Morganville (Justin Bieber)

Chapter 126

"I'm sorry," he said, "but we had no other place to go. Amelie--I hoped that she was here, that she would give us refuge. We've been everywhere else."

I remembered there being more of them, somehow--yes, there were at least two people missing. One human, one vampire. "What happened? I thought you were safe where you were!"

"We were," Theo said. "Then we weren't. That's what wars are like. The safe places don't stay safe. Someone knew where we were, or suspected. Around dawn yesterday, a mob broke in the doors looking for us. Jochen--" He looked at his wife, and she bowed her head. "Our son Jochen, he gave his life to delay them. So did our human friend William. We've been hiding, moving from place to place, trying not to be driven out in the sun."

"How did you get here?" Michael asked. He seemed wary. I didn't blame him.

"I brought them," Myrnin said. "I've been trying to find those who are left." He crouched down next to one of the young vampire girls and stroked her hair. She smiled at him, but it was a fragile, frightened smile. "They can stay here for now. This room isn't common knowledge. I've left open the portal in the attic in case they have to flee, but it's one way only, leading out. It's a last resort."

"Are there others? Out there?" I asked. "Very few on their own. Most are either with Bishop, with Amelie, or"--Myrnin spread his hands--"gone."

"What are they doing? Amelie and Bishop?"

"Moving their forces. They're trying to find an advantage, pick the most favorable ground. It won't last." Myrnin shrugged. "Sooner or later, sometime tonight, they'll clash, and then they'll fight. Someone will win, and someone will lose. And in the morning, Morganville will know its fate."

That was creepy. Really creepy. I shivered and looked at the others, but nobody seemed to have anything to say.

"Anastasia. Attend me," Myrnin said, and walked with me to one corner of the room. "Have you spoken with your doctor friend?"

"I tried. I couldn't get through to him. Myrnin, are you . . . okay?"

"Not for much longer," he said, in that clinical way he had right before the drugs wore off. "I won't be safe to be around without another dose of some sort. Can you get it for me?"

"There's none in your lab--"

"I've been there. Bishop got there first. I shall need a good bit of glassware, and a completely new library." He said it lightly, but I could see the tension in his face and the shadow in his dark, gleaming eyes. "He tried to destroy the portals, cut off Amelie's movements. I managed to patch things together, but I shall need to instruct you in how it's done. Soon. In case--"

He didn't need to finish. I nodded slowly. "You should go," I said. "Is the prison safe? The one where you keep the sickest ones?"

"Bishop finds nothing to interest him there, so yes. He will ignore it awhile longer. I'll lock myself in for a while, until you come with the drug." Myrnin bent over her, suddenly very focused and very intent. "We must refine the serum, Ana. We must distribute it. The stress, the fighting--it's accelerating the disease. I've seen signs of it in Theo, even in Sam. If we don't act soon, I'm afraid we may begin to lose more to confusion and fear. They won't even be able to defend themselves."

I swallowed. "I'll get on it."

He took my hand and kissed it lightly. His lips felt dry as dust, but it still left a tingle in my fingers. "I know you will, my girl. Now, let's rejoin your friends."

"How long do they need to be here?" Eve asked, as we moved closer. She asked not unkindly, but she seemed nervous, too. There were, I thought, an awful lot of nearstranger vampire guests. "I mean, we don't have a lot of blood in the house. . . ."