A Girl in the Shadows

Chapter Twelve

"Okay, I think I got it." My eyes fluttered open to see Kai above me, the flip phone up to her ear. "Oh, she's waking up! How are you doing, Tali?"

I moaned and looked down at my body. My shirt was lifted and as my chest rose and fell, I could feel a wad of sticky bandages moving with my skin. There was a square bandage taped around my wound.

"A lot better, actually," I said, then pointed to the phone.

"He's talking me through it. I cleaned it out before I but the bandages on."

"Who?"

"Do you want to talk to her?" she asked the person on the other line. She handed the phone over to me. I shook my head. "He said he wanted to talk to you! Just take it."

"Fine." I snatched the phone out of her hands and put it up to my ear. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but thank you for working with my paranoid friend. My wound is doing much better."

"Any time," he said.

Emotions flooded through me. Kai, now changed and clean, looked down at me as she placed ice on my wound. You going to say something back or just lay there like and idiot?

"Ace?"

"It's about time you got back to me! We've been waiting at the bus station on twenty-third for ten years now. You quit on us."

"I'm sorry I told Kai but didn't tell you, alright?" Silence. "I hear you've been doing well."

"And I heard you've been shitty. What happened down there, Talls?"

"Kai didn't explain it to you already? Typical shit. Some run-ins with a group of vampire hunters, shot in the gut by the campus police, tried to have dinner and lost the body...a mess."

"Sounds like it. Good thing I'm already halfway there."

"You what?" I sat up, gripping my abdomen. "What the hell for?"

"Because Kai called in crying that she needed help. Haitus sent his best person...obviously," he said.

"I don't need help, Ace. Yours or anyone else's. I'm not some little damsel in distress!"

Kai pressed the ice pack harder into my abdomen. I swatted her away and pulled my bloody shirt back down.

"So, let's see, you've got the campus after you and trying to kill you because you lost some kid, trying to kill Kai because you took out their guys, and you were just lying on the ground unconscious with a busted nose, a swollen hand, and bullet lodged in your stomach. Sounds to me like you're in deep shit, Talls."

"I think I just fail to see what your presence is really going to do," I said.

"Ten bucks says I can find the girl in one day. But once I have her, you're coming back with us. Deal?"

I bit down on my lip and said, "Okay. Deal."

"Perfect. Just stay where you are. I'll be there tomorrow night."

I hung up and handed the phone back to Kai, then tried to get up.

"What are you doing?" she asked. I was at my feet, holding my wound and using the ladder to steady myself. She held onto me. "You need to sit back down."

"Get off," I said, shoving her.

Through my soreness, I changed into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. As I tried to get myself together, my body started to fill with sweat. Kai begged and pleaded. I ignored every word, still fighting the pain. All of this felt like relief, like Molly had just now been given her justice. Good. You deserve every last bit of this, you little shit.

"Tali, please, just sit back down," Kai said. My head was throbbing. Dean Beck threw hard punches for such a puny man. I could hear footsteps coming closer to the door. I forced myself over to the stairwell. There were a few soft knocks on the door. "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Stop your little freak out session. It's only Tristan."

I used the walls for support as I made my way all the way down. Every step was agony, and the minaret felt much hotter than usual. Kai's footsteps faded behind me. I heard the hatch open seconds later. I grunted and reached out to open the door. There was Tristan, in all his sweet, unknowing glory. I smiled and fell into his strong arms.

"Tristan, it's so good to see you!"

"Whoa, you okay?" he asked.

"I had a...rough night. It's hard to explain," I said. "How was your day?"

"I think I blew this quiz in Economics 101...but what happened to you? You look like you got beat up."

He eyed me up and down, turning my head. I looked out at the hallway. It was rocking back and forth. I held the wall and sat on one of steps behind me. Tristan's face was aghast.

"I'm fine. Just need to sit for a little bit," I said.

"Damn. Who did this to you?" Tristan reach out and touched me, his hand moving in circles along my sore back. "Was this just some thing that happened on the street?"

He looked up and gasped. His hand froze.

"That's just my friend Kai. Don't mind her," I said, turning my head. Kai stood with Life Ender in her hands, ready for action. "Put that down."

She trotted down the steps and said, "She's really, really hurt." Tristan flew back. Ki covered her mouth. "Oh, I'm a Slayer. Sorry."

"Different breed?" he asked me.

"I only told him a little, Kai. Don't reveal too much." I looked down the hall. The rocking was getting worse. I'd lost way too much blood. "Please, can we get out of here?"

"What? No! We need to get you back upstairs!" Kai said.

"What if we take her over to my place? With an actual bed...and air conditioning. It's like a million degrees in here."

"Listen, cute human guy that my friend thinks she's dating, we literally have people who want to kill us right now and we need to hide," Kai said.

"You what?"

"The Dean," I whispered. "He doesn't like vampires on his billion-dollar campus. He sent hunters. Have you noticed Fulton Ballroom being closed? I bet he blocked off the whole hallway. It's a bloodbath in there...please help me...I'm not doing well right now."

"Here, let's get you back to my place. I think I can carry you," Tristan said, pulling me up. "You can come too, Kai."

"Please, get me out of this heat. Come with us Kai," I said. "They won't hurt you in the middle of campus while you're walking next to a human. Bring your things."

"But...but...fine!" she said.

I leaned on Tristan while he soothed me. You need blood. There's no one around. Look at how close you are to his neck. Bite him. Bite him! Kai's hurried footsteps came down the stairs. Tristan lifted me. I closed my eyes from the lights.

He was struggling, but persistent. He had to put me down in the lobby to rest his arms. I sat next to him in the leather seats, his whole face caked with sweat. Kai had her hand on my shoulder. Again, I swatted it away.

Across the way was the long hallway to the Fulton Ballroom. Caution tape went from edge to edge of the arch-shaped opening. Plastic sheeting hung from the ceiling to the floor. A large sign read: CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS. DO NOT ENTER. It was an excellent reminder that there was a still a week to go. I held my head.

"You okay, Taliah?" Tristan asked.

I nodded. As soon as the spots stopped clouding my vision, I'd be able to get back out and search.