Lost Soul (DarkWorld: SkinWalker Book 2) (20 page)

I turned to nod at Saleem whose expression darkened. He wasn't even looking at me. His attention was focused on the lamia. Hoping he'd move on instinct with me, I rose to my knees, letting a poisoned demon arrow fly. It struck the lamia through his left ribcage and would have pierced his heart. Assuming he had one. I'd missed Demon Physiology 101, so I had no idea.

I felt Saleem move at the same time and heard his shot leave his weapon. The bullet struck Purple Horns in the back and he threw his arms forward as the momentum of the shot dropped him on his face. I glanced down to confirm—a pistol with a nice big silencer. I nodded at Saleem and slung my bow over my shoulder using the strap. I raced for Skates, who nodded in appreciation at the two dead demons at his feet. As I got there, he kicked at the lamia. Of course he didn't land the blow. His foot just went right through the demon's body but Skates seemed satisfied enough.

"Where can we leave them?" Saleem asked.

"The dumpster can finally serve its purpose. Even if it's only to get them out of sight for a few minutes." Skates jerked his head in the direction of the alley behind us. I grinned.

Quite appropriate. I hauled the lamia up and dragged him to the garbage bin. Skates followed close on our heels. Just before I tossed the lamia inside, I slipped a hand into his purple coat pocket and retrieved the blue stone. Never know when I might need that.

He made a loud thud when he landed, followed by a similar hollow sound as Saleem threw Purple Horns in.

I turned to Saleem. "Nice pistol."

"I told you I was well supplied in the weapons department."

"What kind of ammo?"

"High-level demon poison," he said nodding and winking as if he were a motorhead proudly referring to engine parts or something.

I just shook my head and grinned. They probably used the same people Gracie had used. No surprises there.

"Right. What now?" I faced Skates.

"I can still feel Lester. But now I'm worried. After what that lamia said, I'm a bit concerned about my status. I'd rather be dead than have Yanuk as my master." Skates shuddered.

When I raised an eyebrow, he snickered. "I mean dead-dead. Lester is a skate-in-the-park compared to some of the other second- and third-level creeps out there. Seriously, if they kill him, I'm dead meat. What you saw Lester do with the stone? That was nothing compared to the kind of torture some of these guys think up. I'd like my body parts to remain attached to my body thank you very much."

I shuddered at the thought. "I can't promise anything, but we'll try to not let that happen, okay?"

"There isn't anything you can do, really. If they kill him, I'll just disappear and reappear before my new master. I get my new orders and a little speech… yada yada… and then he'll torture me a little just so I know who is boss. You'd have to find him and kill him and that depends on how strong he is compared to Lester."

"Then, let's get moving. The less time we spend talking, the quicker we can track Lester down and free you," I said firmly.

Skates nodded and rose as I stashed my bow and Saleem did the same. A flash of something flew across his face. Worry? Fear? I wasn't sure. "What's the matter?" I hung back a bit to ask him.

"Nothing, really. I just hope we can trust this kid."

"He's our only lead," I said, frowning. I was beginning to feel a little too protective of our ghost guide. "And it's not that I'm not wary of him too. We can't let our guards down for a single second."

"Yes, but it would've been good to get the stone just in case." He paused to look at me. "The one the lamia wanted to use on the boy. You go on ahead. I'll go back for it and catch up with you."

I wasn't sure why, but I hesitated to tell him I had the stone. Then, in a split second, decided not to say anything. "No. We can't afford to lose you. We can check the dumpster on our way back. It's too late now."

"But—"

"Saleem, leave it for now. We can't delay any further. What if we lose the boy? What if I need you to cover my back?"

He relented but doubt still darkened his face. "Fine. I'll check the dumpster on the way back."

***

Skates had gone on ahead, then paused to wait for us to catch up. "What's wrong?" He also looked worried.

"Nothing. We were just comparing ammo stock," I said, not looking at Saleem for corroboration.

Skates nodded. "We're not far away. It's a warehouse a couple of blocks away."

I still felt a little disoriented to see buildings on the wrong side of the streets. But I was getting used to it. The ghost boy led us past Brand's warehouse and I shivered as I walked by the building. Memories of how close I'd been to death had haunted me since Logan had saved my ass from being Brand's dinner.

I had unfinished business with Brand.

We checked the crossroads, not a sign of life or movement on any of the streets. Something twisted in my gut. This was too easy. "Be alert, guys. This is too easy. Why are there no guards?"

"There will be. They're just hiding, waiting for the right moment to pounce." Skates' voice was ominous and I hoped not self-prophesying.

The blackened panes of the glass fronting warehouse stared gloomily at us as we approached. A million black eyes glaring at us for encroaching on their territory. A metal door barred our way and we headed around the block to the alley at the back. Another metal door stopped our entry, barred tightly without even a handle to force the door open.

I stared up at the fire escape and the face of the building. All the downpipes and ducting would serve as footholds if I need to scale the building. It wouldn't be hard if I shifted into panther form a little.

At this point I just allowed my panther hearing and vision through a little bit. Heat singed my ears and eyes as the tops of my earlobes extended and the shape of my eyes elongated. Hollow sounds around me became clearer. I placed my ear near the metal door and listened.

At first I heard nothing, no movement no sign of life. And then footsteps pattered toward the door. The footsteps came down the stairs then turned and headed into the back of the building. A voice sounded in the distance. A male from the depth of the timbre.

"Two people are in there now. One guy definitely," I whispered to the others.

I listened again. Another voice filtered through to me, still clear despite the metal in the way. "What do you want to do with him?"

"Who? Lester?" the gravelly voice asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Well, Lester has served his purpose. We can dispense with his services soon." He paused, more footsteps. "Where is he?"

"First floor. First room on the left. He's ready for you."

"I don't think he has any idea what he is in for." He chuckled and the second demon gave a strangled laugh. "I will attend to Lester when I am ready. I do appreciate the idea of him waiting for me, terrified as he looks down the barrel of his future. Has anyone told him what's in store for him?"

"No, sir. Except for when we picked him up, we haven't spoken to him directly at all."

"Good. Keep it that way." The gravelly voiced demon cleared his throat. "Now, leave me."

The second demon scurried away farther into the depths of the ground floor and the room fell to silence.

I turned to the djinn and the ghost. "We need to get inside. Lester is being held upstairs, And I think his days are numbered. No scratch that. His hours are numbered. Seems he is of no use to them any longer."

"Why don't I check how many people there are around?" offered Skates.

"Won't that be dangerous for you?" I asked.

Skates just shook his head. Then he said, "Not when I go invisible." He flashed out of sight.

I snorted. "Okay. Do your thing."

I couldn't tell where he'd gone, so neither Saleem nor I spoke while Skates was off doing recon.

The ghost boy returned a few minutes later, semi-transparent now. "Done one round of the building. We got two demons on the ground floor, opposite end. There's Yanuk also on the ground floor. Lester and one guard on the first floor. They've got Lester all tied up with no place to go. Not going to be easy to get him out."

"Is the girl around?" I asked.

"No. No sign of her, which isn't unusual. She likes to do her own thing. She's probably gathering her own set of demons and sending them off to do her dirty work."

"What do you mean?" He didn't seem to be describing Greer.

"That white-haired chick. The one you're looking for. She's into the whole demon-control shit. A lot of them answer to her especially since she acts like Yanuk's right hand almost. You heard those demons. Many people here wonder who is really in charge these days."

I shivered. The thought of Greer becoming the overlord of the Greylands didn't sit well with me. What if she liked the power too much and didn't want to return with us?

"Right, so we need to put Greer on the back burner for now. First, we have to free Lester and squeeze him for info. Then we can figure out what to do about Yanuk and Greer." Saleem nodded.

Skates nodded too, then his eyes widened as he stared at the alley behind us. Scuffed footsteps announced we had company at the entrance of the alley. Four demons sauntered toward us, all painfully brightly clothed, and they moved toward us with a confidence I didn't like
.

"Go invisible. They wouldn't have seen you from that distance." Before I'd finished the sentence, he was gone.

"I'll hang around."

"You do that," I said as I dragged my crossbow from the backpack and threw the strap over my shoulder. I let off an arrow and one demon fell to the ground, unmoving, his orange sunglasses cracking into pieces on the concrete
.

I sent another arrow flying but they were too close. I let the crossbow fall to my back and grabbed a scimitar and Tara's special sword. Both blades sang as they left the scabbards on my back and I danced on the balls of my feet.

Let them come to us.

Saleem had the same idea, holding a sword and a pistol out in front of him. The three remaining demons drew their own weapons and laughed incongruously as if the sight of their weapons would still our blood. When they received no reaction, they looked at each other and then came flying at us.

Saleem took the one on the extreme left down, but from the scuffling, the pink-jacketed demon was far from out. The one nearest me grinned, his yellowed, chipped teeth gleaming in the grey light. He slashed with his jagged-edged sword and I spun out of the way, coming back round with a blow to his shoulder with the poisoned blade. He leaked green goo and yelled as he grabbed his arm.

The third demon was close on his tail, and I swiped at him with my scimitar, happy to try to add to the horrible scar that patterned his cheek. He dodged then returned with a blow to my arm. The armband sang, taking the brunt
of the blow and leaving my wounded hand burning with pain. I tried to block out the pain, and sliced the scimitar at the demon's hand as he retracted it. Scarface moved much slower than he realized.

I sliced his forearm open.

He stared at it and didn't make a sound. He slashed at me again with his gory-looking sword that looked like a cross between a spear and an antler.

Just then, movement distracted me from the ground behind Scarface. Sunglasses' corpse began to deflate with a hiss, green goo bubbling up from the empty sack of what used to be alive
.

So that's what Skates meant when he said the dumpster won't be needed for too long. Gross.

Scarface and Yellow Teeth stared at him in horror. It took mere moments for them to process the reality of their dead friend, and they turned and ran at us, fury spurring them on.

Yellow Teeth closed on me, a short dagger in his hand. He held his injured, poisoned hand loosely at his side. Sweat beaded his forehead and his pupils were dilated.

Good, the poison was working.

I jumped and gave him a full kick in the ribs that sent him backpedaling until he hit the opposite wall of the alley. He slid to the ground in a cloud of grey dust and sat there, looking at me, a hurt expression on his face.

What did these demons think they were? Invincible?

A spike of pain went up my ribs and I glanced down to see Scarface had taken advantage of my lack of attention, plunging a dagger deep into my side.

Stupid thing to do, Kai. Real stupid.

I tugged the dagger out and flung it away. It went skittering across the ground where it stopped near a manhole cover.

Blood gushed at the mouth of the wound and I pressed at it with the heel of my hand as I circled Scarface. Scuffling sounds confirmed Saleem was having a tough time with Pink Jacket.

I tried to put the pain out of my mind and concentrate on the him. Another lamia. He grinned, clearly triumphant at the damage he'd done. He licked his lips. "Ooh, I'm going to enjoy drinking all that delicious blood, little girl."

"You can certainly try." I smiled at him.

He blinked then recovered. "Oh, you can bet I will. I can smell it, so strong, so potent, and so delicious."