by B N Miles
“He came in on a suicide mission and got lucky,” Nikki added.
Lumi laughed. “Sounds about right.” She helped get Nikki to the car.
Jared got behind the wheel as the girls got in the back. He looked over his shoulder at them and nodded. “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said. “There’s a lot we have to discuss.”
He started the engine and pulled out. As he drove away, he got the feeling that something was watching them—something old, something deadly, staring out from the shadows.
12
The Chapter House was still standing when they finally got home. Izzy and Penny rushed out when they saw them and helped get Nikki inside.
“Are you hurt?” Izzy asked him, touching his face.
“No, I’m okay,” Jared said. “Take care of Nikki first. She’s worse than me.”
She chewed her lip but nodded and disappeared back inside.
Kerrin and Allie lingered on the stoop, both of them looking drawn and tense. Kerrin stepped forward first, hesitant, and he went to her as Lumi lingered near the car, staring out at nothing.
“How’s everyone here?”
“We’re fine,” she said. “What happened to you? Bea came back, she said you never reached the rendezvous point. We were so worried.”
“The Vampires turned on us,” Jared said with a frustrated sigh.
“Vampires? I thought Nikki was like their leader or whatever.”
“Her boss showed up and took over. They want the Medlar to break the Accords.”
Kerrin took a breath. “Ah fuck,” she said.
Allie joined them, her dark hair flowing. She tilted her head and her horns pointed toward him. She was almost terrifying, even still, even when he knew she loved him—or loved him as much as a demon can.
“We have Vampire girls here,” she said softly. “Will that be a problem?”
“I don’t think so,” Jared said. “So long as they’re not loyal to the hierarchy. I mean, we saved their lives from the Medlar.”
“True enough.” Allie looked back at the house. “I’m not convinced, though.”
“Watch them then,” Jared said. “Make sure they’re okay.”
“You look tired.” Allie frowned at him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” He kissed Kerrin on the cheek then reached out and took Allie’s hand. “Let’s go inside.”
Everyone filtered in. Lumi came in last but disappeared upstairs. He didn’t know what she was going to do, but he figured she’d been through enough, better to let her deal with being blocked on her own.
Bea, Cassie, and Jessalene rushed him as soon as he was inside. He laughed, kissed Cassie and Jessa, and told Bea not to worry about what had happened. “Not much you could’ve done, anyway.”
“We can handle a few fuckin’ Vamps.” Bea glared at him then softened. “Glad you’re back though.”
He nodded and clapped her shoulder as she strode off, mumbling about setting up a defensive perimeter around their block.
He found Izzy and Nikki in the back room. Nikki was lounging on the couch and wiping blood from her face and hair with a towel. She made a face as Jared came in and shut the door behind him.
“Izzy won’t leave me alone,” she complained. “I told her I’m fine. Vampires heal.”
“You’re not fine,” Izzy said. “Multiple broken bones, interior bleeding. You should be dead.”
“And yet.” Nikki gave Jared a vicious smile. “You saved me back there.”
“You were going to win.”
“Maybe, maybe not, but you made sure I did. And all without power.”
“All it took was a little sacrifice.”
Izzy looked up from her healing and stared at him. “Without power?” she asked.
“Vampires blocked me,” he said, shaking his head. “Used some chemical. They had to give me a second dose, so I’m guessing it’s not permanent.”
Izzy sucked in a breath and he could see the fear and pity in her eyes. All Magi knew what it meant to be blocked, and all Magi feared it almost more than death. Losing the ability to touch and shape the priori was like losing all your senses—and being left in a dangerous and violent world to somehow scrape by.
She turned back to Nikki, channeled more power into her, then stood up and wiped her hands on her old, ratty jeans, leaving smears on her legs. “Your turn.”
“No, really, I’ll be fine.”
Nikki sat up and stretched. “Come on, Jared, let the girl fix you. Then you and I can take a shower and get cleaned up.” A dirty gleam in her eye told him what she had planned. “Maybe Allie will join.”
Jared sighed and sat on the couch. “I don’t know what you can do for me. I’m not injured.”
“If it’s a chemical, it’ll be in your body.” She pressed her hands against his chest and closed her eyes. “So shut up and let me fix you.”
He leaned his head back and felt a comforting warm glow spread out from her hands as her magic began to do its thing.
“Why would Roth turn on you like that?” Jared asked, his voice soft.
“Roth and I have never been friendly,” Nikki said. “He promoted me, but sometimes I think that was only so that he could have more direct control over what I do.”
“He thinks Vampires can start hunting Humans again.”
“The old bastards are fools,” she said. “He thinks Humans are still a bunch of primitive hunter-gatherers using pointy sticks and rocks to fight each other in fields. He’s been so insulated in his own little Vampire world, fighting against the Medlar and Magi control in general, that he has no clue how much technology Humans have created.”
“You really think Humans would be able to fight back?”
“During the day, of course. And even at night, I think there is certain tech that would slow us down. Special lights might take away our power, for example, and even we can’t dodge bullets. Although they don’t do all that much damage.” She grinned at him and shrugged.
Jared sucked in a breath as he felt Izzy do something in his body. He didn’t know what the hell it was—but it seemed like all his blood was being sucked up through his veins and out into Izzy’s hands. He groaned and leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling, his mind going blank—and as soon as it started, it was over.
Izzy leaned back with a hard breath. “I think I got it,” she said.
Jared grunted and took a second to recover. He felt lightheaded as he leaned forward, elbows onto his knees, and tried not to vomit. But as he stayed in that position, he tentatively reached out to the priori—and felt it.
Power flowed into him. He sucked in a breath, sat up, then snapped a memgram into position and formed it into a simple flame on the palm of his hand. It danced and cast flickering lights and he laughed, giddy with the ability to use his magic again.
He pushed the power away and released the memgram. “You’re a genius, Izzy.”
“It was like removing poison,” she said. “Not all that complex. Separated your blood out and removed whatever shouldn’t be there. You might want to eat though because I got some other stuff in the process.”
“Got it. That explains why I feel a little lightheaded.” He stood up and laughed. “God, it feels good to have my power back.”
Nikki stood and leaned up against him. She was still covered in blood, but the way her clothes were ripped, and the look in her eye, and the relief at having his power back made him not care about that. He kissed her, then turned to Izzy and went to pull her in with them, but she shook her head. “I should go get Lumi and help her out,” she said.
Jared nodded and let Nikki take his attention.
“The Vampires are going to be a problem,” she said softly, kissing his neck, licking it softly. “Some will remain loyal to me, but not many.”
“Which means the entire city will be dangerous.”
“Yes, that’s true.” She sounded frustrated, almost angry, and Jared could only guess at what was going on in
her head. She’d been the queen of Philadelphia for so long, and now Roth had returned and taken it all away from her.
All because of him. If they’d never met, and she’d never gotten involved with him, she’d still be in the hierarchy and likely fighting to remove the Accords. He knew that, deep down inside him, Nikki was only in this because of the way she felt for him. He wondered if she’d still make all the same choices and rebel against her masters—but he knew better than to go down that road. It didn’t lead anywhere good.
“Come on,” he said, tugging at her hand. “Let’s go take that shower. The Need is driving me crazy.”
She grinned at him. “Exactly what I was thinking.”
“And when Izzy’s done with Lumi, she can come join us as well.”
“Perhaps the others too.” Nikki squeezed his hand. “The whole family.”
“Whatever you want.” He walked to the door with her trailing behind him. Beautiful, small Nikki, so girlish and gorgeous, so dangerous and strong. She has been the ace up his sleeve for so long, with all her access to the Vampire hierarchy and all the extra power that brought with it, but now that was gone, and they were on their own.
It would still work. It would have to still work. They’d find Wade and free him and stop the Medlar from destroying the world. He had no other choice.
He opened the door and they headed upstairs together.
13
Beatrice looked pissed as she paced back and forth across the kitchen. Jared wished they could have had this conversation somewhere more private—but once Bea went off, it was hard to stop her.
“Those fucking blood suckers,” Bea growled. “Think they’re so great, all immortal and shit, but they’re a bunch of god damn leeches.” She stopped and looked at Nikki. “No offense.”
Nikki rolled her eyes. “None taken, little one.”
Bea grunted and went back to pacing. The room was packed with girls: Jessalene sat on the counter, Allie, Nikki, and Kerrin sat at the table with Jared, and more girls hung out in the doorway and along the walls. Jared made the mistake of mentioning future safety protocols for the Chapter Houses, and that made Bea spiral.
“We’ll need freaking snipers on the roofs every day, all day,” Bea said. “And at night, we’ll have to double that. Snipers, plus any girls with powers that can fight off a Vamp. Gods damn them, the logistics are going to be a nightmare, and I can tell you right now the girls aren’t going to like it.”
“I’m not sure what else we can do,” Jared said. “We need to protect this place, and the Vampires can come at any moment.”
“Jared’s right,” Kerrin spoke up. “I’ve been talking to the girls, and they’re ready.”
“Half of them are still a post-traumatic mess,” Bea said. “No offense to them. But they’re walking gods damn zombies. So what am I supposed to do with them?”
“The girls want to help,” Kerrin said. “And you need the bodies.”
“We need to keep raiding the Medlar facilities,” Allie added. “You can’t spare anyone from your group. The girls are going to have to learn to fend for themselves.”
“Not entirely,” Jared said. “We’ll come up with a solution, but we’re not going to leave the girls on their own.”
Bea let out a frustrated grunt. “Allie’s right though. We need to keep hitting the Medlar. We’ve got a plan all drawn up.”
Jared glanced over at Nikki, who seemed lost in thought, then looked to Cassie, who shook her head slightly. He knew she wouldn’t be in favor of leaving the girls alone for any reason—not even to save her cousin and the world. The girls were the priority, and he had to think of them first.
“We need firepower,” Jared said, looking down at the ground and thinking out loud. “Something that can keep the Vampires at bay if they decide to come here and attack.”
“Guns alone won’t do it,” Bea said.
“What’s the one group the Vampires are afraid of?” Jared looked over and met Nikki’s eye.
She seemed surprised, but tilted her head. “The Magi,” she said.
“That’s right. We need Magi to watch this place.”
Bea snorted. “Great idea. Let’s go call up all your pals in the Magi, oh wait, you’ve been fucking them over and ignoring them for so long that you have no friends. Great idea, Jared.”
He laughed and shook his head. When Bea got stressed, she got mean. He knew she didn’t mean anything by it.
“I don’t have friends, that’s true, but I have contacts. And sometimes people forget that there are twenty-four Magi houses.”
“So what?” Bea asked. “That’s just more people to hate you.”
“So, of those twenty-four, I can think of at least five that are poor as dirt and willing to take on mercenary work, no questions asked.”
That seemed to get through. She stood still and clasped her hands behind her back. “Are you for real?” she asked, voice soft.
“It’s not uncommon for a central family to hire out mercenary work to another peripheral family that’s fallen on hard times. We don’t talk about it much, because there’s still some shame in it, but it’s not impossible one of them will work for us.”
“I’ve never heard of a Magi family doing mercenary work before,” Jessalene said. “It’s actually sort of terrifying.”
“They don’t do it for outsiders very often, but for other Magi families? Sometimes, if there’s a problem that needs extra firepower, or if there’s a disturbance that a particular family isn’t keen on getting involved with, money will exchange hands and that problem will go away.” He shook his hands, thinking back to the myriad of ways the Magi families messed with each other, used each other, and pushed each other into greater and greater violence. It was one long political game with real lives at stake—though he suspected most Magi didn’t think Metas were worth getting angry over.
“Even if that’s true, I can’t imagine any of them helping us,” Bea said, stomping a foot. “What we need is good old fashioned firepower.”
Jared was quiet for a moment then shook his head. “You’re not wrong, but I have an idea. I think I know who we can talk to about this.”
Bea narrowed her eyes. “You’re not going back to your family again, are you?”
Jared laughed. “Gods, no.” He stood up. “You go find your firepower, and I’ll see what I can do about bringing in more magic. How’s that sound?”
She grunted but made a dismissive gesture. “Go do your thing.”
Jared nodded at her then gestured for Jessalene to join him. She hopped off the counter and followed, and together they stepped into the back yard. The evening was cool and damp, and Jessalene moved closer to him, looking into his eyes.
“We could go to my family, you know,” she said, keeping her voice low. “I bet there are more Meta clans out there that would help. I bet there are a lot of people that would be really mad if they knew.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” Jared pulled her against him and kissed her forehead. She felt warm and soft, and he felt like he hadn’t had time to enjoy his girls in so long, like he’d been running from one emergency to the next and hardly holding on to the thing that made him whole—his girlfriends, his family.
“I’ll talk to my mom. I suppose I’ll need to bring some proof though.”
“Take what you need. I’m sure one of the girls will help. But I had another idea.”
She looked up at him, frowning. “I’m not sure where you think you’re going to get magic from.”
“Izzy.”
She blinked. “Izzy? She’s an Independent, she’s not part of a family.”
“Exactly.” Jared grinned at her. “She knows other Independents. There’s a whole network of Magi out there, most of which aren’t affiliated with any family in particular, and almost all of them despise the Magi family system. I think they’d be willing to help us.”
“You want to build a little army of Magi from a bunch of patchwork Independents?” Jessalene tilted her
head. “It’s a pretty good idea, actually.”
“Thanks.” He kissed her and laughed again. “I didn’t want to bring it up in there in case it didn’t pan out, and I don’t want to put Izzy on the spot.”
“That’s smart, that way nobody will get angry with her if she’s not okay with this.”
“But I hoped you’d talk to her with me.”
“Why me?” Jessalene looked genuinely surprised.
“You’re one of the leaders here,” Jared said gently, touching her cheek. “And Izzy respects you. She knows you wouldn’t ask her to do something that wasn’t important.”
“Oh, I see, so you’re using me because I’m respectable.”
“For now.” He grinned, kissed her again. “Is that a yes?”
She sighed dramatically. “Come on. She’s in the other house taking a break. Now’s as good a time as any.”
“You’re the queen of my world.”
“Oh, please.” She turned, walked across the yard, and slipped through the gate in the fence. Jared followed, and together they went into the house, searching for Izzy. They found Penny in the basement deep in some experiment, and she barely acknowledged their presence. Cassie was sprawled on the couch watching TV, and she grunted at them as they passed. Eventually, they spotted Izzy up on the roof deck, sitting in a plastic chair with a big sweater wrapped around her and a glass of white wine on the ground next to her feet.
“Mind if we join you?” Jared asked.
She looked over, startled. “Yeah, sure. I thought you had some big meeting.”
“Meeting adjourned.” He stepped outside. There was a slight breeze coming from the west that smelled fresh, like dirt after a rain. The sun was sinking low in the sky, slightly blocked by clouds, and soon it would cast long pink and orange shadows as it set.
Jessalene joined them. She perched on the low retaining wall while Jared pulled up another chair and sank into it, exhausted.
Izzy looked between them then picked up her wine and sipped it. “I’d offer you a drink, but you both look like you’re working.”
