HOT-BLOODED BREATH OF DARKNESS

by Candice Stauffer

  “That’s great. I hope to avoid the storms. I’d like to discharge myself now.”

  “What?” Sue shook her head. “No. You’re absolutely not leaving tonight. Tomorrow is the earliest the doctor will allow you to be discharged.”

  “I can’t wait until tomorrow.” Sitting up, a sharp pain deep in the lower right side of her abdomen caused her to wince. “I need to leave now.”

  “Don’t try to move around too much right now. You just had surgery.”

  “Surgery?”

  “Has the doctor had a chance to come in and talk to you?”

  “I just woke up a few minutes ago. I’m not really sure if anyone has come in here.”

  “What do you remember about coming in for medical aid?”

  “I had an upset stomach, my side hurt, and I couldn’t shake a fever.”

  “You were very sick. And very lucky you came in rather than wait any longer.” Sue frowned, shaking her head. “You’d already waited too long. You could’ve died. The doctor said your appendix was extremely inflamed and on the verge of bursting by the time he opened you up to remove it.”

  “I didn’t realize it was anything so serious. I thought I’d picked up a bad stomach bug.”

  Sue’s frown deepened as she wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Jessie’s bicep. “You must’ve been experiencing terrible pain. You passed out in the emergency room only a few minutes after you signed in.” Pressing a stethoscope to the crook of Jessie’s arm, the nurse started to pump air into the cuff. “Your temperature was one hundred and five. The emergency room nurse said you were so dehydrated that it was a miracle she finally found a good vein to get intravenous fluid started.” Seemingly taking her frustration out on the blood pressure cuff, Sue pumped air into it vigorously.

  “It is starting to get a little too tight,” Jessie said.

  Obviously failing to hear her, Sue continued to pump. “Getting up out of this bed and leaving is the last thing you need to worry about doing. You definitely don’t need to be out in the storm tonight. It’s safe here. This building has survived many of mother nature’s worst storms. You need to relax and give your body time to heal.”

  Jessie reached for the cuff. “My arm is really starting to hurt.”

  “Oh dear, I am so sorry.” The scratchy sound of Velcro being pulled apart had never sounded better. “I got distracted. It’s just that you have me worried. I don’t want you to end up coming back here in worse shape than you came in.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.” Jessie managed to force herself to smile. “I didn’t realize I’d had surgery. To be honest, I’m actually starting to feel quite tired. I bet I’ll sleep right through the storms tonight.”

  “That’s good.” Nodding, Sue smiled. “You need to stay put and rest.”

  Jessie faked a yawn. “I agree.”

  Sue’s smile widened as she handed her a clear plastic container with two pills in it and a cup of water. “These meds will alleviate your pain and help you sleep.”

  Slipping off into a drug induced stupor sounded like a great plan. Now that she was aware of the incision, the lower right side of her belly hurt like hell. But she was not ready to quit fighting for her life. She didn’t have time to sit around and wait for her body to heal. She needed to leave.

  A buzzer originating from out in the hall went off. “It sounds like one of your neighbors needs help. I will be back later to check on you. Until then, don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.”

  ~ TWO ~

  TOBIAS DROPPED FROM THE sky, landing in a crouch hard. The impact crumbled the ground, tossing clumps of dirt and stones several feet. Rather than immediately stand up right, he lifted his head to look at the rogue werewolves. “Don’t you dare run. Don’t move an inch.” He used a compulsion, making his words a powerful command they couldn’t defy.

  Their eyes widened, an obvious sign of horror gripping them when they realized he’d so quickly and easily immobilized them. The truth, he realized, he truly missed putting that look in the eyes of his enemies. It felt pretty good to get back to living again.

  “What do you want?”

  The question reminded him of a lesson he’d learned but obviously had forgotten during his long leave of absence. It’s a good idea to add an order to be silent when you command an enemy to stay put. “Since you’ve asked nicely, I’ll explain.” He remained in a crouch because his body hurt like hell. “I intend to put you out of your misery tonight. You’ve been working with a particularly nasty demon to hunt, torture, and kill mortals and immortals for sport. I don’t like that sort of behavior. Not one bit. And, since the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior, you need to die.”

  “That’s not true,” one wolf blurted.

  “Actually, it’s a proven fact. It’s a valuable little nugget of wisdom that I recently picked up from a television talk show.”

  “No.” The other wolf shook his head. “Not that. We don’t have anything to do with demons.”

  “Don’t lie to me.” He frowned. “And absolutely don’t start whimpering or whining. I won’t tolerate that shit for a second. You’ve both acted like fools and earned your fates.”

  He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. Ever since he’d followed Otaktay into the trap, he’d been dealing with a constant phantom pain in the lower right side of his abdomen. Added to that oddity, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of impending doom. Every now and then, he’d caught himself succumbing to the feeling of being stalked by having a panic attack and looking over his shoulder. He couldn’t think of a time he’d ever felt threatened by a stalker. He was a powerful, nearly invincible immortal. He’d never been sick a day in his life. And he’d sure as hell never suffered from bouts of irrational anxiety or paranoia.

  Every muscle in his body felt strained as he straightened to his full height. A long, slow hiss of irritation escaped his throat as he walked over to the rogues. Everything hurt like hell. “Give me the demon’s name.” Again, he used a compulsion, hoping to force them to reveal the name. But, just like the other rogues he’d managed to track down and kill, the demon they’d been serving had set up safeguards and blocks in their minds to prevent them from outing him.

  “You’ll let us go if we give you his name?”

  The little rat looked so hopeful and eager that Tobias would’ve enjoyed a good laugh if he didn’t know doing so would likely cause a muscle to cramp. He knew damn well they weren’t going to tell him the truth. “I never waste time plowing around a stump.” He took another step toward them. His entire body was stiff and sore. He needed to figure out what was happening to him. He rolled his neck and shoulders too loosen them and then raised his arms to stretch and flex his muscles hoping to relieve the discomfort.

  “What does that mean?”

  Nothing eased the soreness. Considering he was one of the most powerful healers of his kind, the situation truly perplexed him. He’d never encountered a problem restoring and healing his body. “I prefer to rip the damn thing up from the roots and incinerate it to avoid tripping over it in the future.”

  “You can fuckoff. You’re not getting any information from us.”

  “Why are they still breathing?” Otaktay emerged from the tree line in his human form, dragging the mangled body of another rogue behind him. “And you need to work on your landing. At your age, coming down so hard can’t be good for your knees.”

  “Demons don’t grow weaker or deteriorate in any way with age.” Nonetheless, he wondered if that was the cause of his mysterious ailments. Perhaps he’d lost power and strength by sitting idle for so long. He thought of a saying: A body in motion stays in motion. It was directed at an aging human’s body, but anything was possible. He needed to do a little research. Perhaps, in the near future, he would join a gym to work on strengthening his body. “Did you bother to question the damn thing before you killed it?”

  “I know you didn’t expect me to sit down and hav
e a conversation with it.”

  “And that is why these two are still breathing.”

  “I don’t care if you want to have a get together with them.” Otaktay shrugged. “To each his own. That’s what I say. Just don’t expect me to join in. They reek. And, before you start flapping your jaw, I’m not exaggerating. My opinion has nothing to do with felines verses canines. I’m pretty damn sure this one took a bath downstream from a herd of cattle.”

  “The more time I spend around you I can’t help but think you’re a bit too moody and bitchy to be a male kitty.” He returned his focus to the wolves. “Tell me the name of the demon you’ve been playing with.” Once again, he’d used a compulsion.

  “Fuckoff.”

  And, once again, it failed. “Fine. Have it your way.”

  “When did you lose your powers of persuasion?” Otaktay asked.

  “I haven’t lost a damn thing.” Did he? He lost his ability to heal himself. His body felt like it was falling apart.

  “Really?”

  “If you think it’s so easy, have at it. Get them to spill the beans.”

  “You don’t need to get all huffy. I was just planning to offer some friendly advice.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “If you retrace the steps you’ve taken the past couple of days you might find your power again.”

  “I regret listening. Throw your chew toy next to the others.”

  Otaktay lifted the corpse and threw it. The instant it landed, Tobias waved his hand to conjure fire and all three went up in flames. Within seconds they were gone. The two living wolves didn’t even have a chance to scream. There was nothing left. No bones. No flesh. Nothing of them remained. The flames completely consumed them, leaving no remnant behind. Not even ash.

  “What happened to your plan to get information from them?”

  “The son of a bitch has shielded their minds. I can’t force them to give him up.”

  “I found another human body. A young female.”

  Tobias’ heart sank. “How young?”

  “A child. I would say she was about twenty. I buried her. She was in bad shape. They tortured the hell out of her. Her body was ripped to shreds. The slimy fuckers aren’t even trying to hide their existence. I’m sure any medical examiner worth a shit would’ve notice their teeth and claw impressions in her flesh and bones.”

  “That’s why you killed the bastard before trying to question him?”

  “He had just finished her off when I happened across them. Two others ran off. I decided to take care of her rather than chase after them. I’ll head back and hunt them down.”

  “That’s three human bodies. We need to stop them. To do that we need to find the demon. He’ll just keep bringing more mutts in.”

  “You constantly go out of your way to protect humans. It’s pathetic. Personally, I embrace the belief of survival of the fittest. You ought to consider letting good old nature take its course.”

  Tobias knew Otaktay cared about humans. He didn’t like to associate with them much, but deep down he cared. Finding such a young, defenseless female human tortured and murdered would likely haunt him for centuries. “It’s perfectly understandable for you to yield to the will of nature.”

  “Why?”

  “Have you forgotten I control nature?”

  “Not at all.” Otaktay pointed up at the sky. “I am reminded of it every time you get yourself worked up enough to suffer an emotional fart.”

  “Damn it all.” Tobias frowned. “I sure wish I could be a big bad kitty like you. I would much rather release my pent-up fury after sniffing and scratching around in a litterbox.”

  “Don’t be jealous. It just so happens, the other day, I buried something in it that resembles you.” Frowning, Otaktay pointed. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been limping around and holding your side ever since you dragged my ass out of that fucked up trap.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Does it have anything to do with the trap?”

  “No.”

  “You’re the most powerful healer I’ve ever crossed paths with. Why haven’t you healed yourself?”

  Realizing that he was still holding his side, Tobias moved his hand. “It’s nothing. We need to get back to hunting.”

  “How do you plan to get one to talk? We’ve killed a dozen or so wolves. None of the squirrely bastards have been able to give us any information.”

  “We just keep hunting them down. Eventually, if we keep at it, we’re bound to find one with an unguarded mind and we’ll learn the demon’s identity.”

  “Does it worry you that he’s able to protect so many minds at once?”

  “A little. He’s obviously powerful. But it’s also a good thing. Ultimately, by spreading himself out in so many directions, he’s weakening himself.”

  ***

  As Jessie walked down the sidewalk, the constant, low rumble of distant thunder echoed all around. The incision on her side hurt but the pain was tolerable as long as she moved slowly. While she didn’t see anyone, she spotted a few cars parked along each side of the road. Most of the businesses had closed signs on the doors and windows. She was eager to get back on the road.

  Exhausted and sore, she started to wish she hadn’t parked several blocks away from the hospital. But she had no other choice. It was the best way to lessen the likelihood of being found and cornered in a building with innocent bystanders. More than anything else, she wished she could go back to living her life in a happy bubble of ignorant bliss. She wanted to forget that monsters existed. She didn’t want to know a damn thing about vampires, werewolves, demons, or shapeshifters. She didn’t want to know a damn thing about any immortal being.

  Each one she’d ever crossed paths with had proven to be bloodthirsty, heartless monsters. They were crazy as hell egotistical freaks. They were all power hungry, glory seeking, know it all, self-pleasuring nuts.

  Feeling smothered by the extremely hot and humid air, she swore under her breath as she made her way down the sidewalk. A soft gasp of shock escaped her throat as a burst of sharp pain struck between her eyes. She instantly stopped in her tracks. She knew better than to ignore the warning for a second. Doing so was a sure way to find herself standing face to face with death.

  Turning in a complete circle, she took a slow, thorough look around. She paused for a few seconds to look at the dark storm clouds just north of her. Illuminated by bursts of sheet lightning, they were as beautiful as they were ominous. On the surface, nothing seemed suspicious or even slightly out of the ordinary. While she didn’t see Wes Corbett, a bounty hunter hired by Guss Eckhart to kill her, she knew he was somewhere nearby. She’d hoped to never see him again, but she wasn’t shocked. As a matter of fact, living on borrowed time, she’d been expecting him to catch up to her.

  “Where the hell are you?” she whispered.

  She took a deep breath and released it slowly, preparing herself to merge her mind with his. Even though she knew It was a risky move, she knew it needed to be done. It was the only way to pinpoint his location. To avoid detection, she needed to become an absolutely silent and still shadow in his mind. He was a powerful immortal. An ancient being with what seemed to be unlimited knowledge. She’d done it many times, knowing it could end in disaster.

  Once she arrived at a mental state of absolute calm, she closed her eyes and expanded her mind, allowing her senses to reach out and scan the area for any supernatural disturbances. Unable to find a hint of Wes’ presence, she widened her search, reaching out further than she’d ever attempted. Within seconds her mind touched something else, something far more powerful and wild than any other immortal she’d ever encountered.

  Electrical currents raced from her head to her feet. Power surged through her entire body, reaching beyond her muscles, settling in the marrow of her bones. It was more than a powerful being. She was tapping into something utterly invincible.

  Rather than listen to the voice of sanity and retreat, she he
sitated for a few seconds. Then, curiosity got the best of her. She pushed harder, reached deeper, working her way further into the creature’s mind. It was easier than expected. She wasn’t just a silent observer. She was completely joined with it, sharing its mind.

  She was off the ground traveling upward at an impossible speed, sharing his body, his soul, heading straight for a thick blanket of clouds illuminated by flashes of horizontal streaks of lightning. Thunder rumbled loudly all around. It was the single most amazing, exhilarating experience of her life. Rationally, since a lightning bolt could be five times hotter than the surface of the sun, she should’ve been terrified, but she didn’t feel any fear at all.

  Just before they entered the storm clouds, it occurred to her that she knew she should disconnect from the creature, but she couldn’t force herself to abandon the sense of total freedom and invulnerability it offered. She needed to experience its flight to the fullest. And, forsaking caution, she did.

  A blinding explosion of electricity enveloped them as they shot through the clouds. Her heart raced as wave after wave of power washed over her and surged through her. Once above the storm, she watched a breathtaking light show in the clouds below. She was in a state of awe, complete and utter awe. Then, causing her to attempt to withdraw suddenly, she remembered that she was in danger. While her mind was merged with the creature, her body was stationary and vulnerable.

  The second she tried to break away from the creature, she realized that she’d exposed herself. It was aware of her presence, studying her, attempting to identify her, refusing to allow her to break free from it. She tried to force her mind away from its mind. A second later, a sharp pain struck her temples. She felt it, a dark and powerful presence, push harder to breach her mind’s barriers to search for information. She fought it, struggling to break her connection to it.