“Good. All the exits are covered,” a male hissed back. “They won't get away this time. Our queen will let us bathe in human blood for weeks after this.”
I shared a tense look with Erik and he clutched my hand. “We need to clear a path to the truck,” he breathed as quietly as the wind.
I nodded firmly, digging deep for my courage.
I will not let our friends down.
I woke with goosebumps lining my flesh and I shuddered as the cool breeze blew in through the open window.
I pushed myself upright, glancing down at Magnar’s achingly perfect body as he lay sleeping on top of the covers. We’d fallen asleep right after we’d finished making love and I guessed I could thank the wine for the fact that I hadn’t noticed the winter air sweeping over us from outside.
I shook my head to clear it of the last dregs of the alcohol as a thumping headache started up in my forehead. My tongue was thick with a desire for water and I swallowed against the heavy lump in my throat.
I crawled out of the bed, wrapping my arms around myself as I hurried to shut out the cold wind.
I glanced up at the starlit sky for a moment before closing the window and drawing the curtains.
A faint noise sounded downstairs and I strained to listen for it again, wondering who was still awake. I didn’t want to risk waking Magnar so I didn’t turn on any lights but I could just make out the clock on the wall saying it was ten past four.
I pulled open the drawer where I’d stored the clothes Chickoa had leant me and pulled out some clean underwear and thick socks. I pulled them on before locating a pair of black yoga pants and a soft green sweater. I kicked my boots on too, seeking to banish the cold from my limbs while I went in search of a drink.
I smiled down at Magnar before I headed for the door. He was laying spread-eagled across the bed exactly where we’d ended up after he’d had his way with me. I managed to roll a little of the duvet across to offer him some warmth but he was on top of most of it so I soon gave up, not wanting to wake him.
I slipped out into the dark corridor just as the sound of breaking glass reached me. I sniggered, wondering who else had managed to break something and somewhat impressed with them for still being awake. Though I guessed as the vampires didn’t need as much sleep as us I shouldn’t have been that surprised.
I hurried along the corridor, aching to satisfy my need for water as quickly as possible.
I left the lights off as I went, not wanting to disturb anyone.
A faint scraping sounded downstairs and I vaguely wondered if someone was trying to rearrange the furniture. I frowned, making it to the top of the stairs and slowing my pace as I headed down them and a shiver ran along my spine.
I paused, listening more carefully as I was gripped by the strangest sense that something was wrong.
“Hello?” I called uncertainly. “Is someone still awake?”
The silence stretched in response and a prickle ran along the back of my neck.
I glanced back up the stairs, wondering if I should go and wake Magnar. I shook my head, dismissing the idea as paranoia. It was a big, unfamiliar house and I was just jumping at shadows. I’d grown up in an apartment where my bedroom opened right onto the living space and kitchen so it was no wonder I found this place so weird in the dead of the night.
Suck it up Callie, you don’t need help getting a glass of water.
I jogged down the rest of the stairs, determined to get my drink and head back up for some more sleep as quickly as possible.
I took three steps towards the kitchen just as a huge shape collided with me from the darkness.
I let out an oomph of pain as I was slammed back into the wall and the male vampire hissed as he lunged for my throat.
I threw my fist into his temple, knocking him aside before his teeth could find their mark. He came at me again but I landed my boot in his chest, knocking him back as he skidded past the bottom of the stairs.
I staggered away, racing into the kitchen and crossing the tiled floor as quickly as I could. I grabbed the edge of the island and propelled myself around it, snatching a huge knife from the block on the counter.
I whirled to face my assailant but there was no one there.
My heart pounded as I pushed my tongue into my cheek, tasting blood.
I was frozen in indecision, unsure if I should call out to wake the others or whether doing so would alert my attacker to my presence.
I shifted towards the door again, my heart pounding as I made it into the corridor. I hunted for a light switch but the walls either side of the doorway were bare.
I glanced up at the stairs then along the hallway, not knowing which route to take. The shadows were thick with the promise of hidden figures and my hand trembled slightly as I searched for any sign of him.
A faint rattle sounded at the end of the hallway and I made up my mind to face this opponent. I refused to lead them towards anyone who was sleeping unaware upstairs and I couldn’t risk calling out.
I placed my feet carefully as I moved, drawing on my gifts as I gave in to the hunt. I wished I hadn’t left Fury upstairs; the blade’s guidance was precisely what I needed. But there was no point in worrying about it, I had to get through this with the kitchen knife. Which should be more than good enough to take on one vampire.
So I just had to hope that was all there was because my heart was pounding warnings through my veins which made me doubt the likelihood of that. If there was one vampire here crazy enough to break into a house filled with Belvederes then I could bet there were more. And the chances were that Valentina had sent them. I fought off the fear that raised in me, determined to finish this monster before I dealt with the possibility.
I continued down the corridor, moving slowly.
A floorboard creaked and I spun to my left, raising my knife as the vampire barrelled into me again. I wasn’t fast enough and I was slammed back, crying out as I collided with a door, crashing through it.
My arms cartwheeled as I fell, sailing through the air instead of landing on the floor. The kitchen knife was knocked from my grip as I screamed and I tumbled down, down-
My back crashed into concrete and I groaned as pain sliced through me. My head span dizzily and I was sure I’d hit it too somewhere along the way to the ground.
I coughed, squinting up at the wooden staircase I’d fallen down and the huge silhouette who was framed in the doorway above me. A little light spilled in from the window at the end of the hallway behind him and I noticed a red scar across the bridge of his nose.
I clenched my fist, willing my body to do as I commanded as the pain from my fall paralysed me and my limbs refused to cooperate.
Something wet trickled down my forehead and I sucked a breath in through my teeth as the vampire who had attacked me moved onto the top step.
“Mmm,” he moaned, inhaling deeply. “You smell good.”
Erik stole a glance around the lawnmower and I followed suit, tightening my grip on the knife I’d taken from the Biter we’d killed. I spotted three vampires blocking the track that led out of the farm. They were armed with guns and swords, but they were lessers so if we could get close enough I knew we could take them.
“I'll distract them,” Erik mouthed to me and my throat constricted as I nodded. “The second they shoot at me, close the gap and take out who you can.”
His jaw tightened as he ran out from our hiding place.
“Hey fuckers!” he shouted, sprinting toward them then launching himself behind a tree at the edge of the track.
The lessers turned, firing their guns at him and relief filled me as I realised the noise would wake the whole house up. Erik took cover behind the tree trunk and bullets ripped the bark to shreds. While they were distracted, I sped out of the shadows and powered toward them with my teeth gritted. I barely felt any fear as I barelled into the three of them, willing to do anything for the sake of those I loved.
I dove on top of a female, bringing her to th
e ground. She snatched the knife from my hand, tossing it away, but I lunged for the gun in her grip at the same moment. I seized it and turned it back on her, firing quickly at her chest and she burst to ash.
The final two lessers rounded on me with cries of alarm, unleashing more gunfire. I rolled, but didn't move fast enough as a bullet ripped across my cheek. I snarled, righting myself as fast as I could and firing my gun with the aid of my vampire abilities. A male turned to ash and the remaining lesser faced the wrath of my husband as he launched an attack, ripping off limbs and tearing flesh from his bones. The Biter fell to dust around Erik and he hurried to meet me, his hands coated in blood.
“Holy shit,” I breathed, my body trembling with adrenaline.
Erik ran his thumb across the graze on my cheek, but it had almost healed already. Gunshots fired inside the house and we didn't waste another second as we sprinted toward the front door.
I ran up the porch steps, reaching for the door handle just as the entire door flew off its hinges and knocked Erik and I back into the dirt. A weight crushed me down beneath the door but with Erik and mine’s combined might we managed to shove it off of us.
Julius rolled off of the door onto the earth, clutching his side as he righted himself and raised Menace. An Elite stood in the doorway with an axe in his hand and as he bared his fangs, drool slid down his skin. He pointed his weapon at me.
“Valentina has sent me for you and your sister,” he snarled, stepping out onto the porch and the wood groaned beneath his weight.
“You'll have to get through a Belvedere and a slayer first,” Julius snarled, cracking his neck as he awaited the Elite's attack. Two dark figures appeared behind him, stepping into the light of the porch. A male and a female, both lessers, but with high-powered rifles in their hands. They took aim at Julius and Erik. My husband moved like the wind to avoid the fire. I threw myself at Julius, knocking him to the ground to avoid the second gunshot.
We gained our feet fast and started running away from the house. Bullets tore up the dirt around us and I weaved left and right, keeping behind Julius to shield him. Erik ran at my side, but I knew we were slowing him down.
Erik gasped as a bullet ripped through his shirt, skimming his hip and fear pounded through me.
“Fuck this.” Erik scooped Julius into his arms and charged forward. I kept pace as we ran into the darkness toward the large red barn on the other side of the valley.
The onslaught of gunfire stopped abruptly and I heard a shout behind us. I threw a glance over my shoulder, spotting Warren and Miles beating the Elite to death, the lessers reduced to dust around them. More Biters appeared around the side of the house and started shooting at us.
We increased our pace and raced across the valley toward the barn. As we arrived outside it, I wrenched the door open and Erik carried Julius inside. The slayer shoved his way out of his arms with a grunt.
“I didn't need your help,” Julius snapped.
Erik shook his head at him in exasperation, moving to lock the door with a heavy wooden beam. “You'd have been shot to shit out there.”
Julius glowered, but nodded reluctantly. He turned, eyeing the large space filled with hay. “Callie told me there's tunnels running under this farm. There must be a hatch in here somewhere.” He jogged forward, hunting the space and I joined him, searching the edges of the room.
“Here!” Erik called and we ran to his side as he yanked open a metal door and a gust of cool air floated over us.
“We have to get to the truck,” Erik said. “But the keys are in the house. And we need to round up the others.”
“Let's head back there then,” Julius agreed, diving into the passage out of sight.
I followed and Erik shut the door as he moved after us. Motion-sensored lights sprung to life on the walls, the dim orange glow spreading away ahead of us. As I hurried along, Julius's breaths filled my ears alongside the frantic beat of his heart.
We came to a fork in the passage and I could see a bright light at the end of one of the tunnels. “Which way?” I whispered.
“Must be this way,” Julius chose the darker path lit by only a few bulbs and neither Erik or I questioned him as we followed.
“Get up!” The door flew open as Clarice sprang into our room.
I was on my feet with Venom in hand and pointed at her before I remembered I was naked.
She raised her eyebrows as her gaze travelled over my body. “Holy shit, it runs in the family,” she muttered.
“Why are you here?” I demanded, looking behind me and failing to spot Callie anywhere.
Gunshots carried to me and adrenaline kicked down my spine.
“We’re under attack,” Clarice said, remembering herself. “Miles, Warren And Julius are already downstairs. Erik and Montana are outside. We’ve gotta get out of here; Valentina’s found us. So get dressed and get ready to leave.”
“Where’s Callie?” I demanded.
“She’s not here?” Clarice tore her eyes from my exposed flesh and looked around the room with a confused frown. “I haven’t seen her.”
Fear burrowed into my heart as I glanced around the room as if I might spot her hiding somewhere but she wasn’t there. I quickly pulled on the clothes I’d been wearing last night, leaving the ill-fitting flannel shirt unbuttoned before tossing my sheathes over my back.
Clarice left while I was dressing and I heard her banging on Fabian’s door next.
I noticed Fury laying on the nightstand and tucked Callie’s blade into my waistband with a snarl of frustration that she didn’t have it with her.
Where the hell are you?
I kept my swords in hand and headed out onto the landing as gunfire rattled outside once more.
I ground my teeth at the sound of the firearms going off. No matter my skill with a sword, any well placed bullet could allow a much lesser opponent to end me. Those modern weapons were a curse.
Fabian called my name and I slowed so that he could catch up to me at the top of the stairs.
“How many are there?” he asked me tersely.
I focused on my blades, urging them to give me an answer. “Hard to say. At least eight Elite. Twice as many lessers,” I replied eventually. They were too spread out for me to be sure.
Clarice sped toward us, stilling out of sight as I peered around the staircase, making sure it was clear to head down.
“What’s the plan?” she breathed and I looked around to find her hand on her brother’s arm as if she were afraid. Fabian gripped her fingers reassuringly before releasing her as he turned to me for an answer.
“We secure the entrances and find everyone else before making a run for the trucks,” I said, giving them no time to voice objections as I twisted out of hiding and ran down the stairs two at a time.
A lesser leapt over the bannister at me and I swung tempest around, carving through his chest before he could reach me. I turned my face aside as ash washed over me and Fabian shot past me in a blur of motion.
He slammed into another vampire at the foot of the stairs and she shrieked as he wrestled to claw her heart from her body.
“Callie?” I bellowed, vaulting the bannister and landing heavily on the floor below.
Chickoa shot past me towards the front door where the sounds of gunfire boomed through the air. Clarice followed her but I wasn’t going outside until I knew that Callie wasn’t in the house.
I kicked open the door to the living room then a dining room and an office, finding nothing inside. I cursed as I strode towards the room at the end of the hallway where the pool table was but the door burst open before I could get there.
I snarled in defiance as I raised my blades and six vampires swarmed at me. Two of them were Elite and they smiled darkly, sniffing the air and baring their fangs as they came for my blood.
I released a battle cry as I swung Tempest around but the vampires were well trained and they managed to duck aside. One of them leapt below my strike and collided with me before I
could follow the blow with Venom.
The corridor was too confined and I was forced back as the vampire tried to bite my arm. I slammed Tempest’s hilt down on his skull but the moment it cost me gave three more vampires the chance to get close.
I kicked and punched, slamming my fists into faces and my elbows down on backs.
“The queen wants you home, Magnar,” one of the Elite purred and I realised I knew him from my time under Valentina’s command.
“The queen can suck my ass,” I replied viciously, driving Venom down so that one of the lessers was carved in half, turning to dust as my blade met his heart.
I was still struggling though, my back pressed to the wall as I fought them away with a fierce desperation. Valentina would never get her claws in me again. I refused to be parted from Callie.
As I thought of the woman I loved, I could have sworn I heard her screaming. My heart plummeted and my rage increased. If any of these monsters had laid a hand on her then their death would be anything but swift. It would be an artistry of pain and suffering. I would make them bleed before the end and beg for death.
A great cry met my ears and my blades burned hungrily in my palms as Fabian crashed into the fight.
He knocked my opponents back, barrelling into them as he took one to the ground, grappling with him as he pounded on the flesh above his heart. The lesser exploded into dust and I swung Venom over Fabian’s head, meeting the blow as one of the Elite aimed a sword for his back.
Fabian leapt up, grabbing the Elite’s arm and breaking bone.
While he screamed, I slammed Venom through his heart with a snarl of rage.
The final vampires came at us at once but with the Belvedere by my side we cut through them like they were stalks of grass.
Fabian smirked at me in a moment of camaraderie and I returned the gesture with a snort of laughter. It seemed that despite our differences we had each other's backs when it mattered and I guessed that was all that really counted.
I heard Callie screaming again and fear licked down my spine as I hunted around for any sign of her.
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