after life | Page 7

e t o b e.
Lu ca s’s e ye s n arro w ed. H e b are d h is t e eth , a nd w it h a s h ock I s a w , fo r t h e fir s t t im e, h is v a m pir e fa ngs. T hey a lt e re d
h is fa ce s o m uch t h at I h ard ly k n ew h im , a nd t h at m ore t h an a nyth in g e ls e t o re a t m e. H is p ostu re s h if t e d in to a c ro uch ,
a nd I re aliz e d h e w as a bout t o a tta ck — a ny o f u s, a ll o f u s. A nyth in g t h at m ove d. M e.
Balt h aza r m ove d fir s t. H e le aped — p ounce d — t o w ard L u ca s, c o llid in g w it h h im s o fo rc e fu lly t h at t h e w all b ehin d
t h em c ru nch ed a nd p la ste r d ust fe ll fro m t h e c e ilin g. L u ca s t h re w h im o ff, b ut t h en R anulf w as o n h im in a n a tte m pt t o
p ush h im in to a c o rn er.
“W hat a re y o u d oin g?” I c rie d. “ S to p h urt in g h im !”
Balt h aza r s h ook h is h ead a s h e ro se fro m t h e flo or. “ T his is t h e o nly t h in g h e u nders ta nds rig ht n ow , B ia nca .
D om in ance .”
Lu ca s p ush ed R anulf b ack w ard , s o h ard t h at h e t h udded a gain st m e, a nd I s tu m ble d in to t h e o ld p ro je cto r. S harp
m eta l ja bbed in to m y s h ould er. I fe lt p ain , re al p ain , t h e k in d I ‘d e xp erie nce d b ack w hen I h ad a re al b ody in ste ad o f
t h is g hostly s im ula tio n. W hen I p ut m y h and t o m y s h ould er, I fe lt a lu ke w arm w etn ess b eneath m y fin gers a nd p ulle d
t h em a w ay t o s e e b lo od — s ilv e ry a nd s tra nge. I h adn’t e ve n re aliz e d t h at I s till h ad b lo od n ow . T he liq uid g le am ed lik e
m erc u ry .
alm ost
ir id esce nt in t h e d im lig ht.
The t h re e — w ay fig ht in fro nt o f m e w as g ro w in g m ore v io le nt — B alt h aza r’s fo ot t o L u ca s’s g ut, L u ca s’s fis t t o
R anulf ’s ja w — b ut B alt h aza r s a w t h at I w as in ju re d a nd s h oute d, “ B ia nca , s ta y b