Betrayed (29 page)

I know. Blend with me.

His energy flowed and meshed with mine, making me feel powerful and invincible, enhancing my powers as fast as the Kris. Taking a deep breath, I sent the shurikens flying toward the demons on the ground and the Kris Dagger toward the three above.

My eyes snapped open when the demoness on the roof cried out a warning. Too late. The deadly stars sunk into the torsos of her minions on the ground before they realized they were under attack.

They burst into flame, black holes replacing eyes, screams fil ing the al ey as their bodies smoldered and sunk to the ground.

Above, the Kris found its targets. Bran and I jumped out of the way as two bodies tumbled down, their screams chil ing. Where was the third one?

“I did it,” I whispered, so amazed a giggle escaped me. “It worked.”

“That was awesome,” Bran mumbled, staring at the smoldering remains.

I grinned. “Yeah. Haziel showed me….” My voice trailed off as more demons appeared.

There were only six of them, three on either side of us. This time, they came prepared with serrated knives and knuckle blades.

Now.
The Kris Dagger raced back to my hand. Bran and I turned so we were back to back, bodies tense. I pul ed out the second dagger as I sized up the three demons. They were bigger than me, and their eyes promised retribution for what we did to their friends.

“She said to bring them in alive,” the female who’d escaped screamed from above. “But she didn’t mention in what state. Break every damn bone in their bodies for the brothers and sisters we lost tonight,” she egged them on.

The demons lunged at us.

Bran charged.

I swung my Kris at the ones closing in on me.

The demons teleported out of the way and escaped the blast from the dagger. Anticipating their reappearance behind me, I whipped around. The first one materialized. With a flick of my wrist, I plunged the blade into his side. He went down in flames.

There was no time to savor the kil . I locked on to the psi of the next one.
Freeze.
I sunk the dagger into her chest just as the last one landed a crushing blow to my side. I heard rather than felt my ribs crack. Pain shot down my spine, and I sucked in stale air. The ache became dul and disappeared, the Kris Dagger cushioning the pain as it healed the wound.

Bran yel ed something I didn’t understand, his hand extended toward me.

The next second, a demon reaching for me froze, his body shrinking and his clothes becoming looser as water drained out of him. The visible skin pinched, his red eyes bulged until they popped. The mummified remains of the demon crumbled to the ground and disintegrated.

More Nosferatus arrived to replace the ones we vanquished. Jumping back into the fray, I used every skil my grandfather and Haziel ever taught me to fend them off. We were outnumbered but better trained. The demented one on the roof kept up her nonstop cackle. I tried to blast her a few times with the Kris but she always teleported out of the way.

One came from behind and locked his arms around me, crushing my ribs. Wooziness washed over me at the pain. With shal ow breath and sweat dripping down my face, I elbowed him and tried to break lose. Another grabbed my wrists and twisted my arms at an unnatural angle. Something snapped, but thanks to the cushioning effect of the Kris Dagger, I didn’t feel the pain.

I’m coming.

I heard Bran clearly this time.
No,
I yel ed back.
I have this covered.

Hands wrapped around my ankles and lifted me off the ground. I writhed and bucked, focusing hard on locking on their psi. Their thoughts flashed in my head. They planned to teleport with me. I let go of the Kris and commanded it.
Attack.

Within seconds, I landed face down in the muck, embers of burning demon clothes around me.

Needle-sharp pain shooting from every part of my body, I lifted my uninjured hand and closed it around my dagger. Immediately, it dul ed the pain and infused me with more energy.

A glance at Bran told me he was handling himself. He was a mess, but had a broad grin on his face. I staggered to my feet and started toward him.

More demons materialized and cut me off.

Didn’t they get it? There was no way they Didn’t they get it? There was no way they would win this. Taking a deep breath, I gripped my dagger. A sharp cry from Bran yanked my attention. I couldn’t see past the line of hooded demons. Rage rushed through me. I yel ed something, I don’t know what, and lightning bolts materialized. They leveled the demons blocking my path.

Heart pounding with dread, I searched for Bran. Three demons had pinned him on the ground. I zapped them so hard nothing was left but smoking boots.

Bran jumped to his feet, looking around.
Did
you just—

A force of some kind propel ed him backward, slamming him against the wal . I turned, trying to find its source. Something knocked me sideways, and I rol ed on the ground. When I looked up, I was surrounded. There were so many of them, their red eyes gleaming. Bran yel ed out a curse just as bolts of lightning came from nowhere and seared through the demons. They were reduced to burning heaps amid screams as their remains sunk into the murky muck of the puddles fil ing the various indentations on the al ey floor.

I blinked. Did I do that too?

Even as the question crossed my mind, a man materialized to my left. He moved closer, hand extended. Bolts of lightning shot from his fingers and zapped the demons near Bran. Cries of agony fol owed. Shrieks came from above, then everything went silent.

A sinking feeling settled in my stomach as the figure approached. He wore a dark suit and a weird trench coat with pointed shoulders, a light-colored shirt and a tie. Diamond studs winked in his ears as the glow from my dagger bathed his smooth toffee complexion. If the other demons appeared huge, this one was humongous. His shoulders were broad, hair long and curly. He didn’t look like any demon I ever met.

Gripping my dagger, I raised it and struggled to my feet. Something flickered in eyes the same color as his skin. Whether it was fear or wariness, I couldn’t tel , but he stopped.

“I would not use that if I were you, Lilith,” he said, his voice ominous in its softness.

“Who are you?” My grip on the Kris Dagger stayed firm, but I didn’t move. Couldn’t move was more like it, even though I wanted to. His eyes stayed on the dagger as though he didn’t trust me not to use it.

Bran appeared in my periphery, right hand extended. He stood to my left just a little bit ahead as though ready to dive between me and the newcomer.

“One step, and I’l mummify you, Dante,” Bran snarled.

“I did not come here to col ect Lilith or to play games with you,” the demon said, sounding both amused and insulted. Then he turned his massive head and looked up.

Another figure dressed like him appeared on the edge of the roof and glanced down at us with lime-green eyes. Or maybe it was a trick of the green light from the dagger. Silent communication fol owed. Al I managed to get was…
she got away.

Dante’s gaze returned to us. He pinned me down with a glare. “When Lord Valafar tel s you to stay at home, young lady, you stay at home. We might not be around to rescue you next time.”

“We didn’t need rescuing,” Bran bragged.

“We were doing just fine.”

Dante’s gaze stayed on me. “Do you understand, Lilith?”

I swal owed and nodded.

“Good. Now go home.” Then his trench coat bel owed out like a cloak, and I gasped. It wasn’t a coat at al . They were wings, bat-like wings with bones jutting at odd angles. He shot skyward and was joined by the one on the roof. Lightning speared across the sky, and they were gone.

15. Rejects

“Come on,” Bran whispered, taking my arm.

I shivered, my grip on the dagger so tight I doubted I’d ever let go. “Those were…those were….”

“Valafar’s men,” he finished for me. “Dante was his right hand man on the island. I guess he escaped, too, when we destroyed it.”

“They came to our rescue,” I whispered, staring ahead, putting one foot in front of the other without caring where I stepped.

“We didn’t need them,” Bran said through his teeth. “You created lightning bolts. How?” I heard him, but my mind couldn’t focus on an answer. Meeting those two winged demons rattled me more than the battle we had with Cackling Demoness and her minions.

“You didn’t even have to use your hands like Dante, which means you can smoke him,” Bran added with glee.

I doubted it. They were huge and intimidating, their wings massive. Worse, they’d come to our rescue. No, change that, to
my
rescue. What did it mean?

“How are your wounds? My side is kil ing me,” Bran said, though he didn’t sound like he was hurting. “I think my ribs are cracked, too. I can hardly breathe. Look at this.” He turned his wrist. Two puncture wounds were visible. “One of them bit me.

Who in their right mind bites during a battle? An undisciplined Nosferatu bounty hunter, that’s who, which explains why they went to such lengths to cover their bodies. They knew we’d recognize their markings. Damn fanged fiends.”

Bran succeeded in distracting me with his mock-tirade until we left the al ey. The building was one of five at the end of a street, but there appeared to be very little traffic near it, except for the Harleys parked outside. The blue and red neon lights came from a sign that read
THRO’S BAR. J
and
E
were missing. A green and black canopy covered the front and underneath it was a white metal rail that could use a fresh coat of paint. Several chipped enameled metal chairs and tables behind the rail looked uninviting and pitiful. Even the dark and dreary entrance was unwelcoming.

I pushed the dagger in its sheath but didn’t release the hilt. Most Guardians self-healed minor cuts and bruises. Deeper and internal wounds were treated by our healers. Since Izzy was missing, the Kris Dagger would patch me up as it cushioned my pain. Bran wasn’t as lucky. If his ribs hurt as much as he claimed, he had internal injuries and needed to be healed, too. No matter how mad he made me, I didn’t want him to suffer.

Instead of heading toward the entrance, Bran stopped. “I’m taking you home so I can search for Remy and the others.”

“Why?” Scowling, I faced him. I hated when he used that arrogant tone, like he knew what was better for me.

“Demons are after you, Lil. I had no idea how badly until tonight. Soon, Valafar won’t have Dante on the sidelines watching over you. He’l send Dante to come for you, and there’s no way I’m letting that happen.”

“You? But you saw what I can do. What we can do together. I’m stronger and keep getting better at control ing my powers every day. The demons don’t know that. Even Valafar’s people don’t. That’s why they keep acting like I’m helpless, like I’m why they keep acting like I’m helpless, like I’m someone who needs to be protected al the time. I don’t expect that from you, too,” I griped in an uneven tone, so annoyed I could zap him. He needed to stop treating me like I was helpless.

Bran took a deep breath and winced.

“Forgive me for seeing you as the girl I love first and the Chosen One second.”

He didn’t fight fair. When he winced again, I touched his arm. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine.”

“The dagger is healing me, Bran. Maybe if we blended our energies, we could share its healing power.”

He took a step away from me and shook his head. “No, we can’t blend or link.”

“We did back there.” I waved toward the al ey.

“That’s because you needed me, and we had to use telepathy to avoid being heard.”

“So it’s okay to link when I need you, and not when you need me?” I asked, trying to mask my annoyance.

“Yes…no.” He sighed, a lost puppy expression on his face. “Let it go, Lil. Just accept that we can’t link or blend for now.” I blinked, throat thickening at the rejection.

“Why not? What’s going on?”

He forked his fingers though his hair and grimaced. “I can’t explain it now.”

“Don’t you mean you won’t,” I retorted.

“Not now, Lil,” he said impatiently, glancing around.

I took a deep breath, anger churning inside of me. Why couldn’t he tel me what was going on?

Blending energies was the purest form of connection, especial y for him and me because our energies matched. It was more intimate than kissing or anything we’d ever done. I clamped down on the anger and the pain.

“You know what, Bran? Fine,” I snapped.

“Keep your stupid secrets.”

“Thank you,” he answered flippantly.

“Lil! Bran,” a familiar voice cal ed out from behind us.

Izzy. I whipped around, wincing at the slight discomfort from my ribs. Kim and Izzy ran out of the al ey, laughing. Remy and Sykes fol owed them out.

So happy to see them, laughter bubbled through me, too. One more second alone with Bran, and I would have zapped him.

They were okay, alive, though in a sorrier state than us. Kim’s blonde hair was caked with mud. Sykes looked as though he’d tangoed with a hel hound, the sleeve of his shirt shredded. Izzy’s coat was burnt as though it had caught fire. Only Remy looked like he just stepped out of some animè demon-hunter poster, clothes and boots spotless.

“What happened to you guys?” I asked. “You look like hel .”

“Look who’s talking,” Kim said with a grin, trying to remove some of the gunk from her hair. “We landed in some demon-infested al ey and had to blast our way through them.”

“Woo-hoo!” Sykes hooted and draped an arm around Kim’s shoulders. “That was fun. It’s been a while since we kicked demon butts like that.”

“Yeah.” Kim smiled then lifted Sykes arm from her shoulders with the tips of her fingers. “But it doesn’t mean you should get close and personal.” Sykes grabbed her face and planted a kiss on her lips. “Lighten up, Blondie. Let’s celebrate.” He left a sputtering Kim, moseyed over to Izzy, and scooped her into his arms. She screamed, waved her arms, and kicked as he twirled her around.

We al just stood there grinning and filthy, watching them carry on like a couple of kids. When Sykes put her down, he planted a kiss on her lips, too. Izzy stopped smiling. He smirked. “I’m an opportunist.” He turned toward us and opened his arms. “Lil?”