Legacy (Endlessly Book 2) (11 page)

14 forgotten hope

We tried to find a loophole. I didn’t dare question Fabi while Cory was there, so most of my time was spent in silent consultation with Verloren. How could we kill Jesse without guaranteeing our own deaths?

Finally we heard the door down the hall open. Jason appeared carrying a sack. My stomach twisted with anger as he slunk down the hallway, his head hung low. Cory handed him the gun and left. Jason sat down, opened the sack, then pulled out two stainless steel containers and a couple of sandwich bags. He pushed them through the bars, but never looked at us.

Fabi was starved. She grabbed the sandwich bags and ate eagerly. I glanced at the containers. Jason stared at the floor clenching his jaw. Verloren watched for my decision. He would follow my lead.

I glared at Jason, crossed my arms and looked at the wall. I whispered to Verloren: “Eat. I’m suddenly not hungry.”

“I won’t eat if you’ve made your decision,” he told me.

Jason met our eyes and commanded: “Eat.”

“No,” I replied.

“You have to eat. I’ve been instructed that if you do not eat, I have to kill Verloren.” His eyes moved between us. “I don’t want to do it, but I can’t control my body anymore.”

“What do you mean you can’t—”

“Eat!” he shouted, raising the gun.

I snatched the containers, handing one to Verloren. We drank silently. Jason held the gun steady, lowering it only when we finished.

“What do you mean you can’t control your body?” I asked.

“I don’t want to fucking do this.” He avoided looking at us again. “I’d rather be sitting on that bench with you two, but whatever he tells me to do, my body just does it. It doesn’t matter if I want to do it or not. I don’t have any control.”

Fabi spoke: “It must have something to do with the connection between you and Ashley. Usually a demon gets control of your thoughts to work your body directly. But if your thoughts are already tied up…
he can only direct the body. Funny.”

“Yeah, a fucking riot,” Jason snorted. “I’m getting pushed around like a fucking puppet. How would you like it if someone shoved a gun in your hand and told
you to kill people that you lo—” He caught himself. His eyes flitted to mine then back to Fabi.

Fabi snorted in derision.

“Same old Jason,” I said. “I’m glad it hasn’t affected your mind.”

“Just don’t do anything stupid
, ok? I have no control over what my body does, but I don’t want to be the one who has to kill him.” His gaze begged Verloren’s forgiveness.

“What about Ash?” Verloren asked. “Have you been given instructions to kill her too?”

“No. Not yet.” Jason closed his eyes. “I’m only supposed to kill her at his command. If you guys try to break out, I’ve got orders to kill you first.”

Verloren gave me a weak smile.
There is still hope for you.

“No!” I flapped wings that were no longer there. “I won’t live without you.”

“You will,” he told me, “or you’ll end up being his slave to keep me alive. It’s ridiculous. I won’t sit back and watch him break you down so you can keep me. I‘ve lived long enough.”

“NO! You’re not going to leave me
, Verloren Fagan!” I turned to Fabi. “You have to know a way!”

“I’m sorry
, Ashley,” said Fabi. “I’ve heard of demons taking the lives of other demons, but I’ve never done it. Bullets don’t have any effect. I’ve seen an angel get shot. Bullets just bounce off them. Someone has to take their lives from them. Verloren is your best chance and that seems slim. He just doesn’t have the power to pull it quickly.”

I looked at Jason.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I tried to fight it… I’m still trying. But it’s a losing battle. I don’t want to be the one that has to pull the trigger on either of you. I couldn’t live with myself. I know I’ve been a dick but…”

“Don’t worry,” Verloren told him.

“I can’t help it,” said Jason. “I feel like a huge fucking dick, sitting here holding the gun while you two debate whether to commit fucking suicide.”

“If anything happens,” I told Verloren, “we’ll meet here in our next liv
es. We’ll be together again and—”

“I don’t think it’s going to happen like that, love. This is the end of the line.”

He thumbed away a tear from my cheek, and kissed me. I buried my face in his chest and cried. He ran his fingers through my hair.

“You’ll take care of her for me, Jason,” Verloren breathed.

“Yes.” Jason’s voice broke.

“No!” I wailed. “You won’t leave me!”

Verloren tried to sooth me. “It will be okay. Shhh. Over time you’ll forget.”

“No! I won’t let myself forget!” I gripped his shirt. “I will not. I don’t care what it takes. If I have to write it all down and read it every day that’s what I’ll do. But I will not forget. Tell me. Tell me that you would forget us.”

“I did,” he sobbed.

My heart broke because it was true. Kale had killed me and turned him into a vampire. He’d waited for me to be reborn but over time he forgot. He forgot that I’d existed, and he forgot that Kale had done it.

I stared into his eyes, the same eyes I’d first seen six months earlier. Something was different. He stroked my hair. His touch was the same. It took my breath away. We were destined to be together. Together we were one, but alone I would be nothing.

Vampires forget over time. Their brains only contain so many memories and over time new thoughts push out the o
ld. Verloren had forgotten he was waiting for me to come back. Would I forget him just as easily? I couldn’t allow it. The thought of losing him crushed me.

Of course I would remember him. I was different, my virus was different, so my memory must be different. I wanted to tell him that in a way that wouldn’t make him feel guilty for his memory’s lapse.

Verloren kissed my forehead, and pulled my head to his chest. I cried at the sound of his heartbeat. I don’t know how long I kept crying, or when I fell asleep.

15 only chance

I dreamt of Verloren and me by the sea. I wanted to stay there forever.

I woke to find myself wrapped in Verloren’s arms. We lay facing each other on the narrow bench. His breathing was slow. I faced the wall, so I wasn’t sure who was watching us. The pain of lost dreams crushed me. Verloren’s mouth twisted into a frown in his sleep. He was dreaming the same dream.

He was feeling the same hurt that had washed over me a moment earlier. I placed my cool forehead against his and thought of the first days we had met. When I was still human, he’d rejected me constantly, but I’d longed to be with him. Now I watched his face become peaceful.

I heard the door open at the end of the
hall. Verloren opened his eyes and kissed me. My body reacted instantly. Verloren’s followed.

“Al
l right ya fuckers, quit humping on the bench,” Jason yelled. “Get up. We’re taking you guys to your apartments. Shit, shower, shave, then pack. We’re leaving today. Fabi is coming too.” He pointed the gun at Verloren. “Nothing stupid, remember?”

“Why are you taking me?” Fabi asked.

Cory stood up from the guard’s chair and said: “So we can drop your ass off in the middle of nowhere, buying us time before you call for back up.”

Cory unlocked the doors. The three of us stood. Verloren and I walked out holding hands. Jason followed, with Fabi behind. Cory took up the rear.

We went through the gym, crossed the basketball court, then climbed the stairs toward our doom. Verloren and I entered our apartment and Jason followed. I opened my mind so Verloren could hear me converse with Jason.

Two things,
Jason told me.
Number one, he went to get a rental van and won’t be back for four hours. I’ve been instructed to stay with you while you pack so you don’t escape. I know you can’t escape with the bedroom door shut since there are no windows in here. So.. err… go fuck and refuel.
He looked disgusted.
If anyone is strong enough to take him down, it’s you, Ash, so you should know: I found a loophole.
He pulled the clip from his gun. It was empty.
He never actually instructed me to load my gun. You won’t be so lucky with Cory though.

He snapped the clip back into his gun and fished in his pocket for cigarettes and an mp3 player.

“Got an ashtray?” He sat on the sofa.

I pulled a glass bowl from the kitchen cupboard. The cupboard’s fully stocked shelves and piles of dishes had seemed ironic when we’d first lived here, but they were helpful now. I put the bowl on the coffee table as he lit his cigarette. His hand clutched the gun as if it were a bad habit.

He won’t let you let go of the gun?
I asked.

Nope
.
He avoided eye contact.

So we could run for it right now?
Verloren thought. I let Jason hear.

Jason reminded him:
Cory is the fucking hall monitor, and you guys don’t have a pass. Besides, I may not have a loaded gun, but I was instructed to stop you from leaving. I know you are stronger than a werewolf, Ash. You could kill me.

I shook my head and looked at the floor.

Jason adjusted his headphones.
Well then, if you’ll excuse me, I have to kill my fucking hearing so I don’t have to listen to you two.
He pressed “play,” and turned the volume all the way up. I could distinctly hear Ice Nine Kills.

My cheeks tingled with embarrassment. I walked straight to the bathroom and washed the inky tears off my face. When I entered the bedroom looking for clothes, Verloren stood, his back to me. He stared at our bed. I approached him quietly, laid my hand on his shoulder and heard his heart jump. He turned to me looking sad, hurt, and helpless.

When I started to say something comforting he took me in his arms and crushed me. His breath was hot and his kiss was desperate. Our bodies reacted with more force than we’d ever known. Time rushed by before we made ourselves part. We had things we had to do, so we packed and showered.

Verloren eyed me as I pulled on a pair of his pants, hitching one of my belts to keep them up. They were baggy even on my wide hips. I put on one of his t-shirts then a hoodie. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and tucked it under the hoodie’s neck.

He chuckled, “Are you trying to pass as me?”

“No, but I’m hoping it’ll be
confusing enough in a scramble. Besides, it’s nice to wear normal clothes again.”

Verloren’s thoughts were on what Jesse had done to me. He was angry, but in control.

As we carried our bags into the living room we found Jason smoking, gun still in hand. His music was loud enough that I could identify Mindless Self Indulgence. He pulled out his headphones and stared at Verloren. My cheeks pricked. He knew what we had done. I grabbed my laptop off the coffee table.

“Thank you,” Verloren whispered, gazing at Jason.

Jason only nodded at him.

We made our way to the game room in silence. Cory and Fabi sat across from one another on the facing sofas.

Cory looked up. “Took you long enough.”

“Girls,” Jason replied.

“Well this one has been pounding on the protection spell since we left her apartment,” Cory complained, “trying to make me feel all warm and fuzzy.”

I smiled at Fabi and sat beside her, dropping my bag to the floor. Verloren sat on my other side, hurling his bag roughly at Cory’s feet. Cory kicked the bag back at him.

“I ain’t your fucking slave. Carry your own shit,” Cory sneered.

“You’re not my slave,” said Verloren, “but I thought you might be hospitable to your master’s guest.”

“Fuck you!” Cory spat, aiming his gun at Verloren.

Jason looked to us, then to Cory’s gun.

Please don’t provoke him,
I begged Verloren.

He’s such an ass bag,
Verloren replied.

I stifled a snicker. Cory turned the gun on me, raising a growl from Verloren.

“Something fucking funny, bitch?” Cory asked.

Yeah, your face,
I thought. He wouldn’t shoot me. His only order to kill concerned Verloren, so it was better to keep his anger directed toward me.

I could feel Verloren stifling a laugh as Cory sent a ripple of hatred toward us. We quieted down and waited in silence. Every second was a painful reminder of the looming decision.

Finally Verloren spoke wordlessly:
This could be our only chance. Once we get outside it’s a different ballgame. You’re stronger, so you can hold Jesse while I pull his aura as hard as I can. Unless Jesse comes back with a gun, Cory is our only worry. If Jason’s orders are only to shoot, but he’s not instructed to fight outside, we might have another loophole.

Jason,
I thought without changing anything in my physical demeanor. Cory couldn’t hear our thoughts, so all three of us could communicate undetected. Jason caught on right away. I made my mind into the conduit for a conference call with Verloren, Jason, and me.

Did Jesse only instruct you to shoot?
Verloren asked Jason.
And what about a physical fight when we get outside? I know you have to stop us from leaving this building, but what about once we’re outdoors.

No,
Jason replied.
He didn’t say anything about outdoors… yet. But if he catches on too fast he’ll include that in his orders, and I won’t be able to stop him.

I dropped the connection with Jason, so it was only Verloren and me.

I think it’s all we have,
Verloren told me.
That or a life of servitude.

His fingers entwined with mine. I gripped his hand, searched his eyes, and felt the echo of his smile. I pursed my lips and nodded. We heard the door beyond the mudroom open.