Misery's Way: A Kit Colbana World Story Page 3

  “Anybody can see it,” Jeremy said, licking his lips, his eyes bouncing all around.

  “No. You only see it because …” I shrugged, and rose. “It’s easy to see that which you hate within yourself, child.”

  He stared up at me. He fumbled his way to his feet, his movements still slow, still weak. It would take time for his muscles to rebuild. I couldn’t fix that. But the poison that had clogged his veins … that was gone. It was definitely gone—I could feel it churning in me and I needed to expel it.

  “You’re being given another chance here,” I said, nodding out toward the crowd. Toward life. “Maybe you shouldn’t waste it on so much hate. Now go.”

  I caught Saleel’s eyes. “Get him out of here … and tell Jody to call it a night. Technical difficulties.”

  Saleel gave a single nod. Before he could turn away, I added, “And those two … bring them along.”

  The witch’s head whipped toward me.

  The blonde narrowed her eyes.

  I inclined my head. “You wanted to speak with me, didn’t you?”

  Chapter Four

  I let Saleel work his magic. I was too … unbalanced. Pain and anger always left me feeling this way and I hadn’t had the chance to really ease anybody. Jeremy didn’t count. He hadn’t come looking for any relief. He’d come looking to cause more misery on his way out. Even though I’d healed him, I’d just found more pain. Some people just thrived on it.

  And now—

  I focused on the woman just as a faint pop echoed in the air around us.

  Both of them spun around.

  She had a blade in her hand and whips of silver uncurled from the sleeves of the man’s jacket to settle in his hands.

  Very nice. If I was a vampire or shifter, I’d be concerned. As it was, the silver could cause me some distress if he got enough of it in me, but I could kill him before he did me much damage, so I wasn’t too worried.

  “What the hell was that?” the woman demanded.

  “That was me,” a disembodied voice said. A pool of black smoke gathered in between us.

  I smiled at the expressions on their faces as Saleel took form and stepped out of the smoke.

  “You’d think they’d never seen magic before, Sal,” I said, mocking.

  The witch spoke first, and he caught some of the silver in his hand, wielding it like a whip. “I’ve seen magic.” He gripped the silver tighter in his right fist. “Hell, I am fucking magic. That … that ain’t magic.”

  “Sure it is, witch.” I propped my chin on my fist and stared at him. “It’s just not mortal magic.”

  He glanced at me. I winked.

  He swallowed and went back to staring at Saleel.

  “You can put the silver down or I can shove it down your throat,” Saleel offered. “Which do you prefer?”

  “Be nice.”

  Saleel flicked me a look. “I was. I gave him a choice. He will not hold a weapon under your roof.”

  “Save me from testosterone,” I muttered. Rising, I moved closer and rested a hand on Saleel’s arm. “Just … dial it back. I think we all just need to take a deep breath here and just … well, breathe.”

  To my surprise, it was the blonde who backed off. She sheathed her sword, quicker than any human I’d ever seen, almost as fast as any shifter. “Justin,” she said quietly.

  He flicked a look at her and then gave a single, short nod. I studied the silver as it slithered back up his arms to settle on the sleeves of the lightweight leather he wore. “Nice trick,” I said. “Metallurgist?”

  Surprise lit his eyes. “Yeah.”

  “I’ve met a few of your kind.”

  “I don’t think I can say the same.”

  Chuckling, I crossed my arms over my chest. The poison from the fool I’d healed earlier still rolled and stretched inside me. I had to deal with it. I hadn’t taken the time to heal him as I should and the rush of it made for a lousy feeding—

  “Shit!” I clapped a hand to my forehead and turned away.

  Saleel was immediately in front of me. “What is wrong?” he demanded, his black gaze racing over everything, searching for the threat.

  “The man … Kevin? The one with the burns! He was supposed to come back for another session!” I caught Saleel’s hand. “I told him I’d help!”

  Saleel’s face relaxed. “You didn’t know this would happen, Frankie.”

  “I said I’d help!”

  He studied me for a long moment then he nodded. “I will find him.”

  “How are you going to find one person from a crowd that size? I thought you didn’t collect personal information.”

  The question came from the man—the witch.

  For a split second, I’d almost forgotten we weren’t alone. If I say I will help, then that’s what I do—I help. Guilt twisted up inside me, adding to the nausea caused by the miserable healing I’d done.

  “You’ll find him,” I said softly, ignoring the witch and the woman, focusing only on Saleel. He knew what my word meant to me.

  He rested a hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

  If he said he would, then he would.

  Taking a moment to steady myself, I looked back at my unwanted guests.

  “Okay … now. Questions. You’re going to answer them.” I gave them my best smile—or my worst, depending on how you look at it. Neither of them blinked, but I could tell both of them were immediately back on edge.

  Turning on my heel, I moved over to the couch.

  After I flung myself down, I crossed my legs and draped one arm over the back of the couch.

  “First, I want to know who you are—and please don’t bother lying, because I’ll know.”

  The blonde hooked her thumbs in her front pockets, a bored look on her face. Mr. Sexy Witch tipped his head back as though he was studying the ceiling of the trailer.

  “Second, I want to know why you’re here, how you found me, and who sent you—again, don’t lie.”

  He started to hum under his breath while she began to examine her nails.

  “Third, you better be able to convince me you didn’t plan to harm anybody under my roof. If you don’t …”

  “Let me guess.” The blonde gave me a sharp-edged smile. “Don’t lie, because you’ll know?”

  “Bingo.”

  She ran her tongue across her teeth and then glanced at her partner. The dynamics between them interested me. They moved like a long-term set—partners, though. Not a pair. He watched her, though, with a wistful sort of longing, I thought. Not love, exactly. Just … wistful.

  As if he’d felt her glance, he looked over and shrugged.

  “My name’s Kit. This is Justin.”

  “I caught that much. Names are easy, though. They don’t tell me much.”

  “Of course they don’t. Like your name … Frankie?” She snorted. “I seriously doubt it.”

  Saleel’s gaze flicked to me.

  “Sometimes the names we’re gifted with at birth become little more than a burden,” I said, shrugging. Narrowing my eyes on her, I focused on the pulse of pain I’d caught the first time I saw her. “I’d say the same is true for you … Kitasa.”

  Sensation exploded in my head.

  Sensation.

  Music.

  And screams—

  “Damn, sugar. You made it too easy … I don’t have to break you to fuck you up.”

  “You’re trapped here.”

  Utterly silent. What’s missing—?

  Everything was terribly silent.

  Why was it so quiet …

  My hands—empty.

  “You are, well and truly, trapped.”

  A man, staring at me through the bars, his smile devoid of humor.

  Trapped …? No. All I needed was a couple of arrows—

  The man, tall and pale and beautiful—inhumane…

  “I’ll be the one waiting when you see there’s nothing else left for you.”

  My hand … empty. No music in my hea
d. The sounds of my weapons were gone.

  Scenes blurred—pain lashed. The pain—the pain, even as the monster in me gobbled it down, the woman in me shuddered. Bones broke and blood spilled and screams bled together into one unending wail.

  Until … it all ended.

  A mountain. Snow, stinging the flesh. I wanted—no.

  It wasn’t me. Dazed, I wheeled my eyes around, seeking the woman out.

  Kit.

  She had her blade lifted, staring at me through … silver.

  It blurred.

  Dumbly, I tried to process that, but the memory of the pain sucked me back.

  Snow … cold.

  I tried to stay separate from her memories, but it was hard.

  The snow had stung her skin. She’d been naked, barefoot, freezing, as she flung herself headlong into the snow. Toward her death. Toward freedom. I understood that. I’d tried that route myself, once.

  She’d remembered things as she ran—I saw them as just blurs, desperate to keep the memories as far from me as I could. They blurred from vague and indistinct to sharp and bright, everything from soft and sweet to bright and vivid, from wistful need to hot, burning happiness.

  They all ended on a note of sharp, splintering pain.

  Nobody hurts you, Kit—

  “Somebody did,” I whispered.

  She flinched at the sound of my voice.

  I wanted to hit the foolish man who’d made such a stupid promise. That wasn’t a promise anybody could ever keep, so why make it?

  The memories stuttered to a halt, and I shook my head to clear it just as the trailer shuddered.

  “Sal!”

  He was prowling closer and closer to them, his lips peeled back from his teeth. Silver blurred around them now, an ever-moving barrier between the witch and the woman … and the creeping black that looked to swallow them whole.

  I bolted forward, knocking Saleel back with enough force to throw him into the wall. “No!”

  Chapter Five

  It took me another twenty minutes to clear my head.

  It was twenty more before I could look at her.

  Twice, they tried to leave.

  Twice, Saleel silently placed his form in front of them.

  I could have told him to let them leave, but I was still struggling to find my tongue again.

  Besides … it had been one hell of a day, and while I’d gorged on pain, I’d only slaked one appetite. The other part of me was practically begging for release.

  And this woman …

  They sat side by side. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were speaking on some sort of psychic level, but I’d sense that. This was probably just as dangerous. They communicated through quick looks, subtle head movements, and hand gestures.

  Planning an escape?

  Or an attack?

  Hopefully, it was an escape. If they attacked Saleel or myself, he might aim to kill. I’d be able to save one of them, but I didn’t know if I was quick enough to save them both.

  Since they seemed to be ramping up to try whatever, I forced myself to move.

  “Sal.”

  He shifted his gaze from them for the briefest of moments.

  I gestured toward him.

  He gave me a negative shake of his head.

  “Now,” I ordered, forcing a note into my voice I rarely used.

  The effect was immediate.

  His movements were stiff as he came to me, stiffer yet as he went to his knees.

  His eyes stared sightlessly through me as I leaned in. “Yank the stick out of your ass,” I told him. “Now listen … she picked up on it when I reached out. She reacted—same as I would. She did nothing wrong. Cool it down.”

  His lip peeled back. “She drew a weapon on you.”

  “I would have done the same thing.”

  “That doesn’t matter to me.” He brushed a hand down my cheek.

  “If you try to hurt either of them because she felt threatened, then it’s going to hurt me … does that not matter?”

  The low noise that escaped him could be described as disgruntled, pissed-off, and amused. “Manipulative female.”

  “If it works …” I arched a brow.

  He pinched my chin and went to stand. He couldn’t. That brought a scowl to his dark features. “Dismiss me, mistress.”

  I leaned forward. “I’m not your mistress, Saleel, except by your own stubbornness. You can free yourself of this bond anytime you choose.” I waited a beat. He said nothing. I sighed and waved a hand. “You’re dismissed.”

  He rose, his movements smooth, fluid, and graceful. As he stepped to my side, my attention slid to the others.

  “Please,” I said quietly. “If you would …”

  I almost said “relax” and then realized the stupidity of that.

  “Look, I’m not out to hurt you and unless you try to do something really stupid like attack me or Sal, he’s not going to do anything either.”

  Saleel didn’t do harmless well. He didn’t even attempt to pretend to do harmless. He stood at my side, a silent menacing presence, and as I looked at them, both of them glanced between us, as though weighing which one of us was the bigger threat. That just goes to show I was right about them—they were smart. Most people assumed Saleel was the threat.

  The witch looked like he was going to say something.

  Before he could, I looked at Kitasa. “Why didn’t you jump?”

  Justin’s eyes flashed and shock flew across his face.

  Her gaze went to green ice. “Why don’t you go fuck yourself?”

  I suppose that was her way of telling me to leave it alone. I don’t do that very well. Shrugging, I leaned forward. “I can do something for you. As a matter of fact, it’s something nobody else is likely to be able to do.” Lips pursed, I thought it through and then said, “Well, time. Maybe. I don’t know. There’s no exact science to this. But trust me … I think you want what I can offer. But I won’t do it unless you answer some questions.”

  “Sweetheart.” Derision all but dripped from her words.

  I arched my brows and leaned back, studying her face.

  Saleel stiffened at the obvious insult in her voice. I flicked him a look and shook my head.

  “You know, I can actually just look and find the damn answers—if you think for two seconds, you can probably figure that out. The fact that I’m asking should get me … something.”

  “What do you want?” She glared at me, her skin pale save for two flags of color riding high on her cheekbones. “A gold star?”

  “A gold star?” I blinked, confused. “What good would that do me? I’ve got plenty of gold.”

  Saleel coughed politely.

  I shot him a glance.

  He leaned over, murmuring softly, “It’s an old mortal saying … they would give human children gold stars for achievements in school, I believe. Mistress, let me rid you of these peasants.”

  “Sal … back off,” I said.

  “If you say sit, does he sit?”

  “Kitasa, you’re—”

  “Don’t,” she said, her voice hardening to a bladed edge, “call me that. My name is Kit. You can call me a peasant, a bitch, Kit, whatever you want. But do not call me Kitasa.”

  Something in her voice set Saleel off. I practically saw his response playing out and I came off the couch, slapping a hand against his chest. “My apologies … Kit,” I said, taking care to enunciate her name. After all, I knew what it was like to remake yourself. To need to change the very fabric of who you were.

  She jerked her head toward the door. “We’re done here.”

  “No.” I blew out a breath. “You’re not. You see … you interrupted my … meal, we’ll say. So before you can leave, you’re going to answer my questions. Just to square things up.”

  “You’re crazy,” Justin said. The silver worked into the sleeves of his jacket started to spark, a deadly little warning.

  “No.” I shrugged. “I’m just somebody
who needs to survive … like you. Problem is … I don’t get by on good, old-fashioned red meat.”

  The woman stiffened. “You’re not a vampire.”

  A whisper of fear slid through the air and an image solidified in my mind—the vampire. Tall and pale. I wanted to ask her if he was dead. More, I wanted to tell her that if he wasn’t, I could arrange it.

  But this wasn’t a woman who would want others to fix her problems.

  Although there was one problem I would fix—that hole in her head. It was the ache I felt inside her. That, I could fix. Somebody had torn something inside her—the nerve endings were no longer raw and sore, although they had been. They were trying to mend themselves, build their own pathways, but whether or not they’d reform as they should was anybody’s guess.

  Since they hadn’t fully healed, though, I could do something.

  “Why didn’t you jump?” I said, pushing harder.

  “Because I stopped her.”

  I whipped my head around, staring at the witch. Kit grabbed his arm but he shook her off. His eyes all but glowed as he stared at me. “You feed off pain, right? But you’re … that’s not all. You’re hurting, too.” He bared his teeth at me and tapped his head. “I’m a witch. I suck at healing, but still, that part of me is still on. Something in you is firing off like crazy and you don’t make sense. If you just fed off misery, then why bother fixing them? And you do.”

  Curious, I gestured for him to continue.

  “I went by the little girl’s house.” He glanced over at his friend, then shrugged. “I felt something happen. I don’t think Kit felt it as strong as I did, but she’s probably not going to. Healing is something … well, that’s a different kind of power. And whatever you are doing, well, that’s far and away from what any witch I’ve ever known has done. But you did something. The girl … I went by, lied through my teeth to get inside. Told them I was following up on a missing-persons case in the area—sue me, but I had to see if you’d actually helped that girl. Why didn’t you fix her all the way?”

  “It’s too obvious,” Saleel said.

  Justin inclined his head, and then slowly, after a few moments, he nodded. “You stay under the radar, then.”