Page 38 of Dark Stars
"Is deeply disappointed she can't kill youherself," Alejo snarled. "Youbound me to a demon. We werefriends since childhood. I told you how I felt and you ghosted mefor two weeks, and then Istilldefied my entire family tohelpyou, and you sacrificed me to save your own stupid,reckless self. You lost any right to comment on my life, and you'relucky Bobby hasn't already dismembered you and turned you into soupstock."
"Oh, that's a good idea," Bobby saidthoughtfully, rubbing the back of a finger under his chin. "There'squite a few creatures around here who would love a soup made withhuman stock for a base. Hmm…."
Michael looked ready to scream or cry orboth. "What in the fuck—"
He broke off as the door slammed open, andJones came barreling into the kitchen with a man draped over hisshoulder. Harold was right behind him with another, kicking thedoor shut behind him before they heaved off to deposit the captiveson the floor in the front rooms.
"Guess everyone is here," Bobby saidcheerfully, and got a cup of coffee ready for Harold. "So how'd itgo?" he asked as they strode back into the kitchen free of theirburdens.
Harold grunted and took the coffee. "Theyworship your stupid family, all right. These two have been doing itfor awhile, to judge by how far the corruption has progressed."
"Oh, yeah? We didn't run into anyone thatfar along, so they must have been working elsewhere or were beingkept hidden. The ones we dealt with were all baby faces."
Jones grunted. "Hidden would make sense.These two have been drinking mommy's milk for a long time. A fewyears, at least."
"Which means someone even more corrupted islurking in the shadows," Bobby said grimly. "Damn it, I need to getback to Marsh."
"May as well interrogate these bastardsfirst." His eyes slid over Michael. "Speaking of baby faces,thisis the chump that summoned Leviathan and forced Alejointo an engagement? He looks like he couldn't curse a mouse."
Michael bristled. "I come from a long lineof Wiccans, you stupid jackass. I can take anything you try tothrow at me."
Jones laughed, a low, mean sound, and hiseyes glowed faintly red as he replied, "Little boy, I probablydrained some of your ancestors dry."
"Vampire," Michael hissed. "I'll stakeyou—"
"Be quiet," Bobby cut in, "or I'll removeyour tongue."
Michael's mouth closed so hard his teethclicked, and he stared at Bobby like a bird watching a cat. "Whatare you?"
"Little boys who backstab their friends andtreat with demons don't get to ask questions. Now sit there, drinkyour coffee, and we'll deal with you after we're done with ourlittle cult friends. Alejo, do you want to stay with him or comewith us?"
"Should he be left alone?" Alejo asked. "I'drather go with you, but…"
"He can't do anything I won't know about,and just to be completely overzealous about it…" Bobby stepped inclose, grabbed Michael by the throat, and hauled him upright. Aquick flick of a clawed thumb had blood seeping from a small cut inhis cheek. Bobby licked it away. "Stay in this kitchen and behave.If you try anything, I'll know. If you try to leave, you won't getfar. I have the taste of you now. I'll know you anywhere, no matterhow you try to disguise or hide. I can follow you, find you,wherever you go. So behave."
He dropped Michael back in his chair and ledthe others from the kitchen into the rest of the house.
The cultists were tied up, both physicallyand with arcana, and they stared wide-eyed at Bobby. "You're one ofthem! You are the same blood as our Great Mistress the All-Mother.Are you one of her holy spawn?"
Bobby laughed. "No, certainly not. The BlackGoat would rather eat me than acknowledge me."
The second cultist, smaller and quieter thanthe first, "But you bear the same energy markers as the Lord of theForest. Different in many ways, but unmistakably the same."
"Do I?" Bobby asked softly. That was aproblem. If they could see such things, they were even moreadvanced—corrupted—than Jones had theorized. Which meant they couldalsohidetheir true powers. "Who are you, then? CorruptedHumans turned Adoring Spawn of the All-Mother? And why shouldn't Ikill you outright for the atrocities you have wrought? TheAll-Mother enjoys her bloodbaths, the chaos that comes from worshipand hunger and greed. How many lives have you taken? How many morewould you take to please her? To continue drinking her milk?"
"Whoareyou?" the first oneasked.
"I am Ctheldush, son of the Secret One."
The two shared a look, some silentconversation, before they turned back to him and the smaller onesaid, "So it's true, all the whispers in the dark. The Secret Onetook her pleasures in a human and bore a halfling monstrosity whobrings deadly light to the dark places. The Lord of the FlickeringLights."
Bobby recoiled. He was talked about? He hada title? The dark had never told him that.
The urge to run, to confront the dark aboutthis, was strong, but he would not show such weakness before theselittle humans. Instead, he stood his ground and only replied, "Iprefer Bobby. What are your names?"
"I am The Lady's Moon."
"Of course you are," Bobby said with a sigh.His mother would be so entertained by all of this. "You then?"
