“Unfortunately, probably not the ones who get into as much trouble as I do.”
I should have knocked on wood after saying that, but at least I smelled old blood on the vampire behind me before he attacked.
I mouthed a silent curse before standing and spinning to face him. He was tall and muscular with dark, curly hair and a chin that fell on the wrong side of too square. There was blood at the corner of his mouth, and I’m proud to say I didn’t have the slightest interest in it.
And his eyes—wholly silvered just like those of the other vamps I’d seen.
“Are you poaching, vampire?”
“She’s sick,” I told him. “This isn’t the place for her. You want human blood, find it somewhere else.”
The vampires around us began to glance our way, their gazes darting between me and him as if they were trying to work out whose side they should take. He looked around at them, a cajoling smile on his face.
“Aw, do we have a human sympathizer on our hands? Do you feel sorry for the little humans?”
Not so much sorry for as empathetic. I knew what it meant to be drunk without consent. With some luck, I’d made it through my attack, but I wouldn’t wish it on anyone else.
Unfortunately, the vampires around me weren’t yet convinced.
“I feel sorry for anyone who’s not here by choice.”
He belly-laughed, one hand pressed to his abdomen as he chortled. “You think any of these humans don’t want to be here? You think they wouldn’t pay to be here with us? Let the humans call us names. Let the press call us monsters. We are all that they aspire to be. Stronger. More powerful. Eternal. ”
There were vague mumblings of agreement in the crowd. I’d apparently gone from anti-vampire demonstration to pro-vamp rally in a matter of hours.
You know what I thought? I thought people needed to stop holding on to their blind prejudices and do some rational thinking. Stop forcing themselves into the mold of the lovers or haters. Some vamps had issues, as this guy was demonstrating, and there were plenty of humans in Chicago—some of them elected—who weren’t exactly paragons.
“Enough,” I said. “Enough talk. This girl isn’t in a state of mind to consent to anything. I’m taking her out of here.” I squeezed my hands into fists, preparing myself for battle, and rubbed my calf against the inside of my boot, feeling for the telltale bump of the dagger hidden there.
But the vamp wasn’t buying my speech, and clearly wasn’t afraid of me. “You are not my Master, child. Find something else to do. Some pretty boy to bite.”
“I’m not leaving her.”
He narrowed his gaze and I felt the head rush of his glamour, the loosening of worry and fear, and the urge to find a spot on the floor and offer myself over to him, regardless of the circumstances.
But I kept my eyes trained on his and fought through the dizziness. I straightened my spine and gave him a questioning glance. “Were you trying to do something there?”
He tilted his head at me, interest in his expression. I fought the urge to slink back and hide from his intrigued stare, but as long as I was the target—and the girl wasn’t—I figured I could stand it.
“You are . . . interesting.”
I almost rolled my eyes, but then I realized the gift he’d handed me. I glanced slyly at him.
“Would you like to find out how interesting?”
Like a coquettish teenager, I twirled the end of my ponytail, then threw it back over my shoulder, revealing my neck.
As bait went, it might not have been much, but it worked well enough. He dropped his eyes—staring at me beneath hooded lashes—and began stalking toward me like a hunting lion. I’d seen a vampire stalk before—I’d seen Ethan in his prime, moving in my direction with lust in his eyes. This wasn’t that kind of lust. This wasn’t about love or connection—but control. Ego.
Victory.
I stared right back, even as the intensity in his expression made my skin crawl. He would drink—but he wouldn’t stop, not until there was nothing left of me or her. Maybe it was the magic in the air that pushed him toward the brink; maybe it was his own predatory instincts.
Whatever the reason, I wanted no part of it.
In a silky-smooth move that would have filled Catcher with pride, I whipped a hand around and slid the dagger from its sheath. And then it was up and in my hand, light pouring down the blade, the steel leaving a comfortable tingle in my palm.
I tightened my fingers around the handle.
The vamp finally seemed to realize I was serious. His expression fell.
The dagger in hand, I looked down at the girl.
“Can you get up?”
She nodded, tears slipping from her eyes. “I’m okay. But I want to go home.”
I reached out my hand. When she grabbed it, I tugged her to her feet. Unfortunately, getting her to her feet didn’t help us much. We were still surrounded—by one vamp pissed that I’d poached, and by a dozen more who didn’t have a specific interest in the girl but seemed bizarrely eager for a fight.
Was this the violence Mr. Jackson had spoken about?
I swallowed down fear that knotted in my throat, and stood straight, gazing out at the crowd with forced bravery. “I’m taking her out of here right now. Anyone got a problem with that?”
I should have known better than to phrase it in the form of a question.
“Try me, cupcake,” said the vamp who wanted me, and cold trickled down my spine. I was strong and fast and immortal, but the girl was not.
Even if I fought my way through the crowd, I couldn’t fight full out and protect her at the same time.
What I needed, I thought, was a distraction.
His timing couldn’t have been better.
“Goddamn it!” I heard across the room, followed by the crash of glass that silenced the rest of the crowd.
The metallic tang of blood filled the air, and all the vamps in the vicinity turned toward the locus of the smell. I saw Jonah through the crowd, staring down a cowering vampire.
Blood had been spilled, maybe from a broken glass or pitcher. Not a bad way to get the attention of vampires—and to give me a way to get to the door.
I looked at the girl on my arm. “What’s your name?”
“Sarah,” she said. “Sarah.”
“Well, Sarah, we’re going to make a run for it.
You ready?”