Lost in Time (Blue Bloods 6)

Quiet, she replied. You guys see anything?

Not a thing.

The Venators were edgy, regarding each worshipper with suspicion. But the day passed uneventfully, and then it was sunset, and they had to set off to collect the firewood. Jack and the Lennox brothers would follow a few steps behind.

The girls walked slowly through the dark uninhabited streets. most people lived in the northern part of the necropolis, and it was not a good idea to walk the southern area at night, which was said to be the home of drug dealers and thieves. There were no streetlamps, and there was a hushed quiet that was unnerving. The girls did not whisper to each other, and Schuyler felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise.

But they arrived at the woodpile undisturbed, gathered what they needed for kindling, and returned to the temple unharmed.

“What now?” Dehua asked, setting her bundle of wood by the grate.

Schuyler shrugged. Were they doing something wrong?

Did the Nephilim suspect something was different?

They’re not taking the bait, Jack sent. He and the boys were back to guarding the temple from a rooftop across the way.

No, they will come for us, I can feel it, Schuyler sent. She closed her eyes and listened to the wind

. She could sense something in the air, expectation maybe, like the quiet before a battle; everyone tense until the first shot was fired.

Deming exchanged a skeptical look with her sister.

“Maybe they’ve gone. They’ve destroyed the blood spirits and the Coven’s gone underground. What more do they want? We should move on. Mahrus thinks they’re out to target Jerus-alem next.”

Schuyler was about to protest when a strong wind blew out all the candles in the temple, plunging the room into darkness. This is it, she sent. Don’t fight, she reminded the girls.

Don’t move. Let them take us. Remember, for this purpose we are human and weak.

A group of men surrounded them—appearing out of the mist. Schuyler was surprised to find that their captors were human and did not have the forked tongues and glowing crimson eyes of the Hell-born. Rough hands held her on both sides. She screamed in terror, as did the Chinese twins. It was a good performance. The room rang with their panicked cries.

Schuyler did not have to try to pretend very hard, as a cold fear gripped her soul—but she trusted the Venators and her beloved to find them.

“The zaniyat will have her kindred!” their leader announced, and the group cheered lustily. Their laughter had a sickening, crazed quality, like that of hyenas howling at a car-cass, and Schuyler shivered.

She noticed the men had tattoos on their arms—the tri-glyph symbol she had seen on MariElena. The mark of Lucifer along with the Blue Blood symbol for humankind, to symbol-ize the unholy union of the two races.

“Let us go!” she cried. “Leave us alone!”

Deming and Dehua pretended to resist as well, struggling against their attackers.

The men ignored them, and the leader cackled as he struck his spear into the fireplace and the floor of the temple fell away. Schuyler gave out a real scream this time, as they all disappeared into a hole in the ground, and tumbled straight through the living glom into the underworld.

Jack! Can you hear me! They’re here! she sent, but she knew it was useless. They were out of sight and out of reach.

She could fight, and she would fight, she thought. maybe there was still away to use their weakness to an advantage.

The Nephilim servants believed they had kidnapped three helpless human girls. It was always good to be underestimated.

TWENTY-SIX

The Only Girl in the World

“So it’s okay to drink these?” Oliver asked, motioning to the cocktails set in front of them. One of them looked like it was made from hot lava: it was a deep scarlet hue, and it bubbled and smoked over a silver chalice. The second was a brilliant shade of green, and set off minty sparks that fizzled.

He had never seen the likes of either, and while a deep-seated fear of everything in the place was still rooted in him, he was curious to find out what they tasted like. They had not drunk nor eaten anything since their arrival, and he was still light-headed and hungry.

“I don’t know. I don’t really care,” Mimi snapped, whipping her head around the nightclub to look for Kingsley.