A Spell of Time

  I pocketed one and hurried out of the study. Annora wouldn’t notice it was missing. I’d just have to find a way to discreetly replace it once she’d returned.

  I returned to my apartment and, after making final preparations for the excursion, I descended the stairs to the entrance hall. A dozen vampires already waited for me there.

  “Let’s go,” I said.

  I pushed open the main doors and we all hurried down the steep mountain slope, through the forest until we reached the harbor. I slipped through the hatch of the largest submarine and headed straight to the control room. Frieda entered and sat in the seat next to me.

  I prepared the submarine for departure.

  “Is everyone ready?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  I backed the vessel out of the port and began speeding ahead.

  I’d picked the beach nearest to us, even though we’d hit it many times before. Beach parties were harder to come by, but I was sure that we’d find enough tourists taking strolls to collect enough humans to keep Annora satiated at least for the next few days. I needed to get this job out of the way as soon as possible and didn’t have time to go further afield.

  “Hopefully soon, there will be no more need for these trips,” Frieda muttered. “I know the first thing that I’m going to do once I get on that island. Wring that little wench’s neck.”

  “I’m not sure that Annora would want you doing that,” I said, careful to keep my voice free of emotion. “They may have other plans for the twins.”

  Frieda scowled. “Well, if I can’t wring her neck, I’m going to at least take a bite out of her.”

  We passed the rest of the journey in silence. I breathed out in relief when we arrived at our destination.

  I stopped the submarine near a remote part of the beach.

  “Let’s go.” I jumped to my feet and Frieda followed me out of the cabin. Vampires rushed along the passageway toward the hatch. We climbed out and slipped into the ocean. I scanned the length of the beach as I swam toward it. There were no large groups of people in sight, as I’d expected, but there were couples and individuals walking along the beach.

  We climbed out of the water and rushed toward a patch of shrubbery bordering the sand. We couldn’t afford to be seen in plain view anymore on this beach. We’d simply hit it too many times before.

  I was the first to creep out from the bushes. I ordered Demarcus, a tall wiry vampire, to follow me. We ran up behind a couple and, withdrawing our syringes, injected them both at once. Two more vampires ran out of the bushes, grabbed the humans we’d tranquilized and began swimming back to the submarine. In this way, over the next hour, we poached humans who passed by our stretch of the beach until we’d caught about a dozen. Enough for now.

  I turned to the vampires crouching in the bushes beside me.

  “Back to the sub.”

  “Are you sure we have enough?” Demarcus asked.

  “Yes, enough for now. I don’t want to take too many from this beach.”

  “We could go to another beach,” Sabine, a vampire to my left, said. “I’d rather just get a whole bunch at once rather than making so many separate trips. We’re already halfway to Hawaii. It makes no sense turning back now when—”

  “Who’s in charge here?” I glared at them.

  Sabine and Demarcus bowed their heads.

  “Just keep silent and obey.”

  I checked the beach again. It seemed to be all clear.

  “Okay,” I whispered. “We make a run back in three, two, one…”

  We all sprang from the bushes and raced toward the water.

  What happened next was a blur. A blast of light overhead blinded me. Something heavy slammed down against my shoulder, making me stumble and lose my footing. Lying on the sand, I looked up to see a giant cage fall around me and several other vampires who hadn’t yet made it to the waves. I scrambled to my feet and gripped the bars, pulling at them with all my strength. They wouldn’t budge. I tried to dig my fingers into the sand and slide them beneath the bars, but as soon as I did, a sharp metal surface shot out from the edges of the cage and closed beneath us above the sand. Had I not leapt up in time, my feet would have been severed.

  One vampire wasn’t as fast. A scream erupted behind me. I whirled around to see Frieda lying on the floor, writhing and nursing two oozing stumps where her feet should have been.

  The cage jolted and began lifting us into the air.

  “No!” I yelled.

  I strained my neck upward. A black helicopter hovered above us.

  What is this?

  I looked back down at the ocean. Our submarine had already disappeared beneath the waves along with the vampires who’d escaped, and all chances of reaching Mona in time.

  Chapter 8: Sofia

  Once I’d pulled on Ibrahim’s clothes, I left the room. I found Corrine and Ibrahim in the corridor.

  “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck.”

  I walked to the exit. Again, before darting through the courtyard, I poked my head out and scanned the area. A couple of vampires crossed the clearing and headed back into the woods on the opposite side. Once they had gone, I launched forward and ducked into the bushes. I headed northwest of the island, again careful to travel off the beaten path. Having experienced Kiev’s powerful form, it wasn’t as much of a shock getting used to Derek’s prowess, and I was more graceful as I rushed through the trees.

  I reached the beach and ran to the line of townhouses. I singled out Kiev and Mona’s house and, holding my breath, rapped on the door.

  I tried to steady my breathing as the door creaked open. Mona stood in the doorway. She gave me a knowing smile and opened the door wider. “Come in… Derek.”

  I followed after her cautiously, looking about the hallway as I entered.

  “Take a seat in the living room. I’ll get Kiev.”

  “Thank you.”

  I couldn’t have been more grateful that she was here. If I pushed the wrong buttons and Kiev snapped, she was powerful enough to intervene.

  Kiev entered the room, but froze at the doorway as soon as he laid eyes on me.

  I stood up and cautiously closed the distance between us.

  “Kiev,” I said, holding his gaze even though he intimidated me. “I’ve come to apologize.”

  Kiev’s face remained steely, impossible to read. Just as Derek’s had been. It should have been obvious all along that they’re related.

  “I’ve allowed memories of the past and my prejudices to blind me from seeing what’s in front of me. I’ve spoken with Matteo and he tells me that you have changed. You saved us from Annora, brought Anna back, and now you and Mona have agreed to stay to protect our island. I’m not sure I can ever forget the pain you caused us, but I want to apologize and at least try to put the past behind us.”

  I hoped that I hadn’t made Derek sound too cheesy. But when I reached out a hand, Kiev gripped it.

  “Okay, Novak.”

  I stepped back and cleared my throat. “Well, I ought to be going now. But I would like to invite you round for late lunch tomorrow, if you’ll accept.”

  He nodded slowly. Mona appeared at his side. “We’ll be there, Derek,” she said, grinning and looping an arm though Kiev’s.

  “Good. Let’s say, four o’clock?”

  “That’s fine,” Mona replied.

  The two of them stepped aside as I made my way out. I opened the front door and walked out into the front yard leading up to the sandy beach. I turned back once more to smile at Mona as she closed the door.

  Four o’clock tomorrow. I supposed that I could have invited them round much earlier, for dinner this evening. I should have had more than enough time to turn back into myself. But something made me want to play it safe. I scanned the length of the beach for people and, on seeing the coast was clear, hurtled back toward the woods. I hurried as fast as I could off the path and arrived back in the Sanctuary, slamming the oak door shut behind me.
>
  I hurried from chamber to chamber, looking for Corrine. I found her sitting in the kitchen area, at the dining table, deep in conversation with Ibrahim. They both looked up as I entered.

  “So?” Corrine said. “How did it go?”

  “It went well,” I replied. “Kiev accepted Derek’s apology.” I slumped down in a chair and looked from Corrine to Ibrahim.

  “And now what?” Ibrahim asked.

  “I invited Kiev and Mona to come to lunch tomorrow, at four o’clock.” I looked anxiously at Corrine. “So I guess now I just have to wait here until I turn back. I hope that Derek and Kiev won’t bump into each other in the meantime. I should be myself again by dinner tonight, right?”

  She peeled back her sleeve and looked at her wristwatch.

  “Yes, you should be.”

  And so I waited there at the table with Corrine and Ibrahim, passing the time in conversation as we waited for me to turn back. We waited one hour. Then two. Then three. Then four.

  As time pushed on, even Corrine was no longer able to keep the worried expression from her face. My stomach was in knots.

  I stood up and walked over to a mirror, getting up close and staring at Derek’s face, rubbing his skin, willing myself to see even the slightest bit of transformation.

  Come on, Derek.

  It was now almost ten o’clock. I’d missed preparing the twins’ dinner. They would be wondering where on earth I was. Derek might even be out searching for me now.

  “Why am I not changing back?” I asked, wringing my sweaty hands.

  Even Ibrahim looked worried now.

  “Where did you get that hair of Derek’s?” Ibrahim asked.

  “From his head.”

  His brows furrowed. “And where did you get Kiev’s?”

  “Mona plucked one of his leg hairs.”

  “Hm.”

  “What?”

  “See, I suspect that hair from the head is more potent than leg hair.”

  My throat went dry. “How much longer will it take?” I croaked. “Will I be myself again in time for lunch tomorrow?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “But isn’t there some antidote? Can’t you just force me back?”

  “We can,” Corrine said, walking over to me and placing an arm around my shoulder. “But this type of spell is best left to wear off naturally. Sometimes, forcing reversion of a spell of this type can have… negative side effects.”

  “What side effects?”

  “Well… let’s just say that Queen Sofia could end up with some rather unsightly stubble.”

  I cursed beneath my breath. I looked up at the clock again. Thank God I didn’t invite them over for dinner.

  “Can’t Mona do something? Surely she must—”

  “I’m sure she can. But again, it’s not without the risk of side effects, same as if I tried to force you back.”

  “But I will turn back, right?” I asked, my voice trembling.

  “Yes,” Ibrahim said. “Don’t worry. The spell will wear off. It’s just a matter of time.”

  Time. That’s just what I don’t have.

  Chapter 9: Caleb

  As we were hauled up into the belly of the helicopter, I looked around the dim aircraft. Three men stood dressed in black. Masks covered their faces. The door closed beneath us and they began circling the cage.

  “Who are you?” I snarled.

  The man nearest me approached the bars, his light blue eyes boring into mine.

  “It was foolish of you to come to this beach again.”

  “Answer me.”

  He chuckled and exchanged glances with the other men. “Let’s go!” he shouted.

  The aircraft lurched, and we began ascending. Blood pounded in my ears, my mouth parched, heart racing.

  “You can tell them who we are,” a brown-eyed man said, looking me over.

  Blue Eyes approached the cage again. Withdrawing a dagger from his belt, he ran it across my fingers where they gripped the bars, slitting a line through my skin. It stung, but I refused to flinch.

  “You’ve hit this beach one too many times, vampire. You should have expected that someone would have clued in by now. You think you can just rip apart families with no consequences?”

  “Who are you?” I repeated.

  He paused, looking back at the other men before answering. “As you are snakes, we are hawks.”

  Hawks. I caught a glimpse of a black tattoo on his wrist. The brand of a hawk.

  So these are hunters. In all our years of kidnapping, we’d never once met a hunter. Their order had been shut down almost two decades ago. I supposed it was only a matter of time before we provoked them enough to reform.

  “What are you going to do with us?” Demarcus grunted, sweat dripping down his forehead.

  Ignoring him, the hunters exited the chamber through a door to our left. I stared at the eight vampires who shared the cage with me. Frieda whimpered in one corner. She looked close to unconsciousness.

  I’d known it was a mistake going to that beach again. I’d felt it in my bones. And yet I’d risked it anyway—my life, and those of my fellow vampires.

  None of us exchanged a word until the aircraft started to descend. My stomach lurched as we took a dive, and several minutes later, the aircraft shuddered as we hit land.

  Footsteps sounded overhead and two men entered the chamber. They circled the cage, attaching metal chains to the bars. A side door opened. Several more men came down the steps and entered the room. They all gripped the chains now attached to the bars of our cage and slid us roughly down a ramp. We hit the ground. We had to grip onto the bars to prevent ourselves from falling on top of each other. Frieda was too weak. She slid across the floor and her head smashed against the bars.

  As they dragged us away from the aircraft, I stalked around the edges of the cage. We’d landed on a cliff. The sea glistened beneath the waning moon in the distance, and there was a steep drop a few hundred meters away. I looked around at our captors. Now ten of them had debarked from the helicopter and were staring at each of us through the bars.

  The blue-eyed man pulled off his mask. His jaw was square and covered with a bristling black beard. His skin was tan, his nose long and pointed. The other men followed his lead, revealing their own faces for the first time. All of them were men except for one. The female hunter looked as tough as the men. Hardened features, marred with scars. They were built like military veterans.

  They gathered together in a huddle and started talking in hushed tones. Though of course I could hear every word they spoke.

  “Anthony, what first?” the woman asked, looking at the blue-eyed man.

  Anthony cast another look at us.

  “Bring our families.”

  “Already?”

  “Yes. They’ll want to be here to watch every moment of this.”

  The woman nodded, her face stony and resolute, and hurried back toward a small helicopter parked fifty feet away from the black helicopter we’d arrived in. She climbed aboard with three other men and launched into the sky.

  I turned my attention back to Anthony.

  “You asked what we’re going to do with you. You won’t have to wait long now to find out. Don’t worry.”

  If these hunters were as powerful as the hunters who used to roam the human realm decades ago, our chances of survival were practically non-existent. As I looked around at my comrades’ ashen faces, I was sure that they knew this too.

  Man to man, they stood no chance against us. But the technology they possessed was enough to overpower us. One shot of one of their bullets into our flesh and we’d burn alive from the inside.

  “Declan, Crispian,” Anthony called. “We may as well start preparing for the show.”

  Two men ran up the ramp into the helicopter and returned minutes later, each carrying metal chests.

  “Since the police are useless, I’m sure you can understand why we had to take this matter into our own hands. I’m so sorry,”
Anthony said, looking at me with mock sympathy. “You’re the leader of this lot?”

  I didn’t respond, though he didn’t seem to require my answer. He’d already seen me leading the way to the submarines when we were still on the sand.

  I glanced at the horizon. The sun was close to rising. I looked up at the ceiling of the cage we were trapped in. It was solid, no holes. But the sun would shine right through the bars that lined the sides of the cage. There would be no escaping it. Perhaps this was their plan.

  The men unlocked the chests and started withdrawing an array of weapons, many of which I’d never seen before in my life and couldn’t put a name to. But all were clearly torture devices. Sharp hooks, butchers’ knives, chains and handcuffs. Wooden stakes. And guns. Lots of guns. Their intentions were clear from one brief glance at the display they were laying out on the grass before us. Torture equipment and then guns to finish off the job.

  “You see,” Anthony said as they unpacked the chests, “we couldn’t risk turning you into the police. They’d likely lose you. We had to take matters into our own hands. I’m sure you can understand.”

  Anthony stooped down and picked up a stake in one hand, a dagger in the other. He crouched down on the floor, the wood leaning against his knee as he began to sharpen it.

  Still I refused to discourse with him. I kept my face expressionless. If this was going to be my last hour, I wasn’t going to give them any more satisfaction than they already derived from seeing us caged here like animals.

  I turned my back on the sight of him sharpening the stake and faced my companions. I looked at each of their dejected faces. Despite the many years I’d known them, I’d never gotten close to any of them. Our relationship was merely functional. I doubted that they had relationships amongst each other either. Everyone on our island just did what they had to do to get by and avoid trouble. I might as well be dying in the company of strangers.