Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine Page B

or who’d fought on Amelie’s side at the banquet. Some of them were struggling, but most seemed quiet.
    Some looked unconscious .
    “They’re not hurt,” Lisa said. “I just want ’em out of the way, in case things go bad.”
    “You’re making one hell of a move, Lisa,” Hannah said. “I hope you know what the hell you’re about.”
    “I’m about protecting my own. You ought to be, too.”
    Hannah nodded slowly. “Let’s go,” she said to Claire and Eve.
    “What about—”
    “No,” Hannah said. “No radio. Not here.”
    Lisa moved into their path, a shotgun cradled in her arms. “Going so soon?”
    Claire forgot to breathe. There was a feeling here, a darkness in the air. The vampires, those who were still awake, were staring at them. Expecting rescue, maybe?
    “You don’t want to do this,” Hannah said. “We’re not your enemies.”
    “You’re standing with the vamps, aren’t you?”
    There it was, out in the open. Claire swallowed hard. “We’re trying to get everybody out of this alive,” she said. “Humans and vampires.”
    Lisa didn’t look away from her cousin’s face. “Not going to happen,” she said. “So you’d better pick a side.”
    Hannah stepped right up into her face. After a cold second, Lisa moved aside. “Already have,” Hannah said. She jerked her head at Claire and Eve. “Let’s move.”
    Outside in the car, they all sat in silence for a few seconds. Hannah’s face was grim and closed off, not inviting any conversation.
    Eve finally said, “You’d better tell Oliver. He needs to know about this.”
    Claire plugged in the code and tried. “Oliver, come in. Oliver, it’s Claire. I have an update. Oliver!”
    Static hissed. There was no response.
    “Maybe he’s ignoring you,” Eve said. “He seemed pretty annoyed before.”
    “You try.” Claire handed it over, but it was no use. Oliver wasn’t responding. They tried calling for anyone at Common Grounds instead, and got another voice, one Claire didn’t recognize.
    “Hello?”
    Eve squeezed her eyes shut in relief. “Excellent. Who’s this?”
    “Quentin Barnes.”
    “Tin-Tin! Hey man, how are you?”
    “Ah—good, I guess.” Tin-Tin, whoever he was, sounded nervous. “Oliver’s kind of busy right now. He’s trying to keep some people from taking off.”
    “Taking off?” Eve’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
    “Some of the vamps, they’re just trying to leave. It’s too close to dawn. He’s had to lock some of them up.”
    Things were getting weird all over. Eve keyed the mike and said, “There’s trouble at the Day House. Lisa’s tied up the vamps. She’s going to sit this thing out. I think—I think maybe she’s working with some other people, trying to put together a third side. All humans.”
    “Dude,” Tin-Tin sighed, “that’s just what we need, getting the vampire slayers all in the mix. Okay, I’ll tell Oliver. Anything else?”
    “More empty vampire cars. You think they’re like those guys who were trying to leave? Maybe, I don’t know, getting drawn off somewhere?”
    “Probably. Look, just watch yourself, okay?”
    “Will do. Eve out.”
    Hannah stirred in the back. “Let’s move out to the next location.”
    “I’m sorry,” Claire said. “I know they’re your family and all.”
    “Lisa always was preaching about how we could take the town if we stuck together. Maybe she’s thinking it’s the right time to make a move.” Hannah shook her head. “She’s an idiot. All she’s going to do is get people killed.”
    Claire was no general, but she knew that fighting a war on two fronts and dividing their forces wasn’t a great idea. “We have to find Amelie.”
    “Wherever she’s gotten herself off to,” Eve snorted. “If she’s even still—”
    “Don’t,” Claire whispered. She restlessly rubbed the gold bracelet on her wrist until it dug into her skin. “We need her.”
    More than ever, she was guessing.
     
    By the time they’d