“The Army is being stupid. Kilian got attacked—magically attacked. The Army is making all these horrible assumptions that I’m the one attacking him, like I would ever attack my first crush. Even if I went full demon, Kilian would be on the very bottom of my list to eviscerate.” Stephen gave Kilian such a fond look that Kilian’s chest tightened a little. Then Stephen shrugged and his smirk was back. “It’s like the whole Army has lost their collective minds.”
After an awkward silence, his mother said, “Which is why I always told Kilian not to join the Army.” Much of her normal vitriol for the Army had vanished under confusion.
“It’s a few years too late to talk him out of that stupidity,” Stephen said, “And unfortunately, our logical arguments have not managed to undermine the Army’s arrogant assumption that they know what they're doing.”
“That's a little pessimistic,” Kilian said.
Stephen huffed. “No, no, it's really not. As much as I was willing to share some unpleasant truths with your mother, I am even more willing to share them with the Army—and with you for trusting those intelligence-impaired jackbooted mouth breathers.” Stephen turned back to Kilian's mother. “Something attacked Kilian, tried to possess him. You might not trust Kilian with all the supernatural power of Judas, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that any creature who steals life force is even less trustworthy.”
Kilian's mom glared. “I never said my son was untrustworthy.”
Kilian could only stare at her blankly.
“I kinda think that’s exactly what you said, which is ironic because I know he’s the same trustworthy guy who completely freaks out when other people bleed a little on a coffee table. But whatever. My point is that anything that can strip-mine a soul is evil. Hugely evil. Possibly demonically evil, although witch, sluagh, hantu, or inugami are more likely. Of course, if it’s an inugami, then we’re back to a witch, only one who did some pretty sadistic shit to some poor dog. But honestly, none of those would be good. And they would all tear Kilian to shreds. Not figurative shreds, but literal ones.”
“I... Killy?” Fear lurked behind her eyes, and her tone was one he remembered from childhood.
Kilian felt guilty because while Stephen was being technically honest since those creatures were known for possession, Mia would have noticed them. It was like the old saying about a doctor looking for a horse and not a zebra if he heard hoofbeats. Those monsters were the horses of supernatural possession, and for him to walk through a base without setting off alarms, Kilian had to be infected with the supernatural version of a zebra.
Kilian scrubbed his face with one hand. “I have it under control.”
Stephen snorted. “Sure. You had it under control when you were rolling around on the ground screaming in pain. That looked wonderfully under control.” Sarcasm dripped from Stephen’s words. “So exactly how long do you think it is before another attack?”
Kilian glared.
“Oh, you can holster that weapon. Your glare doesn't work on me.”
“Who's trying to attack you?” his mother asked in a horrified whisper.
Stephen threw both hands into the air. “That's what we’re trying to figure out. The attacker was latching onto the vampiric energies and using that to slide into Kilian's soul, so we need to get to Chicago. Someone there might know what kind of nasty is strong enough to overpower a vampire.”
“‘Someone’?” His mother got a dangerous look in her eye. “Someone like the monster that killed my baby so a Judas vampire could swallow his soul?”
Kilian wished Stephen had landed them anywhere other than four houses down from Kilian’s parents’ house. Or at least snagged enough cash for them to call someone from a public line. Kilian didn’t have a lot of friends in the military, but there were a few people from his early units who would’ve probably helped out. Maybe.
“Um... yeah?” Stephen went from cocksure to wary in the space of a heartbeat. “I was trying to avoid mentioning that part. I mean, if you don’t help, the Army is going to find us and then lock me in a very small room on the theory that I'm the one attacking Kilian. Then Kilian is going to end up screaming in pain as something bigger and nastier than a Judas vamp tortures and kills him.”
“Lay off the melodramatics,” Kilian ordered. His mother might’ve been a guilt monster in a floral dress, but she meant well. She didn’t deserve Stephen’s sharp tongue.
Stephen snorted. “Sure. Just as soon as you tell me which part of my prediction is wrong.”
Kilian grimaced.
His mother reached toward him before pulling her hand back, and that made Kilian feel a thousand times worse.
“I wonder if they’ll send you his ashes after it's over,” Stephen mused. “Vampires' ashes carry some traces of magical energy. Every supernatural is known for some essential nature, and Judas vamps are all about guilt. I’ve heard the Army uses those ashes in interrogations as part of a spell. It’s supposed to work great at getting bad guys to talk by making them feel their own shame magnified back into them.” Stephen gave Kilian the most manipulative smile in creation. “On the bright side, that means that you’ll be doing your protect and serve shtick even in death.”
“Not helping,” Kilian growled.
“I was always more talented at stirring up shit than I was at helping, so I can't say I'm terribly surprised.”
Kilian took a step toward Stephen. “I know what you're doing, and it’s absolutely not okay.”
Stephen plastered an innocent smile on his face. “What?”
“Mom, he's trying to guilt you into helping us. We'll find our own way.”
Kilian headed for the back door, but his mother practically shoved Stephen to one side before planting herself in front of it. “Is he telling the truth?”
