Steal the Light (Thieves #1)(63)

The ward held without the package. Someone didn’t want me to leave.

Dev grabbed my hand again and tried to pull me through, but there was no amount of physical strength that was going to get me through that barrier.

“Zoey, I can’t leave you.” Dev clutched my hand.

“Yes, you can.” I moved back, twisting away from him, moving closer to Daniel. “Neil, get him out of here, and that’s a freaking order.”

I was pissed to see Neil look to Daniel for confirmation before dragging Dev down the stairs. If I made it out of this hotel alive, we were going to have a talk about the chain of command. What can I say? I have control issues.

Daniel and I looked at each other, tension thick in the air.

“Let’s see if you can go up.” Daniel took my hand, and sure enough, I could take the steps going up.

We were halfway up the first flight when the door flew open. Stewart was back. He’d managed to turn his head back around, though the bone jutted out at sickening angle. I gasped my horror when he started talking.

“Do you have any idea how much that hurt?” Stewart’s voice was rougher than before, and his eyes were black with no hint of an iris. He seemed to have trouble controlling his legs, jerking awkwardly with every step. “Well, at least the screaming stopped. That’s something. You like killing, don’t you, vampire? Trust me, this arsehole is dead, and it’s your fault. Add him to your victim list.”

“Go, I’ll meet you on the roof.” Daniel shoved me upward.

Stewart was still talking, his inhuman voice echoing through the stairwell as I climbed as fast as I could. One flight at a time. One step at a time. I didn’t stop though I thought my heart would burst. Every step brought a fresh burn to my pumping legs. If I lived through this, I was joining a gym.

“I don’t want trouble with the Council.” Stewart’s voice echoed through the space. “I really don’t, but you pissed me off. I can’t just let that go, no matter who you are.”

I couldn’t see what was happening, but there was no mistaking the gunshot that shook the walls. The small space made the shot crack in a way that caused my ears to ache. I stopped in my tracks as my hand touched the door to the roof. I shook as I turned, praying to see Daniel behind me. He had a gun. He had to be the one who shot Stewart, and he would be up in a minute, and we would get out of this.

We had to get out of this.

I nearly cried out in relief as Daniel stumbled up the stairs. He held a hand on his chest. Blood coated his pale flesh. His blood.

“That’s silver, you bastard.” Stewart’s voice came ever closer. “Hope you like it.”

A lock held the door to the roof shut, but Daniel placed a single kick and it flew off the hinges. We stumbled into the night. I took a deep breath of the early spring air. There was a chill hanging onto the evening. Before too long, every day here would be hot as hell, and looking down at Daniel, I wondered if he would see the summer. He tumbled to the ground. I fell to my knees and put my hands on his chest to try to stop the bleeding. Tears sprang to my eyes as I pressed close. It was coming too fast. There was too much.

“Danny, what do I do?” My voice broke with every word.

“Run, Zoey.” His breath rattled in and out of his chest like a faulty radiator. “I can still hold him off. Run and hide and call Neil. He’ll come back. He’ll get you out of this. Sarah can get rid of the wards and you can get away from here. You can take the box and give it to Halfer.”

“I can’t leave you.” I pressed harder against his chest. It might have been my imagination or just a wild hope, but I thought the bleeding was a little better.

“You have to, Z. He wasn’t lying. The bullets were silver, and it hit too close to my heart. I can’t survive it.”

“Yes, you can,” I spat back at him. My head spun. “You just need blood. You can take it from that bastard, Stewart, when he finally crawls up here.”

Daniel shook his head. I was horrified to see a tiny trickle of blood drip from his mouth. “Won’t work. The body is dead. Dead blood is as bad as silver. There’s no way out. He’ll be here any minute.” Daniel struggled, but managed to stand, and he pulled me close, his lips on my forehead. “I love you, Zoey. I have since the day I met you. You run and let me handle this. I can handle anything as long as you’re all right.”

And just like that a terrible idea occurred to me.

People sometimes get adrenaline rushes that allow them to do amazing things they normally wouldn’t be able to do. Like the child who manages to lift a car off his father who got pinned underneath. We do amazing things when the one we love is in danger. Daniel was going to die if I didn’t stop it. I didn’t have the strength to handle a demon, even one in a damaged body. I didn’t have the time to out think him. I was out of time and out of options, with only one way to go if I wanted off this roof.

“Daniel,” I said quietly, “Dev says you can fly.”

“Dev’s an * with a big mouth.” Daniel pushed me out so he could look in my eyes. He gave me a light shake. “No arguments, Zoey. I died a long time ago, and it’s time to let me go. He’s almost here. I can smell him. Get ready to run down the stairs when I pull him out here. Barricade yourself in the suite and call Neil and call the cops. Hell, call everyone. Promise me.”