Fated (32 page)

He leant forward even closer, dipping his head so he could whisper into Victor's ear. 'Know that I am saving your life because of her. Know that. She saved you.' He nodded in Evie's direction. '
I
would have killed you.'

He moved the knife away from Victor's neck, replacing it with his knee. 'Get me something to tie him up with,' he said, looking up at Evie.

Evie stood stock-still, staring at him.

'Quickly,' he urged.

She looked around frantically for something - then tore a Chanel dress off the rail and pulled the belt from around its waist, chucking it towards him. He tied a convoluted knot around Victor's wrists and neck, binding him into a foetal position.

When he was done he stood up, noting the wide-eyed relief on Evie's face. His hand found hers and he tugged her towards the back door. They stepped through into the storeroom. Lucas took in the weapons laid out before him, frowning.

'Where are we going?' Evie asked.

'We have to get away from here. They're coming,' he said, letting go of her hand and bending to pick up one of the UV torches. He switched it on and off before tossing it to her. 'Here, take this,' he said.

Then he grabbed hold of the nearest knife encased in a sheath, and handed that to her too. She took it, discarding the one she'd had up until now, the one tipped with Lucas's blood.

'OK, let's go,' he said, taking her hand and sprinting to the back door, which led out onto a back alley.

'Hang on,' she said, pulling back. 'Where are we going? I can't just leave.'

He turned to her, his hand on the handle. 'You want to stick around and have a give peace a chance bed-in?'

She smiled sarcastically.

'Or do you want to stay alive?' he asked, ignoring it. 'The people coming aren't exactly the kind of people who you'd want climbing into bed with you. They don't understand peace. All they know is that you are the White Light and they want you dead before you go raining on their parade.'

'I can't just leave - what about my mother?' she protested.

He opened the door. 'We'll call her.'

She dug in her heels as he tried to pull her through the door. 'What?'

He turned back to her and saw the fear on her face. He wanted to smooth it away, hated that the fear was in some way caused by him. That's when he heard the footstep in the alley, the sound of shallow breathing. He whirled around, blocking Evie with his body.

'Going somewhere?' Risper said, stepping out from behind a dumpster. He caught the silver flash of something in her hand and knew without looking closer that it was one of those circular blades she'd had in the cornfield.

He heard the growl that erupted from his own throat, felt Evie press closer against his back, her fingers digging into his waist.

'Where's Victor?' Risper asked.

'He's tied up.'

Risper frowned at him, her small mouth pursing. She was tiny - barely bigger than a child - but he knew from watching her in the cornfield that she was fast and that she was dangerous.

'We were just leaving,' Lucas said quickly, smoothly, calculating how fast he could reach her and weighing that up against leaving Evie unguarded. 'The Brotherhood are coming. You can stick around for the party if you want but we're leaving.'

His fingers tightened on his father's blade. He wasn't going to let go of Evie. So instead he squeezed her hand and took a step forward, his eyes on the saw blade Risper had brought up to her chest. Just one flick would be all it took and he would be quick enough to dodge it, but would Evie?

Risper danced to the right, blocking their path. 'She's not going anywhere with you.'

Evie pulled against his grip suddenly, stepping out from behind his back. 'Risper,' she said, 'he's not one of them. He's helping me. I trust him. I'm leaving with him.'

'No you're not,' Risper hissed. 'You think I'm letting you go with him you've got another thing coming.' Her voice raised to a yell. 'I've been waiting four years for them to tell you who you are. I've had to risk my life to protect yours when you were too ignorant and too stupid to even know what you were.'

'You tried to kill me,' Evie burst out. 'What do you
mean
protecting me? You've been trying to bury one of those things in my skull ever since you first saw me.'

Risper threw her a look as cutting as the blade. 'I couldn't believe it was you. That you were supposed to be the one to save us,' she spat. 'You - you're just a girl.'

'So are you!' Evie shouted back.

'If you were meant to be it - if you were really it then you would have survived anything I threw at you.' She frowned, her voice dropping. 'And you did.' She glanced at Lucas. 'You did,' she repeated.

'So what? Because you only got a piece of ear and not my whole head you suddenly think I'm the White Light? That it's OK to protect me?'

Risper pressed her lips together, anger coming offher in waves.

Evie opened her mouth to say something more. Then rammed it shut again.

Lucas's eyes scanned the alley. Something. There was something out there. Something coming closer.

'Yes,' Risper suddenly said, her face scrunched up with fury. 'I
do
believe it. Because, despite everything, you're still alive. And if you're it then I'm not letting you out of my sight. You're what I've been waiting for. You're not leaving. You're staying right here and you're fulfilling whatever it is that damn prophecy says you're doing. Because I want out.'

Lucas interrupted her stream of fury. 'Risper, there's no time. I can protect her better than you.'

He felt Evie tense next to him, her back straighten, her hand clutch at his. 'Lucas, I feel something,' she said and he caught the note of panic in her voice.

'They're here,' Lucas said, still staring at Risper.

Risper whipped around, her eyes raking the alley. She spun back to face them. 'They can't be,' she said. 'Jocelyn and Earl were supposed to be holding them off.'

'Well, they've obviously failed,' he said, tugging Evie after him. 'Let's go,' he said as they pushed past Risper.

Lucas paused, looking left and right. Left was a dark, garbage-strewn alley, about one hundred metres long, which emptied onto Main Street. Right was the same, only shorter, running for fifty metres before it hit a brick wall where another alley backed onto it. A yellow lamp illuminated a zone at the far end and he caught the blur of movement beneath it.

'This way,' he called, pulling Evie to the left.

They started running. 'Where's your car?' he asked.

'Behind Joe's diner,' she said. 'Free parking.' She shrugged, seeing his expression. 'Where's your car?'

'Parked on Main Street, one block down.'

It was her turn to give him a look. But Lucas was staring straight past her.

He sensed her before he saw her, felt Evie react too, both of them coming to a screeching halt about twenty metres before the end of the alley. He heard a movement behind him and glanced over his shoulder. Risper had been hot on their heels and had drawn up sharply too. Her eyes were narrowed, her teeth bared, but she wasn't looking at him, she was looking straight past them.

Lucas turned and saw Shula step into the light, feet spaced wide, hands on hips. She was wearing a black catsuit that clung to her body in ways that not even skin could manage. Her hair was swept back off her face, piled high on her head. She was standing in the green light cast by an emergency exit sign and it was making her glow toxic.

'Well, someone's in a hurry,' she announced, with a wink directed just at him.

Lucas stepped forward into the light, shielding Evie. He heard the whisper of steel against steel as Evie unsheathed her knife behind him.

He started edging her backwards, his brain trying to process his next move. If Shula was here the others would be nearby. The best way would be through her and out onto Main Street. It was the quickest route to the car.

He glanced sideways at Risper who had eased forward and planted herself side by side with him. Whatever her motivation, they both had a common interest now.

Risper's dark eyes found his and in that single second he knew she had understood what he intended to do. He faded into the shadows like a sigh, drawing his blade as he did.

Shula's face contorted into panic and fear. 'I sense you, Lucas,' she yelled into the space between them.

Evie's yell brought him back. He materialised as he spun around, his arm flying out instantly, drawing her against him, his eyes darting down the alley in the direction Evie was pointing.

Joshua was advancing silently behind them. As they stepped into the square of light, Evie cried out.

For a second he didn't understand but then he took in the blood dripping from Joshua's chin, the red streaks splashed across his T-shirt. Joshua's face was illuminated, his smile so wide Lucas could make out the drops of blood hanging on the end of his fangs.

'Your Hunter friend was tay-ay-sty,' Joshua said, smacking his lips together. 'Mmmmmmmmm.' He licked his palm, smiling, his eyes fixed on Evie.

Lucas heard Risper swear, sensed Evie's heart rate pounding like a starter pistol.

'Oh, why the brooding, scowly face, Lucas?' Shula pouted. She turned to Evie. 'You fell for this? Seriously?'

'You're not jealous, are you?' Evie snapped back.

Shula looked like she'd been slapped, but then, plastering on a smile, she turned to Lucas. 'So, yawn yawn, blah blah, hand her over, Half-and-half.'

'Don't think so, Shula,' he said, his voice carrying more than a warning in it. 'And if you want her you'll have to go through me to get to her.' He raised an eyebrow as he tipped his blade to catch the light.

'Oh, he's willing to die for you!' Shula clapped her hands together, looking at Evie. 'Isn't that sweet? So romantic. I best make sure he gets to fulfill that. Otherwise it's just oh so many empty words and you'll forever be wondering if he actually meant them.'

'There are three of us. And only two of you,' Lucas growled.

Shula sighed. 'Actually there are three of us,' she said, pointing up to the emergency exit sign. Lucas looked up and spotted the tiny brown sparrow sitting there.

'Neena, get down here,' Shula hissed.

The bird fluttered its wings and flew down, flapping left and right as if not sure where to land. Eventually she landed in a shimmer to Shula's left, materialising straight away into Neena's normal form. She stood there, staring at the ground, her narrow shoulders tensed.

'So that makes three against two because your girlfriend doesn't count,' Shula smirked, looking at Evie. 'I hear tell she can't fight very well. And Grace tells us she didn't kill Caleb after all, so I know she doesn't have her full power.'

He heard the crunch of gravel as Evie stepped forward, and his hand tightened on her wrist, holding her back.

'Power or no power, I seem to remember I smacked you up pretty good last time,' Evie said.

Shula's mouth pursed. 'I was wearing heels,' she said. 'I was at a distinct disadvantage.' She paused. 'You know, I still have coffee stains on that dress. I think you owe me. Maybe after I rip out your guts and decorate your boyfriend with them I'll go shopping in your little store, help myself to something new.'

'I don't think we have anything in your size,' Evie answered back, 'or anything that goes with green, for that matter.'

Lucas sensed movement to his right and whipped around. Joshua had sauntered forward, a fingernail prising something gristly from between his teeth. Risper placed herself in front of him, a saw blade in each hand, looking like she was judging where to plant the first one.

Joshua paused mid-step and smiled disdainfully at her. A blade like that would barely scratch his skin.

'It's got Mixen acid on it,' Risper said, seeing Joshua eyeing her weapon. 'Might not kill you, sure is gonna hurt.'

Joshua frowned at her moodily, then looked at Lucas. 'What y'all doing fighting with Hunters? You're on the wrong side.'

'Am I?' Lucas replied. He weighed his own blade. It was Shadow steel, strong enough to break through Thirster skin, but if he was fighting Joshua that would leave Shula free to make a move. And then Neena? Would she actually fight? He didn't know but he wasn't sure he could hurt her.

Joshua tugged the gristle free and threw it to the floor. 'I always wanted to taste Shadow Warrior.'

'Come over here and taste it, then,' he said.

The light blinded them all.

'Back the
hell
off,' Evie yelled, stepping forward into the space that had opened up in front of them.

She was waving the torch in her hand. Joshua fell back, his arms flying up to cover his face, his skin starting to sizzle like bacon fat.

Ignoring his screeching cries and Shula's swearing, Evie took Lucas's hand. 'Come on,' she said, 'let's go.'

37

They backed away, their eyes on Shula, steadily, furiously advancing on them. She had paused only to unsheathe the metre long sword slung between her shoulder blades. It looked like something that had last seen battle during the Crusades.

Risper hurled a blade. It cut through the air. Shula dodged it. The second one, following hard on the shadow of the first, took her by surprise and sliced into the flesh of her shoulder.

Shula screamed in outrage, her hand flying to the wound, which started pouring a steady stream of greenish-black ooze. She hefted the sword into her left hand.

'Good job I'm left-handed,' she spat through gritted teeth.

'I've only got one blade left,' Risper said under her breath.

Lucas swore, his hand tightening around Evie's wrist.

'Do something, Neena! The light!' Shula yelled.

Evie took another few steps backwards, tugging Lucas with her, holding the torch high, trying to direct its beam straight onto the Thirster lying on the ground.

She took another step. Something blurred at the edge of her vision, leaping towards her, and she yelped as the torch flew out of her hands, smashing to the ground by her feet. The alley plunged into darkness. The spitting fat noise stopped - became a hiss.