Demon Vampire (The Redgold Series) (38 page)

“Somewhere inside him, in a vulnerable place, Zack was tempted. He invited it and welcomed it's accusations of power. At some point the demon made its bid and Zack agreed. It's not the demon that forms the link, it's the host.” Yugo threw his eyes towards the black divider. “For now, Zack has the ability to use the demon's lesser gift. It means that Malio will have what he wants as soon as he finds out. If Zack had never obtained its use, Malio wouldn't be able to harvest him.”

“And you're going to tell him, aren't you?” Zack asked Marin.

Marin said nothing.

“Well you aren't going to tell him, are you?” Zack asked Yugo, frustrated.

“No, that would be against what my greater intensions.” Yugo looked at Marin. “As for him, I don't think he wants to. It would mean killing you sooner than later.”

“But what does that matter if he's going to kill me either way?” Zack asked.

Yugo explained it. “Marin doesn't kill children, not without damn good provocation. For you that means-”

Zack filled in the rest. “-If I became a threat to everyone? If I let the demon in?”

“You seem to have a firm grasp on the weight of your reality. That's good.” Yugo told Zack.

“If Zack never gave in, you're saying that Malio wouldn't have a reason to kill him?” Kyli was trying to rationalize the situation.

Zack looked at Kyli. She was doubting his resolve and he knew it. “Kyli?”

“No I signed a contract. I'd just kill him before the next cycle. Zack would have until the next solar eclipse to live. Then I or another assassin would come for him. He'd be dead, now if he gives in, or later if he doesn't.” Marin spoke a grim result.

Zack was feeling alone and put into alienation by Yugo's words. He could see how they affected Kyli. She was gripping his arm tight. Zack wanted it to end. He wanted to go back to his old life. A life where all that mattered was getting enough money for the electricity bill at the end of the month and affording food every week. Zack didn't want this, he didn't want to die. Zack didn't want to give in either. Knowing this link was his choice was taxing in itself. Zack had to cope with the reality that this personal demon was slowly, incrementally gaining ground in his already unstable life. It was winning, there was no mistake about that.

The limousine slowed down.

“We're here. Let's go.” Yugo announced as the limo pulled up to the club's parking garage.

The vehicle stopped. Marin got out and opened the door for Kyli and Zack.

“Zack, I need to talk to you.” Marin ushered Zack a few feet away from the limo and away from Kyli.

Zack followed. When at a distance Marin was sure no one could easily hear, he spoke to Zack in confidence. “You have three weeks to live, Zack.”

“Three weeks? I thought it was six?” Zack lightly raised his voice.

“I have a contract. If I don't bring you in before that, someone else will kill you.”

“Why does that matter?” Zack argued.

“I will not kill you before that time, and you will not see me again until the night before that day. Zack, I do not hate you, I do not hate your girlfriend, and I have no qualm with whatever Yugo it scheming.” Marin leaned into Zack's ear. “I hate Malio. What he is creating is a choice, to demonize himself out of spite for an event that happened 400 years ago. I hate
what
you are, not
who
you are. When it's your day to die, remember that I cannot help you, but I will not murder you either.”

Marin let up and stepped back into the limo. Staring at Zack until the limo drove away.

Zack had no idea what Marin was talking about. He understood that to Marin this was only a job. That it was nothing personal to take Zack's adolescent life. None of that mattered to Zack. He cared about living, not dying honorably. Though the plan of giving in to the demon was appalling, Zack couldn't dismiss the offer entirely. It was tempting and too appealing to completely ignore.

Zack walked up to Kyli. “This night was cozy.”

Kyli turned to Zack with a stunned expression after he said it. “You find death threats funny, Zack?”

“I might as well. I'm gonna die in three weeks. All I have to do is pick my exit door and walk through it. I don't have much to look forward to.” Zack was gloomy.

Kyli put both of her hands on the sides of Zack's face. She swayed closer to him, applying her body against his. Kyli looked slightly down into his eyes and firmly kissed his lips. The pressure was heavy, she pushed tightly against him. Kyli was kissing Zack very deeply. It lasted forever.

Kyli released as Zack needed to breathe. She eased up, as Zack inhaled.

“There are things we
can
do in that time.” Kyli smirked. “
Together
.”

Zack gulped, attempting to swallow the suddenly dry patch he had developed in the back of his throat. “What
things
?” He said timidly.

Kyli smiled. She caressed Zack's ear gently. “We can train.”

“Train for what?” Zack was confused and severely disappointed.

“For the next three weeks we'll train your gift.” Kyli was tracing her middle finger over the outer edge of Zack's left ear lobe.

“But won't that give more power to the demon?” Zack was worried.

Kyli started nodding with ample exaggeration. “But won't you be dead unless we try this?” Kyli nodded with a larger range of motion this time.

“How would we train and what would we train?” Zack wasn't sure about Kyli's tactic.

“You have a mental gift. We need to go to a place where your gift will have the most power and let it become second nature for you to use it. It needs to become automatic.” Kyli smirked again, she already knew how they were going to accomplish her plan.

“I know that look.” Zack was slightly apprehensive.

“I know how to use a mental gift since I have one myself. With use, it gains strength. So when it's strong, I'll know.” Kyli stepped closer to Zack again, leaning into him.

Zack could smell the cherries and lavender on Kyli's skin. His senses were overwhelmed.

“Zack? You still in there?” Kyli snapped Zack back to attention. “Focus.”

“Okay.” Zack nodded, staring at Kyli's bare neck.

“Zack, I'm up here.” Kyli tipped Zack's chin up. Forcing him to look her in the eyes.

Zack cleared his throat again. “Sorry.”

“We need to increase your power in there.” Kyli tapped on the side of Zack's right temple with her other hand.

“How can you tell? And what do I have to do exactly?” Zack was blushing, Kyli was still coming onto him and he didn't know why.

“As for how I will be able to tell, that's simple. You'll enter my mind, we'll begin to do
something
, and I'll gauge how strong I feel it.” Kyli was flirting heavily now. Playing with Zack's hair and rubbing the back of his neck sensually.

“What kind of
something
?” Zack was enjoying the affection, but Kyli wasn't known for her stability when it came to this kind of situation.

“Physical contact.” Kyli said with a grin.

“What!? Zack was blushing more now.

“You will have to touch me while you're inside.” Kyli said suggestively.

“Inside of you?” Zack could barely breathe.

“Of my mind. The more I feel, the more power you will have gained.” Kyli explained.

“This seems bogus. Are you really trying to help me develop my gift or do you just want to take advantage of me?” Zack was staring the gift horse in the mouth.

“And what if I am? Does it really matter in the end? Whether or not I help you or do
something
to you instead?” Kyli was being playfully seductive with her words.

Zack thought about it. He liked his options now.

Kyli looked deep into Zack's eyes, waiting, longing for a response. “And don't worry, I won't kill you.”

Kyli's promise of nonfatal foreplay was intriguing, but unsettling to Zack. “Will it hurt?”

“Only if you want it to.” Kyli tapped her right index finger to the side of her chin three times. “Or if you don't pay attention to my instruction.”

“I can agree to that.” Zack eagerly hugged Kyli tight.

Zack and Kyli walked to her car. They drove back to her apartment to begin Zack's training. Upstairs waiting for them was a note on Kyli's door.

“What's that?” Kyli inquired. Pointing to the front door. A notebook sized piece of paper was lightly taped in the middle of her door.

“I thought you'd know, it's your apartment.” Zack complained.

Kyli took down the letter and opened it. It was a message from her father, David.

“What's the matter? Why'd your dad leave you a note already? We've only been gone a few hours since we left for the concert.”

“You're getting too good, too quick with reading minds you know. At least you can't see all the details right away. It's about Cherry's psychic.” Kyli's eyes were scanning the paper. She was urgently reading onward.

“Is he pissed?” Zack could feel the unease in Kyli.

Kyli opened the door came inside. Zack followed as Kyli walked into the dark room. Zack flipped the light switch to help.

“What was that for?” Kyli asked Zack.

“So you can read.” Zack said.

“I keep forgetting that you still can't see in this light yet. Poor thing. We'll have to fix that as well.” Kyli's pity for Zack was embarrassing him.

“That letter?” Zack wanted to change the subject.

“There's a lot of profanity. I'm glad he wrote a letter instead of talking to us personally. My father tends to be violent when he's angry.” Kyli finished scanning the paper.

“How angry, how violent?” Zack sat down on Kyli's couch.

“He ounce broke the arm of a man that told him some bad news.” Kyli set the letter down on the coffee table.

“Did he deserve it?” Zack was curious.

“He was just the messenger. The bad news was about a client of his.” Kyli headed for the kitchen.

“Is he going to want to hurt us?” Zack was worried.

“Me, no. You, maybe.” Kyli had a straight look on her face for about one second, then she cracked a smile.

Zack's pulse relaxed a little.

“Meaning he'll only dislocate a shoulder or two.” Kyli chuckled. As she set her keys down on the kitchen bar.

Zack wasn't laughing.

Kyli went back over to Zack. “Well, that doesn't matter too much if you're dead.” She jumped over the back of the couch and plopped down next to Zack. “You don't want to die, do you?”

Zack had a confused expression. “Of course not.” Zack thought to himself for a moment. Being dead would fix a few problems, but trading his life for the convenience of a few people wasn't something of an attractive selling point. Zack stood up with a strong feeling of self preservation. “I want to survive this. Let's train.”

Kyli sprang up off of the couch, using one hand to shove Zack in the chest. His upper body was thrown back from the force she used. Zack was upside down the second Kyli had jumped up onto the coffee table. She stood proudly clasping Zack's right ankle. Holding him in mid air above the floor. Zack was completely upside down. Kyli had knocked him over, and had enough time to catch him mid-air. She was faster than before.

“How'd you do that?” Zack said while hanging.

“I pushed you, hopped on the table, and I grabbed your leg before you fell. Nothing really. Kid's stuff.” Kyli smiled.

“That's what I meant. You weren't that strong or fast before. What happened?” Zack was getting lightheaded.

“I've been drinking blood.” Kyli answered.

“When? I've been with you most of the time.” Zack shrugged trying to get out of the hold.

Kyli wasn't budging.

“Hey, are you going to let me down?” Zack asked.

“At the party and no.” Kyli said with a smirk.

“What? Why not?” Zack tried to get out again.

Kyli's grip was solid.

Zack's red tie was flapping in his face, insulting him more than Kyli was.

“Get out of it yourself. You wanted to start your training as soon as possible, didn't you? This is lesson one. If you can't get out of the hand of a girl, you'll have no chance with Malio.” Kyli's methods were harsh, but practical.

There they were, Kyli in her red dress, complete with the glow paint from earlier. Zack in his black suit, his red tie hanging to the side of his face. Zack didn't want to hurt Kyli, but he had to get out of the position to prove he could. Zack did the only thing he could, swing for Kyli's legs.

Kyli jumped and easily dodged Zack's sweep. All Kyli had to do to retaliate was drop him. Landing Zack square on his head. Kyli stepped down and with one arm, lifted Zack up to his feet. He weighed nothing to her.

“That hurt.” Zack complained.

“You should have thought about the consequences of your actions. If you're going to attack the person holding you up, be prepared to fall. And this.” Kyli punched Zack in the gut, hard.