by N. R. Larry
Amusement glinted in his eyes. “Manners, Mami.” He splayed his hands out. “I bring you into my home. Let you rest in my bed. Give you a nice change of clothes...”
I glanced down at myself and realized I was no longer in my ripped, bloody jeans and leather jacket. Instead, I was wearing some deep red, silk nightgown. A shudder raced up my spine. “What the fuck is this?”
He laughed again. “You’re supposed to say thank you.” Something dangerous flashed in his eyes and my hand felt extra empty without my knife. “After all—” He stood up and started pacing the room. “I couldn’t let you into my home with all that blood from the bitches I slaughtered still painted on your skin.”
I shot to my feet. Mistake. The room shifted, and I began to sway. Warm arms wrapped around my waist. I closed my eyes to shut out vertigo. “Yeah, you’re going to want to take it easy, Ma.” His lips were against my ear. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and rip his eyes out of his face, but something froze me. Then, it was like I was being pulled up and away from my body. I was still hugged against him, but it felt like miles separated us. “You didn’t think I’d let a dangerous weapon into my house without putting on the safety, did you?”
When I opened my eyes, our noses were practically touching. I gritted my teeth. Vanessa had done something to me. Something buzzed against my skin. It was the nightgown. It had been touched with some kind of magic. “You motherfucker,” I hissed. “All those bodies you dropped in The Heights.” I stared into his dark eyes, wanting to back away. “Why?”
For a moment he smiled and stared into my eyes in a way that was unsettling. For a moment, he was more like a lover, than an enemy. My lips parted in response to the way he looked at me, which was even more unsettling than the look itself. I gasped, and then, the expression left his face, leaving only the murderous expression.
“Why?” he hissed, tossing me away like a used tool. I bounced against the mattress and glared up at him. His eyes flashed as he stared down at me. “Why?”
He wasn’t shouting, but he may as well have been.
“You come to my hood—” He pounded his chest. “And ask me, why?” He swooped down on me and lowered himself until our noses were mere inches apart. My head pounded. I knew that I should have been fighting him off, but some part of me was frozen by his anger. I blinked. Whatever Vanessa had done to me needed to wear off, and fast. “And to top it off, that piece of shit sends his guard dog. He can’t even come himself.”
I placed my hand against his chest and pushed him away. “If Ryland had come himself, you would all be dead.”
He stared down at me and tilted his head from side to side, like someone considering what to do. “Is that right, chica?” He winked. “You feeling up to the slaughter?”
I blinked as another wave of magic coursed through me. At least this time, the room didn’t turn upside down. “You and him.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Had an understanding. Why would you attack his family with no cause?” I shook my head to stave off the rest of the dizziness trying to overcome me. “It doesn’t make any sense. Where is starting a war going to get you?”
He leaned away from me and quirked an eyebrow. “Start a war?” Several expressions changed the shape of his face before he finally settled on anger. “Start a war, huh?” He reached out so fast that I missed the movement, grabbed my arm, and then forced me to my feet.
The room started to spin, so I found myself wrapping my arms around him, even though it was the last move I wanted to make. “Let me go, asshole,” I slurred.
Ignoring me, he yanked me out the door, dragged me through the house, down the stairs, and into the basement. Once we were down the second set of stairs, he tossed me at the wall. I planted my hands against cold brick to steady myself, and spun around, just as Dario switched on the lights. He zipped to the middle of the room, which was lined with long tables like ones you might find in a morgue. One by one, he began to rip back sheets, revealing bodies, or rather chunks of bodies, that littered every tabletop.
“Does this—” He snarled, tearing away the last few sheets. “Look like a war—” He stormed over to me and dropped the crumpled cloth at my feet. “I started?”
Still gripping the wall, I forced myself to ignore the dizziness swallowing my skull. I pushed him to the side and trudged over to the rows of bodies.
“Good, Lord,” I muttered as I ran my gaze over an arm here, and a cracked leg there. Something in my stomach turned over, and I had to swallow warm vomit back down. “Dario,” I began in a thick voice, stumbling back over to him. “This was not Ryland’s doing.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, clearly not convinced.
“No, really.” I reached out and gathered the fabric of his white, wife beater to keep myself upright, and to keep his attention. “This wasn’t him... This was...” What? My thoughts snarled at me. Are you gonna tell him about Bao? I let him go and grabbed my head. “Jesus, Dario. You made a huge mistake. All those people you killed.”
“No!” his voice thundered in such a way that I snapped my neck up to stare at him, and then backed away. “What I put down. Those weren’t people.” He pointed toward what had to be at least a dozen bodies, all in pieces. “Those are people. And they trusted me to take care of them.”
Another wave of dizziness swarmed through me. I stomped my foot. “Damnit!” I glanced around, wishing that Vanessa was in front of me so that I could rip the magic out of her and shove it up her ass. I took in a deep breath. “You don’t understand, this is...”
There was a rumble in the distance, and then, the house began to quake. I stood up straighter and eyed Dario, who had his ear tilted toward the noise, obviously trying to make out what it was. I stumbled toward the wall and pressed my hands into the brick for support. That was when I noticed the faint light burning under the surface of my skin.
“What the hell?” I pulled one hand toward me and saw that it was the same lightning that rippled across Ryland’s safe, and inside the black orb that had taken me out of the sky earlier. I glanced down at myself and it was everywhere. Dancing across my legs and shining in my bare feet. “Dario, what the hell did Vanessa do to me?”
Another wave of dizziness hit me, and then, the rumble came again, only, it was closer.
“Stay here,” he hissed at me.
I blinked, and then he was gone. With a groan, I hop stepped toward the stairs, focused only on remaining on my feet. My vision went blurry and I sank to the ground. Another wave of dizziness rolled through me and I lowered my head to the cool concrete, hoping to find relief.
Above my head, there was a crash, followed by a deep voice that distorted in my ears. Then, the house shook again. Still trembling, I studied my hands. The blue light was still there, only now, there was a subtle overlay of golden light that pulsed over it. Pain jolted through my muscles, followed by brief periods of relief. With each passing second, the golden light seemed to burn brighter.
Another crash echoed above my head, and I blinked up at the ceiling. Bits of debris fell into my face, and I closed my eyes against it. There was another low thud, and then footsteps stormed down the steps. Seconds later, Dario stood above me, covered in new blood, an almost manic smile turning up his lips.
“Dar—”
He reached out, closed a hand around my throat, and lifted me in the air. My eyes bugged out of my head as he lifted me into the air. “We have company,” he growled, and then air prickled my face. Seconds later, we were in Dario’s living room. He planted me on my feet, and whirled me around, digging his thick fingers into the back of my neck.
“Let her go,” a familiar voice grumbled.
Everything was still blurry, but I managed to make out Ryland and Vanessa. He had a jagged blade to her neck and a reckless smile on his lips. “Ryland,” I slurred, swaying on my feet. “You. Id. Ot”
Dario let out a stream of Spanish, and while I didn’t understand the words, I could tell from the tone of his voice that he’d issued some threat.<
br />
Ryland simply smiled and pressed his blade further into Vanessa’s pale flesh. “I’m not fucking around, Dario,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “Let Malcolm go, or you’ll be collecting pieces of this bitch from all over your living room.”
Chapter Ten
I tried to focus only on my surroundings. Dario’s living room, unlike the outside of his house, was warm and sophisticated, with deep brown paint kissing the walls, and a grand piano on the floor. My favorite was the triple goddess piece that sat in the middle of his coffee table, but not even the interesting art could keep my mind off the fact that it was all too much.
These two idiots were going to kill each other, leaving The Narrows and The Heights pretty much screwed. I coughed again and struggled against the hold Dario had on me.
“Let her go,” Ryland repeated, adjusting his hold on Vanessa. As he did, the overhead light glinted off something in her pocket. I narrowed my eyes and blinked away the sweat that was dripping in my eyes. It was my knife. My palm itched and the hilt of my knife glowed a little brighter.
Either that or whatever magic Vanessa cast on me was driving me crazy.
“Homie, you don’t come up in my shit making demands,” Dario spat, shoving me directly in front of him. Something sharp poked at the back of my neck. “Did I mention that I can make this bitch bleed now?” He chuckled and pressed the blade of his knife harder against my neck. I winced and blood trickled down my skin.
“Jesus, what the fuck did you do to her?” Ryland demanded, not bothering to hide his frustration.
“I’m not playing games with you, homie.” Dario pulled me closer so that his head was almost even to mine. “You’re gonna pay for all those people you put in the ground.”
Ryland’s jaw clenched.
I sucked in a ragged breath. “Listen to me.” I pulled more air into my aching lungs. “Ryland and his crew didn’t do anything to those people in your basement.” I wheezed. “The same thing is happening in The Heights.”
“Shut up.” Dario tightened his grip on me and I cried out in pain.
Ryland inched forward. “Listen to me, you little bitch. You don’t have a leg to stand on here.” He flung Vanessa on the floor. She rolled a few times, and my knife fell out of her pocket and skid across the floor. She leaned up on her elbows and hissed up at Ryland. My gaze homed in on my blade, which was now only a few inches away from my feet. “Your little weapon is out of commission. The only reason you’re not dead yet is because I want fucking answers.”
I stomped my foot. “Damnit, Ryland! I told you to let me handle this.”
His gaze burned into me and I paused, trying to read his expression. Clearly, I couldn’t control him anymore, but there was something in the wild way he stared at me that froze my insides. He seemed almost—vulnerable. “Mal,” he said in a rough voice as he tilted his head to the side. “You’ve been gone for two days.”
My eyes widened. I forgot all about my knife and blinked at him. “What?”
Dario tightened his hold on me and laughed. “The way I’m looking at it pendejo, I have two sexy—” He tightened his hold on the side of my neck and moved his hand to run his fingers down the backside of my thigh. “Ass legs to stand on.”
My skin tingled, but not in a good way.
“Don’t fucking touch her,” Ryland snarled.
Dario scoffed and then replied, but I couldn’t hear what he said. I was on fire with anger. My hand buzzed, and I let out a low scream and jerked my arm outward. My knife shot into the air and thudded against the hardwood floors several times before a golden light splashed against the side of my vision. Seconds later, my blade was in my hand.
I smiled.
Behind me, Dario went stiff. “Yo, what the fuck was that?”
I blinked, twisted around in Dario’s arms, and then buried my blade just below his collar bone. A smooth laugh sounded between my ears, and my smile widened while Dario let out a pained grunt. “My Mom says,” I hissed as another wave of dizziness took me over. “That you’re an asshole.” I twisted the knife. There were a series of crashes and bangs behind me. The room began to tilt, and then I started to fall backwards.
“I got you,” Ryland whispered into my ear. He said it with such tenderness that brought my hand over my chest to keep my heart from beating clean through.
Swallowing a phantom lump, I said, “wait,” and reached for my knife.
He lifted me into his arms, zipped forward, then ripped the knife out of Dario’s chest. A shriek echoed in the air. Ryland grunted. I started to slip out of his arms. A cold hand slammed down on my shoulder and I flew across the room, landing in a heap against the keys of the grand piano. With a groan, I toppled over onto the bench, and then landed on my hands and knees.
I shook of the vertigo and gritted my teeth. Before me, several bodies were rushing through the air, nothing more than black blurs. Vampires, I realized. Ryland’s remaining crew along with some of Dario’s people. I squinted and searched around for my knife. It was on the floor, next to Vanessa. She was laid out on the throw carpet, her head turned to me, a strange smile on her lips.
Again, I tossed my hand out and the knife flew into my hand. I had no idea how I did it, but it wasn’t the time for questions.
A voice buzzed in my ear. I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?” I asked Mom. There was a loud howl. I blinked and an arm was flying toward me. I ducked into a crouched position as the voice came again.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” I muttered, barely holding onto my consciousness. I cringed, and then backed away and into the piano bench. “Okay, okay! You don’t have to shout.”
A set of red eyes turned toward me and hissed. “Bitch, who are you talking to?” She started toward me.
I blinked again and reached down to slice into the spaghetti strap of the nightgown Dario had dressed me in. My lungs lightened and the effect was instant.
The pain was gone. The dizziness was gone. I stood on legs that felt like my own again and clenched my jaw. I reached out and wrapped my hand around the neck of the approaching vampire, and then tossed her at the opposite wall. She crashed into a large mirror mounted above the antique sofa. Glass rained down around her.
I took in the scene before me. Dozens of bodies ripped into each other. Sprays of dark blood sprayed from one side of the room to the other. I clapped, then shouted, “Knock it off!”
A burst of energy rushed into the room, and everyone, except for me, was tossed into the air, and then outward, as if blown away by an invisible tornado. Several vampires crashed to the floor, and then cast their blood red gazes on me.
I HUNTED DOWN MY CLOTHES and slipped into them, and then called the school to make sure all my kids were there despite Ryland reassuring me that they were okay. Dario was in the kitchen, reattaching someone’s arm, while Ryland and I stood in his backyard.
“Two days,” I muttered, gazing up at him. “I can’t believe I was out for two days.”
He stared down at me, bushy eyebrows quirked. “I would have gotten here sooner.” His eyes flashed. “But I was bound first by your blood command, and then, that Wiccan bitch took us out.”
“How?”
He gave me a look. “The same way she took you out,” he said, stepping closer to me, and running his gaze up and down my body. “With magic.” With a sniff, he asked, “Are you alright?”
I nodded. “Yeah, she put some kind of spell on me.” I frowned. “It took my strength. Made me lose sense of time... I felt...”
“Human?” he asked, his expression unmoving.
I shrugged.
He pressed his tongue against his bottom lip and asked, “How did you break the spell?”
I reached down and patted my knife where it was holstered on my belt. Assured that it was still there, I said: “Mom told me to cut my clothing.” I shrugged. “Apparently, the spell was in the nightgown.”
He let out a growl. “I was wondering why you were in that thing.” Clearing his th
roat, he glanced away from me and toward a pool that was a few feet away. “You fuck him?”
I blinked up at him. “What?”
Slowly, he turned and set his gaze on me again. “Did you fuck him?”
I opened my mouth and then closed it. “Uh...” Before I knew it, a laugh tumbled out of my throat. I snorted. “Why are you asking me that?”
He continued to stare at me in a way that made me feel bare. There was nothing readable in his expression, and yet, my heart thundered in my ears. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned slightly away from him.
“You know I don’t date vampires.” The words came out breathless.
He scoffed. “Date,” he mocked. “I don’t think that’s what I asked you.”
A tremble rocked through me, making it harder for me to meet his gaze, harder, but not impossible. I found myself wanting to lie. To test his jealousy. His eyes narrowed, most likely in response to the lingering silence. Finally, I rolled my eyes. “No,” I told him in a low voice. “Of course not.”
His stare remained blank.
Unable to help myself, or not wanting to, I stepped closer. “And if I had.”
Something flashed in his eyes, so quick, I might have missed it had I not been looking for it. “I can’t see it,” he said after several beats of silence.
I raised an eyebrow.
“The abominable Malcolm Hex, giving herself to another man’s bitch.”
A laugh spurted out of me. Quickly, I covered my hand, trying to process what he just said. “Ryland Okafor. Did you make a joke?”
The tension in his lips eased, and if he were someone else, he might have winked at me. Instead, he cleared his throat and straightened. “So, are you telekinetic now?”
I blinked.
He nodded toward Dario’s backdoor. “In there, with the knife. It flew to you.” He lowered his head so that our faces were merely inches apart. “What was that?”
I bit down on my lower lip. “I don’t know.” Scratching at my palm, I added, “I just... my skin started to burn like I was under a space heater, and then, the knife was in my hands.” I sniffled. “But telekinetic? I don’t think so. Maybe it had something to do with Vanessa’s spell wearing off and my strength returning.”
