Chapter 19
(Alex)
I was going to kill him, strangle him until he died. At least I wanted to. But I wouldn t or couldn t. Killing Laylen would nearly kill Gemma and she d hate me for it. Besides, that d be stooping to my father s level. No matter how hard he tried to turn me into one of his murderous soldiers, I refused to give in. I had to be stronger than he was. If anything, to save Gemma from dying.
So I held back on the strangling, instead knocking him in the side of the head with a snow shovel I stole off someone s back porch. Once he fell unconscious, I tucked his body under a tarp, beside a pile of firewood. Then I stood there in the darkness, trying to come up with some kind of plan that would salvage this mess. I had an unconscious, killer vampire in front of me and the two people who could take me away were missing.
There was only one thing to do. Go back to the Banshee and find out what happened. Then maybe I could figure out my next move.
She was wailing when I arrived, a cry of death, perhaps for me. I barged in, not bothering to knock and the pleased look on her face was enough that I saw red. I shoved her back and she tripped twisting her ankle as she fell to the floor.
Who are you?
I demanded.
She smirked despite the pain.
Don t you think I should be asking you the same thing?
You don t get to ask the questions here.
I squatted down beside her, pointing my knife at her throat.
Now who are you?
Her eyes widened, the color shifting from green to blue and her hair from brown to blond.
You re the Banshee from the alley,
I said.
Why are you here?
You didn t think Draven would just hand you the information, did you? Who are you really? And why do you want the help of a Banshee?
He didn t just give it to me.
My jaw tightened at the idea that this was just a set up a very long, waste of time, set up.
I have to pay him back later.
And you will,
she said.
But we needed to see why you seek her. Why do you need a Banshee?
I m not telling you anything, until you tell me why you brought me out here.
Because this is the entrance to the Afterlife,
she gesture at the blackened walls.
This is where you cross over.
I m not going anywhere.
I had an idea.
Where s my mom? I know you know.
Her breath was venomous.
We don t just give away information about our kind.
My knife was at her.
Where is she? Tell me where she is!
In hiding.
She sneered.
In a place where no one wants to hide.
I grabbed the Banshee by the collar of her shirt and yanked her toward me.
Where? Tell me.
I will.
She grinned slyly.
But it ll cost you.