Chaos Bound (24 page)

‘I suppose,’ Orella said. ‘Did Gideon talk to you about you learning how to run Blackgoat yet?’

‘Uh. Yeah. Sort of.’

‘Don’t pull that face, Lora. It’s not attractive.’

My stomach churned at the thought of Gideon retiring and me running the company. ‘I don’t understand what the big rush is. Gideon’s not going to retire any time soon.’ I stopped and stared at her. ‘Unless you know something I don’t?’

Orella blew a stream of smoke through her nostrils. ‘You can’t run from the inevitable. You need to decide which way you want to go. Step up and run Blackgoat, or let someone else do it.’

My stomach churned at the thought of Blackgoat Watch being run by someone I didn’t know. It was my second home, and Gideon’s lifeblood. I just couldn’t see him retiring. What would the old goat do? Fish? Knit? If he sold the business, no doubt I'd get fired and no-one else was going to hire someone with the nickname of White Death. I was about to ask Orella for a puff of her pipe when I heard a popping sound. Thinking it was a bit dangerous for setting off firecrackers in a crowd, I quickly scanned faces, looking for the source.

‘Did you hear that?’ I turned to Orella, seeing her good eye scanning the crowds. She went to answer me, when a scream tore out, shredding through the night.

Wedding guests scattered and retreated into houses, doors slamming behind them. I saw a group of men had rushed into the street and were brawling with wedding guests. Both sides were brandishing billy clubs and knuckle-dusters and I spied flashes of the Reaper scythe tattoo on some forearms. Shouts echoed down the street as bloodied fists were swung and knives were drawn.

Pulling the nearest Reaper off a fallen wedding guest, I clipped him under the chin with my cane, and followed with a left hook. The Reaper went down hard against the cobblestones and I shook my stinging hand, wincing. I spied Grigori’s bodyguard, Lander, in the roiling crowd. He was slashing his way through the fighting with a pair of curved knives with a nasty smile, eyes pinned on something in front of him. I followed his gaze to see who his intended prey was.

Nicola.

Adrenalin hit me like a shot of ice water. She huddled behind an upturned table, her escape routes cut off by fighting on all sides. A small group of women had formed a protective ring around her, brandishing knives at anyone who dared to come close. I rushed forward, breath hissing through my teeth and skidded to a halt in Lander’s path.

His eyes lit up with delight when he saw me. ‘There you are.’

‘That’s right.’ I pulled my sword. ‘Here I am.’

Lander lunged at me, knives flashing. I dodged and whirled, swinging my sword up for a neck blow. Misjudging the angle, my blade cut into his shoulder and Lander bellowed. I backed up, sword at the ready.

Lander ignored his bleeding shoulder, savage eyes locked on me. ‘You move pretty fast for a cripple.’

Wheellocks popped around us, flavouring the air with the smell of burnt oil and hot metal and men grunted curses. Then I heard a cry, long and laced with anguish. Lander glanced behind me and laughed. I kept my eyes on him, knowing I couldn’t afford to look away.

Lander’s laughter dried up, his savage smile remaining. ‘You’re too late.’

I tried to lock down my panic. If something had happened to Nicola, I couldn’t do anything right now. I just hoped others were running to help. As for what I could do here and now… I threw my dimples at Lander in a crazy smile to mock his own. He snarled, and lunged.

Holding my sword close, I drew him in. One of his blades missed my throat by a whisker and I ducked to pull my own knife from my boot. Shoving the blade up, I missed my target — the soft underbelly of his jaw — and the blade carved through his right cheek. Lander roared in pain as blood flowed down his neck. He dropped one of his knives and stumbled backwards, holding his wounded face.

I lurched foward to press the advantage, when something rushed past me and a griorwolf collided into Lander in a shockwave of teeth and fury. Figuring that was pretty much the end of Grogan’s bodyguard, I spun and searched frantically for Nicola. Over the noise of fighting, my ears caught a sobbing moan. It came from one of the alleys, close to where I'd seen Nicola last. I dodged around the broken furniture, heading towards it, my chest squeezed tight.

Inside the alley’s entrance, I found Nicola’s garland crushed on the ground. Creeping further in, I made out Nicola and Crowhurst, sitting behind a haphazard stack of crates. Crowhurst had his arms around her and was rocking her back and forth. Before them lay Tarn’s body, sprawled out on the cobbles, a bolt jutting from his blood-soaked chest. His eyes had a dead-man’s stare and I sagged against the wall, nearly dropping my sword.

Crowhurst let Nicola go and got to his feet. ‘Get her out of here.’ His face was stiff, stunned with grief. ‘Take her somewhere safe.’

‘No. I'll stay and fight with you,’ I told him.

Crowhurst’s eyes began to glow and his breath became laboured. ‘She won’t be safe here. No-one is.’ Crowhurst’s voice turned guttural. ‘If there’s one thing that could be salvaged tonight, it is the life of my dead brother’s wife.’ Waves of rage and loss rippled from his changing eyes.

‘Crowhurst —’ I faltered. What could I say? Evil had been done, and now there was nothing left but revenge against the Reapers. Crowhurst said no more, just ran towards the fighting.

I slipped my knife back into my boot and pulled Nicola to her feet. She struggled and began to scream. I slapped her hard, steeling myself against her pain. This was not the time for sympathy. ‘Stop it, Nicola. It’s me, Lora.’

Her screams stopped and she stared at me, eyes rimmed red with shock and grief. ‘Lora?’

‘We need to run,’ I told her.

‘I can’t leave Tarn. He’s alone,’ she whispered.

‘There’s nothing you can do for him, he’s already gone,’ I said roughly. ‘We have to go.’

‘I can’t.’

‘You can and you will.’ I pulled hard on her hand, hoping she wasn’t going to make me drag her. ‘For the sake of your child, you will.’

We ran, me dragging both my tiring leg and Nicola. My sword was clenched tight in my hand, and I heard nothing but my own ragged breath and Nicola’s sobbing. I took us through a shortcut of twisting lanes, heading for Blackgoat Watch. Halfway down one street, a figure stepped into our path. I stopped abruptly and Nicola crashed into me. From the dim glow of a nearby street lamp, I made out Melody Velkov. She wore leather pants and a tank top, and her pale skin almost glowed in the light.

‘I don’t have time for this,’ I wheezed, my heart thumping against my ribcage.

‘That’s no way to talk to your future co-workers.’ Chai Velkov appeared beside her sister. The ugly otherkin wore riding pants and a fitted coat with a flared collar, a silver wheellock holstered at her belt. My eyes scoured the shadows for Cloete, hoping she was somewhere near and could talk sense into her sisters. Nicola and I needed to keep moving; we were still far from being safe.

I struggled to catch my breath. ‘Where’s Cloete?’

‘That baby?’ Melody barked a laugh. ‘She disappeared yesterday. We figured she’d run back to Blackgoat Watch, tail between her legs.’

‘Why would she have run from her own family?’

‘Cloete has no spine,’ Chai snarled. ‘She never really did have the stones to work in the family business.’

‘By family business, I gather you mean home decorating,’ I said. ‘I never did send you my thanks for what you did to my home. Interesting style. Very ghetto.’

Melody laughed. ‘We did you a favour. All your shit was so old.’

‘And your taste in clothes is hideous,’ Chai added.

‘How did you break into my house?’ I asked, trying to listen for any sounds of pursuit.

Melody held up a book that looked alarmingly familiar and my breath caught. It was my book of illegal darkcraft spells I’d pawned to Taunton. The one he’d promised on his grave to look after.

‘Recognise it?’ Melody asked.

‘That’s mine.’

Melody looked smug. ‘Handy spells in it. We used one to break into your home. Hardly broke a sweat.’

‘How did you get it?’ I asked tightly.

‘Your friend Taunton gave it up when mother visited him for some information on you.’ Melody made a show of flipping through the book. ‘I'd never seen Hellspeak in written form before. Took some time to get the phrasing right, but it was well worth it.’ She grinned. ‘The spells in it are very, very wicked.’

‘And now I'll be taking it back.’ I lifted my sword, touching my forehead with the blade in a mock salute. I knew this dance.

Chai stepped forward. ‘Try it.’

‘We’ve come to collect your final answer for mother.’ Melody tucked my book into her belt. ‘This is your last chance to join us.’

‘Honey, you don’t want to be my co-worker,’ I said. ‘I'm called White Death for good reason. And my answer to the offer hasn’t changed. It still stands at “fuck you”.’

Melody’s fingers dipped inside her salt pouch. ‘Watch your tone. Or we will make this last.’

‘I'm loath to ask,’ I said. ‘But, make what last?’

‘Our message to Gideon.’ Chai walked towards me, one hand pulling a knife from the back of her belt.

A murderous rage welled up inside of me, turning my stomach sour. I was deathly sick of bullies like Ivor Grogan, Lander, and Maya Velkov. People who thought they could wield power like a club. People who thought they could push others around, thought they could kill and torture without consequence. Tarn hadn’t deserved to die. Jonas Grundler hadn’t either. I was angry enough to feel like pushing back. Hard.

‘It’s best if you don’t struggle.’ Chai flipped her blade, looking like she knew how to wield it for maximum damage.

I smiled crooked, throwing out a single dimple. ‘This would be the point where I offer you a last chance before I beat you bloody. But not today.’ I pulled the knife from my boot. ‘Today you’re just in my way.’

Chai tried to say something, but her words became a strangled yelp when my knife thudded into one of her thighs. She dropped with a scream, clutching her leg. Melody’s hands tipped into a salt pouch at her belt and she cast. I didn’t move fast enough and a spitting hex knocked the breath from my body. I managed to stay on my feet, but my sword flew from my hand. I pulled the salt pouch from my other boot as Melody charged me, shifting as she came close and slamming a knee into her stomach. Melody’s breath whooshed out and she dropped to one knee. I tried to reach for my book in her belt, but she twisted out of my reach, then threw the book to her sister. Chai caught it and shoved the book into her vest, pulling her pistol. Keeping Melody between me and her sister, I wound my fingers around her short pink hair and yanked her head back.

‘This is the message I have for your mother,’ I told her, then thrust a handful of salt down her throat, chanting a hex. Melody cried out, spluttering on the salt. The spell sparked to life and a light grew from Melody’s throat. Her cheeks turned translucent, the light scattering the shadows around us. I picked up my sword, grabbed Nicola’s hand, and pulled her down the street, hearing Chai scream to her sister behind us.

Sweat stung my eyes and side throbbed painfully. I wasn’t sure Melody would still be alive after what I'd done. The spell was a basic stunning hex. But where I'd put it? I had no idea what that would do. At that moment, I didn’t care. The mood I was in, I was going to kill anyone who tried to stop us now.

Reaching the end of the street, I changed direction, deciding to head to a closer safe point. By the time we reached Seth’s house, I was covered in sweat and my nerves were ragged. I unlocked the front door with shaking hands and we tumbled inside. Locking the door behind me, I stood in the dark and listened for any sign we’d been followed. Beside me, Nicola panted quietly.

A light appeared at the top of the stairs, and Seth appeared with a lamp. His chest was bare, with loose cotton trousers hanging low on his lean hips. ‘Lora?’ He rubbed his eyes, lifting his light as he descended. ‘Where in hellfires have you been?’

‘We need help.’ I moved past him, motioning for Nicola to follow me to the kitchen. ‘I don’t think we were followed, but I can’t be sure.’

Seth didn’t ask any more questions, just followed us into the kitchen. Nicola’s teeth chattered and I knew we needed gin. Remembering her condition, I amended the thought: I needed gin. Seth unravelled my stiff fingers from my sword and placed it on the table with his lantern.

He looked at me critically. ‘What happened?’

I directed the shell-shocked Nicola to a chair, where she began to cry. My hands fluttered about her shoulders, unsure of what to say. I wasn’t much of a comforter. Seth poured her a cup of water and she gulped it down with trembling hands, water spilling down her dress.

When she was done, I took the cup and Seth held a hand out to her. ‘Come with me, I'll get you settled somewhere quiet.’

It was a relief to have someone take over this miserable situation. Seth guided Nicola to the living room, murmuring comforting words. I grabbed a bottle of brandy from the pantry and, snagging Nicola’s empty cup, poured half a glass and sat down. I was lost with how to react to Nicola’s grief. All I could do was offer revenge. That, I understood. I thought of her unborn child, then of Tarn, lying dead in the alley. The fight between the Marrok family and the Reaper Street Gang was not one that would end tonight.

Throwing back a mouthful of brandy, I pulled up the hem of my dress and began massaging my leg. Muscles trembled under my fingers as I worked on the kinks and knots. By the time Seth returned, I had finished my drink and my nerves had settled a small measure. Seth sank into a chair next to me.

‘I settled her on the couch and lit the fireplace for some warmth.’ He laced his hands behind his head, voice dropping. ‘She told me some of what happened.’

‘Did she tell you she is with child?’

‘She did.’

I stopped massaging my leg and pulled the hem of my dress back down. Despite everything that had happened between me and Seth, he was the first one I'd turned to, the first person I'd thought of in the middle of this mess. I knew he’d always be there for me no matter what. A curl of guilt wormed into my chest, as if the growing relationship with Roman had been an act of betrayal. I clamped down on it, ruthlessly reminding myself that there may not even be a relationship there anymore. Seth gave a yawn and I arched an eyebrow.