Demon Lord 6: Garnet Tongue Goddess (15 page)

Izumi stood in the front drive, raising a wall of ice between the truck and the front lawn of the building. 

My dragon vision focused in on the main problem: Shiva had succeeded in taking the necklace off Holy.  But the ghost had changed bodies.  Shiva now wore the necklace—and had become a nagi with green tone skin.  Balanced on a slithering tail, she’d crashed through the school, emerging onto the dead brown lawn. 

And for some reason, a naked Holy rode the undulating nagi like a rodeo cowgirl.  She was almost thrown as Shiva skidded into a pause, staring at Crusher with the monster-sized tread marks across him.

Shiva’s gaze snapped up as the truck’s roar reached her.  The truck was her pride and joy, her baby.  And was being stolen.  I think that fact pierced her clouded mind, spurring her to urgent action.  She went after her truck, heading straight for Izumi and her ice wall.

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FIFTEEN

“Friendly fire isn’t.”

                                                  —
Caine Deathwalker

I wasn’t in a good glide-path for intercepting Shiva, but I wasn’t worried for Izumi.  She was a strong winter fey, with the same icy power as the Japanese snow-woman she pretended to be.

Izumi gestured.

I lost sight of the battle as I spiraled away, dropping faster, harder.  A wave of cold slammed across me as I landed with a huge jolt.  The lawn had become ice.  It cratered and webbed into shards as I crashed to one knee, my wings half-folding like a shield over me. I straightened and stood, trying to check out the battle, but both Izumi and my bodyguards were lost in a glittering mist from which oversized ice-swords bristled.

I listened to the sound of something hard thrashing about, exploding against the hidden ice.  Many of the swords fractured and hailed back into the mist. 

The ice-mist thinned as electrical bursts strobed from its core.  Holy was cutting loose with her storm magic. I hoped she wasn’t being too indiscriminate about where her attacks were hitting. 

Now, I felt concern for Izumi. 

There came a crash louder than the others.  Big hunks of ice flew in all directions.  Several feet of ice-wall—on both sides of the mists—fissured, then shattered with a sound like ice cubes rattling in a glass, but on a much larger scale.

Note to self: find my missing bottle of fey wine.  Getting thirsty.

The mist belled like an overinflated balloon and popped into nothing. There were half a dozen spots of dead grass that were burning.

I walked forward, drawing no attention, my
Demon Wings
tattoo still cloaking me from perception.  I found Shiva a statue incased in ice.  I didn’t think it would hold her long.

Holy was shimmering with lightning burning just below her skin.  A green light fanned out of her eyes.  Blue-white jags crawled over her knuckles as she pounded at Izumi.

A taunting smile answered back as Izumi’s ice-formed armor blunted the blows.  As damage accumulated and ice dribble to the ground, fresh ice filled the gaps in the armor, keeping Izumi safe. 

Why are they fighting each other?  Never mind.  The main thing is to get the necklace.

I passed the fighters and went straight to the ice entombing Shiva.  Several small cracks had wormed out from the core, seeking the surface.  Half snake, she was even taller, her necklace out of reach, so I jumped and punched with dragon strength. 

Cra-ckk!

A crater appeared in the ice over her torso.  With my hand deep inside the hole, fluttering wings kept me aloft long enough to grab the fang necklace and kick away.  With the necklace in my hand, I settled to the ground.  I put the necklace on.  I’d worn it through the night without becoming possessed.  It seemed to me that the ghost was deliberately choosing females to high-jack.

I stared at Shiva.  She possessed enough strength to shatter the ice prison.  The reason she hadn’t was a simple matter of leverage.  You need to be able to move to apply force, to build up kinetic energy.  She looked like a corpse in the ice, a corpse finding life as her lower length split into twin serpents that shrank and reformed into legs again.  This left enough open space around her lower body for a series of kicks, each stronger than the one before.  The ice shuddered.  The cracks turned into a complex webbing, whitening the ice.  It shattered. 

Holy screamed.  I turned her way.  The yellow-green ball of ghost light emerged from her.  It flew past me and circled the ice floe holding Shiva. 

Ghost must have jumped to Holy after Shiva got immobilized.  Without the necklace, the nagi could only do a simple possession. 

The green-yellow light zipped to the hole I’d made, looking for the necklace.

Too little, too late.

With my magic protection, the necklace and I were completely off her radar. 

Defeated, the baby ghost flew toward the haunted school.

I turned my attention back to Shiva—and back-fisted a chunk that flew at my face.  She gasped for air and fell heavily to the ground, groaning, shivering from the cold.  Her flesh lost its green cast.  Blue tinged lips shaped words.  “That … really … sucked.”

I dropped my
Demon Wings
spell.  “Izumi,” I called.  “Are you okay?” 

“Yes.” 

I turned to see her holding Holy, keeping the petite girl from falling.  The light-play under Holy’s skin was gone.  No crackling electricity danced on her knuckles.  No more light beamed from her eyes.  Her expression showed only confusion.  “What happened?  How did I get outside?  How did I get out here?”

It seemed we’d weathered the storm and a lull could be expected.  I hid the necklace in a coat pocket. Those around me suddenly stared my way.

“Caine!” Izumi said.  “What big wings you have.”

Pushing off of Izumi, Holly stood under her own power, her face turning bright pink with a flush.  “This isn’t what it looks like?”

I smiled like the bastard I am.  “And what
does
it look like?”

“She was just … I was…” Holly ran out of words.

Izumi glared at me.  “Don’t be cruel to the hired help.”

“Sorry,” I lied.  “I don’t know what came over me.  Holy?”

“Y-yes?”

“Not that I mind, but aren’t you a little cold without any clothes on?”

“Without…”  She looked down at herself.  Her blush deepened. She gave a little shriek and ran for the building.

Shiva fought to her feet.  She wobbled slightly.  “Why the hell do I feel so weak?” 

“You’re not a shifter with their tough metabolism, so a metamorphosis is going to take a lot out of you.”

She stared.  “Say what?”

Izumi pressed into my side, sliding her arm through mine, hanging on tight.  She smiled at Shiva.  “You were a snake, dear.  That’s why you’re naked.”

“I was a nagi?”  Shiva looked down at herself.  Her nudity didn’t seem to bother her any.  She looked as comfortable as a werewolf, or one of my were-kitties.  Then sudden alarm lifted her brows, widening her eyes.  “My truck!  Where’s my baby?”

My gaze slid over her, drinking in her well-defined muscles and sensual curves.  I noticed that she shaved a lot more than pits and legs.

Izumi glared at me.  “I know you’re going to look, but if I catch you touching—”

I looked at her, meeting her black-mirror stare.  “What?  Suddenly there’s a limit on my harem?  You know I have an obligation to hot women everywhere.  It’s a sacred duty.  Honest.”

“Your balls aren’t going to work too well encased in ice.”

“So you’re telling me not to get caught?”

“I’m telling you to respect my position as your queen.  Pretend faithfulness and keep the
courtesan
s
out of public view.”

“Courtesans?” Shiva said.

Izumi smiled sweetly at her.  “Another word for whore, or do you prefer slut?”

Shiva’s eyes narrowed.  “I prefer to beat the living crap outta you, bitch.”

“Bitch?” The air around Izumi dropped twenty degrees.  Her breath became a white fog.

“If the dog-collar fits,” Shiva said.

This was not going to end well.  Normally, I’d get popcorn and just watch the show, but not in a war zone.  I needed to break this up.  My gaze swept the highway.  I saw the truck was still there.  I used a claw-tip to point at it.  “Hey, isn’t that your truck over there?  I wonder who’s driving it.  Hey, is that a scratch on the fender?”

“Fuck!”  Shiva turned and hauled ass, running past the fountain, heading for her vehicle.

I began the slow task of reversing the changes in me, giving my inner dragon a kick in the ass.

On it,
he said. 
You’re only going to get my wings dirty anyway.

I ignored the comment, feeling a tingle in my palms and warmth sweeping through my back as magic did its thing.

“You didn’t have to protect me,” Izumi said.  “She’s big, but I can take her—again.”

“She was possessed.  You didn’t face her full awareness, or her demon magic.  And I’m not sleeping with her.  She’s one of my bodyguards.  The Old Man stuck me with her.  If you hurt her, you’ll weaken our side in the coming battle.  The naga will be back, so what’s needed here is professionalism.”

Izumi stared at me.  After a couple of moments of silence she said, “I’ll try to follow your example.”

I sighed.  “You say that like it’s a good thing.”

“What’s the naga want with this place and these people?” she asked.

“It’s about history and paternity.  He’s the baby ghost’s daddy.  Mom was a student here, long, long ago.”  I took out my phone, easier now with human hands, and pulled up the pictures I’d taken on the roof.  I handed her the phone. “I’ve got a job for you.  This is on the roof.  I need a rundown on the yantra and whatever god-realm it’s supposed to represent.”

She studied the pictures intently.  Her lips pursed with interest as her eyes narrowed.  “Interesting.”

There’s a control center upstairs with computers and a hot spot for Wi-Fi.  Hijack the place for as long as you need it.  Take Holy with you—once she’s dressed.  When you’re done researching, have her fry the equipment and confiscate all records of our visit.  Too many secrets are getting out, but that’s okay as long as nobody can prove anything. Who’s going to believe a TV executive anyway?”

She looked at me.  “But you’re still doing a mind-wipe and an evacuation of the humans, right?”

“That’s Deedee’s job.  She’s got the skills and fey connections for it.  I just have to throw some money her way.”

Izumi gave me a rather passionate kiss, leaving frost on my lips, and strolled off. 

By then, the truck was roaring closer, coming down the drive, circling the fountain with its haughty sphinx and pyramid centerpiece.  The monster truck parked beside my Mustang, and the passengers bailed out.  Shiva seemed to have found some sweats to put on in her truck.  They were gray with pink trim.  She was still barefoot though. 

Her booming voice gave Teresa grief about using the vehicle without permission. “You’re just lucky there isn’t a scratch on the fender—like someone told me.”  She beamed a hard glare my way, apparently forgetting who paid her salary. 

Impervious to her annoyance, I withstood the glower, answering with a smile.  “Really?  I must have been mistaken.” 

Malevolence pulled Thorn through the gap in the ice wall. The rocker girl bounced each step in her excitement, making it hard for the smaller fey girl to keep up.  “Let’s get a few shots for my blog.”

Kids… 

I cast Shiva a hard glance.
 
“Shiva, stay on Thorn and Malevolence.  The naga will be back, and we already know he has a liking for young girls.  By the way, good job keeping down the casualties earlier.” 

The compliment struck her dumb.  She took a few seconds to read my face. 

Why doesn’t anyone ever believe me when I express honest appreciation?  Nobody lies all the time.

She left Teresa, passing me, and muttered.  “Thanks, I guess.”  She went after Thorn and Malevolence.

I turned my attention to Teresa.  She was all smiles.  “Mutant transformations, ghosts, a hidden tomb, and a mysterious occult necklace.  My show is going to blow everyone away!”

“Yeah, about that, it’s gotten too dangerous around here for mere humans.  I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety.  Two people are dead?  The families will probably sue.”

Her smile was carved in stone.  “Let ‘em try.  I’ve got signed releases.  I’m bulletproof.”

“You could be next.  Everyone needs to clear out for a few days and give me a chance to stop the naga and the ghosts.  Then you can come back and wrap things up.  You’ve got enough bodies. Any more deaths, and the rest of your stars will run for their lives, contract or not.  I’m surprised they’re not packing up already.  Actually, they might be.”

“Well, a break might be a good idea.  I can soothe some feathers, and the problems will be gone by the time we come back.”

“Take everyone to the Hawthorn.  You’ll be safe there.”
The fey have ways of dealing with other preternaturals and the village is magically shielded.

She said, “You can handle this, right?”  The wings on my back sloughed off, flopping to the ground behind me.  She peered into my eyes as if searching for the secrets of the universe.  “Just what kind of a demon are you anyway?  An incubus?”

A demon that feeds on seduction and sex?

I smiled and lied.  “Sure.”

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