Falling Blind: The Sentinel Wars

by Shannon K. Butcher

  The idea infuriated Raygh, making him wish for something to kill.

  Canaranth entered the throne chamber with two male Slayers in tow. Both were bone thin, filthy and covered in festering bite marks. Fever burned in their eyes, barely visible beneath a wild mass of tangled hair.

  Zillah had kept this potent stash of blood a secret, locked away in the deepest recesses of these caves. It wasn’t until Raygh had taken over the other Synestryn’s holdings that he’d made the delightful discovery.

  The Slayers had been kept in relative submission through years of hunger and fatigue. Zillah had been careful to keep them alive, but only barely—only enough to produce more blood to replace that which he’d drained. Still, even after years of captivity, the blood flowing through them was a powerful cocktail.

  No wonder Zillah had been in such robust health when he’d been sentenced.

  “Bring them closer,” ordered Raygh.

  Canaranth shoved the Slayers forward. They were naked, clothed only in dirt, dried blood and scars. Their chins tipped up in defiance, and their eyes promised retribution. Too bad neither one would live long enough to fulfill such promises.

  Raygh touched the forehead of the first man. Violent thoughts filled his head. There was little sense to be made of what Raygh saw—no useful information. The man’s lean muscles clenched as he strained against the rope holding his wrists behind his back. He bared his teeth, letting out a low growl of warning.

  How adorable.

  Raygh shoved his head back and bit his throat, sucking down huge gulps of hot power. It took only seconds to empty the Slayer of blood, at which time, Raygh let him fall to the ground.

  With a thought, he gave the surrounding demons permission to feast on the remains, which were quickly dragged off in the jaws of dozens of his minions.

  Raygh turned to the second man. There was no hint of fear in him, not even after having seen what had just happened to his kin.

  He shoved the other man’s head back, but Canaranth’s words stopped him. “You’re going to kill him, too?”

  Raygh regarded the human-looking creature, questioning whether his usefulness was worth him daring to speak his mind. “Why should I not?”

  “The blood of a Slayer is powerful. Zillah lived off of these few men for years. If you kill them all, then they can no longer feed us.”

  “So, go out and bring me more.” Raygh needed more blood, more power. He had to be strong enough to break through the chains that bound him in place, preventing him from bringing to him what was his.

  “More? But we lost hundreds of our own collecting these few men.”

  “Our own? You mean mine.”

  Canaranth bowed his head. “Of course, my lord. I meant no disrespect.”

  “Then perhaps you should not question my actions. If I want to drain every Slayer on the planet, then that is my right. And it is your duty to make it possible.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Raygh twisted the Slayer’s head to the side and bit deep. His body spasmed, then went limp as death fell over him.

  Raygh cast the body aside. “Now go and fetch me another Slayer from our pens. I need more blood.”

  Just a little more blood, and he was sure he’d have the power to break through the last, dwindling defenses that kept him from the minds of his prey. Before sunrise, they’d be on their knees at his feet, begging him to kill them.

  * * *

  Foolish. Canaranth was convinced that Raygh was a narrow-minded, foolish beast. He had no idea what it had cost to collect the few Slayers housed below, or what it took to control them. If they were fed too little, they died. Too much, and they fought back, killing everything they could reach. The only reason it made any sense at all to keep them was because they healed so fast, regenerating gallons of blood that helped keep Canaranth’s kind alive.

  Killing them was stupid and wasteful, and at this rate, the few Slayers they had left would be dead by sunrise.

  Perhaps it was time. Canaranth had spent every night since Ella’s escape wondering how she was, wondering if their child had survived. He wasn’t supposed to love her. He wasn’t even supposed to be capable of love. But if what he felt for her wasn’t love, it was as close to it as Canaranth was ever going to come.

  He needed to be with her. He’d told her he’d come for her. And now his own cowardice held him back.

  She wasn’t going to want him. And even if she did, he had nothing to offer her. She was human. She needed a human life with a home and food and sunshine. All he had to offer her was a dark cave filled with blood and pain.

  As much as he wanted to see her again, the only way he could was if she came back to him. And if she did, her life was at constant risk.

  If Raygh would so carelessly drain a Slayer who offered unlimited blood, then what would stop him from doing the same to one fragile human woman?

  And all of that was assuming that she still lived, which wasn’t likely. Bearing a hybrid child was dangerous. Most of the women died. Even more of the offspring. Chances were Canaranth would be happier wondering about Ella’s fate than actually knowing. At least that way, when he slept, he could dream that she was alive and well, playing with their child under a sun he could only imagine.

  Chapter 26

  Cain paced the floor of the Gerai house, wishing Ronan would hurry up.

  “Will you sit down?” asked Rory. “You’re making me nervous.”

  She had reason to be nervous. The demon was getting stronger. Even Cain could feel it swelling inside of her now, bulging against the confines of the cage Ronan had created.

  The last thing he wanted to do was add to her anxiety, so he did as she asked and sat down next to her on the worn couch.

  She didn’t look at him as she spoke. “If this doesn’t work, I want you to promise me that you’ll do whatever you have to do to keep me from hurting anyone.”

  “I want to promise you, but I can’t. I’ve already vowed to keep you safe. I can’t now vow to do whatever it takes to stop you.”

  “Because you might have to kill me,” she guessed.

  “It won’t come to that. Ronan will be here soon. And even if he doesn’t make it in time, you’re strong. I’m strong. We can fight the demon together.”

  “We couldn’t last time.”

  “We didn’t know the problem existed then. Now we do. We know what’s coming, and we will face it.”

  She gave him a sad smile. “You have so much faith.”

  “No more than you deserve.”

  A car pulled up outside. Cain jumped to his feet and met Ronan at the door. He looked better than he had before, but still clearly not one hundred percent. Lines of strain bracketed his mouth, and his eyes were dull.

  He barged into the small house without stopping for niceties. “Lie down,” he ordered Rory.

  “Uh. Sure. Not freaked out or anything over here. I’ll just take a nice nap.”

  Ronan’s jaw bunched as if he were biting back harsh words. “Just do it.”

  Cain didn’t like the vibe coming off the Sanguinar. Not that he had much choice. Still, he went to stand next to the couch where Rory was lying down—close enough to stop Ronan if things got out of hand.

  “I’ll need blood,” said Ronan.

  Cain shook his head. “I don’t—”

  Ronan snarled, “Do not fight me on this. If you want the demon contained, I need blood.”

  “It’s fine,” said Rory. “Just do what you need to do.”

  Before Cain could argue further, Ronan went for her neck, leaning over her in a way that looked far too much like a lover’s embrace.

  Furious jealousy roared to the surface, making blood pound in Cain’s ears. His hand was fisted on his sword, and it was all he could do to keep himself from drawing live steel.

  Rory let out a soft sigh of contentment, which only fueled Cain’s irrational burst of possessiveness. He knew Ronan was helping her. He knew that taking blood from her wrist would have taken
much longer. And they were clearly running out of time. But none of that mattered as he watched another man hold Rory in his arms.

  What if she decided to leave him for good? What if he had to witness her sharing her life with another man—one of his brothers?

  He wasn’t strong enough for that. Not even close.

  Rory bucked on the couch, her body bowing up. She reached out blindly, her hands curling into fists.

  Cain forgot all about his jealousy as a rush of panic hit him. He grabbed her hand, hoping to comfort her. Instead, the connection between them flared wide and a screaming bundle of fear lurched into him from Rory.

  Acting on instinct, Cain opened himself up, reaching for her through the luceria. Silent screams vibrated between them. In her mind a battle was raging as Ronan struggled to contain the Synestryn who was working to control her through her blood.

  It was hard to make sense of what was going on. There was so much pain radiating out from the point where Ronan’s power glowed in a trembling, golden bubble. At the center of it was a coiled, black entity, covered in scales and flame. As the bubble shrank, the creature was forced to grow ever smaller. It thrashed at its cage, clawing and snarling.

  And then Cain saw something else. Hovering just behind Ronan, another, larger creature perched in still silence. As Rory’s beast shrank, Ronan’s grew.

  He wasn’t beating back the demon, he was drawing it into himself.

  Cain burned with the need to help, but there was nothing he could do. His sword was useless here. Physical strength meant nothing, and he would only distract Ronan if he tried to aid the man.

  The bubble collapsed until it was the size of a marble. The demon within screamed in fury, letting out a high-pitched, tinny noise. Ronan kicked it away, into a steel box, sealing it shut.

  He felt Rory relax. As he retreated from her mind, he saw her lying on the couch, panting and pale.

  Ronan swayed. Cain grabbed his shoulders and helped him into a chair. When he looked up, his gaunt face was a stark mask of desperation. “You must find the demon soon. I can’t hold out much longer. It’s going to . . .” He trailed off, making horrible choking sounds.

  “Ronan? Are you okay?”

  “Restrain me,” Ronan whispered, trembling.

  Cain wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “What?”

  “Chain me. Now. I can’t remain in control much longer.”

  The demon. It was going to come out and play.

  Cain didn’t dare waste a second. He drew his sword and slammed the butt of it against Ronan’s temple. The Sanguinar slumped into unconsciousness, but there was no guarantee that would hold him for long.

  Cain picked him up and carried him into the basement, where there was no risk of sunlight hitting his skin later. There was no way to know how long Ronan would need to be restrained.

  “What are you doing?” asked Rory.

  “What he asked me to do.”

  Her voice shook. “He’s bad, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah. Help me look for something to tie him up.”

  A length of clothesline ran across the basement ceiling. Cain cut it down and bound Ronan’s hands behind his back.

  She handed him a roll of duct tape. “Is this going to be enough?”

  Cain had felt how strong that demon was—how determined it was to take control. “I don’t think so. Wish I had some chain.”

  “Hold on.” She ran back upstairs and came back with her leather jacket. She used scissors to cut the leather away, leaving a three-foot length of chain. “Here.”

  It wasn’t much, but it was better than what they had.

  Cain bound the ends together with several coils of thick copper wire weaving through the links, and covered the whole thing with tape. By the time he was done, Ronan looked like a silver caterpillar.

  “What are we going to do with him?” she asked.

  “We’ll have to leave him here. The only hope he has is if we kill that demon.”

  “We’re going to have to find it first.”

  The way she said it made him turn around and look at her. “You have an idea.”

  “You’re not going to like it.”

  “I don’t have to like it if it works. Ronan’s life is on the line.” And after what he’d done for Rory, Cain owed him.

  “I can feel it pulling on me. Even now, as weak as it is, there’s still this little tug, drawing me toward it.”

  “You’re right. I don’t like it.”

  “That’s not the part you’re not going to like.” She squared her shoulders like she was psyching herself up for battle. “The closer I get, the stronger it gets. I think that’s why it was so close to breaking free.”

  “Because we’re close.”

  She nodded. “Yeah. So, I can get us there, but I’m not sure who’ll be behind the wheel once we arrive.”

  “Just point me in the right direction. I can go without you.”

  “No way. I’ve felt how strong it is. I know you’re tough and all, but this thing controls an army. You can’t fight it alone.”

  “You’re right.”

  Cain used another several layers of tape to attach Ronan to a copper pipe, then he dialed Joseph. “I need help. Serious firepower. Who can you send?”

  “No one.”

  “This is big, Joseph. Two lives are at stake.”

  “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. Jackie, Andra and Nika are pregnant and on the bench. Lexi is in Africa. Viviana and Neal are in Pennsylvania, and Dakota and Liam are hip deep in demons down in Texas with the Defenders.”

  “What about Helen and Drake?”

  “They left word they were going deep into a cave to clean it out and collapse it from the inside. I can’t reach them.” Joseph sighed. “I’m sorry, Cain. You’re on your own. We have our own crisis here.”

  “What crisis?”

  “Connal stole a human woman and her child. We don’t know why, but we know it’s not good. Ella was hiding it, but her baby was half-Synestryn.”

  “Connal?” asked Cain, stunned.

  “Yeah. He’s our traitor. He’s the one who let the demons through the walls to attack Lexi.”

  “Why? What possible reason could he have for doing any of that?”

  “Does it matter?” asked Joseph. “I can’t find any sense in it, but that doesn’t change the fact that there’s a little boy and his mother out there, and we’re trapped in here, at least for a few more minutes.”

  “Trapped?”

  “Connal forced two humans to help him. One destroyed the gate mechanism, and the other cut the fuel line to the chopper. We can scale the walls, but it will take a little while for the Gerai to get vehicles here. Andra wants to bust the gate open, but that would leave us open to attack.”

  “And if you send men out to find Connal, then they won’t be there to defend Dabyr.”

  “Exactly. For all I know, that is their endgame—an undefended Dabyr. I won’t risk putting any expectant mothers into battle. The area’s crawling with those scorpion-looking things Ronan warned us about. No doubt they’re out for blood. We have to keep batting them off the walls.”

  Cain glanced at Rory, who was watching him openly. “Do not let them get anyone’s blood, Joseph. I’ve seen what they can do, and you don’t want any part of it.”

  “Are they as bad as Ronan said?”

  “Yes. He’s completely disabled. That’s where I’m headed now—to take out the demon who’s controlling them. If anything happens to me, someone needs to come and cut Ronan loose.” Assuming he survived.

  “No. You’re on the outside. I need you to go after Connal. Nicholas is sitting here, telling me you’re close. Everyone else is busy, out of contact or too far away to help. I need you to hunt him down.”

  “We need to kill that demon, Joseph.”

  “The lives of a woman and child are at stake. I’m not asking you. Find Connal and stop him. That’s an order.”

  Chapter 27

  Somethi
ng was wrong. Rory could feel it.

  Cain’s body had gone still. Not even his chest moved with his breath. He hadn’t tried to put up another wall between them, and even though it was a raging invasion of privacy, Rory couldn’t help herself. She tentatively poked at their connection, looking for what had upset him.

  Fury hit her in a hard slap that made her bare her teeth. Fear wove around his fury, along with a heaping mass of guilt. Rory had no idea what it meant, but the emotions were so strong, she knew that something terrible had happened.

  “Of course I want to help,” he nearly screamed, “but Rory has to come first. You know that.”

  “No, Rory doesn’t,” said Rory.

  Cain ignored her, making her want to punch him in the stomach. She hated being left out of the conversation, as if her opinion on whatever was going on didn’t matter.

  “I understand perfectly. And you need to understand that I’ll do what I have to do. You and your orders can go fuck themselves.” Cain hung up, his face mottled with anger.

  She’d never seen him look like this before. He was beyond furious and well into homicidal rage.

  “What happened?” she asked, unsure if she really wanted to know.

  “One of the Sanguinar has kidnapped a human woman and her son.”

  “Well? What are you waiting on? Let’s go find them.”

  “You can’t go anywhere until I kill the demon—not with your degrading condition. And Ronan’s.”

  “Are you kidding me?” she demanded. Touching his anger had sparked her own, making it burn bright. “Who the hell cares about my condition, degrading or otherwise, when there’s a terrified woman and child who need us to save them? I’m sure Ronan will feel the same way. He nearly killed himself helping me. What do you think he’d do for an innocent child?”

  “Others will be on the Sanguinar’s trail soon. We need to get you somewhere safe.”

  “Safe? Really? Are you that stupid? Where the hell can you take me that I don’t tote my brain along for the ride? Because as long as I’m wearing my head, and as long as there’s a demon inside it, I’m pretty much fucked. I might as well be fucked while saving that poor woman and her kid.”