She wondered where the rest of Olivia's IAB officers were, and why Wes was there at all, instead of letting the Sucubatti handle this. Heidi broke them down into four groups, with the Professor and Ginny in her group, along with the other four elderly Benefactors. Zoey looked again at Ginny, whose eyes lingered on the other three groups.
"Seem odd we've got all the Incubuses on our team?" Zoey asked.
"Very. Either it's because we're damned good or it's a set-up."
Zoey thought the same. She checked Ginny over for weapons, aware her fellow Team R partner was capable of fighting as well as Vikki. She handed Ginny one of the energy drinks Olivia supplied, suspecting they'd need them.
"Ginny, Zoey, you're going south, through the worst part," Wes said then paused. "You know to call for help, Ginny? Because I know Zoey doesn't."
"We don't need help," Ginny retorted.
"We're good," Zoey seconded. "In fact, I bet you we beat you to the site."
"You should know now not to make a bet with an Enforcer," he replied.
She flushed and turned away.
"I'll send you the address to the site when you're close enough," Wes added.
Zoey motioned the Benefactors in front of her to start moving.
"Zoey, forward?" Ginny asked. "We can start moving towards our cafe."
Zoey nodded, blood humming with adrenaline. She trotted out of the building and studied the situation expertly. The Cambions were swarming the campus, the Hunters engaged. Uneasiness broke over her as she realized just how many Cambions there were. They took no chances that anyone escaped and even brought saws to cut through the fences. There was no route that wouldn't be contested.
Mind on the Professor, Zoey chose the safest path possible and started forward, gun in one hand and knife in the other. She waited until she was within striking distance of the first Cambion then loosened her magic and instincts, smashing a kick to the back of his head then whirling to slice the throat of the next one. The third, she shot. Several more heard the commotion and broke off from the Hunters they were battling. She guessed they were under orders to grab or kill the elders, for the Hunters seemed to be of little real interest.
"Watch your back, Zoey," Wes advised.
She whipped around and danced away from a strike aimed at her head. A slash of her lucky knife, and the attacker fell. Another shot, and the guy behind him did. She waved the small group forward. Ginny broke away to engage a Cambion charging from a different direction while Zoey pushed their route forward. Her body warmed in the cold day as she fought to clear their path. She soaked up the sex energy around her and gathered it, releasing it in bursts to confuse the Cambions and letting it feed her adrenaline.
"Fifteen," she grunted into the mic.
"Seven," Ginny replied.
"Maybe those three strikes have slowed you down." She straightened from her latest kill suddenly, recognizing the face of a Cambion who had one blue eye and one brown. Her anger flared as she remembered him throwing the dagger that almost killed her. "Oh, that son of a bitch finally shows himself." She started in his direction.
"Focus, Zoey," Wes said. "That Cambion is off limits."
"Why?" she asked. "I owe him."
"Get the Professor out of there first."
She stopped. He was right. Agitated, she whirled to face the garage, swept her arms out then gave an exaggerated bow. After the display, her eyes settled on the Professor, who was in the center of the group being escorted by Ginny while Zoey cleared a path for them. The Professor wagged a finger at her, a sign he was doing alright.
"Declan's gonna love my report," Wes said.
She flipped him off then shot and slashed through another two Cambions. Trotting back to her path, the stockpiled magic swept through her. She wanted the Cambion leader dead in a bad way. She took out her anger on the next group of Cambions. Her calm was slipping as she soaked up the Cambion magic. There were hundreds of them on the campus, and she pulled everything she could to her.
Zoey let it intoxicate her then yielded to it, hacking, slashing, stabbing and smashing her way through the Cambions in their path. It took an hour to fight their way to the edge of campus where the neighborhood began. She stopped, breathing hard, as the last of their wards passed them into the street off campus. She and Ginny had cut a swath of death through the masses fighting. More were pursuing while her senses picked up on those lying in wait ahead of her.
Thoughts of death and fighting didn't bother her. The magic coursing through her made her ache for Declan for reasons she refused to acknowledge. What made her hesitate: knowing there was nowhere to go home to this night. When Eric kicked her out, she'd been upset but understood she had a place with the Professor. Now that home, too, was gone. The campus as a whole was gone. She hadn't liked her life with the Sucubatti, but it was all she knew.
"You okay?" Ginny joined her, sweating.
"Good. Wes, we're off campus," Zoey said.
"Got it."
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.
"There's no going back," Zoey replied, meeting her gaze.
Ginny squeezed her arm. "Team Rogue. Come on. You're point." She hurried towards the group.
Zoey looked away, lost and angry once again. She'd thought those feelings ended with Eric. She chugged one of the energy drinks, the familiar bitterness making her pause again. Why did it taste like the amaretto sours that almost killed her and Vikki?
"Any day now, Z!" Ginny shouted.
Zoey ran forward, opening her senses as she did, guiding them into a narrow alley. Evacuation protocol was to keep to alleys and back streets, away from the human population, when possible.
A strange sensation crept through her, as if she were close to losing consciousness. Her ears buzzed and the edge of her mind was dark. Instead of creeping up to surprise the Cambions waiting to ambush, she charged into their midst, struggling to stay focused. Her control slipped at the combination of the strange darkness and magic, and she immersed herself in the scent of blood.
"Old Zoey's back," Ginny said over the radio. "Wes, you got Declan's number? These meltdowns don't end well."
"Not... a meltdown!" Zoey retorted.
"Get your ass out front."
"Ginny..." Zoey stumbled. "I don't feel right."
"Easy, Zoey," Ginny urged. "We gotta get the Professor out of here."
Zoey struggled to rein in the magic at the reminder of the Professor. She wanted badly to let it take her, but doing so meant she'd be blocks away instead of where she needed to be. There were a dozen Cambions around her. A couple scored minor blows before she'd cleared them. She stopped, chest heaving. She was fighting something again. It was like when Olivia's magic tried to seize her, only she didn't know what magic this was.
"Zoey," Wes said. "You good?"
"Good enough," she said between breaths. Her gaze scoured the street. "No way we're taking a direct route. This place is swarming."
"Do what you need to."
"Ginny, let me run ahead. You okay?" Zoey glanced back to see her fighting.
"Good. Go," Ginny grunted.
Zoey sprinted to the end of the block and crossed the street into a small manufacturing and warehouse district. The most direct route would take them through it, but her instincts were at a scream. It seemed quiet. The magic in the air was thick, tempting her to tackle the street, if only to help her focus outside the internal battle.
Activity in that area is off the charts. Head east to K Street then south. Declan said into her mind.
She hesitated, grappling with whether or not she should trust him.
Or don't. I'll rescue you, for a price.
With a grunt, Zoey backed away from the intersection and turned east. She ran ahead of the group, using her senses to pick up the enemy.
"We're not going straight through?" Ginny asked, no doubt spotting her headed down a different direction than planned.
"No," Zoey replied. "East."
"Headed your way."
Zoey doubled back to the group. Their pace slowed to help the elders, who appeared to be under duress. She studied the Professor. He was pale, but managed a drawn smile. She caught Ginny's eye and motioned to the elders.
"You're bleeding, Zoey, dear," the Professor said in concern.
She looked down to where he pointed. Her arm was slashed.
"Superficial," she said with a smile.
"That shoulder doesn't look good," Ginny said over the radio, her voice too quiet for the Benefactors to hear.
Zoey glanced down and shook her arm. She hadn't noticed the stab wound in her shoulder. The pain seemed to be blocked by whatever it was that was trying to pull her into unconsciousness.
"Moves fine, doesn't hurt," she replied. "Incoming." She moved forward to intercept.
Only two. She took care of them quickly then moved a few dozen meters ahead of the group to scout. A full ten minutes passed without another opponent, and she grew antsy with the caged magic and heightened senses. The cold weather started to sink into her skin, along with the reality she didn't want to face.
Zoey, you know you always have somewhere to go. Declan's words were gentle. They confused her even more.
She tapped the mic off to respond. "I'm going insane."
I know you felt what happened last night. I know you know what that means. We share a soul. Why fight it?
She willed herself as hard as she could not to answer.
My soul-mate, willing to face a herd of Cambions, but not me. He was amused.
"Declan, can I ask you something?"
Go for it.
"You're working with Olivia. She told me something. I can't ..." she couldn't say the words, but she thought them.
I didn't know you and Vikki were her daughters.
"She says you did."
We the Incubatti didn't. Olivia plays games with people, Zoey. She's probably trying to drive a wedge between us, so she can manipulate one of us.
Olivia said Declan would lie to her, too. She knew he saw that thought, if he saw the others. Declan didn't respond to it, though.
"You're working together, right?" she asked. "I'm not leading the Professor somewhere where he'll be in danger?"
For now, the Enforcers are assisting Olivia with coordinating the evacs. It's an uneasy truce at best, but I can't openly oppose the Cambions.
"Why not?"
We're not ready for civil war yet. In any case, the Professor will never be in danger. That I can promise you.
"I don't like this," she said, uneasy with the newest secret or entrusting her sweet Alexander to anyone. "If we break off and kill Cambions, you'll still back me?"
Yes.
"That's so weird. This isn't going to work out, if we're on different sides or if everyone on the planet is trying to hunt me down. I can't imagine Olivia letting me do this."
It changes nothing between you and me.
"Professionally?" she asked archly. "It changes everything. Personally, it may not." Hearing her words, she rushed on. "I mean... not that there is a personal...dammit!"
You know I own you. There's nothing that will stand between us, Zoey.
His words made her heart flip flop in her chest. They were spoken with the quiet, lethal conviction of someone who would do whatever it took to enforce them. Knowing he was reading her, she refused to acknowledge the thrill or fear that went through her.
"You supporting an organization that kills girls like me? I've seen what Cambions do!"
Loyalties are not simple. You know how I feel.
"That's it?" she demanded. "How do I come home to you at night knowing you're creating what I'm trying to destroy? Not that I'm coming...goddamn it!"
The Cambions have gone rogue as well, under the influence of a few Incubuses. We'll talk more in the morning.
"Nice try. You are so not getting to third base."
I'm glad you consider me home, even if only during night time.
"Only for a shower!" she said, frustrated. "Especially now that the Professor's house was torched."
One minute, you're spitting fire at me. The next you're purring. I love seeing you like that.
Her face flamed at the memories of their lovemaking. The ache hit her hard, fed by the sex energy and adrenaline.
Yeah, me, too. You're at a disadvantage with a hurricane as a soul-mate. I know what it does to you. Besides, where else will you go tonight?
Zoey stopped moving. Her chest tightened to the point of pain. "That was low."
Wes says to turn on your mic.
"Fuck you!"