Part 5 (1/2)

CHAPTER 6.

A job? Through the heady scents that buffeted my senses, the words echoed in my ears. And then I felt myself begin to s.h.i.+ft again. Within seconds, I was standing before the Autumn Lord in a cloud of mist and sparkling smoke. I couldn't see the others, but from experience, I knew they were there, that we'd just s.h.i.+fted into a slightly different dimension. Through the heady scents that buffeted my senses, the words echoed in my ears. And then I felt myself begin to s.h.i.+ft again. Within seconds, I was standing before the Autumn Lord in a cloud of mist and sparkling smoke. I couldn't see the others, but from experience, I knew they were there, that we'd just s.h.i.+fted into a slightly different dimension.

After I'd regrouped from the sudden s.h.i.+ft into panther form and back, I looked up at the Autumn Lord. Elemental Lords were always tall, it seemed, always towering above even someone of my height.

I hadn't actually seen the Autumn Lord, except in dreams, since I'd faced down and defeated Kyoka, a thousand-year-old evil werespider shaman. I genuflected. After all, though not my own choice, the fact was the Lord of Autumn was my new master, and I bore a tattoo in the shape of a black scythe on my forehead that linked us, that would forever remind me of it. I owed him respect.

”I'm not sure what to call you,” I said.

He gazed down at me, a strange light dancing over his face. From this angle, he was handsome, darkly enticing, and I felt my breath flutter in my lungs. Was this why his Death Maidens who served him after their deaths were also his wives? Charisma, he had, but it was entwined with such otherworldliness that I couldn't even consider whether he was handsome or not.

”No one knows my name, not a name such as you have, but I will give you one you may use. For your lips and my ears only.” He leaned over, and his lips grazed my ear, sending a s.h.i.+ver of fear through me that almost verged on arousal. ”You may call me Hi'ran,” he said, then brushed his fingers across my lips.

I could barely breathe as the cold chill of his flesh sent sparks through my body. ”Hi'ran,” I repeated, mesmerized by the feel of his touch. I opened my mouth, just enough for his finger to graze the inside of my lip.

”Hush and listen. You will never speak my name to another living soul, nor to any who are dead or walking beyond the grave. It is your link to me and exists only between the two of us.”

As he spoke, a mist drifted out from his fingers and entered my lips, and I felt it swirl in my mouth, the taste of cigar smoke and brandy and crackling hearth flames. I sucked it deep into my lungs, and the energy flowed through my body, heightening all of my senses. I wanted to fall into his arms, to feel his lips on mine. He was so alien and yet so seductive. And then the mist seeped into my throat and onto my tongue, and I knew I'd never be able to say his name aloud to anybody, nor write it down, nor transfer it in thought. It was our secret-and ours alone-and would remain hidden for the rest of my life.

And then he pulled away. I couldn't tell if he'd felt the same desire as I had, but he raked his gaze slowly over my body, then settled on my face again. ”I have a task for you. You are to journey back to your homeland-to the forest of Darkynwyrd-and there you must search for the panther's fang.”

Panther's fang? Darkynwyrd? I frowned. This wasn't sounding so much fun after all. Darkynwyrd was a feral woodland back in Otherworld, where not-so-nice creatures made their home. It wasn't on my list of must-see places.

”What's the panther's fang?”

Hi'ran gave me a soft smile. ”Panteris phir. An herb endemic to the forest there. You will bring it home with you and plant it in your garden. Tend to it, nurture it, and once a month, under the new moon, make a cup of tea from it and drink it. This will aid you in controlling your s.h.i.+fts into panther form as the herb builds up in your system.” He backed away. ”Do this before the next new moon. And remember, Delilah. You are bound to me. You are the first of my living emissaries.”

With that, he vanished, and I found myself standing among the others. They were in the midst of fighting the venidemons, and suddenly Camille, who had been relegated to standing beside the door, shouted, ”She's back to herself!”

I was about to say something when a buzzing echoed on my right. I swung around to find myself facing a full-grown venidemon. It was hovering near my face, and I saw its abdomen curve under, its stinger ready to jab as it aimed for my chest.

Holy c.r.a.p-maybe Hi'ran had eliminated the shade, but apparently he trusted we could take care of the venidemons ourselves. Time to rumble.

I s.n.a.t.c.hed up my dagger and, with a loud shout, brought it down, cleaving into the rapidly approaching tail end of the venidemon. The d.a.m.ned sucker was tough. I couldn't slice clean through, but the gash sent the blowfly hurtling toward the floor. It let out a piercing shriek, and I stabbed it, like a kid pinning b.u.t.terflies to a display table. One down, but a glance around showed me there were plenty more for the counting. I whirled just in time to take on another.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the others left a trail of muck and guts as they fought their way through the demons' nests.

Smoky was making tracks through a nest of larvae, swiping with his talons at the wriggling maggots. As he sliced through them, they wailed, keening so loudly I wondered if they could be heard up on the street.

The second venidemon darted back and forth, trying to get the jump on me. Irritated, I tossed my dagger from hand to hand.

”Come on, sucker, come and get me!”

Apparently, venidemons didn't take much to goad, because it changed tactics and made a beeline straight for my side. Instinct won out, and rather than swing with my dagger, my right foot shot into the air, meeting the big bug in the face. It bounced back, but I could tell it wasn't hurt-merely stunned. I lunged for it with my dagger and met the creature square in the midsection. It went down like a fly facing a can of Raid.

”Delilah, give me a hand!”

I glanced over my shoulder to see Morio fighting off two full-size venidemons struggling to get past him to Camille. She was trying to draw down energy; by now I could tell the look on her face when she was invoking the Moon Mother. But it looked like her pain was preventing her from focusing.

”Incoming on your left,” I shouted over the roar of the fight and the shrieks as the blowflies and their larvae bit the dust one by one. I took on the venidemon aiming for his left side, and he turned his attention to the one on the right. We finished them off in good time.

”How many more can there be?” Camille asked, giving up on the spell. She looked miserable, and I wished to h.e.l.l she'd just back out of the room and play it safe outside.

I motioned toward the rest of the room. ”Still too many.”

Vanzir was battling it out with a nest of the half-grown bugs. They fell left and right as he waded in, eyes blazing, striking double-handed with a pair of serrated steel daggers that he'd unsheathed from his boots. He smashed the smallest of the venidemons under his heels, grinding them to a pulp.

Roz was fighting a trio of full-grown bugs that were trying to guard a nest of larvae. While he was holding them at bay, it was obvious we were on the losing end of the battle.

I raced over to Smoky. He'd just finished off the last of the larvae in the nest he'd been fighting. ”We have to do something. There are still too many-”

He gave one quick look around the room and nodded. ”Get everybody out of here. I'll take care of it. But you have to head upstairs immediately and get out of the house. Do you understand me?” As I nodded and started toward Roz, he grabbed me by the wrist. ”And you d.a.m.ned well make sure your sister is safe. Hear me?”

I stared up into those glacial eyes and froze. Camille was as good as bought and sold. I could see it in his face. Smoky owned her. And while I had no doubt he loved my sister, there was also little doubt that anyone anyone he didn't approve of would go down screaming if they hurt her. he didn't approve of would go down screaming if they hurt her.

”Let go of me, Smoky. You know I'll protect her, you idiot.” I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. I couldn't let him cow me down. Camille wouldn't put up with it, and Menolly sure didn't. I wasn't about to, either.

He let go. ”Of course I know that. Now move. I'll put a stop to this mess.”

I raced over to Roz and grabbed his arm. ”Come on.” He didn't question me, just turned and followed, dodging to avoid the venidemons now swarming toward us. Vanzir saw me run past and with a quick look at Smoky, joined us. Morio was already guiding Camille down the hall toward the stairs. As we pa.s.sed the room with the portal, I glanced in and saw glowing eyes peering from out of the swirling vortex, but we didn't have time to stop. Whatever Smoky had planned was going to be good, I thought. Good and probably explosive, considering who who he was. Or he was. Or what what, rather.

We weren't disappointed. We'd just reached the top of the stairs when the floor began to roll in waves under our feet. The house shook like we were on Earthquake Alley. We were, actually-the whole area was geologically unstable, and there were volcanoes aplenty around to prove it-but I knew this wasn't an actual temblor. A dragon quake, yes.

”Head for the door,” Morio yelled over the sound of the freight train that was our deliciously gorgeous dragon hunk.

As he swept Camille into his arms-she was stumbling now, the pain and the quake threw her off balance-I wondered just how far Smoky was going to go. It felt like he was ready to pull the rafters down.

Roz and Vanzir brought up the rear, making sure we were all on the front lawn. Roz pushed Vanzir toward us, then raced back up to the front door. ”I'm going back to help him.”

”Don't be a fool! You'll be crushed.” I shook my head, pointing to the spot beside me. ”Get out of there now, Roz!”

”Quit worrying about me. Look after your sister.” He vanished back inside. I was about ready to follow him when Camille grabbed my arm. For someone about ready to faint, she was pretty d.a.m.ned strong.

”Leave them. They both can escape easy enough.” She moaned, holding the wrist of her hurt hand. I sat beside her. The ground was still trembling, but from where we sat, the waves were weaker. Whatever Smoky was doing was m.u.f.fled by the dirt.

I unwrapped the makes.h.i.+ft bandage Roz had applied. The wound was festering, despite the salve he put on it. ”You're infected. We have to get you home. In fact, I've got half a mind to run you over to the FH-CSI medical lab. The elves can probably cure this faster than Iris.”

I peered closer at the wound. Yep, right to the bone, and it looked nasty. Thank the G.o.ds this hadn't been inflicted by the venidemons, or she'd have a nasty batch of eggs in there by now.

”I think I'll take you up on that,” she said, wincing as I replaced the bandage.

”What did you mean-they can both escape easy enough? What do you know that I don't?” I peered at her. She blushed. Yeah, she was holding out on me. ”Tell me, or I'll tell Smoky that you kissed Roz.” I was joking, but she paled.

”Oh Great Mother, don't do that! Smoky would kill him! And then he'd . . . well . . . never mind.”

She backtracked so fast I knew something was up, but she didn't look afraid. More like embarra.s.sed? Camille didn't embarra.s.s easily, which meant Smoky had found a way to corral her-not an easy task. I decided to let it go.