Moving away from the edge of the dance floor, we approached the bar. The basement was just out the back. Which meant Serenity must have known that the leaders had been here all along.
“Hey, you!”
Turning, I paused as a Dark Crawler in a female body came up to me. Worming her long arms round my neck, she reached up on tip toes to whisper in my ear. The host wasn’t too far gone, but the stench of rotting from the inside had taken hold of her already. Her aura was covered with perfume, which stuck in my throat, almost making me gag.
The fire in my veins burned as the heat from Thor’s power alerted me to the Fallen One as well as the Crawler.
Tucking my hand into my hose, I wrapped my fingers around the handle of my dagger. If I could send one dark soul to Helheim right now, it would fire me up for the fight to come.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” she said, tugging on my tunic. “I just wanted to say that I’m a huge fan. Seriously, you’re sexy as hell!” Her lips pressed against my cheek.
Sheer willpower was the only thing that stopped me from vomiting all over the creature. Her vulgarity was so overwhelming, I shoved her off me. She laughed, backing away as she swayed to the music, her hand traveling down her body to touch her own breast.
Turning to the group, I barked a laugh when I saw the different expressions on each face. Jack was grinning, his eyes following her. Serenity’s mouth was screwed up in disgust and Kalic just looked slightly bemused.
“And there you were saying that I was fucked up for being tempted once,” Jack said, moving through the door behind the bar.
We strode through with him, like good little sheep.
“Seriously? You wanted to fuck a Dark Crawler?” Kalic hadn’t said much since being inside the club.
He was probably trying his hardest to hold back his bloodlust.
“Oh, come on, I was intrigued for a minute…and pretty fucking high, too.”
Jack put a hand up to stop our progression. Turning, he looked straight at Serenity. The joking in his voice completely contradicted the fury in his gaze when it landed on her.
“And, there I was, thinking you were a sweet, lovely, lesbian.” His words were tight as they left his lips, all traces of humour gone.
This was a Jack I hardly ever saw, one that was dangerous. Stepping forward, I stalled when he shot me a look that I had never been the brunt of either. It was a clear message to back down. Which I did.
Serenity licked her lips but kept her eyes on Jack. She refused to crumble, squaring her petite shoulders. “I had no choice. She…she threatened me and my family. What was I supposed to do?”
“Come to me? Tell me what was going on so I could deal with it?”
Jack was genuinely hurt over her betrayal, even though the pair had only known each other for a short time. He tended to hire people he respected, so Serenity must have made an impression….and dented Jack’s pride by getting one over on him. And, although he acted like a happy go lucky type of London lad, no one ever crossed him.
“Jack, I’m sorry. This whole world is…fucked! I had no idea it was real. When Kitty found me at the library, she pretended to be a fan of some author’s work I was reading. I’m naive, fucking stupid, okay? I believed that she was a fellow enthusiast. Myth has always fascinated me. And, now….”
“What?” Jack snapped, not letting the sob story soften his exterior.
He had been in the dark world for so long, he had forgotten how it was when he was a normal human. One devoid of paranoia and fear. Humans were good at believing the best of people, which often ended with them getting hurt. Another reason I had vowed to stay away. Another reminder of why my whole life had recently been turned upside down. Because of humans who believed that they were something they were not.
Martin would pay for starting his stupid cult. His idiocy would affect a lot of people, and he wasn’t even aware. Yet.
“Now…it’s real. And, I don’t know what the fuck to do with that information, okay? Kitty forced me to come and work here, telling me that she could show me the world I craved to know about. For real. Did I believe her? No, of course not. Was I sucked in anyway? Yes, I was.” Serenity gestured with her hands as she spoke, revealing a true academic.
It was amazing what hindsight did for a human. The only way they ever learned and grew as beings was if they were able to grasp it. Poor Serenity had seen a lot more than she had ever bargained for. Yet, it was a price she had to pay for the choice she made.
“I don’t trust you. How do I know that you’re not just working with Kitty to lure us down here? And, you.” Jack pointed at Kalic.
The vampire raised his lip, revealing the tips of his blade-sharp teeth.
“Don’t go all feral on me, wanker, just listen. Both of you are our hostages now. If you’re working for her, we’re safer if we keep you locked up. However, if you’re not working for her, you’re safe from her if we keep you locked up.”
I opened my mouth to interrupt Jack but Kalic got there first. “I don’t give a fuck about you or Kitty. My leader, my maker, is down there…and I’m going to rescue her, no matter what you say. So, get out of my way, human.”
The last part of his sentence was hissed through his fangs. I smiled as Jack’s cheeks paled. However, the club owner, the human, didn’t back down.
“Nope, sorry.”
That was my cue, I was sure. Moving, I shoved both Kalic and Serenity through the door on our left. The fridge for the booze. A nice small room, locked tight to keep everything cool. Kalic roared as I thrust him and grabbed the door. His fingers managed to get hold of the other side, but I pulled so hard, it slammed before he could get any momentum. He screamed as his fingers crunched where they got trapped between the door and its frame.
Flicking the lock shut, I grinned at Jack. There was no love loss on my part. Okay, they had offered to break me out of Kitty’s house, but ultimately, it had been my little team that had rescued me. There was no proof that they would have done if they could.
The sound of Kalic smashing against the door made us move. There was another door at the end of the area which led to a set of stairs. Those steps would take us down into the basement, where apparently, Kitty waited with the leaders of the underworld. It wouldn’t be pretty, I knew that. In fact, if the Fallen One was down there…which according to Thor’s radar, there was a high chance, things could very well change tonight.
“Where the fuck is Chloe?” Jack paused.
Taking a deep breath, I faced him. “She’s gone to get my sword.”
“What? On her own? Why?”
Tilting my head to the side, I rubbed my chest where heat pooled near my heart. Oh, how exciting it would be if my dream came true. Two Fallen Ones in a year. Two Fallen Ones so close together. It was probably a pipe dream, my power or mind playing tricks on me. Never before had Fallen Ones lived so close together. They stayed apart so they could be safer…from me.
“You think there’s one here?” Jack ran a hand through his gelled hair, grunting when his fingers got stuck in the mess.
He still wore his fake armour. In fact, no one had even deigned to take notice of our costumes. We certainly looked out of place in the middle of a modern day club. Just went to prove that everyone was up their own arses.
“Okay, so…plan of action, action boy…”
“Action boy? Is that my new name?” Clearing my throat, I tried not to laugh when Kalic swore loudly on the inside of the cool room, obviously giving up his attack on the door.
“It is your new name, my friend. I ain’t ever been in this sort of situation before, so I’m leaving it down to your brains. I’ll bring the beauty, you bring the brains…or whatever you’ve got, anyway.”
Taking his arm, I pushed him back towards the door to the club. “Okay, then the plan is…you go and have a dance…I’ll deal with this lot.”
“Oh, no you don’t, pretty boy. This is my club. No one gets to take advantage of it. Not even me, for fuck’s sake. So
, I’m your backup, or you can just fuck off too.” Jack went to push past me.
Grabbing him, I shoved him against the wall, cringing when his metal armour clashed against the concrete. Hopefully the music of the club would drown out any sound from us. Although, it was pretty obvious that Kitty might be expecting us. It depended how stupid she was.
“Calm down, I’m coming, like it or not.”
Letting him go, I shook myself out. “Okay, it’s your death. Just stay behind me at all times.”
My friend brushed himself down before reaching into his pocket and putting his eye patch back on. I held back a laugh as he looked at me, his eye wide, his cheeks bright red.
“What?” he said, bringing his shoulders up tall. “I’m fucking Odin, all right?”
Waving away his stupidity, I moved towards the door leading to the basement. Whatever happened in the dingy dark place below our feet, someone would end up dead. And, it most certainly would not be me.
13
Enemy Encounters
THE AIR COOLED AS SOON as we descended the stairs. There was one more door to go through before we hit the main room, which apparently spread out under the whole club, beams of stone keeping the floors above standing.
Jack was close by my back, his stupid costume bumping into me. I was tempted to rip it off him, but I had to keep calm. A part of me wanted to wait for Chloe to return, yet, my chest throbbed with pain, the heat singeing my insides. I had to find the Fallen One if they were down here.
“The door doesn’t creak, so go straight to the left when you go through, there’s a tiny dark cubbyhole there,” Jack whispered.
Nodding to acknowledge that I heard him, I listened at the door. Kitty’s voice resounded around the room. Others were arguing, making a huge racket. It didn’t sound as if the woman’s plans were going to plan. Which was fine by me.
Slowly opening the door, I did as Jack said, ducking into the hole in the wall. Luckily it was empty from the usual barrels that would have been there in the olden days. The club had more storage than was needed, including the special fridge room that Serenity and Kalic now inhabited.
The ceiling thudded with the dull sound of music from the club above. It was a good cover for anyone coming into the room. In fact, it was a bit odd that no one stood on guard by the door. Unless Kitty had tried to persuade the bouncer Gavin not to let anyone down. Which he had defied because Jack was his boss.
“Who is this? You said you would release our leaders, why the fuck are they hanging by their wrists?” The wizard was extremely riled. I recognised his accent, which helped me pin point where he was in the basement.
If I remembered correctly, there was a big area at the end where Jack used to have band practice. He tried to introduce live bands when he was in one, but as he grew older and his interests became a little less teenage, and a little more…depraved, he turned to dance and club music.
“I have one part of my puzzle, but there’s one missing. I told you that as soon as someone brings me Chloe, you’ll have your leaders.” Kitty was calm, her voice liquid honey as she tried to placate the powerful man.
Putting a hand on my chest, I cringed into myself as the heat enveloped me. Thor’s power was speaking to me, begging me to relieve the pain of it. I would try my bloody hardest.
“That wasn’t the deal. You wanted Trygger…” Isaac stopped talking abruptly.
I couldn’t see what was going on from my vantage point, but some of the others grunted at whatever happened to the wizard.
Jack nudged my back, encouraging me to move forward. Waiting, I plotted the whereabouts of Kitty in my mind as I listened to her voice. It was better to know the layout as much as possible before stumbling into something unexpected. Isaac had mentioned that the leaders were hanging by their wrists. How very…cruel.
“If you want to live, you’ll do as I say.” Kitty’s tone intensified as footsteps echoed around the area.
Looking around the wall of the cubbyhole, I spotted my enemy, standing in front of the others. They sat on chairs, facing her like good little children in a classroom. Why had they become so weak around the mere human? Kitty would not have the power to kill them, so who…?
“You can come out now, Trygger.” I didn’t recognise the voice, but my whole body shuddered as the deep tone washed over me.
Without hesitation, I stepped into the middle of the basement, my feet slowly creeping towards the people who had turned to stare at me. Kitty kept her gaze on me, her eyes wide and her mouth pursed.
“How the fuck did you get out?”
Jack stayed in the cubby, which was one of his better ideas. If they didn’t know he was there, he might be able to get Chloe before she stumbled upon us. It would be just like her to not realise what was going on and ruin it all.
“Friends…”
The various creatures scowled at me as I drew nearer. The Dark Crawler grinned, his eyes suddenly glowing red. He was very pleased to see me, much more so than the others. Why was that?
The heat stopped me in my tracks as a tall, meaty chap slithered out from the shadows behind Kitty. He grinned, his pointed teeth making him look even more vicious than his bulk suggested. Tattoo’s lined his bare arms, his T-shirt straining against the bulk of his muscle.
“Thunder Hunter,” his voice rasped. “It’s been a long time.”
My mind filtered through thousands of memories, but I couldn’t place the man, the Fallen One, who stood in front of me. Reaching for my knife belt, I kept my cool when my hand didn’t encounter my sword. If Chloe didn’t bring it with her, I would lose a very important opportunity.
“I don’t recall ever meeting you.”
The others looked between us as the energy in the room thickened. The Fallen One was powerful, it was evident in his threat over some of the most notorious criminals and evil people of London. People that would never back down, ever. Yet, glancing to the cellar on my right, I clocked the leaders of each dark group hanging from the ceiling. Their wrists were tied with metal chains, secured to hooks embedded in the concrete roof. The tips of their toes touched the floor, but each one had the look of pure suffering etched on their face. The strain of being stuck for days eating away at the various types of supernatural.
A witch, probably Theresa, had a creased forehead as she concentrated on chanting silently to herself. Looking at her feet, I smiled. They hovered off the ground, as if she were standing on something.
Was that…? My gaze landed on a tall woman, her legs long enough not to have to strain too much. A grin lit her mouth as we made eye contact, the tips of her canines stretching past her bottom lip. She wouldn’t have any trouble being tied up considering how strong she was. However, I now knew the face of the woman Kalic had spoken about. His maker.
A fat, older man groaned as his body swung, his feet constantly trying to stay still but failing. Ah, the poor human. The leader of the police department had blood running down his raw wrists. Someone should have got the man a seat instead. It wasn’t exactly a spread of fairness.
Ignoring the others, of which there were six altogether, I ran my eyes over the immediate vicinity for escape routes. There were none except for the door I had come through.
“I’ve inhabited quite a few people through my years, as you may well know.”
My attention snapped back to my ultimate enemy. The man had a shaved head with a tattoo covering his skull. I couldn’t see too well in the dimness of the basement, but it looked like runes from where I stood.
“Yes, you do tend to rot those you…inhabit.” The words were spit through my clenched teeth.
I had to stall for as long as possible. If I calculated correctly, Chloe wouldn’t be back with my sword yet. Stalling was the only way I would be able to defeat the Fallen One before he escaped.
“Tell me,” I said as he was about to open his mouth again. “Have you brought me to you on purpose?”
The smug grin that split his lips, revealing his filthy teeth, went ign
ored as I kept one eye on him, and the other on the creatures sitting on the chairs. Isaac, the wizard, was getting ready to attack. I would let him cause a diversion long enough to grab hold of my enemy.
“My name is Victor, short for victorious. In battle, two thousand years ago, I defeated Odin’s soldiers. He didn’t like that, considering I was a mere human. So…he cursed me with evil, telling me that when I died, I would rot in Helheim. You see, there’s something you don’t know, Trygger, grandson of Thor…”
A gasp resounded around us as the others stared at me again. Even Isaac was distracted by the revelation. Kitty preened as she stood next to Victor, her protector. Maybe she wasn’t so pissed off about Frankie after all. It seemed that maybe she had been working for the Fallen One all along.
“The beautiful goddess Freya? Your precious goddess of love. She rescued our souls when we died, not allowing us to go to Helheim. Want to know why?”
Raising my eyebrows, I tilted my head to the side. “Go ahead. You’re going to tell me anyway.”
The chuckle that came from Victor was laced with a rasp and…the disgusting smell of rotting flesh. As the others gagged, I kept my face blank. If I could smell the stench from so far away, Victor’s host must be struggling to stay alive. That would work in my favour. As long as none of the others decided to be on the bastard’s side.
“She was forming an army. Odin had no idea that she had stolen all the souls he had cursed, all two hundred evil human men. Freya was frustrated with Loki. Furious with Odin for having such a soft spot for his foster son, so…she wanted revenge.”
In the world of the gods two thousand years ago, his revelation didn’t surprise me. They were constantly bickering, worrying about Ragnarok. Wars between them had constantly killed humans and damaged the earth.
It clicked in my head as Victor raised his thick hands and crunched the knuckles of one, trying to intimidate me. The body he inhabited…it couldn’t be human. Not completely, anyway. Its bulk was too much, too…resistant.
Lightning Seeker: Viking Soul Book 2 (Viking Soul Series) Page 14