The Burning Bush (42 page)

A primal growling shook my bedroom. I snapped my eyes open. MeShack stood in front of me, blocking some of the sunlight coming through the window blinds. Both of my arms throbbed with an agonizing pain, as if someone had butchered my flesh while I slept.

“You have more of those damn cords in your arm,” MeShack hissed.

I looked down at both arms. At least six white cords were magically sewn into the skin. A feeling of life flowed through them. The cords moved subtly every second as if they were breathing or had a heartbeat. I’d seen them last night, but they looked different in the daylight. The pain was almost unbearable, but I had no regrets. I tapped the area of the bed next to me.

“Zulu’s not there, and if he were, he’d be lying in a pool of blood.” The flecks of gold in MeShack’s feline eyes flickered with rage. “Did he force the claim again?”

“No.” I slowly sat up. My hands snatched the covers to my naked breasts. Another growl rose from him, making the room quake with his anger. Yawning, I stretched my neck. “Calm down.”

“I’m perfectly relaxed,” he snarled with extended claws. His sharp fangs protruded from his lips.

“I gave him permission.” My arms shook from the unbearable pain. Not wanting to show MeShack I was suffering, I gritted my teeth to stop myself from wincing.

“Why can’t you just have mindless, emotionless sex with a guy?” MeShack stomped back and forth near my bed, pacing. “Why do you always have to give some big commitment? Just have sex!”

“I can’t just have mindless, emotionless sex. I need more.”

“For Shango’s sake, it’s just fast breathing, in and out, and then you go to sleep.”

“He couldn’t feel me when he was in his core.” I rubbed my eyes, hoping that I could force myself to completely wake up.

“Of course not!” MeShack yelled. “He’s not supposed to feel anything when he’s inside himself. He was supposed to heal, not think about you.”

“Lower your voice,” I ordered and covered myself some more with my purple blanket. The motion roused my cords. An agonizing burn ripped through my flesh. Last time, the cords took a week to heal.
Do I still have pain relief spells in the bathroom?

MeShack crept closer to the bed, like he was going to pounce on me. “So what do these new cords mean?”

“Nothing. Relax your beast,” a fat man with Zulu’s voice and a crooked nose said from the doorway. The man entered my bedroom and closed the door. Sparks skittered across his face and body as the Fairy glamour disappeared. A peppermint fragrance burst in the air, and then Zulu’s real face appeared above the fat body. His skin deflated from jiggling fat to rock-hard muscles. Zulu held two orange Styrofoam cups. I recognized the logo from the Fire Bean Café.

“Please say those are Infernos.” I crossed my fingers.

Zulu nodded, but kept his gaze on MeShack. “Cat, you need to take a few steps away from Lanore.”

“Why?” MeShack turned his nose up and sniffed the air. “You think I’m going to hurt her?”

“Maybe.”

“You’re paranoid because you haven’t let yourself heal. I would never hurt La La.” MeShack sneered as Zulu walked over to me.

“Nevertheless, I don’t like you so close with your claws out,” Zulu said through clenched teeth.

“And if I don’t?” MeShack displayed a fang-filled smile.

“Stop it,” I said. “Just take a step back, and please get me the pain spell in my medicine cabinet.”

“No need,” Zulu said. “I already had a spell put in the Inferno.”

“Thanks, babe.” I smiled.

“What a hero. He causes you pain and then gives you a relief spell.” MeShack snorted. “Why did you finish the claim?”

“Because I love her and want to know that she’s safe when I’m inside myself.” Zulu handed me one of the cups of coffee. “Now I can feel if she is in danger or distressed and locate her with ease. Plus, if she gets hurt, she can feed off my energy.”

“And isn’t this vice versa?” MeShack asked.

“Who has the highest probability of being caught by somebody or getting herself killed?” Zulu sat on the bed next to me.

“Wait a minute.” I held my Inferno. The cup heated my palms. “What are you trying to say?”

“You’re reckless,” Zulu said.

“And impulsive,” MeShack added and glanced back at Zulu. MeShack’s claws retracted. “I’ll most likely be done with my Season in a few years.”

“I’ll know when you’re out of Season before you will, and if you go near her, your heart may be separated from your chest.” Zulu sipped his coffee. His blue and gold eyes transformed to darkness.

“Your wimpy Fairy claim doesn’t mean shit to my beast or me.” MeShack grabbed a chair and sat down a few feet in front of Zulu.

“I know.” Zulu’s cords turned from hues of blue and red to solid black.

“MeShack, if it makes you feel any better, you can piss on me right now.” I removed the cup’s top. A sweet steam rose and misted my chin. “Maybe draw your name on my forehead. You could even get a purple, leashed collar and just put it on my neck.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” I took a boiling hot gulp of coffee, relishing how it burned my throat. An Inferno consisted of coffee, chocolate, and jalapeño pepper juice. The combination gave me an energizing sweet fix paired with savory heat.

“When are you going to let your beast take back control? You returned too early,” MeShack asked.

“I have things to do before I go back.” Zulu put his Inferno down on my end table as if he’d lost his appetite. “I’m fine, anyway.”

“You smell like decay,” MeShack said. “That’s a sign of your mental state going downhill.”

I ceased sipping and glanced at Zulu, waiting for his reply.

“There was a prison break last night. All the prisoners locked in the habbies’ cells escaped,” Zulu said, completely ignoring MeShack’s comment and my worried look. “Habbies are all over the streets, questioning everybody.”

“Then Angel is free!” I grinned. “The Palero must have had something to do with the cells being unlocked.”

“I told you it would work out,” Zulu said.

After Zulu and I made love last night, I caught him up on everything that had happened after he gave control to the Prime. Zulu now knew about Mother Earth’s attempt to take over MFE and even Nona’s willingness to help her. I’d also told him about meeting with the Palero, which he wasn’t happy about.

“I get why you came back early. You wanted to see and touch La La.” MeShack’s attention centered directly on Zulu. “But the longer you remain out, the higher the probability you’ll end up hurting her.”

“Why are you still in here?” Zulu asked.

“You have to go back.” I narrowed my eyes at Zulu, finished the Inferno with one more gulp, and set the empty cup down next to his coffee. “You should give the Prime control now.”

“No. Not until after I kill Dante.” Zulu pulled his shirt up and over his head, revealing thick muscle. He lay down next to me as if MeShack wasn’t in the room. His hands went to my back. His warm fingers gently tiptoed up my spine, delivering a rush of lust. I cleared my throat and scooted away from him.

“You can’t avoid mentally healing,” MeShack said in a deep voice. “The longer you’re out here, the more your mind will be polluted. You’ll become delusional.”

“I’m not budging on this.” Zulu closed his eyes and moved his hand from my back. “I have time.”

“Who are you trying to fool?” MeShack growled. “You already smell like madness. It’s subtle now, but it will get stronger as your sorrows eat away at your mind.”

I hope Zulu is listening.
Wrapping the blanket around me, I slowly ambled out of bed, trying my best not to stir the cords on my arms. A stinging ache still came with the slightest movement.

“You can kill Dante when you come back,” I offered.

A dark rumble boomed from where Zulu lay on the bed.

“Just be quiet. For once, MeShack is right.” I approached my dresser. “Maybe you can give your beast control at nighttime or in small increments.”

MeShack sucked his teeth. “His brain is not a light switch. He can’t go back and forth, giving his beast control and then taking it back every morning.”

“You don’t know what I can do.” Zulu opened his eyes and directed an evil stare at MeShack.

“Oh, I don’t? Trust me. I’ve been where you are.” A snort escaped MeShack’s lips. “La La, what emotions do you feel from him? Does he seem like he’s doing just fine, or is he on the edge of insanity?”

I froze in front of the dresser, trying to grasp at the emotions in my cords, but I didn’t feel anything. Just like last night, his end of the bond was closed. I quickly turned to him, twisting the blanket’s thick fabric around my legs. “I can’t feel anything. Are you hiding your grief from me? Is it that bad that you don’t want me to know?”

“My sister is gone. The things I thought I knew I don’t really know anymore. I’m grieving and confused. Why do you have to feel it when you can just ask me?” Zulu closed his eyes again. “I only had Cassie and you. I’m not about to give the Prime control, only to come back and discover you’re dead, too.”

Silence hit the room. After a minute, I whispered, “I’ll be okay.”

MeShack slowly rose from his chair. “And I’ll be at her side the whole time.”

Zulu’s skin grayed a little. “I stay until Dante is dead.”

“Will you at least consider some sort of compromise?” I begged.

“No,” Zulu said.

“You’re being stupid and stubborn.” Sighing, I opened my dresser drawer and pulled out indigo panties and a matching bra. “So then we have to kill Dante. And very soon so you don’t go crazy.”

“Shit,” MeShack muttered. “In order to make sure his dumb ass doesn’t go mad, we’ll have to kill Dante tonight.”

“There’s no way that’s happening.” I scanned my room for a towel, thinking a shower might calm my anger down. I couldn’t believe how stubborn Zulu was being. “We need at least two or three days to plan something that won’t get us all killed.”

“I don’t want you helping me with this,” Zulu insisted. “I was going to get Nona and—”

“I already told you we can’t trust Nona or the Rebels.” I waved his comment away. “Mother Earth ordered her to kill me.”

“But didn’t Nona ask you to leave?” Zulu pointed out. “She thought I was dead. Her main focus was probably to protect her Rebels by following Mother Earth.”

“No, don’t trust the Rebels. I was there. I don’t think Nona had anything to do with Cassie’s death, but she isn’t someone I would want covering my back.” MeShack walked over to me and touched one of the new cords on my arm.

“Ouch!” I yelled and slung a fireball at him. MeShack hissed, jumping several feet back. I glanced behind me to Zulu. “So it looks like it’s just us three on this stupid mission. What’s the plan, oh, stubborn one?”

“The Masquerade Ball is tonight,” Zulu reluctantly said. “I bought several tickets this morning. I figure the best way to kill Dante is in a public place at an event he didn’t orchestrate.”

“I don’t know, baby.” I bit the inside of my right cheek.

MeShack crept my way, stretching his huge arms over his head. When he arrived next to me, his eyes went back to my arms. “We don’t have much time. You linked yourself to a psycho Shifter who won’t prevent himself from losing his mind.”

“This is a horrible idea,” I said.

“Think about all the times we’ve met with Dante.” Zulu’s eyes went to MeShack’s fingers as MeShack studied another cord with his fingertips. “When we met at Liquid’s VIP section and even the Blood Harvest Ball, those were both on Dante’s terms and with his rules.”

“The Masquerade Ball boasts heavy magical security. There will probably be extra security due to the bombings.” MeShack gently lifted my right arm. His fingers traced the bruised skin around the cords toward my shoulders.

“Which means this is a bad idea. It’s a ball to promote nonviolence.” I shoved MeShack away with my free hand. “It’s supposed to be held on neutral ground.”

Silence hit the room again.

“This may actually work.” MeShack shrugged his shoulder. “Dante will think he’s safe with all the security spells. Plus, he believes Zulu is dead.”

“I don’t know. How are we even going to use our magic?” I asked.

Neither said anything as they contemplated an answer. The ball was a yearly event held to remember all the Supes lost during the Supe-Human Wars. For that reason, any use of magic was forbidden. The hosts always had spells cast to penalize people who used magic. It was the only way you could get all of the species together without the evening ending in bloodshed. Shapeshifters couldn’t shift. Vampires couldn’t push out their fangs. Witches had to do blood promises to restrict their control over the elements.
And Mixies?

I smiled. “What do they do to Mixies so we won’t use any magic?”

Zulu laughed a little. “Mixies don’t have magic, Lanore. We’re a stunted bunch. Didn’t you hear? But even if they were smart enough to stop our power, I’m sure Supes cheat. We’ll just break the rules too.”

It might be the only time we could get Dante at his weakest. MeShack smelled my arm. A thunderous roar came from Zulu’s direction. I groaned. “Let’s focus on a plan, guys. Since it’s a no-magic area, I may not be able to create fire, but there’s a good chance I can control it if fire is around me.”