Coda (Alexa O'Brien Huntress Book 13) Read online

  This rollercoaster ride sucked. I was ready to get off. The constant shift in the balance between us was enough to make me pull my hair out.

  Frustration, thy name is Arys. “Tell me then,” I prompted, “what did you mean?”

  My phone rang, saving him from having to justify himself. Juliet’s name popped up on the screen. Interesting. Didn’t get a lot of calls from her these days. Definitely not just to chat.

  She barely let me answer before gushing, “Lexi, please, I know I don’t have the right to ask you for help. But something is really wrong with Thomas. He’s out of control. I don’t know what to do short of putting him down. Will you help? Please?”

  Scrunching my eyes shut, I rubbed my forehead. I should probably tell her to deal with it herself now that she was the big dog over there. But she was my sister, and as much as I wanted to pull her hair and kick her in the knee like when we were kids, I chose the high road.

  “I’m on my way.” I hung up and turned to Arys. “Stay here with Willow. I’m going to help Juliet with Briggs. He’s become unmanageable. Apparently.”

  “You can’t go there alone. This could be a trap. Sure, she’s your sister, but she can’t be trusted. You know that.” Shoulders squared, Arys’s stance shifted subtly as he prepared to stop me.

  “Well you sure as fuck aren’t coming.” I retorted in an explosion of sass and sarcasm. “Not really in the mood to have you kill me tonight. Just not feelin’ it. So you stay with Willow. Cool?”

  Arys blocked the path to the door. “Not cool. She could be luring you into a trap. People crack under the threat of blackmail. You never know what she might do.”

  “She’s not lying about this.” Irritation made my jaw clench. “I saw Briggs myself. He busted into one of my dreams. The entity is messing with him.” In keeping with the spirit of taking the high road, I sucked in a breath. I pleaded with myself to stay calm, reminded myself how I loved him. After last night’s moment of shared desperation, I didn’t want to go right back to butting heads.

  “And it will mess with you.” He let out a long breath. The tension in his frame melted away. “I worry about you, my wolf.”

  Do you though? that horrible voice in my head asked. Or do you just want to make sure nobody else gets to kill me? Because when my final death arrives, you plan to be the bringer.

  I glanced about, checking for Jez. Not present. Damn. “Look, I’ll call Jez or Shaz. Someone to come with me. I need someone who won’t be so easily affected by it. And I won’t stay long. Please keep Willow safe.”

  Arys relented with a nod. “Call Shaz. Jez’s demon blood might make her a target. Willow will be safe with me.”

  “I know.” I forced myself to take his hand even though that horrible voice lingered like an echo in a barren wasteland. “You know I love you, right?”

  Did that sound fake? Why did it sound so fake? It didn’t feel fake, but it did feel distant. From another time and place.

  Arys must not have heard what I heard. He pulled me into his arms. Tipping my face up, he gazed into my eyes. “I may be our backbone but you are our heart and soul. You make us worthy. Never forget that.”

  I walked away. The worst was yet to come. I hoped like hell I could rise to that occasion.

  Kale stood in the darkened hall that led to the restrooms and the back hall beyond. I hadn’t sensed him, because he hadn’t wanted me to. Shielding hard, he’d been watching.

  And all over his face I saw resigned acceptance that I wasn’t his. I never had been. Catching the brief moment of Arys and I fighting to stay united had driven home what we all had already known. The desire that Kale and I shared led only to anguish, not only for us but for everyone who loved us.

  We were forbidden because what we felt for one another had never been meant to exist. It muddied our fates, brought out the worst in both of us. My desire for Kale posed a direct threat to the bond Arys and I shared.

  But that didn’t make it any less real.

  God knows the pain sure as shit was.

  Before I could react, Kale slipped into the back hall. To meet whoever waited for him, willing to be his body and blood for the night.

  Not a blonde though. Never a blonde.

  * * * *

  Even though I wanted to go alone, I called Shaz. I’d told Arys I would, so I did, proud of even that victory over the forces that drove us apart. When Shaz didn’t pick up, I tossed my phone on the passenger seat and then adjusted the radio volume.

  A calm winter night, it hadn’t snowed in several days, so the roads were clear and dry. After sundown the temperature plummeted, cold but crisp. Refreshing.

  The drive to the old haunted hospital didn’t take long. As I rounded the corner, it came into view. Already I dreaded laying eyes upon it. That building housed terrible memories. If it mysteriously burnt to the ground, it would be a favor to the city at large.

  Of course I didn’t wish any harm to come to my sister. Briggs though, well, that was a whole other topic.

  I hoped Juliet wasn’t expecting more from me than I could give. The man had done nothing to endear himself to me. I didn’t want to help him, and I wouldn’t miss him if she had to dust him.

  She would though.

  Sadly, I knew how it felt when the insanity of that voice overcame someone you loved.

  Pausing at the perimeter, I scanned the night. Nothing seemed especially amiss, but did it ever? That shit usually took place inside. Reaching out to psychically feel out the place, I sensed the entity. Like static in my head. Loud static, like a radio tuned between stations, when only a shred of the voices made it through. Psychic noise. I suspected the entity itself caused that scramble to throw off people trying to suss it out. Like me.

  As I stepped onto the discontent land housing the hospital, a solid voice broke through the night, startling me.

  “Every time I think maybe you’re not as dumb as you look, you go and do something like this.” Falon stepped into place beside me, dodging the fist I swung at his face. And then he laughed.

  “What are you doing here?” I barked, annoyed that he’d taken me by surprise. “No, forget that. I don’t care. Go away.”

  “And let you go in there alone? Not likely. I’m sure one day you’ll go in and not come back out. But it won’t be today.” He matched my pace step for step, like the world’s most annoying shadow.

  Laughter burst forth. Ah, what a guy. “And you think that you will be the one who can keep the entity from taking me down? It made you its bitch too, remember? Pretty sure you still have the panties to prove it.” After our first encounter he’d swiped my underwear as a sick trophy. I never wanted to know what he did with them.

  Falon snickered. “I certainly do. They’re a favorite among my collection.” His expression was so stone cold serious, I had no way of knowing if he joked.

  “You’re a pig,” I muttered.

  “And you seem to really love bacon.” Refusing to be insulted, Falon knew how to play this game. He often had more patience than I did, which enabled him many a victory via the last word.

  I gave up. He could have this round.

  Still, before knocking on the back door the agents used, I jabbed a finger in warning at the smirking angel. “Behave yourself. I’m here to help Juliet with Briggs.”

  “Fine. I’m here to make sure you leave in one piece.”

  “Why though? How did you know I was coming here? Have you been following me?” I advanced on him, menace in my step. I suspected Falon had been checking up on Arys and me. And I’d never know if he didn’t want me to.

  He held his ground. “Why in the hell would I do that? Because it’s been too long since I’ve touched you and I’m hoping for any chance to get you on your knees? Don’t flatter yourself.”

  “My knees?” I repeated, frowning at his implication.

  “The Circle assigned us to each other. Have you forgotten that? It’s my job to keep you safe in situations like this.” He gestured impatiently to the do
or. “Let’s go.”

  “Right.” Dragging the word out, I raised a brow. “Whatever you say, asshole.”

  Yanking on the door handle I found it locked, a useless annoyance. This building had several weak points for entry.

  A moment later the door opened. Juliet stood there alone. Her mouth curved into a grimace when she saw Falon, but she ushered us inside without criticism. “Thanks for coming.” She forced a tight smile but her brow was pinched. The circles beneath her eyes showed the fatigue I could sense in her worn energy.

  “Have you even slept since I saw you last? Please tell me that you haven’t been staying here.” We followed Juliet to the elevator.

  The voice whispered in my ear. Mere seconds inside and already the damn thing spoke to me. It welcomed me back but said nothing else.

  I chose not to acknowledge it, instead focusing on the sad spirit that drifted into the elevator with us. An old woman, her face crumpled in despair, she raged furiously to Juliet. Her lips moved but no sound came out.

  My sister was oblivious. “I stayed all day, trying to get him to talk to me. It was useless. He might be too far gone.” Arms crossed over a baggy gray hoodie, her hair in a messy ponytail, Juliet leaned against the elevator wall like it took too much effort to stand on her own.

  “He’s not.” I tore my gaze from the spirit shouting at Juliet. “He broke into one of my dreams. The entity is definitely making him crazy, but he had enough sanity left to beg me for help.”

  “He did?” Juliet’s voice cracked. “I didn’t see any sign that he was still in there. He was so rabid. Just monstrous.”

  Served him right. I kept my opinion to myself, but Briggs had brought this on himself. So quick to point the finger at those he defined as monsters. Now he was one. I simply could not scrape up an iota of pity for him.

  Falon motioned to the spirit woman, now openly weeping. “Um, are you going to tell this poor lady why she can’t leave the building?”

  “I can’t see her.” Juliet appeared uneasy, glancing around the elevator. “I can only see some of them. The stronger ones.”

  The doors slid open, and we exited the small space. The spirit dissipated. I couldn’t help but feel bad for those trapped here after death. It had to be a special kind of hell.

  Juliet led us down to lockup, though I’d been here enough times now that I could have found it blindfolded. As we went I stopped to peer through the windows of each cell. Surprisingly, most of them were empty.

  “Where’s the little girl who plays with demons?” I asked, curious.

  “I asked them to move her to a different facility. Only Briggs wanted her here. I’m not okay with a child … down here.” Juliet continued towards the last room where Briggs would be.

  Seeing the empty lockup wing, I wondered if Juliet wanted it that way or if the FPA struggled in the aftermath of our last prison break. Either way worked for me.

  Juliet hesitated before the execution chamber, so nicknamed for the many who met their end at the hands of the ravenous vampires locked inside. Visibly shaken, she sucked in a deep breath. “I’m not sure I can look at him. Last time I came down here he rushed the door. Almost knocked himself out.”

  Trying to be delicate, I touched her arm, encouraged when she didn’t flinch or pull away. “You’ve been starving him, Juliet. Pig blood is worse than throwing table scraps to a dog. It’s weakened him, made him an easy target for the entity.”

  She bit her bottom lip and swore. “I just want to help him. I know he’s fucked up, that he can’t run things here anymore, but I never wanted him to suffer.”

  “Put him out of his misery.” Falon’s flippant suggestion was met with a scowl from both of us. “Just an idea.”

  “You’re not here for your ideas,” I said. “Just stand there and look pretty until I tell you otherwise.” As the words left my mouth I knew that I’d probably pay for them later.

  Confirming that suspicion, Falon leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. Expression void of any emotion, promise lurked in his silver gaze. The promise of payback.

  To Juliet I said, “He needs blood. Human blood. Lots of it. And if I were you, I’d move him out of here. Not just this cell, this entire building.”

  Without prolonging this any further, I stepped in front of the door and peered through the tiny rectangular window. Briggs stood near the door, staring expectantly. He’d felt my presence. His dark eyes were almost black, his pupils massive. All I saw within them was the hunger. Whatever it was that made Briggs himself, it was absent.

  Standing out of his sight, Juliet pulled a phone from her jeans and called someone named Adam, asking him to bring down several pouches of human blood. She’d had some all along and withheld it from him? Son of a bitch. Hmm, pissing off Juliet came at a steep price. Duly noted. Guess I shouldn’t have blackmailed her.

  “I’m going in there.” I gestured for her key card.

  She balked. “What? No, Lexi, that can’t be safe. Wait for Adam to get here with the blood.” She reached for the key but didn’t hand it over.

  Briggs and I locked eyes. A slow malicious grin spread over his face. Fangs gleamed brilliant against his smooth dark skin. Boy did I fuck up when I made him. I’d never live this one down.

  The entity murmured in my ear. ‘He belongs to me. As you belong to me.’

  “Fuck off,” I muttered. Louder, I said, “Fine, I’ll wait. Can I have the key card?”

  Reluctantly, she handed it over.

  I held it up for Briggs to see. His grin widened. I might have to kick his ass.

  Juliet paced the hall, staying out of view. Seeing Briggs in such a state had driven home the harsh reality of how he’d changed. And though the blood-hungry vampire staring out at me should have been the scariest part, I knew better. What made Briggs dangerous had nothing to do with his blood hunger and everything to do with his insatiable need to play God by creating his own monsters.

  “Moving him out of here is going to be a problem.” Juliet paused mid-pace to study a stain on the floor before continuing her back and forth shuffle. “There’s nowhere to put him. This is it.”

  That could be a problem. “If we can find another place to keep him, we might be able to secure him with magic. It worked before. Gabriel held him in Shya’s house that way.”

  But where would we keep him? Seeing as Gabriel lived in the house, I doubted he’d want Briggs back as his unwelcome roommate. Should we bind him in a room at The Wicked Kiss and send him a willing victim as long as he was on good behavior?

  Briggs was no damn pet. An animal caged at the zoo. Rylan’s fate flashed through my mind. If we couldn’t trust Briggs to walk freely among us, should we even leave him alive?

  I slid a sidelong glance in Falon’s direction. Slouched against the wall, head tipped back, he did his best to appear bored. When his gaze dropped to the floor and he cocked his head to one side, I knew he was listening to the voice.

  “Would it still hold him now?” Juliet asked. “As far as vampires go, you pretty much guaranteed that he’d be no lightweight.”

  “No, he’s not. But he’s still got nothing on me. Or Gabriel.” Studying Juliet, I braced myself before gently saying, “Have you let yourself consider the worst-case scenario?”

  She jerked to a halt and spun to face me. “No. I’m not giving up on him. If you can stand here and still be you, then so can he. He’s got to be able to come back from this.”

  I stifled a sigh. “Then he definitely can’t stay in this shitshow.”

  Adam showed up with several blood bags. He and Juliet walked down the hall to talk. I kicked the edge of Falon’s shoe. His head jerked up.

  “Stop listening to it,” I said.

  Falon launched into motion, walking over to look in at Briggs. “Fucking thing never shuts up. No wonder this bastard is batshit crazy.”

  “It’s talking to me too.” Something about his response struck me as odd. Now I badly wanted to know what the entity had been whi
spering to Falon.

  Before I could find a way to ask, Juliet returned. She held out several blood packs. “Try not to hurt him. If possible.”

  “I’ll do my best.” I took the packs in one hand and held out the other. “Cuffs. Find a place for him. He can’t stay here. Get people ready to move him.”

  Falon joined me at the door.

  I shook my head. “Only come in if he somehow manages to kick my ass. Pretty sure I can handle him.”

  “As your partner in The Circle, I’d advise you to not make any more vampires. Someone with as many screws loose as you shouldn’t be reproducing.” The snarky angel sauntered off down the hall. But he didn’t go far.

  Juggling the cuffs and blood packs, I swiped the lock with the key card. As soon as I stepped inside, Juliet shoved the door closed.

  Once again I found myself locked in the execution chamber.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The slam of the door behind me reverberated, sending a tremor down my spine. I wasn’t afraid of Briggs but of being trapped in that room again. It flashed me back to the night Kale had attacked me here. Just another painful memory in our history.

  Briggs eyed me with a strange mix of suspicion and intrigue. Then he flung himself at me in a sudden maniacal outburst. Dropping the blood bags and cuffs, I threw my hands up to block him with an energy wall. He hit like it was concrete and went down flat on his back.

  I used a boot on his chest to keep him down. Leaning in to grab his throat, I used extra force to keep him pinned to the cold, dirty floor.

  Briggs bared fangs and made a guttural, animal-like sound.

  “Talk to me,” I urged. “Let me know you’re still in there. Otherwise, this is the end of the road for you.”

  The weight of Juliet’s gaze upon us through the window bore down on me. I didn’t have to look to know she watched. Probably ready to shoot me if I tried to kill him.

  Briggs fought against the power I used to hold him. Useless. Like a cornered beast he snarled and snapped, though nothing coherent came out. Wild with hunger, all but outright starved, he saw through a haze of bloodlust driven by the craving for my blood.