4-Ever Hunted: Vampires Rule

by Blake, Kasi

  It was probably one of Summer’s mysterious friends in costume.

  The so-called Shadow Faerie stopped, tipped his head back, and inhaled deeply. Trick caught a glimpse of the monster’s face and realized it wasn’t a vampire. A satisfied smile pulled at the monster’s bleached white lips as he sniffed the air. In a voice that sounded paper thin he spoke to Trick. The words came in two, three at the most, with labored breathing between as if he was on the verge of dying.

  “Here, boy. Smell power. Smell you. Come out. Let’s see you.”

  At the moment, Trick would trade any and all power for a decent blade.

  Beneath his breath Trick said, “Today I kill a Shadow Faerie.”

  Summer gasped. “You can’t take that thing on and win. You need a good plan and a weapon that works against Shadow Faeries. He has way more power than you do, more power than both of us put together.”

  The Shadow Faerie laughed beneath the hood, a dry and raspy sound that reminded Trick of autumn. It was like walking across a ground covered in crunchy leaves.

  “What do you want?” Trick asked, stalling for time while he looked around for a makeshift weapon in case the stake didn’t work. He went in a circle from one shelf to the next, reading the crates: coffee beans and paper towels. That wasn’t going to help.

  “Not want,” the Shadow Faerie said. “Oberon wants. We serve Oberon. All serve Oberon.”

  Trick stepped into the open space where the Shadow Faerie could clearly see him. “I don’t.”

  “You will.”

  “I’ve heard you’re supposed to be tough.” Trick started forward with the confidence he could win the fight. After all, he was the Michael Jordan of hunting. Scarlet had said so. He added, “You don’t look like much.”

  The Shadow Faerie’s chapped lips curved until the cracks widened and bled. “Test me, boy. Try me.”

  “I’m a hunter. It’s what I do.”

  “Show me.”

  In a flash, Trick threw his stake, aiming for the monster’s heart. He started running the second it left his hand, knowing it probably wouldn’t do much damage on its own. A surprise attack was his best hope.

  The Shadow Faerie waved a hand at the flying stake, and it changed direction in midair.

  Trick hit the ground and slid several feet as the stake sailed over him. He jumped up in time to confront the Shadow Faerie head-on. Fists tight, he pummeled the thing and was relieved to find a solid mass beneath the dark cloak.

  The Shadow Faerie brought down his hood at last, and Trick got his first real look at the thing. Bald patches and strips of white hair covered the old man’s head. When he chuckled, folds of thin skin bunched around his mouth. Tiny, rotting shark teeth smiled at Trick.

  “Killing you,” the faerie said. “Easy.”

  Trick punched the faerie in the face.

  The monster continued to smile, unmoved by the hit. “Use power. Only way. Defeat me... if you can.”

  Summer shouted, “Hey! Use this!”

  He half-turned to find a sword sliding down the aisle to him. Summer was keeping her distance, but at least she wasn’t trying to double-team him. She was on his side... for now. He didn’t bother to ask where she’d found a sword.

  Trick grabbed it and lifted it high.

  The Shadow Faerie stood still and waited.

  Trick ran the sword through the faerie.

  The Shadow Faerie waved his hand, and Trick flew into a metal shelf. He fell on his butt. His gaze stayed on the faerie and on the sword sticking out of the thing’s chest. He searched the faerie for a sign of weakness. If Trick got out of this alive, he vowed to do some serious research. He needed to know what could kill the thing before they came into contact again. In his entire life he hadn’t met such a frightening creature, and he was positive his father hadn’t either.

  The Shadow Faerie pointed a bony finger at him. “Want your power.”

  Trick struggled to his feet.

  The Shadow Faerie puckered his lips and made a crazy vacuum sound. It was like being in the center of a hurricane. Something supernatural pulled on Trick’s insides. He could feel the life leaving his body. His stomach rolled in a sickening way.

  He fell back against the shelf, but this time he remained upright. He’d gotten himself into a sticky situation. What could he possibly do to get out with no weapon and no real help?

  Then the creature stopped.

  The painful energy-sucking came to an abrupt halt, and Trick sagged against the metal shelf.

  “Oberon has gift.” The Shadow Faerie huffed. “Want it?”

  “Tell him to put it in the mail.”

  “Want gift?”

  Summer rushed forward and grabbed Trick’s arm.

  They ran down the aisle and circled to the other side of the metal shelf. Working together, they pushed the thing over. It toppled onto the faerie, but Trick wasn’t fooled into thinking the faerie was dead or even injured.

  Shaking from head to toe, Summer whispered near Trick’s ear. “He’s going to kill you. Then he’s going to kill me. He’s going to kill us both.”

  He considered leaving her to face the thing alone. She was only a vampire. His father would be appalled to learn the subject was even up for debate.

  “Vampires can be charming, but they are evil. Remember that. The second you let one get close, you’re already dead.”

  Problem was, she didn’t look like a monster at the moment. Her crystal blue eyes glistened with unshed tears and held bottomless fear. She wrapped her arms around her own body as if trying to comfort herself. The gesture reminded him of a small, helpless child. He couldn’t just leave her there.

  If other vampires heard about this, his weakest moment, they’d never fear him.

  He sighed. “Relax. I’ll get you out of here.”

  The Shadow Faerie laughed, and his voice echoed. “Your power. Useless. Can’t use it. Don’t know how.”

  Something was wrong inside his own body. Breathing became difficult. His legs turned to rubber, and he dropped to his knees.

  “It’s already started, hasn’t it?” she asked. “He’s going to kill us both.”

  “Stop saying that.” Trick hissed between clenched teeth. “Maybe we can rush past him to get to the door.”

  Something caught his eyes, a familiar symbol from his dreams.

  To him it was a flashing neon Exit sign. It appeared burned in wood. He crawled to the crate, keeping his head down so the Shadow Faerie wouldn’t see him, and he pushed against the symbol with the palm of his hand.

  “What are you doing?” the vampire girl asked over his shoulder.

  The entire side of the crate collapsed in on itself and opened to a dark place. He climbed inside. It was so crazy that his mind refused to accept what was happening. A ton of disturbing questions filled his brain, but he shoved them aside. Nothing mattered as long as they escaped. He reached back with one hand, grabbed Summer’s wrist, and yanked her in after him.

  She gasped, obviously expecting to be cramped in the crate with him. They both found themselves in a whole new world, a giant cavern of rock. This wasn’t like any of the dreams Trick had had about the symbol. It was always different, always a new path to take.

  He ran across the dirt floor, pulling Summer behind him. Their footsteps echoed. The flapping of bat wings could be heard over their thunderous heartbeats. He had no idea where his weird power had taken them or where they would wind up. On the other side of the world perhaps. He didn’t care as long as it was far, far away from the Shadow Faerie.

  Seconds later, they found a white door in the middle of the filthy cavern. It wasn’t propped up by anything. There was no reason for it to be there, other than to help them escape.

  Without hesitation Trick opened it and stepped through.

  Car horns honked.

  Trick realized he was still holding Summer’s hand, and her nails were biting into his flesh. Wincing, he pried her fingers loose. This was when the questions would begin.
His father had asked several when Trick used his power to help them escape werewolves.

  Summer’s face was the color of cooling ash. Her lips moved, but nothing emerged. She spun around and ran in the opposite direction, obviously terrified.

  “Guess our date is over then?” he asked, heavy with sarcasm.

  He couldn’t wait to tell Matt about the Shadow Faerie. He pulled out his cell and dialed his brother’s number while searching for a street sign. Hopefully, he was still in Reno... or at least still in the state of Nevada.

  First, he needed to figure out where he was, and then he wanted to eat something. His stomach growled. He made a mental note to start packing snacks when he went on a hunt.

  Pain ripped through his head, and blood gushed from his nose.

  He fell to his knees on the sidewalk.

  He’d used his power and set destiny in motion.

  If he didn’t think of some way to get rid of the power, he would die.

  The gypsy’s voice echoed. “The power will kill him.”

  Chapter seven

  Summer

  Summer slammed the front door and yelled, “Cowboy! Where are you?”

  She walked through the borrowed mansion to the family room and considered the length of the huge space. Cowboy had said it was half the size of a football field, but that was ridiculous. Maybe half the size of a basketball court. The only way to settle the bet for sure was for them to measure it. Neither of them cared enough to try.

  The enormous stone fireplace stood against the wall opposite the glass terrace doors. Sunlight beamed in through windows that reached all the way to the cathedral ceiling. Her hand skimmed the arm of the leather couch as she passed by, soft as butter. Leave it to Cowboy to find the perfect place for them to live—once she pushed him to do it. The place was for sale. Cowboy had made some sort of deal with the real estate agent. Summer didn’t know the details and didn’t care as long as it didn’t physically affect her.

  Cowboy entered the room while buttoning his shirt. “You bellowed?”

  “We have a problem.”

  He dismissed her concerns with a scornful look. “The hunter didn’t want to play with you?”

  Summer flung her arms and shouted. “That kid has some crazy, scary power! The Shadow Faerie found us, and I thought we were dead. We were trapped in a warehouse. My life flashed before my eyes.” Settling down, she made a face to convey disappointment. “It’s been a long life, but not long enough if you know what I mean.”

  Cowboy raised an eyebrow. “Why didn’t you teleport out of there?”

  Anger surged to the surface, and she wanted to kill him for playing Monday-Morning-Quarterback. He hadn’t been there. He had no idea how terrifying that thing was in person.

  Hands on hips, she said, “I was lucky not to pee my pants. You expect me to be able to think in that situation?”

  Truth was, she’d tried to abandon Trick to his fate. Something supernatural kept her grounded. Either the hunter had still had his talisman on or the Shadow Faerie had used magic to keep her from teleporting.

  Cowboy sat on the beautiful leather couch and patted the cushion beside him. He looked out of place on the expensive piece of furniture, like a peasant sneaking into the castle to sit on the king’s throne.

  “Details,” he said. “Did Trick kill the Shadow Faerie?”

  She dropped onto the cushion next to him and put her feet up on the antique coffee table. Her mouth turned down at the ends as she surveyed her shoes. Scuffed and filthy, they were a mess after her little adventure. When was the last time she’d gone shopping for shoes? Or stolen a pair?

  A sigh parted her lips. “Don’t you think I would have mentioned that? He gave it a try and almost died. So much for your plan.”

  “Are you serious?” Cowboy scowled. Then a new light sparked to life in his eyes. “What do you mean he has crazy power?”

  “He made a crate turn into a door. We passed through what I think was another dimension and came out miles from where we started. I had to take a taxi because I didn’t where that maniac hunter had taken me. Do you know how embarrassing it is for a vampire to take a cab home?”

  “How did Trick Donovan get powers?”

  “How should I know?”

  The terrace door flew open, banging against the interior wall, and Summer nearly jumped out of her skin. A figure dressed in a dark cloak with a lowered hood entered without invitation. She and Cowboy exchanged worried looks. Had the Shadow Faerie found them?

  They leaped off the couch, ready to defend themselves.

  Cowboy snarled, flashing his fangs as he stepped between Summer and the intruder.

  A familiar voice said, “Trick has powers because he is the son of Ian Carver.”

  Isobel pulled the hood off her head to reveal a mischievous smile.

  Summer wished Cowboy hadn’t insisted on leaving a note for the girl. They didn’t need her. She was way more trouble than she was worth.

  The crazy news that Trick was Ian Carver’s son slowly registered in Summer’s brain. It made sense. Their sibling connection explained why Trick resembled Jackpot. She and Cowboy exchanged a wary look. They both knew that stumbling upon Jackpot’s brother couldn’t be a coincidence.

  Cowboy started across the large room to greet his girlfriend, but he only made it halfway. A strange expression crossed his face. He hesitated. His nose wrinkled. “Why do I smell werewolf?”

  Summer sniffed the air. “I smell it too.”

  “It isn’t possible,” Cowboy said. “They were wiped out.”

  “Anything is possible,” Isobel said with a smug grin. “You should know that by now.”

  “But—”

  “How did werewolves come into existence?” Isobel asked. Then she answered her own question with a smirk on her oval-shaped face. “A faerie created the first one with a curse. So naturally, a different faerie could recreate them.”

  Cowboy took a step away from her while pointing an accusing finger. “It’s you! You’re a werewolf.” He circled the large room with violent movements only to return to confront his girlfriend. “How? Why? We were happy.”

  Isobel shook her head, and her long brown hair swung over her shoulders. “You were happy; I was content. But that was years ago when you, me, and Jackpot were doing our Vampire World Tour. Then he left us, and everything changed.”

  Cowboy’s expression hardened at the mention of his former friend. Isobel had broken one of his biggest rules. No one was allowed to say the J word in their home... unless it was him, of course.

  Summer sneered. “You little traitor, and after everything Cowboy did for you. If it wasn’t for him, you’d be some nobody in Nebraska. He shared his blood with you, gave you fangs. Where is your loyalty?”

  “Back off, blondie. I’ve taken out ten vampires at once. I could kill you without breaking a nail.”

  Summer’s fangs slid from her gums, and she snarled.

  Cowboy held a hand up to stop Summer from attacking, but he spoke to Isobel. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead.”

  “That’s why I’m risking my life to warn you now.”

  “Warn me about what?”

  “I know who controls the Shadow Faerie, and he’s worse than anyone we’ve come across. It’s him I work for now. My new boss made me into a werewolf. I owe him my allegiance.” She dropped her gaze in a demure way. “But I still love you, Cowboy, so I’m here to warn you to keep a low profile. As long as you stay out of his way, I don’t think he’ll kill you. At first he was set on destroying the two of you and everyone else involved in the death of his son.”

  “Son?” Cowboy leaped on the word. “Who is his son?”

  Isobel shook her head. “Don’t get in his way.”

  Summer cleared her throat to get Isobel’s attention. The dark eyes swung in her direction, and Summer asked, “What is he set on now? You said he was after us. Past tense. What’s changed?”

  Isobel shrugged. “Someone in town has great un
tapped power. It’s that guy you were talking about... Trick. I guess he has enough energy to wipe out the new boss. Trouble is, he doesn’t know how to use it to his advantage. Trick is the son of Ian Carver and grandson to the Dark Wizard.”

  “I am liking this kid more and more,” Cowboy said.

  “Do you know where he lives?” Isobel asked.

  Cowboy shot Summer a glare that clearly told her to keep her mouth shut.

  Isobel intercepted the look and scoffed. “Why so protective of a boy you’ve only just met? Is it because of Jackpot? Still missing him? I wonder, will you miss me as much when I’m gone?”

  “Where are you going?”

  Both girls gaped at him, stunned into silence.

  After an awkward moment, Isobel smiled. “I’m a werewolf, and you’re a vampire. We were done the second I let him change me.”

  “Him who?” Summer asked. “Who changed you? We have the right to know what we’re up against.”

  Isobel’s smile broadened. “The king himself. Who else has the power to control a Shadow Faerie?”

  Cowboy asked, “Are you talking about Oberon?”

  “When his son was killed, he wanted vengeance,” Isobel said. “Then he realized the faerie power his son had brought with him to this realm was still here. Now he just wants to send it back home where it belongs.”

  Cowboy visibly swallowed. “Why do I have a feeling I won’t like how he’s going to do that?”

  Isobel shrugged. “The power is stuck here floating in the atmosphere with one way out. Oberon can transfer it to the Faerie Realm if it is inside of a person he kills. However, only someone in the Dark Wizard’s family line can inherit it.”

  “Trick,” Cowboy said beneath his breath. “The old guy wants Trick to inherit the power. Then someone will kill him. Who? The Shadow Faerie?”

  “That is the plan,” Isobel said. “Stay out of his way. If he wants to kill this Trick guy, let him. I came to say goodbye and to tell you to run while you still can. Be safe.”

  The newly born werewolf exited the same way she’d entered, through the terrace doors.