Z Day Interlude (Continued Some More)

  RHIANNON

  By now, I was craving...not companionship, but some sense of normalcy, and decided to start visiting Drakes. Aside from a few private residences, it was the only social scene in town since this whole zombie thing started. That, and as always, it was the most secure.

  I'd normally go, have a few drinks, and sit in the corner watching people. Most everyone there knew my reputation as Pagoda’s enforcer, so they kept their distance. But Drake was still a character. I didn't care if he was some house demon; he was a good bartender, fair company, and never dull.

  I was sitting in my usual out-of-sight booth when I saw him. Big as brass, he walks in and right up to the bar as if he owns the place. I watched him slam back several cups of something before being escorted to the back elevator to head upstairs.

  “Drake,” I asked as one of them passed by.

  “Yes, Ms. Kachou?” Drake said.

  “Who was that?” I said, indicating the couple who’d just entered the back elevator. I was pretty sure I knew who it was, but I had to make sure.

  “Oh, Mr. James and Ms. Shae.”

  “Does he come in here a lot?” I said, trying to keep my voice under control as teenage memories and desires started flooding my mind.

  “Oh no. He's only been in two or three times.”

  “Where did he disappear off to?” I asked.

  “To see Ms. Natalie,” Drake said.

  I frowned at that. If it had been anyone other than her, I would have interrupted. But that girl...even I knew to stay away from a blood-worker. Nothing good ever came from them.

  “Let me know when he comes back down,” I ordered.

  “Yes, ma'am. How long were you planning on waiting?” Drake asked.

  “I said,” I turned my best-affronted look on him. “Let me know when he comes down.”

  “Of course, ma'am. Will there be anything else?”

  I thought a moment. “Tell me what you know about him.”

  “Not too much to know. An interesting...man, so to speak. Seems very single-minded when it comes to...”

  “You said, so to speak. What do you mean? He's not a man?” I asked.

  “Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you knew. No, he's a very recent vampire, so to speak.”

  So, he'd only recently been turned. I frowned. If he'd been turned all those years ago, that would explain all the weirdness during school. And speaking of weirdness, why the hell did I care? I felt the butterfly wings flutter in my stomach like I was that damned 15-year-old girl again. What the hell is it with this guy? Even after all these years, how can one guy affect me like this? I pushed the thought out of my mind.

  “So to speak?” I said finally.

  “Yes...” Drake looked pained. “He's a vampire, very much so. But...”

  “But?” I said.

  “But he's different.”

  “Different, how?” Maybe this was why I was feeling so strange.

  “That's the rub. I don't know. I've been trying to figure it out since the last time he came in, but he keeps changing,” Drake said.

  I've been told I have a complete arsenal of looks, one for every occasion. I know I do; I practice them. It just sounds badass to have other people tell me that. I gave him my best “AND???” expression.

  “The previous time, he was human...but not...there was something different. I ran through most of the species I'd encountered, but none fit, so I guessed he was something new. I mean, he was completely human the first time he came in.”

  “When was his first time?”

  “About 17 years ago,” Drake said.

  “The SOB was still in high school AND human. What the hell was he doing in here?” I hadn’t realized I’d spoken aloud until Drake answered me.

  “He seemed to be the tap boy of a young lady.”

  *He was a tap boy?* I groaned to myself. That explained a lot: the weird behavior, strange illness and absences. He'd been a vampire chew toy. No wonder I couldn't catch his eye back then. How could anyone compete with a vampire? Then I remembered he was with someone when he came in.

  “Who was he with?” I asked.

  “Oh, Miss Shae,” Drake said.

  “No, not when he came in today, when he came in back then,” I said.

  “Miss Shae,” Drake repeated.

  “He was with her both times?” I asked.

  “As far as I can remember,” Drake confirmed.

  Then the name clicked. “Not the Shae that is assigned to Pagoda.”

  “The very same,” Drake said.

  “Son of a bitch!” I yelled in a very unladylike fashion. I know it is hard to believe that I can lose my temper, but it does occasionally happen. I’ve also been known to speak the French occasionally. Of course, I'm talking about my new external persona that I must keep publicly presentable. Y'all already know I'm a foul-mouthed hussy underneath, but that's why you love me, or you will.

  While I didn't personally know Shae, I knew of Shae. She was yet another of Pagoda's harem in court. He had a few he kept around for when he wanted something pretty. But if I remembered right, she had fallen out of favor with him a while back. I guess he got tired of her or something. Maybe she saw through all his bullshit like I did.

  Blind raging fury balled up in me for the first time in years, or else it was a 15-year-old’s hormones; it's sometimes hard to tell the difference. He'd have been with me if she hadn't interfered so long ago and ruined my plans. We'd have been happy with kids and a dog and shit. Instead, I get blown up, fucked up, vampirized, caged and then chained. All because of Shae.

  Drake could read my expression almost as if he could read my mind. “With all due respect, ma'am, I must remind you that this is still a neutral place. Violence of any kind will not be tolerated.”

  He was right; this didn't call for rage; this called for subtlety. I needed more information before I decided what to do. I'd wait.

  I took a deep breath and blew it out again, calming myself and putting on my best smile.

  “Thank you, Drake, that won't be necessary. You have my word.” Besides, I'd seen Drake throw out a 2-meter hulk with one arm. He'd make short work of me.

  *But we'd make him work for it,* the voice in my head said.

  *Shut up, head,* I told myself.

  Drake seemed to consider it a moment and then bowed before departing.

  I sat back in my booth to relax and wait.

  TWO FUCKING DAYS LATER

  I was still sitting in that same booth. My hair was a mess, my dress was wrinkled, and I was in a foul mood. I was pretty sure Drake had sensed it as he'd brought me over something warm and rich that warmed up my insides nicely. Do you know how much of a flat spot you can get from sitting for two days? I've got a pretty nice ass, and now I was worried about it being lopsided.

  *I'm sure it's still just as cute and perky as before,* my internal voice chimed into my head as the blood witch girl slid into my booth. *You could bounce quarters off it.*

  *Shut up, head,* I scolded myself. *It is not polite to brag, even if it is true,* I told myself.

  “And what can I do for you, Natalie?” I tried to reign myself in and be pleasant. I'd seen what Natalie could do with a simple touch and ensured I was sitting as far away from her as possible.

  *I won't bite,* she said playfully, *unless you ask nicely.*

  I bit off a retort about Pagoda's decree that I was strictly off-limits to anyone.

  *HE,* Natalie said the word with disgust, *doesn't own me.*

  I bristled at her words. Being bloodbound was the same as being owned, to be honest. But even though I couldn’t do anything about it, the comment still stung.

  *Sorry,* Natalie tried again, gently. *I didn't mean to be rude,* she sighed. *Sometimes, it feels like I have a couple of teenagers going at it in my head; it can be...distracting. What I meant to say was that...if you wanted to, I would. But my timing threw all that off, didn't it? What else is new?* Natalie mumbled.

  I think that was her way of hitting on me, but my head felt kinda fuzzy when I tried to decipher her words.

  “Right,” I frowned. “What's this about?”

  *Oh right,* her voice seemed distracted like she was listening to something else. *Yeah. It's about...OK...yeah. So, now that Pagoda is dead, were you still planning on...*

  “Pa-Pagoda’s...” The words shocked me so much that I stuttered. “Pagoda’s dead?”

  *Isn’t he?* she asked.

  “No, he's in Nebraska,” I said.

  *Oh, too soon, then. OK, never mind. I'll try again next time.* And with that, she started to stand.

  “Wait!” I commanded.

  She turned back to look at me.

  “Is he really going to die?” A slight tremor of hope ran through me, breaking my normal, calm facade. I knew blood witches could see future things, but I'd also heard it wasn't an exact science.

  *Would that make you happy?* She looked at me seriously. I'd never seen the expression from her before. I guessed I wasn't the only one with an arsenal of expressions at my disposal.

  Looking into Natalie’s eyes, I could tell she already knew my answer. You couldn't keep anything from a blood witch. I was still pondering the implications of my answer when she took her hand from my face and walked away.

  *Woah, deep thoughts...* My head said.

  For once, I didn't tell my head to shut up. With a start, I realized Natalie had been touching me. I didn't recall when she started, only when she stopped. I also realized she’d been speaking in my head this whole time.

  “Blood witches,” I mumbled, trying to shake the fog from my brain.

  Then Drake was there. “You wanted to know when Mr. James came back down, ma'am. They just left.”

  “What?” I jumped up. “Why didn't you tell me?”

  “You were with Ms. Natalie; she doesn't like to be disturbed.”

  “And I don't like to be disappointed,” I growled as I leaped out of the booth and made for the door. I caught up to them still in the garage. The girl whom I took to be Shae was sitting in the sidecar of a motorbike with James kneeling next to her.

  *She looks stupid in that sidecar,* my inner voice said.

  *Yeah, now shut up!* I scolded myself, straining to hear while staying hidden behind a pillar. They just looked at each other for a long time as I watched. I started thinking I was in some lousy romance novel when I realized what was happening.

  *For the love of Christ, they’re mind-speaking.* Either she was another blood witch, or more probably, she was his creator. *Well, that's fucking great, how the hell and I supposed to hear them now?* I was starting to feel like a peeping Tom when something in my head tingled.

  *No more blood witch, OK?* it was Natalie’s mental voice.

  I was about to give her a piece of my mind for still being in my head when the voice in my head spoke up, *Shut up and listen.*

  Then I could hear them. As I sat there listening to them, all the 15-year-old schoolgirl BS welled up in me again. I finally managed to push the feelings down so I could focus.

  *Damn, you've still got it bad,* my head interrupted.

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  *Shut the hell up!* I yelled at myself, really hoping those two couldn't hear me.

  *No, that’s not it.* It was Shae.

  *Then what? Just because I have all eternity to wait now doesn't mean I have the patience to match.* That was James. Hearing his voice after so long…feeling it in my head. The fucking schoolgirl bullshit welled up even harder. I furiously pushed it back down.

  *I’ve never felt anything like that before. The way she controlled me, it wasn’t right,* Shae said.

  *What had the blood wi...blood-worker done to her?* I thought.

  *Well, you were being a brat,* James offered.

  *It just makes me wonder what else she may have made us do,* Shae said.

  *OH?!?* I wondered just what Natalie had done to them.

  *Are you having regrets about these past two days?* James said.

  *No, it was wonderful,* Shae sighed. *I guess I am just embarrassed after all. I haven’t acted like a schoolgirl in a long time. I normally don't let myself go like that. And when I did, I got busted for it. I'm just embarrassed, that's all.*

  I wasn't sure why or how Natalie was letting me hear all this.

  *There’s my girl,* James said.

  *I am your girl, aren’t I? And you sir, are my boy.* I saw her pull him to her for a brief kiss. *Now and always.*

  I was starting to feel nauseous. This conversation was reminiscent of that Book 0 nonsense.

  *I’m sorry for everything that’s happened since back then,* Shae said.

  I watched James get on the bike and start it up. Its roar rumbled through the garage but didn't interfere with my hearing them.

  *Don’t be silly. There was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened,* James said.

  *What? What happened?* I thought.

  *Still, I should have been more cautious. I should have seen his treachery coming,* Shae said.

  *Treachery? Who uses that word anymore?* I thought.

  *His treachery?* James seemed to echo my thoughts.

  *Yeah. I sounded like a bad pulp novel just then, didn’t I? Regardless, I am sorry…for what could have been…for forcing you into the service and you being pulled into that program.*

  *Wait, hold up, what's going on here?* I thought.

  Then I had a problem: They were leaving. I knew I couldn't follow them in my car; the roads were way too deserted to be covert about it. My only option was to follow them on foot.

  Sighing, I ripped my dress up to my hip on both sides. I cringed with each rip; I really liked this dress. Luckily, the streets were still a mess, so they couldn't drive too fast. I’d have plenty of time to pick my hiding spots.

  *Just stop,* James said. *Coulda, shoulda, woulda. We don’t have time for it; let it go. Besides, you didn’t force me into anything. I ran away on my own, that’s on me. I’ve got you back now; that’s all that matters to me.*

  *Got her back?* I was struggling to put the conversation together.

  *WE got each other back,* Shae said, then laughed. *I got myself back.*

  *That, and the fact we have all of eternity for you to make it up to me,* James said playfully.

  I saw her smack his leg, *I am still your creator.*

  *Thought so,* I thought.

  *Which would you prefer, master or mistress?* James said.

  *Oh God, he's flirting with her,* I thought.

  *Tradition dictates master, regardless of sex. But, as we’re kind of throwing things around now, make it mistress,* Shae said.

  *And she's flirting back, ick,* I thought.

  *Only if you wear the leather,* James teased.

  That thought interested me, I had to admit.

  *You already have the outfit? Where is this supposed house full of costume wonders you keep mentioning?* James said.

  *Yes, tell me where you're going so I can stop this insane chase. I'm ruining my shoes,* I thought.

  *Oh, it’s a long way off in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice place. I could go there to clear my head. I lost it when Pagoda took me,* Shae said.

  *Took her?* I thought.

  *Pagoda wanted me close after he killed my master, so he put me into his compound here in Austin. All my personal stuff was moved into storage,* Shae said.

  *You didn’t bring your stuff into the compound with you?* James asked.

  *No. After Pagoda, my priorities…changed. I didn’t want to bring anything personal anywhere near Pagoda. So, I kept them far away and safe.*

  *I hear you sister,* I found myself thinking, then realized what I'd said and shook my head.

  *Pagoda. You mentioned he replaced some of your memories of me with memories of him?* James asked.

  *What the shit? He can do that?* I thought.

  I felt Shae shudder. *Yes. Looking back and understanding what happened makes me sick to my stomach.* There was a pause before she continued. *Pagoda…used me. Being bloodboud to him…he made me think I liked it. Anything he wanted, any whim…he made me think it was my idea.* Shae said.

  As I listened, I felt like my stomach was trying to squeeze itself inside out. At least Pagoda had spared me that much, but it didn't seem like much of a consolation.

  *After a while, he got lazy and stopped making me think things were my idea. I don’t know if this was on purpose or not. He seemed to enjoy the growing discomfort I felt. When I got to the point of rebellion, he’d start making me like his…desires again. This back-and-forth went on for years until he finally seemed to grow bored with his game and lost interest in me. I guess I wasn't much of a prize now that I'd been conquered,* Shae said.

  I found myself shuttering again. Being powerless against him was one thing. But being made to think I liked him touching me...it made my skin crawl.

  I could feel the anger rolling off James. I saw her touch his leg, and he seemed to relax.

  Gerold had sometimes done that to me. When I'd get too worked up, all he had to do was touch me, and my body would chill out. I felt my stomach do a flip-flop thinking back on it.

  *Is that such a bad thing?* Shae said.

  I scolded myself for getting distracted in my memories. I’d missed part of the conversation.

  *Not even close,* James said.

  It was a while before they spoke again, which was fine with me. They were coming to more open country, and I had to push myself to keep up and hidden at the same time.

  *Tell me more about Pagoda. How did he get control of you?* James finally continued.

  When Shae spoke, she sounded like she was in teacher mode.

  *When one clan defeats another clan, the victor gets the spoils. Normally, they execute the bloodbound leader, but not before bloodbinding them to the new leader. This effectively enslaves the remaining living members of the defeated clan. Wow, that was a mouthful.*

  *That’s what she said,* James and I said together, causing me to chuckle.

  *Come on, you totally walked into that one,* James said. *So, if someone were to bloodbind you, would that mean I’d also be bloodbound to them? Am I bloodbound to Pagoda now?*

  James’s thought made me sick to my stomach.

  *Easy…slow down,* Shae comforted James, who apparently was stressing out. *OK, first off, no. You are my creation; you are bound to me and only me, forever.*

  While I knew that, I still relaxed a bit at hearing it.

  *Forever?* James said.

  *Close enough. We do age, but so slowly you won’t notice it. We’ve never had anyone die from old age before,* Shae said.

  *Yeah, we kill each other off first,* I thought.

  *Who’s the oldest?* James asked.

  *Solmsat,* I thought. He was the oldest I'd ever heard of. He was a hermit that lived in the middle of fucking nowhere. Which made it hard to get take-out, but he didn't have anything anyone wanted. So, he was left alone in his isolation. Besides, he looked like a raisin and no longer spoke.

  *I don’t know,* Shae said. *My master was over 2,000 years old when she was killed. You can’t imagine the network she had established that’s now in his hands.*

  *She must be talking about Doreen,* I thought. When I'd been brought to Pagoda's home, the first thing I did was dig into his histories. Everything he had on file, I read. A lesson from my teacher in Japan.

  If I remember correctly, Doreen had been based in Louisiana. While she didn't have a vast kingdom, it was very influential due to the people she kept in her clan. All the stranger mystics that seemed to have real power stuck to Louisiana and fell under Doreen.

  *And to answer before you ask,* Shae continued, *yes, I want to be with you. You’re stuck with me until one of us dies or we get tired of one another.*

  *Like that’ll ever happen,* James said.

  I rolled my eyes.

  *I guess we’re stuck with each other then,* Shae said.

  *Seems like it,* James said.

  I stumbled. I'd been dancing around an abandoned car when a root caught my foot, and I went down hard. I heard my dress ripping even more as I rolled back to my feet. I ignored the burning of several new cuts and scrapes as they’d probably be gone before sunup. My dress, on the other hand, was in shambles. I considered just ripping what little was left off, but a little spark of modesty stopped me.

  *They love each other,* the thought hit me hard. They really, truly did. They'd been through a massive breakup, but it hadn't changed how they felt about one another. I could feel it through the link. I wondered how Natalie did it; I'd never felt something so substantial this way before.

  It almost made me stop right there and go home. I seriously thought about trying to truly put the boy...the man, out of my mind for good. Then, what Natalie had said about Pagoda's death kept me going. I wasn't sure what would happen, but I was positive they would have some hand in it.

  *What was the second?* James continued to be oblivious to my presence. Aside from the ripping of my dress, my fall had been silent. I was good.

  *Huh? Oh, if you were not my creation and just bloodbound to me, Pagoda would not have control over you until I died. We don’t know how it works. The control only exists with the closest living bloodbinder above you. Pagoda had to perform the ceremony as I was created by my master, not bloodbound,* Shae said.

  *So, in a hostile take-over, they only get the bloodbound, not the created?* James said.

  *Correct,* Shae said.

  *Geesh, I’m getting a headache,* James said.

  A zombie appeared as if by magic in front of me. I held my arm out, not stopping, and took its head off without effort.

  *How far back does this go? Is there someone who has been bloodbound to various people repeatedly due to hostile takeovers?* James seemed to be going somewhere with his line of questioning.

  *There are some, but it doesn’t last as long as you think. With each mind change, the bond gets a little weaker,* Shae said.

  That one, I didn't know.

  *Most just let the bonds dissolve naturally over time. Others will renew bonds when there’s someone they want to make sure and hang onto,* Shae said.

  *Does it work on humans?* James asked.

  *Of course not; what a stupid question. How young was he anyway?* I thought.

  *What, bloodbinding? Not really,* Shae said.

  *What do you mean, not really?* James asked.

  *Yeah, what you talking about Willis?* I thought.

  *Let’s just say the bloodbinding and creation ceremonies are rather similar. Oh no,* Shae stopped, knowing she'd said too much.

  The image of a red ninja, complete with swords, mooning a poster of a cat stuck in a tree with the words “Hang in There, Kitty” popped into my head.

  *What.The.Fuck?* I could hear them laughing, so it had to be some inside joke.

  *I guess it really doesn’t work,* James chuckled.

  *But it’s fun. I so suck at this creator thing, huh?* Shae said.

  *Not at all, luv. What about vampire hunters? Do they exist?* James said.

  I could feel her staring at him.

  *What?* James said defensively.

  *YOU, you eejit. You’re a vampire hunter.*

  *Wait, what? A vampire hunter turned vampire is in love with another vampire. What sort of sick Romeo and Juliet Zom-Rom-Com have I fallen into?* I thought.

  *Oh yeah,* James said.

  *So he was a vamp hunter, seriously? Those guys always get killed off. I wonder how he's lasted this long,* I thought.

  *But aside from you, there have been several in the past. If you bring up Helsing or Buffy, I swear to the Goddess, I’ll kick you off this bike right here and now,* Shae said.

  *Ditto,* my head chimed in.

  Strangely, my head and I seemed to be getting along. It was a scary precedent. But it was true; I couldn't stand watching or reading anything about vampires. Everything seemed to be purposely made dumb.

  *Good young Padawan, learning to control your emotions, you are,* Shae said.

  *The shit?* I thought.

  *OK, what the Frak? Star Wars references now with a Yoda impression?* James said.

  *Seriously?* I thought.

  *A girl can’t like Star Wars?* Shae said.

  *Uh, no,* I thought.

  *Of course,* James said. *I’m not falling into that trap again.*

  *What?* I thought.

  *Then what’s the problem? You a Trekkie or something?* Shae said.

  *Oh God, no,* I thought.

  *You have a gold bikini cosplay, don’t you?* James said.

  *Please kill me now,* I thought.

  *Maybe,* she said slyly.

  *I'm gonna puke,* I thought.

  *You totally do! OK, where’s this storage shed?* James said.

  *THEY’RE BOTH GEEKS!* I shook my head.

  *Represent girl!* my head said, and I felt her trying to give me a mental fist bump.

  This night was turning out too strange. I understood now why people weren’t supposed to hear what others were thinking. I'd been running for a while now and, on top of the headache I was getting, I wasn't feeling so good.

  *That’s all your fault, you know,* Shae said.

  *What?* James said.

  *My geekiness. You introduced me to all those shows, movies, and conventions. It stuck with me, even after I was taken.* There was a pause before Shae continued, *I like this.*

  *What?* James said.

  *How easy this is for us,* Shae said.

  That made me shut up. Nothing in my life had been easy, especially not when dealing with someone else.

  *You expected something different?* James asked.

  *I wasn’t sure what would happen if I got my memories back,* Shae sighed.

  *Damn, this girl sighs a lot,* I thought.

  *Since we were reunited, I’ve been on guard, not trusting myself because I felt too comfortable around you. I’ve been fighting it for these past few weeks, but my control kept slipping,* Shae said.

  *Hot and Cold,* James said.

  *Like the song?* my head chimed in, feeling we were buddies or something now.

  *Not now, I want to hear this,* I said as I could feel my head's mental eyebrows rise.

  *Yup, that was me. But I can accept it now because I understand why I felt that way. I remember you and our time together. Yes, you’re older and things have changed, but you’re still you on the inside,* Shae said.

  *Holy shit, you're welling up!?!* my head exclaimed.

  And it was true; the scenery was blurring around the edges, my chest was tight, and I could feel emotion just beneath my control, waiting for me to let go.

  *The hell with that!* I rubbed my eyes and sucked in a huge lungful of air before blowing it out like a steam engine. Thankfully, what she said next made it all better.

  *I love you,* Shae said.

  *Awwww, BARF!* I thought.

  *That's better,* my head gave me a mental pat on the back.

  *I know,* was all James said, and suddenly Shae hauled off and punched him in the thigh. I could hear the hit over the roar of the motorcycle.

  *Eejit!* Shae barked before they both chuckled.

  *What happens to a vampire’s bloodbound minions when a human kills the leader?* James said.

  *And he’s back to asking stupid questions. Why was I in love with this boy again?* I thought.

  *Hey!* my head started, but I cut it off with a shake of my head.

  *OK, but remember, you did say it,* and the voice in my head was back to hiding where I couldn't find it.

  *As far as I know, nothing. The bond breaks, and they’re free again,* Shae said.

  “Shae,” James said aloud, and my heart stuttered.

  *It's cause you're tired, girl. Not because you swoon at the sound of the boy's voice,* my head tried to reason with me.

  I had to be honest; I did like his voice. What would it sound like to say my name?

  *I'm going to throw up inside your head if you don't stop that,* my head warned me.

  Luckily, the bike slowed just then and turned off the road. I found a suitable hiding spot and watched as they shut the noisy thing off and covered it with a tarp and overgrown bushes. They headed off South across a small field. They didn't seem to be talking anymore. I wasn't sure if they were trying to be careful or if Natalie's bond had finally broken. Regardless, I followed.

  A while later, they disappeared into a small grove of trees that seemed to have been grown as a property boundary. As I followed, they stepped out the other side. I was getting closer than I wanted to, but I didn't want to lose them; they were being so quiet. I put my hand against a tree, trying to steady myself. My head was woozy, and my legs were trembling.

  *You need to get to the gym,* my head teased.

  I ignored my head.

  Beyond the trees was a clearing with a squat, single-story house on it. The windows had been boarded up from the inside, and curtains tried to block out any light, but the residual light still bled out around the edges. I could hear several more normal heartbeats, including the not-so-stealthy lookout on the roof. My eyes blurred out of focus as I tried to look at her.

  *You need to leave,* my head warned me, her voice full of genuine alarm. *You need to leave right now!*

  But I wasn't having any of it; I wanted to know what was happening here. I looked back at the house. They were both standing in front of it now and seemed to be discussing something quietly with the lookout above them. I watched, and they both swung easily up onto the roof, their forms silhouetted by the stars behind them.

  “Oh shit,” escaped my lips as my legs gave out. I didn't know what was going on. I'd gone much longer than this on much less blood. I tried to struggle to my feet, but my legs wouldn't move...couldn't move. It felt as if someone was commanding me to stay, but Pagoda was too far away for that.

  I heard something from the house as I fell over sideways, my face scraping the ground as I could no longer use my arms. My whole body was going numb, which didn't make any sense. I felt like I was out of blood, but I’d had a top-off at Drakes just before...

  *Just before she linked you to the love birds?* my head confirmed my suspicion.

  *Oh, that dirty whore,* I thought.

  *Language.* I heard Natalie’s soft chuckle in my head just before the world went dark.