Anomaly (Causal Enchantment #4)(17)

Like dogs following a trail of treats, we led them back to the makeshift feeding space, tossing blood bags on the ground. Veronique and Julian remained exactly as we’d left them, cowering over their coolers. My entrance didn’t even earn a glance.

I understood now what Sofie meant. They were sitting ducks. I could probably pour gasoline all over them and light a match before they noticed.

A heavy sense of loss lingered inside. When would I get the old Julian back? Caden mentioned he’d snap out of it in a few days but what about after that? From what they’d told me, Julian wouldn’t be the friend I so cherished for a long time. Years, probably.

Uh, Evangeline? That was the only warning I got before low growls erupted behind me. I turned in time to see Brian and Cecile bolt toward Julian, their hands reaching to dive in. Apparently, the threat of having to share his blood supply was enough to momentarily break Julian’s trance.

Oh, this is not good, Max declared as Julian, Cecile, and Brian faced off. Veronique watched warily from her corner but continued to feed, her fingers flexing as if readying herself for an attack.

“No shit,” I said, rushing to the industrial-sized fridge. One container of bags remained. “What do I do?”

Split the container into two piles and set them out on the floor, farther away.

Following Max’s instructions, I retrieved the blood bags and dumped them in two piles on the other side of the tunnel. “Over here!” I announced.

In answer, Julian grabbed Brian by his shirt and launched him across the tunnel to land by my feet. Cecile followed closely. The two scrambled to their respective piles and we once again had peace.

I edged over to stand next to Max. “That was close.”

I’ll bet you’re happy to be an anomaly right about now, Max said.

“Aren’t you?” I retorted, though I mulled over his choice of word. Anomaly. Is that what I was?

Max snorted in answer.

“Isn’t this blood getting to you?”

I prefer the kill.

“Well, thank God for that because we wouldn’t have enough blood for everyone,” I said, pausing. “They’re going through it fast, though.”

We don’t have enough to sustain four of them when they’re feeding like this, Max agreed. At this rate, they’re going to run out before Sofie and the others get back.

“And then what?” I said. We couldn’t have them running loose. “This is a problem.” I pulled out my phone and hit “one” on speed dial.

No answer.

Caden had warned me not to worry. That they were just busy. Still, the ball of anxiety festered in my core. I called three more times over the course of a half hour, watching the fledglings’ supply slowly dwindle, before I realized that I was on my own here. I may have promised Caden but … “Max, I have to go find more blood. It’s as simple as that.”

You can’t leave. It’s as simple as that.

“If I don’t, we’ll be leaving anyway, to chase four blood-crazed maniacs through the countryside of New York!” I argued. “If they’re going to leave me here to babysit then I get to call the shots, not them.”

He groaned but said nothing. Probably because he knew I was right.

“Where can I get more?” I pulled on a black leather jacket that lay on the ground. Not because I’d be cold, but because a young woman walking coatless on the winter streets at night would certainly draw attention.

With a huff, Max finally suggested, Kiril’s men will know. We should be able to pick up their tracks fairly easily.

“We?” I turned to meet Max’s eyes.

You think I’m going to let you go out there alone?

I threw my hands in the air. “What do you think is going to happen to me? I’m freaking immortal now!”

Max’s tone was thick with doubt. Knowing you … something.

*

“I win!” I teased, reaching the edge of the tree line, the fluorescent lights of the small hospital ahead now visible. Max had been right; it wasn’t hard to find the wolves, likely because they found us first and had tried to force me back into the mine, thanks to Sofie’s directive. When I explained our predicament, they quickly pointed me in the direction of this hospital, thirty miles west. It took us all of ten minutes to find the hospital. Now, all we had to do was hope that there was enough blood to make this worthwhile.

Because I had to avoid the twenty trees you took out along the way, Max said, joining me only seconds later.

“Two trees!” I corrected. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t a hundred percent graceful just yet. Still, I remained boggled at the speed with which I was able to move through the woods, the deep snow providing no hindrance.

Besides, I let you win. “Whatever.” I laughed, the light musical sound different from how I remembered my laughter sounding. It caught the attention of a nurse in the parking lot, her shoulders hunched against the cold, a cigarette in hand. I doubted she could see us from that distance but we stepped into the shadows anyway.

“How hard do you think this is going to be?” I watched the nurse extinguish her cigarette before turning to head back inside. It was late and few staff seemed to be milling about.

Just try not to look like you don’t belong and you’ll be fine, Max assured me.

“Right. I guess you’re staying out here, then.” Max was slightly more conspicuous and, though he’d managed to tail me unnoticed for most of my childhood, I didn’t doubt that our luck would be tested tonight. “What if I attack someone?” Is this where my control would finally falter? At the first sound of a human heartbeat?