Broken Souls (23 page)
Authors: Jade M. Phillips
My painful chest moved with the weakest of breath as I faded
in and out of consciousness. From within my foggy brain, I couldn’t help but
think if I ever saw another jail cell any time in the next millennium it would
be too soon. I began to stir, the pain shooting through me like electric fire
bolts causing me to pass out again.
It pissed me off.
This whole being weak thing pissed me off. I’d always been the
strongest and fastest of my FUSE brothers, and that’s why I’d been promoted so
quickly. That’s why I was the most sought after Captain in the FUSE army.
That’s why I’d been named the most expert marksmen in the country. But ever
since meeting Ruby, I’d been humbled, my egotistical thoughts on the world having
been thrown off their axis. I had shifted priorities, knowing that this change
made me more vulnerable in a sense —physically, not mentally.
Mentally
, truth be told, I was stronger than ever.
Something about the light in that vampire girl created a whole new meaning to
life. It made me see things in a different way, my priorities strikingly
different than just a few months ago. Ruby eclipsed my need for revenge, and I
was okay with that.
Yet my physical body, under the control of the vampires, had
weakened considerably. I imagined Ruby’s offerings of blood were the only thing
keeping me alive at the moment. Regardless of her help, I now found myself in
the direst of circumstances, unable to keep myself from fading out, teetering
on the cliffs of death.
But the moment soft skin brushed my lips, and the trickle of
thick metallic liquid dripped down my tongue, I knew she was there and it was
time to escape. My resolve grew by leaps and bounds with the help of her
presence. I was strengthened by her blood, and found myself thinking that we
were trying to overcome the impossible by leaving Tombstone. Yet I knew in my
heart, if we remained together, we’d make the impossible possible.
I was snapped back to reality by the flow of blood in my
mouth, and the touch of her wrist against my lips, offering its healing serum. My
heartbeat pounded and my limbs prickled with sensation. I was now fully aware
of myself, of Ruby, and of my bond to her. I drank hungrily as though my life
depended on it— and at that crucial moment, I supposed it did. But she stopped
me with a gentle nudge and her flushed lips replaced her wrist, pressing a
sugar sweet kiss into my mouth. Warmth rushed through me from our point of
contact and blossomed to every inch of my flesh, bone and muscle. My face
flushed from her kiss, one I suspected was only told about in storybooks— A
healing kiss. A magic kiss. A kiss of love.
I was never the mushy, sentimental type, but with Ruby I
didn’t care. I couldn’t give a crap if she made me vulnerable and made me
exposed. I liked the new me and I liked who I’d become because of her. I was a
better man and wanted to continue to become an ever better man every day with
her by my side.
“Jeez,” she said, pulling away breathless. “I’ve never seen
your face so red. Have I upset my stone-cold soldier?”
To my surprise, I sat up uninhibited, and gazed passionately
into her eyes. Free of my chains, my body acted of its own accord, only wanting
to be closer to hers. I cupped the side of her face with my palm and brushed a
thumb down her cheek.
“You could never upset me— even when you run off when you’re
told not to.” I released a weak chuckle, remembering all the times Ruby had
taken off on me, scaring the daylights out of me.
Instead of sharing in my joy, Ruby casted her eyes downward,
as if uncomfortable, sad even.
“Are you sure about that?” she asked.
I furrowed my brows, confused, wondering what she meant.
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” she said. “Something
I should’ve told you last night.”
I went to touch her face but she shied away. It was unlike
her. Ruby always held herself strong and confident even in the face of
darkness.
“Hey,” I said reaching for her again. I wouldn’t allow her
to distance herself. Not now. Not when we were so close to being together again,
free. I grazed her shoulder with my fingers, letting them brush down the
distance of her delicate arm. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I won’t judge
you. I’d never do that.”
Her thick black lashes lifted, her violet irises moist. Her
gaze reached deep within me, tugging at my soul like the first night I’d met
her. She blinked once, twice, then closed her eyes, turning away.
“I’m different,” she said barely above a breath. “I’m not
like the others.”
I did not respond, but waited for what she had to say.
Whatever it was, it would not affect the way I felt about her. We’d been
through too much together and I’d not let anything stand in our way. Ruby’s
woven braid laid over her shoulder, the end of it swaying as she shifted. She
bit her lower lip.
“Wilson said that I’m different. I’m not a full vampire. I’m
some weird half-breed.”
I shook my head, trying to process her words. In all the
years of my dedication to mastering the knowledge of vampires and other
Unfortunate Souls, I’d never heard of such a thing.
“Apparently, I’m half-human, half-vampire.” Ruby laughed
harshly, a sound I wasn’t used to. “I can’t even be a proper vampire for crying
out loud. How am I supposed to survive out there?” She scanned the walls as
though reaching beyond the concrete to the horizons of the earth. “How am I
supposed to know what to do, when I’m the only one like me?”
Instantly, thoughts of Wilson, my enemy-turned-ally, planted
themselves into my brain. Wilson was —or
had
been, for I needed to keep
reminding myself of his death— the most educated vampire I knew. And even
though I’d never heard of such an anomaly, if Wilson thought it true, I
believed it. But that still didn’t change the way I felt about her. Again, I
brought her chin up to face me with a finger and looked deep within her eyes. “I
don’t care if you grow scales and morph into a fire-breathing dragon. I love
you, and always will.”
The hint of a smile crossed her rose-bud lips and I resisted
the urge to kiss her. I straightened my back, my strength growing from her
blood coursing through my veins. I inhaled deeply. “And about the half-breed
thing, we’ll figure it out. I have no doubt, if anyone can do it, you can.”
Her half-grin turned to a full on smile. It was contagious
and made me smile just as wide. But the sudden wail of an alarm caused us
pause. Concerned, Ruby and I exchanged glances. But after a long moment, her
face relaxed as if knowing something I did not.
“It’s okay. It’s for us.”
I exhaled deeply with relief, grabbing her hand.
“Now, what do you say we get the hell out of Tombstone?”
She nodded and laughed heartily. “Yes. Let’s get the hell
out of Tombstone.”
She went to rise but I grabbed her by the waist. I pulled
her close and crushed my lips against hers. After a few moments, our lips parted,
our breathing ragged. The blaring alert signal matched that of my pounding
heart, and we both just looked at each other for one long moment. It’d been so
long since we could just look at each other, like a picture, the stop-motion of
a movie I would memorize and keep in my mind always.
I went to stand, but my legs argued with me, weak and
shaking. Apparently, I’d not regained the full amount of my strength. Ruby,
noticing this, wrapped an arm around my middle and helped me stand. She guided
me from the bench to the bars and down the hall, my will power outshining my lack
of vigor.
We exited the Courthouse doors, the autumn breeze welcoming
us with refreshing coolness. I inhaled the chill air so deeply I was certain my
lungs would burst.
I was free. We were free. Together.
But my confidence faltered when I saw the light of a hundred
torch flames. The alarm bells stopped, leaving us in dead silence. My jaw
tightened cautiously, my heart skipping a beat.
“What in the world is that?” The darkness made it hard to
see, but the little lights looked like a runway for a plane. The flames trailed
far off into the distance, down the road with a crack running up the center. I
was certain we’d been found out and it was our own private death welcoming
party.
“Those,” Ruby said, turning to me with a smile. “Are
friends.” She gave my side a reassuring squeeze. “And they’re lighting our way
to freedom.”
There were hundreds of them. Hundreds of werewolves, witches,
and what I sensed to be a few vampires, awaited our arrival. Each held a
blazing torch in their hand and stood tall with dignity, their flickering lights
creating a path for which Guy and I would walk through, protected, to the end
of town. To the gates of Tombstone. I tried to hide my shock by the huge
display of support, but my awe betrayed my confidence and my jaw dropped wide
open.
In awe of the sight, Guy and I stood on the steps to the
courthouse and, noticing his unease, I reassured him that everything would be
all right. I tightened my grip around his middle, but to my surprise, he
shrugged me off. I furrowed my brows and stared at him in confusion. He then smiled,
offering me an elbow the way a gentleman would for a lady. I giggled in spite
of myself and took his arm. I could feel his body strengthening beside me, his
resolve returning tenfold, and knew my blood was healing him quickly now. Yet
before we descended the steps, Guy stopped dead and leaned into my ear.
“What about the vampires, and Horus? Won’t they see the lights?”
I shook my head. “They’re all at The Birdcage Theatre
tonight and because of the lockdown, that’s where they will stay.” Guy nodded,
impressed by the way things were working out, and in all honesty, I was quite
impressed myself. He gave my arm a squeeze and we started down the crumbling
steps. We moved through the beginning of the lighted trail, the heat from the
flames warming our bodies.
Some of the faces I didn’t recognize, but others I did, like
Lola and her husband, the nice werewolf farmers who took me under their wing. Other
werewolf families joined too, ones I’d had the pleasure to meet earlier that
night. Even some of the children helped to hold the torches. But to my surprise,
werewolves I didn’t expect to see at all, stood tall lighting our way.
The three young males who’d given me trouble at the Crystal
Palace Saloon smiled sheepishly as I walked by. I gave them a nod of
encouragement and a forgiving smile. Humpty and Dumpty, who’d guarded me those
first weeks when imprisoned in the jail, stood proud, their heads held high. Humpty
gave me a wink and I smiled in return. Guy squeezed my hand and I glanced over,
the angles of his jaw highlighted by the flames.
“I guess we won’t have to worry about any guards stopping us
tonight,” he whispered. I smiled deeply and shook my head. He was right, no one
would be stopping us tonight. And despite living in the cruel city for the last
few months, I couldn’t help but think I would miss it. I’d made friends here,
people who actually cared.
We continued walking down the path, every turn we made
through town was lined with smiling faces, their torches held high. We neared
our destination, the watchtower appearing over the building tops. My heart
swelled when I saw the warm faces of the infirmary witches as they watched us
approach. I spotted Morin and my smile broadened, thinking of how she had voted
for my life when put on trial. I’d always had a soft spot in my heart for her
since the day I met her, appreciative of her kind gestures.
Morin returned my smile and shifted her weight, the bells on
her skirt jingling as we passed by. Guy tugged on my arm and I looked to him,
curious. With his chin, he gestured to a tall building across the street. I
raised my gaze to see a dark figure standing on top. I stopped. I didn’t even
have to use my vampire sight to know who it was. The broad shoulders and long
black ponytail flapping in the breeze was indication enough. Jax’s silhouette
stood tall, watching over our procession like an overprotective brother. I let
out a breathy laugh, unable to control the mist forming in my eyes. I turned to
Guy and he nodded toward the watchtower with his head. Toward our escape.
“It’s time.” His voice was deep and solid, back to normal.
I grinned, joy and relief overwhelming me. I took a few
steps but turned back to the tall building where Jax had been. He was gone and
behind us, witches and werewolves receded into the darkness, the light from
their flames disappearing into alleyways and side streets. After a few moments,
we found ourselves standing alone, just Guy and me in the darkness. The breeze
whistled through the street and caught my hair as we approached the tall watchtower.
According to Orie we wouldn’t even have to open up the large gates, instead
using a side door that lead into the watchtower and furthermore into the
outside world. And if my guess was right, that door would be unlocked.
Guy turned the handle and the door swung open with ease. But
dread rushed through me at what we saw inside. Instead of finding an empty room
leading to our freedom like I thought, we found ourselves face to face with the
barrel of a gun, Pandora on the other end.
I froze, confusion gushing through me over seeing Pandora
inside the watchtower holding a gun. I first wondered how she knew of our
escape, but that thought quickly led to another. If she did in fact know of our
plans, I’d have hoped she’d be on our side, but that prospect was apparently squashed
by the way she pointed the gun between Guy’s eyes. Fear fought with anger and I
inwardly scolded myself for my earlier confidence in this whole thing. I
should’ve known it was too good to be true, our escape plan having been too
easy.
Frustration flared inside of me and my fangs shot out
sharply. Because of her connection to Wilson, I didn’t want to hurt Pandora, but
on the other hand I would do anything to allow us our freedom. We’d come too
far to be stopped now. I took a step forward.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Pandora swung the gun to
me, and I halted, seeing her face empty of any emotion. “This gun is loaded
with silver bullets and could put you in your permanent grave, Ruby Carter.”
I held Pandora’s dark green gaze, wondering what exactly
her intentions were. Did she plan on killing us? Would she turn us in? But
after a moment, I let go of those questions and turned my focus to escaping. I
scanned the room, surveying our options.
We stood in a small chamber with two doors. One door we’d come
through from Tombstone and the other led to the outside world, to freedom. A
winding staircase disappeared through the ceiling and I assumed it went to the
top of the tower. Empty bar mugs littered a long desk and a key hung above from
a nail in the wall. It was marked “Van,” and I assumed that to be the van we
needed to get away from here. But Pandora blocked our way.
I shifted my gaze to Guy, his face red and fists clenched. I
knew he was on the verge of attacking Pandora, but not only was he still weak,
despite my blood, and needed more time to heal, he stood unarmed against an
experienced vampire. I slowly raised a hand and placed it against his chest indicating
he should hold back. I turned to Pandora.
“It doesn’t have to be like this. You can just let us go and
no one will ever know you were here.”
She didn’t respond, but let silence fall thick in the room.
The three of us studied each other, frozen in place, my heart knocking against
the inside of my ribcage like an iron fist. Pandora shook her head.
“I cannot do that.” She shifted the gun, aiming it back at
Guy.
My anger flared, and I wanted to rush her and get the gun
away. But before I attempted to propel myself forward, she continued, her voice
as cold as a headstone.
“I cannot let you leave… unprotected.” My brows furrowed and
Guy’s face mirrored my confusion. Pandora flipped the six-shooter in her hand,
the barrel now pointing at herself and the handle at Guy. She offered the
weapon to him.
“Even though you are an experienced hunter, Captain,” she
said, “you are a sitting duck in this town.”
Guy made no move to reach for the weapon. Instead, he
considered the vampire warily. But he didn’t know Pandora like I did, and even
though she was one of them, deep in the depths of her ferocious façade shone a
ray of light. I’d always sensed a shred of kindness and sympathy in her and I’d
been wrong to doubt her.
“She’s a friend of Wilson’s,” I said softly, sliding Guy a
glance. “Pandora is Nora’s sister.”
Though at times it’d been complicated, Guy and Wilson had a
long-standing relationship. Guy knew who Nora was, the love of Wilson’s life, and
now he knew Pandora was her sister. Guy weighed my words carefully, trying to
make sense of this whole thing.
“It’s okay,” I said, offering him encouragement, hoping he
wouldn’t do anything rash.
Guy licked his cracked lips and shifted his gaze toward me.
After a moment, he reached out and took the weapon from Pandora. Quickly, he
stepped back and aimed the gun at her. He grabbed me with his other arm and
pulled me into his chest as if to protect me. Pandora stood unfazed by the
weapon pointing at her, flipping her long red hair back over her shoulders. She
turned her attention to me.
“I’m going to miss you, Ruby,” she said, her voice dry and
monotone, “Even though you’ve been a huge pain in my ass.”
I laughed as Guy lowered his weapon, the tension in the room
melting away like ice on the first day of spring. My body relaxed, thinking the
Pandora I knew was back. She was back, and despite everything that happened,
she was on our side.
“Thank you,” I breathed, glad she wasn’t there to stop us
after all, and instead, lending us our freedom. Pandora shifted her weight, her
lips pursing.
“Don’t thank me. Thank Wilson. If not for him, you’d have
been dead months ago. And if I ever see you again, don’t expect any help from
me.”
I smiled and nodded, expecting nothing less from her. Either
way, I was grateful. With Guy’s arm still around my waist, I grabbed the key
from the wall for our van that would be waiting on the other side, with Cloe,
Orie and the humans inside. Pandora moved to the door leading to the outside as
if to open it for us. But she stopped.
“You’d best be fast,” she warned. “Not only will the sun be
rising shortly, but as soon as the lockdown ends there are going to be a lot of
pissed-off vampires looking for you. Even though Horus is a creep, he still has
a lot of Unfortunates loyal to him.” Guy and I exchanged glances, but nodded in
agreement. Pandora turned the handle. “I will see you as far as the van, but
then I’m gone. I need to get back before the alarm sounds again.”
The door swung open and the three of us stepped out, our
breaths collectively hitching in our chests. The first thing we saw was Horus’
black eyes bearing down on us. He laughed maniacally.
“Glad you all showed up to the party. I was afraid we’d
have to start without you.”