Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu

Author:Marjorie M. Liu
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Man-woman relationships, Contemporary, General, Fantasy, Supernatural, Occult fiction, Fiction, Demonology
ISBN: 9780441017300
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2009-06-30T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

THE next time I opened my eyes, I found myself on my hands and knees. My ears were ringing, and my mouth tasted vile. The boys were asleep on my skin. I stared at my fingernails, black as oil—right hand dark with tattoos—glittering like mercury and quicksilver.

The armor had grown, again. The bracelet, which fit my wrist like a second skin, had expanded almost an inch up my arm. Metal gleamed, engraved with an intricate array of coiled lines, like scales, or roses, or the twists of a labyrinth. Blending in with my tattoos.

I was in Grant’s apartment, on the floor of his living room. Rare sunlight bathed me in a glow. I peered blearily to my right. Grant was sprawled on his back, rubbing his face. I nudged him with my foot, and he gave me a slow, pained look that might have been his hangover face—if he ever decided to take up alcohol.

Killy lay several feet away, eyes closed. Breathing, but still. No sign of the Chinese man Rex had inhabited.

I fell down on my side and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. Grant grabbed my hand, but that was all. I almost asked him how long I had been gone, but it was clear I hadn’t been missed. What I had passed through between leaving China and arriving here had been for me alone: a vision, a dream, a memory belonging to the boys.

Zee had said he knew that Avatar scent on Father Ross’s body. Mr. King. Who, in another life, had conspired to murder one of my ancestors. Not to extinguish my bloodline—but to control it.

Made sense. Control a Hunter, and you controlled the boys. Must have seemed attractive at the time. Except he hadn’t anticipated that Zee and the others would take matters into their own hands. Raise the child—with a little help.

But now he wanted me dead. Out of the way.

If the skinner kills you, Hunter, the prison veil will come down.

I shook my head, forcing myself to sit up. Rex had it wrong. His Queen was wrong. Up to her old tricks again. The only things he had said that I could be certain were true was that I had to kill the Avatar, next chance I got—and I could not let him have Grant.

Gold flashed. I looked at Grant again and saw that his mother’s pendant had fallen just slightly out of his shirt. Most of the disc was obscured, but I could see enough of those curving lines to get hit with déjà vu.

I held up my right hand, checking out the newly expanded cuff that was molded to my wrist—metal flowing seamlessly into my tattooed skin.

Grant said, “You’ll still look sexy when you’re a cyborg.”

“Thanks,” I replied dryly, and pointed at the pendant. “Can I see that?”

He frowned, but pulled the necklace over his head and gave it to me. I held it next to my wrist. The engraved lines were strikingly similar. Too much so to be a coincidence.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.