Thirst (Ava Delaney #1) Page 16

  ***

  "Ava!" A familiar voice brought me back into the world. I groaned as pain hit me as hard as a wall. "Jesus! Look at her!" It was Peter.

  "Not possible," I tried to say, but my mouth was too swollen.

  I opened my eyes and saw a vague shape ahead of me, but my vision was blurred and scarily bad.

  "You went too far, Maximus," a woman's voice said. A figure leaned over me and poured more liquid into my mouth. Blood, tasting wonderfully citrusy. I instantly felt further away from death. My vision cleared, but the figure was gone. I blinked at the ceiling, focusing on the lights, and listened instead.

  "It's nothing to do with you," Maximus was saying.

  The woman hesitated, as if waiting for him to apologise. When he didn't, she spoke again, her voice harsher this time. "I'm leader for a reason. Do I need to put manners on you yet again? I want her out of here."

  I tilted my head and saw a group of people a few feet away. Daimh?n, Eddie, Peter, Carl, and even my grandmother. My head swirled in confusion. How was that possible?

  "She's mine," Maximus said, his tone sulky.

  "I claim her," Daimh?n said.

  "Why? To kill her?"

  "Probably," Daimh?n said. "But Eddie here has an interesting proposal. I'd like him talk to the girl right now."

  Maximus made an infuriated noise but didn't stop Eddie as he approached me along with Peter.

  "Ava," Eddie said under his breath. "Daimh?n is willing to take you from here. All you have to do is agree to work for her."

  I shook my head slightly. From one monster to another, how was that making it better? Eddie made a frustrated sound, and Peter moved closer to me.

  "I know what you're thinking," Peter said. "But my rule is this, do what keeps you alive right now and figure out the rest later. We'll think of a way out, but for now we have to do what we can to get you out of this mess. Listen to Eddie this time."

  I stared at Peter, but I felt numb. I didn't know what was right anymore.

  "She said yes," Eddie called out.

  "Did she really?" Daimh?n asked. I couldn't tell if she was happy or disappointed. I couldn't work for the one woman who wanted me dead. At least Maximus needed me alive, whether he had the self-control to keep me that way or not. I gazed at Peter pleadingly, but he shook his head. "Yeah, she agreed," he told them all. I heaved a weary sigh, my chest spiking with pain.

  "Let's get her out of here then," Daimh?n said. She lifted me carefully and carried me past my grandmother and Carl. She seemed physically okay, but Carl had a bloody bandage wrapped tight around one wrist. It barely registered that I must have drunk his blood.

  Daimh?n carried me to her own car, giving me the chance to take one last look around. A whole fleet of cars had been parked outside; it looked as though she'd brought along an army. Maximus didn't dare challenge her. He just stood there swearing instead. I knew the others were following, but only my grandmother was allowed in Daimh?n's car.

  "Drive to her apartment," ordered Daimh?n. The woman in the passenger seat inclined her head then gave me a quick glance. I realised she was Peter's girlfriend. Daimh?n's assistant? I blacked out before I could process the thought.