The institute in Arizona was a drab-looking facility. The four buildings were made out of brick, had tinted windows, and were just large squat squares. It made sense to make it look like any other office park, but I preferred something a little more modern. The courtyard came into view, and I took the path to the right. Some students ran past me, with their instructor shouting at them as they went. Seeing them training reminded me of my first years with the Ascendancy. Had that really been over a hundred years ago? It was amazing how time had a way of slipping away from you. The kids today had it easy. They had gyms and weights. We used to have to train in a much more physical manner.
The nostalgia I was feeling washed away as I stepped inside. Any meeting with Adam always put me on edge. I couldn’t be off my game, or he would know. If he suspected anything, he wouldn’t stop hounding me until he found out what it was that I was hiding. There were things that he couldn’t know, things that if he ever found out about them, it would result in my untimely demise.
When I walked through the door, Henry leaped from his desk and rushed over to me. “Thank God you’re here. He’s been working himself into a fury. You better get in there.”
Working himself into a fury. Well, that didn’t sound good. The last thing I wanted to deal with was an enraged Adam, especially when I still had no idea what he was angry about. I hadn’t heard anything from my contacts across the pond, so I was going in unprepared.
Henry grabbed my arm and hustled me to the door. He let go, giving me a moment to straighten my suit before he opened the door. Adam was pacing back and forth across his office. His hands were stroking his white beard. I could tell by the way he was walking that he was upset. His steps seemed to thunder against the ground. This wasn’t going to be good.
I almost managed to take a step back, but Henry’s arm was waiting behind me. He gave me a little shove into the room and then closed the door behind me. I was thankful that I didn’t shout when he shoved me into the room. That might have drawn Adam’s attention to me. The way it happened at least let me recover gracefully before he turned his eyes upon me.
His eyes burned with a cold fury. “Stillman, what took you so long?”
“I thought we made pretty good time, considering the traffic.”
“Traffic? You drove? When I summon you to my office, I expect you to come immediately.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
His eyes bulged. Maybe being flippant right now wasn’t the best thing, but I needed to remind him that I wasn’t completely under his thumb. Despite what he thought, I was my own man and always had been. The constant threat of death would only make someone do so much. The threat loses its effect over time. Now I was more focused on my needs than those of the Ascendancy.
“Sit.”
He didn’t wait to see if I complied. It was expected. Slowly he moved around his desk until he stood facing me. Now he waited until I sat down before sitting. He was reasserting the balance of power, and I felt it. As if I needed a reminder. I took my time getting settled in my seat, which wasn’t easy with Adam glaring down at me. I looked up, and our eyes met. I was sure he could see the hint of defiance in mine, but if he cared, he didn’t show it. He sat down and continued to stare at me.
“I’ve been summoned by the Council.”
Well, that was something new and wholly unexpected. Adam had cut many of the ties he once held with the Council after they had excommunicated him. He established the Ascendancy but still needed funding, which was where his limited interactions with the Council came from. I knew that he kept as much of their money as he spent, waiting for the day he would be able to fully break away from them.
It was odd that they would summon him, and even stranger that I had heard nothing about it. Something like this should have reached the ears of at least one of my contacts. The fact that it hadn’t meant something out of the ordinary was going on. Adam was watching my face, clearly trying to get a read on what I was thinking.
“So.” He fixed his glare on me, waiting expectantly.
“I haven’t heard anything about it.” His eyes narrowed. He obviously doubted what I was telling him. I couldn’t blame him for thinking that I would know something about what was happening. I paid very well for that kind of information, and none of my contacts had reached out to me. “Not a single person has reached out to me. That means it was arranged behind closed doors, Council members only.”
“Tell me what you think it means.”
“I have no idea. Whatever it is, I would expect it to be serious. The Council doesn’t hold very many closed-door sessions. If no one has heard about it, then expect the unexpected.”
“That wasn’t very much help,” he said with a growl.
“I’m sorry, Adam, but I have no clue. No one is talking about anything major.”
“Fine, but I want you here until I return.”
“If that is what you want, I’ll make it work.”
“Damn straight you will.”
With a flourish, he stood and walked out of the room. The Council was waiting for him. He would have given Henry his instructions before I came, so I wouldn’t be able to walk out without him knowing. As Adam walked out, Henry popped his head into the doorway. He had an apologetic smile on his face as if he knew keeping me here was a little ridiculous.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee or tea?” Henry asked with compassion lacing his words.
“Tea would be divine. Thank you, Henry.”
As he moved out of the office, I stood up and stretched. It hadn’t gone nearly as badly as I thought it would have based on Adam’s state of agitation. He had been so flustered he didn’t even question me about what I was holding back. If Adam had found out that I had been speaking with the demons again, he would have killed me outright. I almost couldn’t believe that I was still doing it myself. I found myself beholden to her. Damn if a simple mistake hadn’t changed my life forever.
The couch was going to be more comfortable than the chair, so I made my way over to it. There was no reason to keep my driver waiting around. I would be able to get home on my own when Adam returned. I pulled out this crazy new Nokia phone and sent him a quick text message to let him know his services were no longer required.
The couch creaked as I sat down, but damned if it was the most comfortable thing I had ever sat on. I’d never put the old piece of crap in my house, but I could appreciate it while I was confined here.
Henry came back into the room and put down a mug of tea. He also left a steaming French press with some dark leaves already steeping in it. To my great delight, a plate of his famous chocolate chip cookies found their way onto the table as well. I’d never eaten a better cookie, and despite how many of my chefs I had try and replicate his recipe, it never came out the same.
The phone in my pocket buzzed. Probably just my driver double checking if he was really done for the day. I grabbed a cookie, checked that the antenna was up, and read the message. The cookie fell to the floor as the text started to sink in. Shit. This wasn’t good. I needed to go. I hoped Adam would understand.
“Henry, I have to go,” I said, striding out of the door.
“You know I can’t allow that.”
Damn, of course he wouldn’t make it easy. He had his own orders from Adam to follow. How much could I tell him without bringing the wrath of the Ascendancy down on my head? I’d have to tell him something or else he wouldn’t budge. Despite his limp and unassuming appearance, Henry was still a warrior, and I couldn’t hurt him without even worse repercussions.
“Where’s John?”
“He should be at home, but you can’t leave. I’d be happy to get a message to him for you,” Henry said, trying to placate me.
“He’s in danger. I need to get to him now.”
“If that was the case, you would have told Adam before he left.”
“My contact just reached out to me right now. He said Gregor is here.”
Henry’s face fell
at the sound of the man’s name. That was the kind of reaction you should have upon hearing it. The man was a beast, and destruction followed in his wake. There was only one thing that could have driven him across the ocean and onto our doorsteps. John.
“Go to him. I’ll send word to Adam.”
Rushing forward, I pulled Henry into a quick hug. It startled him as much as it did me. “I’ll do whatever I can.”
Magic coursed through my veins; it couldn’t end like this. I wouldn’t let it. The magic fed strength to my limbs, and I ran as if the devil himself was nipping at my heels. The motor pool came into view, and my Ninja was waiting there for me. Slipping onto the seat, the bike purred instantly to life. The portal flared as I fed it my desired location, and then the back tire squealed as I punched it. I could make it there in time. I knew it.
The portal dumped me out three miles from John’s house. The back tire of the bike spun against the asphalt for a moment before catching, and then I was moving forward like a rocket. Who knew how long it took for the message to reach me. Gregor could already be there. I took the turns at reckless speeds, my knee almost scraping the ground. I had to make it there before he did.
What in the hell? All of the lights were off, and it didn’t look like anyone was at home. It didn’t make sense. If Gregor was here, he was coming for John. John was supposed to be at home. This area had protections on it that Adam himself had set up. John never liked to follow the rules, but this was reckless even for him. Where in the hell could he be?
Fuck, the cabin. I knew that he had wanted to get away. That being locked inside of the city was killing him. I should have guessed it from the start. As soon as Adam left, he had to have gone up to the cabin. I shot Henry a quick text message and then hit the kickstand for my bike. Running toward the house, I called on my gift. I turned the side door of his house into a portal and came out at the bottom of the driveway to his cabin.
The gate had been ripped off its hinges, and I could see a fire burning at the top of the hill. Was I too late? Energy flowed into my limbs, and I started running for the house. When I reached the clearing, I skidded to a stop. Gregor and three of his men were standing around with smiles on their faces. John’s house was burned to the ground. Those faces told me everything I needed to know. They had been successful in their mission.
Rage bubbled inside of me. It would be a simple thing to kill these men where they stood. From the looks of things, John had already done the heavy lifting. What would Adam want me to do? Should I get revenge or maintain my cover? Gregor finally turned around, and when he saw me, a smile broke out over his face.
“Joshua, it’s good to see you, old friend.” He walked toward me with a spring in his step and pulled me into a fierce hug.
“It’s good to see you as well, Gregor.” I returned the hug and somehow managed to prop a smile onto my face. I couldn’t let him see how much this was affecting me.
“The Council finally pulled their heads out of their asses and let me end this. Now you can come back home where you belong.”
I smiled and laughed with the men. “As soon as the Council gives me leave to do so, I assure you that I will be there to stand by your side.” Sometimes I hated what I had become. Playing both sides of the game wasn’t fun or rewarding. Maybe that was why I had turned to the darker side of magic. I needed a release from being used. At least I knew what the demons wanted. I had no idea what kind of goals Adam or the Council were working toward.
“As much as you would like to stay and savor this moment, Adam will be here as soon as he gets word, and his wrath will be like nothing you have ever seen.”
“You should come with us. We are going home as conquering warriors. The party will last through the night.”
“If only I could.” I reached out and shook his hand. “Be safe, and have a drink for me.”
“I will. Come on, lads, we have some celebrating to do.”
The four of them took off running down the hill. I felt the pressure as the spell that took them home released. Finally they were gone, and I could grieve for my friend. Waving my hand behind me, I doused the flames in the trees. It wouldn’t do to have someone calling the forest service due to a fire.
Bodies and the wreckage of four SUVs littered the area. I’d be able to take care of that too, but I wanted Adam to be able to see it first. He had to know the kind of lengths these men would go to, to accomplish their goals. Spinning in a slow circle, I took in the entire area. It had been one hell of a battle. Something didn’t feel quite right to me. John should have been able to kill all of these men, so why were they still standing while he was dead? The only thing that came to mind was if he was buying time for Sarah to flee.
I felt the gentle kiss of Salina’s power before I turned around. Her fingers brushed against my cheek, burning me but at the same time sending shivers of pleasure throughout my body. She was just as beautiful as she had been all those years ago when I had first summoned her. I was in over my head then, and if she was here now, I was in over my head again.
A wicked smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes screamed with deadly intent. She whispered my name and kissed my lips, pulling my bottom lip away with her teeth before breaking our kiss. She had always been that way. Pleasure spiked with pain, but whatever she did, I could never get enough. Such as it was with demons; they always hungered for more.
My skin sizzled as she ran her fingers against it, the wounds healing instantly as she stroked her fingers through my hair. She couldn’t be here, not now, but I had no way of controlling her. She had and always would do whatever she wanted. My concerns meant nothing to her. She felt me tense, and her laughter tinkled around us like chimes on the wind. She was seduction incarnate, and I was her slave.
“I’ve come to collect on my debt.”
“Then you’ve come too late. There is nothing but death here.”
Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Oh, but there is, and you owe me.”
She walked in front of me toward the house. With each step she took, I became more aroused. Of course she was naked; when she came to me, she always was. Her perfect body was just another way to get what she wanted from the weak-willed. Oh, how my mind called out to be weak. Maybe it was the red skin or the way it burned when I touched her, but something about her always took me right to the edge. She turned and looked at me over one shoulder, giving me the perfect view of half of her breast. She winked at me and turned back toward the house.
Panic fought against my lust. Adam would be here soon, and I couldn’t be seen with a demon. Whatever she wanted, I needed to give it to her quickly and send her on her way. I took a step forward and stopped as her magic surged outward. The rubble from the house was blown backward, revealing John passed out. His clothes had burned away, and he didn’t appear to be breathing.
“Thank you for fulfilling our bargain,” she said, striding through the burning embers to kneel before John.
She stroked his hair back, and I felt a sense of jealousy wash over me. Why was he so damned important? “If he is still alive, I can’t let you take him.”
She crossed the space between us instantly. Her hand wrapped around my throat, burning me as she lifted me into the air. “Let me?” she hissed. “I think you misunderstand the nature of our relationship.”
Her point made, she let me go. I fell to the ground in a heap and climbed back onto one knee. I lowered my head in a gesture of servitude. “Your word is my only desire.”
“That sounds more like the man I remember.”
She lifted my chin with one of her fingers. It burned against my skin, but I didn’t flinch. She waited until I was staring her in the eyes. They were black but so full of life. I could feel myself growing stiff under that gaze. We had spent so many nights together, losing ourselves in carnal pleasures. When she spoke, it was all I could do not to quiver with anticipation.
“I will find you later, and you can show me just how much you desire to please me.”
Adam found me there kneeling in the dirt, looking at the burned-out remains of the house. He put an arm on my shoulder, trying to console me. He didn’t realize why I was so devastated. He didn’t know that I had let the demon take my friend because my desire to please her overrode every other need that I had. He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze, and I began to cry.
“We both got here too late. Not all of this rests on your shoulders.”
“Enough of it does.”
He lifted me to my feet. “Come with me. There is nothing else we can do here.”
Adam looked into my eyes, and his face seemed to say there is enough blame to go around. He was right. My contacts could have reached me sooner. I could have come straight to the cabin. I could have fought against the demon long enough for Adam to arrive and save John. Adam could have gotten here sooner. In the end, none of that mattered.
John was in hell.
CHAPTER 3
JACKSON, PRESENT DAY
Movie night normally meant good food and friends, but tonight it was just me and April. I ran my fingers through her straight red hair and thought about what was coming next. I didn’t want to leave her, but I could never ask her to come with me. When I needed an excuse, I told myself she wasn’t ready. Her rehab had only started a few days ago, and her legs were still getting stronger.
When the archfiend broke her back, I thought she was dead. When it turned out she couldn’t walk, it didn’t matter to me. When the healers told us that everything would be ok with time, I was pretty sure that I cried. Now three days into her rehab program, she was walking again. It was going to take her at least a month or two to regain the stamina that she lost, and maybe longer to fully trust herself.
The Rising Darkness (Ascendancy Legacy 5) Page 2