by JJ Krzemien
He thought I was hot.
“How about it?” he ran his hand through his hair again.
“What?”
He leaned closer. “Will you allow me to take you on a date?”
I sucked in a breath. “Only if you tell me how old you are.”
“Promise?” His lips were only inches from mine. “If I tell you, I get one date. No backing out?”
“Yes,” I whispered. My gaze went to his lips. I’d only been kissed by one boy before, in the eighth grade. I had a feeling that Edgar’s kiss would be different— more mature and much better.
He leaned back, breaking the intimate spell. “I was born in October of 1919.”
Oh my God, he was older than my great-grandparents. That was so weird and kind of creepy. He didn’t look like someone’s great-great-grandpa. But still…
“Are you okay?” His forehead bunched.
I glanced down. “Yeah, yeah fine.” No, I was in shock.
“I know, to you, I seem really, really old. I don’t feel that old. I don’t even feel like I’ve had a particularly long life. Still lots on the bucket list.” He offered a shy smile.
One hundred years seemed like plenty of time to do everything anyone would want to do. What could be left?
“It’s okay,” he said. “I won’t hold you to that promise.”
“What?” My head jerked up. “But…a deal’s a deal.”
“I won’t force you.” A pale pink spread across his face. Was he blushing? “If you really don’t want to—”
“I want to. I do.” I smiled at him
He smiled back, that warm, genuine smile. “Great.”
I was sixteen and going to have my first date—and maybe my first real kiss? With a half vampire. When I’d asked my parents for permission to date, this was not at all what I had in mind. What would they’ve thought of him? Yeah, what would my parents have thought of a hundred-year-old half vampire on a date with their daughter?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Three o’clock that afternoon everyone was gathered in the living room. Rushi sat at one end of the sofa loading a semi-automatic handgun. Next to her, George cleaned three more guns on the coffee table. At the far end Xiang fidgeted, seeming nervous about getting on with the planning. He must have found something interesting on his scouting mission.
I took a seat in the unoccupied recliner as Edgar, who sat in the other chair, gave me a wink.
“Shall we,” Edgar said to the room.
Given the go ahead, Xiang opened his mouth. “Oscar’s there. With just five Amigis. Four humans,” his expression turned grim, “and Cadoc.”
No one spoke for several moments. Rushi looked disgusted. Edgar interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them. George’s expression appeared thoughtful. Silence filled the space.
“Who’s Cadoc?” I asked.
“The worst of them all,” Rushi said. “Filthy cambion.”
“However,” Edgar pointed out, “who else could kidnap a garanth? Makes perfect sense.”
Rushi shrugged.
“How are we going to get past him?” Xiang frowned. “Half demons are the worst. And Cadoc is a world-class badass.”
“Leave it to the Amigis to align themselves with that sort.” Edgar shook his head, a sneer twisted his lips. “We’ll have to make the best of it. At least the other four are human.”
I leaned forward. “Why are cambions so bad? What can they do?”
Rushi answered. “Heightened senses—no sneaking past them. Cadoc also controls fire, can generate fireballs, and is one big son of a bitch.”
“And,” George said, “he’s a leech.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, gazing up at him.
“Similar to how vampires we can drain a person of blood.” He reached over and took Rushi’s hand while talking to me. “Have you heard of energy vampires?”
I nodded. “People who can drain energy from other people.”
“Cambions, when focused, can drain power from hybrids.”
“Oh.” I sat back in the chair and hugged my midsection. “Between the five of us, can we take him do you think?”
“It won’t be easy.” Rushi said. “We’ll have to lure him away from Oscar and distract him while someone gets Oscar out of there. Cadoc can’t be defeated so there’s no point wasting time on that.” Rushi finished loading the gun and held it out to me.
She’d given me a basic lesson on how it worked earlier that afternoon, while waiting for Xiang to return. I hesitantly took the gun and placed it in the concealed carry holster. When we were ready to go, the whole thing would attach to the inside of my waistband.
She pursed her lips. “If anyone gets a clear shot, aim for Cadoc’s heart. If he’s unconscious, this will go a whole lot easier.”
Rushi handed guns to Xiang and George.
Edgar learned forward. “Lili, you’ll be the one to rescue Oscar. I don’t want—I think it would be best if you kept away from Cadoc and focused on Oscar.”
“I thought you wanted to use me as a distraction.”
“Cadoc’s presence changes everything. We’ll be the distraction. You get Oscar out of their as quickly as you can.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
Edgar glanced at Rushi. “We’ll give Cadoc a dhampir fight he won’t forget.”
For the first time, I saw Rushi smile.
“When will we go?” I couldn’t keep the anxiety out of my voice.
“Since they’re already there,” said Edgar. “Tonight.”
∞ ∞ ∞
We traveled north on Highway 30 in a Dodge mini-van. Before the town of Linnton we turned into the parking lot of a riverside factory, closed for the holiday. The old building with the bell tower was actually a railroad supplies house, no longer in use. It stood a little further north from our location. Xiang said the best way to get to it was through the field next door.
I was dressed in all black, the same as everyone else. Xiang had lent me a pair of pants, and coat since his sister’s were too short for me. Edgar had also picked up black ski masks. I slid out of the backseat of the van and pulled the mask in place.
Leaving my backpack at the dhampir’s apartment made me feel naked. The only thing I had that was actually mine was the locket. It throbbed against my skin. I was sure that the heat and pulsing would only get worse as we came closer to danger.
The holster and gun, attached to one of Xiang’s belts, felt bulky at my waist. Now that we were here I was grateful for the weapon. It was the only one I had. The other four, in addition to their guns, carried swords strapped to their backs and knives hidden in various bodily locations.
When it was time to go, Xiang led the way. We skirted around a huge storage building then out into a field of tall weeds and snow. A single street lamp illuminated the railroad building, which was about the size of one of those old school houses, but made of stone with an empty bell tower at the top. The front door was double wide and made of solid wood. Only small shards of broken glass hung in the windows. Much of the lower part was tagged with graffiti.
From a distance, it could be mistaken for a church. Unlike most churches though this one had a second story. Lights shone through the window openings of the upper floor. Even from this far out I could hear the hum of voices. I held my breath, trying to be as quiet as possible. If I could hear them, Cadoc could hear me.
An eastern wind swept through the field. The gust blew ice cold air into my eyes. Sleet began to pelt us, light at first then growing in size and intensity. I covered my head with my arms and crouched down in the snow. Xiang beckoned us to follow him around the back of the building.
In a single line we rested our backs against the cold stone building. It offered enough shelter to escape the ice pellets. The wind shifted direction, blowing the sleet in circles and whipping up the snow. Moments later a deluge of raindrops took over. As soon as I thought it couldn’t rain any harder, it did.
I couldn’t hear the voices in th
e railroad house over the thundering sound of rainfall. Perhaps they couldn’t hear us either, only the rain and wind beating on the metal roof.
Rushi and George pulled out their guns and disappeared around the corner.
Edgar pointed up to the second floor. Xiang nodded. Grabbing my shoulder, he gestured to the fire escape. I put my foot on the first rung and took hold of the wet, slippery metal. Beside me, Edgar bore his fingers into the stone and began to climb. Xiang followed him up. I squinted at them as they scaled the building, hanging onto the outer wall like two bugs. Someday I’d be able to fly—once my wings were large enough. With a sigh I climbed the rusty ladder.
The wind battered me with sleet and rain. In seconds the ski mask was soaked through. Near the second floor landing an iron bar broke under my foot. I swallowed a scream. Clinging to the slippery bar with my hands, while my feet swung in the air.
Gun shots rang out on the opposite side of the building. Rushi and George must have gotten the humans’ attention. My feet found solid iron and I scrambled up the last stretch of ladder, onto the tiny landing. Crouching down next to the window, I peered inside. Timber posts held up the roof in an otherwise cavernous open space with wooden floors. In the middle of the room stood a work bench with several chairs. The Amigis exchanged fire with Rushi and George on the far side of the room.
I barely noticed the four human men. Because next to them stood Cadoc at nearly seven feet tall, with an imposing build similar to Oscar’s garanth form. Except this creature had twisted black horns. Black feathered wings folded against his back. He wore tight jeans and nothing else. A tattoo on his hip was half hidden by his waistband. It looked like the top of angel wings.
I peeled my gaze away from him before he could sense me staring. At the back of the room, I spotted Oscar.
Fully clothed and in human form; he must not have changed into a garanth when he was kidnapped. Why? He could have beaten them off if he had morphed—or at least put up a fight. They had him in a cage, where he sat with his back against the bars.
Above me, Edgar and Xiang had made it to the roof. I grabbed hold of the windowsill to pull myself up and through. Stopping half way in as a feeling of dizziness came over me. I slid back out the window to sit on the landing. I had to get to Oscar. I tried the window again, this time with a tentative arm through the opening. It felt like something tugged at my fingertips, draining my strength.
Leeching. That had to be coming from Cadoc. Maybe it was keeping Oscar in human form. Was Oscar being drained of his strength? What happened to his protection power?
The locket was pulsing along with my rapid heartbeat. Besides being a warning of danger, it didn’t seem to protect me from Cadoc’s leeching at all. If the cambion’s powers were focused on keeping Oscar subdued, did that mean I was only feeling the fringe effects?
I startled as the two dhampir’s on the roof came crashing through the ceiling behind the four men and Cadoc. The draw on my energy eased as the cambion was finally distracted. I leaped through the window, crouching along the wall all the way to Oscar’s cage. The room exploded with gunshots as the men tried to fend off Edgar and Xiang. Shrieks and the sound of crunching bone filled the space.
Cadoc seized Xiang off one of the humans, throwing him against the far wall with a sickening thud. I turned away from the violence to focus on freeing Oscar. The cage door was secured with a padlock. How was I supposed to get inside?
Taking a cue from the movies, I decided to shoot if off. This stealthy rescue was about to become anything but that. Pulling the heavy gun from its holster, I stepped back as far as I could and took aim. I pulled the trigger and the gun bucked in my hands. The bang exploded through my ears and brain.
The padlock was still perfectly intact.
I had to hurry. The others could only distract Cadoc for so long. After three more shots the lock was a little dented. In frustration, I emptied the entire magazine on it. The damned thing still wouldn’t open.
It was time to test that nephilim strength. Gripping the gun by the barrel, I used the handle as a hammer on the lock. One, two, three hits so hard that sparks flew. The padlock opened.
I dropped the empty gun, twisted the lock, and threw it aside. Opening the barred door, I went in.
I knelt beside Oscar. “Are you okay?” I asked. “Come on we need to get out of here.”
He looked at me with tired, red-rimmed eyes. “I need a moment, Lili-girl.”
“We don’t have a moment.” I wrapped one arm around his chest and tried to lift him. He was heavier than he looked and I had a hunch that the brief energy drain from Cadoc had taken its toll on me. I couldn’t even imagine how Oscar felt after two days with that cambion.
I let him go and he slouched back against the bars. How was I going to get him out of there? I had get him out now.
A strong hand jerked my shoulder from behind. Half-turning, I came face to face with Cadoc. He gripped my arm, tossing me out of the cage and across the floor. Laying on my stomach, I gasped for breath. Where were the dhampirs? Where was Edgar?
I scrambled to my feet.
Cadoc focused on me with glowing red eyes. He took hold of my neck and rammed my head into the stone wall. White pain shot through my skull. I sank to the floor.
He clasped a claw-tipped hand around my throat, lifting me up until my feet dangled. Slowly his grasp tightened. It felt like fire burning my neck. I couldn’t breathe. My eyes teared up as my head began to pound. I clutched at his hand, trying to free his grip. His brow furrowed as he concentrated. Red eyes filled with blood lust.
I was more terrified than angry, but it was there. It was the only chance I had to get out of this alive. I thought of my parents and Sarah. The anger spread through me so swiftly that the energy rammed into Cadoc, making him stumble backward. He regained his footing, knocking my head hard against the wall again.
“That all you got, little half-breed?” His voice was a hollow rasp.
I screamed, clutching as his arms. Cadoc was sucking the strength out of me—and it hurt.
Over his shoulder, Edgar’s head appeared. The dhampir clung to Cadoc’s back and sank his fangs into the cambion’s neck. With a hiss, I was dropped. Coughing, I lay on the floor, and I could feel myself healing, but it was slower than usual.
The humans were dead. Their body parts strewn around the room, blood everywhere. The four dhampirs circled Cadoc, taking turns shooting him. He sidestepped the bullets in a flash of black feathers against tanned skin. One grazed his huge arm and healed in seconds. It was only a distraction. He was impossible to defeat.
“Lilianna, you ready to get out of here?” Edgar shouted as he avoided Cadoc’s swiping claws.
I searched for Oscar. He was still in the cage. Gaining my feet, I leaned on the wall for support. After a moment I felt better, ready to move.
As I headed to the cage, I saw Oscar stripping off his clothes and morphing at the same time. I motioned for the others to get out. We’d be right behind them. No doubt with Cadoc on our heels.
Four gunshots, so close together they sounded as one, boomed in the cavernous space. The dhampirs dropped to the floor and went limp. Men in all black SWAT-like gear climbed through the windows and up the staircase in one corner.
I ran to Oscar. He stepped through the cage opening, quickly grabbing a handgun from one of the dead humans. The masked men surrounding us aimed their weapons at his chest. Then waited.
“I’m sorry, Lili-girl.” Oscar stepped in front of me. He brought the gun up and shot me, point blank, in the heart.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Eyes still closed, the first thing I noticed was a humming sound. My back ached from laying on a stiff surface. Scratchy cotton rubbed my cheek. No pain. The rapid self-healing had happened while I was unconscious.
Through a tangle of blond hair, I squinted into the brightly lit room. White walls, fluorescents overhead, white-washed floor. One wall was a giant mirror. Two-way mirror?
Slowly, I sat up
. No pillow or blanket, only a wooden-framed cot. A small sink and toilet occupied one corner. Dome shaped cameras hugged the ceiling at all four corners. Where they watching everything? Perverts.
I swung my bare feet onto the floor. My clothes had been taken, replaced by a long blue nightgown.
Someone had undressed me while I was unconscious. How creepy.
I clenched at my throat—the locket was gone. The lights reflected off all the white, I closed my eyes against it.
An image appeared in my mind: Oscar lifting a gun to my heart. The scene was so real, I felt pain shoot through my chest as if I’d been shot again. Had he really betrayed me? Or had it been part of some bigger plan? An emptiness settled in my stomach, chills prickled my arms—I knew the answer. He’d betrayed me.
A new kind of pain shot through me—devastation. It wrapped around my chest and squeezed. I hugged my shoulders and let out a sob. My friend, mentor, and confidant had turned on me. Had set a trap.
The sensation shifted and anger replaced the anguish. I shook with fury. That’s why Oscar hadn’t been in a hurry to leave the railroad building. I bet Cadoc could have easily rendered all of us incapable of fighting if he’d wanted to. They’d both lured us in. Made it easy for us all to get inside the supplies house and then let their net fall.
I screamed in outrage. My power exploded from every pore as a red mist. The humming I’d first noticed grew louder. Instead of bursting the walls, my energy flowed into them. When I tried to hold it back, the walls seemed to suck my power from me. It reminded me of Cadoc.
In pain, growing weaker, I slumped against the wall behind the cot. Vision dimming until blackness filled my eyesight. Consciousness faded.
∞ ∞ ∞
I woke to a terrible crink in my neck. Rubbing it, I pushed myself away from the wall and stood. Stupid. With creatures like Cadoc around, did I really think the Amigis would put me in a prison cell I could bust out of so easily? Underestimating them would only get us in more trouble.
Us. Had the dhampirs lived? I’d seen them fall—shot in the heart, but supposedly they could survive that like me. Were they in cells like mine? Was that why the Amigis had given me days instead of hours to come to the supplies house? Set a trap and hope to catch as many hybrids as possible?