I Accidentally Hooked Up with a Vampire (Accidents Happen #2)

28. Rescue Mission Pt. 2

28

Rescue Mission Pt. 2

“ A re you sure it was Jai?” Jackie sat across from me on the couch.

As soon as the call with my sister ended, I called my friends back to us. The plan we’d just laid out would never work. They wanted us to go right away.

“Yes. I know my sister’s voice,” I snipped at her before I held up my hand. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to come off like that. I just can’t believe this is happening.”

“Maybe they think it will buy them some time,” Miguel offered. “They think you’ll have to leave before the vampires on your side wake up, which means fewer people to face off against.”

“Damn it,” Jackie cursed. “I’m really getting tired of these vampires trying to outsmart us.”

“They must have had a familiar get her to make the call,” Domino, who had been sitting beside me, flipping his phone on his leg, spoke. “It’s the only way that call could have come during the day.”

“Do you think they figured it out? That she isn’t like me?” I looked at him. “Is it possible?”

“It would explain why they’re suddenly calling to have you go there.” He nodded. “They’re using her as bait.”

“How? I mean, I thought they couldn’t touch her.” I looked at Lena. “Isn’t that what your protection spell is for?”

“Yes, but like Domino said, they have familiars. The magic works against vampires. I’m sorry, I didn’t factor that in.” Lena instantly looked like a woman beating herself up for a mistake anyone could have made.

“It’s okay. We’ll figure this out,” Jackie comforted her.

“Is there any chance they already know about Domino?” Miguel asked.

“No. How could they?” I looked at Domino and then Miguel, who shrugged.

“He went out last night to run errands, right?” Jackie chimed in. “That’s where you were when I talked to you.”

“Yes.” Domino nodded.

“Anyone see you? Maybe they could tell?” Miguel offered.

“How?” I frowned. “Did you get bitten and didn’t notice?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he smells different or something,” Jackie said. “How else do you vampires keep up with each other?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Domino snipped at her. “No one smelled me or anything else. I was discreet because I had to be. I don’t know who's on his side yet.”

“Guys!” I snapped, sensing their taunting building again. “Please, not now.”

“Seriously, you two need to get it together.” Miguel was the one to agree with me this time, and he gave Jackie a look like he was both disappointed and jealous of their banter.

“What’s the plan?” Lena asked. “Tell me what to do to help.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Jackie said. “We have to go.”

We stood together outside Reddick’s former home. Apparently, whatever vampire took over the area also claimed the vampire king’s residence. From our vantage point, we could see the familiars keeping watch. They lined the perimeter of the home and even stood at the entrance, where motorized gates held out any visitors.

“Alright. This is where we go ahead alone,” Jackie said. “The other hunters are in place, and we were able to get a few more for reinforcements. Even though they’re cloaked, the vamps will know they’re here.”

“Alone?” I asked.

“Yes, just the girls. Domino is with the hunters now. He’s disguised as one and will come in with them. We’re hoping it will help us out. It won’t take long for them to realize who he is, but the shock value should knock them off their square long enough for us to make a move.”

“They also had people watching Domino’s place,” Lena offered. “I had someone check out his home and they’re definitely there. Looks like their plan was to ambush him the moment the sun went down.”

“It’s good for us. He isn’t there.” I couldn’t imagine what I would do if Domino was also in trouble. I mean, of course, I would save my sister first—I mean, I only met the man a week ago, but I would really try to get to him after I knew she was safe. Odds were, I’d still be too late to do anything.

“Are you ready for this?” Jackie asked me. “This is your second vampire battle, but a lot has happened. How are you holding up?”

“Better than I thought I’d be. Granted, I thought this would be done by now, but I’m okay.” I nodded. “Let’s go get my sister back.”

The three of us piled back into the jeep and drove straight up to the gate, Jackie at the wheel and Lena in the back. She was still working with magic I didn’t understand, but she said it would help us. We needed all the protection we could get, so I didn’t question it too much. We could dissect it all when my sister was safe and the vampire who threatened her was dead.

The gates were made of wide metal slats, positioned so you couldn’t look through them. As we approached, I expected the familiars to stop us, imagined them grilling us for answers or even trying to attack. They did neither. Without as much as a glance in our direction, the gates opened, and Jackie drove right on in.

My heart stopped as soon as we pulled past the tall shrubbery lining the gates. Right in the center of the courtyard, strapped with thick leather to a pole and surrounded by blood-red flowers, was Jai, limp, her hands high above her head. Her eyes were closed, but her chest rose and fell with labored breaths.

“Oh, my God.” I gripped the door handle, ready to hop out and run to her. “What the hell did they do to her?”

“Not yet.” Lena put her hand on my shoulder. “Remember, we have to be smart about this. They want you to respond with emotions. I can tell Jai is okay; she’s just in a deep sleep.”

“How could they do this to her?” I looked back at Lena. “Is this magic?”

“Probably just a drug,” Jackie said. “I know I said everything is answered with magic, but there are a lot of human inventions with the same effect.”

“Okay, so what now?” I still hadn’t let the handle go. My grip tightened around it until my fingers felt like they would burn through the material.

“We wait,” Jackie answered. “It won’t be long.”

She was right. Moments later, two familiars, a man and a woman who both looked like they were sleepwalking, approached us. They said nothing, only nodded for us to get out of the car. It was after stepping out that I realized they were both holding weapons—small handguns. I wondered what kind of ammo they had and if it was strong enough to take down a vampire.

The two continued with their stoic appearances, and as they led us away from our ride, I realized why they were so at ease. Of course, they knew who my friends were and what they were capable of, but they also knew Lena and Jackie couldn’t hurt them. It was in their oath. Lena had explained it to me. It happened after college, something all magic users had to agree to, and that included the hunters. They would harm no humans. Maybe that was why the vampires never turned them—they were human shields.

I, on the other hand, had no oath to stick to. No one would come down on me if I blew off their heads—except, of course, maybe the law, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t be an issue. No magical network would let humans find out about what happened. If they hurt my sister, I was going to kill them. I’d deal with whatever psychological issues that left me with later.

“The sun will be setting soon.” Lena pointed to the sky.

“Let the games begin.” Jackie nodded.

Twenty minutes later, as I stood there wishing I could run to my sister, the sun fell beyond the horizon. As soon as the blanket of darkness covered us, Jackie tensed.

“Here we go,” she muttered under her breath.

“It’s going to be okay.” Lena rubbed my arm.

I nodded because I didn’t know what else to say. I had to believe she was right. We would all walk out of there alive and with my sister.

It wasn’t five minutes after the sunset that Vance appeared in front of us. I figured he would have someone else do his bidding for him, wouldn’t risk walking into a trap, but ego often led men to make foolish choices.

“Didn’t even bother to brush your nasty ass teeth, did you?” Jackie laughed. “Disgusting.”

“Jackie, don’t taunt the vampires,” Lena warned.

“You know me. This is how I play with them.” Jackie winked at Vance. “You can take it, can’t you, big boy?”

Suddenly, the wailing cry of a vampire rang out around us, and soon, a woman joined Vance. She wore a veil across her face, but her afro was still just as perfect as the first day I’d met her.

“I’m going to end your life,” Nyesha spoke with her face still hidden.

“You talking to me?” I pointed at myself, stealing a little of that sass Jackie had.

“You ruined me!” Nyesha cried out and lifted her veil to show her face, still melting. Where my power touched her, she hadn’t healed, and it looked like it was spreading, like a rash that even the strongest steroids couldn’t fight. “Look at my face!”

“Damn, girl.” Jackie looked at Lena. “Think you can do something for that?”

“I don’t think the ancestors themselves could fix that.” Lena pointed and frowned. “Maybe we can study it.”

“Oh, you’re all just so damn funny! Let’s see you laugh after I rip your head off!” Nyesha took one step forward but stopped when Vance held up his hand.

“We won’t end your life. We need you. Surrender, and your friends can take your sister,” Vance spoke calmly. “I’m not here for another fight.”

“No one came here to surrender to you,” Jackie laughed. “If you think this is ending without a fight, you’re really not cut out to be king.”

“You hunters are always out for blood,” Vance said.

“How ironic, coming from a literal bloodsucker,” Jackie snipped back.

Lena and I let her continue poking at the bear; we knew what was happening. The longer Jackie kept Vance locked in their back and forth, the closer the other hunters got to us. We had to wait until they were in position.

“Are you going to let her talk for you?” Vance spoke to me. “This is your sister, and you can save her.”

“I can also blast your face off,” I threatened him.

“Hell yeah, she can!” Jackie cheered. “I mean, look at your friend over there. You’re going to need a new name, girlfriend.”

“That’s it!” Nyesha screamed. “I may not be able to kill the one with the special blood, but a hunter, I can take out any day.”

“I’d like to see you try it, patty melt!”

“Bitch!” Nyesha sneered at Jackie before she looked at Vance. “Let me kill her!”

“Fine.” Vance sighed. “The hunter wants blood? Let her have it.”

Nyesha grinned, though she didn’t need to, as we could already see most of her teeth through the melted side of her face. “I’m going to enjoy ripping you apart.”

Jackie lifted her hand and beckoned the vampire forward. Luckily, this gesture meant two things: Jackie was prepared to face the vampire, and the other hunters were right where they needed to be. But so were Vance’s men. As the hunters came over the wall surrounding the home, the vampires met them with force.

The bloodsuckers poured out of the massive home and immediately went to battle with the hunters. As the others clashed, Nyesha went for Jackie, Vance for Jai. Before he made it to her, Lena, who had been silent, had already put her protective barrier around Jai. I pulled power to my hand and shot it at him, but he was ready for me. The new vampire leader leaped back away from my sister moments before my power slapped the ground where he once stood.

“I told you I would blow your face off!” I reminded him of my earlier threat.

Vance sneered at me. “If you won’t come willingly, I’ll have to take you by force.”

“I dare you.” Vance froze and slowly turned to find Domino, dressed in hunter’s clothing. He stumbled back from him like he was seeing a ghost. “You know, I wasn’t the biggest fan of my brother, but he was still my family, and you ripped his heart out. So, it’s only fitting I return the favor.”

I was so focused on the interaction between Vance and Domino while trying to keep an eye on Lena, who crept toward my sister, that I didn’t see it when Nyesha knocked Jackie down. She didn’t kill my friend, but she pushed her so far away, she couldn’t stop her from coming at me.

“Whitney, watch out!” Jackie called out. I turned just in time to dodge Nyesha’s hand, which was poised for my throat.

The vampire repeated the same action she had the first time we faced off. A woman of habit, she pulled a knife from one of her hidden pockets and stabbed me, this time in the thigh. I stumbled back, falling on my ass as the pain shot through my leg.

“Maybe your blood will fix what your magic did to me,” she said with another wide grin.

“No!” I shouted as Nyesha lifted the blade coated in my blood to her lips. That was my biggest fear—my blood mutating another vampire—but there was nothing I could do to stop her as she licked the blade clean.

“There.” She dropped the weapon to the ground. “That should fix me right on up. I already feel—”

Her words trailed off, and her gaze dropped to the rough skin of her hands. Nyesha stared at her fingers, twisting and flexing them before she looked at me. At first, her expression was one of wonder. Then, it became something else, something twisted with agony.

Slowly, the veins in her body lit up. Beneath her flesh, I could see a detailed map of where my blood spread through her, and then the light intensified. Everyone stopped to look at her as she cried out.

“What is this? What’s wrong with your blood?” She pointed at me. “Why is this happening?”

I scooted back away from her as she started walking in circles, fanning her arms like a bird in heat.

“It burns!” Nyesha yelled. “Make it stop!”

She scratched at her arms and chest, but nothing she did stopped the spread of the stolen blood. And then, in the most disgusting showing I’d ever witnessed, Nyesha melted. Flesh dripped from her body like lava and fell to the ground. I thought we would have to watch her melt completely, but the show came to a sudden, explosive end when she burst into flames.

The crispy vampire body fell to the ground and quickly turned to ash. I looked up from the remnants of her body and the tuft of purple afro to see every vampire staring at me. Their expressions were a mixture of curiosity and fear. What did my blood, my existence, mean to them?

“Die!” A hunter with a short pixie cut jumped through the air and stabbed a vampire in the chest with a stake before they all went back to fighting. So much for the mourning period.

“Holy shit!” Miguel said as he ran over to help me up. He examined my leg, pulled out a tourniquet to wrap above my wound, and checked my pulse. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I said and pointed to Lena, who had almost made it to a still-sleeping Jai. “Help her. Please.”

“Are you sure?” He double-checked the bandage on my thigh.

“Yes, go!” I urged him.

Miguel took off for my sister, and Vance tried to stop him. I lifted my hand, prepared to blast the vampire, but Domino beat me to it. The two men became a blur of blood and fists. I kept my eye on their fight, as that was part of the plan, but I kept watching for Jackie. She had recovered and made a path to my sister.

Jackie made it to Lena and Miguel. Together, they worked to remove Jai from her restraints. When I saw her body slump forward into Miguel’s arms, I felt relieved—though that only lasted a hot second as Vance slammed Domino into the ground so hard, he passed out. Then, the vampire who threatened to end my life ran for my sister.

“No!” I shouted, blasting the ground in front of him. He fell back with a growl and shifted his path. The new vampire king was coming right at me.

Before I knew it, he had my hands pinned behind my back, and he was out of head-butting range. The man clearly took notes from our last fight.

“Your vampire can’t save you now,” he growled. “If your blood is no good, then I’ll just get rid of you!”

I looked over my shoulder at him. “Who said I needed a vampire to save me?”

One thing I’d learned from Nyesha was that every part of my body could be a focal point to release my energy. Fortunately for me, Vance wasn’t as smart as he wanted to believe he was. I shifted the energy into my core and focused. This had to work. When the power built into a knot in my belly, I released the energy, letting it radiate across my flesh.

“Ow!” Vance pulled his hands back; already, my magic was eating away at him. “No!”

“Sorry, but you shouldn’t put your hands on someone without their permission.” I limped back. Energy or not, I still had a damn hole in my leg. Fortunately for me, no vampire would dare touch my blood after watching what happened to Nyesha.

“I’m going to kill you.” Vance's sudden movement was met with Domino's swift reaction, his hand clamping down on his windpipe, cutting off his breath.

Vance struggled against Domino’s iron grip, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and defiance as he peered at me. “I thought you said you didn’t need a vampire to save you.”

“I don’t, but you killed his brother, and he kind of owes you one.” I winked, and a moment later, Domino punched his hand through Vance’s chest and ripped his heart out.

“Now we’re even,” Domino gritted, and Vance fell to the ground next to his scorched partner.