Chapter 12

Jonas bolted forward, moving through the trees so fast he was almost a blur. I followed, desperately trying to keep up even as the noise and confusion from Chaos grew and sharpened.

“Jonas,” I yelled, raising an arm to protect my face from the branches that whipped past, “ask Nuri to punch a hole through the earth at the top end of the sunken tunnel area.”

“Why?” The reply was curt.

“Because if I can get into the bunker, I can call the ghosts—”

“No ghosts,” he bit back. “Not in Chaos.”

“Why in Rhea not?” I leapt over a log but slipped on the leaf matter beyond it and wrenched a leg muscle. I cursed loudly but ran on.

“Because in a city filled with shifters and outcasts, déchet ghosts might not be able to resist the impulse to extract a little vengeance.”

He was pulling ahead of me now. I cursed again and reached for more speed. “If they wanted vengeance, they would have taken it against you and the others when we attacked the vampire nest.”

“By the time we’d arrived, their energy was well and truly depleted. That would not be the case here.”

“But—”

“No ghosts!”

And with that, his form became fluid, moving from human to that of a black panther—one with faint, almost tigerlike white stripes. Another result of our merging, obviously, and one that made me wonder if I might now be able to take tiger form. While the DNA of a white tiger had been used in my creation, I’d never been designed to shift into that form, for whatever reason.

It was possible that the mixing of our DNA now meant that I could—but it wasn’t something I was about to explore at this very moment. My first body shift had been something of a harrowing experience, and it had left me weak for days. Given that I was already at low tide when it came to strength, risking an attempt into a new—and unfamiliar—form wouldn’t be the brightest of moves.

But it wasn’t like I didn’t have another option. I sucked in the night as I ran and drew it deep into my lungs. The vampire within me rose at its touch, and in very little time my flesh had become little more than dark matter. I zoomed forward, Cat and Bear at my side. While I normally would have sent them back to the safety of the bunker, I had a bad feeling the vampires in Chaos were only interested in one thing—Penny.

Jonas might have said no ghosts, but he’d meant the soldiers, not my little ones. And I certainly had no intention of making a rearguard attack on the vampires—Nuri and Jonas could take care of that. My goal was Penny herself. The bastards weren’t going to reclaim her if I could help it—and protecting her was certainly something Cat and Bear could help with.

We caught up with Jonas just as he was leaping the muddy trickle of water that was the Barra River, and a low, annoyed snarl chased after us as we continued on. Up ahead, the sounds of fighting and gunshots now mingled with the screams, and the bottom levels of Chaos were ablaze—with fire rather than lights. But fire was a tenuous light—it cast some areas into fierce brightness and others into shadow—and unless they set the whole place on fire, it would not be enough to stop the vampires.

I raced through the entrance and swept up through the nearest air vent to the next level. People were everywhere, some dead, some not, some armed and fighting, and some simply bleeding. There were women and children among the dead and injured, and rage filled me. Not at the vampires, but at those who had ordered them here. They were responsible for this destruction, and by Rhea, one way or another, they would damn well pay for it.

We continued on to the next level. The sounds of gunshots and fighting grew sharper. Vampires lay among the dead, but their bodies smoldered rather than burned, even though the light from the nearby fires touched their forms.

Unease stirred, but I thrust it aside. The hows and whys behind their flesh remaining whole despite the touch of light could be worried about later. Right now I had one objective—beating the bastards to Penny.

I continued rising through the various air vents. The higher I got, the more prevalent regular lighting became, and the more it began to tear at my shadowed form. I made it to the fifth level before the shadows completely unraveled and I became myself again. As I landed in a half crouch on the spindly metal bridge that spanned the width of the vent, Bear screamed a warning. I grabbed the rifle from behind my back, swung around, and saw three vampires coming at me.

And the light wasn’t burning them. Wasn’t stopping them.

Rhea help us, I thought, even as I fired. Two went down in a fountain of blood and gore, but the third hit me and sent me tumbling backward. I shoved the rifle sideways into his mouth to stop him from biting me, but his razor-sharp fingernails raked my side, drawing blood. Then energy surged as my two little ghosts tore him from me. As he hit the side of a container on the far side of the bridge and slithered down, I sighted and fired, spreading his brains across the grimy metal wall. I scrambled upright and ran forward.

“Bear, find me the nearest ladder onto the sixth level.”

As he raced away, I ran across the rest of the bridge and entered the more shadowed laneway. Movement, this to my left. I flipped the rifle and swung it hard, then rapidly checked the blow. A woman with a child, not a vampire.

She grabbed a fistful of shirt, her grip fierce, as if she feared I’d shake her loose and move on. It made me wonder who had done so.

“Please,” she said, her eyes wide and glimmering with unshed tears. “Help us. Please.”

Urgency was beating through my brain, telling me that I needed to get to Penny, that if I didn’t, we’d lose her. But I couldn’t leave this woman here, scared, alone, and unprotected. Especially not when she was holding a baby.

I studied the nearby containers for someplace safe. Cat screamed a warning. I wrenched my arm free from the woman’s grip, then turned and fired. A vampire went down, half his leg gone. I finished him off and reloaded the weapon.

“This way,” I said to the woman, voice tight.

She didn’t argue. She just fell in step behind me, keeping so close she tripped over my feet several times. Up ahead, light filtered out from underneath the door of a solid-looking container. It was brighter than the light that flooded much of this level, and might offer a little more safety. I stopped and tested the handle; it was locked. I raised a fist and bashed on the door. The sound echoed faintly, and after a second, footsteps shuffled toward us. “Who is it?”

“I’m a mercenary,” I said. “I have a woman and child here with me. You need to open up.”

There was a moment’s hesitation; then the locks were undone, bolts were slid aside, and the door opened a crack. An elderly man peered at us both for a second, then fully opened the door. “Come in, come in, quickly.”

I stepped to one side and allowed the woman to pass. “Have you got any weapons?” I asked the old man.

He shook his head. “All we have is the generator and the light.”

“Then keep the damn light as bright as you can, for as long as you can.” I unclipped the gun we’d retrieved from the remains of the solar vehicle and handed it to him. “And keep this close.”

He checked that the weapon was fully loaded, then tucked it into the front of his pants. “You’re not coming in?”

“No. I have vampires to fight.”

“Then keep safe, and may Rhea bless you.”

It was a blessing I would undoubtedly need. As the old man shut and locked the door, I spun and ran on.

Bear returned. There’s a ladder twenty meters away, but vampires and men are fighting all around it.

“Is that the closest ladder?”

Yes. There is one farther on, but it’s also blocked by men and vampires.

I frowned. “How light is it up ahead?”

It is no different from here.

Meaning it was regular lighting rather than UV. And normally, that would have been enough to stop vampires, but something had very definitely changed in the last few days.

I leapt over several bodies but couldn’t entirely avoid the large pool of blood that was spreading across the grimy metal walkway. It splattered across my legs, its coppery yet oddly sweet smell filling my nostrils. Sharpened senses, one part of my brain noted, even as I said, “How many vamps are we talking about?”

“Three. There are eight mercenaries trying to stop them.”

I frowned. Those odds should have worked in the mercs’ favor, especially given that the vampires’ one major advantage—the ability to shadow and allow bullets to pass through them without causing any sort of harm—should have been nullified by the light. By all rights, the mercenaries should have been all over them.

So why weren’t they? What in Rhea was going on? Were Sal’s partners further along the immunity path than we’d thought? I really, really hoped that wasn’t true—that this immunity applied only to firelight and non-UV lights. We’d be in a whole world of trouble if it also applied to UVs.

There was only one way to find out. As the sound of fighting grew closer and fiercer, I pulled the flashlight from the accessory pocket in my pants and switched it on. The clean blue-white light not only illuminated the shadows hunkering beyond the containers that lined this metal pathway, but spotlighted the fierce cluster of men and vampires up ahead.

Vampires screamed as the light hit them and almost instantly, all three were little more than ash raining down on the blood and gore staining the bottom of the ladder.

One of the men—a fierce-looking black man with a platted beard longer than my arm—swung around. “What the fuck is going on? Do you know? Because these bastards aren’t here for blood.”

“No, they’re not.” I slithered to a stop and pointed up the ladder. “I need to get up there, and I need you and the others on this level to stop any more of them getting up there for as long as you can.”

“A fucking hard request, given that these bastards seem immune to our lights.”

“But not all light, as this flashlight proved. UVs still stop them.”

“Not something we have much of here in Chaos.” He stepped to one side and motioned to the ladder. “Go. We’ll do our best.”

“Thanks.” I tucked the flashlight back into my pocket, then gripped the first rung and hastily began to climb. Bear, could you scout ahead and see if you can locate Penny? She should be in Nuri’s bar somewhere.

Nuri might have said she was keeping her isolated, but I doubted, given Jonas’s determination to keep her close and his belief that it was only their presence that was keeping her grounded, that she’d be too far away from their main base of power.

Up ahead, shadows danced against a backdrop of light. Men and vampires, fighting. Cat, you want to check the exit? Make sure it’s safe?

She surged upward but didn’t immediately report back. I slowed as I neared the top of the ladder, fear beginning to slide through me. Cat? You okay?

She immediately returned, her amusement and excitement high. The ladder is now safe.

A series of images flashed through my mind: Cat had tossed the two vampires who’d been waiting near the ladder’s exit into the middle of another six, scattering them all and allowing the mercenaries who’d been fighting them to shoot the lot. I couldn’t help grinning. “Good work, Cat.”

She preened at that, but nevertheless raced ahead of me to make a final check and give the all-clear. I quickly climbed out, felt the metal walkway underneath me vibrating, and glanced right. The mercenaries were racing toward me. As I rolled out of their way, a bell began to peal loudly. It was coming from the middle portion of this level—which was exactly where Nuri’s was. I scrambled upright and ran after the men.

They ran straight into more vamps.

As screams and gunshots began to echo, I grabbed the flashlight again and hit the switch. Its light bloomed, eradicating the nearest vampires and causing those behind the men to burst into flame. As the mercenaries finished the vamps off, I swung left into Run Turk Alley and raced toward Nuri’s. There were no men lounging about this time, no legs to avoid or trip over. There were bodies—both men and vampire—but only a couple. Maybe, just maybe, they hadn’t found Penny yet.

But even as that thought crossed my mind, I knew it was a forlorn one.

Nuri’s came into view. The claxon ringing of the bell was coming from its interior, as was the sound of fighting. I thrust the door open but didn’t immediately race in.

Safe, Bear said.

I bolted through the bar. It was empty, but it bore signs of the fight I could hear ahead—tables were upturned, chairs were smashed, and the torso of a vampire lay draped over the bar. Where his legs were I had no idea. Nor did I care.

I ducked through the second doorway and saw Branna running backward, firing his rifle at the three vampires in the room. There were another two on the floor, their bodies torn apart.

I raised the flashlight. Almost instantly the vampires became puddles of ash. Branna stopped and blinked; then his gaze rose and he saw me. Rage—blind, unthinking rage—crossed his face and he raised the gun again.

“Bear,” I screamed, even as I flung myself sideways. A gunshot rang out; the bullet whistled past my butt as I slid along the greasy, bloody floor. Then there was a grunt, and the sound of something hitting the floor hard. I pushed upright. Branna was out to it, and a chair leg was hovering threateningly over him.

“Thanks, Bear.” His energy danced around me, the chair leg briefly threatening to club me before he got it under control again. “Can you show me where Penny is? And, Cat, can you keep an eye on Branna? If he wakes, let me know.”

You don’t want me to knock him out again?

The question held a disappointed edge. I couldn’t help smiling. “If he wakes up angry, feel free.”

She zoomed off, and another chair leg was soon hovering over Branna’s prone form. If he did wake up anytime soon, he wasn’t likely to remain that way for long. Not if Cat had anything to say about it.

I followed Bear out of the room and into the walkway beyond. A short set of stairs later, and we were in an area I knew. I’d woken up in this area twice previously—once in a room that had been designed to hold vampires, and once in a basic but comfortable sleeping area.

I wasn’t entirely surprised when Bear led me to the former rather than the latter.

I tested the door handle. It was locked. “Penny?” I said. “You there? You okay?”

“Yes.” The answer was short, almost sharp, and even though it was Penny’s voice, there was something within it that made my skin crawl.

The claxon alarm suddenly cut off. Awareness surged; there were vampires in the bar. How they’d gotten past the mercenaries guarding the entrance of this lane I had no idea, but if I didn’t do something—didn’t get Penny out of here—I’d soon be knee-deep in them.

Cat, there’s vampires headed your way. Be careful. Aloud, I added, “Penny, the vamps are attacking Chaos in an effort to retrieve you. You’re not safe here.”

“I’m not safe anywhere.” She paused. “I can feel them. Despite Nuri’s spells, I can feel them in my head.”

My gut churned. This wasn’t a good development. I briefly closed my eyes, not sure whether it was better to make a stand here or get her out and run.

The choice was taken out of my hands as Cat yelled a warning and the vampires attacked. Two of them flowed up the stairs as one, a mass of stinking, snarling desperation. I raised both the flashlight and my rifle, firing one-handed even as their flesh exploded into flame. There was answering retort from behind them, and a second later the flashlight exploded in my hand, almost taking several fingers with it. As blood began spurting from the wounds, two more vampires appeared. One of them was holding a gun.

An armed vampire; it was almost too ludicrous to believe.

Bear, grab that thing. I flung myself sideways as the vampire fired another shot. It pinged against the container behind me, sending shards of metal flying into my face and hair. I cursed, but nevertheless twisted around and returned fire. I got one of them. Bear snatched the weapon from the other, who either didn’t care or didn’t notice. He just kept on running.

I raised the rifle again and pressed the trigger. This time, nothing happened. Out of ammo. With no time to reload, I simply flipped the rifle around and raised it above my head.

But the vampire wasn’t after me. Instead, he flung himself, as hard as he could, at the door barring Penny’s sanctuary. It was a sturdy metal thing, and the vampire’s weight made little more than a dent. Bear tossed me the vampire’s rifle. In one smooth motion, I caught it and fired. The force of the shot not only pushed me backward, but punched a hole through the vampire and the door behind it.

I blinked and momentarily glanced down at the weapon. Obviously, I was damn lucky to have a hand left, let alone all my fingers still attached.

Then the importance of the hole registered.

“Penny,” I screamed. “Are you okay?”

Silence was my only reply, and my heart just about stopped. Please, Rhea, don’t let her be dead.

Cat zoomed up from the back room. The vampires and the men are fighting near Nuri’s. I’m not sure the men will hold them.

How many vampires?

Only four. But the lane is too narrow to allow much fighting room.

Because these lanes had never been designed for fighting. No one had ever expected the vampires to reach this far into Chaos.

And certainly no one had expected them to find immunity to ordinary lights.

Branna?

Got hit again.

Good. But it was absently said. My attention was on the container opposite, on the hole that revealed the brightness of the UVs that lit the room beyond. The scent of blood was thick and rich in the air, but its source was both the blood pouring from my hand and the gore of the vampire I’d blown apart. “Penny?”

“I’m here.” Her voice was faint but didn’t seem to be distressed in any way.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

Again, her tone was distant. I frowned and glanced toward the stairs at the faintest whisper of sound. No vampires appeared, but they couldn’t be far away.

Should I run? Or make a stand? Adrenaline was probably the only thing keeping me upright at the moment, but I knew it couldn’t last. Not given the bloody state of my hand and the rips down my side. In many ways, getting Penny out of here had been a forlorn hope to begin with, but given the number of vampires and their sudden immunity to light, it had become nigh on impossible.

Realistically, the only chance I really had of keeping her out of their hands was by joining her in that room. The UVs would at least crisp any vampire that took one step into the room, and I could shoot any that managed two.

“Penny, I need you to open the door.”

“Can’t,” she said. “Nuri has the keys.”

Of course she did. I took a deep breath to calm the urgency beating through my brain. “Cat, Bear, can you combine forces and get that thing open?”

Energy surged, and a heartbeat later the door banged back against the hinges. A tide of weariness washed through our link. They were both nearing the end of their strength and needed to rest. Come in with me, I said. The lights will keep us all safe.

It would be better—

Bear, I interrupted gently, if the vampires find a way to cut the power to this room, then we’re all in a world of trouble. We need to conserve our strength.

He didn’t argue. He just followed me in. I glanced around quickly and saw Penny in the corner. There was a smashed chair beside her and she was holding one of its legs in front of her like a baton.

“It’ll be okay, Penny. Nuri and Jonas are on the way, and the mercenaries are winning the battle against the vampires.”

“I know.”

Her voice was even more distant, and despite the odd trembling in her bottom lip, there was no emotion in her face and little life in her eyes. I frowned but swung around and studied the door. When the ghosts had forced it open, they also busted the lock. I could close it but that was about it. Not that it really mattered. Vampires were rail thin, and the hole I’d blasted in the middle of the door was large enough for one of them to squeeze through.

“Right,” I said as I turned toward Penny again, “if we just hunker down in—”

The rest of the words were cut off as the ghosts screamed a warning. I reacted, but far too slowly. Something smashed into the side of my head and sent me spinning to the floor. I hit hard and the air left my lungs in a huge whoosh. For too many seconds, I hovered on the brink of unconsciousness, battling a stomach that threatened to jump up my throat even as tears of pain—and maybe even blood—coursed down my face.

Voices echoed. One calm, remote, the other two filled with confusion and fear. Then footsteps. Not coming closer, but moving away. Out of the room, down the walkway.

“Cat? Bear?” I somehow croaked. “What happened?”

Penny attacked you, Cat said, even as Bear added, She said she’d order the vampires to kill you if we didn’t let her go.

Order the vampires . . . Three simple words that were going to provide a whole world of pain to Jonas. Whatever had been done to her, whatever changes had been made to her DNA, those words made it obvious she was now connected to either the vampires or those who controlled them. Maybe even both.

But if she was connected to Sal’s partners, why hadn’t they ordered her to finish me off?

Was it simply a matter of them needing Penny more than they wanted me dead?

“Where is she?”

She runs, Bear said. Do you want me to follow her?

I hesitated. Given that Penny was in thrall to either the vamps or Sal’s partners, it could become very dangerous if they became aware of his presence. Which they very well might, thanks to the fact that Penny, as a seeker, could see ghosts. But I couldn’t just let her disappear, either.

“Yes,” I croaked. “But keep your distance, Bear. If you think she might have spotted you, run.”

Will do. As he raced off, Cat said, What can I do?

“Warn me if the vampires come into the room. I need to heal.”

Her energy left me. I didn’t move for several minutes and certainly couldn’t concentrate. My head ached, my body ached, my damn hand was throbbing, and my stomach just wanted up and out. But after what seemed like ages, I somehow dragged myself closer to the wall and pushed up into a sitting position.

It was an effort that left me panting and dizzy. But I closed my eyes and forced myself to relax, to ignore the pain and the hurt, and concentrate on breathing. Eventually, I was able to slip into the healing state, but it felt like a tenuous thing—something I could lose at any moment.

Nuri comes. Cat hesitated. Jonas is with her.

Not what I needed right now, especially when the healing had barely begun and my strength levels were still dangerously low. But I forced myself back to consciousness and tried to open my eyes. I couldn’t, so I raised my good hand and discovered there was something crusting them together. Blood, no doubt. I gently rubbed it away, then opened my eyes and glanced down at my damaged hand. Ugly pink scars ran the length of both my thumb and index finger, and only half an inch of skin had stopped the two cuts from joining in the middle of my palm. I’d come so close to losing a portion of my hand altogether . . . I flexed my fingers and moved my thumb, relaxing a little when both responded. I’d been lucky. Again.

Nuri swept into the room, all anger and fury. The force of her energy was so great it felt like I was being hit by lightning, and a gasp escaped. She reined it in the moment she saw me. “What the fuck happened? Where’s Penny?”

I didn’t immediately answer, instead waiting until Jonas stepped into the room. There was a long cut above his eye and another down the length of his calf, but neither was currently bleeding. His gaze met mine; there was no emotion in his face and nothing but ice in his eyes.

“Answer the question, Tiger.” His voice was flat, tight.

“She’s gone—”

“Obviously,” he snapped, “but where?”

“At a guess, wherever the hell the vampires want her to go.”

“What in Rhea is that supposed to—”

“Jonas, enough.” Nuri knelt beside me and grabbed my hand. She ran her fingers along the vivid scars, and then her gaze rose to mine. “What happened here?”

She wasn’t referring to the scars.

“Penny happened.” I didn’t look at Jonas. I didn’t dare. “I was intending to get her out of Chaos before the vampires found her, but I was too late.”

“Then the vampires—”

“Jonas, shut the fuck up and just listen.” Nuri’s voice was sharp.

Jonas’s fury swept over us, sharp and acidic. But he didn’t say anything; he simply crossed his arms and glared. And even though I knew his anger stemmed more from his fear for Penny than anything I’d done, it nevertheless sent a shiver down my spine.

“They were already in the bar when I arrived. I cindered the ones Branna was battling, but the bastard turned around and tried to shoot me.”

“Which explains why he is currently sprawled unconscious on the floor. Your ghosts took him out.”

I nodded. “Bear told me Penny was up here, but more vampires hit us and others were on their way. I decided our best bet was staying in this room, under the protection of the UVs, and hope like hell the vamps didn’t find a way to cut the power.”

“None of which explains why you’re here and Penny’s not,” Jonas said.

Nuri cast him an exasperated glance but didn’t say anything. My gaze rose to his. “She told me she could hear them. That they were in her head.”

“The vampires?” Nuri asked.

“She didn’t say. It could have been. Or it could have been Sal’s partners. I suspect they’re the ones behind this attack.”

“As I suspect they’re behind the sudden rash of vampire immunity to light.” Nuri frowned. “I’m guessing from that statement—and the nasty gash on your head—that Penny attacked when you entered the room.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry, Jonas. I tried—”

He made a sharp “enough” motion with his hand. “I know. It’s just—”

He cut the rest of the sentence off as Nuri glanced at him again, but I nevertheless knew what he’d been about to say—that he’d sworn an oath to his dead sister to protect Penny, and he kept on failing. A similar sentiment echoed through me. I’d sworn to never let another child suffer, and I was failing in that endeavor every bit as badly with Penny as I had with my ghosts.

“Do you have any idea where she went when she left here?” Nuri asked.

“No, but I sent Bear after her. He’ll report back once he knows—”

“We are not waiting,” Jonas growled. “We all know where they’re headed—for Carleen and the false rifts. It’s their only possible chance of escaping with her.”

“You can’t be sure of that, Jonas,” Nuri said.

“The vampires were in retreat to the south-side exit, not the north, by the time we got up here,” Jonas said. “So it’s either Carleen or the vampire den we raided, and I doubt it’s the latter unless it’s the vampires who control her and not Sal’s partners.”

“I do not think—”

“Right now I don’t care what you think. I’m going after my niece.” His glare snapped to me. “Are you coming?”

“Yes.” I pulled my hand from Nuri’s and pushed myself upright. Dizzy weakness washed through me, and I briefly closed my eyes, fighting it.

“For fuck’s sake, Jonas, the woman’s almost dead on her feet. She needs time—”

“We haven’t got time.” His gaze swept me. “She’d say if she was incapable.”

Nuri snorted. “Shows just how much you know, Ranger.” She grabbed my hand, and energy bit at my skin, chasing away some of the tiredness. But she released me altogether too soon. “That’s all I can do for now, so go. And be careful.”

I nodded, picked up the rifle, and headed out. Jonas was already halfway down the walkway. I collected the second rifle, then followed as quickly as I was able, trying to ignore the stink of the dead as my stomach continued to churn.

Branna was just waking when we arrived in the downstairs living area. “What the fuck happened?” he said, and then his gaze met mine. “You.”

“Yeah,” I said. “And that’s two times you’ve tried to kill me now. Try it a third time, and I’ll return the favor.”

“Only if you see me before I see—”

“Branna, behave.” Jonas’s tone was curt. “And get some weapons. The vamps have Penny.”

I glanced sharply at Jonas as Branna scrambled upright and reached for his weapons, but the ranger studiously ignored me and kept on walking. Cat, keep an eye on Branna for me. If he so much as twitches the wrong way, hit him.

Her anticipation spun through me as she raced off to grab the chair leg she’d abandoned earlier. Obviously, she, like me, didn’t believe Branna would be able to restrain his hatred for all that long.

I followed Jonas out through the bar and into the lane beyond. The bodies of vampires lay everywhere, but if any mercenaries had died here, then their remains had already been moved. Beyond Chaos, night had given way to sunrise. I could feel it, even if I couldn’t yet see it. And sunrise was deadly to vampires, unless that, too, had changed. But I doubted it—not given that UV light still stopped them.

So either they’d taken Penny to the den situated in one of the few drainage tunnels that hadn’t been filled in when Central was rebuilt, or someone was meeting them. I suspected the latter, but until Bear returned, we wouldn’t know.

As we moved down Chaos’s levels, the number of dead and wounded grew, until the noise and the smell made my heart weep. So many people had either lost their lives or been seriously injured, and for what? For a dream of domination that would not only destroy the world as we knew it, but erase everyone within it.

I couldn’t understand what Sal and his partners really thought they’d gain by such destruction. Surely they couldn’t be foolish enough to believe that the wraiths would allow them to live any longer than their usefulness lasted? Wraiths came to this world to hunt and destroy. We were prey to them, nothing more, just as we were simply a food source to the vampires.

How would giving control of our world to either be of any benefit to Sal’s partners?

But I guessed I hadn’t been caught in a rift with a wraith, as they had. Nor had I been driven so close to death in a vampire attack that whatever infections they carried forced a mutation, and made me a dhampir—which was the reason behind Sal and his partners’ ability to communicate with the vampires and wraiths.

Maybe both those events had changed the way the three of them viewed their relationship with our world. Maybe they no longer even saw themselves as part of this world. While I might have thought that Sal’s contempt for humans had stemmed what had happened to déchet after the war, maybe its source was a rather more alien view of beings they saw as weaker.

Beings that needed to be erased.

I shivered and rubbed my arms as we wove our way through the grimy, chaotic ground level and out into sunshine. But it didn’t make me feel any better. Didn’t chase the coldness from my skin or my heart.

Jonas stopped and knelt, brushing his fingers lightly against the soil. I waited behind him, all too aware that Branna was behind me.

That he was watching. Waiting.

And while Jonas’s presence was obviously enough to curtail his almost instinctive need to kill me, it could not and would not erase it.

I clenched my fingers and fought the urge to reach for one of the rifles strapped across my back. It was the sort of action that might just cause the attack I was trying to avoid.

“They split up.” Jonas rose and glanced back, his gaze remote. “The main pack ran for the old drainage outlets. Four others headed for the park.”

“And Penny?”

“I don’t know. I can’t find her footprints anywhere, and the scent of blood and death coming from Chaos is erasing everything else.”

“Meaning they’re probably carrying her.”

“Yes. Our best bet is to split up. Branna, follow the tracks to the outlet and see if you can find any sign of her. Don’t go into the den, though. We’ll track the other four.”

As Branna grunted and left, Jonas’s gaze swept me, assessing. “They’ve got a good half-hour head start. We need to run—will that be a problem?”

Yes. But that wasn’t going to stop me. “I’ll keep up.”

He nodded and led the way forward, setting a pace that, at any other time, would have been easy for me to keep. I bit my lip and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and not falling behind.

We crossed the Barra River and ran up the valley to the rail yards. Pods were pulling into the station in readiness for the day, but Central’s drawbridge hadn’t yet come down.

We’d just passed the museum and were approaching the main road when Bear returned. Jonas stopped, obviously sensing his approach.

“Where did they take her, Bear?” His tone was terse.

Bear’s energy touched mine. They were met in the forest by a man in an ATV. Penny was transferred into the vehicle and taken on to Carleen. They went into a false rift.

My stomach sank. I was in no state to traverse a rift. It would, without doubt, kill me.

“Tiger,” Jonas snapped. “What has happened?”

“You didn’t hear Bear?”

“Not this time. I suspect it was deliberate.”

It was, Bear said. He is very angry right now.

But not at you. Not even at me. “The vampires were met by an ATV in the park. Penny was transferred and taken into Carleen. They went into a rift.”

“Then we—”

“There is no we when it comes to traversing the false rift, Jonas.” My voice was soft but determined. “And I haven’t the strength to even try right now.”

“But maybe I now can. I can hear the ghosts. Maybe that means I can enter the rifts as well.”

“Do you really want to risk your life—and Penny’s—on a maybe?”

“For Rhea’s sake, I cannot stand here and do nothing!”

I understood his urgency—his desperation—but it was nevertheless frustrating that he was thinking with his heart rather than his head.

But then, if the situation had been reversed, had it been one of my little ones in trouble, I guessed I’d be reacting the same way.

“Fine. Let’s go to Carleen. If you can see the false rift, you can then decide whether you’ll step into it. But I won’t.”

His gaze narrowed slightly, but all he said was “Fair enough.”

With that, he swung around and moved on, this time at a pace I didn’t struggle with. It took just over an hour to reach Carleen. I paused on the broken wall that surrounded the city, my gaze sweeping the immediate surrounds. Nothing appeared to have changed since I was last here, but the air was thick with tension and angst. It stung my skin and demanded my attention.

But the last thing I needed was another problem. I studiously ignored that angst and the ghosts behind it, and followed Jonas into Carleen, weaving my way through the luminous weeds and broken remnants of life and buildings as we headed up the long hill that led to the main plaza.

“Bear, which false rift did they use?”

One on the far side of the hill.

Jonas must have heard that reply, because he moved off the road again, picking his way through the rubble and dust as he skirted the edges of the plaza. He obviously didn’t want to risk getting too close to the wall of magic Sal’s partners had raised to protect the false rift still sitting within the plaza’s broken heart. After witnessing what that damn wall was capable of, I certainly had no objection.

It took us twenty minutes to reach the other side of the hill. The desolation here was almost complete—beyond the remnants of the road, there was just dust, weeds, and the sharpening demand for attention from the ghosts. It bit at my consciousness, insisting that I stop, that I acknowledge and talk to them.

Which I couldn’t do. Not when I was so weak. It would kill me as surely as the false rift would. Cat, I said. Could you explain to the Carleen ghosts that I’m barely functioning right now and that I can’t talk to them? Then ask them what the problem is.

She was silent for several seconds, then said, They want you to know that the one who raised the wall and created the rift that resides in the plaza has set traps there for you. You should not enter that place if you wish to remain alive.

And I certainly did. What about the rift Penny was just taken through?

Brief silence, then, Nothing has been done to it yet. They have just altered those you have already gone through.

Meaning, perhaps, that they were hoping I wasn’t aware of the others. Or maybe it was simply a matter of not yet having the time to protect them. Can you ask them to keep an eye on the other rifts for me? And let me know if any changes are made to them?

They will.

Which at least meant it was one thing I didn’t have to worry about. Thank them for me.

They said you can thank them by destroying the rifts and the wall that washes its darkness across their bones.

I frowned. But Nuri shifted the rift away from their bones.

Yes, but it hasn’t helped. They said that while the false rifts have not changed in size, their energy output seems to be growing. It’s fouling the air and the earth in ever-increasing circles.

Which wasn’t surprising, given that while the false rifts had been created in this world, the knowledge and the magic had come from another. It was also precisely what Nuri had feared might happen. Tell them we’re trying.

They said to try harder.

I snorted. It was that sort of thinking—a failure to see problems beyond their own boundaries—that had led to the war in the first place.

As we neared the bottom of the hill, energy began to lash at my skin. Up ahead, slightly to the right of the road, an odd, circular patch of darkness began to appear in an area that was nothing but sunshine and dust. Rift. Or rather, the wall of gelatinous shadows that protected one.

And Jonas wasn’t reacting to it.

If he couldn’t see the wall, then the likelihood of him being able to traverse the false rift within it was low. But I didn’t say anything, simply waiting and watching as we continued down the last section of the hill, getting closer and closer to that black patch.

Eventually, I stopped and said, “Jonas, the rift is near enough to touch.”

He swung around, his gaze sweeping the landscape before meeting mine. Frustration and anger burned the air, as fierce as the nearby shadows were foul.

“I can’t see it.”

“Obviously.”

“Why in Rhea can’t something go right for a damn change?” He flexed his fingers, but the anger continued to radiate from him. “How long will it take you to regain enough energy to go in there?”

“I’m not entirely sure that would be a wise move—”

“So we stand around out here and do nothing? That’s not going to happen, Tiger. You have to go in after them.”

“Or what?” I snapped. “You’ll make me? Have Nuri threaten my little ones again?”

“No, of course not.” He thrust a hand through his short hair, frustration obvious. “But you’re the only one who can go through this thing, and that means you’re Penny’s only chance. I need you to do this, Tiger. Please.”

Despite my annoyance over his insistence, a smile tugged at my lips. “A ranger pleading with a déchet for help. Who’d have thought such a thing would be possible one hundred years ago?”

“Certainly not me.” Amusement briefly lit his eyes, but faded all too quickly. “Your answer?”

“Fine, I’ll go in,” I said, even as every part of me said it was a bad idea. “But not now. I need to get back to Central and Winter Halo.”

He frowned. “Doing so would be a dangerous ploy, given that we snatched the children from them.”

“We rescued another two, but there’s still seven out there somewhere.” Eight, if we included the now-missing Penny. “Besides, Sharran is due back at work tonight, and if she doesn’t appear they might just jump to the right conclusions.”

“We could simply send her back in. There is no need for you to be there now.”

“If we did that, we’d gain no knowledge as to what the hell is going on in those upper levels.” Besides, the last thing I wanted was to put Sharran’s life in danger, which it would be if she were promoted. At least I had a fighting chance of escaping the drugs and the dissection; she did not.

“Rath Winter is no fool—it’s highly likely he’ll suspect you’ve infiltrated that place. Especially now.”

“He undoubtedly will, but it’s doubtful he’ll suspect Sharran, as she hasn’t yet been promoted to the upper floors.”

He studied me for a moment, then said, “There’s something you’re not telling me.”

I hesitated. “They have Sal’s body.”

“And this is a problem because . . . ?”

“Because Sal was one of the rare grays—a déchet whose DNA was mixed with that of a salamander. Only five of them ever survived; understanding why might just give his partners the information they need to successfully merge human or shifter DNA with wraith. I have to get in there and destroy his remains before that happens.”

And, if I could, destroy the labs, free the women waiting in the holding cells, and release those on the dissection tables to death.

It was a tall order, and one I might not achieve. But I had to at least try.

Jonas didn’t immediately say anything, but an odd buzzing began in the back of my mind. I frowned and tried to pin down its source. I caught a word—chance—and realized I was hearing—or almost hearing—the telepathic conversation between Jonas and Nuri. Or his side of it, at least.

Then the buzzing stopped and Jonas said, “Fine. I don’t agree that it’s the best course of action right now, but it would seem I’m outvoted.”

“And does your disagreement stem from the danger, or from the fact that you’d rather I gain strength and then follow Penny and her captors into the false rift?”

“I won’t deny I’d rather you do the latter, but to suggest that overshadows my concerns about you going back into Winter Halo belittles both them and me.”

He swung around and headed across the emptiness, his long, angry strides stirring up a thick cloud of dust. The slight breeze caught it, spinning it into circular patterns, until it seemed he was being followed by a multitude of dust devils.

Why was I destined to always say the wrong thing around this man? It was decidedly odd, especially when my success as a lure very much depended on always knowing what—and what not—to say. But maybe men were easier to understand when they were little more than targets whom I might or might not be attracted to.

I followed him at a slower pace. After a while, he stopped and waited for me to catch up, then remained by my side as we silently left Carleen and moved back into the forest separating it from Central.

When we finally neared the rail station, he said, “Remember, none of us can help you once you’re inside Winter Halo.”

“I know, but I have the ghosts.”

“Even ghosts have their limitations. Just be careful, and report in when you’re able.”

There was something in his tone that had me wondering if Nuri had said anything specific about things going wrong in Winter Halo. But surely she wouldn’t have agreed it was necessary for me to return to that place if she, in any way, suspected I might not get out alive? Not given her declaration that if I didn’t rescue the children, no one would.

Or was that no longer true?

The future wasn’t a fixed item; it was constantly being altered by the decisions and actions we made. It was more than possible that, after recent events, I no longer played a major part in finding those kids. It was even possible that they might now never be found.

But even if the future had altered, and one or even both of those possibilities were true, it wouldn’t stop me. And it certainly wouldn’t stop Nuri from using me. She might have professed a liking for me, but she’d also shown a steely determination to do whatever it took to get the job done. And if that meant risking the lives of her soldiers, then risk them she would.

As Jonas disappeared into the bright sunshine, I stepped back into the shadows and sat cross-legged on the ground underneath a somewhat battle-scarred old oak. I needed to be wearing Sharran’s form when I went into Winter Halo, but there was no possibility of body-shifting until I least gained some strength back.

“Cat, can you go back to the museum and get the pack with my change of clothes in it? Bear, could you keep watch?”

As Cat zoomed off and Bear began to prowl around the area, I closed my eyes and called to the healing state. It took a while, but I eventually slipped into it. The sun had well and truly begun its descent into nightfall by the time I climbed back out. I stretched carefully, and was relieved when there was no responding pain. The scars on my hand hadn’t fully disappeared, but would be easy enough to conceal when I body-shifted.

I resumed Sharran’s shape, then stripped off the remains of my clothes and scrubbed the dried blood from my skin as best I could. After donning fresh clothes, I threw the pack over my shoulder, then, as several pods pulled into the station, quickly joined the throng rushing toward the drawbridge and the safety it offered against the oncoming night.

Once I neared Sharran’s apartment, I pulled a sun shield around my body and climbed back in through the window. As Bear and Cat did a quick scoot around to check out what my neighbors had been up to during the day, I grabbed a shower and half wished I was back at my other alter ego’s apartment, where there was more water than air in the mix.

After donning one of Sharran’s tunics, I grabbed the pack she usually carried, stuffed a few protein bars into it, then headed out, the two ghosts happily updating me on who was doing what within the building. There were no such things as secrets when there were ghosts around—not that the people within Sharran’s building appeared to have much in the way of secrets.

As I approached Winter Halo’s main entrance, the security guards once again stepped forward, forcing me to halt.

The older of the two produced a scanner and, after I’d run my left wrist across it, checked the screen and nodded. At first glance, nothing appeared to have changed in the foyer since our rescue of the two children. But as I threw my pack into the plastic tub to be scanned, I noted there were a lot more guards in the section past the secondary scanner, and all of them were heavily armed. I walked through the scanner, collected my bag, then threw it over my shoulder and headed toward the elevator. Two guards immediately stepped forward, blocking my way and forcing me to stop. Cat and Bear pressed close, their energy fiery against my skin, ready to attack the guards and protect me. It’s okay. This is all part of the plan. I hoped.

“Sharran Westar?” one of the guards said, voice brusque.

I didn’t have to fake the sudden rush of trepidation. Despite my assurances to the ghosts, I was well aware this might be the first signal that I was in deep trouble. “Yes. Why?”

“You need to come with us. Now.”

“But why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just follow me, please.”

He swung around and marched toward the elevator. After a brief hesitation, I followed. Neither of these two was armed and surely they would be if they suspected I was anyone other than Sharran.

But that didn’t stop the tension curling through me. Didn’t stop the hope that Rhea hadn’t abandoned me. That my plans to destroy Sal’s body weren’t over before they’d even begun.

I guess I’d know soon enough.