Page 93

Story: The Gloaming

“I come seeking Solace?” I called. He was right – something was wrong. I’d never had to wait before.

Nicholas put a hand on my arm and shook his head, one finger to his lips. I wasn’t surprised he’d sensed something I hadn’t – Seven had always been a bit of a block for me.Everything up to the entrance was fair game, but once my mind hit those walls, my senses came back with, well, nothing.

Caution in every movement, he leaned past me to push lightly at the door. It must have been locked from the inside, as it didn’t shift at the slight pressure. But Solace’s guys were usually quick to respond to anyone on their lot.

Closing my eyes, I threw my senses out like a net for the third time tonight. Nicholas was a new, flickering presence beside me, but something inside the warehouse made me shiver – and I’d never sensed a damn thing from Seven before now. Not from the outside, anyway.

“This isn’t right. We need to break it down,” I said, stepping back to ram the door. Before I could, Nicholas stepped in front of me and pushed down the handle forcefully. A snapping noise came from within the mechanism, and with another light push, it swung open.So much for her fancy reinforcements.

Stale air hit us as we crossed the threshold, carrying a sour tang that made my stomach turn and my mouth fill with a hint of copper. The prickling across my skin grew more familiar, but it was different – more intense, like thousands of tiny needles rather than the usual low static.

My footsteps were muted against concrete, each step producing a wet, sucking sound that was even more disgusting in the pitch darkness.

The warehouse swallowed every sound. No voices, no footsteps – nothing stirred in the gloom ahead. I continued in the general direction of where I thought Solace’s platform was. Behind me, Nicholas rattled with something and hugeindustrial lamps groaned into life as the generator came on, casting harsh shadows between the steel support beams. Something skittered in the distance – a rat, or something worse. Without thinking, I drew my sword at the sight before me, fiery adrenaline flooding my system.

The harsh, overhead lights were still flickering, revealing the massacre in stuttering frames. First, the lake of dark fluid where pools of blood had converged beneath at least a dozen vampires. Then the pale limbs scattered across the ground. Finally, my eyes reached Solace’s shattered throne, its pieces strewn like bones across her dais.

“What evil is this?” Nicholas breathed, but a coughing sound interrupted him. Trying to avoid stepping on anyone, we made our way toward the noise.

Solace lay sprawled on the ground behind her platform, her head resting against a shredded velvet cushion that had once been part of her throne.

She laughed weakly, looking up. “Erin Alexandra Elizabeth Conrad,” she murmured. “Of course.”

“What happened here, Solace?” I asked, sheathing my sword and kneeling to see her better.

She was a mess. Her legs were bent at unnatural angles, clearly broken. A patch of drying, black blood marred the front of the red dress she wore, right over her heart. The fabric sank inward, where I could only assume someone had struck her with enough force to pulverise the bones and organs beneath. But I had no idea what would be strong enough to do that to a vamp.

“Can I assume this is the fabled Nicholas Murray you’vebrought with you?” Her words were ragged, but she forced her head up anyway. “My, how you’ve changed, Erin.”

“What happened?” Nicholas repeated, quiet menace in his voice as he grabbed her by the throat and pulled her upright so that her legs dangled uselessly, her toes brushing the dirt. She choked.

“Nicholas don’t—” I put out a hand to stop him, but he’d already released her. She slumped to the ground, trying to pull herself into a sitting position.

“She did,” she dragged her gaze to me, her dark eyes accusing. “You happened.”

Nicholas turned to me, about to speak.

“I didn’t do this—” I began.

“Not you directly, you idiot.” She coughed again, her words tumbling into each other. “You asked too many questions. Killed April and Will.”

“They were nobodies,” I argued. “Feeding off a kid they’d found—” I broke off, disgusted at the memory and what had become of the girl.

“You wereseen,” Solace hissed, glaring at me. “Talking to them. They were working forhim,” she swallowed. I’d never seen her this nervous. “I didn’t know, I swear I didn’t. I thought it was Murray, like you.”

“They were working with thekillers?” I spoke quickly, worried she might fall unconscious. It didn’t look like she’d hold out much longer, and I needed answers. “Have you got a name, Solace?”

“Help me, and I’ll tell you what I know. You owe me.” She fixed me with that knowing look I hated, even through the pain.We both knew I had no choice.

“I’ll be back in a second,” Nicholas whispered, turning to me. “Dinnae do anythin’ rash while I’m gone.” Before I could blink, he’d flit, disappearing in an instant as only a vampire could.

Solace shifted, coughing again. What little colour she’d had was almost gone, and for all the world she could have been another dying teenage girl. If it hadn’t been for the goosebumps all over my skin, I’d have mistaken her for just that. The arrogance of the Solace I knew was gone, though the sly bargaining wasn’t.

“He’s pretty,” Solace slurred, eyes closing. “I get it.”

I fixed my gaze on the blood-slicked floor. The last thing I needed was Solace reading anything else off me.

Nicholas appeared beside me again and I relaxed, despite how unsettling it was when he moved that way. In his hands were three unmarked pouches of blood. He bit into the corner of one, tearing a small hole which he held to Solace’s mouth. She gulped down the liquid noisily, taking it from him. To her credit, she didn’t spill a drop.