Chapter 7

Helena could still feel Candy’s heart under her hands, beating its last beat while she tried to shove it back in Candy’s chest. Alderic’s feeding had started so gentle and she couldn’t stop herself from biting down on Candy’s wrist when he’d offered it.

‘We don’t have to kill them,’ he’d said, stroking her hair, ‘we can keep them, drawing a little at a time’. Then he’d slipped his hands under Candy’s shirt. Helena had heard ripping, then a crack. The strength to scream left Candy as her blood pooled onto the floor. ‘But when we tire of them,’ he’d bowed his head to lap at the open wound, ‘We can savor the sweetest morsels’.

Diving under the chauffeur’s outstretched arms, Helena rolled down the steps. She gained her feet and bolted into the crowd.

“Leyla.” She heard Alderic call. She looked up, then followed his gaze. Her eyes widened as she spotted Leyla coming her way.

Helena spun around and found the door. Leyla reached for her. Swinging open the door, Helena ducked and slammed it back in Leyla’s face. Leyla’s screams and Alderic’s shouts followed her out to the street.

The blood dried on her skin in a cool rush of air as she ran. She sobbed and scrubbed her hands futilely on her skirt. Another death. Yet another death on her head. She was poison.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t see the girl step out onto the sidewalk until she’d collided with her. The girl hit the wall and Helena hit the sidewalk. The girl’s gym bag skidded out onto the street.

“Hey!” Hand braced against the wall, shaking her sleek black hair from her face, the girl stood. One look at Helena and the anger that flashed through her hazel eyes was replaced with concern. “Hey…are you okay?”

Helena opened her mouth and peered up at the girl, blinking when she fixed on the black bruise that covered her left eye.

The click of heels on pavement, coming closer and closer, stole the desire to either answer or comment. A quick turn of her head and the mass of her hair whipped her bare shoulder. Leyla and two other girls stood over her, dismissing the girl with the black eye. No wonder there. What human could stand against them? What human would be stupid enough to try?

Leyla grabbed Helena and shoved her back towards the club. Helena struggled and Leyla lifted her up to slam her against the cement front of the gym. Helena’s head connected with a sickening crack and Leyla made a sound of disgust. “Stop it!”

“Go to hell!” Helena spat hair from her mouth and closed her eyes against the pain. She used the fact that the pressure Leyla was using to hold her on the wall braced her and lifted both feet to plant them in her gut.

Leyla’s partners stepped up to grab Helena, but Leyla motioned them back. Grabbing a handful of Helena’s hair she snapped her head into the wall again, let her fall and then slapped her.

“Get her inside.”

“Get down!” Helena heard the human girl shout.

She dropped to the sidewalk and the girl swung a heavy length of timber. The wood connected and Leyla’s girls fell back.

Black hair tangled in her face the human girl lifted the flat piece of wood, ready to take another swing. She looked over at Helena expectantly. “Run!”

Helena obeyed, making it to the end of the block before it hit her how selfish she was being. The girl had saved her and she’d just left her behind. She glanced over her shoulder, slowing, just in time to watch the girl take a blow hard enough to snap her neck. Movement above snapped Helena’s attention up. She spotted Joe, calling out to someone. James jumped off the roof at the girl’s side.

Hoping he could help her, Helena sped up. Leyla hadn’t stopped. She couldn’t either.

She ran until she reached St. Nicholas Park. She could still hear them following her. Hoping the trees would give her somewhere to hide, she darted around them. Her sneakers brushed through the undergrowth with ease. She could hear them cursing as their heels stuck. Vampires or not, heels weren’t made for running, especially over gnarled tree roots and grass.

“Kitt!”

The sound of her name made her stop. Her eyes screened the darkness. “Tommy!”

She ran to the clearing and into his arms. He held her against him. “Damn it, Kitt, why did you come here alone? Why didn’t you tell mer—?” He groaned and pressed his face into her hair. “God I’m stupid. I should have figured something was up with all the questions you’ve been asking.”

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. I—”

“We’ll talk about it later.” He eyed the sky. “It’s almost dawn. We have to get out of here.”

“Where’s Jack?”

Tommy nodded towards the other end of the clearing. She spotted Jack, running towards them. Relief was gasped in like a breath of fresh air.

Then let it out in a sharp cry at the explosion of sound. Jack fell.

Tommy’s grip tightened on her arms when she moved to go to him. “Find shelter. I’ll get him.”

Her whole body shaking with fear she nodded, all too ready to let him take over. Once the sun rose the girls wouldn’t be able to chase her anymore. Tommy would take care of Jack. Everything would be okay.