Chapter Twenty-Five

 

Lani jerked awake, sitting straight up. Eyes wide, she studied her living room. Music still blared from the speakers, but nothing else had changed. Blinking rapidly to get the sleep from her eyes, she saw that five hours had passed since she’d lain down. Feeling surprisingly invigorated, she hurried to her bathroom. Her body still ached, but it was more manageable than it had been. A quick shower, clean clothes, and she felt almost fairy.

Following the dictates of her growling stomach, she shuffled to the kitchen. Studying the cabinets and fridge, Lani wanted to kick something. She hadn’t gone grocery shopping before the assignment began so she had nothing to eat. Snarling at the moldy crust of bread left in the breadbox, she slammed it closed. She needed food. She’d slept longer than she meant to and now she only had nineteen hours before Luther came looking for her again.

The grumbling of her stomach only got louder as she debated going without, and shopping. Black dots danced before her eyes making the decision for her. Food first, hopefully it wouldn’t take longer than six hours to find her sister.

Trudging to the small garage attached to her home, she slid into the nondescript Ford Taurus she kept for those few times when portaling wasn’t possible. It sputtered to life after three attempts and she headed to Missy Kwon’s Diner in Copa Grove.

If she had a phone, she would have called her dinner order in, but she didn’t see the point in having one. They would have been too noisy when she was on the job and the only person who ever contacted her was Luther and he’d just pull her through a portal or portal to her when he gave her assignment. As it was, she had to wait half an hour for her order to cook.

She tried to ignore the tantalizing smells of food cooking and thought about her plan. She’d already notified the Veilerian Council about the Overlord’s identity along with the names of several top Eturian generals. Her main concern though, was to take Luther out without him killing Malachi first.

She had to get rid of Luther before he realized that the spell he’d cast on her so long ago was no longer in effect. It had taken her a few hours away from Luther’s home to feel the difference, but it was there. The darkness that had followed her around for so long was gone, replaced by a soft hum of…love?

Luther had said he cast the spell using her blood and his and that’s all that was needed. The last time she’d made love with Malachi, he bit her and she’d returned the favor, tasting his blood at the same time he drank from her. Had Malachi cast a spell over her without knowing? She knew, not even as angry at her as he had been, he wouldn’t have done it on purpose. He didn’t think he could cast spells. Yet there was something different about her, something even Luther had noticed.

It wouldn’t be long before Luther added it all up, and when he did, he would make it his sole purpose to destroy Malachi.

“Fifty-five,” an Asian accented voice called out, snapping Lani out of her reverie. She paid for her meal and ignored the wondering expressions on the humans’ faces. They always looked at her like she was crazy when she came here. If it hadn’t been for their kick ass beef and broccoli, she’d find another restaurant to clean out.

*****

Lani sighed, her stomach beyond full. Sitting back in her chair, she popped the button on her jeans to give her belly room. Surveying the mass of empty bags and containers on the table, she once again thanked her lucky stars for Missy Kwon’s. The mounds of food she’d brought home for herself could’ve easily fed a family of six. It hadn’t mattered though. She’d plowed through each dish, nearly moaning at having her roaring hunger satisfied.

Drowsy and content, she wanted nothing more than to sleep for a good twelve hours. That couldn’t happen though, she thought with a groan. Shikoba was in Skado now and if she knew her parents, they’d hustle home to make sure she was well-hidden from rescue attempts. Absently rubbing her belly, Lani thought about her plan.

Getting into Skado wouldn’t be difficult, but getting Shikoba out would. There was no doubt in her mind her parents had some kind of security to keep Shikoba in place. If she had to, she’d utilize her special skills to get her sister away from their parents. She didn’t want to kill any of her fellow citizens though, especially if they were working for her parents because it was the only option left to them.

A snort interrupted the thrash metal blasting through the house. Wikolia and Thomas had burned so many bridges in Skado no one would voluntarily work for them. The only reason they hadn’t been run out of the kingdom was because of their noble blood. Noble blood. Ha. There was nothing noble about her parents, even if they shared an extremely vague blood connection with King Leofric.

She shook her head, no time to think about her parents. Shikoba needed out of Skado. She’d get her sister out. The next part of her plan involved her throwing herself on Malachi and Lucian’s mercy. She hoped they would take Shikoba in, protect her from Luther and the Fayards.

That was the true kink in her plan. Though she trusted Malachi, she wasn’t as sure about Lucian. The Oculum was a male who lived for justice. He was just as likely to toss her in prison to await execution as he was to listen to her.

Finally able to button her jeans again, Lani left the kitchen. She didn’t bother cleaning up her mess. If things went according to plan, or went horribly wrong, there was little chance of her returning home again. It made things slightly better to know she’d never put much effort into making it a true home. With the exception of her stereo system and her conservatory, she wouldn’t miss it at all. Malachi’s mansion had been more like a home to her than this one, she thought as she entered her bedroom.

Crossing to the hidden panel in the far wall, she pressed on the latch. With a soft “click”, the door swung open, muted light spilling into the bedroom. Over the years she’d made a practice of collecting weapons. Displayed on the wall were knives, daggers, short swords, throwing stars, garrotes, whips, and one gun. The gun had been one of her first purchases after she’d seen what it could do to a demon.

Appropriately named Dämon-Fluch, or Demon Bane, the gun was similar in size to a Desert Eagle. It was a black double-barreled revolver that held specialized bullets made only by Veilerians. Biting her lip, she kept a firm grip on the gun as she rooted for ammunition.

This gun, this single weapon was intended for one person only. She’d bought it with the purpose of killing him. The simple act of purchasing the gun had given her a sense of security, a feeling that one day she’d rise above his tyranny. That time had come. No longer in his power, she could finally fight back. She slipped two bullets into the chamber. Power filled her, the power to take revenge on the one who’d torn her dignity from her all those years ago.

The shoulder holster she took out next was all black. Strapping it on, she slipped the gun into the holster and moved a few times to make sure the fit was correct. Nodding to herself, she then strapped on several of the daggers, and put the throwing stars in a small holster she strapped to her belt. It was a ridiculous amount of weaponry, but if things went downhill, she wanted to be prepared.

With a final nod, she closed the panel. Her retractable sword was greatly missed, but knowing Malachi had it was enough for her. Perhaps he’d even pass it to Shikoba. A familial gift from her only sister and a grandfather she’d never known. Smiling softly at the idea of giving something to her sister, Lani left her home.

Out front, she turned back. With shaky fingers, she found the ward securing her home. She pricked her finger on one of her daggers and pressed the blood to the ward. It gleamed brighter before dissolving into nothing. She sighed, and then straightened her shoulders.

Skado was her first stop. From there, only the Gods knew what would happen next.

*****

It had taken considerable convincing from his brother for Malachi to stay at the house and read through the secret files. He wanted to be searching for Lani, not reading, but Ruby had made a valid point that the Amazons were expert trackers and he’d only be in their way. Malachi studied the files in front of him. Ignoring the shouted laughter of the Amazons and Fallon across the room, he frowned over the information Lucian had gathered about Ormond Steele.

He remembered Steele as being a fire elemental with integrity, but the sealed Council files told a different story. Steele had been the VPA Chief when Malachi was a green recruit and the elemental had taken him in. He’d taught Malachi how to survive the bruising punishment meted out to all recruits. He’d been a friend and mentor. Yet, Malachi had never known that Steele had faced more than one ass-chewing by the Council.

Flipping through one report, Malachi read that Steele had taken other weaker recruits under his wing, but each of those recruits had disappeared after several months. Once Steele was killed in battle, evidence popped up here and there about abnormalities in Steele’s reports. The current VPA Chief had led an internal audit on his predecessor and found that Steele’s protégés had all died within months of being recruited into his service.

The evidence was bleak and brought home to Malachi just how easily he’d been led astray. Steele had experimented on those recruits. In the days before DNA testing and genetic manipulation, he’d used demon magic to enhance certain characteristics of the Halflings under his control. The corpses found buried beneath Steele’s house had been grotesquely disfigured. Some enterprising Councilor had drawn pictures of what was found and Malachi shuddered at the strange mutations. How Steele had hidden all of this while still preserving the benign and kindly air, Malachi couldn’t imagine, but with the evidence before him, he couldn’t deny how wrong he’d been.

“This should have been made public,” he told Lucian who was sitting across from him.

The big vampire sat back, swiping a hand over his weary face. “I didn’t know anything about this until I brought Shade’s letter to Chief Snow.” Anger colored his brother’s voice. “Dammit, this information could have helped us years ago.”

“Snow didn’t have any clue Steele might still be alive?” Malachi asked, doubtfully. He’d met Chief Snow recently and the satyr was no idiot. He was scarily competent and had reorganized the Veilerian Protection Agency from top to bottom.

“He says he didn’t think he would be, but then said he wasn’t surprised,” Lucian growled. “He found some letters between Steele and Bianca’s parents, but nothing that leapt out at him.”

Malachi thought about that. Bianca had been a very powerful witch with Council ties. She could have helped stage Steele’s death, even going so far as to make it appear real without any suspicion. Something pushed for attention in his mind, a memory he’d forgotten about until thinking about Bianca and Steele together.

“She was there when he died,” he said slowly, thinking over what he remembered. “I was out on assignment, but I remember Bianca giving me a blow-by-blow account of what happened.”

Lucian nodded a dark frown on his face. “Snow said she was the healer on site when the attack happened, so she could have slipped Steele something to make him appear dead.”

Thinking about Bianca’s skills with potions and how she’d kept Piper’s father paralyzed and sickly for a decade, Malachi believed it.

“So she was in with Steele from the very beginning and helped him disappear.” He threw the file on the desk. “But why did they leave so much evidence behind? Steele is a fire elemental; he could have incinerated the corpses until nothing was left.”

“Not every evil mastermind is thorough, Malachi,” Ruby said as she eased into Lucian’s lap. “I think it might’ve been Bianca’s job to erase all evidence of Steele’s activities, but she got sloppy. That may also be why she was eliminated once she was arrested.”

He nodded, sighing heavily. He mourned the girl he’d grown up with, but even when he’d known Bianca was with the Eturians, he hadn’t realized the depth of her corruption.

“So Steele is the Overlord,” he muttered, raking a hand through his hair.

Lani had told him, but he hadn’t believed her thinking she was trying to wiggle out of trouble with him. Pain squeezed his heart as he suddenly remembered something she’d told him.

“He’s after Lani. After she killed me, she was to be placed in his personal service.” Panic threatened as he looked at the pictures in front of him. “We have to find her.”

Ruby patted his hand. “We will, Malachi. I promise. My family is on the hunt now. If she’s in this dimension, we’ll find her.”

Whoops from the front of the house had Malachi springing from his chair. He pounded down the hallway, his heart in his throat. Gods, he prayed, please let them have found Lani.

*****

Lani frowned at her parents’ house. Small, yet elegant, it was painted bright peach with glaringly white trim. It was a splotch of jarring color against the silvery grays of the plant life that surrounded it. She shook her head. When she’d lived here, the house had been a more sedate grayish pink. She’d thought it beautiful. Apparently her parents had painted the house to reflect their new, carefree lifestyle.

All was quiet, which worried her more than anything. When she’d lived with her parents, there’d always been people coming and going, but now the house almost appeared deserted.

Working her way around back, she found a small opening in one of the windows. Shifting to her shadow form, she slipped through the crack and found herself in the library. The books on the shelves were for show. There were only a few real tomes, the rest just book facings. She’d spent hours here as a young fairy, reading about faraway places, never imagining that she’d soon be given away.

She shoved the thought away. Shikoba was in the house, somewhere. Drifting along the shadowy sides of the hallway, she inspected each room, seeing no one. None of the servants were in the main rooms, and it appeared that her parents hadn’t come home yet. Biting her lip, she peered up the stairs. There weren’t many shadows around the staircase. If one of the servants came out when she was ascending, they’d see her. She took a deep breath. Best to go quickly, she decided.

Shooting like an arrow, she hit the stairs, her shadow form melting beneath the bright track lighting. There were no shouts of surprise, so she relaxed slightly. Rhythmic pounding and cries came from her parents’ room. Bile filled her mouth. They were home, and entertaining.

With her parents otherwise occupied, she had ample time to search for her sister. Taking a deep breath, she approached the room she’d slept in until her intern with Luther. Opening the door, hurt gripped her.

It had been stripped of all her belongings. Gone were the precious few books she’d managed to buy, along with all the flowing dresses she used to wear. It was as though no one had ever occupied the room, as though no dreams had been spun in the small bed. Heartsick from those lost dreams, and wanting nothing more than to leave the house, she searched the other rooms for her sister. Three other rooms proved to be guest bedrooms, all appointed in her mother’s heavy style.

The final room, the smallest, was on the far end of the hallway. The door boasted a small window similar to the one on the cell she’d occupied in Luther’s dungeon. It opened when she pushed on the knob. This was Shikoba’s room, she thought with a tight chest. Soft pink walls made for a homey, innocent atmosphere. Shikoba didn’t have a lot of furniture, just a dresser, mirror, night stand, and a small bed. The windows were covered in heavy iron bars.

The comforter on the bed was wrinkled as though something had sat there. Moving to the closet, she threw it open. Clothing was missing, and what was left had been rifled through.

Had Luther already come for her? she wondered as panic began to wind its way through her. She couldn’t let Luther have Shikoba. Hatred, for her parents, for Luther, formed a hard, cold ball in the middle of her stomach. They were going to pay, she thought as she stalked back down the hall.

Throwing open her parents’ bedroom door, expecting to see them going at it, but no one was in the massive bed. Lani frowned, trying to locate the sound. It came from the room next to her parents’ bedroom. When she’d lived here, that room had belonged to her grandfather. The connecting door had been put in place because her mother wanted to be able to check on him during the night. What had they done to the room? Dread trickled down her spine. Going by the sounds happening behind that door, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Shikoba,” she whispered to herself. Nodding firmly, she twisted the knob, soundlessly opening the door.