"Yeah."
The corner of her mouth lifted into a smile.
"Crazy bastard."
"That's why you married me."
"Well, not the only reason."
He blew her a kiss before turning and walking away. He disappeared from the world of the living, right in front of everyone. There were no gasps or shouts of confusion. No eyes were on him. Even if there were, the human mind always searched for something it could understand. He was quite sure his demonic secrets were safe.
He passed two policemen, and gave the arguing ghosts a quick glance, before walking through the front door. His intention was to march directly to the basement, but the sight of the living room made him stop.
"Whoa."
The room was a mess. The television lay face down on the carpet. A lamp was broken, with glass and plastic shards scattered about. Streaks of blood were on the walls. More police documented and examined the scene.
Alex pushed forward, walking through the door leading to the basement. It was pitch black, but he didn't dare rejoin the living world to use his night vision. He ran his fingers along the wall. Only when he made it to the bottom of the stairs did he leave the spirit realm and blink away the darkness.
The police hadn't yet made their way to Zoey's makeshift vampire's lair. It was how Alex remembered it from his last visit. The only differences were the piles of clothes seemed to be spreading, and the four coolers which sat in the corner. He opened the back door leading outside, letting in the first daylight the basement had seen in weeks. Grabbing the coolers, he took a deep breath before leaving the house. It was an awkward carry, two coolers in each hand, but he managed.
He walked across the lawn, slowly and carefully. He shook his head sadly along with the neighbors as he drew a glance or two. One policeman frowned as he stared at him. Alex simply nodded politely, as if he belonged there. It was a trick Victoria taught him. He didn't rush, didn't panic, didn't look down at the ground. No one gave him much of a second thought.
The same couldn't be said for Cindy.
She paced a trench into the street outside the truck. She had the look of a woman waiting for her bank robber partner to emerge with the bags of money. Her nerves were frayed, and it was obvious. The fact that she was gorgeous didn't help her blend in either. Several men stared at her, liked what they saw, and then continued to stare at her anxious behavior.
Alex opened the passenger door and set the coolers on the seat. Cindy climbed behind the wheel, her hands still shaking.
"Babe, just relax."
"Sorry," she said, staring forward. "I've never helped steal blood from a crime scene before."
"There's a coffee shop a few blocks away. We'll head there."
"What about—?"
Nate appeared in the truck, sitting inside the coolers in between Alex and Cindy.
"—Nate?"
"Huh?" he said. "Who's talking about me?"
"He's here," Alex said. "We can leave."
Cindy drove away from Zoey's house, driving slower than she normally would. Nate shifted, a look of disgust on his face.
"Uh, dude?" he said, raising a finger. "Am I sitting in blood?"
"What did you find out?"
Nate shifted closer to Alex, forcing him into the door.
"I'm sorry, man, but not a whole lot. They're fresh through death's door. I know you've seen it before. Just yelling, crying, complaining about how it's all so unfair. The one guy did keeping saying 'I can't believe that bitch shot me'. Did Zoey shoot someone?"
Alex was quiet, too quiet for Cindy. She glanced at him as she drove, unsure of where she was going.
"Honey?" she said. "Talk to me. What's up?"
"One sec," he said, lost in thought. A working theory began to form that made sense. "Detective Nash. She has something to do with this."
"Is that the woman you were flying with?"
"Yeah. She probably recognized Zoey from the alley. She came here to talk to her, arrest her, whatever, and was followed."
"So…where is she? Where is everyone?" Nate asked.
Sighing, Alex rubbed his temples as a headache began poking at him. He hoped his theory was wrong. Saving Zoey's life, assuming she was still alive, was difficult enough. He didn't need more to worry about.
"One thing at a time."
Cindy was in the middle of a left turn when Kylie appeared in the truck. She was nearly on top of Nate, her legs blended with his. She wasn't quite sitting. Her head protruded through the roof.
"I'm here!" she shouted. "I actually did it—!"
Her excitement didn't last long as she tumbled backwards. She flailed as she tried to grab the rear-view mirror. Nate tried to help, but out she went, hitting the ground and rolling several times in the middle of the street. Ghosts didn't have to obey the same rules as the living, such as momentum. But Kylie expected to fall and roll, so she did.
Alex cursed under his breath. Nate turned to look behind them.
"Pull over," he told Cindy. "Kylie's back there."
Cindy turned on the flashers and slowly pulled to the side. Nate was already out and running toward Kylie. He'd left the truck much more gracefully, simply standing upright and planting his feet on the ground.
Alex and Cindy held hands as they jogged behind Nate. Kylie was moving out of the street to the sidewalk, shaking her head at her clumsiness.
"Are you okay?" Nate asked.
"Yeah, just…hopefully one day I'll stop doing that."
Alex was proud of her. Her adjustment to being a ghost was improving. Her teleportation skills were definitely getting better. But it wasn't the time to celebrate just yet.
"Kylie, what's going—?"
She didn't let him finish.
"Alex! I found Zoey!"
"Is she alright?"
"No. She's alive, and her father is, too. But…" She struggled for words. "She's at the hospital, and she's…."
Alex could guess. He didn't know what happened at her house, but if she was in a hospital, that meant she suffered some exposure to the sun.
"Burnt very badly?"
"Yes. Oh God, her skin…She was out cold, but started fighting the doctors. That's when I came back."
It was only a matter of time before someone got hurt, either Zoey or another human. He had to hurry.
"Where's the hospital?"
"We passed it yesterday when you went to lunch."
That wasn't any help. He didn't know the town.
"Just give me a direction."
"Shit," Kylie muttered, turning in circles. "A left at the light ahead, and then another right…."
She was overwhelmed and panicking. Alex understood completely. He wasn't far behind himself, but shoved aside every bit of anxiety and doubt.
"Kylie—"
"I'm thinking!" It took her another moment to point. "That way. Maybe ten blocks?"
"Okay, good. How about a street name? For Cindy."
"Don't worry about me," Cindy said. She already had her phone out, searching for the closest hospital. "You just get going."
He didn't need to say a word. She knew exactly what he had in mind. He leaned toward her and kissed her.
"I'll see you soon," he said.
She smiled at him.
"Just try not to get caught on camera this time."
Alex quickly glanced around him, not that it mattered. Whether the streets of Stewardtown were empty, or packed with people, it wouldn't change his plans to ruin another shirt. As it was, there were only a few milling about.
His wings popped from his back, bringing the customary sharp pain. Kylie gasped and took a step back. She'd seen his wings before, but to see them come from nothing was a new sight. He flew straight up, over the buildings of Stewardtown, drawing the attention of a driver stopped at a red light. Kylie shouted in awe as Alex adjusted to the wind, drawing a laugh from Cindy.
In the air, ten blocks took twenty seconds. The slight breeze smacked him in the face, drawing goosebumps. H
e kept a low flight path on purpose, using the tops of the buildings as cover. A few stray dogs barked at him from an alley, and someone dropped a glass in their top-floor apartment at the sight of him cruising by, but that was all the disturbance caused by a flying supernatural creature.
The hospital was just ahead. It was small, matching the size of the town. The parking lot was full, and several ambulances were lined up near the main entrance. He was ready to land when three police cars pulled up outside the emergency room doors. He watched from the roof of a nearby office building, safe from prying eyes, as five policemen ran inside. He couldn't be certain they were there for Zoey, but it was a good guess. If they reached her before he did it wouldn't end well.
He landed in the back, behind several dumpsters. There was no point in using the main entrance. He moved through the walls, trying to keep his surroundings straight. A dark supply room, a doctor's office, a waiting room, a small cafeteria. Finally, he made it to a hallway, where a sign told him to go left for information.
It turned out he didn't need the information desk.
Alex was twenty feet away from an older man sitting at a computer when more police rounded a corner. They ran down another hallway, toward a stairwell. He kept pace, slipping back into the spirit world to avoid any questions.
The police marched up to the third floor and threw open the door. They paused, and Alex looked over their shoulder to see why. The hospital floor sounded like it was being taken apart. A nurse helped an elderly woman shuffle down the hall. A doctor poked his head out of a linen closet, only to pull it back inside at the sound of shouting. A man and woman huddled under a desk, and looked to the police with desperation in their eyes.
More commotion. A loud crash, followed by a cry of utter pain. At the end of the hall, across from Alex and the police, a man sailed through the air. His head hit the ceiling before crashing to the ground.
A voice he recognized rose above everything else.
"Get the fuck away from me!"
The police moved, Alex right behind them. One officer tended to the man on the floor while the others peered around the corner.
He knew Zoey was injured, but didn't expect what he saw.
The first thing that caught his attention were the bloody footprints, leading from another hallway to the black, charred mass sitting on the floor. She wasn't recognizable in the least, with the exception of a strand or two of her hair. Her pajamas were mostly burned away. It looked like she'd been exposed to heavy flames, but in reality, he knew it was probably only a short time in the sunlight. Any longer and she would have turned to dust.
She sat on the floor, her back against the wall, in the middle of two open doorways. Sunlight poured in from both of them, effectively trapping her. Hugging her knees, she rocked back and forth, banging he head into the wall.
At her side was Kylie. Alex blinked in surprise. Her teleportation skills truly were improving.
"Alex!" she called, catching sight of him. She ran through the police to get to him. "Zoey…she's trying so hard. She hasn't bitten anyone."
He couldn't imagine the agony she was in. Victoria would occasionally catch a ray of sunlight, back before she was immune to its effects. The look on her face told him all he needed to know. To be fully immersed in sunlight was a vampire's worst nightmare.
One of the policeman took a step forward. Alex reached out and grabbed his shoulder. The officer jumped, not knowing anyone was behind him.
"Don't," he said. "I know her."
Normally, the police would have objected, but the look in his eye said it all. He was terrified. Zoey wasn't even supposed to be alive, let alone able to throw someone through the air. He didn't want to get anywhere near her.
Alex pushed forward, taking slow, careful steps. He didn't know how Zoey would respond. Kylie was right behind him.
"Zoey," he said gently. "It's me, Alex."
She turned her head toward him, and he finally saw a semblance of the young woman he'd met only a few days ago. A tear ran down her cheek, and it wasn't just from the agony her body was going through. She flipped to her hands and knees and crawled forward. Another inch and the top of her head would hit the sunlight.
"Alex—"
"Zoey, don't move! I'm coming to you. Just stay there."
The hallway filled up with more people. The police were still behind Alex, with doctors on the other side. He dropped to one knee in front of Zoey. He could see now the horrific shape her body was in. The scraps of her pajamas that were left were stuck to her skin.
"My dad," Zoey said. Her tongue seemed more red than normal against the dark contrast of her ruined flesh.
Her fangs were clearly visible.
"He's okay. Kylie said she saw him."
Her eyes lit up. "Kylie?"
He gently touched her exposed knee with a single finger. She winced at the contact, her body stiffening. Kylie smiled at her friend, and Zoey's single tear turned into a waterfall.
"I'm so sorry," Zoey said, her fangs distorting her words. "It's all my fault. I miss you so much."
"It's okay." Her voice shook a little. "I think…we've both been through a lot."
"It's not quite the same. I'm still alive. Are you a ghost?"
"Yeah. But guess what? I met someone."
Zoey laughed, which brought on a new level of pain. She grabbed Alex's arm and squeezed tight, almost uncomfortably so. Her eyes darted left and right, and she snarled. Alex glanced around to see the police and doctors slowly inching their way toward her.
"Back up," Alex said, holding up a hand. "Don't come any closer."
"You need help," a doctor leading the way said. "Please, let us help you."
He knew they meant well, but he couldn't have them getting any closer, for their own safety.
"I said back off!"
Alex rose to his feet, and unleashed a small portion of the demon within him. He turned into the reason he hated seeing himself in a mirror. His face changed, and his eyes glowed red. The tone of his skin grew darker, black circles forming under his eyes. The fear around him intensified, which only nourished him. Deep in the demon world, he knew the creatures that called him master were licking their lips at a chance to play in the world of the living. But Alex had complete control over his powers. They would not get that chance today.
There was a new voice behind the doctors.
"Zoey?"
Alex assumed his normal look. They turned to see David, Zoey's father, pushing his way to the front. His arm was in a sling and he walked with a limp. His eyes traveled back and forth from his daughter to the man next to her.
"Oh no," he said, moving forward. "Dear God, what happened?" He stared at the people around him. "What did you do to my daughter?!"
A doctor tried to stop him, but David shrugged free. Another joined in to help restrain him, and that was when the delicate situation fell apart. David was not going to be kept from his daughter. Two more doctors grabbed him. Zoey snarled and went to move forward, but Alex snatched her wrist. He was certain she only wanted to get to her father, but was also certain that was a bad idea.
"Let go of him!" she shouted.
Zoey wasn't going to heal in a hospital, and the police and doctors wouldn't leave her alone. Alex knew what he needed to do.
He spotted a cart with sheets and towels against the wall.
"Kylie. Get back to Cindy and Nate and just make sure I see you."
"Uh, how? I can't exactly start a fire."
"Think of something."
She rolled her eyes before vanishing. He let Zoey go just long enough to move to the cart and grab several sheets. Three policemen tried to move forward, but Zoey jumped to her feet and lashed out with what was once a hand. She didn't even realize her hands had changed to claws. She barely missed the lead officer, just catching his uniform.
"Don't worry!" Alex shouted, looking at David. "We'll take care of her!"
He wrapped the sheets around her as quickly as he could. She winc
ed as the fabric touched her skin.
"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yeah."
He guided her into the open room next to her. It was an empty recovery room, with a nice view of Stewardtown. They were halfway to the window when someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. He spun to see an officer. Alex didn't like assaulting police, but he had no time to be diplomatic.
He popped his wings and lashed out. The force from the blow knocked the officer back into two others. They fell to the ground like bowling pins. Zoey continued to waddle across the floor, her body encased in sheets like a mummy. Alex would have laughed if they weren't so pressed for time.
"What are we doing?" Zoey asked. "Are we climbing out the window?"
"Something like that."
Alex grabbed a nearby stool and smashed it against the window. It took two swings for it to even crack. He stretched his wings in front of him and clutched the stool with his extra appendages. Rearing back, he threw the stool with more force than his arms ever could. The window shattered, letting in the cool October breeze along with the deadly sunlight.
More police funneled their way into the room, with half of them still wrestling with David in the hallway. But Alex had already scooped Zoey up and was squatting on the windowsill. She kept her arms tight to her body, clenching the sheet around her.
"Uh, Alex?" Zoey said. "There's no way you'll be able to climb—"
She cried in pain as a hand slipped from the sheets. She covered up quickly as smoke rose from her skin. The scent of her flesh burning wasn't a pleasant one.
"You can't really fly with me, can you—?"
Her loud shriek pierced his ears as he jumped out the window. They dropped only a few feet before Alex's powerful wings took over, lifting them up with ease. He'd flown with Cindy countless times, and had long ago adjusted to flying with additional weight, not that Zoey was much weight to speak of. She was petite to begin with, and weeks of malnourishment pushed her frame to dangerously frail. Alex carried her with no problems.
Zoey didn't know the flight was effortless, and her panic didn't help.
Her arms shot out from under the protection of the sheets. She screamed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They burst into flame, but she didn't budge.
Demons LLC (Damned and Cursed Book 7) Page 26