Darkness Arisen

chapter Eighteen



Forcing himself to stay calm, Ian closed his eyes. He focused all his energy into his body, sending healing into all his cells. He could feel his muscles trembling as they tried to fight off the spell that had immobilized them. He concentrated even more intently, drawing upon a lifetime of trying to fight off the spell that had haunted him for so long. Magic sucked, but there had to be a way to defeat a spell as simple as this one.

His little finger twitched, and triumph shot through him. Come on! He drilled down harder, willing all his focus into his right hand.

His thumb moved.

Then his index finger.

Then—

Ian! Alice's desperate plea burst through his shields, and he faltered, his mouth going dry at the desperation in her voice. The shields he'd erected against her so carefully shattered, and her anguish filled him.

He couldn't stop his response to her, and he didn't want to. Alice! What's wrong?

Cardiff has me— A wave of her pain washed through him, and a dark sense of fury rose through Ian at the thought of that bastard with his hands on Alice.

With a roar of rage, Ian broke through the spell in one swift, violent move. He leapt to his feet and immediately opened his mind to Alice, latching onto her through their blood bond. He knew instantly that she was three floors down and moving quickly up the stairwell.

Cardiff was bringing Alice to him.

Ian bolted over toward the doorway that Cardiff had sprinted down previously, and he lined up beside the open door. He called out his maces and gripped them, ready to take him out.

The clatter of hoofbeats was getting closer, and Ian readied himself. Stay low, Alice— Before he could finish his warning, Deathbringer burst through the doorway. Ian instinctively swung, aiming for Cardiff's chest. But as he moved, he realized that Cardiff had Alice in his arms and was using her as a shield to hide behind. He'd put her right in Ian's line of attack.

Alice's face went white with horror at the sight of Ian's mace heading toward her chest, and Ian swore as he fought to alter his trajectory. Alice! He threw every bit of strength into his blow, dragging his mace to the side just as the trio blew by him. His mace slammed into the stone wall with a brutal clatter, missing Alice's face by a fraction of an inch.

"Jesus." The terror of what he'd almost done tore through him, and Ian staggered as the image of Alice's bloodied body filled his mind. For a second, he was frozen, overwhelmed by what had nearly happened. He couldn't move as Cardiff reined in his mount, spinning the massive beast toward him, Alice still locked in his arms.

All Ian could do was stare at Alice. Her face was streaked with dirt and taut with fear, but there was a fire blazing in her eyes. A courage he hadn't seen before. And as he stared at her, he felt his heart stutter. The woman who he'd blocked from his heart only moments ago filled him, and suddenly his world became only about her. No one but Alice.

"You're free." Cardiff whipped out his wand, but this time, Ian didn't hesitate. He dodged the beam of light from the wand, circling the horse as he tried to get closer to Alice to pry her out of the bastard's arms. But the horse was too quick, and there was no way to free her. It was a standoff, because Ian wouldn't strike for fear of hitting Alice, and he couldn't afford to have Cardiff die until the curse was lifted.

Then there was a shimmer of low pressure in the air, and Ian grinned as Kane appeared at his side, accompanied by six members of the Order of the Blade. Gideon Roarke, their interim leader. Quinn Masters. Elijah Ross. Zach Roderick. Gabe Watson. Plus their deceased leader's young son, Drew Cartland. Ian swore when he saw him. The youth was a dangerous wildcard, too untrained and unpredictable to be brought into battle.

But there was no time to argue. Upon arrival the Order went directly into formation, spreading out in a circle around the wizard. All of them were armed, their gazes focused and intense. A team meant for war.

Rightness surged through Ian as he felt the familiar power of the team around him. This was what he lived for. This was what he was meant for. His team.

Gideon was the one who spoke. "You want to destroy the Order," he said to Cardiff.

Cardiff glowered at him. "I want justice."

Ian knew that the conversation was simply for distraction while the team moved into position and established a plan. If this battle were to be simply hand-to-hand combat, it'd be an easy win for the Order. But as he and Kane had learned, the rules changed when a wizard was involved. They had to be smarter than he was, not simply better fighters.

But even though Ian tried to focus on his team and listen to the commands going back and forth in silent telepathy, all he could think about was the woman in the wizard's arms.

Alice was gripping his forearm, as if she were trying to keep it off her throat. Her mouth was twisted in pain, and she was staring at Ian.

Hang in there, Alice. We'll get you out.

She nodded once. I don't want to die.

The moment Ian heard her confession, he felt something inside him stop. Ever since he'd first met her, she'd shown no fear of death or of the future that was coming her way. And now she'd changed her mind? She was afraid? Shit. That was unacceptable. Fierce protectiveness surged though him, and he knew that there was no choice. He had to save her. Not just now, in this moment. He had to save her from her fate.

Warwick glared at them, then he looked past them and muttered something. Words to a spell? "Shut him up!" Ian shouted. "Don't let him do that!"

Elijah was closest, and he unleashed his weapon at the wizard. His throwing star cut through the air as something moved to Ian's right. He glanced over, and then spun around when he saw that one of the stone gargoyles was watching him. "Incoming," he shouted, wielding his mace just as the creature came to life, tearing out of the wall with fearsome strength.

All around him gargoyles erupted off the walls. Ian heard the shouts of his team as they fought creatures made of stone that their weapons could not dent. The air filled with the grunts of men as they took hits from the monsters. Ian joined the chorus, shouting as he slammed his mace into the chest of the nearest combatant.

His blade bounced off, and the gargoyle lunged for him, slamming a cement fist at Ian's head. He ducked, and the stone glanced off his temple, still hitting him hard enough to send him spinning. As he fought to regain his balance, he glanced around at his team. They were all heavily engaged and losing badly. Even Drew, with his assortment of weapons, was no match for the two gargoyles bearing down on him. Their weapons were useless against the stone creatures.

Shit. They were not prepared to take on magic.

Ian!

He spun around at Alice's call and saw Deathbringer charge down the stairs with Alice and Cardiff. Ian sprinted past his current opponent, who stood back and let him go, making it clear that, by pursuing the wizard, Ian was doing exactly what Cardiff wanted him to do.

It was a trap, but he wasn't about to let Alice or Cardiff go. It was time to end this. Now. He was going after them, right into the trap the wizard had set.

* * *

Ian bolted around the corner, and a streak of green light hit him flat in the chest. It flung him back against the wall of the room. As he hit the stone, there was a loud clanking sound, and steel cuffs slammed around his wrists and ankles, trapping him against the wall like he was a sacrificial virgin.

Magic was a pain in the ass. Seriously.

He jerked at his restraints, but they were locked down with relentless force.

He was trapped. Again. And he didn't like it any more than he had when the killer kelp had decided to become his anklet.

Deathbringer stopped, and Cardiff swung him around to face Ian. Alice was pinned against his chest, her face pale, and the wizard's hand covering her mouth.

Ian focused on her terrified face. I'm with you, Alice. We'll get through this.

She nodded once, but he could taste the bitterness of her fear. Shit, as hard as it had been to deal with the constant threats to her life when she wasn't concerned about dying, seeing her afraid of death made it a thousand times worse. He could feel the cold draft of fear in every cell of her body, and it made terror settle deep in his bones. What had changed for her? Why was she suddenly afraid to die?

"Why are you here, soldier?" Cardiff demanded. "Why did you track me down at my home?"

Ian met his gaze, knowing that he couldn't defeat the wizard through battle. He had to find another way. "Free my family from the curse. Take the death spell off Alice." Hey, it was worth a try, right? One never knew when an insane, murderous wizard would suddenly become reasonable.

But today wasn't the day for miracles, because Cardiff simply barked with derisive laughter and pointed his wand at Alice's temple. "Why would I do that? When Alice dies for good, the Order loses their immortality. Think how easy they will be to kill."

Alice's eyes widened, and Ian swore. "What does killing the Order do for you?" he challenged. "Does it bring back your sheva?"

"It saves all the other ones, you stupid f*ck!" Cardiff shouted. "It's not about revenge! It's about fixing the Order and giving it the vision that it was supposed to have!"

Well, gee, that was helpful. Ian was sure Dante would be thrilled to know that his Order was so bad that the only way for life to flourish on earth was to expunge the whole damn crew from existence. Stupid crazy bastard, but hey, if he was into sheva preservation, Ian had an answer to that one. "Alice is my sheva. If you kill her, you'll perpetuate that which you hate."

Cardiff waved his wand with a dismissive snort. "You are all tainted. We need to start over with a clean slate." He looked past Ian. "With the next generation."

The next generation? Ian followed the wizard's gaze and realized Cardiff was watching Drew. The youth was fighting on the landing at the top of the stairs. Two gargoyles were engaging him, but Drew wasn't getting hit as hard as the other Order members. Ian realized that the gargoyles were not attacking Drew with deadly intent. They were simply keeping him busy enough that he couldn't help the rest of the Order. "Dante's son? He'll never join you. He believes in his father's legacy."

"He carries far more than his father's legacy," Cardiff said. "He's already changing sides. You will see. He's the future. Even if I die, the seed is planted."

There was a shout from above, and Ian saw Elijah fall, then roll to the right, barely dodging a blow that would have crushed his skull. "Can't you see it?" the wizard laughed. "You all are already losing your immortality, because your angel of life is so close to death."

Close to death? Ian jerked his gaze back to Alice, and his heart seemed to stutter. Alice. You okay?

She grimaced. I'm having trouble breathing. It feels like I'm drowning. Like he's filling my lungs with fluid of some sort.

Tension started to ripple through him. Fear. Despair. He could feel her struggle, and it plunged right into him. Shit. He had to stop overreacting and stay focused. He couldn't help her if he lost his shit right now.

But never had he felt anything as devastating as the idea of losing Alice now that they were so tightly bonded. It was horrifying. No wonder Warwick had gone insane. Ian would do anything to save Alice... An idea burst into his mind. "Stop," he gasped. "Alice can bring her back to life."

Cardiff froze, his black eyes sharp. "What are you talking about?"

"Alice. She's an angel of life—"

"For the Order. She can't help anyone else. I already tried."

"She's broken the rules now." Ian looked at Alice. "I got expelled from the Order, so she couldn't help me, but she did. She brought me back. She's no longer constrained by angel limitations."

Alice gaped at him. I didn't bring you back. I gave you peace and serenity with the golden light. You healed yourself. I did nothing.

Warwick stared at him, and suddenly Ian felt the wizard's emotions blasting through the room: crashing waves of longing, so intense, so powerful, and so crazily desperate. He jerked Alice around so he could look at her. "Is he telling the truth? Can you bring Audrey back to life?"

Tell him yes, Alice, Ian urged.

I'm an angel, Ian! By nature, we tend to be pretty horrific liars.

Then don't lie. Tell him the truth. You know you can use your powers on anyone. You've broken through your restraints. You can do it if you want to. He sent his confidence into her, trying to help her see what he saw in her. He'd been awed by the immense strength of her powers when she'd given him the golden light. There was no doubt in his mind that she could save the entire world if she wanted to. You know you can.

Alice shook her head, and he felt her denial. You're wrong, Ian. I can't.

Furious, he fought his shackles. Of course you can! Stop living the role that you've locked yourself into! Tell him you can save his sheva and believe you're speaking the truth!

Cardiff shook her with such fierceness that anger tore through Ian. He struggled against his bonds, desperate to get free and help her. Tell him! It's the only way!

Alice swallowed, and Ian felt her summon her courage as she answered the wizard. "As long as her soul didn't die, she's still alive. Just in a different place." Her words rang true, and Ian knew that she'd chosen her words carefully to enable her to speak the truth. She hadn't said she could save the woman, because she believed she couldn't. Ian! I can't bring the dead back to life.

Her words were a fierce denial, but he could feel the faintest undercurrent of hope that he could be right, that she was more than she'd let herself be. You can. Ian shot Cardiff a hooded gaze. "Take the death spell off Alice and the curse off me, and then we'll help you."

"I won't do it unless you free Ian," Alice said quickly. "I don't care if I die. I know what death is, and it doesn't matter if I stay alive unless Ian does too."

Ian's gaze shot to Alice, shocked by her statement. Despite her aversion to dying, she was claiming his future as a condition to her assistance? Something tightened in his chest, something he didn't understand, but it made him want to tear across the room and sweep Alice up into his arms.

"You lie. You're afraid of death. Everyone is—" Cardiff stopped when Alice held up her arm, showing him Ian's brands on her skin.

"We're almost fully bonded," she said. "Of course his life matters to me. How can I live without him?"

The strangest feeling of awe began to roll through Ian. Alice was really fighting for him. It was unreal. Incredible. Something so powerful and inspiring rolled through him, making him want to shout to the heavens that she was his woman.

Cardiff looked sharply at her arm. "The brand has demon taint. What the hell's that?"

Darkness jarred Ian at the reminder of how disfigured the marks were. The ugly black scars marred what should be symbols of the ultimate beauty and purity, marks that symbolized the incredible bond between a male and a female. It was wrong that they were tainted. Just wrong.

As Ian scowled at her arm, he sensed the faintest hint of demon shadows beginning to form around the edges of the room...and that's when he knew. The demon taint in her brand wasn't because of him and the fact he carried a trace of demon in his genes. It was because she was so close to death, so close to being owned by the demons, that they were staking their claim on her, trying to trump Ian's.

Son of a bitch. They were claiming her.

No way. He couldn't allow that to happen. No f*cking way.

Tension ran through him as he twisted his arms, trying to get free of the bonds. He needed to liberate himself so he could protect her against the encroaching death, but again, he made no progress. The things were locked down, secured by magic. Shit! The fact that the shadows were there told him that she was about to die again, and they were ready to take her. Had Cardiff made a deal with them? A bargain? How was he going to kill her for good? She always came back.

The door opened and a young woman was carried in by two Calydons that Ian had never seen before. They were strapping and strong, men who were clearly warriors. The new Order already being created? The woman was being dragged between them, and her head was lolling to the side as if she'd been drugged.

"Catherine!" Alice screamed, fighting to get free of Warwick.

This was Catherine? Ian narrowed his eyes as he inspected her more closely. The Calydons dropped the woman at Deathbringer's feet, and she slumped to the ground. There was a dark cloud surrounding her, almost as if it were bleeding out of her pores. Her skin was spotted with black, and even her blond hair was tinged with a putrid brown.

"This is your death," Warwick said, bringing his mount closer. "Alice Shaw, bring my sheva Audrey Beckett back to life, or die at the hands of the angel of death."

Alice felt her heart stop as she looked down at Catherine, and suddenly she understood why Catherine had been so desperate to die. She was dangerous now, a scourge that would contaminate all who came near her. Guilt filled Alice for the fact she'd let her need to feel love trump what she'd promised Catherine she would do. "Oh, Cat, I'm so sorry."

"Now!" Cardiff threw Alice to the ground.

She landed next to the woman that Alice knew in her heart was her sister, even if they weren't connected by blood. "Cat!" She touched her hands, and immediately jerked it back when her skin burned.

Alice. Ian's voice broke into her mind. Get away from there. She's too dangerous. The demons are coming for you.

Alice looked back, and her heart began to race when she saw the familiar dark shadows easing out of the walls. She looked at Warwick. "You promised them that they'd get me today, didn't you? That you would kill my soul so I couldn't come back this time?" Terror began to beat at her, and fear. If Catherine killed her, it would be over. Her soul would be dead forever, locked down in an eternity of hell. After a lifetime of not really caring if she died, she didn't want to anymore. She wanted to be with the man she loved. She wanted to take care of her sister. And—

A warrior came tumbling down the stairs, his body limp and bleeding. He landed beside Alice, his shoulder resting against her leg. He was immobile, his head almost entirely crushed by stone. Alice immediately sensed that his spirit was leaving his body.

"Shit! Gideon!" Ian shouted.

The moment Gideon's skin brushed Alice's, the most tremendous sense of power filled her. Before she could even think about what she was doing, Alice laid her hand on his chest. Her hand glowed white, offering him the same blessing that had always come to her when she'd been suffering in the afterlife with the demons. It spilled through him until his entire body glowed white. There was a burst of brilliant light, like an explosion, then complete blackness and silence for a split second, and then the room returned to normal.

Gideon was still lying on the floor, but she could feel his healing energies racing through him, working to repair the head wound. He was no longer on the edge of death. His body was working the miraculous healing that the Calydons were so famous for.

Stunned, she stared at him as the aftermath of her powers continued to rush through her like a torrent. "Oh my God," she whispered, shocked by what had just happened. Had she really just saved Gideon?

"Yes, you did." Ian's pride flowed over her. "You did it. You gave life back to Gideon. You're one of our angels. You're our guardian angel."

Alice couldn't believe it. All this time, she'd had a mission, and she'd been doing right by it. It was exhilarating and amazing! She wasn't a pathetic angel with no talents. She'd been feeding the Order their life force this whole time. "How did I not know?"

But even as she asked the question, she realized she had known, but had not been ready to understand it. How many times had her hands glowed with that white light? Sometimes faintly. Sometimes bright. She'd never thought of it as significant, just another sign that she couldn't control her powers. In reality, it must have been the Order drawing on her. Her hands hadn't started to glow until after her mother had died...

And that's when Alice knew. Her mother must have been the Order's guardian angel before she'd died, and she'd passed it on to Alice. She'd never told Alice what her assignment was, or how to do it, or how to connect with her charges. An angel of life was supposed to be trained by her mother, but her mother had never done that for her. Would she have helped Alice if she hadn't died? Or... would she simply have abandoned her for good?

With a sudden burst of clarity, Alice began to wonder if maybe her mother hadn't been the flawless angel she'd always believed. She remembered the bitter tilt to her mother's lips, the weariness that always seemed to be pouring off her. She'd thought it was because her mom was burdened with a daughter she didn't want. What if that wasn't it at all? What if her mother hated being an angel, and she'd wanted a different life for her daughter, so she'd withheld her assignment and given Alice the pearl of Lycanth, so that Alice could be free to live however she wanted?

Maybe her deathbed disappointment hadn't been Alice's failure to save her, but her disappointment that her daughter could not break free of the rules... Dear God. As she had the thought, Alice knew it was true. She was certain of it. Her mother had not only loved her, but she'd loved her enough to want her to be free of the hellish life of an angel. She'd had a lifetime of freedom with that pearl, and she'd never understood that freedom was the true gift her mother had tried to give her.

Not until now. Not until it was too late.

But even as she realized it, a part of her felt violated. She could have been connected to the Order her whole life, and instead, she'd been alone and isolated, trying to find her way.

Ian watched the expressions warring on Alice's face: the awe, the excitement, and the wash of loneliness. He swore as he picked up on her thoughts about her mother, so many questions she would never be able to answer. You have always known who you were, he said. You've been keeping us alive for a long time.

She looked at him, and he saw anguish in her eyes. What about Dante? I didn't keep him alive. Would I have been able to if I'd been there?

Her question shocked him. She was right. How had she not been able to save Dante? What had been different about his death? They'd seen the replay of his death, and it had been a single strike by a Calydon weapon that had brought him down, something that should never have been able to hurt him. I don't know, sweetheart. But he was going to find out.

"See?" Cardiff's hand closed on Alice's hair, yanking her back toward him, making Ian strain at his bonds again. "She is part of the Order's trinity. Without her, the Order will not be able to continue. Since she has no daughter, there will be no replacement for her when she is gone. You'll die. The Order will die—"

"And Audrey will never come back," Ian interrupted, desperate to distract the wizard.

Ian's exhilaration at discovering Alice's true calling vanished, chased away by the fact that her saving Gideon had just given the wizard all the reason he needed to make sure she stayed dead because he now knew for certain that Alice was their guardian angel.

Alice's death wouldn't just destroy Ian. It would take down the entire Order. Ian had to stop him, had to find a way to reach him. "Do you really want to be alone for the rest of your life?" Ian challenged the wizard.

As he posed the question, he felt himself answer it as he looked at Alice, still kneeling beside Gideon and Catherine, both of whom were unconscious.

No, he didn't want to be alone the rest of his life. He wanted Alice to be a part of it.

For a long moment, Warwick hesitated, and Ian could feel him warring with his choice. Bring back the woman he loved, or change the future? Ian knew what he would do: he would choose Alice. "You'll be with Audrey again," Ian urged. "You'll kiss her. You'll see the beauty of her smile." Still straining against the cuffs that wouldn't budge, he looked down at Alice, his heart awakening for the first time in his life. No longer did he see a woman who would strip him of his ability to stay alive, a female who was too dangerous to connect with. He simply saw the reason he wanted to live. "You'll hear her voice again," he said, thinking of all the things about Alice that mattered, that were so beautiful. "You'll hear her say your name. You'll see that smile on her face when she looks at you. You'll hold her again, and never have to let her go. You'll be the one to cheer for her when she finally finds her path, and you'll be the one she'll reach for when she needs help."

Alice dragged her gaze off Warwick and looked at Ian, confusion in those beautiful green eyes. Are you talking to me or Warwick?

Both of you. Something strained inside Ian, something that was fighting to get out. I've stayed alive for six hundred years because I've avoided women. When I met you, I did my best to block you and prevent you from getting inside me.

She rolled her eyes. I know that, thanks.

The truth would destroy his reputation and dishonor his family, but Ian didn't care. He needed her to know the truth before it all ended and he lost the chance to tell her. I resisted you, and all other women, because I was afraid, Alice. The ultimate sin by a warrior: to shirk his duty because he was too fearful to do what he needed to do. I was afraid that I wasn't strong enough to handle a woman. To handle you. The words burned through his mind, the admission that a warrior as great as he was had burned in fear, true, deep fear for so long. I was afraid of what I felt for you.

Really? Hope burned in her eyes, emotions so bright and so beautiful that his chest seemed to expand. As she spoke, she looked down at her arm, and he saw the black line traveling over her skin, filling in his brand. The trust stage. By trusting her with his secret, he'd brought them one step closer to sealing their bond forever. All that was left was his half of the death stage. That was your deepest secret? She looked at him. That's what it is? That you were afraid?

Yeah. Like a yellow-bellied sapsucker sobbing for his mama at the sight of his own shadow. It's not a thing for a man to be proud of, but I need you to know who I am, who I was.

She laughed slightly, her gaze meeting his. And now?

And now I know that you're the one thing that's worth living for. F*ck fear. I'll face down anything for a chance to be your guy. You've changed my world, Alice. That's the thing you really need to know.

Tears filled her eyes, and she leapt up. Ignoring Warwick's shout, she raced across the stone floor and flung her arms around Ian. He buried his face in her hair, drinking in the feel of her body against his, the pure scent of her skin, the strength of her arms as she held onto him. His arms were still trapped in the restraints, and his soul screamed with the need to hold her, to draw her against him and make her his, but hell, having her hugging him was pretty f*cking good.

Warwick's low chuckle broke through the moment. "No, no, no. How can I bring Audrey back to a world that is still wrong? No. I can't." He leaned forward. "If one angel of life can bring Audrey back, then so could another. When the time is right, I'll bring her home. Right now, I want to make things right. Alice will die. You will kill yourself and end the Fitzgerald line, and the Order will be destroyed by gargoyles. Life will begin anew."

Alice spun around to face Cardiff, her fists clenched by her sides. "Don't be a fool," she shouted. "Love is more important than destruction! How could you choose death over love?"

"I'm not choosing anything over love," Cardiff snapped. "How dare you judge my commitment to Audrey?" His wand flashed, and a green laser hit Alice in the chest.

She gasped and stumbled, and fury roared through Ian. He bellowed his protest as he fought his bonds, straining so fiercely against the metal that blood poured down his wrists. "You don't get to take her," he bellowed. Gideon! You awake yet? His teammate didn't respond. Shit!

Ian yanked at his arm again, and this time he felt a small movement of the steel. It was coming free from the wall! Come on! He jerked again, and felt a tiny bit more movement.

Cardiff laughed, his mount prancing restlessly. "How much does it hurt to see your woman suffering, and to be helpless to protect her?" He shot another blast at Alice, and she went down on her knees, gasping.

"Shit!" Ian fought even harder, and his left wrist moved a tiny bit. Crumbles of stone trickled to the earth. "Alice! Get up! Get away from him!"

"I'm trying." She dragged herself to her knees, and he saw tears burning in her eyes. Tears of pain and fear.

Cardiff laughed, twirling his wand like a baton. "See? Isn't it hell to see your woman suffer? Don't you feel like a failure?"

"F*ck!" At the top of the stairs was Drew, still fighting, but not hard. Ian started to call him, and then hesitated. Was he calling the enemy if he called the kid? But as quickly as he thought it, he dismissed it. Drew was Dante's son. Blood ran thicker than anything else. Drew. Get your ass down here.

The youth turned immediately and started fighting his way down the stairs. Coming!

See? A good kid.

Gideon didn't move from his comatose pose on the floor, but his voice touched Ian's mind. I'm good now. What's the plan?

We have to get him to take the curse off Alice. She can't die.

Keeping our angel of life alive would be a good plan. Gideon's concurrence was strong and steady. How are we going to get Cardiff to retract it?

Shit. He had no f*cking idea! There had to be something he could do! Ian frantically inspected the room, searching for a solution. He noticed the demonic shadows building in the corners. Why had the demons always been there when she died? How were they so connected to her? There had to be an answer in the demons...

Cardiff waved his hands at the specters, pointing them toward Alice. "That's the one you'll get," he said. "Not the other."

The other? Ian realized that some of the shadows had been circling Catherine, as if they'd sensed her death too. But that made no sense, not if they were there for Alice... Son of a bitch. They weren't there for Alice, were they? They were there for an angel's soul, and it didn't matter which one. Alice was the one they kept getting, because once she died, they'd gotten their claws into her and had a link to her. They were the ones dragging her back toward death, but it didn't have to be her, did it? Any angel would suffice, and once they got their angel, it would be done.

Son of a bitch. Could it be that easy? Could that be right?

He looked up at Cardiff, needing to confirm his suspicions. "You bastard," he said. "It doesn't have to be Alice, does it? You made a deal with the demons that you'll kill an angel and give them her soul. But it doesn't have to be her, does it?"

Cardiff's face was impassive. "Death is death. It's all the same."

No, it wasn't. It wasn't the same at all. One was a debt that could be satisfied only with Alice's soul. The other was a contract that wouldn't end until it was honored, one that would be satisfied with any angel's soul. Son of a bitch. That was it. Cardiff's answer had given Ian the solution he needed.

Another flash of light from the wand hit Alice, and this time she screamed. The demons began to circle more closely, creeping down the walls. Despair tore through Ian as he watched his woman fading, as he saw her life ending. He twisted his right arm, but the bolt didn't move any further. He couldn't get it! He needed more strength, and he knew what it would take to get it.

There was one emotion that would make him strong enough to break the bonds, and that was how he felt about Alice.

He focused on Gideon and Drew, who was working his way down the stairs. When I give the word, attack him. Drew, you've got twenty-one weapons to call. He can't defend against them all. You hit from the front. Gideon, you come from behind and deliver the final blow while he's distracted.

Both warriors assented to his plan. What about you? Gideon asked.

Ian focused on Alice as she crumpled to the floor, right beside Catherine. The dark shadows were only a few feet away from her. I'm going to save Alice.

Warwick laughed, a booming, psychotic chortle as he pointed his wand at the two women. He muttered something, a trickle of green sparkles dusted out of the tip of the wand, and then the women's hands began to move toward each other: the tainted, blackened palm of death, and the beautiful, pristine hand of the woman Ian loved. As their hands moved, Catherine's head came up, her eyes haunted and deadly, focused on Alice like a predator.

Ian knew Alice had no defenses against her sister. The moment she touched Catherine, she would die. Despair coursed through Ian, and he heard that same voice haunting him that had been after him his whole life. You have failed her. She is lost. You have no honor. Die by your own hand, warrior. Die.

And this time, for the first time in his life, Ian didn't fight the voice of doom.

He embraced it.

He let the despair consume him, like the dark cloud of grief. His soul screamed in agony. The weight of loss overwhelmed him, berating him until he screamed in pain so great that he felt like his soul was being torn apart. He gave himself over to the howl of gaping, raw loneliness and he let the immensity of his failure consume him.

Die, warrior, die! The voice shouted at Ian, and he accepted its command.

It was time for him to die.

"Now!" he shouted to Gideon, then with the strength of one gone mad with grief, he ripped the manacle out of the wall, called forth his mace with a flash of black light, and plunged it straight into his heart.