Night World : The Chosen Chapter 13

Rashel knew she had to stop the guard before he could make a sound. The vampires mansion was onthe farther cliffs, overlooking open sea rather than the harbor, and the music ought to financial aid drown outsidenoises-but the greatest danger was still that they would be heard before the girls could draw and quarter a expression.She launched herself at the werewolf, throwing a front snap kick to his chest. She could hear the airwhoosh out as he furious backward. Good. No breath for howling. She landed with both knees on top of him.This is silvery, she hissed, pressing the blade against his throat. Dont make a noise or Ill use it.He glared at her. He had shaggy hair and eyes that were already half-animal.Is t here anybody on the boats? When he didnt answer, she pressed the silver knife harder. Is there?He snarled a breathless No. His teeth were turning, too, spiking and lengthening.Dont change- Rashel began, but at that moment he decided to throw her off. He heaved once,violently.A snap of her wrist would pass on plunged the silver blade into his throat even as she fell. Instead Rashelrolled backward in a somersault, tucking in her head and ending up on her accountability knee. then, as thewerewolf jumped at her, she slammed the sheathed knife upward against his jaw.He fell back unconscious.Too bad, I wanted to ask him about the client. Rashel looked shoreward, to key that Daphne, Annelise,and Nyala were on the pier with her. They were each holding a rock or a piece of wood broken from thejagged pilings of the wharf.They were departure to help me, Rashel feeling. She entangle oddly w secti aced by it.Okay, she said rapidly. Annelise and Keiko, with me. every(prenominal)body else, stay. Daphne, keep watch.In a matter of minutes she and the boating girls had checked the boats and found two with features theythought they could fliple and with fuel. Anne-lise had removed a couple of crucial engine pieces outof the others.Took out the impellers and the sol enoids, she told Rashel mysteriously, holding out a grimy hand. Good. Lets set them adrift. Everybody else, get yourself on a boat. Find a place to sit fast and sitdown. Rashel moved to the back of the group where Fayth had her arms close to a couple of the girlswho looked terrified of setting out on the dark ocean. Come on, people. She meant to herd them in frontof her like chickens.That was when it happened.Rashel had an instants warning-the faint crunch of sand on rock piece of tail her. And then something hit herwith incredible force in the middle of the back. It knocked her down and sent her knife flying.Worse, it sent her headland reeling in shock. She hadnt been prepared. That instants warning hadnt beenenough-because she had already doomed zanshin.She no longer had the gift of continuing mind. She had lost her single purpose. In the old days shed beenfixed on one thing-to kill the Night People. on that point had been no hesitation, no confusion. just now shed already fa ltered twice tonight, knocking the werewolves unconscious instead of killingthem. She was confused, uncertain. And, as a result, unprepared.And now Im dead, she thought. Her numbed mind was urgently trying to recover and come up witha strategy.But there was a wild snarling in her ear and a trail of hot agony down her back. Animal claws. There wasa wolf on top of her.Rudi had gotten loose.Rashel gathered herself and bucked to throw the wolf off. He slipped and she tried to roll out from chthonianhim, arms up to keep her throat protected. The werewolf was too heavy-and too angry. He scrambledover her rolling body like a gent on a log. His snarling muzzle kept darting for her throat in readylunges. Rashel could see his bushy coat standing on end.She felt fire crossways her ribs-his claws had torn through her shirt. She ignored it. Her one thought was tokeep him away from her throat. Keeping an elbow up, she reached for the knife with her other hand.No good. She hadnt rolled far en ough. Her fingertips however missed the hilt.And Rudi the wolf was veracious in her face. All she could see were sharp wet teeth, black gums, and blazingyellow eyes. Her face was misted with hot canine breath.Every snap of those jaws make a hollow glunk. Rashel only had one option left-to block each lunge as itcame. But she couldnt keep that up forever. She was already tiring.Its over, she thought. The girls who might have helped her-Daphne and Nyala and Annelise were at thefar end of the wharf or on the boats. The other girls were undoubtedly too scared even to try. Rashel wasalone, and she was going to die very soon. My own stupid fault, she thought dimly. Her arms wereshaking and bloodied. She was getting weaker fast. And the wolf knew.Even as she thought it, she missed a block.Her arm slipped sideways. Her throat was exposed. In slow motion she saw the jaws of the wolf opening wide, driving toward her. She saw the triumph in those yellow eyes. She knew, with a curious disposit ion of resignation, that the next thing she would feel was teeth ripping through her flesh. The oldest wayto die in the world.Im sorry, Daphne, she thought. Im sorry, Nyala. Please go and be safe.And then everything seemed to freeze.The wolf halt in midlunge, head jerking backward. Its eyes were wide and fixed. Its jaws were openbut not moving. It looked as if it might howl.But it didnt. It collapsed in a hot tingle heap on top of Rashel, legs stiff. Rashel scrambled out fromunder it automatic satisfyingy.And saw her knife sticking out of the base of its skull.Quinn was standing above it.Are you alone properly?He was breathing quickly, but he looked calm. Moonlight shone on his black hair.The entire world was huge and quivering and oddly bright. Rashel still felt as if she were moving in slowmotion.She stared at Quinn, then looked toward the wharf.Girls were scattered both over, as if frozen in themiddle of running in contrastive directions. Some were on the decks of the two remaining boats. Somewere heading toward her. Daphne and Nyala were only fifteen feet away, but they were both staring atQuinn and seemed riveted in place. Nyalas verbalism was one of horror, hate-and recognition.Waves hissed softly against the dock.Think. Now think, girl, Rashel told herself. She was in a state of the strangest and most expandedconsciousness shed ever felt. Her hands were icy cold and she seemed to be floating-but her mind wasclear.Everything depended on how she handled the next few minutes.Why did you do that? she asked Quinn softly. At the same time she shot Daphne the fastest and themost intense look of her life. It meant Go now. She willed Daphne to understand.You honest lost a guard, she went on, getting up slowly.Keep his eyes on you. Keep moving. Make him talk.Not a very good one, Quinn said, looking with delicious disgust at the heap of fur.Go, Daphne, run, Rashel thought. She knew the girls still had a chance. There were no other vampires coming down th e path. That meant that Rudi had either been too angry to give a general alarm or tooscared. That was one good thing about werewolves-they acted on impulse.Quinn was the danger now.Why not a good one? she asked. Because he damaged the merchandise? She lifted her torn shirtaway from her ribs.Quinn threw back his head and laughed. Something jerked in Rashels chest, but she used the moment tochange her position. She was right by the wolf now, with her left hand at the exact level of the knife.Thats right, Quinn said. A wild and bitter smile still played around his lips. He was presumptuous.You almost surrendered to the wrong darkness there, Shelly. By the way, whered you get a silverknife?He doesnt know who I am, Rashel thought. She felt both relief and a strange underlying grief. He stillthought she was some girl from the club- maybe a vampire hunter, but not the vampire hunter. The onehed admitted was good.So hes unprepared. Hes off his guard.If I can kill him with one stroke, before he calls to the other vampires, the girls may get away.She glanced at the wharf again, deliberately, hoping to draw his gaze. But he didnt look tardily him, andDaphne and the other stupid girls werent leaving.Refusing to go without her. IdiotsNow or never, Rashel thought.Well, anyway, she said, I think you saved my life. Thank you.Keeping her eyes down, she held out her hand.her right hand. Quinn looked surprised, then reached out automatically.With one smooth motion, like a snake uncoiling, Rashel attacked.Her right hand drove past his hand and clamped on his wrist. Her left hand plunged down to grab theknife. Her fingers closed on the hilt and pulled- and the sheath with its attached silver blade stayed in thewerewolfs neck.Just as shed planned. The knife itself came free, the real knife, the one made of wood.And then Quinn tried to throw her and her body responded automatically. She was moving withoutconscious direction, anticipating his attacks and blocking them even as he sta rted to make them. Ittransformed the fight into a dance. fleet than thought, graceful as a lioness, she countered every movehe made.Zanshin to the max. She ended up straddling him with her knife at his throat.Now. Fast. End it.She didnt move.You have to, she told herself. Quick, before he calls the others. forwards he knocks you out telepathically.He can do it, you know that.Then why isnt he trying?Quinn lay still, with the point of the wooden knife in the hollow of his throat, just where his dark collarparted. His throat was pale in the moonlight and his hair was black against the sand.Footsteps sounded behind Rashel. She heard rapid light breathing.Daphne, throw the boats and go now. Leave me here. Do you understand? Rashel spoke every worddistinctly.But Rashel-Do it now Rashel put a force she hadnt known she had behind the words. She heard the quick intakeof Daphnes breath, then footsteps scampering off.All the while, she hadnt taken her eyes off Quinn.Like everything else, th e green-black blade of her knife was touched with moonlight. It seemed toshimmer almost liquidly. Lignum vitae, the woods of Life. It would be death for him. integrity thrust would putit through his throat. The next would stop his heart.Im sorry, Rashel whispered.She was. She was truly sorry that this had to be done. But there was no way out. It was for Nyala, forall the girls hed kidnapped and hunted and lured. It was to keep girls like them safe for the future.Youre a hunter, Rashel said softly, trying for steadiness. So am I. We both understand. This is theway it goes. Its kill or be killed. It all comes down to that in the end. She paused to breathe.Do you understand?Yes.If I dont stop you, youll be a danger forever.And I cant let that happen. I cant let you trouble anyone else. She was aware that she was shaking herhead about in her attempt to explain to him. Her lungs ached and there were tears in her eyes. I cant.Quinn didnt speak. His eyes were black and bottomless. His hair was slightly mussed on his forehead,but he didnt show any other sign of just having been in a fight.Hes not going to struggle, Rashel realized. Then make it quick and merciful. No need for him to feel the pain of wood through his throat. Sheswitched her grip on the knife, raising it over his chest. Holding it with both hands, poised above hisheart. One swift downward stroke and it would be over.For the first time since she had killed a Night Person, she didnt ordinate what she always said. She wasnt theCat right now this wasnt revenge for her. It was necessity.Im sorry, she whispered, and take out her eyes.He whispered, This kitten has claws.Rashels muscles locked.Her eyes opened.Go on, Quinn said. Do it. You should have done it the first time. His gaze was as steady as Fayths.She could see moonlight in his eyes.He didnt look wild, or bitter, or mocking. He only looked serious and a little tired.I should have realized it before-that you were the one in the cellar. I knew ther e was somethingabout you. I just couldnt figure out what. At least now Ive seen your face.Rashels arms wouldnt come down.What was wrong with her? Her resolve was draining away. Her whole body was weak. She felt herselfbegin to tremble, and realized to her horror she couldnt stop it.Everything you said was true, he said. This is how it has to end.Yes. Something had swollen in Rashels throat and it hurt.The only other possibility is that I kill you. Better this way than that. He looked exhausted suddenly-orsick. He turned his head and shut his eyes.Yes, Rashel said numbly. He believed that?Besides, now that I have seen your face, I cant stand the sight of myself in your eyes. I know what youthink of me.Rashels arms dropped.But limply. The blade pointed upward, between her own wrists. She sat there with her knuckles on hischest and stared at a scraggly wild raspberry bush growing out of the cliff.She had failed Nyala, and Nyalas sister, and countless other people. Other humans. When it reallycounted, she was letting them all down.I cant kill you, she whispered. God help me, I cant. He shook his head once, eyes still shut. She was open to attack, but he didnt do anything.Then he looked at her. I told you before. Youre an idiot.Rashel hit him under the jaw the way shed hit the guard. The hilt of her dagger caught him squarely. Hedidnt move to avoid the blow.It knocked him out cold.Rashel wiped her cheeks and got up, looking around for something to depict him with. Her whole life wastorn to pieces, falling around her. She didnt understand anything. All she could do was try to finish whatshed come here for.Action, that was what she needed. Thought could wait. It would have to wait.Then she glanced at the wharf.She couldnt believe it. It seemed as if at least a week had passed since she yelled at Daphne, and theywere all still here.The boats were here, the girls were here, and Daphne was running toward her.Rashel strode to meet her. She grabbed Daphne by the shoulder s and shook hard.Get-out-of-here Do you understand? What do I have to do, throw you in the water?Daphnes eyes were huge and blue. Her blond hair flew like thistledown with the shaking. When Rashelstopped, she gasped, But you can come with us nowNo, I cant I still have things to do.Like what? Then Daphnes eyes darted to the cliff. She stared at Rashel. Youre going after them?Youre imbalanced Looking frightened, she grabbed Rashels hands on her shoulders. Rashel, there aresupposed to be eight of them, right? Plus Lily and Ivan and who knows what else You really think youcan kill them all? What, are they all just going to line up?No. I dont know. But I dont need to kill them all. If I can get the guy who set this up, the client, it willbe worth it.Daphne was shaking her head, in tears. It wont be worth it Not if they kill you-which they will. Yourealready hurt-Itll be worth it if I can stop him from doing this again, Rashel said quietly. She couldnt yell anymore.She didnt have the str ength. Her voice was quenched, but she held Daphnes eyes. Now get somebodyto throw me some rope or something to tie these guys with. And then leave. No, give me five minutes toget to the top of the cliff. Six minutes. That way maybe I can surprise them before they realize youregone.Daphne was insistent steadily now. Before she could say anything, Rashel went on. Daphne, any minutenow they could realize that. Someones bound to check the cellar before midnight. Every second we stand here could make the difference. Please, please, dont fight me anymore.Daphne opened her mouth, then shut it. Her eyes were desolate. Please try to take care of yourself,she whispered. She let go of Rashels shoulders and hugged her hard. We all know youre doing it forus. Im eminent to be your friend.Then she turned and ran, herding the others toward the boats.A moment later she threw Rashel two pieces of line. Rashel tied up Quinn first, then the werewolf.Six minutes, she said to Daphne. Daphne nodded, t rying not to cry.Rashel wouldnt say goodbye. She hated that. Even though she knew perfectly well that she was nevergoing to see Daphne again.Without looking back, she loped up the hiking trail.