she’d dated. Since a committed human relationship was forbidden, she’d kept her dates limited, never with the same man twice.
With a feeling of reluctance, Gilly felt Gavril release her arm. “We’re almost at the cemetery. I’ll wait across the street near the voodoo shop, where it’s darkest. Once you have them on their way to the docks, I’ll follow but at a distance.”
Gilly nodded. “No heroics, okay? Remember, the Chenilles are going to be ravenous by this time. If they see you before I can get them on the ferry and across to the compound, we’ll be the ones contacting your family about your death.” Gilly regretted her words the moment they came out of her mouth. A cloud of sorrow and depression crossed Gavril’s face, and she was sure he was thinking of Ronan. What an insensitive ass she was.
“I mean—”
“I know what you mean,” Gavril said, the light returning to his eyes. “No worries. I’ll be careful.”
Knowing that the François family ferry was waiting at the dock for her Chenilles, Gilly signaled Gavril to go into the shadows. Then she went into the cemetery to round up her brood.
As the Chenilles exited the cemetery—following Gilly’s lead Chenille, Patrick—Gilly stood by the cemetery gates and took count as they went by. Ten more short than the last count, and as best she could tell, the scabior dome was still intact and operational. Being led by Patrick, the Chenilles followed in pairs. Their tall, thin figures bent over at the waist slightly, their beautiful faces intent on the Chenille before it. It was feeding time, and every Chenille knew it, which was what kept them from breaking formation and made it easy to walk them through the shadows and alleys to the dock.
Not having time to stop and give Gavril the news, she hurried over to Patrick’s side and led her Originals to the docks, winding through side alleys and behind buildings to remain undetected.
Once they were loaded onto the ferry, Gilly got on. As the boat began to move, Gavril came out of the shadows and watched her, and she watched him. With the distance between them growing, Gilly could have sworn she saw Gavril give her the smallest wave goodbye and then lay his hand over his heart. If she was right and hadn’t mistaken the gesture for some odd shadow, the thought of him making that heart tap made her heart feel full to the point of bursting. It took a lot of will power for her not to return the gesture. But what if she’d been mistaken in what she thought she saw? What would he think? That she was having a heart attack and attempt to get to her? Or would he see it for what it was and think she was making a move on him?
Deciding to play it safe, Gilly faced forward, glancing occasionally at the water lapping on either side of the ferry, and forced her mind to focus on business.
With Viv’s Loup-Garous and Evee’s Nosferatu both missing, her clan would have to use their screw-like incisors to drill down hide and meat to get to the bone. Marrow fed them, and they were used to having fresh bone to suck from when brought in for a feeding. Usually the Nosferatu had drained the cattle of blood, and the Loup-Garous had eaten the meat from the same. This left only the bone for the Chenilles to deal with. Now that wouldn’t be the case, however. She didn’t have any idea how they’d react to this change.
Viv was waiting for her on the Algiers side of the river, as was Evee.
“The cattle are in the feeding area like always,” Viv said loudly so her voice carried over the ferry motor. “Lead them down the feeding shoot like usual. We’ll be waiting for you here, behind the trees, over there, while they feed.”
Nodding her understanding, Gilly moored the ferry to the dock and saw her sisters in her peripheral vision hurry off behind the grove of trees nearby.
Gilly unlatched the back gate of the ferry, led her troupe down a winding path, and once they came to the front of the feeding shoot, no more direction was needed. The Chenilles took off at a dead run, all of them ravenous and anxious for the food awaiting them.
In the distance, Gilly heard a few Chenilles whine, while others grumbled, obviously displeased over the fact that they’d have to do so much work to get to marrow. Once all had quieted down, and the only sound she heard was the crunch of bone, Gilly went back to the dock to meet Viv and Evee.
“Any issues?” Viv asked.
“Some whining, a few sounding pissed off,” Gilly said. “But at least they’re eating.”
Evee let out a shaky sigh that sounded very much like she was close to tears. “What are we going to do? We can’t keep running around the city looking for our Originals. We’ve run out of time. With so many Nosferatu and Loup-Garous missing, human deaths are going to become the norm—every day.”
“We can’t give up,” Gilly said. “If we do, we’re already defeated.”
“I’d call losing an entire troupe of Originals pretty much defeat,” Viv said. “I have no idea why my Loups left. The north compound was their home. Why would they just walk away from it?”
“If they walked away from it,” Gilly said. “We really don’t know what’s happened to them.”
She suddenly looked up and about as if just remembering something. “Where the hell are Nikoli and Lucien? They’re supposed to be with you, protecting you. Or did they forget that those ugly sons of bitches determined to kill all of our Originals intend to kill us, as well?”
Viv held up a hand as if to stop Gilly’s tirade. “Nikoli’s still back at the hotel, dealing with his family about Ronan’s death. Lucien went to check on him.”
“To check on him?” Gilly huffed. “The man’s six-four, if he’s an inch, and built like a tank. What’s to check on?”
“Emotions,” Evee said. “I know you’re worried about us, Gilly, but you can’t forget that these men, no matter their size, have hearts. And right now they’re mourning the loss of a close cousin.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Gilly said. “So is that the excuse I use if one of you gets chewed up by those sky assholes?”
“Chill, okay,” Viv said. “We’re fine. We’ll leave here as soon as you get the Chenilles back city side, and the ferry makes it back here.”
“I don’t like it,” Gilly said. “You’re too out in the open. If something happens to one of you...well, it ain’t gonna be pretty for Nikoli and Lucien. That’s all I’ve gotta say.”
With small shakes of their heads, Viv and Evee cocked an ear toward the feeding area.
“Sounds like they’re about done,” Gilly said. “Patrick will lead them back here, so go hide behind a tree or something, will you? The last thing I want is for one of my own to get to either of you.”
Doing as they were asked, Viv and Evee ducked into a grove of trees just as Patrick led the now satiated Chenilles back to the ferry. They boarded lethargically, all of them seemingly overfed.
Once everyone was on board, Gilly closed the back gate of the ferry, kicked the motor on and steered the ferry to city side, where she knew Gavril would be waiting. She wished the ferry had a throttle, wanting it to go faster. All she cared about right now was seeing his face and getting her sisters back from the compound safely. But there was no throttle, so she had to tolerate the chug-chug of the engine and snail crawl of motion until they reached the other side.
After
