Cyrus braked hard. ‘Oh no, what? Oh no, it's going to rain? Oh no, you see five thousand Thirsters blocking the road up ahead? Oh no, we're all going to die? What's oh no?'
Issa shook her head hard, her eyes still blank. ‘No,' she said despairingly. ‘Why are they coming?'
‘Who?' Ash asked, his knuckles white on the door handle as he scanned the block. ‘Who's coming?'
Issa's eyes flashed to blue, she blinked and focused. ‘Jamieson and Flic. They were supposed to be leaving. I told them to leave town.'
‘Who are they?' Margaret and Cyrus asked in unison.
‘Lucas's sister and her boyfriend,' Evie answered, not taking her eyes off Issa. ‘What are they doing?' she demanded. ‘They were supposed to keep Lucas away.'
‘That's what they've come to do,' Issa snapped. ‘They're following him to try to stop him.'
‘What happens? Does their coming change anything?' Evie demanded.
Issa winced, pressing her temples between her hands. ‘I can't see.'
‘Don't tell me – it's fuzzy,' Cyrus said, throwing the car around another corner. ‘Are you sure you wouldn't lose a fight?' he asked, his eyes flying to the rear-view mirror. ‘Because I'm willing to try my luck.'
‘Shhh, just give her time,' Vero growled.
Issa's eyes flashed open in the same instant. ‘Someone has to stop them,' she said. ‘We can't let them get near the building. It'll all go wrong. Lucas will be distracted.' She shook her head and Evie didn't have to ask what kind of wrong she was talking about.
‘How do we stop them?' Cyrus asked, his eyes on the road ahead.
‘I'll do it. I can stop them,' Issa said sitting forwards, grasping the back of his seat.
‘And there you were saying you never interfered,' Cyrus grinned.
‘Let me out,' Issa snapped. ‘Let me out now. I need to head them off before they get too close.'
Cyrus studied her in the mirror, ‘If you're lying to me, Issa, I will put your precog skills to the test. Do you understand?'
Issa nodded.
‘If this doesn't play out like you said – then … '
‘Brake!' Issa suddenly shouted.
‘What?' Cyrus asked, glancing up.
‘Brake!' Issa yelled at the same time as Margaret.
Cyrus slammed his foot to the floor, sending Evie flying into the back of the passenger seat.
‘Stop signs generally mean stop!' Margaret shouted as a truck thundered past in front of them.
Evie whipped around, feeling a sudden gust of wind. The far door was flung open and Issa was already gone.
Chapter 42
From where he was standing in a sliver of shadow on the corner opposite the building, he had counted eight Scorpio covering the front entrance; some in police uniform, others pretending to be tourists with cameras slung over their shoulders and guidebooks in their hands. However, their efforts at blending in had failed. In the scorching heat they were wearing floor-length leather jackets to hide their tails. They kind of stood out among all the tourists wearing shorts and T-shirts. The good news was that they hadn't noticed him yet, partly because he was invisible, hiding in the shadows, but mainly because they were too focused on sensing Hunters. One more unhuman in the vicinity wasn't pricking their instincts. Being half human also had its advantages. He gave off less of a scent. He glanced at his watch. It was just gone ten in the morning. Something at least to be grateful for – there were no Thirsters to contend with, at least not outside. They were probably all hiding inside. Which meant he couldn't let Evie step foot in the door.
He scanned the street for the twentieth time, feeling the anxiety mount with every passing second until he didn't know if there was more adrenaline or more blood running through his veins. Which way would Evie come from? Would she just try to walk straight in the front entrance? Did she know it was guarded? Would she notice the Shapeshifters? Did she have any idea what kind of protection there was around the way through? Damn it. Damn Flic. Damn Jamieson. Damn Evie for not trusting him. He slipped his hand into his pocket and felt his fingers close around the gold band she'd given to Jamieson to give to him. Then he pulled his hand free and reached for his blade.
His eyes had been drawn to the top of the Bradbury building. There was a Shadow Warrior stalking the roof. He'd caught the glint of something out of the corner of his eye. There it was again – a shadow blade – catching the morning sunlight slanting off the sides of the surrounding buildings. He narrowed his eyes until she came into view. It was a woman. Dressed all in black. Tall, with dark hair drawn back into a high ponytail. She was crouching in the centre of the roof, leaning over the parapet. As he watched, she lifted something to her shoulder. Lucas swore. It was a crossbow. He'd assumed it was a shadow blade catching the light, but it was an arrow. The Shadow Warrior rested the bow on the ledge and took aim, her arrow pointed downwards at the main entrance to the building. Lucas scanned the street one more time, calculating.
The Scorpio or the Shadow Warrior?
He swore under his breath again, casting another anxious glance up the street, on the look-out for any sign of Evie. If he left his position here she might walk straight into danger. But she wasn't stupid. She could sense unhumans – she wouldn't walk straight into them. No, he had to go for the Shadow Warrior. But getting onto the roof – that was going to be difficult. The only way up was a fire escape clinging to the west side of the building, accessed by a narrow alleyway. It was being guarded at the bottom by a couple of Scorpio.
Lucas gripped his knife tighter, waiting until the Shadow Warrior on the roof was distracted. When she looked away, he took his chance and stepped out of the shadows. He crossed the street, shielding his blade from the sunlight. None of the Scorpio dressed as tourists noticed him. Lucas kept walking, melting into the shadows thrown by the building and moving silently down the alley towards the two Scorpio guarding the fire escape. He hesitated just a metre away from them, weighing his decision, before choosing to sheath his blade. The noise brought them both spinning towards him, startled. Lucas brought his right elbow up and rammed it straight into the first one's jugular, flooring him, while simultaneously jabbing the second one in the stomach with his fist. As the second Scorpio folded over, clutching his belly, Lucas's fingers found the cluster of nerves at the nape of his neck and squeezed. The Scorpio collapsed without a sound on top of the first one. Lucas stepped over them, grabbed hold of the metal rung above him and swung himself up onto the fire escape.
He climbed fast and at the top he ducked down, hidden behind the parapet, and waited, listening. There was just silence. No footsteps, no sound of breathing. He couldn't even trace a heartbeat. He counted to three and then jumped, clearing the ledge and landing in a crouch, blade outstretched.
He rolled instantly as an arrow swept past his ear, piercing the brickwork behind him. He was on his feet in the next instant and sprinting forwards towards the woman, who was already pulling back the string on her bow for a second shot. He saw her smile as she let it fly, her mouth twisting into a grimace as he threw himself sideways and the arrow sailed wide.
She moved fast then, nothing more than a blur, striding backwards even as Lucas kept coming at her. Her left hand reached over her shoulder, drawing a third arrow out of a quiver on her back. She brought the bow up and rammed it into her shoulder, and at just the last moment Lucas threw himself forwards, slamming her to the ground, knocking the wind out of both of them and crushing the bow between their chests. The arrow tip was under her chin, forcing her to arch her head backwards and exposing the pale length of her neck. She was looking up at him – her yellow eyes wolf-like and fearless, challenging him. Lucas hesitated and she saw it. With a grimace she brought her knee up and, with an ear-splitting yell, pushed against him with all her strength. He grunted as his rib cracked, and she heaved a final time, managing to roll from under him.
Lucas kept his hands locked tight around her upper arms, forcing her to roll with him, their legs entwined. She was straddling him now, with her thighs clamped tight around his waist. Her face loomed over his, her teeth bared, and then her expression changed. A look of surprise brightened her eyes before she collapsed heavily on top of him with a sigh.
Lucas lay there, feeling her dead weight crushing his broken rib. After a second he heaved her off his chest, and she rolled, one arm flying back and smacking into the concrete, the bow clattering to the ground. Lucas sprang to his feet and stared down. The woman's neck was exposed, and from this angle it looked like she had a second mouth, gaping wide in a bloody grin. It took a moment for Lucas to realise that her neck had been torn open by the arrow that she was still clutching in her hands and not by his shadow blade.
He stood over the body, breathing heavily, watching the blood trickle out of her mouth and the tear in her throat, and then in the next moment she was gone, vanished back to the Shadow realm. Lucas reached down, wincing at the pain in his side and picked up the quiver of arrows that lay discarded at the edge of the roof, slinging it over his shoulder.