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Though obviously exhausted, Lucas nodded. As we walked out through the separate door for the basement stairs, I expected someone to ask what we were doing, or why, but nobody did. They were too tired to care. Raquel was already stretched out on her pallet, and probably the whole group would be asleep within ten minutes.
“Okay,” he said, his voice ragged from weariness, once we had stepped outside. The lights across the river provided nearly the only light. “What’s up?”
“They’ve taken Balthazar prisoner.”
Instantly, Lucas was wide awake. “Hell.”
“They’ve got him chained up in there.” I pointed to the main room. “Lucas, I think they’re going to hurt him.”
I hoped Lucas would tell me I was being ridiculous, but he didn’t. “That happens sometimes,” he said, grimly. “Most people don’t like it, won’t do it. Eduardo—he felt different.” His gaze became distant, and I wondered what measure he was taking of Eduardo now; he’d been both Lucas’s fiercest enemy and the closest thing to a father he’d known since early childhood, and now he was gone.
Swallowing hard, I said, “Lucas, you didn’t—you would never—”
“I haven’t ever.” But Lucas didn’t sound like he felt good about that answer. “If you’d asked me two years ago if it was okay—roughing up a vampire to get some information—I’d have been all for it. Only reason I never got mixed up in a situation like that was because I was too young.”
“And now?”
“Now I know better, because you taught me.” He put his hand on my cheek, and despite everything, I smiled.
“We have to get him out of there. Is there any way to talk to Eliza—to explain that you knew him at Evernight? We can tell them that he doesn’t kill people. I could talk to her, too, and I bet Raquel would stand up for him.”
Lucas shook his head. “That’s not happening. Eliza’s not going to let any vampire go, not ever.”
“Then how do we keep them from hurting Balthazar?”
He was quiet for a few long seconds. When he spoke, his voice was almost too low to hear. “Bianca—the only way to do that might be to kill him.”
“What?”
“That is not something I want to do,” Lucas said, every word intent, “but if the choice is between a quick death or a slow one after being worked over by those guys for a week? I’d pick the quick death every time.”
“There has to be another way,” I insisted. The stakes were even higher than I’d feared.
“I’ll try to think of something.” But he didn’t sound hopeful, and my worry flared into anger.
“Do you really care so little about what happens to Balthazar? Or do you want him out of the way, just because he cares about me, and he and I almost—”
I cut myself off too late. From the glare Lucas gave me, I knew he understood what I’d been referring to: One night during the spring, after Lucas and I had broken up, the attraction between me and Balthazar had flared into passion. We had drunk each other’s blood and might have gone on to sleep together if we hadn’t been interrupted. When Lucas and I reunited, I’d confessed everything, and so far it hadn’t been an issue. Lucas knew that he was the one I truly loved.
So I shouldn’t have accused Lucas of being willing to watch Balthazar die merely out of jealousy. I knew it was false, and all I’d done was hurt Lucas by reminding him of how close Balthazar and I had become.
Lucas said only, “Low blow.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Tentatively, I brushed a lock of Lucas’s hair away from his face.
He didn’t push me away, but he didn’t relax into my touch, either. “This isn’t going to help us get him out, but—come on.”
Lucas led me into the station, where Milos and one other hunter stood guard. Balthazar, still sitting on the floor with his hands chained, didn’t look up. When the guards turned to us, Lucas said, “Hey, you guys take a break. We’ll watch him for a few.”
Milos shrugged. “Why would I do that?”
“Because this bloodsucker went after my girl.” Lucas pulled me against him possessively. Almost imperceptibly, Balthazar tensed. “And I’d like to…discuss that with him. In private.”
The other guard chuckled meanly, and Milos slowly rose, nodding. I didn’t like his smile. “Indulge yourself. For the next few minutes, I’m just outside getting a breath of air. Have at.”
“Thanks, man.” Lucas stared malevolently at the silent Balthazar until the door had shut behind them. Then he said, “Bianca, stand by the door. If they come back or somebody else walks up—”
“I’m on it.”
