She opened her eyes to find that she lay on the courtyard’s cobblestones. Her sword lay on the ground in front of her.
The skwee controlled people were still there too—except they weren’t attacking. The woman she who’d told them to leave was telling the rest. “Don’t go back in the building. We need to make sure they’re all dead first.”
The younger children were crying except for one that had slid the oily ashes off the back of his neck and was trying to smear them on the pants of the boy next to him. The other child began to dodge, but was already reaching to the back of his own neck.
Amy missed whether or not the child managed to retaliate because Armand stepped into her view. “Amy, you’re awake?”
She pushed herself up. “I’m awake.”
“Don’t move too much and don’t stand up. You used a lot of power. Are you feeling dizzy?” Armand had sheathed his sword and was looking her over.
She thought about it. Aside from the instant she woke, she didn’t feel dizzy at all. “No. I don’t feel dizzy at all.”
“Really? Most people who empty themselves are dizzy for an hour or two.” In a lower voice he added, “And sometimes they’re… dangerous afterward.”
“I don’t think I emptied myself. I used more power at once than I should have.” She smiled up at him. “I know you’re worried and I know why, but I have emptied myself before and I know the difference.”
He nodded. “Just give yourself a little while anyway. I don’t want to risk anything.”
Sybil’s voice sounded in her head. He’s being reasonable. If you were a normal blood sorcerer, he might save a life with this advice.
Amy knew she was right. She’d learned the story of the Elders just the same as everyone else. They’d come from somewhere else, some of them fleeing, some chasing, all of them with hunger for blood and human life force.
Over time, they’d mated with humans and became humanity’s ruling class. She, like all blood sorcerers was descended from them. She’d told Nick a few times that her world’s vampires were different. They were alive—except the very oldest. Those were undead. Most of what she knew about them came from past Bloodmaidens. With any luck, she’d never face one.
“I understand,” she told Armand. “It’s better to be safe. You can let them go back into the building, though. The last one I sensed was about half a mile away. If you don’t believe me, use your sight.”
“Sure,” he said, squeezing his left hand, the one with the drip ring and staring at the building.
After a minute or so, he said, “I don’t see them. I’m going to call in a team because that’s procedure, but they’re safe. We’ll just need to confirm that there aren’t more in the area.”
He held his left hand up and mumbled to it. As he talked, a bird formed out of the blood next to his drip ring. Red and the size of a sparrow, it perched on his fingers until he finished talking and then flew away.
Turning to the small crowd of residents, Armand said, “You can go back inside, but if you see anything that worries you, get out. We’ll have people here in a little while, people who are better at sensing things than I am. I’m better at fighting.”
He turned away from them as hushed conversations among the group began. At the same time, one of the women started scolding two boys who now had ash colored smears on their shirts.
Amy stood up. She didn’t feel dizzy at all. She did feel tired, but not, “I finished a marathon,” tired. She felt, “a quick run around a short track,” tired.
“Are you sure,” he asked.
She grabbed her sword, wiped off the blade with a rag from her jacket pocket, and said, “I’m fine. You can watch me, but I promise you I won’t try to drain anyone.”
“If you say so,” he said.
Amy considered summoning her sight, but decided against it. With as little power she had left, it might even be a risk.
Sybil spoke in her mind. It would be a risk. Worse, it might call attention to you.
Amy thought back, From who?
From whom? It’s anybody’s guess. The skwee come along with others. They’re servants to whatever powerful creature happens to carry them through.
Amy looked over the courtyard. What kind of creatures do they tag along with?
Sybil didn’t answer instantly. Amy waited. It’s hard to say. The last time I saw one, I found what your friends in the other world would call a vampire—one of the Elders who’d existed so long that he’d failed to notice he’d died and continued to operate a hidden empire that stretched between the great cities of Europe. You don’t want to summon the attention of that sort of thing when you’re weak.