Vampire’s Descent: Willow Harbor - Book Two

by Jennifer Snyder

  Maybe this was it for the three of us. Maybe we all would die right here right now.

  When a crunch of bones breaking beyond repair rolled through the room, I knew I was right. Aurora’s lips twisted into a vile grin because she knew too. Her knee came up to pummel me in the gut, and I prayed everything would end soon. Hopelessness settled inside me.

  This was it. Aurora was about to win.

  “Hey, bitch! Get your hands off my boyfriend!” Claire shouted.

  My heart thundered at the sound of her voice. She was okay. She had to be because she’d somehow shifted into her human form and was conscious. Had she killed the vampire she’d been up against?

  Aurora’s grip on my neck loosened enough for me to twist to face Claire. She stood by Danny’s desk, naked and bloody from battle, with a severe look of determination igniting through her eyes.

  I’d never witnessed someone more beautiful.

  Claire held the guide in her hands. That was what had grabbed Aurora’s attention. Claire snatched the pages of the guide from the binding in one swift movement. She tossed them into a metal trash can and lit a match.

  “You’re never going to get your hands on the guide now.” Claire grinned. She chucked the lit match into the trash can and the pages went up in flames.

  Aurora flew across the room in a blur. I did the same, knowing if she got her hands on Claire she’d kill her for what she’d done. My fingers entwined with her red hair, and I flung her across the room before she had a chance to touch Claire. She flew farther than I thought she would. I guess even without the hellhound’s blood pumping through me, I still didn’t know my own strength. A cry of pain sliced through the air. For a moment, I thought it was Claire’s father. My heart stopped because I couldn’t bear the thought of her losing another loved one so soon. When I glanced in his direction, her dad was sinking his teeth into the neck of one of Aurora’s goons. He released a loud growl as he ripped out the vampire’s throat, nearly severing his head from his body. The vampire toppled to the ground, and his body transformed to ash as the life left him.

  “Ashes to ashes,” I heard Claire say. I knew she meant the two vampires Aurora had brought with her, but also the pages of the guide.

  “Oh, you little…” Aurora muttered.

  Her eyes were solid orbs of darkness. Dread pooled through me at the sight. Things were about to go from bad to worse.

  Aurora narrowed her gaze on Claire and bared her fangs. I could sense movement behind me. Claire’s father was gearing up to take Aurora down. The shifting of bones echoed off the walls as Claire took her panther form again.

  This was it. Three on one.

  The odds were definitely in our favor. I readied myself to fight. Thinking of what taking Aurora down might mean for me didn’t pass through my mind. All I could think about was how I couldn’t let her hurt either of the two panthers behind me.

  My gaze locked on Aurora, waiting for her to make the first move. My plan was to cut her off before she could reach Claire or her father. All I needed to do was catch sight of her decision to move before they did, and she was mine. I could end this before anyone I cared for got hurt.

  A slight twitch of Aurora’s head was all I needed to know she was ready to go. My body rushed forward in a blur to collide with hers. I spun her around and shoved her into a wall lined with bookshelves floor to ceiling. The force of impact crumbled the shelves behind her, sending books and debris crashing to the floor.

  “You will not touch her,” I seethed.

  “Darling, since when do you think you give me orders? No one gives me orders.” Her dark eyes blazed with a deadly fire I’d witnessed only once—when she’d turned me. My grip on her wavered at the sight. “Especially not one of my minions. I’ll do more than touch her for this—I will kill her in front of you, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

  I pressed her against the bookshelf harder. It cracked, sending splinters flying through the air. Aurora laughed.

  “The sad part is, I’m not even fighting back. The power you gained from drinking the hellhound’s blood is long gone. You’re weak again, and there isn’t a chance in hell you’ll be able to take me.” She gripped the front of my shirt and lifted me into the air.

  In an instant, we switched positions. I was pressed into the bookshelf, and she had me by the neck. Claire and her father crept closer, ready to pounce the second they were close enough. Aurora didn’t notice them. Her attention was focused solely on me.

  All she had to do was squeeze a little harder, and I’d be gone.

  “I’m going to enjoy this,” she seethed, her face inches from mine.

  The door to the bookshop flew open as Gwen and her grandmother strolled in, whispering words in a foreign language. Their presence didn’t faze Aurora. She was focused on ending me. When each of her fingers gradually began to apply more pressure to my throat, my gaze locked with hers. Her tongue darted out to lick along her fangs. She enjoyed this moment. My death was coming by her hand, and she would drag it out for as long as she cared to. This was nothing but a game to her.

  Ida and Gwen’s whispered words grew louder and more rapid. Something flickered across Aurora’s face. Had she finally noticed them? Were their words doing something to her?

  Her eyes narrowed as though she were asking me what was happening. The blackness leaked from her eyes, making their bright green visible again, as her grasp on my neck loosened enough for me to pry her fingers away. I had every intention of doing her harm the instant I was free, but I never got the chance. She slipped across the hardwood flooring as if pulled toward the two witches by a magnet. Whatever Ida and Gwen were doing held magic. Strong magic. Something not even Aurora could fight against.

  Ida lifted one of her arms, revealing a tan stone with orange streaks in her hand. Whatever it was, it was clear Aurora wanted nothing to do with it. Her face twisted into a look of pure agony the closer she came to the stone. Was it pulling her like a magnet?

  My entire body trembled. I wasn’t sure what would happen to her once she touched it or how it might affect me.

  Would Aurora die when the stone Ida held touched her? Would I die along with her?

  As the distance between Aurora and the witches decreased, I directed my attention to Claire. If I only had a few seconds left, I wanted them to be spent with her. Even if she was in her other form.

  I stepped to her. Her beautiful smoky blue eyes lifted to look at me. I’d never seen them so vibrant before. The sleek blackness of her fur accentuated their color. God, she was stunning even in this form.

  Energy blasted through the bookstore, drawing my attention back to Ida and Gwen. Aurora had touched the stone. The end of my maker was near and quite possibly the end of me.

  “No!” Aurora shouted before she was sucked into the stone.

  It glowed a vibrant orange before fading back to its original shade of tan. Ida and Gwen stopped their chanting. Each stood panting. The magic they’d used had taken their breath away. I stared into the area Aurora had previously stood, waiting to turn to ash like every other vampire I’d ever seen when they died.

  “Go ahead, boy. Pick it up,” Ida insisted, still out of breath. She motioned for me to grab the stone from the floor. When I didn’t move, she did. She scooped it up and stalked to where I stood. “It’s yours. Take it.” She held her hand out with the stone resting in the center of her palm.

  I grabbed it. It was warm to the touch. “Okay.”

  I didn’t know what she wanted me to say. Hell, I didn’t know what she’d meant when she said it was mine. What was I supposed to do with it?

  “You are her keeper now. Let go of all the fear that’s been tormenting you, child. No longer are you a victim; you’re a survivor. Don’t you ever forget that,” she insisted. I nodded but didn’t speak. How was it possible she’d known so much about me? I barely knew her. “I’ve looked into your soul, child. You’re nothing like her, and you never will be. You got that? You never will be like
that evil woman.”

  Something inside me fell away. It shattered into a million tiny pieces, releasing me from a heavy weight I hadn’t known I’d been carrying.

  “Chin up, buttercup,” Ida grinned. “Sometimes we just need someone to tell us we’re not as terrible as we think we are, and I’m here to tell you.” She clasped her hand over mine, folding my fingers around the warm stone in the process. “You keep that in a safe place and use it to remind yourself of that from time to time, and I think you’ll be just fine.”

  “Thank you,” I said even though there was so much more I wanted to say. There weren’t enough words in the world to express how I felt in the moment.

  Ida winked and flashed a small smile as she released her grip on my hand. “You’re welcome.”

  “What made you decide to help?” Claire asked. I’d been so focused on Ida and the stone, I hadn’t noticed she’d shifted back into her human form.

  Claire stood naked in the middle of the bookstore, glaring at the old woman. Her father came from the back of the shop with a jacket wrapped around his lower regions. He held another coat out to Claire.

  “Here, cover up.” His eyes were fixated on me when he spoke.

  While I didn’t think there was a shifter in the world who harbored an aversion to nudity, I understood dads—shifter or not—had one thing in common. They didn’t want any guy ogling their daughter in front of them.

  I averted my gaze, opting to stare at the stone in my hand instead.

  “Are you going to answer me?” Claire demanded of Ida. “Neither of you stepped in when Danny was attacked. Why step in now?”

  “You know I loved your brother as much as I love you and your father,” Ida said. “If I’d been here, I would have helped in any way I could to save him. You know that.” There was a softness reflected in Ida’s tone but also a firmness.

  “I would have too, but I wasn’t here either,” Gwen chimed in. “When the police came to question me, I realized I’d left an hour before Danny died. I’ve felt awful about it since I found out, but now I feel even worse. I had no idea his death wasn’t a suicide but instead linked to the darkness I’d felt lurking in town. Maybe if I’d stayed longer that night, if I’d only baked one more batch of muffins, I might have heard something and been able to help him.”

  “Don’t do that to yourself, Gwen. I know from personal experience going down that road isn’t healthy,” Claire’s father chimed in.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so harsh. It’s been a rough night,” Claire said.

  “I understand.” Ida nodded and waved her words away. “No worries, honey.”

  “Since you’re dishing out magical stuff tonight, do you have any spells to repair this mess without dipping into our pockets?” Claire asked.

  A collective laugh echoed throughout the shop. The place was a mess, and I felt responsible. After all, I was the one who’d shoved Aurora into the bookshelf.

  “I don’t,” Ida said. “You’ll have to clean it up the hard way I’m afraid. Lots of elbow grease, time, and money.”

  “I’ll help. While I’m not the best when it comes to carpentry, I know how to hammer nails. I can help with the cost too, since it’s my fault,” I insisted.

  “It’s not your fault, but I will accept your offer to help fix some of this. We’re going to need all the extra hands we can get,” Claire’s dad said as he glanced around the place.

  “Sure, no problem,” I insisted.

  “Think I could get your help now? I need a lift to my place. My clothes shredded when I changed,” Claire’s dad said as he scratched his head.

  “Yeah, sure. We’ll have to take Claire’s car, though. I doubt you want to ride on the back of my motorcycle like that.”

  “Dear God, please take my car,” Claire begged. “Let me find the keys.” She headed toward the office.

  “Thank you both for your assistance tonight. It won’t be forgotten,” Claire’s father said to Ida and Gwen. He shifted his gaze to me next. “I think I’ve thanked you enough for one night.” A slow grin spread across his face. It was one of the handful of times I’d ever seen the man smile. Maybe things were starting to look up for him, even considering all he’d recently lost.

  “Here you guys go.” Claire tossed me her keys.

  “Did you need the key to your brother’s place?” I asked as I caught them.

  Claire shook her head. “No, already grabbed it.” She held up a silver key.

  “All right, see you in a few.” I started toward the exit, but doubled back to Claire. “Thank you for sticking around when Aurora showed up.”

  “Come on, you had to know I wouldn’t let you go up against her alone. Not that I didn’t think you could take her. I’m just always down for a good fight.” She wrapped the front of the coat she was wearing around her tighter as she flashed me a cheesy grin.

  I loved her spunk. I loved her.

  “Right,” I said before leaning in and brushing my lips against hers.

  Claire’s mouth moved beneath mine. My body responded in ways that weren’t appropriate, considering our audience, and I was forced to break the kiss before I wanted.

  “I think we’re done here, Grandmama. Let’s head home,” I heard Gwen say. My focus was still on Claire.

  The level of heat reflected in her eyes had me thinking seeing Aurora sucked into a stone might not be the best part of my night.

  “I’ll see you in a few,” Claire whispered. Her lips pressed against mine for one more kiss before she walked away.

  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear or see anything. All I want is for you to take me home,” Claire’s father insisted after he cleared his throat.

  “Right, sorry.”

  We headed out the shop door behind everyone else. Once the place was locked up, I climbed behind the wheel of Claire’s tiny car and drove her father home with the witchy stone in my pocket. I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it, but I knew I’d never release Aurora from its supernatural prison. In a way, I had Claire to thank for setting me free from Aurora. She and her dad thought I’d helped them by clearing Danny’s name and setting his spirit free, but they’d helped me too. It was because of Claire I’d been put on the path to be rid of my maker.

  When I got back to her tonight, I was going to show her exactly how grateful I was.

  Possibly more than once.

  I loved that girl, and it was time she knew it.

  Epilogue

  MASON

  * * *

  I arranged the final row of books on the new bookshelf. It had taken four weeks, but the store was finally in order. Insurance had covered the damages since Claire’s dad had reported it as a break in. Claire had pinched pennies with the money they were given for repairs so she could freshen the place up. Everything received a fresh coat of white paint, and splashes of color had been sprinkled throughout in the form of decorations. The true centerpiece of the shop was the books, though. The white bookshelves made their colorful spines stand out.

  “All right, here’s your usual,” Claire said as she slipped through the entrance with a coffee in each hand. She’d headed to Urban Grind to get us fuel so we could finish setting up and organizing.

  “Cool, thanks. Oh, and that box came while you are gone.” I took my coffee from her and nodded toward the large cardboard box by the door.

  A goofy grin spread across her face. Something was up; her grin gave her away. The problem was with Claire you never knew what it was until it hit you. The woman kept me on my damn toes, and I loved it. There was never a dull moment.

  “What did you do?” I asked, arching a brow.

  “Nothing much. While that box might have the shops name on it, it’s not for me, it’s for you.”

  “For me?” I walked to it.

  The thing was huge. It must have been heavy too because the delivery man seemed relieved when I told him he could drop it by the door.

  “Open it,” Claire insisted. I could feel her excitem
ent rippling off her from where I stood. Whatever was in the box must be good.

  I grabbed a box cutter and swiped its blade across the tape holding the top closed. A squeal came from Claire as she stepped closer. I chuckled at her as I opened the box. Yeah, whatever it was, it must be good for her to react that way.

  My mind went blank as I stared inside at its contents.

  “Are you surprised?” Claire asked.

  “How?” It was the only word I could form.

  “How did I figure out those were the covers you created?” Claire asked. I nodded as I stared at the six books with covers I’d created resting on the top of probably thirty more. “It was easy. I knew your design company name. By the way, Dangerously Dark Covers? Come on, couldn’t you think of a better name than that?” she teased.

  “Hey, cut me some slack. At the time, I was feeling pretty dangerously dark.” I laughed.

  She moved to the empty display case in the front of the window. “This is your display case. I want people to know what a fantastic artist you are.”

  I didn’t know what to say. Seeing one of my covers in a store had always been a dream of mine, but so had seeing my art on display somewhere. Claire had now given me both. She had me paint a picture of the willow tree and channel at the center of town so she could hang it behind the cash register on the wall earlier in the week, and now this.

  I was over the moon happy.

  “I don’t know what to say.” I reached for her and pulled her closer.

  No words could express what I was feeling, only a kiss could. I crushed my lips against hers to let her know how much what she’d done meant. She responded right away like I knew she would. Claire was never shy when it came to kissing me.

  Her cell rang and she pulled away to see who it was. I kissed along her neck while she retrieved it from in her back pocket.

  “Sorry, but I have to get this. It’s Dad.” She pecked me on the lips one final time before stepping toward the door. “I’m gonna step outside for this. Think you can handle setting up your own display?” She winked as she pushed open the shop door and stepped outside.