Bound by Light (41 page)

August didn’t seem to notice or care. "I want what I’ve been campaigning for since I arrived." He stood up straight and opened his hands as if to embrace the room. "Peace, my dear. I want peace."

As the words spilled from the man’s mouth, Jake’s demon senses growled at the lies—but damned if a few of the officers and one of the Sibyls didn’t look . . . what? Relieved? Hopeful?

Shit.

Was this more of the bastard’s talent, to pump harmony when he wasn’t pumping discord?

You killed my friend, and you want my woman. . . .

"Let’s not stand on pretense and formality." August lowered his arms and kept his words directed at Merilee. "I know you’re investigating me, hoping to tie me to that awful killing at the Carter headquarters—as well as other crimes."

This time, the grunts of surprise couldn’t be missed, Jake’s included. He didn’t make it all the way through the part about tearing off the fucker’s head this time.

August glanced at him, then at Creed, Nick, the OCU officers, and the other two Sibyls. Jake couldn’t shake the sense that they were being probed and examined, checked for weaknesses, as if this were all one big fun game for the ancient demon in man-skin standing in front of them.

"Of
course
I know about the warrants." August sounded like a parent being indulgent with his children. "Go on and serve them wherever and however you’d like. You’ll find nothing because I’m completely clean—and completely innocent. You don’t even need warrants. Just knock on my door anytime, and I’ll let you in. I have nothing to hide."

The bastard’s smile would have lit a cathedral, but Jake didn’t buy it. When he glanced down at Merilee, she was paler than he’d ever seen her, and he wanted to snatch her and run out of the room before August could do any more damage.

August was busy talking now, droning about truthfulness and how he valued life, how life was his purpose on Earth, and Jake could swear some of his officers and now both of the Sibyls other than Merilee were actually considering some of his garbage.

August produced a piece of paper, and he handed it to the OCU officer standing nearest to him. "My own investigators have developed this list of potential suspects, criminals and perverts who were in the area at the time of Derek Holston’s savaging. Perhaps it will be useful to you?"

The officer with the list looked at Jake, who gestured for him to put the paper away. The officer folded the list and tucked it into his pocket.

"Thank you," Jake said, the words actually causing him physical pain. He started to launch into their own planned spiel, about timing and coincidences, about the warrants and what they suspected they’d find, but Merilee interrupted him suddenly with the same four words she had used before.

"What do you want?"

August’s smile faded, then blazed brighter than ever as he made eye contact with her. "Why don’t you send your companions on their way to check out my list, and we’ll discuss that, shall we?"

Jake’s shoulders tensed, and the muscles in his arms bunched. They had expected a move like this, for August to try to isolate Merilee, and they had a ready response. At a nod from Jake, the OCU officers and two Sibyls filed out of the room and made as if to leave the building, but Jake knew they would hit the alley, split up, walk less than a block in all directions, and establish a makeshift perimeter. They’d be ready to swoop back in at the first sign of trouble, and they’d also be able to call for help if help was needed.

Jake remained behind with Nick and Creed. No matter what August said or tried to pull, the three of them would not leave Merilee’s side.

The murdering psycho who slaughtered Freeman didn’t seem flustered by this. He kept his cold gaze on Merilee and Merilee alone, and once more Jake had the sensation that August was probing. Testing out theories about Merilee, and maybe about Jake and his brothers, too.

Had it been a mistake to come here?

Were they giving August more information than he was giving them?

I should just kill him now.

But what if he explodes or some shit and hurts Merilee?

Jake punched a third claw into Merilee’s chair back and had to hold his breath to stay human. His vision prismed and swam, bursting into full Astaroth awareness. For the briefest moment, the image of August darkened. Turned black. Turned huge. Then Jake’s demon vision receded again, until the room looked normal to his human-form eyes.

As the door closed, leaving the five of them alone in the big glass conference room, Merilee flinched and almost looked upward toward the ceiling. She caught herself, controlled the urge, but every muscle in Jake’s body went so tight his skin burned.

August gazed at Merilee and nodded. "Yes. Your friends. Those black winged creatures who have been blocking my attempts to communicate with you more . . . privately." August glanced toward the ceiling, as if he could hear the monsters shrieking just like Merilee. "Even now, they’re making this meeting quite difficult. What are they? Can you summon them at will?"

Merilee straightened and went as rigid as Jake.

Jake stared at August.

He had been under the impression that the Keres belonged to August—or at least that he was using an approximation of their images to scare the shit out of Merilee and other air Sibyls.

Merilee’s posture suggested that she had been assuming the same thing.

August shifted his attention to Jake, Nick, and Creed. "And you three. The demon-brothers who have risen above their makings. The unholy trinity itself, here in my office. I must say I’m honored. Your mother was a powerful biosentient. I would have liked to see her work."

Jake answered with a low growl, and he felt the instant heat of his brothers as their Curson energy surged forward and their skin began to glow gold.

August focused on Jake. "Why is it you are so different from others of your kind? Do you know? Have you even bothered to explore that question?"

Jake ached to hurt this bastard. Saw it so clearly in his mind he could almost feel the blood flowing over his fingers, but somehow he managed to stand behind Merilee and do nothing. Let him keep up his I-know-more-than-you-do game. Who knew what other tidbits he’d spill by accident, and never even realize his mistakes?

Merilee leaned forward, elbows pressing hard against the table, and repeated her earlier question. "What do you want?"

August seated himself at the table across from her, in front of the door.

Between us and the exit
. Jake almost stopped breathing, cursing himself for his tactical error. But they were four against one—and he didn’t care what the numbers were. If it came down to it, he would get Merilee out one way or another.

August never broke eye contact with Merilee. "We have a long and terrible history, your people and mine—but the time of the Legion is ending. I can accept that. Can you?"

Jake jerked from shock, and saw the surprise on his brothers’ faces as their golden glow slipped away.

Merilee didn’t react at all.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked, his voice low and quiet in the stillness of the conference room.

"I mean, the Legion is my creation," August said to Merilee instead of Nick, "but it’s finished. I’m through with that way of life, and I want nothing more than to make treaty with the Sibyls. Find common ground."

He stopped. Waited.

Merilee breathed in, breathed out, and Jake felt the slow rise of hot wind from the back of her shoulders.

"You filthy, murdering bastard," she whispered. "We will never find common ground with the likes of you."

August’s beatific expression never changed except for a flash of deeper coldness in those already-frozen eyes. "You misjudge me. I assure you, I haven’t killed anyone—at least not recently. I’m weary of violence, Merilee. I’ve seen too much of it in my many centuries."

For a moment, the man seemed to have different faces, all colors, all ages. Jake thought he caught the ibislike countenance of the Egyptian god Thoth in that mix, but he wasn’t certain. The effect was dizzying and hypnotic, even to him, even with all he knew.

"I’ll help you bring to justice those who are guilty of the crimes you seek to redress." August’s voice sounded so sincere, but Jake’s skin kept right on crawling. "All I ask is that you work with me, you and your Sibyl sisters. Join with me to make a better world."

Fancy words. Fancy suit.
Jake’s ribs felt like they were cracking as he held back his shift—and his fists, and his Glock, too.
Fuck, can’t I just kill him now? Lying asshole.

Merilee said nothing, but she had stopped shaking. In the reflection of the glass walls, Jake saw that her expression was absolutely unreadable. The way she was staring at August, Jake wouldn’t have been surprised to see her conjure a bow and arrow and shoot the bastard right between his icy black eyes.

"Leave me in peace, and I’ll help restore order in this city." August smiled at her, seeming unaware that his little seduction routine was falling flat on its smelly ass. "I’ll help in your search for the people who have disappeared, and I’ll make certain they’re returned unharmed. Work with me, Merilee."

Jake heard the sound of Merilee’s teeth grinding, then the hiss in her voice when she asked, "Do I have a choice?"

August actually managed to look offended. "Of course you do." He sat back in his chair and opened his arms again. "If you don’t wish to work with me, you’re free to leave."

Merilee stood so fast the top of her forehead almost caught Jake in the chin.

"I understand," August said, sounding phony-sad. Sweet, but with a flinty edge that made Jake go back to thoughts of ripping off his head. "Trust takes time, my dear. Sooner or later, though, you may need me too much to turn me down."

Jake was about to discuss how cold the temperature in hell would need to be before that happened when Merilee let out a choked cry, climbed over the table, shot past August, and bolted out of the room.

Nick reacted at the same time as Jake, following the same path Merilee took, over the table and past August, who just sat in his chair smiling that television smile.

"What’s going on?" Creed yelled as he caught up with them and they tore down the headquarters hallway, knocking people out of the way.

Merilee wasn’t even in sight.

They heard the door to the alley bang shut before they even got past the big copy room.

"No idea," Jake said between breaths as they ran.

As they broke into the alley and shoved past the line of Peace Now workers, Nick got on his radio and barked instructions for the OCU to get the Sibyls and fall back another block, and wait for more orders.

Jake let his demon essence come forward as much as he dared, his acute senses picking up Merilee’s scent on the wind she left behind. He immediately realized she was heading back to the townhouse, though he had no idea why.

Damn, she was moving fast, using her wind energy to speed her progress until she’d be nothing but a blur to human onlookers. He caught a deep whiff of her fury and terror and the kind of worry he had always associated with family fearing for their own.

Or . . . a Sibyl fearing for her triad sisters?

Jake fought not to stumble, then fought harder not to grow wings.

Oh, fuck.

His gut caught fire.

Oh, shit, no, not this.

Jake cut his eyes left and right, taking in the determined faces of his brothers as they ran.

"Send everyone to the townhouse," he yelled, adrenaline pouring through him. He strained deep inside his human form, doubling his speed to keep up with Nick and Creed once they shifted. "It’s Riana and Cynda. We need to get there
right now
!"

(31)

Merilee covered the last two blocks to the townhouse in only seconds.

Why hadn’t she listened to her instinct earlier, damn-it, why?

Tears blinded her. She felt like her heart might explode.

The Keres weren’t some bullshit August had been throwing at her. The second he’d asked her about them, she’d known that, felt it deep—along with the truth. That the death spirits were trying to get her attention. For some unknown reason, they had been trying to warn her, maybe even help her.

Now that her mind was open to the Keres, she could sense their meaning more clearly. The message still clanged in her brain like a warning Klaxon.

Get home.

You’re in danger.

Your people are in danger.

Home. Home. Home!

Oh, fuck, she hoped that message was wrong, that it didn’t mean what she thought it did.

All the gods of Olympus, let Riana and Cynda be okay. Please.

Merilee vaulted over the metal fence around the townhouse, then threw herself up the steps. She blasted her wind ahead of her so hard even her blood cells felt the pull.