Wyvern and Company

by Suttle, Connie

  I almost fell at the vision that appeared before me. If I'd been frightened before by a ten-foot kapirus, this increased that fear a hundredfold. If I could imagine a demon from hell, this just blew those images away and replaced them with reality.

  Smoke poured from wide nostrils as the demon studied the kapirus before burning it to cinders in his grip. While I'd been busy watching that, Darzi had bitten the second kapirus, which was now sagging into the swamp as it died.

  I did fall, then, blinking up at the monster to end all monsters. Black wings unfurled as the scent of burning kapirus stung my nostrils. Eyes as black as obsidian blinked back at me while stars fell through their depths. Fleetingly, I wondered if I were next to die.

  A low, growling hmmph escaped the demon as more smoke poured from his nostrils. Turning his head, he nodded to the lion snake that swam in my direction. Darzi appeared unconcerned that a giant, curved-horn, black-scaled creature stood over him as he wriggled through the water.

  "All right?" Darzi asked, becoming human once he reached my side. I did the same, finding myself sitting in two feet of water. I struggled to my feet.

  "Mack?" I croaked, my throat dry and blood soaking the wet shirt I wore. "Merrill?"

  "Behind. Need help. Still live," Darzi nodded as he took my elbow to steady me.

  "What?" I jerked my head as inconspicuously as possible toward the demon standing over both of us.

  "High Demon, that all. You need—he help. Come. Shield gone. Send mindspeech now."

  I almost didn't get the mental words out as I turned to survey the damage and the condition of the others. Mack and Teddy Williams were bleeding. I could see that Mack's right arm was broken, too, but spawn dust swirled in the water around him—he'd kept fighting and protecting my back while I faced the bigger monsters. I just wish I'd had as much success with them as he'd had with spawn.

  Every vampire's clothing, with the exception of Merrill's, was shredded where spawn had gotten their hits in. They were injured too, and all of us needed attention.

  Dad? My mental voice quavered as shock began to set in. Before Dad could answer, I turned to see that the High Demon had disappeared.

  Son? Dad replied.

  We've had some trouble here, I sent. I think everybody is hurt. I tried to contact you before, but something kept that from happening.

  We'll be right there, Dad returned. If Darzi hadn't held me up, I'd have fallen again.

  * * *

  Adam's Journal

  Lion stayed with Gina and Marie Allen, to see to them while the fire department worked to extinguish the fire.

  Dragon and I brought our small army home.

  We were lucky we hadn't lost any of them. All of them, with the exception of Merrill and the lion snake shapeshifter, Darzi, needed medical assistance. Joey and Bearcat arrived to assist Karzac.

  Mack had a broken arm, while the bite on Justin's neck bled profusely, soaking an already wet and dirty shirt with fresh blood. The kapirus had attempted to make a meal of my child.

  Teddy Williams was covered in slashes and claw marks, but no spawn had gotten close enough to bite. I was grateful—if they had, he'd be dead already. Instead, he sat at the kitchen island, answering questions while Bearcat worked to heal the worst of his wounds.

  Karzac handled Mack's injuries while Joey dealt with Justin's problems. Marlianna arrived to do what she could for the vampires. Mostly that involved cleaning wounds with power so their skin wouldn't heal over debris, trapping it inside. Daniel had the least number of wounds compared to the other two werewolves—he had the most experience fighting spawn.

  Merrill still didn't know about Franklin. He was exhausted but refusing to show it as he watched Marli heal Radomir's cuts and slices.

  That's when Kiarra arrived in the kitchen. I knew she wanted to fuss over Mack and Justin. Instead, she took Merrill's hand and led him toward the stairs. No matter how gently he was told, Merrill would be devastated by the news.

  So many things had happened, I was numb with the thought of it. I did know who set the fire at Gina's house, however.

  Randall Pierce and two of his friends had done it. The scent of gasoline was everywhere outside the home when Lion and I arrived to help. I'm sure the investigation would reveal the accelerant used to set the fire, but Gina and her mother now had no place to stay.

  We're done here, Lion sent mindspeech, as if reading my mind to begin with. Do you mind if I take the Allens to your old house on Hornet?

  Not at all, I returned. That's the best idea I've heard all night, I added. We can let them live there while they wait for the insurance company to settle up.

  Good idea. I'll let them know. How's everybody? Marli isn't overdoing it, is she?

  She's tending the vamps—their injuries are the lightest. Karzac, Bearcat and Joey are doing the heavy lifting this time.

  What the hell happened? he asked.

  I don't know the whole story yet, I said. I'll let you know when I do.

  Good. At least we didn't lose any. Except Franklin.

  Yeah. Kiarra is telling Merrill now. This will devastate him.

  I know.

  * * *

  Justin's Journal

  Somehow, Joey and Karzac cleaned Mack and me with power, because we were too exhausted and shaky to take a shower after they did their healing magic. Both of us sat side by side at the kitchen island, shirtless and shivering in the air-conditioned air after our fight in a hot, humid swamp.

  "I thought they'd never stop coming," Mack's voice cracked as he explained the fight with spawn. "Will there be a cast?" he asked as Karzac worked on his right arm.

  "No, young one. The bones are knitted together. No heavy lifting for a day or two, and things will be just as they were."

  "You, on the other hand, had a close call," Joey informed me. "A kapirus spreads infection with a bite if it doesn't kill you. You had a good infection going already when we got you back here. That's neutralized, now. If you'd been Saa Thalarr, your blood would have killed anything attempting to drink it. Immediately."

  "Huh?"

  "Don't worry about it—I'll explain later. I know this isn't the best time or ideal circumstances, but it's after midnight. Happy Birthday."

  "Fuck," I said. As my first official word upon hearing I was eighteen, I guess it was appropriate.

  * * *

  Adam's Journal

  "Justin, Mack, Teddy and Merrill, all in a healing sleep," Joey sighed as he settled on the sofa beside me. He held a glass filled with bourbon and Coke and sipped it while the leather creaked softly beneath him.

  "What about the shifter?" I asked.

  "Seems to be fine—Bearcat took him to his bedroom and told him we'd find clothes and anything else he needed in the morning. He was okay with that."

  "We'll have to wait until then to get the full story out of them," I nodded, lifting my glass of straight Scotch and emptying it. "What a fucked up night," I sighed.

  "Lion says Gina and Marie Allen were more than grateful for a place to sleep. It's a good thing you left most of the old furniture there."

  "That house is shielded. I'd like to see that filthy brat try to burn it down."

  "Randall Pierce, right?"

  "Right. He and two friends who have fewer brain cells than he does. He leads, they follow."

  "I can place compulsion," Joey offered.

  "I think we're past that. I hope the local authorities do their jobs. This was in retaliation against Justin and Mack," I said. "There was no reason for this."

  "How is Martin Walters' lawsuit coming along?" Joey changed tactics.

  "Very well, but any proceeds will come from the city, instead of Raymond Pierce."

  "Getting arrested for assault won't be good for the lawsuit—it'll just make it look like the vendetta it is," Joey muttered and drank more of his concoction. He seldom drank, so this was and wasn't a surprise—we'd all been hit in one way or another, and he needed to relax after our multiple scares and Frank
lin's passing.

  "Did Merrill say anything before Karzac placed a healing sleep?"

  "He asked Karzac for verification that Franklin was in a better place."

  "Fuck."

  "I feel the same."

  I let my arm drape around Joey's shoulders—he sighed and sagged against me. While Merrill had made him vampire, I still felt as if he were mine in some way. Franklin's death hit him hard, too, because he'd lived with Franklin and Merrill for a few years before going to work for the Council. He'd had healing to do, however, so he'd shoved his grief aside to deal with that.

  He'd come to me for comfort now. I was willing to give it. "You know we love you," I leaned in to kiss his forehead.

  "Yeah. I know," he mumbled and closed his eyes.

  * * *

  Justin's Journal

  I'll never forget my eighteenth birthday, for all the wrong reasons. Not only had Mack and I come close to getting creamed, Grampa Franklin died while I was facing monsters in a swamp and Gina's house was burned down by stupid asshole Randall Pierce.

  It was all over the news the next day—that Randall had been arrested after one of Gina's neighbors reported a suspicious car driving slowly through the neighborhood before the fire started.

  Randall was found; his car still had gas cans in the trunk and his friends confessed to everything. I had a feeling they were angling for deals with the DA in exchange for lighter sentences, but Randall, the ringleader, might spend a few years in jail. He was already eighteen and considered an adult, so there wouldn't be any juvenile court in his future.

  I didn't get up until nearly noon, discovering that I was up before Mack. Feeling numb at best, I shuffled into the kitchen and poured juice into a glass, downing the whole thing and refilling it before noticing my surroundings.

  Sacks and boxes filled the floor space between the island and the back door, which was quite a large area. "That's stuff for Gina and her mother," Joey yawned as he walked up and patted my shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

  "Neck's a little stiff, that's all," I shrugged. "Not too bad, considering."

  "Considering," Joey nodded agreement. "I was hoping you'd feel up to helping me haul this to your old house. That's where Gina and her mother are—your parents said they could stay there until the insurance company settled on their house. It's a total loss."

  "It makes sense, and our old house was just sitting there empty, anyway. Where did all the stuff come from?" I nodded toward the boxes on the floor.

  "Marlianna called local churches and charities and asked for donations. She only kept what they could use and sent the rest back, so there's clothing, dishes and a few small appliances, that sort of thing."

  "They don't have anything right now, do they?" I asked.

  "Nope. Their car was in the garage, so it's toast, too. Your dad had to pull Mrs. Allen out—she was trapped inside."

  "That's terrible. I'll bet she's heartbroken that she didn't get the picture of Gina's dad out—it was in the living room on an end table."

  "This is just tragedy on top of tragedy," Joey squared his shoulders. "We'll have to plan a funeral for Franklin, too—Merrill has all the information on what he requested."

  "This is so sad," I mumbled. "I'll never forget this birthday, that's for sure. I hope the party is canceled. I don't feel like celebrating today."

  "Maybe next week?" Joey asked.

  "Maybe."

  "I doubt that Gina will have to work tonight, considering the circumstances," Joey pointed out. "She might need your company, instead."

  "Yeah. We can be walking wounded together."

  "True. What happened last night? Mack says he didn't see you take down the kapirus."

  "I didn't. I only managed to blind one of the three. Darzi got two, and the High Demon killed the one I blinded. That's all I could do—blow fire in his eyes."

  "Did you say High Demon?" Dad appeared beside Joey and both now stared at me.

  "That's what Darzi said. I thought he was something bigger and badder that wanted to have me for dinner. That turned out to be wrong."

  "Son, sit down," Dad instructed, pointing me toward a barstool at the island. "Then, tell me what happened last night. From your point of view."

  "The first kapirus was the one that bit me," I said, sliding onto a barstool and preparing myself for the inquisition. "When Darzi bit him and he died, I hoped that was the end of it. Two more, just as big, came out of the swamp."

  Before the questioning was over, I had a glass of milk, eggs and bacon in front of me. People stood all around me, including Darzi, who'd somehow managed to find jeans and a shirt that fit.

  "That right—he tell truth," Darzi nodded when I described the High Demon. "Not in Full Thifilathi. Smaller one."

  "What?" I didn't understand what Darzi meant.

  "They have two sizes, depending on the situation," Dragon explained. "It's not common knowledge. Be thankful you only saw the smaller one last night. The large one would be terrifying."

  "Hey, he was big enough that I'd have messed up my underwear if that was possible," I huffed.

  It wasn't—I'd never had to use the bathroom. I sort of knew why now, but that was beside the point.

  "Others not see," Darzi explained. "They keep fighting grz-gitch spawn. Have to."

  "Honey, thank you for saving Justin's life," Mom hugged Darzi. He blinked in surprise for a moment before giving her a shy smile.

  "It nothing," he shrugged. "How Merrill? He lose child."

  "He's trying to make arrangements. It hasn't been easy," Mom said. I knew she'd spent most of the morning with him, after he'd gotten out of bed.

  "So your poison can kill one of those things?" Dad shook his head. "That's wonderful."

  "Have to bite throat—scales thin there. Can pierce," he gestured with a hand. "Closer to vein. Kill fast." Darzi's face was animated as he described how his snake could take down something that large.

  "I can't tell you how glad I am that you were there," I said. If he hadn't been, I wouldn't be sitting where I was, casually eating breakfast and talking about it. "Glad you found clothes, dude," I nodded at him. He'd come home with us the night before, completely naked. It didn't seem to bother him much, either.

  "We've already ordered a few things for him—he likes the jeans," Joey said, offering a wry grin.

  "Like jeans. T-shirts. Not much shoes, but have to wear."

  I liked his speech shorthand. He could make himself understood perfectly and still cut corners.

  "As far as I'm concerned, you can have anything you want. If you hadn't been there last night, we'd have been in terrible trouble," I shrugged.

  "Maybe he'd like Nikes," Mack said. "They're my favorites."

  "I say take him to the athletic shoe store," Mom said. "In your new car." She held up keys and rattled them at me.

  "What?" I blinked stupidly at her.

  "It's your birthday, dude. I think you got a new car," Mack grinned.

  "It's in the garage, and Lynx said he'd go with you to the mall," Mom said. "Take Darzi and get whatever he needs, and get Mack clothes too, while you're at it—his pants are too short. He's two inches taller than he used to be and his feet are bigger."

  "Seriously?" Mack stared at his feet. His pants no longer reached the Nikes he was so fond of. "The toes of my shoes pinched now and then, but I didn't realize," he shrugged at Mom.

  "It'll be our gift, for what you did last night, baby." She gave him a hug. Mack went pink, but he hugged her back.

  "I'll make sure we get plenty of stuff," Lynx appeared with a sly grin. "I have your dad's credit card," he added, holding up the item in question. That meant a video game or two might be added to the pile.

  "Can I take Gina and her mom?" I asked. "They'll need stuff, too."

  "Yes. Lynx, give Mrs. Allen a call, haul these boxes over there and then take all of them shopping. I'll pay for the Allens' things," Mom handed Lynx a second credit card.

  I started to ask how he was goi
ng to work around signing for my Mom, then let it go. They'd work it out.

  "Power," Lynx said, reading my thoughts. "I just changed the name on the card to mine." He turned the card so I could see it. "I'm an authorized signer on your mom's account, did you know? So are your Aunt Wolf and your Aunt Tiger."

  "It's in case of an emergency, like this one," Mom shuffled over and rubbed my back. "But Lynx had to use his power to change the name—I can't do that again until after the baby comes. Honey, Gina lost the laptop she worked so hard to get when her house burned down. Buy another one at the electronics store for her." She patted my shoulder and moved away.

  "That's a lot of money," I croaked, staring at her for a moment.

  "Don't worry, your mother seems to have more of that than previously imagined," Dad offered dryly.

  "You're no pauper," Mom accused, poking Dad in the chest with a finger. I could tell this had been a point of contention sometime in the past. I sure didn't want to get in the middle of it, though, and the thought of buying Gina a new laptop?

  Score.

  "Let's go before the fur flies," Lynx herded Darzi, Mack and me toward the door. I was more than ready to get out of the house, and Lynx would make sure we were covered if anything tried to jump us. I'd already Looked and didn't find spawn or a kapirus anywhere in Fresno, but I did see a few in Tennessee. After the oddness of the night before, that was a good thing.

  Chapter 11

  Justin's Journal

  Gina couldn't believe it when we invited her and her mother to the mall, and explained that we were prepared to buy whatever they needed, including a new laptop for her. That's when she cried.

  I'd never been faced with that dilemma before. Of course, I'd never gotten mindspeech from Lynx before, either—telling me to hold her and tell her that everything would be fine.

  I did that. It went a long way toward clearing up the waterworks and got me a tighter hug and a kiss. Who knew? Besides, it made my birthday better to know that I could help someone else instead of just getting stuff for myself.