The Brightest Embers

  “What the fuck?” Costa said, coming to a stop. At first, I thought he was upset for Brutus, which was nice but a surprise. Then I followed his gaze to the demolished house.

  “Demetrius did that,” I said, hoping against hope it had been empty. “He was in the process of doing the same thing to the ice hotel. That’s why I used the staff to melt everything.”

  “Wow,” Jasmine said softly, staring at the flattened remains of what used to be a two-story house. “I didn’t know he could do things like that, especially in our world.”

  “Neither did I,” I said with more than a little grimness. “Follow the fence, Costa, until the break. You can’t miss it.”

  “What happened here?” he said when we reached it a couple minutes later.

  “I crashed,” I replied simply, then my heart felt like it skipped a beat when I caught sight of Brutus.

  The gargoyle was lying facedown ahead of us, his remaining wing stretched out as if he’d collapsed while still trying to use it as a crutch to hurry after us. He was so silent and immobile, I couldn’t even tell if he was breathing. Adrian was about thirty yards away from him, his back to us, walking slowly while his shoulders heaved as if he were sobbing.

  Oh no. No, no, no, no!

  “Brutus!” I screamed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  MY SHOUT WAS a cry of pain mixed with a plea for him to still be alive. Adrian jerked around, revealing that his shoulders were heaving because he was dragging Brutus’s very large, very heavy severed wing along with him. Why would he be doing that, if Brutus was already dead?

  “Stay down, Brutus!” Adrian said sternly, repeating the command in Demonish. “Costa, don’t try to help me,” he added when Costa immediately started to put me down. “None of you should even be here. It’s too dangerous. Get back to the hallowed ground, where it’s safe. I don’t see Demetrius anymore, but he could come back.”

  A wave of relief hit me when I saw Brutus angle his head in my direction. He was still alive. Thank God, he was still alive!

  “I have the sling again, so it’s more dangerous for you, which is why we’re not leaving,” I said. “Get some rocks,” I told Jasmine, yanking up my sleeve and feeling enormously grateful that the slingshot was back in my arm. I didn’t see Demetrius, either, but that didn’t make me feel safer. The demon was nothing if not crafty.

  Jasmine began rooting around in the nearby field. I squirmed, trying to stretch out my legs to see how they felt. If I needed to use the slingshot, I probably had to be standing. I didn’t know if I could do it while being held in Costa’s arms.

  “Here,” Jasmine said, coming back quickly and handing me some small rocks. “I’ll keep looking for more.”

  I kept one in my hand and put the other two in the only pocket available to me now that my jacket and pants were gone—my cleavage. Costa grunted in amusement.

  “That’s getting the most use out of those.”

  I ignored the quip. “Take me to Brutus,” I said, still trying to wiggle the strength back in my legs. If Demetrius popped up and threatened Brutus or Adrian, I’d be able to use the slingshot to send him back to hell. In the meantime, I’d see what I could do for Brutus’s wounds.

  As requested, Costa set me down when we reached the gargoyle. I stood for a few seconds to test my legs, then sank to my knees next to Brutus. It wasn’t just because my legs were shaking in an ominous way. It was because of the hopeful-yet-pained look Brutus gave me, as if even through his pain, he believed things would be better now that I was here.

  I wanted it to be, but I didn’t know what to do. “Shh, it’ll be okay, boy,” I settled on saying in my most soothing voice. Then I scooted until I was half cradling his massive, gorilla-like head in my lap, continuing to croon to him while also keeping a wary eye out for Demetrius.

  Brutus whined and tried to lift his head. I didn’t want him to move because every twitch seemed to send more blood out of that horrible hole where his left wing had formerly inserted into the bony cradle in his back. So I bent down to him, kissing his cheek and telling him that he was the best boy ever. When his tongue slimed the side of my face with his version of an answering kiss, I was relieved instead of mildly grossed out like usual. While I continued to praise him, I covered the still-bleeding hole in his back with my hand. Adrian had treated Brutus’s leg with manna—that was clear from the newly healed skin where that long, gaping tear had been. But he hadn’t treated anything else, and that hole in his back was the worst injury of all. I had an idea why Adrian was waiting to use the manna on that, and I was torn between hope and tears.

  Adrian dragged Brutus’s severed wing a few more feet before Costa ignored his prior order and came over to help him drag it the rest of the way to Brutus. Then Adrian lined it up next to the hole I was covering with my hand.

  “Will that work?” Oh, please, please let it work!

  “Hope so,” Adrian said shortly, and bent next to Brutus, saying something in Demonish that I loosely translated as “Don’t move.” Then he grabbed a handful of manna, leaving almost none in the bag. Adrian coated the end of the bone in the severed wing with it, then, with enough force to make me flinch, shoved it back into the bleeding hole in Brutus’s back.

  The noise Brutus made blasted my eardrums with its volume and squeezed my heart from its agony.

  “It’s okay. It’s okay!” I said, trying to soothe him while he trembled all over yet somehow remained faithful to Adrian’s order not to move. I kept repeating those and other useless assurances while we waited to see if the manna would reattach Brutus’s wing back to its original functionality, or merely heal up the hole and leave the wing to fall out as soon as Brutus stood up.

  After a few minutes, Brutus quit trembling and the pain left his expression. Manna worked quickly, so either he was now healed as good as new, or he was healed yet he’d never fly again. When Adrian had him rise to his knees after letting another few minutes pass in order to be extra cautious, I was the one who was trembling. When Brutus carefully stood up and nothing dropped to the ground, I was holding my breath. When he stretched both wings out to their full span, then flapped them until he rose a few feet in the air, I burst into tears.

  I couldn’t help it. I’d held it in when I saw that Jasmine and Costa were still alive, but this was the last straw. Joy and relief combined with the emotional crash of surviving yet another life-threatening encounter, and that demolished my resistance. At last, I knew that we were okay, all of us. The guests at the Icehotel seemed to be okay, too, and I had the hallowed weapons back so I could defend us if—when—more demons came calling. The stress seemed to drain out of me with the tears that fell, and though I felt a little embarrassed, I couldn’t stop them.

  Adrian knelt down next to me, his large hand caressing my face to catch my tears. Our eyes met, and the intensity in his gaze caused a jolt to course through me. I don’t know if it was the rare, unshielded emotion in his eyes or our soul-tethering connection flaring, giving me access into him that I shouldn’t have. Either way, I suddenly knew that it was taking all of his strength not to pull me back into his arms, and if he lost that fight, he wouldn’t be able to let me go again.

  I turned my face into his hand and leaned toward him. An almost dangerous gleam appeared in his eyes, and the hand that had gently brushed aside my tears slid down and tightened until he was gripping my hair.

  And I wanted—needed—him to lose that last vestige of control. I knew the risks, knew exactly who he was and knew that one or both of us might end up with broken hearts. Yet I couldn’t do anything except lean in closer and practically dare him to let go of the final barrier that was holding him back.

  Do it, my stare urged him as I parted and moistened my lips. His nostrils flared and a low, almost growling sound came from deep in his throat.

  “Ivy!” Jasmine shattered the
moment by coming over and nudging me. Adrian dropped his hand, got up and quickly backed away. I tried to go after him to force him to confront what he was really running from, but my legs still weren’t steady enough to walk and Jasmine wasn’t done talking. “Zach’s here,” she said, pointing behind us.

  I turned around, seeing the Archon no more than a few feet behind me. I felt foolish for not noticing him before my sister pointed him out, but he couldn’t have been there long. As usual, he was wearing his faded blue hoodie, and he didn’t look at all concerned about interrupting my and Adrian’s loaded personal moment. Instead, he looked as relaxed as if he’d just come from a long soak in a heavenly hot tub.

  “We should leave now,” Zach opened with instead of saying hello. “Demetrius fled through the mirror, but what happened to the Icehotel will soon alert others to your presence here.”

  Of course he knew about what I’d done to the ice hotel. Had he been here the whole time, concealed from our view, but watching things unfold like our lives were his version of a soap opera? Once again, I found myself torn. Part of me wanted to thank Zach profusely for giving me the hallowed weapons back, while the other part wanted to rail at him for waiting to show up until after all the danger had passed.

  “Leave?” I settled on saying, choosing to focus on what he’d said instead of what I felt. “How? My passport and ID were back at the hotel, so they’ve probably floated away by now.”

  Zach let his gaze slide around the area. I didn’t know what he was looking for, but he seemed to find it fast enough. “Not that way. Through a door only I can enable you to cross.”

  Adrian whistled. “A light realm is nearby, isn’t it? And you’re offering to pull us into it?”

  “A light realm?” Jasmine hopped up and down in delight. “Yes, let’s go! It’s warm there, and I am freezing.”

  Honestly, it sounded great to me, too. In addition to being sunny and warm, light realms were demon-and-minion-free. They could also act as portals that would instantly transport us wherever we wanted to go, even if that happened to be to the other side of the world. The only reason I wasn’t hopping up and down in joy like Jasmine was because I was sure there had to be a catch. There was always a catch with Zach.

  “What will this cost us if you do it?” I asked bluntly.

  The corners of his lips tilted faintly upward; his version of a broad grin. “Come and see.”

  Not an answer, but that must be all he was willing to give. I don’t know why I expected anything different. We wouldn’t refuse his offer and Zach knew it. We had very limited options with the deluge washing away most of our stuff and more demons expected to show up soon.

  “We’re taking Brutus,” I said. He’d hate the sunlight, but I was not leaving him behind. “That’s non-negotiable.”

  Zach lifted one shoulder as if he didn’t care enough to use both to shrug. “As you wish.”

  “And we’ll need to collect more manna while we’re there,” I added, trying to capitalize on Zach’s rare agreeable mood.

  His mouth quirked again. “Of course. And if you ask very nicely, I might have a real Archon grenade for you, too.”

  My gaze swung back and forth between Zach and Adrian as I translated the subtext. “A real one? That wasn’t a real Archon grenade you threatened Demetrius with earlier?”

  Adrian’s snort was immediate. “If it was, I would’ve blasted him with it. No, I ran out of those months ago. That was a regular communion wafer, but Demetrius didn’t know that.”

  He’d bluffed the most dangerous demon in existence with basically a cracker, all because he hadn’t known that I’d gotten my hallowed weapons back. Of course, even if he had known, he still would have done the same thing. Adrian had never hesitated to risk his life when he thought I was in danger. Ever.

  It was why, despite everything, I was still willing to risk my heart with him. He might not believe that he could overcome the dark tendencies that were second nature with him, but I did. He’d already beaten his fate. What was a little half-demon heritage compared to that?

  “Let us leave,” Zach said, holding out his hand. “Adrian, you first.”

  He looked at me and hesitated. It took me only a moment to realize why. He still intended to stay away from me, or pretend to, anyway. He’d obviously been following me. Unlike Zach, Adrian couldn’t appear anywhere in a blink, so the only explanation for his intervention with Demetrius earlier was him following me here. But once in a light realm, Adrian couldn’t leave unless Zach pulled him out of it, just like he couldn’t enter unless Zach pulled him in. And Adrian must not want the door metaphorically locked behind him.

  He opened his mouth, no doubt about to refuse to come with us—and I collapsed like a puppet whose strings were cut.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  FOR SOMEONE WHO’D never taken acting classes, I’d done a great job of faking a faint. I even let my head bang on the ground hard enough to give me a headache after I dropped in a boneless heap. Oscar winners, eat your hearts out.

  Adrian rushed to my side like I knew he would. He’d let nothing, even his own deep-seated conviction that I was better off without him, come in the way of trying to protect me when he thought I was in danger. I ignored his gentle shakes and repeated calls of my name, opting for a completely limp pose. I even debated letting my tongue loll out of my mouth, but I didn’t because that might be overdoing it.

  Of course, Zach could put a stop to this. Even if he’d initially been fooled by my convincing-looking faint, he could hear from my thoughts that I was faking it. Quickly, I sent him a mental directive. Don’t you dare rat me out! Adrian and I need to talk, and this is the only way it’ll happen without him running away again.

  I couldn’t see his reaction, since my eyes were still closed, but I thought I heard an undercurrent of amusement in his voice when he said, “Lift her up, Adrian. I’ll pull both of you in together, then come back for the rest of them. You can collect manna for her once you’re there.”

  Ooh, that sly Archon! None of what he’d said was a lie, but it also was a deliberate misdirection, since he knew nothing was wrong with me. Not that I was complaining about his subtle subterfuge. This one rare time, it benefitted me. Adrian had me hefted in his arms before I could even give Zach a mental thank-you, and then I felt the distinct stomach-flopping, free-falling sensation of crossing from one realm into another.

  I didn’t have to open my eyes to know when we’d arrived. Light seemed to crash past my closed lids, and the bone-deep cold I’d felt was instantly replaced by the soothing warmth of sunshine on my skin and balmy temperatures. Even though it didn’t mesh with my fainting act, I found myself inhaling deeply, trying to see if the air was as sweet as I remembered.

  It was even better, like breathing in a combination of fresh spring rain and a flower garden in full bloom. You didn’t realize how tainted our air had become until you breathed in something that had never been touched by chemicals, pollutants, car exhaust or everything else that made our world the modern world. I inhaled deeply again, as if trying to clean my lungs with the pristine air, then let myself lie limply on the ground when Adrian set me down.

  “I see manna trees,” he said, then sounded like he ran off.

  “Remember, time passes differently in these realms,” Zach called out. “It will seem like hours before I return, yet it will only be minutes as far as Jasmine and Costa are concerned.”

  Translation: Adrian and I had time to talk without being interrupted. I sat up and opened my eyes just in time to see Zach disappear through a door visible only to him. Adrian looked startled to see me suddenly upright, then relief crossed his features and he ran back over to me.

  “Ivy! Are you hurt? What happened?”

  “I tricked you,” I said bluntly. “You were about to refuse to come here and we have things to sort out, so I fake
fainted.”

  It was almost funny to watch the shock on his face. Really, he shouldn’t be this thrown by my deception. It could more than fairly be said that he had it coming.

  “You lied to me,” he said, still sounding stunned.

  I wasn’t going to get into a semantic debate about tricking someone versus lying to them, especially when the intent to deceive was the same. So, I said, “Newsflash—you don’t have a monopoly on being dishonest. Go ahead and get mad at me. I deserve that. But with Zach gone, you’re not able to run out on this conversation, and according to him, he’ll be a while.”

  Something like alarm crossed his features and he cast a quick, calculating glance around. I flung my arm out, indicating the beautiful stretch of meadow we were on, the river I could faintly see in the distance and the trees with their bell-shaped blooms that, when crushed up, turned into manna.

  “Nowhere to go, Adrian, and I’m fast enough to keep up with you if you run. So quit looking for a means of escape.”

  “Run? You could barely walk before, or was that an act, too?” he countered.

  “Nope, that was real,” I said as I tested my legs by standing up and then hopping up and down. Thankfully, they felt normal now instead of wobbly. “Either I’ve recovered on my own after the effects of using the staff, or being in this realm did the trick. Either way, yes, I’m capable of chasing you now.”

  I proved it by walking over and taking two big handfuls of his shirt. His eyes widened, then narrowed as I twisted the material until it resembled handholds.

  “Now,” I said calmly, “unless you want to run off half-naked, you’re not going anywhere until we’re done.”

  His golden-colored brow arched with a hint of his familiar arrogance. “It’s a shirt, not a pair of handcuffs. You think I care if it rips?”