Chapter Fourteen

 

My fingers shook uncontrollably. “All I need to know is if it could work.” I looked up at the two men standing before me, unwilling to accept the doubt in their eyes.

“I don’t know if an experienced vampire could do such a thing, never mind you. It could go wrong. Badly wrong,” Eddie said.

“It’s going to go wrong for Carl if I don’t try something. Daimhín called me herself before dawn. A private jet will be ready at midnight. If I’m not there, everyone’s screwed. It’s not even that. I should go. They need the Guardians here, what’s left of them. They’re still recruiting replacements. They won’t have a decent system in place for a while. If I can deal with this, it might give them time if something else does happen.”

“Maybe anarchy’s the best thing that could happen to this country,” Eddie said. “Starting fresh could work.”

“Is he serious?” I asked.

Peter shrugged. “Carl doesn’t have time for us arguing about anything besides him. He’s going to die. Is there any way she can stop it?”

Eddie tapped his fingertips against his chin. “She has prior claim. If she tried, and managed to make Carl hers again, it might negate the mark.”

“Well, good. I’ll try it.”

“Think about this, Ava. Think how hard it was last time. For both of you. This will be much worse. He’s still recovering from that. Now, he’s weakened further by this succubus, and you’ll be taking his mind again. There’s only so many times you can twist someone’s mind before they lose it completely.” Eddie’s face reddened. “When you break the bond, it’ll hurt more than before because it will have solidified. He could die when you dissolve your ownership. And that’s if you even manage to do it. You’ve never done it on purpose. You can’t control it, and you needed a vampire to dissolve the bond last time. It’s very risky. If he dies while bonded to you, you will suffer. That won’t help your chances against Becca.”

I blushed. “Actually, I sort of did practice with it before. Kind of.”

“On me?” Peter blurted, horror clearly on his face.

“What? No! Jesus, are we really back to that?” I was deeply offended by his automatic response.

“Sorry, old habits. But even you have to admit how off you’ve been lately.” He cleared his throat. “Who, then? The copper at the checkpoint that night?”

I shuffled my feet. “Him, too.”

“Ava!”

“Okay, don’t judge me. I was desperate. My landlord kept coming around for money. I asked him for more time, and he said okay. Then, he changed his mind and came back. I just used my influence a teeny, tiny bit, and got him to go away. It didn’t last, and it wasn’t a full bond or anything, but it was definitely some of the same thing I used on Carl. I understand it now, and I think I can use it.”

Eddie nodded as though my explanation was satisfactory, but Peter had a disappointed look on his face that killed me.

“Why are you so hard on me?” I demanded, unable to keep my thoughts to myself anymore.

“I thought you were better than me.” His words hit hard, but I had to push it out of my mind. For Carl.

“If I… own Carl again, can you protect him while I’m gone? Here, where the succubus can’t get to him? I won’t break the bond until I know he’s gotten his strength back up a bit. Don’t say it. I already know the longer he’s bonded, the worse it will be, but it could be the only thing that saves him. Daimhín’s tried, Gabe’s not interested, and nobody else sees a way out for Carl. Because he’s just a human, and that freaking sucks.”

Eddie leaned his hand on my shoulder, and I felt something cool penetrate my skin. It calmed me down, but I shrugged him off, hating when he used magic uninvited.

“I’ll take care of him,” Eddie said. “I can give him something that’ll help him sleep. It’ll be the only way he won’t go looking for you. I’ll keep him safe, but I can’t guarantee your actions won’t kill him. If you die while you’re bonded, he will, too. Remember that, Ava Delaney.”

“Do me a favour,” I said to Peter.

“What?”

“Stay with Eddie while I’m gone. Don’t go near that succubus. Or Coyle.”

Peter paused. “Something you’re not saying?”

I glanced from one man to the other, wondering how much I could trust Eddie. I got up and paced around the room, trying to figure out what to say. “Yeah. Yeah, there is. I killed a man. A human.”

“What? When? What are you talking about?” Peter stuttered over his words. Eddie sat down and waited, but something crossed his eyes, enough surprise for me to be sure he had no clue what had happened.

“It was the shadows,” I said, seeing the man’s face again. “Eddie, what do you know about demon possession?”

“A fair amount. It’s been a while. Is this something I should be brushing up on?”

I glanced at him and saw that, for a change, he was extremely worried.

“I’m not sure. Peter, can you explain to Eddie about the shadows? I need to get moving. Just be careful. I think Coyle sent that man after me. The shadows had totally taken him over. When I got rid of them, he died. I think maybe your tattoo protected you that day, at least a little. This man had no chance. I didn’t mean to kill him. I had no choice. I had to get rid of the shadows.”

I couldn’t look to see his reaction. I left the shop, but instead of going to the succubus, I headed straight for the clinic again. I had already made a phone call earlier that day and found out Esther was about to be released. Coyle and Aiden were supposed to accompany her home—Guardian policy.

“Ava! I’m finally breaking out. Were you coming to see me?” Esther stood in the hallway, looking perfectly made up.

I brushed past her and faced Coyle, barely containing my rage—for me, for my friends, for the man who had needlessly died.

“See, this is what I can’t work out,” I said, heaving a little as I stared into his eyes. I felt a million creatures grabbing at me, trying to coax away my soul. “Is it me you’re trying to kill, or just the innocent people who keep dying?”

He blinked a couple of times, his eyes stormy at the confrontation. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about, impure one. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for a flight out of my way?”

“What’s going on here?” Aiden tried to get between us, but I held out my arm.

“So, you’re a coward as well,” I said. “You can’t even be upfront about yourself? You keep sending the shadows, you keep sending the possessions. I’ll keep getting rid of them. It isn’t a problem.”

“Shadows? What shadows?” Coyle smirked, his head cocked to the side. I had the sinking feeling the conversation was going exactly how he wanted.

“Ava, are you feeling okay?” Esther asked.

Aiden scowled at her. “See? She’s unstable. I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you.”

“Are you two blind?” I asked, baffled. “Can’t you smell it? Can’t you see the shadows at all?”

“Ava, there’s nothing there,” Aiden insisted.

“Seriously, if this is what passes for a Guardian,” I muttered. My eyes rose to meet Coyle’s again. “They may be blind, but I’m not. And as long as I can see… oh, my God. That’s it, isn’t it? I can see! That’s why you’re trying to get rid of me!”

“I’ve no idea what the wretch wants with me,” Coyle said to Aiden, ignoring me. But his eye twitched. Ever so slightly. And it gave me reassurance. Even when Esther looked at me pityingly. Even when Aiden warned me not to make accusations or threats without substantial proof.

“It’s not my fault you’re lacking the ability to see exactly what’s in front of you,” I shouted in frustration. “Send one more shadow to me, and I’ll come for you. The shadows don’t come back to you, in case you haven’t noticed yet. It’ll be a lot worse for you.”

I stormed off, but Aiden followed me.

“Wait, Ava. You need to calm down. I know you’re worried about your human, but you can’t—”

“We don’t own humans! We don’t get to screw around with their lives like they’re playthings. A man died the other night because your so-called Guardian sent a demon after me to shut me up. If this is what your precious Council is protecting, then I want no part of it. I’ll deal with Becca. Don’t worry. But after that, you can all sod off!”

I felt a million times better when I left, rattled and shaken, but better for having said my piece. Too many lives were being treated as pawns, and I wanted everyone to know where I stood. I wasn’t meant to be a part of that kind of organisation. For an instant, I considered whether Eddie’s ideas on anarchy could work, but again, human lives would be the main sacrifice, and that wasn’t worth it.

By the time I made it to my apartment building, it was getting late. I gave Peter a quick call to ask him to bring his car. If all went well with Carl, I would need help taking him to Eddie’s place. The bond would push his body beyond its limits, and that might be a step too far for Carl’s weakened state. I wanted to take as few chances as possible.

I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake, but I couldn’t leave the country without trying something, and it was a good distraction for whatever might happen to me next. I had managed to piss off Guardians, shifters, vampires, various demonic creatures, and even the Council. I wasn’t in a good bargaining position unless I pulled something out of the bag. And that just might be Becca. I had to tread carefully, but I was clueing into the game, and survival meant more than just living.

The terror I felt as I walked up the stairwell was almost crippling, but it was past time for me to let go of fear. I’d faced Coyle, and he was made of my worst nightmares. The strength was there. I could live with the occasional lapses, the times when I thirsted and messed with numbers to ease my state of mind. But blaming everyone else for the things that had happened to me was tiring. The more I let that instinct slip away, the happier I felt.

The cold presence appeared —Maeve, I reminded myself—as if she knew I needed strength. It occurred to me that I had gotten into the habit of relying on the spirit for silent advice, but once her visits lapsed, I had discovered how to trust my own instincts. When I listened to my gut feelings, things tended to work out, and I had a gut feeling I was about to do the only thing possible for Carl, aside from murdering all of the succubi on the planet.

I knocked on my neighbour’s door. When Alannah opened it, I pushed past her and headed straight for Carl. The stench of death was in the air, and I almost lost it, until I saw his chest rise and fall. He was alive, barely.

I knelt beside him, ignoring the foul-mouthed succubus behind me. Alannah pulled at my shoulders and hair, screaming insults, but I opened Carl’s eyes and managed to make eye contact with him. I whispered to him, and it seemed as though he knew me, but I couldn’t tell for sure.

“Get away from him!” Alannah screamed, the order tinged with desperation.

I held Carl’s hazy gaze. “He’s mine,” I said firmly, and a spark of something appeared. Maybe recognition, maybe magic, but whatever it was, I pushed at it with everything inside me. “You’re mine,” I repeated under my breath, willing him to understand, willing him to agree.

He croaked out a sound, then in a movement so fast it frightened me, he gripped my wrist.

“What are you doing?” Alannah’s whisper was full of horror and awe.

“Taking back what’s mine. I had prior claim. Our bond’s too strong. He’s still mine, and you can’t have him. You can’t take what isn’t yours. You should already know that.” I touched the mark on Carl’s chest, easing the darkness away, soothing the raised skin. He jerked his head, showing me his neck, and relief swept over me. The first part was done.

I stood and faced the succubus, who still looked baffled.

“This is what happens when you go after what’s mine,” I said, but I was speaking to all the succubi, knowing they would hear it, knowing they could affect my reputation. “Everyone I know is off-limits. I understand your quota, but it doesn’t include those close to me. None of you will feed off me again. It offends me and the people who claim me. You’ve interfered with the beast, made sure I couldn’t take her down. I don’t like to kill. I really don’t. But I do what has to be done. And I’m not alone. If I find out you’ve had a hand in the demon possession, I will be back.”

She shivered at the words “demon possession,” but she didn’t look surprised, and I wondered how common the knowledge was among actual demons. It might mean something huge was going on, or it might mean nothing at all. But I was pretty sure I could find out.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a minion to heal, a beast to kill, and some house hunting to do.” I helped Carl up, carrying some of his weight on my shoulder. The walk from the building was slow—and noisy, what with the shrieking succubus—but I couldn’t stop grinning until I made it to the car.

“He okay?” Peter asked, helping Carl into the backseat.

“Not really. But sadly for him, he probably won’t die from having sex.”

Peter raised his eyebrows but didn’t respond. I was still buzzing from freaking out the succubus.

“It’s getting late,” he said as we got into the car.

“I know. I’ll make sure Carl is settled then head off.”

“Ava, I—”

“Don’t. Don’t say anything. I’ll fly out, sort shit out, then come home in a day or so and sort shit out here. I’m sure an even bigger problem will show up for me to sort out by then.”

“Always does.” He laughed, apparently enjoying the excitement.

Carl was still breathing when we made it to Eddie’s place. Peter carried him up to the spare room, even though Carl kept struggling to get to me. It said worrying things about his condition when he couldn’t break free, even under the will of a vampiric thrall.

“He’s in worse shape than I expected,” Eddie said, leading us back downstairs.

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked. “If I’m responsible for him, can I keep him alive somehow?”

“That might be beyond your skills,” Eddie said. “The bonding went well?”

“Yep. The succubus had a hissy fit, but I warned her off. Hopefully, they’ll listen.”

“They?” Peter asked.

“All of the succubi. They’re all linked… it’s a thing. Can you keep Carl alive until I get back?”

Eddie shook his head. “A couple of days at the most. You’ll have to be quick. His body can last this way. It’s his mind I’m worried about. I’ll strengthen him as much as possible, but his chances for survival are poor. He may never be the same again if he lives. Are you sure you want that?”

“That’s not up to us. I need to get moving. I can’t miss the plane. I’ve already gotten quite a few angry voicemails from Gabe. Don’t want him getting his angel buddies after me.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, but Peter pulled me into a quick hug. I inhaled deeply, committing his cinnamon scent to memory. “See you later,” he said, letting me go.

“Before you leave,” Eddie said. “I’d like to perform a quick ceremony with the dagger, to give you a little more fire-power.”

“Nah, I’ll be okay. Not so sure the dagger will get much use this time out.”

“It could help,” he insisted.

“Yeah, but I don’t particularly like where your magic comes from,” I said, remembering the blood sacrifices and soul power.

“It comes from the gods,” he spat, unusually offended.

“Right. Exactly which god would that be?”

“There are many sleeping gods. You know what I am. Do not talk down to me.” His voice never raised, but the tone turned dark, and all of the doors and windows in the building slammed violently.

“Always with the drama,” I scoffed to hide my fear. I hated when he pulled out his magical tricks. “Did the gods give you your souls, too?”

His eyes narrowed, but I shrugged it off. I didn’t have time for confrontations with Eddie Brogan, Keeper of Knowledge—whatever the hell that meant.

“Just… act normal while I’m gone, okay?” I said.

“Maybe you should let him help,” Peter said. His eyes pleaded, and I couldn’t say no again.

“If it’s not too creepy,” I said.

Eddie made a tutting sound and swiftly prepared for a ritual. I couldn’t help shuddering when he produced the cracked black bowl again. The room appeared to dim. Eddie lit some candles, while Peter and I huddled close together.

Eddie pulled on a pair of gloves. “Give me the dagger, Ava.”

I reluctantly handed it over, disturbed by how reverently he looked at the thing.

“Blood. Love. Sacrifice. Accept our offerings, and protect our souls. Connected and ready to serve. Fill us with power, and watch over us.”

His eyes gleaming in the candlelight, Eddie raised the dagger and sliced his palm, letting his strangely repulsive blood drip into the bowl. He held his hand out to Peter, who backed off noticeably. Eddie clucked his tongue until Peter let out a weary sigh and held out his hand, wincing as the dagger pierced his skin.

Last again, I shivered at the blankness in Eddie’s eyes as I held out my hand. The dagger was quick and sharp, and I tried not to yelp at the sensation.

Like before, Eddie’s posture changed and guttural words flung from his mouth in a strange voice. He pressed the dagger against his lips. Peter gasped as blisters immediately appeared, but it was as though Eddie inhabited his own little world.

He stirred the bowl of blood with the dagger and gave an empty smile as the weapon flared with blue light, sparking the fluid.

He held the bowl out to me, urging me to drink. Although still apprehensive, I drank the blood in one mouthful, swallowing hard as the hot liquid tantalised my tongue. I had no idea what the dagger did to change the blood, but it became something else. Pure energy. Life.

Still stunned by the warmth flooding through my body, I barely noticed Eddie’s palm against my forehead.

“Let the spirit exist in our sister. The Keeper of Light and Warrior of Flame are still needed here. Keep her safe until the day comes.”

Peter made a strangled sound, and I followed his eyes down to my bare arms. My skin was full of light again, and I felt something close to me, something magnificent. I wouldn’t be alone when I faced Becca. Hopefully, I wouldn’t need blood.