Darkest Knight

by Karen Duvall

  “You mean for tracking?” I asked.

  “You never know. The last thing I want is for the Fallen to come after Geraldine.”

  Geraldine stood. “Quin, even if they did, I’m not actually here anyway. This form is only a projection of my physical self and not the real me.” She tried to rub his back but her hand passed straight through him.

  The thought of a creature like Pharzuph tainting these hallowed halls made my skin crawl. I put the feather away. “If the feather is a conduit of some sort, maybe it can be used like a homing device. It could lead me to wherever Maria is hiding.”

  “That’s a really bad idea,” Quin said. “Your grandmother would have a fit if she knew.”

  “My grandmother doesn’t have to know.” I gave him a pointed look and raised an eyebrow. “Right?”

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “Right.”

  I yawned and checked my watch. It would be light soon, which meant bedtime for me. My brain would be as useful as oatmeal if I didn’t get some sleep.

  “I can take a hint,” he told me, and turned to face Geraldine. They shared a meaningful look. Oh, yes, those two had something going on. The look of longing in Quin’s eyes made me think of Aydin. At least now Aydin and I could be together without having to sneak around. Elmo would welcome Aydin, in any shape or form, into his home.

  “Geraldine, did you know Gavin’s soul-stain is inside the church?” I asked.

  Her eyes flashed alarm and she blinked. “What?”

  “I’m sure it’s nothing, but Chalice is the only one able to see it,” Quin said. “The Arelim should be able to easily get rid of it.”

  Geraldine scowled. “That shouldn’t have happened. The church was thoroughly cleansed.”

  Quin shrugged. “It’s harmless. It’s like a painting on the wall.”

  A painting that induces nightmares. Sharp tingles pierced the back of my neck to remind me of Gavin’s bony-fingered grip. Quin had forgotten the extent of Gavin’s cruelty because he didn’t know the half of it. The fact that the man’s soul-stain existed here did not bode well at all. I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Geraldine felt it, too.

  * * *

  The mattress I lay on in Elmo’s third bedroom was so soft it felt like lying on a pile of marshmallows, and just as lumpy. The old elf had bought this house, along with all his possessions, in the late thirties and never saw the point in upgrading because he was rarely home. He spent the majority of his time either in his basement coffee shop or with friends beyond the green veil. His house and everything in it was as preserved as a museum.

  I liked the nostalgic mood here. It made me feel as if I’d been transported to a different time, before my mother’s death and my hellish life of bondage to a gargoyle, and before the murders of my sister knights. It offered me a sense of being outside of things for a change, like a barrier of time that insulated me from what troubles lay ahead.

  The heavy drapes were closed against the day’s sunlight, but I still had trouble falling asleep. Elmo was already asleep by the time Quin and I arrived so I never got a chance to say hello. I’d been tossing and turning for nearly two hours, despite being only half conscious when I fell into bed. Turns out I was overtired. My brain refused to stop its troubled musing.

  Xenia. Damn. Where the hell was that girl? I hoped not literally in hell, because I’d feel responsible if so. If I hadn’t introduced her to the pen charm, she would never have run away. On second thought, she was so good at disappearing in full view that she might have pulled it off anyway. The question of why she’d leave the security of the order still nagged at me. She was bitter about her past and felt like an outcast, but she hadn’t given the knighthood a chance. She hadn’t given me a chance. I should have tried harder to break through her armor of false bravado. At least she had removed her war paint. That had to be a good sign, right?

  Then there were Natalie and Rusty. Rusty hated me, and reparations on my part were desperately needed to get her powers back. Natalie had been imprisoned in mental limbo because I had given her the fallen angel feather that sent her there. I should have followed my instincts. I craved my sisters’ acceptance so much that I had made some bad choices. Natalie was hopefully on the road to recovery. Rusty? Her recovery wouldn’t be so easy.

  Rafe. I shouldn’t even be thinking about him or he might appear right in front of me. I couldn’t dwell too long on thoughts about him, but he at least deserved some pondering. Poor angel. He was so enamored with humans and their ways that he sometimes forgot who and what he was. He clung to my now-human grandfather like his new best friend, and the longer Rafe remained in the realm of humans, the more he seemed to take after them. He was possessive and judgmental and moody. I’d been under the impression angels were above petty human flaws, but what did I know? I was half angel and certainly didn’t act any better myself.

  I drowsed in a state of near sleep, drifting in and out of consciousness. A fuzzy sort of warmth enveloped me and I became suddenly aware that I wasn’t the only one in the bed. A man lay beside me and he looked exactly like Aydin.

  “Aydin?” I whispered, his image fading in and out of sight. Just a dream, but I felt the heat of his skin, heard his soft breathing, his heartbeat… No, not a human heartbeat. It was the rapid bass drum beat of a gargoyle.

  He rolled over to face me. “I never want you to forget what I used to look like.”

  “I never will.” I cupped the side of his face and smoothed my thumb over his cheekbone. His eyes gazed into mine and I saw his desire reflected there. The smoldering look he gave me sent a missile of heat down my body, over my breasts, across my stomach and between my legs. I gasped.

  His hand covered mine. He gently pulled my fingers from his face to plant a slow, hot kiss in the center of my palm. “I’ve missed you.”

  When Aydin was human, most of our time together had been spent following Gavin’s orders and doing our best not to let the curse we shared change us into monsters. The lingering attraction between us grew and our desire intensified when the tattoos on our necks throbbed with need for our gargoyles. I regretted that we had never given in to our carnal hunger.

  Aydin’s gargoyle form was the only thing keeping us physically apart. I wanted him, the flesh-and-blood man I’d fallen for, but I’d settle for the mental equivalent if that was all I had.

  His body appeared hazy, like a blurred rendition of his former self. Yet I could sense every part of him, smell his skin, taste his lips when he kissed me. I pressed against him and felt the hardness of his body as sensations thrilled my every cell. Dream or not, my body was consumed by passion that melted into me like hot lava.

  Aydin filled my mind, which enabled me to get inside his. I found love there, and concern, and hesitation. His need overwhelmed me, yet knowing his feelings were as strong as mine put me at peace.

  His arms held me close, his chin pressed against my neck as we lay spooned on the bed. I snuggled against his naked chest and his hold on me tightened as he gently nibbled my ear.

  “I wish this was real,” I told him.

  He kissed my hair. “It is real.”

  I smiled. “I know, but I mean physically real.”

  “Felt pretty real to me.” He rolled me over onto my back and ran a finger from the hollow of my throat down to my navel.

  I held his hand to keep it still. “I need to get some sleep.”

  “You are asleep.”

  I sighed. “You know what I mean. Dream sex is confusing.”

  “But you enjoyed it.”

  I reached up to pull his head down close so I could kiss him. “Yes, I did. Very much.”

  He grinned. His features turned fuzzy before sharpening into a more sober expression. “I do want to be a man again. For you. For myself.”

  I kissed him long and deep. “I know you do.”

  “I should have taken Shojin’s heart when I had the chance.”

  I agreed. Now it was gone and who knew when, or if, we’d get it back. I
cringed at my mental admission of doubt.

  “It’s okay, Chalice,” he said. “I have my doubts, too.”

  I turned onto my side to face him. The dream lost its surreal edge and my focus sharpened. This is how I wanted him all the time, even if I had to knock myself out to have it.

  A knock sounded at the door and the room instantly popped into crystal clarity. Aydin vanished.

  A few more knocks and then “Chalice? Better get up.”

  I blinked the sleep from my eyes. “Quin? Is that you?”

  He opened the door a crack and said, “It’s about Xenia. She’s been spotted.”

  * * *

  “She sold it to who?” I asked Elmo, as he placed a cup of espresso in front of me. I blew away the steam and touched my lips to the brim. Too hot to sip.

  “One of the sewer rats.” Elmo set a teacup on the table by Quin, sloshing some over the sides.

  Quin flinched when a drop of tea splashed out of the cup to land by his hand. “Hey!”

  “Pardon me, your royal sir,” Elmo said, his mouth set in a crooked grin. “Can I get you a crumpet to go with your tea?”

  “You don’t serve crumpets.” Quin mopped at the spill with his napkin. “I prefer tea to coffee. Get used to it.”

  “Tea.” Elmo harrumphed and waddled his short legs back to the coffee bar.

  I chuckled to myself. It was fun seeing Elmo rib the proper Quin. I knew he missed Aydin, who’d been Elmo’s best friend, but Aydin had to be careful while in the city. His visit with me today could have been dangerous if the Vyantara were still looking for him. Both Rafe and Quin had said the nefarious group had left town, but I didn’t think all of them were gone. After seeing Gavin’s soul-stain inside the church I felt doubly sure that a member or two had stayed behind.

  There was a good crowd at Elmo’s tonight. The green veil had rippled open three times since Quin and I got here, and a variety of fae had emerged. Faeries, elves, and a handful of my personal favorites, chimeras.

  I looked at Quin and made a gimme gesture with my hand. “So what’s a sewer rat?”

  “In this case it’s not a disease-carrying rodent,” Quin said. “Elmo is talking about a tribe of adolescents who dabble in the dark arts.”

  I nearly choked on my espresso. “Teenage sorcerers in training?”

  “It would seem so.”

  Children and magic were a bad combination. Especially teens, whose hormones already made them an emotional wreck. Add unstable elements of unknown origin from the black veil and you were guaranteed a tragic outcome. During my years as a thief I’d seen too many kids meet an early end. A few I’d managed to save in time, but the others were already lost to whatever cursed object they had in their possession.

  “The head rat, so to speak, fancies himself a real sorcerer and when he heard about Xenia’s flying charm, he couldn’t get his hands on it fast enough.”

  “How did Elmo find this out?” I asked.

  “I have friends in high places.” Elmo joined us at the ancient spool table that had more scars than I did. “A winged faerie I know almost had a midair collision with him in LoDo’s warehouse district.”

  Uh-oh. That was bad news. This guy’s open use of the charm could easily attract the Vyantara’s attention. After all, I’d stolen it from the Canadian fatherhouse. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how the charm got here.

  “We have to get it back and fast,” I told them. “Where can I find this guy?”

  “Their nest is in an abandoned theater on the north side of town,” Elmo said before biting into one of the honey rolls that he baked himself. My mouth began to water. I hadn’t eaten since we left Halo Home. “If it’s still there.”

  “Why?” It alarmed me that I might be too late. Again.

  “The building is condemned.” He washed down the roll with a swig of coffee. “The sewer rats are lucky no one but a few of us from the green veil knows they’re using it.”

  “What about the Vyantara?” I asked. “Do they know?”

  “Haven’t caught wind of any around,” Elmo said. “If they’re here, they’ve managed to keep it secret.”

  Oh, great. More confirmation of my suspicions. They’d probably already picked through the old fatherhouse ruins so there wouldn’t be anything left for me to scavenge.

  I drank down the dregs of my espresso and winced at the aftertaste. “Where can I find this theater? And who’s going to take me there?”

  fourteen

  QUIN PARKED THE CAR ON A SIDE STREET about a block away from the old theater. No wonder it was condemned. A six-foot chain-link fence surrounded the building, which didn’t appear too bad from the front. A dilapidated roof, peeling paint and some loose boards made it look trashy but not unfixable. On closer inspection, however, the structure was a demolition waiting to happen.

  “It’s not safe,” Quin said, his lip curled in disgust. “Even if the roof doesn’t cave in, the asbestos will kill you.”

  I tapped my chin in thought as I studied the building. No lights on inside, which didn’t mean no one was there. I heard voices, five distinct ones. Three male, two female, and all were young.

  “I’m going in,” I said, and took a step forward.

  “Wait.” Quin touched my arm and I turned to face him. “You don’t know what those kids are capable of. You shouldn’t go in alone.”

  “You think I should take Aydin with me?” I offered him a crooked grin.

  “Very funny.” He brushed imaginary dirt from the sleeves of his coat. “It would be great if you could, but if they saw him—”

  “There’d be panic and mayhem.” Making Aydin public would be a really bad idea. Most of the world thought monsters and magic were only found in movies and video games. They didn’t know there was a chance their next-door neighbor was a witch and little Johnny down the street could start howling at the moon on his thirteenth birthday. People believed what they wanted to believe, even if it meant denying the truth. It was human nature.

  “Quin, I’m used to going it alone,” I told him. “It’s how I was trained. Not a big deal.”

  His brows tilted in a worried frown. “Chalice…”

  I held up my hand. “I have a plan.” I slid out the balisong from the sheath on my back. “And I have a knife.”

  I peeled back the loosened chain link in the fence where dozens before me had done the same thing. My plan wasn’t to boldly march through the front door. I’d assess the situation first.

  Stealth had always been one of my stronger skills so I had no trouble creeping soundlessly around the side of the building in search of a back entrance. A foot of snow helped muffle any sound I might have made. I listened to what the kids were saying.

  “The spell book I found in my grandfather’s attic is awesome,” said a male voice.

  “You don’t know how to get half those ingredients,” said one of the girls.

  “Can’t be too hard. I can order ’em off the internet.”

  Laughter.

  “Like dried goat brains are going to pass inspection through the mail.” This from a guy whose adolescent voice cracked on every other syllable. I was guessing sixteen, seventeen tops.

  I found the back entrance with a door slightly ajar. I guessed it’s how the kids got in. Lifting the door slightly as I eased it open kept it from creaking on its hinges. I slipped inside and pushed the door back in place, then walked down a narrow dark hall to get closer to where the voices were coming from.

  I found myself backstage behind a heavy curtain, where I peeked through an opening to see all five teens lounging on a pile of torn sofa cushions, pillows and stained mattresses with piles of dirty blankets all around them. It really was a nest. A couple of gas lanterns flickered on either side of the stage.

  At first glance I saw the kids were bundled up in layers of sweaters, coats and scarves, which was a good thing because it was freezing in here. I wondered if their parents knew where they were and if they cared.

  It wasn
’t hard to identify the leader in this motley crew. He wore a long, red velvet coat that appeared to have been pilfered from a wardrobe of theater costumes. He sat slightly higher than the others, his stack of cushions molded into something like a throne. How cute. Boys and girls playing make-believe.

  What wasn’t so cute was the way he waved the gray dove’s feather over his head, creating tiny white sparks that drifted down around him before lifting him up in the air.

  The girl with the braces said, “Enough with the stupid feather, Evan. We know you can fly. Stop showing off.”

  “Yeah,” said the boy wrapped so tightly around her that at first I’d thought they were one person. “Listen to Lilly. She knows what she’s talking about.”

  Lilly gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Duster.”

  Lilly and Duster were a mismatched pair. Lovely Lilly wasn’t so lovely with her pasty, pimply complexion and greasy brown hair that hadn’t seen a shampoo bottle in a while. Duster, on the other hand, was a teen’s dream, the prom king, and a rock ’n’ roll idol all rolled into one. I sensed something amiss. Looks weren’t everything, but seriously?

  I sniffed the air and caught a whiff of musk and amber. A lot of musk. And I knew exactly where it was coming from: the seduction charm I’d intended to give one of the squires. This Lilly girl must have bought it off Xenia.

  That left one charm still unaccounted for: a powerful wind charm that would literally blow someone away. The charm was a scarf that fluttered whether there was wind or not, and considering the layers these kids wore, it could be worn by any one of them.

  The other couple hadn’t said a word because they were too busy sucking face. It was the longest kiss I’d ever seen. I hoped it didn’t progress to something more than a kiss, at least not while I was watching.

  Evan floated down to his throne of cushions. “I’m bored.”

  I did a mental eye-roll. He had a flying charm and a spell book and he was bored? Maybe I could add a little excitement to his dull life.

  Stepping away from the curtain, I pivoted to head for a short set of steps that I assumed led beyond the stage to the seating area. Sure enough, several rows of folded wooden seats spread out in an incline beyond the stage. I popped the lever on my balisong to release the blade and walked out into the open.