Chapter 7
Blade returned in the afternoon. With him came Angelo, who went to the kitchen to make some lunch for himself.
"Who's patrolling?" Rita asked in annoyance.
"Me," came Angelo's unruffled reply, "once I've had something to eat."
Rita hmmphed but didn't say anything else, as Angelo came out a second later, a sandwich in his hand, and left the house just as swiftly and casually as he'd come in, giving a quick nod to Sarah and Blade before shutting the door behind himself.
"How's the new kid doing?" Blade queried.
At that point, Kierlan left the study, regarding Blade with calm violet eyes.
"Definitely a Harman," Blade noted.
Kierlan turned and walked away, into the kitchen, the door clapping shut behind him.
Uneasily, Sarah put on her coat. "So where are we going, Blade?"
"Can we go upstairs for a second?" Blade queried.
She shrugged, "sure."
As they started up the stairs, Susie called for Blade, then came out into the hallway, her face red. "Where'd he go?" she demanded. "He said he was getting a drink."
Rita pointed to the kitchen and Susie swiftly went there, then stopped dead in the doorway. "Damn," she said lightly, holding the door open so everyone could see.
The kitchen was empty. The back door was ajar.
Immediately, Blade became brisk and brusque, "I'll find him," he told them, giving Sarah a brief kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Sorry," Susie told Sarah miserably. "About spoiling the afternoon for you and Blade."
"It's not your fault Kierlan's an idiot," Sarah said disdainfully, looking at Rita. "Should I go out and help?"
Rita shook her head.
Then there was the sudden sound of a car engine, loud and breaking the silence as sharp as a thunderclap.
"Okay, maybe we should," Rita changed her mind, eyes wide with worry. "Girls, "I'll see what car that is."
Susie's face had paled. Sarah was worried too: it could be an intruder, perhaps with Kierlan already tied up in the backseat, helpless as the car would rush to Hunter, who'd have him swiftly executed for sure…
She wriggled into her coat and went by the back door, through the garden, the back gate clicking shut behind her as she headed towards the forest, her eyes to the ground.
"Where d'you think you're going?" Angelo demanded, suddenly beside her.
"I wanted to help," Sarah said, embarrassed.
"You're just going to get lost," he said, stating a fact.
"So I can't help," she guessed, turning to head back to the house, feeling like an idiot.
"No, just come with me," he said wearily, surprising her. With that, he dove back into the forest, breaking into a long-strided lope, dodging large, wild bushes of fern and thorns, twisting to dodge branches, his footsteps silent. "Don't bother being quiet," he advised. "Just hurry."
"He's nuts," Sarah muttered.
"Of course," Angelo smiled thinly. "Aren't all Wild Powers?"
"You've actually met other Wild Powers?" she asked, intrigued.
"A cousin's guarding one," he nodded. "She writes to me. A few other friends in the main safehouse guard too. I visit them on days off."
The rushing river was growing louder, the ground more moist, suddenly plunged into a slope. Angelo stepped light as a deer, then pointed ahead. "He's remembered that the road is up above the cliffs," he said with approval. "And he's making his way to the nearest bus station."
"That'd take hours!" Sarah murmured, disgusted. "Half an hour, just by bike. Walking…that'd take hours. And it's hiking country."
"He's crazy," Angelo said sarcastically. Then she remembered that Angelo enjoyed hiking to the town, like a hobby. "I didn't mean you," she said. "You're fit. Kierlan's a city boy."
"Well, he's got a bit of talent for it," Angelo noted as he broke into a run, then leapt over the narrowest bit of river, clearing it with inches to spare. "Wait there!" he called. "Look for Kierlan. He's hiding in the bushes on your side."
"What!" Startled, she looked around, then looked at Angelo. "Then why'd you go—" her voice trailed off as Angelo suddenly transformed to his cougar shape, bounding off into the bushes, his tawny fur rippling, uttering a coarse, challenging roar.
Shuddering, she involuntarily stepped back as Angelo came back into sight, dragging something with him.
A vampire, she realised giddily, as the thing yelled and scratched viciously at Angelo, who almost playfully leapt away, baring fangs.
"Angelo!" Blade yelled, running past Sarah, leaping over the river, landing in a roll, up to his feet again, a surging stride as he threw himself at someone who'd been about to sneak up on the transformed Angelo.
"Get Kierlan out of here!" Blade shouted at Sarah and she turned, instinctively going to the nearest bush, catching a glint of violet eyes. Kierlan broke free and ran, away from her. She gave chase, thanking the goddess that Susie and Rita insisted on a bit of exercise once in a while, like hiking to the town. And that she was naturally good at long-distance running. Then Susie appeared, jerked out her hand in a 'stop' motion at Sarah, who swiftly obeyed, knowing magic was about to happen. Rita stood beside her, jerked her hands out in a motion, weaving magic, and Kierlan slammed to a halt, bewildered.
Rita looked grim, going to the boy and taking hold of his hands. "You almost collided with a hunting party of vampires," she told the boy darkly. "They'd certainly be far worse than us! They'd drag you to Hunter and have your head cut off."
Kierlan looked at Sarah, like she was the one to betray him. She did her best to ignore him, instead turning to look in the direction of where Blade and Angelo fought off the vampires and shapeshifter that had come for Kierlan.