by Karen Lynch
“Damn, it’s cold out here,” I muttered, blowing on my hands and wishing I’d remembered gloves.
Roland snorted. “Nice of your friend, Sahir, to stay warm and cozy inside while you trek through the woods.”
“Sahir wouldn’t – ” I broke off as it hit me what had been niggling at me since we came outside. I turned to Michael. “Where is Sahir anyway?”
Michael shrugged. “I think he – ”
He grunted in pain when I grabbed his arm in a death grip. I gasped and cold air stung my lungs, but that was nothing compared to the lump of ice forming in my chest.
“Vampire!” I spun to the others and cried, “Run!”
“Please, don’t leave on our account,” said a husky feminine voice as a blond vampire appeared out of nowhere to stand in front of us. “We only just got here.”
Her words barely registered before I felt a slight disturbance in the air and four more vampires stepped out from the trees to surround us.
Chapter 23
THIS CAN’T BE real. The perimeters were tightly patrolled day and night. How could vampires get past the armed warriors and get so close to the stronghold?
“Is this her?” the female asked, pointing at me.
“Yes,” Michael replied in a small voice.
I sucked in a sharp breath. Behind me, I heard two low growls.
“You rotten little traitorous piece of shit!” Jordan shrieked, leaping at Michael who stumbled backward. One of the vampires moved, and I grabbed Jordan’s arm to hold her back.
“I’m sorry,” Michael cried to me. “They have Matthew and they’ll kill him if I don’t help them. He’s all I have.”
All I could do was stare in horror at the boy waving his arms frantically as he pleaded with me. I had suspected Michael was a bit messed up from losing his family, but in that moment I saw how broken he really was. He was so desperate to believe his brother was alive that he was willing to trust his mortal enemy and sell out his own people for a ghost.
“Touching.” The female vampire sneered and motioned to her companions. “Take her and kill the rest.”
“You said you wouldn’t hurt anyone else!” Michael yelled. “You said you would trade Matthew for her.”
The female laughed and her fangs grew. “We don’t make deals with the likes of you.” She moved in a blur and struck him so hard he flew fifteen feet and hit a tree with a sickening crack. He landed in the snow and lay there unmoving. The vampire turned to me. “Now where – ?”
She gasped and stepped back as loud growls erupted behind me and two massive werewolves appeared where Roland and Peter had stood. I had never seen my friends transform, and it was shocking even for me.
“Werewolves!” the female spat, stunned that she and her companions had not picked up on my friends’ scent. She recovered quickly. “Two of you are no match for five of us.”
“What the fuck am I, chopped liver?” Jordan’s hand moved and the vampire closest to her made a gurgling noise and clutched at a silver knife handle protruding from his chest. The male sank to his knees in the snow and Jordan waved a second knife in front of her. “Now it’s four to three.”
The female snarled. “Lucky shot, little hunter, but Stephen was a fledgling. You won’t take me that easily.” She waved the others forward. “What the hell are you waiting for?”
One of the werewolves let out a ferocious growl and jumped over my head to face the dark figures moving in on us. I didn’t need to ask to know it was Roland in front of me. Behind me, Peter guarded my back while at my side, Jordan brandished her long knife. I looked down helplessly at my weaponless hands before I realized that a knife in my hand wouldn’t help our odds much anyway. The best weapon I had was me.
Roland dove at one of the approaching vampires, and I heard the sound of flesh ripping and felt a spray of hot blood across my cheek. Snarls and shouts filled the woods around me, and it became impossible to make out one flying shape from another.
A cold hand grabbed my wrist and whipped me away from my friends, the sharp claws digging into my skin. I knew immediately this was no baby vampire. Terror gripped me and memories of Eli flooded my mind. No. Never again.
Heat roared through me as I opened the barrier holding back my power. Instead of trying to pull away from my attacker, I whirled and placed my free hand on his chest. After my experience with Nate, I knew exactly where the vamhir demon lurked and how to hurt it. Before the vampire knew what was happening, white hot energy burst from my hand and pierced his chest as easily as one of Jordan’s blades.
The vampire froze and his hands went slack. I yanked my wrist from his grasp and staggered back a step. It was too dark to see his expression, but I could tell his eyes were still open and staring at me in shock. I had no idea how quickly he’d recover, and I had no weapon to finish him off. I raised both hands to blast him again, and he made a small sound like a smothered scream.
A second later, someone shouldered me aside and a blade sank into the vampire’s chest. Jordan pulled her knife free and grabbed my arm. “Come on. We need to get out of here.”
I whirled around and realized we were alone except for the dark shapes littering the ground. My stomach dropped. “Where are Roland and Peter?”
“They went after the female.” Jordan started pulling me through the trees. “We need to get back and raise the alarm. How the hell did five vampires get past our sentries?”
From deeper in the woods my friends’ snarls grew fainter as they pursued the vampire. I dug in my heels. “We can’t leave Roland and Peter. And what about Michael?”
Jordan stopped and looked back at me. “Your friends ripped two vampires to shreds; I think they can take care of themselves. And that little traitor can stay – ”
I froze, almost doubling over from the cold stabbing me in the chest. “More coming,” I croaked.
“Shit! Where?”
I shook my head because my new vampire radar wasn’t that specific. The only chance we had was to run and hope it was away from danger. This time, it was me who grabbed Jordan’s hand and plunged into the trees. After a dozen or so yards, the cold fist in my chest loosened, which told me we were heading away from the vampires, but still being pursued. That wasn’t our only problem. In the dark, everything looked the same and I had no idea where we were going. If we didn’t get out of these woods soon, our chances of escape were not good.
I came to a stop and listened to a faint gushing roar off to our right. “The river. Come on.” If we were near the river, we couldn’t be too far from home, and we only had to follow it downstream to get to safety. Adrenaline rushed through me, and I changed course and headed for the water with Jordan close at my heels.
The cold deepened in my chest again, and I ran with everything in me. My foot snagged on a tree root, I would have gone down if Jordan hadn’t caught me. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my ankle, I pushed forward. The roaring grew louder. We were so close.
We burst from the trees and teetered at the top of the steep riverbank for several seconds before we righted ourselves. Gasping for breath, we spun and ran down the narrow path that followed the river. There was barely enough moonlight to see the path, but we couldn’t afford to slow down. With every step we took, I sensed the vampires getting closer. They couldn’t know where we were or they would have grabbed us already. It was the only thing we had going for us. We’d never be able to outrun them otherwise.
Jordan let out a small scream and stopped abruptly, and I caught myself just in time to keep from plowing into her. I looked past her at the tall shape standing in a patch of moonlight at the bend in the river. My newfound gift told me all I needed to know. Vampire.
I whirled to go back the other way, only to see someone coming up the path toward us. We were trapped. If we ran for the woods, they would catch us for sure. That left only one option.
I grabbed Jordan’s arm and, as soon as she turned her head toward me, I yelled, “Jump.” She gripped my hand tightly, and we mo
ved as one. My feet left the ground, and there was barely enough time to suck in a deep breath before I hit the river. Freezing water closed over my head. The impact pulled Jordan’s hand from mine, and I grabbed for her frantically before my bursting lungs forced me to give up. My head broke the surface, and I sucked in cold air then choked as I swallowed water.
“Jordan!” I sputtered as more water flooded my mouth. The current tugged at my heavy clothes, dragging me back under. I kicked my feet and fought for the surface as the swift river carried me away. A gasp of air then water washed over my head again. Terror filled me and I lost all sense of up and down. My lungs burned and tiny stars exploded before my eyes.
No, not stars. In my panic, I’d summoned the water’s magic, and it had answered my call. A cloud of sparkling lights moved rapidly toward me, surrounding me, lifting me. I broke the surface and sucked in a deep breath of cold air that burned my throat.
Gasping, I searched the water for Jordan. A flash of blond in the foaming water ahead of me caught my attention. It disappeared and I thought I’d imagined it. Then I saw it again.
“Jordan!” I pushed forward with renewed strength. A few seconds later my numb fingers snagged the collar of Jordan’s jacket, and with a cry, I pulled her to me. Her arm wrapped around my waist and she laid her head on my shoulder as I kept us above water. She was battered and freezing, but alive.
“Hold on to me. I’m going to get us out of this.” I took several deep breaths to calm myself and reached out to the magic in the water. I felt it respond almost immediately and watched as millions of golden particles formed a warm glowing shield around us and kept us afloat in the rushing water.
“W-what is that? Is that y-your power?”
“Sort of.” Surrounded by the familiar magic, I felt my courage and strength returning. This was my element; there was nothing for me to fear from the water. I was back in control, and the river would take us exactly where I wanted it to.
Minutes later, I saw a glow through the trees ahead. The stronghold. Using my free hand, I directed the water to carry us to the shore below the low bank I often sat on. Our feet touched bottom, and we supported each other as we stumbled across the slippery rocks to collapse on the shore. As soon as we left the water, the cold hit me again and I shivered violently. Rocks dug into my back as I stared up at the clear moonlit sky, but for a full minute I was too exhausted to move.
Stiff from the cold, I got to my feet and pulled Jordan up with me. “We have to get inside and warn everyone.” I was still reeling from Michael’s betrayal and the fact that so many vampires had gotten past Tristan’s security. The stronghold was supposed to be impenetrable, but it looked like no place was safe from the Master.
“Well, hello there,” drawled a strange male voice above our heads. I jerked backward and stared in shock at the two vampires standing on the bank. I was so cold I hadn’t even sensed them.
“Stay back.” I shuffled backward until I felt cold water around my calves. Where the hell was everyone? We had vampires running around the grounds and there wasn’t a warrior in sight. My gut told me the situation was a lot worse than I’d thought. There was no way vampires would get this close to me with Nikolas here unless . . . unless something really bad had happened to him. My stomach squeezed painfully.
“Don’t come any closer,” I yelled at them, my fear for Nikolas overriding my own.
“Or what?” The second vampire let out a laugh as he jumped off the bank and landed a few feet away. “You’ll splash us?” Before I could respond, he seized my arm in a steel grip, yanking me against him. Jordan pulled out her knife and waved it at the other vampire who was advancing on her.
“Mmm, you do smell good. I bet you taste amazing.” The vampire’s nose nuzzled my neck, and I pushed back on the terror threatening to engulf me. He was trying to use my fear against me, to make me so scared I could not fight. A few months ago, he would have succeeded.
I twisted around and put my hands on his chest. I wasn’t too scared or cold to notice he had moved faster than a baby vampire but not as fast as a mature vampire. I might not be able to knock him out, but I was prepared to do my damnedest. Keeping my eyes on him, I reached into the water swirling around my knees and sent out a silent, urgent call to the magic that waited to do my bidding. Come to me. Help me, please, I cried, terror tinging my inner voice.
Water exploded upward behind me, sending a cold shower down on our heads. The vampire’s eyes flew wide and his mouth opened in a silent scream as an ungodly screech rent the air. Before I could turn to see what was behind me, a huge white shape leapt over my head to land on the shore behind the vampire. The snow white kelpie towered above us and shook his magnificent mane before he opened his mouth to emit another earsplitting sound.
“Noooo!” the vampire screamed as Fiannar clamped down on his shoulder and ripped him away from me. The vampire’s horrified eyes met mine, and then he was gone. With a flick of his powerful head, Fiannar tossed him out into the river.
“Fiannar,” I breathed as the kelpie ran past a stunned Jordan to grab the second vampire who shrieked in terror as he was dragged into the water. The water guardian stopped beside me and gave a slight bow before he disappeared beneath the surface with his struggling captive.
Farther out, the first vampire recovered from his shock and started swimming frantically back to shore. Out of the water rose the black head of Feeorin. The kelpie latched onto the vampire and dragged him screaming underwater.
The whole attack had lasted no more than a minute, and I was left staring at the dark river where the two kelpies had been a moment ago.
“What the fuck was that?”
I faced Jordan, who stood with her knife hanging limply from her hand. She sounded like herself for the first time since we’d entered the river.
I started climbing the riverbank. “That was Feeorin and his brother, Fiannar. They’re the kelpies who guard the river.”
“Oh, is that all?” She tucked her knife away and followed me. “Friends of yours?”
“You could say that.”
Almost numb from the cold, we pulled ourselves over the top of the riverbank. We lay there for a minute to catch our breath before we set off running toward the buildings. There could be more vampires lurking around the property, and we had to find help before someone else was attacked. I didn’t want to think about Roland and Peter out in the woods dealing with God only knew what. Or Nikolas. Or Nate.
My pace picked up. I had to get to Nate.
Shouts and screams reached us as soon as we left the roaring river behind. Cold blossomed in my chest and I sprinted around the nearest building and came up short at the sight in front of me.
“Oh, God!”
The unimaginable had happened. Westhorne was under attack, and everywhere we looked, warriors battled vampires. The vampires were slow, new, but they made up for that in their numbers. Most warriors fought three or four at one time, their swords glinting in the moonlight as they cut down one vampire after another with deadly precision. The warriors without swords fought with knives or bows. I watched one punch a hole through a vampire’s chest with his bare fist. It was a bloodbath.
Movement by a corner of the main building drew my attention. I gasped when I saw Tristan decapitating one vampire only to have two more take its place. Beside him, Celine wielded a sword with deadly accuracy, despite her long red dress. I harbored no love for Celine, but I had to admit the woman could fight and I was glad Tristan had her at his back.
I scanned the grounds for Nikolas, but there was no sign of him or Chris. Knowing them, they were out here somewhere in the middle of all the bloodshed. More than anyone, Nikolas could take care of himself in a fight, but that did not prevent the knot of fear from settling in my stomach. God, let him be okay.
Two more warriors joined the fight, and my heart leapt into my throat when I recognized Terrence and Josh. Immediately, the two boys were attacked by three vampires. Terrence swung his sword, and one o
f the vampires screamed when his arm fell to the ground. Josh leapt to one side, his sword flashing, and one of the vampires staggered back holding his gut. Two of the three vampires howled in pain, but they didn’t retreat. Josh moved until he and Terrence were back-to-back, and they waited for the next attack.
“We have to do something,” I said. Our friends were fighting for their lives; the people I cared most about in the world were under attack. Nate was inside that building. I just got him back; I could not lose him again.
Jordan opened her mouth to reply when a girl screamed off to our right.
“That’s Olivia.” She took off in the direction of the scream, away from the main battle. There was nothing to do but follow her. Nate and the others were a big question mark, but Olivia was here and she needed us now.
“Get away from her, you bastard!” Jordan screeched, throwing herself at the vampire latched onto Olivia’s throat. The male released Olivia who crumbled to the ground like a rag doll. He swung his arm, and Jordan flew half a dozen feet to land on her back in the snow.
The vampire ignored her and advanced on me. “All this sweet young Mohiri blood . . . delicious,” he hissed. He wavered slightly on his feet as if he was drunk and drops of blood – Olivia’s blood – dripped from his chin onto the snow. Bile rose in my throat, and my eyes darted to the girl who lay motionless a few feet away. Please be alive, I pleaded silently as I backed away from the vampire stalking me hungrily.
My heel struck something, and I flailed as I almost went down. Righting myself, I looked behind me and choked when I saw Mark’s sightless eyes and ravaged throat. He and I had not been friends, but something inside me snapped at the sight of his lifeless body. Instead of Mark, I saw my dad lying in the snow covered in his own blood.
