All Things in the Shadows II

by B. D. Messick

  “Kateri tells us that you are hunting for your traitor,” she says.

  “Yes. We were chasing him, but we lost him when he came through into the Abyss,” I say.

  “He came through a portal?” she asks.

  “Yes.”

  “Opened by whom?”

  “We don’t know.”

  Kyuki frowns at me and then takes a step over to Dray and whispers something in his ear. He nods, then turns and leaves the room. I stare at her, trying to get some sort of read on her, but there’s nothing. I’m not sure if she’s hiding her thoughts, or maybe I’m just not attuned enough to demon brains, but I remember that last time we were here, she could read our thoughts and that makes me nervous.

  “We were able to get some additional shots of your man that last time he was here,” she says, walking back to her desk.

  She picks up one of the photos and hands it to me. I look it over, and although you still can’t see his face clearly, I can tell its Clay from his stance and overall shape and size. I scan a few of the other images, passing a couple to Kateri who only glances at them before tossing the photos back onto the desk.

  “He’s been visiting the Tower?” I ask.

  Kyuki nods.

  “Do you know anything else?” Kateri asks.

  “Not much. He doesn’t stay long, but other than that…nothing,” she replies.

  I sigh and walk away for a moment, flexing the fingers on my left hand.

  “We have to find him. We have to stop him before he gets back to the Solas. He’s already attacked us three times. He’s killed too many people,” I say, looking at the wall behind Kyuki’s desk.

  “We’re with you, Eve,” Kateri says.

  I turn slowly, looking at the faces of my companions, my friends, and my allies. I end on Kateri. I can sense the fierce loyalty, the immeasurable strength and the endless love that she has for me.

  “I can’t ask any of you to do this,” I say.

  “You don’t need to,” Reeva says.

  “We’d be going back into the serpent’s den.”

  “What’s new?” Jax asks, grinning at me.

  “Syrra?”

  “I didn’t come all this way to sit on my hands,” she replies, nodding slowly.

  “That’s it then,” I say, looking over at Kyuki.

  “Not quite,” Kateri says. “How are we going to get in there this time?”

  “I think I can help you with that,” Kyuki says, her pearly white canines peeking out from behind her ruby, red lips.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Do we seriously think this is going to work?” Kateri asks.

  “It worked in Star Wars,” I reply.

  She looks at me and shakes her head.

  “You know that was a movie, right?”

  “Still worked.”

  “So, what is the plan here, exactly?” Syrra asks.

  Kyuki and Dray are standing beside two very large, very frightening demons. They’re not quite as big as Dray, but it’s close. Their skin is reptilian; green and scaly like a cross between a fish and a crocodile, although the rest of them more closely resemble a bear.

  “Xal and Kunik will take Eve and Reeva to the Fortress as their captives,” Kyuki says, “and once they’re inside, they will overpower the guards and let the rest of you in.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. That sounds like a shit-ass plan to me,” Kateri says. “Why them?”

  “Because Sirix is still mad about what happened the last time you all were here. No guard would dare kill them. If we use someone else, they might just end up dead on the steps outside the doors.”

  “Makes sense,” I say, frowning slightly.

  I don’t like the idea of being used as bait, but it may be our best chance of getting inside.

  “Wait a second,” Kateri says. “Why don’t we just wait for Clay to come out and then we can grab him?”

  “We need to know what he’s doing in there,” I answer. “We need to know who he’s working with and put a stop to it.”

  “Well, how do know he’s even still there? He could have gone back to the Solas while we’ve been here.”

  “We have people watching,” Kyuki says.

  “I still don’t like it,” Kateri grumbles. “Besides, who are these two?”

  She’s glaring at the new arrivals, who for their part, are standing silent and still beside Dray.

  “Since our attack on the Fortress, there have been several defections from Sirix’s forces. Xal and Kunik are just two of them.”

  “And that means we can trust them?” Kateri says, never breaking eye contact with the two demons.

  “No, but I trust them,” Kyuki replies.

  “And we trust you. So that settles it,” I say, hoping to end the debate.

  “For now,” Kateri mutters under her breath.

  E - Behave.

  K - I am.

  E - Behave better.

  She responds with a thought I can’t repeat, but I brush it off as Kateri being Kateri.

  “If they’re defectors, doesn’t everyone at the Fortress know about them?” Jax asks from the other side of the room.

  Kyuki turns and looks at him, and I swear he seems to shrink into himself just a bit.

  “Their defection is still a closely guarded secret.”

  “We think?” I ask.

  “We think,” she replies.

  I look at Xal and he tilts his head to the side as he stares at me. His gray eyes locked with mine. I take a step closer and he stands a bit taller.

  “Why are you doing this?” I ask.

  He just stares at me for a moment before answering.

  “What has this war given the Shayds? What have you gained?” he asks, his voice so deep it seems to rumble my bones.

  “Nothing. We’ve gained nothing.”

  “Neither have we, except for death and pain and loss.”

  “What have you lost?”

  “My mate. My child,” he replies quietly, and I swear I can feel the pain in his words.

  It chills me to the core to think about demons having families and then having to watch them die. It’s much easier to think of them as monsters without feelings, with no connection to anyone. Images of the injured laying in the infirmary flash through my head.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, and he nods slowly.

  “We all have losses to bear, but there comes a point when the hate has to end, when those who are left have to forgive or we will all be destroyed.”

  I glance at Kateri and can see she’s actually thinking about what he just said.

  “And you?” I ask, turning to his partner.

  He’s stood silently the entire time I spoke with Xal, although I did glimpse his eyes narrowing when I asked about what he had lost.

  “Well?”

  “Kunik cannot speak. Sirix had his tongue cut out.”

  “For speaking against him?”

  “For not laughing.”

  I frown, looking back and forth between the two.

  “For not laughing?”

  “Sirix said something funny, and Kunik did not laugh, so Sirix said that if he wished to remain silent, he could be silent…forever,” Xal says.

  “Damn,” Kateri mutters.

  “You can get us inside, right?”

  “We can.”

  “And you will kill other demons, for us?”

  “I will not kill for you, but I will kill other demons who try to kill us.”

  I nod and extend my hand. Xal takes it in his much larger, scale covered paw and we shake firmly. I do the same with Kunik and he gives me a small nod as acknowledgment of our pact. I turn back to Kyuki.

  “Okay, when do we leave?”

  “I’m still not sure about this plan,” Kateri says as we’re walking down the hall toward the infirmary, Syrra, Jax, and Reeva just behind.

  “I don’t like it that much either, but I think it’s the best we’ve got, and we don’t have time to waste trying to come up wit
h a different one.”

  “I know,” she says and then sighs.

  Once again, when we enter the hospital, I try to keep my eyes forward and not look at the injured lying in the beds lined up along the outer wall. These people are our allies now and they are bearing the brunt of a new war with the denizens of the Abyss. Suddenly, Alixa appears from behind a fabric partition, her hands covered in dark gray blood, her coat splattered. She looks tired and defeated, but she manages a smile when she sees Kateri.

  “Are you taking care of her?” she asks, nodding toward me.

  “I’m doing my best,” Kateri replies.

  Alixa nods.

  “I get that,” she says, giving me a knowing look. “If that arm gives you any more trouble, come see me.”

  “I will.”

  We exit the hospital, passing dozens of demons in the narrow and musty stone corridors. I’m holding my breath, hoping that Kateri doesn’t ask me about—

  “What was that about?” she asks.

  I know my shoulders slump slightly, but I hide it as much as possible and I try to keep my thoughts on the upcoming mission.

  “What?”

  “Why is she talking about your arm?”

  “No reason.”

  I glance over my shoulder and catch Syrra’s eye. She just looks away, but I can feel the disapproval and I’m worried that Kateri will pick up on it.

  “She wouldn’t have said it if there was no reason,” Kateri says.

  I sigh and look at her just before ducking under a low-hanging bundle of wires.

  “She’s just making sure everything’s okay…that’s all.”

  “Right,” Kateri replies, frowning at me, but she says nothing further about it.

  We enter the map room. The place is packed with demons and buzzing with activity. I even get a few friendly smiles and a couple of warm pats on the back as we head for the exit.

  “Hold on a second,” a tall, thin red-skinned demon says from across the room.

  We stop in front of the door, waiting as he saunters over, his long limbs seeming to move in slow motion as he approaches.

  “Take these,” he says, handing each of us what look like hearing aids, only much smaller and more delicate; each only about the size of a peanut.

  “I thought you guys were sort of…technologically challenged.”

  “We’ve made some recent improvements,” he says. “Mostly things we stole from the Tower.”

  “Good for you. Are these some sort of communicator?” I ask, holding the tiny device in my palm.

  “Yes. Just place it into your ear, like a hearing aid. It’s voice activated. All you need to do is talk. They’re basically always on. They don’t function when they’re closer than twenty feet, so they don’t interfere with regular conversations.”

  “Sweet,” I say before slipping it in, adjusting it a few times before it feels comfortable.

  I wait until Kateri and the others follow suit. I turn around and speak quietly into my hand.

  “Testing, testing,” I say.

  When I turn around, Kateri is grinning at me while shaking her head.

  “He said they don’t work when you’re within twenty feet of each other.”

  “Wow. You really are a dork,” Jax says.

  “Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You would,” he replies with a chuckle.

  “Okay then. Are we ready?” I ask, looking at this motley collection.

  “We’re ready,” Kateri replies, answering for everyone.

  Fifteen minutes later, we’re all gathered in a dark alley about two blocks from the tower. I peer around the corner, toward the surprisingly blasé front entrance. I can see two large demons pacing back and forth in front of the rather unimpressive doors. I turn around when Dray speaks.

  “All right. Is everyone clear on the plan?” he asks.

  “I’m clear on it, I just don’t like it,” Kateri says, frowning at me.

  “I don’t like it that much either, but it’s the best we’ve got,” I say, walking back to the group.

  “There are usually two guards at the doors, and according to Xal, there may be as many as three more just inside,” Dray continues. “Kunik and Xal will take Syrra and Eve in through the front doors, and as soon as they’re inside, they will eliminate the guards.”

  “How are we sure that they’ll just let them walk inside?” Kateri asks.

  “They know me. They will let me pass,” Kunik replies.

  “So you say, but you’ve never tried to walk in with Shayds in tow.”

  “I thought we decided this already,” Kunik says, looking over at Dray.

  “We have,” I interject. “The plan is already set. We’re not changing it now.”

  Kateri shakes her head and grumbles but doesn’t say anything else.

  “As soon as the guards are down, they’ll call the rest of us in,” Dray says.

  “All right,” I say looking at Kunik. “Now, hit me.”

  “What?” he asks, clearly stunned.

  “What are you doing?” Kateri demands, stepping a bit closer to me.

  “The only way this is going to work is if they believe that Kunik and Xal caught me. There’s no way I would have gone down without a fight.”

  “There’s no way—”

  Suddenly, Dray steps up and strikes me hard in the face with his open hand. I stumble back and can immediately taste blood in my mouth. Kateri’s reaction is immediate as her hand goes for her sword, but I grab her arm as soon as I’m recovered from the blow.

  “Stop!” I command her.

  “We don’t have time for this. You wanted hit, now you’re hit,” Dray says, but I can see a touch of guilt in his eyes.

  Kateri glares at me but relaxes, at least a little. I look at Dray and nod.

  “One more time.”

  The second hit is just as hard as the first, and I nearly lose my footing. I stretch my neck a few times, rolling my head back and forth while opening and closing my jaw. I touch my cheek and immediately feel blood on my fingertips. Dray looks at me and I can tell he feels even worse about the second hit.

  “Now me,” Syrra says. “We have to make this look right.”

  Syrra takes the two hits like she’s made of stone, barely flinching from the impact, at least at first. I do spy her shake her head slightly, but I keep it to myself. I look at Dray who seems very impatient. Kunik takes a step closer to us.

  “Strike me with your sword,” he says, extending his arm.

  “I think that’s taking it too far,” I say.

  “As you said, we need to make this believable, and I also would not go down without a fight.”

  I sigh quietly as I draw my sword.

  “Put your arm up, like you’re blocking my attack.”

  Kunik follows my instructions and I swing the blade, hitting him and slicing into his flesh. He winces and grits his teeth but does not pull his arm back or make a sound.

  “If we’re done with the theatrics,” Dray says, his head tilted to the side.

  “We’re ready,” I say as I unstrap my sword belt and hand it to Xal.

  Syrra does the same with hers and I turn and look at Kateri.

  “Wait a second. Don’t they have video surveillance all over this place?” Reeva asks.

  “Shit. Why didn’t we think about this before?” I reply with a question of my own.

  “Don’t worry. We have an ally on duty today in the security office. Things will go unnoticed,” Dray answers.

  “Yeah, but they’ll find out tomorrow. What will happen to him?” Kateri asks.

  I smile at her and her concern for the fate of a demon.

  “We have it worked out. When we’re done, he’ll go on break and never return.”

  “Okay then…I’ll see you soon,” I whisper to Kateri.

  “Yeah you will.”

  K ~ I love you, Eve.

  E ~ I love you more.

  Kunik takes my arm tightly but not p
ainfully, and we head around the corner. Xal and Syrra follow close behind. I can feel a long trail of blood trickling down my cheek, along my neck and under my shirt as we walk. The closer we get to the imposing tower, the faster my heart beats. I trust Kyuki and her warriors, but these two are new and if they suddenly change allegiance again, both Syrra and I are dead, or worse.

  “I will protect you,” Kunik whispers as we’re walking, as if he felt what I was thinking.

  “I know,” I reply quietly.

  “Make sure you look defeated,” he adds.

  The doors to the tower are now just across the street. Two large black and green demons with long tails and claws to match are standing by the entrance, paying little attention to their surroundings. Phantom cars and trucks whiz by on the street, passing through us like smoke through a filter.

  Suddenly, one of the guards looks up. He glares at me before shoving his companion. I try to pull away from Kunik, but he tightens his grip as he drags me toward the tower.

  “Where have you been, Kunik?” the first guard asks as he approaches us.

  “Hunting.”

  “You brought your quiet little friend, I see,” he says, looking over at Xal.

  “Shut the fuck up, Krel,” Kunik says.

  The guard looks at me and sneers.

  “At least you caught a few.”

  “Yes,” Kunik replies while raising his injured arm. “This one is a fighter.”

  He nudges me in the back, and I stumble forward, playing along…or at least I hope we’re just playing.

  The second guard walks over and grabs Syrra, holding her chin in his massive hand, turning her head from right to left.

  “You heard the new edict, right?”

  “What edict?”

  “All captured Shayds are to be killed immediately,” the beast replies as he draws his sword.

  I glance over at Syrra and she shakes her head.

  “Wait!” Kunik says. “You know who this is?”

  They look at me, but there’s not a shiver of recognition.

  “This is ‘the one’,” Kunik finally says.

  “The Shayd-Human mutant?” the second guard asks, staring at me, tilting his head from side to side as he studies me.