Blood Dream Page 28

  “What did you do to me!? What have you fucking done to me! I can’t see!”

  Lupa looked up to see the man grabbing at his bleeding eye sockets. What the fuck had she done? She didn’t care, she pushed herself up off the ground and ran at him, driving her blade into his crotch and ripping upwards, pouring the white lightning into his body as he screamed. He wasn’t fucking dying, why wasn’t he fucking dying?

  “Stop! Stop! I can’t see those places, don’t make me see them!” Ahriman was writhing against her, the screams making her head hurt.

  Lupa took a deep breath and pushed, pushed every drop of magick in her body into Ahriman’s body, it shot out of her as a white hot light, filling his chest and then exploding. Blood and bone erupting against her face, black filth splattering, the man’s screams still echoing around her. Lupa’s knees hit the ground, pain shot up her legs but she didn’t care. Her body was shaking as she rested her hands against the asphalt. Had the spells all been broken now?

  Pushing herself up she looked back to the noise, running over with her trembling legs that were threatening to give way at any moment. Lupa hit the crowd, half the people were swaying as Hammer’s men grabbed them and started tying their wrists. At least a dozen bodies lay on the ground, bloodied and lifeless.

  “You a’right?”

  Lupa looked up to see Sledge and Hammer walking towards her, she opened her mouth to say something but her vison blurred, her knees buckling and she started falling forwards, Sledge took two long steps and caught her. But she didn’t pass out. Thank fuck she didn’t pass out.

  “I’m ok, I’m ok… what’s happening?” Lupa pushed herself up from Sledge’s strong arms as he helped her, looking over to Hammer.

  “You have done well, my wolf witch, these people all seemed to be under his magick. Those that are not yet dead will be taken back for questioning… I presume Slasher witch will want them? At least, the teenagers from Blackmoars, although I believe most of them perished…”

  Lupa looked around as Hammer’s men started dragging people back to their side of the bridge, not bothering to respond about Slasher. “My black lightning didn’t… it was white.”

  Hammer smiled his charming smile at her, his eyes sparkling, “Is that so, my Little Red wolf witch? And the bright light we saw?”

  Lupa felt her body warming up. Shit. “Um… yeah I dunno what that was either…”

  “Come with me, glorious witch, take my hand. You will be ok. Let us leave this place.” Lupa placed her hand in Hammer’s, letting him start leading her towards him, “Sledge, would you mind if I take our wolf witch with me in your car? I would appreciate you staying here and making sure the men get everything.”

  “On it, boss.” Sledge gave Lupa a worried glance then started out towards the others.

  “Come, try not to burn me, I can absorb your lightning but not the bloodfire. Yes… I see, it is still white. Quickly now, we do not want you to collapse.”

  Lupa felt Hammer exchange her hand to his other as he slid his arm around her back, steading her gently. They headed for the car, Lupa was struggling to keep her balance, glad that Hammer was holding her up. Why did she feel so damn fucked?

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Hammer gently wiped the blood from her face as she tried to focus on him, but her eyes kept fluttering closed, it hadn’t been like this before, what the fuck was going on? She should still have at least an hour before it wore off, no way should she be feeling this way. Was Hammer’s spell reacting with the Gift?

  “I do not think so, wolf witch, I believe your body is reacting to the power you unlocked within yourself. Were you aware that white lightning was a power held by witches?” Lupa shook her head. “A very long time ago, your Organization had many of its witches use it. But somewhere along the line the power began to diminish. And then they banned teaching it, for whatever reasons they had. Would you lay down for me, wolf witch? I believe you have been stabbed…”

  Lupa looked down as Hammer pulled her shirt up to reveal an ugly stab wound in her side. Fuck. She hadn’t even noticed… “Perhaps this may be the real reason you are feeling… a little out of sorts, lie down and let me stitch this back up… and check it. Would you like something for the pain?”

  Lupa nodded as she shuffled her body to lie down on the black velvet couch. Hammer placed a pill against her lips and she accepted it gratefully, he handed her a water bottle and she lifted her head slightly to swallow it. Lupa lay her head back down, holding the water bottle out for Hammer to take.

  “You did very well tonight, my darling,” Lupa heard Hammer opening a sterile needle case, “When I saw the light… I must admit I was fearful for you. But you were the one to use that marvellous power. Perhaps an insight to where that surge, the one that exploded the building, came from.” Lupa felt Hammer begin to stitch her up, wincing slightly at the feeling, but the pain was fading now.

  “Do you know what it was?” Lupa asked, staring at the roof above her.

  “Yes I believe I do. There used to be witches called Zekle’s. They were the original lightning workers, the power that all witches who can use physical magick have inside them, but the Zekle’s were able to actually use the lightning from the sky. They were far more elemental than the witches of today, they could draw the magick from the clouds and destroy beings with a flash such as the one you used. As far as I was aware, they no longer existed.”

  Hammer wiped something cool over her stomach, then pulled her shirt gently back down. Lupa pushed herself up to a sitting position, feeling much fucking better now. Hammer lay a hand on hers, absorbing the white lightning from her.

  “So… what happened to them? Why have I not heard of them?”

  Hammer offered her a cigarette and lit it for her, lighting his own and leaning his arm over the back of the couch. Lupa noticed he wasn’t wearing his suit jacket and his shirt was splattered with blood. She wondered if he’d been fighting as well…

  “Your Organization has many secrets, my wolf witch, many that will never see the light of day. They keep much from their witches, and that puts them in danger. For there is more out there than just wolfbloods, my darling Little Red, more than you can dream of.”

  Lupa studied Hammer’s face, but she couldn’t read him. “What are you saying?” she asked slowly.

  “I’m saying, my wonderful witch, that there are things going on that you, nor even Slasher witch, would know about. There are men like The Eastern Man all across our lands, stealing magick and life from others, stealing the power from wolfbloods and… other beings. Your Organization does nothing. But it watches, and it knows.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense…”

  “No, it does not. But let us not talk of such things right now. Sledge has returned with the others, I think he should take you home. We can talk another time.”

  Sledge appeared at the door, looking at Lupa with relief, “All taken care of, Hammer, we gotten all the dead ones in the truck, and the live one’s bein’ locked up.”

  “Thank you, Sledge, would you mind taking our witch home?” Sledge nodded. “Thank you. Take the rest of the evening, I think our wolf witch will need some company.” Hammer helped Lupa to her feet and gave her cheek a kiss, “Until we see each other again. Do not hesitate to call if you wish to talk.”

  Lupa smiled at him, feeling relaxed and floaty from the pill he had given her. She followed Sledge out, letting him help her into the car as she stumbled slightly.

  “You a’right?” Sledge asked as they pulled away from Hammer’s place.

  “Right now? Yes. But Hammer gave me something before stitching my stomach up…” Lupa pulled out her phone and brought Tank’s number up and hit call.

  “Little Red? You comin’ over?”

  “No… is Hawk awake?”

  “Sure is. How you knowin’?”

  “Because I know who was involved… can I come around tomorrow?”

  “Thinkin’ you might wanna come now… Hawk hearin’ me and wanti
n’ you to come get him. He aint wantin’ to talk to us once Slasher sayin’ you two been fightin’…”

  Lupa glanced over to Sledge and bit her lip, “Ok, but I don’t… I’m with Sledge. If Slasher says anything…”

  “I be gettin’ Hawk to wait out front for ya then. Aint thinkin’ it be a good idea for Slasher to dun be seein’ you with him.”

  “Thanks, Tank.”

  “You right, Little Red, we can be gettin’ to her later.”

  Lupa closed her phone and gave Sledge an apologetic look, “You mind going and picking Hawk up from Slasher’s? He… doesn’t want to be there…”

  “Whatever the witchy girl needin’. You just tellin’ me the way.”

  Chapter twenty-two

  “S/he will be your life…”

  Dameon sat awkwardly next to Sledge as Lupa explained what had happened on the bridge. Well… mostly. She left out a few little details, like where she’d gotten the spell. But she told him most of it. He nodded as she went to the fridge and pulled them all a beer out.

  “I aint seeing who knocked me out, I heard a knock on the door and thought it was you, next thing I know I’m waking up in Slasher’s house and she was asking me all these strange questions about what was going on with you. Then when she mentioned she had suspended you… shit, I was pretty fucking worried about you, Red.”

  Lupa handed him and Sledge a beer. Sledge looked like he wanted Dameon to fuck off, but he didn’t say a thing. She was grateful for that, she knew they didn’t really like each other but neither of them said anything, probably for her sake, she looked a right fucking mess.

  “Did you find out anything at the library?” Lupa leaned against the bench and lit a smoke.

  “Umm…” Dameon’s eyes flicked to Sledge and back to her, “Yeah…”

  “It’s ok, Sledge won't say anything.”

  “Alright… but… you’re not going to like it… there was a lot about blood magick going on in Blackmoars. From like… fifteen years ago. Apparently there was a guy there who got busted for using magick illegally. But he got away… Mrs Corpore used to live there then too, but her husband died and she moved to the city and married Mr Corpore.” Lupa raised her eyebrows, “Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Fucking strange right? Turns out her first husband was a wolfblood.”

  “Shit.”

  “Shit, alright, think he was Isabella’s father. And… I reckon that she must have been in league with this eastern guy back then, because when her husband died she had nothing, then all of a sudden she moves to Central and buys a big fancy house and marries a rich guy. Fucking strange.”

  “So… if she was involved with him… why do you think he killed her?”

  “Maybe she made the same deal as Mrs Jay, maybe she was supposed to hand over her kids, or a kid. And when she didn’t… well, he fucked with them, y’know?”

  “Fucking hell…” Lupa pulled her bloodied jacket off and lay it on the bench.

  “There’s more… but… you really aint gonna like it. Like… you might flip out kinda not like it…” Dameon looked over to Sledge again, then back at her, his fucking thumb running along his jawline.

  “Go on, give it to me, whatever drug Hammer has given me is making me pretty mellow right now.”

  Dameon’s eyes were on Sledge who was looking back strangely now, they both seemed to be… saying something in their eyes. Lupa just waited, sipping her beer. Fucking assholes. She was fine, what could he say that would make her flip out?

  “Ok… but… don’t shoot the messenger, ok?” Lupa nodded in response, “Ok.... So, I went and had a look at what The Organization had down for us and our work together. Call it stupid curiosity. I have the highest access card, as if I’m not going to have a snoop around, right?”

  “Get to the point, Hawk.”

  “Ok,” Dameon took a nervous drink and lit a smoke, “So when I was looking through, I noticed a little note type thing attached to your file… well, hidden actually, but there all the same. I know it wasn’t any of my fucking business, but I couldn’t help but click it, y’know?”

  “The fucking point, Dameon.”

  “Alright,” Dameon pushed his hair back from his face, “So in this note thing, was all these reports on you. And like… not regular reports. Really fucking personal reports. Like… whoever made them knew you really well. So I thought, shit, Slasher has been giving The Organization fucking reports on you.”

  Lupa felt her body growing warm. Clearly she wasn’t fucking mellowed out quite enough, “Are you fucking saying she’s been… sending them shit on me?”

  “No…” Dameon shifted uncomfortably, his eyes flicking from Sledge to Lupa, “They weren’t written in by her… I thought they were at first, but they were… fuck Lupa… it was fucking Karl…”

  “What?”

  Dameon and Sledge both looked at her with concerned eyes. Lupa wanted to smack the both of them. What the fuck was Dameon saying? Karl had been fucking spying on her for The Organization? No way. No fucking way.

  “Shit, Red, I didn’t wanna see it. But I did… and I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have fucking clicked on it… I shouldn’t have fucking read it but… I did, and it’s done now. He had… shit, do you even wanna know?”

  Lupa was shaking, her body hot. “No fucking way would he… he wouldn’t…” Sledge stood up, Lupa glared at him and he sat back down, “You must be wrong…”

  “That’s what I thought but… shit… there was a lot of crap in there… all them pictures you showed me? They were in them too…” Lupa felt a tear trickle down her cheek. No way. He wouldn’t have. He was her best fucking friend. He wouldn’t have betrayed her like that. He couldn’t have. “They moved him back to Black City so he would partner with you-”

  “Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut the fuck up, there’s no fucking way he would have… he couldn’t have! You didn’t even fucking know him!”

  Dameon stood up and crossed over to her, wrapping his arms around her shaking body, “I’m sorry… I’m fucking sorry, Lupa. I aint meaning to. I shouldn’t have… shit. There’s so much more for us to look into,” Dameon pulled away from her and looked into her tear filled eyes, “It can wait though. I’m… I’m gonna go. You need time, and I don’t think it’s me you need here right now after I being… the one who said that. If you need me… you know where I am.” Lupa nodded as he gave her a quick, tight hug and looked over to Sledge, “I aint liking you, Sledge, but I trust you with her. If you have to leave, come get me. And… thanks.”

  Dameon opened her door and gave her a strained smile before closing it gently behind him. Lupa grabbed her bag and pulled out one of Hammer’s pills. She couldn’t think about Karl like that, not right now. Not after everything…

  “You a’right?”

  “No I am not fucking alright!” Lupa pushed the pill in her mouth and downed the rest of her beer with a shaking hand.

  “What I needin’ to do?” Sledge peered at her carefully, his eyes guarded.

  “I don’t… I don’t know…” Lupa felt her lip try and tremble, she bit it hard.

  Sledge got up and walked slowly over to her. “Whatever the witchy girl wantin’ to do, we can do.”

  Lupa looked up into his face and searched his eyes. He wrapped his big strong arms around her, pulling her into him. She let her own arms embrace him and rested her head against his chest as she fought the tears.

  “You bein’ a’right, witchy girl, you can dun do anythin’. You gettin’ passed all them things in your dark place, you be gettin’ passed this too. And I bein’ here if’n you needin’ anything.”

  Lupa nodded against his chest. “I’ll be fine,” she whispered, “I’m always fine. It’ll take some time, but I’m always fine.”

  Sledge moved away from her and cupped his hand under her chin. “I knowin’ you will. But if you aint… I can always punch ‘em for you?”

  Lupa cracked a smile, “Thought you was too scared of me?”

  Sledge chuckled and
stroked his thumb against her cheek, “If it makin’ you smile again, I aint mindin’ so much.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Lupa rolled over and looked at the time. Five fucking am. Why was she awake? She looked over to see Sledge snoring next to her. When the fuck had she gotten used to people sleeping in her bed? Shit. She pushed the covers off her and crept into the bathroom, turning the shower on, stripping off and climbing in.

  The water was wonderfully hot, making her skin instantly pink. Closing her eyes, she let the tears slip freely from them. How had so much fucked up in her life? Why was The Organization she trusted so much failing her now? Sure, she hadn’t been trusted when she’d partnered with Karl… but surely… surely she had proved herself worthy? Had Karl never trusted her? Was it all some big fucking joke to him?

  Lupa shook her head, what was the point in thinking about it? It was just going to fuck with her, and he wasn’t around anymore to ask about it. Or to beat up. She needed to push it down into that dark place and lock the fucking door. Lock it tight and never go there again. Enough people had seen those places, felt that pathetic pain inside her. Enough was enough already.

  She stepped out of the shower and dried herself off quickly, sneaking into her room and pulling on a ratty band shirt and jeans, then creeping out to the lounge room. She pulled out her phone, the pill box and her smokes from her jacket, filling the kitchen sink to soak it. She removed her weapons and lay them on the bench then pushed the coat into the hot water. Lupa picked up her phone and dialled Slasher’s number.

  “Lupa.”

  “Hey… we need to talk.”

  “Yes we do… you want to come over in a bit? I’m not going into HQ today…”

  “Yeah. In an hour or so?”

  “Make it here for eight.”

  “Ok.”

  Lupa hung up and sighed, lighting a smoke and leaning against the bench. She knew that she was going to get her ass handed to her by Slasher. But she hoped that with the information she had… and Hammer’s offer to give Slasher the teenagers involved… she hoped it would be ok. But then… had Slasher known Karl was… fuck.