Which was obviously Ash's entire philosophy. Everybody took care of themselves, and nobody helped anybody else.
"And Blaise knew, too," Poppy said. "She knew what you were going to do and she didn't care."
"Not much gets past Blaise," Ash said. He started to say something else-and Popp y saw her chance.
She kicked-hard. And twisted at the same time. Trying to get over the balcony rail.
"Stay here," James said to Phil before the car had even stopped. They were in front of a huge white mansion fringed with palm trees. James threw the door open, but took the time to say again, "Stay here. No matter what happens, don't go in that house. And if somebody besides me comes up to the car, drive away."
"But-"
"Just do it, Phil! Unless you want to find out about death firs than d-tonight."
James set out at a dead run f or the mansion. He was too intent to really notice the sound of a car door opening behind him.
"And you looked like such a nice girl," Ash gasped. He had both of Poppy's arms behind her back and was trying to get out of the range of her feet. "No-no, quit that, now."
He was too strong. There was nothing Poppy could do. Inch by inch he was dragging her back into the anteroom.
You might as well give up, Poppy's mind told her. It's useless.
You're done.
She could picture the whole thing: herself being dragged out in front of all of those sleek and handsome Night People and revealed. She could picture their pitiless eyes. That pensive-looking guy would walk up to her and his face would change and he wouldn't look pensive anymore. He'd look savage. His teeth would grow. His eyes would go silvery. Then he'd snarl--
and strike.
And that would be the end of Poppy.
Maybe that wasn't the way they did it, maybe they executed criminals some other way in the Night World. But it wouldn't be pleasant, whatever it was.
And I won't make it easy for you! Poppy thought. She thought it directly at Ash, throwing all of her anger and grief and bet rayal at him. Instinctively. Like a kid shouting in a temper tantrum.
Except it had an effe ct s houting usually didn't.
Ash flinched. He almost lost his grip on her arms.
It was only a momentary weakening, but it was enough for Poppy's eyes to widen.
I hurt h im. I h urt him!
She stopped struggling physically in that same in stant. She put all her concentration, all her energy, into a mental explosion. A thought-bomb.
LET GO OF ME YOU ROTTEN VAMPIRE CREEP!
Ash staggered. Poppy did it again, this time making her thought a fire hose, a high-power jetstream bombardment.
LET G000000000000!
Ash let go. Then, as Poppy ran out of steam, he tried in a fumbling wa y to reach her again.
"I don't think so," a voice as cold as steel said. Poppy looked into the anteroom and saw James.
Her heart lurched violently. And then, without consciously being aware of moving, she was in his arms.
Oh, James, how did you find me?
All he kept saying was Are you all right?
"Yes," Poppy said finally, aloud. It was indescribably good to be with him again, to be held by him. Like waking up from a nightmare to see your mother smiling. She buried her face in his neck.
"You're sure you're all right?"
"Yes. Yes."
"Good. Then just hang on a moment while I kill this guy and we'll go."
He was absolutely serious. Poppy could feel it in his thoughts, in every muscle and sinew of his body. He wanted to murder Ash.
She lifted her head at the sound of Ash's laugh. "Well, it ought to be a good fight, anyway," Ash said.
No, Poppy thought. Ash was looking silky and dangerous and in a very bad mood. And even if James could beat him, James was going to get hurt. Even if she and James fought him together, there was going to be some damage.
"Let's just go," she said to James. "Quick." She added silently, I think he wants to keep us around until somebody from the party gets here.
"No, no," Ash said, in gloatingly enthusiastic tones. "Let's settle this like vampires."
"Let's not," said a breathless familiar voice. Poppy's head jerked aroun d. Climbing over the railing of the balcony, dusty but triumphant, was Phil.
"Don't you ever listen?" James said to him.
"Well, well," Ash said. "A human in an Elder's house. What are we going to do about that?"
"Look, buddy," Phil said, still breathless, brushing off his hands . "I don't know wh o you are or what horse you rode in on. But that's my sister there you're messing with, and I figure I've got the first right to knock your head off."
There was a pause while Poppy, James, and Ash all looked at him. The pause stretched. Poppy was aware of a sudden, completely inappropriate impulse to laugh. Then she realized that James was fighting desperately not to crack a smile.
Ash just looked Phil up and down, then looked at James sideways.
"Does this guy understand about vampires?" he said.
"Oh, yeah," James said blandly.
"And he's going to knock my head in?"
"Yeah," Phil said, and cracked his knuckles.
"What's so surprising about that?"
There was another pause. Poppy could feel minute
tremors going through James. Choked-back laughter. At last James said, admirably sober, "Phil really feels strongly about his sister."
Ash looked at Phil once more, then at James, and finally at Poppy. "Well ... there are three of you," he said.
"Yes, there are," James said, genuinely sober now. Grim.
"So I guess you do have me at a disadvantage. All right, I give up." He lifted his hands and then dropped them. "Go on, scram.