Goddess of Night (Amaranthine Book 9)

by Joleene Naylor

  “The window? I didn’t know it opened. Not that I mind. I like the breeze, it’s just not like you. You normally prefer a good musty enclosure.”

  “Musty enclosures are safer,” he mumbled. “From the sun,” came as a sleepy afterthought.

  A voice sounded from the bathroom, “Yes, they are necessary for the weak.”

  Katelina bolted upright. Jorick followed, pulling into a crouch. He growled low as a figure emerged, melting from shadow to light. Long black hair was like a mantle of darkness. A black coat looked new.

  “Samael?” she demanded.

  The ancient stepped to the foot of the bed. He spoke aloud, his voice a mixture of thunderstorms and lilting rivers. “You found Lilith’s lair today?”

  “Yes,” Jorick snapped as he relaxed back into the bed. “No thanks to you.”

  “I am not interested in the flotsam she has collected at her feet, as you know. Since they mean so much to you, you may do what you please with them. She is the only one that matters.”

  Jorick beat his pillow pointedly. “The only thing that matters right now is sleep.”

  “Then sleep. I do not require you.” Samael turned to Katelina. His voice sounded in her head. “You did not see her.”

  “No. She and Sarah were gone. There were only seven of them there. We killed five.”

  “Do you know where she went?”

  “No. There wasn’t a chance for interrogation.” She thought of Torina, smashing Anya into crimson jelly.

  “It is of no consequence. She has acquired what she came for and will find me herself.”

  “What she came for?”

  “An ancient bow that was housed in an archive within the city, you might call it a museum. Regardless, she will find the relic worthless. With age comes weakness. The weapon would crumble if used. She has gained nothing.”

  “Then why did she want it?”

  “Like the sword and the shield, she believes they are imbued with the magic of the gods. She knows she will need magic to defeat me.”

  Katelina stifled a yawn. “Now that she has this magic bow?”

  “I told you. She will come for me.” He moved to the windows and drew back the curtain. The breeze blew his hair back to show his pale face gleaming in the streetlights. Katelina lifted an arm reflexively. “I know you can survive the sun, but we can’t.”

  “The sun is not yet awake.”

  Katelina could feel it outside, not quite above the horizon, but drawing near. “It will be soon.”

  “Yes,” Jorick said impatiently. “Perhaps you should rent your own room?”

  Samael dropped the curtain, then moved to perch on the edge of the desk in a crouch, like an ancient gargoyle. “To be consumed by the waiting…but what is another minute? Another day?”

  Katelina stirred with his impatience. She took a deep breath and reminded herself they weren’t her feelings. “If you want to sleep—”

  “I do not require rest.”

  “I do,” Jorick muttered.

  Katelina buried her face in the pillow. The atmosphere thickened, crackled with expectant electricity that prickled her skin. She looked to see Samael drop from the desk and stand statue-like.

  The air grew heavier, like a weight pressing down, strangling off her breath. She gasped against it. Jorick’s eyes popped open. She met them, asking silently what was going on.

  Samael answered the question.

  “She is here.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Katelina jerked upright. Before her foot hit the floor, Samael was gone, a shadow flying out the window.

  “Jorick?” she asked with a note of panic. “He doesn’t mean she’s here now?”

  Jorick swung out of bed and pulled his pants on. “I don’t know. Stay here.”

  “Where are you going? The sun’s coming up!”

  “There are no windows in the corridor. I’ll be right back. Stay here.” He emphasized the final words as he unlocked the door and hurried out.

  Katelina sat on the edge of the bed, one foot on the floor, blankets clutched to her chest. She strained her ears. Slowly, sounds filtered through. Cars moved outside. A horn honked. Birds sang. A breeze ruffled the palm trees. A door shut upstairs. Voices came like murmurs, words indecipherable. Footsteps on the carpet. Another door, this one closer.

  Footfalls hurried to her door. After the click of the keycard, Jorick was inside. “I woke Oren and Brandle.”

  “The others?” she asked.

  “They can handle that.” Jorick pulled on a shirt. “Though there’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

  Despite that assessment, she could feel “out of the ordinary” in the air. Samael’s words played in her brain over and over, “She is here.”

  “Where?” she muttered. “Why here? Samael said she’d come for him. She’s had all this time and hasn’t lifted a finger. We’ve had to track her down.”

  “Didn’t he say she acquired an ancient bow?”

  “Yes. I didn’t know you heard that. He was speaking silently.”

  Jorick frowned. “Samael’s silence is not so silent. As to Lilith, I can only assume she has her weapons and plans to use them immediately.”

  “But the sun!”

  “Like Samael, she’d be immune to most of it.”

  Of course. Because they were the same age. “But her followers.” Katelina pictured Sarah. The image was replaced with her friend covered in burns, as she’d been when they accidentally wandered into sunlight in Canada.

  “William and Angelica may withstand some, but I doubt it was a consideration for Lilith. They’re only useful to her as a distraction.”

  Katelina started to reply when a crash sounded outside. She hurried to the window and tugged the drapes aside. The sky beyond the buildings was gray and purple. A cloud of smoke rose in the street below.

  Jorick jerked the drapes closed and pulled her back. “You can’t endure sunlight!”

  “Yes I can. Because of the blood from Samael I can take a lot more than Sarah or others my age.”

  “How much is that? Better not to risk it.” He tossed her yesterday’s clothes. “Get dressed quickly and go to Oren’s room.”

  Sirens wailed in the distance, and she did as he said. As she slid her tennis shoes on, she asked, “Are you coming?”

  “Not yet.” Before she could object, he added, “I’ll be there in a moment. Go.”

  With a last look at him, she hurried out. She’d barely knocked before Oren answered. His hair was down and his shirt hung open. Torina perched on the edge of the bed, dressed in a surprisingly conservative nightdress, cradling a sobbing Paylin. Jayleth whimpered, curled against her.

  “What exploded?” Oren demanded.

  “I don’t know. Something on the street level. I couldn’t get a good look before Jorick forced me away from the window.”

  Oren nodded as he fastened his buttons. “You’re too new to endure sunlight.”

  A second crash made the building tremble. The children’s wails grew louder.

  “It’s okay, pretty darlings,” Torina cooed. “You’re safe. It’s okay.”

  “I don’t know if they are or not.” Oren finished his shirt and shuffled his shoes on.

  Someone knocked. Katelina hurried to let Verchiel inside. The redhead gave her a cursory nod, before looking over the occupants.

  “Where’s Jorick?”

  “He said he’d be right here. I left him in our room.”

  Verchiel disappeared before she could add more.

  Oren stuck his head out into the hallway. A cacophony of sirens joined the children’s cries. He plugged one ear and squinted toward the other doors.

  “Brandle and Zander are awake. Micah—Ah. There he is.”

  Oren drew back inside to let the bald vampire charge in. A heavy scowl creased his forehead. “What the fuck is going on?”

  “Jorick thinks Lilith may be here,” Oren said.

  “What in the hell?”

  Torina gl
ared over Paylin’s curly hair. “Would you lower your voice? They’re frightened enough.”

  “Sister, after where they’ve been, they shouldn’t mind a little shouting.” Despite his argument, his next words were softer. “What the fuck are we doing? The sun is coming up.”

  The fire alarm blared, followed by a crash that dropped plaster dust from the ceiling. Loren skidded through the open door, his shirt on backwards. “What’s going on?”

  “Lilith,” Micah shouted over the din. “Where the fuck is Jorick?”

  “Verchiel went—”

  As if summoned by Katelina’s words, the red head materialized. “He’s not there.”

  “Where the hell is he?” she cried. “Dammit!”

  She slammed out and ran back to the room. She didn’t have the keycard, but the lock was already busted. There was no one, just an unmade bed and drapes shuffling in the breeze. She shoved them aside, wincing at the sunlight. The street below was clogged with emergency vehicles. People streamed out of the hotel, backed by the shriek of the fire alarm. The building across the street was also emptying. She noticed the holes in it before her instincts sent her skittering away.

  Verchiel’s voice came from behind her. “I told you he wasn’t here.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I know.” She waved him to silence as she fished the dagger from her suitcase. “We need to find him.”

  Verchiel motioned her to wait a moment, his cellphone pressed to his ear. “Ark?...Yes! This is an emergency…You wanted me to tell you when Lilith showed up. Well, she’s here.”

  Katelina scowled. “You’re calling them?”

  He covered the speaker with a hand. “Someone’s going to have to deal with the fallout. There are civilians out there. Fire trucks, ambulances. Helicopters will be next—maybe news helicopters. Do we want that?”

  He motioned her answer away and turned his attention back to Ark. “Right. Yes. At the hotel. It’s already started. The building across the street…I don’t know. Cover ups aren’t my department. But you’d better figure out something or the news broadcasts are going to be damned interesting tonight.”

  He dropped his voice. “If I were them I’d claim it’s a dangerous gas leak—say it could be set off by vibrations and get everyone out of here.” His voice got louder as he addressed Ark again, “Right…Okay. I’ll see what I can do but, if I were you, I’d get people out soon. Bye-bye.”

  He hung up, stuffed the phone in his pocket, then crouched down, motioning to his back. “Hop on.”

  She hesitated. She’d ridden on his back at breakneck speeds before. It always made her sick. But that was when she was still human. As an immortal, maybe it would be better.

  With that hope, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He stood swiftly, hitching her legs up around his waist. They flew out the door before she was sure she had a good hold.

  “Hey! I wasn’t ready!”

  The stairs passed in a horrible blur of three bounces. She squeezed her eyes shut. It was only when she peeked again that she realized they weren’t going down to the street, but up.

  On the top floor, they stopped when the hallway dead-ended at a staircase. The light from a skylight was thankfully too weak to hurt them. For now.

  Verchiel mounted the stairs to examine the door at the top. He frowned at the broken lock, then cautiously opened it. Outside a roof was being slowly lit by the dawn. Some of the light was blocked by the neighboring buildings and a long awning like structure. Katelina could see a penthouse, its windows like empty eye sockets.

  Verchiel shrugged her off in a pool of shade thrown by the stairwell’s enclosure. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

  He zipped away, then returned, crouching quickly in the shadows. “I don’t know if Ark is that fast, but they’re already putting up road blocks and evacuating people. I don’t see Lilith or Samael, only two holes in the building across the street. Hopefully they can get most of the humans out before anything revealing happens.”

  “Did you see Jorick?”

  “No. I’m going to look again. Stay here.”

  He rushed off, then back, to drop into a crouch. She noticed he was breathing heavier than usual.

  “It’s the sun. It saps our energy,” he explained. “Still no sign of anyone.”

  They both stiffened as a voice replied, “So you say.”

  Katelina peered around the corner of the enclosure to see Ishkur stride toward them. He wore a gold breastplate, his dark hair and cloak billowing out behind him like a fairytale warrior. The heavy mace in his hand was a threat neither of them could meet.

  Verchiel jerked Katelina back. “Go to the room.” He pulled his sword out of his beat up coat.

  “And leave you to deal with him alone? He’s like four thousand years old!”

  Ishkur loomed over them, his expression one of cold indifference. “Where is he?”

  Katelina wanted to be brave, she wanted to stand up against the monster, but her feet crept around the corner on their own. She felt the weight of his years, the icy power that flowed through his veins, the overpowering command to meet his eyes…

  The world wavered. She felt the probing fingers of his thoughts, stabbing quickly, seeking information.

  No!

  Something slammed shut in her mind. Ishkur’s impassive face wadded with a scowl. A low hum sounded in her ears.

  Verchiel shoved her hard enough to send her rolling down the steps. She pulled up to her knees at the bottom. He shouted, “Go back to the room,” before he kicked the door closed.

  She heard Ishkur snarl, and the humming stop, replaced by the clang of weapons. There was no way Verchiel could defeat Ishkur himself, especially with that dinky sword, but she couldn’t either. She needed to get help.

  She hurried back down the hallway. None of them had Ishkur’s years or power, but maybe together they could do something, like a swarm of bees attacking all at once.

  She dashed down the stairs. When she reached the next floor, the fire alarm strangled into silence, and the lights flickered off. She pulled to a stop, listening. Without the blare she could hear the sirens outside, the cries of panicked people. Someone moving nearby.

  She spun in time to see two women—no, vampires. Long red hair hung past their elbows, studded with beads. Identical green eyes focused on her. As they realized what she was, snarls revealed gleaming fangs.

  Katelina could feel their years, not as heavy as Ishkur’s but greater than her own.

  Shit.

  She raced down the stairs. The women were faster than she was. One slammed her in the back to send her tumbling. She sprawled on the landing, trying to get her bearings. A swift kick to her ribs left her curled in a ball of surprise and pain, followed by a kick to her back.

  The twin in front readied another attack. Katelina pulled away at the last second. She struggled to her feet, jerking the dagger out of her pocket. The sheath stuck to leave her dodging blows. She ducked under a swinging fist, then launched herself toward the stairs. Taking them three at a time, she managed to beat the twins to the next floor, where she took off down the corridor.

  It was the wrong floor. She cursed and ran on, hoping for an open door, another set of stairs. Anything.

  An elevator yawned open. She dashed inside. Regret came when she realized the number pad was dark.

  The power is out. Shit!

  The vampiresses were right behind her. With nowhere to go, she pressed back into the corner of the tiny car and pulled the dagger free. The lead attacker pressed closer. “You’re one of his little hangers on, are you?”

  His? Of course, Samael.

  “You’re expendable, you know,” the second said. “He doesn’t care if you live or die.”

  “Any more than Lilith cares about you?” Katelina threw back.

  “Lilith?”

  “She means Ita,” the other said.

  The lead twin rolled her eyes. “Obviously. I just find the name interesting. Out of the hundreds she’s used, why ch
oose Lilith?”

  The second shrugged. “Does it matter? I’ll see if there’s anyone else on this floor, Inget. You take care of this one.”

  Inget brandished a club worn smooth with age. “Gladly. Be careful, Gret.”

  Katelina raised the dagger, running through a calming mantra in her head. She could do this. She’d fought plenty of them before.

  While Gret hurried away, Katelina inched forward, trying to find a way out of the constrictive elevator. She couldn’t win if she was cornered.

  Inget swung her club. To escape, Katelina slammed herself into the wall of the elevator. She pulled away with a grimace and sprang. The blade missed its mark, shattering a mirror. Shards of glass tinkled around their feet as she jumped back and slammed into the dead button panel.

  The vampiress spun toward her. Katelina ran through her training in her head. Take out their legs. Right. Of course. She knew that.

  She lunged, then dropped at the last second to stab the dagger above her enemy’s knee. Inget cried out as Katelina wrenched the blade free. Gripping the weapon, she dodged out of the elevator and down the hallway without looking back.

  She took the stairs three at a time, conscious of the vampiress racing after her. The irregularity of the footfalls showed she’d done damage, just not enough.

  Shit.

  The next floor was the wrong one. Katelina hurried down another. A framed painting looked familiar, so she left the stairs for the corridors. After two turns, she knew she was in the wrong place.

  She rounded a corner, and crashed into someone. They tumbled to the carpet in a tangle. She wrenched free, ready to stab, when a familiar voice snapped, “What the fuck?”

  She didn’t have time to ask Micah what he was doing before Inget dashed around the corner, swinging the club. Katelina ducked and rolled, keeping her head intact by mere inches.

  Micah leapt up. “Who the hell is this?”

  “One of…Lilith’s,” Katelina managed as she dodged swings.

  “I’ll kill you in a minute,” the vampiress snapped at Micah.

  “Fuck that.” Micah grabbed her arm and swung her around. Katelina took the opening to ram the dagger through her back. The vampiress’ body arched, but Katelina had missed her heart.