after life | Page 8

ack ! Y ou’r e b le edin g!”
What w as t h at s u ppose d t o m ean
? S ure ly v a m pir e s d id n’t d rin k w ra it h s’ b lo od, s o t h ere w as n o d anger o f m y d riv in g
L u ca s fu rt h er in to a k illin g fre nzy. A t t h at m om ent, I w asn ’t s u re h e c o uld b eco m e m ore fre nzie d t h an h e a lr e ady w as.
Y ounger a nd w eake r h e m ig ht b e, b ut d esp era tio n g oaded h im o n, m ade h im fie rc e . I t w as p ossib le h e m ig ht d efe at
R anulf a nd B alt h aza r b oth . I c o uld n’t b ear t o s e e t h at, b ut I d id n’t t h in k I c o uld s ta nd t h e a lt e rn ativ e e it h er. M y fe ar
s h arp ened — a nd b eca m e a nger.
Enough o f t h is .
I p ush ed m yse lf t o w ard t h em , b lo od o n m y fin gert ip s, a nd flu ng o ut m y h and a s I c rie d, “ S to p
! ” D ro ple ts o f s ilv e ry
b lo od s p atte re d t h ro ugh t h e a ir a s a ll t h re e o f t h e g uys s h ra nk b ack .
At m y s id e, B alt h aza r w his p ere d, “ D on’t g et in to t h is .”
Ig norin g h im , I s te pped d ir e ctly in fro nt o f L u ca s. H e h ad b ack e d a gain st t h e w all, g la ncin g a ro und w ild ly a s t h ough h e
c o uld t h in k o f n oth in g b ut e sca pe — o r, p erh aps, in s e arc h o f liv in g p re y. D eath h ad s h arp ened h is fe atu re s, m akin g h im
b oth m ore b eautif u l a nd in fin it e ly frig hte nin g. T he o nly fe atu re s t h at re m ain ed ilie s a m e w ere h is e ye s.
So I fo cu se d o nly o n h is e ye s. “ L u ca s, it ’s m e. I t’s B ia nca .”
He s a id n oth in g, ju st s ta re d a t m e, u tte rly m otio nle ss. I re aliz e d h e w asn ’t b re ath in g — m ost v a m pir e s d id ju st a s

fo rc e o f h abit , b ut it s e em ed t h at d eath h ad c la im ed h im e ntir e ly . N o w ay w as I g oin g t o le t t h at h appen.
“L u ca s,” I re peate d. “ I k n ow y o u c a n h ear m e. T he g uy I lo ve is s till in t h ere . C om e b ack t o m e.” O nce a gain , I lo nged
fo r t h e re le