Wicked Whispers (29 page)

Murmur fixed his image of Ivy in his mind. He would return for
her
. Then he composed his weapon.

His death song was a musical scythe, given shape and form by its sharp notes and hard pounding beat. Power exploded in high screaming dissonance before dropping to a dark minor key. Voices emerged, chanting a requiem for the soon-to-be-deceased even as they destroyed with their horrific harmonies that slashed and maimed. Murmur swung the scythe in an arc of destruction. The music burned white hot as he left a trail of bloody demon parts behind him. Methodically, he fought his way toward the Master.

Ivy had blasted Zane for taking his petty revenge on Sparkle by answering all of her e-mails. He’d apologized by taking her to dinner. She’d enjoyed herself. He’d made her laugh with his stories about the castle. And he’d shown lots of patience as he went over the steps to keep unwanted visitors out of her head.

But now she was on her own for the rest of the night. Sparkle didn’t have anything else for her to do, but Ivy didn’t want to go back to her room. All she’d do there would be think about Murmur.

He’d been avoiding her, giving her space. That’s what she’d said she wanted, wasn’t it? Hey, with all of her Murmur-free time, she’d been able to finish reading the complaints. Holgarth had a lot to answer for. She was also finally doing some routine jobs for Sparkle. Normal stuff. But after three days without even seeing him, she was ready to admit that wasn’t what she wanted at all.

She was considering ways to fix things as she wandered into the great hall. The fantasies were about to begin. Ivy stopped near where Holgarth stood. He was too busy ordering people around to pay any attention to her.
Thank you.
She didn’t need his snark tonight.

Bain was walking across the hall, headed for the dressing room. She controlled her need to chase after him and ask where Murmur was.

Suddenly, Bain froze. He turned his head to stare at the far wall. Then he raced toward Holgarth, shoving people aside as he ran. What the… ? Curious, she moved closer so she could hear.

“Someone else will have to play the wicked vampire tonight.” Bain raked his fingers through his hair.

Ivy frowned. Was he sick? He looked more upset than she’d ever seen him before, even more than when he was confessing his plans to Ganymede.

Holgarth drew himself up into a prickly column of outraged wizard. “That’s not possible. It’s too late to find a replacement.” Then he spotted Ivy, and his gaze grew speculative. “A wicked vampire queen is not without precedent, though.”

“Thanks. My master has entered the mortal plane on the west end of the island.”

Holgarth looked alarmed. “An arch demon? In Galveston?”

“Murmur and Klepoth defied him. The Master will drag their dumb butts back to the Underworld. I’ll do what I can.” And then he was gone.

Ivy was left staring at the empty space where he’d stood a moment ago. She glanced around. None of the humans in the room seemed to have noticed that someone had just disappeared.

Holgarth looked worried, but that didn’t stop him from turning toward her. “I seem to be short one wicked vampire. Do you think—?”

She didn’t wait around for him to finish. Murmur was in danger. Ivy remembered Ganymede’s words.
If he can survive.
She didn’t even try for reason or common sense. No, she couldn’t help him. No, it wouldn’t be safe anywhere near a demon battle. Yes, he’d be furious if he knew what she was planning. None of that mattered.

Who could help her? There was only one person other than Murmur that she’d run to now. She raced out of the castle and into the storm, headed for Sweet Indulgence and Sparkle Stardust.

Panic had made her breathless by the time she reached the candy store. Ivy ignored Sparkle’s startled expression as she leaned over the candy counter, dripping water and gasping for air. “Mumur’s master has come for him. He and Klepoth are battling him somewhere on the west end of the island.” To her own ears her words sounded breathy and filled with terror.

Sparkle widened her eyes. “Now?”

Ivy could only nod.

Sparkle was already slapping the Closed sign in the window as Ivy straightened. “Let’s go.”

Ivy could’ve cried with relief that Sparkle wasn’t going to try to leave her behind. She found enough breath to run the short distance to Sparkle’s car.

“Aren’t you going to call Ganymede to help?” She climbed into the passenger seat and held on as Sparkle peeled out of the parking lot.

“He’s away trying to find out where the faery host is right now. Besides, he doesn’t think Murmur needs any help. I’m not so sure.”

Ivy
was
sure that Sparkle was breaking the sound barrier, but she wasn’t about to tell her to slow down. “How will we find them?”

Sparkle never took her eye from the road. “Oh, we’ll see them when we get close.”

The rain was a solid sheet of water hitting the windshield. The
swish swish
of the wiper blades should’ve been a comforting sound, but it wasn’t. Ivy couldn’t see a thing past the front of the car.

Under any other circumstances, she would’ve demanded that Sparkle pull over. But not this time. What if the Master took him? What if she never saw him again?

When had Murmur decided to defy the arch demon?
You changed him.
Sparkle’s words. No, this wasn’t her fault. She wouldn’t believe it. But still… She mentally urged Sparkle to go faster.

It seemed as though they’d been driving forever. How long did it take to get to the west end? Just as she opened her mouth to ask, Sparkle slowed the car.

“Look to your left.”

Ivy obeyed. And gasped. Through the driving rain, she saw a massive roiling black cloud that not only filled the sky but covered the ground as well. Streaks of lightning tinged in red shot from the cloud. And beneath the car, she felt the ground shake. “What the… ?”

“The arch demon. We can only hope he doesn’t rip the island apart.” Sparkle sounded grim as she parked the car a safe distance from the cloud, which seemed to be expanding even as they watched.

“Why is it getting bigger?” What could she do against this kind of power? She mentally straightened her spine. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was here for Murmur.

“More demons are coming through the open portals.”

Sparkle sounded distracted as she stared fixedly at the rain-washed windshield.

Finally, she turned to Ivy. “I just called Mede home, but I don’t think he’ll get here in time. I couldn’t reach the Big Boss.” She pushed open her door and was immediately soaked. “Murmur and Klepoth owe me new shoes. Damn, why can’t they do this crap on sunny days?” Sparkle stepped out of the car.

Ivy took a deep breath and got out too. She shivered in the cold rain. There might be thunder and lightning, but it was still February in Galveston. She followed Sparkle into the darkness.

They were trudging into the wind and rain. Ivy put her head down in a vain attempt to avoid the worst of it. Didn’t work. Icy water trickled down her back and her wet shoes squished with each step.

Suddenly, Sparkle stopped. She crouched behind the remains of an old boat. Ivy did the same. For a moment, she felt a little relief from the weather. Then she looked up.

They were at the edge of the cloud, and Ivy got her first look at the battle.

The Master had brought his own brand of hell to earth. She didn’t have any trouble spotting him. He had freaking horns—black, tipped in crimson, and the crimson was dripping blood. He’d rolled out his ugly face for the event. Probably wanted to scare the crap out of the enemy. Good choice.

He was a huge hulking man—okay, not a man, but he had male features—with the trademark red eyes of the ticked-off demon. His thick lips were drawn back in a snarl, made more terrifying by the bloodstained pointed teeth they exposed. Bloodstained? Did he use them to kill? Or maybe he sipped blood during the battle to keep up his strength. Ugh.

The thought made her feel like throwing up. Where was Murmur? Frantically she scanned the mass of fighting demons. They were covered in blood. How did they know friend from foe? Or maybe they just lashed out in a killing frenzy. The ground was covered with demon body parts, and those still battling stomped them into the blood-soaked earth as they fought to survive.

Ivy clamped her hand over her mouth.
Don’t throw up, don’t throw up.
She took deep breaths to push back the nausea. Too bad the coppery scent of blood filled the air. She dropped her hand. This was her reality. She’d deal with it.

“Are all the ones on the ground dead?” What did she know about demon mortality?

“Their physical bodies are.” Sparkle was scanning the battlefield. “Their essence returns to the Underworld. They can’t come back to the mortal plane for thousands of human years.”

That meant that if the Master destroyed Murmur’s body she’d never see him again. “Where’s Murmur?” She blinked rapidly.
Absolutely not.
Crying wasn’t an option.
Stay grounded.
Her mother’s words. But her mother never had this scenario in mind when she’d said them.

“He’s over there.” Sparkle whispered close to her ear. She pointed.

Ivy looked.
There.
Even in the midst of a life-or-death struggle, he left her breathless. His long hair whipped around his face as he fought. His shirt was plastered to his torso, and he radiated deadly power.

“I’m giving you my magical earplugs.”

“What?” She couldn’t take her gaze from him. He was the only one not covered in blood. And he was alive.
Alive.

“He’s using his death music. It’s not aimed at us, but even hearing a faint echo will put us on the ground. So my little spell will block his music as long as he doesn’t get too close. The best part is that you’ll be able to hear everything else fine.” Sparkle looked smug. “It protects inside and outside the head. Many a night it saved me from listening to a cat who had a lot to say about nothing.”

“Oh.” Ivy was only half listening. She watched, mesmerized, as he swung what looked like a curved beam of glowing light. It almost looked like a giant… scythe? It cut down any demon it touched. Even the demons not touched, the ones who were just close to him, fell to the ground and convulsed. She shuddered.

Ivy followed his path of destruction as he fought his way toward the arch demon. Fear tore at her. The Master wasn’t without his own skills. The earth moved around him, opening to engulf any enemies who drew close and then closing over them. Meanwhile he threw his hands out, sending tendrils of what looked like sizzling energy to cut apart Murmur and Klepoth’s forces.

Sparkle poked her and leaned close. “See those demons fighting with themselves, and the ones banging their heads on the ground? That’s Klepoth’s work. He’s spreading his illusions among the enemy.” She laughed softly. “Go, Klepoth.”

Before Ivy could reply, someone moved out of the shadows to crouch on her other side. Bain.

“What the hell are you doing here?” His disapproval included both women.

Sparkle glared at him. “We have a stake in Murmur and Klepoth staying alive and healthy.”

Bain narrowed his gaze on Ivy. “You can’t do anything to help either of them. Take the car and go back to the castle.”

Not long ago, Ivy would’ve fled from the demon’s anger. Not now. “No.”

Bain widened his eyes. “No?”

“I can’t help, but I care. So I’m staying.” Ivy knew her stare dared him to do something about it. She only hoped he didn’t take her up on the dare.

He made an impatient sound and turned his attention back to the fight. “The Master’s legions are better trained, but I think the combined power of Murmur and Klepoth might be too much for him.” He shook his head. “The silence creeps me out. Where’re the shouts, the screams, the grunts and groans? You should be able to
hear
a war.”

“Why aren’t you out there fighting with them?”

Sparkle asked the question Ivy had been thinking.

Bain kept his gaze on the battle. “Murmur asked for my help. I turned him down. I couldn’t take the chance that the Master would drag me back to the Underworld. Someone has to be here to free Elizabeth. She’ll be trapped in Faery forever if I’m not there when the Sluagh Sidhe shows up.”

Ivy wanted to call him a coward, to rant and ask what kind of friend he was, but she didn’t. Instead she thought about Kellen, and what she’d do if he was in Elizabeth’s place. “At least you’re here now.”

He nodded. “I’ll help where I can without entering the fight.”

“By the way, the Master doesn’t seem worried about the music.” That worried Ivy.

“He’s an arch demon. He can resist the sound. But Murmur can kill him with the physical manifestation of it.”

“Got it.” Ivy decided she had a few more questions for Bain when this was all over. But she forgot about Bain when she heard Sparkle’s gasp of alarm.

Klepoth was using his illusions to keep the Master’s forces occupied while Murmur drew ever closer to the arch demon. But neither Murmur nor Klepoth noticed the fresh horde of demons pouring through the Master’s portal.

“Fuck.”

Ivy agreed with Bain’s assessment.

Sparkle stood up, clearly visible if any of the demons were to look their way. They didn’t. She clenched her hands into fists and thrust them into the air. Immediately, the new demons fell to the ground clutching themselves.

Ivy choked back a gasp. “What happened?” She barely remembered to keep her voice to a whisper.

Sparkle grinned. “I kicked each of them in the balls, magically speaking.”

Bain snorted his appreciation.

There was no more time for celebrating, though, because the battle was ramped up to a new level. Murmur was only a short distance from his goal. The Master looked a little less confident than he had a short while ago. He pulled out the big guns.

Without warning, the earth opened between Murmur and the arch demon. Something slithered out of the chasm—a long snakelike something that wrapped around Murmur’s ankle and yanked.

Ivy couldn’t help it, she screamed and leaped to her feet. Bain stood beside her.