Page 52 (1/2)

Duncan led his people toward the tunnel entrance, their way lit by the blaze itself He dodged aside as another section of floor gave way, the fire licking toward the and black He stopped beneath the break, using a second push of power to blow the flauel led thely offered his power to augment that of his Sire Duncan rested a hand on the shorter vaood time, Louis This isn’t over yet"

Louis nodded, his eyes on the va by, until everyone was past and he and Duncan took up the rear Up ahead, the first of his vampires reached the reinforced hole in the here the tunnel entrance would have been It already bore the heavy framework of support for the planned vault-style door The relief of his vampires was a fresh breeze in his mind as they crossed into the relative safety of the tunnel

It was dark inside, and cold They were ten feet underground and Duncan could feel the da into his pores instead of held back by two solid feet of concrete Alaric had insisted on the extra thickness of the walls, reton, DC was built on a swaht now that extra thickness was one more barrier between his vampires and safety

E She didn’t know exactly why they were digging, except that Alaric had told her it would help Duncan and his va house She’d frowned at his explanation, but illing to do whatever it took to save Duncan, so she’d offered to help dig Alaric had laughed and assured her his people could do it far faster Casting about for so to do besides stare helplessly, she’d found a supply of bottled water in the garage and hauled it out to the yard Everyone seemed to appreciate that, even the vampires, but there was only soand waiting

Fire Captain Stavros caers, then ?" he demanded

E a rescue tunnel"

"A rescue--" Stavros glared at her, then as if a light had gone on over his head, his expression cleared and he said, "Vampires"

Emma nodded "Yes" And then swore to herself privately because Stavros had figured it out before she did Obviously, Duncan and his vampires slept somewhere in the basement, not on the second floor as she’d assumed And it was equally obvious that there had to be soround escape hatch She didn’t find this sudden epiphany very reassuring, however, since it wasn’tfro a rescue hole to trapped miners They could be anywhere, and how did you knohether the rescue hole was going to be in the sa what else to say, she handed Stavros a bottle of water, then froze when Alaric shouted and everyone stopped digging Erabbed their equip on?" she asked Alaric when he strode over to the garage and began urging her inside the structure He didn’t answer, just stepped in front of her, blocking her body as a shock wave of air roared across the yard and the earth exploded

Duncan forced hiathered in ould have been the vault He could hear digging fro very nearby, and the old vampire would know Duncan’s most likely escape route Duncan was also aware of Eht of Emma, of what could have happened if she’d been asleep upstairs, finally cracked his patience

"Stand back" He sent the warning to all of the vampires up above, but his own people heard it and knehat it erly, as anxious as he was to escape their erstwhile prison The digging stopped, and Duncan gathered his power into a single, concentrated blow, as if his fist werebut sand He shot his aresture no more than a physical manifestation of the powerful force which sla and exploded outward through nearly ten feet of solid earth

There were cheers all around, from the people outside, both huht air flooded the tunnel A hand reached down through the reeting before he’d gone two steps and looked up to see the wiry varin

"Duncan," Alaric shouted "About da backs

"Your woainst his ear "Handled theeneral and the

Duncan looked over Alaric’s shoulder, his gaze finding E tree on the other side of the yard She stood ainst her mouth He slapped Alaric’s shoulder and stepped aside, starting toward her She watched hi hi Her heartbeat raced faster with every step he took When he drew close enough, her hands fell away from her face and she ran forward, his name on her lips as she threw herself into his ar breath

"E his face in the war his ar himself in the scent and touch of her

"I was afraid--" she started, but he shushed her, covering her hten against his neck as the kiss deepened, as their tongues rily Duncan broke off the kiss reluctantly, aware of his va them

"I love you, Emmaline," he whispered "I’ll show you how much as soon as I find us so and eyes groide, as if aware of the onlookers for the first tiently "It was just a kiss," hehis mouth to hers quickly