by Trina M. Lee
All around us people pursued pleasure. Blood and liquor flowed. Bodies moved on the dance floor and in the back rooms. And there we sat in the middle of it all, discussing our new relationship as enemies like we were discussing the weather. This couldn’t be.
“But why?” My voice faltered. I paused, trying to steel myself. “Why does it have to go down like that? Is there nothing you can do to fight the darkness?”
He stared at the half-dozen shot glasses lined up before him. Touching each one, he settled on one from the middle. After slamming the empty glass down, Willow sighed. “Alexa, I am the darkness.”
Those words cut deep. Denial tried to convince me that he was wrong. He was Willow. There had to be something we could do. Yet reality slapped me, forcing me to see the truth.
“Are you still Willow at all anymore?” Feeble and broken, my question was lost amid the noise.
He still heard me. “Sometimes I think so. But not the way you want me to be. I remember who I used to be, and I’ll never forget what you mean to me. But I’ve changed.” He clasped my hand in his, and this time nothing happened. “I’d prefer that you turn a blind eye to my activity. However, I understand if you feel you can’t do that.”
I groaned. How could he ask this of me? “Willow, you know I can’t.”
Silence. A nod.
What should I do? I loved him like a friend, a brother, like someone who had saved me from absolute darkness. I couldn’t describe what I felt for him, and I couldn’t save him.
“Just tell me what you’re planning,” I said, desperate. “Maybe I can change your mind. Or just tell me where the talisman is.”
Willow jerked his hand away and scowled. Just like that, he was all demon. “I have things to do. They do not concern you. Should you choose to involve yourself, you accept the risks that come with that choice.”
“More twisted justice?” I snapped, fear becoming anger. “I know that’s how you justify your actions to yourself, but Brook was right when he said it’s just a snake eating its own tail. It will blow back on you, Willow.”
The memory of that night he’d made two gang factions kill each other had stayed with me. It was the first time I saw Willow in all his evil glory. He’d seemed to believe himself to be doing a good thing, but I saw it for what it had really been. Willow had taken extreme joy in killing those men. There was no justifying that.
I was in no position to tell Willow how to be a demon. If he didn’t play by the rules, he could end up facing the wrath of angels. His former brothers. Unless… unless I could stop him from taking it too far. Could Willow be trapped as Shya had? And if so, could I bring myself to do it?
“Don’t even think about it,” he said, startling me out of my thoughts. “You’ll never overpower me, and you can’t stop me. Don’t try.”
I got the sinking sensation that he teetered on the verge of threatening me. My heart hurt. “I love you, Willow.” There was nothing else I could say. Pissing him off would prove counter productive. I’d have to be patient.
Looking conflicted, Willow raised a shot glass to me before tipping it back. “Thanks for the drinks, kid. I’ll catch you later.”
Kid? Way to belittle me, Willow. I closed my eyes, feeling him vanish rather than seeing it. The sound of wings echoed in my ears. Blood tears welled up, stinging my eyes.
What was I supposed to do?
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“I’m going in alone,” I said. “I have to. Give me at least twenty minutes before any of you follow.”
I looked to Arys when I said this, knowing him to be the one most likely to veer off the plan. Not that we had much of a plan. I would go in alone so as to seem less threatening. Once I knew Shaz and Jez were still alive and in one piece, the vampires and wolves would come in after me. We would tear the place apart to get everyone out.
Arys chewed his bottom lip, and I knew he wanted to argue. Somehow he refrained. As I’d declared the previous evening, we were going in tonight after Jez and Shaz, as well as the others. So here we were at The Wicked Kiss, recruiting anyone who wanted to kick some FPA ass.
“Twenty minutes,” I repeated. “Split into two teams.”
Glancing over at the groups of awaiting vamps and shifters, I noted how the wolves looked defensive, ready to fend off anyone and anything, while the vampires merely regarded them with thinly veiled hunger and malice. Hanna, Izzy, and Owen were the only three who appeared at ease in my club. Their trust in me meant something. I wouldn’t forget that.
Although I’d been leery about having Hanna join us, Owen insisted he’d stay close. Her husband was inside, and I supposed I owed her after ditching her last time.
Gabriel and Briggs emerged from the back hall where Briggs had received a crash course in willing victims. The glower etched into his face revealed how he felt about it. Not that he had a choice.
We’d really fucked up by killing with him. Arys called it initiation. I called it a lapse in judgment. One of many. Too late now.
I hadn’t been sure he’d show up, being a free man and all. But Briggs wanted a piece of Agent Winston. If anything, becoming a vampire had only fed his hunger for vengeance. I remained hopeful that would work to my advantage tonight, but I didn’t doubt that his need for vengeance included me. I’d cross that bridge when we came to it.
“Do you think you can keep your shit together in there?” I asked Arys point blank. “That place will get inside your head. The only way to fight it is by grabbing hold of the light. Can you do that? Ready to be the hero?” A smile quirked my lips, and I gave him a playful nudge.
His gaze roamed over the small group of wolves standing awkwardly near the door. “I’ll do my best,” he said, sounding uncertain. “Better tell them all to keep their distance from me.”
Briggs refused to talk to me or even look in my general direction. Fair, all things considered.
I nodded, uneasy as a swell of nerves rose. “Don’t let Briggs out of your sight. He might go rogue. Otherwise, I think we just go in and play it by ear. There’s no way to plan any further until we know what we’re up against.”
I started to rise, but Arys pulled me back down beside him. The press of his lips to mine was tender. Needful.
Hand on my face he said, “If they’ve done anything to Shaz, they all die. No survivors. No mercy.”
I nodded. “No mercy.”
“We’ll be right behind you.”
“Twenty minutes,” I repeated, pointing a finger at Arys as I turned to go.
Justin offered again to come with me as I headed out the door. Again I declined. He was the only one I trusted to take care of The Kiss until I returned.
In the car waiting for the engine to warm up, I thought of Kale. I’d neglected to tell him about Jez. He didn’t need the stress. There was nothing he could do from Vegas. Why worry him? Although he’d likely be pissed when he found out I’d kept it from him.
Having no real plan was both nerve wracking and liberating. The entire drive to the old haunted hospital tormented me with thoughts of what Jez and Shaz had been going through. I shouldn’t have waited.
Leaving my things, and my dagger, in the car, I walked up to the haunted hospital for what felt like the umpteenth time. This time was different though. This time I was pissed and coming for blood.
I wanted nothing more than for Arys and I to bring the entire place down with a sudden, fierce attack. Together, we could do it without stepping foot in the building. Having people we cared about trapped inside stole that opportunity. We couldn’t predict how this would go down. All I knew was that it had to end with Winston’s death. If Briggs wanted it, he could have it. If not, it would be mine.
I was not the Hound when I used Briggs’s swipe card to let myself in the back door. This battle was not about vampires or demons, although it very much involved darkness. The darkness of human nature. There would be no protecting mankind tonight.
Knowing the cameras would see me, I headed straight downstairs
, hoping to find my way to Shaz before Winston had her people on me. I made it to the lockup where I’d been imprisoned with the demon tea-party kid and the precog guy who stayed willingly.
Then I was swarmed.
Agents poured from both ends of the hall. I came to a stop and gathered my power close. The evil entity that dwelled in the building and the land laughed delightedly in my ear.
When the agents didn’t stop but came at me with various weapons raised, I blasted them on both sides. Men and women crashed into each other before going down in a tangle of limbs. I kept the power going, keeping them down.
“Would you like to see your wolf again, Ms. O’Brien?” Agent Winston rounded the corner, flanked by half a dozen agents. “If so I’d suggest that you stand down.”
Magic words. Son of a bitch.
I let the assault fall away but stayed ready. “Where is he? And Jez. I want to see them.”
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken if you think you’re in a position to make demands.”
As agents got to their feet, they parted so she could pass between them. She came to a stop mere feet away, so certain that I wouldn’t kill her. And I hated that she was right.
I couldn’t do a damn thing. Not yet.
“Well, as long as you won’t let me see them, I am. If I don’t know they’re alive and well, I don’t play this game with you.” No way in hell was I going to play the role she wanted me to play. Winston didn’t know it yet, but I could outbitch her any day.
Hair pulled into a tight bun, hand resting on her gun hip, she gave me a cool assessment. “I can see it’s going to take some convincing for you to accept how things are going to go here. Please, come with me. Peacefully. Any mistakes you make will be paid for by your friends.”
Winston strode by me with her wall of bodyguards in place. Annoyed but having little choice, I followed, flanked by a small army of agents with weapons in hand. Through the intersecting maze of halls we went. All around me I could feel the telltale hum of werewolf energy. There were so many of them here. The stone walls welcomed me back with silent taunts echoed by the spirit’s constant murmur in my ear.
Passing the various medical rooms, labs, and heavily barred doors that reeked of torture chambers, my skin crawled. Where the hell were my people?
Winston came to a stop before two heavy metal doors. She used both a swipe card and her fingerprint to open the doors. They slid apart, revealing a large, brightly lit room. It was divided into two sections by a see-through wall of indeterminate material. On one side of the wall was an empty, open space. On the other side lay a bank of lab equipment, several chairs, and a small kitchenette. A lot of time must be spent in this room.
We entered into the empty side. A wide warehouse-style door on the opposite side drew my gaze. It was currently closed. I couldn’t imagine anything good came through there.
Agents pushed and jostled me, as they herded me into the center of the room. Holding back the power burning in my fingertips, I shoved those who got too close.
“This, Ms. O’Brien, is where we conduct tests on our supernatural subjects,” Winston announced, pride in her voice. “Strength, agility, power. You name it, we study it in here.”
Unable to hold back my snark, I said, “I’m not sure what you’re so proud of. Briggs is responsible for this facility. Not you.”
Her smile was plastered in place, tightening her face. “He may have been. Once. Now it’s mine.”
Being surrounded by Feds in a testing room did little for my confidence. “Sure it is. So why are we here? I want to see Shaz and Jez.”
Agent Winston turned to those closest to her. “Organize a team to watch the perimeter. Her vampire wouldn’t let her come alone. Watch for him. Keep them apart.” Several agents sprang into action, heading for the door. To the rest she shouted, “Bring in the cat.”
Fear gripped me at her command. I reached for Arys in my mind, feeling him there, waiting. I conveyed a warning that they were heading for him. It was met with arrogance and derision. With him there in my head, I allowed him to see what I saw.
The big warehouse door slid open. On the other side was a dimly lit room lined with cages, most of them occupied. I didn’t get a good look before a few agents shoved one into the room, the door closing behind them.
A pissed-off leopard paced inside the cage before lunging at the bars.
My mind raced. Had they forced her to shift or had she chosen to? What had they done to her for her to feel that was the safest form to take? Where in the fuck was Shaz?
Two agents stood on either side of the cage, a long-handled electro-shock device in hand. A third held a rifle. My guts shriveled at the sight.
I met Jez’s eyes, finding both relief and fury buried in their depths. Whatever they’d done had left her frantic.
“Where’s Shaz?” I demanded, vibrating with poorly restrained rage.
“He’s busy at the moment,” Winston said, as if he were simply running errands or something. “Alive and well. He’ll be released in due time, if all goes well here.”
I waved a hand at the cage. “So what the fuck is this all about?”
There was a low murmur and a shuffling among the gathered agents. Winston silenced them with a glower. A negative charge rippled through the room. Not everyone here liked and respected their new leader.
Maggie Winston pointed at Jez. “This is how I take away your power.”
Raising a hand, she snapped her fingers, and everyone launched into action. The swarm of agents attacked. They hit me with metal nightsticks, kicked me with steel-toed boots, and didn’t go easy on the Tasers. It seemed as if a hundred people assaulted me all at once.
Overwhelmed and unsure, I went down surrounded by them. The blows didn’t stop raining down. Every inch of me repeatedly took abuse. Instinct took over, and I reacted with a blast that threw them back, giving me a moment of reprieve.
Those closest to me went down holding their heads, blood gushing from every orifice. Did Winston believe I’d take that without a fight?
Yes, yes, she did. She whistled, and the agents at Jez’s cage stuck their electro-shock sticks through the bars into her sides. Smoke rose up from her gold and black fur. The shrill yowl she emitted hurt me to the depths of my soul.
“Are you ready to do things my way, Ms. O’Brien?” Winston’s voice echoed through the vast room.
The agents didn’t let up on Jez. They kept the electricity flowing until I shouted, “Yes. Ok, yes, just stop hurting her.”
She raised her hand and they stepped back. Jez lunged at the bars, snarling and growling. Her eyes were wild, inhuman. The fearless wildcat.
‘No mercy,’ came Arys’s livid response in my head. ‘They all die now.’
‘Be careful,’ I shot back. ‘We can’t do shit until Shaz and Jez are safely out of here. Don’t let your temper get them killed.’
“Why?” I asked Winston, as Arys raged inside my head. “Why do any of this? Why not just cuff me or tranq me?”
Winston took in the sight of me, beaten and abused, both physically and emotionally. Just like she wanted.
“Is that what you’d prefer?” she replied. “That would be much easier, but it would also be somewhat cowardly. That’s Briggs’s way of doing things. I’d much rather break you down. Break that fiery spirit of yours until you understand who’s really in charge in this city.”
“You’re fucking delusional.” I flung the words like a weapon, but they made no difference.
She gestured to Jez who attacked the bars with such fury. “As long as you love something, all the power in the world doesn’t mean shit. You can still be controlled. You can still be defeated. And we haven’t even gotten to your wolf yet.”
At her nod, her people responded, and my beat down resumed. I could kill them all, and she and I both knew it. So she’d made sure I didn’t have the option.
Is this the price we pay for loving?
To think that a mere human could so easily take
my power away simply by harming my loved ones. It didn’t seem fair. Lilah had once done the same, threatening someone I love in order to manipulate me into getting what she wanted from me. If I hadn’t been taking repeated blows to the face, ribs, and guts, I’d have found it funny that a human proved no different from a demon queen. And they thought we were the monsters.
‘Don’t come,’ I begged Arys. ‘Not yet. Send someone else first to keep them occupied. Wait for your moment.’
Anguish filled my mind as he resisted but ultimately relented. ‘Do not let her win, my wolf. She must die.’
‘She will.’
That was all I knew in that moment, as blood ran from my nose and my head throbbed. Throwing up my arms to cover my head did little to help. Between the bodies gathered around me, I focused on Jez, keeping her in view. We would get through this. We had to.
Surely Winston’s intent wasn’t to kill me. A physical beating wouldn’t do it. Not unless they stabbed me in the heart, which nobody seemed to be going for. She just wanted me beaten down, abused and weak. And with Jez at her mercy, I had no choice but to take it.
Curled on the floor, I pulled my power around me, using it to shield me from the worst of the blows. A whistle rang out, and the beating stopped.
Winston came to stand over me. “Get up,” she commanded. “And don’t try anything.”
I had to grit my teeth against the urge to tear her throat out. Patience. It wasn’t lost on me how every time I so badly wanted to destroy someone, I was forced to find the patience I so severely lacked.
Keeping my gaze on Jez, I got to my feet. Her snarls never ceased.
My body ached. Thanks to speedy healing, it shouldn’t for long. However, having nearly a hundred people take turns beating the shit out of you did a little damage. Broken ribs, broken nose, and a helluva headache. Among other things.
Winston looked so damn pleased with herself, though she had yet to do anything. She gave me a studious once over and nodded. “I’m sure you’re wondering when we’re going to get around to taking blood,” she said.
