Shadow Rising (40 page)

Behind me, Charlotine screamed and I turned to see her vibrating, holding on to the massive stones as they began to quake.

“Get out of there!”

“I can’t! If I do, I’ll break the spell and it won’t work.” She held on, her face a mask of pain and fear as cracks began to appear through the stonework, racing up the monolithic structure like veins popping out on skin.

I glanced at the others—they were being inundated by the demons. Where all the demons were coming from, I couldn’t tell, but the degas were swarming them and the swirl of energy around Shade snapped and crackled, as if he were a bug zapper killing mosquitoes.

A great creaking began to reverberate through the chamber, and I turned back. The monolith was breaking up; the runes were flickering and going out as the stonework crumbled into massive boulders, tumbling down around Charlotine.

“No!
Charlotine!
” I tried to dart forward, but the rumble of the rock slide drove me back.

“Get out of here! Go!” She shook her head at me, holding on, her magic disrupting the Demon Gate, turning it into an avalanche of stone and dust.

At that moment, a sound from the front of the cave made
us all turn. Gulakah was entering the cave—the spell had dissipated. He jerked his head to stare at Charlotine and the breaking Demon Gate, and with a roar, he charged toward her. I started to throw myself in front of him, but suddenly Smoky was there, pulling me aside, Vanzir beside him.

Gulakah reached Charlotine and I screamed again, trying to break free from Smoky’s grasp.

“You can’t stop him—he’ll kill you if you do.” Smoky held me fast, his voice both terrible and terrified. “We can’t help her.”

“Go, please, don’t make my sacrifice for nothing!” Charlotine’s scream echoed through the chamber, caught in the fury of the tumbling stones as the Demon Gate crashed around her. Gulakah stopped, unable to reach her because of the rock slide, but he stared at her and his eyes began to glow, and there was a horrific blast of energy as the entire gate went up in flames, taking Charlotine with it.

Smoky grabbed Vanzir with his other arm, and the next thing I knew, we were in the Ionyc Seas, the ripple of energy sending me into a tailspin. It wasn’t the same as going through a portal, and it affected me in different ways because I was a vampire. The mist rippled around us, and I could say nothing, do nothing, save for press against Smoky and Vanzir as the dragon protected us from the mist-shrouded currents of energy.

I closed my eyes, pressing against his chest, unable to shut out Charlotine’s screams echoing in my ears.

After an indeterminable amount of time, although it took only moments in the physical world, we stepped off the Seas into the house. As Smoky let go of us, I saw that Shade was already there.

Shell-shocked, I dropped into the nearest chair. I stared up at them, unable to say a word. Camille knelt beside me, taking my hands. Delilah, Rozurial, and the rest were also there, waiting for news.

“I didn’t mean for her to get killed.” I stared at Camille, clutching her hands in mine. “I didn’t mean for her to die.”

“I know…I know…” She glanced up at Smoky.

He let out a long sigh. “Charlotine gave her life to destroy
the Demon Gate. It was stronger than any of us realized.” Quietly, without embellishment, he explained what happened in the cave.

“I didn’t mean for her to sacrifice herself.” I grimaced, remembering the look on her face when she’d shouted for us to run.

Shade quietly knelt beside me. “She knew what she was doing. She knew the risks and she took them because she worked for Queen Asteria and she understood the dangers of letting the Demon Gate stand.”

“She didn’t expect to die.” I gazed into his eyes, watching the remnants of the purple flame sparkle in them.

“None of us expect to die. Not really. We
think
we may not survive, but deep inside, we don’t really believe it will happen. She could have fled and left the gate standing, but she chose to take it down. She’s one of the fallen heroes of this war.” He reached out, brushed the braids out of my face. “Remember her on Samhain, honor her memory, and you do her justice.”

Swallowing my shock, I slowly nodded. “She didn’t want to die…that’s why she became a vampire. She chose the life. I thought her selfish, but now…I’m glad I didn’t tell her how I felt.”

Nerissa motioned for Shade to move out of the way and, as he did, she pulled me to my feet and kissed me gently. “You’d do the same. You’d give your life if it meant taking out something that dangerous. We all would.”

I nodded, resting against her shoulder. She kissed the top of my head, rubbing my back gently as I collected myself. When I was able to focus again, we went into the kitchen.

Smoky, his clothes still white as snow in that bizarre natural-detergent way he had, quietly asked Hanna if she could supply a snack. Shade and Vanzir, who were both covered with dust and demon guts, went to take showers. I was pretty mucky myself, so Nerissa and I went to my lair, where I took a shower and she laid out my clean clothes for me.

“She sacrificed herself.” I slipped into the jeans and turtleneck, then sat on the bed, staring at my feet.

Nerissa nodded. “Yes, she did. As you would, for the
greater good. You, Camille, Delilah—you’ve all gone into battle more times than I want to think about. You go, knowing each time it may be your last. You go because you have to, because it’s the
right thing to do
. You go because you can’t
not
go. Give Charlotine the credit she deserves. Don’t think she was ignorant of the dangers. You told her exactly what you were facing. She knew what she was getting into.”

I slipped on a pair of ankle boots, zipping them up. “We are so far from taking out Gulakah. He scares me in a way the other demon generals didn’t.”

“That’s because he’s a god. He’s powerful, and deadly, and he’s playing for keeps. The others…they were dangerous but not like this. I have a feeling things are going to get worse before they get better.” She paused. “You don’t think he has one of the spirit seals, do you?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t think Shadow Wing would entrust him with one. Gulakah could probably face him down and maybe win, with one of them. But Telazhar has one.” I looked up at her.

“We won this battle—we put a stop to him using the bhouts to control the magic in the area. But we aren’t anywhere near winning the war. I dread his next move. He’s pissed out of his mind, Nerissa. And when a god’s pissed at you…” I let the words hang. I didn’t want to finish the thought.

“Yeah.” She snuggled beside me. “I know. But for now…at least the gate is broken and I doubt if he’ll try the same thing twice. He’s not stupid.”

“More’s the pity that.” I stood and stretched. “Come on, let’s get upstairs. We’ve got a lot of planning to do. And a lot of research. Next step: finding a way to kill a god.”

Nerissa looped her arm around my elbow. “No, actually the next step—we get married. Have you thought of a place yet?”

I smiled then. At least I could give her some good news on that front. “Would you believe it? I have. How would you feel about making a trip to Otherworld?” And, as we ascended the stairs, I began to describe the lake and the falls, and how beautiful it all was.

Over the next few days, we kept a close lookout for signs that Gulakah had started up anything new, but all was quiet. The ghostly activity in the Greenbelt Park District was still jumping, but a return visit to the Galaxy club and a talk with the owner about warding the place put a stop to the rogue bhouts—which were no longer under Gulakah’s control. The patrons were back to their usual lively selves.

We warned Lindsey’s coven about the spirits, and they were able to ward against them, too. Chances were, there were hundreds of the rogue magic-feeders around, but when they couldn’t find a good source for energy, they’d scatter off to other parts. It was far easier to deal with a single bhout than with a thriving community of them.

Carter got in touch with the Oregon psychic community, and they, too, put up wards and were having no further problems. Camille was still trying to run down information on the Aleksais Psychic Network and the strange man who had followed Nerissa, but so far, we hadn’t discovered anything about them, and the network itself seemed to vanish from sight after the Demon Gate was broken.

We were sitting around the table a couple of nights later, discussing what to do.

“Chances are, this Halcon Davis has gone underground for now,” Camille said. “But we keep our eyes open because I imagine he’ll be back, along with the Aleksais Psychic Network, and we don’t want to assume the problem’s over. Because we all know it isn’t. Tomorrow’s the equinox and we all know the holidays are volatile times in the spirit and psychic world.”

“My guess is that Gulakah will take a while to regroup and plan. And whatever he’s got coming next will be as bad as or worse than the bhouts.” Shade was straddling one of the benches near the table.

“That’s my fear, too,” Roz said. “We need to find out as much as we can about him during the next few weeks.”

“I can make a trip back to the Netherworld and see what I can dig up there,” Shade said.

“And I’ll talk to Carter and go hunting through the Demon Underground.” Vanzir leaned his elbows on the table, staring at the cookies he’d stacked in front of him. Delilah reached over and snagged one and he smacked her hand, gently.

“So your powers have come back?” Smoky stared at him. He was still hostile toward Vanzir, but there had been no outright spats over the past month, and I hoped things were calming down between them.

Vanzir glanced up at him. “Go ahead and finish what you’re thinking: And I have no soul binder around my neck. Right?”

Smoky pressed his lips together but kept his eye on the dream-chaser. Camille poked him in the side and shook her head. I knew that look. It said,
Quit being an ass, my love.

“Speaking of the equinox,” Nerissa broke in. “Tomorrow night’s coming quickly. When do we leave for Otherworld?”

“We go at sunset—the minute I wake up. Father will be waiting for us, along with Trenyth. I wish everyone could come, but Shamas has to stay and help Chase. And Hanna…”

“I will stay and watch the house. There will be guards here, and all will be safe. Besides, I am not ready to return there. Too many memories.” She waved a dish towel at me. “Do not think of trouble.”

Camille was opening mail, and she looked dejected. “The wetlands next door? The owner has told our lawyer somebody’s already put down an offer and he’s taking it. This sucks.” She looked crestfallen. “Want to make a bet we’ll get stuck with lousy neighbors?”

The disappointment must have showed on Delilah’s and my faces, because Hanna immediately brought over another batch of chocolate chip cookies. “Here, sugar is good for disappointment.”

“Thanks,” Delilah said, dejected. “I really wanted to buy up that property. Over five more acres, along with four acres of wetlands and the pond? We could have done so much with the area.”

“Cheer up.” A tendril of Smoky’s hair rose up to stroke Camille’s face. “I know the owner. I think you’ll like her.”

“Who?
Hotlips?
” She gave him a withering look.

“Heavens preserve us from that. No, love.
You.
” And he began to laugh as the rest of us stared at him. The room erupted as Iris began dancing around with Maggie. “I bought the land and had it put in your name, my love.”

Camille jumped into Smoky’s lap, covering him with kisses. “Do you really mean it? Thank you! Oh, bless you.”

“Well, I have not yet bought you a wedding present and it was time. We’ve been married for almost a year. This will do?” The big galoot of a dragon looked up, winking at Delilah and me. “And I do not mind if you share with your sisters. Or the rest of our family.”

I shook my head. “Oh, good gods. You, Smoky, and Morio’s anniversary will essentially be the same day as Nerissa’s and mine.”

“You’re right,” Camille said, laughing. “Shade, when you and Delilah get married, make it on October twenty-second, so Trillian and I can share our anniversary with you guys.”

After the celebration following Smoky’s announcement, I glanced at the clock. “I’m going downstairs to pack. And to meditate.” I kissed Nerissa good night—she was sleepy and needed to rest up for the trip tomorrow—and headed down to my lair. In the midst of sadness, it seemed strange to be celebrating, but I was grateful for the respite.

But as I arranged myself on my yoga mat, I couldn’t help but send a silent prayer Charlotine’s way. She’d helped us win the battle. We wouldn’t allow her death to be in vain.