Demon From The Dark Part 29

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, then hurried them out of the tunnel.

Back out in the labyrinthine facility, Carrow searched for Lanthe and Regin everywhere, calling for them, yet hearing no reply. She also kept an eye out for Ember-and Fegley's hand.

But the chaos had gotten worse. Ember's flames soared. Mortal scientists were screaming, creatures feeding on them, ghouls infecting them in large numbers. Soldiers attacked Malkom-a seeming army of them-but he slew them all, protecting Carrow and Ruby.

As they pa.s.sed the PX, Carrow noticed two fey women she'd seen around New Orleans once or twice. One was tall and lithe, the other shorter and curvy. The pair had just finished stuffing a backpack full of supplies.

Remembering her stint in Oblivion, Carrow paused. She knew how rainy this island was, and she'd sworn that she would never go out into the elements unprepared again. I didn't even have a child with me then. I didn't even have a child with me then.

Yet there was no time to pack their own, and the supplies were picked over. When Malkom turned back, she quietly told him, "We need that pack."

He faced the two, saying in thickly accented English, "Your pack. Give it to me."

"No way!" the tall one said. "Go to h.e.l.l. ..." She trailed off when Malkom growled and bared his fangs. "Sure thing," she amended, handing it over. "All yours."

Carrow tapped his shoulder. "We need the sweater from one and the rain jacket from the other."

He snapped his fingers.

"This is so uncool, witch," the shorter one said as she shrugged out of her sweater. "We're supposed to be allies."

"Sorry, but I've got a kid to take care of."

Malkom stuffed the clothes into the pack, then strapped it on, leading her away once more.

I could get used to having a demon around.

In the next corridor, Carrow spotted the slimy sidewinder trail of La Dorada heading in one direction, so she pointed Malkom the opposite way.

At last, she spied an exit in the distance, a hole exploded through an exterior wall.

But she hesitated, gazing back for her friends. Carrow worried equally for them-Regin tortured earlier, and Lanthe abducted. "Lanthe?" she cried. "Regin?"

No response. Only the sounds of a battle nearing.

Malkom's voice rumbled from behind her. "We need to get your young away. One hit ..."

Could kill her.

Carrow turned back. "You're right, let's go."

Outside in the bl.u.s.tery night, a micro Accession raged. And everyone on their side was enc.u.mbered by their torques.

Why had Malkom's come off? He was in no way evil.

As soon as they stepped out, the demon froze, astounded.

He's never seen rain before. "Malkom, it's okay." Of course he'd have to experience a gale for his first time. When she laid her hand on his back, he flinched, blinking repeatedly. "Malkom, it's okay." Of course he'd have to experience a gale for his first time. When she laid her hand on his back, he flinched, blinking repeatedly.

"You'll get used to it, demon. But we've got to move now."

The grounds around the facility sloped downward. Hoping to reach the sh.o.r.e, she pointed down. "Go that way."

They followed the descent over treacherous terrain. Ama.s.sed fir needles concealed craggy rocks. Downed trees cluttered their way. The scent of decaying matter bloomed with each footstep.

Once they'd gained some distance, the sound of human screams and the baying of ghouls drew her gaze back up toward their former prison.

Cement blocks swirled overhead like a tornado, circling a rising ma.s.s of stone. Portia's work. Ember's flames soared, hissing against the rain.

Lightning flashed in the background, punctuating the bizarre scene.

Carrow could hear some female yelling, "Let's do this! Rock out with your c.o.c.ks out!" Was that Regin? Or just wishful thinking? "I'm going to grease him right now!" Carrow couldn't be sure.

In any case, G.o.ds help Declan Chase if Regin caught up to him.

Carrow squinted, swearing her eyes deceived her when she spied a caped female hastening toward a battle. Surely that hadn't been ... Nix Nix?

Another section of exterior wall fell. In a wave, creatures escaped: centaurs, kobolds, revenants. Like ants swarming from a mound, hundreds hundreds of ghouls welled out. of ghouls welled out.

"Ah, Hekate, no," she whispered as she grasped the sheernumber. "We've got to put some distance between us and them," she told Malkom. "Let's get mov-"

The earth gave way beneath her feet; within a split second, she tossed Ruby up to him.

He caught the girl's limp form, trying to snag Carrow at the same time, but she'd already slid down into the darkness.

"Keep her safe!" she screamed as she blindly dropped.

He'd just prevented himself from leaping after Carrow. But he held her tiny girl in his arms.

She's trusted me with her young? He had to reach Carrow-without hurting the child. He had to reach Carrow-without hurting the child.

If he slipped, if he squeezed her too hard for an instant ... Unlike Carrow, the girl wouldn't regenerate in days if he broke her bones.

Cradling the babe against his chest, Malkom trailed Carrow down, speeding through the forest as fast as he dared, vaulting from rock to rock to be sure of his footing.

He'd never held a child before, and this one was so fragile. Must keep her safe. Must keep her safe. She was the witch's beloved offspring, the reason for her betrayal. She was the witch's beloved offspring, the reason for her betrayal.

Rain poured, lightning striking. He felt the thunder in the pit of his stomach. The drops unsettled him, his vision blurring from this stray water. poured, lightning striking. He felt the thunder in the pit of his stomach. The drops unsettled him, his vision blurring from this stray water.

He jerked his head round as he listened for Carrow. He was losing her scent amidst the chaos of smells, the pungent greens of living things. Everything Everything here was living. Which meant everything was a potential threat. here was living. Which meant everything was a potential threat.

As he ran, he spared a glance down at the girl's pale face, recalling how badly the witch had longed for her. Think of Ruby. ... Think of Ruby. ... Carrow hadn't wanted to betray him. She'd only wanted her child back. Carrow hadn't wanted to betray him. She'd only wanted her child back.

Now she's trusted me me with such a treasure. with such a treasure.

When he looked up, he halted in his tracks, releasing a shocked breath. Before him was water as far as the eye could see. They were on a cliff that overlooked what had to be an ocean ocean.

No time to marvel. Must get to her. Must get to her.

At that moment, the child woke and began squirming. Malkom's eyes went wide.

What the h.e.l.l do I do now?

Carrow jolted to a stop, the momentum flopping her face-first into a puddle of mud. Scooping clumps of it from her face, she hauled herself to her feet, with no idea where to go.

She scanned the area to get her bearings. Trees loomed, dense woods all around her. Over the tempest, she could barely make out the sound of the still-raging battles.

How far had she slid? Should she go uphill since Malkom would be coming down? Calling out to him could be a risk-other creatures might hear her-but she took the chance. "Malkom?" "Malkom?" The howling winds m.u.f.fled her voice. The howling winds m.u.f.fled her voice.

Worry a.s.sailed her. Could the demon keep Ruby safe, without accidentally harming her?

"Malkom!" This time she heard movement in the bushes. Towering ferns rustled nearby. "Demon?" This time she heard movement in the bushes. Towering ferns rustled nearby. "Demon?"

Yellow eyes glowed back. Ghouls. They leapt from their cover, skulking toward her.

"I'm so f.u.c.king over this," she muttered as she fled headlong into the forest. The ghouls pursued her, thrashing through the brush.

Soon, it seemed she'd covered miles. How big was this d.a.m.n island?

She spotted a downed tree that looked familiar. Then a recognizable rock. Have I been running in a circle? Have I been running in a circle? Son of a b.i.t.c.h! She was right back where she'd started from. Son of a b.i.t.c.h! She was right back where she'd started from.

She took off in a different direction. When she heard crashing waves over the storm, she hastened toward the sound.

Just as she caught a whiff of salt air off the sea, a branch walloped her in the face, making her eyes water.

When they cleared, she sucked in a breath and wheeled her arms backward, slowing a skid that was slipping her right to the edge of a cliff.

She stopped herself just in time, dirt clumps tumbling off the ledge. They landed hundreds of feet below in storm-tossed waves.

Cliffs! No gently sloping beach, no pier with a boat. And behind her, the ghouls neared. She gazed back down at the foot of the cliff. Waves crashed over a shelf of rock before the ocean sucked them back.

She was trapped. A choice. A choice. If she could time a jump perfectly, she might hit one of those oncoming waves. Might not break her legs, her neck... If she could time a jump perfectly, she might hit one of those oncoming waves. Might not break her legs, her neck...

And then she'd be washed out to sea. A jump and possibly death, or a fate even worse. What would Ripley do?

When Carrow spied the ghouls' glowing yellow eyes surrounding her, she whispered a prayer to Hekate, then forced her foot out-over nothing.

Chapter33

"I know where they are!" Mariketa bolted upright in bed, waking from a fitful, exhausted sleep.

"Wha?" Bowen said groggily beside her. "What's that?"

"There's been an eruption of power! Lore energy." She stumbled from the bed. "I can find Carrow!"

For days, Mari had been racking her brain, desperate to save her friend's life. She'd hounded Nix for more information, until the soothsayer had simply disappeared.

Now Mari had felt felt where that energy had sprung from. Snagging a pocket mirror from her dresser, she concentrated on the cosmic disturbance she'd felt down deep in her bones. Like an errant thought, the location was flitting away. where that energy had sprung from. Snagging a pocket mirror from her dresser, she concentrated on the cosmic disturbance she'd felt down deep in her bones. Like an errant thought, the location was flitting away.

Bowen rose, stalking over to her. "Go easy with that, la.s.s," he said warningly. "You will no' look into it."

She shook her head, furiously rubbing the gla.s.s with her thumb, downloading the location into the mirror before she lost it forever.

Almost ... almost ... got it! She sagged with relief. "Something's happening in the Lore. Something She sagged with relief. "Something's happening in the Lore. Something big big. With that much raw power, it's got to be a concentration of immortals. It must be the Order's island."

"Why do you think that?"

"Nix said I could locate the island-by looking for something else something else. In other words, tonight I found the energy, energy, instead of the instead of the place place." She hugged him. "This is it, Bowen!"

"So what do we do? When do I leave?"

"Well ..." Mari shuffled her feet. "I don't exactly know how to translate what's in the mirror to a map or coordinates." But with a brief commune with the mirror, she could figure out how to transport them directly there.

Okay, yes, she wasn't supposed to gaze directly at a mirror, given the risk of enchanting herself.

But this would be such such a quick question, more of a a quick question, more of a query query really. Not really even a gaze, but more of a glimpse-- really. Not really even a gaze, but more of a glimpse-- "Doona dare even think about it, Mari." Bowen scowled down at her. "I will no' have you risk yourself."

Though Mari could use mirrors as focusing tools-or, say, to store a cosmic waypoint-she couldn't draw on the monumental power latent in them. It was enough to make her want to tear out her hair.

She gazed up at him, letting him see her frustration. "Carrow's my best friend, a sister to me. And she's not the only witch missing." Amanda and Ruby, Carrow's cousins, couldn't be found either. "Bowen, I can't just sit here and do nothing. Nix predicted Carrow's death!"

"And she might as well have predicted that Bowen's curvy redhead would get enchanted forthwith. No' a chance of this, witchling. I'll smash every bluidy mirror in this place and tie you to the bed."

He was clearly still miffed about the last time she'd gotten enchanted. Bowen had stepped between her and the mirror, rescuing her, but now he threw a mantrum whenever she even hinted that she might commune with one.

Just because she'd accidentally bored holes into his body-with her eyes.

"If I can't transport us there, then who will?" Mari demanded. "We'd have to find someone who can trace or open a portal not to a place, but to energy, energy, based on nothing more than what I sensed in a dream, even though he or she could be captured by s.a.d.i.s.tic mortals bent on vivisection." based on nothing more than what I sensed in a dream, even though he or she could be captured by s.a.d.i.s.tic mortals bent on vivisection."

"La.s.s, we'll find a way. There's got to be somebody in the Lore who's crazy enough for even that. We will no' rest until we've run them down."

Mari frowned. Crazy? She couldn't quite get enough air as the answer hit her. She knew someone who was certifiable. certifiable. He was also an immortal male, filled with evil, and obsessed with something as intangible as smoke. He was also an immortal male, filled with evil, and obsessed with something as intangible as smoke.

The craziest craziest. "Ah, Hekate, I know who the key is!"

Malkom didn't have time-or the words-to calm the girl.

"Put me down!" she shrieked.