Chapter 22
LORI
I came to with a jolt.
“Lori?”
I opened my eyes to the sight of Fenris leaning over me. Such beautiful eyes.
He grinned. Shit, had I said that out loud? Dammit. I totally had. I groaned as I sat up gingerly. What happened?
Oh, yeah. I found out my existence was tied to a fucking demon and there was no way to break it without one or both of us dying. Whoop-de-fucking-do.
I was back in the Med-Bay but there was no sign of Levi.
“Levi went back to looking to find a way to break the bond. He said you’d be fine once you woke up. Are you alright?”
“Other than feeling slightly embarrassed that I fainted, yeah, I’m fine. And if you tell anyone that I did, I will stab you.” I levelled him with my best death glare, but he clearly wasn’t intimidated. I suppose he had been up against scarier enemies.
He just chuckled and crossed his heart. “I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
“Good. Now can we go and get something to drink? I need something stronger than coffee. I am going to need whiskey and lots of it.”
Fenris smiled mischievously. “I know just the place.”
***
The perfect place turned out to be a club, which was definitely the right kind of place. Midnight Sin, or just Sin for short, was where nightlife happened in the Conclave. It wasn’t as fancy as my club, but there was definitely an atmosphere I could lose myself in for a while. It was loud and surprisingly crowded considering it was still early. This was familiar territory and I was relaxing already.
“Find a table,” Fenris said, his mouth close to my ear so he could be heard over the music. “I’ll grab us some drinks.”
I watched him attempt to melt into the crowd, but he failed miserably. He drew attention from the women around him and I couldn’t blame them. He was hot. But I had decided I wasn’t going there. I was already tangled with Jasper and Orion, adding someone else to this mess had disaster written all over it.
I tore my gaze away from Fenris and wandered deeper into the club. Bodies swayed to the beat of the music, men and women grinding their bodies together in a sensual dance of pleasure. I found a booth at the far end and took a seat, my eyes finding Fenris at the bar. As if sensing my gaze, he looked across at me, and he flashed me a grin before turning back to the bartender to grab the drinks.
I scanned the crowd again and my eyes snagged on some movement in the corner at the back of the club. Panic rushed through me but as the strobe lights flashed, I saw it was just two people making out. I was getting twitchy and every little thing was starting to spook me. This whole prophecy thing had really knocked me for six. I didn’t know what was right anymore. I wanted to do the right thing, but I wasn’t sure I had the stomach for it. Martha had raised me to believe that doing right in the face of all the odds was still the right thing to do, no matter how hard it was. But if the cost of doing the right thing was my life, did I really want to pay the price?
For the first time in my life I felt deeply and morally conflicted. I knew I had a decision to make but it could wait. Fenris was here with drinks, and I was going to get shit-faced. I needed to forget about the world for a few moments and Fenris seemed perfectly happy to aid me in that venture.
Half a bottle of whiskey later, and I was barely tipsy.
What the fuck was that about?
“Fenris, I should be halfway to the floor now. Why am I not even feeling the effect of this?”
“It’ll be your demon. Supes don’t feel the effect of alcohol like humans.”
That sucked. The whole point of drinking alcohol was to help me forget and it was barely taking the edge off.
“I wanted to forget everything for a while. I wanted to just pretend I was normal, just for a minute.”
His shoulders rose and fell as he took a deep breath. “I know. But you’re part of something bigger now. You can’t just walk away from it.”
Anger flickered to life in my chest. “I know that and I’m trying. But I’ve got a demon who is lashing out, magic I can’t access, and a connection to someone who holds my life in their hands. It’s not exactly a walk in the fucking park.”
“Lori, we are trying to figure it out. We are trying to help, but you’re the one who has to get on board.”
Annoyance flared through me. “Don’t you think I have been trying to do that?”
“Have you? Have you really been putting your all into it?”
I flinched backwards. His words felt like a slap in the face.
“Lori, I didn’t mean that.”
“Then what did you mean?” I snapped.
“I meant that you have to want to be part of this and until you accept that there is no going home you will never be able to be the person you were meant to be.”
“I never asked for this! I wasn’t given a choice!” Anger burned through me and my fists clenched on the table. I’d had enough of this. I was going home. “Fuck you, Fenris.”
I climbed out the booth and strode out the club. I could hear Fenris calling my name behind me, but I didn’t care. Forget the prophecy. Forget the Devil. Forget the fucking Sin Reaper. This was a huge fucking mistake and I needed to go home.
“Lori! Wait!”
My legs broke into a jog to get away from Fenris. It was unlikely I would make it far. He was a trained hunter and I was what? A human merely playing at being a demon.
My feet stumbled beneath me. Oh, great. My demon was finally joining the party.
“Now you show up? Where have you been all week?” I mumbled to myself. A passer-by gave me a funny look but kept on walking. I felt a phantom hand travel up the back of my neck and I spun around. But no one was behind me. Great. Now I was going crazy too.
I felt the hand trail along my arm and settle in my own hand. Was she holding my hand? This was beyond weird but at least we were talking. Communicating? I don’t know what it was but it was a start I guess. I turned around and looked in the direction I had run from. There was no sign of Fenris. Perhaps he had given up following me. I’d have given up on me too. There was another caress along my palm and it eased the guilt that was making my stomach plummet.
“Ok, so you’re here. What do I do now?” I asked myself. My body lurched forward, which was unsettling to say the least. She wanted me to go back and she was right. I needed to smooth this over. I wasn’t one for running away and storming off when I knew I could be in danger. That was a fucking dick move.
I walked back the way I came, and the demon settled back under my skin. When I got back to base she and I were going to have a long chat. A rumble echoed through my mind which sounded decidedly like a laugh to me.
I rounded a corner and warning bells went off in my mind. Something was wrong. Where was Fenris? My eyes darted around the street and then I heard a male cry rip through the air.
Fenris.
I followed the sound to the mouth of an alley and skidded to a halt. Fenris was surrounded by three guys. It was Flint. Motherfucker. He had been warned to back off but here he was being a dick again.
“Where’s the girl?” Flint growled.
“Not going to tell you, so you might as well fuck off,” Fenris replied, his magic glowing at his fingertips.
There was something off about the two men with Flint. They stood awkwardly, like they were uncomfortable in their own skin.
I had to do something, but what? I didn’t have a weapon. I didn’t have magic. Maybe I could cause a distraction and give Fenris a chance to attack.
“Looking for me, boys?” I called. All eyes turned to me. Ah, crap. I hadn’t thought this through at all.
“Lori! Run!” Fenris roared before throwing his hands up. He caught Flint off guard, and he flew backwards through the air. The other two creatures ran towards me and my jaw dropped. There were two black holes where their eyes should be, and fear slithered up my spine at the site of them.
They were monsters.
I ducked under their arms as they barrelled towards me with their unnatural gait, but that put me in the path of Flint. And he was on his feet again.
Shit.
He charged towards me and I froze to the spot. Oh, fuck. Fear had my limbs refusing to move and Flint was getting closer.
A shadow landed in front of me, and I was suddenly staring at Fenris’ back. How’d he move so quickly?
“Stay behind me,” Fenris ordered. He didn’t need to tell me twice.
“Just hand her over mage and we’ll kill you quick,” Flint said as he advanced towards us. We were cornered. The monsters flanked Flint on either side, and they surrounded us like vultures. Shit. Maybe I should have just legged it. No. I wouldn’t have done that. I couldn’t leave Fenris to face this on his own. When it came down to it, I would choose his life and anybody else’s above my own. Well, maybe not Flint’s, I don’t think he’d be worth saving.
“Screw you, Flint,” Fenris spat.
He moved so fast he was a blur. One second he was in front of us, the next he had Fenris pinned against the wall by his throat.
I could see panic on Fenris’ face. Something was wrong. Why wasn’t he fighting back?
Flint laughed. “Struggling to find your magic?”
Fuck. I had to do something. Come on demon, where are you?
I turned my thoughts inwards, searching for her, but she was as silent as the grave I was about to find myself in.
Please.
Come on. I know you’re there.
Nothing. Argh. Fuck this.
Terror forced my body into action, and I launched myself into Flint, swinging my fist into his temple. It connected with a satisfying crunch. He released Fenris and turned his beady eyes on me.
“Run, god dammit!” Fenris shouted before reaching for Flint. Like fuck was I running away. Flint’s monsters ran towards us, eager for a fight. Well, they could bring it because I was fucking ready.
Fucking ready to pee my pants but I wasn’t giving up.
Fenris was dealing with Flint and I could see his magic was working again. Good. I wasn’t sure what Flint had done before, but I was glad it wasn’t hindering Fenris any more. I didn’t have time to think about it. One of the monsters had nearly reached me. I punched him in the mouth and his head snapped back. Fuck that hurt. Meaty paws aimed at my face, but I ducked, jabbed my fist in his crotch and enjoyed the painful grunt he emanated as he dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
The other one took his place. He approached slowly, clearly wanting to take his time. I stepped backwards. Shit. He was herding me back towards Flint. The monster I’d sent to the ground stood unsteadily on his feet and joined his comrade.
I snuck a glance over my shoulder. Fenris was on his knees, with Flint’s hand around his throat.
Shitting hell. I could do this. I had to.
The sound of a fist connecting with flesh was followed by a grunt from Fenris. Oh, god. I was going to hurl. Impotence froze my limbs. This was it. I was going to die.
The moment the realisation hit me, heat filled my veins and I felt my demon crawl into my skin. My body hummed with the power she brought, and I was pushed into the back seat whilst she took over my body.
My vision sharpened and my body moved with precision as the Sin Reaper came out to play.
And she was fucking pissed.
I had to get to Fenris. The monsters attacked again, and I fought back hard. I had to make them suffer. I had to kill them. I felt their fists connect against my body, but the Sin Reaper kept my pain at a distance. I fought like a well-oiled machine, my movements instinctual and precise.
I kept hitting, kept fighting. I had to get to Fenris. He was all that mattered. But a well-aimed hit between my shoulder blades halted my progress. Pain fanned across my back and I fell forwards to the ground.
Fuck! A weight settled on me and hands fisted in my hair. My head was pulled back and then thrust to the pavement.
Stars lit up my vision and for a moment I was stunned. Hands wrapped around my throat and squeezed.
Oh, Hell no!
I acted on instinct. I grabbed the monster’s hands and let me demon feed. She connected with the attacker and ripped through his mind in search of his darkest secrets. His mind was so dark, his memories wrapped in so much pain and suffering, and I took it all. My body hummed with the energy I stole.
The monster tore his hands from my throat and leapt off me. I rolled over and jumped to my feet in time to see him drop to his knees. I ran at him, grabbed his head and twisted.
The snap of his neck bounced loudly off the alley walls, and he crumpled to the floor like a broken doll.
I stared at the other creature, power radiating through my veins. A scream of rage left me as my boots hit the ground. I hurtled towards it, ready to devour him like I had his friend. His hands shot up and I felt something hit me in the chest. It slowed my momentum, but didn’t stop me. I continued to run towards him, but he turned on his heel and fled the alley. I wasn’t chasing him. I had bigger priorities.
“Fenris!”
Flint released Fenris as he turned his attention to me. Fenris toppled onto his side, his body lifeless as it hit the ground.
I stared at Flint, at his malevolent grin and cold eyes and I knew I was going to make him pay.
He sauntered towards me, his gait cocky and sure. He thought he could take me but he was wrong. I let him come closer. I waited.
“Now he’s out the way, you’re coming with me. There’s someone who’s very eager to meet you.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I said quietly as Flint came closer still. I could feel the Sin Reaper’s frenzied joy at the prospect of another kill. She was going to claim his soul, and I was totally ok with that.
“We’ll see about that, gorgeous.”
The moment he stepped within arm’s reach I grabbed his head and I let fucking loose. My power roared through him like wildfire, leaving no stone in his mind unturned. His eyes rolled back into his head and his body started to twitch. I was killing him, and I didn’t care.
I felt the very edges of his fractured soul brush against my fingertips, like a ribbon caught on a breeze, and with a malicious grin, I clasped it and pulled.
It was such a simple thing to do. I had expected the act of taking someone’s soul to be harder than that, but I was surprised at how easy it was.
I let go of Flint and his body dropped to the ground. He wasn’t dead. I’d given him a fate worse than that.
I’d consumed his soul and I’d fucking loved it.
Oh, God. What had I done?
The enormity of what I had done hit me with all the grace of a freight train. Bile crept up my throat. I couldn’t think about this right now.
“Fenris!”
I moved towards his lifeless body, but my knees crumpled beneath me. I grabbed the wall to stay upright.
What the –
I looked down and protruding from my abdomen was the hilt of a throwing knife.
My new sunshine yellow top was turning crimson as my blood seeped into the material. It was ruined. For fucks sake. Jasper was right. Black would hide blood stains better than sunshine fucking yellow.
Fenris?
I staggered towards him, but as soon as my hand left the wall my knees hit the ground. My vision dimmed as I landed beside him.
Please be ok. I reached for his pulse but couldn’t find it. Fuck. There was nothing. Not even a faint echo of a beat.
“What do I do?” I yelled at my demon. She had been there when she thought I was dying but where was she now? Tears drifted down my cheeks and I felt useless. I had all this power…wait. I shook my head trying to clear the fuzziness from my brain. I couldn’t lose consciousness now. What had Fenris said about magic…? You had to will it into existence. I’d just stolen all that energy and claimed a soul; could I use that to save him?
It was worth a shot, it was worth… The world swam sickeningly before my eyes. My hand went to my
stomach and came away sticky with blood.
It was now or never.
I placed my hand over Fenris’ heart and prayed. I fucking prayed to anyone who was listening to help me. Heat blossomed in my chest. Orion? Was he here? A soft glow emanated from beneath my hand. Holy shit! It was working. I could feel the energy flow from me along a path connected to Fenris. It was beautiful to see. It felt like I was injecting life back into every cell, breathing air into his lungs and making his soul sing with the thought of living again.
The light from my hand faded and so did I.
I’d lost too much blood and I’d saved Fenris instead of saving myself. Well, at least, I hoped I had… The world tilted as I fell to the ground. Darkness rose to claim me and as I breathed my last shaky breath, before succumbing to oblivion, I heard Fenris heave a huge gulp of air deep into his lungs.
I smiled as I let death claim me. I’d done it. I’d saved him.
Chapter 23
LORI
“Lori? Can you hear me?”
A voice called me back to the world with a gentle tug. I opened my eyes to a handsome face and an expression of pure relief.
Orion smiled down at me. “Hello, my sweet.” His deep, smoky voice was thick with emotion.
Why? Oh, God… the attack… Fenris… My hands flew to my stomach but there wasn’t a scratch.
Wait. If Orion was here...?
“Am I dead?”
“No, Lori. You are not dead, and you have me to thank for that.”
I blinked up at him. “What do you mean?”
“I felt you dying. It was like I was dying, which was an unpleasant experience for someone like me. I would be grateful if you could refrain from testing our mortality again.” His expression hardened and I realised I’d hurt him. It was unintentional, but he’d felt my pain as if it were his own.
“I’m sorry.” I meant it. When I had chosen to save Fenris, I hadn’t even thought about the implications it might have on Orion. That made me feel shitty.
To Crave Darkly: Trials Of A Morta: Book One Page 19
