Falling to Ash

by Karen Mahoney

  ‘I don’t know,’ I lied, examining the deep red satin cushion that Jace was sitting on. It was easier than looking at him.

  He fixed me with those intense brown eyes. ‘Really? After what you told me you scented on Erin’s body?’

  I wished I’d kept my big mouth shut about that now. But I’d been scared and alone; confused. ‘I just don’t want to talk about it with you right now.’ I didn’t really want to think about it.

  ‘What are you protecting him for? Do you still have a thing for him?’ His voice was mocking, but there was something else in his voice. An edge that I tried to ignore. ‘Has he bitten you lately?’

  ‘No, he hasn’t bitten me since he turned me. Actually.’ I licked my lips. ‘I’ve bitten him . . .’ My voice trailed off as I felt my cheeks burn. What did I have to tell him that for?

  ‘Well, then.’ He looked angry, and I wasn’t entirely sure I liked this sudden change in his attitude toward me.

  We sat in silence for what felt like hours.

  ‘Jace?’ My voice was small in the sudden quiet of the room. ‘How did you learn about vampires, and all of this stuff? I mean, obviously from your dad. But did he wait to tell you the truth until you were a certain age or something?’

  ‘I’ve always known about the monsters.’ He winced. ‘Sorry. You know what I mean.’

  I shrugged, looked down. It pissed me off, hearing him talk like that, but I still wanted to hear what he had to say.

  ‘My family are a family of hunters. It’s not just my dad.’

  I waited for him to go on.

  ‘There’s an uncle and a couple of cousins. My grand-father. And my mom. She used to hunt too.’

  ‘Your mom?’

  ‘Sure. It’s not just a male occupation, you know.’

  ‘I’m just surprised,’ I said. ‘I don’t even know why.’

  ‘She died.’ His voice was quiet and I remembered the glimpse I’d had inside his head. I wanted him to say more, but at the same time I suddenly felt afraid. This was too much, too soon. The intensity made the air in the room feel like static electricity.

  ‘Mine too,’ I replied.

  We stared at each other for a moment that stretched out and out . . . Until Jace looked down and began sorting books into piles again.

  The moment, as moments like that have a habit of doing, passed.

  I jumped to my feet, unable to sit still any longer. ‘My shirt must be dry by now.’

  Jace looked up at me with lazy eyes. ‘You can just have that one.’

  The desire to keep his T-shirt was so visceral that for a moment I was overwhelmed. I stomped down on it as hard as I could. ‘No, it’s cool. Thanks, though.’

  I fled to the bathroom to see if my clothes were dry. Sadly, my shirt and sweater were still damp, but at least my trusty leather jacket was dry. As I finished pulling the sweater back over my head, a knock at the bathroom door made me jump. Then I got distracted by how freaking uncomfortable I felt. Was it my imagination, or had the stupid thing shrunk already?

  Another knock at the door made me squeal. Ugh. I was turning into such a girl. ‘What?’ I shouted.

  ‘Can I come in?’ Jace’s voice was muffled through the door, but I could hear the note of uncertainty running through it just fine. I couldn’t get used to this all-new ‘nicer’ version of the young hunter.

  ‘Sure.’ I opened the door and we stood looking at each other for an uncomfortable few seconds.

  Jace fixed me with a serious expression. ‘So call me if you find out anything, OK? Or if something else happens.’

  ‘Right.’ Of course, what else did I think he wanted to talk to me about? It was all business, all the time, with Jace. But he was still giving me that weird look.

  ‘I’ll let you out when you’re ready,’ he said, turning quickly and leaving the room.

  I let out the breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. What was that all about? I suddenly wished that Caitlín was here, right now. This is just the sort of thing she’d love to hear about.

  My little sister was out there somewhere, and the urge to find her and see that she was safe hit me in the stomach like a punch. The primeval sensation even overcame my creeping doubts about Theo; she was my family, after all. My blood family. (That irony made me smile.)

  Now that I had more information about what might have happened to Rick – and what I feared might yet happen to Erin – I felt more confident about confronting Theo. OK, maybe just a tiny bit more confident. I checked the time on my phone and figured that Theo would be long awake now. Perhaps he’d be at Subterranean.

  But first, before anything else, I wanted to spend some time searching for Caitlín before it got too late. I looked down at my damp clothes. I really need to get home and change.

  There was a bang on the door and I almost leaped out of my skin.

  ‘Moth, what’s taking so long?’

  ‘Sorry,’ I muttered. ‘Coming.’

  I joined Jace in the narrow hallway and watched him as he put one hand on the apartment door handle, ready to let me out. He turned to me, obviously preparing for another one of his oh-so-eloquent speeches.

  That was when I heard . . . something.

  ‘Wait.’ I put my hand over his, trying not to think about how warm his flesh was. I could feel every scar across his knuckles.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Someone’s coming,’ I said.

  Jace frowned. ‘You’re sure?’

  I pointed at one of my ears. ‘Hello? Vampire hearing.’

  And then there was no doubt that someone was very definitely coming, because footsteps marched clearly up to the door. Whoever it was, he – or she – wasn’t trying to make a secret of their approach.

  Jace slipped into the living room and returned with a gun. I raised my eyebrows at it and he shrugged. He nodded at me to go back inside the bathroom.

  Screw that. I shook my head and took up a position on the other side of the door from him. It felt unbelievably weird to be ‘working’ with Jace again. I wondered if our fragile connection could last.

  But all these thoughts disappeared when the door burst open with a crack, as someone kicked it so hard that the lock and catch flew off and screws showered the air like dangerous confetti.

  I ducked a piece of shrapnel, and when I lifted my head I saw Jace facing off with a mountain of a man holding a crossbow cradled lovingly in his arms.

  ‘Hello, son,’ the man said. ‘I see you’ve been busy while I was away.’

  Shit. Like father, like freaking son.

  Chapter Fourteen

  THOMAS MURDOCH WAS tall, even taller than Jace. He must’ve been at least six-foot-three, maybe six-four. He was wearing a long duster that made him look like an ageing cowboy. His hair was a slightly darker blond than his son’s and it was cut short – military short – so I could almost see the pale flesh of his scalp. Silver was generously scattered throughout the golden bristle. He can’t have been all that old, but he looked totally haggard to me.

  Vampire hunting can’t have very good health benefits.

  We stood in front of him like two kids caught out after curfew. Something about the man’s dark eyes reminded me of Theo when he was controlling his anger, but the rest of him was all Jace – Jace in thirty years from now, after a lifetime of violence.

  Jace’s father was looking at me like I was something nasty on the bottom of one of his huge army boots. And all I could think was, He’s back. Now Theo can kill him – and I’ll be safe . . . We both will be.

  ‘Dammit, son. You’re not banging her, are you?’ Murdoch shuddered and his mouth pulled down into a grimace. ‘It’s as bad as . . . necrophilia.’

  Jace’s face tightened with something like anger, only much, much worse. It was like watching storm clouds gather in his eyes until they turned black with murderous rage. If I had been in the position to applaud, I would’ve done. He didn’t say anything, but he was definitely poised for action – and he was still holdin
g the gun.

  Murdoch Senior continued to glare at me. ‘I should kill you right now.’

  ‘You could try,’ I growled, showing him my fangs. They’d fully extended and my gums ached.

  ‘Dad, let her go,’ Jace said. ‘Just . . . let her go.’

  ‘Don’t defend it,’ his father snapped. ‘What do you think you’re doing?’

  ‘Where have you been, Dad? It’s been six weeks.’ Jace’s voice was stretched tight. He sounded like he was waiting to explode.

  ‘On a job, where the hell do you think?’ Murdoch’s body language was relaxed, as though it was absolutely fine that he’d upped and left his son without a word of explanation. ‘You’re not a child anymore. I thought you told me you could take care of yourself.’

  ‘Of course I can take care of myself. I just didn’t expect you to disappear without even leaving a message to let me know you were OK. What am I supposed to think, knowing the kind of life you lead?’

  Murdoch waved his hand dismissively. ‘We don’t have time for this, Jace. I was on a job – deep cover. I couldn’t talk to you about it.’

  ‘You didn’t even leave me a sign! Just something to let me know you were still alive.’

  ‘Jason, since when have you ever known the monsters to get the better of me? What happened to your faith?’ The hunter shook his head, as though genuinely disappointed.

  Jace flushed. ‘I was worried about you, Dad. Don’t you get that?’

  ‘Worrying is for the weak,’ Murdoch said darkly. ‘I taught you better than this.’

  ‘So you can’t tell me anything?’

  Murdoch Senior turned his attention back to me. ‘I sure as shit don’t want this conversation in front of that.’

  Jace scowled. ‘Don’t talk about her like that.’

  ‘You’d better not be going soft on me, kid. Especially not when it comes to the vamps.’

  I took a step back from the hatred in the man’s eyes.

  I growled, baring my fangs. Jace was watching me with something like panic in his eyes.

  Murdoch Senior grinned. ‘Or maybe she should stick around – find out why her boss hasn’t managed to stop me from taking down more of his gang than any other hunter.’

  He grabbed me with his free hand, so fast I gasped with shock and found myself lifted off the floor. OK, what was it about tall guys always doing that to me? Pick on the small girl, why don’t you . . .

  He slammed me against the wall, pinning me like a butterfly. Or a moth.

  I saw the truth in his eyes: he was going to kill me.

  ‘You’re a pathetic excuse for a monster, girlie,’ he hissed, pushing up close and getting right in my face.

  Girlie? Now I was really pissed.

  ‘You’re monster enough for both of us, Murdoch, so I guess that’s cool.’ I swung my legs out and wrapped them around his waist, taking him by surprise. His grip relaxed – only slightly, but it was enough.

  Clinging around his torso, I squeezed his wrists until I felt bones grate together. He cried out in pain and released me, but I was still attached to his waist and he didn’t seem to know what to do with me. Which suited me fine. I head-butted him so hard that I saw stars and he howled with rage – and what was hopefully a good amount of pain. The agony shooting through my own skull was almost worth it.

  Jace was standing by the shattered door, keeping watch in case any neighbors heard the ruckus we were making. The last thing any of us needed was the cops to get involved. He pointed his gun in our direction but, apart from that, didn’t seem to know what to do with us.

  I used Murdoch’s tall body as a living climbing-frame, pulling myself up by his shoulders, then up once more until I was standing on his shoulders. I made sure to snatch his crossbow on my way up and he grabbed my ankles, trying to dislodge me.

  ‘Get the hell off me, you freak of nature!’

  I leaped, ninja-style (or so I liked to think), and landed right by the window. My feet and knees were killing me from the impact, but nobody needed to know about that.

  I waved. ‘I’d love to stay and chat, but I really should get going.’

  Murdoch roared something surprisingly creative and vaulted over the couch. For a big guy he was fast.

  But I was faster.

  ‘Dad, just let her go!’ Jace yelled, finally opening his big dumb mouth.

  Fat lot of good he was doing. Not that I could really blame him. This was his father. I understood the pull of family – in more ways than one.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry on my account,’ I said breezily, using the butt of Murdoch Senior’s crossbow to smash the lock off the window. He’d surely have a warding charm on it to keep the undead out – that kind of protective magic existed if you knew where to find it – but would it work both ways? What about a vampire already inside the apartment who was trying to escape? It looked like we were all about to find out. I just hoped that, if I was wrong, I didn’t end up fried like an actual moth that flies too close to the flame.

  I’d just gotten the window open when the man himself grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me back. Kyle had warned me about how my hair could be used against me in hand-to-hand combat. I’d sort of blown him off, figuring that I wouldn’t really get into many fights – especially considering how good at running I am. Looks like Kyle was right about something, after all.

  ‘Dad, stop!’

  Oh goodie, there was Jace ‘talking’ to my rescue again. Because coming to my rescue was clearly way too hard for him.

  My neck snapped back as Murdoch dragged me away from the window and I dropped the crossbow. Luckily, it didn’t go off. I let all my weight go, sank to the floor and let him think he’d beaten me, then twisted and kicked him in the shin as hard as I could while he was off balance. It felt like a huge chunk of my hair had been ripped out at the roots. Do you know how much that hurts?

  Let me take a moment to tell you something. You’re probably thinking: Moth’s a vampire. She’s super-strong and super-fast, and she should be able to beat a human (even a big guy like Murdoch) with one hand tied behind her back. But it’s not that simple. Having special abilities doesn’t make you an automatic expert in using them. I was a new vampire with new abilities. I was still getting used to being in a body that was mine . . . and yet not mine. Sometimes I’d do something as simple as opening a bottle of Coke and I’d break the whole top off, shattering the glass rather than just twisting off the cap. I couldn’t always control things like strength and speed. I mean, I’m getting better at it, but I still surprise myself.

  So that’s why an incredibly well-trained, battle-scarred man like Papa Murdoch can hurt me. Or, at the very least, stop me from hurting him too bad. Give me a few more years, I could probably wipe the floor with him. With both hands tied behind my back. But that time hadn’t come quite yet. And I certainly couldn’t kill him. That was meant to be Theo’s task. I couldn’t do it for him, even if I was able to . . .

  Jace ran toward us, finally acting against his father and kicking the crossbow out of Daddy’s hands as he tried to grab it off the floor.

  My, how impressive, I thought groggily. I shook my head, tried to get to my feet, but everything was spinning. I could feel blood running down my face where the hunter had smacked me into the broken window. I’d heal, so I tried not to worry. It wasn’t like I could look in a mirror to see how bad the damage was. I wiped blood from my face and used the window ledge to pull myself to my feet. I contemplated the open window, then glanced back at Jace.

  The Murdochs were having a family disagreement. Murdoch Senior had snatched the gun off his son and now whacked him across the face with the butt of it. Jace’s face was stricken, and I didn’t think that expression had anything to do with the physical pain of being pistol-whipped. He looked . . . shattered. Blood was running from a badly split lip and he stared at his father with a mixture of shock and hatred.

  ‘Screw you.’ I was glad to see Jace standing up to his asshole of a dad. The effect was sli
ghtly ruined by the fact that his voice was kind of muffled from all the blood in his mouth.

  I hesitated by the window as they faced off. I should leave them to it, but the reason this was happening was me. It was my fault Jace was taking a beating from his old man – I should stay, just in case he needed me. I shook my head slightly, almost smiling. Oh, how times change.

  Also, it was vaguely entertaining – in a car-crash sort of way – listening to Murdoch Senior talk about me like I wasn’t standing right there.

  ‘Jason, you’re defending one of them. It’s a monster and you’re hanging out with it like it’s the most normal thing in the world. Maybe next week you’ll be going on dates and buying it ice cream.’

  Hmm . . . I like ice cream. That didn’t sound so bad to me, although the mention of ‘dates’ freaked me out just a bit. Or maybe a lot.

  Jace used the bottom of his T-shirt to staunch the steady flow of blood from his lip. Maybe this would help change his mind about going into the family business.

  Murdoch Senior glanced at me. ‘Go on, get out before I change my mind.’

  I tried to catch Jace’s eye, but he was too busy staring at his father with an unreadable expression on his pale face.

  ‘I won’t tell you again, Dead Girl. Get out.’

  Fine. I had the information that I needed, and now all I wanted to do was go looking for my sister. I could leave the boys to play happy families.

  As I slipped out of the window – and yes, I was right, the warding charm clearly only worked one way – I couldn’t help feeling guilty for leaving Jace behind. His father was more of a monster than the vampires would ever be. I needed to tell Theo that Murdoch was back. I ignored the needle of guilt that told me I was handing Jace’s father over to my Maker – to the vampires. But even if we were working together all of a sudden, that didn’t mean Murdoch Senior got a free pass. He had to die. My life depended on it.

  If Theo didn’t kill Jace’s dad, then he might just have to kill me . . .

  Chapter Fifteen