Flames, p.16
Flames, page 16
Logan folded his arms over his chest. He fluffed his wings and let them settle. “Mating bond?”
“Oh, right,” I muttered. “We didn’t tell you about that.” I rubbed my forehead.
“Cutting off fingers?” said Logan.
Naelen advanced on Logan. “Look, we’re not here to explain to you everything that’s been going on.”
“Why are we here?” I said.
“We’re here because…” Naelen looked at me. “He’s always going to be in the way.”
“What?” I said.
Naelen turned back to Logan. He narrowed his eyes. “Do as I say, exactly as I say, all right?”
“All right,” said Logan.
“Are you compelling him?” I said. “Why are you compelling him?”
“Punch yourself in the face,” said Naelen.
Logan punched himself.
“Stop it!” I snapped. “This is insane, Naelen. I chose you. Only you. He’s not in the way.”
Naelen rounded on me. “Yes, but that was before all of this. And now… now, I can feel it, you’re having second thoughts. You’re all freaked out about the fingers, and I know that you’re going to go running to him and leave me all alone, and I can’t handle that, Clarke.” And his eyes suddenly were filling with tears.
Geez, he was falling apart. His emotions were on overdrive. What was Jacques doing to him?
“So.” Naelen turned back to Logan. “You’ve got to go.”
“No,” I said.
Naelen put a finger in my face without turning away from Logan. “Stop that. Don’t try to protect him.”
I reached into my pocket and inside the bag of dice. I took out a pill and popped it into my mouth. I felt the high starting to light up my body, so I quickly did a little magic, floating my hair up a centimeter and then dropping it.
Naelen shot a glance at me. “What did you just do?”
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Because maybe, if you’re going to be ridiculous about this, I’ll make you kill him.”
“Nobody’s killing him,” I said.
“Uh, yeah, that would be good,” said Logan. “I’d rather not die.”
“Shut up,” said Naelen to Logan. Then Naelen turned back to me and gazed into my eyes. I could see the compulsion threads coming for me as he said, “Get that knife you always keep on your ankle.”
I brushed the compulsion threads aside, breaking them. “I don’t think so,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Oh, you and that damned monocle,” said Naelen. “I’m going to rip that thing off you—”
Logan dove into Naelen at full speed, tackling the dragon and knocking him to the ground.
“I’m compelling you,” grunted Naelen.
“Not to stand still,” I said, and I reached out and unwove the compulsions that Naelen had already put on Logan.
Naelen gestured with one hand.
Logan slammed into the ceiling. He was pinned there.
“I could burn you to cinders in seconds,” said Naelen, getting to his feet, his gaze on Logan.
I could see the threads of magic that were holding Logan in the air, and I swiped a hand through the air, breaking them.
Logan thudded down to the ground, landing with a groan.
Naelen sent magical threads at me.
I used both hands to tear them in two.
“Stop ruining everything,” he said, advancing on me. “I’m doing this for you. I’m doing this for us.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” I said. And then I launched myself onto his body and began to tear at his magical threads, the same way that I’d done before. I pulled them out of his skull, ripping out whatever I could grab.
Naelen dropped to the ground like a stone.
* * *
Logan was bent over Naelen’s prone form, securing his hands with a pair of brass cuffs.
“I don’t think those are going to matter,” I said.
“They’re infused with dragon sacrifice,” said Logan. “You know, like the prisons for magical creatures? They block magic entirely.”
“Oh, wow,” I said. “Where did you get those?”
“From some witches in Kansas,” said Logan. “It’s a long story. Anyway, when he wakes up, hopefully, he’ll be contained. I don’t know if it’ll be powerful enough against Jacques or not.”
“I hope so,” I said.
He rubbed his forehead. “So, uh, how are you?”
I laughed a little. “Been better, actually.”
He laughed too. “Well, besides all this business with Naelen, are you…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Stupid question. I can’t imagine there’s much going on besides this business with Naelen.”
I sighed.
Logan turned in a circle in his empty house. “Uh, I’d offer you a seat, but…” He raised his eyebrows. “Is it weird if we sit on the bed?”
“Under the circumstances, nothing is weird,” I said.
We crossed the room and both settled on the air mattress. But being so close to him again, it did bring back memories. It hadn’t been too long ago that I would have thought nothing of kissing him, but now things were different between us.
I leaned my head back against the wall. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”
“Yeah, it’s not great timing, I’ll admit,” he said. “I’m like waist-deep here in some crazy shit with a nest of really nasty vamps. I want to help, though. I just need to figure out some way to lose these bastards. They’re watching me, and if I leave the state—”
“No, you don’t have to do anything,” I said. “I’m not sure there’s much that you can really do for him, anyway. Or anyone can. Eden was supposed to be looking into something for me, but Naelen lost my phone, and now I can’t even get in touch with her.”
“I’ll call Eden,” said Logan. “And if she’s got anything for us, then we’ll go from there.”
“You don’t have to take this on, Logan,” I said.
“If you need my help, I’m here,” he said.
“You’ll make him worse,” I said. “He’ll get jealous, and I don’t think that would be good for the situation.”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Geez, he’s still not over that?”
“I thought he was,” I said. “But you heard him. This Jacques thing in his brain—”
“Clarke.” Logan was laughing. “That was a joke.” He laid his palm against his chest. “I, of course, am completely over you.”
“Oh,” I said, nodding. “Great.”
He laughed again. “I mean… you know what I mean.”
I didn’t say anything.
Logan got up off the bed, clearing his throat. “That sounded funnier in my head.”
“It was hilarious,” I said, hugging myself.
Logan put his hands on his hips and stared down at me. “Hey, I’m sorry I brought it up. I really am fine with the way things have worked out with you and me. Leaving was the right call for me, and I only want the best for you two. If I can find a way around these vamps, I’m there with you all the way—”
“Just call Eden,” I said. “That’s all I need from you, really.”
He nodded. “On it.” He got out his phone and started scrolling through it. “Her number’s here somewhere…” He stopped scrolling, tapped the screen and put his phone to his ear.
I got up off the bed. Was he telling me the truth? Was he really fine with leaving me? I hoped so.
“Eden?” said Logan. “It’s Logan. I’ve got Clarke and Naelen here…. Yeah, she lost her phone. She’s been trying to get in touch with you…. Oh, do you think so?… No, I never met the guy, but I have heard about him. I thought he worked with the underground talisman scene. I thought he was the guy that people would bring dead dragons to and he’d turn the bodies into talismans…. Well, is it wise for her to take Naelen to this guy? Would he kill him?… No, I guess you’re right. She doesn’t really have a choice…. Sure, okay…. Yeah, I’ll tell her. Thanks Eden.” He hung up.
Now, I was feeling apprehensive. “Well?”
“She thinks you should go to Olsen Hunter,” said Logan. “He lives down in Florida in the Everglades. He’s, um, a really powerful mage. She says that if anyone knows what to do about this, it would be him. Apparently, she did a lot of asking around, and this guy’s name kept coming up.”
“But you said he makes talismans?” I said.
“Yeah, he works with people who kill dragons for profit,” said Logan. “So, he’s maybe not a great guy.” He shrugged. “I can come with you.”
“You got that vamp problem,” I said. “I’ll go on my own.”
“You might need my help. You might not be safe.”
“I’m never safe.” I sighed. “I wish I had some weapons, though. Naelen took my knife and bow and arrows.”
“Weapons I have,” said Logan. “Come with me.” He went back the hallway and opened the door to another room in the house, which was full of weapons. Large knives with thick blades were stacked up in corners. Crossbows littered the floor. Five different bows along with their quivers were piled on top of each other next to the knives. And there were piles of shorter knives near the door.
Logan gestured. “Take whatever you need.”
* * *
I managed to get Naelen back on the plane without his waking up. I had to drive the rental car, and I hadn’t driven a car in years, not since I scraped together the money to take a driver’s education course so that I could get my license. At first, I had a little trouble, but then it all came back to me. Driving wasn’t that hard.
When we got on the plane, Gordon the pilot was kind of confused as to why Naelen was passed out. I told Gordon that we needed to fly to the Everglades, and Gordon said he’d do his best, but that he’d have to fly us into an airport on one of the coasts and then we’d have to drive inland.
Naelen woke up on the plane.
The cuffs held him, though. He couldn’t get at me, and he couldn’t do any magic.
“I feel cold,” he said to me. “Like my bones have turned to ice. You got to take these off me.”
“I don’t think so,” I said.
“I can feel Jacques,” he said. “He’s trying to get out. If I don’t make an offering of flesh to him soon, then he’s going to take over my body completely.”
“No, you’re not cutting off anyone else’s fingers,” I said.
“Clarke, I’m serious. I don’t want to let him take me over.”
“He already has,” I said.
“No,” said Naelen. “No, I’m still me.”
But he wasn’t himself. Not at all.
We flew and landed, and then I had the issue of trying to get a rental car while Naelen was still in the cuffs. I ended up leaving him on the plane and renting the car myself, and then I led him off the plane to the car.
When people gave me funny looks, I said, “FBI, move back. This is a dangerous prisoner.” They all listened. Maybe Cunningham had been right about people wanting to believe what you told them.
Naelen tried to break away from me once. He was stronger than me, and maybe he thought that he could get free somehow. But I had magic, and he didn’t, so I halted him in his tracks, and he didn’t try anything like that again.
Finally, we made it to the car, and then it was time for a long drive into the interior of Florida. It was mid summer, and that meant it was sweltering. I was stunned at just how humid it was. I cranked the air conditioning, and Naelen sat in the passenger seat, hands cuffed in front of him.
“Please, Clarke,” he said. “I need to make an offering to Jacques. You don’t understand.”
I ignored him.
“You’re killing me here, you realize that, don’t you?”
I bit down on my lip. I wasn’t killing him. I was saving him. At least I hoped I was. I hoped he wasn’t right. Even if he was, I couldn’t justify allowing him to do violence on innocent people only to keep him with me. Especially when he wasn’t entirely himself anyway. No, I would not let him cut off anyone else’s fingers or toes. I wouldn’t.
Naelen’s head swung around to look at me, his blue eyes glittering. “This car is filthy,” he snarled. “I can’t bear being in here until someone scrubs it down.”
I swerved off the road, and then corrected. That wasn’t Naelen. That didn’t even sound like Naelen.
Naelen gasped. “No!” he grunted, his face screwed up in concentration. “No, I won’t let you out. I won’t.”
I gripped the steering wheel as tightly as I could.
Naelen panted. “I got him back down, Clarke, but I won’t be able to resist forever. He’s antsy. He wants flesh.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. I pressed the pedal down in the car and sped up.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
We drove for a long time. Just like in Sea City, people in Florida clustered near the coast. The further away from the ocean we got, the more sparsely populated it was. Houses were fewer and further between. For long stretches of time, we drove through swamp land, the road elevated between brackish still pools of water and flora.
I had gotten an address from Eden, and we were using the GPS in the rental car to navigate there, since neither Naelen nor I had a phone right now.
I also found that a bit worrisome. What if I needed help? Maybe I should have stopped somewhere and bought one of those pay-as-you-go phones or something, but I didn’t feel like I had time for that, and besides, it wasn’t as if moving Naelen in and out of places of business would be easy.
So, I tried not to think about that.
For the most part, Naelen was quiet. Once we were out of civilization, he stopped asking if we could find a random person and cut off pieces of their body, and he didn’t seem to have anything to say besides that.
Eventually, we reached Olsen Hunter’s house. It was two buildings, actually, one a house and another an outbuilding. Both were up on stilts in a body of water, and there were wooden bridges and pathways between the two of them.
I opened the door and dragged Naelen out of the car with me. We marched over the dirt driveway to the door the house. We knocked.
“Hello,” said a voice. It was coming from one of the walkways.
I looked up to see a man standing on the wooden bridge, holding onto the railing. He had a bald head and a long, dark curly beard. He was barechested, and his chest and arms were covered in swirling tattoos that seemed to glimmer in the light, as if he’d threaded something besides ink into the designs.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t come,” he said.
“Olsen Hunter?” I said.
“That is what they call me.” He lifted his chin and gazed down at me. His eyes were iridescent, like the wings of a fly. I got a strange shudder from looking at him.
“Well,” I said, “you might have me mixed up with someone else. You didn’t know I was coming.”
“I knew,” said Olsen. “Well, I hoped you were just a fantasy, but I saw you.”
Okay, what the hell did he mean by that?
He walked over the bridge, in the opposite direction from us. “Come with me. I will speak to you in my parley room.” He pointed to the outbuilding.
I sighed. Well, I did need to talk to him, even if he looked and sounded crazy. I took Naelen by the arm and dragged him along with me.
Olsen let us into his outbuilding. It was a mostly bare room with a couch, covered in tie-dyed sheets, against one wall. There was a fan chugging away in the window, but no air conditioning. At the far end of the room was a big, carved wooden chair. It looked like a throne.
It was hot. I wiped sweat away from my brow as I entered.
Olsen strode across the room and settled in the wooden throne. He eyed us both. “The slayer and the dragon. Look what your love has wrought. You were warned, both of you, but neither of you listened. And I think you both felt it, deep in your guts. You knew that this union was not meant to be. But you fought anyway. And now, you have brought forth something so dark and terrifying that we may none of us survive.”
I gulped. “What are you talking about? How do you know about us?”
Olsen made a tent with his fingers and rested them against his chin. “I have dreams. Not all of them are prophetic. Some are just typical nightmares. I have dreamed of the two of you. I have dreamed of fields of blood.”
That sounded bad. “We were hoping that you could help us,” I said.
“Maybe Clarke was hoping that,” said Naelen, sounding sulky. “I don’t even know who the hell you are.”
Olsen narrowed his eyes at him. “The thing inside you is twisting around in your brain, putting down roots. You will be him soon. And the nightmares I have had about him make my skin crawl.”
“You mean Jacques?” I said.
“Hush!” thundered Olsen. “You stupid slayer, don’t say his name.”
I glared at him. I didn’t like being called stupid or being told what to do.
“Why should I help you?” said Olsen.
“Well, if it’s going to be so bad with Jac—with the thing in Naelen, then it seems obvious that we need to stop it all from happening.”
“I could stop it just as easily by killing him,” said Olsen. “You’ve got him trussed up in those dragon-sacrifice-fed cuffs and right now, he’s defenseless. I could end it all.”
Naelen turned to me, sardonic. “I’m so glad you brought us here instead of letting me find someone to get a finger from. It was a brilliant idea.”
I ignored him. “You can’t kill him,” I said to Olsen.
“Because you love him,” said Olsen. “But even you must see that he is not truly the man that you love anymore. Parts of the thing within him have already begun to seep through.”
“That’s why I came to you. For help. To get Naelen back. Is there a way?”
“There might be,” said Olsen. Then he sighed. “But I don’t see why I should let you do it, because it won’t really solve the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that there is a way to bind the fiend to the magical objects again, but that someday, someone else will use them to summon him again. So, it only delays this problem. I think the better option is to kill this dragon while he’s weak. Then it’s all solved once and for all.”
