Infinitely Human

by Candace Blevins

  “The very thing that turned Nathan away from you endears you even more to me,” said Abbott. “Unfortunately, it also allowed you to send my Second into harm’s way. We’re going to have to find a way past it, but give me until he’s been returned.”

  “If there’s anything I can do to help him come to terms with whatever happened, I’ll do what I can.”

  “Is. Happening.”

  Abbott snapped the words out, and I could almost feel them breaking on my skin like a whip.

  I must’ve looked confused, because he added, “He’s experiencing it now, while you sit there with your ginger tea, he’s being tortured.”

  I sat a little straighter and held the angry vampire’s gaze. “I won’t apologize for it. My friend was cut off from this realm. Humans with him were stranded and could not return, when they’d only planned to be there for the day or the week. They thought they’d never see their families again. You have no idea what I had to go through to fix what he fucked up. I warned him I’d kill him if he used what he got out of my head to harm someone I cared about. I didn’t want to do that, so I found an alternative.”

  The chime sounded again, and I looked towards a mirror. It was faint, but I’d learned the outside cameras were flashed to it long enough for Bran to see. It was Nathan’s vehicle, and I saw other men with him before the image faded.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to greet them in the foyer.”

  I was gone before anyone had a chance to say a word. I understood why Abbott was pissed, and he understood why I’d done what I’d felt necessary — but that didn’t fix a damned thing.

  I didn’t stop in the foyer, but stepped out onto the front porch. Nathan, Duke, and Dawg exited the vehicle, and Dawg walked straight to me and hugged me, breathing in my essence until I worried about what he’d pick up.

  “Fuck, I was worried, but you’re still human.” He hugged me harder. “With a shit-ton of Lugat in you, but I barely smell the damned honey badger.”

  “I’m okay. I can even hold food down, so long as it’s bland.”

  He let go of me, and I looked at Nathan, who told me, “I was worried. I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Smokey?”

  “Someone is guarding your house and seeing to him. He’s eating up the attention.”

  “Thank you. I miss you.”

  I don’t know why I said it, and I regretted it the instant it was out, but I couldn’t call it back. Nathan had broken my damned heart, and I apparently wasn’t getting over him anytime soon.

  I waved to the door. “Abbott and Bran are inside.”

  Ferguson escorted us in and announced everyone, and then informed us he’d return with refreshments.

  I stared at Ryan, who was sitting on the sofa, right beside the spot I’d vacated a few moments earlier.

  “When did you arrive?”

  “I came in a side door.”

  Bran looked annoyed. Had Ryan defeated his security to come inside unannounced?

  Ferguson returned bearing a tray piled high with slider-sized hamburgers, and settled it on the center coffee table. He asked everyone what they’d like to drink, and took his leave again.

  Meanwhile, the men all shook hands and greeted each other.

  I chose a chair so no one could sit beside me. I was in a room with six men, and I’d slept with half of them. Not only that, but two of those three were pissed at me.

  But it would only be awkward if I focused on it.

  A few of the men were still engaged in small talk, but I had questions. I met Ryan’s gaze and asked, “How did you find me?”

  “Where else would you go after being torn apart by a honey badger? You were either dead, with Mordecai, or here.”

  I looked at Nathan. “How many people know about the honey badger?”

  “Everyone, and it didn’t come from us. The other side assumes you’re either dead or lost to us in the body of a giant honey badger.”

  I looked around the room. “I’m aware many of you have offered to give me refuge, but I’ll put you and the people you care about in danger by allowing you to hide me. I do need to hide for a few days, at least, until I regain my strength, but I can’t risk bringing danger to your doorsteps.” I looked to Nathan. “Can Drake Security let me hide out in a safe house?”

  “I can keep you safe without risking danger to anyone I care about,” said Ryan.

  “Are there people you care about?”

  He shrugged. “A technicality, but the offer’s there.”

  “I thought you were after a bounty?”

  He glanced at Nathan and looked back to me. “Others are after him. If they haven’t found him — or them — by the time you’re ready to re-enter society, I’ll pick up the hunt again. I don’t need the money. I enjoy the thrill of the chase, but guarding you always gives me new experiences, and those don’t come along every day.”

  I looked to Bran for advice, and he turned to Ryan. “Your word that if catastrophe happens and she’s killed, you’ll take the steps necessary to make sure she awakens Lugat — and that I’ll be given an opportunity to train her before you judge her as a vampire.”

  “My word.”

  Bran looked to me. “Make sure you agree to his terms, but if you do, he’s probably your best choice.”

  “Wait,” said Dawg. “We can send you to Gabby. Viper is there, and Horse, and a few others. She asked for you.”

  I looked at Ryan, and he said, “I know where they put her, and it isn’t safe for you in Faerie.”

  “No,” I agreed. “I’m not comfortable there. What are your terms?”

  Ryan was dressed in black combat pants and a black t-shirt. He pulled a folded sheet of paper from one of the many pockets on his pants, and slid it across the table. I caught it before it hit the floor, opened it, and read:

  I’ll take you and Smokey to a luxurious safe house with a nice view, and once you’re back in fighting shape, you’ll help me find out who owns Gabby’s father. If we haven’t found out in three months’ time, you’ll be off the hook. I know you’ll need to be home for the wolf stuff, but you’ll travel with me when you can be away.

  I looked up. “Agreed, with stipulations. Should we find another place to bargain in private, or do you trust my stipulations are reasonable?”

  “You’ve given me no reason to think you’ll be unreasonable. Shall we leave tonight, or do you need some more time for Bran to be sure you’re healed enough you won’t need any more of his blood?”

  “Let’s hold off until I awaken tomorrow, to be safe,” said Bran. “You’re welcome to stay here, if you’d like.” He looked at me. “I’m not opposed to you shooting home, grabbing Smokey, and shooting back. I believe Nathan has someone in your home to make sure no one brings harm to your dog while they believe you weak, so as long as they have a heads up, it should be safe.”

  I looked to Nathan and thanked him again, and he shrugged. “He’s important to both you and Lauren.”

  My eyes watered and I wanted to kick myself, but there was no way to keep from showing emotion. Even with my super-hearing, the room seemed too quiet. Everyone in the room realized they’d just seen an emotional moment, and it was awkward as fuck.

  Surprisingly, it was Abbott who rescued me by changing the subject. “If you can get Apollonius to agree to help spell your new home and some of the property, I’ll do my part for half price. It benefits us all to keep you alive.”

  I must’ve looked confused, because Nathan said, “It takes two powerful beings — and at least one has to have worldwide powers. Apollonius and Abbott work together well.”

  “We won’t be able to do it right away,” Abbott continued. “Once your new home’s built and you’ve lived in it long enough it feels like yours, let us know.”

  “I’ll talk to Cora. That has to be a decision we both make.”

  “If the hunt’s still on once you’re in fighting form, help me find the vampire everyone’s looking for and I’ll split the bounty wi
th you,” said Ryan. “It’ll more than pay the fees.”

  I was going to be helping him find out who the vampire was, taking the next step and actually helping to catch him might not be that big of a deal.

  Or, it could put me in the crosshairs again, much as it had when I’d helped him in Africa.

  “I’ll consider it.”

  “I’ll need to know where you take her,” said Nathan.

  Ryan met Nathan’s eyes at least five seconds before shaking his head. “No. I’ll arrange a way for you to get a message to her, but that’s all I can offer.”

  Nathan opened his mouth to argue, but I spoke first. “It’s basic security protocol and you know it. It’ll have to be okay. You lost the right to demand knowledge of my whereabouts.”

  Okay, so I should’ve just thought the last sentence and not said it, but I couldn’t take it back so I wouldn’t apologize.

  The lion flashed into his eyes a brief moment, but his body posture never changed.

  “I don’t have a right to ask for anything either,” said Dawg, “but if I can have some private time with you after the meeting, I’d appreciate it.”

  This wasn’t about sex — Dawg wouldn’t do that in this kind of meeting. There was something else going on, but for some reason he didn’t want to broadcast it. Was Gabby okay?

  “I’d love to chill out with you a little while. I’m still out of sorts, and your energy will help. Thanks.”

  “Anytime, darlin’.”

  I gave him a sideways smile that probably showed too much affection for our audience, but I couldn’t help it. I don’t want a relationship with Dawg, but I’m more than comfortable with our friends-who-fuck status. He’s a good guy — and sexier than anyone has a right to be.

  “Aaron won’t approve of you being out of our reach,” said Nathan.

  “No, he won’t, but it shouldn’t be for terribly long. If it is, we’ll find a plan B.” Before he could argue, I asked, “What was Mordecai fighting? It reminded me a little of a velociraptor.”

  Nathan’s head snapped to Abbott, who stared at me in shock, then looked to Nathan. “Why wasn’t I informed of this?”

  Nathan sighed. “We’re still sorting through the debrief, then we’ll bring you in.”

  “Wait,” I said. “Ya’ll are talking like I got it right. They’re extinct.”

  “As are dragons,” said Abbott.

  “They aren’t the velociraptor from the movie,” said Nathan, “but they’re so damned close, I have to wonder if someone in the know didn’t design the movie version. They’re born and not bitten, and the Concilio severely limits their numbers. They’ve always leaned to the dark side, but this puts them firmly on the side of the Celrau.”

  “In supernatural terms, we call them krausvelwan or caedes,” said Abbott. “Please do not call them velociraptors.”

  “Could one give Mordecai a run for his money?”

  “They’re nearly impossible to kill,” Nathan answered.

  “Enough,” said Bran. “I can only overlook so much.”

  More awkward silence, and I broke it by asking, “Does the Concilio limit honey badger numbers?”

  Everyone looked to Bran, who rolled his eyes. “Ryan can technically tell her.”

  “Honey badgers don’t give a fuck about anything, and pretty much hate everyone — even other honey badgers. The child of a human and honey badger will be human. It takes two honey badgers to make another, and it doesn’t happen often, so they kind of limit themselves.” He glanced at Bran and looked back to me. “Rumor has it their numbers started growing about twenty years ago, but we couldn’t verify anything. This is the third report of a honey badger attack in as many weeks, so I’m wondering if the rumors might have been true. I haven’t had to deal with one in nearly a decade, so either this one needs money and is getting around, or we’re seeing more of them allowed in society.

  “Allowed in society?” I asked.

  Bran answered this one. “As Ryan said, they don’t give a fuck about anyone or anything. They usually sell their children to a vampire, who raises the honey badger and releases them at twenty if they can control themselves. The Concilio tests them, and they aren’t released until they can pass the test. Not many manage.”

  I stared at him, speechless. If I even started asking questions, we’d get so far off track we’d never return, so I tried to get us back on track. “Should we be worried about Mordecai?”

  “I’m not,” said Nathan. “And I’d advise against you trying to find him.”

  Not an argument I’d win, but it didn’t matter. As soon as I was strong enough, I’d try.

  “Okay then. What did we learn?”

  “The Celrau have a caedes and at least one honey badger,” Nathan answered. “Also, it seems they have a host of half and quarter demons. We believe Killian was controlling the mist in the house, though we can’t be sure.” He sighed. “They all left at the same time. We don’t know if they got the signal electronically or telepathically, but once Gabby was gone, and then you’d left a second time, the rest left. We tried to follow, but the mist was confusing.”

  He pronounced caedes — the velociraptor shifter — as a kah-yay-dess, and I asked him to spell it for me. He looked to Bran, and Ryan answered with the correct spelling.

  “Do any of you know how to fight these bastards?” asked Duke. “If the honey badger skin was so armored Kirsten’s light staff couldn’t burn through it, do we have a hope of bullets penetrating it?”

  “It takes special ammo to get a honey badger’s attention,” said Nathan. “Armor piercing shit you don’t want to get caught with unless you want the judicial system to bury you under the jail.”

  “Not a big deal in a rifle,” said Dawg. “Just have to be careful with pistol ammo.”

  “Helpful when you know ahead of time you’re walking into a fight,” Nathan responded, “but not when you only have your everyday-carry weapon on you. As Kirsten discovered, the belly is a little softer, but they aren’t going to give you a shot from a distance. A shot to the eyeball works, but it’s nearly impossible to manage because of the way they move. If you happen to have armor piercing rounds, shoot for the body, not the head.”

  Nathan took a drink of his beer and continued. “The problem with the caedes is different — head on, they’re skinny and don’t present much of a profile. If you can shoot them from the side, it’s much easier. They have something between skin and scales under the feathers — a hollow-point nine just bounces off, but an FMJ forty-five will penetrate. Head on, though.” He shook his head. “Their chest is protected by a thick bony piece, and their head is nearly impossible to hit. Fierce motherfuckers. I’m surprised Mordecai didn’t use a long sword. My assumption is he wanted to take him alive.”

  “What about the legal armor piercing stuff,” I asked. “It’s legal because it’s a low caliber, right? The FN five-seven pistol, for instance.”

  “It can penetrate a level two-A Kevlar vest,” said Ryan. “Same as a nine-mil FMJ. We’ll need something that can penetrate a level four. I have a few AR15 pistols — they shoot five-five-six ammo and are legal, but are still far from being a carry weapon. We all need to stock up on M-eighty ammo and at least one trustworthy rifle to shoot them.”

  “We have a decent stock of the Micro and Mini-Draco AK47 pistols,” said Dawg. “Sounds like we need to pull more ammo in and have some practice sessions.”

  “Any chance you have them in the gun store for sale?” I asked.

  “Drake will supply you with one,” said Nathan. “Cora can work with you on how best to handle it.”

  “In a nutshell,” said Ryan, “we all need to focus on armor penetrating carry options. If you see something you’ve never fought before and have the option of leaving, you should probably do so. No one’s mentioned the half-demons yet, but they can be nasty in a fight, too. Some of them seem as if they’re wearing body armor, and I’ve run into a few that could actually catch the damned bullet and then fuck
ing laugh. These beings aren’t supposed to be here, but the definition of a bad guy is someone who doesn’t follow the rules. They’ve upped the ante, and we’re going to have to keep up.”

  “Ryan is correct,” said Abbott. “We’ve known the battle was approaching, and one of the first signs is always the appearance of creatures we don’t usually see.” He looked around the room and finally met Bran’s gaze. “Old friend, I know you’re obligated to report certain things, but you need to carefully consider where that information travels once it’s reported.”

  Bran didn’t respond in any way. He was as still as a statue. I don’t think he was even breathing.

  Abbott nodded to Bran and looked to me. “You need to attend our next supernatural meeting. I’m angry with you, but the time for infighting has passed. We’ll figure out a way to move past our differences.”

  “Kirsten should rightly be leading those meetings,” said Nathan.

  Fuck, but Nathan was going to screw things up even worse. “I’m happy for Abbott to lead them. He has the experience and power necessary to hold everyone together.”

  The thought went through my head that he hadn’t been able to control his Second, or the slave of his Second, and — too late — I realized I’d aimed the thought at him. I saw the instant he heard it, and his glare should’ve had me shrinking back into the chair, but I stood and glared at him.

  “Tell me I’m wrong.”

  I locked my shields down until Cora was probably worried, but it couldn’t be helped. Abbott stood, and his icy, menacing glare was meant to terrify me, but it pissed me off. I formed a light-staff and held it up defensively, and Nathan stepped between us.

  “Kirsten, I need you to disarm.”

  I held it steady. “Dawg, can you walk to me, please?”

  He stepped to me, I grasped his arm with my free hand, and took us through the nothingness to a seating area behind Bran’s house.

  12

  I absorbed my staff back into my energy field. “You wanted some private time with me?”