The Soul Seekers: Horizon (26 page)

“What do you know about it?” I glance over my shoulder, shifting my focus between her and Gabe.

“Same thing I’ve always known about it. It’s going to be fun to see how this ends. Though probably more so for me than you—I’m pretty sure your luck is about to run
out.”

“Luck? You think I’m relying on luck?” Now it’s my turn to laugh, the sound bitter, sarcastic, and not at all satisfying. I return my focus to Gabe, and shove the tip of
my blade into his flesh, releasing a bright trail of red. “Luck has no place where duty’s concerned. I’ve trained hard for this moment. I’m merely doing what I was born to
do and no more.”

“If you say so,” she muses. “Still, it’s a rare spectacle to watch a Seeker kill a human. That’s Coyote’s game, not yours.”

“Looks like the rules have changed.”

“Have they? Or is that how you justify your rage over all that you’ve lost?”

I glare from over my shoulder. If she wasn’t so formidable, she’d be next on my list. “What do you care?”

“I don’t. It’s all the same to me. In the end, I’ll get your bones too. And, from the looks of things, it won’t be much longer. Speaking of . . . have you seen him?
Have you seen the Echo turned beast?” Her jaw lifts. Her cheeks widen. The sound of bone scraping bone as disturbing as nails on a chalkboard—until she heaves a long sigh and her face
transforms to the flesh-and-blood version. Her skin as translucent as wax paper, her eyes adopting a lascivious gleam at the memory.

And though I’d like to look away, pretend to ignore it, if she has any idea where Dace is, I need her to tell me. Tightening my hold on Gabe, who, oddly enough makes no attempt to escape,
I turn to her and say, “Listen, anything you can tell me about Dace’s whereabouts would be greatly appreciated.”

“I’ll bet.” She returns to watching over her snakes, signaling she has no intention of helping me, so I switch my focus to Gabe.

“You’re done,” I tell him. “Your reign of terror ends here. Now.”

“So hurry up and do it already,” he says, arcing his head back and offering his neck.

Evil Gabe Richter is begging to be delivered?

My knife stills in my hand.

Is this some kind of trick?

I follow his gaze to where the Bone Keeper directs her snakes to drag down another one of his cousins and begin the process of flaying flesh from bone while he’s still breathing.

The sight so disturbing, the agonized screams so wrenching, it’s all I can do to keep it together. I’ve seen some sick stuff in my time, but this is about as bad as it gets. No
wonder Gabe prefers to die at my hand.

“You’re not going to kill me,” Gabe says, though the truth is, I can barely make out the words over the din of tormented screams—frenzied squealing and
shrieking—the hum of snakes hissing and slithering—the slow, agonized rattle of death—accompanied by—
the Bone Keeper screeching?

I whirl in her direction, watching in confusion as she casts a wide, silvery net over her bounty, calls to her snakes, and flees with her cache of bones rattling behind. Returning to Gabe just
as he flips the knife from under his chin, ducks out of my grip, and moves to stand beside Dace.

The sight of Gabe racing toward me as though I’m some kind of savior is funny at best—misguided at worst.

He would’ve been better off taking his chances with the Bone Keeper.

Or even the Seeker.

Though I plan to enlighten him soon.

“Get her!” he shouts. “She’s right there—ripe for the killing!” He jabs a thumb toward Daire, as though I might’ve missed her.

As though my newly heightened senses aren’t capable of scenting her, tracking her, intuiting her every inhale and exhale.

Still, I don’t deny myself the chance to fill my eyes with the sight of her. Soaking in a beauty so radiant, so luminous, she appears lit from within.

“What the hell are you doing looking at her like some lovesick fool? She’s gonna get away if you don’t do something soon! Leandro warned me to leave her to you, but if
you’re not gonna kill her then—”

“Then, what?” In an instant my hand circles his neck. “Tell me exactly what you plan to do to the Seeker.”

“What the hell are you doing?” he gasps, features distorted with outrage. “Let me go, you idiot. I’m on your side!”

“That may be.” I lift him into the air. Lift him so high his feet fumble for stability, his toes strain toward the ground, as his body jerks like a fish on a line. “Thing is,
I’m not on yours.” He dangles from my hand—fighting, kicking, screaming bloody murder. Or rather, he would be screaming bloody murder if I hadn’t cut off his air supply.

I gave them all a head start.

Encouraged Leandro, Gabe, and Cade to get to Daire first, so she could have the pleasure of slaying them all.

Imagining how it might feel to watch Raven finally conquering Coyote after all this time.

It’s a sight I would like to have seen.

But, it seems plans, like destiny, are subject to change.

And with the portals swinging wide open and Coyote left completely unchecked, I’ll have to claim this particular kill for my own. But at least Daire can watch.

I drag Gabe’s face closer to mine, peer into his bloodshot eyes, and loosen my grip just enough for him to remain conscious. Be a shame for him to miss out on last rites.

“You shouldn’t be surprised to find yourself here. Surely it’s no secret just how much I’ve always despised you. You’re an embarrassment, a misogynist, a thug,
annoying as hell, and just so you know, your jokes aren’t funny. Turns out, that’s a bad combination, Gabe. That kind of behavior is no longer tolerated in these parts.”

“Are you freaking crazy?” Gabe’s eyes bulge in an effort to choke out the words. Guess it’s hard to properly enunciate when your neck is locked in a vise-tight grip.

“Nope, not crazy.” I tighten my hold. “You’re the one who’s crazy for thinking, even for a second, that we’re on the same side. I don’t belong to
Coyote. I don’t belong to anyone. As you’re about to discover, I’m something far worse than your small mind can conjure.”

The second he digests my words, the bravado that once seemed permanently tattooed on his face is replaced by terror. Seems I’ve finally gotten through.

“Any last words?” The question is asked merely as a formality. Inside, the beast thrums with anticipation and he won’t be denied for much longer.

Gabe’s jaw falls slack, his tongue flops around a good bit, but all that comes out is a sick, muffled gurgle I don’t have the patience to even try to decipher.

The beast hungers.

Demands to be fed.

And I am but a humble servant, his to command.

Sorry, Daire. While I wanted you to have the pleasure of slaying Gabe, the sooner this happens, the better for everyone
.

“You know, I have no idea what you’re trying to say. And, the truth is, I’m not at all interested. Guess this is goodbye, then.” I clench my fingers, watching his eyes
fill with dread as his body gives one last amusing attempt to claw at my hands, kick at my knees. A mildly entertaining death dance that ends with a single flick of my wrist.

His neck snaps.

His head falls limply to his side.

And it feels so damn good I do it again.

Dedicating this kill to Daire, I twist Gabe’s head all the way around until it’s facing the opposite way.

Inside, my heart swells with accomplishment—a voice shouts in victory.

We can do this.

I can help her.

An essential part of me still exists!

I warned her away—just in case I was wrong—but now that I’m still in control—I’ll never have to suffer another day without her.

I can see it as clearly as I can see her standing before me. Daire, me, and the beast—working together to rid the world of Richters!

It’s the last thing I think before the beast fully awakens and I’m completely overtaken.

The last thing I speak is her name cried out in agony.

I’ve lost.

He’s won.

Whatever remained of me is now gone.

Stretching and expanding in size until he’s consumed every last shred of the person I once knew as
me,
he kicks Gabe’s broken body aside, and centers his sights on the
dark-haired girl in the red silk dress standing just a few feet away.

His glowing red gaze narrows on mine, offering all the proof that I need to know the beast seized control.

The boy I fell madly in love with—the boy made entirely of goodness and light—has been snuffed by the bloodthirsty creature that glowers before me.

My hands tremble.

My knees threaten to fold.

Overcome by the enormity of all that we’ve lost, along with the harrowing truth that he did this for me.

Convinced that the darkness was his to control—only to discover too late that fate serves its own agenda.

Aside from the eyes and the tufts of black feathers beginning to form at the crown, he’s as handsome as ever. Though I can’t be deceived by his looks. The moment he killed Gabe, he
became fully initiated.

Won’t be much longer before the shift is complete.

Still, I lower my knife, refusing to use it until I’m absolutely sure no part of him exists. As long as the beast continues to breathe—a part of Dace may manage to cling.

At the sight of me standing defenseless before him, he throws his head back and roars a deep, guttural laugh. But it’s not Dace who mocks me. It’s the beast. Despite how much it may
hurt, I remind myself to never forget this.

“Sure you want to do that, Seeker?” The words are brusque but the tone is lazy, as though he’ll take his time to slay me his way. “Not that I blame you. Knife like that
could never save you. I don’t care whose essence it contains.”

Despite the implied threat, the words give me hope that I’m on the right track. If he truly remembers the day I told him about Valentina’s spirit being sealed on my athame, then
clearly a shred of him has managed to survive.

I flip my hair out of my eyes and lean toward him. Determined to appeal to whatever part of Dace still exists, when the last remaining pin securing my updo is released, and I watch as his eyes
lovingly follow the course of curls settling in untidy waves over my shoulders.

Though the moment he catches me looking, his admiration is replaced with such deeply penetrating menace, it’s all I can do to stay calm.

“You saw what I did to my cousin,” he growls. “Saw how easy it was.”

“I watched the whole thing.” I press my knife to my side. “I could hardly keep from cheering. I hated Gabe too.”

He cocks his head, curls and uncurls his fingers, as though weighing my words.

“You did the world a favor, Dace. Heck, you did Marliz a favor. Gabe really was embarrassing, annoying, a total misogynist, a major thug, and his jokes were truly stupid. Good riddance, I
say.”

“And you know what I say?”

He moves toward me and it’s all I can do not to flee. Repeating to myself over and over that Dace is in there. Somewhere. He has to be.

“I say you should’ve run when you had the chance.”

“I won’t run from you, Dace.” I square my shoulders, remain fixed right in place. If I can keep addressing him by his name, it might manage to penetrate. “Not while
you’re still in there—and we both know you are. It doesn’t have to be like this, Dace. You can beat this. You can—”

Before I can finish, his jacket begins to shred at the seams, as impossibly long talons shoot from his fingers and a crown of black feathers fully encircles his head. “Seems the evidence
would speak otherwise.” He shrugs, causing the sleeves to fall to the ground just beside him.

I tighten my grip on the athame, try to follow Chay’s advice and listen to my heart. But with the beast quickly closing the gap between us, any wisdom my heart may contain is drowned by
the blare of impending defeat.