Heroes of Falledge Book One: Black Hellebore (19 page)

*****

Julianna stood before her mirror. The female staring back at her was unrecognizable. Bloodshot eyes. Tear-stained cheeks. Ratty hair. Hollow cheeks. Bony thin.

A week had passed since the whole ordeal: learning the truth about Nick's abilities, the attack by the beast and that strange guy, the deaths of Logan and Sheriff Higgins.

She couldn't stop crying. Their deaths had been on her. She may as well as shot them herself. She didn't know Nick's connection to the emaciated man, but she couldn't help feeling the man had been there in the first place because of the guy she'd killed. Some mob goon named Rich. A real a-hole from the Lightmeadow police reports she'd read.

By default, Julianna was acting as sheriff of Falledge. She threw herself into the role, the long hours accounting for the bags of blackness beneath her eyes. Bags so huge no amount of makeup could mask them completely.

Her eyes. She saw a darkness inside them, working its way down to her heart, worming a hole there, inserting itself into her blood.

She was changing, and not for the better. She distrusted everyone, always thinking the worst of them, not willing to give anyone the benefit of doubt. She had seen too much, was too jaded, to see the good in anyone anymore.

That included herself.

Working so hard had limited her time with Nick, but in truth, she would have scaled back anyhow. Nick having superpowers... unreal. Unbelievable. Even seeing it didn't change how hard it was too accept.

And magic. How was she supposed to believe in the existence of magic? Although not a scientist, Julianna always appreciated cold hard facts, the testaments of truth no one could deny. Yet each step she took on her magically healed legs forced her to question everything she once thought true.

She collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes. For the first time, instead of seeing the man she'd killed, she saw Nick's face. She had done it, done the impossible. She had fallen for Nick. Hard. Possibly even loved him. Did he love her? Or did he only see her as a substitute to Justina?

Peeking an eye open, she spied her phone on her nightstand. Three missed calls. None important, not even the one from her mom.

Julianna sighed. She was close with her mom, and yet, her mom might not even know Nick was back in town. Why had she kept his presence in her life from her mom? If he meant so much to her, why was she hiding him?

This was it. The moment that had come with each previous relationship. The point when she broke up with the guy. She had feared it would come to this.

Paradoxically, she never felt so depressed about it. She normally looked forward to it, felt as if a weight was being lifted, despite the loneliness to follow. Instead, the weight settled in her chest, suffocating her.

She should go. Seek him out. Talk to him. See how he was doing, what he was up to. She was so swamped with everything else she didn't have time to read the newspaper to see if the Black Hellebore struck again.

She didn't like the idea of Falledge having a superhero. Yet, she did. She loved each of Falledge's inhabitants. She would do anything for them. Even die for them, just like Logan and Sheriff Higgins.

Her tears filled again. When she would stop crying she didn't know. She almost felt like her never-ending tears were her penance for not dying with them.

She had to stop this. Do something, anything... Think about something else.

She sat up and retrieved Justina's diary. Flipping to a random entry, she read:

Blew off SAT prep today. I know, I know, it's stupid. My future's important and all that. But, I don't know. I don't know if college is right for me. Don't know what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. Don't know much at all really. Julianna's the smart one, not me. She could do anything she wants. I know she'll be the greatest reporter there ever is! Even if I do tease her. She's so fun to tease. I love her.

Julianna closed the book and hugged it to her chest. She loved Justina. Always had, always would. Just like she knew Nick had and would.

Maybe Nick's heart did have room for both Justina and Julianna.

Julianna still wasn't certain she loved him enough to let him in. Justina's death had devastated her, and her trust in humanity. The walls around her heart were solid and strong, and it would take inhuman strength for any man to break them down.

With a small smile, she thought,
super strength.

Chapter Thirty-Two

As much as it pained him, Nicholas went about his business. He worked and returned to Ginny. They spoke about nothing important, mostly about the weather. He would read the newspaper, turn on the radio, and sit on the front porch, reading and listening to see if Skull Krusher or the mob was up to anything. For now at least, everything seemed to be on hold. Then he went to bed and always dreamed of Justina.

Justina. When he had been spending time with Julianna and transformed into the Black Hellebore, he had chipped away at his bond to his dead girlfriend. Now that he was avoiding Julianna, and she him, obviously -- and now that he had to hold back on using his powers to avoid that last side effect -- he found himself falling back into his old habits. His heart ached, wishing to be with both Julianna and Justina. Night after night, he tried to reason with himself, convince himself that Justina was dead, that she would want him to move on and be happy with someone else.

Surely Justina wouldn't want him to be with her twin. If Justina hadn't died, he would still be with her.

If only it hadn't been for Bobby...

Nicholas rolled over, trying to get comfortable. Ginny had insisted on buying him a bed. After not needing to sleep for so long, it was strange to sleep again, especially in a soft bed, when he was used to sleeping wherever he could. Eventually, he drifted away.

*****

Nick squeezed Justina's hand as they entered Falledge Plaza. It wasn't the town's nicest restaurant, but he had mowed enough lawns to afford it.

She sat down, and so did he. They talked about food for a few minutes. After placing their orders, Nick wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans before placing them on the table, hoping she would reach over and touch him.

Justina stared out the window.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

She glanced at him then her lap. "Nothing."

She had been her normal fun-loving self while teasing Julianna before they came here. So, the problem must be him. Was she getting tired of him? Did she feel like he held her back? He always went along with her crazy ideas. Well, some of those ideas were his, and his were just as crazy.

He cleared his throat. "Listen, Justina, you know I love you..."

She looked up and smiled. "I love you, too." Her lips puckered, and she blew him a kiss. Someone behind him caught her attention, and she shook her head.

He turned and spotted Bobby Gilbert. "What's he want?" His voice came out gruffer than he intended.

"Nothing."

Nick blew air out of his nose. Bobby was scum, a low-life. Nick hated him even though they'd only ever said two words to each other, if that.

Their food came, and Nick tried to enjoy his burger. The fries were a little overcooked, but Justina's looked better, which made him glad.

The conversation was light, and Nick couldn't bring himself to ask her. If she said no, he didn't know what he would do. He had no future without her. She was the reason why he breathed.

When the waitress came back, he insisted Justina pick a dessert, and excused himself to the bathroom. Some cold water and a small pep talk and he strolled back toward the table. Now or never.

To his horror, Bobby stood there, talking to Justina in hushed tones. He wanted to retch his dinner when he saw Bobby press something in her hand and she shoved something green into his in return.

He stomped the remaining four steps to the table. "Beat it," he growled, "you're not welcome here."

Bobby smirked at him before smiling at Justina. "Later, babe." He sauntered away.

The blood drained from Nick's face and rushed to his clenched fists. He hadn't been this angry in a long time. He launched after the douchebag and yanked on his shoulder. "You stay away from Justina."

Bobby snorted. "If she comes to me--"

"I said stay away from her!"

"Whatever, man."

"Is there a problem here?" Nick's waitress asked, a worried expression on her face. She glanced over her shoulder, toward the back.

Bobby jerked himself free. "I was just going."

Nick watched the slimeball leave the restaurant, but it wasn't until Bobby got into his car and drove away that Nick returned to his table.

"What the hell was that about, Nick?"

He glared at her. "Give it to me."

"What are you--"

"Now."

"Nick, be reason--"

"Damn it, you promised, Justina! Please, tell me this was the first time."

She bit her lower lip, and tears filled her eyes. "Please, Nick..."

He couldn't believe it. "What are you... How long... You know what? I don't want to know."

"Nick, wait..."

He yanked his wallet from his back pocket, tossed some bills onto the table, and stalked out.

*****

Nicholas opened his eyes. Now or never. It had been never. He never did ask Justina to marry him. Before going to the restaurant, he had been fairly certain she would say yes. Learning she was experimenting with drugs had killed him.

He'd been so blinded by his hatred of drugs he'd pushed Justina away when he should have been there for her, helping her through it, keeping her safe, protecting her. He shouldn't have focused so much on Bobby.

Nicholas rubbed his eyes, and his hands met wetness. He had failed Justina.

He wouldn't fail Julianna, too.

Whether she wanted him in her life didn't matter. She was the sheriff of Falledge now. He was the superhero of Falledge. They had a town to protect.

Tomorrow. He would resume the Black Hellebore tomorrow. He had a beast to skin and a skull to crack.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Dr. Alan Richards rubbed his forehead. The latest test results were both promising and worrisome. Developing new medicines was never easy, with potential risks and required testing, but the most recent batch was proving disastrous, even more so than the last.

Hunter popped his head into the doctor's office. "Heading home. Is there anything you need?"

Alan shook his head and listened to his door closing shut, his gaze still on the reports. Maybe if they tweaked the formula to include--

His door creaked open.

"Did you forget something, Hunter?"

No response.

With an aggravated sigh, Alan looked up, but instead of his head scientist, he saw a deathly thin man. There was no mistaking who this creature was. Although his head was lifted much higher than ever before, he still held himself in too familiar of a manner.

Alan slowly lowered the papers onto his desk and clasped his hands together to hide their shaking. "Lewis."

"Don't." Lewis held up a hand. With a smooth, calculated movement, he removed the glove he wore to reveal his bones.

Despite himself, Alan gasped. "What happened?"

Lewis slammed his fist into the desk. The wooden furniture groaned in protested, denting but not breaking at the impact. "You know damn well what happened to me!"

"Well, if you hadn't broken into--"

"Don't give me that crap!" Lewis brought his face within inches of Alan's. The doctor swallowed and managed to refrain from moving backward.

"What do you want?" Damn, his voice was shaking.

Lewis snatched the papers from Alan's desk and crumbled them in his bony fist. "Stop making this drug."

"It's a new batch, and I really think this one--"

"You use cheap materials and your quality assurance is less than stellar."

"Is that what this is all about? Why you sabotaged the laboratory? Because you disapprove of my quality control?"

"At first," Lewis hissed. "But then your precious, destructive drugs malformed my cat. My Percival. While I enjoy my new life, Percival isn't always happy."

Alan leaned back, watching with interest as the walking skeleton paced in front of him. Although no ligaments or skin held the bones in place, the bones were still attached. Fused together and yet he couldn't be completely bone, he had no knee joints but his legs still bent. How?

"Don't look at me like that!" Lewis jumped on top of his desk, his legs crouched, in a frog-like position. "I'm not something to study."

Alan gulped. Lewis' eyes were the scariest thing he had ever seen, and he had to look away.

"I
am
something to be feared."

The doctor gazed at his one-time employee. If any remnants of Lewis remained within this monstrosity, he couldn't be certain, but surely the time for words had passed. Yes, he did fear Lewis. Maybe that would be his saving grace.

He shifted his seat back a foot. "Please, Lewis, let me--"

"Don't you think you've done enough?"

Alan nodded and hung his head. He had never intended for anything like this to happen. Combining the new drug -- a radical new drug for those with bone cancer -- with their previous most successful product -- a drug that helped to harden weaken bones for those with osteoporosis -- had proven beyond disastrous. The previous trial -- the cancer drug with steroids -- had been the concoction the blasted cat had fallen into.

But did the problem lie with the cancer drug? Or the combinations? The cancer drug had proven unstable by itself, which was why they were still making tweaks to it...

His gaze fell to his shaking hands in his lap. He heard Lewis get off the now-ruined desk to stand before him, but he couldn't bring himself to look up at him.

Lewis sniffed despite not having a nose. "You do fear me," he said, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Damage control. He had to figure out somehow to gain control of the situation. If it got out that his drugs, while in liquid form, could create living monsters, he would be ruined. All his hard work, the thousands of people who were now able to live without fear of falling and fracturing their wrist or hips, everything he had built from the ground up would be wiped out. Just like his laboratory.