Demon Storm: Belador book 5 (19 page)

He took one look at Adrianna and she moved aside, making room for him to drop down beside Evalle, which should have lowered his intimidation factor a full notch, but no. Not when a man had shoulders as wide as a refrigerator and sharp eyes loaded with threat for any danger.

Still, she’d put Storm up against him any day when it came to a badass throwdown. Like facing an entire underworld of demons.

But thinking about that would not help right now.

Evalle said, “Thanks for coming down here, Isak. You want to show me how that works?”

“Not necessary. I’m staying until I know you’re clear.”

Yeah, she was afraid of that.

Adrianna turned on the sex kitten voice. “So
you’re
Isak?”

He finally swung his attention to address the Sterling witch, but his entire focus had been on Evalle first.

Sure, it was tacky on her part, but Evalle enjoyed a smug moment. Isak hadn’t stumbled over his tongue the minute he got a load of Adrianna in her undercover getup–a tight, black cat suit designed for maximum cleavage display ala classic James Bond flick.

But, Evalle had once again committed a social faux pas by not introducing them. Hostess skills were not her strength. She said, “Isak, this is Adrianna Lafontaine, and Adrianna, this is Isak Nyght.”

Adrianna pulled out a smile that could light up the entire block. “Nice to meet you.”

What was with the Sterling witch? She flirted without effort around the men on the team, but Evalle had never noticed Adrianna showing a sincere interest like this. Her smiles and attention to the guys had always been more along the lines of dressing up a display case that sat behind an invisible do-not-touch barrier.

Isak didn’t rush to answer Adrianna, taking a long visual sweep of her before he asked, “What are you?”

Way to kill the sex-kitten routine.

Adrianna’s entire demeanor shifted subtly, but enough that Evalle felt the need to warn Isak. “Adrianna is a witch. A powerful one you don’t want to piss off.”

“Witch, huh? Does that make you human or nonhuman?”

Adrianna’s frosty personality re-emerged. “That makes me not the least bit interested in your opinion.”

Evalle had kept an eye on the frame house and caught a shadow pass by a window. “Hey, you two, I see activity.”

Isak’s attention zeroed in immediately. “What are we after?”

Oh, boy. This is what Evalle had avoided discussing over the phone with him. “A female witch doctor.”  She eyed his mega weapon again. “That’s not the same blaster you brought me last time, is it?”

“No. You said you needed to contain something, but not kill it. This is a new model that has three levels of stun.”

Adrianna’s eyes had narrowed more when he used the word “it” to designate what they were hunting. As an Alterant, Evalle had suffered being called an “it” more times than she wanted to count.

And now she was a gryphon, but she hadn’t shared that information with Adrianna or Isak.

“There’s definitely someone in there,” Adrianna confirmed. “I just saw a movement on the second floor, too. It’s as if she’s walking around from window to window, watching the area surrounding the house.”

Isak asked, “Why do we have to leave her alive?”

Adrianna kept her voice down but snapped, “You don’t even know what she’s done. How can you assume killing her is the right choice?”

Evalle cringed at the censure in Adrianna’s voice even though the witch was correct, but saying so right now might change Isak’s mind about loaning that weapon.

“She’s a nonhuman,” Isak replied, voice hard. “And a threat of some kind to Evalle. That’s reason enough.”

Any other time, Evalle might gloat over Isak’s concern, but that had been before she realized Storm was the only man she would tolerate sounding possessive around her. Isak knew that, but chose to ignore it.

Adrianna leaned in, shoving all that cleavage forward so Isak had a front row view, which he didn’t miss. She asked Evalle, “Does he know
why
we’re doing this?”

“No, I don’t,” Isak replied, turning to Evalle. “Not that it matters if this woman is a problem for you, but why are we here?”

Remind me again why I asked these two to help me?

Because Adrianna had the witch juice and Isak had the firepower.

Got it
.

Evalle cleared her throat, stalling, then finally explained to Isak, “That witch doctor tricked Storm into following her to the underworld, another realm. I need her to get Storm out of there, but I can’t do it without Adrianna casting a spell over her to force Nadina to do what I say. That’s why I need you to stun her.”

When Isak didn’t reply, Evalle’s shoulders fell. She hadn’t lied to him, but neither had she told him everything on the phone.

“Nadina is the witch doctor?”

She had a burst of hope return at hearing Isak ask about Nadina. “Yes.”  Evalle risked a glance at him.

Isak’s jaw could be carved from rock. He stared at the house, assessing something, then he slanted his gaze at her. “Guess I have to help you.”

She liked the sound of that except for one part. “What do you mean by ‘have to help me’?”

“If I don’t, you won’t come to dinner. If I do, you owe me dinner on my terms.”

Adrianna was enjoying this way too much. Her eyes literally twinkled, the witch. It wasn’t as though Evalle could refuse Isak since there was a standing dinner appointment that she’d agreed to, but that had included Kit, Isak’s mother who’d issued the invitation.

Dinner on his terms wasn’t hard to figure out.

Isak wanted Evalle alone for one evening.

He wasn’t going to help her unless she followed through on her commitment, which she had to do anyhow since she owed Isak’s mother for several favors.

Why did it feel like she’d be betraying Storm to go with Isak?

How was she going to save Storm without him?

“Fine,” Evalle agreed. “But I choose the date.”

“Not a problem as long as it’s within a week from today.”

Maybe Nadina would smoke Evalle and this would all be moot. “Okay, done.”

Isak grinned. “Let’s go bag a witch doctor.”  He flipped a lever on his weapon.

Adrianna asked, “What did you just set for power?”

“Level One. It’ll take down a demon.”

Evalle considered the Svart Troll she’d zapped in a recent battle. The troll had been out for ten minutes. “Is the power similar to the stun setting on the weapon you loaned me for trolls?”

“No. The first level on this has twice the takedown ability.”

Would that blow up a witch doctor with Nadina’s powers?

E
valle followed Isak’s moves and Adrianna shadowed behind them. When they all reached the house, Isak gently tested the knob on the rear door. Locked. He reached inside his vest, but Evalle tapped his shoulder and signaled him to move aside.

She put her hand on the knob and after two soft snicks, the door opened.

Isak’s uncovered eyebrow rose at seeing her kinetics in action. He’d once seen her toss a forklift using kinetics, but he still didn’t know all that she was capable of. Just the fact that he’d work with a nonhuman instead of blasting one was a major step.

But he’d cooperated with nonhumans only when Evalle asked or was involved.

When this was done, she’d make good on the dinner she owed him. She’d use that time to explain once and for all that they could continue being friends, but nothing more. She’d tried once and he’d translated her involvement with Storm as a challenge.

Male psychology.

Storm had agreed not to rip Isak to pieces as long as Isak didn’t touch Evalle. Explaining this IOU dinner without setting Storm off was going to take some work, but Evalle would worry about that once she had him safe at home.

She’d face anything to make that happen.

Isak moved back into the lead and entered the dark house first. They walked silently through the kitchen that was empty of anything that might represent residents of this house. No pictures or notepads. No residual smells of cooking. Just the musty smell of age that permeated the peeling wood cabinets and faded paint on the plaster walls. A rectangular pine table surrounded by four ladderback chairs sat against the wall.

Evalle scanned the entire room, sensing nothing until she felt the buzz of energy that drew her gaze to the ceiling.

Five orbs appeared up in a corner, moving erratically. That had to be some of the spirits still living in this house. Evalle had met ghosts from the Civil War in the Maze of Death under Atlanta. Some of those had been sad and lonely, but her empathic senses registered fear emanating from these orbs. These spirits were bothering no one. Seeing them huddled together, hiding from Nadina, soured her stomach.

You might as well boot a puppy as pick on a benign spirit.

Adrianna’s eyes tracked up to the orbs then she nodded at Evalle, silently confirming that this fit what Kai had described.

Now came the dangerous part.

Evalle touched Isak’s arm to signal that it was time to allow her to go first.

He didn’t move.

His wide body blocked her from moving forward and his face had that stubborn expression from minutes before when they’d argued over this point. She’d already explained to Isak that if they spooked Nadina, she’d disappear and they might not find her again. Not in time for Brina or Storm. Plus, Evalle had argued that Nadina wouldn’t harm her as long as Evalle didn’t threaten the bitch.

Of course, Evalle had lied, because based on what Storm had told her, Nadina
was
a threat to Evalle.

But Storm wasn’t here to call her on the lie.

The real reason Evalle wanted to go first was to protect Isak and Adrianna in case Nadina came flying out ready to attack.

Adrianna might be a pain in Evalle’s side, but she’d been instrumental in locating Storm and now Nadina. She didn’t deserve to face off with the witch doctor.

And Isak had come through again, even knowing this was about bringing Storm home.

If Nadina overpowered Evalle, Isak would blast the witch before she harmed Adrianna or him. The only flaw in that plan, besides dying of course, was that if Evalle didn’t survive this, Storm’s only hope for freedom would vanish too, because no one else would go for him except her.

She tapped Isak’s arm again because he never stopped scanning his surroundings.

When he faced her, she mouthed the word,
Please
.

He gave up and moved aside.

She continued into the dining room, opening up her empathic senses for any hint of life. More orbs cluttered along the high ceiling framed with wide crown molding.

When she reached the living room, the first thing she noticed beyond the worn couch and side chairs was the lack of orbs.

The second thing was the smell of roasted licorice.

The third confirmation of Nadina was anger churning through the still air. She gave the signal to Isak and Adrianna to wait just outside the entrance.

There. Coming quickly down the stairs from the second floor.

Evalle spun, hands up, prepared to send out a blast of kinetics at the blur of movement.

“If you harm me, you will never see Storm again,” a female voice warned with a Spanish accent.

Nadina.

Evalle lowered her hands. “I was only acting in self-defense. If you don’t attack me. I won’t attack you.”

But would Nadina believe that?

Light formed in a spot between Evalle and the stairs and brightened until a woman appeared, with tanned skin so smooth it could be polished, black hair falling past her shoulders and almond eyes upturned at the corners, laughing at the world.

Arrogant eyes now glowing yellow.

Does she think her headlights will frighten me?

She was almost too beautiful, as if Evalle stared at a vision instead of a human face. What was it with witches of the dark persuasion? Did they get an automatic stamp from the cosmetic fairies?

Evalle met her smile with a feral one. “Nice touch with the cape. But if you were going for intimidating, you should have picked black over gray.”

“I should take fashion tips from a VIPER thug who wears clothes scavenged from dumpsters?”

That’s what I get for trying to have a verbal sparring match with a fashionista.
Evalle took in Nadina’s boot tips, two red points sticking from beneath the cloak. Bet hers didn’t have hidden blades. “Thug, huh? I may need therapy to survive such brutal attacks to my psyche.”

“What do you want, Evalle?”

“Storm.”

“He is gone forever.”

“No he isn’t. We both know where he is and you’re going to help me bring him back.”

Nadina had been stoic until then. She burst into laughter. “What do you plan to hold over me? He is mine, and I control him. I also have the power to call you to me.”

Evalle froze. “What? You’re lying.”

“You think so? You recall wearing the Volonte bone bracelet Imogenia gave you?”

How could Evalle forget a bracelet that enhanced her moods and had caused her to act like a sex maniac until Storm spun a calming spell around her? “Yes, I remember the Volonte, but I gave it to a willing recipient and I no longer have it.”

“I cast a spell on it that would bring you to me any time I desired.”

She had to be lying. “If that’s the case, why haven’t you used it?”

“I was not ready.”

“Right. Whatever. Back to getting me into Mitnal.”

Surprise flashed into Nadina’s eyes, but only for a second. Just long enough for Evalle to know she’d thrown the witch off balance.

Now to manipulate Nadina into position.

Moving toward the window that looked out over the front yard, Evalle said, “Here’s how this works. You’re going to take me into Mitnal and help me get Storm out. If you do that willingly, I’ll make sure Storm doesn’t kill you as long as you return his soul and his father’s.”

Nadina shifted around to watch Evalle, but she didn’t step into the opening between the living room and dining room the way Evalle had hoped.

Nadina answered and her words sounded carefully chosen. “Storm has already made a blood vow along those lines. I can not override a blood vow with another one.”