Severed(40)

‘Before I change my mind?' Evie said, giving him a wry look. ‘Don't worry, I'm not going to.'

Cyrus gave her only the briefest glance before heading towards the others and throwing the crossbow on top of the pile of weapons. ‘Ash, Vero, what weapons you going for?'

Ash tore his eyes away from Evie finally. ‘UV lamps and grenades,' he answered, ‘flamethrowers, crossbow, semi-automatics and swords.'

‘We can't use the flamethrower,' Cyrus cut in. ‘It's the Bradbury building. It's a historic landmark. The police are right above the Gateway. Let's at least try to be subtle.'

‘How subtle is it going to be when five thousand Thirsters and Mixen and creatures with tails bust their way through in a few hours?'

‘OK, point taken,' Cyrus said, chewing his bottom lip. ‘Take the flamethrower, but use it only as a last resort. If we toast the place it's going to be difficult for Evie to get near the Gateway. She's not flame-retardant.' He crouched down and started loading a gun with bullets.

Evie gazed at the display of tangled weapons laid out before her, then looked up, sensing the others still staring at her. Vero looked instantly away but Ash continued to glare, warily, as though unsure of her next move. Which was ironic given that she was certain of it.

‘Do any of you know what I'm supposed to do exactly when I do get near it?' she asked, trying to sound matter-of-fact.

‘Walk through it, right? Isn't that what it said?' Vero answered, her head bent over the knives she was inspecting.

Evie frowned. Just walk? She'd been thinking about this ever since she'd heard the second half of the prophecy. She had no idea what the Gateway even looked like. A break in the fabric of the universe, Lucas had said  –  what did one of those look like? She was drawing a blank. Would it hurt? That was really the only question she was concerned about. Where would she go? Would she disappear? Would she stay conscious? Would it be like falling through space? Or would everything just  –  end?

‘There's four of us against at least three dozen of them. Getting near this thing is going to be difficult,' Cyrus said, interrupting her train of thought. He stood up from his crouch and shoved a gun into his waistband.

‘I'm coming too,' Margaret called from her position guarding the elevator door.

Cyrus wheeled around. ‘What?' he yelled. ‘A minute ago you were trying to get me to pack up and leave with you, and now you're suddenly coming with us?'

‘Yes, Margaret nodded. ‘I can still fight, Cyrus. I need to see that this is done.'

‘Mum, no offence but you're, like, old. Way past it. You might put your back out or something. Do you even know how to load a gun? Were they even invented back in your day?' Cyrus asked.

‘Cyrus,' Margaret snapped, striding towards them, ‘I'm not that old.' Her hand closed around the gun shoved down the back of Cyrus's jeans. She yanked it out before he had a chance to stop her, then checked the safety catch was on before pushing it down the back of her own waistband.' And I'm not letting you all go in there by yourselves.'

She glanced at Evie once more, holding her gaze. She had the exact same blue-green eyes as Cyrus, yet without an ounce of humour or light in them.

‘OK, whatever,' Cyrus sighed, turning away from his mother and picking up a sword instead. ‘Right, here's the plan. Vero and mum, you take the Thirsters down. Think you can handle them? Should be easy enough with the UV lamps. I'll deal with the Shadow Warriors.'

‘I see them better.' It was Ash who'd spoken.

‘Well, they'll be the hardest to handle,' Cyrus replied. ‘You'll need help.'

‘You need to keep Lucas away from me.'

Cyrus turned instantly back to Evie. ‘What?'

Evie cleared her throat, feeling how dry her mouth was. ‘He'll come looking for me. He'll try to stop me. You can't let him near me.'

Cyrus studied her for a few seconds before nodding slowly. ‘OK.'

‘And promise me,' she said, taking a breath, ‘swear you won't hurt him.' She glanced at all of them. ‘Any of you. Swear it. Or I'm not doing this.' She looked at Margaret as she said it and the older woman pursed her narrow lips and muttered something. Evie waited.

‘OK, OK,' Cyrus finally said. ‘We get it. We won't hurt lover boy.'

‘Lucas,' Evie said through gritted teeth, even though saying his name felt like someone was hammering rusty nails into her body. ‘His name is Lucas.'

‘OK. Lucas. We won't hurt him.' Cyrus said more quietly.

‘Swear,' Evie snarled.

‘I swear.'

She stared at all of them in turn. Vero's eyes dark and narrowed as a serpent's; Ash guarded, his shoulders rolled forwards, as though tensed and ready to spring; Margaret's mouth drawn into a white-lipped pout. ‘All of you,' Evie repeated.

She waited until they'd all nodded, each in turn.

‘Now arm her,' Cyrus said, striding away.

‘What do you want?' Vero asked, looking up from where she was kneeling. Evie noticed that she wouldn't look at her directly. She was nervous, her fingers fumbling with the weapons she was sorting through.

Evie scanned the pile of weapons in front of her. She couldn't focus enough to select one, but then she noticed something glinting silver at the bottom of the pile. She bent and reached her hand beneath a sabre and a couple of machetes. ‘I'll take this,' she said, pulling the circular-saw blade free. It had been Risper's weapon of choice. She smiled to herself, imagining what Risper would say if she could see her now. Vero looked up at her, a curious smile on her lips. Evie smiled back.

‘That's all?' Ash asked.

She nodded.

‘Evie,' Cyrus said from where he was stacking weapons inside the elevator, ‘stay in the middle of us, wait until we've cleared a path and then  … ' he looked away, tailing off.

‘Yeah, I think I've got a handle on the rest, thanks, Cyrus,' Evie mumbled.

He was in front of her in the next instant, almost brushing his chest with hers, forcing her to look up at him. ‘Are you sure you want to do this?' he asked with a softness in his voice she'd never heard before.

‘Don't ask her that,' Margaret shrieked from across the room.

Evie shook her head. ‘Look, please don't ask me again, OK? I've decided. I'm not going to flake out, or change my mind, or run any more. Just back off.' She pushed past him.

‘OK. Chill, dude,' he called after her.

She couldn't help it. She spun around to face him. ‘I am chill. I'm freaking ice. I just want everyone to stop looking at me like I'm an eggshell and I'm about to break. I'm not going to break.'

Cyrus gave the others a quick, nervous glance and then stepped towards her once more, his shoulders hunched. ‘I'm just concerned,' he said in a low voice. A small frown of frustration passed across his face before quickly vanishing.

‘And there I was thinking you never worried about anything but yourself,' Evie said, giving him an ironic smile. She couldn't believe she was trying to cheer him up by cracking jokes. It was ridiculous. Here she was in the final hours of life and she was spending it with a guy who notched his bedpost and thought way too much of himself, trying to cheer him up. Shouldn't it be the other way around? ‘Let's just go,' she snapped, ‘We don't have time to stand around. I just want it to be over already.'

No one said anything. She marched to the elevator and stood in front of Margaret, glaring at her until the older woman stepped silently out of the way. Evie turned and watched the others shoulder even more weapons, stealing anxious glances at her all the while.

‘You're not going to  … ?' she heard Vero murmur under her breath at Cyrus.

‘Let her?' Ash whispered, covering the words with a cough.

Evie frowned. What were they talking about? But Cyrus put an end to the conversation by picking up a flamethrower and striding over towards her.

He didn't look at her. He just stepped into the elevator and held the door for the others. Evie kept her eyes closed. She could feel the energy pulsing off everyone  –  waves and waves of adrenaline and fear until it felt like she was going to drown in it. She almost clutched at Cyrus's arm to force him to open the door and let her out so she could take the stairs. The combating heartbeats of five amped-up Hunters were a cacophony of drums in her ears. She was the first out of the elevator when it reached the bottom, gasping for breath and trying not to let the others see. Margaret was hot on her heels though, clearly panicking that Evie was going to have second thoughts and run. Evie very nearly turned and pushed her away, but Margaret suddenly came to an abrupt stop beside her.

‘Hey, that's my car,' she said, pointing. ‘What's it doing here?'

‘Lucas stole it,' Evie answered. ‘I don't think he realised it was yours.'

‘He stole my car?' Margaret screeched at her.

‘What are you going to do? Call the police?' Evie asked, rolling her eyes.

‘Mum, you got it back, OK?' Cyrus said, marching past her. ‘Evie, do you have the keys?' he asked.

She nodded and threw them to him. They piled the weapons in the trunk and then squeezed in. Evie took the passenger seat before anyone could stop her, reaching for the seat belt out of habit as Cyrus put the car into drive.