so hoped, oh god why had she hoped,
she couldn’t have done anything worse than hoped. All that time
wasted, dreaming about him, wanting him, all those books and
research on the web about the Ankou… all that-
“ Oh God.”
Avery looked up sharply and Anonna stilled at the look in her
eye.
“ What?”
Anonna asked hoarsely.
Avery shook her head as
the answer came to her. She prayed the thick tome from the library
had it right. “I’m so sorry.”
“ What-”
“ THANATOS, I
SEEK AID AGAINST A FALLEN ONE!” She screamed, her face rushing with
blood.
“ NO!” Anonna
shrieked.
A scuttling sound, like a
million cockroaches appearing from the dark, enveloped the room.
Avery tried to shrink back against the wall as Anonna swung around,
her eyes stark with terror. She brandished the knife. “No,” she
whispered as the scuttling grew louder.
And then Avery saw it and
her stomach clenched in absolute horror. Dark, misshapen shadows
crawled along the walls and floor, all heading for Anonna. They
swam towards her, in bobs and fits, the scuttling so loud it was a
like a shriek. Anonna turned back to her, staring at her as if she
couldn’t believe what she was seeing. And then she closed her eyes
as the shadows swam up her legs, torso, chest, mouth… covering her
in its shrill black ink until she was drowned in the entities
grasp. With one last wail the shadows fell to the floor,
disappearing and melting into nothing.
Avery stared at the empty
spot before her, her heart slowing.
It worked.
Thank God.
During her research she
had come across this passage about Ankou that broke the rules and
stalked humans. It sort of majorly pissed of Thanatos who was kind
of their leader, and if you called to him, he’d come and take care
of the problem. Avery was so glad the scholar who’d written about
it, knew what the hell they were talking about.
She blinked and tried to
stand to her feet, but as she did the room spun and she fell
forward, collapsing onto familiar wooden floors. She groaned and
flipped over, staring up at the ceiling of her sitting room.
Craning her neck around, she saw Caroline asleep on the
sofa.
She closed her eyes in
relief and sagged against the cold floor. “Where are you,
Brennus?”
“ I’m right
here.”
She snapped her eyes
open. He towered above her. He was the most beautiful sight. His
scent enveloped her. She felt stupid tears prickle in her eyes and
her lip trembled. “You came.”
Brennus glanced over at
her sleeping aunt as though checking he hadn’t disturbed her, and
then he knelt down beside Avery, hesitantly reaching out to help
her sit up. “Are you OK?” He asked softly and she nodded,
disappointed as he let go of her quickly.
“ I’m
fine.”
“ I heard.”
His face was dark. Dangerous. She knew that look. He was seething.
“Anonna has been punished. She’s no longer an Ankou. She’s been
sent into her afterlife.” He shook his head, regret in his dark
eyes. “I am so sorry, Avery.”
“ No.” She
hurried to assure him. “Don’t. It wasn’t your fault.”
He waved away her
reassurances and stood back up. “I just came to see if you were
alright. I don’t know where you learned to do what you did, but I’m
glad. I’m glad you weren’t hurt because of me. Goodbye
Ave-”
“ No!” She
yelled and then bit her lip, glancing back to make sure she hadn’t
woken Aunt Caroline.
Brennus stilled, startled
by her exclamation. He frowned down at her. “What?”
Feeling a little
unsettled sitting at his feet, Avery struggled to her feet and
gazed up into his face imploringly. “Brennus… I- I miss
you.”
His jaw clenched. “I miss
you, too.”
“ No.” She
reached for him, clutching a hold of his arm, her fingers digging
into his skin in desperation. “I mean, I miss you. Tonight I went to the club
looking for you.”
His eyes widened and he
clasped her hand tight. “Avery?”
She smiled softly,
reassuringly, and then lifted a hand to silence him.
she couldn’t have done anything worse than hoped. All that time
wasted, dreaming about him, wanting him, all those books and
research on the web about the Ankou… all that-
“ Oh God.”
Avery looked up sharply and Anonna stilled at the look in her
eye.
“ What?”
Anonna asked hoarsely.
Avery shook her head as
the answer came to her. She prayed the thick tome from the library
had it right. “I’m so sorry.”
“ What-”
“ THANATOS, I
SEEK AID AGAINST A FALLEN ONE!” She screamed, her face rushing with
blood.
“ NO!” Anonna
shrieked.
A scuttling sound, like a
million cockroaches appearing from the dark, enveloped the room.
Avery tried to shrink back against the wall as Anonna swung around,
her eyes stark with terror. She brandished the knife. “No,” she
whispered as the scuttling grew louder.
And then Avery saw it and
her stomach clenched in absolute horror. Dark, misshapen shadows
crawled along the walls and floor, all heading for Anonna. They
swam towards her, in bobs and fits, the scuttling so loud it was a
like a shriek. Anonna turned back to her, staring at her as if she
couldn’t believe what she was seeing. And then she closed her eyes
as the shadows swam up her legs, torso, chest, mouth… covering her
in its shrill black ink until she was drowned in the entities
grasp. With one last wail the shadows fell to the floor,
disappearing and melting into nothing.
Avery stared at the empty
spot before her, her heart slowing.
It worked.
Thank God.
During her research she
had come across this passage about Ankou that broke the rules and
stalked humans. It sort of majorly pissed of Thanatos who was kind
of their leader, and if you called to him, he’d come and take care
of the problem. Avery was so glad the scholar who’d written about
it, knew what the hell they were talking about.
She blinked and tried to
stand to her feet, but as she did the room spun and she fell
forward, collapsing onto familiar wooden floors. She groaned and
flipped over, staring up at the ceiling of her sitting room.
Craning her neck around, she saw Caroline asleep on the
sofa.
She closed her eyes in
relief and sagged against the cold floor. “Where are you,
Brennus?”
“ I’m right
here.”
She snapped her eyes
open. He towered above her. He was the most beautiful sight. His
scent enveloped her. She felt stupid tears prickle in her eyes and
her lip trembled. “You came.”
Brennus glanced over at
her sleeping aunt as though checking he hadn’t disturbed her, and
then he knelt down beside Avery, hesitantly reaching out to help
her sit up. “Are you OK?” He asked softly and she nodded,
disappointed as he let go of her quickly.
“ I’m
fine.”
“ I heard.”
His face was dark. Dangerous. She knew that look. He was seething.
“Anonna has been punished. She’s no longer an Ankou. She’s been
sent into her afterlife.” He shook his head, regret in his dark
eyes. “I am so sorry, Avery.”
“ No.” She
hurried to assure him. “Don’t. It wasn’t your fault.”
He waved away her
reassurances and stood back up. “I just came to see if you were
alright. I don’t know where you learned to do what you did, but I’m
glad. I’m glad you weren’t hurt because of me. Goodbye
Ave-”
“ No!” She
yelled and then bit her lip, glancing back to make sure she hadn’t
woken Aunt Caroline.
Brennus stilled, startled
by her exclamation. He frowned down at her. “What?”
Feeling a little
unsettled sitting at his feet, Avery struggled to her feet and
gazed up into his face imploringly. “Brennus… I- I miss
you.”
His jaw clenched. “I miss
you, too.”
“ No.” She
reached for him, clutching a hold of his arm, her fingers digging
into his skin in desperation. “I mean, I miss you. Tonight I went to the club
looking for you.”
His eyes widened and he
clasped her hand tight. “Avery?”
She smiled softly,
reassuringly, and then lifted a hand to silence him.
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