Broken

Marked

IF SHANAHAN HAD SHREDDED THE FILE, HE’D TAKEN THE pieces with him. By the time we’d confirmed that, it was late enough to hunt down the second portal escapee.

When we left Shanahan’s house, I checked my voice mail and learned that Robert had called while we’d been inside. We called him back from the hands-free setup in the Explorer.

“I believe I have some good news for you,” Robert said.

“You know how to close the portal,” I said.

“You were already on the right track and halfway there. To close a dimensional portal involving human sacrifice, all you need to do is return the sacrificed souls to the other side.”

“In other words, kill the zombies.”

“Precisely. Better yet, you aren’t even doing them a disservice. Instead of returning to that dimensional portal, they’ll go to their normal afterlife.”

“That one we dispatched earlier today might not be so happy about that, considering he seemed pretty handy with that knife of his. He probably didn’t much like where he ended up.”

A light laugh. “True enough. But I’m sure this other poor woman will go someplace better.”

“So that’s what happened last time-someone killed the zombie and the portal closed?”

“Well…not exactly. In that case, the portal was opened shortly after it was created. That meant that the sorcerer who created it was still alive and had control of the zombie. To kill the zombie, they needed to kill the controller.”

“Like with one raised by a necromancer?”

“Somewhat. Both types, if under someone’s control, cannot be killed. Had yours been raised by a necromancer, a lethal blow simply wouldn’t have been lethal.”

“Like in the movies. You keep hacking, they keep walking.”

“Precisely. But dimensional zombies with a controller-” He stopped and gave a small laugh. “Sorry. Talia’s making faces, telling me that I’m veering far from the topic and probably confusing you. You don’t need to know about controlled zombies, because that clearly isn’t what you have. To contain zombies from the nineteenth century, your portal had to have been made around the time the letter was written. Only a sorcerer can create a portal, and they have normal life spans, meaning whoever made this one is long dead.”

“Hence any connection is already severed,” Jeremy said.

Clay nodded. “So all we need to do is kill the second zombie.”

“Thereby returning the portal to a balanced state,” Robert said. “Opening the portal allowed those souls to cross dimensions. That causes imbalance. Return them to the other side, and anyone who wandered into the portal will be released. Balance is restored. The portal closes.”

We were counting on the woman being easy to find and at the end of an unbroken scent trail. Even after twenty-four hours, that wasn’t as improbable as it might seem. She was from another century, and unlikely to have hopped on a GO train and headed for the suburbs.

The bowler-hatted man had adjusted to modern transportation quickly enough, but carjacking was probably little different from commandeering a horse or buggy, and I suspected he’d had some experience at that. He’d figured out that cars were the modern equivalent of a coach-and-four, grabbed one and let the driver do the tricky part.

As for how he’d tracked us, we assumed it had something to do with the letter. As for why he’d wanted it-that puzzled even Robert. He could only guess that he’d tracked us like a domestic dog following a rabbit’s scent-only because instinct told him to. To avoid the problem this time we’d left the letter in the car, hidden in a place that would require werewolf strength-or a hydraulic jack-to access.

We began the hunt in human form, starting a block from the portal site where I’d picked up the woman’s scent earlier that day. I tracked it for five blocks.

When the trail hit an industrial area riddled with abandoned or semiabandoned buildings, it meandered, as if she’d lingered there. Eventually it led into one of these buildings-where she must have rested-then snaked out of the neighborhood and over to a busier street, still rife with industrial buildings and warehouses, but many converted to lofts and nightclubs. It continued down the street of nightclubs, past lines of people waiting to get inside.

“She crossed the road here,” I said.

We only got a few steps when I picked up the smell of rot again, stronger and fresher.

“I’m getting it too,” Clay said. “She’s close.”

Halfway across, I stopped as a fresh wave of the scent came over on the breeze. I looked up to see a short, sturdy figure under a dim streetlight. She wore a hooded cloak of some kind, high heels and a short skirt. Her back was to us.

A car honked. Clay grabbed my elbow and hurried me across into the alley. I peered out, then ducked back around the corner.

“So how do we handle this?” I whispered.

“Mercifully,” Jeremy said.

“No questioning then?”

“Don’t need to,” Clay said.

Jeremy hesitated, and I knew he was thinking it would be nice to question her. Personal curiosity, of course, but it could be concealed under the guise of education, wanting to add to the supernatural world’s knowledge of portals.

After a moment, he shook his head. “Quickly and mercifully is best. Clay? Go out and ask her into the alley.”

Clay looked at Jeremy as if he’d just been told to dance the rumba on a public thoroughfare.

I bit back a laugh. “Just walk over to her and point at the alley. Maybe say…I don’t know…something like ‘fifty bucks.’ ” I looked at Jeremy. “Does that sound right? Fifty?”

His brows shot up. “Why are you asking me?”

“I wasn’t-I just meant, as a general…” I threw up my hands. “How am I supposed to know how much a hooker costs?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

I sighed. “Fine, fifty bucks sounds good. It’s not like she knows what the going rate is anyway. Just say that and nod at the alley. She’ll follow.”

Clay continued to stare at us in silent horror.

“Oh, for God’s sake, you’re ready to break her neck but you can’t-”

“I’ll do it,” Jeremy said, then shot a look my way. “Not that I have any more experience soliciting prostitutes than Clay does.”

“Never crossed my mind.”

A mock glare, then he headed out.

I’m sure “fifty bucks” and a nod to the alley would have been enough, but Jeremy chatted to her for a couple of minutes first. Then he led her into the alley.

When she saw us blocking the other end, she stopped. Jeremy, at her heels, moved fast, intending to snap her neck before she knew what was happening. Quick and merciful. But we’d tipped her off too quickly and she ran-right for me. I feinted left and pulled back my fist, ready to swing…only to see her wide-eyed and cowering.

One look at her expression, and I knew she’d run to me for protection. I reminded myself that killing her was a mercy-it would send her to a decent afterlife. But I couldn’t do it.

I looked over at Jeremy and Clay, but they were both caught off guard. So much for quick and merciful.

When no one moved, she bowed her head and started to sob. What I’d originally thought was a cloak was a shawl, pulled up around her face, so she could stay hidden in its shadow. That was probably the only way she could ply her trade in Toronto. From the glance I’d had at her face, she could have passed for sixty-and a hard-drinking, hard-living sixty at that.

“Who are you?” I asked.

Clay shot me a glare. I returned it. As long as we were standing here, working on plan B, I might as well ask some questions. Not like anyone else was doing anything.

She gave a snuffle and wiped her nose on her gloves.

“I-I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t remember. I was…someplace awful. For so long.” Her shoulders bent with a stifled sob. “Purgatory, it were. That’s where ’e sent me. I might not ’ave led a Christian life, but I didn’t deserve that.”

“It was a mistake that will be corrected,” Jeremy said, and looked at us as if to say, “Well, go ahead. Correct it.”

Clay stepped forward, but I shook my head. His idea of mercy would be a quick death, but he’d let her see it coming, reasoning it would be over before she had time to think about it. I could do better. I motioned for Jeremy to ask her another question, so I could get behind her without her noticing.

“You said ‘he,’ ” Jeremy began. “You were murdered?”

As he spoke, I slid to the side, but her head whipped around, eyes following me.

“Almost due, ain’t you, luv?” she said with a gap-toothed smile. “Such a pretty girl. You’ll have a beautiful baby. Handsome and ’ealthy. You want me to tell you wot it’ll be?” She stepped toward me, her hands out. “It’s an old midwife’s trick, but it always works.”

“Um, thanks,” I said, “but I’d rather be surprised.”

“Humor me, child,” she said, still coming toward me. “It’ll only take a moment. I just lay me ’ands-”

Clay leapt between us. The woman stumbled back. Jeremy jumped to catch her. The shawl fell away. Clay yanked me away so hard I saw only a split-second flash of the woman’s face, covered with a red rash and dotted with lesions.

I moved to help her up.

“No,” Jeremy said sharply. “Don’t touch her.”

I frowned at him. “It’s not contagious. She must be decaying-”

“No, that’s not the problem. And this is contagious-maybe not by touch, but we aren’t taking the chance.”

“All ’ad a good eyeful, ’ave you?” the woman snarled, still on the ground. “Getting a good look at poor Rose?”

She turned to look at me.

“Do you think you’re safe now, girl? A big man to protect you?” She spat. “ ’E’ll use you up, and toss you aside. Weren’t me work that gave me this-” She lifted her spotted hand. “It was me own ’usband. Gave me the pox, then left me to die.” She smiled, showing teeth as rotten as her face. “But I got me revenge, yes I did. Sent many a man to ’ell looking just like me, and already got a couple more ’eaded there. Then or now, it’s all the same. Long as your cunny works, they don’t ask to see your face.”

Syphilis. I took a slow step back toward Clay.

“Your ’andsome man can’t protect you, girl. Not with that mark you’re bearin’.”

“Mark?” I said.

“ ’Twas your blood that opened the portal.” She smiled. “Long as you’re alive, we can find you. Just follow the mark.”

“Yeah?” Clay said. “Works both ways, though, doesn’t it? You can only find her as long as you’re alive, which-” He wrapped his hands in her hair. “-isn’t going to be long.”

A quick wrench, and her neck snapped, then he leapt out of the way before her falling body touched him. She’d barely hit the gravel before she started to disintegrate.

“We done here?” Clay said.

Jeremy nodded. “We’re done.”

We’d left the car back near Cabbagetown. A bit of a hike, so we stopped partway for cold drinks, taking seats on the outside patio just as an employee had been about to close it down for the night.

“So she had syphilis,” I said. “And she’s been spreading it.”

“If she has, it was the guy’s fault for not wearing protection,” Clay said. “Anyone stupid enough to do that deserves syphilis or whatever else he gets.”

I gave him a look, but didn’t argue. It wasn’t worth it.

“But if someone does get syphilis-”

“Then it’s his own fault.” Clay’s gaze met mine. “Not yours, because your blood opened some portal and let her out. Wasn’t even your fault the portal opened. I hit the mosquito. You want to blame someone, blame me.”

“Even if someone does contract it, it’s treatable today with penicillin,” Jeremy said.

“She’s dead,” Clay said. “Threat eliminated. Now what about this mark business? That must be why that guy came after Elena yesterday. Not following the letter, but the mark.”

I nodded. “If they-whoever-want the letter back, the fastest way to find it is to find the person whose blood opened the portal. But that doesn’t matter now. Like you said, the zombies are dead and gone to dust. So what are we going to do with the letter?”

“You want to head back tonight?” Clay asked as we walked back to the car, lagging behind Jeremy. “Or find a hotel and take off after we’ve slept?”

“If you feel up to driving, tonight’s fine with me. I know you want to get home.”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. You don’t sleep well in hotels, but you probably won’t sleep any better sitting up in the car. Your choice.”

I squeezed his hand. “Thanks. I am ready to go home, but maybe…” I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d rather wait until morning, make sure everything’s back to normal.”

Jeremy slowed to let us catch up. “We should sleep first. We’ve had two late nights. Rest up, and then we’ll head home.”

Back at the hotel, Clay and I did what we did most nights before bed-when we weren’t going for a late-night run. We shared a drink and conversation, winding down for sleep. These days, the drink was more likely to be hot chocolate or herbal tea than brandy. Tonight it was tea, from the bags the hotel provided. Another deviation from the norm was that we were alone; Jeremy had retired as soon as we returned to the hotel.

So we were stretched out in bed, drinking our tea and eating cookies, trying not to scatter crumbs on the bedding.

“Well, I hate to admit it,” I said, “but I think I’ve had enough excitement to last me through the rest of this pregnancy.”

“Tired, huh?”

“Not really-” I bit back a yawn and laughed. “Okay, I guess I am. I’ve had my little burst of activity and now I’m ready to go home and hole up for the duration.” I smiled over at him. “Bet you’re glad to hear that.”

He handed me another cookie. “I am…but if you start going stir-crazy again? You let me know and we’ll do something. Get your mind off stuff with the baby.”

“Fretting about the baby, you mean. It drives me crazy. We spent three years of hashing it out. What if I have a girl? How would she feel, growing up with werewolves and not being one? Is that fair? Or what if it’s a boy and the genes don’t pass on? What if he does carry the genes-is that fair, putting that burden on our child? What if I can’t carry to term? What if-?” I growled and shook my head. “Every conceivable question debated and debated until we had all the answers.”

“Or thought we did.”

I gave myself a shake, turned around and slid under his arm, resting my head on his shoulder. “Time to stop talking and get some sleep. A few months from now, I’ll be dying for a quiet night like this.”

“We will. It’s a joint venture, remember? I just wish I could do my share now, take half the burden of this part, half the worrying.”

I snuggled into him and was asleep before he turned out the light.