Obsessions: A Monster Squad Novel 7 (23 page)

Lilith stared at the vampire and shook her head. “What to do with you, little vampire?”

Rufus shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“We kill him.” Samael stepped closer, and Lilith placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“Technically, I am already dead.” Thorn held up a hand. “However, I am probably worth more to you unharmed than not.”

Lilith smirked. “How is that, little vampire?”

He turned to Samael. “Ask him. Didn’t you say that he took Damien’s flesh? Then certainly he still has some of his memories. Tell her who I am, baby vampire.” Thorn’s voice took on an edge that angered Samael. “Tell her the power I wield, the people under my command. Tell her the continents that I control, the sheer number of vampires who would stake themselves at my command!” He stepped closer and got in Samael’s face. “Tell her, baby vamp!”

He struck quickly, a slap to the face that both stunned and silenced the angel. Just as Samael’s eyes widened and his mouth opened to speak, Thorn released a wave of power that brought the angel to his knees. Rufus maintained the wave of power emanating from him until the angel lay prostrate on the floor, his mouth opening and closing as he gasped for breath, the green glow of life slowly fading from his eyes.

Rufus bent low and lifted the angel’s head by the hair and whispered just loud enough that Lilith could hear. “Tell her who your real master is, baby vamp.”

“Enough!” Lilith stepped forward and grabbed Thorn by the wrist. “Release him. Now.”

Thorn turned his gaze to her and his face twisted into anger. “Unhand me, woman, or you’ll beg for what the Romans did to you as a mercy.”

She dropped his hand and stepped back, her eyes wide and her breath caught in her throat. She had seen evil in her life. She had experienced evil in her death. She thought she had been touched by evil while being taught by the Fallen Ones. But what she saw in those eyes made her heart turn cold.

“Please,” her voice was barely a whisper, “Mister Thorn…please. Release him.”

Rufus withdrew his power and stepped away from Samael. The angel rolled to his back and coughed, sucking in huge gulps of air as he tried to suck life back into his form. Slowly the green glow of life came back to his eyes.

“Thank you.” Lilith dropped to the floor and cradled Samael, her eyes turned fearfully to the vampire before them. “I-I don’t understand. You could have…I mean…you ran. But you could have…”

“He is not what I thought him to be.” Rufus stepped back further and placed his hands behind his back. “But now that I know what he is and who you are…perhaps we can work together.”

12

“Major, I’m surprised to see you again.” Doctor Evans rolled his chair away from his workbench and stood up. “Is everything okay?”

Mark stepped deeper into the lab, the lights falling on his pale face. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

“You don’t look well. Come, we need to run some blood panels and—”

“No.” Mark took a half step back and held his hands up. “It’s not…it’s something different.”

Evan moved around the bench and slowly approached him. “Okay, why don’t you tell me what’s going on then.”

Mark slowly shook his head. “I’m not sure. Something’s broken.”

“A bone?”

“No.” Mark threw him a frustrated look. “Something
inside
. I can feel it. I can…” He glanced around the lab then reached to the workstation and pulled up a phillips screwdriver. “Let me show you.” He stabbed the end of the screwdriver into his hand then slowly withdrew it. There was little to no blood as the wound healed almost instantly.

“Remarkable.” Evan moved in closer and stared at his hand. He took his hand in his own and turned it over. “There’s not even a scar.”

“I felt it, but there was hardly any pain.” He turned worried eyes to the doctor. “What does this mean?”

Evan shook his head. “I honestly don’t know. Vampires and werewolves both feel pain. You should have as well.” He shrugged. “Perhaps because you heal so quickly, your body no longer registers it.”

“I don’t follow you.”

Evan sat down and motioned for Mark to do the same. “Pain is the way your brain tells your body not to do something. Harm will befall it if it continues to do those things.” Evan shrugged. “Since you apparently won’t be harmed, your brain isn’t registering the pain.”

Mark ran a fingertip gently across his skin and felt the sensation normally. “Everything else seems to be okay. I mean, I can feel a normal touch. I can tell when my eyes are dry and I need to blink. I can tell when my mouth is dry and I need a drink.”

“That’s the only explanation I can come up with without running a myriad of tests.” Evan shrugged. “I’m sorry, Major, but it’s all speculation.”

Mark stood and glanced around the lab. “There’s no other way?”

“I’m afraid not. And even then, simple blood tests may not give us the answer to this one.”

“So it’s a shot in the dark.”

“Yes,” Evan sighed. “Unfortunately, we simply have no other specimens to use as a baseline. You are the only known subject to be infect—”

“I know, Doc,” Mark interrupted. “I’m unique.” He rolled his eyes as he fell back into the chair and rolled his sleeve up. “This better tell us something.”

Evan grabbed his blood drawing kit and donned gloves. “We can cross our fingers and hope.”

*****

“It just grabbed him and plucked him straight from the bloody car! I’m telling you, it was a demon!” Paul screamed into the phone, his voice cracking as he spoke. “All I know is that he’s still alive. If he had been killed, my people would have reverted back to me. I would have felt the shift in power.”

“And you are in Detroit?” Viktor sounded more annoyed than worried.

“Yes, dammit. I’ve only told you this three times. He needs help. Whatever this thing is, I can’t deal with it on my own.”

Viktor sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples. “I have my own matters to deal with. Dropping everything to rush off and assist Rufus with a problem that is his own creation is not exactly how I planned to spend my weekend.”

“Dammit, wolf! Are you not sworn to protect him?” Foster screeched into the phone.

Viktor leaned away from the speaker and glared at the offending device. “Do not use that tone with me,
vampire
. Why are you suddenly so worried about your brother’s wellbeing?”

“I am his Second! When Thompson turned on him, he made me his…” Paul stopped and took a deep cleansing breath, trying to calm his emotions. “It doesn’t matter why I am so worried, what does matter is that Rufus is in need. Will you help him or not?”

Viktor growled low in his throat then picked the receiver up, turning off the speaker phone. “I’ll need time to assemble an attack force. And time to arrive.”

Foster breathed an audible sigh of relief. “Thank you, Viktor. When can we expect you?”

“Morning at the earliest. Afternoon at the latest. By tomorrow evening, we will be positioned to strike.”

Foster smiled into the phone. “Excellent.” He hung up the phone and turned to the enforcers who surrounded him. “They’re on their way. They’ll be here tomorrow. Sometime during daylight. In the meantime, call in every enforcer we can get our hands on. I don’t’ care if they are hired mercenaries. I want to hit them with an army that will overwhelm them.”

The enforcers bowed and left the darkened room, leaving Foster to himself. “Hang on, brother. We’re coming for you. Just stay alive until we can get to you.”

*****

Laura paced outside the hospital, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind at once. Something wasn’t right and she knew it. Her father was exhibiting symptoms far too early and she bit at her lower lip. Had she used the vials in the wrong order? No…she remembered exactly what Evan had told her. Was he healthier than she thought when she came to him?

She paced and mumbled to herself, her eyes following the cracks in the sidewalk. “People will think you’re nuts if you keep talking to yourself like that.”

Laura looked up and saw her brother, Derek walking toward her. “They wouldn’t be far off the mark.”

“How’s our dad doing today?” Derek squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

“He’s got his appetite back. He sent Crystal to get him something from the kitchen. Swore he could smell it cooking.” She continued to stare at the ground, her feet wanting to pace.

“Really?” Derek rubbed his chin as he stared up at the window to their father’s room. “I guess that’s a good sign, right?”

Laura shrugged. “I guess.”

He turned his attention back to his little sister. “What’s wrong with you, Punk? You’re acting like you got ants in your pants or something.”

“Hmm?” She glanced at him questioningly. “Oh. No, I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

“You’re still a horrible liar.” Derek walked past her and started toward the main entrance. “I’m going in. Want to go up with me?”

Laura nodded absently. “Might as well.” She fell into step behind him and kept her thoughts to herself as they rode the elevator up.

“It’s really good to have you home, ya know.” Derek gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Maybe tonight we can go by and see mom?”

Laura paled. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that, D. It’s been hard enough seeing Dad in this condition and…Crystal. Maybe in a day or so we can visit Mom’s grave.”

Derek nodded. “Whenever you’re ready, Punk.”
It’s not like she’s going anywhere.
“Just let me know and I’ll go with you.”

“I appreciate it.” The elevator door dinged as it opened and the pair walked down the hallway to Jim Youngblood’s room. He had finished the tray of food that Crystal had brought to him and was leaning back in the bed, a satisfied look painted across his features.

“Hey, Punk, I was thinking maybe you had taken off on me.”

Laura walked around to the other side of her father’s bed and sat next to him. “I just got here, Daddy. I’m not going anywhere for a while.”

“You going to stay at the house?” He searched her face and tried to read her.

Laura shrugged. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

Crystal stood and let Derek have her chair. “You know your room is just the way you left it. Somebody refused to do anything with it just in case you decided to come home for a visit.” She gave Jim a wink as she settled on the foot of the bed.

“Thanks, Dad. I may.” Laura glanced around the room then her gaze settled on Derek. “Where are the rest of the boys?”

He shrugged. “They got families of their own that they have to see to. They usually come in on the weekends, don’t they, Pop?”

Jim nodded. “Yeah. But maybe this next weekend we can all just meet at the house? We can have a barbecue like we used to.”

Derek turned to Laura and shrugged. He didn’t know that the old man was losing his mind, too. “Uh, sure, we can do that.”

Crystal lowered her eyes and avoided Jim’s gaze. Laura simply squeezed her dad’s hand. “That sounds wonderful, Daddy.”

“You guys think I’m joshing you, but I’m feeling better by the moment. I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t walk out of here in the next few days.” He squeezed Laura’s hand knowingly.

She kept her head down but glanced about the room, noting everyone else avoiding eye contact with her father. She caught his eye and gave a worried but subtle shake of her head. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Daddy, but let’s just wait and see, okay? Let’s take each day as it comes.”

Jim gave her a knowing smile. “Whatever you think, Punk.” He quickly turned his attention to Derek. “So have you heard the news?”

Derek shrugged. “What news, Dad? I haven’t been watching TV today.”

Jim chuckled. “Not that news. I’m talking about your sister giving me and Crystal the go ahead to tie the knot.” He waggled his eyebrows at Crystal. “I finally get to make her an honest woman.”

Crystal smiled and patted his shoulder. “It’s going to take a lot more than wedding vows for you to do that, mister.”

Derek gave Laura a mocking smile. “Oh really? So you gave the old man your blessing, huh? Nothing like waiting ‘til the last minute, little sister.”

“I’m not dead yet, buster.” Jim pulled Crystal up onto the bed next to him and planted a kiss on her cheek. “You better watch it or I might turn you into an older brother again.”

“Jim!” Crystal poked at him. “You may be feeling your oats again, but that isn’t going to unshrivel these ovaries.”

“You might be surprised.” He laughed and wrapped his arms around her. “The way I’m feeling, you may not need them!” He kissed her cheek again then howled playfully.

*****

Jack propped his weapons alongside the wall of the cavern and dug through the cache again. “All I know is, she said that this Lilith is one bad hombre.”

“I do not know of an angel named Lilith.” The Guardian watched jack intently as he dug through the weapons, searching. “I have heard my father speak of nearly all of the angels before, but never this Lilith.”

“I don’t think she’s an angel, buddy.” Jack picked up a mace and swung it a few times. Shaking his head he tossed it aside. “I want something that has a little more distance to it.”

Kalen handed Jack his bow. “Perhaps this?”

Jack glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. “Naw, you’re Robin Hood in this merry band of misfits. I’m hoping there’s an angelic bazooka in here somewhere.”

Brooke snatched the bow from Kalen’s hand. “Yo, Chief. How about this?” She drew the bow string back, then let it slip forward slowly, the arrow that manifested dropping harmlessly to the ground. She picked it up and handed it to him. “Have your guys melt this down and make you some bullets from it. That should work, shouldn’t it?”

Jack stared at the arrow and spun it around in his hand a few times. “I don’t know.” He turned to the Guardian. “Will it?”

The Nephilim shook his head. “I do not know what you ask.”

“Can these arrows be melted down and made into another weapon? An
effective
weapon?”

The Guardian stared at the arrow then shrugged. “I cannot say.”

Jack hooked a thumb toward the bow. “How many arrows does that thing come with?”

“As many as are needed.”

Jack smiled as he turned to Kalen. “As soon as we get back, you’re gonna make me a big pile of arrows.”

“Very well.” Kalen took the bow back from Brooke.

Gnat tapped the side of the cavern. “Chief Jack. It’s time. It should be dark on the other side.”

He looked to the Guardian. “Care to close the door and seal out the light?”

The Nephilim rose and easily slid the rock back into place. Kalen waved his hands over the rock and the portal began to appear. Once moon glow shown through the portal, the fine crusting of rock covering Azrael cracked and crumbled off, falling to the ground like ash. He stretched and looked around the cavern. “Is it time to leave?”

“Grab your gear, big guy. We’re out of here.” Jack handed him the sword and hammer he had chosen.

“Excellent.” Azrael hefted the oversized hammer and propped it over his shoulder.

The Nephilim paused at the portal and stared through to the other side. He glanced back at the weapons cache then back through the portal. Jack came up beside him and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “It will be safe. In all the time you’ve guarded it, has anybody else come looking for it?”