by Kat Cotton
When my sight returned, I realized it wasn’t Ren but one of the vamps. He smiled sweetly and brushed his long black hair from his face before bowing.
Ren had almost reached the door, so I kept running.
Get to the door, get to the door. The thought echoed through my head as my feet slapped against the marble floor.
Almost there. Almost within touching distance of Ren. Almost.
Then a huge metal door slammed down in front of us. The door had closed.
Chapter 43
“WE’RE DOOMED.” I GROANED and spun back to face the room. There was no other way out.
There were a lot fewer vampires now and a whole lot of dust floating around the place. Flashes of light burst around me like fireworks as Mrs. Worthington swirled around the room so fast, I could only make out her purple glow.
That was the problem with a vampire army. They were easily dusted.
I assumed Mrs. Worthington had finite power too. Her light faded and flickered. But then, she’d been like that before and had revitalized.
I reached for Ren, hoping he had some plan to get out of here because I was fresh out of ideas.
Ren shrugged.
Bollocky bollocks. I needed a more concrete plan than a mere shrug.
A whooshing sound swept through the hall, then a massive explosion rocked the whole room.
I covered my ears as they rang in pain, then looked up to see most of the vampires immobilized.
Where was Mr. Quiller?
Mrs. Worthington swooped toward Ren. I had no idea what she had planned, but she sure planned on separating us. Maybe forever. She could whisk him out of this place as quickly as she’d whisked me here.
But that last attack had weakened her. Her light faded and she could no longer fly.
Of course, that wouldn’t be an issue if she got her way and killed me first.
I had to attack. There was no other way. I inhaled and waited for my power to build, power from inside me, not that tainted energy I’d used before.
The power buzzed through my body, my head swimming. I had a split second to attack. I raised my hands and —
Crumpled to my knees.
I bit my lip to stop from screaming. I bit so hard I drew blood. And that wasn’t even the worst of it. She must’ve just been toying with me before. My ears buzzed and my stomach churned. My body felt like it was being crushed, bone by bone.
I crashed to the ground but, Mrs. Worthington hadn’t even broken a sweat. I couldn’t win this. Not without Ren.
A band tightened around my head, digging into my brain. That same pain from when she’d bound my powers, almost fierce enough to crack my skull open and spill my brains on the floor.
I smacked at my head, trying to release the tension, but it didn’t work. She’d crush my skull to pieces and I’d be utterly destroyed.
A noise like a buzz echoed in my head as the pain ripped me apart. Then a rush of air swirled around me.
I got lifted from the ground so fast my stomach seemed to get left behind.
Mr. Quiller carried me to the rafters and propped me on a beam. Something in his touch lessened the pain. Not easing it completely but soothing enough to make it bearable.
Don’t look down, my brain screamed. But I looked down. We were so far above the ground, my stomach lurched. If I fell from here, my insides would splat all over that white marble floor. Instead, I clutched that rough wood beam so tight, splinters dug into my fingers.
“You must die,” he whispered.
“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”
“The only way to defeat her is to usurp her plans. Join with us and you’ll be beyond her reach.”
“Huh?” What did he mean by join us? Be part of his vampire army? Be part of — I got it. And no. No way. “You want to turn me?”
I almost yelled. I didn’t want to be a stinky horrible vampire. Not in this lifetime. Not in any lifetime.
“You know it. To save one, the other must die.”
I clung tighter to the beam, trying to keep my balance even though my limbs trembled. I got what he meant. If he turned me, I’d be dead. Technically. The prophecy would be fulfilled.
“No way.” I didn’t want to be superficial in a life and death situation but the smell...
“You won’t get out of here alive. You either die permanently or you become immortal.”
I shook my head. No. Anything but that.
Across the hall, Mrs. Worthington’s light flickered. Ren shied away from her. The vampires protected him but for how long?
“You can save the boy.” Mr. Quiller’s icy blue eyes froze me.
Ren screamed. I couldn’t see why. He’d moved out of my line of sight and I could barely move on this beam.
“She’ll tell you that all your friends will die but she’ll be the one to kill them. She says she loves the boy but it’s a selfish, impure love. Not the love of a mother but the love of someone who needs to control everything she owns.”
I nodded. I knew it. She’d cage Ren, maybe not with light but in some way. He’d never be free while she lived.
“How do you even know it’ll work? It takes days.” When we’d thought Ren had been bitten, we had to wait three days. I didn’t have three days. I didn’t even have three minutes.
He shook his head. “For others, yes. For you, the process will be instant. You have the blood of a demigod. You are already a creature of the shadows. As a vampire, you’ll be stronger than an ancient.”
I took a breath. This was a major life decision. I couldn’t rush into it.
The beam beneath me seemed to wobble and my head swam. I wasn’t sure how long I could hold on up here with my palms sweating. Before I totally freaked out, the young vampire with the long black hair appeared beside me, wrapping his arm around my waist to steady me.
“It’s the only way,” Mr. Quiller said. “You don’t have time to waver.”
Ren’s scream curdled my blood followed by a ripping sound.
I twisted and peered down but I couldn’t see a thing.
“She’s trying to rip a hole in the veil. If she does, they’ll disappear and you could spend eternity searching through different planes for them without finding him again.”
The ripping continued. I could see it now, not a hole but a shimmering in the air. She couldn’t take Ren away like that. He’d miss his horse and his friends and maybe even me.
I nodded. As much as I hated the idea, it seemed the only way.
Chapter 44
THE WAY MR. QUILLER’S face distorted as his canine teeth descended made me shudder. I shook my head violently. Mr. Quiller biting me seemed creepy as.
“Okay.” I sobbed the word. “But not you. Him.”
I nodded to the vampire who’d saved me earlier. He didn’t smell like death but had a sweetness about him.
I pulled back my hair, exposing my neck.
The vampire’s eyes flashed silver as he hovered in the air, almost as though he was too afraid to touch me.
“Wait a minute. Hold on there, buddy.” I had another question for Mr. Quiller. A really important one. “I can’t be bitten. Vampires have tried before, but my blood repels them.”
“You have to let him. Relax and don’t resist.” Mr. Quiller looked around. “But do it fast because that hole isn’t getting any smaller.”
I gulped. This was not a situation conducive to relaxation. I tried the breathing exercises my anger management counselor had taught me.
Mrs. Worthington flew towards us, much slower than she’d been before but still, she could push me off this beam so easily and that’d be the end of me.
The cute vampire’s teeth grazed my neck. I shuddered, closing my eyes.
When his teeth broke through the skin, I gripped that beam so tightly, it was a wonder it didn’t snap.
Then he pulled away, and I screamed as his sharp teeth mauled my skin.
The vampire stared at Mrs. Worthington, terrified. If she shot from there, s
he wouldn’t miss. The violet scent enveloped us. This was it. The end.
Then, without warning, she screamed and hurtled to the floor as though she’d been blindsided.
The wave of relief sweeping through made my head spin. And spinny wasn’t good.
I raised my eyebrows at Mr. Quiller – how had he done that? But he nodded at Ren.
Ren had attacked his mother, and she wasn’t happy. He’d attacked her and he’d saved me.
The aftereffects of his blue glow hung in the air.
“Nice try, Grace,” Mr. Quiller yelled.
The cute vampire twitched as blood trickled down my neck. The bloodlust hammered in his veins as much as he tried to control it.
My body chilled as his lips touched my neck. His grip on my waist tightened.
As he drank from me, I screamed. This was nothing like in the movies, all sexy and hot—not that I wanted him getting sexy and hot with me. This was like when you went to the dentist and they tell you it’s not going to hurt. Big, nasty needles jabbed into my neck, then the draining.
My legs thrashed. I grabbed his shoulder, my fingers digging into his flesh as his drinking deepened.
Finally, he pulled his teeth from me. Then licked my neck.
“Huh?”
“It seals the wound,” Mr. Quiller said.
I shuddered. I’d been fed from, by a vampire. Was I dead? At what point did that whole dying but getting eternal life kick in?
“I don’t feel any different.” I inhaled, wondering what would happen next.
“You need to drink from him.”
Mr. Quiller grabbed the young vampire’s hand, slicing the palm with his claw-like nail. Droplets of blood rose to the surface. My stomach churned. That was someone else’s blood, and I had to drink it.
Gross. Just gross.
“No being squeamish now.” Mr. Quiller’s smile had way too much self-satisfaction for my liking. I’d played right into his game, and still had no idea what that game was.
That would be my life now. Drinking blood. Maybe I’d come to crave it but, for now, I closed my eyes and pretended it tasted like tacos or something delicious.
As the first droplets hit my stomach, my insides detonated.
A rush of power took over my body. And, if that cute vampire hadn’t held me, I’d have fallen to my death.
Wait, air whooshed around me. I had fallen.
But not from the power rush. Mrs. Worthington floated above me, laughing. She’d knocked me from the beam.
My stomach churned and that white marble floor got closer and closer.
Had the turning worked? If I survived this, I’d know.
My mouth went dry, the air around me too thick to take in.
The world blurred as I lost control of my body.
Then I slowed. And I relaxed. My breathing returned to normal.
I could see all around me. That floor looked mighty close now.
A pillowy cushion of blue light blazed around me, shielding me and easing my fall.
Ren. He’d created that cushion to save my life.
Landing on my feet, my body jarred but I didn’t splatter. All my internal organs stayed inside of me.
I felt sharply alive. Every color shone brighter, every smell intensified, which wasn’t exactly a good thing.
I scanned the room for Mrs. Worthington, my muscles straining for a chance at revenge. Ren ran to me but I put up my hand to stop him. This was my fight and it’d end right here.
She’d tried to hide but her purple light gave her away. I stalked closer, being able to hear every breath she took.
I pounced on her, knocking her to the floor. Mr. Quiller hadn’t lied. I had the strength of an ancient vampire. Well, I assumed so. I felt invincible.
The blood thumping through her veins called to me. I didn’t want to drink it but I wanted to spill it, to tear her limb from limb. Everything else became blackness now. My thoughts buzzed, no more substantial than insects. I’d become something not human.
“Cherry!” Ren screamed.
I couldn’t let him into my head. I stared at Mrs. Worthington, her eyes wide and terrified.
My teeth extended, a sensation that might’ve been painful without so much adrenalin pumping through me.
Hands tore at me. Ren’s. I ignored him. He’d never kill but I had to, my vision turning red with frenzy.
His cries ringing in my ears mixing with the thudding of my bloodlust. I could do this. I could break her neck and she’d be gone. That’s what I wanted. That’s what Ren needed. The two of us would be free.
No. the word screamed in my head. If I gave in to this, I’d never be free.
I gulped. I wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. If I murdered Mrs. Worthington, I’d prove her words true. I’d be the evil things she thought I was.
Ren said I had goodness inside me, and I did. He said I had a gooey parfait heart.
I was a high school girl. I wanted to spend my time going on dates and hanging out with my friends and eating too many tacos, not killing people’s parents.
Together, Ren and I could fix this. Somehow. Together we would win. We had to win. We were fated for each other, our destinies tied.
I got to my feet, not sure if I was signing my own death warrant.
Wind stirred around me. Mrs. Worthington blazed with power.
I screamed as Mr. Quiller knocked me out of the way. His claws extended, raking Mrs. Worthington’s face, drawing blood. As he slashed again, she blasted him.
The room tilted, throwing me off balance. Gaping holes grew in the walls. What was happening? This world seemed to be destroying itself.
Mrs. Worthington screamed so loudly that the walls trembled, a mournful, primal cry. He must’ve got her good.
I expected that sardonic smile to spread over Mr. Quiller’s face but his mouth twisted in shock. He grew paler and paler until he was almost transparent then a gust of wind swept through the hall, scattering him into ashes.
I waited for Mrs. Worthington to rise, for her power to regenerate. I steadied myself for battle, planting my feet firmly on the floor,
But blood seeped from her body, a crimson red stain spreading on the white floor beneath her.
I stared, not taking it in, until Ren’s arms closed around me. They were gone. They’d tried to destroy each other and now they were both gone.
“We’re safe.” The words came out as a whisper but Ren didn’t smile. He ran to his mother’s side, crossing her arms over her chest, then he lowered his head. I looked away, not wanting to see him cry.
The vampire army started to move, slowly becoming unfrozen. I thought they’d flee but the cute one came to me.
“If it pleases you, we’ll leave now.” He bowed low to the ground.
Huh? Yeah, I guess it pleased me. Well, it didn’t displease me but he didn’t need to ask.
Some of the other vampires swept Mr. Quiller’s ashes into a container. Even if he’d been somewhat evil and manipulative, I couldn’t imagine him gone. Just dust in that tiny jar. My heart clenched but I guessed he’d got what he wanted — revenge for Farran’s death.
The cute vampire took my hand and kissed Farran’s ring. My ring now, I guessed. I wanted to push him away. No weird ring kissing for me.
Ren sobbed quietly but, with just the two of us in this place, each sob wrenched my heart. I couldn’t cry with him. I couldn’t mourn his mother, but I never wanted to see him cry again.
As the vampires flew away, I wished I’d asked them how to get out of here. I didn’t fancy staying here forever, just Ren and I, and his dead mother’s body.
But the hall rocked and spun. I moved to Ren, gripping him tight. We floated as the hall dissolved around us.
Arms locked around each other, we moved through that nowhere place until we thudded softly to the training room floor.
Chapter 45
I RUSHED INTO THE MEETING, ten minutes early. Ricky, the operative who’d taken over our training while Mr. Norton was in hospit
al, hated tardiness and he did a lot more than give black marks. Ricky was more your “drop and give me fifty” type. And I didn’t have “drop and give me fifty” motivation. Not today. Not any day.
But Ricky hadn’t arrived yet, thank goodness.
“The past few months have been so boring.” Seth stretched out and yawned. “Why don’t you get into some more trouble, Cherry?”
I ignored him. I’d had enough trouble for a lifetime. I just wanted a quiet life until I graduated school, to eat delicious parfaits and go on double dates with Britney and Lucas.
I snuggled closer to Ren. “Smell me.”
“You are getting really weird about this.” Ren rolled his eyes but took a whiff. “You smell fine. Normal.”
“You sure there’s not a tiny trace of death there? It’s not like you can buy deodorant for that?”
Lucas and Britney suspected that my demi-god blood protected me from the worst of the vampirism but I didn’t want to take any chances.
“You smell like a spring morning.”
I put my head on the side, wondering if that was a good thing. Figuring it was, I shot Ren a special smile.
“And that’s another thing,” Seth said. “The two of you are sick-making. It was so much more fun when Cherry was full of ‘Ren is evil’ conspiracy theories.”
My smile turned from sweet to apologetic. Apologetic to Ren, that was. I roared at Seth, flashing my vampire teeth. He recoiled, almost falling off his chair.
This vampire thing might be a pain in some ways but it had its advantages.
“Where is he?” Mark paced near the doorway. “We need to train harder. Ricky said —”
We all tuned Mark out when he got on the “Ricky said” thing. Mark was the only one in the group who liked Ricky. Actually, Mark loved Ricky. Ricky was exactly the person Mark wanted to be, all brawny fighting muscle.
We’d done more fight training in the past couple of months than we had the whole time with Mr. Norton. Ricky also tried to get us running laps of the school oval but we’d told him we had to be low-key. Ricky had actually believed that.