Chapter 59
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Darting from one shadow to another, I feel Sebastian breathing down my neck.
He hovers around me like a woman I once saw standing around her snotty toddler with outstretched arms when the kid took his first steps.
My fists clench, but I keep moving. Maybe if I ignore him long enough, he will go away. Tough chance that, but you never know.
Gripping my shoulder, he prevents me from slinking away from him again.
When I glance back, he simply tilts his chin at the rubble on our right.
Following his direction, I see Marcus watching us intently, his eyes sparkling in the darkness like two small flames.
He points at something on the other side of the street, right between the two buildings I hid between when coming here for the first time.
Lifting the same hand, he curls his fingers, leaving two up like a peace sign.
The shadows swallow him, and I turn to look at the place I’m familiar with.
Two mages.
“There is enough room there for more than just two.” Speaking as low as I can, I know Sebastian hears me clearly.
“It’s empty, well it was empty when I saw it last, but there are no dumpsters or any other place where they can hide.
There is, however, a fire escape on one of the buildings to the right.
” Pointing at it, I see he is paying close attention, so I turn back to scan the area.
“It’s flat enough on the roof they can use it to get away if we give them a chance to run. ”
“Let us not give them that option, then.” He squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. “Can you get to the roof from the other side?”
“I have no idea. I never went to the other side.” When I turn back to him, I realize he is not asking me.
My body jolts involuntarily when I see Andrei close enough at my back that I should’ve felt him standing there. He nods at Sebastian, winks at me with a smirk, and glides away like a ghost.
“I’m going to tie bells on all of you like cats if you keep on doing that.” Sebastian chuckles at my grumbling.
“Let’s not waste time. Lead the way, my redemption.”
He is back to his usual self, the tan color of his skin looking healthy instead of corpse-like. I’ll never admit it to him how much more comfortable I can breathe knowing that. Pursing my lips, I blow out a soundless breath and move further away, leaving the hotel behind.
Sebastian stops my progress with a hand on my arm when we are close enough to see within the alley.
Not all the way through the end but enough to know they are not standing there and watching us coming.
The zing of magic in the air is stronger here, and if I didn’t know better, I would almost think the mages are standing next to us.
“They are there.” Murmuring, I don’t take my eyes away from the alley.
“I can feel them now,” Sebastian speaks just as softly.
Tapping on my arm, he gets my attention, and I reluctantly pull my gaze away from where the mages are hiding.
He lifts a finger, pointing at the roof of the building with a fire escape.
It takes me a second to spot the crouched figure in the closest corner above our heads.
Andrei reached the roof. To make matters worse, he stretches one arm over the edge of the building, holding three fingers up. I guess the more the merrier.
“If you see sweaty humans, stay the hell away from them. They go boom.” Making an exploding gesture with my fingers, I smile when Sebastian chuckles.
“I’ll make sure to remember that.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
Bolting for the mouth of the alley, I take Sebastian by surprise when I shove him on the opposite side of the open space of the buildings.
My back connects with the smooth wall, and I turn my head his way, grinning like an idiot at the thunderous look on his face.
Sticking my tongue out, winking dramatically, I sniff the air.
Oh yeah, they are still here and not intending to go anywhere if the sharp stench in the air is any indication.
Flipping around, I press my chest to the wall and lean slightly to get a look.
My shoulder blades twitch, a feeling like someone is watching me raising the hair on my arms, but I ignore it.
I have no doubt that someone’s drilling holes in me right now.
Sliding sideways just enough for one of my eyes to have a visual of the alley, I freeze.
Three men stand in a circle facing each other.
Their faces slack, eyes closed, but their mouths keep moving, saying words without a sound.
Waves of that foul odor pour out of the alley, rustling the hair around the exposed side of my face.
There is a sickly greenish glow around them, pulsing with each movement of their lips.
Now that I’m close enough, I can tell they’re concocting something to throw at us again.
Pulling back, I turn to Sebastian, but he is not watching me.
His face is tilted up at something above my head.
I don’t panic since he is not going crazy or throwing himself at whoever or whatever it is.
Slowly, I crane my neck up and look. Marcus is crawling the walls of the building I’m using as a cover, like a bug.
He moves fast and with precision, not once missing a handhold or a foothold only he can see.
Shaking my head, I push off the wall. There is no need to hide anymore, and ending whatever the mages are doing is more important right now.
Knowing I have a precious second or two before Sebastian gets in my way, I dart like an arrow inside the alley.
My giggles bounce off the walls when I feel him at my back, anger radiating from him as strong as the magic slamming me in the face.
The mages jerk out of their trance, but a moment too late.
I plow into the middle of them like a bowling ball, taking them to the ground.
Grabbing hold of a foot from the closest mage to me, I yank him under my legs, straddling his torso.
Wrapping my clawed hand around his throat, I use my other one to press his mouth closed.
He can dream about speaking that offensive language around me again.
I feel his skin give way under the sharpness of my claws, warm fluid spurting over my fingers.
“Ah, ah, ah. No more talking. It’s my turn now.” I strike with my fangs at his neck. But instead of feeling his blood in my mouth, I’m thrown away from him. Hitting the wall to my right with a loud oomph, I almost break the damn wall.
Bricks and mortar rain on my head when I shake it so I can clear it.
Blinking fast, I see Sebastian circling one mage, and the one I had under me is curled up in a fetal position, but the third is facing me with both hands raised in the air.
Hatred twists his face, and his eyes are fevered with some insanity that sends shivers raking my body.
That sickly green glow intensifies, pulsing faster, and I roll away from my spot in time to avoid the blast of fire he sends my way.
The mage is not deterred. He turns with me, not losing me from sight while I roll around to avoid each blast of the fireballs hurdling toward me.
The asshole is like a damn flame thrower.
The buildings groan around us, spiking fear through me that we will end up buried again if he keeps going.
Unwilling to test it whether it’s possible or not, the next time he flings his fire magic my way, instead of rolling away, I dive under it and lunge right toward his legs.
“April!” I think it’s Andrei that shouts my name, but I can’t worry about that right now.
The asshole set my hair on fire! Now I’m really pissed.