From the floor Ramona and Verni gave startled gasps.
‘You did?’ Ramona paled so much that her freckles looked ready to leap off her cheeks. ‘Nina . . .’
Lenina cringed. She turned to face her friend, freezing when she shrank back. ‘I’m so sorry, Romey. I couldn’t tell you without telling you the rest. I didn’t know what to do—’
‘Chuck,’ Ray interrupted gently. ‘Not now.’
Ramona grabbed Verni’s hand and yanked her upright. ‘I need to get out of here. I need . . . space.’
‘Keep together. Stay inside.’
‘I like you, Mr Miller, I always have, but you’re a 2,000 year old mad vampire.’
Verni clutched her arm, tugging hard on it, but Ramona jerked away.
‘Didn’t you hear? I love Lenina, I really do, but no one seems to care that she killed a person. She killed Nick.’ Tears glistened in her eyes as she marched up the stairs.
‘I’m sorry, I—’ Verni gave a nervous shrug.
‘Don’t worry. Just stay with her. Don’t let her out of your sight.’ Though he spoke softly, Ray’s words could be interpreted as nothing but an order.
#
Lenina woke sharply to bright sunlight streaming through a foreign window. She sat up, alarmed to find an arm draped across her stomach. Shawn stirred as she pushed him aside, blinking several times before scrambling into a sitting position.
‘Sorry.’ A pink flush crept into his neck and jaw. ‘Was that not okay? I didn’t mean to grope you or anything. Your dad said I might feel less jumpy if I was close to you.’
‘How long have you been in here?’
‘About an hour. It’s nearly ten-thirty. I didn’t mean to wake you.’
She rubbed both hands over her face. As little as one day ago she would never have slept through somebody entering a room while she slept. Saar wouldn’t have allowed it. Now his presence was gone Lenina felt almost lonely with no one in her head but herself.
‘Don’t worry about it.’ She flicked her legs out of bed and stood, crossing to the window and looking out.
The empty street stretched left and right, identical houses on the opposite side blocking her view of the sun.
A shiver rippled down her spine. ‘Is everyone else okay?’
‘I think so, why?’
‘I feel odd.’
In an instant Shawn was at her side. He stood close, the heat of his body a strange comfort against her back. ‘You’re worried. I can feel it.’ He shifted slightly until his hip touched hers. ‘It’s like an echo in my head. Will it always be like that between us?’
‘You’ll learn how to block it. So will I.’
He touched her shoulder, pulling gently until she turned. He stood close enough that his chest brushed hers as he exhaled, the heat of his breath billowing against her nose and forehead. This near the difference in height between them was enough to force Lenina to lift her head to meet his gaze.
‘I never thanked you for saving me,’ he said.
‘You wouldn’t have needed saving if not for me.’
‘But you did save me.’ When she tried to turn away he caught her chin between his thumb and forefinger, holding her in place. ‘I’m grateful for that.’ He lowered his head. ‘You saved my life.’ The heat of his words billowed over her lips, a teasing touch so like to a kiss and yet so different.
Her skin tingled. ‘Shawn—’
A loud crash from the front door cut her short. The sound reverberated through the house, three heavy knocks, followed by a dry, cracked voice. ‘Lenina!’
Jerking away from Shawn, she rushed to the window and looked down. ‘Oh, god,’ she whispered. Three long steps took her to the door and she was half way through it before Shawn caught up.
‘What is it?’
She raced ahead of him. ‘It’s Tristen. He’s hurt.’
#
Lenina stood near the coffee table watching Tristen drink.
Behind the sofa, Shawn stared with poorly disguised disgust.
Tristen ignored the pair of them, squeezing a plastic medical bag to force the last few drops of blood into his mouth. He smacked his lips and grabbed another, ripping the cap free and sucking noisily. He made it half way through before she snatched it from his grasp, holding it above her head while he snarled like an animal. His eyes flashed to white.
‘Give that back!’
‘Why are you here, Tristen?’
‘I need that blood—’
‘And I need answers. You left Kallisto’s estate before we did. You wanted nothing to do with any of us. How did you even find us?’
He huffed hair out of his eyes. Even in his weakened state, he managed to look incredible, strong jaw and straight nose still dotted with blood. A quick blink cleared the white glow from his eyes and he sat back, spreading his arms across the back of the sofa. The motion exposed a slash in his shirt, the skin visible in the gap still pink and sore. ‘Haven’t you learned anything? I’ll always know where you are . . . until you’re strong enough to fully block me out. Which, may I say, you never will be.’ He eyed the blood-filled bag a moment longer before shrugging. ‘Call it a change of heart.’
‘Why? You hate me.’
‘I hate Saar. You, I quite like.’ He grinned. ‘Sweet on the lips, delicious in bed . . . what’s not to like?’
Lenina turned the bag of blood upside down, letting the contents pour out through the neck.
‘No, no, no, what the hell!’ Tristen reared up, but Shawn grabbed his shoulders and pinned him in place.
Only then did Lenina realise the depth of Tristen’s weakness. Barely a day of The Blood, Shawn should never have been able to hold him, but he did so without effort, forcing Tristen to watch the life-giving blood disappear into the ugly brown carpet.
‘Okay! Please, don’t waste any more. Please!’
She stopped pouring.
He growled, jerking free of Shawn with a sharp, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. ‘Kallisto doesn’t trust me any more. In case you forgot, she tortured me and wants me dead. The only reason she didn’t kill me was because she knew seeing Saar return would hurt me more than dying.’
‘You deserve it.’ Lenina glared, hoping he could feel how much she meant it. ‘But that doesn’t explain why you’re here, Mr Rudder.’
He flinched. ‘Where else am I supposed to go? My human life is over, I’m not needed as a Watcher any more and the whole of Red Fang knows I lied. I’m the most hunted, most hated god-touched on earth.’
‘You’ve no one to blame but yourself.’
‘I can’t change the past. I’m not sure I would if I could, but I’m not an idiot. I know when to cut my losses and admit I need help. I don’t want to die.’
Lenina tapped a finger to her mouth. She allowed herself to drink in every feature of his body, from the hair she longed to pull her fingers through, to the chest she once kissed on a bed of soft white sheets. ‘You played me,’ she said. ‘You tricked me and then tried to kill me. Why should I help you?’
‘Because you’re better than me.’ He said it without flinching, holding her gaze as he spoke. ‘Whether or not you’re the Vessel doesn’t matter. You’re a good, kind person who helps those in need.’ He stood. This time Shawn wasn’t fast enough and Tristen crossed the small space with a quick burst of speed. He stood close enough that his stomach brushed hers. Bloodied hair tickled her nose. ‘Help me, Lenina. Please.’
He kissed her, rough and hard, gripping her shoulders with both hands while the scent of peppermint swirled around her. The taste of him exploded on her lips, her tongue, lighting fires in her body that roared with a scorching heat. Her skin ached at the contact, as though it longed to peel free and wrap around him.
When his tongue slipped into her mouth, the sweetness of him brought tears to her eyes.
He pulled free after too short a time, chest heaving, lips puffy and red. One finger traced a light curve across her jaw. ‘
You’re a good person, Lenina. I’ve always liked that about you.’
She drew a shuddering breath, licking her lips. The residue of him lingered on her mouth, filling her senses with the weight of him. It was good. So, so, good.
Still behind the sofa Shawn watched them both with his mouth hanging slightly open. When he caught her looking, he turned away, hands clenched into fists at his sides. His shoulders hunched towards his ears. ‘I’ll see if there are any more pillows.’
Lenina shook her head. ‘Don’t bother, Tristen won’t be staying.’
Both men gave her the same stunned look.
Lenina pushed the packet of blood into Tristen’s startled hands. ‘I am a good person,’ she said. ‘But that doesn’t make me an idiot. A good kiss certainly doesn’t mean I’ll forget everything you’ve done.’
‘But—’
‘I don’t want you here. If I can help it, I never want to see you again. Take that blood, walk out the door and stay the hell away from me.’
His eyes widened. ‘Kallisto will kill me if she finds me.’
‘Then you’d better hope she never does. Though staying with us doesn’t really help your chances.’
Tristen gave her a long, hard look. His fingers tightened on the bag of blood, forcing the contents up towards the spout so thick drops slid over the back of his hands. At last, he nodded. ‘No, you’re not an idiot. I like that about you too. I’ll see myself out.’
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lenina stared at the pool of blood glistening on the carpet. Shawn touched her arm, but didn’t speak.
When soft footsteps creaked on the stairs she shook herself and marched towards the kitchen. ‘I need to clean that before it stains.’
‘You’re stronger than you think, Chuck.’
When she looked up, she found Ray standing on the middle of the stairs, smiling at her over the banister.
‘He’s right though. If Kallisto finds him, she’ll kill him.’
Ray spoke carefully. ‘I know better than most how much of a survivor Tristen Blake is. He’ll be fine.’
‘You don’t know that.’
He cocked his head. ‘No, I don’t. Does it bother you?’
‘No. Yes. I don’t know. I feel like I shouldn’t care but . . .’ She clenched her fists. ‘He was so cruel. He enjoyed making me squirm. And he tried to kill me.’
‘But does he deserve to die?’
‘He killed Mosi.’
Ray’s lips tightened. ‘I don’t need reminding of that.’
‘So why haven’t you killed him? You loved Mosi, even after everything that happened. You still love him—your face crumples every time someone says his name.’
He walked down the rest of the steps. ‘Yes, I still love Mosi. What we had . . . it was special. In the grand scheme of my life, we were only together for a few years but what he did to me . . . for me . . . I owe him.’
‘And yet you let Tristen walk away.’
‘Tristen is the only reminder of him I have left—all the others of Mosi’s bloodline returned to the sand years ago. Like it or not, Tristen carries Mosi’s blood and has a little bit of him somewhere inside.’
Lenina slumped. ‘That sucks.’
‘Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t like Tristen. I’d even go as far to say that I hate him. But hate, ambition and my own sense of righteousness is what brought us all here in the first place. Knowing he’s alive, seeing his face . . . it reminds me of my mistakes and makes sure that I’ll never repeat them. Well,’ he rubbed the back of his neck, ‘at least not on the same scale.’
‘I hate him.’
‘Fine. But don’t let it consume you.’
She opened her mouth to answer, but a bolt of terror shot through her mind and froze the words in her throat. Her feet scuffed the carpet as she turned, gazing at the door Tristen just took. ‘Something’s happening—he’s scared.’
Ray’s nostrils flared. He spun around to face the door to the kitchen. ‘Wait a minute, Chuck—’
She ran to the window. Dragged back the curtains. ‘They’re here!’
An empty street, just like before, though this low down the shadows of the trees lining the pavement stretched like long, black cloaks over the ground. In the road, on his knees, Tristen fought against a man struggling to plunge a dagger into his chest. Two others approached from either side.
Lenina raced for the door, shoving Shawn out of her way with one sweep of her arm.
‘Chuck, no!’
But she was already out, passed the compost bin, passed the weeds, through the gate and on to the street.
Red Fang was waiting for her, twenty-one of them springing out from behind parked cars and over garden walls to hem her in. Hahn was among them, blue eyes glinting with amusement.
‘Kallisto was right, you are a fool. Did you really think we wouldn’t find you? That we’d let you get away after the damage you caused?’
A glance towards the house told her there would be no escape that way. A wall of god-touched stood between her and the door and Tristen was in no state to help.
She shifted her weight to the balls of her feet and curled her hands into fists. ‘So you’ve come to finish me off?’
‘Something like that.’ Hahn brushed imaginary dirt off his shoulders then flicked a finger in her direction.
The ring of god-touched moved as one, closing in from every direction. None carried weapons, but each of them snarled wide enough to show off their fangs, eyes blanked out to empty darkness.
She charged Hahn, taking a moment to enjoy the stunned expression in his eyes before she crashed into him. He kept his feet through stubborn force of will, but Lenina’s momentum forced him to give ground, stumbling back into the circle and bursting through as god-touched scattered in surprise.
They crashed into the side of a parked car, Hahn’s elbow ploughing through the glass to scatter glistening pellets over the tarmac. He recovered quickly and grabbed a handful of her braids. ‘Stupid girl. You’re not the Vessel, remember? You don’t have the power to attack me.’
‘I do.’ Ray’s voice carried easily as he hurried towards them through the gap made by Lenina’s bold move. Though he carried no weapon it soon became clear he had no need of one. Each punch landed with stunning force, dumping enemies on the floor.
Lenina used Hahn’s moment of shock to stamp on his foot and drive her fist into the bottom of his chin. His teeth clacked together as he grunted from the impact and his hand loosened in her hair. Wriggling back, she kicked him, this time between the legs. He crumpled up at once, moaning through bloodied lips.
Behind her, Red Fang had rallied and seemed to be working together to get at Ray. When two moved from the front, three more moved in from behind, keeping him constantly turning and on the defensive. Even the one worrying Tristen now left him sprawled on the tarmac, rushing in to help his companions.
She wavered.
‘I’m okay, Chuck. Help Shawn protect your mother and brother.’
She shook her head.
‘Once, just once, do as I say!’
Though her jaw tightened, she ran to Tristen and yanked him to his feet. The little blood he managed to consume in the house was now void. Someone had clearly been punching his face, over and over until his eyes were swollen shut. He clung to her as she slipped an arm around his waist.
‘You came for me?’ His voice was a slurred wreck. ‘Why?’
She gritted her teeth. ‘No idea.’
#
Lenina dragged Tristen back into the living room and dumped him on the floor beside the pool of blood. He landed with a grunt and a moan, but she couldn’t spare the time to look at him.
Shawn lay at the base of the sofa, a dark bruise colouring the side of his face. Two wolves the size of Shetland ponies stood on the stairs guarding Luke who held something big and heavy draped over his shoulders. Something wearing over-sized pyjamas in red, blue and black. Someone . . .
‘Jordan!’
Luke moved lightning fast, swinging Jordan off his shoulders and pressing five black claws into the space beneath his throat. ‘Move and he dies. Horribly.’
She froze.
Though his hands were bound behind his back, Jordan’s feet remained free and he wobbled dangerously on the narrow step. His eyes were wild with fear. ‘Sis? Help.’
‘What do you want, Luke?’
He grinned. ‘Peace on earth. The end of world hunger. My own pack and respect from the dusty dinosaurs otherwise known as the Grandfathers.’ A laugh. ‘One out of three isn’t bad for a day’s work.’
‘You don’t want him, he’s not important.’
‘You’re right. Frankly I’d rather not see any of you again but someone does want him very, very much.’
She stepped forward.
‘Ah, ah, no, Lenina. No.’ He claws pressed in. A dribble of blood beaded and slid down Jordan’s throat. ‘Nobody specified I had to bring him in whole. Now, I am going to walk out of here, you are going to stay right where you are. Come on little human, let’s go.’ He smiled the whole time, forcing Jordan behind him as he reached the bottom step. The two wolves followed him growling softly, keeping themselves in Lenina’s path.
At the door to the kitchen Luke paused and used his clawed hand to sweep greasy hair off his face. ‘Nothing personal, you understand. Without you I never would have had the chance to get rid of Darryl. I should thank you for that at least.’ He pushed through the door and out of sight, taking Jordan with him.
The two wolves remaining growled louder, stalking forward with slow, menacing steps. Long ribbons of drool dripped from their huge yellow fangs.
Frustration boiled through Lenina’s throat until she almost choked on it. She studied the wolves, trying to measure their strength and speed. From what she saw during the fight on Kallisto’s estate, these creatures were stronger than her and almost as fast. Her weakened state only worsened the odds.
A soft moan came from up the stairs. Then a gasp. A cry. ‘Jordan? Jordan!’ Her mother’s voice cut the air and gave Lenina all the encouragement she needed.
No sooner had she made the decision than Tristen lifted a hand, waving his fingers in a small side to side gesture. The sofa lifted into the air, swinging left and right before slamming into both wolves and pinning them against the far wall. When they yelped and struggled, the sofa eased back, then hit them again. And again. And again.
Walking The Razor's Edge Page 25