Winter Blood: an Urban Fantasy Novel (Coldharbour Chronicles Book 4)

by Richard Amos

  “It is dreadful and must be rectified as soon as possible. If only we could have stopped her before she could have her full power restored.” Karla picked up the teacup and took a dainty sip. Placing it back on the saucer, she added, “Tell me about Purple. Naomi has said the truth potion was a success.”

  Be cool …

  I gnawed on my bottom lip, my left foot doing a jig under my chair.

  “We need more, though,” Greg responded. “To get more out of her.”

  When were they gonna break it to her?

  Be cool …

  “Indeed,” Karla replied. “I will need to think of an alternative during Dean’s absence.”

  Be cool …

  “It—”

  “Were you the cause of this?” Not only had I managed to cut Nay off from whatever she was about to say, I’d also started the ball rolling down the hill to Shitville. “Was it you? Did you fuck your magic and screw the city over?” There was no stopping me, even though my friends tried to. “What about Michael?” Man, my chest was tight with grief that came bubbling up once again. “Did you have him killed?”

  I was looking squarely at her. The dining room was full of thick silence.

  “Karla—”

  She lifted a hand up to silence Nay.

  Bollocks! I’d gone and done it now. But it was the Michael thing that bothered me most of all. Why did he need to be involved?

  I told her that, spilled all about what’d gone down at the facility.

  I was panting by the end of it.

  My friends were watching me. Talk about lack of ability to handle delicate things with care. Yet I didn’t give a crap. This was serious. I couldn’t take any more of the sitting and waiting for something to happen. Answers were needed—a staple part of my life here in Coldharbour.

  “We have to know,” I said.

  “Can you explain this?” Nay added.

  Karla sipped some more of her tea. “Isn’t it fascinating the way life seems to suddenly push you from one path into the ditch, only to take that path away when you manage to climb back up the embankment?”

  My teeth were fit to snap in their clenching.

  “I could sit here and weave you a lie, but I will not do that.”

  The air was sucked out of me. Had she just confessed?

  “Karla?” Greg spoke. “What’re you saying?”

  “You have no idea how hard life is without eyes, not a single one of you. I want to see what you see, all the colors of the world. Oh, I have sights in my head, see things that you could never see. But it isn’t seeing in the way that you experience. You will never have my abilities like I will never have yours.” She hesitated a moment. “I wanted more, to achieve more, to be something greater than the blind witch with a bottomless bank account. That is all I ever was to the supernatural council, something of a novelty.” Her tone turned more animated. “At those wretched meetings I was treated as if I were glass. Please, let me walk you to your seat, Miss. Jones. Do not lift a finger, Miss. Jones, you just sit there while I get you some tea, biscuits, and talk over you while I stand by your side and converse with someone who can actually see me. Pathetic!” She slammed her fist down on the table, her cup and saucer rattling at the force of it. “I am not irrelevant, a weak creature to be pandered to. I never have been. All of my life I have had to fight, to work hard to get to where I am. But my financial success had never sated my desire to achieve more, to make wonderful discoveries of my own. I was, you may say, desperate for relevancy, to see someone other than the preconceived impression people have of me. Delicate Karla Jones. Tell me, friends, have I ever shown you that I am weak?”

  None of us answered.

  I still couldn’t breathe, frozen to my seat, brain a block of ice.

  “Your silence is interesting. Yes, my ambition got the better of me. I did cause all of this.” She cocked her head. “I cannot hear a single breath in this room. How does it make you feel, to know I did this, that all of the death and sorrow was all because of my reckless actions? Do you feel a trace of empathy for me now you know I wanted to move out of the shadow of my disability? No, I wouldn’t either. You could call it greed for greatness, yet I would be listing excuses. You have discovered my secret from a source of evil—”

  “What about Michael?” I jumped in, done with listening to this.

  She was silent for a good twenty seconds. “Who are you, Jake? What are you? You have a judgmental lilt to your voice. Is it fair for a man who is self-destructive to cast that judgment on me? You do not value life like I do. Drugs and recklessness, a hot-headed nature. What if you did not have the power to heal? You would be dead. You have admitted as such in the past. That makes you a fool, weak. When the goddess showed me your face in the vision she blessed me with, I had to know more. With help, your life was revealed to me. You have never spoken to me about it, have you?”

  Help? The white eye guy? Oh, my God …

  “I saw it all, the dirt and the agony and the pathetic creature you were. Michael was dragging you down into the pit of despair. There was only one direction your life was heading in—an overdose and death. You had to be free from him. Granted, when you tried to kill yourself after his demise, I was worried the goddess had made a grave mistake in choosing you. However, you triumphed. I will give you all the glory, Jake. You have strength of character deep within the mess that threatens to destroy you.”

  Oh. My. Fucking. God.

  “Say it,” I said, “I want to hear you say it.” I got to my feet.

  “Tell us this isn’t true,” Nay pleaded. “This isn’t true.”

  “Say it!” I spat. “Fucking say it!”

  “Very well, Jake. Here ends life as we know it. I ordered the white-eyed gentleman to kill Michael. I had no choice. You needed to be focused, to end up here.”

  The floor came up to meet me. But I didn’t black out, although my nose cracked from the impact. I was overflowing with rage, too much of it. This was new ground. Sure, I’d experienced betrayal before. It sucked, yet this wasn’t the same. It was a million ways worse. Breaking a heart was an act of violence, but an actual act of physical violence, a plan to see it through, was a whole other level of evil.

  “My Lady?”

  Mr. Douglas was back in the room.

  My healing magic kicked in as Greg picked me up off the floor, helping me stabilize.

  Tears were running down Nay’s face. “How could you do this?”

  “For survival, Naomi.”

  “Fuck you! Don’t you dare talk down to me. I should come over there and smash your face in, bitch! You’re supposed to be our leader, the head of all this.” She waved her hands around the room. “We’re bonded, for God’s sake!”

  “What is happening?” Mr. Douglas questioned.

  “You don’t know?” Greg asked.

  I didn’t look behind me to see him, keeping my focus on my husband’s other killer. The bloody mastermind.

  “You must tell me, Mr. Stone,” Mr. Douglas said. “What is it?”

  Greg told him as Karla remained seated, as we all waited for the next stage. The vengeful half of me wanting to break out needed to see her dead body on the dining room floor. The other half wanted to crumble.

  “This cannot be,” the butler breathed. “No. This isn’t true, Miss. Jones. You would never—”

  “It is true, Mr. Douglas. I am deeply sorry, but it is. My own foolish mistake for delving too deep, to be the greatest of witches … maybe even find a cure for my blindness. As for Michael’s death, it had to happen. You are a smart man, Mr. Douglas. You must understand my reasons behind this.”

  “You murdering bitch.”

  Mr. Douglas’s reaction startled me.

  “I have devoted myself to your service and this is how you repay me, repay all of us? Why would you lie, why would you think to kill an innocent man was right?”

  Karla slowly stood up. “Because Jake is our last hope if we are to be free. As much as his lack of care fo
r life irritates me, I am grateful for him. The goddess has made him well enough to survive. And I pray he does, because only he can truly end this curse.”

  “That you brought down on us,” Nay countered.

  My mouth was dry, but I managed to ask a question. “What about the white eye guy? He wants my blood to raise this Claec, right?”

  “Yes, he does. And he cannot. I fully intend to break the deal. Or should I say I intended to while it was still a secret.”

  “What deal?”

  “To hand you over on the Spring Equinox. I would never give him what he wanted.”

  It was hot in here. Fuck. “All this time, you … you’re one amazing liar.”

  “I’ll say,” Greg seconded. He hadn’t said much. “Telling Jake we’d find out who he was, that we’d solve the mystery and you knew.” He shook his head. “Come on, out with it, in the spirit of clearing away the bullshit. Who is the white eye guy?”

  “You know what he wants,” Karla replied. “To raise that ancient beast.”

  “But why? Who is he?”

  She shook her head. “He did not tell me.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes. He is cunning. He came to me with the deal. Hecate used the word if before Jake overcoming his afflictions. I could not have things left to chance. If could not be a factor.”

  I spoke again. “So, you knew all about the beast priesthood, that they had seen me in a vision too?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who told them?”

  “Claec.”

  I swallowed. “He—”

  “His power is godly, far greater than Lilisian’s or any beast that has come after him. He is the first of his kind, ancient. Lilisian managed to overthrow him because he is, by all accounts, vain and terrible. She and her followers exploited this. And she is a very close second in her deadliness, thus needs to be stopped.”

  “Look at you with all the answers now,” I hissed. “How fucking interesting. Don’t you think we’re fully aware she needs to be stopped?”

  “Lilisian will destroy us all if you do not.”

  “Shut up,” Greg snapped. “Just shut the fuck up. Don’t try and bring this back to us sticking together to beat her. You … you …”

  “I what, Gregory? Do you forget whose house this is?”

  “I don’t give a shit.”

  “No, it is clear. Maybe she should destroy us all, then. How about that? Should I let her come and break down the wards and take it all? It doesn’t matter now, does it? I have broken your trust, done a terrible thing, so the greater good of this city can just be forgotten. Is that it? Am I striking the right cord?”

  “I can’t stay here,” I said.

  “Ah, it seems I am correct. Pathetic. You were gifted with a duty to save the world and you would throw it away because of your feelings. I understand what I have done, but I also understand what I must do. You should remember that, no matter how much you hate me right now. I always work for the greater good in things. I want my mistake undone, I want to see the world beyond Coldharbour again. Don’t you all want that too?”

  There was no sign of remorse over Michael. But then, why would there be?

  None of us answered her.

  “Do not let this make you lose sight of the endgame. This doesn’t have to—”

  “What makes you think I’d let you live to see Coldharbour free?” I cut in.

  “You are a fool, Jake.”

  “And you’re so fucking corrupt.”

  “Listen to me!” Her voice boomed with power. “I will not let you stand in the way of our freedom, of breaking this curse. I am no monster; I just take command of the weak. Yes! Weak! You have to live to kill Lilisian and then find the way to free us all. I will never let the white eye man have you. Ever. I am still your guardian, no matter what. I will be free, you will be free, and I will go and repent for my sins for the rest of my days. My journey does not end by your hand, Jake.”

  Greg had to hold me back. “Ever heard of revenge? I’ll have your fucking head for this!”

  Magical energy crackled from her hands and burst into lines of undying violet lightning, forming a wall to cut her off from us.

  She was nuts. Did she really think I was gonna take this and get back to work?

  “What kind of cold-hearted monster are you?” I said. “How could you do this to us?”

  The lightning was violent and potent, every hair on my body standing on edge. What the hell were we gonna do now? I noticed Mr. Douglas wasn’t in the room anymore.

  “I am going to leave the mansion and allow things to cool down,” Karla said.

  “What? Are you hearing yourself?” Greg responded. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “You would hold me here as a prisoner, would you? Or execute me?”

  “We don’t know,” Nay added. “This is … I don’t know. Call it a stalemate.”

  I was drifting in a sea of confusion, being pulled in all directions—bring Karla down, hold her prisoner, go and sob in a corner somewhere.

  This truly bloody sucked.

  Mr. Douglas appeared to the left behind her and drew his pistol. “My Lady, I do not believe you leaving here is possible.”

  Holy crap! How could she have left her back exposed?

  “Interesting,” she said, turning to face him. “I did not foresee this, Mr. Douglas. Not from my loyal servant. It appears I have been unwise in my haste. You would point that thing at me?”

  The butler’s hands were steady, his normally placid face dark with fury, lit with violet light—a face I’d seen a few times. “I have followed you for years, stood by your side for a long time. You were everything to me, Miss. Jones. I have given my loyalty and my … and my love.”

  “Your love, Mr. Douglas?”

  “Could you not feel it, My Lady? You stole my heart the first time I ever laid eyes upon you. I have enjoyed every moment serving you, even nursing you when you have been sick. We have always been a team, you and I against the world. Yet never anything more because that would be unprofessional of me to declare my love for you, to ask you for your hand in marriage.”

  Whoa. This wasn’t where I was expecting things to go.

  Karla was as still as anything behind the barrier of lighting, her back to all of us now as she faced Mr. Douglas. Her focus had been on us, and she was desperate to keep herself safe—panicked underneath the hard shell she projected. Panic can make us fuck up in all things, like spells that shouldn’t allow gun-wielding butlers to get the drop on us. Although, I was more worried for him than her.

  Damn.

  “Marriage?” she asked. “You see me as the marrying kind, do you?”

  “I did, yes.”

  “I have to be honest here, my friend, I have not felt anything other than loyalty from you. That is not to doubt your feelings, but to say I have not noticed them. My work has always come first.”

  “I know, My Lady. As is evident here. There is no feeling in you.”

  She shook her head. “That is not true.”

  “Then why did you do this? Why did you lie to the people who care for you?”

  “Oh, shit,” Greg whispered.

  “What?” I answered.

  “We need to get round there. She’ll kill him, or he’ll kill her. We can’t have this happen.”

  “You’re right,” Nay replied. “We can’t have any rash decisions made in this moment—not matter how fucking fuming we are.”

  “Now you try and be kind,” Mr. Douglas finally spoke, “when you have just insulted Mr. Winter.”

  “Wait here, Jakey,” Greg ordered. “We’ve got this.”

  “I speak the truth,” Karla answered Mr. Douglas. “And did I not say I value him too?” She turned her head slightly, and I froze. Karla wasn’t able to look at me, but her mouth was positioned so she could speak. “Do not come around here.”

  Greg and Nay were halfway across the room, and stopped at the sound of her voice.

  “Don’t
kill her,” Greg pleaded. “Not yet.”

  “Not yet?” Karla asked. “Is that what I have to look forward to? Custody and then death? I see. This is how I am to be rewarded?”

  “You broke everything,” Nay said. “What were you expecting?”

  “Understanding.”

  “You’re taking the piss, right?” I added.

  “I thought you would understand, Naomi, and you, Gregory. You have lived in hell for three years. So much loss, so much pain, so much life spent trapped in this awful bubble. What if Jake had failed to come here? What if he had succumbed to his addictions, his husband’s betrayal having brought him down to a level he could never rise from? All of the goddess’ energies were spent making him, the last hope. He is made of the blood of Hercules. It had to be him. But it was never certain until he was given a purpose to be strong. That purpose was vengeance fueled by the terrible grief he suffered.”

  Nay came to my side as I kept silent. Rage was threatening to boil over once again. I was hanging on a thread of silk above a pit of unbridled anger.

  “Did Hecate tell you all this?” Nay asked.

  “No.”

  “Then you were working with beasts—those priests. Brother Bennett, was it?”

  As Karla was still facing Mr. Douglas, there was no way to see her expression.

  The butler sighed heavily. “You had us wonder about so many things, My Lady. What of Floyd? Did he know more than what you had us believe?”

  “Yes,” Karla replied softly.

  “Your treachery runs deep.”

  “I had the best interests of the world at the forefront of my mind at all times. What is it you fail to understand about that?”

  “Your lies, My Lady. If they had not been revealed then you would continue on as normal, taking our respect and love without a care for us.”

  “I do care—for the future of this world and this city.”

  “What if the white eye guy had taken Jake for himself when you sent them off together that time?” Nay asked.

  “That was not the deal.”

  “Yeah, the fucking deal,” I finally jumped in again. “The one you say you’d have gone back on.”

  “Yes.”

  “And we’re supposed to believe anything that comes out of your mouth now?”