God In The Darkness

by S T Branton

  “You made a foolish mistake, sword-bearer.”

  I turned around so fast I might have given myself whiplash. Delano eyed me through the rearview mirror, his gaze inscrutable. “What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded. The sword blazed.

  “Calm yourself, girl. I’m simply giving you a second chance. A reprieve. An opportunity to weigh your options and truly think about the consequences of your actions.” He stepped on the gas as the light turned green. “Take a night to sleep on things. I believe your tone will change if you know what is good for you and everyone you love. Are you willing to experience such loss a second time?”

  “Don’t you dare,” I snapped. He’d gotten the drop on me, but not so much that he was allowed to say those kinds of things. “Just tell me what your angle is. I don’t have anything to give you or your deranged master.”

  Delano sighed in the manner of a disappointed parent. “Lord Lorcan is a god above gods, a destroyer of regimes and worlds. I am not, and perhaps this is why I serve as a lowly Apprenti. I believe strongly in the forces of logic and reason above all others, including violence. And I am trying to help you see the light of rationality in the depths of the very real situation you are in.”

  “Killing the mayor doesn’t strike me as particularly rational,” I told him.

  “Because you are consumed by small thinking. All humans are. Your tiny lives are so insignificant that you lack the capabilities to think beyond the next day, the next hour. Here, we must play a longer game, where rewards are all the sweeter for their perceived delay.” He paused. “And in case your heart has soured against Lord Lorcan, I can assure you that he means every word he says. Join him and he will provide for your every need, as long as your soul walks the Earth.”

  “Not at the price he’s asking. And if you’re so keen on reason, why is it so easy for you to buy into his bullshit?” I still held my sword behind Delano’s seat, which I was sure he knew, but I hadn’t anticipated the chance to actually talk with him again. Not that he was any less suspicious. All these parties had an agenda, and I suspected that his was more convoluted than most. It was hard to believe that someone serving a god like Lorcan truly valued logic more than anything.

  “I have seen him at work, borne witness to the glorious fruits of his vision. Lorcan’s quest for power is absolute, but that does not mean he won’t attend to the needs of his loyal subjects. I have led an enviable existence in his thrall. Lord Lorcan deserves to hold the reins of the world again. He will make Earth as it ought to be—a New Heaven, if you will.”

  A heaven made in Lorcan’s image—I’d choose hell over that any day. Whatever Delano was, if he couldn’t see that, he deserved his master’s company. “Yeah, okay. I’ve heard enough. This is my stop.” I fully expected Delano to keep driving, but he pulled to the side of the road and stopped the town car.

  “Do not let your misguided sense of mortal pride blind you to the harsh realities of your world’s predicament,” he said. I tried the door handle; locked. “You are the one who controls the fate of humanity. Remember that—and choose wisely. The war is almost here.” Once more, he held my gaze in the mirror. Then the locks disengaged, and I was out of there.

  The car pulled away almost silently as soon as I stood on the pavement. I looked after it, doing my best to grasp everything that the Apprenti had said. Where did I stand now? Where did anything stand? Was there really going to be an all-out war, and if so, how soon?

  It was like I was back at square one. No answers, only a maelstrom of burningly urgent questions. And my body ached like hell.

  “Thoughts?” I queried Marcus as I made my way down the street. The Gladius Solis slipped safely into my pocket. My heartbeat gradually slowed to normal.

  My first is that you require medical attention. Nectar notwithstanding, a walk all the way to your home would only exacerbate your injuries. I suggest that you summon a yellow chariot.

  I groaned. The idea didn’t appeal to me, except that I really was hurting, and Delano had let me out a good few miles from home. Grudgingly, I went to the curb and hailed the first cab I saw. “There. Thoughts?”

  The Apprenti must want something from you as well. Perhaps not in the short term, but he did say he was aiming more toward the future. Be cautious around him, but do not cut him off just yet. The fact that he is capable of working on a different wavelength from Lorcan is something that may be used to your advantage in the future.

  I grinned slightly as the cab drew to a halt in front of me. “You’re saying I should exploit a demigod?”

  Demigod to the god who destroyed my king. Marcus’s voice turned grim. I owe him no mercy.

  I gave the cabbie the address of Mac’s newspaper stand and sat back against the vinyl seat, closing my eyes. Another day, another shitload of vamps mown down beneath my fiery blade.

  Business as usual.

  But I had the feeling that this rollercoaster was nearing the top of its last big hill. And after it went over, who knew how far I’d have to plunge?

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Maya met me at the door to the loft. “Hey, I was about to send out a search party! What took you so…” She took one look at me and trailed off. “What the hell? Girl, get your butt in here. You are so lucky I followed you three thousand miles home.”

  I winced as she pulled me over the threshold, then smirked. “Like a puppy?”

  She frowned. “A puppy who went to some form of med school, thank you very much.” Together, we gingerly peeled off my coat, and Maya let out a low whistle. “I take it the meeting didn’t go so well.”

  I shrugged, wincing again as a bolt of pain shot through my shoulders. “Wasn’t so bad. I came back, didn’t I?”

  Maya went to work removing the shreds of my shirt. “Was he really there?” she asked. “The god? This is not going to feel great, by the way. I wish there was more I could do, but I haven’t got any numbing agent.”

  “It’s fine,” I said tightly. “I can take it. Only thing you’ve got to do is patch me up. And yeah, he was there. With a vampire army the size of Manhattan. They cut the elevator while I was trying to get out.”

  “They what?” Maya paused. “You want me to heat up some water for this? I’m offering because it’s apparent you’re not about to die right this second, and warm water might make it more bearable.”

  I sighed. “Why not? Thanks, Maya.” I pulled my hair off my neck, scowling as I realized there was blood in it. “I should have expected it anyways.”

  “Never trust the gods. Rule number one for working on your team.” Maya filled my one pot with water and put it on the stove, which she lit with a match. I had to admit I was impressed by her ability to adapt to new surroundings. It kind of felt like we’d been roommates forever. “So what was he like?”

  “An asshole. But I’ve got to admit, he’s powerful. And not just in the ‘controlling an army of vamps with the flick of his wrist kind of way.’ It rolled off of him. The force of his will. And his contempt for all of us.”

  “Sounds like a real charmer.”

  I shrugged. “Well he does have a way with words. I’ll give him that. And he knows how to wear a suit. But it’s what he wanted that has me the most upset.”

  “I’m afraid to ask.” She put the lid on the pot.

  “He wanted me to kill Mayor Inglewood.” I watched her eyes narrow and then go wide. “Yeah. That’s the face I made, too.”

  “I mean, I guess as far as diabolical plans go, it’s not that bad. He’s not blowing up the moon or anything. But if this dude’s as powerful as he says, why would he need you for that?”

  “I don’t know. Said the mayor was ‘standing his way,’ or something like that.”

  Lorcan is a master tactician. Perhaps he thought you’d take the deal—add you to his army. Perhaps he just wanted to see you in person. Perhaps there is something else he wants entirely.

  Maya fidgeted. “You… said no, right?” She looked embarrassed and faintly ashamed to even
be asking, but the question presented itself nonetheless. “I mean, the harm that would cause—”

  “Of course, I said no. How did you think I ended up looking like this?”

  “Okay.” Maya relaxed. “Sorry I asked. I guess I just had to make sure. I recognize that this fight will force me to cross some lines, but that’s a step I couldn’t take.” She checked the water, carefully stuck her pinky in, and turned off the burner. “Almost ready.”

  “The thing is, part of me wanted to. Kill one innocent person, save potentially thousands more. He made it all sound so simple. Which is how I knew the right answer was no. Whatever this world has in store for us, it’s not simple.”

  She set the pot down hard on the floor as if to make my point. The steam from the hot water felt good on my cold skin. I had grown to be very fond of my jacked up little loft space, but winters could still be brutal. The cold weather was starting to settle in deep, especially at night.

  Maya dipped her washcloth and started on the gashes across my back. She worked as delicately as possible, and yet I was reminded over and over that the nectar had not negated my pain receptors in any way. “I’m sorry,” she said again as I winced. “I know this sucks, and I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but… I think some of these are going to need stitches.”

  “No way.” I shook my head. “Even if I had health insurance, I still wouldn’t go to the hospital. Needles freak me out. No stitches.”

  “Oh please, Vic. You run around with that giant sword and you’re gonna tell me you’re too weenie to get stitches? You literally just had a horde of vampires trying to kill you. Stitches should be nothing!”

  I grumbled. “I just don’t like them.”

  “As a healthcare professional—” Maya began.

  “A veterinarian,” I interrupted.

  “A healthcare professional,” she insisted, “I have to override that decision. These are deep, and they bled a lot. They would have laid out anyone who wasn’t deeply ensnared in some magical malarkey. You need them stitched, or else you could get an infection.”

  “Marcus, help.” I squeezed the medallion.

  She snorted. “As if I’m going to take medical advice from a man who was born while they were still brushing their teeth with pee and rat brains.”

  My apologies, Victoria. I am afraid I must side with Maya on this matter. As a warrior-hero, you must care for your body as if it were a sacred artifact.

  “Ugh.” Maya rinsed the cuts. “Look, it’ll be easy. I’ve been trained. I have a degree. If you trust me, I’ll do the stitches myself. I won’t even charge you.” She wrung out the cloth. “No one’s disputing that this is crazy, and if you told me a month ago I’d be performing freelance stitchery on another person in their loft in Brooklyn Heights, I would’ve referred you to a good therapist. But you really do need this, and if this is the only way I can make it happen, so be it.”

  I hemmed and hawed, seeing if she would budge given enough time. She didn’t. “Fine,” I said at last. “Just don’t show me any of it, and like, do it as fast as you can.”

  “It won’t hurt much more than the cleaning,” Maya said. “I’ll use a small needle. I have a sewing kit. Everything will be sterilized, of course.”

  “Oh, great.” I heaved a deep, only slightly dramatic sigh. “I’m not worried about the pain. I really don’t like needles, that’s all.” An image of vamp-Rocco holding the syringe full of Lorcan’s blood flashed in my mind. “For a bunch of reasons.”

  “That’s okay.” Maya rooted through her pack. “I shouldn’t have made fun of you for it. It’s a pretty common phobia.” She glanced at me. “Why don’t you lie down? It’ll make stitching easier, and you look like you’re on the verge of passing out anyway.”

  That was the best idea I’d heard in ages. Stretching out on my stomach, I instantly felt about ten times better, and the warm wash of sleep began poking into the corners of my brain. I let my eyes close, filtering out everything except the ambient sounds of Maya getting her things ready.

  “So, here’s a question for you,” she said. I figured she was trying to keep my mind off of what was about to happen.

  “Shoot,” I replied.

  “I thought that nectar stuff you drank was supposed to heal you. Why do you even need stitches?”

  So much for keeping my mind off of stitches. I made a mental note to give Maya feedback on her bedside manner.

  “It’s complicated,” I said. “When I drank the nectar, I was pretty banged up. Marcus gave me the last of his reserve. It saved my life, and radically changed my body. It healed me and gave me the strength and speed I needed to finish my fight with a mad super-vampire.”

  “Damn,” she shook her head. “Too bad Marcus couldn’t snag more of that before he came down here.”

  I managed to get the Gladius Solis to safety. You would think the world would be a bit more grateful.

  I smiled. “He says you make a great point. But anyway, while the after effects will keep me at the top of my game for a good long while—and help me heal faster—it’s not like I’ve become a god or anything. I’m still mortal. Hell, it wasn’t even enough to keep Marcus alive forever, and he’d been drinking the stuff for centuries.

  The nectar can preserve life, but it cannot hold off death forever. Especially if you receive a fatal wound. And even the gods can die, with the right encouragement.

  “And,” I added. “It’s really good news that the nectar isn’t all powerful. It means that even if Lorcan got his hand on some, it wouldn’t save him once I run my sword through his neck.”

  “Man,” she said after a little while. “I still can’t believe he asked you if you’d kill the mayor. What an asshole.”

  “I know,” I mumbled into the pillow. “Like it or not, things are accelerating. It won’t be much longer before the gods are moving in public.” Delano’s words rang in my ears. “War is almost here.”

  The smell of rubbing alcohol hit my nostrils. Maya stood over me. Looking at my wounds once again, she sighed. “If this is peacetime, I might not be ready for war. Now get ready to hate my guts.”

  “Been ready.” Then the alcohol hit the open slashes, and I made a sound like a puppy getting kicked. “Holy shitballs!”

  “See!” Maya said encouragingly. “After this, the stitches won’t seem so bad at all.”

  “Just burn my skin off while you’re at it,” I answered. “I think it would hurt less.”

  She patted an unscathed section of my shoulder. “Close your eyes and pretend you’re somewhere soothing. It’ll be over soon.”

  I held my breath as she started the needlework, the aftermath of the alcohol wipe still burning. It was not nice by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn’t as awful as I’d hyped it up to be in my mind. By that time, I was so beat that I drifted in and out of a light, fitful doze anyway.

  Ah, Victoria. This is nothing compared to the field surgeries in my day.

  “Thank goodness I wasn’t around then,” I muttered sleepily.

  “Hm?” Maya paused. “Are you doing okay?”

  “Yeah.” I gave her a lazy thumbs-up. “Just sassing Marcus, that’s all. I’m fine.” I readjusted myself, propping my head up with both my arms. Maya went back to work. “You should get out of here,” I said to her, my words a little thick with sleep. “Out of the city, I mean. Not out of my house.”

  “Are you saying that because I’m in the process of threading up your back?” She was smiling.

  “No. Shit’s getting real, Maya. That stuff you saw with Delano and the vamps in the alley? That’s only a fraction of what it’s going to be like.” I chewed my lip. “It’s so much more than New York and a few small towns in Washington. It’ll be global, eventually.”

  “Yeah,” she replied. “I know. I’ve thought about that a lot these past few days, even before we got caught out in the alley. And I really thought for a while that I was just biding my time before getting the hell out of Dodge, maybe going back to Ca
lifornia to see my parents. But…” She sighed. “The whole reason I got into animal medicine in the first place was because I wanted to help, you know? I wanted to be more than just a productive member of society. I care about all life so much.”

  “Spoken like a true vegan.”

  “Shut it, girlfriend. I mean it. Every single lifeform on this planet is important to me.” She hesitated. “Well, all the ones that belong here. So, I feel like I have a moral obligation to help because of my profession and because of the life decisions I’ve already made.”

  “Do vets have to take the Hippocratic Oath?”

  “For your information, we have our own version called the Veterinarian’s Oath. It makes us swear to use our skills and knowledge to further science, society, and for the benefit of all animals. Humans are animals, too, so it’s totally applicable here.”

  “And vamps?”

  “Dr. Williams never mentioned them in my ethics courses.” She cut off the end of a thread. “One more, and then you’re good to go. We’ll have to keep an eye on these, but they look pretty damn good for a home job, if I do say so myself.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t know vets had an oath.” Sleep was slowly winning the battle against my conscious mind.

  “Now you do. I saved the smallest cut for last, so we should be done soon. Then you can get some sleep.”

  “Okay, Mom.” There was a word I hadn’t said to anyone in ages. My heart squeezed a little, but it was too late to take it back.

  “Hey, Vic.”

  “Hmm?”

  Maya spoke quietly. “I’m glad I’m here. So you’ve got someone to fix you up.”

  “Yeah.” I smiled. “Me too.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  A little over twenty-four hours after Maya performed home surgery on me, I sat at Park’s with a beer in my hand, listening to Jules tell me a story about her latest client’s very public breakdown in court.