Jacoby inclined his head. “Yes, and you’re not welcome here, Bane. Dax has ordered a search of the city to locate Sabine. Your efforts in aiding her are appreciated, but Dax won’t be pleased if we allow you to trespass. Will you allow us to take her to him?”
“Sabine will not leave my sight,” Bane said with a trace of a growl in his voice.
Malek sheathed his weapon but kept his hand on the hilt. Keeping his expression neutral, he said casually, “Perhaps we should take Sabine back to my ship. Dax asked me to return to the tavern with her, but if his people impede our efforts…” He trailed off and shrugged. “I’m not willing to risk Sabine being harmed if it comes to a fight. I doubt Dax will appreciate anyone putting her in harm’s way either.”
Aharis paled and lowered his weapon while Jacoby frowned and regarded them both warily. Bane snorted in amusement. Malek smirked. At least he’d made his point.
Jacoby sighed. “Very well. We’ll take you to him.”
Chapter Eleven
The rest of their trip through the sewers moved swiftly after the initial confrontation. They encountered a few more of Dax’s people, but no one else challenged them. If anything, they appeared relieved to know Sabine was being returned to Dax, although a few of them seemed apprehensive about her physical state. She still hadn’t regained consciousness, and Malek was starting to get concerned.
Malek followed Bane up a narrow stairway and into a building. He studied the hallway, recognizing the same stonework that was present in the tavern’s cellar. It made sense for Dax to have multiple escape routes in the building where he conducted most of his business.
Javyn skidded to a halt in front of them, his eyes wide. “Tell me she’s still alive.”
“She is, but we need to see Dax immediately,” Bane said, continuing to carry Sabine over his shoulder. “Where is he?”
“Probably tearing apart the tavern,” Javyn muttered and motioned for them to follow. “I’ll let him know she’s returned. He won’t be pleased to see you, Bane, especially in his current mood.”
“Is her old room still vacant?” Bane asked, apparently unconcerned by Javyn’s warning.
“Yes. Dax won’t allow anyone else to move in there. Can you awaken Sabine? She may be the only one who can calm him down.”
Bane shook his head. “I’ll handle Dax. But you need to hurry. I can’t wake her up again without his help.”
Javyn gave him a worried look but nodded and disappeared to another part of the tavern. Malek opened the door to the room Dax had taken her to after he’d drugged her. The shattered bottles had been cleaned up and the broken furniture replaced or repaired. It was as though nothing had ever happened.
Bane placed Sabine on the bed, and Malek frowned. Her face was still too pale, and even her breathing seemed to be labored. Judging by Bane’s pinched expression, the demon was also concerned. He’d never thought to see a demon worried about anyone else’s welfare, and it surprised him.
Dax entered the room only a handful of heartbeats later with Esmelle running behind him. His eyes were silvered, and he glared at Bane. Demonic magic filled the room, recognizable by the telltale sulfuric scent. “You! You dare come here? In my presence?”
Without waiting for a response, Dax charged toward Bane. The two demons locked horns and crashed into the wall, claws and blades flashing. Esmelle’s eyes widened. With a muttered curse, she ran back out of the room. Malek jumped toward the bed, intent on protecting Sabine while the demons fought within the confines of the small bedroom.
Moving at a speed too fast to ever be considered human, they fought with weapons, horns, teeth, and claws. They crashed into the desk, splintering it apart.
“Sabine is mine,” Dax roared, trying to connect his claws with the soft flesh of Bane’s stomach.
Bane blocked the attack and gripped Dax’s horns, shoving him backward against the wall. Malek had the distinct impression Bane wasn’t trying to kill his brother, but the same couldn’t be said for Dax.
Esmelle ran back into the room with a large pot of water. She tossed it over the two demons and shouted, “Grow!”
The water covering the two demons transformed into a vined plant, pinning them both against the wall. It made them pause long enough to focus on Esmelle standing defiantly in front of them. Malek stared at the redheaded witch in surprise. Such magic was far beyond a witch’s normal ability. He’d only thought a Fae or a dryad had the power to transmute water into plants.
Esmelle lowered the pot and put her hand on her hip. “Are you two quite finished?”
Dax scowled and sliced through the vines with his claws. “You dare much, little witch.”
“Me?” Esmelle demanded and gestured to Bane. “He brought Sabine back here, and your response is to what? Kill him for it? You’re both supposed to protect her, but Malek’s the one standing guard over her. Now knock it off. Both of you. If I’m going to try to help her, I can’t waste my magic trying to tie you two up.”
Bane cut the vines restraining him. “She’s right. We don’t have time to revisit old arguments. Sabine is dying.” He glanced at Sabine’s unconscious form. “I don’t know if your healing skills will be sufficient for this task, Esmelle.”
Esmelle glared at the demons and pushed past them, intent on reaching her patient. Malek moved aside to let her pass, but he wasn’t willing to let the demons approach until he was sure they were back in control.
Dax watched Esmelle check Sabine over, and his silvered eyes reverted to his normal amber color. Bane’s eyes had changed back almost immediately after the water had hit him. Malek sheathed his weapon and stepped aside.
Esmelle made a clicking noise with her tongue and headed toward the cabinet where the herbs were stored. “Dax told me what happened at the councilman’s home. I don’t see any physical injuries, but she’s far too weak. I can barely sense her magic. I might be able to brew something that’ll help strengthen her, but we need to get it down her throat.”
Dax sat on the edge of the bed. “She wasn’t this bad when I last saw her. What happened?”
“A Calling,” Bane said in a dry tone. “I gave her what I could, but I’ve not taken much of her magic lately. She told Edvar how to summon me.”
“The boy’s a fool,” Dax growled, reaching over to brush his fingertips against her skin. “Sabine never should have taught him such magic. She was already weak after breaking the trap on the chalice, but then she tried to gift me more magic while I killed the guards. I stopped the transfer before it became too dangerous for her.”
Esmelle dumped some herbs into a mortar. “Did you use all of it? She’s still weakening for some reason.”
Dax scowled. “It’s gone, except for the smallest trace. It’s not enough to bring her back to stasis. Other than knowing Sabine was still alive, I couldn’t sense her. If she was in that godsforsaken crypt, it explains why I couldn’t locate her.”
Malek had been listening to the two brothers and the witch discuss the problem. None of them seemed to be paying much attention to him, which suited him fine. But something was troubling him. He studied Sabine and the paleness of her skin, trying to figure out what his mind was trying to tell him. After a long moment, he straightened.
“The glamour. Can any of you break glamour?”
Esmelle stopped crushing the herbal mixture and arched her brow. Dax and Bane turned to him, their eyes flashing to silver. Malek froze, his fingers itching to draw his weapon, but the threat of violence would only incite the demons. He didn’t know Esmelle well enough to speculate.
Esmelle cleared her throat and asked carefully, “You’ve seen Sabine without her glamour?”
“The chalice stripped it, and I was unable to shield her,” Dax snapped, pushing up from the bed. “He’s sworn a blood oath for silence. He technically didn’t break it just now, but a suggestion is close enough.”
“This keeps getting worse,” Esmelle muttered with a sigh. “Okay. We’ll deal with that later. Why are you askin
g about her glamour, Malek?”
Forcing himself to project a calm he didn’t quite feel, Malek said, “If Sabine’s still weakening, it’s because she doesn’t have enough magic. The glamour could be the reason for it.”
Almost in unison, Dax and Bane blinked, and their eyes returned to normal. Esmelle gave a curt nod and dropped a pinch of the contents from another vial into the mortar.
Dax frowned and turned back to Sabine. “You may be right about the glamour, but Sabine is the only one who can remove it.”
Bane studied Malek carefully, his gaze suspicious as he crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you know of glamour?”
“Not a great deal,” Malek admitted truthfully.
None of his people possessed such abilities, and they didn’t have a way to remove it either. Glamour was one of those tricky magics that usually worked because everyone believed it to be true. Some lesser creatures could have theirs broken by disbelieving it, but the Fae were the strongest of all magical creatures when it came to that talent. To his knowledge, not even another Fae could break it. He’d hoped whatever ties Sabine shared with the demons might be enough to allow them to manipulate her magic.
Bane swept his gaze over Malek again. “You’re not human.”
Malek paused before responding. “No, I’m not.”
Dax frowned. “What the hell does that have to do with anything? No one can break glamour.”
“What are you?” Bane demanded, narrowing his eyes on Malek.
“I’m no threat to Sabine,” Malek replied evenly, unwilling to divulge his identity. He’d eventually need to tell Sabine who he was, but he didn’t owe these two demons the same courtesy.
Dax pushed off the bed. “He’s warded. Sabine’s been refreshing his mark to keep it active.”
Bane studied the mark on Malek’s wrist, and his mouth twisted in a cruel smile. “Interesting. What is it you’re hiding behind a ward, ship captain? You’re obviously some kind of magic user.”
Esmelle arched her brow. “You’re not a witch. Part Fae maybe? The pixies said Malek knew about them.”
Malek frowned, wondering what else the pixies had said. “I’m not Fae.”
“No, you’re not. Sabine would have known, so you must be something she wouldn’t recognize.” Bane took a step toward him. The demon’s hand lifted, and Malek immediately raised his to deflect a fire attack.
“Dragon,” Dax hissed, his eyes flashing to silver and staying that way. He drew his weapon and started to advance. Bane grabbed his arm and spun him around, slamming him against the wall. Dax roared out a challenge, but Bane didn’t release him.
Esmelle gaped at them, darting a worried glance at Sabine sleeping on the bed.
“Think, brother,” Bane ordered, holding Dax in place. “He’s here for a reason.”
“I don’t care about his reasons,” Dax hissed. “The dragon dies.”
“Try it,” Malek snapped, prepared to yank off the ward around his neck. If he needed to kill both demons, so be it.
“Enough!” Bane shouted, using his body to keep Dax contained. “Sabine doesn’t know what he is or she never would have offered him a mark of protection. She trusts him, perhaps foolishly, but we may be able to use him to help her.”
Malek paused in surprise. He wasn’t sure what the demon intended, but if it helped Sabine, he’d consider it. “How?”
Dax scowled, but he’d stopped fighting Bane. “No. I will not allow him near her. Balkin will be arriving in the city either tonight or tomorrow.”
Esmelle straightened. “Balkin and Sabine are linked, right? Can’t he share power with her?”
Bane arched his brow. “The Beastman is coming here?”
When Dax gave him a curt nod, Bane muttered a curse and released him. “Balkin may be too late. During the short walk here from the crypt, Sabine weakened a great deal. She’s fading.” Bane held out his arm to show the mark on his wrist wasn’t as vibrant. “I don’t know if she’ll last another few hours, much less until tonight.”
Malek’s gaze fell on Sabine, and a heavy weight pressed on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. Not only had he started to care a great deal for her, but she was the best chance he had to save his people. “You believe I may be able to help her?”
Dax scowled. “She won’t thank any of us if we allow a dragon near her now that we know the truth.”
Bane didn’t respond right away. Instead, he continued to regard Malek thoughtfully. Such rational behavior from a demon was suspect, but it was better than Malek being forced into killing Sabine’s friends. Besides, trying to shift into his dragon form here would endanger everyone—including Sabine.
“Why are you here?” Bane crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve made an effort to get close to Sabine. Why?”
Malek held Bane’s gaze. He could refuse to answer, but it would be unlikely either brother would allow him to help Sabine. And he needed her to survive.
“I’ve spent the last several years trying to track down the artifacts used to close the portal. I heard a rumor some ancient artifacts had resurfaced in Akros, so I brought my ship here and requested an audience with Dax.”
Bane nodded. “And you were seeking those with enough magic to power them?”
“Yes,” Malek admitted, glancing down at Sabine again. “The Fae have closed their forests to all outsiders. I had hoped to find someone in the southern cities with enough magic to use the Fae artifact once I discovered it. I’d originally believed Sabine might have a close relative who was a full-blooded Fae.”
“You’re a fool,” Dax said with a sneer. “Dragons imprisoned and slaughtered her people for generations, and you believe she’ll help you?”
Malek’s shoulders tensed. “I believe, once I have a chance to speak with her, she’ll consider it. Sabine is unlike anyone I’ve met. I’ve never heard of another Fae caring for demons, human witches, and orphaned children. Yet, in the short time I’ve known her, I’ve seen the depth of the ties Sabine’s forged in this city.”
“He swore a blood oath earlier tonight that he intended her no harm,” Dax said, his mouth twisting in a smirk. “Even if Sabine refuses his offer, she’s protected from any retribution. But I’d rather just kill him. Problem neatly solved.”
Malek glared at Dax. “Even without swearing to it, I still wouldn’t harm her. You can try to kill me, but it won’t end well for you.”
“Can you breathe dragonfire while in human form?” Bane asked, his words seemingly casual, but Malek didn’t believe that for a minute. Malek didn’t answer, unwilling to give his enemies any insight into his abilities.
Esmelle’s brow furrowed as she shook her head. “Uh, Bane? I don’t know much about dragons, but there has to be another way. Sabine won’t be happy if we allow him to use magic on her, especially while she’s unconscious and defenseless.”
Ignoring Esmelle’s objections, Bane focused on Malek and gestured to Sabine. “She marked you, which has created a tie of sorts between you two, even if it’s temporary. If you can send your power through the mark, it should be enough to awaken her so she can drop her glamour.”
Taken aback by his suggestion, Malek glanced at Sabine’s still figure. “Dragonfire could kill her.”
“It won’t kill her if you send it through the mark,” Bane said, taking a step away from Sabine and toward him. “I’ve studied enough about your kind to know dragonfire won’t harm you. If you can filter your magic by sending it into your body first through the mark, it should be enough to bring her back to some semblance of consciousness.”
Malek hesitated. He was protected from dragonfire and most other forms of fire, but the thought of attempting to infuse Sabine with it made him uneasy. What Bane had suggested was possible, but sharing such magic wasn’t something done lightly—especially with its potential to harm the recipient. He wasn’t sure it would work without a mating bond. If Sabine’s mark on his wrist worked the way Bane believed, she should have sensed his magic before
now.
Apparently, Dax agreed because he crossed his arms over his chest and said, “No. Sabine is mine to protect. I won’t allow a dragon to experiment on her.”
Bane snorted. “And if she dies? You swore to protect her. She won’t survive until morning if we don’t try something. No one else has enough of a connection with her to attempt such a thing. We’re running out of options.”
Dax fell silent, looking down at Sabine again. After a long time, he lifted his head and met Malek’s gaze. “Can you do this? Infuse her with dragonfire without harming her?”
Malek frowned. “Bane’s reasoning is sound, but I’ve never attempted such a thing. In all honesty, I don’t know what will happen. Dragonfire is designed to kill. It’s only safe when used with our mates, but that’s because they inherit a resistance to the negative effects.”
Bane nodded as though Malek’s words had strengthened his argument. “Dax, this must be done. If he wears her mark of protection and he’s sworn a blood oath not to harm her, the dragonfire will not hurt her. The magic won’t allow it.”
Dax scowled, not looking pleased by the prospect of allowing Malek close to her. He pointed his finger at Malek. “If this harms her in any way, you will not leave this room alive.”
Malek narrowed his eyes at the demon. “I would not even consider attempting such a thing if your brother hadn’t suggested it. I have no intention of harming Sabine. Ever.”
Bane made a gesture toward Sabine. “Then begin. We are wasting time arguing while she grows weaker.”
Malek took a step toward the sleeping woman, drawn to her on a level that was more than simple attraction. So much depended on this. He’d do everything he could to save her, but it didn’t diminish his need for her assistance. He wanted her to know the truth about him, but it had to be done carefully if there was any hope of salvaging the fragile trust he’d started to build with her.
“Before I do this, I ask you all to agree not to tell Sabine my secret.”
Esmelle’s mouth formed a thin line, and the witch shook her head.
To Kill a Fae Page 17