ground so all of my weight rested on his outstretched arm, a gamble because I could have been looking at a lot of pain at best or worse, I don’t want to elaborate. You can imagine for yourself.
The demon’s grip loosened, and I kicked him in the shins while rolling away. Lunging to my feet, I didn’t stick around to learn if I could take him once the surprise wore off. Better to see if a demon could keep up with my speed.
City blocks between us, I kept moving, but I sensed him back there. He wanted me to know he pursued me. I wracked my mind for where to go. Home was out of the question. Even if I had a barrier, I didn’t want him hanging around where I lived, and I had thoughts of the demon possessing a human and using him or her. Georgia popped into my head and her suggestion of watching over me. Another reason to remain alone.
I next considered Almonester’s bar, but on the first night I began working for him, he had outlined in no uncertain terms, “I don’t care about your problems. Don’t bring them to my bar.” Such heart in my landlord.
I had no allies and no resources. Ian, you bastard!
“Turn right.”
I skidded to a stop and glanced around. Then spoke in my own head. Before I was turned, Ian used to call to me. He had said we had a connection because he had fed from me while I was human, a fact which I resented very much. After I became a vampire, we communicated in this way, but I had heard nothing during the time when he left until now.
“Ian?”
“Turn right,” came the command again.
I scanned the area around me. I had ended up somewhere I didn’t recognize, a part of the city I hadn’t explored as yet. Needing to escape the demon, I decided to follow the commands. That is, until they stopped coming. I searched my mind, straining and calling to Ian. The more I reviewed the voice in my head, I wasn’t entirely sure it was Ian. The three-story building seemed to have been abandoned. The brick walls were blackened and crumbling in spots so bad that I spotted the sky through a few openings in it and the roof. The location was a bit obscure, and I began to wonder if I shouldn’t have paid attention both to where I was going and the wisdom of listening to the directions. I was no longer in the French Quarter where there were always people, although none of them could keep me safe.
I hesitated before the dark building. In an abandoned spot away from witnesses, this might be the perfect place for my existence to end. Rue, pull yourself together. That’s not going to happen. Not without a fight.
Something stirred in the wind, making my decision for me. I yanked at the rusty wrought iron gate, and with a loud creak, it gave. From the moment I stepped onto the grounds, a light came on inside the building and then more across each window as if the place came alive.
“Creepy.” I started forward. “Here goes nothing.”
“Rue.”
I jumped and looked around behind me. Milo stood on the street. He glanced past me to the building. “What are you doing here?”
“Milo!” I stomped over to him, my fists clenched at my sides. “My life has become a lot more complicated, and it’s your fault!”
He offered an expression of sympathy I didn’t believe for a second. “I’m sorry. So you decided to excommunicate yourself in a rotting old building?”
“It’s not.” I glanced around to the building, but Milo was right. There were no lights in the windows now, and if anything the place appeared even more disgusting. I reached out to the gate but drew back before my fingers touched it. “Well, never mind that. What are you going to do about demons chasing me and people assuming I’m working for you?”
He held up his hands and shrugged. “I’m truly sorry about that. If I thought I was going to drag you into my mess, I wouldn’t have approached you.”
“I approached you, remember? I saved your butt.”
“I would have gotten rid of them eventually. The point is—”
“The
The demon’s grip loosened, and I kicked him in the shins while rolling away. Lunging to my feet, I didn’t stick around to learn if I could take him once the surprise wore off. Better to see if a demon could keep up with my speed.
City blocks between us, I kept moving, but I sensed him back there. He wanted me to know he pursued me. I wracked my mind for where to go. Home was out of the question. Even if I had a barrier, I didn’t want him hanging around where I lived, and I had thoughts of the demon possessing a human and using him or her. Georgia popped into my head and her suggestion of watching over me. Another reason to remain alone.
I next considered Almonester’s bar, but on the first night I began working for him, he had outlined in no uncertain terms, “I don’t care about your problems. Don’t bring them to my bar.” Such heart in my landlord.
I had no allies and no resources. Ian, you bastard!
“Turn right.”
I skidded to a stop and glanced around. Then spoke in my own head. Before I was turned, Ian used to call to me. He had said we had a connection because he had fed from me while I was human, a fact which I resented very much. After I became a vampire, we communicated in this way, but I had heard nothing during the time when he left until now.
“Ian?”
“Turn right,” came the command again.
I scanned the area around me. I had ended up somewhere I didn’t recognize, a part of the city I hadn’t explored as yet. Needing to escape the demon, I decided to follow the commands. That is, until they stopped coming. I searched my mind, straining and calling to Ian. The more I reviewed the voice in my head, I wasn’t entirely sure it was Ian. The three-story building seemed to have been abandoned. The brick walls were blackened and crumbling in spots so bad that I spotted the sky through a few openings in it and the roof. The location was a bit obscure, and I began to wonder if I shouldn’t have paid attention both to where I was going and the wisdom of listening to the directions. I was no longer in the French Quarter where there were always people, although none of them could keep me safe.
I hesitated before the dark building. In an abandoned spot away from witnesses, this might be the perfect place for my existence to end. Rue, pull yourself together. That’s not going to happen. Not without a fight.
Something stirred in the wind, making my decision for me. I yanked at the rusty wrought iron gate, and with a loud creak, it gave. From the moment I stepped onto the grounds, a light came on inside the building and then more across each window as if the place came alive.
“Creepy.” I started forward. “Here goes nothing.”
“Rue.”
I jumped and looked around behind me. Milo stood on the street. He glanced past me to the building. “What are you doing here?”
“Milo!” I stomped over to him, my fists clenched at my sides. “My life has become a lot more complicated, and it’s your fault!”
He offered an expression of sympathy I didn’t believe for a second. “I’m sorry. So you decided to excommunicate yourself in a rotting old building?”
“It’s not.” I glanced around to the building, but Milo was right. There were no lights in the windows now, and if anything the place appeared even more disgusting. I reached out to the gate but drew back before my fingers touched it. “Well, never mind that. What are you going to do about demons chasing me and people assuming I’m working for you?”
He held up his hands and shrugged. “I’m truly sorry about that. If I thought I was going to drag you into my mess, I wouldn’t have approached you.”
“I approached you, remember? I saved your butt.”
“I would have gotten rid of them eventually. The point is—”
“The
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