While other girls had been learning to dress, and play coy and flirt, and to dance, Cameron had been learning to shoe horses, clean out spittoons, and pour drinks. How to play cards and avoid the notice of drunken men who had a taste for beardless boys.
Paden thought he’d found the perfect way to guard her from the lecherous gazes of randy men, but the truth was, he’d only complicated her already messed-up life. She’d traded slapping one type of male hands for another.
Not to mention the additional pairs of feminine hands she’d been forced to deftly dodge, as they wanted a man they could boss and dominate.
Never mind their ever-ready, pouty lips. There were times when she’d swear women seeking husbands were worse predators than men after a tryst.
Her brother would be to bury if he had any idea the number of times she’d been groped and had narrowly escaped a horrid situation with both men and women.
But for Lettice’s quick thinking and feigned clumsiness in the Black Swan where Cameron lived and worked, she would have been found out long ago.
Even now, she remembered the night when she’d first met Captain Bane and the others in Port Royal. The prostitute who’d sat in her lap, and almost learned her secret with her wandering hands …
Aye, Cameron had been groped many times by the wrong people, seeking charms and body parts she lacked.
And that had only saddened her more, as it left her to wonder if anyone had ever seen the real her. If anyone could, when she didn’t really feel as if she knew herself. She’d never been allowed to be Miss Cameron Amelia Maire Jack. To discover what it was that she truly liked about herself and being a woman.
Though, to be honest, as she tripped on her dress and hit the ground hard in the midst of her parry, she cursed the layers of intricate fabric that tangled around her limbs, making it difficult to fight. Mara made this look deceptively easy. As did Valynda and Sancha. They and Elf fought with ease in their gowns and corsets.
Cameron had far too little experience with such. For far too long she’d been Mr. Cameron Jack. Give me me breeches any day! At least she had full movement in those.
Demons closed in as she struggled to rise.
Lifting her arm to fight the demons off, Cameron cursed as her wrist tangled in the layers of delicate lace that fell from her elbow. This was fast becoming hopeless. She didn’t see any way to escape them. There were too many and they were coming in too fast.
“Take her!” Muerig shouted at them. “We need the bitch for your mistress!”
Cameron’s heart sank as more demons turned toward her. There was no hope for her now. Not even Chthamalus and his soldiers could repel them all. Nor could they get near her to lend a hand.
Though they tried, they were fast being overrun. She stood and prepared herself for the next blow.
Determined to remain standing as long as she could, she parried and countered with her sword, turned to kick at a second demon.
Still more came at her back, from the walls and hallways. Chthamalus and his crew were shoved and divided away from her. She twisted her fist in the skirts, trying to keep them out of the way, but it was so darned distracting.
The captain was pushed away from her position. And still more advanced on her, driving her toward a corner.
Refusing to be backed there, Cameron headed for the dais, hoping the higher ground might give her an advantage. Instead, demons came slithering down the walls and over the furniture. They were everywhere now. Like roaches on a hot summer night vying for a spot on cool tile.
Launching her wings, she tried for flight, but one grabbed her wing and pulled her toward the ground, holding her down. Slashing at the beast, she tried to wrench herself free as pain tore through her back and shoulder.
Nothing worked to free herself.
I’m dead!
She closed her eyes as the death stroke neared her.
But then, just as it would have come, the demons went flying up and around her as if thrown by a hurricane. They screamed out in agony and half of them erupted into a geyser of entrails.
Stunned by the force of this unseen attack, she looked up to stare into dual-colored eyes that reminded her of a demonic hawk. One a glowing celestial blue and the other a fiery burst of orange surrounding vibrant green. A smile curved her lips as she focused on Kalder’s handsome, grim expression.
“You’re a little late to the party, love.”
He quirked a charming grin at her. “Better late than never.”
She wouldn’t argue that. Especially right now, when she was so incredibly glad to see him.
His breathing heavy, he paused in front of her to lift her up, into his arms. In spite of her wings, he cradled her against his chest, as if daring anyone to try and threaten her.
The demons rose to surround them.
“You can’t keep her, Kalderan! Her blood is tainted. Surrender her now, or else I’ll take you both.”
Kalder glared at Muerig as the scars returned to his face. The flesh around his eyes darkened, making them appear to sink into his skull. “I’ll kill whatever fool tries to take her from me. Step up, brother, and you’ll be me first sacrifice to the blood gods. Go on. I dare you!”
Muerig rose before them. No longer a Myrcian, he now appeared in the body of a vicious, multi-armed sea serpent. His face was twisted and bore scars similar to Kalder’s Cyphnian form.
As Muerig attacked, Cameron felt her powers waning. It took her a moment to realize that Kalder was siphoning off her abilities.
More than that, he was draining energy from everyone around them. Everyone. Including Mara and Devyl.
Her jaw dropped as she became aware of the full extent of Kalder’s powers.
Holy mother of God …
He was a lightning rod for the paranormal. One that could draw, collect, and then channel all the power for his own use!
Muerig dove at them.
Just as he would have reached them, Kalder raised his hand that had been tucked under her knees, and a great vortex shot up with a blinding intensity that made a mockery of the one that had brought them down to his city. A deafening screech rang out. Cameron felt herself being yanked by an unseen force.
One second they were in Wyñeria, and the next …
Sunlight blinded her. The sounds of surf and seagulls filled her ears. Sea salt stung her nose as she smelled the fresh, open, crisp air.
Cameron stumbled about on the sands of a white, secluded beach. And she wasn’t the only one.
Their entire crew was there.
Except for Janice. Cameron could hear her calling to them from the depths of a cave not that far away.
“We’re here, Mistress Smith!” Captain Bane assured her as he helped his wife and sister sit on a fallen palm tree that strangely bore the shape of a crocodile. “Are you safe, lass?”
“Aye, Captain. I’m away from the daylight.”
“Then stay there until nightfall.”
Elf held her hand up to her brow as she glanced about the turquoise horizon. It was beautiful here. Perfect.
Except that they had no way to leave it. And they were missing one other vital thing.
Holding her skirts high, Cameron turned around in the sand, looking for Kalder, but there was no sign of him anywhere. “Kalder!”
That being said, Chthamalus and his group were there with them. All of the demons whined as they slid along the sand, and its grains clung to their slimy flesh as if battering them for a deep-fry coating.
“Ew!” Chthamalus slung his tentacles out in distaste, trying to expel the sand from his flesh, which seemed determined to hold on to as many granules as possible. “I’ve been gritted! Someone! Anyone! Help! This is disgusting! I could polish glass with this!”
Ignoring the demons, Rosie sat near Sallie, helping him cork the rum bottle with his soul, since they were no longer in battle. “There, there. We’ve got it back in place. No fretting, now.”
Sallie held it up toward the sky as if double-checking t
Belle wrinkled her nose at the lot of them. “I didn’t think our Mr. Dupree had the powers to throw us back to dry land.”
The captain let out an impressed sigh. “He shouldn’t. But apparently the boy has developed a new set of skills unbeknownst to us before now.”
Aye to that. And apparently invisibility and disappearing appeared to be two more, since she still saw no sign of the one Deadman she was desperate to find.
Where could he be? Why wasn’t he here among them?
I swear, I’m going to thrash you when I find you, for worrying me so!
Cameron ground her teeth in frustration. “Kalder!”
“Do you mind keeping that shrieking down to a small whine? Are you part banshee or Charonte?”
Cameron let out a startled squeak at the unexpected sound of a deep, thunderous male voice.
From the shadows of a large palm tree, a giant man stepped out, making her wonder how he could have ever been concealed by something so paltry.
Indeed, he seemed larger than a mountain at first glance. His powerful aura was closer to that of some ancient, omnipotent god than that of a mere mortal male. And his muscular build would put their large Maasai warrior Zumari’s to shame. Never had she seen a man more sculpted. Not that she’d seen all that many in this near-naked state.
In fact, he was barely clothed at all. What with his sole garment being a pair of very brief breeches that only just covered his necessaries. They left absolutely nothing to the imagination. And she did mean n-o-t-h-i-n-g. Which meant Sancha and Valynda were practically drooling over his wealth of caramel skin, that was decorated by a number of intricate tattoos.
And Kat was drooling, to boot. Something that Simon noted immediately, which caused him to rudely clear his throat then turn his husband around so that Kat couldn’t see the man anymore.
The stranger took their ogling in stride. He brushed his long dark hair back from his lavender eyes with one massive paw of a hand before he scratched idly at his small, well-trimmed beard. “Anyone care to tell me what the hell you’re doing here on my island? And who it is I’m going to kill for this insensitive intrusion on my midday nap?”
Captain Bane snorted at his question. “Hold your board, Savitar. We didn’t intrude by choice, I assure you. As for the how, none of us know the answer to that particular quandary.”
Savitar let out a long, exasperated breath. “Thorn put you up to this, didn’t he? I knew it. Never could trust that little weasel. I swear I’ll rip that little bast—”
“Kalder!” Cameron gasped in relief as she finally saw him over Savitar’s tattooed shoulder.
She ran past the large, surly being, toward the beach where Kalder was dragging himself up from the sea.
Her heart stopped as she saw him fall in the waves and be swept back by them. She spread her wings and flew then, rushing to reach him before the tide caught him and returned him to the ocean.
He appeared to be weak or unconscious.
Not knowing which, she was forced to dive for him before he was lost again. For one terrifying heartbeat, she thought she was too late. That the sea had taken custody of him and reclaimed his body.
Then her fingertips touched the flesh of his hand.
Cameron wanted to laugh the instant his webbed claws brushed against her skin in the waves. The moment she had her hand around his wrist, she spread her wings wide. While she might not know how to swim, she did know how to fly.
With all the strength she could muster, she lifted him out of the water and headed toward the shore so that she could lay him gently against the white sand, safe from the surf.
Coughing and sputtering, he rolled over onto his back, where he wheezed, and sought to let his body change over from its sea form to that of an air-dweller.
Relieved beyond belief, Cameron stretched out by his side and cupped his bruised face in her hand. The whiskers of his cheek scraped against her palm while she traced the line of his jaw. His lips were split and one eye swollen. Still, she was so grateful to see that mismatched gaze lock on to hers. “What happened?”
Grimacing, he placed his hand over hers and groaned deep in his throat. “I don’t know.” He swallowed, then stared hard at her face as if seeking truth in her eyes. “Are you all right?”
She nodded and tucked her wings in. “You?”
His gaze went from her to the shadow that was now falling over both of them. “What bugger pissed in your waves, Sav?”
“I’m going to wager his name is Kalder Dupree. What happened to your eyes, man? You look like shit shat you out and left you for dead … again.”
Before Kalder could answer, the skies above them turned black as thick storm clouds rolled over the sun. Thunder clapped heavily.
“Ah, hell, this can’t be good.” Savitar cursed. “Duel … tell me this is from the gate falling, and that you haven’t pissed off something worse.”
“I’ll say it. Won’t make it true. But if it cheers your mood, I’ll tell you whatever lie you want me to.”
Cameron pulled away from Kalder. They rose slowly to their feet as the sky darkened and growled dangerously. As a black owl with glowing red eyes, Strixa landed near Mara, and transformed into her human body. That single action said it all about how dangerous this storm was, as the water witch hated being human.
And it left her much weaker to fight whatever was coming for them, and that Strixa never did lightly, as her primary motto was to strike fast and fatally.
Whatever was there was bad, indeed.
Savitar curled his lip as he cast a menacing glare at Captain Bane. “Go, raise the dead, I said. Put together a crew of evil to fight evil. What could possibly go wrong with that scenario? Good gets a chance to redeem themselves. Shouldn’t the wicked? What the devil was I thinking?”
“That you wanted to save mankind?” Belle asked.
Savitar passed her a droll stare as lightning struck the beach not far from them. “Don’t need a lippy minion at the moment. Mess with me, woman, and I’ll feed you to the lightning and the beast that’s coming with it.”
As the weather worsened, the tattoos on Savitar’s body began to peel off his skin and transform into winged, colorful demons the likes of which Cameron had never seen before. Muscular and beautiful, they were glorious.
When Paden stepped forward to unsheathe his sword so that he could engage them for battle, the captain stayed his hand. “Those be Charonte, boy. And they belong to Savitar. If you value your life and that of your sister’s, you’ll cut them all a wide berth and leave them be. Believe me. If Savitar doesn’t kill you over glancing askance at them, they’ll feast on your bones and entrails, and laugh while they do it.”
Cameron scowled at the word she’d never heard before. “What are Charonte?”
The captain grinned. “You’re about to find out. And be glad they’re not coming for us. Their favored menu is varied and nonspecific. Basically, anything that’s flavored meat over bones. Believe me when I say ’tis best to remain off their menu and out of their predatory sight, if you can.”
As the Charonte flew toward the dark, dismal sky, Savitar turned toward them. The moment he did so, a black, cowled cloak appeared over his body, shielding him from head to foot.
Now the only part of him that could be seen were those eerie eyes that glowed an unholy purple hue from beneath the dark depths of his hood. He held his hand out. The sands of the beach swirled up in a small sandstorm to form a long, twisted staff that was about a foot and a half taller than even the massive mountain known as Savitar.
When the parts of the staff finally came together, it was magically topped off by a piece of vibrant round silver that held a golden sun in its center. One that radiated from an inner source Cameron couldn’t even fathom.
An echoing shriek rang out.
Muerig, again in the form of a sea serpent, rose from the black, turgid waves. “Chthonian! I know who you are! What you are!”
Savitar froze. The shrill winds tore at his cloak, but he made no move whatsoever. Indeed, he was as still as the grave.
“Give me the Cyphnian and I won’t tell the Malachai where to find you.”
Breaking his stillness, Savitar laughed. “I have no fear of the Malachai.”
“Then why do you hide on your island?”
Now it was the captain’s turn to laugh. “Who says he’s hiding?”
Muerig sent a blast of fire that hit Savitar in the center of his chest.
The moment it did, his cloak disintegrated and Cameron saw why he’d shielded himself so quickly.
Gasping, she met Kalder’s gaze, but unlike her, he didn’t seem the least bit surprised by their host’s alternate body.
“Is he…?”
Kalder arched a brow at her question. “Part demon? Aye. ’Tis the real reason he lives here on this island. Like us, he fears accidental exposure, and what he might do should he be riled to the full extent of his wrath.”
The moment Muerig saw Savitar’s true form, he vanished beneath the sea, taking his army with him.
Savitar went after him, causing half the ocean to cave in upon itself. A mountain range of water rose up so high that Cameron swore it reached to the heavens and left the ocean floor visible to all.
And when it came crashing down, it soaked every one of them. The only one who wasn’t wet was Mara, who’d been shielded by the captain, and Cameron. And Cameron only because Kalder had caught her tight against his body so that his Myrcian skin could prevent her from taking another dousing after her earlier dip into the ocean to save him.
“You can’t help protecting me, can you?” She could feel his strong heartbeat against her cheek.
“Nay. But only because I know you’ve not had enough of it.” He brushed her damp hair back from her face.
The humorous light in Kalder’s eyes died as he turned toward Savitar.
And Cameron couldn’t blame him for it. That was a terrifying sight, indeed.
Savitar’s body rippled with flames. What little skin he had exposed was swirled with colors and was covered with an ancient articulated armor. He was even horned.
His expression still furious, he landed on the beach in front of them, and tucked his coal-black wings down. Along with his tail. All that remained of his handsomeness were those vivid purple eyes that swept over their group as if sizing them up for lunch.
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