by Tijan
The invisible being didn’t drop to the ground next to her. No. She disappeared, that was it, but Davy closed her eyes and did as she said she would. She was going to rest and she was going to try to remember why she started this journey in the first place.
The Immortal would be back, but for now, it was nice to have silence.
“What just happened back there?”
Gavin ignored the human’s question. They were still rushing back. He growled, holding onto whichever human he had grabbed. “We have to keep moving.”
Tracey was sprinting next to him, holding onto the second human. “The Immortal is no longer our ally. We have to return to our leader.”
“What?”
Spencer was held within Gavin’s grasp and he looked over, able to meet Cal’s gaze even though they were traveling faster than a race car. He shrugged in response to his friend’s question. The vampires knew where they were going. All he cared about was that he hadn’t died, because he was pretty sure that was what psycho chick had been about to do. Taking their humanity was code for, I want to kill you, bitches. As long as they were away from her, he was golden pie.
Until they got to the river . . . When they stopped and saw what was happening, Spencer squeaked, “Can we go back to the psycho chick?”
Cal’s hand shot in the air. “I second that.”
Before them, right on the river’s bank, was the battleground. Wolves were running at each other, tearing each other apart. Gavin leapt out of the path of two wrestling each other. They careened past him, right into the water, and both scrambled back to the bank, but the one on top ripped into the other’s throat. Landing on his feet, in a crouching position, Gavin threw his head back. His vampire senses were on full alert. They didn’t have time to stand there and take in the bloody and violent scene. They needed to identify allies from enemies and they needed to do it fast.
He yelled out to Tracey and Gregory, “Guard the humans. Roane is here.”
Both vampires already had their weapons drawn. A wolf turned on them, leaping in the air. Tracey evaded it and sliced the sword through the wolf’s throat. He fell to the ground, right at Spencer and Cal’s feet.
“Holy—” Spencer started, his mouth gaping wide open.
Cal let out a harrowing groan and clenched his teeth together. “I suddenly feel warm. “ He asked Spencer, “Why would I feel warm right now?”
Spencer shook his head. “Did you piss yourself? Because I think I just did.”
Gregory grabbed the wolf’s feet and threw it in the air. It landed clear across the embankment, and as it did, it drew the attention from a large group of feuding wolves. Those that were fighting, stopped, sniffed the air, and turned their heads until they were staring at the newcomers.
“Yep,” Cal muttered. “Definitely soiled myself there.”
A wolf was in mid-air sailing right past them when Gregory grabbed it. He held it up by its throat and leaned in close to growl, “What bloodline are you from?”
The wolf had a silver mane with a black streak around the eyes. It tried to bite him. Gregory adjusted his hold, bracing his arm on the other side of the wolf’s neck when Gavin yelled out, “Stop. That’s a Christane wolf.” His eyes were almost beaming as he looked at Tracey. “Christian Christane was Davy’s friend’s brother. Right?”
Tracey frowned. She shared it with Gregory, who asked, “So I shouldn’t kill the wolf?”
As he held him, another wolf bounded up and pulled the wolf free. Gregory turned to reach for it again, but the rescuing wolf was there. It snarled at Gregory, but it was a soft snarl. There wasn’t enough heat behind it to warrant that it was a threat.
The two wolves backed away and then ran to their allies.
Tracey stood close to Cal and Spencer, her sword in front of her. She kept her back to them, shielding them. Gregory and Gavin did the same.
She threw over her shoulder, “We need to identify who are allies and quick.”
Gavin clipped his head in a nod. “I agree.” He was scanning the battleground. Dead wolves were all over the ground, but as quickly as they arrived, the battle on their bank was already ending. The last wolves that were alive dashed off, going around a bend, and sounds from another battle were heard. Howls. Screeches. Whimpers. Shouts. Screams. They heard all of that, but there was a low rumbling in the distance, too. It sounded like thunder from far away, but it wasn’t. As Gavin gripped his sword tighter, he took a step forward. He could feel the rumbling. It was coming from beneath them. It was in the ground, and he felt its magic.
It was strong, maybe too strong for them.
“There are vampires over there.” Tracey was moving forward. “I can feel them.”
Gavin hurried ahead, but didn’t try to draw her back. They went together, hurrying at the same pace. Cal and Spencer jogged behind and Gregory brought up the rear. Right before turning the corner, Tracey melted into the foliage. Gavin was right behind her. The rest fell in line.
“Where are we going?” Spencer asked the group.
None of the vampires answered. All were tense, silent, and scanning their surroundings.
Spencer glanced at Cal, who shrugged and replied, “I dunno. Looking for friends?”
“Shut up,” Tracey clipped out. “Both of you.”
They kept moving into the forest. There were vampires hidden within the forest. Gavin, Tracey, and Gregory could feel them, but they couldn’t identify if they were friend or foe. As they kept moving forward, each was waiting for an enemy to attack, but none happened until they were deep into the forest. The battle sounds lessened behind them, and each vampire started to loosen their hold on their weapons, just a bit.
Suddenly, all three whipped around until they were facing east.
Cal and Spencer were shoved behind them.
Gavin lowered his head, focusing every sense he had on who was coming. “A vampire.”
Tracey and Gregory didn’t reply. They both knew. All three were trying to identify who it was, but they were coming fast and they weren’t being cautious. Whoever it was wasn’t trying to hide their approach. Sounds of them whipping past trees, leaves, grass, leaping over logs, they all heard those tiny sounds. It was deafening to a vampire and then the assailant crashed through the last foliage.
They leapt over the entire group and kept going. They never stopped.
“Who—” Gavin’s head snapped, watching the vampire. He had two seconds to decide and he did. He yelled over his shoulder, “I’m going after him.” He sheathed his sword across his back and before anyone could argue, he was gone. The same sounds came in his wake as he sped after the vampire.
Gregory growled, “He shouldn’t have done that.”
Tracey threw him a dark look. “What do you expect? We have to find our allies. We need to find Roane.”
There was another crashing sound from the forest. It was coming from where the battle was, and both vampires turned once again. It was the same as before. A vampire was coming at them. They knew it. They couldn’t hide. They had humans with them. It would’ve been useless. Any vampire could smell a human. There was no point in hiding.
“We’re like sitting ducks.”
Tracey gave Gregory another annoyed look, but pressed her lips together. She couldn’t argue with him. All she could do was get ready and she was.
Twenty yards.
Eighteen.
Twelve.
Eight.
The vampire was moving faster than the other one.
Five.
One—she leapt as the new vampire soared through the air. The first knew they were there and jumped over them already, but this one landed before them. The new vampire was going to stop, land where they stood, and push off against the ground for more speed. As he came through the last of the trees and brush, his eyes went wide at seeing them, but Tracey was attacking before he saw her, too.
She thrust out her arm, hit him across the chest with it, and rotated swiftly so her other arm was wrapped aro
und the vampire’s head. She snapped the neck before she stopped to see who it was, and when the body fell to the ground, her knee was going to his chest. Then, she saw his face.
Horror filled her and she leapt backwards. “Oh no.”
Gregory looked and grunted. “Good one, Tracey.”
It was Bastion.
DAVY
Davy knew there was something wrong with her.
The Immortal was still silent. Davy had shut her off with an extra boost of power. She was surprised for how long the mute spell was working, but she wasn’t complaining. It was nice to be walking with only herself. No vampires among her. No judgments. No disapproval. No quiet condescension. And no voice in her head. When The Immortal was awake, Davy felt her persuasion. She knew she was being pulled in one way, but she wasn’t sure the direction now. All she knew, as she paused with only one more hill to go before she would arrive at the Mori community, was that she wasn’t the old Davy anymore.
She tried to remember who that girl had been. There’d been a reason why she was taken captive. She only remembered the torture. The witches had pulled the thread so it was separated from her. And Lucan—it was Lucan who had taken her. He wanted the thread, but there was more . . .
She frowned, dipping her head down. She couldn’t remember the other reason anymore. A faint stirring began in her. She didn’t like this feeling, of being turned off to the real soul inside of her. A solid plastic wall had been erected in her and she was shut off from everything that made her her.
Davy. She didn’t know who that person was anymore.
She closed her eyes and commanded, “Remind me.”
A memory stirred. “He’ll come after you, you know.”
Lucan shot to his feet, but he didn’t go anywhere. He didn’t leave. He didn’t threaten. He just stood there and waited . . .
She remembered that conversation—there’d been a guy . . . No, he was more than just a guy.
“He loves me. Do you think he won’t come for me now?” I saw how he stood there. “Do you think he won’t go against you for me?”
Lucas Roane.
She remembered him now. He was Lucan’s twin brother. Lucas turned on his brother to save her. He protected her, and then Lucan came into his brother’s house and took her. He took her and all of her friends too . . . but no. Davy needed to remember. She had a purpose before. It hadn’t been about power. It was about . . . friendship, love, trust, making her loved ones safe.
Pippa, the wolf. Brown, the witch. Kates, the best friend. There were others, but those three were her human friends.
Gavin, Gregory, Wren, and Tracey—they were Roane’s vampires. They followed him.
She remembered their first kiss.
As if I had no control over my actions, I watched my own hands grasp the front of his shirt roughly. Roane didn’t have time to react before I pushed against him and slammed my lips over his. After that I felt like something unlocked inside of me. My eyes snapped shut, and I pressed harder against Roane. As kisses went, it was forced and impersonal.
And another time, when they were together. Then I felt Roane’s hand slide around to the back of my neck, and he took a breath before he took over the kiss.
He moved his hand from my leg and slowly reached to untangle my hands from my hair. I gasped as the last finger was detangled, and then my fingers desperately sought his shoulders. He slid in, and I surged forward to wrap my arms tighter around him.
“You have to bear something that you didn’t choose. I understand, Davy. I understand it more than you think.” Roane tucked his head against mine. His lips brushed the tip of my ear. “I know what it’s like to have your life suddenly change, and it’s not what you decided. I do understand that.”
I frowned.
His hand curved around my neck, and I felt the cool touch of his lips when he pressed a kiss to my ear. “You can do this, Davy. We’ll figure everything else out.” She remembered the last time she saw him.
Roane pulled me into his chest for a hug. After we kissed again, he thought, “I will be back soon or I’ll call for you. Stay with Gavin or Wren. They are to protect you from now on.”
“Be safe.”
He nodded and kissed me a last time. His lips lingered over mine as I clung to him. Every instinct in my body told me not to let him go. Something bad was going to happen. I knew it. I felt it, but so did Roane.
He was the reason she was fighting. He preceded the need for power, before The Immortal became her own entity.
Davy faltered, stopping on the very top ridge of the hill. The Mori were spread before her. There were five hidden in trees a few yards away. They would see her, but she wasn’t ready. She didn’t want to go in there being detached from herself so she cloaked herself. She needed more time, just a bit more, and she needed to remember this vampire that the human inside of her loved so much.
She ordered in her head, “Take me to him.”
The air popped, and she was there.
He was standing in front of her, peering out over a cliff as a war waged on beneath his feet. She didn’t care about who was fighting. There was blood, sweat, and death all over. Many already died and many more would succumb to the afterlife. She wasn’t there for any of them. She moved forward, still cloaked, as she stood beside him.
This man, this vampire, was the reason the girl inside of her lived. She felt her yelling, trying to break free. Even the sight of him, so close and within reach, had her humanity fighting like she had never fought before.
She wanted him.
The rage was whipping through her. It wasn’t rage at him or where they were. It was rage at herself. The human was raging to take control once again, but no, that didn’t make sense. She wasn’t The Immortal. She wasn’t the human. She was the in between. Davy cocked her head to the side and lifted a hand. The in-between was curious about this vampire. She wanted to touch him, and as she lifted a hand and extended it to him, the human grew silent. This was what the real Davy yearned for, to be complete with him once again.
Her fingers touched his cheekbone and held there.
He was beautiful.
His eyes were fierce. He had high cheekbones, a strong jaw, lips that Davy wanted to touch, and a warrior’s body. Broad shoulders. A trim waist. Fresh blood was all over him, coating of dried blood underneath, but as she looked over him, she saw it wasn’t his blood. She found herself wanting to make sure. She wanted to clean him, double-checking that none seeped from a wound on his perfect body.
As she had that thought, she realized that she thirsted for his body. She wanted to touch him, press against him, feel his arms wrap around her. Those lips—her gaze went back to them. She couldn’t look away, and she stepped toward him. Her heart began beating, faster and faster. Her mouth was suddenly parched.
She wanted to touch her lips to his . . .
As if she had cast a spell onto herself, the battle melted away. It was only this vampire and herself . . . She drew closer.
Her hand slid down to the side of his mouth, and she was directly in front of him. She stood on tiptoes—her breath held—she needed to feel this man again. Then, with her heart pounding to be freed from her chest, she touched her lips to his. It was soft. This was foreign to her, but the human inside wanted more. She demanded a harder touch, and Davy found herself answering. She pressed closer to him, and as she did, he felt her.
Her eyes widened, as she knew the instant he grew aware of her.
His hands grasped her arms. He stiffened in shock, and just as she feared he would pull away, he took control of the kiss. He caught the sides of her face and moved for a better angle to meet her. He breathed against her mouth, “Davina.”
She didn’t reply. She closed her eyes and sighed inwardly as he grasped her in his arms. Lifting her, her legs wound around his waist, and he stepped away from the fight. “Davina,” he gasped again, but then he pressed her against a tree. “My God—I don’t care.” His mouth opened, demanding hers to do the
same and his tongue slid inside. The brush of him against her was a caress and Davy wound her arms around his neck. She arched her back into the tree, pushing her breasts toward him. She hungered for more. She wanted his touch in the center of her. The human was clambering to get closer and Davy answered.
Her hands went to the side of his face and held him.
He kept kissing her. He was claiming her.
Me. He was claiming me . . .
“No!” The Immortal rose up. “You cannot have her!”
The Immortal slammed her backwards.
“Davy!” Roane roared, moving with her. He didn’t know how she came to him. He didn’t care to question it, but he had her. He wanted her back. He had to have her. Whatever was going on inside of her, he needed to grasp her. He had to be her anchor. He could tell that she was losing herself. He reached out for her and Davy tried to grasp his hand, but The Immortal growled, and broke through the barrier inside of Davy.
She gasped.
The power was immense. It spilled out inside of her, coating her insides with its power. It was a burst of cold air. It felt alien, but refreshing, and then it was over. As soon the floodgates opened, she was drowning. There was no chance of a fight inside of her. The power overwhelmed her, instantly suffocating her. Davy was gone. She had lost. The Immortal was free inside of her—her body bent in half. Her back arched upward, and as it did, her body flew in the air.
She flew.
Her entire body transformed. Her body was going up in the air, flying, and her hair billowed out, turning into a black color. A white dress covered her now, and her hands flung backwards. She pushed up into the sky, going higher and higher until she was above the entire foray below.