Last Chance (DarkWorld: SkinWalker Book 3) (9 page)

Lily grunted and I could just see her pout. “Geez. You’re such a slave driver.”

I snorted. “I don’t expect any more of you than I do of myself.”

“I guess you’re right,” Lily conceded before falling into silence. She hurried to keep up with my long alpha strides, but I didn’t slow down. Lily would think I was being easy on her, and the last thing I wanted was for her to become complacent.

Not in Wrythiin, when all our lives were at stake.

As we took the corner, the sound of oncoming footsteps slammed into me. For a moment, I was fixed to the spot, unsure of what to do. Then I fell into fighting stance. Lily heard the footsteps too and stopped just at my shoulder. I could taste the tension coming off her body in waves.

A hooded figure stalked toward us, head down, footsteps in a fast, purposeful rhythm.

***

Just when I thought the Wraith hadn’t seen us, he looked up. His face was within folds of shadow, hidden by the large hood of a Wraith cloak. I watched as he slowed to a stop, one black-gloved hand flipping aside the folds of his dark mantle. The black sword at his hip glinted in the meager light. Even in panther sight, the obsidian blade flickered ominously, making my stomach roil in response.

My hand followed suit and my fingers curled around the hilt of my own appropriated obsidian sword. But it was stupid. The whole hand-on-sword-hilt move was meant to be threatening, but it held no substance. Not when these narrow tunnels made a true sword fight near impossible.

The Wraith stood stiff, shoulders straight as he waited for my next move.

Moments passed in which we both seemed to be waiting for the other. I felt he had the advantage, as he was able to see my face while all I could make out was black shadow under the hood. It seemed we both decided at the same time, launching into a run.

Lily’s voice echoed behind me, her cry of, “No!” reminding me I wasn’t in this alone. In the moment of studying my enemy, I’d forgotten I had her to back me up. Now I just hoped if this fight went south, she’d be strong enough to help me.

I moved fast, panther blood pumping through my veins, energy burning through my muscles as they thrust me forward, closer to the enemy that bore down on me. The tunnel was silent and all I could hear was the thumping of my heart, the rush of my breath as I ran. We closed in on each other, only a part of my awareness registering the slimness of my enemy’s legs, the feminine shape to the thigh, the elegant arch of her neck.

This Wraith was a girl.

But I paid little attention to that knowledge, just ran headlong into her. I hit her in the middle of the chest, fingers curled in a tight punch. The power rippled through her, the force of the blow reversing her forward momentum so swiftly I heard a crack as her neck snapped forward then back.

I slowed as she stumbled backward, arms wind-milling as she attempted to regain her footing. She was lithe and light on her feet, though. She skidded to a stop, the hood of her cloak finally falling off her head to reveal her features. I’d always considered Wraiths ugly, but the girl’s femininity seemed to give her Wraith features a certain elegance. Wide, almond-shaped eyes, an expansive forehead, a long aquiline nose in a face at least a third longer than a human’s. Silky white hair framed her face, falling all the way to her shoulders. A Wraith’s cheekbones were much higher, their cheeks more sunken than a human’s, making their faces look gaunt and corpse-like, but in this girl, the elongation simply contributed to the serene elegance of her features.

Anger flashed in the dark pupils of her obsidian eyes and she clenched her jaws, muscles bunching in her neck. She bent forward and ran at me, and I could see her intention clearly. She intended to hit me shoulder to abdomen and use her weight to drop me onto my back, but I had other plans.

I reached deep for my panther, accessing my ability to move with speed and agility. I ran as she did, straight for her, until she was about five feet away. I ran faster, reaching an optimum speed. Even as she reached me, I kept running, using the wall to keep moving. A foot low on the tunnel wall, I pushed against the rock, propelling myself higher and over the Wraith girl until I landed behind her. I spun around just in time to see her skid to a stop and stare at me, stunned.

Lily crept up slowly behind her, her gun trained on the Wraith, but the creature remained unaware. Her attention was focused on me, and that’s the way I wanted it to stay.

“What are you?” she asked, her voice vibrating. She squinted and reminded me it was still densely dark in the tunnels. Thank goodness for my feline sight. But I wasn’t stupid enough to assume she was blind in the darkness either. I knew nothing about Wraith physiology, but I had to wonder if they were born with the ability to see better in the dark than the average human, considering they lived all their lives in these burrows.

I moved closer and she stilled, watching me with her strange black eyes, her whole body tense, waiting.

Then Lily stepped closer, her foot scraping the stone floor ever so softly. But not softly enough. The sound must have been enough to draw the Wraith’s attention, and she spun around, forgetting I had my full attention on her.

She moved smoothly. I watched her shoulders lean forward, her back tense, telling me she was about run straight for Lily. And I couldn’t let that happen. I grabbed her before she launched herself into a dead run, wrapping an arm around her neck, pressing my forearm hard against her throat. I held on to my wrist with the other arm, keeping her in a tight headlock, and although she struggled violently, she remained imprisoned.

The more she struggled, the more pressure I placed on the lock. But something else was happening. I wasn’t sure if it was me being so close to a Wraith, but my hands began to glow. The skin on my fingers gleamed gold. I could hear the high-pitched sobs of the Wraith as she struggled for breath. The more she struggled, the brighter the glow became.

Fascinated by the glow, I paid little attention to the Wraith girl and her ever-lessening struggles. Paid no attention to the advancing thunder of boots coming straight at us.

A shout sounded, and it took me precious seconds to recognize what he said. “Kai, don’t.” The words were repeated, echoing around the tunnel and in my brain.

“Anjelo?” I asked, peering beyond Lily, who spun on her heel, her spine stiff.

“Kai, please don’t hurt her. Let her go.” Anjelo held out a hand toward me, his eyes begging me to stop, and I did. The Wraith dropped hard to the floor as I took a step around her and headed straight for Anjelo. I reached him seconds after Lily grabbed him and squashed him into a death grip of a hug. He laughed and squirmed, returning the embrace, his face revealing embarrassment as well as joy.

Odd.

Lily released him and glanced at me, her eyes and cheeks wet with tears. She stepped aside as Anjelo hugged me. There was a new strength and confidence in my old sidekick’s muscled arms.

“Anjelo, how are you?” I studied his face, but a movement beyond him distracted me. A pair of Wraith guards stood stiffly behind him. “Who are they? Are they holding you? Is that why you haven’t come home?”

Anjelo shook his head and placed a hand on my arm. “Kai, it’s okay. I’ll explain everything.” Then he walked around me and headed to the girl Wraith. Lily’s eyes flashed, and I knew a little of how she felt. I turned to watch Anjelo as he hurried to the fallen Wraith. She sat there, hand to her neck, leaning against the stone wall. Anjelo reached her side and hunched down, the wide swathe of his cape billowing around him. He knelt beside her, spoke words we couldn’t hear, then held out a hand. After helping her up, he waited while she steadied herself. She seemed well enough as she began to walk toward us with Anjelo at her side.

I didn’t miss the small fact that Anjelo walked a few inches behind her. A little bit of deference that made me tamp down any concern that Anjelo’s heart may have moved owners.

The Wraith girl was in charge it seemed.

Anjelo whispered something in her ear, and she gave him a swift nod. Then she stopped in front of me.

“Few people would be allowed to survive after doing that to me. Consider yourself fortunate that Anjelo has spoken for you.” Her eyes sparked angrily, and I understood her position. She’d had her ass kicked and she didn’t like it. I wouldn’t like it either.

“Thank you, I guess.” I had to respond and couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Anjelo cleared his throat. Clearly he hadn’t lost the ability to tell when my anger levels were rising. “Kai, this is Illyria, leader of the Rebel army. Illyria, this is my alpha, Kailin Odel.”

I held out a hand, and the Wraith girl stared at it for a moment as if watching for any sign of a golden glow. Then she glanced up at me and grasped my hand, her grip strong but not macho.

“Good to meet you. Sorry about the whole near-death thing,” I said, although I wasn’t entirely sure I was sorry. She was a Wraith, and I found the fact the Anjelo deferred to her a little disconcerting.

She laughed softly. “I’m not that easily killed.”

“You are when Kai gets all glowy hands on you. No Wraith has ever survived her golden touch,” said Lily, her voice holding a faint tightness as her gaze went from Illyria to Anjelo. I wanted to tell her there was no need to be jealous. Not that I could see anyway. Sure, Anjelo seemed attentive to the great leader. But that could mean any number of things.

Illyria stared at me for a moment, her eyes studying my face a little too long for my comfort. Not that I felt threatened. “How long have you had this power, Kailin?” asked the Wraith leader.

Although I really thought it was none of her business, I answered, “Just over a year now.”

She turned and glanced at Anjelo over her shoulder. “Is she the daughter of Celeste?” she asked, something in her tone implying she knew my mother personally.

Anjelo nodded. “And if she’s here now, it means she’s looking for Celeste.”

A hint of shadow passed over Illyria’s face, and a shiver ran down my spine as I wondered what that expression meant. “Why, what’s wrong? Has something happened to my mother?”

Anjelo and Illyria exchanged worried looks. Then Anjelo said, “We’ve been keeping track of Celeste’s movements. As far as we know, she’s being held captive by Widd’en’s followers. They blame her and you for his death.”

I frowned. “So how did you get away from them?” I still found it odd to see Anjelo unharmed, unaffected by his stay in Wrythiin. Especially the fact that he seemed comfortable here.

“Illyria’s army attacked Widd’en’s compound. In the confusion, I was saved, but Widd’en’s men managed to get away with your mother. We have a mole within the army. But the information we get from them trickles in a little at a time. The problem is we only get the information after the fact.”

“Have you considered the possibility that perhaps the mole is manipulating you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Illyria gave me an admiring glance. “Yes, we have considered that, but unfortunately we have little choice. We have to ensure your mother is safe. She’s a very valuable part of this rebellion.”

I shook my head, frowning at the girl’s words. “What does my mother have to do with your rebellion?”

“Your mother has spent many years among us. She’s one of the very few non-Wraiths who understands what we’re going through. We can never repay her for the amount of help she’s given us over the years. And now we have you, her daughter, to thank for killing one of the most notorious Wraiths in Wrythiin.” She smiled at me, but before she removed her gaze, something flickered in her eyes. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

I brushed away the thoughts and said, “I only did what I had to. My sole purpose in entering the Wraith world was to retrieve my mother and Anjelo.” I kept my tone measured and clear of emotion. At this point, I wasn’t entirely sure what I felt, but looking at Anjelo now was beginning to annoy me. “Why did you not come home as soon as you were freed? You must have known we’d be worried about you all this time.” I glared at him, not giving him a chance to avoid the question.

He had the grace to flush, but his features remained composed. “I knew I should return, but I owed Illyria and her army for saving me. I couldn’t just let her down and leave.”

“But it was okay for you to let us wait back home, month after month, not knowing if you were alive or dead?” asked Lily, her tone devoid of emotion. I had to admire the girl. I’d have been vibrating with fury at that point, and my voice would have shown it.

Anjelo turned his gaze to Lily, touching her arm as he spoke. “I didn’t only stay for the Rebels. I stayed because of Celeste. As long as Widd’en’s army had her captive, I couldn’t leave. I had to find a way to free her, and Illyria and the Rebels have been helping me.”

“Twice now we have attacked their strongholds, and twice we have almost saved her. The one thing we do know is she is alive and healthy. During the last raid, she looked well, and I am hoping she remains so. One cannot trust Widd’en’s men. Without their leader, they are lawless, unruly, and at times vicious. Who knows what they are up to right now?” Illyria’s voice was musical, the lilt a bit unsuited to her odd looks. But it seemed to work.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Anjelo sidle up to Lily and take hold of her hand. Lily tensed for a moment, her arm going stiff. Then she looked at him and relaxed. Good. There was no trouble in paradise that couldn’t be repaired.