The hardwood floors sagged. They’d lost their shine years ago — maybe decades. I tested my weight a few times to make sure I wouldn’t fall through before striding forward. I was in and now I had to find my friends.
I reached out with my magic, carefully searching the first floor for signs of familiarity. I didn’t find anything as I combed through the rooms, but I did bounce against two other minds ... and I knew exactly who they belonged to: Melody and Cherise. They were on the main floor. I wasn’t sure where, so I draped myself in invisibility before moving to the next room.
I heard low murmurs at the front of the house and picked my way through a large dining room to listen.
“Do you think she’ll come?” Cherise asked. She sat on a couch that looked newer than the rest of the furnishings. “I mean ... she would have to be an idiot to come.”
“She’s not very bright,” Melody sneered, causing me to bite the inside of my cheek to keep quiet. Now was not the time for a verbal spat regarding my intelligence. “She’ll come. She won’t be able to get past the barrier. We can go out there and taunt her when she gets here.”
“But she has to know she can’t get beyond the barrier. Why would she come knowing that?”
“Because we have her boyfriend.” Melody’s smile was sly as I peered around the doorjamb and found her perched near the window. They were obviously watching for me. “I mean ... she has to be ticked. Armand promised that nobody would make a move. Even if she did think he would double-cross her, she wasn’t expecting it during the day — and not at the bar. Now that we have all the helpers from town it was so easy to wander in there and just take them. They didn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late.”
I felt sick to my stomach. If I’d been there I could’ve fought them off. Regret burned like acid in my esophagus and I had to swallow hard to keep from blurting out something hateful.
I turned my attention to the staircase. My friends were either on the second floor or in the basement. The vampires were likely sleeping in the basement, so I figured the second floor was my best bet. The stairs were rickety and gave me pause, but I elicited only a single squeak as I climbed. I froze to see if it would draw Melody’s attention, but she was too busy gazing out the window watching for me.
Once out of her line of sight, I started scanning the hallway. There were four doors, all of them closed. I knew my friends were behind one. I could feel Gunner. He was furious, and maybe slightly injured, but he was alive. I had every intention of keeping him that way.
I found them in the back room on the right. The door was locked but it wasn’t difficult to use my magic to open it. I sucked in a breath when I took in the scene. They were all there. Rooster and Gunner sported bruises on their faces and Whistler cradled his arm, making me think it had been broken in the attack. Bonnie looked dazed, as did Doc, who probably wasn’t used to seeing real action. Marissa sat on Gunner’s left, leaning against him, staring into nothing. I probably shouldn’t have been bothered that she chose to snuggle with my boyfriend given the circumstances, but I was annoyed enough to growl.
“What was that?” Rooster instantly raised his head. “Did you hear that?”
“Yeah.” Gunner nodded and lifted his nose, as if scenting the air. “It’s Scout. I can smell her.” He moved to scramble toward the window, but Marissa grabbed his arm to keep him still.
“Don’t go over there,” she complained. “Stay with me. I ... this could be our last few minutes of life. I think we should spend it together.”
Oh, well, that just figured. “Nice,” I announced, dropping the invisibility shield and glaring at the morose menace. “I’m so glad that you used a crisis to move on my boyfriend.”
“Scout.” Gunner grunted as he tried to get to his feet, making a face when he couldn’t move more than a foot. That’s when I realized they were all magically tethered to the floor.
“Well, that’s a new wrinkle,” I said as I moved closer to him, mustering a smile. “Is everybody okay?”
He nodded as he pulled me in for a hug. “I was so worried that they’d found you. I was afraid you wouldn’t let them take you alive.”
“Oh, they haven’t taken me.” I hunkered down to get a better look at the rope. The magic looked mundane, which made me think there had to be a trick to it. “Did Armand cast this spell?”
“We haven’t seen any vampires,” Rooster replied. “The spell was cast by someone else.”
“And who would that be?”
“Some woman. I didn’t recognize her.”
“I guess that means I have another battle to fight.” I pursed my lips and extended my fingers, pulsing a bit of magic toward the tether. Nothing immediately happened, but after a second jolt the rope gave way.
Gunner tested his range of motion and then moved in for a proper hug. “I can’t believe you’re here. How did you know where to look?”
I gave him a moment before pulling back. Now was not the time for schmaltz. “I narrowed my list of one possible location ... and here I am.”
“Very funny.” He looked wiped, as if he’d been through a battle and barely come out the other side. “I was afraid for you.”
“Yeah? I was afraid for you, too.” I shot Whistler a rueful look. “Your bar is a mess. I locked up, but it’s going to take some elbow grease to get it looking like it should.”
“I think we can manage that.” He was pale but looked ready to fight his way free. “Is there a reason we’re still sitting here gabbing? Let’s get out of here.”
I hesitated.
“Spit it out, Scout,” Rooster ordered. He looked as anxious as Whistler. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“I didn’t exactly take down the barrier.”
“Then how did you get inside?” He narrowed his eyes, suspicious. “You made a deal with them after all, didn’t you?”
I shook my head and tried to refrain from allowing my anger to show. We’d been over this. The fact that he was still jumping to the worst possible conclusion irritated me no end. “I shifted planes and crossed the barrier that way. It wasn’t easy — in fact, it was a little messy — but I made it. That’s not an option when we leave. Neither is making us invisible, because it drains me and I need my magic for what’s to come.”
“And what’s that?” Rooster held out his cuffed hands and I hit the links with a bolt of magic to free him. “What are you going to do?”
“The best way to eradicate all the vampires is to burn this place.” I was matter of fact. “The problem is that we don’t know where the half-vampires are. Melody and Cherise are in the living room. I haven’t seen the rest of them.”
Bonnie stirred. “I heard them talking when they were bringing me in. They expected you to move on the house. They were waiting for you on the main highway. Did you not see them?”
Laughter bubbled up as I swallowed the mad urge to start chortling, which would’ve been a mistake because it clearly would’ve drawn people to us. “I came in from the back. I figured they would be watching the front. I didn’t think there would be a highway ambush, but that makes sense. I came in through the trees.”
“And they obviously weren’t expecting you.” Rooster grinned. “It seems you’re smart even when you’re not trying.”
“Yeah. That’s me.” I rolled my neck and moved to Bonnie next. “If the rest of the half-vampires are on the road, that’s actually a lucky break. Then all we need to do is get Melody and Cherise out. Then I can burn this place to the ground and take out every vampire inside.”
“How can you be sure that you’ll get them all?” Whistler asked, grimacing as I carefully removed his chains. Up close, his elbow appeared to be dislocated, not broken. There was no time to fix it now. “They’re underground. They’ll be safe there as long as there’s no sunlight penetrating.”
I flashed a playful smile. “Leave that to me.”
Whistler held my gaze for a long beat and then nodded. “Okay. You’ve managed to pull this
off so far. What’s your plan?”
“You need to go downstairs, lure the two dimwits in the living room outside, and leave the basement for me. That’s it.”
Gunner immediately started shaking his head. “No way. I’m not leaving you to do this on your own.”
“It’s the best way,” I insisted. “I have elemental magic to call on. I can burn the basement and escape up the stairs.”
“And what if someone comes up behind you? No.” He was adamant as he shook his head. “I’m not being separated from you again today. We’re doing this together.”
I thought about arguing, but there wasn’t enough time. “Fine.” I held up a finger to keep him from smiling in triumph. “You have to do what I say, though. I’m the boss. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.”
“That sounds like an intriguing game.” He winked as Marissa groaned.
“Maybe we’ll play that game later. We have to move. It’s still relatively early in the afternoon and we have a window here. I want to use it.”
“Then let’s do it.” Rooster was grim. “We all owe these bastard vampires a little payback. It’s time to get it done.”
Twenty-Eight
I took the lead going down the stairs because the rest of my team was battered and bruised. They would fight, but the initial play would be mine.
I wasn’t surprised to find Melody and Cherise still focused on the front approach. I stood in the open archway for a long time, waiting for them to turn. When they didn’t, I cleared my throat and pasted a “You’ve screwed up and now you must die” smile on my face.
“Oh, my ... .” Cherise visibly paled — which was impressive given the fact that she was practically transparent as it was — and shrank away from me.
Melody, on the other hand, was positively apoplectic. “What are you doing in my house?”
I wanted to laugh. The statement was so absurd that was the only acceptable reaction. “I was just taking a tour.” I pointed toward the front door so Rooster could lead the others to it. The barrier was designed to keep people out. There was nothing stopping them from crossing over to freedom. “This place could really use a spruce.”
“You’re not supposed to be in my house,” Melody complained, petulance on full display. “It’s not allowed. You broke the rules.”
“Don’t talk to me about breaking the rules.” I narrowed my eyes. “Your little boyfriend broke the rules when he sent his cadre of human sacrifices to hurt my friends. Now he’s going to find out what a real rule breaker looks like.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Melody planted her hands on her hips. “You need to leave right now. I’m serious.”
“Oh, she’s being serious,” Bonnie drawled. “I bet that terrifies you, huh, Scout?”
“Yes. I’m quaking in my boots.”
“Get out!” Melody stomped her foot. “You’re going to ruin everything. In fact ... .” She dug in her pocket for a cell phone and held it up, as if I was somehow expected to applaud her ingenuity. “You’re in trouble now. Just you wait.”
I waved my hand and flung the phone out of her hands, smirking when it smacked into the wall, the screen shattering. “I think you need a time-out.”
Melody’s mouth dropped open and venom swirled in her eyes. “What did you just do? That phone is brand new. It’s the expensive new model. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that I’m not going to allow you to call the half-vampires on the road and let you draw them into this.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Actually, I was calling the police. You’re trespassing and I’m going to have them arrest you. That’s the absolute least you deserve.”
I was caught off guard with the response. “Seriously?”
Gunner snorted. “Well, the chief of police is my father, so I don’t think that would’ve worked out for you. Now I’m kind of sorry that Scout broke the phone. Seeing my father’s reaction would’ve been funny.”
“Especially because he can’t cross the barrier and get me,” I added.
“There is that.”
Melody jutted out her lower lip. “I can’t believe you did this. You ruined everything. Well, fine!” She threw her hands in the air, reminding me very much of a terrible teenager with an attitude problem. “Go ahead and take your friends. We’ll just capture them again and then you’ll be sorry.”
And that was what I was determined to stop from happening. I slid my eyes to Rooster. “Just take them. Get them out. I thought you might have to entice them to leave, but they’re not smart enough. Drag them over the line.”
A muscle worked in Rooster’s jaw as he nodded. “Gladly. Are you sure you don’t want help with the rest of this?”
“There’s nothing you can do.” I flicked my eyes to Gunner. “Besides, I have backup. We’ll be right behind you.”
Confusion etched its way across Melody’s face. “What are you doing? Where do you think you’re going?” she called to my back as Gunner and I cut through the house. The basement door was in the kitchen. I saw it on my initial run through the house. There was only one place left to visit ... and I was more than ready to end this.
EVER THE MACHO TYPE, GUNNER tried to cut in front of me for the descent down the stairs, but I shoved him back — lightly of course — with my magic and practically skipped down the cement steps in front of him. I was feeling energized, ready for action, and extremely protective. I would do whatever it took to keep him safe.
The stairwell was dark so I had to create my own light source. I conjured three swirling light beacons and sent them ahead. The first chamber was illuminated when we reached the final step.
“Son of a ... !” I was awed as I looked around the room. Here, the vampires had spared no expense when it came to improvements. Someone had built vaults — much like at a morgue — with doors built into the walls. I had no doubt there were sliding trays inside every door, and a vampire sleeping on every tray.
“How many is that?” Gunner asked, breathless.
“At least thirty. If they’re all full.”
“What are the odds they’re not full?”
That was a good question. I held my hands out and shrugged. “I have no idea. I ... .” The sound of footsteps on cement drew my attention to the far end of the room. There, situated against the back wall, was another door. I held my breath as it opened and then frowned when I didn’t recognize the individual sliding into the room.
“Hello.” She was young — under thirty — and well-dressed. She wore tweed pants, what appeared to be a cashmere sweater, and the necklace hanging around her neck looked ornate. It also looked familiar, though I couldn’t quite place it. “You must be Allegra.”
I exchanged a quick look with Gunner, confused. “Not last time I checked,” I said finally. “I take it you’re expecting someone else.”
“That’s the witch who bound us,” Gunner warned in a low voice.
I held the woman’s gaze. “And who are you?”
“Emmeline. You may call me Emma. I gave up my formal name years ago because people kept mispronouncing it.”
“That must suck.” Really, what else was I supposed to say? “May I ask why you’re hanging out in the basement guarding a bunch of vampires?”
“You may ask.”
I waited for her to answer. When she didn’t, I frowned. “Seriously, what are you doing down here?”
“I am a guardian of sorts,” Emma replied. Her face was remarkably smooth and pale. She didn’t look like the other half-vampires. She didn’t look entirely human either. “Someone needs to watch the master during the day to make sure he’s safe.”
“Isn’t that the little minion’s job?”
Her forehead wrinkled. “I’m not sure who you refer to.”
“Bixby.” I was quickly running out of patience, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this conversation was important. “I thought he was the butler.”
“He is. That doesn’t mean he’s important.”
�
�He seems to think he is.”
“He’s always been a bit full of himself.” The smile she graced me with was unsettling. “It’s been a long time.”
“Excuse me?” I felt completely out of my depth. “What’s been a long time?”
“Us being together. More than twenty years now ... and still we’re right back where we were.”
“I ... .” My heart rate picked up a notch as I tried to sort out what she was saying.
“You know Scout?” Gunner asked, his hand automatically going to my back. “How is that?”
“Oh, we go way back.” Emma’s gaze was keen. “I don’t think you remember those days, do you? I’d heard rumors. I couldn’t track you down myself because they hid you. I got close a few times ... including a few months after your eighteenth birthday. I tracked you into the city ... and found other people.”
A sick feeling filled my stomach and the musty smell of the basement made me think I might actually throw up. “You ran into Bixby and Armand when you were looking for me.”
“I saw you on the sidewalk and was following because I wanted to talk to you. They intercepted me. And now here we are.”
I wasn’t sure I could untangle all the threads in my head. “Have you been with them ever since?”
“Not by choice, but I have a job to do.”
My lips parted as I tried to figure out what to say. There was so much going on in my brain I swore I could hear buzzing ... and I was hoping it wasn’t my sanity as I struggled to maintain control of my emotions.
“Who are you?” Gunner challenged. He remained close to me, his warmth serving as an anchor. Shifters ran hot, something that caused us to sleep with a fan every night, but I welcomed that latent heat now.
“I just told you. My name is Emma.”
“Yes, but who are you?”
“It’s really none of your concern.” The look she shot Gunner was dismissive. “This conversation has nothing to do with you.”
“Well ... I’m here, so I beg to differ.”
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