The Deadliest Bite

And that made me think of doorways. And my sense that the portals fol owing me around the planet were somehow alive.

I finished showering in record time despite the fact that I had to fend off another nosebleed, dressed, fed the mutt, and ran for Raoul’s room.

“How long?” I asked as I burst inside without even knocking. With any other guy I’d have worried about interrupting something a little bent but, as expected, I found my Spirit Guide reading the latest issue of Model Railroader and chowing down on peanuts.

He sat up like he wasn’t that surprised to see me. “Until what?” he asked.

“What’s our window until it’s too late for Hanzi? Do I need to try to wake Vayl up somehow, or wil it hold until sundown? Can you at least tel me that?”

He shook his head and looked toward the window. Whose curtains were closed. Which was when I realized he hadn’t been reading the magazine or eating the peanuts when I’d burst into the room. He’d been staring at those ugly beige window treatments.

“What?” I demanded.

“I was about to come see you,” he admitted. He stood so straight I felt like an officer about to begin inspection. “I just got word from our scout. He’s discovered a route to one of the most far-flung gates in Lucifer’s domain. We have a very narrow window until the fence guardians catch his scent and come to investigate. As soon as Vayl rises we’re leaving.” He’d muttered most of this information over my right shoulder, like a TV crew was maybe standing behind me. Now he dropped his eyes to mine. “I’m sorry, Jasmine. There’s no time to help Hanzi. It’s al about you now.” I wrapped both my hands around the despair threatening to choke the breath out of me and said,

“Look. We can do both. What if we grabbed Hanzi before the accident and took him into hel with us? What better way to show him his potential future than to sink him straight to the pit with a couple of pitiless assassins and an Eldhayr warrior who can show him the best way out?” As Raoul hesitated I rushed on. “You know his chances of survival there are slim to none anyway; it’s not like we’d be vacationing in the Wine Country or something. At least this way there’s a better chance he’l choose the good fight. Plus Vayl gets to save his kid. And I don’t have to spend the rest of my life walking under a thundercloud of guilt for denying him that chance. What do you say?” I realized I was clasping my hands in front of me like a little kid begging for a double dip of chocolate/vanil a twist before the ice cream van passes her by.

Raoul nodded. “I need to check with a few people. But I believe that could work.”

“Yes! I would make you do cheerleader kicks with me, but I can tel you’d pul a hamstring or something.” So I hugged him which, as soon as I was done, I realized he’d dealt with about as suavely as a sixth grader. As I watched the blush fade from his cheeks I made a mental note, which my inner librarian dutiful y filed away: Next time… do the kicks. I said, “Okay, do me a favor then.

Tel the crew there’s been a change of plan. We’re camping out here until further notice.” He sat up straighter. “What are you going to do?”

“I’ve figured out how to get me and Vayl to Hanzi without driving.” His eyes gleamed. “I hoped you would. Do you want some company?” I shook my head. “Your hands are pretty tied on this one, Raoul. I don’t want to take you to a place where you’l be too tempted to break the Eminent’s edict. Especial y when you’re already in hot water over us.” As his face fel I said, “You guard the troops, okay? No tel ing what kind of trouble they’l manage to get themselves into if left to their own devices. As soon as Vayl and I get back with Hanzi, we’re jumping to hel . Then I’m gonna need you like crazy.” He nodded resolutely. “This is true. I’l see you when the kid is safe, then. Be careful. And remember, some surprises are nice ones.”

I tilted my head at him, but when he didn’t elaborate I said, “Okay,” as I backed out of his room.

With a whole day ahead of me and zero sleep behind, I skipped back to the room for some shut-eye. Jack had gobbled his breakfast and settled into one of the chairs for his morning nap.

“Seriously?” I asked him. When he nodded I said, “Okay, but wake me up if you need to take a dump. We don’t want another fiasco like we had in that Motel 6.” I made a few more preparations for the night ahead. And when I was satisfied I’d done al I could I shed my clothes, curled up under the covers beside Vayl’s tent, and snoozed until his whoop of indrawn breath brought me to my feet. I might’ve been stark naked, but I held Grief in one hand and my bolo in the other, so I felt at least half dressed. I also could’ve kicked myself for reacting so violently to the sound of him waking to life for yet another evening. I should be used to it by now. I had been, back at his house. Which proved how much this mission had frayed my last nerve. Not a comforting way to start out what could be the most important night of your life.

Especial y when I looked down. Shit! Another nosebleed had left my chin, my neck, and the front third of my torso caked in half-dried flakes of blood. I supposed I should be grateful that I hadn’t ruined one of my favorite T-shirts. But I just felt… tired. I touched my nostrils. Stil damp from Brude’s latest onslaught. Go ahead, you fucker. Try me. I’m not going down without a fight.

I considered throwing my weapons on the bed while I cleaned up, but Jack had decided that if Vayl and I weren’t going to sleep there it was fair game for him. He’d spread out across the middle of the dingy mattress and was blinking up at me sleepily while Astral stared at both of us from the perch she’d found on the ancient TV set. So I set the lethals on the dresser and, before I hit the bathroom, took one more minute to set up supper for the bottomless pit.

“How hungry is the poopmeister?” I asked Jack as I dug into our luggage for his food supply. He bounced to his feet, making the bed creak so alarmingly I wondered if I was going to have to rescue him from the rubble of its col apse. But it held up at least long enough for him to leap to the floor and claim his food, which he chomped happily, pausing only to smile up at Vayl after he’d emerged from his tent and come to give me a good-evening hug. Which he delayed when he saw the state I’d risen in. He shook his head.

“I hope, more than anything, that tonight sees an end to your pain,” he said as he pul ed me into his arms, dried blood and al . When I thought about it, that was real y saying something.

“That was very cool of you to say, considering,” I replied. I shivered inside his arms. “You’re cold.”

“I have not yet eaten.”

“Mmmm.” I led him to the shower, underneath the spray, let him rub my skin to its usual pasty paleness. And al the while his lips brushed my neck, nipped at my skin. Eventual y my shivers had nothing to do with temperature.

I said, “What you said earlier, about eating. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea for you to take from me once in a