Their low, sexy voices set my inner wrath demon on alert. These are enemies. At the same time, my other demonic side recognizes their particular brand of power. Lust demons.
I crane my neck, trying for a better view. Can’t see them at all. Whoever these demons are, they’re standing just outside the range of Lincoln’s charm.
I shift my weight. Still nothing.
Beside me, Lincoln checks the charms in his pockets.
“Do you have another revealment?” I ask.
“That was my last one. I have other magic, but none of it would address this particular problem.” Lincoln rubs his neck, his eyes lost in thought. “What do you think is in there?”
“Lust demons, pure and simple.”
Lincoln shakes his head. “I’m not so sure. Lust demons rarely fight in pairs, let alone speak in unison.” He focuses on the hospital interior so intensely, I think laser beams might shoot out of his eyes. “With one exception.”
A shiver twists up my neck. When it comes to demons, I’m a self-taught expert. I know the “exception” that Lincoln’s talking about, and it’s extremely rare. “Dyad demons.”
“Let’s hope I’m wrong.”
“Yeah. Let’s.”
Dyad demons are super-hard to kill. They always move as a mated pair, male and female. Both have lust powers, which can be tough in a fight. I don’t dabble in this kind of thing, but many lust demons give off an aura of compulsion that turns regular folks into compliant servants. I don’t fall for compulsions myself. Even so, all those waves of power coming at me? It can be mega distracting. So, lust demons are already tricky in a fight.
But dyad demons? They have even darker abilities.
Dyad men can summon a black mist that freezes everyone nearby, trapping you inside your own body so you’re awake yet unable to move. Fun times. Meanwhile, dyad women are shape shifters. I’m not talking about the kind that only turns into a wolf or whatever. Dyad women can become anything with a pulse, from bugs to dragons. Totally badass.
To make matters worse, dyads are linked by a power field called a tether. It’s a sort of black cloud that hovers about an inch above their skin. A dark cord of the same material then connects the demons to each other. To kill either demon, you first have to break the tether. The good news is that once the tether is cut, they’ll eventually die. But in the meantime? You have a couple of majorly pissed-off baddies on your hands. Some dyads fight for hours, even after their tether’s been cut.
A weight of foreboding settles into my bones. Dyad demons. Ugh.
From inside the ruined hospital, the man and woman speak in unison again. “You lost the prince and great scala. We must move on with our plans.”
“No,” says Desmond. “Give them a few more minutes. I know those two. They will come for the Rixa Codex.”
“We have a better idea,” they say. “Hand over the book. Aldred wishes it to be safe.”
My breath hitches. It’s one thing to suspect that the Earl of Acca is trying to ruin your life. Again. It’s another to hear some random demons confirm it.
But they did.
The facts swirl around in my head. Aldred, the Earl of Acca, definitely hired Desmond to steal our codex. Simultaneously, he contracted two mystery demons to murder us in cold blood. For the millionth time, I wish I could deep-six that dude. Even so, Aldred has too many supporters among the thrax. We must dismantle the House of Acca, and to do that, we need the courts. We need the Rixa Codex.
Desmond sniffs. “You want to avoid a battle. Aldred’s orders were clear. You’re supposed to kill them before I do anything else. After they’re dead, I must take the codex to the Lady.”
My brows lift. The Lady? I look to Lincoln. “Any idea who that is?”
“Not a one.”
The paired voices speak again. “The Lady doesn’t want to travel to the Wheeler Institute again. Earth is such a long journey this time of year. Give us the codex. We’ll take care of everything.”
Desmond pulls the book from his pocket. It’s a small white volume that’s no larger than my palm. “I don’t know if I should.” He hides the codex away once more. “It’s not wise to trust demons.”
“We’re more than just demons,” they say. “We’re friends.”
“Call me Dusk,” adds the woman.
“And I’m Mourn,” says the man.
At last, the two demons step into view. Both are on the short side with pasty-white skin, black hair, and dark eyes. Their features are so smooth and perfect, they remind me of mannequins. Dusk wears a long evening gown made of crimson silk, while Mourn wears a matching red suit. Although they stand side by side, there’s no mistaking the field of dark energy that rests right above their skin. A cord of the same black stuff curls across the floor, connecting them both.
That’s definitely a tether.
My heart sinks. Dyad demons for sure.
And they stand between us and the Rixa Codex.