Dark Queen Page 33

  “I gotcha, Mike,” he said. “You’re gonna be fine.”

  “Dying,” she whispered.

  “No way. Leo himself will meet you onshore. His blood will heal you. I guarantee it. All you have to do is stay alive to the mainland. Got it?”

  “That’s all?”

  “That’s all. Piece a cake. Let’s get her to the LZ, boys,” he said.

  Together they lifted the door and carried her down. And I was alone. I heard them race down and down and down the stairs and outside. Heard the helo’s rotors speed up.

  Alone, I lay flat on the old flooring and cradled my arm. I tried to sink into the Gray Between, but it wasn’t happening. So much for anything Zen in my life. Beast. I need help.

  Beast pressed down on my pain receptors and sent something like endorphins into my bloodstream, muting the pain. I’d never get all my clothes off. I’d have to shift clothed and I’d ruin the boots. What had I been thinking when I pulled them on? Boots at the beach?

  I heard footsteps clattering back up the stairs, Eli being deliberately noisy, but stopping before his head rose above floor level. “You still human?”

  “Sadly yes.”

  “You need help getting your clothes loose?” he asked.

  “Boots?” I asked.

  Eli came all the way up and knelt at my side, studying my injuries. He had washed his hands, but he still had blood smears on his wrists. He shifted position and eased my boots off one by one, without shaking me and my broken bones. “I’m not a good second,” he said, as he removed the stakes and the knives in my boot sheaths and set them to the side.

  I tried to smile. “You’re a great second. I could have just shifted, but I’d have ruined the boots. I like this pair.”

  “You’re rough on the girly stuff. You’re rough on fighting leathers. I can’t think of a single piece of clothing you’re not rough on.”

  “Lucchese boots,” I said promptly, waggling my toes at him.

  Eli huffed in amusement. “Can you move your arm? Let me get to your waistband?” I supported and lifted the broken arm and hand. Methodically, he loosened my clothes. He said, “You can shift and your legs will slip out of the pants, but the shirt and jacket are pretty thick.”

  “Cut ’em off me. I’ll try not to weep at the loss of my wardrobe.”

  Gruffly, sarcasm in the tone, he said, “Good. I hate it when you whine.” Eli slid his arms around my back and shoulders and sat me upright. I gagged with the pain. He pulled a blade that looked sharp enough to shave with. “Good arm first.” He cut up the sleeves of the uninjured arm and across to the neck opening, though he left the lapel in place. He eased the jacket and shirt off the shoulder and peeled it toward my back. He started at the lapel on the injured side and cut through to the shoulder, before he pulled all the slashed cloth forward and created a modified sling with the cut clothes, placing them under my broken arm as support. He secured the messy sling with knots and zip ties.

  “Ingenious,” I said. I was glad I’d worn ugly, heavy sports underwear for the weather.

  “Of course.”

  “You unhappy that you and Mike won’t be hooking up?”

  “Oh, we’ll be hooking up, just not the way I planned. Though I may wait a bit. Hospital dates are awkward.”

  I tried to grin at his small joke and winced.

  “I heard you on the helo’s comms system. Brief me.”

  “Leo’s pissed. He’s on the way to the mainland LZ. He has two helos shuttling now. Someone will read Marco tonight. Leo will heal Bambi. Del is sending an armed team to check on the CEO of Madderson Construction—armed in case they were colluding or are in trouble. HQ is taking no chances.” Eli stood and walked back to the stairs, his feet silent on the old floors. Partway down, he stopped and his voice floated back into the vaulted room. “Edmund’s on the way too.” I hurt too much to respond. “Babe. Alex says you threw him down the stairs, out of harm’s way. He’s pissed at not getting in on the fight.” I said nothing. Softer, Eli added, “Thanks for protecting him.”

  “My pleasure. Scoot.”

  He went on down the stairs. And once again I sought the Gray Between. It was cool there, the lights silvery gray with darker gray motes shooting through. My own magics, the ones now moving in a star pattern inside me, expanded.

  The shift started. Pain slammed through my arm. Claws ripping my skin. Nails being driven into my broken bones. Painpainpain . . .

  * * *

  • • •

  Woke up tangled in Jane clothes. Pants and inside pants and cut shirt and stupid tight inside shirt. Stupid human clothes. Scratched off cloth tied around front leg. Claws tangled in cloth. Snarled. Ripped off pants and inside pants. But could not get off inside shirt. Shirt Jane called jog and bra. Was stuck. Growled. Calling Eli. Eli did not come. Growled louder. Eli did not come.

  Whistled kit call. Eli! Eli! Eli!

  Eli did not come. Eli did not know kit call. Screamed kit call. Eli! Eli! Eli!

  Eli called, “Jane? Beast?” Sounded afraid.

  Eli should be afraid. Beast is best hunter. But Eli would laugh human laugh at sight of Beast in Jane bra. Growled softer. Thought about jumping out of window. Was hungry. Wanted to hunt fish in curling water, what Jane called gulf water. Water did not run one way like river water, but rolled everywhere, and to land. Was strange. But. Wanted bra off. Was too tight on Beast chest. Did not know why Jane wanted to wear bra. Growled again, uncertain.

  “You planning on eating me if I come up? I have a raw steak.”

  Beast’s ear tabs perked up. Eli has dead cow?

  Beast padded to stairs, pawpawpaw. Smelled blood of dead cow on air. Warm meat. Stuck head around stair wall and saw Eli, sitting on stair with plate and small slab of meat. Alex sat on bottom stair with white-man gun and tablets, working. Guarding Beast’s den. Good kits. Good guard.

  Humans with hammers made loud noises. Hurt Beast’s ears. Loud scream of saw hurt too. Snarled, showing killing teeth.

  Eli went stiff. “Jane?”

  Am Beast! Am not Jane!

  “Beast? Okay. Beast. What’s wrong? Is it your arm? Didn’t it heal right?” Eli smelled of worry like mother big-cat to kits. “Can I look?”

  Snarled again, but backed away. Eli would laugh. Beast would swipe him with paw, claws sheathed, and knock him down. And then eat steak.

  “Oh.” Eli stood on floor, looking at Beast. Did not smell human laughter. Did not hear human laughter. Did not see human laughter on Eli face. Eli had warrior face on. No expression. Was good face. Eli set plate of raw meat on floor and pulled steel claw. “Want me to cut off the bra?”

  Beast snarled harder. But Eli did not laugh. Beast padded closer. Sat, front legs straight, head high. Mouth open. Panting softly. Killing teeth showing through open mouth.

  Eli stepped close, steel claw sharp. Eli put knees on floor. Started cutting through bra. “I’m sorry. I should have thought to cut the bra. My bad.”

  Turned head and looked at Eli. Dark skin was shining. Black clothes were good for night hunting. Should take Eli hunting one night. Eli sawed. Bra came loose and Eli peeled bra down Beast legs. Bra was dead. Jane should kill bras.

  Beast padded around Eli to plate and tore into food. Lay on wood floor and pulled cow part between cat feet and claws and ripped and chewed and swallowed. Was cow with water-blood, the way humans like meat, instead of fresh meat with thick blood. But was good. Beast finished cow meat and licked water-blood off of plate and off of paws, tongue cleaning pelt. Jane said Beast tongue was like paper made of sand. Beast had never seen paper made of sand.

  Eli was sitting, watching. Beast butted Eli with head. Eli fell over. Beast chuffed with laughter. Beast rubbed head and jaw over Eli head. Made Eli smell like cow and like Beast. Was good smell. Eli made blowing sounds. “I’d say thanks for the love, but since there isn’t a
shower on the island yet, maybe not.”

  Beast chuffed. Trotted to open window. Stood with front paws on ledge and looked out. Moon was high. Not one-day moon. Not pregnant moon, big with young. But bright enough to see beach and water that curled like Beast’s tongue. Looked back at Eli. Chuffed. Looked out at night. Back at Eli. Eli did not move. Stupid Eli. Looked out and back and chuffed.

  Eli’s face scrunched. “You want me to go with you?”

  Beast made small sound of pleasure, like when kits first walk. Leaped out window and down. Landed with thump on porch roof. Looked back up. Eli was at window.

  “Gimme a minute. I’ll be right there.”

  Beast made happy sound again. Stupid humans did not understand different chuffs but understood other sounds. Beast leaped to ground, paws stretching out and landing in deep sand, front paws first, then back paws. Padded through shadows to beach. Smelled salt. Dead fish. Salty water. Could see far up both sides from house. Beast liked beach. Sat and waited for Eli. Could see many small fish in edge of water, near small dock. Could see bird floating on water, sleeping. More birds under low trees onshore. Bigger fish in deeper water? Looked at house. Eli was racing down steps into night.

  “Jane?”

  Chuffed. Am Beast. Not Jane. Eli is stupid kit. But Eli was kit for Beast to take care of. Did not know if Eli could swim. Beast did not like water, but Beast could swim. Could catch fishes.

  “Oh. Hey, cat. Water looks good and cold. I’m for a dip if you are.”

  Beast chuffed. Yes. Cat. Beast. Not Jane. Eli pulled off outside clothes and raced into water, two legs splashing loud. Made sound like owl, like hoooo, at cold water. He dived. Started swimming with head in water. Looking for fishes! But scaring off fishes with arms in air, splashing down onto water. Beast padded into water that curled and rolled and curled again and went nowhere. Slid deep, spread paw pads and swam into water after Eli. Water was cold. Felt good on Beast coat.

  Eli dove deep to catch fishes and missed. He came up out of water with many splashes. “That’s either freezing or refreshing,” he shouted.

  Beast was close by. Eli did not need to shout. Fishes were all gone. Eli was noisy kit. Would not eat fish today. Beast snorted through nose and licked jaw and muzzle. Eli splashed water at Beast and laughed. Beast chuffed. Silly kit. Swam to Eli and put paw on shoulder. Pushed down. Eli went under. Made laughing noises under water and swam away. Came up on Beast’s other side. Splashed Beast again. Dove. Eli was playing with Beast!

  Played for long time with Eli, splashing and ducking and dunking. Then swam to shore and shook water from pelt. Eli was cold. Left Beast lying onshore to put on human clothes. And to watch new helo-copter-bird that was landing. “I gotta take care of business, Beast. Talk to you later.” Eli went to nesting spot for metal bird.

  Beast crept, belly to sand, pawpawpaw, to sleeping birds beneath trees. Gathered paws close. And leaped! Grabbed two birds in paws. Feathers flew. Birds squawked death sounds. Other birds flew, screaming warnings, “Danger! Danger! Beast is here!”

  Beast bit through necks of birds. Carried dead birds to edge of water to eat. Beast was best ambush hunter.

  * * *

  • • •

  Sun had made sky brighter, and helo had flown away again, when Eli came back with clothes for Jane. Eli placed clothes under bushes, on soft sand. Beast wanted to make Jane wake up under bushes with spiky leaves. But Eli looked at Beast and said, “No playing games with Jane. She was hurting when she shifted.” Beast looked away. Eli was not cat. Eli was not good fish-hunter. Eli made splashes when he swam and scared off fishes. But Beast would do what Eli wanted. Sometimes Eli was kit. Sometimes Eli was littermate. Humans were confusing.

  Beast stretched on sand and thought about Jane. Looked into snake at center of all Earth creatures. Jane’s snake was tangled like ball of yarn that housecats played with. Jane was sick from walking through time. Jane would die soon if Jane’s heart-snake did not heal. Beast would think on this. Beast closed eyes and let Jane become Jane.

  * * *

  • • •

  I came to facing the sun, lying on sand, a chilly breeze blowing in off the water. I shivered. Except for the cold, my waking place was, for once, comfy instead of on prickly pine needles or lying in mud or staring into the maw of a hungry alligator. Beast’s sense of humor was peculiar sometimes. I figured I hadn’t been Beast long, since I hadn’t been awake inside her body. Or Beast had been doing something catty and evil that she didn’t want me to know about, and so kept me asleep. It was a peculiar part of our relationship that she could keep me unaware of her activities when we were in cat form, but I had almost no control over her when in human form. I figured it was because of the decades we spent as cat, Beast in total charge of us, when I first accidentally did black magic and stole her body and soul. I shoved my hair out of the way in a sleek shush of sound, rolled to my knees, and brushed sand off me, checking out my arm and hand for bone placement. They looked okay, healed nicely. Pain all gone.

  Someone had left a pile of neatly folded clothes on a towel. Thoughtful. Eli for sure. I dressed in sweatpants and shirt and slid my feet into flops, folded the towel, and slung my hair back. Trudged to the house. I passed yawning men and women, some carrying hard hats, some not, all looking tired, all carrying travel mugs and slurping down coffee as if it was the nectar of life. I smelled bacon and eggs and maple syrup and honey and grape jelly and I found myself racing up the stairs and into the house.

  Eli held up a platter full of food and indicated a sofa with a low table in front of it. I hated to sit on the moldy sofa, but I wanted the food. I sat and dug in. And it was delicious. A platter of bacon, a dozen eggs, and a stack of pancakes later, I sat back and accepted a mug of tea from Eli. He was watching me with amused affection.

  “What?”

  “Beast and I went swimming last night.”

  “Beast hates the water.”

  “She played ‘dunk the human’ with me. She swims pretty good.”

  “Hmmm.” A playful Beast was a rarity. Or maybe she was cat-spiteful only with me. “Okeydokey, then. Where is Alex?”

  “Busy with his tablets, talking to Bodat on the mainland. They have communications, if only between the two of them.”

  I nodded. “Update.”

  “Painting will begin around ten on the third floor, soon as they can get the place tented to keep the overspray off the beams and rafters and floor. Second-level bathrooms are being tiled from floor to ceiling and the fixtures will go in this afternoon. Shower on the lower level will be ready by dark and the workers have drawn straws for the order of testing out all three showers.”

  I leaned back on the smelly sofa and stretched out my legs, crossed my feet at the ankles. I’d eaten so much my belly looked like I’d hidden a soccer ball under my shirt. I patted it. And burped softly. “Who’s the cook?”

  “Leo sent us Deon last night.”

  “Deon? As in Katie’s Deon? As in wears spangles and glitter and way better makeup than I do?”

  Eli’s lips twitched as he sat on a wooden rocker across from me. “He’s managed to proposition every other man on the job site. Some of them are uncomfortable, but since he’s feeding them they aren’t griping. Much.”

  “Okay. But if any of them try to hurt Deon there’ll be hell to pay.”

  “Noted and already passed along. The walls on the second level that are ready for paint will be sprayed this afternoon in an eggshell color. The ones that have to be redone later due to insufficient curing time for the joint compound will be sprayed in a medium charcoal shade to minimize obvious wet and to make them easy to find when the fighting is over.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “We have about half of the cameras in place. Alex and two hardware specialists are creating a satellite and Wi-Fi network across the island that will be linked to George’s boat. Or to a s
atellite. They’re arguing. Don’t ask me details. I didn’t understand one word in three.”

  “Don’t worry. And spare me the technical stuff.”

  “A barge with supplies and carrying furniture to replace the old shabby stuff is on the way. George’s boat will arrive this afternoon late and will be anchored offshore, with a johnboat ferry.”

  I said nothing and Eli grinned. And waited. I scowled. “Fine. I’ll ask. Is Bruiser coming ashore then?”

  “Yes, Bruiser is coming ashore then.”

  “What about Marco?”

  “One of Leo’s people drank him down. Julietta Tempeste sent him and his Blood Master to the home of the CEO of Madderson Construction. The next day Marco was hired. Old man Madderson, whose construction company has done business with Leo for fifty years or more, is upset that he let Leo down, and also horrified that a vamp had access to his mind and will to that extent.”

  “Bambi/Mike?”

  Eli’s lips twisted down, just a fraction of a fraction, and I knew it wasn’t good news. “She didn’t make it. They were doing CPR on her when the helo landed. Leo turned her, according to her wishes in her sign-on papers.”

  I looked away. If she survived the devoveo, the years of madness that a vamp went through after being turned, Bambi would wake up two or ten or twenty years from now, with a savage desire to drink down every human she saw. “Okay. What do I do?”

  “Rest. Sleep as much as you can. Starting tonight we go on fanghead hours. As soon as the upstairs paint is dry enough, we work out. Practice swords,” he added when I looked puzzled. “You’re gonna Zen. I’m gonna beat your ass.”

  “You can try.”

  * * *

  • • •

  We fought and practiced and fought again all day, making plans to keep ourselves alive. We ate great food and lounged on the porch, we mounted cameras and tested them, and we even managed to nap. If there hadn’t been the Sangre Duello and our deaths hanging over us, it would have been fantastic.