by Richard Amos
“But they still set your sparks off,” Nay said. “That counts for something, right?”
“I guess so.”
“We have to hope so. Look, they avoided your hands. You can hurt them. And you … melted …”
“Michael,” I finished for her. “So I damaged their magic or something?”
“That’s what I was going with.” She gathered up some creams from her dresser and handed them to Dean and Greg, keeping a jar herself. “For the face,” she said.
I had another look out the window. There were three more zombies in the square. That made eight down there now. The horde was starting to form, albeit really slowly.
“If the runes don’t pick up anything,” I said, “then what? We can’t stay here and wait for the shadows to come to us.”
“You think we can find a beast to torture?” Greg said. “Make it squeal some info?”
“Hyenas?” Dean offered. “They’re close to Purple and easy to find. And they squeal quite well.”
Nay’s phone rang. “Hi, Karla. Okay.” She sighed and listened for a few minutes. “Yes, thanks. Okay, I’ll wait for your call.”
“What?” I said.
“There’s been some readings up in the northeast of the city, at the old railway station.”
“Shit,” Dean said.
Up in that part of the city, things were … messed up. I’d heard all about the hookster beasts, read about them on the beast app Nay had made. They were seriously nasty-looking, coming down to the southern areas every three months to hunt. And they weren’t the only things up there. Since the move to stop Lilisian’s forces the first time had resulted in a huge death toll, the northeast was avoided. With so few numbers nowadays, it was too dangerous to patrol.
“Of course,” I said. “Why make it easy?”
“Definitely a reading on the shadows?” Dean said.
“Non-corporeal beast activity,” Nay said, “as well as stirring up the non-smoky beasts. She’ll get back to us on what Floyd says in a minute.”
Four more zombies came into the square. The snow was even heavier than it was five minutes ago, and the sky darkened as if another layer of grey had just been painted across it.
Greg’s phone rang. “Bliss? Yeah? I know. We’re at Naomi’s. Yeah. Don’t speak to me like that. We’re trying to fix it. Yeah, well if you protected Greenoaks better then she wouldn’t have got hold of it. Yeah?” He took the phone away from his ear and held to up to his mouth. “Fuck you too!” He shoved the device back into his pocket and waited a beat. “The wolves want to help.”
Erm, okay. “Sounds like it.”
“How are they gonna help?” Nay said, dabbing her face with some cream. “It’ll take them ages to get here—the roads will be diabolical.”
“She’s talking to Sabrina about it, ironing out the details.”
“That didn’t sound like that was the conversation taking place,” I said. “I mean, what the hell?”
“I’ve known Bliss for a while now,” he said. “We have our own style of communication.”
“Yeah, sounds like it.”
Nay’s phone went off as I watched two zombies bash into one another and go down in an awkward tangle of limbs.
“I’ll put you on speaker,” Nay said.
“Hello, everyone,” Karla’s voice came from the phone. She didn’t wait for a response. “I have spoken with Floyd, and he has clarified that the shadows will require a base to work from in order for their power to work. This one shadow causing the zombie problem will need to return time and again to its hub in order to recharge the magic it uses. That explains why the rune readings are strong in the northeast—the strongest at Wizard Point Station.”
“Makes sense,” Dean said, “seeing as it’ll be the worst place for us to go to.”
“Indeed,” Karla said. “So we must start making preparations for your journey northeast. You will need a suitable vehicle. This inclement weather is unprecedented and finding a vehicle to aid you will prove to be difficult.”
“Especially when they keep getting flung at us,” I said.
“Yes,” she answered. “That is a problem.”
You think? “Maybe we’ll have to consider going by foot.”
There was a silent pause from everyone before Greg said, “Unless the wolves manage to get through.” He explained his phone call from Bliss to Karla.
“I fear you will be disappointed,” Karla said. “No matter how much they do want to help, there will be no way of them getting through to you. And the longer the wait, the more the shadows will strengthen their grip on the city.”
“What about the other shadow?” I said.
“There have only been readings in the northeast.”
“So, they’re both there?”
“I am assuming so, yes.”
“What does Floyd say?”
“Only the information about a hub of power,” she said. “He speaks no more.”
“Of course, he doesn’t.”
“If you kill one, the other will know and be antagonized,” Karla said. “I am assuming.”
There was too much assuming coming from her mouth. “Floyd can’t clarify that?”
“No.” That was a firm response telling me she was done with this part of the conversation. And it was too late to implement the pig-feeding business to loosen his tongue now.
“Let’s hope Lilisian isn’t free yet,” I said.
“Indeed,” Karla said, sounding unsure. “Now for a plan of action.”
There was a crash from downstairs.
Chapter Nineteen
My sparks hadn’t gone off, which was one thing—no beast. Bad part was that it was probably a load of sort-of zombies.
Shit.
“Get ready,” Greg said, taking point on the stairs.
Outside, the zombies were still bashing on the shutters. What the hell?
“Back door,” Nay said.
“Wasn’t that shuttered too?” Dean asked.
“Yeah, it was.”
I could hear footsteps moving around downstairs. So not a zombie shuffle.
“Who’s there?” Greg called. I moved up behind him to peer down the stairs.
He stepped into view, his white eye blazing. He had patched up his neck wound crudely with a bandage stained with red. Shame the bite hadn’t hit an essential artery.
“What is happening?” Karla asked.
“The white eye guy,” Dean said.
“What does he want?”
“What I want,” he said, “is Jake.”
“Get out before I break your face,” Greg said.
The white eye guy chuckled. “Really? I don’t have time for this shit.” His power hit Greg, who hit me, and we crashed into Nay’s dresser.
Nay was on it, throwing a potion down the stairs. It came hurtling back up at her and she said a really quick spell, a sentence loaded with the word null—I didn’t catch the rest— which swallowed the explosion of blue flame. She flew backward and landed on the bed.
“Jesus!” she yelled and was back on her feet.
“Thank God for your reflexes,” I said.
“Too right, babe.”
The white eye guy came up the stairs, flinging Dean across the room with his power as the half-fae went for him.
“What is with you?” I said, getting to my feet again.
“You’re such a pain in the arse, you know that?”
“I try my best.”
He folded his arms. “Stop trying.”
“How’s the wound?”
“I was looking forward to a peaceful weekend,” he said. “But now that’s shot to shit.”
“Good!”
“Good that the city is now the shadows’ playground?”
“What’re you doing here?” I said, suppressing the urge to leap at him.
“I’m here for you. Don’t you ever listen?”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I snapped. “Why the hell would I? You some so
rt of dick head? Well, yeah, you are? Think you can come here acting all Charlie Big Bollocks? Get the fuck out.”
His power grabbed me, and I couldn’t talk. Bastard!
Greg lunged and was thrown back for his efforts.
Man, was the white eye guy’s power annoying! You couldn’t even get in a decent kick to the nuts. I’d have to take notes from the zombie who got that bite in.
“I wouldn’t,” he said, eye blazing at Nay.
“Prick,” she said. I guessed she was about to throw a potion.
“And if I see those lips move, I’ll throw you out that window. In fact, any of you move and you’re fucked.”
What a charming man.
“Talk,” Dean said.
The white eye guy’s ghostly orb rolled in its socket back to me. “I know you’re going northeast.”
“Spying, eh?” Nay said.
“You’re shocked?”
“No.”
“And I can get up there with Jake.”
“I’d walk away,” Greg said. “That ain’t happening.”
“Have I given you a choice?”
“I took him before, remember? For our little chat on the roof?”
A growl rumbled in Greg’s chest. “You ain’t taking him.”
The white eye guy chuckled. That sound made my limbs itch to get hitting. Damn his friggin hold!
“I have the ability to manipulate the air,” he said.
“I don’t give a shit!” Greg spat.
“You can fly?” Dean added.
“No, not fly. But I can use the air to get where I want, to take what I want—as you’ve seen. It’s pretty draining, but handy.”
“What are you?” Nay said.
He grinned. “Right now, an ally.”
“Why do you keep helping us?” Dean said. “You got some sort of sick fetish? First you kill Jake’s husband, then you help him? And how did you do it, eh? No one can get in and out of the city.”
“Ah, the big old mystery for my favorite people. I’ll leave it with you to solve.”
“You really are a prick,” Nay said.
“One that’s offering you help.”
“What do you want in return?” Karla asked via the phone.
“You’re not seriously considering this?” Nay said.
“Answer me,” Karla said.
“I want Jake alive. I have my reasons. Sure, I have some plans to use my little gift, but that’s my business.”
“He’s our business,” Dean said. “We’re his guardians.”
“How good of a job you going to do this time? You’ll never get him northeast alive.”
“We will,” Greg said.
“I admire your determination, golem, but you won’t. Even if you had a tank, you wouldn’t.”
Man, would I love a tank right now!
“He’s not going with you,” Greg said, tone laced with vitriol.
Damn right, I wasn’t!
“How can we possibly trust you?” Karla said.
“Karla?” Greg snapped. “Why you even entertaining this crap?”
The white eye guy’s grin was savage and loaded with secrets. “Because she knows this is a dire situation, obviously.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Dean piped in.
“Now get out of my flat,” Nay said. “Unless you want me to make you a new arsehole? How about it?”
“Threaten me all you want. It changes nothing.” He was still friggin’ grinning! “This is bad for everyone. Why didn’t you listen to me?”
“Shut the fuck up!” Nay hissed. “Maybe you should’ve been more forthcoming with your information rather than being all secretive?”
“Aren’t we all entitled to our secrets?”
Come on, universe! Let my right leg be free so I could strike him right in the gonads with my boot. Oh, how awesome to wipe that grin off his face. And I wouldn’t stop there, I’d go to town. I could take him right here, right now, and smash his skull in, watch him bleed all over the floor. I’d clean it up after as a token of good will to Nay and her blue rug. But I really wanted to mess it up with his blood and brains.
If only he were a beast! That’d be some good feeding.
He leaned in a little closer. How much longer could he keep this hold stuff up? “You look hungry, Jake.”
I fought against the invisible binds, that crushing sensation all over my body.
“I know you want me dead.”
How bloody perceptive.
“Stop talking to him,” Dean said.
His eye flicked to glare behind me.
“Half-fae,” he said. “I really hate the fae.”
“And this fae hates you.”
The white eye guy quirked his eyebrow. “Always getting involved where they’re not wanted.”
“Just like you, then.”
“Ah, you’re so full of yourself. Yet there you are, helpless to come and get back your beloved man. You’re all pathetic. And I’m not like that Lilisian creature. What she’ll have lined up for you is far worse than anything I’ll dish out.”
“How much do you know about her?” Karla asked.
“Enough. Stop wasting time. I’m taking Jake.”
“Move and die,” Dean spat.
“How’s that?”
“I’ll break—”
“Oh, spare me the bullshit!”
“I’ll rip your fucking face off!”
“Bring it, fae-boy. Let’s see how close you get.”
“Says the pussy hiding behind his magic!”
The white eye guy found that hilarious. “Whatever, idiot. I should just leave Jake here and let you all sort this mess out. Tempting as that is, I need Jake. So, I’m taking him. I wanted to do this the nice way, to have you all on board. Sometimes you gotta work with your enemies for the greater good.”
There was that greater good stuff again. I didn’t have a choice, it seemed. I was going out into the city with the mother fucker who was at the top of my kill list, closely followed by Purple.
My lips were suddenly free to move. “Nice of you to let me talk, knob head.”
“Always a pleasure to hear your voice, Jake.”
Why couldn’t my power be to breathe fire or something, give him a ball of flame to the face? Ah, a bloke could only dream. “So, you’re preserving me for some future fun? Great. I ain’t going. We’ll figure this out ourselves.”
“You’re coming, end of. I should’ve just taken you. This wasting time stuff is irritating.”
“So is the fact you’re still breathing.”
“You’d miss me if I was gone.”
“I’m not doing this.”
“Good. I lied about the sound of your voice.” He blew me a kiss.
So unfair I had no dragon breath.
“If we have no choice, that is how things will have to be,” Karla said.
“No way!” Dean protested.
“You can’t be serious?” Greg said.
“What choice do we have?” Karla responded. “There is only one choice, no matter the path taken to get there. You will not simply take Jake. We are allowing you to.”
“No,” Nay said. “You’ve lost your mind.”
“Do not dare to insult me, Naomi. Jake is going and that is final. He can go as a stolen man, or he can go on our terms.”
“Finally, someone with a brain,” the white eye guy said.
“There is a condition to—”
“Don’t ruin it, Karla,” he said. “I’m not negotiating anything. I want to get going. Jake is no good to me dead and is useless right now at this time of year.”
What the hell did that mean?
“You wanker,” Nay said.
“True,” he said. “Not the wanker bit but what I told you. I want the city back to normal, Lilisian thwarted before she’s let off the leash, and I’m waiting for the right date.” He winked at me. “Now, if you don’t mind, we’ll be going. Back off!”
I felt the surge of power rush past, then
heard the crash.
“Bastard!” Greg boomed.
“Enough of this!” Karla yelled from the phone. “Take him now!”
The white eye guy was more than happy to acquiesce to her request.
Chapter Twenty
He had me by the arm as we flew through the air out of Nay’s shop.
We went up at a horrible speed, the city a white canvas below me. Gravity took over after a certain point, and we plummeted. The white eye guy would then grunt and his power would kick in, like jet engines kicking in on a plane and we would propel forward once more.
He aimed for the roof of an office block I’d never seen before. We were heading well away from my usual haunt. There were rows and rows of houses nearby, the office block one of three. The air was filled with the song of the not-quite dead below, tumbling in the snow.
“Get the fuck off me!” I shoved him hard as we landed.
After staggering a little, he bent over with his hands on his knees, drawing in deep breaths.
“Too much for ya? Good!”
“Shut … your mouth,” he said.
“You don’t get to tell me anything, prick. I won’t shut anything! I—”
He took hold of me and shut my mouth. Bollocks! I really thought he’d be too worn out to do that!
“Ah, nice.” He carried on getting is breath back, me forced to watch him from my frozen spot.
The snow wasn’t as heavy, but still coming down. Tiny flakes landed in my hair, on my cheeks. Was it snowing out there in the real world? I thought of Jessica, of my dad, back in London. Maybe the capital was having a freaky snowfall, heading for a white Christmas. From my position, I could see the twinkling festive lights in the windows of the houses, some in the snow-dusted trees in front gardens.
I used to love the holidays way back in the day. Not recent ones, they were all pretty dire. The first one I’d had with Michael, just the two of us, was awesome. We’d gone to Paris and it had been nothing short of magical.
The Christmas Days with my dad and sister were something else. We’d get my auntie Trish, dad’s sister, and her husband, John, over with my cousin, Daniel, and we’d have the best time. Tons of food and games and me getting loaded up on too much beer one year—man, had I got yelled at for that! Proper family time where there was no drama or drugs and life was simpler. I wish I could go back to that state of being, but then I’d struggled for money and been hungry for fame and fortune. Not that I had much money now, having put most of it up my nose. I just want … I don’t know what I want. I don’t want anything but to be who I am now, this weapon. Michael’s gone and that’s that—I wanted to be with him, and he was taken away.