by K. C. Blake
“Then why do you think I can do it?”
“I know you can do it because you’re the exception. There is always an exception to every rule. Trust me. I am after all the exception to the wraith rule.”
Jack glanced sideways at her. He almost did a double-take. Her eyes glowed a soft gold when the moonlight touched them just right. It was eerie yet beautiful. For a moment he let down his guard with her. Part of him felt very close to her, but seeing her eyes reminded him that she was a monster. Just like Jersey Clifford. He could like them, admire them, but he couldn’t trust them.
“You’ve gotten awfully quiet,” she said. “Something wrong?”
Besides the obvious? He was taking a leisurely walk with a werewolf who could morph and chew his head off at any second. Everything was great. No problem.
“Did Jersey send you?” he asked. “I won’t get mad at you if he did. I just want to know the truth.”
“Jersey did not ask me to come here.” Her tone took on a defensive quality. “As a matter of fact I only came back to town once I heard he had left.”
“Do you have any idea where he is right now?”
Her eyes glowed brighter. “How would I know that?”
“You wouldn’t. I guess.” Jack wondered if his eyes ever glowed. He stopped walking. “Okay. If you’re going to show me how to do it, then show me. Right here. Right now.”
For a second he thought she’d refuse. Instead, a bright smile transformed her face. “Eager to begin? Good. Let’s do it.”
“How?” he asked for what seemed to him like the millionth time.
“First you need to relax.” She circled around him, placed her hands on his shoulders and started to massage them. “You are so tense. If you want this to work, let go of your stress.”
Her fingers were anything but magic. Was she using this as a way to come onto him? The idea doubled the tension he was already experiencing. Hopefully he was imagining things. It wouldn’t be easy to tell a werewolf he wasn’t interested in her. She might remove his head again, and this time he wouldn’t be dreaming.
“Maybe we should move onto step two,” he said.
Her hands dropped, and a wry smile played across her lips. “If you insist.”
“What do I need to do?”
“Wipe your mind clean.”
“Huh?”
She laughed. “Good start. Now picture a blank screen in your mind. Then stare into my eyes.”
He tried it. Who knew thinking of nothing would be a near impossible task? Every time he pictured the blank screen in his head, something else took its place. It was harder than climbing a mountain with his bare hands, and he’d done that three times. Barely. Cowboy had been behind him the whole way, distracting him with his wisecracks.
It took a while, but he managed to produce the dark screen in his mind. He looked straight into Isobel’s eyes. They were the same color as the screen.
She whispered, “Reach deep. Find my soul. Crawl to it.”
It was a long journey to her soul. He had no idea what he was doing. He felt like a clumsy kid in the backseat of his car with the hottest girl in school, fumbling with her bra strap until she realized he didn’t know what he was doing. Concentrating on sinking into Isobel's eyes, losing himself, didn’t seem to be working. Those eyes invited him in willingly. A small voice warned him not to venture too far, but he didn’t listen. He kept going, kept reaching.
At last, he found it.
Her soul felt ice cold. It enveloped him, practically smothering him. A shiver of revulsion wracked his frame. There was no turning back now. He had to try to suck her soul out. If he didn’t, she was going to take his because... it was a trap!
Isobel pulled on his soul, trying her hardest to take it from him.
The field disappeared. Jack found himself staring at Isobel across a dark ravine. They were playing tug-o-war with his soul while fire raged around them. His first thought was that they were in Hell. He saw flames out of the corners of his eyes and smelled sulfur. Thick smoke filled his lungs, choking him. He silently swore if he lived he’d never even think about having another cigarette.
She didn’t speak to him, but he heard her voice loud and clear in his head. “Fight me. Try to take my soul, you big baby.”
Anger boiled to the surface. He grabbed for her soul. One way or another he was going to kill her. He gained an inch. Her soul was almost his. Just a little more and he’d have it.
Things changed.
She jerked hard. He lost his grip on both her soul and his at the same time. He was losing; he was dying.
Jack fell to his knees, unable to breathe.
******
Chapter Eleven:
TORN
Jack fell at a hundred miles an hour through time and space. He slammed back into his body. The whole experience felt like plunging off the side of a bridge and hitting the hard water below. It was like smashing into concrete. Then he was inside of his physical body again and the situation got worse. He found himself on his knees, gasping for air. His throat and lungs burned like they were on fire. The grass was damp beneath his hands. He rested his forehead against the wet ground as a small amount of air entered his lungs, cooling them slightly.
“You okay?” Isobel’s tone was void of concern.
He glared up at her, viciously wishing she would drop dead. If he’d still been a vampire, he’d be on top of her right now, trying to rip a hole in her tanned throat. The logical side of his brain argued that if she wanted him dead, he’d be dead. The survivalist in him warned him not to trust her. She might not be finished with him yet.
“Not bad for your first time,” she said.
“I almost died.” His voice was raw, scraped by fiery sand paper. He could barely talk. Struggling to his feet, he said, “I’m leaving. Don’t get in my way or it will be the last thing you ever do.”
“I am teaching you a valuable skill. Don’t you want to be useful to your girlfriend in a fight? From what I hear, she almost got herself killed a few months ago when you two brainiacs decided to take on one of Jersey’s foot soldiers.”
Isobel was referring to the school’s former janitor, the same werewolf who had killed his parents. Silver had tried in vain to separate that killer from his soul. If Jack hadn’t arrived when he had, she would be dead now.
Isobel added, “Jersey is a thousand times more dangerous. Silver can practice her skills until she’s ninety and still not be able to take him down. Trust me. He’s spectacular on the battlefield. She won’t get a single shot at him, unless he’s feeling generous that day, and I certainly wouldn’t count on it.”
Jack hung his head and released a long breath in a tired sigh. He wanted to argue with the girl, but she was right. Silver had almost gotten herself killed fighting one of Jersey’s followers. Although Jack hadn’t seen Jersey in action, he knew the man was a formidable enemy. They’d probably be dead before they realized it was even him they were fighting.
“And then there’s his army,” Isobel said. She smiled without a hint of humor. “Don’t kid yourself, Jack. Jersey doesn’t fight fair. He probably won’t face you alone. You need to know how to do this. You need to be ready.”
“Why do you care if I’m ready or not?”
Her eyes dropped. She played with a blade of grass, pulling it between her fingers as if she was trying to strip the color off. She didn’t look at him when she spoke. “I don’t care about you. Let’s just say I owe Tobias and leave it at that.”
“You owe Tobias, me, because you killed him, me, last time. Right?”
She scowled at him. “I did not kill you. Jersey did.”
“But you helped him do it.”
“Not exactly.”
Jack was tired of games. He grabbed her by the shoulders, prepared to yell at her until he ran out of breath, but a familiar current of electricity shot through him. If he could have fought to remain in the present, he would have, but there wasn’t anything he could do to stop the inevi
table.
Make way for the memories.
******
He watched this scene unfold from the sidelines, sort of. For the third time he was both spectator and participant. Just like the dream he’d had about Isobel before he’d met her, he was watching himself interact with her, but he was also inside of his former body. He viewed the scene as Jack, and he participated as Tobias.
They were on the roof of a tall building at least thirty stories high. Tobias stood on the edge. He held his arms straight out to the sides and closed his eyes. Leaning forward slightly on the balls of his feet, he wondered what it would feel like to sail through the air. What would it be like to hit the ground? Would he die? Not many things could kill a werewolf, so he would probably heal instantly. A smile stretched his mouth. He leaned out a little more, tempted to test his theory.
“Stop messing around,” Isobel said from behind him. There was a harsh bite to her tone. “Get down from there before you fall, you idiot.”
His fantasy evaporated. Opening his eyes, he turned around to look at her but didn’t step off the ledge. “Where is your sense of adventure?”
“It died. I killed it. Now come down from there.”
Tobias started wondering about something else, something a little closer to home. Why was he still hanging out with Isobel? He didn’t love her, not really, and now there was someone new on his mind. Isobel had come in handy while he was on the run from creatures that wanted to kill him, but Jersey had welcomed them back with open arms. He didn’t need her anymore.
A secret plan brewed in the back of his mind. He’d only shared it with one other. Katie. He had returned for her. Soon, he would destroy Jersey Clifford using the magical stone that Katie had in her possession. Then the two of them could go anywhere, live anywhere, and there wasn’t a mortal or monster on the planet capable of stopping them.
As if thinking about monsters had sent out a mental invitation, the roof door opened, and Jersey emerged. Wind hit his long black coat. It caught the air, flying behind him like Batman’s cape. Sinister was the word that sprang to Jack’s mind. Dark sunglasses obscured Jersey’s eyes, but Tobias could feel those eyes on him. The unhappy twist to Jersey’s mouth warned Tobias to be careful. Jersey was scary at the best of times. At the worst, he was deadly.
Tobias thought it was a shame that he didn’t have the rock on him.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Tobias said, trying to sound casual. He shot an accusing glare Isobel’s way, smelling a set up. His eyes returned to Jersey. “If you wanted to talk to me, you could have done it at home. My bedroom is a short walk from yours.”
“There’s an abundance of distractions at home,” Jersey replied. “I need your undivided attention.”
“Why is that?” Tobias stepped off the ledge and approached Jersey with caution.
Jersey met him halfway. “We have a problem, Tobias.”
“Do we?”
“I know you’ve been sneaking off to see that girl.”
Tobias didn’t have to ask which girl Jersey was referring to. He was drawn to Katie the way a sunflower was pulled in by the sun’s rays. They belonged together. It was a fact, even if he didn’t totally understand it. He was willing to die for her. From the expression on Jersey’s face, he knew it and was beyond angry.
Isobel crossed over to Jersey and stood next to him with her arms folded over her chest. Apparently she was hearing about Tobias visiting the girl for the first time. Her eyes narrowed on his face. Her mouth compressed into a solid line of loathing. She would attack him and try to kill him if she thought she’d get away with it. Too bad for her that he was stronger.
Tobias straightened his spine. “I can spend time with whoever I choose to spend time with. It’s none of your business.”
“None of my business?” Jersey’s face turned stop-sign red. “That girl is destined to kill me! Am I supposed to ignore that, walk away, and just let her be?”
“She can’t hurt you. She isn’t even training.”
“I find it disturbing that you are so willing to bet my life on that little girl’s ability or lack thereof. She is the hunter Lovely wrote about in her diary. Did it ever occur to you that she might be able to fulfill her destiny without a lot of training? Perhaps it’s a matter of instinct.”
Jack moved closer to the arguing pair. They were talking about Silver, so he didn’t want to miss a single word. He stood to the side of Jersey and stared at the man’s face. The head werewolf hadn’t changed over the years, not at all.
“Calm down,” Tobias said. “You’re totally overreacting to the situation.”
“Am I?” Jersey took a step closer to Tobias. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe this is a little extreme, but…”
Jersey swung his arm so fast Tobias didn’t have time to dodge the metallic claws. They sliced four lines across his cheek. Isobel screamed. Tobias grabbed his bleeding face. Mouth open, he stumbled backwards. The poison worked fast. He only had seconds, maybe minutes to live. He had a few things to say. Hopefully there would be enough time. First, his eyes went to Izzy, his partner in crime. She’d betrayed him. Murderous intentions filled his heart, but he didn’t have time to act on them.
Gravity drew on him. His knees buckled, but he refused to go down. He planned to stay on his feet until his heart stopped. His gaze swung to Jersey. “Stay away from Katie. You leave her alone. She isn’t a threat to you.”
“You are correct in saying so,” Jersey informed him with a malicious smile. “I took care of her first.”
Tobias lunged at Jersey, hoping to kill the man before he died, but he didn’t have the strength. He fell onto the pebble-covered roof. Dust invaded his lungs, choking off what he was sure would be his final breath. His last thought was of Katie. Beautiful, innocent Katie wouldn’t have stood a chance against the head werewolf.
Tobias blamed himself for her early demise. Instead of riding on a sea of arrogance, he should have stuck close to her, protected her. He should have known that Jersey wasn’t a complete fool.
“We’ll get you next time,” Tobias said as his eyes drifted closed.
“What did you say to me?” Jersey stood over his dying friend. “Repeat!”
“You heard me.” Tobias coughed. Blood seeped into his mouth. He laughed, flashing red teeth up at the head werewolf. “I read the diary. Next time we will destroy you, you self-centered, egotistical waste of space.”
His eyes closed.
Jack felt himself dying. At the same time he stood there watching his heart stop, he never felt more alive. No one could lay a finger on him right now. He was indestructible. It was almost like being a vampire again, and that was his drug of choice.
He missed that feeling, the feeling of being bulletproof.
Isobel hunched down to take her boyfriend’s pulse. “He’s dead.” Her tone was flat. “You killed him.”
“Do you have a problem with that? Am I going to have trouble with you now?” Jersey took her by the shoulders and lifted her to face him. “Where do your loyalties lie?”
“With you.” Still no emotion.
“Are you quite certain of that?”
She nodded once. “Always.”
“Good girl.” Jersey let her go. He picked up Tobias as if he weighed nothing. Carrying him to the side of the building, Jersey threw him over the edge. Even though Jack remained safely on the roof, the sensation of falling made him grab for something solid, but all he caught was air. Isobel’s light protest went unnoticed. Jersey leaned over and looked at his friend lying on the street below. “Such a shame. I think I’ll miss him in a strange sort of way.”
“You won’t have to miss him for long,” she said. “He promised to return. Maybe he’s being reborn again as we speak.”
Jersey’s pale blue eyes narrowed on her face. “Reincarnation is nothing more than the imaginings of a feeble brain, the last hope of people who have wasted their lives.”
So Jersey hadn’t always believed in reincarnation. Int
eresting. Jack wondered if his return to life had anything to do with the change in Jersey’s outlook.
“You don’t think Tobias will return then?” Isobel asked.
Jersey shrugged, looking bored with the conversation. He lifted his hand and checked his fingernails. “It doesn’t matter. If he does, I will simply kill him again.” A strange smile tilted the man’s mouth. “Being able to kill him again and again for eternity would be the equivalent of you getting to eat an entire chocolate cake and not gaining an ounce.”
Jersey didn’t seem to notice how her hands curled into tight fists at her sides. She took a few deep breaths. Jack waited for her to do something. He hoped she was going to drive one of those fists into Jersey’s smug face. But her fingers relaxed. An easy smile came to her lips. She wasn’t even going to try to avenge him.
“I think I’ll part company with you for a while. You killed Tobias and took away the only reason I stayed with you for so long. He wanted to be your apprentice. I just wanted to explore the world.”
Jersey looked at the horizon. The sun was on its way down. The dying rays painted beautiful colors across the evening sky. Jersey’s smile widened. “Go if you must. I can always find someone to play my right hand man… or woman.”
******
This time Jack slowly returned to his body. He looked at Isobel, surprised she hadn’t forced him out of the trance like people usually did. It took a while longer to acclimate himself to his new surroundings. Part of him remained on that roof sixty years ago. He replayed the scene in his head, listening to every word spoken and watching every change of expression.
“You seemed surprised when Jersey killed me,” he said.
“I was.” She wrapped her arms around herself, looking cold even though it was unseasonably warm.
“Then why do you look guilty all the time? Why do you act like you took part in my death?”
“Because I did. When he asked me to bring you to the roof that night, I knew what he was going to do. I just thought I could stop him before he actually did it. I thought we could kill him together.”
