Dawn and Quartered (Preternatural Chronicles Book 2) Read online

  The remaining blood was retracted into my palm and I stood up next to Lily and Depweg.

  “Cool trick,” Depweg said.

  “Saved your wer-ass,” I gloated. At least I pretended too. I was willing and ready to sacrifice my own existence to ensure Depweg survived our encounter with Locke after he had been impaled through his lower torso with a pillar of hellfire. I doused the flame with my life’s essence, using all of my will and energy to fight the very flames from Hell itself. Only real problem was I was also being eaten alive by hellfire and had nothing left in the tanks to save myself. Then along came Lily. Just as Jennifer Anniston had convinced Ben Stiller to eat that spicy food, Lily forced me to imbibe her blood, forever making me her slave. Admittedly, it had its perks though.

  “Thanks, brother,” Depweg said with full sincerity. Uh oh, intimate man moment, got to change things up. I punched him playfully hard in the arm while wearing a shit-eating grin. Depweg stood stoically, comprehending what just happened. Then he nodded in understanding. I think he was more in touch with his emotions and definitely able to control them better than I was.

  Turning my attention to Locke, I said, “Tell us what we want to know or they’ll be a little head to pay.”

  Depweg leaned over to me and whispered in my ear, “That didn’t really work, man,” then leaned back to a straight stance. I motioned for him to come close, and when he did, I whispered back, “We need to watch Aliens after this.” He nodded and then leaned once again to the neutral position.

  “I love that movie,” Locke said, putting his American accent back on while moving his jaw around, testing my work. “Shall we put it on now?”

  “Yes, but first, what was Satan’s plan? Why did you want me to stay out of his way?” I demanded. “And don’t lie. We’ll know if you are lying.”

  “Seeing as I am in quiet a predicament, I will reluctantly tell you what you seek. Samael wants to bring the final battle to fruition. He is tired of ruling in Hell and wants to destroy Heaven and Earth, or be killed in the process, freeing him from his eternal duties.”

  I was taken aback by the flood of information and leaned towards Lily and Depweg where I loudly whispered, “Is he lying?” Depweg shrugged while Lily only stared.

  “But why John?” Lily asked while nodding towards me. “What does a lone vampire have to do with the apocalypse?”

  “You are right,” Locke stated.

  “About which part?” Lily asked, bemused but frustrated. I secretly enjoyed watching a Fae have to play the information game.

  “When the last vampire walks the Earth, the gates of Hell will open, allowing the apocalypse to begin,” Locke said.

  “Well, here I am, last of my kind. I’m walking and I’m talking and the Earth is still under my feet, so try again,” I said while motioning my hands up and down my body.

  “That’s all I know. Surely you don’t think Samael would divulge all of his knowledge to me and then send me to the front lines to do his bidding,” Locke pointed out. “By the by, can you heal my burns?”

  “No,” I said dismissively without giving it any thought. He could have asked what time it was and I would have just as easily turned down his request. Then again, I was the one who had to look at that well-done mug. It reminded me of this time when I first got my cell phone and I was chatting with Depweg. I said to him “Hey, what’s that sound?” When he asked, “What sound?” I farted into the phone and laughed at him. “You do realize that you are the one that has to smell it, right?” I realized he was right immediately. He was like the Joker turning people’s plans around on them.

  “Then, why help him at all?” Depweg continued asking Locke, “Don’t you have a stake in all of this?”

  “Great question!” I said while pointing at Depweg. “That, that thing he said. Yeah,” I finished by crossing my arms and putting on a cool-cop interrogation face.

  “I’m dead,” Locke reported.

  “No shit. Am I right?” I said to Lily and Depweg who continued to ignore me.

  “No, you simpleton. I died long ago and was sent to Hell where my talents drew the attention of some key characters of the biblical persuasion. It wasn’t long until The Lord of Hell himself called upon me and made me an offer that was impossible to refuse. He would give me my body back and let me live again on Earth as his servant, or I could spend an eternity in his personal torture chamber where I would lose my sanity. I made my choice and I challenge anyone else to make a different decision.”

  “So, you did die and actually went to Hell for your crimes?” I asked sincerely. I was under the impression that he eluded punishment for his crimes until I delicately removed his head. It was maddening to think he had walked this world for centuries all willy-nilly.

  “It would appear so,” Locke confirmed.

  Lily interjected the silence that had begun to fill the air, “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Devil chose your arch nemesis as his herald, John.”

  “I agree with Lily,” Depweg said, “Seems terribly convenient.”

  “Why did he burn your face?” Lily asked.

  “Well, at first I thought it was to make a point about his power and influence, but then I saw John. It clicked then. Samael was saving his punch line for the right moment,” Locke said.

  I thought about this and then said, “He’s right. Had I known Locke was Commander Godwin,” I trailed off for a moment as even uttering the name made my jaws lock together and my fists squeeze white-knuckle tight. “I would have rushed him, damn any army or rules that might protect him.”

  “You’d be dead,” Depweg said while staring into the distance.

  “I am dead,” I said with a shadow of levity. “Well, undead if you want to be technical about it.”

  “And if you were dead, there wouldn’t be a last vampire to start the apocalypse anymore,” Lily said, grasping the situation better than Depweg or myself. “Perhaps…” She started while circling the air with an open palm, suggesting the remainder of her thought.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Depweg said, snapping out of his haze to glare at Lily.

  “How cute. My puppy wishes to test me. Sit puppy,” She commanded.

  Knowing the game, Depweg strode to the bar, grabbed a stool, dragged it right in front of Lily, and then sat down. Their eyes were on the same level while Depweg sat on the stool. There was defiance in his eyes that dared her to test his resolve.

  “If I die,” I started while staring blankly at the wall, “then the apocalypse will be averted?”

  Depweg turned quickly to look at me and interjected at the gravity of that statement, “Perhaps, John. But that is to assume a few key points. One, is Locke telling the truth or the truth that has been presented to him by the Father of Lies? And two, what happens if you die right now? Satan will get his hands on you for all eternity along with all the zealots and demons you sent packing who I’m willing to bet are waiting. Who’s to say that the Devil doesn’t want exactly that? Maybe as a trophy. Or, perhaps he needs you in Hell to actually start the end of days. You have proven yourself able to handle even the biggest of bastards he could throw at you and that could be strategically advantageous on the battlefield. Whatever the answer, I would suggest self-preservation until we have more to go on. No reason making decisions without all the answers, dude.”

  I let my mind wander as new pieces of the same puzzle I had been working on for centuries appeared and fell on the already cluttered board I had once thought was complete.

  “Just curious,” Depweg started, “How do you know you are the last vampire? What if one is asleep in Madagascar right now or something? Or even more plausible, what if there are several more out there who are better than John at concealment?”

  I feigned surprise while placing my hand on my chest and mouthing, “Me?” Depweg’s mouth closed in frustration and he tilted his head while exhaling loudly.

  “Ok, ok,” I began, growing frustrated at this what if game, “Let’s just work wit
h the facts we have in front of us. ‘When the last vampire walks the Earth.’ It doesn’t matter if there are more, we can assume that they are being hunted or will be, right?”

  “You are the last,” Locke said confidently and coldly, being the bearer of bad news. “Though it wasn’t said outright, I am confident that you are the last based on the information I either overheard or was told directly.” I opened my mouth to say something when Locke continued, “Yes, I am aware that Lucifer is the Father of Lies. But he worked diligently on you and only you. When I was his servant, it was my job to remove certain pieces from the board while watching over you. He never mentioned other vampires.”

  I dropped my head and took in a deep breath before saying, “I think he’s right. Ulric mentioned being the last one when he made me.”

  It was then when I noticed Lily being intentionally quiet. “Lily?”

  “Ulric was the last before he made you. Then you were the last when you killed him in London,” she said without her usual playfulness.

  “How did you know about London?” I asked, “I never told about that. Either of you.” My eyes shifted from Lily to Depweg, who shrugged.

  “I had no idea, dude,” Depweg said.

  “I am Fae, lover. I know what I must and I must know.”

  Silence was my response. She had never mentioned me killing my maker before. But I was only slightly surprised at her knowledge. She was, after all, ancient and cunning. I’m sure there were plenty of mouths feeding her information for even just a sniff of her perfume.

  “I need to talk to Father Philseep,” I said absently, my mind strained from everything that was being thrown around.

  “NO! No, please. That isn’t necessary,” Locke pleaded.

  Three eyebrows arched in unison, “Why are you afraid of the Father?”

  “Oh, no reason. So, about that movie, then?” Locke Segwayed.

  I pulled out my cell phone and unlocked the screen, letting Locke see me go to my favorites menu where Depweg, Lily, Valenta, Da, and Papa T were the only names listed. Heck, they were the only names at all so I don’t even know why I manually added them to my favorites.

  I let my finger hover over Father Thomes’ name and glanced over at Locke, daring him to lie or avoid answering further.

  “Alright, alright, alright. It’s because I’m dead and haunting my own body using Hell magic. I am very confident, given what I know about your holy do-gooder that he would exorcise me in an instant and send me back to Hell. You can imagine that I don’t particularly wish to go back. Speaking of, can I crash here with you guys? The iron upgrades would sure help keep me hidden.”

  Iron upgrades? He had just shown me that he still had some power left in him, at least his senses. I mean, he was also haunting his own decapitated head. I’d have to file that away for later in my information city. Then the gravity of his question hit home.

  “DUDE!” I cried out, “You fucking killed my parents you little shit! Depweg, turn the oven on, we are going to have ourselves a Locke-e-que.”

  “Right, um, sorry about all of that,” Locke said quickly. “I did spend a number of Earthly years down below which equated to a fucking long time in Hell years. I paid for my sins and had a lot of time to think about them. The truth is, your father was right.”

  “Gerald. His name was Gerald,” I barked out while fighting back tears that threatened to flee my eye sockets. I squeezed my fists until they started to make popping sounds, drawing Locke’s attention to the severity of his situation.

  “Gerald, was right,” Locke said slowly and calmly, like talking down a feral animal. “We were there only for the land and property that was rightfully your families. BUT! If it wasn’t me, it would have been someone else. I just did as I was told.”

  “Another reason Satan choose you then,” Depweg said. “Doing whatever you’re told despite the consequences. You seem to excel at that.”

  “Forgive me, but were you not a soldier who has killed more than his fair share of enemy combatants?” Locke pointed out.

  “That’s different and you know it,” Depweg growled.

  “What about the Jewish boy being held prisoner by Nazi’s the night you raided their camp. In your rage…” Locke began but Depweg kicked the coffee table out of the purest of rage I had ever witnessed from him, startling both Lily and me, and sent Locke flying behind the couch with a nose-crunching thud. A throaty growl left his chest that reverberated everything that wasn’t nailed down in the living room. I could see Depweg preparing to change, starting with his eyes that had turned yellow with black slits for pupils.

  “Hey!” I called out, putting myself between the two before Depweg decided to stomp on Locke’s defenseless head, or eat him. “Just go to your room for a minute and calm down, brother. No judgment here.” Depweg’s chest rose and fell with each heavy breath as tears started pouring down his cheeks. Without looking at me, he turned and strode off to his room, slamming the door.

  Lily had gone behind the couch and picked up Locke while this was going on. I righted the coffee table, which was now cracked down the center like a fork of lightning. I would have to ask Valenta to either fix it or create a new one.

  Lily sat Locke back down, sans the coaster, and his words started to sink in. This left me conflicted. Yes, he had killed my family but had served what must have felt like centuries in Hell being punished for it and many other crimes. His excuse of just following orders was not sufficient and I still wanted to make an encha-head-a in the oven.

  What would the Father say to me right now? Probably tell me to continue down the path of righteousness and forgive those who have trespassed against me while also focusing on the big picture— the apocalypse was coming and I was the key. There had to be some truth to this due to the number of supes leaving this plane and hiding. In addition, this coupled with the fact that Satan was clearly trying to piss in my Cheerios.

  “Why does the Devil think I am the catalyst for the end?” I asked somberly while grabbing Locke’s nose and twisting it back in place.

  “Ow! I don’t know, Johnath…” He started before I glared at him with eyes that glowed red, “John. Just John. But I would like to help stop it. Being a bodiless freak on Earth is infinitely better than even dipping my toe back into Hell. It’s not all physical torture you know. Samael is entirely too clever and personally comes up with the most devious of mental punishments. He…he even made me endure the deaths I had caused a thousand times over. Including what I had done to your parents.” Locke’s eyes closed and he attempted to gulp in remembrance. “I feel my mind is barely hanging on by a frayed thread, but the hope of never going back is keeping me sane. Before now, I did whatever it took to stay alive, in a manner of speaking; including trying to keep you subdued which now I clearly see was an attempt to earn your attention. I was a pawn in his chess game, his sacrifice to lure you out. Now I am free from his influence and I am just as determined to never go back as before. So please, let me help.”

  “You were tortured in the bull?” I asked while fighting the lump in my throat.

  “Yes,” Locke said without breaking eye contact with me; his bottom lip quivered as he remembered each agonizing death.

  “You had your intestines inched out?”

  “Yes. Each a thousand times at least. I lost count when I started to lose my mind,” his eyes brimmed, “I am truly sorry for what I did. Not just to your parents, but also to all those I had hurt. I felt each of their pain over and over and over again, and I am sorry!” At that, his tears freed themselves and ran down his face where they pooled on the table.

  “What do you think, Lily? Do we trust this dick head?” I asked with a soft voice.

  “I think that if the end is on its way, we need all the help we can get,” Lily stated honestly and with a slight touch of worry.

  It was at this time that Da decided to join us by blinking in holding a comically too big pizza box and saying, “I’ve brought pizzaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhWhat is that thing doing o
n my coffee table? And without a coaster no less?” He said while dropping the box on the ground and pointing at Locke’s head.

  “Is that cheese?” Locke asked with genuine interest while sniffling back his tears and ignoring Da’s remarks.

  Da’s gaze quickly shifted between Lily and me, awaiting an answer.

  “It’s a long story. Well, it actually isn’t, but it sounded cool to say that,” I said.

  Thirty seconds later Da was caught up and picking the pizza box off the ground.

  “Can you get him a flower pot or something? I don’t want his neck cooties on my custom furniture,” Da said as he bit into a slice that was bigger than him.

  “How did you even buy this, Da? Did you float in, pay, and grab the box from the mortals and leave?” I smiled warmly thinking about what a sight that would be.

  With that, Da was a normal sized man. There was no mist, or ectoplasm growth like clay being added to a statue— he was simply a man.

  “Nice glamour,” I said as I grabbed a paper napkin and set a piece of gooey hot goodness in front of Locke who glanced up at me with a look that said, “really dude?” I patted him on his crispy head and sat on the couch, turning the TV source back to the Xbox where Aliens finally awaited. Locke stuck his tongue out and tried to use it for leverage on the slice in front of him. I chuckled— the Devil wasn’t the only one good at coming up with punishments.

  As I pushed play, I glanced at Depweg’s room and thought about what Locke had said about the Jewish boy. Depweg had killed an innocent and it still weighed heavy on his soul. At that moment, I felt even closer to my brother from another supernatural mother.