“Being close to him made me happy. He made a point of being lovely to Nancy, too. He brought me places, made me feel normal, like I fit in somewhere. She obviously saw the change in me because she began to treat me like a person. For the first time ever, I felt happy. I mean, it really was the first time I’d felt it. Then, I screwed it all up and had to leave.” I chanced a look at Peter. He was staring at the wall, his shoulders tense.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Me?” He sounded shocked. “I should be asking you that.”
“I’m okay now.” I realised it was true as I spoke the words. “I’m starting to figure out how to look after myself, I think. I just have to learn how to let go of the past, I suppose. I’ll get there.”
“You’ve a lot to let go of.”
“Look who’s talking.”
“Everyone has something.” He leaned over and wrapped his arms around me. “You’ll get through it. I promise.”
Our eyes locked, and my heartbeat sped up, but he got up and moved away.
“About the succubus,” he said abruptly. “If we took Carl, what would happen?”
“He’d probably do his best to get back to her. It’s like an addiction, I think. He could die,” I said.
“Or it might wear off. Going cold turkey, that sort of thing. It might be worth a try.”
“It’s something to consider. But she would probably come and get him. Or force him to hurt himself getting back to her. I thought you wanted me to give up on him,” I added.
“It’s not that. It’s just… you always act like you have to do things. You don’t. You can walk away any time.” Something in his eyes made me think he wasn’t talking about Carl at all.
“Carl’s one of the few people I haven’t freaked out. It’s not that I have to save him. I want to. I’m trying to set up an appointment with Daimhín to ask her for help. I know, I know, don’t look at me like that. I’m having some trouble, so I thought you might be able to put a word in with Yvonne for me. Please?”
He backed away at her name. “I’ll try. Whatever good that does. Do you really think Daimhín will give a crap?”
“Probably not. But she might despise succubi and want to get one over on them.” I smiled. “It’s worth a try. You know what? Maybe I should go back home. Give the demon something to chew on so she doesn’t overdose on Carl.”
“Sometimes I think you’re crazy,” he said, but the corners of his mouth lifted.
“Ever wonder where we’d be if life was normal?”
“Probably as bored as Carl was. I’m not so sure I want normal anymore.”
“And I’m the crazy one. I should go. Thanks for… everything.”
Chapter Twelve
“I take it you’ve heard the news,” Daimhín said, taking in my appearance with the slightest look of disdain. Compared to her, I was permanently unkempt.
“What news?”
“Nobody told you? I thought that’s why you wanted to see me. It hasn’t made the human news yet, but a ferry went missing. It was found drifting, completely empty. They’re referring to it as the Irish Mary Celeste.”
I frowned, wondering at the significance.
She made a little frustrated noise. “The beast. It had to be her.”
“No bodies?”
“Maybe dumped overboard,” she said. “She hasn’t been back, so there’s a good chance she’s crossed the water for good.”
“She’ll be back,” I said. “If she survived, then we haven’t heard the last of her. And if she fed on an entire ferry full of people, she’s more than healthy.”
“No matter. It’s not our problem anymore. I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to talk to you about your employment with me.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something, too,” I said, leaning back in my seat, grateful that only a handful of her coven had joined us. I caught the eye of Eloise and got distracted until Daimhín cleared her throat.
“Sorry,” I said. “I have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
I rubbed my cheek, suddenly embarrassed. I felt as if I’d been caught out somehow. “A succubus. Turns out there’s one in my building. She marked my friend, and she’s been draining me for years. There’s a good chance she’s effectively been using my friend to spy on me. I’ve been told there’s not much I can do about it. But you took responsibility for me before. Can you help me?”
Her laugh was like a cackle. “I hate those things. Trust you to live in the same building as one. I hope you’re not particularly fond of this friend. Succubi don’t let go easily.”
“Carl. The one I… the one who started everything really. There has to be something I can do. They can’t just feed on anyone they like, can they?”
“They usually only feed on humans, which doesn’t explain how she’s been draining you. It’s strange that she’s chosen your human—”
“He’s not actually mine.”
“—because they tend to travel wider than that. Unless you offended her, which… you did, of course. I forget you have the manners of a chimp. I’ll send someone to ask politely. Other than that, I have no recourse. I will, however, make a point of mentioning it to the Council. I don’t like the idea that she’s taking something of mine, especially considering the situation with the beast. No wonder you didn’t catch her. As a society, we all needed the beast to be dealt with as soon as possible. If this demon interfered with that, the Council won’t be happy.” I kept quiet, perfectly happy for her to go with that train of thought.
She stared off into the distance, drumming her fingers on her knee. “Yes, that’s what I’ll do. She’s taking some of your power. I need that. Selfish of her really. You do understand that your human will die, even if she lets him go?”
“No, he can’t. He’ll be fine. There has to be a way for him to be fine.”
“She won’t let him go willingly,” a voice said from the corner. We both turned to look at Eloise.
“Did you see that?” Daimhín asked harshly.
Eloise shrugged. “Perhaps it was a dream, perhaps a memory. The succubi don’t give up what’s theirs. Unless it doesn’t belong to them.” She gazed at me as if waiting for me to understand. I didn’t.
“Perhaps you’ll get lucky,” Daimhín said. “Now, Ms. Delaney, I’ve decided to keep you on permanently, publicly. Brogan is surprisingly quick to hand over what’s mine when you’re the one collecting. I don’t know why I bother making deals with him. He’s never understood the concept of repaying debts.” I could have sworn a crooked smile twisted her lips. “And the angel might be fairer when one of his own is around. Your trial was a disaster for my reputation, but if you’re seen to be loyal to me, then it could speed up the recovery.”
I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Actually being able to laugh in front of her was a shock. “That was pretty much all your fault.”
“Now, now. It was that traitor, Gideon. I was too trusting of him. It won’t happen again. But you. You came out of it shining. It’s a critical time. Some are wary, others are interested. Either way, I could use you. With your face associated with my coven, some will be more easily persuaded. Of course, if I’m seen to treat you fairly, the Council might favour me. Yes. There are lots of ways you can help me.”
“Why would I want to?”
“Money. Security. Support. Information, maybe.”
My ears pricked up at that.
“I’ve lived a long time. I’ve learned a lot of things. I know exactly why my day assistant works for me. I’m careful around her. She hears what I want her to hear. Remember that when she tells tales. But I’m willing to exchange some things with you for your allegiance. I don’t desire her blood, so she can’t give me anything unique. You, on the other hand—”
“Why not?” I blurted.
“Excuse me?”
“Why don’t you desire her blood? What is it about some people that makes them…” I shrugged, unable to think of an appropriate word t
hat didn’t make me sound like a hungry lion.
Her eyes bulged a little. “You might be the most ignorant creature to pass my threshold.” She sighed. “It boils down to a number of things. Personal preference, health, diet, genetics. Something in her bloodline is different, inedible. Some humans are bred to be victims. Just like in the old days.”
She gave a sudden smile, lost in thought. I cleared my throat to grab her attention again.
“Yes. You. You have my coven’s support, even if they hate you, and I can easily pass on tidbits of information if you please me. I know you have a ridiculous soft spot for those humans. Trust me, my information is worth it. You’ll receive a wage, and you’ll work regularly for me. Not on a daily basis, don’t worry. But enough for you to keep your schedule open for me.”
Although her tone was mocking, the lure of information was great. Maybe too good to be true.
“I still don’t see why you haven’t given any of this information to Yvonne already. If you have any, that is.”
She smiled. “You’re learning. She’s human. She’s not a pet of mine. She’s efficient, and she keeps me aware of Brannigan enough that I don’t have to worry about him. But now I have you.”
“Peter? Why would he worry you?”
“He’s protected. If the Council ever wanted to get rid of us, I know they would use him. He’s connected to you now. He wouldn’t risk you to get to us.”
“You don’t know him very well, then. Peter won’t let anything get in his way.”
“You sound bitter,” she said with a knowing smile.
“Fine.” I stood to leave. “You help me, and I’ll help you. I can live with that. For now.”
“Good. I’ll arrange a visit to the succubus.”
“Does this mean you don’t want me dead?” I asked.
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Oh, I definitely want you dead. I just don’t want to be the one to risk it.”
***
Daimhín’s parting words replayed in my head. Risk what? Whenever I used my dagger on a vampire, they burned until all that remained was dust on the wind. What if something happened when I died? Something that might injure my killer perhaps. I had a good idea that Eloise would know. If only I could get some time alone with her.
That led me to her enigmatic message. I felt as though I might be missing something regarding Carl and the succubus. Could I have prior claim to him because I had once controlled his mind? But no, the bond was broken, and that meant it couldn’t have any more influence on him. There had to be something. All I could do for sure was rely on Daimhín and hope her messenger could persuade the succubus to be sensible and let Carl go.
I was so tempted to burst into her flat and just take Carl away, but common sense prevailed. Or at least a supernatural version of common sense. As I walked home, I watched the world with my other abilities, half-hoping to see Becca so I could take my bad mood out on her.
Everything was normal, at least for my world. Red pulsing energies signalled humans all around me. Empty pockets were the stamps left by vampires. Various other energies appeared in a vague sort of way, but it was as though my senses were more attuned to the things that made up my DNA.
I cut through a park to get home, squeezing through bent bars to make my way past a child’s playground. The wind picked up, although the night wasn’t as cold as usual, and it took me a few minutes to realise it wasn’t the wind at all.
“Hello, stranger,” I said before heeding the warning of the presence with me. In my other sight, I saw something strange running toward me and whirled around to face it. It looked like a human. It had a heartbeat. But its energy was screwed up, and I slowly realised why. Shadows. Clinging to the man’s soul. Or what was once a man.
He raced at me, fists closed. He was big, burly, and outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds. Not to mention he was more than a foot taller.
I blew out a sigh, realising my latest non-fighting streak was about to come to an end. A couple of days felt like some kind of record. I planted my feet firmly on the ground and hoped I would remember all of Peter’s advice. I didn’t want to hurt a human, but I needed a couple of minutes to burn those shadows away, and they were embedded so deeply in the man’s soul that I wasn’t even sure it would help.
The man rushed at me but stumbled when I jumped to the side and pushed him, his weight helping me. His face was distorted, almost unrecognisable as a person. His eyes swam with a misty substance that made me feel sick to my stomach. Not even close to the reaction Coyle gave me, but the man was infected with darkness, more than Peter or the fox-shifter had been. He festered with it.
He ran at me again, swinging his heavy fists. One connected with the side of my head as I tried to block him and grab his face. All I needed was a few minutes of contact with his skin, and I could burn the shadows from his body. I was confident that was all it would take, but the dizziness from the blow he landed convinced me I would have to knock him unconscious to even have a chance at cleansing him.
We grappled, and I cursed the stupid succubus for draining me of any precious energy. I didn’t want to hurt the man, feeling sure he was innocent. He had probably been sent by Coyle to distract me at best, and kill me if he could.
Grunting heavily when another punch landed, I decided to use my speed against the man. I dodged around him, hoping he would use up some energy following me, but the shadow seemed to push his body further than humanly possible. I was outmatched… by a human.
I tried to pace myself, tried to think, tried to remember everything I should do, but being attacked by a human unnerved me. I let down my guard for an instant and received a swift punch in the mouth for my trouble. Without thinking, I struck back twice in quick succession. The man’s bald head automatically rocked back, but he kept coming, arms swinging.
I dropped to the ground abruptly and used my feet to knock him back. He fell over, and I leapt on top of him and squeezed his throat. Using his bulk, he rolled us both over. I barely managed to escape from under his dead weight.
I was quicker to my feet, and by the time he had gotten to his, I was prepared to jump on his back. Grasping his shoulders, I swung myself up before digging my fingers into his Adam’s apple until I managed to grip him with my arm.
He pushed and pulled, and in the end, threw himself onto the ground, me underneath him. I pressed on his neck, listening carefully for his heartbeat to slow. Right before I let go, unwilling to risk his death, he slumped unconscious, and his weight almost cracked my ribs.
Not knowing how much time I had, I carefully pushed him off. Rubbing my hands together, I prayed it would work like last time. Using my other sense, I saw the black shadows weaving around his essence, suffocating his humanity. I lay his head on my lap to keep from grinding his skin into glass or stones, then pressed my palms against his forehead as hard as I could.
The shadows were persistent. They held tight, entwined with his very being. Sweat rolled down my back, and pain racked my entire body, but I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t let him run around with such evil inside him. I couldn’t let him attack anyone I knew.
Slowly, the shadows loosened a little. I kept pulling at them with that unknown power inside me. Every time I felt like I had a grip, they fought to cling even tighter. Finally, one of the shadows seeped away from him and into me. I imagined I heard screams, even though it wasn’t possible.
I choked down waves of nausea, but refused to break contact with his skin. Desperation bubbled up inside me. I had to get rid of the shadows. It was as though that was what I was born to do. The fear gripped me as tight as the shadows had to the man lying before me. Too late, I felt his heartbeat slowing dangerously.
“No, no!” I cried out. “Stay with me! Stay with me!”
The last of the shadows left him. My hands flailed as if independent from my body. I burned and stared at the flowing black swirls beneath my skin in disbelief, feeling torment and pain dance around inside me. The light came, highlighting
my veins and searing through the corrosive substance that invaded my being with the shadow. I wanted to scream, to run, to hide. But I couldn’t.
By the time the pain faded and my gasping breaths slowed down, he was gone. I cradled him for a few minutes, almost surprised by how heartbroken I felt at my part in his death. He had been used by something evil to do something evil. When I destroyed the darkness, I destroyed him, too. And I was still no closer to knowing exactly what the shadows were or what they could do.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hearing my words fly away on the wind. I closed his eyes then fished my phone out of my pocket to call for an ambulance. I knelt by him, holding his hand, unable to control the shuddering of my body. I didn’t want to leave him alone like that.
Not like that.
When I heard the wailing sirens of an ambulance in the distance, I lay his head gently on the ground and ran in the opposite direction.
I couldn’t cry. I couldn’t think. Killing vampires—who technically were already dead—unnerved me. The death of a human felt much more real. Savage. When I got far enough away, I hid behind a bush to vomit. I dry heaved over and over again, every time I thought of his fading heartbeat, of his glazed-over eyes. If Coyle had sent him, was that what he wanted?
Chapter Thirteen
I spent the next day in bed, mourning the deaths of human men and reading Eddie’s ridiculously scary books in an attempt to save another man in my life from a succubus.
No matter what I did, the man’s face kept coming back to me. Did he have a family? Friends? People who would miss him? I watched the news on the hour, but saw nothing about a body in the park. Plenty on the Mary Celeste ferry. An empty, drifting boat was something to talk about. Not a nameless man who had died in a park for no good reason.
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