Page 112 of Land of Shadow

“Don’t do that!” A voice I don’t recognize comes from behind us.

“Get out of here, Sheila! These women are dangerous,” the guard manhandling me yells.

“That’s the president’s sister!” she cries, her voice high and piercing. “You better let her go!”

The guard stops holding my wrists so hard. “Are you sure?” he asks.

“Yes!” Her tone is shrill.

“Fuck.” The guard releases me and steps back.

I whirl and throw my leg out, nailing him right in the dick. He groans and drops to his knees as I run around him to help Evie up. The other guard has backed away, his eyes warily bouncing between Sheila and us.

“Are you okay?” I ask, brushing Evie’s hair back behind her ears as I look for any injuries.

“I’m good. I think—” She nods. “I’m good.” The handcuffs dangle from one of her wrists.

I turn on the gate guard. “Give me the key. Now!”

He digs around in his belt and hands it over. I snatch it from him and unlock the cuffs, then throw them hard at his face. They hit him in the cheek, and he stumbles back. “That’s for the punch, you asshole.”

“Miss Clark.” The other guard has the nerve to look abashed as he stands with one hand over his groin. “I’m sorry, but you can’t?—”

“Shut up and open the fucking door!” I yell. “Or I swear to god I’ll mix my own special version of the plague along with a penis wasting disease and pay someone to put it in your goddamn coffee!”

He blanches, the reflective sunglasses now askew so I can see the brown of his eyes.

“She’ll do it,” Evie says. “I’ll help. And it’sDr. Clark.”

He blinks a few times, then hurriedly unlocks the door and holds it open for us. “Sorry, Dr. Clark. Sorry.”

We dart past him, then hurry along the hallway toward the Oval Office.

“Aang!” I call, the loud noise breaking the dim stillness. “Aang!”

Vince rounds a corner ahead of us. “What are you doing here?” he thunders.

“Is Aang here? Where?—”

“Leave! Now!” He breaks into a run, his hands out toward us.

“Not without Aang!”

“Georgia, please. You can’t be here.” Vince’s face is drawn, his eyes sunken.

“What’s wrong?” I slow, foreboding in my gut. The air in here is dank. The hallway dark and shadowy. It’s nothing like it was that first day in the Oval Office.

“Leave!” Vince cries.

“Since when did we stop welcoming guests to the White House?” The blond vampire, Theo, emerges from behind Vince. He overtakes him quickly, then continues to us. “Wonderful to see you again so soon.” He smiles, the coldness radiating from him sending a chill across my skin.

“We just want to get our friend and go.” I step to the side, trying to keep Evie behind me and away from the monster.

He sneers down at me. “You mean the one who came to kill your sister?”

“Just give him to us. He won’t hurt anyone. He’s grieving.” I swallow hard. “Please.”

“I’m afraid that won’t do,” Theo simpers. “We have to take threats against the president quite seriously in this day and age. I’m sure you understand.”