Divided Read online

  “Maggie!” Commander Sylvan took a step toward her and so did Far but Becca kept a firm grip on his hand.

  “Don’t,” she said in a low voice. “Don’t break contact, Far. It’s not safe.”

  “Stay back. Maggie is mine again and this time I’m not letting her go,” Donald announced in a high, cracked voice.

  “Be reasonable, man,” Sylvan growled. “She’s mated to another male.”

  “Oh, you mean that idiot, Kor?” Donald sneered. “Don’t worry about him—he’s out of the picture. I made sure of that myself.”

  At this, Maggie began to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks.

  “Donald shot him,” she whispered. “Please—he’s in that little room with the main vent, lying on the floor. Don’t worry about me—go to Kor.” She looked pleadingly at Sylvan. “You’re a doctor, right? Please, go help him.”

  Sylvan looked torn with indecision. “I can’t leave you here with him,” he said, nodding at Donald.

  “If you don’t Kor will die! Please, go to him!” Maggie’s face was streaming with tears now.

  “Yes, by all means, go to him,” Donald mocked. “See if you can save him though I doubt it—this little weapon packs a big punch.” He caressed Maggie’s trembling cheek with the thin silver barrel and giggled.

  Commander Sylvan still looked torn but Far nodded at him.

  “Go,” he said tightly. “We’ve got this.”

  Sylvan nodded shortly. “Just try to keep him occupied,” he murmured in a low voice, meant for Far and Becca’s ears alone. “I’ve already bespoken my brother, Baird. He knows what to do.”

  He turned and ran for the Unmated Males area where more and more of the transformed Kindred had started to wander out of the barracks type buildings they lived in.

  No, not transformed—possessed, Becca realized feeling sick. They’ve been taken over by something alien…something evil. Somehow the demons Donald says he brought with him are finding their way inside the warriors' bodies. And it has to do with the dust.

  The dust which was currently drifting further and further out from the Unmated Males area and into the parkland where they were standing. Becca felt a sense of urgency that flooded her with adrenaline. They had to do something—had to go get Truth before it was too late. She felt in her bones that he was in terrible danger. But how could they leave with Maggie being held hostage by her crazy ex-fiancé?

  Have to do something now. Becca had an idea but it would mean getting Far to follow her lead. She cast him a sidelong glance and squeezed his fingers. He nodded slightly and squeezed back. Reassured, she took a deep breath and stepped forward, still keeping hold of his hand.

  “Donald, right?” she said, trying to smile at Maggie’s psychotic ex. “Look, I can see you and Maggie are, uh, together now but she’s probably cold.”

  She gestured at the half-naked, shivering girl who was wearing nothing more than a thin t-shirt she must have thrown on before she rushed out the door to find her man. Under it she appeared to be wearing some weird golden chain contraption attached to her nipples but Becca chose not to notice that. She had to defuse this situation and get to Truth before it was too late. If it wasn’t already.

  “So what if she’s cold? I’ll warm her up.” Donald gave a high pitched laugh that sounded more like a scream. “I was never very interested in coitus before but since I’ve been keeping company with demons, I find it interests me a great deal. I guess you could say some of their more extreme appetites have rubbed off on me.”

  He kissed Maggie’s wet cheek lingeringly, licking away her tears with a grayish tongue.

  Gray? His tongue is gray? Becca looked at him wide-eyed. This creature bore almost no resemblance to the neat, fussy man she had met just a few weeks ago. He looked deranged, ragged and…she caught a whiff of something awful and wrinkled her nose. And rotten—he smelled freaking rotten. No wonder because the arm wrapped around Maggie’s neck appeared to be just that—literally rotting away to show bone under the gray, putrefying flesh.

  Becca fought not to gag. She had to stay in control—had to keep calm.

  “You may not care if she’s cold but I know you don’t want other guys looking at your woman,” she said, having a sudden inspiration. “I mean, look at her—you can see everything.”

  “You, ah, certainly can.” Far cleared his throat and looked pointedly away, playing along with Becca.

  Donald frowned and looked down at the trembling Maggie.

  “I see your point. She is dressed in a most…suggestive manner,” he muttered.

  “Here…” Becca began to shrug out of the cream silk robe she was wearing. It left her wearing only her knee length nightgown but that was more than poor Maggie had on. “Look,” she said softly, holding up her free hand, the one not holding onto Far. “I’m no threat to you. Just let me put this around her shoulders. Okay?”

  She took a step forward and though Donald frowned, he made no move to stop her. Becca took another step forward carefully. This was the part she didn’t like—she was going to have to let go of Far’s hand. And she couldn’t quiet the feeling that when she did he was going to be vulnerable to the fine black dust which was drifting closer and closer like an ominous cloud.

  “Far, baby—hold your breath as long as you can,” she murmured for his ears alone. She heard him inhale, then she dropped his hand and stepped forward, holding out the cream silk robe to Maggie. “Here,” she said to Donald. “If you’ll just let go for a minute so I can cover her up…”

  “Don’t try anything,” he muttered, but he loosened his grip on Maggie’s neck and for a moment, the muzzle of the silver weapon he was pointing at her head wavered.

  It was the moment Becca had been hoping for. She grabbed Maggie’s wrist and yanked her out of the way. At the same time, she threw the silk robe at Donald’s face.

  He shouted and fired but the blast went wide and the silk robe wrapped neatly around his head. Couldn’t have done that better if I practiced! Becca thought, feeling a surge of delighted surprise.

  “Far,” she shouted. “Get him!”

  Before the words left her lips, another blast of energy zipped past her head and the silk robe suddenly had a black hole burned into the middle of it.

  Donald gave one anguished howl which changed to a sickening wet gurgle. The black hole in the gown obscuring his face went red at the edges and then the crimson stain began to spread. Donald dropped to his knees, his weapon falling from nerveless fingers. In what seemed like slow motion to Becca’s heightened senses, he slumped slowly over to one side and collapsed on the ground.

  Becca bit her lip. “Mother of God, help him,” she whispered through numb lips. “Is he…?”

  Keeping his weapon pointed at the supine figure, Far stepped forward and kicked the shiny silver gun Donald had dropped away. Then he stooped and lifted the ruined robe.

  “Dead,” he said quietly, his lips tight, his face white. He looked up at Becca. “I don’t like killing. Even when it’s necessary.”

  Becca felt her heart surge. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Beside her, Maggie began to cry again.

  “This is my fault. I should have known, should have seen…”

  “How could you know he would do something like this?” Becca demanded, making an effort to pull herself together. “Don’t start blaming yourself—right now we just need to get out of here. Or you do, anyway—we have to find Truth.” She looked at Far. “Don’t we?”

  Far had a strange expression on his face.

  “I…I…”

  “Far?” Becca was concerned. The dust had reached them now—most of it was still in the Unmated Males area but it was reaching out, swirling in the air currents, spreading like a disease. She could see it settling like black specs on Far’s pale skin.

  “…Becca…mi’now…” Far was clearly struggling to get the words out. His features contorted, almost as though he was fighting something.

  No, not something—someone, Becca realized.