Darkness Before Dawn (20 page)

He holds his light to the twisted metal, all of it pointing toward the city, as if someone had been pushing from the other side.

“Then let’s not go,” I say. “If vampires know about this hole…”

“Come on,” Michael says, irritation in his voice. “We’re right here.”

“They could be waiting on the other side.”

Sin ducks and shines his light through the hole. “Nothing moving,” he says.

“See?” Michael says. “It’ll be fine.”

“You said—”

“I know what I said! But we’re not going to get another chance like this. We don’t get to go beyond the wall like you do, Dawn. I’ve never even seen the outside. Neither has Tegan. We’ve been stuck in this city for our entire lives! You don’t understand what that’s like, okay? I’m not going to leave you here alone, but this is important to me. I want to go, and that means you need to come with me.”

I’m angry that he’s doing this. Beyond angry, actually. But I swallow it, not wanting to make a bigger scene in front of Sin and Tegan. Besides, the longer we’re out here, the more likely something bad can happen. I just need to get this over with and deal with my anger at Michael later.

“Fine,” I say tersely. “Let’s go.”

“We’ll stay right at the wall,” Sin says. “That way we’re just a few feet from the city.”

As if that can keep us safe.

Sin goes first, his slender body easily passing through to the other side. He waves to Tegan and I follow her. Michael joins us last.

We stand next to the wall and peer out into the night. I’ve seen the outside, not much, but more times than I’d care to. Sin, having traveled on the Night Train, is no stranger to it either. But Tegan and Michael gaze around eagerly.

“I’ve seen it before through binoculars,” Michael says. “But to be here…”

“I’ve never seen it,” Tegan says. “I always thought that it would be… I don’t know … beautiful. But it’s just … it’s nothing.”

It’s flat. It’s desolate. You can hear the wind trying to move things, but there’s nothing to move. The grass is barely alive, struggling to find nutrients in the ground. The plains just stretch out for an eternity; they might as well be an ocean. The mountains in the very, very far distance are no more attainable than the stars.

“It always reminds me how small the cities are,” Sin says. “Imagine, people used to walk right here, right where we’re standing, without any fear. It’s all gone now. Taken.”

In a war we started, but now isn’t the time to remind them.

“Where are the vampires?” Tegan asks.

“Out there.” I gesture to the plain. “Most of them have found hills to carve homes into. Little more than hollowed-out coffins, just big enough to avoid the sun. If you go far enough off the main roads, you can find vampires living in what were once towns. They’re just shells now, after years of bombing during the war. Or so the Agency says. I’ve never seen them.”

“And the city,” Michael says. “Sometimes I think there’re more vamps in there than out here. Like it’s all a big conspiracy to keep us scared from moving outside the walls.”

“They’re out here,” I say. “And we should head back.”

“There’s plenty of time,” Michael replies.

If none of us objects, he’ll stay until the sun rises, assuming we survive the night. I’m just realizing that the flashlights we used to get to the wall might’ve attracted some unwanted attention. Now I’m not only worried about vamps catching us on the outside, but waiting for us on the inside. Michael has no idea how right he is—there are plenty of monsters within the city as well.

“Michael. It’s time to go,” I say in my sternest delegate voice, the one that leaves no room for negotiation.

“Dawn, this is important.”

“I know. You already used that excuse. We’ve seen it. Let’s go.”

Michael looks at the others, but they quickly turn away, not wanting to get involved.

“Fine,” he says curtly. And I know he’s not happy, but then neither am I.

Our little group separates into couples after we disembark from the trolley near the center of the city. While Tegan and Sin talked the entire way back, Michael and I didn’t. I think we both have been playing the next conversation in our heads.

At my building, Michael and I walk past the guard and take the elevator to my floor. When we reach my apartment door, I put the key in. It’s been a game of chicken to see who will speak first. I break.

“Good night.”

“Why did we have to leave?” he asks.

I turn and face him. “Because it wasn’t safe and you know it. I can’t believe I went that far.”

“Well, I wish you hadn’t.”

“What does that mean?”

“If it’d just been me tonight, I would’ve stayed out there even longer. You can’t understand what it’s like being trapped in this city, in these walls.”

“You’re right. You should’ve just ditched me, your girlfriend, at the Daylight and gone off with your new best friend who you’ve known for only a few days to sneak out beyond the protection of the walls just to see a flat, empty plain.”

“It may be stupid, okay? But being beyond the wall—it’s important to me. Besides, it doesn’t hurt anybody.”

“Don’t you get it? Tonight we were lucky. People set up ambushes on our side of the wall, hoping to have a chance to attack vampires. You don’t think vamps do the same thing on the other side, hoping to capture idiotic humans?” God, why is he listening to Sin and not me? Why do I even have to explain this? “If you want to be a Night Watchman, then you need to realize what’s stupid can get you killed.”

He’s stung by that.

“Don’t you think I can take care of myself?” Michael asks.

“Of course I do. But no one can fight off a whole pack of vampires. So why take the risk?”

“Because I’m tired of being told how to live, what we can and can’t do. You’re the delegate. Do something about it.”

His words hit me like a physical blow.

“Sin’s not afraid of anything, Dawn. Last night we went hunting—”

“What? You mean for vampires? Just the two of you?”

“Yeah, an area called Fang Alley. He said a lot of vamps live there.”

My tension ratchets up a couple of notches. Was that him and Sin that Victor and I heard last night? If they’d found us, Victor would have attacked them. They wouldn’t have backed off. He could have killed them. Now my fear for Michael has swirled into my anger, creating a tornado of emotions.

“How could you be so reckless? Do you not comprehend the unnecessary risks you were taking?”

“He told me not to tell you. I should have listened. You just don’t get it. You’re all about negotiation. I’m about action. I’m tired of waiting.”

“Michael, it’s too dangerous, what you and Sin are doing.”

“At least we’re doing something.”

He storms away. I want to go after him, but I think he just needs to cool down so we can talk. Sin is filling his head with crazy ideas. I hope Michael will think about what I said, that he’ll realize I’m right and he’s risking his life needlessly.

When I walk into the apartment, there’s no sign of Rachel. I’m glad, because I don’t want to have to explain where I’ve been, and I’m getting tired of lying.

I plop down onto the couch, put my hands to my face, and moan. I’m beyond frustrated. I wish time would just stop for a few years while I sort out everything. But the gears just keep turning, and I have to keep up somehow.

Chapter 20

“T
oo bad Michael couldn’t join us,” Tegan says.

We’re walking down the dusty streets, the sun high, but in a way it seems just minutes from setting.

“I know it isn’t any of my business,” Sin says. “But is something going on between you two? I was sparring with him earlier today and he was … off. Like he couldn’t focus and was easily frustrated. That’s not like him.”

Even on Saturday, Michael practices his defensive maneuvers, and Sin has obviously become his favorite partner. The best two in the class, steel sharpening steel.

“We’re just disagreeing on some things lately,” I say, simply to get them off my back. I had called Michael to see if he wanted to go with us, but he spit out an excuse in a frosty voice that chilled me.

“I hope the little wall-walking trip didn’t make things worse,” Sin says.

Yeah, it did, in a lot of ways. But it’ll just annoy Tegan if I find fault with Sin. Besides, Michael is the one who is being difficult.

“We’ll be fine,” I assure him. “We’re both just super-busy.”

We turn a corner and then zigzag through an alleyway. In this city, sometimes it’s difficult to tell what’s a street and what’s a shortcut through two buildings. If I’m not familiar with the area, I can get lost easily. Even though Tegan’s leading the way, Sin’s completely comfortable, and I’m impressed with how quickly he’s mastered his new location.

Eventually we reach our destination.

“Ted is the best junker in town,” Tegan says. “If it’s broken, he can fix it.”

The broken item in question is Tegan’s cell phone. She dropped it two days ago and it shattered, completely busted. She was almost in tears when Sin offered to pay to have it fixed. Not exactly a cheap thing to do.

We walk into Ted’s shop. It’s huge, but he has so much worthless junk piled from floor to ceiling, you have the feeling of being caught in a garbage tornado.

Scavengers bring this stuff in from all over the city. Maybe they found an old building with a prewar basement: The broken TV is worthless, but bring it to Ted and he’ll buy it from you, then strip it for parts. Same for that half-destroyed microwave and melted laptop. Useless by themselves, but once a good junker gets his hands on them, he can pull the usable bits out and throw the rest away. Like Tegan’s cell phone. The body from an old prewar phone, but the electronics inside are from three or four different devices. Wires from a VCR, circuitry from a heart-rate monitor, antenna from an old remote-control car. It’s amazing what Ted can do with a little patience and know-how. And a lot of money from his customers.

“Hey, Ted!” Tegan says, approaching the old man. The guy seems to be caked in a permanent layer of dust. He’s wearing a headband fitted with multiple magnifying pieces. I know they’re to help with his delicate work, but it looks as if he’s always prepared for an optometrist’s exam. His clothes, like the things he creates, are a hodgepodge of different fabrics, styles, and maybe even centuries.

“You remember me, don’t you?” she asks.

“No.”

I doubt he remembers anyone. He lives in a world of machines, not people.

Tegan tries to sweet-talk him, butter him up, but stops halfway through the attempt and just hands him her phone.

“Kids these days!” Ted says. “Don’t take care of nothin’! I break my back finding the right keypad for this thing, and you go and bust it!” Machines, Ted remembers. People, not so much.

“It wasn’t on purpose.”

“Ahhh, humbug!”

He takes her phone and cracks it open. After muttering to himself for a minute, he turns to a mammoth-sized cabinet behind him with dozens of drawers of different sizes. He goes through them, opening one and then another, closing them with renewed frustration every time.

“Can’t find anything in this place!” he shouts.

“Maybe if you kept it a little cleaner,” Sin suggests.

“Ahhh, what do you know, young’un?”

Sin laughs.

Eventually, the junker finds what he’s looking for and begins outfitting Tegan’s phone.

“How much is this going to cost?” she asks.

“How do I know? It ain’t fixed yet!”

Ted’s the best in the city. He’s also the crankiest. And priciest.

I wander through the makeshift aisles of the shop. Here is the closest I can get to the past. I run my hands across the mountains of old things: TVs and computers and phones and car engines. All the stuff that made the world turn. Now they’re only good for parts, used to create Frankenstein monsters of technology. A gold pocket watch catches my attention. As I pick it up, I think it would make a nice gift for Victor. I immediately drop it.

“Careful over there!” Ted shouts.

I wave him off. What’s wrong with me? Why does Victor keep popping into my thoughts?

By the time I return to the counter, Tegan’s phone is repaired and she jumps for joy. Until Ted names his price. Tegan almost has a heart attack, but Sin just puts his hand on her shoulder. He pulls out a thick wad of money. Both Tegan’s and my jaws drop. I’ve never seen someone with that much cash. Even cynical Ted isn’t beyond being impressed as he licks his lips at the imminent payday.

“Here’s a tip for your trouble,” Sin says, giving him extra.

“Yes, sir. Anytime, sir. You, too, little lady.”

As we walk out, Tegan looks up at Sin as though he’s a god.

I don’t know why I’m so bothered by that wad of cash. The rarity of it is unsettling.

“What does your dad do?” I ask.

“He’s involved with the Night Watchmen. I can’t say anything beyond that.” He winks at me. “You know how it is.”

“Yeah, I—” I stop, the words backing up painfully in my throat. The sun has almost finished its descent, and there, in the distant shadows, is a guy in a hoodie. It could be anyone, really, and I tell myself to relax.

But then that blackened hood turns my way and I can feel his gaze. All I can see is the pale flesh of his chin and his lips, which curl into a smile.

“What is it?” Tegan asks.

“That’s him. The guy I saw at school, the one who followed me down the halls.”

“Sin, he was hassling Dawn,” Tegan says. “Do something.”

“No—” I begin.

“I’m on it,” Sin says, and I hear in his voice that he’s going into protection mode. “Hey, you!” he shouts, and starts walking toward Hoodie.

Hoodie waits for just a heartbeat, and I can feel his gaze still focused on me. But when Sin gets too close, he turns and runs.

“No, Sin, let him go!” I yell, but it’s too late. He’s already taken off after him and rounded the corner.

Okay, if my stalker was just some kid sent by Lila as a prank, then why would he be here? That’s taking it a bit too far. So maybe he isn’t some kid. Maybe my first instinct was right: He’s a vampire.