Page 45 of Bad Medicine

ChapterTwenty-Two

The “gift” was a silver badge.It was presented to me in a soft leather flip case and looked very similar to apolice badge. Unlike a police badge, however, it was swimming in magic. Themagic of it smelled vaguely familiar, and it finally occurred to me on the ridehome that it smelled like Saul. Or his magic, rather. The protective propertiesof the badge were strong enough for me to feel them, and who knew what othermagics had gone into creating it.

When I visited nonhumans, I wasto wear the badge. The council members were very insistent. There wasn’t a supernaturalin existence who wouldn’t understand immediately that I was their law—that Icould both protect them and punish them. The vampire elder had said this with atwinkle in his eyes, as though he knew that I was secretly eager to go on along power trip.

The information was about theangels.

“They will not be a concernunless the demons breach the earth,” the elders told me. “Then the armies ofangels will come, as well, and you will have to choose a side.”

“Choose a side? As if I’d everchoose the side of the demons.” My stare had drifted to the demon elder, butthough his red eyes brightened, his expression, half hidden in the shadows ofhis deep red hood, never changed. I’d straightened my spine. “I’ll always fighton the side of good over evil.”

“You have the wrong idea aboutthe angels,” the vampire elder had told me, somewhat dryly, as though mymisconception was not only common, but quite silly. “The angels are not sweetcreatures with pure hearts, possessing golden halos that float somewhere abovetheir precious blonde heads.”

The other elders had titteredand snickered.

“The angels,” he’d continued,“are savage soldiers who have gone through unimaginable training since birth.Their lives are brutal. They were never human. They did not die, leave thisrealm, and become angels based on their earthly good deeds. They fight evil,true, but so do the demons. It just so happens that the demons’ version of evilis not the same as the angels’ version of evil—or yours.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because…” He hesitated, whichmade me nervous. “Because you have crossed paths with an angel. Two of them. Anarmy won’t come because of it, but your encounters will be no less dangerous. Iwould suggest you give him what he wants, but you will decide for yourself.”

“I’m not giving him my blade,”I said. Once again I looked at the demon. “I’m not giving it to anyone.”

And finally, the demon spoke.“That does not mean that someone won’t take it,” he whispered. The darkness inhis voice slid down my spine like ice, and as Ael had predicted, I cringed. Idid not, however, cry.

The demon from whom I’d stolenthe blade was an infant compared with the demon elder. Butalltheelders scared the crap out of me.

And then there was the job.

“Axton’s legacy lives on,” theancient vampire elder had told me. “He created daywalkers, Ms. Silver, with thehelp of his seer and his servant. You will track them, find them, and destroythem. There are only five of them remaining. The other thirteen were caught inthe sun for longer than they could stand, and they expired. But the remainingfive are stronger. Smarter.” He stared at me, his gaze pinning me to the spot.“They are mutants, and they will continue to mutate unless they areneutralized.”

He’d told me, as I’d stoodthere dizzy and horrified, that the longer the daywalkers survived, thestronger they would grow. And worse, it was not beyond the realm of possibilityfor them—or some of them—to contain the magic necessary to make new daywalkers.They were currently attacking other vampires, attempting that very thing.

“Why are you just now callingme in?” I’d asked, one hand clutching my demon blade and the other pressingagainst my chest.

“You’ve been alittle…preoccupied,” he’d said. “But it is time. The master of the county hasjust been forced to deliver to us one of his people to destroy—one who wasturned from vampire to daywalker. You will talk with him.” He’d leaned forward,his face grim. “It has begun to spiral, and there is no more time. You must assemblea team and go after the remaining five daywalkers before it is too late tocontain them.”

“How can I possibly find fivevampires? Especially if they’ve left the city.”

“They cannot leave the city,”he’d said. “Or they would have already. We believe their power source is here.But we do not know what it is—or where. You will find it. You will destroy it,and you will stake the vampires it sustains. Utilize the abilities of yourseer.”

“My seer? I don’t have a seer.”

“Your friend, Lucille.” He’dwaved his hand impatiently. “You have many of your people already in place.They each have their strengths—make use of them.”

“Lucy,” I murmured.

When I finally left the meetingand Aaron was taking me home, I called Jared. “I’m ready to go after Adam. Ineed to finish him so I can…”

So I can stop being afraid.

“So I can concentrate on thejob the council gave me,” I said, ignoring the voice in my head. I was notafraid of Adam Thorne. Okay, maybe a little. He had shown me the monster insidehim, and I hadn’t really believed it existed. I hadn’t really believed he wouldkill me.

“When?” Jared’s familiar voice,dark and smooth, caused me to shiver in a whole different way than the elderswith their dark power.

“Just before dawn,” I told him.The pack would be exhausted and deep in their sleep at dawn. And though theguards would be patrolling, they would be just a little less alert, especiallyright before the shift change.

Jared absolutely had to bethere, because my ending Adam Thorne wasn’t just about revenge or vengeance ortaking out an evil man. His entire pack would be involved in the exchange thatwould happen once their alpha was dead. I hadn’t told Jared that I didn’t planon ruling the pack, so he was simply going to aid me.