“We head for the ruins. Past the edge of the city, they probably won’t follow us.”
I felt my stomach clench at the thought of going into the ruins, and the rabids that waited there, in the place that I’d died. But I squashed down my fear. It was either face the threat of rabids, who might kill us, or stay here and wait for the Prince’s men, who definitely would. Between the two, I’d rather have a fighting chance.
“Not much night left, Kanin,” I said, feeling the hours slip away from us. He gave a curt nod.
“Then we’ll have to pick up the pace.”
We did, running madly through the tunnels, hearing the echo of voices around and above us.
*
THEY WERE WAITING FOR US at the edge of the old city.
The ruins were crawling with soldiers and guards, more than I’d seen before in my life. Whether through testament to Kanin’s infamy or Prince Salazar’s hatred, we had barely come out of the tunnels when there was a shout in the darkness and machine-gun fire ricocheted around us, sparking off the pavement and walls. We fled, ducking through overgrown lots and between buildings, but the alert was sounded, and they all knew we were here. Gunfire and shouts echoed from all directions. A trio of snarling dogs came at us and Kanin had to cut them down before we could move on.
“This way,” Kanin hissed, ducking around an old brick building half covered in vines. “We’re not far from the city limits now. See those trees?” He pointed over the rooftops to where a blanket of leaves crowded the horizon. “If we can get into the forest, we’ll be able to lose—”
A roar of gunfire erupted from a line of cars in front of us, making little explosions of blood erupt from Kanin’s chest, and he jerked back with a painful hiss. I cried out in terror. Staggering away, Kanin turned and dived through the window of the old building, shattering the glass and dropping from sight. Ducking bullets, I scrambled through after him.
“Kanin!”
The interior of the building smelled of oil, grease and rust, and the skeletons of several cars sat on the cement floor as I rolled to my feet, glancing around wildly. The vampire lay a few feet from the window, surrounded by broken chips of glass, and I dropped beside him as he pushed himself to his knees. He was grimacing, teeth clenched tightly together, his fangs smeared with blood. Blood also spattered his clothes, fresh stains against the old ones, and pooled from holes in his chest and stomach, the gunshot wounds he had taken head-on. As I watched, horrified and fascinated at the same time, he dug his thumb and two fingers into the holes, clenching his jaw, and pulled out three lead slugs, dropping them to the pavement with a clink. The gaping wounds sealed, though the blood on his shirt, chest and hands remained.
Kanin shuddered, slumping against the wall. Voices echoed around us, men shouting, calling for backup. Through the window, the sky against the horizon was a dark blue, and a faint orange glow signaled the approach of the sun.
“Allison.” Kanin’s voice was soft; I barely heard it against the backdrop of shouting and gunfire. “Our time together has come to an end. This is where we have to part.”
“What? Are you crazy?” I stared at him wide-eyed. “Screw that! I’m not leaving you.”
“I’ve brought you as far as I can.” Kanin’s eyes were glassy; I realized he was probably starving, after taking those shots to the chest. But he still tried to speak calmly. “You know almost everything you need to survive. There’s just one more thing I have to tell you.” A bullet ricocheted off a car, sparking in the shadows, and I flinched. Kanin didn’t seem to notice. “One last skill every vampire should know,” he went on in a near whisper. “When you’re caught outside with no shelter, you can burrow deep into the earth to escape the sun. It’s something we do instinctively. It’s also how the rabids sleep during the day, so be careful, because they’re known for appearing right under your feet. You have to find a strip of natural earth, not rock or cement, and you must cover yourself completely. Do you understand? You might need it very, very soon.”
I shook my head, barely listening to him, as the shouts and wild barking drew even closer. “Kanin,” I began, feeling my eyes start to burn, “I can’t! I can’t leave you here to die.”