Evil Spark (20 page)

Yrjo nodded to his goons. All hell broke loose.

Trouble at Home

I wasn't sure what to do, so ran.

Maybe I got two feet, maybe three, before a wall of tall and well-muscled vampires put a halt to that idea. So I did the next best thing. I snapped to black as fast as they had moved and felt so ill I spewed up right over their shiny expensive suits. It didn't improve their mood. Plus I was annoyed at messing up my floor.

Bang, bang, bang.

"Open up, Spark, I know you're in there. It's Drugi Doles and I've come to give you wot for."

This was all I needed, an angry goblin to add to my troubles. Or maybe...

Almost crippled with dark magic, I went deeper, so deep that the hurt faded as I was no longer myself. There would be one hell of a comedown but I didn't care. I had to survive and that meant fighting off some seriously strong vampires.

I actually chanted under my breath, yeah, me, Mr. Don't Need to Chant. I muttered my intentions over and over, repetitive and fast, melodic and mesmerizing. The air hummed and vibrated until the windows shook, then the floor. My ink flashed black and silver sparks as it popped and crackled, standing proud on my arms, swirling around my body, enriching my points of energy and building and building.

The vampires turned as the door crashed in and Drugi Doles stormed in. A half green, half black monster with slender limbs and misshapen muscles, skin peeling from where I'd blasted him, but up and strong, which surprised me. He should have been recovering for more than a few hours.

Through my magic haze, I thought I saw him smile at me, but wasn't sure. And why would he? He was here to beat me to a pulp, right?

The vampire goons ignored what to them was little but a green annoyance, and their attention focused back on me. Yrjo wasn't so sure. He studied Drugi Doles intently. Govan just shivered and tried to hide—poor kid, bet he never thought this would be how it is to be a vampire.

"You'll pay for this," screamed Oliver from behind me, and I turned like a fool to see what was happening.

As I moved, I felt the air whoosh as the vampires closed in on me. Ignoring the angry goblin for now, I let my dark magic out in a punch of energy that pushed me across the floor and I came to a stop elegantly against the wall at the back of the house behind the amassed vampires and the angry goblin.

The vampires moved forward, baring their teeth and smiling. I noticed that none of the goons had tongues. I've heard of it, how some of the older vamps have initiation rites if you want to serve them, be a part of their power. I guess this was one of them. Idiots.

They kept walking toward me. Drugi Doles was behind them, oversized mouth grinning widely like it was better than he could have expected and couldn't wait to join in. Oliver screamed at the table as Yrjo put a hand to each shoulder and two goons grabbed his arms.

"Where's Rikka?" Yrjo asked. He didn't sound like he really cared, but thought it worth a shot. He was playing. If Rikka had got away from Oliver, and probably Yrjo's own goons, then no way would Oliver know where he was.

"I. Don't. Know. Got away," Oliver managed to say before he screamed.

Yrjo nodded and his goons set their shoulders, planted their feet wide and the two largest freaks nodded at each other.

"Wait!" I screamed. I had unfinished business with Oliver. A week ago when we'd had let's call it a little disagreement, he'd said something about my parents. I needed to know if he had anything to do with their deaths. If Yrjo killed him I would never get to ask.

Yrjo nodded at the goons again.

They pulled. I heard the crack, then the soft ripping sound of flesh being pulled apart. Oliver screamed like I've never heard another living creature scream in my life and never want to again. Govan collapsed, the shock of what he witnessed too much for his mind to cope with.

Yrjo smiled. The vampires advanced. Two arms thudded to the floor. I threw up on my table.

At that point I decided to change careers. Puppy stroker sounded nice, maybe even pet sitting kittens. Heck, sticking legs in a crocodile's mouth and saying, "Go on, you know you want to," sounded preferable to my current situation.

Had Oliver merely known my parents? Many people had. But their killers were never brought to justice, and he'd said I was just like them, always had to have the last word. Were they empty words he spoke when we fought, or had he let slip something that could help me find out the truth? I got the feeling that with no arms he probably wasn't in the mood for such questions.

Drugi Doles smiled at me, the vampires snarled at me, Oliver screamed as he stared with incomprehension at the arms on the floor, and I, well, I kind of actually exploded all over the house. Yes, I'm moving.

I turned evil.

Wizard Shifter

"This can get worse, Oliver. Where is Rikka? What happened?" Yrjo was pissed. Why they had to do this in my house was beyond me. I guess Yrjo wanted to freak me out before he dealt with me, or maybe he just wanted to stay inside for such clearly bloody endeavors as nobody wants to let Regulars see what we do. If you can't get the boss, then get his most trusted and efficient enforcer. At least then when Rikka turned up Yrjo would be in a better position to deal with the inevitable fallout.

He had lost it as far as I was concerned. Interfering with another House was not how we did things. You could do what you wanted to your own, but you did not interfere with, and certainly not kidnap and kill, the Head of two Councils, especially the Hidden Council. Yrjo had some seriously big, but very old, balls.

Maybe that was it? He was panicking. After all, what self-respecting vampire feeds and leaves a kid like Govan alive and turned? That was a sure sign of his attitude—wild with no thought for the consequences. I wondered what the state of things were in Finland if people like him were running the show.

Oliver was shaking uncontrollably. He may be a vampire but having no arms can effect even the most hardened of Hidden. Blood pumped out but the flow slowed to a gentle weeping as I watched Oliver fade. There was no coming back from this.

He managed a final shake of his head and whispered, "Gone," before he slumped to the floor, landing on top of one of his own arms.

He was dead.

Yrjo turned to me. "I had hoped to deal with all the mess this evening. Oliver has been a bad boy. He was supposed to have ensured Rikka was dead. Having him alive will be bad for business. Oliver always was a fool, a needy child. No matter, things will work out in the end, I am sure. Now, as for you, Black Spark, it's time to say farewell."

"Oh yeah, and what about Taavi? Think he's going to let you get away with this? Think Rikka will when he turns up?"

"Haha. I don't doubt Taavi will be a little upset, Spark, but these things happen. What's he going to do? Right now he's probably feeling rather disappointed, and returning home after going on somewhat of a wild goose chase. I sent him a message telling of a real delight, a group of girls out camping in the woods. He'll be hungry. There are no girls, so he will be home now. Weak, angry, and I'll deal with him soon enough."

I would have asked how Yrjo thought he could suddenly turn Taavi's entire Ward against him, but knew better. Vampires are not loyal to anyone but the strongest—if you show yourself to deserve a position then you get the loyalty, no questions asked.

Yrjo apparently just wanted to tie up the loose ends first. Deal with Oliver, find Rikka, eliminate me in case I got in the way, then go in for the big final coup without anything else standing in his way. Nothing that could surprise him and interfere with eliminating Taavi.

I glanced down at Oliver. He'd been a fool while alive. I wondered how his afterlife was treating him.

"Time to say goodnight, Spark," hissed Yrjo as his mouth opened, revealing a foul pink tongue and canines larger than any I'd ever seen. His goons moved forward. Their eyes snapped to black with dark magic and I noticed tattoos peeking out beneath their jacket sleeves.

This was how they took Rikka. They used magic as a disguise. This was bad, as vampires don't go in for magic like wizards do. Maybe things really were different over in Finland. Any moment they would spring into action and there was no way I could cope with them all at once.

I watched, unsurprised, as Yrjo casually bent and bit out the neck of Govan. The kid was still unconscious, so at least his passing was quick and painless. Stanley had a lot to answer for, and for the first time in a long while I was actually angry at Grandma.

People have this misconception about magic, that if you can use it then you are indestructible, but there are limits, and degrees of power. I am just a guy who has a lot of knowledge and control, but my expertise is focused on taking away magic from others, not summoning up demonic forces or turning into a nether creature and stomping my way to freedom.

So I gulped, and as I sank back into sickness and let dark magic envelop me I still had no idea what I would do apart from try to run or go down fighting. Neither really appealed, as the end result would be death. I had no desire to join Oliver.

The power of the Empty took me deep until I was nothing but anger and the instinct for survival. I would fight, and I would kill them all.

One of the goons came at me, fast as a snap of the eyelids, but I was ready. Without thinking, I stepped to the left and my right arm came up parallel to the floor. The vampire had moved so fast he couldn't stop until he slammed into my forearm.

My tattoos burned through his clothes and flesh as my arm pumped magic of my own special kind into his body. I forced my flesh deep inside of him until he was practically sliced through. One thing vampires can't do is come back from the dead, and this goon was definitely of the soon-to-be-dead goon variety.

He screamed, black mouth without a tongue making the sound strange and otherworldly. I stared at Yrjo as my chest rose and I sucked in the blood magic that escaped from the dying vampire like a last breath.

My body vibrated as I took on some of the vampire's essence for a moment, snapping forward like frames were missing from the world. I was closer to Yrjo. I was going to kill them all. I was evil, vampire and enforcer, but even as I grew colder inside the blood magic left, returning to the Empty where it belonged.

Disgusted, I let it wane. I couldn't stand the foul stench of that corruption inside my body. Dark magic is one thing, blood magic without being a vampire quite another. I had a hint of the pain involved for the vampires when they killed and took on such evil, knowing it would corrupt me, maybe even turn me in my current state. Letting it go was the only option, and as I did I thought of Kate.

My head shook and the bitter taste of vampire was gone. "I'm gonna make this bad for you, Yrjo, real bad." I beckoned with my hand. Yeah, I know, cliche or what? But I was in the flow and it didn't seem so corny at the time.

The other goons stepped forward, but I could see their confidence had left like a troll once you say you are out of goats.

Drugi Doles shouted, "He's mine," and I watched as Yrjo smiled with what I guess was amusement. He nodded as Drugi Doles turned to face me.

Oliver was dead, in bits, and the vampire goons seemed to have gone from manic to wary after I'd shown what I could do. Yrjo remained exactly as he was—old and freaky as hell. What was with these ancient vampires? I wondered why they even bothered with their games and their constant striving to become the Head. Maybe it's all they have left? They certainly don't seem to care about anything else.

No time for contemplating the empty hearts of vampires. Drugi Doles took a step forward. He didn't look happy.

Great, so the vamps were going to hang back while I dealt with an angry goblin.

"Drugi Doles, in case you haven't noticed this is not the best time to pick up our fight from yesterday. Plus, you lost. Remember?"

"Drugi Doles forgets nuffin', Spark. Drugi Doles is 'ere to sort everything out."

"What! You think you can..." I trailed off as Drugi Doles' mouth contorted. His accent sounded weird too. He smiled, and there was that wink again. Then the weirdest damn thing happened. His blackened green carapace split like a cocoon and as it did so the image of a mean goblin wavered and shimmered as the magic I had sensed earlier spread to envelop not only me but the room as a whole.

Everything lost focus as dark magic poured from the Empty into my once tranquil oasis of normality. Drugi Doles grew and grew, bigger and bigger.

"Rikka?" I said, surprising myself with how calm I sounded as the phantom goblin warped and the split skin morphed into the image of Rikka. But was it? It was kind of like him, but not totally him.

He was slim. A skinny Rikka. I never thought I'd live to see the day. My boss was a man reborn from the chrysalis of a damaged goblin. A mage with a slim body, brown corduroys, tan boots, a simple black vest and there were even muscles. He looked about early forties, a full mane of long brown hair, strong features with two-day stubble and he practically glowed with vitality.

"Spark, how do you feel about teaching some vampires a lesson?"

"Um, good, I guess." I didn't ask what the hell was happening. This was Rikka; that was all I needed to know. For now.

Rikka stepped beside me, and I had to look again. It was him, everything told me it was him, but damn, he looked good. Side by side, we faced the vampires.

Yrjo didn't look so cocky any longer and his goons had stopped their advance. They turned to their boss for orders, unsure how to act after the turn of events that had surprised us all.

What the hell was happening?

And how the hell had Rikka lost so much weight so quickly? Visions of becoming a rich diet guru flashed before my eyes, interrupted when the vampires moved in a blur and I felt the breath of death at my neck.

Time to Move

Rikka hardly even lifted a hand, but the two that had come at me were back across the room faster than he used to eat a slice of pizza. And he ate one seriously fast.