House of Comarré Omnibus, page 172
part #0.50 of House of Comarré Series
But Lilith shoved Mal out of the way so hard he hit the ground with an audible thud. She snatched one of the apples and shoved it into her mouth, chewing like a greedy little pig.
Tatiana made a show of trying to pry it away from her, but Lilith met her with a foot to the stomach and pushed her down, too. “My apple,” she cried, bits of white flesh flying out of her mouth.
She opened her mouth to say something else, but only a choking sound came out. Then she fell to the ground.
Chapter Thirty-nine
Doc wrapped Fi in a hug like she hadn’t had in a long time. She leaned in and held on, the tension of the last few days gone from his body. He was her big kitty cat again, relaxed and happy. A deep purr rumbled out of him. She squeezed him once more before tipping her head back. “I still can’t believe Remo would kill his own sister just to tip the scales toward him becoming pride leader. What are you going to tell Rodrigo?”
Doc kissed her forehead before pulling her down onto the couch with him. He laid back, his long, hard body suddenly the most comfortable thing Fi had been in contact with lately. “The truth. I owe him that much.”
She put her hands on his chest and pushed up. “You sure that’s the best thing to do?”
He nodded. “Yes. Lies only complicate things. Rodrigo’s a good man. He understood about Heaven. He won’t be happy about what Remo’s done. In fact, if he’s mad about anything it will probably be that we can’t hand Remo over to him now that the police have him in custody. Issues like this need to be taken care of internally.”
“It is pride business.”
“I know. But turning Remo over to the cops was the only way to get Barasa and Omur released. Remo knew what he was doing when he insisted on bringing the police in.” Doc rolled his head from side to side. “He’s a slick one. He knew taking it public would keep him out of his father’s hands if things went south.”
“Which they totally did.” Fi lay back down, tucking her head under Doc’s chin. She loved the way the heat of his body seeped into hers. “You’re out a council member again.”
Doc cursed softly. “Remo screwed us more ways than I can count. Replacing him isn’t going to be easy. He might not have been well known, but he had the weight of the São Paulo alliance behind him. And despite Barasa and Omur being cleared, they’ll never be clean enough for those in the pride who still resent me for taking out Sinjin.” His hands fisted and his body suddenly became almost too hot to touch.
Fi jerked back. “You’re not about to go nova on me, are you? Your skin is like fire.”
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a few seconds. “No. I’m good.” He blew out the breath slowly. “Flames just get harder to control when I get riled, you know?” He gave her a pitiful smile. “Sorry, baby.”
She leaned against the couch but kept one hand planted on his forearm. “Does a council member have to be a pride member? Or even varcolai? Can it just be anyone the pride leader appoints?”
“Remo was proof they don’t have to be an existing pride member. They become an honorary member through the appointment. I don’t know about someone who’s not varcolai.” He squinted at her, his skin cooling beneath her fingers. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
She smiled. “What’s it worth to you?”
He laughed.
She tapped a finger against her temple. “This is pure gold, kitty cat. I’m going to need a lot of high-quality persuasion to spill it.”
His eyes went green-gold, the pupils thinning down to slits. She shivered with anticipation as he pulled her down to him. “Good thing I’m all about high quality.” He nipped at her chin, scraping his teeth down her neck and causing her to moan. “You should probably tell me your idea now, though.”
“Why?” she breathed. She wasn’t sure which one of them was on fire now.
His deep laugh reverberated against her throat. “Because when I’m done persuading you, you probably won’t be able to talk.”
“Oh. Oh! Ohhh…”
The juice coated Tatiana’s tongue with the flavors of warm honey, cinnamon, and smoke. After she’d swallowed the first bite, a gentle hum had vibrated through her body. Almost like a tiny electric shock, but completely pleasant.
It felt very much like power to her, the kind of power Lilith didn’t need. But maybe she’d been wrong. She pushed to her elbows on the ground beside Mal. “Is she dead?”
“I don’t know.” He flipped to his feet and stood over Lilith’s body. “She looks dead, but she hasn’t gone to ash.”
Panic swept through Tatiana. She stared at the apple’s small white core. “What if it kills me too?” She tossed the fruit and dug in her pocket for the little metal tin of white powder. Frantically she opened it and dumped it into her mouth. She coughed, spewing dust as she rolled to her side. It tasted like sugar. She clutched at her throat. “I think I’m dying.” She clawed hysterically at the ground. “Water. I need water.”
Mal shook his head. “You’re not dying.” He sighed, disappointment crystalline in his eyes. “Unfortunately.”
Tatiana went still. She wasn’t dying. “Now is not the time for snide remarks, Malkolm.”
A gasp stole their attention. Mal turned, moving out of the way enough for Tatiana to see Lilith quivering on the ground.
“She’s having a seizure.” New fear chilled Tatiana. Death could still be coming for her.
Lilith’s body shook so badly her features blurred. She bent and bowed up off the ground, limbs flailing.
Mal swore softly. “She’s shrinking.”
She was. Right before Tatiana’s eyes, Lilith was growing smaller and smaller. Tatiana grabbed her own arms and legs and palpitated them, but they seemed to be the right size. She tried to listen to her body, to feel for anything that might be changing internally, but there was nothing. In fact, she’d never felt so good.
She glanced back at Lilith. She was no more than the size of a toddler now, and the tremors seemed to be subsiding. Tatiana got to her feet. “What’s happened to her?”
“I have no idea,” Mal answered. He looked at her. “How do you feel?”
“Good. Really good.”
He squinted at her and was about to say something when a piercing wail erupted behind him. Again they turned. Lilith was sitting up, sobbing, swamped in clothes that were now vastly too large for her. Tears trailed down her pink cheeks. She blinked, her brown eyes big and wet, and reached toward Mal like she wanted him to pick her up.
“Holy hell,” Tatiana muttered. “She’s a child again.”
“More than that,” Mal said, his nostrils flaring. “She’s… human.”
Creek stood in front of the machine shop, unlocking the big sliding door, when the familiar sound of leathery wings beating the night air reached his ears. He pushed the door back and left it open after he went inside.
A moment later, Annika joined him. She closed the door as her wings disappeared into her jacket. She walked past him and sat. “Octavian’s dead.”
Hello to you too. Creek took the other chair. “How?”
“He and the mayor showed up at Tatiana’s house in Corvinestri.”
“The mayor?” Creek hadn’t expected that. “No wonder I couldn’t get in to see her. Or find Octavian.”
“None of us could,” she said. “As to how he died, Lilith figured out who he was and killed him before Tatiana could even react, apparently.” She picked at one of the holes in the fabric on the chair’s arm. “It’s all for the better. We would have had to kill him anyway.”
Creek nodded slowly. The meting out of KM justice wasn’t something he always agreed with, but in this case, he would have been totally on board.
Sighing, she leaned forward, her arms on her knees. “There’s more. Our contact overheard a conversation between Malkolm and Chrysabelle.”
“Chrysabelle’s in Corvinestri?”
“Was. We believe she’s already returned home to complete the rest of her and Malkolm’s mission.”
Now he really felt lost. “They had a mission?”
“Self-imposed. They’re luring Lilith and Tatiana to the Garden of Eden and putting an end to both of them there.”
“The Garden of Eden? That’s a real place?”
“Very. And almost impossible to get to unless you know how to open a portal. Even then, humans can’t get in.”
“But Chrysabelle’s human.”
“Mostly. And now that we believe she’s carrying Malkolm’s child, we—”
“What? Chrysabelle’s pregnant?”
“Didn’t you know?” She raised one brow. “We thought you were privy to everything that went on in the comarré’s life.”
He got up and went to the kitchen for a beer. It was better than letting Annika watch the anger on his face. “You know I’m not. Being the KM’s messenger boy has destroyed my relationship with her.”
“You sound upset.”
Brilliant deduction. “I am.” He left it at that. Any more and he’d only succeed in putting himself in a worse mood. But pregnant? How was that even possible? If the KM thought he was doing anything to help them put their hands on Chrysabelle’s child, they were dead wrong. He changed the subject. “I hope they get rid of Tatiana once and for all.”
She nodded. “Me too. But Lilith’s the real issue. If they can’t make this happen, the KM’s main focus will shift to her. After what our contact shared, we now know that she’s the greatest threat to mankind that’s ever existed.”
“Why can’t your contact there do something to stop Lilith?”
Annika stood, wing tips emerging from her jacket. “Because our contact activated an emergency message alert. Our receiving it means she was unable to stop the system from sending it, which most likely means she’s dead.” She walked toward the door.
She? But he knew better than to ask. If Annika wanted him to know more, she would have already given him the info. “Before you go…”
She stopped at the door. “Yes?”
It was now or never. “Does anyone ever leave the Kubai Mata?”
“Besides dying?”
Obviously. “Yes.”
“You can buy your way out or fight your way out.” She stared at him. “Thinking about retirement?”
He nodded. “You might say that. We both know I don’t have the funds. Whom would I have to fight?”
She snorted softly, then pushed the door open. “Me.”
Not the answer he wanted to hear. “And if I win, what happens to my family and my record?”
The amusement left her face. “The money goes away, Creek. The mortgage on the house becomes your mother’s and grandmother’s responsibility. Una’s scholarship won’t be pulled, but it won’t be renewed next semester, either. As for your record, it stands the way it is. You’ve been cleared of the charge. The KM won’t put you back in prison unless you give them a reason to.”
The next question stuck in his throat. “Would I have to… kill you to win?”
She went quiet a moment, like she couldn’t believe he was contemplating this. “No. You’d just have to best me.” Her fingers strayed to the temple of her shades. “You should know that there’s no cure for being turned to stone by a basilisk.”
He nodded. “Good to know.” Horrible to know. It pretty much meant the brawl would be over almost immediately unless he could fight her without looking at her, which didn’t seem possible.
She tipped her head at him, then stepped through the door and flew into the night. He leaned back in the chair and rocked his head back to stare at the ceiling. The chains he’d strung Octavian up with still hung from the ceiling. At least that was one issue he’d no longer have to deal with. Dominic would want to know.
He sat up. Dominic. If anyone could make the impossible possible, it was an alchemist. Creek grabbed his jacket and his keys. Anything was worth a shot.
Chapter Forty
Chrysabelle watched from her perch in the branches as Tatiana lunged for Lilith. Fortunately, Mal got there first. He snatched the child up, brought her close to his face, and inhaled. “She’s definitely human.”
“She can’t be.” Tatiana reached for her, but Mal pulled Lilith away. “Give her to me,” Tatiana commanded.
He turned slightly, his eyes silvering. “For what reason?” Lilith wrapped her little arms around his neck. The blouse she’d been wearing as an adult now dangled off her like a christening gown.
Tatiana held out her hands. “Because she’s my daughter.”
Chrysabelle had heard enough. Tatiana’s time had come to an end. She dropped out of the tree, landing behind Tatiana. “No, she’s not.”
Tatiana whipped around, putting Mal and Lilith at her back. “Chrysabelle.” She looked at Mal. “You said she was dead. That you killed her.”
Mal shook his head. “I guess it didn’t take.”
Tatiana let out a shriek of anger, but spun back to face Chrysabelle. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to do what the Tree of Life didn’t.” Chrysabelle reached back, grabbed the hilts of both sacres, and unsheathed them in one graceful sweep. Their beautiful blades gleamed like water in the moonlight, the hilts humming and ready for the battle ahead. “I’m going to kill you.”
“Like hell you are.” With a snarl and flash of fang, Tatiana thrust her metal hand out, transforming it into a long, wicked blade. Toothy serrations ran down one edge. “Bring it, blood whore. I’ve wanted to cut you apart for a long, long time.”
Chrysabelle circled toward Mal, pushing Tatiana away from him and whatever Lilith had become. In his arms, she seemed like an innocent. Chrysabelle snuck a look at them. Heaven help her, but Mal looked so natural cradling Lilith, whispering soft words that had stopped her tears. Chrysabelle’s pride in him soared. He would be a wonderful father, no matter what his reservations were. Renewed by the surge of emotion, she raised her weapons and beckoned to Tatiana. “Let’s go, vampire. Your time is up.”
Slowly, Tatiana worked farther away from Mal. She spun her sword hand in a figure eight, the metal leaving trails of light in the air. “How wrong you are, comarré.”
Chrysabelle shook her head. “The only wrong thing here is that your ashes are going to dirty up this place.” Satisfied that Mal and Lilith were out of danger, she lunged.
Tatiana blocked the thrust and metal met metal. The clang scared a flock of small birds near the perimeter, filling the night sky with the rustle of wings. Tatiana twisted, bringing her sword around.
Chrysabelle ducked and the blade whistled over her head. She kicked a leg out, knocking Tatiana off balance. She fell, but caught herself with her physical hand and flipped back to her feet in a split second.
Plenty of time for Chrysabelle to reposition. She sliced both sacres through the air as Tatiana righted herself. The tips of the blades caught the front of her throat, opening a red line that closed almost as soon as it formed. “First blood,” Chrysabelle taunted. “And I’ll have the last blood, too.”
Tatiana retaliated with a downward strike, but Chrysabelle danced out of the way. Pain burned along her upper arm. She glanced down to see blood spilling from a slice on her bicep.
“Too bad you don’t heal as fast as I do,” Tatiana gloated. Behind her, Mal growled. Tatiana laughed. “Don’t worry, my love, I know you wanted to be the one to kill her, but looks like that fun is going to be all mine.”
“My love?” Chrysabelle smirked. “Is that what you’re calling my fiancé these days?”
Mal’s mouth opened slightly and he stilled. Then a smile as bright as the sun he’d never see broke over his face. “Is that a yes?”
Chrysabelle winked at him. “We’ll talk about it.”
“Fiancé?” Tatiana whirled around. “What the hell is she talking about? Explain this, Malkolm, or I swear, I will kill you when I’m done with her.”
It was all the opening Chrysabelle needed. She tossed one sacre into the air, caught it in a reverse grip and drove it forward like a lance. The blade pierced Tatiana’s back and slid through her body like a needle stitching silk until the hilt met flesh. Chrysabelle leaned in to whisper in Tatiana’s ear. “That’s for Maris.” Then she grabbed the hilt with both hands and yanked up, slicing through Tatiana’s rib cage before loosening her grip to shove Tatiana forward.
Tatiana fell flat on her face, but pushed to her knees, struggling to get a foot on the ground so she could get up. Chrysabelle danced around to face her. The first few inches of the sacre’s blade stuck out of Tatiana’s chest, dripping blood that turned to ashes as it fell. Chrysabelle shook her head. “Too bad you didn’t turn your back on my mother. Then she could have taken you out a long time ago.”
Anger gleamed in Tatiana’s eyes and blood trickled from her mouth. She lifted her sword hand to strike, but Chrysabelle stepped back from the wobbling figure. Tatiana took one step forward. “You stupid whore. You’ve ruined everythin—”
The sacre fell to the ground as Tatiana’s ashes floated down after it. They covered the weapon in a gray shroud.
It was over. A sob shook Chrysabelle in a hard rush of joy and the rising sense that she’d finally avenged her mother. “We’re free,” she whispered across the clearing to Mal. It seemed as if another person took over her body and began moving her feet, walking her toward him, and then something inside her clicked and she ran.
He set Lilith down and caught Chrysabelle up in his arms. “You did it.” He kissed her. “I knew you could.” He leaned back. “I didn’t know you were going to do it dressed like a dominatrix, but the look is growing on me.”
Laughing, she returned his kiss with tears streaming down her face. Tears of happiness and pain and redemption. Beside them, Lilith’s little hand patted Chrysabelle’s leg. She glanced down to see Lilith sucking her thumb. “What are we going to do with her? I’m not even sure what happened to her.”
Mal followed Chrysabelle’s gaze. “She’s got family in Paradise City. We take her back with us.”
Lilith lifted her arm to point at something behind Chrysabelle, her little face scrunching into a tearful mask. “No,” she shouted. “No!”
