Between Good and Evil

by Jasmine Wylder

  “Only sometimes.” She frowned as she became aware of an itch at the back of her skull. “Hang on, I have to make a call.”

  She pulled out her cellphone and quickly dialed 911 as Dane watched on with a disbelieving arch to his brow. When the call was answered, she quickly and calmly told the dispatcher about an accident down in Brooklyn; a bread truck had turned over, and the driver was unconscious. When she hung up again, she saw Dane staring at her with a dropped jaw.

  “What?”

  “You know that making false calls to 911 is a criminal offense, don’t you?”

  Rune stared at him blankly.

  “You just called 911.”

  Rune looked down at her phone. The call was logged right there. 911. Heat rose in her cheeks as she tucked the phone back into her pocket. “Well, it wasn’t a false call.”

  “But—”

  “I told you,” Rune interrupted. She was starting to get annoyed with his refusal to believe in her. “I’m psychic. If you don’t believe it, why are you even with me? Do you think I’m just quirky? Do you think I’m a con of some sort? This sort of thing happens all the time. It’s not unusual for me to go ahead and do something without even realizing it. But if I said there was an accident in Brooklyn, there was an accident in Brooklyn. Did you catch the address?”

  Dane nodded, frowning.

  Rune got to her feet. “Let’s go, then. We go there and you can see for yourself.”

  ***

  They arrived at the scene of the accident just in time to see the paramedics loading an elderly-looking man into the ambulance. Dane jogged over and asked what happened. When he returned, he told Rune that the man had suffered a stroke and somehow tipped over the truck. 911 had gotten an anonymous call, and it was lucky they got it when they did—five more minutes and the man would have died.

  Rune grinned triumphantly at the look Dane gave her. “Believe me now?”

  “I…” He blew out his breath. “I don’t know how it’s possible. But I guess…”

  She looped her arm through his. That was good enough, for now at least. “Sometimes I just get these things. I have to act on them right away or they go away. There have been plenty of times when I missed opportunities. If I wait too long, then what I need to do just sort of disappears. Sometimes I forget that there was even something I needed to do.”

  Dane nodded, still looking uncertain.

  “I don’t know how it works,” she added softly. “And I don’t know why it has me help some people but not others. The universe is a strange place, Dane. I only know what it tells me, and it usually keeps its mouth shut.”

  He nodded again. They walked back to his car, neither talking. Rune sighed internally. That was one thing settled… but there was still more. She shivered slightly, thinking about how she still needed to tell him about her fears. Her secrets. And now that they were closer than ever before, she was even more afraid. What if he turned away from her because she was never going to have children? Her heart sunk inside her. There had to be a way for this to end happily, right?

  She only wished she could see how to make that happen.

  ***

  It was only after Isaac had gone far, far away from his hideout that he actually thought about what he had seen. Dane had had the stakes, yes. But when he approached, he hadn’t come charging at him. He hadn’t had a stake in each hand, with death written in his eyes. He had stopped in the middle of the street, as though he had been just as surprised as Isaac.

  Was it just his imagination, or had there been a stoop to Dane’s shoulders? Had there been a look of regret in his eyes? Had there been something like hope? Was it possible, or was Isaac just projecting an impossible dream, that Dane hadn’t been there to kill him after all? Maybe he had been there to talk… to, at long last, figure this out…

  He wrestled with those thoughts for hours before he finally decided that there was only one way to find out. He was tired of living like this, and if Rune was right, that the future was in flux and dependent on his choices, then maybe there was a chance.

  With Dane by his side, Isaac knew they’d be able to take down Gregory. He didn’t know how, he didn’t know what the end result would look like, but he knew it was possible.

  So, with his heart hammering against his chest, he had turned his bike and driven to Dane’s house. He breathed a sigh of relief to see none of his brothers were home and found a good spot where he could watch and wait. Night fell and slowly, one by one, the brothers returned. Then Dane showed up, with Rune in the front seat of his car. They parked outside of the house, talking. Rune laughed and Isaac’s heart lurched.

  When they kissed, he turned his face away and leaned more heavily against the wall behind him.

  Jealousy was not an emotion he enjoyed. It never used to bother him. When Dane would bring in a girl, it was just natural that Isaac would sit on her other side, stealing kisses when Dane was not. The same when Isaac brought home a girl. Sharing their romantic partners was as natural as breathing. Maybe that was why the jealousy burned now; he had never had reason to be jealous before and certainly not of Dane.

  Or was he jealous of Rune? Not because she was kissing Dane, Isaac had no interest in other men, but because of the comradery between the two of them. Because he missed his friendship with Dane.

  They kissed again and the jealousy rose higher. No, he was definitely jealous of Dane. He wanted to be holding Rune in his arms, kissing her, pulling her so close that there was no telling where his body ended and hers began.

  He lifted his head and looked upward, at the darkening sky. He needed to figure out how to deal with this sort of circumstance. He had centuries before him when he’d face just this situation over and over and over again.

  It was going to be a long, long time to be alone. He feared that loneliness more than he feared death. It used to not bother him that he was going to grow old one day. He’d always imagined that Dane would be there with him. That it wouldn’t be so bad, as long as they were together. But now? Facing the years alone?

  He shivered as he started to ease from his hiding place. His plan to go in there and ask Dane if there was any chance at forgiveness was no longer an option, not when all three of his brothers and Rune was there. Dane would probably assume that he was there to attack them. It was his greatest flaw, always assuming that people were after him or his loved ones. That protective streak could get him into some serious trouble.

  Jest then Keith bounded out of the house. He wheeled his bicycle to the sidewalk and mounted it. He called a greeting to Dane and cheerfully promised Rune to interrogate her when he didn’t have to get to work and took off.

  Keith. The one who must have told Dane where to find that particular hideout. Isaac frowned. Out of all of them, Keith was the one who was most likely to listen. He was the youngest, too, meaning Dane was extra protective of him. Approaching him was not necessarily a wise idea… but if he did approach Keith and explain what was happening, he might have a chance to get through to Dane.

  He might be able to set up something between them. Or, at the very least, give him Dane’s number so he could talk to him without risking getting a stake in his heart.

  Isaac was on his motorbike and following after Keith before he realized what he was doing.

  When Keith went through an alley, Isaac turned into it as well. Only to find the alley empty. Isaac brought the bike to a stop. His neck prickled and he threw himself to the side just as a blast of fire came at him from behind. He rolled, leaping back to his feet to face Keith. He had half-shifted, wings out of his back, claws on his hands, sharp teeth in his mouth.

  Isaac whipped off his helmet and held up his hands. “Keith, it’s me!”

  Keith stopped. His wings started to shrink as he stared. Then he growled, fire flickering in his mouth again.

  Isaac got to his knees, putting his hands behind his head to avoid looking too much like a threat. “I wanted to talk with you.”

  After a moment’s hesi
tation, Keith shifted all the way back to human. He glared at Isaac suspiciously, but he couldn’t stop the smell coming off him; it was the bitter scent of fear, and Isaac flinched. How much did he know about what was going on? How much had Dane told him? He must know something, otherwise, why bring up the hideout? But how much…?

  “What are you following me for?” Keith demanded.

  “I was wondering if you told Dane about my place.”

  Keith nervously shifted from side to side, then gave a single, terse nod.

  It was expected, but disappointment still hit him. Isaac struggled to keep his expression blank as he nodded his understanding. He had no reason to expect loyalty from Keith, after all. If Isaac had been smart, he would have gotten rid of that particular property as soon as Keith found out about it. Maybe some part of him had hoped that Keith would tell Dane, and that hearing about how Isaac had helped his youngest would soften him.

  “What did you tell him?”

  “Everything.”

  Isaac frowned as he considered it. Was that why Dane had been there, after all? Had Keith told him about how Isaac had helped him, and Dane had come to talk? But no… the stakes were proof that he hadn’t been expecting a friendly conversation. But perhaps that had only been a precaution?

  “Why?”

  Keith’s chin dropped in shame. He scuffed his toes against the dirty cement and let out a heavy sigh. “Dane said that you kidnapped his girlfriend. I thought… Well, if you had gone that far… Did you really kidnap her?”

  There was a note of uncertainty, of vulnerability, in the question. Isaac winced. He couldn’t just lie about it, even though he did wish he could. Lying wasn’t going to help anybody. He hadn’t considered him, how hard it would be to tell Keith. Maybe it was because he was the last of Dane’s brothers who had any hope in him… those brothers had been like Isaac’s own. Until the accident. When that explosion, meant to kill him and Dane, had instead broken James’ back. And the shards of steel that had gone through Isaac’s body when he tried to shelter James from the second explosion.

  He could still feel the piercing metal. The blood that poured from him. The sense of his life draining away. He’d only meant to drink a little from James. Just enough to keep himself from dying. It was only after he’d drunk, after the venom was already in James’ system, that he realized just how badly James had been injured.

  If he had died, Isaac would have gone to Dane and let him kill him. The guilt still made it difficult to breathe sometimes.

  “I did kidnap her,” Isaac admitted. “But it wasn’t because of Dane. I didn’t know they were involved. She’s a psychic. I needed answers…”

  He shivered as he thought once more about what she had told him. About the crowned figure laughing in triumph. It might not be Gregory. It might not mean what he feared. But if it was, how many people were going to die? Would it be less costly in terms of bloodshed to have the vampire kingdom fall into civil war? Was it too late to change that future?

  Isaac shook his head. Gregory wasn’t going to wait forever. If he was going to go to Dane for help with this, he needed to do it before it was too late.

  “Are you…” Keith’s voice trembled. “Are you going to kill me?”

  If Gregory was here, he’d tell him to. A hollow sensation filled Isaac. Would there come a day when he would kill someone he cared about without a second thought? Was that the sort of future that he was setting himself up for?

  Isaac got to his feet again and Keith backed away, fear clear in his eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you, Keith. I don’t want to hurt any of you.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  He opened his mouth, ready to tell Keith that he wanted to parley with Dane, that he wanted to get this settled once and for all, but the words caught in his throat. What if it just wasn’t possible? What if he was destined to hurt them all? Wouldn’t it be better, then, for him to just take off? Go to Antarctica and live with the penguins?

  “How’s James doing?” Even though he tried his hardest to find information, Isaac was never satisfied with the answers he got.

  “He’s doing well. He’s a big-shot lawyer, you know.” Keith smiled hesitantly, but it faded quickly. “He’s doing a lot better than Dane is, actually. Dane has never forgiven himself… or you. But I think James is ready to let it all go. Stop dwelling in the past and just focus on the here and now. He’s like that. But Dane…”

  “Dane still wants to kill me?”

  Keith flinched.

  Isaac felt a well of bitter rage rise up in him, though he tried to force it down. He couldn’t keep thinking that Dane wanted to kill him and there was nothing he could do about it. The future was in flux. Even if it meant dying, he couldn’t just go on helping Gregory as though he had no choice in the matter! There was always a choice, and he was not going to throw away his choices and act like a meek little lamb!

  “He doesn’t want to kill you,” Keith said, inching forward. “Not really. He thinks he has to kill you. That it’s his duty or something like that. He thinks that everything that you do… it’s on him. But if you can just talk to him…”

  “I don’t know if talking will do any good…” Isaac whispered, but his mind was already made up.

  Maybe it was too late for second chances. Maybe things had gone too far, for all of them. Maybe there was nothing he could do about this. But he could damn well try. His breathing was shallow as he straightened himself up and went back to his motorbike. This was happening. He was going to tell Dane what was going on.

  “I need Dane’s number,” he said, speaking slowly. “I need to talk to him.”

  Chapter Nine

  Early the next morning, Dane woke to his phone ringing. The number was private, so he ignored it, as was his habit. If it was someone wanting to hire him, they should go through his work number. Since only a handful of people knew his personal number, a private number was most likely a telemarketer of some sort, anyway.

  He stretched and released a belch of smoke before swinging out of bed. He could use a little more shut-eye, but the day had started, and he needed to get at it. It was already nine in the morning—this was a late start after all. Keith would already be at school, and James and Patrick both would have gone to work.

  Meandering out of his room, he grinned when he saw Rune sitting on the chair in the living room. Her long legs were folded beneath her, a book on her knee while she chewed on the nail of her little finger. She and his brothers had played board games so late into the night that he insisted that she sleep over. Patrick gave her his room, since he’d planned to spend the night with his boyfriend anyway, and Rune, yawning, had agreed.

  Now, it was just the two of them here, all by themselves. And he felt like he was floating on helium. Like the floor was made of white, fluffy clouds. Walking on Sunshine came to his mind, and he had to grin. Normally he didn’t like that song, but he had to admit it was exactly how he felt at the moment. His whole body felt a hundred times lighter than it had ever done before.

  “Morning,” he greeted as he circled the couch. “How did you sleep?”

  She ignored him, or didn’t hear, as she turned the page of her book.

  “Rune?”

  Still nothing.

  Dane crossed the room and touched her shoulder. She screamed, the book flying halfway across the room as she jumped. Dane jumped as well, not expecting that. Then he burst into laughter. Rune’s face went red as she collected the book.

  “Sorry, I guess I didn’t notice you.”

  “I just said good morning, asked you how you slept and called your name,” Dane teased.

  “Hey, this is a good book.” Rune found her page and slid the bookmark in before she set it aside. “I slept fine, and good morning to you, too. What would you like for breakfast?”

  He settled down, still chuckling. “IHOP sounds good. Don’t you think?”

  Rune nodded. “Yeah. Only I look a mess and don’t have any clean clothes to change into. C
an we order in? Does IHOP deliver?”

  “Don’t know.” Dane considered her for a minute. It had been his greatest fear that she would learn about Carl Mainsburg. It was his greatest secret. Any other woman, and he knew it would have torn them apart. She had not only known about him, but she had also frankly forgiven him. How could anybody be that generous? He shook his head, remembering his fears about her, setting him up against Isaac.

  How wrong he had been.

  “Dane?” Rune frowned at him. “Everything okay?”

  “Yesterday, when you came to that house, you said you wanted to explain,” he said slowly. “About why you haven’t slept with me. Is it something that you want to tell me now, or would you rather wait for pancakes?”

  “Oh. That.” She ducked her head. Her hands started to twist together.

  Dane watched her, noting the signs of hesitation and discouragement. She had been so certain when she pounded on that door, but with everything else that had happened since then, they hadn’t had time to get back to the original reason she had been there. That time could easily have made her courage fade. Whatever it was, he could see it wasn’t as easy as 1-2-3.

  As he waited, trying to be patient and not push her too hard, he considered the reasons why she would be so afraid of sleeping with him… and why she’d still be open to sleeping with Isaac if that was the case. Nothing he thought of made any sense.

  Except for one thing.

  “Rune,” he broke the silence gently. “You don’t have to tell me… but there is something I’d like to know.”

  She swallowed hard as she looked up.

  “Did…” How did he ask this? “When you slept with Isaac… did he drink from you first?”

  She blinked. Her brow furrowed. “No. Why?”

  Dane let out a sigh of relief. He rubbed his face with his hands and shook his head. “Being drunk from a bite can have a highly erotic effect. It’s a very intimate act with vampires. If he had drunk from you first…”

  “He didn’t,” Rune said quickly, understanding what he was driving at. “I told him to after we…”