Without the magic, you were just human.
Wanting to keep her word to Merrick, Trina called up the magic without using her blood. It rose faster than ever before, the raw power easier to grab, almost like it was thicker underground. The vampires probably placed their castoffs down here to weaken them, their own version of a prison and electric fencing.
Eden and Dorian practically glowed with power. Tiny particles danced and swirled in the air as they worked. Dorian cast with quick and brutal efficiency, spinning a thin rope. Eden took the delicate magic and wove it together in the form of an intricate web, a grace to her movements that was beautiful to watch. Both moved in perfect rhythm, and Trina realized they’d done this before.
But they were much too slow, burning through the magic too fast. They weren’t using the ready magic just waiting in the room. It didn’t settle on Dorian and Eden the way it did her and the shifters. No, they pulled it out of the walls and floors.
As the magic sparked and burned in the air, Trina realized that they couldn’t access it.
But she could.
She touched each shoulder and peeled away the protective covering on her skin. Magic floated down, coating the three of them in seconds.
Eden’s eyes widened at the burst of direct power, and the web tripled in size. For the first time, Trina believed their crazy plan might work. She turned to Merrick and nodded. “Do it.”
The instant the words left her mouth, the shifters went into action. The noise was deafening as they quickly destroyed the caskets, moving from one to the next.
Judith struck one a little too hard and didn’t see the chain unravel. The vampire flung up the lid, wood cracking when it smashed into the confined space of the tomb, giving him only inches to crawl out. The creature was pitiful, mewling sounds of hunger escaping his throat as he slipped free. The body was a skeleton with skin stretched over it. The clothes were rags, dating from at least fifty years ago.
He sniffed the air like an animal, his shriveled eyes wild. Then he caught the scent of the nearest source of food and moved toward it in an awkward, stumbling run.
“Judith.”
Acting on instinct, Trina threw a dose of magic in the vampire’s face. He barely reacted, only slowing him down slightly. He continued to advance as Judith spun with the grace of her animal counterpart and then smiled. “Finally. Something to kill.”
The vampire was either too slow or too intent on ripping out her throat to notice the blade winging toward him. The sword entered his skull at the temple, cleaving half way through the face before he stopped.
Judith put her foot against his chest and shoved, freeing her weapon. With a nod of thanks, she moved onto the next casket. Trina would swear she heard her humming.
Arms and legs worked free from their graves, dragging the rest of their bodies to freedom. It was a haunting sight that she wouldn’t soon forget.
But the spell was going much too slow even with her help. The vampires would be free long before they finished the web.
They had only one chance, and they were failing. She saw Merrick punch his fist through a casket with effortless strength. He was focused on his task, methodically moving from one coffin to another.
She refused to lose him after she’d just found him.
Trina cradled her injured hand in her palm, the wound almost healed. Drawing her blade, she rationalized that she hadn’t really given Merrick her word.
The tip of the blade cut deep, and she forced it deeper until she was satisfied with the smooth flow of blood. The pain was shocking. You’d think she’d cut off her hand. She pushed her thumb against the cut, digging into the injury to prevent it from clotting too fast.
Blood spilled into the air with a cloud of bright red magic, flickering like a wick of a flame.
The scent put the vampires into a frenzy, injuring themselves to escape the coffins in order to get to her.
Their urgency increased her own, and she placed her uninjured hand back on Dorian’s shoulder. His whole body bowed as the magic eddied about him, coating his whole frame as if he stood in a spray booth. The direct touch had to be painful, but he didn’t stop casting. They both knew she had no choice. She prayed Merrick would understand.
The magic and blood loss drained her faster than she expected. The web was almost completed. She gritted her teeth, locking her legs when they wobbled. She just had to hold out for a little longer.
The second vampire finally broke free from his imprisonment and headed directly for her and the spilled blood.
He ran full tilt at the magic in a loping gait, slamming into the barrier.
A scream of pain and denied hunger ripped from his throat. A web of red welts covered his face and hands, the lines shoved nearly a centimeter into his skin.
A sound from the opposite side of the room had him wheeling about, looking for an outlet for his rage and the maddening pain.
At the entrance of the tunnel stood a vampire with a triumphant smile on his face. It was short-lived when the caged vampire flung himself at him. The two tore at each other. One might have more strength, but the other had the desperation born of years of suffering.
“Trina?”
She looked away from the savage battle to see Merrick standing over her, his expression so fierce that she winced. He ripped his shirt and bound her wound, his silence so bitterly cold that her throat thickened with tears.
“Time to go. The web is already weakening.” Once he tied off the bandage, he picked her up and moved rapidly down the tunnel. Dorian and Eden followed swiftly behind them.
Unable to bear the tension between them, she started babbling. “You have the worst case of white knight syndrome that I’ve ever seen.”
Merrick snorted. “And you’d do anything to get my arms around you.”
Though Merrick joked, the fury in his eyes didn’t abate one bit. She was pathetically grateful that the majority of it didn’t seem to be directed at her.
Screams resounded down the tunnel as vampire fought vampire, and she ducked her head to shut out the sound. It saddened her that so many died, even if they were vampires. It was so worthless.
“It’s not over, is it?”
Merrick didn’t answer for a while. “As long as someone knows about what you can do, you’ll never be free of this.” He kissed her forehead, his lips lingering a bit too long.
They reached the surface in silence, the fading sunlight welcoming after the oppressive darkness. She breathed a sigh of relief to finally be above ground then stiffened when she smelled blood. She twisted about, searching for Weston. The belch of bullets gave away his location as he tore through the zombie type humans marching toward him.
Her first instinct said run. The small army so little resembled humans that even the doctor in her was repulsed.
Merrick carefully set her down then walked over to stand next to Weston. He bent slightly at the waist and a roar ripped from his throat. The primal sound shook her down to her bones. The attackers had the same response as well, scrambling over one another to get away as they took off running.
This scruffy Merrick with the torn, dirty shirt and overgrown hair was far different from the meticulous Leo she’d first met. At the roar, she felt the lion in him…the rage and the need to hunt and protect what was his.
Judith stopped at her side, her smile smug. “Only a few shifters can manifest in their human form. The sound triggers a primordial fear in the humans, superseding their vampire programming. It won’t last for long. When the adrenaline wears off, the vampire junkies will be back. We need to be gone before then or they’ll delay us until nightfall when the vampires come out to play.”
Trina was surprised the woman lowered herself to speak with her at all given her attitude toward humans, but how else would she get in her digs that Trina wasn’t good enough for their alpha.
She was beginning to wonder if she wasn’t the worst thing that could’ve happened to Merrick. Unwilling to follow that line of thought, s
he focused on what she could do to help.
Half a dozen bodies peppered the ground. She walked to the nearest one and crouched. The putrid smell of death rose from the corpse’s lips. Her clouded eyes said it was much too late to be of any help.
The scraggly hair was matted. Bruises and puncture marks scattered along her neck made her skin looked like tenderized steak. Her cheeks were sunken until the facial structure of her bones stood out in stark relief. Besides severe starvation and malnutrition, Trina suspected the girl had been dead the instant she became addicted to vampire venom.
None of the other bodies were in much better shape. They resembled a cast from a zombie movie. Pus seeped from the wounds of one, his arms and throat a massive infection. Bile burned the back of her mouth at the thought of someone biting into that.
Eden curled her lips. “Spoiled food.”
“They are human beings.” Outrage made Trina’s voice sharp.
“They stopped being human when they accepted the bite.” As if she sensed Trina’s reluctance to believe, Eden shrugged. “Run your tests on them. All it takes is an exchange of infected blood. Even a small amount of the virus in the vampire’s bite will kill them. Without proper care, they all end up like this eventually.”
Trina ignored the startling fact that her sister knew so much about her despite the years of separation. Then she forgot everything when her gaze zeroed in on Drew.
He’d bitten the King, and the vampire had returned the favor. The King had the ability to control him, so Drew was already infected.
The only way to free him would be to kill the King before the virus had enough time to take root and turn Drew into one of the walking dead. Without further analysis, she didn’t know the gestation period of the virus.
“They call them remnants. They are literally the living dead. Frequent blood exchange makes them stronger and faster. The low level of the virus in their system is designed to keep them alive longer, and heal small wounds. It helps the vampires maintain a healthy food supply.
“Their fate is tied to their master. The higher the dosage, the more blood they consume, the stronger they become. By the time the virus has seated itself in the body, the remnant is addicted to the pleasure/pain of the bite and all the benefits of being more than mortal.”
Horror filled Trina at Drew’s fate. Without a regular dose of the vampire virus, his body would slowly decay and die. She was determined not to let it happen.
Eden nodded her head in Drew’s direction. “I’m sorry, but you needed to know. He’s a danger to you. You would be doing him a kindness to kill him now.”
Trina said nothing as her sister walked off. Maybe it would be a mercy. Maybe he would be better off. But she couldn’t give up on him without at least trying to save him. He was worth the risk. She wondered what’d happened to harden Eden against hope.
Dorian lingered behind and squeezed her shoulder. “Losing you and your parents at the same time changed her. Don’t judge her too harshly. She’s trying to protect you.”
Trina stood. She was not sure she was convinced by his words, but she appreciated his attempt.
“We need to get back to the Den and out of the graveyard before darkness falls.” No one needed to be told twice and headed for the cars.
Weston looked a little worse for wear, the three shifters behind him not in much better shape. The witches had suffered minor scratches and bites but nothing life threatening.
The ride back was silent with Trina doing her best to patch up Weston with the limited supplies from the car’s first aid kit.
“Don’t bother. It’ll heal soon enough.”
Trina ignored him and finished bandaging a nasty gash on his arm, anything to distract her from the growing nerves as they neared the Den.
After everything that had happened, she didn’t know where they went from here. One thing Merrick said was true…they would never leave her in peace.
How could she expect anyone to share that life with her?
The car rolled to a stop, and Trina glanced up to see a mob of people in various stages of battle paraphernalia swarming outside the Den. Spray paint decorated the walls in an intricate design. They were casting some sort of spell. All the symbol needed was power to activate it. A few loose bricks lay scattered on the sidewalk, and a number of scorch marks darkened the walls of the Den.
“Look, a welcoming party. And I forgot to bring my torch and pitchfork.” Trina remained seated, too exhausted to face another confrontation right now. The same witches who almost spun her into a panic just the day before didn’t even phase her now.
“We killed a high witch and some of her people.” Merrick left the car idling, but it was too late to try to sneak past them now as they’d already been spotted. Even from this distance, magic shimmered in the air like raindrops caught in the sun’s rays.
The car behind them pulled out and for a second, Trina thought they would drive off and leave them to defend themselves. Then Dorian parked in front of the crowd, exited and reached out a hand to help Eden exit the car. The two of them walked forward, and the crowd fell silent.
Merrick used the distraction and grabbed her hand, pulling her from the driver’s side. “Come, let’s go home.”
Home.
Tears crowded her eyes, and she ducked her head. Though he might not know it, Merrick had made the Den a home for her. She hadn’t realized how long she’d been searching for that very thing.
With no signal that she saw, shifters from the compound surrounded them, ushering them through the doors. Drew was carried off to the infirmary. She wanted to follow and help, but the biggest help she could be to him right now was to find the King and get rid of the problem for him.
She’d thought that when they rescued her sister, things would be better. It only unearthed more problems. Like shit, they stuck to the bottom of her shoe and she couldn’t scrape away the smell.
The Den was a hive of activity. Everyone was armed, some with claws and teeth as huge animals prowled the grounds. It was a little unnerving to see their true selves so out in the open. “I see you decided to throw a party.”
Victor rose from behind the desk, looking disgusted. “They showed up late last night, the numbers doubling every hour.”
“Any trouble?”
“Minor squabbles. They wanted us to turn over the heathen murderers.” He scratched his bristled chin. “What happened on your end?”
“Successful, but we are about to have a few hundred vengeful vampires descend.”
Victor grunted. “At least they offer more of a challenge than the witches.
“We left them in pretty rough shape, but they will retaliate. Double the patrols. Be on the lookout for remnants as well. The border is going to be hit hard.”
Eden and Dorian entered the room, and Trina was surprised they hadn’t disappeared as soon as they got what they wanted.
“You came back to help us with the vampires.” Trina wasn’t sure whether she was asking a question or not.
Eden shook her head. “It isn’t that simple. We want to ask you to come back with us.”
Trina didn’t say anything for a moment, ignoring the one thing that she thought she’d wanted the most…an offer to come home. “Not simple? The shifters risked their lives for you.”
“They came because that’s their job. We can’t fight without council approval.” She ran a hand through her tangled hair, only to get her fingers caught up in the mess. “But we can keep you safe and away from the front lines.”
Two of the shifters growled, and Weston pulled his gun and checked the clip. Trina was just pissed. “If we followed the witches’ rules, you would still be rotting in that garden.”
“I know.”
Trina couldn’t believe how casually Eden accepted their abandonment. “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept that.”
“Eden’s right. You would be safer.” Merrick’s words stopped her heart. She pushed away the pain and narrowed her eyes on him. He had somethi
ng planned and wanted her shuffled out of the way.
Trina crossed her arms and didn’t budge an inch. No way in hell would she go down without a fight. “Let’s not forget that witches have tried to kill me on more than one occasion, and you want to hand me over to them. You will keep me safe. If either group wants me bad enough, they won’t stop, no matter where I stay.”
* * *
Trina had fallen asleep wrapped in Merrick’s arms and awoke the same way. The instant she moved, he snuggled closer.
“How do you feel?”
“Better.” Memories of last night rose, starting with her demand that he undress so she could check for injuries. Once he lost his shirt, she lost most of her medical training as well. It didn’t help that he strutted around the room, parading before her so she could see every naked of inch of him.
Looking was her first mistake.
Touching had been her second.
She rolled over and realized that he was still very much naked and happy to see her. Despite the way they’d spent nearly all night familiarizing themselves with each other, she blushed.
Merrick laughed, and Trina shoved at his chest. She managed to slip out of bed before he could catch her, and they lost another hour of the day.
“Come back here.”
The slumber in his voice heated her body anew. All she wanted was to return to the protection of his arms and take advantage of his good nature, but they both had work to do.
As if reading her thoughts, he sighed and rose. “You know, they did manage not to burn down the place while we were gone.”
Trina rolled her eyes, wishing it were that simple. “Only a small riot.”
Until the King was dead, Merrick and Drew were in danger. She had to find a solution and fast. Instinct warned that the vampires wouldn’t waste time in retaliating.
“I want to check on Drew.”
Merrick’s face settled into a scowl, but he didn’t object. “Don’t leave the guard’s side.”
He walked up to her and pulled her hat from behind him. He placed it on her head, cupped her chin and kissed her with a slow thoroughness that left her standing there long after he’d vanished into the bathroom. It wasn’t fair that he could turn her around so easily.
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