The Shifting Storm (Book 4)

by Jeff Hale

  I wiggled my hands in front of me. “Still intact,” I said with forced cheeriness.

  “Are you?” His question implied more.

  I thought about it, chewed my lip, then shrugged. “No, not really. Up here,” and I tapped my head, “I know it’s not Aerick that’s doing these things, that it’s whatever is inside him, eating away at him, making him feel he needs to lash out and hurt others to deal with his pain.” It was the closest I would come to admitting to Lucien that there was something else in control of Aerick at times. “I mean, he doesn’t hurt the others...” I trailed off.

  “Lily? Nina? I know, Katelyn, believe me I do.” He smiled sadly at me.

  “So why me?” I asked softly.

  “Because every time you tell him you love him afterwards he feels guilt, and it calms the wrath inside him. When he sees that you haven’t left, that you stayed, it makes him feel wanted, worthwhile, and it keeps him grounded. He tries to push you away, so when you give up, he can feel vindicated that he was right, but every time you refuse to leave he has to face the fact that maybe, just maybe, he is indeed worth saving. Unfortunately, Serena can’t make him feel this right now, so it has to be you.” He gave me an almost paternal look of sympathy.

  “Speaking of, how is she holding up?” I asked. Despite the fact that I was jealous of Aerick’s love for her, she was still my friend.

  “She’s doing better, starting to show some anger instead of just depression. She’s confused. She wants to see Aerick desperately, but she doesn’t want him to see her, is afraid he’ll see the ‘dirt’ that she believes still sticks to her.”

  “You know, Darien wanted to kill Travis, months back, and she wouldn’t let him. Maybe if he had, all this wouldn’t have happened,” I said, resting my chin on my knees.

  “Maybe. But all things happen for a reason, even what is happening now, much as I would wish it could be easier for all involved.”

  I let that vague remark go, watching the birds make lazy circles around the room, thankful that they were magically created and didn’t have any of the bad tendencies of real birds. I was still watching the birds, Lucien watching me, when there was a rapid knock on the door.

  “Come in, Aerick,” Lucien said, giving me a sideways glance.

  The door pushed open and Aerick stuck his head inside, saw me and came in and shut the door.

  “Did you ask him yet?” he asked me.

  “Not yet, I was getting to it,” I said.

  “Ask me what?” Lucien wanted to know. He gave Aerick an appraising look, saw the dark circles and stubble; Aerick only shaved when I pressed the issue.

  But Aerick was in an animated mood, attention focused, no anger, only mild depression. He was doing better.

  “He wants to know if you’ll let him leave the club, unchaperoned. He’s getting twitchy.” I laughed.

  “Do you think he’s ready?” Lucien asked me, glancing sideways at Aerick.

  “Maybe. He’s been more himself lately,” I said.

  “Aerick, you feel you can handle yourself out in the rest of the world, by yourself?” Lucien asked, looking right at him.

  “I’m going nuts here, Luce, I really am. I understand why you felt it necessary, but I need to get out of here, need to do something other than stare at a television all day, other than just talk about it.” He sat down, fingers drumming on his thighs.

  “And Serena? What happens if I let you off your leash?”

  A flash of pain crossed his face. “She still doesn’t want to see me?”

  “Not yet, no,” Lucien said kindly, “but I think she might be getting close.”

  “Fine, whatever.” Aerick swallowed hard. “I give you my word I won’t bother her, okay?”

  Lucien considered him a moment, then nodded. “And what will you do, to occupy your time?”

  Aerick gave the door an agitated look, then returned his gaze to Lucien. “I found out that Azryel is still out there. I thought he was gone but…” He shrugged.

  “Yes, those pesky demons do have a strong sense of survival, they tend to jump bodies when their host dies, to the weakest willed person near, or sometimes even back to their own realms if that is their only choice.” Lucien tapped a pen on the desk top. “So you plan on hunting him down, you feel like this might give you some sense of purpose?”

  “Yes. Please?”

  Lucien tapped the pen again for a few moments, then bobbed his head. “Fine, on one condition.”

  “Anything.”

  “Shower and shave before you leave, you look awful.” Lucien winked at him.

  I stared at the door after Aerick left, turned to Lucien. “You really think that was a good idea?”

  “We can’t keep him locked up forever, Katelyn, even you know that.”

  I did. I just hoped that Lucien wasn’t making a mistake.

  ___________________________________________

  I didn’t see Aerick for the rest of the day, and by early evening, I began to worry, but Lucien assured me that everything would be fine.

  I paced, I cried, I wrung my hands. I gave Lily helpless looks when she would question me with her eyes. I became depressed myself, sure that something dire had happened and we would never know.

  Finally, I decided to go talk to Val, if for nothing else than for the company. As I headed to her room, I was surprised to see Serena in the main part of the club, coming in my direction from the dining room. She was actually dressed today, in blue jeans tucked into tan cowboy boots, a white flannel shirt tied up under her breasts. She had her hair brushed and held back by little unicorn clips.

  “Kat!” She smiled at me, but she also gave me a searching look, like she suspected me of something. “I was just comin’ ta find ya.”

  “You were?” I blinked, surprised, laughing lightly. “I was just going to talk to Val.”

  She nodded, glancing down the hall behind her. “Yeah, that’s why I was comin’ ta find ya. She told me that if she wasn’t available fer me, ta find ya. She’s down talkin’ ta that Malachai person and…” She frowned, swallowed hard. “I wanted ta confront Travis, but I don’t want ta do it alone. Will ya come with me? Please? I need ta do this.”

  “Sure.” Maybe she was getting through this. I had heard that confronting your attacker was always a good sign. I didn’t really want to see Travis again, but if she needed me to hold her hand while she did it, then I would.

  “Thanks, Kat.” She headed for the alcove that went upstairs. There was a door there, next to the stairs, and that door opened onto a set of stairs that led down into the basement. She went through that door and I followed behind her. At the bottom of the steps was another door, which led into a room divided into two cells with a large space in between them. We bypassed Malachai’s cell, intent on the one Travis was in. She stopped there, stared at the door to his cell for several moments, then turned and held her hand out to me.

  “You want to go in?” I asked in surprise.

  “Yeah. I need ta face him, and not with a door between us. Please, Kat?” She gave me a tremulous smile and wiggled her hand.

  I sighed and took the key Lucien had given me out of my pocket, then unlocked the door myself instead of giving it to her. She took a steadying breath, then opened the door and walked in, turning briefly to give me a nod, which I returned.

  “Back again?” I heard Travis ask roughly. “Do whatever you want but I won’t—oh, it’s you.” The last word was said rudely.

  I leaned against the wall, close enough so that I could see her, see Travis, but not intrude. I was there for backup, if she needed me, but otherwise she needed to do it on her own. Suddenly, I felt odd for a moment, thought I saw the walls ripple slightly, but it didn’t happen again so I turned my attention back to Travis and Serena.

  She was wiping something off her face that I realized was spit. She brought her arm back, her fist connecting with his nose. It made a crunching noise. I winced, thought about stopping her, but didn’t.

  “Ya
don’t spit on a lady!” she screamed, voice full of barely contained rage. She laid into him again, her punches aimed for his stomach now, tears streaming down her face as she took out her emotions on him, purging herself of the humiliation, the anger, all of it. Once again, I didn’t interfere; I couldn’t, because I was afraid I just might help her.

  “Ya took everythin’ from us!” Serena yelled, breathing heavily as she quit hitting him. “Ya took me away from him! Why did ya do that ta us? Why?”

  “What does it matter?” Travis asked hoarsely, pulling in a breath. “You’re just a thing.”

  “Why do ya keep callin’ me that? I’m a person, like you! I’m not just some thing!” she demanded.

  “Because, you are! You’re a clone, a grown human made from science, with a soul entrapped in it by magic! You aren’t real! You were created to be experimented on so we could find a way to become immune to Aetheric abilities! You were never supposed to know, but it doesn’t matter now. We were supposed to protect and guard you. Make sure you stayed within your protocols. You were supposed to remember eventually, of course. He knew you would, given enough time and the planned exposure to your boyfriend. And when you did remember? You were to be used as a way to lure your little boyfriend in so we could experiment on him. Learn his weaknesses,” Travis told her, smiling sadistically.

  “His kind are a growing threat that we cannot abide,” he continued. “Of course I had my own plans as to how we were going to use you to bring him in. I wanted to violate you, taste you and feel you squirm under me as I slowly beat the life out of you and ripped you apart inside at the same time. You took everything from me!” Travis screamed at her.

  “What do ya mean? I didn’t do anythin’ ta you!” Serena protested loudly

  “My family was the blood sacrifice that was needed to create you! My wife and my daughter were killed for the energy that created you! I fucking despise you, and if I could do what I did to you all over again I would! At least you felt good when you were squirming on me. I could tell that you even liked it a little!” The sadistic smile was back on Travis’s face.

  She shook her head, then pulled something out of her pocket. When she held it up, I could see that it was a generic plastic syringe with a safety cap. Inside was a pale, greenish liquid. I hadn’t seen her grab it, so she must have gotten it before I ran into her upstairs.

  “Where did you get that?” Travis demanded, sudden fear widening his eyes.

  She blinked as she looked from the syringe to him. “First aid kit in the kitchen. Found some other things, too.” She pulled the safety cap off and squirted a little of the liquid out, tapping the syringe with a practiced hand as she stepped toward him. She had been a med student, so it didn’t surprise me. “There are a couple of different things in here. Separately, they’re relatively benign. Put them tagether? Well, that’s another matter entirely. You’ll die a slow, painful death. It’ll take days as the poison creeps through ya, and you’ll beg fer release. But it won’t happen, and no one will grant ya the favor,” she promised darkly, leaning down and slowly inserting the needle into his neck. Her thumb hovered over the plunger, as though she were still debating her actions in her mind.

  I began to wonder if she really was all right, if she was broken more than we had thought, because Serena, Celeste, would never have hurt anyone, let alone kill someone. Then again, it was Travis, and if she pressed that plunger, I would silently applaud her.

  But she just stood there, thumb pressing lightly, hand beginning to shake, as though she wanted to do it and just couldn’t bring herself to. Tears ran down her face and I could tell even Travis wasn’t sure if she would do it or not. Finally, she pulled the syringe away.

  “I… I cain’t,” she whispered dully. “Ya deserve it, but I cain’t be the one ta do it. I’m not like ya. I’m better than ya.” The syringe fell from her hand and rolled under the bed as she sank to her knees, her shoulders shaking as she cried.

  “But I’m not,” I heard Aerick’s voice say. He appeared suddenly right next to the door to Travis’s cell, and Travis’s head snapped up in fear. I hadn’t even realized Aerick was back, let alone downstairs.

  “Lord Azryel? What? Why? I served you well! I did what you wanted!” Travis shouted hoarsely as Aerick stepped into the room.

  Serena skittered back from Aerick and I felt power come from him, thought I saw the walls ripple again, then heard a sound like cracking ice

  “That ice will take a while to completely encompass you,” Aerick told Travis. “Weeks, maybe months. No one can stop it, except for myself. Once it engulfs you, you still won’t be dead. But it won’t end there either. The ice will continue to grow, in tiny spikes that will slowly penetrate your body. You will live on, frozen in that block for the rest of eternity, never dying, never aging, only able to observe your immediate surroundings. I’ll make sure you get put in a nice crowded location so that as you are denied living your own life, you will be forced to watch others live theirs.”

  I tried to get a better glimpse of Travis, thought I saw the glitter of something frozen on his ankles.

  “Aerick? What did ya just do?” Serena asked in shocked disgust.

  I saw a look of pure evil cross Aerick’s face, saw his eyes flare that bright yellow-orange, and with sudden clarity I knew that the person in the room with Serena not only wasn’t Aerick, but wasn’t a splinter of his psyche either.

  “What needed to be done,” he said coldly. “Come with me, darlin’. I’m going to make you an Empress.” With that he grabbed her hand and they both disappeared.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  KATELYN

  The walls rippled around me again, stronger this time. I needed to get Val, wondered if she had seen what Aerick had done. I rushed to Malachai’s cell, saw her getting to her feet through the window, saw Malachai vacillating between looking worried and being amused. Val saw me, then her eyes darted up towards the ceiling, just as I heard Lucien’s voice in my head.

  “I can’t keep the place intact for much longer, get them all out!” his voice in my mind shouted weakly. The wall next to me wavered out of existence for a moment, before stabilizing shakily.

  Oh, fucking hell!

  I had almost forgotten that a good portion of Lucien’s club existed as extradimensional space created by, and held in place by, Lucien himself. I didn’t know to what extent, but if it was failing, that meant Lucien was hurt. I could take one guess as to who was responsible for that.

  How much of the club would vanish, leaving people trapped, I had no clue. I didn’t want to take a chance on any of it.

  Val was gesturing at the door now, catching my eye, and I realized that she was locked in with Malachai. I had the key that Lucien had given me, used just minutes ago on Travis’s cell, and I unlocked and yanked the door open. I took a step into the cell, saw Malachai’s gaze go to me and a crazed smile cross his face.

  “You heard Lucien too?” Val asked me worriedly.

  “Yeah. Did you see Aerick?”

  “It’s not Aerick anymore, I’m not sure how long it hasn’t been Aerick; he locked me in here.” She looked past me, eyes wide. “Where is he?”

  Guilt flooded me at her words. I knew how long. I should have said something to her, to Lucien, and fear of what they would do to Aerick had kept me silent. I shook my head. “Not a clue, he grabbed Serena and poofed out of here.” I rubbed my arms, fear engulfing me, as she looked back at me. Her eyes met mine and for a moment I was lost in them, wanted to throw myself into her arms so that she would make everything all right again. I felt like I would be safe with her.

  “While I’m usually all for a little girl on girl action, if you two haven’t noticed, the building is rapidly losing stability.” Malachai gave us both a lecherous grin as we turned to him, heavy dark brows low over his brown eyes, dark-brown hair uncombed. He rattled the chains that bound him to a chair that I could see was covered in iron. The chains, and the forearm and calf cuffs they were attached to, were all
made of iron as well. Being in the room itself made me feel like I had the lightest bit of vertigo.

  “What?” I said, staring at Val now in embarrassment, then back to Malachai. “I would never! I’m not… I like guys.”

  “Really? Oh… yeah. You look good in blood.” He flicked his tongue at me and winked. “So getting all sweaty with her might bother you? Funny, a little adultery once upon a time with her didn’t seem to.”

  “Malachai!” Val said sternly, a clear threat in her voice although his words seemed to confuse her.

  “What? I want out of here!” He rattled the chains again, a sly smile on his lips. “You still need me, don’t even try to lie about it. And besides, if you take me with you, I just might not let the cat out of the bag… so to speak.” He laughed.

  Val sighed heavily, shaking her head. “He’s right, we do need him, and I can’t take the chance that leaving him here might set him loose.” She pulled a small key ring from the pocket of her leather pants, began opening the locks that attached the chains to the cuffs. I saw another chain that went to a wide iron belt that looked like it fit painfully snug around his narrow waist under his black dress shirt.

  “Fuck,” I heard her say under her breath when she had him standing.

  Malachai just stood there between us with a maniacal grin on his face as though we were getting ready to take him on a picnic. Occasional I caught him staring at the swell of Val’s breasts where the neckline of her spaghetti strapped shirt failed to cover. I was suddenly glad I was dressed in plain old blue jeans and a white t-shirt.

  “What?” I asked.

  “We need to get Travis out too, much as I’d love to leave his ass to rot. He still might have information we need. Can you get him, Kat? I hate to ask, but I’m better suited to deal with this psycho than you are.”

  “Yeah, I’ll get him,” I said, even though I didn’t want to be anywhere near him. “We better hurry though.” The walls were rippling again.