Whisper Kiss

by Deborah Cooke

  "Good plan," Sloane said with a nod.

  "Maybe we can surprise Chen," Thorolf said. "Kick his butt."

  "You're not going without me," Rox insisted. "It's my idea."

  "And sharing it is your contribution," Niall said flatly, watching her eyes flash. "I'll take Thorolf, while Rafferty and Sloane protect you. . . ."

  "Forget it." Rox shook her head. "I won't show you the way in unless I go along."

  "You'll be at risk," Thorolf argued.

  "Life is full of risk." Rox glared at Niall, to emphasize her displeasure.

  Niall glared back. "You're not going closer to Phelan, Chen, or shadow dragons. You can show me. . . ."

  "No way. I've told you my terms."

  "Forget it," he replied. "It's too dangerous."

  "You'll never find the way in without me." Rox shrugged, her eyes bright. "Or maybe even the way out."

  "Bull. We can do both."

  "Prove it," Rox said, lifting a hand to gesture to the window. "Show me the way in."

  Niall couldn't and he knew his irritation showed. He tried to appeal to her common sense. "Rox, you can't go with us. We're not positive how many shadow dragons are left, but there are more than four. They could easily outnumber us, and if they do, they could capture you."

  "I know."

  "And Phelan is out there, hunting you," Thorolf added.

  "It's too risky," Niall said. "We'll find our own way in."

  "No chance," Rox insisted. "At least not in a time frame you'll like. Travelers don't just trust anybody, you know."

  Niall turned away from her resolve and paced, trying to think of a way to persuade her to ensure her safety. The last thing he wanted to do was explore a potential refuge for an unspecified number of shadow dragons, guarded and managed by Slayers of unknown abilities, with his mate in tow and his firestorm burning hot.

  Rox, however, refused to listen to him.

  On one hand, he respected how she had negotiated; on the other, he wished she hadn't. He wanted her to be sensible.

  "Let's go down there and rout them out, get shit done," Rox challenged the Pyr. "We can all go, and have strength in numbers."

  "It does make sense to surprise them," Sloane said.

  "Take the initiative," Thorolf agreed.

  Niall felt the opinion of his fellows shift in Rox's favor. "We don't even know for sure where they are," he argued. "It makes more sense to scout out the situation, then make a plan."

  Rox smiled. "If you aren't going to fight, then there's no reason not to take me along."

  Sloane laughed. "Point to Rox."

  Niall didn't appreciate the joke. He gestured toward Rox. "You're not going to the shadow dragons' lair. Period."

  She shrugged. "Then neither are you, because I'm the only one here who knows the way in." She sipped her tea, looking audacious. "If I go with you, they'll be drawn to the firestorm."

  "You're not going to be bait!" Niall cried.

  "Brilliant idea!" Rafferty said at exactly the same time.

  Niall turned on the older Pyr. "It's my duty to defend Rox. . . ."

  "Time is of the essence," Rafferty said. He spoke with calm authority. "Your firestorm is a time of power, a resource that gives you strength. And Roxanne is correct in her thinking that an assertive strike may work wonders."

  "Only one chance to make a first impression," Thorolf agreed.

  Niall shoved his hand through his hair and paced the width of the roof. "Never mind the mumbo jumbo. . . ."

  "Then heed the facts," Rafferty said, curt as he seldom was. Niall stopped to listen. "Rox knows some of the network. Rox has volunteered to guide you there. And the firestorm will draw them to you, thereby making your hunt all the more efficient. This is your opportunity to fulfill your quest and eliminate the shadow dragons."

  Niall's lips set. "I don't like it. I don't want to endanger Rox."

  "I'm a big girl," Rox said. "I'm going by my own choice."

  "I'm going with you," Thorolf offered. "Watch your back."

  "Maybe learn something," Rox said.

  "Maybe kick some butt," Thorolf said, clicking his mug to hers.

  "We'll all go with you," Sloane agreed. They were so jovial and cheerful, as if they were discussing a stroll in Central Park.

  Niall flung out his hands. "Don't you understand? Rox will be at risk!"

  "Everyone will be at risk," Rafferty insisted. "And the risk increases the longer we wait."

  Niall exhaled, seeing that his friends were allied against him. "I don't like it."

  Rafferty smiled. "We seldom like the conditions attached to the burdens we choose to bear," he said, then shrugged. "I think this is an admirable opportunity to assess the situation. When the Pyr are all gathered, we can attack in force, with more information."

  Niall considered the three Pyr and recognized that he had lost. "All right. But Rox, you need to stay close. First sign of trouble and we are out of there, understand?"

  "Deal," Rox said, and ran to the bedroom. She was back in a flash, wearing that plaid miniskirt, biker boots, and leather jacket. The lime spikes looked a bit worse for wear, but she had put on a dark purple lipstick and her eyeliner. "Let's go."

  "You know, Rox could be wrong," Thorolf said cheerfully. "This could be a false alarm. Happens sometimes."

  Niall, however, had a feeling that Rox was right. "Okay," he said. "Where do we start?"

  "Basement of the building," Rox said, rummaging in a ginger jar on the kitchen counter. "There's a way in there. Here's the key."

  Rox led the Pyr to the basement of her building and unlocked a door to the boiler room with a flourish. The massive boilers were cold at this time of year, and the floor was thick with dust. She could see where the coal chutes had been--they were sealed up now that the burners were converted to natural gas.

  Rox crept past the boilers, ducking under the pipes and stirring the dust as she walked. She'd grabbed a flashlight and a screwdriver in her apartment, and she turned on her flashlight as they moved toward a back corner of the cellar. The exposed stone of the old foundation was visible here. There was a metal door in the wall, one almost obscured by dust and grime. It had no knob or handle, just a single keyhole.

  And Rox had the key.

  "How'd you get that?" Thorolf asked, his voice low. "Is this legal?"

  "As if you would worry about that," Rox scoffed. "You just don't want to come along. Chicken." She made a clucking sound.

  Thorolf looked back across the boiler room, his expression revealing that Rox had it right. "I'd rather not go underground, after what happened last time," he said.

  Rox looked up with interest. "What happened last time?"

  "We destroyed Magnus's hidden academy," Rafferty said.

  "Earthquakes, flooding, and disaster," Thorolf supplied.

  "Where did you get the key?" Niall asked, changing the subject.

  Rox shrugged. "A couple of years ago, the super had a heart attack. They were taking him out on a stretcher when I was coming home from the shop. It must have been four in the morning. He gave me his keys and told me to look after things."

  "Because he knew you were reliable and responsible?" Niall suggested softly, and Rox was surprised.

  "I'd been here about five years by then, and he knew me," she admitted. "Anyway, there were about a half-dozen interesting keys, keys that didn't seem to be to apartments or mailboxes. It was kind of a puzzle to figure out what they were for." Rox unlocked the door and it opened silently--she had earlier oiled the old hinges. A waft of cold air assailed them, air that smelled of dust and dampness and old stone.

  "What happened to him?" Niall asked. Rox could hear water dripping in the distance and a rumble that might have been a subway train. Metal stairs descended into the darkness.

  "Oh, he's fine." Rox let her light play over the stone walls and metal railing. "I just, um, forgot to give him all of the keys back." She grinned, then stepped into the darkness. "He must not have needed this one
, anyway, because he never missed it."

  Niall was right behind her. He put his hand on the small of her back and the firestorm glowed golden between them, lighting the darkness like a beacon.

  Rox had a moment's doubt about her own plan, but then she knew she was right.

  "Shut the door," Rox said to Thorolf.

  He hesitated. "You can get us back out, right?"

  "Of course!"

  Thorolf shut the door behind him with obvious reluctance. The five of them stood at the top of the stairs for a moment. Rox saw the Pyr narrow their eyes and take stock of the situation. It was fascinating to watch them. It was strangely cold in the corridor--cold enough to make her shiver. The heat of the firestorm at her back was reassuring.

  "It's like a crypt," Sloane said.

  "What do you sense?" Niall asked Thorolf, and she liked that he was still mentoring his student.

  "Bad news," Thorolf said. Rox saw Niall's minute nod and Rafferty's lips tighten.

  "They're down here all right," Sloane said.

  "So is he," Rafferty said.

  "Don't say his name." Niall gestured impatiently, then seized Rox's hand as they descended. At the bottom of the stairs, he turned to Thorolf. "Here's your chance," he said in an undertone. "Close your eyes; feel the darkness. Let it fill your pores and confess its truth to you. Listen."

  Thorolf squeezed his eyes tightly shut, concentrating, then opened them with surprise. "To the right!" he said, clearly startled by his own abilities.

  "Why?" Niall asked. Rox looked between them with interest.

  "It's darker there. Colder." Thorolf shuddered. "That's where they have to be."

  "Right. Let's go." Niall led the way.

  "I still don't like it," Thorolf muttered.

  "Get over it," Rox said, talking tough but sticking close to Niall.

  Niall almost glittered.

  Rox could feel his intensity and the force of his concentration. She could see him so clearly in the light cast by the firestorm that she turned off her flashlight. Niall led them ever deeper into the network. He never hesitated, and he kept instructing Thorolf as to what he should be noticing. She knew he was considering the structural integrity of the tunnels they entered and gauging the distance to the shadow dragons. It was fascinating to watch him.

  Once in, she knew he didn't really need her after all.

  For the first time in the labyrinth, Rox was completely confident of her safety. She knew Niall would defend her and knew he would sense any threat long before she did. He led them into tunnels and passageways Rox had never explored.

  That let her be a tourist. She had always been intrigued by the history revealed under the city, the various modes of construction, the purpose for each passageway, the scribbled signatures and tag marks from graffiti artists. She liked seeing the cables and telephone lines, the gas lines and sewers, the vital guts that made the city work. She liked the shadows, the mystery, and the timeless-ness. It was odd to have the sense of being so isolated--anything they said echoed down the tunnels, reinforcing that solitude.

  Rafferty hung back at one point, the rumble of old-speak telling Rox that the Pyr had agreed on his choice. He stepped back from the path, so still that Rox couldn't discern him from the shadows when she looked back.

  Only their footfalls made any sound as they progressed. Dust was stirred by their passage, subways rumbled at close proximity, and Rox heard small creatures scuttling away from the light. It could have been an interesting adventure, except that Niall was so taut and watchful. Rox felt on edge just because he was.

  And she wasn't in that much of a hurry to be bait. She had no idea how far they had walked or how long they had been beneath the city when Niall halted at a branch in the tunnel.

  To the left, the tunnel stretched into endless darkness. Even the shine of the tracks faded to nothing after a dozen feet. To the right was a subway station, but one with a narrow platform and only one track. Rox heard the vibration of a subway train passing overhead, then garbled announcements being made to the passengers there.

  The platform to their right, in contrast, was silent, lit only by the occasional light. The tunnel at the other end of the platform was dark except for a red signal light. Both Niall and Sloane were intent, clearly sampling scent and peering into the darkness.

  "How can his scent come from both tunnels?" Thorolf asked.

  "He's messing with us," Sloane replied. "Or maybe he's so active that his scent is everywhere."

  Rox knew they were talking about Chen.

  "He's playing games," Niall insisted. "We must be close if he wants to distract us."

  "One of us should check each direction," Sloane said.

  "Time to part ways again," Niall agreed. "Rox stays with me."

  "One of us should stick with you and the other check this out alone," Sloane said.

  "I have a bad feeling about this," Thorolf said. "Go ahead, tell me who gets to volunteer."

  Sloane smiled and pulled a coin from his pocket. It looked like gold to Rox, but she barely glimpsed it before he flipped it. Sloane caught the coin out of the air and slapped it onto the back of his hand, keeping it covered. "Call it."

  "Heads," Thorolf said; then Sloane lifted his hand to show that it had come up heads.

  "Must be your lucky day," Sloane said with a grin.

  "You sure?" Niall asked.

  "I won't go far. Twenty feet, then I'll wait for you here." He stepped into the shadows, his figure consumed by the darkness. Rox held Niall's hand tightly as the three of them stepped toward the abandoned station.

  Niall stopped on the threshold.

  Full garbage bags were piled in the middle of the platform and Rox recognized that this was a service tunnel. At some point, the garbage train would come, or workers might bring trash down from the platform above. She wondered what station they were beneath. There was a staircase at this end of the track, one finished with tiles, that led down into darkness. There was one light down there, but it didn't reveal much.

  Niall's eyes narrowed as he looked between the platform and the staircase, clearly weighing his options. Rox leaned closer and realized that the light at the bottom of the stairs was a reflection. She took her hand out of Niall's, and both light and reflection disappeared. The water was dark down there, and she couldn't guess how deep it would be. She shivered, aware suddenly of the cold.

  "Do we have, like, any clue where we actually are?" Thorolf asked, heaving a sigh of frustration. "Because, you know, I'm pretty much done with the tour. I could use some food." He turned and stared down the path they'd taken, which seemed darker than Rox recalled. "Let's get Sloane and find our way back."

  Niall didn't answer. He had begun to shimmer blue all around the edges.

  Rox knew that nothing good was on the menu.

  Niall smelled Slayer with sudden intensity and the scent stopped him in his tracks.

  Chen's scent disappeared abruptly, as surely as if it had never been. Niall knew he hadn't imagined it. It was as if the scent were being revealed and hidden again, as if the Slayer were messing with Niall's mind.

  Teasing him.

  Trying to trap him.

  They were close.

  Niall listened and he looked; he felt the stone and the concrete, seeking the clue that would tell him what he needed to know. He was keenly aware of Rox's presence beside him, of her vulnerability in this situation.

  Chen wasn't a lightweight. Only those Slayers who had consumed the Dragon's Blood Elixir could disguise their scent, though he'd never encountered one who could toy with it like this.

  It came again, flicking across the end of Niall's nose like a cat's tail. Then it vanished.

  Chen knew they were here.

  There was no dragonsmoke in the vicinity, perhaps because Chen also could cross that barrier without trouble. Perhaps he couldn't be bothered with a defense that might be ineffective.

  An unbroken ring of dragonsmoke, after all, resonated with a kind of cl
arity, a ring that could be heard by all of their kind. Niall supposed that dragonsmoke might be as much of a beacon in the darkness as the firestorm could be.

  That the scent came and went made it difficult for Niall to assess the distance to his foe. Being underground meant that he couldn't ask the wind for assistance.

  He had a very bad feeling about both the staircase that descended even lower and the tunnel ahead. He feared he was stepping into a trap either way. At the same time, he had a conviction that if he turned away, an opportunity would be lost.

  That Chen was trying to distract them told Niall that he had been surprised.

  Chen's refuge must be close. Niall's pulse quickened. He could locate the lair, maybe compromise it, and have the element of surprise on his side for once. Chen would hide his lair deeper if Niall retreated, and Niall might never find it again.

  Or he might not find it soon enough.

  He was aware that Rox was watching him and that her eyes were wide. She seemed to be holding her breath and he glanced her way, noticing that he was shimmering slightly.

  Danger, danger, he mouthed to her, and she nodded her understanding.

  A defensive pose, she mouthed in reply, and swallowed as she scanned the platform.

  The train rolled onto the tracks on the station overhead, squealing to a stop. The motion of the train overhead made the air shift and the pressure change; a current of air rolled down the quiet tunnel like a spring breeze.

  It carried the scent of burned fuel, grease, and shadow dragons.

  One shadow dragon.

  Headed right for them. Niall smelled him before he saw him.

  Niall had a glimpse of a pale but stocky man, before the shadow dragon coming down the platform shifted shape. Niall had already changed shape and lunged toward his assailant, claws extended. Thorolf was right behind him, also in dragon form.

  Niall and the shadow dragon locked talons and tumbled down the platform, Niall breathing fire.

  Thorolf slashed at the shadow dragon's tail with his claws, making a slash deep enough that it should have drawn blood.

  But the shadow dragon had no blood. It was a telling reminder of what he had become. The Elixir had replaced everything within him, filling him with darkness and despair.