The Ripple Effect

by J. A. Saare

  “You, you, you, and you.” I looked at the vampires to my right. “Don’t let Revenald leave this room. Pin him to the ground and keep him there.” They obeyed the order, rising to their feet and running to Revenald. They took him to the ground, pinning his arms and legs.

  I peered to my left, motioning at the vampires who watched me with a heavy dose of fear in their eyes. “You, you, you, and you, make sure Lady Victoria here keeps her ass in her chair. She’s not to go anywhere.”

  To her credit, Victoria tried to run. She made it from the chair only to be caught mid-run and returned to her seat. The vampires wrapped their arms around her shoulders and forearms, keeping her in place. The electricity under my skin tingled, continuing to grow. It seemed that with each order, the amulet became more powerful. It beckoned to me, wanting me to demolish the entire room. I fought the urge, focusing instead of my primary target.

  Anton.

  The cocky fucker hadn’t even moved. No sir, he remained exactly where he was, a sadistic smirk on his face. So he wanted a fight? Good. So did I.

  I clicked on the safety to the Browning and tucked it back under my arm. I wouldn’t go easy on the half-demon. I would make him suffer for what he’d done. He’d taken not only my friend, but the man Disco considered a brother. Although nothing could bring Paine back, I could make sure that his death was avenged. I owed him that much at least.

  “I’ve grown tired of you,” I said, advancing on him, gauging his response.

  “So you’re going to kill me?” Anton asked, arching a brow. “That is what your master said before I ripped apart his chest and feasted on his heart’s blood.”

  “Oh yeah, I’m going to kill you.” My voice lowered into a snarl, a mirror of my misery. “Dead. Deaded. Gone.”

  He placed his hands on the arms of his chair, preparing to rise. “I’m going to love seeing you try.”

  Then he was flying at me, barreling across the short distance. We met in a flurry of fists, hard punches landing on each of our faces. I embraced the pain, allowed it to feed me. I tasted the blood creeping from the corner of my mouth, saw that despite my fist, Anton showed no signs of injury. He tried to use his incredible speed to get behind me and seemed shocked when I countered his move, ensuring we remained facing each other.

  “So it wasn’t a hoax. You are not what you seem,” he said, eyes narrowed, green irises glowing like neon.

  I refused to answer as we circled each other, looking for an opening, anxious to make a move. He threw another punch and I slapped his fist away with my open hand. When he repeated himself, I did the same thing, only this time I used my free arm to clock him in the chin. His next move was a kick that landed in the center of my stomach, knocking me back several feet. I huffed and tried to breathe, remaining upright. Again we circled, two animals searching for weaknesses, beasts on the hunt for blood. One wrong move and a victor would be chosen.

  I knew I was prolonging the inevitable. All I had to do was to take the bastard down, pull out Sucker and put an end to the miserable creature’s life. But it didn’t seem fair to let him go so easily, to kill him without removing the arrogance from his face.

  This time when he came at me, he held nothing back. Despite my blocks, he kept coming, lashing out, the tips of his fingernails forming into crazy-looking claws. He got two good swipes in—one across my left shoulder and another at my mid-section. I wasn’t surprised at the lack of pain. The amulet blocked those sorts of things, keeping its owner in proper fighting form. When he swung his hand around and aimed for my face, I wrapped my arm around his wrist, pushed my body into his chest, and sent him sailing to the ground. I landed on top of him, staying in position even as he wrapped his fingers around my throat and tried to buck free.

  I pulled out Sucker, searched for a decent location to bury the blade, and grinned when I sliced the side of his face and removed his right ear. That arrogance I detested faded away, becoming pure agony as he let me go and reached for his missing appendage.

  Excellent.

  Now for the other side.

  I repeated the motion, the blade sliding through his skin like melted ice cream. Though Sucker drank blood, when I pulled the dagger away red flowed down the back of Anton’s head and to the floor. Incapacitated as he was, he didn’t even try to escape as I moved down his body, until I straddled his thighs. There was only one place I could think of that would cause him the most pain and humble him as he deserved.

  I didn’t make any slicing motions this time. Rather I buried the blade in his crotch, using all of the force I could muster. It slid in deep, just as I hoped. The dagger didn’t stop until the hilt slammed against his groin. His hoarse bellow was a symphony, one I never wanted to end. Even if I didn’t kill the fucker—which I fully intended to—he wouldn’t be able to use his dick to even take a piss.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, turning the hilt, rotating the blade in his flesh. “You were going to love seeing me try to kill you. How’s that working out so far?”

  “You fucking bitch,” he grated, eyes spilling over with red tears.

  “No, not a bitch.” I yanked on Sucker, removing it from his man parts. Blood seeped from the wound, staining his pants. “An angel of vengeance, remember? Paine warned you, but you didn’t listen.” I pushed aside my grief, the sharp pain in my chest. “You should have.”

  It would have been easiest to end him by severing his head, but I plunged the knife into his chest, directly over his heart. The bone broke and gave way, the blade thrusting inside. He gasped, eyes widening, and went still beneath me. It wasn’t a mortal blow—not yet—but it was about to be.

  Leaning over him, I stared him in the eye. I saw what I wanted to see, what every half-demon should feel in order to learn and appreciate humility. He knew his time was up, that he was about to die.

  “The despair in your eyes tastes delicious,” I said, repeating his earlier words to me, doing what Paine said I would. “You never should have touched him.” My lip trembled, my anguish rising to the surface, twining with anger. “Do you understand? You never should have put a fucking hand on him.”

  I moved the blade up and down, sawing through Anton’s chest cavity. It didn’t take long, seconds at most. When I’d created a hole big enough to reach inside, I removed Sucker and jammed my hand into his chest. The interior was warm and mushy, but it wasn’t hard to find what I was searching for. His heart, while damaged, was still beating. It only seemed right that it would be, that he would die in the same way he’d killed Paine.

  As I lifted out his heart, I watched life drain from his eyes. Only this time, there was no heartache making me crumble, no loss. There was only elation and bliss.

  On some level, I knew the small grip I held on my humanity was slipping away, drifting through my fingers like a forgotten imprint of time. Each time I wore the amulet and sought out its power, my empathy disappeared. I didn’t want that—had never wanted that. I’d been forced to become what I was—a human turned vampire familiar, a woman in love with a man who wasn’t really a man at all, a killer who was becoming less and less bothered by the lives she took.

  A monster created by monsters.

  Just to be sure the job was done right, I tossed Anton’s heart to the side and placed Sucker against his throat. The blade itself was a mystical creation, one that had no problem breaking through his skin and bone until it hit the floor beneath. A quick snap and Anton was finished. His head wobbled and rested on its side as it detached from his body. His eyes continued blinking, and I hoped he could still see, watching as the light slowly faded and went out for good.

  Shouts broke my attention and I looked over my shoulder. Perhaps it was witnessing Anton’s death, or knowing he was next in line, but somehow Revenald managed to break free from the vampires holding him to the ground. His face was a bloody mess, but his eyes had started to heal, allowing him to see. He ran when he was free, his speed far greater than the vampires trying to chase him down.

  I put Suc
ker back into the sleeve on my side and jumped from Anton’s body. I followed the vampires rushing into the room with the nude and bound slaves. I could hear Revenald saying something in a language I didn’t understand, though something told me he was speaking in demon tongue. Then I saw the mirrors on the far wall begin to change and smelled the strong stench of sulfur.

  Son of a bitch!

  I’d seen Hell through a mirror before—when I made a deal with a demon that started this whole mess. My stomach bottomed out when I realized what Revenald was doing. Only half-demons had the power to venture back and forth between earth and Hell as the spawn of both man and demon.

  The pathetic bastard was running for his life.

  He made it to the mirror before we could catch him. The glass captured him, holding him in place, and then pulled him through. I wanted to scream at his escape, to force him to come back with the bravado he displayed during our initial meeting. Instead I was forced to stop in front of the mirror, to face him as he sought the safe haven that was Hell. Tornados swirled around him, dust coating his torso.

  “This isn’t over,” he warned, chest heaving. “Compared to the pain I have planned for you, tonight will seem like a memory of Heaven.”

  “Pussy,” I snarled, more animal than a woman. “Nothing but a pansy ass motherfucker who ran away from a human. A servant. Word will spread through Hell. Everyone will know what a coward you are. I hope you’re ready to take it up the pooper like a big boy.”

  “I’m going to dine on your heart soon, bitch.” His face changed in his fury, his forehead expanding outward as his fangs made his upper lip extend awkwardly. He flicked his wrists, as though he could shoo us away.

  Then I heard a loud crack.

  The glass along the entire wall shattered, breaking outward. I managed to lift my arms and hands in time to protect my face. Shards broke through my shirt and sank into my skin in numerous places along my body. The vampires and slaves in close range cried out as portions of glass struck them as well, hitting them like miniature daggers.

  I lowered my arms, furious when I saw the mirror was gone, the frame the only indication it had existed in the first place. He’d escaped, but he’d be back. Of that I was certain. The question was: could I find and revive Marigold in time to protect myself? Or would he find me before I had the chance?

  It doesn’t matter either way, I told myself, shoving those thoughts aside. There were other things I had to do, things that wouldn’t keep.

  Turning from the destroyed mirror, I glanced at the injured slaves. Some were pretty bad, bleeding all over the place.

  “Help them,” I instructed the vampires nearby. “Tend their wounds.”

  They moved to do as I asked, and I turned to make my way to the ballroom. Time to face the half-demon bitch I’d killed once and was about to kill again, to bring the fanged harpy who’d turned my sister to justice. One final stop, and I could retrieve the ones I loved and leave this shithole behind.

  Victoria.

  Chapter Eighteen

  When I arrived in the second ballroom, Victoria was still in her chair. The vampires holding her had their hands full. She squirmed and kicked, attempting to get free. Her hair was all over the place, and she was cursing under her breath.

  Until she saw me.

  Her struggles ceased and she lifted her chin, defying me even though I knew she had to be terrified. I’d killed Anton before her eyes, and she already knew I’d vowed to kill her after I destroyed her brother, Graham Tavish. When I glanced at the corner of the room, I saw the two teenagers were now huddled together, holding each other tight. They didn’t know what to make of me, staring in my direction with eyes like saucers, expressions grim but hopeful.

  Damn it. I couldn’t leave their memories intact. The world didn’t know vampires existed, and I couldn’t allow them to return to their lives to spread the gospel. However, they deserved better than what they’d gotten tonight. In the very least, I could give them good memories to erase the horrific ones.

  “Joseph,” I said softly, knowing he was still in the room, on his knees where I’d placed him. “Come here.”

  I almost laughed when he came to me with Sonja at his side. She gripped his arm, as though she could keep him upright. One of the strongest of his kind in the city, reduced to hiding behind a woman. The big, bad vampire used his necromancer to protect him. Sweet, yet laughable.

  “You need to clear their memories and replace them with something better.” I knew Joseph could do it, having been under his control once before. “You’ll have to think of some accident to explain their wounds, but make sure nothing with fangs or sexual games is involved. Once that’s taken care of, I want you to take them from this place and go home. Don’t speak about what’s transpired this evening to anyone.” I looked at Sonja, expecting her to do as I said although she was under no compulsion to obey the order. “Comprende?”

  “We understand,” Sonja said briskly, with a hint of uneasiness, and quickly looked way.

  So that was the way of it. Although I’d helped her send Baxter to the other side, any kind of friendship we’d had was coming to an end. The woman had never liked me to begin with. Now that she was terrified of me, she probably wouldn’t answer my calls. That sucked, since I needed her help finding Marigold. Maybe we could continue sharing information on a less cordial level. Only time would tell.

  “Much appreciated.”

  They walked to the corner, talking in low voices as they neared the kids who were staring wide-eyed at them. Perfect. The kids were already horrified. No need to make things worse. Joseph and Sonja were doing exactly what I wanted them to.

  “I’ve done nothing wrong,” Victoria informed me, green eyes unblinking as I met her gaze. “You killed my brother. I was entitled to the offer I was given.”

  “By changing a girl against her will who has never done anything to you?” I asked, standing before her. “You were entitled to that?”

  “Graham never did anything to you,” she retorted bitterly. “Yet you killed him. How is it any different?”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” I remembered seeing Disco on the ground, betrayed by those he trusted, all because Graham Tavish wanted control of New York. “Your brother tried to kill my lover—my master. It is my duty to protect him. The comparison is weak, and you know it.”

  She laughed derisively. “It only goes to show just how little you know and understand about our world. Demons and their creations don’t ask for power. They take it. It’s been that way since the dawn of time. If your master was attacked and lost the battle, he was too weak to sustain the position. Your involvement only proves what I say to be true. Gabriel Trevellian should have died, not my brother.”

  “I wish Revenald hadn’t hauled ass out of here just so he could hear you say that. Somehow I don’t think he’d appreciate Graham’s involvement against one of his own. How do you think he’ll react when he learns your brother attempted to destroy his house? My survey says you fucked up. Big time.”

  She paled at my words and I bit back a grin. True, I might not know everything about the vampire and demon world, but I did know that Graham had instructed another vampire to kill Gabriel so that he could attempt to claim control of the city without going against Revenald. Half-demons didn’t fuck with half-demons. If Graham’s plan had worked, Revenald would never have known he’d been played.

  Demons and their fucked up games. How I hated them.

  “It doesn’t matter now. Graham is dead, and I’m next. I’ve heard the whispers, I know what you stated before you ended my brother’s life.”

  I shrugged. Couldn’t argue that. Give the girl a cookie. “You’re right, it doesn’t matter.”

  “Then why don’t you get it over with?” She never lowered her chin, keeping her head high. Christ, the bitch was as hoity-toity as she’d been when we’d met in the future. Even though I had the upper hand, she refused to acknowledge it. I supposed in a lot of ways I wasn’t surprised.
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  “I have a few questions for you,” I answered, studying her. “If you answer them honestly and stop being a bitch, I’ll make sure your death isn’t as bloody as Anton’s. And believe me, I want to see you bleed. I want you to suffer after what you did to my sister.”

  “I have an answer for you.” Her lips curved, creating a knowing leer. “How about no.”

  “No?”

  Her green eyes were full of defiance. “I won’t answer any of your questions.”

  I sighed, but it was all for show. I expected this. “I would say that’s too bad, but I’d be lying. Do you want to know why?”

  She snorted, flicking her head so waves of black fell around her shoulders. “Not really.”

  “Tough, because I’m going to show you.”

  I pulled the butterfly knives from my belt. I’d learned a long time ago that I was ambidextrous, though my right hand provided better aim and it was the one I wrote with. I flicked the blades open, listening to the melody of metal gliding apart only to come back together. With a flick of my thumbs, I engaged the spring clasps, locking the handles in place.

  I approached slowly, letting her see the weapons. Disco had sent them to me when he was trying to get back in my good graces. I was shocked when I learned they were silver. He could never handle the things, but I could. I remembered thinking it was his way of saying if I gave him another chance and he fucked it up, he’d give me something that would allow me to punish him for his stupidity. Bringing weapons into the bed—dangerous and kinky at the same time. Now I knew he trusted me even though I hadn’t trusted him. He willingly placed his life in my hands.

  “Let go,” I instructed the vampire holding Victoria’s right hand to the chair. As soon as he stepped aside, I lifted my arm over my head and brought the knife down. It punctured her skin, sinking past tissue and tendon, and the tip stopped when it lodged in the wood beneath her palm.