Chapter 439
Tyler discarded Kai in a bloody, misshapen heap and turned to Katelina. As if the spell had been broken, Katelina jerked upright and charged him with a cry. Catya flinched in surprise. Katelina felt a momentary pull, like something was trying to drag her down. She shook it off and slammed into Tyler with enough force to send him sprawling. She thoughtlessly smashed her fist into his face again and again, screaming a string of obscenities.
Catya dragged her off, kicking and swinging. Katelina twisted in her arms and kicked her in the knee. Before she could get loose, Arlen came around the corner, his bloody sword aloft. "How many of you does it take to subdue a human?"
"She's resistant," Catya snapped.
Katelina stared at the newcomer. Where was Verchiel? Arlen's bloody blade told a story she didn't want to hear. No. He couldn't be dead.
Arlen grabbed her just as a car motor sounded over the screaming din of horns. A black SUV slid to a stop. A vampire she didn't recognize hopped out and opened the back door. Katelina struggled in Arlen's grasp and Catya quickly moved to help. Together they forced Katelina into the back seat and bound her hands. She threw a final look over her shoulder to see Kai lying where he'd been left.
"Kai!" she screamed. "Kai!"
She didn't get a chance to see if he responded before they jammed her into the floorboards and slammed the door. She tried to sit up as Tyler climbed between the front seats. His nose was swollen. Blood ran down his face, and his dark eyes were narrowed in fury. "Stay the fuck down." He kicked her in the stomach.
She gasped for breath. Catya slid past them to the cargo area. Arlen took the passenger seat, and the fifth vampire hopped behind the wheel. The vehicle backed between the screaming cars, and stopped. The door opened and Braydon, the brunette, hopped in.
With the door open, Katelina had a momentary glimpse of a limp body draped over the hood of a car. His black coat was torn. Blood ran in rivulets down the vehicle and pooled on the asphalt, spreading into a miniature lake. She didn't need the messy crayon colored hair to tell her who it had to be.
"Verchiel!"
"Shut up!" Tyler snarled.
The SUV took off as Braydon slid his feet between her knees and glanced at his seat mate. "What happened to you?"
"What do you think?" Tyler snapped.
Braydon shrugged and glanced to where Katelina lay struggling. "Why isn't she subdued?"
"She's resistant," Catya answered from the cargo area.
"At least she's still human," Braydon replied. "Master said there was a chance she'd already be turned."
"If he didn't turn her, he certainly gave her blood," Catya said. Katelina stiffened at her words. Had Samael given her blood, beyond that first time in the cave? The dull ache from her shoulder reminded her that he couldn't have. It would have healed her wounds.
"Looks like a crowd's gathering," the driver commented as he steered the vehicle onto the street.
Arlen snorted. "We don't work for The Guild anymore, so it's not our problem. Let the Chinese worry about that."
The Guild. Those words brought with them a flood of bittersweet memories. The Guild was the United States' vampire government. Most countries had their own, with the head of them in Munich, Germany. Malick had been the leader of the American Guild before he'd left in a spectacular show of violence and taken some of the Executionersthe elite vampire police and guards with him. Arlen's comment made her wonder if he was one of those guards. Were the others??
"I don't envy their clean up," the driver muttered.
She imagined the scene the Chinese would be faced with: Human police, human bystanders, a dead vampire slumped over a car, and Kai in a bleeding, broken pile. Her chest caught and hot tears burned her eyes. The anguish that ripped through her was replaced by anger. She'd kill these god damn vampires if it was the last thing she did!
She drew a long, shaking breath to force herself calm. This wasn't the time to lose her head. She needed to think, and she couldn't do it if she was crushed by sorrow. Yes, she wanted to kill them, but more importantly she needed to escape. Malick made it plain at their last meeting that he wanted her in order to start a war with Samael. Now that the ancient vampire had let her go, she doubted he'd fight to get her back. That wouldn't stop Malick from trying.
Tyler put his feet on the back of the driver's seat. Then he dragged a magazine out of his pocket and flipped it open. After a few more comments, the group fell into silence, except for the driver's occasional obscenities and horn honking. Katelina counted her breaths to stay calm and pushed everything else out of her mind. There was a time when she'd have been laying there whimpering and praying for Jorick to save her, but not now. Now she planned to save herself.
She picked at her bonds. It was some kind of braided polyester. She worked slowly, pressing with her thumbnail against one of the strands. Just when she'd decided it was no good, the strand snapped. She felt with her fingers; only five more to go.
The effort was tedious and nerve-wracking. She tried not to look directly at the vampires, afraid that they'd notice her and what she was up to. Catya had some kind of paralyzing power, and Arlen was a wind walker. She didn't know what powers the other three had. They might be mind readers.
The honking and cussing slowed, then ceased. They'd left the city behind. The miles passed unseen by Katelina as she worked on her bonds. Her bladder complained, her body ached, and still she worked. Finally, the last strand gave way and her hands were free, the rope still wrapped around her wrists like bracelets.
It felt like half the night had passed before the SUV slowed again. Street lights were visible through the windows, followed by tall buildings. They were in another city.
Braydon tugged a dagger from inside his coat and picked at his nails. Katelina tried not to look interested. If only she could figure out a way to get the blade.
"We need gas," the driver said. Katelina tensed. That would be her chance. She'd wait until they stopped, grab the dagger, jam it in their throats, and get out. Then she'd run.
The vehicle rolled to a stop. She took a deep breath for courage, then pulled herself up, ducking under Tyler's legs. She snatched the dagger and stabbed it into Tyler's throat. With a sputtering cry, he dropped his magazine. His hands flew to the wound. Crimson poured through his fingers as she wrenched the dagger free and turned to stab Braydon. She missed her mark and buried the blade in the seat. It refused to come loose, so she abandoned the knife and bounded over him. She flung the door open as the driver called, "What in the hell is going on back there?"
She threw herself out of the SUV, but they weren't at a gas station, only a stoplight. The people in the car next to them stared as she lunged toward them. If she could just get into a vehicle she might have a chance of outrunning the vampires.
She tried the door, but it was locked. She banged on the window and shouted for help. The people drew back and yelled, waving her away and honking the horn. The other cars took up the chorus until the street was alive with the noise.
Someone slammed into her. She twisted to find Braydon pinning her to the car. He pulled away and hauled her backwards. She struck out at him, but her blows were ineffectual. She could see Tyler bent double in the backseat, hands clasped to his throat, while Catya fussed over him. He met Katelina's eyes through the gaping door, murder in his gaze. Terror surged through her.
No.
Braydon stumbled, as if someone had knocked into him. She wrenched free and raced past the cars for the tiled sidewalk. She'd almost reached it when Arlen appeared in front of her, annoyed. Her reflexes weren't sharp enough to stop, and she crashed into him. He wrapped his arms around her, and spun toward the building. Before she could figure out what was happening, she saw a corrugated metal door coming at her face. Then pain exploded. She cried out as the blurry silver door drew away then zoomed close again and again, to finally disappear in a sea of black.
