Demon Storm: Belador book 5 (25 page)

Turning to Storm, she jabbed her hands to her hips and leaned down. “Thanks for nothing.”

Storm stood up and walked away.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

He swung that pair of red beacons at her and gave a gravelly growl.

Was that a warning not to cross him? Maybe.

She wasn’t sure how much he understood right now, but she had no doubt that he would not quickly forget who had killed Nadina. Storm had hunted that witch doctor for a long time. Nadina was the reason he’d come to the states and taken a job with VIPER. Now it was all gone forever.

But Evalle couldn’t talk to him in this form.

She asked nicely, “Would you please shift back to human?”

His stare never altered. He made no effort to shift.
Could
he still shift? The only positive sign was that his body appeared to be healing quickly.

Hers, not so much.

She tried to call up her beast healing powers, but nothing more than a mild energy swirled inside her. She hadn’t wanted to admit that her powers were waning, but her Belador blood was losing drive. How screwed up was it that her Medb blood, the other half of her genetics, had to be keeping her on her feet right now? The longer they stood out here exposed in a city hunting demons, the worse her odds got. No way did she want to have to battle her own Belador friends to protect Storm, or the other way around.

Taking a look around, she was heartened to find she was only about a half mile from where she’d left his Land Cruiser. Maybe he’d shift once he was inside his house where things were familiar.

That was if she could get him to climb inside his vehicle and
if
he didn’t kill her first.

B
rina spun in the swirling gray mist. What was happening to her? She clutched a handful of hair and pulled, trying to yank some sanity into her mind. Why was she so confused?

One minute the Medb had been attacking Treoir and in the next she’d landed in this godforsaken place.

Okay, wait ... not exactly that quickly...

She released her hair and rubbed her temple where a headache throbbed viciously. She’d been in her sunroom. Horace, the old Belador she’d have never thought could be a traitor, had tossed Noirre majik on her and Lanna...

Where was Lanna?

Panic flooded Brina with a cold chill. “Lanna?
Lanna!”

Now she recalled yelling at Lanna and accusing the child of being the enemy.
What is wrong with me?

A very strained sound came through the mist that sounded like “here.” 

Brina headed in what she hoped was the right direction. “Talk to me, Lanna. I can’t find you.”

“I am here,” came stronger this time. “You talk too so that I know you are not going wrong way.”

Brina kept up her chatter and moved through the murky gray until she saw Lanna’s blond hair bright as a beacon. “There you are.”

The minute Lanna’s face came into view Brina’s stomach fell. Lanna was terrified and Brina knew she’d put that look on her face. “I’m sorry child. I wasn’t meanin’ to scare you.”

In that moment, Lanna showed the depth of her maturity, swiping the dampness from her cheeks and saying, “It’s okay. Just do not leave again. We may not be able to return if we don’t stay right here.”

“I agree and I won’t be runnin’ off again. I don’t know what’s happenin’ to me. I can’t keep my thoughts straight.”

Lanna’s fear changed swiftly to concern before she hid her worry with a patent Lanna smile. “You will be fine as soon as we return. Maybe try to relax. You found Tzader when you dreamed. He is very smart man to be Maistir and he cares for you. He will figure out way to find us.”

Brina gave Lanna a hug. “You’re right. Tis foolish for me to spend energy worryin’ when it’s of no use. I have all the faith in my Beladors and Tzader. We need to stay close for when that happens, because it won’t be long before we’re goin’ back.”

Now if Brina could only make herself believe that and not lose control again.

T
he ride from Stone Mountain to midtown had been an arduous forty-five minutes, but Evalle finally parked.

According to the clock in the dash of Storm’s SUV, it was just after two in the morning, so no one should be able to see a giant black jaguar climb out of the Land Cruiser that she’d tucked far up the driveway, next to his house.

Once she had the side door to the kitchen open, Evalle stood back and waited for him to go inside. He trotted past her lightly, without hesitation. Sniffing his way, he loped through the kitchen to the living room then down the hall to the bedroom.

Evalle held her breath, hoping the familiarity of being home would trigger the change from animal to man.

He’d ignored her requests to climb into the SUV until she’d gotten frustrated and flat-out ordered him to get in. Then he’d jumped into the back, flopped down on the seat and pretty much ignored her all the way home.

And that hurt more than her still-aching injuries.

She locked the door and watched him emerge from the bedroom then retrace his steps back through the hall and turn into the living room.

That’s where she found him sprawled on the Navajo blanket in front of the hearth, eyes closed.

What now?

When in doubt, ask about food. Shifting into another form burned calories and drained her. Had to be the same for him. “Are you hungry?”

He lifted his jaguar head.

She looked away, unable to hold his gaze. Not those red eyes that blamed her for losing any chance to reclaim his and his father’s souls.

The fact that she’d committed the unforgivable crime to save his life evidently meant little to him at this point. Was not having his soul preventing him from returning to human form?

She might never find out.

But that didn’t stop her from wanting a chance to make that happen. She’d been waiting for him to stand or growl or something to tell her what he wanted. When he didn’t, she swept her gaze back to him. He’d laid his head down again. His chest rose and fell with steady breaths.

He was healed. Maybe he didn’t need to eat.

She could understand that he was exhausted from all the time he’d spent in Mitnal, but dammit, he could sleep once he shifted back into his human body.

After all, how much worse could she make this than she already had? Might as well find out. Squatting down, she held the cloak closed, uncomfortable with being nude in front of him now. Until
her
Storm came back, it was too much like standing exposed in front of a stranger. “I know you’re in there, Storm. I’m not going to just let this go. You’re free of Mitnal and ... yes, Nadina, too.”

He growled and whipped his head up so quickly she had to fight to stay balanced and not tumble backwards.

He’d clearly understood those words so she pressed on. “Shift back into human form so we can talk. I don’t care if you yell at me, just please come back...” Her voice broke. She’d been holding the fear of losing him inside for so long that it bubbled up and threatened to strangle her. Clearing her throat, she said, “Please try to shift. If you won’t do it for me, then do it for you.”

She needed a sign, anything that would prove he hadn’t lost the last link to this world.

But she sat there for a full ten minutes in a stare down.

He growled once more and laid his head back on the rug.

Dismissing her.

She stood up, holding back the dam that kept threatening to burst. Isak had offered her a normal life where she’d never have to go to demon hell to find him.

Why couldn’t she want that?

Because she loved the man trapped in that jaguar body.

If Storm never came back to her, she still wouldn’t consider what Isak offered. She only wanted one man and that was never going to change. She knew that.

But Storm wasn’t even trying.

Where was the man who had found her in a South American jungle when no one else could? Where was the man who had held her tenderly and shown her what it was to be loved? Where was the man who had vowed to kill Isak if he touched her?

Talking more to herself than to Storm, she said, “You can hate me for losing your soul, but I’m not quitting on you. The Storm I know is in there.”

His tail curled toward his body. That was it for a reply.

Shaking her head, she walked down the hall. She needed rest. Just a battle nap would help her heal and rejuvenate physically. If she couldn’t bring Storm back, she might never rejuvenate emotionally.

Evalle, can you hear me?
Trey asked, his voice coming into her mind.

She paused in the bedroom.
Yes. Glad your telepathy still works even if your voice isn’t strong.

No kidding. Better than nothing, which is what everyone else has. It stands that of all the Beladors you’re still the only one able to reach me back. In case this fails at some point, first tell me if you’ve found Storm?

How could she answer that?
I know where he is, but I don’t have him to take with me to Treoir yet. I still have two days.

No, you don’t. Tzader thinks Brina’s hologram is going to vanish completely in the next twenty-four hours. Maybe sooner.

What happened?

Tzader doesn’t know. He just said the pieces are disappearing faster.

Evalle held her pounding head.
Okay, I’ll step up my plan.

What plan? Her only plan was stretched out in the living room with no way to communicate. And, oh, don’t forget the demon eyes that would give him away. Macha would fry both of them the minute she got one look at Storm even if he could talk.

Did you find a phone?

She’d looked for one in Storm’s house, but she hadn’t searched the Land Cruiser, thinking it would be obvious if it was there, sitting on the console or plugged in charging.
No phone yet, but I might get my hands on one soon.

Okay, just give me a shout any and every way you can. I’ve got a secure setup to reach Sen.

Having to face Sen with Storm in demon mode would round out this crapfest.
Got it
.

One more thing, Evalle. There’s a Medb problem in the city.

I heard a about it from my Nightstalker.

Trey said,
I have news you wouldn’t have heard from a ghoul, because we’re keeping it quiet. Macha was called into some big powwow with the Tribunal. Tzader doesn’t know when she’ll be back. He said she believes VIPER is going to boot us from the coalition.

That’s insane.

Yeah, I said the same thing, but Tzader explained that with the Medb flooding into the mortal world, VIPER might be preparing for a battle and the Beladors could be the weakest link instead of their greatest power.

Wouldn’t the Medb love that? A war while the Beladors were getting weaker by the hour. She asked Trey,
Don’t you wonder why the Medb haven’t overrun the city with warlocks and witches?

Don’t wish that.

I’m not. Just saying this makes no sense to have a handful here when they could do so much more damage with an army.

That’s the crazy part. They aren’t doing any damage. Sen thinks it’s fine that they’re here because the Medb are killing demons. It’s like the world got turned upside down.

I heard about them killing demons, but I’m not sold that the Medb have turned over a new leaf.

Trey signed off and withdrew from her mind.

Evalle stood there, forcing her knees not to buckle under the weight of so much responsibility and loss.

Quinn lost Kizira in the battle after Kizira had agreed to fight alongside Evalle for a chance at being with Quinn.

Tzader was losing Brina every second that Evalle failed to bring the Storm she believed could help them.

And I’ve probably already lost Storm.

What had she, Tzader and Quinn done to piss off the Fates?

She had to rest for just a minute.

Exhaustion and blood loss were taking their toll. She sank to the floor and leaned back against the wall, unable to face that bed without Storm even if she were clean enough to consider taking advantage of it.

Closing her eyes, Evalle tried calling up her beast energy to heal her wounds again. She could feel it trickle through her. Too whipped to do battle even with her own body, she floated in a mental fog.

Despair came out in a weak whisper. “I can’t do this alone. I’m losing the battle to save the person I love and help my friends who need me.”

Kai’s voice pushed into her thoughts with sharp clarity. “What’s happened? I can’t call Storm to me.”

Evalle stilled at the unexpected voice then opened her eyes to find herself in another realm seated across from Storm’s spirit guide. Warmth hugged her tired body even though no sun floated in the sky, only puffy clouds and a soft breeze that gently ruffled leaves on nearby trees.

“I don’t understand,” Kai continued. “I can see his jaguar in the human world. He has always spoken to me even in animal form.”

Running a hand through her hair, Evalle explained, “I brought him back from Mitnal, but I had to kill Nadina to protect Storm.”

Kai covered her mouth with a delicate hand.

Yep, that’s me.
The person who destroyed Storm’s last hope for humanity. Even if he could forgive her for losing his soul, he couldn’t live with what she’d done to his father. She wasn’t sure she could live with it.

Evalle swallowed regret and struggled to push words past her thick throat. “I’ve lost Storm’s soul forever. I believe he’s in there, hidden inside the jaguar, but he isn’t shifting back to human form.”

“You are the only one who can bring him back.”

“Evidently not.”

“Yes, you are his mate.” Kai sounded as if she’d been a fierce protector in her time. “If the witch doctor’s blood grips him, then you are the only reason he will return.”

Add failing him as a mate to the list.

Evalle rubbed her eyes and told Kai, “If I am, or more correctly
was
, his mate, he’s either forgotten me or now hates me for killing Nadina. I thought for sure he recognized me when he destroyed a demon who was about to kill me in Mitnal, but now I’m thinking he was just in killing mode. That’s what demons do. They kill.”