Chaos (20 page)

The aching in my muscles subsided, the throbbing in my head faded, and the scars on my body went from pink to silver. One look at Malachi told me it was the same for him. And with every moment that passed, I knew he loved me, knew it was real. The things that were invisible in the land of the living, the quiet concern, the silent longing, all of it was tangible here, as good as stitches and antibiotics—the most powerful kind of medicine.

When we felt strong enough, we forced ourselves to get up, knowing the mission was not over. The Queen was dead. She’d been destroyed by her own portal, sent into nothingness by the swirling blue. My mother and Zip had made it happen. A gnawing sense of loss made my gut feel empty. My mother, who’d abandoned me and lost herself, had gathered enough strength in hell to save me. And now I would never see her again.

“How are we going to destroy the portal?” Malachi asked as I climbed off the bed. We were in an ivory-hued room, a beautiful tomb of bone built from the remains of humans who had suffered and died, again and again. It gave me the creeps. I wanted this palace to crumble.

“The plan had been to use one of the grenades. We had six left.” I tucked a loose curl behind my ear. “But Takeshi said he left them in the square when the Tanner’s people captured us. Do you think the Tanner would send a few people with us to go get them?”

I strode toward the door with purpose. As soon as we destroyed the portal, we could leave. I had no idea how we’d manage it, but I knew there would be an opening in the dome, and I was determined to get us all through it.

I yanked on the door. It was locked. “What the hell?”

Malachi joined me and pounded on it. A second later, it was opened by an armed guard, a burly guy with only one eye, his other merely an empty socket covered by a sagging lid. “You look better,” he grunted, then licked his lips with his bright-red tongue.

“Why were we locked in?” I asked.

He shrugged, his daggers clinking dully at his belt. “For your own safety.”

Malachi cleared his throat. “We need to see the Tanner now, please.”

“Of course. He told me to bring you.” He turned on his heel and stalked down the hall.

Malachi took my hand. There was a tension in his grip that increased my own alertness. The guard led us down a set of steps that opened up to the corridor, which the Queen had been trying to escape down. We passed an opening to another hallway, from which echoed sharp, mewling yelps and animal shrieks. The one-eyed guard grunted. “They’re killing the cubs. Too many Mazikin in this city already.”

The shift in power was startling but clear. The humans controlled the palace now. I wrinkled my nose. The whole place smelled like roasting, burning meat, which was strange, since the humans here didn’t eat. We entered the throne room, which was full of activity. People everywhere. And the Tanner was sitting on one of the skull thrones, watching the show while the grisly tooth mosaic loomed behind him. The guard walked us over to the base of the wide steps.

The Tanner gave us a huge black-toothed grin. “Here you are! Treasa was correct when she said you’d heal each other.” His eyes glinted. “How nice.”

I glanced around. “Is Ana here?”

His smile didn’t fade. “Treasa was the last to see her.”

“What does that mean?”

He arched an eyebrow. “It means exactly that.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I need to know what happened to her.”

“You need to know?” He chuckled. “Are you in charge, little girl?”

“Not of you, but I am the ranking Guard now, and we have a mission—we need to destroy the portal as soon as possible so all of us can leave the city.”

He stared at me for a moment, and then that phlegmy laugh boiled up from his throat. He slapped his thigh and stomped his foot, drawing questioning gazes from the humans who had been mopping the floors and sweeping up rubble from our earlier battle. “Oh, we’re not going to destroy the portal,” he said between wheezing chortles.

Icy fear sluiced through my veins. “What? You said you wanted your people to be free. Destroying the portal is the way to do it. The dome will open.”

He shook his head, and his smile turned nasty. “No, my girl. The portal itself is the way to escape.”

“Yo
u . . .
can’t get out that way,” I said, confusion making me stammer. “You’r
e . . .
human.”

“Am I?” He ran his creepy red tongue over his black teeth. “I’ve been here for so long that I’ve forgotten what that means.” He patted his belly as it growled.

That sound was the key I needed to unlock a new, horrible understanding.

The city won’t nourish you,
Raphael had said. But the Tanne
r . . .
he’d grown hungry.

He
belonged
here.

“How long have you been like this?” I asked, hating the tremors in my voice.

“So long,” he said with a sigh. “And my best men, they’re like me. Good thing we have an endless supply of meat.” He gestured at the main corridor as a cowed-looking Mazikin, its ears pressed back against its head, wheeled in a huge cart, atop which lay what appeared to be a roasted carcas
s . . .
and it definitely did not look like a goat.

This was why the Tanner’s people looked so strong, so hardy in a city that sapped the strength out of its human inhabitants. They’d let the city own their souls, and then they’d eaten what it had to offer.

“You’ve turned into one of them,” Malachi said, his voice cold with hatred. “You might not look like an animal, but that’s exactly what you are.”

“I suppose so,” the Tanner said, though he didn’t look sad about it. “But I think it’s time for a fresh start.” His eyes lit on the portal. “I plan to make that start in the land of the living. It’s high time I returned. Thank you for helping me.”

Malachi and I flinched as steel pressed to our necks and chests. Guards surrounded us as the Tanner slowly descended the steps, looking every inch the malicious predator, his ruby lips moist and gleaming. “And thank you in advance for providing our entertainment as we wait for our ticket out of this place.”

TWENTY-ONE

M
ALACHI AND
I
CURLED
against each other within a heavy metal cage in a corner of the throne room, where we’d been brought to wait as the Tanner and his people chowed down on their feast. Malachi held me snug between his legs, his arms wrapped firmly around me, my hands over his. It was partly because there was barely room for the two of us in here and partly because we felt stronger this way.

As the minutes and hours passed, humans arrived in a steady stream. The Tanner must have sent word, because they were crowding in from the main corridor, probably having hiked along the underground trail near the river from the tannery. Many of them had the same weirdly crimson lips, men and women who eagerly eyed the meat and leaped at scraps thrown from the Tanner’s carts.

Chained outside our enclosure was Sil, his thick, hairy wrists and ankles bound, his snout still oozing blood from Zip’s earlier attack. He glared at us with a hatred so intense I could almost feel the burn. Malachi ignored Sil, one of his oldest enemies; he was too busy watching his new enemies.

The Tanner sat on his throne, tearing his way through a platter of meat, and several of his men sat around him, gnawing at bones he tossed away. I squeezed Malachi’s hand. “I feel so stupid for thinking he was an ally.”

“We had no idea it was possible for a human to actually turn into a Mazikin, Lela.” He drew me closer. “Focus on what’s next, not what came before.” He kissed my temple. It didn’t make me feel any better. We were in a terrible situation that was obviously about to get worse, and I had no idea how to get out of it—or how to protect him.

Treasa stood next to the Tanner’s throne, wiping his mouth between bites. She saw Malachi staring and nudged the Tanner with her elbow. He smirked. “Don’t look so impatient, Captain,” he called. “I’m nearly finished with my meal, and then you can put on a show.”

He gestured to his guards, who grabbed Sil by the ankles and dragged him away from the pen, to the center of the throne-room floor. The Tanner looked down at him fondly. “I’ve dreamed of meeting you like this, old friend,” he said to the Mazikin. “Every time you lorded it over me, delivering your orders from the Queen. I’ve wanted you on a leash for the longest time.”

“The Mazikin will never let you keep the Bone Palace,” Sil snarled in guttural English. “Ibram will come, and he will bring his enforcement squad.”

The Tanner laughed. “You’ve been blinded by your position of power, so close to the Queen,” he said. “I’ve already sent word to the Mazikin enforcers in the city that she’s dead, that I control the portal. They’re perfectly willing to work with me. Ibram was quick to pledge his loyalty in exchange for another trip to the land of the living.”

“But you will not fool Juri,” Sil roared. “You may be able to possess a live body, but Juri will not let you keep it for long. He can see who enters the portal. He’ll know.”

The Tanner nodded. “So imagine how eager he’ll be to cooperate when he knows how easily I can destroy
his
body. I’ve got the tools. I could fish him out of the well and drive a dagger right through his heart.” He grinned when he saw the realization in Sil’s eyes. “You Mazikin live such incredibly long lives. Far longer than humans in the land of the living. Juri might enjoy being human, but he won’t want to spend the rest of his existence in the same body as it grows old and sick. He’ll need to trade up, and in the meantime, he’ll give a lot in exchange for the safety of his hairy hide.”

Sil struggled against his bonds, baring his fangs. The Tanner leaned forward. “What would you give for a chance to enter the land of the living again, my friend? I can offer it to you.”

Sil became quite still, blinking at the Tanner. “In exchange for what?” he growled.

“Defeat the Guards and you can have your pick of bodies. I promise you.” The Tanner waved a broad hand at us, and Malachi cursed under his breath.

“You want me to fight both of them?” Sil asked, his ears twitching.

“One at a time.” The Tanner’s gaze flicked between me and Malachi. “So they can watch each other die.”

“I’ll go first,” I whispered. “I—”

“Stop it.” Malachi gave me a sharp squeeze. “One of us should stay whole for as long as possible, and that’s you.”

I pressed my face into his neck, feeling the pulse there, steady thumps followed by a few weak skips.

“They’re coming,” Malachi murmured.

Tears welled in my eyes as the crowd parted to form a path between our cage and the spot in front of the throne where Sil lay. I couldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t watch Malachi be hurt again. “I know this seems stupid and all that, but I need you to let me fight first,” I babbled, putting my fingers over his lips when he started to argue. “See if you can get free. See if you can make it back to—”

“The Captain will go first!” called Treasa in a loud, clear voice.

Even though both Malachi and I had been given that title at various times, I knew exactly who she was referring to.

The Tanner frowned. “I think the girl should—”

“She wouldn’t last two seconds.” Treasa smirked. “It wouldn’t be that entertaining. Let her watch Sil disembowel her love.”

The Tanner stroked his hand down her arm and gave her an admiring look. “Feeling hungry yet, dear?”

She smiled, something cold glittering in her eyes. “I’m getting there.”

I shuddered and held Malachi tight, all my systems switching into panic mode. “Can you beat him?” I whispered.

“I don’t know,” he said as he bowed his head into my hair. “But I’ll try.”

“Remove them from the cage,” said the Tanner.

Treasa brushed her fingers against his face. “Allow me.” She stalked toward us.

“Don’t watch.” Malachi tipped my face up to his. “And no matter what they do to me, remind yourself that I will survive.” He smiled, like this was nothing, like everything was simple, but I could see the exhaustion that shadowed his face. “Then you can fix me up.”

Before I could reply, his lips descended on mine, desperate and hard. His words might have been light, but his kiss told me he didn’t want to let go. His fingers clutched at my skin, a bruising pressure that I welcomed and returned. Our cage door swung open, and Treasa stood before us. “Your opponent awaits, Captain.”

Malachi kissed my forehead and released me. “Will I have a weapon?” he asked as he crawled from the cage and stood up.

Treasa shook her head.

I followed him out of the cage, using all my energy to hold myself together. I didn’t want to make this even harder by losing my shit while he fought. I would
not
distract him. The other guards surrounded Malachi and led him to the spot where Sil was bound. They formed a large circle around the two enemies. Treasa took me by the shoulders and began to guide me toward them. I flinched away from her, but she wrenched one of my arms behind my back and forced me across the floor until we came to a stop in the middle of the crowd, halfway between the portal and the throne. Behind it, the giant Mazikin grinned down from its mosaic, and I realized how naive I’d been, to think the Mazikin were the only evil creatures in this city.

The Tanner and his men pressed in closer. Looking over the crowd, the Tanner’s face lit up when he spotted Treasa. He waved her forward, but she merely nodded at him and grabbed my chin, forcing it up so I could see Malachi facing off with Sil from between the shoulders of the men in front of us. A guard was unlocking the shackles on the creature’s feet. Sil’s hands were already free and scrabbling at the bone floor, his razor-sharp claws leaving long divots. Malachi stood watching, his pink and silver scars standing out on his olive skin. His expression was one I’d seen him wear so many times before. Utter calm, total concentration. The spider waiting for the vibration in its web.

And then Sil’s feet were free. He leaped at Malachi, who quickly sidestepped him, sending him barreling into the Tanner’s men, who pounded on the beast and shoved him back into the circle. Their attention was entirely riveted on the action, their eyes alight with bloodlust. It made me want to scream. Or stab someone. I glanced over my shoulder at Treasa. Her gaze didn’t leave the fight as she pressed something small and cold into my palm.

My heart stopped as my fingers closed around it.

“Eyes front,” she hissed.

I obeyed her and nearly cried out as Sil swiped at Malachi, leaving four red gashes across his forearm. Malachi grimaced in pain before blocking another slash and kneeing Sil in the bottom of his jaw, then driving his elbow into the top of the beast’s head. But as Sil fell, he raked his claws along Malachi’s thigh. Malachi’s pants were instantly soaked with blood, and he fell to one knee, within reach of Sil’s snapping teeth. They closed around Malachi’s wrist and jerked him toward the floor, where the two opponents became a blur of blood and hatred.

Malachi was going to get ripped to shreds.

I lunged forward, only to be pulled back almost instantly by Treasa. “No, you little idiot. Go now. Ana said you’d know what to do with it.”

I whirled all the way around, gaping at her as she released my arm. “What did you say? Where’s Ana?”

“She was injured when she fell through the toilet hole, but she’s alive.”

“Why should I believe you?”

“Believe me or not. I really don’t care.” Her gaze flicked over my shoulder at the fight. “This is your chance,” she hissed, nodding toward the grenade I now clutched against my chest. “Takeshi said it was powerful, and Ana said you could use it to get us all out of here.” She raised a pale eyebrow. “Were they lying?”

A million questions flew through my mind, about Ana and Takeshi, about Treasa. But then Malachi shouted with agony from behind me, and I knew I had a choice. Try to save hi
m . . .
or take this chance to destroy the portal. I shoved past Treasa, away from the fight and toward the swirling, shimmering blue. There were so many humans gathered to watch the carnage that everyone was pressed back to front and shoulder to shoulder, but they seemed too distracted by the brawl to pay attention to me. I could see glimpses of the portal’s wall not ten yards away. The crowd was sparser there—no one wanted to risk falling in and losing their soul.

I knew that once I pushed the button on the grenade, I had about ten seconds to get clear, or else I’d probably be destroyed by the explosion. That might not be a bad thing—if I was blown up, I’d appear at the city gates as Raphael opened the dome. It would be easy to get out.

The problem? It would mean leaving Malachi to fend for himself. And there was no way I was going to do that. Which meant I had to wait until the last possible second to push the button. And then I had to run—and to try to get Malachi to safety. From the ravenous cheers behind me, I knew he was suffering. I knew he was hurt. It only made me more determined.

So determined that I didn’t see the looming shape that blocked my way until I ran into it, face-first.

The Tanner leaned down, his hot, rank breath right in my face. “What are you doing, little girl?” His huge hand clamped itself around my neck as he scanned the crowd. “What have you done with Treasa? How did you get away from her?”

He squeezed, turning my world red. I focused everything I had on keeping my fingers closed tight around the tiny globe in my fist. He didn’t seem to know I had it, which was my only advantage at the moment. Wel
l . . .
not the
only
one. I opened my mouth like I was trying to say something, and his grip loosened.

“Thanks,” I said, sucking in a huge breath. And then I kneed him in the balls. His eyes went round, the veins at his temples bulging. As the crowd shrieked and Sil roared, I threw myself to the floor and skidded along the smooth surface, dodging the red-faced Tanner as he grabbed for me. I scrambled along on all fours, keeping low as he shouted for someone to stop me, his words lost in the snarls and cheers from the mob. His heavy footsteps shook the ground as he chased me. I reached the wall of the portal just as the Tanner plowed into me, crunching me against the stones. Searing pain zapped through my ribs, and my fingers tingled and went numb.

The grenade rolled to the floor. The Tanner grabbed a fistful of my tunic and dragged me off the wall. I went limp, pitching forward, my head lolling as I frantically searched for the small black sphere. Finally, I found it, right next to the portal wall. I kicked at the Tanner, forcing him to pay attention to my feet, while I swiped it off the floor.

With a grunt, he lifted me in the air. My body felt like it was being broken in half as he hefted me over his head. I heard someone calling my name, but it sounded so far away, like a voice from a dream. I stared up at the bluish salt crystals on the distant ceiling.

“You wanted to get to this portal so badly, little girl. Well, here you are,” said the Tanner between rattling breaths. “I’ll let
it
deal with you.”

I craned my neck, trying to get one last view of Malachi, but the crowd was too thick. A few people were now facing us, watching with fascination. The Tanner took a step toward the whirlpool, bracing as he prepared to toss me in.

And I was overcome by the same impulse I’d had so many times in my life.
Survive.
Fight back. It was the same feeling I’d had that night I’d retaken control of my body and myself after months of abuse from Rick. It was the same thing that drove me to slam a rock into Juri’s head in the dark city. I had never surrendered, and I wouldn’t let this evil bastard be the first one to make me. I reached back and grabbed two handfuls of the Tanner’s tunic right as he hurled me forward. My fingers curled tight, securing the grenade between my palm and his sleeve. He staggered against the wall as my body flew over his head and crashed against the inside of the portal, a few feet above the deadly gelatinous goo. Beneath me, the lifeless, soulless bodies of my mother, Zip, and the Queen swirled slowly. My mother’s hair billowed around her like a cloud. Her eyes were wide open.

The Tanner grimaced, trying to pry my white-knuckled fingers from his tunic as all my weight pulled him down. He was a huge, burly man, but I wasn’t a waif. I slammed my toes against the stone wall, digging them into the cracks and using my leverage to drag him toward me. My eyes met his. “If I’m going in, you are too,” I said, a grim sense of victory filling me like a raging flood. I didn’t care if I was about to lose my soul forever—as long as he went down with me.