Exalted (15 page)

“Jeans are from the lost and found, but they looked your
size-ish. Long-sleeved t-shirt because it's a small, and I really don't think I
can get into one of those.” She pulled on her own t-shirt, which must have been
a medium.

“Thank you. As you can see, I'm posing as a ghost.”

“Lovergirl,” Meredith teased. Then her face grew serious as
she got a read on Julia's feelings.

Julia peeked past Mer, at the bunks where covers were
rumpled and bodies were curled up. “Have you guys seen Cayne?”

Mer shook her head, and Julia’s heart sank.

“Is something wrong? I can tell you're worried.”

“Nothing other than Cayne probably went to get me some
funky breakfast.”

“Are you sure? You want me to do anything?” Meredith's deep
brown eyes were wide, and Julia knew she wasn't making a convincing show of her
lie.

“I'll look around first.” She shrugged. “I think I’m gonna
get a shower, and then if I still can't find him...” She shrugged. “I'm sure I
will.”

Meredith nodded, and as Julia turned to go, she reached
out, fingers brushing Julia's wrist. “Hey,” she said softly. “I'm so glad
you're okay.”

Meredith threw her arms around Julia, and Julia squeezed
her back as Mer spoke into her hair.

“I don't know if I've ever said it directly but...I wanted
you to know I'm really sorry. For what happened with Nathan, at the resort. I
feel so...responsible for your going to the pyramid. I'll never forgive myself
if something happens to you.”

Julia pulled back. “Mer, it's okay.” She looked into her
friend's eyes as she said it, and she hoped Meredith could feel the truth in
it. “You didn't do anything wrong. No one is to blame except the people who
really are. Okay?”

Meredith nodded, wide-eyed and sad, and Julia hugged her
bestie one more time, just to seal the deal.

 
She felt guilty for
the relief she experienced as Meredith went back into her room and she was left
alone to worry where Cayne was. It wasn’t until she got back to her room that
she realized what, other than Cayne’s presence, had changed.

Before she’d fallen asleep, rich sunlight had been
streaming across the cot. Because the curtain was pushed back. Now it was
closed. On the windowsill, folded neatly, was a note.

Julia,

Please don’t be angry. You know I have
to do it.

 
Wait here for me, I'm begging you.
 
No one will look for you here. As long as you
stay, I can do what I have to do without worrying.

I promise to do everything my power to
come back to you.

Take care, my heart. Please don’t
follow me. If nothing else, you can give me that peace.

Love always,

Cayne

Julia turned to face the doorway, where Meredith was
waiting with a shocked look on her face.

She probably sensed it from Julia, but Julia said the words
anyway—maybe because she needed to, to make them real. “He’s gone.” She curled
numb fingers around the note. “He went to take on Methuselah.” Cold fear shoved
its way into her heart, followed by a sense of fanatical urgency. “Meredith, we
have to go
now
.”

                                                                       
***

Cayne’s bare feet touched down on sandy ground, several
dozen yards from a pyramid that flickered in and out of sight like a hologram.
When it was visible, it glowed faintly, standing out against a black sky
sprinkled with stars.

Cayne tucked his aching wings and sighed as the ragged
feathers disappeared, taking some of the soreness with them. Despite The
Adversary’s power, flying was still the best way to get around. He could go
faster now—he’d made the trip in just a handful of hours—but it hurt.

He circled the pyramid a few times, looking for entry,
before deciding he would simply make his own entry, similar to the way he'd
made his own exit from Hell. But where would be the best spot for blasting
through the massive, rectangular stones?

He watched for nearly an hour before he was able to glean
an idea of the pyramid's layout. There was a hanger on one side, hidden by
whatever power camouflaged the pyramid. He happened to be looking in the right
direction when a garage-like door opened and two large vehicles—he thought they
were called Humvees—drove out.

He picked a spot on the body of the pyramid and flexed his
fingers, letting loose the grip he'd been holding on The Adversary's power. It
bubbled to the surface—literally, it felt like the blood in his veins was
bubbling. He could blast his way into the Chosen base and take out everyone in
there—but he only needed to take out one.

He grinned, letting loose the grip on his anger, too; the
rage that had always fueled his violence, put in him when he was just a boy.

As hellfire began to pour from his fingertips, he heard a
whistle to his left. Cayne ducked, heart pounding, and scanned the perimeter.
It only took a second to find the sliver of light spilling onto the dark sand,
two dozen or so feet away from him. There was a black form at its center,
waving.

Cayne strode over slowly, surprised to see Edan standing in
a doorway which hadn't been there at all a few moments before. The Demon wore
dark jeans and a tight t-shirt; his deep blond hair hung over his gray eyes,
which were, as usual, unreadable.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Cayne lifted a brow, trying to
ignore the sick feeling in his gut.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Edan said, equally sarcastic.

He stepped inside, motioning Cayne to follow. Cayne stood
just outside the door. “What are you doing here?”

“Helping a friend.”

Cayne considered throttling the bastard. Just punching
right through his pretty nose and driving his fist through the back of Edan's
skull. With The Adversary’s power roaring inside of him, he could literally
knock Edan’s head off.

He swallowed the urge. For Julia. “We’re not friends.”

Edan looked hurt. “You know I don’t have free will, right?
Your father stole that a long time ago.”

“You know I don’t care, right?” Cayne glanced down the
hallway behind Edan; it was small, square, and made of dark, packed mud bricks.
He knew it from visions of Julia in this place.

After only a second of deliberation, Cayne's fury got the
better of him. He stepped through the door, snatched Edan by the throat, and
pushed him into the wall. Dirt fell on the Demon’s face, making him squint. Cayne
squeezed harder. “I saw what you did to her.”

“I-I was forced...” Edan sputtered, trying and failing to
pry Cayne’s fingers away.

“And were you forced to bring her to Hell? Were you forced
to open this door for me?”

“N-No. I...can—”

“If you have no free will, The Adversary is pulling the
strings.”

“It’s not—”

“Where is Julia now? Tell me! Is she here? I swear to you—”

“NO!” Edan gasped, and Cayne realized he was choking the
Demon to…whatever happened to Demons. Oblivion? Non-existence? He loosened his
grip, and Edan slid to the floor. He rubbed his throat, eying Cayne warily. “As
far as I know, Julia’s wherever you left her. And just because my will isn’t
free doesn’t mean I can’t act with some autonomy. I just have to stretch my
interpretation of my master’s plan.”

“How did you know I was here?”

Edan shrugged, looking rueful. “Mr. A's pretty pissed off
about you getting out. He didn't expect you'd be able to manipulate Hell. He’s
on his way here now, to stop you.”

Cayne felt light with relief; he wasn't worried about The
Adversary. Clearly he was incompetent. He hadn't known Cayne would be able to
use the power he'd seen Cayne use? Ridiculous.

“Where is Methuselah?”

“I’ll show you,” Edan said. “If you're sure you want to
walk into this.”

Cayne stared into the Demon's eyes, certain there were
cracks in his story, but not sure where they were. “Free will’s not what it’s
cracked up to be,” he muttered.

Edan nodded. “Let’s start this party. And Cayne?”

“What?”

“Lock
and load.”

Cayne
frowned, and Edan groaned. “You really don’t know that one?”

He shook his head, trying to ignore the itchy feeling he
was being led into a trap.

Chapter Twenty
-Two

     
Julia was in the Glasgow
airport, arguing with an airline employee while Carlin yelled in Spanish into a
cell phone she’d bought in one of the stores. They were both trying to get
tickets on a flight that departed for Egypt
right
now
.

Drew stood sentry beside Julia, stonily daring the
attendant not to do what she was asking; Meredith’s hand touched down on Julia’s
elbow, and Julia's temper was so piqued, she had to struggle not to throw it
off.

“Can you fly us somewhere closer? What’s halfway?”

“There’s a flight to Athens in forty-five minutes…but it’s
already begun boarding. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t care if I have to run! What gate?”

“Ma'am, you won’t be able to get on.”

“We’ll pay however much it costs. Just get us on the
plane.”

“You’re not understanding me, ma'am. It’s not an option.
The best choice is the flight leaving Glasgow International Airport for Cairo.
It boards in less than three hours, and there are still seats available. There
is no sooner flight, you see?” The blonde woman turned her laptop around toward
Julia, and Julia put her hand over her face.

“We’ll take it,” she said. “First-class, please.”

The woman glanced at them, her eyes widening a little as
Carlin shoved a credit card her way.

Struggling not to break down, Julia took a few steps into
the crowd. Her eyes tried to make every tall, built guy into Cayne, so she
looked down at her feet, which were clad, for the second time since before she
lost Harry and Suzanne, in
not
pink
All-Stars. Methuselah had her All-Stars, and her boyfriend.

A ball of tears built in the back of her throat, but Julia
swallowed it. She couldn’t afford to break down now.

Suddenly a hard hand grasped her elbow, half spinning her,
and Julia found herself face-to-face with an open-mouthed Drew.

“We need to go,” he breathed.

“Huh?”

“We need to go to baggage claims. Edan is waiting for us
there.”

“You had a vision?” Carlin exclaimed; the airline
attendant's eyebrows rose, but Julia didn't even care.

Drew nodded, looking grim. Meredith's dark eyes were wide
and concerned, and Julia realized her grim-faced friends were thinking the same
thing she was: trap. If Edan was here, it wasn't a good thing. Edan was
never
a good thing. Trouble was, Julia had to see him. He could fast-track their trip
to Egypt. She knew he could.

They found him leaning against the last baggage belt,
wearing the black jeans and t-shirt he'd had on back in Hell, and a look that
was caught somewhere between tired and bored.

Last time Julia had seen him, he'd been leading her through
Hell, and before that, springing her from Methuselah's lair. She still felt
skeptical about why he'd done either of those things, in particular, springing
her from the pyramid. If he worked for The Adversary, and The Adversary was on
Methuselah's side in the whole Julia-Cayne-Destruction of the Net plan, why
would he have helped her get away from Methuselah? If Methuselah had been able
to make Edan whip her, why had Edan later been able to defy Methuselah and help
her escape?

It just didn't make sense, and Julia didn't like things
that didn't make sense.

She tried to tell herself to calm down, but as his eyes
moved over each one of them, she couldn't help remembering them another way:
vacant, dazed. She remembered his body, bathed in blood. His hand, clutching a
whip.

Without warning her knees went weak, and Meredith caught
her just in time. Julia was still a little surprised when Nathan grabbed her
other arm. He and Meredith held her as she sagged, breathing fast, a slave to
her nightmarish memory.

 
“What's wrong?”
Carlin asked.

Julia forced her legs to hold her weight and wriggled free
of everyone. “Is it okay if I talk to Edan for a second? By myself?”

“No way!” Carlin exclaimed.

“I wouldn't do that,” Nathan said, and Drew shook his head.
“We can't trust him.”

Julia held the first gaze she found: Carlin's.

“I have to,” she said desperately.

Meredith, beside her, slowly said, “She really does.”

Julia didn't wait to hear how it shook out. She walked over
to Edan, feeling like she was going to puke. Her arm felt heavy as she reached
for his. She turned him away from the others and looked into his eyes. His
looked dark and miserable.

“What are you doing here? I want to know what's really
going on, Edan.”

“I've come to take you to the pyramid.”

She nodded. “Okay, but why?”

“The Adversary wants it.”

Julia’s voice sounded small as she asked, “Am I going to
get hurt?”

He shrugged, poker-faced. “I honestly don't know.”

She made herself stare into his eyes. “You hurt me,"
she whispered. "You...whipped me. Because Methuselah made you?"

Edan's eyes shut. He opened them, and he shook his head. “I
didn’t have a choice, like I told you. The Adversary had given me over to
Methuselah. It was punishment, for not bringing Cayne to him when Cayne reached
Celestial maturity, back in Scotland.”