by E. J. King
“If you’re right and it is a trap, it’s not a very good one,” Olivia said.
“What do you mean?” I instantly felt defensive.
“If he wants you to show up, wouldn’t it help to know where he is? If he really wanted to trap you, he would spell it out for you.”
She was right. Benton would make sure that I knew how to find him. “Maybe he already did spell it out.”
I jumped to my feet and hurried down the hall to Hope’s room. I hadn’t seen my friend since just after she attacked me, when she had begged me to help her. With her craving for blood, it had been wise for me to keep my distance. But now that I knew she remembered parts of her transition, I needed to find out what else she remembered.
Her room was dark, lit only by a small bedside lamp. She was sitting up in bed, pressed hard against the headboard. Her arms were spread wide, tied to the posts on either side of the bed. I had never seen her look so pale and fragile. Hope didn’t look like she could hurt a fly, let alone kill me. But looks could be deceiving.
“Hope.”
Her eyes turned bronze and flashed as her fangs extended over her lower lip. She hissed and her feet dug into the bed.
“Kaylie.” Her voice was the same as I remembered, but it sounded strained. I could tell that it was hurting her to restrain herself.
“How are you feeling?” I asked lamely.
“Like I want to drain your blood.” She was matter-of-fact in her response, not at all apologetic about her newfound bloodlust. “Any chance you’re here to help me out with that?”
I could tell that she was trying to be funny, pretending that our dire situation was something we should be able to laugh about. “Not exactly. I need to ask you something.”
“You’re wondering if bondage is all it’s cracked up to be, aren’t you? Thinking about giving it a try with Rafe? You should know that if he’s any good in bed, it will probably leave marks.”
“I can’t tell if it’s really you,” I said, studying her closely. Hope liked to make jokes that made me feel uncomfortable, but she was never outright lewd.
“It’s me. Just a newer, scarier version of me.”
I didn’t have time to play games with Hope. “Where can I find Benton?”
“Why would you want to find him? Do you remember how he turned me into a monster?”
“He kidnapped a bunch of kids. I need to find them.”
She scoffed. “Always playing the hero. Well, this time you should run the other way. He’s not like the other monsters you’ve faced.”
“I don’t care. I’m not scared of Benton.”
“You should be.” She shifted in the bed, flexing her hands. “He wants you dead.”
“His blood can cure you, Hope.” I needed to find a way to get through to her, to convince her to help me. I needed to get past the monster possessing her and reach my friend.
She flinched. “What?”
“Alpha blood can cure vampirism. If I can get his blood, you can be saved.”
“What makes you think I want to be saved?’ Hope tried to look tough, but I could tell that her interest had been piqued. “Maybe I like being one of them. I’m stronger now and I’m immortal.”
“I know that you don’t want this, Hope. You’re not a killer.”
Her chin trembled, just a bit, and I knew that I had gotten through. Now I just had to convince her to give me Benton’s location.
“Where is he?”
She looked away, out the window. “He took me to the old church outside of town. Saint Peter’s. I don’t know if he’s still there, but it would be a good place to hide a bunch of kids.”
“Kaylie.” Rafe stood in the doorway, looking concerned. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
“It’s fine, Rafe.”
But when I looked at Hope, she wasn’t my friend anymore. She was a Soul.
“I need blood!” she screamed, pulling hard against her bindings. Her face twisted, turning her into one of the monsters that I hunted.
She strained so hard that one of the ties snapped and she threw herself at me. Rafe jumped in front of me, pushing me back toward the door.
“Get out of here!” he growled.
I gave Hope one last look and she screamed again, trying to throw herself past Rafe to get at me. Whatever part of my friend that was still inside had gone dormant; she was pure evil now.
My heart raced as I ran from the room.
CHAPTER FOUR
It took Rafe almost an hour to get Hope calmed down again. In that time, I worked with the others on a plan to take down Benton. Our primary strategy was to go to the church loaded with weapons. Olivia and Ethan would get the kids out while Rafe, Lincoln, and I would go after Benton. It wasn’t exactly a complex battle strategy, but hopefully it would do the trick.
“Stay close to me in there, Kaylie.” Rafe eyed the church carefully. “If Benton is in there, he’s waiting for you.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He looked at me skeptically, but kept his mouth shut.
Lincoln and Olivia were taking a lap around the church to get an idea of what we might be up against. Ethan was busy sharpening a knife and was being abnormally quiet. No one had mentioned it, but we all knew this might be our only shot to save Hope, too. We needed to get Benton’s blood before we killed him.
“Don’t lose your cool in there,” I told Rafe, keeping my voice low so that Ethan wouldn’t hear.
“What?” Rafe shot me an annoyed glance.
“If you let your anger take over, you’ll kill Benton before we have a chance to get his blood. Like it or not, he’s Hope’s only chance of being saved.”
“Why do you think I’m the one that’s going to ruin this?”
I crossed my arms over my chest and looked at him through narrowed eyes. “We both know that when it comes to protecting me, you get carried away. If Benton makes a move at me, you’ll kill him on the spot.”
Rafe smiled guiltily. “So you’re asking me not to be such an amazing guy?”
“Exactly,” I said, reluctantly returning his smile.
“I’ll see what I can do.” He turned to Ethan. “I think that knife is sharp by now, brother.”
Ethan swung his arm, slicing the knife into a nearby tree trunk. It went in, smooth as a knife into butter. “It will do.”
I didn’t get a chance to check his state of mind because Lincoln and Olivia emerged from the trees, looking grim.
“The bus is hidden in some foliage around back. We spotted over a dozen Souls patrolling around and inside the church.” Lincoln twirled a long blade in his hand. “This is going to be a battle.”
“We can handle it,” I said, sounding surprisingly confident.
We may be up against a lot of Souls, and potentially the most dangerous Soul, but we had a solid group of Hunters on our side. I had never seen Olivia in action, but if she was able to keep up with Lincoln for several months, she had to be pretty decent. The five of us were more than qualified to take down a nest of Souls.
“Let’s stick with the original plan,” I said, taking point. “Ethan, you and Olivia find the kids. I would bet they are being kept in an interior room, or possibly in the basement. The rest of us will take out as many Souls as possible and find Benton.”
“We meet back here in one hour,” Lincoln reminded us. “Regardless of whether we have the kids or have killed Benton. If we aren’t all back here in one hour, the mission is aborted.”
It had been Lincoln’s only demand. Chances were good that one of us might not make it out. Others would naturally want to go back in to rescue the person, but we couldn’t risk that. If someone was caught or killed, we had to leave them behind.
“There are three entrances. I think we should split up and go through each one. That will keep the Souls from being able to fortify in one place.” Olivia looked at me. “Kaylie and I will take the side entrance and split up once we get inside. Link can take the back.”
“That leaves us
with the front,” Ethan said to Rafe.
“I don’t know if we should split up,” Rafe said, frowning as he looked at me.
I squared my shoulders. “It’s the best way in. We need to divide and conquer.”
It was obvious that Rafe didn’t agree and was about to protest further so I turned away and started loading myself down with weapons.
“Kaylie.” Rafe was at my side, grabbing my elbow. “I don’t like this.”
“Stop.” I jerked my arm away. “I’m a Hunter, Rafe. Stop treating me like a helpless little girl. I’ll be fine without you.”
His eyes flashed with hurt. “Alright.”
I hadn’t meant to sound so callous. I knew that he was just worried about me, and I appreciated that. But I didn’t like it when he treated me differently than the others. I was just as capable as all of them.
“Thanks for caring,” I said, offering a small smile as I squeezed his hand. “I’ll see you inside, probably when I’m saving your life.”
“Probably,” he agreed, his smile faint. “Be careful.”
“Always.”
I followed Olivia around the side of the church. We stayed back in the shadows until we were parallel with the side door.
“I don’t know how you do it,” she said as we scanned the area for Souls.
“Do what?”
“Surround yourself with studly males every day. I would be on those boys so fast.” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “Especially Rafe. There’s something mysterious about him that is irresistible.”
The center of my chest began to burn. I had to take a few deep breaths before I could speak. “Rafe and Ethan are good guys. They are my friends.”
“With benefits?”
My face grew hot and I decided my best course of action was to keep my mouth shut lest I say something I wouldn’t be able to take back.
“Oh. Did I strike a chord? Which one?” She looked downright giddy.
“My personal life is none of your business. Just stay away from them, okay?”
“It’s Rafe, isn’t it? I saw the way he looked at you back there. So protective and manly.” She grinned. “How’s the sex?”
Now I felt like I was on fire. “I’m not talking about that with you. Could we please just pay attention to the mission? This isn’t a sleepover.”
“Fine.” She shrugged. “Girl talk can wait until after we’ve slaughtered the Souls and saved the world.”
“There are two Souls on the other side of that pillar. And I saw at least three through that window.” I pointed to each place. “Nothing we shouldn’t be able to handle.”
“Girl power.” Olivia lifted her knife and marched forward determinedly.
I was caught by surprise, expecting us to have a conversation about our strategy. But she seemed to have it all figured out as she rounded the pillar.
“Looking for a party?” she asked.
The Souls turned in unison, pouncing instantly. They were both new Souls and their primary focus was to get blood. Survival was not a concern for them. That’s why we were able to dispose of them in seconds.
“I hope the rest of this night isn’t so easy,” Olivia complained as she wiped her blade clean on her pants leg.
“How do you fight in those boots?” I asked, seriously wanting to know the trick. I had a hard enough time just walking in heels; kicking Souls with them didn’t seem possible.
“It’s all in the hips,” she said, smirking.
I watched her saunter to the door, hips swinging wildly. She winked at me over her shoulder before pulling open the door. “It drives the boys crazy.”
She certainly had a knack for driving me crazy, though in a completely different way. I stomped past her with my knife at the ready.
The church was dark and cavernous. The hallways were paved with concrete and the walls were composed of giant stone slabs. Our feet made loud echoing clomps as we made our way inside.
“Left or right?” Olivia asked.
“This way.”
I had a strange ability to sense evil when it was close and I was getting a strong tingling telling me to move toward the front of the church.
“I hate churches.” Olivia’s voice sounded haunted and empty. “Nothing good ever happens inside a church.”
“Wow. That’s a warped view of religion. What about weddings?”
She laughed. “Pledging yourself to one person for the rest of your life? That’s pretty much my worst nightmare.”
“I can see why my brother likes you,” I said sarcastically.
“Link is one of the good ones. That’s why I cut him free.” Olivia stopped in front of a large wooden door. “Any guess what is on the other side?”
“A new car?”
Olivia laughed again. “You’re funny when you’re not busy hating my guts.”
“Just open it.”
She pulled it open hard and I aimed my flashlight inside. The room was empty except for some old church pews.
“We should split up. I doubt they are keeping the kids in the same place where Benton is running the show.” I pointed further down the hall. “My spidey sense tells me I need to go that way. You should take this hall all the way back.”
“Whatever.” She shrugged. “It’s not like I’ll be missing out on any stimulating conversation if we separate.”
I felt a little bad for how cold I had been toward her. It wasn’t like she had actually done anything wrong. “Watch your back.”
“I always do.”
Olivia walked away, hips swaying to a beat that only she could hear. As much as she annoyed me, I had to admit that Olivia was starting to grow on me. Like a wart.
Now that I was on my own, I moved faster. I opened every closed door and checked every room, but I didn’t find any kids or a super-vamp named Benton. I did come across three Souls along the way and managed to take them all out without much effort. If I had to guess, I’d say Benton turned them only a few days ago.
I could hear loud voices around the corner so I hurried in that direction. The room that I entered was empty, but it opened into the chapel where several Souls were arguing.
“Hey.”
I jumped and whirled, preparing to stab a Soul in the chest. Rafe caught my arm before I could do any irreversible damage.
“Down, girl,” he whispered. He nodded through the open door. “What’s going on in there?”
“Souls.” I crept to the door and peeked around the open frame. Rafe was right behind me, his hand on the small of my back as he looked over my shoulder.
At least a dozen Souls were scattered around the chapel. I scanned each one of them, looking for a monster that was also my father.
“Benton isn’t there,” I said.
“You’re sure?”
I nodded. Even though I had never met him, I was certain that I would be able to pick him out of a crowd. Besides, none of the Souls in the room appeared to be in charge.
“No kids either,” I added.
“What’s in those crates?” Rafe wondered.
The center of the room held a stack of wooden crates, four across and two high.
“No idea.” I scanned the room again and was surprised that a few Souls seemed to be missing. Quickly, I counted again. “I think some of them left the room.”
I looked at Rafe, hoping he would have a reasonable explanation for the differing headcounts.
“Are you sure?”
We both turned back to count again and that’s when something hard hit me from behind and everything went black.
My next conscious thought was that my head felt like it was going to explode. I opened my eyes slowly, then closed them when the pain got worse.
“Kaylie.”
Rafe’s voice was hushed, but I could still hear him clearly which meant he was close. I forced my eyes open again and looked around without moving my head. I was sitting in the middle of the chapel, my back propped against one of the crates. My hands were tied behind my back and Rafe was p
ositioned identically next to me.
“This is embarrassing,” I said, noticing that the Souls around us all appeared to be newbies. Experienced Hunters like us shouldn’t have been taken by surprise.
“It’s my fault,” Rafe said. “You were distracted by my stunning good looks.”
“And your sparkling personality,” I added, tugging at my bindings.
Rafe bumped my arm. “We have a new arrival.”
Even without looking at him closely, I knew it was Benton. It was obvious in the way that the other Souls watched him, waiting for orders. They respected his authority, a rare occurrence in the Soul world. They weren’t exactly known for being team players.
A closer inspection revealed the family resemblance. He looked a lot like his brother, the man that had raised me and whom I had called Dad. But he also looked like me. Same strong jaw and auburn hair.
“Honey, you’re awake!” He taunted without a trace of humor. “You have my eyes.”
“And your same killer instincts,” I said.
They were our first words to each other, but I didn’t have time to feel nostalgic. Benton didn’t strike me as the type of Soul that needed long, heartfelt talks before he finished his murders.
“Where are the kids?” I asked, stalling.
“Busy learning some survival skills.” Benton laughed dryly at his own joke. “You would be wise to spend more time worrying about your own survival.”
“Fatherly advice? No offense, but I think I’ll ignore it.”
I struggled hard against the rope around my wrists, but tried to keep my face relaxed. I was certain that Rafe was doing the same. My hand scraped painfully against a nail that was protruding from the crate. I held back a wince and then positioned my hands more carefully. Once the alignment was right, I started to slowly move my wrists, using the tip of the nail as a saw against the rope.
“You turned out sassy- like your mother. Pretty like her, too.”
“But I got your charisma and charm. Lucky me.” I could feel the rope beginning to tear. “This is a really great bonding activity. I feel so much closer to you now.”
Benton took three long strides and crouched in front of me, just a few feet away. I had to stop my escape attempt while he was so close. “That’s the problem though, isn’t it? We can’t be close, at least not physically. Your blood is toxic to me.”
