Chapter 32

Margery pursed her bloated lips. "Are you trembling, darling? I'm not planning to hurt you. I need you alive."

"What do you want with me?" Selene asked. She was still sprawled on the ground after Margery pushed her.

Margery looked surprised. "To claim my reward, of course. You're a very popular girl. A true treasure."

"Me? Why?"

Margery wagged a bony finger. "I knew you weren't a Nereid back at Padu. And Samael said it was just your soap I scented—naughty boy! Tell me, how did you get to Aurelia? Did one of the queens bring you through as Lilith brought us?"

She knows I'm human.Selene swallowed. Why hadn't she probed Arkaya further about why she had to disguise herself as a Nereid? Was it to protect her from vampires?

"No. Lilith didn't bring me," Selene said.

"Then how did you get here?"

"I… I fell through a puddle."

Margery moved closer, her gray eyes gleaming. "What's it like back home? It was 1899 when I left. Why it must be over two thousand by now! Is everything run by automatons?"

"I… I…" Selene trailed off as she thought about what to do. Desperately, she tried to remember any moves from that self-defense class she took at the Y years ago. Besides yelling loudly enough to make a scene, all that came back was the instructor's insistence that women have more power in their lower bodies. Kicking was better than punching.

Margery's painted-on eyebrows drew together. "I asked you a question, human. Is everything run by automatons or not?"

"Uh, sort of," Selene said. Her eyes darted around, searching for a weapon of some kind. The ground was bare of branches or sharp sticks. The club that was used on Sam had been tossed about fifty feet away. "We have machines to clean the house called vacuums. Carriages that don't need horses and everyone talks to each other through little glass rectangles."

Margery looked interested. "Are there cities underwater?"

"No."

"Do you have flying mailmen? I saw a postcard with such a thing once."

"Not quite," Selene said. She tried to ease back against a tree, mentally cataloging the various ways she knew to kill a vampire. Sunlight, fire, removing the head—none of those were viable at the moment. She vaguely remembered something about silver, but judging by the amount of silver-set jewels Margery wore, it was a myth. Her eyes darted to Sam, and a lump rose in her throat. She tried to see if his chest still rose and fell, but she couldn't tell for certain. Maybe if she humored Margery for a bit, Sam would wake up and end this.

"Airplanes," Selene said. "No underwater cities or flying mailmen, but we can fly hundreds of people anywhere in the world in big machines called airplanes."

"Really?"

"Of course. You can fly from New York to Los Angeles in about six hours," she said, while another nugget from her self-defense class came back her. Always go for the eyes. Selene's fingers clawed at the ground for a handful of dirt, but she only came up with limp blades of grass.

"How many live on the moon?"

"None. Not yet, at least. We're doing a lot of research on Mars, though."

"Mars! Amazing," Margery said. The vampire reached down to wrap her cold fingers around Selene's forearm. "Come now, stand up. You'll tell me more as we journey to my king's castle."

Selene was abruptly pulled to her feet, swaying from the strength Margery used to jerk her upright. She tried to pull her hand back, but Margery only tightened her iron grip.

"That hurts. Let go," Selene protested, but Margery tugged her close so that their bodies were nearly touching.

"Oh… ohhhh, your scent," The expression of ecstasy that transformed Margery's face was terrifying. She leaned in to sniff, then brought Selene's hand up to nuzzle her wrist. "You smell delicious."

"I said, let go."

"How long it's been since I tasted human blood…"

"You said you wouldn't hurt me."

"I wouldn't dare spoil my prize." Margery's pupils were blown, making her appear ferocious. "But all the same… one little taste wouldn't hurt."

"No! Let go of me!" Selene tried to yank her arm back, but Margery was too strong.

Licking at the skin of her wrist with a tongue that felt both slimy and gritty, Margery quivered with pleasure. "You're right. It's too risky to feed from the vein. I've never been known for my control," she chuckled. She dragged her lips over Selene's palm, then twirled her tongue around the fleshy end of Selene's thumb.

"Here. I'll take a teeny-tiny drop from here. Just to put a spring back in my step. It wouldn't turn you—it would only be a pleasurable pinch. No one has to know. Julian had it all wrong with his blood wagons. Blood isn't better when it's tormented. It's much sweeter when both parties are in agreement."

"I don't agree!"

Margery's expression flashed from hunger to madness. "You don't know what it's like! To only feed on these Aurelians and their inferior blood… it's agony! I'm so hungry, always hungry. I drink and drink, but I'm never full."

"Get away from me," Selene tried to pry Margery's fingers from her arm.

"Quit squirming, will you, darling? Just let it happen."

"No! You can't do this!" Selene's muscles were trembling from the strain of trying to pull away.

"Yes, I must!" Margery shrieked, her voice echoing through the trees. "I NEED YOU!"

The last three words were shouted with wild desperation. But to Selene, they could have been whispered, and the effect would've remained the same. Her body stiffened before an unnatural calm took hold of her. While the trees around them rustled, everything seemed to move in slow motion.

I need you.

She rolled the phrase over in her mind, feeling the weight of the words. The entreaty, the implication. The obligation.

I need you.

How many times had she heard that before? How many people in her life used that phrase to manipulate her?

I need you, her boss always repeated before a board meeting. When she'd be stuck working all weekend on his PowerPoint presentation. "You're so much better at it than I am," he would say over his shoulder before walking out the door at 4:00 on a Friday.

I need you, Kevin would whine before each of his shows. He needed her to manage the merch table, coordinate with the venue, and set up equipment. It didn't matter how Selene felt about it or what other plans she had made.

I need you, her mother would say when she was too drunk to stand. When she instructed Selene to tell the police they had been rehearsing a play after the neighbors called to complain about all the yelling.

I need you, her father had begged when the twins wouldn't stop crying. When he had to travel for weeks at a time and told Selene she was in charge of the household.

I need you. She had heard those words spoken to her all her life. But this time was different. This time, instead of making her feel guilty and selfish for looking after her own desires, they caused something deep within her to shift. A part of her that had been long buried gasped and trembled. It rose and stretched itself up. Vibrated and cracked, breaking loose from its bonds. Soaring up inside of her like a whirlwind.

Fear turned to anger. Anger deepened to rage. Rage grew into fury. It flowed through her veins like lava. Burning her from the inside with its intensity. She was tired of being needed. Tired of giving others her time, her expertise, her energy, her attention. Always without ever getting anything in return. And now, here was Margery, wanting to take her most precious asset.

Her blood.

Her vitality.

Her very life essence.

No. It would not happen. Not today. Not ever again. She was done with vampires—both the metaphorical kind and the one standing in front of her.

Remember your anger,the Harpy had said. Feel it, use it!

Moonlight cast odd shadows over the ground and illuminated Margery's unnatural face. Her sickly gray tongue swirled around Selene's thumb before her lips pulled back from her fangs…

Without hesitating, Selene used all that rage—that pulsing, throbbing power—to kick Margery in the gut as hard as she could. It was a strong blow and effective. The vampire's face was surprised as she fell back onto the ground. Her hold on Selene's arm broken at last.

"You bitch!" the vampire cried.

Margery's red cape fell back to expose the stake on her belt, and Selene jumped for it. Margery rolled to her side, shoving Selene away, but Selene moved faster. Possessing a strength of will she didn't know she had, Selene reached for the stake at Margery's waist, but her fingers met empty space.

"How dare you!" Margery shouted as she pushed Selene away and rose to her knees. "I was kind to you! Now you're trying to stake me?"

"Fuck you!"

Margery grabbed Selene's hair and yanked back, exposing her throat. "I could make you my slave, human! You think I won't? You're nothing but prey to me." Selene reached back to dig her fingernails into Margery's hand. The way the flesh gave away and oozed under her nails was horrifying.

"That hurts!" Margery cried and let go. Selene moved to her hands and knees to kick out behind her. Her heel made contact with Margery's chest and sent her sprawling back.Selene didn't know why she had stuffed down her rage for all these years—it felt incredible to let it run wild.

The vampire wheezed, then grabbed Selene's foot to flip her onto her back. Margery tried to grab Selene's arms, but as they wrestled, her stake brushed Selene's knuckles.

"Give up! Give up and accept your fate," Margery cried.

Selene struggled dramatically so that Margery wouldn't notice how she was working the stake up to slip out of the vampire's belt. Deftly, Selene curled her fingers around it once it was free. But just as Selene tried to raise her arms to drive it into Margery's chest, the vampire straddled her waist. Quickly, she pinned Selene's upper arms to the ground with her hands. Selene tried kicking her legs to jostle Margery off, but it didn't work. It barely moved her. Margery might be old, but she was very strong.

"Little bitch. You think you can beat me?" Margery spat. But then her eyelids grew heavy, and her expression became desirous."Look at your lovely face so flushed with blood… "

Selene attempted again to free her arms, but Margery's grip was too strong. Her panic rose. Was she actually about to be bitten? Turned into a vampire or drained to death? She looked left then right for an escape, but there was no way out. Sam's body remained still, making her heart ache. She desperately wished she weren't such a puny human at that moment. If only her demon would wake up to come tear off Margery's head. Or stake her, set her on fire, toss her off a cliff, Selene didn't care. Even the shadows would be helpful at this point.

Instantly, in her peripheral vision, Selene saw several black masses tumble from the trees and rise from the ground, as if on command. Pulsating and swirling like black fog, they hovered above the ground before rolling together into a hazy cloud.

The shadows!Sam was sending the shadows to help her!

They swooped and rose to float above Margery's head. Selene watched them throb for a moment, uncertain of what action they were about to take. Their touch didn't hurt, she knew that from when Sam had them surround her in Snowmelt. So why had they come? Suddenly, her self-defense instructor's voice pounded in her ears—always go for the eyes. And as though she had uttered a command, the shadows dropped to cover Margery's face, poking at her eyes and obscuring her vision.

Margery shook her head to dislodge the vaporous shapes. "What is this?" she demanded. Her wig now sat crooked on her head. "What have you done?"

If only the shadows could grow murkier, Selene thought, to infuriate Margery even more. A tingly chill brushed Selene's cheek before surprisingly, the shadows grew deeper and more opaque right before her eyes. More dark masses joined the writhing black cloud, intensifying its color.

The vampire let out a frustrated scream until finally, Margery let go of Selene's arms. "Get these off of me!" she cried, waving at the air around her face. "You think a few little shadows can stop me? I'll drink you dry!"

Margery bared her fangs, obviously planning to bite at whatever part of Selene she could reach. But Selene's reflexes were too quick. She positioned the stake in her hand to point up—so that Margery fell straight upon it.

Through the shadows, Selene watched Margery's expression turn from rage to surprise to confusion before falling into an expression of deep peace. Her body spasmed then slumped down over Selene's. She was utterly still.

Selene laid motionless with Margery's body draped over hers, too afraid to move. She couldn't have been lucky enough to hit her heart, could she? When nothing happened after several moments, Selene nudged the vampire and got no response. Using all her strength, Selene rolled Margery's body away and sat up. Death was undeniably written across the vampire's face.

She had defeated Margery. Killed her, in fact, thanks to Sam's help. Selene examined her hands, expecting them to be covered in vampire blood, but they were clean. It had all happened so quickly that Margery's clothes had absorbed most of the blood leaking from her chest.

The shadows were still swarming over Margery's sallow face, causing Selene's heart to swell with gratitude for Sam. Even gravely injured, he protected her. Yet, as she looked around expectantly for Sam, her insides plummeted. He was lying in the same position as when he fell—unconscious and unmoved.

Selene scrambled toward him. The bloody gash on his forehead and the horizontal crack that nearly bisected his horn was horrifying. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she whispered, "Sam?" He didn't respond. She stroked his cheek. "Sam? Please come back to me." He failed to wake up.

The terror of possibly losing Sam was staggering. How could something so simple as a bump on the head incapacitate her unbeatable demon? Maybe the club was embedded with magic, or poisoned somehow. Or was damage to a demon's horn very serious? She wished she had asked him more about things like that. Like what it meant to be a demon, how it felt to live in his body, and the strengths and weaknesses of his kind. There was so much she wanted to know about him that she hadn't asked—would she get the chance now? She wiped at the tears filling her eyes and looked around the forest, not knowing what else to do. Hopelessly, she turned toward the shadows writhing over Margery and cried, "What do I do now?"

Her voice made them stir and rise toward her. They hung in the air in front of her, almost expectantly, like a dog awaiting its master's command. She gaped at them for a moment then experimentally, imagined them moving to envelop a nearby tree stump.

Before she could blink, they obeyed her wish.