Darkness Avenged (Guardians of Eternity #10)(68)

“You said that its spawn had their own means of feeding,” he said. “Which I assume means it doesn’t drink blood or suck souls.”

Baine smiled, the amber eyes smoldering with fire. “No.”

“Then what the . . .” Santiago stilled, cursing himself for being so dense. It all made perfect, horrible sense now. “Mierda.”

Nefri sent him a puzzled glance. “What is it?”

“Emotion,” he rasped. “It feeds off emotion.”

Her eyes widened, easily able to make the same connection that he had. “Of course.”

“So, not all brawn,” Baine drawled.

Santiago narrowed his gaze. “I have my moments.”

“If this creature feeds off emotion, it makes sense that it would inspire fear and lust and violence among humans,” Nefri murmured, speaking her thoughts out loud.

“And demons,” Baine reminded her.

“Yes, and demons.” Her brow furrowed. “But why use Gaius to spread the emotions? Does it need a conduit?”

Baine tapped a finger on the arm of his throne. “Are you certain it’s Gaius that’s creating the emotions?”

Nefri gave a hesitant nod. “As certain as we can be at this point.”

“This spirit,” Santiago abruptly interrupted, “is it able to take corporeal form?”

Baine shook his head. “Like vampires it’s symbiant.”

Santiago scowled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It must take possession of a body that belongs to another.”

Santiago glanced toward Nefri. They’d been chasing what they thought were two demons. Was it possible that it was just one and he was being possessed by the spirit?

“Gaius?”

She chewed her bottom lip. “You said that the witch claimed he was protecting someone.”

“She never did see the ‘someone,’” he pointed out.

“True,” she agreed, although her expression remained troubled.

Santiago didn’t blame her. Right now they could do no more than make wild suppositions that didn’t do them a damned bit of good.

He turned back to the dragon. “The most important question is how do we kill it?”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?” The amber flames in Baine’s eyes became oddly hypnotizing. “It is, after all, your ultimate sire.”

Santiago shook off the dragon’s intrusion into his mind. The bastard was no doubt hoping to enjoy a full-blown spiritual crisis. Unfortunately for him, Santiago was a warrior, not a monk.

“What will happen if it’s left free?”

A mocking smile touched Baine’s mouth. “Strong emotions have inevitable conclusions. It begins with murder and rape and the always favorite pillaging. Eventually it will disintegrate into war, genocide, and famine.”

He felt Nefri grow rigid at the stark warning and he instinctively rubbed a comforting hand down her back.

Not that he had much comfort to offer.

Dammit, hadn’t they just prevented the end of the world? Now they had to face war and genocide and famine?

Where was the justice in that?

“You didn’t answer the question,” he reminded the dragon, in no mood to be diplomatic. He snorted. Who was he kidding? He was never in the mood to be diplomatic. But after the past few weeks he was even more impatient than usual. “How do we kill it?”

Baine’s tattoos swirled in warning, although his voice remained soft. “I don’t know.”

So the mighty dragon knew everything but the information they most needed.

Predictable.

“Great.”

Baine leaned forward. “But I do find it intriguing that the Commission chose to imprison the spirit rather than destroying it, don’t you?”

Santiago paused. He’d rather have his tongue cut out than admit it, but the oversized lizard had a point.

Why hadn’t the Oracles killed the creature? Because they were demon conservationists who didn’t believe in killing off the potential last of a species? Yeah, right. More likely it was because they didn’t know how to get rid of the thing.

So instead they sent Nefri to do their dirty work, not giving a shit that she might die in the process.

Fury raced through him at the same time Baine rose from his throne, his surge of power making the earth shake beneath their feet.

Instinctively, Santiago shoved Nefri behind him, his sword raised. “Do we have a problem, dragon?” he growled.

“Your companion is searching for you,” Baine growled, his tattoos darkening. “And he’s not alone.”

Santiago frowned. “What companion?”

Nefri elbowed him in the side. “Levet.”

He rolled his eyes. He wouldn’t call the miniature pest a companion. More like an unwelcome boil on his ass.

“Our”—his lips twisted as he forced out the word—“companion can wait. I still have questions.”

Baine shook his head. “I have paid my debt.” He shifted his attention to the silent Nefri, the amber flames consuming his eyes. “My last word of warning, beautiful Nefri, is not to hesitate. With every passing day the spirit grows more powerful.”

“Wait . . .” Santiago stepped forward, but even as he moved, the throne room was dissolving around him.