shaede assassin 05 - shadows at midnight (6 page)

I shucked my tattered clothes, determined to watch them burn in the fireplace, and stepped under the stream of water. The almost too-hot jets eased the stiffness in my muscles and I relaxed against the tile and let my eyes drift shut. Best shower of my entire existence.

By the time the water ran cold I was scrubbed clean, my hair washed twice, and most of the aches that plagued me faded to nothing more than minor annoyances. Supernatural healing had its perks and what would have taken a normal person months to overcome, only took me a few hours. That’s not to say that I didn’t feel the phantom pain of Padma’s knife slicing across my skin when I let my mind wander back to that dank dungeon.

I threw on a pair of stretchy black pants and a matching t-shirt, careful not to wake Tyler. He looked so peaceful, the soft curls of his hair brushing his brow. I reached out and slid my fingers through the silky strands. I loved him so much that my heart ached in my chest. How was it possible to feel that way about someone? To feel the physical distress of intense emotion. It wasn’t normal. Couldn’t be.

As I padded across the expanse of my studio to the kitchen, my mind wandered to Raif. I could only imagine the epic fit of rage he must be in at Xander’s disappearance. That his brother had slipped through his fingers, running off into danger without any thought to his kingdom would no doubt be a burr in Raif’s side. He prided himself on his ability to protect not only his brother, but his king’s throne. And with the recent unrest in the Shaede monarchy, I could picture Raif burning the world down in search of Xander.

He wouldn’t have to look far. Tyler knew where Xander was and he was going to take us to him.

A new box of Honey Nut Cheerios awaited me in the cupboard. Thank god for the little things. I hadn’t eaten much over the course of the month—just part of Padma’s hospitality—and I was jonesing for a bowl of cereal like an addict who’d fallen off the wagon. I’d have eaten it dry if I’d had to, but again, the grocery gods smiled upon me, though I suspected it was my genie who’d stocked the fridge. I cracked the seal on a fresh gallon of milk and took my king-sized bowl to the island bar. The first bite was heaven in my mouth. I inhaled the first bowl and made another. Devoured that one in a matter of minutes, too. By the time I finally felt full, I’d polished off an entire box of cereal and a half gallon of milk.

“Hey.” I looked up to find Tyler watching me, his head propped up on his elbow. “You okay?”

“Hungry,” I replied. “Thanks for the groceries.”

“Asher,” Ty said, his voice still thick with sleep.

Asher knew that Ty had found me? Then Raif did, too. I didn’t know how to respond. Part of me wanted to lay into Ty, to once again rail at him for leaving Xander behind. But in my heart, I knew that I would have done the same for him. Would have sacrificed anyone and anything to get him back.

“As soon as the sun’s up, I’m going to Raif.” I’d made my mind up hours ago that I’d go back for Xander. “I can’t do this alone, Tyler. I won’t. I need your help.”

It felt so good to admit that I couldn’t single-handedly take on the world. Tyler let out a long sigh and leaned back on the pillow to stare up at the vaulted ceiling. “I wish I could say I’d hoped you wouldn’t want to do this, but I know you too well for that. I’ll help you. I’ll be there every step of the way. Even though I couldn’t care less if the bastard rotted in the bowels of that canyon.”

Canyon? I hadn’t put much thought into where Padma had held me captive. “Where was I?” I asked quietly. “Where’s Xander?”

“Goblin Valley,” Tyler said, low. “Utah.” I let out a disbelieving laugh. A totally fitting place for that ghoulish bitch to set up camp. “Well, more or less. The Rakshasa occupy the demon plane, underground. It’s not going to be easy, though. I want you to know that upfront. We went through hell to get to you. And, Darian, neither one of us is going to be happy if our efforts to protect you go to waste.”

It didn’t surprise me that they’d had a hard time getting to me considering Padma’s sadistic nature. She wouldn’t have made it easy for Xander. Just another facet of torture. “I take it you ran the gauntlet?”

“And then some.” Ty’s biceps flexed as he brought his forearm over his eyes and my gaze was drawn to the play of muscles. “It’s a maze filled with traps and mind tricks.”

“Mind tricks are definitely Padma’s thing,” I replied. “But we’re going in prepared this time. We’ll—well,
you’ll
—know what to expect.”

“Maybe. The Rakshasa are pretty damned shrewd.”

Padma, doubly so. “She has to know that we wouldn’t abandon Xander.”

Tyler didn’t respond. “Magic is null in the canyons.”

I’d suspected as much. I couldn’t wish for Tyler while I’d been there and neither could I leave my corporeal form behind. “I know, but she has no problem wielding her own magic there.”

Again, I was answered with silence.

“Xander and I barely made it through. We were lucky.”

Luck had nothing to do with it. Even powerless, Tyler was formidable and I had a feeling that though he’d been weakened in the canyon, he’d been far from impotent. “We’ll take backup.” Safety in numbers, and all that. “Stack the deck in our favor.”

“Backup,” Ty scoffed. “We’ll need an army.”

And I knew exactly where to find one. “Then we’ll take an army. I know this isn’t what you want Tyler, but I can’t leave him there. I’d never be able to live with myself. Not after what I’ve been through and knowing that it’ll be worse for him.”

“That’s why I love you, Darian.” The resignation in his voice sliced through my heart. “And also why I feel the urge to drink when you latch onto an idea like this.”

The first genuine laughter I’d experienced in over a month bubbled in my throat. “I love you too, Tyler.” I couldn’t love anyone or anything more.

“Now that you’ve consumed your weight in Cheerios, and you’ve decided to throw yourself into the path of a vindictive Ghoul-Shaede hybrid, would you mind coming back to bed?” I sensed the exhaustion in his tone and it sent a shiver of trepidation down my spine. What had he and Xander encountered in the winding canyons and tunnels that led to Padma’s stronghold? “We’ll go see Raif after sunup, but I’m going to need to recharge before I face another member of the Shaede royal family.”

That made two of us. I put my bowl in the sink and crossed to the bed. I shucked my clothes and Ty lifted the blankets before I slid in beside him. He tucked my body against his and I let out a soft sigh, content for the first time in a long damned time. “Not all of your magic was null in the canyons, Tyler.” I paused, but he didn’t say anything. “My ring has power that can’t be nullified or tamed. Padma knew it. Tried to take it from me.”

“I love you, Darian,” Tyler said as though those simple words told me everything I needed to know about my mysterious ring. “No matter how far apart we are, I’m
always
with you.”

He didn’t speak again, simply retreated into sleep.

His strong arms wrapped around me gave me the sense of comfort and security that I needed to follow him into sleep. One crisis at a time. First we’d rescue Xander and kill Padma. Then, I’d get to the bottom of
Nys’Asdar
.

#

My insides tangled into a mass of nervous knots as I stood at Xander’s front door. Ty didn’t seem to suffer from any attack of guilt or worry. As cool and composed as ever, he stood beside me and waited for someone to answer the door. Normally, I would’ve walked right in, but Tyler had been thrown out of Xander’s house enough times for me to know that he wouldn’t exactly be a welcomed guest. Especially since he’d helped to turn Xander over to Padma.

A Shaede that I didn’t know met us at the door. The place was crawling with bodies—armed guards with deathly serious expressions. In Xander’s absence, I’d failed to consider who the duties of his crown would fall upon. And it was obvious that Raif was
well
protected.

I kept my mouth shut as Ty and I were escorted into Xander’s study. My heart ached as I thought about the horrors Padma was no doubt delivering on him and I stuffed that anxiety to soles of my feet. Worry wouldn’t accomplish anything at this point. If I was going to get him back—
and I was
—I needed a level head. I could freak the fuck out later. The guards remained at the French doors after Ty and I were escorted into the study. I can’t say that I was thrilled with being treated as though I might be a potential threat, but I didn’t blame them either. If these sorts of precautions had been taken a month ago, Xander might still be here. His lax, cavalier approach to security had ultimately helped him to sneak right out from under Raif’s nose.

“Darian.”

I shot up out of my seat at the sound of Raif’s voice. As I turned to face him, my breath caught in my chest. He strode through the doorway, every bit the warrior I respected, but there were no warm words of welcome. No hugs. No sense of relief. Instead, he walked right past me, rounded the desk, and sat down. Never had he reminded me so much of Xander as he did in this moment, so regal and insufferably calm.

“You are not welcome in this house, Jinn.” Raif’s tone was colder than Ty’s magic. “And if it was in my power, I’d kill you right here and now.”

“Xander came to me,” Ty stressed. I hated that he felt he needed to defend himself for what had happened yet again. “He asked for
my
help. I didn’t force or coerce him to do anything. If you doubt the truth of my words, ask Adare yourself.”

“I’ve spoken with Adare,” Raif replied as though the truth had no bearing on his opinion. “If my brother should die—”

“That’s not going to happen.” Raif’s clear blue eyes widened a fraction of an inch at my words. “I won’t let it happen.”

He gave me a sad smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You certainly don’t lack for bravery, Darian.”

“Bravery has nothing to do with it.” I was terrified of going within a mile of Padma. Given the opportunity, I had no doubt that she’d kill me. But Xander and I were bound together in our responsibility for taking Azriel’s life. One of us shouldn’t have to suffer for it more than the other.

“Then you certainly don’t lack for foolishness.”

Ouch
. I leaned forward in my chair and stared my best friend dead in the eye. “I need an army if I’m going to get him back, Raif. So let’s get our asses in gear and quit worrying about the odds.”

“I’m sorry, Darian, but I don’t have a single body to spare.”

What?
Had my ears suddenly stopped working correctly? “What in the hell are you talking about?” Body snatchers. That had to be the reason why Raif was acting like a crazy person.

“I don’t have the forces to lend you an army.” Exhaustion pulled at his mouth, lined the corners of his eyes. “Thanks to that buffoon”—he jerked his head toward Tyler—“and my foolhardy brother, word has reached Saben that the king is presumed dead.” The air temperature dropped and my breath fogged the air. Flinging insults Ty’s way wasn’t going help our situation.  “Rebellions have to be quelled, rumors squashed. The throne has to be protected at all costs.”

“Even if that cost is Xander’s life?”

Raif let out a slow sigh. “Yes. And if he were here instead of me, he’d tell you the same thing.”

I was aware of the unrest in the Shaede kingdom. For months Xander’s regent and distant cousin, Saben had been spreading propaganda, rallying supporters to help depose Xander. His being taken captive was the perfect opportunity for a usurper to move in. Honestly, it wouldn’t have surprised me a bit if Padma and Saben worked together to destroy everything that Xander’s family had built.

“Let’s all just take a second to calm down.” Okay, so Raif was pretty fucking calm. And on the outside, Tyler might have appeared stoic, but I knew he was barely holding on to his composure. I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to keep my own shit together either. I understood Raif’s sense of responsibility but this was Xander we were talking about!

“He came to
me
,” Tyler stressed again. “And I’m sure I don’t need to point out that had he not thrown my ass in a PNT
cell
, that none of this would have happened!”

Yeah, no one was going to calm down anytime soon.

“You were all too anxious to be rid of him, Jinn!” Raif railed. “No doubt you served him up to Padma on a silver platter!”

“Raif,” I said, “you know that’s not true.”

“You mean like he served me up to the PNT because he was too much of an arrogant prick to take a fist to the face and move on?” Tyler’s body tensed with the words and another puff of steam clouded the air.

“Petty children, fighting over a female,” Raif spat.

As the
female
in question, I took offense to Raif’s tone. “Both of you shut up!” At my indignant shout, Raif’s guards entered the room. He raised a dismissive hand and they retreated. I still couldn’t reconcile seeing Raif in the role of leader and not that of protector. Warrior. I leveled my gaze on him and he sank back into his chair. “I’m going to forgive your slight because I know you’re upset. I also understand that you have a shitload on your plate. Tyler?” I turned my gaze to one very agitated genie. A muscle ticked at his cheek and his jaw squared with anger. “Can we make it through the canyons with a handful of people?”

“Possibly,” he answered from between clenched teeth. “But she’ll be expecting retaliation. I can’t imagine it’ll be as easy to get in a second time. We barely made it through to get you and we were welcomed guests.”

Raif snorted and I shot him a look. “I’m willing to take my chances.” I didn’t give a shit about insurgencies or political machinations. Raif could worry about the crown and kingdom. My only concern was getting Xander out of that hole in one piece. “Give me five. Louella, Myles, Julian, Liam, and Asher.”

“Not Asher,” Raif said.

“Raif, she has the key to
O Anel
.” Raif’s duty was to the throne now, but would he risk his daughter’s safety? Brakae was vulnerable while Padma wore my pendulum around her neck.  

Raif met my gaze and let out a slow breath that caused his shoulders to sag almost indiscernibly. “You can have Asher as well.”