Shadow Revealed (The Enlightened Species Book Two) (20 page)

Patrick’s look was expectant. Ediku still could not come up with something to say. Yes, his father was proud of Jess? That was a given. Yes, his daughter and granddaughters were amazing? It wasn’t like he’d had a lot to do with that. Patrick finally just sighed and shook his head. “The campus is secured. I will let you know if anything happens.” He turned and walked away. Patrick had extended a bridge of at least friendship to him, and he froze, demonstrating yet again that he was incapable of meeting the male he wanted most in the world half-way. Patrick had been right to leave Ediku wallowing in his pathetic shortcomings, both then and now.

Chapter Seventeen

Umbrae clawed her way out of the darkness, the echoes of nightmares nipping at her heels. The chains binding her ankles and wrist were all too familiar. The moments before the dart hit her sped through her mind. She’d just reached to release the collar from Jess when a dart hit Jess in the neck, knocking her down. Stupidly she’d released her shadow, followed by the slam of the dart hitting her arm, and after that, nothing. Still groggy, she opened her eyes and the room slowly came into focus.

At first the room lacked a clear purpose. Her bindings were anchored to a plush chair that could be showcased in a museum, except that it had been modified with restraining hooks. The entire room resembled a rich torture chamber. The walls were quilted red velvet with bondage equipment, chains, and hooks at intermittent points. Jess hung against one of the walls secured by both ankles. She hung limply from her cuffed wrists. Her hair completely obscured her face. Umbrae nearly vomited with dawning realization. This room was meant for sex slavery and bondage.

Zakel had once given her to a sadist for a night in trade for an Aquatie child. The male had nearly killed her. The room the male had used lacked the wealth of this one, but the equipment hanging against the walls were the same. She remembered the feel of each tool. When Zakel had picked her up the next morning, the male had offered to purchase her. She’d been so grateful when Zakel had refused. Please, Fates, let this not be happening.

She looked at Jess again. At least whoever had taken them had not removed either of their clothing ... yet. Other than the ache in her arm where the dart had hit her, she wasn’t in any pain, and Jess seemed likewise unhurt. A male with a tattooed face solidified, sitting on the edge of a bondage table across from her.

“Hello, Umbrae. I’d hope you would be the one to wake up first. It will give us a chance to talk.” His voice was high-pitched. “I have longed for the connection of family.”

Family? He’d come out of shadow. “What do you want with us?”

“Us?” The male gave her a grin that made Umbrae’s skin crawl. “Tell me you are not throwing your lot in with that.” He thumbed toward where Jess hung. “Show some pride. She is well beneath you and me.”

Umbrae hoped he didn’t notice that Jess had moved. Jess was faking her sedation. Umbrae wished she had thought to do that. She needed to keep the males interest on her and away from Jess. “Who are you?” The guy held himself in high regard; maybe she could get him talking about himself.

“I am Osiris Sicarius. Until you, I believed I was the only surviving member of the Sicarius assassin bloodline. The question is, how you are possible?” Oh, shit, he was going to play quid pro quo.

“I don’t know. I was dropped off at an orphanage right after I was born.” She tried to keep her answers short. “Why do you think I am your family?”

“You’re a ghost. The shadowing ability was an exclusive Sicarius trait. The same way the siphon ability has remained pure to the Lils’ inferior bloodline.” He answered unhurriedly, gracing Jess with a disgusted glare.

She refused to bite on his second try at baiting her. He’d now referred to Jess as beneath her and of inferior bloodline. “If I am your family, why do you have me chained?”

“I’d thought with your history you would find it comfortable.” His grin was evil. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the chair; failing to give him the attention he felt he deserved was the only power she had at the moment. How dare he make light of the time she’d spent under the control of Zakel? She’d take Enlil’s
inferior
bloodline any day over this guy.

After a few minutes he spoke again, his voice coming from behind her. “Well, since you seem to have no further questions. Where is my chain?”

Umbrae opened her eyes refusing to answer. She heard a whoosh of a whip cutting through the air. A bright red line lit across Jess’s arm, quickly rising to a welt. Somehow the female stayed limp and quiet. The cat-o’-nine tails was clutched in Osiris’s hand, and a glint of sexual arousal lurked in his eyes. The male had enjoyed whipping Jess’s limp body. “Would you prefer I ask you again after she awakens? This is a mild tool to inflict pain. I have others much more effective.” His hand in presentation, he indicated the items hanging from the walls.

Umbrae swallowed. “My throat is dry and it hurts to talk. Besides, what difference does it make if you hurt her, you’re planning to kill her anyway.” It was a lame deflection of his question, yet Osiris responded to it.

“I have no intention of killing her, or you, far from it. Hulven females of your caliber are not easy to come by. Her bloodline can be improved upon in time. She may have no worth, but a child from her could have tremendous value.” His voice trailed off. He glanced sharply toward the entry next to Jess. “I will get you a glass of water.” The wall beside Jess slid away. Umbrae could see guards lining the hallway. The base of a set of stairs was also visible. The wall sealed behind him.

Jess’s head popped up slightly. Behind the fall of her hair Umbrae could see her eyes sweep the room. “He’s gone.” Jess announced careful to not move too much. “Do the straps at my ankles have buckles or cuffs?”

If even a hair moved on Jess’s head, Osiris would know she was faking. Umbrae looked close at the female’s ankles. “Buckles on your ankles, cuffs on your wrists. Why?”

“What about you, buckles or cuffs?” Jess didn’t answer her question.

“All buckles.”

Jess lifted up slightly, giving the cuff at her wrist slack. She clasped her fingers over her thumb, and Umbrae heard a soft pop. Extending her fingers straight, Jess slipped her hand out of the cuff. Repeating the process with the other hand, keeping her hair across her face, she reached down and unhooked the buckles at her ankles.

“How did you do that?” Umbrae watched her, amazed.

“Old party trick. I can dislocate my thumbs. I’m going to release you. Shadow and wait by the door for him to come in. When he does, you need to slip out and get help.” She was undoing Umbrae’s wrist.

“What about you?” Umbrae quickly leaned down to undo her ankles.

“I’m going to slip back into the cuffs and continue to pretend to be sedated. Once they realize you are gone, hopefully they will be so busy searching for you, they will either leave me alone until help gets here, or forget me altogether so I can slip out of here too.” Jess leaned over to redo the straps on her ankle.

When the wall slid open, Jess’s head snapped up. Umbrae shadowed and moved toward the door. Jess crouched into fight position and punched out at air. The blow was stopped short, the sound flesh on flesh. The wall closed before Umbrae could duck out, but she caught a glimpse of the guard’s dead, glazed eyes. What the hell?

****

“Quit chatting and find out where my chain is.” Osiris stood nose to nose with Six. “You should have strip-searched them already.”

“I thought creating a sense of fear might make them willing to give up the information faster, sire.” His son tried to step back. Osiris held him locked in place using his paternal bond.

“There are few places female’s can hide small items … if you get my meaning. It was in their possession when we tranq’d them. It is still in their possession … somewhere. If it could be found by interrogation I would have done it myself.” The thought of actually touching the females made Osiris nauseous.

A position not shared by Six, going by the glint of lust in his eye. “And our agreement?”

Osiris pinned Six with a stare. “Stands. You bring me my chain and return the females to me in twenty-four hour. As long as you don’t kill her, you can do whatever you like to the siphon. Umbrae, however, is off limits. I will be in my office.” He had no interest in seeing his son’s “search” style. When he’d inspected his son’s home for security earlier, the sex room had mildly surprised him. It was lined with thick lead and platinum, so Osiris had agreed to the females being brought there. It was close and effective. As long as his sons did his bidding, no questions asked, and remained loyal, he couldn’t care less how they spent their … free time.

“I’ll have it to you within the hour,” Six assured him with a nod.

Osiris released the paternal bond so his son could leave the room. The smell of blood wafted into the room. If Six killed Jess, Osiris would kill him. Though there was a good chance Jess would wish she were dead before the day was through. Observing in complete safety should go far to make Umbrae more secure in her future. Her children would be Osiris’s legacy. Which meant her breeding would be strictly controlled. All he wanted at that moment was his father’s chain.

****

Enlil quickly determined the fastest route. They would risk the port to the side of Lake Powell furthest from the place the ghost had described. They then would fly over the huge body of water to reach the compound on the other side. Enlil had taken up Ediku’s discarded sword while Shane had armed in seconds.

The moon was huge, reflecting off the serene surface of the lake. Enlil wondered if Brae might like to fly over a moonlit lake. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he caught the drifting scent of peppermint. They’d picked up the flight pattern the females had been taken on. The twinkle of light from behind the weave surrounding the compound came into view.

Just before landing, their escort shadowed. A dozen guards came rushing out of buildings and different parts of the large spread. Whoever owned the property was obviously very wealthy. That wasn’t too surprising; wealth and longevity went hand in hand. Enlil would bet the males who had taken Jess and Brae had been hired mercenaries. It was a common field for warriors who didn’t want to integrate into the SOSC or humanity. The High Ones or the Oracles occasionally contracted them, but mostly they worked for the highest bidder.

Several of the males took flight to intercept them in the air. Enlil followed the blue streak of the shadowed male. The shadow hovered above the path of the first incoming guard. The guard passed below the teal-blue, misty color and began shrieking when one of his wings separated from his back, plunging him into the dark water below. Enlil’s first look at the assassin bloodline in action was awe-inspiring. Brae had the potential to be just as effective. Four others dodged their falling comrade. The blue mist dispatched the fifth as fast as he had the first, before continuing toward the compound. He watched the mist descend behind the guards on the ground who had watched the action in the sky. One by one the guards began to go down with their throats cut. Unbelievable.

The clash of metal on metal beside him brought his attention back. One of the guards had engaged Shane. Two more were battling Irsu and the two members from her unit. Another was headed straight for Enlil He held a long stun wand that resembled a riding crop in one hand, a short sword in the other.

Enlil swung his sword to deflect the wand, the weapon merely flexed and snapped back. The burn of the sword cut along his ribcage. The flexible weaponry his opponent had chosen was not something Enlil was familiar with, though of the two weapons it was by far the most dangerous. Any contact would send an electrical charge into him, temporarily shorting out his body functions. He ignored the blood running down his side from the superficial wound and sheathed the useless sword. The male launched his second attack. Enlil waited until the last second and then tucked his wings flat to his back; streamlining his body, he dropped below the combatant and reached up with his wing fingers, snatching the guard’s ankle. Pivoting in the air, he gave a hard flap of his wings to rise up behind the guard, grasped his head, and snapped his neck. Quickly adjusting his hold to the guard’s wings, he centered his foot to the guard’s spine and ripped his wings off. The body plunged into the water below. Enlil dropped the wings without ceremony.

Irsu and one of her men supported the weight of the third between them, though the guards they had been fighting were also bobbing in the lake beside the ones he, Shane, and the assassin had dispatched.
Where is Shane?
Enlil turned to the shoreline to see Shane land. The remaining guards had figured out they were being attacked by an unseen assailant. Most were whipping wands in quick circles, holding the teal-blue mist at bay. One noticed Shane land and turned to engage him. The teal-blue mist began to slowly move in the direction of the one that intended to intercept Shane. The mist was so intent on the object of his focus, he didn’t realize he was in range of the scythes Shane welded.

Enlil shouted out to Shane. “Shane, drop.” Thinking someone was coming up behind him Shane followed Enlil’s direction, rolling away from the arcing wand of the frontal attack. The guard’s head fell to the ground beside Shane. A stunned expression graced Shane’s face then he rolled again to avoid the collapsing body of the decapitated guard. Unseen arms lifted Shane back to his feet and shook his hand.

Enlil and the others came to land beside Shane. Irsu and her remaining warrior gently laid the tased warrior to the ground, drew their weapons, and took position with Enlil and Shane. The guards began to advance on them, intermittently swinging the wands in protection.

“Try to take out their limbs rather than the wands.” Shane whispered. He must have seen Enlil’s frustration with battling the wands in the sky. Enlil pulled his sword with a nod. Tracking the blue mist coming up at the rear of the advancing group; the shadowed male was an advantage Enlil appreciated. The number of guards they now faced had been more than cut in half by the effective dispatch of the assassin.