Slip Song (Devany Miller Series) (5 page)

I left him, unwilling to talk anymore to the lump of bark. Outside of the stadium, I realized I had no idea where to go.

Concentrate on the Skriven. Mate scent easy to follow.

‘
Please don’t say mate and think of Tytan at the same time.’

Neutria didn’t laugh like she usually did. Instead she did something that made my head swim and my eyes water.

“What are you doing?” I grabbed my head though the weird feeling was gone.

Fixing your broken sense of smell. Inhale. Find.

I took a breath despite myself and the overwhelming odors about knocked me off my feet. I bent double, my stomach heaving. “Neutria! I don’t want to smell. Not everything. Goddamn it, fix me.”

I did.

Growling, I stood, breathing as shallowly as possible. Even so, I could smell way more nasty crap than I ever wanted. Just when I started complaining again, I caught it. A warm smell, spiced like thyme and musk. “Shit on a brick. I do not need to know how he smells.” Muttering, I followed my nose, feeling like a bloodhound as I stopped at each corner to lift my head and suck in the flavorful air.

When I came on his mansion his scent intensified, mingling with another, equally strong smell. “Can you put it back now? Please?”

No answer. Of course. I barged through the door, smacking it into the wall with a low thud. “Tytan! I need your help.”

An elegant looking man walked into the hallway, tugging down the sleeves of his suit jacket. Gold cuff links winked at his wrists and the smell of brand new luxury car wafted over me. He smiled, his eyes doing a slow burn from my head down to my toes and back up. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

No duh. Okay, yes he was gorgeous, but he was a Skriven. Skriven equaled trouble and I had enough trouble as it was without adding Tall, Dark, and Dangerous to the list. “Where’s Tytan?”

“
That rabble?” He sniffed, his lip curling.

“
You’re a demon creature living in a bubble. Not an English lord or whatever you’re pretending to be. Where. Is. Tytan?”

Despite my rant, he smiled then turned to the mirror and checked his tie. Then he smoothed his blond hair back with rather stubby fingers. “He’s out back, nursing his wounds.”

“This is his house.”

“
Not anymore. Not since Ravana sent him to die.”

I propped a hand on my hip. “I’m Ravana’s replacement and I reinstated him.”

This time I managed to get the tiniest flicker of annoyance to run across his features. “Ah. My new boss. Let me ask you, Devany, is it? How long do you think you’ll last? We feel the geis Ravana laid to hide our souls unraveling. The moment we find our souls it will only be a matter of time before one of us ascends and challenges you. I doubt you will defeat one of our kind again.”

“
Listen, Mister Prissy Pants, I don’t give a flying Fig Newton what you think. Get out or I’ll end you.” I didn’t have a soul handy, but since none of the Skriven or Originators knew exactly how I’d unmade Ravana, I figured my bluff would work. For now.

He stared at me coolly, then inclined his head. “Of course. I will go.” Passing by, he made sure to brush himself against me, his deep blue eyes connecting with mine as if he planned to hypnotize me or something. Cocksure asshole.

Annoyed by his attitude, I waited until he was almost to the door, then said, “You owe me tribute.”

“
Pardon?”

“
You heard me.”

He stared down at my chest and I was glad I still wore my turtleneck from the morning outing. Sorrow hit me at the memory and I pinched myself to keep the tears at bay. “I will return Tytan’s holdings to him.”

“You’re going to do that anyway.”

A vein popped on his forehead. “What is it you wish?”

“I want you to spy on some people for me. Keep a close eye on one woman in particular.”

He tipped his head to one side. “You want me to spy?”

“Not just spy. Mess with. Annoy. Upset. Haunt. Possess. Whatever it is you can do to make yourself the biggest pain in the ass the world has ever seen.”

His smile was back. Almost made him look human. “I do believe I can do that.”

“Good. Do you know who the Theleoni are?” I was betting he did, since a Skriven had been helping Yarnell, former leader of the human-stealing dickwads.

“
As a matter of fact I do.”

“
Good. Go piss them off. If you learn anything important, let me know.”

His brows rose. “I don’t have to collect any souls?”

I kept the disgust inside. “Not right now. I’ll let you know when I need some.” I pointed to the door. “Bye.” Don’t let it hit you in the ass on the way out.

As soon as the door shut I went hunting for Tytan. “Hello?” I heard a muffled sound and searched for it, imaging him stuffed in a closet. The wooden door swung open easily onto stairs descending into gloom. “Tytan?” Out of the darkness rose a horror: a floating head, its teeth gleaming despite the pitch black, its skin pale white and flaccid, trailing glistening intestines.

I smiled. “Nex! It’s so damn good to see you.”

-FIVE-

“
You’ve returned almost too late.” The bobbing grey head floated up to me, his eyes pooling with black. He was getting ready to talk of the future, or at least of things I needed to know. “My queen says the barriers are dropping. When they do, she will be forced to release the souls.”

I looked over my shoulder then leaned close to him. “Your queen has the souls?”

He inclined his head. “Ravana made the agreement with us many thousands of years ago. She would keep the Swamps hidden and in return, my queen would hide the souls deep within the Source.”

“
The Source? You mean the energy these Skriven keep blathering on about is in a swamp?”

“
It is Source in solid form, the stuff from which all Midia was created. We have kept it hidden, for if Midians discovered it, they would destroy the Swamps to harvest it. And that would doom the whole planet.”

I looked around again, unsure where Tytan was. I lowered my voice even further. “So what was this agreement? And can I make a new one?”

His eyes cleared. His lips contorted around his fangs. “It takes a ceremony. A sharing of power. You would need to visit the Swamp and my queen.”

Of course I did. I shut my eyes. “Fine. How soon does this need to be done?”

“You cannot wait much longer. The barriers have been shredding since you killed Ravana. The holes are getting bigger and more hungry eyes are casting about for the sudden influx of power they sense.”

“
I just lost my husband, Nex. The Theleoni murdered him. It might be hard for me to get away anytime soon.”

“
I am sorry for your loss. If you’d like, you may ask my queen to help you avenge him. She always said she got the better end of the bargain with your predecessor, though she would never admit that to you.”

The idea of siccing a flesh eating monster on the woman and her followers who killed Tom felt very satisfying, although I wasn’t too sure I didn’t want to avenge him myself. “Will you come with me to open up the negotiations?”

“Of course. Were you to try and leave me behind, I would haunt your dreams so that you woke in terror for forty on forty years.”

I arched a brow.

“That was rather dramatic of me.” He did a good job of looking contrite, considering he was all head and teeth.

“
Do you think this whole agreement/power-sharing thing can wait a week? At least until Tom’s funeral is over?” My voice broke a little over funeral. How could he be dead? It didn’t seem real.

“
I believe that will be okay. Much longer might be too late.”

“
Understood.” I left him floating in the hall to search for a door to the outside. The first few led to bedrooms and one to what looked like something out of a fetishist’s dream. I kept at it until I found one that opened onto a marble lanai. Tytan laid in a heap on the ground. I nudged him with my toe. “Ty?”

Nothing. Remembering the last time he’d been hurt, I kept my distance. He had a way of convincing me to do things to heal him that probably weren’t necessary. He could heal nicely on his own without my lips, thank you.

When another nudge failed to rouse him, I went back inside and returned with a vase full of icy water. I dumped it on his head and that got him to sit up, sputtering and swearing. “Oh good. You’re alive.”

He sluiced water off his face and glared. “That wasn’t nice.”

“I’m an Originator. That’s not in my job description.” I looked away when I realized I’d been admiring the lovely way the water had slicked down his shirt and emphasized his ripped chest. Since everything else in the Slip seemed to be illusion, I figured that was illusion too. I would have to remember to ask how to create one. I could give myself a six pack and guns without ever having to step foot in a gym. “I need to find my trog. Get his help learning whatever it is I need to learn. I also need to get home and plan Tom’s funeral. Then I have to visit the Swamp.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why?”

Shit. Why? Uh. “Nex said the queen can help me understand my power.” Liar, liar, pants on fire.

“
How would the fleshcrawler queen teach you about that?”

I shrugged. “Nex said she could, so it must be true. He did the whole inky-pools-in-the-eyes bit.”

He didn’t look convinced so I reached down and tugged him to his feet to change the subject. “You going to help me convince my trog to teach me?”

A snort. “You don’t convince trogs. He’s your slave. You can order him to do it and if he doesn’t, you banish him.”

I caught the tiniest shiver across his shoulders. “Why is that so bad?”

“
We have access to the Source here. On Midia or Earth, we are cut off. No power. It’s hideous.”

“
Power. That’s all you lose? That’s what makes you look all freaked at the thought?” I wasn’t the only liar in town, but I guessed it was only fair. “Whatever. If it works, I don’t care why.”

His laughter made my lips twitch. “Now you’re sounding more like a Skriven.”

I started back through the house when he caught my arm. “Why don’t you hook to him?”

“
Because I’ll screw it up. I told you, my magic is all wonky.”

He stepped closer. “One, I helped you before and you did fine. Two, this is the Slip and you are an Originator, however unconventional. I have a feeling you’ll surprise yourself.”

I shut my eyes, the better to concentrate and the hook sprang up as I thought about it, almost as quickly as it had when Arsinua had been behind the wheel. “Uh. I didn’t even picture Medusa Head in my mind.”

“
The beauty of the Slip.” He stepped through before I could answer. With a sigh, I followed.

Medusa Head’s house looked like the lair of a creepy monster in the woods. Said creepy monster was banging around his house, throwing things, cursing, muttering about ... me?

“Excuse me, I only got here. How can you be cursing me already?”

He spun, the two pits where his eyes should be boiling smoke. “You! Fucked up my home. The whole quadrant looks like a stinky Earth hell-hole. I can’t. Find. Anything.” He tossed a pan and I ducked, hearing the copper whistle past my ear.

Tytan had him pinned to the wall in my next breath.

Huh. I’d always wanted a body guard. Feeling rather kickass, I swaggered over. “I’m here to claim your services.”

He hissed, his tentacle hair whipping out at Tytan’s face. “You don’t have a claim on me.”

“
Oh but I do. You’re my trog. The Originators said so. You don’t want to cooperate? You can go live down on that stinky Earth hell-hole I call home.” I stepped toward him, avoiding most of the mess, letting a slight smile play out on my lips. “Cut off from your power. Forced to live out your miserable existence as an ordinary peon.”

“
You wouldn’t dare. You couldn’t. Amara wouldn’t allow it.” His voice got raspier as Tytan squeezed but it wasn’t until I formed the hook he finally gave in. “No. All right. I’ll submit. Just,” he shuddered. “Shut the damned portal.”

I let the hook collapse and then crossed my arms over my chest, as Tytan stepped away from him. “I need some help with this Skriven stuff. All of it.”

He slumped, his lip curling. “You aren’t asking much, are you? Thousands of years worth of magic and lore and you want. All of it.”

“
Yes.”

With a wave of his hand he gestured at his house. “Change it back, then. I can’t work in a ... human hovel.”

“Seriously?” He didn’t speak so I sighed. “I don’t know how to return it back to whatever it looked like before. Why can’t you set it?”