28

Tori and I made our way out of the infirmary. Any security cameras would have seen me already, so we had to move fast.

At my request, Tori remained invisible. It was my feeble attempt at saving her from getting in trouble. I stole a lab coat to wear over my hospital gown, but doubted I looked any less suspicious. “Faris is coming? Like right this second?”

“He is,” she said.

“Does he have nothing better to do?”

“He’s a die-hard purifier. Killing demons is the ‘best’ thing to do.”

Tori breezed through walls, doors, and floors, making sure we weren’t about to run into anyone on our way out. We decided against the elevators for now, since we had no control should anyone stop the ride or meet us on the way down. Unfortunately, that meant lots of stairs.

Inside, many of the lights were off but the sky outside was full of stars. It must have been late enough in the evening that the science crew wasn’t wandering the halls. All seemed quiet outside as well. Too quiet.

Our passage to the stairwell and other locked exits were hardly an obstacle thanks to Tori’s stolen keycard and scouting. The escape was going smoother than I’d anticipated but the big question remained: where could I go from here?

Not back home. Anyone with a brain would know to look there. Thanks to being secretive, Naomi and I didn’t have friends who would take me in either. No relatives that I knew of, besides one of the rulers of Hell, apparently.

“I don’t know,” Tori admitted when I asked, “What about your aunt?”

What about her, indeed? My things were still in the dorms. Not that there was anything I couldn’t replace. It wasn’t like my communication stone had been able to reach my aunt, anyway. Clothes would’ve been helpful, though. If I ran out of EXO looking like a mental patient, I’d be captured in seconds.

Once we reached the third floor, all light that didn’t come from the moon went out. The minimal sounds of electricity wiring the building settled into silence. Call me crazy, but a power outage seemed too coincidental.

Tori took shape and crouched by a window. Her small brows squeezed together. She gestured for me to lower my head before approaching. I brought my eyes up just enough to see what we were looking at.

Three men in purifier uniforms, adorned with white trim ming, walked purposefully toward the building. The tallest one, with curly hair, and wide-set eyes, took the lead. I’d had only one encounter with the guy but I knew who he was right away.

“Faris…” I muttered.

He dragged an air of self-importance with him, along with his posse. I wanted to scoff. How ridiculous that he saw me as someone so deserving of death when he looked like a pompous flounder. But then, I remembered the holy weapon used in an attempt to kill me. I had to expect more from him.

“They shouldn’t be able to wander the building freely,” Tori mulled, “Then again, neither should we. I knew we were short-staffed tonight but now the power’s out?”

“You can get around those guys, can’t you?” I asked. It would be difficult for me, but evading a few purifiers should’ve been okay for her.

Her mouth made a line. “For the most part. They’re trained to handle spirits, though. Even if mine isn’t necessarily evil, they could trap me inside of a blessed item if we’re not careful.”

So, ghosts did have weaknesses.

“We need a better plan,” I said.

Tori leaned against the wall and silently clicked her shoes together. “Okay. Um. Well, since no one’s here, should we be able to walk out the gates?”

“What about this witch hunt Faris put together?”

“Just run really fast.”

“You didn’t think this through, huh?”

“Shut up.” Tori puffed out her cheeks. “You’re alive. That’s my plan.”

I smiled. Everything sucked but at least she cared.

“I really don’t think Zak would sick Faris on you,” she continued, “That coward is probably acting alone with the angels absent.”

The truth was neither of us had enough information. All we knew was that purifiers were coming and there was no one to stop them. I could outrun Faris, or endure a fight or two if necessary, but I wanted to leave there without any casualties. EXO could call me a monster, but I wasn’t about to prove them right.

I didn’t want Faris to feel validated at my execution later.

“Come on,” Tori said, “These stairs should take us to a back entrance.”

“Wait.” I stopped.

Someone was coming.

They turned the corner before either of us could hatch a plan. Two bodies appeared at the end of the hallway. We just saw Faris entering the building, so it couldn’t have been him, but these two were also dressed in purifier suits.

Tori backed into me but hadn’t vanished yet. “How did they…”

The purifiers stalked toward us with excitement in their eyes. Gross. Maybe I hadn’t gotten to the thrill-seeking portion of train ing, but they looked too happy to have cornered some girls in the hallway.

“Come quietly, demon,” one of them said, “We can put an end to this peacefully and without pain, unless you prefer the alternative, in which we will not hesitate to send you back to Hell in agony.”

Was he being for real? It was like all purifiers spoke like they rehearsed for a play. Or perhaps that specific dialogue was re served for special people like me.

“I don’t see an official order on you,” Tori countered, “You creeps have no grounds to touch her.”

“The salvation of the world has a flexible set of rules.”

We flinched in unison when the other drew a crossbow from behind his back. He whispered to the silver arrow until it illuminated the dark hallway. I looked around but the only way out was back the way we came.

“Get out of here, Tori,” I said, hoping she would vanish, and then ran back toward the stairs. They would only take me up but staying in a narrow hallway with holy weapons sounded like instant death.

I heard the purifiers’ heavy footsteps coming but I had the upper hand with speed, especially since I didn’t have my own heavy suit dragging me down. Reaching the fourth floor again, I considered a new and more desperate plan. Jumping out a win dow? That would suck. Healing broken bones could take too much time, not to mention wear me out. I wasn’t sure I had any energy to heal, anyway.

Or the elevator; a lot less dangerous than falling. So long as no one stopped me along the way.

I slowed my run to a fast walk and tried to stay quiet. They weren’t supernaturals so I didn’t have to worry about heightened hearing. The purifier’s voices argued somewhere below about where to go next. Good.

The clock of a ranged weapon nearby alerted me in enough time to dodge. A bolt of light whizzed past my head and shattered a window.

Fudge!

Fuck.

Just how many of them were there?

“Here,” I heard a female purifier shout, “She’s making a run for it!”

I was, and I was about to pass the elevator but it opened at the same moment. It shouldn’t have been working. Not with out power. Another purifier emerged from the doors carrying a skinny blade with him. A faint light followed him out, almost like he had powered the thing himself.

He took one look at me and frowned. “Absurd that they make monsters so pretty. Your gods are truly cruel.”

Pervert.

“Just get out of my way,” I said.

That made him smirk, and his glowing blade swung for ward anyway. I twirled out of range, bumping into the wall and pushing off of it to evade the next blow. With him facing away from me, I went for the back of his knees, bringing him crashing down.

“I said— ah !” I thought he would take longer to gather himself after face-planting, but he swept his weapon backward and sliced my palm open. My skin hissed like sizzling breakfast bacon.

“You must perish, demon ,” he said, “For the good of us all.”

“ Ha. ” I felt acid on my tongue. “Screw you, then.”

I didn’t hold back that time. With a kick, my bare foot was still able to break his wrist midair before his blade came down again. He cried, but my fist to his gut cut him off. I lifted the bas tard over my shoulder and threw him back where I knew the chick purifier would be coming next.

She found us just in time to catch his solid body with her face. The force made them collide with the wall. Breathing heavily, I checked to see if the elevator had any juice left. He must have powered it with light magic somehow. The doors opened after a click of the button and I stepped inside, keeping an eye on their motionless bodies.

What is wrong with you people?

Sure enough, he’d left an illuminated key in a slot below the buttons. Convenient for me. The ride down was quiet, but I knew what awaited outside. I hoped Tori was okay and no one captured her.

My hand hurt like a bitch.

I gritted my teeth, too afraid to examine the damage. I remembered Aiden’s wound and how holy weapons didn’t allow people like us to heal. At least it’d only been my hand. Could’ve been my head.

Had the angels used Faris as a means to dispose of me like some weirdly organized conspiracy? It sure seemed that way, seeing as no one was making an effort to stop any of them. No security. No guards. We literally just had a brawl in the hallway and nothing happened.

The elevator stopped just before reaching the bottom. Shit. I wedged my fingers between the doors and pried it open with great effort. Without a supply of spirit energy I grew weaker by the minute. I was able to create an opening large enough to fit through but by the end was seeing black spots.

I crawled out from the space and dropped on all fours. One purifier patrolled the lobby and I thanked the gods he hadn’t noticed me. Were only purifiers out for my demise, or would peacekeepers be among them as well? My hand hadn’t stopped bleeding. I was going to leave a blood trail again. Humans, purifiers, wouldn’t be able to smell me, but a peacekeeper could.

All the more reason to get out of there. Fast.

I crept down another hallway, using the darkness as my shield. Tori mentioned a back entrance. Purifiers guarded outside. The one closest to my escape hadn’t seen me yet but then, I could see out the window better than he could see in.

I could just rush the bastard. Before executing my plan, the purifier grunted. He hit the ground, out cold. A giant rock floated over his head where he’d been standing.

Tori!

I pushed against the door. Stuck.

“Didn’t mean to hit him that hard… Still breathin’, though!” Tori rematerialized and chucked the rock away like it was a snake. “Is it not opening?”

I shook my head. Turns out, it needed power too. If only we’d tricked the purifier into using his light and unlocking it for us before knocking him out.

I’d have to break it down.

Tori seemed to understand and waved her hands at me. “You’ll be too loud. Let me try something.”

She approached the door from the opposite side and felt the handle. I watched but then she did her usual ghost-like trick and was out of sight. A painful moment passed but then, the light above the handle turned green and the door popped open.

Tori’s spirit burst out of the lock and she caught herself in the air. Her eyes were wide as she floated back down. “I actually haven’t tried possessing other objects besides my bear before. That was crazy! Felt super weird, like my whole body turned to soup and fit in all the crevices.”

She stopped but I cracked a smile. “Thanks, Tori.”

We saved the chit-chat for later and cut across the courtyard. Faris’s henchmen all seemed to be inside the building, making the outside empty and safe. Once we had a decent hid ing spot behind some bushes, she pointed at my hand. “Are you okay?”

“It stings,” I said. My breath came out in white puffs. The lab coat was too thin to give me much warmth.

“That’s lucky actually,” Tori said, “Faris has goons crawling all over the place. Who would’ve thought he was actually popular?”

I was about to comment when, across the way, something else caught my attention. “Tori, that’s not..?”

She peered around to see what I was looking at. “Yeah. It’s the gym, or was.”

Just hours ago, the square structure had been perfectly intact. Now, half of it was in rubble. I noticed a dark outline of burn marks where the fissures began and tore through the walls.

I wet my lips. “I should keep going alone.”

“What, why?”

“You have to be with Guy, don’t you? If you follow me, he’ll follow us. Plus…”

“What?” she basically snapped at me.

“I’m not sure it’s safe. With me.” I remembered my conversation with Guy. Tori was unprotected energy. Being close to her put her in danger; whatever danger meant to ghosts. Either way, I doubted she deserved it.

“But, it’s not right.” Tori balled her hands into fists. “We’re EXO. We’re supposed to do the right thing, so that’s what I’m doing. Guy can… kick rocks!”

Her kindness sparked a small fire in my heart that had almost been extinguished after learning Guy wasn’t on my side. But she was right. He did seem duty-minded and if I was in opposition of that, he’d come for me like he had before.

“We just need to—” Tori started. She was interrupted by something bizarre happening to her hands. They washed away like water spilling over a layer of sand. Tori lifted her arms up, but by that point, her shoulders had gone too. “No, no… Dammit! ”

Her angry cursing had the same energy as a frazzled squirrel. I could see the frustration building behind her puffed cheeks. “Jess,” she said, “I’m so sorry. I thought I had more time.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, “What’s happening?”

Tori’s neck faded next and left her as a floating head.

“It’s been over forty minutes and I don’t have my teddy. I-I’ll be fine! No time to explain but it’s like taking a nap for ghosts. Once I’m asleep, Guy will notice. You have to run.” She nodded aggressively, like she couldn’t wait for my response, and answered herself. “You’ll make it, right? Promise?”

I wasn’t positive but not wanting to leave her more distressed than she already was, I nodded. Her face broke apart into twin kling starlight. I could have sworn I saw a tear fall across her ethereal cheek. A breeze blew the rest of her away into a spiritual reality I couldn’t see.

Just like that, I was on my own.

I didn’t know which was worse. Being totally alone…

Or realizing that I actually wasn’t.

A silent presence remained after Tori’s departure. The hairs on my neck prickled at the unknown danger creeping up be hind me. Shit. I whipped around but caught my own fist before it reached its target; a shady figure with crimson eyes.

“Evening, Cupcake.” Aiden stepped into the moonlight, revealing a devious grin. “What manner of naughtiness are you up to?”

His heavy jacket helped him blend in with the night. A plain white t-shirt bunched over the wide belt that held up his pants. Even with the excessive buckles, Aiden seemed like he could walk on air.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, wondering if I even needed to explain my situation, or if he saw it all.

“Me? I was just on my way out but got a little distracted.” His sweetened tone was anything but as he leisurely scanned my body. Red eyes paused at the sight of blood. I took an automatic step back.

He curled his fingers, commanding me closer. “Why am I never allowed to help you?”

“I don’t have time for this.”

Aiden pursed his lips. “Because you’re being hunted?”

When I glared, a wicked glint flashed across his eyes. Aiden took a step but I made a mad dash around him and toward the gates. There really wasn’t enough time to figure him out; whose side he was on. Zak or Guy would return any second and Faris wasn’t going to scour the building forever.

A dark shade cut across my path and forced me to stop. Aiden fanned his long arms out. “Easy. I’m not interested in handing you over to some purifiers.”

I sized him up, trying to predict who would win in a scuffle. On a normal day of training, I would’ve thought me, but my head throbbed even considering an altercation. “And I trust you, why?”

“You really think I’m friends with Faris?” A fair question. His dark brows reached his equally dark hairline as he waited for me to challenge him.

“What do you want then?” I asked.

Aiden summoned me again with only one curved finger. “I have somewhere you can hide, and a car. It’s not a bad plan, Cupcake. Better than running off in that slip of yours.”

I wrapped my arms around my middle and squeezed the thin fabric that hung off my body like a bedsheet. He saved me once before. I appreciated my extended lifespan. His timing, however, felt too perfect. “What’s your generosity going to cost me?”

“You know what I want,” he said, “Make a pact with me.”

“What the hell is that?”

The sound of restless purifiers made me dive back into hiding. We found the nearest wall while Aiden elaborated. “A blood pact. It’s not a big deal, just an agreement between friends. My help for a bit of your blood.”

No.

Absolutely not.

“Is this a one-time thing?” I asked in a mutter.

“That all depends on how much danger you plan to be in, and how much of my help you want. I could give you a nibble of my soul, perhaps?” The words rolled off his clever tongue. I gulped and the skin over my knuckles suddenly went dry, like a cracking earth that begged for rain.

It was as if his vampire senses knew I was in trouble. Aiden hummed an eerie tune. “Assuming I have one, I’m willing to share it. Let’s seal the deal.”

Fantastic. I looked down at my sorry state again. Just how desperately did I need him? Purifiers were already circling the exterior of the building. They’d find us if I didn’t make a decision fast. “Any binding magic you’re not telling me about? This isn’t like a deal with a devil?”

“You tell me, demon queen, ” he said, “Lady? What is it we call you now?”

My jaw snapped shut. “You heard all that?”

Of course he had. Nosy vampire. “Crazy enough, I prefer Cupcake,” I added.

He slouched, playing into my stealth but with significantly less caution. “The pact’s nothing you can’t untangle yourself from. Demons are craftier than us vampires.”

Funny. I wasn’t feeling very crafty. Just in another shitty situation thanks to my lack of assets. With an exasperated breath, I lifted my injured hand but couldn’t bring myself to make a verbal confirmation.

A pact with a vampire.

With Aiden .

“Positive?” Aiden asked but I knew he enjoyed the random power struggle by the arrogant look on his face.

“No. Just hurry.”

He brought my hand to his lips and I watched his pearly fangs glitter with hunger. His tongue attacked first, following the line of blood. The wet muscle sparked tiny needles on my tender palm. You’d think he was licking a spoonful of fudge chocolate with the way his eyes fluttered. Yuck.

“We can’t be here all night,” I reminded him while squirming in place but he hadn’t heard me. When his grip tightened, I snapped. “Aiden!”

Aiden froze. Had he actually zoned out? A smile grew against my hand. He suctioned any remaining blood and saliva with a soft popping sound. About damn time. But he hadn’t even bit me.

I wiped his spit off on my gown but noticed that the pain I had before subsided. “You used venom on me?”

“Just a drop.” The dark purr that rumbled from his throat made me shudder. He folded his tongue back into his mouth and rubbed away any excess blood with his thumb. Did I want him to have enjoyed it? I think I would’ve been offended if he didn’t.

His red eyes turned a dangerous shade darker, unless I just imagined it. “It won’t heal entirely. Like I said, holy weapons are tricky,” he said, sounding halfway normal again, “Come on. Let’s have some fun.”

“That’s it?” I asked, looking back down at my hand. A blood pact sounded more ritualistic and scary.

In true Aiden fashion, he gave me a leer that couldn’t be interpreted. “I’ll let you know when it’s time to pay up.”