I didn’t have time to regret letting Quillan go.
Another loud grunt sliced the tranquility of the evening air, pulling my attention to the fact that Knight might be in trouble. I took a deep breath and cocking Quillan’s Op 7, started in the direction of the muffled sounds.
More grunts and swearing, then the definite sound of fists pounding flesh led me to the grisly scene. Blood splattered the ground, the moonlight reflecting on it like spilled oil. Knight was caught between the vamp and the Kragengen shifter, doing his best to keep them both at arm’s length.
The vamp lashed his dagger-like fingernails out, but Knight ducked, the blades just missing his throat. The rise and fall of Knight's chest bore witness to the fact that they'd been at this for a while-this pattern of thrust and parry.
Using the girth of a nearby pepper tree, I managed to hide my body and regroup, wiping my still bleeding palm on my jeans. I needed a plan-I couldn't just charge in or I'd be done…that or Knight would be. Okay, second idea: maybe I could get off a good shot and nail the creature. The dragon blood bullets would kill it. And the vampire? Before jumping to extremes, I examined the bullets in the chamber. They weren't dragon blood bullets, but just standard lead ones. And those wouldn't kill a vampire or a shape-shifter-they’d just piss them off. Goddamit!
But, bullets would stun them and buy me some precious seconds; maybe enough to give Knight the upper hand? I really hoped so.
Knight pushed against the vamp, barreling him into a tree. The vamp hissed out and sliced his cheek with a rake of his claws. Blood immediately began coursing down the harsh planes of Knight's face. The creature just paced along the sidelines and watched.
Much though I wanted to take out the vamp, I couldn’t get a clear shot at him without the possibility of hitting Knight and those were odds I wasn’t about to take. Double goddamit.
So, instead, I watched idly-waiting for an opportunity to strike. The Kragengen, apparently unsatisfied with just being a spectator, lurched at Knight. It raised a clawed paw as if to strike. But, he deflected the attack and with a push, catapulted the creature toward my pepper tree.
It hit the trunk with a resounding thud then plopped onto the ground, shaking its head. It got up on all fours almost immediately. I sprang from behind the tree, my gun aimed at its temple. I squeezed the trigger and the Kragengen ’ s body shook as it landed on the ground. It was still. Well, dragon blood bullets or not, a bullet to the head should’ve been enough to seriously incapacitate it. Eyeing it, I unloaded another two bullets into its head. Hey, I wasn’t taking any chances.
“That’s enough!” I yelled at the vamp. “Step away from my partner.”
The vamp smirked and spat a bloody clot, revealing a tooth. Ew.
“Dulcie, get the hell away from the…” Knight started before the vamp took advantage of Knight's shift in attention and sucker-punched the side of his head, sending him flying three feet into the air. Knight hit the ground with a grunt but rolled back onto his feet.
I aimed the Op 7 at the vampire’s head and was about to squeeze off a shot when something smashed into me, sending me flying. I dropped the gun. When I hit the ground, I had to force myself upright. But, I was too late. The Kragengen straddled me. I pushed against its chest, trying to keep its mouth from my throat. The tear in my palm burned as the gold of my blood stained the creature’s coat.
Without my magic, this was hopeless. I didn’t have the strength to keep it from tearing me apart. Feeling my arms weaken, I heaved against the beast and using the quickness inherent in my species, rolled out of the Kragengen’s grasp.
I stood up and faced the creature, panting as drops of blood coursed down my open palm.
“Face me as a woman,” I screamed, thinking any chance I had of taking it would require it to be in human form. “Woman to woman.”
The creature seemed to smile-its teeth reflecting the moonlight. It stood before me on all fours and like a great, rumbling bear, stood up on its hind legs until it towered over me.
“Dulcie!” It was Knight but I couldn’t spare him a glance.
“Fight me like a woman,” I repeated, this time softer.
The Kragengen just stood there, staring at me. It took me a second to realize it was shifting-the crude hair on its body began to recede back into its skin, leaving nothing but a smooth palate of porcelain. Its rib cage seemed to fold in on itself until it had a definite waist flanked by large breasts on one side and generous hips on the other.
As the creature shifted into its human counterpart, it dropped in height. Its shark-like teeth recessed into the cavity of its mouth until only a set of human teeth smiled out at me. When it was finished metamorphosing, the beautiful red-head beamed at me…naked. Okay, so I’d never had to fight a naked person before. I guess there’s always a first. The creature’s attention fell to my dripping palm. “You don’t have your magic.” I didn’t feel the need to agree and instead, turned to the fact that human form or not, her strength easily out powered mine. I was done.
As if to prove my point, she lurched for me and with a push, sent me careening into the tree behind me. I hit my head against the bark and had to shake my vision free of stars. That’s when I was able to glance at Knight who was on his back, the vampire sucking at his throat.
“Knight!” I screamed.
There wasn’t an answer.
Tears threatened my eyes but I blinked them away. I couldn’t focus on the loss of someone I now considered a friend. I had to face the fact that I was next and I had to do something about it.
I pulled my attention back to the Kragengen just as it pounced. It threw its full weight into me and smashed my head against the bark. Holding my neck against the tree with its forearm, I could smell flesh on its breath. Its eyes found the pulse in my neck and it stood transfixed. That’s when I realized that in its human form or not, there was nothing even remotely human about this creature. It was wild.
Its eyes found mine as its mouth opened and its teeth elongated. Without any warning, it buried its face into my lower neck. The feel of its teeth perforating my skin was nothing compared to the agony as it bit through my collarbone. I screamed and it released me. I sunk down the line of the tree and collapsed against the ground. This was it. I was going to die.
I glanced up at Knight and found him still lying prostrate against the ground, his throat open and gaping. The vamp was no longer feeding from him though. Instead, it was making its way toward me.
I didn’t flinch as the vamp grasped my head and pulled it back, revealing my neck. He was on me instantly, tearing through my flesh like a kid ripping through wrapping paper on Christmas morning. The creature joined the feast with renewed energy and buried its face into my side, its teeth gnashing my flesh.
This was not the way I’d planned to go.
I fisted my hand and prayed my magic would work even with a ripped palm. I shook it and focused hard, focused on those little specks of fairy magic that would see me through this. I reopened my palm and noted nothing but the gold of my blood.
Dulcie.
It was Knight’s voice in my head. I glanced over at the heap of inanimate pile that was Knight.
So, now I was losing so much blood, I was losing my mind.
I’m going to heal you. You have to let me into your mind like you did in your dreams.
But, you’re dead, I thought.
No, I’m not. Let me inside your head, Dulcie. Once your palm is healed, I want you to envision a stake and aim it over the vamp’s heart. Can you do that?
Yeah.
I closed my eyes, thinking it might help.
And then I felt him. It was like liquid heat rising up through my body. Every appendage stung with what felt like electricity. I opened my eyes, thinking the vamp and the creature must have felt it too but they were both too busy feeding on me to notice. I glanced at my palm and the wound was gone.
I closed my eyes again and shook my fist, imagining a wooden stake. Dust flowed between my fingers and I wanted to cry. It had worked! Somehow it had worked.
I rotated the stake in my hand and moving slowly, so as not to alert the vamp, I held the stake directly before his chest.
It’s there, I thought, hoping Knight was still listening.
I opened my eyes and watched Knight sit up, his neck no longer a gaping wound, but smooth as if it had never suffered the insult in the first place. He moved quickly until he was directly behind the vamp. With a smile at me, he shoved the vamp from behind until the stake buried itself deep into the vamp’s chest. The vamp’s eyes widened as they met mine and then he merely collapsed onto the ground beside me.
His eyes went vapid, the life slipping out of them as his body and face rapidly aged, decades going by in mere seconds. When his body stopped morphing, an old man lay before me.
The Kragengen gave a cry of alarm and turned away from me, facing Knight. I stood up, feeling slightly woozy and watched Knight turn to face the creature. “No, this is my fight,” I said. Knight smiled and backed away from the creature who faced me with renewed interest. “Come here, you ugly bitch,” I seethed.
The Kragengen started to shift back to its true state, wiry fur unfolding down its body. It doubled in size and waved its paws through the air as massive claws sprouted from them like bulbs breaking through soil.
I fisted my palm and shook it. Then I blew the glittery particles toward the creature, imagining a roaring inferno. Once the particles hit the creature’s fur, they erupted into flames of orange.
Knight backed away as the creature began to howl and dance around in a circle, fueling the intensity of the flames. In only a few more minutes, it was an incendiary and a couple minutes later, it toppled to the ground and the flames went out. “Nicely done,” Knight said with an appreciative grin. I just nodded and fell back against the tree. Knight was beside me momentarily. “I wasn’t able to completely heal you.” I collapsed into his outstretched arms. “Let me inside your head again.”
I closed my eyes and welcomed the heat as it poured through my body. The stinging, electrical sensation seemed to focus on my collarbone and side.
“That’s about all I can do. You’ll need to sleep well and eat lots of protein for the next few weeks to get all your strength back.” I opened my eyes and offered him a smile. “I hope you know I’m keeping track of all your many abilities.” Knight chuckled. “What do you say we get the hell out of here?” He didn’t wait for a response but scooped me into his arms and stood. “What about the bodies?” I asked. “I’ll call for backup.”
At the mention of backup, of calling Headquarters, the fact that I’d let Quillan escape came back to haunt me. I could tell it was going to keep on haunting me. I shouldn’t have been so soft. I should’ve taken him in. Shoulda woulda coulda.
“That reminds me,” I started before taking a breather. I definitely wasn’t feeling myself. “All this talk about confidentiality and getting me dropped off the team at Headquarters…” Knight raised an eyebrow like he had no idea where my questions were leading. “You knew all along that someone from Headquarters was involved, didn’t you?” He grinned. “Confidential.” I couldn’t help my laugh, weak though it was. Knight glanced at me. “What happened to Quillan?” I gulped down my own sense of failed responsibility. “He got away.”
###
Two days later, as I ambled into Headquarters, I might as well have been the Virgin Queen of England for all the whispering and knowing looks I aroused. I’d never liked being the center of attention so I hurried to my desk until I got too winded and walked the rest of the way.
Trey was at his desk but I didn’t acknowledge him, just dropped my backpack on the floor and started up my computer, relaxing into my chair. “You okay, Dulce?” I glanced at him and nodded although I still wasn’t feeling myself. “Yeah, I’m fine.” “If you need to…talk to anyone, I’m always free.”
I smiled, thinking Trey had definitely turned out to be a better coworker than I’d thought he would. “Thanks, Trey, I might take you up on that.”
The unmistakable sound of Sam’s heels tapping down the corridor heralded her arrival. I glanced at her with an encouraging smile and a wave of my hands.
“I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Sam’s eyes were wide and her mouth twitching-something she always did when she was nervous. She hesitated only momentarily before throwing her arms around me. “God, I was so worried. I wanted to come see you-why didn’t you answer your phone?”
I sighed. “I guess I just needed some alone time.”
Sam nodded. “I can’t believe Quillan! I can’t believe he lied to us all!”
I still couldn’t believe it, myself. The truth of the matter was that I hadn’t been able to sleep, remorse plaguing my every thought. I shouldn't have let him go-that’s what it came down to. I was, before anything else, a Regulator. And as a Regulator, my first and foremost duty was to apprehend criminals, but I’d let Quillan slip through my fingers. I stopped berating myself as Elsie's voice interrupted. “Guys, the chief of the Relations Office is here!” I glanced at Trey and Sam, who stared vacantly back at me.
“He wants us all to meet in the conference room,” Elsie insisted and clapped her hands together as if to tell us to hurry when none of us made any motion to do anything.
I followed Trey and Sam into the conference room where I was ushered to a seat at the end of the conference table. Trey tried to take the seat and Elsie shooed him out of it, beaming at me instead.
I wasn’t a hero and I didn’t want to be treated like one.
Nonetheless, I took the seat with a lukewarm smile as if to say “thanks” and turned to the sound of the door opening. Knight strolled in, dressed in black, as beautiful as he ever was. Goddamn, the man was sexy as sin!
Then I noticed the smaller man next to him-maybe five feet eight inches, fifty years old or close to it, receding hairline, and thick glasses. So, this was the Chief of the Relations Office, come from the Netherworld? Rhetorical question.
Knight eyed me and gave me a grin; I was embarrassed and looked away. I didn't want anyone to think I was getting preferential treatment. I was just another Regulator and that was that. Knight took the seat next to me and the Chief assumed the seat at the head of the table. Elsie fluttered about offering coffee.
“Well, let's get started,” the Chief said. “For those of you who haven't met me,” none of us had, “I'm Chief Sterno and I run the relations office in Hildoff, Netherworld. It's my pleasure to be here today to meet all of you.”
He glanced at every one of us while we murmured our “happy to see you toos” and I felt like it was my first day at school.
“I'm sure you've heard of the unfortunate situation involving the previous Chief of Headquarters so I won't get into that,” Sterno continued. “I do want you to know we are doing our best to find a replacement.” There were a round of nods and sighs. “In the meantime, Knightley Vander will be substituting, just until we find a permanent replacement,” the Chief finished. “Please call me Knight,” the Loki clarified. I glanced around and noticed all the females openly admiring him. Ugh. “Knightley?” Trey whispered, elbowing me in the ribs. “Watch it,” I grumbled, wondering if my poor side would ever heal. “His name isn't Todd?”
“No,” I whispered back, frowning. I hadn't wanted to lie to Trey and hopefully he wouldn't take our mis-truth as a slight. “We didn't want to put you in harm's way so we had to withhold his true identity.”
“He really wasn't your friend at all?” His expression was crestfallen.
“No, he forced me to secrecy, Trey.” When all else fails, blame someone else.
Trey just nodded. Meanwhile, the fact that Knight was going to be my boss, if only temporarily, was starting to sink in. I couldn't say I liked it. In fact, I didn't like it at all. I'd gotten a taste of Knight's mode of leadership, and it wasn't one I wished to repeat. “So, please welcome Knight,” the Chief finished. Everyone clapped. Knight smiled and raised his hands as if to quiet the room. “I'm Knight, as the Chief said and it's great to meet all of you.” A few sighs from the ladies in the room. I just shook my head.
“Today is not only about introductions, though,” Knight continued. “I also have a bit of good news.” He paused and glancing at me, pasted a huge grin on his face.
“I'm not sure if you are all aware, but Dulcie O'Neil worked with me on this case.” There were a round of oohs and aahs. I didn't like the direction of the conversation but there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it.
“And because of her courage, we were both able to escape. I just wanted to announce that I'm promoting Dulcie O’Neil to the position of Head Regulator.”
Another round of claps, and I felt as if I’d been slapped. Surprise overtook me, and when I met Knight's grin, I resisted the urge to walk out. No one in the room should've been congratulating me. I didn't deserve a promotion. As far as I was concerned, I'd failed miserably.
“Thank you,” I said in a small voice, trying to pretend that nothing was the matter, that I was as thrilled as everyone else. It was a hard order and I'm not sure I succeeded.
Sam hugged me, and Trey looked like he was biting back tears. Holy Hades.
After the meeting disbanded, and I'd had about all the pats on the back I could take, I followed Knight into Quillan's old office. Quillan's name plate still hung on the door, and I had to drop my eyes. It made me feel oddly sad. Knight took a seat in the large, brown leather chair and cracked his knuckles. “How’s your side?” “It’s fine.” He nodded. “Dulce, what can I do for you?” I didn't know how to say it, so I just reached inside my pocket and handed him the envelope.
He took it with a smile but the smile soon disappeared as soon as he started reading. “What is this?” he demanded and dropped the letter onto the desk as if it had just bitten him.
I sighed. “My letter of resignation.”