INVISIBLE FATE BOOK THREE: ALEX NOZIAK (INVISIBLE RECRUITS)

by Buckham, Mary

  “You’ll see you’ve made the right choice … Alex.”

  I just bet. But I held my tongue.

  I also held his gaze, knowing he expected me to turn away, lower my eyes, quake. I might but it’d be a frozen day in the Sahara before I showed him.

  He was messing with the wrong Noziak.

  “I expect you to pull magic from your warlock. Between your power amplified, and mine, we’ll open a seam between worlds.”

  “A doorway for your demon?”

  “He’s not my demon. He is the salvation of this world.”

  Dream on.

  Obviously the druid couldn’t read my expression. Either that or I was getting damn good at hiding my thoughts.

  “Come,” he said, beckoning with one hand. “I’ll show you the power. The possibilities.”

  I was pretty sure his vision was different than mine. Yet I slid from the metal gurney, swallowing bile, knowing no miracle was going to save me now.

  Unless I made one.

  Once I was steady on my feet, or as steady as I was going to get I asked, “Where’s Bran?”

  He glanced at a door so seamless I’d never noticed it before.

  “You know I can’t …” Can’t do this. “Can’t tap into his power as long as he remains in whatever state you put him in earlier.”

  “Can’t or won’t?” he asked, just enough of a sneer to make it easier for me to tighten my spine.

  “Does it matter which?” I glanced around and offered a rock hard shrug. “You want my help, you have to play some things my way.”

  He angled his head. “As long as you are very clear who’s in charge here, Miss Noziak.”

  So we were no longer BFFs. Lucky me.

  “I have no doubts.” About what I planned to do. No idea how I was going to accomplish my primary goal, to stop him, and a demon who was buddies with the second son of Christ, and avoid a psycho Celtic witch who had me in her sights. Good thing my daddy and brothers raised me to fight back. Because that’s all I knew how to do.

  But I still had some questions. “Why this particular demon? Why Zaradian?”

  “He will lead the others.”

  Oh, this was getting better and better. I swallowed the bile building in my throat. “Others? As in more demons?”

  “The Seekers.” He looked perplexed for a flash. Welcome to my world. “But I thought you knew.”

  I shook my head, treading the fine line between being in-the-know-enough-to-be-taken-seriously and totally lost in the dark. Hard to act hard-core when I was the latter. “I’ve been hearing a lot about the Seekers.” None of it concrete. “But I’m a little vague on why this first demon, who is so powerful and dangerous, isn’t a Seeker himself.”

  “The Seekers expect him to prove that this world is worth subjugating.”

  “So Zaradian is to show these other guys that humans can be destroyed? Or at least beat down enough to make it worthwhile to what?”

  “Humans are food, Alex. Nothing more. They live beneath abilities, breed incessantly and destroy whatever they touch.”

  “And yet preternaturals hide from them.” I tried to keep my voice casual. Wasn’t doing too good a job of it based on his expression.

  “Like cockroaches, humans have proven hard to exterminate.”

  “So bad-guy demon number one is supposed to wipe out enough to make it easier for these Seekers to do what? Invade? Are they coming from where Zaradian is?”

  “They are not demons, Alex,” he sounded like a stick-up-his-butt professor talking down to the slow-witted witch. “They will make Zaradian’s rule seem benign.”

  I nodded. Easier than spewing the contents of an empty stomach. “So what about the preternaturals currently in this world? Do they all agree that they want Zaradian lording over them and then these Seekers doing the same?”

  “Do not be naïve, Alex. Those who are wise will relish the chance for some, how do you Americans say, some payback.”

  “And the rest?”

  “They do not matter.”

  And that about summed up the druid. With him and you’d get the leftovers after a demon was finished and then, lucky you, some bigger, badder creepos would be coming making things worse. Against him and you’d be annihilated sooner rather than later.

  If I had any doubts that stopping him was not the best idea I’d ever had, he’d just clarified for me why I had no choice. He was bad news. For every living being. For every innocent child, for all of the young lovers, caring elders who inhabited the planet. Someone had to stand up for them and right now, it looked like I was the only one who could.

  So be it.

  “This way then.” He waved one hand before him in a gesture that should have been more gallant and less threat, but it wasn’t.

  Now I knew how innocents felt heading to the gallows, or the guillotine, judged guilty simply for who they were, not what they’d done.

  One step in front of the other. I ignored the sweat beading on my skin, the roiling of my stomach, the stiffness in my muscles. One step at a time.

  The secret door whisked open, surprising me because so much of this dungeon area was ancient and felt more medieval than modern.

  I ducked my head, though the frame wasn’t low. It was more a primordial instinctual response to expecting an attack without any idea from which direction.

  All of them would be my guess.

  The room I’d stepped into was empty though. Except for Bran, lashed to a wall with chains so thick I didn’t know how he could stand.

  But he did. Stand and glare with the force of retribution so strong in those laser blue eyes I paused. Now I know why they painted those images of the ancient prophets as they did. The ones that made me quake as a small child in Sunday school. The ones you knew, down in your bones, would show no mercy, no forgiveness and no choices. Except one. Annihilation.

  Finally Bran and I had common ground.

  He looked exhausted though. His tailored clothes, torn and dirt smeared. Dark shadows beneath his eyes. One eye swelling shut. But he still looked ready to take on the druid and win.

  And I was supposed to harness Bran’s magic, against his will, and use it to unleash blackness onto Earth.

  Why’d I get all the easy jobs?

  My dad’s plan, in shambles as it was, still might work, or bits and pieces of it. That would have to be enough.

  I glanced over my shoulder at the druid. “So where’s this seam or portal or whatever you’re calling it?”

  “When the time comes you’ll know.”

  Yeah, like that was going to work for me. Not.

  “Either I’m helping you or I’m not.” Yes, there was a snarl in my voice, not because I liked facing scary megalomaniacs but because my only chance to save Bran was to have the druid thinking I really was working with him. Not as a servant, I figured he had enough of those types pussyfooting around him, but as an equal.

  Talk about biting off a lot to chew.

  “Don’t, Alex.” Bran’s voice sounded raw and hoarse.

  I didn’t even look in his direction though it took everything I had not to give him even one quick glance of reassurance. Instead I ignored him. Him and the shaking of my legs. “Well, Padraig.” It was all I could do not to spit his name out. “Are we in this together?” The, ‘or not’, was implied.

  I didn’t start breathing again until the druid gave a sharp shake of his head and stepped past me, deeper into the room.

  Point to Alex.

  Until he said something so low I almost didn’t hear his words. “Bring her in.”

  Her?

  I twisted around as I heard scuffles, and oaths ringing off the stone walls, coming closer and closer.

  My blood froze even before I saw Sabina being dragged down that shadowed hallway, struggling between two Weres who looked like they enjoyed pulling her arms out of her sockets. This was not how my revised plan was supposed to work.

  I stepped forward. An automatic reflex before I whirled on the
druid. “Is this the way you treat your allies?”

  He had the gall to smile. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

  Point to Padraig.

  “What the hell—” Sabina snarled before the Were on her left backhanded her so hard her head snapped back.

  “Do that again, bruiser, and you’ll get to deal with me,” I growled low in my throat, sending a pulse of magic toward him. Not enough to rile him, more like a current of air strong enough to ruffle the two lank braids he wore hanging down his chest.

  He raised his mouth to show teeth and attitude.

  “Try it, doggie breath,” I dared him. It was a bluff, pure bluff, but I doubted the druid would risk losing his amplifying witch. At least I hoped he didn’t want to lose me. Not until I’d proved useful.

  The Were rocked forward on his feet, crouching to lunge, when he glanced over my shoulder and must have caught his boss’s gaze.

  My, my, how quickly one could be cowed.

  Though I didn’t say anything out loud both Weres got the message. Confusion flashed across the second Were’s face as if wondering why he didn’t get to play his petty and punitive Were games. Sort of like a cat who didn’t know why its master wasn’t happy when he brought him half-alive small rodents and wanted to continue to torment them.

  Maybe it was the cat word, or something else, but suddenly a huge, ungainly, and butt ugly dog came loping down the hallway hell bent for leather. Actually the beast made a beeline for Bran, skittering to sniff me once or twice before smacking into Bran with a full doggie greeting. His front paws were on Bran’s shoulders, making me want to cringe at the pressure and pain they must be causing, as his tongue and tail wagged a million times a second, his woofs loud enough to bring the rock ceiling down around us.

  “Who?” the druid growled.

  What? was my first thought, followed by a suspicious second glance. Just about that time, the monster left Bran and raced toward me, his head butting into my stomach, and toppling me backwards. I staggered, avoiding that squeegee tongue. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he assumed we were BFFs separated for far too long.

  On the other hand, his antics did break the tension and gave me an excuse to slide sideways, grab Sabina’s arm and tug her away from the clueless Weres. The dog bounding between them and us made it hard for the Weres to snatch her back.

  Maybe we were BFFs. If I could have reached the dog’s head I’d have patted it.

  “Sorry, boss,” a winded Were called, popping in behind the two nasty Weres. “He got away from me.”

  For the first time since I’d woken up on that gurney, a glimmer of hope sputtered through me. Sure Bran and I were still way outnumbered, especially with the druid’s freaky abilities. But with the arrival of this last Were, who was either Willie the recovering Were or his twin brother, meant that the monster dog stood a good chance of being Frank or Franco or whatever he was calling himself this week.

  It wasn’t an ideal cavalry to be saved by but it wasn’t like we had a lot of options.

  I kept my gaze averted from Willie, afraid I might give myself away with a big grin, but eyed the dog very closely. Franco, as that’s what he was called first time I’d met him, was a Didi shifter, which meant he could morph into multiple types of the same creature. His creature was canis lupus familiaris, the common dog. But since there was nothing common about Franco in his human form, it came as no surprise there was nothing common about the dog forms he chose.

  If he wanted to be hound of the Baskervilles I wouldn’t stop him. Especially if it meant we might walk out of here alive.

  “You imbecilic moron,” the druid snarled, though I wanted to point out his comment was a little redundant. “Take that beast away. Now.”

  Willie cleared his throat. “There’s a bit of a mess upstairs.” He glanced at me as if to say it was all my fault and it was all I could do not to give a fist pump in response. “Thought it might be best to keep him down here. If you need him.”

  The scorching glance Padraig shot Willie’s way was enough to singe the hair off even a Were, but I bit back saying anything, slowly edging Sabina away from all the Weres and closer to Bran’s cell.

  If I had to I would toss her inside and clang the door shut. She and Bran would then be safe from Were attack, but no iron bars could keep out Padraig’s magic.

  I was working on that though.

  Padraig seemed to consider Willie’s comment for a moment before chopping his hand through the air. “So be it. You.” He pointed at Willie. “Stand guard there. You two, over there and there.”

  Basically, the hallway was being blocked against further advances.

  Padraig wasn’t finished though. “And, idiot, keep the dog beside you.”

  Franco gave a doggy whine and slinked to Willie’s side when the Were whistled for him. Good doggy.

  Not.

  I wondered how Franco could hide what he was from Padraig, unless Padraig knew he was a shifter but wasn’t worried about the monster-sized animal being a threat to anything except other targets.

  So the druid wasn’t as smart as he thought he was.

  I assumed the mess upstairs meant my team was making inroads. I was absolutely positive about it when the druid barked a new set of orders, “We’re losing time. The ritual must begin now.”

  His eyes lighted on me as I shoved Sabina behind me as much as possible.

  But not enough as Padraig’s eyes narrowed and his mouth thinned. “Move out of the way, Alex,” he said, his tone so cold it made me shiver.

  “No.” My brothers would have recognized the rock-solid determination behind my single word. It was clear the druid could not freeze, or whatever he did with his dark magic, as long as I kept Sabina so close to me that he could not separate us. If the vestiges of my father’s plan were to work, I needed to protect her.

  “Do not push me, witch,” he said. Druids have always been known for their arrogance. They even gave warlocks a run for the title of biggest PIAs and that was saying something.

  I cast Bran a quick glance, catching his Celtic gaze while finding his frown. Of course. But his look said he was trusting me to know what I was doing, even if he didn’t like it.

  I just hoped he could keep that trust long enough to get us both through what was about to happen.

  “Are we going to get this party rockin’ or stand around all day?” I eyed the druid but caught two of the Weres looking over their shoulders, probably anticipating blood. Willie didn’t look any different but I heard a suspicious snort from him covered by a quick cough. The dog started barking. Doggy speak for way-to-go, Alex!

  That was my translation anyway.

  If this a-hole wanted a battle, I was ready.

  I thought.

  Chapter Sixty-four

  The druid cast one hard glance between Bran and me before inhaling a deep breath and raising his hands. He closed his eyes, stilling himself, and even from here, I could feel the power he called up. No fieldstones, no oak and mistletoe, no marking of a sacred space. And yet already the magic rose, like an untapped dam waiting to be unleashed, as he started his chant.

  “Ageless wisdom, I seek thee now.

  Unknown to Seekers’clouded eyes.

  Come Ancestors, spirits of the unjust dead.

  Ancient truths are strange to all who hold the lie.”

  The shadows grew thicker around us all, the chill deeper as the druid’s voice, like angry waves slamming a rocky shore, rolled through the enclosed space. I could smell underground places of age and dampness, the copper penny smell of fresh blood, the fecundity of moist earth.

  “Those who follow the path, the Old Way.

  I summon and stir thee!

  Come and manifest in this sacred place.

  I summon. I implore thee!

  Follow me as I have followed thee.”

  Sabina shook against me, burying her head against my shoulder. I didn’t blame her. I had the same urge. But she had to be ready. Since there’d always b
een an off chance she’d be close enough my father had created a Plan A and a Plan B. It’s where I got that gene. Only challenge was we were on about Plan S by this time. Plan Stay alive.

  “Be ready,” I whispered to her, keeping my voice low enough the druid’s chanting covered it.

  “I don’t know if I can—”

  “You can and you will.” I wasn’t the nurturing one. She should know that by now. “If I say go, or push you away, then run.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. It’s the plan. Follow it and you’ll live. Take Willie and the dog away.”

  “What about you?”

  “Worry about yourself.” Yeah, I sounded like a bitch but no need for both of us to die.

  “Spirits of the ancient dead show me the path.

  Spirits of the Earth, call back thy ancient son.

  Shining Ones I implore thee.

  Power called and Power sought.”

  Bran started rattling his chain, attempting to break the curl of black magic encircling all of us. Franco caught on and added some high-pitched barks.

  The druid opened one eye and pointed a single finger toward Franco who yelped then sank to the floor.

  If that bastard killed Franco?

  I moved toward the dog but Sabina held me back. She was right. Willie was there. He’d do what could be done. The druid closed both eyes again and began anew, even as out of the corner of my eye I saw Willie hefting Franco and moving him away.

  “I call dark energy to weave a circle of power.

  I call on that which has been hidden for too long.

  Belial. Zamiel. Samael. Ahriman, I call thee all.

  Brothers and sons and followers of darkness.

  Open to me.”

  I didn’t know if it was me, or Sabina who was shaking more. It didn’t matter. When Padraig opened his eyes and looked at me, the man who’d inhabited the body was gone. Milky white eyes stared out. Ancient eyes. Crazy eyes. “Come, witch,” he whispered, crooking his finger toward me.

  Show time.

  If this plan didn’t work my dad would hear about it. From me. On the other side, fat lot of good it’d do.