Obsidian Wings (14 page)

She showered, put on a clean T-shirt, then paced her room.

She wanted to call Strad.
Needed
to call him—not only
for her, but for him. He had to be in agony as the addiction, unsatisfied and
unrelenting, ripped its way through his body and brain.

“Shit.” She tossed the cell on her bed, stared at it for a
minute, then snatched it back. “Dammit.” She pushed her fist into her abdomen.
Could she do it? Could she?

She punched in his number.

“Rune?” he said.

She blew out a breath. “Yeah.”

“I’m on my way,” he said, and hung up.

When he pulled up in front of her house, she opened the door
and stood in the doorway, waiting.

She folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe, hoping
he wouldn’t notice that she was a raw bundle of nerves.

He stood in front of her, finally. He watched her, his eyes
glittering, his hair unbound and messy, streaming over his massive chest.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

“I hurt you. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make
it up to you.” His voice was deep and soft, drifting into the cool air, into
her mind, into her heart.

“Berserker. We’re not even—”

“Yes, sweetheart. Yes, we are.”

She closed her eyes for a long moment. “Fuck.”

He waited.

She opened her eyes, and then, she opened her arms.

He didn’t hesitate. He pulled her to him and wrapped her in
his arms, his breath leaving him in one long sigh.

At last, she stepped away from him, took his hand, and led
him into her bedroom. She slid into bed and under the sheets, watching him as
he undressed.

He left his boxers on, then got into bed beside her. He slid
his arm under her head and pulled her against his warm chest.

The trembling started inside her, spreading outward until
her entire body was shuddering against him.

He said nothing, just held her.

And gradually, the trembling stopped.

“Berserker,” she whispered, her lips touching the softness
of his throat.

“I’ll always be here, Rune. I swear it.” He touched her
cheek, caressing. “I’ll never hurt you intentionally, and I will never leave
you.”

She smiled, a little. “Not even if I want you to?”

“Not even then,” he promised.

And she didn’t care if it didn’t make sense, didn’t care if
it wasn’t right. Didn’t care.

She dropped her fangs.

His blood sang through her and as she drank, she swallowed
hope and life and belief that the world could be less dark.

That she could be okay.

That she could trust the berserker.

Completely.

Could he trust her?

Maybe.

But maybe he shouldn’t.

Finally, replete and buzzing with the sort of high she would
only ever be able to get from blood, she retracted her fangs.

Heavy-limbed and tired, she fell asleep with her lips
pressed against the stickiness of his wound.

She awakened immediately—how much later she couldn’t have
said, but it felt much, much later—at the tapping on the front door.

Strad stiffened and she knew he was aware.

Carefully, they slid from the bed. She scooped a gun off the
dresser and tossed it to the berserker, then released her claws.

If it’d been one of her people, they’d have called first.

Lex appeared from the dark recesses of the house. The twins
and Lex’s bedrooms were at the back of the house, and it would have been nearly
impossible for them to hear the tapping.

Lex’s hearing had become extra sensitive, but most likely
she’d been roaming the house. Rune had discovered that the little Other didn’t
require a lot of sleep.

The tapping came again.

“Who is it?” Rune asked.

“It’s Fin. Can I talk to you?”

Strad pulled open the door, and Fin’s eyes widened. “Strad.”

“I didn’t think you were going to show,” Rune said.

“Yeah, imagine,” Fin replied. “A bird with some honor.”

She retracted her claws. “Who wants coffee?”

“I’ll make some,” Lex said.

Strad leaned against the counter, not bothered in the least
by the fact that he wore only boxers, or that an angry red wound and traces of
blood marred his neck.

“Cree is okay,” Fin said, as though someone had asked him.
He sat stiffly in his chair, his gaze darting and nervous. “It’s not easy for
us to live outside the family, but we’ll survive.”

Rune lifted an eyebrow. “Too bad. You have some information
for me?”

He flushed and tugged at his hair, as though making sure it
covered his scars. “Yes. I promised to tell you everything about the dead
Others. You can tell Bill Rice what you like.”

“Let’s hear it,” Rune said.

Fin nodded. “Lara wanted to be a scepter, and she wanted it
in a hurry. She was…bad.” He looked at Strad. “You know that.”

“Go on,” Rune said.

“Lara was planning to fight Loraine for her spot. She would
have killed Loraine, or at least, that’s what Cree feared. So once COS was
hiding on the mountain, Cree approached Bach Horner. She asked him to kill
Lara.”

Strad took a drink of the coffee Lex handed him. “Little
idiot,” he muttered.

“You know how Cree is. Impulsive. Immature. She wanted Lara
out of the way. If Lara had killed Loraine, she’d have been Cree’s superior.”

Strad sighed. “Cree didn’t have Lara killed because she was
afraid Loraine would die. She and Lara were in constant competition.”

Fin nodded. “They hated each other. Lara as a scepter?” He
shook his head, his face paling. “Not good for any of us. We can’t kill each
other, so she asked COS to do it for her.” He shrugged. “It’s almost
understandable. But she never thought this far ahead. She never thought her
actions would be discovered and get her banished. Never thought COS would force
her to abduct you, Rune.”

“There was no
force,
” Rune said.

“She knows Loraine is dead?” Strad asked.

“Thank you,” he said to Lex, when she gave him his coffee.
“Yes, Strad. And she knows who killed her.”

Rune smiled. “We can have a discussion about it anytime she
wants.”

Fin placed his mug carefully on the table. “What she wants,”
he said, “is to join your crew.”

No one said a word.

Then the berserker strode to Fin. “Look at me.”

Fin did. “I know,” he said, holding up his hands. “I know.”

“No. You don’t know, or you wouldn’t have said such a stupid
fucking thing.” Strad was getting angrier by the second. “Go back to wherever
the two of you are holed up, and tell Cree that if I catch her anywhere near
Rune, anywhere near the crew, I will kill her.” He clenched his fists. “And
then I will kill you, because God knows the two of you can’t bear to be
separated and I am just that fucking generous.”

Fin paled. “I’ll tell her.”

Strad gave a sharp nod and moved away from the bird. “Finish
your story.”

“Once COS killed Lara for Cree, they owned her. That’s why
she took you, of course.” He waved his hand impatiently at Rune. “And that
doesn’t make it okay, I know. Anyway, COS wasn’t supposed to make Lara’s
killing public. They promised to kill her, bury her somewhere, and that would
have been the end of it.”

“But COS tortured Lara and nailed her to a wall,” Rune said.

“Yes. And that started the humans—and you—scrutinizing the
birds a little too closely. Cree was terrified the scepters would discover what
she’d done.”

“Ah,” Rune said. “So she killed the second Other to take
suspicion off the birds.”

He nodded. “I didn’t say it was smart. She was desperate.”

“Did you know what she was doing?” Strad asked.

“No, I swear. Not until it was too late.”

Rune stood. “I’ll tell my boss. He’ll send people after
Cree. And you.”

Fin took the hint and stood as well. “She has her wings,
thanks to you. They won’t find us.”

“You lied about COS being in the Camp,” Rune said. “We were
there.”

He shook his head. “It’s what Cree told me.”

“Before you go,” Rune said. “COS hired a mercenary to take
me out. Who is he?”

“What mercenary?” the berserker asked.

Fin frowned. “If COS hired someone, the birds know nothing
about it. If there had been even a hint of an assassin, I’d have known. Nothing
stays secret on our mountain. Not for long.”

“Rune,” Strad said. “What fucking mercenary?”

“Let’s see Fin out and I’ll tell you all about it,” she
said.

“Wait,” Lex said. “I remember. Fin’s voice echoed in my head
but I couldn’t figure it out until now.”

“What, Lex?” Rune asked.

“I…I think I remember Fin’s voice when I was with the twins.
He talked to them. Or…he talked near them.”

Fin’s eyes widened and with a habitual movement, he flicked
his hair to cover his scarred face. He glanced at Rune, then Strad. “I gave
them food sometimes. I never wanted the twins hurt.”

“You tried to stand up for me against Horner,” Rune said.
“That’s the only reason I’m letting you walk out of here right now.”

Strad wasn’t mollified. He stared down at Fin. “You didn’t
tell me the twins were there. You didn’t tell me Rune was there. You’ll answer
to me for that.”

But Rune put a hand on his arm. “But not right now.” Why she
was protecting the bird she couldn’t have said. He was as guilty as any of
them.

She was getting soft.

Maybe it was because Fin hid his scarred face. Or because
he’d grown up knowing nothing but the birds and their ways.

Or it could have been because something about him reminded
her just slightly of the little bite junkie, Amy.

The girl her father had killed.

Strad’s forearm bulged beneath her fingers as he clenched
his fists. “How about an exact location of the coming ritual? COS tell you
that?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I wish I had
grown a backbone and told you everything. And no, I don’t know the location.”

“But you did hear Horner’s plans. He
is
carrying out the sacrifice on the night of the new moon?” Rune
asked.

Fin hesitated, his eyes darting from Strad to her. “Yes,” he
said, finally. “That’s right.”

She watched him for a moment longer. Something wasn’t right,
but she couldn’t figure out what. “Go away, Fin. If I were you, I’d leave the
city.”

As the door closed behind Fin, the berserker leaned down to
kiss Lex on the cheek. “Goodnight, Lex.”

She grinned and turned away. “I can take a hint.”

“I’m not sure I believe him,” Rune said. “He’s holding
something back. Question is, what?”

“You can never trust the birds.”

“
You
can’t either,
Berserker. Don’t forget that.”

He followed her back to the kitchen, watching as she rinsed
out the coffee mugs. “What happened? And when?”

“Tonight I was attacked by a man wearing a mask.” She
paused, reliving the moment, the dawning shock that the splinter wasn’t going
to incapacitate her. “He staked me.”

Strad’s eyes narrowed. “Go on.”

“He staked me with wood. It did nothing to me. Oh, it hurt,
but no differently than any severe wound. He also shot me.” She pointed to
beneath her chin. “But both wounds healed super fast.”

“So you’re sensitive to the obsidian,” Strad said.

She nodded. “Yeah.” She grinned up at him. “Fucking
obsidian. That’s my weakness. Stake me with that shit and I’m useless. Stake me
with anything else, I’m fine.”

“If we can keep that secret…”

“Exactly.”

“Did he say anything?”

She pursed her lips, remembering. “He said he’d been told
staking would incapacitate me. I told him he’d been misinformed and asked him
about COS.” She met Strad’s angry stare. “He seemed genuinely clueless about
the church. Then he blew half my head off and disappeared.”

Strad pinched the bridge of his nose. “You think it’s
someone else. Some fuck has taken out a hit on you.”

She thought for a second, then nodded. “I don’t think he was
from COS.”

“And if they believe staking you is useless, they’re going
to try something else.”

“They can’t bomb me, or stake me, or shoot me.”

They were silent as they thought about it.

“Fire,” they both said at once.

“That’s what he’ll try,” Strad said.

“Shit. I really don’t like being burned.” Then she clutched
her stomach as she realized what else they might do. “Decapitation.”

Strad shuddered. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

“He was human.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Must be a human with a death wish, to
take you on.”

She grinned. “
You
took me on.”

“Not as an enemy.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go back to
bed. We have a couple hours before daylight.”

She hesitated.

A spark of rage lit up his eyes before he could control it. “COS
is dead. They don’t know it yet, but they’re dead. Let me hold you while you
sleep, Rune.”

Fucking slayers.

And right before dawn, when she woke up thrashing with
memories of being paralyzed and helpless while slayers brutalized her, the
berserker drew her close and murmured in her ear until she drifted off once
more into an uneasy sleep.

“Holy shit,” Rune yelled, and jumped from the bed.

“The fuck?” Strad muttered, his voice thick. He shot from
the bed, grabbed Rune by the arm, and shoved her behind him.

“Dude.” Rune frowned. “First lesson of the morning. Even if
there is danger, you don’t push me behind you like I’m some fucking distressed
damsel.”

He rubbed his face. “Sorry. I was half asleep.”

“Yeah.
That’s
it.” She glared.

“What were you screeching about?”

It had hardly been a screech, but she let it go. “I just
realized that last night, I bit the fucking hit man. I
bit
him,
Berserker.”

He stretched, drawing her gaze to his outrageous six pack.
He could have caused a person’s eyes to burst into flames, standing there half
naked, his long hair snaking like black silk over his shoulders.

She knew exactly how his smooth skin tasted when she touched
it with her tongue, how hard and defined his muscles were beneath her caressing
fingertips.

How hot his vivid blue eyes grew when she—

“Rune.”

She shook her head hard, trying to chase away the images
that caused all her spit to dry up, that made her forget to close her mouth.

That made her lose track of the conversation.

“I…”

He grinned. “Yes?”

She glared, then shrugged and tossed him a smile. “You’d
make the dead drool, Berserker.”

“Oh, how I wish I could see,” Lex said, coming into the
room.

“Hey,” Rune said, smiling. “You stay away from him. He’s
mine.” As soon as the words left her mouth her mortified gaze flew to the
berserker, who looked almost as shocked as she felt.

Lex grinned. “About time.”

Rune strode to the closet, yanked it open, and grabbed a
change of clothes for the day. “I only meant—”

“Hush,” Lex said. “Don’t ruin it. He knows exactly what you
meant. Don’t you, Strad?”

Lex was enjoying herself a little too much. Rune glared at
the shirt she held, seeing nothing but the berserker’s surprised face.

Ellis stuck his head into the room. “Owen’s here. He asked me
if I’d make breakfast. Can you believe his nerve?” Then he peered around at all
their faces. “What?”

“Come on, Ellis,” Lex said, and hooked her arm through his.
“Let’s go make breakfast.”

He let her distract him. “You make breakfast?”

“No, but you can and I’ll supervise.”

He tossed a look back at Rune as they exited the room.
Whatever he saw must not have worried him too much, because he walked away
smiling.

Rune avoided Strad’s eyes. “I’m going to take a shower
before Rice calls us in.”

He never said a word.

She shut herself inside the bathroom and showered for a good
forty-five minutes before she could force herself to leave the room and face
the others.

She was pretty sure she’d have to kick someone’s ass before
the morning was over.

“Anyway,” she said, as she walked into the kitchen, “yes. I
bit the assassin.” As though the conversation hadn’t been interrupted.

Jack and Raze had arrived during her drawn-out shower and
sat around the huge table, forking down eggs and bacon.

Strad leaned back in his chair, holding a cup of coffee.

All her crew was there in her kitchen. All of them but Z.

It was almost perfect.

“When he discovers he is now addicted to the one he was sent
to kill, he’s going to be pissed off,” Owen said.

“He probably won’t know he’s addicted. He’ll drive himself
nuts agonizing over the fact that he suddenly can’t get me out of his mind.”
She grinned.

“I know that feeling,” Owen said.

She lifted an eyebrow and went to pour herself a cup of
coffee.

Finally, she looked at the berserker.

At that moment, her cell rang.

She dug it out of her pocket. “Hi, Bill.”

“Rune, Elizabeth isn’t in yet and I wanted to let you know
another tortured, murdered victim has been found. Another male, nailed to the
exterior wall of a building.”

She frowned. “But…that doesn’t make sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know the story of the first two Others, why they were
killed, who killed them…”

“And you’re just now telling me?”

“Sorry. I was going to explain everything when I came in.”

“Come in now,” he said. “Send two of your crew to Piper’s
Bakery to check out the crime scene.” He clicked off.

“What’s going on?” Jack asked.

“Another victim murdered and nailed to the side of a
building. This one is at Piper’s Bakery.”

“In the Moor,” Raze said. “Like the other two.”

She nodded. “I have to run to the office and talk to Rice.
Raze, you and Strad take the bakery. The rest of you, let’s head to RISC.”

She drove to work, her mind on the latest killing. If COS
had killed Lara, and Cree was claiming responsibility for the second victim,
who the fuck had killed number three?

“I thought we had a serial killer,” Rice said, after she
told him Fin’s story. He sounded just the tiniest bit disappointed.

“Give it time, Bill. It’ll happen for you.”

His phone rang. “What? Are you sure? Yes. Okay. I’ll let
them know.” He hung up. “That was Strad. He said the scene is almost exactly
like the first murder.” He leaned over his desk, his stare intense. “Except
this
vic
is human.”

“What the fuck is going on?”

“I don’t know, but we’ll have to hand this over to the
humans.” He picked up his phone, then pointed it at her. “I’ll tell you what I
think. I think COS is playing their manipulative games again. They know human
opinion is turning against them, and what better way to turn it back than to kill
humans and pin it on the Others?”

She inclined her head. “You could be right. They can get
their warped enjoyment out of torturing and killing, and send the entire
community into a panic at the same time.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Times are changing and COS is getting
desperate. Proof of that is in their planned attempt to bring a demon in to
help them out. All that’ll do is get the bastards killed. Maybe we should leave
them to it.” He stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to call the humans.
They’ll send a forensics team to the scene. We’ll see if they can tease some
COS evidence out of this one.”

“Let me know.”

“Of course.”

Ellis met her in the hall. “See Elizabeth.”

“I’m headed to her office now. You doing okay?”

He smiled, but clutched at the fang. “You, Levi, and Denim
are going to be fine. That makes me more than okay.”

She walked to Elizabeth’s office, wishing for another cup of
coffee. Just as she reached the door, her cell rang.

She didn’t recognize the number. “Rune Alexander.” She stuck
her head into Elizabeth’s office and held up a finger, then leaned against the
hallway wall after Elizabeth nodded.

“Rune,” Cree Stark said. “Fin is in trouble. We need your
help.”