"Do me a favor and don't kill these guys," Nell said.
Derek extended his shade to cover Nell, and she could see his face through the dimness, and he was extremely displeased. Nell had suspected this from him--she had left him in a bad mood and he was not the sort of person who recovered from bad moods quickly.
He gestured loosely for her to come closer, and she obeyed. When she was within his reach, he grabbed her lapels in one hand and yanked her close with such speed and force that she practically got whiplash. Nell threw her hands up on instinct, but The Afterdark caught both of her fists deftly in his free hand. She bit her tongue to keep from yelping.
"We talk later," he hissed directly into her ear, barely audible but easily understood. "We find the boy, we kill Seer, we maybe get your robot if it's easy. You do what I tell you. Then we go home and we have a very long 'talk.'"
He dropped her without offering any kind of warning, and Nell hit the ground without breaking her fall. The Afterdark did not help her up. In fact, he ignored her entirely until she was on her feet in the cold bubble of artificial night.
Derek was unusually imposing, and his cerulean eyes were particularly threatening--in the darkness, they reflected the light and Nell imagined them throwing beams of light by which only Derek could see. His pupils were as small as if he were standing in daylight, although Nell could not see very clearly.
It took her too long to get up. Walker and Doug had moved to the doorway, and The Afterdark had seen them.
"Go!" Nell wailed hoarsely, and they did before Derek could pounce. He'd already assumed a crouching position, and his lips were pulled back in a feral snarl like a beast.
Walker reacted on instinct and jumped back a few feet. Doug was slow, but he nodded once before stepping back. Derek calmed when he realized that they were neither a threat to himself nor to Nell.
Derek extended his shade to cover Nell, and she could see his face through the dimness, and he was extremely displeased. Nell had suspected this from him--she had left him in a bad mood and he was not the sort of person who recovered from bad moods quickly.
He gestured loosely for her to come closer, and she obeyed. When she was within his reach, he grabbed her lapels in one hand and yanked her close with such speed and force that she practically got whiplash. Nell threw her hands up on instinct, but The Afterdark caught both of her fists deftly in his free hand. She bit her tongue to keep from yelping.
"We talk later," he hissed directly into her ear, barely audible but easily understood. "We find the boy, we kill Seer, we maybe get your robot if it's easy. You do what I tell you. Then we go home and we have a very long 'talk.'"
He dropped her without offering any kind of warning, and Nell hit the ground without breaking her fall. The Afterdark did not help her up. In fact, he ignored her entirely until she was on her feet in the cold bubble of artificial night.
Derek was unusually imposing, and his cerulean eyes were particularly threatening--in the darkness, they reflected the light and Nell imagined them throwing beams of light by which only Derek could see. His pupils were as small as if he were standing in daylight, although Nell could not see very clearly.
It took her too long to get up. Walker and Doug had moved to the doorway, and The Afterdark had seen them.
"Go!" Nell wailed hoarsely, and they did before Derek could pounce. He'd already assumed a crouching position, and his lips were pulled back in a feral snarl like a beast.
Walker reacted on instinct and jumped back a few feet. Doug was slow, but he nodded once before stepping back. Derek calmed when he realized that they were neither a threat to himself nor to Nell.
