Sylas lets go of my hand and turns away. As much as the brothers fought, I can tell this is affecting him. He stands there for a moment, and when he looks at me, there’s a hint of sadness on his face, something I’ve never seen on him before. He erases it, though, and then shifts his attention back to Mathew.
“So Aiden stole the papers to prevent you from finding the cure?” he asks, drawing his hood back as the last of the sunlight slips away and the sky turns grey. I can hear faint howling in the distance start. “Does that mean there is no hope for a cure?”
“Not necessarily,” Mathew says, glancing around at the people in the streets rushing inside. “I think I read enough information before the papers were taken. I might understand what needs to happen to establish a cure. I just need some time to process it all… think… put stuff together.”
I look over at Sylas; the worry in me matches his. Time. I’d almost forgotten. We probably don’t have much time.
Taking a breath, I turn back to Mathew. “When we were in the colony, we heard the Highers talking about the monsters they’ve created; the ones we call abominations. They’re sending out an army of them out to find humans and bring them back.”
Mathew gapes at us, his wide eyes matching the full moon in the backdrop. “They’re coming here? To our town?”
“I think so,” I tell him. “At least, that’s what we’ve heard… although they said it could take days, even weeks to get the orders through.”
Mathew glances around at the streets winding in and out of the buildings, panicking, probably visualizing the madness and chaos that could happen. They’re fairly empty now, but they were packed quite a while ago, and if the abominations were around, they’d have chased down every last one.
He looks at both Sylas and me, pleading. “Can you help us?”
This town was ready to lock us up, yet Mathew wants us to protect them—save them. Sylas glances at me, and I can tell he’s thinking the same thing, waiting to see what I tell Mathew. Monarch told me I was here to help find a cure. That my purpose was to save humanity. To save the world.
“That’s what I was made for,” I say, my thoughts sort of connect, forming an understanding.
I understand. What I have to do. What I am. Why I was created.
Mathew breathes a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank us yet,” Sylas says. “Just because we’ll help you, doesn’t mean we’ll win,” he states bluntly. When Mathew frowns, he adds, “Just gather everyone that can fight.”
He nods his head and walks away down the street, heading towards the guards near the closest building.
“Do you think that I’m doing the right thing?” I ask Sylas. “Do you think I’m even strong enough to help?”
“I think that you’re doing what you are supposed to do.” He takes my hand and offers me a smile. A real one, too, which he’s rarely—if ever—done.
I open my mouth to say more because I’m worried about if I can handle this, but he silences me by placing his lips on mine. His tongue slips between my lips. He tastes so good that I open my mouth and willingly let him explore me. We don’t notice when Maci walks up behind us until she taps me on the side.
We break away from each other, startled. Or at least I am. Sylas looks momentarily content.
“It’s time,” Maci announces with her hands on her hips.
“Time for what?” I ask her, wondering if I’m going to get another one of her little riddles about the future.
“Time for me to tell you how to save the world,” she answers.
Chapter 20
What in the world? Sylas and I stare at her, stunned.
The grey sky darkens with each second that goes by until it’s jet black, but the glow of torches on the buildings lining the silent street radiates around us. The temperature has descended and more and more cries circle the town as more vampires awaken for the night.
“What do you mean?” I finally ask Maci. Sylas glances at me, his face contorted in confusion. “I thought you weren’t supposed to tell us anything like that?”
“I told you when the time was right I would tell you,” she says with a cheerful, small smile, her red hair blowing in the breeze. “And the time is finally right.”
She turns her attention to Sylas, tipping her head back so she can look at him. “You need to go and get the other Day Takers and bring them here. It’s the only way things will work.”
He’s not looking at her, but at me, gaping incredulously. “What’s she talking about?”
“I’m talking about saving the world,” Maci answers. “So please just get going.”
Sylas gradually turns in her direction, his eyelids lowering as he glares at her. “And how the hell do you know anything?”
“Sylas,” I warn, taking his arm, slightly worried at what he might do. “Maci’s usually right about these things.”
He studies her with wariness. “But she’s just a little kid.”
“A little kid that knows more than you.” Maci glares at him, crossing her arms. “And you need to go now before it’s too late.”
Sylas is shocked because he isn’t used to taking orders. “Are you telling me what to do?” He points at himself, flabbergasted.
“Yeah,” Maci answers with attitude. “And if you know what’s good for you, then you’ll listen.”
Sylas rolls his eyes. “I won’t take orders from a little kid.”
“Will you take them from me then?” I ask because I know Maci has to be right. If she says the Day Takers need to be here, then they need to be here.
Sylas turns to face me, pushing up the sleeves of his jacket, his lean muscles flexing as he crosses them. “Have I ever taken orders from anyone?”
“I’m not giving you orders,” I sigh. “I’m asking you to go.”
He continues to keeps his attention focused on me, and it’s hard not to look away, yet at the same time, not impossible. I maintain his gaze, hoping he’ll cave and realize this isn’t about who gets to give orders.
“Fine,” he relents and then surprises me when he leans over and gives me a quick, though passionate, kiss; stealing the breath right out of my lungs and making my lips swell. When he pulls away, he looks dazed, but I’m not sure if it’s because of the kiss or because he’s taking orders from a child. “I’ll hurry back as fast as I can… but it’s going to take me a while to gather them and bring them back.”
“Do you have to go back to the city?”
“I’m not sure,” he says with a simple shrug as he shuffles towards the stairway. “If they followed the orders I gave Emmy, then they’ll be at the Grates… but you never know with Day Takers since they hate taking orders.” He flashes me a cocky smile.
“Be safe,” I tell him. He gives me a look as if to say ‘no duh’.
“Of course, Juniper,” he says, winking at me when he uses my nickname. “I always am.”
He starts to step down the stairway towards the street, but pauses at the bottom to glance up at me one last time. For a brief second, he looks afraid, and for a fleeting moment, I feel the same way. Then he turns, and I watch him race off at inhuman speed until he vanishes out of the glow of the torches.
I turn my attention back to Maci, feeling my stomach burn, knowing the last time we split that terrible things happened. “So, what do I need to do?”
She points to our right to where the street curves up a shallow hill. “You need to protect Mathew.”