by Aliyah Burke
“What if we should be back there fighting with the others?”
Okay, so there were at least two men out there, near the vehicle. She worked hard to slow her breathing to a normal rate. It wasn’t easy.
And I’m in a vehicle and I can hear them fine. True, the windows were cracked a bit but still. If you are hunting someone, shouldn’t you be quiet?
“That’s not our assignment. Besides, I’ve heard about those Guardians. They’re not fun to fight. We usually lose. You can go back if you want. I’m going to do what Sheffer told me to do.”
Who’s Sheffer?
“I don’t like Sheffer.”
“He’s not for you to like but for you to listen to and follow orders from.” The German accent grew heavier.
“He’s just showing off for the blonde who’s with him.”
They stopped moving and Mal rolled her lower lip in her teeth as she waited, nervous.
“Be careful he doesn’t hear those words from you. Come on. I’m getting nothing on the thermal here aside from small animals. Nothing remotely human sized.”
Relief poured through her. She wasn’t sure how Shelly had done it but she owed that woman a beer—or five.
Her body was protesting her positioning so she began to climb back up onto the seat when she heard something else. Her relief vanished like fog under morning’s sun. She didn’t know how to put a name to the sound. It…it just was. Her right side hurt and the pendant was hot against her.
Mal wasn’t sure what was going on but she knew she had to leave. Whatever was out there was coming for her and the pendant. She reached up behind her and drew on the door handle. Moving as quietly as she could, she slipped from the vehicle then rolled beneath it.
Heart pounding, she scrunched her eyes tight and tried to mentally recreate the landscape they’d passed to get here. Which direction did she need to head? Once she’d figured it out, she belly-crawled to the front and prepared to get free and run. Her fingers dug deep into the rich soil beneath her.
The heat from the pendant still pushed into her and it was getting hotter. She lifted the bottom of the tarp and strained to see through the darkness. Not a thing.
Here goes nothing. The panic that had only nipped at her heels earlier was now full out chomping. Every instinct she possessed screamed for her to get out of there. Slithering along the ground, she passed below the tarp. The moment her knees cleared it, she pushed up and took off like a track runner leaving the blocks.
Off in the distance she could hear the sounds of fighting and, smart or stupid, that was the direction she headed. That’s where Billy was. Where Shelly was. And most importantly, where her body was telling her she needed to be.
The flames were the first thing she spotted. They licked angrily at the air, jumping and snapping to eat whatever was in their path. The building hadn’t collapsed yet, but she assumed it would be going soon. She couldn’t see either Billy or Shelly.
Her legs pumped as she ran harder. There was no way to explain what she felt. Just that it was deep-rooted and relenting.
When she passed the first dead body, something hit her from behind and sent her sprawling forward, skidding across the earth.
Stars exploded as pain reverberated throughout her entire being. What the fuck was that?
She pushed up on her hands and knees, sucking in air as fast as she could. Her hip ached and burned but it was nothing compared to the pain from whatever had leveled her earlier. Her ears didn’t work and she looked around, trying to process what happened. She was suffering from hearing loss, she knew that. What she didn’t know was if it would be permanent or not, especially since she didn’t have the slightest clue to what had caused it.
Equilibrium screwed six ways to Sunday, she lurched to her feet and stumbled forward. She’d made it another five wobbling steps before another blast took her down again.
This time blood dripped from her nose and she wasn’t positive, but she thought perhaps from her ears as well. The smoke that had been billowing to her left from some other explosion parted and a svelte figure stepped through and approached.
Calling upon every reserve of energy she had, Mal pushed up to her knees, chest heaving, and placed her cut palms on her thighs, facing the approaching person. She used one hand to wipe the blood from her nose as she tried to figure out what to do now—how to get out of this situation she’d found herself mired in.
I never should have left the vehicle. Not that it did her any good to dwell on that.
The figure turned out to be a woman who had a wealth of golden hair. Mal wasn’t sure why she could see her so clearly, for the darkness seemed to cling to her and yet, there was light.
“At last we meet.” Her tone was musical, soothing the pain in Mal’s ears. “I’ll take your artifact, if you please.”
Mal understood. This was one of Them Billy had mentioned, who wanted each of the artifacts. Bottom line, she was seriously fucked.
Chapter Nine
He readjusted his swing at the last second, severing head from neck. Billy barely slowed as he continued to fight. Demons. New Order idiots. It didn’t matter. They were all going to die. He wasn’t one who usually went out looking for their gathering places to diminish their numbers but the opportunity had been there. He wasn’t going to ignore it. A place that had now succumbed to the starving flames. People screamed and beams snapped from the heat. It was powerful enough he could feel it where he was. Authorities will be here soon.
He hadn’t seen Shelly since they’d broken in and the chaos had ensued. At least I managed to get a download of all their files before shit hit the fan. The USB was secured against his skin so he could take it back to Oregon and see if they could get any advantage. Learn some plans. Anything like that.
“William Kwan!”
The feminine voice chilled his battle-heated blood with the effectiveness of plunging into arctic waters. He sent three stars into the nearest demon then headed for the door. Ignoring the flames surrounding it, he kicked it through.
Uma.
She walked toward him as if she’d not a care in the world.
“What do you want, you viperous bitch?”
Her reptilian gaze hardened briefly. “Is that any way to treat the woman who can take your life from you in one breath?”
He snarled low, power rippling through him. “You aren’t allowed to kill me yet. That’s why you have those fools I just killed. They’re not doing a very good job. You should look into hiring better help.”
Her smile was nearly nonexistent. “How cute. You killed some pawns. There will always be more of them. But the real question will be, how many more will there be of her?”
She waved a hand and a bubble appeared. Inside was Mal, slumped over, blood dripping from her body.
Fear unlike any he’d known pierced him. No! He wanted to scream out his denial. She wasn’t moving. Hang in there, Mal. I’ll get you out of this. How? He wasn’t sure.
“Let her go, Uma.”
Her fangs showed. “No. I like her. She wasn’t fearful of me.”
“Give me the artifact.”
Billy paused. Mal has it. All he had on him was the fake one. How had Uma not seen that? Then again, perhaps she believed he’d not let Mal carry it. “Let her go.”
The forked tongue snuck out and flicked up and down. “While I’m not allowed to kill you yet, don’t make a mistake and try to push me by demanding something which won’t happen.”
Billy reached into his pocket and withdrew the fake. “I have something you want and you have something I want. Put her down and step away. Uma, don’t drop her either. Set her down gently.”
Rage he’d not really had since he was an angry youth, stealing to survive, ran hotter than lava through every inch of his body His woman. His mate. His. Right now, she was a prisoner to one of Them.
“So sure she’s not dead now?”
He struggled, wanting to launch at Uma, fight with every breath in his body. Billy restrai
ned himself, barely. He alone wasn’t a match for her. For a one-on-one, Dracen or Tiarnán would have the best chance of being successful. Not him. He was sneaky, a thief. A warrior, sure, but not the best.
“Put. Her. Down. Gently.”
The bubble slowly lowered to settle upon the grass and vanished, melting down to the ground. Billy willed Mal to get up, but she didn’t move.
“Hand it over.” Uma’s words were cold and sharp.
Billy withdrew the artifact she’d demanded from his pocket and chucked it at her, even as he ran for Mal.
“Foolish Guardian!” she hissed, lifting her arm and morphing it into a scythe.
Billy lunged for Mal, determined to protect her at all costs. Even if it was his life he paid with. A shot reverberated over the sounds of the burning building and screams of the dying. Uma screeched in pain as her limb exploded. Her eyes burned red as she vanished.
Billy covered Mal best he could and looked around. Nothing. Then he saw Shelly coming into view, an automatic rifle in her hand. Her blue eyes blazed with anger as she neared.
Billy focused back on Mal. Open your eyes, Mal. She didn’t. He willed her to open them and allow him to see her light brown gaze. He touched her face, scowling over the dried blood below her nose and spying some on an ear.
“Move.”
Shelly crouched beside him, weapon to her side, and touched Mal. He bit back his proprietary snarl, aware she was there to help. Shelly checked her over.
“Unconscious. Other than that, she’s okay. I don’t see anything broken, either.” She hefted her rifle. “You got what you needed, I hope. I don’t assume there’s much left.” She glanced at the burning headquarters. “You weren’t leaving anything behind. We need to go. Cops will be coming. Not truly sure how we’d explain the dead folk and demons.”
He concurred. Billy scooped Mal up in his arms and followed Shelly back to her truck. She ripped off the tarp, allowing him to slip in the back with Mal still in his arms. Shelly hopped behind the wheel, turning the engine over.
He kept Mal close as her friend drove. He let Shelly choose where they went and remained focused on the unresponsive woman he held. Stay with me, baby.
Her pulse was strong and that gave him hope. Small flickers of purple and green filled the space between his fingers and her skin. That has to be a good sign, right?
He smoothed his hand on her check, pressing his forehead to hers. Why did she leave the vehicle? She said she would stay put. I don’t understand. It was a question he would ask the moment she woke. Time passed and he looked up when they rattled over some rough terrain.
“Where are we?”
“A cave below a creag. Large enough to hide the truck and us.”
Again impressed, he glanced out. Darkness was split by the beams from their ride.
“I’ll get set up.” Shelly worked swiftly—once more to Billy’s appreciation. “No fire,” she said, as he lay Mal down on a bedroll by a softly glowing lamp. “The smoke could be detected.
Billy felt helpless as Shelly took another look at her best friend. It frustrated him but he knew—logically—it was what it was. He went to the entrance and began placing some protection wards.
“I sense your doubt, are you okay, William?”
Lian still called him that from time to time.
“I found Uma tonight, or rather she found me. Almost killed my mate.” He clenched his fists. “Why didn’t she come after me?”
“Is your mate okay?”
“Unconscious at the moment. Hopefully she will be awake soon.”
“Uma went after her because she knows she’s not allowed to go after you directly. Not without serious repercussions.”
“So I will always be the safer of the two of us.”
“You are the Guardian. I would advise you bring her here quickly. Safest all the way around.”
“What is her benefit to killing Mal?”
“Your grief. Don’t try to overanalyze what you see, son. Beneath all the deception and confusion there is the same basic principle. Anything They can do to undermine your confidence and concentration will be done. It’s one versus the other. Us versus Them. If she dies, you won’t be dangerous to Them. This decision is based on the grief which will consume you when you lose her. That is why she is a target.”
“She won’t die. I won’t let her.”
“Bring her and her friend. Keep them safe.” Lian’s presence was gone as swiftly as he’d arrived.
Billy didn’t question how he knew about Shelly. Lian just knew things. Always had. The man’s voice had seemed a bit weaker and that bothered him. Leaning against the wall of the cave, Billy stared out across the land. There wasn’t much to see—clouds had moved in, blocking even the minimal light offered from the stars. He finished what he’d set out to do then headed back in deeper.
“Any change?”
“No.” Shelly removed her pistols and placed them before her on a rock. “How about you finish filling me in on what all that shit was. Especially the one who tried to take Mal’s head.”
Billy lowered himself to the ground beside Mal. The dampness chilled him but he ignored it. She was on a bedroll so she was protected.
“Heads up.”
He glanced up in time to catch what Shelly tossed at him. Another bedroll. “Thanks.” He put it out beside Mal then sat again, taking her hand in his. In for a penny, in for a pound—Shelly had proven herself and deserved to know what he did.
“That thing you blew the arm off of was Uma.”
* * * *
Pain radiated throughout her entire body. Mal held still, trying to ascertain if anything had been broken. Nope, didn’t feel like it, but she was sure she’d gotten her ass kicked, whatever it was she’d been doing.
Flashes of what had happened bombarded her and she shook her head. It didn’t make sense. She could smell dampness in the air but she wasn’t cold. She could hear the rain but she wasn’t wet. Quite the opposite actually—she was warm and relatively comfortable. Aching, but at least she wasn’t cold and wet on top of hurting.
She flexed her fingers and struggled to open her eyes. A soft glow surrounded her and she stared up. The roof was rock.
I must be in a cave. Turning slowly, since her muscles were stiff, she spied the arm that lay across her torso. Well, the lump from it, for the arm was below the blankets covering her. She knew who it was. Billy. He was stretched out there sleeping, his black lashes resting against his cheeks.
She wanted to stroke his head and kiss him. She did neither, since her body was too tired to move currently. With great difficulty, she angled her head in the other direction and found herself speared by a pair of blue eyes. Shelly.
Her friend sat there, cross-legged watching her.
“Glad to see you’re awake,” she said, rising from her seated position and coming closer. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore,” Mal whispered. Her throat was raw and painful.
Shelly gave her something to drink but only allowed her a little. Mal understood—too much and she would throw up.
“Where are we and what happened?”
“In a cave. You were unconscious. We’ve been holed up here for about three hours now.” She gestured to Billy. “He just went to sleep. He’s been worried for you.”
“Are you okay? Is he?”
“We’re both fine. You got the worst of it.”
She could believe that, given how shitty she felt. Mal shut her eyes briefly and tried to recreate a complete vision of what had happened. Still didn’t work—it only came in brief spurts.
“What happened?” She really wanted to know.
“I don’t know. After we left you, the first time I saw you again you were on the ground with some reptilian-looking woman about to cleave you in two with a weapon. Billy was almost there.”
“Then?” she prompted.
Shelly touched the back of her hand to Mal’s forehead. “I shot the bitch’s arm thingy off.”
&n
bsp; Typical Shel. Straightforward and blunt about it all. “Thank you.”
“Hey, I wasn’t about to let that happen. I kind of like having you around.”
“Glad you do.” She wanted to sit up and go to the bathroom but she didn’t quite have the energy yet. “Did he get what he needed?”
“As far as I understand, yes. Hope so, because there wasn’t going to be anything left of that once they put the flames out.” She gestured to Billy. “That man of yours sure can fight. I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life.”
“I’ve seen him in action.”
Shelly flashed her a grin. “Not what I was talking about, you pervert.”
It felt good to laugh. She quieted and indicated Billy. Shelly reached out and helped her up, understanding what she needed. The moment she got to her feet she wobbled, but Shelly was there, stabilizing her.
After Shelly assisted her in relieving her bladder, they went back to where the light and the beds were. Shelly put her on the roll she’d been occupying. Then she covered Billy back up and brought Mal some more water.
“Stop looking like that, Mal.”
“I should be taking care of him.”
“And once you have your balance and are feeling better, you will be. Focus on getting to that point. Drink, and make sure—”
“I keep it to small sips. I know, I know.” Crap, she hurt.
Shelly dug into her bag and tossed a bar in her direction. “Eat that too. You need something in your stomach. That’s protein.”
“Is there anything you’re not prepared for?”
“That bitch Uma. Wasn’t expecting that in any way. Won’t happen again, next time I’ll be ready for her.”
Next time. God, she hoped not. Mal remembered the look in that one’s eyes as she’d stared down at her.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer not to see her ever again.”
“Starting to remember what happened more?”
