The Hollow Gods (The Chaos Cycle #1)

Chapter 41

Chapter

Forty-One

Kai

Kai tugged on the knot to make sure it was secure. A slow grin spread over his face; he’d been rewarded with a new toy after his little adventure, and he was eager to test it out.

“Seriously, where did you get that?” Miya eyed the hammock suspiciously. She’d conked out pretty hard after their fun the previous night, though Kai reckoned her exhaustion also had something to do with the otherworldly shenanigans. Now well into the following day, she seemed intent to stick around even as the sky darkened. Time flew by when they were together, and he had to admit...it was nice.

“Stole it from some campers while you drooled on my pillow.” He flashed her a devilish grin, tying another knot. He’d gone to scavenge for food and came upon a campsite complete with stale burgers, beer, and the hammock.

Kai leapt into the canvas net, tensing up just in case it collapsed. “Safe.”

“I’m not sleeping in that,” she told him, taking a step back as he pouted.

“Why not?” He snatched her wrist and tugged her towards him. “It’s not like we’re going to have sex in it.”

“Oh, you’ve considered it.”

“Crossed my mind.” He smirked. “But then I realized you’d bitch about the rope burn.”

“Wow, I’m such a buzzkill,” she laughed, then crawled onto the hammock next to him.

“So,” Kai prodded her with his elbow, “how was it?” He’d already asked last night, but he would’ve appreciated a bit more ego stroking.

“How was what?” She batted her eyelashes, feigning innocence.

Kai arched a brow, scantly amused by the fib. “Did you already forget about us fucking?”

“Oh, that!” She smiled sheepishly. “It was fine.”

His mouth dropped open, every muscle taut as her words sunk in. “ Fine ?”

Miya shrugged. “Can’t say I feel any different. The world is still the world, and the earth hasn’t shattered beneath my feet or anything.”

Kai eased back and chuckled. “I did say it wasn’t a big deal.” His eyes narrowed at a passing cloud. “Really, though, just fine ?”

He could hear her pulse thundering under her skin like a war drum. She was grinning when he glanced over, her cheeks ablaze as she reached over and patted him on the crotch. “You were magnificent,” she patronized.

Kai hacked on a snort and burst into maniacal laughter. “Say whatever you want, Lambchop. That tomato you call a face doesn’t lie.”

“Well, I guess you don’t need my validation, then,” she shot back, her eyes sparkling with glee.

“Touché,” he grumbled his resignation.

She shuddered against his arm, sucking in a breath through clenched teeth. “I’m going to freeze out here.”

Kai reached under the hammock and grabbed the wool blanket Ama had left them. She’d flown in like a homing missile after sensing Miya’s distress—though she arrived pretty late to the party and well after the fireworks. Of course, that didn’t stop her from casting judgemental glares after seeing the literal bloody mess Kai made. Fearing his incompetence, she supplied them with blankets and an ointment for Miya’s wound.

Kai spread the quilt. “If you want someone to blame, blame that shit-nugget inside.”

“The unconscious guy you found while you were robbing that campsite? I’ve seen him before at the market.” Pulling the quilt up to her chin, she curled up against his side like a cat. “He’s a tourist.”

“I remember his scent from the hospital.” Kai lifted his arm so she could get comfortable. “Would have left him to the coyotes, but I want to know why he’s following me. Ama thinks he’ll wake up soon, so she fucked off and left him with us.”

“Wait—you were in the hospital?”

“Long story,” he said. “Got hit by a bus.”

“What! How are you—” She gestured over his body.

“I heal freakishly fast. Consider it one of my perks.” He winked.

“And you never thought to tell me!” She threw an arm up and let it fall limply at her side. “Fine then. Can I just stab you when you’re evasive and insufferable?”

Kai leaned close and scrutinized her. “Between the two of us, I thought you would have healthier conflict resolution skills.”

“Not under your influence,” she puffed.

Kai opened his mouth to respond when the cabin door swung open, and out came the shit-nugget. He looked hungover, squinting at the sky like he’d just seen Jesus. Kafka circled overhead, squawking like a personal alarm system. Kai was aware this fool had been in his hospital room, rummaging through his things while he pretended to be unconscious. Survival instincts told him this man was dangerous; not because he meant to be, but because he was a moron. He considered snapping his neck at the first opportunity, but something told him his teething baby lioness wouldn’t be pleased. Kai begrudgingly accepted that he wanted to see more of her, and murder wouldn’t help his chances. He watched as their intruder stumbled out in search of salvation.

“Should we get his attention?” Miya whispered.

“Naw,” Kai grinned. “Let him find his own way.” He dropped his head back against the hammock, closing his eyes and enjoying the cool breeze while his ears remained attuned to the nearby irritant.

The stranger wandered up to them and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, could you tell me where—” he stopped mid-sentence, his heart pounding like a greyhound’s feet on tarmac.

When Kai opened his eyes, the man’s mouth was agape, his bloodshot eyes like saucers as he gawked at the pair in the hammock. The colour was fast draining from his face, his expression stupefied.

“It’s you!” He pointed an accusatory finger at Kai. “The man with wolf’s blood.”

Miya pushed herself up on her elbows and peered at him. Feeling protective, Kai too sat up, his nonchalance falling away.

“Are you Kai Donovan?” the intruder asked pointedly, his shock morphing into something sharper. Something aggressive.

“Who’s asking?” Kai regarded him through slit eyes.

A relieved smile spread over the man’s face, and he extended a hand. “Mason Evans.”

Kai ignored the gesture. Handshakes always came from people who wanted something. He fixed a cold stare on Evans’s face. “Your name doesn’t mean anything to me.”

“Of course,” the man withdrew his hand with a tepid smile. “I’ve been looking for you. Your blood has to be the stuff of miracles.”

“Did you stalk me into the woods?” Kai pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, “You’re worse than that fucking tree.”

Evans shook his head. “I’m not a stalker. I just didn’t expect to run into you here.” He paused when he noticed Miya shackling Kai to the hammock, his face exploding into a mural of squirrelly emotions.

“I remember you from the market.” He sounded sure of himself, turning his finger at her like a laser-pointer. “You’re the girl they’re looking for. The girl from the village.”

She loosened her grip on Kai’s arm. “They?”

“The villagers,” he began, “They’ve been looking for you. You’ve been gone for almost five days.”

Kai heard her heart pattering against her ribs. She was gripping hard again, squeezing the blood right out of his wrist.

“F-five days? That’s not possible—it’s only been a day and a half! Two at most!” She threw the blankets off her legs. “There’s no way—”

“Time works differently here,” Kai broke in, placing a hand on her knee. “It’s happened to me, too.”

“Listen,” Evans raised both hands as if he were calming a child. “The villagers are looking for you. They’re on some witch hunt. They think you’ve been kidnapped and they’re ready to burn down the whole forest to find you. You know what happened to Elle Robinson, right?”

“Why would you go with them?” Miya asked. “You’re not from here, so why would you go along with it? Couldn’t you stop them?”

“No way!” he exclaimed. “They would have lynched me. I came here to warn you!”

Kai felt his blood boil. He knew they were referring to the legend. Every time one of the girls went missing, the villagers blamed their bedtime stories. Now they were trampling through his home, hunting their boogeyman.

Evans sighed. “It sounded insane—everything people here believe. But I had to know if it was true,” he admitted. “There must be a reason for this.”

He spoke like a man with blinders on. Whatever his goal, Kai could smell he was trouble.

“That’s cute, but what exactly do you want from me?” He grunted.

“Your blood.” Mason Evans didn’t hesitate as he looked Kai straight in the eye. “I want to study it.”

“Why?” Kai growled.

“You survived what should have been a fatal accident—without any treatment. If there’s something in your DNA that helps you heal, you could save countless lives.”

“What are you? Some kind of mad scientist?”

“I’m an oncologist,” he replied. “I know you probably don’t care, but I’ve been through too much to mince words.”

Miya frowned, eyeing him suspiciously. “If you’re a doctor, why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in some big research hospital at a university or something?”

He turned to her, the lines in his smile bleeding a sickening nostalgia. Kai hated sentimentality, and this guy was constipated with it. “I came here to get away from something. A patient of mine. She died before her time, and it was my fault. I came here to forget about it. But then I heard about the Dreamwalker, the willow,” he returned to Kai, “and then you.”

“Wait, back up,” the little lioness interjected. “You’ve been running around with these lunatics to stalk Kai because you want his blood?”

Evans’s mouth popped open, his face scrunching in displeasure. “As I said, I came here to save you.”

Kai snorted. Was he expecting thanks?

“Save me?” Miya raised a brow. “And is that for my sake, or for yours ?”

“Does that matter!” Evans threw his arms out. “The point is you’re in danger and—”

“Someone’s coming,” Kai hushed them, jumping out of the hammock. “Two of them.”

Evans opened his mouth, but he was quickly shushed by Miya. Barely a moment later flashlights could be seen, and two men emerged from the trees. One of them had a rifle, while the other carried an axe over his shoulder.

“Oh no,” said the onco-whatever. “You two should get out of here before they start trouble.”

“They’ve already started trouble,” replied Kai. He knew what bloodlust smelled like. From the corner of his eye, he saw Miya take a step back and move closer to him. She seemed to trust his instincts.

“Who’s there?” The man with the axe called out as they approached. He was the more confident of the two—tall with bulging biceps and shoulders. Hopefully, the shorter one with the gun wasn’t nervous and trigger-happy.

“Who the hell are you?” Axe-man demanded as he puffed his chest out at Kai. He gave the scrawny doctor a suspicious glance but seemed less threatened by him.

Seeing the snarl creeping onto Kai’s face, Miya quickly cut in. “He’s just—”

“Wow, not so fast, miss,” the other one warned, cocking his rifle. “We’ve been instructed to be real cautious with strangers out here.”

“But I’m the—”

“No one asked you anything!” the burly one hollered. He shone his flashlight in her face before addressing Kai again. “Now identify yourself. I haven’t seen you with any of the search parties.”

“You wouldn’t know me,” Kai glowered. As the light passed over his face, crimson reflected from his mahogany eyes.

“Shit!” the lumberjack wannabe jumped back, dropping the flashlight to the ground and swinging the axe off his shoulder.

The other one raised his rifle, pointing it straight at Kai. “What’s wrong?” His voice wobbled as he glanced wildly between his target and his friend.

“His eyes, man! He’s not human!”

Before the bullets came blazing at him, Kai kicked the flashlight straight at axe-man’s face. The gym rat managed to turn away just enough to avoid a concussion, so Kai lunged at him to draw attention away from Miya.

It worked. The gunman shakily followed while his friend roared in a fit of rage, swinging his weapon like a berserker. With Kai’s nimble body and quick reflexes, those heavy swings were easy to evade. Yet as the man turned to face him, something else caught the wolf off guard; his attacker’s face was warped beyond recognition. His eyes were pitch-black, his mouth twisted open and disjointed while his flesh cracked and split like a chasm. Dark blood oozed from the cavity slithering up the side of his face. It was enough to break Kai’s focus, though he managed to pull himself together for the second flurry of attacks.

Kai could hear Abaddon’s laughter emanating from a shadow lurking somewhere behind the logger. He knew the phantom was the puppeteer pulling the strings, and the human nothing more than a faceless puppet wearing a grotesque mask.

“Kai!”

Miya’s voice snapped him back just as the blade came down towards his shoulder. Sidestepping the swing, faded iron passed heavily through the space beside him, pulling the man forward with unchecked momentum. Kai quickly closed the gap between them and grabbed the axe arm. Twisting viciously, he forced the logger to release his weapon. Kai snatched it up and smoothly flipped the haft to turn the blade, striking the man on the back of the head with the butt and knocking him out cold.

Just as he turned towards the second attacker, the deafening sound of a gunshot rattled through the air. The ringing silence that followed was dizzying; he heard Miya cry out as a sharp pain cut through his left arm. Kai flinched but quickly regained composure before the gun was aimed at him a second time.

“What’s wrong with you!” It was Miya, throwing herself at the gunman. She grabbed the rifle, yanking it from his grip. The hunter quickly tugged back and shoved her—but not before she kicked him in the nuts.

Seeing her tumble back, urgency wrenched at Kai’s heart. He rushed at them with superhuman speed, locking the length of the barrel under his arm and landing a punishing elbow against the hunter’s face. His jaw snapped out of place, the crack followed by a satisfying wail. Fuelled by blind rage, Kai grabbed him by the back of the head and snarled in his face, then clamped his teeth around the man’s ear. Ignoring the muffled plea, he viciously jerked away, ripping the appendage clean off.

An agonized scream followed as the villager fell to the ground, thrashing as he clutched the side of his face. Kai spat out the ear like it was rotten fruit, then brought his heel down on the villager’s head to knock him unconscious.

He could smell the fear and adrenaline as he stalked up to Miya and took her by the shoulders.

“Are you all right?” he asked evenly, though he knew his eyes were still ablaze, blood dribbling down his lips and chin.

She nodded quickly, her body trembling under his touch. He wondered if part of her was repulsed by him.

“He shot you.” Her voice quivered as she clutched his arm. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s fine,” he sighed, glancing down where the bullet had grazed him. He gently pulled her by the elbow. “Let’s get back inside.”

“Kai—you’re shaking.”

Stopping, he looked at his hand—still balled up in a fist. The tremor was noticeable, but it wasn’t from the fight.

“It’s Abaddon,” he seethed. “He’s doing this.”

“If he’s possessing people, we need to get out of here,” Miya urged. “Ama will be back soon. She might have some ideas.”

For once, he didn’t feel like badmouthing the white-haired she-wolf.

“Hang on!” It was the Golden Turd, finally emerging from his paralysis. He rushed over to them. “We can’t just leave them here! You seriously hurt them!”

Kai turned his wrath onto the doctor. “I will fuck the sun out of your sky if you don’t get out of my way,” he threatened, his eyes flashing with poorly controlled anger.

The girl quickly turned to Mason—his face pale as he recoiled. “Not a good time,” she warned. “Just come inside with us.”

“But we need to put his ear on ice!”

“Screw his ear! He tried to shoot us!” she yelled.

“But—”

She threw her arms out in disbelief. “They’re clearly not here to save me. They’re out for blood, just like you said! So you either come with us, or you stay here to sew Van Gogh’s ear back on and risk becoming target practice for the next trigger-happy psycho that strolls by.”

Kai was grateful she took the reins in light of his dwindling restraint. He watched as Evans descended into a moral crisis.

“I’m a doctor,” he insisted. “It’s my sworn duty to help people.”

“And what about us?” Miya’s temper flared as she jabbed him in the chest. “What about your duty to the people who had guns pointed at them for no reason?”

His face twisted like someone had gutted him. “I still don’t think they deserved this.”

“It’s not about what they deserve,” said Kai. “It’s just survival.”

The doctor turned to him, their eyes meeting properly for the first time. Kai knew he was running. The coward didn’t want to make a choice; he didn’t want to dirty his hands.

“If you try to save everyone, you’ll end up killing them all.” Kai glanced at Miya, then back at Evans.

“I destroyed one thing to save another,” he said, wiping the blood from his mouth. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever been able to do right.”