Unhappily Ever After

Chapter 48 - Blood in the Water

Forget John — the girl would have to fend him off for a moment. I waited for him to pull the knife out before I turned around, to avoid shredding any more of my organs. Unlike most idiots with a blade, he did actually know how to use it and kept a careful distance with his empty hand forwards and his knife hand far out of reach.

If I couldn't make him swing, he could keep me at arm's length until the cavalry arrived. So I backed him into the bars opposite and closed in until he had no choice but to take a swipe. He was expecting me to backstep, so I turned sideways and caught his arm just below the elbow. Then it was just a matter of using my weight to keep him against the bars while I twisted.

He dropped the knife. He had to. And as soon as he did, I slammed the back of his head into metal and he passed out there and then. I stepped clear to let him fall — and good riddance. It wasn't good manners to stab someone in the back.

It had all happened in the space of five seconds, but time had slowed down for me. Pain had a way of doing that. Catching my breath, I turned around to deal with John.

But the girl didn't need my help. She was standing in front of the Delta's unconscious body, and it looked like he'd gone a dozen rounds with a brick wall. Her knuckles were swollen and bloody but, besides that, there wasn't a scratch on her.

"Nice," I muttered.

She grinned at me. She was about my age and undeniably beautiful. Her hair was braided back in neat rows. There was a scar running from her cheek to the corner of her lip. It was dark to match her skin tone, with raised edges and a saw-tooth pattern that made it stand out. We started walking towards the exit together, because I reckoned we were probably friends by then.

"I'm Makayla," she told me. "I know who you are. Thanks, by the way. I've been here seven months and they just finalised my death warrant."

I shrugged. "My pleasure."

Then her eyes landed on the discarded knife, which was four inches long and serrated on both sides and covered in blood.

"Shit, you okay?" she asked.

At that moment, the lights went off, plunging us into darkness, and somewhere above our heads there was an alarm blaring. I put a hand to my back, because I wasn't sure. It came away wet. I didn't need my eyes to know that was Bad with a capital 'b.'

"Yes," I breathed. "Yes, I am."

"Then let's bail."

I swayed on my feet. Dizzy, so dizzy — everything was spinning and I was falling inside my skull. That was just shock. I hadn't lost much blood yet, but I would pass out in the next few minutes. I had seen enough people stabbed to know that much.

But there was no need to be dramatic about it. I was still a long way from dead.

***

Makayla and I followed the fire exit signs until we found a side-door in an empty corridor. I was beginning to struggle with walking — my legs were going numb, for some reason — and my new friend wasn't slow on the uptake.

"Where did he stick you?" she demanded.

I didn't have to answer, because the blood soaking the back of my shirt did it for me.

"Oh."

The look on her face was not entirely reassuring.

We reached the door and listened for a moment to be sure there was nobody outside. The pack wolves would be scrambling to recapture us all, but it seemed like they were assembling at the front of the house, because the back garden was silent and empty. For now, anyway.