The Glass Man Read online

  One of the car doors opened and slammed shut. Sebastian sauntered into view, swinging the car keys round and round his finger, all casual and light steps, a guy off to meet a date for a movie.

  “No one understands humans the way I do,” Parthalan said. “One boy who witnesses the horror he is about to witness will turn into something useful to me.”

  I froze under the scenarios that formed in my head. “You mean he’ll snap and kill a bunch of people? Oh, God. Is that what you’ve been doing all this time, why there are so many psychos around?”

  “You call them psychos, I call them weapons in my war against the human disease.”

  “Why do they always burn the houses after?”

  “Why, to hide the bodies, of course. I can’t have my brainless thugs getting picked up for murder, now can I?”

  I ground my teeth. “Have you killed people all over the world?”

  “No. At least not directly.” He chuckled, nuzzling into the side of my neck. “Spread a rumor here and there, slip the agencies of warring countries false intelligence about an impending attack from the other, provide some fae-enhanced fire power. Presto! They annihilate one another out of sheer bravado and stupidity.” He drew in a breath, sighed. “Wonderfully brilliant, don’t you think?”

  “You’re truly sick.” The more I struggled, the tighter he squeezed me. He forced my face to the window again.

  Sebastian, his hair glistening like fresh blood in the silver glow, held a gun on a teenage girl. A boy knelt in the grass in front of them. I didn’t need to see the look on his face. My heart had been ripped out the same way when my family died.

  After forcing the girl to lay face down on the grass, Sebastian walked over to the other family members, stuffing the gun into the holster inside his black jacket. All of the darkly dressed ones stood around watching casually. How many murders did one have to see before their soul died? I couldn’t carry that thought through to completion.

  Pain tore through my body when a woman, probably the mother, screamed as Sebastian broke her like a matchstick. The moon cast enough light to show me her limbs were bent in disturbing ways. The man fell soon after, followed by the other two children. I’d never had the urge to kill Parthalan more than I did in that moment. If I’d had access to my power, I’d have buried him in the earth and used it to crush him into red goo.

  When Sebastian finished, he grabbed the girl and boy by the throats and dragged them toward the Suburban like mice in the claws of a lion. I already knew what Sebastian would do to her. Damn you, Liam! Why couldn’t you have released my power?

  Rourke plastered his face against one of the other windows and snickered. Adrenaline surged through me. I needed to hurt them. All of them.

  Sebastian forced the boy to his knees at gunpoint and pressed the girl’s face to the window right in front of me, a hand wrapped around her throat. She had strawberry blonde hair and appeared to be in her late teens. Her eyes stretched open wide. Fear spilled dark shadows behind them. Each of her frantic breaths sent clouds of fog across the glass. Her desperate pleas transcended the car, and my soul.

  I closed my eyes and searched for a way to my Light but found none. The barrier seemed to be growing denser as time went on. Instead, I let the adrenaline build, a rocket about to launch. When I could no longer contain it, I threw my head back and cracked Parthalan in the face. He released me with a roar. I kicked off the back of the seat and landed on the floor. Rourke leapt on me, but my feet caught him square in the chest, forcing the air out of his lungs. Garret kicked him over and jumped on him. I’d have never guessed the young, quivering guy had the courage in him. My respect for him grew a little more. I threw the door open and scrambled out.

  Outside, Sebastian didn’t look up while he fumbled with the button on the young girl’s jeans, grunting like the pig he was. I threw a fist at him, aiming for a place on the far side of his head and catching him across the jaw. He rocked sideways.

  “Bitch!” He stumbled and went down.

  “Run!” I screamed. The girl bolted, but the boy just sat there gaping at me, that soul-shattering look contorting his face into something unnatural. I kicked gravel at him. “Run, God damn you. Run!”

  He scrambled to his feet and ran toward the woods.

  I turned back to Sebastian but landed on the gravel before I realized he’d knocked me down. A little parade of white lights danced an endless circuit around my eyes. Red hair cascaded over my face as Sebastian picked me up by the throat and squeezed. He lifted me off the ground as though I weighed nothing. I’d always been stronger than most people, but he was a tank. Maybe that was another fae quality.

  “Release her!” Parthalan’s face appeared in the open car door. “Put her inside and drive, you imbecile.”

  An explosion rocked the house. Flames shot into the night sky. I shoved Sebastian away and rubbed my throat. Numbness engulfed me as if my body hid the aching in my soul so the hurt couldn’t touch me yet. Glaring at Parthalan, who looked back with amusement, I climbed into the car and sat beside Garret on the back seat. He covered his face with his hands, but I could still see the beginning of bruises and scarlet rivulets trickling from his lip.

  Rourke sat in the corner of the opposite seat, glaring at me, and by the way he held his body, I thought he was sulking, too. Poor baby. Blood trickled from Parthalan’s nose, where I’d head butted him. That should have given me a little satisfaction, but all I could see were bodies as they crumpled to the ground and the boy who watched. All I could hear were their screams. Smoke from the burning house clung to my skin—an acrid, bitter scent. I scrubbed at it, trying to get it off, but it only intensified the smell.

  The car started again. A few pathetic man giggles burst from Pathalan’s lips. A moment later, the light around the car flared. I leaned closer to the window for a better look. My pulse kicked into overdrive. Silver light shivered and pulsed over the trees. I drew in a breath that never came out as the land folded, pressing together like the air box on an accordion.

  The pressure on my mind threw me to the floor, and I cried out, clawing at the pain in my head.

  Black ink swallowed the world.

  14

  “Time to wake up, princess.” A velvet voice floated to me, distorted and distant.

  Pain rippled through my face. I screamed out in my head as I climbed through darkness. Lost, so lost. More pain brought light to the other side of my closed lids. I ran toward it, hardly able to breathe. Someone slapped my face so hard it snapped to the side. I wondered how long that had been going on.

  When I opened my eyes, I stared at the ceiling of a car. “Where am I?”

  Parthalan’s sideways face appeared above me, his black hair flowing over me, tickling my nose. “I was beginning to worry.” He grinned. “I want you awake for your next journey.”

  He looked up, nodded. Someone grabbed me by the ankles and yanked me out of the car until my butt landed on the pavement. One of them had clothed me in a blue cotton dress identical to the one I’d ruined. The thought of their hands all over me while I slept made me want to peel my skin off and climb into a vat of bleach.

  A dress wouldn’t have been my first choice of getaway gear, but at least I wasn’t half naked anymore.

  My eyes didn’t work quite right, throwing off my equilibrium as I struggled to my feet only to stumble back to my knees. Still no shoes, though. Great.

  Rourke sat on a rock beside me, snickering.

  God, I hated that guy.

  Sebastian climbed out of the driver-side door and leaned against the car, staring needles at me. I inspected his face for damage I might have done, but I didn’t find any. Pity.

  The sky, like a smear of rainbow sherbet, cast a pink glow over everything. Dawn. How long had I slept? The bigger question: why had I slept? I rubbed my eyes and surveyed my surroundings.

  “Why are we at the Grand Canyon?” I asked in a breathy, uncertain voice. How had we arrived there so fast?

  “I’m
about to take you home.” Parthalan climbed out of the Suburban, dragging Garret by the upper arm. The boy whimpered; his complexion faded to white.

  “Here? The Black City is in the Grand Canyon?” I struggled to my feet again, determined to stay there.

  Rourke shared a gleeful look with Parthalan, who threw Garret to the ground. Humming to himself, Parthalan hooked his arm around my neck and pulled me the rest of the way to the edge of the cliff. Small boulders and scrub brush lined the rim on either side of us. He stopped, yanked me in front of him and rested his chin on my shoulder.

  My brows knitted together as I stared at the gaping hole in the earth before me.

  “Are you ready for eternity with me, my darling?”

  Shit. Panic jolted down my spine. I pushed back against him, my feet propped out to find purchase on the rock. My mind seized, and everything turned a paler shade than normal. “What are you doing? You chased me all this time just to throw me over a cliff? You’re fucking insane!”

  The wind picked at my hair, tossed ribbons of it against my face. So far down. Don’t look, you idiot! I didn’t enjoy heights. No, scratch that. Heights petrified me.

  Adrenaline burned through my body, and I lost control of my lungs. A longing for Liam’s touch gripped me. Are you alive? Where are you?

  The same vision I had in the car overtook me. I could smell the forest again and see bright yellow eyes. Bird eyes. The white feathered head turned a little and stared right at me as if it heard me.

  “Time to go.”

  My vision snapped back to the ledge as Parthalan pushed me a little closer. The edge waited no more than two feet away. My bare toe kicked a rock that skittered across the ground. It clinked and tumbled down the cliff face for what seemed like forever. A whimper trembled on my lips.

  No! I won’t let him do this. I won’t fail you, Mother.

  After a moment’s hesitation, I went limp, dead weight, falling to my knees. He’d either have to come with me, or let me go. He gripped me tighter, but I slipped through his fingers onto the ground, so close to the chasm that part of my knees hung over. I threw my body to the side with whatever strength I had and thrust my palm against his knee. A war cry exploded up my throat. His knee snapped back into an unnatural angle.

  Parthalan screamed and bent over, clutching his buckled joint.

  I scuttled along the stone on my hands and knees. He caught me by the ankle while I scratched and clawed, but he dragged me back. I kicked and flailed without success, a mouse pulling against a train engine.

  Garret made a move toward me, but Rourke slammed a fist across the back of his neck. He went down with a thud.

  “Lucky for you I heal faster than most.” Parthalan winced as he yanked me to my feet again. “I do admire your tenacity, but for that, there will be consequences.”

  What consequence could be worse than falling a mile and creating a red puddle on the canyon floor? I sipped in a breath.

  He stepped closer to the edge, pushing me along in front of him. I whirled to face him, stared into those pitiless eyes and let him see the fear in mine. “Just shoot me, rip my head off, tear my heart out, whatever. Not like this. Please.”

  Another step.

  The stone crumbled beneath my heel. I pressed myself closer to him, my legs trembled. “Please!”

  Step.

  I held onto the ledge by my toes. My knuckles turned white as they gripped Parthalan’s lapels. The wind picked at my dress and hair. It isn’t supposed to end this way. Not yet. Liam. Regret filled me. I’d never know his touch again, never have his spirit fill me with his intoxicating essence. Guilt over those his king had killed warred with the part of me who wanted to forgive Liam.

  “Why are you doing this?” The first hot tear left my lashes and tumbled down my cool cheek. A dark sickness filled my soul.

  Parthalan laid a lingering kiss on my forehead. “Because I can.”

  I looked into him and found nothing but cold insanity staring back. He’s going to do it. Oh, God!

  He threw his weight at me, hysterical laughter rushing from his lips.

  We fell.

  The wind whipped around us, stole my breath away. I lost my grip on him, gasping and shrieking, swinging my arms and legs like a drowning swimmer. The pressure of wind against my ears sent pain through my head. The ground approached impossibly fast. I’m sorry, Mother. So sorry.

  My direction changed in an instant as if a magnet drew my feet toward the cliff face. A moment later, I crashed into something hard. My head told me up should be a different direction than the grey stone ceiling above me.

  Feet clad in shiny black shoes strode over to me, and the rest of him crouched down. “Did you enjoy the trip?” Parthalan wore a mischievous grin, his eyes shining with laughter. My curled fists ached to pound him in the face, but I held them against the black marble floor.

  “Where are we?” My voice shook. “We fell … how did we get here?” I tried to stand, but dizziness sent me into the wall twice. I gave up and sat back down. Rourke appeared a moment later with a sagging Garret in tow, and Sebastian dropped down right after. Did they drop out of the ceiling?

  The look on my face must have been a good one because Parthalan and Rourke both broke into deranged laughter. Sebastian stared at me with a sneer.

  “Traversing the portal to the Black City can be a little … unnerving, and the shift to this reality does tend to upset the equilibrium for a while.” Parthalan wiped away his amused tears. “If anyone attempts entry without my permission, the gateway simply lets them fall to their death. Brilliant, don’t you think?”

  Brilliant wasn’t the word I would’ve used. Insane, maybe. Fucked up with a capital ‘F’, certainly. It made sense. Only creatures as completely mental as Parthalan would consider throwing themselves into the Grand Canyon with only a chance of landing in that God forsaken place.

  “Take her to my chamber and have Althea and Willa dress her in something more …” Parthalan stroked his chin.

  “Provocative?” Rourke offered.

  “I was thinking outrageously slutty, but provocative will do.” He patted Rourke on the shoulder and crouched by me again. “Our moment is almost upon us at last, my darling.” He kissed me, but I stayed rigid while his tongue wormed its way between my lips. Vomiting into his mouth would have been satisfying, but it wouldn’t come.

  With his lips still hovering over mine, he added, “This is usually the part where you ravage me. Perhaps the journey was harder on you than I thought. Forgive me?”

  “Forgive you? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I met those glass eyes with every ounce of fury and hatred I had in me. “Maybe you’re just not as good as you think you are.”

  Rourke looked like a soda bottle that had been well shaken, his lid barely holding. Garret slouched against the wall. His skin held a green hue, his eyes willing me to shut up. Sebastian twirled the car keys on his finger, bored or nervous, I couldn’t tell which.

  Parthalan’s eyes flared. I thought I saw black flames burning behind them before he turned and set them on Rourke. “No harm is to come to her. Do not fail me in this.”

  He stood, smoothed his hands down his suit and pulled his fingers through his wavy hair before he disappeared through the tallest wooden door I’d ever seen.

  “Can you walk yet?” Rourke strutted toward me.

  “If it means you’ll keep your creepy hands off me, I’ll do back flips and cartwheels.” I used the wall to haul myself to my feet. My brain told me I should be sideways, but as I put one foot in front of the other on the cold marble tile, it believed what my eyes and gravity told it.

  Rourke muttered something I didn’t catch as he threw open the doors. He glared at me. “Hurry up then, all of you.”

  I made it two steps outside the door before my jaw dropped, and I craned my neck to look into the sky. “Is that water?” A churning purple liquid moved above me.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Rourke gazed up with reverence. “Our
sky, frozen in perpetual night. It isn’t liquid. It’s the souls of our ancestors lingering to protect and guide us.”

  I turned to tell him he must have forgotten to take his meds, but something caught my attention before I could get it out. Scrambling to get back to the doorway, I shouted, “What the hell is that?” A dark mass in the sky wrapped in swirling fog stopped, and if I didn’t know better, fixed its glowing orange eyes on me. My heart did its best to break free of my chest.

  Sebastian slammed into me as he walked by. My head snapped back, and I yelped. “Watch it,” he barked as he took off down the street.

  “It’s okay, Lila.” Garret’s meek voice came from beside me. He pointed at the sky. “That’s Bain, lord of the Sluagh, the guardians of the Black City. Whatever you do, don’t call them the Sluagh to their face. Call them the Host.”

  A dark figure made of thick grey smoke dove into the ground. I expected to see a bloody splotch on the cobblestone when the mist cleared, but instead I found a creature cloaked in black. He stood rigidly. Strange orange eyes stared back at me from beneath the hood. I couldn’t see the rest of his face, and the tingles creeping up my spine didn’t want me to. Black feathers brushed the street beneath his cloak.

  “What is this?” Bain hissed from lips that didn’t sound like they were designed for the English language.

  “Good evening, M’lord Bain,” Rourke said with a bow. “My King has requested his queen be taken to his chambers. The ceremony will be in two hours in the throne room.”

  “She will bring pain here, pain and light. The Host do not like the light.”

  “I’m sure my King will hear your grievance, M’lord.”

  Bain nodded subtly, studied me for so long my feet carried me backwards until I bumped into the wall. He exploded into the liquid sky, a dark rocket with giant wings bursting from the smoke to carry him higher until I could no longer see him.