“What more do you want?” Jaise asked.
“Personal protection.” Korzha replied.
“Already agreed. I will keep you safe, fang.”
“Not you. Aslet.”
Jaise scowled, but he nodded.
“I want Officer Donovan and her daughter freed. Now.” The words came out far more strongly than he meant. Absurd as it was for a vampire as old and jaded as him, the light in Donovan’s face when she talked about her daughter had touched something in him he thought died more than five hundred years ago. And there was the not inconsequential matter of his having given her his word. “Send them back to Crimson City.”
The demon shook his head. “We needed her to bring you to Orcus, and we’re going to need her to get back. We can’t screw this up. Humans will be watching the portal more closely than ever. And now that only Donovan can reliably get us through, we aren’t opening it again until we’re ready.” His frown deepened. “Why do you care? She isn’t going to live much longer anyway.”
“See that she stays alive.”
“The Elismal can do nothing to about that. She’s going to die, fang.” He paused. “Take your rogue. Be satisfied with that.”
Chapter Ten
Claudia pulled the insides out of a ballpoint pen she found in one of the side pockets of her pants and, with the prong from her badge, a credit card, and some nail clippers, fashioned a reasonable lock pick. The door came open after a broken fingernail and twenty minutes of frustrating, sweaty work. There wasn’t anyone in the hallway outside. It was time to find Holly.
She walked boldly down the hall. A glance or two out the windows confirmed the palace was large. It looked to be mid-morning: blue sky stretched all the way from the horizon to infinity. In L.A., buildings went up. Here, they sprawled low to the ground. She wasn’t going to find Holly easily in this complex, but find her she would. For now, she was going to recon. Get a handle on the layout and defenses before she made a serious attempt. But she’d take her daughter back right now if the opportunity presented. She’d seen enough of the palace on the way from the portal to get a general sense of the layout. They had her on the top floor. Instead of traversing the interior hall, where inevitably, she’d run into some demon who knew she wasn’t supposed to be walking around, she found a window near a drainage pipe, cracked it open and hauled herself onto the roof. From the roof, she had a great view of the place. Courtyards and colonnades connected a series of square buildings. The few individuals she saw out and about she pegged for guards or servants, judging from the combination of clothes, activity and the fact that all those without shoes were cleaning or carrying something. Above her, the sun beat down from a pristine blue sky without even a hint of smog.
Well. Everyone knew if you wanted to find a prisoner, you should follow the guards, so that’s what she did. She kept her head down and waited, tracking the movements of the guards and waiting for a change of shift. At roughly eleven o’clock, judging from the position of the sun in the morning sky, guards emerged from a square at the corner of the building to her left. She followed the gutter to the building opposite. The tiles made for uncertain footing. Twice she barked her shin. The men she was following had to be guards: they got to wear shoes, and all of them moved like they knew how to put a hurt on someone. She hunkered down and waited some more, ignoring the crater in her stomach. Another shift change came about two. The next change should be around five. Then she was going in.
The sun blazed overhead, and she moved into the shadow of projecting decorative stonework. A little water wouldn’t be amiss. Too bad she didn’t have any. Arms wrapped around her knees, she wondered what had happened to Korzha. Was he somewhere here? Jaise had blasted him something fierce. This time of day, the vampire wouldn’t be up and about. If he was even still alive. It saddened her, the idea that he might not be. Fancy that. Besides Holly, a fang was her only connection to home.
The sun sank lower in the sky, cooling her, but it also brought out more demons. More guards. More servants. When the shadows lengthened, around five o’clock, Claudia guessed, she loosened her legs, swung her arms a few times and worked her way down. As she reached ground level, she tucked herself into a niche and waited. The single guard at the door was getting antsy. He wore a set of padded armlets and greaves, but other than that, he was bare-chested. Thinking about his upcoming meal probably. She counted to three thousand before she walked up to him.
“Hey, there.” She stuck out a hand. The demon stared at her like she’d spoken Hindi. “Claudia Donovan, L.A.P.D. How ya doing tonight? Everything going okay?”
The guard’s eyes opened wide. “Human female.”
“Nir-Jaise told me I could see my daughter. Didn’t he tell you?”
“No.”
“She’s here, right?” Claudia’s heart beat triple-time; she knew from the guard’s expression that she was right. A little social-engineering, and she might even get her out. Then she’d race for the portal and home. She caught the guard eying her body, and she smiled. “Come on…” She stepped close and touched the tip of her finger to his chest. “I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything, but I can make it worth your while. A big guy like you? Mmm.” The guard’s eyes went wider. He grabbed her around the waist and growled. A girl couldn’t be in Orcus long before she realized just how highly sexed demons were. She was right. It didn’t take all that much to distract this one’s thoughts south of his brain.
“Now,” he said. “We mate now.”
“Hey, sure.” She pressed her pelvis against him. “It’d be a lot better if I wasn’t worrying about my daughter, though. You know?”
The demon dipped his head and bit her shoulder. Hard enough to hurt. She needed to get him alone, so that nobody saw her hitting kyung dong mak, the pressure point on the side of his neck. Properly done, she’d cut off the blood supply to his brain, and he’d pass out long enough for her to get inside to wherever they were keeping Holly.
The guard spoke, but he had a look on his face that told her he was going to humor her while his buddy snuck up from behind. Claudia reacted on instinct. She punched him in the solar plexus. Hard. The demon went down. She dropped with him, using her momentum to drive her fist into his crotch. Behind her, she smelled the air starting to burn. She whirled. Another demon. She dove for the new guy’s knees.
He spoke a single word, and suddenly she was moving through thick air. The demon’s eyes flared red with rage. When she landed, he spoke in a low voice, a guttural chant. She remembered the cadence all too well. Sounds like that meant trouble. The air around him quivered and took on a blue glow. He meant to kill her or to try to kill her. His eyes flashed red as blood, flickering with fire.
She tried to kick him but couldn’t. She hadn’t expected to succeed and now she just hoped she wasn’t about to get killed. The first guard was on his feet, crouching to dive at her. The other guard gestured. The air got hotter. It seared her lungs. Her muscles contracted, all of them at once. She would have screamed with pain if she could have. From her left, a troop of demons rushed forward, led—oh, damn—by Jaise. A flash blinded her, and she screwed her eyes closed. When she opened them again, Jaise stood over her. “Donovan,” he said. “Don’t be stupid.”
Her head burned from the inside out. She sat up with every muscle in her body protesting movement. “I want my daughter.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You deserve to die for this disobedience.” He gestured to someone behind him. A female demon with iron-grey hair appeared in Claudia’s field of vision. “Nin-Siath,” Jaise said. Politely, too, like the demon female was someone important.
“This is the human female?” When Jaise nodded, the demoness made a ‘come along’ gesture with her fingers.
“I’m not going anywhere without my daughter,” Claudia said.
“Cooperate, Donovan.” That was Jaise. He still sounded like a B-Ops asshole. “Or I promise you will never see your child again.”
Her blood ch
illed at the threat.
“Such a thing is not necessary,” Siath said. The demoness spoke boldly, no bowing or toadying to Jaise. Claudia almost liked her for facing him down like that. The demoness crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Jaise. “Come, Claudia Donovan. You and I will walk and speak of your daughter.”
Claudia tried to stand, but the movement made her shriek with pain. She worked out a massive kink in her thigh. Hell, her whole body was one massive muscle cramp. The female demon helped her to her feet then offered a shoulder to help her stand upright.
“Nin-Siath. Do you think I cannot handle a human female?” Jaise called.
Siath’s eyes turned yellow-orange, and she turned to answer Jaise. “We are fortunate that all is not lost because you failed to keep her from harm. You will be heard when the time comes and not before. Do not doubt, Nir-Jaise, that I will reward your assistance. As promised.”
Jaise clenched his fists. “Nin-Siath.”
Siath tightened her arm around Claudia, giving her no choice but to follow as best she could. They worked their way along a corridor. Still clinging to the demoness’s arm, Claudia limped along the colonnade she’d stared at all afternoon. Her head pounded and her muscles were only slowly loosening up.
“You are foolish,” Siath said. “Very foolish.”
“I wanted to see my daughter.” Claudia stopped walking as they reached a small courtyard, hoping to work out a cramp in her calf.
The demoness Siath turned. Crinkles gathered in the corners of her pale yellow eyes. “She is safe for now, human female. I have seen to that.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.” Claudia shrugged. “But why should I believe anything you say when you won’t let me see her?” Tears blocked her throat. Fear for Holly. Hopelessness. Anger. “Is that hard to understand? Or do you demons just hate and nothing else? Do you even care what happens to your children? Because where I come from, we care about our kids.”
“We care,” The demoness crossed her arms over her chest.
“How would you feel if your child was taken from you and nobody let you see her?”
The demoness faced Claudia straight on. Red flashed in her yellow eyes. “Are all humans as foolish as you?” she asked. “You do not understand that demons sense others. We always know each other. We know who is near, what they are. We know when a human is near. You cannot hide here. Not even on the roof. You were clever to watch for the guards to change. Very clever. But you would not have been able to take your daughter tonight. Or any other night. You would not have gotten anywhere. You have been allowed to do all that you have done this day.” She walked down the corridor and Claudia hobbled to keep up.
“I want her back, that’s all. But I guess you don’t understand what that’s like.”
“When humans sealed the portal, one of my sons was trapped in the Overworld. My first.” Siath touched the center of her forehead. “As dear to my heart and body as any of my children. I do not hate you even though my first son is lost to me because of what humans did.”
Claudia leaned against a sandy-gold column and massaged her shoulder. The pain in the demoness’s eyes and voice twisted in her chest: a twin to the pain she herself had lived and breathed since Holly was taken. “The world sure is one hell of a place.” She sighed. “What happened to him?” she asked.
The demoness tilted her head, considering. Red flickered in her eyes. “Claudia Donovan. Until Jaise returned, I did not know if my son was alive.” Siath briefly left her to walk to a fountain in the center courtyard then returned with a cup of water which she put in Claudia’s hands. “Drink.”
Claudia touched the demoness’s arm before taking the water from her. “I’m glad you found him.”
“My son is your daughter’s father,” Siath said.
Claudia choked on her mouthful of water. When she had her breath back, she said, “Holly’s father was from the Lower. He was human. Just like me.”
“You know nothing of us,” Siath said. “Nothing. You did not know what Jaise was. Why would you have known about my son?”
“I didn’t sleep with Jaise.”
“My son Garath is a dark demon. To have a child with you if you were not his vishtau-mate would have required darker magic than even I can do.” Siath touched Claudia’s cheek, a caress almost. “If he did not want you to know what he is, then you would not have known.”
Claudia leaned her head against the column and stared at the ribbed arch overhead. She couldn’t get her mind around the possibility that Siath was telling her the truth. Better not think about that at all. She wished she had a computer and decent Internet access, because she’d get her butt in a chair and Google political structure of Orcus so she’d have a clue. Even half a clue would help. With a computer in front of her she was pretty damn competent. Without one, well, trying to figure out how to connect the dots was a whole lot harder. She felt utterly lost. With a sideways look at Siath, she said, “You found out Jaise was getting into Crimson City and you sent him to find your son.”
“That is so.”
“Did you find him?”
“Yes.”
She thought about the portal. The only demons to come through were Jaise and Aslet. No one named Garath. “Why didn’t he come back with us?”
Siath smiled. “He sent me my granddaughter. And you.”
“I won’t let you keep her.”
“Your daughter is demon. She should learn what that means for her.”
She could hardly speak over the pounding of her heart. “You can’t have her. You can’t. She’s my daughter. And, no disrespect to your son, but my daughter’s gone ten years without a father. As far as I’m concerned, she can go another ten without him.”
“I cannot say what was in Garath’s heart, Claudia Donovan, but I wish to know my granddaughter. Will you deny me that?”
Claudia straightened. “Have you told her already?” Siath shook her head. “I want to be there when you do. I want to tell her myself.”
“Very well.”
“When?”
“After Jaise addresses the Council, when matters with him are settled.” Siath shook her head. “Jaise is Elismal, but strong. Few will oppose him. The Council is likely to allow him what he proposes.”
“Killing humans, you mean?”
“There are worse demons than Nir-Jaise to come to the Overworld.” Siath stared into Claudia’s face. In the semi-dark of the corridor, her eyes glowed a soft yellow. “Enough, human woman. A healer should see you now.”
“I’ll be fine.” She rubbed her other shoulder, but it was her head that hurt.
Siath frowned. “You are ill with the bond.” She motioned to Claudia’s pelvis where Aslet had marked her.
“I’ll be fine once I get home.”
Siath regarded her steadily. She touched Claudia’s forehead and shook her head.
“The end justifies the means, right?” Claudia asked bitterly.
“For us? Yes.” Siath started walking.
“Your Council will give Jaise what he wants.” Claudia pushed off the column and did her best to keep up.
The sun had set by the time they came upon a second courtyard. On three sides, archways led to the interior of the palace. Above, a brilliant orange-red moon lit the sky. The fourth side of the courtyard was an exterior wall. Here, a steady stream of demons walked, a handful of them females but all brightly dressed and escorted by barefoot servants. They walked the outermost corridor and vanished into the building.
Siath spoke again. “Nir-Jaise is right about many things, Claudia Donovan. An alliance with vampires will give demons a legitimate presence in the Overworld.”
“A deal with the vampires?”
“Why not?”
“Yeah. Why not. I forgot that’s why Korzha’s here.” The catch in her chest surprised her. Even if he was a fang, Tiberiu Korzha was from home. Hearing him mentioned was like being in a foreign country and hearing someone speaking English. “He’s still alive?”
“Yes. Though he has made Nir-Jaise very angry.”
“I thought Jaise killed him.”
Siath hesitated. “Many wish he had.”
At the opposite side of the courtyard, a demon near the entrance to the arched corridor roared, a loud piercing call. The nearest guards straightened. Half-a-dozen or more jumped from their perches atop the exterior wall and landed in the center of the courtyard, heads lifted. One or two flickered between humanoid and other more monstrous shapes. Another howl shattered the night, and the sound raised the hair on Claudia arms. Moon-mad wolf, she thought, intensified a thousand times.
The air shimmered, and then came a concentrated flash of light, as if someone had suddenly turned on the noontime sun. Claudia flinched and turned her face from the glare. It faded as quickly as it had flashed, but Siath grabbed Claudia’s shoulder and pushed her down so hard Claudia’s forearm scraped the flagstones. The guards in the center of the courtyard howled but stood their ground.
A single demon emerged from the shadows of the arched walkway, alone, with no toadying servants at his heels. When he passed a wall sconce, light reflected off his black hair, worn long and tied back from his face. It hung straight down to the middle of his naked back. Siath continued to hold Claudia’s shoulder, but she did not object when Claudia stood. The black-haired demon looked to be a head taller than most other demons. He moved like he knew his precise center of balance, too. He had a dancer’s grace, was controlled and ready for a burst of motion.
Instead of continuing inside the palace as the other demons had done, this demon came to a full stop. He stared into the courtyard where Siath and Claudia waited. Siath drew in a sharp breath and stepped in front of Claudia. The guards around the courtyard came to attention.
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