They also felt…out of place. A puzzle piece that didn’t fit. Because they weren’t of this place, of Earth. With a tightening in her chest, she wondered if she now felt the same way. Did she belong here, as a Rider?
A sharp sound ahead brought her thoughts back to her surroundings. Barking, deep and visceral, as three enormous black dogs manifested from the darkness, as if they’d come from the night itself. Their abnormal size and glowing yellow eyes made it clear that these were not just any canines. They stopped before the Riders, snapping massive jaws, saliva dripping from dagger-like teeth. Moon pinned his ears and snaked his head toward the closest beast, and Bullet reared and stomped threateningly inches from another.
Someone whistled, and the dogs retreated several paces. A dozen figures appeared from the darkness in a similar fashion to their pets, coming from it rather than through it. A man, or rather, a demon in the form of a man, stepped ahead of the others and stopped. The Riders and the demons squared off and eyed each other for several long moments.
The man at the head of the crowd spoke, and his voice was smoke and cinnamon and orchids. “Riders. I was wondering when you’d arrive.”
Chapter Fourteen
Willow
“We’re here to see the demon Sassafras,” Willow drawled, casual as if she’d just asked for cotton candy at the fair. She was nonplussed by the demons and their dogs, still high with the thrill of their ride.
The demon crossed massive arms over his chest and smiled. “She’s not in right now. But she told us to offer you every hospitality until she returns.”
“We accept your kind offer,” Felicity said.
The demon’s smile broadened. “Follow me.” He turned, then cast a glance over his shoulder at them. “And ignore the hell hounds.”
His eyes lingered on Willow as he said it, and his smile took on a different note. She couldn’t help but watch as he walked away, the way his muscles rippled in the flickering light of the lanterns. He had cinnamon skin and black hair, like Penelope, but he was not of this continent. Of course, he wasn’t from this world at all. His unnatural purple irises told her that much, even if she hadn’t already known he was a demon.
They walked through the honeycomb of tents. Willow saw mostly demons, dozens of them, though a human could be spotted here and there. She could sense more inside the tents they passed. The ones out in the open seemed drunk, entranced, glazed over. What were the demons doing to them?
As they passed by the open maw of one of the larger tents, a packed crowd of dozens of humans could be seen. They were watching dancers on a stage at the far side, women and men both, wearing bright silks and rows of tiny jingling bells draped along hips and across chests. Their skin was mostly bare and dewy from the heat inside the tent. A flute and a drum were being played in one corner, lacing the air with exotic music.
Another tent, smaller, held a woman and a large gray tiger. Willow caught a glimpse of its bright green eyes as they passed, and a moment later its roar shook the night. She could feel the humans tremble, as if their fear caused a shiver in the air itself. A different tent held a fortune teller with a crystal ball, another held every possible steam-powered gadget imaginable, and yet another a pair of sharp shooters, the blasts from their guns loud enough to crack the moon.
“Here,” the demon said, stopping abruptly at a small tent. “Your horses will be safe in here.”
The way he said it made it sound like they might not be safe elsewhere. Although Willow knew Bullet could defend herself. She had as a mustang, and now that she was something more, her soul burned with starfire. The other horses weren’t exactly easy targets, either.
The demon made a gesture to two of the others, and they hastened away. Willow noticed that the crowd that had initially greeted them had thinned somewhat as they made their way deeper into the labyrinth of tents. “They’ll be back shortly with food and water for your mounts.”
“Much appreciated. What’s your name?” Willow asked him.
There was that smile again, such an… invitation. “Indigo.”
“Nice to meet you, Indigo,” Dynah said, nodding her head in his direction.
“I’m going to untack Music,” Felicity said, dismounting and leading her mare into the tent.
Dynah and Penelope followed, leaving Willow alone with Indigo for a moment. She swung off of Bullet, landing a couple feet from the demon. He watched her as if memorizing her movements, his bare arms crossed over his chest once again. He wore a leather vest with nothing underneath, and leather pants. She was quite sure she’d never seen a man in Hawk’s Hollow wearing attire quite so bold.
“I’ll wait here for you,” he said, and the deep rumble of his words wrapped around her.
Willow offered him her own small smile and stepped into the tent with Bullet. She took off the mare’s saddle and bridle, rubbing her behind the ears and under the chin where the leather had pressed into her skin. Bullet closed her eyes and leaned into it, letting out a soft sigh. Magical horse or not, she still enjoyed the basic pleasures of life.
The two demons that Indigo had sent off returned with buckets of water and oats, and flakes of sweet alfalfa hay. They left the items in the doorway of the tent and departed again. Willow and the others distributed the supplies, and for several minutes, they were just cowgirls attending to their steeds. No Apocalypse, no divine purpose.
All Willow had ever wanted in life was power and freedom. She’d gained in the one—more than she could ever imagine—but she’d never felt more trapped. She felt the shackles of Heaven as if hot iron banded her wrists and ankles. Hawk’s Hollow had felt like a prison to her, but now, with the whole globe to travel, her world felt even smaller. The taste of the open sky, the glitter of the sun on the river by her house… she hadn’t appreciated it before. And now she never could.
She became aware of a stillness and realized the other three were waiting for her. Willow straightened, giving Bullet a final pat on the neck, and exited the tent.
“When will Sassafras return?” she asked Indigo.
He raised a brow. “In a hurry?”
“We are, at that,” Penelope said. “We have two days to find…”
She trailed off, and it wasn’t a mystery why. They weren’t exactly sure who they should share their mission with, other than Sassafras.
“I know you seek the seals,” Indigo said. “But she unfortunately will not return until dawn.”
Willow knew they were reaching the end of the third day. They were going to be cutting it close. But they didn’t exactly have much of a choice. Indigo eyed her, and she had the unpleasant sense that he was reading something within her.
“I thought that you might like to watch the evening performance of our stunt riding show, and then we can provide dinner,” he said. “You might as well enjoy your time while you wait.”
He made an expansive gesture to indicate they should follow him. Willow cast a glance at Penelope, and her friend nodded her head, a quick jerk of the chin. Dynah and Felicity fell in behind them as they followed the demon yet again. The moon shone down on them as they made their way through the tents.
They soon came to a makeshift arena set up on the far side of the encampment. Seats rose along one side of the arena, and a crowd of humans was gathered to watch. Indigo led the Riders to a small tent at one end, perpendicular to the other seating area, and gestured for them to make themselves comfortable. He sat down alongside them, and one of the other demons brought them a pitcher of water. Willow realized she was parched, which had to be another effect of whatever Spider Woman had done to them. She had not needed food or drink or rest before.
The show began, and they spent the next hour enthralled as horses and riders performed incredible feats. Jumping, riding standing up, straddling between two horses, flips and acrobatics. And what’s more, they used very little magic. Just old-fashioned horsemanship. It was much fancier than anything she’d seen in Hawk’s Hollow.
When the show was over, I
ndigo turned to them. “What do you think of our little enterprise?”
“Impressive,” Willow said.
“I like how you’ve mixed both western and eastern influences,” Felicity added.
Indigo nodded. “We like to bring a bit of the rest of the world to the west. Earth has so many interesting cultures and experiences.”
He looked at Willow for some reason as he said it, and she felt a wave of surrealness. Angels, demons, magic…it all existed, here, among everything seemingly mundane. How had she never known it before? It made her feel like a country bumpkin. She felt a wave of longing for the knowledge and awareness she’d possessed when they’d first transformed. She still felt it, but it was buried within her now, deep below the surface of her consciousness. When they rode she felt like she could tap into it, but in the absence of that, it seemed to go dormant.
“And now, we shall feast,” Indigo said. “I am sure your travels have stirred your appetite.”
He headed east, beyond the tents and into the open grasslands. Willow noticed that they had a following once again, another dozen or so demons. They truly seemed to come and go from the darkness. She wondered abruptly if this could be some sort of a trap. After all, these were demons. The foes of heaven, who had given the Riders their powers. It was more of a curiosity than a fear. Fear hadn’t been her thing as a human, and it certainly wasn’t now that she was more. Her fingertips twitched as a shimmer of lightning moved across her skin. A fight would be welcome even, as restless as she felt. Indigo turned his gaze back to her for a moment, as if he could sense her mood, and that provocative smile touched his lips.
Pine trees rose ahead. Fireflies sparked the blackness, and the hum of crickets surrounded them. Something glowed through the trees, and as they got closer, Willow could see that it was a huge stone table covered in dozens of white candles. It sat beneath a trellis of loosely woven vines and long red ribbons. A cool breeze cut down through the mountains, sending the ribbons fluttering like house standards in an ancient battle.
Next to her, she heard Dynah let out a small gasp of amazement. And she heard something else. Felt something else. Or rather, someone, dropping from the sky and landing amidst the trees a distance away. Willow fell back, letting the others pass her as they continued to the table. She saw Indigo lift a large silver pitcher and begin pouring dark wine into matching goblets.
“What are you doing here?” she called.
She walked into the shadows of the forest, away from the candlelight and the voices of the others. He stepped out from behind a tree, folding his blue wings behind him. His perfect lips were set in a hard line, his jaw rigid.
“What am I doing here? What are the Riders doing cavorting with demons?” he hissed.
“Oh, we haven’t done any cavorting yet,” Willow said, arching a brow. “Though that sounds quite nice, now that you mention it.”
“This is not a joke. They are the enemy!” Zane jabbed a finger toward the table, which could be seen in glimmers through the trees.
She cocked her head to the side. “Aren’t we all one big non-human family? Bent on making humanity suffer for its sins?”
“What demons do…that’s different.”
“Punishment for sins, atonement… it all sounds roughly the same to me.” She shrugged.
“Well, it’s not.” He stepped closer to her, pinning her in his azure gaze. “And you disappeared for a while. I couldn’t sense you. Any of you. Where did you go?”
Willow moved closer, and he sucked in a breath. It was so easy to make him uncomfortable. “Have you not seen the path of our ride? All the chaos we’ve sown?”
A muscle in his jaw rolled. “You’re avoiding the question.”
“You told us to go forth, and we have. You told us to ride, and we rode. You weren’t much more specific than that. So, I’m confused as to what the problem is.”
They were standing just inches apart now, and she could smell the night on his skin, could feel the rapid beat of his heart in the back of her mouth.
He swallowed, and she watched the slim column of his throat. “You shouldn’t be here, with them. You shouldn’t have disappeared and gone wherever it is you went.”
“We haven’t disobeyed any orders.”
“I’m ordering you now. Leave this place. Don’t spend time with demons. Don’t disappear again.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his chiseled face lit by the moon.
“And what exactly are you going to do about it?”
She knew she shouldn’t push him. It was walking a knife’s edge. She should just tell him they would listen, and then he’d leave and they could do what they wanted. But she couldn’t, because the surge of freedom she felt her in defiance tasted too damn good. She was playing with fire, and that was the stuff her soul was made of.
Zane stiffened, and his mouth parted to respond. Willow moved faster, placing a finger over his lips.
“Is it really worth it?” she growled. “Because then you’ll have to tell Alinar that you lost control. Or at least, that’s what he’ll think. But everything is perfectly under control. The Apocalypse follows in our wake, everywhere we go. You will have the cleansing of souls you so desire. What’s a detour here and there?”
His eyes flickered and he grabbed her hand, pulled it down by his side. He didn’t let go. She could feel the heat of his fingers at the pulse of her wrist.
“We will not lose control. We created you. Don’t forget that,” Zane hissed.
“And don’t forget that these immense powers you gave us… well, let’s just say we aren’t the most well-behaved women anymore. Don’t be frightened of what you made. We’ll do our job. Unless you keep getting in our way.”
“My presence distracts you so much?”
She smiled. “Do you wish it did?”
He let go of her wrist abruptly, as if she had burned him. “I—”
Zane stopped as another voice cut through the darkness. “I seem to be missing a most-esteemed guest.”
It was Indigo. Willow heard his footsteps stop about ten feet away, and Zane’s gaze flew over her shoulder. She could tell they’d seen each other by the way his eyes narrowed
“This discussion is not over,” Zane said, his voice a low rumble for only her to hear.
And then he was gone in a fluttering of wings.
“Is everything okay?” Indigo asked. He seemed more amused than concerned.
“Oh, you don’t have angels following you everywhere, too?” Willow smiled coyly.
He laughed, a deep rumble in his chest. “I’m sure you have lots of admirers.”
She shrugged, which elicited another laugh.
“Come join the feast,” he said with a small bow.
He offered her his arm, which she accepted. A demon with manners. Well, she’d truly seen everything now.
Willow let Indigo lead her through the trees toward the glowing candles. The sugary scent of flowers and honeysuckle vine curled around them. Now that Zane was gone, Willow felt a tightness in her stomach like she’d swallowed a large rock. Had she pushed him too far?
Worry gnawed at her. Or at least, that’s what she told herself. Because it couldn’t be that his presence did actually distract her. Made her feel things she didn’t want to feel. It couldn’t be that. She wouldn’t allow it.
Chapter Fifteen
Penelope
Penelope watched as Willow emerged from the night by the side of the handsome demon. They were all stunningly attractive, actually. She wasn’t usually one to be drawn in by physical appearances, but one couldn’t help but notice.
Willow looked rattled. It wasn’t something anyone else would have noticed. But they’d been best friends for nearly their entire lives. She could read Willow like a favorite book, each page lovingly worn. And something was definitely bothering her.
But amidst a hive of demons was not the appropriate time to bring it up.
“I have found our missing friend!” Indigo announced to the table.
Penelope’s attention was torn from her friend, however, by the arrival of a feast. One moment the table was bare but for the candles and the wine. The next it was laden with platters of every imaginable delight. And not the chicken and potatoes that she was used to eating. This was exotic stuff the likes of which she’d never seen.
Cornucopias of fruit in jewel-tones, not a one that she knew the name for. Cheeses in a dozen shapes and colors. Confections that looked like clouds and crystal baubles and bright flowers. Meats sliced thin and extra rare. Tureens of sauces, some dark and thick like chocolate, others sweet like honey, others thick and fluffy like whipped cream, but in strange hues. They all had one thing in common: everything was a finger food. There were no utensils and no plates.
The demons were no slobs like some of the cowboys around Hawk’s Hollow, however. They ate carefully, slowly, savoring each bite. Penelope had always considered food just a mechanical, essential task, but the demons made it seem sensual. Here she was, tasked with conquering the world, and she knew so little of it.
What’s more, she realized she actually felt like eating for the first time since they’d received their powers. For two days, which had seemed to last centuries, she’d been something not entirely human. The Rider within had almost entirely taken over. But now she was both Rider and human. As painful as it’d been to relive her worst memories, she was grateful that Spider Woman had pulled them back to themselves. And now, she found herself craving the delights before her, wanting to taste and experience as the demons did. There was no one judging her, no one telling her to stay in line. So, she did what she wanted.
A Death of Music Page 6
