Shadow Fall (35 page)

The statue looked as if someone had caught the Devourer in suspended animation, eyes glinting citrine yellow, jaws open in preparation to rend, to tear, to destroy. “Thank the gods it’s only a statue.”

“It is, but it isn’t,” Kira said, her breathing harder than necessary. Sweat beaded her brow, and fresh blood seeped from beneath the bandage. “There’s some sort of spirit trapped inside it. To get to it, I’ll have to breach the Shadow magic. Then I need to say a spell to break the spell on the heart scarabs.”

He turned his head, trying to see her expression. Not that he needed to. He’d seen her eyes, noticed the change in color. She may have faced—and defeated—the Lady of Shadows and the Lord of Chaos, but the confrontation had left her with more Shadow than she’d started with.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked, his voice low. “Haven’t you taken on enough already?”

“Who else is gonna do it?” she asked, her words slurring.

He swallowed a growl of frustration. Kira needed to be in a hospital, not facing another danger. “We could call Yessara. Doesn’t she do that siphoning thing?”

“Emotions. She works with negative emotions.” Kira rested heavily against him. “Not the same thing. Not enough time. They set it up for me to do. I have to be the one.”

She was right, he knew. It didn’t mean he had to like it. “All right. What do you need me to do?”

She quirked a smile. “Hold me up.”

“Of course. Everybody, give her some space.”

The banaranjans backed up with humans ranged behind them, leaving Kira and Khefar in front of the statue. Kira lifted the khopesh in her right hand.
Why isn’t she using her Lightblade?

The Dagger of Kheferatum thrummed at his hip; Kira must have called her power. Yes. Her eyes fairly glowed a brilliant new-spring green. Khefar was suddenly glad the banaranjans were between them and the human squad. He was certain Kira wouldn’t want news of her new eye color to get back to Sanchez.

Gritting her teeth, Kira thrust the hooked blade of the khopesh into the statue’s mouth. Even with his insensitivity to magic, he could make out the flare of power that surrounded her, the golden nimbus that surrounded the Ammit statue.

Kira groaned, clenching her teeth before speaking. “My heart … my heart. May my heart be with me, and may it rest in me. May my mouth be given unto me that I may speak with it, and my two feet to it walk withal, and my two hands and arms to overthrow my foe.”

She sagged, the khopesh dropping slightly as her power faded. “I can’t … it’s too much.”

“Yes you can.”

“Can’t you help her?” Bale asked angrily. “You took out that damned snake with no problem!”

“No.” Khefar grit his teeth. He’d cracked a couple of ribs taking out that damned snake. Like hell it was no problem. “It’s keyed to her magic. She’s the only one who can do it.”

He kept his left arm around her waist and reached up with his right hand to steady her grip. “You can do this, Kira. You have the power and the will.”

“Lady of Justice, be with me,” she whispered. “Mother of All, give me strength.”

He repeated the prayer with her, helping her shove the hooked blade all the way through the statue’s yawning maw. Together they faced the swirling golden light, the darkness of the disorder that was Chaos that emanated from the Ammit construct. “Turn thou back, O messenger of all the gods. Is it that thou art come to carry away this my heart which liveth? My heart which liveth shall not be given unto thee. I advance, the gods give ear unto my supplications, and they fall down upon their faces wheresoever they be.”

Summoning the last vestiges of her strength, she thrust down with the khopesh, glowing emerald green with the combined power. The magic surrounding the statue combusted, blowing them back a foot or two. Kira staggered but he managed to steady her. The khopesh clattered to the floor. “The spirit’s been sent back to Shadow,” she said, the words dragging out of her. “Now I need to purify the gemstones if I can. Help me get closer to the scarabs, please.”

He shuffled her forward. She thrust her hands into the oversized bowl that was closer to being a barrel. A low moan slipped from her. “Heart … must be able to go out …”

“Control, are there any rituals or spells referring to the heart?” he demanded.

“I’m sorry, sir, but most of the spells in the book mention the heart in some way,” the analyst said in his ear. “There are hundreds.”

“I know,” Kira said, her voice thready. “Know the words. Give me a moment to catch my breath.”

There wasn’t a lot of time, Khefar knew. He had to get Kira to safety, to someone who could quickly patch her up. “Kira, say the damn spell and save your heart!”

Once again she called her power, channeling it into the collection of carved scarabs. “I—I know my heart. I have gotten the mastery over my heart. I have gotten the mastery over my two hands and arms. I have gotten the mastery over my feet, and I have gained the power to do whatsoever my
ka
pleaseth.”

Khefar’s heart ached as he watched Kira sway with the effort to remain strong, to focus her magic and her will to finish speaking the ritual words that would break the Shadow spell and free the souls held hostage.

Bleeding, shivering, power tripping through her and around her, she threw her head back, power flowing out of her and into the trove of gemstone scarabs. Her voice deepened, coming from a place deep inside of her. “My soul shall not be shut off from my body at the gates of the underworld; but I shall enter in peace, and I shall come forth in peace.”

A howl of denial, rage at being denied, blew through the air with a sonic boom, causing everyone to duck and seek out an imminent threat. Kira turned to face Khefar, a crooked smile on her face.
“I have thwarted the chance of Set, the mighty one of strength.”

She lifted her head. “Do you hear that, Grandpa? Today’s not your day. Tomorrow won’t be either!”

She fell back into his arms. “Need your help,” she murmured. “But I think I … I think I need to close my eyes for a little bit first.”

“Kira? Kira!”

He scooped her up into his arms. “Someone make me a door. Now.”

The group quickly made their way back to the loading dock. Sanchez and the support teams were already there, ready to handle the rest of the wounded. The Special Response Teams had only lost one member. Bale and his banaranjans appeared to have come through their conflict without a scratch.

An EMT rushed over to Khefar with a gurney and a blanket. “We can take the Shadowchaser, sir,” he said.

Khefar tightened his grip on Kira. “Like hell you will.”

The technician froze, surprised. “Sir. We were told that the Chaser was seriously injured. That she lost a lot of blood.”

“She did. She was pierced below her collarbone by a
was
scepter.”

“A what?”

Khefar shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. You’re not touching her.”

“But—”

“But nothing.” He wasn’t letting Kira go. He certainly wasn’t going to turn her over to Gilead medics. Let them think he was irrational—he didn’t really give a damn. Despite his inclination, something told him that Kira wouldn’t want to go to Gilead for treatment, no matter how busted up she was.

“I need you to step the hell back. I don’t care that you’re wearing gloves and a mask and a jacket. I don’t know where that gurney or that blanket have been or what’s still attached to it. Kira has been put through a metaphysical wringer. She’s not going to be able to control her extrasense right now, so I really don’t need you poking and prodding at her.”

“Sir, we take every precaution. Our equipment is sterilized—”

“Surely you’ve been given instruction on how to deal with the Shadowchaser in emergency medical situations?”

The young man flushed. “Yes, sir, but she’s hurt—”

“But nothing. Those protocols are in place for a reason.”

“Sir. She needs medical attention.”

Bale and the other banaranjans joined them, flanking Khefar. “So will you if you don’t back the hell up,” Bale said, his smile less than human.

“Medic, stand down.” Sanchez’s voice cut through the EMT’s response. She walked up to him as if she weren’t surrounded by emergency crews. “Khefar, a moment, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The medic backed away.

The section chief turned back to Khefar. “You do realize that she has a hole in her shoulder, yes?”

“You do realize that asking stupid questions is delaying me from giving her the medical attention she needs?”

Sanchez pursed her lips, not even looking at the banaranjans ranged around them. “She’s a member of Gilead. We take care of our own.”

Kira stirred, blinked her eyes open. “The injured woman wants to go home. Now.”

Khefar smiled. “Of course.” He turned to Sanchez. “You heard her. She wants to go home.”

“Fine. But my report will clearly state that I disagreed.”

“Thanks, Section Chief.” Kira subsided again.

Sanchez put her hands on her hips. “Kira Solomon, thanking me? Now I know she isn’t all right.”

“Just glad to be alive.”

“No doubt. I don’t know anyone else brave enough—or insane enough—to face down an Egyptian demon and a god of Chaos by herself.”

Kira hunched her shoulders, wincing with pain. “They separated us. I didn’t have much of a choice. I wanted to be sure your team would be safe.”

“If that’s the reason you want to give, fine. Your bravery, foolish though it may have been, saved a lot of lives tonight. Well done.”

“I … appreciate the vote of confidence, Chief,” Kira said, her voice muffled against Khefar’s coat. “I know I haven’t been the easiest person to work with since I came to your city. I’m glad we were able to work together today.”

“I guess it is the season of miracles,” Sanchez said. “I’ve received word from the hospital. The recent coma patients have begun to wake up.”

Kira stirred in Khefar’s arms. “What about Wynne? Did she wake up too?”

Sanchez nodded. “I heard from Marlowe myself. They’re going to keep her and the others in observation for at least another twenty-four hours.”

“Good.”

Sanchez stared at Kira for a long, silent moment. Finally she looked at the Nubian. “Take her home and put her to bed,” the section chief ordered. “And make sure she stays there. I expect to be notified of her condition.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kira groaned as soon as Sanchez got out of earshot. “I hurt like hell,” she moaned. “We need to get Zoo and Wynne—”

“Kira.” His heart squeezed. “They’re kinda busy right now.”

“Oh.” She closed her eyes, her mouth opening in a silent grunt of pain. “I’m having some trouble right now.”

“Nubian.”

Khefar turned carefully as Bale approached. “Yessara might be of use to Kira. She can meet us at Kira’s place.”

Khefar looked down at Kira. She’d passed out again. “Kira’s place. She’s going to hate that.”

Bale smiled. “Probably. But she can reset the wards once she’s well.”

“True. I’m going to take her home. Can you bring Yessara immediately?”

Bale inclined his head. “Of course. It’s the least we can do, since she’s restored our people to us.”

He turned, paused, turned back. “You both are capable fighters. Even the Gilead humans were impressive in their courage. The banaranjans were honored to fight alongside you.”

High praise coming from some of the fiercest fighters on the planet. “Today was a good day.”

“We accomplish much when we work together,” Bale said. “Kira understands that, if her superiors do not. We must make sure she survives, so that we all can.”

K
ira swam up through the quicksand of unconsciousness slowly. She was alive and grateful for it, and wanted to linger in the sensations of being connected and present again.

Khefar filled her vision as she opened her eyes. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself.” He smiled down at her, sitting close beside her on the bed. “Want the highlights?”

“Sure.” She sat up carefully, surprised that there was only a small twinge of ache beneath her collarbone. “How did I heal so fast? Or has it been a while?”

“It’s only been two days. You’re at home and it’s about three in the afternoon. Bale called Yessara, who came over and healed you. Said it took her longer than it normally would, because your body has undergone some … changes.”

Changes. She could guess at what those changes were. “Did we lose anyone?”

“The guard who got covered by the beetles, he’s gone. We had several injuries, but the rest are expected to be all right in the next couple of days.”

She nodded. One loss was a loss too many, but it was a reality of the job. “The people in comas?”

“All of them, human and hybrid, have recovered.” He hesitated. “Wynne’s called a couple of times.”

Her fingers curled around the blanket. “I don’t want to talk to her.”

He nodded. “Okay. As long as you realize she probably won’t give up for a while.”

“She’ll give up eventually.” Bitterness clogged her throat. “I’m sure Zoo will make sure of that.”

He cleared his throat. “There’s a message on your phone from Lysander. He said that Balm is able to talk to you now. Or dreamwalk, if you prefer.”

“Hmm.” Balm able to talk. She could interpret that a bunch of different ways. There were things she wanted to say to her foster mother. Her co-mother? All Kira knew of her birth mother was what she’d gleaned from the locket. Balm had raised her, prepared her for life. Balm was Kira’s mother in the ways that counted.

“Khefar.”

“Yeah?” He reached out, clasped her hands in his own, his thumbs lightly rubbing across the backs of her hands.

“Thank you for not dying. Thank you for being here now.”

He thumbs stopped the gentle caress. “I had the SRT and a pair of banaranjans helping me. You faced Set, Marit, and the Lady of Shadows on your own. I should be the one thanking you for not dying.”

“It was close.” It was still close. She could feel it, hovering at the edge of her senses. The burden of the choice that she’d made pressed down on her. If she had died, she would have had to stand before Ma’at again, stand in the true Hall of Judgment again. Or maybe the Shadow inside her would preclude her from that.