Catalyst Page 0,74

a chance to say anything else.

Tension lined Kahli's shoulders and arms. "Have you forgotten what murder is, Cole?"

He rounded on her. Using his body, he shoved Kahli hard into the wall. The movement was fast and hard. Kahli's head banged into the plaster, pieces of it flaked off into her hair on impact, "Don't assume you know crap about my life." He held his arm on her neck. If he threw his weight into his arm, it would crush her throat.

Kahli couldn't let him think he was right, "There's no justification you can give that makes it right, ever. I have blood on my hands. Vamp blood. Human blood. It was my decision." She choked the words out. Cole's arm remained in place as she spoke. "Never for one moment did I pretend that it wasn't wrong."

"But you killed them anyway," he breathed. "You hunted the Trackers and picked them off one by one. You attacked Will and tried to kill him yourself when you first got here. You're honestly telling me, given the chance again, that you wouldn't slaughter the lot of them?"

Kahli's throat burned. Cole dropped her, and stepped away. Kahli fell forward, and sucked in air, choking. Cole was dangerous, more so than she thought. When she stood, Kahli straightened her spine and walked up to Cole. Inches from his face, she said with utter conviction, "I wish they never existed. I wish they never found us, never hunted us, never needed us to survive. If I had it to do over again, I'd want to kill every last vampire, but I wouldn't..."

With a bewildered look on his face, Cole asked, "Why?"

Kahli answered, "Because some of them are as trapped as we are. Some of them are worse off than me and you. Their families were slaughtered, too. They're weak and dying, starving to death. This isn't right. The way the world works is broken, Cole. You can't kill everyone in it and start over. Life doesn't work that way." Disgusted with him, Kahli shook her head and moved toward the door.

"I don't understand you," he confessed, but it sounded like an accusation. Cole fell in step behind her and Kahli pulled the door open.

Looking at him over her shoulder, she said, "Join the club."

Chapter 38

Reggie made the mistake of arriving alone. The Queen's guards were at his back, his insane sister in front of him. "Darling, Sophia. How's the evening progressing for you? Out for a bit of fresh air?" he asked smiling. The wind blew harshly, blowing his coat open.

Sophia stood before him in her flimsy red dress, the skirt blowing in the wind like a bloody streamer. Her lips pulled back into a smile, revealing her pointed teeth, "Nice to see you, brother. Have you brought me more gifts? Or perhaps returned the one that was stolen from me?" Sophia looked past him, but only saw her guards. When she looked back at her brother, she lifted a delicate brow to indicate she was waiting for a reply - and it better not suck.

Reggie clasped his hands behind his back and smiled widely. "You know, the strangest thing happened. When I left yesterday, I managed to get lost in the storm. Thomas drove us into the wasteland where I came across a young man and a red-headed girl."

Sophia stepped toward him, half excited, half angry. "Where are they? You found both of them?"

Reggie, beamed, nodding, not exactly sure how to play his hand since his salvation ran off and didn't come back. Damn that girl. "I did. They're here now. I set them loose once we were on the grounds. Will was bringing her back to you, when they disappeared. I heard there was some question of loyalty last night, and I wanted to present them to you myself, but I'm not a fool."

She folded her small arms over her chest, "Apparently you are, dear brother, because I've yet to see young William or the girl."

"Yes," he said nervously, but still smiling. "But a gift given is still a gift, sister. They are here. Your guards know it. They've seen them."

Sophia snapped her fingers impatiently, her red nails flashing in the moonlight. The guards that escorted Reggie in fell in front of Sophia, bowing lowly. "Did you see the girl? Or Will?"

The guards rose. "Yes, Your Majesty. They were both in the truck when your brother arrived. The girl fell out the door, and the boy ran after her. We sent a pair