by Sedona Venez
I could feel me working myself into a frenzy. I knew it was irrational, but it just stuck in my craw that they were bossing me around like their minion.
I whispered, “Who cares? You don’t come at me all guns blazing and expect me to stand down.” We stepped through the door and into a dark room that wasn’t a dressing room, but a storage room.
Zoe whispered back, “Okay I get your issue with authority, but this sneaking around crap just doesn’t feel right.”
Whatever. Right now, Zoe’s paranoia was not my issue. I looked at the dusty boxes stacked up and the old costumes on racks pushed against the walls. I pointed over to the door, strolling over to it, “There, it’s an exit.” Peeking out, spotting a side exit. “Let’s go.”
Zoe mumbled under her breathe as we creped down the hallway, and into the stairwell that led down to the door marked ‘garage exit’. The second we stepped into the garage, I knew something was wrong. Hundreds of big, sooty birds, ravens, with shaggy throat feathers, and slender pointed wings flicking upward quickly, were perched on the roofs of parked cars staring at us. Their harsh, guttural ‘kar-kar-kar-kar’ croaks mixed with the sound of a frog call.
Zoe looked around nervously, “Oh my gawd. How did they get in here?”
They were warning me, warning me of impending danger and I didn’t need my queasy stomach or trembling fingers to confirm it. Something was coming and it sure as hell wasn’t the Vikings.
One swooped through the air, its pointy wing clipping my ear as the stale air suddenly stirred, whirling hotly around my face. Oh gawd, it was coming, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Abruptly, all of the ravens took to the air with flowing wing beats, filling the empty space with echoing shrill calls.
The air chilled so abruptly that I shivered, my breathe making white clouds. This felt so wrong. Like a well laid trap that I fell for foolishly. I felt a wave of nausea and clutched my stomach. The lights in the garage flickered. A dark shadowy haze surrounded us, then I felt the heavy weight of an evil crackle that ratcheted around us.
“Infinity?” A dark creepy man’s voice taunted from the shadows. A handsome blond man with a haunted gaze and commanding presence stepped from the darkness with Diego clutched against his chest like a broken rag doll. He smiled, showing freakishly long incisors covered with blood. Diego’s blood. “Diego and I waited and waited. Then I decided to have a snack.” Diego’s head flopped sideways revealing his torn out throat.
“No! Diego, no!” Zoe screamed running towards him before I grabbed her. She struggled against me, “This is all your fault.”
I sobbed, my heart fluttering, “I...Jesus..”
“Jesus? He’s not coming,” he snarled.
She pounded against my chest, “Everything always has to be your way. If we had just stayed with them, he would be still be alive.” She slid to the ground sobbing, broken.
My body shook with tears. She was right; Diego was dead because of me. The dream predicted their death, a death caused by me. My vision went blurry; my knees buckled sending me crashing to the ground. Images faded in and out as I scrambled around on the ground trying to get my bearings. I sobbed as my head pounded with excruciating pain, fighting whatever it was that was fighting to make its way to the surface.
I could hear Zoe begging me to get up as she struggled to pull me to my feet. The image of her terrified eyes zoomed in and out.
My voice sounded lethargic even to my ears. “Alik,” What the hell is Alik? My head swam as the fog slowly lifted. I doubled over and vomited. And then just like that, it all came back. Not what, who. Alik. The Vampire S.O.B who erased my memory.
“My son has been very naughty I see.” The man cackled, “And you are stronger than I thought. To break his memory trance requires much strength. And to think they wanted to kill you.” He snapped his fingers, “You, I can use.”
My breath caught when ominous looking men stepped out of the shadows surrounding us menacingly. Zoe clawed my arm frantically as I stood frozen, not with fear, but by the mental hold he locked on me, keeping my feet glued the ground.
He looked at Zoe with cold eyes, “You, I have no use for.” He disappeared into thin air then reappeared, swooping down abnormally fast grabbing Zoe from behind. “You smell absolutely delicious,” He growled as she whimpered when his yellowed claws tore into her flesh brutally.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as Zoe clasped against him in pain. “Please let her go,” I screamed. “Take me.”
He sneered, “Walk over to me. Now!”
Sweat trickled down my spine when he dug his claws into Zoe’s shoulder causing her eyes to roll back.
He screamed, “I said move!” Spit dripped from his incisors as he garbled out the command. He sneered at me, licking his cracked lips like I was a steak ready to eat. His sharp incisors lengthened, “You’re not moving, Valkyrie.”
He twisted Zoe’s neck in a painful angle with a blood thirsty gleam in his eyes. “I don’t think she’s eager to put her life on the line for you, love.”
Zoe whimpered, “Please, Infinity. I don’t want to die.”
Tears streamed down my face. My lips trembled as I racked my brain for a way out of this mess, because I knew that no matter what I did, he would kill her, then me. “You let her go first and come to me.”
“That’s not going to happen, Valkyrie. You must freely give yourself to me to render your powers useless, a little preventive measure that the Immortals put in place to prevent their daughters from falling prey to us.”
I looked at him with wide eyes, “What the hell are talking about? I don’t have any powers. And why do you insist on calling me Valkyrie?”
“You really don’t know what you are?” He clucked his tongue, “Kara, Kara, Kara. Such a conniving one.” He stared into space, “They’re coming for you. And I’m wasting time.” He swooped down, tearing into Zoe’s neck drinking deeply as she screamed bloody murder. Her body slumped in his arms. He looked over at me licking his blood drenched lips, tossing Zoe’s body away like trash.
“You fucking monster.” I clenched and unclenched my hands. “I will never come to you freely. You want me.” My eyes narrowed, “Then you come and get me.”
“Kill her and be done with this.” He snarled.
Vampires circled me. I knew there was no way that I could win. I would die. But I would die fighting. A simmering heat engulfed me as a snarl erupted from my throat, wolfish and foreign to my ears.
A claw swiped my back. I convulsed with pain. Another vampire swiped towards my head. I twisted out of the way with smooth, freakish speed that stunned it, before reversing into roundhouse kick, knocking him away.
“Kill her!” the creepy man screamed.
I looked at him coldly, “Not today, monster.” It was like my body had a mind of its own. A vampire moved in and swiped at me with long claws tearing into my arm. Blood oozed through my ripped sleeve. A warm haze slipped over my body and what was next, I didn’t expect. I moved forward with a jump kick that snapped its head back. They all swarmed me in blind panic. I kicked and punched with inhuman speed that I couldn’t control even if I wanted to, twisting my body into formations that defied gravity.
He nodded and they surged forward to grab me with sharp claws. I punched and kicked with raw power that I didn’t know I had, sending them sprawling back. A claw ripped across my chest causing me to grab it in pain as I felt the rawness of my torn flesh.
Their claws ripped into my back, arms, and chest. I snapped necks, kicked chins, sent some sailing through the air, but the more I took out the more materialized out of the shadows. I was tired, bloody, and in pain.
There was no more I could give to saving my ass. I slumped to the ground as claws whizzed through the air slicing my body mercilessly. This was it. I knew it. I balled my body defensively. Blood pooled around me. My blood.
I knew then that I was going to die. My lungs felt heavy, seeing a flash of black. The movement so fast it had to be a mirage. No. Vampi
res are under assault by thrashing, inhuman shapes, wolves...growling, snapping.
My eyes closed, letting the darkness take me as I listened to the beautiful symphony of thumps, growls, and terrified screams that echoed around me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Boulder
She belongs to me
Boulder’s gaze focused on the maze of dark shadows that filled the garage. Snarls of battle filled the air. Guns blazed. Dark shapes of vampires whirled and materialized. Members of the pack could be seen moving, circling, a dozen of them, maybe more. Some in human form, some shifted.
Boulder grinned wickedly at Torch. “What do you think? Is it a good day to kill vampires?”
Whoosh! A vampire swooped towards Boulder, fangs bared, claws ready to rip into him. He pivoted aside like a matador. The vampire circled around for another try. He leapt, somersaulting through the air, and then landed behind it. He pulled out a retractable garrote wire and wrapped it around the vampire’s throat. With a violent twist, he decapitated the vampire. The vampire’s headless body turned to ash before him.
Torch gave him an icy smile. “It’s always a good day to kill vampires.” Vampires bearing their fangs like cobras took to the air with a shriek, attacking. Torch aimed his gun, bullets whistled through the air, killing five vampires.
Boulder smirked at Torch, “Fucking show off.”
Torch shrugged his shoulders, “Only five blood suckers. Only one for you? It’s a slow day, huh?”
He gritted his teeth as five vampires rose. He aimed his gun, hollow points hit four in the neck. He shot again, another hollow point took out the fifth. The vampires dropped, turning to ash. He holstered his gun, striding through the vampire ash piles.
Torch rubbed his hand impatiently over his military buzzed-cut black hair “Ass. You always have to win.”
He smirked at Torch, “That’s six. And yes.” He pounds him on back, “Enough fucking around. Let’s go save our mate.”
“Oh, shut the hell up,” Torch snarled.
They started forward. Up ahead they saw Infinity lying in a pool of blood. Alik was standing over her prone body. His face marred with a frown as his hands bounced off the weird thin milky white membrane that protected her.
They growled, looking around tensely as vampires circled them angrily. Torch growled, aiming at Alik’s forehead.
Alik’s fangs glinted. He glared, his eyes full of distain, as ten vampires flanked him. “Put the gun down, Torch. You can’t kill me. So stop fucking around and leave. This is vampire business.”
Torch shot and Vampires dropped, turning into ash. “To hell it is! Back off,” he growled, canines extended.
Alik hissed. “She belongs to me.”
Torch circled, his body visibly fighting shifting. “She doesn’t belong to you, bloodsucker. She belongs to us.”
“I doubt that.” Alik swiped at the membrane, hissing as it sliced into his arm.
Torch snarled, “No Infinity for you. The Immortals obviously don’t like scum!” He launched at Alik, who flipped over a row of cars landing on a hood.
“You can’t stop the inevitable. She will be mine.” Alik looked at him icily, “Until we meet again.” He cast a longing look at Infinity before disappearing into the shadows.
Running over to her body, Boulder’s breath caught as her body curled and writhed in pain. Bruises and cuts covered her arms and back. What remained of the shreds of clothes was bloodstained.
Torch looked warily at the protective membrane. “You or me?”
Boulder grits his teeth, “Me” punching through the membrane without injury, he scooped her up. “Obviously the Immortals have entrusted her to us.”
Her eye-lids fluttered as if trying to block out the pain. Her body instinctively curled into his chest.
Torch holstered his gun, striding to them. “Or they are setting a trap with her as the bait.” He looked around at the bodies scattered around the garage. It was a brutal fight, but his men won, this time.
He scowled, “You’re always so suspicious. She’s our mate, not some trap. Accept it and let’s move.” She coughed, spitting blood across his shirt.
Torch scoffed, “I’m not accepting shit. This whole thing feels wrong. Our Intel ensured us that the Vampire King wanted her alive, but look at her, they viciously attacked her with the intent to kill.” He nudged the remains of the membrane with the tip of his boot. “And what’s with this shit? Is she a Valkyrie or something else?”
Boulder arched a brow, “Does it matter?”
“What the fuck? Yes!”
“Torch, I’m not going through this shit now. Let’s get her to safety and clean up this mess.” He looked around, “Any sign of her friends bodies?”
“None. But I smell their blood.”
Infinity moaned, clutching Boulder’s shirt. Her hands were encrusted with vampire blood. She fought back. That made him smile. This time she was lucky to survive. “She put up a hell of a fight, and she’s not even trained yet.”
Torch snarled, “She’s lucky they didn’t have the chance to land the final blow.” He scowled, “But look at her. Her body is almost healed. That’s the fastest I’ve seen that happen.” He looked at his watch, “I’m taking her to Kara.” Striding over to his black SUV, he pulled out his cell.
He clutched her to his chest, knowing that he needed to hand her over, but he suddenly felt irrationally possessive.
“Boulder?” Torch lifted a brow in question. “Stop fucking around. Time is of the essence, and I need you to lead the cleanup crew.”
Boulder barely contained the low growl that rumbled in his throat, squeezing back his wolf’s plea to unleash its claws and rip Torch to shreds.
Torch held out his arms. “I’ll be careful with her.”
“Fine,” He growled, handing her over. “Does Kara have sway with the Wolf King?”
“Apparently there’s history. I can’t wait to see how much.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Infinity
Betrayal
My body felt like crap. Every muscle in my body screamed with pain. This was my punishment, and I prayed for more. My best friends. My family. Dead. All because of me.
I could hear the angry whispers. Mom’s voice. Torch’s voice. Arguing over me. More like over what I did, but I refused to open my eyes. I was ashamed, distraught, and plain old suicidal.
I felt a hand rub my back. Mom’s hand, a vain attempt at offering comfort.
“Infinity?” she whispered.
I squeezed my eyes tightly. Nope. I wasn’t ready to face her pity filled eyes. I didn’t deserve pity. Hate? Yes. But pity? Hell no.
“We know that you’re awake, Infinity,” Torch rasped with that disgusting twinge of distain that I had grown to hate.
My gut filled with rage. It was his fault. If he didn’t push me then maybe.....then maybe they would be safe and alive. My eyes snapped open. And there he was...sitting with his blood-encrusted black motorcycle boots propped on mom’s antique coffee table like he freaking belonged there.
I scrambled to the furthest end of the couch, licking my parched lips and plotting to launch myself at him, ripping his throat out. While he looked at me with this ‘I don’t give a shit’ swagger that repulsed me.
My eyes narrowed, “What the hell are you doing here?” Mom scooted closer pulling away strands of hair stuck to my damp cheek.
“Calm down. We need to talk.”
I swatted her hand away, focused on him. “What are you doing here?”
“That’s the thanks I get for saving your ass?” he asked in a deep and rough voice. His eyes speared me like I was something on the bottom of his boots that he needed to scrap off. “Too bad we didn’t get there in time to save you from getting your friends killed.”
My mouth hung open with shock, gasping like a fish out of water. Oh. My. Gawd. My fist clenched. I was so close to leaping on him and going crazy on his ass. “You fucking ass. This is all your fault.”
His eyes were black. Soulless. Cruel. “It was your friend snooping around in C&V business that tipped off the rogues to our presence. Don’t blame us for the attack. And don’t blame us for your friends’ death. You have yourself to blame for that; next time, think carefully before you go sneaking off.”
I gasped, clutching my stomach like he had physically stabbed me.
Mom pulled me to her side tightly. “That was cruel, even for you, Torch.”
“Cruel? I’m sitting here listening to some drugged-out singer mouth off at me while my team is cleaning-up the bodies from a bloody attack that shouldn’t have even happened. If she had just stayed in her dressing room like I instructed it wouldn’t have happened. This is not a game, Kara. You know this. The rogues are ruthless, and would kill there their own family over blood and money.” He looked over at me with his face twisted like I left a bad taste in his mouth. “And she goes thumbing her nose at me like it’s nothing.”
He scowled at mom, “But I blame you for this. Tear the Band-Aid off, Kara. Tell her what’s really going on out there. This make believe world that you’ve shrouded her in will get her and everyone around her killed.”
“This is not the time for this discussion, Torch. She’s suffering now. Her friends are missing and presumed dead. She needs to rest and get her head together.”
He jumped up, pacing back and forth. “Un-fucking-believable.” He leveled an icy glare at me before his gaze slid back to mom. “Who is she?”
She looked at him calmly, “You know who she is. She’s a famous singer.”
“Bullshit!” He rushed forward stormed over. “Who is she really, Kara? You don’t call in a favor like me to guard a singer. And that’s what you did when you made Maxim summon me out here to personally guard her. So, I’ll ask again, who is she?”
She shoved him back. “First, I advise you to step out of my face. Secondly, I don’t know what you’re looking for. I just told you, she’s a singer. Nothing more.” She tossed her hair back and smiled prettily. “Your job is done.”