by T. F. Walsh
“Girl, anyone can hide behind city walls and declare they are saviors. The true of heart are those in the war zone.”
“Our city gates are open for all. There is no hiding.” My racing pulse pounded in my ears. Who the hell was this dickhead, proclaiming he understood what we did in the city?
He refocused on Axel and took him by the elbow. “How can I aid you, my son?”
“With information,” Axel said.
Irritation boiled deep in my core, spewing lava. It swarmed within, starved for setting Priest straight. I kept telling myself to calm down, but the pressure of anger forced me after the pair. “You might help out the twenty people downstairs, but what about the thousands outside who are starving? Those who come to the city get food and shelter. What about the gangs that terrorize humans, harm them, steal from them? Are they any better here or in the safety of our city?”
Axel cut me an angry glare.
Priest released a loud sigh, glanced over at me, and nodded. “I would never turn away someone in need. They are welcome to the house of God.” His focus was past me as someone entered the room. “Ivan, bring tea.”
Priest retreated toward the boarded window, a hand holding Axel’s, and then he sat on a chair. Axel remained standing.
Son of a bitch, brushing me off. I stormed next to them. So much for compassion and all that bullshit.
“Hear me out,” Axel began and broke into a long-winded explanation of the vulsine we’d encountered.
Priest remained in his seat, and I caught movement behind his dark gaze. His dread stirred, spiking my own in a way that screamed for me to run. That terrified me… shouldn’t have, because the guy seemed as if not much shook him. But news on the vulsines had.
When he spoke, his voice sharpened. “Something is coming.”
Not a single hint of deception in his words.
Those three words left me frozen, yet they revealed nothing.
“Like what?” Axel asked.
Priest was on his feet, pacing from the boarded up window to the opposite wall. His face had paled several shades since we’d entered. “For a couple weeks, I’ve had a recurring dream and felt this pressure on my back. I think it’s God connecting me with Princess Kutia. It’s as if I can sense her in my dreams. She cries for escape.”
“You’re wrong,” I said. “She isn’t meant to rise for another year.” The council had decreed it hundreds of years ago. Priest seemed the type to exaggerate, especially if he assumed God ruled over the princess. Our world was crafted from her magic, but I guessed everyone had a right to believe in their own creation stories.
Priest quit his pacing, a foot away from me, his scowl piercing me. “This is bigger than you, girl. She calls for help. God wants me to assist her, so I pray every day.”
Mention of the princess hurt my head because this had zero to do with our current situation. It was more about Priest fluffing his own ego. “What about the vulsines? Axel said you had knowledge of their history.”
Priest stared at me long, without blinking. “You sure it was a vulsine?” He faced Axel, who gave a curt nod.
“Well, then we’re all fucked,” Priest said, which did zilch to calm my raging nerves.
What little I knew of the monsters came from books in school. I had skimmed those pages about vulsines because no one believed they’d ever see one in Kutia Hollow.
“Vulsines,” Priest began, “must kill their host before they can replicate their form. When they copy someone’s physical appearance, they don’t retain any of that person’s thoughts.”
“Yes, we know that,” I blurted. Eduard hadn’t remembered who I was back in the PPD office.
“But if they appeared now, what happened two weeks ago?” Axel asked. “Where did they come from? Where have they been this whole time?”
Priest shrugged. “I believe it’s linked to my dream. The killings.”
Axel looked my way, and worry marred his furrowed brow.
“Okay, so let’s say it’s related to the princess rising next year,” I said. “How is that connected with the vulsines? Wouldn’t the council be all over this as they are the ones preparing for her rising?” If the princess didn’t rise from her grave, the world would deteriorate, leaving behind an empty husk. No water, no greenery. Everything dead. She kept us alive with her energy… so if she died, we would too. And Queen Rasha, back in the ancient realm, had not sacrificed herself and defeated the evil fae, Acura, for any of her daughters to die before they rose.
Axel sidled up to Priest, both turning their backs to me, their hushed whispers bugging me. Axel broke away from the huddle and crossed the room. “Be back in a sec.”
Before I could respond, he left. Where was he going so fast? The toilet? Was he lying and trying to escape from me? I hurried after him, but Priest grabbed my wrist. “I have to talk to you.”
“In a moment.” I pulled away, but he squeezed his hold. Damn, he was strong for an old man.
“No. You have to know something about Axel.”
That stopped me. So far, the guy had been elusive when it came to providing any insight into who he was and what he concealed. I stared out into the darkened corridor, in the same direction Axel had vanished. He hadn’t headed down the steps, so if I stayed there, I’d see him leave. “Okay, make it quick.”
“Axel can’t be around you.”
My shoulders flinched. “Excuse me?”
“The boy has a big heart, but he’s weak, and you are not doing him any favors. He has a dark past.”
“What are you talking about?”
He sighed and leaned in closer. I held the gagging reflex from his foul breath. “He’s a human. You’re a fae. Keep your distance. That is all you need to know.”
My laugh burst free and loud. “Are you insane? We’re not here to ask you to marry us. I work for PPD.” Or at least I used to. “And a bunch of vulsines wanted Axel dead. It means he’s somehow involved in whatever is happening. So my plan is to stay on his ass until I work out what’s going on and how he’s involved.”
He rolled his eyes. “Girl, you’re not listening to me. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Then get to the bloody point! What’s so special about Axel?”
Heavy footfalls stole his response. I turned, expecting Axel, except it was Hairy guy carrying a tray with three cups of tea. He set them on a side table, then left us alone.
Where was Axel? How long does it take to pee? Hell, I bet he lied.
Priest held my elbow and edged me toward the beverage. “Come and sit. Seems I need to be blunt. Thought you PPD officers were smart.”
Bastard. I ignored him and surveyed the empty hallway. “I’m checking on Axel, and then I’ll be back.”
“Give the boy space. So, tell me more about what you do at PPD?”
I pulled my arm from his grasp. “Since when do you care what I do? You could barely stand to look at me when we met. Now you want to chat?”
And the truth slammed into me, rocking me. I’m such an idiot. I grabbed Priest’s arm. “Where did Axel go?”
He said nothing but shook his head.
Hell. I spun and raced into the corridor. Beyond the first door, I found stacked boxes. No windows. I darted to the next one and discovered an empty bathroom with the window shut.
The last room was barren, but there was an exit at the rear. I closed the distance and thrust open the door to a metal balcony. A rusty stepladder hung from my platform to the ground. I studied the darkened land, finding no sign of Axel. “Motherfucker.”
Chapter 11
“I’m killing Axel when I catch him.”
After risking my job and life, he ditched me! I would scour every corner in the Outlands until I tracked him down. I’d been the fool to believe we had connected. He’d been playing me until he had the opportunity to escape.
Following the path we’d used to reach the church, I bolted toward the town in the dark. Behind me, Priest called from his balcony, but I couldn’t deciph
er his words. Well, fuck you too. He’d distracted me while Axel bolted.
I gritted my teeth and kept running. My lungs burned, but my mind stirred with ideas of how to track down Axel. He couldn’t have gotten far. The location was just barren wasteland for miles except for the town ahead. If I went back into the tunnels, I’d get lost in the labyrinth. I recalled Axel mentioning Vlasikha, a settlement about a twenty-minute drive from Zhukovoka. Was he headed there?
I twirled my hair into a ponytail, catching all the flyaway strands before stopping at the T-intersection. On the left, the road stretched into the night, but on the right side lay the abandoned town. I’d seen several cars parked by the curb. Maybe one had some battery and gas reserve left. Fuel was often sold on the black market or imported from neighboring countries.
I broke into a run toward the houses, scanning for movement. Dead twigs swirled on the ground from the breeze. Where the hell was Axel? This area was spooky… reminded me of old ghost movies.
Three parked cars waited at the curb. Safer then risking the tunnels. I picked up my pace, picturing Axel underground, putting distance between us. And sure, I was taking a chance that he went home to Vlasikha, but I had no other clues. I should have remained cuffed to him the whole time, never letting him out of my sight. And what was I thinking trusting a criminal, anyway? What if I’d been wrong and he knew more about the vulsines than he admitted? Why even take me to the church if he planned to desert me so quickly?
Priest’s so-called warning about Axel was the only truthful thing he’d said, but with Axel running away, I’d lost the chance to discover more about him.
Something moved in my peripheral vision, and I turned as a figure emerged from the shadows, seemingly scanning the road, searching for someone, until his sights landed on me. The stranger was taller than me, skinny, and male. Not Axel.
For those few seconds, neither of us moved. From my distance, I couldn’t tell if he was human or fae… or vulsine.
Then he charged as if deciding I was worth his time. From my recent experience, if anyone runs at me wearing a grimace, I get the fuck out of there.
I recoiled while grabbing two blades from my belt and threw a side kick into his gut upon approach. He reeled, but never once clutched his stomach or groaned. Tingles of trickery rippled across my flesh, turning them to goosebumps.
“Son of a bitch, another vulsine.”
How had it tracked me? Were they everywhere, killing anyone in their path?
He grinned at my words. “Scum. Identified,” it drawled, and my deception radar buzzed. The moonlight illuminated his eyes—death crammed behind them, just as I remembered.
Rage drove my pulse, and I shook from the urgency to destroy the fiend. I lunged.
A fist collided with my face. The agony rattled me to my core, and I staggered from the impact, a metallic flavor in my mouth. I wiped my busted lip. “Was gonna take you out quick… but now, I’ll make it hurt.”
Dickhead was licking my blood from his fist.
What the fuck? Just as Eduard and my neighbor had done to Axel and the faes in the woods. Why were vulsines tasting our blood? Whatever it was, Axel had made the cut, because Mrs. Ivanova said they were coming for him. But why?
Surprise registered on this vulsine’s face as he sucked on his lower lip, his eyes widening. “You will do nicely.”
What the hell?
He pulled a whip from his belt and cracked it on the asphalt, the sound booming around us.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
He struck. The snake-like assault hit my arm, biting into skin.
An involuntary cry fell from my mouth, and the ass laughed. I freed myself and rubbed the red welts curling up my bicep.
When the attacker lifted the handle of his whip, I charged him and tackled his midriff. My shoulder dug into his belly. Sure he was bigger than me, but the impact had him staggering.
I tightened the grip on my knives and slammed both into his chest; the blades slid into him with ease and I cringed.
He fell over his own feet, wailing before collapsing. “Son of a bitch.” I tugged my blades from his corpse, and blood gushed from the wounds. I cleaned them on his shirt when movement to the right drew my attention. Thirty feet away, two other figures emerged from between two buildings. I sighed, exhaustion claiming me. Were they vulsines, too?
For good measure, I snatched the whip and bolted down the street away from them. Could never have enough weapons. I coiled the leather and tucked it into the back of my pants, daggers still in hand.
Behind me, footfalls closed in.
Emptiness and barren houses. Fucking great. Two options. Keep running, hoping to exhaust them, though I suspected I’d collapse before they did. Or enter the underground tunnels, which could get me trapped. Fucked either way.
I eyed the vehicles ahead. Digging in and pushing myself faster, I sprinted and skidded to a stop near a hatchback. I tried the driver’s door. Locked. The next one offered the same problem. “Fuck.”
The duo were closing on me… only fifty feet behind.
At a blue sedan, the lock wasn’t playing nice either. Holding a knife, I drove the metal hilt into the window. The glass cracked. I slammed it a few more times until it shattered into tiny fragments. I unlocked the door, brushed away the glass pieces and leaped in, dumping the knives on the passenger’s seat. I was the champion at PPD at breaking into old-style vehicles.
I ripped open the compartment under the steering wheel and tugged the wires out.
No response from the engine. Keep trying, sometimes it took a few attempts.
Someone appeared at the broken window, reaching for me and yanking my arm. I wrenched free and refocused on starting the engine. But the attacker stretched toward me again, driving a fist into the side of my head. Everything blurred around me. I held onto the steering wheel, but when he grabbed the door, I turned and shoved my foot into it. The door swung outward, slamming into the guy. He recoiled.
“Now, fuck off.”
I found the right wires. They shook in my fingers, and I jammed them together. Nothing. “Come on, you piece of shit.” A tiny spark. Yes! The engine purred to life.
At that exact moment, a hand reached in through the open door and wrenched me out with such force, an involuntary cry came from my mouth.
I smacked onto the ground with my hip and winced. In haste, I kicked the guy’s legs. The fae impersonator stumbled and tripped. And my deception radar scraped my insides raw. Wonderful. More vulsines.
The second fiend approached, and I scrambled to my feet. I combined a kick to his groin with an elbow to his face. But he wasn’t going down.
In front of me stood both assailants. Behind them, the running car waited. My escape.
“Okay, boys. So it seems we’re doing this the hard way.” I reached for my belt. Crap. The knives were on the passenger seat. Grasping the whip, I unleashed the cord. Nothing like learning on the job.
I quieted my mind for a split second and called to my inner charge… yeah, it would deplete me, but so would dying. I could recover in the car while I raced after Axel. Then I was kicking his butt to the next planet for leaving me.
I coaxed my power into the whip.
When the taller assailant stepped closer, clutching a massive butcher’s cleaver, I cracked the cord. The weapon looped toward his neck like a heat-seeking missile. Electrical bolts sizzled against his flesh, and he convulsed violently.
The energy eased off and wavered within me, but the guy lay on his side, foaming at the mouth. I struck the whip toward the second vulsine, but he caught the leather with a hand, offering me a smug expression. Who gave a shit? I could still make him hurt.
Tensing every muscle, I crammed the last dregs of energy through me and into the weapon. Burn fuckhead! The moment the electricity arcing around the leather touched him, he flew backward.
I bolted for the car, grabbed a knife, and returned to the convulsing vulsine. With no hesitation, I rammed the blade
into his temple. The sloshing sound turned my stomach, and I pried my weapon free. He shifted into vulsine form with white hair and eyes, skin pale as the moon. With the second vulsine finished too, I jumped into the driver’s seat.
I had the seatbelt strapping me in, hit the gas pedal, and steered out to the center of the road. Tires screeched from the rapid takeoff. I flipped on the high beams.
Blood splatter dotted my forearms, and my mouth and hip screamed with piercing pain. No time for that. Find Axel.
A wave of fatigue overcame me. Was the highway moving away from me? The vehicle rattled and sputtered. I swerved back onto the asphalt. “Hell. Could the night get any worse?”
I welcomed the warm air rushing in through the broken window, pulling on my ponytail, my clothes. My vision danced before me. I’d pushed myself too far.
Shaking my head, I gripped the steering wheel. “Gotta keep going.” If I’d lost Axel, I was beyond fucked. I’d be arrested for helping a fugitive, stealing a PPD vehicle, and countless other violations. I had no evidence to defend myself. I steered and concentrated on the dead straight road ahead. I had this.
Chapter 12
My eyelids grew heavy… aching to close, to block out the world, to fall into a deep sleep. I gripped the steering wheel, swaying all over the place. Cold air rushed through the busted driver’s window. The night and I were alone on the road.
A guttural snarl erupted from outside the sedan.
I flinched and glanced into the side mirror. The moment I spotted red eyes glowing against my taillights, dread swallowed me. A yard away was a vlko, chasing after me on all fours. Black as the abyss, the enormous beast was a cross-breed between a wolf and tiger. They were common in Kutia Hollow and predominately lived in Moscow. But after the big fires, they came down from the mountains more frequently in search of food.
“Hell, I don’t need this now.” Apparently, the gaping knife wound on my collarbone and the welts on my arm from the whip weren’t enough… Nope. The universe now threw in a freakin’ man-eating beast. The animal might not be able to catch a car, but they were relentless hunters and could even chase me to the next town. Just dandy.
