Page 22 of Dead Vengeance

“A rat? That’s the best you could do?”

The little round eyes blink at me, as if to say, could you do better? And he’s quite right about that.

“Sorry. It’s a lovely rat. You did great.” I stroke my hand down his back, and he leans into the touch. He’s pretty cute actually, for a murderous demon bird. “Are you ready?”

Another nod of that shining head, then he slams the rat down, breaking its neck and killing it in one go.

I’m fast to snatch it up, squeezing the still-warm body in my hand, letting the life force of the creature pulse into me.

It’s a beautiful sensation, rat or any other life, enormous or tiny. Beautiful and sad.

It’s hard to put a price on it sometimes, who deserves that life more. All I know is Raul didn’t deserve to die today, and an adult farm rat probably didn’t have so many years left in it as he did. Or, at least, that’s what I tell myself as I close my eyes and let the energy flow. Up my arms, all through my chest, my heart beating so hard it aches. Then I force the energy back out, down my other arm, and into Raul.

I hold my hand tight to his skin, feeling it heat beneath my palm.

This bit hurts. This bit burns. My hand shakes, but I hold it there regardless, transferring the life force from one creature to the other.

I’ve seen this before, plenty of times. Usually with animals, not humans, and rarely one in as bad a state as this, but it’s always mesmerising. His bones, split and broken, begin to fuse themselves back together, glowing with energy. Torn muscle threads itself whole, creeping over the bones. His heart starts to move, even there in his torn and exposed chest cavity. Then all the skin, bloodied and broken, stretches and heals, every bloody cut sealing tight. Even that missing eye regrows itself. And next should come the breath.

But this small creature isn’t enough. The energy has run out already, just as Raul’s lips part, just as his lungs try to pull in that first breath of air.

Which means it’s on me now.

Thanks a lot, Simon.

I place the rat down, press two hands to Raul’s chest, and close my eyes. It helps me to do that. To visualise the energy running from my own body to his, blue, shining, bright, from my hands to his heart.

The life spills out of me, weakening me, tearing through my lungs, my heart, every atom of my body screaming in growing agony.

Then the breath. I hear it. I feel it beneath my hands.

The breath comes first, then the soul.

A great exhalation rips out of him, so violent it makes my shoulders shake, then he sucks in an enormous gasp, his heart slams awake, and finally, “What the fuck?”

I wrench my hands away before I kill him again, once and for all. Kill him and me both. Dizziness crashes over me like a tornado, bringing with it a full-body weakness that feels like I’ve been deep in a fever and unable to eat for three days straight. I press a hand to the floor, trying to support myself, but it gives way, and my head slams against the ground.

I vaguely hear the tick-tack of Edgar’s talons as he jumps around my head, then feel the press of his beak, gentle on my cheek, as the world turns black.

nine

Revenant

Liam

My palms are red from hitting the door so hard, the skin stretched and stinging. But I keep banging it anyway, shouting again, “Mr Gravely? Are you all right?”

Last thing I heard was him yelling. At who? I don’t know. A ghost? The same ghost I saw earlier? A new ghost? Zombie Raul?

Jesus, has he been bitten? Is that why he’s gone quiet? Has he had his throat ripped out? Is he dead too? About to wake up and come in here and try to eat the brains out of my skull?

I fling desperate eyes towards the windows again, but it’s no use. These windows don’t open. They’re new, solid glass right to the top, and the only way out is by smashing them. A step I’m very close to taking. In fact, I would have already if not for…

I don’t know. I feel like I can’t abandon Archer. Even if he’s abandoned me, and what the fuck did he do that for?

“Archer!” I shout, slamming my hands on the door again, desperately, pointlessly.

Then, click! The lock. The key turning in this door and no word from Archer and…