Page 80 of Lost

And then everything happened really fast.

Dragon Lankford surged out of the creek, bounding up the bank. She tried to scramble back. Tried to run away, but the heel of her Jimmy Choo boots found a hole and snapped off. Aphrodite went down hard on her butt, dropping her bottle of champagne as the air was knocked out of her.

Dragon reached her easily. He grabbed her, lifting her to her feet and putting his hand over her mouth. He pressed a dagger against her throat as he whispered directly into her ear. “If you make one sound I will slit your throat. You’re coming with me.” He turned so that the line of retreating fledglings, vampyres, and young humans could see him. Dragon made the same kind of shooing gesture Aphrodite had just made at him as he called across the water in a low voice, “Go! Get to safety!” He began dragging her backward, toward the creek.

And then Kevin was there. First, coming through the line of junipers and glancing around, obviously looking for her. Aphrodite’s heart slammed against her chest, filling her bloodstream with adrenaline and panic.But I tried to help them! And now they’re going to kill Kevin and probably call the attention of Stark and the wrath of the Red Army down on themselves! They’re all going to be slaughtered like they were in my vision!

But that’s not what happened. Something much weirder happened.

Kevin looked down. Aphrodite knew the instant he saw her and Dragon and the escaping line of fledglings, humans, and vampyres trudging through the water. Kevin didn’t draw a weapon. Kevin didn’t yell for Stark. Instead he rushed down the bank to them.

“Dragon! No! Don’t hurt her!” Kevin whispered frantically as he got close to them.

“I’m not hurting her. I’m kidnapping her,” Dragon said.

“Why?” Kevin asked.

“Come on, Kevin. You know why. If I don’t she’s going to give us away to the Red Army. And she’s a Prophetess of Nyx. She has visions. Even if she won’t share them with us we can use her. Neferet will do just about anything to get her pet Prophetess back.”

Aphrodite smacked the back of the hand Dragon was holding over her mouth.

“Um, I think she wants you to take your hand away from her mouth,” Kevin said. “And it’d be nice if you’d put the knife down too.”

“I’m assuming the Red Army’s up there?” Dragon jerked his chin in the direction of the hayfield.

Aphrodite nodded as vigorously as she could with a knife against her throat, then she tried to say, “I was telling you to get away from here!” but, of course, the words turned into angry mush-mumble against his hand.

“Yeah. Stark’s up there with about fifty red soldiers and several officers—red and blue.” Kevin’s gaze went to the creek and the line of people who were continuing to retreat toward the ridge and safety. “You got my message.”

“Yeah. And now I’ve got this Prophetess too. I’ll take her to headquarters. Join us when you can.”

“Dragon, seriously, if you kidnap Aphrodite how are you any different than Neferet?”

“How can you ask me that? If we were like Neferet I would have already slit her throat. And, anyway, I can’t let her go. She knows you’re working with us, which puts us all in danger.”

Kevin met Aphrodite’s gaze. “Will you give us your word not to scream or do anything to draw Stark’s attention if Dragon takes his hand from your mouth?”

Aphrodite nodded.

“I trust her,” Kevin said. “If she says she won’t yell, she won’t. Aphrodite tells the truth. Right?”

Aphrodite nodded again.

“It’s not wise to trust her,” Dragon said.

Kevin grinned. “That’s what you said about me at first too.”

The Warrior sighed. “All right, look. I’ll take my hand from your mouth.” Dragon spoke into Aphrodite’s ear. “But I won’t take my knife from your throat. If you doanythingto bring soldiers down on us, you’ll be the first to die. Understand?”

Aphrodite nodded once more. Slowly, Dragon took his hand from her mouth.

“You asshole!” Aphrodite whispered at him. “You saw me tell you to get away. You knew I wasn’t going to call the army. You’re just acting like a fucking douchebag coming up here and grabbing me!” She turned her attention to Kevin. “I knew you were different. What the hell is going on here?”

“It’s a long story,” Kevin said, “but I promise I’ll tell you everything. First, Dragon and the rest of his people have to get away.”

“And she still needs to come with us,” Dragon said.

“I am not fucking going with you.” Aphrodite glared at him. “So, you might as well slit my throat right now.”