Demigod Down

by Kim Schubert

  “Oh me bloody head,” O’Conner whined behind me.

  Blowing out a breath, I trained both guns on the closest snake squeezing off rounds into its mouth, hoping that the two clips I had would be enough for both of them.

  It went down with an awful howl, thrashing and slapping the ground with its tail, its face a mess of shredded green slim.

  Turning my attention to the other slithering beast, I hardly got the first shot out into its mouth when its body slammed into me, pressing me flat against the grass and O’Conner. Gritting my teeth, I tried to ignore the pain from razor fang imbedded into my wrist. Screaming, I pulled the triggers blowing out the back its head as green slime flew out to coat my face and hands.

  “O’Conner?” I hissed, trying to keep the green goop from getting into my mouth.

  He groaned a response.

  “O’CONNER!” I screamed.

  “Not so loud lass,” He groaned, moving out from underneath me.

  So he was totally worthless. I groaned releasing my guns still in the mangled snake’s mouth as I used my uninjured hand to pull the fang out of my wrist.

  “Fucker,” I hissed as green slime coated my hands and previously clean guns.

  Pulling my feet underneath me, I stood storing my guns before kicking the hopefully lifeless corps of the giant and not talking snake.

  Was it wrong I was slightly disappointed they hadn’t actually talked? Although they did seem to have some hypnotic power given O’Conner’s response. Why it didn’t work on me was anyone’s guess.

  Neither beast moved, although O’Conner was rolling around clutching his head, I wish I had my own vehicle right now.

  My wrist dripped bright red blood into the crisp green grass. Sighing, I turned to O’Conner and hauled him up by the back of his shirt.

  “Let’s go, handsome,” I grunted under his weight as we made our shaky way back to his SUV. Leaning him against the passenger side, I used my good hand to search him for the keys.

  His head rolled back as he muttered nonsense. I hit pay dirt in his front jean pocket and he slid down to the asphalt when my injured wrist would no longer support him, landing with a thump.

  Blowing out an annoyed breath, I used his keys to unlock the door, securing them safely in my pocket before I hoisted him back up, tossing his ass ungracefully into his vehicle.

  Checking the snakes, I found their bodies in the same place I had shot them in. I was uneasy, leaving before I knew for absolutely certain if they were dead, but O’Conner needed medical attention and I needed my wrist bandaged up before it caused me massive blood loss. Not to mention who knew what the green slime would do.

  Flipping the keys in my hand, I turned away getting into the SUV. He was going to have a hell of a time getting the green slime stain out, I thought wickedly.

  A few blocks away from the park, O’Conner made a miraculous improvement, pushing up in the seat looking groggily around.

  “What the hell happened?” he asked, taking in my bloody wrist and slimed clothing.

  “The good news is we got the snakes, the bad news is your SUV is probably going to stink for awhile,” I teased him, winching as I made the turn and my wrist pounded painfully.

  “The last thing I remember is a beautiful woman in white walking towards me. She spoke to me too,” he said shocked as he pulled out his cell phone.

  “Apparently they could put their victims into some sort of trance,” I agreed with him. “But trust me, the corpses are of giant snakes. No one talked to me though.”

  O’Conner gave me a small, shaky smile before putting his phone to his ear relaying the events as we pulled into the precinct and next to my car.

  Pushing open the door, I went to the back of my SUV pulling out the first aid kit bathing my wrist in painful antiseptic before wrapping it up with a groan.

  Dead snakes fucking suck, what an awful slimy mess I thought to myself as I pulled off my boots while my phone began ringing. I gave thought to letting it just go to voicemail as I rested against the open tailgate of the SUV, but something made me pull it out with slimy fingers from my jacket pocket answering on speaker phone.

  “You need to get to Centennial House immediately,” an unknown voice stated. “Blake is in trouble,” before the line went dead.

  I looked down at the black screen, fear swirling in my gut. This did not bode well.

  Turning to O’Conner, I threw him the towel from the back of the SUV.

  “Trouble?” he asked using the towel to wipe green slime from his face.

  “Yeah, I gotta head back,” I answered, pulling off my shirt and pants making quick work with the baby wipes as I pulled as much slime off as possible before pulling on a clean tank top and jeans. Throwing my dirty clothing into a plastic bag along with my shoes.

  I went around to the driver’s side of my ride, throwing open the door. “Thanks for your help!” O’Conner called.

  Starting the SUV, I sped away. Oklahoma wasn’t done with me, of that I was certain. I had more pressing problems to deal with at the moment.

  Hitting the call button on the steering wheel, I dialed Grams.

  “What?” she answered groggily.

  “I need you to send someone to check on Blake at the Centennial House. Someone just called me that he is in trouble at the house,” I ordered her.

  “But you are okay?” she asked, waking up slightly.

  “Yes,” I growled, “But Blake might not be.”

  “Alright,” she said groaning as I heard the sheets move around her. “When will you be back?”

  “Three hours.” I groaned, pressing the accelerator down. It had taken me five hours to get down here. Nothing would stop me from returning as quickly as I could.

  I ended the call, trusting Grams to keep Blake safe until I could get there and hating that in his moment of need I was busy hunting down overgrown snakes to satisfy my thirst for blood.

  The drive back was a white knuckle event, keeping my eyes peeled open for any other vehicles in my way. I had a few narrow misses that kept my adrenaline pumping when my energy threatened to fail. Back in the city, I drove as though the police were pursuing me, which thankfully they weren’t and I arrived at the Centennial House in two hours and forty-six minutes.

  Slamming the SUV into park before throwing myself out at a run, I had a brief moment of hesitation when I realized I was completely weaponless and shoeless, but I didn’t go back. I needed to make sure Blake was alright.

  The front doors of the House hung open, with no guards present or receptionist to stop me. I barreled through the doors and into a terrified Mal.

  “Olie,” she whispered, pink tears threading down her cheeks, a mix of blood and water. “I tried to stop them, I tried, please, I don’t –“

  “Where is he?” I asked icily.

  She gulped terror at the situation and fear of what I would do warring within her. I stepped closer to her, “If you delay me here and any lasting damage is done to Blake, I promise I will hunt down everyone you have ever loved while you watch me bleed them.”

  Her eyes wide, I knew I had created a rift between us that one day I might regret, but at this moment I couldn’t bring myself to care. Turning slowly she moved quickly though the house, taking turns and hallways until we arrived at a growing crowd.

  Ali and Grant were there looking battle worn. “What is going on?” I asked them, shoving to the front of the crowd and ignoring the rest of the vampires.

  “Blake is locked behind his door,” Grant said, indicating the door behind him, “fighting for his life against Gabrielle.”

  “Open the door,” I commanded, searching the faces of the crowd.

  “Tate forbade us,” Mal whispered.

  I groaned. A command from their master vampire was impossible to override for them.

  “What is that room?” I asked, my mind working quickly.

  “New vampire holding,” Mal offered.

  “The walls are too thick to break through,” I mutte
red, “is there a viewing room?” I asked hopefully.

  “Yes,” Mal said, running ahead of me.

  We left the crowd behind, climbing up stairs followed quickly by Grant and Ali.

  “We managed to keep Gabrielle off him for awhile, but the son of a bitch tricked us,” Ali informed me.

  “Why are they fighting?” I asked, rounding the corner after Mal.

  “Blake refused Angelina’s offer of marriage,” Mal answered, her tears drying up.

  My mouth hung open in shock, but it closed quickly in disgust as we arrived at the small viewing room that looked down onto the cell below us. The only furniture consisted of two sturdy chairs.

  “Get me through the glass, Mal,” I commanded as our eyes riveted to the sight down below.

  Picking up a heavy metal chair, she began slamming it against the glass. It was most likely bullet proof, but the strength of a mature vampire would hopefully be enough to crack it.

  I kept my body rigidly still, realizing I still hadn’t put shoes on as I stayed out of Mal’s way while she beat, at vampire super speed, against the glass.

  After several painstakingly slow minutes, it finally cracked. Mal dropped the chair panting, her hands bloody. With a nod of thanks to her, I ran for the hole pushing through it and dropping heavily against the padded floor.

  With a groan, I pushed onto my forearms looking at the figure before me, glass falling down as I heaved my body to my bloody and bare feet.

  Gabrielle’s back was to me, too uninteresting or unimportant to warrant actual concern. He continued to kick Blake while he was down against the cement wall. From between his legs, I had seen Blake’s blood-stained hair and body. Gabrielle was going to pay.

  Glass crunched under foot as my anger cooled into something darker and more sinister. I welcomed it.

  “Get away from him,” I warned as I closed the distance between us. Gabrielle kicked out again before pulling up Blake’s limp form by his dark and blood stained hair.

  Gabrielle was lucky I didn’t have any weapons on me or I would have sliced through his dual hearts and ended him right then and there. As it was, I kicked on the side of his knee cap, gaining his attention as his balance was disrupted and he released Blake.

  “You have no right to be here,” he hissed at me, his eyes dark amber and wild.

  “Walk away Gabrielle and I will let you keep your life,” I warned my muscles tense and I prepared for an attack.

  Gabrielle laughed, “I wonder if this is the reason he keeps you around.” He mused as his bones fused back together in his knee. “You throw yourself into situations you couldn’t possible understand with consequences far beyond your intelligence all to save your pathetic boyfriend.” He spat out the last word as we began circling each other.

  Solid determination weighed me down. I had taken on master vampires before without any weapons. This was no different. Selena was nothing if not thorough in her torture and training.

  I was going to kill Gabrielle and damn the consequences.

  Blake pushed up from the floor leaning against the concrete wall.

  “Olivia, don’t,” he whispered between broken teeth.

  Not taking my eyes off Gabrielle, I answered him, “I’ll let you do a lot Blake, but I will not stand by and watch you die,” I hissed.

  “You don’t – you don’t understand,” he wheezed.

  “You are correct and I don’t want to,” I answered, narrowing my eyes at Gabrielle.

  “OLIVIA!” Tate’s voice boomed out as the door burst open, followed by the timid vampires who had been holding up outside. “What is the meaning of this?”

  I couldn’t kill them all unarmed. Shit.

  “I could ask you the same thing, Tate.” I answered, my eyes shifting to take him in. His normally well styled Mohawk was a mess and his clothing disheveled. What the hell was going on here?

  “Gabrielle was granted an hour alone with Blake,” Tate hissed at me.

  “So he could kill him without you watching?” I yelled back.

  “How did you even know about this? You are supposed to be in Oklahoma,” Tate seethed frustrated.

  “I was,” I answered not willing to rat out my newfound friend on the inside.

  Tate growled lowly his eyes narrowing, “You need to leave.”

  “Over his dead body,” I growled back, pointing at Gabrielle.

  “Those are NOT your decisions to make! You rule the Council, not HERE!” he informed me loudly.

  I stalked toward Tate and demanded, “You watched me crawl my way to the top of the fucking food chain, killing anything that stood in my way or even came close to threatening me and mine and you are surprised I am here now fighting again for what is mine?”

  Tate was furious. I could feel the waves of anger and hatred flowing off his body, and while some were meant for me, the bulk was aimed at Gabrielle.

  “A night with the succubus and all will be well,” Gabrielle stated.

  I shifted targets. “Be very careful what you wish for vampire.”

  He shrugged, using a towel someone had given him to wipe off Blake’s blood. “Why whore? You seem to have an acquired taste for the vampire bite.” He insulted me, smiling.

  I waited a heartbeat, expecting Tate or even Blake to speak up, but they didn’t. “One night and whatever the outcome, no repercussions.” I agreed, negotiating. If he was foolish enough to agree, I could kill him, walk away, and no one would come after me for the unneeded death. Vampires were creatures of agreements and contracts.

  Throwing his head back laughing, Gabrielle threw the towel down. “I agree.” His eyes roved over me and he inhaled deeply. “You will beg for mercy when I am done.” He informed me, skulking out of the room.

  I watched him go, a million emotions playing behind my shields. The ever present and deeply hidden fear that all I really ever would be was a whore for hire. Followed by anger I even had to get involved to save Blake and then excitement. Gabrielle was going to be a challenge. I considered going unarmed, just to give him a fighting chance.

  “Tomorrow, midnight,” He called out, not bothering to turn around.

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I answered in a whisper.

  Turning back to the scene before me, the vampires were taking turns, feeding Blake blood to help him recover.

  “I can’t stop this now, Olivia.” Tate informed me, sadness coating his words.

  I didn’t spare him a glance, “You inability speaks for itself.” I answered coldly, flexing my hands against my legs.

  Blake stood on his own, looking remarkably better after the blood donations. “How long were you in this room with him?” I asked, my eyes not leaving his own crystal blue depths.

  “Twenty minutes,” he answered spitting out pieces of his old teeth as new ones grew in. At least this time he still had his fangs.

  “Were you going to let him kill you?” I asked anger and fear waging inside me, all of which he could feel.

  He didn’t answer, just kept his head tilted up, pride shining from his eyes.

  “You are a fool,” I whispered turning away, feeling my hope at our future crumbling.

  I had all my belongings in my car so I headed for a hotel. While renovations at the manor were almost complete, we were also almost full and as much as I loved the kids, I wasn’t in any mood to be around them.

  I had too much to dwell on.

  Chapter 10

  I felt betrayed, lonely, and worthless. Blake hadn’t called or texted me once after I saved his ass, putting my own on the line and I was loth to think about why, but it seemed that detail was all my brain was capable of focusing on.

  Gabrielle was going to die tonight and that would probably strain what was between Blake and I even farther, the question I didn’t know the answer for, was would that snap us apart or bounce us back together?

  At eleven p.m., I received a text from a number I didn’t know, giving an address and nothing more. Plugging it into my GPS, I smiled
at the remote location Gabrielle had chosen. No one would hear his screams.

  My wrist was still raw from the encounter with the snakes and I called Grams on my drive out to Gabrielle.

  “Everything alright?” she asked tensely. Of course Ali and Grant had told her what had happened.

  “It will be soon enough,” I answered.

  “Are you going to kill him?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I replied coldly.

  She paused a moment before asking, “What if he kills you?”

  “He won’t,” I stated. It wasn’t the answer she was looking for.

  Grams huffed, “Why are you even involved with vampire politics?” She groaned.

  “Same reason I’m now involved with shifter politics.”

  “Yes, speaking of which we have a formal introduction to schedule for you followed by additional arbitration for the packs.”

  I groaned. “Let’s schedule that for sooner rather than later.” I needed to check in with Kass after this to see how Darren’s parents were treating her.

  “Whatever is going on in Oklahoma is growing.”

  “You think the ring you broke up is related to the giant snakes?”

  “I do and I think the demigod I killed was part of it.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t believe in coincidences.”

  “Alright,” she relented, “How long before I should worry?”

  “An hour tops.”

  “Good, I still need you to talk with Tommy he ditched school today and still isn’t home.” I could hear the clicking of her computer in the background.

  I groaned, “What is he up to?”

  “Being a teenager. You are the only one he ever listens to.”

  “Yeah I’ll be over after this. He better hope he is home.”

  “Agreed.” She hung up.

  The rest of the drive I made in silence, letting my thoughts wander back to Blake. I was going to have to address this situation with him eventually. I just didn’t know what I needed to say to him. That I was disappointed? Disgusted by the way the situation was handled? Nothing I felt about it gave me hope things would work out between us.