Hotblood (6 page)

“
Good questions,” my mother broke in. She sounded like she was trying to be soothing but there was a hysterical strain behind it. “Those are the kinds of questions a father should talk to his daughter about.” She turned to Grim. “Did he say when he would come to get her? I think sooner would be better than later.”

“
He suggested that you bring her,” Grim said apologetically. My mother winced.

“
What, Helen, don’t want to leave your safe little world? What are you afraid of?” Satan asked.

Grim put a hand on my uncle’s shoulder. “Alex is the girl’s father. I think that you’d agree that if anyone can explain things clearly to our niece, it would be him.”

Satan looked down at Grim’s hand and then snorted. It was not a gentle sound. “Of course. Why not? But how will she get there? Oh, I know. She’s what, seventeen? So she has a license and can drive there herself.” He grinned at me, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. He looked like he wanted to eat me. I took a step towards him and found myself smiling right back at him.

“
Satan,” Grim said as he jerked on the back of his shirt collar. “I’ll drive. We’ll take your car. Behave. She’s family.”

Satan made another revolting sound and shook Grim off. “Yeah. That sounds like fun. Why don’t we drive right through the gates of Alex’s little compound to deliver his cute daughter? I’m sure we’ll be welcomed with open arms.”

Grim sighed. “He expects us. You’re already insane so you don’t have anything to lose.”

Satan glared at Grim. “You sound like Helen. What’s up with you anyway? I haven’t heard you say more than two words in a row for years; now you won’t shut up.”

“
I can hardly compete with your fascinating conversation, Satan. I gave up trying years ago. Unfortunately, you seem to have lost the edge of your dazzling wit along with your coat.”

Satan growled and shuffled off to his car. “Are we going then? No time like the present. Helen, you owe me.”

My mother nodded, and Grim leaned closer to her and whispered. “I’ll see you soon little sister,” before he gave me an odd smile and ushered me out the door to Satan’s hulking monster of a car.

2 Driving Me Crazy

It was Satan’s car but Grim was driving.

“
You shouldn’t drive so fast in this weather,” I said holding tightly to the door handle. “Where are the seatbelts?” I asked searching the seat with my other hand. At the speed we flew over the wet pavement, it was suicide to go without seatbelts.

“
Seatbelts?” Uncle Satan asked then laughed, a sound that made me cringe. I wasn’t certain if it was me, the cigars, or if he’d always sounded like he was gargling gravel. “This car doesn’t need seatbelts honey. If we crash, nothing’s gonna save you.”

His words made me feel much better. The hulking piece of scrap metal that barreled through the misty streets made noises that should have woken all the inhabitants of dear Sanders, or maybe it only sounded loud to me the way everything did. I could hear Satan’s raspy breathing and Grim’s dry, even. It wasn’t just their breathing. I could hear the sound of distant drums, their two hearts beating out of time, the ticking of Satan’s watch and the bright click of his lighter as he started on another cigar. The smell of it was overwhelming, like mildew, socks, tree bark. I couldn’t pin down that smell, it was too complicated and mixed with the scent of leather seats and the two men’s sweat. Grim smelled like antibacterial soap. His scent was mild compared to Satan’s who filled the space with more than his massive bulk. Everything about him was overwhelming.

“
Have you driven this way before?” Satan asked Grim. He shrugged, his figure dim, but I could see him, mostly from the reflected light of the dials. Even from the back he looked defeated. “Great,” Satan said, leaning back, pushing his hat down over his face, then sitting up in a sudden movement that made me jump. “So Dariana, I meant to ask why you wandered off this evening. ”

I shook my head and looked at the back of Grim’s head. “I took a walk. No big deal,” I said trying to sound like I went out for walks all the time in the woods at night.

“
Sure,” he said easily, grinning at me. “Ordinarily it wouldn’t be. I don’t care what people do, live and let live I say. Even killing folks gets old when you’ve been around it long enough.”

“
Satan,” Grim warned, but Satan just snorted.

“
Am I not allowed to tell the simple truth? You can’t tell me that death holds the same novelty for you as it did when you were fresh.” He turned to me and said in a whisper that wasn’t even slightly quieter than his regular voice. “As a doctor, you know, Grim sees more than his fair share of grim events.”

Satan laughed while Grim sighed. “You never get tired of that old joke. Don’t pay attention to my brother, Dariana. If he were my patient, I’d diagnose him as clinically insane.”

“
So now you’re a shrink? Oh, Grim, that’s a good idea, you being my head doctor. Think of the things we could learn from each other.” Grim didn’t bother to reply. “So,” Satan said, like we were continuing a fun conversation. “I’m thinking maybe personality theory would help clear things up.” Grim groaned, but Satan ignored him. “I love personality theory. It doesn’t really make any sense, but for some reason that’s never bothered me. Tell me, Dariana, do you know what they call it when people change personalities all of a sudden, without any kind of reason?”

I stared at him. What was wrong with him? Had Grim meant it when he called him clinically insane? I offered him a smile and shrugged.

“
It’s called unreasonable. That’s what it is.” Satan’s response was explosive. I hadn’t expected it and realized I was gripping the armrest with more than necessary force.

“
Go easy,” Grim said. Why would he say that? If Satan was crazy, warning him to go easy wasn’t going to work as well as a straight jacket, and looking at him, it was doubtful if they were made in his size.

“
Can’t go easy. Four hours and she’ll be at her dad’s house. Not that that isn’t just what she needs, probably the best thing in the world for her to spend some time in deep contemplation with her father, but I’m thinking she could use all the advanced warning she can get. Grim, do you remember that time down in Mexico where we cornered the Hotblood in that small town just outside Sonora?”

Grim sighed. “That’s right. It was quite memorable.”

“
You went to Mexico as a doctor to help poor people?” I asked.

“
No,” Grim said.

“
Grim’s fine at that sort of doctoring; no one’s better,” Satan said conversationally, “but the best thing he does is…”

“
Play chauffeur to a big brother who smokes too much. If I were your doctor, that would be the first thing to go.”

“
Well, everyone’s got to have a vice. It keeps you humble.”

“
If that were true then you’d be the humblest person in the world.”

Satan snorted. “Anyway, that Hotblood was something, wasn’t he? No blood worker, but still hot enough to pose a real problem when he lost control.”

“
It shouldn’t have been a problem for you. Why’d you hesitate?” Grim asked.

“
I thought I knew him.” Satan shrugged. “I don’t like killing people I know, at least without some kind of conversation first.”

“
I’ll remember that,” Grim said, while all I could do was stare at them. Was I misinterpreting this conversation?

“
You killed him?” my voice was shaky, so were my hands come to think of it. I held them tight on my lap.

“
No, we took him live.” Satan said sounding proud.

“
The Hotblood was unbalanced,” Grim said. “He needed help, and he got it. He probably should have been killed. There were some innocent people that got hurt, but Satan was feeling merciful and slow that day.”

“
Hey, it’s not my fault. Shelley should have been paying more attention. Your uncle Shelley,” he said leaning over to me, “is a delicate fellow. He’s easily distracted sometimes. That’s why we didn’t invite him on this trip.”

“
Three broken bones can be quite a distraction. I thought you didn’t want to spend the time listening to him lecture you about the precarious state of your soul,” Grim said.

“
Hey, I was sparing you, sinner,” Satan replied. “So, Dari, let me tell you about Hotbloods. The one we met, seventeen or so, lost control, burned up too hot, too fast, got in the habit of having furies. Fury is pure violence without reason. The person, it’s not really their fault. Most often they don’t even remember what happened. Trouble is, fault or no, it’s not something we can let slide.” He chuckled again for some reason, while I stared at him.

“
Ok. So, sometimes people go crazy, have a personality disorder and do things they don’t remember doing? That makes sense. I guess. So you guys work for a mental hospital?” I asked. It would make sense, well, almost as much sense as them being escaped from a mental hospital, but Grim, however desperate seemed sane enough.

“
No. How can I say this in a way that will make sense for you? I’m at a loss. Grim?”

Grim glanced over his shoulder at me and sighed. “Satan, after seventeen years I think it can wait a few more days.”

“
You would.” Satan snorted. “How she managed to keep Dari’s heritage hidden from her for so long… well, it’s almost impressive.”

Was he talking about my mother? “My heritage?”

Satan kept his head turned staring at me and I began to feel uncomfortable but I wouldn’t drop my eyes. He reached a hand up and took off his hat. I stared for a few breathless moments at my uncle, hairless far past his eyebrows, his glowing cigar, and the black curlicues that circled his otherwise shiny scalp.

“
You look Satanic. What happened to your head?” I asked.

He laughed and put his hat back on, but the image was etched in my memory. “My head is your grandfather. He’s the head of the House of Slide. How can she not know this?” He asked Grim.

“
I meant your scalp.” I said.

Grim said, “Satan’s got tattoos, Dari. It’s a family tradition.” He took a moment to unbutton the cuff of this sleeve. As he rolled it while driving, I itched to reach forward and steer for him. He never swerved, however, and soon I got to see the black curlicues running around his arm to his wrist.

“
Oh, how nice,” I said trying to be polite. My mother’s family was weirder than I’d thought. Traditions were supposed to have to do with food or something. Snowy was always talking about her mother’s traditions, weird Norwegian things.

I waited for the punch line of this elaborate joke, but nobody was laughing. Satan was smoking. He seemed to find his cigar rather fascinating. I kept expecting everyone to start laughing at my expense and for my brother to pop up in the front seat and grinning at me say, “I’m not really dead.” Of course that was impossible. Devlin would never do something like that. If he did, he wouldn’t be Devlin. He was gone. I’d known it when he hadn’t shown up. Devlin wasn’t late. Nothing ever stood in his way when he’d made up his mind. He was gone and he wasn’t coming back. Turning to the window I swallowed, not caring for a moment if my mental uncles decided it would be fun to drive off a cliff. What did it matter? I waited for a moment for the desperation, the emptiness to swallow me, but instead, I felt warm. My body was warm, even thinking about my dead brother? I shook my head. He was gone, not coming back, but instead of feeling the nothingness, I felt fine. What was wrong with me?

“
Can I see your hand?” Satan asked, his harsh voice startling me out of my thoughts.

I held one out without thinking. He took it and pulled it to his face where he held it beneath his nose, his cigar brushing the bottom of my hand. Was he smelling me? I pulled away, and he let me. What was that about?

“
How’s your sense of hearing? Mine’s pretty good, really, quite good, but scent has always been my specialty.”

“
Then how in the world can you stand yourself?” I blurted out. Grim snorted.

Satan gave me a flat look I thought might hold a trace of amusement then shook his head. “You washed pretty well, but there’s still traces of blood under your fingernails.”

I felt the blood drain from my face as my heart sped up. The pounding came faster and faster until it was in my ears drowning out all other sounds. Except for the roaring of the engine; nothing could be louder than that.

“
Tell me what you remember about the walk that you went on this evening, if you don’t mind. I’m genuinely curious.”

I shook my head, aware of the shift in him the drawl that had faded to a crisper accent, his voice almost smooth over some consonants. “I went for a walk after dinner. I don’t know, I guess I needed to get away for awhile.”

“
That’s what you remember? Where did you go? What direction? Did you meet anyone on the way? Whose blood is under your nails?”

I shook my head again, hard this time, feeling like I couldn’t breathe very well. My heart was beating too fast. “I don’t know. Maybe yours from when I fought you. I don’t remember what else there was.”

“
Come on, Dari. You’re a big girl who can take care of herself. You can even take care of others. I want to know…” he choked and his breath was cut off. I could hear the emptiness of the car without his raspy breathing, only Grim’s dry, rhythmic breath and my gasping. Satan slumped down and I stared at the back of his head. Had he fallen asleep midsentence? Maybe he’d died, some kind of aftershock of my choking him.