by Мишель Роуэн
Quinn raised his eyebrows. "Remember, you said you wouldn't kill me. Now let my friends go."
"Silence."
The Boss—the demonRadisshii —produced the Eye, running his dry fingers over its golden surface.
"I've waited so long. I can hardly believe the time has finally arrived." He raised the Eye to his mouth and kissed it gently. Then, with fingers shaking, he slid the red stone into place on the bottom of the filigreed silver globe. It fused with the rest of the staff with a small burst of light.
Janie glanced at Quinn, feeling such mixed emotions she thought she might be physically ill.
He'd come back for her. He'd gotten out in one piece, but he'd come back to save her.
She never thought she'd have her very own knight in shining khakis, but there he was, standing just a few paces away, his gaze fixed only on her.
On the other hand, his saving her meant the rest of the world was basically screwed when the Boss turned into his full demon form.
While it had been a very romantic gesture for him to return with the express reason of saving her ass, he really hadn't been using that big beautiful vampire brain of his.
She tried to remember what she knew about vanquishing demons. It hadn't really been her specialty.
Had she thought for even a moment that her Boss was a demon, she would have gotten a dozengrimoires and read up on the subject. But she hadn't. She'd never liked homework all that much to start with. What she knew about slaying vampires or hunting down werewolves and othernasties she'd learned by doing.
Unfortunately—or rather,fortunately ; up until now—demon hunting wasn't her deal. Demons usually stayed in Hell or the Underworld, since most of them found the earthly realm much too dull.
The Boss had started to chant something in a language she couldn't place. Something ancient and magical and infused with evil. If a language could be evil, then the one he was speaking fit the bill. There were a lot of consonants.
The room went silent and the air seemed to thicken. She waited, feeling the sweat dripping down her back. It was getting warmer in there by the second. Like a posh, expensive microwave oven.
She had to do something. Anything. She struggled against the men who held her still. "Boss! Let's talk about this. Maybe we can make a deal."
He opened his eyes. "You interrupted me."
"Sorry."
"No, you're not. You're trying to stop me from making my wish."
"That's silly. But maybe you're focusing on the wrong thing. Maybe this is the wrong time. Wait until tomorrow. It doesn't seem like it's working, anyhow. A nice night's sleep will do everyone some good."
"I've slept enough," he said, smiling. She noticed that his teeth had grown sharper. "It is as if I've been unconscious for a thousand years and tonight I shall finally awaken."
The Eye began to glow, a very soft light emanating from underneath the filigree. He looked at it and smiled.
"Let us go," Janie said. "You promised."
"Yes, I did promise, didn't I. It is unfortunate that I lied."
"But you used your true name!"
"I gave you the wrong pronunciation." He smiled thinly. "I will be quite hungry when I change. I shall begin with a light meal of you and your sister. If I still have room, then your lover and partner will follow.
For dessert I may nibble on a couple of my servants."
Joe and Steve exchanged a nervous glance.
"Janie—" Quinn said, and she craned her neck to look at him. "I can't move. I'm…shit … I'm frozen in place."
"My power grows even before I make my wish." The boss's old wrinkled face was filled with demonic joy. "Shall I tear him apart now or wait for later? It is so very tempting."
"Don't hurt him!" she yelled.
A sound began, a low buzzing that increased in volume until it filled the room and hurt Janie's ears. She heard somebody scream and saw it was Angela, covering her ears and staring around with terror. Lenny struggled against his bindings.
She had to find some way to stop him from saying the words. From making his wish out loud.
And then, as if he'd creepily read her mind, he looked directly at her. "But I don't have to speak it, Parker. I told you that the Eye is part of me. It already knows what I want."
Just then, the Eye burst open, the delicate silver filigree that encased the globe-like top parting until the smooth crystal beneath was fully exposed. It glowed as hot and bright as a tiny white sun, and the Boss held it at arm's length as if the brightness was too much even for him to take. The noise was so deafening that if she'd yelled something, even if she'd screamed, she wouldn't be heard.
It was too late. She'd gone into this assignment not caring what it was he wanted her to retrieve. Not caring who had to get hurt or who it might hurt once her assignment was over. All she cared about was saving her sister.
Hell, it wasn't even about that at the core level. She'd cared only about saving her own skin. She thought she didn't care if she lived or died, but she'd been fooling herself. Self-preservation had kicked in.
And this is what had come of the decisions she'd made in her life.
She wanted to give up all hope, but she still managed to cling to it weakly. As long as she and Quinn were still alive, there was a chance to fix this. To stop this.
The bright white crystal turned red—a swirling red and orange and gold like the fire that she'd seen in the
Boss's eyes.
Seeing that globe of fire extinguished the small bit of hope she still had. That fire wasn't filled with light. It was filled with endless darkness.
She had no control over this, no say in the outcome.
Quinn had tried to save her, but now they were all doomed.
The red light extended itself like cobwebs, crawling up the Boss's arm and over his shoulder. Down his neck to his small, frail body. Up his face to slide onto his cheeks like red veins, like the roots of a belligerent tree taking deep root in his body from the outside in.
After a moment he was completely encased with the pulsing veins of fire. Past the incessant loud buzzing sound, she could heard something or somebody screaming. It was her Boss. He screamed with pain from inside that thing.
It was eating him alive.
It was killing him.
But not in the good way.
It was killing what he was now. The small, physically weak man whom she called Boss. Who gave her orders she feared not to follow through with. Who made his employees sign their contracts with him in blood. Who killed those who failed to do their jobs according to his whim.
That wrinkled, scary, pathetic thing was dying.
And then the screaming stopped.
The drones released her, and all three of them dropped to their knees, blinking around at the rest of them.
"We're free!" one said.
The veil had been lifted from them, too, just like the amnesia had been lifted from Angela. It took the
Boss's death for them to be freed from his influence, from his magic. They were no longer drones or slaves, but free men.
The thought should have made Janie happy. But she couldn't take her eyes off the faceless, silent red thing in front of her.
"We need to get out of here," she said quietly. "Right now."
The Eye dropped to the floor, and the red thing slumped heavily down next to it in a heap.
"He's dead," Lenny said. "He's dead! It must have killed him."
Quinn shook his head slowly, coming close to grab Janie's shoulder and turn her around. "Like you said, let's get the hell out of here."
"I'd really rather you didn't use the word 'hell' right now."
"Come on!" he yelled, grabbing for her arm.
A former drone quickly released Lenny from his bindings, and he grabbed Angela in his arms and the two ran from the room. The drones followed.
Janie stood, frozen in place, staring at the red form lying in the middle of the floor.
And then it began to change.
&nb
sp; It started to grow and shift.
"Janie, are you deaf?" Quinn yelled, his grip on her arm tightening. "Let's get the hell out of here!"
She turned to look at him. His face was damp with perspiration, and his eyes were wild.
"You shouldn't have come back."
"I wish that had been an option for me, but it wasn't."
"Go," she whispered. "I'll try to stop him."
"Like hell you will."
"There's that word again."
"You're coming with me if I have to knock you out and throw you over my shoulder."
"I'd like to see you try."
"We don't have time for this, Janie."
"Then get out of here. Save yourself."
"God, you're so annoying. Fine. Have it your way."
"You're going?"
"No. I'm staying with you. We can fight him together."
She paled. "That's crazy."
"Just what I've been trying to tell you." His face was strained with emotion. "Now, unless you can come up with a plan better thanstupid , then we've got a problem."
She licked her lips. "I've suddenly come up with another plan."
"That's good to hear. You suddenly remembered how to kill a demon?"
"No."
"Then it's not as good of a plan as I'd like."
She took a step toward the morphing demon.
"Janie—!" Quinn's voice was strangled. "Don't!"
But she didn't listen to him. Couldn't listen to him. There was only one thing she could do. She leaned over and grabbed the Eye off the ground.
"I have to destroy this," she told him. "Let's go."
He nodded and turned to the door, Janie followed, but something thick and wet shot out and wrapped around her ankle. She looked down. It was part of her Boss. His hand, still morphing, still changing. It held on to her so tight that it felt like it would snap her in two. It burned her ankle and up her leg. She screamed.
"Janie!" Quinn turned back.
"Take this," she threw the Eye at him. "Go!"
"You're obviously not a very good listener." He shoved the staff into his waist band and grabbed her hands. "Don't let go."
The floor caught fire from where the Boss lay. The red material on him and surrounding him was actual hellfire. The bed ignited next. Janie's leg felt as if it was burning. Her eyes filled with tears of pain.
"Dammit." Quinn put his arms fully around her and held her against him. Then he kicked at the burning arm. "Let go of her, you bastard."
The demon didn't loosen its grip. If possible, it got even tighter.
Quinn grabbed the Eye and, using the end of it, jammed it into the thing's head. There was a muffled scream and suddenly Janie was loose.
She didn't think. She just ran through the burning room, Quinn clinging to her arm. She took a last look over her shoulder in time to see the huge demon rise to its feet behind them.
Chapter 22
In the elevator, Quinn inspected Janie's leg, yanking at the denim to pull it up. It was raw and red and bleeding, but at least it was still attached.
He felt great relief. "I hope you have some of that healing balm left."
"I think I'm all out." She gently touched his throat where Gideon had threatened him with his blade earlier. "You're hurt, too."
"Just a scratch. We'll both heal before too long. One of the perks of being a vampire."
The elevator shuddered as a roar sounded out that shook the hotel's foundations, and they braced themselves against the railing.
Quinn cleared his throat. "So maybe when this is over we can go for a drink. Maybe see Wayne Newton?"
"Sounds great." She blinked slowly. "How are we going to stop him?"
"You may not believe me, but I actually do have a plan."
"You do?" Her eyes widened. "What?"
"It partly involves us getting out of here very quickly."
The doors opened at ground level, and he grabbed her arm and they raced outside.
Quinn turned slowly to look at the tenth-floor balcony. A large red thing stood there, its hands braced against the railing, looking down at them and roaring so loud it hurt his ears. It seemed to be on fire, as was the room behind him.
He could see its long, sharp teeth as it smiled.
The thing was huge. Probably five or six hundred pounds, ten feet tall. It had large white horns that protruded from either side of its skull.
Basically what he would have expected a demon to look like.
The hotel was on fire, a fire that quickly began to consume the rest of the building.
Janie's grip on his hand was very tight, and they looked at each other.
"Wayne Newton, you said?" she managed. "I'm actually more of a Tom Jones fan. Is he in town right now?"
"We can check it out."
"Parker!" the demon screamed with a sound that painfully reverberated through Quinn's skull. "I will destroy you! I will destroy all of you!"
He felt her body tense. "What are we going to do? When he gets to full strength, he's going to destroy everything!"
He shook his head. "It's already taken care of."
"Why do you sound so damned confident?"
"Do I? I'm not really, but I'm very hopeful."
"That will get us all killed. But it's a nice sentiment."
"I'm a romantic."
"Is that it?" a voice said from beside him.
He looked over at Gideon and nodded. "It is."
A smile spread over Gideon's handsome features. "Nice."
When he'd been faced with Gideon earlier, he'd quickly told the hunter all about the demon who would likely be making an appearance very soon. He was counting on Gideon's passion for adventure and difficult challenges. And he'd been absolutely right. Gideon had salivated at the thought of getting the chance to slay a true demon.
Gideon was flanked with five large men, all of whom looked ready for battle, gazes focused on the burning El Diablo Hotel.
He blinked. One of them was… Barkley?
"Barkley, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Quinn managed.
Barkley grinned. "Hey, Quinn. I've joined up. For one night only. I'm a hunter. I'm going to help vanquish this demon."
"Like hell you are."
He shifted the huge gun he carried to his other shoulder. "This is the chance I've been looking for. I'm going to prove I'm not a coward. That I can be alpha. It's a total metaphor for my life. I slay a demon,
I'm slaying my own demons."
Quinn looked at Gideon. "He's a werewolf, you know."
Gideon shrugged. "He's crazy. And that's how I need my men to be before going into battle."
And before Quinn could say another word, Gideon turned, with a grin, and ran into the burning building,
not even waiting for his men to follow him.
Every muscle in his body tensed. "I have to go with them."
Janie grabbed his arm tightly. "Not a chance."
He turned to face her. "If I can do anything to stop it, to protect you—"
"You've done enough. Besides, fire and vampires do not go well together. Any prolonged exposure to flame and you'll go up like atiki torch." She grabbed him by his waistband, and thrust her hand down the front of his pants—which made him gasp with surprise—and slowly drew out the Eye. Then she threw it on the ground and, with a firm step, crushed the crystal. It let out a flash of light and then went dark.
"Hopefully that might give Gideon a bit of an edge." She picked up what was left of the golden staff.
"Never knew you two were friends."
"Still"—he looked at the hotel barely visible through the flames—"I need to go—"
He felt only a short burst of pain as she clobbered him with the Eye, and he fell to the ground unconscious.
Safe. But unconscious.
She stayed with him until he woke up. It took only a couple of minutes. She sat on the ground next to him, holding him in her arms while she watched the madness surrounding them.
She knew when the Boss was finally dead, vanquished, because there was a sound unlike anything she'd ever heard before. A piercing, inhuman scream that seemed to split the air in two. She covered her ears to protect them, but it hurt as if somebody had beaten her senseless. Afterward she felt bruised and very tired.
Suddenly she felt a rip through her center, and she grabbed at her stomach and cried out in pain. The
Boss's hold on her—the contract she'd signed in blood—was null and void. He was dead, and she was finally free.
If she hadn't felt like a sack of shit, she would have celebrated.
As Quinn blinked his eyes open and looked up at her, she gave him a weary smile.
"Hey there," she said.
"Wh-what happened?"
"We won," she said simply and kissed him lightly on his forehead.
She helped him to his feet.
"You knocked me out." He rubbed the back of his head.
"And I'll do it again if you give me any problems."
He looked angry with her, just for a moment, and then a smile spread across his face. "You are so annoying."
"Right back at you." She placed her hands flat against his chest. "I'm sorry about the wish. I'm sorry it didn't work out the way you wanted it to."
He shook his head. "I was going to wish for you to be human again, anyhow. Not me. So I'm the one who's sorry."
"Me? Human again? But why?"
He laughed a little. "The fact that you ask me why makes me realize that being a vampire might not be as bad as I originally thought."
"You don't think being a vampire sucks anymore?" She grinned. "Get it? Sucks?"
"That joke is so old your Boss probably made it up. As far as being a vampire, I'm still getting used to it.
But perhaps things aren't quite as black and white as I thought they were."
"Good way to think of it." She raised his hand up and kissed it. The feel of her lips made him ache. "So what now?"
"Well, that all depends—"
Angela ran over to them and grabbed Janie into a bear hug. Quinn's grip on her fell away.
"Janie! You're okay!"
"I am." Janie pulled back to smile at her sister. "I don't want to lose you again. Promise me you're not going anywhere."
