Immortal Rules #3 by Julie Kagawa

Author:Julie Kagawa [Kagawa, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Two hours before dawn, we found Sarren’s last message wait-

ing for us.

We smelled it first, of course, the familiar, unmistakable

scent of blood drifting over the empty highway like invisible

threads. The highway had entered civilization again, taking

us through empty towns and subdivisions, crumbling houses

on either side and cars scattered about the road. Wary, we

continued on, each thinking the same thing—that there was

some kind of trap, ambush, or atrocity waiting for us down

the road. We weren’t entirely wrong.

The stench of rot, decay and wrongness soon joined the

smell of blood, so it wasn’t surprising when we approached

an overpass choked with weeds and vines and saw a mass of

spindly pale things swarming under the bridge.

“Rabids,” Zeke muttered, as the four of us paused on a cor-

ner across the street, watching the monsters hiss and scramble

over the hulk of an ancient, rusting semitruck that blocked

the path we needed to take. The swarm wasn’t huge, but

there were enough to be dangerous. “Should we find a way

around?”

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T H E F O R E V E R S O N G

211

“What if someone’s in the truck?” I asked, watching him

carefully. And though my voice was calm, I was almost ter-

rified of his answer. If he shrugged or gave no indication of

wanting to help survivors, then I would know my Zeke was

truly gone. “Someone might be hurt,” I went on, as Zeke

gazed at me blankly. “If we leave them now, they’re dead.”

“If this is Sarren’s work, they’re probably already dead,”

Zeke answered, making my heart crash in despair. “But,” he

added, and pulled out his machete, his eyes going hard, “I

suppose we have to make certain.”

Relief flooded me. I glanced at my sire, hoping he thought

the same. “Kanin?”

The Master vampire nodded once. “I’m right behind you,

Allison.”

Jackal groaned. “Oh, yeah, stroll merrily up to the van

reeking of blood, placed very conveniently in our direct path.

That doesn’t sound like a trap at all.” But his dinged, bloody

fire ax emerged from beneath his duster, and he gave it an easy twirl. “Rescuing bloodbags and saving puppies.” He sighed.

“That sounds about right for this group. You bleeding hearts

are going to be the death of me, I just know it.” Gazing down

at me, he smirked and gestured to the distant pack. “Well, this is your party, sister. Why don’t you get it started?”

Drawing my sword, I stepped off the curb into the road,

bared my fangs, and roared a challenge into the night. My

voice carried over the wind, echoing off the rooftops, and

the rabids jerked up, pale heads snapping toward me. With

piercing shrieks and wails, the mob leaped off the truck and

came skittering at us, claws and talons scraping the cement,

jaws gaping to reveal jagged fangs. My monster surged up

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212

Julie Kagawa

with the explosion of violence, eager and bloodthirsty, and I

ran forward to meet them.

Zeke was suddenly beside me, cold and silent as the horde

bore down on us, his face the same killer’s mask I’d seen in

Jackal’s tower. The first rabid sprang at him with a howl;

Zeke’s blade flashed, and the monster’s head left its shoulders, bouncing into a car.

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