She shoved me. You dont understand. Its on the news! Graves emptying, rumors of things crawling from themall headed in this direction. Were in an isolated area, but not that isolated. Dont you see? Patra doesnt need all of them to kill us; very soon shell know exactly where we are, because all the zombies are a sign pointing the way!
Shit! Didnt it ever stop? So our situation had upgraded from awful to doomed. Surprisingly, I was more angry than anything else. That bitch didnt deserve to win. We might not be innocents, but she was far worse on many levels.
There was noise behind me, coming from the basement. Screams, God, more screams. And the sounds of crumbling structure.This is it, the realization came to me.The end. No, I couldnt stop it, but I could choose how to meet it.
With renewed determination, I held out my sword. You keep looking, Annette, no matter what. Ill keep killing. If that bitch wants us, she can come and get us.
To the lower rooms, mates, move! a shout ordered. Two dozen members of what was left of our forces began to fall back. I fought my way forward, seeing Bones and Mencheres at the end of the retreating line covering the exit. Both of them spun and slashed in a dizzying display of violence that made them seem like theyd been transformed into machines. Id always guessed that Mencheres, once stripped of his polite manners, would be frighteningly lethal. I wasnt wrong. He looked like a living nightmare.
Vlad grabbed me, forcing me backward. His hands felt hot, not cold like they should have from the freezing outside temperatures.
Come along, theyll join us soon, he barked, propelling me with his body.
No, Im going up there! I yelled, trying to wrest away.
Hes the co-leader of his line so hes where he should be, was his reply. But youre coming with me.
His fist landed a solid whack to the top of my head. Amid the wash of sudden stars, I ducked under his arm and lurched forward, brought up short by his hold on my hair.
All at once, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Vlad pulled me back, my feet slid out from under me, and faintly, above all the other noise, I heard a vindictive, satisfied laugh.
I saw six of those things follow after him, theyve broken in!Annette had said.And I heard him scream
Shed been talking about Zero, who was on his way to Anubuss cell. But while no one had seen or heard from Zero since, it was Anubus who was chuckling maliciously now. Anubus. Unharmed though he was chained to a wall with half a dozen ravenous creatures within chomping distance. How was that possible? Only one way I could think of.
Vlad, do you have to be touching someone to burn them?
The question startled him so much he quit manhandling me. I have to have touched them before, and it takes longer, since its difficult to burn someone Im not holding.
Difficult, I breathed. But not impossible?
No, not impossible, why?
Its Anubus. I raised my voice because the adrenaline began to surge. Patras object isnt an object at all. Dont you get it? Hes the ultimate Trojan horse, and Bones nearly got killed delivering him! She meant to finish Bones off in the ambush-and then the rest of us later, since we carted Anubus back home with us. Patra knew we wouldnt kill him, who offs their most valuable hostage?
Vlad started to smile. He released me and spread out his hands, holding them over his head. All around us chaos reigned.
Hes too far away for me to reach him before Id be cut down, but lets see if I can save the day.
Go on, I replied, whirling to clear the area around him. Impress me.
His hands began to glow, not red, but blue. They lit the hall with an eerie navy-violet light. Sparks flew off his hands, showering my hair as I continued to slash at the oncoming zombies.
Someone screamed, high-pitched and agonizing. I threw a heartless grin at Vlad as I recognized the voice.
Youve got his attention, Drac.
Hes strong, Vlad replied in a strained tone. His hands were now completely engulfed in flames. And must I remind you once more what my name is?
You arrogant thrust though the stomach of a snapping zombie, twisting and using all my strength to cleave him in half overpublicized wasnt going to work, it clawed at the blade, and my God, these things were tough, showy old bat Crack! There went my head into the wall. If I didnt have a split skull, Id be amazed. What are you waiting for? Arent you the king of all bogeymen? The legend children fear will devour them if they dont behave?
Two more zombies slipped past Bones and Mencheres, who were now almost back-to-back trying to stave them off.
Come on, Vlad, live up to your reputation! If you cant burn to deathone Egyptian vampire chained to a wall, how did you ever drive the Turks from Romania?
There was a loud reverberating snap, like an electric transformer had blown, and then in midleap, the charging zombies fell to the floor. Out of the suddenly still forms, dirt began to appear, covering them, eroding over the creatures bodies, until nothing but piles of earth remained.Out of the ground they were called, I thought,and back they went.
You did it, I panted, dropping my sword and running not in his direction, but the opposite one.
Of course, I heard him reply as strong arms lifted me up and crushed me against a chest covered with gore. Im Vlad Tepesh, what did you expect?
THIRTY-ONE
FOR ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS I HELD BONES, feeling his mouth pressed to my hair, his hands gripping my back, and I was truly happy. Then there was the sound, a muffled moan, one I heard even above the other vampires cries of exultation. One that seemed to come from my very cells, which made sense, in a weird way.
Mom.
I dashed straight down the hall toward the back like I was being pulled by a string. Bones was close behind, but not as fast as I was, not this time. I fell to my knees when I saw her, draped across Denises lap, my friends hands compressing her stomach. Next to them lay a zombie, now only a pile of dirt, and my mother was as still and pale as death.
No!
It tore out of me even as I acted without thinking, taking one of my knives and slashing it across my wrist, tilting her head up, forcing my blood in her mouth. The blade cut right through to the bone and red liquid overflowed her lips.
She gagged once and weakly swallowed, bubbles trailing out of her mouth. I worked her jaw, forcing her to swallow again.
Denise was crying and praying at the same time. Bones pushed her to the side to crouch over my mother. He took the same knife Id used and sliced his own wrist, holding it over her mouth, instructing me to begin chest compressions to force his blood through her body.
Blinded by tears I did, bearing down on her chest. Her heart had stopped beating right as Bones gave her his blood. Over and over I pressed on her chest while Bones blew into her mouth.
That thing came in the room, Denise choked, several injuries on her as well. And it just jumped on her! I tried to pull it off, but it was so strongCome on, Justina, dont give up!
Denises shout was so loud, it took me a second to hear the soft internal thumping below my hands. Then I sat back, tears flooding my eyes, as my mother coughed.
Filthyanimalget awayfrom me, she rasped to Bones.
I laughed even as Bones snorted and sat back as well, pausing only to cut his palm and slap it over the slash in my wrist.
Hallo, Justina. It appears were still stuck with each other.
Denise laughed also, and then she wiped at her eyes and looked around.
Wheres Randy? Isnt he with you?
My smile faded. Belatedly I realized that Randy wasnt in the room with everyone else. Seeing my mother bleeding to death had distracted me from noticing that before. I flicked a glance at Bones, who was frowning and getting to his feet.
Why would he be with us? he asked Denise in a sharp tone. Randy was supposed to stayhere.
Denise got up now, too, her face pale. He wanted to help find whatever it was Patra was using. He said he wouldnt leave the house. Hes been gone about twenty minutes
Bones turned and strode out of the room. I went to Denise and took her hands. Even with all the blood loss Id suffered, mine were warmer.
You stay here, I told her. Well find him.
Denises hazel eyes met mine, and the vehemence in them made me actually back up a step.
No fucking way, she said, and shoved me to the side.
I let her go, feeling a bit woozy now that the battle adrenaline was leaving me. My mother sat up, staring at the blood and torn clothes around her abdomen where that mortal wound had been.
Mom, I began.
Dont worry about me, she cut me off. Go after Denise.
I gave her a grateful look and left, moving through the ruins of the house far slower than I had before. It wasnt a minute later when I heard Denise scream, loud and piercing. That brought me to a run, despite the spots starting to dance in my vision.
Bones was kneeling on the floor of the kitchen with Denise in his arms. There was a pile of something red and dirty right next to them
Oh, Jesus, I whispered.
Fix him! Denise screamed, pounding on Boness back. Fix him, fix him,FIX HIM!
But that was impossible. My mother had still been clinging to life when Bones and I gave her blood, so its healing properties had had a chance to work. Randys body lay in pieces, parts covered by the dirt that had once been the zombie, or zombies, whod torn him apart.
Hes gone, luv, Bones said to Denise, forcing her away from the gruesome sight of her husband. Im so very sorry.
I dont think Denise even heard him. She kept screaming and sobbing while her fists pummeled Bones. I went to her, uselessly trying to comfort her, even though nothing I could do would ease her pain.
Spade came in the kitchen, grim-faced, and knelt down next to us.
Crispin, Ill take Denise out of here. You need to get Cat and the others to safety. We dont have much time.
Wordless, Bones nodded. Spade gently pried Denise from Boness arms and carried her out of the kitchen.
Everyone still left standing was in emergency mode, rounding up the dead and the living for a speedy exit. We all had to get as far away from here as possible, before Patra came to finish us off.
Bones picked me up, and I didnt even bother to argue that I could walk. Frankly, I wasnt sure if I could. As he maneuvered through the broken items in the house, I was surprised to see one of the televisions were still on.
threetwooneHappy New Year! Dick Clark announced, followed by the usual noise of partymakers, firecrackers, and the beginning of Auld Lang Syne. It seemed impossible that so much had happened in only two hours.
My vision began to get hazy, which might have been the blood loss catching up to me, because when I blinked next, we were out on the lawn. Strewn amid the odd-colored snow and heaps of dirt were bodies. What once had been vampires and ghouls were now shriveling remains. I felt a surge of gladness to see Tate milling around, and prayed that Juan and Dave had also made it.
Ian knelt on the ground, his chestnut hair making him easily distinguishable even from behind. His shoulders shook.
Bones set me down and then took rapid steps forward. Mencheres seized him, his face grim.
How many? Bones asked hoarsely.
Mencheress gaze slid to several of the piles of shriveling limbs.
We dont know yet.
Bones knelt beside Ian. Ian, mate, we must take them and go. None of them would care for us being slaughtered over their bodies because we didnt have the strength to leave. Patras already taken too much tonight. We shant let her get another thing.
Through rapidly graying vision, I saw the three of them begin to collect the remains of what used to be their friends.
THIRTY-TWO
DAVES FACE WAS THE FIRST THING I SAW when my eyes opened. He smiled.
Hello, Cat. Are you hungry? Thirsty?
Thirsty, I rasped, downing the water he handed me. Where are we?
He took the glass back. Were in South Dakota now, while everyone regroups.
A glance to my left showed bright light peeking through the heavy drapes.
My God, what time is it?
About three oclock. You lost a shitload of blood and had to be given two transfusions. Then Bones didnt want you to wake up and start to exhaust yourself, so he gave you some of those sleeping pills Don cooked up for you. You dont remember arguing with him about it and trying to spit them out?
Not at all. I sat up, noticing I was no longer bloody and I was also wearing a clean T-shirt.
Dons had a hell of a time these past several hours, Dave went on. Hes been pulling every string he has to confiscate footage of empty graves and shuffling dead people, and overall calming the media circus this thing has generated. Thankfully, the Canadian government doesnt want its people believing in zombies, either, so theyre cooperating.
I groaned. I could just imagine how Don must be going nuts trying to cover this up.
Whats his angle?
Theyre using a cover story of a small earthquake and an avalanche that emptied some of the graves, but the tabloids are still going to have a field day. At least we were in a remote area-if this had happened in a big city, thered be no lid Don could find that would be big enough to seal this nightmare up.
An earthquake and an avalanche?Thats what hes saying?
Dave shrugged. Its the best he could do on short notice, I guess. It explains the torn-up cemeteries somewhat. Then hes also saying some of the zombies were shell-shocked survivors wearing filthy clothes and wandering around in a daze. You know how it is. People dont want to think what they saw was real. The average person goes through life much happier believing nothing supernatural exists.
Wheres Denise? Poor Randy. He wouldnt have been involved in any of this if not for me.
Shes sleeping. Spade gave her a lesser version of your tranquilizer. Right now, sleeps the best thing for her.
Davewho else didnt make it?
His face clouded. You know about Randy. Zeros also gone, as well as Tick Tock
He went on, and every new name slammed into me. Some of them I knew, some of them I didnt. Still, they were each an irreplaceable loss. By the time Dave was finished, more than eighteen vampires and ghouls had been listed, a staggering loss. Four more humans had also been killed, in addition to Randy. Bones must be devastated.
Wheres Bones? I asked, swinging my legs out of bed.
Downstairs. But first, you might want to put on a pair of pants.
I looked down, seeing what I hadnt noticed while under the covers. Oh. Sorry, I didnt realize
He smiled faintly. Youre like my sister, dont worry about it. And because Im your friend, I dont mind telling youbrush your teeth. Your breath is scary.
Taking Daves advice, Id brushed my teeth, washed my face, and put on more clothes. My feet were bare, since I didnt bother looking for shoes. Dave escorted me to the closed doors of the drawing room and then left.
Bones came to me and I held him for a long time. Saying Im sorry was so useless a comfort that I didnt even bother.
Ian was there, too. He hadnt showered or changed clothes since the battle, and he was shirtless with dirt and other things smeared over him.
Would have been good of you to figure out the puzzle earlier, Reaper, he bitterly stated. Not much help getting a bright idea after half our numbers are cut down.
I blinked, unprepared for his hostility. Bones didnt have any hesitation, and he had Ian by the throat before I could even formulate a response.
Dont you say another accusing word to her or Ill lose the very thin hold I have on my temper, he growled. If not for her, wed all be dead right now, or did you forget that?
Ians turquoise gaze was blazing emerald.
What I havent forgotten is why we were all dragged into this war in the first place. It was all because of her! Her injury was repairable, Crispin, but you cant do anything about our friends lying in the other room, can you? How many more lives will be needed to avenge one womans injured pride-
Bones, no!
Mencheres appeared out of nowhere, and not a moment too soon. There was a wrenching sound, a blur, and then Bones was thrown backward missing an arm. The scream I made drowned out Spades shout as he arrived just in time to witness it.
Ian stared with stupefied amazement at the hand still clutched to his throat, the limb beginning to wither. I went to Bones, but he sidestepped me and strode right to Mencheres.
Did you have a reason for preventing me from silencing that insult, Grandsire?
Now my whole body tensed. If Bones and Mencheres went at it, all hell would break loose.
You were going to tear Ians head off, Mencheres answered. You would have regretted it afterward, for many reasons, and I think we have already given Patra enough cause to celebrate without further reducing our numbers.
Ian appeared mildly dazed by recent events. He shook his head as if to clear it, then stared at me and Bones with a look of vague disbelief.
By Christ, Crispin, I dont know what got into me, he breathed. I had no cause to rail at you like that. Forgive me, both of you.
Bones started to run a hand through his hair, stopped when he saw his limb was only half grown back, and snorted incredulously.
Two hundred and forty-seven years Ive had that arm. Didnt think to lose it while trying to rip your head off. Bugger, I have to pull myself together.
Now more than ever we all have to pull ourselves together, Mencheres agreed.
Yes, Bones said, eyeing him in a way that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Especially you, Grandsire, because thismust end.
Vlad entered the room. He looked around, saw the staring contest between Bones and Mencheres, and took a seat.
I know what youre thinking, Mencheres said with bleakness. And I tell you, I cannot do it.
Bones was next to him in a flash. The reality is that either you or she will be dead very soon. Whatever Patra meant to you, whatever secret dreams youve harbored of fate intervening at the last moment to make things right-you of all people know better. You told me never to doubt your visions, yet here youve lingered with the hope that you could be wrong. But youre not, so you must end this, because that is the responsibility you have to the people under your line and now also under mine.
I was confused. Mencheres didnt have Patra stuffed in a back room, to my knowledge, so how could he have the power to end this, as Bones was implying? Vlad leaned forward, picking up on my thought. Dont you see, Cat? When Patra had you trapped in a lethal nightmare, who knew how to break it? Last night when the zombies attacked, who knew the only way to destroy them was to destroy their homing beacon? Mencheres. So if he knows these spells well enough to know what counters themthen he also has the knowledge to cast one himself.
One look at Mencheress ashen face confirmed it, and then I was right in front of him as well.
Youhave to. Shes not going to stop! Do you want to see everyone around you dead? Because thats what will happen if you dont do something.
And could you? Mencheres flung at me. If this were Bones we were talking about, could you mete out death to him? Could you sentence him so easily to the grave?
He stopped, showing more naked feeling than Id ever seen from him, and it hit me.Hes still in love with her, even after everything shes done. Poor bastard.
I chose my words with care. I dont pretend to know how hard this is on you, Mencheres, and if this were Bones, it would rip me apart inside, too. But-I paused to look straight at the man I loved-if you ever went so far off the deep end that youd try-and succeed-in killing those I loved, and you made it very clear through countless examples that you wouldnt stop until I and everyone I cared about were dead, then yes. Id kill you.
Bones stared back at me and a small smile touched his mouth. Thats my girl.
Then he fixed his gaze back on Mencheres. I cant offer you any comfort in this but one, single thing: a quick death for Patra. She doesnt deserve it, and Id promised to treat whoever plotted against my wife to a much more prolonged, gruesome experience, but for your sake Ill amend that. If you do what you must now.
Green blazed from Mencheress eyes, and so much power crackled off him that I flinched. Are you threatening me?
Bones didnt even twitch. Im the co-ruler of your line and Im stating my intentions toward an enemy who has butchered our people. You need to remember whose side youre on. Cant you see Patra has been betting her life on the notion that youre incapable of that?
Mencheres didnt say anything. Every set of eyes in the room were trained on him. Then at last he stood, reining in that angry flash of power like a bird folding up its wings.
So be it. Last night Patra unleashed the contents of the grave on us. Tonight, we will give her back its vengeance.
THIRTY-THREE
THE STARS WERE WINKING FROM THEIR NEW backdrop of ever-deepening navy. Mencheres was in the center of the lawn. Wed cleared the snow off the ground so the large tablecloth placed on it didnt get wet. Mencheres sat cross-legged in front of it, and I couldnt help but think that with his center positioning, the dozen or so vampires in the background behind himand the bones lined up on the white linen, this looked like hells version of the Last Supper.
None of us knew what was about to happen. After making that cryptic statement, Mencheres had simply said to be dressed for battle at sunset and then he went up to his room. I half wondered if hed make a break for it via an upstairs window, but Bones seemed satisfied that Mencheres would keep to his promise, and here he was.
Earlier I made a call to Don to tell him something was going down tonight. Maybe with a heads-up, hed be able to come up with a better cover story than avalanches and mini-earthquakes. Problem was, I couldnt tell him where this event would take place. Or what time. Or what it would consist of. Or any other helpful details that would allow him to minimize human interaction and prevent a full-scale media fallout, he scathingly told me.
Well, I didnt have those details, so I could only relay what I knew. Dons frustration was understandable. Here Id warned him that for the second night in a row, the undead were going all-out with a black magic attack, but I didnt know if bodies would be crawling from their graves-or raining from the sky. Don had cause to freak, sure. Me, I had other concerns aside from keeping the existence of vampires a secret. I had to stay alive. So I was dressed for battle, wearing over my traditional black spandex various knives, a sword, several silver bullet-filled guns, and even some grenades.
I dont want any of you to speak, Mencheres said in the first words he spoke himself since sitting down in front of the bones. Not until I am finished.
And how are we supposed to know that?I thought.When you take a bow? When the ground opens up and things crawl out from it? A memory of those horrible rotting creatures flashed in my mind and I shuddered. Ugh, if I never saw one of them again, it would be too soon.
Something prickled in the air, centering my attention back on the Egyptian vampire. His head was bent, long hair hiding his expression, but through gaps in the black strands I saw his eyes were glowing green. Next to me, Bones shivered, and I darted a glance at him. He seemed fixated by Mencheres. I took his hand-and almost dropped it from the electric sizzle that met my flesh. Whatever Mencheres was doing, it was also affecting Bones. Apparently that exchange of power between the two of them still had a thread of connection left. That disturbed me, though I couldnt say why.
All at once, the bones of the people whod been killed last night rose from the tablecloth. They hovered in the air, forming a circle around Mencheres, and the bones began swirling around him.
At first they rotated slowly, hanging as if by invisible strings, but then their speed began to pick up. They circled Mencheres, moving faster and faster, until soon it was hard to distinguish any of their pieces except the skulls, grinning morbidly with their jaws swinging in the tornadolike wind. Mencheress hair blew all around him, and my flesh crawled with a sensation of a million invisible ants. The power pouring off him intensified to incredible degrees, until I wouldnt have been surprised to see lightning strike where he sat.
With a crack, the whirling bones imploded around him, showering Mencheres in a fine cloud of white. I gripped Boness hand, not caring about the sear of voltage that seemed to shoot up my arm, and stared in disbelief at the powdery remains of his friends.Dust to dust, I thought numbly. Mencheres just blasted away all that was left of those brave men. Why? Why would he do that?
Without raising his head, Mencheres pulled a knife from his lap. Then he stabbed it straight into his heart.
I did gasp then, in openmouthed incredulity as he twisted the blade.Must be steel, not silver, I found myself thinking. Or hed be as dead as the grainy remains of those men spackling him like grayish snow.
Dark blood poured from the wound, flowing as steadily as if his heart still beat. It covered the knife, his hands, and his clothes with a murky crimson liquid. Soon I wasnt even staring at that, however. I was staring with growing incomprehension as the red-smeared powdery substance that was the bones of the men whod died began to separate, expandand then form into figures.
Madre de Dios, I heard Juan mutter, breaking Mencheress edict of silence.
My own thought was less religiously charitable:What the hell is going on?
Before my gaze, it looked like ghosts formed, shrouding Mencheres. He was muttering something in a language I couldnt even begin to recognize, and those hazy forms kept increasing. They grew until they looked like shadows come to life, because I could still see through them, but they were three-dimensional, all right. Three-dimensional figures of opaque, naked men. One of them turned, and Bones let out a soft groan.Randy, I thought in shock.Thats Randy!
More of them formed from the bone dust that coated Mencheres. He kept the knife in his chest, the wound continuing to bleed, until I wondered how he still had any juice left in him. But the more he bled, the less hazy the figures looked, until I could pick out every wraithlike person. There was Tick Tock, just a little to the side of Zero, oh God, Randy
Only when all twenty-three people whod been killed the night before stood around him did Mencheres pull the knife out and speak.
These are not our friends. They dont recognize any of you, and they have no memory of their former lives. They are the mindless rage that lingers in the remains of all murdered people, and I have yanked that rage from their bones and given it form. They will be drawn to their murderer with the single-minded purpose of revenge. All we have to do once I release themis follow them. They will lead us right to Patra no matter where she hides.
Id barely wrapped my mind around that before Mencheres said an unknown word and the wraiths shot up into the night like theyd been fired from ghostly cannons. Wow, were they fast. How were we supposed to follow them?
Mencheres stood, raising his arms-and I screamed. The ground was twenty feet awaythirtyfiftymore
We need to hurry, I heard him say amid my whipping my head around to see that every person whod been standing on the lawn was now airborne and being hurtled through the night as if by invisible jet streams. They will find her soon.