Chapter 37
This fancy-pants dance has gone to shit.
I would say it had gone to the dogs, but I’ve recently purged that particular saying from my vocab.
I wrap my fingers through Theo’s, anchoring her to my side, as some part of my brain starts screaming at me.
I think it’s the hound.
“Guard her,” the gravelly voice snarls in my mind.
Will do, inner-beast, will do. An involuntary howl leaves my mouth. “Ow whooo.”
My hellhound is extremely close to the surface. In fact, I think if I asked nicely, he’d even come out to play. I channel him as I look out over the ballroom floor. The fighting and screaming, thrown bricks and flaming projectiles slow to almost stopping mid-air as my senses sharpen.
I can see so much, hear everything.
And don’t get me started on the smells.
Immediately, I see the best way to avoid trouble while getting to Cosmo’s little sister. It only takes a few seconds, and one karate chop to the throat of a passing knob-head, and we reach the little Cosmo-ette.
It’s like I was born to move in this environment.
Theo slides onto her knees next to the girl. “Hey, I’m Theo. Your Aurora, right? Your brother asked us to come and get you.”
She looks up at us, top lip raised in a sneer. Yep, that's Cosmo's sister, alright. “I think I’ve broken my G-g-godsdamn stupid fucking ankle,” she growls. “So d-d-dumb. Piss, balls, shit.”
“No problem,” Theo says, all cute and reassuring. “Me and Maximus are getting you out of here.”
Me and Maximus. Maximus and me. I like the way that sounds. We could do a sequel to that dog movie.
And yeah, I’m crushing on Donovan’s girl, but I don’t feel one ounce bad about it. We’ve had Amirene announce that I’m part of Theo’s A-Team, so if the divine lady statue gives me the thumbs up, who am I to fight fate?
“MAX!”
Oops. Got distracted.
Theo glares at me—sexily. “You’ll need to carry Aurora.”
I look down and see her foot is completely fucked. “Yikes, that must fucking hurt.”
Baby-Drakeward gives me the stink-eye. “No shit, d-d-dickwad. And where’s my fucking brother? My phone is completely d-d-dead.”
One of the servers stumbles past. “Cell phone reception’s been blocked—it’s anarchy! Run!”
I watch the little dude run towards the exit. A flaming bottle flies at him, and the server twists, grabbing it mid-air, then throws it towards an ice sculpture. Nice work, he must be one of those bar-tenders who juggle elaborate cocktail shit.
Another couple runs past. The woman in a long jeweled gown stumbles and grabs for her husband’s hand.
“Stupid bitch,” he snarls at the woman. “Find your own way out.”
No bueno.
In a flash, I’m in front of the old fuck. One punch to the jaw, hard but not enough to knock him out cold. “Get your lady to safety, prick. NOW!”
Ha-ha. He looks like he’s going to shit his pants, but does as I tell him, turning around and pulling his missus to her feet.
“Maximus,” Theo shouts from behind me.
Right, gotta look after my ladies. I crouch down and pick up Aurora, who winces in pain, then does some more scowling. She and Cos are two peas in a grumpy pod.
“Which way?” Theo yells over the din.
Scanning the room, the old hound-senses activate again. I know exactly the path to take. “Hold the back of my jacket,” I tell Theo. “And stay low.”
We circle a clashing group where blood and fists are flying, then flatten ourselves against a wall just in time to avoid a brick whizzing by.
When the smoke shifts for a second, Theo cries out and clutches my arm.
“Donovan!”
I can hear the frantic pounding of her heart.
“I just saw him,” she screams.
I look where she’s pointing, but only see a burning grand piano and several protestors brandishing Molotov cocktails—yikes.
And…incoming.
I push her to one side as a bottle smashes on the wall beside us. The flames gobble up the wallpaper. Next move? Again, the world slows down for me.
Ah—behind the pillar.
“Follow me, Sparkles. I’ll get you ladies somewhere comfy, then go back for D-man.”
Theo pushes the small of my back. That’s the opposite of keeping hold of my jacket. Bad girl. “No, you keep going. I’ll grab him,” she gasps.
I spin around and growl, wishing I had a free hand to grab the scruff of her neck.“Think again, Princess.”
“Max! He’s right fucking there—and obviously disoriented. You take Aurora, I’ll be right behind you.”
Argh! My doggie-senses are telling me that danger is heading straight for us in a couple of seconds. Definitely not enough time to keep arguing. “GO!” I scream.
As Theo leaps forward towards Donovan, I jump to one side with my arms full of teenage Drakeward. She yells in pain, but the shout is drowned out as a chandelier crashes to the ground where we were just standing.
Looking up, I see the swish of Theo’s skirt as she disappears into the smoke.
Come on, dog-vision.
Squinting hard, I just manage to make out the image of her grabbing hold of Donovan. Good girl, now just bring him back with you.
In my arms, the kid is coughing like fuck. Gods, fumes are pouring out of an air vent above us. Gotta move.
Gotta—shit.
Cosmo’s sister has gone still, and I don’t hear her heartbeat.
I have to do something, like now.
“THEO!” I scream her name across the room. Fuck, she’ll never hear me.
Wait! Brain text!
—Taking the kid out of here. Follow this wall, and it will lead you to double doors. We can get into the library and then go through the emergency exit— I manage to think this all to her, and carry the girl around another mob at the same time.
—Got it. Get Aurora to safety, Max. I’ll be OK with Donovan—
I hate leaving her, but I don’t know if Cosmo’s sis is going to make it if I don’t start CPR in the next few.
And that’s not going to happen successfully in the middle of a riot.
—Don’t let me down, Sparkles— At least she’s with Dono.
I keep moving, dodging the flying debris. It feels like hours, but it’s only seconds until the library doors come into sight.
Thank fuck for that!
Kicking them open, I collapse through, just as a huge beam comes crashing down, turning the entrance-way to rubble. A pain stabs my chest. I don’t think it’s physical.
“Keep her safe.” That inner voice is pissed.
I was doing such a good job, but now I’m fucking up.
“Hive, hive, hive, hive, staying alive, staying alive,” I sing in time with the compressions I’m doing on Aurora. It would be real nice to have Theo’s telepathy right now. I’d tell Cosmo to come do CPR on his sister, then set Lexi on the task of finding Theo and Donovan.
“Hive, hive, hive, hive, staying alive, staying alive.”
Ooh, and I’d totally zap old Ludo’s brain as well and get him to come pick us all up.
Sadly, that’s not happening.
Right now, all I can do is try to get this little dragon chicklette breathing again.
“Staying alive, staying alive.”