twisted my stomach in fear.
Chapter Ten
I turned and looked at Solus, my eyes wide. He hissed through his teeth. “Has this happened before?”
My mouth dry, I nodded.
“When?
I stared at him.
He reached over and gripped my arm, shaking it. “When, Mack?”
“I think earlier today,” I squeaked. “But nothing happened. I went to the hospital and I was fine.”
His body was very still and his tone was quiet and even. That was good. If Solus wasn’t panicking then I wasn’t going to panic either. It was probably nothing. Surely, that book couldn’t be right all the time? The ogre at my side seemed oblivious to the byplay going on right next to him, but Tarn was leaning forward, eyes fixed on mine, and his hands touching his lips as if he was in prayer.
“Why were you at the hospital?” Solus asked.
I thought of my earlier promise to Mrs. Alcoon. Shit. It hadn’t taken me more than a few hours to break it. I wondered if she had foreseen this all along. I swallowed. “To donate blood.”
Solus widened his eyes fractionally. “This is the second time today you’ve lost blood?”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it ‘losing’ blood per se. I know where it is.”
He gripped my arm tighter. “Don’t be flippant.” He switched his gaze to Tarn. “This might be a good time to evacuate the building.”
“What? You don’t really think I’m about to…that doesn’t make sense! I lost blood before when Aubrey attacked me. More than this. I feel fine. Nothing’s going to happen. I just need to stay calm.” As soon as I finished my sentence, a hot trail of fire scorched through my body from one end to the other. Oh, that wasn’t good.
“Your eyes weren’t glowing then, though.”
“Well, fucking do something and make them stop now!”
Solus, face pale, looked over at Tarn. He’d not moved a muscle. Then he fixed his gaze on the ogre who was pulling away the needle and wiping at my arm in a surprisingly delicate manner. I could tell that his mind was flipping over the options, but there just wasn’t any time. I immediately stood up, rubbing at the spot, and feeling distinctly woozy and nauseous. There were hundreds of people in here. I had to get out right now.
“Where’s the nearest exit?” I shouted at Tarn.
He blinked at me. I reached out and grabbed him by the lapels of his shiny designer suit and snarled, “Where’s the nearest fucking exit?”
For the first time since we’d entered the balcony area, the UnSeelie Fae appeared shaken. He lifted up a finger and pointed out towards the way we’d entered. “You can go that way. Up to the roof, not down. There’s a staircase to the right…”
I didn’t listen to anything more, and instead bolted in that direction. Losing the second pint of blood had just been too much, however, and I felt shaky and weak. Streaks of red began to zip across my eyes and my body was tingling all over with painful pinpricks of heat. I barely made it to the door, then scrabbled forward with my fingers, smashing the protective glass of the fire alarm and thumping on the button within. All at once, a siren sounded but, with the loud thump of music below, it didn’t seem as if any of the Circle customers had heard. It probably didn’t matter now. It was already too late.
A searing pain shuddered through me and it felt as if I was being ripped asunder. My fingers seemed cramped and, when I looked down, they were already curving into long talons. The shiny jumpsuit was becoming more and more constricting and I was starting to feel like I couldn’t breathe. I gasped and choked for air, then wave after wave of bloodfire rippled through my body like some unstoppable tsunami of flame. Scraps of shiny black from my jumpsuit spat out in all directions. I dimly registered screams from below, and a hundred faces turning up in my direction. My head scraped painfully against something and I tried to duck, but it didn’t seem to help. Then I realised that it
Chapter Ten
I turned and looked at Solus, my eyes wide. He hissed through his teeth. “Has this happened before?”
My mouth dry, I nodded.
“When?
I stared at him.
He reached over and gripped my arm, shaking it. “When, Mack?”
“I think earlier today,” I squeaked. “But nothing happened. I went to the hospital and I was fine.”
His body was very still and his tone was quiet and even. That was good. If Solus wasn’t panicking then I wasn’t going to panic either. It was probably nothing. Surely, that book couldn’t be right all the time? The ogre at my side seemed oblivious to the byplay going on right next to him, but Tarn was leaning forward, eyes fixed on mine, and his hands touching his lips as if he was in prayer.
“Why were you at the hospital?” Solus asked.
I thought of my earlier promise to Mrs. Alcoon. Shit. It hadn’t taken me more than a few hours to break it. I wondered if she had foreseen this all along. I swallowed. “To donate blood.”
Solus widened his eyes fractionally. “This is the second time today you’ve lost blood?”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it ‘losing’ blood per se. I know where it is.”
He gripped my arm tighter. “Don’t be flippant.” He switched his gaze to Tarn. “This might be a good time to evacuate the building.”
“What? You don’t really think I’m about to…that doesn’t make sense! I lost blood before when Aubrey attacked me. More than this. I feel fine. Nothing’s going to happen. I just need to stay calm.” As soon as I finished my sentence, a hot trail of fire scorched through my body from one end to the other. Oh, that wasn’t good.
“Your eyes weren’t glowing then, though.”
“Well, fucking do something and make them stop now!”
Solus, face pale, looked over at Tarn. He’d not moved a muscle. Then he fixed his gaze on the ogre who was pulling away the needle and wiping at my arm in a surprisingly delicate manner. I could tell that his mind was flipping over the options, but there just wasn’t any time. I immediately stood up, rubbing at the spot, and feeling distinctly woozy and nauseous. There were hundreds of people in here. I had to get out right now.
“Where’s the nearest exit?” I shouted at Tarn.
He blinked at me. I reached out and grabbed him by the lapels of his shiny designer suit and snarled, “Where’s the nearest fucking exit?”
For the first time since we’d entered the balcony area, the UnSeelie Fae appeared shaken. He lifted up a finger and pointed out towards the way we’d entered. “You can go that way. Up to the roof, not down. There’s a staircase to the right…”
I didn’t listen to anything more, and instead bolted in that direction. Losing the second pint of blood had just been too much, however, and I felt shaky and weak. Streaks of red began to zip across my eyes and my body was tingling all over with painful pinpricks of heat. I barely made it to the door, then scrabbled forward with my fingers, smashing the protective glass of the fire alarm and thumping on the button within. All at once, a siren sounded but, with the loud thump of music below, it didn’t seem as if any of the Circle customers had heard. It probably didn’t matter now. It was already too late.
A searing pain shuddered through me and it felt as if I was being ripped asunder. My fingers seemed cramped and, when I looked down, they were already curving into long talons. The shiny jumpsuit was becoming more and more constricting and I was starting to feel like I couldn’t breathe. I gasped and choked for air, then wave after wave of bloodfire rippled through my body like some unstoppable tsunami of flame. Scraps of shiny black from my jumpsuit spat out in all directions. I dimly registered screams from below, and a hundred faces turning up in my direction. My head scraped painfully against something and I tried to duck, but it didn’t seem to help. Then I realised that it
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