Dead and Horny Ch. 16

"Right, sorry. The old project is spoken of in hushed tones. It's pretty much legendary in my circles anyway." Renee walked through an illusory wall at the end of the hallway. When Tasia stepped through, she saw what looked like a library on the other side. Benches were stacked high with alchemy labs, and the room smelled of burnt hair and incense. "Here are my cohorts, Magnus, Abdul, and Dave."

The three men in the room stood to greet them. Magnus and Abdul were dressed as knights, but Dave had on a sports coat and a button-down shirt. He was the other half of Sunchaser Realty, and it was clear by his tan that he spent most of his time outside.

"Welcome." The way Dave shook Tasia's hand made her feel like he was going to sell her something. "Can I get you tea, coffee, cookies?"

"I wouldn't mind some tea." Lynn looked at Tasia.

"Tea for me as well, please."

They exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes until Dave returned with tea and cookies. When he leaned over to set them on the table, a blue crystal on a silver chain tumbled free of his collar. He tucked it away as they gathered around the refreshments. Magnus and Abdul were staring at Tasia, but it was curiosity in their eyes rather than suspicion.

"So before we begin," Dave pulled out a digital tablet and looked something up. "It looks like your clearance has been reinstated per Master Lynn, so I would like you to watch some video footage that is for your eyes only."

"Sure." Tasia took the tablet from him and perused the videos. Most of what she saw was just fog with audio attached, and the strange speech patterns of the Oracle were garbled. She knew it wasn't a filter that had been applied. It happened sometimes when they tried to record the creature.

The Oracle was speaking to a woman, that much she was sure of, but it was during a moment of clean audio that her voice finally came through. Tasia tapped the progress bar so she could hear it again.

"So can you fix Lily and tell me where I can find the demon who--" The words became jumbled again, but Tasia was suddenly back on the pool deck at the Black Palace, no longer in control of her body. She growled, the sound very much like distant thunder. The tablet screen cracked in her hands and she stood, dropping the broken device on the floor.

To their credit, Magnus and Abdul didn't draw their weapons. Dave scooted away from her while Renee leaned forward, sudden interest in her eyes.

"I take it the voice rings a bell?" Unperturbed, Lynn sipped her tea.

"That's them," Tasia whispered, forcing her anger down. Her hands were clenched, but she didn't know what to do with them. Phantom pain bloomed between her ribs, and she rubbed at her sternum absent-mindedly. "Both of them. Lily was the succubus, and I don't know about the other, but that's her voice."

"You okay?" Lynn set down her tea. "Tasia?"

"My apologies, Master Lynn, I...would like to get some air."

"Of course." Lynn turned to Renee and Dave. "As a reminder, this was the incident that precipitated her inclusion in the program, so her feelings are rather strong right now."

"Please, by all means. We actually have a lead on the lounge case that we can discuss and you don't need to be here for it." Renee moved nearby and put a comforting hand on Tasia's. "There's a lovely park just south of here a few blocks. I like to go there when I need to clear my head."

"Thanks." Tasia walked out of the room and through the illusory wall. The hallway felt small and her chest tight. There wasn't enough air in the building, and she needed to get out!

She stormed through the front door, pausing just long enough to make sure it locked behind her. Tears had formed in the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision so much that she nearly walked into a large man coming down the sidewalk.

"Excuse me," she said, and he tipped his hat at her in response. It wasn't until she was at least a couple of blocks away that she dared to look up, to see that the sky above her was far away and that the walls were not, in fact, closing in.

She wasn't certain if the panic attacks were a result of her experience at the Black Palace or the experiments. Her memory was such a blur during that period that it was hard to say, but she did know that they made her a liability. It had been difficult to hide them, but Tasia knew the right things to say and when to say them.

By the time she spotted the park, she was disappointed to see that a small crowd had formed. A man with his back to her was chatting with a bunch of older men and women and he was surrounded by incognito bodyguards. She got a really bad vibe off of them so decided to maintain her distance. Finding a nearby bench, she watched them for a bit before tilting her head back and falling into a funk.

This wasn't the power she had craved. She desired control over her actions, to never have someone inside her head ever again. Even though they were over a thousand miles away, the succubus and the witch had still gotten to her.

A woman walked past with a small dog that paused to bark at Tasia. She fought the urge to growl back at the mangy beast, knowing it would only cause further problems. She kept her eyes on the cloudless sky as the woman dragged her dog away.

Despite her current sensation of free falling, Tasia couldn't help but be grateful for Master Lynn. The old knight wasn't bothered by Tasia in the least and seemed to have some idea of what she was going through. After the meeting with the researchers was over, Tasia wanted to bring up her issues in the hopes that Lynn would have an answer. Knights who actually made it to old age didn't get there without learning how to handle some tough issues.

It was a beautiful day. People were chatting, the park smelled like flowers, and the world was so alive. Renee had been right--this park had made Tasia feel better.

A high-pitched whine assailed her ears. Wincing, Tasia looked around for the source of the sound, but was unable to see it. The people in the park seemed unaware of it, but it was like somebody was driving broken glass into Tasia's ear drums.

Scowling, she stuck her fingers in her ears and was about to leave when she noticed a tiny black speck shooting across the sky. It stopped to hover in place over the park, then zipped to a nearby building that was undergoing renovations. Tasia watched the drone drop unexpectedly, climb a bit higher, then drop again. Once it was close to the scaffolding, a feminine figure appeared, extending her hand to make a grab for the drone.

Tasia blinked in disbelief. It had to be stress, or a breakdown, but it didn't matter, because her feet were already moving. The woman disappeared inside the building, but that didn't deter Tasia in the slightest. She counted the number of floors, made a mental note of the entrance, and was planning her entry when she caught a whiff of something rancid.

No, rancid wasn't the right word. It smelled like a corpse, or perhaps rotting meat. Uncertain what had caused the stench, she realized it was trackable. Had the witch killed someone prior to going inside? Or was it a potion?

Tasia jogged toward the side of the building, the scent growing stronger. She didn't bother looking around before making the fifteen foot leap off the ground straight up to the fire escape. The scent was stronger here, causing the hair on the back of her neck to rise. She was grinding her teeth as she ascended, her collapsed sword already in her right hand. When she got to the top, she scowled at the one-way security door. If she was going in, it would have to be brute force.

Still, she had the presence of mind to put her ear to the door first. Soft footsteps were approaching, and the scent grew worse. Her quarry was headed right for her, so Tasia took a step back and waited.

The door creaked open, revealing the witch herself. She was carrying a backpack and had a boogie board tucked underneath her arm. The witch paused at the sight of Tasia, and though her face didn't register surprise, it was clear that she had been caught off guard.

Tasia was already moving. The fire escape groaned as she wrapped magic around it, temporarily binding her feet to the metal. Her whole body twisted as she put the entirety of her strength into a single punch capable of knocking a hole through concrete.

When her fist connected with the witch's left boob, her whole body crumpled as she was knocked off her feet and back into the office space. She rolled across the ground and came to a rest against the opposite wall, hacking up blood and spit.

"Tit punch." Tasia stepped through the doorway and drew her blade. This was going to be far better than therapy.

Dana had been deep in thought when opening the door to the fire escape. The battery of the drone had nearly died during its flight, and she had almost lost it. If she hadn't gone onto the scaffolding to catch the drone, it would probably be a shattered mess on the concrete below.

The mission had been a success. Most event centers were built to be easily transformed, which meant there had been plenty of gaps to navigate around the backrooms. She was already going over several potential points of entry in her head when the bright light of day had temporarily blinded her, allowing Tasia to step inside the building and punch her hard enough that all the ribs on the left side of her body snapped. When she tried to breathe, it was nearly impossible, which meant a collapsed lung was likely.

Good thing she didn't need to breathe.

"I have no idea what you're doing here," Tasia said, unfolding her sword. "But you aren't leaving alive."

"Got...that...right..." Dana pulled herself across the floor, hoping to lure Tasia closer. The knight may have gotten in the nastiest sucker punch in history, but Dana still had some tricks of her own.

Tasia thrust her weapon forward, aiming for Dana's chest. Dana rolled out of the way, unfolding her own blade in the process. The knight scowled at her and took a defensive stance.

"I'm in control this time," Tasia declared. "Things are going to go very differently."

Dana tried to reply, but couldn't draw in enough air to formulate a response. Oh well, pithy comebacks were overrated anyway. She wheezed aggressively. That would have to do.

When their blades crossed, the impact nearly dislocated Dana's shoulder. Surprised, she switched to a two-handed stance for better support and parried the next attack without too much trouble. Tasia pressed forward, her eyes gleaming as she forced Dana down the hallway.

"So where's the succubus? I refuse to believe you're on your own." Tasia feinted to one side, and Dana took the bait on purpose. The knight twisted away from where their blades would have connected and tried to kick Dana in the knee.

Dana closed the distance between them and landed a knuckle-cracking blow to Tasia's jaw. It should have twisted the woman's head around, or at the very least broken her jaw. Instead, Tasia gritted her teeth together and took the hit, her eyes suddenly wild.

"I don't think so," she whispered before returning the favor. The impact was nasty, knocking Dana off balance. "You see, I'm stronger than ever, and you are nothing without your demon. You hear me? Nothing!"

Dana dodged the second punch, took a kick to the gut, and then was run through with Tasia's sword. The knight pushed Dana backward until her back hit the wall, the sword puncturing the drywall and securing her there. Dana grunted on impact, and debated if she should just play dead for a bit and wander off later.

"You see, I'm not going to make the same mistakes I did before." Tasia pinned Dana's hand against the wall and punched her in the forearm until she dropped her own sword. The knight picked up the blade and took a step back from Dana. "No mercy, witch." She held the sword level with Dana's neck, then twisted her arm back to line up her swing.

Playing dead was no longer an option.Dana dashed forward, the sword ripping free of the wall but remaining in her chest. She caught Tasia with a flying knee to the sternum, then followed up with an eye gouge. When the knight stumbled back, Dana followed, raining punches down on her to keep her off balance.

"You...talk...too...much," Dana wheezed, her lungs already getting better. Resetting those ribs was gonna be a bitch, but that was just another dead girl problem.

"How? How are you doing this?" Tasia tried to cut Dana with her own sword, but the zombie was too close. The knight was completely on the defensive now, unable to get her footing.

"Pilates," Dana replied, then grabbed Tasia by the neck and squeezed. She didn't want to kill the woman, but maybe she didn't have a choice anymore. Tasia was already gasping for air, her fingers clutching at Dana's hand. Those pale blue eyes of hers fluttered for a moment, then dilated completely.

Tasia let out an inhuman growl and dropped her sword. She grabbed Dana by the neck with one hand and casually lifted her off the ground. Surprised, Dana squeezed Tasia's throat, wondering where this sudden surge of strength had come from. She punched Tasia in the face, but the knight didn't even flinch.

Roaring, Tasia slammed Dana into a nearby wall, cracking the drywall and firmly planting Dana between a pair of studs. The knight's features elongated, her mouth stretching into a muzzle that revealed powerful clenched teeth. Hair sprouted along the woman's arm, and then her entire body. Dana could hear bones snapping as they morphed and shifted, Tasia gaining at least a few inches in height as her transformation completed.

The knight had turned into a werewolf.

This violated pretty much all of the rules as far as Dana was aware. It was the middle of the day and there was no full moon. Then again, her knowledge of werewolves was based entirely on Hollywood assumptions. The one thing that was resoundingly clear about werewolves right now was that this one was going to tear her apart.

She grabbed the hilt of the blade buried in her chest and twisted it at an angle to hit the catch that would cause it to collapse. It did significantly more damage to her body while folding itself back up, slicing through her liver, but the shortened blade was now perfect for stabbing Tasia in the forearm.

The werewolf let her go, stumbling back as steam hissed from the wound in its flesh. Dana went on the offensive, slashing at the wolf. She paused only long enough to pick up her own blade, then continued forward. Tasia swiped at her with clawed hands, but Dana slapped the attacks to the side as she backed down a nearby hallway.

This situation had gone from bad to worse. Her body was in bad shape--even though it didn't hurt, all it would take is an unlucky break to lose the use of an arm or leg, and that would be enough. Dana tried to make a break for it, but the werewolf ripped through a nearby wall instead of giving chase, cutting off her exit. This left her with little choice but to keep slicing at the lycanthrope with her swords, which seemed to actually hurt the creature.

They did this dance for a few minutes, and Dana couldn't help but watch in awe as the wounds on Tasia's body closed up in seconds. She had stabbed the woman with a blade coated in zombie blood, but nothing had happened yet. Did that mean Dana wasn't infectious? Or perhaps werewolves were immune?

Dana was back in the office from where she had launched the drone. She moved through the window onto the scaffolding. Tasia was hunched over, nearly on all fours, her muscles tensing up and her claws ripping the old carpet. Dana stared at the werewolf, swords held up in a defensive stance.

There was hot fury in those pale blue eyes. Dana couldn't tell if Tasia was still in there, or if the wolf had taken over. She had plenty of questions and no way of getting answers, so she pulled another tactic straight out of the Lily playbook.

"Bad dog," she shouted. "Sit!"

Tasia charged forward as Dana leapt to the side. Tasia grabbed onto the railing to keep from falling over the edge while Dana ran along the shaking boards that connected them to the next bank of windows.

She folded up the swords and dove head first through the window, tucking into a roll that ended with her back on her feet. Dana ran through the office until she found her backpack by the fire escape door. The boogie board was broken in half, so she left it behind and shoved the door open. Already, she could hear Tasia's growls coming down the office hall.

Dana jumped over the side of the fire escape and dropped, only to grab onto the next railing. She hopped her way down the fire escape and was almost to the bottom when the door above banged open.

Hoping that Tasia wouldn't be able to hop over the side of a ten-story building without harm, Dana made the final drop to the street. She tried to tuck and roll to distribute her momentum, but the backpack screwed her up and she ended up flat on her back. Above, she could see Tasia staring down at her with semi-human features and a mask of pure hatred.

Dana rolled onto her stomach and started running, her limbs not working quite right. She got plenty of stares, but ignored them as she broke into an all out sprint. Could Tasia track her by scent? If so, that presented a unique problem.

"Fucking hell," Dana muttered, flipping her backpack onto her stomach so she could rummage in it as she ran. She found her cellphone inside and dialed Eulalie's number. The Arachne answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Dana." Eulalie sounded tired. "What's going--"

"I need you to tell Lily that I've got a werewolf on my tail and am going for a swim." Dana ignored the funny looks she got from others. It occurred to her that she was covered in blood. "I need a change of clothes, gonna swim north a few miles to throw her off the scent."

"Did you say werewolf?" There was suddenly energy in the Arachne's voice.

Dana sighed. "Yes I did. I'll call you back later when I'm out of the water." It didn't take her long to find access to the ocean, but it did mean scrambling across some rocks beneath a bridge. Grateful that her phone was waterproof, she dove into the water.

Tasia gazed in horrified wonder at the mess she had made of the office building. Her unexpected encounter with the witch had caused her to shapeshift against her wishes, and she had lost control for most of the fight as a result. It was only after Dana had escaped that she had managed to regain her composure.

"Fuck!" She slammed her fist into a wall, causing the stud to crack. A few more punches helped her to feel better. It wasn't like anyone would mind a little more property damage. This incident had been ill-timed, and her best hope was that Lynn would back her up.

Groaning, she sat on the floor and put her face in her hands. Her outfit was torn and bloody, but her wounds were mostly gone. If not for the magical nature of her sword's edge, it wouldn't have been able to pierce her skin.

Fuck, her sword! That bitch had taken her sword!

Howling in rage, she hooked her hands into the wall stud and ripped out a good section of the frame. Somewhere in the building, she heard a door open.

"Hey, who's there?" Footsteps approached, but went silent. "Holy shit."

The footsteps receded, followed by the sound of a door again. Assuming that whoever had come to investigate the noise had gone for help, Tasia made her way to the fire escape and let herself out. The witch's scent clung to the railing, so Tasia made her way off the property and out onto the street.

"Hey, you okay?" A man in board shorts and a tank top stared at her from the curb.

"You should see the other girl," Tasia muttered.

"Think I did. Blonde chick, ran that way." He jerked his thumb.

"Thanks." She followed the scent trail, noticing the sour stench of death was even stronger than normal. Witches were known to dabble in some odd domains, but death magic was exceedingly rare. She pulled out her phone and called Master Lynn, but it went to voicemail.