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 don’t understand what you’re asking for. It’s not as simple as holding a sйance. It’s too dangerous.”<br />
Those coppery green eyes bored into mine. “I know very well what Marie can summon, and if you can now also call forth such creatures, that<br />
would give vampires a critical edge if we are unable to kill Apollyon and prevent war from breaking out.”<br />
“Calling <strong>the</strong>m forth isn’t what scares me,” I said, a shiver <strong>of</strong> remembrance running through me. “Controlling <strong>the</strong>m once <strong>the</strong>y’re here, or sending<br />
<strong>the</strong>m back, that’s <strong>the</strong> problem.”<br />
“<strong>This</strong> is far too important for you to refuse simply out <strong>of</strong> fear,” Vlad retorted.<br />
“You just don’t get it.” I swiped a hand toward <strong>the</strong> cemetery for emphasis. “Those things—Remnants, Marie called <strong>the</strong>m—are like ghostly land<br />
mines, and you’re asking me to stomp on <strong>the</strong>m to see if I can direct <strong>the</strong> blast radius! It’s not fear for me that I’m saying no. They didn’t hurt me last<br />
time and probably wouldn’t again. It’s fear for you if I do it and fail.”<br />
Vlad held up his hand. Flames covered it, indigo and orange intertwining across his skin without singeing a single hair.<br />
“The power I have is only valuable because I can and will use it. Apollyon’s right; Marie’s new lack <strong>of</strong> allegiance to vampires is a game changer,<br />
but we now have <strong>the</strong> ability to counter <strong>the</strong> ghoul nation’s most devastating weapon through you, but not if you refuse to wield that power.”<br />
I remembered <strong>the</strong> icy, ravenous feel <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Remnants, <strong>the</strong> mental maelstrom <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir voices in my head, and shuddered. “I’ll wield it, or try to, only<br />
as a last resort. You don’t know how strong <strong>the</strong> Remnants are. I could raise <strong>the</strong>m, lose control <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, and <strong>the</strong>n end up watching <strong>the</strong>m eat allies and<br />
enemies alike. Only a fool throws a risky Hail Mary pass in <strong>the</strong> first quarter <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> game.”<br />
Vlad’s brow arched insolently. “No, only a fool would attempt to see if <strong>the</strong>ir best weapon works during a battle instead <strong>of</strong> before it.”<br />
“There are days when you really push my buttons, Tepesh,” I snapped.<br />
“And <strong>the</strong>re are days when I wonder how you’ve survived as long as you have,” he countered. “You won’t get a better chance to test your abilities<br />
than right now. Bones isn’t here, so your biggest concern is gone, and you can risk my life because I accept <strong>the</strong> danger, and because friends might<br />
be rare, but <strong>the</strong>y’re not irreplaceable. Now, let’s get in <strong>the</strong> graveyard and get started. Before Mencheres calls and <strong>the</strong>n lectures us into an early<br />
grave about how imprudent this idea is.”<br />
Vlad’s face had been granite-hard during <strong>the</strong> first half <strong>of</strong> his speech, but <strong>the</strong>n his lip curled almost impishly at that last sentence. I was torn by<br />
anger at his disdainful comment about my survival skills, dismay at how casually he assumed I’d react to his death, and amusement at how an over<br />
six-hundred-year-old Master vampire could still sound like a naughty kid planning to outwit his babysitter.<br />
“You have got to be one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most unusual people I have ever met, and considering all <strong>the</strong> strange ones I know, that’s saying a lot,” I managed,<br />
shaking my head.<br />
His grin was shameless. “If you’re just now realizing what an original I am, Ca<strong>the</strong>rine, you’re even later to <strong>the</strong> game than I imagined.”<br />
“Your arrogance deserves its own zip code, Drac,” I said, laughing despite myself.<br />
“And you’re stalling. Get out and let’s get started.”<br />
My flash <strong>of</strong> good humor vanished under an onslaught <strong>of</strong> nervousness. “Maybe we should wait for Mencheres. With that power <strong>of</strong> his, he might be<br />
able to help if things get out <strong>of</strong> hand—”<br />
“Not when it comes to anything from <strong>the</strong> ground,” Vlad cut me <strong>of</strong>f. “<strong>Grave</strong> magic is immune to Mencheres’s telekinesis. That’s why he couldn’t do<br />
anything to <strong>the</strong> zombies that New Year’s Eve except grab a sword and start hacking away at <strong>the</strong>m like <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> us.”<br />
Good point. I hadn’t ever wondered why Mencheres hadn’t tried to stop that attack with his power. Probably because I was too busy thinking,<br />
Holy shit, we’re all gonna die!<br />
And some <strong>of</strong> my friends had died. Nothing good ever came out <strong>of</strong> being close to magically raised creatures from <strong>the</strong> grave, in my experience.<br />
That brought up ano<strong>the</strong>r concern, a less deadly but far more embarrassing one. I cleared my throat, glancing away from Vlad.<br />
“You know, Marie said it wouldn’t happen that bad again, but just in case . . . if I do this and safely put <strong>the</strong> Remnants back, <strong>the</strong>n all <strong>of</strong> a sudden<br />
start coming on to you, I don’t mean it. It’s just <strong>the</strong> aftereffects <strong>of</strong> being connected to <strong>the</strong> hungers <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dead. Not me suddenly having a crazed<br />
desire to jump on your jock.”<br />
Vlad threw back his head and roared with laughter. Pink tears gleamed from his eyes before he reined himself in to just a few lingering chuckles.<br />
“I’ll be sure to thwart any jock-jumping attempts you might make on me or anyone else,” he replied at last, his lips still twitching.<br />
I sucked in a deep breath and <strong>the</strong>n blew it out, trying to center myself before I made a leap into <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side, metaphorically speaking. I had no<br />
idea how to raise <strong>the</strong> Remnants, but I assumed I’d start with trying to tap into <strong>the</strong> connection I felt to ghosts and work my way up from <strong>the</strong>re.<br />
“You sure you want to be close by when I do this?” I asked, shooting a worried look at Vlad. “At best, you’ll get hurt. At worst, I won’t be able to<br />
stop <strong>the</strong>m from killing you.”<br />
His expression was a mix <strong>of</strong> utter ruthlessness and reckless challenge, making me wonder if he’d looked that way when charging on horseback