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“To rid the world of one more member of the Indigo Court.”
“Exactly.”
“What do you want for helping me?”
Kaylin slowly put his hand on my shoulder and leaned close. “Not everyone is out to use or abuse you. Not everyone has an ulterior motive. You suspect my demon, I can feel it, but not everything that lives in shadows is an automatic threat. Though I can be deadly, I’m not necessarily out to get something from you.”
I raised my gaze to meet his. “You didn’t answer my question.” I’d learned from Lannan and Geoffrey. “What will you ask in return?”
He flashed me an insolent smile, but it wasn’t snide nor was it patronizing. “Only that when I need help, you’ll be there. I watch your back, you watch mine.”
Feeling like a drowning woman clutching at a life preserver that might or might not come from an enemy, I nodded. “Deal. What next?”
“Tomorrow, while the vamps are asleep, we go dreamwalking and find out where that antidote is.” And with a laugh, Kaylin threw his arm around my shoulder and we headed back to the diner.
Chapter 15
As I’d expected, the cops showed up, took the report, and left without a word. No crime scene investigation team, nothing. Either Geoffrey had them firmly cowed or Myst had them charmed. Or maybe a little bit of both. The rest of the patrons wandered off, looking dazed.
Leo headed for Geoffrey’s from the diner while the rest of us offered to stay and help Anadey clean up. She shook her head.
“Go home, kids. You’ve already helped so much. There’s not much left for you to do . . .”
“Yes, there is,” I said, righting a chair. “We can at least clean up and see how much actual damage there is.”
I began tipping tables upright, and Kaylin jumped in to help me. Rhiannon and Peyton pulled out mops and buckets and began cleaning up blood. Anadey looked like she was going to cry.
I said nothing, convinced I was to blame. Anadey was my friend. But she must have noticed my mood because she put her hand on my shoulder.
“This isn’t your fault, Cicely. Myst has it out for all of the magic-born, and remember: She killed my mother to keep her out of the way. We’re all targets. Never let anybody put the blame on your shoulders, regardless of who they are.”
Rhiannon heard but pressed her lips shut. I knew she was torn about Leo’s attitude and accusations, and I decided that I had to put at least some of the tension to rest.
“Guys, gather around a moment.” When they were listening, I took a deep breath. “Kaylin made a valuable point and it’s one I tend to forget. Grieve’s bite enthralls me, and I may act stupid because of it. It’s not Grieve deliberately trying to control me—I’m sure of that. But the fact is, I don’t think things through. I still plan on rescuing him, but I told you that I won’t try to keep him at the house and I want you to know I fully intend to keep my promise.”
“We know that.” Rhiannon rubbed my shoulder. “And Anadey’s right—this isn’t your fault. The Shadow Hunters were taking over the town before you arrived home.”
“Well, Leo’s certainly pissed at me and while I seriously want to smack him down, I get it. Though . . . I have to admit, I’m not sure how much I trust him.” I glanced at Rhiannon and gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Rhia . . . but after he hit me . . .” I shrugged.
“I never expected him to explode like that. I’ve got a lot to think about,” she said quietly.
“Let’s get this place back to some semblance of order.” I returned to clearing up the debris, and with the help of the others and the kitchen staff, we were done in a little over an hour. It wasn’t spotless, and Anadey’d need to bleach the place down because of the blood and call in the health department to check the biohazard level, but at least she wouldn’t return to a mess in the morning. We waited with her while the emergency glass-repair guys came out and boarded up the windows, and then we headed home.
Peyton went with her mother—Anadey needed her.
As we gathered in the living room, I looked over at Chatter. “I suppose you’re against me trying to rescue Grieve, too?”
He surprised me. “Not anymore. If Myst keeps him there, not only will she destroy what control he has left, but she’ll be able to hurt you through hurting him. I think our only choice is to get him out of there. Either that or . . .”
“I know, I have to sever our connection—if I even can—and give up on him. And I can’t do that. I just can’t. And it’s not my hormones or his venom talking. Grieve and I . . .”
“Cicely’s right. She can’t sever the connection.” Chatter looked over at Rhiannon and Kaylin. “I was there when Grieve and Cicely were together, before. It was a terrible battle—I remember the aftermath when Lainule found out Shy—Grieve—was in love with Cherish. She flew into a rage and that just strengthened their resolve. They became so entwined together that nothing in the world could separate them—not Myst, not Lainule, not even heaven itself. I died trying. I was Grieve’s brother back then.”>Her eyes went wide as he launched himself and jumped. Leo dove between them, but not before the Shadow Hunter caught Rhiannon and took her down. At that point, the Shadow Hunter pounding on the bathroom door broke through the wood, and the one heading toward the kitchen ducked as the cleaver came flying out from behind the stove.
“What kind of game are we playing now?” A familiar voice rang over the chaos from the door of the diner and I whirled around to see Lannan enter the room, leading a group of eight vampires. They were dressed to kill, in black leather, and their fangs were gleaming in the dim light. For once, I was relieved to see the bloodsucker.
Without another word, the air blurred as the vamps sprang into action. They were all over the Shadow Hunters and the blood began to flow.
A hiss here. A shout there. The lights flickered again. Outside the snow was falling at a steady clip and people passed by, their car doors locked to keep the monsters at bay. The woman on the floor was dead—one of the vamps had gotten distracted and was licking up her blood. Lannan had the Shadow Hunter by the throat—the one who’d grabbed Rhiannon—and was holding him off the floor, squeezing as hard as he could. Rhiannon scrambled out of the way.
