12. Ellis
CHAPTER 12
ELLIS
Rory held up his hands and took a step back. “It’s not something I know how to do or want to know how to do. You’re safe from me.” What the hell were the ghosts saying to him? I looked around again, wishing I could see them too. I wanted to intervene and tell them Rory was a good person.
Once it had been obvious the ghosts were telling Rory about Thomas Baird’s death—or rather his capture—the rest of us had gathered around to wait for him to finish. I was leery about Pia hearing what had happened, particularly now since it seemed to involve kidnapping, but Ms. Jackson would alert us if she got too upset.
“I promise I’m just here to ask some questions, but you don’t have to answer.” After a few seconds Rory said, “Right. I swear. You can ask these ghosts here.” Finally he relaxed and let his hands drop. “Can you think of anything else you noticed about the vampires or what they did to the imp?”
Apparently the answer was no .
“Got it. Thank you very much. My name is Rory Blackbourne. If you think of anything else we might need to know, or if someone gives you trouble like this gentleman said—” He gestured off to his left. “—come find me.”
Then he cocked his head like he was listening again. He turned. “Ms. Jackson, the ghosts here want to know what you are. Do you mind if I tell them what Shane told us?”
Ms. Jackson made a shrugging movement and trotted over to stand next to Rory, who turned back to face in exactly the same direction Ms. Jackson was looking. Could they see ghosts?
Rory patted Ms. Jackson’s back. “They were originally an artifact from the Elven dimension, but they were given some extra magic, and now they can change their shape.”
Probably as good a summary as any.
Rory nodded some more, then thanked the ghosts before joining those of us who were still alive. “It sounds like the vampires didn’t kill the imp.” He relayed what the ghosts had told him about Thomas Baird’s magic getting “cut off”.
We all looked at each other uneasily. Pia piped up, “So the guy might still be alive?”
Greg ran his hand through his luxurious hair. “Good question.” He turned to Rory. “If Thomas died later, would his ghost return to his house, do you think? Or would it stay where he was killed or buried?”
Rory spread out his hands. “There’s no way to know. It varies by the individual. He might also have crossed over, in which case we’ll never be able to talk to him.”
I asked, “How far away did he live?”
“Only a couple of miles from here.” Greg appeared to be hesitating to ask, but I could tell he wanted to .
I raised my eyebrows at the rest of the crew who’d driven from Houston. “Want to go check it out just to make sure he’s not there? We have time. We don’t have to meet the dryads until later.”
Pia scowled, but everyone else nodded.
After checking with Rory to make sure nothing else could be learned here, we all headed back to the cars. Greg and Cal would lead us to Thomas Baird’s house.
After a short drive we pulled up in front of a small bungalow in an older subdivision. The house was neatly kept except the grass was overgrown. When we got out, Greg muttered something about a lawn service and made a note in his phone. Was he managing the missing guy’s estate?
Rory stood next to the car staring at the house. He said, “Thanks,” and turned to Greg and Cal. “No ghosts here.”
They both looked startled. Greg asked, “You can tell so quickly?”
Rory chuckled. “Me? No. My grandfather did a pass through the house looking for ghosts, and he says there aren’t any. But the house next door has one, and that ghost hasn’t seen Thomas Baird’s ghost.”
Cal made a face. “Well, shit.”
Greg rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I’m not really sure what to do from here. We have no idea where the vampires are or who they’ll go after next.”
Rory sucked in a breath, snapped his fingers, and pointed at Cal. “That’s what I wanted to tell you! You need to call a vision about the next victim.”
We all went still. Cal said, “I do?”
Rory frowned. “Yes? ”
“A ghost told you that?”
He shook his head. “I don’t really know why, but you need to call a vision.”
I asked, “Uh, do Mediums have psychic powers?”
Rory threw me a horrified look. “I hope not! The ghosts are plenty.”
Cal walked toward him, looking concerned. “Rory, when did you first realize you needed to tell me that?”
Rory’s forehead creased. “I don’t know. Um, I remember thinking I needed to tell you something when we were driving to the cemetery, but I couldn’t remember what it was.” He crossed his arms. “That’s weird though, right? Why would that even occur to me?”
I wanted to go put my arm around him, but Shane was too far away and I’d have to get him to come with me.
Cal and Greg exchanged a long look, then Cal said, “Rory, at any point recently have you found yourself sort of... standing around with no memory of why?”
Rory’s face went gray, and his eyes looked huge as they stared at Cal. “Um, when I went home to pack a bag. I was in the parking garage, about to leave.” His voice went higher. “ Why? ”
Fuck it, Shane would have to come with me. I walked over to Rory. Fortunately Shane started walking too, so we didn’t have to play tug-of-war. I put one arm around Rory’s shoulders and my other hand on his bicep. He was stiff with tension, so I felt like a jerk when I couldn’t help noticing the woodsy scent of his body wash and the defined muscles under my hands. Shane must have been blocking the bond, because I couldn’t tell what he was feeling. And I was a jerk again for being relieved about it .
Cal was kind enough to delay his explanation until I was in position. Maybe he wasn’t such a hardass after all.
“Rory,” Cal said gently. “Shane or Ellis may have told you. One of the vampires—the only one we’ve actually spoken to—appears to be trying to stop the vampires who’ve been attacking the Wonders.”
“Okay?”
“We’ve only interacted with him once, um, that any of us remember.” Rory sucked in a harsh breath, and Cal nodded. “He said something to me indicating he and I had met before, but I have no memory of it.” He paused, and said carefully, “What I do remember is going for coffee one morning about a week earlier. I was walking from my car to the door of the bakery, and for some reason I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. I snapped out of it when someone opened the door, and I felt the need to immediately go wash my hands, but I didn’t know why. We think the vampires can manipulate memories.”
Rory looked down at his hands. Then he tore out of my arms and rushed over to the shrubs lining the front of Thomas Baird’s house, where he began vomiting up his lunch.
I started to follow, but Shane caught my arm. “Here.” He handed me a water bottle that Greg had passed to him.
Ms. Jackson rushed over to Rory, and he patted their head in between heaves. When it seemed like he’d thrown up everything he could, he leaned against the corner of the house with his head on his arm. I cracked open the water bottle and passed it to him. “This should help.” Shane’s hand reached over my shoulder with a bunch of napkins.
Rory took them. “Thank you.” His breath was coming in pants, and his face was a mess of tears and snot. I wanted to hug him again, but instead I just stood nearby as he wet the napkins and wiped his face. Then Shane passed over a doggie poop bag, of all things. I opened the bag and held it out so Rory could dispose of the used napkins, and I handed the bag back to Shane. Rory swished some of the water around in his mouth and spat it out.
After swallowing a few more sips of the water, he closed his eyes, pressed the bottle to his forehead and said, “I remember noticing I felt like I had a bug bite on my wrist.”
He held out his free hand, fingers fisted and palm up. I took it in mine, and a chill went through my entire body. He had what appeared to be the healing remains of a small cut about an inch long, right on top of the vein that ran down to his hand.
“Fuck,” Shane whispered from behind my shoulder.
I looked around for Cal and Greg, who’d been hanging back, probably trying to give Rory some privacy while he threw up. I jerked my head for them to get their asses over here.
Manny had taken Pia back to the SUV, thank goodness.
I showed Cal and Greg the cut on Rory’s wrist. “He thought he had a bug bite.”
Rory, his eyes still closed, nodded.
Cal put his hand on Rory’s back. “Did you feel dizzy or anything afterward? Thirsty or hungry?”
Rory shook his head. “No.” He opened his eyes. “What does that mean?”
Cal patted Rory’s back and moved to stand next to Greg again. “Probably only that he didn’t take very much blood.”
I winced. Cal could’ve been a little more diplomatic. Rory looked like he was trying not to get sick again. I turned his hand in mine and interlaced our fingers. He shuddered, so I pulled him into a hug.
“Thanks,” he said, his voice catching on a sob. “I don’t know why I’m so upset. I just feel....”
“Violated?” Shane said softly from behind me. “Like someone else had more control over your body than you did?”
“Yeah.” Rory tightened his arms around me. Then he lifted his head and said, “It’s not your fault, Grandfather.” He grimaced. “He’s blaming himself because he didn’t come with me to the apartment.”
Shane put his hand on the small of my back, well below Rory’s arms. It might’ve been the first time he’d voluntarily touched me all day. I was getting concern for Rory through the bond, but not much else. “I’m glad he wasn’t there. We don’t know what the vampires are capable of. If they can take away your memories, who’s to say they can’t see ghosts? Maybe harm them in some way?”
Rory nodded. “That’s what the ghosts at the cemetery were afraid of.” He breathed in and out, then patted my back and pulled out of the hug. “Thanks.”
Shane dropped his hand too, and I felt alone. Cut off, like Thomas Baird.
“Anytime,” I said.
I don’t know how long we’d stood there, but when I turned around, Greg was standing outside the passenger door to their SUV, and I could just make out Cal inside with the seat tilted back. He must’ve been calling a vision.
Rory finished off his water then strode toward the garbage bin next to Thomas Baird’s garage.
Shane gasped, and I whirled to face him. “What? ”
He looked from Rory to me. To my stomach. I glanced down.
Oh, shit.
Rory and I had formed a connection. A strong one.
“Shane, I didn’t mean to....” I waved helplessly at the shimmering band coming out of my body. Coming from the exact same place my only slightly brighter bond with Shane emerged.
“I know.” He was blocking his emotions from the bond again. He turned away, blinking rapidly, his trembling lips pressed together. I reached for him, but he moved to the farthest point the bond would allow to avoid me.
Cal got out of the car, and Shane started down the driveway toward him. I trudged behind, worried and miserable.
Cal saw us and shook his head. “I couldn’t get a vision to come. I’ll give it another go when I get home.”
“Okay, thanks for trying.” I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Uh, I guess we’re headed to Mineral Wells now to see if Pia likes the dryads there.” I glanced over to where she was standing on the sidewalk, petting Ms. Jackson while Manny and Rory hung out next to them.
Shane cleared his throat. “I get the feeling she’s not excited about going to live with strangers.”
“Understandable.” Greg put his hand around Cal’s waist and leaned into him. Then he straightened. “What... when did this happen?” He pointed at my stomach, then at Rory.
Shit.
Cal looked back and forth. “Holy fuck. I may not be used to seeing connections yet, but I don’t know how I missed that one. I guess y’all are in a triad?” He snapped his fingers. “ That’s why your bond doesn’t look right! You’re missing your third!”
I twisted my hands together and glanced at Shane, who was staring at the ground. A muscle popped out along his jaw. “Uh, no. The connection wasn’t intentional, and Shane isn’t, uh, interested.”
Cal shifted awkwardly. “Oh. Sorry.”
Rory walked over. “Did you get anything from your vision?” His skin wasn’t as pale as earlier, so hopefully he was feeling better.
Cal gave him a pained smile. “No. I’ll try again in a while, once Greg and I get home.”
“Crap, that sucks.” Rory looked at me and Shane. “Ready to go to Mineral Wells?”
I pointed at Pia, who’d thrown her arms around Ms. Jackson and was shaking her head at Manny. “Will she get in the car?”
Shane finally stirred. “I’m with Pia. We can figure something else out. She’s had too much upheaval in her life recently. Let’s just keep her with us.”
I smiled, happiness fluttering through my chest. “I love that idea.”
Rory put a hand up. “Wait. Pia’s mom really wants her to be with dryads. Something about otherwise she won’t learn to properly heal plants?”
I crossed my arms. “There must be a dryad willing to tutor her. She doesn’t have to live with them.”
Rory made a face and kind of cringed away from something to his left. “Uh, what if we go and at least introduce Pia to them? We won’t tell her about our backup plan, and we’ll give her a chance to decide for herself.”
“I can agree to that.” Shane turned around and cupped his hands around his mouth. “Pia, Ms. Jackson, and Manny, get your butts in the car, please!”
Ms. Jackson nudged Pia, and she started walking very slowly toward the SUV. It would be a long afternoon.
It was a three-hour drive north to Mineral Wells. We crossed into my District—well, now it was Shane and my District—about an hour out from our destination. It was nice to feel the area resonating with me again.
When we were getting close, I texted Clementine, the leader of the dryad grove we’d be visiting.
She texted back several heart emojis and exclamation points. This grove hadn’t had any children born in a couple of decades, and I felt guilty for hoping Pia wouldn’t choose them.
Clementine’s family owned a campground with cabins and hiking trails a little ways off 281. It was pretty, with lots of trees and rustic architecture. We parked in front of the main house, a huge three-story hotel-type building with a sign advertising an event hall and a restaurant.
Pia had been silent the entire drive, just staring out the window with one hand in Ms. Jackson’s fur. But when we stopped, she burst out with, “I don’t want to live here! I want to stay with you and Ms. Jackson!”
I didn’t know how to respond, but fortunately Manny stepped in. “ Chica , remember what we talked about. You’re going to meet these people, and you’re going to be polite to them. Ms. Jackson will know whether you belong here or not. If they don’t like this place for you, we’ll figure something else out.”
Ms. Jackson, who’d stayed in their pig form for the car ride, transformed into their tiger form. They opened their mouth and gave a kind of rusty mini-roar.
I grinned. “Good job, Ms. Jackson! You’ve been working on your vocal cords!” I opened my door and got out of the car. I pushed my seat forward, and Ms. Jackson oozed out with feline grace. The “Service Animal” vest had disappeared, but they were still wearing the tiara. Where did the tiara go when they weren’t wearing it? It’d belonged to Shane’s granny, so it wasn’t magical like the vest had been.
I shook myself. I could worry about it later. Now I had to see if these people were a good fit for Pia.
Pia dragged herself out of the car, pouting the whole way. By the time everyone else got out, Clementine appeared on the porch of the main house.
“Ellis! Hi! It’s good to see you!” She hesitated on catching sight of Ms. Jackson, but then she rushed down the steps.
She appeared to be around fifty years old, but I knew she was more like ninety. She was dressed in jeans and a brightly colored blouse.
I gave her a little hug, then I turned to introduce her to everyone. Ms. Jackson got a wide-eyed, “Hi,” but Clementine didn’t ask any questions. I was sure she could tell they weren’t a shifter.
When I got to Pia, Clementine didn’t reach for her. She knelt down on the ground and said, “Hi, Pia. I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. She sounds like she was a brave lady.”
Pia stared at her with an angry look on her face. “She was. ”
“I’d like to introduce you to my family, but there are a lot of us, so we thought it’d be less stressful if we were outdoors. There’s a lovely picnic area down that path, and we’ve set up some food and drinks for all of you. It’s a little early for dinner right now, but we can hang out as long as you want to. We have rooms ready for all of you to spend the night.”
Pia didn’t say a word, but the rest of us feigned enthusiasm. I put a hand on Pia’s shoulder, and she and Ms. Jackson walked on my right as we followed Clementine down a manicured gravel path across the parking lot from the main building. The trees had been cut back to provide space on either side, and it gave the path a lovely airy feel.
“We have fifty acres here with forty-four campsites and twenty cabins. Our busiest time is the summer, of course, because everyone loves the lake for fishing, boating, and swimming. Do you like to swim, Pia?”
She didn’t answer, and Ms. Jackson bumped her with their shoulder. “Yes,” she admitted grudgingly.
Up ahead, another path—this one slightly less manicured—crossed the one we were on. An older man, who I recognized as Clementine’s father, waited for us.
“Hello! Welcome to our home!” He didn’t bat an eye at Ms. Jackson, and he completely ignored the rest of us, focusing only on Pia. “Hey, there, little miss. I’m Levi. You must be Pia! We’re very happy to have you here.”
He walked next to Clementine, talking loudly about the drinks and food laid out at the picnic area. “It’s just around this bend. Here we are!”
We emerged from the trees into a clearing almost the size of a football field. Around twenty-five dryads waited for us, everyone positioned in small groups of two to four people standing near picnic tables scattered throughout the clearing. I appreciated how they were taking care not to overwhelm Pia, but she stiffened at the murmuring that started as we stepped into the space.
Some people waved and called out, but no one approached, either by design or because Ms. Jackson was suddenly a much larger tiger than they’d been a minute ago.
Even Clementine took a step back when she noticed. “Uh, Pia, I’d like to introduce you to my family, if that’s all right.”
Rory smiled, and it only looked a little fake. “Of course. Why don’t you and Ms. Jackson go with Clementine, Pia, and the rest of us will make our way around at our own pace?”
After sweeping a glare over the four of us, Pia turned her back. She kept one hand firmly in the fur between Ms. Jackson’s shoulders as Clementine took her over to the first group of dryads. They offered her some apple juice, and she wrinkled her nose and asked for a soda.
“She’ll be okay. Let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.” Manny headed for the nearest table, which had platters of fruit and cheese laid out.
I waved Rory forward. “You go with Manny. I need to say hi to everyone here.” I made an apologetic face at Shane. “Sorry.” I was connected to them after all. It’d be rude for their District Monitor to ignore them.
Shane just nodded and walked with me toward a group of dryads. I started on the opposite side of the clearing from where Clementine had moved Pia and Ms. Jackson to the second group of her relatives. I shook hands and offered hugs all the way around. Luckily, other than some questions about Pia and, more urgently, Ms. Jackson, no one wanted to chat much. They were keyed up waiting for their turn to be introduced to their potential new family member .
Eventually I paused at the far end of the clearing and grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the ice chest on the table. None of the dryads were hanging out here, and I needed a break before tackling the second half of the crowd. Shane, who was more introverted than me, no doubt needed a respite too. He took the bottle I handed him and sat down on the bench.
Clementine, Levi, and Pia hadn’t made it this far yet, but we’d all cross paths in a few minutes. The sun was still a couple of hours from setting, so we had plenty of time to say hi to everyone. I waved at Rory and Manny, who were walking the same path Shane and I had taken, checking out the snacks on the picnic tables as they passed them.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I was impressed they had cell service out here. Ugh, it was my boss.
My job was okay. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t mind it, which was more than a lot of people could say. Selling cell phone plans to corporations wasn’t going to solve world hunger, but it certainly kept food on my table. Too bad being a District Monitor didn’t come with a salary.
“Hey, Frank, what’s up? You remember I’m on vacation this week, right?” I’d taken the whole week off in case Ms. Jackson wanted to hang out in Dallas with me after visiting Houston. But Frank wasn’t an asshole, so if he was calling it was probably important.
“Yeah, Ellis, sorry to interrupt.” He cleared his throat. “I wanted to let you know that, while your sales in particular have been consistently above goal, overall the corporate division hasn’t been doing so well.”
I sank down onto the bench next to Shane. “Okay?”
He cleared his throat again. “So the CEO has decided to fold corporate sales into the call center, and the entire sales team, including you and myself, are being laid off effective today.”
“What? Laid off?” I jumped up and started pacing, barely remembering to turn around before I got to the limit of my bond with Shane. Rory and Manny had reached us and were looking at me with concern.
“I’m afraid so. You’ll get six weeks’ severance, so take some time to decide what you want to do next.”
My phone buzzed. Greg was calling on the other line. I sent it to voicemail.
“I’m happy to be a reference for you, and I know you’ll do great things.”
“Um, wow. This is kind of a shock.”
“Yeah, I understand completely.”
Frank started to tell me how long I had until I needed to turn in my company laptop and cell phone, but Greg called back. Fuck.
“Look, Frank, can I call you later? I need to wrap my head around all this.”
“Sure, sure.”
He was still talking when I accepted Greg’s call. “Hey.” Shane was now talking to Rory, Clementine, and Pia. Ms. Jackson was staring at me with their head tilted.
“Ellis.” Greg’s tone was urgent. “Are you in an open space with picnic tables surrounded by forest?”
I stopped pacing. A chill wriggled down my spine. “Yes.”
“Don’t go into the woods. The dryads will be safe if they merge with individual trees in their spirit forms, but don’t let anyone walk into the woods in physical form. ”
“Vampires?” Holy shit. Everyone around me stopped talking. I spun in a circle, but I didn’t see any fog.
“Vampires. Cal couldn’t tell when, but he felt like it’ll be soon.” I was so thankful Cal’s geographical range for his visions had extended when he bonded with Greg.
“Got it. Call you in a few.”
Ms. Jackson was right next to me. “Keep Pia safe,” I told them. They nodded and loped over to stand by her side.
I put two fingers in my mouth and gave the loudest whistle I could. Most of the dryads stopped what they were doing and looked at me. “Everybody! A Seer had a vision that the vampires are coming here! Right now!”
I heard Shane cursing, and Manny asking questions. The dryads started milling about, and some of them ran for the trail to the main house. Shit.
“Stop where you are!” I was relieved to see them follow my directions. “The vampires attack from the forest. You can merge with a tree, but don’t walk through the woods in your humanoid form. That’s what the vampires want. Either keep to the middle of the clearing, or merge with a tree. If we stay in a group, we’ll be protected.”
Probably.
Ms. Jackson nudged Pia into the middle of the clearing, stopping when they were almost in the exact center. I followed with Shane, Rory, and Manny on my heels. Clementine and Levi kept pace with us.
“Clementine, is everyone accounted for? Nobody’s back in the camp or the main house?”
She shook her head. “They were all here. ”
Thank fuck. Most of the dryads chose trees to step into. Only Clementine and her father joined us in the middle of the clearing.
“I want to see these bastards for myself,” Clementine hissed. She held a bread knife in her hand like a sword.
I wished I had a weapon, but at least I had my combat mode. I reached for my magic and felt the change come over me immediately. I hadn’t had to use combat mode very often, but I felt more capable, more in control now. I listened, but all I could hear were the sounds our group was making, plus the leaves moving in the wind, and the birds and insects.
We arranged ourselves in a circle with Pia and Ms. Jackson in the center. Pia and the other dryads sprouted thorns from their skin.
“Wow,” Manny said. “Seems like that’d be a pretty good defense against vampires. Why would they bother targeting you if you can do that?”
Levi grimaced. “Probably because they know the thorns disappear when we’re unconscious.”
Manny looked sorry he’d asked. “Oh. Got it.”
We all faced outward, scanning the trees for fog. Shane and I both had our hands up in loose fists. District Monitors were required to take hand-to-hand fighting lessons, and our combat mode made our reflexes super fast.
Manny held his phone out, either recording or ready to. “What are we talking about here? Are they like Dracula? Can they turn into bats?”
Shane shook his head. “No one’s seen them turn into bats. They can make fog somehow, and they have fangs. ”
“And they can cut your magic off from other people, it sounds like,” Rory added. “Good thing I don’t have any connections.”
Shane snorted, and Ms. Jackson coughed. It sounded like a laugh.
I winced. “Sorry, Rory, but you do. You just can’t see them.”
The forest went silent. No bird sounds, nothing. Only the wind through the trees. I held my breath and scanned the edge of the clearing, searching for vampires.
Rory sucked in a breath. “The ghosts say there are eight of them.”
Fuck. We were sitting ducks.
Ms. Jackson crouched down and nudged Pia until she got on their back. Were they going to make a run for it? If anyone could make it through a forest full of vampires, it’d be them.
Instead Ms. Jackson walked several feet away from our group and... grew . They turned into their dragon form, and they moved so their legs were bracketing the six of us on the ground. They spread their wings and opened their mouth. Smoke came out along with a disturbing groaning sound. A dragon’s vocal cords must be harder to use than a tiger’s.
Clementine and Levi looked ready to pass out.
“Do you want to step into a tree?” I asked.
Clementine eyed the open space between us and the tree line and shook her head. “I think I’m safer here.” She moved closer to Ms. Jackson’s leg.
Since Ms. Jackson’s tail was pretty much blocking attack from behind, I made everyone but Shane and I stand under their belly. Manny was at my back next to Ms. Jackson’s left front leg, panning his phone at the woods. Rory was behind Shane , and the two dryads were as far under Ms. Jackson as they could get.
Shane pointed to his right, and we all watched fog start to roll out of the trees. I twisted around, but it was only coming from the one area. Ms. Jackson leaned their head toward the fog and made a sound that was slightly closer to a roar. They lifted their wings threateningly.
A large body collided with mine, making me grunt and stumble forward. An arm circled my waist, lifting me off the ground. Manny shrieked in my ear as I started to struggle. A fucking vampire had grabbed both of us and was running for the trees. Pain filled my chest as my bond with Shane was pulled past its limits.
Ms. Jackson gave a full-on roar, and I heard the others shouting. I kicked my legs and flailed my arms, and Manny was doing the same, but the vampire didn’t have any trouble keeping up his speed. I was facing outward, and the vampire was tall as fuck. The way he was holding me, almost horizontal to the ground, I couldn’t grab onto anything except his arm or the outside of his leg. My efforts to dig in with my fingernails to hamper his movement didn’t have any effect. I tried to tangle my legs in his, but I only succeeded in kicking Manny, who was doing the same thing.
We were still several yards from the trees when another vampire joined us, easily keeping pace. She took Manny out of the first vampire’s arm. The vampire holding me changed his grip, wrapping my arms and body in both of his. Now I could only struggle like a fish on land, and he easily kept me still.
“Human!” the second vampire shouted angrily. Manny made an awful sound, and I smelled blood .
“No!” I bucked and struggled, but the vampire’s grip was impossible to get out of. I caught a glimpse of Manny, crumpled on the ground, blood soaking the front of his t-shirt. “Manny!”
In the distance, Pia screamed.
The vampire slowed slightly as we got to the trees. If my arms had been free, I might’ve been able to grab for some branches.
Even more pain tore through my body as my magic slammed back in on itself. I cried out as my bond with Shane was ripped away. My connection to Rory, all my connections to the Wonders in my District and Shane’s, severed.
Everything went black.