The complete opposite of him.
"I'm not sure. We're gonna go find out now. I dropped him."
She pulled her head back to look at him. "You dropped him?"
"Yup. It was him or you. I picked you. I'll always pick you."
She rested her head on his shoulder and clenched her eyes shut, trying to ignore the terrible sounds around her.
"I love you, Jack."
"I love you, too."
Jack nearly tripped when someone grabbed his foot. He looked down angrily at a man with a gash across his forehead.
"Please, help me."
Jack said nothing, wrenching his foot from the mortal's grip.
As he walked, he searched the area for one of three people he cared about in his life. Victoria stood near a row of sewing machines, using them as weapons against several demons. She was more than holding her own.
He ducked through the hole in the wall he'd cut with an ax, making sure to watch Tiffany's head. The stairwell and elevators were just ahead. He ran down the stairs, still not putting Tiffany on the ground. He wasn't stronger than a mortal, but he never tired. His muscles never ached. He could carry Tiffany forever.
It wasn't difficult to see where the witch and flying man crashed on the second floor. He peered through a set of double doors and saw a group of people gathered around a shattered window. He stepped inside and immediately scanned the room, his hyperactive mind locking away details.
They were in a doctor's office. Employees wearing scrubs and sick people hovered over two motionless figures on the floor, twisted in a heap. One of the flying man's wings completely covered the witch, like a funeral shroud. People were on their cell phones, talking excitedly, but didn't dare get too close. A small crowd was still gathered outside.
Jack surveyed the people, searching for the safest one there. His eyes fell on a woman clutching her purse to her chest. He broke down the important parts of her life in the five seconds it took to approach her.
Married once, but recently divorced. She had at least two kids of her own. Diabetic. There was at least one cat at her home, although she was allergic.
The most important detail was that Tiffany would be safe next to her for a few minutes.
He set her down and looked her in the eye.
"Okay, Tiffany, I want you to stay here with this ugly woman. I'll be right back."
She nodded obediently, and Jack gave a quick ruffle of her hair. He passed a man filming the mess of bodies with his phone. Jack casually plucked it from his fingers and dropped it in an open cup of McDonald's soda on the counter.
"Hey, man! What the hell is your problem?"
He ignored the mortal and approached the pair of males. Jack was amazed at how large the wings were. He thought he'd seen it all in his two centuries, but he was obviously wrong. The other wing was stretched out completely, covering the floor. The winged man wore no shirt, but his pants and shoes suggested an event, and it was hard to miss the shiny new ring on his left finger.
It was Alex, the half-demon Victoria had told him about.
Jack moved to lift the other wing, and drag Kevin from under it, when a man grabbed his arm.
"Hey, look, are you a doctor? Or, maybe, from the circus?"
"Nope."
"Then you shouldn't get near them."
Jack's reaction was more subdued than it normally would have been. His daughter was watching.
"Let go of my arm, immediately, and never touch me again, or I'll break your fingers."
The man backed away at Jack's tone.
He pulled the witch away from the wing. The witch's chest rose and fell slowly, but he made no movements otherwise. Jack opened his coat and looked through some of the pockets, seeing the unusual items and liquids.
"Holy shit. It's a witch's pharmacy."
He remembered the few witches he encountered in his life all storing their disgusting ingredients in pots and shelves, ready to be used at a moment's notice for a spell over the fire. Times had changed.
Jack found what he was looking for. A vial of water.
The man who stopped Jack before stepped forward. "Hey, he's robbing the kid! Look, asshole, you can't—"
He placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack grabbed his hand and twisted expertly, without dropping the vial. Three fingers broke, and Jack shoved the man through the hole in the wall. The crowd below tried to catch him, and they fell over like bowling pins. Jack tried not to laugh too hard.
No one else approached him.
Grabbing the witch's hand, he pressed his finger to the vial, and watched the water turn blue. The gathered crowd watched in awe.
"A little for you," he said, pouring water down the witch's throat. He moved to Alex. "And a little for you."
The two men stirred. Everyone cheered and clapped. Tiffany ran to Jack, hugging him around the waist.
"You saved them!"
"Well, I can't take too much credit. But…sure, I saved them."
The crowd jumped back when Alex's wings vanished into his back.
"Kevin?" Alex said, leaning on the counter for balance.
Kevin didn't miss a beat, his mind immediately returning to where it was before.
"Where's Victoria?"
"She's still upstairs."
Jack scooped up Tiffany and the four of them went to the stairwell again. They heard the violence and fighting as they approached the ninth floor. Jack led them through the hole in the wall, not far from the main door.
The humans were still fighting, although many were scattered about on the floor, injured. One lay critically wounded by Jack's makeshift door, not quite able to get through before being maimed. Victoria worked with a few humans to drive a broken conference table leg into the skull of a demon. It vanished, but another appeared out of nowhere. She didn't look like she had much fight left in her.
Alex stepped forward.
"Stop!"
All at once, everything went quiet. The growling, menacing demons lowered their collective noise to a low rumble, and made their way to Alex. They dropped humans to the floor, knocked over chairs, walked across desks. Jack slowly stepped to the side, circling around them, keeping Tiffany in his arms. Kevin followed him.
"Master."
Tiffany shivered against Jack. He held her tight.
"Don't call me…Just what the hell is going on here?" Alex asked, like he was addressing school children.
"We are…playing."
"And who said you could come out to play?"
They were silent.
"Go. Playtime is done."
There were disappointed grunts as the demons disappeared one by one.
The only sounds that remained were of human pain and discomfort. They helped one another to their feet, cried in each other's arms.
Suddenly, the sphere moved.
Victoria looked up from across the room. "Alex! Look out!"
It stopped inches away from Alex's face, making him jump. The half-demon took a step back, studying the strange shape in front of him.
"He's watching us," Kevin whispered. "He can see us."
"Who?"
A voice boomed, shaking the chairs and knocking over the few cubicle walls around them.
"Interesting."
It was the same voice Kevin and Victoria heard at the airport.
The sphere vanished.
"Where's Victoria?" Kevin asked.
Jack pointed to a corner, where the vampire was discreetly feeding from one of the lesser damaged mortals. She lowered him to the ground and walked toward them. He set Tiffany down, and she ran directly for her.
"Aunt Victoria!"
Kevin and Alex glanced at each other, nearly laughing at the title.
"Tiffany, don't hug me, baby. I'm covered in—"
Tiffany didn't care. She tackled Victoria around the waist.
Kevin took a breath and straightened his coat. Jack raised an eyebrow as the young witch took a step forward.
"Okay, everyone, gather
up," he called. "I need everyone close together. Get all the water you can, and any cups. There's gotta be a water fountain here somewhere. And…I know this will sound gross, but if you've lost any fingers or anything, just find them and come to me. Hurry up, now."
Victoria held Tiffany's hand as they approached Jack and Alex. She smiled at both of them, grabbing Jack by the shoulder.
"How did you both find us?"
Alex shrugged. "You're a friend, and I sense when you're in danger."
Victoria was honored. For the longest time that privilege went to Alex's closest, Cindy and Alicia.
"My partner and I saw you running through the airport," Jack said. "We figured you could use help, and we were right."
"You brought Tiffany into a room full of demons?"
"I couldn't find a babysitter. She's safe with me, though. You know this."
Kevin made rounds through the humans, helping and healing them. Victoria watched with pride as he worked. When he was done he searched through his coat. His shirt was covered in mysterious liquids from broken vials.
"Everything…ruined," he said. "Dammit. That potion took me twelve hours to make." He approached Victoria and the group. "I've lost a lot of good stuff, but I've got one or two left. I can wipe their memories, make them sleep and forget the last five hours."
Victoria nodded, but Jack wrapped his arm around Tiffany's shoulders.
"Give her something to counter it."
Kevin searched their faces. "You want her to remember this? She's just a kid."
"Her name's Tiffany, not kid. And her memories are her own, not for you to touch." He stared at both Kevin and Alex. "Besides, this nine-year-old girl has bigger nuts than either one of you two pussballs."
Victoria held in a laugh, while Alex raised his hands defensively.
"Hey, don't drag me into this."
Kevin looked at Victoria. "Is this clown for real? Who is he?"
"I'm the guy who saved your life. And I hate clowns."
"Saved my life? Are you kidding? You threw me out the window."
"I didn't throw you. I just dropped you. How you got out the window in the first place, I don't know or care. That's your own stupidity. I had to pick my daughter or you, and I'm afraid you lost. By a lot."
"Jack," Victoria said, watching him carefully. "You…were gonna let Kevin die?"
He didn't hesitate. "Yup."
"I'm so proud of you," she said, squeezing his shoulder.
Kevin's eyes grew wide, and his face turned red. "Proud? This asshole dropped me out a window, and you're proud? What the hell?"
Jack laughed, and thought the vein in Kevin's temple would burst. "Look at Glinda, getting all upset. Does anyone have a fresh diaper?"
Kevin charged forward, but was much too slow. Victoria grabbed him easily with one arm, holding him close and tight.
"Don't hurt Jack! He's my dad."
Tiffany threw a punch into Kevin's stomach. Even a punch from a nine-year-old girl could hurt. He grabbed his midsection as Victoria let him go. She flashed Tiffany a dirty look. Jack only laughed.
"That's my girl! Whip Glinda's ass."
Kevin felt like he was surrounded by enemies instead of friends, except for one.
"Thanks, Alex," he said. "Seriously, thanks for saving my life."
Alex nodded, and Jack shook his head dismissively.
"Did you forget you're a witch? A fall shouldn't mean shit to you."
"I can't fly, asshole. I don't have wings, like Alex here."
"Actually, Kevin," Victoria said. "Don't you have a feather that lets you float?"
His face turned red once again from humiliation. "Yeah, I forgot. Still, I wasn't exactly thinking of grabbing it while I plunged to my death."
Jack nodded. "I can understand that. You don't strike me as the thinking type."
"Hey," Alex said. He pointed to the crowd behind them, hoping to distract everyone. "Weren't you gonna do something with the people back there?"
Kevin pulled two vials from his coat, one of them slightly cracked.
"Drink this, just one swallow," he said, handing Tiffany the vial. "It counters a lot of magic. Save some for Mr. Personality here."
"No. For shit's sake, please try to put me to sleep with your bullcrap magic."
Kevin rolled his eyes and tossed the vial, shattering it on the floor. The humans looked up in surprise before they fell over each other, fast asleep.
Jack was still awake, as was Tiffany.
"Damn."
"Uh, guys," Alex said. "Can we fight somewhere else?"
*****
The odd group of supernatural beings, and Tiffany, stood just inside a thicket of trees behind the office building. They watched in silence as the building became a mob scene. Police, paramedics, and reporters were everywhere. Victoria watched as people she fought beside spoke to the press. Some talked about how they couldn't remember getting from the ninth floor to the back lot outside. Others couldn't remember the last five hours of their lives.
Victoria didn't bother with introductions. Everyone had already picked up each other's names, and she honestly wasn't in the mood. The group was quiet, with only Tiffany fidgeting and letting out the occasional bored sigh. They were in terrible shape. All were covered in various degrees of blood. Alex had no shirt. Victoria's dress was torn and ruined.
"So, Jack," Victoria said. "How's Erica?"
She meant it as a joke, to break the tension in the group. Jack took the question seriously.
"She's great. She told me to tell you hello. You wouldn't believe some of the ways that woman can bend. Just this past weekend, even with handcuffs on, she—"
"Jack!" Victoria said, and gestured to Tiffany by his side.
"Fine," he said. "I'll tell you later."
Tiffany looked up at Jack and Victoria. "I can bend!"
"No, you can't," Jack said. "There will be no bending for you. You will not be bending until you're eighteen. No…twenty-one."
"But I can bend now! Watch."
She bent over and touched her toes. Everyone shared a small laugh, even Kevin, who hadn't quite climbed out of his bad mood.
"So," he said. "I guess you're the werewolf?"
"What?"
Kevin pointed to each of them as Jack covered Tiffany's ears. "Victoria's a vampire. I'm a witch. Alex is…whatever he is. Are you a werewolf? I can cure them, ya know."
"No, I'm not a werewolf. But, speaking of cures—"
"Jack," Victoria said. "Not now."
He shrugged. "Sure."
Kevin leaned against a tree. "Okay, so, what do we do next?"
"Guys, I have a wedding day that might not be ruined yet," Alex said. "I have to get back."
Victoria nodded. "That sounds good."
"What?" Kevin said. "After all that happened, you just want to go party?"
"What do you suggest we do?" Victoria asked. "What would you like to talk about?"
Kevin opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He couldn't think clearly. His thoughts were still a jumbled mess, his heart still racing.
"Relax," she said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Leave the worrying to me. Let's head back to my house."
"I'll be along shortly," Jack said. "I'm putting Tiffany on a plane and sending her as far away as possible."
"Why? I want to stay here with you and Aunt Victoria."
Jack squatted to look Tiffany in the eye. Alex and Kevin watched the two of them talk, fascinated. He went from jerk to loving father in seconds.
"Sweetie, we're not gonna be able to do that. Aunt Victoria needs my help, and she didn't tell me what a shithole Baltimore has become. Don't worry, I won't be too long, and I'll come get you."
She pouted, but nodded. "Okay."
"Say goodbye to everyone."
"Bye, Aunt Victoria. I'm glad I got to see you."
She hugged the young child. "Soon, I'll have you down for a weekend, and you can see my house."
Tiffany stood in front of Kevin. "I'm
sorry I punched you in the stomach." She thrust out her hand. "I'm Tiffany."
Kevin finally let out a true laugh. "No problem, don't worry about it. I'm Kevin."
They shook hands, and she moved to Alex. "What's your name?"
"Alex. Nice to meet you."
"Can I touch your wings?"
"Maybe next time."
Jack held his daughter's hand and nodded at each of them. "I'll be back soon."
"You have my address?"
"Of course."
Alex scratched his head as they walked away. "The girl's got better manners than he does."
Victoria smiled. "You have no idea."
CHAPTER 7
The drive back was a quiet one. Victoria was irritated at the thought of blood in her Porsche. Alex sat in front, while Kevin was cramped in the back. There was only so much silence he could take.
"Alex," he said. "What was the deal back there? Was that a demon hole or something?"
"I don't know. I can bring demons here, but there's never any ball of light when I do it, especially one that talks. I'll bet it was a gateway, like how I can be a demon gateway."
He touched Victoria's shoulder. "Have you ever seen anything like that?"
"Never," she said. "And I'm old."
"Are you sure you didn't know that guy at the airport?"
"I've never seen him in my life, but Bradley has. Don't worry, Kevin. Let's survive this reception, and we'll figure it all out tonight."
"Survive is the right word," Alex said. "You should have seen Cindy's face when I told her I had to leave to help you two."
Kevin laughed shortly. "You told her? You told your wife?"
"He tells her everything," Victoria said. "I know I've said this a million times, Alex, but make sure you keep her. You're not gonna find many humans so accepting of our world like Cindy."
"Believe me, I know how lucky I am."
Kevin said nothing more, trying not to be obvious with his jealousy.
His jaw dropped when Victoria pulled into the driveway of the largest house he'd ever seen with his own two eyes. House was too small of a word. It was more of a mansion. Cars were lined up all along the driveway to the circle by the front door. Music could be heard even from the outside.
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