The Ripple Effect

by J. A. Saare

He laughed. “People still ask for that?”

  “I do.”

  “Fine, you have my word. But I’ll want to ask your vampire friend some questions.”

  “What kind of questions?”

  “Easy ones. About my cousin. You’re not the only one who needs a few clues to find what you’re looking for. I haven’t had much luck finding a vampire willing to talk. I need this.”

  So that’s why he reached out to me. Bane was on a mission. “Fair enough. What’s the address?”

  “Don’t know yet, but it’ll be in Jersey City. When you’re ready to move, I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it was better than nothing. I had no other place to go, even if I got Disco and Jennifer out. I had to try and get organized.

  “Thank you.” Saying it felt awkward. I didn’t even know Bane. The irony was it didn’t matter. At this point, I had no choice but to rely on a stranger.

  “Finally,” he chuckled. “A thank you. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

  “Don’t get used to it,” I muttered. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “I certainly hope so,” he said and the line clicked off.

  Taking a deep breath, I put the phone in my back pocket and went for my weapons. The Brownings and Desert Eagle were ready for action. I checked each one, making sure the clips were full, and cocked each to put a bullet in the chambers. Afterward I engaged the safeties. The last thing I needed to do was blow off a foot. Each gun went in its proper place—the Brownings under each arm and the Eagle at my side. Then it was time for the most important weapon—the only one in my arsenal that could slay a half-demon.

  Sucker was exactly where I stashed it. I removed the blade, running my fingers along the edge. Although the knife was deadly, it seemed far less threatening than it truly was. A blood-drinking weapon, one that could suck a person dry or tear through their bones like twigs. I slid Sucker into the slot on my left side—opposite the Desert Eagle—and shifted my feet. Everything was balanced, exactly as it should be.

  Perfect.

  After I slid into my leather jacket—hiding the weapons from view—I walked to the mirror and snagged my brush and a hair elastic. I pulled the long strands into a high ponytail, making sure the style was tight enough that it stayed in place. I wanted to be able to see everything clearly, without the locks getting in the way. Once I was finished, I stared at myself in the mirror, meeting my own eyes.

  The anguish wasn’t new, nor was the emptiness. Before I’d met Disco I followed the same routine—get ready to face the world, stare at myself in the mirror and remind myself that I would do what I had to because I had no other choice. Get busy living or get busy dying. When you lived without remorse or regret, putting one foot in front of the other became as automatic as breathing.

  Now came the fun part.

  I didn’t bother making a circle. The person I was about to summon wanted me alive, not dead. In fact, that was what I was counting on. Without her assistance, all the guns, knives, and daggers in the world wouldn’t mean shit.

  “Marigold Vesta, I summon you to bargain. Heed my call and appear before me.”

  The glass started to crack, as though fine lines of light were breaking through. I waited, knowing Marigold would soon appear. When she did, I wasn’t prepared for the anger in her face, for the resentment aimed at me.

  “You cannot go through with your plan,” she informed me curtly. “You owe me a debt. I expect it to be repaid.”

  “You can expect whatever you want,” I replied evenly. “If I’m alive, I’ll do everything in my power to sever the debt I owe you. If I’m pushing daisies, then what can I say? Death happens.”

  “It is not wise to provoke me, Rhiannon Murphy.” Her blond hair swept around her shoulders and her violet eyes darkened. “I gave you what you asked for. We made a deal. Now you come to me to ask for more. What in God’s name possessed you to think I’d aid you? I owe you nothing.”

  “You want to be free, don’t you?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. “I know you watch everything, so you have to know what happened tonight. Revenald has issued a challenge, and I’m honor bound to accept it. I won’t allow him to destroy those I care for. Even if it means I die trying to prevent him from doing so.”

  “I don’t see how that’s my problem.”

  Snarky bitch. “Oh, yes you do.” I grinned. “Let me die, and you’ll remain exactly where you are—in Hell, as Lucifer’s whore.” Her eyes narrowed in warning but I didn’t stop, reckless and unafraid. “Marius has the amulet. I need it in order to do what needs to be done. I’ve done my research; I know what I’m dealing with. When you cross over into this realm, you are no different than a spirit. You have the power to help me gain what I need most by entering my body and loaning me your power. If you do this, there’s a good chance I’ll make it out alive.”

  “You’re asking me to possess you?” She laughed, the sound light and lyrical. “You are indeed suicidal. Who’s to say I won’t stay in your host body? That I will leave when I’ve assisted you in obtaining what you ask for? You’re offering me a free ticket out of the cage I cannot escape.”

  She was testing my knowledge, and we both knew it.

  “Even if you kept my body, you’d be without your original form. You’d no longer be a fallen angel. You’ll be a spirit trapped in the body of a host who will eventually die. Even though you’d be strong and powerful for a time, everything you’ve fought for will be lost.” I leaned closer to the mirror. “And I know what you want most because it’s something I want too. Revenge. Plain and simple. You want to find the people who trapped you in Hell and make them pay. You want to get even.”

  “If I do this, you will owe me more than you already do. Every time I venture from Hell, my tormentor knows. I’ll suffer for helping you.”

  “Name your price.”

  “I will expect your assistance when I demand it upon my rebirth. Regardless of the time or place, you will repay my services at a time of my choosing in the future.”

  “No harm to those I care for. My debts payable only by me.”

  “No harm to those you care for,” she repeated. “Your debts are your own to pay.”

  “I would bargain further, but I don’t have the time.” An understatement if ever there was one. “I agree to your terms.”

  “Before you do, there is something you should know.” Her tone became bleak and serious. “When we merge, we will share memories. They will not come to you immediately, but will arise over time. You will begin to know me on the same level I will know you. The thoughts we share—from the beginning to the current point in our lives—are irreversible.”

  “Why do I feel like you’re holding something back?”

  “Because I am. If I tell you everything, despite your determination to face the monsters who have taken so much from you, you might say no.” She smiled then, a totally evil spreading of her lips that made her look more like a monster than an angel. “Don’t fear what you don’t understand. Ultimately, our connection will aid you in your cause. Remember why you summoned me. Step aside. Consider our bargain made. Seek out your sister and vampire while you still can.”

  She waited until I took a step back before she started breaking through the mirror, leaving behind Hell to enter my world. White light, more blinding than the sun, flooded the bathroom. Then it was gone, replaced by the form of Marigold Vesta. She seemed out of place in the small room, too powerful to be contained inside.

  “I will enter your body and grant you the use of my power until you retain possession of the amulet. However, I cannot stay overlong. If I do, we will begin to merge permanently. It’s dangerous business, joining spirits. Afterward, you’re on your own. Don’t make me regret this decision. Do what you must and focus your attention on returning me to my true form.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Then how about I sweeten the pot? Give you more of an incentive to survive and find me
sooner rather than later?”

  “It can’t hurt,” I said, even if the fallen angel’s small promises wouldn’t necessarily help.

  “If you revive me, you’ll never have to fear anyone or anything again. I offer you my protection. No one will dare harm you, I give you my word.”

  “Why would you do that?” It didn’t make any sense. I owed her, not the other way around. Sure, she wanted out of Hell. But no one extended a gift like she was offering without expecting something in return.

  “Because you are a victim, someone who has endured more than anyone should. I was sent to your dimension to protect those who cannot protect themselves. During my captivity, many lives have been tainted. This is my atonement for my absence, for their suffering as a penalty for my stupidity. You will no longer fear looking over your shoulder, for you will have an angel resting upon it.” Her eyes gleamed, the violet becoming vivid and bright. “Those who have hurt you this eve are one of many. They should reside only in Hell, where they were meant to be.”

  “You do realize that once we do this, vampires the world over will be searching for me. If I can pull it off, I’m going to become vampire and half-demon enemy number one.”

  “Then find me, Rhiannon Murphy. Return me to my true form. Demons cower when an angel spreads its wings.”

  This was it, no going back. “Let’s do this.”

  When she lifted her hand toward my face, I didn’t move. Her fingertip touched my forehead and it felt as though she entered my body at the point of contact. Power—raw, blissful, encompassing—rushed through me. It was like the surge of lightning I felt when I called on the amulet, but different. This was something that wasn’t outside of me, but spread from within—deep from within.

  Marigold slowly dissipated, becoming a part of me. Unlike the time before when I was possessed—during an attempt to talk to a ghost of all things—I wasn’t taken to another room or tricked into believing I was somewhere else. I retained control of my thoughts, but my body belonged to Marigold—her senses, instincts and, frighteningly enough, her thrill of impending bloodshed, pulsed through me.

  My muscles tingled, as though nourished with new strength. I gasped when my hearing sharpened, my nose filtered smells that weren’t there before, and I realized through some inner voice that Goose had entered the bedroom and was coming toward the bathroom.

  Although I laughed, the sound didn’t come from me. It came from her—Marigold. She lifted my arms, making fists, and inspected the weapons strapped to me before she cracked my neck and walked to the door. When she opened it and looked Goose in the eye, I felt my lips stretch into an evil sneer.

  “Rhiannon?” he whispered, staring at me as though he was looking at a stranger.

  “Isn’t here anymore,” Marigold replied using my voice, although it didn’t sound like me at all. I felt her intention then, her desire to grasp him by the throat and crack the bones in his neck.

  “Don’t kill him!” I screamed, finding that the words didn’t escape my mouth but echoed in my mind. “He’s done nothing wrong.”

  “Fine, I won’t kill him,” she said, staring into Goose’s confused face. “Since you like this one, I’ll only make him hurt a little.”

  One punch, directly to the center of his chest, and Goose flew across the room. The blow was more powerful than I expected, sending him into the wall. He hit with a dull thud and fell onto the floor facedown. I wanted to go to him, to make sure he was still alive, but Marigold was already moving from the room.

  “Let’s see...” She stopped in the hallway and drew a deep breath. Then I smelled it, the slightest hint of blood and a faint trace of sugar-like sweetness. Striding confidently toward the scent, she whispered, “Come out, come out, wherever you are.”

  Sirah rounded the corner, lifting her head as she saw me. The shock on her face was immediately replaced with hatred. Her blue eyes turned icy, her brow furrowed as her lips pressed together. She started to say something—perhaps to tell me to go to hell—but it was too late. I knew what Marigold intended, feeling some hatred that wasn’t entirely my own stir within me.

  “Perfect,” Marigold whispered, and I felt my face stretch into a gleeful smirk. “She doesn’t like you at all.”

  Mike had shown me how to land a perfect blow to the throat in order to rupture the larynx and kill someone, but I’d never tried it. You had to be fast, with a clear shot to the throat. Marigold moved so quickly—with an aim that shocked me—that technique and precision definitely weren’t an issue. She landed the blow with the side of my hand, a solid hit with impact. Sirah tried to gasp, shuffling back and reaching for her neck, but there wasn’t any sound.

  “What to do with you,” Marigold said with a sigh. She glanced around and looked at a nearby door. I felt sick when I glimpsed her intention.

  “You can’t.”

  “Oh yes, I can.” She grabbed Sirah by the hair with her hand—my fucking hand—and dragged the squirming vampire as she crossed the distance. “I’m saving precious ammo. You can thank me later.”

  Marigold opened the door, kicked Sirah’s legs from beneath her, and situated the vampire just right—so that her neck rested against the frame. I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t look away. Sirah looked at me, and for the first time the dumb bitch understood what I was capable of. What a shame that it took looking death in the eye for her to realize I wasn’t someone to fuck with.

  “See you on the other side,” Marigold said in a singsong voice.

  It took four slams of the door to detach Sirah’s head. Blood spattered, dotting along my pants, as the bones in her neck finally gave way. But the worst part was watching her body—her hands straining, fingers clawing the air. She kept kicking for a few seconds even when the door slammed shut, a chunk of blonde hair intermingled with wood, seeping bone, and flesh.

  Jonny appeared from around the corners, a savage look on his face. “What the fuck?”

  Shit. I didn’t like Sirah’s lover, but I didn’t hate him either.

  Marigold yanked on the door handle, until the knob and the short metal shaft inside came free in her hand. She pivoted and faced Jonny. “You are a quandary. I’m not sure where you fall in the bargain.”

  “You’re dead,” he growled, canines dropping from his gums.

  “Promises, promises,” Marigold sighed. “All talk and no action.”

  Jonny charged using vampire speed. To my surprise, Marigold made her decision and enacted it in the same second. She thrust the knob into his chest, using one hand to deliver the blow while the other braced the rounded knob and held it in place. I thought we’d fall into a heap, but somehow Marigold remained upright. When he staggered back, she aimed, spun around, and nailed the knob in place with a devastating kick. He fell, landing hard on the floor.

  Marigold walked to the gurgling vampire and peered down. He looked horrible, the knob embedded in his chest, his hands hovering over the wound. Blood poured from the hole. He looked up, eyes full of rage, anguish, and pain. I wasn’t sure if he’d recover. Depending on how deep the injury was, what the knob was made of, and how quickly he got fresh blood into his system, he could very well die.

  “He’s got a fifty-fifty chance.” Marigold sniffed, surveying her handiwork. “I didn’t aim for the heart, but I didn’t try to miss it either.”

  I wasn’t sure who was safe anymore, not after what she’d done to Jonny. Apparently the fallen angel didn’t do remorse or regret. “Can we get the amulet before you kill someone else?”

  “Party pooper,” she muttered, and I sensed her unwillingness to end her time here. She wanted to enjoy every single second. “I am playing by your rules.”

  “Time is short.” I reminded her. “The sun will rise soon.”

  She stepped over the man she’d shitkicked and hurried to the stairs. “Excellent point.”

  No one intercepted us, meaning she’d somehow managed to kill two vampires without notice. As she approached Disco’s office, I had no choice but t
o watch. It was the eeriest thing. I could hear everything, see everything, and feel everything, but I wasn’t a participant. Odder still, I knew Marigold’s thoughts, could hear them in my head.

  She was eager to face a master vampire on equal ground after such a long time in Hell. She didn’t want to use weapons, either. She wanted to go at Marius hand to hand, remember how wonderful it felt to feel flesh pounding against flesh. She was ecstatic about the fact that I worked out and took care of myself; my body an excellent vessel to dish out the pain she longed to create.

  Marius was seated at Disco’s desk when I walked inside. He rose from the chair, looking at me as though ready to say something, when he went stock-still. His eyes went wide and his nostrils flared.

  “What are you?” he asked, moving cautiously away, toward the far wall.

  “You know what I am,” Marigold said. “And you know what I’ve come for.”

  “How is this possible?” He looked me over from head to toe. “It can’t be possible.”

  “It’s more than possible. It’s a miracle.” She extended her hand and ordered, “My amulet. Give it to me.”

  Marius snapped to attention then, realizing who he was dealing with. “Marigold Vesta.”

  I wasn’t sure how much Goose had told him about the angel we were searching for, but at least Marius knew her name. It would be an added bonus if homeboy realized he should fear her as well.

  “If I don’t?” he asked, treading into no man’s land. “If I refuse to give it to you?”

  My lips quirked as Marigold grinned. “I was hoping you’d ask that.”

  In less than a second, Marigold and Marius were engaged in combat. He moved, she followed; he slashed out with his fists, she evaded. I knew vampires were quick, but Marius was a helluva lot faster than Disco or Paine, nearly as fast as Revenald and Anton. His movements were impossible to follow, but because of Marigold I was able to see everything. To Marigold’s credit, she was equally as fast, if not faster. I got the impression she wanted this to last, to stretch out how wonderful it felt to be inside skin she could fully control.