When she’d finished with her task she turned to me.
“Have you notified Arath about the jumpers?”
I shook my head. “No, they didn’t come from Maunra. Jake said they dimension-jumped from somewhere else. I didn’t see the need to bother the demon king.”
“Hmmm.” Her face was a mask and I couldn’t read her.
“Mom, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you.” I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I think perhaps because I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer.
“Stop fidgeting, Gillian. You’re a grown woman, a protector of Earth, you can ask me a simple question.”
I took a deep breath. “That’s just it. The question isn’t that simple.”
“You want to know why I bowed to Arath?”
I gasped with surprise. “How did you know?”
“I saw the look on your face when I thanked him. The bow was a sign of respect to an incredibly powerful mage. The truth is I’ve never seen a male mage with so much power.”
I’d suspected the same, but my jaw almost hit my chest.
She smiled. “You’ve already witnessed what he could do when you closed the portals with him. That kind of power comes along perhaps once in a century, and we haven’t seen anyone with Arath’s talents in several centuries. He’s what we call a Nokoron. While most of us have talents in certain areas, he is good at all of it.”
“A Nokoron?” Overwhelmed didn’t begin to describe how I felt. “Mother, I’ve done an inordinate amount of reading about everything to do with our world and the universe. I’ve never heard of a Nokoron.”
She nodded. “They are only written about in the old text. And I told you it has been several hundred years since we saw the last one that had powers like this. I’d suspected as much when you told us about how he guided you through the portals and then the Vex. It takes an enormous amount of strength to do that. But I knew for certain when he pulled the darkness from me. Only one who is pure light can do that. If it had not been for him, I would be dead.”
“Please don’t say that,” I begged her. “We may not always agree, but I can’t stand the idea of you being gone.”
She smiled. “You also want to know why we lied to Juliet.”
“We?”
“Your father and I. Juliet had her children here, in this home. We knew when they were born that they were both special. Throe doesn’t have the power the demon king does, but he has great strength. Your father knew when he held Arath what he was. He made the deal with Arath’s father. As a child the boy would have been in constant danger here. Even though he looked human, it was to be several years before he could control his talents. We were in an all-out war with the darkness here, and it was before the portals were locked with magic. If someone found out about Arath, they would have done anything to kill him. He’s powerful now, and his strength will only continue to grow. As I said, he has quite a future ahead, and we had to make sure that he had the opportunity to have one.”
“But wasn’t there somewhere better than Maunra to raise such a special child? And why did you let Aunt Juliet think he was dead?”
Mom took another long breath. “She understands now, but she wouldn’t have then. She was so headstrong and she loved her babies. On Maunra, there are fewer portals, and Arath’s father wasn’t without his own talents. He had the power to read minds, which is why he was such a great warrior. He also had the strength of forty demons. In his world, children are raised by a village, and protected as one would a treasure. There was no safer place than Maunra for those children.
“After Juliet had her first few visits with the children there, we knew that things were not going to work out as we planned. Your father stumbled upon her plot to kidnap them and take them to another world. That’s when we decided it would be best if she believed them dead.”
I’d never seen my mother cry, but a single tear slid down her cheek. “One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in service to the universe is to keep Juliet from her children. It broke my heart.”
I moved to her and took her hands. “You did what you thought was best.”
Sighing, she shook her head. “I did what I knew was best for those children. They have grown into magnificent beings. Juliet was furious with me the other night, but she understands. She may not talk to me anytime soon, but she understands.”
I didn’t blame my aunt.
“Mom, I know we don’t talk about these things, but I have feelings for Arath. Finding out he’s so powerful changes everything.”
She stared up at me. “He will not be an easy man to love, but he is a man. Yes, he holds great power, but he is a true leader of the light. You could not wish for a better soul.”
I shook my head. “A demon with a soul. There’s something terribly wrong with that.”
I rubbed my temples as I left my mother’s room. I needed a long nap. Three or four days would do it, but I decided a good bit of seated meditation was a better idea. Since we hadn’t exactly extinguished the evil yet.
As I sat staring at the flame, the tears flowed. Not just for Aunt Juliet and Arath, a mother and child separated for the greater good.
No, my tears were selfish.
I was in love with one powerful mage, and I was certain he hated me.
CHAPTER 32
I was in my room trying to catch up on the multitude
of paperwork when Jake called my cell phone. “We have multiple jumpers, and we’ve tracked Bailey to where they landed.”
“What? Never mind. I’m on my way.” Making a quick stop at my closet I grabbed some leather pants and a jacket to throw over my black knit top. Then I took off at a dead run for the control room.
Jake stood with my sword and two of the laser guns at the ready. “They’re just outside Sun Valley, Idaho, on a mountain. We’ve set in the coordinates for you.” He handed me the watch. “They sent a message. You are to come alone, or they’ll kill Bailey.”
I nodded. “Don’t tell my sisters; I don’t want to do anything that might jeopardize Bailey’s life.”
He’s alive.
Jake wouldn’t have seen him on the control panel if Bailey weren’t still breathing. I didn’t care who I had to kill—my brother would come home tonight.
Jake frowned. “Mira will know as soon as you put those tattoos together. She probably already does.”
“It’s your job to stall her. Tell her to give me a half hour. If I’m not back they can all come through.”
“I’ll try, but you know how they are. If they want to come after you I can’t stop them.” He handed me my sword.
A few seconds later, I stood in a foot of snow outside an abandoned cabin. The windows had been boarded up, but there were fresh tracks. Pulling out my sword I moved around the perimeter, stepping as lightly as possible.
“Welcome, Guardian.” A voice came out from the trees to my left. It sounded vaguely familiar. The English words were spoken with a slight accent, but I couldn’t tell if it was Italian or Spanish.
“Give me my brother.” I moved into an attack position. “I know he’s here.”
“Oh, but you did not honor the agreement. I thought it would be much more fun if you could watch him die.” A light flashed on and I saw Bailey tied to a tree. They had a gag in his mouth and the bald-headed Amols had him surrounded.
Shouldn’t be a problem.
I was so grateful to see him alive I could have killed a hundred demons to save him. They’d done a number on his face and his arms were bloody. My little brother had put up a fight. He blinked and I looked down to see his hand move in one of our private signals.
His fingers told me that he was okay, and that he wanted me to kill the bastards. Well, I added that last bit, but knowing he was okay gave me even more strength.
“The demon king was in the middle of a battle. There was no way I could get to him.”
The voice laughed. “Lies. Clede tells me you were in the king’s rooms before the war and had every opportunity to kill Arath.”
“Clede is mistaken.” The jerk was a traitor to Arath. “I did go to the castle, but the king was not there.”
“You lie,” Clede bellowed and stepped out from the trees.
“Traitor,” I yelled back. “Arath trusted you.”
“He is a half-breed. Not fit to rule our world.”
“Well, you’re a racist pig.” Okay, that wasn’t the most mature thing to say since he did look like a warthog had been his mother.
He leapt into the middle of the snow a foot from where I stood.
Jeez, that guy can jump.
The thought sifted through my head as my sword came up ready for battle. His left claw came for my throat and I ducked. My left leg shot out for a knee but I miscalculated and threw myself off balance.
Crap.
His other paw came down and landed a blow to my right jaw, which made me see tiny black specks float in my eyes.
He wore a piece of armor against his chest so it was impossible to get to his heart. There was only one way to kill him.
I shifted my weight and moved to the side of him. I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder. A quick look back told me I’d been shot with some kind of dart. Poison, I could already feel it working its way into my bloodstream.
Damn.
“Bailey, the jerks don’t fight fair. They shot me with poison.” Reaching back, I pulled the dart from my shoulder and then went after the demons. Time was of the essence and I had to kill these idiots so Bailey could get home.
A swift kick to his snout sent Clede flying across the snow, leaving a trail of green goo and blood.
The evil laugh rattled the branches of the barren trees. What they didn’t know was my metabolism wasn’t like other people’s. I moved toward Bailey, determined to cut him free before I died.
He blinked twice and I remembered the guns at my sides. As the Amols made their move, I pulled one out. They were no longer a problem.
Clede didn’t cooperate. I smashed his nose even farther into his face, but he had at least a foot in height on me and another hundred pounds. We were matched in strength, though. The gun jammed or ran out of plasma, and he knocked it out of my hand. I didn’t have time to pull out the other one before his claw came toward my head.
I dove past him and dug my bowie into the cartilage of his knee. He stumbled and I moved to the tree and sliced Bailey free with one swath of the knife. He yanked his gag off. “Gilly,” he screamed and we both ducked. Clede’s sword came down against the tree.
I caught a movement to the right of me—the man behind the voice. I threw Bailey the second of the guns. “Tag, you’re it,” I yelled, and looked in the direction where I’d heard the dark laugh.
Bailey held the gun up like Clint Eastwood ready to shoot anything that came near. Clede struck out again, but this time his sword hit dead center in my back. The point sliced through to the right of my spine, the pain taking any breath I had left.
“Only a coward strikes from behind.” I’d whispered, but he heard me. He pulled the blade out ready to do it again and I turned, slicing through the air with determination. Clede’s head tumbled from his shoulders before the rest of him could react.
“No.” I heard a shifting sound to my right and another demon approached. This one was smaller, possibly female. Most likely, Clede’s mate. She stumbled to his body, and then turned fierce yellow eyes on me. Before I could even think, she was vaporized.
Bailey stood behind me. The laser gun glowed in his hand.
“That thing is damn cool. You should have seen how well it worked when we were attacked at the council meeting.” I tried to smile but the poison and the wound had taken their toll.
I didn’t have much time.
Mira, hurry. Save Bailey.
I sent my thoughts to her, praying she heard them.
Someone clapped behind us. I turned to see Emilio. No wonder the voice sounded familiar. “I am one of many,” he said. His eyes blazed, then became inky black.
Bailey pointed the gun.
“You’re not smart enough to have masterminded all of this,” I sneered.
“No? Not as the being you see before you, but
I
can
do
many things. I can
be
many things.” The eyes on the creature swirled. Whatever this thing was, it wasn’t Emilio.
“How long have you possessed him? Are you responsible for the murders?”
He laughed and it was pure evil. “I used your Emilio to do some of my dirty work, but I have many minions. It does not end here, Guardian. My kind will destroy this place soon, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
I fell to my knees, unable to stand, and Bailey dropped the gun to catch me. Emilio jumped forward to grab the weapon and I brought my sword up through his jaw and the top of his head.
The thing screeched and then fell straight back. The immediate threat was over.
I coughed and my lungs were on fire. My body shook, and I knew death was on the way. “Bailey, tell them all I love them. I’ll miss you.” I coughed again, and he helped to keep my head out of the snow as I fell to the side. Blood splattered on his chest.
“So cold. Arath, I need your warmth.”
My mind drifted to that one night when he held me close and we danced. A perfect moment, I had one to remember always.
Then there was nothing but inky blackness.
CHAPTER 33
A shadow loomed before me, large and menacing. It
was in the shape of a man, and it was so big it blocked the light I’d been trying to follow in my dream.
This isn’t what I thought heaven would be.
Suddenly a thought occurred to me.
Crap, I’ve screwed up my karma and I’m going the wrong way.
“It isn’t time for your soul to go, Gillian.” Arath’s voice boomed in my ears. “Come back to me.”
Arath? What is he doing here?
Before the thought could fully materialize, my body was sucked through a vacuum so strong it felt as if my bones were being crushed in a trash compactor. A whirl of colors flashed before my eyes. The pain was so intense I screamed, and the blood rushed through my ears.
Dying really sucks.
The light disappeared and I floated in darkness, surrounded by cold air that penetrated my skin and settled in my bones, numbing the excruciating pain from a few minutes before.