Darklight 2: Darkthirst Read online

  Roxy’s movements suggested otherwise, but I knew better than to argue against her stubbornness—I was just glad she was listening to me. Louise blinked owlishly and nodded. We might have to get that girl to a medic…

  “And you’re willing to fight Bureau soldiers?” I asked. Their hesitation would slow us down, if not.

  “I have no issue with it,” Roxy muttered bitterly, to my surprise. “I think we’ve all learned not to trust the Bureau.”

  The things the Bureau must’ve done to them… I bit my tongue in anger, a new feeling of betrayal coming over me. Roxy’s team had been loyal just a few days ago.

  Footsteps thudded around the corner. Grayson’s eyes widened.

  “There’s another entrance through the executive offices,” he said quietly. “I got a glimpse of the fire safety map and studied it just in case we had a chance to escape. The executive office is where they took me to prep for the meeting with you. I think there’s an exit back there that goes into one of the outdoor passages between the HQ and the personnel accommodations.”

  I gasped as guards rounded the corner. Not at their arrival, but at the strange guns in their hands. They looked akin to the laser rifles we’d used on missions in combat against the redbills but bulkier, with a thick green line running down the side. I’d never seen guns like that in my life. And now they were pointed at me.

  The soldiers took aim.

  “Run!”

  We sprinted back in the direction we’d come from. To my horror, lime-green lasers began to beam down the hall after us. Risking a glance back, I watched as one struck my calf. I braced for the pain, but it never came. There was a slight tingle, then nothing. Roxy pawed at her back when a similar shot landed on her. Our bewildered eyes met. What the hell was going on?

  I jerked to the side as a beam of green flew by my face. Shock pulsed through me as the blast struck Dorian in his back. He gave a yelp of pain and half-stumbled but kept running, until three, six, seven more hit him in quick succession as the soldiers obviously noted his reaction. Choking on a gasp, he collapsed to the ground. Our group skidded to a stop. Dorian rolled over, doubling in pain, his limbs spasming.

  Adrenaline shot through my veins. He had crumpled like tissue paper, incapacitated in an instant. What had happened?

  Roxy and I stooped over Dorian, trying to haul him up. Louise, Colin, and Grayson were closer to the exit. They slid to a stop when they saw that Dorian was down. I wasn’t sure how much good my teammates could do in their roughed-up state, but Roxy had some fight left in her. We would need it. We were vastly outnumbered.

  The soldiers caught up to us, several stopping when they saw Dorian on the ground. Most strapped their strange guns back to their chests. They studied us carefully. I tried to position myself to block anyone coming for Dorian or Grayson, who were the closest ones behind me. Dorian’s groans sent a terrifying chill up my spine.

  A burly man came for Roxy with a hard punch, but she countered his attack with a block, following up with a knee strike. A second guard advanced on me with cold eyes. I braced myself as she crouched to a tackling position.

  Before any of us could make another move, the walls beside us began to shake violently.

  Oh, God. What now?

  I lurched away from the wall as tremors rocked through one side of the building. One of the guards gave a yell of surprise as a huge, jagged beak smashed through the stone with a frightening strike. The soldiers fell back from the flying debris. I covered myself and Dorian as best I could. Roxy swore.

  The redbills! Relief rushed through me. Bless these birds! Dorian’s redbill came through first with a mighty smash of its claws into several of the closest soldiers. They fell into one another like bowling pins while the second row of soldiers cried out for their comrades.

  Dorian stilled on the ground next to my heel. Had he called the redbills using the last of his strength? In that condition? Tears pricked my eyes at such a true display of his will. I wanted to thank him, but he couldn’t hear me in his current condition.

  “Grab their regular guns,” I said, shifting into leader mode. “We need to cover our backs while we make our escape. We can get out of here if we move quickly enough.”

  “What about the other guns?” Colin asked.

  I shook my head. “Leave them. We have no idea what they do, just that they are extremely dangerous to vampires. I don’t want to take one anywhere near Dorian right now, and I certainly don’t want to take one back to our base. Who knows what effect it could have?”

  Roxy and Colin snatched the guns from the incapacitated soldiers, kicking the other weapons under blocks of rubble. Colin grabbed two of the regular guns for Louise, who stood frozen by Dorian, staring down at him with worry. I grabbed two guns and handed one to Grayson. He couldn’t walk much, but hopefully, he could still aim.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Louise asked, her voice filled with pained concern.

  “I wish I knew,” I answered. Worry wrapped tight around my throat and made it hard to talk. “We’ll figure it out later,” I told her roughly and pointed through the hole the redbills had smashed in. “Into the alley.”

  The redbills had drawn back, satisfied with sending the soldiers scattering. They chirped anxiously. Their heads whipped around, eyes shining as they looked at each other.

  Grayson swallowed audibly. “Will they hurt us?”

  It wasn’t so long ago that the sight of an up-close redbill would’ve sent fear through every single one of us. Dorian’s redbill bristled as it eyed us, but it seemed more confused than anything. The redbills were easier to read once you stopped shooting at them.

  “They don’t seem mad at us,” I noted as we slipped over the rubble into the passage. “They seem upset about something, though.”

  I pulled Dorian along, which was easier said than done. He’d started twitching again, and his apparent need to curl up in a ball made it difficult to drag him. If he recovered, the next time he was arrogant about his abilities, I would make sure to remind him of how annoying he’d made this escape… although to be fair, the escape was only possible because even with his wavering strength, he had still managed to call the redbills.

  My teammates, even Roxy, kept close to the wall, away from the bills. How were we going to get on them for an escape?

  “They do seem upset,” Colin agreed, curious eyes trained on the birds. “But we learned how to get along with them.”

  A strange sensation of hope welled up in me.

  “You might have,” Roxy muttered, keeping a wary eye on Dorian’s redbill. It stared at the crumbling wall.

  I lowered my head toward Dorian, who grimaced, unseeing, from intense pain. My heart hurt for him. He had tried to rescue me and gotten hurt in the process. What did they hit him with?

  We had to make it home. If we didn’t make it back, there was no telling what might happen to him. In fact, we had no idea what was already happening to him.

  “Please tell them not to kill us,” I whispered in his ear. He shivered violently. I swallowed my doubt and looked back to the team. “Let’s remember our redbill training, everyone. We can do this.”

  An awkward moment passed as we gathered around the redbills. Colin took a step toward them. Roxy and Louise inched their way behind him. I hated to admit I was just as nervous as they were. Come on. This is an emergency. Touch the bird’s forehead.

  “Lyra’s right,” Colin whispered. He gently extended his hand, showing his palm to one bill. The bird stirred with an agitated air but then settled, growing calmer as it gazed at Colin. His face was full of pleading. Thank goodness one of us had connected with the bills.

  Trying to recall every single detail of what the vampires had taught us about redbills, I gently displayed my hand before Dorian’s. Roxy mirrored our actions with the last bill. A tense second passed before the birds suddenly leaned forward, letting out soft chirps.

  Dorian’s redbill lowered its forehead toward my palm. I tried not to gasp as I g
ently pressed my palm against its forehead. It was warm, the feathers soft and silky. I had only ever been on a redbill with a vampire in control. My nerves stretched, as I expected it to snap at me any second.

  “Didn’t see this coming three months ago,” Roxy said.

  “They seem calmer,” Colin said. “How are we grouping?”

  The sound of Dorian’s haggard breath filled my ears. “I need someone to help me with Dorian,” I said, trying not to let panic leak into my voice. Grayson would need help, too. He couldn’t hold himself up for this flight.

  Roxy stepped forward. “We can lift him together.”

  I nodded with appreciation. It felt like a weight off, to have my team back on my side.

  “Grayson and Louise can come with me,” Colin suggested. “The third bill will follow, I bet.”

  Muffled yells echoed inside the building. We didn’t have much time. Our plan would have to do. Roxy swung herself up onto Dorian’s redbill and grabbed Dorian’s shoulders, hauling him in front of her as I heaved his body upward. I scrambled up between them before Dorian’s redbill could change its mind. Louise helped Colin lift Grayson onto the other bill.

  “Can he tell them where to go in this state?” Roxy asked skeptically. Her brow wrinkled with worry.

  I sucked in a steady breath, trying to stay calm. I held Dorian against me, attempting to keep him upright while Roxy held on to me from behind.

  “Dorian,” I whispered, hoping his name would cut through his pain. “I need your help. Can you tell the bills to go back to the hideout?”

  Dorian squinted at me, focusing briefly before he abruptly dropped forward. He was trying.

  I grabbed him, holding him as he leaned near his redbill’s neck. Sweat formed on his brow as he placed a weak hand onto the oil-like feathers. Was he able to communicate like this?

  A few soldiers appeared in the gaping hole.

  “We’ve got company,” Roxy said with forced calm. She aimed her gun at the hole. “Can I get someone else on the alley opening?”

  “I can still shoot,” Grayson said.

  One after another, Roxy and Grayson fired off shots. I could hear the soldiers falling back, shouting out. The redbills stirred nervously and ruffled their feathers. Panic bolted through me. If we didn’t escape, this journey was over.

  The Bureau would torture all of us. Or worse, spin a story and display us as traitors against humankind. The oh so brave and noble Director Sloane would achieve his goal of eradicating the vampires. I couldn’t let that happen. I wasn’t going to let that false story get told.

  “They’re armed!” a voice yelled from the hall.

  Dorian shuddered and growled something incoherent through gritted teeth. His body strained to do the simple movement.

  Please stay alive. I need you alive.

  I held my breath as I watched him. His remaining strength drained away by the second. Simply talking took everything out of him. He collapsed against the back of the redbill. My adrenaline shot up. If we had to fight—

  Suddenly, the redbills took off with a powerful movement. I cried out in surprise and caught my balance as the birds rose into the sky, trying hard to keep Dorian steady on his redbill. From below, the cries of the soldiers drifted after us into the air. Roxy lost no time in aiming her gun back down to discourage anyone from firing at us. It sounded as if Grayson was firing too, but I couldn’t watch. My whole focus was on Dorian. I pulled him back up, pressing him against me to make sure he was still breathing.

  The redbills soared, freedom on the horizon. I counted the bodies atop the birds. Everyone was here. Roxy pulled back her gun as the redbills lifted far enough away from the building. My body relaxed. We were free… for now.

  Dorian grunted in pain, squirming in my arms. I tightened my grip, letting myself run my fingers through his sweat-soaked hair for a moment.

  I couldn’t lose him.

  Chapter Twelve

  The redbills soared high and fast, the chaos of HQ quickly fading away. No helicopters or airplanes followed us. They must not have planned on us leaving…

  I clutched Dorian to me. The pain that pricked my chest as I studied him barely registered. What the hell was that gun? It was impossible to miss that the shadows beneath his skin bloomed darker than usual.

  “The green light hit him,” I muttered.

  Roxy rubbed at an area on her lower back. “It hit me too,” she said. “But I only felt the smallest tingle.”

  “Same here,” I said. “It must be something specialized for vampires and—” I let out a staggered exhalation as a new wave of pain came over me. Roxy’s face fell as I winced.

  Suddenly, Dorian shuddered in my arms and turned to one side. His eyes were open but unfocused, darting in every direction. Terror seized me as I watched the shadows under his skin climb up his body. The shapes crawled up his arms, spreading their murky tendrils across his throat, winding tighter and thicker.

  The whites of his eyes darkened, like a sky being drowned out with clouds, as the shadows swarmed his face.

  “Lyra?” he breathed. His face contorted painfully. An involuntary whimper escaped his mouth.

  “I’m here,” I said, gritting my teeth as I tried to keep my grip on him. “I’m here, and I’m not letting go.”

  Please hold on. You can’t go like this. Not after everything you’ve gone through.

  My own pain was weakening me, and it was taking everything I had to keep my grip on Dorian. He tossed around in agony on top of the redbill, a low keening sound occasionally reaching my ears over the wind. He tried to wrench out of my grasp, twisting and spasming, but I kept hold of him. His teeth snapped, the fangs still descended, sending a frisson of fear and excitement down my spine. Hauling him up until he was draped in my lap, I tightened my arms around him again. Even this physically devastated, he was strong.

  Roxy rested a hand on my shoulder to steady me. With her strength to aid me, I stayed upright, but a bead of sweat rolled down my face from the combination of effort and my own pain.

  “I won’t let either of you fall,” Roxy promised.

  I nodded numbly, thankful for her. In truth, I had missed Roxy being on my team. Even though she argued back, she was as tough as nails and had watched my back countless times.

  “You know, I didn’t understand what the Bureau was doing—what they were lying to us about,” Roxy continued, her speech stilted.

  Through the haze of pain, I sensed her regret.

  “It wasn’t right, what we did.” She paused. “What I did. We should’ve listened to you.”

  Yes, they should have… but I could understand why they hadn’t. They wanted to believe the Bureau. Deep down, I wanted the Bureau to be good, too.

  “Roxy,” I croaked, “I—” My body ached, and my torn emotions ached right along with the muscles. I was mad at the Bureau, bitter at Roxy’s team, but glad they made it out again after the Bureau turned on them.

  Roxy shook her head brusquely. “No. I want to say that I’m… I’m sorry about what I did. I thought you had betrayed the Bureau. Now I know the truth.” She said the last part with a particular note of venom.

  I clenched my jaw, trying to set aside the pain for a moment to focus on Roxy’s words. An invisible weight seemed to lift from my shoulders. I was grateful she had come around, but I’d never wanted torture by the Bureau to be what it took for her to realize the truth.

  “Thank you for saying that,” I said. “And thank you for coming with us.”

  Roxy grunted, almost embarrassed.

  We fell into silence as the mountains came into view, the dull gray rock and white snow like the squares of a melted chessboard swirling together. The abandoned ski resort gave off an eerie air with its sagging roof and empty, squeaking ski lift. The coniferous branches of the spruce and pine swayed slightly, their evergreen, ever-vigilant silhouettes seeming to watch us approach. The wind whipped past us with a ghostly howl.

  In a moment of dread, I couldn’t help but
wonder if something had gone horribly wrong while we’d been gone. Had the Bureau managed to find the caves after all? Were there soldiers waiting for us even now?

  I held on tight as Dorian tossed again, trying to rip himself from my grasp. Roxy’s arm wrapped around me to help. We were so close to landing, the entrance of the cave almost visible as we rounded the last crag that shielded it from the worst of the winds. But we were still several hundred feet up, and my grip on Dorian started to slip as he bucked against me. His eyes were wide and unseeing, glimpses of blue only occasionally visible, like a torch being shone beneath a thick layer of smoky ice.

  “You’re going to make us all fall,” I barked. “We’re almost there. Just hold on.”

  As if he understood me, Dorian tensed to try and limit his movement, falling back again. I had no idea what had hit him, but I had seen a similar crazed look in his eyes once before, during our Amish mission. I frowned worriedly. Could this have something to do with dark energy?

  I wrapped my arms around him so tightly I lost all feeling in them. My body begged me to stop. Frustrated tears blurred my vision. I can’t stop. Dorian needs me.

  “This is the place?” Roxy mumbled—more to herself than to me—as the redbills began their descent.

  A figure waited in the opening to the mines. It was Sike.

  He waved as our bills came closer, but his face dropped into an expression of startled fear as he saw Dorian clutched in my arms.

  Our redbill slowed, preparing for landing, its body tilting slightly more upright. We began to lose our balance, with only Roxy having her hands free to keep her grip.

  “This is going to get rough!” she yelled as the bills flew into the tunnel.

  The creatures touched down, skipping the last few steps. I wrapped my legs around Dorian, and Roxy’s arms locked around us both as the unsteady landing threw the three of us off onto the rough stone.

  We tumbled to a stop—battered, bruised, alive.

  The birds settled inside the tunnel at the entrance to the main chamber. Despite the aches blooming in my already sore body, my pain seemed to ease now that we were back on solid ground.