by Laken Cane
Gunnar the Ghoul would know where they were setting up. He never went outside the gates of Wormwood, at least not as far as she knew, but still seemed aware of everything that went on in the county. He was her best informant.
And all she had to do was give him what he craved.
On her way she called Z to tell him where she’d be. She couldn’t get a cell signal in Wormwood. “If you need me, leave a message and I’ll call you as soon as I’m finished with Gunnar.”
“What about lunch?”
“I’ll have something after.”
“Don’t forget to eat, Rune. You’re too skinny as it is.”
“You said I looked great.” She couldn’t help but grin. Z was almost a bigger worrier than Ellie.
“You always look great, sweet thing. Just too thin.”
“I’ll eat, I promise. And don’t call me sweet thing.” She pulled into a drive-through to get a cup of coffee before heading on to the graveyard.
“How was Raze?”
“Not great. He needs out. But he had some information.”
“What?”
“COS is setting up a church in Spiritgrove.”
“Fuck me!”
“Exactly.”
“Where?”
“Don’t know. I’m hoping Gunnar can tell me.”
“If anyone can…”
“Yeah.”
She hung up.
Part of her wanted to go home and decompress—but mostly she was just glad to be back, to have a life that kept her so busy she had little time to think.
Thinking about things got her into trouble.
Sure, the shrinks had helped.
But things had happened that no amount of dredging up could make go away. They just were.
She’d like to forget them. Bury them with the adoptive parents she’d killed.
“But I’m better,” she whispered. “I’m so much better.”
And that was the truth.
Chapter Five
She entered Wormwood through the main entrance. Wormwood was vast—the largest cemetery in Ohio—and had evolved into something close to a town. A town of Others.
As though he’d been waiting for her, Gunnar the Ghoul stood just beyond the gates, his long-fingered hands clasped behind his back. A light wind picked up lank strands of his thin black hair, waving it gently away from his high forehead and sharp cheekbones.
“Hello, Your Highness,” he said when she reached him.
“Hi, sexy.”
“I knew you’d come.”
“You always do.”
“Yes. I am quite brilliant.”
“For a ghoul.” She grinned.
He looked down his nose. “For anyone, Your Provocativeness.”
“I have a question.”
“Of course. I will willingly make a trade.”
She teased a Baby Ruth candy bar from her pocket. “Want some chocolate, baby?”
He snatched the candy from her, holding it to his nose, his eyes closed. Finally he put it away and looked at her, his black eyes attentive. “Ask your question.”
“The Church of Slayers has come to River County. They’ve opened a branch in Spiritgrove. I need to know exactly where.”
He didn’t look surprised. “They are sneaky, those slayers.”
“I’m aware. The address, Gunnar.”
He gave her the address, adding, “They are not building. They’ve taken over the big Baptist church that was abandoned three years ago.”
She nodded. “I know where it is.”
He tilted his head, looking like a demented puppy. “You’re hungry.”
Dammit. “No, I’m not.”
“You are.” He paused, a hint of shyness entering his bottomless eyes. “I would gladly feed you, Your Highness.”
She fought to keep her face blank. Feed from a ghoul? No. Just…no. “I—”
“I retract the offer,” he said quickly.
Fuck me. “Gunnar, I’m not hungry.” As though he wouldn’t know she was lying.
“Here is a free bit of advice for you, Your Runiverse.”
She lifted an eyebrow. That was a new name. “Yes?”
“You’ve forgotten who you are.” Suddenly he lost his slightly vacant expression and peered at her through ancient eyes. “Blood and fire will rain down upon Spiritgrove and you must be prepared. There are choices to be made…beware you do not make the wrong ones.”
She ground her teeth. “Fuck, Gunnar, you know I hate all that cryptic shit. Can’t you—”
But he turned and disappeared into the thick copse of trees, and she hadn’t the heart to chase him. It wouldn’t do any good anyway.
“Fucking ghoul.” She didn’t want to think about what he’d said. Choices. Had she ever made the right choices?
She’d chosen Jeremy.
Don’t think about that.
“I got the address,” she told Z once she’d climbed back into her car. She gave it to him quickly. “I need to go home and weapon up. Call Jack and both of you meet me at the church in forty-five minutes.”
“You got it,” he replied.
When she arrived home she stood for a few seconds just staring at her hideous house. Part of her had missed her place, but part of her, the part that thought about all the horror that’d happened inside it, wanted to pack up and find somewhere new to start over.
Jeremy had nearly killed her in that house. More than once.
I’m a psychotic bitch.
No. You’re a damaged girl.
“I’m so much better,” she murmured. It was like a mantra and she held on to it with everything inside her.
I am my monster and my monster is me.
She climbed the rickety steps to the porch, then hesitated before opening the door. Too many memories.
Bad memories, guilt, and hunger were not a good combination. They led to bad, bad things. Hurtful things.
Ellis had taken care of her house while she’d been gone, but it still had an abandoned air about it. The rooms were hushed and somehow watchful, and for a second she thought maybe someone had broken in and was even now hiding under the bed.
She shook off the thoughts and began strapping on her belts and sticking shivs into the holsters. When she faced down the SCOS leader she wanted to be as intimidating as possible.
She had to be. The Church of Slayers scared the fuck out of her. She knew exactly how they felt about Others, and how destructive, how horrifically damaging that hatred could be.
Not long ago, she’d hated her Other—herself—that much.
She walked to the mirror and stared at her reflection. She was wearing nearly every weapon she owned. She’d pulled her hair back into a long, tight ponytail, its austereness making her delicate features look a little stronger.
Forgive the child for what she did.
I did forgive her. I did forgive myself.
Really?
Her cell rang, jerking her out of her thoughts. She frowned. “Levi?”
“Hi Rune. Where are you?”
“Home but leaving now. What’s up?”
“I heard something disturbing.”
Fuck. “I’m sorry. I’m on my way to talk to the assholes now. You and Denim will be okay, but Lex…”
“I—”
“I know. All we can do is make sure she knows we’ll protect her. And as soon as COS fucks up—and they will—we can run them the fuck out of town.”
His shocked silence made her realize she’d made a mistake.
“COS is in fucking River County?”
Fuck me. She sighed. “I just learned of it a little while ago. I’m taking Jack and Z and going to harass them.”
“I’m going.” But his voice was breathless and she could almost taste his fear.
“No, baby. Not yet.”
He didn’t argue and that scared her more than COS. “Levi?”
“I have to go.” He hung up before she could say another word, and she realized he hadn’t told her why he�
��d called.
On her way to Spiritgrove, she punched in Denim’s number.
“He just told me,” Denim said.
“Let me deal with them and we’ll figure out what to tell Lex.”
“I know what to tell her. I just don’t know how to.”
“Wait for me. We’ll tell her together.”
He wasn’t going to reject the offer. “Okay.”
“Levi called to tell me something he’d heard, but didn’t get around to it. Do you know what he wanted?”
“Yeah. And you’re not going to like it.”
“What?”
“We heard Elizabeth Peel hired a new member for Shiv Crew.”
“The fuck?” Immediately her heart began to pound with hard, angry beats. “I hire for Shiv Crew.”
“Better tell her that—from what I heard the deed has already been done.”
“After COS, I’ll go see her.” Bitch, with her smooth talk and her trust me shit. “Do you know who?”
“No. Just that it’s a man.”
Compartmentalize.
“Anything from the berserker? Kid okay?”
“Everything is quiet.”
“I’ll let you know how it goes with fucking COS.”
She hung up, still steaming over the new hire. She was Shiv Crew captain, not Elizabeth Peel.
By the time she arrived at the church, Jack and Z were waiting. They leaned against Jack’s big truck, talking. Both men were armed to the teeth, but that was standard for Shiv Crew.
The Others had, among other things, outrageous speeds and incredible strength. The humans had badges, guns, and silver shivs. Lots of silver shivs.
The three of them walked together to the big church. From the outside the place was quiet—people walked down the sidewalk, not even glancing at it. There were no signs asking for new recruits. No one stood at the doors announcing the insidious presence of one of the most horrific groups in America.
It was just another cold evening in Spiritgrove.
The pedestrians caught sight of the crew and paused, and Rune picked up her pace. The last thing she wanted right now was a round of autograph signing.
She pushed at the heavy entrance doors, surprised when they opened. COS should be hiding their secrets behind padlocks and silver-laced traps.
Inside, the church was bustling with activity. Women with their hair tied back cleaned the pews and walls, and men carried out musical instruments and old carpets. Small children colored and cried, watched over by older children who texted and glanced up periodically with sullen faces and dead eyes.
The church was huge. “They could hide anything in this place,” Rune said. “Wonder how many rooms—”
“Well that didn’t take long!”
She automatically rested her hands on her guns at the loud voice, which seemed to echo through the room and bounce off the tall ceiling.
A man walked toward them, his smile wide and friendly. He was average height, short brown hair, brown eyes behind copper-rimmed glasses…there was nothing striking about him, nothing unusual. He had a forgettable face and a deferential air, but she knew immediately this was the SCOS leader.
He would have fooled most people but to her his meekness was as contrived as the jolly smile he wore.
He wasn’t an idiot, either. He offered none of them a handshake, knowing they’d refuse it. But still, he peered at them through muddy eyes and kept the smile on his face. “I’m Tim Emerson,” he said and gestured at the church. “Leader of this little group. I wondered when law enforcement would arrive.”
They weren’t in a hurry to talk, just studied him intently, silently. Their fingers twitched against weapons that could have decimated him had they decided to use them.
He swallowed. “I can assure you our purpose is not to harm anyone or make trouble of any sort. COS caught a bad rap because of past members, but we cannot be held accountable for the horrors perpetrated by Karin Love.”
Rune moved a step nearer to him, getting a little too close to his personal space. “Why are you in River County? Are you laboring under the fucked up assumption that we want you here?”
Those in the church stood silent, watching, as chores were forgotten and texts went unanswered. A baby’s cry was quickly hushed.
Every member she looked at stared back at her with silently accusing eyes and carefully blank faces.
As if we’re the bad guys.
“I just realized who you are,” Emerson said, and into the silence he spat out her name with venom so strong all three of them pulled their guns. “Rune Alexander. You bill yourself as part human, but really, you’re just one of the monsters, aren’t you?”
Now the faces held something more than accusations. They held disgust. Contempt. Revulsion.
For a second she faltered. She wanted to cover up her confusion by dropping her fangs or slicing him with her sharp tongue, but she faltered.
Jack nudged her aside. While Emerson was still gaping at the giant one-eyed man, Jack grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the floor. “Keep a civil tongue, dude, or I will rip it from your mouth. Got it?”
Emerson’s breath wheezed from his constricted throat and he pulled helplessly at Jack’s fingers. “Yes, yes,” he whispered.
Jack let him drop. “Good deal.”
They waited quietly, letting the COS leader collect himself. His fingers fluttered about his tie, wanting to but not touching the red marks upon his throat. He smiled his wide, fake smile again. “And you say COS is abusive.” He turned to his people. “You see?”
“You shouldn’t have come here,” Rune said.
He turned to look at her, and for the first time she saw the glint of rage in his eyes. It was subtle, but there. Maybe rage and malevolence were prerequisites of being a COS leader.
“We may go where we wish, Alexander. Until you can trump up some false charges and force us out, we will hold our meetings and bring as many of your humans to our side as possible. Before it’s too late.”
One thing about COS, its members honestly thought they were the good guys. Humanity’s saviors. The zealous, self-righteous bastards truly believed in their cause. “I’d be happy to leave you to your idiocy, Emerson, if your church knew how to leave the Others alone. But you—” she glanced around at the COS members who watched. “All of you are fucking murderers.”
No one said a word and finally, Emerson giggled. “But Alexander, it’s not murder if you step on a bug. It’s not murder if you swat a fly or defend yourself against a mad dog. COS doesn’t commit murder.”
She stepped closer to him. “Don’t get too comfortable in your little church, dude. You won’t be staying long.”
She’d make sure of that.
Chapter Six
“Hi Lex.”
She’d put off talking with Lex all day but COS was dangerous and like it or not, Rune was going to have to tell the blind Other the news.
Lex pointed to the couch and sat down beside her. “I have coffee if you’d like a cup. Denim, pour her some.”
Denim shot a look at Rune. Wait until I’m back in here before you tell her.
Rune nodded to show she understood.
Elizabeth Peel had sent Levi off with Jack and Z to a grocery store to check out a report about a terrified, severely beaten vampire. The irate manager had called to request RISC get the vampire the hell out of his store—she was scaring away customers.
Rune looked around the small, neat apartment. Lex could take care of herself but the twins would never let her live alone. She’d been attacked once—in that very house—and if it hadn’t been for Rune’s blood she wouldn’t have survived.
The girl never tried to convince them she should find her own place. Rune was sure echoes of that beating still lingered in Lex’s mind. It was better this way.
Rune kept an eye on Lex’s hands—the girl was sneaky and being something of an empath would read COS all over Rune if she touched her.
Denim came back with her c
offee, finally, and some chocolate chip cookies. While he was placing them on the little table in front of the couch, Lex spoke.
“I know you have something bad to tell me, Rune. Is it Raze? Did something happen to him in jail?”
Hmmm. “Worried about Raze, Lex?” Her voice was so overly casual even Denim looked at her askance.
Lex frowned. “Of course. I worry about all of Shiv Crew.”
Rune sighed, her nosiness unsatisfied. “Raze is fine. That’s not why I’m here.”
Lex was one of the toughest girls Rune had ever met. She’d had to be. Her life had been complete hell. But some things could still bring her to her knees.
Spit it out, Rune. “A man named Emerson has started a COS branch in Spiritgrove, Lexi.”
She was ready when Lex moaned, an eerie, nonhuman sound that covered her with gooseflesh and made her heart stutter in horror. She knew some of what COS—and Karin Love—had put the girl through, but not all of it. She didn’t want to know.
“Know how I get the silence?”
Rune shuddered.
Denim knelt and pulled Lex into his arms, and Rune was pretty sure the girl wasn’t even aware. She wasn’t getting better—on the contrary, her fear of COS seemed to be growing stronger.
Rune stood and paced the small room, helpless. She was glad when her cell rang. “Yeah?”
A pause. “Are you okay, Rune?”
Fucking Elizabeth Peel. “Yes.” But we need to talk, lady. She wasn’t going to explain about Lex to the new RISC boss. Elizabeth Peel wasn’t one of them.
Elizabeth didn’t pry. “The vampire I sent the crew to get out of Seeley’s grocery store is here. I have her in protective custody.”
Rune walked into the kitchen. “Why?”
“We do protect the Others now, Rune.” Peel’s voice was dry.
“Why does she need protection,” Rune asked, impatient. “I’m aware of our new policies.” I helped implement them.
“That’s why I’m calling. I know you’re not technically on duty until tomorrow, but I believe this needs taken care of now. Would you be willing to visit the vampire master tonight?”
Rune shrugged. “Sure. What’s going on?”
“The vampire told me Nicolas Llodra has succumbed to the insanity that affects so many of them. He’s torturing his people. This vampire…she’s bad, Rune. I’m not sure how she’s still alive.”