All That Lives Must Die - Eric Nylund [249]
With every step, his blood warmed, heated . . . burned.
He felt intoxicated. Yes. He wanted to taste her again—even if her kisses were poisoned. He was addicted to how he felt when she was around.
Their escort knights halted on the steps ahead of Eliot. They bowed before Jezebel, and she, in turn, inclined her head to recognize them.
“You are dismissed, Captain,” Jezebel said, her tone icy.
The knights retreated down the steps.
Eliot jogged up to Jezebel. He would have thrown his arms about her or taken her hand at least, but with her in that thorned armor, he’d get impaled if he tried.
Jezebel hovered near him; her gauntleted hand reached out for him, and then pulled back.
Her gaze darted past Eliot to take in Fiona, Robert, and Mr. Welmann as they walked up. Her eyes narrowed a bit—and then softened again as she looked back to Eliot.
“You came,” she whispered to him, voice trembling. “After I tried so hard to push you away. Eliot, you will never know what that means to me.” In an even lower voice, she said, “But there is more danger here than you can imagine.”
Fiona was close enough to hear to this. “We’re not getting involved in any Infernal thing, if that’s what you mean. We just came to get you out of here.”
Jezebel snorted and dismissed Fiona with a single glance.
“I’d show a little gratitude,” Robert muttered, moving alongside Fiona. “We lost Amanda getting here.”
That got her attention.
Jezebel blinked. “The little girl? Lost? You mean—?”
“She died,” Fiona told her flatly. “Burned.”
“A human sacrificed in Hell. . . . I am sorry for her.” Jezebel looked away and took a deep breath, appearing for a split second like normal, flawed Julie Marks—then her features hardened. “But there is nothing to be done. We must see to our own lives now.”
“You want to save lives?” Fiona stepped forward, clenching her fists. “Then get back to the train station and help us find a way back to school.”
Eliot held up a hand to calm her.
“We came to get you,” Eliot told Jezebel. “We need you back at school . . . gym class and finals.” He faltered. “No . . . it’s not that . . . well, only a small part. I need you, too.”
Jezebel took a tiny step closer so they were almost touching.
He felt her heat and their mutual magnetic attraction. He wanted to take her in his arms—even if it cut him to ribbons.
“My hero,” Jezebel whispered, a slight edge of sarcasm to her honeyed voice. “If only things were so simple.”
Fiona set a hand on Eliot’s shoulder and pulled him back. “Okay, you tried. She said no. We’re out of here. We had a deal, remember?”
Eliot shrugged her off. He couldn’t leave. How could he after Amanda had died so he could get here? And how could he now that he stood before Jezebel?
But he had made a deal with his sister, and he knew how crazy it’d be to stay.
He couldn’t have it both ways. He had to decide.
Eliot had had to make this choice before. Back in Del Sombra, he had impulsively decided to go with the then Julie Marks—run away to Hollywood (which had been part of an Infernal trap).
And he’d made the wrong choice then, saved only because Julie hadn’t followed through with the plan.
As he looked at Jezebel, Eliot knew he had to make the right choice now, because no one was going to save him this time.
Jezebel stepped back three paces, before he could tell her anything, though. “I cannot help you . . . and none of you can leave.”
A hundred knights in the courtyard moved to encircle the steps. A dozen more knights appeared behind Jezebel, their rifle-lances at the ready.
Robert reached for his gun.
Mr. Welmann set a restraining hand on Robert’s arm and stepped between them. “I believe, young lady, you were going to take us to your Queen?” He glanced back at Fiona, giving her a warning shake of his head. “Might as well hear what she had to say, after coming all this way, right?”
“That’s just wonderful,” Fiona said through gritted teeth.
“Don’t do this,” Eliot told Jezebel.
With a gesture, she indicated that they come with her. The guards aimed their