by Sadie Waters
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ember. After you had your little escapade yesterday, I went and got Tinsley and then came straight here. I was with her the whole night.”
“That’s complete bullshit, and you know it. I have you on video, Lane.”
He shook his head and scoffed. “That’s impossible.”
Ember manipulated her phone and the television to send her video up where he could see it. There was no denying it was him; Lane had looked right at the camera before he tried to get into the cage. Her magic was stronger than his, though, and he had left in frustration a few minutes later.
Lane watched it for a few moments before he shrugged and said, “That’s not me.”
“What do you mean it’s not you?” Ember asked, her hands on her hips.
“If someone wanted to steal a face, I don’t think it’d be yours,” Carson added.
“Fuck you.” Lane was far too vain to take that without a retort of any sort. “Maybe some demon broke in, or another Ink was trying to frame me. For all I know, it could’ve been your jackass boyfriend here. I don't know who the hell it was, and I don’t care.”
Ember knew for certain it wasn’t Carson, not that any of her guys would’ve done that. “How could a demon sneak onto a holy site, Lane? That’s not possible. And I don’t know any Inks that can manipulate their appearance--do you?”
“It’s possible. Up until a couple of days ago, we didn’t think there were Seers anymore. Where was Zach while this was happening?”
“You’ve got to be shitting me. We both know he didn’t do this. He’s afraid of his own damn shadow.”
“Okay, well, I don’t know. But it wasn’t me. If I’d wanted in there, I would've gotten in there.”
“I think it’s time for our unwanted guests to go so that we can’t get back to our… program,” Jess said, shifting on her feet.
“Perfect. Just know, I don’t trust you, Lane. Stay the hell away from my prisoner, got it? I see you anywhere near him, you’re going to have to prove your magic is stronger than mine, got it?”
Lane stood up. “Get out of my house.”
“Gladly.” Ember headed for the door, but she stopped next to Jess and said, “I hope you’re using protection. I’d rather face a demon than the junk he’s likely got crawling all over his shit.”
Jess narrowed her eyes but didn’t say anything, and Ember gladly left Lane’s apartment hoping the next time she saw him it was on the wrong end of a Scale’s scabbard.
Once they were in the elevator, Carson asked, “You believe him?”
“Hell no. How could it possibly be anyone else? We have him on video for crying out loud.”
Carson nodded. “It seems pretty stupid for him to try to deny it, though. Is there any way it could be anyone else?”
Ember shook her head. “Not that I can think of. We’ll run it by Ryan when we get home. If anyone can come up with another possibility, I would think it would be him.” Carson nodded, and Ember thought about the way he’d been staring at Jess. “By the way, what the hell was that look you were giving Jess?”
“What? She answered the door half-naked. Sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to check her out, but it was kind of hard to miss.”
She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes.
“Oh, come on, babe. You know I only have eyes for you.” Ember rolled her eyes, and Carson was on her in a half second, his mouth on hers, pressing her up against the wall of the elevator. His tongue slid inside her mouth, his hands working their way along her sides, up underneath her shirt. Ember lost track of everything until she heard the ding of the elevator and realized it wasn’t moving anymore. When she opened her eyes again, it was to see two other people hurrying off of the elevator in front of her.
“Shit. When did those people get on?” she asked.
Carson laughed, and took her hand, as Ember straightened her shirt and went out to catch a cab home.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“This is stupid,” Zach said for probably the hundredth time. “Why are we in an alley?”
“Because, this is how we hunt Scales,” Ember repeated. She really wished she would’ve given babysitting duty to someone else, but she didn’t want to take her eyes off of Zach, not in the field anyway.
“Why do you have to go out every night? You were just out last night. And the night before.”
She sighed and readjusted her squat. “This is our job. Besides, Lil was around last night, which means she might be tonight, too. I’d like to catch up with her. So I can kill her.”
“You haven’t killed her yet, in all of these thousands of years of trying. What makes you think you can do it tonight?”
“Hey, here’s an idea. Why don’t you shut your goddamn mouth and see if you can find her using your superpowers, huh?”
Zach narrowed his eyes at her, but Ember wasn’t having any of it. She hadn’t brought him along to see if he could feel the Scales out. She’d brought him because she didn’t trust Lane’s people to guard him now that she was pretty certain Lane had to be lying about tampering with her prisoner. Ryan couldn’t come up with any other explanation either, which meant it had to be exactly what it looked like--Lane trying to break into the cage.
Even though she still trusted Ruby to keep an eye on Zach, her friend wouldn’t disobey Lane, which meant, if he decided he wanted to take the Seer, she’d have to let him. There was no point in putting Ruby in that position. Besides, she was pretty sure Lane was out on a hunt now, too, just not on this side of town. He usually worked Brooklyn and they were in Manhattan, practically worlds apart.
Zach made a low guttural noise in the back of his throat. Ember turned to look at him and saw that he really was concentrating, like he was trying to find the Scales using his mind powers. She cocked her head to the side and stared at him for a few moments until he did it again.
He held up a finger, telling her to wait. She didn’t much care for that, but she wasn’t going to argue either if he was on to something. After a few more moments, his eyes popped open. “It’s not Lil, but there is a Scale nearby.”
“Where?” She pivoted around to look at him.
“In that apartment building over there.” He pointed at the one across the street from where they were hunkered down. “Fifth floor, I think. Toward the back. I couldn’t get an exact room number or anything, but there’s a little girl in that room, and the Scale is in her closet. Does that sound right?”
“Sure. Scales hide in closets.”
“He’s thinking about… drinking her. Like her essence, I guess?”
“Yeah. That also sounds right. Okay--let’s move in and see if we can take care of this monster before the little girl has to suffer.” She smiled at him and gave him a nod of thanks, and Zach lit up like a Christmas tree.
The rest of her team was scattered in various locations. She’d need Jake with her because she was running low on Throwing power. Ryan would need to be ready to track the Scale down if he happened to get away from her. That meant Carson would be on Zach duty. The Blender pissed and moaned about it, but eventually, he came to relieve her, moving to a closer location in an alley near the building where the mark was.
“Tell me again why I have to stand around outside with this jackass?” Carson said, folding his arms. “Give me five seconds in there, and I’ll end that Scale. No chase necessary.”
Ember reached up and kissed him on the cheek, but he turned away from her. “Stop being so dramatic.” He grumbled again, but she decided to ignore him. “Zach, stay with Carson. Stay aware, and let us know if you pick up on anything else.”
“Okay, but I have to close my eyes to do that. How will I know that Carson isn’t letting something sneak up on me? Like a real thug?”
“Because if something happens to you, he’ll have to answer to me.” She gave Carson a harsh enough look that he wouldn’t need any more explanation and then headed off to meet Jake at the back of the building.
“Where are
we going?” the Thrower asked.
“All he knew was that the guy was on the fifth floor. Maybe we’ll pick up on something when we get closer.”
He nodded. “You know, if you would’ve told me how low you were getting on power, I would’ve happily fixed that for you.”
She patted his arm and paused outside of the door they were about to break into. “I know. And I almost jumped you in the shower this morning. But I couldn’t leave Zach alone, and we’ve just been so busy today. Let’s get this guy, and then you can fill me up in more ways than one.”
Jake flashed her a crooked grin, and Ember used her powers to get them both through the door.
They took the stairs to the fifth floor, but once they arrived, Ember had no idea where to go next. Sometimes, she could get an inkling of where a Scale might be. But there were several hallways up here, all of them with large apartments, which meant it was difficult to tell where he might be within a unit. If he was in a room toward the back, it would be hard to feel him out.
“Go to your left,” Carson said in her ear.
“Did Zach say that?” Ember wanted to know.
“Nope, nope. I suddenly have the ability to find Scales.”
“He’s in a lovely mood tonight,” Jake muttered under his breath.
Ember moved to her left as she was instructed, wishing she’d given Zach an earpiece. At this point, she’d rather talk to him than Carson.
“All right, turn left, and walk slowly. He thinks he’s in one of these apartments, but he can’t tell which one yet.”
Not sure how her proximity to the Scale was helping Zach locate him, Ember did as she was told anyway. She’d passed a few apartments when Carson said. “This one. On the right. He’s in the back bedroom.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
Jake moved to the door. She’d let him open this one since she was about out of power. Before they moved in, they made sure Ryan was covering the side of the building closest to where they were standing. Jake used his powers to get the door unlocked and opened, and Ember went invisible, leaving him outside to cover the hallway.
She flew through the living room into the back bedroom. The door was open a crack, so she slowed.
The Scale was there all right, hovering over the little girl’s bed. If she were to open her eyes right now, in her dream-like state, she’d see a white, gossamer phantom with sharp teeth floating above her bed. Ember could see a misty film leaving the child’s body through her nose and ears, streaming up to the Scale’s open mouth.
Ember wasn’t screwing around. She pulled her gun and fired three times into the Scale, catching the bastard off-guard. He dropped like a rock onto the bed. Ember took three long strides and then launched herself into the air, catching the Scale as he started to get up, knocking him onto the floor next to the bed.
This son of a bitch didn’t get to take a ride downtown to St. Paul’s. Nope, he was of no use to anyone. Ember pulled an enchanted blade she’d had since the dawn of time and held the Scale down with one arm as she sawed through his wispy neck.
Once his head was severed, a cloud of ash and fire engulfed him, and the demon screamed as a seemingly endless tunnel opened beneath him. He was sucked down into the bowels of hell, flames reaching up to lick him as he flailed in the air, grasping at nothing. This little girl would be the last soul he’d ever feed off of.
Ember stood up to see if she was all right. Her forehead was knit together and she’d readjusted the teddy bear in her arms, but she hadn’t opened her eyes, not even when Ember had hit the bed.
She brushed the hair off of the child’s forehead. “Rest easy, little one,” she whispered, and put her knife back in its sheath.
As she turned to go, Carson said, “Em we’ve got a hell of a problem. Get down here ASAP.”
“What is it?” she asked, turning up the juice as she ran back out of the apartment.
“It’s Lil. And she’s brought friends.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Ember ran to the other side of the building, praying she could find a window with a clear view of the alley where she’d left Zach and Carson. When she found it, every hair on her body stood on end. It was Lil all right. The demon goddess was standing in front of the pair about twenty ghouls behind her. Carson was between Lil and Zach, but he didn’t stand a chance against that many demons.
“How did this happen?” Ryan asked through her earpiece. He was there now. She could see him. He’d come around the building and up the alley so that he was behind Zach. At least Lil hadn’t thought to divide her forces and come in from both sides.
Or had she? Off in the distance, a few blocks away, the shadows shifted. Was she calling in more of her henchmen?
“Jake, how close are you?” Ember asked. She’d sent him the other direction, back toward the stairwell, so he could potentially get down there and help.
“Probably not close enough,” he answered.
Carson was trying to slow Lil down. She could hear him negotiating with her, but Lil had her hands up. Things were about to get crispy.
“Ryan, can you grab Zach and make a run for it?”
“Are you shitting me?” Ryan asked. “I don’t know how fast I can move carrying a grown man.”
Ember was already moving herself. She was out on the fire escape, twenty stories above Lil’s head. She’d need to get closer to do any damage, and even then, she couldn’t stop all of them. She’d call for backup, but the only other team she knew for sure that was out tonight was Lane’s, and he wouldn’t come. She stealthily jumped down to the next level as Lil threw a fireball at Carson.
He pulled a blade that was able to refract the light energy. It bent and went shooting off in another direction, hitting the building and dissipating. But he couldn’t fight off the twenty or so demons behind her. Ember hadn’t taken a very good look at them, but they were all shapes and sizes, some more dangerous than others. One or two at a time, she’d have no problem taking them out in a matter of seconds. But Lil was deadly, and in a large group, a fight would be suicidal for all of them.
Yet, she had no choice. As Lil raised her hands to signal to her goons to attack, Ember paused on the tenth floor fire escape landing and sent a bolt of energy into the crowd. Another ray of light came from behind them as Jake rounded the corner in front of the apartment complex.
Carson started shooting, but Lil got around him. Zach did the only thing he could do. He turned around and ran.
“Damn these human-like legs,” Ember muttered. She couldn’t survive a ten-story jump. One story at a time was hard enough. She propelled herself down as quickly as she could while continuing to blast away at the demons. Carson was making short work of many of them. Jake was fighting his way through as well.
She didn’t see Ryan until Lil ran into him. He was moving so fast, the demon didn’t see him either. He cut between the monster and Zach, setting a moving pick that left the demon laid out on the pavement. She hopped up and sent a full charge of power in Ryan’s direction.
He didn’t have a weapon out because he’d been running as fast as he could, and it was easier without it. Ember used her energy to collide with Lil’s pushing it off to the side as Ryan ducked out of the way. Cursing, the demon jumped to her feet, done with the Flyer as she took off after the Seer.
Ryan turned and fired after her, taking careful aim so he wouldn’t accidentally hit Zach, but even when he hit Lil a few times, it hardly slowed her down. The demons were going to get Zach if something miraculous didn’t happen.
Zach was in the street now. Ember touched down in the alley, blasted a few lingering demons with a round of fire and then took off as fast as she could go. Lil almost had him. She had her hand raised, ready to send a streak of lightning at the Seer. She wouldn’t kill him, but if she paralyzed him, she could snatch him.
It was then that Ember realized Zach had stopped. He was standing in the street, waving his hand like a crazy person, as Lil closed in. Ember sent a surge of power at
the back of the demon, praying it got to her before she was able to shoot anything at Zach.
The screech of tires and the smell of burning rubber filled her lungs as she saw what Zach was doing. He jumped into the back seat of a car, and the four-door sedan took off, leaving Lil standing there, staring after it
Until Ember’s power hit her in the back.
The demon screeched as the bolt hit her, knocking her forward onto the pavement. She screamed an obscenity, and Ember charged her, pulling the one weapon she knew for a fact could destroy her, the Sword of Truth. She’d only have one shot with the blade, and if she missed squarely landing the tip in Lil’s chest where her heart was allegedly beating, she could never use it against her again. For thousands of years, she’d looked for an opportunity to use the weapon but had never taken the risk. Now, with Zach’s life on the line, she had to do it. If Lil had another chance to get him, next time they might not be so lucky.
Ember came to a screeching halt over the fallen demon, the sword raised, but she stopped before she lowered it. Lil had already started to leak into the shadows. If she wasn’t in her complete form when Ember thrust the sword, she couldn’t possibly kill her.
Putting the sword away, Ember used what little power she had left to send a few more bolts of pain through Lil’s fading body. It wasn’t enough to do anything but cause her aggravation, but it was satisfying nonetheless.
Once the demon goddess was gone, Ember turned and headed back up the alley. Her team was coming her direction, looking worse for the wear, but all of the demons were gone.
“Where’s Zach?” Carson yelled, panicked.
“I think he called an Uber,” Ember replied. “He hopped into a car and took off.”
“So she didn’t get him?”
“No, not this time.” They’d gotten lucky. Her cell phone was ringing. She pulled it out of her pocket as the guys reached her. Carson was actually worried about Zach. Perhaps it was because he’d been on babysitting duty--or maybe he was starting to like him.
