can feel her.” Roque smiled, purposely revealing the long pointed tips of two of his teeth.
The child’s head canted, his brows pushing together. “You’re a…a vampire?”
Roque nodded.
“Not supposed to talk to them.” The boy frowned. “You can hear her heart beating? So she’s alive?”
“She’s alive,” Roque assured. “And I can get her.”
Thank you, mister. Thank you.” His chin quivered and he swayed like the relief took away the last reserve he’d been clinging to.
Roque caught him by the arms. “What’s your sister’s name?”
“Margaret.”
“All right. Stay here and I’ll get her.” With that, Roque ducked through the broken wall.
Edeen came to the boy, resting her arm across his bony shoulders. He surprised her by leaning in close as they listened to rubble scraping and being thrown aside, craning their necks at every glimpse of movement inside.
“What’s your name?” Edeen asked quietly.
The boy sniffled. “Thomas.”
“Thomas, where’s yer parents?”
“My dad mans the radar aerial at the gun site across the river. “My mam…” His eyes got a hollow look to them. “Her room was over there.” He pointed to a sunken pile of rubble. “It’s gone.”
Edeen squeezed his shaking shoulder.
Black fabric covered the windows of a house across the street, which had taken no damage at all.
“Edeen,” Roque called out. “I need your help.”
“Stay here,” she told Thomas. “If anyone comes by, ask them for help.” Without question, she crawled into what looked like the aftermath of a hurricane.
Large pieces of wall and roof had collapsed inward. Pieces of glass were embedded in everything. Roque had made good progress in clearing most of the debris from around a young woman, though a large slab slanted across her legs while smaller chunks were sliding in around her.
Roque had his back against what looked like a large boulder, but must be a piece of wall or ceiling, his legs braced, features pinched with effort. Edeen followed the boulder’s intended path and swallowed. He was the only thing keeping it from crushing the girl.
“I shifted the wrong piece, and…” he gave a slight shrug.
No need for further explanation. Edeen hiked the tight wet skirt up to climb carefully over slabs and broken furniture to get to the young woman. She was awake, her eyes overly bright and glassy in the dirt-caked face.
Edeen smiled for her. “Margaret, don’t worry. We’ll have ye free in a moment.” She started scooping chunks of wall and fist-sized rocks away.
“But that stone will cr-crush…”
“Nay, Margaret. Not while he holds it. Roque will not let harm come to ye. He promised yer brother.”
“Thomas? He’s okay?”
“He’s fine. Worried for you so ye must be brave.”
Margaret nodded and Edeen pulled more dirt and stones away, freeing the lass’s upper body. The girl’s arm moved, a good token, though the other one remained still and lifeless.
“What of my mam?”
Edeen stilled, but recovered her composure, testing a piece of splintered wood to see if it would make anything fall before removing it. “I do not know.”
Tears slid down Margaret’s face and into her hair, leaving streaks along her dirty face.
Edeen stopped digging to take her hand. “Are ye in pain?” Of course she was. She glanced back at Roque still pressed against the boulder. His limbs shook. Sweat ran along his hairline. He’d already been exhausted. It seemed hopeless, yet looking at Roque, at the force of his spirit, she knew they could do this.
Giving up on Margaret was not a consideration.
“My legs hurt. Really awful.”
Edeen rubbed her wrist, feeling helpless and overwhelmed. She did not have the strength to lift the slab off of Margaret and trying to dig beneath made it sink and shift. “That’s well, Margaret. Pain is sometimes good to let ye know everything still works. ‘Tis what my brothers say.”
“You have brothers?”
“Aye. Three and not a
The child’s head canted, his brows pushing together. “You’re a…a vampire?”
Roque nodded.
“Not supposed to talk to them.” The boy frowned. “You can hear her heart beating? So she’s alive?”
“She’s alive,” Roque assured. “And I can get her.”
Thank you, mister. Thank you.” His chin quivered and he swayed like the relief took away the last reserve he’d been clinging to.
Roque caught him by the arms. “What’s your sister’s name?”
“Margaret.”
“All right. Stay here and I’ll get her.” With that, Roque ducked through the broken wall.
Edeen came to the boy, resting her arm across his bony shoulders. He surprised her by leaning in close as they listened to rubble scraping and being thrown aside, craning their necks at every glimpse of movement inside.
“What’s your name?” Edeen asked quietly.
The boy sniffled. “Thomas.”
“Thomas, where’s yer parents?”
“My dad mans the radar aerial at the gun site across the river. “My mam…” His eyes got a hollow look to them. “Her room was over there.” He pointed to a sunken pile of rubble. “It’s gone.”
Edeen squeezed his shaking shoulder.
Black fabric covered the windows of a house across the street, which had taken no damage at all.
“Edeen,” Roque called out. “I need your help.”
“Stay here,” she told Thomas. “If anyone comes by, ask them for help.” Without question, she crawled into what looked like the aftermath of a hurricane.
Large pieces of wall and roof had collapsed inward. Pieces of glass were embedded in everything. Roque had made good progress in clearing most of the debris from around a young woman, though a large slab slanted across her legs while smaller chunks were sliding in around her.
Roque had his back against what looked like a large boulder, but must be a piece of wall or ceiling, his legs braced, features pinched with effort. Edeen followed the boulder’s intended path and swallowed. He was the only thing keeping it from crushing the girl.
“I shifted the wrong piece, and…” he gave a slight shrug.
No need for further explanation. Edeen hiked the tight wet skirt up to climb carefully over slabs and broken furniture to get to the young woman. She was awake, her eyes overly bright and glassy in the dirt-caked face.
Edeen smiled for her. “Margaret, don’t worry. We’ll have ye free in a moment.” She started scooping chunks of wall and fist-sized rocks away.
“But that stone will cr-crush…”
“Nay, Margaret. Not while he holds it. Roque will not let harm come to ye. He promised yer brother.”
“Thomas? He’s okay?”
“He’s fine. Worried for you so ye must be brave.”
Margaret nodded and Edeen pulled more dirt and stones away, freeing the lass’s upper body. The girl’s arm moved, a good token, though the other one remained still and lifeless.
“What of my mam?”
Edeen stilled, but recovered her composure, testing a piece of splintered wood to see if it would make anything fall before removing it. “I do not know.”
Tears slid down Margaret’s face and into her hair, leaving streaks along her dirty face.
Edeen stopped digging to take her hand. “Are ye in pain?” Of course she was. She glanced back at Roque still pressed against the boulder. His limbs shook. Sweat ran along his hairline. He’d already been exhausted. It seemed hopeless, yet looking at Roque, at the force of his spirit, she knew they could do this.
Giving up on Margaret was not a consideration.
“My legs hurt. Really awful.”
Edeen rubbed her wrist, feeling helpless and overwhelmed. She did not have the strength to lift the slab off of Margaret and trying to dig beneath made it sink and shift. “That’s well, Margaret. Pain is sometimes good to let ye know everything still works. ‘Tis what my brothers say.”
“You have brothers?”
“Aye. Three and not a
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