1 Broken Hearted Ghoul Read online

  “Not what I had in mind.” She opened the door, and was out of the van before me.

  Lucas got in front of me with the sword.

  “Do you know how to use that thing?” I asked.

  “I believe so, yes.” He swished it around in front of him a few times. “I shall manage.”

  I wasn’t convinced. I picked up the stun gun, and tucked the tranquilizer gun into my belt. “At least stay back. I don’t want to scare this poor woman in case we’re all worked up over nothing. She’s had it hard enough.”

  “I can do that. But you might be pleased at how much help I can be.”

  “Surprise me later. For now, stay behind me, and be quiet.” I glanced at Debbie. “Both of you.”

  We went into the apartment building, and I buzzed Elaine’s number. She told me to come up. I nodded at Lucas and Debbie. They followed me up the stairs to the second floor.

  I had a strange twitching feeling inside me. Normally I didn’t have that feeling. Was it something in Elaine’s voice, as Lucas had said, or was it that she hadn’t met me downstairs?

  I might not have thought twice about it. It was everything going on around me. My hand tightened on the Beretta as we approached the apartment.

  I kept telling myself that everything was fine. There was no reason to think that she’d try to run at this point. Still the tension mounted as I knocked at her door.

  “Just a minute,” Elaine’s voice called out. “Is that you, Skye?”

  “It’s me. Let’s get going.” Even to my own ears, my voice sounded gruff and uneasy. I felt Lucas lightly squeeze my arm, and then he stepped back again. He didn’t say a word. I was grateful for his silence.

  The door opened. I looked inside. It was a small apartment, but nicely furnished. I could tell Elaine took great pride in her housekeeping. Everything was just so. That’s the way the inn had been before Addie had died.

  I stepped inside. “Elaine?”

  The door just missed my arm as it slammed shut behind me. Something heavy knocked the gun out of my hand. It slid across the green carpet as I swore at the pain.

  I looked up. Someone was standing behind the door. I knew it wasn’t Elaine before I saw her body on the floor. It was the ghoul.

  There was still fresh blood from the kill. The smell permeated the room. Elaine’s chest had been opened, but only partially. She was past anything I could do to help her, but not past me ending the ghoul.

  Mary’s body and face had drastically changed since the first time I’d seen her at the bar. I hadn’t been able to make out any fine details earlier when Lee was killed. Now, she was shorter, bulkier. Her face no longer looked human. There were long claws on what was left of her hands.

  “Welcome, Skye. Thank you for waiting for Elaine’s family to arrive.” She smiled, her red mouth stretching into a menacing grin that showed large fangs dripping with saliva.

  “I guess this is what happens when you try to be nice to someone.” I was stalling. We both knew it. I had no idea what to do with her.

  I knew they said the Beretta wouldn’t kill her, but if I used it to stun her, maybe shoot her with tranquilizing darts after. I knew I had to try whatever I could if I had any chance of getting out of there alive.

  “Nice?” she hissed. “You’d like to kill me, wouldn’t you? Yet I’ve done nothing to you. You see that as nice? You serve a demon who thrives on human life. At least I’m honest about what I plan to do to you.”

  “And that is?” It was just chatter as I wondered how I could get the Beretta back. Lucas was in the hall with the sword. Mary was in front of the door.

  She laughed, the large veins in her neck and face protruding even more. “I plan to kill you, and eat you. I’m sure you’ll be quite delicious.”

  “It’s not too late. You could come in with me.” I paused, making it up as I went along. “Abe still loves you.”

  “I’m going to eat him next, don’t worry. He’s been on my menu for some time. I just had to get strong enough to kill him. I’m sure he’ll be extra sweet because he still loves me, you know.”

  She cackled, and advanced a step toward me. I pulled out the stun gun.

  The door flew off its hinges, slapping her into the wall. I blinked, registering what had happened.

  Lucas grinned. “This is not an illusion.” He held the sword out before him, and advanced into the apartment with Debbie cowering behind him.

  It only took Mary a second to throw the door back at Lucas. I stepped out of the way. He took the full brunt of the heavy, metal door directed at him. I saw him go down under it, but there was nothing I could do to help. Mary was coming after me again.

  I didn’t think about it. I grabbed the Beretta from the floor. Three shots rang out, hitting her dead center in the chest. She slumped to the floor with blood spurting from her heart wound.

  Debbie was trying to help Lucas. I reached for the door, hoping to slide it away from him. Before I could do that, he’d pushed it off. The door sailed through the air, and went through the television.

  “Are you okay?” I asked him.

  “I am quite capable of taking care of myself,” he assured me. “What are you going to do about her?”

  “I shot her. I think she’s dead.”

  “She is a ghoul. Consider her now.” He nodded toward her.

  “Use the sword,” Debbie advised in a trembling voice.

  “Damn. How do we keep her down long enough to cut off her head?”

  “If you had asked me that at another place and time, I would probably have a better answer. For now, I suggest you defend yourself vigorously.”

  Mary howled in rage as she threw herself at me. I stepped aside, but one of her claws raked through my jeans, tearing the fabric—and my thigh.

  I looked around the room. I could think of dozens of ways to kill a human who was attacking me. A ghoul was much tougher. I wasn’t sure what to try next and then my gaze fell on a large butcher knife near the kitchen sink.

  Grabbing it, I turned and plunged it into her chest almost exactly where the first bullet had pierced her. “Do knives kill ghouls?” I asked Lucas.

  “Not there. We have to cut off her head.”

  “This may not kill you, but it will hurt like hell. That should be a distraction.” I followed through, pushing at the butcher knife until she was pinned to the wall with it. “

  Lucas came closer with the sword held high. I was too busy holding Mary to the wall to notice her leg coming up at an angle no human could hold. She kicked hard at Lucas. He was thrown across the room, the sword clattering on the floor.

  Debbie picked up the sword. “Skye—it’s bent. I don’t think you can use it this way. What should we do?”

  I couldn’t look away from Mary. I had to trust Debbie’s judgment on it.

  I knew I couldn’t hold her for much longer. She was strong. I was only managing until she got her second wind. At that point, she’d probably kick me across the room and tear me to pieces.

  “I’m going to enjoy eating you, Skye. I’m sure your heart will be quite tasty.” Her breath was fetid with the blood snacks she’d taken from Elaine.

  “Let me help!” Debbie yelled as she ran over to me. “Maybe between us, we can hold her.”

  One of Mary’s arms got free, and she batted Debbie across the room like she was nothing.

  “Come on! Is that all you’ve got?” Mary demanded.

  “Perhaps this may help.” Lucas leaned close to me, and opened a saltshaker on her.

  Mary curled up, burning. She screamed as she dropped to the floor, my knife still embedded in her chest.

  “What was that? Did you use magic?” I stared at him as I tried to get ready for her next attack.

  “There are many types of poisons that can hurt a ghoul,” he said. “This one is salt.”

  Mary was recovering. “It wasn’t enough salt,” I warned. “Is there more?”

  She laughed. “Too bad for you your friend doesn’t have any real powe
r. Not that I care. I’ll enjoy eating him after I finish with you.”

  Lucas came back toward us after a brief foray into the kitchen cabinets. “This should do it.”

  As if Mary was afraid he was right, she summoned up enough strength to push me away from her. I fell back into one of the dining room chairs, smashing it beneath me. She ran toward me with bloodlust in her eyes.

  I grabbed one of the broken chair pieces, and waited for her to reach me. Maybe I’d try another spot besides the heart since that didn’t seem to be working.

  Her mouth was open, ready to rip me apart. Already the slash on my thigh was burning and painful. I didn’t want to die as an appetizer.

  But before she could make it across the room, her body suddenly convulsed in pain. She twisted in mid-jump to try to claw at the thing attacking her. Lucas threw more salt on her from a white bottle. Smoke was rising from her back and head as it burned her.

  With a pitiful moan, she ran out the doorway. Her claws scraped the wall as she went.

  “What is that stuff?” Debbie came around, clutching the bent sword as though her life depended on it.

  “Salt.” He put down the bottle and helped me off the floor. “It was simple, really. Salt reacts with their body chemistry.”

  “Really?” I limped to another chair where I could try to make the wound in my leg stop bleeding. Blood had seeped into my jeans, and was dripping into my boot. “I wish you’d thought about it a little sooner.”

  “At least I was here to think about it at all.” He looked at the wound in my leg. “That is going to be a problem.”

  “It already is.” There was a pair of scissors in a sewing basket on a nearby table. I used them to cut the denim fabric away from the wound. It was festering, and smelled terrible.

  Lucas took a peek at it. “You’ll have to wash it out.”

  Debbie glanced at it, and had to turn away.

  “I know that. Help me into the bathroom. This thing hurts worse than most cuts.”

  “That is because there was poison on her claws. The wound will not wash out with plain soap and water. I shall see if I can find more salt.”

  “Salt? That’s crazy. It’ll be fine.” But the bubbling, spreading wound disagreed. “No one uses salt on a cut. It hurts like hell.”

  “They do if they were cut by a ghoul. Stay here.” He went back in the kitchen, and rummaged around a little more. “Ah yes. Plenty of salt. It should be enough to stop the poison. It only takes a short while for it to spread into your bloodstream. Without magic, that is the best we can do. If we wait too long, you could lose your leg.”

  He was holding up a saltshaker made into the shape of a cute windmill.

  “We should take her to the hospital,” Debbie said.

  “There’s no time,” I told her. “She’s going after Abe next.”

  “Move your hand, lady.” Lucas loomed over me with the saltshaker.

  “Are you serious? What about antibiotic cream or something?” I couldn’t believe he wanted to put salt in the wound.

  “That will not work in this case. I thought you were a warrior woman. Gird your loins, my lady.”

  “What gave you that idea?” I gasped as he surprised me by rubbing the salt into the cut. “Hey! I didn’t say you could do that.”

  “I did not ask your permission.”

  I thought the wound had hurt like hell before. The salt made me grit my teeth, and swear at him. I could feel it tearing through the nerves, and working its way into the rest of my leg.

  Lucas sat beside me, and took my hands. “Let me see if I can help with the pain.”

  Not sure what to expect—maybe nothing—I forced myself to try to relax. The pain was terrible. It was all I could do to sit there without screaming. I felt hot and cold at once, wanting to flail my arms and legs.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispered. “Think calm thoughts. Remember when you allowed me to see your thoughts. Let me in there again. I cannot help you if you do not allow it.”

  I nodded, and closed my eyes. I felt distinct warmth spreading through me. It mushroomed until it enveloped me, and slowly began to lessen the piercing agony in my thigh.

  My heart was racing, probably from the poison. It was hard to breathe. I knew I was painfully gripping Lucas’s hands, but I couldn’t stop.

  “Shh. Slow down. Breathe. Clear your mind. Let go of the pain. Let the poison work itself from your body.”

  I took some deep breaths, and tried to still my racing heart. The idea of being poisoned by the ghoul was as bad as her attack. I focused on Lucas’s hands and his voice. I felt the pain ease away.

  When the pain was bearable, I opened my eyes and smiled at him. “Thanks. That’s better.”

  “My pleasure. I wish I could have done more. Having limited abilities is difficult.” He glanced around the demolished room. “We should leave this place.”

  “I tried to call Abe,” Debbie said. “There’s no answer.”

  “He always answers his phone.”

  “Maybe he lost it again.”

  I got to my feet. “We’ll have to go to the tattoo shop.” I hobbled toward the opening where the door had been. “For having limited magical abilities, you did pretty good.”

  He smiled. “I imagine I was quite a lot better before.”

  “Maybe another time.”

  Lucas helped me down the stairs, and out to the van. He and Debbie went back inside with a black bag, and brought Elaine down from the apartment. They put her into the back of the van and then got inside.

  Debbie gave Lucas the sword with a hopeful expression on her face. “Maybe you can straighten it out on the way.”

  “I doubt that, however, I brought more salt with me.” He showed us another handful of salt. “It was all I could find. The salt will not stop her, but it will slow her down.”

  “That’s the best we can hope for right now.”

  Debbie got behind the wheel of the van again. I probably could have driven, but it was easier to let her do it. She even picked up speed on the city streets as we went toward the mortuary and Deadly Ink.

  There wasn’t much salt left. The sword was hopeless. I still had my Beretta, but that hadn’t proven to be much help. Except for the salt, everything else we’d thrown at her just seemed to piss her off.

  Lucky for Abe that he had bodyguards—not to mention Dex and Rocky—to stand between him and Mary. Between them, they might be able to subdue, if not kill her. I knew there were other swords at the tattoo shop. If I had the opportunity again, I’d pick one up for the future.

  I hoped there was a future for all of us.

  It was starting to get dark as we approached the mortuary. I had Debbie slow down and park in the lot beside the building. The property was condemned on that side, and no one ever went there. There was a chance we could sneak up on the ghoul before she realized what was happening.

  “You know this is probably a trap as well,” Lucas said. “She did not randomly tell you her plans. She is very strong, and believes she can kill Abe. His magic might not protect him.”

  “I’m not sure he’d lift a hand to stop her anyway.” I winced as I got out of the van. My leg hurt, but so did every other part of me. “I wasn’t kidding when I said he still loves her. I don’t know if he can hurt her.”

  Lucas nodded. “I’ll see what I can do to help. Perhaps more salt.”

  “You did good back there.” I smiled at him. “You saved my life anyway. Thanks.”

  “Yeah. Me too.” Debbie took the bent sword out of the van.

  “You can’t hurt Mary with that,” I told her.

  “It’s the only thing I’ve got. I’m taking it with me.”

  Brandon wasn’t at the mortuary. I could imagine a frantic call from someone at the tattoo shop taking him in that direction. I hoped he had a sword.

  We crept close to Deadly Ink. I couldn’t see anyone sitting around inside the shop, like usual. As we watched, the lights went out.

  “Great,�
� Debbie said. “Now we have to fight a ghoul in the dark.”

  Chapter Thirty

  I couldn’t argue with that prophecy. “Can ghouls see any better in the dark than humans?” I asked Lucas.

  “I wish I could remember. It could be so. We should know shortly. Some creatures have better night vision. Some do not.”

  Debbie frowned. “That’s not much help.”

  “We’ll have to do the best we can.” I nodded at the interior of the shop. “Unless it was an accident that she turned off the lights, let’s assume that she can see better in the dark.”

  “I hear no screaming,” Lucas added. “That would seem to be a good omen.”

  “If we can sneak up on her,” Debbie proposed, “We can find one of the other swords, throw the salt on her, and someone can cut off her head.”

  I patted her arm. She was shaking. “Good plan. All we have to do is make it work.”

  The door to the shop was standing open. We stood on either side of it, peering in.

  The front area where people got tattoos was empty. It looked as though everyone had run out. From the streetlight outside, I could see large, dark blotches on the floor and walls that looked like blood. It was possible the screaming was already over.

  “What should we do first?” Debbie whispered.

  “We have to go down the hall to Abe’s office,” I said. “You stay up here, and look for another sword. We’re gonna need it if we can subdue her.”

  “Are you sure?” She bit her bruised lip.

  “Yes. The sword is important. Find one, and then come find us.” I hugged her.

  “Okay. Be safe, Skye.”

  I went first, my Beretta ready. We couldn’t afford for Lucas to be knocked unconscious—in case he could use his magic.

  I wasn’t holding out for that. If it happened, it happened. If not, we had to find another way. My bullets, and the salt he had, wouldn’t keep her down for long.

  Away from the lights on the street in front, the hall was long and dark. Abe’s office was the last door on the left. There were three other doors that led to storerooms. We’d have to make it past them without any surprises from Mary.

  I could feel Lucas right behind me, practically breathing down my neck. At least he was close in case something happened. If the ghoul had any sense at all, she would’ve realized he had some magic by now. He’d be her first target.