A Demon's Work Is Never Done: Latter Day Demons, Book 2 (31 page)

They meant one thing—that a High Demon was confessing his love to the one he'd pledged his life to.

My legs were far from steady as I rose to my feet. Wiping my tears away, I gazed one last time at the images playing across the cave walls. Those images were my dreams. My desires—that the cave had pulled from me.

Now everybody knew.

There was no time to deal with tears or embarrassment. The light still shone ahead of us. I began to walk toward it, hoping there were no more tests.

* * *

Tungurahua

V'ili

Morgett was now in the lead. Ahead, a light could be seen. I squinted. Amidst that light, I could see shadows of the ones we hunted. I wanted to shout at Morgett to increase the pace. This treasure—he'd promised to share it with me and those of my kind that I chose.

It will rebuild your world
, Morgett promised.
You will rule as you were meant to rule. Only the dark worlds will exist, if this treasure comes to us
.

It was my desire—to not only rebuild Sirena as it had been, but to rid the universes of that filth who called themselves Larentii.

When the images splashed across the caves, I paid them no mind at first. But then Morgett's image appeared, and his appearance changed as the image morphed him into another creature.

A creature I hated almost as much as the Larentii.

Morgett wasn't just a Karathian warlock as he'd claimed.

He was also Ra'Ak.

* * *

Lexsi

The shit's hit the fan behind us
, Opal shouted into our minds. I already knew that; the cave was shaking again and rock, rock dust and boulders were dropping around us.

Run
, Zaria sent.
As fast as you can
.

I broke into a run; a huge rock glanced off my Thifilatha's shoulder as I raced toward the light.

I think I realized then that the crevice surrounding that light was closing.

He's coming
, Anita's mental shout came.

I didn't want to find out who
he
was. I forced my weary body to run faster. Light blasted my eyes shut as the crevice was suddenly before me. I didn't have a choice whether I wished to go through it; the crevice had moved, appearing behind the others and me.

It's not closing fast enough
, Anita shouted again. I turned to see her standing at the edge of the crevice, which slowly attempted to shut itself against more intruders.

Past the crevice and into the cave, I saw at least three rushing toward us.

Move forward, Lexsi
, Zaria said.
Quickly. We're almost there
.

I turned and ran again, toward a brighter light that I couldn't see through. After tears formed at the brightness of it all, I shut my eyes and ran blindly forward.

* * *

Kordevik

If he'd turned before he reached the crevice, the cave would probably have killed him. My Thifilathi recognized him however, the moment he and his niece and nephew slipped through the crevice. It closed completely behind them, then, with a loud rumble of thunder.

Ra'Ak.

This one—Morgett Blackmantle—was Ra'Ak.

I wondered briefly how I'd known his name but discarded the thought. With smoke pouring from my Thifilathi's nostrils, I strode toward him. I intended to end his life, right there.

Until I heard Lexsi's shriek.

Turning swiftly, I blinked at the brightness ahead. Lexsi shrieked again. I began to run. Morgett could wait—Lexsi was in pain.

* * *

Lexsi

With my eyes shut, I'd run directly into a wall of books.

Not ordinary books, no.

These—were made of metal. I smacked into them with all the force my running Thifilatha could muster.

No, I hadn't expected a wall of books so close. I'd only run for a second or two. What happen after the breath was knocked out of me?

Pain.

Searing, indescribable pain. I couldn't move away from it either—it's as if the metal books were pulling me into them instead of allowing me to push myself away.

The moment I could draw breath again, I screamed.

Voices sounded in my head, but I was in so much pain I couldn't tell one from another, or one word from another. I screamed again as the books rolled me across their surfaces—I felt as if they were burning into my scales and skin. I wanted to shout for help.

All I could do was scream again as the pain increased.

* * *

South Pacific Ocean

Tanker Vessel Nautilus 17

One mile West of the Peruvian Coastline

Esme

"We'll go when I get the signal," I pointed the weapon at Phineas. Behind Phineas was an army of Merpeople. He and I, and by extension, they—were having a standoff on the wide deck of the supertanker. Opal had lent me the pistol and said it would bring a helicopter down from half a mile away.

I didn't doubt her word. Phineas, on the other hand, was being an asshole.

And a jerk.

"Then what the hell is happening?" Phineas demanded.

"As well-mannered as always," I leveled the weapon at his heart. "I'm waiting to hear from my sister," I added. "Until that happens, we're staying right where we are."

"Sister?"

"The one who introduced herself as my cousin. Anita. That's my sister. Now shut up and stop fidgeting. She'll send mindspeech when she knows where to send us."

Phineas cursed but stayed where he was. If he wanted a ride to get to his daughter, then I was that ride.

If he chose to dive overboard, then his fate was in his hands, not mine.

* * *

Kordevik

"What's happening to her?" I shouted at Zaria.

"I don't know," she shouted back.

Lexsi was rolling back and forth against a wall of metal books that held her captive and wouldn't let go.

"We have company," Opal shouted behind me.

We did. Morgett and the evil twins were coming toward us. None of them looked friendly. Tibby and four werewolves moved together to form a barrier between them and the rest of us.

"No," Opal screamed as Morgett began to change.

Lexsi's scream behind me was louder, this time.

I couldn't say how I knew, but if Morgett expended the power to become Ra'Ak, the library could protect itself by killing all of us.

Meanwhile, Lexsi was already suffering.

It was a snafu. A conundrum. A no-win scenario. With barely a second's hesitation, I turned back and launched myself at Lexsi's contorting Thifilatha. If the library intended to kill her first, it would have to kill both of us.

The moment my body covered hers, and before I could attempt to pry her away from what held her, it burned into my body, too. My scream joined Lexsi's as the metal library taught us that it wasn't to be trifled with.

* * *

Opal

"Don't change, you idiot," I shouted at Morgett Blackmantle, who was phasing from humanoid to Ra'Ak as the library continued to rain rock and debris onto all of us. I doubted a Ra'Ak had ever gotten this far into the library without being killed.

Trust the Blackmantle line to fuck everything up at the worst possible moment, however.

He completed the change, his Ra'Ak serpent nearly sixty feet long, his head crowned with deadly, poisoned spikes.

"It's coming down," Zaria yelled.

She was right—the library was bringing the cave down around us. I barely had time to notice that the library itself was disappearing, too, amid falling rock and debris.

If it moved, we would have a very difficult time locating it again.

Morgett, ignoring the falling rocks, some of them bouncing off his serpent's scales and crashing toward us, moved back to strike at the five who stood in his way.

"No," I whimpered to myself as Kell and Klancy, their claws extended, moved in to slice into Morgett's serpent.

Changing into my velociraptor, I raced toward Morgett. Perhaps if he were attacked from several directions at once, we could confuse him enough to get in a killing blow.

Otherwise, we were all dead anyway.

* * *

Anita

Opal was a velociraptor. I blinked as she raced toward the Ra'Ak. Morgett Blackmantle was a Ra'Ak. An old one, judging by his length.

V'ili, almost in slow motion, appeared beside Morgett's serpent. I shouted at him while my clothing ripped and my scales stood on end. The cave shook so violently it almost knocked me down.

V'ili's eyes turned toward me. He recognized me.

"I killed you," I watched his lips form the words as I ran toward him, claws forming on my hands. He'd spoken aloud, but the cave was roaring its anger around us and nothing else could be heard.

Yes. V'ili, my brother, had brought my death long ago. But the gods had other ideas, bringing my sisters and me back to fight this battle against him.

The library continued to disintegrate around us, while Tungurahua woke and blasted fumes and lava into the sky.

Far above, a small patch of blue sky could be seen, as rock and rubble defied gravity and flew toward the sun.

* * *

Zaria

I'd never read a Ra'Ak before. I was reading one now. Anita—I didn't have time to convey a message to her; she was intent on killing V'ili.

Esme
, I sent mindspeech.
They're east of Pucusana
. I sent mental images to her, so she'd know the spot to target.

Yes, I'd seen Amalthea in Morgett's mind, trapped in a swimming pool at the hacienda Dervil San Gerxon claimed for himself.

Be careful, I sent. Armed men are everywhere
.

Any you want left alive?
Esme's voice was calm as she replied.

None except Amalthea
, I replied.

* * *

Opal

My velociraptor screeched when Morgett, V'ili and the twins disappeared in a swirl of dust and debris, swept up in the rush created by the disappearing library. Tungurahua roared and expelled a massive blast from its crater.

We had little time. I screeched again in frustration; I'd been willing to take on Morgett and his evil twins myself. Somehow, they'd gotten lucky and were taken away before I could reach them.

Lexsi
, Zaria snapped at me.
We have to see to her and Kory
.

She was right. I could screech at the sky all day long and it wouldn't bring our enemy back—who knew where the library had sent them, or whether they were still alive? I came back to myself, sloughing away my velociraptor guise.

"Opal, this is not good," Tibby now stood beside me and took my hand to lead me forward.

Lexsi and Kory lay in a single, crumpled heap where the library wall had been, bare minutes earlier.

"I'll deal with this," Zaria spoke beside me. "Take Anita and the others to Pucusana. Esme needs your help."

Chapter 18

Pucusana, Peru

Anita

Esme, Phineas and an army of humanoid mermen and women, all armed, marched through Dervil San Gerxon's compound. The hacienda was huge, as was the amount of land about it.

A part of me wept for Lexsi and Kory—I had no idea whether they were dead or alive when Opal brought the others and me here. Somehow, the N'il Mo'erti had been deactivated, although the coalition forces had yet to discover that fact.

I was grateful for that much, at least—the US wasn't shooting at us as we combed the grounds and house for those we sought.

V'ili had been within my reach, just before he'd disappeared. I wanted to curse. That had to wait; other things had to be done, first. The prospect of mourning my friends—that would have to wait as well.

Yes, I wanted Dervil San Gerxon's death. I wanted one other just as much. If I found the bitch, so much the worse for her.

Almost as if she were called, she stepped from between banana trees and onto the flagstones in front of me.

Somewhere behind me, Phineas held a tearful reunion with his daughter.

While Laurel Rome gaped at me, Granger, or rather Hannah Tilton, looking like Granger, stepped out of the garden and onto the path behind Laurel.

"What are you going to do, bitch?" Hannah spoke with Granger's voice.

I shot her first.

* * *

Opal

With Thomas, Jorden and Davis behind me and Kell and Klancy on either side, I went looking for Dervil inside the house.

I didn't find him; those around me sniffed him out.

He hid inside a safe room, behind a hidden doorway. Kell and Klancy didn't bother looking for the release to open the door; they tore into the wall until they found the metal wall behind the original.

A vampire's claws can cut through steel, if it's less than three inches thick.

Dervil should have protected himself better.

We found him cowering with the prick who'd taken Jamie Rome's place. Both shrank back at the sight of Kell and Klancy's claws.

"Should we kill them?" Kell turned to ask.

"Let's take them with us. We have to have a scapegoat or two, don't you think?"

* * *

Zaria

I was forced to change to my other self. My taller, bluer self. Lexsi and Kory, both barely breathing, were unconscious. It hadn't been the library's intention to kill either of them.

What it had intended frightened me.

In all the Larentii Archives, nothing was said or hinted at regarding this.

Meanwhile, the library had disappeared. Relocated to who knew where, and sending Morgett, Deris, Daris and V'ili who knew where.

Perhaps it was because at least three of those four had roles to play in the future. I hoped their roles had ended on Earth in the past, but I worried that wasn't the case.

"I can't take the memory of the pain away," I said, touching Lexsi's head, first. "All I can do is heal the pain troubling you now."

* * *

Opal

"You didn't kill her?" I stared at Anita; she held Laurel Rome at gunpoint at the designated gathering spot around the pool.

Loftin Qualls' body, savaged by Watson and Jorden's wolves and then dragged to the pool area, lay in a spot by itself. Vic Malone, covered in bites and standing nearby under guard, couldn't take his eyes off Loftin's body or Jorden and Watson's huge wolves.

Thanks for taking out the N'il Mo'erti
, I sent to Zaria.

I didn't
, she said.
The library did
.

"Holy shit," I mumbled to myself. "No wonder she didn't say anything until now."
Any idea where the evil twins and V'ili are?
I asked.

None. I think the library sent them elsewhere. I have a theory, but can't prove anything. I'm worried they'll be back to trouble us again.

That makes two of us
, I replied.
They have parts to play years from now, but Morgett? How does he figure into all this?

No idea. You taking prisoners to Washington first?

Yeah.

Meet me at the San Rafael house when you're done.

Will do.

* * *

It took two days to convince the President and Congress that the threat in Peru was over. Fields of deadly drakus seed were burned, the smoke covering miles upon miles of the country. I worried about stores of seed and smaller fields we hadn't found yet, but that was a concern for another day.

Dervil couldn't prove his existence on Earth; he only had faked identification. He, Laurel and Berke were taking the brunt of the blame, while all three refused to speak to anyone, including their lawyers.

I visited Laurel at the federal prison where all three were held; extra guards were posted—not because they might get out, but because people were calling for their deaths.

Laurel didn't look good in orange or beige.

She even offered to bribe me to get her out, or, failing that, to get her a more comfortable cell.

"Jamie sends his regards," I said, then smiled at the shocked and sour face she made. "You're lucky to still be alive, you know."

"Come back here, bitch," she shouted at me as I rose and walked away.

I laughed for the first time in days.

It was time to go to California; time to assess the damage done to our High Demons. I was terrified that they'd sicken and die, after their experience in the library. As far as I knew, something like that had never happened before. With a worried sigh, I found a suitable place and folded space to the San Rafael house.

"They're sleeping," Zaria informed me when I appeared in the kitchen. "Come with me; there's something I have to tell you."

I followed her down the hall toward Lexsi's bedroom, puzzled as to what she needed to say that couldn't be expressed in the kitchen.

Zaria didn't speak again until we were inside the bedroom and the door closed behind us. Lexsi and Kory lay on the bed, unmoving, except for the slow breaths they drew as they slept.

"The library didn't intend to cause them pain, but it did when it marked them," Zaria's voice was soft.

"What?" I jerked my head toward Zaria, who frowned at the sleeping figures on the bed. At least they were back to humanoid. The last time I'd seen them, they were still Thifilatha and Thifilathi, crumpled together in a sad and terrifyingly unmoving heap on the cave floor.

The cave had disintegrated around us while the library relocated itself.

I still hadn't forgiven it for allowing Morgett to go free.

"You can't see it now. Only the powerful will see it when they change in the future, but it's there," Zaria whispered.

"What is there?" I demanded.

"The books. It's printed all over them—what the library holds is now embedded in those two High Demons. I wish I knew what that means."

"May the Three be merciful," I breathed.

* * *

Kordevik

I woke first this time. Lexsi, curled against me, slept peacefully with me in her bed. Someone had placed us together when they'd brought us back.

I couldn't recall being brought back to the house in San Rafael. I barely recalled when the pain had stopped. A black pit yawned between that horrible, painful experience and waking in Lexsi's bed.

Days, weeks or months could have passed and I'd not known of it.

"Eight days," Anita said and yawned. She sat on a chair on my side of the bed. I'd awakened with my back to her and hadn't known she was there until she spoke.

"Kory?" Lexsi stirred and whimpered.

"I'm here, baby," I soothed, pulling her against me.

"Hungry," she snuggled her head beneath my chin.

"Me, too," I whispered against her hair.

"I'll bring a tray," Anita said. I heard the door open and close behind her.

"What happened?" Lexsi pulled away to look at my face, her sky-blue eyes examining me for injury.

"I don't know," I said. "How do you feel? Does anything hurt?"

"I don't think so," she said, although I watched a shadow pass over her features. She remembered just as vividly as I the pain the library caused.

"I'd like a warm shower," she said. "I don't know whether I can get off the bed on my own, though."

"I'll help," I offered. "Maybe we can prop each other up and skip in."

"I have a better idea," someone spoke from the foot of our bed.

Lexsi sat bolt upright, then scrambled to pull covers against bared breasts.

"Stop worrying about that," the dark-haired woman said. "I just think it's time you two got married."

"Huh?" Lexsi blinked in confusion.

"Look, I can get you to your wedding, then bring you back here. How does that sound?"

"Aunt Bree, I am so, so sorry," Lexsi began.

"Honey, stop worrying. I hear that's the man you want to marry?" Bree pointed in my direction. I pulled Lexsi against me. I admit; a curl of smoke escaped my nostrils before I could stop it.

"Yeah." Lexsi hung her head while her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Then what's the trouble? There's a wedding waiting in the future. What do you say? We can show up, you do your thing and I bring you back here last night so you can wake up this morning."

"I want to," I said. "Lexsi?" I tipped her chin up so her eyes met mine. "Remember my promise?"

"I remember," she breathed.

"Then come on," Lexsi's Aunt gestured. "Get up and let's go."

* * *

High Demon Palace

Kifirin

Kellik of Abenott

"I thought you told me the wedding wouldn't take place," I frowned at Rigo.

"The odds were certainly against it," Rigo said. "Come on, there will be cake. You know you love cake."

"I do. I detest weddings, however," I said.

"You need to see this one," Rigo placed a hand on my shoulder and grinned.

* * *

Lexsi

I'd almost finished the plate of food brought to me before I had to dress in the gown my parents bought for me.

My mother fussed with the fabric of the dress as it hung on the wardrobe door of a suite in King Jayd and Queen Glinda's castle.

Veshtul was filled with crowds of people while the town itself was decorated for my wedding to Kory.

No, I wasn't supposed to know him, when and where I was.

I wanted to tell my mother to stop fretting. She thought she'd done a terrible thing, agreeing to this marriage.

For a moment, my mind wandered back to Earth—we'd be going back, according to Aunt Bree. That meant one thing to me—our mission wasn't over. Something remained for us to do.

I had so many questions I wanted to ask Zaria and Opal—questions about Morgett, Deris, Daris and V'ili. This wasn't the time to worry about those things. Kory said he'd take care of me.

I believed him.

He'd been the one who'd thrown himself at the library wall in an attempt to pull me away. Instead, he'd suffered the pain I was suffering.

"Lexsi, you don't have to go through with this," Mom turned to me with a sigh.

"Mom, I want to do this," I said. "Trust me, all right?"

"Then let's get you into this dress," she said.

* * *

Kordevik

We'd settled for a wedding that was untraditional, as far as High Demons went. Queen Lissa, Lexsi's grandmother, had made arrangements. As she was originally from Earth, there were plenty of Earth references to this ceremony, including an expensive dress and other finery.

None of it mattered when I stood at an altar of sorts, waiting for Lexsi to appear. Music began. Lexsi, escorted by Torevik Rath, her father, appeared in the doorway to the palace arboretum, where the ceremony would take place.

I could see the tight grip Lexsi had on her father's arm as they stepped forward.

Baby, are you all right?
I sent.

I'm okay, just a little nervous
, she replied.

Don't be scared. I'll take care of you
.

I know
.

Slowly they walked toward me.

I waited at the altar, alone.

"I give her to you, Kordevik Weth," Torevik said, once they'd reached me. I held out my hand to Lexsi, who let go of her father and reached out to me.

Gently, I pulled her forward. Her eyes reflected my face as she gazed at me.

Trusting me.

"
Hala avilepha
," I said, "
m'seidra camethei refieoru
." My mouth came down on hers. With a sigh, she went limp in my arms. She didn't fall; I lifted her body to cradle it in my arms.