much, but it could tell her if Wendy was still human.
Gold pressed the silver to Wendy’s skin and counted to three. When she pulled it back, the girl’s flesh was unharmed and the red gem didn’t glow. Still human. If she’d been turned, the skin beneath the charm would have bubbled and burned.
She went back to cutting the rope, Wendy’s unconsciousness making the job easier. She didn’t need to comfort the girl and save her at the same time. When the two vampires started moving closer, she worked faster.
"You brought your own snack?" That wasn’t Luther talking. This vampire had a nasally American accent, like he was from New York or somewhere like it. She couldn’t see his face, only making out a glimpse of his black hair through a hole in the wall.
"She doesn't know that, Okano,” said Luther. Alarm zinged through her, but she reminded herself that he had to lie. Still, she worked quickly, afraid that her first instinct had been right and that this was a trap.
"Why is she with my human?" Okano asked.
"I think she's trying to rescue her.” He sounded amused. “You know those Buffy types. Watch a TV show and they think they're heroes." He put on his libertine voice again.
The one he used when he was playing a role. She couldn’t know that, but it felt so right that she couldn’t stop believing it. Up until Adam Luther, she’d never been tempted to trust a vampire, but with him, it was almost impossible not to.
As she sawed at the rope, she caught sight of the bandage under her sleeve. That was a harsh reminder that it didn’t matter whether she trusted him—she had a duty.
"And you were the glowering hero?” Okano laughed. “Oh, Adam my boy, you play to type."
The rope frayed and broke with a final stroke of her blade, freeing Wendy from the pipe. Her hands were still bound, but Gold was making progress. She put her knife away and loosened the rope around Wendy’s hands until it fell free.
It took a little maneuvering, but Gold’s only real option was to sling Wendy over her shoulder and pull out her revolver. Her aim would be crap and her balance off, but she’d be a sitting—well, hobbling—duck otherwise.
When Gold picked Wendy up, the girl started to groan in pain. Gold hissed out something almost like a hush, though she knew Wendy couldn’t hear her. The vampires already knew what she was doing, but she was running out of time if Adam was really distracting Okano for her.
"I think she's had her fun,” said Okano. “Would you like to do the honors? She is yours, after all."
Here it was, the moment of truth. Gold started to move. Each step that she took was a step she wouldn’t have to fight for later.
Adam clicked his tongue, and sucked in a breath. "Yeah,” he said, “That's not going to work for me."
For two seconds, there was absolute silence as Okano processed his words. "What?" he finally asked.
There was a crash, and a cloud of dust appeared through the hole in the wall. She heard growls and fists connecting with flesh. The mossy scent of vampiric blood soaked the air as the two men fought.
Gold worked in double time, taking the stairs as quickly as she could with a woman slung over her shoulder and a gun in her hand. It was too slow; she knew it with every step, but any faster and she’d trip and face plant, probably breaking her neck in the process, if not Wendy’s as well.
It took too long, but they made it to the bottom, Wendy starting to stir, the incredible pain she had to be in finally getting through the haze of unconsciousness.
“Wharr…” she mumbled, the words jumbled together, not making any sense.
“Shh,” Gold whispered, “I’m here to help.” Her shoulder was killing her, but she couldn’t stop. Not with the front door in sight.
With a crack and a crash, the vampires fell through the half-wall on the second floor, landing in a heap on top of a broken couch. Before the dust settled and Gold could see, Okano was on her, grabbing her away
Gold pressed the silver to Wendy’s skin and counted to three. When she pulled it back, the girl’s flesh was unharmed and the red gem didn’t glow. Still human. If she’d been turned, the skin beneath the charm would have bubbled and burned.
She went back to cutting the rope, Wendy’s unconsciousness making the job easier. She didn’t need to comfort the girl and save her at the same time. When the two vampires started moving closer, she worked faster.
"You brought your own snack?" That wasn’t Luther talking. This vampire had a nasally American accent, like he was from New York or somewhere like it. She couldn’t see his face, only making out a glimpse of his black hair through a hole in the wall.
"She doesn't know that, Okano,” said Luther. Alarm zinged through her, but she reminded herself that he had to lie. Still, she worked quickly, afraid that her first instinct had been right and that this was a trap.
"Why is she with my human?" Okano asked.
"I think she's trying to rescue her.” He sounded amused. “You know those Buffy types. Watch a TV show and they think they're heroes." He put on his libertine voice again.
The one he used when he was playing a role. She couldn’t know that, but it felt so right that she couldn’t stop believing it. Up until Adam Luther, she’d never been tempted to trust a vampire, but with him, it was almost impossible not to.
As she sawed at the rope, she caught sight of the bandage under her sleeve. That was a harsh reminder that it didn’t matter whether she trusted him—she had a duty.
"And you were the glowering hero?” Okano laughed. “Oh, Adam my boy, you play to type."
The rope frayed and broke with a final stroke of her blade, freeing Wendy from the pipe. Her hands were still bound, but Gold was making progress. She put her knife away and loosened the rope around Wendy’s hands until it fell free.
It took a little maneuvering, but Gold’s only real option was to sling Wendy over her shoulder and pull out her revolver. Her aim would be crap and her balance off, but she’d be a sitting—well, hobbling—duck otherwise.
When Gold picked Wendy up, the girl started to groan in pain. Gold hissed out something almost like a hush, though she knew Wendy couldn’t hear her. The vampires already knew what she was doing, but she was running out of time if Adam was really distracting Okano for her.
"I think she's had her fun,” said Okano. “Would you like to do the honors? She is yours, after all."
Here it was, the moment of truth. Gold started to move. Each step that she took was a step she wouldn’t have to fight for later.
Adam clicked his tongue, and sucked in a breath. "Yeah,” he said, “That's not going to work for me."
For two seconds, there was absolute silence as Okano processed his words. "What?" he finally asked.
There was a crash, and a cloud of dust appeared through the hole in the wall. She heard growls and fists connecting with flesh. The mossy scent of vampiric blood soaked the air as the two men fought.
Gold worked in double time, taking the stairs as quickly as she could with a woman slung over her shoulder and a gun in her hand. It was too slow; she knew it with every step, but any faster and she’d trip and face plant, probably breaking her neck in the process, if not Wendy’s as well.
It took too long, but they made it to the bottom, Wendy starting to stir, the incredible pain she had to be in finally getting through the haze of unconsciousness.
“Wharr…” she mumbled, the words jumbled together, not making any sense.
“Shh,” Gold whispered, “I’m here to help.” Her shoulder was killing her, but she couldn’t stop. Not with the front door in sight.
With a crack and a crash, the vampires fell through the half-wall on the second floor, landing in a heap on top of a broken couch. Before the dust settled and Gold could see, Okano was on her, grabbing her away
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