Blood Promise (A SkinWalker Novel #4) (A DarkWorld SkinWalker Novel)

by Ayer, T. G.

  "Target practice," said Logan quietly.

  Nobody argued.

  Goblins could be vicious when attacked, but they weren't fighters. They hated any exercise that didn't further their own personal goals of a happy carefree life. Hence Alaska and other far-flung countries were usually populated generously with goblins.

  Logan shook his head. "What better way to test paranormal weaponry than to use targets who have zero evasion tactics, and even less defensive capabilities. And who like living as far from civilization as possible. Easy targets and nobody will notice. Best of both worlds."

  I shook my head. "All this, everything that's happened to date, all the murders . . . They all seemed so random, so unconnected. What reason could there be for randomness-"

  "Unless the randomness was deliberate." Logan finished my sentence, nodding to himself. His gaze was focused angrily at his plate as if Grams' bone china dinner plate was one of the killers. "They've been testing whatever ammunition and techniques they have on different paranormals, different parts of the world. But maintaining a distance from civilization."

  "Makes sense," said Mom, looking angry.

  Before I could say anything, a knock sounded at the door. Grams' eyebrows rose and I knew she already knew the identity of out visitor.

  Mom got up to answer and when the visitor proved to be Jess, I wasn't surprised.

  She walked in, her movements graceful, and as should be expected from a Titan. She inclined her head in greeting as she stopped beside the table.

  Both Logan and Grams rose, and Grams said, "Would you-"

  Jess lifted a hand regally and everything stilled.

  I blinked.

  Logan and Grams were standing way too still. I stared at them, and blinked again.

  A glance back at Jess confirmed that the Titan and I were the only ones still able to move.

  My jaw dropped.

  She'd frozen them.

  CHAPTER 30

  I'D HEARD OF THE TITAN'S ability to freeze time and always thought it was some kind of magical mumbo-jumbo. Apparently it wasn't.

  I stood for a few interminable seconds, almost as frozen as my family. A small part of me wondered, in shock, if they'd come out of that state even aware that they'd been paused in the first place.

  Then I was just angry.

  "Why did you do that?"

  I hadn't even bothered to greet her, but I didn't care about being rude. She'd just frozen the people closest to me; I doubted she'd expect me to bow at her feet.

  "Because we need to talk."

  My gaze flickered between Mom and Logan, to Grams, her mouth half-open, lips frozen in mid-speech. To Dad. If I wasn't so annoyed, the whole scene would be hilarious.

  "Do not worry about them. They are all perfectly fine."

  I shoved my chair back, ignoring the angry screech of the legs against the wood floor. I even managed to not glance at Grams to see if she was glaring at me in admonition.

  I stepped away from my seat and, walking around Dad, came to stand in front of the Titan. I moved slowly, deliberately. I wanted to convey that I wasn't afraid of her, or intimidated by her. But something told me she already knew what was in my heart.

  That I was more than a little terrified.

  "What do you want to talk about?" I asked, tightening my throat muscles so my voice wouldn't shake.

  "We have a problem."

  You don't say.

  "Which one?" Right now, we had a whole bunch of them.

  "The killings."

  The most annoying thing about Jess was that she was stingy with information. She only gave me bits and pieces, and only then when things got dangerous.

  I folded my arms and waited.

  Jess sighed and began to pace. It was uncommon for a Titan to display such human emotion. Interesting.

  "I have been with Omega for a long time and nothing like this has ever cropped up on my radar." She made a disgusted sound. "I am beginning to sound too much like these . . . agents."

  She said 'agents' like it was a dirty word. Even more interesting. "So Omega had something to do with the massacres?"

  "I cannot be certain. We suspect it may be the case but we have no definitive proof."

  "Who is we?"

  "I cannot tell you." Jess tipped her chin. "I can only tell you what will assist you in your investigation. I do not have the authority to divulge anything beyond that."

  I raised an eyebrow, the action drawing an indulgent smile from her.

  "I am sorry, Kailin. I am doing everything possible to help, without stepping over the boundaries placed on me. I have orders, and I am fulfilling them to the best of my ability. But something has gone very, very wrong.

  "Omega agents have been involved with killings. Logan told me about Agent Blake at the massacre site. And then there is the paranormal ammunition. It even knocked you down. Perhaps it didn't kill you but it was certainly powerful enough to incapacitate you for a time. That is a concern.

  "More killings are happening daily, and we are frustrated that we cannot trace the source. The perpetrators are smart, and ruthless."

  That was for sure. "Why are they doing this?"

  "At this point, we cannot be certain, but from the nature of the killings and from studying some of the scenes, I believe the person behind it all has something against paranormals."

  "You don't need to be a genius to figure that one out," I snapped--and then wished I could stuff the words back down my throat.

  Titans were many things but they weren't patient and they didn't like disrespect. It was one thing to think rude thoughts. It was quite another to say them aloud. With some Titans it was asking for a death sentence. I'd also heard stories of people losing their tongues, or their minds, and sometimes both.

  "Stop being so melodramatic, Kailin."

  I stared at her stunned. "You--"

  "Read your mind?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "Of course, I read your mind. You have absolutely no shields. I can hear every thought you have. Titans, Immortals, and Angels all have the ability to hear the thoughts of other beings."

  "Can you hear each other's thoughts?"

  "Thankfully, no." She seemed relieved.

  "So, if you can hear our thoughts, why can't you just read everyone's minds and find the culprit."

  "Because they seem to have help from someone. Someone who knows how to bypass my ability."

  "Then Omega knows who you are?"

  "Strangely enough, no. Whoever this is. either knows who I am or they suspect an Immortal has infiltrated. Or they are just being paranoid and careful. In any case, it is bad for me because the culprits are either magically blocked, or they are manipulated in such a way that they have no idea that what they are doing is wrong."

  I nodded. "And if they didn't think they were committing a crime they wouldn't be thinking like a guilty person."

  "Precisely." Jess was still pacing. "Everyone I have read is going about their business. Nobody has walked past me with fear or guilt or awareness on their minds."

  "That just proves whoever is behind this is very smart."

  "And very powerful." Miss State-the-obvious.

  "Any ideas?"

  "Possibly an Elder, an Ancient or one of the Immortals." Jess looked worried.

  "Why would you think that?"

  "Just the breadth of knowledge that they seem to possess, the ability to manipulate people so skillfully. The ability to evade Sentinel's investigations."

  "So Sentinel has been aware of this?" I asked.

  "Since it began." She fell silent.

  "When did the killings start?" I asked. Something told me I wasn't going to like the answer."

  "About a year ago," she said with a sigh. "I have been keeping an eye on the attacks, reporting back. We have been monitoring the situation and trying to implement ways to stop it. But we have been frustrated at every turn."

  "Almost as if they know you're coming?"

  She nodded, frustration lining her fac
e in deep grooves.

  I knew the feeling. I was still stunned from learning that the killings weren't a new thing.

  "We did not think it prudent at the time to educate the Races," Jess said before I could ask why they hadn't shared. "Only when the murders began to increase in frequency and number, did we realize the severity of its escalation would make wide-spread awareness unavoidable."

  I narrowed my eyes and watched her. She spoke so impartially, with so little emotion, that I almost understood how they could have ignored the murders for so long.

  "You do not understand," Jess said, her tone steely. "We did not ignore the murders. We believed they were separate incidents. Unfortunately, we were wrong. It soon became clear that we were not dealing with either separate incidents or a serial murder spree."

  My voice was dead when I finally said the words.

  "We're dealing with attempted genocide."

  "Yes."

  Jess sighed, her shoulders drooping. I'd never seen a dejected Titan before. But then I'd never talked about paranormal genocide before either.

  But she'd known, so why would she be reacting this badly?

  Unless...

  "Did your High Council know this was going to happen?" I asked. The Immortal High Council was the most powerful council across the Planes, the Fae excluded. Fae were a whole other story altogether.

  Another breath. "Not exactly."

  I waited. No sense in pushing her.

  "We knew something was going to happen," she said after a moment. "Sometimes Oracles are highly specific. At other times they are more confusing than informative."

  "That I know," I said dryly.

  Jess gave a soft laugh. "These predictions were specific enough that we knew the timeframes. We have been watching. But we still did not recognize it immediately." She began to pace again. "The problem has been, that with for every step we make that gets us closer to the killer, we seem to take two steps back. It is as you said. Perhaps we have a mole."

  "Or maybe the killer is a Titan?" I suggested, knowing I put my life in her hands as I did so. Titans were known for their fury. Maybe my mouth would get me killed after all.

  Jess's face paled, but she met my eyes. "I am beginning to wonder that myself."

  I inhaled slowly so she wouldn't know I was taking a huge freaking sigh of relief.

  "What can I do to help?" I asked. She'd come here for a reason, after all.

  Jess inclined her head, a regal thank you. "If you would help me fill in the blanks, it would be most helpful."

  She wanted information. But that would mean I'd need to tell her everything that we found out. If she was part of the problem then I'd be giving information straight to the killers.

  Wait. What? Did I really think Jess was capable of murder?'

  The Titan laughed, the sound soft, yet musical as it danced around me. "My dear, you must know that I do not need permission to obtain information from you. I much prefer that we both worked together on this. I dislike having to probe the minds of the unwilling." She made a face. "I usually emerge feeling . . . tainted."

  "Uh . . . Yeah." I wasn't sure what to say. "I'll help, of course. Anything to end this horror."

  I was being truthful. I'd even help the perpetrators if it meant being the instrument of their downfall.

  Jess paused and stopped in front of me. "I thank you, Niamh."

  I blinked. "I haven't been called Niamh in a while" I sighed. "I wish I knew more about that, too. And about what's going on with Logan."

  Jess smiled. "To show my gratitude I have a gift for you."

  "A gift?" I parroted, wondering why she'd be gifting me anything right now.

  "If you encounter any other Titans, your suspicions, along with what we've just discussed, will be available for them to read if they so wished. Therefore, I will give you a shield, a permanent block on all your thoughts against anyone who has the ability to read minds. The only time the power will fade is when I remove the block."

  I nodded, unsure how to thank her.

  She just reached out and placed her fingers on the side of my head, her thumb against my temple, the rest of her fingers spread against my skull. She closed her eyes. "Be still."

  I held still, not moving a muscle. Jess's eyes remained closed as the pressure of her fingers against my skull increased. A tingling spread into my brain. Before I could worry about the cold lightning sparking inside my head, Jess let go and stepped back.

  "It is done," she said with a satisfied gleam in her eye.

  "Thank you," I said. "I never imagined I'd need such protection."

  "That, my dear, is my job. Do not worry. You will get your information."

  I smiled.

  "But not yet."

  I frowned, suddenly very unimpressed.

  "I apologize, but I must get back--and I have frozen your family long enough. Unless they remain so for months or years it is not wise to keep someone in stasis beyond fifteen minutes."

  Months? Years? Not a chance. "Oh, then we'd better wake them up now."

  Jess smiled and turned to face the table. "I will be in touch shortly. You will have your information as promised."

  She waited only for me to take my seat again and then, with a wave of her hand she freed everyone from the trance.

  "--like some tea?" Grams said.

  Grams and her tea.

  Jess shook her head. "Sadly, I am only here to collect my agent." She shifted her gaze to Logan who got to his feet and reached for his plate.

  And got a smack of the back of his hand from Grams for his troubles.

  "Don't even think about it, young man," she said. "You go do your job. We'll take care of the dishes."

  I was about to comment that dishes weren't solely a woman's domain, and that she was an agent just as much as he was, when Grams crooked her finger at Dad. "You. In the kitchen. With me."

  Dad's strangled response was enough to make laughter bubble up inside me. I turned it into a cough and averted my eyes, glad when Logan signaled with a lift of his brows that he wanted to talk privately.

  I went to his side. "What's the plan?"

  He lowered his voice. "I have to leave. We need to be on site in Alaska." I nodded. "You want to come with me to see for yourself."

  I shook my head. "I would, but I have to do something first. And we'd need Nerina, of course." I frowned and looked around the apartment. "Where did she go?"

  "Back to the estate. Said she'd return soon." He glanced at Jess over his shoulder. "Can you call Nerina?"

  She nodded.

  "I'll be back," he said as he headed for the door.

  "Famous last words?" I asked, unable to hide my amusement.

  His laughter was still wrapped around my heart long after he'd left.

  CHAPTER 31

  I ENTERED STORM'S BUILDING WITH my stomach feeling like a giant ball had taken residence there.

  What the hell was I doing? What the hell was I even thinking?

  But ever since Jess had come by, I'd been fixated on the only Immortal I knew. Storm.

  Even the thought that he could be involved in something as heinous as genocide seemed wrong.

  I knocked on Storm's office door, and didn't have to wait long before his deep voice rolled out bidding me enter. I turned the knob and went in.

  Storm was sitting bent over at his desk, studying something, afternoon light from the window behind him glinting off his golden hair.

  It didn't surprise me that he was able to tame so many of the young children that came to his guardianship. He was kind, strong, solid, and handsome. All in all, an arresting man.

  And here I was, suspicious, worried that he might be guilty of all these horrible murders. Or at least know something about them.

  He looked up and smiled, his bright blue eyes gleaming. Nothing about him shouted, "Suspicious!"

  He sat back in his chair and his smile broadened. "He's doing fine."

  I blinked, then realized Storm was referring to Baz
, our new vampire.

  "I'm glad," I said, instinctively forcing my mind to think worried thoughts about Baz. "I was worried,"

  Then I remembered Jess had given me the mind shield. At least I didn't have be concerned about Storm reading my thoughts and knowing immediately why I was there.

  "So has anything else happened?" I asked, watching his face. He shook his head, looking a little unsure as to what I meant. "Any disappearances on your end?" I made the question clearer. "Any suspicious deaths?"

  Another shake. "Not that I know of. I'd tell you if I did."

  I wasn't so sure about that anymore.

  "I know you would." I forced a bright smile onto my face. "I just came by to check on Baz. Is he around?"

  "He's in the mountains. We sent him on a training mission."

  I tried to imagine Baz on a training mission and grinned. "He's a geek. Is it a geek retreat?"

  Storm returned my grin, relaxed and easy. "Exactly that. I'll tell him you came by."

  "Thanks. I'll call in again next time I'm passing." I felt the weight of flash-drive in my pocket. I'd have to find another way to get the device to him. I was done here, that much was clear.

  I hesitated then turned to leave and the door opened.

  Niki came in, neutral smile on her face as she saw me. She glanced past me at Storm.

  "Yes?" he said.

  "The team has returned from the site. They didn't find a killer. We have managed to identify the dead though." Her eyes widened.

  I looked at Storm. "What is she talking about?" I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice. He had lied to me. Not that I was going to say so in front of the girl, though.

  "Oh. You didn't tell Kai?" asked Niki softly, her face a little fearful that she'd made a mistake and yet she did look curious too.

  Storm's face tightened, his blue eyes darkened. "I intended to tell you only when things were verified. Now that they are, yes, unfortunately we do have something to report."

  I waited, understanding that he'd been forced to tell me only because Niki had revealed the information in front of me.