Hardest Fall (Dominion series)

by Juliette Cross

  “Nice to meet you,” said Deacon.

  Bone tilted her chin up. “Likewise.”

  Hannah didn’t say a word, but she nodded as we passed.

  “She’s friendly,” Bone mumbled as we marched down the long corridor, past empty classrooms and lockers.

  “She’s cautious.”

  “Can’t blame her,” said Bone with a glance back over her shoulder.

  I guided her left at an intersection where the voices of singing children echoed nearby. I felt a faint ripple of her power as we drew closer. Smiling, knowing why her senses tingled, I led on to the gymnasium. I was sure the sight that greeted us wasn’t what she was expecting as the children sang an old schoolyard song.

  The gymnasium was divided in half. One side bore a row of archery targets and children from ages seven to seventeen taking turns shooting with the Twelvers guiding them. But it was the other half that drew one’s attention. Definitely Bone’s attention. Two rows of children paralleled each other, each child across from a partner close to their age. They were spaced about five yards apart as they threw weapons back and forth. Some threw smaller knives or daggers, flipping them deftly to their partner to catch by the hilt. The teens used heftier weapons like battle axes.

  “What are they doing?” She sounded horrified.

  “Practicing.”

  I didn’t need to explain what they were practicing for. Throwing daggers and getting a feel for the weapon was part of the training they’d need to survive in this new world.

  “This is a surprise,” came a deep voice on my left.

  I smiled at Cooper then turned back to watch.

  “Rumor has it I was dead, right?”

  “Yes. That’s a good rumor, Xander. Especially for you.” Cooper’s gaze slid to Bone on my other side. “Keeping new company, I see.”

  “You know Bone, Dommiel’s friend.”

  “Of course. I’ve bought weapons from her. She makes the best.”

  “Right.” I knew that already, but being the only one in London who’d apparently not crossed her path unnerved me. “She helped me with that whole…nearly dying thing.”

  Her attention was held by the children, still singing and tossing blades. I knew what drew her so intensely. It was what made me decide to bring her here.

  “Your girlfriend has been worried about you,” said Cooper.

  Well, that seemed to get Bone’s attention. She looked away from the children to Cooper.

  “Cooper, you already know the famous arms maker of the apocalypse?”

  Yes, I still refused to call her by her demon name whenever possible. She cut me with those hazel eyes and held out a hand to Cooper. Quite cordial when she wanted to be.

  “Good to see you again, Cooper.”

  He shook her hand, smiling with starry eyes. I imagine it happened to her often when men finally got a close look at the woman behind the legendary reputation.

  “Pleasure to see you again.”

  And he did make it sound like a pleasure. I cleared my throat. “So, my sweet Madeline was worried about me?”

  Bone’s brow pinched together. Why did that make me smile wider?

  “Indeed, she was. She overheard Hannah telling me you’d been injured.”

  That wiped the smile from my face. I didn’t want the little one worrying about me. She had enough to give her nightmares for a lifetime. I’d been the one to find her starving to death and weeping over her dead mother in a crumbling apartment on the south side of London. She’d been hiding there for weeks while demon hordes swept the area nightly for more victims. I didn’t realize how she managed to keep herself hidden until I discovered what she was.

  Bone’s attention swiveled back to the children, homing in on Madeline—her smile bright, dark curls bouncing as she sang the loudest. She appeared like any other nine-year-old girl. But she wasn’t.

  Their song lifted louder on the final verse and stopped with a jolt. They stopped tossing weapons through the air. Then they laughed. Strange that a child’s joy came from such a game. My heart stung at the innocence lost in this waking nightmare that was their new reality. Still, the fact that they could smile at all proved that children were the strongest, most resilient creatures of us all. After all, it was children who’d made up the nursery rhyme “Ring Around the Rosie” to make light of the stench of death when the Black Plague swept across the land, leaving a wake of horror in its path. Why shouldn’t children still sing the loudest in the apocalypse?

  Cooper’s training lieutenant banged a gong to signal the session over. The teens milled toward the exit leading into the barracks. The younger ones ran toward the outer door, which led to a well-guarded and enclosed outdoor courtyard that had playground equipment. Yes. Children still wanted to play, even after knife-throwing practice.

  Madeline started to follow her friends, but then she sensed us. Otherworlders could feel when another drew close. Her sky-blue eyes lit with joy when she saw me.

  “Xander!”

  I chuckled, unable to hold back the delight that little girl made me feel as she ran and launched herself into my arms. Her limbs clamped around me like a monkey’s, and I gave her a spin. Her laughter was melodious and rich, as it should be for what she was. I glanced over her shoulder to find Bone staring, slack-jawed, which only made me laugh more.

  “Did you miss me, Maddie-bear?”

  “Yes.” She squeezed her arms so tight around my throat, she cut off my wind for a second. Then she pulled back to look at me, her bright eyes swimming with joy. “They said you were hurt. But you’re all right.”

  “Yes, love.” I tapped her nose. “I’m perfectly fine.” I nodded to Bone. “Thanks to this lovely lady.”

  Maddie looked at her, and I saw the instant recognition in her eyes. Rather than be repulsed by the demon essence swimming inside her—the darkness that always covered an underworld creature like a shroud—she simply smiled and held out her little hand.

  “Hi. My name is Madeline. But Xander calls me Maddie-bear. You can call me that, too, if you’d like.”

  Bone took her hand, her hazel eyes flaring gold on contact. Clearing her throat, “How about if I just call you Maddie?”

  My bundle of joy smiled wider.

  “Maddie-bear, why don’t you go show her how good of an archer you are?”

  Maddie was an expert in every task she set before herself. But that was no surprise with her genes, her intuition far superior to that of a human her age.

  Bone stared at me, a question lingering in her expression. I just smiled and set Maddie down. My little girlfriend immediately took Bone’s hand and tugged her toward the archery area.

  “What’s your name?” she asked innocently.

  “My name is Bone.”

  “Really? That’s a funny name.” Then she smiled brightly up at my demoness. “You’re very pretty.”

  Bone followed along. “Thank you. So are you.”

  “Now that’s an interesting pair,” said Cooper.

  “They have a lot more in common than you know.”

  “How’s that?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “Bone was a seraph.” I shook my head on a thought. “Still is, really.”

  Cooper stared after the pair, where Maddie was showing Bone how to hold the bow properly. Bone nodded attentively, listening as if she’d never aimed one before in her life. Never mind the fact that she created the most powerful and deadly crossbows on earth, in the underworld, or even above.

  “How’s that?” asked Cooper, his attention shifting back to me.

  “The seraph song never leaves them, even when they fall from the Light.” I tapped my right hand over my heart. “I should’ve died, but she mended my wound with her magic.”

  I was still angry that I had demoness essence tying my flesh together in my chest. And yet, there was no menace or threat sifting under my skin. Not like before, when I was human.

  “So, Bone is an ally?” Cooper asked.

  “Not s
o sure about that. She claims to be neutral.”

  “But she’s a friend of Dommiel’s and has now patched up a demon hunter.”

  I grunted assent. “Yes. But she also just had a visit from Rook to her shop.”

  Cooper hissed out a curse. “What did that asshole want from her?”

  “That’s what I came to talk to you about.” Finally, I turned away from the lovely pair shooting arrows at a target and leveled a serious look at Cooper. “Rook is up to something.”

  Before I could say another word, a raven’s throaty caw sounded from the top of the climbing wall. A split second later, Dommiel stormed into the room, his one eye dark-blood-red with his beast riding him hard. He swept the room, spotting Bone, who’d also marked his appearance, then stalked to where I stood.

  “Glad to see you up and moving, Goldilocks.”

  “Thanks to you, Captain Blackheart.”

  Though now friends, neither of us could seem to drop our pet names for each other.

  He corrected, “Thanks to Bone.” Then, he shrugged. “And a bit of begging on George’s part.”

  “Begging?” I was almost speechless. “My George?”

  “Is there another?”

  Bone had come back to us, holding Maddie’s hand. “What’s going on?”

  Despite Dommiel’s casual demeanor, the red in his eye said something was definitely amiss.

  “I need you all to come with me.” He glanced down at Maddie. “Except you, sweetie.”

  She grinned up at Dommiel, not even remotely afraid of his menacing appearance—with his eye patch and mechanical arm, wearing danger like his best coat. She blew me a kiss and skipped toward the exit to the playground, black curls bouncing.

  “Not me.” Bone waved a hand between me and Dommiel, leveling her attention on the demon. “Now that you can take responsibility for him, I can be on my way.”

  “Does this urgency have something to do with Rook and Simian?” I asked, knowing it did.

  “Yes,” confirmed Dommiel.

  “Then, she comes. She’s got some news of our darling friend, Rook.”

  She crossed her arms, pushing her delectable breasts higher. I tried not to notice, but I was only human. Well, superhuman, actually, but the rest of me functioned like any man. Any man with a pulse who craved a woman wielding equal measures of power and sex in a deadly-gorgeous body.

  “I don’t take orders from you.” She narrowed that golden gaze on me, which only made me smile—and harden, below the belt.

  “You’re coming,” said Dommiel.

  She opened her mouth to protest, but he was off, leading us back out toward the boundary of the wards. Cooper followed.

  I half bowed as I might to a lady of the ton back in my human days, gesturing with a hand toward our leaders. “After you, darling.”

  She made an exasperated sound in her throat and rolled her eyes before marching ahead of me. And my, if I didn’t enjoy the view from back there.

  Chapter Five

  Bone

  I was bewildered at my surroundings. For the second time that day, I felt uncomfortable in my own skin. It wasn’t just the mild itch in my blood from being inside heavenly wards. It was the people.

  First, I’d been thrust inside the Twelver compound. I’d rarely given much thought to what the place might be like. When I did, I had fleeting images of misery and despair, anger and hatred. To find none of that was mildly shocking. To find joy while they trained for battle was incredible. And Maddie…I had no words for meeting that sweet soul who held potent power in every fiber of her little body. I wanted to get Xander alone so I could interrogate him about her. The little girl needed me more than she realized.

  And now, here I was in a spacious parlor of a seventeenth-century estate, bedecked in comfortable but stylish furniture, sitting in a circle of Elysium’s allies. I’d been here before—briefly—to mend Dommiel after his imprisonment. Discomfort didn’t accurately label what I was feeling. Sure, I wanted to get the hell out of there, but not because I was afraid or felt unwanted or any of those paltry feelings a demoness should feel among angelkind. No. It was because I felt rather at ease and welcome and right among this odd crew. And that unnerved me beyond anything else. I wanted to get back to my shop, shut out the world, and do my work, ignoring what I’d seen, and felt, today. But I was afraid it was too late for that.

  George Draconis, the owner of this estate called Thornton Hall, stood at the window where twilight crept in, holding a glass of Scotch. Xander leaned against the mantle with one arm propped on the edge, a cozy fire crackling in the grate. Dommiel stretched out in a large, leather wingback. His raven-haired angel, Anya, her blue wings tucked close to her back, sat calmly on the sofa at his right. Next to her was Kat, the blond-haired demon hunter who was George’s woman. Wife, perhaps. And I occupied the empty, matching sofa across from Anya and Kat.

  “So what’s the news?” asked Xander.

  George swallowed a gulp of his Scotch. “We’ve found where they’ve been taking the kidnapped humans.” He downed the last of his drink and set the glass on the bar in the corner before strolling closer.

  Xander pushed off the mantle and came to stand next to the sofa where I sat, crossing his arms. “And?”

  “Allerton Castle,” said Kat, her voice steady but edged with anger. “North Yorkshire.”

  Xander scoffed. “They’re keeping humans in a castle?”

  “No,” said Dommiel. “They’re building cages. Lots and lots of cages on the grounds.”

  “More like prison compounds,” added Anya.

  “But why?” I heard myself ask. “They have their own essence to control them.”

  “True,” agreed George. “But essence wears off. A high demon, even a prince, must constantly renew his essence in a being he wants to hold possession over. With the number of humans they’re acquiring, they’d have to be continuously feeding them essence to be sure none of them could rebel and escape. The compound is an easier way to control a large population of prisoners.”

  “You mean slaves,” amended Kat, a flicker of fury tightening her expression.

  “I know another way.” Xander took a seat next to me, casually crossed his ankle over his knee, and stretched a long arm along the sofa back behind me. His body heat felt uncomfortably…good. But even with his easy, casual grace, there was tension riding his voice. “Perhaps if they put their essence into say, a steel collar of some kind, they could control them round the clock.”

  All eyes were fixed on Xander, but he was looking at me. Dommiel and Anya shared a look.

  “What kind of collar?” asked Anya.

  Xander hadn’t turned from me. I could feel him staring. “Why don’t you tell them about your new commission?”

  Dommiel leaned forward, elbows his on knees, clasping his hands. “What new commission is that?”

  While the tension heightened in the room by the minute, my old friend kept calm and reassured me with one of his smirky smiles.

  I stood and pulled the magazine page from my back pocket, unfolded it, and handed it over to Dommiel.

  “Rook wants me to make this, embedded with his and Simian’s essence.”

  George walked over, while Anya and Kat leaned in for a good look.

  “It’s a crown, really.” I shrugged. “That’s what it was to the Celts, anyway.”

  “But,” added Xander from his casual state of repose on the sofa, “a crown of that kind with their essence is a slave collar. A highly prized one. They paid her a thousand drakuls for it.”

  Dommiel’s brow shot up at that.

  George paced back toward the fire, hands clasped at his back. “How many did he requisition?”

  “Just one.”

  “Why just one?” asked Dommiel.

  “A prototype.” Kat had taken the photo and examined it. She looked up at me. “Perhaps he just wants to see if you can do it first.”

  I almost laughed. “I’ve been trying to figure out why he’d want jus
t one, but that makes complete sense. I even told him I wasn’t sure I could meld someone else’s essence with the metal.”

  “But you can?” asked Anya, her violet-blue eyes reminding me of the skies of Elysium, a distant memory that pricked like thorns.

  “I can.”

  I never doubted my ability to do this. No one knew that my seraph song was far more powerful than one might imagine.

  George shook his head, brow pursed. “The sheer number of torques you’d have to create to equal the number of slaves they’re gathering… It just doesn’t make sense.”

  Anya leaned forward, “Maybe not. But it’s true that demon essence is an unstable form of possession. For weaker creatures, a high demon can possess their will easily and completely. But for more powerful beings, say for an angel, or another demon for that matter, they can fight the essence with their own power.” She spoke as if from experience. No one questioned her, but I knew she was right. “Tell me, Bone. Is seraph song powerful enough to stabilize demon essence?”

  I’d used ether power, a magical, otherworldly essence delivered to me from the depths of hell by runners I paid well. I’d been working with the substance long enough to know how strong metalwork and seraph song bound essence.

  “It’s permanently binding.” I clasped my fingers, staring down and thinking of the hundreds, probably thousands of weapons I’d created containing ether. “This…collar could lock any being, heavenly or demonic, in their keeping for eternity.”

  “Fuck,” swore Dommiel. “I’m going to get into that compound.”

  Anya scoffed, ruffling the blue wings at her back in agitation. “Like you did last time?”

  “I just need a good plan, baby.”

  This confused me. “Why can’t you get past the wards? You’re a demon, if you haven’t noticed.”

  “It’s not the wards,” he said. “It’s the hellhounds patrolling every inch of the border that isn’t covered by furies.” He shrugged, sharing another look with Anya. “And though I’ve been known to tame a hellhound or two in the past, these are extraordinarily vicious.”