An inky cloud drifted in front of the moon, darkening the night pitch-black. Elena grabbed my hand, and we raced through the tall grass in the clearing surrounding the town. I shot ahead with a burst of energy, and only her strong hand kept me from colliding with a wooden fence.
“Sorry,” I whispered. “Still not used to this whole vampire strength and speed thing.”
“No worries, Mercy. I have more patience than your sire.” She smiled sweetly at me, the kindness a little at odds with her gruff guardian exterior. “We can’t search the houses, but we can disable exterior cameras and look for suspicious vehicles. I’ll take care of the cameras, you watch my back.”
“Okay.” I nodded as if this were normal, not the most outrageous thing I’d ever done in my life. I can add super-spy to my résumé now.
Zipping from house to house, we stuck to the shadows while systematically searching them for hunters. Elena took out thirty-eight home security cameras, but we didn’t see any black vans or unusual work trucks. When it came to the guard dogs, she had a way of shutting them up before they could bark for more than a few seconds. I made a mental note to ask her about that nifty skill later.
Chapter 12
Once we worked our way out of the sleepy neighborhoods, Elena led me to a four-story, gray-brick school. We searched the back side, coming around to the front slowly. Across the street, a minimart glowed brightly. Loud pop music filled the parking lot each time the automatic doors opened, and it seemed the doors were malfunctioning, opening every minute or so.
A small subcompact car and a pickup sat in the dark lot, facing the street. A figure leaned in the shadow of a payphone. Inside the store, a cashier slouched at his register, reading a book while a broom handle held up his sleeping coworker a few feet away.
“Stay here while I check out the person hiding there.” Elena started to move away, but I grabbed her arm.
“You’re not supposed to leave me,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound like a whiny child.
“I’ll only be a second. Just wait here in the dark. Don’t move.” Her tone brooked no argument, so I bit my tongue and slunk back into a corner made by the wall of the school and the covered entryway that extended out twenty feet. I scraped my elbow on rough stone and smiled to myself at the lack of pain.
Elena had melded into the dark surrounding the minimart. Even with my enhanced vision, I couldn’t see her, but I could see the outline of the figure by the payphone. On closer inspection, I spotted a tiny red glowing dot floating around where the person’s face should be.
A scuffing noise drew my attention to the end of the school’s entryway. I turned, dropping into a crouch, searching the area around me. Finding nothing, I glanced back at the minimart, still not seeing Elena. I scooted along the wall to peek around the corner for the source of the noise.
Moving cautiously, I edged one eye over just enough to look around. Something black dropped on my head, knocking me back. I sprawled across the concrete with a yelp. A figure all in black hovered over me, lifting its arm to bash me in the head again.
They hit the ground with a loud crack as I rolled to the side. I jumped up and shoved the figure to the ground. Large eyes of a young man glared up at me. He grabbed at his leg holster and pulled out one of those wide-barreled pistols, sending icy chills up my spine.
As the man raised his arm to shoot, I raised mine, blasting him with a concentrated pillar of air. His shot went wild, the white-blue glow of the UV bullet vanishing on the other side of the school. He fumbled, trying to reload another UV round, grunting in frustration. Tossing the pistol aside, he yanked another handgun from a shoulder holster, bringing it up to take aim.
With an angry growl, I sent another skin-peeling gust of air at him, knocking his arms back over his head and sending his second shot into the schoolyard. His head bashed against the concrete at the same time as another man’s voice yelled from the grassy field.
Elena came up behind me, spinning me around to face her. “Are you okay?” She sounded terrified, her voice wavering. Her hands gripped my arms painfully with supernatural strength.
“I’m fine,” I said, blinking at her, trying to focus on what just happened. “I th-think someone got shot in the field. I… I don’t know who it is. It could be another hunter, or it could be Nick!” Elena clapped a hand over my mouth, halting my oncoming hysterics.
“Check on this guy,” she said. “I don’t hear his heart beating. I’ll look out there. I can smell wolf, but it doesn’t smell like my pack.”
My shoulders dropped with relief, then tensed again, realizing exactly what she said. Oh, fuck.
Dropping to my knees, I inspected the hunter. He didn’t have a pulse. Blood pooled under him, and I grabbed his chin to turn his head. White fragments glinted in the light from the minimart.
With a deep, defeated sigh, I let my hand fall away. His empty stare gave me chills. I scanned his features, noticing how young he was. Much younger than I first thought. He’s just a boy. How could they send children to hunt for vampires?
For once, the smell of blood didn’t make me hungry. Sadness overwhelmed me as I rose, heading into the schoolyard. My emotions must have gotten Kat’s attention. I felt her concern flow through me, the taut connection between us slackening as she approached in the distance.
Plodding through the grassy field, I found Elena hunched over Joseph. His eyes also stared up at the sky, blank. A biting grip took hold of my heart as tears dripped down my face.
High-pitched whining startled me. Two wolves slunk to Joseph’s body on either side, lowering themselves to their bellies, noses buried in the crooks of his neck. I hugged myself and turned away, ashamed that I caused this.
Arms enveloped me from behind, and I spun to bury my face in Nick’s warm chest. A hand rested on my back, the dull zap telling me it was Kat.
“I didn’t mean to kill him,” I muttered, breathing in Nick’s musky scent. The loamy smell of the forest lingered on him, or maybe it was a part of him. “I didn’t mean to kill either of them.”
“It’s okay, Mercy,” Nick murmured. “You’re going to be okay. You were just protecting yourself.”
Kat took her hand away. I felt her moving back to the hunter, but I couldn’t bring myself to look again. Nick brought out his phone, quietly calling for a car to come get Joseph’s body. I cringed at the thought of returning to camp.
Chapter 13
“Fuck!”
I looked over my shoulder at Kat. Nick let me go, leaving me feeling bereft until he grabbed my hand. We walked over to see what could possibly get Kat to curse. Not even the thought of an ex-nun swearing could lift my spirits.
“What’s wrong?” Nick dropped my hand when we got near her.
I glanced at him, and he gave me an apologetic look.
“Look.” Kat held up a cellphone. The screen displayed an image that looked like a photo negative but with green lines. I stepped closer, snatching the phone from her, and peered at the picture.
There I stood, cast in the green of night-vision, waiting in the corner for Elena. I swiped, finding several more images of me. Just me. I checked the outgoing messages, and sure enough, every single image had been sent, presumably to whoever the young man reported to. Most likely, Michael. Fuck!
“What do we do now?” I handed the phone to Nick for him to see the damning evidence of my shame.
“We go back to camp, and hope to hell the hunters don’t find us.” Kat paced back and forth, not looking at me. Her annoyance fluttered along our connection, making me jittery.
Twin howls startled us. Nick shoved me behind him, and Kat covered her face with her hand. I looked around the streets surrounding the school but didn’t see any lights switch on in any of the nearby houses. The minimart appeared as calm and sleepy as its workers.
“Who was at the store?” I asked over Nick’s shoulder.
“Just some guy smoking,” Elena said. “He went inside before the shots were fired. I doubt he heard anyt
hing over that awful music. Anybody find anything else?”
“No.” Kat huffed out an angry breath. “The town is clear, except for this guy. They must’ve thought we’d stay in the city, and only sent newbies out to watch the towns.”
“Fantastic,” I hissed. “Just fucking fantastic.”
“You did what you had to,” Nick said. “Why weren’t with Elena, though?”
“That’s my fault,” she said, sighing. “I’ll talk to Chima, and explain what happened. I’m so sorry, Mercy. I shouldn’t have left you.”
“Enough of this pity party.” Kat shoved the phone in her pocket. “Our ride’s here. Let’s go.”
Two SUV’s pulled up on the dark side of the school, parking in a little gravel lot. Speedy and Gonzales shifted back to human still wearing clothes. Maybe the fastest runners get the magical amulet prize. I guess Joseph won’t need his anymore.
Nick escorted me to one of the vehicles with Kat and Elena following. The driver handed him the keys before heading over to help load Joseph into the second SUV. We drove off as they were shutting the rear door. I swore I could feel their angry eyes watching me as we left.
The drive back to camp seemed so much longer than the run down the mountain. Kat sat up front and Elena sat with me. We rode in silence, and I watched the night sky above the trees start to lighten.
By the time we arrived, dawn had started to set in. I could feel the tendrils of sleep slip into my muscles and brain. Nick pulled the SUV up in front of our glowing cabin.
We filed up the stairs, Nick in front, Elena in the back. Edgar greeted us at the door, opening it to let us in. He pulled Kat to the side, gesturing for us to leave them alone.
Inside the cabin, candles lined every surface. A circle of thirteen witches stood in the center of the open room, all the furniture shoved against the walls. The witches held hands with their eyes closed and their mouths moving only enough to murmur strange words in eerie voices.
Chima waited at the bottom of the stairs, a large silver cat perched several steps above him. As the three of us made our way around the room to the stairs, Chima stopped Nick and Elena, ushering me up with the wave of his hand.
I glanced at my guards, wishing I could change what had happened. Elena looked away, but Nick gave me an encouraging smile and a little nod. I turned back to the stairs, finding Julius watching me with his golden eyes.
With a deep sigh, I shuffled past him. At the top of the stairs, Danielle put an arm around my shoulders and gave me a soft smile. Her kindness choked me up and tears started leaking from my eyes again.
She steered me to a sitting room where a couple of sofas and armchairs waited around a coffee table. Plaid blankets covered the backs of the sofas, and a guy in a white zoot suit fidgeted in one of the chairs. He jumped up on his shiny patent-leather shoes and rushed over to me.
“Dollface, how you doin’?” He looked into my eyes, his funny accent and old-fashioned dialect bringing a smile to my face. “I heard you ran into some trouble. Come. Sit.”
I sat on a sofa, Danielle and Rudy sitting on either side of me. Danielle pulled the blanket off the back and wrapped it around my body. Gentle, soothing waves emanated from her. I smiled my gratitude.
“I killed two people tonight.” I flopped back against the sofa to tell them everything that had happened.
“Sounds like you didn’t have a choice,” Danielle said. “You can’t blame yourself for Joseph. You didn’t know he would get shot.”
“Yeah,” Rudy said, “you didn’t know. Nothing for it. You just gotta let it go, kitten. It’s all part of who we are.”
“I know, but the werewolves are going to hate me.” I dropped my head into my hands.
“I don’t know ‘bout that. It’s not like they haven’t lost people before. They can’t blame you for that hunter’s bullet goin’ astray.”
“I hate to say it,” Danielle muttered, “but I can sense some anger out there. You might want to stay out of sight for a little while. At least until the shifters have had some time to mourn. Edgar wants you to stay up here for now, anyway.”
“Oh, great. Now, I’m a prisoner.” I threw my head back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling with a hot, frustrated sigh.
“This ain’t prison, sweet cheeks,” Rudy said with a chuckle. “I been there, and cushy sofas with warm blankets ain’t provided.”
“How’d you get here, Rudy?” I was done talking about my mistakes for now.
“Me and my clan came with the donors. We’re squattin’ in the cabins nearest this one.”
“Do you have a small clan like ours?”
“There’s eight of us, so yeah, pretty small. We got a fledgling ‘bout sixty, seventy years older’n you. Still young. I’ll bring her over tomorrow night.”
“I’d like that. Thanks.”
Chapter 14
I fell asleep before the rest of Clan Martis returned. Danielle had practically carried me to my room at the end of a long hallway. I remembered her mentioning that Kat and Edgar would be right across the hall. I also remembered her wondering out-loud about the distance between me and Kat, but my sleepy mind didn’t connect the dots.
When I woke up, I half expected to find Benjamin somewhere in my room like the last couple of nights, but only found Nick and Elena. The sight of them was a huge relief.
“Do you two ever sleep?”
Nick walked over from the window he’d been stationed at and sat on the bed beside me. “We slept. Just got here actually.”
“Really? Where’d you sleep? Who was here while I slept? Where’s Benjamin?”
“Slow down.” He chuckled. “We have rooms down the hall. I share with Chima and Elena’s with Isabel. Some of our pack arrived with the donors and the Lyons clan. And, Benjamin is in his room right next door. Don’t worry, we got you covered—and your clan, of course.”
“Of course,” I said staring into his eyes. A soft snort made me look at Elena. “I’m glad you two are still my guards. I was worried Edgar would have you reassigned.”
“Don’t worry about me,” she said, grinning. “I can take care of myself.”
“I don’t doubt that, but what happened with Chima last night?”
“When we told him how you took out that hunter, he agreed that maybe you aren’t as helpless as they seem to think you are.”
I crossed my arms and scowled. “I blame Kat.”
“Well, I still got a warning, so we won’t be repeating last night’s events again. Get used to us, because you’re not going to be alone ever again.”
“Lovely,” I said, rolling my eyes. “No offense.” I gave her an apologetic smile. “At least you two are nice to me and I like you. That’s a bonus.”
Nick smirked, leaning close. “I like you, too.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Elena chuckled from her corner of the room. “Yeah, we like you, too.” I glanced at her, and she winked at me with a suggestive half smirk.
Her tone and expression brought back those thoughts of polyamory. I pondered whether I was progressive enough to set aside my inhibitions for the possibility of a relationship with these two shifters. What would Kat say about me screwing my guards? What would Edgar say?
Doesn’t really matter if I can’t even get past the blood bond to have any feelings for someone besides Kat. And, she certainly doesn’t want me, so… Fuck my life.
“Get up and get ready,” Nick said. “You can’t leave the cabin, but you can have company, and Rudy’s bringing you a visitor.”
“Yay,” I said, half-heartedly. “Wait. There’s a bathroom, right? I can get cleaned up and dressed like a normal person for once?”
“You sure can, darlin’.” Nick’s smooth southern accent sent tingles down my body and into my toes.
Grabbing some clean clothes from my duffle bag, I strolled to the bathroom at the other end of the hall. I waved at Julius and Danielle where they sat on a sofa, mugs in hand. My tongue snaked out on its own, swiping across my bottom lip as I
thought about getting a mug of my own with thick, warm blood to fill my belly.
In the bathroom, I showered, changed, brushed my teeth, and put my hair up in a ponytail. I’d considered standing in the shower until the water got cold, but my growling stomach vetoed that idea. Besides, I had company coming.
When I opened the door, angry voices floated up the stairwell beside the bathroom. It sounded like several people arguing. Nick and Elena flanked the door, both wearing serious faces.
“What’s going on?”
“The shifters are still upset about losing Joseph, and Cassandra has them riled up.” Nick pulled me to him. “David Lyons asked to discuss the council vote for a new queen with Edgar, but she pitched a fit, arguing that there’s no way to have a proper vote with only a small portion of our community here.”
“I think she’s stalling,” Elena muttered. “She’s planning something, and I don’t like it.”
I walked over to sit next to Danielle, searching her eyes. “What do you think?”
“There’s an overlying sense of animosity, with pockets of anger. I feel frustration and discontent with little bits of arrogance coming from downstairs.”
“That would be from the witch,” Edgar said as he and Kat came up the stairs. “She is preventing a critical function of our society from being performed.”
“It’s my fault,” I said, gritting my teeth. “They’re mad that I killed one of them.”
“You didn’t kill Joseph.” Kat scowled, folding her arms under her breasts. “She’s just using it as an excuse to further her personal agenda.”
“Until we can get more Nightkin here,” Julius said, “we’re outnumbered and at their mercy. Our two clans and Chima’s pack are not enough to force the Otherkin to participate in a vote.”
“Unless she goes back on her word,” Edgar said, “we’re still going out to gather more Kin tonight.”
Moving Day (Vamp Tales Book 3) Page 5