Chapter 5 #2
The man’s grin was more a threat than an actual smile. “I am Banasté,” he said. “I am master of the clans in this region.” He took in the three of them and tutted. “And you were not invited.”
Isobel seized Sean’s wrist and dragged him behind her.
Um. Okay. Ow.
“What foolish bravery to come here unescorted,” Banasté continued with a smile, like this was a quaint little chat between friends. “You brought Lhynion’s heir to the slaughter.”
Lhynion’s what now?
“Perhaps you haven’t heard the rumors,” Isobel said, “but Lhynion’s heir is unkillable.”
The man cocked his head, seeming to find the whole thing amusing. “So he is. But there are only three of you and many, many of us. You know this city belongs to us. Who thought it wise to infiltrate my headquarters when you’re so outnumbered?”
“Who says we’re outnumbered?” said the redhead. “We never go anywhere alone.”
Just then, the purple-eyed crowd behind them broke apart, filleted by a strike force of people. Fights broke out, and Isobel leapt at Banasté before he could make a move.
They fell into the wall, and the man shouted orders to apprehend Sean.
The redhead snatched Sean’s face and, with it, his full attention. “Stay with me,” she said. “We have to get out of here.”
Obviously.
He followed her, but he wasn’t entirely sure why. He didn’t trust her.
And why did these people want him anyway? How did they all seem to know him? How did this Isobel woman know his name?
Before he could ask any of these questions, the redhead’s grip tightened on his wrist, and she dragged him toward the mouth of the hallway.
Fistfights unlike Sean had ever seen erupted through the back half of the club, and many onlookers were cheering them on, likely thinking them drunken brawls.
But he caught sight of one woman throwing her hand palm out toward a purple-eyed monster and watched it drop in pain.
Not normal. Not normal. Not normal.
“What about your friend?” he yelled, glancing back toward the beautiful woman he could no longer see.
“She’ll be fine,” Red replied. “Come on.”
Sean resisted her tugs as he searched the area for Cole. “Wait. I was here with someone.”
“Just forget them. We need to get you out of here.”
He yanked his arm from her grasp. “No. I’m not leaving him here with these…things.”
A purple-eyed man leapt at him, but Red caught his arm and twisted it behind his back. She wrapped her other around his front, and the man fell to his knees, screaming. The purple light vanished.
Another grabbed Sean from behind, and his survival instincts burst forth, allowing him to flip the stranger onto his back and kick him in the stomach.
Bouncers were already disbanding some of the fights, but even more purple-eyed monsters joined the fray, overwhelming whatever strike force this woman was counting on.
“Come on!” Red yelled, tugging on Sean’s elbow.
The music pounded through his ears as they neared the dance floor. He hunted for Cole and found him climbing over a low velvet circle booth, evading the shenanigans. Sean darted that way—the exact opposite of what Red wanted. She shrieked at him to stop.
Halfway to Cole, Isobel reappeared amid the crowd, tumbling over a table to avoid a fight.
“Isobel!” Red yelled, pointing at Cole. “Help that guy!”
Isobel changed direction at once. Within the space of a few seconds, she had Cole at Sean’s side.
“What the fuck happened?” Cole demanded. “One second everyone is dry humping, and then they’re fighting.” He looked at Isobel, then Red, then said to Sean, “Who the hell are they?”
Breathing hard, Sean patted Cole’s shoulders to make sure he was okay. “I have no idea. I’m still drunk, but I think they saved my life.”
Red pushed them toward the exit. “Come with us, and we’ll tell you everything.”
We’ll tell you everything.
What a lure.
The four of them snuck through the inebriated, panicking crowds. Where did all the purple eyes go?
“What do they want?” Sean asked, glancing behind himself.
“They want you dead,” Red replied.
His heart jolted. “What? Why?”
Before either of them could answer, they reached the club entrance and drew up short. The wide, glitzy space was clogged with purple eyes.
Sean’s stomach dropped. If fear was a color, it would be purple. Roiling, rainbow-y purple. Hungry, demonic eyes trained on him, eager for the hunt.
What the hell did these creatures want from him?
As one, the four of them turned and ran.
Dozens of Purple Eyes gave chase. Sean sensed the danger right at his back, burning through the alcohol and fear, leaving only the will to survive.
Red beelined through the joint like she’d memorized every inch of it.
They skirted the main bar, then sprinted around the periphery to a grand staircase.
Chaos had taken over. Screams. Fights. Music.
Halfway up the stairs, a man leapt onto Sean’s back, knocking him to the ground.
Sean threw his hand out to catch himself, but the squared noses of each stair slammed into his body, bruising his chest, stomach, and legs.
His arm took the brunt of the weight, and something in his wrist snapped with a sickening pang.
Sean elbowed the guy in the ribs, but his arm met something sharp. Pain tore through his skin when it sliced deep. He grunted, trying to buck the guy off. Red hauled him off Sean. She pressed her hands to his chest, and the purple light receded from the guy’s eyes.
At the same time, the strike force intercepted the Purple Eyes at the base of the stairs. The music finally cut off.
“Run, Autumn!” a man yelled at Red, right before he was tackled to the ground.
Bleeding, wrist broken, Sean darted after Autumn and Isobel.
He attacked when necessary, shoving Purple Eyes toward the girls to do their weird hand thing.
Autumn made a sharp right and weaved them through more booths.
Sean took up the rear, the better to keep an eye on Cole, who now sported a black eye.
At a discreet door in the back corner labeled Employees Only, Autumn swiped a card she’d clearly stolen.
The four of them jogged single file through an empty, fluorescent hallway. They passed an employee break room boasting two people who peeked up as they flew by.
“Are you okay?” Cole asked him.
“I’ll be fine,” Sean replied, though he wasn’t sure if it was true. An aching throb pulsed from his wrist, and he cradled it against his chest. Blood dripped from the cut near his elbow. To distract himself, he turned toward Autumn. “Where are we going?”
“Far, far away,” she answered.
“I need a better answer than that,” Cole said in his usual blunt way. He had a sheen of sweat over his skin and a look in his eye that spoke of frank distrust. “This is fucked up. Who are these people?”
She glanced at him and did a double take. Her steps slowed. After a moment, Isobel shot her a funny look and pushed her shoulder.
Autumn resumed her pace, shaking herself. “We need to get Caden safe.”
“Who the hell is Caden?” Cole demanded.
“I am,” Sean said without thinking. “I mean—that’s my first name. I don’t know how they knew it.”
“Hey!” shouted a voice down the hall. A girl poked her head out of a doorway. “You guys can’t be back here. I’m calling security.”
“Go faster!” Isobel hissed.
Their pounding footsteps echoed against the cement walls as the girl yelled after them to stop. They passed a few other employees, though these seemed more confused by their presence than threatened.
“Your name is Caden?” Cole asked as they ran.
Sean shrugged. “Mom told me never to tell anyone.”
“She was trying to hide you,” said Isobel, tone rancid. “Because she stole you.”
He stopped short and winced at the pain in his wrist. A bead of his blood dripped to the floor. “She stole me?”
“Not here!” Autumn waved them on. “Keep moving.”
“I can’t believe we actually came here, Autumn,” said Isobel. “This place is infested.”
“We found the heir of Sidera, Isobel. Blaire wasn’t lying.”
Cole slowed. “My mom Blaire?”
“Yes, just keep moving!” Autumn said.
They rounded the corner to a series of closed doors.
“If I can just”—Autumn tried one locked door and moved to another—“find”—she tried another, locked—“an exit”—yet another, locked—“somewhere.”
With the last, she set her hands on the push bar of a heavy black door and it swung open, dumping them into the VIP part of the club—a balcony that looked over the dance floor.
Below them, the place was pandemonium. Bouncers tried to rein in the fistfights, and the music was replaced by shouts and screams.
“Whoops,” Autumn said with a cheerful smile. “Looks like we caused a scene.”
With that, she led them past distracted VIPs leaning over the balcony to watch the show. On the way, she grabbed hats and scarves from the abandoned booths, doling them out.
With his half-assed disguise of beret and sunglasses, Sean followed her downstairs and through the chaos. This time, the entrance was congested with regular people fleeing the madness.
“Just pretend you’re one of them,” Isobel murmured near his ear.
Easy enough. They pushed their way toward an escalator that lead to the casino floor.
Autumn reached into a concealed pocket of her dress and pulled out a phone. “Pick us up. North entrance. Quick as you can,” she said into the receiver, then led them that way.
Security directed the club crowds toward the casino floor. Slot machines bleated all around them while laughing strangers threw away their money. Cigarette smoke and that unique casino fragrance threatened to make him sick. Sean shoved down the pain and nausea.
“Keep your head down,” Isobel said beside him. “Don’t look anyone in the eye.”