The Demon Within (43 page)

“Not after you warned me of the danger.” At David’s snort of disbelief, Caly shrugged. “It didn’t seem prudent to take the chance.”

“The medallion is the only thing that prevents his death.”

“But it isn’t that simple, is it?” Caly sat, her face pale from fatigue but not defeat. “Are you willing to risk your life to chance it?”

“Not simple, but I believe it might work.” Ruman ignored her second question altogether. Her life was worth risking his.

“Explain.”

“When the Fallen appears, I’ll detain him while you plant the medallion. The first time he comes into possession of the disk, he’ll be vulnerable, giving you seconds to destroy him using that dagger you like to wave around.” It had to work. He’d already taken a beating. If he died without taking the Fallen with him, Caly would be left vulnerable. That wasn’t an option.

“Absolutely not.” Caly bolted to her feet, her chair toppling to the floor with a clatter. She slapped her hand on the desk. “I won’t have it.”

“Excuse me?” Surprised at her violent reaction, Ruman held still. Then his mood soured. She was trying to protect him, the little fool. Why the hell couldn’t she let him do his job? Didn’t she know she had to live for his peace of mind?

“You heard me. It’s too dangerous. You said it yourself, he’s almost unstoppable. You’re already wounded.”

He cursed his frailty but bit back his sharp retort. She only spoke the truth. Knowing she wouldn’t submit, he forced the lie past his lips. “You forget, I have two more lives remaining.” The words sat heavily on his shoulders. “I have no need to defeat him, only detain him while you pull off your part of the plan.”

She crossed her arms, not the least bit mollified.

The need to do violence grew in him. He wanted the bastard dead for threatening her this way. He glanced down at his hands and wondered if everything could’ve been avoided.

Would he wish that if it meant never meeting Caly?

No. Despite everything, she was worth what he’d gone through. He was coming to learn living was easy to judge when you didn’t have anything at stake. “For them to win, they need the medallion. We can’t let that happen.”

“So it’s war.”

He agreed with Caly to an extent. “This is only a skirmish. If we fail and the demon gains control of the medallion, the war will start in earnest.”

“How do you know?”

“Because it’s what I would do.” He expected distain or revulsion from Caly, instead, she gave him a nod like she understood.

“You mentioned the metal bombs worked.” Kelly stood and paced, chewing on her already short nails. “We’ll need a lot of them, whatever you can make. He’s already used demons in the past. I expect he’ll return with company.” Kelly twisted to confront Caly, her hands on her hips, daring anyone to gainsay her. “You can’t do this alone.”

Ruman grinned. He knew he liked Caly’s spunky little friend.

“I won’t have anyone else die.”

“But you’re willing to sacrifice yourself.” Kelly’s voice was belligerent and more than a little sarcastic.

“Of course not. Carnwennan and the demon I harbor will help me survive.”

Kelly rolled her eyes and turned to Ruman. “I say we vote. All in favor, say aye.”

A chorus of ‘ayes’ filled the room.

“No—”

“You and Ruman will have your hands full with the Fallen. Let us take care of the demons. It’s what we’re trained to do.” Kelly nodded toward David, and he grinned with such evil intent she shivered.

“You against how many?” Caly brushed her hair off her shoulders, ready to rip it out by the roots at the risk her friends were taking.

“Us and a team against whatever they send. The others protested leaving. Hell, some outright said they’d camp outside. They know what we’re up against. You trained us for this. Let us do our job.”

“You’re willing to die for this?” The words emerged behind her clenched jaw, her emotions so raw that if she unbent, she’d scream and never stop. If they left, Ruman was almost sure to die. How could she decide between them?

“We’re willing to fight for our chance to live. Same as you.”

Chapter Thirty-two

“H
ave you rested at all?”

Caly jumped and the powder in the vial she held spilled over to land in another tube. Fizz erupted, bubbling down the sides of the plastic and didn’t appear to have any intention of stopping soon. “Damn it, Jarred. Warn a girl first before you sneak up on her.”

“You’re avoiding the subject. By the time they attack, you’ll be too tired to stand.” Jarred stood in the doorway, his shoulder resting against the jamb with his arms crossed. “What are our chances?”

Caly put a hand to her back and straightened, gritting her teeth as her muscles creaked in protest. “To win? If things go as planned, pretty good. The plan is simple, less to go wrong.” Exhaustion clouded her mind when she tried to think what was next on her mile long list of things to do.

“And the survival rate?”

Her hands fisted as she thought of the danger Ruman would encounter if she couldn’t work out a better plan. “I’ll do my best to keep everyone safe.”

“If you’re taking care of us, who’ll watch over you?” He moved into the room and dug a rag out of the drawer.

She jerked the towel from him and mopped up the mess, avoiding his too nosy gaze. “You should send Brie away.”

“She won’t go.

“Then make her.” She scrubbed harder. Didn’t he understand the danger for Brie would be worse? “She doesn’t need to be here.”

“Don’t you think I haven’t tried? She’s refused to leave.” He ran a hand through his hair, the rigid stance he wore like armor melted into weariness. “She said she has nowhere else to go. Because of her bond with you, she has no connections and nowhere to hide. If you die, so does she. Is she lying?” The tone said he knew the truth, but his eyes pleaded with her to tell him otherwise.

“No.”

“I was afraid of that.” He gave her a tired smile. “Then how about you show me how to make these things so you can rest? I need you at your best out there.”

Jarred caught on within minutes and waved her off. Those deft hands mixed the chemicals as if by second nature. “No sense me doing the work if you’re only going to stand over me and watch.”

With a short nod, Caly turned and walked into the hall. Daylight broke through the windows, and the sense of time running out crept over her. The impending attack loomed like a giant weight on her chest, stealing away her confidence on a plan that could so easily cost Ruman his life. All on a gamble.

Unable to bear being alone while her doubts ate at her, she headed for the kitchen to double check the instructions she’d left for the soldiers. Everything had to go perfectly.

“No you don’t. Things are all under control, your orders followed to a tee.” Kelly crossed her arms like a mother scolding her chick, blocking the entrance. “Rest.”

“But—”

“I may be small, but I’ll get you to bed even if we have to wrestle you for it. You’re exhausted. Even I can take you.”

She opened her mouth to protest when Kelly raised a brow. She was right. Accepting defeat, Caly mounted the stairs without another word, each step seemingly heavier than the last. By the time she reached her door, she was half-asleep. Stumbling in the dark room with no thought other than the need to wake up in twenty minutes to get back to work, she fell across the bed.

And landed against something hard and incredibly warm. Wide awake, Caly bolted upright. The only thing that prevented her from jumping out of the bed was the strong arms that wrapped around her.

“Come to bed.” Ruman’s husky words sent a shiver through her muscles in a delicious way that warmed her through and through.

Then his words hit her, knocking out any thought of snuggling up to him. “What are you doing here? It’s daylight.”

“Sleeping.” The word was slurred.

“Since when?” Concerned about his sluggish reflexes, she grabbed his shoulders, pushing him away to see he was alright for herself.

“Since the visit to the desert and Azazel. Though draining, I’m able to withstand being awake for most of the day as long as I stay out of the sun.” Disappointment plummeted through her, and she slowly withdrew from touching him.

More damn secrets. And she sensed there was more he kept from her. He tightened his hold and mumbled in her ear, his sleepy voice wrapping around her. She reluctantly let go of the anger. It didn’t matter. Not when this could be the last time they spent together.

The temptation of sleeping next to him like a normal couple pushed away some of the ache in her heart. She could pretend they’d have a future at least for the day. Create memories for when he’d be ripped from her life.

With a sigh, she curled against his side then carefully placed her hand over his chest. The beat of his heart under her ear lulled her, and she drifted off.

A hand latched onto her ankle and jerked her off the bed. Agony streaked through her mind. Disoriented, she crashed to the floor, the air forced out of her lungs from the impact. Rolling to her feet, she groped for her knife, ignoring the way her shoulder cracked when she threw the blade.

It flipped end over end through the air and landed with a solid thump. A harsh squeal and an overly sweet smell clogged her nose. The dagger clattered to the floor as her eyes slowly adjusted to her surroundings.

What the hell? Her room!

Ruman!

Anxious for his safety, she swiveled and found him next to the bed with no expression on his face, hiding his thoughts from her, blasted him.

The look iced over her heart. He was too damn calm.

“How the devil did a demon get past without your dagger reacting?”

“Maybe it did work. My body was in motion before I was fully awake.” To see him alive and whole eased the rapid pounding of her heart, and she desperately wanted to touch him to reassure herself, but his lack of emotions drew her up short. He closed himself off so hard she didn’t feel she could touch him when just ten minutes ago she’d slept in his arms.

“Natural instinct?”

Caly winced at his caustic question, some of her self-assurance eroding under the same condemnation she faced from Oscar her whole life.

“Remind me not to wake you up in the middle of the night.”

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Exasperated by his abrupt change in attitude, Caly took a step to smack him and winced when the bones crunched in her ankle. “Sonofabitch.”

Ruman was at her side in seconds, arms locked around her waist. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?”

She sucked in a breath with the next step, trying to walk off the injury. “I’ll be fine.”

“Sure you will.”

She gave him a dirty look at his placating tone. “We should check on the others.”

“They’ll come when they need you. Now let me see.” He swept her up and set her on the edge of the bed before she could protest. He lifted her ankle and pulled on the laces of her boot.

The urge to check on her friends clamored in her head, but he was right. But there was one thing she could do. Reaching out with her senses, she allowed the darkness within to unfurl, drift through the house, searching but not detecting any threat. She relaxed as the darkness settled back into its cell without a qualm.