The Dark Divine(77)

“Turn the car around, Jude,” I said softly. “Let’s go home and talk to Dad. He can help.”

Jude pulled the car to a stop in the alley between the parish and the school. He opened his door and got out.

“What are you doing?” Pete asked.

“He’s here,” Jude said. “I know he is.” He stood still for a moment, as if listening. All I could hear was the echo of the music in the gym.

“Jude, please, listen to reason.” I started to get out of the car.

“Stop her!” Jude said.

Pete grabbed my arm.

“Keep her here. Do whatever it takes.” Jude took a couple of steps into the alley.

A police siren whirred past the school and continued on down Crescent.

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

“I’m finishing this.” Jude turned toward me. And that’s when I saw it: his eyes, once mirror images of mine, were twin tornadoes. Black, silver, sharp, twisted—glinting with the light of the full moon.

Human eyes don’t glow in the dark. Only animal eyes do.

“No.” I gasped. I tried to pry myself from Pete’s viselike hands.

“I’m going to find Daniel and finish this,” Jude said. And then he was gone.





CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Hero





IN THE ALLEY




“Let me go!” I pushed against Pete’s chest. I had to find Daniel before Jude did.

This was what he’d been afraid would happen tonight!

“Please, Pete. You have to let me go.”

“So you can warn Kalbi?” Pete didn’t look me in the eyes. “Why can’t you just stay away from him?”

“I have to stop Jude. I have to stop this from happening. I’d do the same if he was after you.”

Pete looked up at me, but he didn’t loosen his grasp. “Relax, Grace. This is Jude you’re talking about. He’s just going to find out what’s going on.”

“He isn’t Jude anymore,” I said. “Can’t you see that?”

Pete shook his head, confused.

“You have no idea what this is about, do you?” I asked. “You’re in danger. We’re all in danger. You have to let me go.”

Pete’s grasp weakened. I pulled away from him and grabbed the door handle. He snatched at me, but all he got was a fistful of my satin shawl. It trailed behind me like a purple banner as I jutted out of the car and down the alley. Pete bolted after me.

I stumbled in my heels and almost fell in a pothole. Pete grabbed me by the shoulder and swung me around.

“I’m trying to save you!” He slammed me against the outside wall of the parish. “Jude told me to keep you away from Kalbi. But you make it impossible. Why won’t you stay away from him?”

“Stop, please.” I tried to shove him away, but he was heavy and unmovable.

“I’m supposed to be your hero,” he said. “I was supposed to save you on Markham Street.”

“What?” But then I realized. “You were the one outside my car.” No wonder he’d insisted I stay behind. “You tried to scare me just so you could play hero?”

“Jude said we had to keep you away from Daniel. He said all you needed was a good scare. The car broke down, so I used to the opportunity.” Pete clenched my shoulder. “I would have been your hero if …”

That noise. It was a howl. It was Daniel. “If something hadn’t scared you away?”

“I ran,” Pete said. “And then Kalbi came along before I got back.” His fingers dug into my shoulder. “You’re supposed to want me, not him!” Pete pressed his body against mine, grinding my bare back into the rough brick. His hot breath was a vile mixture of breath mints and alcohol.

“You’re drunk, Pete. You don’t really want to do this.”

“You owe me this,” he said. “I’ve wanted this for a long time. But you told me to be patient—so I was. And then you went off and did it with him.”

“What—?”

“Don’t deny it. Everybody knows. Lynn saw you leaving his place. She saw him follow you out half naked.” Pete gritted his teeth. “So if you’ll give it up for that piece of filth, then what’s wrong with me? Am I not dark enough? Am I not bad enough for you?” His body crushed me against the wall. “I can be if that’s what you want.”

Pete smashed his lips over my mouth. The strap of my dress snapped in his clawing grasp. I slammed my fists into his back. He grabbed my arms and pinned them against the wall. I grated the heel of my shoe down his leg.

Pete wrenched back his head. “I knew you’d like it rough.”

I sucked in a breath and called for help. Pete laughed and smothered my mouth with his. I felt completely trapped under his weight.

Pete’s body suddenly lurched sideways, and he released me. He sputtered and grabbed his side. His lips made a perfect O shape as his hand came up. Blood painted his fingers. He stumbled back. “Monstrrrr …” he said, and fell to the ground.

“Oh, my …” I cast about in the dark and saw it—a great, hulking, bearlike thing—crouching in the shadows of the school’s side entrance. Moonlight reflected off the bloody knife in its giant hand.