Chapter Eighteen

 

“We got you some coffee.”

Lorcan left a steaming foam cup on the floor a few feet away from me as if coaxing out an animal. Perhaps he was.

They had been gone all morning, and I figured it was because they feared me. I couldn’t exactly blame them. Once again, I didn’t understand my own actions. Yet their eyes revealed no fear at all.

“Thanks.” I reached for the coffee, and as I did, Lucia bent down and squeezed my hand. I waited for the images, but none came. I gazed up at her quizzically, but she let go and moved back over to Lorcan’s side. Sighing, I picked up the coffee and tried to look a little less like a psycho killer.

“We were wondering what you needed for tonight. You said your dagger doesn’t work well enough on Becca. What else could you use?”

I took a sip of coffee, letting it scald my tongue, a petty punishment. “I’m not sure. Silver and crosses hurt her. I’ll just have to be imaginative. It’ll be easier than catching her. You two need to stay home tonight.”

Lorcan glanced at Lucia. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I won’t hurt anyone,” I said in a low voice.

“Are you upset with us?”

I gaped at him in surprise. “No, of course not. I’m upset with me.”

“We’re sorry about last night. Those men… I mean, we aren’t all like that over here.” He shifted uncomfortably.

“I know that. Arseholes live everywhere. Years ago, back home, I tried to stop an idiot beating up his girlfriend. Both of them turned on me. Takes all kinds.” I shrugged. “But last night. That was my fault. I managed to push the whole situation out of control, and I was fully ready to hurt those men. I wanted to teach them a lesson.”

“I don’t understand. The vampires called you the Irish Council’s assassin. Is it not your job to cause pain?”

He said it so simply, but tears filled my eyes at his words.

“I’m sorry,” he said, horrified. “I didn’t mean—”

“I had never killed anything until a few months ago, really, when the vampires decided to make my life hell. And now the Council. It’s like I’m marked, like I can never be clean again.” I shook my head. Letting the words spill out was a strange sort of relief. “Up until a week ago, I had only killed a couple of vampires who really deserved it. Then, there was a human. He was possessed by a demon or something. I took care of the demon, but the man died. I didn’t mean it. This isn’t the life I wanted.”

“You really are like us,” he said, but I looked straight at Lucia. For the very first time, I saw her smile, and I knew I would remember it forever. Her face lit up into something beautifully ethereal. She was full of light, full of something pure and good.

“I’m glad I met you,” I told her. “And thank you.”

Her smile died away, and she grabbed my phone, urging me to take it. The urgency in her eyes made my stomach drop. Carl. I turned on the phone and called home with a heavy heart.

“He’s not going to make it.” Peter’s voice was gruff, but I could tell he was unhappy.

“What’s happening?”

“He’s sick, feverish. Eddie said it’s a reaction to being away from you for this long. He needs contact.”

“I can’t leave yet.”

“Ava, I know. I’m just telling you to be ready for the worst when you come back.”

Tears filled my eyes, and I hurried outside with the phone. I’d already let the twins see way too much of the real Ava.

“Can’t Eddie do something?” I let the tears fall. Carl didn’t deserve to die.

“He’s trying, but he wants you to know that there isn’t much hope left. Maybe a day, two tops. Last night, Carl freaked out, tried to leave. His body isn’t strong enough, but he kept fighting me. He ended up hurting himself. Eddie had to sedate him in the end.”

“Oh, my God.” I hiccupped a sob. “That was my fault. I’m so sorry.”

“How? What happened?”

I bit my lip, wishing I could hide the previous night forever, but I couldn’t, so I relayed the story to Peter as quickly as possible.

“Ah. So he sensed trouble, even with you over there. The bond must be really strong.” Peter sounded almost relieved.

“I wasn’t in trouble, Peter. Those men were.”

“Don’t start guilt-tripping yourself, Ava. Snap out of it.”

I stuttered something incomprehensible.

“I mean it. They had it coming, if you did hurt them. Besides, it’s the empathy thing, right? You keep taking in what everyone else is feeling. Those scumbags just screwed with your emotions a bit. Like the succubus did with us.”

I wasn’t so sure that was what had happened in either case. I quickly ended the embarrassingly weepy phone call, then sat on the steps of the house, wondering what the hell I was supposed to do next, and trying to ignore how homesick I felt. Carl needed me. The Council needed me. Everyone seemed to need me for something. And I wasn’t getting anything done. There had to be a way to fix all of my problems.

I moped about for a while before the twins joined me, sitting on either side of me. Being around them was nice, once I got past the creepy factor. They were calm beings, not full of the rage I was, even though their lives had been a lot worse. They made me feel ungrateful, more ready to change myself instead of everyone else.

“I need to get home. Tonight has to be the night,” I said.

“A lover needs you?” Lorcan asked.

“More like a brother,” I corrected. Carl was family, and I had to be there if he died. I had to be there to try and help him carry on for longer. I had to be there, full stop.

“You know Lucia’s reckonings aren’t always accurate. Things can easily change.”

“Then, I’ll have to track her myself. Either way, I’m going home tonight. I’m going to check out ferries and flights. I need to prepare myself, and you need to figure out exactly what you’re going to tell the vampires. You could say she escaped in the docks, and Lucia had a vision she left the country, so I jumped on a ferry to track her over the water. If they don’t believe you, act like I had you under my thrall. They’ll come after me, not you. I still need some help from home, but no matter what, I’m leaving tonight.”

I gazed at the shrouded exit, contemplating everything. “Did you do that?”

Lorcan followed my line of sight. “Oh, that. Yes. Sort of. It was already there, we just boosted it a little. Keeps us out of sight, out of mind.”

“Think the vampires watch us when we track Becca?”

“Yes. I’m sure of it.” He nudged me. “But you’re safe in this little part of the world.”

I rubbed my nose, wishing I could hide in that part forever. “Any chance of you two doing something similar tonight?”

The twins exchanged looks. “We were counting on it.”

“You two are pretty special. I’m not surprised the vampires want you on their side.”

“We’ve been smart enough not to show anyone exactly what we can do,” he said, and a shiver of anticipation ran down my spine at the passion behind his words.

Later, I made the phone call I had been putting off. Gabe was the only one I could turn to. I had to take the chance, despite the risk.

“You really are crazy,” he said after I told him my plan. “They could start a war over this.”

“Not if you back me up. Look, they’re going to start problems if they have Becca. And that’s another thing. When they realise they can’t use her, they’re going to turn to the vampires who started this formula crap in the first place. They want in. That much is obvious.”

He took in a breath. “You’re so much more trouble than you’re worth.”

“Yeah, well, after this I’m done with you people. No need to worry about what I’m worth anymore.”

“Don’t be so melodramatic,” he scoffed.

“I mean it. I’m going to do the things you lot can’t be arsed with.”

“Such as?” he asked coolly.

“Um, maybe tackle the slave markets, the missing children, and, oh yeah, the demonic possession that your own Guardians are probably taking part in.” I couldn’t help getting annoyed. Gabe never failed to rattle me in some way.

“The Council deals with a lot of things you will never even know about,” he said. “When you return, come to the bar. I have something to discuss with you, and that’s the only place I know where we won’t be overheard by the wrong ears.”

“Fine. You gonna back me up or not? There are people here taking a risk for me. I don’t want them doing that for nothing.”

He hesitated then groaned. “Fine. When you return, I’ll orchestrate a ‘killing’ and let the British Committee know we took care of Becca on our own soil.”

 

***

 

“She wasn’t here tonight.” I sniffed the night air. Nothing. Becca’s plans had changed since Lucia had seen them. The twins had insisted on joining me, and I had to let them in case I was seen alone on the night they were supposed to be my witnesses. We had gone back to the housing estate from the previous night so I could track Becca’s old scent, but the trail went dead right outside it.

I tried not to think about Carl, but his face kept popping into my mind. I had taken him on a dangerous path, and it might be too late for him to find his way back. I had to feel guilt for that. All night, I had been counting. Heartbeats, footsteps, passing cars. I kept breaking down numbers until I had primes. A never-ending litany in my head. I had become certain of one thing. The less I cared, the less I needed to count. My choices were either to have a heart of ice or be crippled with a nervous disorder. Fun.

“When we find her, what do you want us to do?”

“Hide. Run. Your pick. Just don’t forget to hide us when the time comes. Hey, Lucia, any thoughts on the outcome yet?”

She shook her head, frowning with the concentrated effort she was putting into listening to whatever sent her the clues.

We wandered for hours, looking for something, anything. We didn’t even know if Becca was still in the country. She could have been anywhere. But she had only fed once the previous night, and that, coupled with her injury, made me pretty sure she wasn’t strong enough to go far without a decent feed.

It wasn’t until a police car sped past, sirens wailing, that Lucia saw something.

“She’s been feeding,” Lorcan told me. “It isn’t close, but if we hurry, we might find a trail you can follow.”

The twins were as fast, if not faster, than I was. It felt good to push myself alongside them. They made me feel like less of a freak, and I had the feeling I would miss them once I went home. I knew I let myself get attached too easily, but I couldn’t help it.

An hour later, I finally caught Becca’s scent. Relief flooded through me, but it wasn’t over yet. I still had to catch up to her. I still had to finish her. I still had to kill again. And then, I had to make it home and hope it wasn’t too late for Carl. Our link was weakening quicker than I expected, and I knew I only had one chance left.

We closed in on Becca in a quiet part of the country. Quaint stone cottages dotted the area, and the place seemed too quiet for a supernatural battle. I caught sight of her before she noticed me. She watched a lone man shuffle with his terrier in the distance, and I could see her sizing him up, perhaps wondering if he were worth attacking. I voted no on the basis of the ankle-biter alone.

“Keep out of the way, and do your thing when you can,” I whispered to the twins, pushing them into a nearby garden. “I’ll see you when it’s over.”

I broke into a run, refusing to take my eyes off Becca again. I couldn’t let her go. My heart drumming in my chest, I caught her attention before she made it to her next victim. Recognition flashed across her face, but she was unrecognisable as the woman who had once creeped me out. Her hair was falling out in clumps, judging by the bare patches on her skull, her skin was decaying, actually rotting. Her lips were split open from her fangs, as though she wasn’t careful with her bites. No matter how repulsive she looked, I still felt a slight pang of pity for her. She hadn’t asked to be what she was. Not that.

“This is it,” I called out to her. “I’m going to make the thirst go away, Becca. I’m going to put you out of your misery.”

She uttered a harsh cry and fled, but I was ready to chase her. She sprinted for fifteen minutes, and I thought my heart might burst out of my chest. Not from the exertion, but the apprehension of what might go wrong. So many people depended on me, and I had never pulled through for anyone. I had no Peter, no Carl, no Eddie to help. Just me and Becca, the way it should always have been.

Becca went on all fours again and leapt over a railing into a graveyard. I couldn’t see her by the time I made it inside, but her scent pervaded the night air, and I knew she was still around.

I felt magic in the air. The peculiar sensation sparked some memories, like the magic at the trial and, curiously, Folsom’s place. When I looked behind me, the edges of the graveyard were shrouded by mist. I mentally thanked the twins for their help.

Many of the tombstones were cracked and discoloured. The cemetery was huge, and therefore easy to hide in. I reached out and tried to see Becca’s energy. Spotted her. Running away again. I still didn’t know why she kept running from me, and I was beginning to regret not taking the possibly fae sword from Lorcan.

Jumping over headstones somehow felt wrong—disrespectful of the dead—but it was easier to catch up to Becca by moving directly over the old graves.

She surprised me by attacking me first. She leapt from a huge granite memorial, knocking me to the ground. We struggled briefly, both trying to get in a few good digs. I sensed she knew it would be our final fight, that it would decide everything. She seemed as determined as I was to end it for good.

She clawed the back of my neck, slicing my skin easily. It stung, but I was too wound up to really think about it. She tried to bite me, but my cross fell along the chain and surprised her. It couldn’t kill her, but the pain seemed to put her off balance.

I pushed myself to my feet and kicked her as hard as I could in the face. She flew backward against a tombstone that broke in two from the force of her body. Her density seemed to have changed drastically since she had become… whatever the hell she was.

The impact didn’t even faze her. She came at me harder than ever, fangs dripping with blood-tainted saliva, her next strike knocking loose one of my back teeth. I spat out blood as I backed away in a hurry, narrowly avoiding her claws. A fierce warrior, she never stopped moving or swinging. And I had no real idea how to kill her.

She jumped like an animal, and I dropped to the ground to avoid her teeth. If she managed to bite me, I was screwed. Back on my feet, I grabbed her shirt and whirled her around, flinging her into a huge headstone. Her back cracked against it, and she crumpled to the ground. I grabbed her by the hair and whacked her head against the marble, cracking open her skull.

Despite her head splitting open, and a spongy substance leaking out, she kept moving. She grabbed my ankle, pulling me to the ground. I kicked at her with my other foot, but she was like steel. She bit hard on my ankle, and immediately, pain scorched my body. The paralysis happened slowly, from my ankle upward, just like before. The same mistake twice. I refused to stop struggling, but my legs grew weaker and weaker by the second.

“Ava!”

Lorcan had some kind of pole in his hands. He rolled it over to me. Silver. At least on the outside. One end was pointed and covered in dirt. Utilising my last bit of strength, I stabbed Becca through the top of her head. With a disturbing snap of bone, her body shuddered and jerked for a few minutes. Then, she stopped moving. Just like that. Her fangs still penetrated my skin, and her paralysing poison still flooded my body. I couldn’t move. But she was dead, really dead.

I lay flat on the ground, staring at the sky. It was over.

Lorcan rushed over to me, eyes full of worry. “Are you okay?”

I tried to point at my leg, but my arm no longer moved. Drowsiness overtook me, and nothing seemed to matter anymore. My eyes closed, and I slept.

 

***

 

I must have only been unconscious for a couple of minutes because the twins still stood above me, silently arguing over what to do next. The feeling came back to my body. I hurt. Everywhere.

Becca’s body lay a few yards away. The twins had moved me. Her head hung at a funny angle from her body; I had almost decapitated her.

“Gross,” I mumbled, startling the twins.

“You okay?” Lorcan looked embarrassed. “I didn’t realise she was still hurting you. Lucia took her fangs out of your leg. Some of them were embedded in your skin.”

“Ew.” I didn’t have the energy for long sentences. I looked at the thing I had used to kill Becca, thinking it looked suspiciously like a giant, skinny candle.

“It’s part of a massive family memorial at the other end of the graveyard,” Lorcan said. “I should probably clean it and put it back. Just in case.”

I flexed my limbs, feeling a lot better. “I think I can get up now. Should I bury her here?”

Lorcan looked around. “Isn’t it a bit too… sacred for her?”

“She was human once. Maybe this is the perfect place for her.”

He shrugged. “I better go find your bag. I dropped it along the way.”

“I thought I told you to hide or run away or something,” I called after him. He grinned back at me.

“Thanks, Lucia,” I said. “She almost took me down with her.”

Lucia plonked herself down next to me and just stared. Her gaze wasn’t as creepy as I had once thought.

When Lorcan returned, we dug a hole. I pushed past the pain as the urgency of Carl’s situation nagged at me. But when the sun rose, it took Becca with it. She didn’t burn, but her skin seemed to slowly erode until she was nothing but dust. The rotting stench disappeared with her.

I threw down the shovel in frustration. “That was a waste of time. I need to leave. Will you two be okay?”

Lorcan nodded. “Of course. As long as your side does their part.”

“I think he will. He doesn’t like being told what to do, either.”

“We’ll head to the docks and make sure we’re seen leaving. There’s always someone watching.”

“Good. Thanks. And don’t worry, I’ll keep my end of our deal. I promise.”

“We know. We’ll be waiting.”

On a whim, I hugged them both and caught a glimpse of myself holding the hand of a small boy. I gave Lucia a quizzical look, but she didn’t explain.

Going home felt strange. I was so happy to see Peter and Carl again, but I dreaded what I would find, and all of the things I had to do overwhelmed me. I took a ferry and spent most of the journey feeling seasick. Seeing land made my heart cry as though there were something there for me. I hoped there still was.