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.Kate grabbed Morgan’s shoulder.“What the hell is that?”“I have no idea.And I don’t plan on sticking around to find out.”“Agreed.”They bolted along the slick catwalk around the corner.It led to the broken waterwheel and nowhere else.They were trapped.The building groaned and another chunk of the ceiling fell in.“Gage? Lachlin?” They were still inside.“Almost at you,” Gage said.“Good, because we’ve got nowhere to go.”“Keep him in the rain.I’ll be there.”Morgan fired another shot at Smoke-man.It swept through him.“Can you climb down?” she asked over her shoulder.“Maybe,” Kate said.“I’ll hold him off.” She fired another shot, but it didn’t stop him.She was running out of options.The fire pulsed in her face, driving down into her body.“It’s a shame your mother isn’t around to experience the same grief I felt when she killed my son.” He billowed, forming and reforming as the rain ripped at his edges.“I had nothing to do with that.” She hadn’t even known her mother.Kate hung to the slick railing, straining to reach the windowsill just below her.Morgan needed to buy more time.Just a little more until Kate could get to safety.“Even just one of your kind is a plague on Kin.” Smoke-man’s tongue flicked out.“You can’t be controlled.Even your friends know that.”“What are you talking about?”“You’re a monster among monsters.” Smoke-man growled and leapt at her.Morgan fired again.The bullet passed through him and he swiped at her, knocking the gun from her hand.She staggered back and punched.Her hand went through his face.Rain hissed through him.He swirled and reformed, his hands raking at her face.She grabbed his wrists and held him for a second.He turned to smoke, swept through her fingers, and swiped at her cheek.She twisted to the side.White-hot pain slid across her jaw and the fire in her eyes exploded in response.Her gaze locked on Smoke-man, but red light flared from his throat.He threw his head back and laughed, revealing an orb the size of a marble, hanging from a gold chain around his neck.“Your powers don’t work on me, snake charmer.I have a protection spell.” He tapped the marble with his claw and sneered.“And now you can die helpless like all your mother’s victims.”He shoved her and she slipped on the slick metal, toppling onto her butt.Pain spiked through her chest.Her power slammed into the distillery wall.It turned to stone and cracked.Smoke-man lunged and she scrambled back.His claws snagged her pant leg and he yanked her forward.She kicked at him with her free foot, but it went right through him.The rain followed, washing away pieces of smoke.He growled, his face tight with pain.She kicked again.Rain pulled at more smoke, but he reformed.Behind him, Gage ran into sight.He snapped his whip, sweeping through Smoke-man, who reformed but just a fraction slower each time.Gage had said keep him in the rain.Rain broke up smoke, or fog, or whatever he was.Rain dissipated it.Morgan glanced at Kate, now clinging to the windowsill.Below them, the river rushed, brown and frothy.He’d turn to smoke before they hit the water and, with her luck, float to safety.But above her, on the roof, stood a rusted rooftop water tank.Smoke-man drew his hand back to strike.Gage’s whip sliced through it and Smoke-man howled.He seized the front of Morgan’s shirt and jerked her up and around, putting her between him and Gage.She twisted, trying to get out of the way, but his claws raked across her chest.Fire burst from her eyes and she threw it at the water tank.Metal squealed and groaned.Morgan grabbed Smoke-man’s hand, wrapped in the front of her shirt.Smoke-man drew back again for another strike.Gage’s whip sliced through Smoke-man’s raised hand and he turned to smoke, save for the hand clutching her.The water tank shattered and water crashed over them.Smoke-man screamed.He exploded into smoke, and the water and wind tore at him, ripping him to shreds.Morgan staggered back and released his dismembered hand.Rain pelted it, pulling pieces of smoke from it until it dissolved.The inferno in her eyes dissipated and she sagged to her knees.Below her, Kate crouched in the grass, her face white and eyes wide.Gage’s muddy boot toe inched into sight beside her.“The smoke demon is dead.You and Kate are safe.”But she wasn’t really safe.Not from herself.And there was no escaping this new reality.She blinked back the remaining fire and glanced up at him.She was just going to have to deal with it.“We need to have a long talk.”A hint of a wry smile pulled at Gage’s lips.In that moment, he looked entirely human and entirely delicious.“Yes, we do.”And while she wasn’t sure she was going to enjoy the conversation, she was certainly going to enjoy the company.CHAPTER 12Morgan sat with Kate in the back of an ambulance, aching all over and with no idea what to say to her friend.Across the gravel lot, the distillery building stood in shambles.The roof and two walls had collapsed, and Morgan had no idea how Gage was going to explain any of this to the police.Who, along with Rika, an ambulance, and Detective Wright, had arrived about fifteen minutes ago.Gage had insisted Kate and Morgan go first with the paramedics, even though Lachlin looked like he’d gotten the worst of the fight.The men had stood back with Rika, keeping under the shelter of an ancient pine while the paramedics bound Morgan’s cuts and checked out Kate, and the rain poured around them.They’d had a brief conversation with Wright and, from the way the detective had stormed off, he wasn’t happy [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]