Battle for the Blood (8 page)

Okay, so the dragon was a
her
then, I thought, focusing on the least relevant portion.

“
We
did nothing,” Apollo said, striding over to put himself between me and the dragon. Chivalrous, but totally unnecessary. At night, with my wings and his lack of access to the sun, the source of his power, I was probably better equipped to take care of
him
.
Still, it was heartwarming, and I needed all the warmth I could get after the night we’d had. “She did,” he continued, nodding at the unconscious woman.

Lau spotted her for the first time. Her eyes widened and even in the dark flashed with something like interest. Her inner homicide hunter coming to the fore.

“What happened to her?” she started to approach, but stopped halfway there, eying the blood leaking from Lyssa’s eyes distrustfully. “Ebola?” her voice rose on that.

“Demon,” he responded. “Part of her fearsome aspect, all the better to incite madness.”

“Is she part of this?”

Apollo, Hecate and I all exchanged looks. Time to say what we were all thinking. “She said she’d been called, asked if we could hear it. Do you think it has anything to do with Namtar? With what’s happening in New York? They’ve got sickness. Panic and rage would be icing on the cake.”

I hated the very thought. Lyssa had nearly brought us to violence on each other in the time it took for our ride to arrive. I could only imagine what she could do in a powder keg like New York, especially on a subway at rush hour or in the endless lines at the DMV.

Lau looked at me in horror.

“After all, Namtar is the god of demons and plagues, right?” I said.

Apollo and Hecate nodded silently.

“I think we’d better take her with us,” Hecate said into the silence.

We all stared at her like she’d lost her mind.

“What? I can set her to sleep. She should be safe enough. But if she’s being called, maybe we can follow her to the source. Do you have a better idea for finding him?”

I sure didn’t, but I didn’t like it. Based on the looks of horror on the other faces gathered around, they didn’t either.

Not waiting for permission, Hecate squatted beside the downed demon, weaving her magic, which seemed to settle on Lyssa like a net. I wanted to go prod her with my toe, make sure she was really out, but thought it best to let sleeping demons lie.

“Really?” Lau asked Apollo, clearly deciding that he, at least, had the potential for sanity.

He shrugged. “I don’t see what else we can do. We can’t leave her here for someone else to stumble on.”

She turned from him without a word and went to the dragon, who’d watched the whole scene as if she understood. When Lau got close, she lowered her head, her sharp beak at Lau’s chest, centimeters from her heart, and they went forehead to forehead. Lau stroked the smooth, serpentine neck as they communed, and when she turned from the dragon, the fire was back in her eyes.

“Eu-meh will carry us, but if the demon starts trouble, I swear I will push her off myself.”

I goggled at Detective Lau. Just Lau, now. I had to get used to that. Everything had changed if she would not only condone but commit murder. Of course, maybe she didn’t consider it murder for a demon. Maybe she was even right. I didn’t know what kind of abuse they could survive.

“But
you
hold her,” she added to Apollo. “She’s your responsibility. Now, why don’t you introduce me to your dominatrix friend?”

Hecate laughed.

My shoulders untensed fractionally, my wings drooping to an at-ease posture. We’d gotten the Sword of Perseus. We had a demonic dowsing rod to get us to the source of the trouble…or so we suspected. All we had to do now was get to the epicenter of an epidemic…on the back of a dragon.

My fear of heights kicked in with the force of an
Alien
from the original sci-fi horror flick bursting through my chest.

Chapter Eight

I was at the rearguard of our little puppy pile on the dragon, because my wings wanted to flare out every time we hit turbulence or made a course correction, as if I could help it fly. My nerves were shot. Apollo had rigged a harness with his shirt to help him hold Lyssa while he held on to Hecate, who held on to Lau, who held to the dragon, leaning closely over its neck as if it were a racehorse and she was urging it on. I clung to Apollo with all my might, thankful that my transformation hadn’t come with claws, because there was no way I’d have kept them sheathed. His shoulders would have been shredded. Riding a dragon was much like riding a giant kite. A giant, living, breathing kite that might get a sudden itch and forget you were there.

There was no talking. The wind whipped any words away, and froze us in place, literally and figuratively. By the time we landed—a lifetime later at least—I felt like an ice sculpture.

“Wh-wh-wh-where are we?” I asked through chattering teeth.

Lau climbed down and grinned fiercely at me. I was sure that ice must run through her veins. She looked in her element.

“Not sure exactly. Scotland? Ireland? Eu-meh had to rest, and so we found a good spot.”

My legs felt like soggy noodles with all the starch boiled out. I hadn’t realized until then how hard I’d been gripping with them, until they threatened to give out on me. I sat down rather than fall, so that I could control my descent. It was a graceful collapse, if unceremonious.

“I think we all need to rest,” Apollo said, looking down at me.

He looked drawn as well. It had to have been twice as hard for him, keeping Lyssa’s dead weight on board.

“And sleep,” Hecate said, trying to finger brush her hair out, which I could tell her was a lost cause. I could feel my tangles without even touching my hair and figured there was no point using a finger comb where only a rake would do. And failing that, a buzz cut. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but all this beauty comes at a cost.”

Her hair crackled with static electricity and she actually yanked back a hand as if shocked.

Lau stifled a yawn herself. “Yes, sleep. Eu-meh and I have been going nearly nonstop for days. I think I’d have buns of steel if the turbulence didn’t keep tenderizing them.”

I so didn’t want to think about Lau’s buns it was ridiculous.

“Where should we sleep?” Apollo asked. “Right out in the open?”

“No caves!” I said quickly. Not after the Grey Sisters. Not after our prior descent into the underworld where the literal clash of the titans nearly brought the ceiling down on us.

“Open it is,” Lau said decisively. “Easier to see danger coming, easier to escape and much easier to fit a dragon.”

“Also easier to
spot
a dragon,” Hecate put in.

“Oh, is it?” Lau asked.

I looked over to Eu-meh then, squinting into the night…and squinting… If I hadn’t known where she was, I’d have mistaken her for a hillock or a fairy mound. Gone was her gorgeous copper color and almost luminescent underwings. She’d blended right into the earth like a chameleon. It was only by looking really closely that I could tell that her head was on her front claws and her tail curled around her like a cat’s, her eyes already closed. I wondered if dragons snored and if any of us would get any sleep if they did.

“Huh,” Hecate said, unwilling to be impressed. “I need to check in with Hades. If you’ll all excuse me.”

She started to walk off, when Apollo asked, “Private call? Now is not the time for secrets and plots.”

He’d lowered Lyssa to the ground now, beside the dragon, who, strangely, lashed her tail out to encompass the sleeping demon. It made me think of tauntauns and
Star Wars
and sharing body heat…only without so much blood and guts. I blamed exhaustion for the odd imagery.

She blew out a breath in irritation. “Fine.”

I expected an arcane spell, some chanting, a window to the underworld opening in midair. I
didn’t
expect her to pull an electronic device out of her tight leather jacket and jab her fingers at it like you’d dial any other…

“I thought there were no cell towers in hell,” I said.

She shot me a darkly amused look. “You’re thinking cell phone. What I have is a
hell
phone. Way more powerful.”

I looked at Apollo to see whether it was a joke, but from his blank look, I wasn’t sure he knew. “You’re pulling my leg,” I told her.

She shrugged. “Why? If I rip it off, does candy come pouring out?”

My eyes probably goggled, and when she opened her mouth to laugh, her teeth gleamed in the moonlight. She turned her back on me then, though, and held the phone in front of her face.

I heard the connection when it came through, but it was like Hades was at the other end of the tunnel…or like Hecate was on speakerphone.

“No time right now!” Hades yelled into the phone. “Unless you have something earth-shattering to report, like an end to this madness…”

There were cries in the background, inhuman, pained cries, like westerners would expect to hear in their conception of hell, only these weren’t the cries of the damned. Those would be thin and weak from eternal torment. These were surprised, cut off in fiercely final ways. Prayers rose up on some lips,
Hades, help us
. Hellhounds snarled and yelped and died…

“What’s going on down there?” Hecate asked in a panic.

“Don’t come!” Hades grunted and breathed at the same time, fending off an attacker while he held on. “You won’t turn the tide. Souls are arriving, but with no body tethers. No metaphysical form, which means no way to hold them. They’re mad, ravenous. They’re destroying… Oh, Olympus!”

He cut off then and we heard flailing, thrashing, more cries. A chant and then an explosion. When his voice came back, it echoed, like he was now inside a bubble.

“Fix this!” he demanded.

The connection cut out, and Hecate turned to stare back at us, torment plain on her face, along with an expression she didn’t wear well…fear. She looked like Helena Bonham Carter staring down the barrel of a bald cap.

I was already fiddling with my own phone. If there were so many souls without bodies below, there had to be that many bodies sans souls above, which meant that things had escalated quickly. There had to be news coverage.

But first, there were a dozen texts and messages from Jesus.

Boss lady, where are you?

Boss lady, this zombie virus you asked me to look in to…it’s spreading. People are making a run on stores for iodine [?] and that drug they mentioned in World War Z, like it’s for real. There’s already been some looting. Your cousin and her new husband left for their honeymoon, but no one can reach them. Have you heard?

Listen, chica, call me. I’m worried. Your brother is beside himself.

One from Yiayia interrupted the flow. I didn’t even know she knew how to text.
Anipsi
,
you call, you hear me? I know this isn’t your doing.
Which was more than she’d known when Rhea rose and brought the titans with her.
But if you’re out there doing something crazy…just call.

“Look at this,” Apollo called out. He was fiddling with his own phone, and turned the screen out to face us. Lau, Hecate and I watched in stunned silence at the scenes from New York City. Hospitals overflowing, barricades set up and police phalanxes to protect them. Schools shut down, houses boarded up, the subways at a standstill. There were shots of supermarkets, corner stores and bodegas busted and broken or with their metal curtains locked down tight with taped-on signs that they’d run out of everything and that there was no cash kept on premises.

“All nonessential personnel are being told to telecommute. Stay at home, stay indoors, avoid gathering where there are large numbers of people. Mass transit has been shut down. The airports and bridges have been closed…”

It was like the news coverage in every zombie or outbreak movie ever…only this was real. This was happening. And Nick was there, right at the epicenter.

A sob escaped me, and I turned away, speed-dialing Nick’s line, hoping to get his sister or, even better, him, but I got a blaring double-bleep message almost immediately, like a busy signal. I’d never heard that before.

I hung up and dialed again, to the same response.

“I can’t get through to New York!” I said, horrified. Surely, all communications weren’t down as well. There was news footage getting out, so…

“Probably all lines are jammed with too many people trying to call in or out, checking on loved ones, panicking. It was the same way on September 11,” Apollo said, gravely, clearly remembering.

“You were there?” I asked.

“Filming. We…I…I still can’t talk about it.”

“We’ve got to get moving,” Hecate cut in. “We can’t just stay here. Hades is under siege.”

Lau gave her the evil eye. It was refreshing to see it used on someone else. If only I were in the mood to appreciate it. “You want to move on, help yourself, but Eu-meh needs a rest. A few hours at least. We’re not going anywhere until then.”

Hecate looked murderous. Her hair crackled and smoked. Hellfire lit in her eyes, but it was quickly extinguished when Lyssa moaned and shifted in her sleep. “Fine,” she spat. “I’ll renew the sleep spell and take first watch. I can’t sleep right now, anyway.”

Lau softened at her capitulation and reached out like she’d put a consoling hand on Hecate’s arm, but stopped short of actually touching her. Probably scared of electrocution. “It’ll be okay,” she said.

But the fire had gone out of her eyes, leaving behind black holes. “Really? Are you a seer?”

Lau drew her hand back. “No. But now that I’ve found Eu-meh, now that I’ve seen the hidden world, I know that all things are possible.”

“Including the world’s end.”

No one had anything to say to that.

Hecate renewed the spell. Lau grabbed a thin blanket out of her pack and tossed it to me, shooting a glance at Apollo. “I’ve seen the body language. I assume you two can share?”

The censure in her voice was powerful, and I felt another pang for how quickly I’d fallen into Apollo’s arms after Nick… He’d broken up with me, dammit. I had nothing to be guilty for… Except for the circumstances and the fact that it was our relationship that had put him in harm’s way to begin with. My fault he was suffering with third-degree burns. Me he’d been trying to protect at the time. This…this might kill him.

“No,” I said, handing the blanket off to Apollo. “I’ll stay up with Hecate. There’s no way I can sleep anyway. Not now. You two…”

I turned away before I broke down completely, and stalked off. Hecate had gone left, walking a perimeter, so I went right. Eventually we’d meet in the middle, but first I’d have time to collect myself. I didn’t look to Apollo as I did. I didn’t want to see whatever was on his face. I could feel it already through our link. Pain. Understanding. A hollow ache. I wish I knew how to shut down, keep myself to myself.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him and Lau move off, back toward the sleeping dragon and unconscious demon, as I stalked the night.

The music woke me up.

Oh, not at first. First it worked its way into my dreams.

I’d turned over my watch to Lau, but, unlike her, I couldn’t bring myself to lie down at the dragon’s side, scared she’d roll over in her sleep and crush me or knock me straight down the mountain. Lau’s assurances that dragons were protectors and that Eu-meh would do no such thing fell on deaf ears. Hecate, though, had no such qualms and lay down by the dragon’s belly, the fiery warmth of a stoked furnace reminding her of home.

Apollo laid the blanket Lau had given us over me. It was toasty from his body heat, but still I shivered in the breeze atop the mountain. When I finally shook myself to sleep, some variation of
Werewolves of London
made its way into my nightmares—maybe the idea of being caught out at night on the Scottish Highlands. Maybe my recent personal experience with unwanted transformation, but in my dream something stalked.

When the music started, it seemed perfectly natural—a soundtrack to the horror film playing out in my head. When my mental alarms started going off, they were so perfectly in line with the growling, prowling menace in my dreams that I didn’t register them as anything else.

It wasn’t until the torrent of lust and hunger shot through me that I realized something was wrong. Really wrong. I snapped awake, my wings momentarily tangling in the blanket before I flapped it off, frantic in my dream-fogged confusion and treating it like a threat.

I realized immediately that that wasn’t it, though, and looked frantically around. There was no sign at all of Apollo or Lau, our two lookouts. But off in the distance, that music played. That strange, haunting, mesmerizing music that had invaded my dream. Before I’d even consciously decided to investigate, my feet were carrying me in that direction, moving me in time to the music. A foot came down with every beat, and as it sped up, so did I. I’d been controlled before, by one of the grand high mother goddesses of them all. I hadn’t liked it then and I didn’t like it now. The harmony of the music called to me, spoke to my soul. It hurt not to give in, but still I fought against the music and managed to struggle out of the rhythm, but it was like forcing my heart to beat out of time. Against the natural order of things. The world seemed discordant and the night to swirl around me, ever so slightly unclear, like a mirror image in a lake someone had skimmed a stone across. Wavering.

I nearly fell as I broke away, and the step after that fell naturally back into the pattern. I forced it out, spotting something up ahead that had me faltering again…the Sword of Perseus, lying on the ground, abandoned. My heart rate kicked up, way too fast for the music now, even as it took on a faster pace and more urgency.

I quickened my steps along with it, still trying to stay offbeat, and grabbed up the sword, swinging it twice experimentally before hurrying on. It was a brute weapon and took more muscles and probably more mass than mine to use it effectively. My wings extended with each swing to counterbalance me so I didn’t fall on my face, but it was a close thing. If it came down to a battle…I’d make it work. I had to.