Page 33 of Crossing Between

"Come on, hit me harder!" Varon taunted, his grey eyes glinting with amusement as I threw another punch at his rock-hard abs. My fist connected with his stomach, and while he didn't even flinch, pain shot through my knuckles.

"Fuck!" I screamed in frustration, shaking out my hand. We'd been at this for two hours in Varon's home gym, and I was drenched in sweat, my tank top clinging to my skin. "This is pointless. You're a vampire lord. I couldn't hurt you if I tried."

"The point isn't to hurt me," Varon explained patiently, not even breathing hard. "It's to teach you proper form and build your confidence."

I wiped sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. "What I need is to go home. I haven't checked on Ruth in days, and I'm sick of wearing borrowed clothes." I tugged at the oversized t-shirt I'd borrowed from Kenji, which kept slipping off one shoulder.

Elias, who had been quietly observing from the corner, stepped forward. "She has a point," his deep voice resonating through the room. "Being cooped up here isn't helping her focus. I can take her to get some things from her apartment."

"It's not safe," Kenji started, but Elias cut him off.

"Varon, you mentioned there's paperwork at the station that needs your signatures. You and he can handle that while I escort Zoey." His tone left no room for argument.

Varon considered this for a moment before nodding. "Fine. But stay alert."

Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in Elias's car, watching the familiar streets of my neighborhood roll past. The tension in my shoulders began to ease as we pulled up to my building.

"Wait here," Elias commanded as we approached my door. He entered first, checking each room before allowing me inside.

The place felt strange after being away. Everything was exactly where I'd left it, yet somehow different. I moved quickly through the rooms, stuffing clothes and necessities into two large duffel bags.

"Ready to check on your neighbor?" Elias asked as I zipped up the last bag.

I nodded, leading the way next door. Ruth answered after my second knock, her weathered face lighting up at the sight of me.

"Zoey, dear! I was starting to worry." She pulled me into a warm hug.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around," I followed her into her apartment. "I've been staying with friends."

"Oh?" Ruth's eyes twinkled as she glanced at Elias, who ducked his head politely as he entered. "One of those handsome young men you had over for breakfast the other day."

"How are your joints?" he asked, surprising me. "The lotion I sent over, did it help?"

Ruth's face brightened even more. "Oh, yes! It's wonderful stuff. The arthritis barely bothers me."

My heart melted as I watched their interaction. Here was Elias, this powerful kraken, making homemade joint relief lotion for my elderly neighbor. Without thinking, I reached up and pulled him down for a kiss.

His lips were soft and warm against mine, and he made a surprised sound before melting into it. When I pulled back, his cheeks were slightly flushed.

"What was that for?" he asked softly.

"For being sweet," I replied, smiling up at him. "Thank you for taking care of Ruth."

Ruth's delighted laughter echoed through the room as Elias blushed furiously. I couldn't help but smile at the sight caused by a simple kiss. His eyes darted to mine, a small, surprised smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, I'll leave you two to catch up," Elias murmured, his voice even deeper than usual. "I'll wait outside, Zoey."

As he ducked out, Ruth clutched my arm. "My goodness, dear. First, that handsome oni fellow with the striking eyes, then the brooding dark-haired one, and now this gorgeous blonde? You've been busy!"

Heat rushed to my face. "Ruth! It's not like that." I stopped myself.

Wasn't it?

"Not what?" Ruth's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Not serious? Not exclusive? Because I may be old, but I'm not blind. That man looks at you like you hung the moon."

I laughed nervously, running a hand through my hair. "It's complicated. Really complicated."

"The best things usually are," she patted my hand. "Just be careful with your heart, dear. And theirs."

I nodded, promising to check in on her soon before joining Elias outside. He was leaning against the wall, looking thoughtful, his long blonde braids cascading over one broad shoulder.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

He straightened, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yes, kaerasta. Just thinking."

"About the kiss?" I felt suddenly bold, stepping closer to him.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Among other things."

I grabbed his hand, feeling the calluses on his palm. "I meant it, you know. I like all of you, and we still have to discuss this mark."

"We should go," Elias murmured, though he made no move to step away.

"Yeah," I agreed, not moving either.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the spell. With a sigh, he stepped back and fished it out. "It's Kenji," as he answered. "What's up?"

I couldn't hear Kenji's side of the conversation, but Elias's expression changed dramatically, his jaw tightening and brow furrowing. "How many?" he asked tensely. "And you're sure it's..." He was cut off by whatever Kenji was saying. "We'll be right there."

"What's wrong?" I asked as he hung up.

"The department is under attack," he grabbed my duffel bags with one hand and my elbow with the other, moving us quickly toward the car. "There are people showing symptoms of the Black Plague, attacking officers and civilians. They're not responding to reason, just attacking indiscriminately."

My stomach dropped. "The Essencefeaster?"

"Almost certainly." His phone rang again. "It's Varon," he put it on speaker.

"Get Zoey to the station immediately," Varon's voice was clipped, urgent. "She'll be safest with all of us together. We need to coordinate a response to this thing."

"On our way," Elias confirmed, ending the call. "Come on."

We raced to his car, and I clutched the door handle as he drove at breakneck speed through the streets. My mind raced along with the car. The Black Plague...the Essencefeaster's calling card.

"Elias," I couldn't help feeling a little afraid. "What exactly are we walking into?"

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. "I don't know, kaerasta. But whatever it is, we face it together." He reached across the console to squeeze my hand. "I won't let anything happen to you."

The drive took only minutes, but it felt like hours. As we neared the police station, the scene that greeted us made my blood run cold. Smoke billowed from broken windows. People were screaming, running in all directions. And others, God, the others were attacking anything that moved.

They looked human, but barely. Their skin was mottled with black lesions, eyes vacant and clouded. They moved with jerky, unnatural motions, like puppets on strings. Some had bite marks where they'd been attacked by the other infected. Others bore wounds from defending officers.

It was like a zombie apocalypse game come to life.

Elias parked a block away. "Stay close to me," he commanded, his voice shifting to a deeper, more authoritative tone and his kraken was forefront. "Don't stop for anything."

I nodded, my heart hammering in my chest as we exited the car. Elias took my hand, his large palm enveloping mine completely, and we moved toward the chaos.

The closer we got, the worse it was. Bodies, both infected and police officers, littered the ground. Blood painted the sidewalk in macabre patterns. The air was thick with smoke and the metallic scent of blood, making me gag.

An infected person lunged at us from a side alley. Before I could even scream, Elias had moved me behind him and extended his arm. His tentacles appeared and wrapped around the attacker, subduing them without injury.

We made it to the station entrance where Kenji was helping an injured officer. His usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by grim determination. When he saw us, relief flashed across his features.

"Thank fuck," he breathed, jogging over. "It's a goddamn nightmare. They just started showing up about an hour ago, first one or two, then dozens. They're not talking, not responding to anything. Just attacking."

"Where's Varon?" Elias asked, his eyes scanning the chaos.

"Inside, organizing the defense," Kenji replied. "We've got the building secured for now, but they keep coming."

As if to emphasize his point, an agonized scream cut through the air. I turned to see an officer being dragged down by three infected people, their hands clawing at his flesh.

"Shit," Kenji spat, rushing toward the scene. His body changed as he moved, his skin taking on a deeper maroon hue, horns sprouting from his forehead as he transformed into his oni form.

"Inside, now," Elias urged, pulling me toward the station doors.

We pushed into the building, and I immediately wished we hadn't. The lobby was in shambles, furniture overturned, glass shattered. More bodies. More blood. Officers moved purposefully through the space, some helping the injured, others fortifying entry points.

Varon stood in the center of it all, barking orders with the authority of someone who had commanded armies. When he saw us, he strode over, his face a mask of controlled fury.

"Good, you're here," his eyes examining me quickly for injuries. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, unable to find my voice.

"What's happening? Is it the Essencefeaster?" Elias asked.

"Yes," Varon confirmed grimly. "It's the only explanation. The infected aren't just sick, something's controlling them, using them like an extension of itself."

As they spoke, a wave of dread washed over me so powerful that my knees buckled. Elias caught me before I hit the floor, concern etched on his features.

"Zoey? What's wrong?"

I couldn't answer. The feeling was overwhelming, a cold, oily sensation that slithered through my veins and coated my insides with terror. It wasn't just fear. It was recognition. Something ancient and primal inside me knew exactly what was out there. My magic curled ready to strike out in defense.

"It's here," I whispered, my voice shaking. "The Essencefeaster. I can feel it."

Both men stared at me. "You can sense it?" Varon asked sharply. "Like before? Is it reaching out to you?"

I nodded, swallowing hard against the bile rising in my throat. A terrible realization dawned. "It's searching for me. Like before."

As if in confirmation, a deafening shriek echoed from outside the building, not human, not animal. Something else entirely. The windows vibrated with the force of it, and several of the fluorescent lights overhead shattered, showering us with glass.

"Why now?" Elias demanded, his arm tightening around my waist.

I shook my head, struggling against the crushing weight of dread. "I don't know. But it knows I'm here." The certainty in my voice surprised even me. "And it's coming."

Varon's expression hardened. "Then we prepare." He looked at Elias. "Get her to my office. It's the most secure room in the building."

"I'm not hiding," I protested, finding my strength. "If this thing is after me, I need to face it."

"You're not ready," Varon countered.

"None of us are," I shot back. "But it's here now."

Another inhuman shriek pierced the air, closer this time. The ground beneath our feet trembled. Outside, the infected people suddenly stopped their random attacks, all turning as one toward the police station. Their movements became more synchronized, more purposeful.

"It's controlling them," Elias murmured. "Using them as eyes."

Kenji burst through the doors, blood splattered across his chest. "Something's coming," he panted. "Something big."

The dread inside me crystallized into certainty. "It's the Essencefeaster." My voice sounded strange to my own ears. "And it's hungry."

"Of course, Quilith would be gone when a dragon's power would be useful," Varon ordered some civilians to help get the injured further into the building for safety. "They could at least find a way to make the damn infected people freeze."

That's when it hit me. Some of these infected were probably dead. I hadn't tried to let my magic out. I could try to save the souls still alive and get them away from the Essencefeaster. I grabbed Varon's arm.

"I need to go to your office. I think I can help." I stared at him with determination.

Varon's eyes widened slightly at my words. I could see the emotions warring on his face. Worry, fear, but also a glimmer of hope. His gaze searched mine, looking for any hesitation.

"You're sure?" His voice was barely audible over the chaos around us.

"I can try to save some of them," I insisted. "You need to trust me."

Varon's jaw tightened as he made his decision. "Fine." He turned to Kenji, who had just returned to his more human form. "Take her to my office. Protect her with your life."

"Always do," Kenji replied, his usual cocky grin nowhere to be seen. Without warning, he scooped me up into his arms. "Faster this way."

I yelped in surprise as he sprinted through the wreckage of the station, dodging overturned desks and shattered glass with inhuman agility. The building shook again as another unearthly shriek pierced the air. Closer now. Much closer.