Plagued: Book 1 (47 page)

Loosening his belt a notch, I watched in amazement as a long, barbed tail worked its way out of the back of Albert's jeans. The appendage formed a little question mark in the air behind him before reaching to curl around my neck and stroke my cheek. It was warm and silky and I felt the hot rush as I blushed crimson.

Reaching over, Julian roughly unwound the tail. “Put that thing back in your pants!”

Albert's tail wriggled out of the other's grip, waving this way and that just out of reach as Julian grabbed for it. “Julian, Julian, Julian, you have been keeping secrets from me! Your very best friend in this world or the next. When you called at the Okura Hotel, you said nothing of this stunning young thing in your possession. You must be after the Soul Eaters again. What fun! You can be Sherlock and I will be trusty Watson. Who, by the way, got the girl!” He winked at me again and his tail reached over to caress my throat.

“I would not have brought you to her attention at all if I could have helped it. Unfortunately, there was no other celebrity at hand to palm off on that gossip man, Hereford. So it had to be you.”

Albert raised his eyebrows very expressively, “Thank you, I think.”

Savan was making yelping noises. Albert's dog had his teeth around one leg again and was pulling the tall Soul Eater deeper into the shadows.

“No!” Albert said sharply. “Drop him Blaze, there's a good boy.”

The beast flared red and orange. Were those flames?

“Blaze, drop him!”

The lick of fire died down. The animal trotted back to his master's side with a big doggy grin. Well, at least now I didn't have to ask where he got his name.

“I should get back to the party. Can you deal with this?”

Julian nodded grimly.

“Thank you for helping me,” I said just a little hoarsely, the silken feel of his tail still on my skin.

Albert took my hand, his tail snaking around my waist, pulling me closer. “Now that I have tasted your sweet kiss, I will be unable to forget you, nor you ,me. I will haunt your dreams forever and always.”

Dropping my hand, he walked off, tucking his tail back into his trousers; Blaze slowly shifting into shadow at his side.

I thought on what he said. “He meant that in a human '
ha
,
ha
' way, right? Not a scary, supernatural 'I'm really going to haunt you' way?”

Julian did not answer. His attention now focused on Savan. In the dark, I could see Julian's eyes glowing with little pinpoint green lights. Literally glowing. This just got weirder and weirder.

“Who holds the pieces of Alexandra's soul?” It was a very short question that held volumes of menace. Even I could sense it.

Savan kept his handsome face impassive, “You are a Soul Eater, you know the lottery is secret. Only the Captain holds the winning names.”

Julian snorted, “Everyone knows. The winners make themselves conspicuous by their gloating.”

“I have not seen the other members of Alexandra's group since the night of the ceremony. There was no need once the lottery was cast.” He stared straight at me and I flinched, not knowing how to meet his eyes or what expression to adopt that could match his betrayal. Anger? Fear? Shock? Hatred? But I didn't hate him, not really, not yet. Though I would. It's just the Savan I knew and cared for, and this violent, sneering villain, had yet to merge into one single entity.

“That is a lie, Savan of Firenze. You really should tell me.”

Savan sneered, “Or what? You're going to kill me? I am not so easy to kill.”

“I wouldn't dirty my hands. Besides, I won't have to. You have a rather long list of enemies. Tell me freely, here and now, and I will give
you a head start.”

“A head start from what?” He wasn't sneering now.

“From an old friend of yours. He valued your time together so much, he has brought his family along for an introduction.”

There was a
whoosh
of air and a winged creature came in to land soundlessly on clawed feet. I guessed it was the same demon who had been crouching a few short days ago in my closet. Folding his furry wings, he stood beside Julian. Above us, three more similar creatures drifted lazily down from the sky.

“You can tell me, or I can hand you over right now to your Fetch,
ex
-Fetch rather.”

The winged demons, very much the same, yet with subtle differences in size and color, now stood in a circle around us. Their skin rippled in a rainbow of colors. Despite, or perhaps because of their beauty, their expressions – focused only on Savan – were even more frightening.

I put a hand out to restrain Julian. At least I thought that's what I was doing.

Julian kept his eyes squarely on the other man. “He has killed many people, Alexandra. Laughed while he gorged on their souls, their future. Don't be fooled by his beauty, his sweet, beguiling words. Beauty can be a lie, a sexy, lovely lie we long to believe. His heart is black.”

“Are you saying your heart is any different than mine, hunter? You brought Caroline into this all by yourself, no use blaming the rest of us now.”

“Don't say her name.”

“
Caroline
,
Caroline
,
Caroline
,” Savan chanted in a taunting sing-song voice.

Julian kicked savagely at the other man.

Choking back the pain, Savan kept talking. “That's why you want
her,
” he pointed with his chin at me. “The power contained in the soul of this little human vessel is massive. Not of this world, as you surely know and therefore so extraordinarily rare. You tasted it. I can taste it still.” He licked his lips lasciviously and I had to take a step back from the expression on his face.

“You don't know what you're talking about.” Julian stared at the Italian, the muscles in his jaw clenching and unclenching.

“She saw behind our masks at the initiation ceremony. Looked into our real faces. Even if only for a moment. Can you imagine the power that takes?” He laughed coldly. “Of course you can. It is why you are standing here, with her. All you need is that last little bit of Caroline's soul. You already have two trapped in those pretty crystal vials you wear on a string around your neck. It's only a matter of time until you find it. Then, once you retrieve all three bits of
Alexandra's
soul, you can use the American's energy to power up all that black magic you've been studying. Slide Caroline's soul into this girl's body.
Prestidigitation,
Caroline's back from the dead and Alexandra is dust, or worse!”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!”Julian kicked him furiously again and again until Savan was coughing blood.

“Stop it, Julian! Stop! That 's
enough!
” Pulling at Julian's coat I tried to force him away. It was like trying to shift a concrete block, I couldn't budge him.

Lashing their tails, the winged creatures smiled broadly, revealing long curved fangs. They were laughing, at least I think that was the sound coming out of their mouths.

“Julian!” Finally, he seemed to hear me. Panting, he stopped.

Savan lay curled in a tight ball, making low, moaning sounds. Blood ran from his nose and mouth, staining the cracked cement.

I didn't know what to say. Savan's words were only slowly coming into focus. “Please, Julian. What did he mean about Caroline and me?”

Julian remained silent, breathing heavily, his eyes staring into the darkness.

“Julian?” I reached out to place my hand on his arm, but he moved abruptly to one side, pulling a small box from the inner pocket of his long coat. Opening it with a snap of the lid, he pulled out a length of rubber tubing, a syringe, a number of empty vials and what looked like scissors. Kneeling down, he cut away the sleeve of Savan's coat and shirt.

“Are you, are you going to take his powers? His,” my voice faltered, “take his soul?”

Julian gave me such a look, I knew I said something stupid.

“What? With a length of tubing and a hypodermic needle?” His voice was cruel and cutting, like when I woke up in his apartment. That voice scared me. He seemed to notice my expression, yet his voice remained just as sharp. “No. I'm going to take some blood.”

Blood? I didn't have the nerve to ask what he needed Savan's blood for.

Savan cursed savagely as Julian proceeded to draw vial after vial of blood before slipping the paraphernalia back into the little case. The vials, there must have been at least twenty, disappeared into one of his many coat pockets.

It seemed cold now that the running and fighting had stopped, and I realized I was shivering.

“You're a bastard, Savan. Ironically that means your blood has got to be very powerful exactly because of that. I shall put it to good use.”

“You can't save her.” Savan's voice came out hoarse and rough, the accent heavier. “No matter what your purpose.”

“I can and I will.”

“She's nothing but dead meat.”

“I'm standing right here, you know!” I growled, finding my voice.

Savan looked up at me, those deep, mahogany brown eyes staring into mine. It wasn't long ago that I'd wanted him to look at me;
dreamed
about gazing into those same eyes.

“
You
are
dead meat,” he said clearly and slowly in a voice cold as ice.

“I do have the power to kill you, Savan. You would be surprised at just how powerful I have become. In fact, I would positively enjoy killing you for what you did to Alexandra.”

Savan rolled his eyes, “What the hell is your problem, Lake? I didn't steal her damn soul!”

“No. You tried to take her heart.”

I shifted my stare from Savan to Julian. Unlike Savan, Julian did not meet my eyes. There was something behind the words. He seemed so very angry. Could someone have tried the same game with Caroline? No, I chastised myself, who would ever fall out of love with someone like Julian Lake? He probably wasn't always so scary. Or maybe he was, and that was part of his attraction. Girls like those bad boys. Or so I'd heard. Sighing, I clasped my hands around my arms and shivered again. Julian would be a very difficult person to fall out of love with. If someone
was
foolish enough to fall in love with a crazy, supernatural ex-Soul Eater-turned-hunter in the first place. That would be a stupid thing to do because he was in love with a ghost. You can't fight the dead. At least, I didn't think so.

Julian put the box back in his coat pocket. “If you die it will not be by my hands.” An expression of distaste marred Julian's handsome features as he scooped up the oversized calligraphy brush resting on the ground, as if he was being forced to touch something unclean. “I'll have this as well.”

The demons closed the circle more tightly around us. They growled in anticipation and their tails flicked restlessly back and forth like a cat's before it pounces.

Twisting around, Savan screamed out, “Vanessa. Vanessa holds one portion.”

Julian held up his hand and the creatures obediently moved back a step. At the mention of Vanessa's name, Julian's face changed. An expression settled into his handsome features, the most terrifying and coldest yet.

“Who else?”

“A Soul Eater called Baldur. Scandinavian. I don't know anything about him. Never saw him above once or twice before the night of the lottery. Very aloof, he didn't hunt with us. That's all I know, I swear. Julian, for
heaven'
s
sake
.”

Julian stared at Savan a full minute before saying, “Heaven has nothing to do with any of this. You know that as well as anyone, Soul Eater.” He turned towards the winged creatures. “Give him until the count of five-hundred demo; then he is yours.” With the merest tug, the Fudo cord came loose. It coiled into Julian's hands like a living thing.

Savan scrambled to his feet. He must be supernaturally strong indeed to stand after the beating Julian gave him. Hands balled into fists, he started to make a move towards us, his face ugly. One of the demons hissed out a challenge and, thinking better of it, Savan stepped back. “Lake, you can't give me to them!” His voice was pleading now. How different he sounded. Almost pathetic. It was important to remember him like this. Not the smooth-talking Italian charmer I'd so stupidly fallen for.

“The clock is ticking Soul Eater. You better start running.”

With that, Julian turned on his heel and walked swiftly away. I trotted barefoot and bleeding in his wake, trying to keep up.

Chapter 28

Lounge Act

We headed back to Hereford's party, Julian saying only, “Unfinished business.”

The celebration had been joined by what looked like a small battalion of very tall fashion models in all their pampered perfection. I was barefoot and there was blood running down both knees, plus my shoes were broken. I was only paparazzi worthy as a train wreck.

“Julian,” I started to say, pulling on his sleeve, drawing stares in my bare feet and feeling very conspicuous.

He held up his hand and steered me towards the lockers. Opening one, he pulled out a bag. “Here, take it to the bathroom. Damage control. Meet me by the bar in ten minutes.”

“Wait!” Grabbing his coat, I tugged him back. “What was Savan saying about my soul and Caroline's? That's not true, is it?”

“Savan is an insect.” He snarled the words and I flinched. “And I'm the only hope you have.”

With that, he pulled away. In our brief touch, I tried clumsily to reach out once again and tune in to his feelings. A wave of anger rolled over me so hot and burning I gasped. Julian did not even notice, or indeed, seem to see me at all at that moment. With a brusque movement, he shrugged me off and moved away.

Squeezing through the crowd and jumping the line for the girls' bathroom – all I had to do was show them my bloodied and battered shins and they made way – I limped into a stall. Inside the bag were a pair of simple ballet flats and black tights. Digging further, I discovered a packet of antiseptic wipes and a travel-sized envelope of ibuprofen. How did he know? For a second, I wondered if the flats belonged to the doomed ex-girlfriend. He wouldn't be carrying a dead girl's shoes around, would he? That would be too weird even for Julian. At least, I hoped so. The shoes were a little snug but better than nothing. Thank God for the painkiller. I was already stiff and sore from my close encounters with concrete. I pushed any thought of Savan firmly aside. Not something to think about now. If I did, I would shatter into little jagged pieces right here in the stall. Julian was helping me. I had to believe in that. Besides, what choice did I have? His words echoed in my head, “
I'm the only hope you've got.
” That was frighteningly accurate.

Blood staunched and three inches shorter in my new flats, I stood on the outskirts of the crowd, waiting for I wasn't sure what. Minutes passed and no Julian. At the bar, Albert stood surrounded by a forest of tall, thin bodies. Runway models hunting prey of their own. To my surprise, Albert squeezed out from between them and made his way over to me, a bottle of beer half drunk in one hand.

“You look like you could use a drink, come on.” He had to say it twice before I could hear; the music was cranked up very loud in this corner.

“Just some fizzy water, please,” I shouted back.

At the bar, I climbed painfully onto one of the tall stools. They were metal and looked suitably chic. The chicness did nothing to make them any less slippery. I slid around in my tights and beaded dress like oil in a hot frying pan. Albert took a firm grip on my shoulders and scooted the stool right up to the bar.

“Thank you. Where's your dog?” I asked as he twisted off the cap from the green bottle the bartender handed him, pouring the water into a chilled glass with lime.

“If you kiss me again, I could show you.” He set the bottle down and leaned very close. He smelled different from Julian. Hot sunshine, rather than cold moonlight. The sort of person who couldn't hide his feelings and didn't want to. So different from Julian's high stone walls of rage and contempt.

“Albert, you know that's not true.”

“It was worth a shot. Really, Alexandra, it's your own fault for having such a very kissable mouth and smelling like a bakery and chocolate shop all rolled into one delectable package.” He pointed up. “The puppy's there.” Taking my hand, he made the shadow swim into focus. The Shadow Hound was clinging to the wall like a gecko, right above the huge black-framed mirror behind the bar. His long tail lashed back and forth restlessly, perilously close to the racks of liquor bottles and glasses.

Albert finished his beer in one long drink. “Not pleased, is he? Hasn't had his supper. He's hungry.”

“For what?”

“For 'whom' might be a more appropriate question.”

I swallowed, hard.

Thankfully the music wasn't as loud here by the bar. Nevertheless, my head had begun to throb in time to the pounding rhythm even before we sat at the bar. It was well known in fan circles that Albert of the Albert Einsteins liked Eurobeat. This was mostly because he was crazy about the Japanese video racing game, Initial D. I knew a lot about Albert Pantera and here he was standing right next to me when I felt and looked like crap. Albert leaned close saying, “Do you know the three rules of Eurobeat addiction?”

I shook my head.

“First, you're like, 'I LOVE this music!'” He made a goofy face and I laughed. “Then comes part two. In the second stage you realize, 'Oh my god, this is ALL the SAME song'.” He made a disappointed face. “However you finally progress to the third and final stage.” He made the goofy face again, “'I don't care. I LOVE it!'”

He laughed and I did too, though it hurt my head.

Looking into my eyes, his face became concerned. “Poor darling,” he stroked one cheek with the back of his index finger before cupping my chin in his hand, making me shiver even in the heat of the packed club.“Been in the wars. Here,” he handed over a ten thousand yen bill. “Hop in a cab and get yourself home.”

“Julian.”

“Can take care of himself. Go.”

Bobby swooped in grabbing the rock singer away for photo ops. The gossip columnist barely even acknowledged me. Or maybe he did and I couldn't tell because the Botox had frozen out a lot of his facial expression. I decided to wait another few minutes before abandoning Julian. A foreign man  approached me as I sat there alone with my tall glass of bubbly water. I put him off, saying I was with someone. Which only might be true.
Did
we have another objective tonight? I decided I didn't care, I would follow Albert's advice. Sliding precariously off my stool, I bumped into someone approaching the bar.

“Hello, I was just coming to speak with you. Have you seen Savan around?”

A man, maybe mid-twenties in a trim, charcoal-gray suit pulled tight across his shoulders stood at my elbow. He wasn't very tall, just a bit more than me. Asian, at least partly, thick black hair expertly cut short and combed forward in what I always thought of as a Julius Caesar style, shiny with hair gel. Not exactly handsome, he had what books called “broad, even features,” nothing out of place, yet not terribly outstanding either. His body language told a different story. I got the feeling he was used to getting his way. There was just something about the tilt of his head and the way his eyes kept glancing this way and that. As though I was somehow unworthy of his full attention.

“Governor,” he said, putting out his hand.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Governor. It's my first name, Governor Chen, and you're Alexandra. Savan told me about you.”

A prickle of energy resonated along my palm as I pressed it to his. Perhaps the other objective had found me. Not good.

“Have you seen him? Savan?” His eyes stopped their roving and locked directly on mine.

“We were talking a little while ago. I went to the ladies' room,” I shrugged, letting the sentence hang. Somehow, without knowing why, I felt I better stick as close to the truth as I could with him. He was still holding my hand and I wasn't sure how to make him let go. “I wasn't feeling well. I'm still not.”

He looked at me appraisingly and far too long to be polite. I tried to keep my expression one of pain and confusion. Which wasn't too hard at the moment. Julian's crystal shard was miraculously still in my little pocket. Slipping the other hand inside, I squeezed it until my eyes brimmed with tears. Focus on the pain, I told myself, blot out everything else that happened tonight. The man kept staring and the prickling in my palm volted up a notch or two. Then, abruptly, he turned and walked away without another word.

Definitely time to call it a night.

Pulling away from Bobby, Albert waved towards the wall above the mirror and then me. I gave him a puzzled look. He moved forcefully closer, dragging the gossip columnist with him who refused to loosen his hold on the singer's arm. Getting close enough to shout, he said, “I'll send Blaze home with you. He'll see you come to no harm.” Remembering those long-armed hairy goblins Savan summoned, I gave a sigh of relief. Who knew what was roaming around out there in the dark?

“He won't eat anybody will he?” I shouted back.

“Well,” Albert paused, apparently giving some consideration to my question, “let's say nobody you know, at least.”

The streets were quiet except for the army of taxis that roamed the night, the glow of street lamps reflecting off their shiny surfaces of green, yellow, red and blue. I hopped in one. The taxi sagged as if under a great weight and the driver glanced around surprised. Blaze must have chosen to ride topside. In minutes we were at my building. Actually getting
into
the apartment almost took longer than the ride home. The stiffness from being knocked around very thoroughly could no longer be put off by a couple of pain killers. Limping into the building and navigating the elevator proved a slow business. When I slipped inside as quietly as I could, I saw it was nearly three a.m. What I wanted first was a hot shower. The warm water felt indescribably good, though it stung my knees and shins fiercely at first. Soap and water could do little to wash away the grayness hovering around the edges of my mind. Savan's words scared me. There was no denying it. Perhaps this growing attachment I felt for Julian was not real. Magic could do that. Or so I'd seen in movies and TV. The potions and spells clouding my judgement, making me see and feel things that were not really there. I'd talk to Julian about it tomorrow. No matter how much he growled at me. Confront him with my fears.

Practically crawling from the bathroom into bed, I remembered the Shadow Hound.“Blaze?”

He blinked into sight nearly on top of me and I squeaked in surprise. Apparently he could be seen whenever he chose to. Here in the light of my room, the hound was a rather awesome and frightening creature, sort of a cross between tiger and timber wolf, the color of coals burning. Sitting back on his haunches, he abruptly put a front paw out solemnly for me to shake. I shook it, and the animal gave me one of those loopy, purely doggy grins. Impetuously I reached out and hugged him, my arms barely reaching around the broad shaggy neck. His fur was hard and wiry on top over an undercoat soft as down. He ended up next to me, taking up most of the bed with Coco squeezed in the middle. I threw one arm over the beast and to my great surprise fell asleep immediately.

Just as he predicted, Albert haunted me in my dreams. He and I were walking hand-in-hand along Kensington High Street in London. I knew it was a dream because Albert carried a shopping bag from Top Shop in his barbed tail. Dad and I stopped fairly frequently in London. He had business dealings there and often took me with him on his trips when I was on school vacation. Albert and I walked up a flight of stairs to my favorite restaurant in London, Wagamama. Japanese/Asian fusion food in a relaxed setting with long tables where everyone sits next to everyone else.
Wagamama
means selfish or egoistic and it was my first Japanese word. Prophetic.
Again
.

Preparing to give our orders, the waiter phased out and Julian stood there looking serious. Of course, he looked serious. He always looked either serious or angry.

“She's under my protection,” Julian said, placing one hand on my shoulder.

“That's exactly what I'm worried about, Jules.” Albert twined his tail in my hair and tickled my ear with the tip.

Julian's brows came together in an angry “V” shape. “I
am
going to help. Really.”

“Help her or help yourself? That's the question. Sorry, don't think I can just stand idly by with this one. She's special. You feel it. I feel it. Even Blaze feels it. Her soul is the stuff dreams are made of, to paraphrase the Bard. There's more going on with the Club and her than meets the eye, I am guessing. And you, as well. Think I'd better stick around. Besides, I can make her laugh. Laughter is the best medicine in keeping souls tethered to the earth. Well,
second
best.” He looked at me slyly, eyebrows arched. “You just frighten her.”

“No I don't.”

“Yes, you do. You frighten everyone.”

I woke up then. Or maybe I didn't. Julian seemed to be sitting next to me on the bed.

“Why do you have to frighten everyone, Julian,” I said in a sleepy voice.

He said nothing, his face set and hard, and I fell back asleep, or at least the dream melted away.