on it and let loose. I used the distraction to get the knife to his neck and cut his throat, fighting against the nausea that rose up as a result. This way of killing was too personal for my taste.
If he had been alone, I would have been fine. The guy behind him opened up, and it was all I could do to get out of the line of fire and keep the other guard in front of me, catching some of the rounds and deflecting others. A bullet whizzed past my ear, the hot slug scorching it on the way by. I shoved my victim, trying to push him into the other guard, but he backed up and then jumped over.
I recognized both of them. They were supposed to be defending the place, and instead they were making their own move on the stone. What the fuck was this thing that they were staging a bloody coup to get it?
He smiled when he saw me, the muzzle of the gun swinging my direction. I was in the open, and all I had was a knife.
A sudden flash of energy bolted across the room, catching the guard full-on. He shook and rattled as the power coursed through him, and then fell to the floor. I whipped my head around, to where Red was laying propped against the bookshelf, bleeding out but still alive.
I stared at her for what felt like forever, but it was only a couple of seconds.
"They're going to blame you for this." Her voice was faint. A soft chuckle followed. "I should have known. I should have seen this coming."
I stood up and looked towards the door. I needed to get the hell out of here. "I was just supposed to steal the stone."
Her laughter was louder, mixed with a choking gurgle. "Then steal it, necromancer. It's the only way you might live long enough to continue dying."
I walked over to her and crouched down. Her eyes were turning glassy, but she didn't look afraid. "Dannie was right. I was supposed to die here, wasn't I?"
"Live, die, it doesn't matter. You aren't important . You're just the ghost. I was supposed to die here. It was supposed to be taken, but not by you." She looked over at the smoldering guard. "Eight years, and they got to him. You need to take the stone. Don't let them get it. Bring it to Jin." She reached up and took hold of the ruby. "Take this with you. She will know I sent you. If she survives, you survive. There is no other way."
I stared down at her. I never should have picked up that goddamned card in the first place. I needed to get away from there. I needed to get back to Danelle and get her out of Chicago before Black's kill team...
"I was paid by Black. The card came from Black."
She coughed up some blood. "It wasn't Black."
"How do you know?"
"It wasn't Black," she repeated.
There was no motion down the hallway... yet. "Why should I help you?"
"Help yourself. You'll die if you don't do as I say."
I crouched in front of her, trying to decide what to do. If I left without the stone, I could get away for now, but someone would be coming after Danelle and me. Whether it was Black or not, any House could fund a kill team. They would figure out who had done the job, and they would find us, and we would be dead.
I could take the stone, and call it in like I was supposed to. If I had been set up, I would just be painting a big fat target on my ass. The fact that they had convinced Red to be here when I walked in... Danelle had been right. Those two ogres were supposed to be dead right now.
Red was right, too. Her rope was the only one not already tied into a noose.
I had been stupid for taking the job, and for dragging Dannie into this. I had been stubborn and greedy, with a side of desperate.
Why couldn't things be simple?
"Where can I find Jin?" I leaned over her and reached for the necklace.
"New... New York." She was struggling to speak. All the color had gone out of her. She reached up and put her hand on my wrist. "The House... you don't know... secrets... protect the treasure."
"Treasure?"
Her eyes shifted past me, towards the pedestal. She took one more deep, gasping
If he had been alone, I would have been fine. The guy behind him opened up, and it was all I could do to get out of the line of fire and keep the other guard in front of me, catching some of the rounds and deflecting others. A bullet whizzed past my ear, the hot slug scorching it on the way by. I shoved my victim, trying to push him into the other guard, but he backed up and then jumped over.
I recognized both of them. They were supposed to be defending the place, and instead they were making their own move on the stone. What the fuck was this thing that they were staging a bloody coup to get it?
He smiled when he saw me, the muzzle of the gun swinging my direction. I was in the open, and all I had was a knife.
A sudden flash of energy bolted across the room, catching the guard full-on. He shook and rattled as the power coursed through him, and then fell to the floor. I whipped my head around, to where Red was laying propped against the bookshelf, bleeding out but still alive.
I stared at her for what felt like forever, but it was only a couple of seconds.
"They're going to blame you for this." Her voice was faint. A soft chuckle followed. "I should have known. I should have seen this coming."
I stood up and looked towards the door. I needed to get the hell out of here. "I was just supposed to steal the stone."
Her laughter was louder, mixed with a choking gurgle. "Then steal it, necromancer. It's the only way you might live long enough to continue dying."
I walked over to her and crouched down. Her eyes were turning glassy, but she didn't look afraid. "Dannie was right. I was supposed to die here, wasn't I?"
"Live, die, it doesn't matter. You aren't important . You're just the ghost. I was supposed to die here. It was supposed to be taken, but not by you." She looked over at the smoldering guard. "Eight years, and they got to him. You need to take the stone. Don't let them get it. Bring it to Jin." She reached up and took hold of the ruby. "Take this with you. She will know I sent you. If she survives, you survive. There is no other way."
I stared down at her. I never should have picked up that goddamned card in the first place. I needed to get away from there. I needed to get back to Danelle and get her out of Chicago before Black's kill team...
"I was paid by Black. The card came from Black."
She coughed up some blood. "It wasn't Black."
"How do you know?"
"It wasn't Black," she repeated.
There was no motion down the hallway... yet. "Why should I help you?"
"Help yourself. You'll die if you don't do as I say."
I crouched in front of her, trying to decide what to do. If I left without the stone, I could get away for now, but someone would be coming after Danelle and me. Whether it was Black or not, any House could fund a kill team. They would figure out who had done the job, and they would find us, and we would be dead.
I could take the stone, and call it in like I was supposed to. If I had been set up, I would just be painting a big fat target on my ass. The fact that they had convinced Red to be here when I walked in... Danelle had been right. Those two ogres were supposed to be dead right now.
Red was right, too. Her rope was the only one not already tied into a noose.
I had been stupid for taking the job, and for dragging Dannie into this. I had been stubborn and greedy, with a side of desperate.
Why couldn't things be simple?
"Where can I find Jin?" I leaned over her and reached for the necklace.
"New... New York." She was struggling to speak. All the color had gone out of her. She reached up and put her hand on my wrist. "The House... you don't know... secrets... protect the treasure."
"Treasure?"
Her eyes shifted past me, towards the pedestal. She took one more deep, gasping
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