Uber-Bleep

I froze, terrified, as a shadow detached itself from a nearby tree and walked forward.

"Are you surprised to see me, little monster?" His voice was soft, the trace of a German accent low and subtle.

I swallowed hard, nodding before I could think better of it. What the bleep was Uber-vamp doing here? And how was I going to get out of this?

He smiled, his perfect white glamour teeth shining over his blackened, dead ones. "If it makes you feel any better, I am pleasantly surprised to see you, as well."

"How did you get here?" I asked, taking a small step back as I tried to think of a way to stall, to call for IPCA help, to do anything. Vampires had no business being strong. It made things so much more complicated. And scary.

"That is the question, now, isn't it?" He considered me calmly, not moving forward. "I was in my cell in that hateful institution when someone attacked me from behind, and then I woke up here. And now you are here, too. It would appear that this is a night for strange coincidences and monsters in the dark."

"Wait-someone jumped you from behind? In your locked cell? And you didn't see them?"

He nodded, nonplussed. "Where are we?"

I frowned, ignoring his question. There was no way this was a strange coincidence. Someone knocked him out, got him out of the Center, and brought him here-somehow knowing exactly where I would be. There was only one type of someone who could pull that off.

Faeries. Of course. It had to be a faerie. The question was, which one? Was this some sort of joke on Reth's part? He had deliberately put me in harm's way before when he brought Vivian to the Center. But I couldn't see any point to this.

Then again, there was a whole dark court of faeries who hated me, not the least of which was Fehl, who was nearly killed by Vivian last spring. And there was that faerie who showed up at the Center. She hadn't seemed very friendly. Plus Nona, who was definitely in contact with at least one faerie that I knew of. And if what Reth had said was true, I was supposed to do something for his group of faeries. When I chose not to, I kinda screwed up all their big, prophetic plans. So basically, you'd be hard-pressed to find a faerie who didn't want to hurt me. The sylph, the fossegrim, now this-there had to be someone behind it. Someone out to get me. The same someones who had always been out to get me.

"Bleeping faeries," I muttered darkly. Why couldn't they leave me alone?

Uber-vamp's eyes lit up. "Faeries? Do you know where I can find one?"

I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, if I could, I'd set you loose on the whole race."

Someone screamed and giggled close by, and Uber-vamp and I both snapped our attention to the direction of the sound.

"Friends of yours?" he asked, and ice spread through my stomach.

"Humans."

"Pity. I'm so very thirsty. Still, you and I have unfinished business, Liebchen."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I didn't want to be around him, be reminded of how badly I'd wanted to take his soul that night. "Look. I'm tired, and things haven't gone the way I wanted tonight. I'd really rather not deal with you right now, so what do you say we let Jack here escort you back to the Center. I'll visit you soon, and we can have a nice, long talk then."

He laughed. "I think not."

Something clicked and I grinned at him. "Well, it doesn't really matter anyway, since your ankle tracker tells IPCA exactly where you are, and they'll be here any minute." Oh, bless you, IPCA technology.

He looked around, his movements slow and unconcerned. "And yet here we are, still, andthey are nowhere to be seen."

I frowned. He had a point. They should have been here almost instantly. Why weren't they?

"Umm," Jack said, reminding me that he was still standing behind me, "any ideas, Evie? I seem to be fresh out of baseball bats." Uber-vamp directed a chilling glare in Jack's direction. I inwardly cursed the idiot boy for bringing it up and putting himself in danger, too.

"I'm guessing you didn't bring your communicator."

"In hindsight, not a clever move on my part."

So we were on our own, then. I reached for Tasey before remembering I'd left her at home, safe and sound in my sock drawer. Not good.

We all stood there, the tension palpable in the darkness. Uber-vamp feinted forward and I shouted, aiming a kick at him. He darted to the side, dodging me, and I bent down and grabbed a solid stick from the forest floor. Bless Jack's unintentional foresight in bringing us back here. I broke it in half over my knee and held it out, ready for his next charge. I'd never staked a vampire before-the thought made me sick-but I'd make an exception if it meant not dying. Hopefully he was weakened from not drinking paranormal blood during his time in the Center.

Suddenly someone came skipping out of the darkness next to him.

"Jack! There you are!" Carlee squealed.

Not her! "Carlee, run!"

"Come here, my dear," Uber-vamp said, his voice low and commanding. I ran forward but was too late. She looked up into his eyes and that was all it took.

"Course," she murmured, her voice sleepy, happy, and downright dopey. She leaned into him and he put his arm around her, looking up at me with a gloating smile. Great. My clueless, sweet friend was now under the thrall of the strongest vampire alive, and it was my own stupid fault for being a murderous-paranormal magnet.

"Let her go."

He stroked her neck with his dead hand as she nestled happily into his shoulder. "Drop the stake."

I clutched it, trying to think of any way out of this. I could rush him. If I went fast enough, he wouldn't have time to dodge.

"I'll break her neck," he said cheerfully, anticipating my thoughts.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. I didn't want my hands free. I didn't want to have to make this choice. Not now. Not him. My fingers had already started tingling, my veins rushing, and I was hyperaware of the night air, almost nudging me forward. In the darkness I could see it, that hint of light around his heart. "Trust me," I whispered, "I'm safer armed."

His fingers squeezed Carlee's neck, digging into the skin. Her breath caught, but if anything she looked happier. "Now, please."

I dropped the stick, and losing that weight in my hand felt like losing my last defense. There was nothing between me and the vamp's soul now. I looked up at the night sky, clouded over without a hint of stars. Why couldn't anything ever be easy?

"Do something," Jack prodded from behind me.

I shot a glare back at him. This whole thing was his fault. No, it was the faeries' fault. Still. I should have been winning a costume contest with Lend, not fighting for my own soul and Carlee's life. I let out a frustrated growl. "I am sosick of moral dilemmas!"

Uber-vamp frowned. "Beg pardon?"

"Don't make me do this. You remember in the alley? You knew then. I saw it-your instincts kicking in, telling you to be afraid of me." I leaned forward, my hands balled into fists and trembling at my sides. "You should listen to your instincts."

He smiled, licking his sharp teeth. "I'm afraid I'm rather more curious than frightened. I want to taste you, find out what kind of monster you are."

"Good luck with that." I narrowed my eyes, stretching out my fingers. No choice. I had no choice. This wasn't my fault. I was out of options.

He laughed, and before I could react he threw Carlee at Jack, knocking them both to the ground. My eyes still on them, I wasn't ready for him to barrel into me. We flew through the air together, landing hard on the ground with him on top of me. He snarled, baring his teeth, and went for my throat.

His fangs pierced my neck. I screamed and shoved my hand against his chest. This time when the channel opened I was ready. Anger coursing through me, I threw it open wider, pulling as much as I could, as fast as I could. Forget defending myself. I was going to end this. His back arched but he was too shocked, in too much pain to get away.

Then someone shouted and slammed into Uber-vamp, knocking him off me and breaking the connection. My heart raced and I gasped for breath, body swirling with energy, foreign and delicious. I wanted the rest of him. I pushed up to sitting, wanting to find the vampire, drain him completely.

That's when I saw Lend, on top of Uber-vamp, punching him again and again in the face until he was sure the vampire wasn't going anywhere. And then what I'd done-what I was going to finish-came crashing down on me. I dropped onto my back and put my hands over my face.

I would have killed him.

I wanted to.