Dark Flight (The Shadow Slayers) (18 page)

She shook from head to toe, the ringing in her ears more than just physical pain. She didn’t think her kind was meant to experience this on a corporeal level and live to tell of it. When her hands came back from her ears, they were soaked in blood.

The rabbit-gone-light-bulb drifted toward Kara and lifted its mitts to the sides of Kara’s face. It made a gentle cooing sound as it held her cheeks, and a moment later, the pain was gone. The thing edged back to the perimeter of the granite slab and lifted its “face” to the sky, keeping its voice very quiet now. The sound was like a trumpet with the volume turned to low.

And a second later, six bright lights floated down toward them. They were so small and yet so blinding, it was like witnessing the splitting of an atom. And when they got to the granite clearing, they grew, probably eight feet tall like the other and as though mimicking that first creature, they developed eyes and mouths as well.

The first one to speak dropped Kara to her knees as though she’d had the carpet pulled from under her feet. But the first quickly said something, and the group grew quiet, chattering amongst themselves, almost excitedly, in a melodious convergence of notes. A moment later, light extended from behind all seven creatures, and the light gained substance until Kara was sure they must be the wide, white wings of the Sanctiáre.

Relief swept through her. Wings. And wings meant feathers. All she needed was one. Still squinting from the glare, Kara smiled, closed-lipped and nervous. “Hello and thank you. I was wondering if I could have a feather, please? Only one.”

They didn’t move, just continued the chatter, and Kara wasn’t sure what to say, or even if they understood her language. “I think we’re all on the same side here, wanting the bad guys to go where bad guys belong, right? May I please have just one feather?” She pointed to her back and made a plucking gesture. “Fea-ther.”

One of the Sanctiáre came forward, and Kara smiled for real. She extended her hand and waited for the thing to place one beautiful white feather in her palm. But it ignored her hand and circled around behind her instead, as though carrying out an inspection.

“
Foe
…” it sang, and it was the first thing Kara had heard that sounded like a human word.

Foe?
Oh, shit. “No! Not a foe. I’m a friend. I’m a good guy.”

The Sanctiáre, towering above her, lifted its mitt and trailed it across Kara’s shoulders. At the contact, her body began to tremble and she could hardly remain standing from the oppressive weight of it.

“
Foe-miiina
…” it tried again. And suddenly the others were crowding forward, extending their tentacles of light and prodding her as though they’d never seen a woman before. Their voices were loud now, loud and disorienting, and the sounds were like pure pain against her eardrums. The power of their touch filled her with an energy she wasn’t sure she could contain. She felt her soul leaching out, but her body was paralyzed, unable to scream or flee or beg for mercy.

The one she instinctively knew as the rabbit creature brought both mitts to her face again and its “mouth” tilted into a cavernous smile. “
Foe-mina Aniliáre.
” And it cooed the sound, as if to calm the others.

It leaned way down and pressed what could only be its forehead to Kara’s and she felt warm all over, like the embodiment of love and nurture had reached into her being and held her. “
Foe-miiina
.”

If the world had stopped in that moment, all would have been right, but the others converged upon her, forming one massive, brilliant light. It hovered above her, pulsing and flickering, and then it alighted on her shoulders and flashed into her spine, detonating like an atomic blast.

And Kara ceased to exist.

Chapter Fourteen

“She’s awake!” said Gavin’s voice.

She was? She didn’t feel awake. She felt dead. Or more like, she’d be better off if she were dead. Everything hurt, but her back and shoulders had such a bone-deep ache, it was all she could do not to groan aloud. With the way it felt, she wouldn’t doubt that something was broken. Maybe a lot of somethings.

Kara cracked her eyelids just wide enough to see that she was in her apartment. She knew Abbey and Jaxon would be here, smiling down at her, if she could just peel her eyelids back far enough to see them.

“Kara?” Gavin said. “How do you feel?”

She pressed her eyes shut again, not ready to attempt more. “I’m alive.” And that was quite a surprise under the circumstances. “How did I get here?”

“We found you at the base of the mountain.” That was Jaxon’s voice. “You were unconscious.”

“Oh, shit…” Kara moaned, and her eyes inexplicably filled with tears. She finally opened them to blink the moisture away. “Did you find a feather on me anywhere? Was there one sticking out of my pocket…or tucked into my bra? Anything?”

Gavin slipped her hair behind her ear. “No. I’m afraid not.”

He was seated by her at the edge of her bed, and she flung her arm out in hopes of taking his hand. “I’m so sorry, Gavin. I failed.”

He saw her struggle to control her muscles and gripped her fingers tight. “Don’t say that, princess. You were so brave. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

Despite her trying to hold back the tears, her wet eyes kicked it into high gear. “I tried, but I don’t think they understood me. They just kept saying ‘
foemina, foemina
’, and they wouldn’t listen. And then they got mad and zapped me!”

“
Foemina
?” Jaxon clarified. “Female?”

“Is that what it means?”

“Yes,” Jaxon answered.

Kara rubbed a hand over her face. “Yeah, then that’s what they were saying. Female. Female. Then
foemina Aniliáre
.”

Gavin frowned. “They called you a female Aniliáre?”

Kara whimpered. She hurt like hell and this wasn’t helping. “I didn’t say they called me that…that’s just what they said before they zapped me.”

Jaxon shook his head, as though mystified. “Have they never seen a female before?”

“Maybe they haven’t. Maybe they weren’t sure what she was,” Gavin replied. “This is my fault. I should never have let Kara seek out the Sanctiáre. Their way of life is a mystery to us, and I shouldn’t have relied on Mazeki’s counsel in the matter.”

Jaxon came to stand by Kara’s head, and he pressed his hand to her forehead, as though taking her temperature. “You’re alive, and that’s what’s important. Nobody is to blame here. Not you and not Gavin.”

Kara put her hand over Jaxon’s. “Where’s Abbey?”

“She’s at home. I couldn’t bring myself to travel back and alert her until I knew what the outcome would be. I assumed regeneration, but when the Sanctiáre are involved, rules can change.”

Travel back? She glanced outside the balcony doors, and the sky was that strange shade, somewhere between dawn and dusk, and it was overcast. But…where were the buildings?

Kara sat up, and the rapid motion made her brain feel like it hit the front of her skull. “Where are we?”

Gavin smoothed a hand down her arm. “We’re still in the Shadowland. I didn’t want to keep you here, but I couldn’t risk traveling with you in that state. You were on the edge of the Abyss.”

If they were still in the Shadowland, then that meant… “Julian? Are we on Julian’s land?” And if so, how was he holding this illusion together?

“Yes,” Gavin answered. “He was…upset when we brought you here.”

“Oh.” Her heart sank. She wasn’t even welcome here in her time of need anymore. Is that how fast their friendship had deteriorated? “I’m feeling good enough to travel now. We don’t need to impose on him any longer.”

That was a lie. Her body felt like it’d been flushed down the toilet of life, but she couldn’t think of anything more humiliating than forcing her presence on the man who’d dumped her.

“It’s not an imposition,” a low voice said quietly from the balcony.

She swallowed and glanced that direction to see Julian, onyx wings folded and his dark hair tied back. He wore black leather pants, which she’d never seen on him before. He was still as hideously handsome as always.

He walked through the open doors and stood at the foot of the bed. “Why do you do this, Kara? Why are you so careless with your life?”

She tilted her chin higher. “I’m immortal, remember?”

“You didn’t seem so
immortal
when Gavin carried you in tonight. To say you were unconscious is being kind.” He glared at Jaxon, as though he had a bone to pick with him. “Your heart had stopped beating entirely and your blood was cold and congealed in your veins. For all intents and purposes—you were
dead
.”

“Really?” Her mouth gaped. “Those Sanctiáre are some mean sons o’ bitches.” Jaxon snorted in response. “But anyhow, here I am—heart stopped and started again.
Immortal
, if I do say so myself.”

Julian growled. “She failed, Gavin. She admits it. Will you take her to the surface now and keep her there for good?”

Gavin’s jaw clenched. “Someone once told me that self-preservation is worth little without self-determination. It’s her choice, my friend, and she’s chosen. Feather or no feather, she wants to be a part of this.”

“This is ludicrous!” Julian balled his fists, and flames shot out of his mouth as if he were a fire-breathing dragon.

Kara’s eyes went wide. The headboard behind her caught fire, but she couldn’t feel any heat to it. “It looks like Julian has some new tricks up his sleeve. I’m taking it his time with Mazeki was a success?”

“Thanks to you, Kara—” Jaxon glanced to the orange flames and quirked a brow, “—though it doesn’t appear he’s ready to express his gratitude quite yet.”

“Are you ready to go home?” Gavin asked her.

She nodded. “Yeah. Back to the apartment. I need to regroup. I need to figure out a way to get that feather.”

“No!” all three men shouted in unison.

“Okay, then take me to see Mazeki. I need to let him know what happened on the mountain. You still have the map, right?”

Gavin pulled it from the satchel around his waist. “It’s right here, for all the good it did. I mean to give Mazeki a piece of my mind. Think of all the time we wasted on Nefren’s land, and there was nothing to find there, after all.”

“Yes, there was,” Kara answered. “And we found him. Or maybe you could say he found us.”

Gavin’s brows drooped, and he looked utterly confused. “Engus?”

Kara shifted, trying to get comfortable. “No, my brother.” Then she met Julian’s eyes. “You know—the scout.”

The tepid flames behind her head rose even higher. “You allowed her to come in contact with the scout? After everything I’ve done!”

Kara had rarely seen Gavin look more sheepish. “In the commotion of Kara’s heart stopping, I may have forgotten to mention that. That scout is not your average silver-wing—he was able to breach the island’s wards. But after we resolve this issue with Brakken, I am going to petition for a meeting with Ailexon.”

Julian’s breathing stilled. “Why Ailexon?”

“Because our best guess is that’s where the boy resides. I followed him there.”

“No,” Julian finally said. “This is too much, Gavin Cross. You ask me to help defeat your father, and you can’t even keep my woman safe in the meantime. I will take care of her myself. Damn you and your father to hell.”

Kara surged to her feet before she was even sure she could support her weight on her quivery knees. “
Your
woman? Screw you and the high horse you rode in on! Let me jog your memory, you…you selfish shithead! ‘I’m a fucking black-wing, Kara, and I don’t plan on letting the first woman I’ve slept with cage me and clip my wings. This has gone on long enough.’ Ring any bells?”

Julian’s expression twisted in outrage. “I only said that to keep you safe! Clearly that isn’t possible unless you’re near me. I take back what I said.”

“Huh?” Kara’s head spun and her stomach was doing a backflip in her gut. The only thing keeping her on her feet was her pride. “You can’t just take it back! You broke up with me!” And then there was also that little matter of her sleeping with Gavin, and it might make her feel like a tramp if she wasn’t so sure that she was in love with him.

Gavin rose and took Kara’s elbow. “Jaxon, you may go back now and let Abbey know that Kara is well. I need to speak with Julian privately.”

The room was spinning, and at that point Kara didn’t know if it was the pain of her injuries, the possibility that Julian might still love her, or the unknown of whatever Gavin was about to say.

“I’ll check on you later,” Jaxon told her, and then he flashed.

Gavin set his feet apart and took Kara’s arm more firmly in his grasp. “You were right in releasing her, Julian. It’s true that you and Kara can’t truly have a life together with her on the surface and you here. And furthermore…I should also tell you that—”

“Oh, crap. I gotta sit down. I’m gonna be sick.” Kara dropped to her rear on the edge of the mattress and plunged her head between her knees.

“Tell me what, silver-wing?” Julian spat.

“Kara and I made love. I love her—I always have—and I believe she loves me, too.”