by Susan Bliler
She cut him off. “I go back to hell. I know. Thank you for the reminder.”
“No.” Desperate to give her something, he offered the only thing he had. A promise. “When this is over, we’re disappearing. I’m taking you out of this fucking game.”
She sighed a heavy sound. “And that’s how you’re going to get yourself hurt, Bellis. You still think this is a game.” She rolled onto her back and straightened her legs until she was lying flat. Staring up at the ceiling, she blinked. “This is the last time I’m telling you this.” She turned her head to look at him. “This isn’t a fucking game.” Suddenly, her eyes rimmed with moisture. “Eight Skin Walkers, Bellis. Eight fucking Skin Walkers are dead because of him. They all had the same problem you do. They all thought that because they were Walkers they were stronger, faster, smarter. They thought they were invincible.” She shook her head as a single tear slipped free and tracked down her temple to hide in her hair. “You think it’s a game to them now? You think their families, their children, their Angels think this is a game?” She rolled back to her side facing the wall. “You’re gonna die, dumb boy. I can’t get attached to you. You won’t be here when this is all over, because you think you can win this. There’s no winning, just surviving, and if we’re lucky we die and take a few of them with us.”
And there it was. Her true fear. He knew it. She didn’t want to feel anything for him because she was positive that he wasn’t going to last the battle. It was simultaneously endearing and insulting. Still, he had to heed her words. She was telling him something, giving him something. She was trying to smarten him up so he’d survive, and he’d be damned if he scoffed at that offer. It wasn’t like Sam to offer up anything, so he’d take what he could get.
“Not a game,” he repeated. “I won’t lose my head, Sam. I won’t forget. I won’t fail.”
Now her shoulders were shaking, and he could scent her anguish and tears. “Please, leave me alone,” she begged, in a watery little plea.
Helpless to soothe her, helpless to do anything but what he was good at, Bellis backed up a step, a plan in mind. He was done with this, with all of it. Odium died tonight, with or without the Dominant’s permission! Whatever Monroe had been using Sam to get, it was over. Bellis was pulling the plug on this, all of it.
“I’ll leave you alone, but only after you feed.”
“Not hungry.”
“You’re hurt,” he snarled. “I already know my blood heals you. Feed, or else I’m going to…”
He didn’t get to finish the threat, because Sam held her hand out to him. She didn’t look at him, but it was enough.
Bellis dropped down behind her, and when Sam gripped his forearm, he let her guide his wrist to her mouth where she bit into him and pinched her eyes shut while she drank.
This was going to work perfectly. Sam would feed and pass out, which meant Bellis could leave her locked in the cell where she’d be safe while he escaped and ended this shit once and for all.
Sam’s tugs on his wrist slowed, and finally her lips parted as her breathing evened out. Pulling his hand back, Bellis ignored the blood seeping from the wound as he smoothed Sam’s hair back from her face. Already her bruising was fading. Using his thumb, he swiped the blood at the corner of her mouth and stared at the crimson on his finger a moment before putting it into his mouth and sucking it clean. She tasted like heaven and he wondered what he tasted like to her. He’d find out. He’d ask her when they were nestled away back at his home, hidden from the rest of the world, far away from the all the monsters of the world except for the ones that lived in them.
Standing, he stared down at Sam a moment longer, making a silent vow. I’m ending this for you, Sam. When you wake, everything will have changed.
Chapter 29
Sam woke, and the instant she did, she knew where she was. The acrid scent of the sewer never failed to make her stomach churn. Shoving up from the hard concrete, her muscles whined and she craned her neck, stretching as best she could. “How long?” she asked, wanting to know how long she’d been out, but when no reply came, she turned to eye the cell. It was empty.
Heart suddenly racing, Sam sprang to her feet and looked around. There was no sign of Bellis, not even a hint that he’d been there. Rushing to the cell door, she jerked on it, but it was firmly locked.
Panic set in. Had Odium taken Bellis while she slept, and if so, why? Was Bellis okay? Had Odium caught on to them? Did he know that Bellis was a Skin Walker? Was Odium torturing him?
Pacing, Sam called out, “HEY!”
Silence.
She screamed louder, “HEYYYYYY!” Something was wrong. Bellis was facing Odium alone, and she couldn’t protect him from her brother and his minions if she weren’t there.
One of the guards came in, and the second his eyes shot from Sam to the empty cell, she recognized his shock. The bottom of her stomach dropped out.
“Where is he?” the guard snarled, and Sam couldn’t stop the hurt that slashed through her. “WHERE IS HE?” the guard bellowed again, but Sam could only blink as her grip on the bar loosened and she dropped to her knees.
He left me. Bellis had done the one thing she hadn’t expected. He’d let her get him into the Hive, and then he’d abandoned her. He wasn’t working with her, he was working for himself, for Monroe. He used her. The betrayal and sense of loss swamping her was dizzying, and the guard’s shouts faded to nothing. She was in a daze, and didn’t even attempt to stop the tears that flooded her eyes and slipped down her face. He left me!
“WHERE IS HE?” the guard screamed again, and this time he was so hysterical that it drew Sam’s attention.
Blinking rapidly, she swiped at her cheeks. Bellis had left her, and even now she felt compelled to protect him. She couldn’t out him, couldn’t let the Megalya know what he really was. Pacing to the back wall, Sam let her back slam into it before she slid down, resting her arms on her upraised knees as she sneered, “He’s a fucking Demon. Did you really think bars would hold him?” But her own words were echoing in her head. He’s a demon. She chuffed a quiet sound. Did you really think he cared? Stupid, stupid, bitch!
***
Bellis traversed the maze of tunnels with more ease than he’d expected. The sewer was dark, and it was conducive to his coloring. No one blended with the dark like he could. Something about it called to him and heightened every single one of his senses. A few Megalya had walked right past while he’d pressed himself into a darkened corner. The ridiculous creatures hadn’t even been aware of his presence. He knew where most of them were gathered, because they made no attempts at being quiet. It was easy to skirt the busier parts of the sewer and he realized that major construction had taken place down here to make it into what it now was. The Hive. This is where the Megalya kept all of its monsters, as Sam called them. Her revelation though, coupled with Jenny’s opinion, proved what they really were. Failures. They were scientific experiments gone wrong, a try at something the scientists had yet to get right. It worried him that they’d experimented on Sam. Clearly, they weren’t concerned with permanently ruining their live subjects and he was determined to get Sam back to Jenny’s infirmary for thorough testing once this mission was complete. He needed to find out what they’d done to her and find out if it could be fixed. His Sam deserved to have her life back, and she would once they got through this damn mission.
Mission. He was so close to finishing all this that he could practically taste it! Soon, Sam would be safe, free from what she considered her duty, free to disappear with him.
Dumb boooy! He could practically hear her voice sing-songing in his head as he momentarily lost focus. She was right. He needed to keep his eyes on the prize, because getting distracted could get him killed and where would that leave Sam? Alone and trapped, that’s where. Focusing, he frowned as he slunk along the wall. He didn’t know how the Megalya worked, but Sam had said there were only a dozen or so of the creatures here. He wouldn’t go for Odium straight away. No, he’
d get himself acquainted with the area, and then he’d start picking them off one by one.
A noise brought him up short. There were raised voices, then shouts. Something was happening. An unmistakable animal growl rumbled through the tunnels, and Bellis moved. A large predator was fighting the Megalya, which meant either another Skin Walker had arrived, or a Keeper and his Soul Sentry were on the premises. Either way, he’d have to help.
Tearing around a corner, Bellis found Keo and Bronx surrounded by Megalya. There were too many for the three of them to defeat.
Bellis yelled, “STOP!”
Keo’s gaze jerked to him, and the Keeper snarled, “Where is she?”
She? Sam? Was he fucking kidding?
A chill blasted up Bellis’ spine and he spun to find Odium and three Megalya behind him. Odium canted his head as he studied Bellis, a cruel smirk on his lips as his eyes drifted from Bellis to Keo. “A Demon, a Keeper, and a Soul Sentry. All interested in my Sam.” The words ‘my Sam’ twisted something in Bellis, and his lip peeled back to reveal his wicked incisors.
“Was she yours?” Odium asked him mockingly, then jerked his chin to Keo. “Or his?”
Was? Bellis’ lip fell, and when Odium laughed at his reaction, Bellis fisted his hands to keep from punching the fucker.
Odium ordered, “Bring her! Let’s finish this now.”
Bellis was corralled toward Keo and Bronx until all three stood in the center of a circle of Megalya. Their pale, pasty skin and inky eyes were disturbing, but who was Bellis to judge?
He looked at Keo and then to Bronx who paced in front of them. “She’s safe,” he muttered quietly, hoping to ease the tension in the Keeper’s frame. He’d need Keo’s head in the game if they hoped to survive whatever came next.
Several minutes passed and all the while, Bellis tried to think up a plan. Worst case scenario, he, Keo, Bronx, and Sam would have to fight their way free. It wasn’t what he wanted. He’d prefer if Sam wasn’t involved at all.
Feet crunching on dirt-covered concrete drew his attention as Sam was led into the tunnel, but something was off. She looked…defeated.
Chapter 30
Sam was taken to Odium. The Megalya leading her didn’t touch her. It wasn’t like before, when they’d been so rough with her like they’d expected her to fight or flee. No. Their confidence in her was back, and she wondered at it. She didn’t have to wonder long.
In one of the larger underground rooms, she saw Bellis, Keo, and Bronx circled by all of Odium’s Megalya. Shit! When had Keo and Bronx shown up and why? She strained to listen, to see if she could pick up anyone approaching. Keo couldn’t be alone, he just couldn’t.
Like a good little minion, Sam followed as she was led to her brother, ignoring the sting of rejection that tore through her when she looked at Bellis and then just as quickly away.
“Tell me, sissster,” Odium hissed, knowing she hated it when he called her that. “How does it feel to have been discarded by one of them again?”
Sam halted at his side, facing Bellis, Keo, and Bronx. She didn’t look at them though. Keeping her head turned, she eyed the floor as she swallowed down the hurt that gutted her.
“She wasn’t,” she heard Bellis challenge on a snarl.
“She WAS!” Odium shouted, but Sam didn’t move.
Odium was right. Just like their parents and the only man she’d ever been with, Bellis too had abandoned her. He’d seen what she was, what she was worth, and forfeited. Again, she’d been found lacking.
“Sam!” Bellis’ tone was urgent. “Look at me!”
Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she kept them pinned on the floor. Fuck him! He wasn’t going to use her again. No one would. No more!
“I wonder…”
She didn’t have to look up; she knew Odium too well. This was the part where he toyed with his enemies before killing them.
“Let’s drain the Soul Sentry shall we, and see what powers can be gleaned from these… Keepers.” He said their name as if the mere word had soured his tongue.
Sam blinked, and a tear dropped onto her cheek. Odium moved from her side, and she heard Bronx hiss as both Bellis and Keo growled. She lifted her eyes just in time to see Odium pull his psyblade from the sheath at his hip before raising it and pacing toward Bronx.
Alarm jerked her to life, and she took a step toward Odium at the same time that Bellis spoke.
“You’re a fucking fool,” Bellis sneered at Odium, obviously straining to maintain his self-control. “Your greatest fear is to face Monroe, when a worse threat stands before you.”
Odium stilled, and Sam knew he was confused. A Demon wouldn’t know about Monroe StoneCrow, unless…
Bellis lifted his hands and pulled his collar down, revealing the brand left by the removal of his halo.
Odium chuffed a startled sound and turned an accusing look at Sam. She shook her head once, attempting to feign ignorance.
Odium lowered the psyblade and turned his attention back to Bellis. “You?” He scoffed, eyeing Bellis up and down. “You are no threat to me, Skin Walker. Your kind never have been. You may have fooled my selfish sissster, but not me.”
Bellis grinned, and that’s when Sam realized that he knew. Regardless of how hurt she was by his betrayal, they’d formed a bond, and not just her and Bellis, but her and Keo and Bronx. Even if Keepers and Skin Walkers didn’t want her, she would do all she could to save them because it was all she knew. Saving Skin Walkers was all she’d ever done. Liar! Looking up, her eyes collided with Bellis’ as he stared at her intently. For just the briefest of moments, his stony façade softened like he was trying to convey regret without words. Sam tore her eyes away.
Bellis knew she wouldn’t let her brother harm Bronx, Keo, or him. He wasn’t referring to himself, she was the threat Bellis spoke of.
Odium lifted his psyblade, and from behind him Sam attacked. Launching herself at his back, she was shocked when he quickly spun. They hadn’t fooled him at all. Odium was prepared for her treachery.
Too late to stop herself, she crashed into Odium and was stunned as she was impaled by the psyblade without even the opportunity to react or scream. Instead, her eyes rounded and her mouth fell open in silent agony. As she crashed to the floor , she heard both Bellis and Keo cry, “SAM!”
The room exploded in a burst of activity. Odium leaned over her and hissed, “Traitooor!” The bastard released his grip on the psyblade, leaving it imbedded in her, knowing she’d be unable to pull it free herself. Sam couldn’t care what happened around her as pain tore through her. Many times she’d witnessed her brother use the blade on Walkers, but she’d never suspected that one day she’d be on the receiving end.
Flashes of the psyblade’s Skin Walker victims flashed through her mind. Memories that didn’t belong to her, hopes, dreams, and fears coursed through her, ripping at her soul. They were the psyches of the dead Walkers, parts of them bonded to the blade, and now, once her soul departed, a part of her would remain with the blade as well.
Furious growls, vicious snarls, and Odium’s wretched screeching filled the air around her, but her world was frozen. Dread hit her at the thought of Bellis, Keo, or Bronx being harmed. She tried to blink, but realized she couldn’t see anything in the room. Too many flashes of lives bled away were passing through her, casting everything into muted grays and dark blacks, interspersed with nearly blinding flashes of white. She felt trapped in another realm, as if she were having some out-of-body experience, while still possessing the knowledge that her physical body was in jeopardy. Her physical body was trapped in the middle of a war zone, between Bellis, Keo, Bronx and the Megalya, and not only was she helpless to defend herself, she could be of no aid. If she knew Monroe StoneCrow, and she did in fact know Monroe StoneCrow, then she knew with all certainty that Skin Walkers would be nearing the battle if they weren’t involved already.
She jerked as something nudged her body, and she fought with all she had to focus on her surroundings. Her eye
sight may not have been working, but her nose certainly was. When she was nudged again, she recognized Bronx’s scent even as his soft fur brushed over her hands that were gripping her stomach where the psyblade protruded from her. Something jarred the blade, and she sucked in a sharp breath at the excruciating pain that exploded in her abdomen. With the movement, bright flashes of memory exploded behind her eyes. Walkers smiling, crying, laughing, loving, dying! So many memories, so many Walkers. She knew she was crying; she could feel tears streaking down her face, but she was still helpless to move or even breathe. Her unblinking eyes saw nothing of the outside world, only what the psyblade showed her. Pops of light flared to life with each Walker’s memories, fading just as quickly as each life was extinguished. So many Walkers, mostly women and children. It was agonizing to endure their last moments, their fears for their loved ones, mothers fighting to defend their children.
The psyblade was jarred again, and this time a scream tore from her with the excruciating pain, but the sound echoed only in her head. Slowly, the blade was pulled free. With it, the memories, the voices, the misery receded and her vision went dark. She was on the verge of passing out, but fought it with all she had. Her body bowed on the unforgiving floor and she realized she wasn’t breathing. Her mouth opened and closed as white light slowly began to dance in the black abyss that consumed her.
A large course tongue licked across her open mouth, and still she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, couldn’t see. A snuffing sound, and air was forced into her opened mouth.
Still nothing.
Bronx repeated the gesture with his furry lips pressed to hers, and that was all it took. A great huff of air was forced into her starved lungs.
Sam closed her mouth, then coughed once before sucking a long, agonized breath into aching lungs. Light exploded in her sight, and the room swayed as her vision slowly came back while she writhed on the floor.
Small hands reached for her stomach before lifting into her line of sight, but there was no blood. She knew there wouldn’t be, it wasn’t how the psyblade worked. Still, it was hard for her to believe she’d endured such excruciating pain without any physical wound.