Legacy (Endlessly Book 2) (10 page)

12 the rules

Jason winced, his arms twitching. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. He struggled to wrestle control of his will from Jesse. It was like watching someone try to split his brain in two.

I dropped my attempt to get a fix on Cory’s mind. It wasn’t working.

“Amusing isn’t it,” Jesse said. “I thought this would be easy.” He approached me, while keeping his gun aimed at Verloren. “Usually when I want something, I tell the person to do it and there are no questions asked. But the bond that you have with these fucking weak and pathetic sidekicks is stronger than I anticipated.” He grinned cruelly, circling me, but never taking his sights off Verloren. “Take Jason’s loyalty; I know I’ll be able to break that. Look at him wavering.”

Jason’s efforts to break free were still nothing but feeble twitches. When he looked at me I saw the apology in his eyes.

Come on, Jason!
I told him telepathically.
Fight him! You can do this!

When I read Verloren his thoughts were filled with terror.
Don’t take your eyes off him!

Suddenly I realized Jesse had come closer than I’d thought. He laughed as I stumbled backward.

He’s quick,
Verloren thought.

“What do you want?” I asked Jesse.

“The better question would be: what don’t I want?” The moment he said it he turned into a blur and vanished. An arm wrapped around my chest and cold steel pressed against my temple. My wings smashed into his chest. I gripped his wrist. It was denser than any substance I knew.

“LET GO OF HER!” Verloren roared.

Jesse let loose a quick, menacing laugh. My body shuddered. He glared at Verloren with a twisted smile. “I want power,” he whispered.

“So…
what? You want to eat my fucking heart and drink my blood too? Then do it! Just let Verloren and Jason go!” I growled.

“Oh
, no, no.” He started rocking side to side, still clutching me. “My dear girl. Eat your heart and drink your blood? And waste your special talent? Think about it. I’m already immortal, I don’t need your blood. And why would I want to eat your heart? To gain control over the elements? Why would I bother when I could control the world?” he sighed. “Your bite makes some of the most horrifying monsters I’ve ever seen.”

“Zombies? Are you insane?” I shrieked. “You followed us because you want me to make zombies for you? You were there. You saw what happened to that girl in the club, then you followed us!”

He started circling me, reappearing in my line of vision, then vanishing again.

“You’re so fucking thick, Ash!” Jesse shouted. “It’s taken you this long, and you still don’t get it! I didn’t follow you! I caught that thing. I turned it over and followed it. Your bite, your control. I’m talking about fear. Fear! It’s what has you doing exactly what I want you to do. If you create a zombie—or better yet
zombies
—you can control them. Once you control them, you can force every human on Earth to do your will. Even without the bite humans will fall under my power. It’s not the zombies that I want; it’s you. You can control all of them, the zombies and the humans.” He appeared at my side, thrusting his gun under my chin. “Why would I kill you, if you could control the world?”

“I won’t do it,” I said. “No bite, no control, asshole.”

Jesse grabbed my upper arm. A shock ran through his hand and into my body. I jerked my arm away from him. Verloren growled.

“I might not be able to take your life easily,” Jesse sneered, sud
denly appearing by Jason. Jason’s body loomed over Jesse, but the demon wanted him writhing in pain. Jesse grabbed Jason’s arm. “But I can take his.”

Jason shrieked. I felt an echo of his pain.

“Stop! Leave him alone!” I cried.

Jesse let Jason crumple to the ground, then kicked him in the stomach. Jason clutched his stomach. I doubled over.

“Or better yet,” Jesse cried, reappearing with his gun jammed under Verloren’s chin, “I can take his life.”

The instant I saw the gun against Verloren’s chin, reflex took over. I rushed at Jesse, fire rippling over my skin. I grabbed the demon’s arm to burn him. Cory jumped back, dragging Verloren with him. Verloren hit the wall, squeezing his eyes shut to ward off
the light from the flames. Jesse kept his gun pointed directly at Verloren’s head the entire time.

As I got a grip on Jesse’s arm he cackled. “Ignorant bitch! You think fire can hurt me? I came from the earth! Everything that makes earth makes me! Earth, wind, water and fire! How can they hurt me? They’re what I’m made of!”

When he punched my face something gave, but quickly repaired itself. The force of the blow hurled me upwards, but I landed on my hands and knees and slid backward. I snarled, then adjusted the flames so Verloren could see.

Verloren roared. Cory stepped into Verloren’s path, shielding Jesse.

“Love,” Jesse chuckled. “It’s such an easily exploited emotion. People will do anything for it. They’re so fucking stupid they’re willing to give up their lives for it. Now that I know your weakness, it will all be easy.” He shoved Cory out of the way, pressed the barrel of his gun to Verloren’s forehead, and gave me a twisted smile. “It’s such an awful bond, isn’t it? So delicate and easily broken.” He poked Verloren’s head with the gun. “You know the rules, Ashley. Give me what I want, and you get what you want. If I don’t get what I want, I’ll dispose of what you want.”

Still crouching, I heard a sizzling noise, but Jesse’s cackle drowned it out. A strange sensation rolled down my spine, and my head swam. My arms trembled. As I struggled to support myself my head began to bob. I dropped my head, took a deep breath, and saw the black droplets on the beige tile. One fell, sizzled, then stopped, then came another. They were my tears. I forced my head up. Jesse laughed madly, but all I could hear was the rushing sound of the ocean.

I looked at Verloren as he mouthed my name.

I love you,
I thought as everything faded black.

13 love martyred

I dreamt I was swimming in the black waters of the ocean. Waves caught me, washing me out to sea. Finally a wave lifted me, slamming my back against a rock. It was the rock I’d visited with Verloren. I tried to climb it, but I kept slipping. The sunset looked like the one I’d watched with Verloren. When I finally rested on top of the rock I looked at my broken wings. I would never reach the shore.

I struggled to wake up, but couldn’t. My back ached horribly. It was as if I had bricks rammed into my spine. That should have helped me awaken, but instead I slipped back into dream.

I was in the water again. Waves slammed my body into the rock. Somewhere Verloren sobbed. A girl tried to soothe him. I couldn’t see anyone onshore. I looked for Verloren, but he was nowhere to be found. When I dove into the water waves picked me up and slapped me back down on the rock. I had to wake up.

I desperately tried to open my eyes. I’d never heard such fear in Verloren’s voice. I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying, but I heard his rage. Suddenly I heard snarls. I looked toward
the shore and saw two wild dogs fighting. Again I was in the blackness of the dream.

Back in the water I thrashed and paddled. When I looked around I realized that somehow I’d made it halfway to shore. Did I want to wash up there right by the dogfight? Or return to the lonely rock? I needed to wake up. As I tried to push through into wakefulness someone was holding me, running fingers through my hair. It was odd. Whoever was doing it didn’t have to deal with my horns. My back felt better, as did my whole body. Somewhere Verloren was talking to someone. His voice was anxious.

My eyelids fluttered. I saw a sliver of light. The moment Verloren’s chest came into focus blackness swallowed me again. I stopped trying to wake up. I was safe in Verloren’s arms. It was going to be okay.

Back in the dream I was dragging my broken body out of the water. Verloren called my name and I tried to roll over. He picked me up and cradled me.

“I’m broken,” I told him as I pointed to my wings.

His voice sounded distraught, “Please
, love, please wake up.”

My eyes opened. I was glad to know it was only a dream. Verloren’s pale blue eyes met mine. I could sense his fear.

“She’s awake,” he said.

I stared at the ceiling, and realized we weren’t in our apartment. We were in a jail cell. I turned and saw Cory perched on a chair on the other side of bars. He wore an indifferent look as he played with Jason’s gun.

As feeling returned I could tell that my back was bruised. Some of that was residue from Jesse’s abuse, while some was from sleeping on the hard bench. I tried to sit up. My head spun. Verloren pushed me down.

“I’m not so sure that is a good idea
, Ash. You’ve lost a lot of blood.” It was Fabi’s voice.

“Lost blood?” I asked confused. I sat up, put my hand to my forehead, and realized my horns were missing. My frantic fingers found two flat circles where protuberances had been roughly filed down. “What the…?” My hair fell into my eyes. Someone
had cut my bangs crudely, and it was back to black.

In another ten seconds I realized my wings weren’t responding. I turned, and knew they were gone. I jumped up, groping over my shoulder, and my fingers found the rough stitches. Breath sped through my lungs. I reached for my tail, but the same crude stitches were all I found.

“What the fuck?” I looked at Verloren. He seemed almost defeated.

A humming bird of terror throbbed in my chest. My hand shot to my throat. A sigh shivered through me. I still had my necklace.

Verloren’s face was a map of helplessness. He sobbed and reached for me.

Cory kept his gun on us while he spoke: “We clipped you so we could move you. Those wings and horns won’t do out there in the world.”

“You did this?” I demanded. “Y-You’re… you’re a FUCKING MONSTER!” I lunged up against the bars.

“Yeah,” h
e replied sarcastically. “But I’m going to be a very powerful monster.”

I roared and pulled the bars. Steel moaned. One bar started giving way.

Cory jumped up and aimed his cannon at Verloren. “Do that, and I’ll be happy to blow his head off.”

I let go. “You’re doing everything he tells you to do!” I spat. “You can’t even think for yourself. You’re a lap dog.”

“So what?” he said. “I’ll still get everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“Just so you understand, even fake dignity like yours has a price.” I crossed my arms, feeling all the tics and spasm of nerves hooked to appendages that were no longer there.
Cory sat down and paid me no attention. He played with his gun.

I hope that thing goes off in your face!
I thought.

Verloren came from behind me and ran a finger over my stitches.
The skin’s been healed for a few hours. I can take them out.
His thoughts were loaded down with what-ifs.

I nodded. As I felt his touch desire ripped through my body, but there was no way to satisfy it. I set
tled for the heat of his breath and the graze of his teeth on my skin. He bit the threads open, then gently picked out each stitch.

Cory
had been about to protest before he saw what Verloren was doing and went back to his mp3 player. Though he put on earphones, he would still hear our conversation.

They cut off everything,
I thought.

I haven’t felt so much hatred since the vision Jessica showed me of Kale,
Verloren told me.
When they brought you in I lost it, and nearly got us all killed.

I glanced at Fabi, and said: “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”

She reached into my mind and soothed me. I felt groggy. Verloren adjusted my skirt to get the stitches around my tail.

Fabi helped with a thick layer of euphoria. “Don’t beat yourself up about it,” she said. “It’s just part of being an angel. Jesse gains power, I lose it. I’m weak. It’s my fault for thinking I was quick enough to counteract him. He was strong and prepared. He’d been planting thoughts in Cory for a while.”

We have to hope someone comes back early,
Verloren thought.

No,
I replied.
There are already too many people involved. He would kill any intruders before they even knew we were here. I don’t want any more blood on my hands.
As Verloren pulled out the last thread I asked: “How long was I out?”

“A day,
” Fabi told me.

I threw a thought at Cory, trying to freeze him.

Cory removed his headphones and laughed. “Go ahead,” he said. “You can’t do it. You can’t counteract or infiltrate Jesse’s thoughts or his suggestions.” He stared at me. “He’s performed protection spells on Jason and me. Anything you do will bounce off us.”

“Where is Jason?” I asked.

“That’s not your concern, but if you must know, he and Jesse are getting things ready to move you two. We‘re moving to another location where we’ll build an army.”

So he has gotten to Jason,
I told Verloren.

It seems that way,
Verloren replied.
Jason helped bring you in the cell, and he was the first one I tried to attack.

I tried to move my wings and tail to sit only to be re
minded they were no longer there. I felt naked. I would never fly again. They were going to torture Verloren to get me to do their bidding. I started to panic. Fabi hit me with another wave of calm. Verloren sat beside me, his mind a cauldron of misery.

If you can take anyone’s soul, take Jesse’s,
I told Verloren.

That is what almost got us killed. When they brought you in I lunged at Jason, but Cory and Jesse grabbed me. I‘d locked onto Jesse’s arm to try to take his soul, but it would’ve taken a lot more time than they were going to give me.

So how do we kill him?
I asked.

I’ve never heard of that happening. A demon can kill another demon by pulling the soul out. It’s similar to what I do. But this demon w
on’t help us, and in a hand-to-hand fight it takes an immortal to kill another immortal.

What about Fabi? She could do it if she went the other way, right?

Once they’ve chosen their path they can’t change it,
he told me.

So you have to suck the life out of him?
I asked.

I doubt that he would stand still long enough for me to accomplish it.

We‘re immortal, can’t we kill him? What about draining his blood? Could he be killed that way?
I asked.

Demons are already immortal. Why would they let a vampire bite them? The Quatre forbade us to bite incarnates. So if it’s been done before, it would have been kept secret.
He pursed his thin lips.
Still, it’s a thought.

So now what do we do?
I asked.

Do what he wants. He will only use my life and well-being against you until I’m dead. Then he will still force you to do what he wants, until you kill him.

I shook my head.
He couldn’t force me; I’m stronger than he is. I won’t eat. I would rather be dead than to live without you. I‘ll do whatever it takes—

Then he would kill you too,
Verloren told me,
and I don’t want that. I would rather have you live without me than see you meet the same empty fate as me.

But what would he accomplish if he killed me? Besides, Jessica thought that we might be able to come back since our souls were not human.

He closed his eyes.
He would gain nothing from killing you but useless gratification; if he can’t have you then no one will. He only plans to use you to get what he wants. If he doesn’t get it then he’ll kill you so that no one else can use you. Jessica didn’t know for sure. She just had a theory that, though human-vampire souls can’t return after death, an incarnate-vampire might be able to. It hasn’t been proven.

So I have to make the decision as to whether we live or die?
My throat went dry at the thought of death.
If we live, we will be together, but it will be with guns to our heads, literally. If we die… That’s it? Nothing? We’re done after this life?

He opened his eyes.
Makes you feel like a fucking martyr, huh? Sacrifice me, yourself and our love to save the world.
He stared at me and then touched the rock he’d given me.

As I looked into his eyes my insides ached. There had to be a way out. My vision blurred to a darkened haze as tears threatened.