who knows? Everything hinges on one snap decision. You stare too long at those Mixen over there then who knows which way this could turn.’
Evie swallowed and kept moving forward, head down, eyes averted. She wished she could feel Lucas, wished even more that she could see him. She tried to sense him like she had done the other night, when he’d been fighting Shula, but there were too many unhumans around and she couldn’t focus. With the suffocating panic that had a hold of her, it was all she could do to follow Issa’s orders not to stare and to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
They reached the head of the line and Flic burst her way through the crowd, planting herself in front of two doormen who were standing in front of a metal door. A stream of profanities and growls erupted from the crowd behind them.
‘Hey Jules,’ Flic drawled, completely ignoring the protesting crowd and flashing the doorman a wide smile, ‘I brought some friends. Can we skip the queue?’
Chapter 9
Lucas waited in the shadows ready to pounce. The Thirster behind Evie was growling unpleasantly. Lucas’s fingers were clasped around the hilt of his blade. He watched the Thirster. If it made the slightest move it would find itself missing a head. And then it would find itself on fire. He was tempted to start the fight here and now. But taking it inside was the sensible thing – away from any prying human eyes – and somewhere he could contain the mess. His training from Tristan was coming back to him instinctively. He had already scanned the entire crowd on his way past, assessing who potentially posed a threat, who would run, who was armed, who would go down easily. There were no Shadow Warriors, thankfully, besides Flic. No one who could see him hidden here in the shadows.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them up, never taking his eyes off Evie. He didn’t like it – being this far from her. It reminded him of how he’d felt standing on the bank of the pond watching her dive down into the darkness – that stomach-curling sensation of having her just out of reach, the freezing fear that he might not be able to reach her in time. From over here in the shadows he could barely scent her, her heartbeat was just a rapid whisper, an undercurrent to all the other noises he was picking up – the shrieks of the Mixen further back in the crowd discussing the downfalls of getting intimate with the male of the species, and a couple of Scorpio talking in hushed voices about which realm was best for scoring drugs. Some young Shapeshifters near the front of the line were still talking about him. Apparently the rumour had it he had slaughtered a whole army of Thirsters, drunk the blood of the Scorpio whose tail he’d chopped off and had made into a belt, and was now off enjoying a romantic honeymoon with the Hunter he’d rescued.
He laughed under his breath, imagining what Evie would say if she could hear. No doubt she’d ask to see the Scorpio-skin belt. She was looking around nervously now. From the way her eyes kept skirting over the alley he guessed that she was trying to sense him, but her eyes flew right by him. Issa had stepped between her and the Thirsters and was shielding her partly from sight. He stared at Issa’s blonde head, half masking Evie’s darker one, and another wave of unease washed over him. What if Issa had been right about the army? What if she wasn’t trying to scare him?
He didn’t have time to think about it, however. Whatever Flic had said had worked. The doorman was standing aside to let her and the others into the club. Lucas readied himself, waiting for Jamieson’s signal. As soon as he saw it, he moved, crossing the alley unseen and ducking beneath Jamieson’s arm as he held the door open wide for Evie and Issa.
He moved fast down the corridor, the neon lights affording no cover. He would be a dark blur, a shadow flickering against the wall. The girls sitting by the cloakroom were
Evie swallowed and kept moving forward, head down, eyes averted. She wished she could feel Lucas, wished even more that she could see him. She tried to sense him like she had done the other night, when he’d been fighting Shula, but there were too many unhumans around and she couldn’t focus. With the suffocating panic that had a hold of her, it was all she could do to follow Issa’s orders not to stare and to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
They reached the head of the line and Flic burst her way through the crowd, planting herself in front of two doormen who were standing in front of a metal door. A stream of profanities and growls erupted from the crowd behind them.
‘Hey Jules,’ Flic drawled, completely ignoring the protesting crowd and flashing the doorman a wide smile, ‘I brought some friends. Can we skip the queue?’
Chapter 9
Lucas waited in the shadows ready to pounce. The Thirster behind Evie was growling unpleasantly. Lucas’s fingers were clasped around the hilt of his blade. He watched the Thirster. If it made the slightest move it would find itself missing a head. And then it would find itself on fire. He was tempted to start the fight here and now. But taking it inside was the sensible thing – away from any prying human eyes – and somewhere he could contain the mess. His training from Tristan was coming back to him instinctively. He had already scanned the entire crowd on his way past, assessing who potentially posed a threat, who would run, who was armed, who would go down easily. There were no Shadow Warriors, thankfully, besides Flic. No one who could see him hidden here in the shadows.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to loosen them up, never taking his eyes off Evie. He didn’t like it – being this far from her. It reminded him of how he’d felt standing on the bank of the pond watching her dive down into the darkness – that stomach-curling sensation of having her just out of reach, the freezing fear that he might not be able to reach her in time. From over here in the shadows he could barely scent her, her heartbeat was just a rapid whisper, an undercurrent to all the other noises he was picking up – the shrieks of the Mixen further back in the crowd discussing the downfalls of getting intimate with the male of the species, and a couple of Scorpio talking in hushed voices about which realm was best for scoring drugs. Some young Shapeshifters near the front of the line were still talking about him. Apparently the rumour had it he had slaughtered a whole army of Thirsters, drunk the blood of the Scorpio whose tail he’d chopped off and had made into a belt, and was now off enjoying a romantic honeymoon with the Hunter he’d rescued.
He laughed under his breath, imagining what Evie would say if she could hear. No doubt she’d ask to see the Scorpio-skin belt. She was looking around nervously now. From the way her eyes kept skirting over the alley he guessed that she was trying to sense him, but her eyes flew right by him. Issa had stepped between her and the Thirsters and was shielding her partly from sight. He stared at Issa’s blonde head, half masking Evie’s darker one, and another wave of unease washed over him. What if Issa had been right about the army? What if she wasn’t trying to scare him?
He didn’t have time to think about it, however. Whatever Flic had said had worked. The doorman was standing aside to let her and the others into the club. Lucas readied himself, waiting for Jamieson’s signal. As soon as he saw it, he moved, crossing the alley unseen and ducking beneath Jamieson’s arm as he held the door open wide for Evie and Issa.
He moved fast down the corridor, the neon lights affording no cover. He would be a dark blur, a shadow flickering against the wall. The girls sitting by the cloakroom were
Similar Books
