t mean to come across as a bitch, but I don’t know the kid. He can’t know what we’re doing. Surprisingly, my tone doesn’t faze him. Uncrossing his arms, he pushes himself into a standing position and walks toward us. The portal continues to twirl, creating little creases across his clothing.
Inspecting Rachel’s creation, he says, “This looks like a blood portal.”
Finally, some emotion on his face. His jaw loosens, and he turns to Rachel. “How did you pull this off?”
She looks at me, and when I shake my head, she doesn’t respond. Although I like the kid, I don’t approve of the way he sneaked up on us, especially when we’re in the middle of something both private and dangerous.
He throws his chin out at Rachel. “I saw that you managed to enter the Battalion meeting, and I had to figure out what you were up to.” As if suddenly possessed, he wrinkles his forehead and his brows meet above the bridge of his nose. With that furious look still on his face, he flattens his palms and makes two massive fireballs appear. “Did you take my mother?” he shouts.
I’m too shocked to say anything, and by how quiet the room’s gotten, I’m thinking I’m not the only one.
“Answer me!”
Rachel takes a step back. Ace steps in front of her with his chest puffed out and his wings expanded.
Hot and protective… Focus, Alexis.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I say.
The calmness in my voice seems to provoke him. He makes his fireballs double in size and raises one higher than the other, prepared to launch it at me. Rachel’s portal disappears in a flash.
Goddamn it.
Unable to contain myself, I laugh. I don’t mean to, but is this kid trying to make us believe that Zerachu is his mother? I can’t imagine that woman being with a man. She gives me that don’t-fuck-with-me butch lesbian vibe.
“Pretending to be Zerachu’s son won’t get you anywhere,” I say, extracting my claws.
If this kid wants a fight, he’ll get one. I’m not typically one to hit anyone under the age of eighteen, but he’s asking for it.
The sound of Zerachu’s name makes his fireballs disappear. “Zerachu?”
What the hell is going on here? What am I missing?
Clearing his throat, he composes himself as if the fireball threat never happened. “You don’t know who I am, and with how confused you all appear to be, I realize now that you aren’t the bad guys.”
You think? Jackass.
“No, we aren’t,” I say. “So who the hell are you and what does your mother have to do with us?”
He elevates his chin as if prepared to tell us he’s from a royal bloodline. “I’m Devania’s son.”
Okay, I wasn’t expecting that one.
He stares at the ground. “She went missing when the Great Witch disappeared. No one’s announcing it. They’re afraid it might cause panic among the Battalion.”
I sigh at the cloudy sky above us. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“If you aren’t one of the bad guys, why did you open up a blood portal?” he asks.
I don’t want to tell this kid who Rachel is, but it’s obvious that all he wants to do is find his mother. And if I don’t tell him what’s going on, he might refuse to leave. I’m all for using lethal force if necessary, but if I kill Devania’s kid, I won’t be around for long.
“First of all,” I say, “you made us lose the portal. Thanks a lot, jack—”
Drax clears his throat to keep me in line.
“We’re trying to find Zerachu,” I say.
Zane furrows his brows. “How does that explain the blood portal? The only way you’d be creating a blood portal to find Zerachu is if—” And then, as if just now realizing he needs oxygen to live, his eyes widen and he twirls on his heels. “Someone in this room is related to the Great Witch?”
Rachel’s stare lingers on me again, and this time, I nod as a way of giving her my approval.
“She’s my great-aunt,” Rachel says.
“Grandaunt, technically,” I correct.
She gives me a sour look. “Whatever. It’s the same thing. She’s my grandmother’s sister.”
Zane smiles—a smug look that makes me wonder if he’s even surprised. The only way a blood portal can be created is by someone who possesses the blood in question. If he’s a witch, he should have known that. Maybe Devania has been t
oo busy saving the world to teach her kid about magic.
And that’s when it hits me. If Zane is the son of Devania, how did he become a witch? She’s a Ukrisse demon, capable of morphing into any form, which would make him a hybrid.
“Devania isn’t a witch,” I say boldly.
Taken aback by my words, he turns to me and grimaces as if to say, What’s your point?
“How did you turn out to be a one?”
“My father,” he says coldly. “If you even want to call him that.”
“Bad relationship?” Ace cuts in.
“He abandoned us a long time ago. I don’t understand why you’re interrogating me when you guys are the ones with a fake Battalion ring and a blood portal.”
The kid has a point.
I’m about to ask him whether his ring is fake but I realize this would be a stupid thing to do. He’s Devania’s son—of course, it isn’t fake. And even if it were, it’s not like he’d admit to it. Besides, why would he have gone through all the trouble of taking us into the Battalion meeting?
I need to work on my trust issues.
“Let me help,” he says. “Maybe my mom is being held captive with Zerachu.”
I want to argue, but I can’t. Finding both of them would be an absolute miracle right about now. The world needs Zerachu’s magic, and the Battalion needs Devania’s leadership.
“What do you have to offer?” I ask.
He points his chin at Rachel. “I’ll go with her and ensure she remains safe.”
I scoff. “I’m the one going. Do you honestly think I’d let—”
“You?” he asks, knitting his brows.
Is he trying to insult me? Does he not think me capable enough to handle a few bad guys? Okay, I might be downplaying it. For all I know, an entire army is positioned around Rachel’s great-aunt. That is, if she’s even still alive.
“You can’t enter a blood portal on your own,” he says.
This is news to me. “What are you talking about?”