“They never learn, do they?” Mason said, coming down the stairs.
A sigh escaped my lips, which didn’t go unnoticed by Mason. Luckily, he thought I was agreeing with him, when in reality, I was a little pissed at myself for not being faster. “Nope, they never do,” I eventually said.
I kneeled beside the unconscious vampire as Mason so casually leaned against the bars. “You know, you really don’t need to come down here anymore. I’ve kinda got the hang of it by now.”
He shrugged. “I like watching.”
I scrunched up my face. That didn’t make any sense. “How? Why?”
“The hunters become the hunted. The tables have turned, and I like to see them get what they deserve. Actually, they deserve a hell of a lot more, but still, I’ll take what I can get.”
Hmm. And here I was thinking he came to support me.
Feeling better about what I was going to do in front of my baby brother, I grabbed a chunk of the vampire’s hair, maneuvering him into a better position, then leaned down and sunk my teeth into his exposed flesh.
Tainted blood spilled into my mouth, giving me the hit I craved. I wondered what would happen to me if I was successful in vanishing the demons from this world and no longer had the vampires to feed from. I had no idea how I would satiate the all-consuming desire I had to feed.
Like all the other times I’d thought about my dilemma, I shoved it to the back of my mind and focused on the euphoria I’d slipped into as I feasted on his evil soul.
“Aaannnnd time,” Mason said, letting me know I had to stop. He was my own little blood coach, jeering me on and letting me know when I’d had enough.
No matter how much I wanted to ignore him and drain every last drop of blood from the monster, I pulled away, my chest heaving from the adrenaline that came with the feed.
I rolled onto my heels and stood, backing away as soon as I could, trying to put some distance between me and the blood I so craved—which was now slowly pooling around my bite marks. It wouldn’t be long until his wound would heal over, and he would wake once more.
Mason opened a small bar fridge that sat next to the stairs, pulled out a bag of human blood, and tossed it onto the vamp, ready for when he woke up.
The other vampires lashed out as soon as they caught site of the blood, desperate to get their hands on a bag of their own. They would get what they wanted—after I had feasted on them. We needed to keep them alive, and I was lucky enough to have a coven filled with witches that were all too happy to help with the supply.
My chest still heaving, I exited the cage and leaned against the wall, trying to get my shit together. It was hard to think about anything other than killing these bastards, but I had to play it safe. Their time would come, but today wasn’t their day.
Mason slammed the cage door closed, locking it. He took a few steps toward me then leaned his shoulder against the wall. “We need to talk about Dad.”
3
Talking about our father was the last thing I wanted to discuss. “Later. I’ve got things to do.” I rushed past him and headed up the stairs as the burning desire to tear the vampires apart slowly dissipated.
Mason took to the stairs behind me. “You’ve got to stop pushing him away.”
“I’m not pushing him away. I’m just busy.”
“You haven’t even gone to see Dad since we brought him in.”
“He chose the bottle over us. He has no right to expect anything from us anymore. I’ve done my job. I rescued him. Now he’s on his own. Just like he left us to fend for ourselves.” I spun around to face Mason just as he arrived at the top of the stairs. “I don’t get why you’re defending him.”
“He was grieving—”
“So were we.” I stormed out of the container and ran smack into Max.
“Hey,” he said with a smile in his voice, his arms coming around me. “What’s the rush?”
I glanced over my shoulder as Mason emerged through the door. “Absolutely nothing.”
The look on Mason’s face told a different story, but Max didn’t call me out on it. Yet another thing about him I liked.
Mason shook his head. “You’ll have to face him one of these days.” He sighed and walked away.
Max slid his hand into mine, lacing our fingers. “I’ve got something to show you.”
A grin crept across my face as I wondered what Max had in store for me. Frankly, I was just glad not to have that talk with Mason. I wasn’t going to change my mind about our father anytime soon.
I wiggled my brows. “I’m intrigued.”
He chuckled then leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, “Not that kind of surprise.”
His warm breath against my skin turned my stomach to mush. We had done a lot of things since declaring our like for one another, but we hadn’t gone there.
This time I was doing things differently. Max was different. I was different.
He pressed his lips against the soft spot below my ear before pulling away. “Come on.”
Max led me through the small village, stopping at a shipping container I hadn’t been in before. Inside, the walls were lined with workbenches littered with pieces of scrap metal, soldering iron, clamps, and a hundred other tools and devices I didn’t know the names of. My gaze quickly drifted over the various items, abruptly stopping as I saw my daggers lying on the table, no longer bearing the marks of when I’d bent the hilts out of shape when Orphelia had attacked me, shooting damn electricity at me.
My babies were once again in perfect condition.
Grinning from ear to ear, I rushed over and picked them up, a faint glow illuminating them the moment my skin touched the cool metal. I spun them around in the palms of my hands then caught each one by the hilt, testing their weight and balance. “They’re perfect.”
I turned and hooked my arms around Max’s neck, pulling him down to plant a kiss on his lips.
“Careful.” He peeled my arms away from him. “I don’t want to lose my head.”
Scoffing, I rolled my eyes. “As if.”
I looked down at the daggers in my hands, still fascinated by the connection I felt with them. They didn’t light up like the sword in the Society’s gym, but they were special nonetheless.
“Thank you,” I said. “How did you manage to fix them?” I was pretty sure Max didn’t have a trade in swordsmanship or whatever it was called, but the daggers were once again in mint condition, not a trace of the damage I’d inflicted on them.
“I can’t take credit for fixing them. I only saved them from getting smelted down.” Max cocked his head toward a door on the other side of the room. “Joel and Parker were the ones who did all the work.”
With my brows drawn together, I strode over to the doorway and into an adjoining shipping container fitted out with more benches. Parker sat on a stool, working with some small pieces of metal.
I leaned against the frame. “I hear I owe you big time. Thank you.”
Parker lifted his gaze and twisted to face me. “You’re welcome.” Putting down whatever he was working on, he sauntered over to me and crossed his arms over his chest. “How do they feel? They were pretty messed up, but I think I managed to get the balance right.”
I spun them around in my hands then clamped my fingers around the hilt, trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about. The only thing I knew about knives was how to put one into a vampire. They felt just as they had before. “They’re perfect.”
“Good. I’m glad.” Parker returned to his seat. “I can’t seem to figure out why you’ve taken such a liking to those daggers in particular, but I’m glad Max caught me before I smelted them down.”
“That makes two of us,” I said as Max came into the room.
Max handed me the sheaths, and I slipped the daggers into them.
“How’s the progress?” Max asked, sauntering over to Parker.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I walked over to them. “Progress on what?”
�
��I’m trying to figure out the incantation Orphelia used on the bullet that went into your boyfriend.”
My gaze shot to Max’s, heat rushing to my cheeks. We hadn’t put a label on us, but obviously everyone else had. He met my gaze, the corner of his lips tipping up. Then he curled his hands around my hips and slid me in front of him, allowing me to get a better look at what Parker was doing.
The shipping containers didn’t allow for much room when there were so many pieces of furniture and equipment around. The feng shui was definitely off, but who was I to tell them?
Parker held a bullet in line with his eyes, studying it as if it held the mysteries of the world.
I narrowed my gaze at it. “Is that the…?”
“Yep,” Max said. “It’s the bullet that was meant for you.”
The very one those bastards shot into Max, almost killing him.
Parker twisted it around in his fingers. “I think the spell was mixed with your DNA. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”
I shook my head. “But that doesn’t explain why or how Lana took down that demonic huntress bitch who tried to kill me.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t.” He placed the bullet on the table. “The only other explanation is it contains the DNA of the original huntress. And if that’s true, I’d like to know how the hell they got their hands on it.”
Realization hit me. “The katana…”
His body stilled, as did Max’s, silence enveloping us as they put the pieces together.
Parker snapped his head toward us. “It’s laced with the original huntress’s DNA, which explains why it lights up when a descendant touches it.”
“You know about the swords?”
Parker chuckled. “Of course, we do.”
“I don’t suppose The Circle of Embers managed to get their hands on any?”
He breathed out harshly. “Unfortunately not. Although we might be strong, the Society is stronger. They take their powers not only from this world but also from the Shadow Realms. And they’re all guarded by conjurers akin to Orphelia. If you hadn’t noticed, it takes three of us to stand a fighting chance against her.”
Parker picked up the bullet once again and gently tapped it against the table. “But with you… We’ll have a chance.”
My phone buzzed, breaking my focus. I retrieved it from my pocket, my heart stopping when I saw the name on the screen.
Ashley.
4
I’d never been so nervous about answering a phone call in my entire life. I hadn’t spoken with Ashley since the accident, and I’d assumed she was done with me. Done with our friendship. As much as I missed her, I would’ve been okay with that because it meant she would be safe.
“Are you going to answer that?” Max asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I swallowed hard, swiped my finger across the screen, and put the phone to my ear. “Hey. How are you?” I headed outside into the fresh air.
“Oh, you know. The collarbone hurts like a bitch, but at least the concussion’s gone,” Ash said dryly. “And my best friend never bothered to come visit or even send me a text. Oh yeah, I’m also trying to wrap my head around learning about the demon infiltration in this world, yet I can’t talk about it with anyone other than you guys, but you never bother to check in on me. So yeah, I’m doing really well.”
I sighed. There was no way I could tell her why I couldn’t come to visit her. She was safer staying in the dark. And by her reaction to what I’d told her, she wasn’t ready for this world. “Okay. I deserved that and more. And I’m sorry. I should’ve been there for you.” I choked on a laugh. “Hell, I should never have dragged you into this mess in the first place.”
“It’s too late for that now.” She paused for a moment. “Besides, we’re in this together. Always and forever.”
Her words brought a smile to my lips, remembering the stupid promise we’d made when we were kids on our first day of school. I chuckled. “Who knew that would extend to me being a demon huntress and sucking you into a world filled with monsters?”
Ash laughed, sending a volcano of emotions erupting in my chest. I never thought I would hear from her again. “I guess seeing into the future isn’t a gift of yours.”
“Unfortunately not, although I wish it were so I could have the upper hand in this war.”
“Then you wouldn’t know the reason for my call either?”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see it. “So you can make me feel like shit for being the worst friend in the history of friends?”
She laughed again then winced in pain, making me feel like even more of an ass. She was hurting, and it was all my fault. If I hadn’t taken her with me, she would’ve been okay. Pissed at me for ditching her but okay. And wasn’t that exactly the predicament we were in now?
“Yeah, you’re a pretty shitty friend. But you’re my shitty friend. And you’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
Guilt consumed me because I knew it was wrong for me to continue my friendship with her. She deserved better. She deserved to be free of my burdens.
“I don’t want you to shut me out of your life because you think it’s best for me. I need you in my life,” Ash said. “ I need to see you.”
She also deserved to be healed of her injuries. After what I managed to do to Max’s scars, a little thing like fixing a broken collarbone would be a cinch. I would meet up with her, heal her, then walk away. That was it. No more dragging her into my world. She would be free to live her life.
“Meet me after school at four, where you had your first kiss.” She disconnected the call before I had a chance to object.
Shit.
“Who was that?” Max asked.
I spun around and saw him sitting on the step leading into the shipping container. “It was Ash.” I put my phone into my pocket as I strode over to him. “She wants me to meet her this afternoon.”
“Are you going?” he asked, making me once again fall even more for him for not telling me what to do. When I first met the guy, I never thought he could be so caring and supportive. He seemed to be all or nothing. Kinda like me.
I shrugged. “She hung up before I had a chance to respond.” I leaned my ass against the metal wall. “If I don’t go and someone was listening to our call, she could be walking into a trap. And if I do go, we could both be walking into a trap.”
“Win-win situation.”
Groaning, I tilted my head back and looked up at the sky above. It was just after midday. The sun was out, peaking through the foliage of the surrounding trees, giving a warm glow to everything around us. It was a stark contrast to the world outside these wards. “I have to meet her at four, which means we have to be there by three-thirty.”
“We?” he asked, sounding a little shocked. “Who says I’m going to risk my life for you and your friend?”
I barked out a laugh and playfully slapped his shoulder.
Max caught my hand and tugged me forward, pulling me onto his lap where he wrapped his arms around me and planted a kiss on my head. “I think it goes without saying that I will always be the Jekyll to your Hyde.”
I laughed again. “You better watch it, or I will go all Hyde on you.”
He lowered his lips to my ear, his breath softly blowing against my skin as he whispered, “I’d like to see you try.”
“Nice to see you two having fun,” Nessa said, making me jolt in Max’s arms.
I hated not being able to sense these people—or people in general. Why couldn’t they be like vampires in that way?
Twisting around in Max’s lap, I plopped myself onto the step between his legs and eyed the woman before me. Although her words seemed nice enough, her stance told me otherwise. Her arms were crossed over her chest, brow raised, and hip cocked to the side as she thrummed her fingertips against her arm.
Knowing what she wanted from me, I sighed. “Before you drag me off for my next training session, I need to let you know I’m going to meet Ashley
this afternoon.”
“Do you think it’s worth the risk?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation. She would always be worth the risk. “I know it could be a trap, but I can’t not go.”
“I understand.” She let her hands drop to her sides. “We will be there with you.”
A smile formed on my lips. “Thank you.” And I truly meant it. The difference between the Society and The Circle of Embers was enormous. They were polar opposites. The Society wanted to contain me, not letting me be the person I truly was. Whereas The Circle was supportive of my decisions. And although I never imagined I would live in a shipping container in the middle of the bush, I felt free for the first time in my life.
The connection I had to the land—to this coven was indescribable. I would do anything for them, as they would for me. They had my back, and it took a hell of a lot of getting used to.
Placing my hands on Max’s knees, I pushed myself into a standing position then hopped off the step, landing in front of Nessa. “What have you got planned for me? Turning humans into toads? Opening portals? Snapping a vampire’s neck with nothing but a thought? A spell that will unlock every known spell in the history of witchcraft with a click of the fingers?”
Nessa chuckled. “How about a cloaking spell? Then you can catch up on some light reading before we have to meet your friend.”
My face slumped. “It was worth a try.”
5
Ten minutes later, I was standing amongst a patch of shrubbery on the outskirts of the village, just inside the wards, trying my best to follow Nessa’s instructions.
Strangely, it was harder than healing Max’s scars and took a hell of a lot more concentration. Focusing on the land, I connected to the current that bound me to the earth, drawing on its strength and making it my own.
Repeating the incantation, I let the words flow from my mouth, instantly feeling the connection between them and the magic that lived within me. I never would’ve believed I was capable of witchcraft, yet here I was, a master in training.
Shadow Realms- The Complete Series Page 34
