by Janene Wood
Closing her eyes again so she didn't have to look at the demon, Kate opened herself to the cosmos. It was easier this time, which was just as well, since she had almost no energy left. The sudden rush of vigra was as exhilarating as before, filling her with power and confidence. The demon emitted a gasp of unqualified ecstasy and threw its head back, moaning in orgasmic rapture, until Kate pressed her palm against its chest and sent a burst of lethal energy into its body.
Unprepared for the assault, the demon gasped in shock and the colour began to leach from its clothes and body. Its formerly brown hair turned silvery grey and the outline of its human body blurred out of focus. Kate sensed it teetering on the brink between life and extinction, but the damn thing refused to die! She continued to channel the same vast quantity of vigra, desperate to finish the job, but the creature's demonic eyes continued to burn, its red irises indistinguishable now against its red sclera. Gradually, it returned to its former state and its expression grew smug once more. Its hair remained pure white.
Kate's best attempt to destroy it had failed. What was she supposed to do now?
“Oh, Kate, is that the best you can do?” mocked the demon. “I expected more from someone with your potential. I did enjoy that small taste of heaven, though. It’s almost enough to make one rethink one’s allegiance, but my master doesn’t look too kindly on turncoats.” The demon swatted her away like an irritating gnat, slamming her into the side of a parked car.
Kate must have passed out for a moment. When she came to, every single part of her body hurt. Any hope of slaying the demon was in shreds. Even full of vigra, she wasn't strong enough. It was only a matter of time before the Chthon killed her… although the way her body ached and her head pounded, she wasn't sure she cared.
It took a minute for her breathing to normalise and most of the pain to subside, all except a throbbing ache in her back. She was starting to wonder why the demon hadn’t finished her off. Tentatively, she opened one eye, unprepared for the scene playing out before her. The leather-clad girl was attempting to finish what Kate had started! Her two companions were taunting the Chthon, attempting to distract it, ducking forward and back and thrusting with their shiny silver blades, trying to catch its eye while the girl channeled vigra.
The girl – who must also be Alete – looked very much in control. The initial stream of light she focused on the demon was a rich turmeric colour. So far so good; the Chthon staggered under the onslaught. Turmeric gradually ripened into deep tangerine. Kate was impressed; she hadn’t done nearly so well herself. The demon appeared to be weakening, yet it doggedly maintained its corporeal form.
Kate silently urged the girl on, but it appeared she was at her limit. Quickly coming to the same conclusion, the demon laughed disparagingly and strode toward her, knocking aside the Marc-look-alike with an effortless swipe of its arm, before picking the girl up and tossing her through the air. The second man rushed forward, cushioning her landing and collapsing in a huddle of twisted limbs.
The man who persisted in looking like Marc climbed painfully to his feet and picked up his companion's weapon. Armed now with a sword as well as his own much shorter blade, he advanced on the Chthon, intent on slaying her single-handedly.
The Marc-look-alike acquitted himself surprisingly well, far better than Kate would have expected of a mundane human. He was fast and strong, with lightning reflexes, but the demon had transformed its human hands into wicked looking blades which slashed with ferocious speed, giving him no opportunity to attack, only to parry and block. Kate admired his elegant, skillful dance. Against a human opponent, he would surely have been victorious, but he wasn't fighting a human. It occurred to her he must know the odds were against him and that maybe he wasn't trying to win so much as play for time.
Such selfless behaviour was typical of Marc, thought Kate, who had shaken off the worst of her disorientation and was beginning to accept it might actually be him. Whoever he was, if he didn't get some help, he would soon weaken and make a misstep. And be slaughtered.
Kate climbed to her feet, wincing at the sudden movement and ignoring her throbbing head. Gathering more vigra than she had believed she was capable of, she yelled at him, “Get out of the way!”
Marc threw himself to one side and light burst from her glowing palm. The stream was rich gold, quickly intensifying to bright orange, so brilliant it lit up the night sky. The demon staggered, but clung tenaciously to the mortal world. It drew Kate forward until they were face to face once more. One finger on her cheek was all it took to reconnect their minds and start eroding her self-belief.
But Kate was prepared this time; she knew the demon's mental powers were its most formidable weapon and threw up a barrier between them, similar to the one she erected all those years ago between her mind and George's, combating the demon's attempts to distract and confuse, leaving her free to take in even more vigra.
Orange gradually intensified into a majestic vermillion, then ever so slowly became the deep, unyielding red of human blood. Of life. At which point the demon-woman winked out of existence.
Kate fell to her knees in relief and exultation, scarcely believing she had triumphed over the worst hell had to offer.
Victorious
A welcome stillness fell over the brightly lit lane, as if the universe had paused to take a much needed breath. Murmuring voices soon brought Kate back to full awareness and her first conscious thought was for Rachel, although a quick glance assuaged her fears. The other girl was already back on her feet, having been released from the restraining spell when the demon strangled Red. Unnoticed by Kate, Merlin had wisely decamped sometime during the confrontation with the Chthon.
The two girls met in the middle of the lane and gave each other a heartfelt hug. “Are you alright?” Kate asked worriedly. “You hit that wall pretty hard.”
Rachel grimaced. “I've got a headache, but otherwise I'm okay.”
“Thanks for all your help,” said Kate. “I don't know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.”
“To be honest, I don't either,” agreed Rachel with a brittle laugh.
“Have you ever come up against a Chthon before?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve never even seen one – that I’m aware of, at least. I know they’re out there, hiding in plain sight, but they’re almost impossible to spot. I’ve never heard of one attacking people like that. What set it off, do you think?”
Kate shrugged. “I don’t know. Let’s hope it was a one-time event. I can do without the whole life-and-death-struggle thing.”
Rachel gave a sympathetic chuckle. “You and me both.”
Kate’s eyes roamed the familiar lane and she wondered if she would ever feel comfortable coming here again. There was no evidence of her fight with hell’s handmaiden, apart from a rather large dent in the car she’d slammed into. No wonder her back hurt. She inhaled sharply when she saw Marc watching her from a distance, his brown eyes typically unreadable. An icy thrill ran through her when she noticed both arms of his leather jacket were slashed through in several places. They gravitated toward each other, as if drawn irresistibly.
“Are you all right?” she demanded, hiding her concern behind a gruff exterior. Without waiting for an answer, she reached for his hand and embraced a small amount of vigra, sending healing energy into his wounded arms.
“Thanks,” he murmured, the tension leaving his face. “You didn’t have to do that. You must be exhausted.”
“I’m actually fine,” she assured him sheepishly, her frosty demeanour melting a little. “A lot better than your poor jacket. I hope you weren't too attached to it.”
“It served its purpose,” he said dismissively. He lowered his voice a few decibels. “Kate, you were incredible back there. I've never seen anyone wield so much vigra before, or dispatch a Chthon single-handed.”
The rawness of his expression sent her back in time, reminding her of the first time she laid eyes on him, that night in Eritrea when he resc
ued her from the bandits. There had been admiration in the look her gave her then, along with empathy and a healthy degree of curiosity. The sense of déjà vu was disconcerting.
“It's not something I'm keen to repeat in a hurry, but it’s nice to know I can do it if I need to,” she said, nervously laughing off his praise.
No longer the ferocious warrior fighting bravely to buy her enough time to come back from despair and reengage the enemy, he was now simply Marc: straightforward and kind and far too perceptive for her liking. His presence was apt to make her feel things she shouldn't feel and say things better left unsaid, but right this minute she was incapable of walking away. “You were pretty amazing yourself. If you hadn't done what you did...” Her words trailed off and she sighed.
“We both played our part,” he said modestly.
“Are your friends okay?” she enquired, then frowned suddenly as another thought occurred to her. Without waiting for a reply, she ran down the lane, earning a frown from Marc, who hesitated only a second before following her. Their three companions followed more slowly.
Kate halted after only a short distance and looked around in confusion. He wasn't there. There was no body, not even a smear of blood to prove he once had been. “It was here, wasn't it, Rachel? Where he fell?”
Rachel appeared equally confused. “I would have said so.”
“Where who fell?” demanded Marc, already on his guard.
“Some guy,” said Kate vaguely. “He crept up behind the two binders who were hassling us and stabbed one in the back. But all he managed to achieve was to get himself spelled and dropped from a very great height. There's no way he could have walked away from such a fall.” She frowned at Rachel. “What was it you said he was?”
Rachel looked pointedly at Marc. “He looked to me like a Guardian. That's what you guys do, isn't it? Act first and deal with the consequences later?”
Seeing Kate's confusion, Rachel explained, “Guardians are shadowhunters like us, though with a different range of abilities and an absurd disregard for their own safety. Those silver blades they carry are deadly to demons.”
“Binders don't like them much either,” added Marc offhandedly.
Kate nodded, slowly comprehending that they were talking about Marc, that Marc was one of these Guardians. She knew he had changed – of course he had changed! – but if what they were saying was true, he was a totally different person. Did Jules know what her brother was? She had never hinted at such a thing, not that Kate had paid as much attention as she should have when Jules spoke about him. If she had, she would have realised years ago who Jules' brother really was, and made sure to steer clear of him. She gave herself a mental shake; all of that was in the past, and so far from relevant right now.
“Are you alright?” murmured Rachel, drawing Kate aside.
“I'm a little shocked to be honest,” said Kate.
“Is there something between you and this Guardian?” whispered Rachel, inclining her head in Marc’s direction, where he was talking quietly to his companions. “You can’t keep your eyes off each other.”
Kate flushed, not realising her interest had been so obvious. After being apart for so long, she couldn’t help but make the most of his proximity now. It was dangerous and hedonistic but it gave her a sort of masochistic thrill to watch him. She told herself it didn’t matter, that she would soon be out of his life forever, that she could afford a little self-indulgence after her close encounter with the demon, but she knew she was pushing her luck. And still she couldn’t get enough of him.
“There used to be,” admitted Kate, averting her gaze from him. “A long time ago.” She sighed. “It's complicated.”
Rachel sniggered at her reply.
“What’s so funny?” demanded Kate.
“It's the complications that make life interesting,” said Rachel, “and he's a very good-looking complication.”
Kate gave a huff of amusement. That much was undeniably true.
“I don’t know what your deal is, but you’re obviously still into him. Life's short, Kate. You should grab it with both hands and say to hell with the complications.”
“I wish it was that easy,” said Kate with a forlorn smile.
Rachel responded unexpectedly by pulling her into a fierce hug. “Trust me; I know what I’m talking about.”
She took a step back and gave Kate a rueful smile. “Anyway, it’s late and I need to get back. It’s been a blast, Kate. I hope we can do it again some time.” She turned abruptly and started walking away.
“But… Wait! You can’t go now!” Kate called to her retreating back, “We haven’t had a chance to talk!”
Rachel raised a hand in farewell, but didn’t turn around. Kate watched, stunned, as her new friend strode briskly into the night.
For a long moment, she stood there, staring into the distance. She sensed Marc behind her, watching her, but she wasn’t ready to face him yet. If Rachel had noticed her interest in him, he undoubtedly had too, and things were awkward enough already. Mercifully, when she did finally force herself to turn around, she was legitimately distracted by a glint of silver on the road. “What's that over there?” she pointed. “Stuck behind the front wheel of that car?”
Marc went to investigate and returned with a silver knife, about twelve inches in length, similar to the ones he and his friend had been wielding earlier, except this one was liberally coated with blood. He showed it to the other man, who took it from him and held it up to the light. The leather-clad Alete stood a little to the side, watching but not participating in their conversation. Her attitude was surly, verging on rude, which was a little intimidating. It annoyed Kate unreasonably since she, not Athena the friggin’ warrior goddess, had been the one to banish the Chthon.
Returning to her side, Marc told her, “Your friend was right. It looks like the man who stuck the binder was a Guardian. Aurelia should be able to determine what happened to him, but with all that's been going on tonight, I can't see her getting out here until tomorrow afternoon.”
Kate didn't know who Aurelia was, but nodded anyway. “I feel really bad about what happened to him. I hope he’s okay.”
“I’ll let you know what we find out.”
“Thanks,” she said, declining to tell him she was leaving town and would be gone before he had a chance to get back to her. Swallowing, she finally dug up the courage to satisfy her curiosity. “So… You're one of these Guardians too.”
A wry smile touched his lips at her obvious reluctance to get personal. “Afraid so. It turns out shadow-hunting runs in the family.”
Kate's eyes widened in surprise. “What? Are you saying Jules…?”
He shook his head. “Not Jules. Our parents. Jules has no idea, and I'd prefer it stayed that way. She’s safer not knowing about our world.”
His voice softened appreciably. “Secrets are a necessary evil sometimes, Katy. Will you help me keep this one?”
Kate didn't need to think about it, not if it helped keep Jules safe. “Of course, if you think it best.”
“Thank you.” He sighed wearily. “Becoming a Guardian saved my life, Kate. After Eritrea, I had no real purpose. I just drifted along, growing hard and unforgiving and hating myself for what I’d become. I’ve changed a lot since we were together; I’m no longer the man you used to know. Sometime I don’t even recognise myself…” He took a deep breath before adding, “but I think I'm finally becoming the man I was always meant to be.”
Unable to look away even if she wanted to, she could see his need for approval in his eyes. No, approval was the wrong word. Acceptance was what he craved from her; he needed her to accept him for who he was now, to take on faith that his experiences had made him a better version of the man she used to love. Could still love, whispered a traitorous voice inside her head.
Kate’s head was spinning out of control. The events of the last hour had successfully distracted her from her problems, just as she intended when she set out from home, but
now she had even more to think about, which was the opposite of what she’d been trying to achieve. She needed to stop thinking, to do something mindless and give her brain a rest. She needed to dance. Even more than that, she needed a drink to wash away the memory of tonight’s crazy events.
“You're a good man, Marc Webb; you could never be anything else,” she told him sincerely, “and I wish only good things for you, truly. But it's time to say goodbye.” Her voice was gentle but firm; this was the best thing for both of them.
Turning away so she didn’t see the hurt in his eyes, she picked her bag up off the ground where it had fallen, hours ago it seemed, and walked toward the back entrance of Istanbul. She entered the code into the security keypad beside the door, wondering if she would ever see him again. Just as she raised her arm to push the door open, a familiar hand was already there, pushing it wide and holding it open for her.
Her heart beating wildly, Kate looked up into Marc’s eyes. “I should have known that was too easy,” she murmured.
The smile he gave her was ingenuous, though it contained a measure of satisfaction at having caught her by surprise. “Truce?” he offered. “It’s been a long night and I really need a drink, okay?” It was phrased as a question, but he wasn’t asking permission. “You were my best friend, Kate, and I’ve missed you. I promise, no third degree… no judgment… Just a drink.”
Kate eyed him warily. There was nothing she wanted more than to spend time with him, but could she trust herself to behave? Probably not, she answered truthfully, but the fact she was even considering his request meant she had already decided.
To hell with it.
Accepting his words at face value and praying she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life, she agreed. “Okay, a drink. But after that…”
“Let’s just see where a drink takes us, yeah?”
They had their drink. And two more for good measure. Afterward, Kate couldn’t remember what they talked about, but she knew it had been easy and comfortable and right. He suggested they dance after the third drink, and that was the final nail in her coffin. There was no going back after that.