by CJ Ellisson
“Jesus! Will you put that thing down before you hurt yourself? With the way you’re swinging it around, I ought to be happy people can’t die twice!”
Exhausted, Lily slumped against the headboard. She hadn’t slept much in the past weeks. Two weeks to be exact. That’s all it had been since Terry died, and it wasn’t too long afterward that she appeared in her new ethereal form. Lily exhaled, placing her gun on the nightstand and taking a cigarette from the pack next to the cheap lamp bolted to the pressed wood. She stuck the stick between her lips, lit it, and blew smoke into the already musty air. The room was dim, the ambient light from the motel’s neon vacancy sign its only illumination.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Terry said from across the room.
“Which? Smoke, or wake up screaming from nightmares haunting me since the night you were murdered? Take your pick.”
“Neither, but you don’t have to be so bitchy about it.”
“Hmmmff. What time is it?” Lily asked, squinting at the clock radio adjacent to her gun.
“Almost eleven p.m.”
Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, Lily stretched. “Time to get moving.” With a wink, she took one last drag of her cigarette before stubbing it out in the half-filled ashtray. “It’s almost witching hour.”
She padded barefoot into the bathroom and snapped on the light. Its harsh fluorescent glare made her lack of sleep all the more obvious. She grimaced at her own reflection.
The water in the tap was cold, but she splashed her face anyway, despite the gooseflesh that spread across arms. Lily looked up, water droplets dripping from her chin to her chest, to see Terry’s translucent form staring back at her from the mirror.
“Don’t do this tonight, Lily. This isn’t who you are.”
Lily grabbed a towel from the wire rack above the sink and patted her face dry. “Yeah, well, maybe that was true two weeks ago, but not anymore.”
She dropped the towel onto the edge of the sink and walked out, leaving the bathroom light on as she headed to the small round table in the corner. On top, sat enough weaponry to outfit a small army.
“Lily, please…,”
“Shut up, Terry. This isn’t your concern,” she answered, not bothering to look up as she loaded another clip into the magazine of her gun.
“It certainly is my concern! You’re my concern! Lily, for Christ’s sake, revenge is not the answer!”
Lily’s lip curled. “Yeah, but it feels fucking great,” she shot back, but quickly lost her satisfied smile when she saw tears glistening like diamonds on her friend’s cheek.
Momentarily stunned, Lily didn’t realize shades could cry. Great, one more thing my psychic ability failed to pick up on.
With a sigh, she put the gun down and walked around the bed to where her friend sat—well sort of sat—on the edge of the dresser. “Terry, don’t.”
Lily reached toward her friend then shoved her hands into her pockets. She wanted to hug Terry, tell her it would be okay, but couldn’t. Her hand would pass through, anyway.
At the impotent feeling, her anger bubbled to the surface again. It was fathomless, and every time she thought of what happened, it crashed through her thin calm veneer, flooding her with bitterness. Pressing her lips together, she fisted her hands inside her black leather jeans, steeling herself against the onslaught.
“Lil, you’ve got to stop this. It’s not doing either of us any good. What’s done is done. What, you want to get yourself killed so you can join me? I’m a shade because I chose to stay on this plane, even though my time here is done. I’ve made my peace with what happened. Why can’t you? You’re the only reason I’m choosing to stay earthbound. You need to get past all this hate and resentment, for both of us.”
She didn’t say a word, but sat on the edge of the bed and continued to pack her weapons. She could hear Terry’s frustrated sigh behind her but said nothing.
“I’ve watched your guilt and your anger eat at you, driving you crazy since I died. I convinced myself that it, too, would pass. Never in a million years did I think you were serious about this revenge ride you’ve been on—that is until you started your little practice runs. Christ, Lily! You tracked another vampire last night! What are you looking to do, become a vigilante against the entire supernatural world?”
Lily shrugged. “Pretty much.”
It amazed Lily how easy it was to recognize supes now that she was attuned to them. She had spotted the vampire last night as it tracked potential prey in Grand Central.
As much as she hated to give them credit, the bloodsuckers were patient hunters, but then again so was she.
She watched the supe focus on a solitary male as he headed unsuspectingly out the Forty Second Street exit. But wasn’t until its potential victim crossed Fifth Avenue and passed the darkened entrance to Bryant Park that it attacked.
Stepping out of the shadows, Lily pointed her gun at the vampire’s head. “Hungry tonight?” she taunted. The fanged creature jerked its head in her direction and hissed, baring fangs.
What sounded like a half-swallowed whimper sprang from its victim, followed by the pungent smell of urine as the terrified guy stood too scared to move.
“Now would be a good time to run,” she said not taking her eyes off the vampire. Reading the creature’s fury and its thirst, Lily knew it was going to strike. With its fangs dripping saliva, the vampire lunged, its clawed hands reaching for her throat, but Lily was ready.
She swung her crossbow from under her duster and shot the bloodsucker point blank in the chest with a wooden arrow. The leech didn’t even see it coming.
“Well at least this kill didn’t make the papers,” Terry grumbled, her voice an aggravated sigh.
“Vampires are already dead, Terry, they just turn to ash when you stake them. There wouldn’t be anything left for the papers to report. Then again, remember the naked guy they found in Central Park near the fountain? He had been shot in the head, right?” She arched an eyebrow for effect. Tagging the werewolf had been a hard chase, but worth it.
“Lily, please tell me that wasn’t you, because I’m seriously starting to get scared. I convinced myself this was just one of your knee-jerk reactions, like in high school when you spray painted phallic symbols all over Chris Crowley’s car for cheating on you senior year. At least then, no one got hurt! And it kills me that it doesn’t bother you in the slightest that you took those lives—that you plan on taking more.”
Lily stiffened at Terry’s choice of words. “I don’t understand why this is so hard for you! And in case you forgot, it was a werewolf that killed you, Terry.”
She couldn’t face her friend. Squeezing her eyes shut, Lily swallowed hard against the guilt that bit into her gut. All she wanted was to scream or cry, anything that would drown out the little voice in her head chanting, your fault…all your fault.
Tightening her jaw, she turned, forcing herself to meet Terry’s translucent eyes. “Every one of the supes I hunted was out to take a human life. I was in their psyches, Terry. I saw their intents. Whether you want to admit it or not, my actions saved a few innocent lives.”
Except for the one that mattered, the little voice countered.
“But what about innocent supes?”
Lily snorted. “Don't hold your breath, but I’ll let you know if I come across one.”
“So, now you've dragged us back to Maine in the hopes of what? Finding this one particular supe? And just how do you propose to locate this creature, or are you planning to use yourself as live bait?”
“I’ve sensed it in this area for a week, and managed to narrow its trail to a stretch of woods not far from here.”
“That’s even if it’s still around. It might even be dead,” Terry said, running her hands through her hair causing it to glitter as it floated back into place.
“It’s not dead. I’d sense it—come on, Terry, even you’d sense it. I’m going, regardless of what you say. All my practice runs as you call t
hem, have been nothing more than a prequel to this. I will kill the creature that took your life or die trying. So would you please stop nagging me?”
“You didn’t even take the precaution of telling anyone you were coming here. What if something happens?”
“Yes I did. You’ll know.”
“Considering the fact you’re the only person who can see or hear me, that’s not such a great plan,” Terry replied.
Lily shrugged, shoving wooden stakes into the side of her boot. She was hunting tonight, regardless of how much Terry disapproved.
Loose bullets suddenly ricocheted past Lily’s head, clattering against the wall. Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head. “You know, if it weren’t for the fact my hand would pass right through you, I’d punch you dead in the face, right now.”
“Dead is the operative word, don’t you think? Don’t go, Lil. I’ve got a terrible feeling about this in the pit of my stomach.”
“First off, you haven’t got a stomach anymore. Second, forget it. I’m going—and no, you cannot come with me, so you can stop with the cheap parlor tricks!”
“Oh, I’m coming with you all right, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. I move in a decidedly different way from you these days, in case you’ve forgotten, and I can sense where you are and what you’re doing at any time. So don’t piss me off!”
Lily smiled at her friend. Shade or not, she was still the same old Terry, and Lily’s throat tightened even as her heart ached. She cleared her throat. “If you’re coming then let’s go, we’re wasting time.”
Picking up the last few things from the table, she turned toward her friend, her car keys dangling from her fingers. “Would you care to drive?”
“Funny, I always said you should have been a comedian,” Terry answered dryly. Then without a word, she blew right through her friend, leaving Lily shivering in a seventy degree room.
Lily rubbed her arms before shrugging into her leather jacket. “Always has to have the last word,” she mumbled, snapping off the lights and closing the door behind her.
Chapter Two
Lily pulled her car to the side of the road and cut the engine. Except for the wind and the distant echo of the waves crashing against the cliffs, it was silent. Mouth tight, she closed her eyes, focusing all of her clairvoyance on the psychic thread she’d been following the last few miles.
Her senses were spread as thin and taut as trip wire in all directions, and the hair on her arms rose as her body tensed. Looking down the deserted stretch of rural highway, she took note of her position, and where she was in conjunction to the thread pulsing in the wind, and decided to go on foot.
“Showtime,” she whispered, getting out of the car.
“Why are you parking so far from the perimeter?” Terry asked, materializing behind her.
Lily whirled into a defensive stance. “Will you please stop doing that? It’s starting to creep me out!” she hissed through her teeth, embarrassed at being caught unaware.
“Some psychic! Don’t you think it would be wiser to park a little closer in case you need a quick getaway? You can’t just dematerialize like me, you know.”
“Shh, I know what I’m doing so just hush up, okay? Don’t distract me anymore. If you’re going to be here, then hang around and be quiet. Float to the top of a tree or something. Just stay out of my way.”
Terry hmmphed, but didn’t say another word. She knew it was best to leave Lily alone, at least for now.
Quietly making her way across the road, Lily trudged lightly through the scrub on the shoulder, and stopped inside the woods to check her weapons.
With a .45 caliber pistol shoved into the waistband of her leather jeans, and a 9mm semi-automatic at the small of her back, the feel of cold steel sent thrills shooting across her belly. The same eager thrill she always got before a hunt.
A crossbow was slung low across her back, as well, and a silver-plated bowie knife and sharpened stakes were tucked firmly into her boot. No matter what kind of supe crossed her path tonight, she was ready.
Lily glanced at the sky. Its quiet blackness reminded her of the weekend hunting trips she and Terry took as teens with Terry’s dad. He had trained them well—regardless of how many times Terry’s mom had balked at the idea, muttering how a girl’s weapon of choice should be her charm and not a gun or a bow. Somehow, Lily knew tonight would be one exception to that rule.
It was dark and cold, but the refracted moonlight coming through the clouds gave her enough light. The sky had been ominous all day, but the threat of early snow held, covering the ground with just half inch of fresh powder. The air carried a lonesome quality, and the forest was still, almost too still.
Squatting down, she sent her senses out again, tracking the exact direction of the thread before heading deeper into the woods. She opened herself entirely, not wanting any more surprises tonight.
The creature’s trace pulsed like a neon sign in her mind, and she smirked. It was almost too easy. She moved quickly, following the thrum through the dense forest and navigating trees and brush like a familiar obstacle course.
As she rounded a wide thicket, she caught a flicker on the edge of her mind. The feel of the new trace was different, and its pulse loosely cloaked. She needed to investigate, but out here she was too exposed. Ahead, low brambles twisted into a rough, barren hedge, and she crouched beside it for cover.
The trace’s cadence was human, but not, and its feel was unquestionably male. He was headed southeast toward the cliffs, the same direction as her. Lily exhaled, sending a quiet stream of expletives into the wind. She’d be damned before allowing anyone or anything to get in her way tonight.
With a cleansing breath, she focused her senses and grabbed hold of the new pulse. She needed calm and absolute stealth before merging her mind with his. A wave of vertigo hit as she made contact, overwhelming her senses with the sensation of flight.
Lightness enveloped her, yet she remained aware of her body’s position in the scrub. Nausea crept up the back of her throat, and she grimaced. The last thing she needed was motion sickness when she was stock still. Perhaps this was some version of astral projection, but whatever the feeling, she needed to be the one in the driver’s seat.
Lily scooped up a small handful of fresh snow and wet her tongue. She swallowed her queasiness and adjusted her focus, attuning herself to the peaks and valleys of the man’s flight. Whoever this guy was, he was too intent on his target to distinguish her presence. But what was he hunting?
She soared along with him above the tree line and watched as he canvased the ground below. His distraction made it easy for her to advance, and she crept further into his mind, allowing herself to see through his eyes.
The outline of reflected body heat from potential prey radiated in shades of red and blue, but it was clear his interest was elsewhere.
Either he doesn’t know I’m here, or he does and just doesn’t consider me a threat. Maybe he’s just out for a joy ride, and I’m imagining all this. No. Supes are never out for no good reason. He’s hunting something…
A disgusted sound left her mouth and she sat back on her heels, chewing on her lower lip. This was too much of a coincidence for her not to be sure. She dug her fingers into the earth on both sides of her legs to ground herself, before dropping deeper into his psyche. Her stomach clenched with the effort, her mind spinning from the unaccustomed depth of her probe. Within seconds, a snarl reverberated up her spine, and she shook under the weight of its menace. If he didn’t know she was there before, he certainly knew it now.
Without warning, he reached out with his own mind and seized control of their merge. His mental grip was like iron, but effortless. Panic threatened as she struggled against his hold, gulping down air while trying to stay calm enough to focus. What the hell was he?
His mind probed hers looking for the same answers Lily wanted from him. He stripped away layer after layer of memory and thought, and she screamed at the violated feel.
> Self-preservation kicked in, and she slammed doors shut all over her mind. There was no way she would allow some stranger to mind-rape her, even if she was the one guilty of trespassing first. She had to keep him out or risk him learning why she was in the woods tonight.
The man exuded raw strength, and as the sarcastic timbre of the words nice try echoed through her mind, she caught a glimpse of a slow, seductive and decidedly male grin.
Heat poured through her body, pooling between her legs. Her breath caught in her throat, and she went weak, pitching forward to land on her hands in the cold snow. She sucked in a breath and tried to sit back, but another wave of desire hit her point blank.
Almost of their own volition, her hands trailed the length of her thighs, grazing her sex through her leather pants. The friction nearly sent her over the edge. As she struggled to maintain control of her body, she heard his deep chuckle. Whatever he was, the son of a bitch was enjoying himself at her expense.
With a snarl of her own, Lily centered her strength and shoved against his hold, managing to slam down a wall, shutting him out.
Drained, she slumped forward into the snow. Stupid. If she lost the creature’s threat because she allowed herself to veer off task, she’d kill the first thing that crossed her path—starting with that fly boy supe.
On rubbery legs, she crawled forward and grabbed onto a raised tree root, pushing herself up. She brushed the snow from her pants, careful to keep her mind guarded. Steeling herself, Lily walled off any errant thoughts or emotions and sent her senses out again, this time focusing solely on the creature. She’d have time later to reconcile herself with what just happened. She had a score to settle, first.
The sound of the ocean grew louder, and Lily smelled the salt in the air as she approached the tree line. She was angry at herself, but then again, that was nothing new. Her anger was what gave her an edge. Only now she wasn’t just angry. Whoever that supe was, he had rocked her to her core. He had taken her control, and she hated that.
