This Side of the Grave (#5 Night Huntress)
This Side of the Grave (#5 Night Huntress)
This Side of the Grave (#5 Night Huntress)
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“You got what you wanted. Now get <strong>the</strong>m <strong>of</strong>f him,” I said, feeling stronger by <strong>the</strong> moment. The draining effect from my contact with <strong>the</strong> Remnants<br />
must be wearing <strong>of</strong>f. Good. That meant Bones wouldn’t suffer any lingering damage, ei<strong>the</strong>r. I didn’t know if spectral abuse could somehow screw<br />
with a vampire’s natural ability to heal, but that must not be <strong>the</strong> case, so Bones should be fine as soon as those energy-munchers got <strong>the</strong> hell away.<br />
I swung my head around to glare at <strong>the</strong> shadows still funneling through his body. They’d better pray once I finally bit <strong>the</strong> dust, I stayed all <strong>the</strong> way<br />
dead, or I’d come back and kick <strong>the</strong>ir asses for this—<br />
Those shadows fell from Bones so abruptly that he dropped to <strong>the</strong> floor before catching himself, crumpling into a heap. I ran over to him, cradling<br />
him, biting my lip so hard I drew blood from my rage at how slowly he pushed himself upright. Then I lasered a glare at Marie. She watched us with<br />
<strong>the</strong> oddest look on her face, <strong>the</strong> Remnants who’d so recently tormented Bones now appearing around her.<br />
“You can send your little friends back to <strong>the</strong>ir graves, or you can play with <strong>the</strong>m all night. I don’t care, but we’re leaving,” I told her curtly, noticing<br />
Bones looking between me and Marie with a sort <strong>of</strong> angry incredulity. The wall <strong>of</strong> Remnants surged toward Marie, until she was surrounded above,<br />
below, and on all sides by <strong>the</strong> twisting, diaphanous horde. Still showing <strong>of</strong>f her power, I noted in contempt, as if we hadn’t gotten <strong>the</strong> message<br />
before.<br />
“I ordered <strong>the</strong>m back to <strong>the</strong>ir graves <strong>the</strong> same time I had <strong>the</strong>m release him,” Marie said, each word holding only <strong>the</strong> sugary flavors <strong>of</strong> her accent<br />
instead <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> echoing timbres <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> grave.<br />
“Bullshit,” I snapped, feeling ano<strong>the</strong>r wave <strong>of</strong> anger rip through me, followed by an almost overwhelming hunger. “They’re still here, aren’t <strong>the</strong>y?”<br />
“Kitten, your voice . . .” Bones said with disbelief.<br />
Something slammed into me so hard that my vision went black. I braced for pain, but strangely, it didn’t come. Sounds became muffled,<br />
disorganized. I thought I heard Bones shouting, but couldn’t focus on what he was saying or even where he was anymore. Air rushed by me in ever<br />
greater whooshes, reminding me <strong>of</strong> how it felt when I’d fallen from <strong>the</strong> bridge, but I couldn’t be falling. I was still in <strong>the</strong> room beneath <strong>the</strong> cemetery,<br />
wasn’t I?<br />
Flashes filled my vision; streaks <strong>of</strong> silver and white going by so fast, <strong>the</strong>y were almost indistinguishable. I could see through <strong>the</strong>m dimly, but it was<br />
as if I was watching things from a long way <strong>of</strong>f. A groan came out <strong>of</strong> my mouth, part <strong>of</strong> me registering that it sounded like it was filled with <strong>the</strong> voices<br />
<strong>of</strong> people who’d died decades, centuries, even millennia ago. As if in a dream, I watched Bones gently lower me to <strong>the</strong> concrete floor and <strong>the</strong>n<br />
punch Marie so hard that she smashed against <strong>the</strong> far corner <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> room.<br />
“I’ll grant you that one strike,” she said, <strong>the</strong> words seeming to echo in my mind, “but only one. Now, will you listen to what you must do to help her,<br />
or will you make me kill you and leave her at <strong>the</strong> mercy <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> grave?”<br />
I could hear Bones reply and Marie answer, but somehow <strong>the</strong>ir words were lost to me amidst <strong>the</strong> keen <strong>of</strong> countless o<strong>the</strong>rs, so much louder than<br />
when I’d picked up on humans’ thoughts. His touch wasn’t lost, though, when he knelt next to me and scooped me up in his arms. The feel <strong>of</strong> his skin<br />
on mine was an anchor I tried to focus on amidst <strong>the</strong> whirling chaos that had overtaken me.<br />
I was so cold. So empty. So HUNGRY.<br />
As he carried me out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> room, Marie stopped him, pressing her mouth to my ear. She murmured something, but it was only one voice among<br />
thousands, her words snatched away by <strong>the</strong> roar in my mind before I could fully register her question. Bones yanked me away, but I could still feel<br />
<strong>the</strong> burn <strong>of</strong> her lips against my skin. His long strides took me into <strong>the</strong> blackness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tunnel, brushing by Jacques as though <strong>the</strong> ghoul wasn’t even<br />
<strong>the</strong>re. My fingers dragged along <strong>the</strong> damp walls as we passed, faintly bemused by <strong>the</strong> trails <strong>of</strong> light <strong>the</strong>y seemed to leave. That light increased,<br />
pulling itself from <strong>the</strong> walls to reach toward me with seeking tentacles, but I wasn’t afraid. I was sad. There were so many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, poor things, and<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were so hungry . . .<br />
Grinding metal sounded ahead, <strong>the</strong>n a thicker ray <strong>of</strong> silvery light shone at <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> tunnel. Bones increased his pace, jumping straight up<br />
into it when we were ba<strong>the</strong>d in its glow, and <strong>the</strong>n everything around me exploded. The voices became deafening, <strong>the</strong> cold mind-numbing, <strong>the</strong><br />
hunger insatiable. Those sensations increased, until it felt like I was struggling in <strong>the</strong> midst <strong>of</strong> a huge silken web to get away, but all <strong>the</strong> while my<br />
efforts only tightened <strong>the</strong> cage around me.<br />
Chapter Seventeen<br />
The first thing that registered was <strong>the</strong> scent <strong>of</strong> smoke, curling around my nostrils as if begging to be inhaled. The next realization was that my<br />
arms felt stiff and my wrists were sore. I opened my eyes, <strong>the</strong> bland grayness <strong>of</strong> a concrete ceiling above me, Bones’s pale, naked flesh to my right.<br />
“What?” I began, trying to sit up, only to have something pull on my arms. I tilted my head backward, shocked to see that I was manacled to a wall<br />
even as ano<strong>the</strong>r glance revealed that Bones and I were on a narrow bed. My gaze flew to him once more, noting <strong>the</strong> cigarette he set down even as<br />
he exhaled a long plume <strong>of</strong> white.<br />
“Why are you lying <strong>the</strong>re smoking while I’m chained to a wall?” I demanded.<br />
The look he gave me was a mixture <strong>of</strong> relief and cynicism. “Since it seems you don’t remember anything about <strong>the</strong> past two days, let me assure<br />
you, luv—I earned that smoke.”<br />
Two days? The last thing I clearly remembered was Bones carrying me out <strong>of</strong> that underground room with Marie. That was two days ago? And