But I’ve no chance of doing that from here. ‘I need to—’ My words are cut off by a furious burst of shouting, a woman’s wail rising eerily above it, a howl of pure pain. Another group of humans surge into the square, but these ones hold flags and placards. Some carry lit torches. Others have scarves tied over the lower half of their faces, or black balaclavas on. The howling woman has a megaphone, as does another man, who shouts slogans, similar to those on the placards.
‘For The Twenty.’
‘And we shall have snow.’
And my family crest, slashed with three bloody red lines.
It’s the North Wind.
Michael’s hands tighten on my waist. ‘We need to move. Now.’
I don’t need to be told twice. If I don’t want Raven guards to find me, I sure as hell don’t want the rebels to find me.
Yeah, I know. I thought I wanted to talk to them. And I still do. But not like this. With that, my decision is easy. I’ll return home, take up the weight of Raven, and start to make change. Meet them as an equal. The last few sparks of freedom inside me sputter out. My rebellion needs to start from within. Kyle and I will work things out, I know we will.
Michael moves back and it’s as though heat has been pulled from me. He grabs my hand – oh, welcome warmth – pulling me along the walkway towards a side street, the humans in the square already rushing to fill it as panic strikes. The howling woman is even louder. I make out two words among her desperate cries.
My son.
I stop, turning back. ‘C’mon,’ Michael hisses, pulling at my hand.
But I need to see. On several of the placards is a photo of a young man. It takes a moment to recognise him. The boy from the Dome. And I realise who it is that screams, and why she would do so.
Most of the crowd has left the square. Raven guards appear from the shadows, whooshing into formation, a line of silver and black blocking everyone in, including the rebels – who don’t stop their march forward, still shouting. The crowd starts to join in. There’s a smash of glass and a guard ducks, crystal shards flying up from his shoulder, dark liquid on the pavement. Someone throws another glass, then another, the crowd baying with the screaming woman, the night ugly with noise. It reminds me of another crowd, this one of vampires, shrieking their bloodlust as three defenceless humans disappear beneath them. It becomes clear to me that this is a cycle of violence that will keep repeating. Unless somebody puts an end to it.
A man pulls a torch from his jacket, switching it on so a powerful beam of white light cuts through the crowd. There are screams, the guards flinching and stumbling away as it touches them. Shit. More Raven guards have arrived, another line of silver and black curving to the rear of the rebels.
And all hell breaks loose.
Dark uniforms flash through the crowd, knocking people to the ground. The torch is swiftly extinguished, the holder dragged away, his legs kicking as he disappears into the melee. There’s more screaming, some of the humans scattering down alleyways, others a surging shoving mass surrounded by an ever-smaller ring of guards. Guards flash along the edge of the square, dragging people into the centre. More torch beams appear, extinguished as soon as they’re lit. Then a young man, his clothes tattered, races forward, carrying a bottle with a rag stuffed into it, flames licking up the fabric illuminating his face as he throws it at the guards. It catches one of them, exploding into fire. The line of guards breaks, humans pouring through, trampling the burning guard to the ground.
I’m frozen. Michael tugs at my hand, flames reflecting in his eyes, gilding his panicked expression.
‘Come on!’ he yells over the noise. ‘Now!’
I take one last look at the mayhem below, and make my decision. I can’t change anything if I’m dead.
So I run.
Michael holds me to his side as we battle through the throng. I’m knocked and jostled, people screaming in my ear, projectiles flying overhead. I curl instinctively into Michael, his arm strong around me, trying to block it all out. Then there’s a thud. I feel him jerk, his hold on me falling away. He staggers back, his hand to his head, which is bleeding heavily from a cut over his eye. He reaches out but the crowd takes me. I see his face, a mask of blood as he calls my name.
Then he’s gone.
ChapterTwenty-Nine
TIMING
The only thing keeping me moving is the crush of people. I’m gasping, scanning the crowd for Kyle, for Michael, for anyone who might help me. But I don’t know who are rebels and who aren’t, and I can’t take the risk. I’m swept in a river of people along one street, then another, elbows digging into me, feet trampling mine. We pour into another square, this one colonnaded along the side closest to me, a large building in the centre. The crowd parts around it. I manage to break free, stumbling to the nearest pillar and sinking to the ground.
The noise picks up again, a thud of running feet, and a surge of new people appear in the square. I huddle further back. Then an arm comes around the pillar, grabbing at me. I squeal and roll away, kicking out and connecting with something solid.
I roll again onto all fours, pushing myself upright before I’m trampled by the running crowd. A dark shape huddles next to the pillar where I was sitting, arms wrapped around their middle. They must be human, thank darkness – I’d have had no chance against a vampire.
I start to sob, unable to help it. I want Kyle, desperately. I turn my head one way, then another.Come on, Emelia. You’re stronger than this.I gasp in a shuddering breath. Then a hand grabs my ankle. I shriek, stamping my foot. The dark figure is lying on the ground next to me, their bony fingers around my ankle.
‘Please.’ The word is stretched, grotesque, like the squeak of a rusty gate. The face turned up to me is battered, teeth missing, dirt on their cheeks. And human. I stare in horror. ‘Please, pretty, help an old fella out with some cash.’
I manage to shake my foot free of his grasp, backing away as he grabs at me again. I pull the roll of bills from my pocket and throw them. He catches them, surprisingly deft, hugging them to him, and I hear him gurgling as I turn and run.
