by Linsey Hall
“It’s not great because it’s not yours.” Understanding glinted in Cass’s eyes. “But it’s better than nothing.”
“Exactly,” I said.
Cass tugged the chunky, pale stone ring off her hand and handed it to me. “Here. Take my lightstone ring. I know you normally light up your sword with your Phantom glow to help you see in the dark, but you can’t do that around the Warden. So you’ll need this.”
I took the ring from her, my heart swelling. It was one of Cass’s favorite treasure-hunting tools and came in immensely handy. “Thanks. You’re the best.”
“Okay, you’re good to go,” Nix said, nodding sharply like she was convincing herself. “You’ve got weapons and a plan. You’ll help him find the demon. Just like finding an artifact. A big, ugly artifact.”
“An artifact with poison claws,” Cass added.
“I’d rather look for an enchanted sword,” I said.
Cass grinned. “Wouldn’t we all.”
But they were right. This would be business as usual, with a few extra bits and pieces to worry about.
“Go,” Nix said. “We’ll try to find another Ubilaz demon. If you need us, just call.”
“Thanks, guys.” I hurried to the bathroom, turning back just long enough to say, “Love you.”
“Love you more,” they said.
When I reached the bathroom, I called upon my Phantom form and dropped down through the ceiling, landing lightly on the floor.
When I saw that the bathroom was just as I’d left it, I grinned. It’d only been fifteen minutes total, but still… It was going to be hard to get things past Roarke.
I turned off the shower and stashed the sword next to the toilet, out of sight of the door. After a moment, I walked out of the bathroom.
Roarke glanced over from the couch, his eyes taking in the short robe I wore. Immediately, his gaze darted up to mine and stayed there.
Well, that was polite.
He stood. “Have you located the demon?”
“I’ll get dressed and do it.” I turned and hurried into the bedroom. He followed, peeking in long enough to see that there were a couple of windows on one wall.
“Hang on.” Quick as a snake, he pulled a metal band off his right wrist and snapped it around my own.
“Hey!” I raised my wrist and studied the slender silver bracelet. “What is this?”
“Tracking charm. In case you decide to go out those windows.”
I scowled. “You sure come prepared.”
He shrugged. “It’s my job.”
I scowled and shut the bedroom door, then tried to tug the bracelet off.
It stuck solid.
Great.
Quickly, I went to my dresser, not even hesitating over jeans or leather. I definitely had a fight ahead of me, so leather it was.
I tugged on the pants, tank, and jacket. Though the pants and jacket were black leather, the tank was cotton because I wasn’t a masochist. The leather itself was a special enchanted variety, made specifically to be flexible and comfortable. It was my fighting uniform.
I took a deep breath and called upon my dragon sense, using my deep desire to find the demon as fuel. I needed one of two things for my dragon sense to work. Desire or information.
I had both. I knew what the jerk looked like, what his magic smelled like, and I really wanted to find him.
Almost immediately, I felt the familiar tug around my middle, but it stayed indistinct. The demon was far away. No surprise, considering the fact that he’d had a transportation charm.
My dragon sense wasn’t quite as strong as Cass’s or Nix’s. It used to make me feel really inadequate, but I’ve tried to get over it. Being jealous of my friends sucked. I didn’t want to be that person. So I just reminded myself that I had other talents. It worked.
Mostly.
Cass and Nix could find most things with just desire alone. I, however, usually needed a bit more info. That’s where my books came in handy. By now, I was a heck of a fast reader.
I glanced toward the door to the living room. I just needed a minute. Enough time to get into my trove and get a book. I wouldn’t have to go far, so his tracking charm likely wouldn’t pick up much.
And I really wanted one of my lucky pendants now that my shirt was trash.
I turned toward the empty wall in my bedroom. I loved my technicolor apartment, but it wasn’t even the best part of my home. The trove behind the wall really made this place shine.
I sucked in a shivery breath of anticipation and called upon my Phantom power. Once I had transformed, I walked straight through the wall. Normally, I pressed my palms flat against the paint, igniting the magic in the secret door. But I didn’t want to leave the door there for Roarke to find.
When I walked out of the wall into my trove, calm and joy suffused me. Spread out before me was the biggest library in Magic’s Bend. Also the biggest collection of golden trinkets and lucky talismans that I’d collected from my travels around the world. My good luck charms could be anything from clothes to jewelry, but each meant something special.
FireSouls had one major weakness—like the dragons with whom we shared a soul, we coveted treasure. It was a compulsion, one that could be debilitating if it got out of hand. We could spend all our money and all our time on our trove if we weren’t careful.
For each of us, treasure was a different thing.
For me, it was books, gold, and lucky talismans. The gold was an obvious choice—my dragon soul just couldn’t help it. The shiny yellow stuff made my heart sing. I didn’t care if I was a FireSoul cliché—I wanted to roll around in it like Scrooge McDuck. But the books and lucky talismans were my more unique treasures.
Nix, Cass, and I spent all of our extra income on our troves, which we kept hidden behind secret walls in our apartments. It meant we were all perpetually broke, no matter how much money the shop brought in. But we were cool with it.
My trove wasn’t laid out like a library should be. I knew I should put my books and trinkets on nice neat shelves, but that never suited me. Cass’s trove was organized to within an inch of its life. Not mine.
Instead, my treasure was piled up in towers all around me, a haphazard arrangement that was artful and lovely to my eyes. I knew where everything was, so why did I need shelves?
I hurried toward a pile of books about ten feet away, weaving around the other piles. The space was nearly four thousand square feet, so it was big. Fortunately, the book I needed was close to the door.
When I reached the pile of old tomes and treatises, I dropped to my knees and began sifting through the books. It took only a few seconds to find the one I sought.
“Bingo.” I grabbed the massive leather-bound tome and returned to the exit, grabbing a golden feather necklace on the way. I’d gotten this talisman from a fae in New Mexico. It was both gold and lucky, so it was extra perfect. Just holding the thing made me feel better.
I listened at the wall, straining my ears to hear if Roarke had entered my bedroom. All was silent. I’d been gone less than a minute. It’d been a risky move, but necessary.
I knocked on my head for good luck, then stepped through the wall and shed my Phantom form. The room was empty, as I’d expected. Thank goodness.
Once I was human, I put the golden feather necklace over my head and left the bedroom. I stopped by the bathroom quickly to get my borrowed sword and the potions that Connor had given me. I strapped the scabbard over my back and put the tiny potion vials in my pocket. The weapons potions went in the left pocket; the ones that kept me human went in the right. Carefully, I zipped the pockets closed. I could not lose those potions.
Finished, I grabbed the heavy book and went out into the living room.
“What have you got there?” Roarke asked.
“My handy book of demon dealings. Information helps my seeker sense. And this”—I held up the book—“has information. You can tell me what you know about the Ubilaz demon, and the rest…I’ll look it up in
my book.”
“Okay.”
I sat on the couch with the book and looked at him expectantly. He was the Warden, after all. “You start.”
“Ubilaz demons are considered Cat 5s because they attract other demons to them by their very nature, creating a demon army. Growing like a massive demon cloud.”
Oh crap. “So they’re demon catnip.”
“Exactly. Lower level demons that have been illegally taken out of hells by mages on Earth to work as mercenaries often leave their posts and flock to the Ubilaz, compelled to join the strongest of their kind.”
“Oh, that’s bad. Humans will notice that.”
“Not to mention the damage they could cause. Those mercenary demons need to be reined in by their masters. If they aren’t, they do what demons do best. Kill.”
Great. I’d released a mini apocalypse.
But something he said caught me. “Do what demons do best? You’re a demon.”
“And I work hard to be different.” His gaze was deadly serious.
Hmmm. How hard did he have to work at it?
“See what your book has to say.”
I nodded and flipped open the heavy cover, the scent of old paper and ink wafting toward me. I sucked in deeply and grinned, then started to sift through the pages.
My grin faded once I found the Ubilaz demon. He looked just like I remembered. Scary as hell.
I skimmed the text.
Bingo.
“They’re ancient demons,” I read. “Prone to congregating at the oldest sites in the Underworld because they like the old magic that hovers at those places. The Underworld version of archaeological sites, essentially.”
“So he’ll go to an Earth archaeological site? Or someplace ancient.”
“Probably. If anything, the information will help my seeker sense get a lead on him.”
I skimmed the text, reading a bit more about their grooming—negligible—and their powers—super strength, speed, and poison. I could confirm that.
Now that I was armed with more info, I might have an easier time finding the demon.
The image of the Ubilaz demon didn’t fade as I closed my eyes. I used that, and the memory of the portal it’d escaped from, to try to get a feel for where it was. My dragon sense reached out, seeking.
I got ahold of it almost immediately this time. “It’s in England. Cornwall. Probably the north coast, near Devon.”
“Cornwall?”
“There’s a lot of history there. And the demon had a transport charm, so getting there was no problem.”
“We can take an Underpath. Once in Cornwall, we’ll get a car and track down the demon.”
“What the hell is an Underpath?” I asked.
“A series of portals and pathways that travel through the hells, connecting different places on Earth.”
“I’ve never heard of that.”
“Because only I can access them.”
“Okay.” That was crazy. “I have a friend who could pick us up when we arrive and take us wherever we need. Melly. She’s a mercenary with a British firm. She’ll know the lay of the land.”
Roarke opened his mouth like he was going to refuse, but then closed it and nodded. “We’ll exit the Underpath in Plymouth. It’s fairly close to Cornwall. If she can meet us at the Hanged Man Pub, that’d be ideal.”
“Right, then. Shall we get started?” I asked. “We’ve got a demon to find.”
Chapter Five
We left the apartment after I called Melly and told her where to meet us, heading out into the dark night to get to his car. As we crossed the street, I couldn’t help but glance at Roarke out of the corner of my eye, noting how the yellow light from the street lamps glinted off his midnight hair. When his head tilted toward me, I snapped my gaze back toward the park on the other side of the road.
“Where exactly is the Underpath?” I asked.
“Everywhere. But I access them at graveyards or places where the dead reside. The older, the better.”
“But how do you access them?”
“I tear through the ether.”
Holy magic. That was an insane power. “That’s possible?”
“For me. In Magic’s Bend, I’ve created an entrance at a tea shop called Mad Mordecai’s that was built over a graveyard. It’s in the Historic District.”
The Historic District had been the first part of town established back in 1712 when supernaturals had settled Magic’s Bend, so that made sense. But it wasn’t my part of town, so I wasn’t familiar with the tea shop.
He gestured to a sleek sedan, and I climbed inside. I did my best to keep my stolen glances subtle. Not just because I was dumb enough to have the hots for him, but because I was trying to get a feel for the guy.
I shifted as I sat so that my borrowed sword strapped to my back fit comfortably against the seat behind me. The blade was short like my own, but it still felt weird.
“You don’t carry a weapon?” I asked, glancing at my real sword, which he was setting on the back seat. He’d kept his hand on it the whole time I’d been with him, which had driven me nuts.
“Don’t need one.” He ran his fingertips over the hilt of my blade and I shivered. “Though your blade is very nice.”
“Ah, thanks.” I couldn’t help but feel like he was talking about more than my sword here, but that was crazy.
Roarke started the car, which was one of those swanky electric ones that was entirely silent. When he pulled out into the street, it felt like a weird spaceship taking off.
“Do you only use swords?” he asked.
“Why do you care?” I asked.
“You’re interesting. I’d like to know more about you.”
That was bad. I wanted him to not give a damn about me and leave me alone. Though my ego wanted him to be intrigued, my sense of self-preservation wanted him to be positively bored to death.
“I wouldn’t say that,” I said. “Just your garden variety mercenary and treasure hunter.”
“That’s hardly a boring combination, even in our world.”
My gaze darted around outside of the car, looking for a distraction. I pointed to the tall buildings on either side of the car. “So, this is the business district.”
“Is this a tour?”
“Maybe.”
“Trying to change the subject from the fact that I think you’re intriguing?”
So maybe I hadn’t been that smooth. “No. Just thought you might be interested.”
I could feel the heat of his gaze on me as he drove. “Oh, I’m interested.”
No question—he definitely wasn’t talking about the buildings. Fortunately, we were now in the Historic District, our destination. The ornate, old buildings were distinct from the shiny glass office towers. Their bright paint was cheerful—perfect for the part of town that had most of the good restaurants and bars.
“Where is this place?” I asked.
“Up on the left.” He pointed toward a blue shop with wide glass windows.
He pulled the car into a spot alongside the road and climbed out, grabbing my sword off the back seat.
“What are you going to do with that?” I asked.
“Lock it in the trunk.”
My heart sank as I watched him lock my beloved blade in the trunk of his car. “Are you sure no one will steal it?”
“Who would steal from the Warden of the Underworld?” He patted the trunk of the car. “But don’t worry, there’s excellent security. No one will get in.”
His confidence was a bit soothing, though I still wanted my blade back.
We waited for a few cars to pass, then hurried across the street. This part of town was busier because of the club scene, with supernaturals of all shapes and sizes scattered about. The ones who didn’t look human were required to live in all-magic cities like Magic’s Bend, which gave our town an interesting flair.
A pretty fae girl with pink wings and a smoking cigarette dangling from her fingertips smiled at Roarke and
said, “Hey, handsome.”
I scowled at her, then almost stumbled, horrified at myself. I was jealous? Ugh. I needed to get it together. Fast.
Roarke just nodded at her, then turned toward me and gestured to the tea shop next to the bar. The windows were brightly lit, despite the fact that the place was closed. Tiny tables covered with floral tablecloths cluttered the inside, and every chair was different. I’d bet big money that the proprietor wore a crazy hat.
“It’s closed,” I said.
“Not a problem.” He pointed toward the edge of the building, where a narrow alley extended back into the darkness. “There’s a side door.”
I followed him, but pulled up short when I stepped inside the alley. “There’s no door.”
There was nothing but an expanse of brick. My heart thundered in my ears. Roarke could have hurt me long before this, but no girl had ever been led into an alley by a man and not gotten a little nervous.
He held out his hand.
I stared at him like he was crazy. “What?”
“You can’t see the door. Take my hand.”
I eyed him suspiciously, then did it, biting my lip at the warm strength of his palm. A shiver ran right up my arm as his grip closed over mine.
Focus!
His gaze turned serious. “Whatever you do, do not let go.”
I swallowed hard, trying not to imagine what it would be like to be lost in an Underpath. “I won’t.”
He nodded, then tugged. I followed him toward the wall, my fingertips itching to draw my blade.
When he reached for the expanse of brick, a light glowed at his palm. I could feel the magic pulsing, forcing outward to tear through the ether.
A pale gray glow shined from the wall like a passage, and Roarke tugged me through. I followed, stepping over a threshold that sparked against my skin.
Darkness enveloped me and gravity disappeared. A second later, I hurtled through space like I was riding a runaway train. My heart jumped into my throat, and I clutched at my only connection to the familiar—Roarke’s hand.
The strangest comfort flowed through me, and I took it, not caring where it was coming from.
A moment later, we slowed to a halt. A glowing doorway appeared, and Roarke dragged me through into a bustling old bar.
