Even with her speed, the scent of honey blood drifted into her senses, spurring her on even faster, pushing her toward the only human in the building.
Tristan jumped when she burst into his room.
"Kira!" he said, and then he relaxed with the recognition—something that warmed Kira's heart. A smile spread across his features, lighting up his face and making it glow with excitement.
"Tristan," Kira said breathily, trying to regain her composure after her run. She slammed her hands down in the bed, steadying herself, and a few papers rustled. Leaning closer, Kira noticed a pile of sketches on the bed.
A pile of sketches of her face.
Soft curls danced around her frame, hiding her eyes in shadows as a small smile played on her lips. In another, her eyes lit up, seeming to glow through the page. In another, her palm was raised with a small flame that she seemed to offer to the viewer.
Traveling up the bed, Kira saw graphite shavings lazily resting on the sheets, a pile of peeled pencils on Tristan's thigh, and a half-finished outline of her features below his fingers.
Those fingers.
The tips were blackened, a side effect of rubbing the pencil into the pages. It was almost too familiar—her breath stopped.
Kira stopped.
Everything except for her eyes, which kept rising higher—higher up his muscular chest to his Adam's apple stopped on a gulp and his lips halfway to a smile. Finally his brown eyes, which she almost expected to be blue again.
"Tristan?"
She leaned forward, hanging on the unspoken words dancing on his lips…
"I didn't mean to be forward," he said, stiff and formal, not her Tristan.
Kira's body deflated. For a moment, she had thought, maybe—but no. Better not to go there, not now. Better to hold onto some dreams, especially while the rest of her beliefs seemed to be crashing down around her.
"I don't mind," she said gently, sitting half on the bed, afraid to lean too close to him.
"I didn't know what to draw and you were so kind this morning. I thought maybe we were friends." He shrugged. A light pink blush gathered on his cheeks, innocent and so new to Kira.
"We are friends." She grabbed one of the sketches just to do something with the hands that felt fat in her lap. "And these are beautiful."
"Once I started, it felt almost natural, as though my fingers had remembered something my brain didn't." He looked down at the sketches, running his pointer finger along her graphite cheekbone. Kira felt the ghost of a touch on her cheek, a haunting memory. "This is not the first picture of you I've drawn, is it?"
Kira swallowed deeply. "No, it's not."
"I didn't think so."
He sat up, reaching his hand out, stopping an inch from her face. Kira held her breath. After a minute, his hand fell back down onto the bed—gravity stronger than whatever memory he was grasping for.
"Why is it that I don't remember?"
"I don't know," Kira whispered.
"I think I want to."
Kira sighed. "I know this must be so frustrating. But it will all work out. I promise you'll get used to this new life."
Tristan nodded. "I believe your words, but something, some instinct I cannot shut off wants me to go back, to retrieve what I've lost."
His fingers brushed over her palm and his eyes squinted, looking deep into hers, almost as if he could see her soul. A shiver traveled up her arm.
"Trist—"
"You ready?" Luke's voice called and Kira jumped off the hospital bed, looking for a body to go along with the words. The doorway was empty. Had she imagined it? For some reason, she felt guilty, like she had been doing something wrong. Was Luke the angel on her shoulder…or the devil?
"Over here, genius," he said and Kira spun toward the window. His blond head poked through the open frame.
"I knew that."
"Yeah, right." He grinned and pushed the window open even farther.
"Ready for what?" Tristan asked. He quickly shuffled the papers together, removing them from Luke's eyesight, viewing him with a slightly hostile stare.
Some things never change, Kira thought, feeling almost like herself for a minute.
"We're leaving," Kira said.
"Here." Luke tossed a pair of dark wash jeans and a plain black T-shirt on the bed.
"What are these?" Tristan asked, holding the T-shirt up like it was a rag.
"Clothes," Kira said gently, pointing at Luke's similar ensemble.
"That was pretty much your standard look, man," Luke said. "The ladies dug it."
"Dug?" Tristan asked, confused. Luke's grin widened.
"This is going to be fun," he said, looking slowly at Kira. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eye.
"Luke," she said sternly.
He gave her a little shove toward the window. "Why don't you act as look-out."
"I mean it," Kira warned.
"I'm just going to help the man get dressed," he said in a totally unconvincing voice and nudged her a little more.
"If he comes out with purple hair or something…" Kira trailed off to duck under the window.
"Would I do that?"
"Yes," Kira said under her breath as she jumped the last few feet to the ground.
"Now, Tristan," she heard Luke say, but stopped listening when her eyes caught a red mass in the distance.
The Punisher Council.
All seven of them.
Walking this way.
Walking into the hospital.
"Luke! We have to get out of here now!"
Chapter Five
Kira stilled her entire body, not daring to move even her finger.
Maybe they won't see me, she thought—be the wall, Kira, be the wall. Brick wasn't so far from a strawberry blond head. Of course, she was wearing a bright, almost neon green shirt, so that wasn't helping.
The first Punisher ducked into the hospital, and then the second, now the third. The door was only a few yards from the window above Kira's head. How long before one of them noticed her—or reached Tristan's room? Because Kira had no doubt that was their destination, to poke and prod the newly human vampire.
Too bad I got here first, Kira mentally high-fived herself.
The fourth was in.
Kira moved her hand a few inches higher and knocked on the window, trying to urge Luke along without making a scene.
The fifth was in.
She was going to kill him, both of them—how long did it take for a guy to put on a pair of jeans, even if he had never seen them before. A button here, a zipper there…it wasn't that hard!
The sixth moved forward.
Kira eyed the final Punisher. It was the leader, the one with a massive chip on his shoulder, the one who maybe had it out for her…scratch that, definitely had it out for her. He took a step forward, putting his body halfway through the door, and Kira held her breath, waiting for the rest of him to disappear.
But Luke chose that moment to stick his head out the window and tell Kira, "We have company."
The Punisher whipped his head around, eyes boring down on Luke and Kira.
"What?" Kira asked, turning around, forgetting her camouflage now that their cover was blown.
"I locked the door," Luke said while jumping down from the window frame, "but it sounds like there are a few angry conduits on the other side of it."
The Punisher yelled toward them, closing in on them while numbers five and six walked back out of the hospital to see what the commotion was.
"There are a few angry conduits out here, too" Kira muttered and tugged on his arm. "Where's Tristan? We need to get out of here."
"On my way," Tristan said, and swung through the window, slipping his feet outward so he easily dropped to the ground without making a sound. Kira took in the dark jeans, the black T-shirt, the way his body moved fluidly like a jungle cat. Not now, she thought and pushed the memories back, not when I need to be on my game.
To their right, the Punishers were closin
g in. The leader had gathered his flames, ready to blow them into Kira's face. Normally, that wouldn’t scare her, but something inside of her was screaming in fear, running from the burn. Part of her was afraid that the flames might actually sting.
"Let's go," she yelled, trying to ignore the shriek in her gut.
Luke ran in the opposite direction, motioning for them to follow. Tristan went next, and with one final look at the council that should have accepted her, Kira followed the two boys around the corner.
In seconds, they reached Luke's get-away car—an old black Jeep. Luke hopped into the front seat, but Tristan stopped dead in his tracks. Kira slammed into his back, knocking the air out of her lungs.
"Tristan, come on." Kira shoved him toward the door.
"What is this?" he asked, mystified and slightly awed.
"It's a car, like a modern day horse and carriage, but with metal and electricity and gas." Kira said, trying not to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded to her. Luke, of course, didn't bother to hide his amusement, and Tristan just looked more bewildered.
"Just get in," she said, opening the front seat for him. After he settled in, Kira jumped in the back and looked out the rear window at the Punishers still running their way.
Luke pushed on the gas, and Tristan practically jumped out of his seat, grabbing the handle bar above his head as though his life depended on it. Kira saw his knuckles turn whiter and whiter the farther down the road they moved. She reached through the seats and put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay." Kira squeezed. "You're perfectly safe."
"You know, statistically speaking, cars are actually really dangerous," Luke said. Kira death-stared him through the rearview mirror. "What? I speak the truth." He shrugged. "I'm just a really awesome driver."
Kira rolled her eyes. "The best," she deadpanned.
"Hey, I've survived many a car chase, thank you very much."
"I know. I was almost killed in one of those car chases."
"By vampires."
"By your driving."
"You were totally safe."
"Because I was tied to the bed of the truck."
"Completely my idea."
"You and I have very different memories of that night."
"Mine being the right one?"
Kira stared at him, trying not to laugh as he smiled super widely into the mirror, giving her that all too innocent look she knew very well. Total stalemate, Kira thought and bit down on her lip. Luke's eyes crinkled at the corners, and Kira knew she was about to win the unspoken contest.
Three.
His smile wobbled.
Two.
He swallowed a gulp.
One.
He sucked in air.
"You talk very fast," Tristan said slowly, cutting through both of their defenses. Luke let out a loud hoot and Kira broke down in giggles. Tristan turned his head to stare at them both, utterly perplexed by the scene around him.
Curling her feet into her chest, Kira looked out the window and tried to ease her laughter. But it wouldn't stop. The lightness in her chest just kept expanding the farther out of Sonnyville they traveled.
The air smelled a little less like delicious honey.
The Punishers were pushed to the back of her mind.
Her worries seemed lost to the wind.
"Where's Pavia?" Luke asked as they neared the gate. Kira shifted her attention to his face, moving her gaze away from the mangled car that reminded her too much of what had happened only an hour earlier.
"Just keep driving, she'll catch up."
There was still a pool of blood on the ground that Kira was afraid to be near, a memory she was trying her best to bury.
"May I ask where we are going?" Tristan questioned, finally easing his grip on the handle a little bit. His eyes were still wide as they looked at the countryside flashing past the window. Kira watched his childlike wonderment in the side mirror, looking away when he tried to meet her gaze.
"To Charleston," she said.
"In truth?" he asked, turning around to look at her. The dimples she loved dug into his cheek.
Kira smiled—she couldn't help it. His excitement was contagious. "Yup."
"For how long? I would love to visit my home."
"I don't know," Kira said, turning her attention out the window again. She didn't have the heart to tell him his home was gone. The plantation he used to live in was dust sprinkling the marshes, torn to ash from a fire during the Civil War.
"It might be a little different than you remember," Luke said. Kira wanted to kiss him for the gentleness in his voice.
"It will still be home." Tristan leaned back, resting his head. "This car," he stumbled over the word, "it is far more comfortable than a horse."
Luke cupped a hand around his mouth, trapping the bark that was about to escape. "I like you this way, Tristan. Who knew you were so funny?"
"I don't mean to be humorous," he said, looking at Luke strangely.
"That makes it so much better." Luke sighed, shaking his head happily.
"You are very odd."
"He gets that a lot," Kira said, meeting Luke's eye in the mirror and smiling warmly. But he's my oddball, Kira thought, liking the way that sounded.
All of a sudden, a huge screech ripped through the air, and Luke slammed on the brakes. The seatbelt dug into Kira's shoulder, and she yelped as the car sputtered to a stop. The smell of burnt rubber filled her nostrils.
"What the…" Kira trailed off, looking up. "Good driver my as—" She stopped at the sight of Pavia standing with arms crossed an inch in front of the car.
"That was a little close, you know," the vampire said and grinned, winking in the process. She strolled around the car, opening the door behind Luke. Kira shifted from the middle, moving to squat behind Tristan as Pavia settled in.
"This is going to be fun," the vampire said cheerfully, looking at the two boys in the front seat. "You must be Tristan." She winked at him and turned to Kira. "Nice work. He's just as cute as I remember, well, you remembered and I stole. A little tanner, maybe, but that comes with the humanity I guess." She reached out, brushing a finger along his cheek, as if to check if there was really human blood pumping under his skin. Kira knew what she was really doing.
She slapped Pavia's hand down. "Stop."
"I was just taking a peek," she whined. "Besides, I didn't see anything useful. He's all blocked up."
"What?" Kira asked, tilting her head.
"There's a wall dividing his memories, something that's stopping me from retrieving them…for now." She raised her eyebrows, accepting the challenge. Kira opened her mouth to ask another question, but Luke interjected.
"The name's Luke, by the way." A hard edge had crept into his tone.
"Nice to meet you," Pavia said, extending her hand in his direction.
"I'd rather not," Luke said.
"I see Kira told you my little secret, no fun." She pouted, looking at Kira accusingly.
"Oh please," Kira said, not giving into Pavia's little charade. "Now that the introductions are over, let's get down to business. You said you had to tell me something, something to do with Aldrich?"
Tristan sucked in a breath instinctively, catching Kira's attention. But there was no real recognition in his features. Kira knew what her Tristan's face would look like at the mention of that man—hard, a mix of steel and ice.
Pavia sunk into her seat, getting comfortable. Her features softened as the mask fell and Kira recognized this girl—this was the girl who promised to come back to Kira, to share more of her mother's memories, to fight Aldrich at all costs. The vampire with a heart, that one hiding inside of Pavia's tough exterior.
The teasing banter was lost to whatever grave news she had come to bear. Kira eyed her, watching the vampire's gaze shift from side to side as she struggled to make a decision.
Finally, Pavia sighed. "I don't know where to begin."
"It's only been a few days, how much can there reall
y be to tell?"
A dark laugh escaped her lips. "More than you know."
"Start with Aldrich," Luke interjected. "What's his plan?"
"Kira could probably tell you that part better than I can," Pavia said and Kira sucked in a breath. Did she know? Know about the darkness lurking inside of Kira's chest, the black hole Aldrich wanted to push her into—the one her body seemed almost willing to fall into?
But no, there was no secret hiding in Pavia's glance. She really didn't know what Aldrich wanted so badly, why he was chasing so forcefully after Kira.
"Besides," Pavia continued, "that's the end of the story. I guess we should start with him." She pointed at Tristan.
"What about him?" Kira asked. Protectiveness lurked in her tone, roughing it up.
"Are you kidding? From now on, everything is about him."
"Me?" Tristan asked, shrinking into his seat.
"I guess I should start with Aldrich escaping—which I'm still pretty impressed about by the way." She threw a pointed look in Kira's direction. "You seemed pretty dead set on killing him."
Kira shrugged, unable to meet Pavia or Luke's eyes. "Can't win them all."
"Well anyway, the man's got a serious grudge against you. He wanted to unite the vampire community, to give them something to fight about together, and Tristan became his rallying point. I mean, a vampire that became a human again? That's some scary stuff to a lot of vamps out there."
Tristan turned his gaze out the window, and Kira tried to read the expression gathering on his face, the far-off look in his eyes.
"Why scary?" Luke asked from the front seat.
Pavia fell back, thinking. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but it's like, when you're a vampire nothing really matters. Your actions don't have consequences, and you can do very bad things without feeling any real remorse about them, things that a human wouldn't do."
As Pavia spoke, Kira kept watching Tristan. He brought one hand up and over his eyes, using his thumb and middle finger to rub at his temples. He didn't want to think about any of the past he didn't remember. Kira couldn't imagine the ideas running through his head, the questions about the things he may have done.
"But Tristan doesn't remember," Kira mumbled.
The Complete Midnight Fire Series Page 64