Darkest Knight (14 page)

“The last thing you want is to become one of them.” I tried to tug myself free, but it was no use. “They’ll bond you to a gargoyle to ensure your loyalty. You’ll be their slave.”

He laughed in my face. “Gargoyle? Wow. You’ll say anything to try getting away.”

“You don’t believe me?”

He shook his head.

“Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I twisted around and donkey kicked him hard in the stomach. He doubled over, releasing my wrist, but didn’t stay down long. He whipped out a fireball, balanced on his palm.

I turned and jumped off the stage, somersaulting in midair to evade the ball of fire aimed straight for me. It burst in the air behind me, sprinkling sparks that faded into nothing. When I landed on my feet, I spun around to face Evan in time to see another fireball speeding at my head. I reflexively thrust out my hand and the fiery missile stopped in place.

What the hell?

“Hey!” Evan looked angry. “No one told me you could do that.”

That’s because I couldn’t. At least not until now. I made a pushing motion and the fireball rolled back through the air away from me. I swung my hand to the side and it flew off toward the curtain, which immediately burst into flame.

Shit. Did I do that?

Evan cooked up another ball of fire and drew back his arm to throw it. I stared at my own hand and concentrated on the flame that spewed from my fingers. It rolled itself into a neat ball the size of a grapefruit.

I saw the fiery curtain from the corner of my eye. Flames climbed the brittle old fabric like monkeys running up a rope. I had to do something. I hoped Quin saw the smoke and called the fire department, but I didn’t hear any sirens.

Evan released his ball and I volleyed mine toward his. The two collided, exploding in a spray of sparks that danced across the floor and joined their siblings on the curtains.

If I could make fire and move fire, could I stop it as well? I focused my will on the flames and watched them dwindle as if dowsed with water.

It was hard to believe I now had Rusty’s power over fire.

A woman’s throaty laugh reverberated against the walls of the theater. At first I thought it belonged to one of the sewer rat girls, but it sounded too mature for a child. I glanced in the direction from which it came. A woman wearing a cloak with the hood hiding her face stared down at us from the balcony.

I expected my breath to get sucked from my lungs, but when it didn’t happen, I guessed she was toying with me again. Was she waiting for me to beg? I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. A new fireball rolled onto my fingertips.

Evan had the same idea, because he let his fireball fly before mine had a chance to completely form. Instinct to protect a sister knight, albeit a bad one, redirected my aim so that I could protect Maria. The two balls exploded when they collided, raining a spray of fire above the rows of wooden seats.

Evan paused as if to refuel whatever energy he needed to create his blazing ammo. I noticed his hesitation wasn’t on purpose. He’d given up his fireballs to concentrate on catching his breath. He dropped to his knees, eyes bulging and mouth agape. He was dying.

“Stop!” I screamed.

Maria didn’t stop completely, but she did allow Evan to take in enough air not to pass out. He appeared frozen but for his blinking eyes, and I saw the subtle rise and fall of his chest and heard his wheeze of shallow breaths. Judging from the strained cords on his neck, he wouldn’t last much longer.

“Why are you doing this?” I shouted up at the balcony.

“I’m saving you from him.” Maria had a deep voice, but its inflections sounded like a taunting child. There was something familiar about it and I waited for her to say more.

I searched the shadowed cowl covering her face, but not even my extrastrength vision could penetrate the black fabric it was made with. “That’s not what I mean. Why are you killing us, your sisters?”

“I have my reasons.”

“And I’m asking you what they are.”

“You’re not privileged to know,” she said, sounding petulant. “But the squire you lost is perfect for my needs. You could be, too.”

My blood turned cold. “What are you talking about?”

“You call her Xenia.”

Oh, my God. She had Xenia? “You kidnapped her?”

“She came to me willingly.”

My mind spun around this new information. I couldn’t imagine what Maria had planned, but there was no time to ponder. The sewer rat boy was dying and I couldn’t save him. Or could I?

Flickers of flame formed on my fingertips.

Maria laughed again. “I don’t have to read your mind to know what you’re thinking, and you can forget it. Fire? Please. I’m older than dirt. I can’t die.”

I didn’t want to kill her, I only wanted her to stop killing. If I could distract her long enough…

An icy wind whooshed down the aisle toward the stage, followed by a light bright enough to illuminate every dark corner of the theater. Within seconds the source of both the wind and light hovered above me, blocking me from Maria.

Rafael.

The power of his flapping wings blew Maria off her feet and she tumbled sideways to fall from the balcony. The wooden chairs below rattled from the impact of her landing.

Rafe hardly seemed to notice. His focus was on the kid, who’d been released from Maria’s death grip. Evan crumpled onto the pile of blankets on the stage and lay still.

I ran to him. Leaning toward his face, I listened to his shallow breathing and slow heartbeat. He was still alive.

Rafe hovered wordlessly where he was. His expression looked pained, not triumphant. He’d saved a boy but possibly killed a knight. Sirens screamed in the distance and I realized I didn’t have much time. I grabbed the flying charm from underneath Evan, then rushed over to where I’d seen Maria fall. But she was gone. Left in her place was a single black feather.

fifteen

AN HOUR LATER I STARED AT THE SURFACE
of my espresso as I absently fanned myself with the feather Maria had left behind.

“That thing gives me the creeps,” Elmo said.

I ran the feather through my fingers. “It could be the key to finding Maria’s lair. And to finding Xenia.”

“If the girl is really with her,” Quin said.

True, since Maria could be lying. Taunting me into a trap, though I had no clue what she’d want with me. Unless, of course, her motives were the same as Evan’s. If she turned me over to the Vyantara, she would get something of equal value in return.

“Could Xenia still be in the city then?” I asked them.

“I’ll check my sources,” Elmo said. “You get back all the missing charms?”

I shook my head. “There’s still one left.”

“Let me guess.” Elmo scratched his temple and scowled, then snapped his fingers. “The wind charm.”

“Elmo, you’re a terrible actor,” Quin said. “You knew which one it was all along.”

“Guilty,” Elmo said, and shrugged. “Just trying to make Chalice smile.”

It didn’t work. “What have you heard?”

“I caught wind of a wind blowing where it shouldn’t blow,” he said. “Inside a building.”

Like that’s not going to raise a few eyebrows? I had to wonder about some people and the logic they used.

The reasons to recover the charm didn’t matter at this point. I had no choice but to either retrieve it or render it useless. Putting the charm out of commission would be a shame, but it would be more damaging to let it fall into the wrong hands.

“Thanks, Quin, for contacting Rafe. He couldn’t have arrived at a better time.”

“You should have called him yourself,” Quin said. “Why didn’t you?”

I bit my bottom lip. “Because I didn’t think of it.” And Rafe had made it a point to give me shit about it, too. He was mad at me for putting myself in a dangerous situation, saying I should have consulted with him first. But I don’t consult, I
do.
Which had become a problem for me lately. Teamwork was still a foreign concept, though I’d get it eventually. I had to. It was supposed to be my job.

I yawned. “I’ll need the address for that building, Elmo.” I blinked and my eyelids struggled to open again. “After I get a few hours’ sleep.”

“Make them count,” Quin said as he dipped his chin and gave me an intense look. “Rest up quick before the DPD intervenes and the press joins them. It wouldn’t take much for Denver to become a hot spot for ghost chasers and witch hunters.”

“No worries,” Elmo said. “We have people watching the place. They’ll misdirect anyone who comes too close.”

Now that I felt reassured, I needed sleep, but what I really
wanted
was to dream. That was my only chance to see Aydin.

This time there was no tossing and turning in bed. My head hit the pillow and it seemed like only seconds passed before I was awake again. I felt rested and alert, but also alarmed. This wasn’t the same bed I’d fallen asleep in.

Two thoughts hit me at once: I’d missed my time with Aydin, and someone had traded beds with me while I was sleeping. But I turned out to be wrong on both counts.

Aydin lay right beside me. He turned to me and said, “Welcome home.”

Now I was really confused. “I’m dreaming?”

“Mmm-hmm.” He reached out a very human hand, thick-fingered and strong, to smooth a wisp of bangs from my forehead. “It’s my own design. Do you like it?”

I liked it too much. It was easy to see how some people could get so caught up in a fantasy they confused it with reality, or preferred it to real life. Dreams were becoming my virtual reality and I doubted that was healthy.

“Don’t worry.” Aydin lifted himself on one elbow to look down at me. “I’m in control. I’ve had centuries of experience with dreamscaping. You couldn’t be in safer hands.”

“Dreamscaping? Never heard of it.”

He smiled. “It’s like landscaping, only with dreams instead of land. I’ve become quite good at it, though this is the first time I’ve ever brought someone along.” He leaned down to kiss me, letting his lips linger on mine. “I’m happy to share it with you.”

If only I could relax and enjoy the experience. I wasn’t sure I could.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, you can wake up.” He lifted his hand as if to snap his fingers and I stopped him.

“No.” I curled my fingers around his. He felt so warm, his callused flesh so real. There were no blurred edges this time, no sense of the surreal like before. The sheets were silk, the pillow beneath my head filled with down, and the air freshened by rain. I even heard the twitter of birds outside the window.

“You called this home. Where are we?” I asked.

“My oldest and favorite dreamscape. I allow my mind to drift here after I fall asleep.” He tossed back the covers and stood naked from the bed. I marveled at his sculpted backside, the way his muscles rippled when he walked to the window. Sunlight streamed in when he pulled back the sheer drape and sprinkles of dust glittered against the glare.

Not surreal, but superreal. His human silhouette outlined against the spring meadow outside took my breath away. Though in reality we were sleeping, his mind wrapped around mine in a semiwakened state and I felt his sweetness seep into me like steam. Peering through his mind’s eye at his creation enhanced every emotion I felt. I loved him more at that moment than I ever had.

Not surprisingly, I was also naked when I joined him at the window, my feet sinking into the plush carpet and sending goose bumps up my legs. The colors around us were vivid and the scents sharp enough to tickle my sensitive nose.

He draped an arm over my shoulder, then turned me to face him so he could pull me close. The erotic touch of his skin against mine filled me with need. His hands trailed over my back and cupped my ass, pressing me even closer, and I felt his own need hot and hard against me.

Gently holding the back of my head with one hand, he explored my neck with his lips, his tongue sweeping down to the hollow of my neck. His head dropped lower and he captured a nipple in his mouth.

I gasped and moved my hips against his. He lifted one of my legs and wrapped it around him, then eased himself inside me to make us one. With amazing tenderness he leaned me against the wall beside the window, his kisses hot and urgent. We swayed together, our bodies so in tune that our pleasure mounted and peaked at the same time. Our minds were linked so we experienced each other’s feelings simultaneously. The intensity of it was almost too much.

My knees buckled and Aydin lifted me up and carried me to the bed. We lay snuggled close, our hearts pounding in perfect rhythm with each other.

Dream or no dream, I knew my breaths came hard and fast, even in sleep. I never realized making love could be so powerful without physical touch.

We lay quietly for a time, and I trailed a fingernail lazily up and down his arm, thrilling to his shivers.

We had a lot to talk about, but not much time since nightfall was closing in.

“Aydin?”

“Hmm?” He sounded as drowsy as I felt.

“The Vyantara know I’m here.”

“I know.”

How could he possibly know? He wasn’t anywhere near the old theater last night. “I don’t understand.”

“Chalice, I was there. Up on the balcony on the other side of the theater, but you were busy. I saw everything.”

I felt a twinge of anger. “You saw and you didn’t try to help me?”

“You were doing quite well on your own until Maria showed up.”

“Bitch,” I said under my breath. “She took Xenia.”

Aydin hugged me gently. “We’ll find Xenia.” He petted my hair and it immediately calmed me. “Two reasons why I didn’t jump into the middle of your chaos—I didn’t want the kid to see a gargoyle, and I didn’t want to distract Rafe from doing his job.”

He made good points. Rafe would have focused entirely on fighting Aydin, which wouldn’t have done us any good. Aydin was getting to know the angel as well as I did. “I worry about Rafe,” I told him.

“Me too,” Aydin said.

“He’s such a traditionalist, yet he’s losing himself in his desire to be human.”

“And part of that desire is to bed you.”

I abruptly sat up. “What?”

He tenderly pulled me down into his arms and pressed his lips against my ear. “Having a child with you is his only hope of becoming human.”

“That’s not what I want,” I said, feeling panicked.

“Shh.” Aydin planted a light kiss on my temple. “I know that.”

“I think of Rafe like an uncle, not a…” I couldn’t even say it.

“Let’s not worry about that now. I’m more concerned about your safety, and Rafe will do whatever he can to keep you out of harm’s way. I’m also concerned about Shojin’s heart.”

“If Xenia sold it to someone in the city, we’ll find it.”

“That’s the problem,” Aydin said, his voice deep with meaning. “It’s not in Denver.”

“How do you know?”

“Shojin and I had a connection. If his heart were here, I’d know.”

Of course he would know. But if not here, where could it be? My only guess was still with Xenia, and if she’s with Maria…

Aydin sighed. “It’s possible that it’s on the other side of the black veil.”

Our problems were mounting into a stack harder than hell to climb. But not impossible. I couldn’t let worries interfere with my plans.

“I noticed an addition to your abilities last night,” Aydin said. “I always knew you were hot, but wow.”

I nudged him with my elbow. “Very funny.”

“Isn’t that Rusty’s power?”

“It was.” I explained what had happened the day of the forest fire, after Aydin had helped me rescue the boy from the cellar. “I didn’t mean to take her power from her, and I especially didn’t mean to have it for myself.”

“This is the first I’ve heard of an object transferring power from one knight to another.” He looked pensive while staring off into the distance. “You say it was the Viking horn of breath?”

I nodded. “It saved Rusty’s life.”

“Where is it now?”

“I have it with me.”

“Maybe you should destroy it,” he told me. “If it has the power to steal a knight’s abilities, it’s a danger to the order.”

From a different perspective, fewer knights in the order meant fewer abilities at risk of being stolen. However, I’d rather not destroy the horn if I didn’t have to. What if it could give Rusty her ability back? If so, I needed to learn how.