Alex pressed his lips together firmly and shook his head, rejecting Akhom’s offer of blood. Kendra thought she saw hurt flash in the giant’s eyes, but then the leader’s iron will slammed back into place. Kendra felt Akhom pull at her mind again. She dropped her gaze, and didn’t see what passed between Akhom and Alex, but she heard what followed.
“I will never drink from her,” Alex whispered fiercely.
Kendra looked up enough to know that Akhom looked at her. She wanted very much to be far away from him. Since she couldn’t be, she walked to the foot of the table, retrieved the tweezers, and went back to stripping silver from Alex’s little cuts.
“Will you wither rather than drink from me?” Akhom asked coldly.
“I will not be in your sway. You bound my father in silver,” Alex said, and weakly propped himself up on his elbows. “I have just been reminded of his constant agony.”
The vampires in the room and in the narrow passage that led to it murmured. Akhom’s face tightened.
William cleared his throat softly.
“Don’t,” breathed one of the vampires in the crowd--probably Rolf, thought Kendra as she tugged yet another silver scab off Alex. She had worked her way up one thigh--too close to the debate. She moved down to start on his other foot.
“He could have a little of the Vice President,” William suggested.
Alex shook his head. “In this state I might kill him, and we need to know everything he knows. His presence here may mean that American Missile controls the entire government.”
“Fine. I’ll kill them all,” Akhom growled.
Alex sighed. “Akhom, not even you and your pack can defeat the combined armed forces of the United States.”
“Alex,” William’s tentative voice broke the tense silence. “You could drink some from me. I am younger than you, and can hold no sway over you.”
Kendra looked at William with gratitude. She couldn’t believe it when Alex rejected this sane compromise.
“I thank you, but my need is too great. I would fatally weaken you.”
Six vampires stepped out of the crowd.
“No. I forbid it,” Akhom said to them.
They ignored him and crossed the room to stand with William.
“Take a little from each of us. We will protect each other from being drained too much.”
Kendra wrinkled her nose in distaste, and returned her focus to the silver scabs.
Akhom wasn’t happy either. He didn’t stay to witness his troops defy him. “Where are the other prisoners?”
“They are in the conference room under guard,” said Ponytail.
“Come with me,” Akhom commanded.
Alex pulled his mouth away from William’s wrist. “Don’t kill them. We need to question them too.”
Akhom said nothing, but Ponytail nodded once as hurried to follow his leader. Many of the vamps followed him.
William staggered a bit as he rejoined the dozen of his brothers who remained. Rolf leaned him against a wall. “You shouldn’t have done it. You’ll be lucky if Akhom doesn’t kill you.”
“Things have changed,” William said, and smiled.
“Always the idealist.” Rolf left.
Alex sat up after drinking from his fifth donor. He waved the sixth away. Kendra scrambled to his other arm, and pulled off a few scabs. He had gained enough strength that he didn’t seem to notice the pain anymore. The hole in his chest had closed, and the burn marks from the chains had nearly sealed themselves.
“Brothers,” he said, facing the dozen vamps who remained, including William, but not Rolf. “Can you spare some clothes?” Kendra thought he sounded a bit amused.
Glancing at Kendra, the vampires laughed good-naturedly. A shirt flew toward Alex, then, amidst a swell of laughter, a pair of boxers.
“That’s plenty, thanks.” Alex held up his hand. Kendra grabbed it and pulled off a scab. The crowd laughed again.
Alex smiled at her. “Thank you, Kendra. The rest will have to wait.” His eyes twinkled, and Kendra felt a little thrill course through her numbed brain.
“What’s next, Alex?” asked one of the vamps.
Kendra wondered if they’d left Akhom for good. Does that make Alex their leader?
“We need to take all the information we can find, including the prisoners, and leave as soon as possible. With the Vice President here, the government will send troops. Let’s find Akhom.”
Kendra and the vamps, stunned and silent, stared. Akhom must be really angry with Alex, so why search him out?
“Come,” said Alex confidently. He walked through them and up the corridor. The vamps followed. Kendra lagged behind, so tired that she seemed to have no purpose. She wondered idly if Alex had been to the future. Maybe he knew something--but then how would he return if vampires could not jump back in time? Kendra dismissed the thought. Maybe she could find her way back to a limo and wait there, but no. Alex might worry. Worse, if the US invaded the compound, then they would take her into custody. The vampires would think that she’d betrayed them.
She trudged after the vampires, but in minutes they left her behind. She did her best to find her way back to the conference room. Remembering that they had descended at least ten floors to find Alex, she looked for an elevator. It was hopeless.
The walls were not made of stainless steel on that level, but seemed to be endless tile. She saw no doors, gaps, or breaks in the pattern. Must everyone have hidden doors and secret passages? She’d had about enough of naked people too, though she wouldn’t mind more time with a naked Alex. Warm all over, Kendra slapped the wall. That gave her the idea of pounding walls to find doors.
After five minutes both her hands were sore, and she hadn’t found a door. Fatigue took over. She felt like she hadn’t slept well for a month. Kendra sat on the floor with her back against the wall and tried to figure out how much time had elapsed since her first leap back in time. She thought it had been less then three weeks, most of it spent as a captive in the American Missile lab. Graduation--it had to be in the next few days. Kendra’s eyes stung. She had so looked forward to the hooding ceremony. She’d never get there. A tear dripped down her face. Kendra knew that it was stupid to feel sorry for herself for such a trivial reason when there were so many more serious emotions she ought to feel. Maybe Phil Rosenburg could explain it. She sniffed. “When will my life be normal again?”
“When was it ever normal?” Alex asked. The voice seemed so clear that she looked for him, knowing at the same time that she’d imagined it.
Kendra pushed herself to her feet, and plodded forward. The hall went on forever. She thought she might be walking the same huge square over and over again. She was trying to remember the words to a song her father had liked about a man who never returned, when she heard voices, real ones.
