“Nope.”
Fury twisted in Kilian’s guts and his fangs dropped.
Stephen raised his hand, palm out. “I can't take you back. That land is bound to Mia. I can't physically pop back there. It’s magically locked so magical creatures can’t connect to it. Hell, most supernaturals avoid being anywhere near a land-witch’s territory.”
Kilian hadn’t known. Land-bound witches were rare, and Kilian had never studied the magical rules around their practices. However, the explanation came too easily for Kilian to trust it. “Most of her guards are werewolves and I'm a vampire. I wasn’t fleeing the base,” Kilian pointed out.
“No, but I bet your senses felt dulled. I bet you felt like you were being smothered or the sound was muffled.” Kilian frowned. Stephen pointed a finger at him. “Ha! I know that expression. Youdidfeel that way,” he said triumphantly. “You felt Mia’s magic. When a witch commits magic to the land, the fundamental nature of the magic changes and multiplies.”
“I thought Mia didn’t let you read about magical theory.”
“She didn’t.” Stephen perched on the arm of the couch before wrinkling his nose in disgust at the dust swirl that rose into the air. “My mom considered becoming a land witch so the land could amplify her power and heal her. Everything we researched said that that was going to be a solid no. However, I do know a lot about land witches. I can't pop us back up there.”
Either the demon had prepared an impressive array of lies to counter Kilian or he was telling the truth. “Fine. Then we locate the local base, and we make arrangements to meet Mia halfway there, and she can escort us back up.”
“And when you get back up there, your magic will be suppressed again, and whatever is trying to take over will have another opportunity to shred your soul. Only this time I suspect Mia is going to have a few surprises to keep me distracted, which will end with you magically lobotomized.” Stephen clenched his jaw and his knuckles grew more knobbed and darker.
The demon could’ve been lying, and Kilian’s training told him to return to base. “You are ever the pessimist.”
“Sadly, I'm a realist. Do you see any other outcome here?”
Kilian winced because the picture Stephen was painting was possible, but going on the run from the Army would be even stupider. “We don't have a lot of choices here. Your control over the demon is not infinite, and you're the one who said that you didn’t want to be in a populated area when the demon broke free. If that demon gets loose, this is going to be the epicenter of a hurricane of suicides and homicides.” Kilian waved his arm grandly in a circle to gesture at the space around them. He frowned as his brain placed the ugly checked pattern on the couch and the yellow flowers on the faded wallpaper. “Is this your old house?”
Stephen huffed. “I can only transport to familiar places, spots where I know the magical energy well enough that it acts like a beacon. I'm not Amtrak. I don't have a list of destinations that you can choose before getting on the train.”
Horror made Kilian feel hollow. “My parents are here. In this town. My siblings and their spouses are here. If you lose control of that demon, my whole family is on the front lines.” Rage swelled until Kilian couldn't control his vampiric features anymore. As his eyes shifted fully , the edges of objects sharpened and sepia tones stained the world.
“The demon is under control,” Stephen said, showing his palms in a gesture of surrender and his hands had returned to their human state. “I wouldn't have taken this risk if I didn’t have more control over the demon now than I have at any time in the last month. That makes me believe I have at least a month before the demon presses forward again. So we have one month to figure out what's attacking you before we need to contact Mia for help with containment.”
Kilian worried that this was some scheme. The idea that Stephen cared so much that he had fought back a demon was seductive, and the minute a demon sounded seductive, Kilian worried. Kilian hadn’t had real friends since his first team had died. Silas and Barrett had been the closest. One was a sire who’d been paid to train him, and Kilian had eaten the other. He knew full well that his emotional life had left him vulnerable. “I have an obligation to the Army,” he said, feeling his way around the syllables when he wanted to put his faith in Stephen.
Stephen shot to his feet. His arms grew longer and his fingers transformed into gnarled joints and talons and a ridge of what might be alabaster scales near his wrist. “You will not get yourself killed because you are such a rigid thinker that you will let the Army kill you. Do you care so little for your life that you would throw it away?” Stephen spit the words out from between elongated fangs.
Kilian's talons grew and he crouched into an attack position. The edges of reality grew more distinct—Stephen’s form stood out against the faded background as Kilian’s predator’s vision overtook his human perception. “The Army will destroy both of us if they fear we are no longer under their control.”
“They can try,” Stephen snarled. “But we are going to figure out what is attacking you before we go back, and if I have to gut you and drain you of all but one ounce of magical energy to make you compliant, then I will.” Stephen’s face became reptilian. A ridge of iridescent scales reflected pale rainbows onto the faded wallpaper, and his black eyes developed a yellow snake-like iris.
Fear crawled up Kilian's spine. He should retreat. He should use words to convince Stephen. He should do many things, but fury and fear tangled around his thoughts until Kilian lost control. He slashed Stephen, catching his shoulder. Blood sprayed the walls, but the wound closed immediately. And just as quickly, Stephen backhanded Kilian.
Kilian flew across the room, landing hard enough to crack the drywall. He leapt to his feet and prepared for another attack. The demon might kill him, but it would never cow him.
