Strange Trouble (16 page)

“Rune,” he screamed, “I couldn’t find you.”

As though he’d lost his kid in a shopping
mall.

He grabbed Ellie’s shoulder, jerked him into the air,
then
tossed him away.

“No,” Ellis screamed, and she could only pray he’d lost the
gun. If he shot Llodra, the vampire would kill him without a second thought.

God, Ellie. Stay the fuck down. Please. Stay the fuck
down.

Llodra squatted beside her and lifted her upper body off the
ground. “The blade shouldn’t have stayed in so long,” he chided.

He turned suddenly at a noise and dropped her back to the
ground, then left her in a blur of motion. She heard a sound like a sledge
hammer hitting a melon.

Then Llodra was back with her.

Ellie.

“This is going to hurt,” Llodra said. There was nothing
tentative about his pull, nothing hesitant. He simply grabbed the hilt and
yanked the knife from her back.

She felt her insides sticking to and sliding out with the
blade. Her heart stuttered,
then
began to beat
uncertainly.

Each beat sent a throbbing pain through her entire body,
until her body
was
the heartbeat.

She moaned, surprising herself.

“Oh you’re fine,” Llodra said.

“Fuck
you,
buddy,” she whispered.

“I had to do it.”

“Ellis.” She still couldn’t move well, but she could move.
She lifted her fingers to her chest, holding her palm over the wound. Her back
felt like an elephant had stomped on it.

“First things first.”
He lifted his
wrist to his mouth and opened a vein. “Drink before you make liars of all those
who believe you immortal.”

She turned her face away. “Get away from me.”

He grabbed her chin and jerked her face toward him, then
pressed his bleeding wrist to her lips. When she refused to open he squeezed
harder, and then harder. She heard her jaw crack and too weak to fight him,
opened her mouth.

At the first taste, she slapped her shame into the shadows
and drank eagerly. No matter what, she had to have blood.
Even
if it was fucking Llodra’s.
It slid into her system, into her very soul.

But he didn’t let her feed long. Just long enough to ensure
that she’d be able to get her ass off the ground.

“You’ll be addicted and I’ll get the witch’s power,” she
said, half believing it.

“Don’t be ridiculous. The dead cannot be addicted and the magic
of Damascus is secure.” He tapped his chest. “In here.”

“Ellis,” she said. She really didn’t care if Llodra did or
did not become addicted. She didn’t even care if some magic seeped back into
her body. “Where is Ellis?”

The master stood, a pale monster covered with blood and
gore. “I must say goodbye. The sun comes.” He glanced over his shoulder. “I do
not know if your friend lives, but if he does I will keep my word.
As long as you keep yours.”

Then he was gone.

Terrified, she struggled to sit up. “Ellis,” she called, but
no one would have heard her croaky voice.
“Ellie!”

She dragged herself to her feet, stood with her hand over
her heart, and began searching. She found him in seconds—not by sight but by
scent. Ellis smelled of vanilla and warmth and when she concentrated, her nose
led her to him.

He lay sprawled against a tree. The entire left side of his
face was swollen and bloody, extending over his temple. Using every single bit
of her growing strength, she lifted him into her arms.

Strad’s truck roared up to the gates just as she stepped
through. He was at her side in seconds, his face grim.

“Take him,” Rune said, perhaps reminding them both of a time
not long before when she’d carried his son out of the burning COS church.

He gently gathered Ellis to him, holding him with one arm,
guiding Rune to his truck with the other. “Ellis called me. I thought you…”

“Llodra staked me. He and Gunnar…Oh
fuck
me. Gunnar!”

He held on to her. “No, Rune. Whatever happened has happened.
You’re not going back in there. Come on,” he urged, when she resisted. “We have
to take care of Ellis.”

She could barely move. Her body groaned in agony with each
step. Llodra had taken the blade out, but her back didn’t seem to know that.

But she was healing.
Healing from a
staking.

She stood by the truck as Strad put Ellis into the seat and
buckled him in. Ellis moaned and stirred, and the berserker backed away so Rune
could reach her injured friend.

His eyes were glassy and unfocused when he opened them.

“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for not leaving me.” But
really, there were no words.

He threw up suddenly, and she backed away to look at Strad.
“Get him to the hospital.”

“Rune.
No.”

She moved into his arms and flinched when her wound pressed
against him. “You know I have to go back, Berserker.”

“Llodra—”

“Is gone.

“You take Ellis, I’ll find the ghoul.”

She drew away. “Go. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” She
didn’t wait for him to argue further—Ellis needed the hospital and Gunnar
needed her.

Jogging back into the graveyard, she forced her moans to
stay inside where they belonged. But fuck, she
hurt.

She realized she hadn’t asked Strad where he and the crew
had gone. The world didn’t stop just because she had personal demons to fight,
and likely they’d been called to fight the city’s monsters.

When she was inside Wormwood and safely out of Strad’s
sight, she slowed to a walk and pushed her palm against her chest.

“Gunnar,” she called.

There was no answer. No skinny ghoul appeared suddenly from
the shadows to bow and say,
“Your Highness.”

If he lived, she was going to fetch him an entire case of
Baby Ruth candy bars.

She couldn’t bear another death. She really couldn’t.

Z’s death left a gaping wound in her chest, much like the
one she bore from Llodra’s staking. Only the one left by Z would not heal.

“Gunnar,” she screamed, trying to drown out thoughts of Z.
“Gunnar!”

He appeared then, a pale, slight form, and shambled toward
her.

She closed her eyes in a long, slow blink of relief. Not everything
always went wrong.
“Hi sexy.”

But the ghoul was not happy. He fell to his knees in front
of her, his face hidden behind his long, black hair.

She knelt with him, crossing her arms over her chest as
though the pressure might ease the pain. “Gunnar, you saved my life.”

“He would have torn me to pieces, in the end.” He wouldn’t
look at her. “I fled to where he could not follow.”

“Fuck that. You saved my fucking life. You have nothing to
apologize for. Now help me up. I have to drive to the hospital and also see
what’s happening outside the world of Wormwood.”

He peeked at her, opened his mouth, and let out a small
squeak. “I…”

“You,” she said. “You are my hero.”

He snorted, but his eyes were flinching and swimming in
bloody tears. “You should go home and heal.”

“I will. After I visit Ellie, I’ll just go…decompress.”

“And I will just go…decompose.”

Then, wearing tiny smiles, they leaned on each other as Rune
made her way back out into the world.

A chapter had ended with a sigh.

But something fluttered inside her, something unsettled and
vague. Outside Wormwood was trouble. She felt it when she left the gates.

Something was happening, and it wasn’t anything good.

Transition

On her way to the hospital she called Strad. “How is he?”

“He’ll be fine.” His rough voice rumbled in her ear. “I hate
fucking leaving you like that.”

“I’m a monster, Strad,” she replied. “They can’t keep me
down.”

“I don’t want my woman hurt. No matter how tough she is.”

She shivered suddenly and her body tightened. “I’ll be there
in a few.” She clicked off.
Fucking caveman.

The emergency department parking lot was packed with cars,
and it took her so long to find a parking place that she very nearly abandoned her
car in the center of the lot. But finally, she found one.

The first fingers of daylight pointed across the sky. She
needed coffee.
Hot, black, and strong.
But later.
After she checked on Ellis.

She jogged into the waiting area. Two women sat behind the
long partition at the back of the room, and a nurse spoke quietly into a phone.
They all looked up at her arrival.

“Oh my goodness,” one of the women said, as they gaped at
her.

Rune frowned. She and her crew were used to looking banged
up and bloody. They sometimes forgot regular people might be shocked. “I’m
fine. I need to see a man who was brought in a little while ago. Ellis—”

“Rune?”

She glanced up, right into the irate eyes of Ellis’s mother.
“Dr. Abbot.” Her stomach muscles tightened and she fought not to avoid the
doctor’s stare. It was no shock that Ellie’s mom wasn’t thrilled about the
relationship he had with Rune, especially since she kept getting him hurt.

And the stern, unsmiling woman had always had a way of
making Rune feel about six years old.

“Come with me,” the doctor said. “I need to speak with you
before you see him.”

Lovely.
“How’s he doing?”

“He has a concussion. He’ll be okay.
This
time.”

“Look, I know this is my fault. I’ll be more careful with
him from now on. I should have told the crew to make him go home.” She shook
her head. “Honestly, I never thought he’d wait for me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t know the
specifics of what happened to
Ellis,
only that it
involved you, as it usually does when he is hurt.” She held up a hand when Rune
started to speak, never once slowing her rapid stride down the hallway. “And I
don’t want to know. His father and I believe you understand the danger you’re
putting our son in by associating with him.” Finally she stopped walking,
leaned against the wall, and stared at Rune. “I’d like you to stop.”

Rune frowned. “I said I’d be more careful.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Rune put her hands on her hips, feeling the first stirrings
of anger. “I don’t know
what
you mean.”

“I want you to stay away from him.”

Rune smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Ellis isn’t a kid, Dr.
Abbot. I’ll take more care to keep him out of trouble. I’m not cutting him out
of my life.”

“Not even to save his?”

“You’re exaggerating.” But she wasn’t.

“I know you and my son have a special bond, Rune. I know
he’s done things for you that…” She shook her head. “That I
really
don’t
want to know about. But quite simply, you’re going to get him killed.”

Rune tried swallowing past the dryness in her throat. She
half succeeded. “I’ll watch over him.”

“Just think about it. Ellis doesn’t belong in your world.”
She raked Rune from head to toe with a sharp glance. “Look at you. You’re…how
are you even alive
? Look
at you.” Then, almost imperceptibly, she
softened. “Let me take care of that wound.” She nodded at Rune’s chest.

Rune stared down at the gaping hole in her shirt. Her top
was covered with blood. She put a hand to her chest, trying to cover the
damage. It didn’t work. “I’ll be okay.”

“You probably will,” the doctor agreed. “But Ellis will not.
Don’t be selfish about this. You can’t play with his life.” Then she
straightened and pointed her chin at a room down the hall. “He’s being
admitted, so we’ll move him in a little while. Don’t stay too long.” Then, with
another look at Rune’s bloodied and battered body, she walked away.

Rune stared after her, too tired to even sigh. When she
turned back toward Ellis’s room, Strad was standing in the doorway watching
her.

“Berserker,” she murmured, and started toward him.

He met her halfway. “He’s fine, Rune.”

“Yeah.
Concussion.
His mother told me.”

“How’d that go?” He took her arm.

She pulled away. She wasn’t really angry at him, but he was
there in the path of it. “I guess it’s about time she started showing some concern.”

Ellis’s relationship with his parents was usually strained.
Ellis was the total opposite of his parents. He was affectionate and dramatic
and full of love. They were chilly and distant. They tried to keep the peace,
to keep Ellie calm, but there had been no real concern.

Strad walked beside her, his expression not changing at her
grumpiness. “I’m going to get you a cup of coffee and make a few phone calls
while you’re with him.”

“Thanks. I could use some coffee.”

But he paused, looking at her chest. He reached out to pull
the neck of her shirt down and bent forward to examine the wound. “It’s
healing, but slowly.”

“It hurts like a motherfucker.”

“You were staked, Rune.” He met her gaze. “And you’re
walking around like you were only punched in the face.”

She was aware of the enormity of the situation. Who walked
away from a
staking?
“I know.”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” And before she realized
what he was going to do, he leaned forward and gave her a hard kiss. Then he
strode out of the room and left her staring after him.

“That is one sexy boy,” Ellis said.

She jumped at his voice. “I thought you were asleep, baby.
How are you feeling?”

“I want to go home, but mother insisted I stay.”

“You need to let them keep an eye on you.” She smoothed back
his hair. “I’m sorry, Ellie.” Would she ever be able to tell him he was one
bite away from becoming a monster?

He studied her for a long moment. “Rune, have I ever
neglected to tell you when you need to apologize?”

She lifted an eyebrow. “No. Not so much.”

He didn’t smile. “And I wouldn’t now. If you had something
to own up to, I’d be the first one to let you know.”

“Just rest and get better.”

“Rune.”
He grasped her hand. “You
look like death.”

She touched her face with her free hand,
then
dropped it almost self-consciously to her chest. “I’m aware.”

“I don’t think you are. Your face is sunken and your eyes
are…” He pressed his lips together as his eyes moistened. “I know you’re
insanely powerful. I know you can take damage others can’t. But you need a
break. Maybe not even from the physical stuff.
Maybe just
from the mental stuff.”
He hesitated before charging on. “Z is
dead.
”

And I killed him.

She couldn’t help but shudder, but said nothing as she
leaned over to kiss his forehead. Later, when those thoughts took over, she was
going to be in trouble. “I just need some fucking coffee.”

He blinked and looked away.

“Uh-oh,” she said. “I knew something was up. I haven’t had a
chance to question anyone. What’s going on, Ellie?”

“I heard Strad talking on his phone.”

She pushed her hand into her stomach.
“Yeah?”

“Two things.
One,
the bloodbath at RISC.
The news is full of it. And all of River County
is turning on the
Others
.”

She sighed. “I’m not surprised. But they’ll calm down in a
few days.”

He started to shake his head, then grimaced and cut the
movement short. He tightened his fingers on hers. “COS is here, and they’re
making it worse. The humans are scared, and they have opened their arms to the
slayers.”

A cold finger of unease slid over her spine. “What?”

“Llodra has ruined life for the
Others
.
At least in this city.”

“
He
doesn’t care,” she snarled, and then forced
herself to calm down. Ellis didn’t need her rage. “I’ll call Bill Rice. We’ll
keep an eye on the slayers and things will settle down with the fucking
humans.”

Strad slipped noiselessly back into the room and handed her
a cup of coffee.

“What else?” She took a gulp of the coffee, wishing she
could just close her eyes, forget the world, and enjoy her caffeine.

“Rune,” Ellis said, “they will come after you.
The humans.
COS.”

“Let them come.”
Fuckers.
Let them
come.

A nurse swept into the room, her bright smile faltering when
she caught sight of Rune. “We’re going to move him now.”

“I’ll be safe. You have to…” He glanced at the nurse. He
beckoned Rune closer, and when she leaned over he whispered in her ear. “Hide.”

And because she wouldn’t have him worrying, she agreed. “I
will, sugar. You just get better. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She frowned.
“Or today.
What time is it?”

“It’s six in the morning,” Strad said. “Let’s go, Rune.”

How could so many things happen in so little time? She
followed Strad from the room, her hand protectively over her still healing
wound. “Where’s the crew?”

“Out trying to protect
Others
.”

“Law enforcement?”

“Most of them are doing what they can,” he said, his voice
grim. “But some of them have always been against the
Others
.
Now they feel they have an excuse to abuse them.”

“Assholes.”

“Yeah.”
He took her arm when she
headed for her car. “Ride with me, Rune.”

“I don’t want to leave my car.”

He ran his hand over his face. “I’d feel better. We can get
your car later.”

“No.”

“We need to stay together right now. All of us.”

“They’re not after you, Berserker. You’ll be okay. And I
will fight anyone who tries to take me.”

He gave her a tiny, tired smile.
“Including
me.”

“I’m so cold,” she said. “I just want to go to the inn and
crawl under a mountain of blankets. Three hours. That’s all I need, then I’ll
come help you guys.”

“I can take care of you.”

“I can take care of myself.” She was carrying so much rage
and agony because of Z, but she was powerless to stop it. There were only so
many things she could shove away. What had happened with Z was always going to
be there. That was the grim truth.

“Am I your favorite too, Rune?”

She shook it off.

Strad sighed at her fierceness. “Then I’ll let you go.”

But at her car he stopped her again. “You should feed.”

She shuddered at the image of Llodra forcing his blood into
her mouth. “I don’t have to. Not yet. I just need sleep. Sleep heals me.”

He nodded,
then
waited until she’d
gotten behind the wheel before he walked away. Driving through town, she
glanced back to see him riding her ass. He sat in the parking lot of the inn,
motor idling, as she stumbled into her room and closed the door firmly behind
her.

She managed a ten minute shower, bandaged the slowly healing
wound on her chest—she couldn’t reach her back—then slept exactly three hours
and seven minutes.

That was the last peace she would have for a very, very long
time.