rubber. The back end fishtailed, knocking over a newspaper machine and narrowly avoided a telephone pole.
The witch stepped into the street behind them. Fury masked her dark face. Her hand lifted and she made a jerking motion. The man next to Trent flew from the sidewalk as if pulled by an invisible string. His body struck the hood of the car with a bone cracking thud. His pained face had pressed against the fractured windshield before the body bounced over and away. It landed on the street, limbs akimbo.
“Holy fuck! Did you see that?” Jai Li accelerated around a corner. “She was out in the open! Anyone could have seen it.”
Corey laid his head against the seat and shut his dark eyes. The pained grimace that wound across his face concerned Marcus. Twisting in the seat, Marcus turned to study Corey. The kid's gaze looked unfocused, and there were dark areas beneath his eyes. His breaths came in shallow, labored gasps. "Hey, you okay?"
“What’s wrong with him?” Jai Li switched lanes. The big car lurched and growled.
Marcus crawled over the plush leather seats into the back and ignored her huffs of irritation. After a few choice curses in Chinese, she growled, “Don’t scuff my seats, heathen!”
Marcus took Corey’s face in his hands. He seemed to be close to unconsciousness, maybe even going into shock. His veins stood out in stark contrast against pale skin. “Where are you injured?”
“It hurts.” Corey's head rocked back. “What’s happening to me, Marcus? Feels like my insides are on fire.”
“Stay with me, kid. Tell me where it hurts.” Marcus ran his hands over Corey’s chest and arms. He maneuvered him until he lay against his chest and examined his back too. Corey didn’t help much in the exploration as he slipped in and out of consciousness.
“Did she spell him?” Jai Li asked.
A car behind them laid on its horn. Jai Li accelerated, and the big sedan lurched forward.
Corey made a desperate noise and convulsed. His eyes rolled up into his head until only the whites showed. He bucked against the seat, and his heels thrummed on the floorboard. Christ, a seizure too?
Marcus ran his hands down Corey’s legs and found a small tear in his pants. He ripped the fabric away. A sliver of silver, probably a penknife, had broken off on the inside of Corey’s thigh. The kid had bled out while he ran for his life. His body must be fighting, attempting to mend what had broken. Corey’s system had too little blood left to aid the process. Marcus had never seen anyone react this way to silver. Corey might find true death if they didn’t get him some sustenance soon.
The blade had broken off flush with the skin. The area around it was angry and inflamed. Now that it no longer bled, it had begun to heal and seal the silver inside the wound.
Corey’s eyes were glassy and vacant. His words slurred together like he was drunk. “Must've got me when I ran past them. Broke it clean off, huh?”
“Hold on, Corey, this is going to hurt like a son of a bitch.” Marcus dug his finger and thumb into the meat of Corey’s thigh to extract a long, slender piece of silver. The blade slipped from the soft tissue. Corey screamed and clutched at Marcus's shoulders.
Corey slumped over, and blackened saliva leaked from the corners of his mouth.
“Shit! Pull over!”
The car bumped to a stop against the curb. Marcus wrenched the door open and pulled Corey from its confines. The younger vampire spewed frothy black liquid across the cement.
Marcus helped him get into the car afterward. He allowed the younger vampire to collapse against him. Jai Li pulled back onto the road. Marcus was surprised that she said nothing about the ruined seats.
Corey clutched at him, holding on like a frightened child.
Marcus embraced him. “I've got you.”
Jai Li’s concerned gaze darted from the road to the rearview mirror. “Is he going to die?”
“Not if I can help it.” Marcus raised his left wrist to Corey's
The witch stepped into the street behind them. Fury masked her dark face. Her hand lifted and she made a jerking motion. The man next to Trent flew from the sidewalk as if pulled by an invisible string. His body struck the hood of the car with a bone cracking thud. His pained face had pressed against the fractured windshield before the body bounced over and away. It landed on the street, limbs akimbo.
“Holy fuck! Did you see that?” Jai Li accelerated around a corner. “She was out in the open! Anyone could have seen it.”
Corey laid his head against the seat and shut his dark eyes. The pained grimace that wound across his face concerned Marcus. Twisting in the seat, Marcus turned to study Corey. The kid's gaze looked unfocused, and there were dark areas beneath his eyes. His breaths came in shallow, labored gasps. "Hey, you okay?"
“What’s wrong with him?” Jai Li switched lanes. The big car lurched and growled.
Marcus crawled over the plush leather seats into the back and ignored her huffs of irritation. After a few choice curses in Chinese, she growled, “Don’t scuff my seats, heathen!”
Marcus took Corey’s face in his hands. He seemed to be close to unconsciousness, maybe even going into shock. His veins stood out in stark contrast against pale skin. “Where are you injured?”
“It hurts.” Corey's head rocked back. “What’s happening to me, Marcus? Feels like my insides are on fire.”
“Stay with me, kid. Tell me where it hurts.” Marcus ran his hands over Corey’s chest and arms. He maneuvered him until he lay against his chest and examined his back too. Corey didn’t help much in the exploration as he slipped in and out of consciousness.
“Did she spell him?” Jai Li asked.
A car behind them laid on its horn. Jai Li accelerated, and the big sedan lurched forward.
Corey made a desperate noise and convulsed. His eyes rolled up into his head until only the whites showed. He bucked against the seat, and his heels thrummed on the floorboard. Christ, a seizure too?
Marcus ran his hands down Corey’s legs and found a small tear in his pants. He ripped the fabric away. A sliver of silver, probably a penknife, had broken off on the inside of Corey’s thigh. The kid had bled out while he ran for his life. His body must be fighting, attempting to mend what had broken. Corey’s system had too little blood left to aid the process. Marcus had never seen anyone react this way to silver. Corey might find true death if they didn’t get him some sustenance soon.
The blade had broken off flush with the skin. The area around it was angry and inflamed. Now that it no longer bled, it had begun to heal and seal the silver inside the wound.
Corey’s eyes were glassy and vacant. His words slurred together like he was drunk. “Must've got me when I ran past them. Broke it clean off, huh?”
“Hold on, Corey, this is going to hurt like a son of a bitch.” Marcus dug his finger and thumb into the meat of Corey’s thigh to extract a long, slender piece of silver. The blade slipped from the soft tissue. Corey screamed and clutched at Marcus's shoulders.
Corey slumped over, and blackened saliva leaked from the corners of his mouth.
“Shit! Pull over!”
The car bumped to a stop against the curb. Marcus wrenched the door open and pulled Corey from its confines. The younger vampire spewed frothy black liquid across the cement.
Marcus helped him get into the car afterward. He allowed the younger vampire to collapse against him. Jai Li pulled back onto the road. Marcus was surprised that she said nothing about the ruined seats.
Corey clutched at him, holding on like a frightened child.
Marcus embraced him. “I've got you.”
Jai Li’s concerned gaze darted from the road to the rearview mirror. “Is he going to die?”
“Not if I can help it.” Marcus raised his left wrist to Corey's
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