Shadow's Curse

by Jami Gray

  “Gargoyle?” When the regal redhead leveled a cold glare in his direction, Darius stifled his sigh. Whatever Zayn had said or done to Carys, it looked as if Darius would be paying for it now.

  Raine bent closer to Gavin, ostensibly checking out Carys’s handiwork, while Natasha turned and rummaged in a cabinet. Since the others were busy actively ignoring the exchange, he straightened in his seat, prepared to go out and see the gargoyle in question for himself.

  “Sit,” Carys snapped. “It’s dust. You won’t get anything from it.” She gathered the bloodied cloths and tossed them in the sink.

  Since dust couldn’t answer questions, no use wasting his time. He slowly resettled in his chair. Gargoyles were puppets, stone statues given limited will.

  Any of the Kyn could tie such a creature to their will, if they knew how. They were useful because, once destroyed, they crumbled into dust, leaving nothing behind to trail back to their handler.

  “The girl is Cleo James.” Natasha didn’t turn around as she answered the second half of Carys’s question.

  “The name means nothing to me.”

  “It wouldn’t.” The slight clink of glass meeting glass preceded the soft shush of liquid being poured as Natasha kept her back to the room. “She was Kevin Sullivan’s lover.”

  “And one of Natasha’s people.” Gavin’s bland tone belied his watchful gaze.

  Standing between Gavin and Natasha, Carys rested a hand on the thin lip of counter in front of the sink and studied Natasha’s stiff back with a little more care. “You’re in the midst of someone’s crosshairs, dearest.”

  The dull thunk of the wine bottle hitting the counter coincided with Natasha’s harsh laugh. “Oh, Carys, haven’t you learned? If someone’s not pissed at you, you aren’t doing your job correctly.”

  “Your job is turning into a godsdamned mess,” the redhead grumbled.

  Natasha turned around, smile sharp, wine glass in hand, and tipped it to Carys in acknowledgement. “That it is.” She leaned against the counter, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other holding her wine. “I’d offer, but this seems to be my last bottle, and I’m a bit selfish.”

  “How about some answers instead?” Next to Raine, Gavin gingerly straightened, rolling his shoulders. A small wince came and went with the movement.

  “Yes, answers would be nice,” Natasha murmured, then took a delicate sip of her wine. Lowering the glass, she stared into it as if it held something of great importance. “Sullivan’s death is a direct strike to my position as the Head of the Amanusa. His desire for my seat was common knowledge. Easy enough to arrange his rather messy removal while the esteem Council was in town. What better way to demonstrate the slipping holds of a head of house on her rather volatile people?”

  “And Cleo’s death?” Raine chimed in.

  “Now that one puzzles me.” Natasha lifted her head, her indigo gaze resting on Darius, before moving on to the others. “What could she know to be considered worthy of such overkill? She’s a bit of a flirt, but not the brightest bulb in the bunch.”

  Natasha’s casual tone didn’t fool Darius. Their fading blood tie only allowed the faintest traces of her emotions to seep through in bits and pieces. Vicious bites of fury tainted with a wild hunger for retribution and grief.

  To catch even that much indicated a savage emotional storm hiding behind her calm countenance. A storm he understood all too well, because he’d been there a time or two. Leadership and responsibility were harsh mistresses. And when someone under your protection was harmed? Well, that mistress turned into an exacting bitch.

  “Whatever she knew,” Carys said, “sending a Bound demon after her ensures her silence.”

  “The demon was Half-Bound.”

  Darius narrowed his eyes at Natasha’s correction. What was she up to? The Amanusa rarely spoke about the Bound, zealously guarding the information for obvious reasons, much less discuss Half-Bounds. No one wanted to hand their enemies an open book on how to take your ass out. Not that some of it hadn’t leaked. Tonight was proof of that. Still, what game was she playing? Unfortunately, her thoughts remained shrouded from him.

  “Shall we test your collective knowledge?” Natasha didn’t wait for an answer. “How much do you know of Bindings?”

  Gavin folded his arms across his chest. “To bind the demonic nature of an Amanusa, you need a summoner, a cast circle, and their name.”

  “But if you manage to bind a demon, you best make sure you hold on tight.” Raine put her hands against the counter behind her and hitched herself up to take a seat on the hard surface. “There are warning tales of how a Bound can take the tiniest loophole and rip your throat out.”

  Or other, much worse things, Darius silently added.

  “Good start.” Natasha carefully set down her wine glass. “Let me increase your education. Binding the essence of an Amanusa is contingent on naming them. If you don’t have intimate knowledge of their ancestral names, you will never achieve a fully Bound demon.”

  Impressed by her artfully crafted explanation, Darius listened to Natasha dance along the razor thin paths of half-truths. Granted, you needed a demon’s ancestral name, but it meant nothing if you didn’t know their actual bloodline, or have the power to override an individual’s will. The small tightening of Carys’s mouth indicated she caught Natasha’s elegant dodge, but she, too, remained silent. Instead, the Fey turned and began to rinse out the soiled cloths in the sink.

  Natasha continued. “A demon’s name will anchor their essence to the Side, which allows the summoner full control of the demon. If you miss one piece of their true name, you end up with a Half-Bound demon—”

  “This Side,” Raine cut in. “Is that where you and Abazi held your little conference with Fahd?”

  Natasha gave the woman a nod. “Every demon is dual natured, much like the shifters, however, our other form only comes out to play in the Side.”

  “Why?” True curiosity vibrated in Raine’s question.

  A flash of discomfort tweaked through the fading bond Darius held with Natasha. The unusual sensation triggered that damned latent protective streak from earlier. He stepped in before she could answer. “Have you ever seen a demon’s true form?”

  As the attention shifted to him, he caught the slight lessening of tension in Natasha’s stiff shoulders as she picked up her wine glass.

  “You’re talking about that weird image they get when you piss them off,” Raine said.

  Piss them off, challenge them, or anything else that would push an Amanusa to the edge of their control. Something he was sure Raine had plenty of experience with. “That’s the one. The Side is the Amanusa’s playground,” he deliberately used Gavin’s earlier analogy, “one most other Kyn avoid as it’s easier on their brain and eyes. There, our true forms don’t need to be cloaked in understandable illusions.”

  Raine opened her mouth, but before her question could escape, Gavin cut her off. “That’s why you told me to look away.”

  Natasha raised her glass to Gavin. “I have enough to deal with, adding a temper tantrum from Raine should your brain become a bit scrambled, just isn’t worth it.”

  Raine snarled. Natasha simply smiled and took another sip of wine. It was like watching cats fight—all hisses and claws.

  Gavin attempted to get the discussion back on track. “Half-Bound means, what, exactly?”

  Surprisingly, the answer came from Carys. “Exactly what it sounds like.” She wrung out the wet cloths and turned around. “The demon’s essence is partially Bound. If the summoner isn’t paying close attention, at some point the demon will strike out, looking to get free. To break the bindings, whether Bound or Half-Bound, the anchors in all three realms must be broken at the same time. And to break the one in the Side, you not only need to be Amanusa, but you need to have enough magical strength to crush the summoner’s psychic hold.”

  Darius watched the Fey woman with a great deal more consideration. She deftly skipped the lethal
repercussions if a Half-Bound’s Bindings were incorrectly handled. “And how do you have so much information?”

  “I’ve been the chief legal counsel for Taliesin for years.” Carys’s voice was coolly composed, even as she dried her hands. “Not to mention working by Ryan’s side for far longer than that. When you have to deal with four different houses filled with highly dangerous beings, each with their own quirks, such information is a good thing to have.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Gavin murmured, his attention arrowing on Natasha. “So want to share what about this Half-Bound demon was different, then?”

  “Let me guess,” Raine hopped down from the counter to stand next to Gavin. “If it took you and Abazi to break through the Binding, we’re dealing with a damn powerful summoner, aren’t we?”

  Natasha’s jaw tightened, but she dipped her chin in a sharp nod. The tension in the kitchen began to climb. Enough so that Darius pushed to his feet, unwilling to sit and watch the impending storm—amusing though it would be.

  “How powerful?” Raine went to take a step forward, but Gavin’s grip on her wrist brought her to a halt.

  Natasha’s spine straightened. Carefully setting the wine glass on the counter, the arrogant demon queen made a comeback. “Not powerful enough, considering I’m still here and Jared isn’t.”

  “Jared?” Gavin asked.

  “Jared Pick,” Darius supplied coming up beside Natasha. “Ring any bells?”

  Gavin frowned. “No, why?”

  Darius shrugged. “Just curious if you had run across the name during your investigation into Mulcahy’s death.”

  “Why? Worried the name might lead back to your partner on the Council?” Finished drying her hands, Carys tossed the towel aside and confronted Darius, resentment and suspicion clear in the feral delicacy of her face.

  And there it was—the first true glimpse of the Northwest’s leanings. Anticipation hummed. “Zayn had no part in Mulcahy’s death. However, the same can’t be said of you and yours, now can it?” His gaze swept over those gathered, finally landing on Natasha. “Rumors abound, darling, and your name keeps popping up.”

  Those intriguing eyes narrowed, a flame of pure fury igniting deep within. “Yes, rumors abound, Mr. Abazi. Rumors and coincidences. Take for instance the sudden appearance of two very old, very strong demons in my territory just as the most vocal opponent to my seat is found torn apart in a very blatant way. Then one of my younger demons is trapped in a clumsily executed, but cleverly planned Binding, one that requires a great deal of power, power none in my house could wield unless they worked together. Something they’ve yet to accomplish on mere agenda items, much less the complexity involved in a Binding.”

  Hiding his amusement at her attack, Darius held the fuming queen’s gaze with complete unconcern, curious where her deft mind would take her. “You think Zayn or myself did that to Jared?”

  “What I think,” she all but purred, “is that to sit upon the Council demands not only a certain arrogance, but an unprecedented strength. A strength you or Zayn could easily disguise. The same strength behind the summoner’s hold on Jared.”

  “Am I missing something? Because I’m damn sure I was right next to you, trying to take his ass out.”

  “Yet, here you stand, no worse for wear, while the bodies of my people begin to pile up.”

  Seen from that angle, yes, he could understand her suspicions. But he knew damn good and well that Half-Bound demon had no intention of sparing him or the infuriating woman glaring at him. “And what do I gain by creating such an abomination?”

  “Leverage, pet. What better way to undermine my leadership than to force me into unfriendly scrutiny, by humans and Kyn alike.” While she didn’t move from her relaxed pose, her voice took on a dangerous depth. “Of the three American Kyn regions, the Northwest holds the most lethal of our people and the closest working relationship with the Division and the U.S. Government. I’m not unaware of our perceived influence with the humans or the threat the Council imagines we pose. It would not be beyond them to send in one, if not two, agents to wreak havoc under my roof.”

  Her persistence in insinuating he was nothing more than a Council tool was beginning to piss him off. “I do not work for the Council.”

  “But Zayn does,” she snapped.

  “That means nothing.”

  Those periwinkle eyes locked on him, an incandescent fury burning within. “According to your blood still whispering in my ear, it means everything, Mr. Abazi.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Enough!” Gavin’s rough command cut through the rising tension, but not before Natasha caught the flash of awareness in Darius’s eyes. Her lips curled. Poor pet. Did he really think his secrets were safe with me?

  Oblivious to their silent exchange, Gavin continued, impatience lending a sharp edge to his words. “There are plenty of individuals trying to rip us apart. Let’s not give them hand. Considering what I walked into tonight, I’m thinking whoever has it in for you, Natasha, has no qualms about taking out Darius as well.”

  The air behind her shifted as Gavin moved to her side. Only then did she release Darius’s gaze and turn to the younger man. “Appearances can be deceiving, Gavin.”

  He didn’t back off. “Think about it, Natasha. If I hadn’t shown up, there’s no way the two of you alone could have stopped Jared.”

  Fury and frustration did not make for a happy demon, and hers was more than willing to come out and play. The air around her began to waver as her more volatile nature pushed against her frayed control, but the brave boy kept going.

  “You said it yourself. The spell’s anchor had to be cut in all three realms. Logic dictates that whoever sent this Jared after you, really didn’t give a damn who else he took out.”

  Behind Gavin, Carys spoke up. “The spell that killed Ryan was meant for Vidis.”

  “That spell and tonight’s little get together have one thing in common,” Raine said. “Each one would eliminate a Northwest leader.”

  Natasha leaned around Gavin to pin the girl with a narrow-eyed glare. “Then they should have sent more than one Half-Bound demon to do the job.”

  “But they did.” Darius’s comment brought everyone’s attention back to him. Those startling ice-blue eyes were fixed on Natasha with unnerving intensity. “The summoner tried to trap you.”

  She stiffened. How in the blighted hells did he know that?

  Wicked intent curved his lips under the dark goatee. “The blood tie is a two way street, darling.”

  Forcing her spine to relax and her mind away from his implications, she said, “Tried being the operative word here.”

  Raine came up beside Gavin. “What the hell is this blood thing you two keep referring to?”

  Unwilling to stay trapped between the three, Natasha placed her palm against Darius’s bare chest, trying to ignore his body heat seeping through her skin, or the reaction it invoked. She dug her nails in, just enough to bite, and pushed.

  Humor softened the challenging edge of his mouth, but he stepped back, allowing her an escape route.

  “It’s a blood-tie, dear.” She edged around Darius then made her way to the bay window where a small table nestled, keeping her back to the others. “It’s a temporary psychic connection two demons can utilize to communicate.”

  “How temporary?” Raine pushed.

  “The duration depends on the amount of blood taken. As does the depth of the connection.” It served no purpose to go into details she preferred not to share. Besides, the faint connection she could sense between Darius and Zayn was something she wanted to explore privately, without an audience.

  “Should we be worried about this link?” Carys’s cool query wove through the kitchen.

  Darius’s dark chuckle answered. “Never fear, our connection fades by the minute. Your demon queen is safe from me and my supposed nefarious intentions.”

  And wasn’t that a shame? Some secret part of her whispered, even as she k
ept her attention focused on the inky dance of the dead of morning outside the glass. Tonight’s events were piling up fast and furious. Her demon surged against her self-imposed chains, until it threatened to swamp the calculating logic of the woman she needed to be. Taliesin could not afford its leader to react instinctively, not now when so many vultures were circling.

  “Natasha can take care of herself. We just don’t want the Council whining if one of theirs comes back with a boo-boo.” Gavin’s dry response made her lips tilt just a bit.

  “I’m sure Zayn is perfectly fine,” Darius drawled, unruffled by Gavin’s not so subtle dig.

  “Considering the nature of the attacks we’ve been under, it might be best to double check on Zayn’s wellbeing.” Natasha had no qualms using Darius’s suspicious nature against him if it got him out of her house. The silence behind her rippled out to lap against her spine. Slowly turning, she met Darius’s unsettling gaze, refusing to give under his cool appraisal.

  “Threats?” Soft menace lingered under his question. Around him, barely visible, the air wavered. He set a hand against the counter, the sliver ring on his finger catching the light.

  Seemed she wasn’t the only one riding a thin line tonight. As fun as it would be to continue poking, a cautionary voice held her back. No matter what Darius proclaimed, he and Zayn had a connection. One that would be unwise to ignore. And, yet…

  Maybe she was banking too much on Darius’s possible relationship with Ryan, the one hinted at by his ring. Ryan never named his link to the Council, but if it was Darius, could she reestablish his alliance? It would benefit not just her, but the Northwest. His anger and need for retribution at Ryan’s death seemed real. Predatory, lethal, and shrouded in secrets was nothing new in their world, but her instincts hummed he would make a vital ally.