Demon Waters (Apex #4)

Chapter Eleven

“I ’ve called for backup.” Sabine’s voice was terse, her former cockiness vanished as she looked at Tess. “You’d better come with us, unless you want to be slaughtered by a bunch of vengeful demons.”

Tess held her head high. “I’m not afraid of them.”

“They’ve found your damn lover’s body,” Sabine snapped, guarding Julian as he scurried toward the car. “They don’t give a shit that you were fucking him, they’re going to blame all three of us for his death.”

Julian made an impatient noise. “Just leave her, Sabine.”

He reached the car and grasped for the passenger door handle.

Sabine hesitated, glancing back at Tess. “Don’t die like this.”

“I said leave her,” Julian snapped. “If she wants to be ripped apart by those beasts, that’s her choice. We’ll return for what’s left of her once the team neutralises them.”

He froze, blood draining from his face as a huge, dripping wet crocodile loomed beside him.

Raukra gave him a vicious smile. “Neutralise this.”

Grabbing Julian by the throat, he threw him over the car and into the water.

Sabine darted forward, knife in hand, but Raukra whipped his tail against her legs, sending her crashing to the ground. She flipped back up like a gymnast, as she’d done with Bale earlier, but the dagger had spun out of her grip. As she scrabbled for it, the crocodile kicked it out of reach.

“Stand down, hunter,” he snarled.

The woman’s lips pursed, but she obeyed him, raising her palms in surrender. Her limbs were taut with tension as she watched the bubbles where her boss had entered the churning water. Tess watched too, so overwhelmed that she barely registered the sight of a large amber tentacle breaking the surface, holding a coughing and spluttering Julian. It shook him roughly, causing him to cry out in fear.

“Sabine,” he shrieked. “Do something!”

Sabine whirled on Raukra, her eyes wide. “You can’t let them kill him.”

He shrugged. “I have no influence over them.”

She bared her teeth. “Then I hope they’re all prepared to die like their friend, because my backup team is on its way, with much more firepower than me. Hell will be unleashed on these fuckers, and any other monsters in the area, unless I call off the order.”

As Raukra and Tess glanced at each other, Sabine crossed her arms. “I came here for a scouting mission. My team is coming for a war. Don’t believe me? Just wait.”

Raukra pointed a talon at her. “Don’t move.”

The tentacle holding the weakly struggling Julian stayed above the water as the crocodile crouched on the edge of the bank. Another octopus monster emerged from a different direction and swam toward him, its mottled beige skin melding into a dark grey colour. They spoke quietly, until eventually, Raukra nodded and straightened.

Returning to the women, he crossed his muscled arms and regarded Sabine. “Your master will be returned to you. After you stand your team down and swear that you will refrain from any further action against us.”

Tess stirred. “I want more than that.”

Raukra and Sabine turned to her. The crocodile gestured at her, inviting her to speak.

“Julian is to sell his shares in this marina to my stepmother,” Tess said, her voice trembling, “along with shares in all the businesses they own together.”

Sabine looked sceptical. “Won’t she be suspicious of him doing that out of the blue?”

“He can say he’s retiring or something. I don’t fucking care.” She’d never sounded so vicious. “I want him away from my family. If he’s not willing to do that, he can go ahead and die.”

Sabine scowled. “Fine. You have my word, on his behalf.”

“How do we know that’s enough?” Raukra said bluntly.

“He trusts me.” The woman raised her chin. “He respects me. If this saves his life, he’ll understand why it had to be done.”

Tess hesitated, then nodded at Raukra.

He inclined his head. “Very well. Call off your team.”

Julian was shaking like a leaf when he was deposited on the bank. His skin was pale and blotchy, his suit drenched and covered in weeds. He couldn’t stop shaking, even as he glowered at Tess.

“You are a traitor to your own species,” he spat.

Raukra stepped in front of her. “One more word, human, and I will rip out your tongue.”

As Julian quailed, Sabine yanked him to his feet and threw her arm under his shoulders.

“Explain the terms of our agreement when you leave,” Raukra said shortly. “If he goes back on any of it, I will kill him myself. Assuming Bale’s people don’t get to him first.”

As the hunter helped the trembling Julian to the car, Tess caught Raukra’s gaze.

“Is he gone? Bale?”

The crocodile sighed. “Yes. He has been taken back to his world. The portal opened last night, but you two were…busy.”

There was no accusation in his tone, nothing but sadness and sympathy, but she flinched anyway. Bale was dead and it was her fault. She was a selfish, reckless fool.

“I went through instead, to scout the situation,” Raukra continued, “and found at least thirty of Bale’s comrades ready and waiting for the portal to open. Sev’s message finally made it through.”

She nodded blankly, barely listening as she watched Sabine shove Julian into the back seat before striding to the driver’s side. The woman looked at Tess, and a flicker of vulnerability flashed in her dark eyes.

“Just so we’re clear,” she muttered. “I wouldn’t really have killed your dog.”

Tess didn’t know what to say, so she merely stared in silence as Sabine climbed into the driver’s seat. With a heavy rev of the engine, the woman and Julian drove away, leaving behind Tess, Raukra, and several large octopus monsters in the marina.

But not the one she wanted.

He was gone.