by Wendi Wilson
Zelda stood in a field, looking down at a figure huddling on the ground before her. I crept closer, my footsteps silent against the blades of grass. The scent of burning flesh seared my nostrils, yet I could also smell little things, like the brown leaves decomposing in the forest around us, a skunk meandering somewhere nearby, and strangely, the minty tang of chewing gum. There was something else, too. Something so enticing, it made my mouth water, yet I couldn’t place the scent.
The figure at Zelda’s feet shifted, revealing a woman with strawberry blonde hair, freckles, and dark blue eyes that seemed somehow familiar.
“How could ya do this, Imogen?” Zelda said, shaking her head slightly as her eyes pooled with tears. “How could ya work with him?”
“Och, Zelda, ya know why,” the woman, Imogen, said. “Nothing be more important to me, ya know that.”
Suddenly, I realized who Imogen was. The witch that was working for Warren. I’d barely caught a glimpse of her from the ledge where Jackson had stopped, but I recognized her green cloak and that wild, reddish-blonde hair.
Confusion filled me, watching these two have a personal conversation like I wasn’t there.
Imogen shuddered as she groaned before rolling onto her back. I’d been slowly circling them like some kind of sneaky predator, but I froze in my tracks when I noticed the dark stains on her cloak. My body began to tremble, my knees, bending of their own volition as if I were preparing to strike. Liquid pooled in my mouth, and I—
“Piper, can you hear me? Wake up, bug. Come back to us.”
My eyes blinked open, and I realized several things at once—I was lying on the ground in the field where we’d confronted Warren, my head was in my mother’s lap as she begged me to wake up, and… I’d just had another vision.
I sprung upright, my head swiveling from right to left until I spotted Zelda watching me with a hooded gaze. I climbed to my feet, assuring my mother that I was okay and would explain everything later. She let Dad comfort her in his arms as Levi stepped up to intercept me.
“Give me a minute, okay?” I whispered.
He looked like he wanted to argue, but he only nodded and stepped out of my path. I could see the others, all watching me as if I might shatter at any moment. Some of them knew what just happened—most of them probably didn’t.
My gaze collided with Zelda’s once more, and I could tell she most definitely knew I’d had a vision, and she had a pretty good idea that it had been about her. I stopped before her, but before I could say anything, she spoke first.
“What did ya see, then?” she asked softly in that light Irish lilt.
“I saw you… and Imogen.”
Her eyes closed and a soft, keening sound escaped her lips. I waited for her to look at me again, and when she did, tears tracked down her cheeks.
“She was injured, lying on the ground at your feet, and you asked her how she could work with Warren. You called her by name, and she called you by yours. She said you knew why.”
“Aye, that I do.”
“How do you know, Zelda?”
“Because it’s the same reason she’s worked with black-hearted vampires for the last two-hundred and fifty years. And I know because… she’s my sister.”
Chapter Sixteen
I never fully understood the term “head home to lick your wounds” before today. But now, after getting our asses kicked by Warren, Jackson, and their crew, I got it. All I wanted to do when we got back was crawl under covers, eat carbs, and not come out until it was all over. But I was disappointed… Dad and the dean wanted to hash everything out again.
“We’ve learned a few things,” Dad said as we sat on the field under the stars.
Vampires liked being outside at night since they spent so much time indoors by day, so here we were. Our entire group was currently camped out on blankets on the soccer field with a scattering of stars and a crescent moon overhead. Of course, the vampires could see perfectly well in the dark, but I could spy only shadows. Levi was at my side on the blanket, his arm around me as he held me close, so that helped make up for the fact that I couldn’t see anyone’s faces.
Maybe it was better that I couldn’t. From Dad’s tone I could tell he felt defeated, even though he was trying not to show it. Mom, who always wore her heart on her sleeve, hadn’t stopped fretting over me since the battle. Even Coco seemed more quiet and reserved than usual. I believed the reemergence of Jackson Carter had everything to do with that.
Why didn’t my compulsion work on him? Had the witch counteracted the effects? But he’d managed to avoid my spell even before Imogen shot her own and unraveled mine. Why? Did he have some sort of magical cowboy douche powers I didn’t know about?
My thoughts drained away as Dad’s words finally reached me.
“... phone was bugged. It’s been destroyed, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other bugs around the camp that we haven’t found. We should proceed like we are being listened to any time we are near buildings, cars, lamp posts, anything man made. Warren might have eyes and ears everywhere.”
Ah, so that was why we were out here in the dark. Not just because they really were creatures of the night, but because they were trying to avoid any bugged devices. It was clear to me, now—their insistence they would be able to hear spy devices had disappeared as soon as they knew he’d been able to bug my phone without our knowledge.
At least the bunker was safe. No one went in there but me and Levi.
I leaned into him, drawing from his strength again. I needed it right now. Bad.
“What do we know about the witch?” a voice said. It had to belong to one of the mountain vamps that I wasn’t familiar with. His tone seemed unfriendly toward witches, which seemed like a pretty bad idea considering several were sitting on blankets around him. Didn’t he know True could shrink his balls? Actually, I wasn’t sure she had a spell for that, but that wasn’t something this mountain vamp could know for sure. I wondered, in passing, if they knew my dad had warlock tendencies, too. Or at least did until he turned. I glared in the snide vampire’s direction as Dad addressed him with a firm tone.
“Zelda will brief us on what she knows about the witch working for Warren.”
Shadows shifted up front. My ears detected the chime of her jewelry as Zelda moved to spot where everyone could see her... well, except for True and me. We’d have to settle for simply hearing her voice.
She cleared her throat, seeming to choose her words carefully. “The witch… Imogen, is a very old, very powerful witch. She’s been known to associate with vampires, including Wilhelm, the Terrible and his clan. She was responsible for the battle that took out half of Valmy in 1792.”
There was a murmur around the group, and I wondered who Wilhelm, the Terrible was and where Valmy was located. Based on his name, I had a feeling I didn’t want to know. Was this all vampire lore that was automatically downloaded into your brain when you turned? Because I didn’t have a clue what they were talking about.
“She’s extremely skilled in the black arts, she is,” Zelda continued. “To be honest, there’s never been a witch alive that can beat her.”
“Then what do we do?” a voice called out from the crowd.
Zelda paused as her bracelets chimed together. I had a feeling she was wringing her hands, not ready to say the next words until they came tumbling out in a rush of air. “I have to face her. And I have to win, or we’re all doomed.”
Another murmur went up from the crowd. Levi’s arm tightened around me as if he were sheltering me from the coming threat. Zelda sounded hopeless, as if we’d already been beaten by Imogen, but that was not what I saw in the vision. In that version of the future, Imogen was on the ground bleeding, and I was… salivating for her blood?
What the what?
“Hold up. Hold up.” True’s voice cut through the clamor as her shadow stood and walked toward Zelda. “I’m a damn witch, too. So is Piper. Who says you have to be the one?”
“Och, dearie,
I’m afraid ya aren’t ready for the likes of Imogen. She’d fry yer gizzards in a heartbeat.”
True scoffed. “I don’t know what the hell a gizzard is, but I think I’m more powerful than that.”
“No, it has to be me. We’re sisters.”
A gasp went up from the crowd. It seemed as though very few knew this secret. In fact, I’d been pretty sure Zelda wasn’t going to share this little tidbit for fear the other vampires might turn on her. But it wasn’t her fault her sister had turned bad. If it came to that, I’d be glad to defend her. Maybe revealing my vision might help.
“I saw you defeat her,” I said, standing up. A few heads swiveled in my direction, but I kept going. “I saw her on the ground. You were standing over her. She was bleeding.”
And I was looking at her like she was a T-bone steak.
I shook that thought away. It had to be wrong. Unless…
“Ya saw this, Piper?” Zelda asked, stepping towards me. Vampires moved out of the way to make a path for her. “Ya saw me beat her?”
“Well, I saw her on the ground. She was wounded.” I bit my lip, trying to remember. The visions left stronger memories than a vivid dream, but not by much.
In the moonlight, Zelda’s eyes narrowed. “So ya didn’t see me actually beat her? You didn’t see my spell take her down?”
“Well, no, but it seemed like you had.”
Zelda shook her head as if dismissing me, but Dad came to my rescue. “This is a good sign. Thank you, Piper. We have hope. Tomorrow we start planning anew. Get some rest. Especially you.” He pointed at me before turning to talk to two vampires who had stood and waited behind him.
Levi rose and put his hand on my back. “Can I walk you to your cabin?”
I nodded, throwing my arm around his waist. Maybe on the walk there, the fresh air would clear my head because, right now, my brain was spinning like a washer on overdrive. Every thought bobbed up before receding back down into murky water.
Spells. Visions. Witches. Bloodlust. Asshat cowboy vampires.
Damn. Maybe I just needed a good night’s sleep.
We stopped outside of Saka’am. I didn’t know if Coco or True were back yet, but I didn’t hear or see them. I wondered where they were. True was probably saying good night to Desmond, but Coco? I decided I could worry about that later. I needed a moment alone with Levi, anyway. Peeking inside the door and seeing the cabin empty, I turned on the light and pulled him in with me.
“Piper, I don’t know if this is really a good time, but okay.” He started to slip his hand up my shirt, but I stopped him. He chuckled, letting me know he’d only been joking.
“Listen, I need to tell you something, but I don’t want any little birdies to overhear. Are there any vampires close by?”
He listened for a moment and shook his head. “Most are still on the field or heading into the woods to hunt.”
“Good. Look, I saw something else in my vision, or rather felt something else. I need to tell someone about it.” I stared up into his eyes, the color of sun dappled leaves, and knew he was the right person to tell.
He took my hand, smoothing a thumb over my skin. “You can tell me anything.”
“Levi,” I whispered, “I think I was a vampire in my vision.”
His body jerked as if startled. “Piper, what?”
“A vampire. When I saw Imogen’s blood, I felt so thirsty. It was an undeniable urge. When I saw her blood, or maybe when I smelled it, my mouth filled with liquid, and my body prepared to strike. It was like I had no control.”
He rubbed a hand over his chin, his face pensive. “That does sound a lot like when you’re a new vampire, but it can’t be. You must’ve been dreaming.”
“Dreaming?” I took a step back. “My visions aren’t dreams. They come true. Remember Coco?”
His brow furrowed. “Piper, you are not going to become a vampire.”
I dropped my hand from his. “Why not?”
“Because it’s death. You die.” His face grew serious, and his hands fisted. “And when you wake up you are not the same. You’re some kind of monster. It takes a while to even think clearly. Even then you are driven by urges… awful urges you can’t control.”
“I know that, but my parents are vampires, one of my best friends is, and you are. Pretty much everyone I love is going to watch me grow old and die.” Tears I hadn’t been expecting welled in my eyes. I swiped them away and shook my head. “I can’t be some old lady you push around in a wheelchair. I can’t be the only one left out.”
“This isn’t some sort of club,” he said, his voice tinged with anger. “I killed someone, an innocent person. He did nothing except get in my way!” His chest rose and fell in that way it had before, and he calmed down a bit. “Look, I know it scares you, the thought of being the only one to grow old and die, but we have so much time—”
“You keep saying that. I’m not so sure I do. You heard Zelda. Imogen is the most powerful witch around. We can’t stop her. And Jackson is somehow immune to my compulsion!”
“What?” Levi stared at me, confused.
I batted a dismissive hand at him as if not to worry about it right now. “What if I’m killed in this battle? What if my dumb, weak, human body just gets torn apart? Jackson could have snapped my neck on the ledge today. It would’ve been so easy.”
I knew I wasn’t playing fair, that this had to be one of Levi’s biggest fears, but it was true. I could have died. Nearly every day since coming to this camp, my death had been an ever-present shadow hanging over everything. Sure, vampires could die, but it was so much harder to pull off. It was quickly becoming apparent that becoming a vampire was the only way to stay with those I loved.
“If something were to happen,” Levi said, brushing his fingers down my cheek, “I could turn you then.”
“What if you’re not there? What if it’s too late?”
“I’ll always be there.”
“But what if you’re not?”
He winced, turning his eyes away.
“I’m not trying to hurt you,” I said, stepping up and putting my hands on his chest. “I’m just trying to make you see the truth.”
“Did I ever tell you why Desmond really went to study with that Buddhist Vampire?” Levi whispered as he leaned his forehead against mine.
“To be able to bang human chicks?” I asked.
Levi gave a small chuckle. “No. He’s worried about the afterlife. It’s long been believed that vampire’s souls are damned.”
“Do you think that?”
His big shoulders shrugged. “As a human, I was raised a Christian. Do I even have a soul to save anymore?” He ran a hand down my hair tenderly. “I don’t want that for you.”
I slipped my arms around his chest and hugged him tight. “No God would condemn someone for a thing that happened to them against their will. You aren’t damned, Levi Kass.”
He wrapped his arms around me, and we held each other, stealing this one moment for ourselves. A little shelter in the storm. I didn’t say it, but I knew there wasn’t life without him, and if it took me becoming a vampire to ensure a life with Levi, I was willing to give up my soul, afterlife be damned.
“I love you,” I whispered, pressing up on my tiptoes to brush my lips against his. “We can talk about you turning me later.”
He scoffed. “There’s no talking to you when you’re like this,” he said with a smile. Then he let me go and stepped toward the door. “I’ll be outside all night if you need me. Now get some rest. I have a feeling you’re going to need it.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Again.”
I barely suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at Dad’s order as I brushed my toe across the grass under my shoes. We’d been at it all morning, and while I had to admit the ability to compel him and the others was coming much more quickly and easily, I still thought it was a waste of time.
“What’s the point, Dad? I’ve got this down, but if Jackson or Imogen are the
re—and they will be—it’s pointless. He’ll subdue me, and she’ll break the compulsion, just like before.”
I looked around the soccer field, my heart rate rising as I watched vampires battle each other with their amazing strength and speed. There was a divine beauty in their movements, and the more I watched, the more convinced I was that I wanted that for myself.
What I’d told Levi last night was true—my mother, my father, my best friend, and my boyfriend were all vampires. They would all live on, frozen in time as I grew older. I imagined them at my funeral, weeping over my lifeless body when it could have been prevented.
My eyes snagged on True, who was practicing spellcasting with Zelda a few yards away. She was human, like me, and if I were to change, she’d be the only human in this big family we’d created. I’d be the one watching her grow old and die. Just the thought of it was depressing.
So, how was I supposed to put my parents and Levi through that?
“Come on, bug. We need to keep practicing,” Dad said, pulling me from my morbid thoughts.
Huffing out a breath, I widened my stance and concentrated on finding Dad’s aura. I mentally latched onto the golden thread of light, but my concentration wavered as Mom flew into my line of sight, battling it out with Dr. Whitley. She was holding her own in the sparring match, and I couldn’t help but admire how beautifully she moved. Such grace and confidence.
I really wanted that for myself. I wanted to be a vampire.
A feral growl shocked me out of my daydream, and my heart nearly died in my chest as my gaze snapped toward Dad. His fangs were out, dripping with saliva, and his face was contorted into something I didn’t recognize. It was venom.
Oh, shit.
Before I could react, I found myself flat on my back in the grass with the breath knocked out of me. Dad’s weight prevented me from sucking in any oxygen, and his hands roughly pinned my wrists against the ground over my head. I tried to buck him off, but he was too strong.
