bite.

Chapter 39

The helicopter flew over the dark countryside towards the city lights of London.

A couple of miles south of the Thames, close Greenwich, the helicopter dropped down onto a sports field. This was as far as it could take us. From here, we would need to travel on foot to the meetup point.

The meetup point was a popular tourist point, a wooden ship called the Cutty Sark on the south bank. I didn't know much about it, but a quick Google told me that it was close to the Royal Observatory.

A fire had the boat a few years back, so we would be meeting Micah outside the restoration shed the boat was sitting in.

Barry had set me up with a wire and tracker so that the slayer team could monitor me, while Raphael and Gabriel would follow me from a distance.

This was all part of the deal that Duncan had struck with the government to get Keira back alive. If I cooperated with the slayers and helped them gather intel on Micah, then the government charges of terrorism laid against me would be dropped.

Stepping out on to the wet grass of the school field, I turned back to the helicopter to see Raphael and Gabe climbing out the helicopter. Gabe was dressed in plain clothes, while Raphael was wearing a black suit. Both were hiding concealed handguns under their jackets.

Raphael crossed over two me and handed me a street map to follow.

"To pull this off, you need to act really cool with Micah. He must not suspect that you are wearing a wire," he explained.

I nodded my head, feeling the nerves bubbling up inside me.

"Both Gabe and I will be watching you. Barry and his team will be monitoring you. If you do this right, the government will forget all about the ferry fiasco."

"Okay, I got."

"Good. With any luck, this will be over in an hour and you can go back to your coven."

I nodded and took hold of my map. It was a twenty minute from here to the Cutty Sark. Twenty minutes to sit and wonder what the hell the night had in store for me.

I started walking and felt like a piece of bait that was about to be dangled in front of a lion's mouth.

Taking a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw that Raphael and Gabe were gone.

Clutching my map, I followed the highlighted route.

I prayed that tonight would bring some kind of resolution. I couldn't keep living like this, in fear of Micah and the government.

It made me nervous to meet up with him like this. I knew that he wanted me, but I didn't know how badly. Micah was different now. The boy I'd once loved died a long time ago in Cumbria. There was no telling who he was now.

I turned the lapels of my jacket upwards and made my way down to the riverside path. The riverside bars were busy but there were only a handful of people out on the path tonight.

A very cold, damp mist had fallen over the Thames, driving the late-night crowds into the local bars, pubs and nightclubs.

I used the fog to my advantage, keeping away from groups of party goers that were using the path to move from one club to the next.

I wanted to stay unnoticed, just in case Raphael and Gabe were not the only ones following me tonight.

A sign appeared, pointing the way to the Cutty Sark.

I was close now.

"Good evening, Lorna," a voice rang out through the mist.

I looked up and to my surprise, I saw Patrick walking along the towpath, towards me. One minute he was in front of me and the next, he was beside me, yanking open my jacket and viciously biting down on my shoulder.

I screamed in pain and confusion.

What the hell was he doing, and more importantly where were Raphael and Gabe?

Using my hands and nails, I shoved at his chest and raked my nails across his face. He swore at me when I caught his eye, violently throwing me against the river guard rails.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, gripping my bleeding shoulder.

Blood seeped through my fingers tips, splashing onto the ground.

Patrick loomed over me, grabbing my arm and pulling me over his shoulder.

"I need to use you as bait," he said, half apologetically.

He watched the blood dripping from my shoulder onto the ground and murmured, "That should give him a good enough scent to follow."

He turned and jumped, launching us high into the air. I held onto his back, biting back a scream as we came hurtling back down to earth.

He moved fast, leaping from building to building away from the river and Micah.

I stayed still in his arms, recognising the futility of trying to fight him alone. He was far older and stronger vampire than I, but he had no idea that I was wearing a tracker.

Right now, Raphael and Gabe, and a whole squad of slayers, were following us.

All I had to do was buy my time until they arrived to rescue me.