Chapter 30 #2
“Oh, you think this is a game, Hunter?” His voice was dark sludge, but he didn’t move. We searched each other for the answer to that. What was this? I wouldn’t know until the end.
“I’ll admit, I flirted with your cousin. Grabbed his throat and gave him the chase he wanted. He would have killed me, but I killed him first. I thought he might point the finger at Gustavo or maybe at you. He claimed there was another vampire that night. What do you think of that theory?”
“It must not have pleased you, because my cousin is dead.” He barked out the last word, and whatever upper hand I had vanished as Lazaro surged to his real form.
He slapped my right hand hard enough that my fingers convulsed, and my stake bounced away over the uneven grass.
I ignored the pain and struck one final thrust with everything left in me.
The tip of my stake connected with the silky black shirt at the side of his waist and stopped abruptly before it could bury it into him.
I screamed at the bones in my wrist crushing together, though I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his cold, murderous ones.
Emotion had drained from his face. I’d lost my only advantage.
My vision whited out at the bruising rush of my back slamming into the earth.
I coughed and wheezed, and fresh pain bursting through my body made the sounds spilling from my mouth that much more pathetic.
My weaponless hands flew up to push back against Lazaro’s chest above mine, and the pressure made my aching bones and muscles scream.
He had me pinned, his full weight smashing both my legs to the ground, his hand rotating my shoulder too far back.
The pain was enough to make tears burst from my eyes, though I bit my lip to keep from wailing.
I didn’t know if I even had the breath to make a sound any longer.
This was death. A vampire above me, drinking in the view.
It was probably beautiful in the eyes of a monster, to have broken me like this.
I wasn’t broken, though. This was nice, to die with cool blades of grass tickling the edges of my body on a starry summer night.
“All of this…” he whispered inches above my face like a lover. From this angle below, he was softer. “All of this death, just for a man you loved four years ago. Isn’t that such a long time for humans? Four years?”
“I would have done it if it had taken a lifetime.” I actually smiled.
It was barely my voice anymore, but even in the arms of death, I could speak.
Lazaro smiled, too. What was this? He wasn’t going to kill me.
We’d never been able to before. The curiosity was strong enough that I wasn’t even fighting against it.
“I think in some way, I will miss you, Fallon.” The fondness was so peculiar.
It disappeared when he backhanded me across the cheek hard enough to tear the skin. I cried out from deep in my gut.
Both his hands pushed me down by the collarbones, and I swayed over the edge of consciousness. His ragged, beastly breaths were all I could focus on to keep me from the last step into the darkness. A steady, rhythmic humming made it stop, and all the crushing pressure released. Was I dead?
“Father.”
I blinked, though it didn’t help clear the world. Lazaro was a dark shadow against the night sky. Murky disappointment kept me on the ground. This still wasn’t over. When would it be over?
“I’ll be there right away.”
Lazaro receded from the bottom edge of my vision, then returned to peer down over me. He nudged my thigh with his shoe.
“Get up, Hunter. I don’t like seeing you give up so easily. You owe me a much more satisfying death.”
Sorry to disappoint. I was doing that a lot these days. Lazaro didn’t stick around long enough for me to respond. I was alone in a breezy field, and the stars were dazzling like happy tears. Maybe this was how it had been for Derrick. Not so bad after all.
Danger brushed against my senses like a wild shock of electricity, frightening enough that I sat up against every pain begging me to stay down.
A new visitor wearing something like a white suit, though pulled from a different time or different culture, crouched several feet in front of me.
The only word I could think to describe his appearance was beautiful.
Nothing so crass as handsome, good-looking, sexy, and nothing so overzealous as angelic, breathtaking, or gorgeous.
Beautiful. He was comfortable like an old friend when he smiled.
“Hard to rest in peace around here, huh?”
* * *
I would have thought I was dead, but the pain throbbing and pounding throughout my body with the subtlety of a newly-formed garage band made it hard to ignore my living status.
“I hope you aren’t too disappointed with a little divine intervention. I was breathless watching it all, honestly. I ran the timer to the last second before I just couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to know — was he actually going to kill you this time?”
“Who are you?” I whispered. Every rational sense was telling me to be afraid of this man, but cheating death once again was making me dangerously fearless. Or maybe I’d just taken one too many hits to the head.
“Oh?” He looked me over like I was a spill in the kitchen. “He was getting nasty towards the end, wasn’t he? That won’t do.”
I flinched, but I couldn’t avoid the fingertips he pressed to my cheeks.
They were gone after only a tap, along with all the aches and pains I’d gathered over the course of the fight with Lazaro, maybe even over the course of my lifetime.
I patted my arms and legs, fearing this visitor had done something tricky, but it was my same body.
Even my clothes were stainless and mended.
“I know you have your own little healing trick, but mine’s better. I hate seeing a pretty lady in that state.”
I got to my feet, and the mysterious man stood with me, though he stepped back to give me breathing room.
He was tall, slender, and beautiful, and there was no doubt he was strong enough to end my life sooner than I could snap my fingers.
My mouth was mushy around the dozens of rational questions I had, so I started simple.
“Why?”
“I’ve taken an interest in you, Fallon, and I’ve been watching for some time.
That showing you had atop that mountain before your family of warriors, clutching your illicit lover to your breast, gasping just as you did when last you were intertwined.
I must say, you have a passion in you that I usually only see in vampires.
Not that I want to turn you, never fear.
I like you better as our spicy little Hunter.
“Oh, but what you did tonight? I couldn’t stop myself from finally making your acquaintance. I had to stop your male partner and get rid of him so he didn’t ruin my chance.”
I scrunched my face. “My…?”
“I could watch you two forever. I must say, there’s something electric between you. It’s better than watching impassioned lovers in the throes of a highly skilled Tango. To think it ends in death? Romantic and tragic.”
“Are you a vampire?” The accusation didn’t feel right, other than knowing it wasn’t a human standing before me.
“Oh, no,” he laughed almost bashfully. “Though I am the reason you’re here.”
I took a step away while his head was still down. “You’re not here to convince me you’re God, are you?”
“Oh, Fallon, they say never to meet your heroes, and well, you may not exactly be that to me, but… What I mean to say is I like you. I’m glad us meeting hasn’t ruined that.
” He spoke to me like we were old friends with a thick cushion of fondness between us.
My mind was blank on any other theories as to who he was. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
I juggled two answers in my mouth before deciding on both. “No. Should I be?”
“Most are.” I don’t mean to brag, his body language spoke. His face lit up with delight the same moment the thought entered my mind, as if I didn’t even have to say it. I did anyway.
“What? You’re the Devil?” And shit, I didn’t fear death, nor very old vampires, but I was afraid of him. I tried not to show it, but I was trembling.
“That’s very flattering, the way humans make me sound so special. I’m not the Devil. I’m just one of many. But you can call me Nemesh.”
“I can’t say that you’re welcome here.” I put my hands on my hips like I was shooing away a solicitor, and the utterly normal gesture felt so strange. What if Gabriel knew I was speaking to a goddamn devil on his land? Vampires weren’t bad enough?
“Rarely am I. And yet, I only go where I’m wanted.”
“You think I want you here?” I looked around as if I might find help. I wanted this devil to leave. It was a miracle Gabriel hadn’t come looking for me.
“You want power. You’re in for a long journey into Hell without it.”
“Is that a threat?”
“I don’t make threats. I make promises. And I always keep my promises, unlike humans.” He stood with his chin high and his shoulders squared.
“If all of this was just an excuse to tell me to go to Hell, you can leave now.”
He threw back his head, and I wanted to cover his mouth to stop the raucous laughter. He was probably startling all the cattle within a two-mile radius. I actually took a few steps closer as I fought myself on whether to shush him or not. I couldn’t believe I had politeness for the Devil. A devil.
“I like you more and more.” Nemesh paused with a smile, perhaps waiting for my thanks. “No, that’s not what this is about. They didn’t give you the power you deserve. Not all of it. No surprises there. But you and I are both aware that it won’t be enough. I can give you what you need.”
“And why would you do that?”
“I’d get your soul for it.” It was so breezily offhand I needed another second to absorb the statement.
“No,” I said, then again after an unnecessary second thought, “No.”