Eileen Lepetit

CHAPTER 17 I reset the spell on the fence so Eoin won’t know I’ve been playing with it. It glows a nice bright red. Likewise, I quickly healed up Lucas and Nick’s wounds and stashed Gae Buidhe back under my sweatshirt. We sit down on the floor looking dirty and miserable, exactly the way they left us. “So?” Eoin steps up in front of the crate looking, if anything, cleaner and more handsome than before. “Have we developed some foolproof scheme of escape or have you come to your senses?” “I’ve decided to stand by my answer of shove it,” I say from my spot on the floor. Eoin’s hands reflexively form fists by his side. “Charming,” he says. “You are nothing if not consistent. I assume you’ve said goodbye to your friends? Or perhaps not. Perhaps you persist in believing in your ultimate victory. It’s always that way, fighting to the bitter end. But as you see, I and my kind, have always prevailed.” He turns to the two dozen drones who have crowded into the room, their gray, nearly non-exist...

CHAPTER 16 “Shall we all sit?” the Ripper says. He does as he suggests, settling behind the desk. He nods at the drones and they lead Nick, whose eyes look everywhere but at any of us, to a white leather sofa. They push him down to sitting, but he isn’t exactly resisting. Lucas they let tumble heavily to the floor. He is bloody, filthy, and unconscious. His shirt hangs off. They have stripped him of his weapons. “I suppose I should introduce myself,” the Ripper says like I care. “The name is Eoin. I am only one of our little troupe, but I have been given the honor of working with you. I am known for my powers of persuasion.” He smiles like we’re closing a real estate deal. “I think we should take a minute, breathe as it were, and make sure that we are all understanding the situation clearly.” “You’re going to kill us all?” I wonder if Lucas is even alive. He looks terrible and I’m suddenly overwhelmed with remorse at the crappy way I’ve treated him these past few days since discov...

CHAPTER 15 I have the world’s worst hangover but don’t remember how it happened. My head pounds and I am in desperate need of water. I also can’t wrap my brain around where I am. Home? I have to be home. But I don’t usually drink so much that I don’t know where I am. I’m really going to have to reevaluate my habits. I crack open an eye and am assaulted by bright winter sunlight. It sends a stabbing pain straight through my head. “Ah, there we are,” a voice mocks. “How are we feeling?” Definitely not home. The memories come flooding back. The drones. The cells. Antonio. Nick. Nana. I open both eyes. I’m in a ginormous open space furnished like one of those super fancy apartments in an architecture magazine, including floor-to-ceiling windows with a great view of the Manhattan skyline. The furniture is all white with sharp angles and expensive materials. Artwork dots the space - weird sculptures that are supposed to mean something. It’s nothing like the mass of antiques and thrift shop ...

  CHAPTER 14 “What’s wrong?” Lucas asks. “There’s someone here - someone else. And not just one.” Something flickers behind his eyes. “There are people here, Lucas. I’m sure of it. I can feel their auras. They’re terrified.” Lucas wipes a hand across his mouth and looks over my head, out into the brightening room. He is less surprised than I would have hoped. “You know about this?” I say it too loudly and jump, looking to see if anyone comes running. Lucas steps closer and lays his fingertips on my lips. “Yes,” he says. “I mean, I wasn’t sure, but it isn’t unheard of.” “What are you talking about? Who are they?” “Resources,” he answers. “The Rippers hold them in store for use later, as drones. They’ll convert them in time.” “Convert them? You mean slit their throats?” He shakes his head. “Not at first. What you saw was gathering blood for magic spells. Drones have their essence drawn from them by having a very precise amount of blood withdrawn. It isn’t enough to kill them. Instead...