The Medusa Files, Case 1: Written in Stone

by C. I. Black

Now there were five.

  Gage swept his whip through them. They blew apart, reformed, and rushed at Gage and Morgan, laughing, billowing, fists and claws and faces solid with smoky bodies.

  One smoke-man slashed at Morgan. She raised her arm to block, but Smoke-man’s wrist swept through hers. She jerked back and his claws grazed her cheek, ripping off the bandage. He slashed again and she scrambled out of the way. Fire burned across her eyes and she struggled to keep her power at bay.

  Energy crackled around Gage. The flames burning along his whip flared. Two smoke-men grabbed for him. He ducked and snapped the whip up, cutting one in the face. It howled and burst apart.

  So they could be hurt. If she timed it right. But the creature split into two more smoke-men and swept back at Gage.

  “We have to get Kate out of here.” Gage snapped his whip again, but it passed through the smoke-man. “Northwest corner.”

  Morgan scrambled back from another flurry of fists and claws. Her power burst across her face.

  Not. Now. She couldn’t risk hurting Gage or Lachlin. She had to find Kate.

  But the smoke-men were pushing them away from the northwest corner.

  Lachlin dodged a strike to his side and twisted out of the way of a punch to his face.

  The smoke-men multiplied again. There were now too many to count.

  Lachlin kicked and punched, but his strikes never hit anything solid. Gage’s whip sliced through them, blowing them apart, but they reformed just as fast.

  A smoke-man grabbed for Morgan. She twisted out of the way, agony stabbing through her chest. His nails raked across her arm, drawing deep rents in her flesh through her jacket. The fire in her face burned hotter.

  “Help, Morgan,” Lachlin gasped.

  “I’m trying.”

  “No, petrify their asses.”

  The blaze in her eyes flared. “I can’t. It’s not safe.”

  “Screw safe.”

  The smoke-men billowed around them. She could barely see Lachlin through the writhing mass of smoke.

  “No. Get to Kate and get her out of here.” Energy crackled around Gage but didn’t manifest into anything, as if he couldn’t focus it, couldn’t bend it to his will save for in the form of a whip.

  A smoke-man shoved her into the hands of another one. She wrenched free of his grip. Her power raged through her, setting her whole face on fire.

  “Morgan,” Lachlin said.

  She glanced at him; the smoke-men had dragged him to the floor and were slashing at him. Her magic flared. The floor beside him cracked.

  “Get Kate,” Gage growled.

  From the corner of her eye, Gage’s whip sliced through the creatures on Lachlin, who scrambled back to his feet.

  She forced her attention on the smoke-man before her. The creature swiped at her. She ducked.

  Gage snapped his whip again. “Now.”

  The smoke-men in front of her burst apart and she bolted through them. Claws slashed at her, snaring her jacket. She twisted out of it and raced toward the northwest corner of the building.

  Smoke-men flew from the group after her. Gage’s whip flashed beside her and one of the smoke-men flew apart. The other seized her arm and jerked her around.

  Lachlin was being pulled down again, his face and arms bleeding. Blood also oozed down Gage’s face. One of the smoke-men had his whip hand and was dragging him down as well.

  The fire in her face exploded. She jerked her gaze up and the pipes above groaned.

  Power poured from her eyes. The pipes cracked and broke free, shattering on the floor in a roar of powder and stone shrapnel.

  She couldn’t see Gage or Lachlin and everywhere she did look, things groaned and cracked, becoming stone.

  “Gage? Lachlin?” She pulled her attention to the smoke-man beside her. He froze, hand poised to strike, and screamed. Stone swept over him; the smoke hardened and fractured.

  “Get Kate out of here,” Gage said.

  And control her God damn power. If she didn’t get a hold of it, she’d kill Kate. That thought only made her power surge. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut, take a moment to focus, but there wasn’t time. Smoke-men surged toward her. Gage’s and Lachlin’s breath rasped over the earpiece.

  She had to pull it together. She dashed toward the northwest wall. She would control her power. It wouldn’t control her.

  The fire flared in protest and she sucked it back, her will strengthened by desperation.

  She raced across the dark room and around a second enormous vat. Ten feet away were a smoke-man and Kate. She was still gagged and her right eye still swollen shut, but her left eye was clear and determined. Behind them was the door from the photo with the distillery’s faded and peeling logo. Above was a rickety set of metal stairs. Two possible means of escape.

  He slashed the rope binding Kate’s arms to the chair, yanked her to her feet, and poised his claws against her neck.

  “Not so fast, snake charmer.” He kicked the chair to the side and snarled.

  Morgan skidded to a halt. Instinct kicked in and she aimed her gun at him.

  “You don’t think that’ll do anything, do you?” His red eyes simmered and a forked tongue flicked out, like a lizard testing the air.

  Morgan fought to keep her attention off Kate. The fire burned around her eyes, threatening to burst free. “Let her go.”

  “Or you’ll what?” Smoke-man snickered. “You’re surrounded.”

  “Get Kate out and we won’t be anymore,” Gage said in her ear.

  Morgan’s gaze jumped to Kate. A band of grey light cut across her pale face, accentuating the line of blood crusted to her cheek. She clung to the hand at her neck—the very solid hand—and pressed against a solid chest. Her body tensed and she gave an ever so slight nod. It was risky, but she was trained and so was Morgan. They knew how to deal with this.

  Heat flared in Morgan’s face. She sucked it back.

  Kate shifted, exposing more of Smoke-man’s shoulder, and Morgan fired.

  Smoke-man jerked back, the bullet passing through him, and Kate wrenched free. She punched at his face, but her hand flew through his head. She staggered forward, off balance. Morgan leapt at her, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her away.

  Smoke-man roared, billowed, and multiplied.

  Kate stumbled back, her eyes wide.

  “We have to get out of here.” Morgan turned to run back to the door, but smoke-men swarmed behind them. Smoke-man was in front of the other door, which left the stairs and a quick prayer the door at the top would be open.

  She tugged Kate to the staircase. Smoke-man lunged at them, his claws raking across Morgan’s back. She bit back a scream. Magic burned over her and she fought to keep it at bay. Kate yanked the gag down, scrambled up the stairs, and Morgan followed to the door at the top. Please let it be open. Please let it be a way out.

  Kate threw herself at the door. It flew open and they raced onto a catwalk that wrapped around the building. Rain pelted them, soaking Morgan in seconds, and wind snatched at her hair and clothes.

  “Outside,” Morgan said. “On a catwalk.”

  Something roared inside the distillery and an enormous line of fire, much like Gage’s whip, leapt through the roof, its flame flaring and snapping in the rain. Smoke-man swept up behind them, screaming, his face twisted with rage and pain. Rain hissed through him, tearing away pieces of his smoke. He trembled and turned solid. Rain washed over his face and dripped from his nose and chin.

  Morgan shot, hitting him in the chest. He rippled and the bullet burst from his back, slamming into the metal doorframe behind him.

  Kate grabbed Morgan’s shoulder. “What the hell is that?”

  “I have no idea. And I don’t plan on sticking around to find out.”

  “Agreed.”

  They bolted along the slick catwalk around the corner. It led to the broken waterwheel and nowhere else. They were trapped.

  The building groaned and another chunk of the ceiling fel
l in.

  “Gage? Lachlin?” They were still inside.

  “Almost at you,” Gage said.

  “Good, because we’ve got nowhere to go.”

  “Keep him in the rain. I’ll be there.”

  Morgan fired another shot at Smoke-man.

  It swept through him.

  “Can you climb down?” she asked over her shoulder.

  “Maybe,” Kate said.

  “I’ll hold him off.” She fired another shot, but it didn’t stop him. She was running out of options.

  The fire pulsed in her face, driving down into her body.

  “It’s a shame your mother isn’t around to experience the same grief I felt when she killed my son.” He billowed, forming and reforming as the rain ripped at his edges.

  “I had nothing to do with that.” She hadn’t even known her mother.

  Kate hung to the slick railing, straining to reach the windowsill just below her. Morgan needed to buy more time. Just a little more until Kate could get to safety.

  “Even just one of your kind is a plague on Kin.” Smoke-man’s tongue flicked out. “You can’t be controlled. Even your friends know that.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re a monster among monsters.” Smoke-man growled and leapt at her.

  Morgan fired again. The bullet passed through him and he swiped at her, knocking the gun from her hand. She staggered back and punched. Her hand went through his face.

  Rain hissed through him. He swirled and reformed, his hands raking at her face.

  She grabbed his wrists and held him for a second. He turned to smoke, swept through her fingers, and swiped at her cheek. She twisted to the side. White-hot pain slid across her jaw and the fire in her eyes exploded in response. Her gaze locked on Smoke-man, but red light flared from his throat.

  He threw his head back and laughed, revealing an orb the size of a marble, hanging from a gold chain around his neck. “Your powers don’t work on me, snake charmer. I have a protection spell.” He tapped the marble with his claw and sneered. “And now you can die helpless like all your mother’s victims.”

  He shoved her and she slipped on the slick metal, toppling onto her butt. Pain spiked through her chest. Her power slammed into the distillery wall. It turned to stone and cracked.

  Smoke-man lunged and she scrambled back. His claws snagged her pant leg and he yanked her forward. She kicked at him with her free foot, but it went right through him. The rain followed, washing away pieces of smoke. He growled, his face tight with pain.

  She kicked again. Rain pulled at more smoke, but he reformed. Behind him, Gage ran into sight. He snapped his whip, sweeping through Smoke-man, who reformed but just a fraction slower each time. Gage had said keep him in the rain. Rain broke up smoke, or fog, or whatever he was. Rain dissipated it.

  Morgan glanced at Kate, now clinging to the windowsill. Below them, the river rushed, brown and frothy. He’d turn to smoke before they hit the water and, with her luck, float to safety. But above her, on the roof, stood a rusted rooftop water tank.

  Smoke-man drew his hand back to strike. Gage’s whip sliced through it and Smoke-man howled. He seized the front of Morgan’s shirt and jerked her up and around, putting her between him and Gage.

  She twisted, trying to get out of the way, but his claws raked across her chest. Fire burst from her eyes and she threw it at the water tank.

  Metal squealed and groaned.

  Morgan grabbed Smoke-man’s hand, wrapped in the front of her shirt. Smoke-man drew back again for another strike. Gage’s whip sliced through Smoke-man’s raised hand and he turned to smoke, save for the hand clutching her.

  The water tank shattered and water crashed over them. Smoke-man screamed. He exploded into smoke, and the water and wind tore at him, ripping him to shreds.

  Morgan staggered back and released his dismembered hand. Rain pelted it, pulling pieces of smoke from it until it dissolved.

  The inferno in her eyes dissipated and she sagged to her knees. Below her, Kate crouched in the grass, her face white and eyes wide.

  Gage’s muddy boot toe inched into sight beside her. “The smoke demon is dead. You and Kate are safe.”

  But she wasn’t really safe. Not from herself. And there was no escaping this new reality.

  She blinked back the remaining fire and glanced up at him. She was just going to have to deal with it. “We need to have a long talk.”

  A hint of a wry smile pulled at Gage’s lips. In that moment, he looked entirely human and entirely delicious. “Yes, we do.”

  And while she wasn’t sure she was going to enjoy the conversation, she was certainly going to enjoy the company.

  CHAPTER 12

  Morgan sat with Kate in the back of an ambulance, aching all over and with no idea what to say to her friend. Across the gravel lot, the distillery building stood in shambles. The roof and two walls had collapsed, and Morgan had no idea how Gage was going to explain any of this to the police. Who, along with Rika, an ambulance, and Detective Wright, had arrived about fifteen minutes ago.

  Gage had insisted Kate and Morgan go first with the paramedics, even though Lachlin looked like he’d gotten the worst of the fight. The men had stood back with Rika, keeping under the shelter of an ancient pine while the paramedics bound Morgan’s cuts and checked out Kate, and the rain poured around them. They’d had a brief conversation with Wright and, from the way the detective had stormed off, he wasn’t happy. He barked something at the two uniformed officers who’d arrived with him and they got back into their cruiser and left. Wright marched back to his car and after about five minutes left as well. Now the paramedics were talking with Gage and Lachlin and from the crossed arms and scowls on both sides, they were refusing treatment.

  Rika threw her tiny hands into the air and stalked off, muttering about men. Morgan would have to agree. She didn’t want to go back to the hospital, but from the sounds the paramedics had made, a few of the cuts on her body probably needed stitches and she definitely had broken ribs.

  “So which one is yours?” Kate asked.

  “Excuse me?”

  Kate jerked her chin out the ambulance door. “The hot one or the hot one? And can I have the other?”

  “Gage? Lachlin?” Well, Morgan couldn’t deny they were nice to look at, each in their own way. But hell, she’d just found out she was a monster. That was more than enough to deal with right now.

  “He’s why you haven’t called in four months, isn’t he?”

  “Who?”

  “Whichever one of those two you’re sleeping with.”

  Heat flooded Morgan’s face and this time it was full-blown embarrassment. “I’m not sleeping with either of them.”

  “Then can I?” Kate flashed a mischievous smile. She was teasing… maybe.

  Morgan rolled her eyes. “I barely know them.”

  “Then it’s perfect.”

  “You’re terrible.”

  Kate leaned forward. “And you didn’t call.” All the mirth was gone from her voice.

  The wind gusted, spraying rain into the ambulance. It beaded on Morgan’s cheeks and she wiped it away—and just rain, nothing else, really. She’d abandoned everyone she knew, save for maybe Izzy, who was too far away to endanger. But if she understood the explanation for the Kin’s glamour, she couldn’t explain why to anyone. Well, she could, but no one would believe her, or they’d think she was crazy. She still didn’t know if she wasn’t crazy.

  No, she wasn’t crazy. The world was.

  Morgan blew out a long breath. “I needed to get my head together.”

  “And you had to do that without your friends?”

  “I thought I did.”

  Kate raised an eyebrow. “How’s that working for you?”

  “I’m sure Izzy has told you it hasn’t been working very well at all.” And now the question was, what would Morgan do about it.

  “She’s worried. I’m worried.”

  Lachlin s
aid something and one of the paramedics shook his head and strode back to the ambulance.

  “But if I’d known you’d hook up with two smok’n hot guys, I would have intruded on your life sooner,” Kate said.

  “You intruded? Weren’t you just kidnapped? I would hardly say you had anything to do with that. And why haven’t you freaked out about all this?”

  “Oh, I plan to live in denial with this one for the rest of my life.” A darkness flashed across Kate’s eyes. Her reaction to the smoke demon flashed through Morgan’s memory.

  “You saw it?” Morgan concentrated, trying to see if Kate had a glamour, but her appearance didn’t change.

  “I don’t know what I saw and I have no intention of losing my job because of a stress-induced anything, and you’re not going to tell the boss either.”

  “Cross my heart. But we’ll have to tell him something.”

  “What will your FBI hotties say?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Gage turned to the ambulance, his gaze catching Morgan’s and sparking a warmth of attraction within her.

  “Whatever it is, I’m sure the boss will have him fill out the paperwork in triplicate,” Kate said.

  One of the paramedics hopped into the back of the ambulance. “All right, ladies. This bus is going to the hospital. I recommend you both come along for the ride.”

  “I’ve got Marshal Jacobs,” Gage said, striding up to them. Somehow in the fight he’d lost his jacket and the rain plastered his already tight T-shirt to his well-muscled chest.

  “I bet he does,” Kate said under her breath.

  Morgan resisted the urge to glare at her friend, even in jest. “I’ll meet you at the hospital.”

  “And then you, me, two glasses of merlot, and a long talk.”

  “I don’t recommend the wine,” the paramedic said.

  “Trust me. If you knew what my last twenty-four hours had been like, you’d recommend the whole damned bottle.”

  Morgan straightened, pain radiating through her. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to show it, and eased out of the ambulance. Gage shut the door, and it drove away, leaving her in the rain with Gage and his enticing scent. Even in the rain, his scent wrapped around her.