“Listen,” I raked my fingers through his hair. “I am the only one who could reasonably be expected to lift that thing. Since it doesn’t respond to Marcus’s magic, I will have to use good old muscle power to destroy it.”
“Your brother has phenomenal powers. Maybe we should have searched harder for another way to use them to crush the urn remotely.”
I knew it was his fear for me speaking. He was willing to overlook logic in his desperation to keep me out of harm’s way.
“Raim, you said it yourself. We’ll need to follow the writings on the soros stone. There must be a reason why this urn didn’t break on impact a millennium ago when the rest of them shattered. Just as there must be a point in a cambion’s touch being able to destroy it. Trying to get around that, we risk alerting the Elder of our plans.”
“What if lifting and tossing it to the ground doesn’t break it, either?”
“If I can’t break it on the spot, I’m taking it out of there,” I announced resolutely. “We can figure out where to hide it so that no demon or human ever finds it. In any case, Raim, I have to be there with Marcus, to watch his back as he’ll be watching mine until you get to me. Even if he could lift the urn, I wouldn’t let him go in on his own.”
“What if I insist.” He brought his eyebrows together in a frown, his mouth setting into a thin, stubborn line.
“I’ll insist back,” I retorted.
“I was afraid you’d say that.” He released a long sigh.
I continued to stroke his hair gently.
“I did not find my brother, honey, only to hide behind him now.”
Chapter 24
IT WAS A LOVELY SUMMER morning. The sun streamed through the windows on each side of the bed, casting chequered rectangles of light on the opposite wall. Even with the windows closed, I could hear birds chirping outside.
This could be the last day of my life . . .
The thought shocked me awake, but I refused to dwell on all of the ‘what if’s’ that could possibly happen today.
My task seemed simple enough to accomplish. And, I had an out-of-this-world support team that I trusted with my life, literally.
What I needed was to keep my mind clear and my heart firm. So much depended on me. People’s lives were at stake, and now that I’d gone to Arizona, they were no longer some distant relatives from my nearly forgotten past. Their names and faces were clear and crisp in my mind. My aunts, cousins, my brother, my baby nephew.
Keeping the melancholy and fear at bay, I got dressed quickly and ran downstairs in search of Raim.
The murmur of male voices came from a small breakfast room off the kitchen, and I headed that way.
Raim stood by the large window, facing the entrance to the room. The four demons, Sytrius, Ivarr, Vadim, and Andras, were sitting in high-backed chairs haphazardly arranged around the round table.
“Morning, Delilah,” the Incubi greeted me, one by one.
“Did you wake her up?” Raim snapped at the demons. “I told you to be quiet.” He separated from the window frame he had been leaning up against, and came to me.
“No,” I jumped to their defence when he gave me a kiss. “They’ve been quiet. It was time for me to get up, anyway. I slept most of the day yesterday, remember?”
“You needed to sleep off the jetlag.”
“There wasn’t even any jet, remember? Marcus brought us here.”
“The time difference is still there. You still need to adjust.”
“I’ve adjusted,” I reassured him.
“Good.” Vadim got up and retrieved a bundle from a corner by the wall. “We got a suit for you.”
Only now did I realize that the charcoal-grey clothes they all wore were the Incubi uniforms, without the armour, though. I’d seen pictures of them before, and the Incubi in the Rocky Mountains that night were wearing the same uniforms. This was, however, the first time I got to see the suits this close and, as Vadim said, I would get to wear one myself.
“Sytrius estimated your size.” Vadim handed the folded uniform to me. “If it doesn’t fit, blame him.”
“It will fit.” Sytrius nodded confidently. “The material is stretchy, and the vest’s straps are adjustable. The length should be fine, too, I made sure to note your height.”
“Thank you.” I placed the folded clothes down on one of the chairs.
“You need to eat breakfast, first and foremost.” Raim brought a tray from the kitchen counter to the table. “Move,” he ordered Andras to make space for me. The Incubus shifted to the side along with his chair, without saying a word in protest.
“I can eat at the counter,” I suggested. “Or out there in the dining room.” The house definitely didn’t lack rooms or tables.
“Stay,” Raim lifted the food covers, revealing a plate with eggs and bacon and bowls with fresh fruit salad and yogurt.
“We’ll fill you in on what’s going on while you’re eating,” Andras offered.
Raim moved the chair for me to sit down. “Marcus should be here shortly. After you eat and change, we’ll be heading out.”
My heart dropped into a void somewhere deep in my stomach.
It was happening.
I hurriedly shoved a forkful of scrambled eggs in my mouth, attempting to choke the panic before it had a chance to rise to the surface.
Then I felt Raim’s hand on my shoulder, his thumb stroking my nape. The anxiety ebbed with a dusting of frost on my skin as he took it from me. I nuzzled his hand with gratitude, forcing myself to keep eating.
The plan was simple. Marcus would teleport us close to The Priory grounds in the Alps, just outside the range of their surveillance cameras. Unfortunately, with the Monks wearing their amulets, he wouldn’t be able to get the demons inside the church directly. It had also been decided against landing inside the grounds because of the high risk of being shot the moment we appeared.
Instead, Sytrius would disable the cameras, with Ivarr and Vadim going through the wall right after and opening the gate for the rest of us. Marcus and I would have to get inside the church and then invite the demons in. Once invited into the room, they would be free to get in and out any time thereafter.
“Should we maybe wait until it’s dark?” I shoved another forkful of eggs in my mouth. “Easier to sneak in undetected?”
“We don’t have any added advantage over humans at night,” Vadim replied. “Our vision is the same. Just like us, The Priory has night-vision technology at their disposal.”
“The Elder was reported to be away from the grounds through the day, today,” Andras added. “Although he does leave someone in charge during his absence, there is always hope that his replacement might not be as determined to commit suicide on the Elder’s behalf if something goes wrong and our presence is discovered early.”
“In any case, we need to be extremely quiet.” Vadim placed his elbows on the table, raking his hands through his short, chestnut hair. “No one can know we’re there before we make it to the urn or there is a chance someone could touch it before Delilah gets to it.”
Sytrius placed a small, sturdy-looking laptop on the table in front of me.
“Here.” He pointed at the map on the screen. “I’ve marked the exact route you’ll need to follow to the church once we’re inside of the wall. You’ll be with Raim and Marcus at all times. I sent this map to your brother, too, last night.”
Raim placed a cup of coffee in front of me.
“We will have a helicopter on standby,” Andras continued to brief me. “If you cannot destroy the urn on the spot for any reason, you and Marcus will need to get it out on your own, since none of us can touch it.”
“You will have to strap it to the helicopter, too,” Vadim added. “We won’t touch it even with our gloves on.”
“Not taking any chances.” Ivarr shook his head. “I wouldn’t even come anywhere near the straps.”
“That’s fine. I’ll bring it out and strap it if needed.” I nodded, finishing my b
reakfast. My stomach started to twist in knots despite Raim’s calming hand on my shoulder.
Andras leaned back in his chair. “We’ve found a secluded location to hide the urn from The Priory.”
“I don’t want to know where that is,” I said quickly. Not knowing it seemed safer—I could never reveal information I didn’t have.
“Only Andras and Vadim know the exact location,” Raim assured me. “They will drop us off back here before taking the urn to its new resting place.”
“We won’t need your help to unload it there,” Andras added. “We’ll cut the straps and let it be.”
“All right.” I inhaled deeply, shoving my empty plate aside. “I’m ready.”
“Get changed then.” Vadim handed me the grey uniform again. “Raim, you’ll need to get into your suit, too.” He gestured at another pile of clothes on the counter then handed each of us a pair of boots and a dark-grey vest. “These are bulletproof.”
“Isn’t this somewhat excessive for me?” Raim eyed the vest critically. “Unnecessary, and it may constrain my movements.”
“It won’t.” Andras touched the identical vest he was wearing. “Vadim found someone in Kazakhstan who created this new design for our supplier in Singapore. It allows for a wide range of motion and provides unprecedented protection from bullets, even when fired at close range.”
“Yes, but I’m not worried about the bullets.” Raim didn’t sound convinced.
“Well, they aren’t much of a threat to an immortal,” Ivarr agreed.
“Doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be hurting if you’re shot,” I said softly, shuddering internally at such a possibility.
Raim stared at me for a few seconds.
“Fine,” he conceded. “I’ll wear it.”
Grabbing the vest along with the rest of the clothes, he took my hand, leading me upstairs to change.
Once in the bedroom, he quickly shed the pants and tunic he was wearing, then put the grey uniform on. Leaving his vest on the bed, he went to the tall cabinet next to the wardrobe and got out two curved swords in decorated scabbards.
“What are those for?” I paused in my getting dressed, staring at the shiny blades as he drew the swords out of the scabbards for inspection before sliding them back in.
“I don’t trust modern weapons as much as I do these,” he said sombrely, throwing his bulletproof vest on, then strapping both swords across his back.
He didn’t say another word. His expression remained grim. Not breaking the silence either, I followed suit, changing into my new clothes.
The pants and jacket fit like a glove. There were hard panels inserted in the material to protect my shoulders, knees, and elbows, as well as forearms and shins. The boots were my size, sturdy, with high-traction soles.
I was still fiddling with the adjustable straps on the sides of the vest when Raim came closer, already fully suited himself. His hair was pulled back away from his face. Used to the wavy strands often hanging over his forehead, I found this sleek look new on him, and I stared at him for a moment.
“Let me see.” He tightened the straps for me, checking all the buckles, then inspected the front panel. “Let’s hope this really can stop bullets,” he muttered.
“Let’s hope we’ll avoid being fired at.” I kept my voice light, suppressing a sigh.
Suddenly, he yanked me to him by the vest then cupped my face with both hands. “You’ll stay behind me, you hear me?”
“I would . . .” I managed a smile. “Except that I will be needing to go ahead of you, remember?”
“The moment you say my name, I’ll be right there,” he gritted through his teeth. “Then you hide behind me. I can stop the bullets heading for you more effectively than this.” He shoved his hand against my vest. “Understood?”
Unable to say a word under his wild and slightly unhinged stare, I simply nodded.
Still cupping the side of my face, he slid his thumb along my cheek, the hard determination in his eyes softening.
“I thought the pain of loss was the hardest to bear, but the fear of losing is even more agonizing.”
Chapter 25
A COOL ALPINE BREEZE was blowing along the mountainside when Marcus transported us there. The sun was almost at its highest in the sky, but we were high enough above sea level for the air to feel fresh if not chilly.
We hiked uphill for a few minutes until Vadim signalled us to stop. As I ducked behind a rock, I managed to glimpse the tall wall of The Priory grounds. It looked more like a fortified facility than the monastery it had started as. Coiled barbed wire stretched between tall metal poles on top of the walls. I would not be surprised if there was also some high-voltage protection involved.
“Move the cameras,” Vadim said to Sytrius in a loud whisper.
Crouching on the ground, Sytrius shifted a bit closer and opened his laptop.
“Where are the cameras?” Marcus asked.
“There are only two on this side,” Vadim replied for Sytrius, who was busy bringing up images on his laptop. “Right above the gate.”
“Where are you moving them?” Marcus glanced at the screen over Sytrius’s shoulder.
“I need to change their angle to create a blind spot along the wall for us to sneak through,” Sytrius muttered, not taking his focus off his work. “Just a few degrees so it’s not that noticeable. Give me a minute . . .”
“But wouldn’t the initial shifting of their image give us away?” Marcus wouldn’t quit.
“It’s a tiny change, blink and you miss it.”
“It’s lunch time, too,” Vadim added. “With the Elder away from the grounds, we figured the one guard in charge of monitoring the cameras during this hour wouldn’t be staring at the screens that closely.”
“Still.” Marcus raised his eyes to the sky above us. Aside from a few clouds and a flock of birds passing by, it was clear and peaceful. “Let me know when you’re about to move them.”
With a curious glance his way, Sytrius shrugged. “In five seconds, now. Four, three . . .”
Marcus kept staring up at the sky, as if having forgotten all about the cameras. One of the birds separated from the rest, bee-lining straight to the metal gate in the wall and the two cameras above it.
Sytrius continued to count down, his fingers splayed on the keyboard.
“Two. Now!”
The bird flew right in front of the cameras, wildly flapping its wings, then immediately changed its trajectory, heading back to the flock in the sky.
Sytrius gave Marcus a long assessing stare. “So, you can speak to animals, too?”
“No.” Marcus snorted a laugh. “That was physical persuasion, not mental. I just moved it to where I wanted it to be.” ‘Sorry, birdy,’ he mouthed up to the flock. The bird that came to our assistance had already blended in with the rest.
“Well, it worked.” Sytrius nodded. “Thanks.”
“Let’s go,” Vadim ordered, quickly climbing over the ridge and jogging to the facility wall. The others followed.
“Come.” Raim helped me up, running a step ahead of me.
Vadim didn’t stop to wait for us. Reaching the wall, he smoothly disappeared right through it, closely followed by Ivarr. The rest of us turned to the right, moving along the wall to a small metal door.
A screeching sound came from behind it as we approached, prompting all of us to flatten against the rocks of the wall. Raim threw his arm across my chest, shoving me behind him.
The door opened. “Come in.” Vadim waved for us to enter.
Once on the other side, Sytrius led us along the route he had plotted earlier, carefully avoiding running into any of the Monks or guards.
The inside of The Priory grounds further reinforced the image of a military base to me. Far in the distance, I spotted a tall wooden structure towering over the area, with several armed guards on top of it. Raim yanked me by my arm, hiding both of us from their view behind a low building next to the wall.
Sytrius stealthily
moved along, sneaking under the wall walk that stretched around the perimeter of the grounds as we followed him. When encountering a closed gate between the wall and another small building nearby, he slipped through the gate and unlocked it from the other side for us.
Using buildings and structures on the grounds as cover, we finally came to the church located almost exactly in the centre of the property.
Vadim splayed both hands on the wall, making a visible effort to shove against it, trying to get through but to no avail.
“Locked out.” He shook his head, stepping aside to clear the way for Marcus and me. “Your turn.”
Sytrius briefed us quickly, “According to the plans this would be the main hallway. Stay close to the wall. There shouldn’t be any guards at this end, but be careful.”
Shouldn’t be.
Not entirely reassuring, but all I needed was a moment to invite the demons in. Then they would take care of whomever was inside.
“Call me right away,” Raim reminded in a whisper.
I nodded as Marcus grabbed my hand. With the now familiar puff of air, we were on the other side of the wall and inside the building.
“Come in, Raim,” I whispered before even taking a look around. Almost immediately, I felt his arms around my middle as he emerged from the wall behind me.
Marcus quickly recited the names of the other Incubi in a whisper while surveying the dark hallway in front of us. One by one, the demons appeared from the wall behind us.
I strained my eyes, staring into the darkness but saw nothing. The hard click of metal, like a weapon being readied to fire, sounded right ahead. Then someone leaped forward from behind me—Ivarr, I realized, surprised by the speed and agility of the blond giant. He struck, and a dark figure crashed to the floor, a shard of bright orange light glowing on his chest—a guard wearing an amulet.
“There must be more than one,” Ivarr whispered, ripping the soros stone off the neck of the motionless guard.
“Ivarr and I will make sure no one is following you,” Vadim said, peeking around the corner into the next corridor. “Andras and Sytrius will clear the way ahead.”
The Last Unforgiven - Freed (Demons, #5) Page 19