She couldn’t stay here long, but her lids grew heavy and she struggled to keep them open. A wave of weariness washed over her. She hadn’t experienced such a need to rest since she’d first started using her powers as a teenager. She lifted an arm, bracing it against the wall to provide support as she regained her vertical position. But her leaden arm disobeyed her will to flop against her side.
Camille slid down a wall to the ground. Her eyes fluttered close. Just one minute and she’d try again.
After about what felt like thirty seconds, she opened her eyes. Omigod! Heart pounding, she rose unsteadily to her feet inside a white-walled room. Where was she? How much time had passed?
Gizeel stood inside the doorway. Had the alien somehow captured her instead? Contempt shown in his eyes. “Why didn’t you save me? You didn’t help me!”
She froze. How had he obtained a transmutalyzer? His mouth remained closed, but his question reverberated in her mind over and over again as if stuck on auto play.
Relaxing, she attempted to access his mind. But to no avail. He was barricaded and with her drained powers, she had no hope of breaching the barrier.
Camille squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to recall what happened, but Gizeel’s incessant questioning grew louder in its intensity and tone. Her cells tightened with each sound until she felt her body would combust if he continued.
“Stop! Stop it!”
Silence.
When she opened her eyes again, Gizeel and the white room had disappeared, leaving her standing behind glowing red bars.
Something clanged against the structure. Yanking the flashlight off her belt, Camille shone it toward the shadows.
She gasped. A pair of yellow eyes stared back at her.
A rogue.
Chapter Four
As more bodies spilled into the bar, Ryder wiped a hand down his face. He pulled out a bill and slapped it on the wooden surface. “Time to make the rounds.”
Mo glanced at the door. “Camille coming back?”
Ryder shrugged. “Probably not. She doesn’t have much time left, but I bet she finds Gizeel.”
Mo folded his arms across his chest. “So we know his name, but not where he’s from and why he’s here?”
“For the moment.” Ryder unfolded his length from the stool. “The boys on top are eager to find out more and I’m betting Camille will give them everything they want.”
Mo smirked. “She seems to think she can handle an alien on her own when we don’t even know what he’s capable of?”
Ryder’s lips twisted into a grin. “You know, I’m starting to think she can. Silver hires only the best.”
A goofy smile crossed Mo’s face. “Guess you’re right.”
“Yep, she’s top-notch...just like all of Silver’s agents,” Ryder joked, knowing full well his cousin’s weakness for human females – particularly the ones in Silver’s employ.
“Funny.” Mo wiped the back of his neck. “I’ll admit I bed humans every now and then, but I never consider a future with the species.”
Ryder held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I didn’t say a word.”
Mo wiped the counter with a clean towel. “I watched you talking to Camille and unless I’m totally off point, which we both know rarely happens, you’re interested in her and for a hell of a lot more than a good time.”
Ryder didn’t respond to Mo’s claim. Instead, he clasped the medallion in his hand, not fighting the urge to bring Camille’s image to mind again. Truth was, he wanted to ogle her sexy body in motion. She and her surroundings seeped into his mind. Glowing red bars and the sight of Camille standing behind them turned his blood to ice.
He yanked his glasses off his face. In the haste to stand, he toppled the stool. Why had she wandered into the forbidden zone? The guards warned everyone who entered Demopolis. Shit! Why hadn’t he continued monitoring her?
Mo folded the towel. “What gives?”
Ryder stuffed the lenses in his pocket then looped the medallion around his neck. “A rogue’s after Camille.”
His heart pounded as he rushed out the door. If she were killed, there would be hell to pay.
****
Yellow eyes slid through the fluorescent bars like bobbing points of light. Camille readied her laser, although she couldn’t ascertain a body attached to the eerie malevolent orbs. As they bobbed around, she countered their movement.
In a flash, they blinked. When they opened again, the shining, yellow orbs had moved within a hair’s breadth of her legs.
She pulled the trigger, sending a beam of white light into the center of first one eye then the other. A terrible growl rumbled in response. She may have scored a win, but she knew it wasn’t a victory yet. Camille didn’t move, gut instinct telling her she wasn’t alone. The only sound she heard was her own breath.
Hot, rank breath scored her neck, the intense heat charring her skin. Her eyes teared at the searing pain. She squinted through her watery vision, fingers nearly melding into the metal as she fought to hold the weapon steady.
Wetness dribbled onto her neck. She brushed at the area, instantly recognizing the metallic smell.
With all her might, she kicked her right leg back, hearing the satisfying crack of bone. She pounded against the bars. A jolt of electricity shot through her body as she made contact. She dropped to her knees, swallowing the cry of pain rising instinctively in her throat.
The eyes reappeared, this time with streaks of red interspersing the yellow. “What are you doing down here?” A gravelly voice ricocheted around her, but she couldn’t make out a mouth. “You humans think you can dictate what we do.”
She dragged deep breaths into her lungs. “I hear you loud and clear.”
“You’re not leaving with the alien.”
She sucked in her breath, struggling to gather enough oxygen to speak. “How do...you...know…about him?”
“We possess more powerful abilities than you, human.”
“But what if an enemy of yours sent the alien?”
“My only enemy is you.”
“If I’m such an enemy to you, why don’t you show yourself?” She shouted into the darkness. “Frightened of me, huh?” She hoped the taunt would work.
He appeared in front of her. A flash of panic flared through her as her mind registered the fact he stood a foot taller. The four horns rising from his head didn’t gleam like polished ebony nor was his breastplate bathed in brilliant hues. Instead, his horns reminded her of twisted antlers and his entire body was a dusty, dull gray.
Camille lowered into a squat. She swung a leg out wide, connecting with one of his to send him careening off balance. She rose in a single move, knowing the rogue would retaliate.
He landed on his back, but quickly recovered. “Don’t play with me, bitch.”
The brief seconds allowed enough time for her to position the laser and pull the trigger. A line of fire zipped through the air. She froze, waiting for the sound of impact, but heard nothing. Had she found her mark?
Suddenly, her arms were forced to her sides by an invisible force. She wriggled against the unseen strength, but it overpowered her. A sweaty, meaty hand covered her mouth.
Her heart raced, filling her ears with the sound of rushing blood. She was focused enough to realize he owned the advantage. Tamping down the instinct to hurl at the scent of rotten flesh, she bit his hand, clamping her teeth on the hairy palm.
He howled as he released her. “I’m going to enjoy killing you.”
Camille slid into his mind, but the second she made contact unparalleled pain ripped through her. Pure evil washed over her, sucking and pulling at her like quicksand. She had to get out, but her power felt like it was being sucked from her. She tensed, using all her remaining strength to jettison herself from his mind.
Weakened, she gripped her temples as she sank to the ground, feeling consciousness ebb away amid the sound of satisfied maniacal laughter.
****
Please let her
be alive. Ryder dashed down the byway. Ahead, he saw Camille lying on her side. From the rise and fall of her chest, he knew she wasn’t dead, but lay in a suspended state.
Before he reached her, the rogue appeared, blocking his view of Camille.
“What are you planning to do half-breed?”
Ryder paused, summoning his own demon. The familiar rush of additional strength coursed through him as beneath his t-shirt, he felt the skin of his chest harden into a breastplate while horns rose from his head.
Ryder advanced, his attention focused on the physical embodiment of evil in front of him. In a swift move, he gripped the rogue’s head between his hands. “I will crush you if you’ve hurt her.”
“I’ll reveal your other life if you don’t let me go,” the rogue gasped.
Ryder eyed him, recognizing the damned soul as Parker. He knew Parker’s parents, but since their son succumbed to the lure of evil, they’d been ostracized from the greater society.
Ryder squeezed tighter. “All I need is sufficient cause to end your pathetic existence.” His eyes narrowed. “Give it to me,” he growled.
“Kill me and you’ll be banished,” the rogue gasped.
The temptation to end Parker’s life raged through Ryder, but the idiot was right. He couldn’t kill him outright without risking the possibility of never seeing Camille again.
Parker twisted in his hold. “She ventured into my zone. I was protecting myself.”
Ryder’s jaw pulsed with the struggle to cage the kill lust rising inside him. “I know a rogue’s version of protection. She wasn’t a threat to you!” He paused, dragging in a breath. If he ended Parker’s life, he’d only make himself vulnerable to turning. It didn’t matter the reason for killing. The act would seep into his cells and his soul and demand he commit more evil.
“I’m hauling your ass to jail and then it’s Shenquartz for you.”
The mention of the vast desert badland did the trick. Parker twisted in his grip. “Please, not there!”
Ryder didn’t blame him for backtracking. No one wanted to go there. To live in Shenquartz meant fighting for survival every day. Few demons lasted longer than a month against the vicious elements.
Ryder loosened his hold, but only to whip out his laser. He held the weapon in front of him with the rogue squarely in his crosshairs.
Parker dropped to his knees. “Don’t send me away. I swear I won’t cause any more problems.”
The human part of Ryder didn’t believe Parker for a minute, but the demon half hesitated, aware that by Demopolis law, he was required to extend the benefit of the doubt. “Tell me what you know about the uprising tonight.”
Parker wheezed in his breath. “The plan’s to fight in the safe area.”
Ryder moved closer until the butt of his gun was flush with the rogue’s forehead. “The safety zone’s off-limits.”
Parker nodded. “But our rights are being violated. The humans are intent on using our abilities and reaping the benefits, but don’t want us to live among them. What makes humans think they’re better? We’re the more advanced civilization.”
Ryder understood the outrage. Didn’t condone it, but knew the core of the pain it emanated from. “Do not venture near the safety zone. If I even smell you, it’s Shenquartz for you. No questions.”
Parker nodded. “I understand.”
Ryder growled. “Forget our deal and I will find you. I’ll take you to Shenquartz myself if I have to.”
The rogue nodded, backing away to disappear in the darkness.
Ryder replaced his laser. He needed to get word to the necessary parties about the uprising. But first, he had to help Camille. He forced his demon back.
He knew how much she wanted to fulfill her assignment. But if she discovered his role in chasing away the rogue, would she be grateful or angry? Deciding that her wrath was the least of his problems, he gave her shoulder a rough shake then slipped into the shadows before she opened her eyes.
“Time is running out. Stop fighting the pain. Let it fill you and you can function.”
Beyond the intense hurt, Camille registered Ryder’s voice filling her mind. Moaning, she rubbed her temples. “The eyes – ”
“Gone.”
“But the bars –”
“Don’t exist. Lie still. Accept the pain and it’ll disappear.”
Camille followed his instructions. As soon as she did so, the bone-numbing pain subsided.
Pushing to her feet, she dusted off her clothes. How could Ryder not only read her mind, but talk to her?
“Later. Get Gizeel and get out.”
She felt her neck, but her skin was dry with no hint of blood.
“You only have a few minutes. Hurry!”
Camille ran in the direction she’d come, intent on finding Gizeel and getting the hell from down here. She couldn’t scan the minds of the demons she passed. Her run-in with the rogue had seriously depleted her abilities.
She’d crossed Byway 2 when a blast shook the ground. Camille held on to the wall to keep her footing. Frightened demons scurried around her seeking shelter. A female with a baby in her arms scurried past and disappeared behind a wood door.
The shaking had barely ended before Camille was running again, this time keeping close to the wall.
“Camille!” Ryder weaved through the fast-moving bodies of demons.
She halted. “What was that?”
He stopped in front her. “Fighting.”
She frowned. “Underground? There’s never been any evidence of it above.”
“Potholes.” Another boom sounded. “Head to the gate.”
“What about Gizeel?”
He planted both his palms against the wall, sheltering her body with his own as kernels of concrete rained down. “We have to go!”
She twisted to face him within the cavity of space created by his body. “Not without Gizeel.”
Panic crossed his face. “Cam –”
She ducked free of the cover Ryder provided. “He’s frightened. He can’t understand anyone and I think he’s quite young.”
“For the love of – ”
“Please, Ryder.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “There are ten or more rogues about to roll by us in two minutes. They’re angry and let’s just say a human toy to play with would brighten their day. Get my meaning?”
Color drained from her face, but she didn’t say a word.
He grabbed her wrist. “Thought you’d see things my way.”
She stopped, causing Ryder to halt as well. “I refuse to leave without Gizeel.”
He cursed. “Woman, why are you so stubborn?”
“I have a job to do. Either help me or I’ll do it alone.”
“This is either the bravest or stupidest thing a person has ever done.” Muttering curses under his breath, Ryder unsheathed his laser. “I’ll watch your back.”
She caressed his cheek, pouring her gratefulness into the action. “I promise I can find him. If I can’t, I’ll go with you.”
The heat from his look burned through her entire body. Raw desire and need reflected in his hazel eyes. “Be careful.” The words ripped from him as if he were trying to keep from saying them.
The rogues emptied into the byway. Demons’ screams bounced off the walls and assaulted her eardrums. Camille stayed close to the walls, her best bet if she hoped to avoid detection.
Most of the demons sought to escape the rogues. A few brave ones fought the rogues, despite the fact if they killed one, they would themselves turn into the very thing they killed.
Ryder stood where she’d left him, gun in hand ready to attack anyone who dared follow her. She could hear Ryder him shouting, but couldn’t make out his words amidst the noise.
She searched every nook for the small figure. She rounded a bend. Near a narrow darkened doorway, she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Gizeel huddled against the craggy wall. His eyes were closed and his body shook.
&nbs
p; Praying a sliver of her powers remained, Camille centered herself. She slipped into his mind. Instead of the normal tingle she felt when entering someone’s body, this time, the joining hurt with the ferocity of a migraine, the pain caused by the drain of her powers.
Camille searched, finally locating a smiling image of him. She dragged it to the forefront of his mind then slipped out. Despite their language barrier, he gripped her arm, nearly crushing her bones in the process. His mouth moved, unleashing guttural sounds which she didn’t bother trying to decipher.
“I won’t hurt you, but we have to figure out how to get out of here.”
His hold on her arm tightened.
Praying they somehow achieved a miracle, Camille half-pulled, half-carried Gizeel while sweat dampened the lining of her jacket.
Ryder came running up to them. “I’ve got him.” He transferred the slender alien’s weight to his arms. “We can’t continue in this direction.” He pointed ahead of them. “The fighting is worse near the entrance gate. The guards will have their hands full trying to keep peace and won’t have time to sanction your departure.”
Her heart pounded. She’d completed the mission, but if she couldn’t leave...“What do we do?”
Chapter Five
“Follow me.” Ryder cut a path amid the frightened demons running along the byway. He turned left, leading them away from the fighting and through a residential area. He, Mo and a few border guards were the only ones who knew about this spot. But in order to keep Camille safe, he had to risk rogues’ finding out about it.
Ryder stopped, his instinct warning him to look behind them. He glanced over his right shoulder. A group of snarling gray rogues gestured at them.
He set Gizeel gently on the ground who immediately wrapped his spindly arms around Camille’s waist.
Ryder felt along the smooth wall with his fingertips.
Adrenaline rushed through her. She cursed. “What are you doing? You’re wasting time.”
“Let me concentrate, woman!”
Her body tensed as the rogues moved closer. She gripped her laser. Five border guards rushed around the corner. Forgetting Camille and Ryder, the rogues turned, meeting the guards head on. Grunts and screams rent air as the light from lasers pierced the rogues’ skin.
Demon Ryder Page 3
