H Mallory - To Kill A Warlock

I closed my eyes again and shook my fist, imagining a wooden stake. Dust flowed between my fingers and I wanted to cry. It had worked! Somehow it had worked.

I rotated the stake in my hand and moving slowly, so as not to alert the vamp, I held the stake directly before his chest.

It’s there, I thought, hoping Knight was still listening.

I opened my eyes and watched Knight sit up, his neck no longer a gaping wound, but smooth as if it had never suffered the insult in the first place. He moved quickly until he was directly behind the vamp. With a smile at me, he shoved the vamp from behind until the stake buried itself deep into the vamp’s chest. The vamp’s eyes widened as they met mine and then he merely collapsed onto the ground beside me.

His eyes went vapid, the life slipping out of them as his body and face rapidly aged, decades going by in mere seconds. When his body stopped morphing, an old man lay before me.

The Kragengen gave a cry of alarm and turned away from me, facing Knight. I stood up, feeling slightly woozy and watched Knight turn to face the creature. “No, this is my fight,” I said. Knight smiled and backed away from the creature who faced me with renewed interest. “Come here, you ugly bitch,” I seethed.

The Kragengen started to shift back to its true state, wiry fur unfolding down its body. It doubled in size and waved its paws through the air as massive claws sprouted from them like bulbs breaking through soil.

I fisted my palm and shook it. Then I blew the glittery particles toward the creature, imagining a roaring inferno. Once the particles hit the creature’s fur, they erupted into flames of orange.

Knight backed away as the creature began to howl and dance around in a circle, fueling the intensity of the flames. In only a few more minutes, it was an incendiary and a couple minutes later, it toppled to the ground and the flames went out. “Nicely done,” Knight said with an appreciative grin. I just nodded and fell back against the tree. Knight was beside me momentarily. “I wasn’t able to completely heal you.” I collapsed into his outstretched arms. “Let me inside your head again.”

I closed my eyes and welcomed the heat as it poured through my body. The stinging, electrical sensation seemed to focus on my collarbone and side.

“That’s about all I can do. You’ll need to sleep well and eat lots of protein for the next few weeks to get all your strength back.” I opened my eyes and offered him a smile. “I hope you know I’m keeping track of all your many abilities.” Knight chuckled. “What do you say we get the hell out of here?” He didn’t wait for a response but scooped me into his arms and stood. “What about the bodies?” I asked. “I’ll call for backup.”

At the mention of backup, of calling Headquarters, the fact that I’d let Quillan escape came back to haunt me. I could tell it was going to keep on haunting me. I shouldn’t have been so soft. I should’ve taken him in. Shoulda woulda coulda.

“That reminds me,” I started before taking a breather. I definitely wasn’t feeling myself. “All this talk about confidentiality and getting me dropped off the team at Headquarters…” Knight raised an eyebrow like he had no idea where my questions were leading. “You knew all along that someone from Headquarters was involved, didn’t you?” He grinned. “Confidential.” I couldn’t help my laugh, weak though it was. Knight glanced at me. “What happened to Quillan?” I gulped down my own sense of failed responsibility. “He got away.”

###

Two days later, as I ambled into Headquarters, I might as well have been the Virgin Queen of England for all the whispering and knowing looks I aroused. I’d never liked being the center of attention so I hurried to my desk until I got too winded and walked the rest of the way.

Trey was at his desk but I didn’t acknowledge him, just dropped my backpack on the floor and started up my computer, relaxing into my chair. “You okay, Dulce?” I glanced at him and nodded although I still wasn’t feeling myself. “Yeah, I’m fine.” “If you need to…talk to anyone, I’m always free.”

I smiled, thinking Trey had definitely turned out to be a better coworker than I’d thought he would. “Thanks, Trey, I might take you up on that.”

The unmistakable sound of Sam’s heels tapping down the corridor heralded her arrival. I glanced at her with an encouraging smile and a wave of my hands.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Sam’s eyes were wide and her mouth twitching-something she always did when she was nervous. She hesitated only momentarily before throwing her arms around me. “God, I was so worried. I wanted to come see you-why didn’t you answer your phone?”

I sighed. “I guess I just needed some alone time.”

Sam nodded. “I can’t believe Quillan! I can’t believe he lied to us all!”

I still couldn’t believe it, myself. The truth of the matter was that I hadn’t been able to sleep, remorse plaguing my every thought. I shouldn't have let him go-that’s what it came down to. I was, before anything else, a Regulator. And as a Regulator, my first and foremost duty was to apprehend criminals, but I’d let Quillan slip through my fingers. I stopped berating myself as Elsie's voice interrupted. “Guys, the chief of the Relations Office is here!” I glanced at Trey and Sam, who stared vacantly back at me.

“He wants us all to meet in the conference room,” Elsie insisted and clapped her hands together as if to tell us to hurry when none of us made any motion to do anything.

I followed Trey and Sam into the conference room where I was ushered to a seat at the end of the conference table. Trey tried to take the seat and Elsie shooed him out of it, beaming at me instead.

I wasn’t a hero and I didn’t want to be treated like one.

Nonetheless, I took the seat with a lukewarm smile as if to say “thanks” and turned to the sound of the door opening. Knight strolled in, dressed in black, as beautiful as he ever was. Goddamn, the man was sexy as sin!

Then I noticed the smaller man next to him-maybe five feet eight inches, fifty years old or close to it, receding hairline, and thick glasses. So, this was the Chief of the Relations Office, come from the Netherworld? Rhetorical question.

Knight eyed me and gave me a grin; I was embarrassed and looked away. I didn't want anyone to think I was getting preferential treatment. I was just another Regulator and that was that. Knight took the seat next to me and the Chief assumed the seat at the head of the table. Elsie fluttered about offering coffee.

“Well, let's get started,” the Chief said. “For those of you who haven't met me,” none of us had, “I'm Chief Sterno and I run the relations office in Hildoff, Netherworld. It's my pleasure to be here today to meet all of you.”

He glanced at every one of us while we murmured our “happy to see you toos” and I felt like it was my first day at school.

“I'm sure you've heard of the unfortunate situation involving the previous Chief of Headquarters so I won't get into that,” Sterno continued. “I do want you to know we are doing our best to find a replacement.” There were a round of nods and sighs. “In the meantime, Knightley Vander will be substituting, just until we find a permanent replacement,” the Chief finished. “Please call me Knight,” the Loki clarified. I glanced around and noticed all the females openly admiring him. Ugh. “Knightley?” Trey whispered, elbowing me in the ribs. “Watch it,” I grumbled, wondering if my poor side would ever heal. “His name isn't Todd?”

“No,” I whispered back, frowning. I hadn't wanted to lie to Trey and hopefully he wouldn't take our mis-truth as a slight. “We didn't want to put you in harm's way so we had to withhold his true identity.”