Damian's Assassin

"At least hold off on-- "

"Jenn!" he said, gripping her arms. "I don't have time for this shit! Watch the kid, and make sure nothing-- and I mean nothing-- leaves that place alive! If I can't do what I need to in thirty minutes, we're all fucked!"

Jenn appeared torn. Dusty released her, strapped in the last weapon, and looked around.

"Where's Jonny?" he demanded.

"I'll take care of it. You're running out of time," she said. "He can't go anywhere anyway."

Dusty gave a curt nod and closed his eyes. Coldness, then the sound of the storm beating the building around him. The conference hall was dimly lit, and he immediately smelled the blood of a recent kill. His senses thrummed with presence of so many vamps. Drawing a weapon, he walked through the hall and into a corridor. He sensed Darian and Czerno distinctly, the level of power the gods possessed distinguishable despite the massive presence of vamps.

He moved through the building towards Darian, finding him on the ground floor away from the vamps. The Grey God was pacing, his golden eyes glowing in the dark room.

"Are you even trying to find Bianca?" Dusty snapped.

"I know where she is."

"This place is gonna blow soon. You need to leave, Darian."

"No, Dusty!" the Grey God said firmly. "I have to be here, same as you."

Something in his voice had changed. The teenage whininess was gone, replaced by confidence.

"Where's Jonny?" Darian asked.

"With Jenn at HQ," Dusty replied, studying him. "He's too chicken shit to kill you, Darian."

"Not worried about him killing me."

"Where's Bianca?"

"You don't wanna go after her yet, Dusty, or you'll get killed," Darian advised.

"Just answer the fucking question!"

The Grey God gave a familiar, noisy sigh and turned, pointing out a window. Dusty's gaze followed his finger, where Talon and the Black God stood apart from the others under the protection of a small verandah. Bianca hung back from both, kept in place by two vamps on either side of her.

She was pale beneath her warm color with dark circles beneath her eyes. He studied her, feeling as though he was seeing her for the first time and the last. If he weren't damned to die this night, he could see himself with her forever. His gut twisted at the idea of never again seeing her bright smile, holding her, smelling her sweet scent. But if he didn't act, no one walked away from here alive, even her. He looked away and steeled himself.

"Take this," he said, handing Darian the phone. "If you let anything happen to her, I swear to the Original Beings I'll haunt you from the grave for the rest of your life!"