Chapter 70
Explosion Of Vampires
The room erupted into chaos. Vampires exploded in every direction, claws outstretched, teeth bared. The sound as bodies hit walls was like an army of tanks clashing. Bodies flew, striking so hard against the walls, the building shuddered. Blood sprayed and someone screamed a terrible scream.
My eyes jerked to Marg; it wasn’t her. She was out cold. Karson looked from me to the warring vampires, panic on his face, but he couldn’t leave Marg, his one leverage, the only thing keeping Sarah on the other side of the room.
I caught a glimpse of Challis, his teeth bared as he charged at a vampire. The two of them rolled on the floor in a tumble of leather and blood.
My hand quivered as I snatched out my sword and stood on the tips of my toes, in front of Georgie, waiting for anyone to come for me.
Until Ethan picked me up and moved me beside a pale-faced Georgie. She was pressed against the wall, looking for a chance to run. There were too many vampires between us and the hall to flee.
Ethan stepped in front of me. As did Michael.
A vampire stormed toward us, his dark face set like thunder, his arms flexing with muscle as he tossed aside fighting vampires in his way like they were bits of gum he was done with.
Michael shouted, “Get them out of here!”
Josh looked around wildly, but there was no way out, not without going through the fighting vampires.
“Rodney,” he roared, seeking help.
Rodney didn’t move. Or maybe he didn’t have time to move. Neither did Kenneth or Janice, but they wouldn’t move until Rodney gave the command. Why didn’t he?
My heart jumped to my throat as Michael rushed forward.
A vampire punched out a massive fist. Michael ducked, his body going vertical as he slid along the floor.
I caught a flash of silver. Heard the vampire grunt as Michael sliced a blade through his Achilles.
The vampire’s legs shot forward, and his ruined leg gave way and he stumbled.
Ethan leapt, his hands grasping both sides of the vampire’s face.
He twisted. A crack shot through the room.
The vampire fell flat on his face. Michael thrust his blade through his back, into his heart.
The fight raged around us.
A flock of dark hair streaked through the room, trailing with blood like a flaming comet. It thudded against the brick wall above Georgie, blood showering onto her head like a crimson waterfall. The head dropped and bounced. Knock, knock, knock on the floor, coming to rest next to Georgie’s feet.
Georgie looked down. Blinking through red-coated lashes, she screamed.
Pixie stared up at Georgie, her eyes as wide as saucers, brimming with horror. Her mouth moved, it fucking moved, as if she tried to speak, but no words came out. Tears slid down her face.
“Don’t look,” Josh cried, using his body to block Georgie’s view. “Don’t look,” he whispered. “Oh God, Pixie, I’m sorry.” His voice cracked. “I’m sorry.”
Pixie’s mouth opened again as she desperately tried to speak, more tears slipping down her cheeks. I watched, struck by horror, as the life in her eyes emptied and her mouth froze.
Across the room, Challis lifted his head, his horrified gaze coming to rest on Pixie. “Pixie, no!” he screamed, a sound of pain and rage. A vampire took the chance and flew at him. A knife drove into his back. Challis arched and fell, and I lost him amongst the whirl of bodies.
“Monique, no,” Ethan roared, snapping my attention back.
Monique flew through the air, the bone-ash knife gripped tightly in her hand.
She raised the blade and slammed it down, ready to end all this.
At the last moment, Sarah twisted away, and the blade slashed her arm.
Sarah shrieked, clutching at the wound. Blood gushed as black began to weave up her arm like there were tiny black spiders crawling under her skin.
Her eyes glittered with hatred. “You are going to pay for that,” she growled, flashing through the room faster than the bodyless head.
Monique leapt over the top of her, twisted mid-air, and landed on her feet. But Sarah was already there. Monique was skilled, fast, but she was no match for Sarah.
My heart stopped beating and all I could hear was a ringing in my head as Sarah shot out her clawed hand. If she reefed out Monique’s heart—
Monique who hated me but took us to the bar to get us away from Rodney, and who defended me when I needed her most. She couldn’t die. She was like a sister to Karson, Ethan, and Michael. Amongst the screaming and fighting, I heard Karson cry out her name.
Kenneth looked to Rodney and back, his eyes filled with panic, as if seeking permission to help. Rodney didn’t react, didn’t nod, he seemed impassive.
Kenneth didn’t care. He dived, driving his massive shoulder into Sarah’s side, knocking her to the ground.
The force sent them both skidding uncontrollably across the concrete floor.
Her body was half curled over his. He didn’t struggle, he didn’t try to fight.
His eyes were not on Sarah, they were on Monique, and they were filled with love.
As if he knew from the angle he was in, Sarah was going to tear his head off, and the last thing he wanted to see was Monique.
“Sarah, no,” Rodney roared, panic in his voice.
Sarah reached out, placed both hands on either side of Kenneth’s head and snapped his neck.
Rodney swore as Kenneth’s body slumped into a heap.
Janice’s eyes were filled with fear as she looked from Kenneth to Rodney.
This time Rodney nodded, and Janice leapt beside Kenneth to protect her fallen friend.
Swords in both hands, she twisted and moved with the speed and skill of a lethal dancer.
She removed the heads and limbs of anyone who was a threat. And no one else.
Monique cried out in fury and launched at Sarah again.
Michael charged into her, sending her flying against the wall and pinning her by the arms.
Monique struggled against his hold. “Let me go.”
“Stop,” he said through gritted teeth. “She will kill you.”
He was right. Sarah charged at them both.
As if a flood had parted, the sea of vampires shifted, and I got a clear view of Sarah as she ran toward Monique and Michael.
My sword clattered to the floor as my hands shot up.
Wind burst from my fingertips, exploding through the room, causing the roof above to rattle and shudder like an enraged beast. Sarah’s body lifted, her back slapping into the side wall as her head flew back.
She hit so hard, bricks cracked and red dust stormed all around her.
I didn’t have a chance to breathe a sigh of relief. The moment I threw her, streaks of blue and black turned to face me, coming at me like raining bullets.
Rodney grunted his annoyance. Yanking out a sword, he stepped to the left and swung it like a baseball bat.
A vampire stopped abruptly, his mouth open in a silent scream, his eyes wide with shock as he staggered.
The top half of his body collapsed to the left, while the bottom half fell right. Blood spewed out like a broken dam.
Georgie cried out again.
“Stay behind me,” Josh shouted, his back pressed to Georgie as he edged them away.
Ethan fought close by, his shirt and flesh ripping as a vampire snagged hold of him. I didn’t take my eyes off Sarah. Hatred gleamed in her fire-ridden eyes. She began to claw her way slowly up the brick wall.
I walked toward her, gritting my teeth and increasing the wind, holding her pinned to the wall.
Ignoring the fighting going on all around me.
Ignoring Karson, who was yelling at me to stay where I was.
He was right, it was dangerous to move, I should stay where I was or I could die.
But if I held her, without their firstborn, the vampires would retreat, and this would all stop.
A burst of euphoria washed over me. I was only vaguely aware of Ethan and Rodney moving with me, throwing off anyone who attacked.
The sounds of wind roaring, cracking, and cries assaulted my hearing.
A little closer, if I could hold her, Ethan and Rodney could contain her.
The lights went out. Everything went black.
In an instant, I froze. My power fizzled and died. Then panic exploded through my body. No one knew I was afraid of the dark aside from those on Karson’s side. And Rodney …
Thumping, cracking, and a grotesque wet, ripping noise thundered against my hearing. Something rushed past, so close my hair ruffled. The darkness crushed against my chest. The room swayed beneath my feet, my legs lost power, and I dropped to my knees, my heart beating like a frightened rabbit.
Breathe, Amelia breathe, a voice said. It sounded like my mother.
I sucked in a breath, then another.
I was defenseless, blind. If I didn’t move, I knew I’d be dead. And yet, my muscles refused to budge. I was an empty house, gutted by fear, rotting at the rafters. All I could do was kneel, trapped by terror.
But with my mind, I called the sword to my hand. Hard metal slapped against my palm and my fingers snapped around the handle.
Feel my presence, Amy. This time it was Ethan’s voice replaying in my head, his voice a brick in the foundation.
I squeezed my eyes shut. My ears became white static. I became mindless to the noise of fighting.
And then—
Cold, dark energy swelled toward me from behind.
“Amelia,” Karson cried. Through the static, it sounded distant. But his voice sparked my body to life. I twisted and swung. The blade sliced through something solid, an awful, serrated, ripping sound. A clank. A slapping noise.
I didn’t have time to even register it, before another one came. I sprang to my feet as I twisted. I hit something hard, then the pressure was gone and my blade kept swinging, pivoting my body with it.
The lights snapped on. Blinking through the burst of sudden brightness, I looked wildly around. A vampire was lying at my feet, his headless black shirt gushing blood.