I stopped counting at thirty.
No, I stopped counting when I saw one had a little boy. He couldn’t be more than five, also in his jammies—a crumpled blue tee, bottoms with turtles on them.
His little, pale face was a mask of fear.
Sick rolled up my throat. Sick with a chaser of panic.
Etienne’s head tipped to the side as he challenged, “Do you think you can save them all?”
I knew by the tightness of his body that Abel was freaked.
And worried.
So was I.
“Yep,” Abel replied carelessly.
“Good luck,” Etienne whispered, lifting his hand.
“No!” I again screamed.
* * * * *
At a Convenience Store Somewhere in Florida
“They got no shot,” one of the throng of people standing around the counter, watching the small television on the shelf behind the cash register, said.
“Holy cow, that’s the guy and girl Susannah River was talking about this morning!” a woman who just walked up exclaimed. “What’s happening?”
“Shh,” another woman shushed her.
“Those Chinese guys can fight, and that big guy’s got speed, but those poor people are goin’ down,” another man muttered. “And they’re takin’ the good guys with them.”
“Pray God they don’t,” a woman up close to the counter whispered. “Pray God. Pray God. Pray God they save them all.”
* * * * *
Gregor
A vampire whirred into the room and stopped.
“Sir, The Three,” he stated.
“This is not good, this is not good, this is not good,” headphone man chanted, gaze to the monitors.
“What?” Gregor clipped to the vampire.
“We tried to get them but—”
“What?” Gregor barked.
“We can’t wake them.” He drew in a deep breath. “And we just received word. The compound is under attack.”
* * * * *
Delilah
I didn’t see it.
Until it was done and all the humans were rushing by me, a big man carrying the boy with his turtle jammies, running for their lives.
But in front of me stood Abel, with Xun, Wei, and Chen at his back.
And at his sides…
Lucien and Callum.
At my sides….
Leah and Sonia.
* * * * *
At the Convenience Store Somewhere in Florida
“Yes! They did it!” a man shouted, turning, lifting his hands, and he got high fives from the man and woman closest to him.
“Good Lord, it is!” the woman who came late cried. “It’s all of them. All the ones Susannah River was talking about this morning.” She turned to the man beside her. “Did you see it?”
He didn’t answer.
Eyes to the screen, he whispered, “It’s not done.” He swallowed and stared. “Those assholes are far from done.”
* * * * *
Delilah
Finally, Etienne was rattled.
“How—?” he began.
“Hello, Father,” Lucien greeted drolly.
“You—” Etienne tried again.
“We all dream,” Lucien informed him. “You didn’t know that, I’m certain, when you found a witch to invade Delilah’s dreams. And apparently, you weren’t aware we have our own witches.”
Etienne didn’t reply.
He squared his chin, his eyes fixed on his son. “I did not wish to take your head.”
“Really?” Lucien asked. “That’s interesting. I’ll have no trouble taking yours.”
Lucien.
Awesome.
I chanced taking my eyes off the action to grin at Leah, feeling a whole lot better that we were all here.
Together.
The Three.
Finally.
She took her own chance and grinned back at me.
We both looked ahead of us.
Callum glanced at the bodies littered around him, then back at Etienne. “One of us, and his human brothers,” he stated, meaning that was what Abel and the boys had wrought. “Do you yield?”
“We will never yield,” Etienne returned coolly.
“Shame,” Callum muttered.
“I don’t think so,” Abel put in. “I’ll enjoy takin’ more of these motherfuckers out.”
Etienne looked back to Lucien. “As my son, you have my vow. Your death will be quick.”
“As your son, you have my vow. Yours will not,” Lucien replied.
“So be it,” Etienne said softly, then called loudly. “Bring in the wolves!”
And then, from everywhere, all around, streaming past houses, through yards, down the street behind the legion of supernaturals in front of us, waves of wolves came running.
Waves.
Hundreds.
Callum and Abel leapt to wolf.
In a blink, Lucien was tossing what appeared to be the bottoms of mailboxes and the posts of street signs at Xun, Wei, and Chen.
“Guard them…your lives,” he ordered shortly.
“You got it,” Xun replied good-naturedly.
Lucien turned just in time for the wolves to close in.
* * * * *
Jian-Li
Jian-Li sat on the bed beside Delilah, her eyes to the two twitching, unconscious bodies lying in it.
She reached for Delilah’s hand. Keeping hold, she reached for Abel’s. Firmly, she curled their fingers around each other and held them tight in both her hands.
She closed her eyes and bent her head.
“You will be safe,” she whispered. “You will be safe,” she repeated. “You will live so you can be happy.”
She didn’t open her eyes and she didn’t let go of their hands.
She held them tight in hers.
And she hoped.
* * * * *
In a Café Somewhere in Nevada
“Those must be werewolves,” a man said, crowding close to the long counter where every stool was taken, behind them a huddle of bodies. The patrons and the waitresses were all gathered, their heads tipped back, their eyes on a TV suspended from the ceiling. “And fuck, there are a lot of ’em.”
“You see that thing this mornin’? Those cats were on that program, and their women,” another man said, lifting his coffee cup to the screen. “That shit…that many of those immortal fuckers…they’re gonna be torn to pieces. Then we’re all gonna be screwed.”
“They aren’t backing down,” a waitress whispered.
“What, Naomi?” her colleague asked.
“They’re outnumbered. But they haven’t run. They haven’t given up,” Naomi said.
“Crazy,” one man said.
“Stupid,” another one said.
“Brave,” Naomi said quietly, her eyes never leaving the screen.
* * * * *
Delilah
One of the wolves took down Xun, opening a path to Leah, Sonia, and me.
As he went for Xun’s throat, I kicked out, hitting him in the jaw as Sonia transformed and attacked another beast that would breach us.
My kick offered Xun just enough time to scuttle back on his elbows, but the wolf found another target, baring his teeth and going for Xun’s thigh.
He didn’t latch on.
Another wolf, not Sonia, Abel, or Callum, attacked him from the side and, without hesitation, tore his throat out.
I recognized that wolf. I’d watched them training enough and done it with rapt attention.
Calder.
“Yes, yes, oh yes,” Leah breathed, her back pressed to mine as I jerked my head side to side.
They were all there.
Calder.
Caleb.
Ryon.
Maybe we had a chance.
We were seriously outnumbered, but please, God, let us have a chance.
I sent out my prayer, but it didn’t look good. Wolf bodies were strewn everywhere, not one I reco
gnized, but the fighting was ferocious, bloody, relentless.
Sonia attacked anything that got close to besting Wei, Chen, and a Xun who was back on his feet, fighting. Then she emitted a high whine, her wolf eyes directed to the fray and I looked that way.
Ryon was going down.
“No, God, no!” Leah cried.
The wolf went for Ryon’s throat, but he was butted to the side viciously by the head of a wolf I’d never seen but who was very familiar. The new wolf skirmished with the one who nearly took Ryon and then Ryon joined the fight and the enemy lost his throat.
The new wolf turned and attacked one of the two Chen was holding back with sure swings of a sign post pole, and I knew when I saw his brown eyes, he was Cain.
Thank you, God.
There were high-pitched whines and strange-sounding barks and, suddenly, Callum leaped to man and bellowed, “Retreat and I’ll be merciful!”
Half the wolves that were left in the fight turned tail and bolted away.
The rest, in short order, at the teeth of our wolves, fell dead to the Tarmac.
As the last one went down, ours leaped back to man.
* * * * *
In a Pub Somewhere in London
“All right!” a man shouted, tossing his fist in the air.
“Did you see that, mate?” another man asked, slapping the man sitting on a stool on the shoulder. “Retreat and I’ll be merciful!” he shouted, then whooped, “The man is naked and outnumbered, and still, half those beasts tucked tail and ran. Bad-fuckin’-ass.”
“The one with the two-colored eyes is hot,” a girl said.
“Which one?” another girl said.
“Both of them.” The first girl smiled, not looking away from the telly.
“I like the good vampire. He’s lush,” a third girl said.
“Shut it, it isn’t done,” a man snapped.
“Testy,” the second girl mouthed, giving big eyes to the third.
The third smiled.
Then they both looked back to the TV.
* * * * *
Delilah
Callum pulled on his jeans. Abel pulled on his jeans.
Sonia circled around, stayed as wolf, and sat next to her king.
And Teona, appearing out of nowhere, grinned appreciatively as she handed out more jeans to her mate, Ryon, Caleb, and Calder.
“Jesus, you’re cock mad,” Cain muttered as he tugged his on, giving her a look that said he was close to laughing.
Or growling.
“Maybe,” she replied saucily. “But you know, baby, there’s only one cock for me.”
He rolled his eyes and turned, joining the line of The Real True who faced the posers.
Etienne took in Cain.
“A twin?” he asked quietly.
“Surprise,” Cain replied.
I tried not to giggle.
They kept bringing it; we kept giving it.
Hope bloomed inside me.
Etienne ignored Cain and looked beyond him.
“And there is your witch,” he noted.
“Dude, you are not cluing in,” Abel spat with frustration. “You’ve no idea what we’ve got, and I told you, you don’t wanna know.” He threw out both arms, indicating the dismembered bodies. “This enough evidence for you?”
“You also have no idea what I’ve got, young Abel,” Etienne returned.
“Maybe not, but I know it’s not enough,” Abel replied.
“Are you sure?” Etienne asked.
“Christ, what’s wrong with you?” Abel asked. “These jacked comebacks, like you’re the bad guy from a movie. Seriously, this is real, and if you don’t stand down, you’re not gonna be breathing much longer.”
“Let’s put that to the test, shall we?” Etienne asked.
I watched from behind him as Abel shook his head and muttered, “Whatever.”
In a trice, we were surrounded by vampires.
Not a couple hundred of them.
A lot more.
And they were all armed with lethal-edged swords.
I sucked in breath as the blooming hope inside stalled.
“Fuck,” Xun whispered, slowly turning his head side to side, taking them in while backing into Leah and me, Wei and Chen doing the same, surrounding us.
“Now would be a good time for whatever we got to come out,” Leah murmured.
“I hear you,” I murmured back.
“Now how sure are you, young Abel?” Etienne sneered.
“Bring it on,” Abel snarled.
Great.
My man was awesome and The Three and our families had it going on.
But right then, we were in trouble.
Big-time trouble.
I needed my blue light, however that could help.
But Abel was in danger, serious danger, and it wasn’t coming to me.
“Take their heads!” Etienne yelled.
Abel was right.
Earlier, they’d been playing.
Right then, it began.
* * * * *
In a Home Somewhere in Idaho
The man reached out and took hold of his wife’s hand.
She leaned into him, her body resting against his shoulder, as she held on tight.
“Please, God, please,” she whispered, her gaze unwavering on the screen. “Help them. Please.”
* * * * *
Gregor
“Got a lock on it!” headphone man cried loudly. “The signal’s coming from a suburb in Missouri.”
Gregor tore his eyes off the screens, long since noting they had cameras everywhere, microphones everywhere, and someone was switching them to get the best angles.
This right now being a blur that, with his vampiric eyesight, Gregor could see was Lucien battling eight vampires.
And losing.
He whipped his head to the line of vampires awaiting orders.
He looked to the first. “Get the exact location. Send everything we have close there.”
He looked to the second. “Phone Gastineau. Give him the location. Have him send everyone he can.”
He looked to the third. “Find out what’s happening with Josefa.”
As the third shot out, another vampire shot in.
“Status,” he said immediately. “We’re holding them at the wall. We have help—phantoms and wraiths are attacking them from their rear.” He drew in breath. “But there are a lot of them, sir. We need to throw at them everything we’ve got.”
“Round up as many as you can and go,” Gregor ordered, and the vampire shot out.
Gregor knew their play. He knew Etienne somehow understood that he could get at least Delilah in her dreams. And perhaps draw Abel.
Which would make The Three vulnerable and the time ripe for an attack on the compound.
“Thank God!” the production manager exclaimed, and Gregor looked back to see Teona had spelled those around Lucien. They’d been thrown back and Lucien again had a fighting chance.
And he was taking it.
“Where’s my baby? Where’s my little girl? Where’s my baby?” Hook whispered.
The man and his brothers had joined them five minutes ago.
Now Hook was leaned into the screens, his hands braced on the console, his eyes inches away.
“Step back, brother. She’ll be good. She’s tough. She’s smart. She’ll be good. Calm down,” Moose urged gently, his hand on Hook’s back.
But Hook didn’t have it in him to hear his friend.
He was focused.
“Where is she? Where’s my baby?”
“There!” Jabber yelled. “I saw her, standing. She’s good, man. She’s still standing!”
“Shit, okay, shit, awesome!” Moose bellowed. “The rest of them witches are there!”
And Gregor saw they were. Barb, Ruby, Jezza, and Flo lifted their hands, tossing what Gregor knew had to be spells at the enemy, magic that interestingly didn’t translate to the screen. It looked like they were simply throwing
out their arms.
But they were also using weapons that could easily be seen.
Short, sharp blades, long, curved knives, and thin daggers.
The blessed instruments.
With each slash and jab, the immortals, wounded, fell back.
But he knew those witches and Poncho’s aunt had given them more too. There was no way The Three and their families could hold back the onslaught from that many foes.
Unless they had the powerful protection of magic.
But watching it, Gregor tensed.
Because he saw his son close to Aurora, fending off three vampires and a golem, with no weapon.
His son.
There.
In her dream.
Keeping his witch safe.
It had been the girl who became his daughter, Sonia.
Now it was both his daughter and son.
“Fucking where…is…that—?” he began.
“She’s here, brother. She’s here, amigo,” he heard Poncho huff and looked to the door to see the nephew escorting his aunt in hurriedly.
Her eyes went immediately to the screens and her lips thinned.
“I need her to send me, and those”—Gregor pointed to a collection of swords resting against the armchair Jian-Li had sat in what felt like centuries ago—“there.” He pointed to the screen.
She turned her head to her nephew and said something.
Poncho nodded and looked to him.
“She says you shouldn’t go.”
“My son and daughter are there,” Gregor returned curtly.
Poncho looked to his aunt who spoke, then back to Gregor. “Man, she says—”
“Oh fuck, one of those Chinese guys is down,” headphone man said.
“Wei,” Jabber whispered, the sound of his friend’s name coming out rough.
“Send me and those weapons to…my children!” Gregor shouted.
Ursula suddenly was at his side. “I go too.”
Poncho spoke to his aunt as Moose bellowed, “Fuck! Why are we fuckin’ here and they’re fuckin’ there?”
“Time is wasting,” Gregor bit off.
Poncho looked to him. “Grab the swords.”
With their vampire speed, Gregor and Ursula had the swords and were standing in front of the witch.
“Do not go and do not send Delilah’s family,” he ordered. When Poncho looked ready to argue and he heard a gruff noise from Moose, Gregor swiftly carried on, “It will be too distracting. They need focus. And the compound needs to be defended at all costs, so do not send any immortals either. Josefa must look after The Three from here. Their minds are there, but their bodies are here and vulnerable.”
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