Alterant

  Evalle clawed at rushing sand and air, sinking to her waist, then her chest. Sand reached her chin . . . her nose.

  Her gaze shot up, searching for any help.

  Tristan dove toward her as she sank beneath the surface.

  His hand clamped around her wrist with iron force.

  Evalle couldn't breathe. Tristan came into her mind. Stay with me. Kizira's still in her trance. Hold on. I'm taking all your power.

  When he drained her power this time, it was as if her insides had been turned inside out.

  She had no strength left to fight.

  What had happened to her power?

  He yanked her up once and had her head free. She sucked air, wheezing for every breath. Her lungs burned.

  Ah, crap. Kizira came out of her trance right then. She raised her arm to attack.

  Using the power of two Belador Alterants, Tristan threw a series of lightning bolts, shoving her back.

  He wrenched Evalle's arm, dragging her clear of the pit.

  Kizira shouted a mouthful of undecipherable words and raised her arms, pointing at the ceiling.

  Throw another lightning bolt, Evalle told Tristan.

  Can't. I zapped everything you and I had left in that last attack. He looked over to where the two Alterants were ripping arms from their creature and yelled, "Get out of here."

  A rumbling sound started across the ceiling and grew.

  The ground shook beneath Evalle, throwing her backwards.

  She struggled to her feet. Tristan hooked an arm around her waist and started dragging her to the opening.

  Rocks began falling, crashing down in front of their exit.

  One hit Evalle on her shoulder. She yelped.

  A baseball-sized chunk bounced off Tristan's temple, drawing blood. He flagged against her. The other two Alterants howled, pelted by more and more stones.

  If she didn't get out of here, the last two gifts the Tribunal had awarded her would be of no use. But what would stop that bitch from raining rocks down on them and contain her long enough for them to get away?

  Evalle could not use any of the three gifts to kill unless she had no other choice, and she still had to justify wielding the power.

  Would the Tribunal consider saving the three Alterants as an acceptable reason to kill Kizira?

  "Turn me around," Evalle ordered Tristan and added, "Now!" before he could argue.

  When he did, she covered her head with her arms, ready to call upon the Tribunal powers.

  THIRTY

  Evalle flagged against Tristan as he shifted her to face a wild-eyed Kizira. The witch's hair lifted with all the static energy firing from her.

  Killing her was tempting, but Evalle did have an alternative, so lethal force couldn't be used. She spoke in a voice hoarse from the dust and fires. "By the Tribunal power gifted me, I command the rocks from the ceiling to unite as one above my head and form a wall that will not touch me."

  Rocks hung in midair, then immediately changed direction. All sizes and shapes started banging together as if magnetically drawn to each other.

  Kizira paused and stared at Evalle, mouth gaping.

  Evalle grinned. "Didn't expect me to have that kind of power up my sleeve, did you . . . bitch?"

  She figured even Brina would call Kizira that right now.

  Kizira railed and threw fireballs at the wall forming below her in midair, but the gaps were closing down to openings smaller than Evalle's fist. Harmless sparks pinged through the holes.

  She laughed at the last vision of Kizira until she noticed Tristan and the two Alterants staring at her.

  Tristan asked, "Where did you get that power?"

  Evalle shrugged. "I would say I have friends in high places that loaned me a trick, but they aren't friends, and I can't do it again. I'm not sure how long that will hold her or if she's any better at teleporting around this place than you are, so we need to roll."

  Tristan started toward the exit, which was now blocked by rocks that had made it to the ground. He lifted his hands to use his kinetics, and two small stones tumbled from the top.

  Evalle had nothing to give him until her power regenerated. What could have drained her this way? Linking with Tristan? "How many Alterants does it take to get out of a hell party?"

  One of the Alterants in beast form trudged over in front of Tristan and started shoving rocks aside as if they were foam balls. When he finished, he swung his head around at Evalle, then Tristan.

  She recognized him by his exotic Haitian eyes . . . that were still brown. She smiled. "That's what I'm talking about."

  "Thanks, Webster," Tristan agreed.

  Evalle gave a quick check of the other Alterant, whose eyes were blue.

  Blue and brown eyes.

  Why had Kizira called them Rias? These Alterants looked like the one that had shifted in the fog, but these two had their beasts under control.

  Does that mean any Alterant could be taught to control his or her beast?

  Tristan headed out through the opening with her stumbling along beside him. At some point in the last few minutes, Tristan had unlinked with her. She could feel her energy finally seeping back through her limbs.

  She stepped out of his hold and he let his arm fall away. "Why am I so drained? I'm never like this."

  Tristan covered several long strides before he answered. "I think it's got something to do with that cocktail the Kujoo gave me that the witch made up with their blood mixed in."

  She ran back through the fight with the Kujoo. "They were immortals. Are you . . ."

  "No. I'm not."

  But the downside of his extra abilities, like teleporting, was the drain on his powers. Her powers must have been drained by linking with him . . . just like when Beladors had the benefit of her night vision when they linked with her.

  That's also why he wouldn't have shifted into his beast form to fight the serpents. He wouldn't have been able to teleport soon if he had.

  Could Tristan get all four of them out of here now? "Are you going to be able to teleport us, even one at a time?"

  "I think so. If we can get out of here without another fight with Kizira or the ghosts, I'll be back to a hundred percent soon."

  "Our kinetics didn't backlash so I'm guessing the spirits are doing whatever they can to move us along. I just hope Kizira has a healthy respect for the maze's ability to change shape, too." Evalle looked back, checking to make sure that those two behind her were staying caught up. Yes, but they were hanging back, as if reluctant to walk with her and Tristan.

  Were they returning to their normal bodies? No.

  She kept her voice low and asked Tristan, "Are those two going to be able to shift back to human form?"

  He gave a negligible glance over his shoulder, then faced forward again. "Sure. They can do it in less than a minute. When I brought them to the Maze of Death, I showed them how to make the change and keep control."

  "Then why don't they change back?"

  A smile touched his lips. "I don't think they want to walk around you as a human male in all their swinging glory. You didn't notice how once the fight was over they kept their bodies turned away from you? That much adrenaline running through a man's body makes him hard as a two-by-four after the fight's over."

  "Oh." Her face heated at finally understanding. "What's the red-haired guy called?"

  "Aaron."

  "No last names?"

  "Not necessary."

  Or he just wasn't sharing that. She asked, "What did Kizira mean when she called them Rias? Why aren't their eyes bright green like ours? And why couldn't I link with them? Don't they know how?"

  Tristan slowed at the next turn and took the tunnel on his left.

  Unless the ghosts were screwing with them again, this tunnel looked familiar even to Evalle. This one had vines on the walls and clover on the ground, so the next one they intercepted should have antiques, paintings and rugs.

  Tristan finally answered, "The two behind us are not
Belador Alterants. I don't know what she meant by Rias. I never heard that term when I was around her."

  "Then what are they?"

  "I have an idea."

  She curled and uncurled her fingers. "But you're not going to tell me."

  "Not until I have my sister in a safe place. Think I missed the fact that you're now short an Alterant for your meeting even if I hand over those two?"

  Actually, she hadn't stopped to consider that, but he was right. She had to show up with three, which meant convincing Tristan to go in with her.

  She'd have an easier time convincing Kizira to enter a convent.

  With VIPER hunting all Alterants, Evalle had to figure out how to reach VIPER headquarters alive. Now that she thought about it, the Tribunal hadn't made a provision for her to contact anyone once she had the three Alterants.

  Why not?

  Because everyone expected her to fail.

  That's why they would only order Sen to find her once the top of the hourglass emptied. If they weren't all busy battling the fog.

  Evalle muttered, "Kizira said she was generating the fog. I hope I didn't make a mistake by not going with her."

  Tristan shook his head. "She was lying about stopping the fog. She'd have taken you and me, killed those two behind us and let the fog go. She wants specific Alterants and must believe that fog is going to flush them out."

  Evalle let go of some of her guilt. She had to get word to Tzader and Quinn so they could alert VIPER . . . but why hadn't VIPER stopped the fog already? They had to know it was not part of the natural world.

  "I just realized something, Tristan. VIPER would have figured out something supernatural was behind the fog by now, but it was still growing when I came down into MARTA."

  "So?"

  "If VIPER hasn't found a way to stop the spread . . . that means even the deities might not be able to fix this."

  He didn't say anything for a few steps, but real worry fed into his gaze.

  She gave voice to what she believed he was thinking. "If that fog covers everything in a week, there will be no place safe for any Alterant, even your sister."

  She wanted him to work his way through the unsaid part--that he, his sister and the two behind them might be safer within VIPER's network than out on the streets. Tristan knew far more than he was sharing about a lot of other things as well. "What does the Medb want with us?"

  He thought on his answer for a moment, but he didn't seem to be avoiding her, just pulling his thoughts into sync. "I think the Medb know something about our history and they plan to use Alterants somehow to capture Brina's island. I pieced that together from a few things I picked up around Kizira when we were with the Kujoo."

  Tzader had told her no immortal could get inside the castle to touch Brina, but could an Alterant harm the warrior queen?

  She could not fail Brina and put the Belador warrior queen at risk of repercussion. Showing up with fewer than three Alterants would be failure no matter how anyone tried to spin it with the Tribunal.

  Analyzing what Tristan had said, Evalle asked, "Why do the Medb think an Alterant can breach the home of an immortal?"

  "I have a feeling the Medb know something about the way we're evolving."

  "Wait a minute. Evolving? Are we going to change into something more hideous than a beast?"

  He lifted his shoulders. "Don't know. The Medb know a lot about us, too much." He shook his head. "I don't have all the answers yet, but I think Belador Alterants have the most to lose in this battle . . . and in the hands of the Medb we might end up being the most dangerous creatures in this world."

  That sort of information would only support the case against allowing Alterants freedom.

  Tristan added, "And those two behind us are considered disposable by the Medb. She'd have killed all three whether I showed up or not. I think she was trying to grab me and you, then she'd have figured a way to lure my sister out of hiding."

  "Tell me what you know about how all Alterants are connected."

  "Not yet. I'm not giving up that bargaining chip until I have to, in case my sister needs it."

  Evalle dodged a vine that reached out for her. These spirits had too much time on their hands. "If you don't share information, how do you expect me to help Belador Alterants and any others like those two behind us?"

  "I've already handed you a lot. I'll give you more when I can. I told you, we'd talk about this once we get out of danger."

  She'd let it go for now and hope that once she found a place to keep them safe, she could talk Tristan into going in with her in spite of what Adrianna had told Storm about Tristan not throwing in with Evalle. That did give her a moment of worry, but Adrianna was not infallible.

  Evalle still had the last Tribunal gift left, but she couldn't use teleportation again because no request could be duplicated.

  And truthfully, she didn't want to force them to join her.

  Free will meant everything to her. She wanted these guys to choose to go with her. Once they were all out of here, she felt certain all she had to do was explain her plan to those two behind her to convince them of their best chance at freedom.

  If Sen showed up with the hourglass first, the decision would be out of Tristan's hands.

  Speaking of time, she was past the ninety minutes Storm had agreed to wait for her. "We've got to hustle."

  Tristan took a look at his watch and signaled the other two with a wave of his hand to pick up the pace.

  The ghosts must have been ready to get rid of them, because no one so much as said Boo on their way to the subway access wall.

  When they reached the spot where Evalle had entered the maze, she told Tristan, "I probably need to go first and make sure Storm knows I'm alive before you bring those two out."

  For once, Tristan didn't argue. "Good idea."

  Webster and Aaron stood a few feet away, their backs turned to them, but Webster was already shrinking back into his human body. He called out in a voice not quite human yet, "We going to Deca--"

  Tristan cut him off. "Not yet. I'll take her out and be right back."

  Webster growled and nodded.

  Evalle allowed Tristan to put his arm around her waist once more to teleport. A blessedly short trip, which allowed her to throw up mental shields against receiving any telepathy the minute her feet hit hard ground again. She pulled out of his grasp and searched in both directions for Storm, then grumbled, "Crap."

  "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing." But she'd thought Storm would cut her ten minutes' slack. She turned to Tristan, immediately calculating the best way to slip him and the other two Alterants out of the subway area before a threat to all of them showed up. "Webster and Aaron both need to change before they get to this side."

  "They're already shifting as we . . . speak." Tristan stumbled to the right and grabbed his head.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Teleporting . . . it's . . . never mind."

  She knew. Teleporting drained his powers, which weren't back up to full speed yet. "Can you get the other two out for sure?"

  "Yes."

  "How long will it take?"

  "With this short of a jump, one, maybe two minutes."

  She gave her watch a quick glance. Storm had expected her almost fifteen minutes ago. "Hurry up then before any VIPER agent or Belador finds out we're here. By the time you get back, I'll figure out where we can go in order to be safe, unless your sister has a secure location."

  "No, she doesn't."

  "What about clothes for Aaron and Webster?"

  "I've got that covered." Tristan shook off his momentary debilitation and stood with his back straight, as though he prepared to teleport, then looked at Evalle. "Thanks for fighting at my side."

  "Like I had a choice?" But she smirked and lifted her chin in a small salute. "Once we make it to a secure location, I'll have Storm or Tzader bring your sister so she'll be safe, too, just like I promised."

  He hesitated, then nodded right before
he faded into a swirl of motion and disappeared.

  "Evalle?"

  She jumped around to see a man in a hoodie running toward her. But she'd recognize the moves of that body anywhere. Storm jogged with the same fluid gait in human form as when he shifted into a black jaguar.

  He was alone, which meant he might not have called anyone yet.

  She smiled, genuinely happy to be out of the maze and even happier to see Storm.

  "What the hell happened?" he shouted at her from ten feet away.

  That killed her smile. She yelled back, "I've been a little busy dodging pitchfork-wielding ghosts, fire serpents and an insane priestess. Don't yell at me for being late."

  He stopped two steps short of her.

  She was vibrating with so much adrenaline that she only picked up on a flood of intense emotion wafting from him. She'd been too battered over the last hour and a half for her empathic sense to narrow down specifics, but anyone could hear the anger riveting his voice.

  "That's not what I meant to say first," he said, changing to his other voice.

  She just realized he had this other voice, the one he'd used sometimes around her. Like when he'd soothed her after a demonic ghoul had stabbed her leg with Noirre majik two days ago, and to calm her while teleporting with him today.

  "What did you mean to say, Storm?"

  "I was worried when you ran late. What happened?"

  She didn't need her empathic side to understand honesty. Giving him a tired smile, she said, "I'll tell you everything as soon as we have time, but I only have two Alterants right now."

  Taking a step forward, he said, "Two?"

  "The Medb killed one."

  When he closed the distance between them to inches, he lifted a hand and pushed hair behind her ear, smoothing his hand against her cheek. One touch and pleasure rippled out from her center.

  He gently tested a spot on her neck that felt raw. "Is that why you look like you've been in a rock fight?"

  She nodded, trying not to smile and expose her emotions even though he could read them blindfolded. He'd been upset about what had happened to her. Again. When would that stop surprising her? She'd only known him a week, hardly long enough for the flutter of emotions he stirred up in unguarded moments.

  She added, "But we won the rock fight."

  "We?"

  "Tristan and the other two Alterants."

  He nodded, his eyes still taking in all of her. "I need a moment alone with Tristan when he gets here."

  Storm said that so amiably that she had to run the words back through her mind before she grasped his meaning. "Now, Storm."