Kiss of the Betrayer (A Bringer and the Bane Novel) (32 page)

Luc poked his head around the corner, quickly surveyed what lay beyond, and ducked back in. He glanced at Jade and held up his hand for her to wait where she was.

She silently mouthed, “What is it?”

He shrugged and pointed to his eyes, and then toward the passage. She nodded in understanding. He was struck with the realization of how well they worked together, always on the same page with their approach to situations—despite their bantering.

With tiny steps, Luc crept along the wall and peered around the corner again. The chamber appeared empty. From where he stood there were no other passages or doorways. A waft of cold air, like stepping out into a winter day, hit him. He held up his hand, trying to feel where the breeze came from. Perhaps it was a way out. There was no discernible direction and no obvious vent.

Blue light glowed in measured patches along the rocky walls of the chamber. Though the ceiling was low, the room stretched for what looked like more than a hundred feet before fading into darkness. Only the areas of blue light, which shrank to small pinpricks of light in the distance, lit the chamber.

Luc scanned the low ceiling, searching for imps, but the room seemed devoid of all life. The rock walls glistened with a thin layer of ice and a fine white powder that looked like frost dusted the stone floor. Not looking, he reached behind him, searching for Jade’s hand. She clutched at him and laced her fingers with his. The eerie glow against the wall sent chills along Luc’s spine. Foreboding filled him. It wasn’t so much about the danger they were in, but the wrongness of this place.

A cloud of mist blew from between his lips and thinned. They stepped into the chamber, drawing near the first glowing patch. Jade’s other hand slid over the top of the one she already clutched. He glanced at her and gave a little squeeze of reassurance. At first Luc thought it was a window, but as they drew closer he could see that the area was not glass, but a thick layer of ice. Blue light emanated from within.

The beast inside him suddenly roared to life, sending fire down his arms and into his hands. Jade gasped and jerked her hands away. Taken completely off guard, Luc stopped and fought to control the dragon.

He clenched his fists, inhaled deeply, and commanded the beast to settle. Now was not the time to transform. Control slipped back to him, but the animal didn’t blindly obey. It was more of a case of acquiescing to Luc’s request, but the beast paced, ready to defend. Where had it been when he was being tortured by Icarus? Once he felt he had regained the majority of control, he turned to Jade and nodded. “I’m all right.”

She inhaled and returned his nod. “What is this place?”

Their words sounded dense and flat, as if the walls absorbed all sound. Another blast of cold air ruffled his hair and sent shivers skittering down his spine.

“I don’t know, but it triggered my dragon, so it can’t possibly be good.” He turned back to the blue light. “Ice.” He touched it. The clear sheet burned his fingers and his own fire flared again. He snatched his hand back, examining the white blisters rising on his fingertips. “Don’t touch it.”

Jade grabbed his hand, whispered a few words, and blew on his fingers. Instantly, the pain was gone, but the white patches remained.

He smiled. “You’re very handy to have around.”

She shrugged. “Told you I had many talents.”

“Indeed.”

He lowered his hand and surveyed the ice. It looked like a window, tall and oval shaped. He stepped in front to peer straight in. “Holy Sainted Mother.”

“What is it?” Jade wedged her body in front of his and gasped. “Oh my gods.”

There before them, frozen in ice, was a man. His eyes were closed and his hands folded over his chest, as if presented for burial. From the color and style of his dress, he was most definitely one of the missing Bringers from Illuma Grand. Luc stepped around Jade, trying to get a better view. “I know him.”

“Who is he?” Jade stood on her tiptoes and pushed against his side.

He gave way. “Marcus Tobin, Lady Tobin’s grandson.”

Jade gasped. “And Beatrice’s fiancé.”

He scowled and turned toward the corridor of blue lights. Nausea rolled through him. Like wading through mud, he struggled to the next window of ice, knowing what he would see, but still praying the oval would be empty.

A young woman with long red hair stood in the same position. Again, her clothing indicated she was also from Illuma Grand. “I think the mystery of what happened to the Bringers has been solved.”

Jade stopped beside him but said nothing as she stared at the young woman who was probably no older than she was. Her gaze searched the length of the room, the reality of what each window held taking hold of her. She turned and walked to the opposite wall. “Another one.” She moved to the next window, leaving small boot prints in the frost. “And another.”

Her steps quickened and she began to jog from one icy window to the next, saying nothing, only stopping long enough to peer in and then move on. Luc followed. Some of the Bringers he recognized. Most he didn’t.

“Luc!”

He spun and ran toward her. She was pressed as close to the window as she could get without touching it. Her hands hovered in front, shaking. He slid to a stop and stared, the blood draining from his face.

Jade looked at him. “Is it?”

“No.” He said the word, but for a fraction of a second, he wasn’t sure he was correct. The woman encased in ice looked so much like Ravyn it took his breath away. “No, it’s not her.”

“Are you certain?”

“Positive.” He understood Jade’s confusion. The resemblance was striking. He inhaled and blew warm air on the ice, then quickly rubbed with his sleeve. Ice crystals floated from the surface, giving them a clearer view. “She’s older. See the streak of gray at her temples.”

“She looks so much like Ravyn. Who do you think she is?”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was her mother.” He shook his head. “But she’s dead.”

“What if she isn’t? What if…” Jade pivoted and ran to the next window, zigzagging her way down the line.

Luc took another look at the woman, committing her face to memory, and followed Jade. Before he could reach her, she slid to a stop and cried out, her knees buckling beneath her. He raced to where she knelt and froze.

A woman he thought long dead stood in peaceful repose, as fresh as the last time he’d seen her. “Esmeralda.”

“Get her out.” Jade’s voice cracked, cutting through his shock. She stood, the look on her face so full of rage she looked unbalanced. “Get her out!”

She slammed her fist against the ice. The sizzle of burning skin hissed but she didn’t seem to notice the pain. Luc grabbed her arm before she could touch the window again and pulled her away.

“We’ve got to get her out.” She barreled forward, intent on attacking the ice again. Luc wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground. She kicked and fought to get free. “Let me go.”

“Not until you calm down.” She clawed at his arm, but he held fast. “Jade, you’re not going to get her out by beating on the ice and injuring yourself.” He gave her a hard shake. “Do you hear me?”

Rational thinking seemed to slowly return and she ceased her struggle. “Yes.”

He set her on her feet and released her, turning his attention back to the woman in ice. If Esmeralda was here, who was the demon who had raised Jade? It didn’t make sense. Each secret they uncovered seemed to only end in more mysteries.

“What are we going to do?”

She sounded so heartsick, the last thing he wanted to do was let her down, but how could he get Esmeralda out of the ice
and
get them to safety?

“Step back.”

Jade did as he asked. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure yet. Maybe nothing.”

He pulled out the axe from his waistband and clutched the handle with a double-fisted grip. This weapon was immortal. Maybe it did more than just send the Bane to the Abyss.

Luc drew the axe back and brought it down in an overhead arc. The blade struck the ice and bounced off. He stepped close, but the strike didn’t appear to have any effect or even leave a mark. He tried it again, battering the surface with four hacking blows. Nothing.

“Damn.”

Jade watched him, her fingers pressed to her lips as if praying for success. His determination grew and suddenly giving her what she wanted so desperately was the most important thing in the world to him. The dragon stirred inside, giving him what he hoped was the answer for getting Esmeralda free. He leaned the axe against the wall and refocused on the ice, tapping into the beast.

The animal pushed for dominance, wanting complete freedom to transform and conquer. He pushed back but allowed the beast to stretch. Luc sent a mental request to the dragon for help, asking for guidance in the quest. The beast calmed and answered with fire.

Unlike the uncontrollable blasts that had ignited the forest the night Jade had been shot, this fire was intentional. Like an extension of his arms, the flames, the dragon and Luc became one.

Energy raced down his arms. He opened his hands and spread his fingers, wearing the white-hot heat like a pair of gloves. With a tentative touch, he brushed his palm across the surface of the ice. A rivulet of water ran down the front of the window and the hiss of steam spiraled up from his hand. He raised his other hand and swiped in the opposite direction, again melting the ice.

“It’s working.” Jade took a step back as his movement became bigger.

The process was slow and he wasn’t sure what he would do when he got close to Esmeralda’s body. He worked in silence, always aware of Jade hovering a few feet away. To her credit, she never once offered advice or suggestions. This was his gift, part of being a Shield.

When only inches separated him from Esmeralda, he once again asked the dragon for guidance. The intense heat faded to merely hot. Awareness of the beast lingered at the back of Luc’s mind, as did its awareness of him. Working together, guiding the heat, they were able to accomplish a miracle.

Luc glided his hand along Esmeralda’s leg. A loud crack popped behind her body and her limbs crumpled, sending her toppling out of the ice. Jade leapt forward and Luc managed to catch most of Esmeralda over his shoulder. He eased backward, inching his way out of the window. Jade guided him and then lifted much of her sister’s dead weight so he could get his footing.

Together they gently laid her on the ground. Her skin was cold and white, her lips blue. With tentative hands, Jade brushed back the chocolate brown locks from her sister’s face. She seemed unsure what to do or how to help Esmeralda.

Luc laid his head on her chest. Damp cloth pressed against the side of his face. He lifted his head, tore at the laces on the front of her gown and repositioned his ear.

“What…” Jade clutched her sister’s hand to her breast. “Are you doing?”

He held up a hand for silence and closed his eyes, listening—hoping. Then he heard it, the faintest beat. Not fully trusting his hearing, he pressed two fingers against her neck, then her wrist, each pulse point telling him the same thing. He sat up. “She’s alive.”

Tears brimmed in Jade’s eyes, spilling over and streaming down her cheeks. “Are you certain?”

He took her hand and laid it against the side of Esmeralda’s neck. “Feel that?”

She shook her head, her words rasping from her throat. “I don’t feel anything.”

“Close your eyes.” He covered her hand with his and pushed her index and middle finger deep into her sister’s neck. “Wait.”

It took several seconds, but Jade’s eyes popped open. “I felt it.” She sat a few seconds longer, the smile spreading across her face. “It’s a miracle she’s alive.”

She twisted and threw her arms around Luc. He caught her up, pulling her tightly against him. A miracle? He wasn’t sure. The fact that there was a demon walking around with Esmeralda’s soul wasn’t happy news.

He didn’t voice his thoughts when he released Jade. She was brave and had been incredibly resourceful on this mission, but he suspected seeing her sister’s body had pushed her past the point of reason.

He stuck the axe handle in the waist of his pants at his back and tugged the strings of Esmeralda’s bodice together. Their situation had just gotten a lot more difficult. In addition to his already weakened state, escape had already been questionable. Now he had a body to carry. He scooped up Esmeralda’s limp form and stood. “We need to get out of here—now.”

“I’ll check if there’s another way out.” Jade jogged to the end of the room, disappearing into the darkness.

He waited, shifting under Esmeralda’s weight. The seconds ticked by and still she didn’t return. As he crouched to lay the limp form on the ground, Jade reappeared.

She slowly walked back, surveying the walls. “It dead ends.”

“Then we leave the way we came.” He readjusted the body and looked around. “It doesn’t feel right leaving them here.”

“I know.” Jade rubbed her arms vigorously. “But there’s only two of us and a whole army of Bane.”

“Another time?”

She smiled. “You can count on it.”

They moved back into the corridor and crept along the wall. The air grew warmer but nowhere near warm. Luc turned sideways and repositioned Esmeralda’s body in order to fit through the narrow passage. They halted at the entrance and listened. All seemed quiet. Jade tiptoed forward to peek into the chamber.

Luc looked up. Three feet above him, a lumpy black shape clung to the ceiling. Dark eyes as round as quarried onyx stones stared back at him. The creature didn’t move or send up an alarm, but the way it looked at him, unblinking, gave him an uneasy feeling. As though there was more to the imps than just resembling huge bats.

Jade eased back to where he waited and mouthed, “Empty.”

He nodded, hefted Esmeralda’s body, and tilted his chin toward the door, giving Jade the signal to lead. They inched forward into the chamber. The fog had completely disappeared and the path to the doorway was clear and thankfully empty. They skirted the chains and were almost to the door when a figure stepped out and blocked their way.