Page 45 of Fate and Fury

Gadreel felt it when the Dimi who had slaughtered his soldiers spilled from the darkness of the village paths, her Shadow at her side. He tilted his head, examining her. They were a study in contrasts: her with her vivid red braid and pale skin, the Shadow with his hair the color of the night itself and his narrowed, storm-gray eyes.

He had seen this Dimi before, he was sure of it. But where? The memory nagged at him with the insistence of a fish caught on a line, slipping free when he sought to grasp it.

Gadreel stepped forward, beyond his demon soldiers. Some had already dragged Vila children from their beds, for a witch without her Shadow was greatly weakened, and without Vila, no Shadowchildren could be born. Others stood, awaiting his orders. The Shadow who had been patrolling alongside his packmate lay curled at Azazel’s feet, choking on Grigori venom.

The red-haired witch stared at the fallen Shadow, mouth open in horror. She fell to her knees, pulling a metal syringe from her pocket and stabbing it into the Shadow’s arm as she muttered an incantation. But the Shadow didn’t stir.

The witch’s head came up and she sought Gadreel’s eyes. Within them roiled a pure fury that resonated with his own. That look called to him, echoing in the vast chambers of his memory. And suddenly he knew, with a certainty that thrilled through his veins, where he had seen her before. She had been a fighter then, too; he remembered it well. Now she had come full circle, finding her way back to him once more.

Exaltation surged through Gadreel. He had waited so long, but it had been worth every century. This one was perfect.

“We meet again, little Dimi,” he said, a smile lifting his lips. “Well met.”

Her copper brows creased with confusion. She didn’t remember him. No matter: it had been some time, and the circumstances had been unfortunate—for her, anyhow. Gadreel had enjoyed them quite a lot. Sometime soon, he would take pleasure in refreshing her memory.

The Dimi’s contemptuous gaze raked over him from head to foot. “You walk in another’s skin. But I see you for what you are. Demon filth. You shall do no more damage here tonight.”

“That,” he told her, “is your choice. For I am Gadreel, ruler of the Fallen realms, and I came for you.”

By the witch’s side, the Shadow stirred. When he spoke, his voice was rough with the beginnings of his Change. “You’ll not touch her.”

A harsh laugh tore from Gadreel’s throat. “Shadow of the most powerful spellcaster to walk in centuries. How I will enjoy ripping out your heart.”

The man’s form blurred, just as Gadreel’s soldiers’ had in the woods. Then, in the fastest Change Gadreel had ever seen, he was on all fours, snarling, covered in fur as dark as his hair. The black dog lunged, teeth bared, as the Dimi closed her eyes and the wind began to rise.

25

KATERINA

Alexei lay crumpled in the dirt. Thank the Saints, he was still alive—his chest moved, air rasping in and out—but he wouldn’t be for long, without more antivenin and Baba Petrova’s magic. But Baba was with the other Dimis and their Shadows—scattered throughout the village, protecting the Vila and the elderly, the non-magical folk who had few defenses against the Grigori. And if Katerina used her remaining syringe of antivenin to save him, she would have none left for Niko.

Would she have to stand here and watch Alexei die?

The demon that had taken his father’s form loomed over the fallen Shadow. Next to him stood Gadreel. Tall, slim, and clad in black, his face all sharp angles and his eyes a brilliant blue, he looked more like a well-bred nobleman than a threat. But Katerina knew well how dangerous he was.

He had lured them to the forest’s edge, while their fellow warriors were occupied elsewhere. With such a large show of force, he could divide his soldiers, sending half into the village to wreak havoc while the rest remained with him. It was a trap, and the two of them had run right into it.

She didn’t understand how so many Grigori had broken through their wards. Usually, the demons preyed on unfortunates who wandered off on their own, who traveled between villages selling wares or visiting relatives. For them to enter Kalach this way was unprecedented.

Was it her fault for burning so brightly, as Baba had insinuated? Or hers and Niko’s, because of what they’d done?

Gadreel grinned at her, teeth gleaming in the moonlight, and rage surged through Katerina anew. This creature wanted her? Well, then, he could have her. She would show him how powerful a Dimi could be.

Eyes fixed on the Fallen Angel of War, she opened herself up to the power of the Light. It filled her, electrifying every synapse, and the demon’s tongue slipped out, tasting her magic as it rode the air.

“Yes,” he hissed. His lips rose, showing even more of his venom-coated teeth, as his form slid sideways, taking the shape of her Shadow.

“See, he can still be yours,” he said, his smile widening in a parody of Niko’s mischievous grin. “When you are mine.”

In the form of his black dog, Niko stood between them, his outraged growl filling the air. He had his calling, what he was born to do: protect her from demonic attack when she opened herself up to her magic; defend them both from evil. And she had hers.

“I will never be yours,” she said, and called on the power of the sky.

It broke open at her command, rain lashing the trees. The wind roared, sending huge branches hurtling downward. The Grigori shrieked, and she redoubled her efforts, harnessing the wind to drive a massive branch through the air like a battering ram.

Niko, she whispered, mind-to-mind.Hold.

He braced, pressed tight against her. Just as it had on the road to Drezna, a luminous glow encased his form, holding the demons at bay.I am your Lightbringer, he whispered back.Nothing will harm you while I live.

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