The Blood of the Soul

The Point of No Return

A/N: I ended up adding a chapter, but I technically just found a place to break this chapter up so it wasn't a million words long. Enjoy!

Theo

Theo made himself at home in Spike's apartment, but his failure to forge an alliance with the other clans weighed heavily on him. Now, even if Liam succeeded in retrieving that last piece of the weapon, he'd be forced to use it on the mass of demons who had gathered in the abandoned subway tunnels. Even the ones who had shown Theo unwarranted kindness in the darkest moments of his life.

Theo rummaged through his bag until he found the smashed remains of his phone. He imagined the screen cracking and the metal bending beneath the heel of Doug's boot. He wasn't about to walk outside and find a payphone, but he was desperate to talk to Liam.

After wandering around Spike's apartment for a few minutes, Theo finally found an old-fashioned phone with a curly wire connecting the receiver to the headset. He dialed Liam's number, not even entirely sure when he'd memorized it, and sank into the nearest chair.

The phone rang seven times, and Theo nearly hung up, convinced that the slayer either wouldn't pick up an unknown number or had been eaten by that abyssal dragon.

"Hello?" Liam's voice was gruff and hesitant.

"Little wolf." The term of endearment was out of Theo's mouth before he could stop it. His eyes burned at the raspy inhale on the other end of the line.

"Theo," Liam whispered. Theo heard the click of a door, like Liam had retreated to his room for privacy. "Hi, baby. Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm okay. I'm at Spike's apartment. Are you okay? What happened with the dragon?"

"Spike's apartment? What happened with the rest of the clans?"

"Nope, you first. I need to hear that you're okay." Theo could practically hear Liam's smile. "Or at least that the dragon had the decency to bite Brett's head off."

"Do you want the bad news first, or the good news?"

"The bad."

"Steve did not bite off Brett's head."

"Steve?"

"The dragon."

Theo blinked and made a mental note to ask how the dragon had such a human name and, moreover, how the hell Liam knew the dragon's name.

"That isn't just bad, it's downright tragic."

"But you'll be pleased to know I almost broke Brett's jaw."

"Pleased doesn't even come close, Li. Ecstatic. Jumping for joy. Can you not hear the echo of my cheers all the way in Delaware? Because you don't even need a phone for that, baby." Liam's answering chuckle warmed a frozen corner of Theo's heart. "I would've paid good money to see that."

Theo curled up on the couch, stretching the phone cord to the max, and found a blanket that he snuggled into while relaying his story to Liam. Even though Theo had escaped the Dread Doctors' clutches more or less unscathed, Liam's voice had still carried a protective edge after the fact.

"None of the clans?" Liam asked. "Not even a single vampire?"

"Not a one." Theo sighed. "Please tell me your good news involves that weapon being fully functional."

"Well..."

Theo's heart sank. If they had to face the entire supernatural population of NYC without a weapon and without any alliances, then they were doomed. None of them would make it out of this alive.