Game of Lies

by Sadie Moss

  Before covering up Jae’s car, Fen and Akio had grabbed the last few items we’d need from the trunk. We gathered it all up and headed toward the brighter part of the warehouse, depositing our load next to a stack of empty wooden crates. It wasn’t much, just some blankets, a trash bag full of clothes, and a little stool. Pretty much everything a Blighted squatter would own.

  Trying to keep my staring to a minimum, I helped Corin arrange it all, creating a “lived in” look in this little pocket of the warehouse. Once it was set up, he stretched out on the blanket like a big morsel of cheese in a rat trap. Jae and I cast invisibility spells on ourselves and pressed up against one of the long walls of the warehouse, while Akio and Fen took cover behind a chunk of the collapsed roof several yards away on Corin’s opposite side.

  We didn’t want to wait too close by and risk Christine sensing our magic. But every foot separating me from Corin ratcheted up my anxiety another notch. I hated using him as bait like this, but he’d insisted on it, and I knew it was probably our best bet at fooling Christine.

  Corin lay his head down, pretending to sleep.

  Then we waited.

  And waited.

  Hope and fear warred in my chest as silence filled the large space like a physical presence. My nerves were strung tight, my muscles ready to leap into action at a moment’s notice, and staying so alert for an extended period of time had my stomach roiling with unused adrenaline.

  Would she come?

  And if she didn’t, would that really be enough to convince me she was innocent?

  I couldn’t stop fidgeting, clenching and unclenching my fists and fingering the daggers in my thigh holsters. I was back to my more practical outfit of slim-fitting dark pants and a simple black T-shirt and boots today, so I didn’t even have to lift my skirt to reach my blades.

  As I ran my fingers over one of the sheathed weapons for the tenth time, a cool hand touched mine, pulling it into a strong grip. I couldn’t see Jae by my side, and I knew he couldn’t see me. But I flashed a smile toward him anyway.

  Several hours later, I started to think maybe I’d made a huge error in judgment.

  Christine wasn’t going to come.

  Corin the redheaded boy was still sprawled out on his blanket, chest rising and falling slowly. Had he actually fallen asleep? I found myself squinting at him, trying to peer through the illusion to the man I knew was hidden under it. But I couldn’t see past the spell. I wondered whether, if I touched him, I’d be able to feel the familiar lines of Corin’s body, or if—

  Movement by the open warehouse door caught my attention, and my gaze snapped over.

  Christine stood in the huge doorway, peering into the warehouse.

  Well, fuck.

  Jae’s fingers tightened around mine, the grip almost painful. Then he released me to free up his hands for the fight.

  When she spotted Corin in the corner, illuminated by a bright shaft of sunlight, Christine’s shoulders stiffened. She drew the long, curved knife from its sheath at her side, creeping forward. My muscles strained with the effort of holding still, of not rushing in to attack her right now.

  We had to know for sure.

  My heart rate picked up with every step she took closer to Corin, her movements as silent as a stalking cat. She didn’t even hesitate when she reached him. She crouched down quickly, the tip of her wickedly curved dagger pressing to the side of his neck, just below his ear.

  “Now!”

  The shout tore from me, and in the split second Christine looked toward the sound, Corin moved. His arm flew up, grabbing her wrist and forcing the blade away from his jugular. Then he yanked on her other wrist, pulling her off balance and sending her to the floor. Christine let out a grunt but recovered quickly, rolling away from Corin to stand and then charging back toward him, dagger raised.

  “Fuck!” Corin ducked, narrowly avoiding her strike.

  I raced toward them both, letting my invisibility spell drop and raising my hands before me. As Christine’s muscles coiled for another attack, I reached out toward her with my magic, lifting her off the ground. It had worked pretty well against the witch I’d fought at Akio’s house, and it worked again now—with no purchase under her feet, she couldn’t move or run.

  She was still armed though. The Resistance leader turned her head over her shoulder, her eyes widening with shock when she saw me. A split second later, the dagger left her hand, flying straight toward me.

  I dodged, but not fast enough. The blade cut across the side of my arm, and blood welled. I hissed in pain, momentarily distracted from the spell I was casting. Christine dropped to the ground, landing in a crouch. She charged toward Corin again.

  Oh, no you don’t, bitch!

  I lifted her in the air once more at the same time a ball of ice hurtled toward her back. I dropped the levitation, and the ice hit her between the shoulder blades, driving her forward as she fell to the ground. This time her landing wasn’t graceful. She skidded against the dirty concrete floor, rolling over and over until she finally came to a stop.

  Akio reached her and pressed a booted foot to her neck, pinning her down. Fenris, in wolf form, growled at her. A moment later, Corin was there, hauling her to her feet with her own knife held to her throat. He had one arm wrapped around her middle, and he looked like himself again. Jae must’ve let the illusion drop.

  “So it was you.” I stalked toward her.

  At the sound of my voice, Christine’s eyes darted quickly to me, then to the mage beside me, then over to the incubus and shifter. When she turned her head slightly to look behind her, her eyes bugged at the sight of Corin.

  “Corin? Akio, Fenris, Jae. What are you doing here?” Her voice held the commanding tone of a leader, and she didn’t shrink away from the blade pressed against her neck.

  “Is it true, Christine?” Corin’s voice was low. “Did you betray us?”

  “What? Why would you think that?”

  “Because you were about to fucking kill him,” I snapped. Her calm, dominating demeanor was starting to get under my skin. I wanted more groveling and pleading for forgiveness. Not that she’d ever get it from me.

  “No. I wasn’t. I came here to get information that you said would be extremely valuable. You told me you weren’t going to meet with the informant until this evening, and I didn’t want to risk the possibility of losing another potential lead.”

  If Christine was scared, she didn’t show it. She wasn’t even fighting Corin; her hands hung at her sides, pressed against the cargo pants she always wore.

  “It didn’t look like you planned to ask him any questions. It looked like you were going to gut him like a rabbit and walk away!”

  Her eyes were hard as she stared at me. “I was trying to gain the upper hand before he woke up. I’ve found most people talk more easily when they’ve got a dagger held to their throat.”

  “Oh yeah? Should we test that theory?”

  I wanted to grab the dagger from Corin’s hand and dig it into her flesh a little deeper, let her feel the sting of that first cut. Although he had a firm grip on her, I could tell he wasn’t pressing hard with the blade and seemed loath to use it on her.

  “As much as I love to see you with your claws out, kitten, that won’t be necessary.” Akio stepped forward, his dark eyes glittering as he looked at Christine. “I can charm answers out of her.”

  For a second, Christine’s expression changed, something like fear contorting her features.

  Then she moved so fast it caught us all by surprise.

  Her hand, which had been pressed against her pant leg, rose up slightly and dove into her pocket. I leapt forward, grabbing for her arm, but it was too late. She pulled out a small metal disc, pressing her thumb into a groove in the middle as she did.

  A heartbeat later, clouds of purple smoke exploded around us.

  Figures stepped out of the haze.

  Chapter 26

  There were several demons, a pixie, and what looked like
a few shifters.

  I couldn’t be sure exactly what they were, and I didn’t have time to figure it out, because as soon as the smoke cleared, they attacked.

  Taking advantage of Corin’s distraction, Christine twisted, elbowing him in the gut and stomping on his insole. She slipped out of his grasp, and I lunged for her, but my path was suddenly blocked by a towering, rough-skinned demon.

  He was at least eight feet tall, and the meaty fist he swung toward me was the size of my head. I changed course, but not fast enough. His punch clipped my jaw, sending me reeling sideways as a ringing sound reverberated in my ear. Whirling around, I threw a blast of orange flame at him. It hit him in the chest, and he screamed, batting at the fire scorching his skin.

  When I looked back to where Christine had been, I couldn’t see her. I spun quickly, searching the large space.

  I finally spotted her several yards away.

  Shit. She must’ve made it halfway to the door before Corin caught her. The two of them traded blows as she drove him slowly closer to the exit.

  Around me, the rest of my four fought the backup Christine had called. Fenris remained in wolf form, locked in a clinch with a panther, their jaws snapping. Akio had picked up Christine’s blade and was using it with surprising skill against a demon with dusky red skin. The demon opened his mouth and a plume of fire billowed out, driving Akio back. I raised my hands, hurling a blast of ice at the demon. It hit his back hard, making him pitch forward. The incubus was on him a moment later, hand raised for the killing blow.

  One enemy down. How many more to go?

  “Lana!”

  The call came a split second before the other shifter pounced. He was a large wolf with white and gray fur, and his paws slammed into my shoulders, knocking me off my feet.

  I shifted as I fell, the brief burst of pain as my bones reshaped dulled by magic and adrenaline. The gray wolf landed on top of me, and I yelped in pain as his teeth tore into my shoulder.

  Fuck, that hurt.

  I growled and rolled, managing to shake him off and regain my feet. We circled each other, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Christine making a run for the door again. Godsdamn it. We needed her, and we needed her alive. Though she’d never answered our question explicitly, her actions said enough.

  She’d betrayed us.

  But we needed to know who she was reporting to, and how much they knew. Was the entire Resistance under threat?

  Breaking away from the gray wolf shifter, I bolted toward Christine and Corin. But the wolf wasn’t done with the fight. He followed me, his larger form overtaking mine easily, and leapt on my back. I whined as his teeth gripped my neck, digging through my thick fur to pierce skin.

  A second later, his body stiffened and he let go with a howl. I scrambled out from under him, turning around to see Christine’s knife protruding from his side.

  Damn. Akio was a good marksman.

  Good thing too, because the wolf had been right on top of me when the incubus threw the blade. A few inches lower, and it would’ve impaled me.

  Pressing my advantage, I bounded toward the wounded wolf, catching his neck in my strong jaws and clamping down hard. Blood filled my mouth. The animal side of me didn’t mind it at all, but the human side cringed.

  The shifter beneath me gave a gagging half howl then went limp. I pulled away, blood wetting my snout, and swiveled my head, trying to catch a glimpse of Christine again. Another demon body lay on the ground near me, reassuring me that the rest of my four were handling themselves against our attackers.

  But when I looked toward the door, fear iced my stomach. Corin lay on the ground near the large open entryway, unmoving.

  I shifted back to human form, barely waiting for the transformation to finish before I raced toward him, heart hammering hard in my chest.

  “Corin!”

  Falling to my knees next to his prone form, I looked him over quickly, searching for any major wounds. I didn’t see any, thank the gods. When his eyelids fluttered, relief surged through me.

  “She had… a potion. Blew me backward. She ran.”

  I glanced up toward the door, then back at the fight behind me.

  It was almost over. Jae and Akio had teamed up to finish off the giant, rough-skinned demon, and Fenris stood over the pixie’s body, his dark fur bloody.

  Corin rose up onto his elbows, shaking his head to clear it. I pressed a kiss to his lips then leapt up and raced toward the door, shifting as I went.

  Fen! I called through our mind-connection as my paws pounded the ground. I could feel his adrenaline from the fight, his focus and determination. Make sure Corin’s okay! I’m going after Christine.

  Killer, no! Wait for backup.

  The sharp spike of fear he felt resonated through me, but I kept moving, dipping my head to the ground to pick up Christine’s scent.

  Come find me then. I’ll track her, but I’ll hang back as much as I can until you get here. We can’t let her get away.

  Fuck. Be safe.

  His love and worry hit me like a ton of bricks, almost overwhelming me.

  Then my nose picked up the smell of cloves and spice. The cigars Christine liked to smoke clung to her skin, making her scent easy to follow.

  She’d gone on foot, abandoning the car she must’ve driven here—a beat-up burgundy hatchback that was parked several yards away from the warehouse entrance. I followed her trail down the small winding road. There were no other buildings nearby, just trees and shrubs lining the road.

  About a quarter mile away, her path veered abruptly into the woods. I shot a glance back the way I’d come. A dark gray wolf rounded a bend in the road, loping toward me. Behind him ran three other figures. Relief flooded me.

  She’s in the woods! I called to Fen in my mind, darting into the trees. More odors assailed my senses in here, but I could still pick up Christine’s distinctive smell. It weaved around trees and through patches of tall grass, until—

  It stopped.

  Fuck.

  I retraced my steps a little, heart pounding harder as I pressed my nose so low it almost brushed the ground. Yes, I’d had it right. Her path wended through the brush and grass then suddenly cut off.

  Shit! I lost her trail. She’s gone. Frustration filled my tone as I called to Fenris through our mind-link.

  Hang tight, killer. Maybe I can help.

  Growling, I lowered my head to the ground again, circling a tree. Godsdamn it, had she used a transportation spell? If she had one, why did she wait so long to use it? She could’ve activated it during her fight with Corin, or even the second she escaped the warehouse. Why now?

  A rustling sound came from behind me, and I looked up to see my four pushing through the underbrush. Fen’s nose was to the ground, and I could hear him sniffing loudly.

  Then another sound caught my ear, this one coming from above.

  I didn’t even have time to glance up at the branches of the tree before a body slammed into me, making me stagger. Rough hands grasped my fur, and Christine’s body jerked as she stomped hard on something at the base of the tree.

  Purple smoke billowed into the air, quickly surrounding the two of us and obscuring my vision.

  The last thing I saw was four sets of horrified eyes staring at me.

  Then the transport spell swept me away.

  Chapter 27

  The purple smoke began to dissipate, and I blinked.

  Darkness surrounded me. After the bright light of the sun, my eyes could barely make out anything. Where the hell was I?

  Christine leapt off my back, and I turned quickly, jaws snapping. She evaded my bite, her footsteps retreating into the darkness. I charged after her. I had no idea where we were, but she must.

  And she was my ticket out of here.

  She seemed to know where she was going, even in the dim light, because she didn’t stumble or slow her pace as she ran. As my eyes adjusted, I was able to pick out more details of my surroundings. We were in some kind
of tunnel system, the walls made of bare, stained cement. Light glowed ahead of us, and I put on a burst of speed, wanting to overtake her before she reached it. But she hurled a potion behind her, and when it struck the ground in front of me, it exploded in a burst of white light, throwing me back.

  I recovered quickly, paws pounding the ground as my breath came in short pants.

  The glow at the end of the tunnel came from the cracks around a doorframe. Christine slammed her weight against the door, pressing it open, and I raced through after her. My teeth snapped, catching the back pocket of her cargo pants. A small piece of fabric tore off in my mouth, but she put on an extra burst of speed, diving forward and rolling when she hit the ground.

  The screech of metal split the air, and my hackles rose.

  I crouched, then leapt toward her fallen form.

  But before I could reach her, a huge metal cage dropped from the ceiling. I slammed against its thick bars, and pain nearly blinded me as I tumbled to the ground. Unbidden, my wolf form retreated, pulling back into my body and forcing the shift back to human.

  Fenris! I screamed in my head, even as my bones morphed and reshaped, certain he was too far away to hear me anyway. Help!

  And then my wolf was gone. I’d shifted back only partially clothed, left in just my pants, a bra, and one boot. Blood seeped from the bite wound on my shoulder.

  The pain that had ricocheted through me when I hit the bars was gone, but something else was wrong.

  My magic.

  My magic was gone.

  It was as if the little pilot light of power that had burned steadily in my belly since the day I woke up in Akio’s bedroom had winked out.

  I stood on shaky legs, watching as Christine climbed to her feet outside my cage. She turned around to face me, smoothing her tight ponytail back into place, her hazel eyes hard.

  “What the fuck, Christine?” My voice shook with anger and fear. “How could you do this?”

  “I warned you all. I told you the Blighted can be as untrustworthy as the Gifted.” Her gaze locked on mine, but I got the feeling she was looking through me, her attention focused inward to some internal struggle.