Defiance (30 page)
Authors: Lili St Crow
Easier to control.
We set out down this hall, which looked industrial in an old-fashioned way. Concrete, and full of fluorescent glare that tore into my brain through my eyes. It
was
a warehouse, I figured out, and felt a jab of tired pride as the touch nestled down in my skull again. The old-timey beams and plaster and golden light was behind us, and I had the sudden uncomfortable thought that the whole hall down there had been like a stage set, somewhere for Sergej to play a little game.
was
a warehouse, I figured out, and felt a jab of tired pride as the touch nestled down in my skull again. The old-timey beams and plaster and golden light was behind us, and I had the sudden uncomfortable thought that the whole hall down there had been like a stage set, somewhere for Sergej to play a little game.
He seemed to like playing nasty games. So did Anna. But given the choice between them, Jesus.
Guess you made that choice, didn’t you, Dru?
The twins held Anna up, and the curly-headed one drifted behind Graves and me. I didn’t like that at all, and I kept the
malaika
out. Of course, he had a gun, and silver-grain ammo, and—
malaika
out. Of course, he had a gun, and silver-grain ammo, and—
The touch flared inside my head. “Wait,” I whispered, and pulled Graves to a halt. He leaned on me a little harder than before, his balance moving around like he was drunk or too tired to keep himself fully upright.
That was a bad sign. But still . . . I heard something.
“What?” Blaine had halted. Anna shivered uncontrollably, her hair running with copper highlights even under fluorescents.
Go figure; that lighting makes everyone look sick, especially beaten-up
djamphir
. But it just made her hair look even more beautiful, even tangled and gunky as it was.
djamphir
. But it just made her hair look even more beautiful, even tangled and gunky as it was.
“Something’s going on.” I closed my eyes against the stinging glare. My God, the world was just too bright. If this was blooming, leave me out of it. Except the vampires falling down and choking part. That was okay.
“Dru.” A cough, and Anna tried to raise her head. “Have to. Talk to you.”
“Shhh,” the twin on her right said softly. “We’ll have you safe in no time, Milady.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was lying. Maybe he knew.
“Dru.” Anna let out a soft moan. “Come . . . here.”
“We’ve got to move.” It was the same high, queer, breathless voice that was all I could use when the touch was telling me things. “They’re massing. We’re risking leaving a blood trail. And . . .” I struggled to concentrate. “Something else. Something . . .”
“Dru.” Anna coughed again. It didn’t sound good. She spat, a gob of something bright red that splattered on the floor. “Damn. You. Come. Here.”
“Milady—” Blaine eyed me like he was considering dragging me over to Anna.
Graves stiffened. I solved the problem by taking a couple of steps forward, bringing him with me. At least it might get us moving again. I was beginning to catch my breath, and the itching under the heat of the aspect warned me.
I realized I wasn’t tasting the danger candy just as Anna lifted her head. Thick red dribbled down her chin, and her blue eyes shone feverishly behind a raccoon mask of puffy bruising. The flat copper of her blood was full of carnation spice and terrible pain. I wasn’t sure how she was holding herself up, even with the help of the twins.
She inhaled, deeply. More blood slid down her chin. I tried not to stare.
“I won’t last long.” Another deep breath, and she winced as if the effort hurt down deep. The blood was goddamn
distracting
. “Neither will you. So . . . you have to do something.”
distracting
. “Neither will you. So . . . you have to do something.”
When did this become my job?
But I nodded. Made little fluttering motions with one fist full of
malaika
, trying to get the guys to move. We could talk just as well while escaping here, couldn’t we?
But I nodded. Made little fluttering motions with one fist full of
malaika
, trying to get the guys to move. We could talk just as well while escaping here, couldn’t we?
“Drink.” Anna coughed again, and her head dropped. She raised it with an impatient, tired little shake. “You have to. Drink. From me.”
What the . . .
Then what she said hit home. “Oh,
hell
no. No.”
Then what she said hit home. “Oh,
hell
no. No.”
“Milady!” Blaine sounded shocked. What was it with older
djamphir
sounding like prissy maiden aunties? “You can’t—”
djamphir
sounding like prissy maiden aunties? “You can’t—”
“Damn right she can’t, let’s just get
out
of here!” If I hadn’t been holding Graves up, I would’ve hopped from foot to foot impatiently.
out
of here!” If I hadn’t been holding Graves up, I would’ve hopped from foot to foot impatiently.
“No!” Anna actually jerked in their arms. “I am
dead
!
He
made certain . . . of that. Blaine. Kip. I consign you to her care. Obey . . . her.”
dead
!
He
made certain . . . of that. Blaine. Kip. I consign you to her care. Obey . . . her.”
What the hell?
“Anna.” I put on my best no-nonsense tone, striving for just the right amount of Gran’s
we’ll have no foolishness here
and Dad’s
I got other places to be so let’s move
. “I am so not going to do this. Let’s go.”
“Anna.” I put on my best no-nonsense tone, striving for just the right amount of Gran’s
we’ll have no foolishness here
and Dad’s
I got other places to be so let’s move
. “I am so not going to do this. Let’s go.”
“Milady—” Blaine had gone chalk-cheesy. The curly-headed one pushed past me, and I would’ve rolled my eyes if I’d had the energy. “We
cannot
—”
cannot
—”
“Don’t. Argue.” Anna stared at me. “Save them, Dru. Please. They’re . . . good boys. They . . . deserve care. Now drink. I don’t . . . have much left. I’m trained . . . you’re not.” It was painful to hear her gasping for breath.
Nobody deserved that. Not even her.
The world stilled itself. My head jerked up. Noise, in the distance.
Rapid popping gunfire. The walls trembled slightly, and Graves and I both flinched as the sound of a distant explosion reached us.
And all of a sudden I knew who it was. “The Order. They’re coming to rescue us.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
We dragged Anna
into a small utility room off the hall. The argument now was whether to wait for the Order to find us, or get outside. I knew what
I
was voting for, but we had serious problems.
into a small utility room off the hall. The argument now was whether to wait for the Order to find us, or get outside. I knew what
I
was voting for, but we had serious problems.
Graves leaned against the wall. His eyes were half closed, darkening rapidly, and his breathing had taken on an asthmatic wheeze. He needed food and rest,
bad
. Bulking up and getting ready to tango with Sergej had depleted whatever reserves he had left. Accessing the Other is hard on the body’s energy factories; it’s why wulfen are so seriously about munchies all the time.
bad
. Bulking up and getting ready to tango with Sergej had depleted whatever reserves he had left. Accessing the Other is hard on the body’s energy factories; it’s why wulfen are so seriously about munchies all the time.
Anna was still bleeding. It wouldn’t stop; she couldn’t heal. Something internal had been broken when Sergej hit her, and weakened as she was from his feeding on her . . . Jesus. Plus, the twins didn’t look so hot either. One of them was limping, and his right arm hung at a funny angle. Blaine was paper-pale, and Kip—the curly-headed ghost-quiet one—was breathing heavily, like even walking was an effort.
I didn’t feel so great myself. The heat of the aspect was starting to fade, and the
malaika
were getting heavy. If another wave of vampires came at us, I wasn’t too optimistic about the whole thing.
malaika
were getting heavy. If another wave of vampires came at us, I wasn’t too optimistic about the whole thing.
Especially if they didn’t choke and fall down when they got near me. Which all added up to a Very Bad Feeling About All This.
Anna shoved the limping twin away. She drew herself up, her knees visibly shaking, and glared at me. “Come. Here.”
I shook my head. Curls fell free, the blonde receding from them. My entire body ached sullenly under the aspect’s flaring and fading. “No dice, Anna. Don’t trust you.”
Her eyes all but snapped sparks, and the blood running down her chin wasn’t just a trickle. “You didn’t . . . leave me . . . there.” Little crimson droplets sprayed. “Come.
Here.
”
Here.
”
I glanced at the door. Kip had propped himself against the lintel, keeping watch on the hall. It was clear, but for how much longer?
“Not leaving you to you-know-who is not the same thing as this, Anna.” The
malaika
were so heavy, dangling in my fists. “Not gonna come near you, and especially not going to—”
malaika
were so heavy, dangling in my fists. “Not gonna come near you, and especially not going to—”
She collapsed. The twin she still held on to cursed, going heavily to his knees. “Milady,” he whispered, and his face looked like a three-year-old’s for a single, wrenching moment. “Don’t leave us.”
My stomach turned over, hard. I knew I was about to do something incredibly stupid, but it didn’t matter. The chances of the Order reaching us, or us making a usable break for the exit we were heading for, were pretty damn slim.
And God only knew what would happen if Sergej somehow got that spear out of his chest.
“Hey.” I half-turned. Blaine was staring at me. “Help me get my
malaika
up.”
malaika
up.”
“Perhaps . . . ” He wet his lips. Even his tongue was too pale. He’d lost a lot of blood, too. “Milady, perhaps you could . . . share your strength, with Milady?”
I shrugged. “What do you think I’m gonna do, suck
her
blood? No way. She can take a little from me, then Graves can get me out of here while you get her out. And for what it’s worth, I’d keep her away from the Order for a while too. They’re pretty pissed off.”
her
blood? No way. She can take a little from me, then Graves can get me out of here while you get her out. And for what it’s worth, I’d keep her away from the Order for a while too. They’re pretty pissed off.”
Not like I thought Bruce and the rest would do anything to one of their precious
svetocha
, but Anna had played them like fiddles before. I’d be an idiot if I gave her the impression she could just waltz back in and start her little games again. Especially since I was looking at taking a powder in a big way; I didn’t want to end up with a bunch of her loyal
djamphir
chasing me, for Chrissakes.
svetocha
, but Anna had played them like fiddles before. I’d be an idiot if I gave her the impression she could just waltz back in and start her little games again. Especially since I was looking at taking a powder in a big way; I didn’t want to end up with a bunch of her loyal
djamphir
chasing me, for Chrissakes.
It made me feel dirty to think that way. Dirty and tired way down deep inside, the way I imagine adults must always feel.
How do they stand it?
Blaine’s shoulders sagged. He helped me snap the
malaika
back into the harness; I glanced up and found Graves had closed his eyes, his Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed hard. “Hey. Jesus, you all right?”
malaika
back into the harness; I glanced up and found Graves had closed his eyes, his Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed hard. “Hey. Jesus, you all right?”
Another explosion. It sounded closer. Just how big
was
this place we were trapped in? A complex of warehouses instead of just one? If we were in Jersey, it could be any of a hundred places. How had they found me?
was
this place we were trapped in? A complex of warehouses instead of just one? If we were in Jersey, it could be any of a hundred places. How had they found me?
How many of the Order were here, and were they dying or getting hurt trying to get to me? Or to Anna? Was Christophe out there? Guilt hit me with a sick thump, right in the stomach.
“Fine.” Graves coughed. The coat hung scarecrow on him, flapping a little as he moved. “Get whatever you’re gonna do over with, Dru. Then let’s blow this Popsicle stand.”
My smile felt traitorous and unnatural, but it helped. A little. “Watch out for me, okay?” There was no point in keeping it a secret.
He half-opened his eyes, and instead of bright green they were mossy now. But he looked at me, the corner of his mouth lifting in a silent snarl, and one of those instants of communication passed between us, a zing like biting on tinfoil.
As long as I’m breathing,
his look said, and I nodded. Let out a shaky breath, my eyes prickling with hot, useless tears. I shoved the urge to cry away. It wouldn’t do any goddamn good.
his look said, and I nodded. Let out a shaky breath, my eyes prickling with hot, useless tears. I shoved the urge to cry away. It wouldn’t do any goddamn good.
It was hard to get close to her. I kept seeing her face, distorted as she screamed and fired an assault rifle at me. I kept hearing her last words to my mother.
Don’t let the
nosferatu
bite.
nosferatu
bite.
She scared the hell out of me. Even wounded, even bleeding, I was pretty sure she’d have something up her sleeve.
The gunfire was getting nearer, echoing oddly. The touch kept trying to bolt free of my head and show me what was going down, but I was too tired. I needed all my energy for staying upright, and besides, I didn’t want to know. If I was going to die messily when Sergej and reinforcements busted in here, I’d kind of prefer it to be a surprise.
I mean,
ideal
would be no dying at all. But that was looking less and less likely.
ideal
would be no dying at all. But that was looking less and less likely.
Anna was gasping. Under the blood and the bruising she was a bad color, a sort of pale yellowy-gray. The faint ghost of her polished beauty still clung to her, and that made it even worse. She would struggle to get in enough air and let it out with a little hiss that tore right through my chest, because I remembered that sound from Gran in the hospital, the night her owl showed up and the one person who hadn’t ever left me behind slid away from life for good.
Why are you doing this, Dru? There’s got to be a better way to prove you’re not like her.
Except there wasn’t. And I even hated myself for thinking like that.
Go figure.
I lowered myself down to my knees, slowly. “Anna.” Swallowed, hard, hoping Graves hadn’t closed his eyes. Hoping he was watching. “You’re going to have to bite me. I, uh. There’s just no way—”
Her hand shot out, grabbed a hank of my hair, and
pulled
. I let out a short scream, toppling over, and her fingers were slender steel visegrips. She had my head, and I didn’t know where she was finding the strength. My palms slammed onto the floor, but it was too late.
pulled
. I let out a short scream, toppling over, and her fingers were slender steel visegrips. She had my head, and I didn’t know where she was finding the strength. My palms slammed onto the floor, but it was too late.
Because my nose was buried in her blood-drenched neck. And the hunger woke with a snarling roar, dyeing everything around me red.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Sweet. It was
so
sweet
.
so
sweet
.
I’d been pushing the hunger down, keeping it at bay, for a long time now. Christophe said I was stronger than it. But I wasn’t. Not right now, with the rich copper in a haze around me and my entire body aching and the aspect bursting over my skin in a wave of sizzling. My lips, smashed against Anna’s cold neck, opened, and the fangs slipped free.
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