Shadow's Kiss (Monstrous Hearts: Fleur's Story)

Chapter Thirteen

Fleur couldn't stop screaming while the mannequins dragged her over the scrubby grass of the backyard. Her fingernails slid off plastic hands, trying to scratch a way free. When that didn't work, she flailed as much as possible, knocking off fingers, sunglasses, and once even a head when she kicked up high enough.

It didn't matter. The mannequins showed no signs of weakness. Their limbs took dents from her fury without flinching even while forcing her to sit down against the post of a barbed wire fence. The worn wood scratched against her clothes, not giving an inch despite her struggles.

Pain shot through her wrists as a mannequin forced her arms above her head. Then she heard a bright, dangerous twang and realized another had ripped some barbed wire free. Rusted metal bit deep into her skin, pinning her hands tight against the post. If she tried to move, she'd rip her flesh.

Her fingers curled in panic while the mannequins retreated to one side. Then she realized Ben Reaper was ambling down the stairs from the back deck, still looking like a pleasant old stoner. When he grew close enough, he said, "Sorry about this. It's just bad luck on your end."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

He laughed, unoffended. "Everything. My ribs creak when I breathe from breaking them too much, my knees are so shot I can barely bend them to sit on the toilet, and I can't lift my arms above my head from arthritis. Look, I know what's up. The guy you're with isn't human. Mason saddled you with a demon. The last time he called me, he said he was going to bind a powerful demon into servitude. Now here you two are. Maybe you need help keeping him under control. Maybe it's something else you're here for. All I know is you have to take chances where you can. Sorry, dude, but I'm keeping the demon for myself. I need his power, and maybe a better familiar than these mannequins."

"Fuck you." Her voice was so shredded she hardly recognized it.

"Hey, I'd be pissed off if I were you, too. Life's unfair sometimes. Look at what I used to be. I could have built on that. I almost did. I was in talks to host Shock Proof before some MMA guy got it instead. His brain is mush compared to mine, but I guess they didn't care. I could have remained a household name instead of becoming a decrepit old man. The world takes what it can and then spits the rest of you out. It's a hard lesson to learn, and it's too bad you're going through it now."

Fleur just growled, wrenching at her hands in hopes of sliding free. A few cuts would be better than sitting still and helplessly listening to this maniac. Blood streamed down her arms before she gave up. Then one of the mannequins leaned in, fingers outstretched to catch a lock of her hair. She screamed and jerked her head back, trying to avoid its touch.

Ben Reaper was still watching her. "Don't mind them. They just miss having human bodies."

"What?"

Another wheezy laugh. "What, you think you're the only ones who seek me out? A lot of wannabe thieves show up under the guise of being fans, but they're really interested in stealing things or recording hidden footage to sell to shitty gossip sites. I figure it's fair. They try to take something from me, so I take something from them. Their freedom. I like putting them into the mannequins. It's way safer than puppeteering the original bodies."

Fleur's gaze darted among the fixed smiles pointed at her. She was so terrified, she could feel herself starting to cry. "What are you going to do to me?"

"Pass you off to someone else. I don't want to keep you close to that demon. He looked too into you. And once I transfer the bond, you won't matter."

Even as Ben Reaper spoke those words, a figure emerged from the back door of the house and approached them.