Lost Soul (DarkWorld: SkinWalker Book 2) (33 page)

His ego took the bait and he shoved Greer aside. She stumbled and bumped into a pile of metal. "What the hell?" she yelled, rubbing her hip. He gave her a sneering look, his lip curling to reveal a yellowed canine. Poor Greer. The object of her loyalty seemed a little unappreciative.

Brand walked forward. What may have been intended as a strut turned into little more than a limp. If he'd expected to instill fear in me, he'd failed badly. The look on his face said he knew it.

I kept Greer in my peripherals. I didn't trust her not to try and defend this creep. Certainly I knew I could no longer trust my sister.

I held the sword at my side and waited as Brand moved in a wide circle around me. Perhaps he thought it gave him an advantage over me to be the one moving while I stood still and watched.

It didn't.

All his movements did was allow me to predict where he would be next in case I could strike.

As he moved, his claws released and he allowed himself a partial transformation. His eyes and ears and forehead and chin transitioned slowly to his Leopard Walker form. But he didn't look right. Not like a normal Walker transition.

His jaw and the bones in his chin looked lopsided. "What's wrong with your face? The last time I had the privilege of seeing this side of you, it wasn't this bad."

"Concerned are we?" he asked, still circling.

"Not concerned. Just curious."

"Well if you must know, it seems that Niko forgot to tell us one little detail about using Synthe. It has a side effect in Walkers like us." His face twisted but I couldn't figure out his expression. I assumed it was disgust given the topic of discussion.

"You were using the drug that you were peddling?" I was blown away. I'd have expected dealers at least to stay clean, but maybe my expectations were a little unrealistic since Pariahs had to deal with a plethora of emotional imbalances, and judging from Lily's past reliance on the drug, I shouldn't be surprised that Brand had used.

He snorted. "Of course I used. Everyone did. It made us feel better, didn't it, Greer honey?" Brand asked the question but kept his eyes on me.

I stiffened, unsurprised by his new revelation. Maybe Greer's side effect was her going crazy. But then I'd actually never seen Greer in partial transformation. She could be just as disfigured as Brand now was.

Tightening my grip on my sword, I stopped moving in tandem with Brand. I was tired of him circling me. I wanted to get this business over and done with.

Brand continue to circle me, then frowned when he saw I hadn't moved and he'd come too close to me for his safety. He backed off.

I made him nervous and I liked it.

Something came flying through the air and hit him on his temple. He growled and looked behind me. "Ah, you have little friend, I see."

I knew what he meant. Lily was here.

Damn it.

***

I didn't need to look to know Lily hadn't listened. And I couldn't waste time reprimanding her. Later would have to do, if we made it out alive.

"Take care of Greer," I said and rushed at Brand using the distraction of Lily's arrival, swiping my sword in a wide arc. The curved blade caught him on his upper arm. The jagged slash in his bomber jacket began to redden and he growled, his misshapen face clenching, making him look more hideous.

He sprang at me, his claw-tipped fingers extended, aiming for my face. He lacked speed and I side-stepped him easily enough.

I raised my sword again and ran at him, but something stopped the smooth arc of the blade. A hand pulled on my wrist.

"Stop. You'll hurt him," Greer pleaded.

"That's the fucking point. He wants to kill me in case you didn't realize it."

I struggled with Greer, pulling her fingers off the handle of my sword. "Lily, get her off me." I snapped and felt Greer being pulled away. Brand took the opportunity to run at us, his claws flared for the most damage. He jumped as he closed in, bringing his claws downward.

A glance behind me confirmed Greer had somehow managed to knock Lily out. Damn. I knew the girl wasn't up to this.

Greer struggled against me, tugging hard. I saw the danger and relaxed my hand a little, hoping the momentum would propel her backward, but she stopped hard and leaned forward again to try and grab the sword again.

She moved right into Brands strike path.

His eyes widened and his arm stiffened but it was too late to stop the blow. His claws struck Greer full and came away bloody. She slumped back against me and Brand stumbled to the side, watching me with hooded eyes.

I slipped to the ground, cradling Greer in my arms, and when I looked down at her, my heart sank. Her throat was slashed open. Four neat incisions spewing blood all over her neck and the front of her clothing.

She'd never survive the wound.

I lay her carefully on the ground and rose, spearing Brand with a glare that should have killed him instantly. "What have you done?" I growled at him, the sound ending in a high pitched keen. He had killed my sister and he was going to pay.

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to kill her. She wasn't supposed to die." The note of despair in his voice almost made me feel sorry for him. But it wasn't enough to save him.

I ran for him, landing a blow to his jaw, putting my whole strength behind it. I heard his jaw crack and enjoyed the sound. He stumbled back then regained his balance. He came at me, swung his fist, then feinted and caught me in the ribs, doing damage with both claws and knuckles. I gasped and stumbled backward, bending at the searing pain. But I found I could handle the agony, channel it with my anger.

I surged forward and caught Brand with another fist to the side of his head. He staggered backward and hit a stack of compressed metal. The stack shook, threatening to topple over. I paid little attention as I waited for Brand to come at me again.

This time I struck as soon as he was within range, sweeping the sword at him, but he threw himself aside, avoiding the jagged teeth by a fraction of an inch. Damn. How did he suddenly get so fast? He was very erratic in his movements. Was this what the Synthe did to the Pariah? Not only physical deformation but erratic strength and accuracy?

Greer moaned, the sound really more of a gurgle than a moan. Brand looked at her at that moment, and though I wanted to look too, I saw this as my only opportunity to catch him off guard. I threw the sword at him, but my hand shook and my aim was off. The sword whirred as it spun at him passing within a hair's breath of his cheek.

It struck the stack of metal behind him with an ominous
thunk
. Brand's gaze snapped to the blade still swinging from side to side, its point stuck in the metal. I raced at him, grabbing him around the neck.

He reached his claw-tipped hands backward for me and I tilted my head away. He growled as his fingers met air. I held tight to his neck despite his struggle. He moved his jaw to the side as if he wanted to try to bite at my hand, but I grabbed his jaw with my hand, gripping firmly to his chin.

With a deep growl, I pulled hard, seeing only Greer's face and her bloodied neck, seeing again the poor human girl as Brand and his men attacked her, seeing Lily's face filled with self-hatred for falling into the clutches of the Synthe.

When I heard the crack and then the rip, I shook the memories from my mind and gritted my teeth as I pulled his jaw from his face and flung it away from me. Brand slumped against me and I shoved him off, letting him stumble headfirst into the stack of metal sheets. The impact loosened the pile, setting them sliding off the stack in every direction, bringing the fifteen-foot stack of metal down to five feet, and half burying Brand.

My stomach tightened and I retched. But thankfully I didn't give in to the urge to vomit. I just stared at the sight of Brand's face, his jaw ripped away, his upper teeth yellowed and exposed, his throat convulsing as he drew painful breaths. The damage to his jaw was not life-threatening. Not for a Walker anyway.

I had to finish the job.

I hurried to retrieve my sword, which had landed a few feet from Brand. With a single blow aimed at his neck, I ended his pathetic life.

For a moment I stood there, sword hanging beside me, surprised that the sight of his decapitated head no longer made me queasy. I was getting too used to the violence.

Then I remembered Greer and rushed to her side. She was fading, her wounds irreparable. He'd slit her throat, opened her jugular. And she'd last only as long as it took for an Alpha to bleed out.

She couldn't speak and I wasn't sure if that made me feel better. What could she say? Not apologies, not regrets. All I could do was support her head in my hand as she gazed at me, droplets of red marring her white hair.

She shifted a little and something hit the ground with a small thud. I felt around the floor and my fingers touched metal. I grabbed hold of it bringing it close to inspect it.

The Greylands portal key.

So it had been Greer who'd stolen it from me. And now I'd never know the reason for her betrayal.

Her face had lost all color and she reached for my hand. I gave it to her and she clenched it hard. When she entwined her fingers with mine, my eyes filled with tears. I blinked them away and bent close to her face unsure what I should say to her.

I opened my mouth, grasping for something to say to make her feel better. But it was too late.

She was already gone.

***

I sat there with my sister bleeding out on my lap in the ominous silence of the abandoned warehouse, surrounded by bloodied, dead bodies. I sat there until lights flashed outside and until I heard Logan's voice asking me questions I couldn't decipher.

I heard Lily's moans as she sat up.

Hands grasped my shoulder, more hands moved Greer from my lap. I sat back and let them do what they wanted. A part of me was aware the Logan was there, talking to me, holding me, that even Jess stood close, giving off her calming energy
.

I tried to focus on my next step, tried to ready myself for my mission to save Mom and Anjelo.

All I could think of was what my mom would say when I told her I had lost Greer.

Saved her and lost her within the space of a week.

I stood on shivering knees amongst the white noise of the cleanup crew, blinking back tears I couldn't understand. I'd felt only bitterness for Greer these past few days, so what place did grief have in my feelings?

I backed away from the scene, my sword clutched within gritty fingers. I must have reached for it automatically when I stood up. Officers were flashing past, speaking into walkie-talkies, pointing off into different directions. Everyone had something to do.

Except me.

All I had to do was to stand here, helpless and hopeless.

I wanted to scream, to throw something. But with a sword in one hand and a portal key in another, neither were suitable throwing objects for any occasion.

The portal key.

I blinked.

I didn't dare look at it. Didn't dare waste a single second more hanging around the warehouse. I scanned the area for Logan, but couldn't see him. Good. Slipping behind stacks of metal, I hurried to the entrance, spotting my discarded bag of weapons right where Brand's thugs had left them.

Omega's teams were concentrating on the bloody mess I'd created and paid me little attention apart from a few respectful and sympathetic nods as I passed. I retrieved the bag and headed for the door, walking fast around the corner, pausing only when I was three blocks away to lean against the brick wall of another abandoned building. I put a shaky hand to my throbbing forehead. I stared at my dark, stained fingers, nails caked with Ailuros-knew-whose blood. I'd ended so many lives this night. My shaky hands were a testament to many a soul now passing through the Greylands. And it didn't bother me that they were also headed straight there.

Hiking the pack higher up onto my shoulders, I set off at Walker speed toward the docks.

***

There was only one place I knew to go to find Greer in the Greylands, and that was my apartment. And my instinct had been right. I moved slowly up the stairs, allowing my panther senses to take control, lengthening and furring up my ears to catch every sound within the room above.

Greer wasn't alone.

Someone else moved around inside the apartment and their size made me nervous. I let my panther senses filter into the apartment, heard the odd beat of the other person's heart, the sough of breath.

I stiffened, ready to pounce the moment I sensed Greer was in danger.

"Come on, Greer. You do realize how perfect this is. With you human and alive, our plan would have worked, but with you as a ghost, it will work even better." Yanuk chuckled, his gravelly voice grating on my nerves, causing my fury to well up uncontrollably.

I burst into the room moving swiftly and straight for the red oaf so fast all he could do was stare at me with his big red eyes. I had him flat against the wall, the curve of my blade snug against his throat before he could take the next breath.