Saving Daylight

by Shannon K. Butcher

  Not to mention Serena herself.

  He didn’t want to use force to make her do the right thing, but he was nearly out of options. It had taken him months to learn of her return from wherever she’d been held for the last two centuries. It had taken him weeks to convince his leader that he needed to take time away from the fight to seek her out.

  He’d landed in Atlanta and driven two days to find her, only to be rejected. Again.

  Link wanted to be patient with her, but how could he? His leader had given him only a short time to seal the deal with her and bring her back to England. Three days of that was already gone, with the remaining few falling through his fingers like water.

  He’d asked Nicholas, the Theronai who managed Dabyr’s tech systems, to tell him where she’d gone again, but word had come down from Joseph Rayd not to cooperate with Link further.

  Morgan Valens also wanted her—Link had seen that much in the man’s eyes as he looked at her. And no doubt, the leader of Dabyr was going to give preferential treatment to one of his own over a stranger from another continent.

  Link probably would have done no differently. The stakes were too high not to use every advantage one had.

  And right now, his biggest advantage was his allies back home. One in particular had a knack for worming her way through the Web to find whatever she sought. If she looked hard enough, Link was certain she’d be able to find the location of Serena’s vehicle.

  After that, it was simply a matter of forcing her to see reason.

  With little time left, Link hoped the force he would be required to exert upon Serena wouldn’t cause her permanent damage.

  Once they were bound and she had access to his thoughts, she’d understand why he’d done what he’d done. Perhaps then, she would forgive him. At least he’d still be alive to be forgiven.

  Chapter Eight

  Joseph Rayd, leader of the Theronai, called Serena’s phone the next afternoon.

  She’d just checked into a motel north of Austin and had settled in to eat a hamburger and fries before going out to hunt.

  Like so many other rooms she’d stayed in, this one was bland and uninviting. The furnishings were shabby and worn, but at least they seemed clean this time. A faded painting of a field of flowers sat over the bed. The edges of the image were warped with moisture and slightly yellow. But at least it still matched the equally faded floral blanket covering the bed.

  She leaned back in her chair as she peered through the sheers over the window. She checked the parking lot for unwanted visitors as she’d been doing since she’d arrived.

  All she saw was frosty cars and trash and leaves being tossed by a cold, winter wind.

  She’d kept her phone with her for emergencies, but had asked that no one but him have the number. She’d been very clear that if he abused her trust, she’d throw her phone in the nearest body of water and never carry one again.

  She refused to be leashed—especially by a small, black box she didn’t fully understand.

  Like casting some arcane spell, it took three tries to make the right gesture in the right spot to connect the call. When it finally did, she said, “Yes?”

  Joseph’s deep voice came clearly over the device as if he were standing in the same room. Along with it were the sounds of battle in the distance—the clash of swords, grunts of men and howls of demons.

  Serena still marveled over technology and wondered if she’d ever grow used to it. At first, she was convinced that the things she’d seen were magic. Lights glowed everywhere. Colors and sounds seemed to wrap around population centers as if summoned by those who lived in them. That words and pictures could travel through thin air was an astounding mystery to her, and one she struggled daily to accept as part of her new life.

  Even toddlers were more versed in modern technology than she was.

  “I know you don’t want to be bothered,” Mr. Rayd said, “but this is important.”

  “How is the battle?” she asked before he could take control of the conversation.

  He hesitated. “We’re doing the best we can.”

  Serena’s heart sank. Those were evasive words. Words of defeat.

  Not for the first time she wondered if she should return to the place her people called home and lend her sword to the fight.

  “But that’s not why I called,” He said. “Do you know Sibyl Brinn?”

  Serena remembered the name, though she hadn’t heard it in years. “She’s the daughter of Gilda and Angus Brinn, distant relatives of mine. I met them when I was young, but I don’t believe I ever spent time with Sibyl or her twin sister. They were small children when I was imprisoned.”

  An awkward silence filled the space for a moment before Mr. Rayd cleared his throat. “She remembers you. She asked that I speak to you.”

  “Why?”

  “She has the ability to see the future—at least a vague version of it.”

  “I’d heard rumors around Dabyr about a child seer. Is that her?”

  “She’s not a child anymore, but yes. That’s her.”

  Serena’s food was growing cold, and it would be the last meal she had before going into the field tonight. This conversation needed to be over soon. “Why did she ask you to speak to me?”

  “Since the walls of Dabyr fell there have been some developments in the war against Synestryn.”

  “What developments?”

  “You’ve seen the human-looking demons that have been popping up lately, right?”

  “Yes. I’ve killed many of them.”

  “And the ones with red eyes?” he asked.

  Serena thought about it. The detail wasn’t one that she’d focused on in the midst of staying alive during combat, but now that he mentioned it, she had seen red eyes, though most were black. “Only a few, but yes.”

  “Have you seen where they come from?” he asked. His tone was almost desperate.

  She frowned at his question. “Darkness and caves, like all demons.”

  “No, I mean the source. These creatures are new and we have no idea where they’re coming from or how they’re reproducing so fast. All we know is that their numbers are growing faster than we can kill them. They are the reason our walls fell and the reason they will stay fallen if we can’t figure out how to stop them.”

  Serena had known the situation was dire, but she hadn’t realized just how much of a problem these creatures were. Dabyr had stood for centuries. Demons had tried to breach the walls countless times, and never before had they succeeded so completely.

  All those souls—some five hundred of them—out in the world, in danger of being killed and eaten for the traces of magical blood they carried.

  Her appetite was gone in the face of so much suffering. She pushed away the hamburger, sliding it across the small, round table in her motel room.

  “I don’t know much,” she said. “I know these new demons are not poisonous like other Synestryn.” If they had been, she would have been dead long ago, though she didn’t feel the need to mention that to the man. “Their blood is more red than black and they seem to be able to communicate with one another.”

  “You’ve heard words?”

  “More like clicks and grunts. I suppose they could be words, but if so, it’s unlike any language I’ve ever heard.”

  “Have you been marking their locations on the maps I gave you?”

  “Yes.”

  “See any kind of pattern?”

  “I’ve looked for one, but so far, none have appeared.”

  “Have you ever seen any of their young?” he asked.

  Serena paused, thinking. “Now that you mention it, no. I’ve been through many caves that housed the beasts, but I’ve never seen any but fully-grown adults. Unless, their children are also seven feet tall.”

  The line went silent, but she could tell he hadn’t disconnected. The connection was so strong she could hear him breathing, hear voices in the background as they shouted across the field of battle.

/>   Miraculous.

  “What’s going on, Mr. Rayd?” Serena asked.

  “Joseph. You need to start calling people by their first names if you’re going to fit into our time. And, to answer your question, I’m not sure what’s going on.”

  She made a mental note to do as he’d asked. He wasn’t her sworn leader, but he also bore her no ill will. He wouldn’t correct her manner of speaking if it wasn’t a problem.

  “Then why did you call me?” she asked.

  “Because Sibyl said you were the key to learning the source of the demons. In so many words, she said that if you don’t find the source and destroy it, we’re all screwed. We’ll never rebuild the walls of Dabyr.”

  Serena’s breath lodged solidly in her lungs, wedged in by thick apprehension. She’d heard rumors about the girl’s ability, and that it carried a great cost. There were whispers that she only used her gift under the direst circumstances. If that was true, then Serena had no choice but to listen.

  She hugged herself with one arm. “Is Sibyl always right?”

  “As far as I know, yes.”

  Serena swallowed down a sick sense of dread. Visions of the future were real. She knew that. She’d witnessed the power of a woman in her own time who’d saved countless lives with her sight. If Sibyl was even half the seer that woman had been, then Serena would be wise to listen. “What were her exact words?”

  “You’ll have to talk to her directly next time. I’m too busy to record conversations. The closest I can get is, ‘Tell Serena to find and destroy the source of the demons, or everyone she loves will be lost.’ Or something like that.”

  She almost opened her mouth to say she didn’t love anyone, but bit back the lie before it could escape.

  Soulless or not, bound to another woman or not, Serena still loved Iain. She didn’t want to, but that changed nothing.

  He had a child on the way. Could she really let that baby grow up without a father? Or would that innocent life be lost as well if Serena didn’t heed Sibyl’s warning?

  Joseph spoke again, his voice a soft warning. “She said that you’re running out of time, Serena. Only you can find the source of those demons, and it must be done before the next babies are born.”

  “Which babies? Ours or those of these demons?”

  Joseph paused. “I’m not sure. You really should call her. I’ll text you her number when we’re done here.”

  Serena didn’t want to talk to the woman, but she said nothing. “Why me? Why would Sibyl have a vision about me?”

  “Hell if I know. Maybe it has something to do with your unique talents. You never have told me what you can do.”

  Every female Theronai had a gift. Not all developed at the same time—some girls found their talent when they were children. Others had to wait until adulthood. But every woman born with the ring-shaped birthmark that signified they were Theronai had something special they could do. Even if they wished they didn’t.

  She hadn’t told anyone that she could alter the flow of time. She couldn’t reverse it, but she could speed or slow it within a small area for a little while. It was exhausting, but possible.

  Not even Iain knew what she could do. Her powers were just beginning to manifest when she’d fallen in love with him. She would have told him after they’d bonded, but she’d been whisked away and caged before she could.

  “Not much,” she lied. “I have no idea what it is Sibyl expects from me.”

  “I think you do,” Joseph said, his voice both kind and filled with regret. “I know you’re not ready to take a mate yet, but we’re running out of time. Morgan is running out of time.”

  “He told you that we’re compatible?” she asked, furious that Morgan would share such a secret without her consent.

  “It’s kind of a big deal to find a compatible female. There may have been a lot of women running around when you were trapped away from the world, but there aren’t now. Most of them were slaughtered the night you left. And until now, we haven’t had any new generations born. It’s going to be decades before Madoc and Nika’s baby is old enough to choose a mate. We’ll lose too many good men before that time. We could lose everything.” Joseph paused for a moment as if gathering his composure. “I know you’re dealing with a lot. I can only imagine how hard it was for you to come back and find the world so different and the man you’d loved with someone else. But please, Serena, set aside your anger and pain for just a moment and ask yourself what you want your life to look like. Do you want to keep running, constantly alone, in danger, or do you want a partner?”

  After two hundred years, she didn’t know how to be anything but alone. It didn’t matter how lonely she was or how much she craved companionship. She’d been so long without people that they all grated on her nerves now.

  Joseph continued, “You have two men who can offer you power. I heard Link was a bit abrasive, but he’s in a lot of pain, so we have to excuse him. Plus, there’s a lot at stake for him.”

  “He’s not the only one,” she muttered under her breath.

  Why was it that none of these men could see her side of things? They all wanted to be free from their pain, but what about her freedom? Hadn’t she lost enough? Was it really fair of them to ask more of her?

  “Morgan is a great guy,” Joseph said. “He’s a bit of a flirt, but I’m sure he’d give all that up for you. In fact, both of those men are in enough pain that either of them would give you whatever you want in exchange for your bond.”

  Would they? Permanently? She wasn’t convinced.

  “You’re smart, Serena. Figure out what you want out of life and find a way to make one of those two men give it to you. Fast. Because if Sibyl is right, then none of us have time to waste. The attacks on Dabyr aren’t getting any easier to fend off. Our temporary shelters are holding out, still secret, but that won’t last long. We’re spread too thin, working to protect too many humans in too many places. We need every bonded pair of Theronai we can get if we’re to have any hope of surviving what’s headed our way.”

  “That’s a bit ominous,” she said.

  “I was sugar-coating it for you. Things are way worse—bad enough I’m not going to fill your head with any of it.”

  “I’m not weak.”

  “If I thought you were weak, I wouldn’t be asking you to tie yourself to one of my men. Better you die alone than drag a strong sword arm down with you. My wanting you to take a mate has more to do with your strengths than your weaknesses.”

  Serena didn’t know what to do, but she wasn’t foolish enough to refuse to even consider what he’d said. “I’ll think about it, Joseph.” Using his name felt strange, but she’d become accustomed to it eventually.

  “Think fast, okay? We need you on the front lines, at full power. I know you’re good with a sword, but think of how much more damage you could do with a bit of magic fueling you.”

  She hesitated in asking, but had to know. “How are the babies?”

  Joy and weariness wove through his tone. “Healthy. Strong. Nika’s daughter is thriving, and Jackie’s child will be here in only a few days. Andra’s is a few months off, but it’s just a matter of time. All of them are safe and healthy for now.”

  A few days wasn’t long. If Sybil’s warning was real and Serena had to find the source of those demons before the birth of Iain’s child, she didn’t have a moment to spare.

  “I’ll hurry,” she said. “For the babies.”

  Serena hung up, put on her fighting leathers, and went to work. She had a lot of thinking to do, and she always thought best with a sword in her hand.

  Chapter Nine

  When Morgan found Serena, deep inside the belly of a cavern in central Texas not yet discovered by spelunkers or tourists, it was already too late.

  He’d tracked her car here, then followed her footprints in the light dusting of snow on the ground. It led directly into a cave he’d never seen before.

  The opening was little more than a narrow hole
in the ground barely big enough for his shoulders to pass through. The tunnel angled steeply downward, out of the cold, biting wind and into humid blackness.

  The air down here was thick with demon stench—a mix of animal musk, rotting corpses, feces and something cloyingly sweet. At one time he’d believed that he’d get used to the smell in his line of work, but after centuries of that not happening, he’d given up on the idea.

  There were some things a man simply couldn’t get used to.

  He heard Serena before he found her. The rough, jagged tunnel split off into two branches. Her high, feminine voice could barely be heard over the guttural grunts of demons fighting her.

  To the left. That was where she was. Fighting alone.

  Morgan shoved his way down the tunnel, heedless of the rough scrape of stone against his body. This passage was barely wide enough for his body, and in some places, so short he had to crouch. In one section, he had to crawl to get through.

  When the tunnel finally emptied out into a small cavern, Serena was there, only a few yards away.

  It was dark, but he had no trouble seeing, thanks to the power he called to him without even trying. Minute sparks of energy fueled his night vision and showed him just how bad things were.

  She was surrounded by those pale, gray, eerily-human demons, bleeding from a dozen wounds and barely fending off more.

  In the distance, he could hear the echo of more Synestryn closing in. Every monster down here would have smelled her blood and come for a taste.

  Before that happened, he needed to get her out of here.

  Serena was too fast to track. Her sword seemed to be in three places at once, blurring into one continuous arc of dark red blood. That blood splattered the cave walls as well as her pale face.

  Her lips were pulled back in a feral snarl of rage and bellow of determination. Even though there were far too many of the demons for her to survive the battle, she wasn’t going down without a fight.

  Morgan lifted his weapon and charged. He sliced through three of the demons with his first blow. Bone and tissue dragged along his blade, but he powered through until he hit nothing but air. There were three more rows of demons between her and him, and a few at the back had finally realized that she wasn’t the only meal in town.