I’d been a bit worried at first about our destination. We materialized in an empty room, standing in a metal circle inlayed into the floor. It wasn’t until we stepped out in the hall that the familiar beaten-down wood paneling registered and I realized we were back home in Brooklyn.
Christy had been drained from the effort and needed to go sit down for a bit. I think she was also bummed to find the place empty - no sign of her new coven about. Seemed the Grand Mentor had been thorough in his attempt to fuck her over. It was small comfort, but at least Gan had made sure he died wishing he’d invested in a couple of horcruxes before showing up and pointing fingers.
Speaking of Gan, I was happy to say she wasn’t one of the zappees who joined us in New York. Sadly, before we could disappear, she’d thrown out the threat that she’d see me again soon.
So I had that to look forward to.
The next hour or so involved us settling back in as best we could. Manhattan was still a fucking mess as far as my roommates could tell me, but life in Bay Ridge was relatively normal - comparatively, at least, and only so long as one was smart enough to only venture out during the day. Regardless, I’d take it.
Even better, I’d found a message waiting for us on our answering machine. It was from Kara. She passed on her greetings to her brother and left a pathetically thinly coded message - no doubt for the rest of us - about how she’d settled down in Sacramento with some friends. I guess the apple really didn’t fall far from the tree.
I reclaimed my old bedroom, tossing some of Tom’s shit out into our living room. It was decided the girls would share a similar apartment on the floor below ours for now. What a fucking odd couple pairing that was going to make - a brainwashed vampire, a hormonal witch, and their legendary enemy, the Icon. A part of me was tempted to set up a few cameras for my own personal closed circuit TV. However, I had a feeling that would just get me killed sooner than expected.
Oh well, it was only temporary anyway. The plan was to spend a few days getting our shit together and then trying to figure out what the fuck we were going to do.
As much as I wanted to curl up in my room and ignore the rest of the world, it wasn’t wise to stay put for long. The Draculas would almost certainly keep an eye on us, even if we could somehow figure out how to unfuck Sally’s brain.
There were also the Jahabich to consider. Mark and his insane need to be a psycho ex-boyfriend stalker might’ve been dead, but I didn’t fool myself for a second thinking those monsters would stop. They wanted Ed for some purpose, and we had no reason to believe they’d give up anytime soon.
♦ ♦ ♦
“You might’ve been better off letting the Dracs keep you locked up, dude,” Tom said as the three of us discussed it in our living room over cold beers.
I could’ve shed tears of joy as I took a sip. Christy’s sisters might have ditched us, but they’d left intact all of the magical trappings they’d put in place - including a weird glowing ball of energy in the basement that had somehow been wired into the main circuit breaker. I wasn’t sure how long it would last, but it beat the piss out of having to gas up a generator every few hours.
“Yeah,” Ed replied with a snort, “because being surrounded by a bunch of arrogant asses who would probably take it out on me every time Bill fucked them over would be loads of fun.”
“Better than being tossed in a pool of orange goo,” I remarked.
“Can’t argue there.”
“I’m surprised they even let you go,” Tom said to him. “You’d have made a pretty good bargaining chip.”
“I find that odd too,” I added. “Hell, they could have at least ransomed your ass. Might’ve gotten five or ten bucks for it.”
“Very funny.” Ed took a long pull from his bottle. “I was wondering about that too. Truth be told, in those last few minutes, I was close to shitting a brick, thinking they’d let everyone go but me.”
“Wouldn’t have happened.”
“Speak for yourself,” Tom said. “I’m pretty sure Christy was done with that fucking place, no matter who was hopping on the bus.”
“I’m glad we didn’t have to find out.” Ed leaned forward in his seat. “Honestly, I have no fucking idea why they let me walk out of there.”
“Maybe we should go with Occam’s Razor,” I said.
“Oh?”
“The simplest answer is that maybe they just didn’t know.”
“How so?” Tom asked.
“Those things kidnapped Ed from Pandora, but none of us had a clue why - hell, we still don’t. Bottom line, though, is that Sally and I were the only others to walk out of there. They never found Ed in their raid on the bunker, and the only one who talked about it was Mark. I honestly don’t think the Draculas had much reason to even begin to suspect they were after you.”
“Oh, then why was I made an honorary vampire?”
“That one is still bugging me. It’s possible James was just protecting you until he could figure out what you are.” I wasn’t sure I believed that, though. Sally had told me James was also the one who’d originally assigned her to Pandora - primarily to keep the Jahabich in check. He knew about those things and had at least some inkling as to their threat. But then why would he purposely send Ed to a place within their reach?
I had no idea on that one. Again, I wished there’d been time to catch up with him before departing. Sadly, the chances of him talking freely while surrounded by thousands of years’ worth of pompous douchebags was probably low.
We sat there in silence for a moment contemplating this. I was just about to offer the brilliant suggestion for another round of beers when the building seemed to rumble around us. It only lasted for a few moments, but a couple of items fell from their shelves, confirming it hadn’t been our imaginations running wild.
What the?
“Earthquake?” Tom asked.
“No. It was too quick,” Ed replied, his eyes opening wide. “I think that might have come from the girls’ apartment.”
There was a pause amongst us, no more than a second really. I’m sure each of us was thinking the same thing - just with different faces attached.
“Fuck! They’ve been roommates for less than an hour.”
“I know,” Ed said, getting to his feet. “We’d better get down there.”
Each of the women in the apartment downstairs was capable of their own bit of violent mischief. The only question was who was to blame for taking the first shot.
♦ ♦ ♦
As the lone member of our threesome with actual super-powers, outside of Ed’s ability to bleed, I bounded down the stairs several steps ahead of my roommates.
Knowing the three inhabitants, I probably should have taken a moment and knocked. However, I panicked, thinking the worst, and grabbed hold of the doorknob just as it was opened from the inside. My momentum carried me forward and I ran right into Sheila, our faces ending up less than an inch apart...
For all of the second it took for her powers to activate.
Thankfully, my roommates were a bit slow in their charge downstairs, otherwise I’d have smashed into them with all the force of a speeding bus. Instead, I was lucky enough to hit the wall on the opposite side of the hallway - load-bearing, from the feel of it - making just as much of a racket as that which had brought us running to begin with.
“Sorry,” Sheila said.
Maybe it was a good thing I hadn’t gotten a chance to change my clothes yet. The cracked remains of the ceramic body armor absorbed at least some of the impact, making it just bone-jarring instead of bone-shattering.
“What happened?” Tom asked, ignoring me and rushing toward the apartment. How comforting to know I had roommates who cared. Brought a tear to my eye.
Ed likewise raced past where I was stuck, embedded into the wall panels like some sort of modern art. At least I wasn’t on fire this time. Guess Sheila’s control really was getting pretty good after all.
Grumbling something nasty under my breath, I used my arms for leverage and heaved, freeing myself.
I got back to my feet just in time to hear Sheila say, “It’s okay, guys. We’re fine.”
“Then why were you rushing out?”
“I wasn’t. I was opening the door. Figured someone would be coming down to check.”
“And blowing me up?” I asked.
“You surprised me,” she replied sheepishly. “Bad timing.”
“Story of my life.”
“Okay, so what’s going on, then?” Ed asked.
She stepped aside to let us in just as Christy emerged from one of the bedrooms.
“That was on me,” she said, dusting herself off. “My bad.”
“Are you okay?” Tom stepped up to her, grabbed her by her shoulders, and spun her around as if doing a half-assed medical exam.
“I’m fine. It was just a little magical feedback.”
“A little?”
“The building is still standing, isn’t it?”
“Where’s Sally?” Ed and I asked in unison, both of us sounding a bit more than just curious.
“She’s fine,” Christy replied. “I was working with her, doing a little probing to see if maybe I could break the mental blocks Alexander erected.”
“And that resulted in what...her blowing up?”
“Relax, Bill. It was just a reaction...kind of like playing with a microphone and getting feedback through the line.”
I raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“Okay, maybe a bit more than that, but it sometimes happens when opposing forces meet. I had thought it was just a wall of sorts in her mind, something cutting off a part of her memories from the rest, so that’s how I tried to hit it. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bit more complex. He didn’t just cause her to forget her past; he made her forget her association with all of us. The problem is that she hasn’t spent all her time twenty-four/seven around us, so some of her recent memories are fine. She knows who she is and a good deal of what’s been happening. In short, he didn’t erect a wall as much a series of them all woven throughout her brain. It’s pretty damn impressive.”
“That’s wonderful to know, but how is she?” Ed asked.
“She was confused and a little angry. She doesn’t remember who we are, so she doesn’t trust us.”
“Assuming she trusted us to begin with,” Tom commented.
“Speak for yourself, meatsack,” I replied jokingly, then stopped myself. “Wait, what do you mean she was confused?”
Christy put her hands on her hips. “I didn’t want to get gutted. I mean I’m worried about her, but I’m not stupid. So as a precaution before we started, I sorta knocked her out. I figured her subconscious mind might be more receptive to not lashing out. She’s in there resting comfortably.”
“Can I go see her?” Ed asked, the worry evident in his voice. I was tempted to follow his lead but still wasn’t sure how to tread through that minefield.
Things were more complex than ever. To have feelings for two women...both of whom now, oddly enough, were under the same roof, was bad enough. That my roommate had eyes for one of them was gonna be tricky. Either way you looked at it, we had some onerous ground to tread in front of us.
Christy nodded. “Just don’t disturb her. I have a feeling when she wakes up she’s gonna be cranky.”
He walked into her room alone, leaving the rest of us in the living room. Sheila shut the front door and joined us. “Do you think you can break through whatever he did to her?”
“Hard to say,” Christy said. “I’m good with mind magic, but vampiric compulsions can run deep, and Alexander is insanely strong. I have a feeling it’s going to be touch and go - me trying to drill small holes to get her to remember. There is some hope, though.”
“Oh?” I asked, glad to hear something positive for a change. “Spill. There’s been too much bad news as of late. Lay on with the good.”
“She’s a smart girl. She knows she’s missing pieces and wants them back. That she was willing to let me try, despite her mistrust, is a good sign. Also...” She hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting between me and Sheila. “…when I was in her head, I sensed some...powerful emotions.”
“Sally’s never been one to do things in half measures,” I pointed out.
“Tell me about it,” Tom replied, eliciting a chuckle. Barely a meeting between them had gone by where she hadn’t threatened to gut him or worse.
“There’s a lot going on in there. Hate, anger, fear...but plenty of positive stuff too,” Christy said.
“Like?” I asked.
She again hesitated. “Just complex thoughts...girl stuff. Anyway, the point of the matter is it’s powerful.”
I snapped my fingers, getting where she was going. “And strong emotions can sometimes overcome compulsions. I’ve seen it before.” Of course, I’d never seen it with a vampire as powerful as Alex, but I held out hope that it wouldn’t hurt in her struggle to become herself again. We’d need her. Facing Vehron with Sally by my side was still terrifying, but a lot less so than going it alone - even if figuratively.
Sheila would be there too, but...well, I had to grudgingly admit she had a life, one that apparently didn’t include me. As much as I would always love her, I wouldn’t be the barrier that stood between her and happiness.
All of this assumed we would survive, of course - yet another thing to weigh down my conscience.
“Why don’t we all go in and check on her?” Christy suggested.
“Yeah, who knows what Ed is doing in there to her by himself,” Tom joked.
“Not if he wants to keep living.”
“But what a way to go.”
The four of us laughed, but when Christy turned to open the bedroom door, I hesitated. She and Tom stepped through, but I stopped in front of Sheila and said, “We’ll be in there in a sec.”
Christy nodded, but Tom’s eyebrows raised. He looked as if he was about to say something dickish, but Christy - thank heavens - grabbed his arm and dragged him with her, letting the door shut behind them.
“That afraid of her?” Sheila asked jokingly.
“Yeah, pretty much. But I just wanted a moment.” I turned away and stepped toward the couch, an even uglier affair than the one in our apartment. This place had formerly been occupied by an older couple - one with shitty taste, apparently.
I placed my hands on the back and leaned against it. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to say, but figured I’d let my mouth do the talking and try to keep my brain in neutral lest it take over and turn me into a blithering idiot. “I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.”
She took a step toward me. Thankfully, there was no corresponding flash of white fire. Odd that I’d almost come to expect it. “Sorry? For what?”
“For almost getting you killed.”
“What? You didn’t...”
“That whole freaking kangaroo court.” I turned to face her. I needed to talk fast before I lost the nerve. “All of that back in the bunker, it was my fault. I led them to you. My precautions weren’t enough. I should have left you alone, let you live your life, but I couldn’t. Once I found out you were alive, I had to see you - make sure you were okay. It was stupid and selfish and I only realized that once it became clear you were fine. So you can blame me. I fucked it up, just like I seem to fuck everything up. Hell, the world is ending and you might as well blame me for that too, because yep, that one’s on me as well.”
Yeah, I was rambling. I could tell by the confused look on her face. I’d probably given one bizarre confession too many to make sense.
“You didn’t lead anyone to me.”
“Yeah, I did. I found you, then bam...just a short while later, they had you in cuffs.”
“Short while? That was months. I don’t know what you think you’re blaming yourself for, Bill, but it was my fault, not yours.”
“Don’t say
that.”
“It’s true.” She threw up her hands and paced before me. “I got sloppy. I didn’t see a single thing out of the ordinary for weeks after you left...no vampires, no anything. The problem was, I got antsy. I kept thinking of the sword, sitting there in the closet - thinking I should be out there using it.”
“The sword I brought to you.”
“It would have happened anyway. I was getting twitchy. The truth is, I like going out at nights - helping people. I tried to deny it, but it’s there, nevertheless. Being what I am...it’s weird, but it changes you. You don’t look at things the same way. A quiet night at home is nearly torture once you know what the world is really like. The sword was just an excuse. I started going out on patrol again...at first, just here and there, but soon all the time. And I stopped taking precautions, not caring if others saw me or that I was getting mentioned nearly daily on the evening news. Didn’t you see any of that?”
“Not much television in Vegas these days.”
“Vegas?”
“Long story.”
“Well, apparently, other vampires pay their cable bill on time. They set up a trap and I walked right into it. There was no one to blame but myself.” She stopped and looked down at the floor, shaking her head.
I was almost afraid to ask the next question, but I did anyway. “Did Robert get away?”
“Huh?”
“Robert. They didn’t...kill him, did they?”
I half expected her to collapse into tears at his name, cursing that she’d ever had the misfortune to meet me. The Draculas could be a heartless bunch when they wanted to be. I had little doubt they would have used a loved one against her, then disposed of him like rotten meat when they were done.
To my surprise, though, she burst out laughing instead.
“I have no idea. He dumped me.”
The Tome of Bill Series: Books 5-8 (Goddamned Freaky Monsters, Half A Prayer, The Wicked Dead, The Last Coven) Page 74
