Thirteen (Otherworld 13)

No response except more screams from the audience.

"Lucifer!" Giles shouted, veins popping.

He wheeled on Jaz, who stood between him and Hope.

"Get out of my way, mortal," he snarled.

"Not a chance."

"Move now!"

Jaz's face rippled. The wrinkles smoothed out, the angles of his face softened. In less than a minute, he was Jasper Haig.

"Like I said, not a chance."

Giles lunged again, this time aiming straight for Jaz. He didn't move. Barely even flinched as the blade slashed open his arm.

"I told you, I'm not moving," Jaz said.

"Are you crazy?"

"Well, that's the diagnosis, though I've never been happy with it myself." He glanced over his shoulder. "Getting close to untying that rope, my love?"

"It would go faster if I had the knife," Hope said.

Jaz laughed and turned back to Giles. "Women. So demanding. I don't suppose you'd care to indulge her by handing me--"

Giles lunged again, this time slicing Jaz's leg.

"I think that's a no," Jaz said, between clenched teeth. "I'd try to take it from him, Hope, but I'm not good with knives. Apparently he is."

"Do you think this is a game?" Giles said.

"I think everything's a game. If you mean that I'm not taking you seriously, I beg to differ. I'm sure you will kill me. First, though . . ."

Hope got her hands free and bent to untie her legs.

"Progress," Jaz said. "Now, if you'll just give us another minute . . ."

With a howl of rage, Giles plunged the knife straight at Jaz's chest. Jaz twisted so it caught him in the side.

"Not quite yet . . ." he gasped, blood soaking his shirt.

Hope got her legs free. She pushed up from the chair just as Elena and Clay smashed through the wall and Adam managed to incinerate a hole. I followed him through it.

Hope stumbled our way, with Giles in pursuit. A bleeding Jaz leaped into his path. Giles's blade sank into his chest. I grabbed Hope. Adam got between us and Giles as Elena and Clay circled to the other side, blocking Giles's escape.

"Good timing, huh?" Jaz said. Then his legs gave way and he crumpled to the floor, the knife buried in him.

Giles went for the knife, but Clay had him by the back of the shirt. Chaos raged all around us, but for once, Hope didn't seem to feel it. She just stared at Jaz, lying on the floor, blood pooling around him. When she tried to go to him, I didn't stop her, just kept my hand on her arm to support her. She knelt in the blood and gripped his hand.

Jaz's eyes opened and he managed a lazy grin. "See, you do love me." His eyelids fluttered, then closed, and he exhaled one last time, then his head lolled back on the floor.

Hope laid his hand on his chest. "No one should die alone," she whispered. "Not even you."

"Hope?" A rough voice sounded from the wings.

Karl lurched through, braced on a makeshift crutch, waving aside a guard tripping along after him. Hope looked up and she stared. Just stared. Then she struggled to her feet, sliding in the blood, as I tried to help her.