Hourglass

“There,” Charity said. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” She smiled at me sweetly, and her fangs were out. It wouldn’t be long now.

“No!” Lucas shouted. “Don’t! Bianca, you can fight, forget about me!”

I tilted my head backward, looking up at the metal rafters. Cobwebs drifted lazily, like wicked clouds. My throat was bared to Charity, and I knew this was the end of my life.

I’ll be a vampire now, I thought. Please let my parents be right. Please let it not be so bad.

As Charity cupped her hand around the side of my throat, I saw a strange flickering in the rafters. Like light reflecting on water in a pool—though there was no water in the pool—

My eyes opened wide.

“It won’t hurt much,” Charity promised. “Really it won’t.”

The blue-green light brightened and spread, covering the entire ceiling as it coalesced into something that looked like clouds. A cool breeze flowed around us, making a summer night into winter, and I shivered.

“Charity!” Shepherd cried. “What is this?” All the vampires were staring upward now, and even Lucas had stilled his struggling.

Charity gasped. “Oh, they wouldn’t dare. They wouldn’t dare.”

Sleet began to fall. Sharp pinpricks of ice rained down, jabbing my skin and crackling against the floor. Charity skittered back from me, and I got to my feet, wishing I could run. Maybe I could escape, but I couldn’t leave Lucas behind, not even now—not even during an attack by the wraith.

The sleet thickened, silvery curtains that blurred our vision and made Charity cry out in pain. Ice fell so hard that it hurt. I winced, and then gaped in astonishment as one of the silvery curtains grew more solid, more distinct, and a face formed in the sleet. Though the ice kept falling, the face and form remained.

Even more shocking: I recognized him. He was the first wraith who had ever spoken to me. His long, dark hair flowed loose, and he had a beard. Although his clothing was indistinct, it looked old-fashioned to me—like something from a couple of centuries back, with a long cloak and high boots. The frost man, I thought. It was the only name I’d ever had for him.

In a voice made of the sound of breaking ice, he said, “This one is not yours.”

“She is mine! She is!” Charity stamped her foot. “You heard her! She said she wanted to join us!”

He tilted his head, curious and disdainful, then punched forward. His fist went through Charity’s gut.

She opened her mouth as if to scream, but no sound came out. Her entire body shifted color, turning the same pale blue as the wraith. I realized he was freezing her—and apparently, even vampires could be frozen to death.

Charity jerked her head upright and shrieked, “No!” She pulled back, which seemed to take all her strength, but she staggered away from the frost man’s fist. There wasn’t any blood. Stumbling, she cried, “Get out of here! Everyone, out!”

With that, Shepherd threw Lucas from the board.

I screamed, reaching out for him in vain as he tumbled downward. But then the blue-green light appeared in the pool—more like water than ever—and it slowed his fall. Lucas still hit the bottom, but not that hard, and I could see him struggling to get free of his bonds. Obviously he was okay.

The wraith saved him, I realized. The wraith saved me.

There was no time to wonder about it now. I had to get Lucas.

I hurried to the ladder and descended, through the blue-green light. It was cold—even colder than ice—and yet somehow it didn’t hurt. Instead it felt like waves of energy, or maybe electricity, dangerous to be near. I ran through it, or tried to run; it slowed my steps. My long hair trailed behind me, almost as though I were swimming instead of running. “Lucas!” I cried.

Lucas tore his hands free of the tape just as I got to him. Together we pulled at the bonds on his ankles. “Is this what I think it is?” he asked.

“Yes.” The tape came off at last. “We have to go!”

We pushed through the blue-green energy toward the ladder. Lucas shoved me upward so that I could get out first. As I clambered out, I saw the frost man staring at me.

Not knowing what else to do, I said, “Thank you.”

“You are not hers,” he said. “You are ours.”

So, they could kill me but nobody else could? That wasn’t so comforting.

Lucas climbed out of the pool. “Bianca, run! Come on!”

We ran through the silvery-gray sleet, now pounding down so hard I knew I’d have bruises tomorrow. The wraiths didn’t try to stop us, or if they tried, they failed. Lucas hit the nearest door and pulled me through into a long hallway that connected the pool area to the rest of the building. Although it was cold here, there was no sleet and no unearthly light.

“You!” Shepherd appeared at the far end of the corridor, and we both skidded to a halt. “You brought this down on us!”

Lucas dragged me to the left. “Side door. Move.”

I didn’t see any side door. “Where is it?”

“I was more hoping one would be here,” Lucas admitted.

“Oh, crap.” I could hear Shepherd’s boots pounding as he ran after us. He appeared to be separated from the other vampires, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be cornered by the guy.

Lucas shoved a chair underneath the doorknob, and then glanced around the room. Mostly it looked like the pool area had—heaped high with trash, rags, bits of old paper, half-empty bottles of booze, cigarettes, and lighters. That didn’t look promising to me. However, Lucas grabbed a bottle of vodka and a stained bandanna. “Find me a lighter,” he said.