His Darkest Salvation (38 page)

At the moment, it was the only thing she liked about him.

“Stay safe,” he said harshly, then indicated Finn follow him.

Jaden watched as the inky black swallowed them whole and a shudder passed over her as the shadows started to move, like they were pulsating from within.

“I don’t like this.” Ana’s words were hard to understand. Her fangs were fully distended, and her eyes glowed fiery red. She turned to Jaden and for a second Jaden caught a glimpse of such torment, such pain, that she was stunned. “Where are they?” Ana whispered, as her cool facade slowly slid back into place.

Jaden knew
they
really meant Declan. “They’re here somewhere, Ana, and the sooner we get to Azaiel, the sooner we’ll find them.” She nodded to Nico. “Let’s go.”

She cleared her mind of all thoughts save, one—Azaiel—and they moved toward the far left. Within moments, Jaden cursed silently and tossed her heels, though the cold, wet concrete at her feet was uncomfortable. Ana did the same, and, for a second, she felt laughter bubble up inside her.

She looked like a damn cocktail waitress, nothing like a trained operative and certainly not like a jaguar warrior. No matter, it could only work to their advantage.

Nico tossed her a modified Glock, and she looked at him in surprise. “How the hell did you manage to sneak this in past security?”

“Declan.” His one-word answer was terse as he tossed one to Ana. “They’re charmed, though since we don’t know how well they’ll work against demons, best to use your dagger and cut them down.” He gave what passed as a smile. “Shifters and magicks, however, are gonna feel the burn.”

“Where are they?” Ana asked, clearly puzzled. “O’Hara’s security? I thought for sure we’d be in the middle of a bloodbath as soon as we gained entrance.”

Jaden peered into the darkness and shivered as her body reacted to the cold. A dark and malevolent presence was felt, and her jaguar shifted beneath her skin as unease slid over her.

“I think he’s got it covered. We just can’t see it yet,” Jaden whispered. She turned to Nico. “Check out those storage rooms over there; Ana and I will do a sweep of the immediate perimeter.” There were rows of shelving units holding large containers.

Nico nodded, opened his mouth as if to say something, then melted into the dark.

“This way.” She nodded to Ana.

The two of them slowly made their way toward the rows of shelving. They were made of steel, looked sturdy, and rose into the air nearly ten feet. They were jam-packed with containers and, if toppled, would surely kill.

She tapped the com in her ear, heard Crane though his voice was cutting out, and tapped it off. The com units were necessary, but most of the time she found them annoying as all hell.

The steady drip of water could be heard, like a sad echo bouncing against the concrete.
When did Cormac develop an obsession with water?
The hem of her dress was dragging through puddles of it, and, with a curse she extended her long nails and let their razor-sharp ends slice through the fabric until her legs were bare.

“You should do the same, Ana, it’s much easier to maneuver . . .” Jaden’s words fell into nothing as she looked up to empty space. “What the hell?”

Ana was gone.

She whirled around, her hair flying and water spraying out from her feet. There was nothing there. It was as if the shadows had swallowed the vampire. She stilled as her senses expanded, and she scented the air. There were no trace signatures, no scent . . . nothing. It was if she’d never even been there.

Jaden tapped her com unit, and whispered hoarsely, “Ana?” She waited a few seconds and then cautiously moved forward. Again she whispered, “Ana?” There was nothing but static.

She tried again, “Nico.” Again, nothing but silence.

Jaden gritted her teeth together and exhaled slowly as she focused all her senses and tried to read past the never-ending darkness. Something slithered across the floor, near her feet, and she jumped to the side, her arm arcing forward with the dagger held ready, and the Glock aimed as well.

The beady eyes of a rat stared up at her, and she resisted the urge to kick the bloody thing, hissing, instead, as her jaguar bled through. The rodent froze, as if it knew something dangerous was in sight, and scurried away.

She took a second to center herself and started forward. Something was there, just ahead.

Her eyes narrowed, and adrenaline rushed through her body, feeding her jaguar into a state of excitement. The mission was dangerous, but there was a part of her that craved the danger. It made her feel alive. It made her remember her purpose.

The shadows swirled and parted, the gray becoming mixed with light, and as the energy manifested fully, she was ready.

A loud hiss and clacking noise began in earnest, definitely a demon, and she rushed forward, her arm extended in a deadly arc, and faltered at the last second. It was Julian’s face,
his
eyes and lips that snarled down at her.

What the hell?

Jaden’s hesitation cost her, and she felt a burn as the demon’s fist knocked into her chest and sent her flying backward. She landed, hard, and pain radiated out as her head connected with the concrete.

Confusion threatened and, for a dazed second, nearly won, but her jaguar roared to life, and a snarl erupted from between her teeth as she rolled to the side and pushed herself up.

Jaden held the dagger loose in her grip, welcoming the burn beneath her flesh as her jaguar made noise. The power of her animal was exhilarating, and she smiled at the demon as it hissed down at her.

It no longer looked like Julian, and she knew it had been the dark magick at work. She’d not make that mistake again.

The demon was in its true form, standing nearly seven feet high. Thick scales covered its flesh, and they glowed with a luminescence that was beautiful. A total contrast to the nasty evil that lived within.

Its eyes burned fire, and, as it snarled, the teeth dripped poisonous saliva. She remembered the pain of a demon’s bite as she stared up at the thing. There was no way she was letting it get close enough to break skin.

She began to make quick calculations as it smiled and rotated its head, the clicking of its teeth still riding the air. She needed to get close enough to it to cut its head from its body without letting it take a bite out of her. In the confined space, she knew it would be difficult.

“You should run, little kitten, make the game that much more enjoyable.” The demon’s voice was multilayered and fell from its mouth in waves. It took a step toward her and swiped its long arm. She jumped back and gritted her teeth as it began to laugh. “I’m hungry, and it’s been too long since I’ve had fresh meat.”

The fucker was playing with her like she was a goddamn mouse.

Jaden gripped the Glock tightly in her other hand and arched an eyebrow as she looked up at it. At that point, she had nothing to lose.

“Eat this, asshole.”

The demon stopped and opened its mouth to speak, but Jaden aimed and fired the Glock point-blank into its mouth. The force of the hit spun the beast around, and its entire head glowed green as dark liquid spewed from every orifice.

She jumped back as the demon toppled, and the poison arced outward. An awful keening sounded from deep within its chest, and, as it fell forward, she jumped through the air, her arm going wide, and she separated its head from its neck easily.

Jaden landed on the other side and turned back to the demon’s body. It was twitching, a small burst of energy that slowly died to nothing. She looked down at the Glock and smiled.

Declan’s charm worked on demons. Good to know.

She didn’t bother looking back, kept moving forward as the dark shadows continued to swirl. She reached the end of the row and turned up the next, her gaze studying everything, her ears listening for any sound.

“Julian?” She tried her com again, but the static was too loud, and she switched it off. Whatever weird mojo was going on made the device pretty much useless. She was on her own.

The silence was heavy, weighing on her. Her heart beat against her chest, and the adrenaline that rushed through her body made every nerve ending sizzle with power.

She carefully made her way down the long row and stopped when a noise crept through the silence. At first she didn’t know what it was, it was soft, feminine. It took a few seconds, then she realized it was the sound of a woman weeping.

Sweat rolled down the back of Jaden’s neck. Her body was heated, and mist rose from her skin to halo her frame. She exhaled softly and moved forward, her dagger at the ready and the Glock held firmly in her right hand.

She rounded the corner cautiously, at first seeing nothing but mist and shadow, then it all fell away.

And she felt her heart break at the sight before her. She knew it was wrong, impossible, but the hope that sprang from her gut was nearly crushing.

Her mother knelt amongst the filth and wet of the floor, her body twisted as if in pain. She was sobbing quietly, her gentle profile so familiar.

Jaden took a step closer.
This place is haunted.
Ana’s words echoed in her head, and she paused.

Her mother turned to her then, the eyes empty and rotting with maggots as she held her arm aloft. The hand was gone, leaving a bloody stump in place, and Jaden bit her lip in horror at the sight.

Her mother opened her mouth to speak, yet no words came forth. Black liquid spilled from the corners, the stench was nearly overwhelming, and she heard her mother speak, inside her mind.

Help me.

Jaden took a step backward, confused and angry. She knew the head games were part of Cormac’s dark magick, they were built into the wards, but the sight of her mother tugged at the most painful night of her life.

Help me.

Again, her mother’s voice whispered through her mind.

“You’re not real,” she said hoarsely, wanting to look away but not able to.

Her mother’s head lolled to the side, and Jaden wiped away the tears that sprang to her eyes as she watched. She needed to move on, needed to get to the portal, yet her feet felt like they were encased in cement.

“You’re not real,” she said again, this time louder as she forced her feet to move forward, the cold and damp making her feet numb. Her teeth were chattering loudly as her body shivered in earnest.

She gripped the dagger so tightly that her fingers ached. She raised the weapon, knowing that whatever was there, just in front of her, was not her mother. It needed to be destroyed.

The air changed then, the shadows rushing around the woman, and as the darkness parted once more, Jaden cried out. Gone were the maggots, and blood and darkness.

Her mother smiled up at her, her body no longer broken. She was returned once more to her former self, beautiful, serene, and strong. The air sparkled, glowed and encircled her in a soft light.

She looked ethereal. She looked
real.

Hope flared, however briefly, but Jaden tucked it away and welcomed the anger that burned inside her once more. She’d not let Cormac win using the demons of her past.

She took a step forward and raised the dagger, hating the way her mother smiled up at her as she did so.

“Fuck you, O’Hara,” she whispered, then rushed forward. She jumped into the air and, at the last minute, closed her eyes, not wanting to see her mother’s face as she attacked.

And yet when she landed, crouched along the floor, the dagger held firm, there was nothing there.

She looked to the side, her heart nearly beating out of her chest, but the space was empty.

“It seems you were right, Degas. My little pet has betrayed her family.”

Dread rolled over in her belly, and slowly Jaden straightened. She turned around, and though her face gave nothing away, inside, fear clawed at her gut.

Her father Jakobi, brother Degas, and their guard Benicio stood several feet away. Her brother looked at her, a smug smile gracing his handsome face, while Benicio looked nothing if not bored.

But it was Jakobi who had her full attention. His dark eyes blazed with anger, and his teeth flashed through the gloom as he smiled at her and shook his head.

She knew in that moment they were not visions. They were very real. Her past had finally caught up with her, and she could no longer run from it.

“It’s time to teach you a lesson.” Her father moved toward her, and the rage that he felt sliced through the air, reaching for her.

It hit her hard, and she knew the end was near. There was no way she could defeat three jaguar warriors.

Jaden loosened her grip on the Glock, her fingers soft on the trigger. They could beat her down, but she’d not give up without a fight. She owed her mother that much.

She owed Julian as well.

She snarled, aimed the gun, and fired.

Chapter 28

T
he madness that hung in the air fed the black hole inside him. Julian inhaled deeply, welcoming the energy that flowed through him as he and Declan slipped through the shadows.