“Oh, my God, that feels so good …” I moan, my head tipping back as my body slumps toward the floor. “Is it always supposed to feel this way?”
He catches me in his arms, his eyes scorching with something I don’t recognize. “Not even close.”
That’s the last thing I hear before my eyelids slip shut.
A memory tickles my mind.
“I’m coming for you,” the thing with red eyes whispers. “Your parents, they promised you to me. And I’m not about to let Caspian have you.”
Fear ravels through my body, but fizzles slightly as Caspian’s power consumes every inch of me. Then I surrender to the wildfire roaring inside me, still fearing what’s waiting for me when I open my eyes again.
Epilogue
Leader
“That went better than I expected,” I announce to my colleague as I return to my office. I run my fingers through my white and blue hair then drop down into a chair. “She’s very powerful, too … I could see the power flowing off her from the viewing window.
He leans back in the chair he’s sitting in, fidgeting restlessly. “I still can’t believe you brought a half-Maddening, half-jinn in here. I swear, you’re losing your damn mind. No pun intended.”
“There was no other way around it. We need her to be trained.” I slant back in my chair and rest my hands on my lap. “And no one can know about Caspian. I didn’t even want you knowing, but you just had to go snooping through my files.”
“I wasn’t snooping,” he insists. “I was looking for some paperwork on project Mist.”
He’s such a liar. He was snooping to see how I planned on training the Maddening. When he found out about Caspian, he reacted just like I expected—he freaked out. Honestly, I don’t blame him. Caspian is a very powerful Maddening with jinn bloodlines, but he’s a friend of mine and I trust him … sort of.
“Sure you were.” I swivel in my chair, replaying how the Maddening looked through the window. The vines on her skin, the darkness swirling in her eyes, her blood red lips.
She’s not only beautiful, but powerful—a perfect combination. I just need to make sure she understands who’s in charge of her now. Not Caspian, but me. But until her power is under control, I don’t even dare go near her. I just hope Caspian will keep himself in check, that the hint of desire mixed with empathy I saw in his eyes won’t turn into anything more. I wouldn’t think too much of it, except I’ve known him for years and never once have I seen him convey any sort of emotion besides irritation and arrogance.
I’ll need to keep an eye on him.
“So, who’s next?” my colleague asks, pulling me out my thoughts.
I lean forward and open up my file. “Ava Mikiley. She’ll be turning eighteen in a few days. Her grandmother was actually the person who put the curse on her.” Painful memories pierce my heart as I read the file, but I refuse to feel the pain, feel the past. “She traded her godchild’s life so she could get a boyfriend.”
My colleague doesn’t seem as bothered as I am. “Sucks for the kid, but it’s good for us, right?”
I don’t agree with him at all. While I need my superheroes, I hate reading about who cursed these girls. And all for what? Money? A high social status? Temporary love? I’ve been in their shoes before and know it hurts like a bitch, which is why I’ve avoided telling them the entire truth about their curses, who collects the curses, and what lies ahead for them. Because, while they will become superheroes, nothing will ever be the same for them.
“What’s the update on the portal?” I ask my colleague, trying to distract myself from the pity I feel for Heartley and Remi, who’s still struggling to get a grasp on her soul thirst.
His mouth plummets to a frown, but he hurriedly shakes the look off. “The last I checked, it was the same. No portals have fully opened yet and no paranormals have entered our world.”
I think he might be lying, but why?
“You know it’s your job to tell me if the situation has escalated,” I remind him, closing the file. “You need to keep me updated, even if the updates are bad.”
“I know that, and I am keeping you updated. And, like I said, the situation hasn’t changed. If you don’t believe me, check the data yourself.” He checks his watch then rises to his feet. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.” He rushes out of my office before I can get another word out.
I check the data on my computer. It matches what my colleague said. No portals have opened. No paranormals have escaped. Still, something doesn’t feel right.
I sit back in my chair and thrum my fingers against my knee. Something is definitely up and I need to find out what. After I’ve sent out my zombie to help Ava with her transition, I think I’m going to find a cyborg to tail my colleague and see what he’s up to. Besides, in about a week, I’m going to have to find a cyborg for my next project, anyway.
Undead
(Cursed Superheroes, #3)
Undead
Jessica Sorensen
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2017 by Jessica Sorensen
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
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For information: jessicasorensen.com
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Prologue
Leader
“Are you sure you can handle this?” I ask August distractedly as I run a scan on my computer for all current cyborgs living within the city. A total of five pulls up. Four are currently working for either a company or are personally owned, which only leaves one that I can track down and ask to come work for me. Great. His last listed residence is down by the wall. “Shit, this isn’t good.”
“What isn’t?” August replies, sounding a bit bored.
“Nothing you need to worry about.” I leave the data open on my computer so I can return to it after I send August on his mission.
He needs to leave ASAP, not only because Ava’s, my next potential superhero, curse is about to be collected, but also because it’s a little unnerving having a zombie in my office.
“Then, what do I need to worry about?” August asks, reclining back in the seat across from my desk. “You never explained that to me when you asked me to come here. You’re lucky I even showed up. I usually don’t agree to do a favor without knowing what the favor is.”
“Why did you agree to come here, then?” I place my overlapped hands on the desk. “I mean, not that I’m not grateful, but usually zombies have zero emotions, well, except brain hunger, so getting them to do anything for someone else is nearly impossible.” I quickly tack on, “No offense or anything.” The last thing I want is to upset a creature that could and would eat my brains directly from my head.
He lifts his shoulders, giving a sluggish shrug. “I’m not really sure, other than I guess it seems like I owe you for saving me from death.” He wavers. “Well, maybe ‘saving me from death’ is the wrong choice of words since I’m still technically dead.” He chews on his bluish-black lip as he studies me with his eyes that are thankfully a silver-grey instead of blood red.
If his eyes were red, I’d be pressing the emergency button in my top desk drawer, since red eyes on a zombie mean hunger.
My hand instinctively wanders to my head in a protective gesture.
“You’re worried I’m going to eat you,” August notes with a trace of amusement.
“You’re amused?” I lower my ha
nd back to my desk, intrigued by the hint of emotion in his eyes.
August shrugs. “Perhaps. But only by the idea that you think I’m going to eat you.”
“Why do you find that amusing?”
“I’m not really sure, other than I don’t think I ever would eat your brain.”
“You wouldn’t, huh?” My tone carries a bit of skepticism.
“You created me.” He props his foot on his knee and restlessly taps his black fingernails against his leg. “And you let me feed off the discarded brains left over from your mad scientist experiments. I may be a cold-hearted zombie, but I know better than to bite the hand that feeds me.”
“Have you ever fed off someone?” I ask. When he blasts me with a cold, dark look, I raise my hands in front of me. “I’m not judging you. I’m simply curious.”
His knee bounces up and down as he grows more restless. “I may have slipped up once or twice.”
“That’s not too bad for your kind,” I tell him. “Most slip up every day.”
He frowns. “I’m only able to control my hunger better because you created me to be this way, right?”
“Yes, I created you to have a stronger will against giving in to your brain hunger so you won’t run the streets murdering people, which is a good thing. But I don’t understand why you seem so upset that I made you that way.” And why does he seem upset at all? Zombies aren’t supposed to get upset.
He fiddles with a leather band on his wrist. “I’m not upset. I just get a bit lonely sometimes.”
“I’m not sure what you mean. Lonely how?”
“Lonely in the sense that I’m the only one of my kind. All the other zombies I’ve ever met want to eat brains all the time. They crave them more than anything else, and they’ll do anything to get them. Me?” He bobs his head from side to side, deliberating. “I rationalize before I attack, which more often than not ends with me not attacking at all and coming here to eat brains instead.”
“Which is a good thing,” I remind him again. “And it’s the main reason you’re not hunted by my zombie trackers.”
“I know that. But being the only zombie who doesn’t want to kill for brains all the time can get …” He shifts uncomfortably. “Well, like I said, lonely.”
Interesting. A zombie who wants a friend. Who would’ve thought? Then again, I did create him a bit differently than the average zombie, making him faster, stronger, and wiser, so I guess it’s not completely crazy that he wants a friend.
“Did you know the favor I’m asking from you has to do with a girl?” I tell him, leaning forward.
“Yeah, so? I see girls all the time. It’s not like I can get close to them. Well, not without scaring the shit out of them.” A sad look of longing flashes across his expression.
“This girl isn’t a normal girl,” I explain. “Her name is Ava Mikiley, and she’s currently cursed to a painful demise that will happen on her eighteenth birthday. You’re going to bring her here so I can make her like you. She’ll be strong, fast, and have enough intelligence that she shouldn’t want to go around killing everyone.” At least, that’s the plan.
Since Ava is cursed, I’m concerned she may not be as easy to control as August, which is why I need him to stick around and help me train her. I haven’t figured out how to ask him that. Perhaps having another one of his kind might excite him. If he is right now, he isn’t showing it.
“So, I’m just supposed to, what? Bring this girl here so you can change her into a zombie?” He shakes his head. “I don’t want to be a part of ruining some girl’s life.”
“If you don’t bring her here, then she’s doomed to become like all those other zombies you despise. The only way to save her from that future is to make her like you.” I cross my arms on top of my desk again. “If you help me, after tonight, you won’t be the only one of your kind. But I can’t do it without your help.” It’s true, too. Since zombie bites are infectious, I can’t risk letting anyone else help Ava with her transition. I need August to help me, or I won’t have my superhero zombie. And I need my zombie, just like I needed my Maddening and Reaper.
“What are you going to do with her?” he asks. “After you make her like me, I mean.”
“I want you to help her learn how to control her power so she can help save the world.”
“Save the world from what?”
“From a paranormal portal that’s about to open.” I don’t bother mentioning that two other portals are opening, as well, since I still haven’t figured out where those portals lead.
He shows zero shock, but that’s a zombie for you. Normally, I’m unbothered by August’s lack of emotions, but today, he’s driving me crazy. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, if he’s actually considering helping me or just toying with me.
“Fine, I’ll do it,” he finally agrees, lowering his foot back to the floor.
“Good, I’m glad to have you on my team.” I lean over my desk and offer him my hand to shake.
He eyeballs my hand warily before placing his cold, dead fingers in mine.
After we shake hands and I give him the information on Ava, I send him on his way. Then I move on to my next problem—tracking down a cyborg to spy on my colleague who I’m fairly sure is keeping information about the portals from me. I don’t know why he’s withholding info or what the info is, but it makes me extremely nervous. He also knows about my superhero experiment, and I fear perhaps his secretiveness has to do with that. The last thing I need is for someone to mess around with my potential superheroes. Potential paranormal superheroes.
No, I need to have a cyborg spy on him and find out what he’s up to. I just wish the cyborg didn’t live by the wall, a place where only wild cyborgs live. But, as of right now, he’s my only option.
“I guess I’m going to the wall.” I push to my feet, grab a voltage gun from my weapons case, and step out into the hallway.
I don’t head for the exit doors. Instead, I make a right toward the training corridors.
I’m not going on this mission alone. Why would I when I have a Reaper and a Maddening who need some real-life experience training?
I cross my fingers that they’re trained well enough to step out into the real world.
Remi
“I’m so hungry,” I gripe, my hands trembling at my sides. “Please, can you just give me one taste? Then I swear I’ll stop bugging you.”
Cameron, my trainer, shakes his head. “Nope. No tastes until you’ve finished your training for the day.”
My lips twitch, and he grins, completely pleased by my misery.
What can I expect? He is a Reaper, after all. And not just any Reaper, but the freakin’ Grim Reaper, aka the big boss downstairs who gives orders to all the other Reapers. So, if your soul is currently getting collected by some dude or chick wearing a cloak and carrying a scythe, Cameron is the one who sentenced you to your soulless demise.
“You’re doing this on purpose.” I put my hands on my hips and glare at him.
“Doing what?” he asks innocently, his boots soundlessly touching the floor as he floats in a circle around me.
I cross my arms. “Starving me.”
“Now, why would I do that?” he taunts, flicking a strand of my long brown hair as he zips around me.
I grimace as my gaze attempts to keep up with his rapid movements. “Because you’re the Grim Reaper, and you’re evil.”
“Hate to break it to you, princess, but my blood runs through your veins.” He moves up behind me, his breath dusting against my earlobe. “So, if I’m evil, then so are you.”
By the time I whirl around, he’s vanished. Dammit! How can I ever beat him if I can’t even see him?
“I’m only half-Reaper,” I remind him, turning in a slow circle, my gaze skimming the ceiling beams and steel walls of the training room. “Therefore, I’m not evil.”
“Half-Reaper or full, you still have Reaper blood in your veins. And Reaper blood is categorized on the darker spectrum of par
anormal creatures. And for a good reason.” His voice echoes around me, making it nearly impossible to locate him. “We’re not known for our niceness.”
I curl my fingers into fists, frustrated that I can’t spot him anywhere. “I’m not evil. I haven’t even hurt anyone.”
“Yet,” he stresses. “You’ve also been kept locked up behind these steel walls for all your Reaper life.”
True. I haven’t left the facility since I was brought here a few weeks ago. The seclusion has been driving me mad, and I also worry what will happen when I finally endeavor into the real world, which will happen, at least according to Leader. But I’ll go into the world as a superhero. That is, if I decide to be one. I haven’t officially said yes yet for many different reasons. One being how I’m constantly hungry for souls, and seeing past that hunger is virtually impossible.
But things will get better. At least, that’s what Leader told me during the brief speech he gave me about my training.
“All my Reaper life?” I tell Cameron. “You make me sound ancient when I’ve only been a Reaper for a few weeks.”
“Exactly, which means you haven’t had enough time yet to fully learn all your cravings, urges, powers, strengths, and weaknesses.”
“What weaknesses?” Deciding to try another tactic to spot him, I hold still. “I feel stronger than I ever have.”
The room grows soundless, except for the humming of the air vent and the pounding of my heart. Without moving, I allow my gaze to rove the ceiling, the walls, the door, and the mat area, searching for a sign of an evil, gross Reaper lurking about.
Okay, okay, I may have lied about the gross part.
Sure, photos may show the Grim Reaper as a cloaked, bony creature with glowing eyes and carries a scythe, but Cameron doesn’t look like that at all. Blond, tall, lean, with gauges in his ears, silver metal in his lip, and a tiny scar on his jawline, he’s utterly gorgeous. I’ll never admit that aloud, since the last thing I need is for the Grim Reaper, who is extremely cocky and self-centered, to know I think he’s hot.
Cursed Superheroes (Books 1-3) Page 7
