by E. S. Moore
Ethan sighed and removed a syringe and a glass vial from the briefcase. He filled the syringe with the concoction the Left Hand used to pacify their victims before turning to the cage.
“Sienna,” he said, speaking softly and gently, as he might to a child. “This is going to make you sleep for a little bit. We need you calm so we can give you your body back.”
She bared her fangs at him, but nodded. She was struggling horribly with the hunger and anger that drove nearly every vampire and werewolf to the breaking point. Like Ethan, she hadn’t showered since I’d left. It only made her look wilder.
But despite her near-feral state, when Ethan reached the cage, she slipped an arm through the bars. Ethan took her hand, kissed the knuckles one by one, before pressing the needle into the skin.
And then we waited. The silver wouldn’t work on her thanks to what Adrian had done to me, but the knockout component would. I probably should have warned them about it just in case Sienna fought through the effects, but thankfully, I didn’t have to. She dragged herself to the back of the cage, where she slumped over, blinking slowly, until her eyes finally closed. We gave her a few minutes to make sure she wasn’t faking it before Jeremy unlocked the cage and entered. He knelt beside her and checked her pulse.
“It’s safe,” he said. Ethan entered and helped lift Sienna from the floor. Together, they carried her out and into the circle. They set her gently into the chair.
“Kat.” Ethan glanced at me as they stepped out of the circle. “It’s your turn.”
I took a deep breath and then entered the circle. My heart was pounding so hard, it was making me woozy. What would I do if Beligral refused to change us back? The demon was under no obligation to do so. He could simply laugh in our faces and vanish, leaving me trapped in a body that wouldn’t be able to handle everything Baset and the other monsters might throw at me.
Ethan went about summoning the demon. I didn’t want to be crouched or kneeling when Beligral emerged, but I wanted to be holding Sienna. I reached down and clasped her hand. It was awkward, but her touch made me feel just a little better.
Beligral stepped through the tear, bringing heat with him. He was grinning, but it faltered when he saw Sienna and I waiting for him.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked, almost carefully, like he fully expected not to like the answer.
“Turn them back the way they were,” Ethan said before I could speak. “Now.”
The demon glanced at him, an amused look on his face. “And why should I do that?”
“Because if you don’t, this will be the last time you ever see the inside of this room.” Ethan’s tone surprised me. He sounded hard, like a man with nothing to lose. It was then I realized he would rather die than to see Sienna suffer any longer.
Beligral huffed and turned toward me. “Is this what you truly want?”
“I do.”
He sighed. “You don’t get it, do you? The power you could hold while in that body far surpasses anything you could achieve in your old one.” He nodded toward the unconscious Sienna. “This is a blessing I have given you and you are going to throw it away for what? To save her soul?” He scoffed.
“Yeah, well, I’m done playing human,” I said. “I want my old body back.”
“And if I refuse?”
I shrugged, feigning a calm I didn’t feel. “You heard Ethan. He sounded pretty serious to me.”
Beligral’s face went dark. “You have always craved your humanity,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “I have given you what you wanted.”
“No,” I said. “I never wanted this.” I squeezed Sienna’s hand.
“There is so much potential in you, yet you allow yourself to be restrained by your shell.”
“Will you hurry up and get this over with?” I put as much disdain in my voice as I could. “I’m tired of standing here. I’ve had a long day.”
Beligral closed his eyes and heaved another sigh. “Fine,” he said. “You know how this goes. Ready yourself.”
I went down to my knees, knowing Sienna would be disoriented during the switch. I didn’t want her to fall and crack her skull on the concrete, or worse, break the circle before the demon was sent home.
Beligral reached into his pocket and removed the jar with the foul-smelling substance inside. He went about marking us for the switch.
“Are you sure?” he asked when he was done.
“Definitely.”
He leaned forward, putting his mouth next to my ear.
“At least you have done as I wished before squandering this gift,” he whispered. “Di’leviathan is home.” He smiled. “Thank you.”
Startled, I jerked back to see his face better, but before I could ask him what he meant, he reached out and touched both Sienna and I.
The world spun and flipped, my stomach with it. I felt the now-familiar rip inside of my head and I opened my mouth to scream. He’d been more careful the last time. Now it felt like he was lazily ripping my soul straight from Sienna’s body. I gurgled something inarticulate, and then I was spinning, spiraling into a darkness that sucked me straight into the blackness of oblivion.
33
The moon wasn’t full, but it was bright. I could feel eyes on me from the trees surrounding my property. They were always there, watching, yet I felt safe. If they wanted to hurt me, they would have long before now. They weren’t important. I understood that now.
The last few days had been hard. Ethan had barely talked to me since I’d given Sienna her body back, and really, I didn’t blame him. He wasn’t happy with what I’d done, but at least she was safe now. He’d realize that eventually.
I turned Jeremy’s cell over in my hands. He’d given up his room so Sienna had a place to stay, though Ethan offered to share his. I’m not sure if that was some cheap way to get her into his bed, or if he really didn’t think it through before he’d said it, but it had caused quite a few laughs and some merciless ribbing from not only Jeremy, but Sienna. She’d taken Jeremy up on his offer and he was now sleeping in the sitting room downstairs when he wasn’t out on patrol.
And then there was Sienna herself. I hadn’t been able to tell her what had happened. It hurt too much. She always smiled and treated me like she always had, but I could tell she knew I’d been forced to kill Eilene. Had she known the whole time what I’d have to do? Or was the guilt written all over my face? I had a feeling it was a little of both.
I walked in a slow circle, enjoying the moonlight now. I’d forgotten how beautiful the night really could be. I spent far too many evenings fighting for my life or ending the lives of others. I missed the sun, but the moon was where I belonged.
With a sigh, I turned back to the house. I couldn’t stand out there all night. I had things to do.
I flipped Jeremy’s phone over in my hand a few times and smiled before shoving it into my front pocket. Maybe things really were finally falling into place.
The fingerprint reader flashed green and the door unlocked. I entered the house feeling oddly light. My troubles weren’t over, but I wasn’t going to let them drag me down like they had been. I’d just have to work through them one by one, until I was free of all of my troubles and I could finally move on with my life.
“Want to join us?” Ethan asked as I closed the door behind me. He still sounded a little pissed, but was trying hard to get past it. “We’re watching some old movies and making fun of them.”
Jeremy entered from the kitchen carrying an oversized bowl of popcorn. I didn’t even know we had a bowl that big.
“It should be fun,” he said, plopping down next to Sienna, who was leaning on Ethan’s shoulder.
A strange sense of domestic bliss washed over me. Even when I was in Delai the first time, I’d never felt this comfortable. The people there might have pretended to be happy, but it could never compare to the real thing.
I longed to join them, I really did. All of the rifts I’d created between us could be healed in a
single night if only I’d sit down and bullshit around the television with them. It was what I’d always wanted anyway, right?
I reached into my pocket and removed Jeremy’s phone. If it wasn’t for other obligations, I would have crammed myself onto the couch with them.
“Can’t,” I said, tossing the phone to the werewolf. He fumbled with the popcorn bowl, dumping half of it onto his lap as he caught the phone. “I have something to do.”
Jeremy raised his eyebrows at me. He didn’t know I’d taken his phone.
“You sure?” Ethan asked. “We’re watching Love at First Bite.”
I snorted. Of course they were. “I’m sure.”
He shrugged and turned back to the movie. Sienna gave me a smile that told me, in a way, she understood.
Jeremy, on the other hand, was nosy. He checked his phone and then a wide smile broke out over his face as he scanned the recent calls.
“Have fun,” he told me as he put the phone away.
“Don’t wait up for me,” I said, throwing on my coat. “I might be late.”
Three hands rose into the air as one. I laughed as I left the house.
I took my motorcycle. The wind felt good in my hair. It had been a long time since I’d truly been able to enjoy such a simple thing.
Things were definitely going to work out. Somehow, they always did, didn’t they? No matter how bad everything seemed to get, no matter how many people died, in the end, the world keeps spinning and the strong manage to find their way.
Levi was gone. It was one less problem I’d have to deal with.
The Oath reminded me I wasn’t totally free, but I could deal with Adrian. I could feel him somewhere behind me, moving around, more than likely hovering near my property. He’d probably watched me as I’d made my call. I hope he’d heard every damn word.
And then there was always Baset. I had a few more weeks before I’d have to deal with her. I wasn’t going to give my life up for the bitch, so she would just have to suck it up and deal. If she couldn’t, then I’d put an end to her. There was no middle ground here.
I parked my Honda just off of the road. Stars twinkled overhead, another reminder that even during our darkest nights, there is always a light somewhere. You just had to look for it.
Eyes followed me as I walked down the street. The watcher wouldn’t make a move for me. I hadn’t even brought my weapons, which was definitely a change. I felt safe here, even without them.
The door opened just as I reached the house. Flickering candlelight spilled out from the doorway. The smell of a roast wafted out with it.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey.” Jonathan cleared his throat. “You look great.” He smiled. “You look like you.”
He held out a hand.
I took it.
“I feel like me,” I said as he drew me inside. “Is everyone else out of the house?”
A smile was his only answer.
eKENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
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Copyright © 2014 by Eric S. Moore
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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ISBN: 978-1-6018-3243-6
First Kensington Electronic Edition: June 2014
