Darkness Hunts (DA 4) (33 page)

“Then how did you get caught? Or was that another lie to get me to do your bidding?”

“The
chrání
knew more than I thought, hence I was captured. I was stripped of my flesh form during Malin’s attempts to gain the location of the keys, but I could not give what I did not have.”

“Why did they keep you alive? After all, I was born by that time. They didn’t need you to get to me.”

“Yes, but I was the only one who knew the clues. Malin, for all her power, could not take that information from me.”

And then he’d somehow escaped his prison. But thanks to his capture, he’d missed his meeting with his Razan—who had, as he’d ordered, killed themselves to protect the earthly location of the keys. “Why was Lucian left alive?”

“As I said, he was my
chrání
. I have no doubt that Malin thought I might attempt to contact him again.”

“Well,
that’s
a stupid thought given how much he appears to hate Raziq.”

“She would not understand such emotion. Few of us do.”

Because they didn’t
do
emotions. And yet Lucian did. Was it simply a result of being made less than he was, or were there deeper reasons?

My father was obviously following my thoughts, because he said, “For an Aedh, being less than you were is a far worse fate than being dead.”

Which explained the fierceness that drove my father. He wanted domination—particularly over those who had made
him
less than he was.

“Even as I am, I am far more than Malin and her rabble will ever be.” There was no conceit in my father’s voice, no hint of boasting in his words. He merely stated a fact as he saw it. From the little I’d seen of the two parties, he
did
seem the stronger. And he was certainly more cunning.

“Why didn’t you warn me that Lucian was an adversary? He’s linked sexually to my thoughts, and no doubt tracking your intentions through me.”

“As I was tracking
his
movements and thoughts—and therefore the movements of the dark sorceress he plays with—through you.”

I frowned. “Why would you be tracking her movements? She’s not the one who took the keys.”

“You are sure of this? Because I am not.”

“Her energy wasn’t the same.” It was almost stubbornly said. I knew what I’d felt, and Lauren’s energy
wasn’t
what I’d sensed when the key went missing.

So why did she seem familiar to me? I didn’t know, and that niggled.

“I still would not erase the possibility that she is involved, especially considering the
chrání
’s liaison with her. Everything he does, he does with intent.”

“Like master, like student,” I muttered.

“Indeed,” my father agreed. “I taught him well.”

Too fucking well. And the worst thing was, he was yet another person who was going to create trouble for me in the weeks ahead.

I rubbed my forehead wearily. “Look, you called me here for a reason. What is it?”

“What else would it be? You need to find the next key.”

“You still want me to find it after the shitty mess I made of the last attempt?” It was a stupid question, but I couldn’t help asking it all the same. I mean, miracles
did
occasionally occur, and there was always the faint hope that my father would decide I was useless and try to find someone else.

And by tomorrow, pigs will have flown.

“You are my only child, and therefore my only option.”

Meaning if he’d had another option he probably would have taken it. And as much as I’d always longed for a sibling, I was suddenly glad that I was an only child. It was bad enough risking the lives of my friends; I couldn’t imagine doing it to a brother or sister.

“Okay, so hit me with the clues.”

“As I said in the book you destroyed, the second key bears the semblance of a dagger. It was sent to the northwest, where the alluvial fields run deep and the soil is stained by rebellion.”

He stopped, and I waited. He didn’t go on. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got?”

“That’s all I dared give my Razan. I could not be more specific in case I was captured—which I was.”

I thrust a hand through my hair. “It doesn’t give me a lot to go on.”

“That was the whole point. But you found the first one; you will find the others.”

I was glad someone had confidence in me. Although I wasn’t entirely sure I
wanted
my father’s confidence.

“What am I supposed to do when I get it?” Especially now that I knew I couldn’t destroy the keys—
if
my father was telling the truth, that is. He
had
told me previously that they could be destroyed, and Azriel seemed of the same opinion as well.

“Use this stone to contact me. I will give you further directions.”

“What about Azriel?” He wanted the keys destroyed—or at least in Mijai hands, and I had no doubt he’d take it the minute we found it. Especially given what had happened with the first key.

“Do not let the reaper gain possession of the keys. Whatever it takes, whatever you have to do, do it. Otherwise, your friends will not live to see another dawn.”

Fury, fear, and frustration swirled through me, and I clenched my fists. Uselessly, because there was nothing and no one here to hit. “Damn it, how the hell am I supposed to stop a reaper? I’m only human—”

“You were
never
human. You are a creation of
my
flesh, and that well runs deeper than you realize.” He paused, and the energy in the cylinder became so electric the hairs on my arms stood on end. “Do what I say, Risa, or face the consequences.”

And with that, the white light died and I found myself blinking furiously against tears as I stared at Azriel.

“What happened?” he asked, concern in his voice.

I brushed away the solitary droplet that trickled down my cheek. “You weren’t following events through the chi connection?”

“No, the ward severed the connection.”

I guess that was no surprise—my father was more than aware of Azriel’s presence in my life. “He gave me the clues to find the second key, and then gave me a fucking horrible choice.”

Azriel studied me for a moment, his expression giving little away, then placed Valdis on the floor and rose in one smooth movement. He disappeared into the kitchen, but was back within minutes, a large glass of bourbon and Coke in one hand. “Drink this, then tell me.”

I half smiled. “With the amount of booze I can smell in this glass, I’d normally think you were trying to get me drunk.”

“You’re a werewolf—is that not impossible?”

“Oh, I can get drunk. It just takes a hell of a lot of time and booze, and it usually doesn’t last long enough to make the effort worthwhile.” I took several large gulps and felt the burn of the bourbon all the way down to my belly.

“What happened?” Azriel said softly.

I briefly closed my eyes. “How sure are you that the keys can be destroyed?”

“As sure as we can be. The keys are not part of all creation, as the portals are, so therefore we should be able to destroy them without overwhelming effects to our worlds.”

“My father says otherwise.”

“It would be in your father’s best interest to have you believe so.” But a frown marred his usually calm expression.

“He says the keys were created in blood, and that blood now links them to the fabric of the gates. If we destroy the keys, we risk destroying the gates.”

“I do not think that is possible.”

“But you don’t know for sure?”

“No, but there are those who will.” He hesitated, his gaze capturing mine. “That is not all, is it?”

He
knew
it wasn’t. I gulped down more alcohol, and swallowed the subsequent burp. “If I let you take the remaining keys, he will kill Ilianna and Tao.”

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. I could read his thoughts as clearly as if they were mine. Anger surged, so fierce and bright that Valdis’s flames flared in reaction.

“They will
not
be casualties in this cause, Azriel. I’d rather give the keys to my father than let either of them die.”

“The fate of our worlds rests—”

“I don’t fucking
care
!” My grip on the glass tightened. How it remained intact I have no idea. “This
isn’t
negotiable, Azriel. If what my father says is true, then you won’t be getting the keys. End of story.”

Red flickered through the tips of Valdis’s flames. It was an indication of her master’s emotions—emotions he was otherwise very carefully controlling.

“Then I had better check the legitimacy of his comments as quickly as possible,” was all he said.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “You’d better. And while you’re at it, ask what can be done if the keys can’t be destroyed.”

“If they cannot be destroyed, we are all in trouble. Neither the Raziq nor your father will rest until they possess them.” He eyed me critically. “Ilianna’s and Tao’s fates hang in the balance no matter what option you choose, Risa.”

I knew that. I’d always known that.

But it didn’t alter the fact that I wasn’t willingly going to do anything that would place them in the direct path of either my father or the Raziq.

Azriel sighed. It was a frustrated sound. “What is the clue?”

I repeated what my father had said, and he frowned. “That does not tell us much.”

“Which is exactly what I said. And
he
basically said ‘tough.’”

My phone rang, the ringtone telling me it was Rhoan. I dug it out of my pocket and hit the vid-answer button. No picture came up, which was odd, but maybe he didn’t want me to see what was going on around him.

“Uncle Rhoan,” I said. “Please tell me you’ve caught the bastard.”

“Indeed I have,” a familiar voice said. “He’s currently tied up tighter than a turkey at Christmas.”

Ice entered my body.

It wasn’t Rhoan on the other end of the phone.

It was Zane Taylor, my faceless hunter.

Chapter 13

For too many minutes I couldn’t speak. All I could think was,
He can’t be dead
.
Please, God, don’t let him be dead
.

“What the hell have you done to him?” It came out a hoarse whisper, because my throat was locked tight with fear.

“Nothing that will kill him
just
yet.”

I closed my eyes in relief, but it didn’t last long. Not when the madman at the other end of the phone had Rhoan’s life in his hands—and no doubt wanted mine.

“How did you even know—” I stopped, suddenly realizing the answer to my question before I’d asked it. “The cameras at the warehouse. You deliberately revealed yourselves so that we could find you.”

“Yes,” he said. “I had worried that the Directorate might catch on to our little trap, but, as usual, I overestimated them.”

Because no one in his right mind would expect a suspect to deliberately parade about in front of security cameras. But then, Taylor and sanity weren’t exactly chummy.

“Rhoan isn’t the one you were hunting, so why are you even bothering to keep him captive?” My voice shook as I spoke, and I took a slow, deep breath in an attempt to remain calm. Clearheaded thinking was what this situation needed, not panic, not fear—even if there was plenty of both.

“He and I were playing this game before you came onto the scene, and would no doubt have arrived at this situation sooner or later.” He paused, and I could almost feel the satisfaction oozing from his pores, even though the screen was blank and he was nowhere near me. “As to why he is still alive, that’s simple. I believe he might be a much better lure to capture you than anything else I could have come up with.”

He had
that
right. God, if anything happened to Rhoan, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself—let alone face Aunt Riley. He might be a guardian, and this might not be my fault but rather a danger Rhoan willingly faced every day, but that still didn’t alter one fact. I was involved, and I’d bear the brunt of guilt if he was hurt. Or worse, killed.

Oh please, don’t let it be worse.

I took another deep breath that did nothing to ease the queasiness threatening to overwhelm me, then said, “So what do you want?”

“Why, dear huntress, you, of course.”

I closed my eyes. Even though I’d expected the answer, the thought of willingly walking into this man’s trap horrified me. “Why? I’m not one of your so-called aberrations you’re destined to destroy. Why hunt me, when your calling gives you so many other options?”

“Good question.” There was an edge in his voice that spoke of amusement. This bastard was sick.
Sick, sick, sick
 . . . I thrust the mental chant away.
That
way lies madness. He continued. “The simple answer is boredom. That is why I originally started playing my game with the Directorate. In a life as long as mine, a challenge is sometimes needed.”

“You’re killing these women because you’re
bored
?”

He sighed. “Huntress, that is not what I said. I kill the women because
that
is my calling. I taunt the Directorate because it is fun.”

He was definitely a fruitcake. He had to be, because taunting the Directorate was stupid and dangerous.

“So where do I come into the picture?” I knew where well enough. I’d defied him on the fields, threatened him, marked him. For someone who obviously considered himself beyond the Directorate’s reach, that
had
to be galling.

“You intrigued me, huntress. You, and the one who guards you both. I have not come across your likes before.”

A chill ran through me. How the hell could he know about Azriel? “I’m not sure what you mean—”

He tsked. “Come, huntress, let’s not play this particular game.”

I swallowed heavily. If he knew about Azriel, then he probably also knew how to stop him. My reaper might not be of this place, but he
could
be blocked and killed here. That might be in this madman’s plan. After all, what bigger buzz could there be for someone as sick as Taylor than killing a celestial guide?