“How long does that take?”
“A while.” His mouth thinned, probably because he knew she hated such vague answers.
“Why didn’t I react? I’m trained—”
Ethan kissed her forehead, his palms rubbed over her arms, warming her. “It’s good you didn’t. You could have killed him with your usual karate defense if you had.”
Only then did she notice that all of the men had gathered while she suffered this embarrassing crisis in front of them. They stood, almost circling her and Ethan, watching with half hidden faces.
When her gaze crossed Beon’s he smiled gently, lifted the GPS, and said, “We should keep moving. I fear the opposition could find us more quickly in such a populated area.”
She knew he was right, of course. Beon was always right. Worry swamped her. She twisted and scanned the area behind them, listening, watching ... but saw nothing.
“They haven’t found us yet,” said Seth. “I would know if they had.”
“How do you know?” she asked, forcing her feet to move as Ethan gathered her hand into his and walked also. She tugged her hood back into place.
Seth looked to his left, nodded and moved ahead, again following Beon. That’s when she saw him. Well, she suspected it was a him when she saw a shadow detach itself from an alleyway and run down another dark path. “Who—?”
“We’re not the only ones on this trek, my sweet,” said Beon.
“We have sentries scoping the surrounding area for any possible threats,” said Seth.
“They missed one,” she complained, thinking about the drunken man.
“Sorry about that, but as a mortal, we ignored him.”
Of course they did, she mused with irritation.
* * * * *
The coordinates appeared to be taking them deeper into the old city rather than the surrounding forest. That’s strange, thought Danielle. She’d sort of thought the old sorceress would hide in seclusion just as the vampire had, but that didn’t appear to be the case. Halting her thoughts, Ethan tightened his grip on her fingers. She stopped and looked at him, then heard Beon say, “It’s leading us to this cottage.”
Hearing the wonder in his tone, she had to agree. The small rustic building looked rather dilapidated. Holes visible in the thatched roof would no longer keep rain or snow out. Paint on the outside of the walls had mostly peeled off and a mass of vines practically overtook everything else. A stone path, just barely visible beneath a growth of thick weeds, marked the way to the front step.
Beon started toward it, his shoulders set at a determined angle. Max and Seth followed, as did she with Ethan. They crashed through dead grass and leaves as they drew closer to the front door. Made of weathered wood, the door appeared as though it had been painted green at one time, but most of the paint was gone.
The rotting wooden steps and porch squeaked under their feet. Fearing one board would surely break Danielle avoided stepping on it at all.
Beon reached for the doorknob, gave it a turn and pushed. A blanket of blackness widened as the door swung open. The hinges groaned as did the floorboards when they moved inside. Staleness enveloped her senses as their group entered a dark and dusty room. Furnished with a rotting sofa, tattered lace curtains, a table and a pair of wingback chairs, the place certainly seemed deserted. Lilith must not be here any longer, she worried.
Seth drew in one deep breath and then exhaled. “It’s a glamour.”
A what? But while she had never heard the word Beon and Ethan nodded in understanding. “Ethan?” she asked.
Turning a smile on her, he said, “She still lives here, but to keep nosy people like us from bothering her, she’s hidden everything behind a glamour.” He took in the room again. With a chuckle of approval, he lifted a teacup from the table, ran his fingers over the porcelain surface. “A brilliantly done glamour.”
“And a glamour is...?” she prompted because his first answer sucked.
He returned the teacup and dusted off his hands. “It’s an enchantment. She could even change how she looks to us. We might never know what she really looks like—”
“If we can get her to reveal herself, that is.” Her gaze shifted to Beon, he went on, “Lilith!” he called. When nothing happened, he added, “Lilith? We wish to speak with you. We’re in desperate need of your aid.”
Silence saturated the room as they waited. Light from a nearby streetlamp filtered in through the frayed curtains. Danielle watched dust motes dance in the shaft of dim light, then dropped her gaze. The pattern of a threadbare rug became revealed as she dragged the heel of her boot through the blanket of dust covering it. Gasping and clutching at Ethan’s jacket, Danielle started when light suddenly glowed from the bottom edge of a door as though someone had just flipped a switch. Danielle knew it was likely just magic too. Her eyes locked on first the turning doorknob and then the door as it opened. A yellow glow spilled into the room, sped across the floor and then rose up until they stood illuminated to whomever it was answering their call.
A woman. Frail-looking and crooked with age she hobbled forward. “Lilith is not here,” came an accent-drenched voice that sounded as weathered as the woman appeared.
“Please, we must speak with her. She’s the only one who can help us,” said Seth.
Danielle narrowed her eyes. Partly because of the bright light, but also partly because she suspected this woman was Lilith in disguise.
“I’m not Lilith if some of you are wondering that.”
Startled, Danielle blinked. Could a sorceress read minds? She glanced at Ethan. He hadn’t mentioned anything like that. As though he could read her thoughts, Ethan shrugged as his eyes shifted back to the old woman.
Shuffling closer, her thin, knobby fingers tightened on a walking stick. “I am her friend and I will not have her disturbed by your kind.” Her eyes creased further as they narrowed on them. “She will not release you from the curse. You cannot escape it.”
“We’ve discovered the cure,” said Ethan simply.
This got her attention. Her momentum halted as her head lifted. Gray tendrils of wispy hair danced around her round but wrinkled face. A faint gleam flashed in clear, youthful eyes. Were they blue or gray? It was hard to tell, even with her heightened sight. Not that it mattered really, because now Danielle suspected this woman also hid behind a glamour, and perhaps that was why she couldn’t distinguish the actual color. A moment of silence passed and then the woman’s gaze narrowed again. “Explain.”
Ethan stepped forward and told this woman of their tale just as he’d told it to Benjamin. As he spoke her mouth twitched into what appeared to be a shocked grimace, though it could have been a knowing smirk. This woman was hard to read, again likely due to the glamour....
Has she just gotten taller? Danielle wondered, just before the cloaking enchantment fell away revealing a much younger looking lady. Another gasp left her lips when the woman spoke to her directly. “You, my dear, are a very special creature.” The words came out on a smooth rich voice. A graceful hand reached for Danielle’s shoulder, turning her for a closer look. Ethan tensed. He may have thought she was safer due to the turn, but he clearly didn’t trust these magical types.
Just as Danielle opened her mouth to argue that anyone could do what she’d done, the woman or sorceress spoke again. “Have you been hunted?” The woman’s hand fell away and landed on her hip. She tapped a shoe-covered foot. Ethan exhaled, the sound a quiet one, but she heard it.
“I—wait, what?” Danielle managed in confusion. “Not all vampires—”
Shaking her head, the woman said, “I mean other cursed beings such as pixies...”
“Oh, and werewolves?” asked Danielle.
Blue eyes—yes they were definitely blue—sparkled with understanding as again she nodded. Blond but still curly hair swayed with the movement now. Her unlined round face expressed curiosity as she measured Danielle, shifting her weight to the other foot and folding her arms at her waist.
&nb
sp; “But any—” Danielle began, again trying to explain she wasn’t anything special.
Cutting her off, the sorceress said, “Yes, yes, of course any mortal could have cured a vampire. But you are the one who did. The others will naturally notice that, and be drawn to it.” The woman waved a hand as though dismissing any further arguments and continued, “Can’t you see it in her aura?” she asked the others.
Danielle watched in surprise as Ethan and the other men all nodded in agreement. “Ethan?”
“It’s true, darling. Your glow is brighter now, even brighter than it was before you turned.”
“What?” Of course when she’d been turned she’d realized she could now see the glow of others, but she had no idea hers had actually changed.
She noticed that Ethan’s tension had slipped away. Did he trust this woman now? Danielle swung her eyes back to the lady. “Who are you?” she asked, wondering if this could possibly be the bitter Lilith everyone had talked about.
Smoothing a wrinkle in her simple green dress, she said, “My name is Corina. Lilith is truly not here.” Pinning Danielle with a seeming regret-filled look, she said, “She will not help you. She despises Benjamin and all of your kind. ’Tis true she will likely be impressed with your discovery.” Corina emitted a light chuckle as she reached for the teacup Ethan had touched earlier and sipped at a steaming liquid inside it. Only then did Danielle notice that the room appeared restored as the glamour had dropped from it too. “I promise to make her aware of your plight, but don’t expect any aid from her.”
“Can’t you help us?” Desperation made her ask the question. They’d come all this way only to be turned away again? Surely this woman was the one controlling the magic here, and just as surely she could help them, she thought.
“I’m sorry, but I only dabble in tricks really.” She proved this by waving hands over the teacup, turning it into a plate of triangle shaped sandwiches. “Lilith is immensely more powerful than I.” Corina then settled onto the now pristine sofa, conjured a remote control in her hand and pressed a button. At the same time a large flat-screen television appeared on the wall above a stone embellished fireplace. A cooking show was on.
Marveling at the fact that this sorceress liked to cook, or just liked to watch people cook, she gaped in bewildered awe.
“It was lovely meeting you all, but I’d very much like to get on with my lunch.” Corina gathered up one of the little sandwiches and bit into it. Salmon, cream cheese and tomato, she noted as the smell of it filled her nose.
But just as they began toward the door, Corina cleared her throat before saying, “Please don’t exit through the front. I’d rather the neighbors didn’t see you.” She waved her fingers toward a bookshelf on the left side of the room. Still utterly bemused, Danielle watched as the entire thing swiveled, revealing a hidden passage. “That will lead you to the woods.” Corina winked and then said, “Take care, children, your enemies are in the city.”
When Danielle turned back, wanting to ask about the warning, Ethan captured her arm and steered her into the black tunnel beyond.
Chapter 24
Rending Life
“They found us?” Danielle asked as they ran down an unlit stone corridor, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to see this well as a mortal.
“I’m not surprised,” came Seth’s response from up ahead.
Apparently even though she too was a vampire, Ethan’s stride remained longer than hers. As he rushed her along the uneven pathway, she still stumbled along behind and was forced to put a hand out to balance against the wall. Danielle cringed when her fingers came away covered in something that felt soft and sticky. Had to be a spider web. Shuddering with disgust, she gave her hand a shake and brushed it off against her pant leg. This place was infested with the creepy little things. Did Corina and Lilith even use it? Somehow she doubted that.
“Seems we have to face this alone,” said Ethan. Danielle could almost taste the concern in his voice.
“Face what? What are they going to do to us?”
She didn’t get an answer to her question before they stepped out into a moonlit forest. Max held a tangle of vines up so the rest of them could exit more easily. Breathing in the fresh air outside of the musty tunnel, Danielle searched the surrounding area for any signs of the vampires hunting them. A cool breeze swept against her face and brushed her hair over her shoulder. Either they were incredibly stealthy or they weren’t there yet because she saw and heard nothing.
“Let’s head north,” said Beon, his face bent over the GPS again. “If they’re still in the city we may be able to avoid them.”
Breaking into a run, Danielle let go of Ethan’s hand. She didn’t need to be dragged through the woods at his pace, even though their vampire speed was incredibly swift. Again they flew past trees, animals and stones. Moonbeams filtered through the canopy of tall trees casting them all in shadows of blue and gray and black. A startled deer bounced out of their path. Birds fled their perches as though they sensed the danger of the beings nearing their nests.
“We’re too late,” muttered Max.
“They’re coming.”
Beon didn’t need to explain who. Tossing a look over her shoulder, Danielle asked, “Which way?” as they flew through and over the thick undergrowth. Before anyone responded she knew the answer to that. Danielle dug her heels in and stopped, or tried to as she slid for a moment before her momentum halted completely. Ethan gathered her hand into his again as the other men formed a protective circle around them.
Closing her eyes she drew in a measured breath. Just as she could sense the deer earlier, she could feel the presence of many vampires moving toward them from the same direction they’d been headed. Should they have been going toward the city instead? No, she realized when she not only sensed them but could hear and now see them.
A mass of vampires swept toward her group like a solid mist of cursed muscle.
“We fight then,” Max said, dropping into the guarding stance she’d taught him. It was a little unnerving how he appeared pleased with the prospect of a fight. His full mouth curved into a dangerous grin. It didn’t seem to matter that they had more men fighting on their side than they’d had at the mall. They’d been outnumbered then and it was a hundred times worse now. So very outnumbered.... How could he relish this?
With that thought she looked to Prince Richard. Muscles flexed along his whisker-shadowed jaw as he took in the sight. Jerking his arms free of his jacket, he then tossed the leather garment on the ground to give himself better mobility, she guessed. His expression didn’t give her much hope. The Black Prince, who’d seen his share of war, didn’t look anywhere near as delighted as Max.
Moments later the conflict closed in on them as the sounds of fists pounding against flesh filled the air. A man grunted and flew backward as Cedric landed a brutal uppercut against his jaw. Another man bared his teeth as he attacked Seth. Male and female vampires actually went sailing over head as Max and Richard used techniques for throwing a person.
It began to rain. Big droplets of water fell through the canopy of trees above them.
Back to back with Ethan now, the fact that she couldn’t bask in his comforting gaze made Danielle feel hopeless somehow. “We’ll never defeat them all. Ethan—?”
“Just keep your back to mine and use all of the skills I know you have.”
Because Ethan was still holding her hand, she felt his fingers tighten on hers as he lifted their hands to his lips to press a kiss to the back of hers. “I’m sorry, Danielle, I never wanted it to come to this.”
“Why wouldn’t any of them help us?”
With his sigh, Danielle felt the shift of his muscles. “I wish I knew.”
She leaned into him. There was something soothing at least about just having him there even as violence filled her view. Where had Cedric gone? Danielle couldn’t see him any longer and the rain started to come down harder. Watching in horror, she noticed as others were drawn
into the fray, completely overpowered by so many. The protective circle around them shrank until a wide gap formed between Richard and Beon.
Vampires moved in, engaging Ethan and then her. She could still feel him behind her as they fought off the attack, his arms and body shifting, sometimes even bumping into her with his efforts.
Punching one man in the chest, Danielle was almost startled when he flew back with such force he plowed over a few others in his wake. She caught another under the chin. His head snapped back sending raindrops flying from his skin and then, even more shocked, she watched as he flipped up and back almost like a fish. Finally she was on even ground with her skills.
She marveled at that too long, however, because someone managed to clip her in the cheek. Sharp pain exploded in her face. Grunting in agony, Danielle’s head whipped to the side, as her now wet hair swung around, slapping her skin. Her shoulder smashed into Ethan’s.
“Are you all right?” she heard him ask through the ringing in her ears. The entire right side of her face was throbbing now.
Swinging out, she made sure she blocked the next fist aimed at her head. Droplets of water splattered her face with the impact. “I thought you said it doesn’t hurt being immortal?”
“Ah, that...”
They turned as they battled with their backs practically glued together. “What do you mean by ‘ah, that?’”
“I neglected to mention—”
His words were cut off as the crowd attacking them intensified and came from what seemed like all directions. She swung and kicked with everything she had until she took another hit in the stomach. Air whooshed out of her lungs and she doubled over. Forcing herself to shake it off, Danielle tossed the saturated strands of hair out of her face, straightened and kept fighting. Her now soaked leather jacket began resisting her movement and she wished she’d removed it beforehand as Richard had done. Along with taking inventory of her wet clothing, Danielle did note the fact that she’d lost contact with Ethan.
Still fending off blows from opponents in front of her and to either side, she tossed a quick look over her shoulder. Unable to see him, Danielle whirled around to take on the new onslaught coming from behind. Again she searched for Ethan’s blue cap and blond hair. Where had he gone?
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