Julian sensed a third body several feet away. This one was different and he held back a snarl as its demon scent slowly drifted toward them. The large man was tapping his foot, moving his neck to the rhythm, totally digging the music.
Declan cleared his throat and smiled as the demon turned toward them. Its eyes were blood red and glowed eerily in the dark.
“Damn, you need to invest in some shades, boy, your freaky laser eyes are fucking ugly.”
The demon snarled at Declan and immediately began making a series of clicking noises from deep in his throat. Julian clenched his hands together. He knew the demon was calling on his true form, and it wouldn’t take long for it to transform.
He’d been itching to hit something for a while now. He might as well start with a nasty-ass demon from hell.
He took a step forward. Declan held a hand out, and he stopped. “This one’s mine,” he whispered. The air shimmered around him as Declan slowly walked toward the demon.
A loud hiss escaped from between its teeth, followed by a moan that was abruptly cut short as Declan came to within an inch of it. He twisted his hand in a gentle arc, yet the dark energy that flowed from him to the demon was anything but. It was a harsh, grinding burst of power, and the demon sank to his knees as it fought for air.
Julian stood back, watched closely, and though he might be mistaken, it looked as if energy was flowing both ways. As if Declan was feeding on the filth that lived inside the demon.
Several long moments passed, the demon’s eyes dimming as it eventually lost the battle. Declan grunted from the effort it took but held firm and relaxed as the demon fell to the floor.
Julian was surprised. He held the dagger loosely at his side and stared down at the corpse. It had been much too easy for Declan to destroy the demon.
The sorcerer ran his hands across the back of his neck and loosened his shoulders. A long, shuddering breath fell from between his lips. When he turned to Julian, the smile that hung there seemed out of place.
No matter. He knew they were both riding way too close to the edge, and the crevice that separated them from the filth of the underworld was getting smaller as time marched on.
“Let’s go.” The urgency to get to the fallen sat heavy in his chest. He wanted it to be done.
“My father is here somewhere. I can feel him, which means if he doesn’t already know I’ve returned from the dead”—Declan nodded toward the crumpled form at his feet—“he will now.” Declan’s eyes narrowed. “He’ll be coming after me full on. Do not touch him, he’s mine.”
Julian snorted. He didn’t give a rat’s ass who snuffed the life out of Cormac O’Hara. His business was with Azaiel.
With stealth, they carefully picked their way across the back staging area, noiselessly moving amongst the massive snakes of electrical cables and cases of equipment. There were several staff, some human, some otherworld. None paid them any mind.
It was not what he expected, and he was beginning to suspect it wasn’t so much the cloaking charm that covered his body, but the music. The hypnotic pull was unnatural.
They found themselves in a long corridor that ran perpendicular to the stage. It headed in the direction Jaden had gone, and, for a second, Julian hesitated. Had she made it past the guards with no problems?
“There it is.” Declan pointed toward a nondescript door that was tucked in amongst a pile of boxes and large road cases. It looked easy enough.
He pushed Jaden from his mind. She was a warrior, after all, and could look after herself.
As they approached the door, he felt a change in the air. It was heavy, full of the weight of darkness, and he narrowed his eyes, noticing for the first time the film of gray that slithered slowly around the frame.
“I’ll need a few minutes,” Declan whispered, his face intense as he studied the magick that surrounded the door.
Julian stepped back and watched the sorcerer work. Declan had become an extremely powerful mage over the last few years. His time in hell had increased his strength exponentially.
He was packing some seriously dark mojo and had no qualms about using it.
The energy that flew from his fingers was quick, precise as he drew his own personal charms into the air. It was amazing really, what the man could accomplish.
It didn’t take him long.
“Ready?” Declan asked, not bothering to wait for an answer. He disappeared through the door, and Jaxon quickly followed suit.
The door swung shut automatically, the locking device clicking into place and leaving the two of them surrounded by total darkness.
Julian was immediately assaulted by the taint of evil, of demon and otherworld. It slithered across his skin like a lover’s caress. He should find it repulsive, but he didn’t. He liked it. In fact, he liked it . . . a lot.
A feral smile touched his face, changing the handsome features to menacing as he followed Declan into the bowels of Black Magick.
Chapter 27
Jaden felt like she could eat the darkness. It was that thick.
Her crew had managed to gain entrance to the lower level, not without a few casualties, but luckily they’d all been team Cormac.
Quickly, her eyes adjusted to the gloom. They’d taken a service elevator down and had just spilled out of it into a large, cavernous space. The cold hit her immediately. It was biting, harsh. The air that rushed into her lungs seemed thick and made it hard to breathe.
Down here everything was wrong. Up seemed like down, the air was rank with confusion and pain. She stilled her fast-beating heart, or at least tried to.
“This place is haunted. Things are not right,” Ana whispered.
The magick that slithered across Jaden’s skin was cold, like the underbelly of a snake, and she shivered from the weight of it. The bad feeling she’d been carrying for several hours pressed into her gut, hard. Damn, but she wanted to be wrong.
Ethan was pissed.
“Where the fuck did Castille and O’Hara get to?” he asked her pointedly.
She felt Ana’s interest—though the vampire tried to hide it—as Nico slid into view. His face was blank, his eyes flat and cold. She hated the way he looked at her. Like she’d betrayed him.
Finn’s gaze was hard, but he remained silent, a muscle working its way across his cheek.
Where were they? If anything, she thought they’d fight like hell to get down here before anyone else. Her belly rolled over. None of this made any sense.
“They’re as committed as we are, if not more so,” she answered roughly, though the doubt weasels were burrowing in fast and hard.
“What the hell does that mean?” Ethan asked shrewdly. His face was tight, his eyes cold. She saw the controlled anger that burned beneath the surface, and an answering flush built inside of her. Who the hell was he to question Julian’s integrity?
She looked at him boldly. “It means we don’t have time to debate their whereabouts. They’re good, so let’s move on.”
“I don’t trust either one of them,” Nico said harshly.
Crane’s grimace spoke volumes. “And you’re telling me this now?”
The warrior remained silent, obviously tense.
“What the hell kind of outfit you running?” Crane said, his dark gaze trained on Jaden. “I have no idea how your unit’s success rate is so high. You’ve got too many people involved with each other, and when that happens, mistakes occur,” he snarled. “Lives are lost.”
“Get over it, Crane.” Jaden’s eyes flashed. “When you care about people, really care about them, you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Julian would never do anything to jeopardize the recovery of the portal.” She tried to control her emotions but was finding it increasingly hard. “So I suggest we move on and find the damned thing.”
Crane was silent, his mouth pursed into a tight line. “We split up,” he said abruptly. “The space down here is massive, and I’m sure you’ve all noticed that O’Hara has some serious sh
it going on. The wards are like none I’ve ever seen.” He looked at all of them. “Mind-warping shit, so be on guard. Not everything will be as it seems. Jaxon and the others are coming down from the west end. We need to do a grid search and cover every inch of this place.”
“Our com units have been activated. I don’t know how well they’ll work down here, but let’s stay in touch.” Finn nodded to them, his voice quiet, controlled as always. “Understood?”
Jaden felt the small device nestled in her ear and shook her head. A shadow passed behind Crane, a deviation in the light, and she was instantly on guard. This place gave her the creeps. She just wanted out. She slid the charmed dagger from its sheath against her thigh and squared her shoulders.
Time to dance with the devil.
“Let’s do this.”
“You, Ana, and Nico take the left side and we’ll”—Crane nodded to Finn—“cover the right. Our objective is Azaiel, there is nothing else. Once we have him, we can worry about Cormac.” His face was shrouded in shadow, casting a macabre expression over his features. Ethan Crane was one hell of a dangerous man, and she knew he’d stop at nothing to reach their objective.
At the moment, it was the only thing she liked about him.
“Stay safe,” he said harshly, then indicated Finn follow him.
Jaden watched as the inky black swallowed them whole and a shudder passed over her as the shadows started to move, like they were pulsating from within.
“I don’t like this.” Ana’s words were hard to understand. Her fangs were fully distended, and her eyes glowed fiery red. She turned to Jaden and for a second Jaden caught a glimpse of such torment, such pain, that she was stunned. “Where are they?” Ana whispered, as her cool facade slowly slid back into place.
Jaden knew they really meant Declan. “They’re here somewhere, Ana, and the sooner we get to Azaiel, the sooner we’ll find them.” She nodded to Nico. “Let’s go.”
She cleared her mind of all thoughts save, one—Azaiel—and they moved toward the far left. Within moments, Jaden cursed silently and tossed her heels, though the cold, wet concrete at her feet was uncomfortable. Ana did the same, and, for a second, she felt laughter bubble up inside her.
She looked like a damn cocktail waitress, nothing like a trained operative and certainly not like a jaguar warrior. No matter, it could only work to their advantage.
Nico tossed her a modified Glock, and she looked at him in surprise. “How the hell did you manage to sneak this in past security?”
“Declan.” His one-word answer was terse as he tossed one to Ana. “They’re charmed, though since we don’t know how well they’ll work against demons, best to use your dagger and cut them down.” He gave what passed as a smile. “Shifters and magicks, however, are gonna feel the burn.”
“Where are they?” Ana asked, clearly puzzled. “O’Hara’s security? I thought for sure we’d be in the middle of a bloodbath as soon as we gained entrance.”
Jaden peered into the darkness and shivered as her body reacted to the cold. A dark and malevolent presence was felt, and her jaguar shifted beneath her skin as unease slid over her.
“I think he’s got it covered. We just can’t see it yet,” Jaden whispered. She turned to Nico. “Check out those storage rooms over there; Ana and I will do a sweep of the immediate perimeter.” There were rows of shelving units holding large containers.
Nico nodded, opened his mouth as if to say something, then melted into the dark.
“This way.” She nodded to Ana.
The two of them slowly made their way toward the rows of shelving. They were made of steel, looked sturdy, and rose into the air nearly ten feet. They were jam-packed with containers and, if toppled, would surely kill.
She tapped the com in her ear, heard Crane though his voice was cutting out, and tapped it off. The com units were necessary, but most of the time she found them annoying as all hell.
The steady drip of water could be heard, like a sad echo bouncing against the concrete. When did Cormac develop an obsession with water? The hem of her dress was dragging through puddles of it, and, with a curse she extended her long nails and let their razor-sharp ends slice through the fabric until her legs were bare.
“You should do the same, Ana, it’s much easier to maneuver . . .” Jaden’s words fell into nothing as she looked up to empty space. “What the hell?”
Ana was gone.
She whirled around, her hair flying and water spraying out from her feet. There was nothing there. It was as if the shadows had swallowed the vampire. She stilled as her senses expanded, and she scented the air. There were no trace signatures, no scent . . . nothing. It was if she’d never even been there.
Jaden tapped her com unit, and whispered hoarsely, “Ana?” She waited a few seconds and then cautiously moved forward. Again she whispered, “Ana?” There was nothing but static.
She tried again, “Nico.” Again, nothing but silence.
Jaden gritted her teeth together and exhaled slowly as she focused all her senses and tried to read past the never-ending darkness. Something slithered across the floor, near her feet, and she jumped to the side, her arm arcing forward with the dagger held ready, and the Glock aimed as well.
The beady eyes of a rat stared up at her, and she resisted the urge to kick the bloody thing, hissing, instead, as her jaguar bled through. The rodent froze, as if it knew something dangerous was in sight, and scurried away.
She took a second to center herself and started forward. Something was there, just ahead.
Her eyes narrowed, and adrenaline rushed through her body, feeding her jaguar into a state of excitement. The mission was dangerous, but there was a part of her that craved the danger. It made her feel alive. It made her remember her purpose.
The shadows swirled and parted, the gray becoming mixed with light, and as the energy manifested fully, she was ready.
A loud hiss and clacking noise began in earnest, definitely a demon, and she rushed forward, her arm extended in a deadly arc, and faltered at the last second. It was Julian’s face, his eyes and lips that snarled down at her.
What the hell?
Jaden’s hesitation cost her, and she felt a burn as the demon’s fist knocked into her chest and sent her flying backward. She landed, hard, and pain radiated out as her head connected with the concrete.
Confusion threatened and, for a dazed second, nearly won, but her jaguar roared to life, and a snarl erupted from between her teeth as she rolled to the side and pushed herself up.
Jaden held the dagger loose in her grip, welcoming the burn beneath her flesh as her jaguar made noise. The power of her animal was exhilarating, and she smiled at the demon as it hissed down at her.
It no longer looked like Julian, and she knew it had been the dark magick at work. She’d not make that mistake again.
The demon was in its true form, standing nearly seven feet high. Thick scales covered its flesh, and they glowed with a luminescence that was beautiful. A total contrast to the nasty evil that lived within.
Its eyes burned fire, and, as it snarled, the teeth dripped poisonous saliva. She remembered the pain of a demon’s bite as she stared up at the thing. There was no way she was letting it get close enough to break skin.
She began to make quick calculations as it smiled and rotated its head, the clicking of its teeth still riding the air. She needed to get close enough to it to cut its head from its body without letting it take a bite out of her. In the confined space, she knew it would be difficult.
“You should run, little kitten, make the game that much more enjoyable.” The demon’s voice was multilayered and fell from its mouth in waves. It took a step toward her and swiped its long arm. She jumped back and gritted her teeth as it began to laugh. “I’m hungry, and it’s been too long since I’ve had fresh meat.”
The fucker was playing with her like she was a goddamn mouse.
Jaden gripped the Glock tightly in her other hand and arched an eyebrow as
she looked up at it. At that point, she had nothing to lose.
“Eat this, asshole.”
The demon stopped and opened its mouth to speak, but Jaden aimed and fired the Glock point-blank into its mouth. The force of the hit spun the beast around, and its entire head glowed green as dark liquid spewed from every orifice.
She jumped back as the demon toppled, and the poison arced outward. An awful keening sounded from deep within its chest, and, as it fell forward, she jumped through the air, her arm going wide, and she separated its head from its neck easily.
Jaden landed on the other side and turned back to the demon’s body. It was twitching, a small burst of energy that slowly died to nothing. She looked down at the Glock and smiled.
Declan’s charm worked on demons. Good to know.
She didn’t bother looking back, kept moving forward as the dark shadows continued to swirl. She reached the end of the row and turned up the next, her gaze studying everything, her ears listening for any sound.
“Julian?” She tried her com again, but the static was too loud, and she switched it off. Whatever weird mojo was going on made the device pretty much useless. She was on her own.
The silence was heavy, weighing on her. Her heart beat against her chest, and the adrenaline that rushed through her body made every nerve ending sizzle with power.
She carefully made her way down the long row and stopped when a noise crept through the silence. At first she didn’t know what it was, it was soft, feminine. It took a few seconds, then she realized it was the sound of a woman weeping.
Sweat rolled down the back of Jaden’s neck. Her body was heated, and mist rose from her skin to halo her frame. She exhaled softly and moved forward, her dagger at the ready and the Glock held firmly in her right hand.
She rounded the corner cautiously, at first seeing nothing but mist and shadow, then it all fell away.
And she felt her heart break at the sight before her. She knew it was wrong, impossible, but the hope that sprang from her gut was nearly crushing.
Her mother knelt amongst the filth and wet of the floor, her body twisted as if in pain. She was sobbing quietly, her gentle profile so familiar.
His Darkest Salvation Page 27
