Four Centuries (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (47 page)

She looked into Kevin's eyes to see concern, fear.
 
Hugging him in return, she pressed her head against his chest to keep them from swaying back and forth.

"Maybe he's right," Kevin whispered.
 
"This is my fight.
 
Maybe you should leave."

"No.
 
I'm not leaving you.
 
And they wouldn't let me just walk away to get help."

"I have no idea of the relationship between you two," Ramses continued.
 
"I'm not sure if you know about witches.
 
They're the ones behind the Black Death in the fourteenth century.
 
Nearly the entire Dark Ages was plagued with witches doing bad things.
 
Let's not forget Salem.
 
Hitler nearly conquered Europe with the aid of a witch.
 
Do you really think that was a terrorist attack in Baltimore, a few years back?
 
More witch magic, gotten out of control and covered up."

"Bullshit," Kevin hissed.
 
"We had nothing to do with Baltimore."

Zoey's eyes went wide.
 
"But the others?"

He said nothing.

"So, you're not coming out?" Ramses called.
 
"I can only imagine how this looks, but we're not heartless killers.
 
I wanted to at least give you the chance."

The search continued.
 
Zoey watched them, moving about like ants below.
 
They wouldn't be able to stay above them forever.

Kevin agreed.

"You're…still on my side?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," he said, relief in his voice.
 
"We have to get to the office.
 
Can you pull us along the ceiling?"

"I can, but I don't know this place.
 
What office?"

"There's a door leading to the office area up front.
 
But I'm so turned around, and I can't see.
 
Do you see any doors?"

"Shit, Kevin," she said, looking everywhere.
 
"I see a lot of doors."
 
Her eyes fell on one in particular.
 
"Wait.
 
There's a guy guarding one.
 
I think I see a bulletin board next to it."

"That's it.
 
We need to go there."

"Okay.
 
Hold on, don't let me fall."

Zoey reached up and grabbed a beam as Kevin squeezed her.
 
Her movement nearly made her lose balance.
 
Floating weightless was a sensation she never thought she'd experience.
 
One leg drifted in between Kevin's knees, and she nearly slid downward.
 
He readjusted his grip, locking his legs around her, and for the first time, she felt the feather he talked about tickling her neck.

As they drifted along the ceiling, she kept an eye below.
 
The chatter began to pick up.
 
The men moved with purpose, some even jogging.
 
Something was going on.
 
She wanted to listen, but it was difficult enough not falling from Kevin's grasp.

In her lack of focus, his head bumped into a beam.
 
She covered his mouth before he let out a cry.
 
She kept them still for ten seconds, making sure no one below heard.
 
It was during that time Ramses spoke again.

"Witch, I think he said your name is Kevin.
 
Please know this isn't personal.
 
You were dealt a bad hand.
 
One of your parents just happened to be a witch.
 
You might not even know what you are.
 
I'm really sorry about this."

Zoey noticed a flickering light coming from behind the door leading to the offices.
 
Kevin turned his head carefully, also seeing the glow.

"What is that?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, channeling Victoria.
 
Her nose twitched at the familiar scent that she now hated.

"Fire.
 
They're burning this place down."

"Oh, no.
 
No, no.
 
Hurry."

She grunted as she propelled them forward.
 
"I'm going as fast as I can."

The men filed out of a side exit.
 
Zoey pushed away from the ceiling, heading down.
 
They were halfway to the ground when Kevin's grip loosened.
 
She rolled off to his side, but he held tight.
 
Her feet touched the ground first.
 
Kevin ran past her, the fire behind the door guiding him.
 
Zoey was embarrassed she didn't smell the fuel before.

"The sprinklers aren't going off," he said, reaching for the door.
 
"Why not?"

She shrugged, not caring at all about the sprinklers.
 
They needed to leave immediately.

"They broke them or something.
 
C'mon!
 
We can't stay here."

"Wait.
 
We have to get to the server room."

Reluctantly, she followed Kevin through the door, even though every vampire instinct inside told her it was a terrible idea.
 
Flames leapt and licked at the chairs, desks, walls.
 
She hesitated for a moment, afraid to go any further, but Kevin grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

Zoey didn't feel pain the same way since becoming a vampire.
 
Clumsily banging a shin, stubbing her toe in the shower, even a knick while shaving her legs, none of it carried the same sensation.
 
The pain was lessened, dulled.

But fire was the same.
 
She could feel the heat around her, and knew that the flames would hurt just as badly as when she was a mortal.

"Kevin, this isn't smart," she said.
 
"They're probably setting up by the doors right now, waiting for us to come out.
 
We have to get out now before they're ready."

"We don't have a chance without my magic.
 
I need my coat."

He led her through the halls, twisting and turning.
 
The fire was spreading, and it wouldn't be long until they were trapped.
 
Fire from a break room nipped at her, catching her arm.
 
She pulled away in panic as Kevin continued to push forward.

He stopped when they turned another corner.
 
Zoey watched his shoulders sink in defeat.

The office marked
Server Room
was engulfed in flame, like all the others.
 
There was no way to safely go inside.
 
Safety was a feeling that was already gone.
 
The route behind them was blocked as part of the tile ceiling came crashing down.

"All that time," Kevin said, sadness in his voice.
 
"All that magic."

She tried to pull him, although she didn't know where to go.

"If we don't get out of here, you'll never do magic again."

Kevin blinked and nodded, snapping out of whatever spell he was under.
 
He led her to another office.
 
She threw her hands up in disgust when she saw there was no other door, no way out.

"What the hell are we doing here?"

He said nothing as he eyed the room around him.
 
Rummaging through the desk, he muttered to himself.
 
Zoey had no idea what he was looking for.

"Damn it, Mindy, " he said.
 
"I always thought you were useless."

"Kevin!" she said, losing her patience.
 
In a matter of moments the flame would trap them inside a dead-end office.
 
"What are you doing?"

"Just looking.
 
There has to be something to use."
 
A look of relief came over him as noticed the white-board on the side wall.
 
"Like that."

Zoey's frustration only grew when he grabbed a blue marker.
 
What was he going to do with a marker?

He drew a large circle on the wall.

"Okay," he said, grabbing her shoulder.
 
"Outside here is a grass field.
 
Past that is the woods."

"Where do they go?"

"I have no idea.
 
I only work here."

She rolled her eyes.
 
"Great."

"I'm going to make this wall disappear.
 
We'll run to the woods."

"Run to the woods?
 
Are you serious?
 
That's your plan?"

"Yeah."

"Shit, Kevin, you're supposed to be a witch!
 
Can't you make a fireball or something like that?"

He smiled, which was unnerving, considering the fire had now spread inside the office.

"Sure.
 
Do you have any sugar?
 
Maybe some Jell-O?
 
Goat urine also works."

"No."

"Then running, it is.
 
The side door to the offices is along this wall, too.
 
So watch out for people trying to shoot us."

She drew closer to him as she felt the heat at her back.

"Okay, okay.
 
Let's just go."

He placed his hand on the wall, similar to how he did when they were both at Victoria's house.
 
The wall vanished, revealing the field he spoke of.
 
She didn't have time to be amazed before he grabbed her hand and started running.

The night air felt wonderful, much better than the inferno behind them.
 
Risking a glance to her right, she saw a van parked near the door.
 
Several men with guns used it as cover.
 
She was right about their plan.

Zoey picked up speed, and was surprised when she began to pass Kevin.
 
Guilt poked at her, as she'd forgotten that she wasn't just stronger, but faster.
 
She could have made it to the woods easily, before they even saw her.
 
But she couldn't leave Kevin behind.

That mistake would cost her.

"There!" someone from the group shouted.

They turned and fired.
 
She could hear the bullets flying around them.
 
Some chipped away at the trees ahead.
 
What felt like a bee sting smacked the back of her calf.
 
She stumbled for only a moment.
 
Kevin held onto her hand, keeping her from hitting the ground.
 
They disappeared into the trees, as another bullet barely missed Zoey.

"Are you okay?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah.
 
It's just…my leg."

He knelt down to examine while she leaned against a tree.

"Shit!
 
You've been shot!"

"What?!"

She bent her knee and twisted her head.
 
The pain had already dulled, but sure enough, blood poured out of a wound, soaking her jeans.

"If only I had a magnet.
 
Do you have one?"

What he was going to do with a magnet was a mystery.
 
It didn't matter, as she shook her head.
 

"Can you walk?"

She flexed her leg and took a step.
 
There was some discomfort.
 
She could feel the slug lodged inside her.
 
But she'd manage.

"Yeah."

Fear reflected in Kevin's eyes as he reached for her hand.
 
The men were running toward the woods to pursue.

"Zoey, we have to go."

She resisted.
 
She had another idea.

With as much steadiness as she could muster, she reached for Kevin and tossed him over her shoulder.
 
He was light, much like carrying a backpack.
 
She jumped straight up, landing on a sturdy branch of a nearby tree.
 
For his part, Kevin was quiet, only letting out a rush of air as she landed.
 
After bracing herself, she jumped again.
 
Another jump, and they were near the top.
 
The fall season had claimed some of the leaves, but not all.
 
The men rushed past below and spread out.

Zoey set Kevin down as slowly as she could.
 
He held onto her arm while she balanced the both of them using the trunk.
 
She could hear his heart hammering in his chest.

"Shit," he whispered.
 
"Warn me next time."

"Sorry."

She wanted to use the respite to think, but her mind refused to obey her.
 
No conscious thoughts came, only feelings.
 
Terror, anxiety, anger, even a bit of excitement.
 
Kevin squatted, using Zoey for balance, to examine her leg further.
 
It was an unnecessary action, but still very sweet.
 
She smiled as she regarded him.
 
It was easy to see what his girlfriend saw in him.

"I don't have any water," he said.

"Don't worry.
 
I'll be okay."
 
A scent touched her nose through the trees.
 
"I smell saltwater."

"This is a beach town."

"People hang out at the beach," she said.
 
"We should go near people."

"Not this late, though.
 
And I'm not sure these guys care."

"Do you have a phone?
 
We could call for help."

"No, I didn't bring it.
 
How about you?"

"You broke mine."

"Oh, that's right.
 
Sorry."