Kiss of Darkness

by Loribelle Hunt

  He glowered at her, a sure unspoken demand to back off. She’d never been good at backing down.

  “Neither one of you would regret it, Dupree. The way you look at her…that’s no passing infatuation.”

  “She deserves something better. And we are not having this conversation.”

  He spun on his heel and left the room. She sighed. At least he hadn’t denied it. She’d discuss it with Winter later, after the attack on the demon lair. Maybe together they could sway him. Before she could give it more thought, hybrid soldiers started to enter the room and though Dupree followed them, she didn’t say a word. Returning to the map and avoiding her gaze, he assigned rooftop positions.

  They’d made a list of most likely entrances based on what they knew of the area, but the hope was demon patrols returning before dawn would lead them to easier ways in. If they couldn’t find them on their own or follow someone in, they might be forced to use axes to create a new entrance. Axes pounding against wood or metal tended to make lots of noise. Most demons were lethargic and unable to fight in the day, but not all. It was too great a risk to take if it could be avoided.

  The last of the earpieces were quickly programmed and she tossed them into a box for Dupree. In moments, he had teams testing them and then moving out. She looked around the room, which was clearing out as the quad left to organize their people. Her laptops were in place. The radios were ready. She was in control of the chaos. Now all there was to do was wait and hope everything went smoothly.

  A few hours later Winter came in to double-check everything before leaving for the mission. It took everything Gia had in her not to cling to her old friend a moment. She knew what had to be done. Knew she might never see her again. But she was careful to conceal her thoughts, careful to not let Winter get any idea of her plans. She wasn’t quite so careful a few minutes later when Luke stopped in.

  “Everything’s ready here?” he asked.

  She looked around at the computers and radio system, and nodded. “Ready as it’s gonna get.”

  “Good. Good.” He nodded. “Gia…”

  “Shh.” She stepped close to him and put a finger over his lips. “Now’s not the time, Luke.”

  It never would be, but she couldn’t tell him that, not when there was that flash of hope in his eyes. He lifted his fingers and stroked her cheek, lowered his face to hers. His lips brushed hers. She pulled away before he could fulfill that promise.

  “Later, darlin’.”

  His eyes were disturbed, but he held her gaze a moment and squeezed her hand before leaving. She followed him into the foyer and watched until he was gone, unwilling to name the painful twisting in her stomach.

  She was still staring after him when she felt an excited surge of energy rush up the hall behind her. Turning she faced Nadia, who’d found an out-of-the-way room to study scrolls when the dining room became command central. She was flushed, her eyes bright.

  “Has everyone gone?” she asked.

  Gia nodded. “Yes.” Which meant she was in charge here. “What’s up?”

  “I found something in the scrolls. You know the, forbidden ones?”

  Gia still couldn’t believe they’d found those scrolls in Ben’s safe. She and Winter had kept their existence to themselves, Dupree and Nadia. She hadn’t had a chance to look through them yet, but the Order had banned them centuries before. They had to contain dangerous information.

  “What did you find?” she asked, motioning Nadia to follow her back into the dining room so she could monitor the radios.

  She sat behind the console and Nadia paced, a look of revulsion crossing her face. “You know how the lab said someone had…eaten parts of the bodies?”

  She nodded, fighting the nausea the report still gave her.

  “Well, one of those scrolls is actually a letter from a Commander to the council. It says they had a rogue eating hybrid organs to steal their powers.”

  Jerking to her feet, Gia rushed to the nearest bathroom, her stomach giving up the fight. She flushed, rinsed her mouth and washed her face before returning.

  “Sorry,” she said when she was back in the dining room.

  “You okay?” Nadia gave her a sympathetic look and Gia squashed her incredulity. Sure. Why not? Discovering Ben might be eating organs, her friend’s organs, in an effort to steal their powers happened every day after all, didn’t it?

  “I’m fine. Go on.”

  Nadia nodded curtly, accepting her word. Well, she was second in command in the region wasn’t she? She found that as hard to believe as Winter did, but everyone around them accepted it like it had always been so.

  “There’s an answering letter from a member of the council that basically says, it’s true, destroy the rogue, and then destroy any letters or documents that mention it. And make sure no one ever, ever discusses it.”

  “But he didn’t, did he? He hid the letters and somehow Ben got them.”

  “That’s my guess. I could check the council archives maybe, but then they’d know that we know, and…”

  She didn’t have to go on. Gia knew exactly what she was thinking, felt the same anger and frustration she saw light Nadia’s eyes. It was dangerous information, yes. But if they’d known earlier they might have been able to prevent a few deaths. Even now, she wasn’t willing to make the information widespread. There was always a risk a hybrid would go rogue and once they did they’d know a way to increase their powers. She shuddered. It was too horrible to contemplate.

  Of course, it could be false information. The beginning years of the Order were dark, clouded in mystery and superstition. “Bring me the scrolls,” she ordered Nadia.

  When she returned with them, Gia locked them in the small portable safe that had been brought from her office. She and Winter were the only ones with the combination.

  “This stays between us and Winter and Dupree.”

  Nadia nodded her understanding. “Are you going to warn her now?”

  Gia pressed her lips together and considered it. Not only was it shocking news, but distracting. No one needed that going into a battle. Finally, she shook her head. “You can brief her when she gets back.”

  Nadia’s eyes flashed in understanding. Somehow the other woman knew Gia had no intention of being around when everyone returned. She didn’t bring it up though. “I’ll get back to work then. I still need to find info on the warlords.”

  Gia gave her a distracted nod as the radio came to life and she bent to focus on it.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Winter stood in the alley surrounded by lupines. It was time. To her surprise, Marcus had insisted she go in with Mitchell’s team. The two of them seemed to have reached some kind of agreement regarding her. It made her nervous, suspicious. What was the nightwalker up to this time? Surely, he didn’t think to keep her out of the fighting. Mitchell knew better than to even try.

  Mitchell hissed to get her attention and she focused on the mission, edging up the side of one building to join him. The surveillance teams had been able to locate six entrances. They’d split the four entry teams originally planned into six smaller teams to take advantage of all of them. Winter was certain there were more, but there was no time to search them out or worry about them.

  It was almost noon. She glanced at her watch. Two minutes. She nodded at Mitchell and he cautiously eased open the fire door on the building at the back of the alley. It swung open without a squeak, odd in a building that had been abandoned for years and condemned. Definitely the right place.

  It was easy to find the stairs to the basement. In a dim corner, they found a metal grate. Once opened it revealed a ladder that she could only assume led into the sewer system. The stink was horrendous, a mix of decaying waste and sulfur, and her eyes watered. Ignoring the urge to gag, she climbed down and pushed forward through knee-deep water, refusing to consider what it might be concealing, and followed a path lit by dim uncovered light bulbs and cleared of cobwebs and debris.

  She’d
memorized the map before coming down and thought the corridor they were in led straight into what they believed was the old town square. She motioned to Mitchell to slow down. This was too easy. There should be traps, some kind of warning system, maybe even guards. She had a rifle slung across her back, but didn’t bother with it. Drawing her knives instead, she moved in front of the lupine, letting her demon half rise to the surface and reach out with its senses. It went on alert—tense and watchful and expectant.

  After a few feet the tunnel curved sharply and when she rounded it, she saw the end, glowing yellow and orange as if lit by fire, which it probably was. She doubted there was much working electricity down here. The tunnel lights seemed to be wired from the surface. As she moved closer, she heard sounds, low rumbles, clanking. Signs of life she hadn’t expected at this time of day. Then a horn sounded. Loud and long, followed by a battle cry. Mitchell stepped up next to her and they began to run as the sounds of fighting, metal striking metal, cries of men and demons, came to them.

  The tunnel seemed impossibly long. One hundred feet. Fifty. When she crossed the threshold, she couldn’t credit what she was seeing. It exited on to the old town square, huge and flat. She didn’t dare look up to see what kept Camden from crashing down on top of them. There was no time for fear or awe as a wicked battle-ax was swung at her.

  She ducked just in time, swinging her right arm up as she rolled and hitting the demon square through the heart. There was no time to rejoice, no time to take a breath of relief. More came. And came. And came. She couldn’t believe her eyes, wondering if she was somehow being tricked into seeing larger numbers than were actually there. But the sounds of men screaming, men dying…this was no show. It was too good to be an illusion. Her demon side was drunk on the smell of so much blood, her vision cast with a haze of red and she knew her eyes had changed during the fighting.

  How the hell was this possible? There shouldn’t be so many who could fight the day lethargy. Was the warlord that strong? Dominant enough to control so many powerful demons? Or worse. Had they somehow found a way to circumvent the lethargy caused by the earth’s sun? She fought with renewed vigor, making her way through the center of the square, barely avoiding the thrust of another demon’s blade.

  She turned her head to speak to Mitchell, but he was gone, lost somewhere in the melee. Her gaze searching, her arms still driving out in defense, her eyes fell on someone else. Someone she’d been desperate to find, but who shouldn’t be here. Benjamin met her gaze, his eyes gone all red, a rictus of a grin on his face that made her skin crawl and her blood boil. Turning his back to her, he slipped into an alley. She kept her eyes glued to his back as she shoved through the crowd after him.

  Ben’s death was her burden to bear. And her right. A lot of hybrids had been killed because of and by this one. As Commander, it was her duty, her obligation to avenge those deaths, to ensure others wouldn’t pay the same price for his betrayal and her delay in hunting him down. How many of those deaths were on her head?

  If it were any other rogue, she’d be anticipating the fight, sad that one of her own had turned to total evil, but still eager, more than willing to dispatch the threat. But this wasn’t any other rogue. This was Ben. Her trainer and mentor. Her friend.

  She gritted her teeth as she was forced to lunge out of the way of a sweeping blade and then countered with no finesse, but all her strength behind it. The demon fell and she pushed forward, just a few feet from the alley now.

  Lifting one hand, she pushed the tiny button on the earpiece and spoke into the mike that curved along her jaw.

  “Dupree.” She paused a moment. Gia had the system programmed so that if she spoke one of the lieutenants’ names first, the conversation would go out on a private channel. Gia would be monitoring of course, but she needed this info too. “Ben just ducked into an alley. I’m going after him. You’re in charge out here.”

  “Fuck. Don’t even think about going after him alone, Winter.” It was Gia’s voice in her ear. Marcus in her head wasn’t any better.

  “Wait for me, Winter,” Dupree answered. She tuned him out. She tuned them all out.

  The sounds of fighting behind her intensified as she entered the alley. It was only a few feet long and at the end was an open door glowing with light. She slowed. Getting close to one wall she crept down it until she could peek inside.

  There was no sign of Ben, but inside a hulking demon spun in circles, raging. Blood dripped down the side of its mottled red face and its chest heaved. Horns, huge and spiked, curved from the top of his head. He radiated strength and power. His body was thickly muscled, his eyes glowing red and with too much thought to be an ordinary demon.

  Marcus was a steady presence in her mind and she shared her suspicions with him. This must be the warlord.

  Get out of there, Winter.

  She had to agree. It would be suicide to take on a warlord by herself. She started to back up slowly, but it was too late. The demon had already spotted her. Lifting its snout, he sniffed the air a second before his gaze fell on her retreating form. He roared his challenge and charged. She reached for her rifle, the fact it was missing somewhere in the fight registering way too late. Shit.

  She waited until he was within arm’s length then dived to the opposite wall, making herself into as small a ball, as small a target, as she could. His momentum slammed him up against the wall, shaking flakes of plaster free to float like snow in the air. Screaming his fury, he whirled back around. There was nowhere to go. She felt Marcus’s horror, his cry for her to move damn it, but where to? Then the damnedest, and luckiest, thing happened.

  Someone stabbed the demon from behind, the edge of a long blade missing its mark and coming through the demon’s side at the waist. It wouldn’t do much damage, and seemed to have only enraged it more. Without turning to face the attacker, he lashed out. There were two thuds. The first the impact of the demon’s fist hitting his attacker and the second the man being flung against the wall. Suddenly, she could see him. When had Ben learned the trick of invisibility?

  No time for that now, Winter.

  Marcus was right. She’d worry about it later. For now, she had to get out. The way out of the alley was blocked so while the demon’s attention was focused on Ben, she carefully backed up into the room hoping there was an exit in there. If nothing else maybe she could close the door and call for reinforcements.

  He didn’t follow her, but there was no exit. As quietly as she could she explored the room. It was small, around twelve-by-twelve feet, and set up as an office with a large desk and three chairs. No closets. No other doors. No place to hide.

  She smelled him before she heard his approach. Turning slowly, she faced him, frantically trying to figure a way out. He blocked the doorway, his grin slow to come and pure malice.

  “Finally. The one I’ve been looking for.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. Impossible. “Why would you be looking for me?”

  He snarled and stepped into the room. Ben was nowhere to be seen. “Half breeds. Soul stealers.”

  She shrugged, not sure what he was talking about but not about to admit it. Careful, Marcus admonished her. He didn’t have to share what he was thinking with her. It was stupid, foolhardy to bait a demon. Well, she’d never been known for her cautious nature.

  “We do what we must.” She smiled, letting the feral nature of her demon show through. “To fight you.”

  “You steal souls from the Abyss. Take what should be mine.”

  Again she shrugged. She should have known better than to try to converse with a demon. Warlords didn’t make any more sense than the rest of them. It could be important though. She’d discuss it with Nadia later. Right now she had to focus on getting out alive. But she couldn’t fight him, not yet. Not alone. “That doesn’t tell me why you’re looking for me.”

  His expression was almost disdainful. “Half breeds are stupid. You don’t even know what you have.”

  She had a demon soul that w
as getting more enraged by the moment, wanting to attack, and not understanding why she didn’t. She was shaking with the effort to control it. Finally, she heard footsteps in the alley, knew it was Dupree coming to her aid.

  She repositioned her knives in her hands, shifted on the balls of her feet in preparation. The only way to do this would be fast and hard, from the front and behind. She tried to tell Dupree her plan, but he wasn’t much of a telepath and she wasn’t sure if he got the message.

  Marcus did though and fumed, but didn’t rant at her. She knew he didn’t approve of this move, but he was too worried about blowing her concentration to say so. She even agreed. It was just the kind of crazy stunt she would pull.

  “What do I have then?”

  He knew she was going to attack, spoke at the same time that he moved. “Not just a warrior’s soul,” he grunted.

  She rolled out of the way in time, but not before taking a long slice with his blade. It only took a moment to feel the poison. She screamed her fury in her mind and waited for the effects. She didn’t even consider teleporting away. This might be her only shot at killing this demon. If her backup would hurry the hell up. He watched her expectantly. Nothing happened, but instead of pissing him off more it seemed to please him.

  Her gaze flickered away a moment. Dupree staggered into the doorway, a gash bleeding from his forehead. He wasn’t quick enough when the demon whirled around and struck. His body slammed against the wall with a sickening crack she recognized as breaking bone. He slumped to the ground and the warlord’s tail swished, leaving a long gash down the front of Dupree’s chest. He didn’t move. She hoped desperately to see his chest rise, didn’t get any response when she shoved her mind at his.

  There was nothing left in her but rage and guilt and the burning need for retribution. She got close enough to stab the demon in the back, but not near enough his heart to slow him down. She barely lunged out of the way when he turned to attack her. They circled each other—he toying with her while she tried to buy more time. The others would come. If they could. Outside the doorway Dupree still didn’t move. She refused to accept that he was gone. He couldn’t be gone.