Call of Night

by Emily Goodwin

  “I don’t hear anything.” I let go of the vent and conjure an energy ball. “But if it’s the thing that was here before…we’re screwed.”

  “Speak for yourself.” She draws her fangs and looks around the room. She can see in the dark, and right now, she’s staring at something, eyes widening. Another dog-creature lunges from the dark, moving like a blur. It’s half the size of the one that I hit in the shoulder with the energy ball. Did it split back apart?

  Or—oh shit. There’s more of them.

  Chapter 13

  The double doors fly open and the bigger of the two comes barreling in, snarling and growling, showing off rows and rows of sharp teeth. The smaller dog turns and starts to run.

  “No!” I shout and hit it with an energy ball. Eliza grabs my hand and yanks me back toward the air vent, making the energy ball miss. It hits the ceiling and rains bright white light down on us. The tendrils of magic burn Eliza’s skin, and she screams in pain.

  I put out the magic I have burning around my fingers and grab Eliza’s arm, jerking her away from the energy falling down. Lucas heals almost immediately after being burned by magic, but he’s older and stronger than Eliza and is always well-fed, which affects a vampire’s ability to heal quickly. I have no idea when Eliza last ate.

  The bigger dog lets out a roar and then jumps on the smaller one, mouth clamping around its head. It bites down, breaking the skull, and then shudders. The smaller dog turns into black ooze that gets absorbed into the bigger creature’s body, making it double in size again.

  “What the actual fuck is going on?” Eliza rapidly blinks, eyes still burning from the magic.

  “That thing,” I pant. “I…I don’t know what it is.”

  “No shit.” She bares her fangs at the creature, he growls right back at her. It’s the size of a horse now, still canine in appearance with pounds of rippling muscle under thick skin.

  The creature lets out another roar, spraying us with yellow salvia.

  “This dress is dry clean only,” Eliza growls and rushes forward, moving with vampire speed. Like all vampires, she has super strength, but that thing is too strong. She hits it hard in the chest, making it stagger back. It snaps down at her and she dodges out of the way, narrowly avoiding being bitten. She goes to hit it again, but it moves fast and this time; it clamps its mouth down on her arm.

  “Eliza!” I scream and thrust my hands forward, putting every ounce of energy I have into telekinetically throwing that thing backward. It hits the wall with a heavy thud, and drywall rains down on us. I hold out my hand, and it feels like I’m being sucked under water while trying to dead lift a thousand pounds at the same time. My ears ring and my vision starts to go hazy. “Go!”

  Eliza scrambles up, zooming over to the vent. Kristy and the twins are outside in the alley still, not sure what’s going on. I can barely hear their voices over the pounding of my own heartbeat in my head.

  “Callie!” Eliza shouts, reaching out her hand for me to take. “Come on!”

  “Go!” I yell, knowing if I look away from the creature, I’ll break my concentration and will lose my hold on it. And then that thing will get Eliza and God knows who else.

  “Callie!” I hear Kristy shout.

  “Go!” I yell again. “Get out of here! I can’t hold it for much longer.”

  The creature shoves itself forward, roaring and growling as it fights my hold. Its head jerks forward, fangs slashing through the air.

  My hands start to shake, and my head feels like it’s going to explode. I push against the creature with everything I’ve got, shoving it against the wall. Its head whacks back, cracking the drywall and splitting the framing. Dust billows out around it, and I know I’m getting close to losing my hold.

  Narrowing my eyes, I give one final push, sending the creature through the wall. My hands fall to my sides, and the world spins around us. I let out a breath, heart hammering and ears still ringing.

  “Callie, run!” Eliza yells, and this time she doesn’t have to tell me twice. She’s by the vent and jumps up, gracefully moving through it and into the alley. She turns around, holding out her hands. Her fingers wrap around my wrists and she starts to pull me up.

  And then something grabs my ankle, jerking me back. Eliza tugs me forward, and I can feel the bones in my wrist start to separate. I cry out in pain and reach for Eliza with my other hand.

  “Hang on!” she shouts as I turn around to see the dead man from the alley holding my ankle. I kick and my heels clips him in the face. He doesn’t even react to the pain. The black veins are back on his face, and his eyes are dark as well, looking like they’ve rotted in his skull.

  He twists my ankle and digs his fingernails into my skin, tearing open my flesh. The demonic dog-creature stands behind him, pulling its lips back in a snarl. Eliza pulls again, using her vampire strength, and I feel like my arm is going to rip right off my body. My arm twists, and I’m pulled from Eliza’s grip. I fall hard onto the dirty tile of the laundromat, and the man drags me across the floor.

  Screaming in protest, I twist around and try to hit him with an energy ball. As soon as the magic glows around my fingers, the man jerks me hard and my head falls back, hitting the tile. Pain radiates through me, causing my vision to black out for a few seconds. The man drags me through the double doors and into the hallway, where the creature is waiting. It stands before me and opens its mouth. I close my eyes, bracing for the pain.

  Something crashes into the creature, sending it flying down the hall. I clamber up, ankle burning from where the man scratched me, and blink, hardly able to see through the dust haze in front of me.

  Lucas plants both of his hands on the man’s head and twists it around, not stopping until it snaps clean off. He throws the head on the ground and steps back, holding his arms out protectively. Panting, I bring my hands out in front of me and conjure a bright blue energy ball. The light burns Lucas’s flesh, but he grits his teeth, bringing his lips back to reveal his fangs.

  The dog-creature rears up right as I release the energy ball. It hits it square in the chest, burning through several layers of its skin. Lucas risks turning around and takes me in his arms.

  “Callie,” he breathes, eyes wide as he looks me up and down, making sure I’m okay. Then he pushes me back and sprints forward, knocking the creature to the ground and speeding back to my side. I hit it with another energy ball and the thing recoils, screeching in pain. It backs into the hall and takes off, disappearing from view.

  “I’m okay,” I pant, knowing what he’s thinking. “All things considered.”

  He pushes my hair back before pulling me to him, turning away from the creature and using his own body as a shield. I can hear it growling in protest, angry that Lucas was able to throw it around like a rag doll.

  “What the hell is that?” I pant, hands shaking as I reach for Lucas.

  “I don’t know, and I don’t think we have time to find out.” He scoops me up and starts forward, only to come to a sudden halt as parts of the ceiling rain down around us. We can’t get through the same way we came, and when he turns, we’re face to face with the creature again.

  Lucas puts me down and steps in front of me, ready to sacrifice himself if it means saving me. I take in a deep breath and plant one foot firmly on the ground. My hair blows back when the creature lets out a warning growl, and I throw my hands up, creating a telekinetic shield that it crashes into when it dives right for Lucas.

  I let out a yell as I push the shield against the creature.

  “I…I got him…” I say through gritted teeth. “For…now.”

  Lucas shifts his gaze from the creature to me and back again. “Can you hit it with another energy ball?” he asks.

  “I…think…so.” I give the shield another shove and feel blood drip down my nose. “But I’ll…have…to…let this…go…first.”

  “I’ll hold it back.”

  “No!” I shout but Lucas doesn’t listen. He speeds forward, movin
g around the shield I’m holding, and grabs the creature’s back leg, yanking it away from me. My hands fall and the world spins around me. Everything is crashing down at a dizzying rate, and I know Lucas is living on borrowed time. That thing is going to turn around and attack him, ripping him to shreds that even he can’t heal from.

  “Lucas!” I call, but my voice dies in my throat. I hold up my hands to conjure an energy ball, but I can hardly move. My composure falters and my sore ankle twists, giving out. I fall to the ground. The creature rounds on him, teeth slashing against his chest. His skin tears open, and blood darkens his shirt.

  I thrust my hand forward, using the last bit of energy I have to push the thing away from Lucas. He speeds over, catching me before I hit the ground.

  His blood soaks my skin as he cradles me against him. The creature lets out another deafening roar and Lucas holds me tight, standing up but faltering. It will take him a few more seconds at least to heal, and he’s losing a lot of blood rather quickly. The creature dives down on us, but smashes into an invisible wall.

  “Are you doing that?”

  “No,” I answer Lucas. He gets to his feet, still holding me, and we turn, seeing Kristy, Naomi, and Nicole holding hands and standing in a circle, chanting.

  “It’s a protection spell,” I explain, hearing the words in Latin. Eliza rushes forward and puts her hand on Lucas’s chest, looking horrified from the blood.

  “Lucas.” Her eyes fill with tears.

  “I’m fine,” he assures her and sets me on my feet. He keeps one arm around my waist and brings his other to Eliza’s cheek, caressing her face for a brief moment. I bring my head to my hands and let out my breath. The creature is detained—for now.

  But that’s not good enough. It has to be stopped.

  Blinking, I look from Lucas and Eliza to Kristy, Nicole, and Naomi. The circle they’re casting is the only thing that’s holding that creature back. Once it’s broken…no. I won’t let myself think that way.

  I inhale heavily and spin around, staring right at that thing. Face set, I march forward and throw my hands out, telekinetically jerking it into the air.

  “Callie,” Lucas exclaims, and Kristy breaks her concentration, looking up at me. The thing crashes forward, hitting the wall of magic laid out in front of it. I throw it back, focusing all my energy into the open wound on its chest. Whatever it is, it’s strong, and it’s not going to go down easy.

  But I’ll be damned before I let everyone I care about put themselves at risk for me. Lucas moves over, and he puts his hand on my shoulder. He’s not stopping me. Not telling me this is a stupid idea and I need to tuck my tail between my legs and run.

  He’s letting me know he’s here. He’ll do whatever he can to keep me safe.

  The creature jumps up, giant paws scraping against the magical wall my friends are holding up. More blood drips from my nose, and it feels like a million pounds are pressing down on me.

  My heart is racing, and my ears are ringing. The world around me starts to shake, and I know I’m running out of energy. For some reason, that stupid feather I found in the alley pops into my mind. I remember how good if felt in my hands, how sleek and soft it was and how it felt familiar at the same time.

  The creature pushes forward again, and Lucas moves a step forward, ready to take that thing on if need be. Seeing him so willing to risk himself…no…I won’t let it come to that.

  My mouth falls open with a yell as I pull my hands apart, sinking a telekinetic hold on the creature. The wound on its chest starts to separate, and thick blood drips to the ground. Everything inside me hurts, but I don’t stop. Screaming with pain, I move my hands apart and rip the creature in two.

  The two halves of the creature splat onto the ground and explode into a hundred dead rats. I jerk back, vision going hazy. I lose my balance and Lucas catches me, looking at the rats with the same horrified expression I have on my face.

  One of the rats twitches, squeaking and squealing as it tries to get up. Lucas sets me on the ground and rushes forward, stomping on it. He looks around for any others that are still alive to squish as well. Kristy runs to me, slipping her arms under mine and pulls me back. Nicole and Naomi stand over us, holding hands and still chanting, keeping the demon-rats from getting me.

  My eyes flutter shut, and time moves slowly. Or quickly. I’m not sure, because the next thing I know, Lucas is carrying me and I’m breathing in fresh air. The thumping bass of the bar rings out next to me, and when I blink my eyes open, I realize I’m in the alley. Lucas is holding me, and my friends are looking at me with concern.

  “Can you hear me, Callie?” Lucas asks, voice low.

  “Yeah.” The world spins and I feel like I’m drunk all over again. Visions of dead rats flash before me, and that putrid smell of death fills my nose. “Put me down. Now.” He sets me on the ground, and I hurry away, moving to the dumpster. I bend over and throw up all over the pavement.

  “What in the ever-loving fuck was that?” Eliza sputters.

  “A hellhound,” Lucas answers, gathering my hair in his hand. “Or at least it resembled the last one I saw.”

  “Right,” I groan, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “You’ve seen one before.”

  “You’ve seen a hellhound?” Eliza asks incredulously. “Why haven’t I heard about it?”

  “It was many years before I made you,” Lucas tells her and directs his attention to me. “We need to get her home.”

  “Are you okay?” Kristy asks, tentatively coming over.

  “That hot dog tasted much better going in.” I shudder from the foul taste in my mouth. “I need some water.”

  “Eliza,” Lucas says pointedly, raising his eyebrows.

  “Oh for fuck’s sake,” she groans, but isn’t able to hide her fear. She rushes away, presumably going into the bar to get me a cup of water. I move away from the puddle of vomit in the alley and lean against Lucas for support.

  “Leave it to you to find a hellhound on a girls’ night out,” Naomi quips, eyes still wide. “At least tonight was unforgettable.”

  The world is still spinning around me and all I want to do is lie down and take a nap. I depleted myself using that much energy.

  “You kicked its ass.” Nicole shuffles over. “That was…that was…”

  “Incredible,” Lucas finishes.

  “I was going to say insane and dangerous.”

  “I suppose it had a little of that all mixed in.” Lucas twists my hair in his hand, moving it off my back. “Are you all right, my love?”

  “I don’t think I’m going to puke anymore,” I tell him ruefully. “The world isn’t spinning as much.” I sway on my feet as I turn around and look at the building. “Is it over? It…it turned into rats.”

  “All the rats are dead.”

  “Are you sure? I’ll come back with my familiars and enough vanquishing potion to—”

  “No,” everyone says at the same time.

  “You’ve been weakened, Callie.” Lucas slips his arm around me again. “As have I. We need to go.” He picks me up before I can protest and starts walking away from the alley.

  “Wait,” I say and push out of his arms.

  “What is it?”

  “The vent. I…I need to recover it.”

  Nicole takes Naomi’s hand. “We’ve got this.” They raise their hands together and the vent flies back onto the brick building, stuck with magic. No human will be able to get it off now.

  Eliza zooms over, holding a plastic cup of water. I rinse my mouth out and then suck down the rest of the water. Lucas drove his Range Rover to the bar, and we all cram in.

  “How did you find us?” Eliza asks, taking the front passenger side seat.

  “I felt Callie’s fear,” Lucas explains, looking slightly confused himself. It’s not the first time he’s sensed my emotions, and it’s not a normal bond for a human and vampire to have.

  Whatever the reason, I’m glad he came when he did…because I don’t
think I could have fought that thing off without him. I take my purse from Kristy and reach inside, fingers gracing over the feather.

  Shit just went down.

  Tough shit.

  Deep shit.

  Yet for some reason, the moment my fingers make contact with the feather, everything feels like it’s going to be all right.

  Chapter 14

  “I don’t know anyone who can say they defeated a hellhound.” Lucas sets me on his bed and moves to his knees, hands running down my calves. He starts to undo the buckles on my shoes.

  “In heels and a pushup bra, no less.”

  He looks into my eyes and smiles. “Are you sure you’re all right, Callie?” He takes one shoe off and sets it on the floor. “What happened back there was intense.”

  “I’m alive. You’re alive and my friends are alive. Hell, even Eliza is alive. Well, I guess you and Eliza aren’t, but you know what I mean.”

  “I do.” He takes off my other shoe and then helps me to my feet again. The shower is already on, and as much as I want to clean myself up, I just want to crash into bed with a bowl of pasta.

  Lucas helps me to my feet and unzips my dress. It falls to the floor, and he does his best not to react to the sight of me stripping out of my clothes. My bra and panties come off next, and we get into the shower together.

  “Does it hurt?” Lucas asks, gently washing away dried blood from the scrapes on my ankle.

  “A little. The balls of my feet hurt more than anything, oddly enough,” I tell him, looking down at him. Warm water rushes over us both, and my heart swells in my chest. I’m too tired and too freaked out for sex right now, but I’m feeling so strongly for Lucas it’s almost overwhelming.

  He found me—again.

  He risked his afterlife for me—again.

  He’s taking care of me—again.

  “Do you have any of that healing balm left?” he asks, straightening back up. He towers over me and I step in, needing to feel him against me.

  “Yeah, I do. And Kristy probably brought some. She’s usually well prepared.” My friends had intended on getting a hotel downtown for the night, sleeping off what we drank. They’re here instead, as well as Eliza.