Veined (A Guardian of the Angels Novel) (20 page)

“Get some punch for her, would you, Marcus?” Maddy said.

“Back in a sec my lovely ladies.”

“Sylva, you’re a terrible liar,” Maddy said. “I saw you dancing with Attic, and he said something that made your face drain of all its blood. But don’t worry, I’m going to hurt him bad for whatever it was.”

“No.” It came out more fiercely than I intended and Maddy stepped back, shocked. “No,” I said more calmly. “I mean, you don’t need to do anything. I’ve hurt him already.”

“You sound like that saddens you.” After Maddy said it, she gasped. In the month I’d known her we’d become good friends, and rather see-through to each other. So I knew what she was thinking right now as she stared at me, shaking her head.

“Do you forgive me?” I asked, my voice uneven.

Maddy concealed her shock and hugged me. “I wish you’d have told me earlier. But of course I forgive you.” She glanced across the room. “Poor Jason, though. You’re not going to tell him tonight, are you? That would be a bad move.”

Marcus approached, handing me a cup of punch. I glared at Maddy, giving her a look that said
please don’t say anything just yet, not even to Marcus
. She smiled and nodded.

I gulped the liquid, but it hit my stomach like acid and I had a hard time to keep it from coming up again.

Jason, finally having unwoven himself from girls’ ligaments of all sorts, strode straight toward me. “That was some freaky stuff,” he said, shuddering. “Must be some type of dare or something. All of them were trying to get a piece of me, I swear.”

“I can believe that,” Marcus said, his eyes glazed. Maddy ribbed him.

“I didn’t let them, of course,” Jason kissed me lightly. “This is only for you.”

Even if he was too much sometimes, I still felt like I had a knife in my hand and was slicing him up without him realizing. He did care about me. Shit.

“Is something wrong?” Jason frowned.

Over his shoulder, Maddy gave me a warning look. “Not tonight,” she mouthed.

I pasted on a smile. “Let’s dance.”

Jason didn’t need to be told twice, he whisked me away from my friends and soon we swayed to a slow song. I wished like anything that it would end quickly and something faster, requiring less physical contact, would play.

With every gentle touch Jason gave me I wondered what Attic thought. Was he jealous? He may have been hurt by what I said, but I knew he would never leave me without protection. He’d be somewhere here, watching, listening. I looked up, wondering if I’d catch a glimpse of him hanging from one of the giant mirror balls.

“You seem a little distracted, Sylva,” Jason said. “Care to tell me what’s going on in that lovely head of yours?”

“Just thinking about something Maddy said.”

Jason cooed and brought my head to his chest. “You have no idea how much I wish I’d taken you home that night, so you’d never come across that scene. And I’m sorry the memory was brought up again tonight.”

I felt both thankful and even more guilty that Jason had no idea what I was really thinking about.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Jason said.

To be completely alone with Jason was the last thing I wanted, but I couldn’t pull away without worrying him further. Instead, as we passed Maddy and Marcus, I subtly curled my finger, silently begging her to join me.

Maddy tugged on Marcus’s shirt. “Wait up, guys,” she called out just as we were about to cross the threshold to the outside. “We want to get some fresh air, too. I’m almost choking on glitter.”

She was the best. I gave her my widest smile as she linked her arm in mine. I saw a hint of a frown on Jason’s face and knew he was disappointed, but it was better this way.

I kept my head down a
s we passed the police officers. One look at Dad, and I would lose it.
Was that because I’d decided
to be
?
As we rounded the side of the gymnasium I glanced at the main doors, hoping to see Attic trailing behind. He wasn’t there. Instead, Alyse stomped thirty paces behind us. I bet she was mad to have to play babysitter right now. It would affect her dance score at the end of the night.

“Sound good?” Maddy said, cutting into my thoughts.

Jason nodded. “I’ll pick Sylva up and then we can meet you there.”

“I’m
all for the mall,” Marcus said. “And I want to hear all the details of your date. Got it?”

Maddy laughed. “A play by play. But I doubt it’ll be that interesting. I’ll probably make a fool of myself. Snort lemonade out my nose or something.”

“Do you need me to come round and help get you ready?” Maybe I could get that time? Albelin did seem generous enough.

“I think it’d make it too real. I’m nervous enough.”

An eerie howl distracted me, drowning out Marcus’s snappy remark. My Vein prickled and I froze mid stride. Three faces stared quizzically at me, but before they could ask, I put a finger to my mouth. As if I’d turned off the volume, everything went still. Not a leaf rustled.

Silence. And not in a good way.

I glanced at the trees to our left and then at the parking lot in front. Not a shadow was out of place, yet I knew
they
were there.

I held my breath and scoured the darkness.
Where are you? I know you’re there.
A tall shape peeled itself out of the shadows.

Another howl. More movement. This was a call to attack. A demon attack.

I turned to my friends, a scream escaping my mouth. “Run!”

CHAPTER 17

TOO MANY—
at least twenty of them—were coming from the trees
.
A shrill cry pierced the air. I spun around. Alyse, ghostly pale, hitched her dress as she ran toward me. She tore two daggers from their sheaths, and threw them over my head toward the demons.

Marcus, Maddy and Jason stood stunned. I followed their gaze and swallowed. Another dozen figures, cloaked in black, barricaded us from the parking lot. Metal whizzed in front of them, glowing in the moonlight.

My stomach dropped. Bile rose. Alyse pressed a dagger into my palm as she charged past us and threw herself at them like a bowling ball.

I pushed my friends back. “Run, dammit. Now.”

Maddy’s soft voice sent ice splintering into all my organs. “Where to?”

I spun to see more shapes, cutting off the path we had come. Holy shit. Demons were closing in on us from all sides.

I opened my mental shield about to scream to Attic, when he appeared before me. Anger leaked from his pores, its energy staggering. Even the approaching demons hesitated. Attic used the moment to bash two of their heads together, killing them instantly. The bodies melted into the concrete like red crayon puddles. It wouldn’t be long before the color would disappear, leaving behind a sticky clear mass.

I was reminded of when Attic landed on my car hood, a cut on his face and the top of the car covered in tree sap. I shuddered.

Maddy pressed into me. I turned in time to see a demon lunge toward her with a sword. I extended my arm. Wind whirled out of it like thick rope, coiled around and yanked the sword from his grip.

It clattered on the path and I swept it to us with the flick of my wrist. Jason dove for it. “Stand back,” I shouted. I shot a bolt of lightning at the demon and hurled him across the parking lot.

“Control, Lark.” Attic twisted the head off a demon and threw it over my left shoulder, knocking another as it struck out at me from behind. “Pace yourself.”

Easier said than done. My palms sweated and I had difficulty holding the dagger. I needed to get my friends out of here. I scanned for weakness in the circle. Dammit.

Already the next two demons had broken free from the circle and surged at us. I pulled Marcus out of their reach and stomped on the concrete. Thunder rumbled the ground, shaking all the demons and my friends simultaneously.

“Not too much now,” Attic said.

We’d killed more than half of them. But the remaining drew ever closer. Fuck it, couldn’t I just blast them all away?

“No,” Attic cautioned.

A shot sounded. The fighting paused a moment. Twenty feet on the outside of the circle I saw Dad, his gun drawn.

“Damn pig shot me. He’s mine,” I heard one of the demons say. A tall man with long arms left a trail of smoke as he charged for my Dad. Another wave of terror made my Vein convulse. I pinched the dagger and threw, willing it to cover the distance. It hit true, sinking into his heart.

“Fuck me.” Marcus’s face had drained of color.

I urged the wind to knock Dad out, hoping it would be enough to save his life.

“Doing well, Lark.” Attic shielded my friends from one side, as Alyse and I did on the other. Blood was all around: on the concrete, smeared on windshields and over our clothes. Less than a dozen we’d killed, but each time we killed one, more seemed to come.

“Where’s the back-up? They should be here by now.” Alyse cursed. I scented fear wafting from her. That couldn’t be good.

“We’ve had worse. Keep it together,” Attic commanded.

Alyse slit open a giant demon’s throat and blood spurted out of it like an impressive fountain. Like what I’d seen through the fog that first day of school.

Attic fought a demon, and another, coming from behind, grabbed him and threw him into the side of the gym. Bricks crumbled into a cloud of dust. I stifled a cry. There wasn’t time. I electrocuted the demon with a succession of lightning bolts before he could drive a sword through Attic’s chest.

I was preparing to fry the next one when a shrill noise had me covering my ears. Whatever it was, the demons didn’t like it either. They turned on their heels and fled.

Attic pushed himself off the ground, blood trickled down his face. He was looking at me, mouthing something. What was he trying to say?

Run?

I pushed my friends. “Get back inside,” I screamed, but it was barely audible over the piercing, shrill sound that thickened around us.

We’d only taken a couple of steps when the sound stopped. And so did we. But not because we wanted to. An invisible barrier blocked our path.

“Shit,” Alyse said, “we’re all done for. We may’ve had a chance if Attic were in here. The only way to get out is to kill it.”

I glanced at Attic, punching on the other side of the wall, his eyes glowing a blue I’d never seen before.

If he couldn’t move it, there was probably no point, but we pushed anyway. It was like trying to shove massive boulders. If we moved it at all, it was barely by an inch. We tried every direction but we were boxed. A silvery smoke joined us in our prison.

“Don’t let it touch you,” Alyse warned. “It’s an Arae demon.”

Maddy whimpered.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.” Marcus’ voice drowned in fear.

Long grey curly hair and wrinkly skin materialized before us. Everything about the demon screamed grandma, including her trunk sized handbag. Everything except her nails. They were polished clean, transparent and three inches long.

She smiled at us like children she hadn’t seen in years. But the flicker in her eyes said she’d rather eat us than cook us dinner.

Attic shook his head, pointing madly. I was too late. Jason and Marcus had thrown themselves at her. Marcus held her by the neck while Jason plunged the sword through her belly. Grandma smiled, and my bones turned to ice.

Two wisps of smoke wrapped around Jason and Marcus’s throats. The sword slithered from her belly like a snake, only solidifying as it hit the ground.

“Brave. I could use more like them.” She raised her hands and the wisps lifted the guys into the air. The Arae struck her fingers toward Jason and Marcus’s faces and pierced their skin with her nails. Blood bubbled from the crescent shaped scars and the Arae sucked in the two white tendrils of steam coming from them.

Maddy screamed. “Marcus.” Her silver gown sparkled in the moonlight as she leaped to help him. I lunged, gripping her hem, commanding the wind to help me pull her back, when I heard it.

Snap.

Grandma removed her hands from Maddy’s neck. Her skirt crumpled as her body fell, and her head lolled back. Unnaturally far.

I sank to my knees with her in my arms.

She couldn’t be. This isn’t real.
“Maddy, get up.”

Jason and Marcus were thrown against the
invisible wall. I was aware they were screaming, but I couldn’t hear them.
Maddy. Get up now.

“Sky girl.” The Arae crouched down and inclined toward the handbag. “We’ve been wanting your head for ages.”

I jammed my eyes closed. I didn’t care about her. About me. Tears streamed down my face.
I just want Maddy back.

I heaved at the Arae’s sickeningly sweet voice. “You couldn’t even save your friends. I hardly see the threat. But your grief is such an excellent meal, I’ll wait a little longer. Wouldn’t mind some dessert, too.”

I heard Alyse curse. I opened my eyes and saw smoke trailing toward her.

No more death.

My Vein flared with my temper and, as easily as whistling a tune, the wind blew the smoke away from Alyse.

The Arae looked surprised. “Darkness, do my bidding.” Smoke billowed toward me. “Kill her.”

I gently rested Maddy on the ground.
This is for you.
I sprung onto my feet and thunder rippled the concrete. A golden mist cracked through my palms. “How about a piece of sunshine, Grandma?” My back arched as I felt light erupt from my middle, beaming through the wispy smoke, burning the Arae. I screamed with it, from the pain ripping through my stomach and the agony of losing my friend.

Maddy. I’m so sorry.

“Stop it. It’s over.” Attic’s voice was faint through my sobbing. I tried to look at Maddy, but couldn’t see her through the gold that spilled out of me. Attic whacked me with something hard across the Vein and the sunlight disappeared. In the corner of my eye I saw the hilt of the sword drop, inches from Maddy’s sprawled arm.

Attic’s hands wrapped around me as I fell to my knees. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice was hoarse. “So sorry.”

I wheezed. It was almost impossible to breathe.

I was aware of movement around me but I couldn’t concentrate on anything other than the dark haired Cinderella in front of me. Maybe if the clock struck midnight the spell would be broken, and Maddy would be alive. I curled into a ball at her side and ran a finger over her face.
I’m so sorry.

I heard Attic behind me. “Albelin? How are the other two?”

A hand lightly touched my hair. Albelin’s.

“I’ve stopped the poison. But part of their souls has already been taken. They’ll live, and if they fight for their humanity, we won’t have to kill them,” Albelin said.

My finger stopped on Maddy’s white gold necklace. I ripped it off her throat and rolled it in my hand. I’d had enough.

I pushed myself upright and looked Attic directly in the eye. Maddy’s necklace cut into my palms as I tightened my fists. “I don’t want this. You Guardians bring nothing but death. I choose. Not. To. Be.”

Sun poked through the window, and I raised the blankets over my eyes. I heard the door open and someone shuffle toward the bed.

“Two days in bed is more than enough. Time to get up. And shower.” It was Alyse. “I know Attic seems to think we should all leave you some space, but it’s crap. You don’t want to be a Guardian, that’s fine. But seeing you saved my ass, again, I’m doing you a favor.”

Whoosh. Blankets flew off me and Alyse threw me over her shoulder. “Put me down.” I tried to wriggle out of her grasp, but my efforts were tired.

“I hate owing people,” she muttered and dumped me into the shower. “You don’t leave here till you’ve washed every fleck of glitter away. Got it?”

The warm water rushing over me massaged my muscles. I turned it on cold. I wouldn’t enjoy it. How could I?

“You know, the sooner you use up the rest of your Angel Blood, the sooner we can make you forget.”

“I don’t want to forget Maddy. Ever,” I said. “She deserves her friends to mourn over her.”

There was silence for a few minutes. When Alyse spoke she sounded choked. “I don’t smell enough soap.” She cleared her throat. “Why don’t you just make it rain all day or something? Why are you hanging on to what’s left in your Vein?”

I had a very good reason for it and they’d all find out soon enough. I lathered my hair with shampoo. “How are Marcus and Jason?”

“Albelin thinks Jason will wake up soon,” Alyse said.

“And Marcus?”

“He’s not sure.”

I slammed off the water. “What do you mean, not sure?”

Alyse threw me a towel. “Ask him yourself. My debt here is cleared.” She stomped out of the bathroom, but not before I caught a glimpse of her swollen eyes.

I chucked on some clothes, not bothering to dry my hair, and sprinted underground. Where were they?

“You must be Sylva,” a male voice said. I turned to face a tall guy with wavy black hair an inch above his shoulders, wearing a suit. His eyes were green and full of humor, as if seeing me pleased him.

“I haven’t seen you before.” But I didn’t have time to chat. “Do you know where the infirmary is?”

“Oh, brother, I see what you mean,” he said, shaking his head. “Nice to meet you, too.”

I frowned and turned away.

“I’m Dimitri, Attic’s brother. Ah, Guardian brother.” I spun around. “I’m guessing from the look on your face he didn’t say too much about me. I’m not surprised. Heard a lot about you, though.” Dimitri stepped closer. “I’ll take you there.” The frown deepened on my face. “You wanted to go to the infirmary, correct?”