“Aura. So bright.” When Cairo spoke, the flesh on her throat flapped in and out. The whistling sound it made shot goose bumps up Sophie’s arms.
Sophie couldn’t make her legs work. She could hear the sounds of the battle around her, but she couldn’t move. She watched helplessly while Cairo came closer, venom dripping from her fangs.
Over Cairo’s shoulder, Sophie watched Morgan and Lilli tend to Katie. Lilli’s hands gently ran over Katie’s body, searching for Katie’s most lethal injuries.
Ruth ran past her line of eyesight to protect the girls.
Someone yanked Sophie up by the arm. She started to resist.
“Stop.”
That clear command in Demetri’s harsh voice stilled her.
His entire body tensed when he pointed his machete at Cairo. “You won’t get away from me this time. You will pay for what you did.”
His voice broke, and tears sprang to Sophie’s eyes. What was he talking about?
Before she could ask, something twisted in her hair and jerked backward. She landed in the heated straw. Smoke rose fast, and the flames became too much for Jackson and Aidan to handle.
Her vision suddenly filled with one angry vampire.
“She was my wife! You destroyed her beautiful face!” Even fuming, he enthralled Sophie with his beauty. Not a section of his body was marred by wrinkles or blemishes.
His weight settled over her. He leaned down and sniffed her neck. Blond hair tickled her cheek.
Sophie struggled against him.
He chuckled. “Keep doing that. I like it.”
She froze at the sound of husky desire in his voice. Her mind raced with her heart. She needed to get away.
“So beautiful. So bright.” He trailed a sharp fingernail down the side of her face. His gaze traveled the length of her body.
She arched her back in pain and her throat closed on a sob. His fingernail left a burning wake on her face.
“I could use you to replace her.”
When he nuzzled her neck, she felt his sharp teeth trail her skin.
She had to find some way to get out from under him, some way to escape—
With a whoosh, the vampire’s head fell from his shoulders and bounced off her chest. His body collapsed on hers, the weight sudden.
Sophie panicked. She thrashed, trying to push his body off hers. The smell of old blood and decayed skin choked her.
The eyes in the head stared up at her accusingly as she shoved it off.
As she scrambled backward, she managed to wriggle out from under him. She glanced up to see Demetri standing behind the body. His face was devoid of expression, but his stance was aggressive. The dark red blood on the edge of his machete caught her eye.
Sophie was mesmerized by the slow drip, drip as the red spots bounced onto the ground. She tore her gaze from it to look up at him. “Cairo?” She forced herself to stand. Around her the fire swelled in the dry hay and wooden walls. The smoke thickened and wrapped around them.
“Her remaining lackey took her and ran.” Demetri wiped the machete clean on the leg of his pants. Sophie couldn’t tell if that admission bothered him.
“Guys, I can’t hold this much longer!” Aidan yelled over the increasing roar of the flames. Sweat beaded on his brow, and he grit his teeth. His hands faced out and far away from his chest, and he pushed the fire back.
Jackson lost his patience and focused on the wall where Ruth, Katie, Morgan, and Lilli hunkered down. He reached out his arm, hands facing outward, and flexed his fingers.
The wall blasted outward and skyrocketed a couple hundred feet.
Oxygen rushed in, feeding the fire more.
“Get out of here!” Aidan stumbled backward, and the fire expanded.
Jackson knelt and lifted Katie into his arms. Lilli and Morgan ran after him. Tristan nudged at Sophie with his mane, urging her to make it fast. Beams groaned and splintered as they passed under them.
Ruth and Demetri rushed out, Aidan close on their heels.
The first thing Sophie did was suck in a lungful of crisp, night air. Her heart beat painfully in her chest.
The barn groaned, and she turned in time to see it collapse. Heat and smoke billowed out and engulfed her and her friends.
Exhaustion set in while she stared at the barn-turned-bonfire. Had they really just fought a whole coven of vampires?
And made it out alive?
Her gaze followed the smoke rising into the starry sky. Was it possible all this happened on such a peaceful-looking night?
Tristan joined her in his natural form. Scrapes and bruises shone in the firelight, his body covered in soot.
His gray eyes focused on her. Her stomach flipped.
“Morgan? Morgan!” Aidan’s hoarse voice called out for her.
She shimmered into view next to him. “I’m here.” Her normally perfect visage was covered in ash, dirt, and a little bit of blood. Her hair hung in a matted mess that she absently pushed away from her face.
Jackson held Katie’s limp form in his arms, but he leaned near Lilli and spoke softly to her.
Her face didn’t seem pale to Sophie after he was done. Maybe it was the soot. Maybe it was Jackson. Either way, Sophie was glad her friend felt a little better.
They stood in that line, weary and a little battle hardened, making sure nothing crawled out of the embers. No one spoke. They were afraid if they did, something would waken.
Only when they heard the sirens did they make their way back to the SUV. Demetri cast a long look back at the smoldering ruins when they passed it. Sophie wondered if he replayed his meeting with Cairo. Ruth settled a hand on his arm and kissed his cheek. Demetri patted her hand softly.
Sophie turned away, not wanting to intrude, and followed Tristan and the others across the meadow and over the fence.
Police cars and a fire truck raced past, and the group used the shadows to hide their trek to the SUV.
Demetri and Ruth climbed into the front, Jackson laid Katie out on the second row, and Sophie, Lilli, and Morgan climbed into the third.
Aidan, Jackson, and Tristan scrambled into the very back and pulled the hatch shut behind them.
Once they were safely back on the road to town, Sophie asked, “Why were some of the vampires beautiful and the others looked like they suffered from the plague?”
Lilli leaned her head on Sophie’s shoulder.
Ruth looked back. “Some of the humans, when turned, aren’t genetically matched enough to their parent vampire. It causes their bodies to partially reject the turn. They are more like hybrids, still immortal and craving blood, but crippled in other ways. The tissues and joints that rejected the turn age much like a normal human’s would, but the blood they drink keeps the rest alive.”
“That’s gross.” Aidan shook his head. “That was unreal.”
Sophie felt Lilli shaking next to her. Morgan stared out the window, eyes unfocused. She reached for both their hands and refused to give Morgan the chance to let go.
Morgan squeezed Sophie’s hand, but didn’t try to release it.
It seems we’re more traumatized than we’d like to admit, Sophie thought. Her eyelids drifted shut.
She shot them open a second later.
When she closed her eyes, all she could see was Cairo’s blackened body crawling toward her.
Chapter Thirteen
“YOU DON’T LOOK so good,” Aidan commented when Sophie walked into the symbol room the next day.
Sophie bit back an angry retort. They were all tired. After the vampire fight last night, they’d finally gotten home around four in the morning.
Sophie’s dreams had been full of nightmares and Cairo’s burnt form reaching out to her, so she was sure the sandman hadn’t sprinkled her with any of his magic dust.
She was exhausted. Now, thanks to Aidan, she knew she looked it.
He stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth and continued to look at her with an innocent expression.
“I
don’t ever want to see another vampire again.” Lilli sat next to Jackson. While she’d regained her color, she hadn’t really regained her happy-Lilli personality.
Sophie watched her with concern. The last thing she wanted was Lilli becoming depressed or worried about being taken by vampires.
“We won’t.” Jackson spoke with finality. Faint discolorations crawled up his arm from under the sleeve.
Apparently they all needed more practice with their gifts.
“You have to admit it was nice. Saving someone.” Tristan leaned back. A bruise rose above the neck of his t-shirt. He observed the others’ stares. “Not that I’m saying we join forces with them. I just understand why you and Lilli went out into that storm to find the girl.”
Sophie’s face flushed at his comment. “Yeah, well, there were no vampires. We were only in danger of being stuck in the woods.”
Lilli shivered. “I’d battle hunger and the rain any day over the supernatural.”
As usual, they waited on Morgan to arrive so they could formally deny the offer to join the Society’s team. Sophie sighed and wondered where Demetri and Ruth were. All at once, a couple more questions hit her.
Were they a couple? Did they sleep together?
She shook her head and forced herself to think about something else. Like how the walls of the symbol room seemed colder now that they’d decided to say no.
Tristan nudged her slightly with his shoulder. He winced immediately and rubbed where his bruise was.
Sophie shot him a look of concern. When he saw, he lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and shrugged. She hated what that smile did to her insides. When she stared into his eyes, a steady gray, it felt like the calm before the storm. Lightning danced up her arms and across the back of her neck when he watched her.
The door swung open, and Morgan passed through it. The skirt of her yellow sweater dress danced around her knees when she stopped.
Her entrance interrupted the connection between Sophie and Tristan. Sophie frowned and leaned back. The feelings he stirred in her overwhelmed her and she needed time to step back and analyze them.
Aidan’s gaze traveled over Morgan. He let out a low whistle.
Morgan shook her hair back and took a seat next to Tristan.
Sophie narrowed her eyes at Aidan. Of course he’d whistle at Morgan. Morgan didn’t look as if she’d been up fighting vampires all night. Her gorgeous curls framed slumberous eyes and a peaceful face.
Aidan studiously ignored Sophie’s evil look as Ruth and Demetri entered.
It seemed they had gotten enough sleep, too. But once Sophie looked closer, she saw that they both had dark circles under their eyes. Even so, Ruth’s pace was brisk as she rounded the table to stand at the head. She may have been dressed down in athletic pants and a tank top, but her eyes blazed business. “You’re aware of why we called you here.”
Demetri folded his arms and stood just behind Ruth. His stance lent her silent support.
It took Sophie a moment to realize that she had to be the one to speak. With a lump in her throat, she said, “We’re very grateful that you, um, helped us save Katie. But we’re not ready for something like this.”
“Who would be?” Aidan shot off from his spot.
Sophie sent him a look. “We have priorities that don’t include fighting vampires, or demons, or whatever happens to be lurking out there. It’s not a life we want to devote ourselves to.”
Ruth waited and watched the others nod in agreement. Then she frowned. “This is, of course, your decision. We can’t persuade you either way.”
Sophie almost sighed in relief at how well Ruth took it.
“But mark my words,” Ruth continued and Sophie’s relief vanished, “Akeldama will not stop hunting for you. Her entire being is committed to wiping you off the earth. For good this time.”
So much for being let off easy, Sophie thought. If Ruth was trying to scare them into joining, she could tell it was working on the female half of the group.
Lilli twisted her fingers together. Her eyes widened and had a slight sheen of tears. Morgan’s face paled behind the narrowing of her blue eyes.
Sophie imagined her own reaction wasn’t much better.
Tristan and Jackson had identical, expressionless faces. Thin tendrils of smoke evaporated from Aidan’s shoulders.
The tension grew in the room. It was so taut that when Demetri shifted his feet and unfurled his body from leaning against the wall, Sophie winced.
Jackson stood, too, and pulled Lilli up with him. “We’re leaving.”
Invisible lines seemed to be forming right in front of her. Sophie shook her head at the horrible feeling forming in the pit of her stomach.
“Stop.”
Everyone’s focus transferred to her.
She rubbed her temples. “Can we at least part on good terms? You never know when we’ll need each other again.”
Ruth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You’re right, Sophie. I’m sorry. It’s just that we’ve been searching forever for you, and now it feels like you’re slipping through our fingers. It’s a hard pill to swallow.”
Demetri slowly relaxed his stance.
Sophie’s face pleaded with the others to calm down. She had no idea why they were all so angry. Well, maybe she did. They all felt guilty.
She turned her thoughts from that particular minefield to another when Tristan reached for her hand. Instantly, that electric feeling shot up her arm and down her body as their palms met.
Neither Ruth nor Demetri spoke up when their group left.
The late afternoon sun had given way to twilight while they’d been inside. The cold, sharp air wove its way through the dark streets.
Briefly, Sophie thought about the group of thugs who had attacked them on their first trip there. Would Tristan still be there to protect her if they were no longer tied by the same destiny?
At the bus stop closest to the school, the group parted ways. Aidan headed somewhere not on campus. Morgan stalked off with one glance back at them.
Tristan and Jackson lingered for a few moments before exhaustion set in. Sophie watched the guys walk away. Her heart seemed to shrivel in her chest. Was this the end?
Lilli turned and led the way to campus. After a moment, Sophie forced herself to follow.
The night seemed darker as they came close to the dorms. The campus seemed deserted. All the students followed Dean West’s rules, all except for them.
They climbed the stairs to their rooms. The stairwell felt like it were closing in, the walls suddenly tightened and then rippled.
Sophie felt Lilli’s hand grab her arm.
“Sophie, I’m scared.”
Sophie smiled reassuringly and gently nudged her up the stairs. “We’re just exhausted. Mind’s playing tricks.” Still, she breathed a sigh of relief when they exited the stairwell on their floor.
“I’m going to find something to eat,” Lilli told Sophie as they entered their rooms. “I feel all shaky.”
“Yeah, I’m going to take a shower.” Sophie stopped in the doorway to their bedroom and looked back. “Will you be okay while I’m in there?” Her stomach clenched, as if she’d eaten something bad, but she figured a shower would help her sore muscles.
Lilli nodded slowly. “I’m going to try to study. If I don’t pass out first.”
Sophie headed into the room and grabbed a change of clothes. Her slow, unsteady gait kept her from rushing.
After making sure the water streaming down was the hottest she could stand, she undressed and stepped under the spray. It cascaded down her body and relaxed her aching muscles.
Flashes of the night before danced behind her eyelids. Her muscles automatically tensed.
Thank God they were able to save Katie. Guilt sprang up when she thought about the other students they weren’t able to help or the thousands of lives they were refusing to save.
Tears welled up and spilled over, mixing with the shower spray. She’d
managed to keep it all down the past couple months, starting with the first kidnapping, but because of her bone-tired weariness, she couldn’t hold the remorse at bay.
The heavy pain in her heart forced her to sink to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself.
A single sob escaped.
Sophie hated crying, hated the weak feeling it gave her, but the torrent wouldn’t stop.
Any one of them could’ve died. Could’ve been bitten by a vampire—a vampire!—and been lost forever.
Before this, she’d only believed in the monsters that lurked deep inside human souls. Now she knew that the other kind was real.
There on the floor of the shower she wept away the fear she’d denied since yesterday morning, when her only thought was getting Katie to safety.
Her head suddenly snapped up. The tears were forgotten as a darkness teased at the edges of her mind. She reached out her senses, and the violet of her eyes was swallowed by her pupils.
The only sound was the spray from the shower, but she felt the darkness that surrounded their dorm. She cocked her head to the side, searching, and the darkness grew denser. It settled around them like an endless fog, full of hate and despair.
It thickened. Her heart thumped in her chest. The hair rose on her arms when she became aware of the danger they were in.
She stood, shut the water off, and slung the shower curtain open.
A gargled scream escaped her throat. Her head struck the tile wall as she jumped back, and she winced.
Cairo perched just outside the tub, fangs gleaming against her cooked flesh. She sneered at Sophie, hunger shining deep in her red eyes.
An odd whistling sound floated through the bathroom.
Cairo breathed through the flap in her neck.
Sophie kept her eyes shut tight while she pressed herself against the shower wall. Frigid air drafted over her wet skin and hair. She shivered violently.
The darkness pressed in, suffocating her, twisting its way along the fine hairs of her skin. Even with her eyes closed she felt Cairo move closer by the draft of frosty air that preceded her.
Sophie knew she should just open her eyes, but the terror of seeing Cairo there already had her heart beating in overdrive.
Awakening Page 9
