Thief: X (7 page)

“Any suggestions?” I was looking at Marshall and he was staring back at me,

“You’re the killer.”

“Thanks for the reminder! Damn it all, I’m gonna have to make a run for it.”

“I thought that was what we were doing?”

“I’ll distract her while you get the door open. Shoot it if you have to, but get it open!”

“We could use a window?”

“She’s webbed them because if you hadn't noticed, she’s a big arsed spider!” Sarcasm was my friend in dire situations.

“Do I want to know what you’re going to do?” Marshall looked concerned,

“Just get the door open!” I cocked the shotgun and pulled the trigger over and over and ran further into the library. The Librarian jumped over Marshall and hissed at me. Great, just great!

I jumped onto the tables and started running, she was following and I saw Marshall trying to force the door open with an axe. I had no idea where he got it from but I was grateful. Now I had to squish the spider from hell. The Librarian dived at me and I sprang into the air, twisting until I fell onto her back. I cringed as I held on to her fur. Now I was rodeoing a spider with no idea what to do next. It was a good idea at the time, not so much now. She headed towards the shelves and stated ramming us through them. Books hurt – a lot. That was when Adram popped up behind me,

“Yeeee ha!” He yelled,

“Not now Adram, little busy here!”

“Take this.” He handed me a glowing ball and poofed out again. I looked at the ball and smiled. Adram wasn’t as yellow as I thought.

I scrambled closer to the Librarian’s head, clutching the ball as hard as I could. I only needed one more roar, so I dug my heels into her back as hard as I could and that did it. I slam dunked the ball in her mouth and jumped. This was going to be close.

“I hope you’ve got that door open!” Marshall looked back and smiled as he finally kicked the door open. I must have had a panicked look on my face as I ran into him,

“What the…” I looked over my shoulder and saw the Librarian clutching at her throat, which was now starting to glow. The brighter it got the more her skin cracked. Shit, we weren’t going to make it.

I grabbed Marshall and concentrated on the diamond in my ring. It took effort to do this standing still and I wasn’t sure if I could do it running. I concentrated as much as I could, going deeper and deeper into the diamond until I saw it at its most basic level. I felt my skin hardening and crystallising. I didn’t have time to see if I had completely changed because I felt heat knock us off our feet. I covered Marshal with my body as heat streamed over us. When the last flaming book hit me on the head, I got up and sat on my arse. Marshall was looking at me shock,

“What the hell did you do…and what…” I think Marshall was in shock,

“Adram gave me a little bit of hell fire and well, it seems spiders have an allergy to it.” I was laughing but he was still glaring,

“You’re…what the hell are you?” He scrambled away from me and I sighed,

“I’m the person who just saved your life and at this moment I'm kinda a hell diamond!” I looked down and I’d managed to transform ninety percent of my body into diamond and I probably looked a little weird. “I’ve already told you I’m half demon for God’s sake! Hand me your mobile…” I wagged my hand at him and he looked at me blankly, “You’re cell! Mine’s a little crushed from when I threw myself over you.”

“Who could you possibly be calling?”

“The Major.”

The Major wasn't a happy bunny. In fact, the only thing that got me through his tirade of insults and curses was imagining him as a rabbit. I don’t think he appreciated it when I snorted a few times. Having a lecture from a fat rabbit about the loss of a Library nearly cracked my restraint as I nodded in agreement. It wasn’t as if I meant to destroy it. If Marshall hadn’t been with us then we wouldn’t have had a spider problem – maybe. I didn’t think he appreciated being called at his private number but tough. I couldn’t clean up this mess myself and he had repeatedly told me to call him if we had any problems. Somehow, I didn’t think even he could ignore the mass of fire engines and reporters. It’s amazing how much damage a gas leak could cause. After my dressing down the Major scuttled back under his rock and I let out a sigh of relief. This was why I didn’t work with anyone. I couldn’t really class Adram as a partner in crime because he literally did what he wanted. Although this time I was very, very thankful he came back.

I had no idea where he got hell fire from, but I wanted to kiss his furry green face. If he hadn’t, well, I dare to think what shape I would be in now. Marshall on the other hand, was keeping his distance. Non-believers always freaked out when they started to believe. The more they saw the more their own reality started to unravel. I suppose having a diamond chick on top of you saving your life was probably a little too much. Didn’t he know diamonds were a girl’s best friend? Just because I could be one at a molecular level shouldn’t be held against me. The joys of being half demon. It was easier to say that then ‘I’m not exactly sure what I am’. I was feeling exhausted having changed so quickly and on the move, but Marshall wouldn’t know that. I didn’t want sympathy even though I had saved his life. The look on his face though made something break inside me. To be looked at like a monster after nearly dying was painful. Then again demons were monsters and by default that made me one I suppose.

“What’s next?” Marshall walked over to where I was sitting watching the hot firemen drown out the last of the blaze,

“I need to eat.” I rubbed soot from my knee as he sat next to me,

“Look, I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

“It’s ok. Monsters have that effect.” I didn’t want to look at him. I’d spent so much time around my family and Adram; I’d forgotten how others saw me sometimes.

“You’re not a monster. I just didn’t expect you to be able to do that. Whatever that was.”

“Prffft, it’s my party trick. Apparently I’m a type of elemental demon…look I don’t want to talk about it. If I don’t eat soon I think I may pass out.” I shook my head and headed towards Betty,

“I’m sorry. Damn, I keep saying sorry don’t I?” Great, he was following me,

“It’s ok. I’m used to it. I’m a bit of a freak in both worlds you know.” I piled into Betty hoping that I didn’t pass out at the wheel,

“You look awful, why don’t I drive?” I looked at him and his green eyes made me give in. I got out and we swapped sides, handing him the keys as we passed.

Our hands touched briefly and that was enough to knock me on my arse. I should have known better than to touch someone when I was so hungry. I didn’t have control and I felt myself digging deeper into his sins. Most normal people had little sins, the white lie to save someone pain and the chocolate bar you stole from your best friend at school. They all stay, floating on the surface of your soul until too many tip the balance and you tumble into hell. Marshall didn’t have any surface sins. I expected something but I was being swallowed by the darkness of his sins moulding into something else. Something had tipped the balance in his soul, and was combining his guilt with everything else, it made me stop breathing. Whatever he had done, it was more than taking a life. He had done that many times as part of his job as a Texas Ranger whether he had wanted to or not. This was so much more,

“Xan!” The voice cut through the darkness, “Alexandra!” I felt a big furry hand slap me hard across the face,

“Give it a rest, I’m back…I’m back…” I opened my eyes to Adram and Marshall looking down at me in concern,

“What happened?” Marshall was trying to help me to my feet but I couldn’t look at him,

“She’s hungry. Xan you shouldn’t have left it this long! Have you even eaten since the Museum?” I was wincing because Adram was yelling,

“I had a little snack via the Major.” I sighed. I was in for another lecture.

“You’re going home, getting your glad rags on and then we’re going out!”

“We don’t have time to party.” My legs wobbled from under me, and Marshall caught me yet again.

“You’re lucky I’ve put a barrier around you or you’d be dipping into everyone else’s sins. Why are you so stubborn?” Adram’s heart was in the right place but I had to get moving on the case or Clockwork could vanish again.

“We could always stop by and grab some takeout if she’s that hungry.” Marshall was trying to help but takeaway wasn’t going to help,

“She needs to eat sin. S.I.N you idiot. She’s left it too long and look at her? She looks like she's been dragged through a bush backwards. Xan you can’t carry on anymore. If it makes you feel better I’ll put the word out with other surface demons.” I smiled because Adram was still looking out for me even after all these years,

“We need to go see the Elk.”

“I know, I was there! If you don’t get your backside to the strip I’ll drag you there myself and wouldn’t that look freaky?”

“I hate to say it, but the Grinch is right. As much as I want to find Clockwork and my daughter, it’s pointless if we’re not at our best. I don’t want him cornered and then have to let him go because one of us was too stubborn to eat. I’m not sure about the sin thing but maybe we’ve all been through enough for today.” I hadn’t noticed Marshall holding his ribs and now I could see the pain on his face,

“I hope I didn’t hurt you?”

“Nah, women’s elbows are always pointy,” he laughed and I smiled,

“Let’s change and have a drink…or two.” It was pointless because I was way too tired to argue. Adram was trying not to panic at the state of me but I could feel the burn inside me. I’d left things way too long.

“Oh crap.” Adram picked me up and lay me on the back seat of Betty as the first spasm hit.

“What’s happening to her?” Marshall jumped in the driver’s side and started the engine, “Shit, everything’s back to front!” Marshall said forgetting Betty was a British car with her steering wheel on the right hand side,

“No shit Sherlock! We have to get her somewhere before she leeches the sins off everyone here. She’d never forgive herself and I can’t put a shield up over everyone.” I heard Marshall crunch Betty’s gears and I wanted to say something sarcastic but even my mouth wouldn’t move anymore.

“Where to?” Marshall was looking panicked as I managed a moan from the back seat,

“Drive and I’ll show you.” That was the last thing I heard before I passed out.

When I finally came around, I had Adram’s face pressed up against Betty’s window looking at me,

“She’s awake!” I rubbed my eyes and immediately knew where we were.

“Are you ok?” Marshall peered over the front seats and smiled at me.

“Could be better.” I felt like I’d been run over by a train, several times,

“Come on Xan, get your skinny arse up and suck on some sins. If you pass out again I’m dumping you on the street.” Adram was pacing but I could tell he was worried.

“I’m ok. I’m coming!” I managed to crawl from Betty but I soon fell on my arse,

“Do you know how close she came to dying? Do you?” Adram was glaring at Marshall, who shrugged,

“Stop exaggerating. It’s not my fault I couldn’t find the gears!” Poor Betty would need some TLC after tonight. “So, are you going to finally tell me why we’re here?”

“Adram!” I wanted to shout at him but I needed him to lean on, “You should have told Marshall. He may have wanted to sit this out, be law abiding and all.”

“It doesn’t look that bad.” Marshall looked down the street and I could see how puzzled he was.

I sighed and nodded to Adram who helped me walk down a dark alley, with Marshall following behind us. The sun had gone down while I’d been unconscious, which meant this part of the city was now in full swing. I saw Marshall’s eyes go wide and it made me smile. He may have a big, dark sin brewing inside him but even he felt uncomfortable. That was probably due to the naked woman sitting in a window flashing her gyrating bits at him.

“Yeah, we’re in the red light district.” I smiled. It was like a bad joke; a demon, a cowboy and a sin eater walk into a bar.

“She’s…” Marshall was pointing and I smacked his arm down.

“Madam Cassandra?” Adram’s smile told me everything. I just hopped he didn’t flirt too badly.

I had to literally pull Marshall down the street because he kept stopping and staring at the variety of women gyrating in the windows. Adram was still holding me up but was waving at the women, who shamelessly waved back. In a den of sin, demons were worshipped.

We crashed through Madam Cassandra’s door, which was, surprise surprise, a brothel. Marshall looked mortified as Adram handed him a ‘menu’,

“Why don’t you chill out while we’re here?”

“What the hell is a seventy one?” Marshall’s eyebrows nearly jumped off his face,

“Oh honey I could show you that.” Madam Cassandra swayed out from behind a curtain and looked at Marshall like he was a lollipop. I suddenly felt territorial

“I…errr…” Marshal was stuttering as she scraped a long, red nail down his chest and was going lower. I slapped her hand away,

“You like this one eh?” I blushed. I never blushed! “Shame you look like death.” Truth be told everyone looked like death compared to Madam Cassandra.

After five hundred years she still looked like a supermodel. Most vampires usually did. She was taller than me in her red heels, and was dressed in a red velvet dress that screamed Bride of Dracula. Her blonde hair curled around her shoulders, and her makeup was done flawlessly. And yeah, she still scared the crap out of me. Adram introduced me to Madam Cassandra when he realised I needed more than food to keep me going. Apparently they bonded over dresses at the first ever New York fashion week in 1945. He knew I had morals and couldn’t just feed off people without knowing and Madam Cassandra knew a lot of people who wanted to lose some of their sins. I only took from the Major because he annoyed me and needed a taste of his own medicine.

I didn’t really like taking sin because I always had a brief glimpse of it and some people deserved to be damned to hell. Although Madam Cassandra was a vampire, she helped women. Most people would still condemn her because the women she helped, worked for her. She didn’t force the women into anything they didn’t want to do, and she protected them fiercely. Many a man ended up in the river without his blood for hitting one of her girls. The only problem was, that prostitution collected its own sin and the women here didn’t deserve the damnation. Some of the newer ones had already collected enough sin to reserve them a front row seat in the bowels of hell.

I helped the women relieve their sins and Madam Cassandra gave me a supply of sins to keep me going for a very long time. Like I said, she’d do anything to protect these women, even from the devil himself.

“I think I may have over done it.” I was propping myself up by the wall and as I hadn’t changed from blowing up the Librarian I looked like I’d been sweeping chimneys,

“I have a new girl that needs to confess her sins. If that doesn’t fill you then your usual's have some free time in between clients in half an hour.”

“You two wait here. Adram try not to get into any trouble!”

“These ladies love me. I’m more worried about the cowboy.” He nodded towards Marshall who was being draped over by two busty women. He looked mortified and I couldn’t help snorting.

I peeled myself from the wall as Madam Cassandra beckoned me through the curtain and into her back room. It wasn’t very often she had a new girl, but when she did they usually came with a lot of baggage.

“One moment Xan. Help yourself to tea and biscuits.”

I decided to sit on the plush red love seat that adorned one side of the room. Madam Cassandra had a thing for red velvet, but many vampires were stuck in their ways and it was very good at blocking out the sun. It looked like a Victorian parlour, dark and spooky. Even the lamps had scarves over them. Vampires had no sense of personal safety and I could just see Madam Cassandra swooning elegantly into a fire.

The curtain opened and a small, pretty woman shuffled towards me. That was until Madam Cassandra pushed her with such force she fell over her own feet and landed with her head between my legs. Trying to hold back my laugh, I helped her to her feet and gave her shoulder a squeeze in support,

“I…I’m sorry…I’m…I’m suck a klutz. I’m Julie.” She pushed her chestnut hair from her face and I could see tears glistening in her blue eyes,

“It’s ok. Madam Cassandra forgets her strength sometimes.” I gave Madam Cassandra the stink eye and all she could do was shrug. She turned on her heels and left us alone. “Did she tell you what I do?”

“I’m not sure.” Trust Madam Cassandra to skim details. I’d had this conversation so many times over the years it was making me feel old,