But how was it possible? Men didn’t alter like this in mere days. He looked as though he’d spent a year in a gym with a personal trainer.
“This man was worthless,” he said, his face turning to the body in the corner as he moved forward, seeming to care little about the blades in Neko’s hands. “A simple vagrant. No one will miss him. But for now he’s given me new life. So his death was not in vain, at least.”
Another chill hit Neko as she eyed the open garage door. If she could get around him, she just might be able to make a run for it.
Lumen, where are you? she thought, retracting all her resolution to enact her independence. She needed him now. Her Dragon. Her Protector. Why had she been so fucking stupid as to come here alone?
“What do you mean, he’s given you new life?” she asked, stalling as her mind tried to get around the situation. She needed to escape. But how?
Umbra tilted his head as he looked towards her, his thin-lipped smile as charmless as ever. On the air she picked up the scent that had confused her earlier—that sweetness, laced with an intoxicating, attractive allure. The sort of scent that would arouse some women, and put others off their lunch. She’d smelled it at the church. So, he had been close, she knew now. Watching them with those cold eyes of his.
As she absorbed its full force, Neko found herself wanting to cover her mouth. He reeked of power and opulence, possessing none of the sensual masculinity that Lumen exuded from his every pore. This was the sort of man who broke weak women in two. But he wouldn’t break her. Not in a million years.
“The dead man’s blood invigorated me,” Umbra said unceremoniously as he stopped in his tracks. “It’s a beautiful word, that. Invigorate.” He seemed to lick at the syllables, tasting the word in his mouth. “It literally means to give life. Now, that’s not entirely accurate, as I stole his life. Or rather, I stole his blood.”
Neko felt a sudden need to retch. Deep in her mind she’d understood, but hearing the words—his boastful confession—suddenly it was too much.
“You…consumed his blood?” she asked, recoiling.
For the first time it occurred to her that knives might have no power over the dark entity before her. He was no mere shifter. Their kind didn’t do this, not even the worst of them. This was the behaviour of a monster.
“Is that so surprising?” he asked. “Do you not know what I am? Because I can guarantee you that by now your Dragon companions know.”
“They—they said you were a Controller. Not a—”
Umbra let out a crude laugh. “A Controller, yes. That I am. I do control the Lapsed. And I have controlled you all this time, as well.”
“You haven’t,” she said. “I didn’t do as you asked.”
“You did exactly as I wanted you to, Neko. You fell for the charming Dragon Lord Lumen. Without you, the hunt for the Relics would never have begun. Don’t you see? You have been the key all along, just as I knew you would be when I asked for you to meet with me.”
Icy fingers of terror trailed down Neko’s back, weakening her legs beneath her.
So, it was as Vail had said, when she and Lumen had trapped him. Umbra had orchestrated this—he’d used her. He’d known that she would never kill Lumen. He’d known, even, that they would become lovers.
That Lumen would become her life.
“You and the Dragon have led me to the brink of our discovery,” he continued. “I know where you were this morning. I know that you found a new hint. So, now it’s just a matter of locating the piece, and then this will end—at least, your part in it will.”
Neko shifted sideways, slowly, towards the open door.
“You will never have the Relic,” she said, her voice hoarse with fear. “Do you hear me?”
“No? And yet you haven’t found it yet.”
“No,” she admitted. “But I’m close.”
Umbra cocked his head, his gaze inquisitive. “Yes, about these new clues,” he said. “There’s something in that mind of yours that I need.”
Neko shook her head. “I don’t have the information. They wouldn’t tell me,” she blurted out, trying to convince him that she was in a state of panicked honesty.
“Lies.”
She stepped backwards, her feet searching out the cobblestones of the lane. If she could just get beyond the edge of the garage…
“I don’t know where it is,” she said. “Really. I have no clue.”
A silent sigh of relief as her heel hit the unsteady texture of stone. Now she had only to turn and to sprint. Surely Umbra wasn’t a fast runner, for all his other alleged skills. Maybe she could spot one of Lumen’s doorways—a portal to escape. She had only to run…
“Tell me what you do know,” he was saying as he moved towards her.
But he was still several feet away; she had the advantage in their positioning. In a moment she’d dash back towards the street. Just another step or two. “Now,” he growled.
Again she shook her head, desperate. No. “I don’t know anything useful.”
“I think you do,” he said. “And I think you’ll tell me.”
She pivoted, her body accelerating into an immediate sprint.
But a split second later she slammed into what felt like a brick wall. Winded, she reeled backwards, only to realize that somehow he was in front of her again. It was his body that had stopped her in her tracks. With some sort of astonishing speed he’d shot in front of her, defying all laws of physics, of acceleration.
She raised her blades, threatening, dizziness and fear all but crippling her. “I’ll kill you,” she growled. “Don’t think I won’t.”
Umbra let out a low, ugly laugh. Devoid of soul or humour. An icy cold gesture, a cynical taunt.
“I think you’ll find it rather difficult to kill me,” he said, his face altering into an expression of pure rage. “I’ve just fed. But of course, you don’t yet know what that means. You have no idea what you’re up against, Miss Neko Sands.”
And before she could say another word, his long fingers were wrapped around her neck. Lifting her easily with one hand, he thrust her body over his head. Neko could all but hear the crunch of his force on her cartilage and bone.
He’s going to kill me, she thought. This was a man ruled by his own hate. As much as he wanted the Relic, in that one moment he’d forgotten its existence in favour of slaughtering her where she stood, for no crime greater than trying to run.
Still grasping the blades, she thrust her hands inwards, plunging the dagger and Khopesh into his forearm before letting them go.
Her expectation, if indeed she had one, was that he would cry out in pain and drop her to the ground as any normal person would. But instead, he simply stared at the knives’ two entry points, dispassionate.
The Khopesh hung from his flesh like a sickening fish hook, but no blood polluted its blade. Instead, the sword seemed to go white, overtaken by the colour of frost. His flesh weakening the metal.
After a moment both blades dropped to the ground.
Clang.
Clang.
And now Neko was truly powerless. Suspended in mid-air by a being beyond her imagining. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t strong enough to fight back. It seemed that bonding with Lumen hadn’t given her quite enough power to take Umbra on.
“What the hell are you?” she rasped. She had to know before she died.
Umbra’s lips curved upwards again. To think that this would be the last face she ever saw.
“I am the very best of all worlds. I am the future as well as the past. And that future is one without Dragons, and without the likes of you. Now tell me the verse that you and Lumen read.”
The choice was clear: to speak or to die. But it didn’t matter. If she spoke, he’d kill her anyhow. This creature had no heart, no care for others. He would delight in robbing her of her last breath.
“No,” she whispered, unable to engage her vocal cords. “You’ll get nothing from me. I’d sooner die than help
you.”
“Very well, then,” he said, those thin lips twitching. “Death it is, you useless bitch.”
She closed her eyes as the hand’s grip tightened around her throat. In that instant she was willing to think only of her lover. To picture his face, his soothing voice, calming her into sleep.
And to block out the atrocious memory of Umbra’s cruelty.
In her mind she said Lumen’s name over and over again. Hoping that somehow he could hear her. That he could know that, even in those final moments, he was everything to her.
She now knew that she would never see him again, but for one perfect night they’d been together, blissful. Strong. One being, drawn together by powerful forces. Destined to find one another.
But now, he would have to proceed on his own. He’d need to find a way to take Umbra down, with the help of the other Dragons.
Without her.
No, she thought. I need to survive this. I am the one who must find the Relic.
Her eyes opened. In the distance the top of the Syndicate’s tower stood high over the surrounding buildings. A once protective beacon, her second home. So close and yet so very, very far away now. A large, circular window, facing her like a watchful eye.
A circle, quartered by a cross.
And beyond that, the great wings of a silver Dragon, flapping towards her.
It was the last thing she saw before the blackness hit.
Help
Lumen’s silver Dragon shot towards the Syndicate offices, hoping that the location would give him some clue as to Neko’s whereabouts. The vision that Tryst had thrown to him didn’t help—it had been too much of a fog to offer any clear directions.
An alleyway? There were hundreds—thousands—of those in London.
He’d struggled since leaving the Guild’s underground lair to access Neko’s mind from afar, but had been met with nothing but silence.
Where are you? Neko, I need your help.
The Syndicate’s tower appeared before him, its great windows displaying an empty office on the uppermost level. But no Neko. Sniffing the air, he could tell that she’d been here, but moved off before entering the building.
Follow her trail, he told himself. Keep your head in the game. Track her, just as she would find a way to track you.
He circled the area, his eyes focused far below. She was nearby. He knew it; he could feel it. Her scent hung in the air. Faint, but definite.
Neko, Tell me where you are.
Finally a response came, their voices reconnected. The words tore at his heart, cruel and terrifying.
He’s killing me, Lumen.
In an instant he knew exactly where to go. Through her eyes he could see everything: the route she’d taken to get there. The open garage door. The man’s body, lifeless, on the ground.
His Dragon shot like a missile through space, aiming itself towards a location several blocks away. It isn’t too late, he told himself. It can’t be. I won’t lose you like this.
Far below he saw her, suspended in mid air by a powerful, cruel hand. Her arms dangling at her sides, fingers reaching in vain for the blades that lay on the ground below. A loyal and courageous gesture: this is my life. This is what I do. Those blades are a part of me.
The man held her over him with one arm, his strength absurd. His cold eyes stared up at hers, a grotesque smile on his lips.
Neko, Lumen told her, his mind reeling. I’m coming. Stay with me.
Nothing.
He plummeted straight downward, a vicious dart of flame shooting from his mouth at his target, who slowly turned his eyes to the sky.
Fear. He fears me, the Dragon shifter thought in that moment. The one positive to come of any of this. The creature was not invincible after all.
Dropping his victim to the ground, Umbra leapt backwards into the open garage, the flame hitting the stones near Neko’s feet.
The Dragon landed hard beside her, his eyes immediately searching the garage for Umbra’s form, but he saw nothing but the corpse lying in the corner.
It was as though the bastard had faded into nothing.
Fuck.
He turned his enormous head back to Neko, his shining scales reflecting the dark, desolate alley around them. Shifting into his human form, he fell to his knees next to her, a hand on her cheek, fingers seeking the pulse in her neck.
Weak. So weak. He gathered up her blades, tucking them into their respective sheaths. Leaning down, he kissed her mouth softly.
If only I could breathe new life into her, somehow.
“Neko.”
Her breath was shallow, and for the first time he saw the full extent of what had happened to her neck. The red marks of abuse, firmly imprinted around her throat. Awful to see.
He’d all but crushed her windpipe, that hybrid bastard.
“Neko—I’m here. It’s your Lumen. Don’t leave me, love. I need you.”
Her eyes opened slightly, her head flopping to the side as though her muscles had given way, her neck too weak to support her head.
“Lumen.” The hiss revealed that her voice was gone, temporarily stolen away by the blood seeker.
“Don’t talk. Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded weakly. “I called out to you. I wanted you to come. I wanted you to know…”
“I do know,” he said. “Stop talking, my sweet beautiful Neko.”
“I didn’t tell him,” she said, disobeying. “He doesn’t know anything. I would never tell.”
“I know. You’re brave and strong, and wonderful. Listen, I need you to climb onto my back in a minute. Can you do that for me?”
Another nod.
Reluctantly he laid her head on the ground and stood up, backing away from her to shift.
His Dragon’s head dipped down to allow her easier access. She turned his way, using all her strength to roll onto her side. Hands gripped the mane of scales that lined his neck, pulling her towards him, and slowly she managed to slip onto him, her left leg sliding over his back.
He could feel her weakness; how close she’d been to death. For all that Umbra wanted the Relic, his lust for killing had overtaken that desire. At some point rage had won out. Bloodlust. So, that was his weakness—that was the weakness of any creature who was made up of pure evil.
“Hold on,” he conveyed silently.
Her arms went around his neck, all her strength in the grip.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Back home. I’m going to look after you.”
“Again. Always looking after me.”
“As you would look after me.”
“Lumen—I have to tell you. It’s about Umbra. He’s a…
“I know. And I’m so sorry that I discovered it too late—that I left you alone. I should never have done it; not while my suspicions were building.”
“It’s all right,” she said. “You told me to stay put and I didn’t. I suppose I thought I was strong enough to handle things on my own. I’ve finally begun to understand that I’m not.”
“We have an enemy more powerful than I’d considered. None of us could take him without help. This will be a long war, my Neko.”
When he’d guided her to their home beneath the lake, Lumen brought her to their bed, laying her on top of the covers. For a time he did nothing but watch her drift between sleep and wakefulness, his fingers occasionally stroking her hair.
After an hour or so, her eyes opened and she looked up at him, smiling.
“I started dreaming,” she whispered. “I must have fallen asleep.”
“Dreaming? About?”
“You. Me. Everything. But I remembered something, Lumen. Bertie—she went out to investigate the killings. I need to help her. She could be in danger…”
“You’re not going anywhere for the time being. Bertie will be fine. We’re going to speak with her and the Syndicate about an alliance of sorts, but only when you’ve gained a little strength. If it makes you feel better, I’ll send
some of our friends to check in on her and ensure that she’s okay.”
“All right. But there’s something else, as well. I’d lost it in the fog of everything. It’s important.”
“What is it, sweetheart?”
“I know where the Relic is.”
Part IV
Dragon Hunter 4
Book Four
A Visitor
“But there’s something else, as well. It’s important.”
“What is it, sweetheart?”
“I know where the Relic is.”
* * *
Just as she’d uttered the words, Neko’s eyes drooped shut once again, sleep overtaking her body.
Lumen sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers hovering over her as he considered whether or not to touch her. A part of him wanted to shake her gently, to prompt her back awake. To ask her to bring him immediately to the Relic’s hiding place, so that they could finally be done with their task.
But even as his hands moved towards her shoulders, he stopped himself, drawing them back. No. For now, she should rest. The power that she’d gained through their bond would help her to heal, but even so, it would take time for her body to mend before they should even consider heading above ground again.
With a hard shudder, Lumen recalled what he’d seen, his Dragon darting down to help her even as Umbra’s powerful hand had threatened to crush her windpipe. To steal the last of her life away. He’d watched her drop, lifeless, to the hard cobblestones of Beggar’s Alley.
Clenching his fists, emotion began to flood through him; aftershocks of what he’d felt in the moment when he’d come upon them. The aching realization that a life without Neko would be no life at all.
If he hadn’t been aware before of the depth of his feelings, he understood now.
And there was no way that he would allow a beast such as Umbra take her from him. The very thought of it caused Lumen’s brilliant eyes to narrow, a wince of pain overtaking him, stabbing at his chest. Proving that there was such a thing as literal heartache.
Dragon Hunter Box Set: A Dragon Shifter Serial Page 20