by India Kells
Hunter had parked the truck near the street and it seemed that the snowplough had made headway already. He went to the back and placed her against the warm, sleeping form of Patricia’s bear. The great heat from the shifter would help her keep warm.
Hunter jumped behind the wheel, Finn into the passenger seat, and they were off.
At the back, Ian tried to cushion Sera from the jerks and bumps of the road the best he could.
“Hey, open your eyes, Sera. Don’t go to sleep on me.”
She obeyed and opened her eyelids.
“Stay awake, will you? We’re on our way to Sanctuary.”
“I’m fine, just sore. My chest…”
“You were dead, you’re not fine.”
“I’m alive now.” And she dared to give him a reassuring smile. A courageous witch indeed.
“Can you tell me what happened? When you disappeared in the snow.”
Sera nodded. It was a trick to keep her talking. He was so afraid she would close her eyes and go still. She did shiver a little, but Ian could see some color coming back to her cheeks.
“I felt something on my ankle, like a snake. I didn’t have time to react or do anything. It grabbed me and pulled me under. I was dragged for a moment and it felt so cold, and when it stopped, it was as if I was being crushed by a ton of bricks. I couldn’t breathe. And I panicked, and I couldn’t find a spell, or scream.”
The tears he saw falling from her eyes, the fear he saw clearly on her face broke him in pieces. He wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“Hey, we got you out. You’re safe now.”
“Who’s after me? What have I done to be hunted down?”
Ian wished he knew the answer, so he could tear that fucker apart.
The truck swerved a little and Ian looked up. “Try to keep us on the road, would you?”
Hunter cursed, and it was Finn who finally answered. “We’re trying our best, but our caped friend is throwing branches in front of us.”
Sera shivered but pushed herself up, kneeling, one hand on Ian and another on Patricia to keep her balance. The truck had mostly windows in the front, so Ian helped her, so she could look outside. That’s when he saw it. The same cloaked, faceless figure. It appeared and disappeared down the road as they drove by. And, as Finn told them, branches flung themselves in front of the truck, thrown by invisible magic.
“How far are we from Sanctuary?”
“At this snail’s speed? Thirty minutes.”
A branch crashed against the side of the truck, making them all flinch.
“Can’t we do something to make it stop?” Hunter gritted his teeth, trying to maintain the truck’s course the best he could.
He had to slow that thing down, give Sera a chance to reach Sanctuary. There, she would be safe.
Ian looked up and saw Finn nodding at him. It seemed that the vampire was thinking the same thing. Finn moved and touched Sera’s shoulder. “Go sit up front, honey.”
“Why?”
“You’ll be more comfortable. I can see you’re in pain. Go, please.”
Ian could feel the sweetness in the vampire’s voice, and the slight compulsion. He wasn’t about to tell the bloodsucker off this time.
With his help, Sera took his place in the passenger seat and buckled up.
Hunter looked at them through the rear-view mirror. Sera may not have caught up yet, but the human did. When Ian opened the side door and jumped, he heard Sera’s scream, but ignored it. In mid-air, he willed his wolf to take form, and his beast was ecstatic for the hunt. Finn moved swiftly, catching up with him at preternatural speed.
The figure was still following the truck. Snarling, he pushed his wolf to full speed to quickly close the gap and attacked. This time, his teeth closed on flesh and he wasn’t about to let it go.
Finn came up behind the figure and took it in a choke hold. That’s when it vanished again, but this time, they were prepared and both Finn and he followed it as the figure fled through the woods.
It wasn’t as quick as earlier, and Ian hoped that it meant it was beginning to weaken, becoming more vulnerable. Popping on and off, Ian and Finn followed, quickly catching up. Now his wolf could smell fear.
He was a few feet away when the ground started to shake. The trees filled with snow created a curtain all around them, making it difficult to see. Ian pushed forward, determined not to let the creep get away. Trees shook harder, branches creaking and breaking, making it more and more difficult to run. Finn cursed under his breath as he dodged a thicker branch.
Ian jumped to his right as a branch whipped in his direction. Finn pushed forward, a few strides ahead of him when he saw a tree starting to fall exactly where the vampire was heading. Finn was solely looking at the shadow and didn’t see the threat upon him. He may have been a vampire but being crushed by a tree would probably kill him. It was pure reaction. Ian used his entire weight and plowed against the vampire. They both tumbled in the snow as the forest creaked all around them. Broken trunks fell, and Ian yelped as one trapped his back leg and another one snapped against his back, burying him deeper in the snow. Barely able to breathe, he felt more wood coming down on him. Pain made his brain fuzzy and he tried to fight it, to move, to get out of there. From a distance, he heard Finn’s scream, but couldn’t make out the words. As another tree crashed on him, compressing his lungs, making it difficult to breathe, he wished with all his heart and soul that at least Sera was able to reach Sanctuary and that she was safe.
Chapter Fourteen
Sera was plastered against the window of the kitchen even if she couldn’t see a thing. She hoped her ears would detect the sound of a car coming up the drive of Sanctuary with Ian and Finn on board. Where were they?
As soon as Hunter and she turned into the driveway, she had literally jumped out of the truck and ran, even if she didn’t even know where to go. Hunter rushed to her side and it didn’t take long to feel Valeria and Asher running out of the door in her direction. Barely coherent, Sera was grateful for Hunter who quickly explained the situation.
Asher and a few Sentinels jumped into trucks and drove away as the others prepared for a possible attack. Valeria did her best to make her sit and eat, but Sera felt like she should have gone with them. There had to be something she could do, anything.
“Would you come here, dammit and eat before I force that soup down your throat.”
Valeria grew more and more annoyed with her, and deep down, she knew it was with good, sisterly intention.
With a sigh, she touched the cold glass one last time before turning and making her way back to the table where her friend and Hunter were sitting.
“Thank you for the meal, ma’am. I really appreciate it.”
“Please, Hunter, call me Valeria. I would need another ten years to get used to being called ma’am.”
“I don’t mean any disrespect. On the contrary.”
“Well, I can imagine that being thrown in our world all of a sudden can be unsettling, to say the least. But I’m glad you kept your head and helped save my friends.”
“I’ve never been more grateful for being a cop in Chicago and being used to strange people and situations before. Especially since I’ve been thrown in among stranger people and situations now. And here I thought that working in Easthallows would give me normal and boring.”
Valeria laughed. “Well, you never know what life can bring you. I’m all for being prepared for everything. Especially since I live here at Sanctuary.”
Sera listened to the conversation but didn’t feel like participating. Valeria pushed a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of her and took her hand to put a spoon in it.
“And if necessary, I can force feed you like a child too.”
Sera was starting to get annoyed, and that didn’t happen often. Slamming the spoon on the table, she tried to get her calm back. “I don’t have the right to be worried, that’s what you’re saying? I’ve put three people in danger, and maybe more since I’m h
ere at Sanctuary, and I don’t have the right to be worried sick, to feel guilty? What if something happened to Finn and Ian? Because of me?”
As she went to push herself up again, the callused hand of Hunter covered hers and squeezed gently. “Easy, Sera. You’re the victim here, not the enemy. I may be overwhelmed by all this, but I stand by what I’ve told you. I’m here to help. And I’m sure Ian and Finn feel the same, otherwise, they wouldn’t have jumped out of that van to go after that… thing.”
The words may have made sense in the logical part of her mind, but everything else in her screamed otherwise. “I should have made other arrangements when Layla told me she had heard rumors about possible guardians coming after me. I should have left, disappeared.”
Valeria sat beside her and kissed her cheek before putting her head on her shoulder. “We wouldn’t have let you go like that, Sera. Whatever is after you, we’ll find a solution. You have the most amazing brain I know. Stop letting the fear in and think. What’s the next step? What’s the next step to find the answers, to discover who’s after you and defeat them? That’s the real goal here, the only way this madness is going to end.”
Defeated, Sera put her head against Valeria’s and squeezed Hunter’s hand. Of course, her friend was right. She just wished she had her courage and fearlessness. It wasn’t who she was, but right now, it was who she needed to be.
The door opened, and Sera jumped.
“So, where’s that stupid vampire now?”
The voice of Violet entering the room like a tornado brought tears to Sera’s eyes. And before she could go to her wild witch friend, she was already in her tight embrace. Violet was rarely shaken, but Sera could hear the emotion in her voice when she spoke. “You scared me, my dear friend. I think I had lost half my hair when I heard you were in danger and I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Sera laughed half-heartedly and touched the wealth of curls she remembered being a dark red color.
“Even if you lose half of them, you would still have more hair than me.”
Violet smacked a kiss on her cheek before tightening her hug a moment more and releasing her.
Another kiss and hug as Valeria joined in. Sera felt truly blessed to have these amazing women in her life. All of sudden, all didn’t feel so bleak and dark. Hope was trying to find its way back inside her.
“And we have a handsome new man in Sanctuary.”
Sera had forgotten about Hunter who remained silent at the table.
“Violet, please meet my friend, Hunter Grimes. He’s a cop newly arrived at Easthallows.”
Her friend moved and as Sera opened her mind a little, she felt the apprehension, curiosity and surprise in him.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Grimes. I’m Violet Shaughnessy. And I’m a law-abiding citizen through and through.”
Hunter’s voice seemed very amused. “Glad to hear it, Miss Shaughnessy.”
“And if you threaten my friends in any way, I can fry your ass so bad, even your CSI won’t be able to determine that it’d ever been yours.”
And with the tone of her voice, Violet wasn’t completely kidding. To his credit, Hunter still smiled and answered cheerfully. “Perfectly understood. And I would rather you use your wrath against that thing that threatens Sera, if you don’t mind. I think it would be a better use of your energy, Miss.”
Violet chuckled. “Please call me Violet. You’ll do, Mr. Grimes.” And then she turned to Sera and Valeria. “And what about Patricia? I heard she’s in a coma? And what about dumb and dumber? Any news from them yet?”
Sera shook her head, but before more explanations could be said, the undeniable sound of vehicles arriving distracted her.
For the first time, she cursed her unseeing eyes as her heart thudded and yelling could be heard from the outside.
“Damn vampire, what did he do now?”
Sera grabbed the closest arm and shook it. “Tell me what you see and be descriptive.”
“Ow!” Violet whined and shook off her grip. “Easy there. Two trucks arriving in the drive. Asher and the Sentinels are carrying Finn and a wolf, probably Ian. They seem... unconscious.”
The door burst open, and it sounded like a troop of elephants trampling in. The strong smell of blood filled her nose. Valeria’s voice ordered them to place Finn and Ian on the vast kitchen table.
“Who’s hurt? Both of them?”
Violet’s voice sounded worried. “Both are unconscious. Finn is covered with blood. I don’t see blood on Ian.”
People moved all around her, the sound bouncing off the walls, making Sera dizzy and disoriented. Extending her arms, she went toward the table and bumped into Valeria.
“What does it look like?”
Valeria swallowed hard. “Finn is still alive but he’s lost a lot of blood. There are two wooden spikes in his side and leg.”
“And Ian?”
“Broken bones. Many broken bones.”
Asher came to her left. “They were buried underneath several large trees. It’s a miracle he’s still breathing.”
Valeria touched Sera’s shoulder. “I think Ian is in the most serious condition. And as my powers are not as strong since I became a weredragon, I can lend you power, but I can’t direct the spell.”
Violet touched her other shoulder. “I’ll help you too, push as much as I can. And with the rest, I’ll kick the vampire’s ass into shape.”
Sera nodded and hoped it would be enough.
“Hunter?”
The cop came forward. Several shifters moved about, wary of being close to a stranger, but the situation was too dire to protest.
“I’m here, Sera. Do you need to do the same thing as before for Patricia?”
Unable to speak, she simply nodded. That’s when he took her hand. “I’m ready when you are.”
Immensely grateful, she grabbed his head with her hands and pulled him down for a kiss. The urgency of the situation, the despair tugging at her heart made her magic swirl even more violently. As Hunter’s energy poured inside her, it made her greedy. Even when he fell to his knees, she couldn’t stop. Hearing yells around her, she ignored everything, except for when his heart started to stutter. The sound was subtle, but made her break contact instantly.
“I’m sorry. Oh god, Hunter, are you alright?” When she crouched to touch him, he crawled away from her. It twisted her to see that she could hurt somebody if she ever lost control.
Asher moved in front of her. “Go help Ian, Sera. I’ll take care of him.”
He was right, there was no time to waste. Filled with energy, magic vibrating inside her, Sera turned to Ian, lying in front of her on the table. Opening her mind, she gasped when she realized how faint his aura was. He was dying. And she was the only one, at this moment, capable of keeping him in this world awhile longer.
Valeria and Violet moved as close as they could without touching so she wouldn’t be distracted, and Sera let go. Turned into energy, she floated inside the body of a very broken wolf.
Shutting down all her emotions, she got to work. Relentlessly, she mended bones, stopped bleeding, healed bruised organs, torn muscles and severed nerves. It took a very long time before Sera saw any form of improvement. From the moment she had dived inside, his heartbeat had been so low, she could barely hear it. When the first strong heartbeat resonated all around her, he took a full breath that sounded like the wind in the pine trees.
Everything was still uncertain, but she examined each part of his cells, muscles and bones, and made sure that everything serious was healed. And once she could finally say that she was satisfied with her work, her magic shook a little, a sign that she had to let go and trust that his shifter’s healing abilities would do the rest.
Returning to her body, Sera swayed a little, and immediately, Valeria and Violet grabbed both her arms.
“Damn girl, I don’t know what kind of energy that human gave you, but it’s the first time I’ve seen someone healing for such an extended period of tim
e. Are you alright?”
Sera shook her head, steadier now. “No, I’m fine. How does it look from your side?”
Valeria rubbed her shoulders. “His body is more relaxed. His breathing steadier. I think you did a tremendous job.”
Sera didn’t dare to speak. She only prayed that what she did was enough.
“And what about Finn? Violet?”
Asher moved closer. “No improvement. It’s as if he’s shut down. I hear that vampires are dangerous when they’re injured and low on blood.”
“I’m sure they’re as dangerous as werewolves in the same situation, darling.” Valeria noisily kissed her worried mate.
Sera took another step, happy to see that her wobbly legs were gone. “If you direct me toward him, I can try to start the healing from the inside out with him too.”
Violet blocked her way. “No, I think I have a better idea. I’ve studied vampires, and their main healing power goes through blood. Not as humans, shifters or us. You could help, but what he needs more is blood.”
Sera’s heart skipped. “Vi, it’s too dangerous. If he’s bloodthirsty, he won’t be the Finn that we know, and he could tear out the throat of his donor.”
“You’re right, Sera. That’s why we’ll try another tactic, one I hope will wake him up enough to regain some sense of control and logic. Put him on the floor please.”
Men moved and put the silent Finn down. “Now I want one person pinning down each of his arms and legs. And be ready for anything, don’t let him go.”
More shifting. “Vi?”
“Val, gimme a knife, would you, something sharp.”
Valeria went to get one, and Sera was far from reassured.
“Sera, take a few steps back, would you? And be on stand by. Val, grab one of those sticks from his body and Asher, take the other one. On my mark.”
Sera moved back to stand beside Ian’s still unconscious form and put a hand on his wolf head, trying her best to stay calm and ready for anything.
Violet shuffled, probably getting to her knees.
“Get the stick out as one. The pain should wake him up and I’ll slice my wrist and let blood drop into his mouth until he’s lucid enough to understand what’s going on.”