by Jami Gray
My feet pounded against the pavement, but I could hear the muffled sounds of fighting, I just couldn’t pinpoint where they were coming from. Then blue-white fire split the shadows ahead, illuminating Zev and a pile of broken cement blocks at his feet. He clambered over the rubble with scary ease and disappeared on the other side, leaving only flickering shadows trailing his magic.
I hit the same spot and found that someone or something had crashed through the cement wall, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. Unlike Zev, I ended up using both hands and feet to get over the unstable pile of debris. Sharp, ragged edges shifted under my weight and sliced bloody nicks in my hands and wrists. Despite the nuisance stings, I skidded down the other side and straight into hell.
Zev, outlined in flaming blue, faced off with a nightmarish creature that left my brain scrambling for some kind of reference. Like a gross amalgam of human and beast, it towered over Zev. Inhumanly long arms ended in massive hands tipped with thick claws that rivaled the fangs of prehistoric saber-toothed tigers. One of those mammoth hands was swiping toward a figure desperately scrambling back while sending silver tongues of magic to try to hold the creature at bay.
I got closer, and that figure became Imogen, her lips curled in a snarl and her teeth bared, as she set loose another long-barbed streak of magic that lashed across the creature’s torso. Under the disorienting strobe effect of dueling shadows and magic, the silvery spread of ice began seeping over the nauseating mix of scales and fur, only to disappear. The beast’s head jerked back, and its mouth gaped, revealing a set of teeth that would shred bone and a thick black tongue, but while it appeared to be howling, no sound emerged. It swiped out at Imogen, who managed to duck but not fast enough. I watched in horror as she flew through the air and tumbled farther into the darkness.
Shit shit shit.
Terror locked me in place as my brain short-circuited. All I could do was watch helplessly as Zev rolled out of the way of a lethal strike from the spiked tail—a tail that shouldn’t exist but was attached to bugling muscled legs that were humanoid in shape and ended in split hooves. Zev shot back a blinding lash of magic. It wrapped around the creature’s muscled legs and tightened. On the other end, Zev set his feet and yanked on the magical tether.
The creature’s mouth opened on a silent roar as it fought for balance. It finally clicked for me that someone, probably Imogen or Bryan—Where the hell is Bryan?—had locked a muting spell in place. On that thought, my brain reengaged. I dashed around Zev, who was struggling in a magical tug-of-war with the creature, intending to get to Imogen out of the line of fire. Taking down a creature like that was outside my skillset.
As I ran, I caught a flicker of magic in the corner of my eye and realized writhing runes and sigils scored the ground. A couple of the markings looked awfully similar to those used in the lab, but under the circumstances, stopping to verify would be a lethally stupid idea. Before Zev lost what little control he had over the monster, I needed to get myself and Imogen clear. I slid to a stop near the shadowed lump in the dirt, ignoring the ache as the rough ground shredded my jeans and skin. I wrapped the two of us in my shield, praying it would hold if the monster decided to turn its attention to us.
Hoping for any signs of life, I ran my shaking hands over Imogen’s still form. A surge of relief hit as her chest rose and fell under my palms, but it was short-lived. There was a violent shift in the air as the creature tore free of Zev’s snare. Keeping one hand on Imogen, I twisted my head in time to see the creature rear back, claws raised, mouth open, fangs down, its lethal focus centered on Zev.
The creature lunged forward. Zev braced, and I didn’t think—I simply reacted. With a half shout, half scream, I raised my other hand toward Zev and shoved my magic out, wrapping it around him, hardening it in desperation. It burst into place as the thick claws scraped across it. This time, the muting spell failed, and an ear-shredding whine of impact joined the horrific roar, ripping through the night. Magical sparks flew under the claws with each strike. My skin lit up with a thousand needles from head to toe, setting off a white starburst of pain. Red welts erupted over my exposed skin, but I dug deep, refusing to buckle under the pressure. The shield shivered but held.
Enraged, the creature grew frenzied, nearly mindless. Each strike reverberated through the psychic link of my magic with an unrelenting savagery. It left me unable to do anything but endure, and I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to manage that. Ice-cold fingers took hold of my wrist, locking tight around it. Then a wave of frigid power hit me, stealing my breath. Instead of fighting it, I embraced it, and on blind instinct, I wove the two magics together, strengthening Zev’s protection.
In the minute respite granted by the unexpected boost, Zev hastily etched a primitive Arcane circle in the dirt with a rock. Then he sank his magic into it, cycling his power until his figure turned into an eye-searing human candle. “Now!”
His command rang through the night and reverberated in my skull until my bones ached with the power behind it. I dropped the shield. Zev sent his magic out. The blue-lit magic took on the amorphous shape of a multiheaded hydra. It wrapped around the maddened creature like a fiery being of myth and squeezed. The flaming reptilian heads struck in unison. The creature bellowed as magic writhed in a violent storm around it. Then with a thunderous clap, Zev’s hydra and the nightmare creature exploded, leaving my vision spotty and the air heavy.
A scream of rage broke through the night, and it came from Bryan, who stood in the spot where the creature had been. But it wasn’t the Bryan I was familiar with. Instead of the charming laid-back man, he was bloodied and crazed, trapped in a blue-tinged mesh of magic like some demonic fish. His clothes were ripped and stained, his hair stood on end, and his face was a twisted, animalistic mask of fury and madness. He struggled against the magical net with single-minded intensity. The minute Zev pushed to his feet and slowly approached, that focus locked onto him.
I could hear Zev’s voice, low and calm, as he tried to connect to Bryan, but something inside me warned that it wouldn’t work. That same something had me scrambling to my feet as it started screaming that Zev wasn’t safe. I half ran, half stumbled toward him. “Zev! Wait!” My voice was a broken croak and didn’t reach him, but my movement caught Bryan’s attention.
He stared at me, and even from where I stood, I could see that the whites of his eyes were bloodred and there was nothing sane behind them, just cold maliciousness. Power crashed against my shield, and at my feet, Imogen whimpered. I grimly kept moving forward and was almost in touching distance of Zev when Bryan struck again, this time throwing a spell toward Zev. My reaction was instantaneous and my magic even faster. Bryan’s magic struck out, and my power caught it, twisted it, and sent it back, all of that happening between one breath and the next. Whatever spell Bryan had thrown hit him full-on. He screamed, his body going rigid, seizing for a few seconds. Then he fell motionless.
In the still night, a gasp sounded from behind me. I stood there in horrified realization, staring at the lifeless body at Zev’s feet. Oh shit. I just killed an Arbiter.
Chapter Twenty
The next couple of hours passed in a blur, and when they came back into focus, I was sitting in a plush waiting room on a private floor in a medical building frequented by Arcane Families.
“Here.” Zev handed me a paper cup filled with water.
Perched on the edge of a small couch, I took it and was surprised to note that, unlike everything else, my hands were rock steady. I sipped and eased the gritty soreness in my throat. “Thanks.” It came out rough.
He settled next to me, his weight sinking the cushions enough that I had to lift the cup so it wouldn’t slosh over the sides. He was so close his thigh brushed mine. “You need to update Sabella.” His voice was low as if he didn’t want to be overheard, but we were the only two in the room.
I blinked. “What?”
He reached out and turned my face toward him, his gaze locking with mine in s
uch a way that I couldn’t escape his seriousness. “Call Sabella.”
The fog that had settled around me began to drift away, leaving behind an unwelcome clarity. Shit was about to hit the fan, and I needed to cover my ass. I should have done that first thing, but in the rush to get Imogen help and keep the mess in the lot on the QT, time had gotten away from me.
I handed him the cup and scrubbed my sore palms over my face, only then realizing they were scraped up. “Sabella, right.” I looked at the door inset with a narrow window and saw the rush of activity outside. “Can you make sure no one comes in?”
He studied me then nodded. “Yeah, but don’t take too long.”
I gave him a nod as he got up, set the cup on one of the small tables, and walked out. He took up a sentry position outside the door. I pulled the scrying stone out from under my T-shirt and gripped it gently. This time, activating the magical connection was as simple as focusing my intent, mainly because self-preservation was a fantastic motivator.
“Sabella, I need you.”
A breathless moment of silence passed, then her voice filled my head. “What’s wrong?”
“Bryan Croft is dead.”
Her psychic stillness raised the hair on my arms. “How?”
Although her one-word question held an intensely deep foreboding that left me shaky, I managed a stoic response. “I killed him.”
A flash of shock erupted and was replaced by a cold curiosity. “Explain.”
I did, ending with, “Bryan’s intent to kill Zev was clear, and my reaction instinctive.” It was the only excuse I could give, mainly because it was the truth.
“And Imogen and Zev witnessed this?”
The addition of Zev in her question pulled me up short. Right, I kind of skipped the part about Zev knowing my secrets during my previous check-in. Dammit.
“Yes,” I answered.
“You’re sure? Because you don’t sound sure.”
I dragged my free hand through my hair, fisted it at the base of my skull, then released it as I carefully navigated the looming pit under my feet.
“Zev is definitely aware. Imogen might have been a bit out of it, but I think it’s safe to assume she has enough pieces to put it together.”
“And where are they now?”
I looked at the door and saw Zev’s broad shoulders and back blocking out most of window. “Zev’s holding everyone at bay for me, and Imogen is being checked out by a Family doctor.”
“I see.” Her psychic presence faded somewhat as if she had mentally left the room.
I waited—not patiently, I might add—for her to return. To combat the need to crawl out of my skin, I began to pace. With each successive pass, my anxiety rose until finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Sabella, they’re going to come for me.”
The familiar sense of age and power returned in a strangely comforting wave. “Calm, Rory.”
I pulled up short. “Yeah, considering I killed the Clarkes’ Arbiter, calm is not an option.”
“First, your actions are justifiable. Second, if Zev’s standing guard, I think it’s safe to assume he’s waiting for more information before reacting. As for Imogen…”
Needing a nervous outlet, I curled my hand in a fist and thumped it rhythmically against my thigh.
“They won’t be releasing Imogen until morning,” she continued. “The most she can do is report what happened to Stephen, and if her recall of events is anywhere close to yours and Zev’s, the Clarkes may be upset, but it was their Arbiter who attempted to kill another Arbiter. As my proxy, you’re fully within your rights to defend the others, even should one of them be the threat.”
I wished I could feel as confident as her on this. “How can you be sure?”
“You’re asking me, of all people, that question, dear?”
Despite the hint of humor in her question, I backpedaled a bit, as I was not keen on pissing her off—I just wanted to make sure I didn’t end up in a cell. “Please, Sabella. I need to know what kind of damage control I need to instigate.”
“I’ve already started it.” Her mental voice turned brisk. “I touched base with critical people to ensure that the situation remains contained and they understand that you belong to me. It will buy us time. Mind you, not much, but enough to see through this investigation.”
“And after the investigation?” I couldn’t help but ask, even as I hated the hint of pleading buried in the question.
Her sigh was almost audible. “We’ll deal with that when it’s time. For now, we must remain focused on your rogue scientist. And, Rory…”
“Yes.”
“Keep your mouth shut, and stay with Zev, no matter what. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” I swallowed hard. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, darling. I have a feeling things are going to get very interesting for us both soon.” With that, she added, “Be careful.”
“I will.”
Then Sabella was gone, leaving me alone in my head. I considered slipping past Zev and getting the hell of out of town but figured the odds of doing that successfully were crap. I tucked the scrying stone back under my T-shirt, went to the door, and pulled it open.
Zev turned, his gaze taking in my face. “You good?”
“For now.”
“Mr. Aslanov,” a male voice called.
I peeked around Zev to see a nurse in muted-color scrubs heading our way, wearing a polite smile and a sharp gaze.
Zev moved enough to give me space to step out, but I didn’t take it. Instead, I stayed behind him as he said, “Yes?”
“Ms. Frost is asking for you and Ms. Costas.” His gaze shifted to me. “Ms. Costas, I assume?”
I nodded.
He stopped a few feet away. “Good. If you’ll both follow me?”
The nurse led us down the hall, past a couple of nondescript doors closed against the curious, and stopped by the one near the end. He took hold of the handle, paused, and warned us in a low voice, “Don’t take too long. She needs rest.” With that, he pushed the door open and waited to the side as we moved into the room.
The lights were low, and a half-drawn curtain blocked the view to the bed beyond. The door closed behind us as Zev pulled aside the curtain and went to the foot of the bed. “Glad to see you’re still alive.”
I came up behind Zev and stood awkwardly by the curtain. Imogen lay half-reclined with a couple of lines, most likely painkillers, running from her arm to the IV stand next to the bed. Under the fluorescent light at the head of the bed, with her dark hair pulled back, her normally pale skin carried a waxy cast and her the unusually light eyes appeared fever bright.
Those eyes landed on me as she moved a bit as if trying to get comfortable. They didn’t waver even when she winced. “I suppose I should say thank you.”
I managed a stiff shrug but said nothing—probably my best bet considering the rabid speculation in her eyes.
“At least now I understand why Sabella chose you.”
Taking Sabella’s warning to heart, I stayed mute. Undaunted, Imogen continued to study me. Maybe she was used to people crumbling under her scrutiny. If so, she was bound for disappointment because self-preservation was a wonderful motivator. Borrowing a trick from Zev’s playbook, I buried my agitation and worry deep behind a disinterested mask.
“You up for telling us what happened?” Zev asked, cutting through our silent standoff.
Her white-lined lips curved slightly, and there was nothing nice about it, but she fortunately turned her attention to Zev. “I’m not exactly sure. Bryan and I spent most of our day retracing what we could of Neil’s tracks, strong-arming people to get the security tapes where we could, and going back through Neil’s house. All of it turned up great gobs of nothing useful, which left us both fairly frustrated.”
“I caught that earlier, when you two checked in before heading to the lab. I figured if you struck out there, we’d be calling it a night.”
She nodded and b
egan plucking at the sheet at her waist. “To be honest, Bryan was pissing me off, and I was looking forward to calling things to a halt.” She grimaced and moved her head in that way people did when they weren’t comfortable with their own actions. “We’d gotten in a couple of arguments, nothing major, but I called him out on his attitude because it was getting old.”
“Was that normal for him?” I asked.
She flicked her gaze to me then shifted it to Zev. “No. Actually, Bryan’s the one you want at your side when things start to slide to shit because he keeps things tight.” She shook her head, and a flurry of emotions fluttered over her face too fast to read. “That should’ve been my first clue something was up.”
“Hindsight’s twenty-twenty. You know that, Imogen,” Zev countered. “So Bryan’s behavior was off, and you two went to the lab.”
“Actually, Bryan’s behavior started changing on the way to Neil’s house. It got worse as the evening wore on, so by the time we hit the lab, our aim was to finish up as soon as we could.”
“What happened at the lab?” Zev asked.
“He snapped.” Imogen’s reticence disappeared as her Arbiter persona took front and center. Her face and voice hardened into a cold professionalism. “We got there, and it looked exactly like how we left it. It wasn’t until I was inside that I realized someone had been there.”
“How?”
“That broken circle—someone had started restoring the runes. They were shaky as if whoever was laying them wasn’t quite sure what they wanted, which meant they would be volatile and unpredictable if set off. I went to warn Bryan, but he stepped on one before I could pull him back. There was a punch of power that knocked me back. I barely got my balance back before Bryan rushed me and had me up against the wall, trying to choke me. Even as I fought him off, I realized it wasn’t him.”
“How?”
“His eyes.” She frowned. “The whites were lined with veins of red, and his pupils were blasted wide until only the black remained.” She shuddered. “As much as that freaked me out, it was clear he was under some kind of thrall.”
