by Alicia Rades
I held my breath, praying he wouldn’t say the address running through my mind. Every muscle in my body froze when the words I’d been dreading left his lips. 112 Amore Drive.
Venn.
They’d found the family, but it was too soon. Fiona said they had until morning. Then I remembered what she told me about the future. It wasn’t written in stone, which meant something had changed.
“Anything else?” Short Vamp asked.
“Yeah,” Tall Vamp said. “Leave no survivors.”
I dropped the door handle and stumbled back several paces, knocking over the garbage can. My gut twisted, and I thought I might puke. I almost tripped over my own feet as I crossed the room and caught myself on the counter. I braced myself over the sink, and my arms shook. This couldn’t be happening. I had to warn them.
I reached for my pocket before I realized I didn’t have my phone on me. Of course not. It wouldn’t shift with me. I never brought it on patrol.
Voices passed the door, snapping me back to attention. They were headed to round up Maliya’s cronies. I needed to get out of here. I rushed across the room to the door, but before I could reach the handle, the door swung open. Vampire Girl from earlier nearly ran into me.
“Hey,” she said with a smile. “You again. You ready to bring your friends over and dance?”
“I—I have to go.” I pushed past her and into the hall. I raced to the end and blasted out the exit. I didn’t check to see if anyone was watching as I shifted and flapped my wings, launching into the air.
It took me several seconds to realize which direction I was headed. I was flying in the direction of Valander, toward where Cowen was supposed to be. It was a closer flight, and I could be there in a matter of minutes. I couldn’t stop thinking about Jenna, how if I got what I wanted from Cowen, I’d finally be able to find out what happened to my sister.
But then images of Venn invaded my mind. His soft, familiar eyes, his full lips and gorgeous smile, the warmth of his embrace…
It didn’t make sense for me to want to save someone I’d just met over my own sister, but at the same time, it seemed like the only rational course of action. Jenna had been gone for two years. I wasn’t even sure if she was still alive. If I didn’t act now, I was certain that Venn and his family wouldn’t make it.
I hesitated a moment longer.
Screw it. I have to warn Venn.
I just hoped I wasn’t too late.
22
I was in such a hurry that I couldn’t slow my momentum when I came in for the landing. My entire body slammed against the glass window at the front of the house. I dropped to the porch, heaving in deep breaths. I shifted back into human form where I lay. Every muscle in my body ached.
“Oh, my God! What are you doing out here, Rae?” Fiona’s voice reached my ears as she rushed outside.
“I—I needed to—to warn you,” I managed to spit out between heavy breaths.
Fiona helped pull me to my feet. “Warn us? Rae, what’s going on?”
I finally steadied myself on two feet and caught my breath. “They’re coming here. Now.”
“But the locket showed me—”
“Something changed.”
Fiona’s entire body froze, and her eyes went wide. She whirled around and raced back into the house. I followed quickly behind her.
“It’s time to go!” she shouted up the stairs.
Fiona hurried down the hall and flung open the cupboard beneath the stairs. My jaw dropped when I saw the pile of weapons hanging from the walls. Guns, daggers, axes… There was even a sword and a crossbow with a full quiver attached. It looked high-tech, like the kind that auto-cocked itself.
Fiona caught the look on my face while she grabbed for the weapons. “We don’t get much chance to use them since we prefer fighting in our shifted form. And Teagan would rather use her knives.”
Fiona shoved the handle of a dagger into my hands. It was completely silver, with intricate designs carved into the blade. She took a gun for herself, an old-style revolver that only held six bullets. She quickly checked the chamber to confirm it was full, then cocked the firing pin before grabbing the crossbow.
I glanced down at the dagger in my hand, my heart pounding. “You don’t understand. You can’t fight them. They’re coming with all they’ve got. They’re going to kill you. You have to leave now!”
Footsteps pounded down the stairs. Venn stopped at the bottom, and his eyes locked on me. A smile touched the corner of his lips, like he was glad to see me. Which totally would’ve melted my heart if he wasn’t about to be ambushed.
Fiona glanced up at him. “You have twenty seconds to get the rest of the bags in the car. Rae says the vamps are on their way.”
“What?” Venn gawked. “How do you—?”
“No time to explain,” I said. “You all have to leave immediately.”
“You wanna go bad-ass wolf shifter, or do you want to play slayer?” Fiona asked Venn.
“What’s going on?” Ryland demanded as he descended the stairs with Teagan close behind him. “I thought we had another few hours.”
Fiona tossed the crossbow up, and Teagan caught it.
“Something changed,” I said in a rush. “You’re out of time—”
As if on cue, the front door burst open, sending slivers of busted door frame flying across the front hall. Ryland and Venn shifted before I could blink. Fiona pulled the trigger on her gun, and a loud pop cracked through the air. Teagan brought the bow to her shoulder in an instant.
Ryland lunged forward, and the bodies of the closest vampires flew backward through the door. His huge bear form blocked any others from getting through. The sound of shattering glass and the pumped-up roar of invading vampires filled the living room.
“Run!” Teagan screamed.
I sprinted as fast as I could down the hall, never looking back as I hightailed it to the back door near the kitchen. My blood ran cold and I stopped in my tracks when a scream of terror erupted from Teagan’s lungs. Fiona and I whirled around just in time to see a vampire with his arms wrapped around Teagan, his fangs headed for her throat. Three others were already racing down the hall toward me, while dozens more flooded in through the broken window in the living room.
I didn’t hesitate a moment. I rushed forward and sank the dagger into the closest vampire’s chest. I didn’t wait around to watch him disintegrate into a pile of ash. My dagger was already speeding toward the chest of the next vampire.
Fiona got off five more shots. I saw several vamps turn to ash out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t count how many. Fiona dropped her gun once she was out of bullets. She grabbed a picture frame off the wall and swung it toward the closest vampire’s head. The glass in the frame shattered. She swooped down and snatched up the sharpest fracture and stabbed it straight into the vampire’s chest.
Ahead of us, Teagan had dropped her crossbow and was holding a knife in either hand. She swung her arm backward, slicing her knife through a nearby vampire’s eye. He screamed and stumbled backward. Teagan whirled around and sank her other knife into his chest. I still couldn’t believe this girl was only human.
Meanwhile, Ryland and Venn had pushed the vampires at the door outside. I couldn’t see them, but their growls told me they were still alive. For how much longer, I didn’t know. All I knew was that I couldn’t let this family die. I had to help them make their escape.
Fiona reached back inside the cupboard under the stairs and grabbed the sword. She sliced it through the air, nicking a vamp’s neck when he tried to grab her. I’d plunged a knife into two other vampires’ chests by the time I made it to the front door.
Outside, dozens of vampires flooded the front lawn, and there were only more coming from down the street. When the vamps said Maliya wanted everyone to attack the house, they weren’t kidding. She’d called in every favor she could.
There was no way we were making it out of here alive. It only made me want to fight harder. It didn’
t matter what Maliya did to me; she wasn’t taking this family down, too.
Three vampires jumped Venn at the same time. His sharp teeth sank into one of the vampire’s hands. The vamp screamed, and his face contorted in pain. I realized the moment I saw him that I recognized his large frame and dark hair. He was the Alpha Vamp who had bitten Teagan. The whole lot of them were back to get their revenge on us.
I sprinted across the porch and jumped the banister to reach Venn as fast as I could. One vampire had ahold of Venn, while the other swung a foot at his face to force his jaws off Alpha Vamp’s hand. Venn let out a whimper.
The vampires never saw me coming. I jumped down off the porch and sank my dagger into the back of the nearest vampire, the one who held Venn down. The second vamp whirled toward me, just in time for my blade to enter his chest.
Venn rolled over in the grass, finally free of the vampires. Alpha Vamp completely forgot about him as his eyes, etched in fury, turned to me. Before I could get out of the way, he lunged. His strong fingers clamped around my throat, and my body crashed to the ground. A satisfied smirk spread across his face as I gasped for air. Pain filled my chest, and my vision clouded. I thought for sure this was the end.
Then a howl cut through the night, and a shadow flashed in front of my eyes. Alpha Vamp’s weight lifted off of me, and air filled my lungs again.
I sat up, sputtering. “Venn!”
I tossed my dagger into the grass two feet away from him. It stuck into the earth right where I’d been aiming. Venn shifted back into human form and grabbed it. Alpha Vamp didn’t have time to react before Venn shoved the blade into his chest. Alpha Vamp crumbled into a pile of ash.
Venn rushed over to me as I jumped to my feet. Most of the vampires had made it into the house now. I glanced to Ryland on the front lawn. Nausea slammed into my gut so hard that if Venn hadn’t been there to steady me, I would’ve fallen right back down. Time seemed to slow as the scene played out in front of me.
Four vampires wrestled Ryland in his bear form. I spotted Cowen among them. He threw himself onto Ryland’s back but made the mistake of getting within reach of Ryland’s powerful jaws. Ryland’s sharp teeth clamped around Cowen’s leg, and he whipped his body around. Cowen landed with an audible thud in the grass. His scream echoed through the air, but it was silenced by the weight of Ryland’s strong paws pressing down on his chest.
Ryland’s teeth ripped at the flesh on Cowen’s neck. Pieces of skin went flying, exposing the raw flesh and bones beneath it. It was horrifying to watch. Ryland took one final swipe at him, severing his head from his shoulders. Cowen crumbled into a pile of dust on the front lawn.
My body shook, and I thought I might vomit. But it wasn’t just horrifying to watch the gruesome death unfold before my eyes. With it, I watched the mark of the Soulless on Cowen’s wrist vanish. I watched my one chance at finding out what happened to my sister disappear like dust in the wind. Any sliver of hope I had for Jenna perished in that moment.
An unsteadiness consumed me. I fell to my knees in the grass. Venn’s voice swam in and out of focus. I was sure his hands were on me, but I couldn’t feel him anymore.
It was over.
Somewhere beyond the dizziness, I heard the sickening crunch of breaking bones and Ryland’s roar of pain. Four vampires leapt on top of him, twisting and pulling his limbs in different directions.
My stomach bottomed out. We were done for.
23
“Don’t kill him!”
Maliya’s voice sounded like it was coming from under water. She emerged from the house in her velvet, long-sleeved dress. She walked with grace but wore a tight expression on her face. The wounds I’d slashed across her face with my talons were barely visible. Damn vampire healing abilities. The image of her descending the porch steps swam in and out of focus.
“Don’t kill him… yet,” Maliya repeated. “I want them all out here. Now.”
Four vampires followed out of the house, each of them holding on to one of my friends’ arms. Teagan struggled against the two vampires dragging her outside, while Fiona remained still, tears streaming down her face. Their weapons were nowhere to be seen.
The feeling of strong hands snatching me up from the ground sent a shot of adrenaline through my chest. Venn shouted curses from beside me. Suddenly, the world came back into focus.
At least two sets of hands clung on to me and forced me forward. I stumbled into the porch light illuminating the lawn. I tried to struggle out of their grasp, but I’d lost my strength. Even shifting wouldn’t save me now, and if it did, I’d never be able to save the rest of them.
“Ah, Venn,” Maliya said with a smile when she turned to see her henchmen dragging us toward her. “Nice of you to join us.”
The vampires forced me and Venn to our knees beside Ryland. He lay in the grass in his human form, his left arm twisted in an unnatural direction. His face was pale, and his eyes were closed.
Please don’t be dead, I thought.
Maliya’s henchmen positioned Teagan and Fiona on the opposite side of Ryland so that we all knelt in a line. I could see at least a dozen other vampires inside the house, moving by the windows as they raided the place.
They’re going to kill us off one by one and make the rest of us watch, I thought. I wasn’t sure I could stomach it.
One of the vamps ripped the dagger from Venn’s grasp and threw it several yards away. Venn’s lips curled, and his nostrils flared. He glared at Maliya with pure hostility.
Maliya paced in front of us. “You all know why we’re here. You stole something from me.”
“You stole it from us first,” Teagan snapped.
Maliya glared at her, but the corners of her lips slowly turned up. “Yes, I suppose I did. And I want it back.”
Teagan turned her face away when Maliya leaned down to run a manicured finger across her cheek. The touch was harmless, but I knew she was doing it to scare Teagan. Despite Teagan’s tough exterior, it looked like it was working.
“Tell me, human,” Maliya spat at her, “where can I find the locket?”
“I don’t know.” Teagan’s voice shook.
Maliya’s palm cracked across the side of Teagan’s face. My stomach sank, but Teagan barely let it show it bothered her.
“She’s telling the truth!” Fiona burst. “Ryland had the locket tonight, and you knocked him out.”
“I didn’t ask you, filthy fox!” Maliya roared.
Fiona flinched.
Maliya straightened. “I don’t have all night to have my men search your entire house. So I’ll give you three guesses on where you think the bear left the locket.”
Teagan narrowed her eyes at Maliya. “Screw you.”
This time, Maliya’s hand missed Teagan entirely and exploded across Fiona’s cheek. Fiona let out a cry. A red welt in the shape of Maliya’s fingers grew on Fiona’s skin. I winced. She was going to torture Fiona to make Teagan talk, and there was nothing I could do to help.
“One guess down, two to go,” Maliya mocked.
“Stop it, Maliya,” Venn demanded. I’d never heard him speak with such commanding authority before. “We’ll give you the locket as soon as Ryland wakes. It’s not worth any of our lives.”
Laughter bubbled up from Maliya’s chest. “Oh, honey,” she sang in condescension. “You know how the rules go. I don’t negotiate. We do this on my terms.”
“We don’t know where he put it,” Venn growled.
Maliya smirked. “Then the girl better use her best educated guess.”
Teagan tightened her lips, but she didn’t speak.
“You’re running out of time,” Maliya mocked.
Teagan took a deep breath, as if fighting against her fury. “Try the room at the top of the stairs, in the black bag next to the dresser.”
Maliya gestured to one of her cronies. He raced inside to check it out.
“I can’t promise you it’s there,” Teagan said.
“Then you better make
your next guess count,” Maliya snarled.
Venn leaned over, closing the few inches between us. His warm skin touched mine. Though he didn’t say anything, I knew what he’d say if he could.
It’s going to be okay, Rae.
Except it wasn’t. We were drastically outnumbered. It would take a miracle.
“It’s not here.” The vampire who’d gone inside returned, holding on to an empty black duffel bag. All the contents had been emptied, and the pockets had been turned inside out.
Maliya’s face remained expressionless, like she was an expert at hiding her true emotions. She paced slowly in front of us until she stopped in front of Venn. She gazed down at him past her nose. With a sudden burst of energy, her knee sung up and clipped his jaw.
I let out a shocked cry as Venn’s body whipped backward. I tried to get to my feet, but the vampire behind me held my shoulders down and twisted my arms around my back. My knees sank into the earth. The two vampires guarding Venn slammed their fists into his face over and over again. A foot sank into his ribs, and he cried out. I knew his ribs hadn’t healed yet, so the blow must’ve hurt like hell.
“Stop it!” I screamed.
“Please don’t!” Fiona cried.
“I told you I don’t know where the locket is!” Teagan shouted at the same time.
“Then think harder!” Maliya screamed back at her.
The vampires beating Venn pulled away. His eyes swelled, and blood dripped down a cut in his lip. His head lolled to the side as the vampires dragged him to his knees and forced him back beside me. I ripped my arms out of the vampire’s grasp and caught Venn before he face-planted into the dirt. The vampires behind me quickly yanked my hands off him and separated us. They held on tight to my wrists, securing them firmly behind my back. I struggled against their hold, but I couldn’t fight two at once.
“Let go of me!” I shrieked, but it was no use. All I wanted was to reach out for Venn and pull him into my arms.
“Stop it, or you’re next!” Maliya threatened.
