Blood Trinity

by Sherrilyn Kenyon; Dianna Love

  Storm shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and dropped his head close to hers. “I won’t ever do that again if you can tell me you didn’t enjoy it and make me believe it.”

  How did she get herself in trouble like this? Telling him the truth—that she’d never been kissed, not in a sweet way like he’d just done—would get her in as much of a jam as trying to convince him she hadn’t enjoyed it. “I don’t have to tell you anything, and we need to get back to work.”

  There was that chuckle again, but this time genuine humor spread across his face and reached his gorgeous eyes for several seconds before he turned all business again. “We’ll get back to work then. You wanted my help, so tell me about Alterants.”

  She wished she could read his mind and know what to believe about him. Know if he could be trusted.

  When she didn’t answer him, he said, “What if I told you we have more in common than not?”

  The adrenaline jamming her body from that kiss began to back off so she could think more clearly. Allowed her to breathe again. “I don’t see how you and I could have anything in common.”

  “Let’s make this simple and stop beating around the bush. You have your secrets and so do I. I told you I’m not Sen’s puppet, but that’s all I can tell you about why I’m here. It’s up to you to decide if I’m lying or not. If you want my help, ask for it. If I say I’ll do something, I will, but that’s not a promise I’ll say yes to everything you ask, or that our ideas of what it means to help will always coincide. That’s the best I can do.”

  “Did you give Sen the same agreement?”

  “Yes, I did.”

  If he’d taken his time to answer or tried to convince her otherwise, she wouldn’t have believed him. Agreeing to share her situation with him didn’t mean she trusted Storm completely, but she needed someone who could help other than Tzader and Quinn. She would not put them at risk. “I can work with that.”

  “Then tell me what the problem is or what you need from me.”

  She gritted her teeth at the idea of giving him all the evidence Sen would need to hand her over to the Tribunal. Would Storm use what she told him against her, or would he really help her? She was running out of time and there was only one way to find out. “Someone sent three demons into Atlanta looking for an Alterant, and I’m the only one here. I need to find out who is behind the Birrn that attacked me and if it’s connected to the Ngak Stone in any way.”

  “You’re sure the demons were after an Alterant?”

  “No, I don’t have enough real drama. I’m making the demon attacks all about me.” She’d gladly give up the spotlight to someone else.

  “What makes you think the demons that have shown up in Atlanta are connected to the Ngak Stone surfacing in the park?” Storm asked.

  “Too many coincidences add up to a possible connection. For one thing, I ran into a Kujoo the other night, the one called Vyan that Trey was talking about in the VIPER meeting.”

  “Why don’t you tell me about this Vyan while we work our way through the park?” Storm took the lead through the dark.

  He moved with the agile grace of a big cat, as if at home in the night. Did he have exceptional vision, too?

  Evalle put her sunglasses back over her eyes before he reached one of the paved roads lined with streetlights that dissected the park. She kept an eye out to make sure no one was near them when she continued. “Vyan was trying to grab two teenagers the other night and I intervened.”

  “How’d you get involved?”

  “One of the teens he was after is a street kid, a male witch I don’t want to see end up as a demon Snackable. The other one is the sister of a demigod. But here’s the odd thing. When I stopped Vyan from taking them, I had the weirdest feeling he was glad I kept the kids out of his hands.” That empathic ability she’d been sensing might have given her that insight now that she thought about it.

  Striding at a comfortable pace, Storm shook his head. “That makes no sense.”

  “Tell me about it, and Vyan actually told me to read them the fairy tale about Hansel and Gretel. Like he was trying to let me know a witch was planning to use them for a blood sacrifice, which fits with Noirre majik. And here’s the other surprise—he didn’t at least try to battle me.”

  “I thought Trey said this Vyan was allowed to walk away free if he didn’t battle a Belador.”

  “Few people consider me a true Belador, so that shouldn’t have stopped him. I doubt Shiva would hold him to that agreement when it came to an Alterant.”

  Storm had reached the steps leading down a ten-foot drop to the south end of the park when he paused and studied her. His eyes logged some thought he didn’t share before turning to take the steps two at a time.

  She wished she had Trey’s exceptional ability to read anyone’s thoughts. He was one of the strongest telepaths among the Beladors. Storm would probably catch her snooping around in his mind if she were bold enough to try. She’d love to know just what was going on beneath all that black hair, what gave his coal-black eyes both a contemplative and a hungry look at the same time.

  The rain picked up from a bare drizzle to a light shower, running even the most die-hard dog owners from the park. Evalle started to chide Storm over not even bringing a hat to block the rain from his eyes when she caught a movement on her left about fifty feet away.

  “What the heck is that?” she mumbled to herself.

  Storm turned to follow her line of sight.

  The figure of a distorted old man limped through a wide space between two tall pine trees. The man’s body flickered in and out of view as though he couldn’t hold a shape of any kind.

  Evalle took a couple of steps. Her boot scuff must have spooked the thing. He lifted off the ground, floating around with his head and shoulders solid.

  His eyes were demon red. Sharp teeth came into view when his lips pulled back in a snaggletoothed snarl.

  She spoke softly to Storm. “He looks like a Nightstalker I’ve done business with.” Thankfully, it wasn’t Grady.

  “Thought they were harmless ghouls.”

  “They are. Something has happened to that one.”

  The ghoul flew toward them.

  Evalle lifted her open palms shoulder high and shoved outward, tossing a short blast of power that knocked the ghoul backward.

  The thing howled, but the sound had no volume. He jerked and shook, looking around with crazed eyes. When his body dropped to the ground still half formed, he turned and ran away faster than she’d expected.

  She watched where the ghoul entered the woods. “I have to find out what happened to him. Somebody shook hands with that ghoul too long or put a spell on him when they shook or … I have no idea what they did, but he can’t run loose. He looks dangerous. I’ll check it out.”

  “No.”

  “One of us has to catch him before he hurts a human, and we both know Sen doesn’t want you to leave me alone with the Ngak Stone.”

  Storm gave her one of his studied looks. “Would you pick up the stone if you found it?”

  “No. I’d call Tzader.”

  “I believe you. You’ve seen the stone and I haven’t, which means it makes more sense for you to walk the south end of the park and see what you can find out. I’ll track down the ghoul. If you find the stone before I get back, we’re out of here early.” He swept a quick glance around them, then his eyes came back to her. “Close your mouth unless you’re trying to catch rainwater.”

  She was speechless. Was he really leaving her alone to hunt for the rock? She had no quick comeback, which didn’t matter since she was staring at his back as he vanished into the thick woods. Swinging around, she headed across the huge expanse of grassed area where people came to hang out and play during daylight.

  Not right now, though, on a weekday night with the steady rain churning dense humidity.

  She turned toward the creek where the Ngak Stone had been lost two years ago. To the right of the footbridge crossing the cre
ek was another stretch of open space that butted up to Tenth Street. Not a soul in sight, human or otherwise.

  A dog barked.

  Evalle stopped and searched through the drizzle where the streetlights couldn’t reach.

  A young woman in a poncho was squatted next to the footbridge, searching the bank of the creek for something. She stood up and gave a little tug on the leash for her mutt, who danced around her feet. “I see you, Brutus, yes, I do.”

  Human. Not a concern.

  Evalle had decided to ignore the young woman when a flush of energy swept the air around her face. She searched the night and found the culprit.

  Vyan, the Kujoo, emerged out of the blackness and approached the woman. He asked, “May I speak to you?”

  The young woman froze with one hand clenching her dog’s tether and the other hand stuffed in the pocket of her parka—holding pepper spray? “No. Please don’t come any closer.”

  Evalle kept her power leashed to prevent Vyan from sensing her presence. She could understand how Vyan saw in this darkness, since he’d have some form of preternatural sight, but how was that human woman getting around without a flashlight?

  “I mean you no harm,” Vyan said.

  “What do you want?” the woman asked.

  “I want to warn you. Someone is coming who is a danger to you.”

  Evalle studied the woman closer this time. Nothing radiated from her body that would indicate anything other than human, so this might have nothing to do with the Ngak Stone.

  Was Vyan trolling for bodies again like he’d been doing outside the Iron Casket the other night? Was someone forcing him to do that against his will so he tried to warn people in advance?

  The possibility loomed in Evalle’s thoughts, but she couldn’t let him hurt a human, intentionally or otherwise.

  And this might be a lead on the Ngak Stone.

  “Who are you? I’ve never met you.” The woman pulled her free hand out of her pocket when her dog ran around her legs. She reached down to grab his collar and missed twice.

  Was she blind? That would account for no flashlight.

  “I am a stranger. My name is Vyan, but I do not want you harmed.”

  “Then we’re on the same page, Skippy.” The woman managed to untangle her dog from her legs and straighten up.

  “You must leave this park now.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  Vyan continued in a nonthreatening tone. “No, that’s what I’m trying to explain. You have to—”

  A whip of bold energy raced across the park, slapping Evalle’s exposed skin. She swung toward Tenth Street, easily locating the source. Striding toward the woman and Vyan was a statuesque man with a gorgeous face and light hair. He wore jeans and a button-down shirt.

  Who was this guy?

  He also wore a pair of sunshades, hiding something about his eyes. The air literally buzzed as he approached.

  Considering how her luck had been rolling in the crapper lately, Evalle figured that would be demon-red eyes hiding behind his sunglasses.

  Vyan stepped between the woman and the new guy. “Do not come closer, Tristan.”

  “Get out of my way, Kujoo.”

  Ah, crud. These two knew each other. Evalle blew out a breath and started toward them from the side. They were not harming a human on her watch.

  Tristan whipped a hand at Vyan and a blue strike of power lashed across Vyan’s shoulder. He yelled in pain.

  The girl shrieked. Her dog barked wildly, then she turned mute. Fear would do that.

  Vyan recovered his footing and drew a wicked sword from inside his coat. “You’ll have to kill me to get to her.”

  “As I’m a generous man, I’ll grant your wish,” the one called Tristan answered, chuckling.

  What was this all about? Evalle shoved a wall of power at this Tristan guy and he stumbled sideways.

  Then he jerked his head around at Evalle.

  Vyan noticed her then, too. “See what you’ve done?” he told Tristan.

  “What’s going on, Vyan?” Evalle asked.

  “Get out of here, Belador,” Vyan said. “I have no quarrel with you.”

  “Belador?” Tristan said the word as if he’d found something he’d been looking for a long time. Something he wanted to mount the head of.

  Evalle opened her channel to the Beladors. Trey, Tzader, Quinn, get to Piedmont Park. Now. To Tristan she said, “Stand down or I’ll have to hurt you.”

  The bastard laughed as if he hadn’t heard anything that funny in decades. “First I get to kill Vyan then I get play time with you? And here I thought it was going to be a boring night.” He ignored her and switched his attention to Vyan. “Move or die. Now.”

  Vyan turned to the woman, who stood shell-shocked still, and told her, “Run and get rid of that rock.”

  Rock?

  The woman didn’t move.

  Tristan sent another blast at Vyan that knocked him back into the woman.

  Evalle rushed forward and stepped in front of Vyan, blocking Tristan’s next attack with a wall of energy. She turned to see the woman pull a glowing stone from her coat pocket.

  The Ngak Stone. Holy crud.

  Vyan had fallen at the woman’s feet and across her dog’s leash, pinning them to the spot. He moaned. Blood ran from his shoulder and his leg.

  Tristan roared and slammed Evalle’s power field with another shot of hot energy, rocking her backward. If she let her guard down he’d get to Vyan, her and the woman. Had to get that woman and the rock out of here right now.

  She could only hope Storm was heading back this way and would intercept the woman if Evalle sent her to him. Evalle told the woman, “Put the rock down and run toward the steps over there.”

  The woman looked at her with bright eyes that weren’t blind. She mumbled, “I just want to go home.”

  Poof. No woman. No Vyan. No stone.

  That just left Evalle with one pissed-off Tristan thing.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Evalle couldn’t believe what had just happened. She was positive that woman standing in this park a minute ago with the Ngak Stone was human.

  How could that be?

  The roar of fury coming at her meant someone else was just as surprised and didn’t like surprises.

  The man Vyan had called Tristan strode arrogantly across the open stretch of turf toward her, splashing puddles of water. He flung strikes of blue hot energy up against the field of power she struggled to hold in place against his onslaught.

  What was this guy? And why did she feel a buzz in the air? If he was a sorcerer, he’d have dealt with Vyan and pulled the woman to him, so this Tristan had no majik ability.

  Maybe. No absolutes in her world, not when the being was unidentified.

  Evalle stood a better chance in battling this guy one-to-one rather than just holding up a field of energy. With the rain now coming down in sheets across the park she might have an advantage with her speed and agility.

  She shoved a wall of power at Tristan that knocked him backward and gave her a chance to come around into a fighting stance. “Just what is a Tristan?”

  “The last thing you’ll see alive,” he told her in a voice promising pain as a prequel to death. Then he attacked, rushing at her with arms raised to slam her.

  She kinetically hooked her hands around him and fell backward, using his momentum to toss him over her head, high into the air and crashing down onto the end of the footbridge.

  Sen would have to deal with the wrecked bridge.

  Tristan rolled to his feet, unfazed. He called out, “Get over here.”

  “Does that work with other women?” Evalle quipped. “Not so much with me.”

  “Wasn’t talking to you.” He lifted his chin, and she realized he was talking to someone else when he said, “Get her.”

  Evalle swung around just as two hideous half-human-half-ghoul forms flew at her. Things that looked like the demented ghoulish thing Storm had followed.


  She slammed her boot heel against the ground, and blades shot out from the sides. Waiting until the ghouls were close enough to catch, she swept her arm wide from side to side. The wave of kinetic energy she dragged across the ghouls knocked one into the other, tumbling them into a pile of writhing arms and legs.

  A part of her registered that these had to be old Nightstalkers she’d probably spoken with in the past, so she didn’t use her blades to cut their throats. Once she’d dealt with this Tristan character she’d have to call Sen before these two ghouls revived.

  Facing Tristan again, she found him sitting casually on the edge of the footbridge railing, one foot propped on a crossbeam, as if waiting on someone to hand him a beer. “What have you been doing to Nightstalkers?”

  He didn’t say a word.

  She took a step toward him and a spike of pain shot into the back of her calf. Evalle fell to her knees. She looked over her shoulder to see one of the ghouls dragging himself toward her with a long fingernail sticking from his finger like a sharpened blade.

  Her sympathy for the insanely half-dead flew out the window.

  “You shouldn’t have done that.” She shoved up to her feet, took two steps and cut his head off with a kick of her boots. Turning to the second one, she warned, “Move and I’ll quarter you.”

  The other poor thing quivered and backed up into a ball of fear, huddling against the downpour.

  When she wheeled around to Tristan this time, she wanted blood. “You’re mine.”

  “I’ve never been one to disappoint a lady.” He jumped down from his perch, gripped his hands as if he had an invisible bat and swung at her.

  Her leg throbbed, but she waited until the last minute to dive sideways and roll.

  His blast of power disintegrated the remaining ghoul into tiny microscopic pieces the rain dispersed. That had probably been his true target for his first time at bat.

  She raced at him from the side before he got to take a second swing.

  He spun, using his kinetics to block, but she wasn’t a standard-model Belador he could take down with the usual kinetics. At least, not when she was one hundred percent. She’d make him pay for the ghoul cutting her leg.