by Tobi Grim
“Start your way to mine, where is Sledge?”
Lupa hesitated to answer as she started running down the stairs, “Um… I don’t know…”
“Very well, I will inform him to come and retrieve you. If you cannot run far, hide yourself behind the building, I shall let Sledge know of your position.”
Lupa threw herself out the front doors, six or so skeletal bodies glanced at her with disinterest as she started running towards Hammer’s crib. The rain was still pouring, and she could feel her legs getting weak. What should she do? She stopped and leaned against a wall closing her eyes, breathing hard and fast.
“Get in,” Sledge was holding the door open from inside the car, Lupa threw herself in and wrapped her arms around herself. “Why you runnin’ from me?” Sledge sped the car towards Hammer’s.
“Doesn’t matter.” Lupa started shivering, her vision starting to blur again. “I won't be long…”
“Lupa? Lupa!”
Black things slivering over her skin… red dust… an eye… the people holding her down again, she couldn’t take it…. she wouldn’t let them do this to her again, she would fight back… screaming… her arm breaking….
“Sit her up, Sledge, I fear our wolf witch is about to vomit…”
Lupa felt the strong hands of Sledge sitting her up again as her stomach heaved. She tasted blood, but she couldn’t see. She forced her eyes open, she was back at Hammer’s place, blood covered the floor making her sick again. Blood pouring out of her mouth…
“Are you able to understand me, Little Red?” Hammer’s face was peering at her, a gentle look in his eyes.
“Yes…” Lupa whimpered, “Why is there so much blood?”
She watched Hammer glance over to Sledge, “First, which floor were you being held on?”
“Um… I think it was the third… I was about halfway down the hall…” Lupa turned to see Sledge leaving in a hurry. “Why?”
“Sledge would like to… have a word with this fellow. Now, I have already removed the thing from your stomach, do you remember?”
“No…”
“Very well, it seems this spell is affecting you worse each time you enter it. You will need to be more careful, my beautiful witch, I would be anguished if anything were to befall you…” Hammer leaned against the table she sat on and handed her a cigarette, lighting it for her, “I am unsure as to why the blood… came out of you this way. But it is disturbing to see the acceleration of how this magick is affecting you. When Sledge brought you to me, you were draining him of energy, and your body was as cold as a corpse.”
Lupa looked at the bloodied butt of her smoke and took a drag, trying to not react; trying not to think about the dark place too much, “That doesn’t sound good.”
“No, my beauty, it was not. And when I touched you, I believe I experienced your emotions, and I saw… what I believe you may have been seeing in that dark place of yours. I suspect Sledge has felt this before?”
“Yeah…” Lupa let her gaze wander to Hammer’s concerned face. “Don’t look at me like that. I feel crappy enough, I don’t need your fake concern.”
“I assure you it is not fake, but very well.” Hammer smiled at her and held his hands up, “I surrender to the wolf witch’s will.”
“Yeah, yeah, you got anything I can… take to stop this sick feeling? And… these thoughts?”
Hammer cocked his head and stood up, “Come with me, my sweet, you can clean yourself up as well. Then perhaps we can have a little chat.”
“Whatever.”
Lupa placed her shaking hand in the one he held out, not caring about the blood she smeared onto his. She allowed him to help her to the door and down the stairs. Her legs were trembling, and her whole body felt beaten.
✽ ✽ ✽
Lupa sat down next to Hammer in the jukebox room, she’d cleaned all the blood off her face and neck, and taken a little white pill supplied by Hammer; she felt much better now. The shaking seemed to have subsided and her mind didn’t seem to be wandering to the dark thoughts.
“Sledge will join us shortly,” Hammer said, handing her a glass of the green stuff, “But before he arrives… would you mind enlightening me as to why you ran from him?”
Lupa shrugged and lit a smoke, “I dunno. Just felt… weird. I know I shouldn’t have… I don’t really know that part of Blackwater very well… it was stupid.”
“Perhaps, or perhaps not. It is not for me to judge, wolf witch, but it was rather unfortunate that you ended up where you did. When I cut your stomach open again, the black thing inside you was larger than the previous one. And… you changed again.”
Lupa let her eyes meet Hammer’s, “More?”
“Yes. Your mouth had fangs as well this time. Sledge could not see, of course, but I did. It would seem this magick is bringing something out in you… and it is another development I do not understand. I was unaware that a wolfblood could lay dormant inside a person…”
“It can’t,” Lupa tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned back, “Well… not like it seems to be doing. Usually a wolfblood finds out how much they can transform by the time they are thirteen; if they only have yellow eyes by that age, then that will be all they ever have. Unless they have never known, and then sometimes tasting… blood can unlock it. But I have been… in contact with blood many times before. It doesn’t make sense… although, considering his spells seem to be geared to expose witches, perhaps it is forcing the wolfblood inside me out…” Lupa didn’t really want to think about it, but she felt pretty out of herself now. She could discuss it as though it were happening to someone else. Anyone else. “I guess once I have killed The Eastern Man I should return to normal.”
“There is only one way to find out, wolf witch, and that is to do it. Would you like some more pills to take with you? I understand that you would not wish to be seeing that place again should you have the opportunity to avoid it.”
“Yeah,” Lupa pulled out her wallet, she only had a hundred cash on her, “As much as this gets me.”
Hammer tucked the money into the inside of his jacket and pulled out a small bag with twenty or so pills in it, placing it into her hand but not letting go, “I give these to you because I felt that place, my beautiful witch, not because I wish to encourage a drug habit. Had I all those memories in my own mind…”
“Ok,” Lupa pulled her hand away, “I just… don’t want to think about it right now. I don’t mind talking to you about it… but not right now.”
Hammer nodded solemnly and then gave her a wide smile, “I believe Sledge has returned, and I think he has brought a couple of friends with him.”
As if on cue, Sledge walked in with a woman over his shoulder, and the filthy man being dragged by his hair. “This bein’ him?” He picked the squealing man up for Lupa to see.
“Yep,” she searched the man over with a small smile on her lips. He looked a lot worse for wear now, his face had been brutalised and one of his arms hung at a strange angle. “Who’s the woman?”
Sledge dropped her on the floor and Lupa stood up in shock. “Knowin’ her?”
“Fucking do, mother-fucking bitch!”
Isabella’s eyes were wide as she looked from Lupa, to Hammer and then back to Lupa again, “Don’t know…”
But Lupa punched the girl in the mouth, her wrist splitting open as she did. “Fuck you!” Lupa looked up at Sledge, “Does she look familiar?”
Sledge searched the crying girls face, nodding slowly, “Lookin’ a bit like what you did…”
“Too fucking right, I think her mother… fuck!” Lupa turned to Hammer, “Are you able to break blood magick spells?”
“Some, yes.” Hammer stood and undid the buttons on his jacket, taking it off slowly and laying it on the couch. Undoing and removing his tie, he then began rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, “Are you thinking she is the one with the Mitasyon?”
“Her, or her mother. I’m not sure, but my wrist…” she held it up for Hammer to
see the wound that was closing itself over.
“Very well. Sledge, please hold this girl down for me.”
“No!” Isabella tried to move away from Sledge but he slammed her down on the ground with his eyes cold and hard, “Please, I don’t… I don’t know anything!”
“Wolf witch, could you please give me your hand?” Hammer was kneeling next to the struggling girl, “And maybe sit on her legs.”
Lupa sat on Isabella’s legs and slowly put her hand in Hammer’s. What was he going to do? Lupa knew almost instantly as her hand was gripped by his, she could feel her magick travelling down her arm and into Hammer’s. He was using her magick to boost his own… clever. Lupa smiled down at the teenager who was trying in vain to move away.
Hammer placed his other hand on the girl’s forehead, dragging his nail down it and splitting it open, letting the blood trickle down her face as she screamed and tried to turn away. No one reacted or payed any attention to her.
“Mwen pran pouvwa fanm sa a nan, pouvwa sa a ap pou mwen, epi li pral devwale,” Hammer angled his finger like a spade and plunged his hand into the girls chest, blood spraying over them all, “Tolli sanguinem magicae prope omnes rivos ejus, potestas mihi et terrae redditur.” Hammer removed his hand and watched as the wound closed over, Isabella’s eyes rolled back into her head and they watched as her face changed…
“Mother-fucker…” Lupa stood up, “She’s a fucking wolfblood… it was her mother…”
“The spell would have had to be created before she could be sensed,” Hammer stood up, walking over to the bar and began wiping his hands on a paper towel, “When does that happen, Little Red?”
“A week after the child is born… depending on how strong the wolfblood is, when it’s born if it were a pureblood. I would say for her, about a week… so the mother must have hidden her… shit. I didn’t even know such a thing existed… why did she grow up if the spell was on her?”
“I think the better question, my lovely little wolf witch, is who cast the spell on her? She has no magick within her, so her mother could not have had the power…” Fuck. So fifteen years ago… shit, how was Lupa supposed to find that out? “I suspect, my dear witch, that someone came for their pay up from her mother, and when she refused whatever the payment was, Blackmoars was attacked.”
“You think?” Lupa didn’t see why… unless… “But the spell that Sledge saw… and…”
“I cannot guess the specifics, my wolf witch, as I do not have all the information, but I know my smart, little witch will find who is responsible. You may let her go now Sledge, I shall call Marcus to come and put these two somewhere… safe.”
Hammer pulled his phone out of his suit pants, placing it to his ear as he began undoing the buttons of his shirt. Lupa zoned out as she watched his skin appearing from underneath the material… fuck. She turned away and looked over to Sledge who was glaring at the two on the ground.
“Thanks… for finding them,” Lupa nibbled her lips as Sledge let his eyes meet hers.
“Aint needin’ to thank me. I aint lettin’ anyone hurt you and get away with it.” His eyes wandered away from hers.
“Well, Marcus is on his way.” Hammer pulled his shirt off and threw it on the couch, “I apologise for getting blood on the both of you, would you like to clean yourselves up here? Or will you be returning home, wolf witch?”
Lupa let her eyes wander over Hammer’s body, trying to stop her own from reacting to it, knowing he knew exactly what was running through her head. Fuck. “Umm… I might go home…”
“Very well, Sledge? Would you mind taking our witch back to her abode? Wonderful. Perhaps Sledge should stay with you, my beauty, our Eastern Man may be a little put out and I would not wish for anything to happen to you.”
Lupa smiled at Hammer as he kissed her cheek, feeling her body wanting to press against his. It wasn’t really a question, Sledge would be going with her and staying, whether she liked it or not. Because Lupa suspected that under the fake or whatever concern, Hammer needed her magick to be able to fight The Eastern Man.
Chapter nineteen
“Not all threats are wolfblood…”
Sledge grabbed Lupa’s arm as she went to cross the road to her apartment, she peered up at his face questioningly, but his eyes were scanning the street. She turned and looked around as well, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.
“That bein’ Hawk’s van, right?”
“Yeah… why?”
“Just checkin’. Lookin’ like whoever was watchin’ before is gone.” He gently let her arm go and shut the car door, “You feelin’ a’right?”
Lupa slid her key into the door and unlocked it, frowning a little, “Yeah… as alright as I can be.” She walked up to her apartment door and cocked her head, “Can you hear…” she quickly unlocked her door and pushed it open, not stepping through.
Music was blasting from her stereo, but all the lights were off. Lupa slid her hand through the doorway and flicked the main light on, scanning the brightened lounge room. Sledge moved so close to her that she could feel his heart beating.
“You aint leavin’ that on?”
“No way… you feel anything?”
“Aint feelin’ anythin’, I’ll go in first though, you dun stayin’ there.” Lupa moved out of the way and Sledge went in, looking around the room, walking over to her stereo and turning the music down, “Aint feelin’ nothin’ magick. But you aint gonna like what’s here…”
Lupa ran in and over to where he was standing, a piece of paper in his hand. She ripped it out of his fingers and quickly read the small note.
Do not get involved, or your Protector dies.
Brief, but to the point. Lupa felt the floor rushing up to meet her, but Sledge caught her and lay her gently on the lounge, “Wantin’ me to go and knock at his place?”
Lupa put a shaky hand to her head and nodded. But she had a pretty fucking strong suspicion he wouldn’t be there. Fuck. Would they hurt him anyway? Would they fucking kill him? Where was he? Lupa closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she heard Sledge’s loud knock echoing down the hallway.
“You mindin’ if I break the door?” Sledge’s face in her doorway.
“No, go for it,” Lupa got up and crossed over to him, following him back to Dameon’s door. One swift kick was all it needed, Lupa tucked her hand into Sledge’s large rough one; her heart pounding. “Ok…”
Sledge looked down at her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, but let it go as he stepped in and turned the lights on. Lupa sighed in relief, Dameon was passed out on the couch, she could see his chest rising up and down…wait. He hadn’t woken from the noise?
“Is he… ok?” Lupa took a cautious step forward.
“Thinkin’ he under some kinda fuckin’ magick, he feelin’… strange. You wantin’ to leave him here?”
“No, let me call…” Lupa bit her lip. What would Slasher say about Sledge being with her? Fuck it. She didn’t give a shit. She pulled up Slasher’s number and pressed call.
“Yeah?” A sleepy voice greeted her.
“Hey Slasher, I need someone out at mine. Hawk’s been put under a spell and I can’t wake him. There was… a threatening note left in my apartment too. I don’t want to leave him here…”
“On it. Someone will be there shortly, are you alright? Do you want to come stay with me?”
“No thanks, I’m ok. Just… get someone to take him somewhere safe.”
Lupa hung up before Slasher could say anything else, Sledge was looking at her with an eyebrow raised. “You needin’ me to leave for a bit?”
“No. Slasher can get fucked if she has anything to say.” Lupa lit a smoke and sat beside Dameon, stroking his hair absentmindedly.
“How you goin’ to explain why I bein’ here?” Sledge shifted his weight uncomfortably, not quite looking at her.
“You’re my friend? It’s none of her fucking business.”
“Aint sure you be thinkin’ that when she dun gi
vin’ you the talkin’ to again.”
“Do you want to go, Sledge? Because if that’s what you’re getting at then I understand, but just fucking say it if that’s what you mean.”
Sledge searched her face then gave her a grin, “A’right, I stayin’. But you might regret it in the mornin’. Want me to open the other door so they can be gettin’ in?”
Lupa shrugged and peered down at Dameon. He looked ok… he didn’t seem to be in any pain… just knocked out… but not like The Organization’s magick… she could feel the anger bubbling inside her. She was going to fuck this guy up. How fucking dare he! It was one thing to fuck with her, but fucking with people she cared about… fuck him. She couldn’t wait to fucking kill him. She smiled, oh yes, she would enjoy it very much.
“Little Red?”
Lupa looked up to see Slasher and Sledge eyeing each other off, “You bring anyone with you?”
“Um… I have Tank he’s just parking the car, we were just going to take him back to my place…” Slasher glanced from Sledge to Lupa, “Can we talk?”
“You need to take Hawk with you,” Lupa said as Tank entered the room while he gave Sledge a once over, “I don’t have time to talk.”
Tank walked over and picked Dameon up, giving Slasher and Lupa a nervous look before leaving the room. Sledge rubbed the back of his neck and followed him out. Lupa supposed that he was going back to her place.
“What are you fucking doing with him?” Slasher hissed.
“He’s my friend, Slasher.” Lupa stood up and folded her arms.
“I’m taking you two off the case, we have people from The Force coming down now to deal with it.”
“What happened to the teenagers?”
“It doesn’t matter to you now, it isn’t your fucking case anymore. You are being… so fucking reckless, Lupa, after what I told you about Sledge you’re still hanging out with him?!”
“Fucked him too.” Lupa smiled sweetly at Slasher, “Now what happened to the teenagers, Commander?”
Slasher’s eyes widened, “Excuse me?!”
“Doesn’t fucking matter. I know at least one of them got away. Fuck, Slasher, just butt out.”
