Loved (House of Night Other World #1)(53)

“Are you okay?”

“No. It was—” he shuddered. “It was horrendous. Almost as bad as the Mayo.”

“Where’s Kramisha?” I asked.

Darius met my eyes. “She chose to stay in the tunnels with the red fledglings. She’s leading them in casting a circle and sending up prayers to Nyx for those who were killed.” He shook his head. “I cannot imagine the carnage that would have happened had we not installed those heavy, bolted doors. Those creatures couldn’t get in, though they did dent the steel trapdoor so badly that it will need to be cut off its hinges to be removed.”

“That’s probably a good thing. No one should go into that kitchen until it has been cleaned,” Marx said.

“But they’re okay? Kramisha and the rest of the students who weren’t working at the restaurant?” I asked.

“They are shaken, but physically they are well,” Darius said.

“Okay, come into the office,” I told them. “Shaylin and Nicole, please get Darius and Marx something warm to drink.” Both men were covered with snow. Red snow. I tried not to look too closely at their clothes.

“I shall bring these two young Warriors some towels. Perhaps they would feel better if they could dry off,” Grandma said.

“Yes, thank you, Grandma,” I said. Then I faced Darius and Marx. “Okay, this is going to be hard to hear, so I’m going to say it fast. Here’s what we’ve found out from Other Jack.”

Before I could begin, Marx interrupted. “Who is Other Jack?”

“He’s from an alternative House of Night world, which is where those other red fledglings and vampyres came from,” I said. “He’s a lot like our Jack. Remember? The one who died about a year ago in that freak accident when he fell from a ladder and landed on a sword.”

Marx nodded quickly. “The accident you didn’t think was one, but never were able to prove otherwise?”

“Right,” I said. “Here’s what he’s told us about his world.”

I put it all out there for them. Told them everything—adding the part about the tunnels and that I was going to try to figure out a way to save Other Jack from his impending doom. When I finished there was a long silence, then Darius turned to Aphrodite and put his hands on her shoulders.

“I know it’s something bad. Just say it fast,” she said.

“Detective Marx got a call from St. John’s emergency room. Your mother staggered into the ER not long ago. She’s been bitten, Aphrodite. By a red vampyre.”

Aphrodite wobbled a little, like the ground beneath her had shaken. Then her gaze found mine. “She’s infected.”

“She is,” I said.

“And Other Jack says she’s going to die. For sure. Within three days.”

“Yes.”

“I am so sorry, my beauty,” Darius spoke quietly to her, pulling her into his arms.

I could see her blue eyes, bright with unshed tears.

“All of those humans. The ones killed at your restaurant. They’re going to have to be decapitated or cremated, correct?” Marx spoke into the silence.

“Yes. That’s what Other Jack said.”

“And you trust him?” Marx asked me.

“I do. He wants sanctuary here, so he has every reason to tell us the truth,” I said.

“Then they need to be cremated,” Marx said, sounding a lot older than his years. “I’ll tell the families myself.” He looked at Stark. “How long until sunrise?”

“An hour and a half,” Stark said.

“And you said you’re pretty sure you know where that goddamned horde went? It’s blizzard conditions out there since the wind picked up. We couldn’t track those monsters.”

“I would’ve thought you could track their blood trails,” Stark said.

“That’s what we thought at first, too,” Darius said. “But they took care of that.”

“Huh? How?” I asked.

“They rolled in the snow. Like animals. And then they scattered, all in different directions. We can’t even get canines out there because of the damn weather. They can’t track in a blizzard.”

“We think we know where they are,” I said. “Other Jack told us where they’d go to ground in their world. They’re all red fledglings or vampyres. That means they have to get under cover before sunrise, or they’ll be dead.”

“Even if it keeps snowing and hides the sun?” Marx asked.

“I don’t know if they’re more sensitive than we are,” Stark said. “But I would have trouble being outside during the day for long, even under cover of snow.”

“So, they have to find shelter,” Marx said.

“And it has to be in a public building. They can’t enter a private residence without being invited,” I added. “We need to go to the Philtower tunnels and the tunnels under the Atlas Building. But first we need to send Warriors to the entrances to the other tunnels. Have them be showy. They need to stand where they can be clearly seen by anyone sneaking around outside looking to get in.”

Marx nodded. “Limit their safe places.”

“Act like we do not know that they’ll target the Philtower and the Atlas Building,” Stark said. “Then close in after sunrise and wipe them out.”