Feral Craving (6 page)

Bari arched an incredulous brow. “What,
like vampires and shit?”

Tyler sucked air between the back of his
teeth and shrugged. “Sorta. More like all of it. Demons, angels, vampires, and
ghosts.”

Bari made a face, scrunching it up and
looking at Tyler as if he was two seconds from calling the mental hospital.
Hell…

 
“There’s no easy way to say this so I’m just
going to come right out and say it, bro. Not that it’s going to make anything
easier or even more sense. You’re going to be experiencing some changes soon.
But I want you to know that everything is going to be alright. You’re here
because you need to be. You need to trust me on this. Things will be coming
full circle soon and have been set in motion for the future as well as the
past. For all that is in between.”

****

Bari’s eyebrows drew down tight, the
complexity and strangeness of Tyler’s words sending him off kilter. “What? Who?
What the fuck are you smoking?” At six foot three, Tyler stood an inch shorter
than him, which didn’t mean much. The weight though, that made up for the
difference between the two men. Tyler was also about fifty pounds lighter with
green eyes Bari swore weren’t home grown. The dark as night hair made his color
stand out even more. There had been times out in the darkest part of the desert
that he would have sworn they glowed to light the way. But now, Tyler’s gaze
held nothing but understanding … and concern? More so, despite Tyler being
shorter than he, suddenly Bari had the impression he was only two feet tall,
swimming in a puddle of confusion.

Bari didn’t know how long they stood
there, the silence continuing as Tyler stared back. Not understanding a single
thing Tyler said, he shook his head and crossed the room to stand in front of
the window. Biting the inside of his cheek, he mused over what he knew and what
he suspected Tyler was trying to tell him. Trees bent under the hard northeast
winds outside, swaying back and forth. Pieces of trash tumbled across the
parking lot. A woman darted after her hat as it flew through the air. Life went
on outside, like normal, when here he felt anything but.

He registered Tyler’s eyes on him. People
normally walked a wide berth around him and always avoided his gaze. Many
referred to him as the human equivalent of a pit bull. Tyler’s eyes held a
steady gaze, sent silent reassurance of patience. He didn’t understand what he felt
inside, the other presence, actually grew anxious over becoming anything like
his father. Bari clenched and released his fists under the onslaught of fear,
then settled as Tyler set a hand on his shoulder. Immediately ease washed
through him. Another feeling he didn’t understand, but he had given up long ago
on trying to. Tyler exuded a calming effect on him; all the guys in his team
did. He didn’t experience it with any others.

Bari’s eyes shuttered close. Well, except
for Mackenzie.

As soon as that thought hit his head, a
sense of urgency stole the moment from the air, his own body prickling with
awareness. Something hadn’t been right for years and with the letter last week
that dropped out of thin air, could this be the warning he needed?

“Tell me something, Tyler.” He stared out
through the blinds, letting the sun wash over his sensitive skin. He tried to
maintain an outward calm he did not feel. Something hovered on the horizon,
about ready to pounce, wanting to take him under. “Who the fuck is coming?” He
turned his head, and his gaze tracked over to Tyler’s SIG sitting just inside
the front of his jeans. No one else would be able to see it. But he did. He saw
a lot clearer than he had yesterday. “What the fuck is happening, Tyler?”

Tyler turned and studied Bari. He fought
against an insane urge to run and get the hell away from it all.

“Something else is out there, a new kind
of world older than humanity, a different kind of justice than any of the
countries here on Earth. This justice is of another kind, a higher power, set
in play in order to battle against evil. Level out that which is good and bad.”

Bari shook his head and stepped back, his
hands lifting to his head. “Stop,” he rasped. The information, the knowledge
rushed into him. He
knew
it. Christ,
so damn naïve he’d been in thinking he could escape it.

Tyler didn’t stop though and continued.

“It’s always been tricky, a fine line,
almost like walking along a precipice, balancing. Things on Earth have to stay
level in order for life to continue as it is. When evil tips the scales, wars
and famine break out, plagues shoot across the Earth faster than a blink of an
eye. It’s been witnessed countless times in the past, each of the wars fought
on Earth not being a result of governments fighting for control or even who was
right or wrong. But rather because a Justice Demon,
our
kind,” Tyler paused and held his gaze, emphasizing the word,
“also referred to as the
Eurydice
,
had failed to execute their duties and failed mankind.”

Bari turned away and pressed his hands to
his temples, a sound of anguish screaming up his throat. This couldn’t be
happening.

“We’ve been set in place by the rulers of
our kind. Justice Dealers have walked the Earth since the beginning of time,
intermingling with humans and passing as human. Our lives are built on
solitude, patience, and strength, a responsibility higher than anyone could
imagine. If we fail, life would forever change on Earth and many would perish.”

Bari turned back to Tyler and leaned his
weak body against the wall. He already recognized all this. Never heard it
before, but it was almost like the words had been ingrained into his DNA. He
didn’t want to admit to the truth, refused to accept it, but he couldn’t turn
away. His ears strained to hear the next words.

“The responsibility has, in the past,
become too much of a burden on a few of our kind, and when such burdens were
unable to be fought, punishment came down, swift and harsh. Worse than death,
more horrendous than the outcomes of such hesitation in our duties, the pain
being more than any human could tolerate. What I’m saying, Bari, is if a
Eurydice
turns, accepts the evil he
tries to fight every day of his life, then our death would make anything we’ve
caused to go wrong on Earth seem like child’s play. From the worst sicknesses
to the most vicious type of war, you can’t even begin to understand the
responsibility we hold. Hell would be considered heaven for the justice brought
down on one
Eurydice
who had lost
control.”

Bari hit the back of his head against the
wall, looked up to the ceiling and cursed his own existence, hated what he was
to become.

“This is why I’m here, brother. You’ll be
susceptible to the evil if not trained to fight against it. You know what’s
happening, Bari. It is in your mind. Now you must accept it before it’s too
late. Dig deep, and live.”
Bari
felt a presence slide into his head and brought his head down, his gaze
snapping to Tyler’s in question.

“It’s a talent of our kind, a tool used
to dispense and gather measures for justice. Seeking out other minds is much
like taking a second breath. It’s difficult to take a trained demon’s mind, but
with you barely coming into your own, it’s manageable. You need to be brought
up to speed, Bari, and we need to get you there quickly. If there were time, I
would have given it to you, but the clock is ticking down, and I need you to
understand now. Time doesn’t exist for us.”

Images assailed Bari’s mind, the brunt of
them causing pain to splinter against his skull.

“I didn’t give you permission, fucktard!”
Bari’s fists pressed into his temples, his brain giving him the perception as
if it were going to spew out from his ears. He cried out at the intrusion and
switched his grip, setting his palms over his pounding skull. Vaguely he wondered
just what kind of mind trip he was on now. However, he knew and
felt
Tyler in his head. Almost a
physical touch, Bari could basically taste the “presence” of Tyler on his
tongue. The invasion grated on his nerves, pushing anger hot and steady through
his veins. This was all too rushed, coming at him too fast. He felt trapped,
clawed at his invisible cage. He didn’t like his privacy invaded, always
protected his thoughts, even when he couldn’t protect anything else. His eyes
snapped up to Tyler’s, focused on the green gaze and began to center on the
invisible line that held Tyler in his head. It was as if he could see the braid
of information, a link full of colors his mind immediately recognized as his
teammate, his friend for so long, a brother. None of it made any sense, yet at
the same time, it did. He understood it, yet had a million questions, and all
the while, desperately craved answers. He didn’t understand how he
distinguished it, but recognized what Tyler was doing, how he was inside his
head. He instinctively knew how to get inside of a head on his own, also how to
push someone out.

Turing toward the window again, he
dropped his hands by his sides and clenched them to resist the urge to lash
out.

“Get out of my fucking head, Tyler.” A
warning.

Bari tried to process all Tyler revealed
to him, understood he was meant for something different. He turned when Tyler
didn’t let up, still pushed images of their past at him. Men and women
identified as Gods. Pristine rooms so large they seemed to fit entire colonies.

He stalked over to the bed. His breakfast
left unattended, the eggs looking about as appetizing as day old grits.
Dizziness pushed at Bari having Tyler poking around, still pushing information
into his cranium. Grabbing the apple from the plate, he polished it on his
pants before biting into it. Sweet juices flowed into his mouth. His mind
stayed on track, pulled in the mounds of information Tyler shoved at him. He
blinked quickly, trying to understand it all, and focused on breathing in and out,
clinging to remaining calm.

“I’m supposed to protect the human race?
If you don’t mind me saying so, asshat, I don’t think they need much
protecting. Nor do I think they care with all the fucked up shit they seem to
be doing across the entire planet.”

“Can you feel me?” Tyler sounded
intrigued.

Bari ground his teeth together, his jaw
snapping under the pressure, and sent Tyler a droll look. “Yes, I can feel you
in my fucking head.” He didn’t want to try to explain why it seemed normal
for Tyler to be there. “Get the fuck out, bro. This is the last warning. You
got a question, you can ask me yourself. You want to tell me a secret, how
about you open your mouth and speak.” Tossing down the apple, he let the
discarded fruit fall into the trashcan and turned toward Tyler. He concentrated
on his presence, got a grip on it, that invisible braid. He wanted his own
privacy and wanted Tyler out of his head. He focused on the link in his mind
and started to erect mental barriers, pushing him out. It could only be
described as picturing the building of a brick wall. Sweat beaded at his brow
under the onslaught of this new sense, and he ground his jaw together, closing
his eyes to focus. “Tyler, you got three seconds to get out. I’m not fucking
kidding, dawg.” He wouldn’t hurt him … not much.

The anger built deep inside Bari as he
focused on the link and inhaled. His lungs filled, ribs swelled, and the pain
of broken bones sang out in sharp stabs, adding to the fury. Pushing out the
breath of air, he focused and also pushed mentally. The link snapped, the
tightness of it surprising him and knocking him backwards a few steps. Tyler’s
eyes widened in response; his mouth snapping open as surprise crossed over his
features. The jolt of the severed connection caused both of their entire bodies
to flinch. Bari’s temper didn’t calm. He was pissed his life had changed so
much in the past days, pissed because none of this made a lick of sense, yet at
the same time, it did. And that, that statement alone didn’t make much sense
either.
Congratulations, Bari! Tell him
what he’s won now, folks! A trip to the mental hospital!
In his world where
shit had been regulated for so long, he was thrown off kilter and in a piss
poor mood as a response.

Walking over to the bed, he grabbed a
plain white shirt and pulled it over his head. Unspoken words, barreling
thoughts, and emotions unnamed raced through him. With a scowl, Bari turned and
sat on the bed, reaching for his socks. He wasn’t in Iraq anymore, and he felt
as though he wasn’t anywhere even close to where his true home was as he
considered the complete dramatic turn.
Not
in Iraq, Bari? Perhaps you’d be better off in Kansas. With Toto and the Lion.

Bari scowled at the voice and lay back on
the bed, draping one arm over his eyes. He needed to take a moment to slow shit
down. It was all coming too fast.

Chapter
Seven

Long hours after Tyler
left, Bari lay back, his mind still churning over all the information he had
been given. It felt as if he were lost in a swirling vortex, spinning out of
control. He needed time to think or at least get his mind wrapped around just
one piece of the information tossed at him. Scrubbing his face, he shook his
head before dropping it forward.

“Christ. A justice demon?”

On one hand things made sense, yet on the
other, thoughts of the world, of Earth, of being part of a race not entirely
human and coming from some higher power, were almost too much for his mind to
accept. He stared at nothing, his eyes refusing to focus, and instead thought
on his past. It hadn’t been pretty and yet all along, he recognized something
was different about him. A lot of that came from his father; how could it not?
The thought that he could be anything like
him
sent fear tickling up his spine. The memory hit harder than usual, wrapping his
mind in its horrible clutches.