There was a moment of blinding pain, a scalding heat ripping across my face and hands. And then cold winter air hit my skin as I tumbled through the window, hit the edge of the roof, and fell into the bushes below.
There was a moment of blinding pain, a scalding heat ripping across my face and hands. And then cold winter air hit my skin as I tumbled through the window, hit the edge of the roof, and fell into the bushes below.
Snarling, fangs bared, I struggled to my feet and lurched away from the house. Heat clawed at my back as I ripped through vines and branches and fled into the road. Only when I was on the other side of the street did I turn and look back.
My instincts cringed, urging me to move even farther away. The house was a raging inferno against the sky, tongues of fire snapping in every direction. I panicked for a moment, not seeing Kanin anywhere, afraid that he was still trapped upstairs. But then a shadow melted away from the house, and Kanins dark form glided across the street toward me, making me slump in relief.
Are you injured? he asked, joining me on the sidewalk. I shook my head, still trying to calm down. My face and hands stung, and I caught a faint scent of burned hair that I tried to ignore, but I didnt seem to be badly hurt. Another few seconds, and it mightve been a different story.
Wheres Jackal? I asked, looking around. I vaguely remembered Kanin telling me that Jackal had gotten out, but everything from the past few minutes was sort of a blur.
He leaped out the window the second he realized what was happening, Kanin replied, his voice taking on a slight edge. I expect hes around here somewhere.
I shook myself. The fire had apparently made my brain stop working; the only thought on my mind had been to get away, but it was slowly starting to focus again. I dont understand, I said. What do you mean, when he realized what was happening?
This was a trap, Allison. Kanin looked back at the inferno. Nothing catches fire that quickly unless it has been doused in something. Gasoline, or alcohol. I didnt notice when I first came in, and I expect you and Jackal didnt, either, but the walls and floor had been soaked in something flammable. Sometimes, not having to breathe is a blessing, but not this time. He shook his head, looking annoyed, with himself or with us, I couldnt tell. Im certain our raider friend did not intend to set the house on fire with himself still inside, Kanin continued grimly, but when we surprised him, he figured he was already dead.
Which is a shame, if you ask me, said a familiar voice, and Jackal sauntered out of the darkness. Ignoring me and Kanin, he shot an annoyed glare at the burning house. I didnt even get to rip his heart out before he went up in smoke. Inconsiderate bastard.
I scowled at him. Youre one to talk. You left us in there! No warning, no hesitation, nothing. I bet you didnt even look back when you hit the ground.
And what would you have had me do, exactly? Jackal questioned, baring his fangs. I smelled the blood on him, soaking his shirt and duster, and realized he was probably starving after taking that shot to the chest. Hold your hand while you jumped out the window? Go back inside with the whole house about to collapse on top of me? He sneered. Were still vampires, sister. We still look out for number one. If Id been trapped up there, I wouldnt have expected you or the old man to come back.
Guess you dont know me as well as you think, I said in a cold voice. Because I would.
Really? Jackal mocked, crossing his arms. I find that a little hard to believe. I bet you cant even look at the house now without wanting to figuratively piss yourself.
I believe, Kanin said, sounding exasperated, that you both are forgetting the more pressing bit of information weve learned tonight. He looked past the burning building, the firelight dancing in his dark eyes. Namely, who has turned the raiders against us, and who is still waiting in Old Chicago.
Sarren. The thought made me tense, and hatred flared up again, searing and deadly, pushing back everything else. I hadnt forgotten. Sarren would still pay for what hed done. Just because I refused to become a demon didnt mean I wouldnt kill him. When I found him, Id stop at nothing until his head was impaled on my sword, and his body was a pile of smoldering ash.
Sarren, Jackal agreed, and there was something new in his voice, too. A dangerous edge that hadnt been there before, speaking of violence and retribution. Okay, you psychopath. You want to play games? Ill play games. His eyes gleamed, and he looked back at the burning house, a completely humorless smile crossing his face. Screw around with my city and my minions, will you? Think youre going to be the new king? He chuckled, and the sound made me shiver with anticipation. Ill slaughter every human and burn the entire city to the ground before I give it up to you.
Lets not get ahead of ourselves, Kanin warned. Vengeance can easily cloud the mind, and Sarren is hoping for that. We cannot become so caught up in revenge that we rush straight into a death trap, like we did tonight. His gaze flickered to the inferno, just as there was a roar from within and the roof collapsed in a burst of embers and sparks. I flinched, and Kanins voice turned grave. Sarren has us at a disadvantage, he murmured. There is an entire army between us, and he knows were coming for him. From here on, if we are to even reach him alive, we must be very careful. And ready for anything.
I met Jackals eyes, and he gave a small smirk. For once, both of us were thinking the same thing. It didnt matter how many thugs Sarren had between us and him, it didnt matter what kind of nasty surprises he had waiting. We would fight our way through an army if we had to, carve them down one by one, until we found Sarren.
And destroyed him utterly for what hed taken from us.
We took a winding, indirect route into the city that night. True, we had every intention of finding Sarren, even if we had to slice our way through the entire raider army to do it. But, as Jackal pointed out, there was more than one way to skin a vampire. The raiders were likely watching all the main roads into Old Chicago; there was no reason we shouldnt try to sneak up on Sarren and avoid having to fight the whole city. Instead, Jackal took us through a series of rubble-strewn alleys and old buildings, claiming that the raiders never used them because they couldnt get their bikes through.
Also, rabids still lurked in the empty corners of Old Chicago, a fact I discovered when we followed Jackal through an underground mall and several pale monsters leaped at us through the broken windows. After cutting our way through the mob, we continued to slip through narrow, deserted streets, always alert for guards and sentries, though the city remained eerily still. At one point, Kanin put out an arm and pointed silently to where a pair of raiders leaned against the railing over a levee, their backs to us. Jackal grinned, motioned us to stay put, and slipped into the shadows. A few minutes later, both men were yanked into the darkness with separate yelps, and Jackal returned reeking of blood, a satisfied grin on his face.
A few hours later, we stood on the banks of a sullen black lake so vast you couldnt see the other side. According to Kanin, in the time before, it was called Lake Michigan, and Chicago had stood proudly along its edge. Now, the lake and the rivers that cut through the downtown area had crept over their banks and merged together, flooding part of the city but also creating a natural barrier against rabids.
I gazed over the rough waters, narrowing my eyes. I remembered Jackals city from the last time Id come through; a tangle of narrow bridges, walkways and platforms that crisscrossed submerged buildings. From where I stood, it looked much the same. I could see the old barge that sat in the center of the river, and the ramshackle bridge that spanned the dark waters. Motorcycles and a few other vehicles were parked in haphazard rows along the surface of the barge, the final stop before you crossed into the lair of a raider king.
Or a deranged psychopathic vampire hell-bent on destroying the world.
Home, sweet home. Jackal sighed. Or it will be, once I slaughter all the bastards who turned on me, stick their heads on pikes, and decorate the city with them. Maybe shove a torch through their teeth and use them to light the walkways, whadya think, sister?
It would definitely be you. I gazed out over the water, seeing the distant lanterns and torchlight glimmering in the haze. Even from this distance, I could tell something was wrong. Theres no one on the bridges, I mused, remembering that the last time Id come through, the walkways had been swarming with raiders. Now, the bridges and platforms stood empty, abandoned. Everything looks deserted.
Which meant we were walking into a trap, of course.
Where do you think Sarren will be? Kanin asked quietly. The Master vampire gazed over the water, observing the city with dark, impassive eyes. Jackal shrugged.
Only one place he would be. He pointed to where a tall, narrow skyscraper stood against the skyline. A light shone near the top, bright and familiar, making my skin prickle with recognition.
Jackals tower. The place Id met my blood brother for the first time. Where wed fought, on the top floor of the building, and hed nearly killed me.
The place where Jebbadiah Crosse had died.
Its the only building in the city that still has power, Jackal continued, staring up at the tower and the flickering light at the top. And you can see everything thats going on below. If I were Sarren, thats where I would be.
Then thats where were going. The light shimmered across the water, taunting me, and I felt my fangs slide out. Sarren was close. This time, I wouldnt just cut off his arm. This time, I was going for his head.
I suggest we do so quietly, Kanin interjected, his low, calm voice breaking through my sudden hate. Sarren knows were coming, and the whole city will be on high alert. If we can, we should avoid alerting them to our presence. It would be wiser to deal with Sarren first, before confronting the rest of the army. If we remove their new king, they will have lost their reason to fight us.
Jackal snorted. Sneak into my own city and skulk around like a sewer rat, he muttered darkly, shaking his head. Oh, heads are going to roll for this. Im going to set up a special lane and use their skulls for bowling balls.