“I’d rather have you,” I replied, still staring at the sky even though I couldn’t see the chopper anymore.
Dave shifted, obviously pleased by the compliment. “In several years maybe he won’t be. I’ll see you when it’s over.”
Tate approached, his short brown hair not even rustling in the wind, and all of a sudden, something cold slithered up my spine. That’s irrational, I told myself. You’re being superstitious, Cat, get a grip.
“What’s wrong?”
Dave knew me too well. Enough to know it wasn’t the temperature that made me shiver all over. I rubbed my hands over my arms, fixing a fake expression of confidence on my face.
“Nothing. Forgot my jacket, that’s all.”
Dave gave me a look, but I ignored it. Just as I ignored the paranoid little voice in my head that made me want to call Bones and insist he return.
I’ll be back before you know it.
Comforting words, you would think, but not to me. Those were the last words Bones said to me before I left him all those years ago. That sentence had tormented me during the years we were apart, and now I was afraid him saying it again was prophetic.
Telling myself it was coincidence and nothing more, I went inside. I had a job to do and there was no time for groundless fears. After all, I had enough to be afraid of that wasn’t imaginary.
TWENTY
M ANY THINGS WERE CLOSED CHRISTMAS Day. Restaurants. Bars. Clubs. Malls. Of course, one establishment was notoriously busy. The movie theater.
Today’s six o’clock showing of a romantic comedy starring two big-named Hollywood actors was about to get interesting. It helped that this was an upscale theater with balcony seating. More chance to show off the aerial abilities of the undead.
Vlad Tepesh rose out of his seat in the front row as if he’d been pulled by strings. His body was in stark outline against the wide screen behind him. He spread his arms and let the emerald beams in his eyes settle on the shocked faces turned toward him.
“You shouldn’t have come, Reaper.”
A show hound, Bones had called him. Right now I had to agree. Even his long dark hair swirled around him, blown as if by an invisible breeze. I hid my smile and stood, holding a crossbow at the ready.
“Time to die, suck head.” Okay, cheesy, but if he was piling on the dramatics, so was I.
“What the fuck…?”
The guy next to me barely got the words out when I fired four arrows in rapid succession. Vlad spun in midair, dodging the arrows. They landed in the screen right as there was a close-up of the actress’s face.
Somebody screamed. Finally, I thought. Jeez, did I have to cut his throat to cause a panic? People were so jaded nowadays.
Vlad flew at me, mouth open and fangs on display. With that, one of the patrons howled out a word.
“Vampire!”
“Run for your lives,” I yelled, knocking over several people as I avoided Vlad’s tackle. He caught the edge of my jacket and used it as leverage, throwing me across the theater to crash into the wall. It was a spectacular toss and knocked the wind out of me, causing me to gasp even as I ducked from his fist.
“We’re playing it that way, huh? Good. I like it rough.”
I returned the gesture, slamming him so hard into the nearby wall that it caved inward. Insulation and concrete showered those who hadn’t made it out of the theater yet. Then when Vlad sprang forward, I head-butted him hard enough to split the top of my hairline. It rocked him back, though, allowing me to ram two blades into his chest. Blood poured from my scalp, causing more screams as the houselights went up and the two of us were clearly illuminated.
Vlad ignored the knives in his chest and yanked me closer, licking the flowing red stream from my forehead.
“Doesn’t hurt now,” he murmured.
“Overactor,” I snapped.
A gunshot went off, causing both of us to turn in amazement toward the back of the theater. Sure enough, there was a guy, popcorn all over him, sighting down a barrel at us for another shot. Tate, who was also in the theater, knocked him so hard in the head that I hoped there wouldn’t be permanent damage. The shooter dropped to the floor.
“Americans,” Vlad muttered over the fresh screams from the remaining patrons. “Every other person in this country’s armed. Good thing that his aim was as poor as his judgment.”
“Come on, let’s finish this. Flashy ending, isn’t that your favorite?”
“Oh, Cat, you’re going to make me do something I’ve never done before.” He laughed, kicking me hard enough to break my ankles before flinging me into the fake velvet seats. They crumpled beneath me even as I sprang to my feet, wincing but still erect. I leapt up as he charged me, causing him to crash into empty air instead of my body.
“And what is that? Be humble?”
Vlad rolled, yanking the knives from his chest like they were splinters. His eyes flicked to the last of the fleeing bystanders as they trampled one another to get to the exit.