I returned my focus to Thomas. He was the main threat now. I leapt at him, trying to take advantage of his surprise. I went for his head, but he gracefully ducked out of reach. Although he didn’t react well to new situations, he was fast and agile. His eyes turned hard as I kicked at his knee, and I knew we were in a dance of death; only the best dancer would keep their life.
Thomas tried to capture me in his arms, but I danced out of his way – a tango to his box step. He pursued me across the room with kicks and punches, his blows turning increasingly deadly. I blocked his attacks with my forearms and knees, falling back on the karate Ellen had forced me to take years ago. Our dance took us around the room, destroying any furniture that wasn’t already broken. The room became a swirl of color and sound as we matched blow for blow, the world fading into the background as I fought to keep my life and protect Daniel’s. As we danced, I searched for a way through his guard. I sensed him doing the same to mine.
I found a flaw in his defense first. Thomas favored his left, which caused him to compensate by guarding his right too much. I started aiming for his left side giving vent to a rapid set of moves that put him off balance. He tried to block, but I could see the fear begin to form in his face. He knew what was coming; probably more than I did. I twisted his hand out of the way – a desperate punch at my gut – then jammed my hand towards his heart. Instead of the debilitating move I had intended my hand punched through to his actual heart. I jerked back, tearing it from his chest, before I had tie to stop myself.
Thomas looked at me in shock, all his hatred draining away. I stood there, holding his heart, which was dripping silver blood on to the expensive carpet, and stared into his eyes. What had I just done? His knees buckled under him and he collapsed to the floor with a sigh, his regret his death mask.
I was motionless as the chaos surged around me. I heard the Nightstalkers fighting, furniture tearing, and flesh ripping. I heard someone yelling, but none of it registered. All the anger and power had drained out of me. I had killed. Twice. I was a murderer. I sat down heavily, the heart still in my hand.
It took me a moment to notice I was next to Sheriff Cobb. At first I thought he was dead, but then he started coughing. He looked at me, blood running across his forehead. His thoughts were pain filled and incoherent, his mental shield gone. His thoughts told me my throw, coupled with the Nightstalker’s charge, had hurt him bad.
“Just a drop of blood,” he pleaded. “Just a drop and I’ll live forever. I would be your greatest protector. You would live forever as my granddaughter. We would rule the world. We would stop the war and the killing. There would be peace forever. Just a drop given willingly…Please?”
He clutched at my arm, the arm holding Thomas’s heart. I cringed and leaned away from the fevered light in his eyes, more afraid of him then my fight with Thomas.
“For a drop of blood, you would ruin so many lives? You would hurt so many?”
I thought of Gavin Nichols and Ryan Holt. I thought of Amanda. I thought of the Adamses and Daniel. Cobb didn’t respond. I didn’t see how my blood would help him live forever, but I knew one thing. “You don’t deserve to live forever. You’ve proved that much.”
His hands dropped away from my arm, all the fire leaving his eyes. His voice was hardly a whisper, a ragged plea, “Just a drop? I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. Please, God, I’m scared to die. Please, God…” He never got to finish.
That made three. I had killed three.
The silver heart slipped from my limp hand. I started crying, unable to stop the remorse and the guilt. I bent forward and cried a lament to the night and to my deeds. I couldn’t understand what had happened to make me so strong, so capable, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that I had killed. Three lives were gone because of me. I looked at the silver blood in my hands knowing I would never feel clean again. I cried harder, my head and chest pounding with the pain.
“Clare!”
The call swirled on the edge of my senses.
“Clare!”
It was no good. I was still lost.
“Clare! Answer me, damn it!”
Did I know that voice? Did I know that frustrated worry? It sounded familiar. My crying lessened a fraction as I tried to remember.
“Clare! Alex is hurt!”
I stopped crying at once, and looked up. The room, which had been a cacophony of noise and confusion during the fighting, was silent. The lights were off, the room impossibly dark. Would this dark tomb be the place I stayed in forever lamenting the death of the three?
“I think she’s broken an arm! Please help…I can’t.”
The voice was tired but familiar. I crawled to the sound needing it more than I needed air. That voice had the power to take the darkness away. I felt glass and wood cutting into my hands and knees, tearing my jeans and skin with equal indifference. I ignored the stinging, desperate for an end to the pain crushing my chest. I heard two more snaps as I crawled to the sound of Daniel’s voice. I flinched, knowing what it meant; he had just reset his broken fingers. In the dark, my crawling felt as if I was going nowhere, as if I were in a black hole. I would never reach him. In a panic, I called out to him to tell me where he was, the tears still running down my face.
I felt a hand reach out and touch my neck. It was electrifying and wonderful, instantly calming. “I’m here,” he said
“Are you okay?” I asked, my throat hoarse from crying.
We had come so close. So close to losing everything.
“I’m fine. I just need to recuperate for a minute. Are you okay?”
Not wanting to answer, I turned away from him and felt around for Alex. He had said she was hurt. I found her arm first. It was bent back at an awkward angle. Even though I had bumped into it, she didn’t cry out. I moved to check her pulse. As I did, I realized she was naked.
“Is there a blanket nearby?” I asked.
“Yes. But I can’t reach it.”
“Why not?”
“I’m waiting for my broken pelvis and back to heal.”
He said it so calmly. I swallowed around the lump in my throat.
“Oh…well... Where is it?”
“To your left…” he started directing me.
We managed to find a cover, which was more of a drape, and I went back to wrap it around Alex.
“What should we do next?” I asked.
“I need a couple more minutes,” Daniel said “Then we should leave and torch this place behind us. That’s the only way to make sure they stay dead.”
“You mean they could still be alive?” I asked hopefully.
Even though they were evil, I hated having their deaths on my hands.
“No. Not like that.”
“Like what then?” I demanded, not in the mood for vague hints.
“Ever seen a zombie movie?” he asked dryly.
“Yeah...”
He could tell I needed more of an answer. “Our regenerative abilities work even after our…our soul is gone. Our body still wants to heal, and acts as if it’s still alive, even though we’re gone.”
“Oh.” I glanced down at the dark shape that was Alex. “We need to get her to a hospital.” I caught up with the oddity of her being here. “Wait, how did she get here? And why is she naked? I don’t remember…” I trailed off.
I didn’t want to think about what had just happened. Not yet. He raised his unhurt hand and placed it on my neck. He grunted in pain with the effort. I moved his hand back to the floor and held it for a minute.
“I think I can carry Alex to the top of the stairs. Then I could come back for you,” I offered.
I was tired, more tired than I had been after sharing that first vision with Daniel, but for these two people, I could do anything.
“No. In a couple more minutes, I should be okay.” He paused thoughtfully then continued, “There’s something from the vision we shared that I’ve been meaning to ask you about.”
Resigned that I wou
ld have to wait, I welcomed the distraction. “Yeah?”
“I saw you in a city somewhere. You were in a garden surrounded by wild flowers. You turned and looked at me then smiled like you’d never been happier. That’s all. You just smiled. What was that about?”
I frowned. “Nothing. I don’t remember the memory. How old did I look?”
“Like you do now.”
“Maybe you were seeing the future or something.”
“I don’t think I was,” he said. “I can only see things that you experienced.”
“Maybe it was a dream,” I suggested.
“Maybe.”
“You don’t sound very sure.”
“With you, I am sure of nothing.”
In the long moment of silence that followed, I worked furiously to block out what I had just done.
“Clare?” Daniel’s voice was thick with emotion.
“Hm?”
“It gets better. It doesn’t get easier….just less painful.” My heart caught. “And I promise I’ll be here no matter what. Whatever you need. Just remember that I’ve been through it as well.” I struggled with the proper response. Finally healed, Daniel stood up. He reached down and pulled me up. “Don’t say anything. Just know I’m here. And, Clare?” I had turned away to pick Alex up. He put a hand on my neck. “Thanks for saving my life.”
I shrugged, wanting to downplay what I had done. Was this how he felt all the time? I had no idea how to put words to all the emotions I had felt when saving him. “Call it even?”
Daniel’s laughter was bliss. It echoed around the tomb, bringing life back to my senses. Laughter and light were possible in the darkness I was experiencing!
“Deal.”
Daniel picked Alex up and cradled her gently in his arms, careful to touch nothing but the drape. Together, we walked up the stairs, putting the room behind us.
Chapter 20
Smoke drifted past my face. A lazy wind moved the smoke along, disturbing my hair with its hazy fog and making me smell of cheap wine and demon dog. I leaned against a poplar tree and watched the building burn, knowing all the once beautiful furniture would make good tender.
Once we had reached the surface, Daniel had set the building on fire using wine from Cobb’s feast and a lighter he had in his pocket; one he said he always carried. Then he had called the others to meet us. Our first priority had been to get Alex to the hospital. She hadn’t stirred at all since we’d brought her out. Jackson had volunteered to drive her, wanting to check on Margaret, who was taking Amanda to the hospital. They had found Amanda shivering and hypothermic, but alive. She would live. It was something good in a night filled with bad.
Beatrice explained how they had been confused by images of Amanda and me being taken away in a variety of directions. Apparently the woman Seeker, whom Daniel and I had found torn to pieces when we’d come outside, had a gift for illusion. Finding Amanda had been pure luck…or fate. I was starting to warm to the idea.
After we had all played catch up, Beatrice and Daniel started arguing about what to do with me. I listened to the argument without joining in. “I don’t care what you say,” Daniel said forcefully. “She’s not getting tests done on her right now.”
“We need to study her and find out what caused her to act like that,” Beatrice replied.
“She’s not a lab rat to be studied!” he snapped.
“A lot happened down there. We need to understand what, so we know how to proceed. With tests we can get answers,” Beatrice said calmly. “Besides, there’s nothing else we can do here.” She gestured at the burning structure.
I didn’t care what they were saying. My thoughts were with the people whose existence was being erased from the earth at this very moment. All but Amanda’s father. I had made Daniel retrieve the head and look for the rest of the body. Despite the fact he had tried to kill me – I still didn’t understand how he had created the fireball or turned invisible – I felt sorry for him. A part of me loathed him, but his last act had been to try and protect Amanda. That counted for something.
I looked up at the night sky where the moon was starting to shine brilliantly, the rains having passed with Margaret’s rage. A million stars danced like diamonds on the horizon. That was good. I started counting stars and waited for Daniel and Beatrice to stop arguing. It took them a while. They were surprisingly chatty when they disagreed on using me for a lab rat.
I finally felt a hand on my cheek, and I looked back down to the earth. Although I had lost count of the stars, their presence had helped in another way. They didn’t accuse me of being a murderer, they didn’t judge me for what had happened – they simply existed. They would continue to exist without judgment, without malice long after I was gone. I needed that kind of affirmation. Looking into Daniel’s eyes, I was soothed in yet another way. He was okay. Whatever else I was guilty of, he was okay.
“We’re going to go somewhere to talk.” His face hardened, and I knew he had compromised. “Then…then I think we should go back to my house for some tests. But only if you agree to them.”
“I don’t mind tests, not if they mean answers,” I told him. Feeling a bit distant from everything, I reached out to touch his face to find myself again. As I moved, I realized I wasn’t tired physically. I felt wonderful physically. All my exhaustion was mental. “But I need to call Ellen.”
I couldn’t even begin to think how I would explain to her what had happened.
“Beatrice is going to call her. If she still wants to talk to us, she can call. Beatrice will give her the number.” He held up his phone.
“Okay.”
“Ready?” he asked.
I nodded mutely.
Jackson had commandeered Cassandra’s SUV to take Alex to the hospital, so we climbed on his abandoned motorcycle. The black and silver bike roared to life under Daniel’s able touch. We left Beatrice to wait for Jackson’s return and guard Mr. Nichols. Her eyes were thoughtful as she watched the building burn. I sensed her contemplating the tests she would run, and what the night meant to her family. I put my head against Daniel’s back, and turned my eyes to the front and what lay ahead.
Daniel drove fast but was more careful with me on the back than Margaret had been. I held him tightly as we bumped down the uneven trail, the forest passing in a blur. I shut my eyes, enjoying the rush of movement again. It was a different enjoyment now. It was affirmation I was still here, that the night hadn’t seen my death.
I wasn’t aware of it when we stopped. Somewhere along the way, I had started crying again. At least, this time, I wasn’t gasping for breath and debilitated by guilt. Daniel turned off the motorcycle and helped me off. We walked a short distance then he sat and wrapped me in his arms. He whispered words of comfort in my ear and rocked me gently. His calm and understanding helped me regain my composure again. I sat up and wiped the tears away.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.
“Not right now.”
“I…” He was interrupted by the ringing phone. He answered curtly, irritated by the interruption. The conversation was brief but upsetting. His face melted from irritation to shock. He hung up with a sharp click.
“What?”
“Alex is better. Frightened, depressed, and a little out of it, but otherwise unhurt.” He let that sink in for a moment.
“That’s impossible!”
“After the night we’ve had, I’d say nothing is impossible.”
No kidding.
“But how did she even get to the bunker? Why was she naked? Why was she hurt? How could she heal like that?” I demanded, thinking that if I could understand her situation then I could understand everything.
“Well…”
He bit his lip, and I was startled by the uncertainty. It made him look more vulnerable than when Thomas had been torturing him. We stared at each other. I could see him trying to decide what to say. I waited, hoping he would opt for the truth.
“She was the demon near the stai
rs before you fought Thomas. Somehow, she managed to change into one of them then change back when the danger was over.”
I pushed away from him and stood, an idea forming in my head. I knew. I understood what they were all after. It made sense. The epiphany had me pacing with nervous energy. Poor Alex! I had brought my world crashing down onto her head!
“That’s what they wanted! Holy Crap! Do you know what it means?”
“No, I don’t, actually,” Daniel said.
“Alex and I shared out blood tonight. We became blood sisters. I think that’s what Cobb wanted. He kept begging for me to give him my blood willingly. Something about me giving it willingly matters.” I waved my hand, trying to clear the air of his dying plea. “But it changed her. Don’t you see? It made her…” My hand went to my mouth in horror as I realized what I had done. “Oh God! I turned her into a Nightstalker! That’s why they’re after me! I can turn people into demons!”
Daniel moved to stand in front of me. He put his hands on either side of my face. I remembered the sound the bones had made when they were being snapped. All because of me. The panic was overwhelming. My mouth moved without proper words forming.
“Edgar Allen Poe was an overrated hack with mental issues.”
“He was not!”
He laughed at my indignation, his eyes sparkling. I rolled my eyes, realizing what he had done. He took advantage of my less panicked state. “Look at the bright side. We now know what they’re after – your blood. We know that it can change people. I don’t understand the business of her turning into a demon, but at least we have one answer.”
One answer out of a whole hailstorm of questions.
“But what happened with… me?”
“I don’t know, but I promise we’ll figure this out. A hunt as big as this one has to be all over the map. People will have heard about this. With a few phone calls, I might be able to get some answers.”
“Other Watchers? They’ll know about me?”
The Watchers Page 29
