Claimed by Sin: an Urban Fantasy Novel (The Gatekeeper Chronicles Book 3) Read online

  Parker shook open the plans. “Okay, this is how it’ll work.”

  Parker and her patrol had gone in using an old sewer line that had been capped before the prison was built. It originally belonged to the power plant that had stood in the precise spot where The Pit was now stationed. The line spilled out into a river, which was now just a dry strip of land. It wasn’t on the prison schematics, so the Kubera wouldn’t be aware of it. We’d decided on a five-minute head start for them. Vinnay, Ajitah, Drake, Loki, Aaron, and I waited in the mouth of the pipe, equipped with flashlights, a nitrate grenade each, handguns, and ammo. That was all they could spare. I just hoped we didn’t have to engage. If the guys could get the guards out, I could go in search of the entity. I’d promised Ajitah I’d head straight for the evacuation point, but I’d lied. This was my chance to bring the Daughter of Chaos down. I was not gonna blow it.

  Ajitah checked his watch. The sun was low—late afternoon. If the plan went smoothly, we’d be home for supper. According to Parker, this old pipe ran for just under a mile before coming up into the sublevel of the prison. It would take us up into a four-foot-wide walk space between the wall of the old power plant and the walls of The Pit. They would then use a masonry saw to cut a hole in the prison wall and climb through. Schematics indicated they’d come out into a maintenance room. Once we got there, it was our job to seal the breach back up. Drake and Loki would have to work their magic.

  A five-minute start would allow the IEPEU to get to the prison first, start a ruckus, and divert attention. My crew would slip in, split up, and do our thing. The fail-safe was the first action on my list; after that, I’d hunt down the Daughter of Chaos and get my mother back.

  “It’s time,” Ajitah said.

  And we were off.

  The further we went, the more the stench of years gone by intensified, forcing me to breathe through my mouth. Seriously gross. The walls of the pipe were covered in hardened waste matter, and there was still an inch of stagnant fluid to slosh through. My boots were gonna need a thorough disinfecting. Heck, who was I kidding? I’d be binning these and buying new ones.

  Aaron was at my side, Vinnay’s huge bulk at my back, and Loki and Drake made up the rear. Ajitah was up ahead, his broad shoulders cutting through the gloom lit by the anemic rays of our flashlights. We trudged in silence, the only sound the slosh of our boots and our mouth-breathing.

  “There’s a grate up ahead,” Ajitah said.

  It was open. Parker and her crew had neatly removed the thick bolts. We slipped through and up a metal rung ladder fixed to the wall. One by one we climbed out into the four-foot-wide wall space.

  “This way.” Ajitah hurried ahead. “Here. This is it.”

  A neat, square hole was cut into the wall. Ajitah climbed through before reaching for me. Buckets, mops, disinfectants, and bleach lined the shelves. Yep, maintenance closet. Parker had left a flashlight alight on one of the shelves so we wouldn’t come up in complete darkness, and an overturned bucket by the door indicated there had been a slight stumble when the patrol had come up.

  “Malina, we may have a problem,” Drake called.

  I turned to see Vinnay staring at the hole. Shit, there was no way he was getting through that.

  He frowned, raised his fists, and brought them down on the aperture with a thud. The brick crumbled, dust rose in the air, and I shoved a hand on my face to cover a sneeze.

  “Better,” Vinnay said, and then proceeded to climb through.

  “Okay, I take that back,” Drake said. “No problem here.”

  Loki climbed through after Drake, and then they both proceeded to hum and chant. The masonry and brick rose and slotted back into the wall, as if the destruction was being rewound. They stepped back, and the wall was intact once more.

  Ajitah stood by the door, his shoulders tense. He cracked it open and peered out. “Clear.”

  I visualized the schematics. There was a corridor beyond. We’d go left and take the stairs to the ground floor—the guards’ level. Then we’d split up. The boys would search for the guards, while I headed to the tower on the fifth floor. Yeah, we knew the layout, just not where we’d come up against trouble.

  Moving fast, we made it to the stairwell.

  “Wait,” Drake said. “Let me check if the coast is clear. I can cast a glamour to hide myself.”

  I stepped out of the way to let him by. He blinked out of existence, but the air moved as he passed me. We waited several long seconds.

  “Clear,” Drake called down.

  We were on the move again.

  At the top of the stairs was a platform and door leading to what looked like a lounge and cafeteria.

  “It’s deserted,” Drake said. “Not sure about beyond, though. There are two doors leading off from the lounge. The left one leads to the guards’ station that monitors the prisoners, and the right one leads to processing and the stairs you’ll need to get to the watchtower.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you guys in a bit.” I made to head off, but Ajitah grabbed my arm.

  “Hit that switch and get straight back down here. You know where the evacuation tunnel is, right?”

  I nodded. “Guards’ station. I know.”

  Ajitah’s jaw ticked. “Be safe.”

  He wanted to hug me and was holding back, but life was too short for regrets. I leaned in and wrapped my arms around him. “You too.”

  His muscles relaxed, and he hugged me back. I closed my eyes and imagined, just for a moment, that it was Garuda I was holding, his scent and his arms around me. Guilt ripped at my insides, and I released Ajitah abruptly.

  “See you on the flipside.” And I was off.

  I hit the third floor and stopped as voices drifted toward me. Ducking back into the stairwell, I pressed myself to the wall by the door, Vindra in hand. If they came into the stairwell, they weren’t getting out alive. The voices rose in volume as they moved closer.

  “—switches for the prisoners.”

  “Yes, complete control.”

  “Good. Let’s make sure we get the strongest and the most violent.”

  “Already on it. We have forty so far.”

  “One hour and then we move out.”

  “Should we make sure that we…”

  The conversation trailed off as they moved away.

  Switches? What the heck? I peered through the reinforced glass window that made up the top half of the door and caught a glimpse of the retreating figures—one tall and male, the other a petite female.

  No time to dwell on what I’d overheard. I needed to activate the fail-safe. There was no way they were escaping with these prisoners. The door opened with a soft snick, and a quick scan showed the corridor to be deserted. The next flight of stairs was to my right. Almost there. I moved swiftly, alert for any sound. Where was everyone? The upper levels so far had been deserted, which could only mean…fuck. The ground floor was where all the trouble was. My heart skipped a beat. My friends were down there… Please let them be all right.

  I pushed onto the fifth floor and froze. Damn me for getting complacent. Two hunched-over figures turned to look at me from red-rimmed human eyes. Bat-like wings protruded from their backs. If only I were the Wicked Witch of the East…

  “Hey.” I held up a hand. “Any chance you’ll just let me pass?”

  The creatures hissed at me in unison and then charged. No preamble, no small talk—just attack.

  Just the way I liked it.

  I dove out of the way, hitting the ground and rolling to my feet. They were already adjusting trajectory, beelining for me with claws and teeth and way too much drool.

  I kicked one in the head, spinning on my heel to stab the other in the eye. He fell back clutching his face, but the one I’d kicked was already up and lunging for me. I slashed his abdomen, jumped back, and elbowed his buddy, coming at me from behind, in the nose.

  Was it okay to kill them? Shit. How much of what they were doing was coercion and how much was free will?
If they’d been created, then… Shit. I ducked again, then delivered an uppercut to one and a spin kick to the other. Retrieving the vials from my pocket, I thumbed off the corks.

  Time to make a couple of deliveries.

  They roared, preparing for another attack. I stood my ground. One. Two… I shoved my hands into their mouths, dropped the vials, and ignited my hands with flame before they could clamp down on my arms. They screamed, stumbling back and clawing at their throats.

  Come on. Any second now.

  Their eyes rolled back in their heads and they dropped.

  Leaving them where they were, I ran toward the door at the far side of the room, toward the final hurdle—the watchtower.

  I made it to the tower room in less than thirty seconds. The setting sun stared back at me, bathing the room in red and orange hues. I was looking for a glass-enclosed panel with a number pad. The code was snug in my memory. Where the fuck was the panel?

  The walls were bare, save for a small fire extinguisher. There were monitors showcasing grainy footage of the prison grounds, an intercom, and plenty of pretty colored buttons. A small television and radio, a coffee machine, and a pile of well-thumbed books sat on a side counter. There was only one swivel chair, and I slipped into it. The panel had to be within easy access of this chair. Something the guard could reach quickly, if needed. Dammit. There was nothing. I couldn’t see…wait. An area of the panel, raised but buttonless, sat innocuously to my left. There was a clasp to the side. A black box. I flipped the lid to reveal a numerical keypad and froze as the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention.

  “So glad you could make it, Malina.”

  I turned slowly to face her.

  The Daughter of Chaos smiled at me with my mother’s mouth. “I knew you’d come once you knew I was here.” She moved on limbs composed of shifting, viscous darkness. Her gaze went to the bleeding sunset. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  “You deliberately allowed yourself to be captured on CCTV?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at me. “Of course. How else would you have known where to find me?”

  This was it. I needed to make my move.

  She glanced down at the box in my hand. “Are you going to use that?”

  Shit. Did she know what it was? Did she want me to use it? Should I not? Dammit. I keyed in the code. This was the mission, and I wasn’t going to let her derail me.

  The lights switched to red emergency ones, and an urgent beeping filled the room. Metal shutters slammed down over the windows, and we were plunged into crimson darkness.

  “Interesting,” she said, and then melted through the wall.

  Shit.

  Time to catch a shadow.

  16

  She was always one step ahead. Always just around the bend. Heart ramming my breast bone, lungs straining, I barreled around the corner and came up against a set of double doors. No idea what lay beyond, and with the world tinged red and the alarms playing a monotonous symphony, I could barely focus.

  There was nowhere else for her to go, unless she’d dematerialized through a wall or down through the floor.

  Instinct kicked in with a warning, but ignoring the clench and squirm in my belly, I pushed open the entrance and stepped into pitch-black. The doors slammed shut behind me, leaving me stranded in complete darkness. My gut clenched again, saying it was a trap, get the fuck out. But it didn’t matter. I didn’t mind being trapped with her, not if it meant getting close enough to transfer the nagamuni.

  I tried the handle to the door behind me just to be sure.

  Yeah. Definitely locked.

  That was okay. I could do this, just play it cool. “I know who you are…who you were.”

  No response.

  “I visited your world, you know. Before you went all dark and began the unraveling.”

  She wasn’t biting.

  “Why don’t you show yourself, Elara.”

  The darkness before me moved, and the temperature plummeted, sudden and unexpected. She didn’t like that I knew her name. Malevolent intent slammed into me, and I curled my hands into fists, digging my fingernails into the soft flesh of my palms to quell the desire to flee.

  “Show yourself, Elara. Stop being a fucking pussy.”

  Light filled the center of the room. For a moment, I wasn’t sure what the heck I was seeing. It took a moment to process—a huge glass cage, partitioned off. One half filled with people. And the other…I wasn’t sure what to call them. They were children, or had been before the Kubera got hold of them, created them, or whatever. But now all that remained were wiry little naked bodies, blood-red eyes, and barracuda teeth. They battered against the partition as one. Teeth snapping, drool dripping, they tried desperately to get to the meal on the other side of that wall.

  I blinked as the cage flickered.

  “What the heck is this?”

  “A hologram of your final choice. I do love your technology.” Her voice seemed to come from everywhere. “You decide who lives and dies, Malina. The innocent children, starved by their creators and desperate to feed, or the innocent humans we picked out from the chaos in the city today.”

  I didn’t get it. Why was she doing this? What did she have to gain?

  Her grating chuckle reverberated around the room. “Wondering why, Malina? Isn’t it obvious? Both the children and the humans are innocent. Whomever you choose to save shall live, but the ones you forsake you will knowingly condemn to death. That, my dear child, will be a sin that won’t need to be inked onto your skin.”

  The seal… Of course this was about opening the seal. I did a quick head count—thirty humans, thirty children. “I don’t get it.” I scanned the darkness surrounding the hologram. “Why attack the city? Why take the prison? If you wanted to corner me, you could have done it at the warehouse when we came for Carmella.”

  “I was still gathering my strength from our last encounter. Allying with the Kubera allowed me to do that.” A heavy sigh. “Of course, I had to pretend to be on board with their pathetic plan to take over the city, but it worked in my favor. I have the perfect sacrifices right here. So pick, Malina. Who will you save?”

  Something skidded across the ground and bumped my boot. I crouched, eyes on my surroundings, and fumbled for the object. A slender box. I held it up to better examine it. Two buttons, one red and one blue, lay under a protective glass covering.

  “Tick tock, Malina. I haven’t got all day.”

  “You can’t make me do this.”

  “You’re right. I can’t. But now that you know the situation and are aware you have the power to save thirty lives in your hands, taking no action is as good as condemning them all, because in precisely sixty seconds, both chambers will fill with lethal gas. Everyone will die. You lose either way.”

  Choose and lose, don’t choose and lose. Surely that couldn’t be right? “You put those lives in jeopardy, not me, so why should I be marred by sin for refusing to act?”

  “If you see someone being abused and turn a blind eye, aren’t you just as guilty as the abuser?” she asked. “Not acting to save a life when it is in your power to do so is a sin, Malina. Those buttons there are kill switches. The Kubera like to be in control of their creations, and each has a self-destruct switch buried deep in their cortex. I just rerouted the signal. So… red to save the flesh-eating children. Blue to save the humans. Thirty seconds remaining.”

  So this was what it came down to. Another manipulation? Well, at least she was upfront about it this time. Humans cowered in the box, their silent screams and tears a plea for me to do something. The children were innocent, too, but I couldn’t allow them to feed on all those people. I lifted the cover, finger hovering over the blue button. By pushing it, I would save the humans. I would kill those children, who had no say in what they’d become. My throat grew tight and the heat of impotent fury seared the back of my eyes.

  “Ten seconds,” she said in a singsong voice.

  After all our
planning, and all the lives I’d saved to make up for what I’d done… This was the moment I shat all over it with one push of a fucking button.

  “Five, four, three—”

  I pressed the button and watched as the children fell to the ground in unison, bodies twitching for several long beats until they lay completely still.

  She closed her eyes and sighed. “Almost done. Almost there. Almost free.”

  The hologram winked out, leaving me staring into darkness, chest heaving. I’d done it. I’d killed those children. But nothing was happening…Maybe she was wrong. Maybe—

  Screams filled my ears. Terror and fear.

  What did you do?

  What’s happening?

  Yama’s wives. Ajitah’s wives. The seal…

  A fist closed around my pounding heart and pulled. My scream shattered the darkness, battering my eardrums. My knees hit the ground. I fell forward, clutching my chest. I was dying. I was…

  “Alive. I can feel it. I can…yes, come to me. To be whole. To be free,” the Daughter of Chaos crooned.

  No. I couldn’t let this happen. There had to be a way to stop it. But someone was twisting my insides and tying them in knots, yanking and displacing, and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.

  The gloom lifted to reveal my nemesis. She stood with arms out to her sides, head thrown back like a messiah waiting for a blessing from the gods. Shadows wreathed her, curling around her body in a sinuous dance of possession.

  My bones cracked as the force assaulting me twisted my body into an impossible angle. Sobs tore from my throat as my mind went into meltdown.

  Malina, help us.

  Too late.

  Too…

  Every nerve ending in my body lit up in agony. It was time to let go, to let unconsciousness pull me under and protect me from what was being done to me. But I held on, metaphorical claws digging into consciousness. I had to get the nagamuni to my mother. I had to set her free.

  Shadows shot out of the darkness, slamming into the Daughter of Chaos, faster and faster until my aching eyes couldn’t keep up. It was almost over. She was almost whole. There was no time for pain. I was immortal. I could not die. And what couldn’t kill me could fuck the hell off! Screaming along with my muscles, I fought the contortion, flipped onto my front, and pushed onto all fours. I began to crawl, an inch at a time, toward my adversary, who was too busy reuniting with the part of her that had been trapped beyond the seal in the underworld. No time to dwell on the horrors that were spilling into this world. No time to accept that we were royally fucked. Even if I got my mother away from the entity, we still had an open gate to hell to deal with.