Chapter 13
THE TENTACLE MONSTER MUST’VE been a demon. Otherwise, I’d have healed by now. I cradled my broken arm to my chest. The lacerations on my leg made supporting my weight unbearable, so I sat on the stone cell floor. They had given me some form of mind-numbing drug, but I wasn’t certain as to what it was or who “they” were.
I was only dimly aware of movement around me and the garbled murmur of harsh voices. Someone grabbed my hair and yanked me to my feet, making demands in unintelligible words and violent shakes. I winced and my eyes watered, but I wasn’t crying. I refused to cry for myself. I was a survivor. Self-pity would only kill me.
The hand gripping me released when I failed to answer, and I hit the floor with jarring force. The pain from my arm made my stomach sick. I tried to dull it, but my Miasho power refused to respond. Was it the drug? Squeaking hinges whined as the cell door closed. My captors stalked away.
A rough tongue licked my face before moving to my bleeding leg. I could tell by scent it was Danielle. She must have been pulled down with me. I searched for Seth’s presence, wanting my guardian near me now more than ever. He was high above me, still on the surface, and I was…where was I?
Heated arguments floated down the prison hall. Daegus’s voice stood out. “How dare you attack us? I will have you flogged for… Don’t you dare threaten me! You know who I am. You know I can have your hide stripped and used to upholster my couch.” Pause. “You insolent, little… That’s it. You are as good as… Wait. No, stop that. I said stop!” Daegus screamed and I smelled blood.
Footsteps echoed as they moved toward our cell and I opened my eyes. Danielle’s hackles lifted and she growled. A man appeared on the other side of the bars and smiled at me. “Mistress Cera, so good of you to join me.”
I frowned as I tried to place his face. I had seen him before. The cook at the vegan restaurant. He squatted, bringing him down to eye-level. “I have tried everything to bring you to me, but it seems you are more difficult to get a hold of than I thought. First Daegus failed to deliver with the demon raid, and then the zombies let you escape. Even Valerie wasn’t able to stop you.” My expression must have shown confusion because he clarified. “The spectral representation.” I stared and he frowned. “The ghost, banshee, or whatever trendy name she was calling herself. I told her where to find you. I knew Mr. Ross would go to Eddie next, so I tipped off my A.N.G.E.L. informant to intercept. It would seem nothing short of a leviathan would bring you to me.”
“What do you want with me?”
He spread his hands as if it were apparent. “I have many customers, each with varying tastes. Some prefer a meat free menu, others…” He leered at me through the bars. “Prefer something more exotic.”
My stomach turned. “Your grand plan is to cook me?”
He made a slicing motion with his finger. “Take a little at a time. Make you last.”
With my healing, I would last for a long time. I tried to summon power, any power, elemental or Miasho, but nothing came to the surface. It stewed in my gut and beat against my ribs from the inside. My head spun with the effort.
The cook laughed and stood. “I will be back with food to fatten you up.”
***
Time passed. Danielle and I sat in darkness. I dozed a few times, but the pain in my arm continued to wake me. It’d been a long time since I was helpless. Broken bones were rare for elementals. The silence stretched on, reminding me of that last day with my father—the dread accompanying the waiting. He would have found some way out of this. He was sly, cunning. He never lost sight of his goal.
I wrestled to my feet and limped to the cell door. I needed to find an exit. My mind no longer buzzed with numbness, but my power remained trapped inside. It had to be this place. Something emanating from the walls made my fingertips itch.
The cook arrived some time later. “Get back,” he warned. I obliged. He bent and slid a loaded food tray through the meal slot near the floor. I thrust a broken piece of bed frame through the bars. The cook dodged with inhuman speed, grabbed the beam, and yanked it from my grasp. I stumbled with the force and fell against the door. He tangled his fingers in my hair through the bars and held me in place. “Did I forget to mention what I was?”
Danielle yipped and growled.
The cook laughed. “That’s right. I’m the latest model—successful, I might add. I’m what they wanted to create all along. I have the invulnerabilities of a zombie, the strength of a wolf, the speed of a bloodsucker, and the power of a harnesser.” He licked me. “But like the others, I still love to eat.”
Occasionally, the Miasho pleasure reaction to touching me wasn’t favorable. This was one of those times. Like he said, the cook loved to eat. Eating brought him pleasure. His teeth sank into my skin. At that point, I decided the government on this world was insane. Were there even any normal people living here?
I pulled away, tearing skin and hair. He reached through the bars to regain his hold. Danielle pounced, gnashing her teeth and catching his arm. I reinforced her hold with my good arm and together we pulled, battering him against the bars until I was certain he was unconscious. I fumbled with his belt and found a key.
The lock clicked open and I pushed, moving swiftly to stomp on his neck a satisfying snap assured me it was broken. Danielle and I limped down the hall. My power failed to return and she was still in wolf form. I gathered from her animal muttering that remaining in wolf form wasn’t of her own volition.
Danielle paused and turned her head back, growling. I followed her gaze. No frigging way! How could anyone survive a broken neck? Oh, right. Zombie.
I limped faster down the hall, searching for something—anything—that might be used as a weapon. I came across the dismembered body of Daegus McKay. I knelt, grappling single-handedly to loosen and free his belt.
A mad cackle floated down the hall. “Missss-tresss Ceerrrrr-aaaaa.” The singsong title echoed off the walls, distorting the voice and playing tricks with my mind. It sounded like it came from all directions.
I yanked the belt free as the cook pounced. It lashed across his face and I jerked to the side, slamming into a locked cell door. The cook landed where I’d been. He cocked his head, his neck wrongly bent, and leered. I whipped him with the belt again for good measure and took off running down the hall, ignoring the aches and pains resonating through my limbs.
“Nowhere to go, my tasty treat!”
Danielle snarled and lunged at the pursuing cook. He swung his arm in a lazy arch, knocking her aside without batting an eyelash. I spun, aiming a kick at his center, and he caught my ankle. I jumped with my other leg, landing a blow to his chin. His sidewise head rocked back, twisting unnaturally to stare at the darkened ceiling. His grip never loosened and I crashed to the floor, striking shoulder first.
He laughed.
What in the Realm was the government thinking making someone like this? This guy made Stella look like a model citizen!
His head flopped back up but fell too far forward. His chin rested against his chest and his gaze had to lift to stare at me on the floor. Red light shone from his pupils and his aura darkened, lips twisted in a sneer. “I’m gonna take my time with you,” he whispered. “Slice you up. Keep you for a while.”
I kicked his knee and it buckled in on itself, throwing his balance off. Danielle chomped down on his hand as he fell, thrashing her head from side to side until, finally, his fingers lost their grasp.
I scrambled to my feet and stomped down on his head as Danielle and I ran to escape the hall. A glowing red ribbon of light raced after us, intent on the wolf at my side. I threw the belt in the ribbon’s path and the discarded fashion accessory intersected the red lines, stopping them before they reached Danielle. The poor belt—genuine snake skin—didn’t stand a chance. The red lines shredded it within an instant.
I cursed as another red light ribbon shot toward us. I barreled into Danielle, knocking both of us into the wall. The red ribbon adjusted. I c
lamped my eyes closed and flung myself over the wolf. Searing pain wrapped around my throat, limbs, and torso. I couldn’t breathe and I struggled to get my fingers between my skin and the light ribbon. It yanked me backward off Danielle and dragged me down the hall.
The cook stood over me, face twisted with a crooked smile.
Fine. He wanted me so much? I’d give him a taste. I climbed to my feet, my head dizzy with a lack of oxygen. I balled my fist and slammed it into his teeth, throwing my body into the punch. My knuckles split on his toothy grin, but the slimy satisfaction of my fist meeting the back of his throat and continuing through was made up for the pain.
The ribbons holding me vanished.
I yanked my hand free of his skull and watched him drop. Dead. Finally.
I turned and limped back to Danielle.
We found the end of the cellblock and I reached for the door handle. It swung open before I grabbed it, and Duke stood there, blood splatters on his face and clothes. His red eyes glowed, but softened when he saw me. “Cera!” He rushed to me, gathering me into his arms. “I was so worried.”
He’d come for me. Emotion stirred deep within me, starting a flutter in my stomach and a pounding in my heart. Then I winced as he accidentally bumped my arm.
Seth was next through the door. With one hand, he shoved Duke away and into the wall. “She is injured. Let me tend to her before you make matters worse.”
Stella strolled in, walking past the rest of us to examine the containing cells. “Mmm. This place is filled with so much tasty energy.” She gripped the bars and whispered a chant. Green light outlined her and, as the energy was absorbed, my power returned. She turned to face us, a dreamy smile on her lips. “That was so—”
Danielle let out a snarling bark.
Oh shit. “Stella!”
Glowing red lines circled Stella’s body, slicing her into ribbons that vanished into the air. The cook stood behind her, a smile on his creepy, disfigured, gaping face.
I lifted my hand to blast him with water. Michael pounced before I could.
Chapter 14
“THIS WORLD BITES.” Michael snipped off the last bit of overgrown hair and dropped it in the trash. Not that using a trashcan mattered. The hotel room resembled a crater. “Mistress Cera, I am marking this world as non-return.”
The hunger had overwhelmed him in the last fever stage of the disease, and he swore he didn’t remember anything about eating Duke’s cook. Duke profusely apologized for his cook trying to eat me. I suggested he screen his employees better.
Luci and Paul had been destroyed by the tentacle monster, which was all well and good, considering Rin informed me no usable tissue remained on Paul’s rotting corpse. However, the modifications made to Duke’s cook, as well as his recent absorption of Stella’s energy, were enough to overpower the disease that had been killing Michael. It didn’t cure him, so to speak, but he wouldn’t die from it. Yet. Rin said he wasn’t infectious either. He even gained enhanced bone density from the experience.
Katherine mourned the loss of her sister, but agreed it was a benefit to the world as a whole. She took a position as Duke’s new cook until the club could be rebuilt, and had gained a new roommate. Danielle was moving in until her apartment was fumigated and rid of zombies.
Duke touched my cheek. The teeth marks had healed, but the area was still tender. He had licked the blood off before the long hike back to the room. It was clear he was no longer sticking to his vegan diet. Probably a good thing since his supplier of sustenance was dead. “Cera, may I speak with you for a moment?”
I nodded and he helped me limp through the rubble and out into the broken hallway. We hobbled in silence until far enough away from eavesdroppers.
He stared at the plaster chunks on the floor and nudged one with his toe. Then he gulped air and met my gaze. “I love you.”
Those three words and we hadn’t even slept together yet? He deserved a reward. I smiled mischievously and broke the door handle to the nearest hotel room. We strolled inside. He kissed my lips and then my neck. He was gentle as he laid me on the bed, carefully working my shirt free around my splinted arm. I fumbled with his shirt buttons with my good hand and finally decided to tear it off.
We stayed in the room, making love, until the renters returned and kicked us out. They didn’t have to be so rude. Sheesh. We left behind a monetary deposit to pay for damages to the bed, door, and nightstand.
I squirmed back into my skirt in the hallway. “You said you wanted to speak with me.”
“Oh, yeah.” Duke grinned and lifted a scrap of his shirt. “I wanted to talk about our relationship. I thought I might come with you.”
I sighed. “Duke, you should know, I’m as old as I’ll ever get. So if your plans include us growing old together…”
He shrugged. “I’ll never grow old either.”
He wouldn’t? Well, that was good to know.
He took my hands in his. “I’m a lonely man. Most women will die if they’re intimate with me. You fill that void inside of me. I don’t want to leave your side.” He leaned in and kissed me. “I love you. We belong together.”
Love sucked. I know, because I’d watched many of the people I loved die. Some grew too old. Others died too young. But I’d learned to never ignore the chance to love. Cherish it while you have it, because it was ever so fleeting.
Duke was right. We’d never grow old. We would last forever.
We strolled back to our room with fingers intertwined.
As I reached the rubble’s edge, sympathy flickered across the guardian bond—sympathy for me. A lump lodged in my throat. I released my grip on Duke’s hand and forced a smile before entering the room. “What’s the news?”
Rin met my gaze and shook his head. “This world holds no cure for your father. Any influences from potential treatments will likely further damage his mental stability.”
I grimaced. My dad was well off his rocker as it was. “Onto the next world then.”
Michael studied Duke and his lips thinned to a line. “Mistress Cera, he needs to stay behind.”
Duke tensed next to me. His hand wrapped around my bicep and he pulled me to his chest. “I go where Cera goes.”
Ah, the sympathy from earlier. It didn’t have to do with my dad. “Why?” I asked Michael.
He glanced from Duke to Rin and back again. “The light from your transport seal will kill him.” He held up a small glass vial. “This is the vaccine we tested on Seth. It will prevent any uninfected human from contracting the virus.”
I slowly nodded. “But it won’t work on Duke?”
“Sometimes, there really is no cure.” Michael set the vial in my palm.
Duke’s grip on my arm loosened and finally dropped.
I turned to face him and met his troubled gaze. Flirting rule number five: don’t give false hope for a future you can’t have. “Here,” I said, offering him the vaccine. “Find someone.”
His throat constricted, but he didn’t take the vial. “No one can replace you.”
I snorted. Of course they couldn’t. I was Cera.
I tossed the vial to Katherine who stood against the wall, waiting next to Danielle. “Take care of him for me.”
She caught it, and then she and her new roommate crossed the room. “Come along, Mr. Ross.” They each took one of his arms and escorted him out of sight.
I sighed. That was a shame. I was going to miss Duke.
I clasped my hands and looked at my companions—the four who would always be with me, no matter the world. “Let’s go find a cure for my dad.”
Acknowledgements
Christopherus Townsend—for supporting me and inspiring me throughout this crazy adventure
Danielle Gilbert and Camelyn Gast—for putting up with hours of playing dress-up, taking photos, and recording vocals
Abi Townsend and Beverlie Edwards—you both let me ramble about my ideas and offer unending support
H.E. Saunders—for improving
my work with a final proofread.
My local critique group, the Treasure Valley Critiquers—Heidi Brenton, Sherry Briscoe, Anne Buzzini, Angela D’Ambrosio, Camelyn Gast, Danielle Gilbert, Marlie Harris, Christy Hovey, Jim Lambert, Troy Lambert, Carla Olsen, Rachel Seamount, Kelley Thibodeau, and Cathy Valenti
My critique partners and beta readers—Aldrea Alien, Liz Blocker, Chrys Fey, Milo James Fowler, C.D. Gallant-King, Misha Gerrick, Jackie Hauver, Kurt Hinrichs, Priya Kanaparti, Melissa Maygrove, Amber Riley, Elizabeth Seckman, and Kristen Smith
About the Author
Loni Townsend
Wife. Mother. Writer. Ninja. Squirrel.
By day, she writes code. By predawn darkness, she writes fantasies. All other times, she writes in her head.
People call her peculiar with a twisted sense of fashion, but don’t let those understatements fool you. Her behavior is perfectly normal for a squirrel disguised as a human. That’s part of being a ninja-blending in.
She makes her home in Idaho with her sadistically clever-yet often thwarted-husband, two frighteningly brilliant children, and three sneaky little shibas.
Blog - http://www.lonitownsend.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/squirreltalk
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/LoniTownsend
Google+ - http://www.google.com/+LoniTownsend
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cera Chronicles: This World Bites
This World Bites (Cera Chronicles Book 1) Page 8
