Ascension (18 page)

Chapter Eighteen

K
yana choked down the queasiness rolling her near-empty stomach as she watched Hank, Geoffrey, and Ryker carry large pieces of computer equipment out the police station door. She hadn’t even gotten into the damned vehicle yet and was already carsick.

“Here.” Ryker stood before her holding a small vial and a bottle of water. He poured the powder into the bottle, swirled it, then handed it to Kyana. “Drink this.”

Kyana didn’t need to take the bottle to know it was something she didn’t want to swallow. “It smells like rotten eggs.” She lowered her voice. “I’m trying not to embarrass myself here.”

“It will settle your stomach.”

“That obvious?” Kyana winced. “Where’d you get this?”

“The people I port only turn that putrid shade of green if they suffer from motion sickness.” He smiled. “I keep some antinausea potions on me, just in case I get passengers like you.”

Would have been nice to know when he’d ported her out to that damned island.

He pushed the bottle into Kyana’s hand. “Drink.”

Resisting the urge to hold her nose, Kyana downed the liquid. Her throat closed. Her stomach rebelled but she managed to keep it under control. It tasted like she’d swallowed a fart.

Grimacing, she handed the bottle back to him. “Do all potions smell or taste like bodily functions?”

Ryker rubbed her back for several long, soothing moments before answering. “If it’ll keep you on your feet, and not with your head tucked between your knees, all of us will thank the gods for this foul-tasting brew.”

“We’re almost done,” Hank said, his voice carrying from one end of the building to the other, silencing her retort. “I don’t know if we’ll need all this, but I’d rather bring it than have to come back here again.”

“If I have to get sick, I’m going to aim for your shoes,” Kyana muttered as she pushed past Ryker and made her way to the door. Geoff jumped out of the back of the battered pickup Crag had commandeered and draped his arm around Kyana’s shoulders. “You ready for this?”

She glared at him. “If I leave now, I could probably beat you guys back and not have to ride in that stupid invention.”

“You’d trust us to keep your cop alive? Look on the bright side, you can hang your head over the side and won’t get vomit on anyone’s clothes.”

“Bite me.”

Geoff wiggled his eyebrows. “I’d love to, but you smell pretty bad.”

“Damned potions,” Kyana mumbled, easing out from under Geoff’s arm. She looked at the sky. The blackness of night was giving way to the gray of dawn. “We need to get moving.”

“I’m done.” Hank set a box in the bed of the truck. “Now what?”

“Drive. Don’t stop for any reason. If something gets in your way, run it over,” Ryker told him. “We’ll fight off anything that gets close.”

Geoff bounded into the back of the pickup and held out a hand to assist Kyana. She ignored it, leaped in, and found a place near the cab to stand.

Ryker found his way to her side, his body tense and alert as they waited for the minions to pull themselves over the bed. The foursome settled around the boxes of electronics, then Ryker tapped the hood.

The engine roared to life. “Hang on to something,” Hank yelled. The truck banged into gear and shot over the curb and onto the road.

Wind whipped her hair into her face. As she focused on the street, her eyes watered. The breeze carried the stench of danger, and Kyana’s keen eyes picked out silhouettes crouched curbside.

“There,” she warned.

“Things are about to get fun,” Geoff said, moving to stand at her other side.

Groups of Dark Breeds approached from every direction. She gripped the knife at her back in her damp fist. Geoff did the same. She glanced at Ryker and frowned. He had no weapon.

Just lovely.
She retrieved her dagger from her boot and passed it to him.

“I don’t need that.” His eyes darkened.

“You can’t mesmerize them all with your swirling eyes.” She forced the weapon into his hand.

He stubbornly tucked the dagger into his waistband. Kyana moved closer to the driver’s door.

“It’s party time.” Geoff laughed as the first body flew in their direction.

The Dark Breeds seemed to understand if they took out Hank, they’d be able to take out the vehicle and leave the others open to attack. They came at him in groups of twos and threes. Kyana used her fist and her knife, working through them as quickly as possible, but still, they came.

Bodies dove at them, springing off the roads like they’d been picked up and tossed by funnel clouds. A fist connected with her lower back. Kyana roared with rage. She spun around, twisted the Leech’s neck in one quick motion, then shoved its body over the side of the pickup. The sickening sound of bone and muscle giving way under the truck’s tires brought great satisfaction to her aching body.

Her joy was short-lived as another barrage of Dark Breeds attacked. Hank fired out the window in rapid succession with one hand, the other frantically trying to keep the truck under control. The gun didn’t stop them, but he was right, it did slow them down.

But not for long.

The closer they got to the fort, the faster the demons attacked. When they neared the end of King Street, a row of Dark Breeds blocked their path. Kyana hit the cab with her fist.

“Go through them!” She sliced the throat of the Lychen trying to make it through the window to Hank. Blood spurted on her face, sprayed her vest. The body collapsed in the bed of the truck, only to be casually tossed out like garbage by Geoffrey.

“Hang on,” Hank shouted. He floored the pedal, pushing the old pickup to its limits. Though some Dark Breeds were smart enough to leap from Hank’s path, some weren’t so quick. One hit the front of the truck with enough force to throw its body into the air and back into the windshield with a loud crash. Hank threw his arm up to shield himself from the imploding glass.

Ryker reached over the cab, grabbed the Dark Breed, and slung it to the street. He might not be skilled with weapons, but he held his own. His face showed evidence of battle. Bloody nose. Busted lip. Gashed cheek. She watched as he sent several Dark Breeds flying with nothing more than a wave of his hand. His telekinetic abilities kept several more Dark Breeds at bay, and those that made it through, he quickly dispensed of with his fist, the borrowed dagger still tucked in the waistband of his camos. It was apparent that he had earned the rank of general in Ares’s army and hadn’t merely been given the title. She owed him an apology. One he probably wouldn’t get, but it was nice to know she could count on him to have her back when things got ugly.

She ignored the blows to her face and back, making those who struck her pay even while her tender flesh screamed for mercy. Geoff’s roar ripped Kyana’s attention from her duty of protecting the human. She turned to find a demon, his massive arms wrapped around Geoff’s throat, attempting to pull him out of the truck as the vehicle swerved onto Castillo Drive and plowed through an overturned horse buggy.

Without moving, Ryker sent the Dark Breed flying out of the vehicle and somehow managed to keep Geoff from going over the side too.

Geoff wiped blood from his nose. “Thanks, mate.”

Ryker nodded and returned his attention to the fight.

Kyana squinted against the wind to focus on the fort that was now in full view. However, an army of Dark Breeds stood between the truck and safety. They wouldn’t make it without help. Kyana grabbed her flare from her hip and fired twice to alert the sentinels that they were under attack.

Hank ignored the parking area, bounced up the curb, and charged forward to the old pay station. Arrows flew from the bastions, raining fire down around them. Kyana jumped to the ground and ripped open the driver’s door.

She hauled Hank out. “Move it,” she yelled, half dragging, half carrying him to the nearest sentinel. “Get him inside!” She waited only long enough to make sure her orders were followed, before returning to stand with Ryker and Geoff. Even with the archer’s arrows, they were outnumbered.

She looked at Geoff. A huge grin lit up his face. “What about it, lass? Head-on or tails tucked?”

If they retreated, there was no way the sentinels could get the drawbridge raised again before the Dark Breeds followed them into the fort. Ten to one odds weren’t good for them, but promised to be interesting.

“Lock ’er down,” Kyana yelled at the sentinel still manning his post. He hesitated for half a second. “Now,” she snarled, spurring him into action. She looked at Ryker, then Geoff. “We can’t risk them getting inside.”

“Which one?”

Kyana had gone on enough hunts—and been outnumbered enough times—to know what Geoffrey’s question meant. There was always a leader. The one standing off calling the shots. That was the one they’d go after first.

Kyana pointed to the big beast standing on the low wall next to the bay. The creature spread its wings and cocked its head in Kyana’s direction. “The Hatchling.”

“Should be fun,” Ryker said, his eyes going red.

Turning long enough to give their minions orders to guard Hank’s equipment, she faced Ryker again. “Clear a path and we’ll kill anything that gets close.”

Moving as one, they worked their way into the middle of the fray. Even when Ryker sent a dozen of their pals flying with nothing more than his mind, the Dark Breeds didn’t back down. The going was torturously slow. Bodies came at them from every direction, circling them, closing in. Arrows flew all around them. Only a bit of magic and a lot of luck kept them from being burned alive like the Dark Breeds they fought. Cries of pain and the scent of scorched flesh filled the air. Kyana lost count of the number of bodies she sent to the ground. Still they came. And still the trio moved forward.

Geoff’s roar caused her to lose her focus. A fist connected with her jaw. “Piece of shit!”

Kyana slit her attacker’s throat from ear to ear, then turned to check on Geoff. A group of Dark Breeds had him surrounded, and they were trying to pull him to the ground. If they succeeded, Geoff’s chances of getting up again were somewhere between slim and never.

Not giving herself time to think, she rolled over the back of the closest demon, planting her boot in the face of another. In one smooth motion, she pulled Geoff upright, then bracing against him, kicked out, sending another pair stumbling. Several more went flying in every direction like bowling pins. She turned, nodding her thanks to Ryker, then grabbed Geoff’s arm, pulling him behind her. It took her tired mind a moment to realize why he was so sluggish. The sun was quickly approaching. The leader of the group of Dark Breeds seemed to notice the same thing. Its small wings quivered. Its grunted order carried on the wind. Those that were still able, retreated.

Ryker moved to give chase, but Kyana grabbed his arm. “We’ll get them another day.”

Slowly, his eyes shifted from blood red to swirling silver as he scanned her from head to toe. Like him, she was covered in blood and not sure if it was all demons’.

“You and Geoff. Below, now,” he said. “Leave the minions here to help. We’ll meet you there shortly.”

“We’re capable of holding our own,” Geoff said.

“Yeah, and I’d like to keep you that way.” Ryker spoke to Geoff but his gaze stayed on Kyana. He pointed up. “Move it before we’re sweeping your ashes off the sidewalk.”

Not willing to risk another meeting with the sun until she was sure she could hold her Lychen form, Kyana took Geoff’s hand and tugged until he reluctantly led the way over the lowering drawbridge and inside the fort. They quickly located Hank in the courtyard, where a Healer was tending his wounds.

Kyana was in no mood to be social. A low growl rumbled in her throat. She was tired, hungry, and hurt like hell. “Is he all right to go Below, or will the portal be too much for him?”

The woman nodded. “His wounds are minor. Most of the blood on him isn’t his.” The Healer looked from Kyana to Geoff and back again. “I’m happy to tend to your wounds too, if you’re in need.”

Kyana nodded in way of thanks . . . and dismissal. She held out her hand and pulled Hank to his feet. “We’re fine.”

Stepping into the portal alcove, Kyana sent Geoff through first, then Hank. She gave the men a couple of seconds—sure Hank would appreciate the time to gather himself—before she joined them. Both men leaned against the alabaster wall. Their breaths short and ragged. Exhaustion, along with the portal’s drain, had taken everything they had left. She moved to stand between them, then slowly slid to the cool floor.

“Is it always like that?” Hank questioned as he sat.

Kyana shrugged. “The attack or the portal?”

Geoff sat with them and closed his eyes. “Not sure it matters. The answer’s the same either way. Dark Breeds always fight with everything they have. Not usually in the numbers you saw tonight, though. Whether they’re captured or killed, they’re returned to Tartarus—Hell—so they literally have nothing to lose.”

“And the portal?”

“It’s a protective device. It momentarily weakens everyone to keep the gods safe should they come under attack.” Kyana found herself smiling. “I’d tell you that you’ll get used to it, but all you have to do is look at the two of us to know I’m lying.”