Sharp pain crumpled me. The weakened barrier gave her a better sense of my bones, letting her elemental power in. My knees slammed the ground. I gasped. “Fuck!” I concentrated on strengthening the barrier.
She said, “Those are your fibulas I shattered. The Tibias are going to be a real bitch—like me.” She walked up and touched the barrier, causing a patch of it to ghost in as a swirl of crimson light. Her hand pulled back. The red light faded. “Cute, but how does it handle direct shadow magic?”
Shoving through the pain, I focused on my stomach, condensing shadow there to make a knew Dragon Voice tatt. I pulled raw golden magic into the symbol, opening my mouth to give her a command she’d have to follow.
By then, she’d coated her body with darkness, becoming a three-dimensional shadow that stepped right through my barrier. It swirled red, becoming visible, but didn’t stop her from kicking me in the head. Tasting the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, I fell backwards, pinning my broken legs under my thighs. Inside the barrier, she laughed as my sternum cracked over my heart, and the humerus bone in my upper arm also fractured.
Ah, double fuck!
The only consolation I had was that she didn’t know the damage was much less severe than she thought. Human bones would have been shattered, even those of a Villager like herself, but I was half dragon, and frequently changed into one physically. My bones were harder and denser than she knew.
Not that I was having fun.
“Which do you want to lose next,” she asked, “a xiphoid process or a greater tubercle?”
“Fuck! How the hell would I know?”
“You’ve never memorized the bones of the human body? Such appalling ignorance…”
Something went in my left shoulder. The bitch laughed. “That’s the greater tubercle. You have a lesser one too…” There was a second sharp pain in my shoulder. “Or you did.”
“Stop hurting me!” I packed a lot of magic into that demand. My voice thundered with unnatural vitality, echoing between us.
She reeled backward, falling out of my barrier. It flickered red, then went clear. Conserving energy, I dropped the barrier. It was no longer effective anyway. Shadow magic had a way of getting around or through more conventional magics.
“You’re suffering,” she said. “Ending your suffering—with death—is technically ending your pain, not really hurting you.”
She was arguing around my command, trying to find a strand of logic that would let her keep kicking my ass. Lying on the ground, looking up into her face, I smiled and played my trump card, my command voice still in play. “You need to remember how much you still love me. The feel of our naked bodies grinding together, your screams of pleasure in my arms as your nerves electrify. I know your clit hasn’t forgotten how I make it feel!”
I watched her body shudder as forced memories filled her eyes. She gasped for breath, heart pounding as my magic wrung her out, making her experience hours of love play in a moment. She stuttered, “Fu-fu-fu-fuck!”
Losing control of her shadow magic, she shed the darkness. As a Villager, she was more resilient than a human, but this pushed her beyond her limits. With a last ecstatic utterance, eyelids fluttering wildly, she wilted to the ground, unconscious. I looked at her sweet tits, and felt relief at their movement; she still breathed despite the near-lethal sexual shock.
Laying there like roadkill, I circulated raw golden magic to the areas she’d damaged. I wasn’t a real healer, but I visualized the bones fusing, the cracks vanishing. My bones tingled. The pain receded, but didn’t go away completely. Aches lingered as I rolled onto my stomach and pushed to hands and knees. My muscles trembled from the recent trauma. Breathing heavily, I forced myself to my feet and staggered over to the restaurant door. I went in, leaving Chrys where she lay.
The door swing shut behind me as I sought innocent bystanders. Villagers are arrogant, but smart enough to keep the human population ignorant of them. Inside, with humans around, I didn’t think Chrys would get too out of hand if she followed me in.
Besides, for all her talk of killing me, she’d taken her time, dawdling with the steer skull and then the fractures. If she’d been as mad as she pretended, I’d never have seen her coming. She’d have exploded every bone in my body, ripping out every sliver of calcium so that my organs were ruptured and I became a giant slug on the ground, bleeding out like crazy. I’d seen her do it to others.
Smoothing out my gait, I spotted my were-kitties with Kat and Josh across the restaurant. They’d commandeered the biggest booth in the place. I headed that way, not waiting for a hostess to show up and guide me. I passed small tables with red-and-white checked tablecloths, and hand-carved wooden chairs. There were wooden posts with hangers attached that supported balls of fake plastic ferns. The carpet was cranberry, the wood panels of the walls, hunter green. A lot of windows let in abundant light so the wagon-wheel chandeliers weren’t even needed.
I looked at Josh and lifted an eyebrow. “Where’s Zero-T?”
“Restroom. Everything all right, Caine?” His glance shot past me. I looked over my aching shoulder and saw Chrys tottering across the restaurant, coming in slow pursuit.
“We’ll see.” I slid into the booth. There was just enough room for Zero-T to squeeze onto the end when he got back.
The were-kitties studied Chrys’ progress with open curiosity.
There were several menus on the table. I snatched one up. “Man, I’m hungry. Hey, this lumberjack special looks good.”
Cleo smiled at me. “Is that allowed? You’re not a lumberjack.”
“I think I’ll get two of those,” Josh said.
Teri looked at him. “Yeah, you could be. You’re big enough.”
“He’s also taken.” Kat said it casually, getting it on the record, but not sounding worried.
I smiled. The Mistress of Sacramento was hot in her own way; she had no reason to feel dowdy or threatened by the other ladies.
Josh lifted Kat’s hand and kissed it. “Very much taken.” For a while, they lost track of the rest of us, staring into each other’s eyes.
I felt like yelling: Get a room!
Chrys reached us. She gestured to the open space next to me. “Can I please sit down?”
“Truce?” I asked.
She wavered on her feet. “Truce.”
I nodded.
She sat, gingerly, her clit clearly still sensitive. Leaning into me, she turned my face with a hand. I stared into her eyes. She kissed me, thoroughly, then whispered, “They say make-up sex can be a lot of fun.” Her hand dropped into my lap and caressed a stiffening cock.
Hell yes! The boneless monster in my pants shouted, heedless of danger. Bring it.
“Hold that thought,” I told her. “I’ve got business here to take care of first.”
“Don’t make we wait too long.” There was an edge of threat in her tone.
I am always my own worst enemy.
A waitress approached with a glass pot. “Coffee anyone?”
There were already cups sitting face down on the table. I turned mine up. “Sure.”
Josh and Kat took some too. After pouring, the waitress looked at the were-kitties. “I’ll be back with your milks in just a minute.” She hurried away, passing Zero-T as he approached. Surprisingly, he had Imari on his arm. The fire demon was in human disguise, but a bit of red fire smoldered in her eyes. I didn’t think she was as calm as she looked. Obviously, Zero-T had felt concern over Chrys and had called the hotel for back-up.
I made a mental note to give him a fifteen-cents an hour raise. With no more room in the booth, Zero-T and Imari took a seat at the next table over.
Zero-T studied me. “You look like hell, dawg. Are you all right?”
I shrugged. “Define all right.”
Imari’s stare was on Chrys.
Chrys looked at her and lifted eyebrows in a pretense of innocence. “What?”
Imari pointed two-pronged fingers at her own eyes, then at Chrys�
� face. “I’m watching you.”
Chrys laughed. “Honey, hot as I am, everyone’s watching me.”
There was just the barest suggestion of orange flame across Imari bald scalp, as she kept herself from fully igniting. “You want to see hot? I’ll show you hot.”
Needing to distract everyone, I pulled out my phone and pulled up the pictures I’d taken of the human remains and the tracks of the three-toed monster-sloth. I passed the phone down to the were-kitties. “These are the monster’s tracks I found on the property where it ate the guards I’d hired. It’s the size of a prehistoric sloth, but definitely carnivorous, which makes me think more demon-sloth than Jurassic Park.”
Cleo passed my phone to Teri.
Teri barely glanced at the pictures, passing them quickly to Dani.
Dani didn’t look at them at all. “Really? Right before I eat breakfast?”
Kat took the phone. She showed a great deal of interest. “There’s another possibility. A surviving giant sloth from deep in the Amazon somewhere, one that’s been imported, maybe magically altered—made into a demon.” She changed pictures. “Nope, never mind. These tracks on the side of the road show it going into human form. I guess there are sloth-demons after all.”
Josh took the phone. “Not that I’ve ever heard. I contacted some friends on a Preternatural Response Unit. They checked Federal archives. Nothing like this has ever been seen before.” With his long arm, he handed the phone over to Zero-T.
Zero-T studied the photos. He pursed his lips in thought. “Maybe someone has just accessed a brand-new hell-dimension we don’t know of. Most demon-kind in this world, at one time in history, came from somewhere else.”
“It’s an interesting thought,” I said. “We should prepare for everything since we probably won’t know for sure until we take this monster down.”
Chrys leaned into me. She whispered, her hand back in my lap. “I want your monster to take me down.”
I saw the waitress coming to finally take our food orders. “Fine, I’ll get something to go.”
Imari gave me a troubled glance, skin creasing between the eyes. “Caine, do you think that’s wise?”
“No.” I imagined squishing her firm tits in my hands. “Why don’t you come along and give me a few pointers.”
She said, “Maybe I will. Someone’s got to keep you alive.”
Taken by surprise, I stared at her. “Don’t get my hopes up if you’re not going to follow through.”
Zero-T thrust to his feet, staring back and forth at Imari and me. “Hey, don’t I get any say in this?”
Chrys slid out and stood. “I don’t do groups. Caine, call me when you lose the entourage.” She walked away.
I watched her receding ass. “Some people need to be grateful if I sleep with them at all.”
Imari stood, pushed Zero-T back into his seat, and turned an ember-red glance my way. “Don’t think you have to do me any favors.” She walked away.
My cock shouted, a voice in the back of my head: Hey, what the hell just happened?
Zero-T laughed, slapping his table with a palm. “Oh, man! Caine, you just got played, and I mean hard.”
I looked at Zero-T and enjoyed a bit of mental theatre where I imagined putting a gun to his head and splattering his demon brains everywhere.
The waitress returned with the milks, gave them to the kitties, and produced an ordering pad and pen. “What else can I get you folks?”
I sighed. How about some self-respect with a side order of dignity? Is there a sign on my back that says: “Please kick me?”
EIGHT
“When hell freezes over,
fire will be popular again.”
—Caine Deathwalker
The were-kitties came back to the hotel with me. Zero-T, Kat, and Josh were following in the Hummer. The usual assortment of demon guards played human across the lobby.
I saw a familiar eighteen-year old plopped on a couch, hiding her face behind a yellow book entitled: Witchcraft for Dummies. She lowered the book and turned the page, letting her eyes scan toward the door behind me. I could tell the moment she recognized me; she froze like a rabbit in the shadow of a hawk.
Heading for the elevator, I continued my stare just because it freaked her out. I get my thrills where I find them.
Her long brown hair spilled freely. Her eyes were also a medium brown, as toned down as her watermelon-pink lip-gloss. Solstice Truth still tinted her eyelids a sea-foam green that didn’t quite match the creamy jade pendant she wore on a loop of brown leather. Her top was burnt sienna. She sported khaki shorts to show off knobby knees. And she wore the same hand-woven hemp sandals.
If ever a person existed who should have been born a hippie…
Solstice had done a decent job for me recently, using her magical powers as a witch to help me track down some silver dragons. She’d been paid for her efforts. I doubted the check had bounced, so I wondered why she was here, who she was waited for.
There was a flash of tiny iridescent wings in the air, streaking toward her, and I had my answer. The pixie mercenary had recently sworn allegiance to me, a new resident of my fey kingdom. Six-inches, with slate-green skin, Silverwynd wore a mocha colored tunic with black, stiletto-heeled boots, and on her head, a man’s gold ring set with an emerald. She buzzed Solstice, circled, and returned to land on the witch’s shoulder.
I veered off course to approach them. As I stopped in front of the witch, she stopped breathing, eyes going wide.
Silverwynd went to one knee, bowing. “Greetings, Lord Deathwalker.” Her tone sounded far more respectful than in past conversations. “I have seen the land you offered my people. It is dark and rich, good for growing food and the mountain forest will shelter us well.”
“And my new winery?” I asked.
She said, “As soon as our homes are finished, we will begin work on it.”
I nodded. “Feel free to draw upon the fortress for building supplies and tools as you need them. I will send word that you are to be supported.”
Silverwynd stood on Solstice’s shoulder, holding onto the edge of the witch’s ear for balance. The pixie bowed from the waist, another show of respect. The emerald on her ring-crown flashed. “Most kind of you.”
I shifted my gaze to Solstice. “I have a small job for you. It pays well.”
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What kind of job? Last time you dragged me off on a dragon hunt. I could have been killed.”
“You won’t get anywhere in life focused on the negatives,” I told her. “I’m sending some of my demon guards to protect you.” I didn’t actually think there would be much danger. The guards were to make sure she brought back what I was sending her to find, if she actually found it. “You can do basic dowsing, right? I’m looking for a magical relic that might have been lost in the Arizona desert about a hundred years ago.”
Solstice lifted her eyes toward the ceiling, chewing her lower lip in thought. “A divination spell should do it, if the general area I’m searching isn’t too big.”
The lobby elevator dinged open and two of my off-duty demons emerged, Glug and Kiiln, the ones who’d been ambushed on the way to the restaurant. Their eyes fell on me. I motioned them to come over.
“The area I want searched is about six acres,” I told Solstice.
She nodded. “It’s doable.”
“I’ll go with her to keep her safe,” Silverwynd said.
I smiled. “I’ll be counting on you both.”
The demons stopped near me, studying us all.
I said, “Cleo and these guys will take you to the property to look around.”
“After the meeting with Gemma,” Cleo said.
“Around one,” I said.
Glug said, “Imari gave us the day off.”
I looked at him. “I’ll give all of you five-thousand a piece for your time. And another five-thousand apiece if your group finds the relic I’m looking for. Anything magical turns up, it’s mine. You
bring it straight to me. And this is hush-hush. Mention the job to no one.”
“Works for me,” Glug said.
“I’m in,” Kiiln said. “That still gives me a little time this morning for some shopping.”
“Come with us,” Silverwynd said. “We were just going to hit a few places.”
Solstice shrugged and stood. “Fine with me. My station wagon is parked right outside. Let’s go.”
With the were-kitties on my heels, I continued on to the elevators. Cleo asked, “What kind of magical relic are we looking for?”
“It’s a secret.”
“Don’t you think I’ll have a clue when I actually see it?” Cleo said.
“Fine, but not a word to anyone else,” I said. “You’ll be looking for the Eyes of Bastet.”
Cleo and Dani laughed.
Teri said, “He’s serious, guys.”
They stopped.
I went a few feet further, then tuned to stare at them. “What’s the problem?”
Cleo said, “It’s holy to the prides.”
I said, “Why do you think I’ve sworn you to secrecy.”
Teri said, “And it’s dangerous. It might well be a cursed object.”
“That’s more likely to strike me than one of you. You’re cat people, remember?”
“I don’t like you taking a chance like that,” Cleo said. “I kinda like hanging with you.”
“Nothing’s going to change.” I entered the opening elevator. “Come along. I always know what I’m doing, and it hasn’t killed me yet.”
They followed me onto the elevator. We sent it rising toward my floor. There was still time to kill. I needed to check up on Izumi, my ever-delightful frozen treat. Her headache should be under control by now. Chances were good my fey queen had recovered herself with a little magic.
We all got off on my floor, the same floor where the girls had their room. We parted company for the time being. I went to my room and found guards present that I wasn’t familiar with. One of them was bigger than most, his skin like polished stone. The other guard was thin, almost frail looking. His long, blond cloud of hair wagged in a wind that touched none of the rest of us. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say these two specialized in earth and wind magic. The huge guy said, “I’m Gypson. This is Zeph. “We’ve got you this shift.”
Moonstone Shifter (Demon Lord Book 8) Page 6
