22. Tavia
Chapter 22
Tavia
A my didn’t pick up her phone when I called that afternoon, which I thought was strange until I remembered she needed to keep her phone hidden. She was probably finishing up some chores for the day and would call back when she returned to the trailer.
I occupied myself with tidying up Bea’s apartment as quietly as I could. It was the least I could do since she was letting me stay indefinitely.
We had slept several hours in the morning, and she remained fast asleep. Her place was much smaller than Cyan’s, basically a studio with only a nook for her bed rather than an actual bedroom.
I washed and dried the teacups we’d used in the morning when I came over, which felt like so long ago already. My sleep had been fitful and I was still exhausted from crying and heartache, but couldn’t keep lying awake.
My phone buzzing with Amy’s returned call was a welcome distraction. Even though I wasn’t looking forward to rehashing what happened with Cy a second time, talking to her always lifted my spirits.
I answered the call, keeping my voice low so to not wake Bea. “Hey, Ames.”
“Tavia! We need help! Oh God, they’re swarming the compound! They just attacked us out of nowhere!”
It took a moment to register that the voice wasn’t Amy’s, but Robin’s. And she was in full-blown panic mode.
“Robin! What’s going on?”
“Vampires, I think. I don’t know, it’s daytime. But they’re running around biting and mauling people! They’re crazed and out of control, like wild animals!” A sob escaped her and hit me right in the heart. “I think some people are already dead.”
My feet moved as if they had minds of their own. I was barely aware of leaving Bea’s apartment. “Where are you? Where’s Amy?”
“We’re in a cellar. A group of us are hiding, but…” Another sob wracked through her. “Amy…Amy got hurt.”
I stopped walking and my stomach dropped through the floor. “What? Is she okay?” I realized too late how stupid that question was. “Is she…alive?”
“Yes, but Tavia honey, it doesn’t look good. She’s bleeding really badly. We need help now .”
The phone nearly slipped from my hand. With Amy’s heart condition, her life was in greater danger than most people’s would be.
My best friend in the world was dying while I stood dumbstruck in the middle of the hallway.
I forced my feet to move again, trying to form rational thoughts, basic plans of action through my rising panic.
“I’m getting help right now, Robin. It’s going to be okay. You…you’re keeping pressure on her wound, right?”
“She has multiple wounds but we’re doing our best.” Robin let out a shuddering breath. “Do you want to talk to her? In case…”
I tried to swallow the thick knot in my throat, but it wouldn’t budge. “Yes. Please put me by her ear.”
There was a shuffling noise on the phone and then the faint sound of wheezed, shallow breathing.
“Ames, it’s me.” My feet had taken me to a door. I wasn’t sure whose it belonged to, but I raised my fist and knocked furiously anyway. “Don’t try to talk. I’m on my way, okay? You don’t have to worry. I’ll be there soon and…and you’ll be all better. I promise, Ames. Just hang on.”
I pounded at the door again. “It’ll be okay, sweetie. I love you, okay? I’ll be there as fast as I can. Goddamnit, fucking open up!”
My knocking turned into furious punches and kicks. I was losing it because I could not afford to lose Amy. Finally, a lock unlatched and the door swung open, revealing a disheveled, shirtless Thorne. The vampire leader snarled at the sight of me but I went off before he could tear into me.
“There’s an attack on Sapien. People are badly hurt and hiding out. We need to help them. I think it’s—it’s the drae addicts. Please, the clan needs to go right now.”
Thorne blinked at me, then looked at a clock on a side table. Why the fuck wasn’t he rallying his people and fucking moving?
“It’s another hour until dusk.” He didn’t even bother to sound apologetic. “We can’t do anything until night falls.”
“Why?” Another dumb question but I wasn’t thinking straight. I was desperate and this was fucking urgent.
“Because we’re vampires.” He quirked a brow. “Maybe you’ve heard of the term?”
I felt like a malfunctioning robot, all systems locked up and frozen. Well, except for scream and maybe punch him. “But…but they need help now . My best friend is bleeding out right now. People are fucking dying!”
He crossed his arms and had the decency to look at least a little sympathetic. “I’ll rally the clan to ride out the moment the sun is down. But we simply can’t move out any sooner. I’m sorry, Octavia.”
A beat of silence passed and then I turned on my heel, heading the opposite way down the hall. “Robin, are you still there?” My hand ached from my grip on the phone.
“Yes,” she said wearily. “I heard your conversation. Tavia, I don’t know if we’ll last ‘til nightfall.”
“You won’t be waiting that long.” I returned to Bea’s room and grabbed a few essential items. Durable shoes, a thick coat, and the silver dagger I’d never had the chance to return to Cyan. “I’m coming right now.”
“What? Not by yourself!”
I paused on my way out of the apartment, looking back at Bea still fast asleep. She could withstand pre-dusk light and any backup would help. Just as quickly as I thought of it, I dismissed the idea and shut the door behind me. I’d be wasting precious time waking her up and explaining the situation. Plus, I didn’t want to put any more of my friends at risk of losing their lives.
“Yeah, it’s just me. The vamps are sitting ducks until it’s dark, so what else am I going to do?” I flew up the stairs and crossed the empty great room, heading straight for the garage.
“You’ll get yourself killed! There’s, I dunno, a dozen, maybe twenty of those things out there.”
“I’m armed and I won’t pick a fight, I’ll head straight for you. I just—” My voice choked and I tried again. “I just want to be with Amy.”
There was a long pause and then Robin’s panic-laden voice. “Be careful, Tavia. I mean it. Be so fucking careful.”
“I will, promise.” With the flick of a light switch, the fleet of motorcycles became visible. “I gotta go, Robin. But I’ll see you soon.”
I hung up before we could get into a drawn-out, emotional goodbye, and headed for the spare bikes that were parked in a far corner. Cyan told me they used these when their main rides needed repairs or were out of commission for whatever reason.
Did I actually know how to ride a motorcycle? No. Did that matter to me when my best friend probably didn’t have much longer to live? Absolutely not.
I had driven quads back at Sapien, so I figured I knew the basics. This was just two wheels instead of four. Besides, I’d seen Cyan and the others start these puppies up plenty of times. How hard could it be?
I went for the smallest motorcycle, figuring it would be the most comfortable for my stature, and saw that the keys were still in the ignition. After a quick turn, the bike sputtered a bit only to fall dead.
“No, no. Come on, I need you.”
It took a few tries, but she finally turned over, roaring to life. I grabbed the helmet resting on the seat and hopped on, testing my balance before bringing the kickstand up. The gas tank was half full, which was hopefully enough to get to where I needed.
Even if it wasn’t, I’d run the rest of the way if I had to.
Once I was confident I could stay on the bike, I hit the garage door button clipped to the handlebars and waited impatiently for the door to rise. Accelerating gently until I cleared the door, I hit the button again to close it, then flooded the throttle with gas.
The sudden movement jolted me, but I kept steady and the bike upright. Wind whipped my hair and jacket as I zoomed across the landscape. The more steady I felt in the seat, the faster I went. Amy needed me and time was not on my side.
To the west, the distant mountain peaks of Vargmore, the werewolf territory, were just touching the bottom of the sun as it lowered. By the time the sun was fully below the horizon, it might already be too late.
I leaned low over the handlebars, my eyes on the stretch of road leading me home. Not so much the place, but the person. I had thought that being with Cyan could be home, but he showed me how wrong that was.
If he didn’t need me, I’d give my everything to those who did. I had never failed to be there for Amy when she needed me. And I wasn’t about to start now, when she needed a friend at her side more than ever.
Hold on, Ames, I prayed. I’m coming. Just please, please hold on.