Chapter 11
Excerpt from Blood Feud
(book one, chapter four)
by August Lirio
“I don’t understand why you need a clan of your own,” Felix pleaded with Octavia. “You’re like a sister to me—surely we should be fighting on the same side?”
“You’re not my brother, and you never have been,” Octavia spat.
“We spent a hundred years together!” Felix insisted.
“Worst century of our lives, to be fair.” Callum rolled his eyes. “You were always going on about rules and regulations—”
“To keep us safe!” Felix shouted. “I know the two of you just did whatever you liked, traveling the world for Konstantin’s most secret missions, killing anyone who got in your way without a second thought because you enjoyed his unconditional protection.”
“He’s dead now.” Octavia narrowed her eyes. “He can’t protect anyone anymore.”
“But that’s exactly my point, don’t you see?” Felix didn’t understand why they were making this so difficult—though he supposed it might simply be habit. “We can only count on each other for protection now. If you join my clan, we can keep each other safe.”
“But we don’t need you to keep us safe,” Callum hissed. “Who knows how long we’re going to be trapped on this island? We’re certainly not going to spend our time here taking orders from you.”
“Can’t you picture it?” Octavia smirked. “Felix is our boss, making us punch our little vampire time cards, do our little vampire jobs in our vampire prison. Ooh, is it laundry duty today?”
“It wouldn’t be like that,” Felix insisted. “More than a thousand vampires trapped together on an island with no humans, no sunlight, no structure of any kind to keep us in check? It’s pure chaos. We need a clear-cut hierarchy to keep us civilized—sheriffs, deputies. Leadership. Accountability.”
“Vampire cops?!” Callum was incredulous. “That’s worse than laundry.”
“And I’ll thank you not to presume to tell me how to be civilized.” Octavia looked down her nose at Felix. “Who do you think taught Grace Kelly how to hold her pinky during tea?”
Felix sighed with frustration. “I know you two can protect yourselves without a system like this, but what about the vampires who can’t? Don’t you care about them? Or is it fine for all of them to die as long as you get to live, and never mind what that means for the future of our species?”
“So you’re the savior of our species now, is it?” Callum laughed bitterly. “So sorry, mate, didn’t realize we were in the presence of vampire Jesus.”
“He’ll call himself anything he likes, so long as he gets more power,” Octavia observed.
“You’d rather see that power in the hands of murderers like Nantale? Vicious criminals like Tristan?” Felix felt like he was going mad. “Do you really hate me that much?”
“It’s not about hate.” Callum folded his arms. “Vee and I? We don’t answer to anyone—not since Konstantin died. And we’re certainly not going to let a pretender like you take his seat.”
“So that’s it then?” Felix’s heart sank. “There’s no chance of us cooperating, bringing some kind of order to the Isle?”
“Sorry about that, mate.” Callum had a twinkle in his eye, the same way he always did before a fight. “But sparring sounds a hell of a lot more fun than surrender, don’t you think?”
Tess went perfectly still, straining to hear what the vampires were saying, but they were moving farther away. She had to figure out a way back to Artie—if she could just get to him, and if they could move quietly enough, she could ride out of here. Oh, why had she thought it would be a good idea to leave on her own, to prove to Callum how useful and independent she could be? Why did she care what he thought of her, anyway? He certainly wasn’t going to care when these vampires shredded her flesh into ribbons—if he did, he’d probably just be disappointed that they got to drink Tess’s blood before he did.
Tess tried to stay focused, but her panic was rising. She felt like every inch of ground around her was covered in dried leaves and twigs crunching underfoot, like she couldn’t take a single step without alerting the vampires to her presence. There were a few moonflowers growing very close together just a few feet from where Tess was standing—if Tess could slip between them, maybe she could stay hidden in the darkness, wait the vampires out? Hope they moved before they found her—or saw the horse tethered nearby? She wasn’t at all sure it would work, but it was the least risky option she could think of.
She took one very careful step in the direction of the moonflower formation. Then another. So far, so good—no noise, no movement.
But before she could take a third step, she felt one hand close around her wrist as another moved over her mouth.
“Don’t scream,” came a whisper. “Don’t move at all.”
Was that—
“Callum?” She turned, and there he was, wearing a grin tinged with violence. “How did you find me? How did you even know I was here? And who are those vampires—”
“Afraid we don’t have time for chitchat, love. One of us needs to kill a couple of vampires, and the other needs to run to her horse and trot on home. I trust you can figure out which is which?”
Tess rolled her eyes. Leave it to Callum Yoo to come to her literal rescue and still manage to annoy the absolute hell out of her.
“Fine.” Tess sighed. “What’s the plan?”
“I kill,” he said slowly. “You run. Do you need me to use smaller words?”
“No, I think I’ve got it.”
“Good.”
And with that, he left her and raced toward the two vampires, who were now less than forty feet away.
“Thomas, Althea,” he greeted them coolly. “Lovely weather we’ve been having.”
“Callum. You’re far from home,” the woman vampire said.
“I could say the same of you,” Callum replied, his tone casual—but Tess could hear the edge of a threat.
“You’re on our side of the Isle,” said Thomas.
Did that mean they were part of Felix’s clan? Tess assumed they had to be, given how chilly the vampires and Callum were being with one another.
“South of the forest is fair game,” Callum countered. “Which means you are too.”
“Is that a threat?” Althea hissed.
“Doesn’t have to be.” Callum shrugged. “You could go home to your shiny castle, knit some little mittens, maybe do a puzzle? We go our separate ways, everyone lives through the night. How’s that suit you?”
“You’re our sworn enemy, Yoo. Why would we show you mercy?” Thomas sneered.
“Oh, was I not clear?” Callum was toying with them now, Tess could feel it. “I’m not the one at risk of dying.”
He moved so quickly she could barely track him, but she heard a terrible scream and a sickening crunch. She couldn’t be sure, but it looked like Callum had torn Thomas in half and thrown his mangled corpse to the ground.
“You evil bastard,” Althea roared as she leapt toward Callum with such speed and force that it looked to Tess like she was flying. Callum dropped into a deft roll to avoid her, but she caught hold of one of his feet. Her forward momentum propelled them both in Tess’s direction—Althea hoisted him off the ground and launched him into the air like a shot put. Tess covered her mouth to suppress a gasp. Callum tumbled to the ground not fifteen feet away from her.
Tess wanted to run to the horse, but they were too close—she’d certainly be seen if she moved now. Callum sprang back onto his feet as the woman sped toward him; he stopped her with a vicious punch to the throat, and she bent over, gasping for air.
“What’s the matter, Althea?” he needled. “Cat got your tongue?”
“You won’t best me,” she wheezed, her windpipe clearly broken. “I’m stronger than you.”
“God, you’re so boring. Just throw a bloody punch already.”
He dove for her knees, knocking her to the ground with a hard thud. She kicked his head upward, sending his body reeling backward, but he was strong enough to plant his feet firmly and end up standing. She leapt up, and the hand-to-hand combat was brutal and intense. Callum was a magnificent fighter, nimble and graceful as he ducked punches and twirled into devastating kicks. But Althea was right—she was stronger than he was. And she was driving Callum closer to Tess with every landed blow.
They were just a few feet away now, and Tess could see Althea clearly: She was nearly as tall as Callum, broadly muscled with dirty-blond hair pulled back in a braid, wearing form-fitting black clothes that looked made for combat. She went to kick Callum again, but he grabbed her leg and twisted it to a sickening angle, and Althea yowled in pain. Callum pounced on her and sent them both hurtling to the ground. They landed with Callum on top—he wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed.
“Pity you have to die this way,” Callum clucked. “I thought you’d know better than to pick a fight you can’t win.”
Althea’s eyes bulged outward. She swatted and clawed at Callum, but he was too tall; he had her pinned down with one knee, and she couldn’t reach his face. Tess looked away—she had no particular desire to see Callum kill this woman. But Tess turned back when she heard Callum yell—Althea had stabbed him in the thigh with a dagger! She must have pulled it from some pocket; Callum was shaking with pain. Althea got on top of him and held the knife against his throat.
“You don’t have to die, Callum.” She smiled, then leaned down close to him. “Just tell me where she is.”
He gasped and sputtered, laboring for breath. Tess couldn’t understand why he wasn’t fighting back—his leg wound should be healing quickly.
“Tess?” Althea called. “Tess, if you can hear me, it’s safe to come out, okay? Callum’s not in charge of you anymore.”
Tess froze. Who the hell was this woman, and how did she know Tess’s name? Had Felix sent her—and if so, was she there to protect Tess or harm her? Tess’s instinct was to stay hidden, but if she did, would Althea kill Callum? And what then? If she knew Tess was nearby, surely it wouldn’t take long for Althea to find her. Whether or not Althea was theoretically there to help Tess, she would certainly drain her blood once she realized Tess was human.
Which meant Tess really only had one choice: She had to figure out a way to save Callum’s life.
Tess looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon— there was a thick stick on the ground with a fairly sharp end. It was far from a proper stake, but it was the best she had on hand. And come to think of it, she didn’t even know whether a stake would really kill a vampire—that question had never come up. But she was out of time. If she didn’t act now, Callum was dead, and possibly so was she.
“Okay,” Tess called, slipping the stick into the waistband of her leggings. “I’m coming out.”
She stepped out from behind the moonflowers with her hands in the air.
“Are you here to help me?” she asked Althea, her voice shaking. “I’ve been so afraid of Callum.”
Althea rose and looked at Tess with a satisfied smile. Callum stayed on the ground, obviously still in significant pain—but he threw Tess a sideways glance.
Tess took a step toward the pair of them, then stumbled, bracing her ankle.
“I’m sorry,” she said, gasping for breath. “He keeps breaking my ankles, trying to get me to talk. He’s convinced I know something about what happened to his sister. He won’t believe me no matter what I tell him. Can you help me?”
As Althea sped toward her, Tess made her move—she grabbed the stick and thrust it forward, hoping Althea’s momentum would do most of the work to drive the stake through her heart. Tess felt the stake pierce the vampire’s flesh and heard a disgusting squelch as Althea staggered backward—
“You fucking bitch, ” she seethed, yanking the stick out of her gut.
“Fuck,” Tess breathed—she hadn’t hit the heart. Not even close.
Althea stalked toward her, and Tess steeled herself for the inevitable moment when Althea figured out that she was human.
“I’m sorry, Callum,” she whispered, but she’d barely gotten the words out before she saw that Callum had staggered to his feet, and he was racing toward her—
Except then Althea whirled around and saw him too, and the knife was in her hand, and Tess was screaming—
But then they were all thrown off their feet by a sudden flash of ice-blue light—the same light Tess had seen when she crossed over from Bar Between. Tess threw up her hands to shield her eyes from the blinding brightness, but it was gone as quickly as it came.
She looked from Callum to Althea, unsure what to do—but they both looked just as confused as she did. And then, without another word, Althea sprinted off into the night.
“What the fuck?!” Tess asked Callum, but his knees were buckling, and Tess rushed over to help him stand. “Callum? Are you okay?”
He clearly wasn’t—he couldn’t support his own weight, and he was too heavy for Tess to hold him up. She helped him sink to the ground—he was breathing hard, his gaze unfocused.
“Octavia?” he mumbled.
“She’s not here,” Tess entreated. “It’s me, it’s Tess. Can you hear me, Callum?”
“She was right there.” Callum blinked. “Like the other side of a curtain.”
“I think that light was a portal,” Tess explained.
“So she really is alive?” He looked at Tess with desperation. “The portal, New York—it’s all true?”
Tess nodded, grateful that Callum finally believed her—but worry took hold of her again when he groaned with pain.
“Oh god, your leg.” Tess knelt to examine it—it was still bleeding badly. Why wasn’t he healing? “I need to make a tourniquet.”
“Afraid I’m fresh out of medical supplies, love,” he gritted.
“We can use your shirt. Can you sit up?”
He tried to oblige, but he didn’t get more than a couple of inches off the ground before he grimaced in pain and fell back, panting.
“It’s okay, I’ll help,” Tess said gently. “Can you lift your arms for me?”
He did, and she started to pull off the Henley he was wearing. It took a good bit of effort; he was heavy, and she worked slowly and carefully, trying not to cause him any unnecessary pain.
“So you’re a combat medic in addition to a horse thief and amateur vampire slayer?” Callum’s tone was wry, but his breath was uneven. “Where’d you pick that up?”
“First-aid training at the hotel. The owners made the whole staff go to this kooky woman’s loft in Bushwick, there’s no way she had proper accreditation.”
“You’re instilling deep confidence.”
“I can tie a shirt in a knot.” Tess shot him a look, and he met her gaze with a rakish smile.
“Good with your hands, eh? I suspected as much.”
Tess rolled her eyes and started to ease his shirt over his shoulders. As she pushed the neckline over his face, he winced.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured. “I’ll be done in just a second.”
He clenched his jaw and nodded as she pulled the shirt off his arms, leaving him naked from the waist up. His body was thick with muscle and gleaming with sweat, reflecting soft blue and purple light from the moonflowers glowing above.
As Tess tied his shirt around his thigh, she couldn’t help thinking of the scene in Blood Feud when Callum and Isobel first had sex—right here, in this meadow. Tess had read the scene so many times she could practically recite it from memory: how it started off slow and tender, then built to a feverish pitch, Isobel grabbing a moonflower stalk for purchase as Callum took her from behind, stars exploding into her vision as the pressure grew and grew—
“Everything all right?” Callum put a hand on Tess’s thigh, startling the crap out of her.
“Fine!” she squeaked, her voice an octave higher than normal. “I’m fine! I mean, you’re fine. The tourniquet is working, the bleeding is slowing down.”
“Good.” Callum nodded, exhaling heavily.
“Are you in a lot of pain?” Tess bit her lip.
He smiled sadly. “See? This is why I don’t go in for all that hero nonsense. Someone always ends up maimed.”
Tess felt a wave of guilt—it was her dumb idea to come to this meadow in the first place, her hotheaded plan to do it on her own after he said no, putting them both at risk.
“This is all my fault,” she mumbled.
“Pretty sure it was the blonde with the big knife, but you’re sweet to worry.”
“I am worried,” she insisted. “You’re clammy, I think you’re running a fever.”
She leaned over to feel his forehead—it didn’t seem hot, but she couldn’t be sure when his skin was so cool to begin with.
“Tess,” he whispered, looking up at her. He brought his hand to hers, holding it against his face—her whole body started to feel warm. They were so close together; if she moved forward, even a few inches, her mouth would be on his. Was that what he wanted? Or was he remembering his exploits with Isobel too? Had he known, even back then, that he was going to destroy Isobel one day? Had Rick always known that he was going to destroy Tess? No, fuck, she couldn’t think about any of this—
“We need to get back to the compound,” Tess said, sitting up straight and shoving Callum’s hand away—it thudded to the ground, and he didn’t respond at all.
“Callum?” she asked, but he didn’t move. “Callum?”
She gave his shoulder a little shove; he was really out of it, eyes closed and mumbling something incoherent. She tried to regulate her breathing—she had to figure out a way back to Nantale’s. But how was she supposed to lift Callum onto the horse? What would she do if Althea came back and Callum wasn’t conscious, let alone able to fight to protect her? And even if she got him safely back to the compound, what would the rest of the clan do when they saw he was injured? Would they accept her word for what happened, or would they hold her accountable—and punish her accordingly? She was only supposed to be here to deliver a fucking message, and now it felt like absolutely anything she did would probably lead to her death. How had this spiraled so out of hand so quickly?
Panic clouded Tess’s senses. Every nerve in her body was screaming that there was only one reasonable thing to do in this moment, that she needed to stop thinking and do it, right fucking now.
She found Artie in a matter of seconds, and soon they were flying down the Isle’s eastern coast, jagged cliffs dropping off to her left as bright sunshine spilled over the churning lilac river. It didn’t take long for the hulking mass of the crystal bridge to come into view, and Tess urged Artie to canter even faster, to get there sooner, to get the hell off this island and out of danger. Callum was going to be fine—he was literally immortal—and he wasn’t her damn responsibility anyway, she’d already done more than enough to help him.
Except…
The closer she got to the bridge, the more Tess’s panic cleared, and her stomach roiled in knots of uncertainty. They were almost there—if she kept Artie going at this speed, she’d be across the bridge and back inside Bar Between in just a few minutes. And maybe Callum would be okay. Or maybe something was really wrong, and he’d die in that meadow. Or the other vampires would return to finish what they started, and it would be all Tess’s fault that Octavia and her brother were never reunited again.
Goddamn it.
Tess tugged gently on Artie’s reins, and he pulled to a stop.
“Come on, boy,” she whispered. “We need to go back.”
She pulled to turn him around, and they started galloping back the way they came. Tess hoped they’d get there fast enough, that Callum would be safe and just as she left him when they returned. Somehow, she’d get Callum onto Artie and back to the compound; Nantale trusted her (she thought), and hopefully she’d believe the truth about what happened. And if Tess still didn’t feel safe, she could always head straight back to the crystal bridge, her conscience clear. She could take Artie and leave tomorrow, or any day she liked, once she got Callum safely home. The longer she rode, the more strongly she felt that this was the right thing to do.
Until they were almost back to the meadow, and a boom like a crack of thunder rang out—except it was louder, closer, and a thousand times more terrifying than any thunder Tess had ever heard.
Artie whinnied and bucked into the air, and Tess clutched the reins to keep her seat—he wanted to take off running, but she turned him around to see what had caused the boom—it sounded like it came from somewhere near the crystal bridge—
Except when they turned around, she saw the bridge was no longer there—at least, not in any state where she could cross it.
Something— someone —had set off an explosion at the foot of the bridge. An entire section of it was gone—the crystal broken off in jagged splinters. Huge chunks of it floated in the churning river, glittering in the bright sunshine.
It was a shocking sight on its own, but even worse as Tess realized what it meant:
Without the bridge, she had no way to get back to Bar Between.
She was trapped on this island, just like the vampires.