“Enough!” She rushed between them and forced Qeenan back. She held her sword at his throat. “No more!”
Qeenan laughed at her. “What are you going to do?” He used his powers to drip blood and appear fierce and frightening.
But it would take more than his parlor tricks to work on her. “Don’t push me, Qeenan. You didn’t scare me as a girl and you don’t scare me now.” A bit of a lie, but she wasn’t about to give in to that monstrous ego of his.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Scoffing, he pulled something from his pocket and blew it at her.
Valynda choked while he laughed cruelly. Then she staggered back into Nibo’s arms.
But she didn’t stay there. She caught her footing and righted herself, which instantly stopped his laughter. “Goofer’s dirt? Really? What next? A nail in me footprint?”
He gasped.
Until Masaka came up from behind her. “Here, Baron. This is what you need!”
Valynda felt a tug on her gown. An instant later, she saw her bottle fly into the hands of her enemy.
Nibo went cold as he realized what his brother held. “Don’t you dare touch that, Qeenan! Give it to us!”
“Why? What is it?”
Masaka smirked. “The girl’s soul. Open it and she dies.”
Growling, Nibo sent a blast toward his former friend. “Damn you!”
Masaka went flying overboard as he turned back to his brother. “I mean it, Qeenan. Don’t you dare harm her.”
“Give me your crook and join us in this fight.”
Nibo pulled the crook from his neck.
Valynda was horrified at what he was doing, yet flattered that he didn’t hesitate. “Nay!” She grabbed his arm. “You can’t do this, Xuri. Think of what they’ll do with it.”
“Don’t care. There’s no world for me, without you. We’ll deal with whatever comes.”
Tears blinded her. “I can’t lose you again.”
“Nor I you.”
Qeenan made a sound of supreme disgust. “While this is all stomach churning, no one cares. Give me the staff.”
Nibo extended it.
Qeenan reached for it with greedy fingers. But the moment he touched it, Valynda grabbed it and used it to hook him about the waist and jerk him forward. As he fell, she went for her bottle.
Time seemed to slow down as she heard Xuri screaming out her name.
For the merest, tiniest instant, she had the bottle in her hand and was home free.
Until something ripped it from her grasp.
“Nay!”
Then everything went black.
Nibo couldn’t breathe as he saw Adarian scoop up Valynda’s soul bottle and shatter it against the boards of the deck. An unfathomable hatred rose up inside him and shot out through his crook as he attacked the Malachai and set him on fire.
Adarian screamed in pain and dove for the sea.
The other petro pulled out of their bodies and dove for cover.
Qeenan tried, but he was past that now. Nibo wasn’t about to let him escape his wrath. Not after this. Not after what they’d done.
Again!
“You bastard!”
At least his brother had the good sense to be scared. Qeenan backed away from him. “I was going through with the bargain.”
“And I’m going through with me promise. I will feast on your guts and eat your brains!”
“You can get another pet.”
“There’s only one Aclima and twice now you’ve taken her from me!”
Qeenan stumbled and fell as those words slammed into him and he understood exactly what he’d done. He tried to attack, but it was useless. Nibo brought his crook down on him over and over, the same way he’d once beaten him with his club. His wrath was absolute.
“Xuri, no!”
He froze as he heard the last voice he’d ever expected to hear again. Felt the most gentle touch on his arm.
Unable to believe it, he turned his head to see Valynda by his side. Fully restored.
“I don’t understand.”
Thorn gave him a droll stare before he used his thumb to indicate Acheron. “Atlantean god of creation. They tend to come in handy at times.”
Acheron jerked his chin at Valynda. “Thanks to Circe, she had a body this time for her soul to return to. Getting the two of them back together wasn’t that hard.”
Yet it still wasn’t over.
Nibo turned back toward Qeenan. “You owe my lady an apology.”
Bleeding and shaking, Qeenan pushed himself to his feet. “Our day is still coming, Xuri. If not now, it will. There is only so long you can keep anger contained when you step on people and treat them unfairly.”
“You don’t correct things by destroying everything. You correct it by working together to make it better for all. For it is better to build than to destroy.”
And that had always been the difference between the twins.
Qeenan sighed as he gathered his men and left.
Nibo turned toward the others. “How do we find Adarian?”
“We’re tracking him.”
“What about Barnet and Rafe?” Valynda held her hand to her forehead to shield her eyes as she scanned the empty ships. “What do you think happened to their crews?”
Bane let out an elongated breath. “That’s a question I’m afraid to ask. But we will find out.”
Thorn clapped Bane on his back. “For now, let’s get this gate resealed.”
“Aye to that.”
New Orleans
“Is the captain sure about this?” Valynda stared at the bustling port city in the newly established country. She’d never understand why Cameron was so fond of this place.
Even though New Orleans wasn’t Cameron’s home, she and Kalder were already off the ship and exploring. Along with Sancha, who’d suddenly taken up with Jake Devereaux. Those two had become very close lately. …
Valynda was a bit more hesitant, especially since this was where Madoc had told them he’d found Adarian hiding. “Why would he pick this place?”
“Lots of hatred and resentment for him to feed on.” Bane pointed to the encampments that dotted the other side of the river. “They have factions from a lot of different nations thrown in together. So much so that they have areas of town they’ve been forced to designate as neutral zones.”
In that moment, she could feel him here. Deep in her stomach.
“Now that we’ve found him, what are we to do?”
Acheron, Savitar, and Thorn turned to Bane.
“It’s a port city,” Acheron said. “I have a place on Pirate’s Alley so that I can watch him, and I’ll establish a larger than normal number of Dark-Hunters, as Adarian’s presence will draw a lot more evil here.”
Savitar nodded. “I can ensure there’s a Were-Hunter sanctuary put here in order to keep an eye out as well.”
“And I’ll move in my Hellchasers.”
Acheron met her gaze. “Between us, he should be covered.”
“What happened to Vine?” Bane took his wife’s hand. “I want to make sure she doesn’t crop back up.”
Thorn snorted. “They fed her to Adarian. She didn’t last long. Then again, few do. Evil like that, Adarian drains them and eats them whole. It’s what a Malachai does.”
Mara winced. “I feel for her.”
“Why? She killed me and wanted to kill you.”
“I know, Duel, but she’s still my sister. I didn’t want her dead.”
Valynda took Nibo’s hand, as she knew he could relate to that complicated feeling. “So, this is it, then? We part ways?”
Thorn wrinkled his nose. “Not exactly.” He turned her wrist so that she could see her mark wasn’t completely gone. Though faint, it still could be seen. “Some of you are still Hellchasers.”
“Deadmen,” Will corrected.
Thorn laughed. “Yes, Mr. Death—”
“Deeth!”
“Death, you’re still D
eadmen. But the gates are sealed. So, you’re not needed at sea at the moment.”
“Futtocking landwalkers.” Bart groaned. “Put me neck in the noose.”
Sallie scoffed. “Hang that, put me arse in a tavern.”
Will pointed to Sallie. “Like that option much better. I’m going with me friend here. To Valhalla!”
Shaking her head, Belle rolled her eyes. “Men. You’re ever off on some nonsensical point.”
“That’s the fun of it.” Paden adjusted his tricorne. “I guess me and me sister and Kalder will be heading back to Virginia, then.”
“Aye.” Sadness darkened the captain’s eyes. ’Twas the same that Valynda felt in her heart at the thought of losing her friends.
But all things came to an end eventually.
“Hey now,” Thorn chided. “This isn’t the end. You know that. We’re immortal. Most of us. We’ll be back.”
“Aye. That we will.”
Nibo stayed by her side as they dispersed. “And what of us, mon ange?”
Her heart fluttered at the way he said that. Most of all, she trembled at the knowledge he’d given her the choice of staying or joining his pantheon. If she said the word, he’d leave his people for her.
But she would never do that to him.
While he might fight with his brother and other family members to the end of time, they were still family. Blood should be thicker than water. She believed that.
So she smiled. “Wherever thou goest, I shall go. Thy people shall be my people. Forever.”
He kissed her hand and laughed. “In that case, and given where we are … laissez les bons temps rouler.”
“What are you doing, Cam?” Jaden appeared right behind his sister as she struggled to paint symbols on the walls of her shack that had been built on the outskirts of some backwater hole in the human realm that the humans had dubbed New Orleans.
With a huff, she paused to look down at him from the ladder she stood upon. “Don’t just pop in on me without warning, Verlyn! You scared the shite from me!”
“You’re not supposed to be here.”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?”
“We all have choices. Isn’t that what you constantly tell me?”
Ignoring his barb, she went back to work. “Return to your masters.”
“You can’t contain Adarian forever.”
“I have to try. He’s way too powerful and we can’t afford for him to run loose in the human world.”
Jaden cursed as he realized what she was painting. “You’re going to try it, aren’t you?”
“It’s prophecy.”
“Idiocy, you mean.”
“No. Our only hope.”
“To create another Malachai whose powers will make a mockery of Adarian’s? Are you out of your mind? Haven’t you learned yet not to interfere?”
“As it began, it shall end. Monakribos was born of absolutes. An equal division.”
“So, what? You plan to sleep with Adarian?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
He wasn’t. That was how it’d all begun. A Sephiroth warrior—those who fought for absolute good—had slept with the goddess of absolute destruction and fathered a child. “Then how? In case it’s missed your notice, the only Sephiroth left is male. Last time I checked, two men can’t physically have a baby. There’s only so much bending the laws of nature even you can do, Cam.”
“Menyara,” she corrected. “And I know. But …” She paused to look down at him. “There is a way. A girl born to the Sephiroth.”
Jaden’s heart sank at the thought. She was talking about the creation of his great-granddaughter. “Do not interfere, Cam. Enough harm has been done to my child.”
Children, actually.
And all because of him.
Most of all, he didn’t want his great-granddaughter near a Malachai because of one basic reason. All Malachai were born through an act of violence, and the thought of anyone harming his bloodline …
“I mean it, Cam. Don’t you dare put my children in harm’s way.”
“Why do you care now? You’ve never been this protective in the past.”
“I like to think I can learn from my mistakes.”
“And I want to save this world.”
Some days he did, too. Today, not so much. And definitely not at the expense of his sons.
“Don’t, Cam. I mean it.”
“Fine, then. Go back to Azmodea and fear nothing. Besides, Jared is locked away. Not like I can get to him.”
He winced at the mention of his grandson and the curse that had been laid upon him.
Because of me and my stupidity.
He’d been such a fucking fool. Trying to stop prophecy when there was no way.
“Fine, but don’t forget what I said.”
Menyara watched as Jaden vanished. He was angry now, but …
In time, he’d come around to her way of thinking. She would make him understand that this was what they needed to do. With Adarian here, New Orleans had become a magnet for all sorts of preternatural activity. So, she would stay to monitor it.
Most of all, she knew that it would be here that the prophecy would begin. This was where the last Malachai would be born, and either the world would be saved …
Or it would end.
For my aunt Berta for all the stories in my youth that fueled a love of Caribbean lore and a devout respect for West African tales, traditions, and culture.
To Tish for your unerring guidance and wise counsel, and bag of tricks.
And for my grandfathers, who taught me many lessons about many religions.
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At Death's Door (Deadman's Cross Book 3) Page 26
