“You don’t know that,” Wyatt disagreed with her.
“I’m pretty confident in that fact. Just tell me what your dad said.”
Wyatt hesitated.
Dev waited.
“Max Breslin is here.”
Hearing that name brought a flood of images to the surface of Dev’s psyche, all of them violent and blood-splattered. She suddenly could focus on nothing but her rage, no matter how hard she tried to control herself.
“Where are you going?” Wyatt asked as Dev headed for the door.
“I am going to get my knife and then I’m going to find Max and slice his throat, from end to end,” she quietly replied, as she dragged her finger across her neck.
Wyatt ran after Dev and blocked her exit.
“Move,” Dev growled.
“No, you move,” Wyatt pushed her away from the door.
Dev took another step towards the door but Wyatt completely blocked her in, refusing to provide her passage.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Wyatt.”
“Then don’t.”
She glared at him and he stared right back, knowing if he moved even one inch, Dev would be out the door in seconds flat. Minutes ticked by as they silently faced off against one another.
“Please,” Dev finally begged.
“I cannot let you go after him.”
“He killed my family.”
“I know that. This is why I didn’t want to tell you,” Wyatt explained, “your reaction, your anger. You say no one can hurt you and you might be right, physically no one can, but mentally is a whole other ballgame and you’re just as vulnerable as the rest of us. I need you to let me handle this one.”
“I hate you,” Dev yelled at him, so angry and hurt.
“Don’t say that. You don’t mean it.”
“I do. I do mean it,” she quietly replied, her anger brimming just under the surface, her pain evident, “I mean it with every molecule of my being. I hate you Wyatt.”
Dev then turned away from the door and headed for the window, leaping out of it easily and hit the ground running. Wyatt watched her as long as he could, wondering where she was headed and how long it would take him to find her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Wyatt changed his clothes, strapped Odara to his hip and slid a blade into the holster on his calf, giving the appearance he spent his morning interviewing Magicals rather than watching Dev try to save Darby's life. He had no idea where Ryker and Jools had disappeared or when they would be back so he shot Ryker a text, giving him a brief rundown of the Max situation. He then headed for his parents' suite, hopeful he was a good enough actor to hide the desire burning inside him to kill Max.
Wyatt felt as if he had known Max forever, but the fact remained that the Max sitting at his parents' kitchen table was not the same kid he spent summers with, training for exams or playing tag with Magicals in the subway tunnels. This Max was a monster who killed Dev’s family and tried to do the same to her.
"Max!" Wyatt called out as he entered the Clayworth's kitchen, "it's been ages."
Max's eyes widened as he stood up and studied Wyatt.
"Geez, can you get any taller?" he asked with a hint of envy.
"You should see Ryker. Full on giant."
The boys hugged warmly. An outsider would never know they were not close friends. Wyatt made himself a cup of coffee and grabbed a bagel before joining Max at the table.
"You hungry?" he asked.
"Thanks, I'm fine. Your dad filled me up plenty good before he disappeared."
"Some things never change, huh?" Wyatt smirked as he sat down.
"Terrible about the vamp. I know she's a friend," Max offered.
"Thanks."
"How is she?"
"Bad. Real bad."
"Vamps survive anything but a good burn, mate. Don't sound so down. She'll come around," Max insisted.
"I hope you're right. Her body's in some sort of shutdown mode. We transfused her with a fresh blood supply but as of now, she hasn't responded."
"Is she rotting?" Max inquired.
"No, which supposedly is a good sign."
Max agreed.
"Vamps and decay do not go together."
Wyatt could not figure out the point of the conversation, but he continued the chitchat nonetheless. He leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee.
"So," Wyatt grinned, "how did we get singled out for a visit from the home office?"
"Ha!" Max laughed and slapped the table, “when did you become so suspicious, chap? It's not like that. I just figured I would stop through and say hello."
"I was kidding. I'm sure if your folks are going to check up on the Clayworths, they have much better means at their disposal than you."
"I would certainly hope so," Max replied.
The boys laughed and continued making small talk for a bit until Ryker walked into the room, joining them, making the childhood reunion complete.
"Maxwell!” Ryker exclaimed as he and Max shook hands, “my favorite Breslin."
"I'm the only Breslin you can tolerate, Ryker," Max corrected him with a laugh.
Jools stood quietly in the doorway of the kitchen, watching the boys interact, amazed at their acting skills. She could not imagine what was going through Wyatt’s head, having to spend time with the killer of Dev’s family.
Max caught sight of Jools as she stood away from the boys and immediately forgot about Ryker and Wyatt. The last time he saw her she was pretty, but like a colt, all gangly legs and arms, without an ounce of grace. The stunning being standing before him now was beauty and grace personified.
“Jools Clayworth,” Max kissed her hand, “you are absolute perfection.”
“Oh Max,” Jools rolled her eyes, “stop it.”
“Love, I would if I could.”
Jools removed her hand from Max’s and walked into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She could feel his eyes on her the whole time and it made her skin crawl. He sauntered over to her while she fixed her coffee, leaning against the kitchen counter, mesmerized by her every move.
“Max,” Ryker called out, “how long are you in town?”
“Just today,” Max answered, his eyes never leaving Jools, “my flight to San Francisco leaves later tonight.”
Wyatt breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that news. He could not wait to get rid of Max.
“What’s going on in San Fran?” Ryker asked.
“Rallying the troops to catch that freaking girl, that kind of thing,” Max explained.
“Ah yes,” Ryker shook his head, “your dad’s evil hybrid.”
Max finally peeled his eyes away from Jools.
“What exactly does that mean, ‘my dad’s evil hybrid’?”
Wyatt already knew where this conversation was going. This routine of Ryker baiting Max into an argument had been playing out since they were all ten years old. Eight years later, Ryker still knew how to get under Max’s skin.
“It means that I think it’s the latest Sanctum nonsense your dad has us pursuing to further his agenda. You know how many missions I’ve been sent on, chasing some girl around the Tri-State?”
“She’s no joke,” Max insisted, “I’ve seen her. She tried to kill me. She practically succeeded so trust me when I say, she’s pretty freaking evil.”
Ryker stepped on Wyatt’s foot under the table, making sure his friend relaxed.
“I didn’t say she’s not a bad ass, Max. I don’t doubt she beat you to a pulp. What I don’t appreciate is being told to kill a girl for no reason at all except that your father says so.”
“He’s got his reasons,” Max cryptically answered.
“He’s always got his reasons,” Ryker shot back. “It’s the same story over and over again, all so The Sanctum can run roughshod over Magicals. And folks wonder why I want out. Your dad is a vindictive, violent clown, hellbent on having us do his dirty work.”
Max studied Ryker for a minute, letting his words sink in, having
heard them all before, many times in fact.
“God chap, it’s brilliant to be around you again. If there’s one thing about you, Ryker, that I commend, it’s your consistency.”
Ryker shot Max a smile that was anything but friendly. Wyatt stood up, knowing that look better than anyone, and drew Max’s attention away from Ryker.
“How about we all get out of here?”
Max and Ryker continued staring at each other as if they didn’t hear a word Wyatt had spoken.
“Max,” Jools tried to help, “how about we show you around a bit? It’s been ages since you were last in the city.”
Max finally turned away from Ryker, stood up and offered Jools his arm.
“A tour given by the likes of you, love, sounds right up my alley. Lead away.”
Jools intertwined her arm with Max’s and led him out of the kitchen. Ryker watched them leave, so angry he could not get up from the table. He closed his eyes, counted to ten, breathed deeply and finally stood. Wyatt watched him all the while, amused by his friend’s intense emotions.
Wyatt wrapped his arm around Ryker’s neck as they left to catch up to Jools and Max.
“That was pure entertainment,” Wyatt laughed.
Ryker didn’t say a word but Wyatt could see a gleam in his eye.
“Just when I think I can’t love you more than I do, you go and do that. Thank you, Ryker Morrison, for being your bad self.”
“It did feel good,” Ryker admitted, “watching that smug bastard squirm for a bit.”
“Now poor Jools is stuck with him,” Wyatt commented as he watched Max lead his sister out the front door of The Academy. “Max can’t take his eyes off her. It’s disgusting.”
“Don’t worry, Clayworth,” Ryker replied as they exited the building, “he tries anything with her and I’ll kill him myself.”
The rest of the afternoon went by relatively quickly, considering they were forced to entertain someone none of them wanted to be near. They grabbed lunch, hit some of their old haunts and once the sun went down, grabbed drinks in the East Village with some vampire friends of Max’s.
Max tried asking his friends about Dev, but none of them had seen or heard of her, despite the notices from The Sanctum that she was in the city. Nor had they heard of the attack on Darby and were shocked by the brutality and seeming randomness of the act. They could think of no reason anyone would want to hurt her and all agreed that even though she kept to herself and scoffed at much vampire tradition, they all still revered her, loved her even. The news seemed to dampen their enthusiasm and soon they were headed back to their lair.
Max checked his watch and prepared to head out as well. They all exited the bar and waited on the sidewalk as he hailed a taxi.
“Guys, it’s been great. Thanks for entertaining a chap,” he shook Ryker’s hand and hugged Wyatt.
“And you, love,” Max kissed Jools’ hand again, resting his lips on her hand a bit longer than she liked, “are a beautiful flower. If you ever want to get away from all of this, call me and I will come to wherever you are and take you wherever you want to go.”
Jools blushed. Max’s attention was embarrassing and unwanted.
“You are far too kind,” she smiled and politely freed her hand from his grasp, “now get in that cab before you miss your plane.”
Max hopped in and closed the door, waving out the window as the cab pulled away from the curb.
“Good riddance,” Wyatt muttered as he watched the cab merge into the traffic on Stanton Street.
“At least Jools got him in that cab before he missed his plane,” Ryker imitated Jools, not seeming at all amused.
Jools ignored his foul mood and punched him in the arm before lacing her own through his and pulling him down the street with her.
“Come on, Wyatt. Let’s go back and check on Darby and your girlfriend,” Jools smirked then grabbed Wyatt and pulled him along.
Wyatt allowed himself to be led through the city streets as his mind raced, trying to figure out exactly what Max expected to accomplish with his surprise visit. Was he trying to gather information about Dev or was he really just passing through New York on his way to the West Coast? He didn’t ask that many questions about her and seemed much more concerned with Darby’s condition than anything else. Reporting it to his dad was of utmost importance so The Sanctum could be notified and Magicals could be warned. The whole day had a very odd feel to it.
"What do you think he was up to with all of that?" Wyatt asked as they reached The Academy.
"Need you ask?" Ryker replied, "it was quite clever for a Breslin: a trip so obvious it wasn't obvious at all. Evidently Max got his brains from his Ava."
"What do you mean?" Wyatt asked, not sure he was following Ryker's logic.
"I mean that of course we're all going to assume he's here to fish around about Dev. The minute he knocked on the Academy door we thought that and he knew we would think that. So instead Max acts as if he's upset by what happened to Darby and wants The Sanctum to focus on hunting down her attacker when in fact, they're behind the whole thing. The extreme torture she endured has Breslin’s signature all over it.
“So Max pretends to be concerned about Darby, The Sanctum can act like they're more concerned about possible random attacks on Magicals, we'll let down our guard about Dev and they'll capture her, using us or information they glean from us."
"That is so freaking convoluted," Jools commented, "and so perfectly Breslin."
“But they got nothing out of us,” Wyatt noted. “He barely asked about Dev.”
“And that didn’t strike you as odd?” Ryker asked. “Why do you think I went at him right away about that hybrid crap? Because I wanted her to be part of the conversation from the get-go so we don’t seem as if we’re hiding her. Think about it Wyatt: hunting Dev has been our main mission for at least six months now. So when a Breslin shows up on your doorstep, don’t you think one of the main conversations should be about her? Max came here already suspecting that either we know about her, have seen her or are helping her. He didn’t need to bring her up. The fact that we didn’t only confirmed his suspicions.”
Wyatt touched The Academy door and it swung open to reveal Sam waiting for them.
“What’s wrong, mom?” Jools asked, rushing past Sam and heading for the infirmary.
“It’s Darby,” Sam informed the boys.
“What about Darby?” Wyatt asked as Ryker rushed inside and disappeared down the hallway.
“She was fine all afternoon, but when I checked on her this evening, the blood that’s being transfused starting pooling in her wounds. It looked so strange, so I examined a few of her cuts and she’s starting to decay. I’ve cleaned her up and stopped the transfusion for the time being so I can focus on the areas that are decaying, but this is not a good sign. I need Dev to take a look at her.”
Wyatt paused.
Sam wondered why her son was just standing there as if she hadn’t spoken.
“Wyatt, did you hear me?”
“I did,” he paused again, not wanting to admit his error, “but I have no idea where Dev is.”
Sam’s eyes widened.
“What exactly do you mean, Wyatt?”
“I mean pretty much what I just said: I couldn’t begin to tell you where she is right now.”
Sam crossed her arms and shot her son a stern look, the kind only a mother is capable of, the kind that makes one feel about two inches tall.
“Well, I would suggest you take whatever skills you have developed as the premier warrior for The Sanctum, couple them with the bond you have with that girl and you find her and bring her back here. Otherwise, sweetheart, that vampire you boys hold so dear to your hearts is going to meet her final death.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Wyatt left his mom on the doorstep of The Academy and took off into the night, determined to find Dev. He started in the glamoured section of the park where they met, then scanned the entire park, quadrant by quadrant
. When that proved fruitless, he headed to Darby’s townhouse, to be met with silence. Dev was nowhere inside and probably never stopped there at all. Next, Wyatt took to the subway tunnels, both those in use and abandoned. Down there a few Magicals had seen her during the day, but said it was hours ago and that she appeared to be on the run, never staying in one place for very long. He finally picked random spots throughout the city, hitting every neighborhood, speaking to as many Magicals as possible, but getting nowhere. It was frustrating and even worse, he wasted at least four hours of Darby’s fast-fading life.
He tried calling Ryker but his cell was long dead, so he headed back to The Academy, sweaty, dirty and dejected. He hoped Ryker would know where to look because he was at a loss.
Wyatt checked his watch as he walked into The Academy and headed towards the infirmary. It was three in the morning and so very quiet. He figured everyone was either in the infirmary with Darby or they were asleep. The least he could do, after wasting so much time tonight, was to sit vigil by her bedside for the remainder of the night. He would pick up his search for Dev first thing in the morning.
The lights were dim in Darby’s room, but he could make out her tiny figure easily, lying lifeless in bed, still attached to the transfusion tubes. Wyatt quietly approached her, unsure of what he would find. He had seen plenty of vampires perish, but it was usually fast. They went up in flames and turned to ash. He had never seen one decay. It sounded slow and awful and he didn’t know if he could watch it happen to Darby.
He pulled up a chair next to her bed and held her hand, comforted by its familiar chill. Wyatt moved closer to the bed so he could rest his head next to her, he was so tired and defeated. He was supposed to be a superior specimen, some warrior hero but he failed the one mission that depended on his expertise.
His knowledge.
His bond.
Closing his eyes, Wyatt bowed his head in shame. He was devastated for Darby, distraught for Ryker. He didn’t know how he would face his friend in the morning and tell him he could not find the one person who could help Darby. He thought about all the places he looked for Dev and everywhere else he should search, coming up with new places in his head, making a mental list until he collapsed from exhaustion.
Book One: The Girl (The Sanctum) Page 24
