He would have been angry when the music had gone up to piercing decibels, but the beat had energized him, made him faster, caused him to fight harder.
“Someone pack that music,” he shouted as they headed toward the back door.
“On it!” Rafe shouted.
Milo stood beside outside next to the bikes.
The beta got on one of them and tossed a set of keys to Noah for the one beside him.
“And what about me?” Sydney asked.
“I thought you’d just want to ride with Noah.”
“You thought wrong.”
Noah laughed and shrugged. “You may as well teach us both at the same time.” In truth, he was grateful she wanted to learn. It would make him feel less awkward learning something he should have been able to do when he was fourteen—and would have been able to do if not for being imprisoned.
Milo turned to Sydney, “Would they have any idea where you might be going? Where home is?”
She looked like a spooked animal. “I was betrayed by someone, and they knew where we were from. What if they’re waiting for us when we get home? They’ll know we can’t travel during the day. What if they attack our families?”
“Don’t they have wards and protections?” Milo asked.
“Yes, but they tried to keep magic and technology usage to a minimum to stay off the grid so as not to attract the humans. I don’t know how heavy their security is, how many people the city would send, and if they can defend against it. Stupid sunlight! I wish I wasn’t a vampire.”
“We’ve got about five hours until sunrise. We need to get on the road and travel as far as we can,” Milo said. “Then I’ll go back and meet the others halfway to make sure they followed the trail. Where we heading?”
“Do you know where Cary Town is?” Sydney asked.
The beta laughed. “Do I know where Cary Town is? Everybody knows about Cary Town.
“Yes, but do you know where it is?”
“General vicinity. From there I’m sure you can tell me.”
Sydney looked doubtful. “I only left once. I was running away. My dad can be overbearing and overprotective.”
“You mean your sire?”
“No, my dad. I was born, not turned.”
Milo’s eyes widened. “Your dad isn’t Anthony Burgess is he?”
“That’s him.”
“We had the vampire princess with us this whole time, and we didn’t know it. The pack probably wouldn’t have complained about a vampire alpha if they knew your lineage. Vampire or not, royalty is still royalty. It wouldn’t feel shameful, at least.”
“It’s not as regal as you might think these days. Cary Town has broken down. There’s just him, my mom, and a few other vampires and human mates they’ve captured over the years. Noah’s old pack is there. There’s a cranky old sorcerer and a werecat in the woods. And some vampire that doesn’t talk much to my dad, but he lives with a guardian in the abandoned church. And that’s Cary Town now. Otherwise it’s a ghost town. Hardly worth visiting.”
“Are there lots of wild places to run?”
“Yeah, I guess. I haven’t been out very much.”
Her description made Noah miss home. He still remembered the smell of the woods. He’d been too young to realize yet how much the world was changing for the worst and all the things he was about to lose. But no matter how deserted Cary Town had become, he couldn’t imagine the caves his dad’s pack lived in had changed much. Or the woods for that matter. The more deserted it was, the better, in his opinion.
“We need to get on the road,” Noah said. “I’m sure when we get close I’ll pick up a familiar scent.”
Milo gave them a crash course in motorcycles. After a few false starts and one minor crash, they took off and rode for hours. Noah followed Milo until he was more confident with the bike. Then he took the lead. With one long stretch of deserted highway it was no great mystery which direction to go.
After a considerable time on the road, Sydney pulled out ahead and over to the shoulder. Noah and the beta came to a stop beside her.
“Is something wrong?” Noah asked.
“I can feel the sun coming soon. It’s hard to explain. I didn’t feel this way before because I was always too tired to notice. We need to start looking for a place for me to sleep for the day. There was a deserted farmhouse we stayed in on the trip down, I don’t think it’s very far from here.”
“We’ll follow if you want to try to look for it,” Noah said.
Sydney nodded and started her bike back up. They followed her several miles until she took an exit and went down more deserted road. And then, looming in front of them, was the farmhouse surrounded by acres and acres of land with some woods behind it. Great, he could hunt something before they had to get back on the road again.
They pulled their bikes into a dilapidated barn.
“I’m going to head back to meet the others,” Milo said.
“Okay.” Noah watched Milo disappear down the road, then he followed Sydney into the farmhouse, his senses on high alert for any other squatters. But it was deserted just like she’d said.
10
Sydney was beginning to question her own judgment. What madness had overtaken her to make her think this was a good idea after the last time she’d been here?
But she knew the place. It was secure enough. And if Noah slept on the bed, he had a view outside the large picture window. No one could sneak up on them here.
“Sydney? You okay?”
“It’s hard to be here.”
“Did you know he planned to turn you over to them when you were here the last time?”
She nodded, staring at the closet as if it might come to life and devour her. “It’s just… not good memories. And it makes me think about him, and then I remember killing him. I wish there had been another place, but I knew this was safe.”
Noah pulled her to him and held her close. “You’re safe with me.”
Of course she was safe with him. She’d never once doubted it. Not since she’d known who he was, at least. Before that it had been iffy.
Given his captivity, maybe someone else would have doubted him, worried that place had changed him and made him dangerous. But the way he looked at her and protected her now was the same as when they’d been kids. Whatever had changed in him, that was one thing that remained constant.
The red glow of the sun started to peek over the horizon. She’d felt dawn screaming inside her brain louder and louder, but she’d ignored it while trying to deal with the farmhouse. She had to tell herself repeatedly that she wasn’t crazy. This place was a known element, and they hadn’t had time to be picky with sunrise breathing down their necks.
She jumped into the closet before the first ray of light could touch her skin.
“Sydney?”
“Yeah?”
“Is this going to be a safety risk every day? You leaping out of the way of the sun at the last minute?”
She managed a weak laugh. “No. I felt it coming for a while. I was just being a spaz. I’ll listen to the yelling in my brain more next time.”
“Good to hear.”