Damned and Cursed | Book 10 | Fallen Skye

by Bullion, Glenn

  “Kevin!” Victoria shouted.

  The witch sat in the corner. His eyes were only half open. Blood ran down his face, onto his vest. He clutched a potion in his hand. She ran toward him and slid at his feet, grabbing his shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he said. “Just, you know, taking a rest.”

  The man stuck on the ceiling shouted again to be let down.

  “Shut up!” Kevin shouted. “I’ll get to you in a second.”

  Victoria smiled.

  “The tremors. Was that you?”

  He nodded.

  “Yeah. Sorry. It’s not easy being careful when you’re getting the shit kicked out of you.”

  She kissed him on the forehead.

  “You did great.”

  “Thanks. What happened? Is it over? Where’s Lars?”

  She took a breath. The emotion was unexpected. She’d only known Lars Dunville for twenty minutes. She didn’t know what kind of man he was. Victoria did know few would sacrifice the way he did.

  “He … let the sun take him. Whatever magic caused all this, died with him.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t kill anyone.”

  She laughed and hugged him.

  The man shouted from the ceiling.

  “Hey! Get me down from here! What the fuck is going on?”

  “Would you shut up?” Kevin said, climbing to his feet. He pulled vials of water from his vest and surveyed the damage he caused. “We’ve got some healing to do. But … don’t tell Leese about any of this.”

  He touched the tip of a vial, turning the water blue, and handed it over.

  “Okay,” Victoria said. “Let’s get started.”

  CHAPTER 28

  JACK MADE HIS way through the deserted mall. The suitcase swayed at his side. The electricity was long gone, but light reached him from the windows overhead. There was trash on the floor from teenagers and the homeless. Graffiti decorated the walls. His footsteps echoed throughout the open space.

  His eyes darted about as he made his way to the fountain. There were so many places to hide, so many open shops. Anyone could be anywhere. Behind an old door, squatting near a bench, lying prone on the second floor above him, next to a vending machine.

  He merely smiled.

  The fountain still had water in it. It was green, and smelled of urine and vomit. He sat near the edge, whistling quietly as he waited.

  The wait wasn’t long.

  He heard the footsteps, coming from what was once a shoe store. Harry emerged, alone, wearing khakis and a white shirt. Jack stood and approached.

  “Harry! Hi,” Jack said. “I’m glad you could make it.”

  Harry held up a palm.

  “That’s far enough.” He pointed at the briefcase. “Is that my money?”

  Jack patted the side.

  “As promised. But I don’t see your half of the deal.”

  Harry shook his head.

  “It didn’t have to be like this, Jack. You made this personal.”

  “Interesting way of looking at things.”

  “I don’t get you. I gave you fifteen million. You lost a house. Buy ten more. What the fuck are we even doing here?”

  “You made my daughter cry.”

  “Fuck your daughter.”

  Jack’s lip twitched.

  “Be very careful with your tone there, Harry. I’ll ask again. Where is she?”

  Harry held up his hand. Another man stepped out from a shop. He pushed a woman in front of him. Her hands were bound in front of her, a bag over her head. She fell once, and the man forcefully picked her up and shoved her again. He pushed her to the ground at Harry’s feet before walking away.

  “So much for coming alone,” Jack said.

  “Yeah. Next time, get it in writing.”

  Even with her head covered, Jack recognized Skye. Her frail frame, her mannerisms. They’d dressed her in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, which she probably hated.

  “Jack!” she called. “You there?”

  “Quiet!”

  Harry struck the back of her head.

  Jack searched the surroundings. He took in the shadows, the lines of sight. He picked out the other mortals, where they hid.

  “Tell me something,” Harry said. “Do you really think I’m letting you walk out of here? After what you did to my wife? My son!”

  Jack barely listened. He continued to play his own game, counting mortals.

  He wondered how many were dead.

  “You should thank me,” he said, laughing. “If you knew what I caught Ezzie doing. Or rather, who.”

  “Fuck you! Do you know what I’m going to do?”

  Jack took a step forward.

  “Oh, please. Do tell.”

  “I’m going to kill you. And your daughter? Her, too. And that juicy bitch you’re seeing. All of them.”

  “You don’t say? That’s fascinating.”

  “Stop right there! What are you doing? What are you looking at?”

  Jack stopped and smiled.

  “I’m just trying to figure out how many of your people that juicy bitch has killed.” He pointed at his waistband. “You’d better check in there, Harry.”

  Harry’s face went white. He reached behind him and pulled a gun and radio.

  “Dwayne, come on. Report.”

  *****

  Marie squeezed. She’d locked her arm under the mortal’s chin. His gun lay a few inches out of his reach. She turned him away from his weapon. He kicked and flailed, trying to grab anything. He reached up and snatched her hair, but a twist made him release.

  The radio squawked quietly near the back of the old Burger King, where she’d tossed it.

  “Dwayne. Roy. Anyone, come back.”

  She didn’t know who was struggling in her arms. Dwayne. Roy. Someone else. It didn’t matter.

  He pulled a knife from his belt. She caught his wrist and turned the blade on him. Guiding the knife with her own hand, she plunged it into his stomach. He cried out, but she covered his mouth. Even dying, he thrashed and fought. She wrapped her bare legs around his hips to keep him still.

  Slowly, the life left his body. Marie rolled over before the man could bleed on her. She hadn’t brought clothes, but didn’t want blood on her skin. Her supernatural form, so far, had not been necessary. She was just as adept at killing with her hands as with her teeth.

  Still, she wanted to be ready.

  Several men spoke on the radio.

  “This is Dee. Clear.”

  “Wallace. Clear.”

  Marie stifled a laugh as more men checked in. With every word into their radios, Marie located them. She crouched near the opening to the Burger King on the second floor, her nose and ears working. Heartbeats, hushed whispers, bad cologne and body odor. There were at least ten people. Maybe one or two more.

  She peered down at Jack, irritated. The plan was for him to keep Harry distracted while she worked. But his arrogance had already revealed her presence, taking away her element of surprise.

  She kept low, staying in the shadows. Another of Harry’s men was two shops away.

  She just needed a little more time.

  *****

  “Losing some of your playmates, Harry?” Jack asked.

  “You son of a bitch.”

  Jack took another step. Harry aimed his gun at the back of Skye’s head. He nudged her forward, to get his point across. Skye let out a quiet whimper.

  “I said stop!”

  He ripped the bag off. Skye looked a mess. She had a black eye, a cut on her cheek. Her eyes were stained red from crying. Upon seeing Jack, Skye tried to stand.

  “Jack!”

  “Don’t move!” Harry forced her down, then focused on Jack. “And if you move one more inch, her brains will be all over this floor.”

  Jack laughed.

  “Go ahead. It’ll save me the trouble later.”

  Harry was quiet, his mo
uth hanging open. He stood motionless, foolishly still holding the gun.

  “W-What?” he finally asked.

  “I said. Go. Ahead. It will save me the trouble of killing her later. Please, pay attention.”

  In the distance, they heard a man choking.

  “And there goes another one,” Jack said.

  Harry said nothing. The fear spread across his face.

  The mortal, at long last, finally understood what he’d gotten himself in to.

  “Why so quiet? You were full of words just a minute ago. Talking about how you were going to kill me, the Pope, country music, whatever you could get your hands on. Now you’ve got nothing to say?”

  He inched his way closer, while Harry moved back. Harry kept his gun trained on Skye.

  “Ah!” Jack said. “I think I see what happened. While getting all this together, calling your little soldiers, planning everything out, you thought you were the villain. And that would make me … what? The hero? You thought I came here to save someone?” Jack shook his head. “Stupid mortal. I’m not here to save anyone. I’m here to kill … everyone. That includes you.” He pointed to Skye. “And her.”

  Skye held up her bound hands.

  “What? Jack—?”

  “Shut your mouth, Fido.”

  “You’re full of shit.” Harry raised the gun, pointing it at Jack. “Slide that case over here.”

  Jack ignored him, taking another step forward.

  “The hardest part will be lying to my daughter. I told myself I wouldn’t do that. But, sometimes, there’s just no other way. People like you and me, we can’t tell our kids what we do. Speaking of children, did you say goodbye to your son? Because you’re never going to see him again.”

  “You’re all talk.”

  “Yeah, that’s me,” Jack said, smiling. “All talk.”

  Finally, he drew close enough to Skye. He reached out and grabbed her. One hand over her mouth, the other behind her head. Harry pointed his gun, but did nothing. With one violent twist, Jack snapped her neck. The sound was like a shotgun blast moving through the empty mall.

  Harry gasped. Her body crumpled to the floor.

  Jack set his suitcase down and opened it. The scent of delicious donuts stoked his hunger. He grabbed a vanilla-frosted and took a bite.

  “Mmm. Good. I brought breakfast. You want one?”

  Harry fired. He didn’t stop until the clip was empty. The only damage done was to Jack’s donut. The vanilla-frosted took a direct hit, exploding in his hand.

  He reached for another. Harry pulled his radio.

  “Kill him!” he shouted. “Kill him now!”

  Harry ran, the first intelligent thing he did. Jack hopped over Skye’s body. One of Harry’s hidden men opened fire from the second level. Another joined in from the first floor. The bullets struck Jack, then fell.

  He took one step toward Harry, intending to chase, when something caught his eye.

  He looked up to see Marie. She was already mid-jump, leaping from the second-floor railing. The collision was brutal. She landed on Jack, knocking him down. His head bounced hard off the floor, cracking the tile. Her hair hung in his face. She pinned his arms down and straddled him, a position they’d been in before. But the look in her eyes was far different.

  “You killed Skye,” she hissed. “You said we were here to save her.”

  “No,” he said. “I’ve never said that. Those words never left my mouth.”

  “You … fucking asshole.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Do you see Harry? Do you see him sprinting away, like he’s in the Olympics? He’s getting away. To hurt more people, do bad things. Do you want that?”

  Marie growled before climbing off him. She didn’t bother helping him up.

  “How many are left?” he asked.

  “Two.”

  “Ah, and I know right where they are.” He gestured to his case. “You want a donut?”

  She scowled at him one last time, not saying anything. Her expression softened a moment as she looked at Skye, her eyes moist.

  Then she dropped to her knees, and her body changed.

  Jack winced at the sight. He’d seen it countless times, but with the breaking of bones, realignment of muscle and tissue, it never looked pleasant.

  She snarled at him as she rose to all fours. He almost said something, more sarcasm, but decided against it. Marie was angry enough at him as it was. He didn’t need a wolf gnawing at him. She ran after Harry.

  Jack whistled as he walked to the broken escalator, heading to the second floor. Harry’s gunman was out in the open now, firing his weapon. After running out of ammo, he pulled another smaller gun, thinking that would do better. As Jack drew closer, the man pulled a knife and lashed out. Jack caught his arm.

  Another bullet struck him. The gunman from the first floor fired, standing near the fountain.

  Jack disarmed the gunman and slammed the knife into his chest. Not satisfied with that alone, he pulled out the knife and stabbed him in the stomach, and then the neck. He grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and belt and tossed him to the floor below. The body landed with a sickening thud a few feet from Harry’s sole remaining employee.

  He decided it was time to run.

  Jack jumped over the railing and landed on his feet. It only took four seconds to catch the fleeing gunman. He tackled him from behind, and the pair slid and crashed into a nearby bench. He slammed the gunman’s head into the wall, over and over, until he stopped resisting.

  “Don’t kill me, man! Please!”

  “It’s funny you should say that.”

  He turned the gunman onto his back. His nose was broken, several teeth missing. Jack trapped his wrist, pressed his elbow into the ground.

  “Today is your lucky day,” Jack said. “I’m not going to kill you. But, I can’t let you leave without a souvenir, a reminder of our fun times.”

  He leaned all of his weight onto the man’s elbow, snapping his wrist. The gunman cried out and cradled his arm.

  “Now, off with you,” Jack said. “Go buy a lottery ticket or something.”

  The injured gunman ran without looking back. His screams faded, only for more pleading to take its place.

  He peered past the shops, to the end of the mall, where he saw Marie. She dragged Harry, his foot trapped in her jaws. He struggled and cried along the way, grabbing anything he could see. He stopped her for a moment, when he snatched a rundown kiosk, but a shake from Marie loosened his grip.

  Jack waited patiently, standing next to Skye’s body. He munched on another donut. Marie slung Harry toward Jack, his injured leg leaving a trail of blood behind.

  “Oh, Harry,” Jack said. “Hi, again. What am I going to do with you?”

  “What the fuck are you?” Harry asked. He screamed and pointed as Marie took her normal form. Jack held out a hand, to help her to her feet. She refused. “What is she?!”

  Harry’s questions intrigued Jack. The man knew about witches, the rarest of the supernatural, but had never seen a werewolf.

  “This is my juicy bitch.”

  “Not anymore,” Marie said.

  “Look, Jack, there has to be a way out of this, right? How much money do you want?” He tried to stand on his good leg, stumbling. “Just name it. We can make this happen.”

  “Harry, you’ve got this all wrong. You shouldn’t be begging to me.”

  Marie gasped.

  Skye stood up behind Harry. He didn’t see her. Her wounds had healed. Only a trail of blood on her cheek remained. She kicked him in his bad leg, sending him back to the floor. He spun onto his back, holding up an arm to defend himself.

  Skye leaned over him.

  Jack was surprised at what he saw. Her gaze was dark, angry. The shy, quiet woman was gone. She was full of confidence and power. Her gaze didn’t leave Harry. He tried to scoot away.

  “What is going on?” he shouted.

  Marie took a step closer to Jack.

>   “Yeah,” she said. “What’s going on?”

  “Look, I treated you good,” Harry said. “Not like the others. I wouldn’t do the things … they made you do.”

  “Good,” Skye said, touching the blood on her face. “This is good?”

  “I got carried away. Okay? Blame Jack here. He pissed me off.”

  Skye walked in a circle around Harry, grabbing different items from the floor. She took a chocolate donut and enjoyed a bite. A knife from one gunman. A shattered piece of glass.

  “How is she alive?” Marie asked.

  Jack pulled a vial from his pocket.

  “Another gift from Glinda. Graveyard dirt, mixed with water. Some kind of delayed healing magic. I shoved this into her mouth right before I broke her neck. Glinda was pretty sure it would work.”

  “Pretty sure?”

  “Well, it works on him. But she’s only a half witch. But I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy.”

  Skye took the vial from Jack as she passed. She dumped a bit of glass into the potion. Harry continued to plead for his life.

  “Look, just let me live, alright? You never have to see me again.”

  Skye said nothing.

  “But why all this?” Marie said.

  “Because she needs to be dead, so mortals won’t look for her ever again. And I left one witness, to spread that story.”

  “I … really thought you killed her.”

  “She’s Tiffany’s friend. And I do my best not to kill Tiffany’s friends.”

  She moved closer. He risked reaching for her hand, which she took and squeezed. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips, almost embarrassed.

  “I’m sorry I jumped on you. Slammed you down, rammed your head into the floor. But next time, tell me. Talk to me.”

  Jack smiled. The odd moment wasn’t lost on him. A bit of tenderness with a naked werewolf, surrounded by dead bodies, as a witch worked on a random potion.

  “You still have a lot to learn about me. And … I will.”

  Skye dipped the vial of graveyard dust, now with glass, into the nearby fountain, filling it with dirty water. She drew it to her mouth and spit in it, drawing a wince of disgust from Marie. Harry tried to scoot away further as Skye took another donut.