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There was some lingering about to shit my pants in fear pulsing through my system, but the larger part of me was still dealing with the physical contact I'd just endured. It was doing all sorts of bad things to my brain. As much as I tried to tell myself to stop being a hormonal, sex-starved loser, I apparently couldn't stop my brain from mainlining me lethal doses of seratonin.
Even reminding myself that I was at risk of dying a horrible, vampire-induced death didn't help.
"Just scared," I said, only halfway lying.
"You're doing fine. Stay close."
It felt like ages since I'd been outside, but that was hardly new. Long stretches of indoor life followed by a brief glimpse of the outside world was kind of my thing. Then again, the circumstances of this outing were slightly different. I wasn't taking a clandestine trip outside in the middle of the night when I was least likely to come within coughing distance of another person. I was making a mad rush to Riggs' truck while some unseen pack of vampires plotted to swoop down and kill me.
The thought made me stick closer to Riggs.
We were going somewhere to help her, after all, and that was all I needed to steel my nerve.
I could do this. We went straight for Riggs' truck, where Felix and Fang waited.
Gravy Boat walked beside Riggs instead of at my side like the little traitor he was. He had been won over by Riggs spoiling him with fish over the past few days. Even though Riggs refused to pet or admit he liked Gravy Boat, he had stopped pushing the cat away or calling him disgusting as often.
Fang moved to the bed of the truck so there was room for me and Maisey to sandwich in between Riggs and Felix in the cab of the truck. Riggs took the wheel.
Gravy Boat curled up in his lap. Riggs looked down at him with a curled lip but didn't move him. He turned the engine over and started driving.
"So we made it?" I asked.
"Hardly," Riggs said. "They likely know where we're going. Vamps and Werewolves prefer to avoid public confrontation. If they make a move, it's more likely to be outside the city. Our best hope is that Lazarus wasn't ready for us to move tonight. He knows we had one more day of sanctuary and may have gambled on us using it. If he's dealing with something else, he might only have time to send his people for us."
"Could we handle ‘his people’?"
"Depends," Riggs said.
"Okay, so how does it work," I asked. "One on one, who wins? Werewolf or vampire?"
"Stupid question," Riggs said. "But the werewolf wins."
Felix gave Riggs a sideways look.
"Most of the time," Riggs conceded. "Vampires fight like cowards. They use guns. Bombs. Whatever suits them."
"Bombs?" I asked incredulously.
"They know their chances if it turns into a hand-to-hand contest. Besides. It's not so hard to kill a vampire. All you need to do is remove the head."
I stared at Riggs in disbelief. "So if Lazarus and his people try to stop us, you'll just remove their heads? No big deal?"
"Something like that," Riggs said.
"The part he's leaving out is that vampires prefer to keep their heads on their shoulders," Felix said. The big man with his shaved head looked gentler than I would've expected as he lifted Maisey's wrist and felt her pulse. His expression hardened. "She's not going to last much longer, Riggs. We need to hurry and get her to Blackridge."
"Can't she just have some of my blood? I asked.
"Vampire feedings don't have to be fatal," Felix said. "But she's starving by now. If we let her feed in this state, there won't be any stopping her from draining you dry. She needs an experienced vampire's guidance."
That explained why Riggs had refused to let me give her some of my blood until now. I was glad I hadn’t defied him like I’d considered a few times when Maisey was at her worst moments.
"But she'll be okay once we get to this place, right?"
Neither man answered. I took Maisey under my arm and pulled her close. I tried to ignore how strangely weightless and shrunken she felt. I brushed the hair from her forehead, cringing to feel how cold and lifeless she seemed. She was still my sister, even if she hardly looked recognizable now.
We drove most of the way in silence until we made it past the city limits and put Chicago in our rearview. I sat up a little straighter, watching the tree line for shapes.
I told myself it was silly. If these people tried to stop us, they wouldn't come running from the trees on the side of the highway, would they? They'd probably be driving a car.
Except after what Riggs said, I was now picturing them tossing grenades and shooting automatic weapons at us, as ridiculous an image as that was.
