by A and E Kirk
Wow. I’d done that. Sure, I’d battled before out of fear for myself and others, but this time I’d felt a naked, violent hatred, and let it feed my rage. Not sure how I felt about that.
Helsing was circling Heather, stalking like a hungry panther, low and hunched, offering plenty of snarling hisses every time she moved.
“I will kill you!” Heather spat at Helsing. “Should’ve done it long ago! Just come here, a little closer, kitty kitty, you scrawny piece of sh—” Helsing leapt and buried his fangs into the burnt flesh under the hole in her pant leg. “Ahhhhhhhh!” Heather wailed.
Helsing bounced away and continued his circle of stalking. Heather shot him daggers, but said no more.
From the kitchen, Cristiano tossed Helsing a gourmet treat, then said, “I am confused as to why they sent a Hallucinator to kill you, Aurora. A weak one at that.” He leaned against the counter while he stirred a spoon in a steaming mug. “You did not hesitate for a second when she used her power on you in the alley.” He cast me a smile. “It is impressive. I must assume Tristan has trained you well.”
“Assume away, but she wasn’t using her powers on me in the alley.”
“Yes. Yes I was!” Heather’s chains rattled, her body shaking with frustration. “You always ignored me! Acted like I was nothing! But those other kids didn’t. They obeyed me like loyal dogs and tore you apart.”
I closed my eyes, trying to control the fury rising in me again. “If I understood correctly, she was only supposed to observe and gather intel. Killing me was her own idea.”
Cristiano tapped his spoon on the rim with a few dings, then came toward me, offering the mug. “Drink this. It is ginger tea for soothing nausea, plus other roots and spices to reduce swelling and assist with the healing process. Nitara’s concoction.” He sat me back down, took my hand and wrapped it around the warm mug, then he faced Heather.
“Going to torture me now, Sicarius?” Heather shrilled. “You can try! I’ll never talk!”
Cristiano folded his arms as Helsing walked over to sit at his feet. “I can assure you, should I choose torture, you would talk. I am incredibly persistent. But there is no need.”
“You think I’m gonna blab just because you ask me to, pretty boy?” She couldn’t lift her lids too far because of the swelling, but she rolled her eyes anyway. “Ain’t happening. You were all so easy to manipulate.”
“Is that right?” Cristiano said, sounding doubtful. “Have you not noticed your current…” He eyed her up and down. “…predicament? I believe we have thoroughly bested you.”
“Just shows how little you know.”
“I have seen this type of delusion before,” Cristiano said with a condescending air. “You are not as smart as you think you are. Would you not agree, my friend?” He glanced down at Helsing who meowed his concurrence. Cristiano nodded sadly at Heather. “See? Even the cat has far outdistanced your intelligence.”
“No! I am smarter than all of you!” Heather’s face reddened through her bruises as she stamped her feet, chains rattling again. “Granted, pretty boy, I didn’t see you coming, but then you fell for it. Just like those stupid Hex Boys.”
Cristiano shook his head tiredly. “As I understand it, those stupid Hex Boys shut you down.”
“You think so?” she said with biting sarcasm. “Let’s see. How about we start with nice guy Tristan asking too many questions at Novo that first time he visited. So we sent a strike team to Gossamer Falls. At least those demons couldn’t kill Aurora either, even with their fancy gadgets. It would’ve made me look bad if they’d been able to kill her after I’d failed.”
My jaw dropped. “They nearly killed a bunch of innocent people! A kid even!”
“So I heard. But not my fault,” she shrugged. “It’s yours. In fact, all this is your fault. You were stupid enough to send Tristan to me again at Novo, and when we let him get close, he was too wimpy to go deep enough into my head to get to the truth.”
Wimpy? Tell that to the decapitated demons.
“And Blake!” She let out a contemptuous laugh. “Oh God, what an easy mark. Just had to bat my eyelashes and beg, ‘Please, oh please, big strong man, be my hero and rescue me!’ What a sap. He went off the deep end with barely a nudge. All because whiny boy had a rough childhood. So what? Man up! He was hardly worth my time.”
I glared, seething. “Shut up.”
But she didn’t.
“Why? Does the truth hurt? Sure feels good to me. Ha! I got those Boys in so much trouble, they were shut down and wearing trackers in no time. So much for your big bad protection detail. Pathetic. And so easy!”
My blood boiled, shot with enough adrenaline to numb any aches and pains.
I flung my mug aside. It bounced off the wall, splattering tea everywhere. Forget the healing process, I was ready to inflict some pain. I launched off the couch planning to wrap my fingers around her throat and strangle her silent.
The jet’s door burst open. I screamed and ducked.
Wind tornadoed into the plane, then vacuumed out, blasting a whirring whoosh through the cabin as Horus alighted inside with a body slung over each shoulder. A flick of his wrist and the door slammed shut. The sudden silence was deafening.
Bound with duct tape and their heads covered in black hoods, the kidnap victims squirmed and squealed as Horus dumped them on the ground.
He grinned. “Hey, y’all. Guess what? Christmas came early! Ho-ho-ho!”
CHAPTER 87
I removed the hood off a terrified Dr. Buttefield, then released her from the restraints. “Did you even try asking her nicely?” I said.
“Why would I?” Horus snorted and looked at Cristiano confused. “No one ever goes anywhere with us willingly. Besides, I didn’t want to linger. I hate Hallucinators.” Horus shivered dramatically. “I mean, we train to resist them, but you always wonder, did I block ‘em out or are they in my head and making me think I blocked ‘em out? It’s disconcerting.”
Cristiano flashed an irritated look at Horus, then told me, “Dr. Buttefield can get answers from Heather’s mind.”
“Why didn’t you get Tristan?”
“He was my first choice, of course,” Cristiano said. “But the Hex Boys have been sent away from Novo to receive the award for their service.”
Crap. Would’ve liked to have them back. “We could have gotten Eros.”
“We are not getting your demon god who has aided in the destruction of entire ancient civilizations,” Cristiano said firmly. “He is the one who sent you after Heather, remember?”
“You think Eros set me up?” Well that sent the confidence in my people-reading skills spiraling into a pit. If you can’t trust a fallen angel demon god, who can you trust? I gestured to the other squirming body. “Did you have him kidnap a backup Hallucinator too?”
“No, this fella was my idea.” Horus smiled proudly as he flung kidnap victim number two into the seat beside Buttefield. “His name’s Harry.”
“Harold,” came a muffled voice from inside the hood.
“I did not tell you to kidnap anyone else,” Cristiano said under his breath.
“No, you didn’t.” Horus’s grin widened. “Harry here is a present for Fiamma.”
I slapped a hand over my eyes. “Please don’t do me any favors.”
“No, you’ll like this.”
“I’m pretty sure I won’t.”
“You got so banged up, I figured you could use a Healer.” Horus backhanded Cristiano’s arm, nodding excitedly. “Ah-ha, get it? I put myself in her shoes. Empathy. That’s good, right?”
Cristiano sighed. “Yes.”
Horus barked a happy laugh. “See, with all the tricks you’ve been teaching me, I think next month will be the month I finally pass my psyche eval.” He jerked a triumphant fist in front of his chest and shouted, “Woo!”
Buttefield’s eyes went wide. As did mine.
Helsing started walking a wary circle around Horus, who looked down and said, “The cat i
s a little creepy. Why is he always staring at me?”
Cristiano smiled tight and steered his friend toward the back of the plane. “Perhaps it is best if you watch a movie.”
“Plausible deniability?” Horus said.
Cristiano nodded.
“Oh come on! That can’t be a thing,” I said.
But Horus left and Cristiano faced Heather. “Now the fun begins.”
Heather uttered a low chuckle. The sound shimmied through the air, slowly gaining volume, and struck such a major chord on the creep factor that the hairs on the back of my neck started to rise.
Her chin rested on her chest. Only her eyes lifted, looking out from behind long pieces of stringy hair clumped with dirt and blood. She paused to look at each one of us as the smile on her bruised lips curled with a malevolent edge.
“Fools,” she said, her voice a low rasp. “You’re already too late. They’re all going to die.”
CHAPTER 88
Heather wouldn’t elaborate on her ominous statement, pressing her lips closed and refusing to even look at any of us, so Cristiano concentrated on our kidnap victims—uh, new arrivals to this oh-so-fun party.
Once he mentioned, “Sicarius business,” even Harry had become super helpful.
“This won’t hurt a bit,” Healing Harry said, raising his hands over me as he magicked away my multitude of physical traumas. He was just taking care of some final bruising when sparks flew. He jumped back yelling, “Ow!”
Cristiano had him in a headlock before the poor guy finished the syllable.
“Not his fault!” I said. “I’m fine.”
After a moment, Cristiano released him, and Harry quickly stepped away as he studied a streak of red skin on his palm.
“You burned me,” he said with disbelief. “How—”
“It is not your concern,” Cristiano cut in sharply.
Harry caught Armani’s cold look, then nodded and shuffled to the back of the plane saying he’d be watching a movie with Horus in order to protect his plausible deniability.
Apparently, it was a thing.
Oddly enough, Helsing left us to follow Harry while Buttefield approached Heather, the doctor geared up and downright giddy at the chance to assist Sicarius.
“Get away!” Heather shouted, eyes blazing a furious purple.
Buttefield ignored the outburst and placed gentle fingers on each of Heather’s temples. I watched as Heather's eyes responded to the contact by fading from blazing purple to lavender, then they closed altogether.
“Let us start with simple questions,” Cristiano said. “What is your real name?”
Buttefield’s eyes were closed now too. “Marie Piccard,” she said.
Cristiano lounged in a chair holding one of those looks-like-a-sheet-of-glass computer tablets. He typed onto the screen and a moment later made a noise of surprise.
“What is it?” I looked over his shoulder.
On the tablet was Heather’s face, some basic information listed underneath and a huge MIA stamped across her forehead.
“She’s missing?” I said.
“Not only that.” Cristiano pointed to the screen. “She is older than I am.”
I scrutinized the date, then stared at Heather. “You’re twenty-five?”
Her head snapped up, causing Buttefield to yelp in surprise and jump back.
“Yes!” Heather snarled. “And they made me go back to high school! That cesspool of stupidity and immaturity. What a waste of my talents, just because I look young, peppy, and perky.”
Not anymore. Now she just looked deranged.
I settled onto the armrest of Cristiano’s chair and watched as he worked the tablet. “What else does it say?”
“Her team reported her missing well over a year ago,” Cristiano said. “Not your first disappearance, Heather. You have attempted to leave the Mandatum before. You are considered a deserter.”
“That’s a lie.” She glared at him. “I did my job.”
“Good,” Cristiano said. “Tell us more about that.”
When she remained silent, Cristiano motioned toward Buttefield. The good doctor tentatively placed her hands back on Heather who fought it for several seconds then relaxed.
“She did want out.” Buttefield’s face wrinkled in concentration. “The Mandatum recruited her from foster care when her powers began developing. After a few years, she started running away, living on the streets, but they always found her.” Buttefield frowned. “And punished her. But then she was pulled from her team, labeled a deserter as a cover for her absence, and promised her freedom in exchange for the top secret mission on Aurora.”
Cristiano scratched the stubble on his cheek. “Why were you assigned to watch Aurora?”
Buttefield shook her head. “She really doesn’t know. Only that Aurora is important in some way, and she thought killing Aurora would prove her worth to…someone, and buy her freedom faster.”
“Prove her worth to whom?” I said, impatient.
Heather threw her head back, out of Buttefield’s touch.
“I can’t get that…yet.” Buttefield firmly caught Heather’s head again. Heather thrashed, but once the lavender of the doctor’s eyes spilled into her own, she stilled.
“Was Eros in on this?” I said.
“Really?” Cristiano gave me a tired look. “Someone is trying to kill you and you are worried about the demon? Obviously, he is not to be trusted.”
“He…wasn’t?” Buttefield said. “Oh my God, Dr. Oser is—”
“We know,” Cristiano said.
Buttefield sputtered and refocused, gripping Heather’s temples tighter. “They used him. Heather was being groomed to go undercover again to see how much Aurora knew about a…a plan? Heather wasn’t a patient at Novo, she was being trained by…” Buttefield bit her lip. “Nope. She’s got that one buried deep. If they could fool Dr. Oser, I mean, oh my God, Eros, they could fool the…oh, that blond boy who uncovered the infestation at Novo, and they could put Heather out in the field again with Aurora and her…Boys?”
I slapped Cristiano’s arm. “Eros was a test. I knew he wasn’t dirty.” I’d hoped anyway.
“Oh, he is very dirty,” Cristiano said. “Believe me, I know, and I do not trust him.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I waved him off. “Heather, who are you working for?”
Buttefield stilled her body and concentrated renewed focus on Heather. Was the doctor actually sweating? Heather was, muscles trembling too. I fidgeted, wrung my hands.
“I’m almost there,” Buttefield said. “It’s…oh dear God. It’s...Dr. Renard?”
“The head of Novo?” I said.
Buttefield and Heather screamed. Full on agonizing wails. I fell off the chair in my surprise and covered my ears as Cristiano leapt up, dropping the tablet. Buttefield collapsed.
Heather’s eyes searched wildly, then focused on me. “They’re all dead today and you can’t stop it.”
“Who?” I said.
“The ones you love.” Her laugh echoed with a high-pitched maniacal flair. “Those who keep you alive will be honored with their deaths. Then you’ll be next. God, I can’t wait to see you finally go down in fla—”
Heather convulsed, her whole body twitching awkwardly. Then she heaved and vomited. Cristiano yanked me back.
“They left a fail-safe!” Buttefield yelled. “A complete neural meltdown once I infiltrated too deeply.”
Cristiano yanked the doctor up. “You must stop it!”
“I’m not that powerful!”
Horus dragged in Harry the Healer, his eyes huge and fearful. “Neither am I!”
Cristiano unshackled Heather with frantic haste and laid her on the floor. “Then slow it down!” he roared.
I stood frozen as the two doctors worked to save her. Eyes blazing lavender, Buttefield dropped to the floor and put hands on Heather’s head. Healing Harry laid his hands over different parts of Heather’s quaking body, a barely-there glow seeping off his skin and o
nto hers.
But it wasn’t working.
With every labored breath, blood misted from Heather’s lips. The whites of her eyes yellowed. Her skin took on a pale blue shade. She curled in on herself, muscles spasming.
I dropped to my knees and grabbed her hand. “Come on, Heather stay with us!”
She coughed up wet globs of blood. Her eyes rolled back into her head as her body arched and limbs twitched. Her grip on my hand turned nearly unbearable. Then as suddenly as it started, it stopped.
Her body slumped. Her eyes closed. She kept breathing, barely, but there was an unsettling slackness to her face.
Horus ran a hand through his stringy hair. “Honcho, you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yes.” Cristiano said slowly, eyes unfocused as he worked something out, and he clearly was not happy with his conclusion. “They are going to kill them.”
“They can’t hurt my family,” I said. “They’re protected.”
“Your family is not the target,” Cristiano said with grim certainty. “They are not the ones keeping you alive.”
My heart froze over, then shattered into an icy abyss.
“Oh, God,” I choked. “They’re going to kill the Hex Boys.”
CHAPTER 89
“Honored with their deaths?” I nearly screeched. “It’s the Hex Boys’ stupid award ceremony, right? Today Renard or her minions are going to kill them!”
“Yes, we have established that,” Cristiano said, working on his computer tablet.
“So stop it!” I said. “Call someone.”
“I first must ascertain their whereabouts.”
Buttefield tucked a blanket around Heather. “She’ll probably never wake up.”
“Not sure I care,” I muttered bitterly.
“Don’t worry, Fiamma.” Horus said. “I’ll throw Heather off the plane.”
“What? No!” I didn’t want that!
“Not something normal people do, Horus.” Cristiano typed furiously.
Horus scratched his head. “We…smother her first?”
“Do not kill the girl,” Cristiano said, his voice bored and distracted. “Return Heather and the doctors to Novo, then come back. We have much to do.”
