Marked For Death: A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel

by Becca Blake

  Orion was going to give me hell for this later.

  Cards scattered everywhere as the Arbiters jumped to their feet.

  I rolled out from behind the car and dove for my sword, which leaned against the support beam next to Orion’s.

  As I picked up both swords, McCoy caught me by the arm. The weapons slipped free from my grasp as he threw me down.

  Orion stepped between us and caught him with an uppercut. He tried to draw his sword, but Orion shoved him against the wall. As they matched each other blow for blow, they stood between me and the weapons I needed to get to.

  I jumped up and gripped McCoy’s arm, just as he’d done to me, though I wasn’t nearly as strong. He shoved me aside like I was weightless, nothing more than a minor annoyance.

  Still, my distraction was enough for Orion to sneak in a solid blow that sent his opponent stumbling back with a bloodied nose.

  I needed my sword. Without it or my magic, I was just dead weight in this fight. I crawled around the scuffle and made it to Orion’s sword first. I called out his name as I held it up for him.

  He sidestepped McCoy’s attack to get closer to me and pulled his sword free from the sheath. Armed with his blade now, Orion could hold his own. So instead of staying to help him, I located my sword and raced across the room to join Celia.

  She’d been defending herself against Hart and Roland with an impressive display of swordsmanship, but it was only a matter of time before they overpowered her. No matter how much she was able to dance around her opponents, it was still two-on-one.

  I mentally called out to my sword, searching for the connection Ed forged for me, but I found nothing but silence. The weapon was just a mundane blade in my hands, with no magic to guide my strikes.

  Ice rushed through my veins as I realized how vulnerable I was. I relied on magic so heavily in fights, especially now that I was learning to wield flames. Fighting with no magic left me with a cold fear that I had no time for.

  As the two Arbiters cornered Celia, they left their backs exposed. She parried Roland’s attack, but she left her other side open for Hart, who lunged. She would have caught Celia with a fatal blow to the chest, if not for me diving in and catching her sword with mine. My blade slid up the length of hers and sliced clean across her throat.

  Roland noticed me too late to help her, though that didn’t stop him from trying. He lost all reason and spun toward me, giving Celia a clear opening to disarm him.

  He surrendered without a word, his face pale as he dropped down beside his fallen companion.

  “You killed her.” Roland looked up at me in disbelief. “You killed Jen.”

  The ache in his words pulled at my heart, but I didn’t know what to say to him. What else could I have done? They were going to kill us.

  He tore his gaze away from me to look at Celia, and all of his grief turned to rage. “Leader Thorne said you were siding with the Oathbreakers, but I didn’t believe him.”

  A heavy thud came from across the room. Moments later, Orion joined us, wiping fresh blood off his sword.

  “What did you just say?” Celia asked Roland.

  He squeezed his eyes shut. “Marcus warned us about you.”

  “What else did Marcus say?” Orion asked.

  Roland swallowed hard, then looked up at Celia with a steely gaze, as though he’d summoned the last of the courage he possessed. “He said you’ll die like a traitor along with the rest of them when Raxael comes for all of you tonight.”

  She drove her sword through his chest, and his lifeless body fell beside Hart’s.

  Something about the sight of the three Arbiters made me uncomfortable. Not that they were dead—I’d seen my fair share of death. But it struck me that they were just doing the job they’d signed up to do.

  As I sat to take a breather, Roland’s last words before Celia struck him down echoed in my mind. There had been so much venom in his voice. Even before we killed his companions, Roland fought us with a fury he believed was righteous, and he’d been fighting to kill. Celia, Orion and I had betrayed him, just as Jacob betrayed us, and he hated us for it.

  It would be easier if I could view the three hunters as a clear enemy—an evil that had to be defeated. I had no trouble sleeping at night after killing demons. But a month ago, I could have been in their place, hunting down Oathbreakers at the Council’s command. Just like them, I would have never stopped to think twice about it.

  Did these hunters deserve to die just for doing as they were told? For serving an organization they believed to be just?

  Then again, all three of them were members of the Council’s personal guard. They had to know the truth about the deal the Arbiters of Shadow made with the demon lords, and not a single one of them had spoken up against it.

  I couldn’t imagine making the same choice. Before the night of Maki’s ritual, I had always believed our work was about keeping people safe from demons. Once I learned we were actually working for them, my choice was obvious: I could stay with the Arbiters and work for the demon lords, or I could fight to stop them.

  And I’d never been one to walk away from a fight.

  My loyalty was never to the Arbiters—not really. My loyalty was to humanity. My purpose was to hunt demons and protect innocents, and I intended to do so until my last breath. Even if it meant turning my back on everything I knew.

  I couldn’t be the only one who felt that way.

  How did the Council intend to explain away Raxael’s attack on Haygrove? There were so many witnesses when Raxael confronted them on the steps of the town hall. No matter what they said or did in the aftermath to cover it up, word would spread, and those who were left alive would learn the truth. Were there others like me, who would break their oaths and leave? Or would most be content to pretend nothing had happened?

  I had to believe that most hunters would be just as horrified as I was. I had to believe that, if we ever returned to Haygrove, there would be some who would choose to join us and stand against the demon lords.

  “Riley?”

  At the sound of Orion’s voice, my head snapped up. He and Celia stared at me, as though they were waiting for my answer to a question I hadn’t heard. How much conversation had I missed while I’d been lost in my own head?

  “Sorry, can you repeat that?”

  “I said, we should leave before anyone comes to check on these three,” he said.

  “Or before Raxael gets here,” Celia added.

  “Right,” I said, shaking away my thoughts. There would be plenty of time to worry about everyone else in Haygrove later. For now, we had to take things one step at a time and focus on surviving.

  Though, I had no idea how we would do that. Where could we go that the Council wouldn’t find us?

  Or Raxael?

  I touched my shirt just below the spot where the demon lord left his mark on me. He told me I could use it to call him to me, but did it work the other way around, too? Could he find me anywhere I went? Maybe that was how he found Alexis. If that were true, I was as good as dead, no matter what happened.

  “Celia and I will go get Ayla and help her to the car,” Orion said. “You gather our things so we can get out of here.”

  “No. We can’t run.” I dug through my duffel bag, taking a quick inventory of my belongings. It looked like everything was where I’d left it, from my spare weapons and extra clothes to Ayla’s daggers. The amulet was still wrapped in the old shirt I hid it in.

  “Are you insane?” Orion asked.

  “Raxael will find us anywhere we go. They didn’t take the enchantment—not the real one, anyway.” I held it up to show them. “We can do this tonight.”

  “Wait,” Celia said. “You’re saying you want us to wait here for Raxael to show up?”

  “Neither of us can use our magic,” Orion said. “We won’t last two second
s.”

  “That’s exactly it,” I said, my voice speeding up as I formed a plan. “Raxael believes he’s walking in to massacre a group of traitors who have already been subdued. He won’t show up prepared for a fight. That should give me time to activate the enchantment, and once he can no longer plane-shift, we can take him down.”

  Orion leaned back against the hood of an old car and rubbed the scruff on the side of his face.

  “We’ll never have another chance to take him by surprise like this,” I said.

  “I had a similar thought back at the bookshop. With that mark Raxael gave you, you could summon him into an ambush,” Orion said thoughtfully. “But that was before those injections.”

  Celia shook her head. “I didn’t sign up for that. I’m trying to keep you two alive—not watch you die.”

  “Then, leave,” I said.

  “I’m going to make sure your friend is still doing okay. Excuse me.” Celia strode off without another word, not allowing either of us a chance to respond.

  “Great,” I muttered.

  “I’ll go talk to her,” Orion said.

  “I know this is a lot to ask,” I said. “No one else has to stick around. But I’m doing this.”

  He gave my arm a quick squeeze as he walked past me, leaving me alone for the moment.

  Chapter Thirty

  As I knelt down and stuffed everything back in my bag, I heard the groan of metal nearby. I rose slowly and held my gun at my side as I inched toward the sound.

  “Who’s there?” I called out.

  When there was no reply, I straightened up. Old places like this made strange noises all the time, and I was feeling jumpy. Still, I didn’t want anything to catch me off guard, so I did a quick sweep of the area.

  “Don’t shoot.”

  Maki stood in the doorway, holding his hands up to show he wasn’t a threat.

  I gripped my handgun tighter as I looked him over. He’d ditched the robe and now wore a long jacket with a plain t-shirt and jeans. It was almost unsettling to see him look so normal after the monster he turned into that night.

  He’s still that same monster, I reminded myself.

  I lifted the gun and slid my finger down beside the trigger. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t.”

  “I’m not here to hurt you.”

  “Assuming that’s true, what is it you want?”

  “I’ve been watching this building and tracking the Arbiters’ movements here in Omaha. I saw them drag you in here,” he said.

  “And?”

  “I was waiting for a chance to make a move, but it looks like you got to them first.”

  “Is knowing you slithered in once we had the situation under control supposed to make me feel better?” I asked.

  “Just listen.” He took a slow, careful step forward, still holding his hands up. “We’re on the same side here.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “The Arbiters are after you. I assume that means you’ve figured things out and have become enemies of the Council. They’re calling you Oathbreakers and hunting you down. Am I right?”

  I nodded.

  “Then, our goals are aligned.”

  I didn’t have a chance to respond before Orion’s heavy footsteps approached.

  “What’s going on here?” His voice trailed off as he noticed Maki standing in front of me.

  “Orion, wait—” I yelled, but he was already rushing forward.

  He tried to attack, but he carved through nothing but air.

  Maki reappeared in the far corner of the room. He hunched over and rested his hand on the wall, gasping for breath, as though he’d just been sprinting for miles.

  He’d moved too quickly, almost instantly. I only knew of one other being who could pull off a trick like that.

  Orion held his sword in front of him, his entire body tense and ready to strike. “How did you do that?”

  “The ritual,” Maki said between labored breaths.

  “It gave you Raxael’s ability to shift through planes?” Orion asked.

  “Sort of,” Maki said. “It’s unpredictable. I can’t really control it.”

  “Isn’t that what you wanted?” I asked. “Wasn’t that the whole point of it?”

  “Yes. But I didn’t complete it. If I had, I would be as powerful as Raxael now. I could stop him.” He shuffled forward and leaned on a car. “Now, though… I think it’s killing me. Eating away at me from inside. I’ve shifted across town three times now without warning. What will happen if I end up in the infernal plane?”

  I lowered my weapon, but kept my gaze fixed on him. His face was strangely pale, and he had deep moons beneath his eyes, as though he’d hardly slept in the past week.

  “There’s one good thing that has come from it, though,” he said.

  Orion’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that?”

  “It removed Raxael’s mark.”

  “His mark?” I asked.

  “The one he gives his followers, so he can find them anytime, anywhere,” Maki said.

  My fingers drifted up to my collarbone. So I’d guessed right—he found Alexis through the mark he gave her, and he could do the same to me. There would be nowhere for me to hide from him.

  This really would be my only chance to stop him.

  “So, you still want to fight Raxael?” I asked.

  “Riley,” Orion said, a low warning in his tone. “Don’t.”

  “Maki might be right. We all want the same thing, and we need all the help we can get.”

  “You know we can’t trust him.”

  “Call me crazy or stupid if you want, but I believe him when he says he wants to kill Raxael. Ayla can’t help us, and Celia won’t. Jacob left. That leaves you and me, assuming you’re staying. Do you think that will be enough?”

  “I don’t know,” Orion said, shaking his head.

  I returned my gun to its holster and approached Maki with my hand held out, offering a shake. “We’re doing this tonight. We could use your help.”

  “You expect me to fight Raxael tonight? In my condition?” He ignored my outstretched hand and broke out in harsh laughter.

  “If you’re not willing to help, why are you here?” I asked.

  “Like I said, I saw the Arbiters bring you here. I thought if I helped you escape, you might return the Arryn emerald to me. Once I have it back, I can continue my work and become strong enough to kill him on my own.”

  “There’s no way in hell I’m giving you that emerald back so you can kill more people,” I said. “We’re going to kill Raxael tonight, with or without your help. If you want to be part of it, you can stick around.”

  “What do you intend to do about his ability? This is suicide.”

  “We have a plan.”

  “What plan? Without matching his power—”

  “Ed Moran used the emerald to create an enchantment to stop Raxael from plane-shifting. We just need to survive long enough to activate it once he shows up,” I said.

  “Let me see this enchantment.”

  I bit my lip as I considered his request. Trusting him was a risk, but so was letting him go.

  “All right,” I said.

  Orion shoved Maki against the wall. “If you betray us, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

  “You really think so little of me?” He asked softly.

  “I’ve never had reason to think otherwise.”

  “Never? That stings.”

  Orion released him and stormed off, still scowling.

  “I wasn’t wrong about the Council, you know,” Maki called after him.

  “I’m going out front to keep watch. Yell when you need me.” Orion didn’t bother to look back as he walked outside.

  Maki sighed. “Let’s see this enchantment, then
.”

  I pulled the amulet out of my bag and held it up to show him.

  “May I?” he asked, holding out his hand.

  “You can look, but I’m not stupid enough to let you touch.”

  “Fair enough,” he said.

  I hesitated for a moment, then held it up to give him a better look.

  “So, this is all that’s left of the emerald?”

  I nodded. “I’m not sure what Ed did with the rest of it.”

  “I assume he thought making it smaller would concentrate its power and make it stronger,” Maki said, more to himself than to me. “He might be right about that, but even so, this won’t be enough.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Do you have any idea how powerful Raxael is? Have you ever seen him?”

  I shuddered, remembering the way he’d seemed to be everywhere at once while Haygrove was being overrun by the hellhounds he summoned. “Yes.”

  “Then you should know we don’t stand a chance against him.”

  “But this amulet—”

  “You say this will lock him in place, but what makes you think it will actually be able to do that?”

  I didn’t know how to answer that. The alchemist’s word was my only proof, and even he had seemed skeptical about the limitations of the enchantment. He couldn’t tell me whether it would work in the day, or how long it would last.

  “Alchemy is an art, not a science,” I said, repeating what he told me back in Haygrove. I had no choice but to trust that he’d done his best.

  “That’s exactly what Dr. Moran says when he’s guessing.” Maki chuckled before turning serious again. “The power I have now came from this emerald. I can sense its energy, and I’m certain this will not be enough.”

  “So, what can we do?” I asked.

  “It’s possible the power I got from the ritual could give it more juice. I don’t have full control over it, but I may be able to direct that energy back into the emerald.”

  “Great,” I said. “How do we go about doing that?”

  Maki sucked in air through his teeth. “You won’t like it.”

  “What?”

  “I won’t be able to control the magic without a sacrifice.”