Kelly Gay - The Better Part of Darkness

“I thought hellhounds were illegal,” Zara said.

“They are. But every once in a while one gets smuggled in,” I told her, returning my attention to Aaron. “How would you break the ward, if you had to?” He’d gotten the ancient skin scroll from the House of Abaddon. Surely he knew of a way to break into Mynogan’s bath house.

A smile split his face. He knew exactly what I was thinking. “Actually, I have a plan. Simple, really. All we have to do is lure the guards through the ward and take their keys.”

Disbelieving expressions passed across everyone’s face except Aaron’s.

“Am I the only one who thinks that sounds way too easy?” Hank asked.

“There is one other thing. We must have their blood on our hands. Each amulet is made with a drop of the person’s blood. You can’t borrow someone else’s key and expect to walk through the ward. But, if you have enough of their blood on you when you make the attempt, it usually works.”

“Okay,” Rex said, “I’m not bathing in anyone’s blood. There are health risks, you know …”

“You won’t have to bathe in it,” Aaron told him. “Just enough to cover your hands should do the trick.”

Suspicion narrowed Bryn’s eyes. “How the hell do you know this stuff?”

Aaron shrugged. “It’s in my interest to know details such as these. I’d be an unworthy Magnus otherwise.”

“How do we lure them through the ward?” I asked.

“They’ll know if someone is trying to break it,” Hank said.

“Right. So Bryn and I attempt to break it, the guards will come out. Even if enough of them don’t come through the ward, one of us goes through, throws the amulet back out to the next person, they cover their hands, and so on …”

“That’ll also draw them out of the building and away from Emma. Once we’re all inside, we get rid of anyone else, find Em, and destroy the crop.” All eyes were on me, and I made sure to look at each person in the room. They all nodded. “We’ll hit them in an hour.”

We left Bryn’s apartment in two groups. Aaron transported me and Bryn to the parking deck in case Mynogan still had the black mages watching the apartment, and the others would meet us at the car.

When my weight returned to normal, I helped Bryn adjust the spare shoulder holster I’d hooked around her back earlier. I made sure to equip her with a fully charged Nitro-gun and a Hefty. Gone were the floaty skirts and the charm anklets, and in their place was a grim, near mirror image of me. In fact, she looked downright kick-ass. I couldn’t help but smile.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I replied as pride blossomed through me. “It’s just … this is a new side of you.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not the only Madigan who can do damage.” She fixed me with a stern expression and even sterner voice. “I know you think I’m weak and flighty, Charlie, but I’ve got strengths you don’t even know about.”

I blinked. “I never said—”

“You don’t need to say it. I see it in your eyes all the time. Every time you come into my shop.”

“No, I’ve never thought you weak, Bryn. Ever.” How could she think that? “Sure, maybe a tad ‘out there,’ but weak?” Before she could sidestep me, I grabbed both of her shoulders and pulled her away from Aaron and the car. “Listen to me,” I said, angry that she’d even accuse me of what she had. “You’re not weak. You never have been. You know how much courage it takes to be your own person, to embrace your gifts and move forward? If anyone’s weak, it’s me. I’ve been too afraid to even explore what’s inside me. And the only reason I’m doing it now is because I have to.” I released her shoulders, shaking my head and wondering how I’d given her this impression. God. I’d screwed up with so many people in my life.

Bryn stared at me openmouthed for a split second and then composed herself. The striking woman in front of me suddenly became the small kid who used to follow me and Connor around, begging to join in and threatening us if we didn’t let her.

I shrugged. “I love you, Bryn. You’re my baby sister.” What else could I say?

Before I could react, she threw her arms around my neck, sending me back several feet before I regained my balance. “I love you, too, Charlie.” She leaned back and her smile blinded me. “Now, let’s go kick some alien butt.”

I laughed. That was the first time she’d ever called them aliens, an echo of the many times I’d used that term despite the fact she didn’t like it.

“Aliens, huh?” Hank said, walking up behind us with Zara and Rex. A faint smile lingered at one corner of his mouth. “I thought you were more PC than that, Bryn.”

“Well, by definition, you fit,” she muttered uncomfortably, red creeping into her cheeks. “Beings from another world, and all …”

“I think Charlie’s starting to rub off on you.”

“Eh, not such a bad thing in my book,” she said with a wink thrown my way, “See you guys there.” She went to stand next to Aaron. He grabbed her hand and they blinked out of sight.

Rex and Zara piled into the backseat of the car as Hank put the duffel bag into the trunk.

I went to stand next to him, needing this moment alone. “You know once we do this, there’s no turning back.” I was pretty sure my fiasco with the jinn in Underground had already sealed my fate as an ex-ITF agent, but Hank … If he joined me on this, he’d lose his job and be brought up on charges right along with me, and the list was going to be a mile long by the time we were through.

“I know,” he said. “I’m not about to leave you now.” He shut the trunk and the fixed me with a determined look. “Ready, kiddo?”

A relieved breath flowed from my lips and my shoulders relaxed. I would have done this on my own, but having Hank and the others with me gave me a much-needed boost of strength and confidence.

We rode in silence to Oglethorpe Park. No one had to speak. We all knew what was at stake.

We parked in the public lot on the opposite side of the bath complex and then blended into the darkness of the woods, at first following the park’s paved walking trail until it wrapped around to the back side of the complex.

The air had a slight chill, the temperature and the cleansing scent of leaves and bark adding a boost of energy to our steps. A near-full moon shed light into the blackness of the woods. And through the trees, the long, rectangular bath complex came into view amid the soft orangey glow of widely spaced streetlamps. We walked single file in complete silence, viewing the back of the building. All the windows were dark, the blinds drawn down.

Finally we came to the center of the building where a large patio spread out into the lawn complete with vine-covered pergola, columns with gauzy curtains, outdoor furniture, and large fire basins. The curtains swayed ever so slightly and seemed to catch the moonlight. Clouds of steam rose from vents evenly spaced along the base of the building.

Bryn and Aaron were already in place at the edge of a small patch of trees that backed up to the walking path. We stopped, and I motioned for Aaron and Bryn to begin.

They walked to the edge of the tree line, linked hands, and closed their eyes. Slowly the air around them coalesced into a soft green mist. The hairs on my arms and legs rose as energy hummed around them. While their hands were linked in the center, their free hands began moving as though part of one being, unraveling the ward.

A low growl split the silence. Hank, Zara, Rex, and I immediately dropped to our haunches. Hank’s hand shot out to keep us still as he moved forward, getting a better view between the tall pines. Seconds later, he moved back and whispered, “Hellhound.”