“Instead of money, you can get a marker if you’re turning in a vampire,” Tana said, her mind finally starting to plan a future for herself, one where she came out ahead, one where she could survive. “A marker that lets one person out of Coldtown. We could get one of those. I could get one of those, if Gavriel will let me turn him in.”
She’d seen pictures of markers, silver and iron disks with symbols around the outer rim, gold at the center surrounding a small hole, and supposedly some kind of chip inside. There was an heiress who ran away to Coldtown; her parents, hoping to lure her out, hired bounty hunter after bounty hunter to get markers for her. She made a necklace out of them and wore it to the Eternal Ball every night until a gang member slit her throat and sold them off to the highest bidder. If Tana went inside with Gavriel and Aidan now, she’d be going to Coldtown with a way out. If she went Cold and got caught later, she’d be chucked into a Coldtown anyway and then she’d be stuck there.
Her nihilistic plan was actually starting to make sense.
“Tana,” Gavriel began. “You should not—”
“Yes, please come, Tana,” Aidan said, cutting him off. He grinned in that persuasive way he had, half as if he’d be lost without you and half as if he thought he’d done you a favor by suggesting the thing you secretly wanted. “Think of all the fun we’re going to have. Midnight’s going to show us around, right? She forgives me, doesn’t she?”
“I don’t know. That really hurt,” Midnight said lightly, a teasing half smile on her mouth. Her gaze was hungry, though, focused on Aidan and Gavriel. Every part of her vibrated with the desire to be as they were. Changed or changing.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” Aidan said, and his expression was a match for hers, full of greedy desire.
“You know what I want in return,” Midnight said silkily. “We didn’t tell on you. We proved we’re worthy. Your friend’s probably hungry and if he wants, he can—”
Gavriel grabbed her chin before she could even gasp, swift and deadly as a shark rising from the depths. “Unless I am much mistaken, you told everyone. I saw your phone; do you think I don’t know what it does? I should drain you both and leave your bodies as a warning to those who seek death as if it were some hidden treasure.”
Midnight’s skin was flushed, her eyes bright with want. It was as though the words rolled past her and all she saw was the nearness of his mouth. Tana took a step closer, despite herself, drawn into the same delusion.
“Let her go,” Winter said. He pulled at Gavriel’s shoulder, but the vampire boy didn’t move.
“Perhaps Midnight and I should show Aidan what it is to truly feed, what it would be like for him if he tasted blood.” He spoke the words sweetly against Midnight’s ear, as if to a lover. She swayed against him, his arm coming up and tightening, holding her in place. She looked confused then, instinct tinting her expression with the beginnings of panic. “I can hear your heart beating, like a wounded animal hurling its broken body against the walls of its cage. A pretty song.”
Tana thought of what Gavriel had said in the car. There is a madness that comes over us… a madness that can be cured only by feeding. Gavriel had given some of his blood to Aidan—that’s what he’d obviously been intending to do when he sent them away. And how else could Aidan be so much better, unless something hadn’t taken the edge off his craving?
But that meant Gavriel must be very hungry.
“We don’t have time for this,” Tana said desperately, trying to sound reasonable despite her frayed nerves. “Gavriel. We have to get to the gate before dawn. There might be paperwork—or a line. It’s not safe to stay here anymore.”
Gavriel wasn’t looking at her. He contemplated Midnight’s throat.
“It’s definitely not safe to kill someone here,” Tana said, louder, touching his arm. It had worked in the past, being calm, acting as though everything was normal. She hoped it would work again. “Gavriel, we have to go. Stop being so scary.”
At that, he looked over and smiled again, spinning Midnight in his arms as if they’d been dancing. Winter caught her and held her upright.
“I can wait a little longer,” Gavriel said. “A very little longer.”
“The car keys,” Tana demanded, holding out a trembling hand. He fished in his pockets—an utterly normal gesture—then dropped them into her palm ceremoniously. She picked up the bag of cash and jewels from beside the hood of the car, shoving it into her purse.
“I won’t always obey you,” he said softly. “One night you will ask me for something I cannot give.”
She’d started to relax, but his words sent a fresh spike of terror up her spine. Marching to the driver’s side, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before she got in, then slamming the door behind her. She was shaking again and mad about it.
“What is it about vampires?” Aidan muttered as he walked toward the car. “Only ever interested in biting people that don’t want to get bit.”
Midnight sniffed, offended. “He was interested.”