Life - Life & Death Book 1

Chapter 28 - Part 2 - Zivena

"Hi Zivena," Nascha calls across the lobby when I amble in.
"Hey Nascha. Been quiet?"
"Yeah, it's nice," she says but then hesitates. "I hope you don't mind about, you know, me and Ulfric. It's not anything serious yet but," she blushes, "I really like him."
"Why would I mind? You seem perfect for each other."
Nascha grins then tries to hide it.
"Goodnight," I smile and head up to the apartment.
The moment I walk through the door, I start stripping my clothes off. I barely have enough energy to pull on my pajamas as I fall into bed.

✲✲✲✲✲

"Zivena! Wake up!"
I moan. I can feel a cold patch of drool on my pillow. Someone starts to shake my shoulder.
"Piss off." I pull my covers closer to me.
"I'm not playing with you, Zivena. Wake the hell up." That same someone starts using me as target practice, my clothes their weapon of choice. "Get up!"
"No."
"You're impossible." Before I realize what's happening, I'm flipped onto the floor, the blankets pulled off me and the lights blaze to life. I squint and see the shadows withdraw from my bed, Death standing over me.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I croak.
"There's been another attack. We need to move."
"You've got to be kidding me," I jump up and instantly regret it. Vertigo hits me and I sit back on my bed, my head spinning.
"Get changed. We need to get moving." Mictain stalks out of the room, the shadows around him seething.
I dress as quickly as I can and run out of my room. "Why? It hasn't even been twenty-four hours since the last attack."
"If I knew, it wouldn't be happening again, would it?" Mictain replies, jabbing the elevator button. I grab my boots and join him as the doors open. People are rushing about the lobby, trying to coordinate teams. Artemis is speaking to a small group nearby. We head over to her.
"Oh good, you got her up." Artemis nods to Mictain. "We need to head over there right now. From what I've heard, the situation is a little different."
"What do you mean?" I ask her.
"Not sure. The Guardian who called it in didn't have time to explain."
The three of us run down to the garage. A Guardian is already sitting in a car, waiting for us.
As we drive off I ask, "Who did they attack? Where was it this time?"
"It was a coven in the city. I don't know how we could have missed this!" Artemis growls.
"Where?"
"Little Italy."
Shock freezes me to my seat. That's only twenty blocks from the Pillar.
"What? Where's Little Italy?" Mictain asks.
"It's only a ten minute drive away."
Mictain looks at me, fear in his eyes.
A couple of police cars zoom past us as we turn onto Church Street and follow behind them.
As we near Little Italy, we find the street already blocked off. Between the lights from the news cameras and the flashing red and blue, the street is lit up like a parade. The residents of nearby buildings are standing behind reporters, most of them still in pajamas.
Two Guardians move a blockade out of the way so the car can pass through. We hop out of the car and me and Mictain follow Artemis towards the apartment building.
As I cross the street, a young woman about my age with blonde hair and blue reading glasses that frame blue eyes runs at me, a small camera in her hands. Another Guardian jogs after her, an annoyed look on his face.
"Can you explain to my viewers why someone so young has been seen at all three crime scenes?" the girl asks eagerly.
"I'm sorry, Life," he grumbles. "She snuck through the backdoor of one of the buildings."
"Life? What does he mean by that? Is Life your name?" she asks, her camera still pointing at me. The Guardian grabs her arm and starts pulling her towards the other reporters. "Whose the guy with the scar? Do you work together? Who do you both work for?"
I nod my thanks to the Guardian as he dumps her on the other side of the blockade before striding off to the apartment entrance. It's strange how normal the coven's building is. That is except for the mural of Isis that I had spray painted on the side of the building over six months ago.
Then it finally clicks. The name Lotair was so familiar because he was the very first vamp I had met. Right after I had finished signing my name off on the mural.
I feel my blood drain as I realize that I had mouthed off to the guy that's second in the command to the 'Cracked Vamp'.
You. Are. An. Idiot.
I try desperately to shake off my dread as I make my way inside the building.
Red velvet covers the walls and lavish, black carpet leads elegantly up the stairs opposite the front doors. A glittering chandelier features in the middle of the room. Paintings line the walls and luxurious chairs are spaced out through the room. There's a ding by the golden elevators and Kali and Hod step out.
Kali is about to say something to Hod when she notices me and sneers. "I don't believe ripped jeans are appropriate for a crime scene."
I don't say anything, and turn to Hod, "Which level?"
"One," Hod replies and guides Kali towards the door. None of us say anything else.