by Raven Steele
There were too many Hydes. Where the hell had they all coming from?
“I don’t think they’ll follow,” Angel said, staring upward as if he could see through the ground above us.
I straightened, wiping the emotions off my face. Mateo put his hand on my hip, stoking my side with his thumb, but he was looking at Angel, nodding. “I think you’re right.”
We all grew silent, waiting for a few more minutes before deciding it was safe to go on. We walked in silence, lost in our own thoughts. We didn’t speak of the shifter who had given his life for us, though we were all thinking of him. Our shoulders drooped, feet dragging, exhaustion and sorrow taking over us now that our adrenaline was gone.
Once again, Aris took the lead, shining his phone’s light into the damp tunnel.
“What happened to you back there?” Mateo asked me, his voice barely above a whisper. “When they pushed you deeper into the cathedral?”
I suddenly remembered I’d turned invisible, and it had saved my life. I’d forgotten about that; it felt like a thousand years ago. I thought about how best to answer him. I couldn’t tell him everything, not here in front of everyone. Especially when I didn’t even understand it myself. I needed to speak to Cassandra first. I had to know that whatever was going on with me wouldn’t kill me. “The Hydes chased me down the hall. I managed to get a little ways in front of them, then hid in a room.”
Aris glanced back at me. “They didn’t check the rooms?”
“No, they did. I just happened to conceal myself really well.”
“How?” Teddy asked. “Most of the rooms I managed to peek in were empty.”
“This one wasn’t.” I swallowed around the fullness in my throat. “It was full of naked dead bodies stacked several people high. I pretended to be one of them.”
Everyone around me grimaced. Angel actually shivered.
Mateo squeezed my hand. “You did what you had to do to survive. I’m grateful for that. And I’m especially glad you didn’t try to fight them. The old you would have.”
I nodded thoughtfully, remembering how much the Kiss had loved the fight, the blood, the violence. “She would’ve.” I looked up at Aris. “What happened to Lynx?”
The muscles at the top of his shoulders tightened. “I didn’t have time to ask. All I know is Angel and I found them in a cage in another section of that prison. They had been separated from the others. Lynx was on the floor and Briar and the others were trying to revive her.”
“Revive?”
He paused. “She was barely alive. We got there just in time. I gave her a little of my vampire blood. It regulated her heartbeat, but she never came to.”
I glanced at Angel, silently asking if he could’ve helped. He shook his head sadly. “I didn’t get the chance.”
“Hydes came then,” Aris continued. “All I had time to do was grab her and run. And now we’re here, and I have no idea if she’s alright or not.” The worry and anger in his voice was unmistakable.
“Let me see if I can get in touch with Briar to find out.” I removed my phone and quickly texted Briar asking for an update.
A message returned shortly after. I read it aloud: “She’s stable but still not awake. Hoping Roma can help. See you at Fire Ridge soon.” I looked up at Aris. “She’ll be okay. She’s strong.”
No one said anything for several minutes as we walked slowly through the tunnels. We were all exhausted. At least I still hadn’t felt the sun tugging at me, urging me to sleep. So far we were okay.
“We did good today, right?” Teddy asked, breaking the silence.
Angel snorted. “It sure doesn’t feel like a victory, especially with Gerald’s death.”
“I think we put a big dent in Korin and the Phoenix’s future army,” Mateo offered. “We need to be ready for retaliation, though. Korin’s not going to be happy.”
“But he doesn’t know it was us, right?” Teddy asked. “We had masks.”
Mateo shook his head. “He’ll have a really good idea it was vampires or shifters, though. He’ll want retribution.”
We reached the spot that led up to the alley. This time Mateo headed up the ladder first. He cracked the circular, metal cover and peered out. Sunlight struck his face, illuminating his golden amber eyes. They were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“It’s clear.” He pushed it open further and crawled out.
I let everyone else go before I climbed up. All four of them stood staring up at the sky. I did the same, enjoying the sun’s rays on my face, wishing I could bottle up this feeling forever. Humans had no idea how good they had it. Sunlight was pure power, giving life to everything it touched. Even now, with it beating on my skin, I could feel the power radiating in its warm touch. This made me think of the prophecy. If it were possible for Lynx to tap into the power of the sun, she could be unstoppable.
As much as I wanted to stay here bathing in daylight, the magic could wear off at a moment’s notice. “We should return to meet the others at Fire Ridge.”
Reluctantly, I led the way back to the car, the others slowly following behind me. A weariness settled into my bones, and I knew the potion would be wearing off soon.
We quickly settled into the car and drove towards Fire Ridge. On the way there, we unrolled all the windows and draped our arms out the side. Teddy rested his face across his arm on the windowsill.
My phone buzzed and a message appeared from Briar. Escaped prisoners safe. Most of them on bus to Wildemoor. Others refused to go. Rocky helping them.
Grateful, I responded and announced it to the car, but my words were cut off when a sudden sizzling sensation crawled up my skin and pounded against my skull. My arms began to sting as if being bitten by hundreds of poisonous spiders. Before I could react, my hand, still basking in the sunlight, ignited with flames. I yelped and jerked my arm back inside. At the same time, Teddy grunted and yanked his head back into the safety of the shaded car. His hair was on fire. Angel helped him to put it out as Mateo quickly rolled up the heavily tinted windows.
The potion was wearing off, and we were still miles from Fire Ridge.
Chapter 10
Mateo floored the gas, pushing the speed past seventy, then ninety, then a hundred and twenty miles per hour. We quickly rolled up the windows, safe for now within the darkly tinted windows. We pulled up right to the front door, staring out the windows at the few feet to the door, an anxious tension filling the small space around us.
“We can do this.” Mateo gripped my hand, then gave me a firm, determined nod. I nodded in return and, all at once, we threw open the doors and ran for the large mansion. My whole body screamed in pain as the sun pounded down on us. I slipped and Mateo scooped me up and helped me the rest of the way, groaning at his own considerable pain.
Briar opened the door, and we blazed through it, panting but relieved. We all had open sores and fresh blood draining down our arms. Angel chuckled, a tired, exhausted sound, then Mateo. Confused, I turned to see Teddy’s eyebrows were completely gone. He looked like a spooked ghost.
Teddy just exclaimed, “What?”
“Look in a mirror,” Angel said.
Teddy frowned and rushed off. As soon as he was gone, the mood turned somber again, and the tugging on my bones pulled and jerked. It was an extremely uncomfortable sensation, and I couldn’t wait to sleep to be rid of it.
Briar wandered off to give orders, limping on her right leg. That’s when I remembered she’d been shot. It must’ve been with a regular bullet, otherwise she’d look way worse.
“Take care of that leg,” I called after her.
She didn’t turn around, but she did acknowledge me by lifting her hand and waving.
Everyone else crowded the showers, so Mateo and I cleaned up together. I watched blood and brain matter go down the drain as Mateo washed my hair, then my body. I wanted to kiss him, to touch his skin, to give in the constant heat between us. But I was too tired and grief-stricken.
I leaned
against the shower wall, studying him, happy to see that even though he looked exhausted, he had healed considerably. In a few days, he’d be back to his normal self. After drying off and dressing, we met Briar downstairs.
“I only have two coffins but Luke and Samantha are already down there with boards and nails. They’ll have something ready for you soon but don’t expect anything nice.”
“We can just sleep in the basement. We don’t need them to build anything for us.”
“It’s too risky. Some clueless shifter might open a window down there.” She opened the basement door and jogged down the stairs. Her face was all hard lines and sharp angles. She had put on a different kind of mask.
Next to me, Mateo stumbled but I caught him before he hit the floor. “We’re almost there.”
Eyes swollen and red, Loxley waited for us in the basement and helped me to the back room. Luke, Samantha, and Marge were working quickly to erect crude caskets with large sheets of plyboard. Several other shifters brought in more wood. Unexpected tears filled my eyes. I would’ve never have guessed to receive so much help from shifters, commonly rivals to vampires. It made my heart swell with gratitude. Mateo rested his hand on my shoulder, sharing the same emotions with me.
When I spotted a tear rolling down Loxley’s cheek, I patted her on the back. I wished I could take her pain away, comfort her, but there was nothing I could do. “You don’t need to do this. Go. Rest.”
She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut making more tears flow. “I need to stay busy and not think about what happened today.”
I nodded, understanding.
Angel and Mateo were on the floor with the shifters trying to help them too, but their hands weren’t quite working how they should.
Luke shoved aside Angel. “Just let us do it.”
Angel snarled but slid away.
I turned to Briar, my heart aching for her. “I’m sorry about Gerald. I wish I could be there for you right now, but damn the sun.”
The corners of her mouth lifted. “Hearing you curse makes me feel a little better.”
“There’s two coffins over here,” Aris said, pointing to the corner. “Mateo, Samira, why don’t you use one? Teddy, you take the other. Angel and I can wait for these ones.”
“What happened to Lynx?” I had to know before sleep pulled me under. They were almost done building the last box.
Briar touched at her chest and leaned against the wall. “He came out of nowhere. We were waiting by the back entrance, and he just appeared and waved with his hand. Some kind of magic. That’s when Lynx collapsed.”
“Who?” Aris growled.
“A vampire. I don’t know him.”
“Another vampire in daylight?” Mateo’s mouth was open in shock, reflecting my own feelings. “How?”
“What vampire?” I pressed.
“I don’t know his name, but I’ve seen him before. Remember when we first met at Sinsual? That day you begged me to be your roommate?”
I gave her my best deadpan face. “That’s not how I remember it.”
“Well, that’s how it happened. Anyway, that vampire was there, too. He was talking to Silas.” She looked at me. “Do you know who I’m talking about?”
“Zane,” I said, my heart skipping. “What did he do?”
Briar shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. He just put the whammy on her and every time one of us tried to fight him, he tightened his mental grip on her. I thought he was going to kill her.” She swallowed a painful gulp. “We had no choice but to follow him into that cage. It was the most helpless I’ve felt in a long time.”
“What do you know about this Zane?” Aris asked me. He had come to his feet, hands balled tight.
“Not much. I know he works closely with the Phoenix. I also know Korin does what he says.”
Marge finished hammering a nail and straightened. Normally she always wore a smile but not tonight. Her eyes were puffy and red as if she’d recently been crying. “Done. Now it’s time to plan for a funeral.”
“Okay, guys. Let’s leave them alone,” Briar said. She waited for everyone to pass before stepping toward me. She took hold of my arm. “I was worried about you when you disappeared into the cathedral. I thought we’d lost you again.”
Taking her off-guard, I embraced her. “I was worried too, but we made it because we fought for each other.”
She let me go. “Always.”
“Take care of Lynx, and yourself.” I glanced down at the bleeding hole in her leg.
“I will.”
I nodded and shambled to the coffin, sleep pulling at me. Mateo had already climbed inside. Angel and Teddy had also disappeared into their boxes. Aris was the only one still standing.
“Sleep well, vamps,” Briar said, then left the room, closing the door behind her. Complete darkness pressed against me and I reveled in it. As much as I had loved being in the sun, there was something about darkness that me feel complete.
I glanced over at Aris who stood still, watching me. “Are you okay?”
“What we saw today,” he hesitated, “we don’t have enough people to fight the Phoenix and Korin. We need more help.”
“I’m not certain I want to drag others into our fight. They are very dangerous.”
“Either they will come willingly, or Korin will bring the battle to them. But by then, he will be more powerful. Possibly too strong to kill.”
“Perhaps.” I paused to think, considering it. “We need to sever the Phoenix’s power from Korin. Getting rid of that bond is instrumental.”
“True.” Another long pause. “Do you think Lynx will be alright?”
“I do. She’s strong. Rest. You can see her when the sun sets.”
Aris stood still and silent for a long moment, then slipped away to his crude plywood coffin.
I climbed into mine next to Mateo, already deep asleep, and pulled the top over us. I rested my head against his chest, my mind succumbing to the day.
My last thoughts were of Korin and the anger he would feel soon enough. But this was just the start. Not only would I destroy his world, but I’d strip him of power, too. And I’d do it all without the Kiss’s help.
Chapter 11
As soon as the sun set, I tossed open the coffin lid and rushed upstairs to check on Lynx. Fire Ridge bustled with quiet activity as they prepared for a funeral. The sounds in the mansion were void of loud laughter and foul language and drinking. No one felt like doing any of that when they’d just lost someone important to them. They’d all known Gerald for years.
I maneuvered my way through them, scanning the crowd, in case Lynx was down here. When I didn’t see her, my pulse raced, and I hurried upstairs and down the hall. I paused when I heard Aris’s voice. It didn’t surprise he had woken before me. His genetically created vampirism made sleeping not such a demand on his body.
I approached the door slowly, especially when I heard Lynx’s soft laughter. I leaned against the wall in relief, sighing.
“She came to a few hours ago.”
I turned around. Roma stood in the hallway wiping wet hands on a towel. Her skin was pale and dark circles under her eyes dulled her normal cheery demeanor.
“What happened to her?”
“Dark magic.” She shook her head. “A nasty batch of it. It’s like someone had poured hell right into her. Very few can withstand darkness like that.” The way she was looking at me, it was if she knew what I had endured.
“How did you fix it?”
“Lots of magic. Seven hours to be exact. It about killed me.”
“Thank you.” I glanced back toward the open door where Aris and Lynx still talked. “I mean it. Lynx is the best of us. Nothing can happen to her.”
Roma rested her hand on my shoulder, startling me. “She needs to become stronger.”
I looked back at her. “She’s already very powerful.”
“But it’s not enough, and you know it. Once the Phoenix makes his move, none of you will be
able to stand against her. Not as you are. A handful of vampires and a single shifter pack. You need more help.”
I sighed. “You’re right.” That was the second time this had been brought up in less than twenty-four hours. “We’re working on it.”
She nodded, thoughtfully, gently squeezing my arm. “Aris told me you want to sever Korin’s power from the Phoenix. Do you have any ideas on how to do it?”
“I’m not certain. I was going to ask Lynx when she was better.”
“Maybe I can help you find something.”
“That would be helpful.”
She turned away, a small smile on her lips. “I like to feel useful. Let me see what I can do.”
She walked off, her hips swaying. I thought of going in to check on Lynx, but decided to wait. Not only was Lynx still laughing, but Aris, too. If anyone deserved to laugh, it was Aris.
Instead, I wandered down the hallway towards Briar’s room, wanting to change clothing. Plus, I needed some time to myself. What had happened earlier at the cathedral had been upsetting. I’d turned invisible. Nothing about that was normal. I had to see Cassandra, and I had to do it alone.
In the bedroom, I searched through Briar’s clothing, looking for something suitable. I opened a drawer, finding a stash of sex toys. I scrambled to shut it, telling myself to never open that drawer again. Dressing into the cleanest pair of jeans I could find in Briar’s closet, I also pulled on a blank tank top.
I was tempted to ask Mateo to go with me to Cassandra’s. In fact, I almost needed it. He was a part of me now, and I wanted to share my whole life with him. But I knew he would be deeply troubled, and I didn’t want that for him, not with everything he’d been through. But once I knew what I was dealing with, I’d tell him.
Before I returned to the others downstairs, there was someone I needed to check on. I grabbed my phone from the bathroom and stared down at the screen. I almost texted Rocky but at the last second decided to call him, something I rarely did.
