Riders (28 page)

“The archangel recognized the deception, but it was too late. A struggle resulted between them. In the struggle, Malaphar pried the key from Michael’s hands. It fell and struck the rocks of the cliff, tumbling away. Then it disappeared. Michael freed himself from Malaphar’s grip, but the rest of the Kindred were coming. The key was safe for the moment. Well hidden. The Kindred wouldn’t find it in the rocks below, so Michael fled. When the time was right, he would send someone to collect the key. And that someone…” Daryn’s smile was somehow modest and proud at the same time. “That someone is me.”

She smoothed her hands on her jeans. Calm. Taking her time.

I couldn’t believe I was looking at a girl who knew angels.

“I’ve known about Malaphar for a while, but I didn’t want to say anything before now. You had so much else to adjust to.” She looked from me to Marcus. “And some of you didn’t trust each other from the start. I worried it would’ve made things worse. What if you started to suspect each other? Or me? Or
everyone
? Can you imagine if I’d added that doubt?”

I could easily imagine it.

Malaphar. As anyone.

“It seemed better to hold on to it,” Daryn continued. “I guess I think you should trust people before you doubt them. But now I see that it was naive. I think I’m the one who got us in trouble at the airport yesterday. I’ve been trying to figure out how they knew we’d be there. How they were waiting for us. In LA, did any of you tell someone where we were going?”

“Gideon, the bank,” Sebastian said. “Remember the teller who gave me all the key chains?”

Marcus leaned over his legs, his hood shifting over his eyes. “The store where we got the radios. The guy working there kept asking about our trip and what we needed for it. Being friendly like that. I thought he was doing his job.”

Daryn let out a long sigh. “Malaphar could’ve been either one of them. I should’ve warned you guys. I’m sorry, I’ve just…” Her eyes darted to me. “I’ve just been on my own for a long time.”

“It’s all right, Daryn,” I said. “It’s done.” I didn’t want her stewing over past mistakes. I’d made plenty of them myself. And we needed to get moving. The Kindred had backed off last night, but who knew how long we had? Once we were in a safe place, we could evaluate and plan. But this hotel room wasn’t that safe place.

We established a few safety measures. We wouldn’t talk to anyone outside our group. And we’d keep close tabs on Daryn from now on. Not only because of Malaphar. She had the key.

“What does the key do again?” Jode asked. “I don’t think I got that part.”

“If the Kindred gain control of it, they’ll open a realm where they’ll rule,” Daryn said.

“Rule who?” Jode asked, rubbing his forehead. He looked almost catatonic. He was hearing all of this for the first time.

“As many innocent people as they can claim,” she said. “Kingdoms need subjects.”

“So they’re going to kidnap innocent people and take them there?” Bastian asked. “But
why
?”

“To grow stronger. They’re fed by destroying the good in human souls.”

No.

No, no, no.

That
was what I was feeling?

I’d given Ra’om a
meal
?

Okay, Blake. Easy. The missing piece of your goodness will grow back.

“We need to roll,” I said, coming to my feet. I couldn’t sit anymore. “Let’s focus on getting to a safe location. Then we’ll get down to work.”

While everyone packed up, Jode and I left the suite and went back to the room he’d been checked into originally. It was still registered under his name, and he had left some money in the safe. I’d told him to leave it—we’d enjoyed almost seven Kindred-free hours and I wanted to keep it going—but when Jode had told me how much it was, I’d agreed. We had to go back for it.

We took the stairs as a precaution. I summoned my sword, which made Jode swear in ways that would’ve impressed even my Army buddies.

“Is this cloak-and-dagger business really necessary?” he asked as we went down two flights.

“Yes. Now, shut it. Please.” I opened the door into the hallway.

The door was heavy but it hung on smooth, well-oiled hinges. It didn’t make a sound—not to my ears—but Alevar heard it.

Out in the hallway, his head whipped to me and Jode. His black wings were curved close to his body, and for a moment he looked like a giant beetle staring at us. In the confines of the hallway, with its lush carpet and gilded wallpaper, he looked more terrifying than ever.

Jode cursed behind me. “What in the bloody hell is that?”

At the sound of his voice, Alevar scurried over.

I jumped back into the stairwell, pulling the door closed, but Alevar’s hand shot through and grabbed my wrist. A hot jolt washed over me—and I locked up.

Stalemate.

Alevar crouched in the hallway; I stood in the stairwell. The door was halfway open between us. I had brought my sword arm up in our scuffle. The tip was pressed into Alevar’s wrinkled neck.

I had also called up my armor.

I felt it, covering me from neck to feet, a sturdy weightless suit that fit like I’d been born to it.

“Let me go,” I said.

He smelled foul, and had a steel grip on my forearm. As he stared at me with his milky eyes, eyes full of pleading, I wondered—had
he
been bled of goodness? Had there ever been any good in him?

“What’s he
doing
?” Jode said behind me.

With shocking suddenness, Alevar released me and spun, unfurling his wings. They snapped open like sails catching the wind, slapping against the walls of the hallway.

From beyond him I heard footsteps, then a woman’s voice. “This one, Bay. This is the one here.”

Ronwae. I’d only heard her speak once, at Joy’s party, but I recognized her strange gargled accent.

Jode tugged me back by the arm, but I shook my head. We couldn’t move. I couldn’t let go of the door. Alevar’s wings were keeping us concealed but if we made any noise, we were done for.

The floor beneath me shuddered like someone had dropped a car. Then I heard a low growl and a sound like a viper’s rattle.

Alevar shifted slightly. Through his long black feathers, I saw pieces of the hallway. Two creatures were there. One was a kind of scorpion mutation with a thick reddish shell, massive front claws, and a stinger rising from its back. It rattled softly, and shimmered the way I’d seen Ronwae shimmer—movement so fast it was a blur. Smaller creatures scurried all over the scorpion-thing, minute versions of it. This was Ronwae, I knew instantly. The other creature was a furry, stoop-backed beast. A hybrid between a boar and a bear, but deformed. With large humps on its back and limbs. Fangs and claws made to shred. It was the dreadlocked female demon—Bay.

As I watched, she lifted onto her thick hind legs and turned her shoulder, pressing it against the door of the room where Jode and I had been heading. The jamb groaned, then gave with a splintering
crunch,
and they disappeared inside.

In moments, shattering sounds filled the hallway.

Serious demolition.

Alevar’s wings folded closed. He turned, looking at me with his apologetic face. Then he crawled after the two female Kindred, leaving us there.

C
HAPTER
43

“Any particular reason why you’ve paused here, Gideon?”

Because I feel sick.

Because I can’t keep talking anymore.

Because I know who you are.

“No. I’m fine.”

“You’re sure? Do you need more water?”

“I’m fine.”

“The dark isn’t scaring you? I have to admit it’s scaring me a little bit. These demons you’re describing sound dreadful. I’d hate to see one up close.”

My muscles have turned to stone.

All I smell is Malaphar’s stench.

It’s been him this entire time.

Keep going, Blake. No change.

But everything just changed.

C
HAPTER
44

Jode and I went back for the others, then we tore out of the hotel, charging into broad daylight.

Rome was alive and kicking. We pushed through streets bustling with swarms of tourists and locals on their morning commute. A few people snapped photos of me with their phones. I hadn’t ditched my armor yet because I
couldn’t
ditch my armor. I tried to tap into that focus—the inner switch I was beginning to find with the sword—but it didn’t work. I couldn’t un-armor, so I had to stay fluid and go with it. It wasn’t the first time Rome had seen War.

As I led us to the nearest train station, I kept checking behind us for the Kindred. Then again, Malaphar could’ve been anyone on the street. We had to press forward and hope for the best. When we reached the station, Jode took over and handled the purchase of our tickets.

“Milan,” he said, as he led us to the platform. The train was already there, passengers stepping aboard. “But we can transfer there and keep going. Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden. As far as we want, as long as we stay within the Eurail system.”

“We don’t have passports,” I said, following him through the train.

“It’s taken care of.”

“You’d better not have used your name.”

“I’m not an idiot, Gideon,” he said. “I worked out a financial arrangement with the clerk. It’s taken care of.”

He took us to a premium car, which was only half full. We moved to the last two empty rows. Sebastian tossed his backpack down.

“It’s taken care of,” he said, in a spot-on imitation of Jode’s voice. Then he sprawled out across the two seats on that side of the aisle. Marcus claimed the other side for himself. At the last row, Jode went left. Daryn went right. I froze.

Daryn scooted over, making room for me. In ten minutes, the train had accelerated to more than a hundred miles an hour. I let my head fall back against my seat. I was finally breathing evenly. It looked like we’d make a clean getaway.

As the adrenaline faded away, I started to regret sitting next to Daryn. The silence between us felt tense. I stared laser beams at the seat back in front of me, trying not to think about how I’d treated her earlier. Or how it’d felt when I’d kissed her. Or when she’d shut me down.

I flinched when her hand came to my shoulder, not expecting it.

“This is amazing,” she said quietly. Her fingers drifted over the material of my suit, exploring. “Can we talk, Gideon?” she asked.

I didn’t deserve the concern I saw in her eyes, but I wanted it. The problem was that I wanted a lot more than her concern. “Sure,” I said. “What’s up?”

I had to find a way to deal. We had to be able to work together.

Bastian popped over the seat in front of us. “I’m going to the food cart, does anyone—whoops, sorry. I didn’t know you were…” He sank back out of sight.

Daryn turned toward the window, resting her head against it. A few minutes later, she was asleep.

That was pretty much the rest of Italy. Daryn, sleeping against the window beside me.

I slept too, until Venice, where I woke up in my regular clothes, no more armor. I was glad, but a little disappointed too. My armor had instantly become my favorite piece of horseman gear. After wearing it, my shirt and cargos felt too flimsy and loose. Nowhere near as comfortable.

In Venice, we transferred immediately to another train. We went on, taking whichever northbound trains left the soonest, went the fastest, and made the fewest stops. In Switzerland, we got a sleeper car with four beds and a small sitting area. Since there were five of us, the couch became my bed. In the privacy of our own car, we were able to talk about the Kindred. Somewhere around Frankfurt, I started making a list of their strengths and weaknesses. I worried about the tiny Ronwaes I’d seen crawling all over her body. Jode did, too.

“Like hordes,” he’d said. And pointed out something I hadn’t considered. Bay had had lumps under her thick grizzled pelt. I’d thought they were just part of her build. She’d been stacked with muscles. But Jode thought there was something more to them and came up with the theory that Bay also had tiny she-wolves, only they were hanging out
inside
of her. As I thought back, I agreed it was definitely possible. The female demons might actually be multitudes. From this we concluded that we were in even bigger trouble than we’d previously thought.

With Jode on the team, we would add a bow to our arsenal—Conquest’s weapon. Not that he’d seen it yet. But even with that addition, I wasn’t sure how we’d do against hordes. It just didn’t feel like we had enough.

We learned a few things about each other during those couple of days on the trains, too. Made a little small talk. We were still basically strangers, but we all tried. Except Marcus, who didn’t try at all.

Jode was nineteen, like Sebastian. He’d grown up in London and was in his first year at Oxford. The Ellises had owned land for generations but had recently—as in this century—expanded into banking. From what I gathered, his family was in the business of making truckloads of money.

Jode knew about everything. We learned that we could throw out any random name or place, and he could Jodepedia it for us. The flip side was he came off a little superior sometimes. A lot of the time. Until his power came up. The ability to raise
will
leaned a lot toward raising
emotion,
and that just did not fly with the ole’ British stiff upper lip. On the upside, he was able to figure out how to control it without Bas’s help.

Jode told us that when his life had been turned upside down after an accident, he’d gone to the Vatican, hoping to find answers in the Vatican Library. He and I didn’t talk about how he’d stood by while I’d coughed up a lung, or how I’d punched him for it. We were able to put our past behind us. Unlike Marcus and me.

Bastian was the fifth of seven kids. He was born in Nicaragua but his family had moved to Miami when he was little. He’d mostly grown up around there, then relocated to Los Angeles a year ago to pursue acting. He didn’t say so but I could tell he came from pretty humble roots—the opposite of Jode—and I had a pretty strong feeling Marcus was in the same camp.