‘Yeah,’ Cyrus scoffed, ‘because a visit to an art gallery is just what we need right now.’
‘It’s open air, in direct sunlight and we can find somewhere to talk that’s out of the way. And, besides, it’s the last place any Mixen or Scorpio would think of going.’
Cyrus pulled a face at him.
‘He’s right. They won’t follow you there.’
They all spun around to stare at Issa who had climbed out of the car and silently appeared between them. Evie had almost forgotten she’d been with them.
‘Who are you?’ Cyrus demanded.
‘I’m Issa,’ Issa answered. ‘We have met but you don’t remember.’ She nodded curtly at Cyrus’s arm. ‘You need stitches and antibiotics; otherwise that arm’s going to get infected.’
Cyrus glared at her. ‘You’re a Sybll?’
Issa nodded.
‘And we really know each other?’ He looked to Evie for confirmation. She nodded.
‘How well do we know each other?’ he asked, cocking his chin and giving Issa a once-over.
Evie let out an exasperated sigh.
‘What?’ Cyrus asked, shrugging at her. ‘I’m only asking.’
‘You didn’t know her like that. She helped us break into the Bradbury building before.’
Cyrus turned and studied Issa. ‘Well, this is great timing. Where have you been the last couple of months though? We could have used your help.’
‘Look, are we going to get out of here or what?’ Flic suddenly demanded.
The sirens were getting louder.
‘Come on, she’s right. Let’s go,’ Vero said, running to one of the bikes.
Evie strode to the car and threw open the door. ‘Cyrus, get in,’ she ordered.
Chapter 48
‘We should all have guns.’
Evie stared around at the almost deserted space they were gathered in. It was a wide, open-air terrace with fountains, surrounded on all sides by futuristic-looking white buildings that apparently housed a world-famous art collection. Not that they’d checked out any of the art.
Close by, a toddler was shrieking and running in and out of a fountain while its mother sat on a nearby bench, smiling and cooing, as if this wasn’t a city where the murder rate was topping over forty people a day and where sightings of creatures with tails and green skin weren’t all over the news.
Here in this world, looking out over the smog-choked city, people wandered as if in happy exile, arm in arm, enjoying the warm October sunshine, laughing and joking, taking photos of the view, posing by the fountain, stopping occasionally to check their guide books before heading off to see more art.
Evie edged into the sunlight and glanced over at the table where the others were sitting. Vero had been to the bathroom and rinsed her face and hair and was wearing Ash’s jacket over her dress to hide the worst of the bloodstains. Issa was beside Cyrus, and the two of them were locked in close conversation. He was wearing a T-shirt they’d bought him in the gift shop. It had a Klimt print of two people kissing on the front, though Cyrus had taken one look at it and turned it inside out, protesting at its girliness. Blood had seeped through the makeshift bandage and stained the arm of it. That needed seeing to. Cyrus hadn’t said anything but she could tell by the tension around his eyes that he was in pain.
‘I repeat, cabron, we should all have guns.’
It was Selena talking. Since the fight her feistiness and aggressive tendencies had trebled.
‘Guns are no use for fighting in close combat,’ Victor answered her. ‘You’d probably shoot one of us by accident.’
Selena scowled at him.
‘Guns won’t work on Thirsters or Originals either,’ Ash added quietly, picking at the remains of a sandwich.
‘Well, what are we going to do?’
Evie marched over. ‘We’re going to get Cyrus to the hospital and get his wound stitched up before we do anything.’
‘It can wait,’ Cyrus said quickly.
‘That’s not what Issa says.’
‘OK, boss,’ he said, squinting at her through the bright sunlight, ‘but first we need to strategise.’
Evie sighed, and looked over at Flic, sitting apart from the others on a neighbouring table. Her feet were up on the chair in front and she was resting her elbows on her knees. She hadn’t said a word since they’d got there. She hadn’t taken her eyes off Victor either. She’d just sat there, her eyes glittering, fixing him with a predator stare.
‘We retaliate before nightfall,’ Evie said.
‘How?’ Vero asked. ‘You’re not up to full strength. Cyrus is wounded. We’re all tired. How are we going to fight more of these