Blood-Kissed Sky (Darkness Before Dawn) (18 page)

“Listen, I have a puzzle for you,” I say to Richard.

He grins, shifts his gaze to Faith. “I love puzzles.”

“Some of these people, the young ones,” I begin, “are being moved from Dallas to Los Angeles.”

“Yeah,” Richard says slowly, “I overheard a few of them talking about that.”

“Why? If Los Angeles isn’t giving blood to the vamps, why would they put in a request for donors?”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing. The last time I checked, Los Angeles had more people than any other city.”

“Maybe your father grew a pair and reestablished control over the Agency and city,” Faith suggests.

“Could be,” Richard says. “But it’s doubtful.” I know he and his father, Lord Carrollton, are not on the best of terms.

“So maybe they eradicated the Thirst?” I ask. It was rampant there because the citizens weren’t giving blood. Maybe seeing the rampage made them realize giving blood wasn’t such a bad trade-off. If I can bring back that kind of news to Denver, then our own citizens might start donating, too. At least, I can hope for that.

But instead of answering me, he says, “We’re looking forward to seeing Los Angeles.”

I furrow my brow in confusion just as a hand lands on the small of my back, and then I get it. I look over to see Michael.

“Thought I lost you for a minute there,” he says.

“No, I was just talking with—”

“Faith Fitzgerald,” Faith says. “And my … boyfriend, Richard Young.”

If I didn’t already know her, I might not have caught her slight stumble over the word “boyfriend.” I also can’t miss the irony of the name she chose for him. He’s not young. He’s almost as old as Victor.

“I don’t recognize you from school,” Michael says, and I can sense his suspicions.

“We attended another school,” Richard says, “but we were at the Teen Initiative party. We were just telling Dawn how unfair it is that her wonderful plan was tainted by what that guy Sin did.”

“Well, I’m glad we had a chance to talk. Maybe later—”

My sentence is cut off when the wheels howl and squeal beneath us. And then a half second later, a terrible crashing sound echoes through the compartments of this long steel can. It sounds like the tracks split, and the train is tearing itself apart. The car stops violently. With the sudden jolt, I’m lifted off the floor. The momentum throws me forward and I cringe, afraid of where I’ll land, and who will end up on top of me as all the kids fly through the air.

But Richard, with his vampire speed, catches me before I hit the floor. Faith’s right there, too, her arms wrapped around me.

The music has screeched to a halt. The macabre lights are still flashing, in an odd way camouflaging Richard’s and Faith’s actions because only a few movements are seen.

“What the hell was that?” Faith asks.

“I think we crashed,” Richard says.

What did Ian say? This was the most desolate part of the journey. A full day and night’s ride from any other city. A wasteland. Dead space. A void.

And we’re in the middle of it.

M
ichael pulls me out of their embrace and snakes an arm around me. “I need to get you back to your car.”

“Where’s Tegan?” I glance frantically around. People are scurrying out. “Tegan!”

I can’t see her anywhere.

“We can’t wait on her.”

“Michael, we have to find her! I won’t leave her behind again.”

I try to fight my way out of Michael’s hold knowing I’ll lose, but I have to make a point.

“Dawn, we don’t have time.”

Richard steps up beside me and puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I’ll find Tegan, you get back to your room.”

“No,” Faith says, pulling Richard away. “I don’t trust you with a damsel in distress.
I’ll
find Tegan, you follow Dawn back.”

“Fine.”

Maybe I’d laugh at this squabbling if everything weren’t so serious.

Michael, still holding my arm, lets Richard lead the way through the crowd of people. Most of them have scurried into their assigned bedrooms, and the hallways are clearing out. Too bad we’re at the far end of the train, nearly twenty cars away.

Suddenly we see Ian coming down the narrow corridor.

“Dawn, go to your compartment,” he orders, never losing step. He passes us and then turns toward Michael. “Stick close to her. And lose the jacket.”

Michael nods and begins ushering me through the dining car. Along the way, he takes off his jacket and I see the stakes strapped to his body, hanging from bandoliers and belts. I try to imagine this as no different from the walks we used to share in school, holding hands as we strolled down the hallways to our next class. But this is nothing like that; his grip is so tight around my wrist that it hurts.

As we pass through a berth car, one of the doors opens and Christopher steps out. He quickly begins buttoning up his shirt and jacket.

“What were you doing?” Michael asks.

“Come on, Colt. What do you think? Girls find me irresistible.”

Richard is still far up ahead, keeping a lookout.

“Have you seen Tegan?” I ask, as we begin moving again and Christopher falls into step behind us.

“She was with that Jake guy.”

“Did they go somewhere?”

“I’m not her mother.”

This is awful. I have no way to find her, no way to know if she’s okay. All I can do is trust that Faith has found her.

We finally reach my car. Michael takes the key from me and unlocks the door. He enters first, checks to make sure it’s clear, and then signals us in. Richard immediately scopes the place out, too, using his vampire senses to detect any unwanted intruders. He checks every nook and cranny carefully.

“The place is clear,” Michael says, not bothering to disguise his irritation that someone he’s just met seems to think he’s in charge.

But Richard takes his time, and when he’s satisfied he makes a move for the door.

“We should stay here,” Michael says.

“No, I have to check the rest of the cars, make sure everyone’s okay.”

“Are you crazy? What if there are vamps out there? They’ll tear you apart. Have you ever even seen a vampire up close?”

“No, but I’ve heard they aren’t pretty.”

Somehow I keep a straight face. If only Michael knew.

“Just let him go,” Christopher says, already sitting down in a chair and kicking his feet up onto a table.

I rush over to Richard as he stands by the doorway.

“You’re going after Faith, aren’t you?” I ask.

He nods.

I squeeze his hand, give him a slight shove out, and then lock the door behind him.

Now it’s just the three of us, and I feel much better knowing that two Old Family vampires will be protecting Tegan. If they find her.

“You should take off your jacket,” Michael tells Christopher, pacing the room.

“Why? So we have ‘easier access’ to our weapons?” he asks, complete with air quotes. “This isn’t the war, you know? Times have changed.”

“The vampires haven’t.”

Christopher waves Michael off, like he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

“You might as well settle in, Dawn,” Christopher says. “We’re going to be here awhile.”

Taking that as his own signal, he does the settling down by pouring himself a drink from a crystal decanter.

“Why do you think we stopped?” I ask Michael.

“I don’t know.”

“Does this happen often?” I ask Christopher.

He just shakes his head.

“How can you be so nonchalant about it?”

“What do you want me to do?” he asks. “Get out and push?”

He’s impossible!

“What does Ian even see in you?” I ask. “I mean, there are hundreds of hunters—why you?”

“Don’t let the good looks fool you,” he says, a tad more serious, finally. “I’m fast with a stake. Vamps knew not to mess with me. I was a professional hunter for a while, made my living selling fangs.”

“That’s barbaric.”

“That’s reality. That’s money. But this gig paid more. Though I’m starting to regret it.”

“How long have you been doing this?” Michael asks.

“A few years. But I’ve never been out this way. I usually work with Ian whenever the train is on the east coast, making the trip from New York to Miami. He picks up another guard there to make the trip out west.”

“Why stay in Miami? Why not ride the whole way?”

“Like you have to ask? Sunny beaches, beautiful women, why would I leave? Of course, by the time Ian comes back I’ve always blown all my money and need the job again. This time I decided to stick with him for the whole route. That won’t be happening again. It’s so boring.”

Only now that the train is completely still do I realize how strange the lack of motion feels. The slow rocking of the carriages had brought a strange peace, and without it, I’m aware of every little sound, every little creak. The night outside seems so much larger now that we aren’t moving through it.

The time passes slowly, and while Michael is like a statue, Christopher keeps lolling his head around as though he’s bored. Finally, he pulls out a pocket watch and checks the time.

“It’s been thirty minutes,” he says, for the first time showing a hint of worry. “That’s way too long. Something is going on. I’ll go find Ian.”

“He told us to stay here,” Michael says.

“Well, either he’s dead and won’t come relieve us, or it’s nothing and he just forgot about us. Come on, man, we can’t stay cooped up in here until sunrise.”

“Why not?” I ask. “That seems like the best thing to do.”

“You two stay, then. I’ll do some ‘reconnaissance,’” he says, pulling out the air quotes again. I’m not sure if he’s mocking our concern or trying to mask his own.

“Don’t open that door, Christopher!” Michael says. “You don’t know what’s on the other side.”

Christopher puts his ear to the door and listens. “Oh my God. You’re right. Vampires are everywhere. They’ve somehow made it through ten inches of solid steel, past Ian, and are slowly killing everyone onboard. Oh, the humanity!”

“That’s enough …”

“We have to save them!”

He puts his hand on the lock and turns it, the metal bolt moving out of the way.

“Christopher, don’t!”

He slides the door open and steps out into the calm hallway. It looks no different than it did an hour ago.

“You’re never going to make it as a hunter,” Christopher tells Michael, probably the greatest insult he could deliver. “You’re too jumpy; you take it all too seriously.”

“And you don’t take it seriously enough,” Michael says. “Maybe you’ve been on this train too long and haven’t had to deal with vampires in a while.”

“Whatever.” Christopher walks away, stakes not even drawn.

“Hello!” I hear him yelling from farther down the hallway. “Is anyone alive? No? Oh well.”

Michael goes to the door. I can see him hesitate, wondering if he should shut it.

The train jumps as if the lead engine had rocked heavily and the wave traveled through each compartment before colliding with ours. I hear the metalworks underneath twisting and turning with the tension.

I expect us to start up again, but we don’t. I join Michael at the door. “What do you think that was?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it,” Michael says, his voice measured. “Christopher, get back here.”

The entrance to the next car is open and I can see Christopher standing still, his head cocked, clearly listening.

A thunderous sound shakes the entire train and I imagine a giant stepping on the track just outside. Then I hear the deep scratching and twisting of metal. I don’t know where it’s coming from, but it sounds close.

I see Christopher turn sharply, looking farther down the hall, into the other cars. He sees something we don’t, something that worries him, because he pivots and begins running toward us.

“Shut the door!” he yells.

But we can’t leave him outside to face alone whatever it is he’s running from.

“Shut it!” he screams again, fumbling to unbutton his jacket and pulling out two stakes, gripping one in each hand.

Behind him, I see a vampire leap into the hallway and, like some deranged animal, bound off the walls with ease, closing in on his prey.

Michael curses, yanks out a stake, and sprints forward to help Christopher.

“Michael!” I yell.

He doesn’t turn back, simply shouts, “Close the door!”

Not going to happen. I won’t hide when he’s facing danger.

I kick off my heels, rush to my duffle, and jerk out a stake. Running out into the hallway, I size up the situation, trying to determine how I can be the most help.

Any other night, the odds would favor the hunters. Trained just for the killing of vamps, they stake hearts for a living. And with two of them working together in perfect sync, I wouldn’t be worried. But this vampire isn’t like the ones they’re used to.