Thief: X (18 page)

It was at this point in death a soul would be waiting for Death to appear to judge their life and send them wherever he saw fit. Unfortunately this never, ever happened to me. I’d died so many times over the years that I was used to the darkness that greeted me. After my first death, I’d been stabbed, shot, blown up, and drowned to name a few and still the darkness never cleared. Sin eaters healed practically instantly but this, this darkness was thanks to Cain. I could feel it in my gut that he was responsible for my lack of judgement. I was never really sure if I was corporeal here because I couldn’t feel anything. No emotion, no pain, nothing at all. Maybe I did belong here? Maybe it had nothing to do with Cain after all? One thing I did know was that I wouldn’t be here long. It felt like forever thanks to the darkness but I was thankful it wasn’t. The only reason I was here now was because I’d been stabbed in the head. Any injury like that made me end up in this dump.

There was also the problem that no one knew what had happened. My mom was still out and my brother wouldn’t exactly leave his room. That left Marshall and the Scooby gang to find me. Urgh, the thought of them finding me naked made me cringe,

“Pull the eye one out first!” Here I go, that was definitely Adram. The second that stupid knife was pulled out my eye I felt myself rush back into my body.

Marshall was looking over me and was a shade between green and white. I felt my eye repairing itself and the light it made shone in Marshall’s eyes. I blinked and sighed in relief that I could see,

“What the hell?”

“Oh, didn’t she tell you about the whole immortal thing? Yeah, the healing is a by-product of being a sin eater. She heals fast but if there’s a lot of damage to heal, the wound glows like a Christmas tree on Acid.”

“That explains why she wasn’t bleeding.”

“Yeah, technically she doesn’t.”

“Err guys, if you wouldn’t mind I’m feeling a little bit like a kebab.” I pointed to the sword that was poking out my chest,

“Sorry.” Adram wrapped his furry, green hands around the hilt and pulled. It hurt like a bitch. A naked bitch being dragged over razor blades and then falling into a vat full of vinegar. I screamed. Even the healing hurt because my heart had to kick start itself,

“I don’t get it,” I don’t think Marshall could take anymore. I got up to find my scattered clothes because I was
still
naked,

“Look…” Adram stabbed me in the shoulder with the knife, “…and when I remove it…” he pulled it out and it glowed until the wound had healed, “…strobe effect….”

“I still don’t get it.” Marshal said, still staring at me and trying not to look at my fried egg breasts.

Adram did it again and again until I whacked his hand away,

“Do you mind? I’m not a pin cushion!” I glared at Adram trying to scold him,

“Well, I’m only trying to do a little show and tell. You can be so grumpy sometimes.”

“Adram, if you haven’t noticed I’ve just been murdered.”

“And by the looks of it, got a bit in the process.” He wagged his eyebrows at me,

“I’m going to find Dorian and kill him.”

“He did this?” Marshall demanded. I saw the fury tint his emerald eyes,

“Who else do you know that walks around with a cane that has a sword in it?”

“I’ll kill him myself!” He rumbled and marched towards the door. Strangely I felt overwhelmed that my death had such an impact on him.

I stumbled towards him but fell flat on my arse at his feet,

“Are you ok?”

“Silly question.” Adram muttered and I shot him dead eyes,

“I’m exhausted. It takes a lot to come back.”

“She needs to rest, idiot.” Adram got daggers from Marshall this time.

I tried to get up but my legs felt like jelly. I was rolling around the floor like a drunk because my limbs decided they didn’t want to work. I was about to have a tantrum when Marshall lifted me into his arm. My mouth opened to thank him but no words came out,

“Great fish impression Xan.” Adram laughed. I flipped him the bird as Marshall turned around and headed up the stairs.

I was still stark naked in his arms but I felt completely safe. I flushed at the thought of what I’d done with Dorian, but soon it wouldn’t matter because I’d be holding his heart in my hand as I crushed it. He pulled back the covers on my bed with one hand and then lowered me. I quickly covered myself as he turned to leave,

“Stay.” He looked at me, “its ok I’m not going to jump on you. I…I just don’t want to be alone.” I wasn’t that much of a brazen hussy,

“Do you think it’s such a good idea?”

“I’m not gonna rape you if that’s what you mean. I feel abused Marshall. Stay as a friend. Please.” The truth was, for the first time in years I felt vulnerable. I’d let someone else in and in return they’d stabbed me in the heart, literally.

I thought he was going to leave when he sat on the other side of the bed and took his boots off. The next thing he did shocked me so hard I thought my heart had stopped again. He pulled me closer until my head was in the nook of his shoulder and his arm was around me.

“Is this ok?” He mumbled,

“Erm, I…yes.”

“If I stay will you answer some questions? Even if you don’t want to talk about it?”

“Ok.” Why did I feel so comfy lying next to him? I think I’d died one too many times and my brain had finally fried. Although the second he started rubbing at my wrist I knew how the questions would start,

“So the scars? I don’t get them. I’ve just watched as a sword was pulled from your chest and you don’t have a mark on you, but you have these.” I sighed and bit my lip. It was a part of my life I didn’t like talking about,

“I was fifteen and a hormonal teenager. Thanks to Adram, I knew I wasn’t normal. I couldn’t be the daughter my parents wanted. I was trouble. I couldn’t help the things I did because it was my sin eater side. Sin was like a drug in the early years. It made me feel powerful and that was something too huge for a fifteen year old to deal with. I was in and out of youth detention centres, not that I was in there for longer than a week because of my dad’s lawyers but the guilt started building. Then the dreams of Cain started and the Church excommunicated me. It got to the point when I wanted it all to stop, so I made it. My mom found me in my bedroom covered in blood, a kitchen knife on the floor. For those few glorious minutes I was officially dead. Waiting in the void for Death to judge me, that was until he took one look at Cain’s mark and pushed me back. I healed, but the cuts scarred. It was my first death.” I wasn’t proud of what I did all those years ago but at the time I just wanted everything to stop,

“You killed yourself? Ok, I kinda get it but what about Cain?”

“Cain?” I laughed, “You’ve seen me naked so, you’ve seen my ‘birthmark’. You can’t exactly miss something that looks like someone’s drawn a cross on you with a Sharpie.” I felt Marshall’s silent laugh,

“Yeah I noticed it.”

“It’s the mark of Cain. You know as in Cain and Abel, the first murderer? The Cain that God cursed to walk the earth for eternity. It’s my curse too, thanks to that ginger headed twat and now he wants me to lead his army.” I sighed. I don’t think I’d ever told anyone this much before,

“But why you? You wouldn’t exactly be my first choice, sorry.”

“Because my stupid parents made a deal with him before I was born.”

“What could they possible want? I mean they seem to have everything.”

“Me. Money can’t buy everything and my mom was getting older and wanted a baby. They’d tried everything and still nothing, until Cain. Of course they didn’t know it was Cain and my dad thought he would have to give up his Bentley when Cain came to collect but it had always been me. Nine months later I was born. Cain had sparked my life and my parents waited for him to return.”

“I take it he didn’t?”

“That’s the funny part. Death caught up with him, and now he’s locked up for something he did, but according to him he’ll be out soon and the first thing he’ll do is come for me.”

“Wait, so he’s dead? I thought he was immortal?” This was why I hadn’t explained it before, too bloody complicated,

“Death is real, as in the personification, the Arch Angel. According to Adram, Death caught him the night my parents saw him and he’s been in Death’s prison ever since. I’m on borrowed time.”

“You really are weird,”

“Don’t I know it? Cain did something to me, which resulted in me being able to change my molecules into whatever I touched. Then there’s the whole immortality thing. Sin eaters heal fast, but they can be killed. A shot to the heart usually does it or decapitation but I’m only going by what Adram knows. The fact I’m still alive is thanks to Cain messing with my DNA.”

“Adram can’t be that reliable, surely?”

“Don’t let his looks fool you. He’s a demon through and through and would eat a baby with no remorse. He used to hate babysitting me but I think he grew to like me. Not that he would ever admit that of course. The Devil owed Cain a favour and unfortunately Adram annoyed him one too many times and ended up with me.” I smiled. Adram was a pain in the arse most of the time but he was still here,

“You’re such an enigma…” I looked up at him and for the first time noticed his ears were pointed,

“So you believed me?” Even after the anger he’d believed me,

“Hard not too really. Plus there’s this…” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and showed me a picture with him and his parents, “…I don’t think it’s possible for two brown eyed parents to have a green eyed child.” He sighed, “The second I realised, pop. You were right; the illusion just melted away. It’s just weird I never noticed before.”

“You weren’t looking before.” I yawned. My energy levels were dropping and I seriously needed to sleep soon. I tried to push past the exhaustion because there was a massive chance as soon as I nodded off Cain would be waiting for me. “I’m sure your wife wouldn’t like you in bed with me like this.” This time the yawn was more like a mewl and I felt my eyes closing,

“Yeah about that…” He started but was cut off,

“I really don’t like that cowboy. Why don’t you suck out all his sin and put him out of his misery?” I was in a burning field with Cain smirking at me,

“Can’t I get any peace? I’ve just been stabbed to death and could do with some sleep.”

“You
are
asleep.” He walked around me as if he was assessing me. I looked down and realised I was still naked. I screamed and tried to cover my modesty, “Oh please, I’ve seen it all before.”

“You’re a pervert!”

“Like you didn’t know?” He laughed,

“So you’re back to torturing me in my sleep again? I think I preferred the little snap shots of my impending doom.”

“They
were
fun weren’t they? I think you need to kill Dorian.”

“Always to the point as usual. He’s on my list don’t worry.”

“Good because he deserves to die.”

“Are you giving me a contract to assassinate him?”

“Do you want one?” Now he was just being an arsehole,

“Do you have any money?” I was being deadly serious but apparently he thought I was joking because he was laughing hysterically,

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard in a long time and I’ve only known you for three decades.”

“This conversation is pointless!” I turned to walk away but he was in front of me in an instant,

“Now, now Alexandra. I have big plans for you and your skills.”

“Well, I want nothing to do with them. Just let me sleep please."

“You need to sort out Clockwork.”

“No shit. Everyone keeps telling me that. I know that. Can you not keep repeating yourself?”

“You need to sort out Clockwork. Nope, apparently not.”

“You’re not funny. I’m trying to sort it, if you haven’t noticed. I’m sure you do this to annoy me.”

“Of course I do. Although it looks like you’re about to get your chance at Clockwork after all.”

“What?”

“Time to wake up!” He poked me in the head and I startled awake to a hand across my mouth.

I was about to kick and scream when I saw it was Marshall. He put his finger over his mouth to tell me to be quiet and I nodded. I clambered for my clothes and couldn’t find anything other than my Eeyore onesie that was sitting in a crumpled heap on the floor. Great, just great. Once I wasn’t naked, I grabbed my spare Glock from my nightstand. Marshall already had his gun out and was waiting by the door. I checked my mom’s room, who was about to yell at me for not knocking when she saw Marshall and my gun. I didn’t need to tell her anything and she nodded. Cam was just coming out of the bathroom when I turned and poked my gun in his face. I mouthed sorry and shoved him in the room with mom. I was so going to hear about that later.

Slowly we made our way downstairs, checking every room. I stopped when we reached the kitchen, I lowered my gun and turned to Marshall,

“What was that about?” I glared,

“I felt something coming.”

“That it?” Smidge and Cerberus bounded into the kitchen, “So you woke me up because you felt these two terrors coming?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I was about to moan about still being exhausted when an explosion rocked the house, “What the hell was that?” Marshall questioned,

“It’s the spells on the door. Finally, someone managed to shut my bloody front door. Unfortunately, for them to react that badly means something really bad is trying to get through.” The house shook again, “You two guard the back door and nothing gets in alive.” I said at Smidge and Cerberus,

“Are you insane?” Apparently so,

“I’m sure if Cerberus can guard the gates of Hell she can manage my back door!” He pointed to Smidge, “You can be so discriminating sometimes.”

Cerberus shook her tiny head, which turned to two and then three. Gradually she took on mass until she was the Cerberus she’d been in Hell and then it was Smidges’ turn. The skin under her fur started to bubble until it broke open. Within a blink of an eye there was a copy of Cerberus in front of us and Marshall’s mouth was hanging open,

“Oh that? Yeah, she belonged to a Djinn…a Genie and becomes whatever she needs to be.” I laughed at his face but then another boom rocked the house. That was when the scratching started,

“Are they coming through the roof?” Marshall looked up and a piece of ceiling hit me in the face,

“Looks like it.” Damn, I never thought about spelling the roof. Who came through the roof? A tracker poked its head through the hole, “You’re getting on my nerves now!” I shot at it but my aim was off and then I started swaying.

Marshall caught me but I didn’t have time. I could deal with trackers, Marshall couldn’t. One scratch or bite and he’d be dead. I snatched a shotgun that I’d taped under the kitchen counter and started shouting again. Those little buggers were fast. The last boom took the front door off the hinges,

“Hi honey, I’m home.” Clockwork sang.

So now I had Clockwork coming through my front door and trackers all around me and I felt as weak as a kitten. Wolfie and Sister Succubus were next to join the fracas. All Hell was breaking loose and I was bang in the middle. Clockwork was cackling like the psycho he was and I was trying to kill as many trackers as I could, but they were still coming. They were like ants swarming and we were drowning. Cerberus and Smidge were holding them back, ripping and tearing limbs. My house was being slowly demolished and I knew in that moment I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t understand why the trackers hadn’t killed us. I was running out of ammo and they were still coming full force from all directions.

I was pushed to the floor as I was pounded harder and harder. I could hear Clockwork laughing and it was fuelling my anger. Placing my hand on the concrete floor of my kitchen, I looked deep inside its molecules. If I still had my ring I’d have used the diamond but concrete would have to do. I had to stop fighting to concentrate. My skin began to change, slowly turning from pink to grey. I was nearly there when everything fizzled out. Damn it! I was too weak thanks to Dorian.

Claws scraped my arms and I was pulled to my feet, dragged down the corridor and dangled in front of Clockwork,

“I thought you’d put up a bit more of a fight?” Clockwork was handed a broad sword and placed it under my chin,

“If I squeezed your clown nose would it squeak?” I snorted and he dug the point of the sword harder into my neck,

“Even now when you’ve obviously lost, you’re still making jokes.”

“Well come on, look at you. What’s with the clown outfit? You’re obviously an intelligent man and the clown thing is a little disturbing.”

“Exactly.” A plan was forming in my head. Maybe I could take care of Clockwork now, when he thought I was beat, “As much as I’d love to chat I’m afraid you’ve become somewhat of a thorn in my side and that just cannot do. You are a liability to my plans so I’ll be cutting off your head now.”

I had two seconds when the tracker let me go so Clockwork could swing his sword to take my head, and that was all I needed. As the tracker let go I fell to the floor and rolled towards my side table, pulling a Glock from under it. Yes I was paranoid enough to keep guns all over my house, but did you blame me when this happened? I pushed to my feet and pulled the trigger, hitting Clockwork square in the forehead.

My inner demon cheered but it was short lived. I watched in horror as the bullet hole glowed and healed. Clockwork used my shock to swing his sword. My last thought was; fuck me he’s a sin eater!

“Well that was quick. I have to say I’m a little disappointed.” I was back in the wasteland of my dreams,

“I know I’m dead this time. I felt my head leave my shoulders but I should be waiting to be judged, not here.” I was holding back a sob. As much as I’d longed to end my pain, I’d never expected it to end like this,

“And may God have mercy on your soul.”

“I don’t have a soul.”

“Of course you do. What on earth has that demon been teaching you?” Cain clicked his fingers and my sofa appeared. He sat and patted the cushion next to him,

“Obviously not enough.” If I was dead I may as well be comfy so I sat next to him,

“You have a piece of my soul. My God you know nothing! How do you think I created your spark?” I blinked at Cain, not knowing what to say, “Whether you like me or not, you owe your existence to me and that my dear has benefits.”

“Nothing regarding you can be beneficial for me.”

“And yet you’re here and not in the mists waiting to be judged.” A glass of wine appeared in his hand and he took a sip,

“
And
none of that helps me.”

“Stop being so selfish, of course it does. I knew sparking a girl would bite me in the arse.”

“Thanks!”

“You’re my construct, Alexandra. You can do whatever I can and you’re whittling my gift away. Although the whole sin eater thing was unforeseen. Who knew you had that particular genome in your family? It’s almost comical.”

“I’m glad I amuse you.” I sighed,

“Stop being sarcastic. By now you should be doing this…” I watched as his hand turned to liquid,

“I can.”

“No you can’t. You have to touch something.” He changed from water to stone, “Can you see me touching anything?”

“I need my ring to do something like that.”

“You need nothing of the sort! Once you’ve touched something it's absorbed into you. You just haven’t figured out how to utilise what’s always been there. You lack the knowledge.”

“I’m dead. Does it matter?”

“Have you even been listening?” Cain threw the glass of wine on the ground and smiled as it smashed,

“Should I have been?” Cain mumbled something under his breath that sounded like it had something to do with a donkey and a prostitute,

“You’ve been depending on your sin eater side for too long. You have my curse and believe me, even getting your head cut off isn’t enough. Right now you’re a puddle of silver goo on your hall carpet and if you don’t listen, that’s how you’ll stay.”

“Of course I believe you.” I was being sarcastic of course and Cain knew it. With another click of his fingers a TV appeared in front of us.

“Let’s see what’s on the Alexandra channel shall we.” He clicked his control and I was suddenly looking at a pile of goo on my hall carpet, “Told you, you’re goo.”

“How can I believe you? For years you’ve tormented me.”

“Urgh, we’re back to that old argument. Let’s just say tormenting you didn’t have the effect I wanted. As my parole’s getting closer I’ve been persuaded to try things differently and lucky for you, it means I have to be nice. For now.”

“Is that Adram?” I watched Adram come on the screen and then he was shouting at Wolfie and Sister Succubus as they clambered from the living room looking like they’d been pulled through a bush backwards,

“That stupid demon. He should have told you all this and look at him flapping about. Are those heels? My God they are.”

“Shit, he’s just stepped on me.”

“Well then, you better figure out a way to reform.”

“I thought you were gonna help me?”

“I may be behaving but I didn’t say I’d hand everything to you on a plate.”

“Why isn’t there any sound?” I got up and banged on the TV,

“Because we’re in
your
brain and it’s decided not to give us sound.” He said like I was an idiot and I twitched, “Can you even feel your body, or your goo?”

“I can feel my body here but it doesn’t feel like I’m goo on my carpet.”

“Why do I bother?” He grabbed me and pushed me on the sofa, pinning me down with his knees, “If you don’t pull yourself together everyone you care about will die. Is that enough incentive?”

“Get off me!” I yelled trying to push him off,

“Your cowboy is trying to be a hero and has no idea what Clockwork is capable of. Did you even think about your mother and brother?”

“Leave them alone!” I felt my skin pulse,

“I’m not going to do anything to them, unfortunately if you think Clockwork left them behind then you’re even more stupid than I thought. Not only did he take your head as a trophy he thought they would make a great addition to his little foray.”

“I’ll kill him!”

“And how will you be doing that when you’re stuck here.” I had to do something and that meant I had to get back,

“You’re to blame. All of this is your fault. You should have cut ties with your family years ago but you wouldn’t and now look at you.”

“Get off me.” I yelled,

“The only way out of here is to go there. Now sort yourself out.”

“Fuck me sideways on a Sunday morning!” Adram screamed when I opened my eyes and sat up, “That was some freaky shit!” Ok, he was more than screaming, he was hysterical,

“Adram, stop screaming my head hurts,”

“But how? I was told Clockwork took your head.”

“You were right all along Adram; I share Cain’s curse which means I can’t die.”

“I…” Adram was officially lost for words. All he did was stare and it was starting to freak me out.

Everything suddenly hit and I ran upstairs to where I’d last seen my mom and Cam. They were gone but Clockwork had left a message in blood on the wall; I win.

Cain was right. I should’ve cut ties to protect them. I knew better. Adram had told me the same,

“It’s ok, you know?” Adram said behind me. Those four words crushed me and I ran.

I needed to clear my head. I needed to come up with a plan. I needed to get my mom and brother back. I needed to kill Clockwork once and for all. My head was spinning. In this state I couldn’t win a fight with a butterfly. I felt vulnerable and that was happening too often for my liking. I soon found myself sitting on a bench opposite the church.

Being excommunicated had devastated me. I never told anyone, not even Adram. Father Thomas had been a friend and it burned even more when he refused to stop my excommunication. I felt betrayed and hadn’t stepped foot in Havenbrook’s church since. Yet here I was. I needed guidance and I was sitting staring at a place I couldn’t go. Demon’s started to burn when they set foot on consecrated ground, me not so much but it didn’t help. I’d always felt a pull to this place and yet I was too scared to go in,

“He’s following them you know?” Adram poofed next to me and I sighed,

“Go away Adram.”

“Marshall’s following them. Clockwork didn’t take him.”

“He’ll get himself killed.” I wasn’t really interested. I had too much swimming in my head,

“I don’t think he’s cared much for himself since his wife died. His daughter is all he has.” I looked at Adram in surprise, “What? Did you never ask him?”

“He still wears his wedding ring.” I shook my head and Adram sighed,

“You really never asked, did you? You can be such an idiot. He wears his ring to remind himself that her death was his fault.”

“I can’t believe I never asked.”

“Neither can I because he likes you too.”

“You said it yourself Adram, he only cares for his daughter,”