The fact that the apocalypse was really upon them hit Jez the day her soulmate died.
"Miss, I don't think it's best for you to see the bodies right now," the burly guard said, stepping in front of Jez. "Maybe you should just wait out here until I speak with Lord Thierry about this."
Any other day, Jez would have back-handed the shapeshifter for speaking to her like that—like she was a fragile human trinket that they couldn't afford the damage. But not today. Not with Morgead lying in that room, his body cold and lifeless. She opened her mouth to say something to the guard, but broke off with a choking sob. There came a commanding voice from behind her and Rashel.
"It's fine, Adrian. I gave them permission to visit." Thierry's voice was commanding, but he also sounded tired. Jez supposed if she'd been in his position she would have been exhausted too. Circle daybreak was barely holding off the end of the world, and he'd just lost Morgead and Quinn—his two best fighters—to an unexpected ambush by nine Night World vampires.
Rashel didn't pause to shoot Thierry a grateful look—as soon as the Daybreaker guard opened the door, she stumbled inside. The door slammed shut as Jez slipped in behind her.
Rashel's breathing hitched as she noticed the two corpses on the tables. Someone had thrown sheets over their soulmates' bodies, perhaps trying to hide the bulbous eyes and leathery skin that Jez and Rashel knew had replaced Morgead and Quinn's normal features.
"Oh, Goddess," Jez sobbed as she staggered to the slightly larger body. "Oh, Goddess, no…"
It was Morgead, she knew. Her soulmate, the little boy she had grown up with, the man she'd fought with so many times lay under that sheet, his skin tough and leathery, his once bright emerald eyes dull and staring. Death made even the most beautiful things ugly.
Images of her and Morgead before her eyes as Jez crumpled in front of the table. A five-year-old Morgead and Jez running through Muir Woods, shrieking and flapping their arms as they pretended to be "helpless vermin". The first fight they'd had for leadership of their gang. Morgead screaming at her after she was staked: "Don't you dare die on me, Jezebel! Don't you dare! Or I will follow you to the next world and KILL you!"
Jez looked at her soulmate's body, wincing at how pitifully small he looked in death. I didn't die, Morgead, she whispered, even though he couldn't hear her. I came back. Why won't you do the same for me?
…
Rashel had seen many dead vampires before, but she couldn't bring herself to look at this particular one. She almost laughed through her tears as she realized who—what—she was grieving. Less than a year ago, the death of a bloodthirsty vampire wouldn't have bothered her in the least—she'd probably have rejoiced to hear that the infamous Quinn was dead, if not been disappointed that she hadn't been the one to kill him.
But now everything had changed. She'd fallen in love during a war between their races, and the man she was in love with lay dead on the table in front of her, murdered as a traitor because he was soulmates with a vampire hunter.
Rashel tried to think of John Quinn's face and was relieved that she could still at least remember what he looked like. She'd never forget his face. But she'd never see him smile again, or frown slightly in that irresistible way that made Rashel fall in love with him all over again. He'd never fight with Ash again when said lamia cheated at poker, or kiss her when they fought just to throw her off-balance.
She was filled with a sudden overwhelming desire to hide from the truth. John, she tried. Reaching out with her thoughts and finding only a brick wall where his mind had once been. Having reality come crashing down on her once again.
Oh, John what has happened to us?
…
And Rashel Jordan: orphan, deadly, vengeful vampire hunter, the world famous Cat, and Jez Redfern: half-vampire-half-human freak, Huntress of her own kind, Wild Power, held each other in the room of their dead soulmates and cried.
This is my first published Night World fanfiction, and I must say I'm happy with it. I know Morgead and Quinn are pretty much everybody's favorite heroes (mine too—second only to Delos. What can I say, the guy's awesome) and if I made you angry by killing them off, I'm sorry.
If you liked it, great. If you didn't, okay. Tell me what you did or didn't like in a review.
