Night Series Collection: Books 1 and 2 (55 page)

“Who wrote the prophecy?”

“His name was Josias of Smyrna.”

An ancient—it wasn’t sounding good. Though I’d never heard of this particular prophet, it didn’t mean that within established circles he wasn’t well known. “Who is he? What is his body of work?”

“The scrolls were discovered on papyrus sealed in clay jars on the Island of Patmos.”

“That’s nowhere near Smyrna.”

She shrugged. “The jars had clearly been moved. But the papyri had been excellently preserved. Ten years ago, the Order began reading through the scrolls. Most of it is nothing but a history of ancient Greece. Three months ago, they found the Josias prophecy. A nightmarish vision of demons unleashed, of a key, and a sketch of a woman’s face. Yours, Pandora.”

Her eyes pierced mine.

“Are you telling me he has no other body of work? That the Order is out to destroy me simply because of a drawing? Don’t forget that I lived back then. It’s entirely possible that whoever this Josiah is, he’d seen me.”

I couldn’t believe that all this betrayal, all these lies and red herrings had been devised and based on one sketch. “Does it even call me the key?”

“They haven’t let me read most of it. The scroll is now in the Triad’s hands, which is the ruling council of the Order. Pandora, whatever is on those scrolls has scared them enough that they’re on a witch hunt.”

“But how am I supposed to release Wrath? He’s bound by chains of iron forged by the hands of Michael himself. If I even tried to release him from those, I’d suffer instant death. I’m a demon—those chains are as deadly to me as they are to an HCD.”

Sick at heart, I rubbed my stomach. It made a perverse sense. Humans were a panicky bunch, it didn’t take much to make them react, and the mere whiff of Armageddon was sure to make the Order take drastic measures to ensure it didn’t happen on their watch.

“Then why aren’t they just coming into our camp and blowing it up?”

“Because while we have knowledge of how to kill you, at the end of the day we’re only human. But I promise you they’ll grow bolder with each unsuccessful attempt.”

“Is that why a hive of zombies descended on us?”

“When?” Her eyes narrowed shrewdly.

“Night past. But, Grace, those zombies were unlike any I’ve ever seen. The bite nearly killed me. I couldn’t heal until I’d tapped into a second demon I now host.”

“Second demon?” She sounded shocked, and I suddenly remembered I hadn’t told her about Pestilence. Backtracking, I got her up to speed about everything that’d gone down that night.

I still wasn’t entirely sure I could trust Grace again. Regardless of the fact that in the end it did seem she’d been working not against me, but with me, she’d also burned bridges that would never be rebuilt.

“What can you tell me about Asher? I know you know something—who is he? Who does he work for?”

She chuckled, patting her white sleep dress down. “He told me you might try to ask. There are powers in this world, Pandora, that once unleashed cannot be contained again. Walls have ears, the breeze whispers our secrets. To expose him would end him. But I can give you a hint. A place to start at least.”

The disappointment was instantly replaced by the excitement that I’d finally learn something. “What?”

“Massachusetts. The place where rock meets tree.”

That was vague at best, but I’d never jeopardize my priest. If that was all she could give me, then it would have to be enough. “I’m going to get to the bottom of all this. I vow it.” My conviction was absolute.

“Have faith.”

I scoffed.

“Dora.” She reached out just as I turned to go. “Keep your eyes always open. You can trust Asher, and Luc. Use them both, for they are the only ones who would lay down their lives to protect you.”

“Josias has me wrong.” I shook my head. “I am not the key. I’m going to prove that to the Order.”

She nodded once. “It’s why both Asher and I broke faith. Take care of yourself, Dora.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“I always have, Nephilim. Kemen should never have happened—it wasn’t at all what I would have wanted, but it was his wish and he was old enough to decide that. So honor his sacrifice as he meant it to be. The Order plays a deadly game, but you are not alone.”

“I want to believe you.” I’m sure she heard the
but
in there; I didn’t try to hide it.

Her face grew morose as she stared out the window of her room. “Be wary of the hive, Dora. I’ve never seen zombies such as these.”

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Licking her shriveled lips, she turned back to me. “Figure this out before we’re all dead.”

Her words were still ringing in my ears when I returned to Kemen’s trailer, which felt more mine now than my actual one parked just a few rows over. I’d been fooled by Grace before, but this time I’d gone in there with proverbial guns blazing, ready to suss out any betraying hint of a lie. Not only did I not hear her heartbeat quicken or witness a telltale sheen of sweat coating her face, her voice had remained full of conviction.

If she was lying, then I was a monkey’s uncle.

The endless questions and what-ifs played like a revolving door in my mind. I wanted to see that damn scroll more than anything, wanted to know what in the hell was in Massachusetts that had to do with my priest.

At least one question was answered, and that was why the Order so blatantly seemed to be coming after me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I returned to my room, maybe a still-naked Asher. And if I had found that, I would have said “screw morals” and just taken him. Used his body to drive the thoughts away.

What I did not expect was to see Asher sitting on a chair, dressed in the same business attire of the night before, and Luc sitting across from him on a stool, dressed in jeans and a sweater.

Looking over my shoulder briefly, I thinned my lips. “Am I missing something here? What are you doing here, Luc? Last I checked, this was my trailer.”

“No.” He glowered, keeping his predatory gaze on the priest, “This belonged to Kemen, and I want that trash”—he jerked his thumb at Asher—“out of here.”

Having had about enough, I marched up to Luc and kicked him hard in the shin, hard enough that it would leave an ugly bruise.

“What the fuck!” He jumped to his feet, glaring down at me.

Shoving my finger in his face, I growled back. “I’ve had enough of this. The priest is my concern, and right now we have a lot bigger problems on our hands than your petty…” I wiggled my hands. “Whatever it is you’re feeling. So button it up, Luc, because you’re not going to like what I just found out.”

He was breathing less hard now, and his mottled face began to return to his normal, healthy, golden color. “Don’t kick me again.” He sat back down and rubbed his shin.

“Fine. Don’t threaten my guests.”

“Fine.”

Walking over to Ash, I sat on his lap, needing to feel his warmth on me. His fingers instantly brushed up and down my spine in a familiar gesture and I melted into that touch.

Luc scrubbed his jaw, looking at the wall beside him. The confines of our trailers didn’t at all fit with the parameters of normal reality. We’d learned how to manipulate space centuries ago, it was how we could live in such small areas comfortably. We were able to shift inside dimensions of what should have been a tight space into a comfortable, roomy environment.

Kemen’s trailer was a silver, bullet-style Airstream, pill-shaped on the outside, not big enough to have more than a tiny kitchenette and hide-a-bed with a bathroom that would only serve to handle the most basic of human needs, but this space was more like living in a comfortable two-story home.

I hadn’t had the heart to take down any of Kemen’s décor. The man had been a bit of a geek, stapling posters all over the room of Einstein with tongue poking out and the periodic table, along with a couple of Dr. Who and TARDIS graphics. There were a couple of Deadhead prints up and one of a broad marijuana leaf with Bob Marley’s face beside it.

It was Kemen and familiar, and I loved it all.

Sighing, I drew on Ash’s quiet strength, just like I had at Grace’s.

“What did she tell you?” Luc finally seemed under control.

“That I’m destined to bring Wrath out of hiding.” My voice trembled just a little, even though I wasn’t willing to accept the predication as reality, it was terrifying to even think it.

Asher’s fingers dug into my thighs. Brushing my hand over his, I glanced at him. “Did you know that?”

“No.” He shook his head, tracing the curve of my cheek. “She hadn’t told me that.”

“How does she know that?” Luc asked.

“Apparently there’s some prophet.” I shook my head and proceeded to repeat verbatim the conversation I’d just had with her.

“It doesn’t make sense.” Luc stood, pacing back and forth and brushing his fingers through his messy blond locks.

He looked like hell today. Normally he was clean-shaven, but there was clearly evidence of two days’ growth of beard on him, and his eyes were bloodshot, like he’d been feasting on absinthe through the night and not between Vyxen’s thighs.

Gah, that sounded totally snotty of me, didn’t it?

“But the Order deciding all this based on some drawing”—he finger quoted—“feels premature at best.”

I shrugged. Far as I was concerned, he was preaching to the choir.

Asher cleared his throat. “Did she tell you anything else? Where the prophecy was located? With whom?”

“Not just whom. It’s with the Triad.”

“The Triad.” Luc growled, looking confused.

Asher’s hands immediately stilled. “Shit,” he muttered.

I frowned. “Am I missing out on something here?”

“Yeah.” Asher stood, hanging on to my hand. “We need to get to the hive now. I’m pretty sure I know what’s going on.”

“Wait!” Luc threw out his hand. “You’re going back to that desert?”

“That’s what Grace told us to do,” I said, frowning because I was still totally confused about Asher’s reaction to my mentioning that name.

“You’re not going alone. I’m coming with you.” Luc said it in such a way that I expected he was waiting for my denial of his offer.

“Good.” Asher nodded. “Because we’ll need you.”

Flinching as if completely confused by Asher’s reply, Luc said, “Give me a second to get Bubba up to speed on my duties for the day.”

The minute Luc traced, I whirled on Ash. “You planning to explain what that was all about when I mentioned the Triad?”

Grabbing my hand, he settled it on his rapidly beating heart.

“Priest, are you nervous?” I whispered, because there was no way my dangerous killer could be right. His pupils hadn’t just dilated, and his pulse wasn’t racing, it was all in my head. It had to be.

Cupping my cheek, he shook his head. “I’d be a fool to claim I wasn’t. Pandora, the Triad is no joke. I’m not surprised Grace couldn’t tell you much about them. Everything about that group is highly secretive and only known by a very few.”

“Then how do you know what I obviously don’t? She said they were just the head of the Order.”

He shook his head. “Pandora, since…” His nose curled as his lips pulled up. Sighing, he wrapped a strand of my hair around his finger and then sniffed it.

I grabbed his hand. “Tell me.”

“I can’t.” His jaw clenched. “Pandora, they’re bad. And they’re not human.”

“What? The Order is comprised of—”

“No.”

“But Grace said—”

“Doesn’t have the clearance to go that high. Little demon…” He grabbed my face, looking at me in such a way that I felt as if he were peering at my soul. “They won’t win.”

I swallowed hard.

Sulfur filled the room.

“Let’s go,” Luc drawled.

W
e were lying side by side on the top of a cliff that overlooked a gulch several miles below. Scrub brush and sage dotted the red landscape. The sun was unmerciful this morning, bearing down on my back with the heat of licking flames, breaking me out in a wash of sweat, soaking me through in minutes.

Luc had had the foresight to switch out of his sweatshirt and into an A-shirt. Asher’s boardroom clothes were pretty well ruined.

“Look.” Ash pointed at a dark hole carved into the rock face about a mile above ground. “It’s there.”

“The Order’s getting sloppy,” Luc drawled, swatting at a gnat buzzing around his face. “The trail of body parts leading us here was beyond obvious.”

I curled my lip. “They think I’m stupid.”

“No, they don’t.” Asher’s look was glacial. “They know you’ll recognize this as a trap. Because that isn’t the hive. That’s a decoy.”

Glowering, Luc scooted forward until his head hung over the cliff as if he were trying to get a better look. “You sure, Priest?”

Asher’s dimple poked out and I had to stifle the urge to dip my finger into it.

“Very. Stay here, I’m going to investigate.” He glanced at Luc. “Guard your back.”

“Against the knife you’re about to stab into it?” Luc drawled.

“Let’s get one thing straight here, Neph.” Asher narrowed his eyes. “I refuse to be goaded by you anymore, but not because I’m scared of you. I hate you.”

“Likewise.”

“But,” Asher continued on as though Luc hadn’t spoken. “It’s not about that. It’s about keeping Pandora safe. Whatever I feel for you doesn’t matter. Whatever you think of me doesn’t matter. Only she does.”

Leaning forward, Asher took my lips and I melted into his touch, sighing into his mouth. The kiss didn’t lasted nearly long enough, but my head swirled and buzzed all the same.

Asher’s gaze was heavy as he studied me. “You hear anything, you fight just long enough to get free and then you leave. You hear me? I’ll be fine. You leave, little demon.”

He didn’t give me even a moment to respond. Standing, he gathered darkness to him like iron shavings to a magnet until he was nothing but a tower of shadow amidst the radiance of sunlight. The shadow swirled and moved, disappearing off the edge of the cliff and melting into the darkness beneath.

I smiled, realizing now how close Asher must have always been by my side. Hidden in plain sight.

“Boy scout for real?” Luc scoffed.