Darkling. Part 21

"c.r.a.p, get in here!" I hustled him into the living room. "He's been hurt. Get some water and bandages while I..." Stopping suddenly, I backed away. His blood smelled like ambrosia and a wave of hunger rolled through me. I couldn't take my eyes off that b.l.o.o.d.y towel. "Camille-"

She heard the tremor in my voice and immediately ran to my side. "Go over in the corner and look out the window until you can steady yourself. Delilah, get Iris to help you-towels, water, and bandages. Now Now."

As Delilah hurried out of the room, I forced myself over to the window and stared out into the dark night, trying to ignore the fragrance that beckoned. After a moment, I was able to focus.

"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked, careful not to turn around.

"Yeah," came the rough reply. "I found them. I don't think I found Dredge's hangout, but I found the newborns. And that veg-head creature you call Wisteria."

"Wisteria? You found her? Where the h.e.l.l is she?" I whirled around. The sight and smell of his blood didn't matter now-not when I knew that the little b.i.t.c.h was within our grasp.

Roz glanced up at my face and did a double take. "What the h.e.l.l happened to you? You look so different," he said. "Calmer, if I had to guess."

"Never mind that. Just take my word for it. I can fight Dredge now, and I have a chance of winning. Tell us everything."

Delilah returned then, followed by Iris, bringing with them a basin of warm water, several towels, and a first-aid kit.

"I decided to scout around up by the zoo, since the attacks were taking place near there. By the way, did you see the headlines-"

"Yes, yes. Go on."

As Camille began to dab the wound with a warm washcloth, he winced. "Fine, just thought I'd ask. As I said, I went scouting. I decided to prowl around down by this one thicket of trees in the park, so I used a camouflage spell. Sure enough, about two hours ago, I heard what sounded like a struggle. I followed the noise and I saw one of the newborns that got away from us the other night. She was hanging around with a floraed."

"Floraed!"

"Yeah, by your description, I figure it's probably your babe. Anyway, that boy from the other night?"

"You mean the teenager?" Camille let out a long sigh.

"Yeah. He wandered into the thicket with a girl on his arm who couldn't have been more than sixteen. I don't think she knew what he was, but the minute she saw Wisteria and the other chick, she turned to run. Wisteria grabbed her and held her down so teen-boy could make a meal off of her right there."

"Did he succeed?" I gave him a hard look.

Roz c.o.c.ked his head to the side. "You think I'm an amateur? I decided to break up their little party. The girl escaped with little more than a scare. The boy's toast, as is the other vamp. But Wisteria went crazy. That b.i.t.c.h caught me a good one with her nails." He jerked. "Ouch! What the h.e.l.l are you doing?"

"Sit still," Camille said as she deftly slathered both an antibacterial ointment and a fungicide on his neck. "If you aren't careful, attacks from dryads can lead to a nasty fungal infection. Two more minutes and I'm done. One of these gashes is bad enough that I'm going to have to st.i.tch it."

"Gross," Chase said, grimacing as he turned away. "You're going to sew the man's neck up? Here? I still can't believe the c.r.a.p you girls expose me to. Next thing, you'll be introducing me to Frankenstein or... well, d.a.m.n it, Dracula's real." He sighed so loudly that I snorted.

Shamas laughed. "They too much for you, man?"

"They're too much for any man," Chase said, flas.h.i.+ng him a smile. "But I wouldn't change things. I guess."

Delilah wandered over to watch as Camille deftly wove the needle through the opposing sides of flesh, st.i.tching up the worst of the gashes. "Boy, she got you worse than she got me," Delilah said, showing him the scar on her throat. "It seems Wisteria has a thing for throats. Maybe she wants to be a vampire?"

"I think it's more likely she's just lost every st.i.tch of common sense she ever had. She's a scroo-loose, as bad as a rabid dog." Roz s.h.i.+vered as Camille leaned near his neck to bite through the thread. "Baby, you smell like s.e.x," he whispered, wrapping one arm around her waist and speaking loud enough for the room to hear.

"What did I tell you-" I started to say, but Camille flicked him on the forehead with her thumb and index finger and sauntered away.

"And you smell like trouble." She grinned at him. "Hands off. I'm spoken for. Three times over."

"Touche." Roz looked around. "Okay, slap a bandage on this puppy and I'm ready to roll. I take it you were just heading out?"

"We know where Dredge is-"

"And I know where your friend is," Roz broke in. "That's the main reason I came-other than needing some TLC and a throat full of cat gut. No offense, Delilah."

"None taken," she said.

"You know where Erin is?" Camille leapt to her feet and shrugged on her capelet. "Why didn't you say so first thing?"

"Because I needed medical attention, wench. Anyway, yes, I smelled Erin. The newborns have her in their private little nest. I don't know where that is, exactly, but I'm pretty sure we'll find it in the general vicinity of Veggie-Girl."

"Then she's not with Dredge?" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If he didn't have her, she might not have been put through the wringer yet. On the other hand, that meant we still had to find her.

Camille broke in. "Dredge will keep for a few hours, but Erin might not. Especially if Wisteria's p.i.s.sed. Look what she did to Delilah, to Roz... think what she could do to an FBH, Menolly. And you know how she feels about humans."

I stared at her. "You're right. Erin's in a nest of newborns, along with a wacked out floraed who has a bone to pick with humanity. Yeah, we have to go after her first. Roz, show us where you found them. Their nest has to be nearby."

He shrugged back into his duster. "Not a problem. Who's going besides you and me?"

"Delilah, Camille, Chase, and Morio." I glanced around. "Shamas, stay with Iris."

"I'll make sure he behaves," Iris said. "He can help Anna-Linda and me make cookies." And with that, she hustled our cousin out of the room before he had a chance to say a word.

I motioned to the door. "Let's roll." I wasn't sure how he'd gotten out to our house, but Roz hadn't come by car. "Roz, you come with me."

Delilah rode with Chase, of course, and Morio and Camille headed out in her Lexus. One thing for sure, I thought. We'd need a vacation by the time this was all over, because the playground we were headed for sure wasn't on the Travel Channel's top-ten list of destinations to see before we died.

CHAPTER 17.

On the drive there, Roz unbuckled the belt of his duster and opened it, checking out his supplies. The clatter of metal was enough to tell me he was well armed. "Spikes, check. Nunchakus, check. Blow gun and darts, check. Micro Uzi, check. Daggers, check-"

"Slow down there, tiger. Did you say Uzi Uzi?" I glanced at him and sure enough, he was holding up what looked like a miniature machine gun. What the h.e.l.l was an incubus doing with an automatic weapon? A nasty nasty automatic weapon? "Where the h.e.l.l did you get that?" automatic weapon? "Where the h.e.l.l did you get that?"

"I've got my sources," he said, grinning. "But this won't do us any good against vamps." He tucked it away in a shoulder holster and held up an a.s.sortment of spikes. "No, these, these these babies are what we need tonight. By the way, I've also got silver chain and a few binding talismans... Let's see, what else..." He pulled his bag onto his lap and poked through it while I tried to keep my eyes on the road. babies are what we need tonight. By the way, I've also got silver chain and a few binding talismans... Let's see, what else..." He pulled his bag onto his lap and poked through it while I tried to keep my eyes on the road.

"You've got a regular a.r.s.enal there, cowboy. I'd still like to know why Queen Asteria sent you to us," I said.

"Yeah, well, I'd like to know a lot of things, too," he countered. "But she did, so just accept my help."

"Does she know you're packing all that c.r.a.p?"

"Yeah, so don't sweat it." After zipping up the bag, he pulled his belt off, letting the duster hang open for easy access to his weapons.

I glanced at his skintight black leather pants, the mesh muscle s.h.i.+rt straining over finely honed pecs, and the glistening skin hiding beneath the clothing. His stomach glittered with a fine sheen through the mesh netting. Something flipped inside me, like a light switch, and I yanked my gaze back to the road. Enough of that.

He met my gaze with an insolent smirk. "Like what you see?"

"I'll ignore that. We're out to save Erin. Nothing else."

"Whatever you say." He shrugged obligingly. "But you do realize your friend might be..."

"Dead? Or worse? I know. Camille and Delilah do, too, but we can't just write her off. If there's any chance to rescue her, we have to try." I took a left on Aurora and headed south.

"Something's different about you," Roz said. He shot me a curious glance. "You've changed. Your fear's gone. Want to talk about it?"

"No," I said. "Not really. Just leave it at this: I can fight Dredge now, and I can win. I couldn't before, but now... I have a chance."

"Hmm..." was all he said, but I knew that wasn't going to be the end of it. "Turn up there. Left. Then left again in two blocks. We can park in the nearest lot once we're there. The newborn's nest isn't far."

As I took the lead, Camille and Delilah followed behind. We rolled through the dark city streets. The winter freeze still hadn't broken and a sudden flash hit me. Loki-Loki held Dredge's soul in his hands. "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice..."

"What?" Roz shot me a confused look.

"It's from a poem Camille read to me. Fire and ice... the unnatural winter... Loki and Dredge-don't you see, Dredge is corded to Loki, the lord of chaos. And when he crossed over Earthside, he brought that energy with him, along with an unnatural winter. All the snow we've been getting. It's due to the incredible power Loki's given to Dredge!"

"What are are you talking about? What about Loki and Dredge?" Roz sounded vaguely irritated. you talking about? What about Loki and Dredge?" Roz sounded vaguely irritated.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "I found out that Dredge is corded directly to Loki. Somehow Loki sired him and Dredge has become a channel for the demiG.o.d, which is one of the reasons he's so d.a.m.ned powerful. Loki hangs with Fenris, that d.a.m.ned wolf-son of his, and the pair do their best to wreak havoc on the world. Which means Loki may be trying to use Dredge to usher in his own miniature scale Ragnarok. We've been having an unnaturally cold and icy winter here. Guess who came to town right around when it started?"

Roz straightened up. "Dredge and Loki are corded? Loki's a vampire?"

"Not in so many words, but yeah, in a way. Enough to turn Dredge into one." I didn't know how to explain it because I wasn't sure I fully understood myself. "It works out... just trust me."

"How did you find out? Holy s.h.i.+t, this makes him much more dangerous than I thought. No wonder he's gotten away with his mayhem all these years."

"Don't ask how I know, because right now I don't even want to go there." I paused, then added, "I've cut him off, Roz. I've performed the ceremony to refute my sire."

Simple words, but Roz sucked in a deep breath. "Menolly, do you realize the implications of what you did?"

"Fully. As I said, don't ask. I don't want to talk about what it cost me in order to free myself."

"Well, I'll be a son of a b.i.t.c.h. You've got guts, I'll give you that. You do realize that you broke the cardinal rule of your kind?"

With a shrug, I pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine, patting the dashboard. "Do you think I really give a f.u.c.k?"

He let out a short laugh. "No, I can see that you don't." He glanced out the window. "Here come the others. Let's go stake us some bloodsuckers."

As he climbed out of the car, I caught a glimpse of his face: tall, dark, and shady but also looking scared s.h.i.+tless. Either the threat of Loki or my turning traitor against Dredge had thrown Roz into a tailspin. As we approached the sidewalk, the others swung in behind us. Roz handed everybody a couple stakes. I threaded mine through my belt.

We cut across the gra.s.s, off of the path toward a copse of fir and willow. I walked a little ways ahead, trying to pinpoint any undead who might be walking the area. As we neared the edge of the thicket, a tingle raced up my spine.

"We're near," I whispered. "Either their nest isn't hidden that well or somebody's out for an evening stroll."

Camille and Delilah separated, flanking Chase and Morio. Camille raised her hand toward the sky, while Delilah closed her eyes and began to sniff the air. Chase and Morio watched our backs, while Roz and I scanned the area in front of us.

After a moment Camille lowered her hand. "The Moon Mother's singing tonight. She says be very cautious in the trees. Something's got them up in arms tonight. They're acting sentinel for a creature who means us harm."

"I smell dryad on the wind. Want to make a bet Wisteria's lurking and she's stirred up some of her cronies?" Delilah pulled out her long silver knife with her right hand and flicked open the wrist blade fastened to her left. "I'm ready."

"Let's get in there and clear them out. We'll deal with Dredge after we clean up this mess. And remember-we take the offense. Wisteria's a handful, but if we go in with guns blazing, we can take her down." I strode forward, Roz by my side. The others followed, Chase and Delilah s.h.i.+fting positions to guard Camille and Morio, who were whipping up some sort of magic.

As we entered the thicket, a loud rustle signaled visitors. As a patch of overgrown ferns parted, out leapt three floraeds, Wisteria in their center.

"Well, well, if it isn't my pretty captors," she said. "Too late, girls. You're on our turf now." She looked directly at me, smirking.

"Still a little too much swagger, I see." I motioned to Roz and we stepped aside as Camille and Morio moved forward.

Wisteria and her buddies joined hands. A low rush of brambles crept out from the undergrowth, their thorns looking way nastier than I wanted to tangle with. Camille stared at the runners and laughed.

"Is that all you've got?" She grasped Morio's hand and they let loose with an invocation that echoed through the trees. A flash of silver washed through the area and the brambles froze, then fractured like an ice sculpture hit by a hammer.

Wisteria shouted. While her friends' lunged forward, ready for the fight, she held out her hands and runners spidered out of her fingertips. The vines enveloped Camille, entangling her arms and snaring her in a web of green.

Morio took a bead on Wisteria. "Foxfire!" He sent a globe of light zinging right at her eyes and as the orb hit, it exploded in a blinding flash.

As Wisteria screamed, Delilah ducked her way through the tangle of vines. Before the floraed could stumble out of the still glowing afterflash, Delilah brought her knife down hard against Wisteria's chest, sinking it deep into her flesh.

"f.u.c.k you!" Wisteria gasped, stumbling in my direction.

I leapt and landed at her side. In a single motion, I caught hold of her hair and yanked her head back so hard and fast that I could hear the bones break. As I let go, she dropped to the ground. The sound of scuffling behind me stopped and as I turned, the other two floraeds were running like h.e.l.l toward the parking lot.

"Should we follow them?" Delilah asked.

I glanced in their direction. They were headed across to the thicket beyond. "Leave them. Let's go after the newborns. But first, I want to make sure this b.i.t.c.h is toasted. Anybody got fire?"

Roz pulled a small, round ball out of his pocket. "Get back."

"That won't spread and hurt the animals, will it?" Delilah asked.

He shook his head. "Nope, it's magical. Lasts for only a few moments and it's localized. Now, move it."

We stepped back as he pulled off a seal and tossed it onto Wisteria's chest. There was a sudden flare and her body blazed with a light so bright it hurt my eyes. A few seconds later, the light faded. All that was left of our little troublemaker was a pile of ashes.

"I want some of those firebombs!" Delilah said.

Roz snorted. "As if I'd give you any."

"What other surprises do you have under that coat?" Camille asked, scooting close to him and peeking in his coat.