Chapter 33
Fuck death and fuck that deal. A stripe of toxic green scales flickered over my skin and with an enraged howl, I launched myself through the flaming snake onto Rukhsana, stabbing my claws into her eyeballs.
She bent double, cursing me in French while the snake whipped around trying to find me.
“I’ll locate those prisons and destroy all the shedim involved.” I beat at my clothing with my bare hands, my scales gone again. My fingers were burned, my voice was raspy with pain, and my shedim magic felt like a staticky song tuning in and out in faint bursts. “But it’ll happen on my terms.”
There was a noise akin to nails on a chalkboard, and Ezra tumbled through Rukhsana’s magic barrier. Silas and Nasir were on his heels, but the Prime had already kicked a table aside to grab Rukhsana in a choke hold.
The snake shot back to its mistress, slithering along her skull to strike at Ezra’s face. He grabbed the magic tattoo in one hand, but the snake bit his palm.
A muscle ticked in the Prime’s jaw, and he crushed the snake in his fist, fire spurting out from between his fingers, until an instant later, all that was left were sparks.
Rukhsana’s howl was a raw symphony of pain and fury. She sagged in his grip.
“You good here, Ez?” Silas was practically vibrating.
“Yup. Go.”
Silas bolted, his phone already in his hand, followed by Nasir.
Ezra shook Rukhsana like a ragdoll. “Your call, Aviva.”
Most of Rukhsana’s power was extinguished thanks to Ezra doing the heavy lifting and chances were, I could finish her off. Should I say the word, he’d deal the final blow as well so I didn’t have to live with any of it on my conscience, but that wasn’t fair.
Nothing about this was fair.
I dug deep inside myself, reaching through the static of the magic forfeit with a pained hiss to manifest two single deadly sharp claws.
Then I slashed Rukhsana’s throat.
Ezra dropped her to the ground.
Rukhsana pressed a hand against her skin, black goo oozing from between her fingers and out of her ruined eye socket. Even bleeding out, there was a defiant tilt to her chin. Slender tendrils of fire flew off her body and licked at my skin.
I slapped at a dozen smoldering burns, the heat of her assault growing stronger.
She was healing. Enough to kill me without her fire snake?
Ezra stepped forward, but I shook my head and crouched down.
I’d always relied on the magic cocktail to kill shedim, but that weapon had been taken off the table. Physically assaulting her hadn’t worked, what else could I try?
Acting on instinct, I shoved my fingers in Rukhsana’s neck wound and surged my faint connection with Cherry into the Frenchwoman. My entire body vibrated on a magic frequency that made me grind my teeth and blink away tears.
I created a feedback loop, a resonance that amplified the inherent instability within Rukhsana’s shedim magic.
The rush was electrifying. Cherry grew stronger, more present within me.
Rukhsana’s face contorted in pain. “Chère, please. Have mercy.”
A distant part of my brain reacted in horror, but Cherry rode me hard and I craved vengeance.
The Frenchwoman’s human glamor dripped off her like wax and her flames dimmed, until with a final hiss of steam, Rukhsana Gill was no more.
She’d been shedim; there’d only ever been one possible outcome. I’d ended her and I didn’t feel bad about it.
Liar , Cherry whispered, already fading away under the combination of my pain, exhaustion, and the forfeit. But we’ll work on that .
“Avi?” Ezra scanned my face. “Let me heal you.”
My skin throbbed from all the scorch marks, and Cherry was locked out again, but I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“You don’t need to suffer in penance,” he said in a frustrated voice.
I scooped up the metal case, cradling it against my chest since my hands were too raw to hold the handle. “I want this job dealt with once and for all. Then I’ll let myself be treated.”
He nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”
Exhausted, I trudged outside, shivering from the bite of winter air that speared through me. Oh for my toasty coat, currently stashed in the trunk of my car.
A man on the sidewalk took one look and sprinted around the corner.
The stretchy clothes I’d worn in case I had to let Cherry out were torn, and when I gingerly ran a hand over my head, sooty strands broke onto my fingers, but it wasn’t my physical appearance that had sent him fleeing.
Olivier intercepted me when I stepped inside the dry cleaner’s. “You okay?”
Plastic garments hung neatly on the conveyer, the air was moist and warm, and the room smelled mildly of solvent. The mundanity of it was a much-needed balm.
“As good as I can be,” I said. “Where’s Michael?”
“In the back office with the chief constable, going over the details of the Aviyentes’ new identities.” He grimaced. “They’re pretty steamed they have to leave their lives.”
I was sympathetic, but if the shedim believed those two were still alive, their lifespans would be pretty damn short. Michael and Keira would ensure the family was hidden under watertight new aliases.
“Any news on Cécile?”
Olivier shook his head. “We found her ashes. I’m sorry.”
I hadn’t known the Québecois vampire well, but I’d always been amused by how this rule-lover was the first to encourage her beloved Montréal Canadiens hockey team to drop their gloves and brawl.
I gave Olivier the metal case with a heavy heart. Oh yeah. Hearts. I had him remove the amulet from my neck since my burned and throbbing hands weren’t up to the task. “Can you please give all of this to Michael?” She’d make sure the locks inside were secured until we had a way to destroy the cells and the prisoners.
“Sure thing.”
“What’s going to happen to Roger once he leaves protective custody?”
“Probably nothing. The director and the chief constable are adamant that Jared never learn about shedim. Maccabees planted a cover story about a medical emergency for Roger’s sister and that he flew out to Ottawa. He called his second-in-command, leaving them in charge of any upcoming events until he’s been thoroughly questioned and can return to his normal life.”
I didn’t feel bad that Roger wouldn’t pay for his role. I was simply grateful that so many of us had made it out unharmed.
“Thanks.” I leaned my head against Olivier’s shoulder in a makeshift hug, my eyes blurring. Partially in pain from my burns, but there was enough emotion overwhelm that I chalked it up to that. “Rukhsana…”
“Yeah. It sucks.” He patted my shoulder gingerly. “We heard the offer she made you.”
I screwed up my face. I’d assumed the comms didn’t work inside her cone of silence. “How’d Michael and Keira react?”
“Once Michael stopped gripping my boss’s hand out of fear for your safety, they were both very proud of you. There are a lot of people who have your back, human or half shedim.”
I swiped at my eyes with my sleeve. “Okay, shut up. You’re making me verklempt and today’s had enough feels.”
Olivier laughed softly and took the briefcase to Michael.
Before I could leave the dry cleaner’s, Nasir jumped into my path.
My muscles locked up on instinct, sending a fresh wave of aches through my already-screaming body, and the noise that escaped me was somewhere between a sigh and a growl.
“Nice work!” He bobbed up and down on his toes. “May I heal you?”
At Nasir’s easy acceptance, something righted itself in my chest, and I strengthened my resolve to come out to the other Maccabees ASAP. It didn’t matter if they couldn’t handle it; I wouldn’t walk away. Despite all our setbacks, I believed in my organization, and no one was driving me out.
“That would be great,” I said.
There was no high from my brief feed from Nasir’s wrist. I wasn’t sure if it was because he made it that way or because I didn’t have any magic.
Regardless, while the blood tasted gross, it worked.
I cracked my neck, the motion unlocking all the muscles through my shoulders, arms, and back. Heavenly. “I appreciate it.”
Nasir bobbed up and down again. “I’ll check on Ezra. He’ll act all fine after taking out that magic snake, but vampires are stubborn.”
I laughed. “That one more than most.”
I followed Nasir outside and threw my face to the sky, taking a couple of deep breaths.
Silas found me. “I’m taking Jordy to where Darsh has the rest of the crew.”
“Great!” I said too brightly, my heart hammering. Why had I given the amulet to Olivier? “Are things okay between you?”
“We’ll get there.”
I flashed Silas double thumbs up, which made him frown.
“You sure you’re all right? Your heart is?—”
“Never felt better.” I pushed him away. “Run along now.”
He gave me one more doubtful look and headed to his rental SUV, where Jordy sat in the back, handcuffed to the “oh shit” handle.
The Trad locked eyes with me for the briefest second, then looked away.
I sighed. I’d deal with my feelings about his betrayal later.
I’d almost made it to the gallery doors when Delacroix peeled out of the shadows of a neighboring business.
“Did you rat me out about the brain?” He struck a match and lit the cigarette in his mouth. His hair was wet and he smelled faintly of brine.
“No. Tempting as it was.” I was getting goosebumps from the cold, but I refused to wrap my arms around myself in case he took it as weakness. I jammed my hands in my pockets. “Did you know my informant was a demon?”
“Aww, was my eldest child played?” He made a sad trombone sound.
Now he claimed me?
I made that trombone sound right back. “I wasn’t the only one. Rukhsana was manipulating Quentin Baker. Thanks to her, Quentin was forced to live in the cracks of his own life, which meant Calista never saw him coming and you lost your partner.”
Delacroix’s eyes flashed red. “I wouldn’t share that information if I were you.” He dragged on his cigarette. “Have fun trying to destroy those two locks.”
He could have taken them from us during this sting, yet he didn’t. Was he planning on moving all of them somewhere to sow chaos in political or natural events? I gnawed the inside of my cheek. He hadn’t yet. The Authority would have sounded the alarm.
Besides, that didn’t feel like Delacroix’s play. All these years that he was earthside, he’d never shown any interest in human affairs outside the yacht. He barely ever left?—
They’ve depended on that boost for so long… Rukhsana’s words provided the insight I’d been missing.
My eyes went wide. “You’re going to use those locks to power up, aren’t you? They’re batteries and you’re going to plug in. Are you staging a demon coup?”
“If I was, you think you could stop me?”
“Do what you want in the demon realm. The more casualties the better. But use earth as a battleground at your peril. I’ll marshal every single resource to destroy you.”
The taste of salt water filled my mouth. My pulse spiked, the memory of being drowned overwhelming me, but I steeled myself, jutting my chin up higher.
Delacroix’s eyes flashed; anger or pride? He barked a laugh and blew smoke in my face. “This is going to be fun, daughter o mine.”
I shot him the finger as he walked away. I’d gather the troops to deal with him and steal back the brain, but for now I was tapped out. I entered the gallery once more and sighed in delight. Central heating was the best invention ever. “Ezra?”
There was no answer. I frowned. Ezra and Nasir wouldn’t have left the place unattended. I hurried into the back area and pulled up short.
Nasir sat on the ground in Linda’s office, feeding the Prime from a gash in his wrist. “Killing that shedim’s snake took more out of Ezra than he realized. He was cold and hungry.”
“Can I come closer?” I said. When Nasir nodded, I ran to my boyfriend’s side, crouching down to feel his skin. Luckily, he’d already warmed up.
Ezra pulled away from the other vampire and slumped back against the desk. “Did I take too much?”
“Nope.” Nasir stood up with a wavery smile. “Cécile…” He cleared his throat. “I’m going back to HQ.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said. The two had worked closely together.
“Thank you, Nasir,” Ezra said.
“Of course.” His wrist had already healed.
Ezra listened for a moment after our team member left, his head cocked, then he tugged me into his lap, his arms coming around me.
I relaxed back against his chest. “We should lock up. I want to get out of here.”
“Me too, but I need a moment.”
I turned my head in alarm. “The blood didn’t help?”
Ezra’s eyes were clear, and his gaze was steady. “Avi, relax. I’m okay. I just want a second to send you to a locked closet.”
I tried to break out of his grip, but he tightened his hold. “You’re not serious,” I said. “Are you?”
“Depends. Are you going to keep shortening my lifespan with these stunts of yours?”
“Your immortal lifespan?” I nodded. “Probably. Your move, Count von Cardoso.” I made my voice meek and pathetic. “But the magic from the fortress came to collect a forfeit, and I have no blue flame magic for another forty minutes or so, and I can’t sense Cherry again.” I slumped against him. “I’m very sad.”
“You play dirty,” he growled.
Pouting, I twisted my head to look at him. “So sad.”
He glared at me, but his hold became a hug and he nuzzled my neck. “Better?”
“A bit.” I kissed his cheek.
Ezra stiffened. Black lines exploded like cracks along his skin.
Yelling his name, I wrenched on his arms to loosen his grip, but he didn’t respond.
Suddenly, he went limp and sagged to the ground. I got free and lightly slapped his cheeks, but he was freezing and unresponsive.
A cold sweat broke out over my skin, and every breath was a knife twisting in my gut. “Hang on, sweetheart.”
The landline here in the office was dead. Our cell phones were in my car and Olivier had my comm. I leaned over the desk; Ezra didn’t have his earpiece.
I sprinted all around the gallery, finding it smashed at the base of a pillar. I ran to the front window, but the transport van we’d taken here had departed, my team headed back to HQ.
I bolted back to Ezra.
The black cracks on his skin pulsed in time with tremors rolling through his body. In the past couple of minutes, his skin had gone from ice-cold to a burning heat. Sweat dripped off his brow and into his eyes, which were fixed open in a dull, vacant stare.
I wrestled him into a seated position against the wall, forcing my wrist to his mouth. “Bite me, Ezra.” Even if I didn’t have magic, my blood would nourish him, wouldn’t it?
His regular teeth scraped uselessly against my skin.
“Come on, baby,” I pleaded. “You need to look pretty so we can take a photo together for all your fans.”
“Avivaaaaaa.”
I stiffened at the sound of my name called from the main gallery in Alastair’s broad British accent.
He couldn’t see Ezra in this state.
Making sure my boyfriend was securely propped up, I whispered a promise that I’d be back, and hurried out of the back room.
Alastair, usually so stylish and composed, looked ragged. His tie was a tattered flag askew around a torn collar, buttons were missing from his wool coat, and he had a streak of grease along his stubbled jaw. It wasn’t only the hem of his trousers that was coming apart at the seams.
I rubbed my hands together. “I could use Natán’s reward money. Might come in handy for future car repairs. Thanks for making it easy to claim, Ashbishop. Sorry. I mean Ash Lite, big-time copycat.”
He bared his fangs at me. “I’m not going down to the likes of you, infernal.”
I clenched my jaw, but there was no surge of fear at the confirmation that the vampire responsible for murdering my kind knew about me. All my fear was currently occupied with Ezra’s condition. “Then we’re at a standoff, dhampir .”
Alastair stiffened, his mouth twisting in a ruthless sneer. “Not quite. You’re coming with me.”
I snorted. “Whatever gave you that idea? My team is in the back.”
Alastair scoffed. “Nice try. There’s no one else here. I’d sense if there was.”
My heart stuttered. He didn’t sense Ezra?
My boyfriend had killed demons before with no ill effects. What had Rukhsana’s snake done to him? Had being imprisoned in the lock corrupted her magic enough to affect a Prime?
It took every ounce of control not to look at the back room.
Alastair smirked. “Didn’t think a dhampir had that skill?” He blurred toward me and grabbed my arm. “You’re going to take a test for me.”
My blood ran cold.
The test set by the magic sentience currently in possession of my blue flame magic who turned Shiny Jimmy into a wall and separated Evelyn from her name in maggot form?
I headbutted him. “I’d rather die.”
Alastair rubbed his forehead. “You might anyway, but I doubt it. You survived one test at that bloody fortress, I reckon you can survive this one.”
Personally, I wouldn’t take my odds.
Alastair pulled out a phone and showed me a live video feed of an elderly woman sitting in a garden, staring vacantly at a rosebush.
“Secretary Pederson?”
The vampire flipped to a photo of a slender, almost coltish shedim covered in quills like an armadillo with red glowing eyes. “You remember her nephew, Aleksander.”
The half shedim who’d been murdered and drained of all blood on Alastair’s orders.
I flew at the vampire, kicking and punching with all my human strength, pouring out my rage that this young boy’s life had been stolen from him and desperately trying to access Cherry through the static in my head so I could tear Alastair limb from limb.
He grabbed my arms, twisted them painfully behind my back, and slammed my face and chest against a table. “Too drained to use your magic?” He laughed and slapped magic-nulling cuffs on me. “That makes my life easier.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
He released me.
My hands were literally tied behind my back but I stood tall.
“Even if you could get away,” he said, “I’ve got a contingency plan. Should one of my vamps not receive word from me within a specific time frame, Secretary Pederson will be killed and evidence will be found that your mother knew Aleksander was an infernal. It’s why she sent Ezra to the London chapter to kill Roman Whittaker. Fear and protecting her own mutt.”
“That’s not what happened.” I wrenched on the magic cuffs.
“Dmitri Kozlov will believe this version. Especially when he sees the photo I have of you as an infernal. Your mother will be sent to Sector A. Your boyfriend will be hunted and killed. Silas’s escape will be dug into. What about Sachie or Darsh or any of the Vancouver chapter? Who else will end up in Sector A? And you’ll get to live with all the suffering you caused, just because you wouldn’t assist me.” He paused, then mugged. “Until they kill you, that is.”
Ezra could die if I went with Alastair.
The other people I cared about could die if I didn’t.
My boyfriend’s face flashed in my mind, followed by my mother’s, each image twisting my gut with anguish.
“Come with me, take the test, and if you get the power word, tell it to me or I destroy everyone you care about. Your choice, infernal.”
I closed my eyes, centering myself through the pressure building in my chest. Alastair wasn’t bluffing. With Natán hunting him, he needed to power up to survive, and he didn’t care about collateral damage.
Even if he had to burn my world to the ground.
Whereas Ezra was a Prime. His healing magic would kick in and… And if I didn’t go, Alastair’s plans would ensure my boyfriend was dead anyway.
“Decide,” Alastair said harshly.
“I’ll come,” I said dully.
“Smart choice.”
I had to play Alastair’s game—for now.
In order to reach the fortress, we had to go into the Brink. Cell phones didn’t work there, and the hour forfeit would be over soon. At that point, it was anyone’s game, but I liked my odds. I’d get these cuffs off, get my magic back, and make my move.
I sent a silent prayer to the universe to take care of my boyfriend and accompanied Alastair out the front door.
This vampire was convinced he’d corralled a little lamb, a half shedim whose life was as disposable as the others he’d so callously ordered to be snuffed out. But I’d been forged in iron; once after Ezra left me and again after the trials of the past few months.
I was Aviva Jacqueline Fleisher, level three Maccabee operative par excellence and half shedim fresh out of fucks to give. Woe betide all those who crossed me, because I was finally done hiding.
Thank you for reading DEMON IN DISGUISE.