Carrow scanned the area. "But the ground"s still quaking. Do we risk the tunnel or the melee outside?" Risk Malkom outside?
"I like our chances in the tunnel," Lanthe said. "And Vrekeners hate anything confined and underground."
Even though Malkom had threatened her, Carrow found it difficult to leave him behind, was gazing over her shoulder. I"ll find him again I"ll find him again. Once she got Ruby to safety. "Then let"s do this. Fast." She lifted the girl into her arms. "You ready, kid?" When Ruby worried her lip, Carrow pasted on a smile. "It"s a good thing you"ve got Lanthe and me with you, because your posse is never going to believe the adventure you"re having."
Lanthe added, "They"ll be eaten up with jealousy, of course."
"So here we go, kiddo." At the entrance, Carrow squeezed Ruby tight, laying a palm protectively over her head. "On the count of three. One, two, three three!" She took off running, with Lanthe just behind them.
Dust showered them at intervals, but Carrow kept her chin down and her legs moving.
"Air"s getting fresher!" she called back. "Almost there!"
Another quake had her stumbling, sidestepping to right herself. "That was a close one-"
Lanthe"s scream echoed down the pa.s.sageway.
Carrow skidded to a stop, speeding back to the last corner they"d turned. The Vrekener. The Vrekener. He had his fist gripped around Lanthe"s ankle, dragging her bodily back into the smoke. The sorceress was kicking wildly, resisting the limping Thronos, her gloved hands digging into the dirt. Her sword lay just beyond her reach. He had his fist gripped around Lanthe"s ankle, dragging her bodily back into the smoke. The sorceress was kicking wildly, resisting the limping Thronos, her gloved hands digging into the dirt. Her sword lay just beyond her reach.
"Let her go, Thronos!"
His gnarled wings flared menacingly, spanning the width of the tunnel. He wore no collar.
Carrow set Ruby down, shoving her back under a roof support. "Stay right there!" she ordered over her shoulder as she charged back to help Lanthe.
But before Carrow could reach the sorceress, the Vrekener popped her in the face with one of those claw-tipped wings, knocking her back on her a.s.s. She scrambled up again, drawing her new sword.
When he struck once more, Carrow ducked, sliding under his wing as if stealing home base. She thrust the blade up into his vulnerable skin there.
Blood gushed; he roared in pain, dropping Lanthe"s ankle to remove the sword.
Carrow grabbed Lanthe"s hand, dragging her up. Yet before Lanthe could get to her feet, Thronos tossed away the sword and clamped his blood-soaked hand over her leg once more.
He wrenched the sorceress back, but Carrow kept a death grip on Lanthe"s hand.
When another quake rumbled, Lanthe cried, "Save Ruby!"
"I"ll save you both."
In a deafening rush, rocks began to tumble down from the ceiling, filling the s.p.a.ce between Carrow and Ruby.
"Crow!" the girl screamed. "Where are you?"
Carrow jerked her head over her shoulder. She could barely hear Ruby. "I"m coming!"
As she faced forward again, Lanthe yanked her hand away. "Save your girl! I"ll be okay!"
Smoke thickened, rubble building around them.
"Crow, hurry!"
"I"m so sorry, Lanthe," she whispered as the Vrekener s.n.a.t.c.hed her friend into the darkness.
Heartsick, Carrow sprinted back to the stones that separated her from Ruby, crouching to dig frantically. "I"m here, baby. Just hold on!"
Though she was able to remove the smaller stones, the boulders wouldn"t budge. She clawed at them, gaining no ground. Remembering her short sword, she raced back for it, returning to stab the blade under one of the larger rocks. Nothing. Nothing.
Through a narrow gap in the bottom, Ruby was able to poke out her hand.
Carrow dropped to her knees to take it.
"Don"t leave me, Crow!"
"Never! Do you hear me? But I"ve got to let go so I can find something longer to lever these rocks loose." Like a pipe, or a spear. "I"m going to be right back."
"Nooo!" Ruby shrieked, clutching Carrow"s hand, digging her tiny nails in. Ruby shrieked, clutching Carrow"s hand, digging her tiny nails in.
Biting back tears, Carrow forced herself to pull free, even as Ruby cried, "No, Crow, no, no, no!" She began hyperventilating again. "Please, please, don"t leave me. I"ll be good, I w-won"t sing anymore. ..."
"Just breathe, baby. I"m going to be right back!"
"Crow, p-please, p-please," she begged, sobbing as her little hand blindly grasped.
Forcing herself to her feet, Carrow wiped her eyes. "I"m coming back for you, I swear."
Ruby"s hand went limp, and she fell silent.
"Ah, Ruby, no!" Carrow clutched her chest with fear, knowing she could do nothing to help her.
Can"t reach her, only one way to help ... Her mind went blank and somehow she backed away, toward that storage room. Her mind went blank and somehow she backed away, toward that storage room.
Carrow spun forward, running faster than she ever had, pumping her arms for speed as she maneuvered through the tunnel.
Chapter 32
Amid the thousands of distracting scents, Malkom finally caught Carrow"s, following it down a long corridor into a wood-paneled room. He heard movement in an adjoining chamber and crept inside.
The witch, just there.
She was yanking at the railing of a stairway, gritting her teeth as she used her entire body to pull.
He could have plucked it free with one hand. What did she want with that metal?
Silently, he stalked her. Closer ... His hands shot out, seizing her. "Did you think I would not find you?" His arms trapped her against him.
"No, no!" she screamed, thrashing.
"Shut up!" he roared. Losing control. Losing control. Bloodl.u.s.t, the battles, the moaning. Bloodl.u.s.t, the battles, the moaning.
The mindless carnage...
"Malkom, you have to let me g-go!" She was hysterical, yelling at the top of her lungs, flailing until she was hurting her own body.
"You made a vow," he grated between breaths, "that you did not intend to keep." One of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed into his palm, her backside rubbing against his c.o.c.k. Yank up her skirt and take her against the wall, take what is yours. Yank up her skirt and take her against the wall, take what is yours. "You are about to, witch." "You are about to, witch."
"Y-you don"t understand, b-back in the tunnel-"
"You are a liar!" He wrapped her hair around his fist. "Say nothing nothing to me." to me."
Revenge would be his at last. As he pressed her chest against the wall, he saw her pulse beating in her neck, already scented her blood. How? Doesn"t matter. Doesn"t matter. He bent her head to the side, shoving her collar up. He bent her head to the side, shoving her collar up. The bloodl.u.s.t ... cannot fight it. The bloodl.u.s.t ... cannot fight it.
With a groan, he sank his fangs into her flesh and drew deep. Connection. Mine. My woman. Connection. Mine. My woman. With each drop, power filled him, his injuries mending. With each drop, power filled him, his injuries mending.
But the mad thumping of her heart made him even more frenzied. He bit her harder, sucking more forcefully.
Until he felt her sob.
He grew still. She was crying-he could feel her beneath his fangs. She"d proved that she didn"t cry in the face of fear or even from pain. She"d been angry angry when Ronath had stabbed her with his spear. Yet the witch was weeping now. when Ronath had stabbed her with his spear. Yet the witch was weeping now.
Dumbfounded, he slowly released his bite, turning her to face him.
"L-let me go!" She shoved at his face, but her fingertips were ravaged and bleeding. From digging? "Ah, G.o.ds, you have to take me b-back to the tunnel!"
What was so important to her? He wouldn"t allow her to have anything anything she wanted, would ruthlessly keep her from it. His vengeance was only beginning. He lifted her once more, looping his arm under her legs, clamping her against his chest. she wanted, would ruthlessly keep her from it. His vengeance was only beginning. He lifted her once more, looping his arm under her legs, clamping her against his chest.
Yet then she whispered, "P-please, Malkom," "P-please, Malkom," as she pressed her wet face against his chest. She raised her arms, clasping her hands behind his neck. as she pressed her wet face against his chest. She raised her arms, clasping her hands behind his neck.
And he hated her for that, for seeming to want to be close to him, for reminding him of what he"d lost.
"Take me into that tunnel. Help me. ..."
He"d go to destroy whatever she wanted so badly. To kill it, as she"d killed everything he"d dreamed of.
When he charged into the blackness, she let out a relieved sob. "Thank you, thank you," she murmured over and over.
You will not thank me for long, witch. He journeyed deep, until he came upon a barrier of rocks. He scented blood covering the outer edges of several. Carrow"s blood. He journeyed deep, until he came upon a barrier of rocks. He scented blood covering the outer edges of several. Carrow"s blood.
From behind the stones reached a child"s tiny hand, one resembling his own female"s-soft, pale, clawless. Limp.
Defenseless.
He was so shocked that when Carrow thrashed again, he released her.
She dove for that hand, clutching it in her own, crying over it. "Ruby, hold on, baby!"
Ruby. He remembered the dreams. He remembered the dreams. Think of Ruby. Think of Ruby.
In an instant, he understood. These mortals had held her offspring captive, forcing her to do their bidding. Carrow had tried to explain to him about her baby, had cried as she"d betrayed him.
But she"d had no choice.
The bitter hatred he"d been struggling with began to lift.
"Tis not the end.
She turned to him with tears streaming down her face. "Malkom, please help us."
She will turn to me, and I will take her troubles away....
The demon loomed over her, seething, his muscles standing out with strain. Moments ago, he"d looked on the edge of madness, like a true fallen vampire. Now his brows drew together.
"She"s just a little girl, not even eight years old," Carrow whispered. "I can"t get her free. I need you to save her."
His onyx eyes flickered.
"Please, Malkom. Please. Please."
At that, he attacked the rocks as though they were an enemy. He dug down, clawing until his fingers bled, too.
Another quake rocked the tunnel. "Hurry, demon!"
Soon he"d busted away a gap in the barrier, large enough for Carrow to ease Ruby through. Unconscious? Unconscious? She laid her ear to Ruby"s chest, then to her mouth. Her breaths and heartbeat were normal! She checked her head for knots or blood, found neither. "Ah, G.o.ds, she"s just fainted. She"ll be okay." She laid her ear to Ruby"s chest, then to her mouth. Her breaths and heartbeat were normal! She checked her head for knots or blood, found neither. "Ah, G.o.ds, she"s just fainted. She"ll be okay."
Carrow gazed up at Malkom like the hero he was, with all the grat.i.tude she felt. "Y-you understand now, don"t you?"
He gave a nod.
With her free hand, she cupped the back of his neck, tugging him down to give him a teary kiss. Against his lips, she said, "I"m so sorry."
When he pulled back, his gaze bored into hers, the message clear.
We"ll be finishing what we started.
And she wasn"t broken up about that.
Another explosion rocked the facility. He a.s.sessed the ceiling. "Not safe in here." Before she could blink, he"d snagged her sword from the ground, stabbing it into the sheath at her waist. "We have to get out."
Clasping Ruby to her chest, she said, "I follow you."