by Zoe Forward
“My uncle? Why wasn’t I told about you?”
He shrugged.
“Why would my father give you the amulet?”
“Let’s just say your father wasn’t the only one in our family to have special abilities. I met with him right before he died, after I had a vision about his and your mother’s deaths. You can’t change fate, you know. I went to warn him so he could prepare. That was not an easy conversation, believe me. Edmund wanted to remove both of you from the country, but as you know, it was important that you be there. If you hadn’t, then that magus would’ve died.”
“Are there more people in our family?” Maybe someone else wanted to be the akhrian.
“No, we are the end of the line.”
“Why all this deception about selling the amulet? Why not just give it to me?”
“You weren’t exactly trustful of anything that has to do with this, shall we say, supernatural aspect of the world, were you?”
“You know, you’re a little bit…intimidating.” She grinned.
“I thought if I had that cousin of yours as part of the exchange, he could buffer and then perhaps you would accept the amulet.” Sacha watched her for a moment and then said, “It’s yours. I’ll give it to you. It is time I go.” He handed her the amulet. “Don’t worry, it’s your destiny.”
“I can’t say that’s comforting. Can you get out of here okay?”
His broad smile enhanced the deep lines beside his eyes. “The Hashishins won’t even know I’m here.”
“Will I see you again? I mean, I’m your only family.”
“I’ll be watching.” He cupped her face with his hands and placed one kiss on each cheek. Then he vanished around the bin.
Kira stared at the double triangle logo on the amulet. The metal disc warmed her hands. The stylized triangle insignia glowed cerulean blue. She hung it around her neck, letting it fall under her shirt to rest against her chest.
A thunder of power hit her body. Instantly, she knew the condition of all seven magi as she thought about each independently. Javen’s life energy was waning. The amulet ordered she act.
She hated to distract Ashor, but in her book this constituted an emergency. Javen needs help. He’s so weak from injuries. I’ve got to get to him.
Ashor’s commanding voice boomed, Don’t move. If it’s his time, then he will die with honor.
She could feel Javen and knew that he had to be removed now. No! Javen is not going to die tonight. I’m going to get him out of there right now.
Ashor was suddenly beside her. “No, you stay right there. Javen can fend for himself just fine. Terek would only too gladly grab you and disappear.”
Kira drew her gun and aimed.
“You’re going to shoot me over this?”
She fired. Ashor turned to glance over his left shoulder, clearly wondering if she’d missed on purpose. His astonishment transformed to shock as a Hashishin fell over with a bullet wound center forehead.
“Sorry,” she said as she re-holstered her gun. “The guy was about to garrote you.”
He gritted out, “You must stay here. I can’t concentrate, if your safety is in jeopardy.” He took a knee and clasped both her hands in his. His eyes momentarily drifted shut. Softly he said, “Please stay here. I will go find Javen, but understand if he wants to die in battle, then I must let him. Each of us can only hold on for so long without finding our senariai. Without you, I wouldn’t…the other day would’ve been the end for me.”
The thought of Javen departing this life had her eyes tearing. Weird. She didn’t know him well enough to be this attached. Had to be the amulet. It pushed her. This was nuts. A part of her freaked out, but recognizing the amulet’s energy was genuine and well-meaning, she trusted it.
“He needs more time in this world to find the woman meant for him.” She pulled the glowing amulet for Ashor to see. “The amulet tells me she is in this time. And you guys need him. Please. Force him to leave. We have what we came for.” A tear trickled down her cheek.
Ashor stopped the tear in its track with his thumb. “Is it telling you I must do this?”
Kira nodded.
“Then I’ll force him to go. Won’t be easy since he’s enjoying the hell out of this. He’s been looking forward to departing this life for quite a while. Stay put. One of us will come to get you when it’s safe. Promise me.”
She nodded.
Ashor ran out of the alley into the street. Eric and Christian danced around several Hashishins, dodging knife swipes and bullets. At least someone was enjoying this. A block away, Javen fought with Terek’s possessed body.
Ashor yelled, “Eric. Time to leave. Get Nate and Christian. Then get Kira from where she has been hidden. I’ll get Javen.”
Eric nodded as he dodged a gunshot and made a lethal slash in the Hashishin targeting him.
Ashor approached the fight with Terek, aka Djoser, and grabbed Nate from the ground where he’d been tossed by the daemon. Nate’s right leg had a long laceration vertically down the side and his left arm appeared to be broken.
“Get out of here. Go get Eric. Then protect Kira.” Nate didn’t question Ashor’s command and limped off in Eric’s direction.
****
Kira pinched her nose to reduce the nauseating garbage smell. It didn’t help. The smell would probably never come out of these clothes, not that she planned to make this her new favorite outfit.
The fight action had moved away from the alley. Maybe she could leave. She needed to escape the choking odor.
A chill slithered down her spine as a familiar dark aura moved in the direction of her hiding spot. Focusing on this entity, she realized the Hashishin knew where she was. Kane always said it was better to face one’s enemy than to be cornered. She moved the throwing knives to her outer jacket pocket.
As Kira left the protective garbage bins, a voice she remembered well rang out down the alley.
“Stop right there, Dr. Hardy, and let me see your hands,” said Theo. He aimed a handgun in her direction as he walked toward her.
A gun? Where were the knives these guys loved? What about his dark magik? It’d work on her. She slowly raised her hands, but kept them bent at the elbows. With forced calm, she replied, “Well, well. Look who showed up for the party.”
“Stay where you are and kneel on the ground. Place your hands on your head.”
“What if I said no?” she asked with a smile. He definitely wasn’t as powerful as Terek who would’ve had her on her knees the second the order exited his mouth, using his more terrifying skills. “Are you going to shoot your prize?” She sensed this confused and angered him because he wasn’t adequately intimidating her.
Gunshots reverberated from outside the alley. Eric round the alley corner followed by a limping Nate. Both halted, uncertain.
Their entrance distracted Theo. Kira reached for the throwing knives in her pocket. She fumbled, able to grab only one. She launched the knife at Theo’s chest, but missed and hit his left shoulder.
“Bitch,” Theo murmured as he pulled the knife free of his muscle. His aura went dark red to black.
Regardless if Theo had been ordered not to kill her before, he would now. Theo raised his gun, targeting her chest.
Chapter Thirty
The world needs you, Ashor. Don’t give it up, if I die here. I love you.
Kira scrunched her eyes closed, hoping this would be quick. The blast of two gunshots reverberated throughout the alley.
Nothing. No pain. Maybe this is what death felt like.
A thud of something heavy hitting the ground echoed through the still air.
She opened her eyes. Theo had been shot. Twice. Having dropped his gun, he grasped at a wound in his midchest as he fell to his knees.
“I didn’t shoot,” said Nate as he lowered his gun and ran toward Kira.
In her peripheral, a man emerged from the shadows. His gun’s muzzle targeted Theo’s head.
Markus grated out, “I’ve h
ad enough of you fuckers.” The firing of his gun rang in her ears. Blood oozed from a hole in Theo’s forehead before his body fell. Dead.
Kira mumbled, “I must be a little out of practice with the knives. Sorry.”
The deadly coldness slipped away from Markus’s face as he replied casually, “It was probably those hot leather pants you stuffed yourself into. Limits the flexibility, I’d imagine.”
“Something like that.” She hugged him tightly and whispered, “Thanks.”
“Kane would’ve ripped me a new one, if I let you get hurt again. Let’s not tell him the part about your almost death.” Markus broke into his familiar lighthearted grin.
Ashor’s voice exploded in Kira’s head, What’s going on?
Kira grabbed her forehead. Markus resolved the threat. Guess it’s not my night to die.
Ashor’s reply was quieter and less painful, I’ll thank him later. This daemon’s a bastard.
“Who are those dudes? They need shooting too?” asked Markus waving his gun toward Eric and Nate.
“No, they’re on our team.” She retrieved her knife from Theo’s body and then headed toward the two magi. Markus followed from a short distance.
Eric said, “Time to leave. Christian is guarding the alley entrance from around the corner. Ashor went to get Javen and we’re to meet at the plane.”
Markus asked, “Kira, is your head okay?”
Eric gave Kira a knowing smile and raised an eyebrow.
Kira mumbled to Eric, “I couldn’t leave Ashor in the dark, you know. What if I had actually died here?” To Markus she said, “Just a little stress headache. I’ll be okay.”
Blue eyes sparkling in laughter, Eric said for her ears only, “Bet you aged him at least fifty years after whatever you said. He’s going to be lucky if he survives the week with as much stress as you’ve inflicted on him.” He held up his hand. “Don’t be defensive. I think it’s good you’ve shaken him up. He’s had too much control and discipline in his life for far too long.” He chuckled and led them out of the alley.
At the exit of the alley, Kira stared down the street.
Terek laughed as he dodged Javen’s sword. His raspy voice echoed down the block, “Come on. Challenge me.”
In a torrent of motion, Terek transformed his hand into that of a daemon and slashed Javen across his face. Then he emitted a blast of power that impacted the center of Javen’s chest, tossing him fifteen feet in the air to land hard against a car on the opposite side of the street.
What was that? Weren’t magi immune to dark magik? This entered the territory of seriously deep shit.
Ashor dragged Javen to the sidewalk side of the car against which he had been thrown. They needed help or that thing was going to kill both of them.
Moving trancelike in their direction, Kira said to Eric, “I need to help distract that daemon or they’re not going to make it out of there. I’ve never tried this. Watch my back.” In her mind to Ashor she said, I’m going to distract Terek. Safely. Trust me. Got your guys with me. This should give you a few seconds. You’ve got to get out of there.
Kira closed her hand around the amulet and let the power within her rev up. She focused every bit of power possible on Terek’s mind, thinking only of inflicting debilitating pain.
Terek grabbed his head. The daemon hands dwarfed the human cranium. He roared and fell to his knees. His gaze wildly sought for the source of the attack.
****
Ashor restrained Javen against the side of the car with a hand midchest. “Time to go.”
Javen struggled against Ashor’s hold. “No. I’m going to finish this fight. Get off me.”
Ashor threw Javen to the sidewalk and pinned him by placing his knee on his chest and grabbed his chin to make eye contact in an attempt to snap him out of his battle craze. “I would also like nothing better than to kick Djoser’s smug ass back to hell, but it’s time to go.”
“Get your bloody arse off me.” Javen struggled viciously and managed to strike Ashor in the nose with his elbow.
Ashor wiped away a trickle of blood on his upper lip. He put his hand more firmly around Javen’s neck. “Listen, Kira has—”
Javen bucked, throwing Ashor off and pivoted.
Ashor tackled him to the ground. “Damn it. Kira got the amulet and feels your senariai. If you die now, your woman has no possibility for peace.”
Javen stopped struggling. “You fucking around with me?”
“No. Had she not said so, I’d let you continue to get your ass kicked right into your next life. But it’s time to go. We’ll find this bastard another day when you’re stronger.”
“Okay.”
Ashor released his hold.
Djoser stumbled in their direction, although he still held his head while growling.
Javen said quietly, “How exactly are we supposed to distract him long enough to leave without him pursuing?”
Ashor smiled wickedly. “I learned a little something from Kane before he left. Useful guy to have around.” He pulled a small key-fob remote from his pocket.
“What’s that?” Javen asked.
“Our ticket out of here.”
Within his mind, Ashor ordered Kira, Run. Now!
“Hey, stupid ass,” Ashor yelled to Djoser. “Yeah, you, the one with the fucked-up daemon hands. Are we doing this or what?”
Djoser growled and rounded the car.
“Run,” Ashor ordered Javen.
They sprinted down the block as Ashor hit the remote detonator. The car they had sheltered behind, where Djoser now stood, exploded.
They paused at the end of the block, watching debris settle.
“You think it’ll kill the bastard?” Javen asked.
“No. But I guarantee he’s pissed off and hurting like hell.
****
The blast knocked him through the plate glass storefront. Djoser pushed several scarves away from his face and furiously plucked three large shards of glass out of his side. Serious buzz kill. He’d been riding high on kicking magi ass.
He stomped to the broken window and looked for his quarry. Long gone.
With composure, he restored the parts of his body that were in daemon form back to human. He rotated his head back and forth, examining his reflection in a mirror.
Flesh dangled as if shredded by a food grater.
When his eardrums stopped ringing, he glared at the two women hysterically wailing. Neither looked to be promising body candidates.
So be it.
He’d use their deaths to repair this one.
Chapter Thirty-One
When the car exploded, Eric threw Kira over his shoulder and ran. Christian shouldered Nate and followed. Markus loped behind them.
“I can run on my own,” Kira said.
“I know,” Eric huffed.
“Then put me down.”
“Not yet.” He stopped next to a parked SUV two blocks away and then put her down.
“What the hell was going on with that guy fighting Ashor?” Markus asked. “He had weird, oversized monster hands.”
Eric asked, “Are you keeping this guy in the dark for some reason?”
“He’s in denial. Refuses to believe you’re magi. So me trying to explain a daemon…well, it won’t work.”
Christian arrived and dumped Nate beside the car. He rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. “You weigh a ton, man.”
As one, they all looked to Eric expectantly.
“Damn it. Javen’s got the keys. They’re probably to the other side of the city by now.”
Nate offered, “We could hail a cab. Christian can waggle his ass at the driver and probably get his nighttime fix out of the deal.”
“How’d you know my dream is to spend the night with a pissy, chain-smoking Asian dude?” Christian rolled his eyes and moved away to engage two Hashishins that had followed.
Markus scooted under the SUV beside them and messed about. He shouted from beneath the car, “I think I
can get it unlocked.”
The locks popped open. Markus scooted out and smiled. He pulled open the driver’s door. The car’s alarm emitted a hair-raising electronic howl.
“Shit. Shit. Shit. Now it’s going to go into lock-down mode,” groaned Markus.
Kira turned to Nate, who leaned weakly against the car. She demanded, “Nate, jump-start the car.”
“What? I don’t know how to hot-wire this thing.”
Christian now fought five men. More closed in. Eric joined the fight.
Kira pulled Markus away from the car and said, “Stay.” Her tone suggested noncompliance wasn’t an option.
She grabbed Nate’s shirt and pulled him close to her with amazing strength considering he dwarfed her by over a half a foot. “Start. The. Car. Now!”
Nate’s eyes widened. His Adam’s apple bobbed with a convulsive swallow. He placed his hand flat against the car. The alarm stopped and the engine roared to life.
Kira caught Markus’s wide-eyed what-the-hell. Not the time for the twenty-questions session she knew came next. She ordered, “Everyone in the car.” She turned around and yelled, “Christian, get in the car. You’re driving. Eric, you’re not allowed to touch the steering wheel.”
Several minutes later, she sat crammed between Markus and Nate in the backseat. “I knew you could do it, Nate.”
“I’m just glad the car didn’t blow up,” Eric said.
“Let’s see what that thing did to you,” she said as she gently palpated Nate’s broken arm. Kira repaired Nate’s damaged arm and the wound on his leg. No fatigue hit after the energy expenditure. Instead the amulet nudged her to move on to the next injured warrior.
Markus stared at her as she worked. “What are you doing?”
“Nate got a bit of a sprain from the fight. But he’s going to be fine.” Kira squeezed Nate’s arm, hoping he would get the signal to remain silent.
****
Christian stood stoically in the doorway of the plane awaiting Javen and Ashor who had yet to return.
“Christian, would you like an assist?” Kira asked.
He shrugged.
She sensed stubbornness and determination from him. Suddenly, Christian let go of the focused suppression he had on his pain. Misery flooded him. Smiling, she understood pride prevented him from requesting a heal job with the barrage of buckshot and .22 bullets that covered his backside, primarily in his butt and lower back.
