I fought to stay conscious. I fought to keep going. I inched forward, my hands clawing through the grass, but it wasn’t enough. Something large lumbered in my direction, a beast with huge green eyes and large fangs. They’d found me.
I closed my eyes as it ran up and dropped its head toward me, scenting the air.
“No,” I moaned as my eyes fluttered closed.
“Tally? Oh, Tally no!”
Hands lifted me. Then my body rocked back and forth as someone carried me, cradled in their arms.
I felt… safe.
I forced leaden eyelids open and turned to see a familiar face near mine.
“Vaughn?” I croaked.
“Hang on,” he panted, saving his breath as he ran away from the building and toward the dome’s shimmering barrier.
“Am I dreaming? Am I dead?”
He grimaced. “You’re not dreaming, and you’re certainly not going to die, Tally. Not when I have anything to say about it.”
“But how?”
“Save your strength,” he said, racing toward the dome’s barrier. I could see Charlie in the distance—she’d already gotten out, thank the gods—while Vinya held the rift open with one hand and, with the other, gestured at us to hurry, because, behind us, a host of guards was coming. Jeeps poured out, their lights slicing through the night toward us. So many, I lost count.
I gripped Vaughn’s neck and hoped he could make it. If we didn’t get out soon, we’d be done for.
Chapter Seven
Charlie and Vinya tore away from the dome while Vaughn followed, carrying me in his arms. How was he here? I left him not two hours ago, and he had been unconscious, fighting the poison from the Habermanns’ bullets.
Speaking of bullets, my wound was still bleeding. I wondered how long I could remain conscious, though I seemed able to hold onto the thin strands of awareness now that I knew we might escape. Still, I worried about how long I might last. My head felt light and my vision swam as we raced away from our would-be attackers.
Trees blurred by as we ran. Engines rumbled behind us, then rapid gunshots. It seemed they had enough bullets to waste because they hadn’t come within range yet, but they’d be here soon. We were on foot and still had to reach the spot from which we could teleport back to the ship.
The rendezvous point was a different one this time. Dean McIntosh had used her magic to create a handful of spots on the island from which we could transport. Each one could be used only once to avoid detection. The one we needed was closer to the dome, but maybe not close enough to get there before the guards caught up with us.
I hugged Vaughn’s neck tightly. He’d said to save my energy, and this seemed the best way to do it. I inhaled his scent as my eyelids fluttered, weakness weighing my entire body down. My body felt like it had the time Regina drained my blood to gain enough strength to save Antonio, except lust hadn’t taken over my senses. On the contrary, I felt like drifting away and never waking up again.
Breathing hurt so much.
My head swam and rocked back and forth on Vaughn’s shoulder. His rhythmic, fast breaths lulled me to sleep.
“Tally!” Vaughn exclaimed. “Can you hear me?”
I wanted to tell him I could, but my mouth was dry and no words bubbled up.
Vaughn spoke again. “Hey, Tally needs help. She’s drifting away”
Suddenly, we came to a stop. I fought to open my eyes, but my strength wasn’t enough, even for that.
“We can’t stop. We have to keep going,” Vinya said.
“I don’t think she’ll hold up. Please, do something.” Vaughn again, but this time he sounded distant, too far to reach.
Suddenly, an icy sensation spread over my back, tingling its way down each vertebra, easing the burning and the pain. Breathing became easier. I exhaled in relief and opened my eyes to meet Vaughn’s concerned gaze.
He gave me a gentle smile. “There you are.”
“Hey,” I mumbled.
“It’s the best I can do,” Charlie said. “Let’s keep going.”
We started running again, and this time every step Vaughn took jarred my bones and sent a pang of pain up my back. Still, I would take this hurt over the drifting away to my death, any day.
More shots erupted behind us, this time closer.
I lifted my head to look at our surroundings. We passed a line of black shapes. Trees, I realized. How much longer before we arrived at our getaway spot? An outcrop of rocks appeared as the tree line ran out. I recognized it. We were almost there. If only I could fly.
More gunshots. Vaughn staggered sideways, growling, clenching his teeth, and starting to limp. He’d been hit. Worry flooding me, I held on as he labored over a ridge. When we got to the other side, we were forced to stop again. Charlie knelt, traced a complex pattern with her hands, and shot a ball of fire towards the trees we’d left behind. They ignited in an instant, setting the night aglow.
“That should slow them down. C’mon, we’re almost there,” she urged.
A deafening thump, thump sounded overhead. A helicopter? I’d learned about them at the Academy when they flew above the buildings, carrying councilmembers and depositing them on top of buildings to attend board meetings. The huge contraptions had no business flying. The simple thought boggled my mind.
“Shit!” Vaughn exclaimed as bullets rained down from the sky like projectile-shaped hail.
Dirt, tree bark, and rock shards sprang into the air as the bullets hit all around us. Suddenly, I lurched forward, and we toppled to the ground. Vaughn gritted his teeth against the pain. Another bullet had found him. Panic and anguish warred inside me. He’d come out here to save me and now he’d be torn to shreds.
“Hurry!” Charlie called.
She stood twenty yards away, frantically gesturing with her hand. Vinya did the same at her side. They’d already arrived at our destination.
Vaughn and I exchanged a glance and nodded in unison. Together, we struggled to our feet, and with the last of our strength and Charlie and Vinya’s help reached our rendezvous spot.
Werewolves and a massive flying shape with bat wings came over the ridge just as we dematerialized and escaped.
Water washed over me as I stood under the showerhead, rinsing away soap suds from my hair and body. Turning my face towards the faucet, I closed my eyes against the blissful warmth. It seemed impossible to be here, still alive, and, of all things, taking a shower.
I fluttered my wings, sticking out the back of the shower, amazed at the complete lack of pain. Last night, after we arrived on the ship, the dean herself had tended to me, healing me the rest of the way—all while Vaughn stood by, his own wounds untreated.
“I’m fine,” he’d insisted between clenched teeth as they tried to convince him to leave my side. “My wounds will heal on their own. See, this one is almost gone.” He pointed to a pinkish indent on his calf like it was nothing more than a bug bite.
He’d stayed with me until the dean ordered him out of the room. That had been an hour ago, and she had left with instructions for me to shower and change into clean clothes.
I stepped out of the stall and dried myself with a white towel that smelled of spring flowers. The material was soft against my skin. It seemed impossible that these comforts still existed somewhere in the world, and more impossible still, that I could enjoy them after so long without them.