Wind Runner: The Complete Collection

by Edmund Hughes

  Rose lashed out again, and Melt let out a high-pitched scream.

  “No!” shouted Melt, desperation entering his tone. “I… won’t… die!”

  He charged forward, completely giving himself over to his powers. Melt shifted, still keeping the shape of a man, as his body slowly took on a red, gelatinous color. His flesh vibrated with each movement, like a disturbed plate of gelatin.

  “Stop…” coughed Malcolm. “Rose… Melt! This… no!”

  He sensed what was about to happen, and could do nothing to stop it. Rose stabbed her shadow tendrils forward into Melt. He expanded outward, his body shifting and creating holes to let them pass through harmlessly. Malcolm could see his eyes flicker and then begin to glow bright white.

  Melt let out a roar. The glow of his eyes intensified, and suddenly his entire body compacted into a sphere of red goo the size of a basketball. He gave off bright, white light and quivered with power for a moment, and then exploded outward into a spray of red ooze.

  Rose fell backward, making a surprised noise as she landed on her butt. Malcolm pulled himself up to a sitting position, trying to keep his hands over the still bleeding wound in his stomach and back.

  Melt was slowly reforming in the aisle that cut through the center of the pews. Except, he was no longer the Melt that Malcolm had known. Melt’s face and head appeared first, and it only took a single look at the shape of Melt’s skull, and the color of his eyes, to see the difference.

  He just turned. Melt… has become a demon.

  “Rose,” said Malcolm, his voice weak.

  Rose was barely in control, and she staggered over to Malcolm with odd motions, like she was fighting to keep from doing something else. She bent down on one knee next to him. Malcolm quickly leaned in and kissed her again, hoping the blood on his lips wasn’t too much of a turnoff.

  She breathed a sigh of relief, and the spider web of shadows on her face rescinded.

  “Thanks,” she said. “Your friend… I think he’s changed.”

  Melt was still in the process of rebuilding his body, going slower than he usually took to reform. Malcolm had no desire to wait around and see what happened when he finished.

  “We have to go,” he said. “Rose… will you come with me?”

  She frowned.

  “Malcolm…”

  “Back to my apartment, not to the other champions,” He coughed again. “We don’t have time. Rose, come on!”

  Malcolm groaned as he staggered to his feet. Rose was there with an arm underneath him in an instant. The two of them hurried out of the church. Behind them, Melt began to let out a wet, sucking laugh.

  “That’s his truck,” Malcolm said, nodding to their ride. “He left the keys… under the seat.”

  The two of them got inside. Rose found the keys, started it up, and took off speeding down the street away from the church. It was a tense, silent drive back to Malcolm’s apartment. He was worried that if he said anything, he’d scare Rose away, like a bird perched next to him on a park bench.

  They parked Melt’s truck on the street and Rose helped into his apartment. Malcolm collapsed on the couch and breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled his shirt open, examining the rapidly forming scab closing the hole in his stomach.

  “I see you borrowed the blonde champion’s power again,” said Rose.

  Malcolm smiled at her.

  “Don’t tell me you’re going to get weird about Tapestry just because we’re mortal enemies now?”

  Rose laughed.

  “No, I’m still not the jealous type,” said Rose. “Even under duress. Your champion friend might be, though.”

  “Jealousy… wouldn’t be the half of it,” said Malcolm. “You saw how Melt reacted to the idea of me betraying the Champion Authority…”

  Melt is a demon now. I don’t even know how to react to that.

  “She’s going to find out eventually,” said Rose.

  “I know,” he said. “…I’ve been trying to push Tapestry away. Keep her at a distance so that it doesn’t completely destroy her ability to trust other people. But it’s like, the more I try, the better she gets at sneaking through my emotional defenses.”

  “She is a woman,” says Rose, taking a seat next to him. “It makes sense.”

  Malcolm smiled at her. He reached over and set a hand on her shoulder.

  “What happens now?” he asked.

  Rose frowned, shaking her head slightly.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “You’ve taken an injured champion captive,” said Malcolm.

  “An injured champion that I let escape in the first place,” said Rose. “I might have chosen to align myself with Rain Dancer and Shield Maiden, but I’m not a surrogate for them.”

  “You were waiting at the church,” said Malcolm. “What would have happened if I hadn’t been there? If it had just been Melt, and another champion?”

  Rose looked away from him. Her face was flushed slightly, a darker purple than its usual tone.

  “There is a very good chance that I would have killed them,” said Rose. “That’s what I was there to do, Malcolm. I’m not going to lie to you… even if it would make things easier.”

  “I guess you didn’t plan on Melt having a, well, you know… meltdown.”

  “You are such a dork,” said Rose. She sighed, and leaned so that her shoulder was against his.

  “I still don’t get it,” said Malcolm. “You don’t believe in the religious nonsense. You’re not totally onboard with their methods. And you claim that you don’t care about your sister…”

  “I do care about her,” said Rose. “Just not in the way you care about your family. And she’s safe now. I convinced Rain Dancer to move all of the Awakened Children outside of Vanderbrook and Halter City, for a time.”

  “Why, though?” asked Malcolm.

  Rose let her hand slide through his hair affectionately.

  “Because I didn’t get to pick the side that I’m on,” said Rose.

  Malcolm frowned and shook his head.

  “The Champion Authority is going to crush Rain Dancer and Shield Maiden eventually, Rose,” he said. “You know it as well as I do. They aren’t strong enough to stand on their own.”

  “Rain Dancer is stronger than he looks, Malcolm,” said Rose. “So much stronger. You would have to see it, to believe it.”

  “I’m going to beat him the next time I see him,” said Malcolm. “Maybe even kill him.”

  Rose didn’t say anything. She kept sliding her hand, letting it massage and caress his shoulders.

  “Leah told me more about who I used to be,” said Rose. “Bits and pieces from my past.”

  “Seriously?” asked Malcolm. “That’s awesome.”

  “It hasn’t really triggered much,” said Rose. “It’s not like… someone else can explain to you who you are, when it comes down to it.”

  “I’m still interested,” said Malcolm.

  Rose smiled, suddenly looking a bit sheepish.

  “My name was Rosalina,” she said. “I was, I guess, kind of nerdy? I liked to read a lot, and worked as a biologist.”

  “Huh,” said Malcolm.

  “What?” Rose raised an eyebrow at him. “What would you have guessed my previous career to be?”

  Malcolm grinned.

  “Stripper,” he said. “Or maybe a lingerie model.”

  Rose punched him on the arm, rolling her eyes.

  “I don’t know whether to be insulted, or flattered,” she said.

  “Why not both?” asked Malcolm. “What else did she tell you?”

  Rose’s expression took on a pensive quality.

  “She talked about our parents a little,” said Rose. “They’ve both passed on. I tried to get her to tell me more about my personal life, friends, relationships, that kind of thing, but didn’t get much from her.”

  “She wouldn’t tell you?” Malcolm raised an eyebrow.

  “She was evasive about it,” said Rose
. “She wouldn’t even tell me my last name. It was strange. But beggars can’t exactly be choosers. I feel as though I’ve learned enough, at least for…”

  She tensed up suddenly, and Malcolm saw her lose control for an instant, darkness clouding her face.

  “Hey,” he said. “Are you okay? How long has it been since you, well, you know…”

  Sex. Her focus activity.

  “Since the last time between me and you,” whispered Rose. “I can’t just go to anybody… past a certain point.”

  “Past what point?”

  Malcolm stared into her eyes, seeing a sudden mixture of vulnerability and longing. He reached his hand out, letting it caress her cheek. Rose drew in closer to him, her gaze darting down to his lips. Malcolm kissed her, and felt her wrapping him in a familiar embrace, both with her arms and her powers.

  CHAPTER 32

  Malcolm let his kisses travel along Rose’s neck. She was wearing a loose grey t-shirt and black leggings, the same clothes that most of the members of the Awakened Children wore. He peeled them away from her legs roughly, along with her panties underneath, and planted a kiss on her inner thigh.

  “Malcolm…” breathed Rose.

  He rubbed her thigh with his hand and grinned up on her.

  “Consider this your reward for letting me go last night.”

  He brought his tongue in and gave her a slow lick, followed by a soft, gentle kiss. Rose squirmed. He pinned her thighs to keep her in place and kissed again, and again, each one building with intensity until high pitched moans of pleasure began to escape her lips.

  “Oh god,” she whispered. “Malcolm!”

  He let his tongue dart out, unsure of whether he was pleasuring her or punishing her. Rose shook, but he stopped just before she reached her bursting point. He stripped off his own pants and slid his hardness into her.

  His onslaught had gotten her hot and ready, and almost immediately, Malcolm began thrusting at a fast pace. He forced himself to slow down, letting his eyes drink in the sight of her. She was watching him, and there was so much emotion in her expression, so much said with a simple look.

  Will I ever be able to fight against her? Is that even I question I need to ask myself?

  “Rose,” he said. He kissed her, moving slow within her, savoring the moment. It was what his heart demanded, but he could tell it was torture for her. Rose bucked her hips against him, grinding and shifting, desperate for the release he’d already brought her to the precipice of.

  She caressed him, both with her hands and her shadow tendrils. She nuzzled her face in the nape of his neck, kissing the sensitive skin there, and gently nibbling with her teeth. Malcolm pulled her shirt up, taking her breasts in his hands as he continued his deliberately slow pace.

  “Are you… doing this on purpose?” Rose whispered, her voice clearly frustrated.

  “No.” Malcolm smiled. “If I was, I’d do something more like this.”

  He slid out of her and held himself above her. Rose flashed a mock glare at him and took hold of his hardness with a shadow tendril, forcing him back into her.

  “It’s mine, right now,” she said.

  “Maybe you are the jealous type?” said Malcolm, with a wink.

  She was about to reply when he started thrusting, this time hard and fast. Rose let out a surprised squeal of pleasure, and then dug her hands back into the couch, overwhelmed by sensation.

  Malcolm kept it up until she quivered and cried out, burying her face against his chest. He kept going, shifting and handling her body to get the best angle, until he found his own release. He let out a soft sigh, feeling the warmth of her body and enjoying the feel of finishing inside of her.

  “I might… need to see you again,” said Rose. “In a couple of days. If that’s okay?”

  It’s the only thing keeping her stable. Not that I’d say no, even if it was just sex.

  “Of course,” said Malcolm. “We might have to work out a system. A secret way of leaving each other messages. Maybe meet up at a hotel instead of my apartment.”

  Rose made an offended noise.

  “You’re making it sound like I’m your mistress!” she said.

  Malcolm chuckled, and then grew serious.

  “We do have to be careful, though,” he said. “Not just for my sake. Rose, if Rain Dancer finds out that you’re still seeing me…”

  “I know,” she said. “He’s volatile. And he’s not used to having subordinates with minds of their own.”

  Malcolm gave Rose a squeeze. He wished that they had more time together.

  “You should probably go soon,” he said.

  “Right.” Rose kissed him on the cheek. “Be careful, Malcolm.”

  “You too,” he said. “Rosalina.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “You aren’t going to start calling me that all the time, are you?” she asked.

  “Of course not,” said Malcolm. “Only when I feel like annoying you.”

  She gave him an exaggerated glare. They stared at each other for another minute, until the idea of being enemies became too painful for either of them to bear. Malcolm stood up and walked into his bedroom, and Rose disappeared into the shadows of the hallway outside the apartment.

  Malcolm had three missed calls on his phone, one from Multi and two from Tapestry. He called Multi back first, not looking forward to having to explain how the assignment at the church had gone.

  “Wind Runner,” said Multi, skipping hello. “Report.”

  “A monster was waiting for us at the church,” said Malcolm. “Melt and I tried to take it down but… something happened.”

  “What?” Multi’s voice sounded tired, with a gruffness to it common to heavy smokers.

  “Melt… pushed it too far with his powers,” said Malcolm. “He turned. I saw him transform into a demon, and barely escaped before he attacked me.”

  Multi released a torrent of curses into the phone. He exhaled, and then the line went silent for a good ten seconds.

  “Multi?” asked Malcolm. “You still there?”

  Multi sighed.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Melt was a damn good field champion. This is the worst possible outcome. With his power, he can slip right out of his stabilizer.”

  I hadn’t even considered that…

  “How did things go at the junkyard?” asked Malcolm.

  “They didn’t fall for it,” said Multi. “Never showed. We’re back at headquarters now. Stay where you are currently, Wind Runner. I’ll send Tapestry out to bring you in.”

  “Sure,” he said.

  Multi hung up. Malcolm stared at the phone for a couple of seconds, considering Melt and his descent into darkness. Just how much of it was his fault for trying to stop the fight, instead of backing up his fellow champion?

  What could I have done? Kill Rose? No… Not now, not ever.

  CHAPTER 33

  Malcolm’s apartment felt stuffy and confining. Despite Multi’s order to stay where he was, he found himself heading toward the door. He went outside and climbed into Melt’s truck, starting it up and heading down the street.

  It started out on as an aimless drive, and ended with Malcolm parked outside a vacant lot in an old, abandoned residential neighborhood. It was where his family’s house had been, back before the Phenomenon had started and he’d lost his mother and Danny.

  The rubble had been cleared away, leaving just an empty, pointless patch of dirt. Malcolm stood at the edge of it, thinking about his family. Both his mother and brother had graves at the local cemetery, but given that their bodies had never been found, coming home had more meaning for him.

  Malcolm let his thoughts wander. He wondered what his mother would think of his mixed allegiances. She’d probably just be annoyed that he wasn’t already giving her grandkids. Malcolm smiled.

  He thought of Danny, as the brother he’d known, and as the demon he’d fought against. Strangely, as Malcolm tried to picture Danny’s face in his head, he instead co
njured up the face of the bank robber he’d let go.

  Is it all tied together? Did I help Rose find her sister because it was the right thing to do, or because of my own family issues?

  He considered for a minute whether it had been worth it, and decided that it had. Even if he’d lost Rose to the enemy, she’d always been free to make her own choices. And at least now, she had a sister, albeit one that was still a stranger to her.

  A car rolled to a stop in the street next to Malcolm. He recognized Tapestry’s BMW immediately, but didn’t turn around. She got out and walked over to him, standing by his side.

  “Stalker,” said Malcolm.

  “Hey, I’m following orders,” said Tapestry. “And I don’t think this is what Multi meant when he told you to stay in one place.”

  Malcolm sighed.

  “How’d you find me?” he asked.

  “Your stabilizer,” said Tapestry. “I had Anna give me your updated coordinates.”

  Malcolm nodded.

  “Is this… where your family’s old house was?” asked Tapestry.

  “…Yeah,” he said.

  He waited, expecting Tapestry to bring up Danny as an excuse to raise her suspicions from before. His brother had been a demon. It only made sense that she’d think his judgment might be clouded, and maybe it was.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, after a few seconds. “Do you want some time alone?”

  Malcolm shook his head. He turned to look at her. She had on her leather jacket, along with jeans and a pair of sunglasses.

  “Did Multi already tell you about Melt?” he asked.

  Tapestry shrugged.

  “He told me a little,” said Tapestry.

  Malcolm waited, sensing that she had more questions.

  “Well,” he said. “Are you going to interrogate me for more information?”

  Tapestry folded her arms, frowning at him slightly.

  “No,” she said. “I’m not. I had a… long conversation with Melanie last night.”

  “Ah,” said Malcolm. “The wise sage Melanie has given you advice.”

  “She likes you,” said Tapestry. “And made it very clear that she thinks I’m being unfair to you and overly suspicious. She said I should give you space, and be a better friend.”