A growl rolled across the silence. I swallowed heavily. Damn if that didn’t sound like a hellhound . . .
This time I felt the stir of air. I leapt up, twisted around, and stabbed downward. Hit something so hard my whole body shuddered with the impact. Amaya’s flames fanned outward, encasing a hound-like sa h Taylhape.
Whether it was actually was from hell or just another product of Taylor’s twisted mind, I had no idea—and right now it wasn’t important. I pulled Amaya free and slashed at the hound’s neck. It exploded, sending me tumbling through the grayness.
They come! Amaya’s shriek was so fierce and loud I could have sworn it echoed across the plane, not just in my head.
Oh, fuck! I had no time to think or do anything else, because they were on me. Invisible beasts that snarled and slashed and tore at skin that didn’t exist on this plane. Pain burned through me on all levels and blood flowed, until I was slick with it. I fought, god how I fought, but there were too many of them. Far too many, even for Amaya.
Run! the voice that sounded so much like Azriel screamed.
Instantly, I reached for the level that divided earth and the astral plane from the gray fields. Imagined myself there, free from the teeth and claws that rent my skin. Felt the plane shift, and then blessed silence. I didn’t immediately move. I just lay on my back, panting madly, desperate to regain equilibrium and strength.
Finally, I opened my eyes. The umbra was a place of shadows and darkness. I could see only a little of the beach on this level, but this was the dividing line between earth and the fields, and that was to be expected.
Something moved. I tightened my grip on Amaya, then realized that this time the movement held no threat.
The Dusan had stirred to life.
She coiled up my flesh, then moved across my shoulders and down my right arm. Her eyes glinted in the distant, smoky surrounds of the umbra, and her teeth shone. She wanted out, wanted action.
Not yet, I murmured. Not just yet.
I agree. Taylor’s voice was so close beside me I jumped. Death shall not find you just yet, but it will come, huntress. Even now, your flesh weakens. Soon, your heart will stop, and you will find yourself trapped in this place of nothingness, never to move on or be reborn.
Panic surged and I scrambled upright. Or tried to. My legs were like jelly and they refused to support my weight. One heartbeat later, I was on my knees. Which was stupid, because the wounds weren’t real. The hounds hadn’t chomped and chewed; I was whole and unhurt and fit.
But no matter how much I repeated that to myself, it didn’t seem to make one jot of difference. Maybe the umbra didn’t work that way.
Nevertheless, I took a deep breath, imagined it flowing through my being like a sweet breeze, blowing away the hurt and the pain as it refilled the wells of my strength.
Then slowly—and somewhat unsteadily—I climbed to my feet, Amaya clenched tightly in my hands. Her fire dripped from the end of the steel and formed a wide circle around me, as if drawing a line in the sand and daring Taylor to cross.
He didn’t accept the challenge. He remained where he’d appeared, his arms crossed and satisfaction oozing from his pores.
Standing there watching me die seems a bit anticlimactic after all your huff and puff, I commented. I was under the impression you wanted to kill me yourself.
I wanted a challenge and you certainly provided it. But I am no fool. I have you here now, and here you’ll stay.
I snorted. You can’t stop me from returning to flesh, Taylor—
On the contrary, he interrupted. I can.
Fear slithered through me. I was playing into his hands, I knew that, but he was far too watchful for me to release the one ace I held up my sleeve. Or on my arm, as was the case with the Dusan.
No one has that much power, Taylor. Not even someone like you.
His amusement swam around me, taunting and stinging. Do you remember Dorothy?
Yes. I continued to swing Amaya back and forth, watching him warily. The Dusan had settled into my right forearm, her glow fading but not her readiness. She felt like a coiled spring, ready to explode from my flesh the minute I gave the word.
She was screaming, unraveling, and yet she did not return to her flesh. I prevented that, as I will prevent you.
That’s what you were doing when you touched her forehead, I replied, suddenly realizing what had happened.
He nodded. By touching her, I not only marked her with what she was, but I pinned her in place while I drained her, both in real life and on the plane.
Well, he wasn’t going to be touching me, that was for fucking sure. So basically, you’re a coward.
Anger snapped around me, thick and fast. I am no coward, huntress. As you can see. He made a motion with his hand. Silver spun out of the darkness, slashing toward my torso. I raised Amaya and steel clashed with steel.
Coward, I spat. Everything you do is from a distance, Taylor. Why? Do you fear getting close to someone who can actually defend herself?
More steel came out of the shadows. I slashed and parried and battered it away, calling him a coward at every blow. His anger grew, and the attacks became more furious, until all I could see was silver and all I could feel was blood and pain.
Now, I said to the Dusan. Do it now.
She ripped free with a scream that seemed to echo all the pain and fury that filled me, and formed shape, growing and expanding as she hurtled toward Taylor.
I felt his shock as strongly as if it were my own; then the steel assault stopped and he began to fade—but nowhere near quickly enough to escape. The Dusan whipped across the shadows and wrapped around him, coiling so tightly she would have snapped bones if he’d actually been wearing flesh.
He screamed then, and began to struggle, but to little avail. The hunter had finally been snared.
I blew out a relieved breath, and loweredh, ruggle, Amaya as I walked toward him. Fury battered me, but it was tinged now with fear. His fear, not mine.
It felt good.
There’s one thing you don’t know about me, Taylor, I said softly. I’m not human.
His fear increased. God, it was so sweet. No, you’re not. You’re a werewolf.
Oh, I’m much more than that, I’m afraid. I’m what the reapers are—a being of energy rather than just flesh and blood. Remember mentioning that my control was greater than most on this realm? Well, that’s because this place is far more mine than it will ever be yours.
If he’d had a face, I think his eyes would have been wide and staring. I stepped closer to him and stopped.
This is for Dorothy, I said. As well as Vonda and Dani Belmore, and all the other countless women you’ve killed over your many years of hunting.
He snarled and spat at me. I sidestepped, and the globule landed near Amaya’s point, hissing like acid.
Do your worst, he snapped. I will be reborn, and I will remember. Fear for the future, huntress, because I will be back.
I snorted. I may fear for my future, Taylor, but it won’t be because of anything you might or might not do— because you won’t be doing anything. We’re in the umbra, remember. Death here is final.
He screamed then. Screamed long and loud and fearfully.
I raised Amaya and killed him.
Chapter 15
