Hollowed (Half Light)

by Kelley York

  Amazing how a single feeding can make Oliver look alive again. I'm willing to bet after the beating he took, he needs more, but he's a good boy and wouldn't kill someone for it. Though now that he has Daniel and me here and he's feeling better, that apparently means it's back to work.

  "Cole wants to kick the search for Maverick up a notch," he says, wiping at his mouth. "See if we can't catch one of his lackeys alive. Maybe that Alex girl; she's the weakest of them and the most likely to crack."

  "Or Fred," I offer. "He's stupid enough to let their location slip."

  "Whoever we can get is fine. Asking them nicely obviously won't work. And this time, the three of us stick together. No more splitting up."

  Sounds great to me. "Sir, yes, sir! Though please tell me we're not heading out right this instant."

  "No." Oliver toes off his shoes as though to prove his point. "We all need rest. You need to eat, and not all of us heal so quickly." At that his gaze flicks to Daniel, who feigns obliviousness.

  "I'll take sleep first." I get to my feet, already hearing my bed—and shower—calling my name. Daniel looks like he might follow me, but I wave him off. Not because I don't sleep better when he's with me, but because I think Oliver's more capable of getting him to rest the way he needs to. And I guess...I kind of want to be alone for awhile. I have a lot of information to process.

  "Hey," Oliver says. I linger at the door. "Are you going to be all right?"

  Sure, I guess. I like to think I'm tougher than I look. A few breakdowns here and there, maybe, but nothing I haven't handled so far. "Yeah, I'm super. Good night, boys."

  23. Friday – 3:03am

  I don't sleep. Shower, get into bed, close my eyes? Yes. But no sleep.

  My brain is running a hundred miles a minute with all the things that have happened over the last twenty-four hours. Ever since I last woke up and Daniel told me Oliver was missing.

  There's Noah and his witchy-ness. I saw magic, real magic, right before my very eyes. The knife he used to cut Artie and rot his flesh, the fog he must have summoned in order to help us escape and the seal he used on the door... If I were smarter, if I hadn't been so distracted, I would've asked questions. Maybe Cole knows more about the witches that he can tell me.

  Second, there's Joel and the fact that he didn't turn me. If he didn't, who did? I can't even think anymore that Cole and Oliver would lie to me. The idea is so stupid. But Oliver did say a bite could be all it took, even though it was a one in a million chance. Maybe Joel's bite did turn me and he didn't know it.

  There's so much more. Ruby, her relationship with Noah. I wish I knew how to contact her shy of aimlessly wandering the streets in search of her; she could be anywhere. If I had just a few minutes, I could ask about her past with Noah. She probably doesn't even realize he and I know each other, and I wonder what she'll say when she finds out that I'm head over heels in love with him.

  Maybe I can leave that part out for now.

  I'm still dwelling on it when something jars me out of sleep. Sleep? Yeah, I must have finally dozed off at some point, because the vibrating phone on my nightstand definitely woke me up. I grasp for it blindly in the dark.

  "H'llo?"

  "Briar," Ruby says. "Were you sleeping?"

  A burst of adrenaline jerks me upright in bed. "Yeah, no, it's okay. What's up?"

  "Can you talk? I just wanted to check on you. I heard Artie got himself killed."

  "Noah killed him." I regret the words as soon as they're out of my mouth. The heavy silence makes me think I shouldn't have brought him up.

  "You've met Noah," she finally murmurs in a voice so distant and sad it reaffirms my thought that Noah was completely wrong about her. This entire thing between them has to be a misunderstanding. Even back at the café, she looked so unhappy talking about him. She misses him. Who wouldn't? If they would just talk...

  Though what would that mean for me? Where would I stand if the two of them made up? If they got back together?

  "Yeah, well, no. I mean, I didn't just meet him. I already knew him." I have to be honest with her, there's no way around it. "I dated him."

  Silence.

  "Ruby?"

  "I think we should talk."

  "We are talking."

  "In person, I mean."

  I frown, running a hand through my hair. "Where are you?"

  "Look outside."

  Shivering, I shove the blankets aside and head for the window, peering down into the parking lot. It's too dark to see much, but I think I spot Ruby, staring up at the building from the sidewalk.

  Duh, she already told me she knew where I was staying. I could ask her to come up, but I don't want Cole or Oliver interrupting. Though maybe I can talk her into staying, maybe the boys would be willing to help her like they've helped me.

  "I'll be right down."

  Five minutes later I join Ruby outside, bundled up against the chill. Still a few hours until dawn. Ruby wears a thick jacket and has on one of those scarves she's known for, and she gives me a smile when our eyes meet.

  "You're looking a little pale," she says. "When did you eat last?"

  I shrug, falling into step alongside her as we head down the street. I won't let her take me far, but up to the corner and back should be fine. "It's on my to-do list."

  Ruby gives me a long look. "You're stressing yourself out, aren't you? You always did things like that. Forgot to eat before a test or made yourself sick with nerves."

  This is a little more than nerves, I think. This is life or death. The survival of me and everything I hold dear. Still, I shrug it off like it's nothing. She links her arm with mine, giving it a squeeze. The gesture makes me smile.

  "Come on, we'll grab a bite to eat while we're out."

  A bite to eat. Cute.

  "We can't go far," I say, letting her lead me down the sidewalk toward apartment complexes. Deserted this time of night, save for a few people lingering outside of a liquor store and polluting the air with the rank scent of cigarettes, beer, and weed. Too far from the hotel for comfort. I dig my heels in, forcing Ruby to slow her steps as well.

  "You wanted to talk to me about Noah. So...talk."

  She loosens her grip on my arm. I try to read the expression on her face, but it's somewhere between uncertain, wary, and sad. "You two were involved?"

  "For the last few months." I look away, trying to shrug off the feeling of guilt that I've somehow taken something that belonged to her. Of course, if I had known... Ruby hadn't even told me she had a boyfriend before she disappeared. "Not anymore."

  Her eyes narrow. "He turned on you after he found out what you were, didn't he? I'm so sorry, Briar. I didn't know until after I was turned how much he hated vampires."

  I draw my arm away from her grip, hands shoved into my pockets. "He said he tried to give you a chance."

  Ruby scoffs, eyes rolling.

  "...but that you had changed too much. You were attacking and killing people." Why am I bringing this up now? I can't possibly believe any of that crap Noah told me.

  "That's what he said?" Even though Ruby has always been a better liar than me, she's not a pro. But the way her gaze sobers and looks so lonely tells me she isn't faking this. Noah was wrong.

  Impulsively, I wrap Ruby up in a tight hug. She startles, arms hanging limply at her sides like she doesn't know what to do with them.

  "I know you wouldn't do it," I mumble. "You aren't like that. You're a good person. I'm not going to stand by and let him or anyone else hurt you anymore."

  Slowly, Ruby's body relaxes and I feel her arms slide around me. The big sister hugs I've missed so much. She draws her head back enough to look at me, the smile on her face nothing but hopeful.

  "Let's run away, Briar. Let's take off right now. Away from this city, just me and you."

  Me and Ruby. Getting the hell out of here and away from all the danger and drama. When I saw her a few days ago, I would have jumped at the chance. But now...with so much at stake, can
I just abandon Cole, Daniel, and Oliver after everything they've done for me? More than that... "I'm afraid to leave Mom and Dad. What if Maverick and the others..."

  Ruby shakes her head. "They won't touch our parents. As soon as they realize you and I have skipped town, they'll leave, too. But by then we can be long gone. They'll never find us."

  It's a different song than the one she sang the other night. Wasn't she worried about Mom and Dad, too? A little lump forms itself in my stomach. "If I say no, will you be mad at me?"

  Her perfectly arched brows knit together. "I would be confused and ask why."

  "A lot of reasons. There's Mom and Dad, and the people Maverick's been killing. The boys and Noah are all wrapped up in this; I can't just ditch them."

  Ruby's crystal blue eyes narrow, scrutinizing. "You should stay away from Noah."

  "What if this is all some big misunderstanding between you and him?" I say. "If you two got together and you had a chance to explain the truth..."

  "He wouldn't believe me."

  "Why not?"

  "Because that's the kind of guy he is."

  "Funny, he believed me." I wasn't turned on purpose. Noah could have shrugged that fact off, but he was sincere in his reaction that he hadn't known and he didn't assume I was lying. Why wouldn't he believe Ruby, the girl he loved?

  Ruby's arms fall away from me. She turns and begins walking again, heading for the convenience store on the corner. "You're stupid if you don't see what he's doing."

  This tug-o-war between them is worse than getting caught up in one of Mom and Dad's arguments. A lot worse. I jog after her. "Okay, so enlighten me."

  "Noah's not an idiot. He's been at this job for a long time. You're the only thing leashing me to this city. If you die, I leave. Once he uses you to get to me, he'll put a bullet in your head."

  As her expression ices over, sending chills and goose bumps down my arms, I know she can't be right about that. I know Noah. At least, I thought I did. And when I kissed him, he most definitely kissed me back. Quite a good actor if he's pulling one over on me just to get to my sister.

  Then again, Ruby has no reason to lie to me. If she could patch things up with Noah I'm sure she would jump at the chance, just like I would.

  I shake my head and look away.

  "You don't believe me," she says.

  "I don't know what I believe anymore. This whole thing is just...stupid." What better word for it? Like a vampire version of high school. So-and-so is going to get their ass kicked behind the water fountain for messing with such-and-such. Drama. I hated it then, and I hate it now when there's so much more than reputation and ego at stake.

  Ruby starts to say something and I hold up a hand to cut her off, grinding to a halt in my steps. Partly because I really don't care to hear her bash on Noah anymore, but mostly because I have that itching sensation along the back of my neck like something bad is nearby. "Do you feel that?"

  She inclines her head, the frown between her brows smoothing out. I wish I could place who it is and how close they are.

  A moment later, the convenience store door across the parking lot swings open. Out steps Joel, with a giggling dark-haired girl hanging off his arm. Next to me, Ruby's breath hitches in time with my own.

  See, self? This is why you stay at home. Good job.

  Joel catches wind of us and swings his gaze around. His dark eyes lock with mine, burning a hole right through me. For a fraction of a second, his footsteps slow and I'm positive he's going to come after us right here and now. He wanted Ruby and she's right within his grasp.

  Except he keeps walking. The girl with him doesn't notice anything amiss. It isn't until he tears his gaze away to look down at her that I can breathe again.

  "What is he doing with her?" I whisper.

  Ruby's voice comes out as cracked as my own. "She's dinner."

  Like all the other girls who were killed. Like Sherry.

  I should go back to the hotel, grab Cole and Oliver. But Joel will be long gone by then. Ruby and I might be the last people to see that girl alive.

  "Run back to the hotel," I tell her. "Ask for Cole Archer at the front desk."

  "Briar!"

  Ruby's fingers graze my sleeve as I tear after Joel. He and the girl have already disappeared around the corner of the store and when I round the building, they're nowhere in sight.

  His green jacket catches my eye up the street. How he's managing to keep ahead of me, I have no idea. But he knows I'm here; I'll bet he's enjoying this. Around another corner, just in time to see him slipping into an apartment building after his new friend.

  I hit the door running and it holds fast. Locked. Glancing back, I don't see Ruby. I can only hope she went to the hotel to do what I told her—and I don't see anyone else, for that matter. This side-street is devoid of human life this time of night, but I doubt that'll last. I slam my elbow into one of the tiny glass window panes on the door. It gives easily, granting me just enough room to reach my arm through and fumble with the latch until the door swings open.

  Lights flicker feebly overhead. Not one of the nicer buildings, that's for sure. The paint is dinged and peeling and the carpet on the stairs is worn through in spots. No sign of anyone. Can't exactly go pounding on doors in the middle of the night.

  A girl's laughter floats down the stairwell. I follow it. Two, three flights of stairs, and to a door leading into a maintenance hall, hanging halfway open. If I listen hard enough, I can still hear the sound of the girl's voice. More than that, I can feel Joel. His suffocating presence still lingering in the hallway where I stand.

  Once I go up these steps, there's no turning back. I have no one to back me up. And I'm not strong enough to fight him by myself.

  The thought of that girl who has no idea what she's in for spurs me forward and into the maintenance hall. To the right is a glass case and, inside it, a fire extinguisher and a fireman's axe. Some weapon is better than none, so it's more glass-breaking. I snag the axe and tromp upstairs.

  Just as I thought, the door at the top opens up to the roof. Joel has Girl with her back pressed to a hulking air conditioning unit, his lips on her cheek, her jaw. She stops giggling the moment she spots me, the humor draining from her face. "Hey—"

  "I hope you'll trust me when I say you need to get away from him." The axe feels so flimsy and small in my hand considering what I'm going up against.

  The girl looks from Joel to me and back again. He straightens slowly, a wicked smile playing across his mouth. "Almost thought you weren't going to follow for a second there. Did your darling sister ditch you?"

  "No," I say tightly. "She's bringing back up. So I suggest you let the girl go and talk nice-nice with Cole when he gets here." If he gets here. I should have more faith in Ruby to get to them in time, so why am I so worried?

  Girl tightens her grip on Joel's arm. He seems to have forgotten she's even here. "What the hell is going on? Who is she?" She gives his shoulder a hard shove. "You prick! You told me you didn't have a girlfriend!"

  Joel rolls his eyes. "God, always whining." He takes her head in his hands and one resonating snap later, her body crumples to the ground. In that split second, her expression never makes it past confusion, but I see the light go out in her eyes.

  The one thing I came up here to stop... My legs threaten to buckle. "...Why did you do that? You could have let her go."

  "Could have. Would've been more trouble than it's worth." Nudging her body aside, he pockets his hands and takes a step toward me. "You don't realize it yet with those goody-goody friends of yours whispering sweet nothings in your ear, but this is how we gotta do things. The strong rule the weak. As vampires, we're in charge, and there ain't no point in sparing garbage that ain't even worth feeding on."

  "Garbage." I refuse to let his approach scare me off. "She wasn't garbage. She had a name, a family, friends. People who will cry for her!"

  "Those people will grow old and die. And this girl will be all but forgotten. She d
idn't give anything useful to the world. She's survived this long by abusing the systems put in place to help people who really need them." He stops two, three feet in front of me. "I'll make you a deal. Why don't we put all this behind us? You can come with me and I'll show you how we ought to be living. Got myself a nice family now, you see. And it's growing every day."

  Go. With him.

  Like he didn't kill Sherry, like he didn't infect me. To play along with his little group and toss humans aside like trash?

  He's close enough. I swing without letting him finish that thought. It catches him off-guard, and the blade lodges just below his ribs. Slow-motion. His pupils dilate, mouth opening without making a sound. He staggers back, tearing the handle out of my hands. Blood trickles from the corners of his mouth.

  Run. I need to run while I can. Nothing left for me to save here.

  I whip around to bolt for the door, legs like lead, stomach heavy with the sensation of fear. Knowing before I've taken a single step that he's too fast and I'll never make it.

  Joel's fingers twist into my hair and bring me to a halt. There's the sick sound of him yanking the axe out of his body with a pained groan. I'm wrenched toward him, my back to his chest. Too vulnerable like this, too exposed. I'm struggling, thrashing, but everything is happening too fast.

  Where are the others? They should have been here by now.

  "I'll take that as a no," he rasps against my ear, and I feel his lips pressing a kiss just below it.

  The axe blade in his hand splits my throat wide open. There is no time to scream.

  He releases me. I'm vaguely aware of staggering, trying to get away from him. Clutching my throat like I might stop the warm wash of blood spilling down my front. The world blurs and darkens. I see nothing, feel nothing. All that exists is Joel, and the way he reeks of blood and cigarettes. His voice, almost a purr.

  "I'll say hello to your parents for you."

  A hand against my back, shoving me forward where my feet catch the lip of the rooftop and—

  Weightlessness.

  24. Friday – 5:50am

  "Lady?"