Raif promised to look into the matter of Delilah’s disappearance, but I didn’t exactly think he’d stop the presses to do so. His first priority was keeping Xander in one piece, and he would be hard-pressed to weaken his king’s defenses to investigate an Oracle’s kidnapping. No matter what she might be or how his enemies would use her.
“I met an Oracle once,” Raif said, offhand, as he stowed his battle gear. “She wasn’t much to behold, but she was powerful.”
“Did you ask her a question?” I said.
“No,” he said. “I wasn’t willing to make the sacrifice.”
“What did she ask you for?” My curiosity piqued. I couldn’t imagine what Raif could value so much.
“She asked for the death of my wife,” he said gravely. “Our child had gone missing, and we were beside ourselves trying to find her. I went to the Oracle, and she requested my wife’s life in return for information about our daughter’s future. I refused. Illiana was the most precious thing in my world, and I would not give her up.”
His story leaned farther toward the deep end than I’d anticipated. Poor Raif. I couldn’t imagine him, so hard and proud, lowering himself to ask for help.
“What happened?” I whispered.
“Illiana could not forgive me for not making the sacrifice. She said she would have given anything to know our daughter’s fate. She expected the same from me. She went to the Oracle and sacrificed herself.”
Wow, Tragedy, party of one. No wonder Raif was such a pain in the ass. “Did you ever find out what happened to your daughter?”
“No.”
“What happened to the Oracle?”
“I killed her.”
An awkward silence passed. Comforting words seemed trite, so I kept my mouth shut.
“An Oracle is good for nothing,” he said, piercing the silence like a sword thrust. “They are tricksters and deceivers. I don’t think Azriel would want to kidnap yours. She has nothing to offer him anyway.”
Raif grabbed his sword and slung it over his back. I let him leave. Once I was sure he was long gone, I turned out the lights and headed home.
Chapter 15
I walked back to my studio with memories of Raif’s tragic story for company, alone and more confused than ever.
Careless, I’d stayed longer at the warehouse than I should have. Dawn approached, and I wasn’t sure if I’d make it back to my apartment before the sun rose. Not that it would matter. I wasn’t any safer there than I was here on the street. Delilah was gone, so I was down one set of eyes. My vulnerability wasn’t limited to a set time or place.
I’d almost made it home when I heard the strange scratching sound of many sets of insect feet. The sun had just crested the horizon, a sliver of orange light. The sound followed me for a few blocks, and around me I heard the whisperings of a strange language, words that meant nothing to me. Quickening my pace, I tried to ignore it, at the same time trying desperately to manage a facade of calm. The scratching sound continued, coupled with a second set of voices to join the first. I turned, and my heart jumped up into my throat. Glittering in the morning light like perfectly cut diamonds, a horde of tiny insects scurried toward me. Beetles—no, miniature man-tislike bugs—they zigged and zagged, quickly covering the distance between us. My tiny assailants sounded like an army, their outer shells ticking against one another while so many different tones of voice called out around me. No one had mentioned this little tidbit of info. Not only were they invisible in the light, but the fuckers could also reduce their bodies to tiny, innard-sucking bugs? Might have been nice to know! The sound of their many voices pressed on my ears, almost deafening. Lyhtans they were, for I couldn’t mistake those voices. But I’d never seen them in the light of day, disguised for all intents and purposes like little exotic insects. Levi owed me a fifty. He’d left out this very important slice of information. One by one, their physical forms glittered into nothing and they became again the invisible foes I’d known. And as I reached into my pocket for what felt like the thousandth time, I found myself without the bottle of black sludge. Unfortunately, now wasn’t the best time to find faith in its ability to repel a Lyhtan attacker.
Their presence harried me. They pressed their invisible bodies against mine, surrounding me in a strange bubble of pressure so tight I had to fight to keep moving. I almost missed their gruesome insect forms. The air around me became dense—I could barely breathe—and the stench of them caused me to choke. All the good looks in the world weren’t going to do anything about that smell.
I wondered if I should wish for something. I didn’t want Tyler to pop into the middle of a dangerous situation, though, and I still wasn’t entirely sure how the whole wish thing worked. I wanted help, but did I need it? And who the hell was responsible for defining what I needed? Fuck. Maybe I could only wish for him specifically, and I refused to risk his life. I’d only just realized the extent of my own mortality; I had no clue as to the extent of Tyler’s. The katana was useless against an invisible foe. And as for my theory that my life might be valuable—well, let’s just say I didn’t have much faith in that either.
The Lyhtan voices continued to taunt. Levi was right, though. They wanted the freedom to show themselves.
“Do you prize your pretty body, Shaede?” the many voices taunted. “Can you charm the humans with your sweet voice, soft skin, and supple breasts? You don’t live in fear of discovery, do you? You will, though! Soon you’ll feel the pain of alienation!”
“Cry me a river,” I said. I’d had it with their sad laments. I mean, give me a fucking break. “What do you want? To live like them? To amble aimlessly, playing foolish games and living meaningless lives? You want to appear weak and vulnerable and mortal?”
A thousand voices laughed in my ears. I fought the urge to cover them with my hands, to block out that evil sound.
“We will lure them with our beauty, and then we will rip their souls from their flesh! We’ll have some fun with them!”
I brushed my fear aside and tried to decipher the nonsense from actual threat. I had to hope one of them would be stupid enough to identify the mastermind behind their little coup. Everyone suspected Azriel, but I had to be sure. Driven by basic instincts and simple emotions, these Lyhtans could be easily controlled by the right individual. They appeared to be brainless creatures with only base desires, though Raif had proclaimed differently.
“Who is your master?” I asked as I fought to keep moving.
I was answered by another round of cackling laughter. “Our master wants you,” they said.
Ambiguous answers aren’t my favorite. Wants me what? Dead? Alive? Tortured? Stripped naked, doused with honey, and set on an anthill? I was so over this unwelcome escort. “Look, ladies . . . fellas . . . whatever. Are you planning on doing something here, or are you just going to talk me to death? I’m pretty fucking tired, and I’m not in the mood for your bullshit this morning. So if you’re going to do something, get on with it. If you’re not, then get the hell out of here!”
I waited, my pulse pounding in my ears, for their next move. I was sure I’d invited an attack, and I stood ready to defend myself, no matter how wasted the effort might be.