lead her off to the side, out of danger.
More kept coming.
The vampires and humans of Morganville stood together, crowding the stage in front of Bishop, Ysandre, and Fran?ois. Not all of them - but more than half the room.
"You're not welcome here," Oliver said, "Master Bishop. This is our town. Our people. It's time for you to leave."
"A rebellion," Bishop said. "How refreshingly modern."
He nodded to Ysandre and Fran?ois. Fran?ois yanked Jennifer out of her seat on the dais.
Ysandre feinted toward Shane, then grabbed hold of Jason Rosser and sank her fangs deep into his neck.
Pandemonium. Sam and Michael both hit Fran?ois, bearing him backward as he tried to get his teeth into a screaming Jennifer, and Claire lost sight of them almost immediately. Bishop was on his feet, struggling hand to hand with Oliver.
Amelie, eyes the color and hardness of diamond, grabbed Ysandre by the back of the neck and yanked her backward, away from Jason.
"My property," she snapped, and held Ysandre at arm's length as she hissed and struggled. "Boy. Boy!" She bent over Jason, her pale fingers touching his face.
Jason opened his eyes. He was crying, Claire thought, but then she saw his face, and she knew that wasn't crying at all.
That was laughter.
"Sucker," he said.
"No!" Claire cried, but it was too late.
Jason took a stake out of the folds of his brown monk's robe and stabbed Amelie, right in the heart.
Everything stopped.
Amelie staggered backward. The wooden stake in her chest looked unreal, obscene, wrong.
Amelie was invulnerable. Couldn't be hurt.
A rim of blood spread into the white cloth around the stake, growing before Claire's eyes.
Sam screamed. He abandoned Fran?ois as Amelie fell, and caught her, easing her down to the wooden stage. The look on his face - Claire had never seen that much pain, ever.
Oliver punched Bishop so hard that the old man staggered backward and fell over the side of the throne; then Oliver moved to Amelie's side.
"No!" Oliver snapped as Sam took hold of the stake to pull it out. "She's old. She'll survive until we get her to safety. Take her!"
And then he turned as Jason lunged at him, crazy-eyed, with another stake. Oliver grabbed him in midair and snapped his arm with an effortless twist, tossing him across the stage to crash into Fran?ois, who had Michael down on the ground.
"Mom! Dad! Get out of here!" Claire yelled. Her dad beckoned her to come with them, but she shook her head. She wasn't leaving her friends behind. Not the way Myrnin had left her.
Her parents got out, all the way out the door. Others were running, mostly the ones who'd elected not to go up against Bishop in the first place. Claire saw Maria Theresa slipping out the side door, tugging her human tribute by the arm. He looked horrified, and he was trying to break free.
Out in the darkness, she heard screaming.
Amelie blinked, pulled in a breath, and whispered something to Sam. He looked up at Claire, and his face was as hard and pale as polished marble. "Endgame, " he said. "Bishop's counterattack."
Claire looked out and saw that some of those who'd held back were turning on their humans, or attacking other vampires. Bishop had brought his own sleeper agents with him, and it was only a matter of time before they made their way up to the stage. It was going to be a free-for-all.
Michael joined them. His clothes were ripped, and he had a bloodless cut along one cheekbone.
"Get them out of here!" Oliver yelled to him. "Now!"
Oliver lunged for Bishop, drove the older vampire back against the throne, and reached into his scarecrow costume. He pulled out a long, needle-pointed dagger, and shoved it through Bishop's chest to pin him to the wood.
It annoyed Bishop more than hurt him. Bishop wrenched free and pulled the dagger out, then back-handed Oliver so hard the other vampire went completely off the stage and out into the darkness of the banquet hall.
"Sam!" Michael yelled. Sam gathered up Amelie in his arms and jumped off the stage. Most of the others followed him. Michael grabbed Eve and Shane, and Claire turned to follow as they clattered down the stairs.
Ysandre stopped her.
"Not so fast," she said. Her voice no longer sounded like a purr; it was a growl, low and vicious. "You I want."
Claire fumbled for a weapon. She came up with a fork from a fallen place setting, and stabbed it into Ysandre's arm. The vampire yelped, plucked it out, and