Animal Instincts (Entangled Ignite) (9 page)

He sounded so sure of himself. And still, I didn’t know what justice meant in his world. I suspected we might be at odds on that one. Though part of me figured the killer deserved whatever he got, I was from a family of coppers. I believed in the legal system. Arrests. Trials. Incarcerations. No death penalty in Illinois.

But the killer being
something else—
whatever that was—would put a kink in the legal system.

Whoever it was couldn’t go free.

I thought of all that I had experienced at the animal fight, on board The Ark, and with Luc in a few short days. And then there had been the nightmare about the human-animal predators aboard the biblical ark. It had all seemed so real, almost as if I’d been transported back in time. As if I’d witnessed the event.

What if the killer was like one of the men—beings—that had entered a predator?

Would it even be possible to hold on to such a suspect if the CPD arrested him?

“How do you define justice?” I asked Luc.

He moved closer to me again. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

My pulse shot through me. “Don’t start.”

I noted the smile curling his lips before he came so close that all I could see were his eyes. Their color subtly shifted from a soft gray to molten silver, as if gleaming with some knowledge that I couldn’t quite grasp. I felt my body react the way it had earlier. As much as I wanted to, I refused to move away from him, refused to let him think he had the upper hand. Even so, he must know.

“You’re a tempting woman, Skye Cross.”

Not as tempting as he was. Not that I would say so. Not that I had to. Obviously he knew how he affected me. How he sent my imagination spiraling. Even with my eyes open, I could see us together, naked, rolling, me landing on top, him buried deep inside me. Shocked, I squeezed my eyes shut tight and banished the image from my mind.

And when I opened them again, he was gone.

Vanished.

Again.

“You’ve got to stop doing that!” I yelled.

I had no doubt that, wherever he was, he somehow heard my message.

How? Something I needed to learn along with dozens of other things. Luc probably knew the answers to all my questions.

The problem was that he wasn’t talking.

But perhaps his mother would.

Chapter Thirteen

Shade appeared the moment I entered his apartment through the back door. “About time you got back.”

I tried to hug him. When my arms went straight through his upper body, I withdrew, the flesh on my arms pebbling. The reminder that he was dead put a lump square in my throat and made my eyes sting.

Hearing his master, Boomer came running from the front room where he’d been napping. Shade crouched down and gave the dog an air kiss.

“What was going on out there in the yard?” he asked. “I saw you with Lazare.”

Uh-oh, what had he seen? “Luc was checking on me. You saved his mother and he intends to save me. From what, I have no idea.”

“Me, neither.” Shade rose. “I got nothing. Well, almost nothing.”

“What
do
you remember?”

“I keep seeing animals.” He threw up his hands. “Predators.”

“Maybe with more time, you’ll remember everything, and we’ll be able to figure out the identity of the shooter.”

“I’ll still be dead.”

I wished I could touch his hand and reassure him. “But you’re still here now.”

“I can’t help you,” he said, “not when I’m stuck in this apartment.”

“I wonder about that.” Thinking I might get an idea from
The Book of Powers
, I fetched it, and my mind made connections.

Our abilities. Shade’s with humans, mine with animals. We’d never been normal, never like other people. But I didn’t want to be something else. And I didn’t want the responsibility the book put on me.

How was I supposed to neutralize evil?

My stomach knotted, and I told myself I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to. I could leave things as they were. Not get involved. I had my job during the day, and I could have my brother’s company at night.

I looked at Shade, what was left of my brother. His spirit must have remained behind for a purpose, and I knew in my heart that the book demanded more of me than stepping back.

On her deathbed, Mom had told us we had a vital destiny to fulfill. That because her inheritance was shared, Shade and I were two halves of a whole and only together could we do what she couldn’t. Only seven at the time, I’d had no idea what she’d meant then. Now I did.

Unless I figured out a way to get Shade out of this building, I would have to work alone. I told him about my early-morning nightmare. About Noah’s ark. About the demons entering the predators.

“I think it was more than a dream. It was more like a vision. Something the book wanted me to see. I think the predators in that vision—or their descendants—are the ones fighting each other in those animal fights.”

Shade swore. “There’s a certain logic there.”

I shivered. “We have to figure out a way to stop the fights and shut down The Ark Casino.”

“Big order considering I don’t have a body.” He swiped a hand through his hair. “I can’t even step a foot out of the damn apartment.”

“Maybe you
can
leave the apartment.”

“How?”

“The Nephilim joined spirits with the animals on the Ark. What if you can do the same?”

Simultaneously, our gazes shifted straight to the dog. Boomer whistled through his nose as if in agreement.

“You’re kidding, right?” he asked. “I can’t do that to Boomer. You told me those animals in your dream experienced terror, that you felt their pain.”

“Because evil entered them. You’re not evil. And Boomer loves you.”

“We can’t know.” Shade reached out a hand to Boomer’s nose as if he wished he could touch his dog one last time. “If you’re wrong, you’ll stop me.”

Hearing the screams of the animals on the ark in my mind, I felt my gorge rise, but I took a big breath and nodded. “All right.”

I slipped to the floor and kept the book on my lap.

Let Shade and Boomer be safe.

“Boomer, come.” When the dog got up from the floor to see what I wanted, I patted the book. “Come over here.”

After getting him to lie down partly on me, partly on the book, I ruffled the top of his head and kissed his nose. Shade sat close to his dog and closed his eyes. Gradually he began to shimmer.

“Now,” I said softly.

Opening his eyes, he reached out and touched Boomer’s side with one hand, then with the other. As his hands disappeared through the dog’s furry sides, Boomer wiggled around as if he was startled, but not like he was hurting. He looked around to see what Shade was doing. Shade leaned in…closer…closer…closer…and disappeared.

A few seconds later, Boomer barked and thumped his tail against the wooden floor.

“Shade?”

It worked. I could kiss you.

With Boomer’s big, sloppy tongue, my brother planted a wet one on my cheek.

I was overwhelmed. I wept and my hands touching the book felt electrified.

Opening the book again, through my tears I scanned the registry of previous owners, going back not decades but centuries, starting with Brigit. Then Cerridwen and Epona and Maeve and Rhiannon. More names, ending with our mother, Dawn. There were a dozen or so lines left. For future generations?

I knew that began with me.

The book called to me, a low undertone that rumbled through my bones. I would swear it could sense my unease and was trying to give me its strength. Mom had done this. And so many others before her. It was an inheritance I couldn’t simply put aside. I might be afraid, but I wasn’t weak.

I wiped away my tears, found a pen, and signed my name on the next blank line in the registry.

An even more urgent sensation swept over me then, as if
The Book of Powers
was a living entity…as if it could feel me…as if it accepted me.

As if it was now a part of me.

Chapter Fourteen

Luc ate his frustration as he tried to get through the casino to find Nuala to check on her and was stopped at least a dozen times. Putting on his best face, he exchanged pleasantries with invited guests. Then he straightened out a couple of Kindred who were messing around on the job, and dealt with replacing a security guard who hadn’t shown for a shift change.

All the while, his mind was on his sister, as it had been since the day before. He’d been distracted by Skye, but now he needed to tend to his own family. He’d already stationed a reliable security guard at his mother’s place.

Now he had to find out what was up with his sister.

Nuala had been different lately. Insular at times, emotional at others.

The way she’d reacted to Skye had amazed him. He’d never seen his sister so vulnerable, not even when she’d learned her lover had been killed. She’d closed down then, had put up a barrier that Luc hadn’t been able to penetrate. So why break down with Skye?

And how had his sister made the connection between Skye and Shade in the first place?

Finally able to go in search of Nuala, who was nowhere in the public area, Luc headed for the Lazare private quarters that lay two floors below.

Added to his own experience with Skye, Luc was getting a very bad feeling about his sister’s psychic connection to her. They didn’t need more trouble. They had enough as it was with the police bearing down on them. Damn shifter fights. Damn whoever had made Jez participate in the sport. He’d had a great deal of affection for his only friend in this underworld. She hadn’t deserved to be ripped apart.

He couldn’t ask anyone here for help, not even Pop. He didn’t want to think it, but Pop might approve of the fights.

His fault.
He knew it. He’d tried to warn her that being friends with him would bring her nothing but trouble. But even he hadn’t guessed to what extent. He hadn’t tried hard enough to protect her.

Arriving at the door that was a barrier to intruders—only the Lazares and their inner circle were allowed inside—he pressed his thumb to the pad that read his print. The door clicked open to a large reception area in reds and golds, reminding Luc of the brothel area. Beatrix proudly told visitors she herself had done all the decorating. Luc figured his stepmother must equate the decor with royalty. After all, she’d always fancied herself the queen of the underworld.

Luc headed straight for Nuala’s rooms. As he reached the corridor, he heard his sister’s voice.

“I’m not interested, Doyle, as I’ve told you before.”

Luc stopped before turning the corner so he could eavesdrop. What was Nik’s toady up to now?

“Circumstances have changed,” Doyle said.

“But I haven’t.”

“You need the proper consort. Someone who can protect you, look to your best interests.”

“Like you do for Nik?”

“Well, on a more personal level.”

Luc instantly wanted to rip off the man’s head. Pulse thundering, ready to do battle, he whipped around the corner, then stopped dead in his tracks. Doyle might be all over Nuala but she wasn’t having any of it. He’d actually dared to cup her behind to pull her toward him, but to Luc’s satisfaction, her expression shifted, revealing the real Nuala beneath the human exterior.

Her eyes burned like molten copper as she shoved two fingers into the middle of Doyle’s throat hard enough to make him spring away from her.

“Don’t confuse me with the women you normally prey on.” She shifted again and smiled sweetly, all traces of both intensity and vulnerability wiped away. “I am not available, especially not to you. Touch me again and I’ll rip out your throat.”

Face darkening, Doyle stalked toward the door, starting when he saw Luc.

“And if she doesn’t succeed,” Luc said, knocking shoulders with the thwarted man so hard that Doyle practically bounced off the opposite wall, “I will.”

Doyle swore under his breath, averted his gaze, and rushed off. Luc watched him until he disappeared from view, then turned to his sister, thankful that she was herself again.

Giving him a look, Nuala said, “I can take care of myself,” and entered her quarters.

He followed, saying, “Usually. Last night, it didn’t seem that way.”

“So I had a moment.”

Luc closed the door and softly asked, “The question is why?”

Nuala turned to face him. Her expression was fierce. “Haven’t you ever had a moment when you weren’t yourself?”

“Lots of them.”

“Then give me a break.”

She hadn’t talked about it yet and she needed to. “You miss Shade more than you let on.”

“So what if I do? It’s the soul, not me.”

Of course Nuala would blame the soul she was currently using. No self-respecting Kindred would admit to a weakness that another could use against her.

“What went on between you and Skye?” Luc asked. “How did you figure out who she was?”

Nuala shrugged and avoided his gaze. “I don’t know. I felt Shade when I got near her. There must be some connection.”

One that that made his sister vulnerable. Luc caught a glimpse of pain in her expression. “Skye is looking for answers,” he said.

“Don’t worry, I won’t give them to her.”

“Good.”

Though Luc knew that Skye Cross wasn’t through with them. Knowing how he felt about Nuala, maybe even about Nik on good days, Luc couldn’t blame Skye for wanting to know why her brother had died. And she had connected his death and The Ark to the shifter fights. Something he couldn’t tell anyone here, not even his sister. Nuala might have cared for Shade Cross, but she was Kindred, first, last, and always. She would protect their secrets with all she had.

That didn’t bode well for a nosy human.

If Skye
was
human.

A bang at the door was followed by Nik’s voice. “Nuala, are you in there?”

Her expression annoyed, she crossed to the door and flung it open. “Is there a problem?”

“Why did you turn off your cell?” Nik asked as he entered.

“I didn’t turn it off.”

“Then something’s wrong with it.” Nik eyed Luc but didn’t greet him. “Mother has been trying to reach you.”

“I am aware of that.”

“You’re not answering? Why not?” When she simply glared at him, Nik said, “Mother sent me to look for you. She wants you to meet an important new guest.”

“Not tonight. Actually, not any night anytime soon. If ever.”

“Nuala—”

Her face rippled as she glared at Nik. “Don’t cross me. Give her my answer or don’t. Just leave me alone.”

Nik glared at Luc. “What’s going on? What did you say to upset her?”

Of course Nik would blame him, Luc thought. “Maybe you should leave, Nik.” Was it possible Nuala didn’t want to work for her mother anymore? The human part of Luc hoped she was rethinking her options. “Tell Beatrix our sister isn’t feeling well tonight.”

“Lie for you?”

“Not for me. And it isn’t a lie.”

“I’m feeling just fine!” Nuala shouted. “Why do you do this?” she demanded. “Why blame Luc when he has nothing to do with my decisions?”

“You’re not thinking clearly.”

Nuala’s eyes glowed copper once more as she glared at their older brother. “What are you saying? That I can’t think for myself?”

Then Nik’s eyes flared with dark heat as they always did when he lost his temper. “You know what crossing Mother would mean.”

Uh-oh. This wasn’t good. Luc had seen his siblings go at each other too many times when they were growing up. When they let loose their anger and frustration, they tended to do damage.

Knowing he was asking for trouble, Luc stepped between them. “Let’s not do this,” he said reasonably.

“Stay out of this, Luc.” Nuala used her mind to keep him from getting closer.

This wasn’t like her—his sister had learned to control herself years ago. Tonight, her emotions were all over the place.

Still, Luc tried to reason with her. “We’re all on edge tonight.”

Nik flared a hand at him, an invisible current zapping off his trademark ring, making Luc stumble backward. Now he was getting open hostility from
both
siblings.

“What was that for?” he asked Nik.

“Didn’t you hear Nuala tell you to stay out of it?”

Nik’s ire directed itself at him. The sensation shot through Luc like a live wire. He tried to fight it. He always tried to fight it, to keep his beast under control. His fear was that someday his true nature would get the best of him. Again.

“You should both leave,” Nuala said.

Luc didn’t like the catch in her voice. Or the way her face suddenly went pale. The tension drained from her in a heartbeat and she turned and fled the room. The bathroom door slammed behind her and she sounded like she was choking.

Luc beat Nik to the door. “Hey, are you all right?”

“Just leave me alone.”

“Let me in there!” Nik demanded. When the choking sound ripped out of their sister again, he looked ready to beat down the door.

Luc finally realized Nuala wasn’t choking but throwing up. The toilet flushed.

“She
is
sick.” Nik sounded shocked. “There’s something wrong with that soul of hers. It’s been making her do things she never did before. She needs to get rid of it before it’s too late.”

Not wanting to continue the argument, Luc clenched his jaw and grabbed his brother’s arm. Surprise allowed him to shove Nik toward the door. “Let’s go, give her some space.”

“Take your hand off me if you don’t want it broken.”

Luc clenched his jaw harder and freed Nik. He opened the door to the hallway and waited. For a moment, he thought it would come to an altercation to get his brother out of there. But finally Nik gave in, pushed past him, and kept going.

Halfway down the hall, Luc caught up to Nik. “We need to talk.”

“You may. I don’t.”

Wanting some answers—he obviously wasn’t getting any from Nuala tonight—Luc grabbed Nik again and stopped him. Let his brother try to break his hand. As much as part of him wanted to avoid a fight, Luc was up for it.

He got in Nik’s face. “Who’s running the shifter fights?”

Luc needed to know if they were connected to the attempt on his mother’s life. And Shade Cross’s death. Very likely. And Jez had lost her life because she’d been forced to fight.

“I asked you a question,” he growled at his brother.

Nik’s features stretched slightly and Luc fought his visceral response to the rush of anger surging through his brother. To his credit, Nik got tight hold of himself, allowing Luc to settle down inside.

“What makes you think I’m involved?” Nik asked.

“
Are
you the one?”

“My duties are confined to the casino complex,” Nik said, avoiding a direct answer.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t have outside interests.”

“I have enough right here to keep me busy. As for you, little brother, you expressly said you didn’t want to know what’s going on outside this complex, so why do you suddenly care?”

Luc knew that what went on would be nothing good. His human half drew the line that he would never cross. The complex was Kindred territory, so anything here went. But anything outside—the shifter fights involving humans, even as an audience—crossed that line.

“Maybe I changed my mind.” Maybe he’d been hiding his head in the sand, Luc thought. “Did you have Jez killed because of me?”

“Is that what you think?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”

“I’m curious. What if I
am
the one?” Nik’s voice lowered an octave and his nostrils flared. “What if I run the shifter fights and have Kindred who annoy me punished in a very open, very final way. What would you do about it?”

Was he admitting it, then?

Imagining Jez after she’d been torn apart in his mind’s eye, Luc felt his blood pumping double time. “I would have to stop you.”

Nik grinned. “Amusing that you think you could.”

In Iraq, Luc had quickly learned the things he could do—things he
had
done in anger and frustration. If he lost control and shifted in mindless fury as he had there, he would become Nik’s worst nightmare.