Angel Seduced (5 page)

Kye put her hand to her heart. “I'm so sorry.”

Could she feel his ache at his mother's loss, the guilt that he had caused it? And he had. “I'm going to find Treylon Grey.”

“Have you tried Leaping to him?” Hayden asked.

Kye stepped closer. “Isn't that where you can pop in to some other place? So you just think of your father and you're there?”

“Only if we know the exact location or have an emotional connection to the person, which acts as a touchstone,” Kasabian explained. “I've already tried to find the bastard, but I keep hitting a barrier. That's an invisible force field we can erect to keep another Caido out.”

“I asked Cecily at the Guard to check into missing Crescent children reports,” Hayden said. “There were an extraordinary number of them in the last year. I could ask her to do a search on your father's name, but it will raise red flags.”

Kasabian shook his head. “We don't want to do that. See if there are any other ways for her to search. In the meantime, I'm going to keep trying my father. If he put the barrier over his location, I can catch him when he leaves.” He turned to Kye. “And when I do…this is why we have to sever this bond.”

Her beautiful face was even more pale. “I'll try.”

“Excuse us for a minute, Hayden.” Kasabian led Kye to his bedroom for privacy, turning her to face him once they were closed inside. “Do it.” The words were hard to push out, because a part of him craved this bond.

“Relax, like you did before. Let me take control.” Her fingers wrapped around his, linking them. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, determination tightening the lush mouth that was recently plastered against his. His gaze drifted down her long, graceful neck, the curves of her breasts, and the hint of cleavage. His Shadow thrummed.

Her jaw flexed, and her eyebrows pulled down in a frown. Agony filled her eyes. “I can't summon my Zensu magick. Before, when I felt romantically drawn to a guy, I got static. Now I get nothing!” Her panic plowed into him as she drove her fingers into her hair and turned away. “What am I going to do? Without my abilities, I'm worthless.”

“Why would you say that?”

She was going to cry. He felt it before even glimpsing the first glistening tear on her eyelashes. The sight of a woman or child crying wrecked him, but it was much worse because he'd caused her angst.

He pulled her close, keeping his hands on her shoulders. “I'm sorry, Kye. I take full responsibility. But in my defense, the Shadow has never done something against my will before. I wouldn't have taken a chance otherwise. But now that we're bonded, the Shadow is growing stronger, its whispers more fervent.”

“What is it whispering?”

“It wants me to throw you onto that bed, tear off your clothes, and take you. It wants to devour you. The worst part is, I don't know how much is the Shadow and how much is me.” He took in the swirl of mist in her eyes. “When I kissed you just now, you should have immediately shoved me away. You should be putting distance between us right now. But you're drawn to it, too. And that is the most dangerous aspect of all.”

“I…I'll look through my notes and see if there's something that will give me a clue.”

He forced himself to open the door. Kye darted down the hallway toward the living room. By the time he got there, she was already at the door. Smart girl.

“I'll let you know if I find something,” she said, then gave Hayden a nod before leaving.

“Did it work?” Hayden asked when the door closed behind her.

“No.”

“I wouldn't mind being bonded to her. I'd—whoa, dude. Your eyes went
black
for a second.”

Rage had roared through Kasabian at the flippant comment. He had no right to feel possessive of her. He rubbed his eyes. “It's been a long night, an even longer morning.” Had his eyes really gone black? Somehow his feelings for Kye had given this thing inside him more power. It scared him.

Hayden was keeping a bit more distance between them now. “I'll do some quiet checking, see if I can find where your father is these days.”

“Very quiet. He's willing to kill children to attain his goal. That day we escaped, he struggled with whether to kill us. Maybe because I was his son. This time I guarantee he won't hestitate.”

K
asabian closed the blinds, stripped off his shirt, and bowed as he Invoked his angel essence. Caidos' wings were not made of feathers but an energy that resembled wings. That energy tore through his back like butcher knives, making him hiss with pain. Once the Transformation was complete, the Light pulsing inside him chased away the pain.

He straightened, focused on his father, and slammed up against the barrier again. Kasabian kept trying every few minutes throughout the day, exhausting himself with the effort. Finally he felt himself transport.

He arrived outside a residential entrance, the curved concrete walls bearing a discreet shell-shaped sign but no words. In those first few seconds after Leaping, he was invisible, long enough to pull in his wings in case anyone was standing nearby. But he left the shield and his wings in place as he surveyed the property in front of him. Down a long drive, he could see one of the old, Florida mansions. And coming up the drive was a black Mercedes. The gates began to open. Kasabian stood off to the side as the car drove out a few seconds later. He knew his father was inside, felt him, but he was more interested in the mansion at the moment. Kasabian slipped inside just before the gate clanged shut. Beyond the mansion, he spotted an assortment of smaller buildings. A salty breeze rustled the leaves, indicating that the ocean was nearby.

The air in front of him shimmered, and he felt the tightness in his gut as he neared the Caido barrier. He could see beyond but couldn't pass it. He felt along its edge as he followed it toward the back of the property. He saw no sign of any children, but last time his father hadn't allowed outdoor toys or play equipment.

Kasabian needed to get a feel for the scope of the operation. How many kids held captive? How many adults involved? He kept close to the tall, thick hedge that separated this property from the next. The windows were all blocked by blinds. He dropped his invisibility cloak, which was cumbersome to maintain, and crouched near a cluster of hibiscus bushes to wait.

Twenty minutes later, one of the back doors opened, and a man herded a boy of about ten to some vegetation, where he proceeded to vomit. Kasabian remembered when the channeling got too much for his body. He strained to throw himself through the barrier and strangle the adult. He had to suck in deep breaths to pull his Shadow back.

The adult gave the boy a small towel to wipe his mouth. The vomiting was only the beginning. Early in Kasabian's captivity, two Caido boys started getting sick. His father told him that, regrettably, he had to slow the pace at which the boys channeled the essence.

Kasabian watched as the man escorted the boy back to the house. The kid was gaunt, his movements listless. Like all of the children had been before they “went home.”

He knew where “home” really was. Death.

There were only two ways to get through a barrier. Be invited in or go through with someone who was allowed. He made his way to the front of the property and waited for his father to return.

Silva watched the intruder slither among the landscaping toward the back of the property. He might have not seen him at all but for the fact that he was staring out between the narrow slits of the blinds daydreaming.

Who would dare come onto the property? And how had he gotten through the front gate? Not that he'd get past the barrier, but still, an intruder had to be dealt with.

Silva waved his hand, creating a cloak that rendered him invisible. This shouldn't have anything to do with the mess he'd inadvertently caused. Could the man be the Caido whose wings he recently Stripped? Silva flexed his hands at the sweet memory. He had powers not many did, and he was finding new ways to use them.

He slipped out the side door on the other side of the house. The intruder was hunkered down near some bushes, his face hidden by the pink flowers.

Silva passed through the barrier, stepping lightly on the grass as he neared his quarry. When the man stood, Silva nearly dropped the cloak in his shock at seeing him here. Kasabian. That he
was
here meant the memory lock had failed after all these years. But how? Had it just gone
poof
?

It also meant he was investigating what those memories meant. He was once again a threat to their operation. And that couldn't happen. Treylon had questioned the wisdom of letting him live after his escape, regretting his weakness. It was Silva who had convinced him that Kasabian posed no threat if he remembered nothing. Treylon would kill him on the spot now.

As much as Silva had wished Kasabian dead for abandoning him and nearly destroying Treylon's work, he did not actually want him dead. He wanted him broken and bleeding and under his control. He had dreamed of it for so long, Kasabian begging for mercy, then forgiveness, then for Silva's gentle caresses. In contrast to the pain, Kasabian would accept, even welcome, Silva's hands on his muscular, tanned body.

Kasabian was intently watching Beldeen taking one of the young Caidos out back to puke. Treylon was pushing them too hard now that the solar storm was approaching. Silva touched the starburst scar. It still burned from his last session. He was doing it voluntarily now, but he remembered how helpless he'd felt when Treylon had first brought him to his estate all those years ago. Kids couldn't comprehend what was at stake. Now he did, and he would give everything to see it through. Well, everything but his life.

Kasabian's jaw tightened, his mouth tight with his anger. He looked dangerously beautiful. Only inches away, Silva reached out, straining to touch him. He held back, unsure how to deal with this particular intruder.

Kasabian headed toward the front of the property. Was he leaving? If he told the Crescent authorities some crazy tale about a former Concilium member holding children, he would be ushered away. Like the boy who'd recently escaped. Or he would be made insane, like the woman who had escaped many years ago.

Kasabian ducked back into the hedges near the front of the property by the gate. No, he was waiting. He'd probably seen Treylon leave and was waiting for him to return. Silva wasn't ready to reveal his presence yet, but he couldn't let Kasabian ambush the man who was like a father to him. Could not let him destroy the program that would release all Caidos from their torment.

He returned to the house and summoned Gren. The tall, lean Caido met him in the foyer, a coy smile on his face. “You have need of me, my master?” He was twenty, pretty, and a new recruit in the program. “You look tense. Need some tension release?” He ran his tongue over his full lower lip. “A suck, a f—”

“A detainment,” Silva interrupted. “A discreet one. We have an intruder lying in wait near the front gate. You'll have the element of surprise, but be careful. He's like me.”

“You don't want him killed?”

“No. I want him incapacitated and put in the white room.”

Gren's mouth curved into a smile. “Your will is my command.”

That had been nice at first. Now Silva wanted more of a challenge. He wanted the one man he could not have. Kasabian.

Gren pulled on his invisible cloak, and they made their way along the hedge line.

Kasabian heard the footsteps coming up behind him. He spun but saw nothing. No, not true. The air wavered. The cloak dropped, and a male Caido in full wing dove at him. Kasabian shifted, but the Caido got him in the side and sent them both to the ground. Kasabian used his Light to knock the other Caido on his ass. In seconds, the Caido was on him again, slapping his hand on his forehead. Kasabian felt the stun Light flash against his skin and pulse into his brain. He twisted before it penetrated, wrenching the guy's wrist and making him scream in pain. But that didn't stop him from smacking his head against Kasabian's temple, knocking him senseless for a moment. The Caido shoved him backward, flat on the ground, then straddled him. His thighs tightened on Kasabian's sides to pin him.

Kasabian bucked him off, sending him rolling over his head. As soon as Kasabian got to his feet, he was tackled and pinned between the guy and a banyan tree. He shoved his knee into the guy's solar plexus, right below the starburst.

“They're using you,” Kasabian said as he landed another blow. “I don't want to hurt you. Let me help you get away from this insanity.”

The Caido laughed as he shot a beam of Light at Kasabian. “I'm here of my own volition. I don't want to be
rescued
.”

Kasabian felt the searing heat slice his neck even as he ducked to the side. “What do you get out of torturing children?” He threw the Caido, where he landed in a clump of bushes.

“I get to be part of something that matters.
I
matter.”

The guy came at him again, his patrician features distorted in rage. The Shadow grew inside him, fueled by the fight. Hungry for it. Kasabian met the Caido halfway, tossing him over his head with a strength that surpassed even his angel essence. He saw black, just for a second, as he grabbed the guy before he could stagger to his feet. The Caido tried to kick free, but Kasabian deflected the blows as he threw him at a massive oak tree. The impact left a perfect impression of his body on the trunk. The guy crumpled to the ground, blood smearing the crushed lines of bark. He panted, his breath sawing in and out as he tried to get to his feet.

The desire to kill the son of a bitch roared through Kasabian like a flash fire. He wrapped his hand around the guy's throat. “How many kids are in there?”

The guy spit blood on his shoe. Then he thrust his hand out to shoot Light at Kasabian, who snagged the man's arm and wrenched until he heard the bone snap. The guy started to scream in pain, and Kasabian slapped his hand over his mouth to shut him up.

More, more, more.
He wanted to crack, crush, pulverize every bone in his body. The bloodlust roared through Kasabian. The Shadow's bloodlust.

Even with his mouth broken and bleeding, the guy sneered with contempt. “I'm going to kill you,” he said, holding out his good arm to use his Light weapon.

Kasabian grabbed that hand, crushing his bones. “Tell me how many or your neck is next.”

Searing pain stabbed Kasabian all across his back. Little black bird-like creatures tore at his wings the way a disturbed nest of fire ants attacks an intruder. He swatted at them, and they tore at his fingers. They reminded him of
Mad
magazine's bird spies, with sharp-as-hell beaks and a desire to destroy. He staggered around to come face-to-face with another Caido.

No, not just any Caido.
Daniel
. Daniel, with a mix of emotions crossing his face. Regret. Anger. “I didn't want you to know I was here,” he said, coming closer. “But I couldn't let you kill Gren. And now I can't let you leave.”

Then Kasabian saw it, the similarities between the boy Silva and the man who'd become his friend. It hit him as hard as any physical blow. “And I can't let you continue to do what you're doing.” Kasabian pushed past the shock and used his Light like a saber to fry the birds.

“It's only for another day or two, Kasabian. Then we will be free of the pain we live in. A few lives impacted, yes, but kids whose fates are to be used, abused, destined to end up overdosed on some street corner, or sliced and diced in a motel room. Can you put away your self-righteousness for just a minute and think about what it means for all of us?”

Kasabian swung at Silva. “Their fates are not sealed because of their circumstances. They're not worthless.”

Silva met his blow, engaging in a Light sword fight. “No, they're very valuable. I was one of those kids. Your father gave me a purpose and treated me better than anyone else had. Yes, even with the pain. I know it's hard for you to imagine, because you never had to dig through garbage cans for dinner. You never had to suck some guy off so your mama could pay the rent. This was better than anything I'd lived until then.”

Kasabian sorted through Silva's words as he fought, disgust turning his stomach. “It doesn't justify using kids like that. I don't care if he gets permission from their drugged-out parents; it's still kidnapping.”

“If we had some time together, I'm sure I could persuade you to see that what we're doing is justified. Sometimes what you think is wrong is perfectly right.” He threw out his hand, and something that looked like a black snake coiled from his palm.

Kasabian slashed as it careened toward him, but it dove right through and wrapped around him like a python. Even with his angel strength, he couldn't budge it. A glimmer of panic ignited in him. He gripped the odd energy of the thing, sending deadly Light into it. Nothing. “What the hell kind of power do you have?”

The snake wrenched him off balance, sending him crashing to the ground.

Silva approached, a cruel smile in place as he watched Kasabian fight to free himself. “That's for me to know and you to find out.”

Black rage saturated Kasabian's mind. He felt the same sensation, heat passing through his eyes, as when Hayden told him his eyes had darkened. The Shadow. It moved closer to the surface and whispered seductively:
Use me.

The shock of hearing it, the feeling that it was a separate, sentient entity, completely threw him.

Gren was staggering to his feet. “Kill the son of a bitch.” His arms hung useless, but they were no doubt already healing. His crumpled wings were straightening.

“No. He goes to the white room.”

“Why the hell would you do anything but kill him?” Gren asked.

“Shut up.” Silva tilted his head as he considered Kasabian. “Get the room ready. And tell no one.”

Gren's sneer appeared again. “This is the one, isn't he? The one you—”

“Go,” Silva ground out, and the Caido stiffly walked toward the house.

Room
.
Prisoner
. Words that shot panic into Kasabian. He would never be held against his will again. The Shadow thrummed through him. He feared that if he let it come, it would take over.