this, none of you will ever taste the new breed again.”
The three henchmen stare at each other, thinking it over, and Roderick adds, “I swear it…never…again.”
With her head cocked at a harsh angle, Desiree stares at Maxine and says, “Well, if the whore bleeds on me and infects me with some godforsaken disease, I’m gonna expect alotta the stuff from you, Roderick.”
Desiree looks back at him for his reaction.
Roderick says, “Don’t worry; there’s plenty of it for all of u—”
Maxine’s opened hand smacks Desiree’s face so hard the whole room seems to shake, and she falls to the floor, not moving. So fast—didn’t even see Maxi charge her.
The room becomes a blur—Simon lunges forward, grabbing Carvelli. A blur of yellow is Maxine, gray-black smear is Katrianna—the rest are hard to make out.
I see a clear path to the front of the room—I move, trying to get in that corner like Simon said.
Just in front of me—nearly hitting my face—Sideburns crashes into the wall—cracking some bricks in the fireplace. He falls to the floor.
Two more bodies speed close by me. My hands go up instinctively before I realize it’s Katrianna and Maxine.
Quickly, I run past them toward the corner.
Grabbing Maxine tightly by the arm, Katrianna says, “Maxine, find Edgar—save those girls! Go now—before it’s too late!”
Maxine nods and turns toward the exit.
Sideburns jumps back to his feet, swinging wildly at Katrianna. While she dodges his punches, she calls after Maxine, “Nice to see you doing something worthwhile, darlin’.”
Maxine doesn’t look back, but she’s smiling as her blazing fast body whizzes past me, shooting out the hole in the bookshelf with the fear-inducing fluidity of a bat bursting out of a cave.
Focus hard, and my eyes are able to make out more of the quickened, blurry movements. Sideburns lands a punch on Katrianna—she grabs his arm and slams him to the floor.
Simon kicks Carvelli solidly in the stomach, and he drops to a knee.
Katrianna catches a punch by Sideburns, and holding onto his fist, she rolls onto her back—pulling him toward her—jamming her feet against his chest and flinging him into the air like a missile.
She’s accidentally sent him soaring toward Simon, who has his back to them, throwing a punch of his own at Carvelli.
Sideburns’s boot cracks Simon in the back of his head. Simon falls forward onto Carvelli, who is still on one knee.
Sideburns hits the floor and rolls with the momentum—popping himself back up on his feet, turning quickly, and attacking Katrianna again.
With Simon still flopped over him, Carvelli spins around, grabbing Simon around his waist, and quickly stands with my love hoisted on his right shoulder—head out in front.
Katrianna’s busy fending off an onslaught from Sideburns.
Roderick flashes his fangs and flings Ambrosia into the far corner of the room—at a diagonal from me. His eyes land on me as he sprints across the room, fangs and nails exposed.
Smiling, Carvelli charges toward the brick fireplace, aiming Simon’s head to crash directly into it. Close to the bricks, Simon shoves himself off Carvelli’s shoulders, propelling his combatant into the fireplace face first.
Nearly an arm’s-reach away, Roderick cocks his hand back—ready to slash into me—hideous, sharp nails angled at my face.
Landing and spinning in one motion, Simon throws a kick into the air, crashing hard into Roderick’s chin. Roderick smashes into the corner of the giant bookshelf, cracking the wood, and then he falls to the ground about a foot in front of me.
Simon grabs him by his shirt and pants and throws him atop Carvelli in front of the fireplace.
Moving toward me so smoothly that it looks as if he were sliding, Simon grabs me—both hands firm and tender at my waist. Lowers his eyes closer and closer to mine—reflecting and becoming one.
His voice rushes through me like a current, “Ruby, I love you.”
His lips press against mine, pulsing the intense truth of his words into my soul—surging from the energy of his kiss.
Two steps pound toward us—Simon spins round and charges in a flash—slamming his entire arm across the upper chest and then crashing higher into the neck of Sideburns, who falls to the ground grasping his throat.
Just as fast, he spins back to me.
“I love you, Ruby.”
The words are even more beautiful being said a second time—feels like they’ve grown even stronger.
“Where were those words a little while ago?”
“Left it unfinished on purpose—knew I couldn’t die without having said those words to you. And no way on earth I’d let anything happen to you without telling you I love you.”
Simon glances over his shoulder. Roderick still lies face down in front of the fireplace and stirs on the floor but isn’t up yet—Sideburns coughs and rocks but is still on the ground, Katrianna fights Carvelli near the windows— didn’t even see Carvelli get up. They move so fast.
I say, “I’m hard of hearing, and we still could die tonight—say it again.”
“Ruby, I love you.”
He leans in to kiss me again, but Sideburns struggles to get up—barely getting himself on his knees, and Roderick rolls to his side in front of the fireplace.
Simon grabs Sideburns by his shirt and lifts him off the ground.
Sideburns’s punches smack Simon with no force—no effect—no strength left. His head spins in circles, eyes half shut.
Simon says, “Last chance—get out of here now, young one, or you’re never going to leave this room again.”
He nods his head.
With that, Simon spins around and tosses him toward the bookcase—Sideburns staggers right through the opening, not looking back.
Katrianna kicks Carvelli between his legs—he drops to his knees—she kicks his forehead—his whole body topples to the wooden floor.
Looking up at her from the planks as he strains to push himself up and back onto his knees, Carvelli says, “Was a shame we had to kill
Katrianna’s chin drops to her chest. Eyes close tightly shut.
Shoving his knees off the ground and into a wobbly standing position, Carvelli says, “Awful shame we had to kill
Katrianna is a blur speeding toward him—diving at him—soaring through the air—arms outstretched, hands tearing into his stomach, sending the both of them crashing out the window and out of sight. They hit the balcony with a deep thud, followed by a thundering crash. The last bit of the balcony must’ve collapsed, sending them both diving into the flames.
Pulling my attention away from the window, I see Roderick, standing now, quickly taking an iron poker from the fireplace into his hand.
Sirens scream in the distance, getting louder and louder.
Staring Roderick down and taking a slow step toward him, Simon says, “Come on, Roderick—it’s over. Sirens are blaring—heading here now. Enough blood’s been spilled today—give all of this up—you’re beaten.”
Waving the tip of the iron poker in the air at Simon’s head, Roderick says, “It’s not over.”
“What’re you going to do with that except waste your time and irritate me?”
“Oh…it’s not for you,” he says smoothly, looking toward me with a gleam in his eyes.
Keeping the poker pointed at Simon, he takes a step closer to me.
“Roderick, I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you if you touch her—slowly.”
“Just hold it right there, hero boy. Don’t take another step.”
Simon holds his hands open and beside his shoulders, “Alright, you don’t move either then.”
