skinny green troll girl at the counter speared me on a beady black glare as I stumbled by. I’d checked my jacket, a shiny silver one, my favorite. I didn’t care. I forced out into the street, past a weaving blue water-fairy and a greasy pair of sniggering potbellied sprig-gans, and took a desperate gulp of hot dry midnight air.
Moonlight burned me, dancing sweet desire into my blood. The street was busy, cars cruising by in the shadow of motionless foliage, the plane trees on the median strip untouched by breeze. As usual for a midnight in summer, the queue stretched along the dirty footpath, a swath of dustbright wings, glowing eyes, rainbow limbs damp with fragrant sweat. Magical static sparked along the pavement, red and blue as glamours clashed and fought for space, and the air shimmered with spellcraft and moonlit heat.
But humans, too, excited and glassy-eyed, swaying dizzy on intoxicating glamour. Too many humans. My heart sank. I couldn’t fly away, not in front of them. Too dangerous.
My heels raked my ankles bloody as I stumbled to the gutter and wildly searched the street. No cabs. Typical. Nearest tramstop blocks away.
Behind me, the door crashed open. I whirled, vision blurring, and hot needles stabbed along my nerves. Tinker hunkered and slavered like a chained dog. Paris sniffed, tasting the still heat like a cat, and her sharp gaze speared me to the wall.
8
I gulped a breath and ran.
Paris and Tinker hared behind me like hungry beasts. My stupid heels crippled me, my lungs a hot mess. That creeping hellfire cackled inside me, greasy with inevitability. I couldn’t outrun them, couldn’t hide. Couldn’t fight them off.
Out of options. Out of luck. Out of time.
I scrabbled in my purse with shaking fingers. Dragged out Jasper’s phone, moonbright blood smearing. Hit CALL BACK.
In a ring and a half, he picked up.
Club noise, harsh. His voice, impatient but harmonious like windchimes. “Where you lurkifying, Jay-jay? Don’t got all night.”
I flung a glance over my shoulder, hair flying. “It’s not Jasper,” I panted. “It’s me, Ember. Jasper’s dead. They’re chasing me, I—”
“Ember?” The noise faded, like he moved where it was quieter. “Whattaya mean, deaded? How? What happenated?”
“They’re chasing me, okay?” Tears gripped my throat tight. I couldn’t breathe. I gulped, wet. “They’re gonna kill me, I can’t—”
“Okay, angel. Chillify.” Cool, authoritative, in control. “Where you at?”
“Outside, I’m out the fr—Ugh!”
Broken concrete caught my heel, and I tripped.
I flailed my wings for balance, but no good. My hips hit the asphalt, rattling my bones. I skidded, gravel scraping my midriff raw, and my chin slammed the pavement.
My teeth crunched, a mouthful of blood. Stars shimmied before my eyes like drunken jewels. Jasper’s phone cracked on the ground and spun out of reach.
Fuck.
I shook my aching head, desperate to clear it. Dizzy, I tried to clamber up, clawing the dusty brick wall.
But Paris kicked my feet from under me, and I crumpled, wings flapping wet.
Tinkerfang sniffed me, grinning. “You smell good bleeding.”
I kicked at him from the dirty ground, trembling. “Get off me, freak!”
Paris smiled cruelly, and she glanced cunningly at the watching crowd. “There you are, precious. Come on home, now. Don’t be afraid.” Her smooth voice soothed, placated, like a mistress to her naughty dog, and she offered me her hand, those vampire eyes seething with hot crimson death.
I shrank, my bruised flesh aching like the hellfire in my bones. “Get away from me!”
“Don’t be silly, pretty. We’re your friends. Come home. We won’t hurt you.”
Desperate, I searched the indifferent crowd. “Please, help me. She’s not my friend. They’re gonna kill me! Please!”
But no one moved or spoke. No one would help me, not the gangster’s skanky girlfriend. I’d probably brought it on myself, right? For dressing like a
Moonlight burned me, dancing sweet desire into my blood. The street was busy, cars cruising by in the shadow of motionless foliage, the plane trees on the median strip untouched by breeze. As usual for a midnight in summer, the queue stretched along the dirty footpath, a swath of dustbright wings, glowing eyes, rainbow limbs damp with fragrant sweat. Magical static sparked along the pavement, red and blue as glamours clashed and fought for space, and the air shimmered with spellcraft and moonlit heat.
But humans, too, excited and glassy-eyed, swaying dizzy on intoxicating glamour. Too many humans. My heart sank. I couldn’t fly away, not in front of them. Too dangerous.
My heels raked my ankles bloody as I stumbled to the gutter and wildly searched the street. No cabs. Typical. Nearest tramstop blocks away.
Behind me, the door crashed open. I whirled, vision blurring, and hot needles stabbed along my nerves. Tinker hunkered and slavered like a chained dog. Paris sniffed, tasting the still heat like a cat, and her sharp gaze speared me to the wall.
8
I gulped a breath and ran.
Paris and Tinker hared behind me like hungry beasts. My stupid heels crippled me, my lungs a hot mess. That creeping hellfire cackled inside me, greasy with inevitability. I couldn’t outrun them, couldn’t hide. Couldn’t fight them off.
Out of options. Out of luck. Out of time.
I scrabbled in my purse with shaking fingers. Dragged out Jasper’s phone, moonbright blood smearing. Hit CALL BACK.
In a ring and a half, he picked up.
Club noise, harsh. His voice, impatient but harmonious like windchimes. “Where you lurkifying, Jay-jay? Don’t got all night.”
I flung a glance over my shoulder, hair flying. “It’s not Jasper,” I panted. “It’s me, Ember. Jasper’s dead. They’re chasing me, I—”
“Ember?” The noise faded, like he moved where it was quieter. “Whattaya mean, deaded? How? What happenated?”
“They’re chasing me, okay?” Tears gripped my throat tight. I couldn’t breathe. I gulped, wet. “They’re gonna kill me, I can’t—”
“Okay, angel. Chillify.” Cool, authoritative, in control. “Where you at?”
“Outside, I’m out the fr—Ugh!”
Broken concrete caught my heel, and I tripped.
I flailed my wings for balance, but no good. My hips hit the asphalt, rattling my bones. I skidded, gravel scraping my midriff raw, and my chin slammed the pavement.
My teeth crunched, a mouthful of blood. Stars shimmied before my eyes like drunken jewels. Jasper’s phone cracked on the ground and spun out of reach.
Fuck.
I shook my aching head, desperate to clear it. Dizzy, I tried to clamber up, clawing the dusty brick wall.
But Paris kicked my feet from under me, and I crumpled, wings flapping wet.
Tinkerfang sniffed me, grinning. “You smell good bleeding.”
I kicked at him from the dirty ground, trembling. “Get off me, freak!”
Paris smiled cruelly, and she glanced cunningly at the watching crowd. “There you are, precious. Come on home, now. Don’t be afraid.” Her smooth voice soothed, placated, like a mistress to her naughty dog, and she offered me her hand, those vampire eyes seething with hot crimson death.
I shrank, my bruised flesh aching like the hellfire in my bones. “Get away from me!”
“Don’t be silly, pretty. We’re your friends. Come home. We won’t hurt you.”
Desperate, I searched the indifferent crowd. “Please, help me. She’s not my friend. They’re gonna kill me! Please!”
But no one moved or spoke. No one would help me, not the gangster’s skanky girlfriend. I’d probably brought it on myself, right? For dressing like a
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