Broken Souls (15 page)

TWENTY-FIVE: CLOE

Agony from Horus’ beating singed through me as I faded in
and out of consciousness. Some moments I remained aware of the soft bed I lay
in and the sounds around me. Other times the nonexistent darkness sucked me
back in. Yet the entire time I laid in the infirmary, I knew what had happened.
I had finally —if not directly— stood up to my maker by blocking him out of my
mind. I smiled inwardly at my newfound bravery.

But it would take a lot more than guts and an ability to
guard my mind to finally free myself of Horus. If I continued to block him out I
would likely find myself dead. And although my maker was the epitome of evil,
most vampires in Tombstone still followed him blindly. They wouldn’t even bat
an eye if an insubordinate creation such as myself went missing. I needed a
plan, and it had to be a good one if I were ever going to be finally free of
him. But for some reason Ruby seemed to be the key to this plan, though I had
no idea what it would be.

I peeled open my eyes to see the warm glow of candles
bouncing off the infirmary walls, yet when I tried to turn my head to the side
a jarring pain shot through my skull. Instinctively, I tried to lift my arms
and soothe the pulsing pain, but even my limbs would not cooperate.

I was actually glad I remained unwell, for that meant I
would have to stay with the witches a while longer. By far, Morin proved much better
company than Horus ever had. Plus, staying laid-up would buy me some time to
figure out what I would do next. I sure as heck couldn’t go back to living with
Horus. I couldn’t do it. I
wouldn’t
do it. I would fight tooth and nail—
well,
fang
and claw if you’re getting specific— to avoid that situation.
The sound of the door cracking open had me flinching in pain. Footsteps padded
toward me.

“Her eyes are open,” a soft female voice said. Ruby.

The forms of my two friends stood over me, smiling. Ruby,
although always a beacon of light, was more dim and distressed. Orie seemed
happy but concerned as well.

“You look better,” he said as he brushed his fingers down
the side of my cheek. His touch spread warmth through me.

I’d always been afraid of attention from anyone other than
Horus because they would have hell to pay. But I now warmly welcomed the comfort
from the young werewolf. I had denied my feelings for him too long and couldn’t
ignore them anymore. The recent events made me realize what was most important
in life, and to me it was Orie. I wanted more than anything to tell him how I
felt and return the love he had for me, yet when I opened my mouth to speak,
nothing but a dry moan came out. My mind was clear, but my body still needed to
catch up.

“It’s okay,” Orie said. “Just rest. You can tell me all
about it when you’re better.” I tried to smile but didn’t know if it was
visible on my lips.

Ruby excused herself from the room and left Orie and I
alone. I watched him pull a knife from his pocket and I winced when he sliced
open his wrist. I hated seeing him inflict pain upon himself for me, but knew
it was for the best. He held it to my lips and his warm blood trickled into my
mouth.

It took all my strength to swallow, but despite the pain, I
drank deeply. His warm blood coursed through me, slowly increasing the strength
of my body. I still remained mostly paralyzed but could now move the tips of my
fingers.

Orie laughed when he saw it, lacing his fingers within mine.
He spent the next few minutes telling me about his night and the recent
happenings in Tombstone. He spoke to me as though nothing were wrong and I was
thankful for his act of normalcy. He bid me goodbye with a gentle kiss and left
the room. Ruby then entered and closed the door behind her. She sat on the bed
next to me and rubbed my arm softly.

“I know what happened,” she said, her gaze growing watery. “And
I’m so sorry if any of this happened because of me.”

I blinked in response. I wanted her to know it was not her
fault and to tell her she’d actually given me a gift, one that empowered me
beyond what I ever dreamed possible. But I could only stare at her blankly like
a fish through a glass tank. She continued, her voice breaking in sorrow.

“I have something to confess,” she said, her face full with
emotion. “It’s about someone very special to me. Someone who is in danger.”

I watched how her body changed and her chest heaved with
breath. Her eyes wavered longingly, the pain inside her thick and palpable. I
knew that look. It was the look of heartache. I remembered her looking the
exact same way when she told me before about her lost love.

“You are strong, Cloe, you will heal quickly. And when you
do I need your help.” The tone of her voice sounded strange and immediate. It
struck a dissonant chord inside of me. She continued soberly. “This person that
is special to me… well let’s just say he’s the enemy. If anyone were to find
out…”

The second she said ‘enemy’ an image of the Faction of
Unfortunate Souls Elimination popped into my head. FUSE was our most deadly
enemy.

 “He doesn’t have much time,” she whispered, “and I’m afraid
he’s losing faith.”

Faith.

And then it all came together like a slap to the head; the
way Ruby said she could never be with the human she loved. The urgency in her
voice. The way she spoke of the said ‘enemy’.

I remembered the soldier in the jail cell and his fever-dream
ramblings, the word ‘faith’ leaving his lips repetitively. I realized it was
not merely coincidence Ruby showing up at the Tombstone gates the same night
the FUSE captain was taken prisoner. I found it hard to believe, but now knew it
was true.  The man that held Ruby’s heart was none other than Guy Stone, the
captain of the FUSE army.

Ruby’s gaze shifted back and forth uneasily before she
spoke. “I’ll wait until you’re better to give you the full story, but I need to
know you’ll help me.”

She shifted her position on the bed and cast a pleading
glance at me. She was desperate, I knew the feeling all too well.

“I can’t stand to see you hurting like this Cloe,” she
whispered. “There is too much suffering in this place. I want you to know in
helping me, I can help you as well. We can both be free of this place. But it
will be a risk. A very dangerous risk.”

I let her words soak into my mind; a promise of freedom and
happiness, the likes of which I never thought possible. If she could help me
escape, maybe Orie would come with us as well. And then we’d finally be
together without the scrutiny of judgmental eyes and the threat of Horus’
vengeance.

My heart warmed at her words, the hope Ruby had given me a
few nights ago at the laundry well multiplying by ten.

“Can you do that?” she asked, placing her hand in mine
again. “Can you help me?”

I was overcome with emotion and excitement. I wanted to
scream yes I will help you. But the only way I could show my acceptance of her
request was to lightly move my fingers. It was just the plan I needed.

TWENTY-SIX: RUBY

Seeing my friend so incapacitated broke my heart, but Cloe
was strong and I knew by the way her eyes sparkled, she’d pull through sooner
than later. I couldn’t help but think that despite her slow recovery, Guy’s
life hung in the balance and I needed her help. I just hoped it wouldn’t be too
late.

My panicked heart raced as I flew from the infirmary. I’d
already been held up more than I liked and was anxious to get to the jail and
check on Guy. I hoped the blood I’d fed him was healing him, that I could reach
him again before any more damage was done, and I especially hoped he found my
rosary before anyone else did.

I rushed down the broken streets making my way toward Big
Nose Kate’s. As I sped closer, the sound of music arose in the air as well as
the aroma of spices and stew. The bustling and chattering of voices resonated
through the center of town, yet as I turned the corner, a large whining alarm
sounded out, piercing my ears.

I stopped in my tracks and watched as vampires and
werewolves alike rushed about in a frenzy. The music stopped dead and voices
hushed, leaving the town in an eerie silence. Lanterns and torches were
extinguished, curtains drawn, and doors slammed shut. Within a matter of seconds,
the streets stood bare, not a soul to be seen.

My pulse doubly increased when realizing it was the lockdown
drill.

No. No. No.

I needed to get the food in order to be let into the prison.
I needed to see if Guy was alright and feed him more of my blood. I rushed to
the entrance of Big Nose Kate’s and found the door bolted closed. I shook and
rattled the doors, pounding on them with my fists but no one came to my
calling.

“Damn it.”

I studied the doors and just as I made up my mind to break
them open, a voice called out behind me. “Ruby.”

It was Jax, and I spun to see his large form behind me, his
dark eyebrows creased in frustration. “Why aren’t you at home? This is the
lockdown drill and you are not to be out on the streets.”

“I’m sorry,” I pleaded, feeling myself coming down with
another case of my anxiety-induced verbal diarrhea. “I never got the prisoner’s
food down to the jail, and if he is to be fed tonight, I need to get inside. I
was busy with the blood slaves and then visiting Cl—”

One last belting horn sounded out and the alarm stopped
suddenly, causing my words to run dry. A thick silence filled the air.

Jax grunted and grabbed my arm. “It’s too late for that.
Come with me.”

He rushed me the opposite way down Allen Street, dragging me
behind him. I wanted to rip from his grasp and bolt away, but I knew it would
be pointless. I released a frustrated huff as the large werewolf sped us down
the road. We passed numerous buildings and businesses, all dark and seemingly abandoned.

“But… what about the prisoner? He needs food and water,” I
pleaded.

Jax glared daggers at me. “The prisoner can wait.”

The sky grew lighter signaling sunrise, an orange glow
outlining the caps and dips of the large purple mountains beyond. My heart sank
and dread filled my bones. I would not be able to see Guy that night and I
prayed he would still be alive the next time I did. We stopped in front of The
Birdcage Theater and Jax threw open the old wooden doors. He growled. “Get
inside.”

I obeyed his command and stepped through to the front room
of the Theater, hating that nothing seemed to be going my way. I swear it was
like someone up above had it out for me.

I sighed, looking up to the painting of the half-naked gypsy
woman and shivered in remembrance at being here during the human sacrifice.

Jax tugged me forward, pulling me from my memories. “This is
my security post. We will be staying here for the day.”

We went through another door leading to the inner workings
of the vacant theatre. We walked down the ramp past rows of seats, entering the
small door beneath the stage. Yet again, I found myself in the underground room
where I’d been judged by the legion. Jax lit a candle on the long table. He
gestured to one of the chairs and I sat down.

“I need to do a round.” His golden eyes shifted back and
forth. “Stay here.”

Jax disappeared around the corner, but came back only a few
minutes later. He reached back and tightened his ponytail before speaking.

“The next time there’s a drill you are to go straight home,
close all the windows and lock the doors, and you are only allowed to come out
when you hear the dismissal alarm. Do you understand?” Jax’s expression
reflected the extreme amount of pressure he was under and I knew he was in no
mood for backtalk. So instead of the snarky comments wanting to escape my
mouth, I nodded in agreement.

He slumped down into a chair next to me, exhausted. He
leaned back against the wall, closed his eyes, and said nothing. Jax was a man
of few words, that much was obvious, but I wondered if we’d just sit in silence
staring at the walls all day. After a few moments and, to my relief, he finally
spoke up.

“What are you doing on jail duty, anyway?”

I was taken aback by his question. Aside from the one night
we ate pancakes and talked a little, the wolf hadn’t spoken more than a dozen
words to me the entire time I’d been in Tombstone. I realized I hadn’t yet
answered him when I caught his inquiring gaze.

“Oh… um… I’m filling in for Cloe for a few days.” I didn’t know
how much of Cloe’s situation he knew so I kept my answer brief.

Jax frowned. “I heard what happened. I can’t pretend I like
vampires any more than I like stabbing myself with a pitchfork, but what she was
put through was just wrong.”

His admission warmed me, and I couldn’t help but think that
maybe Jax had a tender spot in him after all. Unable to voice my concerns over
Guy, I took the opportunity to ask a question that’d been on my mind.

“Has the legion voted on the human’s living conditions yet?”

Jax stretched out his large arms and yawned. “No, it was
rescheduled. Pandora is writing up a formal proposal though. We will be voting
tonight.”

I itched to ask which way he would vote. It was obvious Horus
would vote against any changes and Morin would vie on the human’s side. But with
Jax being the wild card, I wasn’t quite sure which way he would go. I leaned
in.

“I sure do hope the proposal goes through. The humans aren’t
very healthy the way they’re being kept now.”

Jax eyed me sideways, knowing I was prodding for more
information, and I was surprised when his face softened in thought.

“This is a first.” His eyes drifted to a picture of a cowboy
on the wall. “We’ve never meddled in the business of vampires. To them, humans
are food. But we werewolves are more human than we are animal. It’s a hard
situation.” He considered me for a moment. “Am I right in assuming you had a
hand in this?”

I looked down at my lap and traced a design on my black skirt
with my finger. I shrugged and let a smile creep across my lips. “You could say
it was something like that.”

Jax harrumphed. “It’s about time the poor bastards had an
advocate.”

My smile widened, but then melted away with his next warning.

“But be careful. You don’t want to end up like poor Cloe
with your head knocked crooked.”

I lightly bit my lip, deeming he was right. My meddling in
the vampire’s affairs was a dangerous plot, but just sitting back and watching
the poor people treated like worms was out of the question. Jax fell silent and
I let my mind wander to the days ahead, wondering about the impending vote, and
about Cloe. But most importantly I wondered how in the world I would get Guy
out of his predicament.

Minutes passed without another word spoken, the only sounds
were of the old building creaking and settling. I looked over at Jax, his eyes
closed and body relaxed. I was certain he’d fallen asleep when he spoke up
again, his lids cracking open.

“I want to thank you,” he said and I had to stop my stunned
jaw from dropping open.

“For what?”

Jax cleared his throat with an awkward cough, making it
obvious he wasn’t much for giving thanks. “Thank you  for taking the blame for
Orie. I know it wasn’t you who fed Cloe your blood.”

My heart thudded in my chest, and I twiddled my fingers
together. “How did you know?”

Jax rumbled with what I assumed to be a laugh, but it sounded
more like a growl. “All the werewolves are aware of my brother’s feelings for
that vampire. He’s not the most inconspicuous wolf I’ve ever met. It’s quite
obvious what really happened.”

I clasped my hands together not knowing what else to say,
but Jax continued.

“What you did was noble. And the whole pack has been talking
about it all night. It’s not usual that one of you has stood up for one of us.”

By ‘one of you’ I assumed he meant the vampires. It made me
sad even in a society such as this there remained such segregation. I resisted
the urge to hug the werewolf, vying to continue the conversation instead. I
smiled, thinking of my other roommate.

“Orie is a good man,” I said, reflecting on our time
together. “And he’s a good friend. He doesn’t deserve Horus’ wrath.”

Jax shook his head. “I’ve tried to tell him that acting this
way will only get him into trouble. He’s playing with fire and he knows very
well he shouldn’t be meddling with the vampires or he’ll get burnt.”

I slid him a sympathetic glance. “But he loves her,” I
sighed, unable to deny the fact that I was being a gushy, girly, hopeless
romantic. But I didn’t care, knowing that I only wanted Jax to understand his
younger brother. “And despite what Cloe might say, she loves him too.”

Jax grunted. “Love or not, he’s going to get himself killed.
There’s been many times I’ve had to protect him and hide his stupidity. But I’m
not always going to be there. I’m not always going to be able to protect him.” Jax’s
frustration over his brother was obvious. But also obvious, was how much he
cared for him. I laid a hand on his arm, causing his eyes to go wide.

“You’re a very good brother,” I smiled. “And if I had a
brother, I’d want him to be just like you.”

For the first time since knowing the werewolf, he smiled,
though awkwardly so. But he caught himself and, just as quickly as the smile
had appeared, it faded, leaving in its place his normal stern look.

“Thank you,” he grunted, offering me a sidelong glance. “You’re
not so bad yourself.”