A Touch Menacing

by Leah Clifford

  “No one’s allowed back here,” Jarrod said. Eden turned toward him. With the kids in her peripheral vision, their skin wriggled as if something slithered just underneath the surface. She whipped back to them. Staring at them dead on revealed nothing like what she’d just seen.

  As Jarrod stepped forward, Eden grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t,” she whispered. “They’re not human. They’re . . . something else.”

  At the words, the girl’s lips split with a grin, revealing teeth black and rotten. What hadn’t broken off was filed to points. A forked tongue snapped like a miniature whip, chattering like a rattlesnake’s warning. “Something . . . else,” she repeated. Her voice tinkled and crackled like bells broken underfoot. “Something wicked. And yet something other to you.”

  Eden jumped when Jarrod moved in front of her and Sullivan. “What the fuck are you?” he demanded.

  Staring in horror, Eden watched as the girl pointed at her with a sharpened fingernail. “Is she the Sider who poisons the Upstairs realm?”

  The boy’s leer glimmered with a mixture of malice and excitement, and then his head wrenched sideways violently. He hissed, baring his teeth at Sullivan, but the girl with him nipped his cheek hard enough to draw blood. He cowered as the blood dripped, black, to his chin.

  The girl focused again on Jarrod. “The Enslaved Ones seek your leader bathed in burn and bone,” she snarled, teeth glistening with spittle and tar-colored blood from the boy’s wound. “The Morning Star, however, wishes for her continued survival. The pretty poison she spreads pleases him.”

  “The what?” Eden managed.

  The demons whispered to each other as Jarrod answered Eden. “Luke,” he said. “They’re demons, Eden. They’re his demons.” He sounded broken and hopeless, though she didn’t know why. If the two were demons, they looked like they wouldn’t put up much of a fight. Eden had just taken out two Siders. It’s not me, Eden realized. Luke’s demons weren’t looking at her at all.

  “Oh no,” Sullivan said.

  The boy demon’s spindly fingers were curled around his partner’s ear. Her eyes widened, so much white showing that it yellowed and then reddened around the outside. “Clever catch,” she said to the boy, and then cocked her head in Sullivan’s direction. “You’ve been hidden well, death breather.” The demon lifted a hand, and Sullivan jerked against Jarrod. “Flinching flower,” the girl pouted. “You would seek to destroy us, and I only want to pluck a single petal from your face.”

  The boy came forward. “When you’re slaughtered,” he promised Sullivan with an icy glower, “I’ll make this broken boy eat your heart.” His long fingers fluttered in front of Jarrod like he was playing piano. “Does she know how you hate that you love her? How it destroys you? Weakness oozes where once was a warrior.” The demon licked his teeth, crept closer to Sullivan as Eden watched Jarrod’s face harden.

  “That’s not true,” Jarrod said.

  Fury radiated off Sullivan as she stepped around him. “You must know the Bound can’t find all the Siders Eden sends Upstairs,” she said. “Do you really think Luke can find all of mine? And every Sider I send down below destroys more of you. In fact,” she said, moving closer to them, “are you so sure I couldn’t end you myself? Right here? Right now? Threaten the three of us again.”

  Eden had no doubt that Sullivan itched to carry through on the threat.

  The girl demon’s grin only widened. “Our flinching flower has thorns,” she said appreciatively.

  The demons circled like crows around carrion.

  “What are you waiting for?” Jarrod said. “Get them! They can’t tell Luke about you!”

  Without warning the demons dropped, their knees cracking against the tile hard enough that Eden cringed. Fear flashed in their eyes at a noise beyond the door, a shouting match at the counter. What the hell are demons afraid of? she thought as she whirled toward the sound. Writhing in agony, the girl demon grabbed for Eden’s leg. “You’ve no time to kill us. Lucifer sent us to warn you only if the Bound come close. We can’t be in their light. They break our shadows.” True pain shattered her words apart. “They are here.”

  Eden spun for the door, then back to the girl hanging off her calf. “Here? Now?”

  Zach. She had to get Zach. Eden went for the door, but the girl held her back, gripped onto her ankle.

  “Run,” the demons said before they swirled away in a viscous smoke. The blackness floated near the ceiling and then shot off through the shelves.

  “Out the back!” Jarrod said, grabbing her arm. Sullivan ran in the direction he pointed, the same way the smoke had gone.

  “But Zach.” Eden strained in his grip.

  The door swung on its hinges, a blood-smeared hand clutching wildly before it was hauled out again. The door shut, but it didn’t blot out the screams.

  Jarrod’s eyes darted to the small window. “We have to leave him,” he said. “Come on. Now.”

  They didn’t look back.

  CHAPTER 8

  Madeline crossed her legs on the tattered sofa. Near her knee, foam peeked through, the threadbare fabric unraveling. She’d had Eden and her two tagalongs followed to Milton’s. The girl who’d been tracking them now stood in front of Madeline. Tears streaked her face, her arms wrapped around her stomach as she shook violently.

  “Calm down, Allison,” Madeline said. She heard the heavy footsteps from the hallway beyond the living room. Jackson, her Second, finally joined them. “Okay,” Madeline said to the traumatized girl. “Tell us, slowly, what happened.”

  “I was right there,” the girl babbled. Fumbling, she undid the band that held her ponytail in place. “I have glass in my hair!”

  “Easy, easy,” Jackson murmured as he took Allison into his arms. He stroked her back gently, and she melted against him, hiccuping. “You’re safe now.”

  He caught Madeline’s glance, and she gave him a subtle thumbs-up of approval. “You were following Eden,” he prodded.

  Allison nodded, pulling away from him. “She went into a coffee shop. I stayed outside by the front window, but I couldn’t see her in there,” the girl said as she stripped off her gloves and let them fall to the floor beside Jackson’s sneaker. “I was about to go in and then this guy, he just jumped up on the counter and perched there like a freaking bird!”

  “Damn it,” Madeline whispered. It could only be the Bound. If they’d gotten Eden, unlike the rest of the Siders, all they had to do was keep her from getting Touch to kill her off.

  Madeline wasn’t prepared for the disappointment she felt. She’d spent time with Eden while Gabriel had been Fallen, looked out for her and her Siders, though Eden had never known the extent. Whether out of respect or pity, she’d felt a kinship with her. Already Madeline regretted letting Kristen talk her out of helping Eden.

  Madeline couldn’t quite place the emotion in Jackson’s eyes. Not fear. He was calm, steady. “The Bound got her?”

  “I didn’t see. Once they got Zach, I ran.”

  Madeline jerked in surprise. “They got Zach?”

  The girl nodded, and Jackson sunk down beside Madeline on the couch.

  They listened in numb silence as the girl told them how the window had shattered when Zach had been thrown through it. One of the broken shards sliced his arm on the way out, the wound jagged and gushing. As he’d struggled to his hands and knees, Allison said he’d looked up at her.

  “Only for a split second,” she said. “He didn’t ask me for help. I don’t think he wanted them to know I was like him. One of the Bound threw Zach over his shoulder and ran. The ones inside just disappeared.” She ran her fingers through her hair. Bits of glass fell to the floor. “I should have done something.”

  “No,” Jackson said, unfocused and distracted. He cleared his throat. “No, you were right to escape.”

  “Allison, you couldn’t have done anything for him. Go rest. Take a shower.” Madeline turned to Jackson. “I need to speak to you upstairs.”

  Jac
kson’s attention didn’t waver from Allison. “The best thing you could have done was get out of there.”

  Madeline padded up the stairs to the second floor, down the hall. Past Jackson’s bedroom, and her own, was a door to what everyone else thought was an empty room. Leaning against it, she waited for Jackson to catch up before she pulled the key from her back pocket. He made a quick sweep to be sure the hall was empty, that no one hovered near.

  Satisfied, she opened the door.

  They slipped quickly inside. On the floor, an unconscious slip of a girl laid with her arms folded across her chest. The girl almost looked like she was sleeping, but Madeline knew otherwise. “She’s out? For sure?”

  Jackson bit his thumbnail. “I injected them all about two hours ago.”

  Madeline nodded distractedly. In a room downstairs there were six other mortals, all on Touch but drugged to unconsciousness. Early on, Madeline had made the decision to clue her Siders in on what she and Jackson were attempting, making others like themselves, an army to fight the Bound. She’d left out a few details, namely her plans for this specific girl. Yesterday, Jackson had carried her upstairs, separating her from the others.

  “She’s been passed to how many times again?” Madeline whispered.

  Beside her, Jackson paced a tight circle. He stopped, staring down. “Thirty over the past three days,” he answered. Every one of the Queens Siders had given her Touch, most multiple times. “But only you and I have passed to her since yesterday.”

  “Jesus,” she whispered. She couldn’t take her eyes off the girl. “Okay, we need to do this.”

  “You’re sure you don’t want to give it another day? Wait until after the ball?” Jackson scratched absently at his arm. “I thought we were going to run this by Kristen first,” he said.

  She shook her head. “I’ll tell her about the attack, but earlier she basically told me something was going to have to be done about Eden before she took out any more Siders. How do you think Kristen would react if she knew what we’re going to do?”

  Madeline couldn’t risk being stopped when their plan had the potential to help them all so much. They’re going to torture Zach until they figure out how to destroy us, she thought.

  She pictured what Allison had described, Zach’s flying body shattering the front window of Milton’s. His blood seeping into the sidewalk. “I should call Erin. I have to tell her. About Zach.”

  Jackson stroked her face. “Then let’s do that instead.”

  On the floor, the girl shuddered.

  Madeline brushed away his hand and picked up a railroad spike of a syringe. “No. It’s time.”

  “I don’t like this.” Jackson sighed, and rubbed his palm over his shaved head.

  “Gabe said the paths were eroding because the mortals were getting too much Touch. Ergo, when she dies, she’ll be a Sider.” Madeline flicked the oversized syringe.

  “Yeah, but she’s not killing herself. This is murder, Mad. If it even works, and she does go Sider,” he said, “won’t she be like Eden? A death breather?”

  “I’m making her, the way Gabe made Eden,” she whispered, watching the bubbles rise up the tube. “When he was Bound, the Siders Eden killed went Upstairs. When he was Fallen, they went Down.” She trailed off as she crouched beside the girl and took her limp elbow. She felt Touch pass. Once more for good luck, she thought. “I’m going to do this and find out where hers go,” Madeline said as the needle popped through into the girl’s vein.

  She pushed the plunger.

  “Has anyone ever done this before?” His hand pressed against the small of her back as he helped her up. The touch reminded her of Luke at the jewelry store.

  She rolled her shoulder, pulling away. “Not that I know of,” she said.

  The girl bucked suddenly, startling them both. The whites of her eyes were visible through the thin crack between her eyelids. Her fingers clawed the floor in rigid swipes.

  “God, I can’t watch this,” Jackson said. Madeline heard him cross the room and close the door behind him.

  Madeline couldn’t look away. Some part of her wanted to drop down, tell the poor thing she would be all right. It was a very small part. A thin line of foamy spittle drooled from the girl onto the floor.

  “You’re going to save us,” Madeline promised, not sure if the words were meant for herself or the thrashing girl. This will work. A terrible thrill crackled through her as the girl stilled. This has to work. After a full minute, Madeline snapped up the limp wrist. There was no pulse. “Done and done,” she said as she stood.

  Her phone trilled in her pocket.

  She pulled it out as she backed away from the body, expecting any name but the one that showed up on her screen. “Eden? You’re alive!” She couldn’t help the shock in her voice. “How did you get out?”

  Eden’s voice was sharp. “Were you told before or after the Bound came to kill me? Took Zach?”

  Shit. Stupid mistake. “That’s not fair,” Madeline said. “If I’d known, I would have warned you. My sources told me a few minutes ago, no more.” She kept her tone even. “I would never cross you like that. Or Zach. He seems nice,” she added, covering.

  Eden let out a laugh full of disbelief. Does she know who Zach is? Madeline wondered.

  “So when’s the ball, Madeline?” Eden demanded. “You’re not leaving us on our own now that the Bound are attacking Siders in the open.”

  Madeline switched the phone to her other ear. Great, she thought. “Eden, you cannot show up there, do you understand me? You need to stay the hell away from Kristen.”

  “Why?” Eden asked.

  “Because she wants you dead,” Madeline said. “And right now, she thinks you are. The purpose of the ball is to gather as many Siders to her as possible. You kill Siders. I’d say the conflict’s pretty clear.”

  On the floor, the dead girl’s eyes were still open a slit. Crouching down, Madeline closed them. “I’ve got plans in motion. All I need is a little more time, and Kristen’s issues with you will be obsolete.” By morning, she thought. Then they would know for sure. For now, though, she had to be sure Eden was somewhere safe. “Where are you planning on staying?”

  “Hidden,” Eden answered instantly, and Madeline couldn’t help feeling a bit of hope for her.

  “Good girl,” she said. “Trust no one. Stay out of sight. The ball’s tomorrow night. I’ll call you when it’s over.”

  She hung up without waiting for a response. Now, all she had to do was wait. In a few hours, she and Jackson would know whether the first part of her plan had worked. If not, Madeline would be Googling the hell out of how to dispose of a body.

  CHAPTER 8

  Madeline crossed her legs on the tattered sofa. Near her knee, foam peeked through, the threadbare fabric unraveling. She’d had Eden and her two tagalongs followed to Milton’s. The girl who’d been tracking them now stood in front of Madeline. Tears streaked her face, her arms wrapped around her stomach as she shook violently.

  “Calm down, Allison,” Madeline said. She heard the heavy footsteps from the hallway beyond the living room. Jackson, her Second, finally joined them. “Okay,” Madeline said to the traumatized girl. “Tell us, slowly, what happened.”

  “I was right there,” the girl babbled. Fumbling, she undid the band that held her ponytail in place. “I have glass in my hair!”

  “Easy, easy,” Jackson murmured as he took Allison into his arms. He stroked her back gently, and she melted against him, hiccuping. “You’re safe now.”

  He caught Madeline’s glance, and she gave him a subtle thumbs-up of approval. “You were following Eden,” he prodded.

  Allison nodded, pulling away from him. “She went into a coffee shop. I stayed outside by the front window, but I couldn’t see her in there,” the girl said as she stripped off her gloves and let them fall to the floor beside Jackson’s sneaker. “I was about to go in and then this guy, he just jumped up on the counter and perched there like a freaking bird!
”

  “Damn it,” Madeline whispered. It could only be the Bound. If they’d gotten Eden, unlike the rest of the Siders, all they had to do was keep her from getting Touch to kill her off.

  Madeline wasn’t prepared for the disappointment she felt. She’d spent time with Eden while Gabriel had been Fallen, looked out for her and her Siders, though Eden had never known the extent. Whether out of respect or pity, she’d felt a kinship with her. Already Madeline regretted letting Kristen talk her out of helping Eden.

  Madeline couldn’t quite place the emotion in Jackson’s eyes. Not fear. He was calm, steady. “The Bound got her?”

  “I didn’t see. Once they got Zach, I ran.”

  Madeline jerked in surprise. “They got Zach?”

  The girl nodded, and Jackson sunk down beside Madeline on the couch.

  They listened in numb silence as the girl told them how the window had shattered when Zach had been thrown through it. One of the broken shards sliced his arm on the way out, the wound jagged and gushing. As he’d struggled to his hands and knees, Allison said he’d looked up at her.

  “Only for a split second,” she said. “He didn’t ask me for help. I don’t think he wanted them to know I was like him. One of the Bound threw Zach over his shoulder and ran. The ones inside just disappeared.” She ran her fingers through her hair. Bits of glass fell to the floor. “I should have done something.”

  “No,” Jackson said, unfocused and distracted. He cleared his throat. “No, you were right to escape.”

  “Allison, you couldn’t have done anything for him. Go rest. Take a shower.” Madeline turned to Jackson. “I need to speak to you upstairs.”

  Jackson’s attention didn’t waver from Allison. “The best thing you could have done was get out of there.”

  Madeline padded up the stairs to the second floor, down the hall. Past Jackson’s bedroom, and her own, was a door to what everyone else thought was an empty room. Leaning against it, she waited for Jackson to catch up before she pulled the key from her back pocket. He made a quick sweep to be sure the hall was empty, that no one hovered near.