Or at least, itlookedlike he had hold.
She saw him curl his fist around the collar of that tweedy little jacket, and a wave of vicious relief ran through her. Now it would end. Of course it would—Bram had a foot on the man. He loomed over Cobble, so young and vigorous and healthy looking by comparison. Cobble doddered, he needed a cane; he frequently sat during lectures, as though worn-out. It almost looked as if he needed support, when he clutched at Bram’s chest.
Until his entire face changed.
It seemed to split into a sort of grin.
Although really it was more like a grimace. A ghoulish thing that made her think of graves, of horrors. She got a glimpse of teeth that were definitely not normal, and tried to warn Bram. But of course, Bram already knew. He made his own sound of shock, about a second before Cobble drew him close briefly.
As if for a kiss.
And then he simply wound back his arm and threw Bram into the darkness of the hall beyond. She heard a crash, distinctive enough that she knew what it meant. He hadn’t just hurled him against a wall. He had hurled himthroughit.Into Professor Sullivan’s office most likely, she thought. Though it could have conceivably been farther. It could have been through to next week.
Because Cobble was not weak, he was not old, he was not feeble.
He wasn’t evenhuman.
He was a vampire.
Or at least, whatever sort of vampire he’d made himself, by stealing whatever he could from the man he had claimed to care for.What ghastly experiments did you do to turn yourself into this?she thought. But of course, she couldn’t say. Terror and fear for Bram had seized her throat.
And they seized it harder when Cobble casually turned his gaze on her.
Mouth closing, face relaxing into that old familiar absentmindedness. He even took his little glasses off and gave them a polish. As if to really rub in just how wonderful his act was. To show off a little, maybe, after years of having to pretend he was nothing at all.
“Well, my dear. It seems it is just you and I now again,” he said, almost chuckling as he did. “So much the same as it was all those years ago. And this time with an advantage—oh, dear me, yes, awonderfuladvantage. That cretin suddenly smart enough to keep you a secret, to not say a word even to me, to sneak you around and share with you and give you a chance to shock him with the truth,” he said, then laughed and clapped his hands, delighted. “And yet somehow still, you prove too pathetic and weak to really do a thing about it. I am to win the day for stability and decency once more. Delicious, indeed.”
“Thatis what you think you’re doing? Defending stability and decency?”
“Of course. Though naturally, I would never expect such a corroded soul as yours to understand such a concept. Consorting with creatures and lowlifes and the like. That little friend of yours, my goodness. And her disgusting little boyfriend, too. You can tell the cracks are showing when the barrier is letting their kind through. Though not to worry—after this, I think I shall pay them a little visit, as well.”
He shook his head and sort of looked down.
As if to say,Well, it’s all very regrettable, but what can you do?
When of course what he was talking about wasmurderingherfriend. He was talking aboutkillingher, once he hadkilled them. And after he had, two things became absolutely clear to her: He had done this many times before. To many people. That he had definitely done it to Anaya, to Jyoti. To Frank, to Will.
And that she would make her chest a cannon and fire her heart at him before she would let him get anyone else. Not Bram, most likely unconscious and waiting for whatever fate was coming. Not Anaya, still alight but in so much danger. No one, not one person more, sacrificed to some ridiculous idea that a few old rich men should get to decide who was worthy, and who wasn’t.
Though she didn’t quite have to sacrifice her own body for it.
She just had to understand exactly the kind of person he was.
And the kind of person she seemed like.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she said. “I don’t have any of Lilibet’s power.”
At which, his face lit up. He took a step forward, almost rubbing his hands together with glee. “Oh, I know, I know. Such a pale imitation of her, really. Not even able to mount a defense against fire or so I hear. Yes, very unfortunate, all things considered,” he said, tongue curling up to lick over one ugly, bastardized fang.
Just like she had hoped.
He didn’t want to use his wand this time.
He wanted to see what the real thing was like, now that he had the means.Stealing and hoarding for yourself what you would condemn and curse and keep from everyone else, how fitting, how very English, she thought. But she kept the seething fury that produced off her face. She crumpled it and stepped back. She cringed against the wall of the office. Covered her eyes, so it seemed that she couldn’t even see to do a single thing, to let even a bit of her desire in and her magic out.
And true to form, he went for her.
He surged forward as fast as Bram had done, one clawed hand reaching out to grab her. She actually felt it brush the back of her hand, scary enough that she thought she hadn’t managed the trick. But then it fell away, fast as anything, as he let out a sound of shock.