But instead of smiling he’s serious, something in his gaze that worries me. ‘Not yet,’ he says. ‘I want you to have this, enjoy this moment. Because after this, everything will change.’
I gaze up at him. Our eyes meet, and there’s this moment of deep connection. And for a moment I’m scared. Scared of what he means to me, scared of what’s going to happen next. He’s right. Everything will change after tonight. I have to go back to my parents, to a world of blood and violence and beauty where I am nothing more than prey, no matter how they dress me up. And I’m going to try and change it.
I turn back to the crowd, leaning against Kyle, breathing in his scent, enjoying the feel of his arms around me. This is my last night of freedom. He’s right. I need to enjoy it.
I jig against him, my feet becoming restless as I get caught up in the scene once more. The dancers swirl, people changing partners, moving around each other, arms waving. It looks like so much fun, so different from the sinuous moves of the blood dancers and vampires. A girl reaches out and grabs my hand. ‘Come on!’ she cries over the music, her face bright with the joy of the dance. I look back at Kyle, unsure. He grins, and gives me a gentle push.
‘Have fun.’
Then I’m bouncing along with everyone else, my feet flying over the pavement stones. It’s amazing, and I can’t stop laughing, my worries drifting away with the dance. The girl who grabbed me twirls me, and I spin away from her to be caught by an older man with a curling moustache, who pulls me against the curve of his belly, holding one of my arms straight out as he swings me through the crowd. I glance back, helpless with giggles, and glimpse Kyle, the flash of his teeth as he laughs as well. The moustachioed man swings me around once more, then lets me go. I twirl into the arms of another dancer, and the pattern continues, as though I’m a bead travelling along a chain, my feet light as if they have wings. I’ve never felt so free. I twirl again, into the arms of another dancer.
And catch the scent of violets.
‘Hey, it’s you!’
It’s the blond boy from the café. He’s even more handsome, close up.
‘Emily, right?’
‘Uh, yeah… um, Michael?’ He grins, his blue eyes twinkling. He twirls me around the square, lanterns swaying above.
‘I haven’t seen you here before,’ he says.
‘It’s my first time,’ I say. Which is true. Something about him makes me not want to lie, as much as possible.
‘Fun, hey?’
‘Yeah!’ I squeal as he lifts me, both of us laughing.
‘So, do you wanna?—’
The lanterns go out, suddenly, as do the rest of the lights in the square. The music stops, and there’s the sound of screaming. It takes a second for my eyes to adjust. When they do, I realise I’m on the other side of the square from where I left Kyle. The crowd is surging towards us, and there are more screams. Then I see a tall vampire in black livery, silver glinting from his badge and epaulets, and realise what’s happening.
The square is full of Raven guards.
‘Shit.’ This is possibly an understatement. I can’t see Kyle anywhere. I hope to darkness he’s been able to get away.
Because that’s why the guards are here. Despite Kyle’s assurances, it has to be.They’re looking for me.Michael’s arms are around me, the crowd shoving and jostling.
‘Don’t worry,’ he murmurs, close to my ear. ‘They won’t hurt us.’
I know they won’t. I hope and pray Bertrand isn’t here, because then it will all be over.
‘I need to get out of here,’ I whisper.
‘Just keep moving,’ he says, his feet shuffling with mine as the crowd presses into us. Above us I see a break in the shops surrounding the square, a narrow alleyway with high brick walls. And we’re being swept, like leaves in a stream, towards it.
Michael grabs me tighter around the waist as we reach the mouth of the alleyway. ‘This way.’ He pulls me sharply to the side, up a small flight of steps into a covered walkway. There are lanterns hanging from the vaulted ceiling, so there are no vampires here. Only a few humans, huddling in the shadow of the pillars framing the openings to the square. Michael pulls me into an alcove, his arms still around my waist, the intimacy disturbing and comforting at the same time. He smells of spice and violets, his hands warm through the silk of my shirt.
‘You all right?’ His head is close to mine, as close as anyone’s has ever been. I nod, the movement slight. I’m not really all right – if anything, I’m terrified of being found, of being exposed in front of everyone. And I’m desperate to find Kyle. I turn my head slightly. Guards fan out across the square, calling ‘Raven one, Raven two,’ as they move through the crowd. They don’t talk to any of the humans, though, simply moving them out of the way whenever they need to, as though they’re herding them.Like cattle, my mind offers, an image of Andrew with meat on his fork.
My heart is pounding. So, I realise, is Michael’s. I’ve never felt anyone else’s heartbeat like this, or this encompassing warmth. The wool of his jumper is soft against my cheek, and I can feel tension in his stomach and chest, the hard muscles there. My own body responds, despite myself. It’s almost as though I’m cheating on Kyle, and I try to move back.
He shifts his weight slightly, so there’s more space between us. ‘Sorry,’ he says, his breath warm against my ear. ‘I know we’ve just met, and this is a bit… We need to keep still. Hopefully, they’ll find whatever they’re looking for and move on.’
But they won’t. Maybe I should give myself up, end all this. Because people are scared. There are children crying, a woman cowering in a doorway, all the light and joy of the evening gone. Because of me.
The Raven guards cross to the other side of the square, disappearing beneath the shadowed awnings. Where the vampires are. Shit. I strain my eyes but can’t see much other than flickers of movement, the occasional glint of moonlit silver. My heart sinks. Whatever happens, I need to make sure I absolve Kyle of any involvement. Once I find him.
