All of the humans stood behind her, nodding. Their frail hands shook, but their eyes glimmered with hope and excitement. I could tell Kate was the strongest, an obvious choice for their leader.
“Okay,” I said. “Have everyone roll up their sleeves and pant legs. Ladies will hold up their skirts.” She nodded and made busy instructing the different groups. I dropped to my knees and rummaged through the pack of supplies. Once finding what I needed I stood and held it out to Orie.
“Cut me.”
“What?” he exclaimed, his voice cracking. He eyed the knife in my hand. “No!”
I shoved the weapon into his grip.
“It’s okay,” I assured him. I pulled up my left sleeve and held out my forearm. “Just long and deep enough to produce a good rush of blood.”
Again, he considered the knife in his hands and then met my gaze. “Are you crazy? Why?”
“The humans may look like vampires, but they do not smell like vampires. This will ensure a higher chance of us all getting out unnoticed.”
Orie’s jaw clenched and he shook his head slowly.
“Fine,” I said swiping at the knife in his hand, ready to cut myself. But he dodged my efforts, causing me to roll my eyes. “Give it to me, Orie.”
“No.” His brows drew together sternly. “What about the suppressant? You still have it in your system. You will bleed too much.”
I breathed loudly my frustration. This was no time for chivalry.
“I’m fine,” I explained. “It’s mostly gone now. I’m feeling a lot better.”
He eyed me dubiously, holding the knife out of arm’s reach.
“Do you want to make it out of here alive?” I asked. “Or chance getting caught because of some stupid notion I might not heal fast enough?”
Orie paused for one long moment, letting my words sink in. He huffed. “Fine, but we must bandage your arm afterwards.”
“Yes, Dr. Orie.” I replied, with a flirtatious smile. His frown turned into a grin as he steadied the knife against my flesh.
He slid me one last questioning glance, but I nodded with reassurance. He dropped his gaze to my arm and took a deep breath, slicing into my skin slowly, the blood pooling to the surface. I barely winced because of the adrenaline coursing through me.
“Help me rub it on their arms and legs,” I instructed. “Saturate them as much as possible.”
We worked quickly, smearing the sticky substance over the human’s limbs. Orie only had to reopen the wound once, signifying I was indeed getting back to my old self, but still a bit slow to heal.
Once done, Orie wrapped my arm with some bandages we had in the first-aid kit. I gave him a quick kiss on the mouth, causing him to blush.
Kate had the groups roll back down their sleeves and cover their legs. They looked as normal as possible, if not slightly withered. I stood back and scanned the deep-set eyes studying me.
“Everybody ready?”
Excited murmurs of agreement fanned through the place.
“Good. Let’s do this.”
Orie, Kate and I split up into three groups, each taking with us a group of humans. We took to different sides of the streets and varying lengths apart, but stayed where we could all see each other. A few smaller groups would be easier to herd through town than one large one.
The streets stood dark and empty as we made our way east toward the gates. We were in a sparsely populated area of town, and with any luck at all we would make it out unseen. I glanced across the street at Orie, his golden eyes catching the light of the moon as he met my gaze. I looked over my shoulder. Kate was about fifteen feet behind me with her group, her golden dress swaying as she walked.
I let an excited breath escape from my lips and moved on, keeping my gaze straight ahead. We all walked in silence, the heels of our boots clicking softly down the sidewalks. I could almost hear a collective prayer between us all.
Please let us make it. Please let us make it.
Once close enough, I signaled for our groups to merge. Orie came to stand beside me as the clustered humans followed behind. I sensed their nervousness, their fear rushing off them in waves, and it took all I had to keep my hunger for their blood at bay. It surprised me at such a crucial time, something as trivial as my thirst for human blood would arise. I did my best to ignore it.
Our destination, the tall watch tower, hovered above the buildings a few blocks away. According to Jax, there would be no guards there. But as we turned the corner onto the main stretch of the road, my heart plummeted.
A couple of vampires strode our way on the opposite side of the street. A male and female. Horus and Natalia snapped to mind, but my senses told me I was wrong. Horus wasn’t that close.
The female wore the fancy clothes of an elite, the ivory buttons on her dress shining in the moonlight. The male was less fancy, the faded state of his clothes marking him as lower-level society. I didn’t recognize the two. Though odd to meet a stranger in Tombstone, it wasn’t as uncommon as one might think. The vampire population was overwhelming to say the least.
The couple held hands affectionately and the female giggled as the male nipped at her neck. Apparently, they’d snuck away from the function at The Birdcage Theater for some alone time. My mind spun, grasping for a good excuse if they stopped us. A group as large as ours would be seen as strange when approaching the gates. I held a palm over my shoulder, signaling to Kate everything was alright and to continue. The vampires neared us, considering our group cautiously and like I feared, the female called out to us.
“What are you all doing this far in the city?”
My pulse raced and my breathing quickened, but I puffed up my chest with confidence and returned her question.
“I should be asking the same of you two.”
The female’s pale face flushed, but anger replaced her embarrassment. “That is none of your business.”
The vamps were only a few feet away now. It looked as though they would change their minds and ignore us, when the female’s eyes suddenly flashed and she stopped cold.
“Aren’t you Horus’ creation?” Her lips parted and fangs extended with a sharp twang. Orie shifted his gaze to me and I swallowed hard.
“Horus? The Legion Leader? No.” I forced a mocking laugh from my mouth. “Don’t I wish?”
The woman turned her head to the side as though sniffing the air. She stepped into the road toward us.
“I swear I’ve seen you—” she started, suspicion in her voice.
I cut in with a laugh. “You must be mistaken. I have a very familiar face.”
She looked at me doubtfully and I knew she didn’t believe me. Fear crawled through me like spiders.
“No… I know you,” she hissed. “You’re Cloe, Horus’ little bitch.”
I stifled my anger at her insult and kept a calm face. I wanted to give her a piece of my mind, and opened my mouth to do so, but my words were muted by a piercing overhead sound. The humans dropped to their knees and covered their ears as it echoed for miles. We all froze, even the two lovers, before the next sound blared. And the next.
Realization washed over me, bringing a smile to my face. A lockdown alarm had been triggered.
The two lovers panicked, as though the alarm might call attention to their taboo rendezvous. The female shot us one last glare before grabbing the male’s hand a zipping off in a blur. I audibly exhaled, Orie and I exchanging relieved smiles. We didn’t have to speculate who sounded the alarm. We knew it was Jax.
Orie and I knelt down in front of the scared humans and urged them to rise with comforting words. Words of confidence, safety, and escape. Freedom was only a few steps away and we couldn’t stop now. They reluctantly followed us, our pace picking up speed as we approached the tower.
We stopped before the large gate, the watch tower flanking its right side and rising just above. It must’ve been twenty feet tall and I shivered at its looming height, remembering the night years ago when Horus brought me through these
gates, never to return. But I had returned, this time to break free. The thought rushed through me like a drug and I grabbed Orie’s hand. He turned to me, his golden eyes drawing me in.
“Are you ready to spend the rest of your life with me?” he asked with a crooked grin.
“Forever,” I replied with a smile.
“Then let’s get this over with.”
As Orie pulled out his set of keys to unlock the tower door, the incessant warning-bell yawned throughout the city. All inhabitants of Tombstone would be making their way to the nearest destination for lockdown until further notice. Thanks to Jax, there would be no one to stop us now.
FORTY-TWO: GUY
My painful chest moved with the weakest of breath as I faded in and out of consciousness. From within my foggy brain, I couldn’t help but think if I ever saw another jail cell any time in the next millennium it would be too soon. I began to stir, the pain shooting through me like electric fire bolts causing me to pass out again.
It pissed me off.
This whole being weak thing pissed me off. I’d always been the strongest and fastest of my FUSE brothers, and that’s why I’d been promoted so quickly. That’s why I was the most sought after Captain in the FUSE army. That’s why I’d been named the most expert marksmen in the country. But ever since meeting Ruby, I’d been humbled, my egotistical thoughts on the world having been thrown off their axis. I had shifted priorities, knowing that this change made me more vulnerable in a sense —physically, not mentally.
Mentally, truth be told, I was stronger than ever. Something about the light in that vampire girl created a whole new meaning to life. It made me see things in a different way, my priorities strikingly different than just a few months ago. Ruby eclipsed my need for revenge, and I was okay with that.
Yet my physical body, under the control of the vampires, had weakened considerably. I imagined Ruby’s offerings of blood were the only thing keeping me alive at the moment. Regardless of her help, I now found myself in the direst of circumstances, unable to keep myself from fading out, teetering on the cliffs of death.
But the moment soft skin brushed my lips, and the trickle of thick metallic liquid dripped down my tongue, I knew she was there and it was time to escape. My resolve grew by leaps and bounds with the help of her presence. I was strengthened by her blood, and found myself thinking that we were trying to overcome the impossible by leaving Tombstone. Yet I knew in my heart, if we remained together, we’d make the impossible possible.
I was snapped back to reality by the flow of blood in my mouth, and the touch of her wrist against my lips, offering its healing serum. My heartbeat pounded and my limbs prickled with sensation. I was now fully aware of myself, of Ruby, and of my bond to her. I drank hungrily as though my life depended on it— and at that crucial moment, I supposed it did. But she stopped me with a gentle nudge and her flushed lips replaced her wrist, pressing a sugar sweet kiss into my mouth. Warmth rushed through me from our point of contact and blossomed to every inch of my flesh, bone and muscle. My face flushed from her kiss, one I suspected was only told about in storybooks— A healing kiss. A magic kiss. A kiss of love.
I was never the mushy, sentimental type, but with Ruby I didn’t care. I couldn’t give a crap if she made me vulnerable and made me exposed. I liked the new me and I liked who I’d become because of her. I was a better man and wanted to continue to become an ever better man every day with her by my side.
“Jeez,” she said, pulling away breathless. “I’ve never seen your face so red. Have I upset my stone-cold soldier?”
To my surprise, I sat up uninhibited, and gazed passionately into her eyes. Free of my chains, my body acted of its own accord, only wanting to be closer to hers. I cupped the side of her face with my palm and brushed a thumb down her cheek.
“You could never upset me— even when you run off when you’re told not to.” I released a weak chuckle, remembering all the times Ruby had taken off on me, scaring the daylights out of me.
Instead of sharing in my joy, Ruby casted her eyes downward, as if uncomfortable, sad even.
“Are you sure about that?” she asked.
I furrowed my brows, confused, wondering what she meant.
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” she said. “Something I should’ve told you last night.”
I went to touch her face but she shied away. It was unlike her. Ruby always held herself strong and confident even in the face of darkness.
“Hey,” I said reaching for her again. I wouldn’t allow her to distance herself. Not now. Not when we were so close to being together again, free. I grazed her shoulder with my fingers, letting them brush down the distance of her delicate arm. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I won’t judge you. I’d never do that.”
Her thick black lashes lifted, her violet irises moist. Her gaze reached deep within me, tugging at my soul like the first night I’d met her. She blinked once, twice, then closed her eyes, turning away.
“I’m different,” she said barely above a breath. “I’m not like the others.”
I did not respond, but waited for what she had to say. Whatever it was, it would not affect the way I felt about her. We’d been through too much together and I’d not let anything stand in our way. Ruby’s woven braid laid over her shoulder, the end of it swaying as she shifted. She bit her lower lip.
“Wilson said that I’m different. I’m not a full vampire. I’m some weird half-breed.”
I shook my head, trying to process her words. In all the years of my dedication to mastering the knowledge of vampires and other Unfortunate Souls, I’d never heard of such a thing.
“Apparently, I’m half-human, half-vampire.” Ruby laughed harshly, a sound I wasn’t used to. “I can’t even be a proper vampire for crying out loud. How am I supposed to survive out there?” She scanned the walls as though reaching beyond the concrete to the horizons of the earth. “How am I supposed to know what to do, when I’m the only one like me?”
Instantly, thoughts of Wilson, my enemy-turned-ally, planted themselves into my brain. Wilson was —or had been, for I needed to keep reminding myself of his death— the most educated vampire I knew. And even though I’d never heard of such an anomaly, if Wilson thought it true, I believed it. But that still didn’t change the way I felt about her. Again, I brought her chin up to face me with a finger and looked deep within her eyes. “I don’t care if you grow scales and morph into a fire-breathing dragon. I love you, and always will.”
The hint of a smile crossed her rose-bud lips and I resisted the urge to kiss her. I straightened my back, my strength growing from her blood coursing through my veins. I inhaled deeply. “And about the half-breed thing, we’ll figure it out. I have no doubt, if anyone can do it, you can.”
Her half-grin turned to a full on smile. It was contagious and made me smile just as wide. But the sudden wail of an alarm caused us pause. Concerned, Ruby and I exchanged glances. But after a long moment, her face relaxed as if knowing something I did not.
“It’s okay. It’s for us.”
I exhaled deeply with relief, grabbing her hand.
“Now, what do you say we get the hell out of Tombstone?”
She nodded and laughed heartily. “Yes. Let’s get the hell out of Tombstone.”
She went to rise but I grabbed her by the waist. I pulled her close and crushed my lips against hers. After a few moments, our lips parted, our breathing ragged. The blaring alert signal matched that of my pounding heart, and we both just looked at each other for one long moment. It’d been so long since we could just look at each other, like a picture, the stop-motion of a movie I would memorize and keep in my mind always.
I went to stand, but my legs argued with me, weak and shaking. Apparently, I’d not regained the full amount of my strength. Ruby, noticing this, wrapped an arm around my middle and helped me stand. She guided me from the bench to the bars and down the hall, my will power outshining my lack of vigor.
We e
xited the Courthouse doors, the autumn breeze welcoming us with refreshing coolness. I inhaled the chill air so deeply I was certain my lungs would burst.
I was free. We were free. Together.
But my confidence faltered when I saw the light of a hundred torch flames. The alarm bells stopped, leaving us in dead silence. My jaw tightened cautiously, my heart skipping a beat.
“What in the world is that?” The darkness made it hard to see, but the little lights looked like a runway for a plane. The flames trailed far off into the distance, down the road with a crack running up the center. I was certain we’d been found out and it was our own private death welcoming party.
“Those,” Ruby said, turning to me with a smile. “Are friends.” She gave my side a reassuring squeeze. “And they’re lighting our way to freedom.”
FORTY-THREE: RUBY
There were hundreds of them. Hundreds of werewolves, witches, and what I sensed to be a few vampires, awaited our arrival. Each held a blazing torch in their hand and stood tall with dignity, their flickering lights creating a path for which Guy and I would walk through, protected, to the end of town. To the gates of Tombstone. I tried to hide my shock by the huge display of support, but my awe betrayed my confidence and my jaw dropped wide open.
In awe of the sight, Guy and I stood on the steps to the courthouse and, noticing his unease, I reassured him that everything would be all right. I tightened my grip around his middle, but to my surprise, he shrugged me off. I furrowed my brows and stared at him in confusion. He then smiled, offering me an elbow the way a gentleman would for a lady. I giggled in spite of myself and took his arm. I could feel his body strengthening beside me, his resolve returning tenfold, and knew my blood was healing him quickly now. Yet before we descended the steps, Guy stopped dead and leaned into my ear.
“What about the vampires, and Horus? Won’t they see the lights?”
I shook my head. “They’re all at The Birdcage Theatre tonight and because of the lockdown, that’s where they will stay.” Guy nodded, impressed by the way things were working out, and in all honesty, I was quite impressed myself. He gave my arm a squeeze and we started down the crumbling steps. We moved through the beginning of the lighted trail, the heat from the flames warming our bodies.
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