If I couldn’t protect myself while handling Zack’s ropes, I couldn’t save him. Terror gripped me and my chest felt like it would explode as I scaled down the tree and returned to the wall. I crouched at the top, working up the nerve to storm their campsite.
From my vantage point, I could see a lone vamp pacing along the back wall near the gate.
What if I took them out one at a time?
Drawing a deep breath and releasing it, I prepared myself for attack. For murder. I’d killed Charles weeks ago in self-defense, but the idea of purposely going after a vampire with the intention of ending his life had me flinching.
But I had to kill him. If I didn’t, we’d have to deal with him later and that could mean the difference between getting out alive or not surviving. And the longer I waited, the more time they had to hurt Zack.
I had an instant to neutralize the nearby vamp. I could try to stake him, but what if he fought me? I could end up being staked instead. I could attack him from behind and keep myself out of his reach.
But if I missed on the first try, then I’d have to cling to him while trying to aim for his heart. And while I’m struggling to get the upper hand, he could beat me to it. Too risky. Any hesitation on my part would give him a chance to overpower me.
I’d have to knock him out first. Paralyze him another way.
I waited until he was closer and when he turned away, I rocketed along the wall and hopped on his back. With my legs firmly gripping his middle, I clamped a hand onto his jaw with one hand and his forehead with the other.
Just before I wrenched his head all the way around, his hand reached up and struck blindly at me with a knife, slicing my upper arm. His neck cracked and we tumbled to the ground. He lay motionless, but I knew that might last only a matter of minutes.
Snatching the dagger from his hand, I used all my strength to stab him in the neck. He awakened and struggled beneath me, but I kept carving away and he weakened with each tendon and vein I severed. When I was halfway done, he flopped then stilled over the grass.
Clenching my jaw and swallowing back vomit, I glanced around to make sure I hadn’t been spotted, then returned to my task. His eyes stared up and he twitched until the last tendon and vein had been severed. Shuddering, I rubbed my stinging arm then tossed his head away from his shoulders.
Wiping the tears that had dribbled down my cheeks, I vaulted up to the wall again. I doubted I could get any closer to Zack without someone seeing me. I’d have to turn into a bear, charge the place and kill any vampires standing in my way, then I’d morph into a human and free Zack from the ropes.
And probably get killed in the process.
Chapter TWENTY-SIX
Zack
Leaving Cedric’s suite had been an idiot move. As soon as I’d been electrocuted at the top of the estate wall, I’d been hit with a dart. I’d woken later already bound, gagged and hanging upside down.
When the vampires had realized I was conscious, a couple of them started using me as a punching bag. They swung me back and forth, taking turns messing me up, then finally handing me over to a vampire they called Dennis.
He’d fired off a few blows at me and broken a rib, which then punctured my lung. That didn’t come close to the agony I’d suffered when he’d inserted a long, pear-shaped device into my mouth, and then expanded it until I felt my skull ripping apart. It had been indescribably painful.
I so loathed these vampires.
On the upside, they’d been gone a few minutes and I’d had a chance to heal. Except for the current damage being done to my wrists and ankles, which smarted from being tied so tightly. And my shoulders ached from the pressure of the ropes pulling my arms.
Blood from my earlier pummeling leaked into my stinging eyes, and the adrenaline rush of fear had me so amped up I was dying to morph. But I couldn’t. If I shifted into a wolf to escape the ropes, they’d slip off my paws and I’d drop into a bed of poison-filled arrows that would have me writhing in pain. And incapacitated soon after.
Zack, I’m close by. How many vamps are with you?
Autumn, I told you to stay away. Saving me isn’t worth you getting killed. Whoever came with you can stay. You go back home.
Nope, sorry. We’re a little short on help, so it’s just me. How many vamps are with you?
Oh, hell no. Come back later when you have backup.
Damn it, Zack! How many?
Four. Too many for you to handle on your own.
Yeah, well, I just killed one vamp. Do you see four now or only three?
Right this second I see four. Please, Autumn, don’t do this, I begged. Whether she loved me or not, the mere thought of anything happening to her tripled any pain and discomfort I felt.
I’m going to free you first, then I’ll need your help. Get ready.
I spun myself in a circle and scanned the area, but didn’t see Autumn. She must be behind the nearby wall. I’d placed all four vamps though. Two were huddled together about thirty feet away, murmuring. Dennis paced about the same distance away in the opposite direction. The fourth patrolled the area about twenty away in the direction of the mansion.
The wall about ten feet behind us was unguarded though, and would cover Autumn. Still, any one of them could get to us faster than Autumn could jump the wall and untie me. Please don’t make me watch you die. Go back. Please.
No way. I’m not leaving you. Thirty seconds, Zack. Be ready.
Another surge of adrenaline spiked through me. Like I needed to be told to be ready. And damn her for not listening.
I wiggled again, spinning myself in another circle. As I came around again, a shadow approached me. She was quiet, I had to give her that. And I’d never been more grateful for her lack of scent. Last chance. Go.
Not on your life. Literally. And the next instant, she was up in the tree looking down at me. Good thing I had all that practice sneaking around, huh?
Yeah. I gritted my teeth. I wish you’d had more practice listening. You need to get out of here before it’s too late.
I’m working on it.
Not the way I wanted her to work on it. Stubborn shape-shifter! The branch creaked and my heart stopped. Autumn, you can’t cut me down. As soon as I touch the ground, the crossbows go off on me.
I won’t let you drop, she assured me. I can’t see the vampires from here because of the tree. Are any of them watching you?
Oh, God, what was she going to do? I rotated again, locating all four of the guards. The two vamps were still huddled like they were in a heated discussion, arms waving emphatically. The fourth guy was still facing the mansion. And Dennis was staring at his cell.
Whatever you’re going to do, now’s the time. Just don’t let me fall into the arrows.
I felt a tug on the rope and the crossbows gradually got farther away. Lifting my head up, I could see Autumn straining as she heaved me higher by the rope. About halfway, she stopped and left me dangling and twirling.
I twisted to get a bead on the vamps again. They only needed to glance my way and we’d both be killed before I ever reached that branch where she could untie me. My pulse accelerated. What’s wrong?
I ripped open a wound. Give me a second.
A second we couldn’t spare.
My body began ascending again, but slower this time. And then, once again, I halted mid-air. My pulse hammered in my throat and panic swept through me. This was a disaster. Autumn was hurt and she was spending her last bit of energy rescuing me. And then I’d have to carry her away. I wasn’t sure I had enough strength to save her, save myself, and fight off four vamps.
At last the toe of my shoe touched the branch above me. She wound the extra rope and knotted it around a broken limb, then reached down to slip her fingers under the ropes around my chest that were binding my arms to my side. Her other hand looped onto the waistband of my jeans and she hauled me up. As I lay over the branch, face down on my stomach, she freed me of the ropes on my wrist.
While she got t
o work on my bound ankles, I rubbed the raw skin and peeked down at the crossbows that were all set to shoot. The vampires were still preoccupied. But they were bound to look my way soon and then we’d be in for a battle. I wanted to hug Autumn—among other things—but we didn’t have time for sappy reunions. Not that she’d be receptive anyway. I tamped down my disappointment and focused on getting to safety. How bad is it?
Autumn followed my gaze to her arm and she shrugged. It was a deep wound and that threw me. But it’s healing, I swear. She fished a dart from her pocket and a dagger from her waistband, then handed them to me.
I knew what to do with them. Go jump the wall, I told her. I’ll be there in a minute.
The wall? The house is the other direction. Any second they’re going to notice you’re missing. We don’t have time for a detour and you need to heal before taking on any battles.
All I’ve been doing on that rope is healing. What I need to do won’t take long. I pointed toward the wall.
She glided soundlessly down the other side of the tree, avoiding the crossbows, then I followed. Dennis was a few yards away with his back to me. As stealthily as possible, I flew across the grass toward him. He rotated and I pierced his heart with the dagger.
That’s for torturing me, you sick son of a bitch, I told him, taking a moment to mentally prepare myself to cut off his head. But Autumn had a handful of his hair and was already slicing away at his neck. Disgusting.
Hadn’t she told me a few minutes ago that she’d already killed a vampire before she got to me? A week ago, I would’ve followed Autumn straight to the estate after being rescued, not stopped to kill a vampire, even if he had tortured me.
Killing had never been so easy. What the hell had happened to us?
Dathan.
When she’d severed the bone and carved away the last piece of flesh, she knocked the head aside. I yanked on her hand, dragged her to the block wall, and we jumped to the other side. I kept hold of her hand as we ran through the nearby estate and past the next.
We were far enough away now. I slowed to a stop and she turned to me. “It’s Dathan’s blood,” I said.
“What do you mean?” A pucker formed between Autumn’s brows.
“When you killed Charles, you were in an animal form. Much easier to kill. I’m not saying it’s easy right now, but it’s not nearly as hard as it should be.”
Her face warped into a grimace. “By drinking his blood, he gave us the ability to kill. Not that we couldn’t before. There’s just less guilt now.”
“Yeah, although I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or bad. We need to get back to the palace,” I said, wondering what other interesting qualities Dathan had passed on to us. I hoped I wouldn’t become a tool. “Is my mom okay?”
“Last time I checked, yeah. She was with Dathan, holding her own.”
“Good.” Afraid I’d lose Autumn as we ran, I gripped her hand and tugged, then paused mid-step. “Before we go back, let’s take out that other guy by the gate. Then later, we only have to deal with two of them.”
“You nab, I stab?” She waved her dagger.
“Gross, Autumn.” I wanted to kill Dathan for changing my girl into a cold-blooded killer. Except she wasn’t my girl anymore.
“You started it.” She rolled her eyes. “Let’s get him.”
After sprinting back toward the cluster of trees, we stopped at the wall that led back to Cedric’s estate. We pulled ourselves up and hung on the edge by our elbows while we searched the area for more vamps.
Where are you guys? I asked Dathan, scanning the distant grounds. We have one quick thing to do and we’re heading back.
“Nice job, you two, but they’re all either gone, paralyzed, or dead.” Dathan smirked up at me from below. “We captured one of the guys who were holding you here, but another one ran off,” he said. “Braulio and Kayla have several locked up in the basement awaiting interrogation. Maybe we can find out who else was in on it. Maybe not. Regardless, I believe it will be a while before they build up their army and resources adequately to make another move against us. For now, it’s over and you guys are free to go home.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around how casual Dathan sounded about it all. “Someone who betrayed you is running loose out there, but you’re calling it a day? Doesn’t sound right to me.”
Dathan scoffed. “They wouldn’t be the first to gain trust in order to take the crown. There will always be others who work toward our demise, and the palace will never be one hundred percent loyal. We do the best we can and have contingencies in place when we need it. That’s all we can do.”
“Fair enough.” Autumn jumped to the other side of the wall. “This obviously isn’t your first time surviving an attack like this.”
“No.” His mouth curved up. “But it’s the first time I had help from the rival species we were fighting.”
“My mom okay?” As I swung my body over the wall and eased down, it occurred to me that she wasn’t the only family. “What about my dad and cousin?”
“Everyone’s fine.” Dathan surveyed the area then stretched out a hand to me. “And now Cedric isn’t alone in his debt to you.”
“Not you too.” I flashed a palm at him. “You guys offered asylum and we took it. Clean slate.”
“Whatever you say.” Dathan nodded at a nearby headless body. “We have some bodies to dispose of.”
“Oh.” Autumn’s mouth twisted. “That sounds super fun.”
I exhaled in relief. She wasn’t too hard-core if the dead still revolted her.
“Zack!” My mom jogged across the lawn and tumbled into my arms. “Oh, baby. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Yeah, I’m good. But when the dust settles, we should talk.” I breathed in her sweet, metallic scent, then gave her one last hug before releasing her.
“Yes, we have much to discuss.” She gave me her mom smirk that told me I was going to get reamed. What the hell? She was the one who’d kept secrets from me. I was the one who had the right to be angry, not the other way around.
Autumn threw herself at my mom. “You’re alive. Again.”
“Yeah, yeah, let’s go.” Dathan waved a hand toward the palace. “Before one of the unconscious decides to wake up and dart us with tranquilizers.”
Chapter TWENTY-SEVEN
Autumn
By morning, we’d almost finished matching the bodies to the heads, identifying them, and logging the info into the database. Those tasks would never make it to my Top Ten Fun Things to Do, but at least I wasn’t the one hauling all the bodies to the basement incinerator.
From what we could gather from the interrogations Cedric had conducted, only two of his palace staff—other than the four who’d died while trying to assassinate him and the two we’d captured who’d staked Kayla and Tony—had been involved with the kidnapping. The rest of the bodies hadn’t been palace residents.
Once the estate had been restored to normal, those of us who’d been up all night took some time to catch up on rest. I stopped to check in with my parents so they’d know I was okay. And Maya of course. After hearing the relief in her voice, guilt smothered me for disappearing on her. Zack called his aunt Cara and assured her he was fine, promising to be back soon for Favianne’s memorial service in two days. I wished I could tell them Favianne was alive. But I couldn’t.
Later that afternoon, I gathered with Zack and his family in the gym, along with the king’s council. Dathan stood next to Cedric on a makeshift stage.
The place was packed with vampires from all over the city. They spilled out of the gym and into the atrium.
The table had been placed in front of Cedric and I wondered why they’d set it up with a goblet and knife. Maybe they’d rooted out someone in the audience who had been a part of the uprising and they planned to make an example of him in front of the rest?
Cedric was finishing up his summary of recent events while he made eye contact with various vampires in the crowd. “To my staff, w
ho stayed in this room as we dealt with the traitors, I thank you. To apprehend those responsible for the kidnapping, it was necessary to isolate you in order to prevent confusion between you and those who would eventually be killed or captured.”
Murmurs floated through the large room and one vampire stepped forward. “If I may speak for everyone, we are grateful that the news of your demise was false.” He bowed and stepped back with the others.
Cedric nodded. “We have the werewolves to thank for that. They wanted to leave almost as soon as they arrived, but I persuaded them to stay and help. They showed great courage and risked their lives so that I might discover those behind the threat to the throne.”
A blond woman stepped forward. “Do we have any more information on the attacks in Arizona, Montana, and New Mexico?”
Cedric shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. Those crimes appear to be completely unrelated to the unrest here in the palace. Our intel suggests Ulric may be our man. Or werewolf, I should say.”
“The werewolf king’s henchman?” a blond woman asked as others in the room booed and hissed.
“Yes, his fiercest warrior. And now we know why he’s so powerful.” Cedric scowled. “We believe he’s hunting vampires, using their blood to increase his power to kill his own kind and shape-shifters.”
My heart picked up speed. I knew this wasn’t the time to interrupt Cedric, but I couldn’t help myself. I tugged on his sleeve and whispered, “Is there anyone in particular he’s after?” Please not my mom and dad who were in those states around the same time.
His face looked pained. “Your parents have been contacted and are rushing their arrival. We’ll go over it then.”
My insides iced. This terrifying—and immensely powerful—werewolf could be hunting my parents.