A giggle escaped my mouth at the brief look of fear the werewolf gave the dark cowboy. Benjamin’s lip curled in amusement, and the man visibly relaxed. So, the werewolf’s afraid of the vamp. File that away for future reference.
“Sir,” Bull said, “I’ve brought you reinforcements. They’ve been instructed to follow Chima’s orders, as well as yours, of course.”
“Thank you,” Edgar said. “Have you any news of the hunters?”
“One of my men overheard them after they thought they’d cleared the bar. Somehow, they found out you’re here and plan to attack the restaurant and from the underground tour section.”
“We’ve cleared the humans and closed the restaurant,” Chima said. “I’ve positioned men at the front entrance, the top of the stairs, and the door here.”
“Plus, I’ve got some wolves scouting the street above and stationed at the tourist entrance.”
“Thank you, Bull,” Edgar said. “We’re expecting some cars to take us out of here. How soon do you think the hunters will be upon us?”
“Hard to say. We took out the majority of them during the raid, I believe, but they could have more waiting. You must leave soon.”
“Edgar,” Julius said, “it might be best to discuss some, uh, techniques with our newest member.”
“Quite right,” he said, turning to face me. “You must be prepared.” He looked back at Bull. “Thank you, my friend. We will make our escape as soon as possible.”
“You’re welcome. If you need anything else, I’ll be at the bar packing up for relocation.”
As I watched Isabel allow Bull to pass by her, I felt a sudden movement of air just before I flew sideways into the stone wall, sliding down into a moaning lump. Benjamin sped over to stand between me and my attacker as Danielle gasped and Edgar cleared his throat.
“That was unnecessary, Kat,” Benjamin said, his arms out to guard me as I picked myself up off the ground. I’m so done with this bitch!
“What the fuck, Kat?” I reached around Benjamin, trying to grab a clump of perfect raven hair.
“What?” she asked with a little shrug, flipping her hair as she turned her back on us and meandered over to Edgar. “He said you needed to be prepared for the fight that’s coming.”
“That wasn’t my intention, Katherine,” Edgar said in a low voice, irritation lining his face. “You need to save that anger for the battle, instead of abusing your fledgling. Julius, Benjamin, please take Mercy in the other room and prepare her for what’s to come.”
“Yes, sire,” Benjamin said as Julius nodded, leading Danielle towards the next room.
“Seer, would you stay, please? I could use your help with our ill-tempered clanmate.”
Julius helped Danielle into a seat near Edgar’s chair while Benjamin steered me out of the room with a firm grip on my arm. I couldn’t help but lock glares with Kat as she watched me until we could no longer see each other. A little shake from the goth vamp halted my roiling thoughts.
“I swear to go—” My throat slammed shut, causing me to cough and retch until he bashed me between the shoulder blades. “Fuck!” I held onto his arm as a wave of dizziness flowed through me. “That’s a habit I need to break quickly. Ugh!” Benjamin grinned down at me and I snickered, shaking my head.
“You’ve been a vampire less than two days. Don’t expect to get the hang of things right away.”
“Well, if Kat has her say, I won’t be around long enough to get the hang of anything.”
Benjamin spun me around and pushed me into the next room. Julius followed us in, a distant look in his eye.
“Will Danielle be okay?”
Julius blinked three times, the concern melting away to a stoic expression. At least it’s not the resting bitch face that Kat seems to wear constantly.
“Yes, she’ll be fine,” he said. “After all our time together, I still can’t stand to see how the visions affect her so.”
“Are they painful?”
“She says they aren’t, but I have my doubts. Anyway, never mind that now. We need to get you ready. Time is of the essence.”
“Come on, Mercy girl.” Benjamin smirked. “We’re going to teach you a few things.”
“Like what?” I smiled at him with my hands on my hips.
“I assume you witnessed death at the hands of the hunters during the raid on the bar, yes?” Julius crossed an arm across his chest, resting the other elbow on it and tapping a finger against his mouth. He circled around me, sizing me up.
“Uh, yeah,” I muttered, a vision flashing behind my eyes of poor Lynn falling apart in two pieces. “I’d rather not see that again.”
“Unfortunately, you will see death often and will grow accustomed to the horror that it is. Life as a vampire is not as gruesome as it used to be, but there will always be conflict that results in the loss of precious life.”
“You mean, the hunters?” A life on the run from people who want to kill me… Oh, fucking joy.
“The hunters, yes, but also Otherkin and supernatural creatures who find reason to create conflict with Nightkin. Our times of peace are few and far between.”
“That doesn’t sound ominous at all…” I snorted and rolled my eyes, sighing loudly.
“You will adjust, in time.” Julius flicked his finger at Benjamin, and I looked over my shoulder at him. His fist flew at my face and I ducked, but not before getting clipped on the temple.
“Hey!”
“You have to be quick, Mercy,” Benjamin said in a sing-song voice, giving me a crooked grin. “The hunters aren’t as fast as we are, but they have dangerous gadgets. A well-placed UV round can tear you up.”
“I’m well aware,” I said, grunting as I dodged another lightning fast punch. “Why don’t you have weapons too?”
“We didn’t need them before,” he said, kicking out with his foot and catching me in the side. “This hunter issue is new, and battles within the supernatural community in the past have always had rules of honor. We fight with what we have, our powers and innate abilities.”
Standing sideways between the two men, I gasped. All movement seemed to slow down when Julius moved towards me at the same time as I saw Benjamin out of the corner of my eye also lean my way, both of them raising their fists. My feet spread out, widening my stance as a growl spilled over my lips. Without thinking, I flung my arms out, aiming at both men, and a blast of air erupted from my palms, knocking them to the ground.
“Oh, shit!” I held my hands out in front of me, grinning madly. “That was amazing!”
Benjamin jumped up, lowering himself into some sort of karate pose, ready to fight. Julius must have bashed his head, because he got up a bit slower, shaking his head and rubbing his scalp. I opened my mouth to apologize, but slammed it shut, spinning to face Benjamin as he emitted a low growl.
White-blue sparks lit up the tips of his fingers, and I thrust my hands forward to block whatever was coming. Jagged arcs of electricity flew from Benjamin’s hands as I flung a shield of air at him. When the electricity hit the shield, the collision resulted in an explosion of glittery sparkles that fell harmlessly to the floor.
A loud hiss came from behind me. I spun around as a giant ball of silver fluff flew at my face. With a surprised yip, I threw my hands up to block the attack as an invisible force blew out of my body, like a shockwave originating from my core. The concussion tossed Julius to the floor, a hiss exploding from his feline mouth.
Backing away, hoping to put a wall at my back, I held my hands out in front of me, ready to utilize my new powers. Benjamin grinned, moving toward me as Julius howled and leaped, claws out. With another embarrassing girly squeal, I poured power out of my hands. What felt like snaking ropes slithered through the bones in my arms, striking out and wrapping around the men. Julius halted mid-air, squirming and hissing, while Benjamin stared at me, his eyes bulging and his face turning an unhealthy shade of purple.
“Let… go… Mercy,” Benjamin said, his voice strained
and raspy. He clawed at his throat, gasping for air.
“Oh, fuck,” I whispered, dropping my hands and taking a deep breath as I relaxed, feeling my body unclench.
Julius howled when he hit the ground, and Benjamin dropped to his knees, coughing and sucking in huge gulps of air. I took a mental accounting of my body, searching for any signs of exhaustion from using these new powers, and found none.
“Nice sparklers,” I said with a nervous laugh, hoping to ease the tension in the room. “Your powers are more fun than Kat’s scary fire.”
“Thanks,” Benjamin said, rubbing his neck. “If I’d known you were so powerful, I’d have put more oomph into it. You okay, Julius?”
The werecat lay on the floor, now back in his human form, sucking air into his lungs as if he’d had the wind knocked out of him.
“Uh, yeah, I think so.” He slowly rolled up to a sitting position, then pushed himself up off the ground. “Nothing’s broken, it seems.”
“I’m glad I didn’t hurt you guys,” I said, trying to hide my pride, and failing as a smile forced its way to my mouth.
“You are rather strong for a new fledgling,” Julius said, brushing the dust from his clothes. “I’d say, if you can control these powers, you’ll be quite the asset to our clan.”
“If we can get Kat to stop punishing you for her mistakes, we might be able to give those hunters a run for their money.” Benjamin held his hand out to me with an eyebrow cocked and a crooked grin, easing a tension that had settled on my shoulders. Sliding my hand in his, we followed Julius back to the other room.
Chapter 10
After an hour of explaining my powers and listening to Kat gloat about creating a powerful fledgling, I was ready to fling her through a wall. Edgar and Chima discussed strategies with Kat, Benjamin, and Julius, while Danielle sat with me, her aura keeping me calm. As I mulled over the possibilities of hanging my bitter sire from an invisible rope, I smirked each time a pulse of annoyance flowed through the sire bond.
“Mercy!” A painful spike shot down our connection, Kat staring at me with big eyes and pursed lips.
“Huh?” I shot up in my seat, my head snapping to look at Kat.
“Spoon,” Chima said, peering at me with a stony face.
“Spoon?” I asked. “Really?”
“Would you rather it be sparkles?” Benjamin chuckled when I rolled my eyes at him.
“Spoon, it is,” I said with a huff.
“Sir,” Isabel said, bolting into the room, “one of the scouts reported activity one block over. We have to move you out now.”
“Have the cars arrived?” Edgar stood, pulling Kat up with him.
“Not yet,” she said, glancing at Chima.
“I’m afraid we’ve run out of time,” the werelion said. “We’ll leave a couple guards here to watch for the cars and send them to where we move to.”
“And where are we moving to?”
“There’s an abandoned shop just south of here. I’ve already got guards in position.”
“Excellent.” Edgar slapped Chima on the back. “Let’s move.”
Chima waved some guards into the room. Edgar and Kat positioned themselves near the doorway, Julius pulled Danielle to stand with him behind them, and I followed Benjamin to take my place in line. Two muscle-bound guards, a man and a woman, brought up the rear, AR15 rifles held at the ready.
“Anyone want a gun?” Isabel leaned over to glance at each of us.
“I’ll take one,” Julius said. “Shifting into a cat won’t protect my darling Danielle.”
“Do you know how to use one?” Isabel asked, raising an eyebrow at him, yet handing him a holstered handgun anyway.
“It has been a while, but I’m familiar.” He slid the holster in place on his belt, giving Danielle a reassuring smile.
“I believe the rest of us are more capable with our abilities, and would only be hindered by a weapon. After this situation is under control, I would appreciate it if you might take the time to train some of us who might be unfamiliar with modern weapons.”
“Yes, sir.” Isabel nodded sharply.
A commotion at the basement entrance grabbed our attention, Isabel, Chima, and the rest of the guards going on the alert.
“Let’s move out, Chima,” Edgar said, his deep voice delivering the command which brooked no argument.
Moving as one, our group headed to the underground entrance. Chima pulled the heavy door open, and the sound of gunshots echoed through the portal. Edgar and Kat followed on the guard’s heels. Edgar’s form shimmered until he disappeared, and Kat faded away, reappearing at the far end of the basement.
Julius dragged Danielle to the side, shoving her behind him and hiding behind the edge of the door, his handgun ready. Benjamin and I spun around as a cry caught our attention. The rear guards were engaged in a shootout with hunters clad in black uniforms, various gadgets and weaponry strapped to their bodies.
Throwing his arms forward, Benjamin rushed between our rear guards, lightning blasting from his hands. The jagged bolts wrapped around the hunter’s bodies like electrical cages, jumping to the next hunter in line, creating a chain of convulsing bodies. The werewolf guards picked off the hunters one by one until a small canister dropped near them, erupting in a sun-bright flash.
Throwing my hands up to block the light, I blew a force of air from my palms in reflex, knocking Benjamin, the guards, and several hunters to the ground.
“Move!” I yelled, stepping over bodies. With a glance at the basement entrance, I saw our side holding steady. Turning back to the interior room, hunters climbed over the prone bodies of their fellow members, some of them trying to crawl away while others appeared unconscious.
Thrusting my arms at the hunters, I poured all my energy into a full-frontal blast, knocking hunters over like bowling pins. Concentrating on my hands, I formed spears of air, each one bursting forth and slamming a hunter against the back wall.
Although they wore helmets, several heads smacked the wall with sickening crunching sounds before flopping to the floor in unmoving heaps. I stepped into the room as more hunters rushed in, sending them flying one by one. Any bodies still moving were incapacitated by Benjamin’s white-blue arcs of electricity.
“We have to go!” He pulled on my arm, dragging me back to the basement entrance. I threw one more wide shockwave at the hunters trying to enter the room by climbing over the pile of bodies I’d made. The blast bowled them over, clogging the doorway with screaming men.
“Let’s go!” Benjamin pushed me in front of him, tossing a ball of crackling electricity behind him.
Feeling a faint wave of fatigue, I brushed it off and rushed up behind Julius and Danielle.
“How’s it going?” I asked as Julius squeezed off two shots, hitting a hunter in the throat.
“We’re outnumbered,” he said, jumping back behind the wall as a bullet whizzed past us. “I can’t see Edgar or Kat anymore.”
“Fuck,” I muttered, giving Benjamin a look, and receiving a nod in reply.
Cupping a hand around my mouth, I leaned into the open doorway and yelled, “Spoon!”
Waiting five seconds, I jumped out onto the cement steps. Here goes nothing. Concentrating every ounce of energy I could muster, I sent out my biggest shockwave yet.
The tornado-strength blast of air exploding from the front of my body toppled shelving, blew barrels and boxes across the basement, and tore through black-clad bodies as if they were ragdolls. Screams from hunters bounced off the basement walls, only to be cut off as each body slammed into something.
Chapter 11
“Everyone okay?” Chima yelled from the corner to my right, shoving away debris that had blown on top of him.
Isabel burst out of a pile of rubble to my left, and three werewolf guards emerged from underneath the stairs. Edgar and Kat appeared from around a cement corner on the far end of the basement, wading through busted shelving and smashed boxes of fortune cookies.
Kat
checked the broken hunter bodies that had accumulated against the far wall, nodding to Edgar before they made their way to the stairs.
“Jeffries, Sloan, Blake,” Chima said, his voice booming through the now cavernous space, “head up and clear the restaurant. The rest of you follow a few steps behind. Isabel and I will cover the rear.”
The guards rushed upstairs. A short, dark-haired shifter, eased the door open, peeking through the crack before slipping out, the other two on his heels. Edgar and Kat took the lead again, meeting two new faces at the top of the stairs. I followed close behind Danielle and Julius, with Benjamin at my side, entering the dark backroom of the Golden Dragon.
“…came to help. With the queen dead, we’re on our own until the council convenes.” A white-haired, white-eyed male vampire towered over Edgar while a shorter, redheaded female hugged Kat.
“I’m so glad you survived the raid, Eliza,” Kat said to the redhead. “You too, Samuel.”
“Have you somewhere to go?” Samuel asked as he peered down the shadowed hallway.
“We’re expecting some cars to arrive,” Edgar said. “The hunters have found our hideaway, so we must await our escape vehicles somewhere else.”
“We must go now,” Chima hissed.
As we inched our way towards the main restaurant area, the sounds of fighting and growling got louder and louder. Eliza and Samuel rushed into the fray. Samuel grabbed a hunter and tossed him out the broken front window. Eliza jumped on a hunter’s back, clamping down on his neck with her gleaming fangs.
The werewolf guards tore off body parts with their half-grown muzzles, ripping tactical gear and skin to shreds with claws extended from their partially shifted hands. The smell of blood and raw meat made my mouth water and my stomach turn at the same time. I swallowed down hot saliva as the sounds of ripping and gurgling mixed with growling and howling.
Chima and Isabel ushered us to the front, but before we could make our escape, a second wave of hunters flooded into the restaurant. Benjamin pulled me down behind a tipped over table as Julius did the same with Danielle. A surge of soothing calm washed over me, and I glanced over to see Danielle with her eyes closed and her arms spread out as far as the overturned tables and chairs would allow.
Meet the Clan (Vamp Tales Book 2) Page 4