Shadow Dancer (Kitsune series) Page 10

  With a muttered apology, Fenn ran over the Marshall, taking out the zombie poodles. We bounced hard inside the vehicle. Shaun lost his footing, dropping butt-first to the hood. He flipped and scrambled for purchase, hanging on by his fingertips. As the drive smoothed out, he regained his footing.

  “Damn,” I said, “he is Bruce Lee, back from the dead.”

  We shot under the overhead sign. Two zombie calicos dropped off the sign, thudding onto the roof. Shaun slashed them away and had to use an arm to balance as Fenn turned hard onto the paved highway. Tires squealed. Our plume of dust disengaged, going on without us as the world blurred, spinning with me at its center. My shoulder hit the side window.

  Shaun toppled from the hood, and I offered up a prayer for him. I wanted everyone to come out of this all right, but a deep cold place in my heart filled with sadness. We needed more than wishful thinking. We needed…

  Where’s Cassie?

  The car straightened out and I saw her, dead ahead, but not really dead. Fenn braked so we wouldn’t slam into her. As it was, we narrowly missed, shooting by. We went on, leaving her locked in a staring match with three women dressed in black, hooded robes, wearing necklaces with crescents and full moon motifs. The witches of ISIS were striking again. One of them was Dana Blaire, the woman who’d tried abducting me when I got off the bus.

  Ryan started pounding from inside the trunk again.

  “Turn back,” I told Fenn. “We have to help Cassie.”

  Fenn’s jaw knotted. “No. This is her job. Cassie’s expendable. You’re not.”

  I knew “definitely no” when I heard it. There was no changing Fenn’s mind.

  That left me one option. With my special gift, I seized the veil, twisting it open. An electric tingle washed my skin. Gravity and inertia slackened their grip. I crossed into the ghost realm’s shades of gray, my body sheathing itself in small, orange flames. I ghosted through the seat, into the trunk, and hit Ryan. His aura—a feathery green incandescence—sent a jolt of current slamming into me, deflecting me up out of the truck, into a slow-motion tumble midair. I fell to the highway, bounced, and rolled.

  I got control, bringing my feet under me, bounding off the asphalt, into the air. It only took a few low-gravity leaps and landings to get back to Cassie. But instead of helping her right off, I stared, seeing her aura for the first time. She burned orange like I did, but her flames were brighter, larger. And strangest of all, she flicked her gaze my way, staring as though I were fully visible.

  Her face went from calm wariness to seething anger, and I knew I was the reason.

  FOURTEEN

  Cassie returned full attention to her opponents. I guessed she didn’t want them to know I was here, an unseen observer.

  In the ghost realm, another layer of reality presented itself. As if drawn in dusky purple phosphorescence, a circle enclosed the three witches. A triangle lay within the ring, each of the witches anchoring a point, feeding it life. A second circle lay inside the triangle, a five pointed star at its center. Weird glyphs danced along the flat pattern, some long dead language I assumed.

  A globular space between Cassie and the sorceresses turned thick and sludgy like molten glass, distorting light under the awful pressure of unseen forces. A hovering shadow pulled my gaze upward. A round bodied mass stood on legs that attenuated short of the ground. A spider-beast forged from the black magic of the witches. It stood on their protective barrier, drawing strength from a spell in progress. Its head tilted as it spied me with numerous red eyes. Its mandibles widened as it hissed silently.

  Cassie held her own, for now. She’d have to keep managing—spider-thing was on my turf. I’d take him out. Maybe. I had to try; it was on my side of the ghostly veil.

  I crouched and leapt, making myself an orange comet, flames fluttering in my wake. As I rose in the low gravity to hang before its face, I brought my hands before me. Pooling rage in my heart, wanting vengeance for all the people this thing had killed, seemed to feed my flames, making them brighter and longer. Whirling sheets of flame unwound from my hands, expanding, boring into the shadow substance of the creature.

  Trying to avoid the fire, the shadow-beast screamed silently, thrashing. I wished the beast could escape—and go far away—but the charm circle drawn by the witches restrained it. Drifting down, I wondered why the pattern couldn’t hold me.

  Focus, fight’s not over.

  Blurring in from the edge of sight, one of the spider’s legs caught me broadside, smashing me toward the highway. Instead of impact, I felt the bite of bitter cold, icy nails driving into my heart and lungs, threatening to crystallize my blood. The hammering deluge of flames went ragged, fitfully dribbling off my hands as cold blobs of phosphorescence. I spun—the earth and sky trading places time and again.

  Despite the spin cycle, I recognized Shaun’s Jag streaking past me, a bolt of black. The mass of metal flung itself at the three witches, only to crash into an unseen barrier, silently crumpling the front end.

  Fenn! Ryan!

  Then I had myself to worry about. I didn’t hit asphalt—that was the problem. I went through the road, burying myself in an early grave. Darkness washed the world away, and only the struggling flicker of my aura provided light. I couldn’t tell if I’d stopped, or was still sinking—my worst nightmare, come at last, to claim me with clammy hands. My heart raced painfully, as each breath grew heavier, harder to draw. My hands shook, tingling, cold. Dread wound around my ribs, an iron band. I choked on a scream, fearing a final push that would spiral me into madness.

  Oh God, I’m going to die!

  In the back shadows of my mind, golden eyes opened. Hold on.

  Jesus, is that you? Or am I just crazy? My aura dimmed even more, leached by ground deeper than any ocean. I’m just a fading ember. Poor thing, they’ll say. She’d have lived if only she were human. Never even made it to her Prom...

  The golden eyes narrowed. Enough of that.

  I laughed. The sound had a strained edge to it. I stopped, afraid I might never stop if I completely let go. I snarled at the voyeur in my head, Hey, can’t you see I’m trying to wallow here?

  I will not allow it. The thought carried a shimmering promise of power.

  Who are you?

  Taliesina.

  Her voice pulled me back from the edge, so I was grateful—if confused. I don’t understand.

  You’re not supposed to. This is just a dream we share. Now, get out of the way and let me handle this.

  So you’re talking in your sleep and I’m tuning you in somehow?

  I am reality. You are just another face I wear, a dream within a dream within a dream.

  I felt a place deep inside twist and tear, a hidden door opened a crack. Power gushed into me, bringing the heat my flames always lacked. My heart slowed. The terrible cold I’d felt became a memory. My aura condensed, hazing, throwing off daggers of light. Like tunneling roots, my thoughts webbed the soil holding me. My awareness flowed out. I tasted rich minerals, flavors entirely new to me. I knew the soil with an intimacy that astonished me. Never again would I fear such a friend.

  Like concentric rings made by a splash, my awareness thinned while expanding, racing in all directions, enveloping the meshed roots of the forest lining the road. In the woods, I tasted wrongness; sour soil gagged me. Hastily, I reined in my perceptions, finding my body once more.

  My chest lifted as aura fanned out of my back. My limbs trailed, displacing the earth as though it were water. Moments later, I broke free of the ground and rose a good twenty feet into the air. I returned my attention to the battle, which seemed all that was required to have my body hurtle that direction.

  In my mind, I called to my other self. Thank you.

  Only silence answered. I was alone in my head, with another mystery to solve. Well, that would have to wait. It didn’t matter that my hands were still shaking, my throat felt raw, and each breath made my ribs ache—I had spider-butt to kick.

  Reaching the pr
otective circle, I saw little had changed except the Jag was there, its front end a crumpled mess. Fenn had apparently tried to ram the witches, with little luck. The front airbag had deployed and then deflated. The side bag was still up, blocking my view. I couldn’t tell if Fenn was conscious. And God only knew if Ryan was okay in the trunk. They’d have to wait. I turned my attention to the shadow beast. It had fewer webs running toward camp. I assumed that was good news; that the zombies were being taken out. With lives on the line, I needed to hurry that process along.

  I leaped for the violet-cored webs.

  A spider leg scythed my way.

  Flipping through the air, I brought my hands together, pouring out cold fire. A stream of flames melted the spider’s limb like plastic wrap. The beast lurched and recovered, waving around its new stub. My spin brought me around. I channeled more flame, pumping twin flares past its spinnerets. Sheered, the webs fluttered and thinned—smoke in the wind—until only a last few violet embers settled earthward.

  I arced toward asphalt, dropping sedately toward the main gate.

  And there was the gold creature again, the one that took out the zombie pets on the dirt road. He ran out the main gate, heading for Cassie. Seen from the ghost realm, he was pale gray furred with a golden aura edging him. I hoped he was still on our side; there was no way I could intercept him.

  Landing, I saw Cassie lurch off balance, as though the road under her was liquefying and rolling underfoot. The asphalt splintered. Chunks rolled away as the underlying soil writhed upward. Rotted and torn limbs sprouted; human arms with bony hands. Heads and shoulders popped up next—fish-belly white, stained with grime. They patiently, slowly fought free of the clinging earth that hungered for them. Some of the figures had Y-shaped incisions that had been stitched back together; evidence of autopsies. The fresher bodies bore wounds of claws and teeth, as if recently made zombie by some of their traveling companions. I didn’t know where these guys came from, but tunneling up for a sneak attack, they’d stripped off a lot of flesh from their arms and especially their hands.

  Skeletal hands closed on Cassie, trying to drag her down, or at least break her attention from the war of wills she engaged in.

  The creature from camp reached her, tearing her loose with a pounce. They barreled out from the undead horde, falling to the road, and rolling to get distance.

  By then, I’d launched myself at the three witches, skimming low over the ground. I couldn’t let them have the advantage of the attack. I needed to be the one putting on the pressure. I reached the protective circle. It still ignored my presence. I wondered if my other self were somehow cloaking me. The circle’s power had to extend into the ghost realm, or it couldn’t trap the…

  Spider thing dropped into my path, slavering maw yawning wide to snap me up.

  Oh, crap, I hope this works.

  I went all Human Torch, sheathing my body in thick swathes of fire. Blind, I didn’t try to slow myself or stop, but let the spider catch and swallow me. I felt no impact, only a guttering out of flames as they consumed the shadow beast from the inside. My aura dimmed, bringing a crushing fatigue, and I could see again. The spider was gone, down to the last smoky web. I hit the asphalt hard, bounced, skidded, and gathered bruises on arms, back, and legs. Scraped, bleeding from superficial cuts, I stopped just short of escaping the protective circle’s far rim.

  I coughed violently, my lungs full of tainted air that smelled of sulfur-caked cloves with maybe some spoiled sushi thrown in. Shaky, eyes tearing, I climbed to my feet, standing on some of the magical lines and runes. The glowing design faded, purple hazing to brown, then black. The black became char on the road. Elsewhere, color was back in the world. And … my aura was gone! I hadn’t crossed back—I’d been kicked out with a vengeance.

  Destroying the witches’ spell-beast had drained my aura dangerously. I so wished I could find a better way to do things. I’d be vulnerable now for hours, unable to pop away into nowhere, while the zombies…

  They collapsed, their puppet strings cut.

  The witches spun to face me, sensing my presence behind them. Two of them lifted cupped hands and made gathering gestures—summoning power to strike me down? Not a pleasant thought. I tensed, ready to throw myself to the side, grateful for all the time I’d spent in gym class playing dodge ball.

  Blaire threw back her hood. Same cold stare, same silver earrings, same lack of emotions—her face was porcelain perfection, a death-pale mask framed by dark hair. She reached out and caught one of her sister’s arms. “Put the barrier back up.” Blaire’s voice cut the air like a blade. She gestured to the other witch who was winding up, about to pitch a handful of magic my way. “No. We cannot use her if she’s broken.”

  “Use me for what?” I demanded.

  The woman with witch-light pulsing in her palm actually answered, “Hallowmas will soon thin the walls of the world, and you will bring Am-Heh to us!”

  Blaire hissed at her minion. “Shut up.”

  “What the hell is an Am-Heh?” I asked.

  Behind the witches, Cassie ran past the curved line of the old circle. She hit “empty” air, bounced back, and scrambling up again. Straining against the new barrier, she looked like a mime trying to push over an invisible wall.

  The golden creature appeared, towering next to her. Shock—induced by fear and as well as its savage beauty—rooted me to the spot. A were beast. Not wolf based. Not with that long golden mane, those ferocious, arrogant eyes, and enough muscle to tear a resisting werewolf into tender morsels, or so I imagined. He snarled and roared, a harsh thunder rolling over us all, making me shudder.

  Despite their restored barrier, the witches jumped and spun in place to track the source of the sound.

  My every instinct told me to run, but I knew instinct was wrong. The creature had instincts too. If I ran, it might well give chase. I’d watched enough Animal Planet on TV to know this. Weak, with my aura cut to the quick, I wouldn’t have gotten far. Slowly, feet folding under me, I sank to the hard road. Just close your eyes, I told myself. If you can’t see it, it can’t scare you.

  Yeah, right.

  Strange, I couldn’t get my eyes to obey. They poured over the shifter, gathering in every detail. He was mostly lion but there were pale white stripes on his body, a bit of tiger thrown in. A Liger … or maybe a Tion…?

  The leader of the witches forced a laugh. “Another time, my dear…”

  The women joined hands, facing each other, forming a triangle. Chanting caustic gibberish, they moved in step—a kind of dance. Along the road, away from camp, the bad guys were in full retreat. And nothing could be done about it. They were taking their unseen wall with them, so it did no good to follow.

  Cassie did anyway, the were-lion keeping pace with her. They were obviously friends, acting unguarded with each other. Must be nice, all that power at her disposal.

  Fenn dropped next to me on the road. His eyes were blackened from the crash. He sniffed the air, as if scent alone could tell him all he’d missed. Katana in hand, Shaun appeared at my other side. He had a few scrapes, and tears in his smudged clothing. His eyes were agate-hard as he looked unflinchingly at his wrecked car.

  I felt the need to pull his attention away from that mess. “What happened to you?”

  He turned to me. “Lost my footing in the turn. Falling, I jumped to regain control. Didn’t know I’d be landing neck-deep in zombies, the human kind, many of them former friends.” There was a hint of tears in his eyes. “They’re resting in peace now.”

  Friends? That’s right; the guards we’d lost to the zombie would have been raised as reinforcements by the spell-beast. That’s so wrong. Death shouldn’t force you to switch sides.

  We were distracted by banging.

  I looked at the vehicle. “Ryan’s still in there.” I felt too weak to do anything about it.

  “Yeah,” Fenn said.

  “We should get him out,” I said.

  “Yeah.” Fenn didn’t m
ove a muscle.

  Down the road, the witches veered into the woods. The were-lion plunged after them, only to have pliant limbs weave a mesh to block his way. Several pointy branches stabbed at his face, forcing him to jerk back to save his sight. The witches were giving the forest life, making an ally of it.

  Be stupid to chase them in there.

  Cassie and her pet must have agreed; they stayed on the road, staring after their vanishing prey. Silent moments passed. Cassie slink back, her body stiff with baffled fury. Her eyes scathed as she drew closer. If she had a tail sticking out, its tip would have been twitching. Her lips pressed together in a hard, straight line. I suspected we were about to have words.

  FIFTEEN

  Clearly staying out of this, the were-lion hung back, his tail swishing with agitation he didn’t otherwise show. Cassie glowered, frowning down at me as I stayed planted on my butt. Her mouth twisted open to speak.

  Shaun cut her off, “Wait until the adrenaline leaves your system. Words are like cats; hard to herd once they’ve escaped.”

  Lion-dude gave him an opaque stare that could have meant anything, then licked his paws, grooming his blood-splattered face in a way that was too cute for words.

  Cassie ignored the advice, her gaze locked on my face. “What—the freaking’ hell—do you think you were doing?”

  The sunlight turned unusually brassy, hurting my eyes. The caressing wind had a strange roughness as well.

  “Battlefields are the province of the trained professional,” Cassie’s words sounded brittle, stiff as dead leaves, and prickly as holly. “And who said you could risk a life we’ve been dying to protect? Did you stop to think; getting yourself killed would have stolen all meaning from the sacrifices made this day?”

  I lifted an eyebrow, more than a little teed off. Here I’d just saved the day, busting up a magical conjuration of god-awful proportions, and I was being dumped on because of it. “Who do you think you are, my mother? You don’t like this job, watch someone else.”