Metal

by Olivia R. Burton

  Diana didn’t call them back, though Veruca wondered if she even could have in her state. The woman looked emaciated, deficient in every possible vitamin and mineral. Her hair was wild, but Veruca could see patches of scalp. Under her clothes, she looked cadaverous, as if she’d been longer dead than any of her zombies. It was painful to see, and Veruca lost herself to pity for a moment before starting sharply at Diana’s reaction to realizing her zombies were no longer of any use to her.

  The gaunt necromancer growled in such a feral way, Veruca found herself stepping back, her grip on her knife tightening. Fingers curling into a loose fist, Diana moved to the nearest zombie, kicked it, and then stomped her foot when it remained still.

  “No,” she wailed, looking to the next nearest zombie, and the next, and each of them in turn. Veruca closed in, catching sight of Alex hitting the bottom of the stairs, gun drawn and seeking a target. Diana noticed Veruca then, giving Alex no consideration.

  “No!” she echoed, moving to cross the space between her and Veruca, stepping over the bodies decaying rapidly on the floor. The pity Veruca had felt curdled inside her, drenched in an outpouring of worry for her own life when Diana reached for her throat as if she had nails sharp enough to rip flesh right open. Veruca couldn’t imagine she had the strength to even bruise, but she reacted without thinking, slashing at Diana’s arms and backing up and to the side to move out of her path and avoid being cornered. Diana’s blood welled slowly, just as lethargic as her soul had been, barely filling the wounds enough to overflow across her skin and down to the floor.

  Diana yowled again, still coming after Veruca even as Alex closed in to put three bullets through Diana’s neck and into the wall beyond. This time, her blood sprayed, a mist that seemed too fine for the ruptured flesh of her stretched neck. Diana stumbled, meeting Veruca’s eyes with an expression of confusion. All hate drained from her face as she pressed fingers to her throat, tried to speak, and then crumpled to the ground. Alex closed in, aimed the gun down, and shot her twice more in the back of the head.

  Veruca, stunned by the development, by the abrupt end to a terrible and chaotic situation, stared at Diana’s body, feeling momentarily lost. The room was quiet, save for Finn’s whimpers, before Alex sighed loudly. Wiping her brow as if she’d just finished an energizing jog on a treadmill, she looked up at Veruca and smiled.

  “Just listen to that fat lady sing.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Veruca didn’t want to let Finn go, not ever. She’d freed him, grabbed him, and instantly decided that she wanted to hold him for the rest of his life. He was wheezing into her hair, holding her just as tightly as she was holding him. People milled about—the mercenaries, Donald, even Alex somewhere—but Veruca didn’t care about any of them. All that mattered in the world was that Finn was safe.

  “Is she—did Alex—I mean, is she—”

  “She’s dead, hot stuff,” Alex said, stepping up next to them. “I checked for a pulse and everything, just in case she was a really stubborn bitch.”

  Finn threw a look her way before sighing out a ragged breath and tucking his face against Veruca’s hair again. She reached up to pet his head and neck, trying to focus entirely on helping him through his pain. The intensity of his reaction worried her, though she knew it would make sense once they could settle down and properly talk about all that had happened. Finn could explain how he’d known Diana, Alex could take her money and get the hell out of town, and Donald could take a few days off work.

  The rest of the men, the mercenaries who’d been paid to save a madwoman, would need to be dealt with as well, but in the moment, Veruca wanted to concern herself only with making sure Finn could get back to his usual charming, confident, loving self.

  Alex’s words grasped for her attention, though, trying to pull it off of Finn and onto something else. She let herself soothe him for a moment longer before looking upward and focusing on what she’d been avoiding since she and the brownie had closed in on the house.

  The zombies above, even the ones hidden around the property, were still standing. Somehow they’d survived Diana’s death.

  “What’s wrong?” Finn asked, concern for Veruca overcoming his anxiety. “What’s happened? Are you hurt? Oh, god, did you get shot?”

  “No,” Veruca said, turning back to cup his face in her hands, standing on tiptoe so she could kiss his cheek. “I’m not hurt, it’s nothing.”

  Pulling Finn into another tight hug, Veruca reached her power out as far as she could, gripped the bits of Diana’s shredded soul, and yanked them all out at once. The zombies above crumbled, the sound of the ones in the house startling everyone. Finn jolted, his body choosing flight rather than fight, but Veruca kept him close.

  “Shhh, that was just my doing. Don’t worry. We’ll get home, Connie will take care of you, and we’ll watch your favorite movie. All right, darling?” Veruca pulled back just enough to meet his eye, to hold it as she tried to show him with her expression that everything was going to be okay.

  Finn nodded, gave a weak smile, and Veruca smiled back, despite the fact that she could feel the scraps of Diana’s soul still above her corpse.

  ****

  Veruca had cleaned up first thing, letting Constance take advantage of Finn’s vulnerable state. She was at least twenty years older than the man, but neither of them seemed to really notice the age difference. At heart, Veruca knew Finn would never cheat, but both he and Constance did so enjoy flirting any time she had to come to his rescue and heal his wounds.

  Which, because Finn was Finn, seemed to be quite often.

  Clean and in fresh clothes, Veruca headed out into the living room of the rental house, finding Constance lounging on the sofa casually, smiling at Finn while he told what was likely a tale taller than any fisherman had ever told. Veruca had heard it before, and each time the details got a little more outrageous.

  “And that’s how I saved the Prime Minister’s life!”

  Veruca snorted, thinking that the last time it had been a mere intern who’d been snatched from the jaws of death.

  “Very impressive,” Connie said, noticing Veruca and jumping up to rush over and pull her into a hug. “You look much better, lovely. Nothing you need me for? Are you okay? Even a headache, I’m here for you.”

  “I’m okay,” Veruca said with a smile. “The shower did me a world of good. How’s our superhero?”

  “Better now that I’ve gotten hold of him. He claimed the girl healed him, but if that’s true, she did a piss-pour job of it. His internal organs were practically dented, he had a concussion, and he was covered in bruises. I had him get naked to make sure I got them all.”

  “I’m sure being naked was all his idea, but I appreciate you covering for him.”

  “I certainly supported the decision,” Alex said from the chair in the far corner. She didn’t look up from her phone, just sat draped sideways across the comfortable crushed velvet, bobbing her foot up and down. “He puts on quite a show.”

  “That he does,” Veruca said, somewhat unhappy that Alex hadn’t yet gone. Technically her contract was up, as Finn was safe, and the mercenaries had offered to take care of the bodies—even agreeing to Veruca’s instructions about the ones she needed transported to Garrett’s funeral home. Diana’s stolen money evidently could still be spent after death, and they were glad to use it to clean up the mess she’d made and keep their reputations spotless. “Are you waiting on payment? The transfer’s been initiated, I can’t speed it up anymore.”

  “I’m just killing time, don’t mind me.”

  “Finn, why don’t you go clean up? A shower would do you some good.”

  “Are you saying I smell bad?” Finn leaned to sniff each of his armpits in turn, but Veruca grabbed his arm before he could lift it. “I just think it would be relaxing, darling. Go on.”

  “The grown-ups need to talk, eh?” Finn asked, nodding knowingly. “I gotcha, I’ll go be naked somewhere else.”

  Veruc
a smiled, leaned up to kiss his cheek, and patted his back as he went. Connie hopped over, gave his pert ass a light slap, and winked when he grinned her way. Once Veruca was sure he was gone, far enough away that he wouldn’t hear the conversation she intended to have with Alex, she crossed the room.

  “You killed Diana.”

  “She was going after you with claws out. Metaphorically. Well, she was pretty bony, so I’m sure those fingers could have done quite a bit of damage.”

  “You shot her half a dozen times in cold blood.” Alex snorted at the phrase, but Veruca pressed on. “You killed her.”

  “I told you I’d take care of her.”

  “What would you have done if she hadn’t attacked me?”

  “I told you,” Alex repeated, her leg no longer bobbing. “I’d take care of her.”

  They locked eyes for a tense few seconds, Veruca trying to discern how far off of Alex’s original plan she’d gone. Had death been on the books all along, and she just didn’t want Veruca to know? She certainly seemed pleased with the outcome, and Veruca couldn’t be entirely sure, but her soul seemed a shade darker than before.

  “That you did,” Donald said, speaking up for the first time since Veruca had entered the room. She felt him close in, flicked her gaze to him as he stopped nearby. “Which means your contract is fulfilled and you can leave now.”

  “Hot damn, Donnie,” Alex said, swinging her legs around so she could stand. “You did that real smooth. Almost like you got practice kicking out a lady who’s just gotten paid for doing you a favor.” She winked, knocked the backs of her knuckles playfully against his chest, but Donald didn’t laugh or play along with her teasing. After a moment of strained silence, she shrugged and squeezed by Veruca, turning as she did so she could face them both.

  “I can see I’ve overstayed my welcome. That being said, I did have fun on this little outing of ours.” She flicked her wrist and Veruca jerked just in time to catch the business card flying at her face. “That’s my direct. Call me if you have any other problems you need help solving.”

  Veruca frowned down at the gray rectangle, noting it had nothing on it except a phone number in embossed gold. Without hesitation, she tore it in half and then ripped both pieces to even smaller bits.

  “Like I said, you were my second choice.”

  Alex just laughed, winked, and headed for the door.

  “Well, she’s a handful,” Connie said after the front door slammed. Veruca didn’t respond, watching the stain of Alex’s soul to make sure she was indeed leaving. Donald sighed, relaxing and going back to sit on the couch next to Constance.

  “Yeah, like cleaning up after a really big dog,” he said as he rolled his neck to crack it. Veruca’s lip pulled up in amusement and she let herself laugh. The worst was over, and despite the awful way it had ended, she had to remind herself that things would be okay.

  Not everything was perfect, not by a long shot. Her employees would bleed from the wounds Diana had inflicted upon morale and the hotel itself, Veruca would have to find a way to deal with the scout who’d shown up threatening Finn, and then there was Finn himself to deal with.

  They’d talked in the car on the way to the rental house, his voice quiet and shaky when he’d explained how Diana had slotted into his history. He’d held Veruca’s hand tightly the whole time he spoke, his gaze hollow until Eric had pulled into the driveway and Finn had forced himself to straighten up.

  He talked a big game, coming off strong and carefree around Constance and Donald, probably making sure his mask was in place at least until Alex left. He didn’t have the best taste in women, and his character judgment was that of a Labrador, but he’d managed to see the mean in Alex. His nurture had overcome his nature enough to keep him from giving her much to exploit.

  But he’d still been through a lot and lost someone who had at one time meant something to him. He’d need more than a hot shower to recover.

  Veruca just hoped she could keep her head on straight and her focus clear enough to help him through, despite the nagging worry resting like a hibernating grizzly at the back of her mind.

  ****

  “I can feel you thinking,” Finn whispered, wrapping himself around Veruca’s back, kissing her shoulder, and taking her hand in his. “You should be asleep, it’s late.”

  “Technically it’s early,” Veruca said, kissing his knuckles and tugging him closer around her. She hadn’t realized he was still awake, but it shouldn’t have surprised her. He’d been in Fairy with Alex for most of the day and so hadn’t been awake as long as she had. Plus, Constance had put her all into making him feel better, and often a good healing could stimulate the same as a tall black coffee and a refreshing run. “You should sleep, darling.”

  “You should sleep, you’ve done more work today. But if you’re too stressed, maybe I can relax you.”

  Veruca smiled, appreciating the offer, even though she wasn’t sure she was in the mood for any sort of wanton romp. Despite her nap, she was exhausted. Just not, it seemed, enough to overcome the mess of thoughts writhing inside her skull.

  “What’re you thinking about?”

  “Um,” Veruca said, trying to decide how much she wanted to tell him. His concern was touching, and she loved him for wanting to help, but she didn’t know if he would do well being saddled with the same concerns she had. “Just … everything.”

  “You’re not regretting your promise to the brownie, right? He seemed like a decent little guy.”

  “It’s not a he, but yes, it did.”

  “She, then?”

  “Brownies are lesser fae, they don’t really have gender.”

  “Does that mean they don’t have sex? That’s a pity.”

  “Why, were you planning on asking one out?”

  Finn snorted out a giggle that warmed her heart, and she turned in his arms to see his face in the early morning light. Grinning, he kissed her nose before shifting so he could prop himself up on his elbow and watch her.

  “I just feel bad for anyone who can’t enjoy sex. It’s a pretty incredible invention, you know. Right up there with chocolate and seeing you naked.”

  “I’m fairly sure two of those things aren’t inventions.”

  “No need to quibble over semantics, let’s just get you naked and test my theory.” He slid his hand up her thigh, tucking it under her baggy shirt and hooking his fingers into the waistband of her shorts, waggling his eyebrows the whole time.

  Veruca laughed, considered letting him finish but grabbed his hand so she could interlace their fingers instead. Finn rested his head on her chest, dropping his free hand down so he could play idly with her hair. They lay silent for a bit, Finn’s calm seeping deep into Veruca’s bones and making her feel like maybe sleep really would be in her near future. After a few minutes, Finn spoke quietly as if worried he might wake her if she’d drifted off.

  “What’s really wrong, my love?”

  “Probably nothing,” she said, her voice as quiet as his. “I didn’t… No, that would be a lie. I suspected Alex would kill Diana, but I didn’t forbid it.”

  “Was there another option? One we missed?”

  “I don’t believe so. She was dangerous, would have been more so in a human prison. She was willing to kill people. She was willing to kill you. But…” Veruca trailed off, petting Finn’s hair before shifting so she could kiss his head and squeeze him. “I’m not sure that was enough cause to end her life.”

  “You see death all the time,” Finn pointed out, squeezing her back. Veruca felt her heart thud, worry filling her chest for a few moments as Finn let the statement hang unexplained. She’d worried, just a little bit, in the back of her mind since they’d met that he thought ill of her profession, of her ability, of what she’d been raised to do for Belial. “Was it the same?”

  “Was what the same?”

  “Diana’s … passing.”

  “No,” Veruca said immediately, knowing it was true despite the end result being the
same. She thought of Denise, of where the whole ordeal with Diana had started. “No, this was worse. When I … collect, it’s … I have a way. I collect only on debts where the person knows what they’re getting into. No one’s signed on the dotted line without understanding that their time will be limited. I offer a peaceful end, most take it. Diana didn’t have that option. Doris just … shot her. Again and again.”

  Finn shifted, moving up to pull Veruca as close as he could manage, enveloping her in a way he rarely did. He wasn’t that much bigger than her, either in height or figure, but he managed to make her feel as if he could swallow her up and protect every bit of her from the world around.

  She sighed, letting him squeeze the last of her breath from her chest. When he relaxed enough that she could take another, she wiggled and shifted until she could see his face.

  “It’s not your fault,” she whispered.

  “I know,” he said. “I don’t believe it is. She wasn’t right when she … we were younger. Mort didn’t help with that. She knew more than me, probably had harsher lessons. Mort…”

  Finn shook his head, frowning intensely. He didn’t finish and Veruca didn’t ask him to. He’d talked about his past with Diana, explained what it had been like seeing Mort again, how it had made him feel to see the man as a zombie. Even after everything he’d been put through as a child, he’d still been unhappy to see either one of them dead. After another few moments, he met her gaze again.

  “Her zombies, those people will be taken care of, yeah? Their bodies will return to their families? They won’t rise up and try to eat someone at a funeral?”

  Veruca thought of the corpses, of how Diana’s soul had stayed fractured, tied securely in each undead chest until she’d forcibly removed it. She thought of how the pieces had hovered aimlessly for a while, refusing to slip away and dissipate into the air as souls were supposed to do.