by Dina James
“We don’t have a lot of time here, either,” Syd continued. “The night hours have been considerably shortened by this jump eastward.”
“In other words, we gotta hurry,” Billy said, and gunned the engine.
Fifteen miles sounded like a nice, leisurely drive to Rebecca. Billy had them there in less than five minutes.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t eat,” Rebecca said as they ground to a halt before the turn to the west. “Or I’d have thrown up. Haven’t you ever heard of a speed limit?”
“Stupid mortal rules,” Billy muttered. “Limits are for humans.”
“Don’t you ever get pulled over?”
“What? Cops?” Billy asked with a snort. “They gotta catch me first, Bit, and I ain’t met a human yet who can keep up with me behind the wheel.
Besides, Rox has an engine in her like you wouldn’t believe—”
“Slow this time, Billy,” Syd interrupted. “Remember, they don’t know we’re coming. Let’s not give them any warning.”
“Let’s leave the car here then,” Billy said. He looked at Syd in the rearview mirror. “You can get us all the rest of the way, right? You’re the one knows where we’re going.”
Syd nodded. Billy parked the car under a nearby tree. Rebecca got out and noticed they hadn’t been driving on a road.
“Don’t you ever get a flat tire?”
Billy grinned. “Remember when I said I had to prep Rox? Well, she’s prepped. Better than a Humvee, Rox is, especially with Syd’s help. I’m gonna leave the keys in her, just in case.”
“Just in case...what?” Rebecca asked.
“In case I don’t make it out of there alive and you all do,” Billy said with a shrug. He looked hard at Rebecca. “Now you listen close, Bit—” Syd didn’t wait for Billy to finish. Instead he took Rebecca’s hand and brought her wrist to his mouth. He bit down hard and Rebecca yelped. Billy grabbed her shoulder and closed his eyes.
Rebecca’s eyes slid shut of their own accord. Was this what it was like for Syd when he took her blood? So much...she knew so much now. Billy kept another gun under the driver’s seat loaded with silver bullets...there was a first aid kit in the trunk and a blanket and pillow...
Directions to the gate and how to use it.
But she was powerless. Didn’t she need—
Just get there, Syd ordered.
I don’t know how to drive!
Syd dropped his hold and his bite. Billy let go of Rebecca’s shoulder.
“You don’t know how to drive?” Syd asked aloud.
Rebecca blushed and shook her head. “I never learned. Nana—”
“Then run,” Syd growled. “If this goes badly and neither Billy nor I can help you, you get to that gate, do you understand?” Rebecca swallowed hard and nodded.
“Then let us go.”
“Syd?” Rebecca asked, her voice trembling.
“Yes?”
“What if...?”
“Yes?”
“What if...I’m the one who...doesn’t make it out of there alive?”
“They won’t kill you,” Syd assured her. “They’ll keep you alive. At least until—”
Syd stopped speaking, but Rebecca knew what he’d been about to say.
At least until her birthday.
“Let’s go,” Syd said, and took her hand again. Billy rested his hand on Syd’s shoulder this time, and Rebecca felt the familiar sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as they disappeared from one location and appeared in another.
In another dark, smelly, oppressive location. Rebecca would have been a lot more afraid of this place if she weren’t all-but-surrounded by a tall, blond vampire now brandishing some kind of sword, and a brown-furred hulk of a wolf on two legs.
Rebecca suddenly wondered what use she was going to be, and fought to think. She was here to find Ryan. She closed her eyes and tried to relax.
He was hurt...hungry...she should be able to feel that. After a long moment of feeling nothing at all like she had before, she opened her eyes.
“I can’t feel anything,” Rebecca whispered.
“Let’s move,” Syd said. “They wouldn’t keep him here in the open.
Let’s get into the lair proper. This is just outside.” Rebecca felt stupid, but then asked herself how she was supposed to know that.
Syd and Billy kept her close between them. Billy led the way, taking deep sniffs of the air every now and then. The farther they went, the hotter it became, and the harder it was for Rebecca to breathe. She tried to pay attention to something other than her heart pounding against her chest and the sweat dampening her shirt as she followed the werewolf through dark doorways and empty corridors.
They came to a flight of stairs leading down and the corridor split into two different sections, offering them three ways to continue.
Billy froze. “Bit?”
Rebecca closed her eyes and let her mind go blank. There was something...She nodded, then felt dumb again. It was dark.
He can still see you, as can I, she heard Syd in her mind. It may appear dark to your eyes, but not to ours.
She lifted a finger and pointed down the hallway at the end of the stairs. “There’s something. .I feel like I’m being called.. or pulled.. down there,” she whispered.
“Down we go, then,” Syd said, and Billy led them down the dark staircase to another lightless room.
The room wasn’t unlit for long. As they moved toward the end of the hall, a torch flared to life and seemed to hang by itself in the middle of the room. Nothing was holding it.
At least, nothing Rebecca could see. She could hear the laugh that echoed through the room perfectly. A shiver ran down her back and, for all the heat in the room, Rebecca felt as though she’d been submerged in ice water.
Billy growled and halted, straightening to his full, considerable height.
As wide as the fridge in the kitchen, Billy had no trouble at all hiding Rebecca behind him.
Still, even Billy wasn’t a match for the size of the creature that stood before him. It towered so far above the anubi that Rebecca could clearly see its inhuman face in the light of the torch it held. Huge gray-green wings rose over its head and shoulders.
She took an instinctive step back as she recognized the creature as the Bathroom Demon.
Rebecca couldn’t help but think that the demon looked like something off one of those horror movie magazine covers or the box of a computer game. Still, computer demon or not, it seemed like one of the really big bosses you fought to win the game, and Rebecca was scared to the bone.
“I got no fight with you, Hellspawn, so back off,” Billy spat with a growl, interrupting Rebecca’s thoughts. “We just got a bit lost lookin’ for somethin’ is all.”
The demon laughed. Rebecca shivered. It was so...cruel. Malicious.
Evil.
“Lost?” the demon replied with an indulgent glare. “Perhaps we should help you find your way. A bit more light should do it. I know your kind has poor eyesight.”
Torches flared to life, illuminating the dark around them.
No, not torchlight. Hellhounds.
The demon smiled, though it emanated nothing but cruelty, and gestured at Rebecca.
She felt instantly better. The heat disappeared, and she could breathe easier.“There, Acolyte, is that not an improvement?” the demon said in a smug voice. “I know the delicacy of your kind. Personally. A pleasure to see you again.”
Billy growled, his clawed hands clenching into fists. Rebecca put a gentle hand on his arm, and the anubi relaxed somewhat. Still, the scowl on his scarred face deepened. “So you’ve come to see us off then, Armaros, or just make sure I leave without marking your door?” Armaros laughed again. “You have crimes to make restitution for, anubi,” the demon replied with an indulgent smile before looking again at Rebecca over Billy’s shoulder. “As for the Acolyte...her power will be a valuable asset to—”
“Remember what happened the last time you touched h
er,” Billy cut Armaros off with a deep growl.
Armaros raised a smooth black eyebrow. “She is in our lair, of her own will, is she not? Even shielded, her power bleeds from her. You can drop it, bloodsucker. Don’t think we haven’t noticed you.” Rebecca heard Syd swear.
Billy snarled. His clawed, furry hand clamped down on her shoulder.
“Syd! Get her out of here!”
chApter ten
Billy shoved her hard backwards. The heat around Rebecca returned instantly, making it again very hard to breathe. She broke into a sweat as she slowly got to her feet. She tried to move, but it was hard. Like walking through water up to her chest. Why could she barely move? Where were the stairs? She couldn’t see! Where was Syd?
A yelp and a low howl reached her ears.
“BILLY!” Rebecca screamed.
She heard another snarl, but couldn’t see if it was Billy from this far away. It was so dark!
“BILLY!” she yelled again, as loud as she could. Her bottom lip trembled and she caught it between her teeth, biting it hard as her eyes started to burn with tears. She couldn’t cry! Billy told her that demons liked it when she was scared and crying. But... “SYD!”
Strong furry arms wrapped around her and a feeling of instant comfort washed over her. Billy! Rebecca hugged the form hard and choked back a sob.
“Hush up now,” Billy said. “I got ’em. You think they’d learn by now not to mess with ol’ Billy. Now we gotta find Syd. Those bastards grabbed him.” Billy shoved her on his back as he had earlier that day and Rebecca dug her hands into the loose fur at his shoulders. As they had been that morning, they were bathed in wet and cold, seeming even colder in this deathly hot place.
“Billy, you’re bleeding bad.”
“Ain’t nothin’,” Billy said. “Don’t worry ‘bout me. Think now! What was it you felt? I’ll bet it wasn’t Ryan, but those demons making like they was him. Do something, Bit. Figure this out! Where’d they take Syd?”
“Um...” Rebecca stammered. She took a deep breath and tried to stop crying long enough to focus. She couldn’t.
Billy growled and pulled her off his back. He stood her in front of him and clasped her upper arms in his huge, clawed hands. It was dark, but there was enough light in here that she could see his face and his eyes.
“Listen, I know you’re scared,” he said. “But you gotta do this. Now hush up and see to what needs doin’, all right? We ain’t leavin’ here without him or somethin’ that says he’s dead, so stop your crying. Cryin’ makes it worse!”
Rebecca wiped her eyes on her sleeve and swallowed hard. Billy was right. She wanted to be here. Had asked to come. She had to do this. Billy had fought demons to get her this far just so she could help like she said she might be able to. The least she could do was be as brave as he had been and do what she’d offered to do.
She put a hand on Billy’s arm, felt him near and protective and closed her eyes. She was safe, protected by Billy. Safe. Safe and warm. Syd. Syd always made her feel safe and warm...
Her insides twisted and something below her breastbone tugged at her.
She pointed to their right. “I can’t see anything there, but—” Rebecca didn’t finish her sentence as Billy picked her up and put her on his back again. They moved down a hallway and at the end of it was a flight of stairs. Billy raced up them.
Pre-dawn light filled the large warehouse that looked more to Rebecca like an airplane hangar. In the grip of a demon was Syd. A limp, unresponsive Syd—his blond head lolling to one side like his neck had been snapped.
Bil y growled and crouched low. Rebecca instinctively slid off his back, and Billy was off and charging the demon before both of Rebecca’s feet touched the floor. The demon was taken down before it even knew it was being attacked, and Billy ripped it apart, scattering the different body parts across the concrete floor.
Rebecca fought not to vomit at the stench and the gore. She was about to say something about dismembering the body when she saw one of the arms inching its way back toward the torso. She looked around and saw a leg doing the same, and the head struggling to right itself.
“Billy?” she called in a wavering voice.
“I know, Bit,” Billy said. “We ain’t got a whole lot of time and Syd’s been drained. We gotta move.”
Billy took Syd under one arm and Rebecca under the other and did just that. Almost before Rebecca could draw another breath they were out of the warehouse. The light that had looked bright inside was actually very faint, but in comparison with the darkness of the basement, it was brilliant.
Billy swore as he looked to the horizon and stopped. He set Rebecca down on her feet and laid Syd gently in the tall grass. “We ain’t gonna make the car if I carry you both. I’ll go on ahead and bring Rox to you all.” Rebecca heard in his tone that he didn’t think he’d even make it to the car in time without them, but he was gone at a speed she’d never seen anything move like before she could reply.
She knelt down beside Syd’s body and glanced over her shoulder toward the warehouse. She shivered with fear as she remembered the body parts moving back toward each other, and knew that they hadn’t killed the demons—only bought themselves time.
Birds chirping around her made Rebecca look to the rising sun. Four miles was a long way to run, even for someone as fast as Billy, and he was hurt. She looked down at Syd. Maybe...maybe...
Awful lot of maybes, she thought.
Rebecca rolled up her sleeve and pressed her wrist to Syd’s open mouth.
Nothing happened.
“Come on,” Rebecca pleaded in a whisper. “Come on, Blondie.” She glanced up at the horizon and heard an unearthly howl coming from the direction of the warehouse behind her. She closed her eyes and bit back the sob rising in her throat.
“Syd...Syd, please,” Rebecca said as she lay down in the tall grass along-side him. If she got lucky, maybe the demons wouldn’t see her.
Don’t be stupid, she told herself. They’ll sense you. They know you’re here and how close you are and they’re going to get you.
Rebecca cradled Syd’s head and pressed her wrist hard into his mouth and felt his fangs against her skin, but they didn’t puncture hard enough to break it.
Another demonic howl broke the silence of the morning.
It was all Rebecca could do not to run. Running was stupid. It didn’t matter where she ran. They’d find her. Besides...she wouldn’t leave Syd, and if she wasn’t where Billy left her, he’d get killed too trying to find her.
Killed. They were going to kill Syd. They were going to leave him drained and exposed to the daylight.
Rebecca looked at his limp form and back at her arm. She brought her wrist to her own mouth and stifled her yelp against her flesh as she bit down hard. When she tasted blood, she tore her wrist away from her mouth and pressed it hard against Syd’s fangs. She squeezed her arm above the wound with her free hand, willing her blood to flow.
Syd’s eyes startled open. They were black in the purple of lightening sky.
“Shh!” Rebecca ordered, bringing a finger to her lips. “They’re coming.” What—?
No time! Billy’s gone to get the car. The sun is rising and you’re drained. Take what you need so you can at least have a chance of getting somewhere safe!
Are you all right?
The question shocked Rebecca, but she nodded.
Leave me here, Syd ordered in her mind as he turned his head away from her wrist .
Don’t be stupid, Rebecca retorted and shoved her wrist back in his mouth.
There’s nowhere I can run they won’t find me, and I’m not going anywhere without you!
Syd just looked at her for what seemed like an eternity before he took her wrist away from his mouth. He turned over on his side and gathered her to him. He looked deep in her eyes for only a moment before his fangs found her neck.
Rebecca gasped and clung to him.
I thought you said it didn’t matter where you drank
from, she thought.
Faster, was all she heard him reply.
She closed her eyes. Oh, this was warm. She was safe here. She heard a demon howl somewhere in the distance and didn’t care. Let them find her.
She was safe right here.
“I’m gone for three minutes and you two start making out,” she heard Billy say. “Let’s move before either the sun makes one of us toast or those Hell-goons get their heads back on straight.”
She heard Syd groan as Billy lifted him up and laid him in the trunk of the car. He shut the trunk and knocked on it before he returned and grabbed Rebecca. Before she knew it, she was in the passenger seat and Billy was back behind the wheel, in his human form. They were speeding toward the rising sun, and he looked over and smiled at Rebecca.
She put her head in her hands.
“Aw, Bit,” Billy said. “Don’t.”
His sympathy made it worse and she couldn’t hold back her frightened tears anymore.
“How about some pancakes?” Billy said. “No, too late for pancakes at home, unless you want to go to that twenty-four hour waffle place. How about that? How about some waffles?”
Rebecca just looked at him. Billy grinned at her.
“You can’t eat waffles looking like that,” she said. “They’d throw us out or call the cops or both.”
“You ain’t cryin’ no more, are you?”
Rebecca choked on a half-sob, half-giggle and sniffed hard. She wiped her eyes and shook her head as she smiled for him.
“There you go!” Billy said. “No crying. I can’t stand a woman crying.
Let’s get you home, you can patch me up—I’ll even shower if you want me to—and let Syd get some rest. I’ll get us some waffles, and we’ll figure out where those bastards have the punk hid.” Billy looked in the rearview mirror. “Sonofa—”
“Oh, no,” Rebecca groaned and slid down in her seat. “Not again.”
“Tell me abo—” was all he managed to get out before a thud came from above them, the car’s roof crumpling even more between them.
Billy punched the roof hard above his head. “AIN’T YOU DONE
