by ID Johnson
Chapter 18
I had made the mistake of drinking some orange juice with breakfast and a Dr. Pepper with lunch. At the time, I felt like it was no big deal, like I could easily make it another few hours, but by the time we were nearing the station, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. Nevertheless, I really didn’t want to use the restroom on the train again. Even if it was stupid to feel that way. I decided to ignore the call of nature and tried to get Brandon to tell me a story to take my mind off of things. He obliged, telling me all about a trip he’d taken to the Tulsa Zoo with his grandparents when he was little.
By the time the train pulled into the station, I was in a huge hurry. I pushed past people who were leisurely going about gathering their bags and rushed through the doors. Brandon was right behind me, and he looked around him, inhaling deeply, as if we were outside at the beach instead of in a smelly, cramped train station.
I didn’t have much of a chance to look around me, though I did notice there was a huge amount of glass in this place. I couldn’t even think about calling my sister right now. “I have to pee,” I announced, looking around as I shifted my weight from foot to foot.
“I’m shocked to hear that,” Brandon said almost laughing at me. I spotted a bathroom down the walkway a little bit and was getting ready to head that direction when he gently grabbed my arm. “All right. Go pee. But please give me my phone back while you go.”
I dug it out of my pocket and then thought of a win-win situation for me. “Will you go ahead and call my sister for me?” I smiled as sweetly as I could and batted my eyelashes at him.
“You really should have to make that call yourself,” he scolded me. He was right, but I was hopeful he’d change his mind until he said, “Besides, I don’t have her number.”
I didn’t have time to argue. “Well, wait for me here, and I’ll be right back. I seriously have to go.” I made sure he had his phone and headed for the bathroom, dropping my bag at his feet as I went, hoping he knew that meant he should pick it up. I assumed he had Aaron’s number and thought maybe he would be a dear and call him.
Normally, when I go into a public bathroom, I do a quick check to make sure everything is as it should be. No weirdos. No lurkers. No kids who are gonna stick their heads under my stall. But this time, I didn’t have time for that. I took my jacket off and pushed the sleeves of my sweater up as I closed the door to the nearest empty stall. I was so happy to be relieved of my burden, I actually said a little prayer of thankfulness as I flushed and zipped up my jeans.
I certainly wasn’t expecting what happened next.
The door to my stall was ripped open. I stood there, staring in disbelief as the familiar face of someone I’d only seen on a grainy computer screen hovered in front of me. There was no time to scream, not time to get away. Zabrina’s pretty face morphed into a hideous jack-o-lantern grin as she reached into the stall and grabbed ahold of me.
“No!” I shouted, looking around for help. The few other women nearby ducked out of the way, clearly terrified.
“My daughter isn’t listening very well today,” Zabrina said as she wrapped an arm around my waist. I dug my heels into the concrete but there was nothing I could do.
“She’s not my mom! Help!” I shrieked but everyone was either terrified or she had some sort of magical capabilities herself because they continued to stare at us as she pulled me toward the bathroom door.
I fought. I tried to punch her, tried to kick, bucked, threw elbows, refused to let her take me. I knew what this beast was capable of; I had seen the footage of the bodies in Cabo. Her beautiful face and luxurious honey blonde hair may have made her look like a supermodel, but I knew she was really a bloodsucker of the most dangerous kind.
Just as Zabrina backed through the bathroom door, I felt her claws rip into the bare skin of my right arm above my elbow where I’d shoved my sweater sleeves up. My whole world froze at that moment. I thought of Drew, her zest for life, her spunky attitude. I thought of Jack. The way he cared about everyone else more than he did himself. I thought of my sister and how heartbroken she would be when she realized what had happened, what I’d done. I never should’ve come here. Now, it was too late. Zabrina’s claw had cut into me, and if everything I’d learned about Vampires thus far was correct—my life as I’d known it was over.
Zabrina whipped me out of the bathroom door, and I saw Brandon hurling toward us, screaming my name. Somehow, he knew. Either he’d heard, figured it out on his own, or someone from LIGHTS had left him a message. The look on his face matched my soul. He was terrified. I could hardly see Zabrina because of the way she had her arms wrapped around me, but as I glanced up at her, I saw her fangs and knew she was not trying to hide what she was. Brandon was a Guardian. She couldn’t hurt him, but he had no idea there was no saving me. I’d need to let him know so that no one else had to get hurt on account of me, but Zabrina had her arm against my throat and I couldn’t speak. I could hardly breathe.
“Let her go,” Brandon demanded.
I continued to fight to get free, at least enough to tell him, but Zabrina growled a response. “That won’t be happening. And you better be careful, or you’ll be next.”
I wondered if she didn’t know what she was talking to, but before my mind got too far down that path, I saw that creepy guy from the train lunging toward Brandon. I tried to scream but couldn’t get it out. Brandon must’ve sensed him. He sidestepped and threw out his elbow, catching the man and sending him to the ground. I watched the best I could as Zabrina began to drag me away again. Brandon was fighting off a Vampire in an attempt to save me, and he was killing it. But it didn’t matter. I was already gone.
Nevertheless, I was so proud of him, of what he had become already. I had no doubt Brandon would dispatch that stalker, and he’d catch up to us soon. As Zabrina began to drag me down another hallway, I tried to dig my heels in, praying my sister would get there soon. If I was going to Resurrect, I didn’t want to do it alone. I knew I could be compliant. I didn’t want to turn into a monster like the woman who had me by the throat.
Having never been here before I didn’t know where she was dragging me to, though I saw a sign that said “Cira Center” and another that said “Pedestrian Bridge.” I thought maybe she was taking me to a second location. I’d seen on lots of talk shows that you should never let an assailant take you to a second location, though I had no idea why she was taking me anywhere at all or what I could do about it.
My mind wandered back to the note, the one Giovani had left. “Miss me, miss me… you know what comes next.” We had all thought he meant, “Now you’ve got to kiss me,” and wondered why he would threaten that to Cadence. As Zabrina began to breathe a little heavier than before, it occurred to me: that note wasn’t addressed to Cadence. Giovani had been taunting me. This whole time, I had been so insignificant, just a tiny speck in the LIGHTS universe, to everyone—except Cadence. And now, Giovani was doing his best to exploit that. Somehow, I’d managed to fall right into his trap.
But how had he known I’d do this, come to Philadelphia?
I saw Brandon sprinting toward me, and from here he looked unscathed. I wished I could smile because I was extremely proud of him. The hours we’d spent on the train together had been more than just a way to pass the time. We’d genuinely bonded. He was an amazing person, and I was going to miss him if my sister couldn’t figure out a way to keep a Vampire on her staff. I was glad that Brandon had taken care of the creep from the train station.
That was it—the guy from the train station had been in Kansas City! He had followed us here, but if he hadn’t, he was supposed to get me! I would’ve ended up here either way, assuming the Vampire sent to collect me managed to get past Brandon. That explained Brandon’s upset stomach on the train as well as the problems my sister had been having. The Vampire must’ve been close enough to headquarters to send off her alerts. He’d been stalking me. For days.
We were on a bridge now, and it seemed to be mad
e entirely of glass except the floor. I pondered whether or not plummeting to my death would be better than Resurrecting. If I could get away from her, jumping might be my only recourse. Brandon was strong, but I knew he couldn’t take Zabrina, not on his own.
Zabrina came to a halt, and I only wondered why for a moment. Brandon had caught up to us, but Zabrina must not be alone now. I couldn’t turn to look. She had me by the throat, and as Brandon demanded she let me go, she grabbed the hair on the top of my head and pulled my head straight up. It was excruciating, and I couldn’t help but let out a sharp scream. I looked up to see Zabrina’s razor sharp fangs just inches from my flesh and wondered if she even knew she’d already scratched me or if this was all for show.
Brandon’s nostrils flared, and he lunged forward, but he froze at the sound of another voice coming from over Zabrina’s shoulder.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Giovani’s voice was a sound I’d only ever heard before in my dreams, and it was nothing like I’d imagined. He had a faint Italian accent, and his voice was much higher than I expected. “We will not hesitate to turn the younger Miss Findley into one of us.”
Brandon stopped dead in his tracks. He must’ve realized they were not bluffing. Behind him, I could see three figures dressed all in black rushing toward us. I didn’t recognize any of them at first, they moved so quickly, but when they screeched to a halt behind Brandon, I saw Eliza standing in the middle, gun drawn. It would be my luck that the first person to arrive to help just happened to be the woman who tried to steal my sister’s boyfriend. I would’ve rolled my eyes if I could move my face at all.
“Well, if it isn’t the little purple-headed vixen,” Giovani laughed. “Didn’t I shoot you once before?” I had no idea what he was talking about and was staring death in the face, so I wasn’t too concerned, although I did find it even more frustrating that these two had a history. That didn’t bode well for me.
“What makes you think I won’t shoot you right now?” Eliza sneered back at him, her gun drawn.
“No!” Brandon yelled, turning to look at her. Somehow, Zabrina managed to open her mouth even wider. I imagined the feel of those teeth sinking into the flesh of my neck, and even though I already knew I was a goner, I realized I did not want her to bite me. Tears filled my eyes.
Brandon demanded, “Put your guns down,” and once again, I was proud of him. He seemed like he really knew what he was doing. Unlike me. I seemed like Zabrina’s next snack.
“Better listen to the young man,” Giovani advised. “I do not think the elder Miss Findley will look kindly upon you if you force my hand.”
“I don’t care,” Eliza replied, and I believed her. She didn’t care about my sister; she certainly didn’t care about me. Zabrina’s teeth gleamed in the waning daylight, and I swear her mouth morphed even more.
Brandon turned and looked at Eliza and the other two sternly, but I don’t think that’s what made her point her gun to the ground. I imagined someone she did respect was giving orders over the IAC. I prayed my sister would be there soon. She would know what to do. Or Aaron. He would definitely know what to do. I could use a little Jamie right now, too. Maybe he could somehow stop the burning in my injured arm. If Zabrina bit me, I’d definitely need a Healer then.
“What do you want, Giovani?” Eliza asked, glaring at him.
I couldn’t see him, but Giovani’s voice came from just to Zabrina’s right, now. “Funny, I would have thought Cadence would have come herself to save her sister and the son of her friend, but she sent you instead. What a pity. I’m afraid I don’t want anything you can give me. I guess I’ll just take Miss Cassidy here and be on my way.”
“No!” Brandon shouted. I couldn’t help but let the whimpers I’d been holding back escape my throat. Zabrina had a glimmer in her eye, like she couldn’t wait to get me home to play. “Take me instead!” Brandon begged. I shifted my eyes to look at him, wishing I could speak to try to tell him not to say such things.
It didn’t matter. “You?” Giovani laughed. “I don’t want you. I can’t do anything with you. You’re already—invincible.” The Vampire had a point. Zabrina had two of them, and they were very shiny.
“But I’m not.”
Never in my life have I been so happy to hear my sister’s voice. I couldn’t see her, but I thought she was behind Eliza. The entire congregation became quiet as my sister and Aaron approached. Finally, I could see her, and while I was doing my best to stay calm, I realized I was sobbing. I had created this mess. Now, my sister was going to put herself in danger if I didn’t find a way to tell her it was too late. As much as I didn’t want Zabrina to sink her teeth into me, they could destroy Cadence.
“Let her go.” Cadence’s voice was calm and demanding. “It’s not her you want. It’s me.”
“Are you willing to take her place?” Giovani asked, taking a step forward. I could see him now, and I wished I could do something to him, kick him, punch him, anything, but I couldn’t move.
My sister turned and looked over her shoulder, making eye contact with Aaron. I knew they were discussing something, though I had no way of knowing what it might be. Slowly she turned back to Giovani and said, “Yes. Let her go, and I’ll come with you.”
Zabrina released her grip on my just enough so that I could find my voice. “No!” I pleaded with my sister. She looked me in the eyes, and I pulled away from Zabrina enough to get my warning out. “Cadence—it’s too late! She already scratched me!”
“Shut up!” Zabrina spat. She yanked on my hair again, pulling me closer and twisting me around so that my face was pressed against her shoulder. If I had been the one with fangs, I would’ve torn into her flesh. I tried not to imagine what it would be like when I actually had them.
No longer able to see any of them, I had to rely on my hearing. The tremble in my sister’s voice was unmistakable “Is that true?” she asked.
“Does it matter?” Giovani asked. “If I keep her, I will destroy her, no matter what she is.” His words cut straight through me. I had been afraid of living as a Vampire, but Giovani had no intention of even letting me do that. He would take me, and he would kill me. Either that, or he would take my sister and kill her. Once again, I struggled to get away from Zabrina. If I could move out of the way, they would have a clear shot at the Vampires. But she was unbelievably strong. I could hardly move at all.
“Now, come along. You first, and then I let her go,” Giovani said.
I knew my sister wasn’t about to fall for that. He’d keep us both. But I had to get away so that he didn’t take Cadence. If he hurt her, I’d never forgive myself. I’d be better off dead. I attempted to raise my knee, trying to connect with Zabrina’s thigh. She stomped on my other foot, smashing my toes. I screamed but all that came out was a muffled cry since my face was pressed against her shoulder. I gasped for air, wishing I could just wake up from this horrible nightmare.
Giovani had ordered Cadence to toss down her weapons, and I heard her unstrapping them. This was real. She was trading herself for me. I shoved my head hard into Zabrina’s neck and reared up enough to say, “Cadence, please! Don’t do it!” The monster slammed my face down into her shoulder, catching me right between the eyes. I saw stars and thought maybe the bridge of my nose was broken as a sharp pain filled the area around my eyes. Dazed, I fought to stay focused on what was going on around me.
“Everyone else, drop your weapons. Now.” Giovani demanded.
There was another collective inhale and a holding of breaths before Aaron quietly said, “Drop them.” I had no idea how numerous the forces around me were until I heard the sound of what seemed to be dozens of weapons hit the ground. The noise came from both in front and behind me. For a moment, I felt slightly safer. How could Giovani possibly get either one of us past all of these Guardians and Hunters?
“Now kick them this way,” Giovani barked. One again, I heard a small army of weapons making contact with the floor as they slid toward me. If
only I could free myself for a second to get ahold of one of them….
It was silent for a moment, and I had no idea what was happening. I heard footsteps and then, the next thing I knew, I was flying through the air. For a second, I thought she’d thrown me off of the bridge, and I was okay with that. The thought of slamming through the glass and landing on the road below would’ve been much better than dying at Giovani’s hand or even watching him destroy my sister.
I heard Brandon screaming my name and realized I was getting closer to him. A second later, I felt his arms around me. The relief of being rescued, the sensation of freedom was short-lived as I saw what was happening in front of me.
Cadence had her hands bound together by some sort of wire. It wasn’t just Giovani and Zabrina who had her either. There were several other large Vampires behind them, all armed to the teeth. All of the Guardians’ and Hunters’ weapons lay in front of Giovani and Zabrina on the ground. My sister caught my eyes for just a moment, and she looked relieved, which I thought was unbelievable considering where she was going. Giovani pulled a black cloth bag out of the pocket of his long black duster and slipped it over my sister’s head. “Cadence!” I screamed, and Brandon wrapped his arms around me tighter.
I struggled. I couldn’t let this happen, but he was much stronger than me. Aaron was standing right next to us, and he took a step backward, resting his hand on my arm, and while I suddenly felt calmer, the overwhelming despair that they were taking my sister because of me, hit me right in the gut. I couldn’t handle it anymore. I began to sob, still muttering my sister’s name. Brandon slowly lowered me to the ground, keeping his arms around me the whole time. I realized he was whispering, “It’s okay. She’ll be okay. Aaron won’t let them hurt her. Your sister is strong. She’ll be all right.” While all of those sentiments were pleasant, I had done this. I had cost my sister her freedom, possibly everything. I could no longer watch what was happening and turned my head, burying my face in Brandon’s neck.