The Dire King (Jackaby #4)(48)

“Yeah, you would,” Pavel agreed. “That’s too bad for you.” He was breathing heavily.

“I can see it rising in you,” said Jackaby. “You don’t have to be the monster.”

Pavel dragged his eyes slowly off me and up to Jackaby. “I’ll have that last vial of blood, and then I’ll be on my merry way. Have fun making a nuisance of yourself, Detective.”

Jackaby hesitated. He pursed his lips and drew out the vial.

“Thank you, Detective. Give her here.” Jackaby did not toss it to him right away. His expression was clouded. Something was wrong.

“Come away from Miss Rook first, if you don’t mind.”

Pavel’s eyes slowly crept back to me, crawling their way from my shoes up to not quite my face. It was a gaze I wanted to scrub off myself.

“You’ve gotten us in,” Jenny said, sliding between us protectively. “You can collect your bloody payment and leave.” She pulled out the wooden stake Jackaby had given her and let the bottomless satchel slip from her shoulder and drop to the ground.

“I know, I know,” Pavel said. “But I have such a long way to go, and they are such small snacks. And, really, Mr. Jackaby doesn’t need so much help, does he?” He leveled the dagger at Jenny.

She was not impressed. “And what exactly are you hoping to do with that?” she asked, pressing forward so that the dagger slid halfway through her chest. “You can’t frighten the dead.” She readied the stake, pressing it firmly against Pavel’s chest. He did not flinch.

“Where will you go, I wonder?” Pavel asked, cocking his head to the side and smirking arrogantly.

“I—I’m not going anywhere,” Jenny replied.

Jackaby slid his own stake out of the lining of his coat.

“If we were on earth, you would snap right back to that quaint old house of yours, wouldn’t you?” Pavel continued. “But we’ve crossed a boundary. Will you make it all the way back there from here? Get lost somewhere in between? Or will you finally go where you should have gone all those years ago?”

“What are you talking—” Jenny began.

Pavel flicked his wrist, and the fine chain hanging around her neck snapped.

Jenny realized what was happening a moment too late. She made a desperate grab to catch the little pewter locket as it spun through the air, but her hand was already dissolving into wisps. Her wooden stake clattered to the ground at Pavel’s feet, and beside it the locket struck the stones and clicked open, brick dust scattering across the top of the wall and blowing away in the breeze. Jenny’s silver eyes flashed to Jackaby as she faded, frantic, desperate, pleading. And then Jenny Cavanaugh was gone.

Jackaby’s eyes were iron. The stake in his hand whipped through the air, but Pavel dodged it easily.

Before I could even reach for my own, there was a blur of tattered rags and I felt icy steel against my neck.

My blood ran cold. No. We were here, on the brink of an actual victory against the Dire King. This was all wrong! Pavel’s knife pressed against my skin.

“Wait!” Jackaby yelled. “Stop! Take it.” He tossed the vial and Pavel caught it without letting up on the knife. “There. You can go. You don’t have to do this!”

“I don’t have to,” said Pavel, casually. “But what did you say, Miss Rook?” He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, his breath cold and clammy. “It’s my nature.”

“Do you really think he’ll still help you if you murder me?” I said, horrified.

Pavel snorted. “Do you really think he’ll let the world burn just because you’ve died?” Pavel said.

“Try me,” Jackaby growled.

“You’ll finish what you’ve started,” Pavel told him, “because the alternative is too much for you to stomach. Me? I win either way. I’ve sent your ghost friend scattering in the wind, and now I’m going to drain your lovely assistant right in front of you. After they’re gone, if you die in a futile attempt to save your little world, then I’ll have gotten my revenge on all of you. If you somehow succeed, I’ll have gotten my revenge on the Dire King. Everybody wins. And by everybody, I mean me. I win. I’m pretty much the only one who wins.”

“I gave you my blood so you wouldn’t have to do this!” Jackaby yelled. “We struck a deal!”

Pavel popped the wax from the vial. “Yes, and I really have to thank you, Detective. I don’t think I could have pulled this off without your little pick-me-ups. It will be nice to have both of you flowing through my veins as I make my exit.” He tipped the last vial into his throat and threw the little glass off the tower.

The blade against my neck trembled. I felt it pierce the skin. I tried to think past my own pulse thrumming in my ears. I had nearly destroyed Pavel once before. True, it had been someone else inside my head, but my hands had done it. That meant it was just a matter of will. With every nerve in my body humming, I rammed my elbow backward and kicked away from the vile cretin. His knife sliced along my neck as I tumbled forward. I spun, ready to lash out and defend myself against his next attack, my neck instantly throbbing with pain.

Pavel dropped the knife.

His hands flew to his throat and he made a wretched choking sound.

I stared, confused and wary. I felt a sharp ache and hot blood running down my neck. Was he mocking me? No. Something was wrong with Pavel.