Two Knights of Indulgence (12 page)

“Evil?
 
I’ve known that man for
seven hundred years.
 
There isn’t an evil
bone in his body.
 
What did you do to
him?”

“I sensed evil.
 
Just like—” Britt’s eyes grew wide once more.
 
“Just like I sensed the evil in the man at
the hospital as he lifted his gun at me.”

“Nicolas is
not
Illuminati.
 
He has fought them for over
a half century.
 
He’s been beaten,
stabbed, and now shot by those undead thugs in his bid to keep the peace.”

“Shot?”
 
She smiled, and he wondered
if she was mad.
 
“The bullets, that’s
it!
 
I only got two from him.”

Why was she bringing up bullets in a time like
this?
 
“What are you talking about?”

“I pulled a black bullet from you when I healed
you.
 
When I touched it, it was hot.
 
As soon as I dropped it, it melted.”

“Bullets don’t melt.”

“Exactly.
 
In the commotion of the
situation, I forgot all about them.
 
When
I healed Nicolas, he had three wounds, but I only got
two
bullets out of him.”

“Bullets?
 
A bullet doesn’t make a man
crazy.”

“Traditionally, no.
 
What if those bullets have
some kind of evil within them?”

“A magical, melting bullet that is
filled with evil.
 
That’s a bit of a stretch to cover your ass.”

“I’m
not
covering my ass.
 
I didn’t do anything to
Nicolas.
 
You said he was fine before he
met me.
 
He met me when he was shot.
 
There is a bullet still embedded in him,
potentially.
 
If I’m right, it’s
spreading.”

Matthias looked at her and sensed no guile coming from
her, but it was a bit much of a story to consider. Though, they had seen some
crazy shit over the years.
 
It wasn’t
completely impossible.

“If I choose to accept this story, why would the
Illuminati shoot us with evil bullets?”

“That part, I have no idea, but I’m
sure there’s more to the story.
 
For now, we need to figure out what to do
about Nicholas.”

“So what do you suppose we do about this magical,
melting, evil bullet?”

“I have absolutely no clue, but I assume the best
thing I can do is try to heal him again.”

“Nicolas thought that’s what you did to the man in the
hospital.
 
I won’t let you kill my
friend.”

“If he’s the strong, worthy man you say he is, I
won’t.”

“And you know this, how?”

“I … just do.”

Matthias watched her walk back toward the door and
open it.
 
Nicolas still lay on the floor
where he was left.
 
Britt kneeled beside
him and then turned to seek Matthias.
 
“Come, I may need your help.”

He moved to Nicolas’ head and knelt on the floor.
 
“What do you need me to do?”

“I’m not sure.
 
Lift his shirt, I need to touch him.”

As Matthias lifted Nicolas’ shirt, he saw a dark
mark.
 
He stood and turned the hall light
on to get a better look at it.
 
It looked
like a swirling black tattoo, reaching out in a sun-like shape, rays spreading
out along his abdomen.

“I don’t recall him having a tattoo when he was in the
hospital.”

“He doesn’t have any.”

“Look, you can still see the faint scar of the bullet
wound in the center.”
 
Her gaze met
Matthias’ before she dropped a hand just above the scar.
 
“Can you at least admit my theory has merit?”

 
Matthias
looked at her, sensing she only wanted to help.
 
He had no idea what to do at that moment, and he had to admit what he
saw made him think she was on to something.
 
“Do what you need to.”

Britt looked back at Nicolas and pressed her palm to
the remnants of the wound.
 
Her eyes
began to glow with blue light as she dropped the hand onto his skin.
 
Nicolas’ whole body jumped at the contact,
and his eyes burst open, blue light filling them.
 

The luminescence grew to near blinding the longer she
held on.
 
Her light wavered for a moment,
and Nicolas latched on to her wrist.

“
Noooo
!”
 
The deep, twisted voice
bellowing out of Nicolas’ mouth was not his own.
 
He began to buck under her touch, so Matthias
pressed down his friend’s shoulders to quiet him, without much luck.
 
Nicolas violently writhed under them, his
strength appearing to build.

After a few more moments, Nicolas pushed them off and
leapt to his feet.
 
His eyes still
glowed, but now, it was a sickly yellow.
 
“He’s ours now, and you can’t have him back, Healer!”

The sick voice coming from Matthias’ friend, his
brother,
nearly turned his stomach.
 
Matthias reached for his sword but before he
could swing around, Nicolas rushed past him, crashing through the front door
and out into the cold night.

****
 

Britt shivered as the first blast of icy air hit her
full force.
 
The shattered door rested on
broken hinges, and the night crept inside.
 
“What do we do now?”

Matthias watched her a moment before turning on his
heel and rushing up the stairs without a word.
 
She followed him up, her stomach in her throat.
 
“Where are you going?”

She knew he was going after Nicolas, deep into the
cold night.
 
Nicolas was in danger, but
was also dangerous.
 
There was no limit
to the damage he could do with the knowledge within him.
 
Matthias burst into his bedroom and began
putting clothing on, his eyes never meeting hers.
 
“You have no idea where he’s headed.”

“I’ve tracked prey all over this planet.
 
I
will
find
him.”

“In the middle of the night?”

“Darkness doesn’t scare me.”
 

The double entendre gave her pause.
 
“And what will you do when you find him?”

“Whatever I must.”

The lethal look he passed her made her gasp.
 
“You’d kill him?”

“I would rather him die a valiant death than to cross
over into evil.
 
I owe him that much. And
with the knowledge he has of the brotherhood, others could die if I let him
into the ranks of the Illuminati.”

Few would die to
save the many.
 
“I could potentially still save him.”

“You have absolutely no idea what you’re doing.
 
If you did, he’d be healed, lying on the
floor downstairs.”

His anger coiled with her frustration.
 
She wasn’t about to let Matthias kill his
best friend without giving it another shot.
 
A man who’d been around for seven hundred years attempting to save the
world deserved more than a valiant death; he deserved redemption.
 
She rushed down the stairs and threw on all
the clothing she could get her hands on and then marched back up to
Matthias.
 
“Where are my shoes?
 
You two have hid them, I know it.”

“You aren’t going anywhere.”

“The hell I’m not!
 
If I have to cut pieces of blankets and trash bags to wrap around my
feet, I’ll do it.
 
I won’t let you end
his life so nonchalantly.”

Matthias rushed forward, pinning her to the wall
behind her.
 
“Do you think for one minute
that I’m not dying inside at the thought?
 
I don’t make this decision
nonchalantly
.
 
I already grieve for what I may be forced to
do.”

The hot rush of his words warmed her face.
 
She felt the flow of energy between them, but
the lust she typically felt was absent.
 
Instead, she felt his pain, his remorse swelling within her.
 
Tears stung the back of her lids as she felt
the overpowering pain inside him.
 

She also saw glimpses of the friendship the two
shared, not so much as a vision of their time spent, but an awakening as to the
depth of their brotherhood.
 
Britt now
understood the tie that bound them together and knew Matthias would die a
little himself if he were forced to do what he was prepared to do.
 

It only made her stand with more resolve.
 
There was no way she could allow Matthias to
endure that kind of pain, not if she had the potential to save Nicolas.
 
“I’m going with you, like it or not.”

“You’ll only slow me down.”
 
The vehemence was gone from his voice, as if
he wasn’t as opposed to her going as he stated he was.

She reached beneath his shirt and rested her palm on
his chest.
 
The heavy thud of his heart
raced against her hand.
 
Britt opened to
Matthias completely, pouring herself into him.
 
If she felt his emotions when they touched, she had to hope he would feel
her intent the same way.
 
If he felt the
strength of her conviction, perhaps he would see reason and take her
along.
 

Nicolas was worth redeeming.
 
Matthias would be lost if Nicolas wasn’t rescued.
 
Britt had to save them both, or the light she
felt when she was with them would vanish.
 
In her mind, there was no choice but for her to go and try again.

He softened immediately, crowding closer as she
pressed her lips to his.
 
His touch was
whisper soft, barely moving over her tender skin.
 
For such a monster of a man, she was surprised
his caresses were so tender.
 
He truly
was the gentle giant she thought him.
 
His kisses became fevered, his hands gathering her ever closer.
 
Britt could still taste the bitter flavor of
the wine coating his tongue as he pierced it inside her mouth, tasting her
deeply.

After several moments, he drew back, his gaze
glassy.
 
“We need to get going before we
lose the trail.”

He began to walk to the front door, slipping his bow
over his chest as he walked.

“My shoes?”

****

An hour later, Matthias was vastly impressed with
Britt.
 
Not once had she complained of
the pace or the interminable cold.
 
He’d
wrapped her in several layers and two of his coats, but he knew she had to be
freezing as they waded through snow, which was knee high in places.
 
Each time he turned to check on her, she was
trudging through in his wake, holding her own.
 
Pride filled him.
 
She was an
incredible woman, strong and capable.

She would have to be even stronger if they found their
prey.

The moon hung low in the sky, still nearly full.
 
The illumination helped them on the trek as
they wandered deeper and deeper into the wood.
 
An eerie hush surrounded them; Matthias hadn’t heard animals moving
since they left the house.
 
Many of the
creatures still hibernated, but there were plenty of nocturnal creatures that
should be out and about.
 
They appeared
to have sensed the evil in the wood that night.

They crossed a small creek, the melting waters of the
mountain beginning the long descent into the valley.
 
The liquid moved swiftly, the roiling surface
shimmering in the moonlight.
 
Small stones
created the basin, a slippery slope for them to pass.
 
He grasped Britt close to him and lifted her
into his arms.

“I can walk.”

“The shoes you’re wearing aren’t meant for this
terrain.
 
This creek bed is an accident
waiting to happen.”
 
Plus he liked her in
his arms.
 
He would use any excuse to
have her there as much as possible.