“Viktor,” Maciah hissed next to me.
Beatrix appeared at our side. “They won’t be able to see or hear you.”
I wasn’t sure she was right, but maybe it was only a coincidence that they’d gotten out of the SUV just as soon as we stepped outside.
Zeke stepped back to speak with Maciah, and I joined Rachel’s side at the edge of the yard with Nikki right next to me as well.
The three of us linked arms as I kept the bag of potions held in front of me, waiting with bated breath to see what Viktor had planned. Four more vampires got out of the vehicle, but Viktor snapped his fingers and they got back inside.
At least we knew how many we were dealing with in case Beatrix’s shield wasn’t as good as she believed.
Viktor sniffed the air and stepped closer. “I can smell the power in your blood, Amersyn. It calls to me.”
His Russian accent wasn’t strong, but I could still hear it within his words as he spoke to me.
Maciah was gripping my shoulders the moment after Viktor used my name. “He won’t touch you,” Maciah grumbled in my ear.
Viktor stepped closer, his hands inching closer to the opaque shield, and he inhaled once more, closing his eyes as he did only to open them and stare directly at me. “I will have you, Amersyn. You can’t hide with the witches forever. You’re my prize to collect, and I always get what I want.”
I shuddered, creeped out that his beady red eyes seemed to be piercing right through my soul, regardless of Beatrix’s shield.
His tongue flicked out, licking his lips. “And such a prize to be had.”
Maciah snarled, then tried to break through the arm I had linked with Rachel, but Zeke was right there and prepared. He had arms wrapped around Maciah before he could leap through the shield and do something we weren’t prepared for.
“He’s not going to touch her. I won’t let him have her,” Maciah hissed, and I went to him as Viktor headed for his vehicle again.
I placed both of my hands on Maciah’s face, forcing him to focus on me instead of Viktor’s retreating form. “I’m right here. We’re together and nobody is going to change that. I promise you.”
Maciah took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “He needs to die.”
“I know, and he will. Soon. We just need to have our team together before that happens,” I said softly.
He nodded, and Zeke released him. Maciah turned to Beatrix. “You’ve already helped more than we expected—I can feel the changes in Amersyn—but we need one more favor.”
She raised a greying brow. “And that would be?”
“Can you put one of these shields around my property? As much as I prefer that Viktor comes to us, having something in place to make sure we’re not taken by surprise would be helpful.”
Beatrix watched Viktor’s vehicle drive away and crossed her arms, drumming her fingers. “I can, but you’re going to owe me big. I have a problem I’m working on, and I might need you to track someone down for me.”
Maciah’s brow pinched. “You’re a witch. Can’t you do a tracking spell?”
She narrowed her eyes on him. “Don’t question me, Vampire.”
“Okay, fine. You’ll be the first person we see when this is over,” Maciah answered.
“I promise I’ll hold him to that,” I added.
Beatrix grinned. “I know.”
She spun around and headed for our Range Rover, once again getting into the front seat.
“Should we leave here so soon? Viktor could be waiting just around the corner,” Rachel said, making a valid point.
“I’m sure Beatrix has a plan,” I said. Hopefully, I wasn’t wrong about that.
We got into the car, taking the same seats as before. As soon as all of the doors were closed, Beatrix turned to face us. “Don’t throw up.”
Then, she placed her hands on the dashboard and closed her eyes. The glow of magic grew around her until sparks formed and everything surrounding us disappeared. The car wobbled and then dropped like a roller coaster ride before tilting from one side to the other.
I tried to see out the windows, but there was nothing other than blackness beyond the glass. Beatrix’s magic was the only light around us.
A few seconds later, her light dimmed, only to be replaced by the moonlight above us. Maciah’s LA house came into view as well. Eddie and Nick were on the porch with confused faces as we got out of the car.
Eddie was at Maciah’s door in the next second, opening it up. “What the hell was that?”
Maciah nodded at Beatrix. “A favor.”
Beatrix got out of the vehicle first and walked down the long driveway. “Don’t follow me,” she called as I took a step after her.
Well, okay then. I turned to face Rachel as she got out of the SUV on my side. She wasn’t smiling, and I didn’t like to see her so stressed.
“Everything is going to be fine,” I said, but as the words left my mouth, a shadow whipped past us and around the back of the house.
“What was that?” I asked.
Maciah, Eddie, and Zeke were already standing next to each other, arms out and ready for a fight. Beatrix didn’t come running back, so I wasn’t overly worried, but she also might have missed whoever snuck onto the property.
“Stay here,” Maciah said before the three of them disappeared.
Yeah, that didn’t really work for me, but I wasn’t going to chase immediately after them in case more vampires were out there. “Come on,” I said to Nikki and Rachel before tossing the bag of potions over my shoulder.
“You know when someone usually says everything is going to be fine, that’s when everything blows up in our face. Maybe don’t say that again,” Nikki said as we moved to the front of the house where Nick was still waiting.
“Yeah, maybe.”
Rachel was still quiet. Unusual for her, especially now that she and Zeke were out in the open with their relationship, but before I could check on her, I had to make sure there were no immediate threats around us.
My eyes scanned the property as I set the bag I’d been holding on to since Beatrix’s house on the steps. The only thing I could see that hadn’t been there before was Beatrix’s grey hair floating around her and sparks of magic flickering from her body as she walked the property line.
I kept scanning, as did Rachel and Nikki, then I reached for Rachel’s arm, giving it a slight squeeze. “What’s going on with you?”
“Being at Beatrix’s house, seeing Viktor in person, remembering how I almost died just a few days ago? It’s a lot to process. I’ll be okay, and I’m good to fight. I just need some time to accept our new circumstances.”
Here I was just thankful to have them back and alive that I hadn’t considered how the experience of being trapped inside a magically burning house would affect them, regardless of if they’d survived.
“I’m sorry, Rachel. I know it’s a lot, but I’m here if you want to talk,” I said, not really knowing what else I could do to make the trauma easier for her to process.
She gave me a small smile. “Thanks.”
I nodded and squeezed her arm one more time before letting go.
As I did another scan of the front side of the property, shouts sounded from the backyard, and I spun around toward the raised voices. “I’ll be right back.” Then, I disappeared in a blur, flying faster over the yard than ever before.
CHAPTER 13
My speed was over the top and made my chest burn with its force as I curved around the house. Though, I didn’t have time to decipher what the changes meant, because Maciah had some guy pinned against a tree.
The newcomer’s hands were up in surrender. He was wearing dark jeans and a plain white tee, more casual than the vampires I was used to seeing. His hair was longer and dark blond, falling just above his shoulders and pushed back behind his ears.
His eyes were the same mahogany I was used to seeing in Maciah’s nest, but I didn’t recognize him. I stepped forward with caution
as I listened in on their conversation.
“What are you doing here? I’m not going to ask again,” Maciah snarled.
“I saw what happened in Portland. I had to make sure she was okay,” the guy answered.
“You had no reason to do that. She’s my responsibility,” Maciah said.
She who? Me? I didn’t know this guy, so I wasn’t so sure, but Maciah was protective of whoever he was talking about.
“Come on, Mac. You know I had no choice. She was better off, but I couldn’t completely walk away.”
Mac? That was a new name for Maciah and seemed pretty personal.
“You made a choice, Bennett. Live with it and leave before you cause more harm,” Maciah demanded with Zeke and Eddie flanking him.
Oh. Bennett. Nikki. Shit. I hoped they hadn’t followed me.
I moved to race back around the house, but I was too late. Nikki and Rachel had turned the corner, and I couldn’t stop what was about to happen.
Nikki froze for a moment and gasped, the sound loud enough that Bennett heard her. The pained look on his face told me he still very much cared about my friend, but he was an idiot either way.
I blurred until I was in front of Nikki, holding her arms. “You can walk away and be done with him. Or you can talk to him. This is your decision, and I’ll make sure you’re supported no matter what you choose.”
Nikki had unanswered questions about why Bennett disappeared on her five years ago. She hadn’t let him go, and if seeing him now would give her closure or whatever she’d been missing, then she deserved for that to happen. Regardless of what anyone else thought.
Nikki was still staring past me. “I need a minute, but I’d like to talk to him if he’s staying.”
“Oh, he’s staying until you say you want him gone,” I replied.
Nikki nodded and disappeared toward the house. I turned to Rachel. “Was that the right thing?”
“Absolutely. Maciah and Zeke won’t agree. They watched how hurt Nikki was, and even though Maciah doesn’t show emotion very often anymore, I know it pained him when Bennett left, too.”
Rachel was right. Maciah hadn’t expressed in detail how he’d felt back in the hotel room, but he’d opened up enough about that time of his life, and I was glad to know I’d been right that the vampires had always known Maciah cared, even when he’d had trouble showing it after feeling betrayed one too many times.
“Let’s go make sure they don’t start throwing punches.” Rachel sighed, and I followed after her.
Bennett was still pinned to the oak tree, and Maciah was glancing back at us as we approached. “Where’s Nikki?” he asked, looking behind us.
“She went inside, but she does want to talk to him. Just not yet,” Rachel answered.
Maciah grunted and gave Bennett another shove before releasing him. “You’re lucky she’s more forgiving than the rest of us.”
“I said I was sorry, Mac. I didn’t have another choice.” Bennett begged for his understanding.
Maciah sneered at him. “We always have a choice. Sometimes we’re just too scared to make the right one.”
As the words left Maciah’s mouth, I wondered if he was not only talking to Bennett, but to himself. He struggled a lot with his fear, but maybe he was finally learning that fear didn’t have to win.
Zeke, Rachel, and Eddie stayed with Bennett, and I left with Maciah, taking his hand as he stormed off.
I let him stew for several minutes as we walked as far away from the others as we could get without leaving the property.
Maciah stared up at the stars, the tension leaving his shoulders a little more with every passing second.
“I know this is a lot for you, but maybe it’s a good thing Bennett showed up. We could use the help if you think you can still trust him,” I said softly.
“He was my best friend before Zeke. When he left, it changed everything for me. I thought I could trust him to have my back, and he left without a word.”
I leaned against his shoulder, trying to offer comfort. “People do things they shouldn’t when they’re scared. I think you’ve experienced that more lately than ever before.”
He nodded, more of the rage fading away from him. “Still pisses me off.”
“I know, and I’m not saying you have to let him back in, but the longer you hold on to your anger, the more you’re hurting yourself.”
Maciah glanced down at me, eyes soft and caring. “When did you become so aware of everything?”
“When I became a vampire and all the things around me amplified tenfold. If I hadn’t let go of my anger and taken control—just like you taught me—then I wouldn’t have been able to fight for what I want most.”
“And what’s that?” he asked, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
“Peace,” I answered without hesitation.
That was something I hadn’t truly had since I was fourteen. I’d long forgotten what it felt like to be content, but Maciah and his nest had shown me glimpses, and that was what I wanted most in my life.
I still intended to hunt vampires, which I knew wouldn’t always be easy—or peaceful—but with my family’s murderers gone and Maciah set free from his past with Silas, I knew we’d find a way to always feel safe and content with our new vampire family.
“Peace sounds nice,” Maciah murmured before pressing his lips to mine.
I kissed him once, then pulled back. “Are you going to be okay?”
He nodded. “I won’t let Bennett distract me unless Nikki wants him gone. It’s up to her now.”
“And you’re sure that we can trust him? Is there a chance he might have returned because someone sent him to us?” I asked, knowing we couldn’t be too careful. It was still likely we had a vampire from the nest out there who’d been working with Dmitri and potentially Viktor.
“We can. I might not like him at the moment, but Bennett is a good vampire. He’d never work with anyone like Viktor.”
Maciah seemed positive, and I wanted to believe him, so I let it go. I’d quiz the new vampire myself when the time was right to be sure, though.
“Let’s go inside and wait for Beatrix. Looks like she’s about halfway around the property,” Maciah said.
“I need to check on Nikki, too,” I said as we walked toward the house and scanned the area again. Until Beatrix was done, we couldn’t be too safe.
Nothing stood out to either of us as we stepped onto the porch and I picked my bag up, surprised nobody else had already grabbed it.
Maciah held the door open for me, and I stepped inside first. Zeke and Eddie were staring at Bennett, and I saw a flash of Jazz’s red hair disappear into the hallway.
I turned to Maciah, lifting the potions up. “I’m going to put this in our room and then find Nikki. Please, be nice.”
He grunted, but I could also see a grin through his tough act. I knew having Bennett here brought back ill feelings, but there was also a small part of Maciah glad to have his friend back. He might be able to hide that from the rest of them, but not me.
Before I worried any more about what the guys might do, I dropped the bag of potions on our bed, then went in search of Rachel and Nikki, assuming they were in Nikki’s room.
Sure enough, when I opened the door, they were both sitting on the bed. I settled in next to them, crossing my legs and having no clue what to say. I was getting better at caring and being there for people, but boy troubles weren’t really my thing.
“So, how’s it going?” I asked when neither of them said anything.
“Nikki’s switching between murderous thoughts and wanting to drag him back to her room after kicking us out,” Rachel answered dryly.
“Well, that makes sense. He is pretty hot. The long hair fits with what I’ve learned about him, but it would also be fun to drag him across hot coal holding only his dark-blond strands,” I said.
Nikki finally cracked a smile. “I’ve pictured nearly that exact scenario, but it was razor blades instead of coal.”
>
“Nice.” I gave her a fist bump, glad my humor was helping.
“So, what now? Make him sweat it out downstairs for the rest of the night, or however long you need? Or are you going to rip the band-aid off and see what he came to say?” I asked.
Nikki’s fingers fidgeted over her lap. “What would you do?”
“I’d make him stew for at least another hour or two, then waltz down those stairs, demand his presence, and give him hell privately,” I answered.
She nodded, then glanced at Rachel. “What do you think?”
Rachel reached a hand to Nikki. “It’s not a bad idea as long as you’re ready for what he might say. Have you thought about what you’ll do if he wants to come back to the nest? Back to you?”
Nikki shook her head at Rachel’s very valid point. It wasn’t just about Nikki facing the man who scorned her. She had to think about how that decision might affect her future as well.
“I’ve missed him, but I don’t want him to think that what he did was acceptable if I speak with him or touch him or let him see what he still does to me,” Nikki said, a stray tear falling down her cheek.
“Do you believe his actions were meant to be maliciously hurtful toward you?” I asked, and she shook her head. “Do you believe he really loved you?”
“I do,” she answered, a smile growing on her face.
Rachel grinned as well. “It was almost sickening being around them before.”
“Then, to me, you’re only hurting yourself by not speaking your piece and seeing what he has to say. Only then can you decide what to do. You’re a smart vampire. You’ll be able to ferret out any lies he might try to get past you,” I said, hoping that I wasn’t helping Bennett further break Nikki’s heart by encouraging her to talk with him.
I just knew that if I hadn’t gone to Maciah and faced him as soon as I was able, then I might have run instead, and I didn’t want to picture where I’d be without these vampires in my life. Not anymore.
Maybe Bennett could still be Nikki’s happily-ever-after, but she was going to have to take a risk I wasn’t sure she was ready for.
Vampire Vow (Scorned by Blood Book 3) Page 9
