Night animals had taken over the daytime chorus, their chirrups and croaks more ominous than the friendly birdsong had been. My feet sank into the damp river bank as I moved, the cool mud feeling good against my heated skin. But the temperature had barely dropped and the air still clung to my skin like a film.
Crossing the river, I headed up the bank, following the scent further into the forest, pushing through the dense foliage. Jasmine flooded my senses and I halted, dropping down to the ground and moving aside waxy leaves to reveal a cluster of little flowers beneath them. Their purple petals were closed up but the scent alone told me they were Larkspur. I tugged them from the root, gathering them in my fist.
A twig cracked behind me and I lurched forward, springing upright. I gazed into the darkness between the closest boughs. It was so thick, even I couldn't pick up any light within the shadows. A clicking sound grew from further away and my heart pattered wildly in my chest. I couldn't be sure it was a Reaper, but I wasn't going to hang around to find out.
I crept back toward the bank, trying to keep my footfalls silent, but the clicking grew louder behind me. I swore between my teeth, throwing caution to the wind as I started to run. I threw glances over my shoulder, trying to catch sight of my pursuer.
Maybe I'm overreacting.
The bellowing of a toad sounded close by and I whirled around, my back hitting something hard.
“Taste,” a Reaper hissed in my ear.
Fear spiked through me. I flung myself sideways before it could sink its teeth into me. Its bony face was the only thing visible, peeking out from beneath a dark cloak. I leapt backwards, dropping low and snatching a large branch from the ground. The Reaper crept toward me, seeming to float across the ground like a wraith. A skeletal hand appeared from beneath its cloak, reaching for me, fingers twitching. “Taste...”
I swung the branch, connecting with its arm, letting out a yelp of exertion. I didn't hold back, using my full strength. A loud crack sounded its thin bones breaking. It made a piercing cry of pain, dropping to all fours and scuttling backwards into the bushes. The large leaves swayed in its midst. A heated bead of sweat crawled down my spine.
I continued to back up, wielding the branch left and right. My frantic breaths were my only company.
The trees around me rustled and swayed, making me jump at every noise.
My foot splashed into the river and I gasped in alarm, stiffening as I adjusted to the feel of the cool water. I fell back on my instincts, calming myself down.
I am Cassandra Hollins, a Hybrid of a Werewolf and a Vampire. I survived prison, killed more hungry Vampires than I can count on two hands in the V Games, and burned down Rockley Jones's death resort. So I can handle a damn skeleton.
I waited there until I was certain the Reaper had gone, then turned on my heel and charged alongside the river bank.
Across the water, a loud crash sounded and my heart skidded into my rib cage. Silas tore out of the trees, his shirt ripped and his hair wild. As he spotted me, his shoulders slumped with relief.
“Are you alright? I heard you scream.” He waded across the river, hurrying to my side.
As he reached me, he laced his fingers with mine. I almost pulled away, but his presence soothed my frantic heart.
“There's a Reaper that way,” I whispered, gesturing toward the dark trees I'd come from.
“We'd better move.” Keeping my hand in his, he led me back in the direction of Jameson.
“Did you find anything?” I asked.
His expression darkened. “I couldn't spot any cameras. Maybe it's too dark...”
My heart dropped like a stone. “So what do we do?”
He shook his head, looking concerned. “Maybe a rescue team is already on its way...”
I nodded hopefully. “What if we started a fire, made a signal-” I started but his expression made me pause.
He shifted closer to me, lowering his tone. “Ulvic has been circling the island, looking for Jameson no doubt. He and Rockley Jones have probably been welcomed into the institute by now. If we set a signal, I fear it will be them who come to us first. And-” He paused, glancing over his shoulder into the trees.
“And?” I pressed.
He turned back to me, his charcoal eyes glowing like embers. “I'm in no position of power out in this jungle, Firefly. Rockley Jones has already made it clear to me that he wants to get his hands on you for what you did to his resort. I don't know if I could stop him from taking you.”
A flicker of pride ran through me. “I can handle Rockley Jones.”
“Not out here, you can't. He'll be ready for it. And one word from Ulvic will turn Jameson against us, too.”
I nodded, my shoulders dropping in defeat. “So if a rescue team doesn't turn up...we have to go on foot?”
“I believe so...” He sighed.
“What will happen to Jameson when we get to the institute?” I asked in a whisper. “He'll be a slave to Ulvic the moment he sees him.”
Silas pushed a hand into his hair. “I'm in charge at the institute. I have over a hundred men and women in my employment, security too. It's just in this forest that I'm useless. But not there.”
I nudged him playfully. “You're not useless.”
He shot me a roguish grin.
My heart lifted as we started following the line of footprints both Silas and I had left in the sediment, leading us back to Jameson. With a jerk of horror, I stopped walking, taking a closer look at the prints. Next to ours, there was another set. Wider and thicker than a normal human foot.
“Silas, look.” I dropped down, pressing my knuckles into one of the strange prints, the whole of it dwarfing my hand.
“Something followed us,” he whispered, his breath floating over my neck as he leant down.
I glanced up into his eyes, hunting for an answer. “A Reaper?” But somehow I knew this print didn't belong to the bony foot of a Reaper.
He frowned in answer and the pressing silence of the forest suddenly registered with me. The loud crack of a branch sliced the air in two.
Silas touched my arm as I braced myself for an attack, looking left and right, hunting for the source of the noise. I'd dropped the log I'd picked up earlier, leaving me unarmed. I fixed my gaze on the trees before us, the breeze swaying the branches and rustling the leaves. My instincts told me there was something there. My heart told me to move.
“Go,” I breathed, darting away, keeping a hold of Silas to drag him alongside me. My bare feet slapped against the mud and Silas's shiny shoes kicked up lumps of it. We tore along the river and I spotted a glowing amber light emitting from a cave near to where we'd left Jameson.
I forced my legs to move faster, longing to find him safe and sound. I scrambled up the small hill, gazing into the cave.
Jameson jumped to his feet, wincing and grabbing hold of his leg in his haste. A small fire burned at the heart of it beside a pile of figs. God only knew how he'd managed it all in his condition.
“What's going on?” he demanded, moving to meet me.
“Something's out there,” I whispered.
Jameson grabbed my arm, tugging me further into the cave. Silas followed, turning and backing up.
Beyond the dark mouth of the cave, the river bubbled and gurgled. Cicadas screeched. Monkeys shrieked. My heart wouldn't rest. Jameson moved to my side, a burning torch in his grip, evidently plucked from the fire. He limped toward the edge of the cave and I stayed at his side, fearful that he would be vulnerable in his injured state. Not that he seemed remotely deterred by that fact.
As I crept after him to the cave mouth, I held my breath, searching the dark jungle. The shifting of branches sounded up above, the weight of something frighteningly heavy moving through the boughs. Monkeys chattered and cried out, disturbed by the movement. I gazed upwards, trying to spot it, my heart crashing into my chest. Jameson's arm brushed mine and a thousand tiny hairs stood to attention.
The groaning of branches carried off into
the distance as whatever it was moved on, heading further into the forest.
I took in a slow breath, glancing at Jameson. He visibly swallowed as he turned to me. “You okay, Firefly?”
I nodded, lifting the Larkspur flowers to show him it had been worth the journey.
Silas moved to my side, prising them from my hand. “I'll make up a solution,” he said, heading back across the cave.
I caught Jameson up on our current situation and his brows drew tightly together. “So we're risking death to avoid death?” He hobbled to the cave wall, lowering himself to the floor. “Sounds fantastic.”
“It's our only choice,” Silas said, tearing up the flowers into smaller pieces.
Jameson narrowed his gaze on him. “Have you ever been in a life or death situation before, Mr Armani Shirt?”
Silas's mouth fell into a flat line, his eyes turning from ice to full-blown Arctic winter. He clearly wasn't used to being spoken to like that. “I was with you when the ship went down, wasn't I?” he snarled.
“Not the same as surviving an island which is designed to kill you,” Jameson growled, glancing at me.
“He's right,” I sighed, but before Jameson's smug smile grew too large, I added, “But, this isn't Raskdød or the Isle of Lidelse. We don't know what we're dealing with beyond the Reapers.”
“Exactly.” Silas rose to his feet, stepping silently around Jameson before heading out to the river, his case evidently made. I watched him as he picked a large waxy leaf, fashioning it into a shallow bowl. He splashed water into it before returning to the cave, picking up a rock on his way. Dropping to the floor, he started grinding up the Larkspur flowers inside the leaf.
“Where are the others?” I asked, not really expecting an answer. The real question I was asking was, why aren't they back yet?
“Dead probably,” Jameson said under his breath.
“What's got into you?” I turned to him and he dropped his eyes, looking uncharacteristically sad.
“Nothing, Firefly.”
As I returned my gaze to the forest, a frown took shape on my face. Although I'd been in arguably worse situations, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were in serious trouble. My eyes lifted to the canopy above, now still, the monkeys having fallen back into their quiet chattering. That creature might have moved on, but it knew where we were.
When the Larkspur solution was ready, Jameson shed his jeans and Silas moved forward to apply it.
“Not you,” Jameson growled, snatching the leaf from his hand. He held it out to me and a tight knot formed in my belly.
“I think what you meant to say, was thank you,” Silas muttered, shrugging past Jameson and moving to my side. He stepped to the edge of the cave, gazing out toward the river. “I'll keep watch. Hopefully the others will show up soon...”
Part of me considered refusing to help Jameson, but the pained creases around his eyes made me soften toward him. I sighed, moving to his side and crouching down, trying to keep my eyes averted from his nearly naked body. The guy was all olive-skin and hard muscle. He was truly beautiful. The only flaw on him was a faded scar running over his shoulder. Claw marks.
“Werewolf attack,” he answered my curious gaze. He lifted his left arm, turning it inwards, revealing an equally faded bite-mark. My fingers itched with the urge to touch it. “That's how I was turned.”
I nodded, biting down on the words forming on my lips. This wasn't the first time I'd seen those scars, in fact, my fingers had clawed and trailed over them on one particular occasion. I could see in his eyes that he knew that, making blood rise hot and fast to the surface of my skin.
I snatched the leaf from his hand, trying to move swiftly on. “Where do you need it?”
He tugged his boxers down at the back. “All over the hip.” His grin was slap-worthy.
“I'm not sure I'm needed for this.” I gave him a blank stare.
“It's an awkward angle,” he said innocently, leaning over his knees, revealing the muscular V-shape at the base of his spine.
Deep, purple bruises flowed over his skin, following the line of his hip joint. My cheeks felt hot, too hot and the rest of my body was following suit.
Stop it, Cassandra.
The bruises ran from his hip all the way to the base of his spine. My brows pulled together as I dunked my fingers into the Larkspur, my skin tingling where it touched. I started with his back, moving in small, circular movements as I rubbed it into his tanned skin. I felt his gaze on me as he glanced over his shoulder, making the heat in my cheeks spread all over my face. I made sure to keep my expression as neutral as possible, aware that I was probably glowing as bright as the fire right then.
This is just a reaction to his stupidly hot body. This is not a reaction to him. He is the asshole who dumped you.
When I met the line of his groin, I stopped, passing him the leaf. “I think you can manage the rest.”
He grinned, taking the leaf and dipping his hand into his waistband to finish applying it. “Nothing you haven't seen before.”
My stomach twisted at the comment and I served him a scowl. “Nothing I'd like to see again, either.”
I turned away, but he caught my wrist and I glanced down at the gentle stroke of his fingers, spotting him rubbing Larkspur into the little cuts that lined my skin. After a day of walking through the underbrush, I was covered in them. I tried to make myself move, but couldn't, frozen in place by his electric touch. His eyes met mine as he continued to rub the solution up my arms. Apparently, he'd been unaffected by my harsh tone.
“Thank you for finding the flowers,” he said, his low voice making me heady.
I'd almost forgotten Silas's presence, his back still turned to us.
“You're welcome,” I murmured. He lifted a hand, running a line of Larkspur across a scratch on my cheek.
I drew away, digging deep for my resolve. Pain unfolded inside me and I fought it on the battleground. Now was not the time to dwell on the hurt he'd caused me, but it reared its ugly head all the same.
Silas cleared his throat and I pushed myself to my feet, moving to his side.
“You should rest,” he said.
“I don't think I can,” I said, stepping past him. “I'm happy keeping watch.”
Silas glanced over his shoulder at Jameson who was eating one of the figs. “Help yourselves,” he said around a mouthful.
Silas headed further inside, dropping down and picking up a fig. He bit eagerly into it then looked to me. My stomach growled in response.
“Come on, Firefly,” he encouraged. “You're eating for two now.” His eyes widened as he realised his mistake, his whole body stiffening. I felt like I'd been dunked in freezing water.
Jameson looked to me, his mouth falling open.
My heart collided with my throat.
“She's what?” he demanded.
Oh my God.
Varick
We arrived back at The Sanctuary, having dropped everything to return there. After deliberately slicing my hand open several more times - much to Selena's disgruntlement - it had become very obvious that I was somehow capable of healing myself. Just like I had been when I was a V.
“It doesn't mean you're turning back into a Vampire,” Selena had tried to comfort me, but the fear was there like an oncoming heart attack. I couldn't become a V again. I simply couldn't return to that life. But what if this cure was only temporary? If being human was only possible for a brief window of time and now it was coming to an end?
“We mustn't jump to conclusions,” Brendan had muttered after Rachel had nearly fainted at the sight of me slashing my hand open with a kitchen knife for the fifth time.
The boat ride had been arduous. All of us were anxious to get home. Brendan wanted to start trials immediately to understand the reasoning behind my miraculous healing.
I spent most of the journey up on deck, trying to work out if the sun felt hotter than usual. If I was more sensitive to it. If my skin felt like it might turn to
ash. But I still felt human. My breathing was normal, my heart beat in sync with it. So what was happening to me?
Night had fallen by the time we entered the bay of The Sanctuary. The golden beach stretched in a huge arc around us, meeting with the trees, the buds of spring visible even from the boat. Was my eyesight keener than usual? Or was I being paranoid?
Brendan flashed a signal out to shore and we waited for it to be returned.
Nothing.
I glanced at Selena at my side, her ebony curls tangling in the wind, her brow creasing as Brendan sent out the signal again.
She squeezed my hand. “What's going on?”
I didn't have an answer. My gut stirred uncomfortably as Brendan guided the yacht up to the pier. We hurriedly disembarked, heading up the white sand beach toward the wooden steps that led through the forest. Brendan called out to the Vampires who should have been guarding the perimeter, but no reply came.
“Where is everyone?” he muttered, but no one responded. The dread that filled my gut was palpable.
Selena and I led the way ahead, practically running up the steps and sprinting toward the security gate. It wasn't just open, it was hanging off its hinges. The camera above it was long since destroyed, the broken cables sprouting out of it in strands of red and green.
As we marched across the lawn, I spotted the caved-in roof of the west wing. I tried to tug Selena to a halt, but she cried out, darting away from me and fleeing across the lawn toward the manor.
I was hot on her heels.
“Cass!?” she yelled, throwing the front door open. “Thames? Kodiak? Twyla?!” she rattled off name after name, but no one answered.
As I followed her into the grand hallway, the quiet of the house swept over me. It felt like stepping into a tomb.
“Selena?” a voice carried to us and Nirena appeared from the east wing in a blur of movement. She wore the same black, velvet dress I'd last seen her in, her skin as pale as moonlight, her silver eyes sparkling as she caught sight of me. “Oh thank the lord.” She ran to me, throwing her arms around my shoulders.
Wolf Games: Island of Shade (The Vampire Games Book 5) Page 6