The priest on the ground was stirring, which meant he wasn't dead. Kicking at Thane again, she knew she needed to get out of sight. Inquisitors could do much more than simply charge the air. They could ignite her, if they tried. Laird had drained her. In the past, they'd done even worse. The only reason this one hadn't tried yet was because he didn't want the power to be seen. She lashed out with her other foot, hoping to hit something more vital than Thane's chest. She should've worn heels.
"Give up," he snarled, dragging her closer. "If you surrender, we'll take you in alive!"
But Dahlia had no intention of that. She had to get to the hotel. If the inquisitors had found her, then they'd be after Mei Yun! She had to warn her girlfriend. They just had to last one more night, and they'd be free. This time, instead of trying to kick, she punched, feeling her knuckles burn as she caught his jaw. His head jerked, so she hit again, using every ounce of power she had. She didn't even care if she broke his neck. She just had to get free!
The second hit made him let go. The third knocked him back. She surged toward Thane's neck, intending to make him into her next meal, but he caught her hair, jerking her head up. This time, the punch came from him. Dahlia screamed.
She didn't wail like a woman, she pulled something deeper, calling the Abyss into her voice like a banshee. The sound hurt, startling him enough that she followed it with her skull, smashing her forehead into his nose.
He was as good as dead, until the second man spoke. She would never know the Words. Her ears couldn't hear them, but they worked. The bubble returned in an instant. The next Word opened a drain, pulling her energy, forcing it into the darkness where she belonged. It wouldn't kill her, not the way they wanted, but it would return her to the Abyss. It would keep her from warning Mei. It would cut her off from the life she wanted so badly.
She didn't even think; Dahlia just reacted. One step brought her to her feet. The second crossed the distance to the priest. The third put him in her grasp. One hand caught his throat, the other found his arm, and she pulled. The sound of tearing flesh echoed back against the walls of the man's own magic.
"No!" Thane screamed, but it was too late.
Tossing the broken body to the floor, she turned to him. "I don't have time for this shit. Just let me go or die quickly."
His fingers shifted on the stake as he pulled himself to his feet. "What's the hurry, Dahlia?"
"Mei." She licked her lips, preparing her next move. "She has no idea she's even at risk, and your inquisition is a plague. Where there's one of you, there's more."
Thane's face went slack. "The hotel." A surge of air rushed from his lungs. "They know where she is! That's why they sent me over here."
"No!"
Fuck him. Fuck this. Fuck the rules. Dahlia ran, heading straight for the hotel. She didn't even care if he followed; she just had to get to Mei before they did. She had to protect her. If nothing else, she had to kill her before they could destroy her soul and keep her from ever coming back.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
DAHLIA
It was little more than a block. Not that far, and even less when burning vitality to move as fast as possible. Dahlia could just make out the side of the hotel when she felt it. Like nails on a chalkboard, the sensation wasn't pleasant. It pulled at her, commanded her. It was the power of her real name, spoken as a command. There was only one person who could do that.
Which meant they'd found Mei. That was the only reason she'd speak Dahlia's name. "Li Xiu," she breathed, gasping for air around the words. "I hear you! I'm almost there. Be strong, Li Xiu. Stay with me, baby. Even if it's in the Abyss, just stay with me!"
She knew her lover could feel it. There was no way she couldn't, unless she'd already been staked. With Thane on her heels, Dahlia raced to the door, yanked it open hard enough that she nearly warped the hinges, and kept going. The elevator would be too slow. The stairs. As her feet rang out on the fancy marble floor, she scanned every doorway for the little sign showing her the way.
There. At the back corner. Dahlia didn't even bother to dodge the people in her path, she just charged through them, trusting the fools to step back before she actually hit them. Most did. One woman was too slow and ended up sprawled on the ground, but Dahlia didn't care. She didn't know what room Mei was in, but she didn't need to. With the command of her real name, Dahlia could feel the pull. It served as the homing beacon she needed.
Up. Right now, that was all that mattered - she needed to be higher in this damned building. Behind her, Thane followed, gradually losing ground. Like a hound on a scent, she knew he was following, but she had to focus on one thing. Her lover was in danger and she couldn't face the inquisitors alone. She wouldn't stand a chance. Not even a nu gui could hold off more than five or six.
"They already have her!" Thane yelled.
"She's alive. I can feel her, so she's still alive!" She didn't know why she answered, but she did.
Evidently, he didn't agree. "She's not. They already have her and there's no way you can stop them all."
Speeding around the next bend in the stairs, she could see him, but still didn't slow. "Fuck you. No one deserves what you do to us."
Then she was there. The feeling no longer came from above, but across. Dahlia fumbled at the door, her hands slipping the first time in her panic, and then she rushed in - right into every undead's greatest nightmare.
Priests were everywhere. Some wore the traditional black cloth, others were in common street clothes, but they all emanated the feeling of arrogance. They were so convinced of their superiority that it leaked off them in waves, leaving a scent she could never forget. It was always the first hint. Usually, it gave her enough time to disappear before they realized what she was, but this time she kept going, running right into the middle. She had to get to Mei.
Halfway down the hall, the sound of screaming came from an open door. She knew that voice. It wasn't fury, but fear coming from Mei. The pure, total, and complete fear of staring into oblivion. As if the sound was on a loop, it kept going, not even pausing for her to suck in a breath. Dahlia aimed for it.
"Stop her!" Thane panted, breaking into the hall. "The blonde. Stop her!"
By the door, a man turned, his eyes landing on her. "Vampire!"