Beyond the Veil (5 page)

  Akil planted a hand against the wall beside me and met my stare. His dark eyes simmered with energy. An inferno raged within. He dragged every breath through clenched teeth, as though struggling to contain the energy broiling the air. I have to admit, it felt good to have him like that, knowing I could pull him back in. He might not be human, but the vessel he had chosen was, and I could give him one hell of a ride.

  The phone cut off, and my recorded voice jabbered on about not being home, please leave a message.

  I leaned into him and licked at his lips, teasing my tongue ever so gently between them.

 
“
This is a message for Charlotte Henderson. Charlotte, I
’
m Detective Mark Bergin. We need you to come down to the station. We have a witness who
’
s given us a description of a man we believe to have been at your premises shortly before the explosion and
…
well
…
we would prefer it if we spoke to you in person. You need to call me back. This man is potentially very dangerous.
”

 
I heard the detective
’
s voice chattering away in the other room as he left his message. I
’
d have ignored it, but the mention of a man I could only assume was Stefan instantly doused my desire. Akil must have sensed my distraction. With a resigned sigh, he leaned against me, his cheek resting against mine. The power we had summoned between us began to fizzle away, crackling and spitting its displeasure as it retreated. I felt its departure keenly and ached to have it back, but the moment was gone.

 
When he pulled back, the swirl of power I
’
d seen in his eyes had vanished, and his smile was a little despondent.

 
“
Tonight,
”
he promised.
“
After the party. We
’
re going to finish this.
”

  He said it like a threat, and my insides fluttered, a sliver of desire peeling the last little groan from me before Akil released me.

Streetlights flickered on as Akil
’
s limo inched forward through the rush hour traffic. The car was so well insulated that, while I could see the city bustling by us outside, I couldn
’
t hear a thing. Throngs of people flowed back and forth over the sidewalks in their rush to get home. They had no idea one of the most powerful demons ever to have existed sat a few yards from them behind the limo
’
s black privacy glass.

  Akil relaxed in the seat opposite me, leaning an arm on the wrap-around shelf. His gaze slid across the anonymous people outside. Lost in thought, we had barely spoken a word since leaving my apartment. I felt the tug of desire every time I let my gaze linger just a little too long. Occasionally, he
’
d flick his dark eyes to me, and I
’
d see that hunger slumbering there. He didn
’
t need to speak to make me to squirm in the leather seats. It took every ounce of my human stubbornness to stop myself from pouncing on him. My imagination worked overtime to supply me with the sort of images that brought a rush of color to my cheeks.

 
“
Would you like me to accompany you?
”
He leaned forward to reach for the door.

  The unimaginative blocky structure housing the police department loomed outside as the driver pulled the car to a halt against the curb. I peered through the soundproof glass at the entrance, reaching for the door handle. My fingers brushed his. A spark of energy bolted between us, providing enough of a shock for me to snatch my hand back.

  He held my gaze. Words were superfluous against the wolfish grin on his lips. He opened the door, stepped out, and held it open for me.

  It felt good to step from the car back into the bustle of city life. I breathed deeply, tasting the metallic residue of the city air on my lips. The clamor from the traffic grounded me firmly back in reality.

  Akil looked at me as though waiting for an answer. It took me a while to remember what he
’
d asked.

  I glanced up the steps at the police department doors.
“
No, I
’
ll be fine. Will you wait?
”

 
“
Of course.
”
He closed the car door and shrugged off his coat, before sliding the expensive garment around my shoulders. He hesitated, bunching the jacket together below my chin and looking down at me. His smile faltered, and the briefest glimmer of concern tightened his expression before he retreated to lean against the car. Despite the chill in the air, he wore only a shirt. The cold wouldn
’
t bother him. Such human afflictions rarely did, and yet something clearly concerned him.

I climbed the steps and entered the building, feeling somewhat over-dressed in my red cocktail dress and knee-high boots. In the cramped waiting area, plastic chairs lined one wall. A water-cooler butted up against the reception desk. I registered my arrival with the uniformed officer at the desk and asked for Detective Bergin.

 
I didn
’
t have long to wait. Detective Bergin introduced himself with a handshake firm enough to bruise. A big man at six foot plus, he towered over me. A barrel chest and booming voice declared him alpha, whether he knew it or not. He was the kind of guy people instinctively move out of the way for.

 
“
Have a seat.
”
In an interview room, he gestured at the metal chairs before pulling one out from beneath the table and lowering his muscular bulk into it. The chair creaked.

The room was little more than a concrete box. A fluorescent light spilled a sickly glow on its four mauve walls. I couldn
’
t be sure whether it was the room or the man, but a slither of unease had worked its way beneath my skin.

 
“
Thank you for coming.
”
His voice boomed far too loud for the small space we shared. He gestured again for me to sit, thrusting out a large calloused hand as though it was not a request but an order.

 
I planted a hand on my hip and stayed on my feet.
“
That
’
s okay. You said someone saw something at my workshop?
”
I didn
’
t want to stay any longer than necessary. I had a hot date, literally, and my distaste for the detective was growing by the second. His very presence left an odd taste in my mouth, like the gritty aftertaste of spoiled fruit.

 
“
Yes.
”
He snatched at a thin file from the table and flicked open the cover.
“
Do you know this man?
”
He pinched an 8-by-10 color photo between his thick fingers and holding it up for me.

  It was Stefan.
“
No.
”

The same distinctive red coat, but the image had been enlarged. The quality suffered because of it. In the photo, Stefan held something at his side, a sword perhaps, a very different one from the katana he
’
d brought to my workshop. With no identifying date or time stamps and a blurry background, I couldn
’
t be sure when or where the image had been taken.

 
“
We have a witness placing this man outside your workshop minutes before the explosion. Apparently, he got into a red car. Do you know anything about that?
”

 
“No.”

 
Bergin
’
s cracked lips peeled back over coffee-stained teeth in a mockery of a smile.
“
You don
’
t remember watching him leave prior to your workshop going up in smoke?
”

  I glanced at the door and back at Bergin.
“
Are you asking or telling me?
”

 
He blinked slowly, leaning back in his chair and chomping his lips together as he deliberately raked a filthy gaze over me.
“
This man, he
’
s wanted for murder, numerous assaults, wilful destruction of public property, and more parking offences than you can shake a stick at, and yet he continues to elude us
—
not to mention destroying your place of work. So I was wondering if you might remember seeing him and whether you
’
d be kind enough to tell us where we can find him.
”

 
“
I don
’
t know that man. I
’
ve never seen him before in my life.
”
Why was he so insistent? Wasn
’
t I meant to be the victim here? I certainly did not like how he looked at me or how he implied I was lying. Despite the fact that he was right.

  Bergin refused to look away as I deliberately pinned my stare on his. He might think he could bully me. In fact from the sordid gaze, I could tell he wasn
’
t thinking much beyond what lay beneath my dress. He had no idea what he was dealing with.

 
“
Are you done?
”
My fingers twitched at my sides. I could spill a little power into my touch if I needed to. He
’
d wake with one hell of a headache.

 
He snorted a laugh.
“
You half-bloods are all the same.
”

  I looked away, plastering a grin on my lips. Apparently there was more going on here than a simple Q and A. Now that he
’
d revealed he knew me, we could cut to the chase.

  He stood, the chair legs scraping across the floor, and steepled his fingers on the table before him. He bowed his head but kept his eyes on me, like a wolf hunched, ready to attack.
“
You think Akil can protect you?
”

  I summoned a little heat, pooling it in the palms of my hands. If he noticed any change in me, he didn
’
t show it.

 
“
He
’
s not here now.
”
Bergin
’
s voice began to slur and grind his words, no doubt something to do with the elongated teeth cluttering his mouth.

  Demon. I had no idea what sort, but knew I was about to find out.

  The exit door stood at about the same distance away from me as Bergin. If I made a dash for it, the table between us would slow him down.

  He straightened, muscles cracking as he shook off his human guise. The bulk of him shimmered indistinctly. My limited human eyesight blurred the full depth of his transformation, but I saw his form expand as though he
’
d gained a few more pounds in a few seconds. His flesh peppered with scales. His mouth and nose stretched outward, elongating into a snout. His curved fangs drooled saliva. A forked tongue flicked.

  He hunched over, arms pinned to his sides as his body stretched. Scales latticed the length of him until nothing of the detective remained. The huge serpent reared up, mounting the table in one fluid ripple of its smooth body.

 
“
I shall be rewarded
…”
Its hideous voice clawed through my thoughts.

  I thrust a bolt of energy down my right arm and cast my hand out, lashing a whip-like tendril of heat across its scaled form, then sprinted for the door. I managed perhaps two strides, before it slithered in front of me, blocking my path. Serpentine eyes blazed green. A black tongue flicked, tasting the air, forcing me back.

 
“
You should be dead,
”
It quite literally hissed, spittle streaming from its fangs, but I heard the words clearly inside my mind.
“…
your throat cut the day you were born. That is our way. You are a monstrosity!
”

 
“
Look who
’
s talking,
”
I snarled.

  I dipped my chin, looking up at the demon through hooded eyes. Thrusting both arms down at my sides, I summoned power, drawing it into me while the darkest part of me spilled into fragile flesh.

The serpent-demon rose higher, jaws opening into a glistening grin. It lunged forward as I threw everything I had at it. A furious blast of energy funneled through me, slamming into the beast with enough force for it to ripple backward, shaking its whiskered head with a wrenching scream. I backed up again, the power planting itself inside every limb, pooling in muscle, bolstering my fragile flesh. It rushed through me, a burning elixir spilling through my veins, bringing me to life. And this time it had a target.

 
I lashed out, casting a lance of power toward the layered scales of the thing
’
s chest. The blanching white heat passed through it, tearing a hole. The demon lifted its head and let out a keening cry that drilled into my skull.

  I staggered. Its cry shattered my momentary enjoyment like shards of glass thrust into my skull. I had no choice but to cover my ears. It was no use. The cry resounded within me.

 
Hunched low, I willed it to stop. My power rattled about me, seeking a target but finding only chaos. I couldn
’
t focus, couldn
’
t hear, could barely breathe, and then it was gone. Like the snap of a light switch chasing away the plummeting darkness, it was over, and when I opened my eyes, I saw why.

  Akil, or rather his true form, Mammon, stood before the serpent-demon. He had thrust an ethereal broadsword made entirely of an undulating electric blue light through the serpent-demon
’
s scaled body. The bloodied, intangible tip of the sword protruded from its skull. I stumbled, falling to my knees, as always, finding Akil
’
s true nature difficult for my human eyes to focus on. The suffocating weight of his considerable power filled the room. The overwhelming pressure of it crushed the air from my lungs. I forced myself to look at him, refusing to let weakness steal my consciousness.

Akil
’
s broad multi-jointed wings of tanned leather bowed against the ceiling, a dusting of embers raining from their arched edges. As those wings flexed, the muscles in his broad back rippled. Every ounce of flesh looked as though it had been sculpted from obsidian, every muscle lean and powerful.

“
Vos inhonesto mihi.
”
Akil
’
s growl thundered around my aching skull.
You dishonor me
.

I watched his right shoulder bunch, one wing jerking a little as he altered his grip on the sword and twisted the blade deep in its snug-fitting wound. The serpent demon grunted, skewered as it was. It was only when Akil tore the sword free, ripping open the chest of the beast, that it collapsed forward, tail twitching. A dark pool of blood bloomed around its hideous body. Its green eyes hung open, unseeing. Dead.

Akil turned, and I caught a glimpse of his true face before I bowed my head. Cut from the very fabric of the elements, his face barely resembled the man I
’
d left beside the car. He appeared more beast than man with spiraled horns twisting from his forehead, his wide gaping mouth brimming with jagged teeth. Dark wrappings of power thrashed around him, seeking their next victim. An aura of energy simmered against his flesh. The thin veil of reality fizzled into dust at his feet.

I
’
m not ashamed to admit that I cowered on my hands and knees before him. The other part of me had slunk away into the farthest corners of my mind, curling herself into a tiny insignificant flutter in my chest, hardly there at all.

He crouched before me, thick muscular arms resting on stocky knees slick with a sheen of energy. When he held out a hand, elongated fingers tipped with curved claws, I had no choice but to take it. My delicate fingers curled in his, my human flesh so pink and fragile. His writhing tendrils of power curled themselves up my forearm, snaking around my elbow before leaping to my shoulder. I had enough time to realize the darkness had entwined itself around my legs like creeping vines, before the weight of it dragged me down. I fell, and the darkness rushed up to greet me.