Shadow Reign (Shadow Puppeteer Book 2) (20 page)

His eyes were clear and sharp. He blinked, taking me in, but I got anxious when he didn’t immediately acknowledge me. It was like he was seeing me for the first time. I opened my mouth and promptly shut it.

“I can heal you, you know.” His tone was heavy from exhaustion, though his accent wasn’t nearly as strong.

I caught his wrist before he could touch his fingers to my face and gently pushed his hand back to his side. “What’s it like to be complete?”

He frowned. “I’m not. I need one more marble.”

“Do you know where it is?”

His frowned deepened and he looked away from me. “Yes.”

“Are you going to go after it?”

He pulled himself from the bed and away from me. “Eventually, I’ll have to.”

I remained seated, watching him. This wasn’t the D we rescued. This was a confident man. With his shoulders back and head high, he looked so different. The light that surrounded him was magnificent. The only thing that didn’t change was his paleness, due to the bite marks that still bruised his neck. He took his time looking over the small room, but I couldn’t ignore the tension.

“I need to go and I can’t leave you here.” I stood from the bed.

“I know.”

Great, he was going to stay cryptic. I didn’t have time for this or the feelings that stirred in me. D changed, but I haven’t. No time for envy or anxiety. I needed to stay focused.

I pulled my eye patch from my pocket and D’s hand on my wrist surprised me. I looked up at him. He was so much taller now that he stood up straight.

“You have free will to make decisions. Nothing can make you do something you feel strongly against,” he said.

I wasn’t against saving Rex. “I know.”

“You’re going to be whole again.”

With that, he released my arm and I pulled my eye patch over my eye, but not before I caught a full glimpse of myself in the mirror. It took my breath away. The creature standing there was lanky, with alabaster skin from head to foot. My hair floated on its own accord, looking very much alive. I dropped my eye patch in place a second before D hit the light switch. What stood in the mirror now was the me I was used to seeing. There was nothing new or strange about me, besides the eye patch and the accrued cuts from my battle with Rose.

“Ready?” I asked.

D didn’t answer. Somehow, he knew that question wasn’t directed at him. Yes, I was ready. I was in too deep to pull back now. I glanced over at D standing by the door. When I approached, he pushed the door open for me.

Walking out of this room meant I’d never have another private moment with D. He was someone else now and I would be too, once the battle started with Kelaino. Every person I killed left me emptier and one day, the spirits will exploit that weakness. A beep from the monitor on my arm broke my melancholy thoughts. I had to press forward for Rex.

Draken waited alone in the hallway, but he immediately stiffened when he looked at D.

“Good evening, Diablo. I see the tide has changed,” Draken said.

“You already know I’m no more a Diablo than you are a rebel,” D answered.

I expected a pissing contest from Rex, but not with D. I felt small standing between them, but I pushed my shoulders back, taking as much room as I could.

“When I leave from here, I might bring the energy back with me. I need to be careful. I don’t want the Reincarta to know what’s going on,” I said.

They’d kill Rex if they suspected foul play. The fact that he wasn’t dead yet, gave me hope. Kelaino needed me or she would’ve tied up the loose ends.

“So what are you proposing?” Draken asked.

“Drop D and me back at the church. I’ll open my own doorway and once I’m in a good position, I’ll open your transmitter,” I said.

Draken pulled his transmitter from his pocket and set the three inner dials. He pointed it to the wall and pressed the inner button. I felt the air wavier, which was new.

He wasn’t looking at me when he answered. “See you soon.”

D didn’t respond as he walked through the doorway first. Draken gave me a curt nod and I returned it. There was no telling what was waiting on that side. We could walk into the middle of World Congress cleaning things up. I pulled my guns and took the final steps forward.

The other end put me right at the forest edge. The Last Church of Hecate was now a burnt pile of debris. The wind stirred ash from the wreckage. Not a person or vampire remained in this area, though the fire was too fresh for patrollers to leave it unattended. Apprehension flowed through me.

Draken said he didn’t work with World Congress, but I had to wonder why no one was here investigating. Did he have something to do with this place being empty?

“Are you sure you don’t want me to heal you before you go?” D asked.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but time was running out for Rex. I couldn’t stall one minute longer. Why did it hurt so badly to say goodbye? He was right there.

“No, it’s good to feel pain.” The spirits didn’t feel pain. It was a reminder that I wasn’t dead yet.

His stare was so intense that I had to look away. I glanced at the thin streams of smoke here and there from the rumble. I needed to find the dais where countless victims were sacrificed. That was where I’d open a death door.

“I have to go now,” he said.

“Will I find you at the Diablo camp in Mississippi?”

“I don’t know where I’ll go just yet,” he said.

The silence that fell between us was heavy. Even if I managed to save Rex, I’d be alone again. Rex wouldn’t want to linger around me after what happened to his pack. My wrist monitor beeped and I took that as a sign.

There was nothing left to say, because I sucked at goodbye. I said it one too many times of late and I couldn’t say it again. I turned my back and started through the rumble. Some of the boards, though darkened, were splintered enough to scratch at my ankles.

When I got to the dais, I glanced over my shoulder. D was gone. One marble left and eventually he’d go after it. Where was it that he didn’t want to go after it now? Was it going to get in the way of him finishing what he needed to finish?

The wind rustled through the trees honing in on the fact that I was flying solo tonight. What would come would come.

I breathed in the smoke and carnage. It mirrored my inner turmoil. The spirits twisted the world around me. It was scary that I didn’t need blood to summon them. The monitor beeped again and my heart raced. There wasn’t a choice. I couldn’t leave Rex there a moment longer to be tortured by Kelaino.

My anger connected with the spirits. A whirlwind of rage crawled over my skin and made every hair on my body stand on end. The smoke swirled overhead, in plumes of purple and black. It sucked upward.

There wasn’t a chance to catch my breath.

T
he passage opened and I stepped into Kelaino’s throne room without ending up sprawled on the floor. It saved me face, especially since a large audience waited. She sat on her stone throne with Rex at her feet and a mass of Callicantzaros’ and Baobhan Sith surrounding the area. With so few will-o-wasps to offer light, a great deal of the room’s occupants was hidden in shadow.

“So you found your way home. Here for the dog? It’s a big mistake rescuing even one of them. They’re a plague. They’ll multiply and come looking for you.”

My attention went to Rex sitting on his hindquarters. His golden brown eyes were more brown than golden. He was in a bad mood, which meant his spirit wasn’t broken by this. He was pale due to the numerous bite marks on his neck and down his bare skin. The scars that marked his constant battle with his late alpha were utterly masculine.

“You have the Prism of Shadow so give me the werewolf.”

It was too late to act indifferent. If I really didn’t care about Rex, I wouldn’t have come back. It was hard meeting his eyes when all I could think about was the attack Rose showed me.

Kelaino’s eyes climbed over my body and rested at my hips where I kept my guns pulled and at my side for easy access. I wasn’t going to put them away until Rex and I were somewhere safe, or unless I ran out of bullets. I had a feeling the latter was more realistic.

“You left as a child and returned as a woman. What was the chamber like?” she asked.

The icy air around us only balanced the inner coldness within me. There was nothing inside me that needed to be warm. The world was silent here. The vampires didn’t stir. They didn’t even breathe. I suddenly missed the forlorn rustle of the wind through dry leaves.

“Depressing. Stone statues and darkness, nothing else.”

Kelaino smiled. “It’s a good place for them to be. There is no room for balance when the gods are constantly fighting. Once World Congress is gone, earth will be peaceful. You’ll be at the Underworld throne.”

What I felt in the statue graveyard, I could never match. I didn’t want to sit on a throne of a realm I couldn’t control. I didn’t want to be surrounded by death more than I already was.

“Thanks, but I’m not interested.”

Kelaino leaned back in her chair and stroked her long fingers under her chin.

“Rose is very anxious to see you. You’ve been on her mind since she’s come back.” Kelaino turned to a sith beside her. “Bring Rose and the prism in here.”

The sith bowed, turning her attention to me. I recognized the way her emerald eyes sparked. She was the one that went looking for Bliss. I wondered if she told her mistress about my planned escape. It didn’t matter now. She slid off the dais and exited the room through the only door not surrounded by creatures.

Cold sweat broke out on my skin. The light from the will-o-wasps fluttered as if a wind threatened to put them out. I broke eye contact with Kelaino to glance around the crowd. I’d see more if I removed my eye patch.

“You
feel
it, don’t you? The spirits are restless with Hades gone,” Kelaino said.

I took a deep breath, intending to calm my inner turmoil. The stench just made things worse.

“I’m not your daughter. I’m not the Goddess.”

Kelaino smiled as she leaned back in her chair. Her thin clothes couldn’t possibly keep her warm, but then again, maybe she was as cold on the inside as I was. I refused to make that comparison, because I wasn’t her daughter.

“Where is she?” Rose screamed.

I spun as the vampires shifted out of Rose’s way. It wasn’t the entrance I expected, but at least it wasn’t a blind attack. Her heels clicked angrily across the stone floor as she stopped within the circle the vampires made around me. She wore tight black leather and a number of blades, but that didn’t draw attention from her contorted face. Her horns were daunting.

Rose growled, breaking the graveyard silence. “You killed Utan.”

At the mention of Utan, my thoughts went to the transporter that made my pocket heavy. Draken and his army was one click away, but I needed to get the prism from Rose first.

“The prism, Rose,” Kelaino ordered.

The same sith that retrieved her now approached with a black silk pillow in her hands. For once, I was glad no one was here to save me. I didn’t want Bliss or Draken to see what was going to happen. I stood in a dog ring and one of us wasn’t coming out alive.

I stole a glance at Rex, but his face was unreadable. He gave the slightest nod and his energy moved past my shields. It was the wolf in me; the energy of an alpha. I wanted to win.

The silence grew as Rose placed the prism on the pillow. There was something malevolent about that small box. The will-o-wasps dim light reflected off the glass, giving it purple hues. I didn’t want to touch it or even be near it. Khaos’ warning scared me. I needed to make sure it wasn’t opened.

The sith’s attention slid in my direction. Her emerald eyes sparkled and her mischievous smile exposed sharp teeth. She walked slowly out of the circle.

Rose lunged with her blades drawn and the world slowed. My heart sped far faster than she moved. Every bit of energy in the room closed in on me. Rose’s energy was the most chaotic, which made it the easiest to control.

I sidestepped one swinging blade and almost got nicked by the second as they cut the air with precision. Rose swung around, standing just in front of Kelaino so I could look at them both. The look of surprise on their face didn’t bother me, but I couldn’t stand the way Rex looked at me. I had a feeling this meant I moved faster than I thought.

“I want Rex and Pandora’s Box,” I said.

Kelaino’s eyebrow rose. “Who told you it was Pandora’s Box?”

Rose growled and attacked. I raised my guns, but didn’t fire. I wouldn’t risk a stray bullet hitting Rex. My hesitation cost me. Rose’s blade whizzed close, nicking my arm. Blood warmed my sleeve and with it, my shadow stirred. I ducked, catching her wrists and shoved her to the side.

Kelaino stood from the dais. “Halt!”

I had my guns pointed when Rose pushed away from the vampires. The electric pulse that accompanied Rose, took my guns straight from my hands, sending them overhead. That same energy tugged at the weapons tucked into my clothes, holding me in place. With her head down, she charged like a bull with every intention of gutting me. The point of impact knocked the wind from my lungs.

Dampness blossomed around the wounds before I felt the pain brought on by the intrusion. It left me breathless and squirming for control. It zapped my strength. I was off-centered. I caught her by the base of her horns before she drove them in further. They were slick like obsidian glass, not at all like a bull horn. I shoved as hard as I could, sending her back.

Her horns detached from my skin with a sickening wet suction. The world spun around me and I reached for the closest stationary object. If I went down now, it would be over. Rose would finish me off. It was difficult catching my breath. There was a good chance she nicked something vital.

The vampires grew restless. Blood was drawn and the only reason they didn’t jump me was because of Kelaino.

“Stop her,” Kelaino ordered.

It sounded like she was a million miles away. My ears were ringing and my heart thudded with effort. These wounds were deep. I had to stay focused. Rose wanted to finish this.