Wyvern and Company (31 page)

Stay that way
, I texted back.
We just found RP at
the mall, and he made some awful threats
.

Did the police show up?

Yeah, but he's saying they won't be able to keep him in
jail since he broke out the last time.

That asshole
, Gina replied.

I can think up better words
, I tapped.

So can I, but autocorrect keeps changing them.

Understood. Be careful, okay?

I will
.

"Son?" Dad dropped a hand on my shoulder. He'd
watched me text Gina. "What threats did he make?"

"He said we'd better check all our friends," Mack
answered for me.

"Gina's fine. Can we ask the police to watch the
restaurant?" I asked. I worried about her in such a public place.

"Is there anyone else?" Dragon asked, his dark eyes
focusing on me.

"Oh, my God, Sarah," Mack breathed.

"Let's go," Dad said.

The moment he got us out of the mall and away from prying
eyes, we folded space.

* * *

Sarah lived with her parents not far from our old house. Yeah,
the old house was protected with shields; Dad said so. So was Joey's house,
where we'd been last night. It was three blocks away from Sarah's house.

I figure Randall's allies wanted to get to Gina and me, but
were prevented. Randall had likely named an alternate target.

The minute we landed outside the house, Mack smelled them.

Spawn had been here. Some of the larger ones, too. They'd hit
Sarah's house, plus the neighbors on both sides.

All the infected inhabitants wandered out of their houses the
moment we appeared, Sarah included. She was dead—only a monster stared through
her eyes, now.

"No," Mack breathed, his voice breaking.

"Son, take Mack for a walk. We'll handle this," Dad
said softly.

* * *

Adam's Journal

Dragon and I wouldn't do this ourselves, but we had enough
allies to do it for us. Dragon folded Merrill, Daniel and Martin Walters in
while I held the newly born spawn at bay.

Nearby neighbors from across the street and houses farther
down the block had come out to watch. Some of them already suspected what had
happened—after all, there'd been plenty of reports on the news, and everybody had
seen the attacks from the silent monsters at the Valley High football game.

"I went to visit this morning. Couldn't get a word out of
'em," one man said as he came to stand beside me. "What can we do? I
saw those things attack at the football game."

"I have help on the way," I sighed. I'd have to
shield Merrill's claws; Martin and Daniel would appear to be Merrill's vicious,
extremely large dogs.

If anyone recorded the attack, they'd see soon enough that
these were no longer human—the dusting would be the best indicator of such.

I wanted to weep for the young girl who'd befriended Mack and
Justin; she'd been Gina's best friend since first grade.

Her monster stared at me now, blank-eyed, waiting for me to
make the first move.

I wouldn't be making it.

Dragon drove up and parked my SUV across the street while
Merrill and two large wolves climbed from the vehicle. They were halfway across
the street when the spawn recognized them as a threat and attacked.

Seven former humans died in a rapid dusting as the wolves and
a vampire defended themselves. Several watchers recorded it on their cell
phones.

Dragon recorded it on mine, in case there were any questions.
I had something to do, however, when Officers Barton and Francis showed up with
several other police officers, blocking the street with their cruisers.

"Everything all right?" Francis asked as he came to
stand beside me.

"For the most part," I sighed. "The Pierce boy
told Justin to check all his friends. He had something to do with this."

"You think he and his father are friends with those
creatures who do this?" Francis swept out a hand, encompassing the spray
of dark spawn dust covering the street.

"Innocents died because of them," I nodded.
"One family because they befriended my son."

"What do they have against him?" Francis asked.

"My son is standing between us and those monsters bent on
destroying all of us," I answered truthfully. "If anyone asks, you
will not be able to repeat that information."

"I wouldn't repeat it anyway," Francis shook his
head. "If your son has some way to combat this epidemic, then I'm all for
it. I'm all for that man and his dogs, too," Francis nodded toward
Merrill, who was busy placing compulsion on the officers asking questions.

After all, he was too fast for anyone to record on their cell
phones, so only Dragon and I saw him behead four of the seven while Daniel and
Martin's wolves crowded in to cover the deed.

With compulsion, the
dogs
in question wouldn't even
need a rabies tag. The truth was, however, that I could produce those with
power if it became necessary.

My immediate concern was for Justin and Mack.

Then I intended to have a chat with Randall Pierce at the jail.
In my eyes, he was guilty of murder and attempted murder. I wondered how he and
his father had gotten involved with spawn to begin with, and why those spawn
had left them human, when anyone else was bitten or consumed immediately.

That's when Officer Francis' radio began chattering. Not only
had the police station been attacked, three officers had been killed and
partially eaten by the spawn who'd broken Randall Pierce out of jail a second
time.

* * *

Justin's Journal

Mack and I felt sick. Nauseated as well as sad and weary.

Sarah was gone, and I'd just begun to realize what sort of void
she'd leave behind.

How could we tell Gina what happened?

Could
we tell Gina what happened?

If the incident was recorded and shown on the news, then she'd
know Dad and Uncle Dragon were there on the scene. That meant I'd know, and if
I didn't tell her, she'd be even more upset.

How do you tell your girl that her best friend and her parents
were taken over by monsters, and then killed by others that most humans would
consider monsters as well?

I wanted to find Randall Pierce and show him my monster. Mack
probably wanted the same thing.

Son, come back, now. Randall Pierce has managed to escape
from jail again, and his spawn allies killed three officers in the process
,
Dad sent.

"Did you get that?" I asked Mack.

He nodded, keeping his head down and his eyes on the grass at
our feet. We stood in a small, neighborhood park two blocks from Sarah's house,
while kids played, laughed and squealed around us.

It all sounded so surreal—that people had died not so far
away.

Life went on and for a moment, I was witness to all of it—the
good and the bad. I wanted to cry, because there wouldn't be another body for
Gina to bury.

Mom?
I sent as Mack and I walked away from the park
toward Sarah's house.

I know already, honey. Your dad told me
, Mom said.
This
is a horribly sad day for all of us
, she added.
Sarah can't be hurt
anymore, but Gina will feel this all her life
.

She was right. The people left behind would suffer the most
from such a senseless thing. There was no reason for it, other than the anger
and hatred one small-minded boy could pour out toward perceived enemies.

"I want to kill him," Mack clenched his fists beside
me.

"You may have to stand in line," I muttered.

Guilt began to eat at me, too. If Randall hadn't focused his
hatred on me, Sarah might still be alive. Actually, she would be alive. Randall
only attacked her because he couldn't get to Gina. Or me.

"I think we need to convince Gina she's in danger,"
I said, breaking into a run. The police couldn't protect her from Randall
Pierce's spawn buddies.

Mack ran beside me and picked up the pace—he knew I was right.

* * *

Adam's Journal

"The police are taking Gina home," I assured Justin.
He was convinced now that Sarah's death was his fault and that Gina could be
next. I never thought to see my son break down like this, but he was close to
tears.

Kiarra and I had pulled him and Mack into my study the moment
I got both of them home, attempting to tell him that he wasn't at fault—Randall
Pierce was deranged in his anger, and likely encouraged by those who held power
over the spawn he considered allies. I couldn't disagree, however, that Gina
was likely in danger as a result.

"There is no logic or reason left in him or his
father," Kiarra rubbed Justin's back. "The blame is his. The guilt is
his. Don't take it upon yourself; you had no part in it."

"What can we do, Dad?" Justin's eyes glittered with
unshed tears.

"Why don't you let me think on that, with your Uncle
Dragon and Uncle Lion? We may be able to come up with something."

I could tell he wasn't convinced. After all, my hands—and the
hands of every other Saa Thalarr—had been effectively tied. The only hope I had
was that Thorsten's edict concerned spawn.

Randall Pierce was still human, and he'd threatened my family.

According to the rules, I was allowed to protect my family and
myself. I just needed a way to get Randall Pierce to attack one of us openly.

I'd missed my chance when Raymond Pierce attacked Kiarra in a
grocery store parking lot.

I didn't intend to let the opportunity slip away a second
time.

"We'll figure this out, honey," Kiarra hugged
Justin. "It may take a while, but it'll happen."

"I sure hope you're right," Justin mumbled.

* * *

Home now
, Gina texted me.
I can't believe she's gone
.

I'm so sorry, baby. I can't believe it, either
, I
texted back.

The police told me Randall Pierce was in on that. He's a
murdering bastard
.

He's done his best to wipe all of us out
, I agreed.
I
promise I won't let anything happen to you. I promise
.
I swear I'll kill
him if he comes anywhere near you
.

Justin, stay away from him
.
He's dangerous
, Gina
said.
I'm sorry, I can barely see the screen. I keep wiping tears away
,
she added.

Baby, please don't cry
, I wiped away tears of my own.
This
is so awful
.

I know. I have to go
.

Tossing the cell phone onto my bed, I stood there for a
moment, feeling lost. Out of place. As if my slot in the universe had closed
up, pushing me out and leaving me behind.

I wanted to hunt Randall down and crush the life out of him.

Something in me said that was wrong, but I barely listened to
it.

"Come on, let's do laundry," Mack gripped my arm.
"Maybe we can figure this out on our own while we fold jeans."

"Sure." I didn't mean it, but I followed Mack to the
laundry room anyway. We found Mom there ahead of us, moving clothes from the
washer to the dryer.

"We'll get this, Mom, you don't have to pick up after
us," Mack said, giving her a big hug. "I talked to Dad a few minutes
ago. He said they did what they had to, but he didn't feel good about any of
it."

"I know, honey," Mom rubbed his back before pulling
away. "Will you be okay? Tell me if you need Dr. Karzac, all right?"

"I will."

"Why don't we get in the pool?" she asked, once the
washed clothes were drying and a new load was in the washer.

"Yeah. I think I could use a warm soak," Mack
agreed. "Dude?" He turned to me.

"Sure," I said. I still felt lost and wanted to
cling to all I had left, which happened to be my family.

If any of them died because of me, I didn't think there was a
safe place anywhere for Randall Pierce.

* * *

Sorry about the roses
, I sent to Dad when Mack and I
got in the pool a few minutes later with Mom.

We'll do it another time
, Dad replied.
I'll come sit
by the pool
, he added.

He brought his tablet and phone and took a seat in a
comfortable chair to get work done while Mom floated by and Mack and I swam a
few laps.

Lion and Marlianna showed up after a bit, then Dragon and
Crane came. I'd never seen Dragon with his hair wet before, but he and Crane
dived into the water on the deep end as if they'd been doing it every day.

Darzi arrived, became the snake immediately, allowed his clothes
to fall in a puddle around him, then dropped into the water from the side of
the pool. I guess lion snakes like to swim—he was enjoying himself as he lazily
wriggled past Mack and me.

The last one to arrive and get in the pool, shocking all of
us, was Pheligar. I guess Larentii like warm water, too. He sat in a corner on
one end of the pool, where the water level was chest-high.

With his eyes half-closed, he nodded to Mom and Uncle Dragon.
I understood they were having mindspeech.

That's when Mom, Dragon, Crane, Lion and Dad began their
conversation on how to find Randall Pierce. Mack and I stopped swimming so we
could listen. It became apparent that we all wanted the same thing—Randall
Pierce and his father, plus the spawn who were working with them.

We can only discuss this while Pheligar shields our
conversation
, Dad informed me after a while. I wasn't sure I understood
that completely, but nodded anyway.

"I've been
Looking
," Mom said. "We
likely can't find them if they're in close proximity to a Sirenali."

Pheligar slowly nodded his assent, his bright-blue eyes still
half-closed.

Did I say he was naked?

He was. It didn't seem to bother him a bit. Larentii look
humanoid, minus the body hair. If you added sky-blue skin, blond hair and
bright blue eyes, he could be a bodybuilder from another world. Every muscle
was defined and evident. I didn't see anything that wasn't perfect.