“Gavin!” I screamed when something moved in the tree behind him.
He twisted in time to dive out of the douchebag’s path. I could only spare another half second to watch him recover before returning to my own troubles.
The battle transformed from something manageable to utter chaos within moments. I lost sight of Gavin, and shortly after that, I ran out of knives. The low hanging branches served as replacement stakes, but we were severely outnumbered. Boots crunched over the snow in every direction, and five combatants slunk forward to surround me. Not usually an issue, but these particular bloodsuckers were like regular vamps on steroids.
With every last shred of my hope, I prayed the others made it into the tunnels. Things were about to get bloody. For me, at least. The moonlight glinted off the five sets of onyx eyes, watching me with gleeful malice.
I stretched my eyesight beyond them, searching for signs of Gavin but found only shadows and darkness.
Please be alive.
The footfalls came from behind and alerted me to my first attack. I swiveled, blocking a stocky, dark skinned assassin from planting a dagger in my abdomen. When his hand struck out, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward while twisting my back toward him. I yanked him over my shoulder and shoved his blade-wielding hand into his chest.
The remaining four tensed at the burst of fire but descended on me quickly. A booted foot crashed into my back, jolting me forward. My face slammed against rough bark and I ended up on my butt.
Four dark figures swarmed above me, leaving zero space to stand. A tall vampire with hair so pale it matched his skin loomed over me and acted as spokesman for the group.
“You, Ms. Masters, are a plague among our kind. You and that half breed must be wiped out before your infection spreads and you taint the world with your blood.” He managed to sound menacing through the thirst-induced rasp.
“Whatever that means. I think the lack of blood has made you guys a bit delirious.” I taunted him because, honestly, what else can you do when you’re about to die?
Another lady vamp with brown hair leaned over me. “We will be toasting our victory with the blood of your little human helpers,” she sneered.
Out of instinct, or maybe just my usual temper, my fist connected with her jaw. The others seized the opportunity to pounce. Kicks and punches rained down on me, and I curled in on myself to avoid the worst.
Bones snapped, only to be kicked repeatedly out of place, making the healing process impossible. It hurt like a bitch, and I locked my jaw against the onslaught of pain. I bit my lip to keep from doing something stupid like crying out in surrender.
And because that wasn’t fun enough, they tried gaining access to my face by ripping the hair out of my scalp. I assumed my battered body made a fantastic punching bag, but apparently, they preferred to pound my thick skull. Why? I had no clue.
The shiiing of a sword being unsheathed gave me my first hint, and I was 98 percent sure I no longer wanted to know the answer. My mind took a hundred-yard nosedive into a dark place.
Make that 100 percent sure.
It wasn’t a punching bag they were after. It was a trophy.
They managed to pry my head from its hiding spot under my arms while two of them braced my shoulders, keeping me on my knees. The albino looking one stood before me with his sword drawn. He raised the blade to my neck and the cool metal froze my blood in place.
It wasn’t supposed to end so soon. I should have had more time. I only hoped the others survived and made it to safety, including Gavin.
On cue, the sounds of metal clanking rang through the night from a distance. He was still fighting, and an audible sigh of relief escaped me. I had to get back to him. I wasn’t ready for my ending when I was just getting started. I had to make it out of this.
Think, Lucy. Think
“Any last words?” the albino asked, with a twisted sort of smile on that flawless alien face of his.
As he spoke, something flashed through the trees beyond where he stood. I thought I imagined it when none of the other vampires reacted, but they were too engrossed in their premature victory, staring down at me with smug satisfaction.
This moment went from tragic to downright comical, and the laughter burst out of me. I couldn’t stop myself as waves of uncontrollable giggling echoed through the forest, washing out any remaining sounds of battle far away. My eyes welled with tears and my stomach muscles clenched in humorous agony. Several ribs screamed at me in protest, but I reveled in the discomfort.
“You guys are idiots.” I forced the words through the chortles.
“What did you say to us?” the brunette asked.
I sobered enough to look up at the pale knight, still carrying some residual humor in my smile. “I said, burn in hell.”
Without further prompting, the area lit up with false rays and the sword at my throat fell to the ground in front of me, but not before leaving a two inch gash along my collarbone.
All four vampires shrieked in horror when the white light bathed their skin. One by one, they burst into bright balls of sparks like evil, but still pretty, fireworks.
Max, Brody, Wade, Nick and Allison emerged from the surrounding trees.
“What the hell did I tell you guys?”
“We’re not sitting this one out,” Max said.
“Someone had to save your ass. Again.” Allison’s voice was haughty but not entirely hostile.
“Yeah, girl. We’re your heroes,” added Nick.
“Like I said, you guys are idiots.” I scanned each of their faces, witnessing the determination of true warriors in their eyes and the silent oath to protect their own. Seeing the fury there reminded me of Chef’s words.
This wasn’t just my fight. They each had their reasons for being here. They made their own choices, and I couldn’t accept responsibility for the consequences of their decisions.
“Thank you. You guys were amazing. Where are the others?”
“We spread out in groups, so most are in different positions around the house.” Wade briefed me on the other groups and I assumed command of his crew.
“Stick with me and stay close to each other,” I ordered.
We worked our way around the outer perimeters of the yard but were soon facing another unit of assassins equal in number to the previous.
My mini squad formed a circle with their flashlights while I engaged the closest enemy. He had shiny black hair slicked back into a low ponytail held by a leather strap. A dark green crushed velvet blazer hung past his hips, and the black button down shirt underneath draped open enough to reveal the pasty chest beneath. Gross. Did he think he was Johnny Depp in Don Juan Demarco?
The only reason I know about that movie is because Holly was obsessed with Johnny Depp and forced me to watch every single thing he has been in. This guy was no Johnny.
I deflected his initial advances, but he made me earn every bit of ground I gained. Screeching and sounds of a tussle broke out behind me, and I hadn’t realized how far from the others I strayed. I spared a glance over my shoulder and winced.
The assassins dismantled my group into pairs, adapting to our defenses smoothly. Flashing away from a UV beam was simple with super speed, if they saw it coming. They knocked my guys around and separated them from their flashlights.
The slight distraction cost me. Pain lanced through my skull and heat warmed my cheek where the Johnny wannabe hit me. I hoisted a heavy arm to stop the maelstrom of fist fire, but his knee connected with my stomach, sending me to my knees. He towered over me, sword in hand.
The situation was a tad familiar. Almost like it just happened.
Only this time, no one was there to hold me down. My mouth twitched as a rush of exhilaration wiped out thoughts of despair. This little demon wanted to play.
Fresh out of weapons, I protected my vital parts from his punches and reverted to using Keysi. I head butted him while he was at my level and used multiple stages of attack to throw him off rhythm
. I hopped to my feet and wasted no time striking out with my knees and elbows, focusing on his solar plexus, kidneys, groin and whatever sensitive parts I could reach.
A piercing scream froze me in place, but before unattractive Johnny could recover, I snapped a branch from the tree behind him and drove it into his chest cavity.
Rushing back to the others, the first sight my eyes fell upon left me breathless. Hearing the others around me struggling with their own battles sounded far away, like I was underwater. All of my attention honed in on the surreal picture five feet away from where I stood.
Wade lay on the ground, still and lifeless. Wade, designated leader of the group. Wade, the strongest human being I’ve ever known. Wade, my mentor and the only house member to never give up on my progress, no matter how slow it was.
“You will all suffer the same fate for your actions.”
The gruff voice came from the vampire standing above Wade’s body. Allison stood in front of him, an arm extended with a spray bottle of holy water pointed in his direction.
Fear etched every fine line on her face. It saturated the air, drawing my thirst to the forefront of my demon’s playtime. Grimacing, I squashed the hunger as I listened to Allison’s incoherent rambling.
“I deserve this. I let them go. It was my fault. I couldn’t protect them.” Her eyes were on the ground, and her head shook back and forth with each admission.
Dread prickled my skin as the guilt fled her. It sounded eerily familiar, and I didn’t need to guess her hang ups were similar to the ones I once harbored.
She continued to atone. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…”
“Repentance won’t save you,” the vampire said as he raised his hand to strike.
“Hey, dipshit! She wasn’t apologizing to you. And believe me when I say, you’re the one who will be suffering,” I warned.
When he whirled on me, I was poised and ready. My hand flashed in front of me, burying deep inside his upper abdomen. Once I clenched his heart in my palm, I liberated it from his body.
His stunned expression rippled with agony. The primal predator in me basked in it, and I barely felt the heart sized fire on my palm.
Allison had shrunk to the ground and I extended a hand to her. “Come on. I’m not letting you die tonight. No one should have to die by their worst fear.”
She eyed my offered hand timidly but accepted it. “Thanks, I guess. I still don’t like you.”
“Likewise.”
I helped Max, Nick, and Brody dispatch their assailants and led the group through the woods to aid the other teams. We crept silently through the snow and underbrush of the forest until we reached another battle taking place on the front lawn.
Creaking limbs above tipped me off to a new threat. My head whipped up in time to catch the dropping intruder. I sidestepped the attack and had just accepted a knife from Max when Brody yelled.
“Lucy, look out!”
Too preoccupied with the first enemy, I hadn’t noticed the one sneaking up behind me and had no time to protect myself from his or her attack after killing the first vamp. Spinning on my heel, I expected to meet a blade at my chest or neck, but saw only the still blackness of the forest.
“Whoa! What was that?” Nick asked. “Someone came out of nowhere and attacked the bitch.”
Everyone’s confused faces told me they didn’t have any answers for him. My first thought was Gavin, but I sensed him among the roar of battle on the lawn.
The thought of Gavin in danger pulled me away from pondering unanswered questions. “We need to help the others.” I made eye contact with each one of them. “Stay as close to me as possible.”
While three of them shared grave expressions, Nick’s mouth tipped up coyly. “Gladly.”
We entered the field side by side, sprinting toward the action. I spotted Gavin in the middle of it, and the moonlight heightened his sharp features. Dried blood darkened his normally light brown hair. His fierce movements reminded me of a Greek warrior in battle, even sexier than Brad Pitt in Troy.
I wanted to run straight to him, but a thousand and one assassins intercepted our arrival as we reached the outer edge of the skirmish. Slashing and tearing through undead scum, we fought as a unit. We gathered our own together one at a time and corralled our enemies.
I glanced around at my housemates who shared the same deadly calm expression I was rocking. Elation spread with our pending victory. I locked eyes with each vampire, unable to help gloating in their demise.
One of them spat at the ground in front of me. “You will soon die by the Elite. Their army is vast, and you are but one miniscule gnat.”
“That’s what I keep hearing. But I’m a resilient little gnat, huh?”
With their backs to the now blazing house fire, we pinned them between the flames and flashlights. In unison, the Keepers lifted their flashlights, creating a beautiful display of sparks and embers. The entire battle was over in what seemed like an hour.
Although we defeated them, it felt more like a loss than a victory when I glanced at the ground strewn with our fallen friends. We lost eight of our people, and as I met everyone’s bleak eyes, I realized a pair of ice blue ones was noticeably absent.
No!
“Gavin!” I screamed and shouted his name over and over. My remaining allies joined in so our voices echoed across the lawn, over the roar of the conflagration.
I whipped through the trees, desperately searching for signs of him. I reached out my senses to find him through our connection, but it was just as it was when he blocked me. He wasn’t dead. He once told me I would feel it if he were. He couldn’t be gone. I refused to believe it.
I scoured miles of forest but never picked up a trace.
“Did you find him?” Allison asked when I emerged from the woods.
Unable to give voice to my fear, I simply shook my head. “We need to keep moving. You guys get to a vehicle. I have to get to the tunnels and find the others. Maybe Gavin is with them.”
“Lucy!” Max shouted, running at us from another direction. “The garage is engulfed in flames. We can’t drive, but the east entrance still looks intact. We need to hurry if we’re going to make it to the kitchen tunnel.”
I really didn’t want to put anyone else in unnecessary danger tonight, but we were low on alternatives. Without wasting more time, we sprinted toward the inferno and rounded the house to the side that wasn’t yet immersed in flames. Bursting through the door, we were met with plumes of smoke.
“Get low, and follow close behind me,” I yelled.
Stretching my eyesight, I led us through the maze of murky corridors, nearly missing the section of roof that collapsed behind the group. We were almost to the kitchen, when a commotion behind me stopped everyone in their tracks.
“John!”
I recognized Rachel’s frightened voice and shoved my way to the back of the crowd. John’s slight figure was sprawled on the floor with Rachel slumped over him. Her black sleeve shielded her mouth.
“He just fainted,” she explained, releasing a coughing fit.
“Get to the kitchen,” I ordered the others while I bent to gather John in my arms. “I’ve got him. Go!” I shouted when a few lingered to watch.
They hurried ahead, and we rushed to the walk in cooler. I ignored the punched-in-the-gut feeling I got when passing the pints of blood. I was drained and in serious need of nourishment, but there was no time.
Max lifted the trap door to the tunnels and began leading the way down. Smoke poured into the tiny space, and when I descended into the narrow stairwell, I slammed the door shut behind me.
Flashlights flickered to life and lit the way down. Boots clomped across the stone floor at the bottom, and we set a steady but rapid jog. Distant heartbeats filtered through the rhythmic sounds, and hope bloomed in my chest. The others were waiting.
Sophie’s sweet voice came next. “Lucy! Is that you?”
The Keepers broke out in a sprint and enthusiastic shout
s at the sight of friends we never knew we would see again. After what we had been through, it was a miracle to just hear their voices again.
When we reached them, a tear-filled round of hugs ensued, but when Helen caught sight of John in my arms, she sucked in a sharp breath. The excitement faded, replaced by fear and anxiety. He was pulled from my arms as someone began CPR.
After an eternity of listening to his faint heartbeat, he released a sputtering, wheezy breath and gulped in oxygen to his starving lungs. Everyone gathered around to fuss over him while I looked past the group to meet Helen’s eyes.
“Gavin?” I asked. Her eyebrows scrunched in confusion at first, but panic took root when understanding dawned.
“I thought he was with you.”
I didn’t stay to hear anything else. I raced through the tunnels at breakneck speeds and burst through the sewer system to street level. Panic worked its way through me like a drug. I was a slave to it, tirelessly combing the town and surrounding woods. Each empty second made me more frenzied.
I made about twenty passes through the town before stopping.
My friends shouted my name from the vehicles we had stashed nearby. I hadn’t realized I was standing in the middle of the street. My fingers gripped helplessly at my hair as I spun in pointless circles searching for the piece of my heart that was once again ripped away from me.
“Where are you?” I whispered to thin air.
I got no answer, not even through our connection.
22
By dawn, we were all tucked into our reserved rooms at the hotel in the next largest town. I pulled my cell phone out and placed it on the nightstand. It died from constantly searching for a signal in this dead zone. I had to borrow a charger from the emergency packs in our escape cars. No one had a signal, and I needed to find a way to get in touch with Gavin. Everyone else had passed out immediately from exhaustion, but my foreseeable future didn’t include sleep.
Deep in my own miserable thoughts, I startled at the sound of knocking. Chef’s face greeted me when I cracked open the door.
Blinding Light (The Bloodmarked Trilogy Book 2) Page 30