by Keri Arthur
He waved a hand. “Yes, but we’re not talking about the king’s sword, are we?”
“No.” I touched his arm, felt the muscles underneath my fingers jump. Awareness surged, along with heat and desire—both his and mine—but I pushed it aside. “And relax. I don’t have to be hit over the head multiple times before I get the point. You’re safe from my wicked wiles from now on, Luc.”
With that, I turned and walked out. His gaze burned a hole into my spine, but I didn’t look back. I’d been open and honest about my attraction to the damn man; the next move—if there ever was one—had to be his.
Mo was standing near the back fence. “I gather from your expression the man is still in the denial stages of your relationship.”
“I’m beginning to think it’ll never get beyond that point.”
She patted my shoulder. “All good things come to those who wait.”
“A saying developed by gods who delight in seeing humanity suffer, I’m sure. Why are we leaving? Don’t give that crap about cossetting, because I’m not believing it.”
“This is why you’re my favorite grandchild—you have such a skeptical nature.”
“Technically, I’m not your grandchild. And you didn’t answer my question.”
“Ginny is watching Saskia’s store from Browne’s café, remember. I think we should go join her, as I suspect things might get interesting once night falls.”
I raised my eyebrows but simply motioned for her to proceed. She shifted shape and leapt skyward on brown wings that glimmered with gold. I followed close behind, a far paler shadow.
Sunset was just starting to stain the clouds by the time we got home. We waited until several women had walked past and then landed in our parking area.
“You might want to go shower and change, as you’re in no fit state to be seen in public,” Mo said. “I’ll talk to Ginny and see if there’s been any activity.”
I nodded and walked over to our store, but paused just inside the door to scan the shadows. There was no immediate indication that the spells or the store had been broken into while we’d been out, but that didn’t really mean anything, given how easily these people seemed to be getting past Mo’s protections.
I locked the door and moved across to the stairs, one hand on my knife and the other running along the underneath bit of the handrail. Three quarters of the way up, I found a small metal device. The first of many bugs, no doubt.
I left it where it was and continued on to the bathroom. Mo and Ginny hadn’t appeared by the time I’d showered and redressed, so I strapped on all three of my daggers and then pulled on a long coat to cover them. After grabbing my keys, I walked past Saskia’s place, then crossed over to the restaurant. There was a pot of tea and a sticky bun waiting for me.
I slid into the booth next to Ginny and said, “So, any movement?”
“The curtains twitched every time a motorcycle went past, but that’s about it.”
“They’re watching for Luc.” I picked up the teapot and poured the tea into the delicate china cup. “I found a bug under the stair handrail. It was probably close enough to pick up anything we were saying in the kitchen and living area.”
“Which is how they were able to remain one step ahead of us,” Mo said. “Quite annoying.”
“Understatement,” I said, amused. “I also sensed a vague glimmer of darkness as I walked past Saskia’s shop. There’s one, if not two of them inside.”
“Two would be more logical if they don’t want to be obvious about their presence there,” Ginny said. “They could work in shifts without the risk of being seen coming and going.”
“Which means we may have to mount an attack rather than sit here and wait for them to come out.” I bit into the bun and groaned in pleasure.
“Good?” Ginny said.
“Better than sex.”
Amusement danced across her expression. “That rather sadly says a lot about your sex life.”
“Which is nonexistent now and looking even bleaker for the future.”
“What? That gorgeous man isn’t willing to play? Is there something wrong with him?”
“Yeah, he has ethics.”
“Ladies,” Mo said, voice dry. “Can we concentrate on the problem at hand?”
“Sorry,” Ginny said, though she didn’t in the least look it. “I’ve requested the bug finder and should get it tomorrow.”
“Excellent,” Mo said. “Though I rather suspect that after the events of today, they’ll be pulling their forces back tonight.”
“Aside from Tris, they’ve only lost meniks and one controller,” I said. “In the scheme of things, I wouldn’t call it a huge blow.”
“True enough, but they have no idea how much information we might have gotten from Orika or the others,” Mo said.
“Retreat isn’t something I thought demons would do,” Ginny said.
“If we were just dealing with Darkside, then an immediate, full-on assault would be likely. But we’re not. We’re dealing with a witch who has so far predicted all our moves.”
“Thanks in part to the bugs,” Ginny said.
“It’s more than that. They appear to have an unfortunate familiarity with my magic.”
“Then what’s the plan? We can’t sit here all night.” If only because Browne’s wasn’t open past six in the winter months.
“Actually,” Ginny said. “We can. I told Mary there was an undercover op happening and that we might need to use her premises as cover. She’s more than happy for us to do so, and we can use the rear lane exit to come and go so those over the road won’t suspect anything.”
“Excellent,” Mo said. “Gwen, contact Luc and tell him what we’re doing.”
I dragged my phone out and sent a text. I really didn’t feel in the mood to talk to the man right now. “What if whoever’s inside uses the rear window or door to come and go?”
Mo pursed her lips. “I’ll put an alarm at the far end of the lane—it’ll be far enough away that they won’t sense me doing it, and yet close enough that we can react if they set it off.”
I nodded. “Do you want me to take first shift while you grab some sleep?”
She gave me a long look. “I may be old, my dear, but I suspect I have a whole lot more energy and strength than you right now. You go recuperate. I’ll call if anything eventuates.”
I narrowed my gaze. “Promise?”
“The battle that looms is yours, not mine, Gwen. I am merely the tactical advisor.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Since when did all this become a full-blown battle?”
“It hasn’t—and hopefully won’t.” She shrugged. “Ginny, it might be best—”
“Don’t be thinking of sending me home,” she said. “Because I ain’t shifting. In fact, it might be good to call in Mia; she’ll be able to sense anyone breaking through your spell, and I’ll be able to trace the bastards.”
Mo hesitated, and then nodded. “Okay, we’ll work in four-hour shifts—I’ll start, you and Mia can do the middle, and Gwen can take the tail end. And Ginny, you’d better move your car—they might notice it’s been sitting in the same spot for a while.”
“I’ll see you in four hours, then.” She rose and left.
I picked up my tea and sipped it. “You agreed to letting Ginny and Mia help us way too fast. Why?”
“Because I’ve an inkling nothing will go down until predawn. It’s always been their preferred option.”
“It may be the demons’ preferred option, but we are—as you’ve already noted—also dealing with a wily witch.”
She smiled. “Yes, but even wily witches know better than to tackle an older and cannier witch when she’s awake and aware. They won’t do anything until two or three at least, when they’re sure we’re asleep.”
“And that’s why you gave Ginny and Mia the nine-to-one shift.”
She nodded. “They can be safely tucked away in their own beds before the shit goes down.”
Knowing both
of them as well as I did, I rather suspected that neither Ginny nor Mia would leave quietly once their shift was over. “What if the opposing witch guesses this is what you’ll do and the shit goes down during their shift?”
“Mia has quite a formidable arsenal of spells under her belt and Ginny is no easy target. They’ll be fine—but I’ll run a little additional protection around the inside perimeter here, just to be sure.”
“Good idea.” I finished my tea and rose. “You’ll wake me for the last watch session?”
“I will.”
I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll set my alarm, just in case you sleep in.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Anyone would think you distrust me.”
I grinned. “Anyone who knows you would think said distrust was justified.”
She harrumphed. “Go, horrible child. But make sure you sleep with all three daggers close to hand, just in case I’m wrong and the shit hits earlier than expected.”
I grabbed the last bit of bun and headed home. My room was still a mess, but I couldn’t be bothered restoring order, let alone dragging the mattress back onto the base, so I left it on the floor. I couldn’t find my PJs so I changed into a pair of track pants and a T-shirt. Once I strapped my knives back on, I found my pillow and the duvet, and then crawled underneath the feathery warmth. I was asleep within minutes.
My laziness saved my life.
A large whoomp provided the first inkling of trouble. I jerked upright, daggers somehow in hand, and looked around wildly. Saw darkness … and dust.
Why was there dust?
There was another whoomp, and the whole room shuddered. Then, with little warning, the roof collapsed. Plaster, wood, and slate fell like rain into the center of my bedroom, spraying the rest of the room with deadly shards of debris. Chunks of roof thumped around me—onto me—cutting through the thin material of my T-shirt and leaving bloody trails. The dust was so thick it was impossible to see, let alone breathe, and panic surged. If I didn’t get out now, I wouldn’t.
I kicked the duvet free of my legs and scrambled toward the door. Saw a shadow move and the gleam of black metal. Demon sword. I swore and rolled to one side, coming up in a half-crouch and smashing Nex and Vita together. Lightning flashed, a searing heat that melted both the blade and the demon who held it.
More shadows, followed by the thick scent of demon. I swore again and directed the lightning through the door, arcing it around in an effort to kill the ones I could see and the ones I couldn’t.
But there were far more of the latter—and they were still pouring in through Max’s bedroom.
I cursed again and spun away from the door. If I could reach the windows … but a mountain of unstable debris now lay between them and me, and the dusty, deadly rain showed no sign of abating. The collapse might have happened over my bed, but it was now racing toward the front of the building.
I could wait it out—wait until the collapse had eased and then smash through a window and escape …
The thought had barely crossed my mind when the floor began to tremble. Then, with a loud crack, the broken mess that covered my bed dropped away.
It wasn’t just the roof that was collapsing. It was this goddamn floor as well.
I sucked in a breath, then faced the door and once again slapped the knife blades together. As the killing light flickered out, I ran into the hall. Heard a slight whistle and dropped hard onto my knees; a fiery whip cracked over my head and smashed into the wall behind me, sending plaster and wood flying. I swore for a third time and lashed out with Nex; a shudder ran through the blade as it connected with flesh but the lightning continued to burn from both blades even though they were now separated.
Demons died.
But not enough. Nowhere near enough.
A scream rent the air—a high-pitched inhuman scream. Not the demons. Hecate.
Relief surged, but Luc and his bloodthirsty sword were on the stairs and there was a never-ending tide of darkness between us.
Energy snapped through the air. I slashed up with Nex again and caught the whip’s tip. White light flared against red and sparks flew, brief stars that lit the shadows, revealing the mass of demons all but crushing each other in their efforts to get through Max’s door. I rolled Nex around the whip’s electric thong; lightning flickered down its length, hit the handle, and then leapt at the massive demon holding it. As his body exploded into dust, I spun around and slashed at the demon arrowing toward me, slicing through the top of his head and sending blood, bone, and brain matter flying.
The trembling in the floor was now so bad that the nearby walls were shaking. I had to get out before the whole place collapsed.
I thrust up and crossed the blades once more. The lightning flickered and became strong again, even as a pulse of pain began deep in my brain. It was almost as if the daggers were now drawing on my energy …
With another loud crack, the floor underneath me gave way. I screamed and threw myself forward, thrusting the daggers into more solid-looking floor and momentarily halting my slide just as my legs dropped into emptiness. Demons lunged at me, tearing my arms, forcing me to free Nex and slash wildly upward; lightning flickered back and forth, forming an odd sort of netting that stopped the majority of the blows coming at me. Some still got through, and pain rose like a red mist …
With a scream of utter fury, Luc leapt into the fray, Hecate a blur as he killed the demons between us with cold and ruthless precision.
The warrior was in full flight, and it was a glorious thing to behold.
As the demons momentarily fell back from his onslaught, he leaned down, grabbed my hand, and pulled me out of the hole.
“Go,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
“Where’s Mo?”
“She’s trying to keep the ground stable—the bastards hit the building with earth magic, top and bottom.”
A huge chunk of plaster came down just in front of me, forcing me to leap over it. I stumbled forward several steps before I caught my balance, then saw a flash of movement to my right. I slashed Nex sideways, but Luc was there before me. He buried Hecate in the demon’s flesh and then spun, his jade eyes burning bright in the dusty darkness.
“Go, now.”
I stumbled down the stairs and raced toward the door. I could hear the fighting behind me—Hecate’s fury all but lost to the screams of the demons. Dust fell all around me, and the front windows were cracked. Mo knelt in the street beyond, both hands on the cobblestones and her power pulsing out in waves. Ginny and Mia were standing either side of her, protecting her against the demons that ringed them. I raced through the door, screamed in fury, and once again called on the power within Nex and Vita. Deadly forks of light streaked out, whipping around the demons, destroying them between one heartbeat and another. The ache in my head got stronger and that mist of red momentarily blurred my vision again. I ignored it and ran for Saskia’s place.
“Wait—” Ginny said.
“Protect Mo,” I shouted.
Footsteps behind me. Luc, not Ginny or Mia.
“I’ll go around the back,” he said. “Can you open the front door?”
“No—I’ll go through the window.”
“Give me a minute then.”
As he disappeared around the corner, Mia shouted, “Step back from the door, Gwen.”
I obeyed, and a heartbeat later, she punched the door open with a spell. “Thanks, Mia!”
I ran through, then paused near the counter to scan the room. The floor plan here was basically the same as ours—although Saskia sold pretty fabrics rather than books—and the floor immediately above held stock rather than accommodation. There were no demons in this lower section that I could see or smell, although the latter was nigh on impossible anyway thanks to the thick scent of death and defecation drifting down the stairs.
The back door crashed open, and from above came a scramble of movement. I swore and raced for the stairs. Another door slammed open and then w
ood screeched. It was a sound I was very familiar with.
“Luc, they’re jumping out the back window.”
The thump of his footsteps immediately turned and retreated. I took the stairs two at a time, but at the very last moment caught sight of a thin line of silver stretched across the top step. I leapt high above it and landed in an awkward half-crouch on the landing. Saw a flicker of flame and then heard a whoosh … fire. The bastards had set fire to the place.
I raced toward the extinguisher on the wall opposite but caught movement out of the side of my eye. I slid to a halt and sucked in my gut. As the demon’s blade sliced through my sweater but not my flesh, I stabbed Nex sideways. The blade blazed brightly in the darkness, and even as the point buried deep into the demon’s chest, the lightning ashed his body.
I grabbed the extinguisher, ripped out the lock pin, and sprayed it across the flames that were just beginning to take hold of the papers and material piled in the center of the room.
The rest of the place resembled a goddamn pigsty, and the stench was horrendous. There were take-out containers, drink bottles, and piles of toilet paper and shit everywhere. Saskia did have a toilet, but maybe the meniks had been warned against using it in case we heard it flushing— The thought cut off as air stirred past my cheek.
I switched grip on the extinguisher and swung it around hard. The tank smashed into the face of the demon sneaking up on me and knocked him back. I dropped the extinguisher, leapt forward, and stabbed Nex into his dark heart. Then I leapt over his body and ran for the rear room. There were no more half-demons—they’d obviously fled out the open window. I walked over and peered out. The body of a man who’d been cleaved in two lay directly below, and the sound of fighting echoed from the far end of the lane.
I resisted the urge to go help Luc—he was far more capable than me when it came to fighting demons—and locked the window. The last thing I needed were more demons sneaking up on me.
Outside, the stairs creaked, and I suddenly remembered the wire. “Careful,” I shouted. “There’s a tripwire on the landing.”
“Spotted it” came Mia’s comment.
As I stepped out of the room, a broom came down on the wire and snapped it. For a heartbeat, nothing happened; then, with a crack, the landing’s floor gave way and crashed down onto the shelving below.