“You’ve got to hurry up!” Milo insisted.

His strides were so long and fast that it was impossible for me to keep up, and I finally fell to the ground. I barely had a chance to scrape my knee and he was pulling me to my feet again, making my arm scream.

“Milo! You’re gonna dislocate my shoulder!” I winced.

“Your shoulder can be fixed,” Milo growled, and his nostrils flared. “Dammit, Alice. You’re bleeding.”

“It’s your fault.” My knee was dappled with little drops of blood. My leg hurt to walk on, and I was already slow to begin with. I looked behind us, expecting Lucian to be a few steps back, but there were only other club goers on the sidewalk. “They’re not behind us.”

“Then they’re in front of us.” Milo stopped sharply, and I almost fell again. I could see in front of us, and I had no idea what he was talking about.

“What in the hell is going on?” Jane demanded, her voice edged with panic.

“We have to get to the car.” Milo picked me up and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I yelped in surprise, but I didn’t protest. “Jane, you have to keep up. If you can’t, I’m leaving you behind.”

“What are you-” Before she could finish, he was moving again, this time even faster than before. He had grabbed her hand and yanked her forward.

Milo jumped over the guardrail into the parking lot, and Jane scrambled much less nimbly behind him. He scanned everywhere, searching for any sign of them, and I could feel his ragged breathing. He wasn’t hurrying enough to be short of breath, so it had to be because he struggled with the scent of my blood.

Even if Milo saved me from Lucian, he wouldn’t be able to save me from himself.

We had just about reached the car, and I thought we had really made it. Out of nowhere, Lucian appeared, leaning against the drivers’ side of the Jetta. He grinned at us, and Milo tightened his grip around me so much it hurt, but I was too scared to complain.

“Who is that?” Jane asked, and if she had it her way, she wouldn’t be running from him.

“Just go away!” Milo shouted.

“You know, you’ve only succeeded in scenting the air,” Lucian told him. “It’s the same thing they do with sharks. They bait the water with blood to attract them, and it puts them in a frenzy. Did you know that?”

“Please just move,” Milo said through gritted teeth.

“How are you feeling about now? A little frantic yourself?” Lucian took a step away from the car, towards us, and Milo tensed up more.

“I’m putting you down, and you just need to get in the car.” Milo dug in his pocket for the car keys, and I gripped onto him, unwilling to let him set me down.

“Violet is roaming around somewhere,” I said.

“You just have to get in the car,” Milo repeated as he handed Jane the car keys. “Jane, just get Alice in the car. That’s all you need to do.”

“Okay?” Jane replied unsurely.

“Milo!” I yelled, but that only made Lucian laugh.

“Maybe you should listen to her,” Lucian said, but Milo lowered me to the ground.

Once I was standing, with my knee threatening to give out, Milo still kept a hand on my shoulder, as if reluctant to let me go. For a moment, he stood there, staring down Lucian, and none of us moved. Then I heard the click of the keyless entry as Jane unlocked the car doors.

That must’ve been the cue for go, because everybody burst into life. Taking my hand, Jane rushed towards the car, and Milo dove at Lucian. There was the sound of snarling and gnashing teeth, but I tried not to look at them.

I felt hands like talons grabbing at my arms and legs, and I heard Violet’s familiar high pitched squeal as she tried to capture me. I just kept running, letting the panic and adrenaline burn through my legs as Jane pulled me to the car.

She yanked open the door and threw me in before jumping in herself. She landed on top of me, but managed to slam the door shut, and Violet slammed into it, screaming in disappointment.

- 19 -

Jane locked the car door. I slid all the way across the seat, pressing my back against the window opposite of the one Violet glared at us through. Jane moved with me, and when Violet smacked her open palms against the window, Jane and I both screamed.

Hysteria was about ready to take over, and if Violet kept beating on the glass with her superhuman strength, it wouldn’t be long before she got in.

Milo threw her off the window, and past him, I could see a dent in the car next to us. Lucian wasn’t in sight, but bloody scratches were all up and down Milo’s torso. He hit the window so we would unlock the doors, and Jane leaned over and did.

Milo opened the car door and Violet lunged at his back. She bit into his neck, using her razor sharp incisors. He pushed her off, and she crumpled to the ground. He hopped in the driver’s seat and locked the doors behind him. Blood streamed down his neck, but he didn’t even seem aware of it.

“You’re bleeding!” Jane gasped.

“Give me the keys.” Milo held his hand out.

Violet threw herself on the windshield and pounded the glass with her fists. Her crazy purple eyes stared right through me and she purposely bared her teeth.

“Get us out of here!” Jane screamed as she gave him the keys.

He started the car and peeled out. Violet flew off the windshield, landing somewhere I couldn’t see. Milo squealed out of the parking lot with little regard for other traffic, but everybody made room for him as he drove off into the night.