Quenched in Blood

by Ari McKay

  Julian watched closely, body tense as Thomas worked. Erasing a glyph was a serious matter, since the dark magic held in it was both dangerous and wildly unpredictable. He was having to trust his gut feeling that Thomas’s instincts were guiding him on a true path, but it wasn’t easy. Especially since it was possible the demon would recognize Thomas in the future as the person who’d done the erasing.

  The oppressive atmosphere began to dissipate as Thomas worked, and Julian noticed the others looked less ill, the color returning to their faces. The closer he got to the outer edge of the glyph, the more Thomas began to sweat, and the hand holding the feather trembled as if with exertion. When he traced the last line of the glyph, he gasped and stumbled back a couple of steps.

  Instantly Julian was beside him, pulling Thomas into his arms. “I’ve got you,” he murmured, holding Thomas close. “Are you okay?”

  Thomas leaned against Julian and slid one arm around Julian’s waist, holding the box tightly in his free hand. “I’m okay,” he said. “But that was draining. The dark magic was stronger than anything I’ve experienced so far. I could feel it pulling at me.”

  “I can imagine.” Julian ran a hand up and down Thomas’s back, slowly and soothingly. “Do you think you can move? We can go over into the trees so you can sit down and rest.”

  “I can walk.” Thomas straightened and drew back a little, although he kept his arm around Julian. “I’m a little shaky, that’s all.”

  “Hold on to me. I won’t let you fall.” Julian guided Thomas back to where Eli and Arden waited. Nearby was a large log, so Julian moved in that direction, easing Thomas down so he could sit and rest. “Did anyone bring water?”

  “Of course.” Arden, ever the caretaker, had brought along a pack, and he retrieved a bottle of cold water from it, holding it out for Thomas. “I know that takes a lot out of you. I did it once, and I hope I never have to do it again.”

  Thomas accepted the bottle with murmured thanks and a grateful smile. He paused long enough to check that the feather had indeed returned to the box as it always did after being used, before handing the box back to Julian.

  “It was more taxing than I expected,” Thomas said as he unscrewed the lid of the bottle.

  “You did great, though.” Julian sat down next to Thomas and rubbed his back again. “Give yourself time to recover.”

  Suddenly the crack of a gunshot shattered the stillness of the forest. It had come from across the clearing, and Julian jumped to his feet. Earl was shouting, and more gunfire erupted. Eli took off running in the direction where the shot had come from, and he transformed midrun, howling to rally the others to follow his pursuit.

  Any other time, Julian would have been hot on their heels, but he wasn’t about to leave Thomas. Arden watched Eli go, biting his lip, then turned back with a crooked smile. “I could never catch them. They’re too fast.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Julian replied absently, then frowned at Thomas. Something about the situation bothered him, and he sat down close to Thomas. “Are you feeling better?”

  Thomas drank about half of the water before lowering the bottle and screwing the lid back on. “A little,” he said, leaning against Julian’s side. “Arden is right. It takes a lot out of you. I feel like a battery that needs to be recharged.”

  “Take your time.” Julian looked off across the clearing, but the werewolves had disappeared after whatever they’d been chasing. He wished he could convince himself it was nothing, but he couldn’t shake the prickling sensation along the back of his neck.

  Arden seemed to pick up something, if only the way Julian had gone tense. “What is it?” he asked, his voice so low that Julian could barely hear him.

  Thomas sat up straight and watched Julian with growing concern in his eyes. “Is something wrong?” he asked, keeping his voice low as well.

  Julian put a hand on Thomas’s back, rubbing it gently, then leaned closer, making it appear he was simply nuzzling Thomas’s cheek. “Concentrate,” he murmured. “I know you’re drained, but I need to know if you feel anything close by us.”

  Thomas closed his eyes and was silent for a moment, and then his breath hitched. “I feel them,” he said, his eyes flying open wide. “They’re getting closer.”

  “Don’t move yet,” Julian said quickly. He glanced up at Arden and mouthed, “Possessed ones behind us.” From the way Arden’s eyes grew wide with fright, Julian knew he’d understood. Arden had been cornered in a similar way before, and the results had almost been tragic.

  They were caught in a trap, and Julian’s mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to get them out of it. It was likely the possessed shifters hadn’t been too far away, so either they’d been alerted the glyph had been erased, or perhaps they’d left a single watcher to see if anyone would show up. No doubt the original feint had worked as they’d planned, splitting the group up and making them easier to capture. But he wasn’t sure if they realized the extent of their folly in attempting to trap a demon hunter.

  Julian pulled the box out of his jacket, then put it in Thomas’s hands. “This is our only hope. I’ll give Arden my gun, and I’ll draw my sword. You’ll need to pull the feather out of the box and hold it up. I’m hoping that the power of it in your hands will be enough to send them running scared. If not that, maybe it’ll hold them at bay until Eli and the others return.”

  Arden frowned, but then he sat down on Julian’s left side. Julian had brought a sidearm, just in case, and Arden reached into Julian’s jacket to draw it from the shoulder holster. “Ready.”

  Julian met Thomas’s gaze. “Are you good with this?”

  “I’m good with it.” Thomas rested his hand on the lid of the box. “Ready when you are.”

  Julian put a hand on the hilt of his sword. “Do they feel like they’re getting closer?”

  “Yes,” Thomas murmured. “They’re moving slowly, probably to cut down on noise, but they’re almost here.” He paused, tension radiating from every line of his body, and then he sprang up from the log and whirled around. “Now!”

  Julian surged to his feet, drawing his sword and taking up a defensive stance, and he felt Arden rising beside him. The three of them stood together as five shape-shifters—two bears and three wolves—ran toward them. Thomas yanked the lid off the box, grabbed the feather, and held it aloft, wielding it like a sword.

  “Stay back!” he cried, and in his hand, the feather glowed, its light growing brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding.

  Julian was looking ahead, not at the feather, but even the glare from it was enough to force him to narrow his eyes. He’d had the feeling the feather would do something in Thomas’s hands, but he hadn’t expected anything quite this dramatic.

  Apparently the demon-possessed shifters hadn’t expected it either. All five of them stopped, the bears roaring in outrage while the wolves snarled. One of the wolves began moving forward again, although far more slowly, as though it was trying to make its way against a force pushing it back.

  “Keep it up!” Julian said, stepping over the log so he stood between Thomas and the wolf. The creature kept coming, lips pulled back from ivory fangs as it growled in hate, bloodred eyes glaring from between narrowed lids. The other four shifters held position, either not strong enough to push forward against whatever force the feather was emitting, or waiting to see what happened to their comrade.

  He didn’t want to get too far from Thomas, but Julian knew how to fight with a sword. He waited until the werewolf was less than five feet away, and then moved with his full vampiric speed. The feather didn’t impede him at all, and he struck out with the sword, slashing at the werewolf’s neck and cutting so deeply he nearly severed it from the creature’s body. The werewolf fell to the ground, legs kicking uselessly as it died, its blood spilling onto the ground.

  He wasn’t certain how long Thomas could keep doing whatever he was doing with the feather, so Julian looked at the four remaining shifters. “Run!
Run unless you want to meet the same fate!”

  For a moment it looked as though one of the bears might decide to try its luck, but then the second bear roared, and suddenly all four shifters turned and ran to the south, down the sloping mountainside, where they quickly vanished into the trees. Once they were gone, Thomas lowered the feather, and its light dimmed until it was a plain white feather again. Thomas wavered in place—and then the box clattered on the ground as Thomas crumpled in a senseless heap.

  Julian dropped the sword as he saw Thomas begin to fall, and even with his preternatural speed, he barely reached Thomas in time to keep his head from hitting the log. He felt a rising surge of panic, wondering if Thomas using the feather twice in such a short period had been too much. “Thomas! Speak to me!” he begged, slumped on the ground as he held Thomas cradled in his arms.

  Thomas’s eyelids fluttered and a soft moan escaped his parted lips. Julian caressed Thomas’s cheek, silently willing him to wake up. He was aware of Arden standing over Julian and Thomas, gun drawn as he guarded them from any new threat. It seemed like an eternity passed before Thomas opened his eyes, his gaze bleary and unfocused.

  “’M okay,” he mumbled.

  Julian sagged, lowering his head to press his lips to Thomas’s forehead as tears of relief prickled his eyes. “You don’t have to move. You were wonderful. I’m just sorry it took so much out of you.”

  “It happens.” Thomas rested his head on Julian’s shoulder and nestled close. “Read about it in the journals.”

  “I really need to read those journals.” Julian tightened his arms around Thomas, then looked up at Arden, who had been watching them silently. “Are Eli and the others…?”

  Arden smiled. “They’re okay. Eli is frustrated, so I don’t think they caught any of the shifters they were chasing, and he’s worried because I was scared when we were attacked. They’re headed back.”

  The mate bond allowed Arden and Eli to feel each other’s emotions, which Julian had never envied… until, possibly, now. He could see how it would be reassuring to know the person you most cared for was all right when things got tough.

  Eli, Tharn, and the others arrived, and they were understandably disturbed to see the dead body of the shifter Julian had killed. But they didn’t have long to dwell on it, because soon afterward, the sky above the clearing was filled with black-clad people riding broomsticks. The coven landed—careful to avoid the area where the glyph had been—and Brianna Winddaughter joined them.

  “We got Whimsy’s call, and we came as quickly as we could,” she said. Like most supernaturals, witches aged more slowly than humans, and Brianna appeared no more than thirty. But she was much older, and it showed now in the weary slump of her shoulders and the sorrow in her eyes. “I can’t believe what they did to the wee folk. Is Thomas all right?”

  Thomas mustered a smile and gave her a thumbs-up, but he didn’t try to sit upright, seeming content to relax in Julian’s embrace.

  “Just drained from erasing the glyph and then fighting possessed shifters,” Julian replied. “I need to get him home to rest and recover. Do you think you can…?”

  “On it.” Brianna waved a hand toward the rest of her coven, who were hanging back, talking to Eli and the others. “We brought salt and holy water as requested. We could never have gotten rid of a glyph that big, not even all of us working together, but we can cleanse the area. I’m sure with the help of Arden and any dryads around here, we can get the word out about what’s happened and see if there are other wee folk who want to claim their loved ones. The others we can bury and put to rest.”

  “Thank you.” Julian was relieved at her offer of help. Like Whimsy, the witches would have been incapacitated by the dark magic of the glyph, but they hated demons and were skilled at cleansing rituals. “I hate to dump this on you, but….”

  “But Thomas needs you.” Brianna smiled slightly, her sadness lifting for a moment. “He’s good for you, Julian. Get him home and fuss over him. Don’t try to cook for him, though. Let Whimsy handle feeding the poor boy. I’ve never seen anyone able to burn water but you.”

  “Ha.” Julian gave her a mock glare, but she shrugged it off, then went to join the rest of her coven.

  Returning his attention to Thomas, Julian stroked Thomas’s hair. “I’m going to carry you down. If I know Whimsy, he and Harlan are waiting for us back at the SUV.”

  “I’d protest, but I already know I can’t make it back there,” Thomas said. “Also, I don’t want burned water for dinner. Can you handle heating up leftovers?”

  Julian snorted. “If you’re feeling good enough to be a smartass, maybe I should make you walk.”

  Thomas chuckled, and then he widened his eyes with mute appeal. “I’d be very grateful if you didn’t.”

  “Oh, fine.” Julian could never resist Thomas when he looked that way, so he placed one arm behind Thomas’s knees, then rose to his feet with Thomas cradled in his arms. Thomas was no lightweight, but Julian’s vampiric strength was more than adequate to the task of carrying him.

  He looked around to catch Arden’s gaze, and Arden nodded in understanding. Then he set off southward through the trees, giving the body of the dead shifter a grim look as he passed it. Things were under control for now, but they had their work cut out for them. The demon that had been gated in by the glyph was of a higher order than any Julian had ever gone up against. He just had to hope that between his knowledge, Thomas’s abilities, and the help of their friends, they could take the demon on and win. Because if they couldn’t, he had the feeling that few of the people he cared about were going to survive.

  Chapter Ten

  TWO days later, Thomas felt rested and recharged enough to get out of bed and take a long hot shower. Julian had checked on him, and Whimsy had brought him light meals, but most of the time he’d been sound asleep. He might have been more worried if he hadn’t read about the same thing happening to his ancestors when they were fledgling demon hunters. He would have to build up his strength and the stamina of his spirit through both training and doing battle, and eventually he would wield the feather with greater fortitude.

  By the time he finished showering and shaving, it was nearing midnight, but he wasn’t tired, and Julian had been keeping late hours, immersed in research on the glyph. Thomas had hoped it would be in the book they found among his family heirlooms, but it wasn’t, and so Julian had enlisted Arden’s, Eli’s, Harlan’s, and Whimsy’s help in poring over their collection of resources.

  Thomas debated what to wear given the lateness of the hour, but since he’d worn nothing but his pajama bottoms for the past couple of days, he decided to put on a pair of jeans and a sweater, and then he went downstairs in search of Julian.

  When he stepped into the library, he saw Julian seated at one of the tables, books piled around him and his nose almost buried in the one in front of him. But he looked up as Thomas entered, a smile curving his lips for a moment before he frowned, looking concerned, and rose to his feet. “Should you be up? Are you feeling strong enough?”

  “I feel much better,” Thomas said, approaching Julian with his hands outstretched. Julian had slept beside him in their bed as usual, but Thomas’s sleep had been so deep, he’d scarcely been aware of Julian’s presence, and the few times Julian had visited when he was awake, Thomas was too weak and drowsy to appreciate it properly. Now he wanted to make up for lost time.

  Julian came around the table, taking Thomas’s hands in his and peering at him closely, as though to reassure himself Thomas was doing as well as he’d said. “You do look better, but you must be starving. You’ve barely eaten for two days. Whimsy left enough food in the refrigerator to feed an army, so let’s go get you fed.”

  “It seems like every time I opened my eyes, he was coming at me with a bowl of soup,” Thomas said, tugging Julian closer. “I’m really not all that hungry. The only thing I want right now is you.”

  “I suppose I do owe you at least a kiss for having
done so well,” Julian replied, smiling with a hint of wickedness. He wrapped his arms around Thomas, then claimed Thomas’s lips with his own.

  Thomas moaned happily as he slid his arms around Julian and returned the kiss, eager to refamiliarize himself with Julian’s taste and the feel of his body—everything. Julian didn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss so he could take and explore Thomas’s mouth. He ran his hands down Thomas’s back, then lower, molding their bodies together as though he, too, had missed the closeness. The kiss was almost as much of a healing balm as sleep had been, and Thomas yielded to it willingly, giving whatever Julian wanted to take.

  After a time Julian pulled back, his blue eyes dark with desire. “Is it my imagination, or are you trying to lure me back to bed?”

  “That depends.” Thomas gave Julian a flirty look from beneath his lashes. “Am I succeeding?”

  “You know you are.” Julian pressed his hips forward, leaving Thomas in no doubt as to his growing arousal. “But I don’t know if you’re strong enough yet.”

  Thomas pushed his bottom lip out in a mock pout, but he wasn’t surprised. He could tell Julian had been quite concerned about him despite his assurances that experiencing such an intense energy drain wasn’t unusual, and he didn’t want to worry Julian unnecessarily.

  “In that case, do you need a research assistant?”

  Julian leaned forward to kiss Thomas on the forehead. “I think you should relax and not stress yourself yet. But I would appreciate your company.”

  “Okay.” Thomas leaned into the kiss. “I’m going to get a cup of hot tea and some of Whimsy’s lemon shortbread, and then I’ll come in here and read while you work. Would you like anything? Wine or something stronger?”