by Jaime Rush
Talbot had already recovered, though. He jerked the spear out, and dodged the lasso, leaving a trail as blood poured out of the hole in his chest.
“Does your father know you’ve inherited the Wraithlord DNA?” Talbot used both his hands to send a rolling wave of smoke at him. It left a trail of blackened carpet and burned the edge of the couch. Kasabian Leaped out of its path, landing behind Talbot.
“No, but he’s going to find out.”
Talbot spun, swinging a magick weapon that looked like a scythe at head level. Kasabian ducked, feeling it whip just an inch over his head. He barreled into Talbot’s stomach, gripping his waist as he drove the man toward the far wall—and right through it. Drywall dust created a white cloud that tickled Kasabian’s throat. He created several spikes that shot out and punctured Talbot’s innards.
The man screamed in pain, loud and guttural. A long black arm clamped around Kasabian’s neck and propelled him clear across the room, where he crashed into another wall. Talbot’s arm, extended with dark magick, still gripped him. His hand tightened, cutting off Kasabian’s air, as Talbot stalked toward him. The multiple puncture wounds were already mending, as was the hole in his chest. His other hand morphed into a drill bit, its sharp tip spinning as he drew closer.
Kasabian summoned the Shadow’s strength. It vibrated from the center of his being, but he couldn’t break free of Talbot’s hold. The drill pierced Kasabian’s skin, sending pain screaming through him.
Kasabian’s Shadow broke loose, Transforming him into the half angel, half Dragon he’d seen Silva become. The force of it blew Talbot back a few steps, enough for Kasabian to break free. He sent thick vines to wrap Talbot in a tight grip, lift him up, and thrust him down on top of the glass coffee table. Wood splintered and glass flew, the shards slicing into Talbot’s body. In a dark flash, he disappeared.
Kasabian spun to find Talbot plunging his dark fist right into Kasabian’s chest. He staggered back, feeling his heart trip at the injury. He sucked in a deep breath as he met the next punch with his hand, then squeezed Talbot’s fist until he felt it crumble in his grip.
Kasabian’s body healed even faster in Wraithlord form than it would have in Caido form. Unfortunately, so did Talbot’s. How the hell was he going to kill this bastard? He glanced out at the balcony. Hayden was looking in their direction, obviously having heard the commotion. If Kasabian didn’t kill Talbot, his friends would die.
That’s when it hit him. Talbot knew where his father was. Where Kye was.
Talbot’s arm stretched out across the room, aiming for a red button near the front door. A panic button that would bring others. Kasabian sliced at his arm, severing it. His forearm fell to the floor, turning back to human form.
Talbot used his magick to make a tourniquet near the end of the stump. His mouth was set in a grim line. His dark eyes held Kasabian’s gaze so that he didn’t even see the razor-sharp whip that lashed at his neck. Kasabian shifted, missing the brunt of it but feeling the sting as it grazed him. Talbot wanted to pay Kasabian back by taking his head.
Kasabian willed his fingernails to become long spikes. As Talbot cracked his whip again, Kasabian waited until it reached the downward snap. Then he lunged at Talbot and drove the spikes into his head. The force threw them both back, until Talbot hit the wall.
Kasabian wrapped his other hand around Talbot’s neck, pinning him the same way Talbot had done to him. “Tell me where my father is.”
Kye. She popped into his mind, her beautiful face full of fear as she realized that he could not help her. What would she think if she saw him now?
“Where is this resort? The place you sent Jonathan.” He pushed harder, feeling the tips of his claws touch the wall. “Tell me, and I’ll release you.” Not that he’d let him just go free.
The shadows in Talbot’s eyes dissipated. He managed a shaky smile, his eyes glazing. “You’ll never…find it in time.” And he sagged.
Kasabian retracted the spikes, and the man fell to the floor. Kasabian checked his pulse. Nothing. He pulled the Wraithlord back, but left his wings intact. He might still need them. Then he ran to the balcony.
It might have been a funny sight under different circumstances, the two of them hanging like a pair of bats. “You all right?”
“Peachy,” Hayden said in a smart-assed tone that told Kasabian, yeah, he was fine. “Though any assistance would be appreciated. This is that fucked-up Wraithlord magick.”
“We haven’t been able to budge it. Or Leap,” Mallory said, trying to turn her head to see him.
The same kind of fucked-up magick he’d just used. Oh, yeah, Wraithlords were turning out to be a stellar example of Crescent goodness. He wondered why the magick persisted when the Wraithlord was dead. Lingering energy? Kasabian glanced back at the French door that was still closed. The sky’s reflection obliterated any view of the interior, so they hadn’t seen a thing.
Kasabian met Hayden’s gaze. “Brace yourself.” He summoned his Shadow and willed it to undo the magick. It became like those damn birds that Stripped him, darting toward Hayden and Mallory in a swarm. Kasabian used his will to corral them to the vines that wound around them. The magick obeyed, though he watched carefully to make sure it didn’t harm his friends.
Mallory couldn’t see what he was doing from her angle, but Hayden simply stared. Great. Now he was going to think Kasabian was a freak. Or rather, know he was.
“I’ll explain later.” Kasabian guided his magick up the vine that attached to the ceiling, though he could see that it was starting to disintegrate on its own. He gave it a final zap. The moment they started to fall, Kasabian slapped his hands on them and Leaped to his apartment.
Cecily let out a gasp when the three landed in a heap only feet away. Then her gaze zeroed in on Hayden and Mallory, chest to chest, his arms around her.
Hayden and Mallory stumbled to their feet as the blood drained from their heads. Hayden automatically steadied Mallory with his big hands on her bare shoulders, even while he was wavering.
“Major headache,” Mallory said, bending over and clutching her head. “Ouch, ouch, ouch.”
Hayden braced one hand on the back of the nearby chair, squinting in his own pain. Then his gaze found Cecily, who was gaining her ground as she took the two of them in. Her gaze lingered on Hayden’s hand still gripping Mallory’s shoulder and then the lacy bra that didn’t conceal much.
Hayden looked just as surprised to see her. “Cecily? What are you doing here?”
“Helping me,” Kasabian answered to give her a few more seconds to compose herself. Gods help her, she was big-time infatuated with Hayden. “Mallory, I’ll get you a shirt.” He ran to his room and grabbed a T-shirt.
While she slipped into it, Kasabian redirected their attention. “Let me get you up to speed with what’s been happening while you two were hanging around doing nothing.”
He didn’t give Hayden time to shoot back anything sarcastic because he told them about Kye.
“I’ll help.” Mallory dropped into the chair and seemed to just realize Cecily was standing nearby. “Hey. I’m Mallory.”
“Cecily,” she managed. She lowered herself to her chair. “I’ll show you what we’re doing.”
Kasabian nodded for Hayden to follow him into the room he’d converted to a home gym. Hayden closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. “Explain.” His expression was a wary mask.
The thought of losing his friendship hurt more than the punch through his chest had. “I’m a Wraithlord,” Kasabian said. “But you probably figured that out.”
The muscles in Hayden’s jaw twitched, like they always did when he was pissed. “Yeah, I got that. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I found out when I fought Silva and got my Caido back.”
“But you must have sensed it long before that. I saw a shadow in your eyes that day I mentioned how hot Kye was. You’ve never shown a hint of being jealous, and for you to do it over a woman who’s not even
yours was weird. With everything else going on, I pushed it to the back of my mind. Because I thought I knew who you were. But I don’t. And you never said a thing.” And that, Kasabian suspected, was the worst part for Hayden.
“I didn’t know what it was. I just sensed something dark inside of me, and I was ashamed of it. Scared of it. I didn’t tell anyone, didn’t want to acknowledge it myself. I didn’t want you, of all people, looking at me like I was an aberration. But that’s what I am. You can’t take that? Fine.” Kasabian shrugged, even though it wasn’t fine. Not at all. “But I need your help. I can’t do this without you.”
Hayden had perfected that Guard poker face. “I bet you said the same thing to me all those years ago when you had this cockeyed idea of escaping.”
Kasabian nodded. “I knew I could trust you. Count on you. That’s never changed.”
“You can.” Hayden started to turn toward the door but stopped. “Does Kye know?”
Kasabian leaned back against the weight machine. “She was there when Silva told me.”
“And what does she think?”
His chest caved in when he pictured her surrendering to him. He tore himself from the image. “She’s not afraid. Stupid girl.”
“She’s in love with you. It makes her blind.”
The way she believed he could control the Wraithlord…she thought he was good. Then you raked her wound and proved you’re not. “What about you?”
Hayden’s laugh lacked humor. “Well, I’m definitely not in love with you.” The poker face disintegrated, breached by the pain of Kasabian’s secret. “You’ve been like a brother to me. I need time to process this. But first we find Kye and those kids.”
Chapter 22
Silva watched Kye sleeping. She had bonded all the kids and had literally crawled into a bed in one of the empty rooms. This rehab facility had ended up being perfect for their use, with its secure buildings and separate rooms. He wasn’t sure what the owner had done with all of the wealthy patients.
Kye’s thick braid was frayed. She had rammed her fingers into her hair every time she saw the next pair of children. Silva had felt her heartache and sympathy for them. No one had ever felt that for him. She certainly radiated nothing but hatred toward him. Fortunately the Caidos here regularly did the Essex with the children to protect against all their emotions, so her animosity didn’t hurt.
Kye was pretty, he’d give her that, though not as pretty as he. She had a big heart, comforting the kids with her soft words. He could imagine a man falling for her, a man inclined toward that sort of thing. Kasabian would fall for her courageousness alone, since he harbored that trait, too.
Silva dialed into his voice mail and listened to Kasabian’s phone message for the fourth time. The rawness of his voice, the intensity of his plea. He had definitely fallen for this woman. His devotion to her grated.
It was tempting to take Kasabian up on that offer, even though they could not let Kye go. How far would Kasabian go to save her? Oh, to be loved like that. He found little satisfaction with Gren or the others who had participated in a mutual use-use relationship with him.
All his life he’d been used. For his body. For his assistance and powers. Years ago, Kasabian had shown him kindness without asking anything in return. Kasabian had encouraged Silva to stand up to Treylon, but that was more than a father-deprived boy could comprehend.
Well, Silva had gone against the old man at last. Had hidden secrets from him. Treylon had ripped Silva a new one for those secrets and called him weak and soft. A failure. Now Treylon watched him with suspicion.
“Kasabian,” Kye mumbled, rolling to her side.
Silva closed his eyes and dove into her dream. Immediately he wished he hadn’t, and yet he watched as Kasabian kissed her, calling her “love.” Then they were fucking, but no, that wasn’t the right word. It was raw, yet tender. Passionate. Everything Silva longed for. Jealousy consumed him in its fire. He imagined himself in his Wraithlord form, tearing her apart with his bare hands, clawing at her flesh. He felt it overtake him, the darkness transforming him to monster.
Footsteps echoed down the hall. Treylon. He knew the sound of those expensive leather shoes on the tile floors. Silva pulled his magick back and quelled his rage, grateful for the interruption. He could not lose his head. They needed her, at least for now.
Treylon entered the room and closed the door behind him, an odd mix of emotions in his expression. “Demis just informed me that the others have failed. It’s up to us now. Our first priority is, of course, to free the angels. We don’t even know if we have enough power to do that. But the Tryah is looking to us to help free the Dragon and Deuce gods as well.” His face fairly glowed. “We are their last hope.”
Treylon clenched his fist to his chest. “Imagine, all of the freed gods being indebted to us. We could rule Miami—the world!” His eyes glittered in the same way they often did when he talked of victory and glory. His expression sobered. “Which means we need more children, more essence. And we have very little time left to procure it.”
Silva did not share his enthusiasm. “Well, unfortunately there aren’t a lot of children roaming around at two in the morning.”
“They’ll be heading to school in the morning. We’re stationing our people near Crescent schools—”
Silva raised his hand as an idea struck. “Buses. The Harbor is sending a bunch of the kids on a trip to the Everglades in the morning. And they’re going with a group of students from the Deuce Academy, most pre-Awakened. A charter busload of children all in one vehicle. There will be forty, maybe fifty kids. And if I wait until the bus is on its way out to the swamp, it’s possible that no one will know they’re gone for a while.” Finally Silva felt the flush of his own power. “I will disguise myself and pose as one of the kids. The Academy kids will assume I’m with the Harbor and vice versa. When the time is right, I’ll kill the adults and Leap the whole bus here.”
“It is a brilliant idea,” Treylon said.
As much as Silva hated himself for it, he soaked in the compliment. He would make up for his mistakes and secrets. They would succeed because of his plan. All he asked in return was the opportunity to kill Kye. Then he would take up Kasabian’s offer to trade himself for her. Of course, he’d leave out the part about her being dead.
Kasabian Leaped back from the last resort on the list. The others had already returned, and he could tell by their expressions that they’d had no luck either.
Astrophysicist Michio Kaku was on Fox News talking about the ability of the storm to wipe out power grids, satellites, and life as they knew it. Kaku referenced the massive storm in 1859 that wiped out telegraph poles, high technology at the time.
Kasabian pulled in his wings and dropped to the couch. Frustration swamped him. As powerful as he was, he couldn’t find one woman. One incredibly brave woman.
Mallory, Hayden, and Cecily were sitting as far apart as they could manage. Mallory, unwittingly, was the stick of dynamite in the room. He’d picked up the same female territoriality from Kye back at Mallory’s condominium.
“What now?” Mallory asked. “We’re not giving up, are we?”
“I will never give up.” Kasabian bowed his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose as the tension pinched it tight. Kye, his beautiful Deuce. She’d found her value all right.
He studied Cecily, who sat stiffly and tried to focus on the newscast. They were playing REM’s “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” in the background. She looked young and vulnerable, with little makeup and her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
So young. But not vulnerable.
“Why are you looking at Cecily like you’re going to eat her as a snack?” Hayden asked.
Kasabian would have laughed at the protective posturing if he’d been in a better mood. “More like, I’m considering throwing her to the wolves. With her assent, of course.”
Hayden stood in full You’re not endangering my sister mode. “Come again?”
Cecily killed the television and came to her feet, too. “What do you mean, throw me to the wolves?”
“They needed Kye for her magick, and she used that to get inside. What else do they desperately need?”
“Children,” Cecily said, and then she got it by the way her face lit up. “Or maybe someone who people assume is, like, fourteen all the time. I get carded every time I try to buy a four-pack of Guinness. Yes, I’ll go in.”
“No way.” Hayden shook his head. “You’re not trained for this kind of thing.”
“Kye wasn’t trained, but that didn’t stop her from doing whatever she could to help.” Cecily planted her hands on her hips. “And you don’t get to say what I do and don’t do.” She looked at Kasabian. “How do I get in?”
“That’s the shaky part of the plan. The only way I can think of is convincing a Caido named Gemini to present you to them. He’s not exactly trustworthy.”
“Considering the guy trades in children,” Hayden added, his mouth in a tight line as he aimed a hard look at Kasabian. “You are not putting her in that cretin’s hands.”
Cecily waved in Hayden’s direction. “Hello? Again, you’re not the boss of me. And I’m a Dragon. I’m not exactly helpless.”
“What do you mean, he trades in children?” Mallory asked.
Kasabian said, “We discovered an operation that masquerades as a community for troubled mothers. They set them up with a nice house if they let their children be adopted. We think they also encourage women to breed children for Caidos to supposedly adopt and use as their own personal Essex.”
“We’re going to shut that down next,” Hayden said, studying the dawning expression on Mallory’s face. “You’re thinking of your niece, aren’t you?”
“Maybe that’s where my sister went. I could go.”
