“Excellent! Lead the way.” Vorigan swept a hand in the direction of Sly’s neighborhood. They were less than a mile away. Should he try to outrun him, or continue with the ruse and simply outsmart him?”
Sly stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked at a brisk pace toward Beacon Street. Vorigan kept up and chatted, blithely.
“You were slippery all those years ago. Why didn’t you trust that I’d look out for you?”
“Maybe because you didn’t do such a superb job of looking after my wife and unborn daughter.”
“The daughter you gave up?”
Don’t lose it. That’s what he wants. Don’t let him get to you. Stay focused.
Vorigan strode beside him and continued talking. “You wouldn’t want to be saddled with a wife and child after becoming a vampire. That would spoil all the fun.”
Sly couldn’t handle it any longer. Almost of its own volition, his fist reared back and flew smack into older vampire’s face. Vorigan hit the ground. Sly suspected the older, stronger vampire was only temporarily disabled. He’d need to run as fast as he knew how in order to reach the safety of his building before Vorigan retaliated.
For the first time since he’d become a vampire, Sly flew. He’d heard of vampires who could fly but had never done it before. He’d neverhadto. Aware of his surroundings despite the blur they had become, he managed to stop when he reached the front steps of their building on Beacon St.Home.
He’d no sooner unlocked the door and rushed inside when Vorigan came up behind him and slammed into the invisible barrier. Apparently, Gwyneth’s resealing worked. The building was impenetrable to all uninvited vampires, in other words, all vampires except Sly.
Seeing the stunned vampire on his ass on the front stoop, Sly burst out laughing. He couldn’t help picturing Vorigan in a cartoon, with stars and birdies circling his head.
Chapter twelve
As she and Sly rushed toward the train station, Morgaine hoped Chad was right, and the smell of moonshine would disguise their scents. She’d poured some in an atomizer and spritzed it on like perfume, hitting all her pulse points. Sly didn’t have much of a pulse, but he sprayed plenty on his black slacks and coat. Now they smelled like a couple of drunks—lovely.
They had slipped out the back, and only the lights of the city and an occasional security spotlight broke the darkness. Their connected hands kept Morgaine grounded, but Goddess forbid Sly release her—even for a second. This test couldn’t be more challenging. Here she was, out in the open, in the dark of night!
I’m safe. I’m with Sly. I’m safe.
Sly carried a small duffle bag and her suitcase, insisting the train station was too far for her to carry it herself. She knew he wanted nothing to slow them down. They purposely avoided Vorigan’s block. The logical route to the Back Bay station would have brought them close—too close, so for obvious reasons they took the longer way around.
“Almost there, babe.” Sly squeezed her hand. She liked the nickname he’d begun using for her. They hadn’t taken three more steps when he froze.
“What’s wrong?”
“Shit,” he muttered.
She glanced around until she saw him. It was her first glimpse of the evil V. Malvant, and she could only see him from the back, but she recognized his warped energy right away. His black stringy hair lay over thin shoulders like the dark jagged aura hung over the rest of him.
“Quick, down here.” Sly yanked her arm toward the subway entrance. Before they disappeared down the steps, she saw the other vampire turn and smile cruelly. Yellow light from the streetlamps glinted off his fangs.
“Hurry,” she cried.
They took the steps two at a time all the way to the bottom. A train waited at the platform, but Morgaine doubted they could make it before the doors closed.
Sly scooped her up in his arms, vaulted over the turnstile and had them safely ensconced inside when the doors shut. Vorigan, seconds behind them, slammed into the windows. Morgaine gasped. Vorigan’s face distorted as he slid down the glass.
As the train pulled away from the station, she heard Sly chuckle. She joined him as he laughed harder. By the time they were well on their way to the next station, they guffawed in cathartic relief.
At last, wiping the tears from her eyes, Morgaine asked, “Now what?”
“Now we take the subway to the next station and change lines. We can board the train at South Station.”
She blew out a deep breath. “So, you think we’ve lost him?”
“Unless he anticipates our next move.”
Suddenly a horrible thought occurred to her. “You don’t think he’s following us, do you?”
