Night World : The Chosen Chapter 6

What she matt-up was a iciness jolt that began in her palm and ran up her arm like electricity. It left tinglingin its wake. besides the real shock was in her head.Her mind exploded. That was the only way she could describe it. A noiseless, heatless b wiped surface(p)up thatshattered her comp allowely. every(prenominal) at once, Rashel couldnt support her consume weight allto a greater extent. She could determineQuinns arms supporting her.She had no sense of the room around her. She was floating in a white light and the only unharmed thing tohang on to was Quinn. It was somewhatthing like the terror shed felt before but it wasnt just terror.Impossibly, what she felt was more than like wild elation.She realized that Quinn was holding her so tightly that it hurt. still even stronger than the brilliance of hisarms was the sense she had of his mind.A direct conduit seemed to have opened between them. She could feel his astonishment, his shock, hiswonder. And she knew he co uld feel hers.Its telepathy, some distant part of herself said, trying desperately to tucker out control again. Its some new lamia trick.But she knew it wasnt a trick. Quinn was as astounded as she was-she could feel that. Maybe he waseven worsened off. He was breathing rapidly and shallowly and a fine trembling seemed to have analysen everywherehis system.Rashel held on to him, seeing crazy things. She sine qua noned to facilitate him. She could sense, probablybetter than he could himself, how frighteningly unprotected he was under that frozen exterior.Like me, I suppose, Rashel thought giddily. And consequently she suddenly realized that he was feeling hervulnerability just as she had felt his. Fear salubrioused up in her so sapiently that she panicked.She tried to find a way to shut him out, to resist the way she resisted mind control-but she knew it wasuseless. He had gotten former(prenominal) her guard already. He was inside.Its all right, Quinn said, and she reali zed that he had stopped trembling. His vo chicken feed was almostdispassionate, and at the same time madly gentle. Rashel had the feeling that hed decided that since hecouldnt fight this thing, he might as well be as insane as possible.Strangest of all, she found his words reassuring.And there was fire under the ice that seemed to encase him. She could feel that flat, and she had thedizzy sense that she was the first one to discover it.They had fallen to the floor somehow, and they were academic term just at the edge of the light. Quinn washolding her by the shoulders, precisely, and Rashel was astonished at her own response to the clinicalgrip. It stopped her breath, held her absolutely motionless. consequently, just as precisely, every movement deliberate, Quinn found the rarity of her scarf and began to relax it.He was still filled with that mad gentleness, that lunatic calm. And she wasnt stopping him. He was dismissalto expose her face, and she wasnt doing a thing about it.She wanted him to. In spite of her terror, she wanted him to see her, to know who she was. She wantedto be face to face with him in that strange light that had enveloped both their minds. It didnt seem tomatter what happened afterward.She said, John.He unwound a nonher(prenominal) length of the scarf, preoccupied and intent as if he were making somearchaeological discovery. You didnt tell me your name. It was a statement. He wasnt pushing her.She might as well write it out on a destruction warrant and glide by it to him. Quinn could reveal himself tohumans-but then Quinn could disappear completely if he wanted, hole up in some hidden vampireenclave where no human could search him out.Rashel couldnt. He knew she was a vampire hunter. If he knew her name and her face, hed have everypower to destroy her.And the scariest thing of all was that some part of her didnt care.He was humble to the last turn of the scarf. In a moment her face would be exposed to the oxygenise and tovamp ire eyes that could see in this duskiness.Im Rashel, Rashel thought. She couldnt quite get the words to her lips. She in any casek a deep breath.And at the same instant a light blazed into her eyes.not the ghostly light that had been in her mind. Real light, the beams from some(prenominal) high-power flashlights,harsh and horribly bright. They get up through the dark cellar and threw Rashel and Quinn into stark illumination.Rashel gasped. iodin hand instinctively flew to her scarf to keep it over her face. She felt as if she hadbeen caught naked.And she was horrified to realize that she hadnt heard everyone bring into the cellar. She had beencompletely absorbed, oblivious to her surroundings. What had happened to all her training? What waswrong with her?She couldnt see anything beyond the light. Her first thought was that it was Quinns vampire Mendscome to save him. He seemed to think it might be, too at least he was stand shoulder to shoulder withher, even trying to push her bear out a little.With an odd pang, Rashel realized she could only guess what he was thinking now. The connectionbetween them had been cleanly severed.Then a voice came from beyond the terrible brightness, a sharp voice filled with outrage. How did heget loose? What are you both doing?Vicky. Im going insane, Rashel thought. I completely forgot about her and the others coming back. No,I forgot about their existence.But there were more than three flashlights on the stairs.The Big E sent us some backup, Vicky was saying, and Rashel felt a mint of fear. She counted fiveflashlights, and in the edges of beams she caught the figures of a bitstock of sturdy-looking guys. Lancers.Rashel tried desperately to gather her wits.She knew what had to be done, at least. She nudged Quinn with her shoulder and whispered, Get outof here. there should be another stairway on the other side of the room. When you go on for it, Ill get intheir way. She pitched her voice so low that only vampire ears c ould hear it. The favourable thing abouthaving her face veiled was that nobody could read her lips.But Quinn wasnt going. He looked as if hed just been awakened with a bucketful of ice water.Shocked, waste, and still a little dazed. He stood where he was, everlasting(a) into all the flashlights like ananimal at bay.The lights were advancing. Rashel could make out Vickys figure now at the mien. There was going to bea fight, and nation were going to get killed.Steves voice said, What did he do to you?Whats she been doing with him, thats the uncertainty, Vicky snapped back. Then she said give noticely,Remember, everybody, we want him alive.Rashel gave Quinn a harder shove. Go. When he just glared, she hissed, Dont you realize what theywant to do to you?Quinn turned so that the advancing party couldnt see his face. He snarled, Theyre not exactlyoverjoyed with you either.I can take care of myself. Rashel was shaking with frustration. Just leave. GoQuinn looked as angry with her as he was with the hunters. He didnt want her help, she realized. Hewasnt used to taking anything from anyone, and to be forced to do it made him furious.But there wasnt any other choice. And Quinn finally seemed to recognize that. With one last glare at her,he broke and headed for the darkness at the other side of the cellar.The flashlights swung in confusion. Rashel, glad to be able to move, sprang between the vampire huntersand the stairway.And then there was a lot of fumbling and crashing, with pile running into each other and swearing andyelling. Rashel enjoyed the circumstances to work off her frustration. She got in everyones way long enough fora very fast vampire to disappear.After which it was just her and the vampire hunters. Five flashlights turned on her and seven amazed andangry people staring.Rashel got up and brushed herself off. Time to face the consequences. She stood, head high, looking atall of them.What happened? Steve said. Did he hypnotise you?Good old Steve. Rashel felt a rush of warmth toward him. But she couldnt use the out he was offeringher. She said, I dont know what happened.And that was true. She couldnt even begin to explain to herself what had gone on between her and thevampire. Shed never heard of anything like it.I think you let him get away on purpose, Vicky said. Rashel couldnt see Vickys ill blue eyes, butshe sensed that they were as hard as marbles. I think you planned it from the beginning-thats wherefore youtold us to go up to the street.Is that true? One of the flashlights swung down and suddenly Nyala was in seem of Rashel, her bodytense, her voice almost pleading. Her eyes were fixed on Rashels, begging Rashel to say it wasnt so.Did you do it on purpose?All at once Rashel felt very tired. Nyala was fragile and unstable, and in her own mind shed madeRashel into a hero. Now that image was being shattered.For Nyalas sake, Rashel almost wished she could lie. But that would be worse in the end. She saidexpressionlessly , Yes. I did it on purpose.Nyala recoiled as if Rashel had slapped her.I dont blame you, Rashel thought. I think its crazy, too.The truth was that the farther away she got from Quinns presence, the less she could understand whatshed done. It was beginning to seem like a dream, and not a very clear dream at that.But why? one of the Lancer boys at the back asked. The Lancers knew Rashel, knew her reputation.They didnt want to think the worst of her. Like Nyala, they desperately wanted an excuse.I dont know why, Rashel said, looking away. But he wasnt controlling my mind.Nyala exploded.I hate you, she burst out. She was trembling with fury, spitting out sentences at Rashel like poisondarts. That vampire could have been the one who killed my sister. Or he could have known who did it. Iwas going to ask him that, but now Ill never get the chance. Because of you. You let him go. We hadhim and you let him goIts more than that, Vicky put in, her voice cold and contemptuous. We were going to ask him aboutthose teenage girls getting kidnapped. Now we cant. So its going to keep happening, and its all going tobe your fault.And they were right. Even Nyala was right. How did Rashel know that Quinn hadnt killed Nyalas sister?Youre a vampire lover, Vicky was saying. I could tell from the beginning. I dont know, maybe youreone of those damned Daybreakers who wants us all to get along, but youre not on our side.A couple of the Lancers started to protest at this, but Nyalas voice cut through them. Shes on theirside? She stared from Vicky to Rashel, her body rigid. You just wait. Just wait until I tell people thatRashel is the Cat and that shes really on the Night World side. You just wait.Shes hysterical, Rashel realized. Even Vicky was looking surprised at this, as if she were uneasy at whatshed started. Nyala, listen- Rashel began.But Nyala seemed to have reached some peak of fury at which nothing from outside could touch her.Ill tell everybody in Boston Youll see She whirled a round and plunged toward the stairway as if shewere going to start doing it right now.Rashel stared after her. Then she said to Vicky, Youd better send a couple of the guys to catch up toher. Shes not safe alone in this neighborhood.Vicky gave her a look that was half angry and half shaken. Yeah. Okay. Everybody but Steve go afterher. You guys take her home.They left, not without a few backward glances at Rashel.Well drive you back, Vicky said. Her voice wasnt warm, but it wasnt as hostile as it had been.Ill walk to my own car, Rashel said flatly.Fine. Vicky hesitated, then blurted, She probably wont do what she said. Shes just upset.Rashel said nothing. Nyala had sounded-and looked-as if she meant to do exactly what she said. And if she didWell, it would be an interesting question as to who would kill Rashel first, the vampires or the vampire hunters.Wednesday morning dawned with gray skies and icy rain. Rashel trudged from class to class atWassa-guscus High, lost in thought. At ho me, her latest foster family left her alone-they were used to hergoing her own way. She sit in her small bedroom in the townhouse with the lights dimmed, thinking.She still couldnt understand what had happened to her, but with every hour the depot of it was fadingsteadily. It was too strange to fit into the reality of deportment, and it became more and more like a dream. Oneof those dreams in which you do things you would never ordinarily do, and are ashamed of when youwake up in the morning.All that warmth and closeness-shed felt that for a vampire? Shed been excited by a parasites touch?Shed wanted to comfort a leech?And not just any leech, either. The infamous Quinn. The legendary human hater. How could she have lethim go? How many people would suffer because of her lapse in sanity?Who knows, she decided finally, maybe it had been some kind of mind control. She certainly couldntmake any sense of it otherwise.By Thursday, one thing at least was clear in her mind. Vicky had been right about the consequences ofwhat shed done. Rashel hadnt thought about that at the time, but now she had to face it. She had to make it right.She had to find the kidnapped girls on her own- if girls were getting kidnapped. There was nothing aboutmissing teenagers in the Globe. But if it was happening, Rashel had to find out about it and stop it if she could.Okay. So shed go back to Mission cumulation to shadow and start investigating. Check the warehouse areaagain-this time, her way.There was one other thing that was clear to her, that became obvious as she got her priorities straight.Something she had to do, not for Nyala, or for Vicky, or for the Lancers, but just for herself. For herown honor, and for everybody who lived in the demesne of sunlight.The next time she saw Quinn, she had to kill him.Rashel moved along the deserted street, keeping to the shadows, moving silently. non easy when theground was wet and strewn with broken glass. There were no sidewalks, no grass, no plant life of anykind except the dead weeds in the addicted lots. Just soggy pan and shattered bottles.A grim place. It fit Rashels mood as she made her way stealthily toward the abandoned projectbuilding where Vicky had brought them Tuesday night.From its front door, she surveyed the rest of the street. Lots of warehouses. Several of them wereprotected with high chain-link fences topped with splenetic wire. All of them had barred windows-or nowindows-and metallic element freight doors.The security precautions didnt bother Rashel. She knew how to cut chain-link and pick locks. What bothered her was that she didnt know where to start.The Night People could be using any of the warehouses. Even knowing where Steve and Vicky hadfought Quinn didnt help, because he had jumped them. Hed ostensibly seen them lying in ambush anddeliberately gone after them. Which meant his real destination could have been any of the buildings on thisstreet-or none of them.All right. Patience was indicate d here. Shed just have to start at one end . .Rashel lost her thought and leaped back into the shadows before she consciously realized why she wasdoing it. Her ears had picked up a sound-a low rumbling coming from somewhere across the street.She flattened herself against the brick wall behind her, then kept her body absolutely immobile. Her eyesdarted from building to building and she held her breath to hear better.There. It was coming from inside that warehouse, the one down at the far end of the street. And shecould identify it now-the sound of an engine.As she watched, the freight door in the front of the warehouse went sliding up. Headlights pierced thenight from behind it. A truck was pulling out onto the street.Not a very big truck. A U-Haul. It cleared the doors and stopped. A figure was pulling the sliding metaldoor down. Now it was making its way to the cab of the U-Haul, climbing in.Rashel strained her eyes, trying to make out any signs of vampirism in the figures movement s. Shethought she could detect a certain telltale fluidity to the walk, but it was too far away to be sure. Andthere was nothing else to give her a clue about what was going on.It could be a human, she thought. Some warehouse owner going home after a night of balancing books.But her instinct told her differently. The hair at the back of her neck was standing on end.And then, as the truck began to cruise off, something happened that settled her doubts and sent herflying down the street.The back doors of the U-Haul opened just a bit, and a girl fell out. She was slender, and a streetlightcaught her blond hair. She landed on the rubble-strewn road and present there for an instant as if dazed. Thenshe jumped up, looked around wildly, and started running in Rashels direction.