Blood in the Water Read Online Free

beckons
urgently.
    “ We gotta weave! All right, let’s go!”
    I’m gonna take that as a yes.
     

 
     
     
     
     
    I PILE INTO THE BACK and Zavier
slams one door shut, pointing at me with a bony finger and a stern
look. “You. Just ... do exactly what Louise says. In fact, do what anyone in here
says. They’re all in charge of you. Please, for once in your life,
do what you’re told?” He sounds beleaguered and I nod vigorously,
squeezing into the corner.
    “ Honest, I will!”
    He
squints at me for a moment, rubbing a large hand over his shaven
head, and I endeavour to look sombre. I do know how serious this
is, after all. I’ve been in two minor skirmishes since I began
training at the Protectorate—four breaches, but two were for
training, the other two doorways that we actually had to close to
keep demons from invading the human world. Never before has the
alarm gone off like this, though, and my fingers twitch in
anticipation.
    This is gonna be a big one.
    The other van door shuts, the engine revs, and I’m shoved
into the person next to me with the force of acceleration as we
peel out of the garage. I look around; a serious-faced young woman
with closely shorn reddish hair, who appears to be about twenty,
leans forward, meeting my eyes. She’s wearing a fancy-looking
bluetooth device and could probably snap me in half with one hand,
judging by the thickly corded muscles bulging under her shirt
sleeves. Warrior for sure , and she could
be in the regular military with that buzz cut. The girl’s deft fingers are assembling a large,
confusing-looking gun, but she doesn’t even look down. I
do.
    Ooh, shiny.
    “ All right, weave, you’re new, we’re not.
Like Zav said, you do exactly what I tell you.”
    Zav? You’re best friends, I take it? I shut my mouth firmly. My inner commentary always gets sarcastic when I’m
scared, and it can be a problem, especially when I don’t manage to
keep my thoughts to myself. I’m resolute that that won’t happen
this time. This is too important.
    “ Order of command goes me first—Louise, Bravo Sierra
command.”
    Perfect, your call sign is ‘BS.’ How did no one notice
that? I shake the thought off, determined
to pay attention. This is serious, now.
    “ I go down, it’s Ruble.” She points at a rangy, coffee-skinned
boy with wild dreadlocks spraying in every direction and an
off-centre lip ring. He lifts his chin in friendly
welcome.
    “ Then Milly,”—a Latina girl with impressive shoulders and a
pugnacious expression—“Danika,”—an older-looking white girl,
missing a front tooth when she grins—“And Paulie.” This one can’t
be more than fourteen, his confident hands sharpening a huge
hunting knife even as the van hurtles around corners at high
speed.
    I hope
he doesn’t drop it; knowing my luck, I’d end up in the path of the
massive blade.
    “ Then the warlocks, Barry and Jaz, either or.” She points at
the two remaining occupants of the van—a prematurely bald guy with
Irish colouring and an Asian girl, both reading rapidly, mouthing
words under their breath. The guy’s hands are glowing a deep, fuzzy
violet, indicating that he’s currently performing some kind of
spell.
    Louise doesn’t seem fazed by the mystical energy whirling
round his fingertips, though, and keeps talking. “Then, if we
are all dead, you
can make your own decisions. But only then. Got it?”
    I nod,
suddenly nervous, the seriousness of the van getting into my blood.
These people, some of them younger than me, have an air of
professional competence that’s easy to respect. “So … what’s
actually happening? I’ve never seen so many people
mobilised.”
    Especially not me. I’m not even really trained; I’ve only
been out with Donnie before, and he’s a weave. He’s probably in one
of the other vans, so why aren’t I with him? What if I don’t know
what to do? Oh shit. I’m gonna screw this up.
    Danika
reaches out and hands me something. It’s a