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downwiththeficness · 4 months ago

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The Usurper-Chapter Six

Summary: Lilah McNamara stole things for a living. It was tedious work and often dangerous, which made it just exciting enough to keep her interested. After botching a routine job, Lilah finds herself standing amid monsters. Wholly unprepared for the horror of living under Amaru’s reign, Lilah decides to use her well honed skills to thwart the queen’s plans and prevent the end of the world.

Word Count: ~3,000

Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.

Start at the Beginning Previous Chapter Next Chapter

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Lilah sat in the booth of the diner, aware that she looked like a sullen teenager and not giving a single fuck about it. She was bleary from a night spent trying to figure out how to escape and failing so totally in her first attempt that she hadn’t made a second. Climbing out the window of the bathroom was a lot more difficult than she anticipated. Especially in a dress and sandals. By the time her feet touched the ground, her ever present guard was already waiting patiently behind her.

Javier, as he insisted he be called, smiled genially when Lilah turned around. He leaned on a lacquered wood cane and waited for her to catch her breath before warning her that he had excellent hearing despite his age. He was also pretty spry, though he understood if she wanted to throw a few punches to test her might against his.

Lilah rested against the wall of the hotel and regarded him with angry eyes before turning and walking silently around to the front of the building. He followed her to the room and resumed his position in front of her door as if nothing at all happened. That’s where he stood, nearly unmoving, for the rest of the night.

“Coffee?”

She looked up at the waitress, “Yes, please.”

The waitress directed the same question to Javier, who shook his head. He sat across from her reading an actual fucking newspaper like it was Sunday morning. She scanned it covertly for an article about Raul’s murder and found nothing. The killing of a maintenance man in a town so small it barely had its own zip code probably wouldn’t make national news, but she’d been surprised before.

Javier turned the page. Lilah refused to speak to him and barely deigned to look in his direction. The only reason she agreed to sit down at the table was that he was paying the tab. Lilah wasn’t about to turn down a free meal, especially when her stomach was rumbling in her belly. Add to it that Javier hadn’t been forthcoming about the plan for the day and she figured she would need all the fuel she could get.

Her attention turned to a large group of people seated not too far away. They were young, possibly in their mid-twenties. Their clothes made her think they were either coming out of or headed to Sunday Mass. Nine men and women dressed in their Sunday best talking animatedly among themselves while she was sitting across from a grandfatherly man who was almost certainly not what he appeared. She stared at them with envy. Even when she was in high school, Lilah never had such a large group of friends. Over the years, she’d lost touch with the friends she did have and the life of an international thief didn’t exactly lend itself to making new ones.

The coffee arrived and the waitress wrote down Lilah’s order. Javier demurred, saying that he never ate so early in the morning. Lilah caught the self-satisfied smirk on his lips as he said it. The waitress took it in stride with a cheery ‘suit yourself’ and walked away. Lilah watched her, wondering what she might think of an extremely well dressed older gentleman sitting across from a disheveled and petulant woman with circles under her eyes. Did they make as strange a pair as Lilah imagined?

“I don’t believe you understand what kind of danger you’re in.”

Lilah glared at Javier from over the rim of her coffee mug, “I think I have some idea.”

He hummed and flipped the paper to read below the fold, “You humans are so confident. Its one of the things I love about you.” When Lilah continued to glare, he added, “I also love your tenacity. Centuries of being preyed upon by culebras and you still fight back.”

“What’s a culebra?” Even as she asked the question, Lilah felt a kind of reluctant resignation wash over her. She wasn’t in any kind of mood for more bullshit, but was willing to acknowledge that there were things she needed to know for her own survival. If she had to sit through a terribly awkward breakfast to get enough leverage to make a getaway, Lilah was prepared to sit there all morning.

Javier’s eyes never left the paper. “Very much like the vampire you accused Brasa of being. Impulsive creatures that we created to serve us in Xibalba.”

She blinked, “Okay.”

At this, Javier looked up, “You’re very calm.”

“I’m exhausted.”

A nod, “I assumed as much. I’ve already informed Brasa that you refused rest.”

“Refused is a strong word.”

“Call it whatever you want. You need rest.”

“I need to get out of the country,” Lilah retorted. “I have people who will be looking for me.” Not exactly true, but close enough. Mr. Pickerelle would assume she cut and ran on the job and he’d dispatch another contractor to show the rest of his employees why that was such a bad idea. She would have to eat some major crow in order to keep her head right where it was when he found her.

Javier closed the newspaper and set it deliberately aside, “You should hope they don’t find you. I can’t imagine what Brasa will do to anyone who tries to take you from him.”

The waitress arrived with her food and, sensing the tension between them, had the good grace to walk away. Lilah let her get out of earshot before she sneered, “Right. Because I’m his bondmate, or whatever.”

“Yes, It is too serious a thing for you to turn your nose up at.”

“Oh, bullshit. I’ve heard more creative stories come out of the CW.”

His brows drew together, “What is… nevermind, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are the bondmate to Queen Amaru’s second in command. What you do reflects directly back on him.” He pointed a finger at him, “If the queen sees you as a weakness, she will kill you both. I’ve worked too long in his service to see Brasa fall because of whims of a child.”

Lilah drew back, “I haven’t been a child in a long time.”

“Then, act like an adult. Yes, this situation is strange and new. Yes, you are probably very scared. But, we cannot change it. Listen, and learn, and hope that Her Majesty never looks your way.”

In Javier’s little speech, Lilah found her opening, “You care for him—Brasa, I mean.”

“I do.”

“And you think I’m his...weakness.”

“I do.”

She leaned forward, “Then, help me escape. If I’m not around, I can’t be used against him. I can walk away. I’m very good at disappearing.”

“Yes,” Javier drawled, “I’ve seen the evidence of that.”

“That’s not what I mean,” she countered with fervor, “I have skills...useful skills. I can erase every bit of evidence I ever existed. You and Brasa can forget all about me. I’ll never come back to Mexico. Hell, I’ll never come back to this hemisphere.”

Javier’s expression softened, “If only it was that simple. He would go the ends of the earth for you. Search every plane of existence until he found you again.”

Lilah sat back, deflated, “I don’t understand.”

“I know. But, you will soon.”

“The fuck am I supposed to do with this, Javier?”

He very nearly gave a shrug, “As I said. Listen and learn.”

Lilah picked up her fork, “Alright, Mr. Miyagi. I’ll eat, you talk.”

In the twenty minutes or so that it took for Lilah to eat through a truly enormous breakfast, Javier filled her in on the basics of what she would need to know to survive the near future. She would be surrounded by culebras—vampiric snakes—that were ruled by Queen Amaru and kept in line by Brasa, with Javier’s assistance. Culebras were made in Xibalba and found their way to Lilah’s dimension to escape enslavement centuries ago. Since then, they made their home in the places where they could best survive. Hot, dry land with deep, unending caverns. For much of that time, the Lords kept their numbers deliberately low so as to not draw attention. When Amaru, Brasa, and Javier were dispatched to bring the errant culebras to heel, the Lords imprisoned them underground for their trouble.

Amaru escaped first. Then, Brasa. Then, Javier. The queen was filled with furious anger and hadn’t just taken up her original mission. She was searching for something that would solidify their power permanently. If she found what she was looking for, it would spell disaster for humanity. Lilah assumed that Javier wouldn’t use the word, ‘apocalypse’ lightly.

“You’re not going to stop her since you love us humans so much?”

Javier’s brows lifted, “She is stronger than I am.”

Lilah was unconvinced, “What about you and Brasa together? Could the two of you stop her?”

He looked away, “Brasa can’t act against her.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Can’t.”

“Why?”

“Its not my story to tell.”

Gazing at him with eyes narrowed in suspicion, Lilah drank down the last of her coffee and signaled the waitress for another. This was...a lot of information. Not only were there literal species of monsters roaming Mexico, but there was also at least one other dimension where even worse monsters lived. Lilah was sitting in the middle of what sounded like some kind of war.

“No.”

Javier tilted his head to the side, “No?”

“No,” Lilah repeated. “I’m not doing this. I don’t care about your stupid little squabbles or your power drunk queen with a vendetta.” She took a breath, “How much money do you have in your wallet?”

“I—.”

“How much?”

Javier’s mouth quirked and he reached into his jacket. From his wallet, he pulled a surprising amount of bills. Lilah raised a brow at him and he said, “Its harder to track cash.”

“Good thinking. Hand it to me.” Lilah left enough on the table for the food with a large tip. “Keys.” Javier handed her a key fob for a Mercedes. “Phone.” From another pocket, he produced a phone and gave it to her. “Thanks. Wish I could say I had fun, but I didn’t.” Then, “Don’t follow me.”

Lilah stood and walked out of the diner as casually as she could. She pressed the fob beneath her chin and dug her finger into the lock button. The Mercedes beeped at her from the far side of the lot. With a significantly less casual step, Lilah bee lined for it and threw herself into the driver’s seat. The engine turned over easily and she felt the first gasp of relief push into her lungs as she backed the car out of the spot.

On the highway, she dug into her purse and pulled out her phone. She powered it on to find a hundred or so messages and voicemails from Mr. Pickerelle. In all the excitement, Lilah hadn’t forgotten about the other danger in her life. She dialed his number and prepared herself to lie like she’d never lied before.

“You better have my staff,” came the answer.

“I don’t,” Lilah replied. “I was ambushed.”

There was a short pause, “By who?”

“I don’t know. There was...collateral damage. I had to find a place to stash the staff before they got to me.”

“Where did you stash it?”

Lilah frowned, “Its safe, for now. But, they grabbed me and I had to figure out how to get away.”

“You know, McNamara, you’re usually so professional. And now, two fuck ups on an easy job.”

Her lip curled, “With respect, there were things about this job you didn’t fill me in on. There was...some kind of gang—maybe a cartel—that was involved with the church. You can imagine how happy they were to find a thief in their midst.”

Another pause, “What would a cartel want with a thousand year old artifact?”

“How should I know?” Lilah bit out. “Fact is, they had their eyes on it, too. And, it almost cost me my life.”

She looked into the rearview mirror, half expecting to find Javier driving directly behind her. He’d let her go a little too easy for her taste and her gut was telling her that her escape wasn’t assured. She couldn’t go back for the staff, couldn’t go back for her car, couldn’t risk being seen anywhere someone might know her face.

From across the line, there was a deep sigh, “Alright. I’ll add on an extra hundred thousand to your fee. But, I want the staff immediately.”

Lilah didn’t even consider the offer. Her priority was to make it as if she never set foot in that church, as if she never set foot on the earth, period. “No dice. I’m canceling your order. I’m not going to answer this phone again, Mr. Pickerelle.”

“You’re making a very, very serious mistake.”

“I’m not. And, if you know what’s good for you, you’ll forget about the staff.”

The phone in her hand beeped. Lilah looked at the screen and found that Mr. Pickerelle had ended the call. She cursed and jabbed her finger into the car’s window button. Then, she tossed her phone and Javier’s phone out onto the asphalt.

She drove while the sun rose high in the sky. Then, she stopped at a gas station and asked the attendant where to find the nearest airport while she wrote the directions on a napkin. After that, it was just a matter of getting there and booking a flight to Canada. She could regroup on her home turf.

Lilah’s strength began to flag as the afternoon wore on. She rolled the window down, hoping that the wind would keep her awake long enough to reach the airport. It was only a few miles away. Just a few miles, and she would be that much closer to getting away.

The car hit something hard. Lilah blinked her eyes open, not sure when they had closed. Her hands turned the wheel, but not in time to keep the car from flipping over on its side and skidding across the asphalt. Glass and metal sprayed her face and arms. Her body slammed against the side of the car and white hot pain speared through her shoulder and leg. Lilah covered her eyes and cried out. The scream lasted until the car came to a stop.

Shaking all over, Lilah unbuckled her seat belt and began the arduous task of crawling out of the car through the front windshield. On the way, she grabbed her purse from where it lay on the dash and threw it ahead. She did her best to keep from pressing her palms and knees into the shards of glass sprinkled over every surface. Despite all her effort, blood began to mix with the dirt and oil below.

Free of the car, Lilah rolled to her back and stared at the perfectly blue sky. The ground was hot against her back and it soothed the piercing ache in her body. Her shoulder felt out of place and her hip was swelling beneath her skirt. “I fucking hate this place,” she groused, thinking that she was never coming to Mexico again.

The good news was that someone was bound to come by soon. Even though she was laying on a side road, it led directly to the airport. It was kind of weird that it was empty at the moment, but Lilah didn’t have enough brain function to think about why. In her delirium, Lilah thought she heard an animal growl from somewhere nearby. She couldn’t see one in her periphery, but it hurt too much to turn her head so that she could get a better look. Wouldn’t it be just the best to get eaten by a wild creature while also running from a wild creature?

A cloud passed over the sun. Lilah’s eyes simply wouldn’t open past halfway, anymore, so she couldn’t be sure. The cloud moved away quickly—too quickly. The cool touch of fear swept over her. It didn’t matter that she was tired and hurt or that she could barely move. Lilah’s will to live pushed right through all the pain to bring her back into focus. She forced herself to look up, to see what was above her.

Brasa.

“You little idiot,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

“Fuck you, too,” she rasped.

Brasa threw down his coat and knelt next to her. He rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and pushed his face into his forearm. Lilah watched him, unable to do much more than breathe—even that hurt. Everything hurt. Blinking hurt.

Suddenly, Brasa’s arm was blocking the entirety of her vision and something was dripping onto her face. His free hand tugged gently at her jaw, holding it open. Blood poured into her mouth freely. It was instinct that had her swallowing it down against her will.

This is so unsanitary, wafted through her thoughts before Lilah’s tongue registered how it tasted. Sweet. Very, sweet. Like something she’d eaten as a child. Did everything about Brasa taste sweet? It poured freely into her mouth from a wound that felt dangerously deep against her lips. Above, Brasa eyed her silently. His expression was half shielded by the dark lenses of his sunglasses. She could see her own reflection—bruised and dirty—looking back at her.

Lilah’s body seized. Power and sensation burst through her very veins. It snapped at her wounds, her bruised organs. More pain sliced through her, exacerbating nerves that were far too battered, already. She groaned and tried to curl in on herself. Brasa’s hand on her belly held her down, “Easy. You’ll hurt yourself more.”

“Fuck. You.”

She squirmed painfully, until his blood reached her shoulder and squeezed it back into place. It hurt so much more than the crash. So much more than anything she’d ever felt before. The pain blinded her, subdued her completely. Lilah passed out with her teeth bared and a curse on her lips.

#from dusk til dawn: the series #from dusk til dawn #brasa #Au #soulmates #maurice compte #The Usurper

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downwiththeficness · 15 days ago

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The Usurper-Chapter Twenty

Word Count: ~4,200

Disclaimer: I do not consent to this work being copied or posted to other sites of blogs.

Start at the Beginning Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Read on AO3 Masterlist

She woke alone that morning, disappointed to find Brasa gone. In the groggy moments after Lilah opened her eyes, she could almost make herself believe that the night before was just a dream. A strange, erotic dream. By the time she stepped into the shower, with hot water spraying down, she couldn’t reason away the bruised bite mark on her thigh. Nor could she ignore the smaller bruise on her neck. They were well on their way to healing, but they were there. Lilah took her time looking at them in the mirror. She was too old to be trying to hide a hickey, but pulled her hair over it, anyways.

Brasa was waiting for her when she left the bathroom. He pushed his hands into his pockets, greeting her with a tentative ‘good morning’. Lilah tried not to be put off by the fact that he was once again wearing his gloves. Those first few minutes were thrillingly shy, a soft exploration of where they stood now. Lilah let the ambiguity hang in the air between them briefly before she granted him mercy. Brasa was clearly so surprised when she walked up to him and lifted onto her toes to kiss his lips that he didn’t actually react. Lilah dropped her weight back down and watched his brain restart before he gave her a wide, dimpled grin.

He grinned like that all the way to the holding room. Javier was nowhere to be seen, but there was a hot plate of food waiting for her with a stack of paperwork next to it. She slid into the booth, not at all surprised that Brasa slid in next to her. Lilah enjoyed the weight of his hand on her thigh while she ate. Eggs, bacon, and toast with a hot pitcher of coffee. As usual, the cook had done an excellent job.

“How do you feel about going out today?” Brasa asked, still looking at his paperwork.

“I feel,” Lilah replied, “like you already know the answer to that question.”

There went that grin again. Soft and sweet and ever so boyish, “I thought you might like to see the improvements I’ve made in our other location. Then, we could visit an outdoor market. I’m told its very popular.”

Lilah finished off her toast and leaned a little into his body. He was solid and warm. “I would like that.”

“Good,” Brasa said, “We’ll go when you’re finished.”

Excited by the prospect of an outing, Lilah gulped down her coffee and forked the last of her eggs into her mouth. Between one bite and the next, Javier strode into the room. Lilah smiled at him, but her smile didn’t last long. Javier’s expression was grave and, for the first time in Lilah’s memory, he looked disheveled. His shirt was wrinkled and open at the collar and his customary jacket was missing. He was holding his cane tightly by his side. There was blood on his knuckles.

Brasa set his papers down, “What happened?”

“A small rebellion,” Javier answered, “Nothing that I couldn’t handle on my own.”

Lilah could tell by the way Brasa’s eyes narrowed that he didn’t believe Javier, “And?”

“And,” Javier continued, “Amaru was involved. She was, I think, the target.”

Hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose, Brasa let out a soft curse, “How many?”

“Twenty or so. I’m not clear on who their leader is, but I have some of our people asking around.”

“You’re right,” Brasa said, “That is a small rebellion. I honestly expected more after yesterday’s debacle.”

Javier leaned on his cane, “So did I. Its possible this was just a test.”

“I agree.” He sighed and leaned back in his seat, “They have to know there will be consequences by now.”

“I’m not entirely sure they care.” A hesitation, then, “There is more.”

Brasa rolled his wrist, “Out with it.”

“She wants to see you.”

Lilah deflated a little bit. Was there anything that Amaru didn’t ruin? Brasa glanced at her and she knew that their plans would have to wait until the queen threw her tantrum. She hoped it would be a quick one.

“I’ll go see what she wants and come get you after,” Brasa offered.

Lilah looked up at Javier, “Did one of them get a hit in?”

Javier looked unsure, “A few.”

“That settles it. I’m going with you.” She wiped her mouth and finished her coffee, “It’ll make me feel better if she’s got a shiner.”

For once, Brasa didn’t argue with her. He just stood from the booth and waited for Lilah to follow. Javier brought them to the smaller cavern where remnants of the fire still sat in the middle of the room. Amaru was sitting daintily on the rock near the far wall. For someone who just fought off twenty people, she looked entirely too calm. Her jacket was torn and there was blood on her shirt, but Amaru was calm. Lilah was gratified to see that she did have bruising beneath one of her eyes. If she ever found out who got that punch in, she was going to steal something so cool for them.

“My queen,” Brasa said in way of greeting. “Javier says that you wanted to see me.”

Amaru, who had been absently braiding her hair, paused, “I did. He told you?”

“He did.”

“Good. Come here.”

Brasa approached, leaving Lilah standing near the entrance. Javier angled in next to her and rested both hands atop his cane. The two of them watched Brasa move closer to Amaru, but only Lilah flinched when he was slapped across the face hard enough to send him to the ground.

“Where were you?!”

Brasa slowly got his feet underneath him and stood, “I was reviewing our budget.”

“I was reviewing our budget,” Amaru mocked with an angry snarl. “We are gods, Brasa. We don’t have budgets.”

“We do if we want to feed our people,” he countered in a level voice.

Lilah had no idea how he could remain so calm after taking that kind of abuse. She didn’t like guns and wasn’t a very good shot, but the thought of putting a bullet in Amaru was becoming increasingly more appealing. Preferably from a distance. With a high enough caliber to leave a massive hole in her abdomen.

“We don’t have people,” Amaru sneered. “They’re expendable. Chattel. Barely worth the effort its going to take to sacrifice them.”

Brasa was undeterred by the venom dripping in her words, “Sacrifices, yes. That’s what they are. But, we need them to be healthy sacrifices if we want the ritual to work.”

Amaru’s hand slashed the air, “We can’t even do the ritual because of your failure.”

“I believe we have tracked the book down. Its only a matter of time before you have it.”

“Time,” Amaru bit out. “Time. Time. Time! Every second I spend in this body, I am getting weaker. The little brat refuses to just die already.”

Brasa held up both hands in an attempt to placate her, “It won’t be long, now.”

“It shouldn’t have been this long at all!”

Lilah shifted on her feet. Something in Amaru’s expression was flashing a giant sign that read ‘danger’. She was all coiled up and read to strike. Lilah swore she could see something alien shifting around underneath her skin. Amaru approached Brasa slowly, tilting her head back to look up at him with rage in her eyes. The hair on Lilah’s neck stood on end and instinct had her taking a step forward. Javier moved with her, head turning to give her a silent reprimand. She breathed deep and held her ground.

“On your knees,” Amaru ordered. Brasa dropped down in a movement that was uncharacteristically graceless. “Show me your fangs.” He did. “Pull them out.”

At first, Lilah didn’t think she heard Amaru correctly. Then, when the Brasa’s hands rose to his mouth and the squelch of teeth being pulled from gums reached her ears, she had to swallow down the urge the retch. Brasa was turned away from her, which made the sound much, much worse. She swayed on her feet, dizzy. Javier steadied her with an arm around her shoulders. The world swam around her, twisting her insides. Her vision threatened to black out, leaving her ears to take the brunt of Brasa’s scream of pain.

When Lilah could hold herself upright, she found Brasa hunched over on his hands and knees, blood pouring from his mouth. Amaru stood above him with a look of victory smeared across her stupid, smug face. Lilah’s hands itched to strangle her. She’d have to take the other woman off guard, but Lilah would figure it out. Anything to put the little bitch in her place. Javier’s arm tightened and he pushed weight into Lilah so that they were clear of the door.

Amaru leaned down and grabbed Brasa by the hair. She pulled him up from the ground and sank her teeth into his neck. Lilah had to close her eyes against the way his lips peeled back to expose deep gouges in his gum line.

“Wait,” Javier whispered next to her. “Just wait.”

Lilah dug her nails into her palms, trying desperately to ignore the sound of swallowing. Wet gurgles cut through with groans of pain. It was a sound that Lilah knew would follow her into her nightmares.

A thud. Another pained noise. The stomping of feet.

Lilah opened her eyes just in time to see Amaru breeze past them. The muscles in her shoulders and legs twitched to lunge at her, but Javier’s arm was locked tight around Lilah’s body. She wasn’t going anywhere. He held her for long seconds, until Lilah had taken six or seven deep breaths.

Brasa moved slowly, trying to gather his limbs beneath him. He visibly shook with the effort to hold up his own weight. Lilah couldn’t remain still another second longer. With a cry, she rushed over to him, “Hey. Hey. Go slow.”

The lower half of his face and neck were covered in blood. It ran red and viscous down to the dirt floor. His head lolled side to side, as if he didn’t have the strength to hold it up. His eyes were glassy and unfocused. Lilah tapped his face, trying to bring him around. When that didn’t seem to work, she looked up at Javier for guidance. He was standing not too far away with an expression of deep sadness on his face.

“What is this?” Lilah asked, confused and worried.

Setting his cane on the ground, Javier knelt down beside them, “I’ll explain later. Let me get him to your room.”

He dipped down to pull Brasa’s arm over his shoulder and stood. Brasa hung like a ragdoll from Javier’s side, boots sliding while the other man carried him away. Lilah stared after them with her mouth open and hot tears on her cheeks. What the fuck just happened? What was wrong with him? Sniffing, Lilah wiped away her tears and tried to take stock of things. Amaru had made Brasa pull out his own fangs before drinking what had to be a significant amount of blood from him. For what? For taking too long to get a book? For delaying her plans to open the door to Xibalba? Wasn’t he supposed to be her right hand? Her lieutenant?

Lilah didn’t understand why Amaru thought this was the right move. More than that, Lilah was fucking pissed that Brasa couldn’t even fight back. She looked at the mess around her, the blood from Brasa’s body. It was already congealing in places. Four lumps lay in a particularly large pool, caught in the light from above. She reached out and picked them up. Brasa’s fangs, all four of them, pulled out by the root.

Looking at them sent a fresh wave of anger through her. Lilah stood and pocketed the teeth, moving to follow Javier as he cleared the entrance to the cavern. With wooden steps, she walked behind them all the way back to the bedroom where Javier dropped Brasa on the bed. She wrung her hands while he arranged Brasa on his back and meticulously pulled off his boots.

Needing something to do, Lilah scurried to the bathroom and wet a towel with warm water. Her reflection in the mirror was haggard and red-eyed. She ignored it and squeezed the water from the towel before returning to Brasa’s side. Very carefully, Lilah wiped the blood from his face and neck. The skin beneath her hands was cold and that scared her more than anything.

“The fangs are directly connected to our nervous system,” Javier murmured.

Lilah looked over her shoulder at him, “Is that why he’s...unconscious?”

A nod, “It will take an hour or two for him to come around. Even longer for him to grow them back.”

She could picture sharp little teeth working their way through sore, swollen gums. “Why would she do this?”

Lilah didn’t really need to know the answer to that question. The ‘why’ of it was pretty clear to her. Amaru was a selfish, violent, immature little shit who liked to break her toys when she was angry.

Javier unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt, “This is the ultimate punishment for our kind. Inescapable pain tied up with the inability to heal it. He won’t be able to feed until his fangs grow back in.”

Brasa groaned and his eyes rolled around. Cold sweat beaded on his brow. Lilah took a corner of the towel that wasn’t pink with blood and dabbed it away. “All this for a stupid book,” she ground out, barely able to suppress her anger.

“All this for glory,” Javier corrected gently. “She’s not human, Lilah. You can’t judge her actions by human standards.”

Jaw working, she glared at him, “I know she’s not human. If she were, I wouldn’t have let her out of that cavern.”

He tilted his head to the side and regarded her with a warm look, “I’m glad you feel that way. He’ll be happy to know you’re so protective.”

His words were enough to earn a soft huff of laughter from Lilah. Her emotions were too raw to try to deny it. Javier gestured for Lilah to stand. Then, he reached into Brasa’s pocket and pulled out a knife. Flicking it open, he unceremoniously dug the tip into his arm until blood poured freely. Gently, Javier opened Brasa’s mouth and held his arm above it. Lilah watched all of this with a sinking feeling in her belly. As powerful as Brasa was, he didn’t stand a chance against Amaru’s misguided fury.

“She’s going to kill him,” Lilah voiced her thoughts aloud.

Javier made a soft noise in the back of his throat, “He is valuable to her.”

“Only when he’s doing what she wants. If she ever thinks for a second that she can’t use him to get what she’s after, she’ll tear him apart. Sooner or later, it’ll happen.” The words were coming faster for her, “It might even be accidental. She’ll get carried away and just...obliterate him with sheer anger. He can’t even defend himself, Javier. Can’t even lift a finger to protect himself.”

After a few moments of silence, Javier said, “You sound like you’re forming a plan.”

Was she? Lilah paused to think about it. Yeah. She sure as hell was forming a plan. Her eyes stared down at Brasa’s face twisted up in pain and a plan seemed to appear from thin air. She sighed, “He’s not going to like it.”

The wound on Javier’s arm closed and he straightened to look at her, “Don’t tell me, then. He’s got a nose for when I’m lying and I’d rather not have to withhold information, if possible.”

“Okay,” Lilah said in a small voice. “I can do that.”

Javier held her gaze for a long moment, “He’ll come for you when he’s able. You know that.”

“I know.”

“It won’t matter that you’re trying to help him,” he continued, stepping towards her. “Its instinct. Bone deep instinct. Bondmates don’t separate for long periods of time for a reason.”

She folded her arms across her body, “Alright. I get it. Geez.”

“No,” Javier drawled, “I don’t think you do. But, I look forward to seeing you find out.”

“Fuck you, too,” she intoned in a voice that carried no heat.

He laughed, sobering quickly when Brasa stirred. “I’ll care for him. You do what you need to do.”

“Thank you,” Lilah replied. Then, “Is there more blood somewhere?”

Javier buttoned his cuff, “I’ll find some. Don’t worry.” He made for the door and paused, “I expect you’ll be gone by the time I get back.”

“Uh huh.”

“Goodbye. For now.”

“Goodbye Javier.”

He gave her one last long look, then disappeared through the door. Lilah moved to sit next to Brasa on the bed. She reached out and smoothed the hair back from his face. Everything south of his cheekbones was swollen and the area around his mouth looked unnatural—a mouth that had been grinning at her less than an hour ago.

Her chest was tight and fresh tears threatened to fall. Lilah sniffed and decided that now was the time to act. She reached into Brasa’s pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Unlocking it, Lilah searched through his contacts to find the number she wanted and pressed the call button.

“What?” Came an irritated voice from the other side of the line.

“Seth?”

There was a pause, “Who is this and how did you get that phone?”

“My name is Lilah,” she said. “Brasa is in a little bit of trouble.”

There was a shifting movement, “What kind of trouble?”

“Amaru is becoming unstable. You know who that is, right?”

A long sigh, “Yeah, I know who that is.”

“Good,” Lilah chirped, standing. “Then, you know she has to be stopped. I have inside information that you might find helpful.”

“What do you want for this information?”

She fully expected that question. No one gave anything away for free. “I want your help in getting what I need to stop her.”

Seth hummed, “I don’t know you, lady. How am I supposed to trust you?”

“Because we want the same thing, Mr. Gecko.”

“Do we?”

“I think so. In any case, we can meet to discuss in more detail. If you don’t want to work with me after that its no problem. I’ll figure this out on my own.”

Seth made a sound that was almost a laugh, “Alright. Call me curious. I’ll send you an address. You come to me. No weapons.”

“Fine.” Lilah didn’t have a weapon to bring, anyways.

The call disconnected. Lilah looked at the screen and rolled her eyes. Rude. She pushed the phone into her back pocket and went to the nightstand. She grabbed her clutch, opening it to check that the money was still there. A couple hundred in folded bills would get her pretty far if she was careful with it. Beneath the money was Antonio’s key ring. She stared at it, wondering at how far away she was from running a grift on a local preacher.

“The car,” she breathed, mind already three steps ahead. She had her exit strategy. Kneeling down, Lilah tugged the book and her notes from beneath the bed. She rose and glanced at the wardrobe. The pretty dresses and heels wouldn’t do her any good. Lilah was going to have to travel quick and light.

If she was going to leave, Lilah had to do it now. Waiting much longer would risk Brasa waking and she didn’t think she would be able to resist him if he pleaded for her to stay. Clutching the keys in one hand, she steeled her nerves, “I’ll be back. Promise.”

Without wasting another second, Lilah rushed out of the bedroom and took a left down the hall. She wasn’t as familiar with this path as she was the others, but she used the flashlight on the phone to guide her way towards the surface. It didn’t seem right that the sun was shining brightly above when Lilah left the cave. Escapes like this should be made in the dead of night.

Lilah found Antonio’s car and keyed it open. The engine took a couple tries to turn over, but soon enough she was gunning it towards the highway. A text chimed on the phone—an address from Seth. She typed it into the navigation app. Less than an hour away. That made sense. If the Gecko brothers were going to cause problems for Amaru, they needed to be close.

Eventually, Lilah found her way to a parking lot for what was either a very run down restaurant or a dive bar. The sign read Jackknife Jed’s. She pulled into what she hoped was a parking spot and shut off the engine. Then, she sat for a minute and stared at the building. This could very well be a trap. She could be running headfirst into the barrel of a gun. Lilah guessed that she didn’t really have a choice. She was here and she should probably get out of the fucking car.

Heaving a deep breath, Lilah stood from the seat and shut the door behind her. Slowly, she walked up to the door and tested it. Locked. Feeling awkward, she turned and looked around. Maybe the place really was run down and this was just a place to meet. There was only one other car in the lot, a sleek black number that reeked of insecurity. She checked the phone again—Lilah was in the right place.

Movement scraped on the other side of the door. She spun around and scrambled a few steps back, looking through the window at the shadow passing by. Gathering up every ounce of her skills, Lilah straightened and prepared to face whoever was on the other side.

He was dark haired with the scuff of a five o clock shadow. His eyes were squinting at her. By the way he was holding himself at an angle, Lilah knew there was gun in his hand. The door opened and he peered at her with skepticism, “Lilah?”

“That’s me. You’re Seth.”

“Uh huh,” he replied, “You armed?”

She shook her head, “You said no weapons.”

“Yes I did. C’mon in.” Seth walked away, leaving the door open in his wake.

Lilah hesitated, pushing the door completely open and looking around the empty room before walking forward. “This is...an interesting place.”

He scoffed, “It pays the bills.”

She hummed ambiguously. The place was a dive bar and not even a good one. Her shoes stuck to the floor with every step and she was willing to bet no one had mopped in at least six months. The room reeked of smoke and alcohol. Lilah didn’t even want to think about what the bathrooms must look like.

Seth circled the bar and pulled a bottle of brown liquor from the shelf. He picked up two glasses and poured a health portion into each, “What do you want?”

Lilah settled onto a bar stool and took one of the glasses from him. She threw it back, winced at the taste, and rasped, “I told you. I want Amaru gone.”

“Why?”

She had to credit him for the direct way he was questioning her. Lilah expected to make small talk and deal with a certain amount of posturing before they got around to the point. “Because she’s a megalomaniac threatening to destroy the entire earth.”

Seth blinked, “So you do know her.”

“Yeah,” Lilah said. “We’ve met.”

His head cocked, “You’re still alive.”

“I was the last time I checked. A lot’s happened since then, but I’m relatively sure I’m still kicking.”

“That must make you special.” Seth poured them both another drink, “I’m the only other human I know that’s survived tangoing with her.”

Lilah sipped at the liquor. It wasn’t any better the second time around. “We haven’t exactly danced. I’ve been...a witness, I guess you’d say.”

He looked her over carefully, dark eyes scanning her face. “How did you get Brasa’s phone?”

“Stole it.”

Seth looked her over again, “You a thief?”

“Yup.”

“You a good thief?”

“Very good.”

He inhaled and rested both hands on the bar, “Alright. Let’s say I believe you. What do I get if I work with you?”

Lilah lifted her chin, “I know how she’s going to do it. End the world, I mean. I know how she’s going to do it and I know what she needs to get it done.”

“How’d you find that out?”

“Does it matter?”

“No,” he breathed, “I suppose it doesn’t.”

Lilah drained her glass. This time she didn’t wince. “Are you going to help me or not?”

Seth looked away, thinking, “What kind of help do you need?”

“I need to pull a job,” she answered, “I hear you and your brother are thieves, too.”

He nodded.

“Are you good thieves?”

A smile, “Very good.”

#from dusk til dawn: the series #brasa #from dusk til dawn #au #maurice compte #the usurper #soulmates

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