“We can help with that too,” Tay said.
“I don’t know,” Mack said. “The Collective left them alive for a reason. Should we be messing with that?”
It took me a moment to realize that Mack was addressing Taylem’s earlier statement about the Lost.
Tay shot him a disgusted look. “Hell yes, we should. The Lost are dangerous. There is no benefit to keeping them alive.”
“Unless The Collective hoped to cure them?” Azren pointed out.
“I can do some digging,” Gilbert said from his position by the back door we never used. “Maybe if I look far enough, I can find some clues on why the Lost weren’t exterminated as claimed.”
“Thank you, Gil.” I smiled at the spot I sensed him to be in. “I’ll mention it to Noir too. See what he can find out from the inside.”
So far, we’d kept a low profile on the whole Lost thing, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves because of my involvement, Azren’s presence here, and the contract I’d signed. The risk of them finding out I’d given Elora a way into our territory was too high, and not knowing exactly what the contract said didn’t help. They’d kill me to eliminate that threat. It was why Noir, up until now, hadn’t done any digging into the Lost. But too many people had died because we’d held off. It wasn’t right. My life wasn’t worth more than anyone else’s. We needed to fix this however we could. And if that ultimately meant going directly to The Collective, then so be it. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that, though.
My phone buzzed with a text from Noir. I scanned it then pocketed the phone. “Noir couldn’t get out of his prior engagement. It looks like we’ll be doing this the old-fashioned way, sans Arcana.”
Taylem’s lips parted in a sadistic grin. “The best way.”
As we got our shit together and streamed toward the exit, I caught Azren’s eye and inclined my head, because he had a valid point. Getting rid of the problem topside was one thing—we were saving lives. But holding off on attacking the population in the Underground should wait until Noir and Gilbert had a chance to do some digging.
Hound poked his head out of the lounge as we piled into the foyer.
“You coming?” I indicated the front door. “We’re headed to the old water mill and we’re taking the bikes. If you’re up to it, you can meet us there.”
Okay, I was talking to him as if he understood, but there was way too much intelligence in those amber eyes to indicate anything else. He’d somehow been able to find me each time I’d been in mortal danger, and even though the guys were tagging along this time, having Hound was the icing on the cake.
He backed up into the lounge and then shot through the French windows into the night.
“I guess he’s meeting us there,” Mack said, amused.
Tay was the first out of the building and Mack followed close behind. Azren gripped my elbow gently to stall me.
I looked into his feral face, examining the clean-cut, harsh lines which were quickly becoming so familiar to me.
“I understand that your friends mean well, but the rogue Shedim are ruthless. I can protect you, but I may not be able to protect them.”
Oh, the sweetie. But this was Tay and Mack he was talking about. I patted his chest. “Thanks, big guy, but on this side of the border, a troll blood off the leash is a force to be reckoned with. If the rogue Shedim make the mistake of attacking, they’re going to be in for a nasty shock.”
Azren blinked slowly. “Very well. In that case, we would do well to have their assistance.”
Outside, the sun had just set and the world was still bathed in dying embers as night swept across the land. Stars were winking to life in the rapidly darkening sky, like a multitude of diamond eyes opening on the world below.
Tay was already on his bike, and Mack was busy clipping his bat to a customized strap attached to his motorbike.
My stomach quivered. We’d agreed on leaving Mini behind just in case we needed to chase the Lost. The mill was surrounded by flat land, but if they made it into the network of side streets and alleys a mile from it, then Mini would be useless. But bikes weren’t my favorite mode of transport. Not enough walls between me and the outside world rushing past.
“You coming?” Tay called out.
He expected me to ride with him.
It wouldn’t be the first time. Although I wasn’t a fan, we’d ridden together several times in the past, but the thought of being that close to him, of holding him, inhaling his scent and feeling his muscles shift and move beneath my hands, made me ache with longing.
Too soon.
“Thanks, babe, but I’ll jump on with Azren.” I kept my tone light.
If he was upset or disappointed, he didn’t show it. His expression remained neutral. “No problem.”
Mack caught my eye and gave me a slight approving nod. How much more had Tay shared with him about our conversations? Had he told him about our tryst at the bar? Chest tight, I climbed on the back of Azren’s bike.
“Are you all right?” Azren asked softly.
The gentle timbre of his voice, the genuine concern, made the fist in my chest tighten, and for once there was no smart reply. “I will be.”
He nodded and gunned the engine. “Hold on.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. My arms slid around his narrow waist and then up to hook under his arms, fingers sinking into the soft fabric of his shirt. Pressing my face to the spot between his shoulder bones, I closed my eyes, allowing his aroma to envelop me, sweet and heady. With a delicious purr and evocative vibration, the bike leapt to life, and we streamed into the night.
***
Hound padded beside me as we walked toward the moon-soaked mill. Empty black windows stared back at us like soulless eyes.
Mack shuddered. “Creepy.”
“Mack and I will do a sweep of the building,” Tay said. “You and Azren can do a perimeter sweep.”
I shot him an amused look. “I don’t remember handing over the I’m-in-charge badge?”
Mack sniggered. “I told you he had a commando complex.”
Tay arched a brow, looking down on me from his six-foot-six height. “You have a better idea?”
“Yeah, so many better ideas, like grabbing ice cream, or maybe hitting that new theme park just opened on Eastside, but they’re all kinda redundant while we’re being stalked by insane Sanguinata. So, your idea’s good.”
Mack handed me a walkie. “If you get to use it, you’ll be giving old Tay here a thrill.”
I bit back a laugh and clipped the walkie to the belt under my dustkicker. “The second floor is dangerous. Rotten boards, so be careful.”
Tay nodded curtly, his eyes scanning the night.
“Okay, let’s get this done.”
The twins strode across the silver grass and ducked into the dark, open maw of the derelict building.
Azren and I loped off around the side of the mill. Hound held back a little, bringing up the rear. Having the big guy at my side and my monster dog at my back was reassuring and strange. I’d usually be running solo, no backup, no partners, but in the short space of a couple of months, I’d somehow recruited a whole freelance team. Maybe it wasn’t so bad having people to watch your back on the job?
My catseye activated with a double blink and the world fell into infrared. All the better to see you with, my dears. If they were out here, if they were hiding, then I’d find them. We came out at the back of the building. Debris littered the ground like confetti. The river the mill had sat on was nothing but a dried-up husk filled with rubbish: old shopping trollies, battered sofas, broken furniture, and electrical goods. Beyond the river, the night was a pitch-black tangle of bush and foliage, and if not for the catseye’s heat sensing feature, I’d have missed the knot of life nestled within.
I slowed down, grabbed Azren’s arm, and pointed toward the bushes on the other side of the dried-up bank.
Hound growled low in his throat.
Azren drew his dagger, and Houn
d flanked me to the left.
We advanced toward the spot where the tangle of Lost were hiding. Were they asleep? In stasis like they’d been in the Underground? It didn’t matter. It was time for them to be dead. Azren grabbed a broken plank of wood and carefully laid it across a fridge and several broken televisions that sat atop the crap in the dried-up riverbed. A bridge. Good.
I set a boot on the wood, eye on the red mass. It heaved in and out in unison. Breathing. Sleeping. If we were lucky, this would be over without them even having to open their eyes. But luck decided that tonight was the night to give us the finger. The crack and splinter of wood cut through the air like a gunshot, and then Tay’s warning bellow battered my eardrums.
“Incoming!” Azren shouted.
We spun to face the horde pouring out of the building. Hound leapt into action, jaws ready to shred, and K was already firing bolts. Azren ran into the fray, dagger slashing. Blood sprayed and screams lit up the air, and then we were rushed from behind.
Looked like we’d woken up the sleeping pack.
Tay and Mack came running out of the building, and then heads were flying, literally. Didn’t even want to stop and think about how much force it would take to knock an Other’s head clean off its shoulders. But Tay and Mack were doing it and whooping in the process.
Their enthusiasm was infectious, and elation lit up my chest. I caught Azren’s eyes, stark and bright against his blood-spattered face. He bared his teeth in a bloodthirsty grin, and his glamour slipped, revealing the beast beneath. My heart lurched, desire shooting through me sudden and powerful, but then he was gone, obscured by a mass of Others. K shot out a series of bolts, clearing a path to Azren, but I needn’t have bothered. He was holding his own; in fact, better than holding his own—he was owning it—and damn, if that wasn’t sexy as hell.
My bolt bag grew heavy as the bolts returned and K sputtered another round. To my left, Tay had a Lost by the neck while he swung his bat at another Other. Mack was to his right, head thrown back in laughter. This must be a huge release for them, a chance to let loose the aggression that constantly bubbled under the surface.
There weren’t many Lost left. We had this. We were almost done, and then Hound stopped mid-chomp and turned his huge head my way. His eyes flared and then he was rushing me, his powerful beast body thundering toward me. A scream locked in my throat as my brain struggled to comprehend what the fuck was going on.
“Wila, behind you!” Tay shouted.
I spun in time for the metal monster to slam into my chest, but before my back could hit the ground, Hound flew over my head, smashing into the metal thing and knocking it off me. I landed with a crack, a yelp tearing from my lips as pain shot through my shoulder and ankle.
“I got you.” Mack hauled me up.
I stood and then buckled as a lance-like twinge sliced through my ankle. “Fuck, it’s sprained.”
“More incoming!” Tay barreled toward me.
My eyes widened as two more metal creatures rose up out of the riverbed. “Motherfu—”
And then Tay had me in his arms, lifting me like a rag doll to throw me over his shoulder. “Run.”
We legged it back toward the road, metal monsters at our back and Tay’s delectable butt in my face.
“Almost there,” Tay said.
And then a screech ripped the air and metal landed in front of us, blocking our path. Tay skidded to a halt. Mack cursed and Hound growled low and menacing.
“Wila, we’re surrounded,” Tay said almost casually, but his heart beat erratically against my thighs.
The clank and click of metal on cement had me squirming to get down. Tay slowly lowered me, keeping an arm around me just in case.
I stared at the metal creatures, anger rising up in my throat like a bubbling tide. “What the fuck do you want?”
One of them broke from the rest and attacked. Tay yanked me off my feet again, ready to run, but a ball of blue electricity slammed into the metal monster, rendering it immobile. It fell to the ground, legs akimbo.
A woman appeared to our left, toting a huge gun and a smirk. It was the woman from my memory. The one who’d saved Hound. Our gazes locked.
“They seem to like you,” she drawled.
The rest of the machines whirred, and then all hell broke loose.
Chapter 9
Men dressed in black combat clothes came streaming into the clearing at the front of the mill, weapons at the ready. For long seconds, there was nothing but gunfire, smoke, and the screech of metallic joints. Blue fire flew through the air, but the metal monsters were too fast; they turned and ran.
“Fuck!” The woman turned away, hand on hip, gun hanging at her side. “Dammit.”
“It’s okay, Hon, we’ll get them next time,” a guy dressed in similar clothes to her said. He’d been in the alley too.
“Hey!” I hobbled toward her, ignoring the guys in black combat gear who were staring at the bodies of the Lost in horror and confusion. “You. Who the fuck are you, and what the fuck are those things?”
The woman turned to face me with a grimace. “They’re called Genisi, and they seem to have a hard-on for you.”
Tay’s raised voice drew my attention. He was facing down one of the black-clothed dudes, eyes flashing dangerously. The set of his shoulders, the fists at his sides, and the way his thighs had bunched beneath his jeans screamed that he was close to lashing out. In normal circumstances, he’d have been the epitome of control, but he’d just semi trolled out and the adrenaline was still pumping.
Mack had a hold of one of Tay’s arms, a weak insurance, but it was something. Hound was nowhere to be seen and Azren was watching the scene, arms crossed, lips pressed together in silent survey.
“Hey.” I made my way back over to Tay, biting back a wince at the ache in my ankle. “Back off, unless you want him to go all smash and crash on your arse.”
The dark-haired guy turned to me. “Can you explain all these dead bodies?”
“Yeah, I can.” But I made no move to do so. Instead, I crossed my arms under my breasts and glared at him.
“Well?” he said. “What are you waiting for?”
“For you to pull the stick outta your arse and show some manners. How about an introduction and a fucking please?”
His jaw flexed and he ducked his head, composing himself. “I’m Rowan Adams, Collective Elite. Now explain yourself. Please.”
Better. “Wilomena Bastion of Bastion Investigations, and you can kiss my ass for saving you some trouble in taking out these Lost.”
His brow furrowed and then realization dawned. “There are no Lost.”
I gave him a flat look. “I beg to bloody differ.”
He pressed his lips together. “You’re going to have to come with me.”
Oh, his tone was beginning to rankle. “I don’t have to go anywhere.”
The click of numerous safeties being removed filled the air as several weapons trained themselves on me.
“Seriously? You’re going to shoot me if I don’t come with you?” Okay, so my ankle hurt and I was tired, and ever since I’d mentioned it earlier, I really, really wanted ice cream. But now that it looked like I wasn’t going to get any delicious frozen goodness, not anytime soon, hot anger pooled in my belly. “My friends and I just risked our arses to take down fuck knows how many Lost, and you want to shoot me?” My voice was an incredulous screech.
“Put the weapons down,” Hon said. She strolled over to us. “I don’t know what the fuck these creatures are.” She nudged one of the dead Lost with a steel-capped toe. “But I’m assuming there are more?”
I met her gaze levelly. “You’d assume right.”
“Yeah? Well, in that case maybe we can help each other.”
“I’m listening.”
She smiled thinly, her gray eyes eerily calm in her heart-shaped face. “I could do with some help catching the Genisi. Come with us and maybe we can help each other.”
Who was this woman? No
t Collective, that was for sure. She didn’t have the insert-rolling-pin-here look. She was something else, something new, but she seemed to be in charge. There weren’t many people I clicked with instantly. Most just pissed me off, or were tolerated, but once in a while, I’d come across a kindred spirit, and when I looked into Hon’s eyes, I saw myself looking back. On top of that, giving The Collective the finger so brazenly really wasn’t an option.
I shrugged. “As you asked so nicely, sure. But my friends get to leave. This is my case. You don’t need them.”
Rowan sucked in an exasperated breath. “I hardly think—”
“Deal,” Hon said, cutting him off.
Yeah, I liked this chick.
“I’m coming with you,” Azren said.
I shot him a meaningful look, the heck-no-you’re-a-Shedim-and-need-to-stay-off-their-radar look, but he returned it with a blank stare.
Hon looked to me, and I shrugged. If I protested too much, it would look suspicious. “Fine, let’s get this done.”
***
We were hustled straight from a black, unmarked van, through an underground parking lot, into a lift, and onto a claustrophobic floor with no windows and several tiny interview rooms.
Rowan Adams was silent the whole way, but Hon and her companion, Leo, kept up an easy banter that spoke of years of familiarity. Rowan ushered us into a small room containing a table and four chairs.
“Sit.”
Oh, man. That dude seriously needed an enema or something. Azren pulled out a chair and waited.
“I think he’s being chivalrous,” Hon said with amusement.
Azren’s eyes twinkled. He was so taking the piss right now, but it alleviated the tension bubbling inside me. I parked my butt with a smirk and Azren took the seat beside me. Hon and Leo leaned up against the wall and Rowan stationed himself by the door. I guess we were waiting for the big guns, and sure enough, with a neat clip of court shoes, Loraine Vincent entered the room a moment later. Head of Collective Operations, the woman was a stone-cold machine. She also had a thing about recruiting me, which was so not going to happen. She inclined her head in Rowan’s direction, and he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Chronicles of Arcana (The complete collection books 1-4) Page 27