Legend of the Ir'Indicti 5 - Destroyer (18 page)

Hey, mind your own beeswax,
Sali replied.

You were playing video games. Admit it.

Yeah. If Dad catches me, I'll probably get a life sentence of grounding.

I'll visit you in the slammer.

Gee, thanks. No offer of busting me out? Man, that's just cold.

Speaking of cold, I think I wouldn't mind some cold weather. Heat and humidity is awful here in August.

Dude, you're discussing the weather? Man, you must be bored.

Nope, just need a distraction. I'm kinda itchy right now, and I can't figure it out.

You can't figure it out? I thought you knew everything. Where were you earlier, when I needed help with Algebra? I had to call Cori and grovel.

I was asleep. Had some extracurricular activity last night. Will explain sometime.

Dude, I just heard your mom's car drive past. I think Dad's coming down the hall. Gotta go.

Chapter 11
 

Adele shut the garage door and climbed out of her car. The blue Cadillac gleamed in the dim light cast from the garage door opener overhead. Buck kept the car washed and filled up for her. He was good to her in every way, but she couldn't help but think something was missing from her life.

Oh, she'd be comfortable enough with Buck, but that wasn't the problem. She wanted something more, and there was no way to explain it or to understand what it might be. Adele glanced at the tornado shelter cut into the garage floor and reflected briefly on its original purpose before punching in the code to deactivate the alarm. Sighing, she walked through the door into the kitchen and dropped her purse and keys on the island.

* * *

Winkler growled a curse. Tanner had sent fifteen, and more than half had come as wolves. Peyton had arrived with the fifteen on his heels. Gavin and Tony had six to deal with, while Weldon and Trajan had gone to wolf to combat the others with Trace, Marco and Ace. Buck, Andy and Loren were backing Matt, who was firing his rifle with a sharpshooter's eye. Winkler growled another curse and shucked his clothing. No way was Tanner going to take any more of his. No way.

* * *

The first fingers of light appeared in the east and Aedan blinked. He hadn't seen sunlight for more than eight hundred years. A curl of smoke lifted from his hand, just before the pain came. Aedan threw back his head and keened.

* * *

"Who could that be?" Someone rang the doorbell, catching Adele halfway up the stairs. It had to be someone from the community—the vampires wouldn't allow a stranger in past nightfall.

"I'm coming," Adele called as she turned to make her way down the steps.

* * *

Winkler exploded against three humans with guns; they'd appeared from nowhere to join the other fifteen, firing right into the knot surrounding Matt Michaels. Screams and shouts erupted around him—two humans were down swiftly, their throats torn open. The third thought to run. Winkler leapt after him.

* * *

Ashe could hear guns firing from his bedroom. He cursed and huddled away from the windows. He'd already attempted to turn to mist; he'd failed. Relocation attempts met with the same results. He doubted that he could send mindspeech, but his hearing was fine. He heard shouting, then, and knew someone had been hit. Whether friend or foe, he had no idea. Ashe hadn't felt this helpless since he was twelve and standing in Transformational Arts class, praying to turn.

* * *

"Oh, hi. Is something wrong?" Adele stepped aside to allow her visitor inside the house. She was stunned and then slumping to the floor as the point of a dart bit into her chest. Her heart slowed as she gazed in wounded confusion at her attacker.

"Why?" Adele whispered before her eyes lost their light. Her attacker became werewolf and ran silently through the streets of Star Cove.

* * *

"Where is he?" The Bright Elemaiya frowned at the dying shapeshifter, whose body lay slumped against the front door. He and three others had appeared as instructed, once the call came from Friesianna's spy.

"He's not here!" Another shouted as he raced down the stairs. He'd quickly searched the bedrooms—nobody else was in the house.

"What's happening?" A third managed to say before three vampires stormed into the house, removing heads before relocation could be achieved.

And then the light came.

* * *

"Child, what did you think to do? Speak quickly; it is nearly time for me to sleep." Wlodek handed a unit of blood to Aedan, who blinked in confusion at the Head of the Council. Wlodek had arrived inexplicably, hauling Aedan out of the sun and into the safe house before he was burned beyond help. Wlodek, dressed in a suit made specifically to cover a vampire in sunlight, tore the visored hood away and removed thick, black gloves.

"I have no reason to live," Aedan whispered. He stared at his hands—the skin had burned away, leaving raw, red flesh behind. He realized his face and other exposed skin looked the same. Why had he not thought to remove his clothing? Aedan shook his head. Would he have enough strength and courage to make a second attempt? The Honored One could not watch him every moment.

"Enough," Wlodek sighed. "Aedan, I had no intention of robbing you of your family. I have made a mistake, and it almost cost the race an honorable vampire. We have few enough of those as it is. I release you from your service until the death of your wife. Tomorrow, if you are able, you will board the jet and fly home. Make things right with your family. I will see you again in fifty years, perhaps."

"What about Casimir and the others?"

"Casimir may stay to assist you and Nathan in guarding the community. I am recalling Hector and Edmond. Your child will be approached by me or one of my agents when he is of age. If he does not choose vampirism, then perhaps he will consent to work for us."

"That is all I can ask," Aedan bowed his head. "I must sleep soon."

"I know. We will talk again when you wake."

"Why did you change your mind, Honored One?"

"Someone came to me and pointed out the error of my ways."

* * *

"What happened?" Ashe ran downstairs as Winkler and Trajan carried Buck inside the beach house. Blood dripped off Buck's fingers, causing Ashe to stop still in dread.

"He's not dead," Trace was slipping into a shirt after becoming human again. "He's in bad shape, though. Matt got wounded too, but he was wearing body armor. Has a bullet in his arm and two in a leg. He's still working to get a doctor out here for him and Buck. Vamps are putting tourniquets on while he makes calls. Andy's dead," Trace added, the words mumbled.

"Oh, no," Ashe dropped to a sitting position on the steps. And then he cursed while brushing away tears.

"Kid, he died a hero. He stood in front of Matt and took those bullets. They would have hit Matt in the head, if Andy hadn't stepped in."

* * *

Winkler's cell phone rang as he and Trajan laid Buck on the sofa in the media room. "Marcus?" Winkler growled low. "We're a little busy here, right now."

"Somebody needs to come. We almost had a murder here, tonight, and we have four of those Elemaiya bastards here that the vamps took down."

Winkler cursed. "Look, I have problems of my own. How the hell did they get past the Witch's boundary?"

"No idea. We have an attempted murderer to track, though."

"Who almost died?"

"Adele Evans."

* * *

Ashe heard. From yards away he heard Marcus' words on Winkler's cell. "Kid, somebody will drive you. Just hold on, okay?" Trace had an arm around Ashe as he rose to storm out of the house. "They said attempted murder. Your mom is alive, all right?"

"When? When can I go?" Ashe was shaking and brushing away more tears.

"Kid, we have to get help for Matt and Buck. And we have to find a temporary place for Andy and get bodies cleared away," Winkler moved Trace aside and pulled Ashe down to sit on the steps again. "Everybody's had a bad night." Winkler settled beside Ashe and raked bloodied fingers through thick, black hair.

"Andy was a good friend."

"I know. The best. Loren is standing guard over the body. I think Gavin and Tony will help get the other bodies hauled in, but I need to call Shirley to take the rogue wolves out by boat and dump 'em twenty miles out. Matt wants to ID the humans if he can. I get the idea that somebody else might be involved because Matt was their target. They didn't care about the rest of us."

"Can I talk to somebody—just to make sure Mom's okay?"

"Sure. Here, call Lavonna Anderson. I have a feeling she's there with Nathan."

"Yeah." Ashe took Winkler's offered phone and called Lavonna's cell.

* * *

"Ashe, we're not sure what happened," Lavonna sighed. At first, she couldn't imagine why William Winkler's cell number appeared on her caller ID. She'd learned quickly enough that it was Ashe calling.

"Is Mom okay?"

"She's fine, and we don't understand that. She said herself that she was dying, so something had to happen to change that. It's really confusing, and Nathan and Casimir are still asking questions."

"Trace said he'd find somebody to drive me over," Ashe mumbled.

"You have to find somebody to drive you?" Surprise coated Lavonna's words.

"It's a long story," Ashe said uncomfortably.

"Dori's here, would you like to talk with her? I need to see if your mother wants something to drink."

"Yeah."

"Ashe?" Dori's voice came through clearly.

"Dori, do you know anything?"

"No. Half the community is outside your house, though, and all of 'em are asking the same thing. All I heard was there was a bright flash of light after the vampires killed the four Elemaiya. They showed up after your mom was stabbed."

"Mom was stabbed?" Ashe's voice cracked.

"Yeah. Marcus thinks it was a poison dart. I don't know why it didn't work, and I heard somebody say that the wound was closed already."

"That doesn't seem possible," Ashe muttered.

"I don't know whether it's true or not. Your mom is alive, though, and she's answering questions for Daddy and Mr. Casimir."

"Who did it? Do you know?"

"Marcus is in there and he won't tell what your mom said."

"This is ridiculous," Ashe said, rubbing fingers against his forehead. The headache was still alive and pounding out its presence inside his skull.

"For sure. Look, do you think you might come tonight? Things are only gonna get worse, because Principal Wright is expecting shapeshifters to arrive tomorrow morning. Marcus wants to lock everything down and not let anybody in or out, so things might get a little tense."

"Sounds like it," Ashe agreed. "Andy died tonight, Dori."

"What?" Dori sounded shocked. "What happened?"

"Zeke Tanner's trackers happened. Mr. Winkler and his bunch fought back, but Andy took a bullet in the head, I think. He's gone."

"What about the trackers—are they dead?" Ashe could hear Dori's quickened breathing; the night's events were frightening her.

"As far as I know, they all died."

"That stupid jerk," Dori spat. "Doesn't Tanner know when to quit?"

"Apparently not. We lost a friend tonight, Dori. Andy was a good guy."

"I know."

"Look, I'll call if it looks like I can come tonight. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know if you hear anything new."

"I will. Ashe, Wynn is coming. We'll call later."

"Thanks, Dori."

* * *

"I drain my crown to give them enough power to slip past the boundary, and you tell me they are dead?" Friesianna threw the cushion from her throne at Rabis. "I will be helpless for days because of this, and we have nothing to show for it?"

"My Queen, I can only report what I see. Nothing more." Rabis didn't point out that it had been Friesianna's decision to drain her crown.

"This is untenable. The boy must be destroyed. Where is Parlethis?"

"It is quite late, my Queen."

"Wake him. I need advice."

"Of course, my Queen." Rabis bowed himself out of Friesianna's tent and went in search of Parlethis.

* * *

"Jude, where the hell have you been and what the hell did you give that kid? Winkler is so pissed he's ready to rip your throat out."

Shirley Walker, six feet of pure muscle, stared Jude Gilmore down. "And then we can't find you for hours? Tell me what's going on. Make it good, because fifteen werewolves and three humans stormed Winkler's house tonight. All those rogues are dead, but Winkler lost one of his—his assistant. If I learn you had anything to do with this, your life won't be worth the price of a stick of gum."

"They took Tina hostage," Jude whined, wanting more than anything to turn and cringe at Shirley's feet. "I gave the kid a dose of diamorphine. On the street, it's called heroin. I only gave enough to knock him out for a day. He should be fine, now. He just won't pass any drug tests for a while."