by Karen Lynch
A smile played around my mouth as I studied her profile. She drove me crazy, challenging me at every turn. She was also one of the few people who refused to back down from me. God must have had a good laugh when he decided to bond the two of us. One thing I could be sure of: life with Sara would never be boring.
We drove for a few minutes before Peter turned in his seat and gave Sara an expectant look.
She answered with a frown. “What?”
“Really? That’s all you have to say about the troll who was just sitting in your living room?”
She smiled and her expression softened. “I met Remy not long after I moved here to live with Nate, before I met you guys. I used to go exploring down by the old lumber mill, and one day he saw me and just decided to show himself to me. He was only a year older than me and pretty adventurous for a troll.”
Adventurous was a gross understatement. Trolls did not associate with many species, let alone befriend them. According to her story, her friend Remy had to have been no more than nine years old when they met. Knowing how protective trolls were over their young, I found it hard to believe the elders had let him out alone and then had permitted him and Sara to continue their friendship.
“Weren’t you scared?” Roland asked. “I would have wet my pants if a troll walked up to me in the woods when I was that age.”
“You still would,” Peter said, and the three of them laughed.
I didn’t add that I probably would have wet mine too in her place.
“I was scared at first,” she admitted. “Even back then Remy looked pretty fierce. But he knew some broken English, so we were able to talk and I found out he was as nervous as me. It was a…pretty hard time for me. I’d just lost my dad and moved to a strange place, and I was lonely. Remy was my first friend here.”
Her voice quivered on the last sentence. I imagined how difficult it must have been for her back then, a little girl, grieving her father and starting over in a new place where she knew no one but her uncle. She’d been so lonely she had reached out to the first creature that had shown her kindness.
Peter’s eyes widened. “But trolls don’t like anyone, especially humans. They kill anyone who gets near their young. Weren’t you afraid of the adult trolls?”
She laughed. “I didn’t know any better at first and Remy didn’t tell me. He was a lot of fun to be with. I taught him English, and he taught me all about the real world. He was the one who told me that vampires really did exist and most likely killed my dad. By the time he took me to meet his family, I didn’t know I was supposed to be afraid of them. They weren’t happy, but they didn’t threaten me either. Maybe it’s because I was a little kid or maybe they knew all along I wasn’t human – I don’t know. Anyway, I don’t see them very often. Usually, it’s just me and Remy.”
Peter looked at her with something akin to awe. “Okay, you are officially the most badass girl I’ve ever met. To think we were worried you’d be afraid of us when you found out what we are.”
“So, what does troll bile look like?” Roland asked. “Is it true it can cure everything?”
Sara chuckled. “It’s kind of yellowish brown, and if it could cure everything, Nate wouldn’t need his wheelchair. It could probably cure cancer if you had enough of it.”
“How exactly do you get bile out of a troll?” Peter wanted to know.
“That I can’t tell you. I promised Remy I’d never share that secret with anyone.”
Peter’s face fell. “Weren’t you afraid of carrying around troll bile?”
Roland snorted. “Why would she be afraid with Remy around?”
She rolled her eyes at them. “Are you nuts? I didn’t carry it around. Remy and I have a cave we hang out in down on the cliffs. It’s where we go so no one can see us together. I keep the bile there.”
“I heard trolls have really strong magic,” Peter said. “Have you seen it?”
“Lots of times. Remy actually showed me how to make the ward for our building. Not much can get past a troll ward.”
Listening to them, I began to have a much deeper understanding of Sara and why she fought so hard to stay in New Hastings, despite the vampire threat. After seeing her father brutally murdered, this place and the people in it had become her safe haven. Not only was she sheltered by the pack, she had a troll friend that could rip a vampire apart in seconds and help her ward her home with some of the strongest magic in the world. Something told me it was her friend Remy she’d been with that day I found her riding her bike outside town. No wonder she’d refused to tell me where she’d been.
We made good time on the highway, and soon we were circling a neighborhood of large houses tucked behind tall iron gates. I directed Roland to an empty lot we’d passed on the next street. It would be a good place for the three of them to stay while Chris and I checked out the house.
The troll was waiting for us. “Little ones close.”
Good. The sooner we got those trolls out of there, the sooner there’d be one less threat to worry about. Then I was going to have a long talk with Sara and make her understand why she couldn’t stay here anymore. Her uncle would be home tomorrow. I’d give her two days, and then we were leaving whether she wanted to or not. She’d most likely hate me at first, but I hoped she’d forgive me when she realized it was for the best.
Chris pulled into the lot and shut off his bike. “The place is heavily guarded, but nothing we haven’t dealt with before. I’d say a dozen or so armed men on the perimeter with more inside the house.”
“Chris and I will go in and neutralize their defenses,” I said to Sara, praying she would listen to me and stay here. I saw how worried she was about the young trolls, but I couldn’t focus on my job if she went in there. “Once it’s safe and we have located the young trolls, we’ll come back for you.”
To my relief, she nodded.
Roland wasn’t as happy with the plan. “You expect us to stay here?”
I understood his eagerness to see some action, but Sara’s safety was my only concern.
“You can shift and be okay, unless those men are packing silver ammo, but what about Sara? Are you willing to put her in that kind of danger?”
“I…no.”
I waved them closer. “There will be several layers of security. Whoever orchestrated this will not take chances with so valuable an asset and will expect trouble.” I doubted they were expecting Mohiri warriors though, and we had that going in our favor. “If you hear gunshots or other commotion, stay here out of sight with your heads down. We can handle this. Is everyone clear on that?”
Sara spoke first. “Yes.”
I followed Chris to his bike and donned my weapons harness. Picking up a sword, I turned to the others. “Stay here until you hear from us.”
Sara clasped her hands together, and my heart squeezed at the emotions playing across her face. Her concern for us touched me, but it was the trust in her eyes when they met mine that made me want to pull her into my arms.
“Be careful,” she said softly.
Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.
“Careful, Sara, or people might think you care,” Chris teased her before he tossed me a knowing look.
I followed him out of the lot. When we got to the road I glanced back, but I couldn’t see Sara and the others through the trees.
“She’ll be okay.”
“I know.” I made myself believe that because, otherwise, I’d never leave her. I was loath to let her out of my sight after all that had happened today, and I had to remind myself that the troll could protect her as well, if not better, than I could.
I called Erik as we headed for the estate, and he told me he, Raj, and Glenn were on their way. The others were held up in Boston. The five of us could handle a dozen armed humans, as long as there were no surprises waiting for us. Like a Hale witch.
We reached the property and moved silently along the fence until we came to a small gate. I snapped the flimsy lock and eased the gate o
pen. Whoever was in charge was either careless or they believed their armed guards could handle any intruders.
Chris slipped inside first, and he held up a hand when I followed him. Walking toward us along the fence were two large guards, each armed with a silenced SIG MPX.
I motioned to Chris, and he nodded. A second later, we were behind the two males and had them in choke holds before they could raise their weapons or shout a warning. We lowered the unconscious guards to the ground, not bothering to remove their weapons. They’d be down for hours.
Wordlessly, Chris and I set off in opposite directions. We’d worked together enough that we didn’t need spoken communication at times like this. If things went according to plan, we’d neutralize the threat here and secure the young trolls before Sara and the others had time to wonder what was going on.
I took down four more guards before I came upon one that was definitely not human. I stared in disbelief at the vampire patrolling the grounds with his fangs and claws extended. A vampire working with humans?
The vampire spun as I moved toward him. “Mohiri!” he snarled and came at me with a speed that matched mine.
My sword cut deep into his side, and he hissed in pain as he lunged away from me. He hit the ground and rolled back to his feet in one fluid motion. I started toward him again, but his sudden cocky grin alerted me to the fact that we were not alone.
I leapt to the right and spun, my blade slicing through the shoulder of the vampire behind me. He opened his mouth to cry out, and I brought my sword around to remove his head before he could alert any others nearby.
The head was still rolling across the ground when I went after the first vampire, who had turned to run. I pulled a knife from my harness and threw it at the fleeing vampire. The silver blade sank into his back, and his choked gasp told me it had struck home.
As he crumpled to the ground, I strode to him and yanked my knife free. Wiping the blade on his shirt, I sheathed it and turned toward the back of the house.
A large pool came into view, along with three human guards. The first two went down quietly, but the third managed to cry out before I knocked him unconscious. I entered the house through the open French doors, only to encounter two vampires who must have heard the guard’s shout.
The vampires came up short when they saw me, and their hesitation was all the opening I needed. I got one in the chest with a knife. Before he hit the marble floor, I swung my sword and gutted the second one. He clasped his stomach, trying to keep his intestines from spilling out, and his mouth opened in a silent scream as I brought my sword up to end his life.
I started to move past the bodies, but a shout had me running outside and speeding around to the front of the house to find Chris battling three vampires. Two were missing an arm and one clutched at a gash in his chest.
“Sloppy,” I bantered as I jumped into the fight to take on a one-armed vampire, who barely had time to snarl at me before I beheaded him.
Chris snorted as he swung his sword at the vampire holding his chest. His blade easily parted the vampire’s ribs and sliced through his heart.
“I was doing fine until you came to ruin my fun.” He spun and ran his sword through the chest of the last vampire who had stupidly stood there as his brethren were killed.
Wiping his blade on one of the fallen vampires, Chris swore and looked at me. “Vampires? What the hell is going on here, Nikolas?”
Before I could answer, shouts came from the direction of the main gate. “Sounds like Erik is here. He’ll handle it –”
Chris grunted and fell to the ground beside me as bullets tore up the grass around us.
I threw my body over his, not sure how badly he was hit. Bullets were not usually deadly to us, but enough shots to the head or heart could kill anyone. I scanned the grounds, and my demon sight quickly located the shooter hiding in a tree.
“Stay down,” I ordered Chris. Moving fast, I was at the tree and scaling it before the male could get off another shot. I was not gentle when I knocked him out and let him fall fifteen feet to the ground. As a rule, I didn’t kill humans, but I had no mercy for someone who worked with vampires.
Chris was sitting up, inspecting a wound in his thigh when I got back to him. “It’s nothing,” he said when I knelt beside him.
Something glinted on the ground, and I picked up a twisted piece of metal. “Silver bullets.”
“I guess the humans were willing to work with the vampires but not willing to trust them.” He grimaced as he used a knife to dig out the slug before he let his demon healing take over. “Fuck!” he muttered when he pried the piece of bloody silver from his leg.
“You two okay?” Erik called, running toward us.
Chris stood, waving off the hand I extended to him. “We’re good. You take out the gate?”
Erik reached us. “Yeah.”
I looked at the house. If the people inside hadn’t realized they had company, they did now.
“We need to find those trolls before something happens to them,” I said.
“How do you want to do this?” Erik asked.
“You guys take the front. Chris and I will go around the back. If you find the trolls, don’t touch them. The last thing you want is their parents coming after you.”
“Understood.”
Chris and I set off around the house. Just as we reached the back corner, loud growls split the air, followed by snapping and barking.
“What the hell are they doing here?” I raced around the corner to find the werewolves locked in a battle with two vampires. The black wolf dodged the clawed hand that came at his face, and then he lunged to wrap his powerful jaws around the vampire’s throat. There was a loud snap as he shook the limp body like a rag doll and tossed it aside. He turned to help his friend, but the rusty-haired wolf had already finished off his vampire.
I scanned the grounds, but there was no sign of Sara, and I couldn’t sense her nearby. She and the troll must still be with the car. I stalked toward the two werewolves, intending to send them back to Sara before they got themselves hurt. I did not want to deal with an angry Alpha on top of everything else today.
A shot rang out. The black wolf staggered, and an agonized whine escaped his lips as he collapsed to the ground.
“Chris,” I shouted, running for the wolves as more bullets hit the ground.
“On it,” he yelled back.
I hit Peter and knocked him to the ground. It was impossible to cover both wolves, so I tried to protect their heads and upper bodies from the bullets. Silver was harmless to Mohiri, but it could be fatal to werewolves.
“Got him,” Chris called a few seconds later.
I rolled off the wolves and knelt on the ground. Peter leapt to his feet, but Roland lay on the ground panting heavily. He whined when I turned him onto his side to look at his wound.
My gut clenched when I saw his bloody chest, and all I could think of was how devastated Sara would be if anything happened to him.
I pulled out my phone and tossed it at Peter’s feet. “Call your father and tell him Roland needs medical help immediately.”
Peter shifted and grabbed the phone. “He’ll be okay though, right?”
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “He’s been hit in the chest with a silver bullet.”
Peter blanched, “S-silver?”
“Yes. I told you two to stay put. Where is Sara?” I barked at him.
“She’s with Remy,” he answered shakily. “In-in there.”
He pointed at the house, and my stomach dropped like a rock.
Chapter 11
I shot to my feet and raced inside. I heard fighting upstairs, but I tried to block it out and focus on Sara. Halfway down the hallway, I felt her. I ran to an open door with a set of stairs leading down into what had to be the cellar. Uttering a silent prayer that she was okay, I descended the stairs, bracing myself for what I might find.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight that greeted me at the botto
m. I’d seen a lot of strange things in my time, but a pair of hellhounds lying meekly on the floor like house dogs was definitely not one of them. The beasts raised their heads and growled at my arrival, but neither moved to attack.
Voices floated to me from beyond a rounded archway, and relief flooded me when I recognized Sara and Remy.
“Stop!” Sara cried out, her voice shrill with fear and pain.
I ran around the hellhounds to the doorway and stopped short when I saw Sara walking calmly to a glass cage rippling with red electricity. Demon fire. Inside the cage huddled three small trolls who cried piteously as Sara neared them.
Her hands grabbed the glass bars and shattered them, making a large hole in the side. Immediately, a tiny body flew out of the cage and into her arms. Instead of hugging the troll back, Sara quietly set her on the floor and turned away from the cage.
Behind her, the other two trolls jumped from the cage and ran to Remy. Three sets of eyes widened when they saw me, and they clung to the older troll.
My only concern was the girl on the other side of the room. “Sara?” I called to her.
She turned, and I sucked in a sharp breath when I saw her eyes. No longer the emerald green I knew, the irises were completely black. A demon’s eyes. Recognition flashed in them, but it was not Sara who looked back at me.
My Mori surged forward, feeling hers so close to the surface, and I had to fight to keep it down.
“How did this happen to her?” I asked the troll as I walked toward Sara, my eyes never leaving her.
“Sara let demon free cousins,” he answered.
“Khristu!” She had deliberately let her Mori take control of her in order to save the trolls. Knowing how Sara felt about having a demon inside her, I marveled at the sheer will and courage it must have taken to relinquish her mind and body to it. And I knew the terror she must be feeling right now, trapped inside the demon’s mind.
Reaching her, I framed her face with my hands. “Look at me.”
Unfamiliar eyes met mine.