**
Will felt like none of the vampires even saw him. They probably didn’t. In the insanity of the fight, Will most likely looked like a slow, little rodent to them.
Maybe a slow, little, sizzling strip steak.
The fear inside him had been so great for so long, ever since they entered the vampire’s lair really, that by now, in the heat of the scariest part of the day, Will kind of felt calm.
Whatever was going to happen was going to happen. If the blonde and her boyfriend didn’t win the fight, death would be quick for him. They wouldn’t bother hurting him. He wasn’t worth their time.
And Will suspected the initial fear that he felt when being face to face with vampires was wearing off. He thought he was getting used to them, as if their creepiness was something humans could adjust to.
Humans, Will chuckled at his own use of the word.
And there weren’t nearly as many vampires in the house as Will thought. He scanned the room and estimated twenty, but figured there were more in the first room they had been in, the big room with the funny looking throne in the middle.
The blonde, Annabelle, wasn’t half as scary as she was when he first saw her. Even despite the inch-long canine teeth in her mouth.
Each of the dozen or so vamps Will could see had extended fangs, all an inch long or more. It should have terrified him.
Watching Annabelle and her boyfriend fight was awesome. They were a team, and would play off each other’s punches. She seemed to have the power while he maneuvered vampire after vampire into place. It was all strange, but amazing.
Apparently, there was only one way out of the big house. If there were another way, surely the blonde would be taking them through a less populated area. It seemed like every vampire in the place was in their way.
As the pair fought, Will’s tired mind wandered, even though he knew how hilarious it was that he wasn’t more concerned. He figured it was because he was giddy with fear and hunger, with living through certain death and still being mostly uninjured.
Whatever the reason, Will enjoyed the relaxation coming over him, and the absurdity of it considering what was going on. He chuckled softly to himself as he realized it was only yesterday morning when his biggest worry was getting to class on time. Will’s chuckles turned to a sharp laugh as the boyfriend sent a male vampire flying across the room as easily as it would have been to toss a basketball down the court.
Feeling a little less freaked out now meant he could observe. And his attention was on the leader vampire who stood in a corner with a twisted grin on his strangely expressive face.
Though Will could not hear, the conversation taking place between the professional wrestler vampire and the leader vampire was obvious.
Interesting, the expression on the leader’s face said. His attention was on Lena, and he looked worried. Will didn’t know why he wouldn’t be mad like the others were.
He seemed like he was waiting for something.
But then he turned to the wrestler and commanded, bring her to me.
The others, my King? Will imagined the bulky one asked as he glanced at the blonde and her boyfriend.
The leader took a moment to decide, and even Will with his human eyesight and his normal, human observation skills could see the uncertainty on his enigmatic face.
Will looked down at Lena who was still clutching his hand, but knelt on the ground, bracing her fragile body with her other hand on the cold, stone floor. She still hadn’t said a word since they awoke. In shock, he imagined. Zoned out.
What would she have said? Will knew something went wrong. And by the look on the vampire’s faces, this was not something that was supposed to happen.
Obviously, since Will was not a vampire. And neither was Lena.
Duh.
Maybe something snapped, Will thought. Maybe changing back into a human meant there was nothing of her left in there.
But he knew Lena was stronger than that, felt it like a truth he’d always known. She didn’t need protection, she didn’t need to be saved.
Well, before, anyway.
What would she be like now? If they survived, that is?
At that moment, Lena’s head rose and she blinked up at him, then turned her attention to Annabelle slowly and watched as the little blonde monster barreled her fist into another vampire’s chest, bones crunching under her blow.
“Annabelle,” Lena whispered. Will didn’t think the blonde could possibly have heard her, but she nodded once at Lena and retook her battle stance. “There’s another way out.”
The little blonde narrowed her ice eyes at Lena and didn’t move.
Lifting her face to meet the blonde’s stare, Lena did not blink. “It is hidden. No one will be guarding it.”
“Are you sure?” the blonde said softly, then growled a warning at an approaching vampire three times her size.
Lena groaned as she pushed herself up from the ground with one hand and pulled on Will’s with the other. It hurt his chest, but Will didn’t care. Lena was going to be okay.
“Yes,” was all she replied.
Will didn’t see the blonde motion for her boyfriend, but he was beside her an instant later. They didn’t say anything that Will could see, though everyone but him seemed to know what to do.
One last glance at the leader vampire and his wrestler sidekick, and Will shuddered. They were staring at the group, not moving. Like they were in a painting.
And the leader vampire didn’t look worried anymore.
He looked thrilled.
Harsh Light of Day Page 43