Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

8 The Veil

Iris~~

I grit my teeth and climb the steps. Even before my eyesight adjusts, I'm on alert. At the end of the block to my left and right, the building behind me continues outward, making an arch. In front of me is a grassy area followed by a concrete railing, separating me from the river. No one is in sight. That doesn't mean no one is around. To me the bandage seems to scream I'm Expired, but I know most won't even think anything of it. No one would even consider an idea so impossible—that I'm Expired but living—undead in a sense.

I head to the right. If I can get to the end of the block, I'll be safe.

I don't see the Veil until I'm almost upon him. He's tucked into the alcove of a doorway. From here, I can really only see his arm, the muscles in it flexed. A short black sleeve covers part of his arm, and on that sleeve is the Society's insignia. I'd recognize those swirling, vining lines, threading through the oval, the twelve shimmering points that reach out like crosses anywhere. Stars, that's what the points are.

I know I can't stop. I can't hesitate. I have to keep going. They aren't here for me. They're here for Erik.

But when I walk by, his hand grips my arm, and he steps out in front of me. I can only pray he hasn't seen the gun.

"Excuse me, Miss, but can I ask where you're coming from?" He knows exactly where I came from. He's probably in his early thirties. From his uniform, I know he's only a Veil and not a member of the Society.

When I was hiding in the bathroom, I got a chance to see my reflection. My hair isn't neat, and my clothes don't look fresh—I was crawling on the sidewalk last night. If he thinks I'm just a random girl Erik hooked up with, he can't be that interested in who I am.

I force a lazy smile. "That's quite a personal question."

He raises a single eyebrow, something I've always wanted to do. "It is?"

"I had hoped to leave before the sun was up."

"Then why didn't you?"

I silently swear. He's too thickheaded.

Using my elbow, I drag my hand around my hip and step closer to him as I say, "I'm sure you can imagine." I grab the gun and press the muzzle into his stomach, flipping the safety off. "Don't. Move."

His eyes narrow. "I wouldn't fire that gun."

"Why?" I force my hand not to tremble. In my training I've ran through numerous scenarios with other people. The difference between now and then is that I never practiced with an enemy. "I know about the two in the silver car behind you. The three hiding in doorways behind me."

"How?" His grip on me tightens.

"Your eyes." They're not focused on me. I slide the muzzle left. "I forgot one though." I pull the gun back and fire a bullet into his hand and, without stopping for a breath, turn and shoot the Veil who was trying to sneak up on me in his leg. He collapses, and my next bullet goes through the hand with which he reaches for his gun.

I dive into the alcove before any other Veil have a chance to return fire and brush my hair out of my face. My heart pounds, adrenaline pumping through my veins, and I smile. If only the others could see me now—fighting the Society.

The first Veil reaches for his gun with his other hand, and I'm forced to shoot that one too. Four bullets gone.

Feet pound against the pavement from the right. Two sets. It's the Veil guards from the car. I press myself against the wall that's opposite the direction from which they're coming and lean enough to the side so that I can see them both. They're women. I hit one below her hip and the other in her calf. They both fall.

I give myself one breath before I step outside, facing the other direction and hit the man running toward me in his thigh. I turn in time to see the woman whose calf I shot reaching for her gun, and I fire at her hand before jumping back into the doorway. Two bullets—that's all I have left. I haven't even seen two of the Veil, and the only person who doesn't still have a chance at shooting me is the man staring at me, his hands gushing blood.

He's from the Society. I shouldn't feel bad for him.

Hearing the sounds of someone running, I move to the other wall, my gun ready.

I step out, aiming for the new woman's side, and fire. I turn before I can watch her double over in pain and in time to see the first woman I shot, now reaching for her gun with a shaky hand. My last bullet. I don't have a choice but to fire.

She cries out as blood splatters in the air around her. They're all being paid for this. They knew the risks. That helps take away most of my remorse as long as I don't think about the whys of what they might need the money for. I did fire first—the only one to fire at all, but the Veil acted first when one of them grabbed me.

I can't hide in the alcove again. Not without any bullets. I have to run. My best chance is to get to the Veil's car. They had to have left it unlocked. But then what? I can't drive. No one ever taught me. That lesson wasn't deemed worth the time considering my situation. It can't be that hard though. Not when my life depends on it.

"Hands up." The final Veil—that I know of—steps out of hiding, his gun trained on me.

And I was doing so well.

I drop the gun and raise my hands.

"Good girl."

I know how to kick the gun out of his hand, but all those times I've done it, I wasn't Expired, and I wasn't going to be potentially shot by anything more than an airsoft pellet.

He steps behind me, holding a black pair of handcuffs. He brings my arms down and locks the cuffs around my wrists.

"You've caused quite a mess."

The cold muzzle of his gun presses into my neck. I stiffen. Don't give him reason to shoot me.

"I felt threatened when I was grabbed." My neck feels odd as it moves against the gun.

He pushes me toward the silver car. "Why were you with Erik Blackwood?"

I snort. I'm still not really sure. "Why would I be with the future Tresais? And if I was, then I believe you just wasted all your Veil guards on the wrong person."

"How—"

A gunshot cracks through the air and something wet splatters along the back of my neck.

Blood. 

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