Shadows of Fate (Shadow Born)

by Angela Dennis

He nodded but pushed her away from him. “I need a minute.” Several deep breaths rattled his lungs as he knelt before them. Lifting his arms above his head, he took in a deep breath and began to hum.

  The center of his bare chest began to glow with an iridescent light. It illuminated his entire body with radiant warmth. As it faded away, it left in its place a wholly healed Seraph. He jumped to his feet, face glowing with health.

  As she struggled with her own battered condition she couldn’t help but be envious of his healing ability.

  “Thank you,” he said, taking the clothing Gray handed him. “They bound me in iron.”

  Brenna nodded. Iron restricted the use of magic, regardless of what world you were from. “I freed Claudius’ people. They are on their way out of the compound.”

  “Alone?” Seraph finished dressing.

  “I gave them some of my blood,” she said. “It was the best I could do.”

  Gray stepped forward. “My team is helping provide them cover. But this operation is a bust. We need to cut our losses and regroup.”

  “Agreed,” Seraph said. He accepted the blade Gray handed him. Picking up a rag, he wiped the blade clean before sliding it into the sheath at his back. He leapt onto the examination table beside them, and pulled down the ventilation grate. “We’ll go back to the cabin and regroup.” He looked at Brenna. “You’re in no shape to fight,” he observed, motioning her to go ahead of him. “We need to get outside to shift. There are too many wards on this place.”

  His nonchalant attitude was irritating, but she couldn’t argue. The darkness across her vision was only getting worse.

  “Go on ahead,” Gray said. “I need to do something first.”

  “Be fast. It’s only a matter of time before they retaliate.” Seraph gave Brenna a leg up into the shaft.

  Brenna moved down the shaft to make room for Seraph. She could still hear the conversation continuing below.

  “Don’t die.” Seraph said. “There is more to worry about than just demons and Brenna, remember. I need you in this fight. You’ve waited a long time for this, don’t screw it up.”

  Brenna froze.

  Seraph’s words held a familiarity that made her uneasy. There was no reason Gray would have a personal stake in this battle unless Seraph knew something she didn’t.

  Gray stood silent as Seraph disappeared through the grate. Once out of earshot, he turned back to the two restrained men.

  Fear stricken eyes stared back at him. Their blood splattered white cloaks had smeared blood against the wall. They were members of the Brotherhood. Most humans weren’t stupid enough to try and ally themselves with the demons. Those that were almost always regretted it.

  He crouched in front of them. Allowing his incisors to lengthen, he smiled. “If you want to survive this, I need information.”

  The bigger of the two men said. “You’ll kill us anyway.”

  Gray’s smile grew. “Even if that is true, there are several ways I could kill you. How much do you want to suffer?”

  The smaller man began to shake.

  Gray pulled Claudius’ map from his back pocket. “Do you recognize this?”

  The smaller man’s voice quivered. “He’ll rip us to pieces.” He frantically shook his head, spittle gathered at the corners of his mouth.

  “Who? Adare?” Gray asked.

  Hysterical laughter spilled from the smaller man. “We haven’t seen Adare in days.”

  “They said he was too weak,” the other man said. “The demons brought our new leader with them.”

  “Does he have a name?” Gray asked.

  “He walks in the shadows.” The larger man said. “He doesn’t need a name.”

  Gray rolled his eyes. Regardless of where they came from or what they believed, he would never understand religious extremists. Even bound and bloody they still felt loyalty to him. If Orien was pretending to be a god, his ego had grown to epic proportions. It made him even more dangerous.

  “You should be concerned about what I’m going to do to you, not some creature whose name you don’t know.” Gray pulled a blade from the sheath at his back and let the metal glisten in the dim light. Once again he held up the map. “Tell me how to read this or I will rip the information from your mind.”

  The smaller man struggled as Gray pressed his hands on either side of his head. His skin was heated and damp. Gray tickled his mind and the man jerked.

  “No. Stop. I’ll tell you,” he cried out.

  “Donald, shut the hell up,” the other man ordered.

  Gray helped Donald to his feet. Stepping back, he held up the map. “What is this?”

  “It’s all the possible entrances through the Veil.” He struggled against the plastic locks. “Release me and I’ll show you. I swear.”

  Gray cut the zip tie. The man pointed to the map with shaking fingers. “Each symbol is a possible portal. The lines represent a series of passageways that run beneath them. Some portals are above ground, some below, but they all have a tunnel.”

  “Where do the tunnels lead?”

  He tried to shrug, but it came off more like a spasm. “They go everywhere, like an underground interstate.” He pointed to the elemental runes. “These represent landmarks.”

  Gray studied it for a moment. He pointed to one of the runes. “That is a body of water.”

  “Exactly.” Donald clenched his hands.

  “Who is bringing the demons over?”

  The larger man growled. “If you answer, I will kill you myself.”

  Gray shifted his attention to the other man. “You can’t kill him, if I kill you first.” He turned back to Donald. “If you help us, I will protect you. You have my word.”

  Donald gaze down to his feet. “Adare was my friend.” He closed his eyes for a moment as he gathered himself. “His name is Orien. He did something to make the Veil sick, they say. It lets him free the demons directly. They don’t need hosts. Not like before. Now they just use us for camouflage and food.”

  He paused to steady his voice. “It’s not supposed to be like this. We were supposed to be joined with a demon. A partnership. A union. We thought Orien was a true believer, but he only joined the Brotherhood to feed us to them.”

  Gray cursed. If Orien had weakened the Veil, things were worse than they ever imagined.

  Grabbing the man by the wrist, he shoved him toward the ventilation grates. Let’s get outside, then I’ll get you out of here.

  Donald nodded, his legs trembling as he complied. Gray watched him, bemused. So much for their grand plan. The demons weren’t just kicking their ass, they were ready to pour through the Veil en masse.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Brenna paced the hallway of the cabin, becoming more irritable. It had been stupid to leave Gray behind in a compound full of demons with no back up.

  Two days had passed with no word. Visions of him dead and bloody played continually through her mind. She hadn’t slept. If he did make it back, she was going to kill him herself.

  She blew out a breath. Her feelings weren’t rational, but she didn’t care. If Gray could embrace his stupid male bravado, she could react to it. Cursing, she kicked the wooden floor then winced at the hole she made. Cursing a second time, she went back into the living room and plopped down beside Seraph on the couch. She would do less damage there.

  Seraph peered at her over the papers he had been studying. “If he were dead, you would feel it.”

  She tapped on her leg with her nails. “Our link isn’t that strong.”

  Seraph snorted. “If you say so.” He shook his head, turning back to his papers.

  “Have you heard from Claudius?” She pulled a thick camouflage blanket around her legs. When he didn’t answer, she snatched the notes from his fingers. It earned her an irritated glance.

  “Not since he took over custody of the vamps you rescued.” He stood, taking back his papers. “We’ll hear from him once they are stable.”

  “I wonder how many surv
ived.” For a moment she was back in the compound, watching her blood spill into the mouths of the desperate survivors.

  “They lost a few before they were clear of the compound. The rest made it, barely. Claudius will do right by them, but I sent Sam to help, just in case.”

  Nodding, she blew out a short breath. Waiting wouldn’t bring Gray back any sooner. A warm breeze drifted across her face. She felt the familiar presence she’d been waiting for form on top of the braided rug in the center of the room.

  It was about time.

  Brenna leaned against the thin couch cushions. Relief and fury flowed through her as Gray appeared. Since he had no visible injuries, fury took hold.

  “Where the hell have you been?” She poked him in the chest. “Why didn’t you use our mental link and let me know what was going on?”

  There was humor in Gray’s gaze. It made her want to strike him. She rose above the urge.

  “I’ll remember next time,” he said. “Seraph knew where I was.”

  She shot her boss an accusing glare.

  “A little worry can help put things in focus,” Seraph said with a smile.

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  He shrugged. “Only what I said.” He looked to Gray. “Did you verify the locations on the map?”

  “I traveled to the sites farthest from here first. It all adds up, so I think Donald was telling the truth. There are three sites below ground less than ten miles from this cabin that still need to be explored. As far as I can tell the underground sites haven’t been active, but I don’t want to miss anything.”

  Brenna looked back and forth between the two men, her frustration mounting. “Would you care to share with the rest of the class?”

  Gray turned back to Seraph. “You didn’t tell her that either?”

  “You can explain. I need to check in with Hilda. She’s running an errand for me.” He left with a carefree wave.

  “He can be so infuriating…”

  Gray laughed, the deep tenor of it filled the room. “Don’t I know it? Seraph always has reasons.” He pulled a folded piece of parchment from his back pocket. It was the map Claudius had given them.

  “You can figure it out?”

  Gray nodded, handing it over. “I had a willing translator. The runes are landmarks and the lines are tunnels. That dark area is Blue Lake.”

  She studied it, turning it over in her hands to see it at different angles. It all seemed to click. “It catalogues portals to the Veil.” She ran her finger across the one she had traveled through when she was banished, well-secured and guarded. But that was just one. There were far more here than she had imagined. This was bad. If these are all active the very fabric of the Veil could be unstable. And the last time that happened… She tried not to think about it.

  “Based on this, I’ve been trying to find the ones they’re using to smuggle in demons. So far the only ones that are active have been above ground.” He ran his finger across the page. “But most of these are buried deep within the Earth, connected by tunnels.”

  “We have to shut them down.” She paused, still stunned by the sheer number. “All of them.”

  “That’s the plan, but it’s not something we can fix by going from tear to tear.” Gray took the paper from her, folded it then placed it in his pocket. “Seraph’s got an idea. We also have to be ready for Orien—”

  “Because he will attack when he realizes what we are doing.” She smiled. “You’re setting a trap, aren’t you?”

  “We have to force him into the open, so we can end this.” Gray said. “Once we capture him, I’ll take him through the portal to the Council.”

  Brenna froze. “You’re going to take him home? After all he’s done? Why not kill him?” She’d be damned if the Council would rob her of vengeance, she finished silently.

  “He is a Shadow Bearer. He belongs to the Council. They can punish him in ways we can’t.” He turned to walk toward the fire.

  “The Guardians will never let you take him through.”

  He gave her a look. “The Guardians will hand him over with a bright red bow. If Orien’s damaged the Veil, the only thing they will demand is justice. They care about the ends not the means.”

  The Guardians patrolled changes in the Veil. They were charged with regulating travel between worlds to ensure the threads that bound the planes of existence were not severed. The portals on this map were not premade entry ways, but tears through the very essence of the Veil, damage that weakened the whole of reality.

  Brenna wanted to argue. But it would do no good. If he thought the proper channel of punishment for Orien was the Council, she wouldn’t be able to change his mind.

  Her emotions were torn. She had spent the past few days struggling to contain her worry. Her dreams had been filled with images of his death. Now that he was back she just wanted him gone. She stared into the fire.

  “Don’t ever do that again. You slammed the door closed against our psychic connection. I couldn’t feel you.”

  He moved behind her. “I didn’t want you coming after me.” The heat of his body rivaled the warmth of the flames.

  “That’s not your call.” Her back pressed against his chest. He was close, too close. “I thought you were dead.”

  “You would have known.” His breath tickled her hair. “We are too intimately connected.” His hands smoothed down her arms.

  Turning into his embrace, she studied him. “And how is that even possible?” She focused on the movement of his lips as he began to speak.

  “Some people are simply connected.” He leaned down and softly kissed her lips. “We are both alone in this world. It was bound to happen. Maybe part of you intended it.” His hands swept down her back. “Does it matter why?”

  She pushed back from him when she felt another presence close by. “It always matters.”

  Mira entered the room, a steaming cup in each hand. “I made coffee.” She handed a cup to each of them. “I couldn’t help but overhear. Are we still safe here?”

  Gray refused the drink, stepping away from Brenna. “According to the map, we are only a few miles from a portal through the Veil. That makes this the last place they would look.”

  “So we are hiding in plain sight.” Mira smiled. “But we’re screwed if they find us before we’re ready. Gotta love those odds.”

  “There are three locations I wasn’t able to check. Once we have some information about them, we can move forward,” Gray said.

  Brenna studied him. Something wasn’t quite right. There was something missing. Before she could question him, another presence swirled through the room. It danced and morphed into a greenish mist which settled over the rug.

  “Hilda, cut the dramatics.” Mira slashed her hands through the mist. She cursed and pressed a bleeding finger to her lips. “If you weren’t already dead…”

  “What? You’d drain me dry?” Hilda materialized. “Save it.” She acknowledged Gray with a tilt of her head. “Where is Boss Man?”

  “I’m right here.”

  Brenna started as Seraph stepped forward. Had he been there all along? She was sure she’d seen him leave.

  “What did you find out?” He leaned down to stir the flames.

  “The demons are gone. They aren’t in Denver, the Underground, the hospital compound or anywhere else.” She drifted by the fire and around to the couch. “They took at least fifty deviants and killed a ton more, then poof, gone. The locals are scared.”

  “And what about Adare?” Seraph tossed a piece of slender green wood into the fire.

  “The Brotherhood are wiped out, except for those they’re keeping for snacks and brainpower.”

  Brenna drew a sharp breath. “Adare’s dead?”

  “No. He’s wandering the Underground asking for you, Seraph, anyone from the IRT.” Hilda shook her head. “He’s acting crazy, like he’s on a bad high.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Gray said. “Adare was the only member of the Bro
therhood who didn’t want the demons to cross over.”

  Hilda shuddered. “They say the Brotherhood committed a mass sacrifice to do something to the Veil. I don’t know what, but it allows the demons to cross over in their natural form. Ancient stuff, really nasty.”

  Gray shook his head. “I can’t imagine Adare went along with that.”

  “But there’s something wrong with Adare’s aura too.” Hilda added. “It’s outlined in black, like something’s marked him. It looked disgusting.”

  “A supernatural lojack?” Brenna sighed. “Someone’s keeping tabs on him.”

  “Can you get rid of it?” Gray turned to Seraph. “He could still be useful.”

  Seraph considered it. “I could, but it would take too long.”

  “If he’s been compromised, we have to pull him out,” Brenna responded. “There’s no point keeping him undercover any longer.”

  Gray shook his head. “It’s too much of a risk if he’s being tracked.”

  “Agreed,” Seraph said. “I will have someone tail him.”

  “Why not cleanse him of whatever they tainted him with and grab him? We could use more fire power,” Brenna argued.

  “He might be bait,” Seraph frowned. “Adare was one of ours. He had access to all of our information. Our contacts, our passcodes.”

  Brenna crossed her arms. “You think he’s the leak.”

  “He might not have been willing, but you have to admit it makes sense.”

  Gray stepped forward. “You said the traitor would have to be a ghost or have help from a ghost. Adare uses them for covert contacts, and he knows how to ride the astral plane himself.”

  “I left him under too long,” Seraph rubbed a hand across his head.

  Brenna felt sick. “Seraph, I know you’re not one to make snap judgments, but Adare is one of us. You can’t believe that.”

  “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t have more than just suspicions, Brenna. Adare is cut off.” He paused then took a long breath. “The truth will come out. It always does. Until then no one is to contact him.”

  Brenna bit back a retort. She had been friends with Adare before either of them joined the IRT. She wouldn’t dismiss him as a traitor without more proof. At worst he was a pawn being controlled by Orien.