Darkness Unbound (16 page)

Shay blocked her exit. “That sounded a little too much like Dakar. I’m not staying in a dark cave with whatever made that god-awful noise out there. We stick together. If that means we will be hiding in here, then so be it.”

“This will just take a second,” Astrid replied.

“I’m with you, then,” Shay announced with a wry smile.

“We just went from deep shit with guns to…I don’t know where we are, but my gut says it’s not good here. I will not be responsible for anyone getting killed,” Astrid said. “That means give me a few minutes while I determine what’s making the noise.”

“I’ll give you three minutes, but that’s it,” Shay compromised. She clicked a few buttons on her digital watch. “You’re on a timer.”

As she exited, Kira said to her back, “Did you ever watch action movies, Astrid? It’s always the idiot that goes and looks that gets killed or kidnapped.”

“I’m not going to get killed or kidnapped. I promise, I will be back.”

“That’s what they always say,” Kira muttered. “You know, I preferred to watch a movie tonight rather than be in it.”

Astrid crept up a steep slope to a spiky rock corner that towered hundreds of feet above her. Her side burned. One touch and her hand came away with blood. Right, the gunshot. She hoped this magus condition would give her enough healing resilience to open a new doorway. She could ask Kira to help, but she wouldn’t.

One peek around the edge of the rock mountain, and she sucked in her breath.

Zannis.

Definitely the wrong place to bring everyone.

He fought a monster snake that made all movies with anacondas seem comedic. The snake’s head had to be the size of a train engine. Its eight-foot fangs were headed straight for a very disoriented Zannis, whose head must’ve absorbed most of the recent rock crash. That thing planned…
hell no.

Running on adrenaline and instinct, she hefted the largest rock she could manage and launched it with her enhanced magus strength at the monster’s head.

A midnose hit! Hot damn. The thing reared upward and emitted high-pitched wail. She dropped to the ground gripping her head. The creature hissed and poised to strike.

“Go away,” Astrid ordered, unsure why her gut instinct demanded she simply address the creature.

Remarkably the creature closed its mouth, slithered backwards and away.

Zannis yelled something and ran for her. He scooped her up on his way around the jutting rock corner, setting her down on the other side. “Why are you here?”

“I ran into a bit of trouble in my world. I was trying to get us back home through a doorway. You did suggest I could go somewhere other than to you. But now I’m here, which means you’re wrong.”

“What kind of trouble? Did you face a daemon again?”

“No. There were these guys that held up our car and then started shooting. I opened a doorway, and it brought us here.”

“What’s a car and what does shooting mean?” Zannis screwed up his face, confused.

“My God, you really are from some past time.”

“Who is
us
? Who else is here?” His eyes scanned the area.

“It was a girls’ night out.”

Zannis’s face blanched. He whispered, “You’ve got all the
senariais
here?”

“Yeah, I know that’s not good. I’m not really sure how to get us back.”

“How did you get your whore here?” asked a lyrical feminine voice.

Zannis’s body snapped upright. He stepped in front of Astrid, effectively blocking her view of whoever had spoken. In a calm tone he asked, “The real question is how did you get permission to visit me here? This is supposed to be my afterlife.”

“But you are not actually dead, my darling, now are you?” Feminine laughter rang in the air.

Astrid placed a hand against Zannis’s back. Every muscle was flexed tight, ready for battle. Yet, his tone suggested complete ease.
Is she some sort of evil goddess?
she asked on their mental pathway.

She’s evil. Only half god, like me and you. Careful. She can hear our thoughts.

“Well, introduce me to your whore,” the woman commanded.

“She is not a whore,” Zannis gritted out, low and deadly.

“Mistress? Does that work? Inform her your wife would like to meet her.”

Astrid’s gut clenched. She moved around Zannis, proud to stand a head taller than the stunning Egyptian woman wrapped in billowing white fabric. Golden bangles jingled on her arms and an intricate necklace hung from her neck.

Zannis roped his arm around Astrid, and pulled her tight against him. Even though her body sung sweet relief to be in contact with him, she remained tense, unsure what threat this Egyptian half-god woman posed.

Zannis ground out, “It is
ex-
wife. You seem unable to remember that. Ibioni, you have no currency with which to cast stones—oh she-who-fucked-her-lover-before, during, and after we married.” In her mind Astrid heard his voice advise,
Don’t say anything to her, rouhi. She’s terrified of you and of what you represent.

What exactly do I represent to her?
she asked.

Ibioni shrugged a delicate shoulder. “Now, what would the gods think of you having your mistress with you in hell?”

“How do you know they did not grant her passage? Apparently, there’s some sort of prophecy that requires I impregnate someone.”

There’s a prophesy about that?
Astrid thought.

Ibioni’s face scrunched up in rage. All beauty vanished. She ran at them, a knife appearing as if out of nowhere into her hand. She screeched, “It shall never be
her
.”

Zannis rolled Astrid out of his arms, twirling her well out of harm from strike. He caught Ibioni’s wrist just as she descended on an arc that would’ve landed a perfect heart hit on Astrid. He wrenched the knife from her and head locked her with the knife at her throat. “Give me one reason not to kill you.”

Ibioni laughed. “You can’t do it. If you could, you would’ve done it eons ago.” Her eyes connected with Astrid’s. “I feel his arousal growing against me. You are but a passing interest. He will return to me. He always does. No one else can pleasure him as I do.”

“You disgust me,” he said.

Ibioni stabbed him with a new knife that materialized in her left hand—a deep hit into his thigh. He grunted and released her. She ran for Astrid.

Zannis launched the knife he’d just pressed against her neck. It landed deep into Ibioni’s back and dropped her to the ground inches from Astrid.

“Get away from her,” Zannis ordered.

Astrid stepped backwards.

Ibioni disappeared.

“Will that kill her?” Astrid asked, still staring at the now empty space Ibioni had occupied.

“No. But it’ll piss her off. A lot.” He yanked the knife free of his thigh with a grunt.

Astrid ran for him when he sagged against the rocks. “I don’t understand any of this. Was that knife poisoned and you’re going to die or something?”

“Technically, I am already in hell. So, if I die I will be sent here. Or wherever in the afterworld regions. But no, it will not kill me. Like you, I am magus. She has not the power to kill me. ’Tis not in the contract.”

She whispered, “It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.” He slid to a sit. She knelt beside him. He put a hand against her cheek. “I will survive. It is apparently not my destiny to die here. But you cannot be here.”

“I don’t know how to go anywhere with those doorways other than to you.”

“You can. The portal to me is just familiar. I know not how your energy works, but perhaps if you focus strongly on where you want to go, where you need to go, it will happen. Try it.”

“I already did, but it got me here. What I need is to go get some weapons and rip those fuckers that tried to kidnap and then rape us.”

Zannis’s face darkened. “Rape? Take me there.”

She cupped his face. “I think I’ll go it alone. They’re mine. I was just caught off-guard and unarmed. It won’t happen again. Besides, you’re not in great shape. I think that snake must’ve hit you with something, didn’t it?”

He nodded. “I can still fight humans.”

She smoothed her hand into the soft strands of the golden hair on his neck and then up to the back of his head. “So fierce.”

He grinned. “A kiss before you depart?” He pulled her head toward him. She took possession of his mouth. Her tongue swept into his—hot and demanding. A turbulent storm swept her into a primitive world of pure feeling.

His hand moved up to rest on her waist, pulling her close.

She wanted him with every fiber of her being. Her body raged for release, but she pulled away, still fearful of him. “Not here.”

“You are right. You must leave.”

She caught a wave of pain from him. “Let me get the
akhrian.
She’s here.”

His gaze widened. “She?”

“Yeah, Ashor’s her guy…uh, the one in charge.”

“The
akhrian
is a
senariai
? And she’s
senariai
to the Prime?”

She nodded.

“You can waste no more time here. Get them back now. Or all will be lost. Please,
rouhi,
go.”

She jogged along the jagged rock until she found the small cave several hundred yards up. “You guys okay?” she asked.

“It’s damned spooky in here. We were just about to set off in search of you,” Julie declared.

Kira stepped forward. “My amulet is telling me there’s an injured magus other than you here. Is it your guy? Take me to him. I need to heal him before we go.”

Astrid put her hands on her hips. “He didn’t want help. I offered to get you.”

“Like any of those guys would ask for help.” She narrowed her gaze on Astrid’s side. “None of you will. Lead away. I’m going nowhere until we do this.”

Astrid led back up the hill to where Zannis rested, now paler than before.

“Hi,” Kira said as she knelt beside him and rest a hand on his arm. “I’m the new doctor.”

Zannis wheezed out, “Leave me. Get Astrid to take you back.”

“All in good time. Looks like we came here for a reason.” Kira smiled briefly and closed her eyes in concentration for less than a minute and then stepped away.

Zannis looked up in gratitude. “You did not need to take care of the other issues.”

Kira rolled her eyes. “You guys are all the same. Stubborn. And suffering in silence. This is my job.”

“Okay, time for us to get home.” Astrid connected with Zannis for a moment, every aspect of her soul screaming not to leave him here.

His voice rumbled in her brain.
I belong here. This is where the gods have placed me.

She closed her eyes and focused on Kane. She needed a weapon to eliminate those assholes that shot her. The energy sizzled through her body, and a new portal opened.

Chapter Eleven

“Don’t push,” Kira complained.

“Where are we this time?” Julie asked.

“No idea,” Astrid replied. She felt around the small room lined with shelves of cans and boxes. A closet? No obvious doorknob. She pushed on all the walls, finally breaking free and out into a kitchen. Ashor, Javen, and Nate stared at them, startled. She pinpointed Kane. A small part of her brain did a happy jig that Zannis was right. She could do a doorway to somewhere other than to him. The other part of her mind recognized she was weak, and not just from blood loss. Too many doorway openings in one day. She moved out of the pantry to the counter and gripped its edge, hoping its support would help stabilize the vertigo that threatened to push her into a knee-bender spew.

Astrid swallowed hard and stared at Kane. “I need a weapon.”

Their gazes locked in understanding. Kane stood slowly. He held out his palms, his Glock in one and his prized serrated blade in the other. “Your pick. Why were you ladies in the pantry? Seems awfully crowded in there for all four of you.”

The others shot her blank, astonished stares.

“I portaled us back.” Astrid sought Ashor’s attention, but his gaze was locked onto Kira for a few moments before she ran for him. When Ashor finally glanced her way, she announced, “He was right. I can get a doorway open to other places.”

“Where did you come
back
from?” Ashor asked in a deadly tone.

“We got road blocked on our way into town—”

“What the bloody hell were you doing going into town?” Ashor thundered. His face mottled red, and veins stood out in his neck.

“Ladies’ night out. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know.” Kira ran her hands up his arms. Softly she said, “Calm down. We had our own magus with us. She kept us safe.”

Astrid collected the knife Kane offered. “I’m going to get the car back.” She turned to summon a portal that would lead back to the car, focusing on the gang leader’s pock-marked leer.

“You can’t kill humans unless they’re attacking us,” Ashor warned.

Astrid halted. She placed her left hand against her side and held up her bloodied palm. “One of the bastards shot me.”

“Then, have fun.” Ashor shrugged.

“I knew you were hiding something, Astrid,” Kira said. “Let me—”

“I’m fine. It’s a scratch.” Astrid narrowed her eyes at Kira, halting her approach mid-stride.

Kira threw up her arms. “Fine. Then I will see you when you get back.”

“You’re shot?” Kane asked. He pushed past Ashor. “I’m in.”

Astrid’s chest squeezed, and she bit her lip against a giddy smile. No matter how much she mucked up interpersonally with him, he was always there for her. A shimmer of disappointment flitted through her brain that they’d stepped back into old patterns. Partners. Business only. She shoved that thought away. The important thing was that Kane would be there.

“I think I shall join you,” Javen announced as he placed his still-smoking joint on the counter.

Ashor bellowed, “The rule—”

“Got it. This can be a training op or whatever. Perhaps, one of them will come at me. Then…” Javen trailed off with a smile, twirling a dagger.

“Astrid, don’t bring Draggon here again today,” Ashor warned.

“I can handle this on my own,” Astrid said.

“Just don’t,” Ashor growled.

Astrid shrugged a
why-not
at him. No one, not even this this centuries-old leader, got to boss her around.