Shadow's Curse

by Jami Gray

  “This is a Bound demon, which means it’s anchored in all three realms. We need to time our attacks or we will have more than this to worry about.” Like possessed humans running around. Or, if luck was having one of those days, a lethally talented possessed Kyn armed with a sword. “Can you hold it?”

  “Here and Between, yes.” Those jade eyes turned to her. “Wherever you and yours go to play, not so much.”

  Sounded like he finally figured out where she held her little discussion with Fahd earlier. Good, perhaps it would save them time now. “Our ‘playground’ is called the Side, and Darius is there, so no need to visit. Besides, it doesn’t play well with other Kyn.”

  Gavin arched an eyebrow even as the light touch of blue-tinged energy slipped around her hold on the struggling captive. His magic didn’t touch hers, but it came uncomfortably close. Such disparate energies never mixed well and the two powerful magics filled the room with skin-tingling electricity.

  “What are you going to be doing?” Gavin asked.

  “Amanusa are dual natured, physical, and incorporeal. You and Darius must simultaneously destroy the human and demon’s physical form to break the ties here and in the Side. What’s left behind will do whatever it has to in order to survive.” One of those survival techniques would include the demon’s essence looking for a new mortal body to occupy, or escaping into the Between. Neither was a viable option. “You best ensure your personal shields are impenetrable, Gavin.” Gods above and below knew she didn’t need an infuriated Raine on her ass if something should happen to him.

  Gavin tilted his head to one side then the other, the simmering energy taking on a new depth, the jade glow in his eyes gaining intensity. He lifted his blade, rotating his wrist until it was held at the ready. “Head or heart?”

  “Heart.”

  The head would be Darius’s responsibility. Holding the essence of the demon away from the three realms, that was on her.

  Trapped under the combined magics, the demon began to struggle in earnest. All signs of Jared were erased, replaced by the mindless, destructive monster.

  Knowing how fast things could change Natasha freed her demon. Hardening her heart as Darius’s countdown sounded in her head, she tightened her grip on the magic slowly closing in on the maddened demon. Coiling her power like a whip, she wound the loops of a destructive counter spell around the snarling, unaware monster.

  Next to her, Gavin stepped between her and the now vibrating magic. He raised his blade, anticipatory tension singing through his body.

  Snapping the magical loops into a strangle hold, she echoed Darius’s signal. “Now!”

  As if dozen of chains moved in tandem, the captured demon rose from the floor, his body jerking into a painful, suspended arc. His scream of combined rage and pain hit mind-numbing decibels.

  Gavin’s blade moved in a blur of light, finding its target with efficient accuracy. The metal severed tendon and bone. Natasha gritted her teeth and cinched her power tighter. The demon screamed, unable to deflect the deadly combination of Gavin’s blow and Natasha’s steel will.

  Jared’s body burst apart in a silent explosion. The pieces evaporated and, for just a moment, both containment spells collapsed inward. Natasha braced as the released essence of the Half-Bound demon refilled the gap left by his body and surged against the spells’ barrier.

  The magical discharge splattered like a mad artist’s temper tantrum, turning the containment spell into a whirling vortex of colorful magic. The light show became a pretty display, hiding the energy’s destructive nature. In the center of the mystical snow globe, a figure came into focus.

  “Durand, look away!” Natasha’s command demanded Gavin’s instant obedience as it echoed in a deep and sonorous tone as she and her beast straddled the mortal world and the Side.

  She gave a brief thought to the hope Gavin would listen before turning her attention to their captive. Having Gavin look away was for his own sanity, not hers because what stood trapped between worlds and magic was nothing remotely human, but a mishmash of mind-bending nightmares. Nothing made sense—the features morphing from one horrific visage to the next. Demons drove humans insane for a reason. Their impact on Kyn, well, it differed. Still, she was unwilling to take chances. Drawing on the power flowing through her, she began to turn the magic opaque, hoping to shield Gavin from what lay within.

  Inside the spell, the demon’s essence glided to face her. Magic didn’t take up much room, and the demon stood mere inches from her. Refusing to look away, she met the soulless pits where a blood red flames flickered in inky orbs. A feral intelligence stared back. The murky curtain of magic between them, blurred the monstrous image.

  Using the connection they had forged, she checked in. “Darius?”

  The demon’s misshapen maw twisted into a smirk. A long, forked tongue swept obscenely over his rough lips.

  “Almost.”

  “Hurry up,’ she hissed, the hair on the back of her neck rising as the demon prepared to strike. All it needed was one small chink in her spell, the smallest tear, to escape and hide in any living form. Or, if she was extremely unlucky, in Gavin.

  “Don’t rush me, woman,” Darius snarled.

  There was a reason women were so damn good at multi-tasking, they had to compensate for their male counterparts. “Whatever you do, don’t let it escape,” she told Gavin without looking away. “Otherwise things will get messy.”

  “And this isn’t?”

  She ignored Gavin’s mutter and reinforced her magic lying under his, just as the demon threw its entire metaphysical weight against the spell. Her magic shuddered. Blood thundered through her head and she shoved back, knowing this much strength meant the demon was drawing on its summoner’s will. She was so focused on holding it, she almost missed Darius’s mental shout.

  With a ruthless twist, she triggered the power hidden within her containment spell. It joined with Darius’s to create a lethal wave that echoed through the mortal realm and the Side. Unified, they tore through the Half-Bound demon, demolishing the summoner’s chains.

  In front of her, the demon’s image began to shred as if a gale force wind whipped through the spell, ripping the figure apart, piece by piece. The screams and growls reverberated, vibrating in her bones like a tuning fork.

  The move didn’t come without a price.

  Agony burst into violent life, setting its hooks deep. She gritted her teeth and rode it out, unsure what this unexpected reaction heralded. However, as the Summoner tried to latch on to her in a desperate attempt to replace what he was losing, other more immediate concerns rose. His desperation meant if she didn’t move quickly she would lose her current hold in this battle of wills. She and her demon joined their wills, unwilling to bend. For anyone.

  A heartbeat, then two and the summoner’s greedy grasp, unable to find a purchase, slipped away. She gave Gavin an abrupt, “Hold it until I get back.”

  Stepping fully into the Side she found the demon cowering at Darius’s feet. Magic swarmed the creature in ribbons of ebony, burrowing deep, capturing him in a tight fist. There was a lessening in the magical pressure, allowing her to add her strength to Darius’s. The lethal ribbons tightened and the stone room filled with a massive surge of power.

  Their captive threw back his head, his throat exposed, an earthly howl escaping. Between one breath and the next, black lightening sliced over his exposed throat. Even as the head began to fall, their combined abilities snuffed the remaining pieces of the demon out, leaving only the echoes of his agonized scream to fade with the dull ache in her head.

  The sudden drop of energy in the room intensified the harsh rasps of their breathing as they stood there. Two massive demons, one white, one black and a pale layer of ash on the floor. Silence filled in the now empty space.

  “Well,” Darius drawled. “That was fun.”

  Fun? No, it hadn’t been fun, but it had been interesting, in a very unsettling way. Consciously relaxing her jaw, she consid
ered the strength behind the Jared’s last escape attempt. There was an unprecedented amount of vehemence behind that effort. A surprising depth that spoke to the summoner’s inherent will. Because the summoner made a rooky mistake in failing to garner Jared’s entire name, she had underestimated him. It wouldn’t happen again.

  “Just because he made an error in the initial stages doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

  Stiffening as Darius’s voice cut into her thoughts, she glared at him. “Excuse me?”

  He tilted his head, those horns catching the shifting light, a small, irritating smile playing at his lips. “You’re thinking too loud.”

  Damn blood bond. How long would it last? She carefully cloaked her thoughts, but shared some of her speculation. “Making such a critical error in the naming would generally indicate a lack of knowledge or experience. Naming is a key component to binding. Why make such a novice mistake?”

  Those powerful shoulders shrugged. “Because they are a novice?”

  “Or perhaps there are more players than what we are being led to believe?” Especially if this was a Council ploy. They abhorred the simplistic, and leaned toward manipulative and layered. Using someone as a patsy, yes, that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. This could have served as a test, a way to see how strong her hold was on herself and her territory. What better way to monitor it than to set things in motion when one of theirs was already here to lend a helping hand? Her lip curled at the last thought and, without sparing Darius a glance, she stepped back into the mortal realm before her budding anger could erupt.

  Unfortunately, Darius was right on her heels. As they materialized in her living room, his hand wrapped around her arm, spinning her around to face him. “I may not have caught all of that,” he snarled. “But rest assured, Ms. Bertoi—” He fairly hissed her name. “—I am not some Council toady.”

  She held his flinty gaze with her own. “That remains to be seen, doesn’t it, Mr. Abazi?”

  His fingers tightened almost painfully on her arm. “You want proof? Taste the blood, Natasha. It doesn’t lie.”

  And that was exactly what bothered her. Did she dare believe what his unexpected offering could show her? Blood may not lie, but it could hide things. Dangerous things. Once before she trusted a blooded connection. It hadn’t ended so well. She lifted her chin, allowing condescension to tilt her lips. “Perhaps.” She pulled free of his grip, knowing she escaped only because he let her, and turned to Gavin.

  He watched the two of them, his face impassive. “Are you two done?”

  Blighted hells, save her from the male species. Holding on to her composure by sheer stubbornness, she gave a brief thought to ripping both of them verbally and physically to shreds just for relief. She refrained. Barely. “You’re missing a shadow.”

  He arched a maddening eyebrow. “She’s not too far behind. I’m more interested in what the hell just happened here.” He motioned to the shattered remains of her living room and the crumpled body feet away. “And who and why she’s here.”

  “Cleo James.” Pity and anger settled heavy in Natasha’s stomach. “Sullivan’s lover.”

  Gavin gave a slow blink, weaving a little on his feet. “She seems to be missing some pieces.”

  “The demon consumed it,” Darius answered from behind her.

  When Gavin’s mouth opened, probably determined to ask more questions, she stopped him with a raised hand. “This is not the time for a lesson on getting to know your Amanusa better.”

  Cool night air swept through the room, causing the curtains to billow. As the chill seeped over her skin, she gathered the edges of her robe together and tightened the belt. “This demon answered to someone else, a powerful someone else. To ensure Cleo’s silence, he consumed the heart. I’m sure when I receive Jamie’s report on Sullivan, he’ll be missing one as well.”

  “They were dead,” Gavin gritted out. “What does eating their hearts accomplish?”

  “It’s ensures a demon stays out of a necromancer’s reach.” It was difficult to keep her voice brisk and unaffected, especially when her own nasty-tempered demon prowled under her skin, hungry for retribution. Needing to get away from the room filled with needless death and infuriating testosterone, she went to step around Gavin, drawing both men behind her into the entryway by the front door. “Let me grab you something for that scratch of yours before you stain my floors.”

  “And it took two to take Cleo out?”

  Gavin’s question made her pause and turn. “Two what?”

  “Half-Bounds or whatever you called that.”

  “There were no other demons, Gavin.” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you haven’t loss more blood than you think? And why, exactly, are you bleeding?”

  He grimaced. “Little stone freak out front didn’t want to let me in.” Before she could probe further, he asked, “Why kill the girl? What purpose does her death serve?”

  The urge to leave and investigate his story clawed at her, but she remained still. One crisis at a time. “Other than angering me, nothing.”

  “Except to serve as an indication that your House may not be happy with your current leadership,” Darius drawled.

  Spinning on her heel, she took in his calculating consideration and clenched her fists. Lifting her chin, she made sure that her answering smile held nothing remotely friendly. “I don’t think it’s my House we have to worry about, pet.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Gavin split a look between Darius and Natasha, before settling on her. “Is that true?”

  Natasha gave a negligent shrug of her shoulders. “To those stupid enough to grasp at straws, yes, it could be seen as such.”

  Gavin’s face darkened. Not that it took much considering his initial pale tone. “Dammit—”

  Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the front door bursting open in a rush of cold night air and one very irate feminine growl.

  “What the hell, Gavin?” Raine’s mercurial glance swept over the entryway and landed on him. More specifically, on the red staining his T-shirt. She barely acknowledged Natasha and Darius as she went to stand in front of him, her hands pulling the saturated material away to see the damage. “Couldn’t you duck?”

  “Got stuck between a rock and a hard place.” Curling his arm around her neck, he dropped a brief kiss on top of her head. “You got here fast.”

  Raine shifted to the side, peering over her shoulder, silver gaze zeroing in on Natasha. “Got any towels around here?”

  Realizing none of her questions would be answered until Raine saw to Gavin, Natasha marched out of the room, throwing over her shoulder, “Let’s move to the kitchen.”

  Maybe she could get a glass of wine while Raine played doctor. In the kitchen, she opened a drawer and removed a small stack of dishtowels. She handed them over to Raine, getting a tiny nod of thanks in return.

  “Would’ve been here faster, but Carys showed up.” Raine pressed the wadded towels against Gavin’s side as he leaned against a counter, earning his sharp hiss.

  A headache picked up behind Natasha’s eyes, joining the many questions waiting to be asked. Where to start? “Dare I ask where you were?”

  “Mulcahy’s place.”

  While Raine had any number of reasons to be at her uncle’s, what would be Carys’s? “Was she looking for you or something else?”

  “I didn’t ask.” Raine kept her attention on tending to Gavin’s injury, but it wasn’t enough to hide the slow rising tide of color along her cheekbones.

  The need to find that elusive wine pressed closer. Folding her arms over her chest, Natasha leaned against the counter’s edge, pointedly ignoring Darius as he settled on a stool at the island with undisguised interest. “What did you do, Raine?”

  Raine’s lips tightened but she didn’t look up. “I didn’t do anything. I just didn’t have time to be polite while Gavin was busy holding his own against a demented demon.”

  If Natasha closed her eyes and cou
nted to ten, would it be enough to stop the urge to shake the maddening girl until her teeth rattled? Taking in the press of bone against skin as Raine gritted her teeth, probably not. Maybe a hundred would help? “What did you do, McCord?”

  “She shoved me into a car created by midgets.” The hint of Ireland didn’t soften the cutting edge of irritation. Carys Iver stood in the doorway, hands on jean-covered hips, the soft Angora sweater doing nothing to hide the curves underneath. Her red hair was pulled back into a restrained tail, a few curls making mad escape attempts. “No explanation, just growls. Hello, Natasha.” Her eyes flashed as they landed on Darius then cooled as she took in the rest of the room’s occupants. “Gavin, you’re looking a little battered. Explains Raine’s lack of effective communication.”

  Not missing the newest head of house’s reaction to the other man in her kitchen, Natasha decided to stir the pot a bit. “Carys, have you met Darius Abazi?”

  Carys made her way to Raine and Gavin, giving Darius a quick, dismissive once over. “Mr. Abazi, dare I assume you’re a friend of our visiting Councilman?”

  And with that one haughty question, Natasha knew that, at some point, Zayn had said or done something to push the normally cordial woman into a temper. Discovering what that something was could work to Natasha’s advantage in setting up the Northwest’s unified front against the Council—a move seeming more necessary as each minute ticked by.

  Unintimidated by her reception, Darius watched them with an amused detachment. “Assumptions can be dangerous.”

  “Pity the Council doesn’t seem to remember that.” Nudging Raine out of the way with a small hip bump, Carys removed the now stained towel from Gavin’s side. She made a clicking noise, passed the towel to Raine, then met Gavin’s gaze. “Brace yourself.”

  She pressed her hands against the wound. Gavin hissed in a sharp breath. A soft, warm light emerged from Carys’s hands. A teasing scent of sun-warmed wood wafted through the room. As the scent and light faded, then disappeared, the tall Fey female stepped back, dusting her hands off. Straightening, she faced Natasha, her green eyes turning into sharp shards of sea glass, the feral beauty of the Fey seeping around the human lines of her face. “Now that we’ve taken care of that, perhaps someone here would like to explain why there’s a dusted gargoyle in your front yard, a dead girl in your living room, and the stench of a Bound demon wafting through your home.”