by J. L. Myers
A strangled scream rang through the thick night air as he released Ty. He scrambled to clutch the weapon, but he never got the chance. Ty lunged, flattening the guy to the ground. Then his wide jaw and sharp teeth clamped around our attacker’s neck. With a slight twist and a sickening crack, Ty ripped into the guy’s jugular. A fleeting shriek escaped Lukas while blood that smelled like death coated the sea air. Life vanished from the vampire’s face and his body became limp.
Ty fell onto his back, heaving and gasping. Erratic trembling claimed his body as he began to shrink and change. In a few heart-stopping seconds he was back to his naked human form. I watched in amazement then gasped. His life-threatening wounds were even more obvious against his human skin. He clumsily pushed off the deck and got to his feet, grasping my strewn towel to wrap around his naked waist. I stared, shell shocked as Ty leaned over the dead guy, groaning as he lifted the guy’s weight and pried the stake from its back. With a fleeting look up at me, he dropped the dead weight, fell to his knees, and plunged the stake into the vampire’s chest.
As Ty turned back to me with the stake in his hand, the body behind him disintegrated, turning into a smoldering pile of ash. He gripped my forearms, pain flashing across his face. “Are you hurt?”
Unable to move or speak, I just stood there. Too much had happened, and I didn’t understand any of it.
Ty shook me. “Amelia, are you alright? Did it hurt you?”
“What?” I coughed then swallowed. Damn, that hurt. If my windpipe were crushed I wouldn’t have been surprised. “Um, no. I’ll be okay.” Deathly silence hung in the air as Ty’s glowing gold eyes watched me. I peered past his wounded body to the disappearing ash behind him, floating away with the ocean breeze. “You had a stake…on our trip. You killed…” I paused, staring at the ash. “Is that supposed to happen?”
“It’s a precaution. I always carry one close by.” He shook his head. “And no. Death by stake doesn’t cause instantaneous combustion.”
“He wasn’t a vampire, was he?”
“Not like any I’ve seen before.” Ty craned his neck to take in the singe marks on the deck. “He was stronger and faster.” His face was dire as he looked back to me. “Thank you. He almost had me there.”
The billowing wind died down, the air turning calm. The potency of Ty’s blood soared. I hadn’t drunk him since this morning. Without thinking I stepped forward, touching his arm. He winced and my hand shot back. Had I seriously been considering drinking from him like this? I frowned at Ty’s broken body and the many deep wounds still steadily dripping crimson.
Ty followed my gaze down to his slashed and bloodied chest. He staggered back, his face turning white. “Something’s wrong,” he said, his voice quiet and fading. “I’m not healing.”
Then he collapsed to his knees.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I covered Ty’s injuries with towels, hoisted his weight against my side and hurried downstairs and inside, heading straight for our cabin. With my bottom lip between my teeth I kept biting down, breaking skin to taste my own blood. It was all that kept me from burying my fangs in him. Lucky the halls were empty, thanks to the extended performance being held in the show lounge.
Finally reaching our cabin, I unlocked the door and kicked it open. A split second later I’d gotten Ty onto the bed. He grunted at my sudden release, rolling sideways as more blood gushed from his wounds. On autopilot, I snatched the wastebasket from the bathroom and filled it with tepid water, emptying the saltshaker from the dining table into it. Then I ripped a towel to shreds and dropped the walls in my mind.
You have to clean the wounds and stop the bleeding, Kendrick instructed.
“You think I don’t freaking know that,” I hissed then snapped my lips shut. The last thing Ty needed was to hear the panic in my voice. Besides, I’d picked up the basics of treating animal injuries during my I’m-gonna-be-a-vet stage while watching documentaries and Animal Hospital. So this process was routine.
I dropped beside Ty’s trembling body. He flinched as I began dabbing a wet piece of towel across his many wounds, the salt and moisture stinging his serrated flesh. “It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.”
As the blood washed away, every gouge and tear appeared more and more serious. Each one was jagged and angry, and every single one still oozed crimson. Covering my aching fangs with my lips, I tried to control my expression. Ty’s wounds were life threatening. If he’d been human he would have already been dead. The fact that he was a werewolf and still alive, gave me some hope. But watching his body grow pale without any sign of healing, struck fear through my heart.
Rain began to pelt down outside, splattering musical drops against the balcony’s glass doors. I placed a gentle hand on a slash-free part of Ty’s chest and tried to mask the terror that spread through me like poison. “The blood loss is slowing, but not enough.”
It was true. Ty’s blood loss had slowed. Though the sight struck fear through my heart. After all his bleeding out there was very little blood still pumping through his veins. The bed—our bed—that he was lying on, vibrated along with his trembling body. The sheets were stained a vibrant red that was soaking down towards the carpet.
Fuck! He’s lost too much blood, I rambled internally as Ty began to gasp in short, sharp breaths. Kendrick, he’s dying. Help me, please! Tears blurred my vision and I turned away from Ty so he wouldn’t see them. Tell me how I can save him. I’ll do anything.
There might be one thing, came Kendrick’s unspoken voice. There was hesitation in his next words. Was he bitten?
Feeling the urgency of time slipping away, I scanned Ty over, feeling with my fingers. Ty groaned in agony between panting breaths. I couldn’t see any bite marks. Just claw gouges all over his trembling body. I—I don’t think so.
Don’t assume, Kendrick snapped. Ask him.
Why? What the hell does it matter?
Because, Kendrick replied sounding exasperated, if you want Ty to live, you’re going to have to feed him your blood. Like the vampires used to when the wolves were our guardians. It’ll kill off the poisoned blood he’s ingested. But if he’s been bitten he could turn, or worse…
“Were you bitten?” I blurted, noticing in horror the gold fading from Ty’s irises.
“No,” he rasped. In, in, out. In, in, out. His sharp breaths grew faster. “I w-wasn’t…bitten.”
I slashed a nail straight through my wrist, opening up a deep incision that swelled with crimson. Kendrick’s consciousness left me, and I held my wrist up before Ty’s mouth. “I know it’s gross, but it’ll help. Trust me.”
“Nothing,” Ty said then coughed, “ab-bout you is g-gross.” His mouth parted as I lowered my dripping wrist to his lips. Then he raised a shaky hand to grasp my arm, holding it close as he began drawing my blood.
I almost expected him to cough or gag, but then I remembered his confession at Mom’s dinner. Ty could and did sometimes drink blood. And now he’d tasted mine. Warmth colored my cheeks and my fangs retracted. The sensation was unusual, like nothing I’d ever experienced before. I cringed, remembering that only one person had ever bitten me. Caius. Back when he’d attempted to take my life though full consumption. The memory raised a chill over my body that I quickly shook off. This was nothing like that. Ty’s teeth—vamp or wolf—weren’t biting into me. There was no pain surging through my body. All I felt was Ty’s warming lips and the strangest pulling sensation as my blood was drawn from my vein.
A warm smile spread across my face as the color began to return to Ty’s pale skin. I ran my free hand through his slick hair. At my touch Ty’s groggy gaze lifted. He released my wrist and smiled with bloodstained lips. “I’ve never had blood that tasted that good. But yours is…”
His words trailed off as I lowered my lips to his, kissing him and tasting my own blood from his mouth. I edged away and examined Ty’s wounds. The bleeding had almost stopped, but every jagged wound remained open, now only beginning to crust in from the
sides.
Ty leaned up from the red-puddled sheets and winced as he touched my face with a rough and slowly warming hand. His eyes were hooded and he looked like death warmed up. His lips parted and I shushed him. “Sleep now. All you need to do is sleep.”
I leaned down and kissed him. When I drew back he was out.
~
With one last glance back at Ty, I slipped out to the corridor. He was sound asleep and healing slowly. I winced, remembering all that vibrant blood flowing out of him. I’d come so close to losing him. I slumped against the wall, hand palming the stake hidden in my hoodie. Thanks to Ty our attacker was dead. But were there more? There was no way I could feel safe if I didn’t find out. And I wasn’t about to let any further harm come to Ty if I could prevent it.
Amelia, you can’t search the boat alone, Kendrick’s irritated voice repeated. It’s too dangerous.
I ignored him and began heading toward the Oasis deck.
Bloody hell, Amelia. Don’t be stupid. Kendrick was starting to sound desperate. At least wait until the sun’s up and they’re disadvantaged.
I stalled, feeling a hidden meaning to his words and remembering the vampire’s speed, strength, deathly complexion, and blood-red eyes. Then I thought of how it’d died. Even Ty had admitted our attacker wasn’t any normal vampire. And he should know. His father had trained him to hunt down rogues from childhood.
You know something. Tell me now.
After an extended pause that had me about to scream, Kendrick spoke. You’re right. It wasn’t a normal vampire who attacked you. It wasn’t even a rogue.
With Kendrick’s thoughts now open, I knew his suspicion. Nervous tension forced me to keep on walking. Pulseless and soulless. A damned vampire?
Sunlight doesn’t just drain or even burn them, Kendrick said. It incinerates them.
Like when Ty staked him. I shuddered, visualizing the moment Lukas had instantaneously combusted. That just didn’t happen to regular vamps. Plus we had uncovered proof that at least Caius believed the damned still existed. Even with the mounting facts, I didn’t want to believe it. Why are you so sure that that’s what he was?
Because I’ve seen one before.
My knees threatened to buckle and I caught myself by gripping the door handle to get outside. Still the momentum was there and I stumbled out into post midnight darkness, falling back against the door as it sucked shut. I was at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the Oasis deck. Wind blasted my hair while sideways rain soaked through my hoodie and jeans. What the hell, Kendrick? You saw one? How? When?
Melting into Kendrick’s consciousness, I felt him shuffle in his seat. He was in the corner of the cocktail bar, turning a glass of rum with edgy fingers. Then I noticed something. Where’s Dorian?
The stitched emotions already flooding from Kendrick stirred and reared. Asleep, he replied vaguely.
And? I pushed, feeling a wave of nausea steam through me. Whatever Kendrick had kept from me had something to do with Dorian, and it was big. When Kendrick remained silent, the anger I’d felt at his earlier disappearance reared its ugly head. Kendrick, don’t treat me like a child. I’m not stupid. You’re keeping something big from me, more than meeting a girl, and it has to do with Dorian, and… I swallowed hard, feeling my conviction in what I was about to say. It’s related to the attack on Ty and me.
Kendrick threw back his rum and sighed. We were attacked, too. Here, at the resort. As the invisible wall around a single one of his memories fell, I edged down onto the stairs. I could still feel the wind blasting through my hair, but I couldn’t see the ship’s deck. Instead my vision became internal, running through a terrifying sequence of events.
It was dark with night, distant lodge floodlights highlighting the ski slope. But Kendrick wasn’t in the light. He and Dorian were over the ridge, using vampire night vision to take on the abandoned course.
And they weren’t alone.
As Kendrick got halfway down the dangerous slope a figure shot out, catching his neck with a thrown out arm. Kendrick slammed back onto the snow, gasping at the hit that had crushed his throat.
Dorian called out from higher up as the guy pinned Kendrick down. The stranger’s fanged smile was lethal, his eyes starving for blood.
Shock and adrenaline spiked through Kendrick’s veins and he tried to fight back. But the thing was stronger, fangs now closing in on their mark.
“I said back off!” Dorian crashed into the guy, torpedoing him off of Kendrick. The thing recovered quick as a flash and claws began to fly, cutting into my brother who fought with all he had.
Wind pockets sprouted up from an approaching snowstorm, and Kendrick jumped into the fray. But even against two, the creature was making ground.
“Immobilize it!” Kendrick shouted, and somehow in the chaos Dorian understood the command.
He backed away—boarding gear dyed with blood—and left Kendrick to defend. With concentration his hand rose, straining with violent tremors. Then it happened. The snow below the attacker changed form opaque to clear. Ice to water.
Kendrick leapt away as the guy sunk into the pond beneath him. He hissed and went to escape, but not quick enough. Like watching a documentary of winter progression on fast-forward, the water snapped back to solid, imprisoning ice.
The thing began sprouting curses as Dorian nodded to my best friend. “What now?”
Kendrick’s face became grim as he strode forward. His hands gripped the flailing guy’s skull, and held tight. “Silver or decapitation. It’s the only way to kill the damned.”
Then he twisted.
The vision snapped off like a door being slammed in my face. I gasped and tried not to gag as the wind-blown deck returned. I spoke around the spike of vomit in my throat. “When did this happen?”
Three days ago.
Three fucking days ago! I remembered that day. Kendrick had been at the bar and nursing a brandy, favoring his left arm. And I had seen the replayed events. A double flip off a crest that he hadn’t pulled off the landing to. It was all made up bullshit to throw me off. But why not tell me? And what about the girl he’d been busy blocking me out to hook up with?
There was no girl. Kendrick answered my thoughts as if they’d been questions. There will never be another girl. Deep down you knew that. And I hated lying to you. But I never thought you’d be in any danger. You’re on a cruise ship. In the middle of the ocean. On the other side of the world where the sun is shining. How could he even get on board? It doesn’t make sense.
The one thing that made sense was that someone had wanted us all taken care of. And they’d gone to great lengths to make it happen. Plus our attacker hadn’t tried to kill me. He’d merely tried to subdue me. There was only one person who needed to silence us, and who needed me alive to achieve his goals.
It had to be Caius, and this time I’m going to find proof.
CHAPTER FIVETEEN
I stalled at the top of the stairwell. The crumpled deck chairs still made a mess to the left. To the right my attacker’s ashy remains had now been swept away by the unrelenting wind. Any spilled blood, from either Ty or him, appeared to have been cleansed from the deck with the downpour that was now starting to lighten. There were no red eyes or lurking shadows.
With Kendrick nervously watching through the bond, I began searching the deck. I knelt at a darker spot where the damned had burned to cinders. Unease over Kendrick’s attack and lies weighed against my heart. Why did you keep it from me?
I guess I wanted you to have fun, Kendrick said. I vaguely noticed him motioning to the bartender for another drink. After everything that’s happened, you deserved to live a little.
Although living a little meant me spending time with and getting closer to Ty, Kendrick’s words were honest and sincere. He wanted me to be happy. The weight in my heart lifted, forgiving him for his lies. I can’t believe you invented some girl to throw me off track, I said, letting my fingers brush the singed deck.
I can’
t believe you bought that, Kendrick replied. Then his mood turned serious. Amelia, I will never feel a millionth of what I feel for you for anyone else. I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s true.
His words left me speechless, and I almost wished I could return his feelings. But I couldn’t. My heart belonged to Ty…and it always would. I straightened beside the hot tub, scrounging for something to say that wouldn’t make him feel bad. Then I paused. There beside my Vans was a glossy spot the rain hadn’t washed clean.
What is it? Kendrick asked, his trepidation peaking.
I knelt and touched the wet spot, then rubbed it between my thumb and fingers. It was cold and tacky. “It’s blood.”
Except it wasn’t red. It was black like old oil. I lifted my fingers to my nose, and then flung them away. It smelled as putrid as decaying flesh. I rinsed the black liquid from my fingers in the hot tub’s water, and washed away the evidence on the deck. Even with the source gone the stench was imprinted on my memory. In this windy area I could even detect where Lukas had died and where he’d been loitering in the shadows. This was the clue I needed.
Amelia… Kendrick’s voice warned. Don’t, please.
I jogged to the stairs. No, Kendrick. Nothing you say will make me stop. This needs to be done. I need to make sure we’re alone. I’m going to find his lair.
In the past I had located Ty by the potent aroma of his blood. Now I was going to use my heightened sense of smell to uncover the damned’s hideout. Following the slight remnants of decay, I headed down flights of stairs. The stench disappeared and I changed directions, picking it up further down another corridor. Past the almost endless stretch of cabin doors, I met more stairs. This time I kept going down until I reached the lowest level with rooms. The scent was more pungent here and I followed it. At the opposite end of the corridor it spiked.
Cabin 505. I clutched the door handle and my heart pounded, feeling like it wanted to up and leave. A group of tweens exited the room opposite, and my hand shot back, waiting for them to pass. When the corridor was vacant again, I faced the door. A Do Not Disturb slip took up the card slot.
