I sat down on the edge of the bed, swaying and unsteady. Jessica looked at me with tears in her eyes. She knew what was about to happen.
“I – I'm sorry,” I said. “I tried to protect you and I failed.”
She laid her hand against my cheek and through her tear stained face, gave me a small smile. “You did not fail, my love,” she said softly. “And if this is how it has to be, at least we'll be together at the end.”
Her strength and courage, even in the face of her own looming death, set a fire in my belly. I may not have much longer in this world, but I was going to make the Shongtal pay. I leaned forward and kissed Jessica, knowing it would be the very last time our lips met.
Standing up, I waited. The Shongtal were gathered on the other side of the door. More had come and they crowded into the hallway beyond the door. I could feel their dark malevolence growing and multiplying.
But I had a surprise for them.
Using as much strength as I could muster, I raised my arms, summoning the lightning outside. I spoke a few words of an incantation I knew and outside, the thunder boomed with the intensity of a cannon. It was what came next though, that brought a smile to my face.
I closed my eyes and I could sense the bolt of lightning as it shot out of the clouds overhead, streaking for the apartment. It came through the blown-out windows and straight down the hallway – incinerating the bodies of the Shongtal standing outside my door. At least, some of them. And judging by the intensely agonized screaming I heard coming from the hallway, that bolt of lighting had done damage to a good number of them.
It wouldn't kill them, but it would ruin the bodies they'd stolen enough that they have to go and find another.
The bedroom door burst inward and the woman stood there, clearly unamused. Half of her face was scorched and the smell of burnt flesh accompanied her. Three or four of her minions crowded into the room behind her.
I looked to Jessica and found that rather then terror, her face was set in an expression of grim determination and resolve. She clutched the swaddled bundle to her chest protectively, as if she was daring any of the Shongtal to take it from her.
And when one of the woman's minions reached for Jessica, she buried her silver dagger into his chest. The demon screamed and fell dead upon the bed, the red light in its eyes fading to nothingness. The woman looked at Jessica and then at me, slightly annoyed, slightly amused.
“Your woman is feisty,” she said. “I like that. But it's time to end this game.”
She turned and in one smooth motion, drew and hurled a dagger that hit Jessica in the forehead with a loud thump, the blade burying itself deep. I watched in horror as Jessica – the love of my life – slumped backward on the bed, her eyes rolled back, her mouth hanging open. She was dead. Gone. Forever.
I screamed out and using the last of my strength, raised my sword as the woman grabbed hold of the bundle in Jessica's arms. Two of her minions stepped forward and drove their swords into my midsection. Their steel hissed as it entered my body and I groaned in agony. I used the life force within me to charge myself, sending a bolt of electricity up through the swords, electrocuting both of the Shongtal fighters. They screamed and flew backwards, hitting the floor with a thud.
The woman though, howled in rage as she realized that she'd been duped. The bundle she'd taken from Jessica contained nothing more than another blanket. I smiled wide, knowing that my child was out of her reach, gone with Chelsea just as I'd instructed.
I'd failed in my duty to protect Jessica, but at least I'd managed to protect my child – and protect the world I'd sworn to serve by denying the Shongtal. It was the one thing I took comfort in as I felt my life force ebbing.
The last thing I saw was the woman turn to me, rage flashing through her eyes as she approached, the light in the room glinting off the edge of her blade.
Chapter Two
Astrid
Present Day...
I set the alarm and exited my shop, locking the door behind me before closing and locking the gate . You could never be too careful, after all. Though a bookstore wasn't the likeliest of targets for would-be thieves, you just never knew.
My bookstore – The Attic – had been open for a little over a year now, and it was doing pretty well. It encouraged me – and made me happier than I could say – that people still seemed to love the written word. Books were my life. Always had been. Within the pages of a good book, I could lose myself for hours, traveling to faraway worlds, meeting brave and dashing strangers, and having grand adventures.
Basically, within the pages of a book, I found lives that were everything my own life was not.
But that was okay. I was fine with it, actually. I preferred my quiet little life. I had my bookstore, an apartment I loved, and a small circle of good friends. That was all I really needed to be happy. Some found me cold or aloof, but the truth of the matter was that I just didn't care to be around people all that much. I never had, really.
“Hey, Astrid,” Pete called as I stepped into the shop.
“Hey yourself,” I said, giving him a smile.
Pete's shop was part of my regular routine. On Friday nights, I always popped into Pete's deli to grab a sandwich and some supplies before I hunkered down at home for the night with a movie or a good book – oftentimes both, as I read late into the night.
Pete made the most amazing subs I'd ever had and I always look forward to Friday nights.
“The usual Friday night special?” Pete asked.
“You know it.”
“Comin' right up.”
Pete was a tall, gregarious Italian man with salt and pepper colored hair and a midsection as big as his heart. He was a good man who routinely fed the homeless when they stopped in and made all his customers feel welcome, more like family than customers. It was no wonder he'd been in business in this neighborhood for more than twenty-five years.
My Friday night special was Pete's special toasted meatball sub. The bread he used was perfect – a little crusty on the outside, yet soft in the middle. His sauce – oh, the sauce on his meatballs was magical – a near orgasmic experience, truth be told. Besides he topped it off with some wonderfully ooey-gooey, mozzarella cheese.
I could feel my mouth watering while I waited for him to finish up with my sandwich. I could hardly wait to get home so I could tear into it.
While he worked on my dinner, I grabbed a bag of Cheeto Puffs – because I was apparently, still a child who enjoyed such things – and a few bottles of soda to get me through the night. Yeah, not the healthiest of meals, but what did I care? I wasn't trying to impress anybody.
Pete finished assembling the sandwich and popped it into the oven to be toasted. After that, he came over and leaned on the counter in front of me, smiling broadly.
“Can I ask you something, Astrid?”
“Fire away.”
“Don't take this the wrong way or nothin', but why don't you have a boyfriend?” he asked. “You're young, successful, beautiful. You should be out on the town on a Friday night instead of sittin' here lookin' at my old, ugly mug.”
I leaned over the counter and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. “Your mug is just fine,” I said. “And you're not that old.”
“Old enough to be your old man.”
I shrugged. “Fifty is the new thirty, they say.”
Pete laughed. “They say a lot,” he said. “But stop changing the subject. You deserve to be happy, Astrid.”
“I am happy,” I replied. “You have no idea just how crazy happy your meatball sub makes me.”
“Woman cannot live by meatball sub alone, you know.”
“That's very true,” I said. “Which is why I only get one on Friday nights.”
Pete laughed and shook his head. In truth, he was something of a father figure to me. The trouble with that was, he sometimes acted like a father. Over the last year, I'd gotten to know him pretty well and liked him enormously. With having my own parents long dead and no other family that I
knew of, I had pretty much been on my own for quite a while.
Which could help explain my avoidance of people, relationships and general social awkwardness.
Pete continued to look at me, his question still hanging in the air between us. I knew he wasn't going to give me a pass and would probably withhold my sub until I answered him.
I sighed. “I don't know why I don't have a boyfriend,” I said. “I guess guys just aren't that into me.”
“I see you every day, Astrid,” he said. “You come to work, stay there all day, then go home. You never go out. How is a boy supposed to meet you when you never put yourself out there?”
He had a point – not that I was going to give him the satisfaction of telling him so.
“I've just had a lot going on, I guess,” I said. “I mean, I'm still trying to get my bookstore off the ground and –”
Pete chuckled. “You do a good business over there,” he said. “Try again.”
I giggled. “Why is it so important to you that I have a boyfriend?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Because you're like a daughter to me, Astrid,” he said, his voice taking on an uncharacteristically solemn tone. “You really are. And sometimes, I can see that you're sad or lonely – I can see it in your eyes. It's not often, and never for long, but sometimes, I see it all the same.”
I sighed and looked away. Pete was a kind, friendly man who was quick with a joke and a smile. I'd seen him play armchair psychiatrist with any number of his regulars. He was a keen observer of human nature, and though he was a gregarious man, quick with a joke and a smile, he was also a shoulder to cry on and somebody who dispensed good advice.
Pete just cared about people and never liked to see anybody hurting.
Still, it was uncomfortable to have him put his powers of observation on me. To have him carve up my emotional defenses and tear down walls I'd spent so long building was as unexpected as it was discomforting. I knew it was because he cared for me and wanted the best for me, but it was still unnerving for me to be on his proverbial therapy couch – especially since I'd never asked to be there to begin with.
“I've just never really been very good with people, Pete.”
“Because you never give 'em a chance.”
“Probably because I'm not very good and don't know how,” I said and grinned. “It's a vicious cycle.”
“Why don't you do what kids your age these days do and meet somebody online?”
I laughed. “With my luck, I'd meet the lovechild of Charles Manson and Ted Bundy.”
He shrugged. “My oldest girl, Carla, met somebody online and they worked out,” he said. “They been married a few years now.”
Honestly, the only thing that scared me more than meeting somebody in person was meeting them online. You just never knew for sure, who was on the other side of that computer screen. But it seemed important to Pete that I try, so I nodded my agreement.
“Maybe I'll give it a shot,” I said.
He looked at me and arched his eyebrow. “You mean that? Or are you telling me that just to get me off your back?”
I laughed – mostly because he was right about me agreeing just to get him of my back. But at the same time, I didn't want to lie to him.
“I'll try, Pete,” I said. “I can't promise anything other than that. But I'll try.”
“That's all I can ask,” he said, smiling broadly.
He turned and pulled my sub out of the oven, wrapping it up tight to preserve the warmth. Throwing all of my things into a bag, he pushed it across the counter to me. I pulled out some money, waiting for him to ring me up, but he looked at me and shook his head.
“It's on the house tonight, Astrid.”
I smiled back. “That's sweet, but I can't do that, Pete. I can't accept that.”
“You're gonna have to,” he said and shrugged. “I'll take you signing up for one of those computer dating sites as payment for your sub tonight.”
“You really don't have to –”
“No, but I want to,” he said. “So, take your food and get on outta here.”
I looked at him for a long moment before giving him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Pete,” I said. “You're the best.”
“Yeah, don't I know it,” he laughed.
I laughed as I slipped a twenty out of my wallet and threw it into his tip jar. Quickly grabbing my bag, I moved quickly to the door before he could stop me and make me take it back.
“Thanks, Pete,” I called over my shoulder. “I'll see you soon!”
Chapter Three
I'd just gotten into my pajamas and settled in on the couch. The TV was on in the background and I had my laptop sitting across my lap. Because I'd promised him, I had my browser open to one of the more popular dating sites. I perused some of the online profiles, wanting to at least get the lay of the land before I took the plunge – if I took the plunge. I was still a little undecided. If nothing else, I figured I could just tell Pete that I hadn't had any bites if he asked – which he probably would.
There were thousands of people out there looking for love. Millions, maybe. But I didn't really think I'd have anything in common with any of them. I'd always felt different from other people. Like an outsider. I'd never felt like I belonged anywhere. It had been that way since I was a kid.
So yeah, how was I supposed to suddenly make it in the dating scene feeling like that?
Feeling self-conscious, I closed my laptop and giggled to myself as I set my laptop on the coffee table. I'd deal with it later. Right then, all I wanted was to dig into my sub and indulge in some mindless television. I pulled up Netflix, called up the show I was currently binging on and set it to play.
The aroma of the sub was saturating the air around me and made me realize how hungry I was. I threw a blanket over my feet, set my plate in my lap, popped a cheese puff into my mouth and crunched away happily as my show started.
Then my phone rang.
I looked at the phone, resisting the urge to throw it across the room – or you know, just turn it off for the night. Nonetheless when I looked at the caller ID, I saw that it was Piper, my best friend. I loved Piper, but the last thing I wanted in that moment was some long drawn out conversation about her love life – she and her boyfriend had been on-again/off-again for a couple of years now. It seemed like every other week, Brad had done some terrible thing – which, to be fair, he usually had.
Why Piper didn't just dump him and move on to somebody who would treat her right was beyond me. Though, she certainly wasn't in a place where she could hear advice like that. No, she loved him – or the sex was really just that mind-blowingly good like she said – so she let him hang around, mistreating and generally, being a sexist ass to her.
I hated the guy. Thought he was all wrong for her in every conceivable way. But, I had to remind myself that it wasn't my life, my relationship, and Piper was my friend. All I could do was be there for her.
Even if that meant putting off that mind-blowingly good sub I'd been so looking forward to.
With a sigh, I set my plate down and picked up my phone, connecting the call and holding it to my ear.
“Hey, Piper,” I said.
“Did you make sure to wipe the Cheeto dust off your hand before answering your phone?”
I giggled. “Shut up.”
I looked at my hand and saw that in fact, I had not. Greasy cheese stuff was smeared all over the phone. I just shook my head. I'd clean it up later.
“Oh please,” she teased. “Tell me you're not sitting there watching Game of Thrones, eating Pete's meatball sub and cheese puffs. Tell me. I dare ya.”
“What if I told you that wasn't true?” I asked. “Maybe I have a guy over.”
“Right, honey, I know you,” Piper said. “It's Friday night and I know the only meat you've got in your mouth is in that sandwich Pete made.”
I giggled in spite of myself. Piper could be crude at times, but she was the funniest person I knew. The trouble with having frien
ds was that they knew you too well sometimes. They knew your habits, your quirks, and yeah, your usual routines.
“So, did you call just to harass me?” I asked.
“Actually, no. That's just a nifty benefit,” she said. “I called to tell you to put down the sub and get dressed – we're going out.”
“Piper, hon,” I said. “I just got home, it's been a long day –”
“Yeah, and you're looking forward to getting yourself off watching Jon Snow,” she said. “I get it. But you can do that tomorrow. Tonight, we're celebrating.”
“Oh yeah? And what are we celebrating?”
“We are celebrating the rumor I heard that I am going to make junior partner in my firm,” she almost squealed. “Can you believe it?”
“Wow, Piper – congratulations,” I said. “That's really amazing and awesome. I'm so proud of you.”
“Thanks, hon,” she said. “So, let's go out, get tanked, and find us some men to help us commemorate this night the right way.”
“Uh oh, you and Brad having trouble again?” I asked.
She sighed. “Let's not talk about him tonight,” she said. “Tonight's all about fun and indulging our hedonistic tendencies.”
“Yeah, I'm not really sure I have any of those.”
She giggled. “Oh, they're in there,” she said. “We just need to find a way to let 'em out.”
“I don't know, Pip,” I said, using my nickname for her. “I just –”
“Oh, come on, Astrid,” she said, a pouting tone in her voice. “I rarely bug you to come out with me. I know you prefer being a hermit. But this is an important day for me. And there is nobody I'd rather celebrate it with than my very best friend in the whole, wide world.”
Oh, she knew how to shoot straight for the heart. As a lawyer, Piper was tasked with playing on the emotions of the jury members to achieve the best result for her client. And she was very, very good at her job.
I sighed. “Okay. I just don't want to be out all night.”
“You're such a shut in,” she said. “I worry about you, hon. We're going to have fun tonight. I'll be by in an hour to dress you.”
“Dress me?”
“Oh yeah,” she said. “You're so not wearing jeans and a frumpy old sweater tonight.”
Rocor (Dragons of Kratak Book 5) Page 111