Over the din, I heard the bel signaling another customer's entrance. I didn't even bother to look up. Of course it wouldn't be Damon. He didn't care about the kil ings, and it was clear he didn't care about Klaus or any of the Originals. He was perfectly content getting drunk and feeding off Charlotte. Maybe that was better . . .
"Murder!" A red-faced man staggered in, his bulk practical y fal ing against the bar. He was the same drunk from the other night who had claimed to know me. I felt my stomach clench as the tavern became quiet as a church. "Murder!" he croaked again. "In the square!" The man col apsed, women shrieked, and before I could stop myself, I was moving at vampire speed out of the bar, knocking over one of the tables as I did so. When I emerged on the street, the scent of iron was everywhere, fil ing my nostrils and causing my chest to burn. The scent was coming from the east. I took off toward it, already feeling my fangs bulge, pushing away any fear from my brain.
Then I pul ed up short at the sight in front of me. There, just a few paces away, lit by the moon and crumpled on the ground, was a girl in a red dress. Her skirts were askew, her upturned face was pale, and her blue eyes were fixed toward the sky. I recognized her as one of the girls who'd been in the tavern two nights ago. I sank to my knees by her side, relieved when I saw her chest rising and fal ing.
I licked my fangs and leaned down, eager to taste the warm, rich blood trickling from her neck and matting into her hair. The trail glittered like liquid rubies, and I wanted more than anything to just have a taste, a second to quench my never-ending hunger.
"No," I said out loud, wil ing my rational brain to take control over my instincts. I leaned back on my heels, the spel between my nature and her blood broken. I knew what I had to do to save her. Without flinching, I brought my wrist to my mouth and ripped my flesh with my fangs. Wincing, I pressed the wound to the girl's pink lips.
"Drink," I said, glancing up to see if there were any signs of commotion. I'd gotten to the girl far faster than anyone would have if they were traveling at normal, human speed, but it wouldn't be long before more bystanders from the tavern found us. And I couldn't have anyone see what I was doing. But without my blood, she'd die.
Far off in the distance, I heard the loud, clanging bel s of a police wagon. I needed to leave soon. If the police saw me in this position, they'd assume that I was the attacker. "Drink," I said even more forceful y, pushing my wrist up against the girl's open mouth.
The girl coughed before greedily sucking on my wrist.
''Shhh, that's enough," I said, pul ing my arm away and hoisting her into a sitting position.
Just then, I saw a shadow hulking behind us. I whirled around, fear icing my veins. Brick buildings surrounded the al ey, boxing us in.
"Who goes there?" I asked, my voice echoing off the wal s of the al ey.
Then, I heard a long, low, al -too-familiar laugh, and Damon strol ed around the corner, a lit cigar in his mouth.
"Saving the day again," he said, a bemused grin on his face. He dropped the cigar on the ground, and the ashes glinted in the darkness. Next to me, the girl stirred, moaning and sighing as though she were in the grips of a terrible nightmare.
"He's here," I said, my voice fal ing to a whisper.
"Who, the murderer?" Damon dropped to his knees and glanced at the girl. His fingers brushed against the wound on her neck. "This is amateur work. Just a baby vampire who doesn't know better. If we find him, we'l stake him for the pesky trouble he's causing. But he's not a threat," Damon said, smiling as he wiped a trickle of blood from the side of the girl's mouth.
"More . . ." the girl gasped, clawing the empty air in front of her. "More!" she yel ed in a strangled cry, before col apsing back against the pavement.
"My type of girl." Damon smiled. "Sadly, no more. Stefan's decided you've had enough," he said in a singsong voice. "Stefan always likes to control people," he added cryptical y.
I glanced at him in suspicion. Could this have been a trap set up by Damon? He'd done it before - half-kil ed a girl, only to ensnare me into rescuing her. That had been back in New York City, shortly before Klaus and Lucius had beaten Damon at his own game, nearly kil ing both of us in the process. I was about to remind him of that when a wavering shadow caught my eye.
It was the figure of a man, wearing a top hat, al the way at the far end of the al ey. I shot up.
"Did you see that?"
Damon nodded, his eyes widening slightly. "Go. I'l take care of her."
I made a split-second decision to trust my brother. He was al I had.
I lunged toward the shadow, only several meters away from where Damon and I were crouched over the girl.
The shadow bolted as wel , stealing around the corner toward the river. I took off after it. My legs were pumping like pistons, and I was running faster and faster, my feet barely hitting the cobblestones. Stil , the figure stayed ever so slightly ahead of me, darting this way and that, closer to the rushing Thames.
Faster, I whispered to myself, wil ing myself to run. Buildings were passing me in the blink of an eye, and I knew I was going as fast I possibly could. Debris blew in my face and caused my eyes to burn, and wind was whistling by my ears. Stil , no matter how fast I urged myself to run, I couldn't catch up to the shadow's creator, a tal , thin man who I now knew without a doubt was no human.
We ran, faster and faster, toward the river. I could hear a mob of people far off in the distance, but I didn't look over my shoulder. Al my attention was directed at the shadowy man, who was speeding up with every step. The river was now in ful sight, the moon casting a dul sheen on the pitch black water. We were one hundred yards away, then fifty . . . would he jump?