Slither

by Bernadette Gardner

  * * * * *

  Heath’s heartbeat slowed by agonizing degrees as normal color returned to Rihana’s lips. He’d been so intent on his work and on finishing the guardian before her fear of the needles overwhelmed her, he hadn’t noticed the duskiness creep across her skin. He’d figured out soon enough after he’d begun to work that she’d put herself in a trance. It seemed like the perfect solution at first, but when he couldn’t rouse her, panic had seized his gut and stilled his hand.

  She came back in an icy rush of consciousness that scared him almost as much as her deathly stillness had. Clutching his arm, she ground out a few barely audible words while trying to catch her breath. “I know…where he…is.”

  He helped her sit up and took her face in his hands. “Breathe, Rihana. You’ll pass out again if you don’t take a deep breath.”

  She pushed his hands away, annoyance twisting her lips. “I’m fine…I’m fine. I was in the quaking.”

  “I gathered that.” He stopped her from dragging her bra strap up over the guardian image. She winced at the pain caused by slight pressure on her newly inked skin. “I didn’t realize you stopped breathing when you go over to the other side.”

  “I…normally don’t. It’s usually so quick. How long was I gone?”

  “Hours. Where were you?”

  “I was here…all I did was walk to the back door. I heard something and when I looked out I saw it. There was an abandoned building across the street.”

  He squinted at her. She seemed coherent, but her ragged breathing made him nervous. What kind of side effects did her gifts have? How much of her grandmother’s warnings were based on fact and how much on pure superstition?

  “I recognized the place. It’s near Tanesha’s apartment. I saw it on the way over the night Nathan called me in on the case. It’s maybe a block away and it’s where he’s been hiding since she threw him out.”

  “How…why would you see that?”

  She put a hand on her chest to calm herself, steadied her breathing and swallowed. Heath handed over her discarded blouse. She clutched it while he affixed a clean square of gauze over the guardian image.

  “I was thinking about the Gemii when I crossed over. That’s how I normally work. I focus my thoughts on something and on the other side I can zero in on a place that’s connected to the person or event I’m concentrating on. I don’t always have to be physically in that place to see it.” She took another deep breath, as if her lungs couldn’t possibly fill with enough oxygen to satisfy her.

  Heath took the blouse from her shaking hand and helped her slip it over her arms. “So he’s there now?”

  “I can’t be sure. He looked out one of the windows. I don’t know if he could see me or not. Some people, very few, are aware of spirits. Maybe because he’s from Verakos, he’s more sensitive. If that’s the case, he might be gone already.”

  “We have to at least try to find him.”

  She grabbed his hand. “No. Let the police find him. I’ll call Brogan and DeYoung and they’ll—”

  “They’ll lose him. And even if they did corner him, they wouldn’t be able to fight him. They’d end up like Tanesha. Tell me where this building is, show me. I’ll call Darq and he and I can take care of it.”

  Rihana vaulted out of the chair and followed Heath the few steps to the sink. He thrust his hands under hot water to help restore the circulation and get his blood pumping normally again. “Do you think Makena will let him go? The last thing the two of you should do is confront the man who’s trying to kill you. Having both of you together in one place is exactly what he’s been hoping for. That’s probably why he had Tanesha demanding to interview you both. He knew if he only killed one of you, the other would be on to him and would escape.”

  Heath shut off the water and met her terrified gaze. “You’re right. That’s probably why we’re both still alive. He couldn’t figure out how to do it. Separate, we’re easier targets, but the death of one of us would give the other time to cross the bridge to another world. Together, with our guardians, we may be too powerful for him to fight.”

  “Maybe, but there’s no guarantee.”

  “One thing I can guarantee you, Brogan and DeYoung won’t be able to stop him. Even if they caught him, they can’t arrest him, he could slip away like a shadow. He has to be killed and they might not do that. I know the police aren’t supposed to kill anyone unless they’re faced with no other choice.”

  The look in her eyes told him he was right. As much as he disliked both of the detectives Rihana worked with, he’d pegged them as men with some integrity when it came to their jobs. They didn’t want Tanesha’s killer dead because that would rob them of the satisfaction of seeing him convicted and imprisoned. They’d try to capture him alive so they could find out what made him work. His motives were just as important to them as his punishment.

  “Rihana, show me where to find him. If Darq and I can end this…maybe we won’t have to leave here.” Shame tangled with his emotions the moment he spoke those words. The hope in her eyes seared him, but he didn’t know another way to convince her that allowing him and Darq to confront the Gemii was the right thing to do, the only thing to do.

  Mentally, he pulled away before she had the chance to read his thoughts and know the truth. Even with the assassin dead, their destiny—well, his at least—still lay on Verakos.

  “The only way I’ll show you is if you take me with you. I have a guardian now. I can help you fight him.”

  “No.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and punched in the speed dial code for Darq’s phone. “You should stay with Makena. If anything happens to Darq and me, the two of you will be safer if you’re together.”

  Rihana planted her hands on her hips. “Go ahead. You tell Makena that and see what she says. If Darq can convince her to stay behind while the two of you run off to risk your lives, then I’ll stay with her.”

  He eyed her over the glowing screen of the phone as it dialed Darq’s number. She pursed her lips and raised a brow. “Go on.”

  Under other circumstances, he might have been amused, but he knew she was right. He hadn’t known Makena long, but the depth of her feeling for Darq was evident in her every thought and action.

  He sighed. “Let’s go then. I’ll tell Darq…and Makena to meet us there.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  In the real world, the tenement building looked almost exactly as it had in Rihana’s vision. Except for a few tufts of tall, green weeds sprouting from cracks in the sidewalk near its crumbling foundation, the color of the place was consistently dismal gray. The dust on the windows bore the occasional epithet or demonic symbol and the front entranceway, which looked singed in places as though it might have survived a minor fire, was boarded up.

  Rihana protested when Heath bypassed the building and continued on around the corner of the block. “I’m going in with you, so don’t think you can drop me off somewhere else.”

  He laughed, but the sound held no amusement. He was too focused on his task. “As much as I’d love to get you away from here, the rest of this neighborhood isn’t much safer, so don’t worry.”

  He cruised to the next block and pulled his car into an alley between what appeared to be a bar on one side and a barber shop on the other. “The Gemii might not have concerned himself with the make of my car, but if he sees us pull up in front of the building, he’ll definitely be suspicious.”

  “Anyone would be suspicious of this car. It’s a little too nice for this part of town.”

  Heath only nodded as they climbed out of the car and tried to shut the doors as quietly as possible. Rihana hoped it would still be there when they got back. If they got back.

  “Darq is nearby and Makena is with him,” he said.

  Rihana allowed herself a smirk. She didn’t need to be psychic to predict Makena would not let her “mate” out of her sight. All the way across town, she’d thought of calling Nathan. Her instincts told her the four of them w
ere getting in over their heads, but deep down, she had no doubt Heath was right about the assassin. The NYPD might be able to catch him, but they wouldn’t be able to contain him.

  The notion that they were on a mission to kill someone rattled her. That was another reason to call for help. Did she want to see Heath commit murder? Would it change her feelings for him?

  She put those thoughts out of her mind. Denial was the key to getting through this moment by moment. For now, she could still tell herself they would find a way to catch the man and serve him up to Nathan on a silver platter.

  They reached the corner and caught sight of Darq and Makena coming from the other direction. She sensed the silent communication that passed between Heath and his partner and didn’t question when they cut through the adjacent alley to approach the abandoned tenement from the back.

  She wanted to say something to Makena but she couldn’t think of anything. How are you? seemed so lame. The blonde woman smiled briefly at her when their paths crossed then fell into step behind Darq who took the lead without comment.

  Rihana knew neither of the men possessed conventional weapons. There would be no gunfire, thank God. But that left precious few alternatives. Did they plan to tear the Gemii apart with their bare hands?

  “Rihana, can you tell if he’s in the building now?” Heath asked once they’d assembled on a small slab of concrete outside the back door. The fire escape above them created a protective overhang under which the shadows were deep enough to shield them from view. The door here had not been boarded over, or perhaps someone had removed the barrier. Deep scratches around what appeared to be an old deadbolt lock attested to the fact that at one time someone had at least attempted to break in.

  Rihana nodded and leaned her back against the cold brick wall to steady herself. Two trips to the quaking in one day would take their toll on her, but it had been some time since she’d found real purpose in her gift. Anything she could do to help Heath and his crèche brother succeed was worth the risk.

  The icy cold of the netherworld swept over her and she shuddered. Her entire body felt nearly paralyzed from it and she wondered if she would even be able to move. Weakly she forced herself to turn and slip through the small opening Darq had created by forcing the back door open a few inches.

  Walking through the building would take too much time, so she concentrated on the assassin as she had during her earlier trance. She recalled seeing his face through the broken window on the second floor and projected herself there. A narrow hallway seemed to run the length of the building with two doors on either side, which she guessed each led to apartments. The place looked like a war zone and Rihana had to continually remind herself that her body was still safely downstairs, outside with Heath. Nothing could touch her here, at least not physically.

  A faint sound echoed in the emptiness, and she followed it. The farthest door on the right was closed tightly but that didn’t stop her from entering. Normally while in the quaking she relied on the conventions of movement. She opened doors and skirted around furniture as she would in the real world because the alternative only heightened the aftereffects of the journey.

  This time she had to put aside her own discomfort. She plunged headlong through the closed door. The sensation was a bit like breaking through a thick paper barrier. Though her passage caused no damage to herself or the door, she felt as though she’d torn through something. Her skin tingled unnaturally and she imagined molecules of ancient wood sloughing off her body and trailing behind her like dust.

  The room she emerged into was lit by a small lamp. It glowed just a shade or two lighter gray than its surroundings, which were sparse yet unkempt.

  A triangle of black identified the broken window she’d seen from below. This spot probably provided the best vantage point for watching the street. Rihana moved across the room for a better look and a shadow crossed her path. She froze. He was here and he’d just stepped into the room.

  She came back to her body with such force that her head hit the bricks behind her.

  Gentle female hands reached up to support her as she sagged against the wall, shivering so violently she could barely control her movements.

  Makena wrapped her arms around Rihana and helped her sit down. “Are you going to be all right? You looked terrified the whole time you were gone.”

  Rihana struggled to focus on the woman’s eyes and her voice. She’d never been so cold. All over her body, her skin had turned to gooseflesh. When she breathed out, her breath condensed into a white cloud despite the heat of the evening.

  “I’m okay. I just…I can’t do that too often.”

  “From the looks of it, I don’t think you should do it at all. What did you see?”

  “He’s here. He’s on the second floor, just like before.” She looked around, expecting more questions from Heath, but both he and Darq were gone.

  Makena must have sensed her question. She patted Rihana’s shoulder. “They went in. Heath held your hand while you were in your trance. I gather he was able to see what you saw because he took off a few seconds before you came back. He told me to stay with you.”

  Rihana nodded. Bastard. That was his plan then to keep her out of danger. She pursed her lips and stared at her companion. “Are we going to stay out here?”

  Makena raised a brow. “I promised Heath I’d stay with you. Wherever you are.”

  Rihana smiled. Despite the cold-induced stiffness in her limbs, she managed to haul herself up from the ground. “He’s alone in there. Two against one is good odds, but four against one is better.”

  Makena nodded toward the half-open door. “Lead the way.”

  * * * * *

  As they made their way through the building, Heath saw the reluctance in Darq’s expression. He felt it himself, but he could think of no alternative. He couldn’t remember the last time he and Darq had marched into battle. They’d been on this world too long and they’d forgotten what it was like to have to fight for survival. Their skills had afforded them comfortable living space and all the amenities a technologically advanced, highly populated world had to offer.

  They’d lost the kill-or-be-killed instinct they’d had to learn in the early years of their exile when the Gemii had lurked around every corner.

  After a shared glance, they burst into the room he’d seen in Rihana’s vision. The Gemii was there, as expected, surrounded by the few luxuries he’d allowed himself—an arm chair, a collection of snack food and a small television. He jumped up at the intrusion and cloaked himself in moving shadows.

  Weapons would be useless against him, but fortunately time and easy living hadn’t dulled the instincts of their guardian beasts. In response to the assassin’s presence, Heath’s twin serpents and Darq’s dragon leapt into existence, creating a maelstrom of writhing color at the center of the room.

  Somewhere within the melee, the Gemii crouched. Heath plunged in despite a yelled warning from Darq. He wanted this over quickly and he refused to allow the Gemii to have a chance to escape.

  * * * * *

  By the time Rihana and Makena made their way up the disintegrating staircase that led to the second floor, the sounds of the battle were reverberating through the thin walls. Outside the now open door of the apartment, the two women paused. “If we go in, our guardians will join the fight,” Makena said.

  Rihana might have scoffed at the idea if she hadn’t witnessed the terrifying battle in the parking garage. She’d felt nothing then except fear and amazement, but now the skin above her left breast tingled. Her upper arm still ached from the pain of the tattoo, but beyond that normal and expected sensation lingered something else.

  She felt the desire of her guardian beast, a thin but persistent layer of emotion underneath her own anxious fear. The creature sensed the danger just beyond the cracked, peeling wall and it wanted in.

  “Let’s go.”

  Though she had no psychic link to Makena, the other woman seemed to be aware of her unspoken inten
tions. She held back a step, allowing Rihana to enter first then followed on her heels.

  Inside the now familiar room, the scene brought back memories of the garage. Dead center of the square space hung a ball of scintillating color. Black, red, brown, ochre and streaks of vibrant blue and violet entwined in a writhing mass. Vague shapes appeared and disappeared within it, and beneath the storm of color, three men grappled.

  Rihana instantly recognized the assassin. His was the face in the photo Heath had taken from Tanesha’s apartment, the face she’d seen peering out the broken window in her vision. Heath and Darq seemed to have him pinned to the stained, scuffed floorboards, yet he wore an expression of determined triumph.

  One of Darq’s hands was wrapped around the man’s neck, and Rihana feared that she and Makena would be witness as he strangled the Gemii, but after a second she realized the truth of the situation. Though Darq straddled the man, and Heath seemed to have his legs pinned, the Gemii actually held Darq in a death grip and Darq was attempting to free himself by crushing the man’s windpipe. Something besides the strength of straining muscles passed between them. Rihana saw streaks of deep red fanning out across the assassin’s skin from where Darq touched him. Here and there the streaks connected with thick tendrils of black that snaked down from the ball of color that hung above them like a macabre Christmas ornament. As she watched, mesmerized by the scene, those black ropes began to wind themselves around Darq’s neck.

  The sounds in the room were those of animals fighting. The hiss of serpents, the roar of dragons and a cold, ear-splitting squeal that could only come from the insidious black mass that represented the Gemii’s guardian echoed off the naked walls.

  Amid the swirling colors, Rihana caught a glimpse of the violet wings of Makena’s guardian and the coiled red tail of her own small beast, but those additions to the maelstrom seemed to have no effect on the strength of the formless creature.