“I’m not worried about Celine right now,” Zane sneered, “That conniving little bitch can rot in whatever fresh hell she’s planted herself in for all I care! It’s Serena I’m worried about!”
Zoey nodded, “And we’re going to save her now. No more waiting.”
“‘No more waiting,’” Zane smirked, “I like that. It feels a lot more satisfying to hear than ‘have hope.’”
Zoey laughed, “Well, let’s just agree that both are good in their own ways, shall we?”
“Fair enough. I just hope that Raith was able to work more of his atlas-magic to figure out where Maledictus is hiding out now,” Zane sighed.
“I don’t think we’re going to need much magic—either real or atlas-related—” Zoey smirked at him, “Or have you not been hearing the buzz?”
Zane frowned, “What buzz?”
“Word on the street is there was a massive attack on a small neighborhood house. Family was terrorized—most of them killed—and an auric who had been nearby called in a report that said that ‘the devil had stolen their house.’”
“Holy fucking shit,” Zane shook his head, “That psychopath doesn’t believe in subtlety anymore, does he?”
“It would certainly appear not. Oh, and there’s one more thing,” Zoey smiled, her eyes lighting up.
“And what’s that?” Zane raised an eyebrow.
“Call this an incentive—I won’t give away any details—but Serena’s got some big news waiting for you,” Zoey winked.
“What do you mea—”
“Zane? What’s going on?” Raith’s voice interrupted their conversation as he stepped up behind them.
“Come find me when you two are finished,” Zoey grinned.
Sighing, he watched his blue-haired friend skip away as he turned to Raith, who looked just as curious as Zane was feeling. He shook his head, preparing to tell Raith exactly what he’d just found out himself.
“That’s fucked up, man,” Raith sighed. “Nikki will be glad to know though. She was starting to think that the entire curse-thing was her fault.”
“Why would she even think that?” Zane shook his head.
Raith looked up at him, “Do you really think you’re in a position to judge the unnecessary burdens people put on themselves?”
Zane frowned at that, looking down. “You’re right…”
Raith shrugged, “No worries. That’s what best buddies do; they bust each other’s balls when balls need to busted. So consider your balls busted and know that I’ve got your back, mate.”
“Thanks, Raith,” Zane smiled. “I really can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.” He sighed, turning to press his head against the wall. “So Zoey said that there was a bunch of talk about an attack on a residential home that’s obviously Maledictus. You heard about that?”
“You’re joking, right? There might not be too many people wandering the halls of the clan right now, but it’s kinda hard to miss the chatter. The address is everywhere if somebody knows what they’re looking for, but nobody has the balls to go near there after what they’ve heard.”
Zane smirked, “Well I guess I should thank you again for busting my balls, ‘cause now I don’t need ‘em to just mosey on in, I suppose.”
Raith laughed, “I’m not sure it works that way, but I still love the way you think.”
“So I take it you’re in?” Zane looked over, hopeful.
“Fuckin’ A, mate! You helped bring Nikki and me back together, the least I can return the favor. Besides, I owe Serena a major debt of gratitude.”
Zane frowned, cocking an eyebrow towards him, “You do?”
“You know it! See, that girl went and turned the mopey asshole that my best friend had become into a total badass hellion,” Raith winked.
“Total badass hellion, huh?”—he smirked as Raith nodded—“I like the sound of that, I guess I owe Serena a pretty major debt too, then.”
Raith smirked and slapped his shoulder, “Glad to hear you talking some sense. Now, let’s go get the others and save your woman!”
20
Reunited
Zane and Zoey fell into place behind Raith and Isaac, the four of them hidden from any potential onlookers as they crossed over two sets of lawns—having parked the car two streets over to avoid tipping off Maledictus with their arrival. Zoey had told Nikki to stay back for this mission to keep an eye on any other activity in their surveillance center…
As well as to have an eager and able-bodied fighter perched back at the clan if Celine dared to show her face.
Though Nikki had looked like she was ready to argue with everything up until that point, the mention of Celine and the potential that she might get to sink her sais into one of the manipulative deceivers behind all of their past tragedies was too good a chance to turn down.
As they came up to the house—a plain-looking, nondescript two-story white home with blue shudders and a matching door—Zoey held up her hand for them to hold their positions while she scanned inside to get an idea of the area.
Letting her aura prove the inside of the house, Zoey shivered from the uncomfortable frigidness; an unnatural chill that ran over her body. Noticing this, the others turned towards her, Isaac—already in his therion form along with Raith—stepped over to her and cocked his head, offering a sympathetic whimper.
Offering him a smile, she nodded that she was okay and motioned towards the house, meeting Zane’s nervous gaze as the others awaited her response.
She’s in there, she nodded. Once we’re in, I’m going to get to her first to set up a shield around her and give her some synth-blood. The shield will offer some protection, but if Maledictus is as strong as I think he is it won’t be enough if he attacks us directly.
Zane nodded, clearly eager to kick some ass.
So cold; she was so cold…
Serena could barely pry her eyes open, let alone lift herself from the corner of the bathroom. Maledictus had thrown her into the bathtub days ago…
No… not days. How long had she been there?
Minutes felt like hours; hours like weeks; and days…
She couldn’t wait any longer.
The only thing keeping her breathing was the hope that Zoey and the others might be able to track her down again…
And she’d get to see Zane again.
To hold him again.
To see their child…
Just a little longer, baby…
The house shook as though in response to her silent mantra, and her eyes fluttered open.
“Z-Zane…” she whimpered, blinking at her own voice.
What made her so certain it was…
But even then, in a moment of clarity, she couldn’t shake the feeling that…
She smiled, hearing Maledictus curse somewhere in the house.
“Th-they got you… you fuck-stain!” she groaned.
Serena, mustering the strength to get to her hands and knees and crawl towards the door—to crawl as far as the chains would allow her—and she struggled to offer voice or aura enough to call out to them
Then the bathroom’s door was torn from its hinges, and there, on the other side—like a picture of an angel—was Zoey.
“You’re… you’re here,” Serena cried out, tears streaming down her face. “Zoey! Y-you really made it! Thank you…”
“We’re all here, hun. All of us, and we’re getting you out of here! We’re taking you home!” Zoey whispered, pulling Serena against her and flooding her body with a wave of warm energies as she threw up an auric barrier at the door and pulled a flask of synth-blood from one of her pockets. “Here. It might taste like—”
Serena snatched the flask and scrambled with the cap, her shaky fingers refusing to close tightly enough to offer any grip. As the desperation to get to the contents grew, she began to whimper and sob again.
“Oh god, Zoey… I though-I thought I was going to die. I kept… kept fighting and fighting him—the things he said; the things he tried
to do!—b-but he never got me, Zoe,” Serena looked her in the eye and she shook her head. “H-he beat me a-a-and tortured me… b-but I never let him have me, Zoe.”
Zoey nodded, smiling and holding her friend; reaching out with her aura and helping her unscrew the flask. “I believe you, Serena. You’re a total badass, and you held out for just as long as you had to.”
Serena started to choke down the synth-blood, coughing as the first wave of liquid reached her parched throat. Just as quickly as her starved body tried to reject the horrible-tasting substance, however, it was just as quick to see it for what it was and drive her to gulp the rest of the contents.
As the magic and science began to take effect on her battered and starved system, Serena’s eyes began to spark back to their normal vitality.
“Where’s Zane?” she finally asked.
“Kicking Maledictus’ ass, probably going to kill him.” Zoey smiled at the thought.
Serena smiled as well, nodding to herself. “Then we’ll get out of here.”
“That’s right,” Zoey agreed. “Then we’ll get out of here.”
Serena sighed, looking up at her. “I… I want to apologize.”
Zoey frowned at that, “What do you mean? You don’t have to—”
Serena shook her head, “Please. I had a lot of time to think of this, and I really need to say this.” She took a deep breath, “I’ve always tried to be the big bad bitch—putting up this mask to keep others from getting too close to me”—she let the breath out slowly—“But I don’t want to be that girl anymore, Zoe. I needed you all more than I ever realized, and, even unconscious you came to me and promised you’d save me… and here you are.” She let her head fall into Zoey’s chest, exhaustion taking her then, “I’m so sorry if I ever made you feel like I didn’t care or that I didn’t need you; nothing could be further from the truth.”
Zoey stroked her hair, keeping the warm, positive energies flowing “It’s okay, Serena,” she reassured her, “I know; I knew all along. And everyone else knows, too.” She smirked, “You’re a badass, Serena, not an actress.”
“Thank you, Zoe,” Serena smiled and snuggled closer to her friend as the sounds of chaos grew.
She felt safe now, safer than she had in so long. Her friends had come, Zane had come! She would make it!
We did it, baby. We made it!
Zane wanted nothing more than to run to Serena; to run to her and to hold her and to never let her go.
But first, there was the little matter of the creature responsible for the hell they’d all been through.
Maledictus leered in front of him and the two therions, “How nice of you and your wretched bloodhounds to stop by.”
Raith and Isaac started to advance, but a vicious snarl from Zane stayed them.
“Let me have him,” Zane pushed past the two, surprising them and himself with how easily he knocked both of the towering beasts off balance.
Maledictus chuckled, “Oh this should be fucking rich! Is this your act of vengeance again—FUCK!”
Zane snarled, not letting the monster finish as he jumped into overdrive, dropping in on Maledictus with enough force to throw both of them across the living room and into the kitchen. All the while, Zane, roaring and cursing every day he’d ever been burdened by Maledictus, continuously threw punch after punch into the shocked monster’s face. Zane didn’t even give Maledictus the chance to say or do anything.
When his mouth opened to offer an obscenity, Zane punched it shut and punished him for trying with another five to his face.
When he tried to move to block or counterstrike, Zane would break the bone of whatever moved and punished him for trying by breaking another two.
Finally, battered, broken, and bleeding all over the place, Maledictus was able to pull himself free from Zane’s attacks. Starting to move away, the lumbering monster stumbled—time and time again losing his footing and crashing into something that impacted a broken bone or scraped an open wound—and drove Zane to seek more.
Zane, however, had grown addicted to the feel of the monster’s body breaking under his skin, and as he started to slip into sudden withdrawals he let out a low growl as he lunged, snatching a grease-caked frying pan that was waiting on the stovetop and bring it down hard again and again on Maledictus.
“YOU DARED TO TOUCH HER, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU PUT HER THROUGH HELL AND THOUGHT I WOULDN’T RIP YOU TO PIECES? DUMB MOTHERFUCKER!”
He couldn’t lose this one again.
He would finally kill the bastard!
For everything he had done.
To him!
To Serena!
To anyone who’d ever been hurt by him!
Zane pushed forward, barely registering his body’s growing exhaustion at all the energy he’d used. However, as the fire in his muscles began to hinder his blows, the chances of finishing the task…
Maledictus let out a roar—something, then several things, roaring back—and Zane froze under the unexpected response to the monster. The pause, though brief, was long enough to allow Maledictus a chance to turn and begin his retreat.
“No you don’t, fucker!” Zane growled, jumping after him and grabbing the base of his tail before driving a powerful kick to his lower back.
With a loud, wet, meat-tearing sound, the second tail was torn free from Maledictus, leaving a partially exposed tailbone that wagged furiously as its owner howled in pain.
Maledictus’ pained hollers were music to Zane’s ears as he unsheathed his katana, raising it above his head for the kill shot.
As he moved to slice, he was thrown back by something that dove in to defend Maledictus, and, stumbling back, Zane watched as his target vanished into overdrive and fled.
“Son of a fucking bitch!” Zane growled, turning to face whatever had distracted him, narrowing his eyes in the creature’s direction. “Oh fuck…”
Perched on all fours on the dining room table was a pale-faced, partially-skinned naked body of an elderly woman.
Zane groaned.
It was a step up from vermin.
Maledictus was officially raising the dead!
He retched at the sight, imagining an army of naked grannies missing chunks of skin scuttling around.
“And I thought he was disgusting, before…”
The old-corpse chattered at him before finally bellowing a strange, gyrating growl.
Two sets of twin vocals replied behind him.
Turning, Zane watched as several more dead bodies lumbered towards him, and he finally turned to Raith and Isaac, whose faces—ones of disgust and disappointment—mirrored his own.
“Destroy them,” he ordered, shaking his head and feeling no pride in what had to be done. “They are already dead!”
The two therions quickly snatched up one body each and went to work dismembering them in their own, personal preference.
Zane, sighing—again—turned to Golem impersonating elderly corpse, “Sorry, Granny, it ain’t personal.”
None of the three could take any pride in what they’d accomplished, still burdened with the awareness that Maledictus had escaped. Zane, however, wiping the blood from his katana and sheathing it, was already beginning to think of—
Zane, the others are taken care of! Get up here and he—
Before Zoey even finished her auric message to him, Zane had already rushed up the stairs—ignoring his body’s screaming muscles and burning exhaustion—to the bathroom, where he scooped up Serena in his arms and held her so close to him it hurt.
“Serena! I’m so sorry… I tried; I tried to find you. I looked every—”
Serena ran her fingers across his face, smiling as her fingertips met warm flesh and blood. “Shut up and kiss me, Zane… I’ve waited too long and fought too hard for more misery.”
He didn’t need to be told twice.
Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers.
As the kiss parted, the two of them seeming suddenly lighter with the passing of the act,
Serena smiled up at him. “I was so afraid. I was… I was worried we would die without you finding out.”
“Find out? W-wait… did you say ‘we’?” Zane blushed.
“I’m pregnant, Zane,” Serena beamed. “You’re going to be a father.”
21
Love You to Death
~ONE WEEK LATER~
“Serena, should we really be doing this with your condition?” Zane called out as he fought to catch up to her.
“Just try to stop me!” Serena grinned, jumping off another rooftop and scaling up the ladder before hurling her body onto the neighboring rooftop. Still hauling in a full sprint and using the momentum of her consecutive jumps to propel her further and further to each new rooftop.
She was free!
Truly free!
Jumping on the ledge of a building, she paused to let Zane catch up and took a deep breath of the crisp night air. As Zane jumped to the ledge beside her, she smiled over at her lover. He grinned at her, shaking his head as he sat back against the edge of the building’s roof and let his legs dangle over the edge.
“You know, this parkour thing… I am still getting used to it,” he shook his head, chuckling. “You think that maybe you can cut me a break and—you know?—not move so fucking fast?”
She smirked, winking at him, “You’ll never learn that way, baby; you gotta feel forced to keep up, or else you’ll never feel driven to even try. Trust me, it’ll come eventually.”
“Uh-huh,” he sighed, shaking his head, “This coming from a natural who was trained by a parkour-pro rogue, my confidence is an overflowing cup. Hoo-fucking-ray!”
Serena smirked, “You know, technically it was your aura inside that parkour-pro’s body at the time.”
“Now that’s not fair,” Zane scowled. “It’s obviously the body! Just look at Raith! This parkour shit wasn’t a thing—least I don’t think it was—when he was in his original body, but the moment you put him in Mister Parkour-pro he’s bouncing around the walls like fucking Spider-Man! It’s obviously not the driver in this case, it’s the vehicle. And, while we’re on the subject, are you sure it’s alright to be doing all this bouncing and running when you’re pregnant?”
Scarlet Night: The Complete Trilogy Page 60
