Tainted Night, Tainted Blood

by E. S. Moore

  “I knew you couldn’t be trusted,” he said, looking squarely at Jonathan. “There are things I could say that would make you a target, things you thought buried.” His eyes traveled to Nathan and he smirked. “And you ...” He shrugged as if he didn’t need to say more.

  Finally, his eyes landed on me again. “Even after this betrayal, I still have a spot for you,” he said. “Your willingness to stand up to me proves you are strong enough to stand by my side.” His gaze flickered to the other wolves. “Think about it.”

  With that, he turned and walked away. I really wanted to pull the trigger and rid myself of Adrian once and for all, but Jonathan’s whispered “No” kept me from doing it.

  Adrian vanished up the stairs. I expected him to slam the door as he left, or maybe kill a few Cultists on his way out, but all remained silent upstairs.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Jonathan said.

  I turned to face him, anger taking over. My gun was aimed at him now. “You let him down here?”

  He shook his head, eyes on my gun. “He came in while I was checking on your brother. Nathan tried to stop him, but when Adrian wants to do something, he does it.”

  Nathan growled low in his throat. It was then I noticed the tear in his shirt. I was surprised the two hadn’t killed one another.

  I sighed and holstered my gun. My hands were trembling and I did my best to hide it. If I hadn’t shown up when I did, Adrian might have torn through the two wolves to kill Thomas. Jonathan seemed so unwilling to fight sometimes, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he had stepped aside and let Adrian do it.

  “I’m taking him,” I said, moving to the cell. “Tonight.”

  Jonathan’s brow crinkled. “Tonight? Where are you going to take him? It isn’t safe.”

  I looked into the cell, watched Thomas thrash against the bars, against the wall. He looked terrifying, but I pitied him. I should have been the one to suffer his fate. He was so much better at this than I was.

  “Home,” I said, glancing at Jonathan. “I have a plan.”

  He looked at me skeptically a moment, then joined me to look at Thomas. “How are you going to get him home like this? He hasn’t stopped fighting since the moment he was able to move.”

  I pulled a knife from my belt and held it up. “Silver,” I said. “It’s the only way.”

  “Can you do it?”

  I hesitated. Could I? Even with the knowledge that it was the only way to get Thomas to my house so Beligral could do his work, I wasn’t so sure. Thomas was suffering enough as it was. Could I really cause him more pain?

  Jonathan seemed to notice my indecision. “Go get a car ready,” he said to Nathan. “Clear the way. I don’t want anyone to see him leaving. Make sure Adrian is really gone.”

  Nathan nodded and left without a word.

  As soon as he was gone, Jonathan faced me again, eyes worried. “I’m still not sure Gregory was the only one reporting to Adrian. I don’t want him following you or finding out you took him.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “But I can handle Adrian if he gets in my way. You should have let me shoot him.”

  Jonathan smiled. “Probably.”

  Thomas stopped beating himself against the walls. He was panting, staring at us, saliva dripping from his maw. His eyes were still wild. Blood ran from his forehead and dripped into his mouth.

  “You need to invest in padded rooms if you plan on keeping any more like this,” I said. I wasn’t even sure if I was trying to tell a joke or if I was serious.

  Jonathan gave me a faint smile, but it faded quickly. “How are we going to do this?” he asked. “It will be hard to get close to him.”

  “I know.”

  I looked at Thomas and searched for some hint of my brother behind his eyes. I wanted more than anything for him to just suddenly come out of it, to say my name and reach out for me. If he would do that, then all of the misery, all the pain, would be worth it.

  But he just stood there, blood covering most of his body. His fur was caked with it. His chest was clear of hair, well-muscled, and I knew that every muscle in his body would react the moment I stepped within reach. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if I gave him a chance.

  I started forward, my knife clutched in my hand. I stopped and clenched my teeth. I knew it needed to be done, and yet I couldn’t do it. I’d killed hundreds of vamps and wolves, but I couldn’t harm my brother. It should have been easy. I was trying to help him.

  Jonathan reached for the knife and took it from my hand. I let him, hating myself for my weakness. This was my problem and I should have to deal with it. I was taking the easy way out by letting him be the one to stab Thomas. Again.

  I stepped back and lowered my eyes. Jonathan approached the cell. As expected, Thomas leaped forward, reaching out for the Denmaster. Jonathan moved lightning quick, jabbing his hand through the bars and embedding the knife in Thomas’s side.

  Thomas cried out, his clawed hand landing heavily on Jonathan’s shoulder, but he didn’t break the skin. He slid to the ground, the silver going to work.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, even though I hadn’t been the one to do it. It had been my idea. It was my responsibility.

  Jonathan opened the cell door and stepped back, allowing me room to enter. I went to my brother and removed the knife. After the last time, I refused to let it stay in him any longer than it had to. The silver would keep him down for a few hours. It was more than enough time to get him home and get this over with.

  I wiped Thomas’s blood onto my pants and then sheathed the knife. I tried to lift him by myself, but my back nearly gave out. I cursed and before I could say anything more, Jonathan was there, helping me lift Thomas to his feet.

  I hated the stitches, hated the pain. I was weaker than I’d been for a long time and I hated every moment of it.

  But what could I do? If I wanted to get Thomas home, I had to accept Jonathan’s help. I couldn’t do it on my own, not if I wanted this done tonight.

  We carried Thomas out of the Den, through the mostly abandoned campus. We saw no one until we entered the garage. Nathan was waiting, a car already running near the exit.

  “Take the car,” he said. “Nathan can drive you.”

  “No,” I said. “I can do it myself.”

  “But what if—”

  “I said no!”

  Jonathan reluctantly agreed to let me go alone, although he did insist I take the car. It would be hard to get Thomas back home on my Honda, if not impossible. I wasn’t about to tie him to me.

  “I’ll drop off your motorcycle later,” Jonathan said as we slid Thomas into the back seat. “I have a truck I can use to transport it.”

  I didn’t like the idea of Jonathan coming to my house again but didn’t argue. I just wanted to get out of there and get back home. I needed to end the torture—for Thomas and me both.

  “Be careful,” Jonathan said as I slid into the driver’s seat and slammed the door closed.

  I just looked at him, giving nothing away. Inside, I was a mess of emotions. I was thankful I had Jonathan there to help me, to worry about me, but it kind of aggravated me as well. I didn’t need his worry. I could handle things myself just fine.

  I checked the car, relieved to find it to be an automatic. I glanced into the rearview mirror and adjusted it so I could keep an eye on Thomas. I knew he would be incapacitated for quite a while, but I didn’t want to take the chance of missing a jerk of an arm or the twitch of a leg that would warn me he was coming out of it.

  I glanced at Jonathan and Nathan once more, gave them each a quick nod of thanks, and then put them behind me. I could still feel their eyes on me long after they were out of sight. Part of me wished Jonathan had come with me. I had a feeling I was going to need the support.

  31

  Ethan was waiting for me when I got home. I parked close to the garage and maneuvered Thomas from the back seat. Once I was through the front door, Ethan helped me get him down into the basement, tho
ugh he stopped short of his lab.

  “Maybe I should get things ready down there first?”

  I nodded and he left to summon his demon. Thomas was propped up against the wall, eyes following me, but he had yet to show any signs of breaking free of his silver-induced paralysis. I removed my shoulder holster and belt, dropping them onto the table, and then slumped to the floor.

  The pain in my back was still there, but it was finally starting to abate. I hated thinking that someone like me, someone who is supposed to be nearly indestructible, could suffer so much. I was just glad the healing process was finally kicking in full force. I still might not be fully functional for a few weeks, but I thought I could at least fight if I had to.

  I opened my eyes and looked at Thomas. I didn’t want to have to fight him. Nor did I want to have to poison him with more silver. This needed to work. I wasn’t sure what I would do if it didn’t.

  Ethan returned a few minutes later. We worked Thomas down into the lab. I might have been feeling a lot better, but I was still hovering on the weak side. Ethan was forced to bear much of his weight, making our progress slow.

  Beligral was seated in his chair, waiting for us. He was smiling, displaying his full set of sharp teeth.

  “Is this the creature you are so concerned about?” he asked, gesturing toward Thomas where we had gently lowered him to the floor.

  I looked over at the demon. Oppressive heat, both real and imagined, slammed into me, and I had to take a deep breath before it overwhelmed me. How could Ethan stand this every single night?

  “It is,” Ethan said. He retreated next to his workbench, leaving me standing over Thomas.

  Beligral rose and walked to the edge of his circle. He looked down at Thomas, face unreadable. He didn’t smile, didn’t frown. He just looked at my brother like he was just another slab of meat.

  “This just won’t do,” he said. He turned his burning gaze on me. “Would you mind letting me out so I can get a good look at him. I can do nothing from here.”

  Ethan hissed in a breath, but I cut him off. “No,” I said. “I don’t think so.”

  Beligral smiled slyly and shrugged. “Then there is nothing I can do for him. If you wish me to examine him for a way to repair the damage done to his mind, you will have to allow me to touch him.”

  Just the thought of a demon touching Thomas made me sick. As much as he tried to look human, Beligral was far from it.

  “Figure something out,” I said.

  He sighed and thought it over. Or at least he pretended to. I think he knew what he was going to do from the start.

  “Then bring him into the circle with me. There is no harm in that. I can examine him and you can stay out there where you think it is safe.”

  Beligral’s eyes fell on me and I took a step forward. I felt suddenly calm, as if this was something I did every day. I wanted to save Thomas, and to save him, I needed to bring him to the demon, it was that simple.

  “Kat, no!” Ethan cried out as I reached down to pick up my brother. He ran forward and grabbed me by the arm.

  I blinked, and the heat and fear came rushing back. Had Beligral done something to me? Was I that susceptible to his gaze?

  I shuddered. I didn’t know much about the sort of magic required to summon a demon, but I was pretty sure breaking the circle would release the demon to do whatever he pleased. I don’t think Ethan would be able to send him back either. And in my carelessness, I’d nearly given Beligral exactly what he wanted.

  The demon laughed. His two voices intertwined, flowed over me like a blanket covered in maggots. I had to look away, close my eyes, and focus on something else to make the feeling go away.

  “It seems we are at an impasse,” he said as his laughter died away. “I can do nothing trapped as I am. If you wish me to help your brother, you will need to figure out how to get him to me.”

  I remembered something Ethan had said earlier. “Dismiss him,” I told Ethan. “Then I can drag Thomas into the circle and you can summon him again.” I paused. “Is that safe?”

  Beligral was smiling at me like he knew something I didn’t. I kept my eyes averted, not wanting to consider how bad of an idea this really could be.

  “I ... I think so,” Ethan said. “I’ve never had anyone inside a circle when I summon him. I guess there could be dangers.”

  “But, really,” Beligral said, “what do you have to lose? He’s already damned as it is. I’m the only chance you have.”

  I ground my teeth. I didn’t want to have to make this sort of decision. What if it went wrong? What if the demon did something even more damning to Ethan? Could I live with myself then?

  “Do it,” I said, making the decision without really thinking about it. If I thought about it too hard, I would never be able to make the choice.

  Ethan went about dismissing Beligral and resetting the circle. I knelt by Thomas and rested my hand on his arm. I felt the slightest flinch beneath my hand. It wasn’t anything to worry about, but it did make me feel bad.

  “It’s ready,” Ethan said, bringing my head up. New candles were arranged around the circle. “I’ll redraw the safety circle once he is inside.” He held the piece of chalk so I could see.

  I winced as I rose, Thomas in my arms. Ethan rushed forward to help. “I’ve got it,” I growled. Fresh blood oozed down my back, but I ignored it. Once this was over, I could heal all I wanted. Until then, I would bleed every day if that’s what it took to bring Thomas back.

  I stepped carefully over the silver circle, not wanting to screw anything up by touching it. The inside of the circle smelled hotter than the rest of the room, like an oven that had just been turned off. I set Thomas down on the chair, figuring it was the safest place for him to be.

  I stood there, looking down at him, wishing there was some other way. Could I really leave him in there with a demon? If something went wrong, I couldn’t get to him without setting Beligral free. Could I risk it?

  “Kat,” Ethan said, “you have to get out.”

  I didn’t want to, but I stepped out of the circle and went to stand by the workbench. I hated every minute of this. What had I been thinking in bringing him here?

  Ethan redrew the chalk outline and then started his chant again. I watched him numbly, barely hearing the different inflections of his voice. The air got hotter, the tear between realms opened, and Beligral stepped out. This time, I was too distracted watching my brother to notice if I could see Beligral’s real face before the glamour came up.

  Beligral gave both Ethan and I a casual glance before turning to Thomas. His back was to us, so I couldn’t see what he was doing as he bent over my brother. He made a clucking sound with his tongue, ran his hands over Thomas’s body from head to foot, and seemed to peer into his eyes, though I couldn’t see his face from where I was standing to know exactly where he was looking.

  It seemed to go on forever. I didn’t feel any sort of power flowing from him, no spike in energies or heat that said he was doing anything mystical. As far as I could tell, the demon was simply going through the motions without really doing anything.

  Finally, he straightened and turned to face me. He put his hands behind his back and stood straight up like he was about to give a long speech.

  “He is too far gone,” he said. “There is nothing but pure instinct left. He will function on that, but nothing more. He’ll never recover.”

  “No,” I said, refusing to believe him. After all I had gone through, it couldn’t end like this. “Try again.”

  Beligral actually looked sympathetic when he spoke. “There is no need. His mind was destroyed when he was contaminated by both werewolf and vampire blood. There is nothing of him left to save.”

  “No,” I repeated. “I’ve seen him. He’s getting better.”

  “You might wish it, but it is not true.”

  “I saw it.” I bit the inside of my mouth to keep from crying. Thomas couldn’t be gone. I know what I saw.

  “I’m s
orry,” Beligral said.

  Hot tears burned my eyes and I refused to let them fall. “Then summon someone else who can,” I said. “There has to be a demon or something that can fix him.”

  Beligral shook his head slowly. “There is not,” he said. “As much as we would all like to see a miraculous recovery, it is not possible.” He moved closer to the edge of the circle. “He is an animal now, barely human. He is of no use to you or this world.”

  My hands balled into fists. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to charge him, to beat the very life right out of the damnable demon. He was lying. He had to be.

  But I knew attacking him would be a mistake. What reason would he have to lie to me? If I did something stupid and broke the circle, I would only make things worse. I knew this had been a long shot.

  “You didn’t try hard enough,” I said, keeping myself pressed against the table. I would not make another mistake here.

  The corners of Beligral’s mouth twitched. “I did all I could.” He glanced back at Thomas, then looked back at me. “But all is not lost. We can salvage something out of this situation.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “Give him to me.”

  I blinked. Did he really just say what I thought he did?

  As if seeing the question on my face, he repeated himself. “Give him to me. He is of no use to you.”

  “He is my brother.”

  “Your brother is gone. This is just a shell.”

  “No,” I said, “you’re wrong.”

  He broke into a grin. “Am I?” he said. “I know more about his situation than you could possibly know. I felt his mind, or should I say, felt where his mind should have been. There is nothing there. I can still use him, however. Give him to me and I will call us even. I will remove your mark and you will never have to see me again.”

  “No,” I repeated. “I will not let you have him. Ever.”

  “I will free Ethan from his bonds.”

  Ethan gasped beside me, but I refused to be swayed. I couldn’t let him take my brother from me. I would find a way to cure him.