by Dianna Love
He said, “You’re joking, right? I give you the chance to walk away and you’re down here? Listen closely. I don’t want you here. Stay out of this.” He calmed his voice and gave her the truth. “I can’t live with your death on my conscience too.”
She did a quick maneuver of pushing her arms inside his and breaking his hold, then backed up. “You listen to me, Mr. Know It All. I understand your pain. Someone died on my watch, too. I’ve spent ten years torturing myself with guilt. I’ve finally realized that ... I was no more at fault than you were with Kizira. I understand grief and that you have to do it in your own way and in your own time, but you have to ask yourself if you’re doing this for her or for your guilt.”
His chest ached with a physical pain every time he relived Kizira’s death, but Reese had just ripped open a wound he’d never heal. “I owe it to her to protect her secrets from those who would steal them.”
Reese took another step back, looking at him as if she finally understood why this mattered so much. “Okay, I understand.”
What did she think she understood?
Swiping wet hair off her face, she said, “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll help you get to her tomb, but if you want to do right by Kizira, you have to live. Cremate her body and send the ashes where no one can ever abuse her death. I plan to survive this too. The dead do not want us wasting our lives.”
He was done with this conversation. “We can talk later—”
“No, we can’t. You’re not listening to me.” She sounded anxious. “You want to get to that tomb? This medallion is getting drained every time I use it. This is the only time I’m helping. If you keep holding me up, I might just change my mind. Whether you believe me or not, I’m the only one who can help you right now. Kizira cared for you and you’re wasting the gift of life she gave you by allowing this to end yours.”
That knocked him back a step and squeezed his lungs tight.
Reese wasn’t done. “I’ve been told for years by an irritating advisor that everything happens for a reason. I’m supposedly still alive today for a reason. If that is true, then I’ve wasted years not caring whether I lived or died. I could have been figuring out my purpose. No more. I’ve learned you should let go of guilt over something that was out of your control. If you do that, you just might discover why you’re standing here today and she isn’t. Why Kizira needed you to live.”
Quinn knew why. His heart twisted and flipped around.
Phoedra.
Kizira depended on him to find their daughter and protect her. How was he going to do that if he ended up locked away by the Tribunal or handed over to Queen Maeve?
Reese was right.
He was entitled to mourn Kizira, but he had a giant responsibility that she’d entrusted to him and spending his life like an angry walking dead was not getting it done.
Kizira would never have agreed to be buried in a tomb where preternaturals could get their hands on her. She sure as hell wouldn’t have supported putting his future and life at risk to protect a cold corpse when he should be hunting for their daughter.
I’ve been such a fool.
Reese stared up into his eyes with an understanding that amazed him. Real understanding from the real person inside her.
Who had she lost?
He wanted to know her story. To find out what made this outrageous woman tick, but now wasn’t the time.
Her eyes flared wide. She jerked around. “I feel them. We need to find your people and get closer to the tomb before we let the demons near me.”
“Reese.”
She held up a hand. “I’m going after the tomb with or without you. Are you ready to do this or not?”
He was done arguing and he couldn’t leave Reese here knowing she would interfere no matter what.
Looking around to get his bearings, he said, “I have no idea where anyone is so let’s run through the center from this end to the other. That should put us close enough for me to hear or see something.”
Her gaze jumped around. “We need to go. Now!”
“Got it.” He turned to run down one of the chewed up paths, intending to keep his Belador speed down so that she could stay with him. The buzzing was stronger down here, and the canopy held off the thunderstorm.
He could feel the energy brush over his skin like tiny bugs climbing on him.
His speed slowed to that of a human.
“Keep going,” she urged, running past him.
He got moving again, but ... where was his preternatural speed? On a thought, he flicked a hand at a branch.
His kinetics should have slapped the branch hard.
The leaves didn’t even move.
Shit.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, not slowing a step.
He must have cursed out loud. “My powers aren’t working in here. That’s why no one has been able to raise Evalle and Tristan via telepathy. That also means I’m going to be limited in my ability to keep demons away from you.”
She nodded.
This was going to end badly, but he’d failed to shove her away. That left figuring out how to keep Reese alive.
He now sensed the demonic energy rushing toward them.
The buzzing canopy changed vibration, going from loud to quieter then back to loud again.
Between breaths, Reese called out, “It’s working.”
“What is?”
“The demons powering this energy shield are being distracted like I thought they would if they sensed me. Coming after me is dividing their attention. Any sign of your people yet?”
“No. We can’t be that far from the other end of this ravine. If they aren’t there, you and I will have to get out of here.”
“I doubt we can just run off.”
“Why not?”
She heaved a couple of deep breaths, still pumping her arms and diving over fallen trees. “Because this is a trap. The demons, and whoever controls them, let us in. They won’t let us escape. The person behind these demons has to be waiting for something to have set up this energy field like a spider web, but for what? If your people are here and the tomb is here, what else could they want?”
“The thieves can’t open the tomb without triggering security devices built into the tomb’s majik that will kill them.”
She stumbled, caught her balance and kept running. “Then they’re waiting on someone who can open it.” She glanced over as he kept step with her. “Who’s that?”
“Me.”
~*~*~
Reese was so shocked by Quinn’s admission about being the only one who could open the tomb, she said nothing.
All this time, she’d been chasing a body that only one person actually possessed. She finally pulled her thoughts together. “Why have these people stolen the tomb if they can’t open it?”
“Because in a little over an hour I’m due to face the Tribunal with Kizira’s body to hand over to Queen Maeve. These people who stole the tomb believe I’ll come looking for the it. My guess is they think I’ll unseal it because they rightly assume I have no choice, at which time they probably plan to trade me along with the body to Queen Maeve for something like a Noirre spell. Or the VIPER liaison will show up about the time I find the tomb, then he’ll teleport me to the Tribunal meeting where I’ll be forced to open the tomb and give Queen Maeve the body or the Tribunal will gift me to the queen, along with the tomb. Either way, Queen Maeve will be smiling like the Cheshire Cat in the end.”
Reese got it. “She’ll take you to her realm where your powers won’t hold up against hers.”
“Right.”
Her head spun at how messed up all this had become.
Not to mention having her ass tossed into the middle of it with no rulebook. Thanks, Yáahl.
Quinn said, “The good news about no one being able to open the tomb might mean Evalle and Tristan are still here and this bunch is waiting for me to show up, since they have to know I’m co
ming to get my friends back. The bad news is that if Evalle and Tristan haven’t fought their way out because of not using their powers then it might not be possible for anyone to get out. We need a plan.”
She had one, but he probably wouldn’t like it.
The truth was that he’d hate it.
A pinpoint of light caught her eye.
“You see that?” Reese said, pointing ahead.
Quinn dodged a low branch and looked up.
Light that she hadn’t seen from the cliff began to show up through breaks in the trees.
He warned, “Let’s not run straight in there.”
“We won’t. I’ve got a plan of what to do before we reach that point.”
“Want to share it?”
“No.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “This is the time to work together.”
Oh, he had this coming. She said, “We will. You do what I say, when I say, and it will go easier for everyone.”
When he didn’t reply, she pointed out, “I’m guessing that probably sounded a lot better in your head when you said it to me in the cemetery.”
She’d called him a dickhead.
He must’ve finally seen himself through her eyes, because he sighed. “You have a point, but no plan works without everyone knowing what—”
“There!” Reese shouted and pointed at a tree, because she could feel the demons coming toward them. She peeled off to the left.
He stayed on her heels until she skidded to a stop and swung to face him.
Now she could hear footsteps pounding. The demons weren’t far away. They were coming in from behind and each side. Maybe they should have run toward the light since she felt nothing from that direction.
No, she had to get as close as possible to the energy field above them for her idea to work. The medallion’s energy had felt diminished when she’d taken it back.
That meant her power would be weaker.
Yáahl had told her the medallion would only function as long as she had a chance at gaining the body. How could it be acting as if she was running out of time herself?
“Give me a boost,” Reese demanded from where she’d stopped by a substantial pine tree.
Quinn opened his mouth as if to ask what she intended to do.
She said, “This is where we work together. I have a plan. Every microsecond we squander lowers our potential for success.”
Closing his mouth, he stepped over and cupped his hands.
She stepped up and he shoved her into the air. She caught a branch and used her athletic ability to swing her feet up and over the branch, landing on her stomach.
Thank you, Wiley, for making me practice chin ups, tumbles and rolls along with kickboxing.
She started climbing and noticed Quinn still on the ground.
“Get your ass up here, Quinn, or you’re gonna be demon dinner in about twenty seconds.”
Chapter 33
Quinn trusted Reese’s assessment about demons closing in on them and hooked his hands around the tree to start climbing. He’d reached the second set of branches when three men came out of the trees around them.
All three looked up.
Not men. Black eyes flipped to red. They were all dressed in the same black coveralls as the one Reese had killed in Midtown. If they hid their eyes, they could move through human areas undetected until they attacked some innocent person.
He scurried up two more levels, which was as far as he could go. Anything higher wouldn’t hold his weight. He checked on Reese. She’d made it six feet above his position.
He paused at the image of wild hair flying all around her face. Bright blue eyes full of intelligence and determination.
But they had no backup.
More demons were coming in by the minute and the first three were climbing up.
Quinn’s powers were nonexistent.
Still, Reese moved with a confidence and excitement that spoke to her experience in this.
Whatever demons she carried inside her were of the human variety. She claimed she’d made a decision to no longer live on a knife’s edge between life and death, but Quinn wasn’t convinced.
Growling and scratching pulled his attention back down to the threat that had now climbed halfway to where he was. The demons would have reached him if a fight hadn’t broken out, knocking them back to the ground. He didn’t even have mind lock to use on them, but that was just as well. He wouldn’t survive entering that many demon minds at once.
That left him with just eight triquetras hooked to his belt, the minimum that he carried into any fight. He might stop four demons with those, maybe five or six if he got a couple of damn good shots.
Quinn called up, “Reese, what do you need me to do?”
“Keep them busy for about a minute.”
Another eight, no, make that twelve, filled in the space at the bottom of the tree. One started climbing over the top of the two that were making their way up again.
They snarled and fought, but the first one paused to lift his head. His red eyes stared at Quinn as if judging the distance.
Quinn eased two triquetras free. His pulse throbbed in his head. He heard Reese climbing even higher.
When the demon reached for Quinn’s foot, the thing’s gaze was focused on one spot. Holding on to a branch, Quinn swung down and sliced across the demon’s neck. It reached for its neck and gurgled, sliding down into the next one’s face.
The second demon yanked the first one out of the way, tossing him to the ground, but the dead demon burst into gray dust even before his body hit.
Quinn threw the two triquetras, taking out the next demon, which also turned into dust.
He chanced a look up. “Reese? I’m only going to be able to stop about four to six. We can’t stop all of them. This isn’t going to work.”
She leaned over and lifted the medallion with her free hand. “See this? I’m the baddest bitch on the planet right now. Just keep them back for a few more seconds. That’s all I need. Be ready when I shout at you.”
He didn’t know what she thought would happen in so little time, but he nodded and turned back as the second demon lurched up.
Quinn threw another triquetra. The three-sided blade struck between the demon’s eyes, burying deep into his head.
He howled and kept coming.
Dammit. Quinn threw another triangular blade that hit the same demon in his neck. He fell. That left four throwing blades.
But even more demons showed up below.
Who controlled these things?
The buzzing fog surrounding Quinn got louder.
He’d thought drawing in the demons was supposed to weaken that field. Even if Reese managed to rip a hole in the energy field, they still had ... over forty demons to go through to get off this tree.
Quinn threw his last four triquetras. They hit true, but now what?
One of the faster demons scrambled over the others and leaped up.
Quinn braced for the hit, but the demon looked up at Reese with a feral hunger. Then it swung under Quinn and did a crazy flip to shove his booted feet into Quinn’s chest.
Shit, that hurt.
It knocked Quinn’s footing loose.
He dangled from one hand.
The only good news was the demon’s momentum sent it sliding backwards, then it clawed a hold and kicked off the next demon heading up.
During the split second that Quinn dangled, he saw Reese above him with the medallion sandwiched between her hands. She called out words that sounded tribal, like something Storm would chant.
Power burst from her fingers. A hundred lightning bolts shot up then split out into a fiery flower of electricity.
The energy field rocked and rolled like waves on an ocean.
Reese’s skin glowed white hot.
A claw slashed at Quinn’s leg. He hissed and yanked himself back up to a standing position before the demon had a
chance to climb over him for Reese.
The demon’s unholy eyes were locked on Reese.
He wanted only her.
Quinn shook his head. “Not while I’m alive you bloody son of a bitch.”
That jerked the demon back to him.
Buzzing turned into the screeching sound of something being ripped apart. Rain poured down on Quinn suddenly, as though someone had dumped a giant bucket. The demon hissed, furious about something.
Quinn blinked away the water in his eyes and risked another quick look at Reese. She was shaking so hard he feared she would fall.
Her arms dropped to her sides. She yelled, “Now, Quinn!”
That’s when he realized he could feel his power again. He lashed out at the demons on the tree, knocking each off with a kinetic hit. He could do this all day.
The tree swayed hard.
Quinn grabbed the trunk to hang on, looking up for Reese, who had started down.
She lost her grip.
She fell, yelling as she hit branches.
He shot an arm out and grabbed her wrist as she came by.
Her weight yanked them both to the side, because the freaking demons were pushing the small tree over.
Some were starting the climb back up.
Quinn couldn’t use his kinetics with both hands tied up. After entering the demon’s head in the cemetery, he’d rather not dive into another one’s mind unless it was a last resort. Jumping in a nuclear sewage dump full of razors would feel better. His mind was still raw even all these hours later.
Reese looked at him with an expression he’d not seen in her face before. Terror. Demons were drawn to her energy like piranhas to fresh meat.
They wanted her energy.
To get it, they’d have to kill her.
She whispered, “It’s okay, Quinn. Let me go. You can get to the others while I distract them.”
His heart tried to crawl out of his chest.
She thought he’d hand her over to them?
Quinn gripped tighter and yanked her up to him. “Hold on to me or you’ll face something worse than demons.”
“What?”
“Me, pissed off. Understood?”
“Sir! Yes, Sir!” she answered with her signature sarcastic tone. The only thing missing was a salute.
