I shrugged. “Ollie always calls me when he’s lost. Danny may have written you off, but Bishop hasn’t. He adores you. Seemed like you could use a little perspective on what a good guy you are.”
He blinked at me, perplexed. “You love me.”
“You say that like it’s some revelation. Of course I love you. Now let’s get some sleep. No offense, but if I’m going to have super lusty dreams about you, you’re going to have to do something about those bags under your eyes.”
The corner of Von’s mouth pulled up as he laid down next to me. “I adore you,” he confessed. He zerberted my armpit and kissed my face seven times before he closed his eyes.
I waited until his breathing evened out, and then I watched Von for another minute in the dim moonlight that filtered through the window across the room. I hoped that Von would sleep through the night, and that nothing would hurt him ever again.
27
Stalking Von
It was two long weeks before Ezra let me leave the house, removing his bracelet that had kept me stir-crazy. Ollie had been by a few times to update me on Bev’s state and to check on me, but I assured him I was fine and didn’t need him to worry. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t bring myself to visit Bev yet. Since she was being released today, I was granted permission to move back home. Also, living under the same roof as the sagrado stone was proving problematic for Von, who was reaching his limit with how often I clawed open the cuts on my arms. The first call I made was to Ollie, who promised he would be sleeping at the house that night and couldn’t wait to see me again.
Mason and I had reached a frosty stalemate in our frustrated status, choosing to be civil, but nothing more. He eventually came to bed with us, but was always in his wolf form. After the first week, the three of us woke up each morning wrapped around each other in various entanglements, but that was as friendly as Mason got, and it was only when he was unaware of what he was doing. He packed up my bag and Von’s in the trunk, and caught a bus to my house to enforce security before we got there.
I drove Von, Danny and Mariang to the mall of Mariang’s choosing for our delayed day of shopping. She’d been meticulously planning it since the idea was spoken aloud. I was uncomfortable using the bank account that paid me for Omen duties, but knew my own accounts were nothing to be thrilled with after a few months off the prison job. This would be my first time using the card for something other than bills, which made me not want to spend anything on instinct.
Mariang had no such hang-ups about spending her hard-earned money. She’d been carrying out Omen duties alone while Ezra took the time to decide if he could trust me not to bolt anymore. The mall was for fun, but we both knew I needed to start reaping again so we didn’t fall behind. Now we only needed to reap five souls per day, which wasn’t taxing on me, and was doable for Mariang. As we walked through the crowded upscale mall I’d heard of but had never been in, I paid close attention to my gut, letting it lead me to reap four people before Mariang could catch up.
“You’re purposefully taking more of the workload again,” Mariang pointed out. “I’m much stronger now that you gave me that long break. I can do something.”
“Yeah? Well, I don’t mind. You’ve been carrying us for three weeks. It’s time I gave you a little break.”
“Good,” Danny answered with his signature note of aggression. “We’ll take it.”
Mariang sighed with a compulsory ‘thank you’ and led us to a dress boutique. I couldn’t believe she had room in her closets for one more outfit, but that didn’t stop her from selecting three from the racks and taking them to the dressing room. Danny, Von and I hung back in our jeans and t-shirts that screamed how out of place we were.
“You’re not having fun,” Mariang pointed out.
“Says who? Go try something on. I bet the pink one looks great on you.”
“You haven’t tried a thing on all day.”
I shrugged. “I don’t really need a dress. I mean, I work and hang out with you guys. No real occasion for looking fancy.”
Mariang frowned at my logic. “Well, what do you have at home? We can build on your wardrobe from there.”
I scratched the back of my neck and uttered my scandalous confession. “I don’t actually own any dresses.”
Mariang gaped at me. “None?” She shook her head. “I’ll set to rectifying that today.”
Mariang was wearing leggings and a fitted top. She had a petite body that made her look like the model for anything she tried on. I had scars, and that’s about it. I knew I looked like a kid trying on her mama’s clothes when I was stuffed into a dress, so I didn’t bother with the song and dance of it all.
Danny had the look of well-practiced patience about him as he stood near the dressing rooms, keeping his sighs to a minimum. Von was asked to leave because he brought his sloppy burrito into the store. It was his eighth mammoth bean and cheese masterpiece, and he couldn’t eat it fast enough.
When we left the boutique, Mariang ran ahead with Von to sift through music together at the hipster store, trying to find something palatable for the ride home. I found myself strolling along next to Danny, my hands in my pockets as we kept a leisurely pace. I expected silence or some dull forced conversation, but Danny surprised me with, “Keep your eyes ahead. We’re being watched.”
“Huh?” Despite his instructions, I craned my neck up to look at him. “Are you serious?”
“I’m pretty sure an Aswang’s on our heels. An Ekek.”
I sighed. “You know, at some point I’d really appreciate some sort of glossary or something. Just when I start to wrap my mind around Terraway, more freaky creatures pop up. I know I’m going to regret this, but what’s an Ekek Aswang?” I couldn’t fend off the giggle brought on by the word that sounded dirty coming from my mouth. “Ass-wang. That’s funny.”
“Hear that sound?”
I listened, but heard nothing unusual. There was the normal drum of voices and hum of the central air unit. “I don’t hear anything.”
“It’s that whispering ‘ekekekek’ sound. Kind of like an air conditioner.”
“Oh, well sure. I hear the air whirring. That’s it?”
Danny gave a slight nod. “Langgam’s people control bugs, right? Ekeks can control birds. They live in Lumipad with the Manananggals. Lumipad is Sylvia’s country. You remember Sylvia from the council, right?”
“Sure, I remember the bat girl.” Sylvia was a curvy woman with a half-moon shaped facial profile and black webbed bat wings jutting out of her back. The only thing I knew about her world was that it was so on the brink of a cannibalistic civil war that she couldn’t hang out after the council meetings.
Danny wrapped his arm around me in a way that looked friendly, if not couplish, but I knew better. He was in guard mode, protecting me as we neared the store Mariang and Von were elbow deep in. “We call Manananggals ‘Manas’. The Ekeks and the Manas need the souls we reap to fuel their country’s suns, just like the rest of us.” He clutched me tighter, his hand gripping my hip. “A few have started to migrate Topside. No one knows how they’re doing it. Usually only royalty and high ranking officials have enough magic in them to make it to the surface, but this isn’t the first one I’ve seen in the past week. It’s why I didn’t fight Ezra on keeping you locked up.” He looked around for the exits as I tried to catch Von’s eye. “This was a bad idea. We shouldn’t have come. We should’ve stayed in the mansion.”
“What’s dangerous about them?” I asked, unsure if I wanted the answer or not.
“They don’t eat only buhay, like most of Terraway. They can also live off raw meat. When that gets scarce, a few have started finding a way Topside to feed off of humans.”
“Like blood drinking?”
“No, like cannibalism. The Ekeks are men who can shapeshift into birds when they’re in Terraway’s atmosphere, but not Topside. Even when they shift back to look like people, they have serious bird qualities to them. Long noses that kind of look li
ke beaks, feathery hair, wiry legs.”
“Whoa! Serious?”
Danny nodded, walking in step with me. “I don’t think they know who you are, but they sure as anything know the three of us.” He caught Mariang’s eye and waved the two over. “They’ve got a particular taste for vampires. It’s something about their skin that doesn’t taste quite like a normal person’s. Less decay in the meat or something. I don’t know.” He touched the knife I knew was tucked into his belt. “The Manas are women with bat wings. The more powerful ones, like Sylvia, can shapeshift into bats. They can also rip themselves in half.”
“Come again?” I vaguely remembered Finn spotting a bat in Silo and telling me it was most likely a spy of Sylvia’s. However, I didn’t see any sliced in half women roaming about.
Danny drew a line across his stomach. “Right at the waist. The top half turns invisible and flies around to search for food. The only way to kill them is to salt or burn the bottom half. Keeps the body from rejoining.”
Something dinged in my brain. “If Sylvia’s a Manas, shouldn’t we call Ezra and tell him to get her up here to control her people?”
I was surprised that Danny took my advice. He pulled out his phone and explained the situation to Ezra, while making sure Mariang and Von overheard everything so he didn’t have to lay it all out again. “We’re closer to your house, kid. We should head there and wait things out while Sylvia sorts out her people.” Danny pocketed his phone and switched with Von so Mariang was under his wing, and I was under Von’s. I wished I was taller, so I could protect him from the monsters who wanted to eat my best friend.
One day I really hoped I wouldn’t be able to say sentences like that.
28
Hit and Run
We walked steadily toward the parking structure, and I struggled to remember which floor I’d parked on. I heard footsteps and that same whirring whisper of “ekekekekek” behind us when we reached the correct level. By the time I saw Terence the Taurus, three pairs of boots were marching too close for comfort. Danny kept his voice uncharacteristically light. “When I say go, October unlocks the car and we all bolt. Get in and lock the doors.”
I reached into my pocket, my finger on the button and my other hand in Von’s. “Ready.”
We were probably seven meters from the car, and the footsteps were about that far behind us. It would be close, but they were closing in on us, so it was now or never. My heart raced when Danny shouted, “Go!” and we all ran for the car.
I don’t know how we managed to get inside and shut our doors before the three men banged their fists on our windows, but somehow we made it. I locked us in and shoved the keys into the ignition. Fear welled up in me as I took in the men’s bird-like features that were paired with elongated yellowed teeth. Their sharp canines looked more weapon than anything else.
I didn’t think about anything apart from getting Von out of there. I peeled out and ran one of them clean over with Terence, who’d never committed a violent crime in his life. A horror movie-style scream birthed out of me when the man with red hair and a sneer who I’d run over sat up and glared at me. His legs didn’t work, but he was very much alive. I peeled forward, ignoring everyone calling out instructions to me, and ran over him again.
Hit and run: at least one year in lockup.
“I can’t believe you just did that!” Von cried, fearful but exhilarated.
No sooner had the celebration of one enemy down lifted us up, did another Ekek jump onto the hood of my car, his boots denting my prized possession. Mariang shrieked over Danny’s noise of surprise, flooding my ears with yet more apprehension. I got anxious when girlfriend tripped, so full-on screaming hit me like a bucket of ice.
The Ekek gripped the lip of the hood under the windshield wipers, gnashing his sharp yellowed teeth. They looked like too many had been jammed into his mouth, and then had been wiped with a brick of cheddar cheese. He had a long beak-like nose and glassy eyes that seemed to see straight through to my soul, feeding on my fear. He hissed at me and started banging his fist on my windshield, hoping to shatter it.
I’d never responded well to being bullied. Try wearing the same dirty outfit to school for weeks on end and see who your real friends are. I barked at the Ekek like a rabid dog to show him I was the bigger animal, and shoved my foot to the gas. He hung on tight, never breaking eye contact. He tried to maintain his grip while I picked up speed.
A few yards before I reached the end of the row, I slammed on the brakes. The Ekek jackhole flew forward off my car, and I didn’t miss my opportunity. I accelerated again and drove over him, so his crushed legs would match his buddy’s.
Hit and run #2: at least another year in lockup.
I stopped short when something banged against Terence’s rear.
“It’s the third one!” Danny called. He was turned around in his seat behind Von. “Back up, quick!”
I obeyed, flattening the third guy without the hesitation I should’ve felt. It was getting too easy to kill.
“Good! Now stop the car and I’ll finish them. Running Ekeks over won’t kill them. I have to take their heads off, or they’ll keep coming after us. Stay locked inside, you hear me?”
Mariang nodded, fearful and tearful. I watched Von and Danny run to wrestle and try to slice off the heads of two of the three monsters. They’d broken through to my world to eat Von and who knows how many other humans. They were caught in their separate struggles, and Mariang screamed as she watched Danny absorb too many punches. The Ekeks were surprisingly quick healers, standing on crooked and janky legs with renewed determination. The Ekek on Von had a knee pointing the wrong way, but he didn’t seem to mind the handicap.
The third Ekek was cracking his neck as he righted himself to sit up. I knew we wouldn’t be safe for long in here. The Ekek who’d hissed at me and tried to bust out my windshield didn’t look too pleased with my general existence. He turned and eyed Von with hungry lust that made my blood simultaneously boil and run cold.
“Stay inside,” I instructed Mariang as I reached into the glovebox. I pulled out the closed balisong blade, unlatching the jade grip to reveal the curved and jagged nine-inch dagger Finn had given me to fend off the zombie apocalypse with. I’d stashed it there for safe keeping.
“What? Don’t you dare leave!” she shouted, terrified.
I didn’t listen, but fisted the handle when the Ekek jackhole pounded his anger down on the hood of my car, howling for me. “Come out and play!” he taunted, teeth bared as he stood in front of my car.
I changed my plan and stepped on the gas again. I pushed him forward, his legs skidding stubbornly along the concrete. I didn’t stop until I’d successfully pinned his thin bird legs between my front bumper and the front of a poor unsuspecting brown sedan that looked like it had seen far better days a decade ago. The jackhole realized his predicament too late, and tried wrenching his mangled legs from the vice I’d stuck them in.
“Stop, October! Let Danny handle it!”
“Danny’s busy,” I said, getting out of the car. I couldn’t get near enough to the monster’s neck without getting snatched at, so I cast around for a better option. Revelation hit me, pushing me to climb up onto the roof of the brown sedan. I hopped down onto the rusted hood directly behind the problematic Ekek, where he couldn’t reach me. I ignored Danny’s cries of distress and sliced the throat of the monster who threatened to take Von away. I didn’t have many people who would search through worlds for me for all the right reasons, and I wasn’t about to give him up just because some birdman was jonesing for a vampire burger.
A crimson stream of fresh blood poured from the Ekek’s neck like ribbons, but I knew my job wasn’t finished. The head had to be removed, which was what was taking the guys so long. It wasn’t a simple kill. It was a kill and a mutilation through bone and stubborn sinew. My blade was serrated on one side, just for such an occasion. I tried not to vomit while I sawed as quickly as I could through the birdman’s neck. He
choked and fought with weighted hands for freedom I sure as Sunday wouldn’t grant him.
Danny ran at me with his Ekek’s lifeless head under his arm, his face vacillating between fuming and scared for me. “Get back in the car!”
“Not until he’s good and dead,” I argued, gritting my teeth when my blade met bone.
“Hold this,” he instructed, handing me the prize of his attacker’s severed head.
I don’t know why this was the thing that terrified me. Something about holding a man’s sawed-off head in your hands when his glassy eyes are still wide open tends to make a person freak out. I let out a short scream through my lips that were shut tight, and rested the head on the hood of the car. My fingers burned with the germs of the no doubt contaminated blood.
Danny put one hand on my guy’s shoulder and gripped his chin with the other, the hilt of his knife resting in his teeth. Danny looked savage as he snapped the birdman’s spine, giving my knife a clearer path to saw through. I made quick work of detaching the third Ekek’s head, trembling and scared as my hands performed the dark duty on autopilot.
I pursed my lips through another choked noise of distress as Danny got into the car. He backed it out a few inches to release the very dead body of my Ekek. The headless birdman flopped to the concrete and bounced twice just to let me know I’d done something permanent and terrible.
Danny got out of the car and hefted the body up over his shoulder. He threw it in the trunk with no expression whatsoever on his face. He was Danny as he was meant to be, chopping down monsters and protecting the national treasures. There was something heartbreakingly sad about it all, and though I didn’t like Danny one bit some days, I wanted more for him than this. I wanted him to actually be able to be bored in a mall while his girlfriend shopped to her heart’s content.
Von dumped his monster’s body into the trunk, and Danny grabbed the one he’d already chopped the head off of. Then the heads were rounded up and shoved into one of the overlarge shopping bags the weeping Mariang fed Danny through the window. Before Danny shut the trunk that was now stained in red smears, I snatched out my container of wipes to clean us up so my whole car didn’t have to suffer. Poor Terence had been through enough.
Tempt (Terraway Book 4) Page 15