Desolation

by Derek Landy

  “I’m not a pregnancy.”

  “You’re still developing, though, into the person you one day hope to become.”

  “Is that how you’ve been justifying this to yourself?”

  “I don’t have to justify anything, Amber. We made you. You belong to us. We have every right to eat you.”

  “Yeah? Take a bite.”

  “The time for that has passed, as you well know.”

  “Then why are you here? The Hounds aren’t chasing you, they’re chasing me. Why aren’t you hiding under a rock somewhere?”

  “Because we are Lamonts,” said her father from behind her. An involuntary groan escaped Amber’s lips. “We do not hide for long,” Bill continued, walking up to join them. “We do not cower. We’re always looking for the next opportunity.”

  Amber looked at her parents, and she just knew. “You’re working with the Hounds.”

  Betty fixed her hair, then traced her fingers over her horns. “The Shining Demon reached out to us. Who were we to say no to Astaroth, Duke of Hell?”

  “What’d he offer you? A new deal?”

  “The absolution of old debts,” said Bill.

  “Providing you hand me over.”

  He shrugged. “Naturally.”

  Amber’s hands were still sticky with Milo’s blood. If she allowed herself to be taken away, he was a dead man. “How about something more?”

  “No bargaining,” said Bill. “You’ve got nothing to offer us that we’d be interested in.”

  “How about power? Would you be interested in power?”

  Bill’s smile revealed his fangs. “What do you know about power, Amber?”

  “The Shining Demon has a brother, did you know that? Naberius. He tried to betray Astaroth, but Astaroth turned the tables, and now Naberius is in chains. Didn’t you even ask why this town makes you shift, or how they’ve constructed the barrier?”

  Betty frowned. “The brother’s power is being tapped.”

  Amber nodded. “Naberius, yes. I can take you to him.”

  “Revert. I can’t tell if you’re lying when you look like this.”

  Amber hesitated, then reverted. She moaned as the pain swept in, but resisted the urge to curl into a ball.

  “You’ve seen him?” Betty asked. “This Naberius?”

  “No,” Amber said, her voice quieter. She hated how meek she was, wearing her ugly old face. “But I know where he is and I know how to get there.”

  “Tell us.”

  She shook her head. “I’ll show you.”

  “Tell us or we’ll kill your little friend,” Betty said.

  Amber glanced at Kelly’s unconscious form. “He’s in an underground cell,” she said, “but you need a special key to get in. I have one – I took it from Dacre Shanks.”

  “Hand it over.”

  “It’s in Milo’s car,” said Amber. “In the impound lot. I’ll take you to it, I’ll give you the key, and you let us go. When you release Naberius, I’m sure he’ll grant you whatever you ask.”

  “Don’t presume to speak for other people,” said Betty. She looked at her husband. “She’s right, though. We’d have his eternal gratitude. A Demon on our side.”

  “And another one wanting us dead,” Bill replied. “Astaroth has just given us a second chance – if we do this, he’ll pour his every resource into finding and punishing us.”

  “He will,” Betty said. “But isn’t this just the kind of thing we’d do?”

  Bill looked at her, and surprised Amber by bursting out laughing.

  “Indeed it is, my love,” he said. “Indeed it is.”

  HER PARENTS REVERTED WHILE they waited for the Van der Valks to join them on Maple Street. Unlike Amber, their transformation did not rob them of their confidence or cruelty, and it only made them marginally less beautiful. They chatted to each other like they were the only people in the world. Amber was used to it.

  Grant and Kirsty pulled up beside them, across the road from the impound lot. Amber, with Kelly’s dead weight dragging on the arm slung round her neck, watched them get out of the car, but they barely glanced at her.

  “Why are you standing around?” Grant asked Bill. “Do you really like the cold weather that much? We’ve got a life of freedom ahead of us. Dump her in the trunk and let’s get to it.”

  “We’re not handing her over,” said Bill.

  “What are you talking about?” Kirsty asked. “Why not?”

  “There’s another Shining Demon, Naberius, trapped underground. Amber here is about to get us the key to release him.”

  “And then what?”

  “Then … anything. Everything. The possibilities are endless.”

  “You want to make a deal with this new Shining Demon? While the old Shining Demon is looking on? Astaroth will kill us all.”

  “One of our demands will be that Naberius protect us from Astaroth’s anger.”

  “His anger?” Grant said. “His anger? Is that what you’re calling it? You face someone’s anger if you cut them off in traffic. This is something more. This is biblical. We’re talking fury. We’re talking wrath. You want to betray Astaroth for, what, a better deal with a Demon we don’t even know? We don’t need a better deal. Astaroth will wipe the slate clean the moment we give Amber to the Hounds. No more debt. Do you understand what that means? One day, once we’re satisfied with the power we’ve accumulated, we could have children that we didn’t have to kill.”

  Bill looked at his friend like he was something he’d stepped in. “Satisfied? When we’re satisfied? We’re never going to be satisfied, Grant. We’re always going to want more.”

  “Grant and I want to start a real family,” Kirsty said.

  Betty stared at them. “When did you decide this?” she asked, stepping forward. “In the last few days?”

  “Last few weeks, actually.”

  “And were you planning on discussing it with us? We have no idea what will happen to our power levels if we let children live.”

  “And yet, for this key, you’re going to let your daughter walk away alive, aren’t you?”

  “It’s a one-time thing,” Betty said. “And it’s worth the risk.”

  “But if it in any way diminishes us in the future, we’re going to hunt her down,” said Bill, and glanced at Amber. “This could just be a stay of execution. She knows that.”

  “So you get to have a child grow up and we don’t?” Grant said. “You think we’re just going to accept that?”

  “This isn’t about what’s fair,” Bill responded. “This is about what’s in front of us. You think Amber is the kid we would have chosen to keep? It’s just the way it’s happened, that’s all.”

  “This is bullshit, Bill.”

  “Which is why we’re going to vote on it. You know which way Betty and I are voting. What about you? We were scared of Astaroth. When he offered us this chance, we gratefully accepted. Out of fear. I don’t know about you, but that rankled us. He held all the power and we were just so eager to please him. Is that us? Is that you, Grant? Is that you, Kirsty? Have we got this far by being grateful to people more powerful than us? Or have we defied the odds, time and again, to forge our own path through the last hundred years? If any part of you, any part, thinks that this is worth the risk, that the gains may vastly outweigh the losses, then vote with us.”

  The Van der Valks glanced at each other.

  “How do you know Naberius will even agree to our terms?” Kirsty asked.

  “Of course he will,” said Bill. “But if he doesn’t, we’ll leave him there, and hand over Amber as planned.”

  “No,” said Amber. “You let us go when I give you the key, that was the deal.”

  “Circumstances have changed,” said Bill. “Roll with it or get rolled over. Grant? Kirsty? Are you onboard?”

  The Van der Valks looked at each other. Something passed between them, some flicker of expression.

  “We are,” said Grant eventually, but the reluctance was
unmistakable in his tone.

  “Excellent. Apparently, the key we want is in Mr Sebastian’s delightful car, and the car is in this impound lot.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” said Kirsty, and crossed the road. She disappeared into the small outbuilding beside the fence. Amber glimpsed someone in there, a civilian. She heard a raised voice and breaking glass.

  A minute later, the gate started to trundle open, and Kirsty emerged, the Charger’s key in her blood-splattered hand.

  “We should kill her now,” said Grant, his eyes on Amber.

  She was ready for this. “How do you know I’m telling the truth?” she asked. “How do you know the key really is where I say it is?”

  “Our daughter is too smart for you, Grant,” Betty chuckled.

  Grant said nothing in response, but he didn’t look happy. Kelly gave Amber’s arm a squeeze, but apart from that she showed no signs of consciousness. Amber didn’t respond to the squeeze, and continued to huff and struggle as they crossed the street.

  The lot had three vehicles in it. There was a tow truck parked beside the gate, a rusted heap of crap slowly dissolving in the corner, and the Charger in the middle. It sat in its space like a big cat on its haunches, ready to spring. They stopped before they got too close, and Kirsty held the key out to Bill. He raised an eyebrow.

  “If you think I’m going near that thing, you can forget it,” Kirsty said.

  “Good point,” he murmured. “Amber, be a good girl and go fetch the magic key, would you?”

  Instantly, Amber thought of Phil Daggett’s gun, the one with the silencer, that Milo had dropped into the back seat. It was probably still there. The gun would even the odds. The gun could solve her problems.

  “I’ve a better idea,” said Betty, like she knew just what Amber was thinking. She yanked Kelly from Amber’s arms and Kelly cried out. “We’ll send this one instead.” She grabbed a handful of Kelly’s hair, and twisted. “Go to the car, whatever-your-name-is. In the glove box – Amber, the key’s in the glove box, isn’t it? – in the glove box you’ll find a key. If that glove box doesn’t grow teeth and bite your hand off, bring the key back to us and I promise we’ll let you walk away. Do you think you can manage all that?”

  Kelly had her jaw clenched. “Sure.”

  Betty smiled beautifully. “Good. Off you go.”

  Betty released her. Kirsty tossed Kelly the car key and Kelly started for the Charger.

  “What the hell is going on here?”

  Amber was the first to turn, the first to see Officer Thornton – Lucy – standing there, a look of alarm on her face and her hand on the butt of her gun.

  Bill raised his hands slowly, and smiled. “Good evening, Officer,” he said. “We were wondering—”

  “Shut up,” Lucy said, scanning their faces. She saw Amber and her frown deepened. “Oh goddammit.”

  Betty stepped towards her, hands open and palms up. “We just came to bring our daughter home, Officer,” she said.

  “Stop walking,” Lucy said. “I mean it, lady, stop walking this instant.”

  Betty stopped. “Of course, Officer. Whatever you say.”

  “I’d like to make a complaint, actually,” Grant said. “These people stole my car.”

  “That’s a lie,” said Bill.

  “The hell it is!” Grant responded. “You drove all the way up here in a stolen car and I want him arrested, Officer!”

  Grant stepped away from Bill, glaring at him, backing up towards the gate.

  “Sir,” Lucy said, “I’m going to have to ask you to stop moving.”

  “Arrest him!”

  “Stop moving!”

  Grant turned, puzzlement on his face. “I’m not the one who did anything wrong!”

  “Sir, go back to where you were—”

  As she spoke, Lucy drew her gun, and that was the signal. Amber’s parents and the Van der Valks shifted even as Betty slapped the gun out of Lucy’s hand. Grant lunged, grabbed her, and threw her. She hit the edge of the tow truck and spun away from it, sprawled on to the ground.

  “Surprise,” Kirsty said, closing in with her teeth bared.

  “Yeah,” said Lucy, standing, “surprise.” And then she shifted.

  OFFICER LUCY THORNTON GREW taller, broader, and strangely angular, the lines of her bones pressing out against her skin – that skin now a deep dirty green, and rough, like sandpaper. Her uniform struggled to contain her. Her hands were talons and, while she had no horns, her mouth was twisted into a permanent grin.

  She was on Kirsty before Kirsty even knew what was happening, slamming those heavy knuckles into her face. Grant charged and Lucy hurled Kirsty at his legs. He tripped, sprawled, and Lucy kicked him under the chin. Then Bill was there, taking her off her feet. They fell, grunting and cursing and rolling into the shadows.

  Amber shifted without even realising. She saw her mom go for Lucy’s gun and she ran, dived, closed her hand around the barrel.

  “Let it go,” Betty snarled, doing her best to pull it away.

  She elbowed Amber in the face and Amber growled and twisted, and Betty tumbled over her and now they were rolling as well. Amber’s black scales rose in response, as did her mother’s. The gun went off and Amber jerked away and ripped it from her mother’s grip. It went spinning under the tow truck. Betty grabbed Amber’s horns and slammed her head into the ground, then scrambled up and went after the weapon.

  Amber rolled on to her back, her vision blurring. She heard an engine trying to turn over, and a voice. Kelly’s voice.

  “The car won’t start! Amber!”

  Amber looked up. Through the tears, she saw Kelly poking her head out of the Charger’s window, and suddenly her head cleared and she was getting up. She staggered a little, but her balance returned even as she was stumbling for the car.

  “Move over,” she commanded, and Kelly slid to the other side. Amber got in behind the wheel.

  “It won’t start,” said Kelly. “I know cars and this isn’t gonna—”

  Amber barely touched the key in the ignition and the Charger roared to life. Red headlights snapped on, catching Bill and Kirsty beating the crap out of Lucy. Amber put the car into gear, surged forward. Kelly knew what to do without Amber even saying it. She opened the door as they drew alongside Lucy, yelled, “Get in!”

  Lucy kicked Kirsty away from her and spun, ran for the car, and jumped. Kelly caught her and pulled her inside and Amber slammed her foot on the gas and they peeled out of there. They scraped the gate as they passed, crashed on to the road, and in four seconds they were at the top of the street and turning right.

  Amber took a series of corners, always staying away from other traffic. Lucy and Kelly swayed with each turn, until finally Amber started to slow down.

  “Holy crap,” Kelly whispered. She cleared her throat, and regained a little strength in her voice. “Okay then, before anything else, I would ask that everyone in this car go back to being more or less human. Can we do that?”

  “Sure,” said Lucy, and reverted. Amber followed suit.

  “Thank you,” Kelly said, and looked over at Amber, and grinned. “We’re so cool.”

  Amber laughed, more from nerves than any sense of cheeriness. “Yeah,” she said. “Yeah, we’re cool, all right.”

  “Hush, you,” Kelly said with a wave of her hand. “We so rock. Did we not escape the clutches of the damned? No offence meant to demon-kind, of course.”

  “None taken,” said Amber.

  “Likewise,” muttered Lucy, rubbing her bruised jaw.

  Kelly looked around the car. “This is a hell of a machine. I feel like we should be listening to Zeppelin or Skynyrd, y’know? Maybe some ‘Carry On, My Wayward Son’. Let’s see what we have here …”

  Amber was focusing on the road, and didn’t notice Kelly reaching for the radio until she flicked it on. Screams filled the Charger with more than just noise – they brought with them overwhelming anguish and fractured memories of pain and regret an
d loss that reached inside Amber’s mind and wrenched it in on itself, and the Charger swerved into a parked car and jolted sideways on the empty street and Amber reached out, flailing, knocked the silver dial to the off position, and silence – warm, welcome, glorious silence – seeped through the car.

  Amber blinked away tears. Beside her, Kelly was crying.

  “What the hell was that?” Lucy asked, her voice small.

  Amber shook her head.

  With trembling hands, she restarted the car, and pulled into the side of the road. All three of them got out.

  Kelly wiped her eyes. “I don’t like that song,” she said, before turning to Lucy. “We saved your ass.”

  “Your friends were trying to kill me,” Lucy responded.

  “They’re not my friends,” Amber said. “They’re my parents. And … well, and their friends. But Kelly’s right. We could have driven off and left you there.”

  “You were trespassing on state property.”

  Kelly nodded. “And we saved your ass on state property.”

  “You owe us,” said Amber.

  “I don’t owe you jack shit,” Lucy said. “If anything, you owe me. What, you thought those heads grew bullet holes by themselves?”

  Amber frowned. “You were the one shooting at the Hounds?”

  “No one else was gonna do it, and I figured you could use more than a running start.”

  “Thank you. Jesus, thank you. You saved our lives.”

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t think you’d come straight back into town. If Novak finds you, he’ll shoot you on sight. Probably me as well. Why couldn’t you have just kept running?”

  “Desolation Hill is the only place we’re safe,” said Amber, hugging herself to keep warm. “If you could convince Jesper to let us stay …”

  “Not gonna happen,” said Lucy.

  Her radio squawked and they froze. They listened to a garbled message that abruptly cut off.

  “What was that?” Kelly asked.

  “Reports of shots fired,” said Lucy. “You’re gonna have to get going. I’ll let you go this once, but, if I see you again, I’ve got to do my job.”

  “Your job is to protect and serve,” said Kelly.