Now we find Jamie, Zaria's voice was grim as she folded space while we were still caught in Kell's mist.
* * *
Peru
Laurel
"Oooh, that went perfectly," I clapped to show my appreciation at the images displayed on the large screen in the hacienda's media room. Morgett, whom I'd only seen once before, smiled at my pleasure. He'd arranged the whole thing and it had unfolded flawlessly.
"We have to find Granger," I pouted. He'd taken off running into the desert at the sight of the giant serpents.
"No worries, my dear, he will be located. We will have our vampire back quite soon," Berke soothed.
"Did you see all the blood?" I felt like clapping my hands again. The three they'd sent to meet Morgett's troops hadn't had a chance. It pleased me greatly to watch them die alongside Kory Wilson.
* * *
Lexsi
Farin ended up sitting beside me. Like me, she was concerned about all the blank, intent stares of those about us.
Tibby was in the ring, but serving in the trainer's capacity for Kory, who now had gloves laced and taped onto his hands.
From the other corner, assisted by Lover Boy Landon's crew, stood Geldivik Croth. Had the enemy reached that far—to convince Drith and Croth to ally with them in this endeavor?
I knew the history from the future, and what had happened to Drith and Croth then. In this time, their houses were still strong and thriving.
Had Kory been a part of that—in the future? Had he fought alongside others in the High Demon army, to defeat the alliance between Drith, Croth and Ra'ak?
How did Deris, Daris and Morgett Blackmantle figure into all this? What roles had they yet to play?
I wanted to shiver again, but worried that it would upset Farin more than she already was. The crowd—at least seventy percent of it, was high on drakus seed.
How good would Kory be against Geldivik Croth?
If my mother or grandmother were here, they wouldn't settle for anything less than Geldivik's death—that's how badly his family had betrayed Kifirin and the High Demon race. Geldivik was betraying all, now, in a pact to bring drakus seed to the Alliance and, as the evidence about me was mounting, to Earth as well.
Farin's fingers twisted together as she sat beside me, moving restlessly in her seat as Kory and Geldivik prepared to fight one another.
Did Geldivik know Kory? Did he know Kory's weaknesses when he fought? My heart began thumping in my chest. If they went to Thifilathi (and it could easily go that far quickly), they'd fight to the death.
Should I interfere? I could turn to mist and then—no. Kory wouldn't want that. It was a desperate measure and I should save it. Hide it from prying eyes and recording cameras. My mist was a weapon of last resort, although I fully intended to employ it if Kory's life were in danger.
I prayed to any listening that Kory would survive.
* * *
Opal
I didn't bother taking time to ask why Granger was still with us; he stood in a corner of Tibby's suite while Kell growled if he breathed too loudly.
I, on the other hand, watched as Zaria began to glow before putting her hands on an unconscious Jamie.
She'd transported us to the fight arena, picked Jamie out of his seat easier than a child plucked a daisy and rushed him to Tibby's penthouse suite.
He was already unconscious when we found him, his breathing shallow and his heartbeats irregular.
The drakus seed he'd been forced to swallow was killing him.
Zaria had a talent for healing, and I'd never been more grateful for something in my life. In the arena near the lowest level of the casino, Kory and an enemy High Demon prepared to fight.
I hoped Lexsi would know not to interfere unless there were no other options. Yes, I understood that cameras would be filming the debacle.
Unless—I sent out a call. Someone had to realize what this could do if images were displayed of this fight across Earth.
So many people would be watching.
For saving my brother, came a familiar voice.
My shoulders sagged in relief as I watched Zaria's hands move swiftly over Jamie's body, neutralizing the drug that coursed through his veins.
* * *
Lexsi
Those gloves won't last five seconds if they turn Thifilathi, I sent to Anita. She was close to the ring, hoping to keep the unwary away if the Croth difik turned first and burst into flame.
You'd know, Anita replied. If both turn up the heat, anybody near ringside will be roasted, toasted and crispy.
Have any of them succumbed to the drakus seed?
Two are dead, she confirmed. One's on the floor after he collapsed. Those around him are so high, they haven't noticed.
Fuck.
Look, we'll need to get the living out of here. The dead won't matter as much, she reminded me.
Yeah. I get that. Do you want me to come now?
Stay where you are and keep Farin from freaking. I'll get Tibby and his crew out in the first batch. You get Farin and anybody else left at ringside that you can haul.
Got it. Farin's already having a meltdown.
Keep her calm. Tibby's more worried about her than he is about himself.
Nice to see that in a man, huh?
I could tell by the tone of her voice that she'd been thinking it. I refused to ask where Watson was; he obviously wasn't there, worrying about Anita. Surely, he and the other werewolves could scent the changes caused by drakus seed consumption in the seething press of bodies.
If they had mindspeech, I could have asked them, but my thoughts were redirected when the announcer stepped into the ring.
Was he under the influence, too, or was he obsessed or delusional? He acted as if nothing were wrong as the fighters were introduced—as Tiburon Snark Demonio Diaz, and Lyle Lover Boy Landon.
I held my breath as Geldivik Croth threw the first punch.
* * *
Opal
"He'll be fine, he's sleeping, now." Zaria employed her formidable witch's talent to float Jamie to a bed. "Is there a safe place to keep good old Granger, there, so he'll be out of sight and mostly out of mind?"
"Who was that who went screaming off into the desert?" I folded arms over my chest and blinked once at Zaria.
"Those Ra'Ak knew where Charlene and Hannah were. I merely substituted Hannah for Granger."
I blinked again before dropping my arms and shaking my head at Zaria. "Half the time you blow me away with what you can do. The rest of the time, you scare me to death with what you can do."
"Glad to be of service. Let's get Granger settled somewhere and we'll see about helping that bunch in the arena downstairs."
"You think you can help them?" I whispered.
"Not all of them. A few. Maybe a third. The ones who aren't too far gone already. I'm not prepared to change much if anything, today. We'll heal what we can and leave it at that. It's time the President and his cronies woke up to the dangers presented by what's taken over Peru."
"Yeah. What about?" I began.
"The innocent will be protected."
If anyone would know who that could be, it was Zaria. "Then I trust your choices," I said.
"Yeah. Life sucks at times, doesn't it?"
"It sure as hell does."
* * *
Lexsi
The fight went on for two minutes, tops, before Geldivik became his smaller Thifilathi and burst into flames. By that time, the crowd was so far under the influence of drakus seed there was barely a murmur running through it.
Kory's smaller Thifilathi appeared quickly, while those in Kory's corner disappeared.
Anita had already acted to save lives. It was my turn, now.
"Farin, we have to go," I said.
Farin, who couldn't tear her eyes away from the fight in the ring, didn't respond. Turning to mist quickly, I pulled her in, then flew toward the ring to rescue those I could.
* * *
Kordev
ik
I knew Croth and Drith would side with the worst of the worst in the future. I had no idea they'd started their betrayal centuries earlier, or that they were involved in the drakus seed trade up to their hair follicles.
The moment Geldivik turned to his smaller Thifilathi and burst into flame because I'd gotten in a jaw-breaking punch, I was forced to do the same.
Cameras and recordings be damned, this was a fight for my life. Already the mat at our feet was on fire, and it was only a matter of minutes before everything would be blazing around us.
I hoped our crew was getting people out of the arena—if they didn't leave, they'd die. Especially if our full Thifilathis became involved.
We fought naked and covered in fire by this time, Geldivik throwing a punch, me deflecting or ducking before throwing one of my own.
I had no idea who'd taught him to fight, but he was quite poor as an adversary. My counterpunch hit him square in the face, almost knocking him down. More fire bloomed about us as the mat collapsed in a towering rain of sparks.
Geldivik almost fell again when we dropped to the concrete beneath the ring. He roared as he stood, his full Thifilathi forming and towering over me for a moment before I concentrated on becoming the same.
It concerned me that the crowd wasn't shrieking or running by this time—with fire raining down and setting clothing ablaze, they should be doing both.
Tearing my gaze from the crowd, I barely ducked to avoid another of Geldivik's right hooks. I had control of my Thifilathi—he didn't. He roared again and wasted time by beating his chest.
I took the opportunity to leap and kick him into a section of mostly empty seats. He crashed into it, his fire and weight destroying the section in seconds. He was slower to rise this time, and I was confident the fight was all but over.
Until he was joined by two others, already in full Thifilathi.
What the holy fucking hell was going on?
There are more of them, I sent desperate mindspeech to anyone listening and waded toward my new opponents, prepared to fight until I fell.
* * *
Lexsi
Farin was crying on the sidewalk while Tibby fought against a crowd of casino-goers to get to her.
That's when Kory's mindspeech came.
There are more of them. For him to say that meant only one thing—more High Demons had arrived. One or two he might be successful—if they weren't as strong or as well trained as he.
Three? Too many, even for one of the best. Two could keep him occupied while the third could employ his skipping talent to come in from an unprotected side and deliver a killing blow.
"I have to go," I shouted amid the noise of the crowd and sirens coming close. The casino, thanks to Kory and Geldivik, was now on fire.
"But," Farin wept.
I had to let her hand go. I had to leave her. Kory needed me worse. Tibby was near, but being shoved back by frightened gamblers.
I skipped away, leaving Farin curled up against the casino's facade, hoping Tibby would reach her.
I had to help Kory, and I only knew one way to do that.
* * *
Anita
"There!" I pointed at Farin, who'd curled up against an outside wall of the casino, while Tibby, still yards away, struggled to reach her through the crowd.
I'd landed atop a shorter building across the street so I could assess the situation easier. That's how I'd found Watson, Sandra, Klancy and Mason. I'd folded space to scoop them from the crowd before returning to my vantage point.
By that time, the crowd escaping the casino was so thick it was nearly impossible to tell friend from foe. Finally, I'd spotted Lexsi and Farin in a space between doors—it was an island where they wouldn't be battered while others screamed and ran.
Before I could do anything else, Lexsi disappeared, leaving Farin alone. That spelled one thing; Kory was in trouble.
"Take us down," Klancy's voice was calm. Deliberate.
"Yeah." Shoving my worries for Kory and Lexsi aside, I folded space with all four.
* * *
Lexsi
Long before I was born, my grandmother was involved in the battle for Kifirin. Without her help, the planet would have fallen to the rogue High Demons, the Ra'Ak who'd recruited them, and the Elemaiya, who, as a race, had sunk so low there was no saving it as a whole.
I'd read an actual history of that battle, although parts of it were still kept from me. My Amterean Dwarf tutor had allowed me to read it when I was fourteen. Old enough, according to Master Morwin, to know it for myself.
My grandmother had employed her mist to do terrible things to the enemy. At the time I'd read the history, it had revolted me with the violence of it.
I understood my grandmother's motives better, now. It was a desperate time, and she'd done desperate things to save Kifirin.
I was about to do the same thing.
Already, Kory fought two opponents while the third—Geldivik Croth—had disappeared. Planning the killing blow, no doubt.
Except I was there to even things up.
Turning to mist, I dived toward the nearest of Kory's opponents. I misted right into his head. Mentally gulping at what I was about to do, I wound my mist as tightly as I could before releasing it in less than a blink.
* * *
Kordevik
At the same moment I attempted mindspeech to warn Lexsi away, one of the two Thifilathis I fought exploded.
Yes, I'd seen that phenomenon for myself, centuries in the future.
He didn't completely explode—just his head.
Enough to kill him instantly. While I hesitated for a moment, Geldivik reappeared and attacked from behind, sinking his fangs into my neck. I roared in pain as the second Thifilathi's head exploded in front of us.
I'd been taught that this could be a killing attack if something weren't done quickly. I leapt straight into the air, before coming down on my back.
Yes, I felt as if my neck had been ripped apart when we landed, but Geldivik hadn't expected my weight to land on him when we hit. Using an elbow, I repeatedly slammed him in the ribs in an effort to loosen his teeth.
My last blow, as I felt myself falling into blackness, caused him to grunt and release the bite.
I barely heard—or felt—it when his head exploded beside mine, blasting bits of bone, flesh and blood into my face and hair.
* * *
Opal
"Zaria's exhausted. I wish Lexsi would stop puking," I sighed and took the chair offered by Kell.
Lexsi was throwing up in a toilet down the hall; I'd gathered my forces after Zaria did what she could to save roughly a third of the crowd in the arena. Once Zaria left the living with paramedics and the local police, I'd taken my bunch back to the military facility in Henderson.
Area hospitals were past capacity to treat the wounded and affected, so tents were set up on a blocked-off street while the National Guard flew the worst of the injured to Boulder City and Barstow.
Word was already getting around that some kind of drug was responsible for deaths in the arena. Las Vegas' Mayor was already calling for an investigation into the situation, while casino owners claimed innocence.
The casino owners were innocent—they were victims, albeit live ones.
Many hadn't been so lucky. Those who hadn't been burned in the fires were being hauled out by the hundreds. The arena had been packed to its capacity at nearly seventeen thousand. Only six thousand or so escaped with their lives.
I'd already been on the phone with the President, the Secretary of State and Colonel Hunter, the Secretary of Defense.
Colonel Hunter hadn't been surprised that I'd linked those in Peru with this disaster. The Secretary of State wanted more proof. The President was waffling over the debacle. I wanted to slap my forehead, but that wouldn't solve anything. Besides, Kell was beside me the whole time; I think he'd have stopped me from harming myself.
At least Kory's High Demon attackers were dead—Lexsi had s
een to that, although she was now dry-heaving in a toilet because of the messy blood and brain matter involved.
The last thing Zaria did before she fell into a deep sleep at the Nevada facility was heal Kory. That fucker, Geldivik Croth, had bitten him and almost ripped out his throat. If Kory hadn't been such a seasoned fighter, and if Lexsi hadn't killed Geldivik there at the end, we could have had four dead High Demons instead of three.
"Dearest, would you like something?" Kell appeared with a tray of coffee and sandwiches in his hands. I had no idea how he'd managed to do that, but I was grateful.
"Yes, thank you," I pulled a wrapped sandwich and a cup of coffee off the tray. "Sit here and eat with me, please?"
"It will be my pleasure. The others are already eating, with the exception of our vampires and Miss Lexsi. The vampires have been provided with blood, so they are cared for. I wish we could do something for the young one, however."
"It'll take a while, but she'll get used to this." I bit into the sandwich. It was ham and cheese—standard fare. It contained protein, which I needed, so I ate it.
"I know." He leaned back in the chair next to mine and studied the sandwich he held before biting off a corner.
"I assume Granger was included with the other vampires?"
"Yes, although he hissed at me when I took the bag of blood to him."
"No surprise. He's the sort who'll continue to bite the hand that feeds him."
"What are your intentions where he is concerned?"
"I intend to turn him over to the Vampire Council. Wlodek can deal with him. We've proven he's a rogue, so he won't be allowed to live."
"As expected," Kell agreed. "The Rith Naeri would handle this the same. Will this Council provide transportation?"
"Yes. They'll be here tomorrow evening to collect him."
"Good."
"We need sleep and a planning session, so we'll be occupied until the Council's jet lands and they take him into custody."
"Do you think they'll attempt to rescue him?" Kell asked before taking another bite of his sandwich.
"Doubt it. We can't find Charlene, either, and the last we saw of Hannah, she was running wild in the desert while disguised as Granger."
"Too bad for her, then," Kell shrugged. "When will the disguise fall away?"
A Demon's Work Is Never Done: Latter Day Demons, Book 2 Page 15
