“What did you do?” Leo shouted accusatorily.
“I didn’t do anything!” he shouted back. “This is happening on its own! I never got a chance to even try to cast my spell! I think the curse is breaking on its own because—!”
He was cut off when a growl tore through the room, then what sounded like a feminine scream of rage.
“Noooo!” it cried angrily.
Then there was another blinding flash of lightning and when everyone’s eyes recovered…
There were fifteen people standing in the room.
And they could all see each other.
—
The first thing they realized was that one of them was screaming in agony.
The Shadowdweller. The lightning strikes had burned his retinas, blinding him, and it had seared his flesh so that his exposed skin was a raw, open burn filled with blisters oozing pus. Everyone ran to him.
“Get back!” Kamen commanded in a booming voice. Everyone immediately obeyed. He kneeled before the Shadowdweller, who was on the floor writhing in pain. He laid a hand on top of his shoulder, a part of him that had been covered by clothing and unexposed to the lightning so it would not hurt him.
He chose his healing spell very carefully. It had to be a spell that didn’t give off any light at all or it could do even more damage…potentially even kill him. They were fortunate he was still alive as it was.
Kamen spoke the words of the spell quietly and strongly, ignoring the clamor of voices and concerns going on around him. He bathed the Shadowdweller in lightless, healing energy; dulled his pain until the screams died down.
“Sagan!” Valera cried.
She and many others had rushed into the room the minute they had heard the screams. Now she ran to him, wanting to throw herself protectively over him, but knowing that she would only harm him further if she did. She settled for sitting on the floor beside him and placing her lap beneath his head. She shushed him gently as his cries of agony quieted down.
Silence gripped the room, except for Kamen who was continually speaking the words of his spell, over and over again. Valera knew healing magic of her own, but she didn’t use it for fear of disrupting the Bodywalker’s work.
Kamen followed his healing spell with another spell. A quick Word that put the injured Shadowdweller into a deep sleep.
“We should bring him to a bed,” Kamen said. “Somewhere he can rest comfortably while I continue to heal him.”
“Take him to our room,” Jackson said. “It’s better than carrying him all the way to the other house.”
Kamen nodded, then cast a levitation spell, which lifted the Shadowdweller into the air without need of any hands to touch his injured body. He followed the floating man as he directed him up the stairs and into the master suite of the house. He waited for Valera to enter, then shut the door behind them. He lowered Sagan onto the bed and immediately Valera moved a pillow to place under his head.
“Take off his shirt,” Kamen instructed.
She nodded and gingerly went about taking his shirt off. It made her cry to see the painful burns on his flesh. Belated fear gripped her. He could have died. He could have been gone in an instant and she never would have had the chance to…oh, the list of things was endless. To say she loved him one last time. To go back home to Alaska. To give him a child. There were dozens of things they hadn’t done yet that they had wanted to do one day.
One day almost hadn’t come. For good.
No. She wouldn’t think like that. He was there now. She would protect him. He would be healed and she would protect him until her dying breath.
—
Downstairs, in the living area, almost three dozen people stood around looking at each other. Confident that Kamen was caring for the injured Nightwalker, they now were able to take stock of themselves and each other.
Bella was the first to speak.
“Hi!” she said, waving. “I’m Bella! This is Jacob and…”
The introductions flew around the room, First and Second Factions no longer existing as they all became one. Nightwalkers. Once everybody was introduced, a slightly overwhelmed Viève said, “I don’t know about you all, but I could use a drink.”
The sentiment was echoed all around. Most of them took to the liquor cabinet, the Demons went to the fridge.
“So that’s why there’s zebra milk in the fridge!” Viève exclaimed when she was told a Demon’s alcohol was animal milk. Different animals equaled different “proofs” of liquor. Cow’s milk had the potency of grape juice. Zebra milk was like a fine whiskey. “When I saw it I thought it was a joke. Say, how does one get zebra milk exactly?”
“Very carefully,” Bella and Jacob said in unison.
The room erupted in chuckles.
“Well, the curse is broken obviously,” Jasmine said. “What do we do now?”
“We train,” Leo said. “Together.”
“Wow, our teams for ‘capture the flag’ have just doubled in size,” Faith said.
“And that’s a good thing. Now we train as a cohesive unit instead of split factions,” Jackson said.
“Did anyone else hear that woman’s scream?” Viève asked hesitantly.
“I did,” Leo said, “and what’s more, I think I recognized it.”
“What are you thinking, Leo?”
“I think it was Apep. And I think he knows the curse is broken,” Leo said.
“I can’t decide if that’s bad news or good news,” Jackson said grimly.
“When it comes to Apep, it’s all bad news,” Leo said.
“True,” Jackson agreed. “Well, now that I can properly welcome you all to my home, welcome to Portales. I hope we’ve been seeing to your every need.”
“Not quite. There’s no delivery in this town. What do I do when I get the munchies in the middle of the night?” Jasmine asked. They all laughed as Jasmine licked her fangs and said, “Nothing beats a pizza delivery guy for a midnight snack.”
“Other than that?” Jackson asked with a chuckle.
Everyone agreed that they were quite comfortable.
“Great. Now that that’s settled, I’m up for a game of capture the flag. And everyone’s playing,” Jackson said sternly. “Well, except for the humans that is.”
“Thank god,” Angelina said. Her sister, Marissa, had signed her on for all of this when she had told her who and what she had become, but she wasn’t going to stick her delicate human neck into the fray. She wasn’t stupid with a cup of crazy on the inside.
That was Leo.
He may not be playing, but he was watching. He shouted tactics from the sidelines, and cheered and jeered when necessary. He kept them all motivated. He was walking around armed, an automatic on his hip with a backup strapped to his ankle. He wouldn’t know how much damage a bullet could do until the time came, but he’d be damned if he was going to stay on the sidelines when the real thing came down on them.
“Max, come spar with me,” Leo said.
If he got his hands on someone, Leo would need to make the most of the situation as quickly as possible before their disparate abilities kicked in. Between his gun and a body honed for fighting, he had a fair shot at it.
Maybe.
But he refused to count himself out until he was lying dead on the floor.
His wife, Faith, was of a different mind-set. She knew that Leo was outgunned and outmatched. Maybe he could cause some damage to a Templar, but there would no doubt be a wave of Templars, not just one. He wouldn’t have a prayer. She needed to convince him that his place was protecting the lives of the humans on the property and getting them to safety. He had to have a role—an important one—or he wouldn’t be satisfied. Now that they were a cohesive bunch, Corrine was happy to hand over her duties to Leo and become a follower.
“Leo, can we talk?” Faith asked him as they walked outside.
“I know what you’re going to say,” he said with a frown.
“You need to see reason!” she said with
frustration. “Someone needs to see Max and Angelina and the non-offensive members to safety when this all goes down! They can’t do it themselves. They need a stone-cold killer to help them and someone who knows how to move with a fair amount of speed and stealth. They will become targets instantly if they are seen.”
Leo’s jaw tightened and released. “But I can’t just turn my back on you. I can’t just leave you and not know what is happening to you.”
“I will be fine and you know it. My innate ability to reflect spells back on the caster will protect me more than you ever could.”
“Gee. Thanks,” he said sullenly.
“Leo, please…I won’t be able to concentrate on the battle if I think you are at risk.”
“All the more reason why we should be taking the fight to them instead of standing here waiting like sitting ducks.”
“We don’t even know where they are,” Faith said.
“I know,” Leo said dejectedly. “This really sucks. I don’t like it.”
“But you’ll do it?” Faith asked hopefully.
Leo grumbled. “I’ll do it. But Angelina should leave now. She has no fighting skills whatsoever and now that everyone can see each other we don’t need her to act as a go-between.”
“I’ll talk to Marissa about that. Angelina may not want to go. Marissa is all the family she has.”
“All the more reason. When the shit hits the fan I need to know she’s not going to linger, to fight me taking her away so that she can see what happens to her sister.”
“Just as you would fight to see what happens to me?”
“Exactly like that. But if you give me a job and I say I’m going to do it, it’ll get done. I’ll get the others to safety no matter what.”
“Good. There’s a storm cellar in the far back of the property. You’re to take them there and wait until one of us comes to get you.”
“Provided you win. If you lose we’ll be stuck there and you can bet Apep isn’t going to abandon a perfectly good property once he has it.”
“Another reason why they need you. If that’s the case they are going to need you to get them off the property as soon as the sun rises. No one will be able to stop you as long as the sun is out. The sun will turn the Gargoyles to stone and it will paralyze the Bodywalkers. The only one that leaves is Apep, and he can’t be everywhere at all times.”
“Yes, he can. He’s a god,” Leo said.
“Not an omniscient one. He has limitations. Otherwise he would have known we were trying to break this curse and thrown everything he had against us by now.”
“Everything but himself. But he’s waiting. I can feel it. And as soon as he gets whatever it is he needs, he’s going to come at us,” Leo said.
“I think he’s waiting for the birth of this child. It must be taxing him in some way. If only we could attack him now, while he is so obviously weak…”
“But as you said, we don’t know where he is.”
“Maybe we can change that,” Faith said. “Kamen has been able to locate the two Nightwalker groups using a spell. Why couldn’t he do the same for Apep’s stronghold?”
“I don’t know how the spell works, but you have a point. If he can find one why not the other? And why hasn’t he made the suggestion himself before now?” Leo asked with suspicion.
“It would have been useless with us not being able to see each other. Give him a shred of the benefit of the doubt. Let’s approach him with the subject and see how he responds.”
“You’re right,” Leo said. “It’s not as though he hasn’t been busy. You know, the little Wraith said something to me tonight…”
“What did she say?”
He reached to touch the ebony skin at the side of her neck, stroking her there in a familiar way he knew she loved. “That none of us were going to be able to make it if we didn’t forgive the transgressions of the past. For everyone. The Wraiths. Any Templars who wish to defect. Including Kamen.”
“She makes a good point. But forgiveness comes with trust and trust must be earned.”
“But hasn’t he though?” Leo asked tightly. “Hasn’t he earned it? When I look at all he’s done this past year, the effort he has made has been tremendous. He’s almost been trying too hard.”
“He is passionate about correcting the mistakes of his past.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Leo ran his fingers down the long length of her arm until he was linking his fingers with hers. “It’s hard to shake the injuries of the past,” he said quietly.
“It’s up to you, Leo. You have to choose to do it for your own reasons, not for anyone else’s. Viève’s a sweet thing really, and her heart is in the right place, but she doesn’t get to dictate when you should be ready to forgive what was a truly heinous act.”
“He didn’t do it himself,” Leo heard himself saying, much to his shock. “He was responsible for what happened to me, but he didn’t actually stick his hands inside my body and root around. That was Chatha. And Chatha is gone now.”
“Yes. He is. But as you say, Kamen was responsible. He sent Chatha on you like a master commands a pitbull to attack an innocent bystander.”
“Yes. But maybe that distance is what I need to come to terms with this. And maybe if I come to terms, the damn nightmares will stop.”
“They have gotten to be less and less ever since Chatha was released from this earth,” Faith pointed out.
“Yeah. It helped knowing he was gone. Knowing he wouldn’t somehow find me and put me under his knife again.”
“No. He is gone and it is over for good,” Faith said, stepping into his arms and giving him the comforting nearness of her body.
“Come on,” he said after clearing his throat. “Let’s go play.” He kissed her on her temple, turned her away from himself and propelled her forward with a smack on her ass. She yelped and then purred, rubbing the spot suggestively. “Why do you always tease me in public?”
“Because it makes the private so much more fun. Now get going, dirty girl.”
She shot him a smoldering glance, then moved out of the house and onto the playing field.
Chapter 18
Kamen left the Shadowdweller sleeping peacefully, and shut the door behind him. He was surprised to see Viève standing in the hall waiting for him. One look at her tensionriddled face and he knew something was wrong.
“What is it?”
“Is he going to be all right?” she asked.
“Yes. He’s already almost completely healed.”
“Good. That’s good,” she said, rubbing her palms together anxiously.
He took her hands in his and met her eyes as he squeezed calmness into them. “What troubles you?” he asked directly.
“Time. Time troubles me,” she said. “If what we suspect is true, then Apep knows what has happened and that the curse is broken. He could attack at any time.”
“Yes, this is true. Are you frightened?”
“Yes, but that isn’t what troubles me. If time grows short then we have to go back to the Doyen as quickly as possible. We need to tell him what has happened and secure more Wraiths for the coming battle. With Wraiths on our side the odds will shift considerably in our favor. Especially if you want to try to keep the body count low, to give Templars a chance to redeem themselves. We can incapacitate with just a touch, without the need to kill. Because they are Bodywalkers and have advanced healing abilities it is less likely that the plaguetouch will actually kill them. And, if necessary, the deathtouch is still an option. But we must secure them as soon as possible. We must see if the Doyen is willing to keep his word.”
“You do not believe he will?” Kamen asked her.
“I…I do not trust my own people to do anything that isn’t selfishly motivated. If what he says is true, if Apep has approached him to fight on his side and he doesn’t want to get caught up in all of that, then he may believe that siding with you is the better option. But he also may just want to see if he can stay out of the alterca
tion entirely. He may want to sit back and let us do all of the dirty work for him.”
“If what he says is true, he may not have that option. Apep will not take kindly to a refusal.”
“Perhaps. But he might just be willing to take his chances. I don’t know. The only way to know is to meet with him now.”
“All right. Let me tell Valera that I will be back shortly and then you and I can go to the Doyen. Go find Jackson and Marissa and tell them where we are going.”
She nodded and hurried to do so. He found her outside a short while later, talking to Jackson and Marissa on the sidelines of the game that was being played.
He came up behind her and placed a hand at her small waist. She looked up at him at his touch, worry etched into her features.
“Has she told you where we are going?” he asked Jackson.
“She has, but I was just telling her that I’m not certain I like the idea of you going alone.”
“It has to be alone. Any more than just the two of us and the Doyen might feel threatened,” Viève said.
“She has a point,” Kamen said. “The Doyen is a little on the slippery side. I wouldn’t want him to escape us on the basis of a technicality.”
“If he is that touchy, then perhaps we don’t need his help,” Jackson said. “Thanks to our own little Wraith, the curse has been broken. Perhaps we no longer need the Wraiths for the battle to come.”
“You know that we do. Every advantage on our side makes it more likely we will be victorious over Apep. Also, I am afraid it is just as likely the Doyen will side with Apep if we do not secure him first.”
“All right. Go to him,” Jackson said. “Come back quickly with his answer. Viève…” Jackson turned to her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “You have been invaluable to us. We could not have broken this curse without you. I hope that you will return with Kamen regardless of your Doyen’s decision.”
Viève looked surprised.
“I had not thought to do otherwise,” she said.
That made both Jackson and Kamen smile. “Good,” Jackson said. “Come back quickly. Very quickly.”
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