There was a lull in the storm, the rain suddenly petering off to a light drizzle. Even the wind seemed to have dropped. She didn’t want to think about what it meant, though her mind couldn’t help going over the possibility that the end of the storm also meant the end of Elizabeth’s life. Her heart clenched so hard it hurt and she tightened her grip around Sebastian’s neck, praying the notion was wrong and that they’d reach her in time.
Sebastian slowed and she lifted her head to find they stood at the bottom of Colorado Avenue. The ocean stretched out in front of them. Though the storm had settled, waves continued to rise like angry fists, smashing down on the beach. Most of the white sand had been washed away, the sea water hitting the road, sidewalk and walkways.
Silently, Sebastian lowered her to her feet. Cold spray doused her face and hands, the water tightening her skin. Serenity flicked out her tongue and tasted salt. She looked out across the pier, her eyes frantically searching for her daughter. Within seconds, she saw her.
Conner held Elizabeth at the start of the otherwise deserted pier, one arm around her chest, pinning her back to him. The other hand held a knife, the blade of which was pointed against her throat. Elizabeth’s head was tilted to one side, as if offering him better access. The sight snatched the breath from Serenity’s lungs. Oh, God, Elizabeth! She wanted to rush forward, screaming, to tear Elizabeth from Conner’s grip and take her a long way from any danger, but she knew acting impulsively now would only get her daughter—and probably herself and Sebastian—killed.
The end of the pier had been swept away in the raging storm. What had once been a strong structure was now reduced to splintered shards of wood and bent steel. As the ocean drew the water back, before rising and swelling to create another wave, Serenity caught sight of the concrete structure which had supported the pier—in particular, the massive support where she’d captured Madeline all those years ago.
She couldn’t help the shudder that worked its way across her shoulder and down her back. So many years had passed and yet, still, the memory of the other vampire struck fear through her heart. Would she still be alive down there, starving and furious? How damaged were the struts? Enough to allow Madeline to break her way free? Though Serenity’s priority was and always would be with Elizabeth, she couldn’t help the additional niggle of worry that wormed its way through her.
But she couldn’t allow herself to think about that now.
So far, Conner hadn’t noticed them standing there.
But others had.
On the beach, just beyond the break of the waves, but as far as the eye could see, demon after demon stood, facing them. The humanoid kind stood motionless, their hands by their sides. The smaller demons sat crouched, as if preparing to spring forward at any moment. All sets of eyes that had previously been fixed on Elizabeth had now turned to them. Serenity shivered again. It was so creepy, the way they all stood there, silently watching.
“What are we going to do?” she hissed at Sebastian, lifting her chin toward the creatures.
Sebastian reached down and took her hand. She took strength from his contact, from having him by her side. Together, they took a step forward. As they did so, each of the demons moved an identical step forward, closing in around them.
“They’re not just going to let us take her.”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened. “We’re not going to give them a choice.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Sebastian didn’t intend on telling Serenity—she had enough to worry about—but the feeling of the sun coming up was growing stronger with each passing second. He fought his instincts with every inch of strength he had, but every cell of his body screamed at him to get out of the way of danger. The sensation felt like a tugging on all his limbs, dragging him away from the horizon. His blood seemed to fizz in his veins, all of his extremities tingling, as if he were desperate to feed. He knew this instinct wasn’t one of hunger, but of protection.
He balled his fists, his whole body tensed, both because of the scene in front of him and the turmoil which fought a battle inside him.
Where he’d once believed his body would only ever function in the daylight if he found himself in mortal danger, he now learned that having those he loved—even more than he loved his own immortal life—allowed him to break those bonds and step into the light. He’d stand here and let the new morning sun burn him to dust, just as long as he’d made sure of his daughter’s safety first.
The threat of the oncoming sun meant he couldn’t waste any time. As soon as the sun rose, not only would Elizabeth be killed, he would turn to ashes.
Conner stood, his body at an angle so he faced the ocean and the city beyond. His son was at his side, and they’d not yet been noticed by anyone but the demons. Sebastian kept his voice low, wanting to keep the element of surprise on their side. He squeezed Serenity’s hand.
“If the boy causes trouble, don’t hesitate to do whatever needs to be done to get Elizabeth to safety. You’ve still got my blood in your veins. You’ll be stronger than him.”
She looked up at him, her dark eyes hard with determination, and matched his tone to prevent herself from being heard. “No one’s life is more important than Elizabeth’s.” She glanced around at the shadows surrounding them. “But what about them?”
“I don’t think they can do anything to stop us,” he said. “Not yet, anyway.”
Serenity nodded. “Okay. So what now?”
He dropped a soft kiss against her lips. “Whatever happens, remember that I love you.”
She frowned, the question on her lips, “What do you mean—”
He didn’t let her finish.
With a roar and a burst of speed, he launched himself at Conner. The warlock seemed to sense him coming and spun to meet him, putting Elizabeth between them. He would crush Elizabeth if he hit at this rate, so he forced himself to slow.
The blade tightened against Elizabeth’s throat, the sharp edge nicking her skin, the scent of her blood filling the air.
He came to an abrupt halt.
“Daddy!” Elizabeth cried, her lower lip trembling. “I’m really sorry, Daddy. I should never have trusted them.”
Sebastian focused on his daughter’s face, hating to witness the fear in her eyes. “It’s okay, baby. None of this is your fault.”
His fury toward Conner made him want to lose control, to attack and tear the man to pieces and revel in his blood, but he needed to hold back. One wrong move and Conner would open Elizabeth’s throat.
“I’ll kill her right now,” the man threatened. “Even though it’s too soon, I’ll kill her if you move another inch.”
“Sebastian!”
He turned his head quickly toward Serenity’s cry, not daring to take his eyes off Conner for more than a fraction of a second. The demons were moving toward them, slowly and in silence. They’d closed in so they now stood mere feet from the start of the pier, blocking off the route of escape. The creatures were no more than ghosts here, he reminded himself. Even if they wanted to try to stop them from rescuing Elizabeth, from their lack of action, he assumed they were unable to do anything but try to frighten them. Of course, with Elizabeth’s death, all of that would change. That was what the demons waited for now. As soon as Elizabeth’s life blood was spilled, they would take solid form.
This small distraction had been all Conner needed. He lifted the hand holding the knife and shouted in Sebastian’s direction.
“Tueri contra sanguinem satietas!”
Protect against the bloodfeeder …
A blow hit Sebastian in the center of his chest and his feet lifted from beneath him. He flew backward through the air before hitting the boardwalk on his back and skidding. He let out a yell of anger and frustration and slammed his fists on the ground. When he tried to leap back to his feet, he found himself unable to, a huge weight pressing against his chest, pinning him down. On top of that, he sensed the sun rising higher, and the prickling in his skin turned to needle
points. He tried to ignore the pain, knowing he couldn’t allow it to cloud his judgment.
“It’s coming!” Conner hooted, the knife still held at Elizabeth’s throat. “The moment is coming and there is nothing any of you can do to stop it!”
“Nooo!” Serenity ran at Conner, her arms outstretched as though she planned on choking the man to death.
Conner’s spell wouldn’t work on Serenity, Sebastian realized. Even though she had his blood in her veins, she was still human.
Elizabeth saw her mother coming. With a sudden burst of spirit, she lifted a sneakered foot and stomped down on Conner’s instep. He let out a yell, but the knife caught her throat, cutting her again and drawing more blood. She cried out, her hands clutching her throat. Serenity had almost reached them, but she wasn’t quick enough. Conner snatched Elizabeth up again, and though she fought and squirmed in his arms, he was ready for her now, prepared for the jabbing elbows and kicking feet. His upper lip curled in disgust, the knife back against her throat.
“I’ll kill her right now,” he said. “I swear I will.”
Serenity skidded to a halt, only five feet separating them.
“Shoot her!” Conner demanded of his son. “Her and the vampire too. Only this time, make sure it’s in the head.”
Ryan lifted the weapon and pointed the barrel at Serenity.
“Do it!” Conner yelled. “What are you waiting for?”
But the weapon trembled in the boy’s grip. He shook his head and lowered the gun. “I can’t.”
His father snarled. “I always knew you were weak!”
Serenity took a step closer, her eyes fixed on Elizabeth. “Everything is going to be all right, sweetheart.”
Blood dribbled down over the cold steel of the knife’s blade. “One more step and I’ll deepen those cuts enough to stop her breath.”
Still unable to move, an invisible force pinning him to the boardwalk, impotent fury bubbled up inside Sebastian. “He’ll do it anyway, Serenity! The man is crazy.”
She shot a frantic, terrified glance at him, and he could see the indecision in her face. He understood. She didn’t want to risk Elizabeth’s life, but Elizabeth’s life was already at risk, and soon his own would be over.
Conner crowed with laughter. “The sun is about to come up! Look, it’s time! It’s almost time!”
He was right; the faintest sliver of light glowing crimson on the horizon. Across the ocean, toward the east, the red orb of the sun began to appear from behind the skyline.
And Sebastian’s skin began to smolder.
Serenity’s eyes widened at the sight. “No!”
All was lost.
Ryan ran forward and grabbed something from around Elizabeth’s throat. He stood in front of Conner, and Sebastian realized what he held in his hand—the tiger-stone pendant he’d given to Elizabeth for her birthday. The stone that protected against evil and black magic. A magic that could only be activated by sunlight.
Ryan held the stone toward his father and swathe of light washed over the older man—yellows, golds and ambers—like a prism of crystal when the sunlight shines through. Conner threw up the arm holding the knife to cover his eyes and a shout of anger exploded from his mouth. “You dare defy me, boy!”
And suddenly Sebastian was able to move again.
Faster than the human eye could see, he threw himself at Conner and Elizabeth. His hand closed around Conner’s arm, the one holding the knife, and wrenched it backward, the sharp snap of bone echoing through the breaking dawn. The man’s howl of agony followed.
Sebastian’s skin began to blister, the scent of burning flesh filling his nostrils and coating the back of his throat, but he wouldn’t let his strength fail him now. He shoved Elizabeth down the boardwalk toward Serenity. Serenity held her arms open and dragged her daughter into her embrace, crying and holding her tight.
Conner lifted his other hand, his mouth opening to try another spell, but Sebastian didn’t allow him any final words. Placing his hands on either side of Conner’s head, he wrenched the warlock’s head around, the spine tearing in two. The man slumped in Sebastian’s arms like a puppet whose strings had been cut, the knife clattering to the ground.
Sebastian gritted his teeth and roared in agony as the sun crept above the city, but his job wasn’t done. He wouldn’t just leave the dead man here for Serenity and Elizabeth to be forced to deal with. Instead, he lifted the body and threw him off the side of the pier, the corpse vanishing beneath the tumultuous gray waters.
The certainty he too would die took hold of him, and with it came a kind of peace. Elizabeth was safe once again, and while he’d wanted more than anything to watch her grow up and create a life for herself, for now, just the knowledge she was out of harm’s way was enough.
At least he would witness his first sunrise in over two hundred years. And his last. As the sun created a light so bright he felt his very retinas burning, he forced the pain away with thoughts of Serenity.
Serenity stared in horror as Sebastian threw Conner from the pier. But her dismay wasn’t for Conner, she was glad the man was dead and Elizabeth was safe in her arms once again. It was Sebastian who instilled such fear in her. Smoke poured off his body, creating a cloud around him, disguising the raw blisters she knew would be bubbling from his skin.
“Dad!” Elizabeth cried.
Serenity yanked off her jacket. She ran up to Sebastian and threw the clothing over his head, trying to protect him from the rising sun. She knew if this had been the middle of the day, he would probably be dead by now, no more than a pile of ash like Vincent had become.
Above their heads, the dark portal of clouds seemed to be sucking into itself, vanishing into their own core until they became a knot of darkness, before disappearing altogether. The sky was an indigo blue and lightening by the second. Serenity looked around and realized all the demons were also gone. Whatever threat Conner had started, it had also finished with his death. Or perhaps it had finished when Elizabeth hadn’t been killed at sunrise; she had no way of really knowing and perhaps never would.
She didn’t have time to dwell on that right now.
“Move!” she yelled at Sebastian. She pushed him down the boardwalk, toward the car Conner had left parked on the road. He stumbled over his own feet, all signs of the fast and agile creature he normally was gone, and she found herself with his arm over her shoulder as she tried to support his immense weight. The trunk of the car was the only shelter she could think of, but she had no idea if she would get there in time.
Seeing what was happening, Ryan stripped off his shirt and ran forward to cover Sebastian’s head, using the cloth as extra covering. Serenity could feel Sebastian weaken beneath her and desperately wished he had enough strength left in him to use his speed to get him to the car more quickly. Even with his blood racing through her veins, she was nowhere near as fast or strong as she needed to be.
She only hoped she’d acted quickly enough to save his life.
Chapter Twenty-three
By the time they reached the car, Sebastian’s beautiful alabaster skin had charred black, his green irises cloudy and unseeing. Serenity could barely bring herself to look at him, but at the same time, couldn’t tear her eyes away. She feared the next time she glanced at him he’d have turned to dust.
“Open the trunk!” she yelled at Ryan, praying it would in fact open. The back of the car was dented from where the Suburban had ploughed into it by the underpass.
Though the boy had reacted quickly to the sight of Sebastian burning, the reality that he’d just watched his father—however crazy he might have been—killed in front of him must have sank in for he just stood, unresponsive and blank-faced.
“Now!” she snapped.
Ryan blinked, seeming to regain some of his senses, and he hurried around to the driver’s side to lift the latch to open the trunk. Nothing happened and Serenity’s heart was in her throat. If the trunk didn’t open, she had no idea what she would do. He yank
ed at it again a couple of times and finally the latch gave, and the trunk popped.
“Oh, thank God,” she breathed. “Now help me with him.”
Sebastian was over two hundred pounds of solid vampire and it took all of Serenity’s strength, together with Elizabeth and Ryan’s help, to lift him into the trunk. He landed heavily on one shoulder and rolled to his back. He groaned in pain, but didn’t seem conscious. Serenity couldn’t even bring herself to consider the sort of agony he was in. Crusted burns covered all of his exposed skin, smoke pouring from his body.
“I’m sorry,” she mouthed at him before slamming down the lid. She didn’t have time for delicacies, speed was of the essence. She needed to get him away from the deadly effects of the sunlight and she had a feeling being shut in the trunk wouldn’t be enough, especially not with the damage. Some faint shards of sunlight would surely filter through somewhere. All her focus was on getting him to a place of safety. Away from the increasingly stronger rays of sun.
She needed to get him home.
Oh, God, please don’t die, she begged in her head. They’d only just gotten him back. She couldn’t stand the thought of losing him again, especially not permanently this time.
Ryan opened the back door of the car and let out a yell of alarm. Liam’s body slid from the back seat, half falling out onto the road, though his feet remained in the foot well. The boy stared at the body, his face as white as any vampire’s.
Serenity rounded the car and her heart sank. “You have got to be kidding me!”
They couldn’t just leave the body on the street. Though there was a chance the police might put the man’s injuries down to an accident sustained in the storm, she still didn’t want to leave the corpse out here. She remembered only too well what happened to bodies after a vampire’s bite. Sometimes they came back.
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