by Eli Constant
“Ten minutes. Take a right on Turner Street.” The phone rings in Liam’s hands as he finishes speaking and it startles him enough that he drops the phone on the ground. It takes him almost too long to retrieve it. My phone’s only set to ring a few times before the answering service kicks in. He hits the green ‘answer’ button as he’s lifting the cell off the floorboards. “Kyle, are you on your way?”
“Put him on speaker.” I reach across the space between us and point at the little icon. My fingers aren’t quite long enough to hit the button myself.
Liam taps the tiny speaker symbol with his index finger and Kyle’s voice comes to life, mid-sentence “—I’m still thirty minutes away, Liam. You have to hold her off until I get there. I can feel how weak she is. Jesus, she’s so weak that it’s hurting my chest thinking about it. Is that normal?”
“Yes. The connection works both ways. If you were hurt and weak, she’d feel that too, nearly as if it were her own pain.”
“God, you can’t let her barrel into that office. You have to force her to wait until I get there.”
Kyle obviously doesn’t know he’s on speaker, even though I feel like I spoke plenty loud enough for him to hear. Maybe not. Whatever. I’m not waiting around for him to show up. Every moment that passes is one moment closer to Mei dying. “No one is stopping me from going in to help Mei, Kyle.”
“Dammit, Liam. You had me on speaker?”
“The lady requested,” Liam answers, apology scant in his words.
“Victoria, you can’t go in and face a fucking serial killer. Not in your condition. Babe, I feel how drained you are. You couldn’t call on the blood magic if your life depended on it. And it could. You could get in there and die because you were stupid and didn’t wait for me.” Kyle loves me. He’s worried about me. I know all this. I know he’s not just being some macho asshole. But it still pisses me off.
“I’m not going to take any chances, Kyle. Not with Mei’s life.” I pause, not knowing how to soften my next words. I needed to say goodbye, just in case, but I also knew that there would be something final in the words, something that didn’t just have to do with my possibly dying. It would have to do with... us changing. Our relationship. The dynamic. “Kyle, I love you, but please understand that I’ve known Mei all my life. She is like my sister. And I will not wait and give this guy a chance to kill her, not when I might be able to stop him.”
“You could die, Tori.”
“Yeah, I could, but I also have Liam here. And Mordecai. I’m not alone.”
“But it’s my job to protect you, Tori.”
“Yeah,” I say again, “it’s your predestined job and I’m your preternatural girlfriend. And none of that matters right now, because Mei is about to die. So you get here as fast as you can and, hopefully, I’ll still be alive when you arrive.” I pull the phone out of Liam’s hand and I hit the end button. The navigation is rerouting because we’ve missed a turn. “Dammit,” I near-yell; the sound bounces off the windshield and rockets around the car. I see Mordecai’s eyes judging me in the mirror.
I take the next left. This route is three minutes longer.
Three minutes longer.
What if I’m too late?
Liam tries to take the phone back from me so he can navigate again, but I hold the cool plastic rectangle with metal fingers. He realizes quickly that he would have to break my hand to get it away.
I’m a demon going down the road, grateful for every light that stays green or yellow long enough for me to race across the intersection it controls. When the phone shows me that I’m approaching a little checker flag, my heart jolts up and down like Thumper’s foot in Bambi.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I’m pulling into the parking lot.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I don’t see the white Mercedes, not at first.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I drive around to the small private lot at the back of the building. And there it is.
My heart stops thumping all together. It’s a useless weight in my chest, anchoring me to the car seat as I pull to a stop and shift into park. I suddenly feel like I cannot move. I cannot get out of this vehicle and walk into the possibility that Mei is already dead.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mordecai is the first to open his door. “She’s still alive, Victoria.”
Those are the words I need to hear to get moving. She’s still alive. There’s still hope. I can still stop him from killing her.
I throw the car door open so violently that it bounces on the hinges and nearly comes back to pin me against the car frame. Liam follows suit, but with more finesse. I don’t even close my door, I just start running.
The back entrance is locked. Of course it is. I wouldn’t expect anything less. It’s glass though, almost from top to bottom, and I ram my shoulder into it over and over until I know I will be bruised black and blue tomorrow.
Liam’s hand on my back keeps me from hitting the door again. “Move away.” His voice is heady with power and his body has begun to take on the glow of his fae self. He moves like a wisp, threading through the air, his sword coming to life. It takes one blow, running the length of the glass, for the entire door to shatter into a thousand shards. They blink in the glow of the parking lot light above us. They blink like stars showing us the way to Mei.
Tiptoeing over the glass carefully—because I am not in my normal winter boots, but instead the little velvet flats I wear in the house when my feet are chilly—I strain to hear anything that is going on in the building.
There’s nothing for the first twenty feet or so. We pass quiet offices and dark patient rooms.
No noise. Nothing. Where are they?
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, we approach a door from which a soft glowing is pushing from beneath it. There is a thrumming sound and I realize, once I press my ear to the door, that it is classical music. Violins and delicate flutes weaving their way through the air.
“They have to be in there,” I whisper. Both Liam and Mordecai are behind me, waiting more patiently than I ever could have in this situation.
“I will go first.” It’s Mordecai’s voice.
“Mordecai, I should—” Liam begins to argue, but the once Dwarf King holds up a hand to stop him.
“The stone brought me here for a reason. It has work to do.” Without another word, Mordecai pushes past Liam and I move aside automatically. When his hand reaches for the door knob, I hold my breath.
This door is not locked. Apparently Doctor Sherwin thought the outer door was enough defense to keep his dark deeds from the world.
The sound of music thickens in the air once the door soundlessly opens. We are faced with a stairwell going down, something I did not expect. Why would a doctor’s office have a basement? The path is dimly-lit going down, but there’s generous light at the bottom which floods upwards.
“We’ll be right behind you.” I murmur. Without thinking, I touch Mordecai’s shoulder.
He turns to me, his foot already on the first riser down, and it looks as if he is trying to smile. It’s not a look that suits him. “This is my fate, Blood Queen. Just as yours will be decided in the balance of dark and light.”
And then he is turned away from me, walking down the stairs. And I, for my part, am frozen as I feel the soft tingle of power come to life in my fingertips. The fingers that touched Mordecai.
The sensation does not last, but I tell myself it is a good sign. The exhaustion is wearing off. My weakened power is growing stronger again. I only wish I was recovered now, so that I could draw on the powers, the powers that I still do not fully understand or command, to help me kill Doctor Sherwin.
Because I do want to kill him. It’s not an accidental loss of control that’s leading me down that path. No. My need for his death is my own. It belongs to plain old powerless Victoria Cage.
I hear tires screeching to a stop outside the building and I wonder who it will be.
&
nbsp; Will it be Terrance with the power of the badge behind him?
Or will it be Kyle, the berserker come to protect me?
I’d take either one at the moment, I think as I take my first steps down the stairs. Both would be even better.
What am I? Liam quips in my head. Mincemeat?
I don’t respond. I know Liam is more than capable of holding his own in a fight. He’ll probably even keep me alive. But I’m still... human... enough to want my boyfriend when I’m scared. And I’m still human enough to believe in the power of human law. A fairy, although powerful, is still part of the world that I’m only beginning to understand.
Mordecai is at the bottom of the stairs. Liam and I are only halfway.
The sound of feet shuffling through the building above is too loud and I worry that Doctor Sherwin will realize that someone is here, that he’ll speed up whatever he’s doing or that he’ll somehow escape through another exit. It makes me want to rush forward, an ill-advised move when you’re facing down with a serial killer.
The music is loud though, reaching a crescendo point, so maybe he’s still unawares. Maybe he’s so caught up in his psychotic needs that he’s lost to reality.
Mordecai raises his right hand, the God Stone gripped within his fist, and he walks forward into the unknown.
As we reach the bottom of the stairs, I feel the sensation of power again. Yet, this time it comes in an intense rush, racing from my fingers, up my arms, into my shoulders and down, down until it reaches the soles of my feet. I am flush with it. Hot with it.
And I can suddenly sense Mei again.
I leap into the feeling of it, reaching for her blood, and I see her lying on a table. Doctor Sherwin has his back to her, prepping something on a steel cart. He’s humming along with the music. Blue scrubs cover his body. He’s dressed for surgery. Paper hat covering his thinning hair, mask loops threaded over each ear.
Liam takes my arm as I sway, realizing that I’m caught in the dual perspective once more. He moves me forward slowly, keeping me upright.
“My power is back.”
“Yes, but it won’t stay for long.”
“What do you mean?”
Our voices are once again distant and far away. I can barely hear Liam responding, but we’re also whispering, trying to keep our presence unknown until the last possible second.
“I suspect that your pet berserker is in the building. You’re drawing from his energy to, let’s say, beef up your power momentarily. You can’t use him for long, Victoria. You could kill him if you hold on past his breaking point.”
I hear a thud upstairs, somewhere close to the top of the stairs, and am immediately pulled away from Mei and back into a singularity. “What was that?”
Liam does not respond. His head is tilted, eyes half-closed. He’s listening, breaking into the thoughts of whoever is nearby.
“Kyle has collapsed.”
My heart skips a beat. “Is he okay?”
“He is fine. Your Chief Goodman was with him. Apparently, they arrived at the same time.” Liam sounds so cool and collected.
And I feel like a jumble of emotions that will never be unknotted. A mass of fragile necklaces that have been tossed together in a bag and are now become one thing, twisted and tethered together.
Feet shuffle above us once more.
We begin moving again.
Ahead, in the very near distance, we hear a scream. Thin and reedy and definitely female.
And that’s when I throw all caution to the wind and I run. This time, I do not care if the door slams back towards my body and pins me. I just want to get to Mei.
The soft wail of sirens filters through the walls and ceiling around us.
So much help is coming, but it’s not going to be in time.
I crash through a set of double doors, Liam on my heels, and find Mordecai standing over Doctor Sherwin. The Dwarf King is leaned over, pressing the God Stone to Sherwin’s forehead.
Fascination forces me to watch as Sherwin’s face grows pale, the lovely tanning salon color fading away. His hair, once salt and pepper, begins to change. In moments, it is snow white and haphazard. The biggest change though is in Sherwin’s face, which seems to melt and mold and wrinkle until he is an ancient ruin. The effect only lasts a moment. But, even after Sherwin becomes himself again, orange tan and all, I can see pain contorting his brow.
I step even closer. Mordecai’s mouth is moving, but his voice is pitched so low that I cannot hear him.
When he rights his body, the once Dwarf King closes his fist around the God Stone he’s been holding with three fingers against Sherwin’s head. He turns to me, looking tired and worn. “He has been judged.”
“Tori?” A shaky, half-awake voice grabs my attention before I can ask Mordecai what he means. “Tori?”
I turn and find her, trying to sit up on a table, and rubbing her eyes like she’s fighting to stay conscious. It only takes me seconds to be by her side, my arm wrapped across her back, supporting her and hugging her. And then we are both sobbing, salty tears soaking each other’s shirt.
And that’s when the cavalry arrives.
Kyle and Terrance and probably every single cop in Georgetown.
Still holding Mei, I giggle inappropriately. “Sorry guys, you missed all the fun. Maybe I should take you up on that badge, Terrance. Since I seem to get to the bad guys before you.” I laugh again.
Hysteria after the chance of harm is gone. Seems right.
No one says anything. Eyes are scanning the room, taking in the truth of it. Mei on the table. The doctor on the floor. The classical music still threading through the room.
“Liam, Mordecai—” I shift my body so I can find them, thinking they’re standing off to the side and out of the way now that the cops have shown up. But they’re nowhere to be seen. They’re both gone. I don’t understand how... unless there was, in fact, another exit to this hospital of horrors. So I’m alone with Mei. Which means it looks like I stopped Mr. Serial Killer all on my lonesome. I was going to get a reputation I didn’t deserve.
I thought it was best if they didn’t see us, Liam’s voice. It’s becoming something I cannot live without. Like another part of my conscience. He’s definitely not just ‘mincemeat’. No matter how I try to resist. We took your business vehicle.
I’ll get a ride with Kyle.
I assumed you would.
Liam, thank you so much.
You should know by now, Victoria, that I would do anything for you.
Kyle pulls me from the conversation, his arms going around me and Mei in a huge—excuse the pun—bear hug. When he pulls away from us, I can see tears in his eyes. He leans in, pressing his mouth against my ear, “don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again, Tori. I won’t live without you.”
I kiss him lightly on the mouth. That’s all we have time for before Terrance approaches. And he sort of looks pissed. Definitely not in the ‘embracing’ mood. Which I don’t understand at all. I mean, look, bad guy caught. Girl saved. What’s to be mad over?
“Tori,” he begins, looking from Mei’s ashen face, her arms still wrapped around my neck and unwilling to let go, “I don’t understand what happened here, yet. But I’ll tell you one thing, girl—and you aren’t allowed to argue about this, so don’t even think of trying—you’re learning how to properly defend yourself. No more half-ass civilian classes at the Y. You’re learning how to shoot a damn gun. And you’re learning, dammit, how to wait for back up. You’ve put it off for way too damn long.”
“If I’d waited for back up, Mei might be—”
He cuts me off. “Yeah. I get that. You don’t need to say it. But, dammit, Tori. You could have died here. You both could have died. So starting next week, you are going to learn how to defend yourself. End of discussion.”
“Fine. But no badge. I was just kidding about that before.”
“We’ll see about that.” Terrance gives me a long glance, up and down to make sure I’m not hur
t. And then he’s turning his attention to Mei. “You all right, ma’am?”
She nods, but doesn’t say anything.
“We’ve called an ambulance to take you to the hospital. It’ll be a routine check, so don’t worry about that. And then we’ll need to take a statement from you.”
Mei nods again.
The Georgetown police descend then, basically butting Terrance out of the way and spouting off something about ‘jurisdiction’. They are not nearly as gentle with Mei or me and they aren’t happy when I refuse to leave her side to give my own version of events.
Kyle and I follow Mei’s ambulance once the overzealous Georgetown Po-Po let us go.
We hold hands the entire way. All I can think about is the sight of a dazed-looking Doctor Sherwin being hauled away in hand cuffs. All I can think about is the fourth victim’s body being taken out of his torture chamber beneath his ritzy house. The police will do that soon. I hope they treat her with care.
All I can think about is Timothy and how he was murdered by his own stepfather. And I wonder, in a passing moment that makes me sick to my stomach, if Timothy’s mother was in on it. But I’d leave that to the police.
I have to leave some work for them... right?
Chapter Thirty
Sunday’s morning papers are filled with front-page fodder about the plastic surgeon turned serial killer. Good news travels fast. Bad news travels faster. The details are brutal and the truth stretched only a little. I am relieved to find out that Tess Sherwin had no idea what her husband was doing, though surprised that she’d already been interviewed. Maybe reaching for her fifteen minutes of fame. I wonder if the revelation over what her husband has done will change how she feels about her deceased son.
I doubt it though. People like that don’t change overnight.
Liam is waiting in my apartment when Kyle and I finally come home from the hospital on Sunday. Mei was already released, only a little worse for the wear. Her parents had come to drive her home. Her father was crying, muttering in Chinese the entire time. Her mother couldn’t stop touching her and saying she was never delivery driving again and she needed to move home, where it was safe. Mei was going to have a time after this, hanging onto the bit of independence she’d achieved after finally starting college.