Zeke began coughing a few hours later.
The first time it happened, no one really noticed. The sewers, while they were mostly dry and frozen over, not having been used for decades, were still sewers. I didn't have to take a breath to know it reeked down here of mold and fungi and rot and...other things. And the tunnels were filled with rodents and insects, crawling over everything, leaving things behind. So when Zeke first started coughing, I blamed it on the cold and damp and nasty odors, and kept going.
The second time was worse.
We were traveling through a narrow stretch of pipe, the two taller vampires having to duck to clear the low ceiling, when Zeke's harsh explosions caused ice to form in my stomach. I turned to see him bent over, one hand against the wall to steady himself, his whole frame racked with shuddering coughs. Panting, he straightened, dropping the hand covering his mouth, and I saw a splash of blood between his fingers.
"Zeke," I whispered, staring at him in growing fear as I finally realized what was happening. No. Not him. Please.
"I'm fine." He met my gaze, and his eyes were dull. Seeing my face, he offered a tired, resigned smile. "It's all right. There's nothing you can do, Allie. Let's keep moving."
Ahead of us, Jackal gave a soft curse, staring at Zeke with a dangerous expression. "Yeah, you say that now," he said, and his fangs glinted in the shadows, "but don't expect me to hold back when you start clawing your eyes out."
"If that happens..." Zeke kept his gaze on me, steady and composed. "You know what to do, right? Don't...don't let me suffer, or become a danger to anyone else. Just...make it quick."
I resisted the urge to snarl at him. It was too much. I couldn't pretend any longer. All Kanin's warnings about getting too close, all of my own sensibilities, keeping my distance, hardening my feelings-all collapsed beneath the undeniable truth: I cared for Zeke, it was useless to tell myself otherwise. I cared for him more than I'd cared for anyone in my life save my mom. It would destroy me if I lost him now.
"You don't ask for much, do you, Ezekiel?" I asked, my voice breaking a little. He had started forward but now paused, staring at me in surprise. "First you make me promise to let you die, now you're asking me to kill you? Do you think I'm just some soulless machine, that it would be so easy, just because I'm a vampire? It's not enough that Kanin is dying, now you want me to kill you, too?"
"Allison." Kanin's voice was weary, disapproving. Both Zeke and Jackal straightened, glancing at the older vampire in shock. I ignored their surprise, clenching my fists in sudden rage. I didn't know where this was coming from, but I was tired of losing people. I'd lost so many in my short life, even before I became a vampire. The cynical street rat in me sneered in disgust. Loss was just a part of life, I knew that. Nothing lasted in this world. The harder you held on to something, the more it would kill you when it was gone, so it was best not to get attached to anything.
But, dammit, I wanted to try. I wanted to fight to keep what was important to me. Who was important to me. And it pissed me off that they weren't willing to do the same.
"We are not giving up," I said, glaring at them all. There was a stinging sensation in the corner of my eyes, but I forced it back. "The rest of you can be fine and accepting and fatalistic if you want, but I refuse to let this thing win. I plan on tracking Sarren down and beating a cure out of him if I have to. And I'm sure as hell not giving up until I am certain, beyond a shred of doubt, that there is no hope left. So you-" I pointed at Zeke "-can stop asking me to kill you, and you-" I whirled on Kanin "-can stop hiding from the rest of us the fact that you're dying. We're fighting this thing together, and I am not going to lose anyone else."
For a few seconds after my rant, there was silence. I could sense they were all a little stunned; even Kanin appeared to have been left speechless. That, or he was too annoyed to say anything. I didn't care. He could be angry with me all he wanted, as long as he was still alive.
"Well," Jackal remarked, "that was quite the speech. Almost as good as the one you delivered on my tower that night with the old man. You do have a certain flare for the dramatic, don't you, sister?"
I scowled at him, but before I could say anything, he turned on Kanin with a dangerous glare. "You never told us you were dying, old man," he said softly, narrowing his eyes. "Let me guess-Salazar wanted to make sure you wouldn't leave the city, so he made sure you couldn't run out on him. Cunning old bastard. How long?"
"Does it matter?" Kanin's voice was emotionless. "Would it change anything?"
"See, that's the funny thing," Jackal shot back. "If it were anyone else, it should! Any sane vampire would be looking for Sarren right now, not trying to save a bunch of worthless meatsacks who are probably already dead. But that's always been your problem, hasn't it? You always sided with the humans. And now look where it's gotten you."
I stared at him. I'd never seen Jackal like this, not truly, seriously angry. His irritation always took the form of some obnoxious comment or jab to get under a person's skin. He looked furious now, glaring at Kanin in utter contempt, lips curled in a silent snarl. I couldn't tell if he was angry at Kanin for wanting to save a bunch of humans, or because Kanin was dying and hadn't told him.
"What do you think is going to happen when we find Sarren?" Jackal demanded of Kanin, who watched him calmly. "You think you can take him now, falling apart like you are? Your compassion for these worthless humans is going to get us all killed!"
"I've made my choice," Kanin said, unruffled as always. "You don't have to stand with it."
Jackal shook his head in disgust and took a step back. "You know what? You're right," he said softly, eyeing each of us. "This isn't worth it. I thought the old bloodsucker would have information on the Rabidism cure, maybe lead us right to it. But if he's going to throw away his life for a bunch of worthless mortals, I'm better off finding it myself."
"Where do you think you'll go?" I demanded, wondering why I should care if Jackal left. Let him go, you always knew he would leave or turn on you if he got the chance. I didn't know why I felt so angry. A part of me said we needed Jackal's help against Sarren, that he was a good fighter and another body between me and Sarren: that was why I didn't want him to go.
But that was a lie. Jackal was my brother, and, as selfish and monstrous as he was, I was hoping he would prove me wrong. "You can't take on Sarren alone," I argued. "He's too strong for just one person, you said so yourself."
"Who said anything about fighting him?" Jackal crossed his arms, smirking. "I'm not that stupid, sister. Way I see it, Sarren is the closest one to discovering a cure now. If I ever cross paths with our disturbed friend, it'll be to ask a few friendly questions, and then I'll be on my way. I'm not crazy enough to try to stop him. But I'm certainly not going to hang around here with the lot of you, wasting time. You have fun with the sickies and the psychos. I'll be leaving now."
A metallic shiver echoed through the pipe as Zeke drew his machete, the raspy sound making my stomach clench.
"What makes you think I'm going to just let you go?" Zeke said in cold voice. His eyes glittered with anger and hate as he stared Jackal down. "You have crimes to answer for," he went on, the light glimmering down the length of his blade as he raised it toward Jackal. "People you murdered. I haven't forgotten any of them, and you're still going to pay for what you did."
Oh no. Zeke was serious-he was ready for this fight. The confrontation he'd hinted at since arriving in New Covington had finally come. "For my family," he'd said in the tunnels. "For everyone back in Eden, I'm going to kill that vampire, Allison. The only question is...will I have to fight you, as well?"
I had to make a decision. I couldn't fight them both. As if sensing my thoughts, Zeke flicked a glance at me, his blue eyes suddenly remorseful. "I'm sorry, Allison," he said quietly. "You don't have to help me. Walk away if you have to. But I can't just let him go."
Jackal turned a purely sadistic smile on Zeke, and I tensed, ready to leap in if either attacked. "You don't have time for this, bloodbag," he crooned. "Shouldn't you be saving your pathetic little human tribe? You think you can take me on alone? How are you going to help them if you're dead?"
It was probably the hardest thing I'd done in a long time, but I made my choice. Drawing my sword, I stepped up beside Zeke, facing Jackal down. "He won't be alone," I said.
I could feel Zeke's relief and gratitude even without looking at him. Jackal, however, stared at me, eyes narrowing to yellow slits. "Well," he muttered, and all his arrogance disappeared, leaving cold rage in its place. "So that's how it is, huh, sister? You would choose a human over your own blood kin. You really are like Kanin, a traitor to your whole race."
I bared my fangs. "From where I'm standing, you're walking out on us. So don't expect any tears from me, brother."
"Allison. Ezekiel." Kanin's voice cut through the tension, the rising fury. I paused and glanced at the other vampire, who hadn't moved from his spot beneath the drain. "Let him go," he ordered softly.
Zeke didn't move, but his jaw tightened stubbornly.
"Kanin-"
"We don't have time for this."
I slumped. Kanin was right. We didn't have time to fight Jackal now. The seconds were rapidly ticking away, for all of us. For the refugees and Kanin, and now...now Zeke. What would happen, I thought numbly, if that time ran out? There'd be no one left. Everyone would die.
Except me. I would be alone again.
Sheathing my blade, I turned to the human beside me. "Zeke," I said, and put a hand on his arm. It was tight beneath my fingers, muscles coiled into steel bands. "Let's go. Come on, we need to find the refugees." His arm shook, tightening his grip on the weapon, and I lowered my voice. "Please."
He resisted me a moment, then finally lowered his blade, the tension leaving his back and shoulders. "This isn't over," Zeke warned in a low voice, still glaring at Jackal. "I'll find you. The next time we meet, vampire, I'll kill you."
Jackal chuckled. "The next time I see you, bloodbag, you'll be a stinking, eyeless corpse. So forgive me if I'm not too terribly concerned."
Zeke didn't reply. My blood brother stepped away, the evil grin back on his face. "Well, I can't say it hasn't been fun," he said, giving us a mocking salute as he turned to leave. "But I have other things to do now-vampires to find, armies to raise, that sort of thing." He glanced at me, and his smirk faded a bit. "Sister, if you ever get tired of these walking bloodbags, come find me. We could still do great things, you and I."
And, with a final sneer, he turned his back on us and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the pipe.
I stared after him, still half thinking he would come stalking back, laughing at us for falling for such an obvious trick. It didn't happen. The darkness behind us remained silent, still and empty. I closed my eyes once, searching for him, and felt his presence through our blood tie. Though it was very faint, pulling farther and farther away. Jackal was gone.
"Come on," Kanin said, when it was clear he wasn't coming back. "Let's keep moving. We're almost there."
"Did you know?" I asked Kanin a few minutes later when the pipe ended and we came to the main stretch of sewer again. We hurried down the tunnel, knowing we were racing the clock, but questions still hounded me, refusing to leave me alone.
The vampire glanced me, puzzled, and I elaborated. "Jackal," I said. "Did you know he would leave if he found out you were...sick? Is that why you didn't tell him?"
"One of the reasons." Kanin's brow furrowed slightly. "Jackal has always been...pragmatic. If he suspects he is on the losing end of a bargain, he'll get out of it somehow and come at it from a different angle. In his eyes, I could no longer give him what he wanted, so he decided to find another way. He's always been like that."
"I screwed up," I muttered, angrily kicking a rock into the water. "I'm sorry, Kanin."
He shook his head. "Don't apologize for Jackal's shortcomings, Allison. We all made our choices."
That didn't make me feel much better. Jackal was still gone, and Kanin was still sick. And Zeke, walking quietly behind us, was starting to cough more and more. He tried to hide it, and he never complained, but I could hear the raspy, painful breaths, caught the faint scent of the blood he would cough up sometimes, and worry gnawed at my insides.
"Kanin?" I asked again, and heard him sigh, as if steeling himself for more questions. For a second, I almost didn't ask, but then hardened myself. I wanted to know. "Why did you Turn Jackal?"
He didn't answer for a long time, and I thought he was going to ignore me. "Why do you want to know?" he finally asked in a quiet, almost sorrowful voice.
I shrugged. "Because I'm curious? Because I want to know, how do you choose? If there's a criteria for Turning someone into a vampire? Because..." Because I want to know if he was ever like me, once. And if I...could ever become like him.
Kanin, in that knowing, inscrutable way of his, seemed to guess what I was thinking. "I found James a few decades ago," he began slowly, as if resigning himself to the tale. "When I returned to this country again. I'd been gone for many years."
"Why?"
"What do you mean, why?"
"Why were you gone?"
He closed his eyes. "You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?" he murmured, and I felt a tiny stab of guilt. But it was overshadowed by determination and a burning desire to finally know all his secrets. Kanin had kept almost everything from me for so long, but I was no longer his student. I wanted to know who my sire really was.
I paused then said, very carefully, "I think I have a right to know, Kanin."
"Yes," he murmured, running a hand over his eyes. "Yes, I suppose you do." Dropping his arm, he continued walking down the tunnel, his face dark. "To answer your question," he began, his tone flat, deliberately emotionless, "I was forced to go on the run. After the other Masters discovered what I had done, what I created, they all wanted my head. For the first time in countless centuries, they were united under one goal-destroying one of their own. It became almost a competition, to see who could kill me first. And, of course, there was Sarren...." His expression darkened. "So, I fled the country, spent many years on the run, never staying in one place for long. Eventually, the other Masters stopped sending people to kill me, and things finally calmed down. Except for one."
I shivered, knowing who he meant. Kanin shook his head. "Sarren never stopped. Wherever I went, he wasn't far behind. I knew that, one day, he would catch up with me. And I knew that, when he did, his revenge would be terrible. But I hoped to atone for my mistakes before that happened. So, I returned to this country after many years, to find the research the scientists left behind. I knew there was at least one scientist who had survived the carnage the night the rabids escaped, but I knew nothing of where he was, if his ancestors still lived. After years of searching and getting nowhere, I finally decided to investigate the very place the rabids were created. Though it was a vampire city now, and its Prince still wanted me dead, I had to try." He gave me a sideways look, a faint, rueful smile crossing his lips. "You know the rest."
I listened in rapt amazement. This was the most I'd ever heard Kanin speak of his past, as shameful and horror filled as it was. "Where does Jackal fit in?" I asked, remembering my original question.
"Jackal." Kanin's eyes narrowed. "When I returned, the world was not the same. The vampire cities were in full power, and everything outside the cities was chaos. That first year, I stumbled upon the burning remains of a small homestead in the middle of the wilderness. It seemed that bandits or raiders had killed everyone, or so I first thought. But, later that night, I found James lying in the road several miles away. He'd been shot in the leg, but had dragged himself as far as he could before his strength gave out."
"He was dying," I guessed. "Like me."
"Yes. Though his death was not quite as imminent as yours." Kanin's brow furrowed. "Rather, I had no food, no water or medicine or bandages, and we were many miles from civilization. He would have died of blood loss and exposure, and he knew it. We had a rather interesting conversation." Kanin almost smiled again, though his voice was grave. "Him lying there, and me standing over him, trying to determine what kind of person he was. I thought I knew what I was creating when I offered him the choice. I thought..." Kanin laughed softly, a sound completely without humor. "I thought I'd found someone who would help me bring an end to what I had caused. I didn't see what he truly wanted until much later."
"What happened?"
Kanin looked reluctant to continue, but he did. "I taught him how to be a vampire, same as you. We traveled for several months, the two of us. He seemed fascinated with the idea of curing Rabidism and would ask me questions about the research, the scientists, the hidden labs. We argued about a lot of things, but I was still too blind to see what I'd created.
"Then, one night, he tracked down those men who killed his family, and tried Turning them. To this day, I don't know what he told them. Perhaps he offered them immortal life, perhaps it was only revenge after all. But all those men he attempted to Turn became rabid, every single one of them. And he didn't stop trying. I found him with the last of the humans, dead rabids everywhere, still trying to create his own offspring. And I finally realized what kind of vampire I'd brought into the world.
"James wanted to bring an end to Rabidism," Kanin finished, his eyes hard, "but only to create his own army, his own kingdom, and to fill the world with our kind. Vampires should rule, he told me. Why should humans take over the world, when we were so vastly superior? Only numbers had stopped us before, and if vampires could produce offspring again, the humans would never rise up against us."
"Jackal said you tried to kill him."
"I did." Kanin's voice was remorseless. "He was the only vampire I've ever Turned and then tried to destroy. Before James, I didn't care what my few offspring did when we parted ways. I could only teach them how to be an immortal, and then let them carve their own path through eternity. But the world that James envisioned was something I could not allow. Unfortunately, he managed to escape, though I told him if our paths crossed again, I would end his life."
"And that's the last you saw of him?"
"He took the name Jackal and vanished into the mountains with the last of the humans who'd slaughtered his family. I suppose they became the first of his so-called raider army. So..." Kanin looked down at me. "Now you know all my secrets, all my regrets." He raised his head, frowning. "You and Ezekiel, who I know has been listening to every word we've said."
"Sorry," Zeke said from behind us. "I wasn't trying to."
Kanin's lips twitched in a bitter smile. "Perhaps it is better," he mused, "that someone knows who Jackal really is. I swore that I would never create another after James, but..." He paused, his next words nearly lost in the shadows. "I am glad that I broke that promise."
"Kanin..."
Zeke quickened his pace, catching up to us. "Now I have a question," he said, and Kanin sighed once more. He didn't protest, however, and Zeke went on ruthlessly. "So...you are the vampire that was helping the scientists, aren't you?" he asked, and there was a hint of awe in his voice. "The one who helped the original team looking for a cure."
"They spoke of me?" Kanin sounded surprised.
Zeke nodded. "The scientists in Eden told me everything," he said. "Everything about the vampire experiments, and how the rabids were created. They said you vanished the night the lab caught fire and the rabids escaped." His voice took on a faint edge. "The common belief...was that you started it."
"No." Kanin's voice was low, remorseful, and a hint of pain glimmered through his calm expression. "Since you both seem determined to drag my entire past into the light... no, it was not I who set fire to the lab. I told them the rabids needed to be destroyed, but most of the scientists disagreed. There was a split among them, those who wanted the rabids put down, and those who thought they could still be used. Finally, a decision was made to kick several of the scientists off the team-the ones who wanted the rabids destroyed." Kanin paused, then said, very softly, "One of them was the head scientist, Malachi Crosse."
Zeke drew in a sharp breath. "Jebbadiah's grandfather."
"I went to the lab that night to stop him," Kanin said darkly. "I knew what he was planning, but by the time I got there, it was too late. The lab was in flames, the scientists were dead, and the rabids were gone. I had failed."
For a moment after this revelation, we were all silent, the only sounds being our footsteps echoing on the cement and Zeke's ragged breathing. "Did you know about the other lab?" I questioned at last. "The one in Old D.C.?"
Kanin shook his head. "Not at the time. Though I did find out about it later. They were giving human patients the experimental 'cure,' weren't they? Foolish."
"There was a massive rabid outbreak in that area," I said. "Thousands of people, tens of thousands, maybe more, died and Turned because of it. So, you might not be responsible for the spread of Rabidism, Kanin. It might have started in D.C., not New Covington."
"Even if that were true..." Kanin glanced at me, his eyes shadowed. "I was the one who exposed our race, who offered the lives of other kindred to find a cure. I appreciate the thought, Allison, but this is still on my head. Now..." His attention shifted to Zeke, who was listening to this in somber silence. "I have told you everything about my past, and we are still a few minutes away from Sector Four. I wish to know about the scientists in Eden. Have they been given the research? Are they working on a cure?"
But before Zeke could answer, scuttling sounded up ahead, and two skinny, pale figures darted out of a nearby tunnel. The mole men slid to a halt when they saw us, hissing and raising their crude blades.
"More topsiders!" one rasped, baring rotted black teeth. "Get out! Get out of our territory. You'll find no safety down here. The topsider camp is destroyed. The intruders will be dead soon! You will join them if you do not leave, now!"
Zeke stepped forward, pistol in hand, his face and voice icy. "What did you do to them?"
The mole men hissed again, eyes widening. "The topsider chief!" the second man snarled. "He's returned! With...with vampires! Run, warn the others!"
They took off, but Zeke was already bringing up his gun, and I was lunging forward. The pistol boomed, striking a mole man in the back, and my katana sliced down, beheading the other.
"Quickly." Kanin came forward, hurrying into the dark. "It sounds like we don't have much time."
The smell of blood hit me soon after, soaking the air and making my stomach turn with Hunger. As we drew closer to the underground camp, voices began to echo out of the tunnels: cries, shouts, angry hisses and snarls. A desperate scream cut through the clamor ahead, and we began to run, weapons already drawn.
A mole man emerged from a familiar tunnel, shrieking in alarm as he saw us. With a chill, I recognized the tunnel as the entrance to the camp, the one that had been barred when Roach first brought us here. The gate had been torn off and lay in a rusty heap in the water.
Zeke didn't slow down. As the mole man lunged forward, Zeke ducked beneath the wild swing and brought his machete flashing up, striking the man in the chest and ripping the blade out through his side. Screeching, the mole man crumpled behind us, and Zeke led us through the gate.
A body lay in the entrance, the young guard Roach had spoken to on our first trip here. Stab wounds covered his chest and stomach, and he gazed unseeing at the roof. Another body sprawled nearby, a mole man, bloody and still. Stone-faced, Zeke rushed past them to the staircase that led to the floor above, and began taking them two at a time.
Kanin and I followed. We emerged from the stairwell into chaos. Fires burned erratically through the boiler room, steel drums knocked over and spilling hot coals onto the cement. Bodies darted through the flames and shadows, pale mole men and terrified refugees, scurrying about in panicked confusion. A pair of mole men had trapped a woman against a corner and closed in, stabbing and punching, and Zeke sprang forward with a furious yell.
I went to help him, but Kanin stepped out of the shadows, into the sickly red light, and roared. The chilling sound echoed through the room, making my hair stand on end and causing everyone to spin around. As Zeke slashed his blade across one mole man's neck and clubbed the other with his gun, everyone else in the room, both attackers and refugees, screamed as they realized what had come into their midst, and scattered into the darkness.
Goaded by the scent of fear and violence, I roared a challenge as well and leaped into the room. Several mole men came at me, slashing and flailing, screeching their hate. I cut them down, my demon reveling in the blood that coated the walls and spattered the floor, arching in ribbons across my face. A few yards away, Zeke fought his way through the center, blade flashing, the occasional bark of gunfire ringing off the boilers. Kanin swept into the room, a dark shadow of death, and every person he passed crumpled to the ground a second later, bleeding and lifeless.
In seconds, the room emptied. Most of the attackers opted not to stay and fight, but fled toward the ladder when they realized vampires had joined the fray. I let them go, though it was hard not to chase them into the tunnels, to run them into the darkness and rip out their throats. Keeping a firm hold on my bloodlust, I sheathed my katana, willed my demon to settle down and looked around for Kanin and Zeke.
Zeke stood in the center of the room, panting, his gun and machete dangling at his sides as he watched the last of the mole men leave. His blue eyes gleamed dangerously in the dim light, as if he was holding himself back, forcing himself not to fire on the pale, retreating forms. Kanin stood nearby, all but hidden in the corner shadows.
"Zeke!"
A young man rushed up to him, panicked, grabbing at his shirt. Zeke flinched as the other boy yanked on him desperately. "Where were you? We've been trying to contact you for hours!"
"I came as soon as I could." Zeke freed himself and took a step back, surveying the room grimly. Bodies lay scattered about, some moaning, most deathly still. The refugee came at him again, and Zeke jerked away. "Don't come near me!" he snapped, and the boy froze, gazing at him in shock. Zeke backed away, his arm to his mouth. "Stay away from me, all of you. I don't..." He swallowed hard. "I'm sick," he told him, and the refugee's face went white. "I don't want you getting what I have. Keep your distance."
The boy fled to a corner of the room. Zeke watched him go, then gazed around at the other survivors, now eyeing him with nearly the same amount of fear as they were the vampires. A pained look crossed his face, and he turned to me.
"Allie. Will you help me figure out how many are still alive?"
We took a head count of the survivors. The results were sobering. Of the two dozen or so refugees Zeke had left behind, only nine had survived the sudden attack. Many of them had been badly wounded, and at least a couple of them wouldn't survive the night.
Zeke took the news stoically then began the slow process of organizing the chaos; helping the injured, directing people to bind wounds, posting a guard at the entrance in case the mole men returned. But he kept his distance from everyone and, more than once had to back away when harsh coughing racked his lean frame, pressing an old cloth to his nose and mouth. The refugees cringed back when he did this, glancing between him and the vampires, clearly not knowing which was worse.
"They're vulnerable here," Kanin told me when I joined him in the corner. I'd tried to help Zeke manage the confusion in the aftermath, but it was hard when everyone was terrified of the blood-drenched vampire girl. Kanin, more intelligently, had taken a spot along the far wall, and was simply watching with cool detachment.
I glanced at him. "What do you mean?"
"The mole men know where they are. Their defenses are gone. If they attack again, they'll likely succeed in killing everyone." He watched a refugee limp across the room, and shook his head. "We won't be around to protect them much longer."
"They can't stay here then," I muttered. "They have to find another camp. Where, though? Another place in the tunnels?"
"You would risk running into more mole men," Kanin pointed out. "If they are this incensed about topsiders invading their territory, perhaps it is best that they leave it altogether."
"Yeah, but where?" I asked again. "Up top isn't any safer, with the bleeders and the crazies running around. Where could they possibly go that's remotely safe?"
"This was your old sector, was it not?"
"Yes, but..." I stopped, thinking. I did know of one place. It's not far, I mused to myself. And it's fairly isolated. The basement is a good spot to hole up if things go bad. Not ideal, but better than here. "Right," I muttered, pushing myself off the wall. "I know where we can go."
I found Zeke standing among the huge rusted boilers at the back of the room. His back was to me, and his head was bowed as he gazed at something near his feet. Curious, I walked up behind him, peered down and winced.
Roach sat against one of the columns, his young face turned sightlessly to the ceiling, the hilt of a dagger shoved through his chest. The walkie-talkie was still clutched in one hand.
Knowing Zeke, knowing he was blaming himself, I put a hand on his arm. It was so hot, burning under my fingertips. "This isn't your fault," I said softly.
He didn't answer. Stepping forward, he bent down and gently took the walkie-talkie from Roach's limp grasp, a heavy, broken sigh escaping him as he rose.
"Zeke," I ventured as he turned around, his face frozen into a stoic mask. "The other refugees. They can't stay here."
"I know." He replaced the walkie-talkie, sliding it onto his belt, and became businesslike again. "I was trying to come up with a way to tell you and Kanin. I'm taking them topside. You don't...have to stick around. You should go after Sarren. I'll be fine."
He wasn't looking at me. Anger flickered, but I kept my voice calm, reasonable. "You don't know this sector as well as I do. Where will you go?"
"We'll find a place." His eyes strayed back to Roach, and he turned away, walking slowly back toward the group. "Dawn is about two hours from now," he said, passing me without looking up. "It'll take that long to get topside and find a place to hide from the bleeders. You and Kanin can still get a good head start back to Sector Two before morning. Don't worry about me. I'll catch up when I can."
A growl rose to my throat. Reaching out, I grabbed his elbow, spun him around and pushed him back into a pillar. He gave a startled whoof, eyes widening in shock, before I stepped up and kissed him, hard.
He froze for a second, before his arms came up to pull me closer. I leaned into him, feeling the Hunger rise up, feeling his lips on mine, his hands sliding over my back. I let myself feel all these things, including the urge to drop my head to his neck and plunge my fangs into his throat. I could control it, I would control it. Because there was no way I was letting Zeke go now.
"I have a better idea," I whispered when we finally pulled back. My face was inches from his, and I could feel the heat radiating from him, hot and feverish. "Why don't you let us help you?"
His chest heaved beneath my palms. "What about Sarren?"
"We'll find Sarren." I slipped my fingers into his hair, brushing it back, and he closed his eyes. "We can get these people to safety and find Sarren in time. It doesn't have to be one or the other, Zeke." He didn't answer, and I dropped my hands, resting them on his shoulders, the backs of my fingers lightly touching his neck. "I have a place we can go topside-the old school, where I used to live. It's isolated, there's plenty of space and it's fairly secure. They'll be safe there, as safe as they can be anywhere in the Fringe. We just have to get them out of here, now."
"I don't want to slow you down."
I gave him a challenging half smirk. "You were the one who traveled halfway across the country to find me, Zeke Crosse. Now that you have, and now that you insist that something brought us together, I'm afraid you're not getting rid of me that easily. Or, maybe I should say, I'm not letting you go. Vampires are possessive like that."
A tiny snort, and his eyes finally lightened a shade. "So, you're saying I'm a pet now, vampire girl?"
It really wasn't the place, or the time, to be thinking of this. Sarren was out there, Jackal was gone, and we still had the refugees to deal with tonight. Kanin and Zeke were both living on borrowed time, and every second was crucial. But all I could think of now was how much I wanted this. I wanted to take this risk, despite all the years of self-preservation telling me to hide, to pull back, protect myself. Zeke had not protected himself. He'd come to New Covington knowing exactly who I was, what I was, and he was the reason I could take a chance. The reason I could, for once, put my heart on the line, open myself up and let someone in.
My arms slipped around his neck. I looked up at his face, into those clear sapphire eyes and whispered, "Kiss me, Zeke."
He did. His eyes closed, he lowered his head and his lips closed over my own, gentle and soft. This one lasted several long moments, and when Zeke drew back again, his eyes were dark with passion. But they were a little wary now, too.
"Kanin is watching us," he murmured.
My head cleared instantly. I felt a tiny stab of fear, wondering what my mentor would say, if he would scold, or shake his head in disgust. Certainly, he wouldn't be pleased. I couldn't see his face very well, as he was still across the room in his dark corner, but I could feel the weight of his stare, boring into me.
Zeke gently pushed me back, stepping off the pillar. "I'll get the others ready to move," he said. "It shouldn't take long. How far to this school of yours?"
"We'll be there before dawn," I told him, still feeling Kanin's eyes on us. You knew he would find out about you and Zeke sometime, Allison. He probably suspected everything even before this. Question is, do you care what he thinks about a vampire and a human?
"All right." Zeke nodded. "Let me explain what's going on to everyone. We'll be ready to head out in a few minutes."
"Zeke?"
He turned back, eyes questioning. And before I lost my nerve, in full view of my sire, I stepped up to him, put my hands on the sides of his face and kissed him one more time.
I know you're watching, Kanin. And yes, this is my answer.
Zeke drew back, looking a little dazed. Gazing down at me, he gave a wry smile, licking his lips. "That...didn't have anything to do with him over there, did it?" he asked, sounding suspiciously amused, and a little breathless. I bit my lip.
"Does that bother you?"
"If it involves kissing you? Please, use me to prove a point anytime." With a faint smile, he squeezed my arm and stepped back, and I let him this time. "I'll get everyone together. Give me ten minutes and we'll be ready to go."
I watched him depart, steeled myself and then walked over to Kanin, who hadn't moved from his place in the corner.
"That was interesting." he mused in a toneless voice as I joined him along the wall. "I assume that last display was solely for my benefit?"
"Kanin-"
"Allison." My sire looked at me, solemn and grave. "I am not in any position to tell you what to do, or how to live your life," he said, surprising me. "You already know my thoughts, and, as I've discovered before, you will either heed my advice, or you won't. I don't need to remind you. You're not the same girl I left outside New Covington, and I am no longer your teacher.
"However," he continued, just as I'd started to relax, "I will issue this one warning. I will not Turn that boy for you, if it comes down to that. He is...too human to make it as a vampire. It would destroy him very quickly."
"I know," I muttered, watching Zeke move among the refugees, keeping his distance in order not to infect them. "He already made me promise the same thing. That if he was dying, to just...let him go."
Kanin's eyes searched the side of my face. "And could you?" he asked softly. "Let him go?"
I didn't answer, and Kanin didn't push the question. We watched the humans in silence, two vampires standing in the darkness on the outskirts of humanity, always looking in.
