Thrall (14 page)

I grabbed Lucas’ arm, stunned. “I think that’s Tomoe Gozen,” I breathed.

“Which means...?”

“She was a samurai from the twelfth century,” I explained. Lucas gave the statue a second glance, interested.

Parker slid up next to me. “Someone said you loved that stuff. We told Rachel and she had this carved for you.”

“Why?”

Parker smiled with his signature confidence. “We wanted to do something memorable for your birthday.”

I looked around with a growing sense of dread. The honey-blond demon in Old Town had mesmerized tables full of suits. Lucas called it enthralling. Everywhere I looked, I saw boys smiling in my direction.

“It’s happening,” I whispered with a rush of fear.

“What was that?” Lucas asked, leaning closer.

A slow song filled the club and Parker took a step toward me, trying to edge Lucas to one side. “How about a dance?” Parker asked, giving me a smile.

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” Lucas said. Parker seemed to see Lucas for the first time. He frowned as Lucas offered me his hand. I let Lucas guide me onto the dance floor. “I kind of hate that guy,” he murmured. “Although I guess I should feel bad for him.”

“Why’s that?”

“I know what it feels like to want someone who doesn’t want you back,” Lucas said simply. The dance floor was dimly lit and warm in the press of bodies. Lucas held me close. I let go of my worries, leaning into him, resting my head on his shoulder. His hands curled tighter around me. There was something lovely and anonymous about the darkness of the dance floor. The slow song came to an end far too soon, replaced by another throbbing dance song. As the floor flooded with eager dancers, I pulled Lucas to one side.

“I should find Royal and Cassie,” I said.

“Sure. I’ll get us something to drink.” Lucas turned away and started pushing through the crowd toward the bar.

As I turned to search the crowd, Parker found me. “Perfect timing. This song was my request.” He offered me his hand, clearly hoping to lead me back to the dance floor.

“Actually,” I said. “I’m kind of here with someone, Parker.”

“One dance isn’t exactly cheating.” Parker took my hand.

“No, thanks,” I said firmly. “But I bet Cassie would love to dance. She’s got to be around here somewhere. You should find her.”

“I didn’t arrange all this for Cassie.” Parker wouldn’t let my hand go. “Come on. One dance, then we’ll call it even.”

“Even?” I said, irritated. “I didn’t ask you to do this.”

“Didn’t you?” He smiled, as if catching me in a lie. “You made sure we heard the details of your party, then practically challenged me with that look this morning.”

I stared at him, dumbstruck. “What?”

“This morning,” he repeated, getting impatient. “By your car.”

“Parker,” I said, wrenching my hand away from him. “I think your imagination is playing tricks on you.”

Parker’s eyes narrowed. He glanced at his friends, watching curiously at the table behind us, then turned back to me, suddenly cold. “If I’d known what a tease you were I never would have wasted good money on you.”

“Forget what I said,” I spat. “Cassie’s way too good for you.”

Parker looked like he wanted to say something else but I pushed away from him into the crowd. I noticed someone moving through the dancers out of the corner of my eye. I turned to see who it was and my stomach turned to ice.

A smoky shadow swirled lazily around a sensual brunette. I’d never seen her before, I was sure of it; she didn’t have the kind of face you’d forget. She danced riotously in the center of the room, throwing her head back with wild abandon. I blinked, staring. The shadows ringing her weren’t as formless as I’d first thought. They were smoky wings, draped like a cape around her shoulders, hard to make out in the darkness.

“No,” I breathed. I suddenly knew what I was looking at. No one else was reacting to the wings, because no one else could see them.

The Lilitu smiled seductively at her dance partner and turned in his arms. He led her around the dance floor and I caught sight of his face. It was Greg. The demon gave her smoky wings a little snap. They shook off a dark mist and Greg unknowingly breathed it in. He shook his head and stumbled, grinning at his slip like an intoxicated idiot. The Lilitu leaned close to whisper something into Greg’s ear and his smile deepened. She took Greg’s hand and started to lead him off the dance floor. Dancers moved out of their way without acknowledging them at all.

I was too frozen by fear to move. Greg had no idea what kind of danger he was in. I needed Lucas. He would know what to do. I turned to look for him and came face-to-face with Amber.

“Pretty pleased with yourself?” Amber asked, her lips pulling back in a sneer. “Fair warning. I’m not letting Lucas go without a fight.”

I scanned the room over her shoulder, to desperate to take her bait. I couldn’t see Lucas anywhere.

“You wrecked Desert Fest,” Amber growled. “You owe me!”

I pulled the tiara off my head and shoved it into her hands. “Here,” I said. “Keep it.” I pushed past her into the crowd.

A few moments later I spotted Lucas, moving toward me with two blue drinks in hand. We met in the crowd and he offered a glass to me.

“Better drink this fast,” he said. “Look.” I followed Lucas’ gaze and spotted Derek moving through the crowd as if he was searching for something. “If one of the Guard followed him here, it’s going to be a short party for us.”

“We’re in trouble,” I said. “I saw a Lilitu on the dance floor. With Greg.”

Lucas stared at me, suddenly serious. “How do you know she was a Lilitu?”

“I
saw
her,” I said. He read the full depth of my meaning in my eyes.

“You’re a spotter?” Lucas set his drink down, took my hand, and wove us through the crowd toward Derek. Derek looked up as we cornered him near the club’s entrance. Lucas pushed him back against a pillar. “You shouldn’t have left your house, man.” Derek looked foggy, like he was half-asleep. Lucas grabbed his face and looked into his eyes. Derek’s pupils were so large the irises looked almost completely black. Lucas glanced at me sharply. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed.

“What is it?” I asked, seeing Lucas’ fear.

“She’s drawing him to her,” he said. “I think she plans to attack.” Lucas bent his head as someone answered his call. He had to shout into the phone. “Gretchen, it’s me. I’m at the Raven club with Derek. There’s a Lilitu here.” Lucas met my eyes grimly. “Because Braedyn can see it.” His eyes tightened slightly. “Yeah, I know what you said. You can skin me later. Get down here. This place is packed.” Lucas hung up, urgent. “We have to get him out of here.”

I glanced around at the club, full laughing, dancing people. They were completely unaware of the danger in their midst. “What about everyone else? What about Greg?”

“Derek is vulnerable,” Lucas said, frowning. He didn’t like this any more than I did. “He’s one mistake away from becoming a Thrall. He has to be our priority. Derek, you’re going to have to come with...” But when we turned back to the pillar, Derek was gone. “Damn!” Lucas scanned the room. Spotting Derek in the heaving crowd wasn’t going to be easy. “Can you see the Lilitu?”

I looked back at the dance floor. I couldn’t spot any trace of the smoky shadow I’d seen before. “No.”

“Okay,” Lucas said, tense but determined. “I’ll check the back, you take the dance floor.” I nodded and Lucas slipped into the crowd, headed for the back hallway.

I moved toward the dance floor, feeling useless. Someone screamed behind me and I turned - but it was just a girl, laughing as her boyfriend spun her in his arms. On edge, I moved forward without looking where I was going. I crashed into someone and turned to apologize. The words died on my lips.

Two Lilitu stood before me, regarding me with eyes like deep pools. The first had short red hair, cut in an elegant bob. She turned, deferring to the second.

This Lilitu had long blond hair so pale it was almost white. Her limbs were a study in grace, from the perfect curve of her shoulder down to each immaculately manicured fingernail. She held my gaze with mesmerizing power, but underneath her beauty she looked... Alien. She stared into my face and tilted her head to one side.

“Welcome, little sister,” she said. Her voice rang with a metallic edge. It seemed to mute the noise around us. Wings of shadow rose up behind her, unfurling majestically. I jerked back as a swell of terror rose in me. I’d never been this close to something so clearly other.

The redhead studied me impersonally. “This one?” Her lilting voice sounded puzzled. “She’s so... new.”

As I stared at the Lilitu, I suddenly had an odd sensation that their beautiful features hovered over something deeper, like the reflection of the sky on water. As I made this realization, I was able to see beneath the surface beauty. Under their human faces, cold white skin stretched over angular bones. Inky lips parted to reveal pointed gray teeth. And their eyes... I let out a frightened breath. Their eyes were black, unfeeling, like the eyes of a shark. The eyes of a predator.

The white-blond Lilitu raised one of her hands. I saw with a shudder that hovering under the illusion of human fingers, her fingers ended in bony, pitch-black claws. The inky color stained her fingers, but faded to a bone white by her wrist. She brushed the tip of one dark finger against my forehead. I jerked back, repulsed. A chill lingered where she’d touched me.

The redhead glanced at her, waiting. The white-blond Lilitu looked almost disappointed.

“What...” My throat was dry. I swallowed. “What do you want?”

“She is not ready,” The white-blond Lilitu said. She turned back to the dance floor and melted into the crowd. The redhead followed, shooting me one last curious frown before they disappeared in the press of bodies.

My heart beat wildly in my chest for a long moment before I could summon the courage to flee. I backed out of the crowd and pressed against the back wall.

“Hey.” I heard Royal’s voice and turned. He looked me over, irritated. “We’ve been stuck outside for half an hour. You walked right past us on your way in. Didn’t you hear us?” Royal’s hair was perfectly tousled, as always. He looked amazing in a fitted black shirt with thin threads of silver running through it.

Still reeling from my encounter, I only half-understood what he was saying. “What?”

Cassie was taking the club in. Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “Cool ice sculpture! I can’t believe all these people showed up.” Cassie’s homemade dress clung to her willowy figure expertly. A half-dozen black braids crisscrossed over the top of her head like an elaborate headband. She’d curled the rest of her long black hair, letting it spill down around her shoulders in playful waves.

“Something‘s happening,” I whispered, feeling a sudden stab of fear for my friends. “I can’t explain right now... but you need to leave.”

“I don’t think you have to explain.” Royal’s eyes shifted from me to the packed club.

I knew what he was thinking but I’d have to apologize later. “Please. Get out of here.”

“Cassie brought your Red Vines,” Royal said, ignoring me.

Cassie glanced at the paper bag in her arms with a sheepish smile. “There’s not enough for everyone. Maybe if we cut them all in half...”

Another sweep of smoky shadow caught my eye. “Just take them with you and go!” I snapped. Cassie jerked back, hurt. Royal draped a protective arm around her shoulders.

“More Red Vines for us,” he said. “Come on. We can break in my dad’s ten-point-two sound system.” Royal led Cassie away, shooting one last glare at me. I watched them walk all the way to the exit before sagging in relief.

I eyed the dance floor but couldn’t move. The white-blond Lilitu had looked at me with a casual familiarity that made my skin crawl. They weren’t surprised to see me, which meant they’d known I would be here. I shuddered, suddenly cold. What did it mean?

An earsplitting siren cut through the music. Lights flooded the space, killing the ambience instantly. Someone had pulled a fire alarm. People scattered off the dance floor, grimacing and clamping hands over their ears. Some moved toward the emergency exits, others huddled by the bar trying to figure out what was going on.

I saw Dad pushing through the crowd at the entrance. He strode into the room, furious, and spotted me. Another coiling swirl of smoky shadow moved toward him from the empty dance floor. I focused on it and saw the redhead Lilitu sprinting toward Dad, her claws extended, her face warped in fury.

“Dad! Behind you!” I screamed, pointing reflexively.

Dad spun around, unsheathing two gleaming daggers in one smooth motion.

The people huddled at the bar saw the daggers. Screams rang out, and the rest of the crowd fled from the club. I saw a bouncer trying to push through the mass exodus out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t have time to watch him. I was focused on the Lilitu. At the sight of the daggers, she had stopped her charge. Now she edged around Dad warily.

“I can’t see it,” Dad said, tense. “I need your help, Braedyn.”

The Lilitu charged. “Left!” I shouted.

Dad moved, sweeping through an advanced version of the form Lucas had showed me all those long weeks ago in the basement. Watching him, I saw the fighter Lucas might become after decades of practice. Dad’s movements were strong and focused; the blades blurred in his hands. He pressed toward the dance floor and the Lilitu edged away from the daggers in his hands, glancing at me uneasily.

“What the hell are you doing, man?!” the bouncer roared. I turned, startled. With the last of the crowd escaping out of the doors, the bouncer was able to enter, eyes fixed on Dad. Dad ignored him. “Hey! I’m calling the cops!”

“Dad?” I said, uneasy.

“Focus, Braedyn!”

I turned back, but the Lilitu had taken advantage of my distraction. She leapt for Dad and I only had time for a strangled gasp. It was enough. Dad heard me and dropped to one knee, slicing out with his daggers. One of the blades pierced the Lilitu’s shadowy wing. Dad adjusted instantly, twisting the blade and pulling. The dagger somehow turned the smoky wing solid, ripping through the tough membrane with a meaty sound. The Lilitu’s shriek drowned out the fire alarm. The illusion of beauty surrounding her fell away and she was revealed in her other form. Her wings beat the air with a leathery sound and she ripped herself away from Dad. Instead of blood, a gleaming, pearly ichor streamed from her wounded wing, spattering the floor. The Lilitu hissed in fury. Dad moved back a step warily.