by Keri Arthur
“We’ll do our best.”
I moved cautiously toward the tunnel. It remained silent, and yet the sense that something approached was definitely stronger. I didn’t think it was a demon, but it didn’t feel like a dark elf, either.
I should bring the whole damn tunnel down on whoever—whatever—approached. But Barney’s comment echoed through my mind; the last thing I wanted to do was endanger anyone whose house lay above us.
I glanced back to the house tunnel. They were closer than whatever was coming down this one. I needed to take care of them first, especially when surprise would give me the advantage.
But that didn’t mean I dared leave this tunnel unguarded. I stretched several hair-fine slivers of light across the tunnel exit. Hopefully, the ley line’s brightness would conceal their presence, because I had a bad feeling I’d need the warning to survive.
I spun and ran down the stairs. A quick glance at Mo revealed there was now only an inch or two of the copper probe set within the ley line’s flow. But sweat slicked her glowing skin, and I could feel her strength waning—something that shouldn’t have been possible, given I didn’t have the De Montfort gift.
And yet, Vita had healed me. Was she the key to unlocking what I supposedly didn’t have?
Before I could contemplate that particular thought, a soft scrape had my gaze snapping back to the house tunnel.
The bastards were coming.
I ran through the water and braced against the wall close to the tunnel exit. There was little to be heard now other than the steady dripping of water; whatever these six were—human, halflings, or even demons—they were certainly far more cautious in their approach than those who’d erupted from the other tunnel.
My heart pounded so hard it felt like it was reverberating through the wall behind me. I swallowed to ease the dryness in my throat and swiped at the sweat running down my face. It was damnably hot in here … or was that simply a by-product of exertion and fear?
I flexed my fingers on the daggers’ hilts and felt comforted by their steady pulsing. My head might be on fire, but the steady heartbeat running through the two blades suggested it wasn’t at a cataclysmic point just yet.
A solitary scrape echoed. Deliberately, I suspected. I waited, my gaze on the other tunnel even if every other sense was tuned to this one. The unknown presence still strode toward the cavern; an odd sort of trembling rose in my soul, one that was deeply entrenched in fear.
Not of the person, or even what I would have to do, but rather of the consequences that would follow.
Which made absolutely no sense.
There was another soft scrape of sound—the slip of a boot on rock. It came from a little further than a few feet inside the tunnel. They were baiting me.
My breath caught in my throat, my grip so tight on Vita and Nex that my knuckles shone. Then, in complete and utter silence, four men flowed as one out of the tunnel, running directly for Mo … and the bastards had guns.
I didn’t waste breath on swearing. I simply called to the lightning and ashed them all. Pain hit, and my vision momentarily blurred. I blinked away the blood and half turned toward the tunnel. Caught movement and leaned back, but not fast or far enough. Something smashed into my jaw and sent me flailing backward. Blood filled my mouth, and pain shot through my jaw as my head reeled. I blinked, trying to see as I fought to remain upright. Saw a blurred figure standing several feet away and the glimmer of metal. Gun. I dropped and lashed out with a booted foot, sweeping at his legs. As he leapt over it, I unleashed a bolt of light and burned the fuck out of him. Another figure emerged from the tunnel. I launched forward, hitting him low, sending him sprawling backward. This one, I didn’t ash. I simply raised Nex and stabbed her deep into the bastard’s heart. He didn’t die immediately, but he wasn’t in any state to go anywhere in a hurry, either. Right now, that’s all that mattered.
I collapsed back against the wall and sucked in air. Everything hurt. My head, my jaw, my back. But it wasn’t over yet. Mo remained in the ley line, and the unknown person still approached.
I rolled onto hands and knees, remained there for several seconds until the cavern stopped spinning, and then climbed slowly to my feet. I was barely upright when a roar went up and demons surged out of the other tunnel.
So much for the strings of light giving me advance warning. So much for the feeling that it wasn’t demons.
I flicked lightning their way, both through the air and across the water, in an attempt to fry even more of them—all the while ensuring Mo, who stood in the middle of the stream, remained untouched by the water-conducted electricity.
But for every one I ashed, two more took their place. They clambered up the walls and ran down the ledge, a black stain of evil that only had one goal—Mo.
There was no way known they were ever going to reach her.
Power surged through me, exploding from skin and both daggers. It ballooned outward, becoming multiple forks of intertwining light that swept left and right. It surrounded the table and encased Mo in a pulsing, white shield that stretched from floor to ceiling, cutting directly through the ley line river but seemingly unaffected by it.
The demons flung themselves at it from every angle. The shield pulsed and spat, crisping demon after demon. Their ash filled the air, but they didn’t seem to care. But with every hit, the pain in my brain worsened, until all I could feel was fire and all I could see was blood.
I staggered into the house tunnel and dropped to my knees. If the demons decided to attack, I’d at least have a speck of protection here. A speck was better than nothing.
The blood blurring my vision poured over my lashes. If the demons didn’t stop soon, it would be the end of me.
My only real hope lay in Mo finishing her task and joining the fight. But that was unlikely to happen anytime soon, given the point of the rod remained locked in the ley line’s flow. And even if she did manage to detach the rod, the sweat sheening her face and body suggested she might not have enough strength to swat a fly, let alone dozens of demons.
I took a deep, shuddery breath and sent a silent prayer for help to whatever gods might be listening.
One of them must have been, because the attack abruptly stopped, though it took me a minute or two to realize it. I swiped at my eyes with the sleeve of my coat to clear my vision and peered into the soot-filled cavern.
What I saw made absolutely no sense.
The demons remained in the cavern, but they were now standing still and silent against the wall opposite. Maybe they’d decided enough of them had died in the cylinder’s fire, but why retreat rather than attack me?
What were they waiting for?
But even as that thought crossed my mind, I knew.
My gaze went to the other tunnel, my heart pounding somewhere in my throat and my breath little more than an uneven stutter.
He was coming …
I swallowed heavily and pushed to my feet, determined to meet him upright and ready.
The breeze stirred around me with renewed vigor, bringing with it familiar scents—cardamom, bergamot, and lavender. It was combination I’d smelled at least twice before—on King’s Island the day I’d performed the blessing, and in the tunnels underneath the King’s Tower the morning fire had ripped through the genealogy archives.
This man had not only been in both places, but he could control the demons in a manner I’d not seen before.
He was a leader … but was he the leader? The man who’d liberated the sword from the stone?
Was it Max?
Chapter Fifteen
As far as I was aware, Max had never purchased aftershave that had those specific undertones, but it wasn’t like he’d spent all that much time at home in recent years. He might have tons of the stuff in his London apartment.
If it was Max, it would certainly explain the weird, soul-deep vibes I’d been getting. While we’d never shared the telepathic-like connection twins were supposed to have, there’d been a few
times over the years when I’d instinctively known he was in trouble, and vice versa. The vibes could simply be a variation of that—although surely if it was him approaching, I’d have a clearer sense of him.
A flicker ran down Nex’s side. Not Max, then, as she’d never reacted to him in such a manner. She had reacted that way to halflings, though.
A heartbeat later, a man walked out of the tunnel and stopped close to the ledge’s edge.
It wasn’t Max.
It was Winter.
Relief hit so hard, my knees briefly buckled, and I had to grab the nearby wall to remain upright. I might still be in grave danger, but I’d at least gained a fraction more time to prepare for the confrontation with Max.
Although I was pretty sure a lifetime wouldn’t be enough.
“Well, well, well.” Winter’s voice was soft and surprisingly melodious. “If it isn’t the meddlesome sister. Why don’t you come out of that tunnel?”
“Why don’t you come in and get me?”
His brief smile didn’t touch the coolness in his sharp blue eyes. “We both know you can’t hold that protective cylinder around your grandmother forever, especially if the attacks on it are renewed. Do as I say or watch her die in utter agony instead of receiving a clean death.”
“I prefer the third option—ashing your ass the minute your demons attack.”
He chuckled softly; the sound reverberated around the cavern and sent a chill skittering across my skin. “If you had strength enough to kill me, you would have done so already. Come out, or I’ll force you out.”
Why was he so unconcerned about the prospect of me attacking? He might be right about my strength, but given the damage I’d caused to his brethren over the last week or so, he shouldn’t be as certain as he sounded.
Or was it more a case of being certain that I couldn’t hurt him if I did attack?
I lightly swiped at the blood dribbling over my lashes in an effort to clear my vision. That’s when I saw it—the faint but undeniable shimmer surrounding him. He was shielded.
Several demons stirred, drawing my gaze. A warning, nothing more. In truth, while I did have enough strength to attack, he was right in that I wouldn’t last long if they did. And once my strength gave out and unconsciousness swept me away, I’d be at the mercy of whatever the bastard planned.
Even worse, so would Mo, because the minute I fell, so too would the cylinder. And she was close, so close to removing the copper rod. Whether that would be the end of it and she could join the fight, I had no idea, but I had to give her time.
Even if time was scarce at the moment.
“You’re going to kill me whether I’m out there or in here,” I replied evenly, “and I’ll last longer in here.”
“I have no desire to kill you,” he said. “Not unless there’s absolutely no other choice.”
“And why would I believe you?”
“I’m not asking you to, but let’s be realistic, dear Gwen. You’ve only got two options. Come out and take the chance that I mean what I say, or I order an attack and wait for you to collapse.”
“You forgot about the third option.”
He smiled. It was a pleasant sort of thing, totally at odds with the growing ice in his eyes. “I think we both know that won’t have any effect. You’ve never been stupid, Gwen. Please don’t act like it.”
I stared at him for several seconds, a knot forming in my stomach as his warning recalled a memory—I’d been on a phone call to Max, and two people had been arguing in the background. While one of those voices had been familiar—though I hadn’t been able to place it—the other had belonged to a stranger. That was no longer the case—it had been Winter. He’d used exactly the same phrase to whomever else was in that room.
And with that realization came a deeper, darker suspicion.
No, I thought. Surely not.
A short sharp pop made me jump and had my gaze darting back to Mo. The end of the copper rod was out of the energy river, but its length was still retracting, and Mo’s concentration remained solely on it. Time. I just had to give her more time.
I took a deep breath and walked out from the tunnel.
Winter’s expression bordered on approving. Energy flicked through me and echoed through each of the daggers. I wanted nothing more than to unleash, but the minute I did, all hell would break loose. Until I knew what sort of magic protected him, I was better off playing his game.
“Now,” he said benignly, “lose the daggers.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’ll lose them the minute you order your forces back into the tunnel.”
“And why would I do that?”
“You want me to trust you. I want you to prove you’re worthy of it.”
He was clearly amused, but the demons nevertheless turned en masse and scrambled back into the tunnel. All but six.
Winter waved a hand in their direction, then clasped it behind his back again. It made me wonder what he was holding out of sight. A gun, perhaps?
“Consider them my insurance policy. Attack me, and they’ll return the favor. Now, the daggers.”
I carefully bent and placed both on the ground. I didn’t need to be holding them to use them, even if the toll it took on my body was greater, but Winter obviously didn’t know that.
But then, neither did my brother.
Even without the knives or the lightning, I still had my stone knife strapped to my wrist. Only trouble was, to use it I had to get closer. Much closer.
“Now, walk over to the stairs and come up here.”
I slowly obeyed. Every second I delayed was one more second for Mo. “What do you want with me, Winter?”
“Me? Nothing at all. But you are the blood price, and even he can’t get around that.”
The halfling who’d been Tristan’s contact had also said I was the ‘price,’ and at the time we’d presumed she’d meant Tristan’s. We hadn’t known then what we did now.
Part of me still wished I didn’t.
I swallowed heavily. “Max would never offer me as a blood sacrifice, no matter how desperately he needed help.”
“You’re right, he wouldn’t. And he didn’t. But there are other means of paying debts.”
Like breeding half elf bastards … Revulsion churned through me. Surely Max wasn’t so far gone that he’d wished that fate on me? I was his goddamn twin—how could he not know I’d prefer death to something like that?
“Please do move along,” Winter added. “I have a business meeting to get to.”
I climbed the rough stone stairs, one hand pressed lightly against the wall to steady me. My vision was moving in and out of focus, and there was a deep roaring in my ears. Not good, I thought. Not good at all.
Winter shifted fractionally, keeping front-on to me. He was definitely holding something behind his back. Add that to his comment about a clean death, and it was pretty much certain he was holding a gun. And while I’d used a shield similar to the cylinder to protect us from gunshots at Barney’s, Winter would surely have been told about that. He wouldn’t have come here with a gun if he didn’t believe it would work.
My gaze flickered past him. If I could collapse the tunnel’s entrance and trap him in here with me without the majority of his demon force, we might yet have a chance … but only if I could also take out the six demons that remained here at the same time.
May the gods be with us …
I flexed my fingers and tried to ignore the gathering tension and fear. I could do this. I had to do this.
I pushed away the clamoring doubts and said, “A meeting with Max, I take it?”
There was something in his eyes, something in the smile that now played across his lips, that had my gut churning and all but confirmed those dark suspicions.
“Yes,” he said. “We’re a very good team, he and I.”
“I take it you’re the consort to his king?”
He laughed. “That’s a fair summation. How did you guess, given you’ve never seen us to
gether?”
I shrugged and stepped onto the ledge. Ten feet separated us; close, but not quite close enough. I couldn’t risk throwing the knife, not when there was a fire in my brain and I was seeing double. “Your expression was evidence enough.”
“He always said I wasn’t very good at concealing my emotions.” His hand came out from behind his back. In it was a gun. He smiled. “I’m not saying I don’t trust you, Gwen—but I don’t.”
With that, he fired. I swore and threw myself sideways, but my reactions were far too slow. Something tore into my shoulder, and I glanced down. It wasn’t a bullet. It was a goddamn dart. Fuck.
I wrenched it free and rolled upright. Became aware of an odd tremor in the earth and spotted demons flowing out of the cavern. I called to the lightning within me and flung it, with everything I had, at the tunnel rather than the demons. The twisting, tumbling streaks of light hit the wall and exploded with the force of a bomb. As the stone under our feet trembled and huge chunks of rock crashed down, hands grabbed me, pulling me sideways, pushing me down. A figure appeared in my vision, fist raised. I reached for the lightning again, but there was nothing left. Nothing except blinding, searing pain.
But this fight wasn’t over yet. I flicked the stone knife into my hand and stabbed upwards, even as that fist descended. Flesh met stone; the sheer force of his blow vibrated up my arm even as the blade sank hilt-deep into his hand. I twisted the blade sideways, sliced through muscle and bone, severing arteries. Blood spurted, and he screamed, the sound high and furious. But he wasn’t about to release me.
He dropped his weight onto me, one knee thumping into my gut and forcing an explosion of air from my lungs. With the other knee, he pinned the hand holding the knife. Then he wrapped his good hand around my throat and began to squeeze, his fingers digging deep into my carotid. If I didn’t end this soon, he would.
I bucked, trying to dislodge him. He chuckled softly, his expression cold. Hard. No matter what his orders were—no matter what Max or the dark elves might want—he was going to kill me.
And he was going to enjoy every second of it.