out a handgun. Taps the barrel against his forehead and tucks the weapon into the deep pocket of his jacket. He backs away, and the others follow. No talking, no dissent. Just like the zom bies at Pike Place. Working together. Cooperating. Sharing territory.
Except this time all the zombies but Rex look uneasy, afraid and not just of me.
"Our queen wants you dead, because she fears your power," Rex says, as the men reach the metal double doors. He stands there, framed by the other zombies, his red hat askew over his grizzled head. His eyes are dark, burning. Grant steps close, his hand brush ing against mine, our fingers tangling as the zombie watches on, eyes narrowing. He shifts his gaze to me. "But if the two of you are to gether ... maybe she's right."
Just not right enough for Rex to do anything about it. He gets out, fast, followed by the others, who hesitate a fraction longer
before following. Maybe some second thoughts, after all. That queen of theirs, Blood Mama, must be a big bad bitch to make me the sole executioner of their kind-look appealing.
Grant lets out a long slow breath, staring at the door. I glance at him sideways. "What happened to Mr. Love and Kindness?"
"I have my limits."
"They wouldn't have been able to hurt me. You could have used them."
He glances down at my stomach. "I wasn't thinking in the short term, Maxine."
I look away, rubbing my neck. "And what if you get hurt?" "I thought you didn't trust them."
"They needed you. That makes its own kind of trust."
"They still need me, Maxine. And if they need me bad enough, they'll come back."
"Which, of course, leads to the problem of what happens after they're done getting what they want."
"One thing at time." Grant sighs, then says, softly, "I knew those men, Maxine. I was making progress. And I still ... I still believe that they can be helped. I want to help them."
"You have helped them," I admit grudgingly. "You've made progress. Enough progress that they decided to save your life. That's something, Grant. I never thought I'd see the day."
Grant squeezes my hand, looking down at the two men sprawled at our feet. "Will they remember anything of what just happened?"
"Not likely. You've heard of selective amnesia and lost time, right?" I raise my eyebrow. "Bingo."
"Seems convenient."
"I suppose, but what they did-what all those men in here just did-is highly unusual. These kinds of demons usually hang back, live like shadows, just ... whispering. Manifesting urges. What you've seen over the past day or so is much more intense. Takes energy, rower. to completely take over a host.
"Where would they get that power?"
"Good question." I chew the inside of my cheek, not fond of the possible answer. "Did Rex or any of those men know you were going to Pike Place last night? Or a month ago, before that other attack?"
Grant nods, his gaze sharpening. "Like I said, those men were my regulars. Rex came first. Ex-con, drug addict. Trouble, right off the bat. Eased up after a while, though. He was ... responding well. Got a job down at the docks. The other guys came later. Rex said they were ... friends."
"Sounds like he recruited them."
"Yeah." Grant clears his throat. "My movements wouldn't have been much of a secret."
"Which means, if Rex is to be believed, their queen would have known you were coming. She could have commanded some of her demons to be there waiting."
"But why Pike Place? Why at the market, when there would have been a dozen other places and times that she could have had some one kill me? Doesn't make sense, Maxine. It doesn't even make sense that anyone would wait until now to come here."
He is right. It makes no sense at all. The boys shiver against my skin. Grant wraps his arm over my shoulder and draws me close. "This isn't going to stop, is it? Not until I'm dead."
"Not until we're both dead," I whisper, and press my lips against
his shoulder.
Seven
There is no time. The men need medical attention. That, and the
Except this time all the zombies but Rex look uneasy, afraid and not just of me.
"Our queen wants you dead, because she fears your power," Rex says, as the men reach the metal double doors. He stands there, framed by the other zombies, his red hat askew over his grizzled head. His eyes are dark, burning. Grant steps close, his hand brush ing against mine, our fingers tangling as the zombie watches on, eyes narrowing. He shifts his gaze to me. "But if the two of you are to gether ... maybe she's right."
Just not right enough for Rex to do anything about it. He gets out, fast, followed by the others, who hesitate a fraction longer
before following. Maybe some second thoughts, after all. That queen of theirs, Blood Mama, must be a big bad bitch to make me the sole executioner of their kind-look appealing.
Grant lets out a long slow breath, staring at the door. I glance at him sideways. "What happened to Mr. Love and Kindness?"
"I have my limits."
"They wouldn't have been able to hurt me. You could have used them."
He glances down at my stomach. "I wasn't thinking in the short term, Maxine."
I look away, rubbing my neck. "And what if you get hurt?" "I thought you didn't trust them."
"They needed you. That makes its own kind of trust."
"They still need me, Maxine. And if they need me bad enough, they'll come back."
"Which, of course, leads to the problem of what happens after they're done getting what they want."
"One thing at time." Grant sighs, then says, softly, "I knew those men, Maxine. I was making progress. And I still ... I still believe that they can be helped. I want to help them."
"You have helped them," I admit grudgingly. "You've made progress. Enough progress that they decided to save your life. That's something, Grant. I never thought I'd see the day."
Grant squeezes my hand, looking down at the two men sprawled at our feet. "Will they remember anything of what just happened?"
"Not likely. You've heard of selective amnesia and lost time, right?" I raise my eyebrow. "Bingo."
"Seems convenient."
"I suppose, but what they did-what all those men in here just did-is highly unusual. These kinds of demons usually hang back, live like shadows, just ... whispering. Manifesting urges. What you've seen over the past day or so is much more intense. Takes energy, rower. to completely take over a host.
"Where would they get that power?"
"Good question." I chew the inside of my cheek, not fond of the possible answer. "Did Rex or any of those men know you were going to Pike Place last night? Or a month ago, before that other attack?"
Grant nods, his gaze sharpening. "Like I said, those men were my regulars. Rex came first. Ex-con, drug addict. Trouble, right off the bat. Eased up after a while, though. He was ... responding well. Got a job down at the docks. The other guys came later. Rex said they were ... friends."
"Sounds like he recruited them."
"Yeah." Grant clears his throat. "My movements wouldn't have been much of a secret."
"Which means, if Rex is to be believed, their queen would have known you were coming. She could have commanded some of her demons to be there waiting."
"But why Pike Place? Why at the market, when there would have been a dozen other places and times that she could have had some one kill me? Doesn't make sense, Maxine. It doesn't even make sense that anyone would wait until now to come here."
He is right. It makes no sense at all. The boys shiver against my skin. Grant wraps his arm over my shoulder and draws me close. "This isn't going to stop, is it? Not until I'm dead."
"Not until we're both dead," I whisper, and press my lips against
his shoulder.
Seven
There is no time. The men need medical attention. That, and the
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