Page 62 of Bold Mercy

Jared shoved the door open, shielding me despite the fact that I didn’t want to be shielded, then reached to the wall beside the doorway to flip the light on.

“Lucy,” I cried, my voice cracking.

She was in a wooden chair, so much silver duct tape wrapped around her that all I could see were her eyes, swollen with tears, and her little nose.

She was alive.

We ripped off tape with our bare hands, using our claws to slice into it, sometimes catching her flesh as well. She didn’t care, though, and neither did we. She was alive.

Almost before she was completely free, she flung herself into my arms. “You died,” she cried. “I saw it! How are you here? Ray is the serial killer, but his name is Samuel. Rick did this to me. Ash is gone, Kait. Oh my god, Ash! Rick tore his leash from my hand and left him on the street when he forced me into his car.” Finally, she ceased her babbling and broke down into sobs. Just like for the rest of us, the night had been too much for Lucy Shannon. And then, she did something that made me cry out with joy. She forced her trembling, likely numb fingers into the top of her tall left boot, and she pulled out my demon blade. “I kept it safe for you.”

“Thanks, Lucy,” I whispered.

Jared lifted her gently away from me, then reached down to help me to my feet. We turned to leave the room, and Rick was there, filling up the doorway, his eyes filled with horror.

Lucy screamed and began to struggle, and no amount of soothing or reassurances could calm her. At last, Jared scooped her up into his arms and looked at Rick. “Move,” he said.

Rick grabbed the doorway to keep from falling as he stumbled to the side, and Jared strode from the room, holding the hysterical human against him with one arm, his free hand wrapped around my upper arm to either support me or to make sure I went with him. Rick slid to the floor and huddled there, his fingers to his chest.

He needed me, Lucy needed me more, and Ash was out there alone on the streets. Still, I took a moment for the detective. God knew he’d taken enough of them for me.

I pulled free of Jared’s grip and went to crouch in front of Rick. “Detective,” I said sharply. “You’re stronger than the fucking vampires. What they did to you is not your fault. Take a shower, eat something, and get a grip. Call me when you can.”

He didn’t even look at me.

I grabbed his chin and forced his face up, and I made him look me in the eye. “Shit happens, Princess,” I said, my voice hard. “Suck it up. Get a fucking shower and stop wallowing. We’ll sort this out.” I leaned closer, until my nose nearly touched his. “You didn’t hurt Lucy. The vampires hurt Lucy. And the shit they planted inside you is gone, Rick. I killed Avis. The magic is gone. Do you hear me?”

“It’s not gone,” he said, his voice so ragged and thick I could barely understand him. “I feel it. I feel it wrapping around my brain, digging into my chest, controlling me. I feel it, Kait.”

God, the pain in his eyes. Still, that pain didn’t smother the darkness. Not completely.

And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do for him, except maybe kill him, and I was pretty sure he was going to do that himself. I couldn’t blame him. What if the magic never faded? He couldn’t live that way. He wasn’t even himself now. It was like the man I knew had already died and this pain-wracked, guild-ridden creature had been plopped down in his place.

But then, I felt the wand pressing insistently into my thigh, and I realized I could help him. The magic in that wand was strong enough to force out the sick, sinister magic of Axton, Kaloni, and Avis. It had to be.

But I couldn’t wield it, not like that. I could kill with it, but I had no idea how to heal with it. Only Lennon could do that.

I closed my eyes. “Fuck.”

Lucy was quiet, now, and when I turned to look at Jared I found her watching me. The hysteria had fled, and she understood. She knew it wasn’t Rick who’d hurt her, not really.

I stood. “Jared. What are you going to do to Lennon?”

He frowned. “This isn’t the time to—”

“Are you going to kill her? Because she can heal him. She can fix him, Jared.”

He understood abruptly. “You want me to bargain with her? Her life to save his?”

I nodded. “That’s exactly what I want.” And maybe Lennon had known. Even if she hadn’t known the exact circumstances, she’s surely known she was going to escape with her life. I wasn’t sure that was a good thing for her to keep.

Still, Jared hesitated. “I can banish her,” he agreed, finally. He set Lucy on her feet, and she didn’t argue. She didn’t move from his side, either, but she was calm. “I can mark her as a traitor and no pack in the world will take her. All nonhumans will shun her.”

“Yeah,” I said, still a little bitter. “I know how that feels.”

I stiffened as the stairs creaked, and we all stood silent and motionless as Lennon crept up the stairs, her beautiful face tranquil. “Give me my wand,” she said. “I will heal your human, and you will never see me again.”

It was one of the hardest things I’d ever done in my life to hand her the wand and allow her access to Rick. She might hurt him. She might kill him.