As it was, the Thirster flew backwards, his head snapping viciously to one side and lolling there for a second until he grabbed it in both hands and cracked it back into place.
Chapter 13
Lucas had watched Flic fade and cross the dance floor. He had hesitated before following her, not wanting to leave Evie. But then he'd seen what Flic planned to do, and he dived instantly through the crowd trying to head her off. By the time he'd made it to her side, Flic was aiming a perfect roundhouse kick at the red-haired one. Lucas heard the sickening crunch of bone as her foot made contact with the Thirster's face and watched him fly backwards, his head cranked at an unnatural angle. The dance floor immediately erupted around them as people started screaming and trying to get away from the fight. Lucas forced his way through the crowd, stepping in front of the Thirster, who had wrenched his head back into position and was marching towards Flic with murder in his eyes.
Lucas didn't hesitate for even a second. His blade was out of his hand before he could even think. It flew silently, slicing through the marble flesh of the Thirster's throat as if it was no more solid than air, embedding itself up to the hilt in the concrete pillar on the edge of the dance floor.
Chapter 14
Jamieson was tugging Evie through the crowd, his fingers wrapped tight around her arm. Someone bowled into her, and she felt a stinging pain as something sharp scratched her above her left eye. She and Jamieson shoved a path through the screaming people. The crowd was thinning as it streamed towards the exits and they were finally able to push their way free, when suddenly a shadow fell over them. Evie glanced up, remembering Issa's words almost too late.
‘Duck!' she yelled, reaching a hand out and grabbing Jamieson, pulling him down just as something hard smashed to the ground by their feet, making a crater in the concrete floor and sending a cloud of dust up into the air.
Evie opened her eyes slowly, almost too afraid to look. It took her several seconds to piece together what she was seeing. The Thirster with the auburn hair was staring back at her unblinking. His mouth was frozen in a silent shriek, his blackened tongue lolling out of his torn-out throat. She was still staring at the frayed edge of skin and the white rope of spinal cord that was visible when someone lit the place up in a blaze of UV. She curled into a ball and closed her eyes, sealing out the light as well as what was in front of her.
When she opened her eyes again, the head was still there, the mouth still open in a rictus of terror, the teeth still glinting moistly with saliva while the skin turned slowly black and fizzled.
In the next second Evie was on her feet, stumbling backwards, away from the head. She'd made the mistake before of thinking a Thirster was dead when it hadn't been and it had come back quite literally to bite them. Even a decapitated head that was slowly cooking wasn't something she was going to get too close to.
She glanced around, blinking away the harsh lights that were making her eyes water. The warehouse had emptied in the few seconds it had taken her to open her eyes and stand. A few stragglers were dragging unconscious friends who'd been trampled in the stampede through the exit at the top of the stairs. Six Thirsters lay in heaps around the dance floor, steam rising from their bodies as if they were drying themselves over heating vents.
A hand on the back of her neck made Evie jump.
Lucas steadied her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders. His eyes were searching hers frantically, as if he was looking for something in them. Evie realised that he was probably just checking that she was the right Evie and not a Shapeshifter. She took hold of his hands and realised he was shaking. No. That was her shaking.
‘Are you OK?' Lucas asked, his hands suddenly cupping her face, pushing back her hair. Ouch. She let out a yelp and put a hand up to her forehead, which was suddenly stinging like crazy. She pulled it away and stared at the blood on her fingertips.
‘It's OK, you'll live,' Lucas said, as he checked her carefully for other bruises and cuts, his hands running the length of her body. She wanted to stay like that for ever, feeling the gentle pressure of his fingers, letting them anaesthetise her body and her mind. But Flic was suddenly looming between them, tugging at Lucas, pulling him away. She was handing him something. Lucas took whatever it was and followed Flic across the dance floor. The two of them started dropping things onto the heaps of hissing Thirsters and Evie frowned for a moment, not understanding, until the flames started whooshing and she realised they were dropping matches. Jamieson kicked the Thirster's head towards Lucas who caught it with the edge of his foot and then dropped a lit match into its open mouth. The head burst into a ball of flame.
Through the black smoke that had started billowing over them, Evie saw Issa reaching for something stuck in one of the far pillars. She was tugging at it, trying to get it free, and when she did and turned back towards the light, Evie saw that it was Lucas's blade. She kept staring at it, glinting blue, as Issa walked towards her.
‘Are they coming?' Evie asked her when she got near. ‘The rogue Hunters? Are they coming?'
‘Yes,' Issa nodded, handing Evie the blade before turning on her heel.
Evie stared down at the blade in her hand, wondering why Issa had given it to her and not to Lucas.
‘Incoming,' Issa suddenly shouted.
The door at the top of the stairs flew open. Evie had been expecting the rogue Hunters, but it wasn't them. It was the two Scorpio doormen. They came bursting through the door, coats swinging, tails lashing behind them, as if they'd only just figured out that the screaming exodus from the club might require investigation. They skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs, staring down at Evie and Lucas, their mouths making odd gurning shapes, which Evie read as surprise.
Evie glanced over at Lucas. He hadn't bothered to fade, he was just standing there waiting, watching the two Scorpio with a weary expression on his face. He cricked his neck and shook out his arms like a boxer readying himself for the next round. Flic had paused only briefly to look up at them but had already gone back to flinging matches at the Thirsters, whose bodies were squealing and popping in response to the flames.
Evie watched the two Scorpio exchange a look, as if silently agreeing their next move. And then she saw what they were planning to do and swore under her breath. Because, even to her, it was obvious that they were going to lose. Why be heroes when they could live to be doormen another day? Obviously this thought hadn't occurred to them because they launched themselves down the stairs anyway and straight towards them.
Flic sighed as the first one came flying off the bottom step. She moved almost lazily to one side as he skidded past her and then jump-kicked him from behind, sending him sprawling to the floor. The second one, the one called Jules, dived left, his tail flicking out behind him.
Evie felt herself shoved backwards and realised that Lucas was pushing her, trying to force her out of the way. She saw his head turn left, searching the pillar for his blade, which he didn't realise that she was now holding in her hand. And in that same second she caught a flash of the future. She saw exactly what was about to happen and she hated Issa.
Before she could even open her mouth to yell, Evie watched Issa step calmly and deliberately forward into the path of the oncoming Scorpio. Evie registered Jules's tail arching over his head, and vaguely she heard Flic screaming at Issa to move. She was aware of Lucas turning and she knew that nothing he or Flic could do would be fast enough to save Issa. She watched as Jules's tail slashed down in an arc towards Issa and in the same instant Evie, knowing she had no choice, sent Lucas's blade flying like an arrow into the Scorpio's chest, just below the ribs, exactly where Victor had taught her to aim.
She watched Jules falter and stagger sideways, his hands grasping at the hilt, trying to pull it out, and she felt a vicious stabbing pain in her own chest, as if the blade had impaled her as well. The Scorpio fell to his knees, still clutching at the knife, a funny gurgling sound erupting from his throat. Thick black liquid started pouring out of his mouth, dribbling down his chin, and then the Scorpio finally fell face forwards, his head smacking the concrete with a crack. Evie raised her eyes and looked at Issa who was still standing exactly where she had been, unmoving, her eyes locked onto Evie, the faintest of smiles playing on her lips.
Evie felt like she'd fallen into a tar pit. Her limbs were suddenly so heavy she couldn't move them. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Issa. And there was just silence all around, as if everyone had breathed in and was now too frightened to breathe out. Even the Thirsters had stopped hissing and spitting. She could feel everyone staring at her, Lucas's gaze burning the back of her neck.
And then, an electric shock against her skin. She looked down. Lucas had put his hand on the back of her arm. She stared at it, feeling every millimetre of contact as if he was stroking her with feathers. Her head flew up. She heard Issa stepping towards her from across the room, her foot crunching on broken glass. Then came the sound of Flic and Jamieson breathing out in unison.
Issa stopped in front of her, a foot away. Evie's gut tightened, her blood seemed to rush faster through her veins, the metronome beat of it pulsing in her neck. She could feel every point of contact Lucas's hand was making against her skin, the heat washing up her arm.