Beyond the Veil (25 page)

“
You can
’
t have her!
”
I screamed.

Stefan stood off to my left, multifaceted wings relaxed. Water dripped from their icicle tips. He moved around the room, flanking me. I growled at them both, snapping my teeth together and lunged for Akil. He
’
d seen me tense and dodged aside in time to avoid me. I twisted around in time to realize what I
’
d done.

Akil
’
s human guise peeled away, and the Prince of Hell stepped forth. Fire danced in the air as his muscular bulk filled the space between the floor and ceiling. Wings of embers and ashes butted up against the ceiling, fire tracing through the veins like fireworks igniting the night sky.

Stefan
’
s cold grip shoved me toward the door.
“
Go!
”

I sneered at him, but I knew when it was time to leave. I made it to as far as the lounge before Mammon parted reality in front of me, stepping through the ragged tear in the fabric of this realm. He reared up, wings spread behind him, black lips pulled back over rows of curved fangs. Stefan skidded to a halt beside me. He must have seen something in Mammon that I didn
’
t because he dropped to a knee and threw a shield of ice up around us like a brittle umbrella. I ducked behind the shield as a blast of pure energy slammed into it. The wave of heat flowed over us, but Stefan
’
s shield cocooned us from the blistering tsunami.

Stefan leaned into the shield, holding it firm against the onslaught. He shuddered, teeth clenched, eyes closed as he poured all of his element into our defenses. Steam bellowed around us, water droplets instantly vaporized by the barrage of heat.

He was losing. He hunched lower with an anguished cry. It was no good. He couldn
’
t draw enough of his element from the world around us. The city was heat. It was my world.

“
Mammon, stop!
”
I yelled.

The blast of heat ceased. I peeked over the top of the rapidly melting shield and saw Mammon eyeing me with blank look on his demonic face. He snorted, lips rippling, wings ruffling behind him, dusting the floor with ashes.

I stepped out from behind the shield.
“
You were testing me, yes.
”
Each step, I recalled the heat in the room, catching sight of Stefan slumped against the wall beneath the windows, drenched and struggling to gather his element.
“
Testing to see if I
’
m worthy
…
You want to take me home.
”
I deliberately let my demon speak through me, over me.
“
To extract me from this human vessel.
”

“
Yes,
”
Mammon grunted.

“
Then take me.
”
My gravelly voice echoed back on itself.
“
Open the veil, and take me.
”

“
Muse
…”
Stefan panted,
“
no.
”

“
Shut up.
”
I glared at Stefan.
“
You don
’
t get a say in this.
”

Mammon snarled. He wasn
’
t a fool. He sensed I was playing with him. But what was I to him? Just a lesser demon, and half of one at that. What harm could I possibly cause a Prince of Hell?

He shifted, slick muscles rippling, and then tossed a glance to my left where a tear opened in the veil. The thin skin separating the worlds peeled apart like flesh beneath a surgeon
’
s knife. The edges frayed, and angry remnants of energy snapped about the mouth of the wound. I didn
’
t hesitate. Reaching beyond the veil, I called the heat of the netherworld to me, channeling the unending reservoir of power. A huge swell of energy tore through the veil and into me, lifting me off my feet. I flung a hand out and directed the force of it at Mammon, but all he did was laugh.

He lifted a hand, capturing the flow of energy in his palm and tossed it back at me as easily as throwing a soccer ball. I heard the sound of glass shattering and had an odd moment to recall how Akil had cracked the window earlier, and then I felt the cool embrace of the night air wrap itself around me. I saw the dark above, and snowflakes danced in the air around my reaching hands, but they fled, rushing away from me.

The bitter wind tore at my blackened flesh, whipping my hair around my face. I was falling. Instinctively, I flung my wing out, but all it did was twist me in the air, tumbling me over and over. I tried to claw at anything, desperate to find purchase, but there was nothing except the relentless assault of the wind and the harsh patter of snowflakes against my face.

Snowflakes.

They played around me, swirling around my flame-wrapped limbs like sprites with minds of their own. I felt them kiss my flesh, instantly dying when they met my heat. I wondered if Stefan had sent them, right before I plunged into a black arctic darkness.

I lay sprawled on my back, unable to see. I was no longer plummeting to the ground but suspended motionless in a bitterly cold embrace. I opened my mouth and tried to snatch a breath of air, but water spilled over my lips and gurgled down my throat. I couldn
’
t breathe in to cough the water back up. Clamping my mouth shut, I tried to fight against the weight of darkness. Something shifted. Water pooled around my sizzling flesh. I could lift an arm through the suffocating soup, but without knowing which way was up
—
or out
—
I had no idea how to escape.

  A cold hand closed around mine and yanked me free, almost dislocating my shoulder. I slumped to my knees in the thick blanket of snow. My demon had all but vanished, the sudden cold chasing her away. I was myself again as I blinked up at Stefan. Snowflakes swirled around him. The cold wind tugged at his coat. I shivered at the sight of his boreal eyes. He shimmered beneath the streetlights, his skin liquid ice. The element seeped from his mortal flesh, enveloping him in pure energy. He
’
d called from the veil.

He held out a hand. It was only when I took it and let him pull me to my feet that I realized the entire stretch of Atlantic Avenue had been buried in at least three feet of snow. Winter had descended abruptly on Boston. Inexplicably, a snowdrift had gathered at the front of The Atlantic Hotel, exactly where I
’
d plummeted from the penthouse apartment above. I heard shouts of alarm around us. People wandered from their businesses and stranded cars.

“
Holy hell,
”
I wheezed.

Nica emerged from the side of the hotel, arms wrapped around herself, shivering uncontrollably, teeth chattering. She slogged through the thick snow to get to us, her court shoes disappearing in her tracks.

“
C
’
mon, we need to get off the main street,
”
Stefan urged, glancing up through the swirling snow at the hotel.
“
He
’
ll be on us in seconds.
”

I took Nica
’
s hand, pooling warmth into my hand in an effort to keep her warm. We trudged through the snow, but it
’
s cloying weight slowed us down. I summoned what warmth I could find from the nearby buildings and focused it ahead of us so that the snow began to melt, shrinking back to create a path.

“
We need to get to the Institute.
”
Stefan said from behind us.

I glanced back. He
’
d shaken off his demon and had returned to his normal self. Gun in hand, he covered our retreat, waiting for Mammon to emerge and give chase.

“
No.
”
I replied, pulling Nica barefooted behind me.
“
It ends now.
”
Even I was a little frightened at the growl in my voice. I was not in a good place, mentally, but I refused to stop and think about why. Now was not the time to go over the deceit Stefan had wrought upon me.
“
Whatever happens, it ends now. I
’
m not running anymore.
”

We emerged along Harbor Walk, a footway that follows the waterfront around the many wharfs and marinas along Boston harbor. The ink-black water of the harbor ahead of us reflected the sparkling lights from the buildings on the opposite side of the bay. Snow continued to dust the ground, but the further away from the hotel we were, the less snow hindered our escape until all that remained were lazy flakes fluttering like ghostly butterflies in the night air.

A pier stretched out across the water with smaller boats bobbing gently at its edges. I rounded on Stefan, forcing him to pull up short.
“
How could you?
”

“
Muse.
”
He didn
’
t even look sorry.

This wasn
’
t the time to fight, I knew that, but I wasn
’
t having him walk beside me any longer. I needed to know why he would lie to me before Mammon incinerated us all.

A scowl darkened his eyes.
“
Not now.
”
He glanced behind him.
“
We need another plan.
”

If it weren
’
t for the threat of Mammon, I
’
d have blasted Stefan with every molecule of fire I had at my disposal.
“
There is no other plan. He knew about the injector
—”

I saw him flinch, guilt slicing through his attempt at indifference.

“
You told him?
”
He didn
’
t deny it; he could barely hold my gaze.
“
You told him!
”

Nica stepped in front of me as I tensed to lunge at him. I
’
d have torn into him had she not stopped me.
“
Muse,
”
she stuttered.
“
You can
’
t blame Stefan.
”

“
The hell I can
’
t. I trusted him.
”
I laughed and staggered back onto the pier.
“
It took me a while. I should have listened to my instincts at the beginning; they never lie. I should have known better
…
You son-of-a-bitch.
”

Nica stood in front of her brother, then stepped back, relaxing against him as he slipped his left arm around her, pulling her close. I watched, the anger simmering beneath my skin, as he kissed her lightly on the head and whispered something into her hair. I read the apology on her lips even as the breeze stole the softly spoken words. They were close. That much was clear. He
’
d been protecting her, but in doing so, he
’
d put me repeatedly in the line of fire and then screwed me for good measure.

“
Hey,
”
I snapped.
“
Hate to break up the family reunion, but we have a Prince of Hell bearing down on us and not a clue how we
’
re going to get away from him.
”

Nica swept a rogue tear off her cheek and nodded.
“
Just don
’
t be so quick to blame, Stefan. Please
…”

I avoided Stefan
’
s glance and focused on Nica instead. I
’
d forgotten how vulnerable she was in all of this. A half-demon for a brother, the two of us throwing elemental energy around, revealing our demon selves as though it was perfectly normal. She must have been terrified; she was the bravest of us all.

“
Stefan, can you and I
…”
I shoved my rage aside, bottling it and screwing the lid on tightly to be opened once this was over
“
Together, can we out-power him?
”

“
It
’
s possible. At least, I can draw from the veil, but I saw what he did when you summoned your element from the netherworld. Your attack slid right off him. You can
’
t fight him, Muse. You wield the same power. All you were doing was feeding him energy.
”

Crap. I bit into my lip. There had to be a way. I racked my mind for anything resembling a solution, but didn
’
t know enough about battling demons. I
’
d spent my life cowering at their cloven hooves, not standing up to them.

“
Why did you tell him about the injector?
”
I know
—
not the right time, but I needed to hear it from him.
“
It could have worked.
”

Stefan moved around Nica, but as he approached me I stepped back, holding a hand out.
“
Don
’
t,
”
I warned. I couldn
’
t stand to be near him. It only made the gaping mental wound he
’
d inflicted hurt all the more. That, and the fact I wanted him to hold me, I needed to feel his arms around me. It had only been a few hours since we
’
d lain together. I
’
d been stupid enough to think that meant something. It had to me.

“
I didn
’
t have a choice.
”
Stefan stopped his advance, albeit with reluctance.
“
He had Nica. I had to tell him everything. If he suspected I was lying, he
’
d have killed her.
”

“
But you
’
re so good at lying.
”
Anger spat the words through my clenched teeth.

He grimaced, glancing away before glaring back at me, jaw clenched, fist clenched at his side.
“
I did everything I could to protect you.
”

“
Sure, while buttering me up for Akil. All that bullshit about teaching me to summon from beyond the veil. It was all for Akil. You were leading me right into the lion
’
s den.
”

“
I didn
’
t have a choice.
”
The wind tugged his raised voice away, carrying it across the dark water.
“
Nica should never have been sent in to work Akil. He knew who she was the second he saw her, so he used his advantage to call me in. I was supposed to watch over you, nudge you in the right directions, see how powerful you were
—
how much you knew. I did all that, you
’
re right, but I also kept you safe. Akil
’
s trials would have killed you.
”

They might as well have,
I thought.
“
Why didn
’
t you tell me?
”
I couldn
’
t keep the bitter sadness from my voice.

“
I told you as much as I could without putting Nica in danger. I did what I had to. I
’
m sorry. Please, Muse. I couldn
’
t let him hurt Nica. She had no-one. The Institute
—
our father
—
wouldn
’
t even acknowledge he
’
d sent her in there. I was all the hope she had.
”

He chanced a step closer, but I backed up.
“
Don
’
t come near me.
”

He glowered back at me, eyes narrowing, but I could see how my words wounded him. The pain was apparent in his eyes. He had no idea what he
’
d done to me. I
’
d trusted him. More than that, I loved him. God-help-me, I loved him. He
’
d let me believe in him, and it had all been lies. Lie after lie after lie. Pile that on top of Aki
’
s twisted betrayal and Damien
’
s before him, and frankly, I was surprised I hadn
’
t just thrown in the towel and merrily stepped through the veil myself. Stefan had been my last hope that everything would be alright. In his arms, I
’
d been safe. Now that too had gone.

I masked my sorrow with anger, sneering at him as he tried to make me understand.
“
Don
’
t come near me. If we get out of this, I don
’
t ever want to see you again.
”

“
Muse,
”
he breathed, face crumbling in pain.

“
Never.
”

The clap of hands behind me pierced the night. The wind played with the sound, tossing it in the air.

“
Bravo,
”
Akil
’
s deep voice purred, the single word spoken with a syrupy slowness. I turned, pooling heat into my hands as I fixed him in my sights. Back in human form, his appearance shimmered with a heat-haze. An abundance of power rolled off him. We had little to no hope of beating him.

“
He does love you, Muse.
”
Akil frowned playfully.
“
I knew that much when I saw you together at the lake house. Two half-bloods of opposing elements; you realize it
’
ll never work? Aside from the fact I
’
m taking you home. So, no need to fret, you won
’
t be seeing him again.
”
His lips twitched.
“
Ever.
”

I wasn
’
t going back there without a fight. I summoned my demon, plunging her strength into my limbs. Energy strummed through me, weaving up and down my spine and rising to the tip of my wing. I planted both feet firmly, casting my arms out and stretching my wing back. Let him see me, all of me. Let him witness the furious broiling energy thrashing inside of me. If he wanted me, he could have all of me.

I called every fragment of heat from the city behind me, finding less there than I had earlier. My attempt stuttered. The cold of the snow still piled high on the street subdued the available heat available. I hesitated only briefly before reaching further, but the cold water of the bay offered little, and the reaching tendrils of power recoiled, snapping angrily in the air, their lust for power unsatisfied. Driven by rage, I sought the heat beyond the bay, but the further I stretched, the weaker my efforts became.

Akil frowned.
“
I expected so much more. Stefan was very thorough in his reports of your newfound prowess.
”

The madness of rage spilled over me. A white-hot torrent of heat ripped across my skin, enveloping me in light. As Stefan had so eloquently said, I was about to go nuclear, and I had the source of energy I needed standing right in front of me. Akil seemed curious as my ethereal tendrils reached toward him. I wrapped the touch of them around his ankle and slid it sensually up his leg. He watched my element snap in the air around him with a look of admiration on his face. He lifted his hands as I teased more writhing ropes of power around his waist. I sensed the energy coiled inside of him: a vast abundance of fire ripe for the picking. He had torn my element from me at the marina right before he
’
d mistakenly or deliberately tried to kill me. Now it was my turn.