Circle of Embers (Shadow Realms Series Book 2): A vampire hunter novel

by Kelly Carrero

  After a long two seconds, I heard the sound of his heart beating as normal.

  He was fine.

  Remembering that we weren’t alone, I climbed into the back of the van where I found Mason and Ashley hanging, their seat belts saving their lives. Blood slowly pooled from the back of Ashley’s head, staining her blonde hair. My father was lying in a heap on the upturned roof with blood coming from his nose, and his hand was bent at an unnatural angle. Mason was unconscious with strong vitals and no visible signs of injury. He was out cold, like the rest of them.

  Shit.

  “Kali,” Max’s strained voice called from the front.

  I darted back to the driver’s cabin, pulling up short as Max fell out of his seat.

  Bending down beside him, I helped him into a sitting position then plucked the few shards of glass from his face before starting on the ones stuck in me.

  With legs bent and his hand against his head, Max looked up at me with a mixture of anger and concern. “What were you thinking? You could’ve killed them.”

  Picking out another few pieces of glass, I said, “I thought I saw something in the middle of the road.”

  “Saw what?” he asked, brows drawn together. “There was nothing there. The street was empty.”

  Not wanting to tell him I’d thought I’d seen my mother’s ghost, because that was never going to go well, I turned away from him and focused my attention on Mason, Ashley, and my father. They were all still out cold and in desperate need of help.

  I made my way to the rear of the van and tried to open the back door.

  It wouldn’t budge.

  Putting a little more force into it, I snapped the door from its hinges, grateful I had the strength of the huntress in me.

  It was still dark outside, and the sound of multiple footsteps running along the road made me want to sink into the darkness of the night. I was about to get my ass handed to me for sneaking out, thereby putting the rest of the world in danger.

  Max was probably going to get a smackdown as well, for helping me instead of calling it in.

  As much as I didn’t want to face the music, I quickly checked the seal on the blood pouch and pulled down my shirt to cover it. Then I stood my ground, waiting for them to come rescue my family.

  Footsteps scrunched the grass behind me. I whipped my head around just in time to see Max emerge from the van and make his way over to me, moving with a slight limp to his step.

  Standing beside me, he said, “Tell them it was me.”

  I drew my brows together in confusion.

  “I was the one who crashed the van.”

  “Why would you—?”

  Still wearing her evening dress, Lana rushed toward me, blades drawn, ready to slay any monster that stood in her way. Realizing there were no enemies around, her angry gaze fell on me. “What the hell were you thinking?” she asked as Finn rushed past me, throwing metaphorical daggers my way.

  That was the million-dollar question none of the hunters seemed to understand. They were all about the code, protecting me at the cost of my family.

  “It was my fault,” Max said. “I thought we could get out and back in before anyone noticed.”

  I released a harsh breath. As much as I loved that Max was willing to take the blame for me, I couldn’t let him. “No, it wasn’t. It was me. I thought I could bring my father in before you noticed I was gone. Max was the one who came out to make sure nothing happened to me.”

  Clenching her jaw, she shook her head, and I could almost feel the heat radiating from her. “Why would you risk everything?” She shook her head again. “What were you thinking?”

  “That I had to bring in my dad before the vampires got to him because no one else would listen to me.”

  I hated that Lana was angry with me when she was one of the only few people that had helped me when Finn first brought me in. It was because of her that I was able to train to become a hunter. Without Lana’s support, I may never have known I was this badass huntress. And now I’d gone behind her back and pissed her off.

  Her eyes softened a little. “We were ordered to stay. I’m sorry, but that’s the rules. If it had been up to me…” She gave me an apologetic smile, plucked a piece of glass out of my hairline, and tossed it onto the road.

  I returned her smile, knowing she still had my back.

  Lana cocked her head toward the back of the van, where Finn was coming out. “What happened there?”

  “I… uh…”

  Max scratched the back of his neck. “There was a cat on the road, and I swerved to miss it.”

  Lana’s eyebrows shot up. “You totaled the van to save a cat?”

  He shrugged. “It was a black cat. I didn’t want the bad luck.”

  I snorted then quickly shut up. Max did not seem like the guy who would believe in superstitions. He also didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would lie to the ones who had become his family. Yet, there he was, flat-out lying to Lana just to save my ass.

  There was so much about Max I didn’t know, and I wished I had more time to get to know him.

  Headlights shone down the street, moving quickly. A few moments later, another van pulled up and a group of hunters piled out of the back, spilling onto the road, quickly getting in on the situation at hand. The driver’s door opened, and Kade stepped out with his hand on the hilt of the dagger on his right side, scanning the scene before him.

  Kade strode over to us as blue and red lights flashed through the night sky. “Who’s in the back?” He gestured toward the overturned van.

  “Mason, my father, and Ashley.”

  He nodded, not the least bit surprised by my revelation. “And Finn?”

  “In the back with them.”

  “Is he hurt?”

  I shook my head, slightly puzzled as to why he thought Finn had been with us. “He only just got here before you.”

  Kade’s gaze swept over my body, stopping when he saw blood drenching the thigh of my pants. “You’re hurt. What happened?”

  It took me a second to remember what he was talking about. I’d forgotten I’d had a piece of metal stuck in my leg since the pain had almost completely vanished. “I’m fine.”

  “Wait,” Max said. “You got hurt?”

  “Of course, I got hurt. I was dumb enough not to put on a seat belt,” I said. “But I’m fine now.”

  He pulled out a torch and shone it on my leg.

  Kade and Lana kneeled down in front of me and inspected the wound for themselves, leaving me standing there, feeling like a fool having them fuss over me. “I know I’m like your queen and all, but there’s really no need to bow before me.”

  Kade and Max chuckled, while Lana cast me a stern look.

  Lana stood. “Luckily, it’s not too deep, but you should go back inside and get cleaned up.”

  “I’ll take you,” both Max and Kade said in unison.

  Max glared at Kade, who grinned back at him as he stood.

  Under different circumstances, I would’ve loved having two gorgeous guys doting on me, but all I could think about was Mason, Ashley, and my dad. There was also the ghost of my mother that held a huge chunk of my attention. I’d seen her twice, and both times it was as if she were trying to tell me something. But that was stupid. I didn’t believe in ghosts. “I’m fine. I’ll clean up later.”

  Worry lines creased Lana’s forehead. “You shouldn’t be out here any longer.”

  Ignoring her, I turned to the ambulance that had just arrived, knowing Lana couldn’t resist falling into her leadership role, taking the lead with the casualties and trying to contain the possibility of the public finding out about the Society. Not that anyone who was hurt had magic running through them. But still, it was obvious the Society wouldn’t have called the ambulance, and now she had to deal with them.

  Three paramedics, one female and two men, hopped out and strode toward the overturned van.

  Lana glanced between me and the paramedics then groaned and head
ed over to them as they reached the back of the van where Finn was waiting.

  Kade tilted his head to the side and sighed. “Let me guess. You’re not going to go back inside like Lana told you to.”

  “Not a chance.” I headed over to the scene, where I heard the short, stocky, bald paramedic calling for another two ambulances.

  Finn grabbed me by the elbow and led me around the corner of the van before releasing his grip on me. He ran his hand through his hair as he breathed out harshly. “What were you thinking going out on your own and making Mason go with you.”

  “Firstly, I didn’t make Mason go with me. He begged me to let him come, because unlike you, he thinks we should take care of our own. Secondly, if we didn’t go, we would officially be orphans because you won’t go against the Society and their stupid rules.”

  “Enough,” Lana snapped in a hushed tone, popping her head outside the van where Finn and I were arguing. “Let the paramedics do their job in peace.” She glared at us then retreated back inside the van.

  Lana was right. Now wasn’t about us. It was about getting our family the help they needed. Which meant I had to get out of there so the paramedics could do what they needed to. I was beyond frustrated, and I needed a release.

  When I turned to leave, a paramedic stood in my way. He was a good foot and a half taller than I was and had his flashlight focused on my lower body. “You can’t go anywhere until we check that out.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m fine. I don’t need any help. It’s just a superficial scratch.”

  He raised his hand, producing the piece of metal that had gone through my thigh. “Unless there’s someone else who was in the van that we’re unaware of, I think this belongs to you.” The way he said this was as if he doubted the words coming from his mouth.

  He swallowed hard, the vein in the side of his neck pulsating at rapid speed. Slowly, he raised the torch to my face and lowered his other hand to the gun strapped to his waist. “Does this belong to you?”

  Ever since the awakening of vampires, it wasn’t just police who carried guns. Those in any public service position were required to be armed for their own safety. And he looked two seconds away from drawing the weapon.

  13

  The slightest movement of my lips would’ve turned this situation from bad to worse if he so much as caught a glimpse of my fangs. I could feel them pushing against the inside of my lip, begging to be freed. Not to mention the weird glowing specks in my eyes. But thankfully the specks couldn’t be seen unless he was right up in my face.

  No matter how much I wanted the world to know that hunters protected the humans from the vampires they feared, tonight was not the night to begin that fight. My family needed medical help, which meant my pearly whites had to stay hidden.

  Max pushed between us, his large frame blocking my view of the paramedic. “She said she’s fine.”

  “I’d like the woman to answer for herself.” He paused for a moment to look at Max. “You will also need to be checked over. That cut doesn’t look good.”

  “I’m fine,” Max said.

  “I need help,” Lana called, popping her head out of the van. “Her pulse is rapidly declining.”

  My heart stopped and my stomach lurched into my throat as my worst fears came to life. Lana had warned me not to bring Ashley in—Max had as well. But once again, I’d done what I wanted to do and hadn’t worried about the consequences. Now, Ashley may pay the ultimate price for my selfishness.

  Seeing my reaction, Lana turned her back to us then whispered low enough that only the other hunters and I were able to hear, “Go.” When I didn’t move, she added. “Your friend is fine. I was getting rid of him for you.”

  The paramedic glanced at me one more time before rushing past me and disappearing into the back of the van.

  Guilt consumed me as I quickly walked away, not knowing if my brother, father, and best-friend would be okay.

  Max caught up with me as I made the walk of shame back into the compound. As soon as we were through the gate, the guards closed it behind us and announced our arrival into their security earpiece microphone things.

  I subtly checked that my blood pouch was still hidden from sight as we made our way up to the entrance, where we were met with two very pissed off Osmond parents. “You need to come with us,” Gina said to me then looked up at Max. “And you...” She glared at him. “I’ll deal with you later.”

  Feeling like shit for letting Max get involved in my crap, I looked up at him apologetically.

  He gave me a small smile, letting me know he was still okay with me.

  It was hard to imagine he was the same guy who’d wanted to gut me a few days ago, and now he was going against the code to help me. Was it because he felt guilty for almost single-handedly condemning the world for an eternity? I couldn’t squash the feeling there was more to it than that. He didn’t have to care. And Max did care. I could see it in the way he looked at me.

  Something had changed that day in the gym when he finally broke me. And by the look on Gina’s face, I may not have the opportunity to find out what.

  Gina led me through the expansive halls, into a section of the compound where I had never been before, finally ending up in an office of sorts. The walls were lined with bookcases containing old, leather bound books that peaked my interest. I wasn’t a reader, but I couldn’t help but feel a connection, wondering what was written on the pages.

  Gina didn’t give me a chance to ponder the strange pull I felt toward the books as she gestured to the chair in front of the desk and barked, “Sit.”

  My ass had barely touched the seat when she opened her tirade against me, her bleach blonde perfectly sculptured hair falling out of place, as she placed her hands on the desk, leaning forward to assert her power. “Do you have any idea what you have done tonight? The danger you not only imposed on yourself but the Society as well? Not to mention the mess Lana now has to deal with the paramedics and possibly even the police if they saw those damn fangs of yours.”

  She shook her head, anger radiating from her. “We forbade you from going out, yet you went out anyway. You have little to no respect for the code, and your impulsiveness is going to get you killed. And if you do, then your family is as good as dead, because we cannot fight this evil on our own forever. The demons are getting stronger; they’re more resilient to our magic. They will win—if you allow them to.”

  Sitting in the chair with “Mama” Osmond looming over me made me want to sink into myself. Everything she was saying was true, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I was exactly who I was supposed to be—impulsive, reckless, and defiant.

  I already had the skills and power to take on the vampires on my own, and I couldn’t understand why they wouldn’t use me. I was a killing machine, and all they wanted was to wrap me up in a bubble until it was time for the huntress to take over.

  I could feel her inside of me, begging to be freed, and I wondered just how powerful I was to become.

  “I can tell you don’t agree with me,” she continued. “But know this. You might think you’re invincible with the vampires, but it’s not them we are worried about. When—not if—the demons break into this world, you won’t stand a chance against them. We need the huntress. The fate of the world depends on her.”

  Fire burned inside of me, hating the way she tried to demean me. “I understand. But tonight is on you. I asked too many times if we could bring in my father, and every single time I was shut down.” I stood, sick to death of being spoken down to. “All you needed to do was go to his home, pick him up, and bring him back here. But no, you’re all too concerned with keeping the Society a secret and only bringing in those you can use to further your cause. By the way, you would’ve missed finding me if I hadn’t tried to become a vampire and your hunters hadn’t been there to stop me. It was only because Finn broke your Society’s protocols that you found me.” I took a step toward her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean up my wound be
fore it gets infected and your chosen one dies of sepsis.” I stormed out of the room, leaving Gina with her mouth wide open in utter shock that someone had stood up to her.

  And damn, it felt good.

  I’d finally gotten a chance to say what I wanted to without being interrupted. I just wished it didn’t need to be this way. We were all working toward the same cause, and we needed to work together.

  Rather than going to medical, I made my way back up to my room, closed the door behind me, and sank against it. I sighed, completely over this shit and worried about my family, hoping they were all okay. There was no way I was getting out of this place again, so I could kiss goodbye the idea of visiting them in the hospital.

  Pushing off the door, I stripped off my shirt, threw the pouch of blood onto my bed, grateful it was still intact, and headed toward the bathroom. I slowly lowered my pants, half afraid I still had a giant hole in my thigh that I just couldn’t feel.

  But sure enough, all that remained was a little puncture wound that was on its way to being fully healed. The blood covering my leg was another story.

  I stripped off the remainder of my clothing and jumped in the shower. The water flowed over my body, turning the floor into a crimson pool.

  Tonight had been a disaster. Still, we had saved my father, but… I closed my eyes. The memory of my mother standing on the road consumed my thoughts. She’d look so real—alive. But that was stupid. I’d seen her lifeless body. I’d said my goodbyes. She hadn’t really been there. It was just my mind playing tricks on me, wanting to go back to a better time when my mother was there to fix all my problems.

  There was no fixing me.

  Even though I was surrounded by a group of people, I was on my own.

  Getting out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and headed back into my room just as someone knocked on my door.

  I rolled my eyes as a fire lit within me, prepared to face whatever crap Lana’s parents were going to throw my way. I marched over to the door and flung it open, my eyes going wide when I saw Kade standing before me.