Damian's Oracle

"Darian," she whispered. "Please, Darian, come back to me."

He didn't even look at her, and her hope plummeted again. They stopped in a small command center, where one wall displayed monitors.

"Now!" Czerno barked.

Jule's face materialized on the screen. Czerno snatched Sofia and dragged her close, the visions making her stagger.

"Where's Damian?" Jule demanded.

"Get your men out of here!" Czerno ordered. "Quickly, before I kill her!"

Fire tore through her, and she cried out. It increased, the sensation of frying from the inside out.

"Stop," Jule ordered. "Dusty, order a withdrawal."

The fire burned hot enough to devour Czerno's dark memories.

I'll protect you, kiri. The voice in her head came from Two. Czerno released her, and she fell, her body seizing in agony.

"Czerno! We're pulling out!"

"Cut it!" Czerno snarled. He kicked her as he passed. Jule's face disappeared from the screen, and the pain eased. Unable to move, she panted, body convulsing with aftershocks from the attack.

"They don't have him! He's here, somewhere! Find him!" Czerno ordered.

His vamps scampered out of the command center to obey. He stalked to her again and dragged her up. The man with the green eyes was suddenly behind him, watching her.

"I don't give a damn if he escapes. I have you," he growled. "Two, take this bitch to the helo-pad. We're evacuating." He hit her one more time, and she careened against Two, caught between consciousness and darkness. Two lifted her and carried her into a hallway teeming with vamps.

Damian was free! The thought pierced her thoughts, and she sagged against Two, not caring if she survived or not. Two took her down a quieter hall and set her down. She doubled over, pain from Czerno's attacks crippling her.

Two knelt over her. He held Damian's ring in front of her face and then tucked it into her jeans. He cocked his head to the side, as if listening to someone.

"Yes, master," he said to no one she saw.

She closed her eyes, in too much pain to concentrate. He touched her, and familiar warmth flashed through her, easing the pain. Two pulled her to her feet. Sofia stared up at him, not daring to hope he'd help her. He stalked down the hall. She watched him, tempted to run away, before realizing the amount of activity in the halls behind her guaranteed her capture.

She jogged after him with great effort as he strode through the maze. He emerged into a busier hall and waited for her, taking her arm and leading her through the vamps. They passed through the activity unscathed before he started down another hall. The alarms faded, and the halls grew cruder, unfinished. Sofia followed him as the halls angled up and narrowed until Two had to walk through them sideways. He reached a door finally and typed in the access code. It opened. They passed through two more doors before exiting into a cold desert night on the side of a mountain, overlooking the activity at the elevator's entrance.