by G. K. DeRosa
“What?”
“You’re one of us too, half-blood.” She cocked her head and popped her hands on her hips. “Whether you like it or not.”
I felt like I’d been slapped. Normally I wouldn’t think twice about Raine’s nasty comments, but this one rattled me. Because it was true. I may have been part warlock, but I was raised human. It would take me a long time to consider myself otherwise. And I felt protective toward my old species. They couldn’t defend themselves like the supes could. It wasn’t a fair fight.
“I know that,” I finally mumbled. “I’m just saying I think the president is right to keep the flow of supes in check. I went from human to whatever I am now overnight, and I know first hand what a difference it is. The humans need to be protected.”
Logan nodded. “Luna’s right. If anyone isn’t on the same page, speak now.”
Raine muttered something under her breath, but it was too low for my poor human side to hear.
“Good,” said Ryder, clapping his hands. “Let’s get this show on the road. The supernatural slayer squad rides again.” His gaze drifted to mine, and I couldn’t help but smile. I was getting that name to stick if it killed me.
After an unsuccessful attempt at opening a portal myself, Professor Arcana stepped in to save the day, or we would have completely missed our window. Worst, the team was starting to get suspicious. I could feel their heavy stares whenever Ryder pulled me aside to discuss my father or my emerging warlock powers. I couldn’t keep this from them much longer.
I promised myself I’d have a talk with Ryder when we safely made it back from this mission. Drake had been right: the others deserved to know. We were all putting ourselves on the line out there, and secrets wouldn’t do anyone any good. Except for the skinwalking in Ms. Mikalson—I’d take that one with me to the grave. Ryder could never find out.
The swirling portal dumped all nine of us in a cute park on a quiet suburban street. It was past midnight and the streets were dark, all the residents of the peaceful neighborhood safely tucked into their beds.
“Now what?” asked Drake. His faery sword hung loose at his side as he scanned the streets.
“Now we patrol,” answered Ryder. He pulled out his smartphone, which was opened to the map app. He traced a big circle around the neighborhood with his finger. “This is where the attacks have been occurring. I know I said splitting up was a bad idea before, but there’s no other way to cover this much ground efficiently. We’ll divide up into groups of three, and if anyone sees anything alert everyone else through the link.”
In the past few weeks of training, we’d focused on honing our connection to each other. We’d gotten pretty good at it. Almost too good. It had progressed to the point where I could feel one of Raine’s bitchy moods pulling at her cord from across campus. And I didn’t even bother calling Cinder when Raf’s lusty vibes invaded my senses because I already knew exactly what they were doing. The next step was learning how to block each other out.
“Luna and Zephyr, you’re with me,” continued Ryder. No surprise there. “Drake, Scarlett and Raf, you’re team two and Triston, Aeria and Raine are team three.” He pointed at the map again and traced three separate paths. “Follow this route, and we’ll meet here at the end unless something comes up. Everyone good?”
We all nodded, and the three groups headed in opposite directions. A tiny twinge of unease swirled in my gut as I watched the others disappear. We were always better together.
“Eyes open, you two.” Ryder’s voice snapped me back into supe slayer mode.
I was sandwiched between my overprotective instructor and the newest addition to our team, Zephyr, as we started our patrol. The dragon shifter nudged me in the arm. “You ready?”
“I should be asking you that; you’re the newbie.”
He chuckled. “I might be new to the team, but I’ve been training at Darkhen for almost three years now.”
In the few weeks I’d known our latest teammate, I’d come to like the guy. He wasn’t as funny and easygoing as Ash, but he wasn’t a stuck up snob like Drake either, which I appreciated. According to Cinder he came from an important family in the dragon realm. Zephyr’s father sat on the Council of Draeko with Fenix, among a select few who advised their Alpha. Zephyr would eventually assume the role once his father stepped down.
We passed the second quiet block, and Ryder turned to Zephyr. “No full-shifting unless absolutely necessary. We don’t want to risk any humans freaking out over a dragon.”
“Got it, captain.” He saluted and continued his easy pace through the dimly lit streets.
“What if no one shows?” I asked Ryder.
“Then you guys don’t pass my class.”
I arched a brow. “Very funny.” I was fairly certain we’d all be in Ryder’s class for the entirety of our time at Darkblood.
After another ten minutes, we’d almost reached the designated meet up point. I glanced at the cute houses that lined the block and imagined what it would’ve been like growing up in California. The weather alone would’ve been a huge improvement over New York.
“What’s that?” Zephyr’s eyes narrowed as he peered into the darkness.
I tried to follow his line of sight, but my mere human senses couldn’t compete. “I don’t see anything.”
Zephyr’s pupils elongated and flickers of gold lit up his hazel eyes. “Come on, follow me.” He picked up the pace, and Ryder and I trailed behind him as he turned down the next intersection. A dilapidated old house stood at the corner, an eyesore with chipped paint and cracked wood compared to the other well-maintained homes in the neighborhood.
We crept through the overgrown grass, keeping to the shadows. About halfway across the yard, Ryder stilled beside me. “Wait.” His arm came across my chest, and I was forced to a stop.
Zephyr, who was a few feet ahead of us, tipped his head back and sniffed the air. When he turned around to face us, fully shifted dragon eyes met mine.
Ryder bristled, his gaze fixed on the dark footpath that led to the backyard. “Alert the others, Luna.”
I nodded and focused my thoughts on the individual members of the team. The scar on my palm tingled, and a spasm of heat shot through my veins. “Done,” I whispered.
A streak of yellow flashed through Ryder’s irises. “Did you hear that?”
Zephyr’s head bobbed up and down, and I strained to listen but couldn’t make out anything over my increasing heart rate. “Sounds like two or three of them,” he answered as he inched closer to the backyard.
Chapter 22
We stopped at the edge of the house, and Zephyr peered around the corner. Ryder had me pinned to the wall just behind his broad shoulders. I strained to see around him but between the two massive supes, it was impossible.
“It’s two vamps,” Zephyr confirmed over his shoulder. “And they’re feeding.”
I was tired of being out of the loop. I whispered the words of the sensory enhancement spell I’d committed to memory a while ago but had never actually used on the field. A wave of heat washed over me, and everything intensified. My eyes sharpened, the tiny cracks on the wall I leaned against doubling, and the rapid beats of Ryder’s heart thundered across my eardrums. I could make out every single breath he took, and the crunch of dead grass beneath his boots.
Then my olfactory senses kicked in, and I suppressed the urge to gag. A vile, putrid smell wafted up my nose, a combination of rotten meat and old man farts. “Ugh, what is that smell?”
Then loud slurping sounds filled the silent night, and I knew. I recognized the sucking noises from my short-lived make out sessions with a certain hot vampire.
“We should go now,” said Zephyr. “The person could still be alive. If we wait for the others…”
Ryder huffed. “I don’t like it, but you’re right.” He swiveled back and speared me with his trademark dark gaze. “Stay beside me. Your human half will be more appealing to the vampires, especially if they’re in a blood frenzy.
”
I wanted to argue and tell him I could take care of myself, but images of Madison Square Garden were filling my vision like the worst case of PTSD. “Okay,” I mumbled as a trickle of sweat snaked down my spine.
Zephyr led the way and the two of us followed behind him, keeping our backs pinned to the wall. I considered putting up a cloaking spell, but I didn’t want to drain my energy in case I needed it for the fight.
When we reached the far corner of the house, the two shadowy figures coalesced from the darkness. They were huddled over a body, a dark-haired male feeding from the top half and a blonde female crouching over the bottom.
The human form was much too still.
Ryder nodded at Zephyr, holding up three fingers. The dragon’s claws came out, and his mouth elongated into a golden snout filled with razor sharp teeth. I pulled up my pant leg and loosed my favorite dagger. It was spelled to kill any supe so I didn’t have to lug around a wooden stake for vamps, silver for werewolves, iron for faeries, etc. It was a one stop killing machine.
Ryder’s fingers began counting down, and my heartbeats accelerated with each one. At his closed fist, we sprang into action, darting into the dark backyard.
The vampires were so consumed in the bloodlust they didn’t notice us until we were right on top of them. Zephyr’s sharp talons lashed at the female and she shrieked, jumping off her prey. Ryder lunged at the male, and the two crashed to the ground. By the time my slower human-paced run caught up to them, they had things under control. I slid down next to the body, and bile crawled up my esophagus. The young girl was painted in blood, her neck so torn up her head barely hung on.
We were too late. If I’d only gotten that portal to open sooner maybe we could’ve saved her.
A sharp howl snapped my head to the edge of the yard. From the darkness, four pairs of glowing eyes emerged through the thick bushes. Their lupine bodies took form as they moved closer, my enhanced eyesight spell still in effect. Wolves.
They sprinted across the yard, splitting up: two went for Ryder and Zephyr and the remaining pair headed straight for me. Crapcicles! My fingers tightened around the hilt of the dagger, and I took on my battle stance.
Muffled cries and yelps rang out all around me, but I kept my eyes fixed on the approaching wolves. Just like Triston, they were massive in their animal form, sharp fangs protruded, drool dripping down their gaping maws.
Steady. Steady. I willed myself not to move.
About a yard or two before they reached me, I hurled the dagger at the closest one and murmured the words to the spell that had saved me time and again. The loud howl of wolf number one sounded muffled through the safety of my blue bubble. The second one skidded to a stop at the edge of the orb, his jagged claws pawing at the impenetrable barrier.
Sucker!
The cords around my heart palpitated and relief filled my chest as Raf, Drake and Scarlett appeared. Raf’s magnificent wings lit up the dark yard, bathing it in its heavenly glow. He soared toward me and sliced at the wolf with his angel sword. The beast dodged his blow and darted away with his furry tail between his legs.
“Are you okay?” Raf crouched beside me, and my bubble burst, the magic dispelling of its own will.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I glanced over his shoulder to check on the others. The female vampire and one of the wolves were splayed out in the middle of the yard. Drake and Ryder each took on a wolf, and Scarlett handled the last vampire. The werewolf I’d hit whimpered a few yards away with my dagger still protruding from its chest.
Raf scanned the field, his dark brows knitted. “Vampires and werewolves working together?”
The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind in the chaos. “That is weird, huh?”
“Very.”
The rush of footfalls made my head spin toward the pathway leading to the front of the house. Raf followed my gaze, and his sword blazed to life in the palm of his hand. “More of them,” he hissed.
About half a dozen vampires and wolves emerged from the darkness. Crap. Where were they all coming from?
“Incoming!” Raf shouted.
I stretched my arm out toward the dagger still embedded in the now dead wolf and muttered, “Venitem!” The blade lurched itself free from its furry host and tumbled end over end, the hilt landing in the palm of my hand.
“Nice,” said Raf before turning his sword on a vampire.
“Duplicatem!” I shouted, and my dagger turned into three. I tossed one and then another, guiding them with magic. They each hit their mark and two wolves crumpled to the ground.
Something like static electricity flickered over my scar as the threads around my heart tightened, and I glanced up to see Raine, Aeria and Triston leaping over the side fence.
“Sorry we took so long,” said Triston as he fell in beside me. “We ran into a couple wolves who refused to bend the knee.” A smirk crossed his lips. “I showed them who the alpha of this pack was.”
The girls got straight to work on the vampires, and the raging sounds of battle filled the quiet night. It was a good thing this house was abandoned or the whole neighborhood would’ve been alerted to the supes battling it out in their peaceful backyards.
Ryder appeared beside me as I sank my dagger into a vampire’s back. That would teach him to try and bite Raf.
“You okay?”
“Just peachy.”
For once, I was in better shape than he was. His hair was a sweaty, unruly mess and cuts lined his face and arms. Not to mention the blood. My heart stopped for a second when they settled on the dark splatter against his black t-shirt. “Are you okay?” My hands instinctively skimmed his chest and stomach.
His eyes lit up for a moment before his expression sobered. “I’m fine. It’s not my blood. Those vamps were so engorged with human blood they exploded like big fat ticks.”
My stomach roiled at the visual.
“Come on, let’s finish this.” He took my hand and grabbed Raf’s beside me. Raine and Aeria were still tussling with two wolves now in human form in the middle of the lawn. “Drake, Zephyr!” Ryder shouted.
The ice prince thrust his sword in a powerful arc, and the female vampire’s head rolled right off her delicate shoulders. He darted toward us and grabbed my other hand. A tremor of power rolled through our clasped fingers, igniting a blazing fire in my core.
“This will have to do for now,” said Ryder. A handful of vampires and werewolves were climbing over the fence to join the fray, and we didn’t have all night for this.
“Fire?” Drake arched a light brow, his lips twisting into a smirk.
“Works for me.”
“Heads up, guys!” Ryder shouted at Zephyr and the girls.
Drake began the chant, and we all followed his lead. “Fuocem velocem. Fuocem absolutem.”
Raine summoned a protective bubble over the four of them as heat swelled in my chest. Like a firestorm churning inside, the power fought to be unleashed. My lungs constricted as the energy consumed every inch of me. I had to release it now. Dropping Ryder and Drake’s hands, I splayed my fingers and a wave of blue flames exploded from my fingertips.
The raging fire soared over Raine, Aeria, Scarlett and Zephyr, zipping directly toward the remaining vampires and werewolves. The mystical flames licked at their flesh as spine-tingling screams rang out. The odor of burnt flesh tinged the air, and I had to resist the urge to plug my nose from the foul smell.
When the smoke cleared, nothing but ash remained from the battle.
“Damn, girl,” said Scarlett, breaking free from Raine’s safety bubble and rushing over to hug me. “That was crazy badass.”
“Thanks.” I glanced back at Ryder, Raf and Drake who all wore pleased grins. “I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Ryder patted me on the shoulder and then made a round to acknowledge everyone else. “Congrats, guys, you all passed. The supe slayer squad lives on. Now let’s get out of here before the neighbors wake up.”
Chapter 23
>
“Can I sit with you?”
I glanced up from my Demons and Fiends textbook and frowned. “No, this spot is reserved for non-princes.” I motioned to the seat to my left and buried my head back in my studies.
“Well, it’s a good thing the rest of the seats are free then.” Smirking, Drake threw his backpack on the table and folded into the chair across from me.
Things had finally started to get back to normal between Drake and me. I was still pissed at the kissing stunt he pulled, but after Ryder forced us to start training together again, it was hard to stay mad for long.
Raine on the other hand was not quite so forgiving. While she hadn’t tried to murder me in my sleep yet, her backhanded remarks and condescending attitude were back in full swing.
“Some of the others might come by to study,” said Drake cracking open his Advanced Elemental Manipulation book.
Finals were next week, and I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I’d been at Darkhen for almost an entire year already. “Oh goody. Hopefully Raine will stop by and tell me how much I suck at magic and life in general.”
He chuckled and tried to smother it with his hand but totally failed.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying this because it’s all your fault, you know?”
“I know, and I’m sorry. How many more times can I say it?”
I cocked a brow. “You’ve apologized like twice, Drake. Don’t make it seem like you’ve been groveling at my feet for days.”
His face grew serious as he twirled a pen between his fingers. “First of all, Fae princes don’t grovel. Secondly, I rarely ever apologize since I’m almost never wrong so you should be grateful for what you got. Not to mention most girls would be thanking me for kissing them.”
A maniacal laugh burst from my lips before I could stop it, ringing out in the quiet library. It garnered me a few glares and shushes. Lowering my voice, I whispered, “You’re so right. What was I thinking? I should be thanking you for pretending to like me and trying to take the credit for winning the race that I deserved.”