after life | Page 6

u ca s’s fe et s h if t e d s lig htly , a nd h is h ead t u rn ed a c o uple in ch es t o t h e s id e. “ L u ca s
? ” I w his p ere d. H e n eeded
t o u nders ta nd t h at h e w asn ’t a lo ne, b efo re h e re aliz e d a nyth in g e ls e . “ C an y o u h ear m e
? I t’s B ia nca . I ’m w ait in g fo r
y o u.”
He d id n’t m ove .
“I lo ve y o u s o m uch .” I w ante d s o b adly t o c ry , b ut m y g hostly b ody c re ate d n o t e ars . “ P le ase c o m e b ack t o m e.
P le ase .” T he fin gers o f h is rig ht h and s tra ig hte ned, m uscle s t e nsin g, t h en c u rle d b ack in t o w ard h is p alm .
“L u ca s, c a n y o u
— ”
“N o
! ” L u ca s s h ove d h im se lf a w ay fro m t h e flo or, fro m m e, s tu m blin g t o a ll fo urs . H is e ye s w ere w ild , t o o d aze d t o
t ru ly s e e. “ N o
! ”
His b ack s la m med a gain st t h e w all. H e s ta re d a t t h e t h re e o f u s, h is e ye s d is p la yin g n o re co gnit io n, n o s a nit y . H is
h ands p re sse d a gain st t h e w all, fin gers c u rv e d lik e c la w s, a nd I t h ought h e m ig ht t ry t o d ig t h ro ugh it . M ayb e it w as a
v a m pir e in stin ct fo r d ig gin g y o ur w ay o ut o f a g ra ve .
“L u ca s, it ’s o ka y.” I h eld m y h ands o ut, d oin g m y b est t o re m ain c o m ple te ly s o lid a nd o paque. I t w as b ette r t o lo ok a s
fa m ilia r a s p ossib le . “ W e’r e h ere w it h y o u.”
“H e d oesn ’t k n ow y o u y e t,” B alt h aza r s a id . “ H e’s lo okin g a t u s, b ut h e c a n’t s e e.” R anulf a dded, “ H e w ants o nly
b lo od.”
At t h e w ord b lo od, L u ca s’s h ead t ilt e d, lik e a p re dato r c a tc h in g t h e s ce nt o f p re y. I re aliz e d t h at w as t h e o nly w ord
h e’d re co gniz e d.
The m an I lo ve d h ad b een re duce d t o a n a nim al — t o a m onste r, I re aliz e d, t h e s ic k , e m pty , m urd ero us s h ell t h at
L u ca s h ad o nce b elie ve d e ve ry v a m pir