by Мишель Роуэн
“First and last, hopefully.”
“Why? You don’t like it here?”
She shrugged. “It’s the Underworld.”
“And that makes it a bad thing?”
“Not a bad thing. Just not something I need to repeat.” She glanced nervously around the bar.
Okay, enough small talk. “We’re looking for another demon. His name’s Julian. Blond hair, high cheekbones, hot in a completely despicable and evil way? I’m told he comes in here a lot.”
Bud handed her another shot. “I know who you mean.”
She looked at the shot glass of moonshine, then drank it down and wheezed again. “Smooth.”
Bud smiled, showing chipped teeth—or maybe they were just naturally sharp and pointy like that. “So you’re looking for Julian, eh? Did he do you wrong?”
“You could say that.”
“He’s got his eyes on the prize, that one. Some demons are slackers”—he glanced over at
Nathaniel who was still having his pity party in the corner—“and self-pitying fools. Julian knows he needs to look out for himself.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He was in here earlier for a drink to celebrate something. Happier than I’d ever seen him before.”
“Did he happen to say why he was so happy?”
Bud shrugged. “Don’t know exactly. But he was bragging that he has a meeting with Vaille before the big party at the mansion tomorrow.”
“Vaille? Who’s that?”
He raised a thick, gray eyebrow. “Mayor Vaille, of course. Sugar, where are you from?”
“Niagara Falls.”
He frowned. “You’re not from around here?”
“Nope.”
“So . . . that wouldn’t happen to mean that you’re human, would it?”
She paused. “Technically, yes. At least for the moment.”
“Damn.” He glanced down at her two empty shot glasses.
Val looked at Bud—there were now two of him staring at her with concern. The two Buds would come together and then pull apart. Kind of like a kaleidoscope. It was sort of cool. She tilted her head. “There’s two of you, did you know that?”
“I didn’t know you were human,” Bud said.
Nathaniel approached them again.
She pointed at him. “Oooh, pretty colors.”
“What did you do to her?”
“I gave her a couple of shots of moonshine, is all.”
“Moonshine,” she repeated. “Homemade whiskey. Like on Dukes of Hazzard. Ride ’em, cowboy. Yee-haw!”
“No, it’s actual moonshine. Doesn’t react well with humans. In fact, I’m surprised you’re still standing.”
“Whaddyamean?”
Bud frowned. “What did you say?”
She grabbed his shoulder. “Whassgoingon?”
Nathaniel sighed. “What will to happen to her?”
Bud shrugged. “If she lives through the first five minutes it wears off fairly quickly after that, I think.” He frowned. “Last human who did two shots actually blew up. So, perhaps you should clear out. I just had the place professionally steam cleaned.”
Blew up? She didn’t like the sound of that. Although the picture in her mind made her laugh a little. Then she hiccupped and covered her mouth. “’Scuse me.”
Val didn’t drink much. Becky took her out last week for a few daiquiris. Becky had downed six—claiming stress from working for Seraphina as the reason behind her need for booze—
and Val had one. She felt kind of dizzy after it. She’d stopped at one since she didn’t like the way it made her feel.
Today was the revenge of the strawberry daiquiri.
Nathaniel rolled his eyes while he watched her sway back and forth. “Maybe this would be a good opportunity for us to break our little spell, Valerie.”
“No!” She raised a numb finger and inspected it for a moment until she realized she had something else to say. “You, demon hottie, I command that you look after me and ensure I come to no harm. Nonewhassoever. No harm.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Demon hottie?”
“She’s drunk!” Reggie announced.
“Ten points to rat-boy”—Val jabbed her interesting finger in his direction—“rat-boy wins.
Woo!”
“Asshole.” Nathaniel glared at Bud. “What were you thinking?”
Bud took a step toward Nathaniel so they were chest to chest again. Val watched Bud’s wings bounce gently with his movement. Pretty. “I want you out of here. Now.”
Nathaniel threw the first punch, which Bud easily ducked, quickly coming around to pin the demon’s arm behind his back. “You’re just damn lucky Mayor Vaille has that Belligerent
Magic Decree in effect,” Bud growled, “or I’d wipe the floor with your ass right now.”
In his current position Nathaniel stared at the floor. “It could use it. This place is a hole.”
Bud released him. “Get out of here.”
He glanced over at the window. “But it looks like the start of an unscheduled dark-time outside. We can’t leave yet.”
“Tough shit, demon.”
Val clutched the bar to keep on her feet. “I think I’m gonna hurl.”
“Now you’re definitely leaving,” Bud said. “Or else.”
Bud’s friends stood up from their tables to back their buddy. Nathaniel eyed them for a moment. “Fine. We’ll go.”
“Dark-time,” Val repeated. “Snuggle bunny needs to tuck me in. Where’re my jammies?”
“Come on, Valerie.” He gripped her arm and directed her toward the door.
“It’ll be okay, Val,” Reggie spoke slowly so she’d understand him. “Just don’t pass out on us.
And try real hard not to puke. Or at least give a warning so I can hang on for dear life. We’ll get you some coffee. Are there Starbucks in the Underworld?”
Bud and his friends marched them to the door, opened it, and shoved them outside without another word.
She glanced around. Oh, so this is what he meant about dark-time. Cool.
It was like dusk outside. When they’d entered the bar the sun was high in the sky. Val glanced drunkenly at Nathaniel. He looked around with an expression she’d never seen on his face before. It looked like he was nervous.
“Bud says Julian’s seeing the mayor tomorrow,” she slurred. “Mayor McCheese, or something weird like that. There’s going to be a party. I like parties. I think I like parties. I’m kinda hungry. Want some Jell-O. Maybe another drink. Maybe some pretzels, too.”
“Great,” Nathaniel said. “Let’s get to shelter and we’ll talk about it. And let’s move quickly, okay?”
Her eyes felt weird. No, it wasn’t her eyes. It was getting darker out. Steadily and rapidly darker.
“What’s happening?” Reggie asked. “Is this normal?”
Nathaniel glanced around the empty street. “Unfortunately for us, yes.”
When the last bit of light disappeared and the street lamps flickered on, Val heard the sound.
A distant high-pitched squawking that raised the hair on the back of her neck.
“Whasssaaat?” she asked, clinging to Nathaniel’s tense arm.
“Nightflyers. We need to find shelter immediately.”
Reggie dug his claws into her shoulder. “Nightflyers? Are those, like, hawks? Birds of prey that like to eat rats?”
Nathaniel pulled Val along after him as the squawking and flapping got closer. “Worse.”
“Why’s it so dark?” she asked. She’d never heard of Nightflyers before. She couldn’t get too excited about them yet. Also she was too drunk to care much beyond the feel of Nathaniel’s muscular arm.
Very nice.
“Dark-time happens often in the Underworld,” Nathaniel explained. “More often that night in the earthly realm. There are planned dark-times and some are unexpected. Like this one.
Those faeries should have let us stay there until it passed. Bastards.”
>
“Biker faeries,” Val added, drunkenly. “With pretty wings.”
“Come Valerie, there’s no time to talk—”
Suddenly a dark shadow swooped over them and Val felt the whoosh of wind and the light touch of a rubbery wing against her bare arm.
“What do they want?” she asked shakily. This was real. And it was bad.
Nathaniel pulled her along with him so quickly that she was afraid she’d trip and fall since her legs already felt shaky and numb. He tried a door to what looked like a convenience store but it was locked.
“Nightflyers only come out during dark-time, they can’t exist in the light. They come out into the open like this for one reason and one reason only.”
“What?”
“To feed.”
She didn’t have to ask what they ate. They weren’t running along the street because the
Nightflyers had a potato chip craving.
“Can’t you do something demony?”
“What does that mean?”
“Laser beams from your eyes,” Reggie suggested in a quavering voice. “Or destroy them with a fiery thought.”
Nathaniel glanced back at them. “You’ve both been watching way too much television.”
“But earlier today I saw Julian vanquish Alexa. Barely broke a sweat turning her into a pile of ashes.”
He turned again to frown at her. “Are you serious? Alexa? Just what is this key he stole?”
“That doesn’t matter right now. Can’t you do something like that? Vanquish these Nightflyer things?”
“No. I have certain abilities in the earthly realm. Powers to heal, like what I did to your ankle”—their eyes met for a brief moment—“or to destroy, like what you say Julian did.” He paused to bat at a Nightflyer swarming about his head. The creatures must have claws because she saw a streak of red appear on Nathaniel’s cheek. Demons bleed red? Or did that have something to do with him being human before he became a demon? His grip on her hand tightened. “But the Underworld is an official neutral zone. There is barely any magic used aside from the odd glamour. And no destructive magic at all can originate here.” Which, at the moment, is a very bad thing.”
“Can’t you open a portal? Just so we can escape and come back later?”
He shook his head. “No time. It takes way too much concentration.”
“Then we’re in huge trouble, aren’t we?”
Val heard Reggie’s teeth chattering but he had nothing to add. Wasn’t really the time for chitchat, anyhow, she thought. Maybe screaming, or crying. But not chitchat.
Nathaniel stopped running and she came to a halt, too. She looked around. Four Nightflyers had landed and surrounded them.
He stared fiercely at the creatures and pulled Val against him. “I’ll protect you. Just stay close to me.”
She blinked at him. “You’ll protect me? Why would you do that for me?”
He turned and met her gaze for an intense moment, then looked away. “Not exactly my choice. In the faery bar you commanded me to protect you, remember?”
She did remember that. His lack of interest in her safety above and beyond the bond she’d invoked by summoning him was oddly disappointing. But she could have sworn she saw something else in his eyes—was it concern? Fear? She couldn’t tell for sure. But if it was going to keep her and Reggie alive, she’d take it. She moved closer to him, holding tight to his hard, muscled arm. They turned slowly in a circle to make sure none of the Nightflyers could creep up on them.
Val felt something wet trickle onto her shoulder.
“Oops,” Reggie said. “Sorry.”
She shuddered. “Please tell me you didn’t just pee on me.”
“I’m really scared, okay? You were right. I should have stayed behind with Claire. No wait, scratch that. I shouldn’t have kissed the blackjack dealer. That’s where all my trouble began.”
“Talk to them,” Val said to Nathaniel. She still felt a bit drunk, but it wasn’t as bad as it was before. She hoped so, anyhow. She needed her wits about her as quickly as possible. “You’re from around here. Reason with them. There’s got to be a way.”
He shook his head, not taking his gaze from the leathery creatures. “They don’t communicate like we do. Not anymore. You can’t reason with them.”
“Why are they just”—she looked at them—“staring at us?”
“They’re waiting for us to run again. We’re prey to them. If we don’t move, their sensors won’t trigger them to attack.”
It felt as if Reggie was mopping at her shoulder with his paw. “So we should just stand here.
All quiet and still-like. And when the sun comes up again they’ll leave?”
“Excellent plan if this was a quick dark-time.” Nathaniel looked at the sky. “But it looks as if this might be an extended one. The Nightflyers have a keen sense of smell, too.”
Reggie sighed. “Then I’m even sorrier about my little ‘accident.’”
“You and me both. So what do we do now, Nathaniel?” Val shivered. It was cold out. No sun equaled an immediate chill and her sweater and jacket were long gone.
Nathaniel eyed her for a moment, then peeled off his leather coat and draped it over her shoulders. Reggie crawled out on top of it and glared with annoyance at the demon. Val just looked at him with surprise at the unexpectedly kind gesture.
“You do nothing but keep yourself safe. Whatever it takes. I’ll have to fight them.”
“Four of them? Against you?”
He turned and smiled at her, raising an eyebrow. “Are you concerned for my safety?”
She dug her fingers into his arm. “Yes.”
His eyebrow rose higher.
“I’m concerned because if you get yourself eaten, then we’re next on the menu.”
His smile remained. “Then, my beautifully annoying angel, I suggest while I’m keeping them busy, you and your rodent escape.”
He grabbed Val and kissed her fully and deeply on the lips, then let her go. “Wish me luck.”
Before she could say another word he rushed one of the monsters.
Chapter Twelve
The Nightflyers encircled Nathaniel and he began fighting against them. He was tall and strong and a good fighter, but there were four of them—large, hulking, black-winged, hungry monsters—against only one of him. He would lose. It was obvious.
“I think he said something about running?” Reggie’s voice trembled and she felt his sharp nails dig into her shoulder.
Val nodded but couldn’t tear her gaze away from Nathaniel. He kicked one Nightflyer in its black stomach and it went down. The claws of another tore through his shirt. Every time he got a good punch or kick in against one, the other three would rally and attack again.
They were going to destroy him.
“Uh, that running thing?” Reggie said again. “Now would be a good time for that.”
Val looked around for something she could use to help Nathaniel, but there was nothing. The street was dark and empty, the darkness bringing in a chill that even Nathaniel’s coat over her shoulders couldn’t fight.
Nathaniel swatted one of the Nightflyers away and stared at her for a moment. “Are you deaf, woman? I told you to run.”
“I know, it’s just—”
“Just nothing. RUN!”
The darkness of the Nightflyers blocked Nathaniel from her view and she heard a tearing noise and a short scream of pain.
She began to run toward him, but had only taken two steps when a fifth Nightflyer landed right in her path. It was easily eight feet tall and probably weighed three hundred pounds. Its shiny, black leathery wings folded behind it. At first glance it looked almost humanoid, but on second glance . . . there was nothing remotely human about this creature. Its face was flat, as dark as the rest of it, and ugly. Black button eyes stared at her with no emotion behind them.
Nothing but a mild interest in every move, every flinch she made. And the odd sense that it was very, very hungry.
“Shoo,” Val said. “Go away!”
The Nightflyer cocked its thick, hairless head to the side and stared at her. She made a quick move to one side but it mirrored her movement to block her. An icy chill went down her spine. She couldn’t hear Nathaniel anymore. Just the flapping of wings. Her heart unexpectedly ached at the thought of losing Nathaniel.
He was gone.
And she was next.
“Uh, Val . . .” Reggie whimpered. “What now?”
The Nightflyer licked its lips with a dark forked tongue and seemed to smile at her, showing its long sharp teeth, each one like a razor blade. It reached out with its horrible clawed hand and she staggered out of its reach, tripping over the curb behind her and falling to the ground.
She scrambled backward until there was nowhere left to go.
The Nightflyer got closer and closer until it was only a few feet away . . .
. . . And exploded.
Small dry, dusty pieces of it shot out everywhere, including over Val. It felt like dirt, like someone had just thrown a ball of crusty dirt at her.
The other Nightflyers squawked and flapped their wings violently. She heard the sound of a gunshot—loud and shattering in the dark silence. The Nightflyers lifted off the ground and flew away into the sky, leaving Nathaniel’s body behind. Val swallowed hard as she looked at him lying on the pavement to her left. He wasn’t moving.
Then she looked back in front of her. The darkness was so thick it was like ink. Or like the gravy they served at the Downtown Niagara Diner. Thick and dark and slightly lumpy. The main lump was moving through the darkness toward her holding a big gun.
She took in a sharp inhale of breath. It was a creature, quickly approaching her, and it was even more hideous than the Nightflyers. Seven feet tall, one large eye in the middle of its forehead. Sharp claws on its four-fingered hands. Pointed ears. A wide nose and thin lips on a gray, hairless, wrinkled face.
She looked down from its hideous countenance. It wore a T-shirt from Madonna’s Who’s that
Girl? concert tour. And blue jeans.
