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“You can’t help your nature, Fraale,” Roz said. “But nothing you’ve ever done remotely resembles the hellhole that Karvanak has carved out for his victims.” His voice sounded wistful as he added, “Don’t ever compare yourself to him. You can’t even begin to believe you’re as bad as he is.”
Fraale gave him an icy stare. “And just how would you know what I’ve been up to the past three hundred years? For all you know, I could be a raving lunatic who decided to play mass murderer. We’ve seen each other exactly four times since the gods chose to destroy our lives, Rozurial. And not once—not one time in all the centuries that have passed—have you ever thought to ask me how I’m coping with this. You always make up some excuse and hightail it out of my sight as soon as you can.”
Rozurial bared his teeth. “Leave our life together where it belongs—in the past. There’s no turning back. Regrets will only poison what memories we shared. I loved you when we were married, and I loved you after that bitch Hera transformed you. I wept as you changed. And I wept when Zeus did the same to me. But you know, as well as I do, that it never would have worked—not with what we were becoming. I cried until all the tears were washed away and there was only a hollow void.”
Fraale’s face twisted. “And then you left me. You left me alone.”
“I had to. To save you. To save me. To protect what we had together.” Roz sagged against the car. “Surely you can see why we had to move on. And this conversation only proves why we can’t be near each other. Too many memories, too many regrets, and too much anger. I couldn’t save you then, and I can’t save you now.”
She stared at him. I thought she was going to try again. I thought for sure she’d pull out the love card and play it. And how could he resist her tears and her heartbreak? But after a moment, she just shook her head and turned toward the house.
“You’re right. The gods won, and we lost,” she said softly. “Let’s get this over with, because the sooner we do, the sooner I can get the hell out of here. And I’d like to leave knowing I don’t have to constantly look over my shoulder, wondering if Karvanak is going to come creeping up behind me to slit my throat.”
She glanced at Menolly and, in a hostile tone, said, “It’s obvious how he feels about you, but watch your heart. He’s an incubus. He’ll never be able to love anyone again without hurting them in the end. Incubi are born to fuck you, then walk out the door. And so are my kind. We’re all just users.”
Menolly wisely held up her hands. “Hey, color me Switzerland. I’m not involved in this,” she said softly. “Whatever you think is going on between Roz and me, isn’t. All I want to do is get in there and rescue Delilah’s boyfriend before he ends up as cube steak on Karvanak’s menu.”
Fraale frowned, then shrugged. “Let’s get a move on. Karvanak’s bound to be on his way here.”
“Should we wait for Camille and the others?” Zach asked, quietly touching me on the shoulder.
I shook my head. “We can’t afford to stand around waiting. We’re going to have to start this fight all by our lonesome and hope to hell it doesn’t blow up before they get here. I just wish I wasn’t wearing this crap. It’s not going to provide a whole hell of a lot of protection.” I tugged at the leg of my lamé pants.
The house was gray green, all right, and three stories tall, looking altogether way too much like the Munsters’ mansion on Mockingbird Lane. But instead of the jaunty Herman, we were facing a ball-busting Karvanak.
The house was, indeed, set back on the property, with a narrow walkway of broken concrete leading to it. Grass poked through cracks in the cement, and on both sides the yard had grown wild, a tangle of dead foliage from the winter mingling with new runners as the bramble bushes and ferns woke to spring.
“Where is he? What floor is Chase on?” As I stared at the place, it suddenly hit me full force.
Chase was in there. He was scared, with a mangled finger. The gods only knew what else they’d done to him. And we were the only hope he had. I sucked in a deep breath and started up the walk, remembering what Fraale had said about booby traps. Menolly and the others followed.
“I think he’s in the basement. What better place to keep a prisoner you don’t want escaping?”
“Guards?” I cracked my knuckles, gearing up for the fight.
She shook her head. “Just what I told you: bloatworgles, venidemons, and some FBHs. That’s enough, I guess.”
“Yeah, and more than I want to deal with. Damned bloatworgles are hard to kill. I found that out a few days ago.” As we neared the door, I called back to Fraale, “The door? Booby-trapped? Rigged?”
“Not that I know of,” she said.
“Good! That’s enough for me.” I ripped the screen door off its hinges, then landed a heavy blow with my foot to the doorknob. The latch broke, and I slammed the door wide. Fraale’s pale tears had hit me in the gut. Rozurial had let his love slip away, had turned his back on her. The odds against them were overwhelming, and he’d caved and let the gods win. I wasn’t about to do that to Chase. Not until I knew he wanted out for good. If he did, I’d step aside gracefully. If not, we’d find some way to make it work.
I pushed into the living room, which was expensively—though gaudily—furnished. The others crowded in behind me and immediately spread out.
“Where’s the basement?” I asked but stopped short when three big, burly, fully leathered men stepped into the room. They didn’t look magical, but looks could be deceiving. They were carrying swords that emanated a faint bluish glow. Enchanted blades. Good for controlling creatures like the venidemons, where guns might be useless. Also good for hacking off arms and legs.
I sucked in a deep breath and—oh shit! My knife! I didn’t have my knife. I’d left it at home! How could I have—
“Kitten! Catch!”
I whirled as Camille, Morio, and Vanzir tumbled into the room.
Camille tossed me my blade. “Thought you might need this,” she said, eyeing the men with delight. “Looks like we got us some playmates,” she added and immediately froze. I could feel the energy spin around her like a vortex. Oh goody—faulty spells on the loose! But hey, when they worked, they worked with a vengeance.
I caught the dagger by the hilt and flashed her a brilliant smile. “Love you, too, babe! Let’s get on with it!”
The men raced toward us, their eyes glinting with a perverse delight. I knew it was a perverse delight because I recognized the feeling and the look. My own adrenaline was pumping as I leapt forward, wishing to hell for jeans and a tank. But all thoughts of clothing were swept away as I entered the fray.
