Authors: Lizzy Ford

Hear No (Hidden Evil, #1) (30 page)

Amira took a few deep breaths before continuing.

“Only those connected to the stones can read them. I took them to her, because there are two I can’t understand but she could and I thought if she knew who Shadowman was trying hurt, she could protect them. I didn’t think … I didn’t know …” she began crying again and leaned into Troy.

His arms went around her, and he pulled her into his body, his gaze on Nathan.

“So we’re missing your woman and four stones,” Troy summarized. “Thank god they’re all together. Unfortunately, they’re also in the worst place possible.”

Nathan nodded, his instincts wiggling. Amira’s words filled in many of the missing pieces, but there was still something … off.

“Was Zyra after the stones or Kaylee?” he mused aloud, unable to connect the dots between what Zyra was claiming to do and who she was targeting.

“How would she even know of the stones? If only four people can read the stones, and Pedro ain’t sharing any information on what’s going on, how did she find out?”

“I don’t know,” Nathan said, pacing. “Her role in this doesn’t make sense, but she seems to be the only one who knows what’s going on. I don’t know how.”

Troy rubbed Amira’s back, thoughtful. “We need an inside guy.”

“We need to find Kaylee.” Nathan’s gut sank.

“Like I said, inside guy. Zyra’s gonna make Kaylee and anyone else she wants disappear. We won’t know what’s going to happen until it’s too late.” By Troy’s look, he had already nominated Nathan for the job.

“Yeah. She was pissed after losing Kaylee. If she’s off guard, now is the time to plant someone,” Nathan agreed softly. Fury started through him, but he suppressed it. The only way to get to his OTL was to ostensibly betray her and return to Zyra. It infuriated him, but it was a small price to pay, if it saved Kaylee.

If
. He had no idea if she was alive.

“I always do whatever it takes,” he added.
Why does this feel so different?
The idea of siding with Zyra angered him, but not as much as the thought of losing Kaylee permanently. “I’ll let Mags know.”

Nathan turned away to leave the kitchen.

“Wait!” Amira cried. She pulled away from Troy. “I have to tell you something else.” She drew a deep breath. “The portals will let the archdemons free.”

Nathan nodded.

Amira looked from him to Troy, as if waiting for one of them to speak.

“Archdemons,” she repeated.

“Myths,” Troy said what Nathan was thinking. “So they’re stronger demons. Big deal.”

“You don’t understand,” she replied. “There are only four. Death, War, Pestilence, Famine. Shadowman will become Death when he is strong enough, and I think Kaylee is supposed to help me stop him from bringing back the others.”

“Holy shit!” Nathan exclaimed more surprised to realize this wasn’t the first time he’d heard this. The conversation with Pedro flickered through his mind, where he’d asked Pedro what came through the portal, if opened.

Death.

The tricky bastard had revealed a secret in mid-conversation, only Nathan had missed it.

Troy went pale, staring at her, while Nathan’s mind raced.

Amira shrank back from both of them, looking between the two. Nathan crossed to them and stood beside Troy.

“That’s what you’ve been hiding?” he demanded.

She nodded.

“It’s just the end of the world, Nate. No big deal,” Troy said.

“You’ve known all along?”

Another nod. “It’s been a secret since Creation. I couldn’t tell … maybe I shouldn’t tell you now. I don’t know what else to do.”

She’s a first gen in over her head.
Nathan repeated this to himself over and over until his control began to return. He had the urge to run, kill, scream … he didn’t even know. The pain of losing Kaylee was only amplified by the emotional mess Amira’s words created. He didn’t like the feeling of not being in control, of not being able to fix something and being emotionally compromised.

Troy had moved away and was pacing, gripping his head.

Of the two of them, Nathan knew he’d recover first.

Amira’s eyes were wide. She looked scared.

“Okay.” Nathan blew out a deep breath. “We can handle this.”

“Are you fucking nuts?” Troy snarled. “Where the fuck are my knives? Nathan, just stab me. Get this over with.”

“I’m not going to stab you,” Nathan said impatiently. “Go outside and get some air. We need to talk this out.”

Troy obeyed wordlessly. He slammed the back door open and marched out.

Amira’s gaze followed him.

“Amira.” Nathan took her arm. “Any more secrets?”

“N…no.”

“You sure? That last one was pretty serious.”

She shook her head.

“You need a hug?”

She slid her arms around him in response, a reminder that she was still an innocent, lost first gen, even if she’d just blown his mind with her secrets.

Nathan’s shock wore off, and he began to understand why Zyra was after the stones. Somehow, she had to know about the four archdemons of the Apocalypse. He didn’t know how, but if she uncovered that much, she probably had some insight into where to look next for Kaylee or one of the other two girls like Amira.

I never should’ve killed Kaylee.

He didn’t like the guilt that made him regret a choice he’d made. How long had he been able to keep the wall between him and the world in place?

And now it was crumbling, like Kaylee had in his arms.

Amira calmed, and Nathan released her. Troy returned from the backyard, closing the door with more control than he showed going out.

“So. I guess this all is going to prevent me from trying to kill myself again,” Troy said. “Are you thinking what I am, Nate? That Zyra knows this somehow?”

“Yeah. No idea what her intentions are, though. She’s done too much for me to feel comfortable saying she’s on our side.”

“Agreed. If you go into the lion’s lair, I’ll help Amira protect the whereabouts of the next archdemon waiting to get out. We’ll work on tracking down the other two girls, too. Maybe if we all work as a team, we can figure out how to beat Shadowman at his own game ahead of Zyra.”

“Sorry, Troy,” Nathan said drily. “Maybe you’ll find something worth living for again.”

Troy glanced at Amira then away quickly, as if he, too, sensed where his life was headed. He was hard to read, though, and Nathan was too mentally wired to try.

“I’ve gotta call Mags. We’ll need all the help we can get,” Nathan said reluctantly. “Then find Zyra.”

He left the kitchen, jonesing for a cigar and a bottle of whiskey to calm his thoughts and body. The day started with a plan to kill the woman he was falling for and ended with the discovery that they had to save the world.

He stepped out the front door, loving how the chilly fall night turned his attention from his thoughts to the shiver running down his body.

“Could be worse,” he told himself, reaching for his cell phone. “I could be in love with a woman who happens to be the harbinger of doom, foretelling the end of the world.”

He froze, hearing his own words.

“I’m in love with her. Why the fuck couldn’t I say it when it mattered?”

Chapter Twenty Two

Kaylee awoke groggily, feeling as if someone heavy was lying over top of her. Her body was slow to respond, her mind not even registering what her senses were trying to tell her. Had she ever awoken feeling so sluggish?

A strange warbling came from beside her, and she turned her head with effort, trying to make out the black blob she assumed was a person. Deliberately she grew aware of the world outside her mind: grey walls that reminded her of a basement, a bed too hard to be comfortable, the scent of a hospital mixed with … burnt toast?

Her stomach roared to life at the thought of bread, though it felt a little unsettled and her head was starting to pulse.

“Can you hear me?”

This time, the warbling made sense. She blinked her eyes until they cleared.

“Eddy?” she asked, confused. “What’re you doing here?”

He smiled. “How was being dead?”

“What?”

“Was there a light? Did you see dead relatives?”

Kaylee tried to understand what he was talking about. She’d fallen asleep then …

No. Resting back against the bed, she realized she hadn’t just fallen asleep and awoken some random place with the satanic cult member. She’d been at the ranch house when Nathan came.

“Oh, god,” she whispered, tears squeezing from her eyes. “I died.”

I’ll be there when you wake up.

He wasn’t. Did he tell her that and kiss her, just to get her to go along with him? Had he killed her then walked away, and that’s when Eddy rescued her?

Had any of what she thought Nathan felt towards her been real, or was he lulling her into a false sense of security to make her easier to knock off?

The pain in her head was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

“Yeah. Was it cool?”

“No,” she said. “There was nothing. Just darkness.”

“Maybe you didn’t die enough.”

“I don’t even know what that means. Why does it smell like toast in here?”

“Incense.” Eddy waved something under her nose. “Supposed to help you heal.”

She sneezed, the sensation sending pain shooting through her chest. Abruptly, she realized how ironic it was that Nathan stabbed her through the heart – both literally and figuratively.

“Where am I?” She opened her eyes and pushed herself up, taking in her rustic surroundings skeptically. It smelled like a hospital, but it wasn’t. There were no windows in her cement room, and only one beat up machine monitoring her vitals. A bag of some kind of fluid was connected to the IV in her hand. “Your basement?”

“Not quite,” Eddy said with a chuckle. “We’re in hiding again.”

“Ugh.”

“You hurting?”

“Yeah a little.”

“Is, uh, Shadowman around?”

She assessed herself, trying to figure out what the status of the creature was. He wasn’t a wet blanket but neither was he watching her from a distance either. His presence was distant, faint, as if he hadn’t recovered, even if she had.

“He is,” she answered. “It feels like he’s … sleeping? I don’t know.”

“Awesome. I won’t have to kill you now.”

She forgot how frustrating it was dealing with him. He made her feel at ease then threatened to cut her into tiny pieces. Too tired to let him freak her out, she rested back in the bed.

“You both survived Nathan killing you,” Eddy added. “I guess we got there in time. He was nowhere to be seen, so not sure what their plan was, if they had one.”

Just what I suspected
. Kaylee was embarrassed to feel tears on her face. How could she be in love with someone who just murdered her? Even if it was for a good cause, she couldn’t imagine ever hurting him.

“Aww,” Eddy said empathetically. “You really liked him. Probably not a good idea, since they all want you dead.”

“You think?” she snapped, drawing a shaky breath. “So where are we in hiding?”

“Not far from DC. Everyone is looking for you. We had to take you to our secret lair,” he replied. “You get to meet the other members of my special family when you feel up to it. Might take a week or so for you to heal enough.”

“Special family,” she repeated, shivering. “You mean like …” Her eyes went to his necklace.

“Yep,” he replied. “We won’t let Nathan or 3G or any other guide get you.”

Great.
What did she say to him? Did she thank him or curse him, because she knew she couldn’t off herself, if she had to?

At least Shadowman was dormant. She had time to figure out what to do next.

“By the way.” Eddy lowered his voice with a glance towards a closed door. “Keep these hidden.” He held out a familiar velvet dice bag.

Kaylee sucked in a breath, eyes flying from the bag to his face.

“Yes, I know what they are. Things will make sense later,” he assured her. “Do me a favor. Don’t run or try anything stupid around here and don’t let Shadowman know you have this.”

Kaylee nodded wordlessly and stretched to take the pouch.

“Help me, help you stay alive,” Eddy said in his friendliest camp counselor voice. “Rest up. Life’s about to get interesting.”

She watched him leave, too tired to try to understand what exactly just happened.

All she could think about was Nathan. He’d made love to her like she was meant for him and then killed her. How had he just walked away? He swore to help her, and she believed him. A man couldn’t kiss someone like that and just … walk away.

Apparently, Nathan can.

Did that make her a fool?

“If I see you again, Nathan, I’ll use that damn knife Eddy gave me. This time, for real.” She didn’t care that no one heard her words or the sobs that followed them.