Lunar Bound, page 22
part #4 of Sky Brooks World: Ethan Series
The irony that he’d picked now to finally listen to me brought a wry smile to my lips.
To survive, I had to fight and win, or at least survive long enough to outlast my brother’s newfound patience.
Between breaths, I whispered to Artemis. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Are you kidding?” she hissed. “A life on the street taught me more than how to hustle.”
She held the knife properly, positioned her feet optimally. Artemis often surprised me, but I doubted she’d ever top this moment.
McClintock gestured angrily for the vamps to attack. “Finish them both, but remember—I need his head to be recognizable.”
Two of the vamps charged me, the first leading with his knife.
Inexperienced.
Waiting for the blade, I pivoted, catching it between my cuffed hands. The sharp blade scraped silver, lodged in the chain. Rotating my hands, I trapped the blade.
“That’s why you don’t lead with the knife,” I growled.
He should’ve let the blade go, reverted to his natural weapons—fists and fangs. Like a fool, his attention remained fixed on jerking the blade free. In a quick motion, I turned into him, smashed an elbow into his jaw to stun him. Another vamp came at me with a pipe, swinging at my skull. Jerking my hands, I pulled the knife-vamp into the pipe’s arc. The side of his head caved in from the blow, showering me in a spray of blood and bone shards. As the knife-vamp collapsed, I took the knife from his grip. While pipe-vamp gawked at her dead companion, I drove the knife into her throat, then slashed it out, almost completely severing her head from her body. Arterial spray drenched me as she collapsed.
Behind me, Artemis dodged the other vamp’s pipe, following up with a kick to the chest that knocked the vamp to the ground. While the vamp clambered back to its feet, she scanned the floor for something sharp. She didn’t notice McClintock walk up behind her, raising a sawed-off shotgun to her head.
I’d come too damn far to lose her now.
I flipped the knife in my hand to grip the blade and flicked it toward McClintock. He howled as the knife embedded itself deep into his side. Stumbling, he dropped the shotgun to grasp at the pommel. Artemis gave me a wide-eyed look, then snatched up the shotgun. As her vamp picked up its pipe to take another swing at her, Artemis fired the shotgun into the vamp’s face.
While the vamp collapsed, she coolly checked the shotgun to verify she’d fired both barrels, then tossed it aside.
Turning back to McClintock, I found him leaning over the remnant of an old desk. The knife in his side had been replaced by a now-crimson piece of dirty fabric that he pressed into the wound. Blood streaked his jawline. He panted on the desk, his skin pale.
A cough broke through his chuckle and he spit blood. “I should’ve cuffed your ankles, too.”
“You lost, old man.”
“Always plan for contingencies.” Gathering his voice, he shouted, “Here!”
A door slammed somewhere up on the observation floor, followed by footsteps. Remembering the rooftop vamps, I pulled a light from one of the pillars and whipped it around. Their whoops and hollers echoed off the walls, making them difficult to locate. I heard a loud crash to my right as one of them landed on the main floor. When I aimed the light in that direction, I found nothing but the same debris that was everywhere. Two more vamps landed to my left, and another deeper in the warehouse. When I whipped the light around, I caught just a hint of movement in the other direction.
Artemis and I sidled toward each other, prepared for anything.
A fourth vamp landed a dozen feet in front of us and waited for my light to find her. She was tall, Nordic-looking, wearing a black turtleneck sweater beneath a leather trench coat. In both hands, she gripped a heavy, double-bladed battle axe.
Placing the light on the floor, I turned it toward us and pushed it toward the pillar I’d removed it from. Reaching behind me, I guided Artemis toward the ‘x’ on the floor, where we’d have the most light.
“I should probably tell you,” she whispered to me as the vampire advanced, “I was mostly working on fury.”
“You fought well.”
The other four vampires emerged from the shadows, surrounding us. Each of them was dressed similar to the Nordic vamp that must be their leader. Three men were armed with European-style swords—flat, broad blades with a double edge. The fourth vamp was a slim, almost elfin, woman with a silver-tipped spear. Together, they made the first round of McClintock’s mercenaries look like street vamps.
I asked Artemis over my shoulder, “Are you still furious?”
“Honestly,” she said, a slight quake to her voice, “they might be a little out of my league.”
My body was still wrecked from the baton. Our hands remained cuffed by silver. Without my wolf, our chances were slim. Whatever had happened to the others, I had to assume the worst. Josh and the others weren’t coming. Hopefully he’d escaped. The vamps stopped just inside the light, grinning like their victory was preordained. It probably was.
McClintock shuffled into the light next to the Nordic vamp, still clutching the bloody, drenched fabric to his wound.
I said between breaths, “You should’ve started with them.”
“I didn’t think you’d actually come alone.”
I blinked, surprised. “What?”
Magic flooded into the room like an angry summer storm, quickly building in intensity. The vamps glanced around, their confidence shaken. A moment later, every window in the building simultaneously burst inward, showering us all in glass. While the vamps flinched, Josh appeared between Artemis and me. Before I could blink, he had a shimmering protective field around us. Glass fell on it like rain, triggering a shower of gold and blue sparks. The vamps followed, furious. Their weapons glanced uselessly off the field, but they seemed intent on beating it until it collapsed.
Behind them, McClintock screamed at me in red-faced rage. “No!”
Beyond the pillars, I saw movement in the shadows, at least two figures moving in opposite directions. Josh hadn’t come alone. Gavin’s panther leapt out of the darkness and onto one of the sword-vamps, his jaws clamping down on the vamp’s neck. The vamp screamed as Gavin pulled it down into the shadows. Steven struck the spear-vamp from behind, driving a wooden stake through her back, piercing her heart. Reversion started even while he withdrew the stake.
Realizing their danger, the other three vamps turned their backs to us to fight. One of the sword-vamps fell instantly, her head cleanly severed by Winter’s katana.
Josh dropped his shield. His eyes were midnight as he raised his hands. When he snapped his fists closed, magic engulfed both vamps, binding their arms to their sides. Axe and sword clattered to the floor as they struggled uselessly to break free. Gavin walked back into the light, his muzzle bloody. He paced angrily while Steven staked the helpless axe-vamp. Winter took the head from the final vamp and Josh released the binding.
Only McClintock remained, his face gaunt. With his wound, he wasn’t going anywhere. He’d picked up one of the long knives, twisted the pommel in his hand while he debated how he wanted to die. He watched intently while Winter and Steven efficiently sent the surviving but otherwise incapacitated vamps into reversion. Eventually, he dropped the blade. Pain twisted his expression with each step as he walked to Tonya’s body and fell to his knees. With a tenderness I’d never before seen in him, he scooped up her body and held it to him.
Maybe his grief was genuine. Maybe he thought I’d spare him for pity’s sake. He was mistaken. He’d killed one friend, tried to kill another, and tried to kill me. Picking up the axe, I tested its balance in my hand. Winter offered me her katana. Her snake was there in her eyes. She’d taken Marko’s death as personally as I had. In offering me her sword, she was offering her own claim for revenge. Grateful, I accepted, letting the axe fall to the concrete.
At my approach, the old man eyed the katana blade as if measuring the death it offered. He recognized a clean death when he saw it. In the end, we all hoped for that. With a sigh, he accepted his fate. I waited while he removed the fabric from his side, bunched it up to make a pillow for Tonya’s head. After gently setting her to rest, he closed his eyes. He straightened his neck.
“Any last words?” I growled.
He swallowed. “I’d like to—”
The blade of the katana swept cleanly through flesh, muscle, and bone, emerging from the other side of McClintock’s neck without a hint of resistance. His eyes went wide just before his head tipped and fell from his torso. His body followed, spraying pulses of arterial blood across the floor.
I watched as each spurt of blood lessened, until there was nothing left but a drizzle. I’d expected relief, but found none. Despite our differences, I’d always respected the old man. We’d never gotten along, but we’d never been enemies until Marcia forced us into opposition.
Turning back to Winter, I wrapped the end of my shirt over the blade just above the guard. Drawing the blade through, I wiped it of blood. Offering it back to Winter, I tipped the end of the blade over my other arm, and gave her the pommel. The snake was gone from her eyes as she graciously accepted.
Facing Josh, I showed him the handcuffs. A flick of his fingers and the cuffs snapped apart in several pieces, leaving black rings of skin. He did the same for Artemis.
“Dr. Baker will check you out,” I told her.
She shook her head. “I just want to go home.”
Josh volunteered. “I’ll get her there. I’ll clean up the evidence here and then meet you back at the retreat.”
I gave his shoulder a squeeze, then followed Gavin’s panther out of the warehouse.
CHAPTER 11
Courtesy of Tonya and her super-charged baton, my body was wrecked by pain. Every nerve in my body was inflamed. How I made it home, I didn’t remember. I woke some time in the night, in wolf form in my bed. Embracing my animal sped the healing. By morning, the pain was already receding. I took the next day to recover, giving most of that time to my wolf. Sky called me twice, but I didn’t want her to see me in this condition. She had enough to worry about. So far, she knew nothing about McClintock and Artemis. I planned to keep her in the dark, at least until Maya and Ethos were dealt with. By the second morning, I felt close to normal—weakened and aching, but I could at least hide my discomfort.
Seeing Sky helped. We spent the afternoon together at the retreat. She wouldn’t admit it, but I knew she wanted to stay near Sebastian while he recovered. Our wolves hunted and chased each other across the grounds until I thought she was exhausted. Her head drooped, panting, so I led her back to the house. We were on the front lawn when she revealed her deception. While I noticed Josh’s Jeep pull into the garage, she nipped my back leg—nearly tripping me—then bolted, daring me to pursue. My brother watched as we chased each other on the lawn. An odd look came over him before he walked into the house. I remembered our conversation outside Sebastian’s penthouse, the accusations he’d made.
Sky nipped at my face, drawing me from my reverie. We continued chasing each other until our exhaustion was real.
In human form, we retrieved our clothes from the back of the house and went looking for lunch. We found Josh in the kitchen, pouring a mug of coffee. His gaze shifted between us, scrutinizing as Sky sat at the table and I retrieved some leftover steaks from the fridge.
She glanced at his oversized Sesame Street Big Bird mug. “Research?”
He nodded, adding cream. “Maya. I’m hoping there’s something I’ve overlooked. There has to be a way to repress her.”
She was quick to volunteer. “I’ll join you.”
On his way out, he smiled, held up his mug. “Bring coffee. It’s going to be a long day.”
A shared shower led to a nap. Two hours later, we found Josh in the library, several magical texts before him. Sky walked in first, eliciting a smile that faded some when I followed. He pushed two texts across the table to us as we sat across from him. The next few hours were unsurprisingly fruitless. I’d little hope of finding anything new about Maya or spirit shades, but the effort needed to be made until another avenue could be found.
Sky and I tried to relieve the boredom with intimate looks. We shared pages of text and talked in half sentences. Josh wasn’t amused. His irritated glances grew increasingly suspicious. I was the focal point of his ire. Unable to acknowledge his jealousy without creating a scene, I chose to ignore it. Eventually, we’d talk about the accusations he’d made, but he’d have to come to terms with my relationship with Sky, better now than later.
The more fruitless our search seemed, the more obvious it became that we needed a new direction. Fed up, I pushed my book forward and leaned back in my chair, arms folded over my chest. “I think getting rid of Ethos is what we need to focus on rather than getting rid of Maya. She was fine until a couple of months ago. It’s likely his resurfacing has awakened something in her.” We’d witnessed his effect on her more than once. “Get rid of him and things may go back to the way they were.”
Sky wasn’t convinced. “And if they don’t?”
“Then we worry about it then. Ethos is the immediate threat, and Claudia hasn’t been able to meet with Samuel. For all we know Ethos has all three books.” We’d need to start over, which meant more coffee. I gestured to the books on the table as I rose. “Find out how we can draw Ethos out of hiding.”
I found Winter on her way out of the kitchen, two mugs of coffee in her hands. I didn’t need to watch her leave to know one of those mugs was for Sebastian. The pot empty, I changed the filter and started a fresh batch. To kill time, I went for a walk through the house, measuring the pack’s mood. The pack was recovering, thanks in large part to the calm emanating from the Blue Room.
At the top of the basement stairs, I was surprised to find Josh and Sky on their way down. When they practiced magic, he preferred the padded walls of the training room. My fists clenched in irritation.
He said he was going to test her, I reminded myself. Hell of a time for that.
I’d agreed to the test, though I regretted that now.
Resisting the urge to follow, I strode back to the kitchen. A few minutes of watching coffee percolate only increased my agitation. Josh knows what he’s doing became my false mantra. My trust in him was tempered by his obsession with powerful magic, which made him reckless. It was in his nature to push. If he pushed Maya too far…
Halfway down the stairs, I felt the eager calm of his magic spilling out of the training room.
“Now use it,” he urged.
I peered through the doorway just as Sky manifested a lilac-covered field around them. They stood near the far wall, a few feet apart, facing each other. She grinned at her creation. A moment later, she collapsed the field and used his magic to raise a towel from a nearby bench. Josh chuckled as the towel danced across the room, followed by the keys to his Jeep.
Testing her limits, she flicked her fingers to send a strong wave of magic toward him. His eyes widened in surprise as he fell back a step. She pushed again, harder. He strained not to fall back more than another step. His effort only emboldened her. Her next gesture sent him flying backward into the padded wall. She gasped as his head bounced off the cushion.
He grimaced, pinned. “It’s still a head. Padding or not, it doesn’t like to be slammed against things.”
Relieved, she released him with a wave of her hand. She relished her display of power, but there was no hint of Maya’s magic.
Josh winced as he rubbed the back of his head. “Make a field.”
The field appeared, but weaker than before. Sky’s previous satisfaction melted at the shimmering boundaries. Her ability to utilize borrowed magic had greatly improved, but remained limited. The more powerful the magic she used, the faster it dissipated.
Watching her closely, Josh retrieved the Aufero from beneath a towel. “Hold it.”
As the glowing orb neared, her breath became ragged.
This is the test.
I tensed, ready to intervene if Maya made an appearance.
Sky closed her eyes as he took her hand, entwining their fingers.
“Again,” he said.
I felt the flow of his magic toward her even as she drew magic from the Aufero. Dark and light, the two forces intertwined around her. A new field encircled them—powerful but dark as the Aufero’s magic proved dominant. Within that darkness, I saw a spark of fear in Josh’s eyes as he began to struggle for breath. I’d warned him the orb was dangerous.
“Skylar,” he managed, leaning toward her until their lips nearly touched. “You need to change it.”
Her lips pursed as she fought for control. I took a step into the room, prepared to use my own magic to break the field, when its color began to change. The harsh orange-and-brown glow faded as Sky converted the orb’s dark magic to light, until the magic was indistinguishable from Josh’s and left behind an odor like fresh linen, jasmine, and a metallic spice. His chest heaved as he took in a gasping breath. He released her hand but remained close, their lips still almost touching as they basked in shared relief within the lilac confines of her field.
“See?” he whispered. “I knew you could do it.”
She nodded, exhilarated. When she opened her eyes, she noticed me in the doorway. The field collapsed. He followed her gaze.
“I got this, Ethan.” He scowled. “You can go.”
She started to back away from him until he slipped a hand around her waist. “No,” he whispered, an angry tone meant to be reassuring. “We need to finish.”
“It’s okay with me if he stays,” she explained, confused.
“He’s a distraction.”
