Of Gods and Monsters

by Susan Harris

  “Do I know you?” Donnie said, the vampire studying him as Ricky stumbled away from them.

  “This isn’t real. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be!” He shouted the last part, the pain in his head now almost debilitating. He held his head in his hands and retreated until his back hit the wall, and then he slid down until his ass hit the cold ground. He cradled his head in his hands.

  “This didn’t happen. We saved her. She didn’t die.”

  Ricky knew he was rambling like an idiot, like someone who was embarking on a psychotic break, but he couldn’t stop the words from tumbling from his lips.

  “We saved her. Caitlyn makes her a vampire. Ever kills Donnelly. Sadie and Cain are dead. Caitlyn and Donnie finally get together. Derek and Ever know that she’s a Valkyrie and Odin’s trying to kill her! Melanie’s a vampire and we … we …”

  He could feel everyone’s eyes on him and felt warm hands on his shoulders as he peered up to see Sadie standing there with her rounded belly, and Ricky knew he was dreaming.

  “Ricky, you are not well. We will take you to the hospital, and we will make it all go away.”

  Ricky shook his head vigorously, tears now streaming down his face. “There was a crash. I went into the Lee. I don’t think I got out. Am I dead?”

  Ricky felt arms lift him up, saw the wolf who he knew was his brother and the vampire who was his best friend standing beside him, holding him up as they all but carried him toward the ambulance. He glanced back, and Melanie’s body was gone. It wasn’t real. He had to wake up … he had to get back to his mate.

  Ricky felt his magic surge deep in his body, and he roared as he shoved the supernaturals away from him, the blue flames engulfing his skin as he tossed the flames to the side and ran. He heard nothing but the sound of his feet against the concrete, the rush of blood in his ears, and he ran and ran until he ground to a halt at the intersection by North Gate Bridge.

  There were no screech marks on the road, no crumbled wall where his car had plunged into the bitter water. There was no indication that he and Lanie had been here at all. He felt a gust of wind against the nape of his neck and whirled round; the vampires were standing in front of him, the obvious tension there for even Ricky’s muddled mind to see.

  “Guys, this isn’t real. Cain is dead. Kenzie killed him. Your niece, Caitlyn. You and Donnie are mated, and you guys are happy. Caitlyn, you smile when you think no one is watching.”

  “He really is delusional,” muttered Caitlyn, a deadpan expression on her face.

  Donnie’s gaze narrowed as he observed Ricky, and Ricky wasn’t sure any of them would believe him; he wasn’t sure he believed it himself.

  “Donnie, mate, don’t you remember the pub crawls we used to go on? The gigs we played? We went to festivals and couldn’t remember what we did for those three days. You’ve seen inside my head and still kept my secrets. Look into my head now and see I’m telling the truth.”

  Caitlyn and Donnie vanished, and Sadie stood in front of him, Zach by her side, her hand resting on her stomach. The world around them darkened, the city disappearing as she stepped forward.

  “Stay here with us, Ricky. Don’t leave us here. Aren’t you happy with us?”

  Ricky coughed, and water filled his lungs as he stumbled back. His family gone in the blink of an eye. Darkness settled in, the road a vastness of nothing, and his headache burned inside his skull. Ricky screamed, but no sound came out.

  The alt him’s expression was almost gleeful as Ricky flinched, the memories like a punch to the gut. Ricky hadn’t told anyone what had happened while he was dead or remade. He had dreamt of an alternative world where his teammates didn’t know him and he was still with Sadie. Melanie had died, and he had broken past the dream. It had hurt like hell to have the team not know him, but reliving it was worse than the first time because Melanie was dead again and he had seen that enough times to last a lifetime.

  “Or maybe you’re still haunted by how Melanie dragged you up, back from death. Does she know that she yanked you from heaven or Valhalla or wherever it was that we went that made you feel so much sickly happiness?”

  Ricky hadn’t told anyone what had happened while he was dead or remade.

  “Or maybe I should show you what happens in the end.”

  The voice was at his ear as Alt Ricky appeared by his side and clamped a hand on his forehead.

  Flames crackled all around him as he swept his hand to the side and flung the bullet aiming for his chest away and into a patrol officer who happened to have gotten too close. Ricky pulled the magic from the warlocks on the front line, draining them down to husks of skin and bones.

  He sent a ball of blue flame out toward the group of agents who were coming up behind him, then used his magic to melt the tarmac underneath their feet, their screams feeding the magic swelling inside him until he felt he would burst.

  Another bullet shot forward, dinging him in the shoulder, yet he barely felt it. Using his siphon powers, he drained a shifter of magic, and then the bullet popped right out.

  “Ricky, stop!”

  Ricky glared at Derek as his former friend came forward. “I can’t. I won’t. You hunt me like I’m not the same person who was your partner for years.”

  “The Ricky who was my partner would never have been so casual with life. He protected the innocent. He didn’t kill them.”

  The magic pulsed in his veins as Ricky snarled. “You hunted me down, D. You came after me. I ran. I left. I needed more, and now I have it. Now leave before I leave your children orphans.”

  “Dad!”

  Ricky froze as a familiar voice broke through the noise and the din in his mind and he saw his son break free of Caitlyn’s grasp and make a beeline for him. Derek tried to halt him, but Ricky sent a blast of heat toward his former best friend.

  “Dad, please don’t do this.”

  Zach stood in front of him, thick-rimmed glasses slipping down his nose as his son let tears flow down his face. He was an adult now, but he was still his baby boy. Ricky reached out and hugged his son to him, for it felt like an eternity since he’d laid eyes on him.

  “Dad, please. Don’t do this. Let us help you. Mom’s waiting for us.”

  Oh, his Lanie.

  It had been so long since he had held her in his arms, too long since his magic controlled him and he went from hunting unsubs to being one. He had to protect them, his family, from all the other evils in the world. This was the only way. He needed to be the most powerful, the most feared.

  If he had, then Donnie might not have died and Caitlyn might not have gone insane.

  And his Lanie might not have gotten hurt.

  He felt his power, his magic lunge at the same time he felt the blade pierce his chest. Eyes wide in surprise, he let a small smile creep over his face as he looked into his son’s green eyes, filled with tears and sorrow.

  “That’s my boy.”

  Ricky came back to himself as if he had broken free of the icy waters of the River Lee once again and smashed an elbow into the nose of his alternative self. He whipped around and withdrew his gun, but instead of pointing it at alt him, he pressed the muzzle to his own temple.

  Alt Ricky tilted his head in a confused state, so Ricky decided that he would explain it for him.

  “You see, I might be afraid of the power in me, but that’s a good thing. I keep myself in check, and if I don’t, I have a family who will kick my ass before letting me become like you. That’s the difference between me and you.”

  “Tell me what makes us so different?”

  “I’d rather blow my own brains out than make my son fucking kill me.”

  Ricky said a silent prayer, closing his eyes before he pulled the trigger, feeling some semblance of peace as he heard the gun click but nothing else.

  His eyes sprang open, and his gun was still in his hand, but he was no longer standing in Caitlyn’s drive. He dropped the gun like it burned him, eyes darting around while he took in his sur
roundings.

  He stood at the end of the forest, a mountain at his back as mist and fog surrounded him, the yawning silence stretching out to give him little comfort. Picking up his gun again, he wiped the dirt from it, strode to a nearby boulder and sat down on it, his eyes trained on the way Donnie should come through any minute now.

  Ricky had passed his test and had survived the sum of all his fears.

  He allowed himself a second to pat himself on his back before he sobered and wondered where the hell was Donnie? His friend had nothing to fear, was never afraid of anything in his life, so why had the forest spat him out while Donnie was still inside?

  But there was little time to celebrate as Ricky glared at the exit to the forest, willing Donnie to appear. He would hug the son of a bitch, even if he had kept him waiting.

  “Come on, Donnie … come on, buddy.”

  Ricky waited and waited, and still Donnie did not appear.

  Melanie

  * * *

  Melanie was trying not to worry about Ricky and Donnie, but something in her gut didn’t sit well with her. She had chewed her bottom lip so much it had started to bleed, and even though she was supposed to be getting some sleep, she had spent a solid two hours staring up at the ceiling.

  She heard a commotion outside and kicked off the blanket, slipping her feet into her Timberland boots before she glanced out the window to see a contingent of vampires lining the streets. Caitlyn was smiling at a vampire that Melanie remembered from the night of Caitlyn and Donnie’s mating ceremony. He was the one she had taken into her human home, long before she was a mother and wife, and cared for him like he was her own.

  He was also the vampire who lost his entire family, his husband, because Kenzie killed them. It was Cain’s order, but Kenzie was the one who delivered the blow. Marcel had vowed not to lay eyes on Caitlyn ever again because he was denied the blood rite, where he would have killed Kenzie.

  Looks like the end of the world changed things a little.

  Caitlyn embraced the vampire after a few quiet words, and then Marcel barked out words in a few different languages before the vampires faded into the night and Marcel came into the warehouse with Caitlyn and one other vampire.

  The other vampire was quite handsome, with skin almost as sun-kissed as Erika’s, and deep brown eyes and lashes that any girl would be envious of. His hair was the same brown as his eyes, curled behind his ears, that windswept bedroom hair her Ricky had.

  From her fourth-floor view, Melanie was able to see the vampires melt back into the shadows. Then she headed down the stairs and into the main area, where they were all waiting. Her friends had their eyes on the retreating vampires, and they did not see the threat that lurked behind them.

  A young girl who seemed to be in her teens gripped a wicked-looking blade in her hand as she silently slipped into view, and not a single person sensed her.

  Melanie rushed down the steps as the girl snapped her head in Melanie’s direction, eyes wide, and then she lunged.

  “Ever, look out!”

  Ever turned just in time to dodge the strike, a fierce growl rumbling from her throat as she withdrew a dagger of her own and blocked the next strike. Erika circled around the girl, forcing her to divide her attention between the two of them. Erika and Ever shared a look, nodded, and then they moved.

  It was like watching the physical version of a poem, as smooth and fluid of movement as if the two had been doing this forever and it was as easy as breathing. And she supposed it was, as the girl twisted and twirled, trying to keep her eyes on both of the warriors in front of her, yet that was damn near impossible.

  Erika kept her dagger in her hand but reached out to barely touch the attacker’s shoulder, and the girl nearly leapt out of her skin. Ever did the same, and the girl looked close to tears. Then Ever inclined her head, and Erika stopped her assault to stand back.

  Ever tossed her dagger aside. “I do not need weapons to defeat you, for you are already defeated. You do not believe the fight can be won, so your death is inevitable. Stand down, Marya, and I will have no need to send you to Hel this day.”

  The girl lunged at Ever, and Melanie sucked in a breath as Ever simply sidestepped, gripped the girl’s arm, and yanked it back. The sound of bones snapping was only drowned out by a scream as Marcel and Caitlyn came in. The other vampire standing in the doorway with Caitlyn had to hold Marcel back.

  “We must not interfere. This is the way of Valkyrie.”

  Marcel nodded as Marya continued to grip the blade, then Ever turned into the blade, earning a shout from Derek. Ever didn’t even glance at him as Ever yanked the girl’s arm, then wrenched her wrist hard, forcing her to drop the knife.

  Erika strode around the back of the girl, and with a swift kick to the back, the young girl was on her knees, tears streaming down her face. Erika yanked her head back, and Melanie saw the power that was contained in the Valkyrie for the first time.

  “You sided against your own family. Plotted to kill your queen. Odin was not the one to comfort you when your parents left you to our care. Odin was not the one to bandage your cuts and grazes when you were injured in training. Odin did not offer praise. Odin did not put those clothes on your back. You forget those who raised you as if we meant nothing. You are not worthy to be known as Valkyrie. Centuries of training wasted on a traitor like you.”

  The last few words came out in a harsh snarl as Erika’s eyes blazed. Ever reached down to force the girl’s chin up so she would look directly into Ever’s eyes. Quick as lightning, Ever had the knife at her throat, and Melanie sucked in a breath.

  “You will tell me when Odin plans to attack and what he has in store.”

  The girl jerked her chin out of Ever’s grasp. “I go to death with no fear in my heart, for I will be rewarded by him in Valhalla when he is victorious in battle.”

  “Stupid girl … the only place you’ll go is to Hel, where all the unworthy go.”

  Melanie was moving forward before her feet could stop her, would have kept going if Caitlyn had not grabbed her hand. “This is the way of Valkyrie.”

  It was nearly the same thing she had said to Marcel, but Melanie didn’t want to watch them kill the girl. The knife held to the Valkyrie’s throat reminded her of when she was human, when Stephen Donnelly had relished the way he slid the knife into her flesh over and over until her voice was hoarse from screaming and she passed out.

  Melanie sucked in a harsh breath as the warehouse in front of her vanished and she was back in the abandoned call center, strung up like a pig to be gutted. Panic welled in her chest as Caitlyn stepped in front of her, placed hands on either side of her face before she said, “This is not the same. You are safe here. He cannot hurt you anymore.”

  Melanie shook her head, the past vanishing. She offered Caitlyn a small smile. “I’m okay.”

  Caitlyn kissed her forehead before she stepped back to give Melanie space. However, now the two Valkyries were looking at Marya with smiles that didn’t quite put her at ease. Again, as if they were speaking a language that no one but the two of them knew, Erika nodded with an expression that promised pain.

  “I think before we kill you that we are going to get some information from you, even if it kills you.”

  The girl spat on the ground. “I will not break. You will not get a single word of truth from my lips.”

  Erika’s grin deepened, and Melanie wanted to step back from it, as if the monster in her recognized the bigger monster. Erika’s whiskey-colored eyes glanced in her direction.

  “Oh, neither myself or Ever is gonna try and get the truth from you, Marya. But she is.”

  It took Melanie a second to understand that Erika was referring to her.

  Ever must have sensed her reluctance, because she strode over to Melanie and stood facing her. “What if I said to you the information we get from her, could stop the war? The bloodshed. That using the powers given to you by the fates could garner just a sliver of info to help me kill my
father.”

  “I can only tell you whether it’s a truth or not. If she lies her ass off, then that will do us no good.”

  Ever regarded her for a moment, but it was Erika who spoke next. “Then you yank the truth from her.”

  Melanie shook her head. “I can’t do that.”

  “Yet,” answered Erika, as she kept an iron grip on Marya. “Just like Donnie can suddenly dream walk and your husband is a weird concoction of warlock and vampire. I heard what Ash said to you. The power is in you. You just have to decide if you control it or it controls you.”

  Melanie’s mind raced, knowing that if she didn’t at least try, then the girl was dead. “Promise you won’t kill her. Promise me you will let her live, and I’ll try.”

  Ever glanced over at Erika and nodded. Relief sagged Melanie’s shoulders. The pair shared a look, but Melanie was too worried about her part in all of this. If she couldn’t make Marya tell the truth, then Erika could kill the girl.

  For some reason, Melanie didn’t want her to die for a foolish cause.

  Erika pulled the girl up by her hair, causing her to yelp as Ever dragged a chair across the room and set it down. Loki had come to sit on the couch, stretching out his arms as if he was casually watching a movie rather than an interrogation.

  Melanie glanced around the room. Derek gave her an encouraging nod, as did Caitlyn. She wanted Ricky. She needed Ricky. She wanted one of his pep talks where he told her she was a badass and she could do it. He had done that for her since before she had become a vampire.

  Erika had the girl sit in the chair, placing a hand on her shoulder as Melanie planted her boots firmly on the ground. She lifted her gaze to Erika. “I need you to ask her a few questions to get the magic flowing. She has to answer, or it’s useless.”

  “With pleasure.”

  There was something in Erika’s tone that made it sound like this was going to be anything but pleasurable for anyone involved.

  Lifting up her free hand, Erika beckoned for Ever to toss her the knife. The Valkyrie caught it with ease, then kept it within Marya’s eyeline.