Darklove by Elle Jasper Page B

good thing, or else people would be slapping one another in the face, pulling hair, and tripping pedestrians.
    We walk down to the river Ness, and follow the walkway hugging the shore. Even at midnight on a Thursday night, it’s pretty lively on the riverfront. Several pubs and eating establishments line the river, and I have to stop and take it in. The moment I halt, Noah does, too, and he looks at me. I close out the drone of human conversation, and listen for minor details. A single racing heart. A whimper. A cry of fright, of disbelief. The air catching in a throat.
    Fast footfall.
    Heavy, a human male. Not used to running. Heart rate around one hundred and seventy now. I cock my head, listening.
    â€œHe’s two streets over, heading upriver, toward the bridge,” I say.
    We both take off fast, slipping closer into the shadows of the buildings, leaping over anything that’s in our way. I’m a head and neck in front of Noah, and as we hit the walkway down to the river, I see him. I can’t tell his age, but I’m guessing midthirties. Not used to a lot of exercise, and he’s winded as hell. Dark clothes, gray woolen coat. He’s got a black skully on. I scan the darkness. “What’s spooking him?”
    Noah and I are nearly on top of him, and we Y off from each other. I take the human, and with one leap I take him to the ground. His grunt resonates against my chest. Quickly, I roll off him and briefly glance up. Behind and above me, I see Noah leap into an ancient tree with long, heavy branches. I turn my attention to the man.
    â€œYou okay?” I ask, and jump to my feet. I extend a hand.
    His face is stark white against the black skully pulled over his ears. He doesn’t accept my hand, instead stares at me. Blank faced. “I dunno—”
    It happens so fast my mind spins a little as I react. Noah and another—completely morphed and fanged—drop from the canopy of the tree above. The vampire swings at Noah, who has him by the neck, then builds strength and lunges directly toward the human. I find my blade in the back of my jeans and hurl it at the vampire’s heart. It sinks a solid inch over the hilt. The vampire drops to the ground, inches from the human. The moment his body crumples, he begins to convulse.
    The man stares wide-eyed at the seizing form on the ground. Stepping closer, I place my hand on his arm and pull him away. He doesn’t resist. I turn him around and force him to look at me. The whites of his eyes take up nearly the entire orb.
Go straight home now. Forget you were chased. Forget what you’ve seen. And for a while, stay home after dark, if you can. Hurry.
    His stare vacant, the guy turns, shoves his hands into his woolen coat pockets, and starts up the sidewalk at a brisk walk. I watch him until he turns up a street and disappears.
    â€œOne more down,” Noah says.
    â€œOne more saved,” I reply, glancing in the direction of the frightened guy. I look at Noah. “Did you get anything?”
    Noah shakes his head. “Late twenties. Not a newblood, not old, either.” He shrugs. “Again, totally random.”
    We continue on throughout the night, but find nothing more than a handful of drunken college students celebrating a birthday by pub crawling, a few domestic fights, and a guy out looking for his runaway dog.
    My hearing picks up a female gasp. It’s a scared, surprised sound. I jerk my head and stare downriver, toward a row of restaurants and pubs. No. Beyond that. A park. I hear her whispered plea.
“No, please.”
“Let’s go,” I say to Noah. I take off. He’s right behind me.
    The rows we’re running down are relatively even, and I think we’d make better time going rooftop. I turn down a close, leap from car, wall to wall, and climb the chimney until I reach the top. Noah’s a step behind me. We take off.
    Across the rooftops we fly, bounding off chimneys