Chapter 45
“Seriously?” I give Larissa an incredulous look. “We’re not related by blood, but you’ve always been my sister.”
“You’ve never been mine.”
I hate that her words still cut deep.
“Leo and Antonio are naive,” Larissa says. “They think maybe the vampires have figured out a way to hold you spellbound and you’re not acting on your own accord. But I see you for exactly who you are.”
“And who am I?” I ask, taking in a slow breath to try and keep control of my emotions. Larissa has never made his disdain for me secret, but to stand here and order my death? Who’s the twisted one? It’s not me.
“A witch-bitch with no loyalty to anyone but herself.”
Larissa’s words make me laugh. I could snap off a million comebacks, telling her she’s wrong, but I just shake my head. “Tell yourself whatever you need to. I know who I am and I have no need to defend myself. Just leave me alone and we’ll leave you alone.”
“I’m not letting either of you walk out of here alive.”
“Good thing one of us is already dead.” I shrug and conjure a small energy ball, throwing it right at the hagstone.
Larissa screams in pain and I grimace, but I had to do it.
The string around the stone burns off and the stone clatters to the ground.
Larissa’s eyes widen in fear and she lunges toward me.
“Somnum,” I say, and cast the sleep spell on her, letting her body thud to the floor.
I step over her and make it a few paces down the hall before coming to a complete stop.
Dale is standing there, an ivory-handled pistol raised and aimed right at me.
There is something absolutely terrifying about staring down the barrel of a gun.
You don’t realize how cowardly a weapon it is until it’s being pointed right at you.
The person holding it just has to squeeze a trigger and can cause so much death and destruction without getting their hands dirty.
They can take your life while standing in one spot.
“If you’re going to shoot me, then fucking shoot me,” I say through gritted teeth.
Dale squares his shoulders but I don’t take any chances.
I throw a wave of energy at him, forcing his hands up.
He fires, and the bullet hits one of the lights above us, raining down shattered glass.
I create a magical shield, protecting myself and also keeping Dale from firing at me again.
The magic domes above me like a giant umbrella.
I take a few steps forward, struggling to move while holding the shield.
Randall runs to his friend, glass crunching under his feet.
He has a syringe in his hand and if I can stop him from giving Mabel her next dose of drugs, she’ll wake up and can get herself out of here.
“Your turn?” I ask Randall, wincing under the weight of the shield.
Reaching deep inside, I throw out my other hand, opening the freezer’s door.
Randall makes a mad dash for it, but I hit him with the shield and send him flying back.
The needle falls out of his hand and he crashes into Dale.
They clunk heads with a thud so loud it makes my stomach twist, but it’s all the time I need to take another step forward.
“Mabel!” I call and drop the shield completely so I can run.
She’s tied to a chair in the middle of the freezer.
It smells like old, rotten meat in here, and there is a pile of something moldy in the corner.
She’s hooked up to an IV, keeping her drugged and under control.
Her head has fallen completely forward and she looks dead.
“Mabel,” I repeat and pull the IV from her arm.
“Come on, wake up!” I turn, hearing the hunters outside.
I don’t want to get locked in here and Dale is right by the door.
Panic rises in me and I make the last second decision to spring forward, calling on all the energy I have left to create another shield.
This time, the wall of magic glows with each pulse of my heart beat.
“Wren?” Mabel asks groggily. Yes! The drugs are wearing off already. “Is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me! Can you free yourself?” I step forward, standing in the threshold of the door. Dale has his gun pointed at me but doesn’t know what would happen if he shoots at a wall of magic. I don’t either, but something tells me the bullet will bounce right back at him.
“I think so,” she says and I look beyond Dale and see Randall trying to wake Larissa.
“We really need to get out of here,” I call to Mabel. I don’t want to tell her I don’t think I can hold the shield much longer.
“I’m almost out,” she says, vigor coming back to her voice. Larissa slowly gets to her feet, pulled up by Randall. “I’m free!”
“Good,” I say, risking looking behind me. There’s blood on her clothes, and judging by the lack of blood on the hunters, I’m going to say this is her blood. The humans are cooked if any of the Malus family gets her.
“I don’t understand what happened,” Mabel starts.
“It’s okay,” I tell her. “You need to go. Let everyone know you’re okay.”
“I don’t want to leave you with them.” She takes my free hand and steps in front of me, shielding me from the hunters who just kidnapped and tortured her.
“I’ll be fine. They won’t hurt me.”
“I don’t believe you,” she says.
The magical shield starts to wane. “Go,” I press.
“Zeke is so worried about you. Tell him you’re okay and that I’m handling the situation.
” I grimace, struggling to keep the shield.
“Mabel, please. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.
” I swallow hard and look her in the eyes.
Yes, she’s a vampire and is stronger and faster than humans, but she doesn’t have it in her to hurt anyone.
She’s aloof and too innocent, and all it will take is one hunter to come at her with a wooden stake to put her down for good.
“You’ll be home tonight?” she asks.
“I promise.”
She gives my hand a squeeze and nods, looking pained before she turns and speeds away. Letting out a ragged huff, I drop the shield, feeling depleted from using a brand new type of magic.
“You fucking bitch,” Larissa sneers. She’s still fighting the effects of the sleeping spell and has to hold onto Randall to help hold her up.
“I’m not a bitch,” I tell her calmly, fully aware that if she tried to come at me, I wouldn’t be able to fight her.
Not yet at least. “A witch, yes, and you’ve always been jealous because it makes me a better hunter than you.
” Inhaling, I look from Larissa to Dale and Randall.
“Ezekiel Malus is on his way here. If you don’t know, that’s Mabel’s husband.
Xavier and Theo will be with him. I don’t think you want to be here when they arrive, do you? ”
“Fuck this, man,” Dale starts, lowering his gun. “I don’t want my heart ripped out.”
“Not gonna lie, it doesn’t seem pleasant,” I chide.
“Come on,” Dale says, elbowing Randall. “The mission failed. Let’s go.”
“Listen to your friend,” I go on. “And I’ll see what I can do to keep the Malus brothers from ripping you to shreds.
“I’m out.” Dale puts his gun in his holster. “Promise me, you’ll keep that motherfucker away from us?”
“I promise I’ll keep my husband away,” I tell him, looking him in the eyes. “Cross my heart. But only if you go. Now.”
Randall hikes Larissa up on his shoulder and helps her walk away. I let out a breath, hands trembling, and my eyes close in a long blink. I promised to keep Xavier away…but not Theo and Zeke.
Keeping my guard up, I leave the building. I’m ready for another attack, and it’s not until I make it to the lot where I parked that I let myself think about what just happened. Holy. Fucking. Shit. I had no idea I could do that kind of magic.
And Mabel—she’s okay. She’s really okay.
A car door shuts and I look up, seeing someone quickly coming toward me.
“Devon,” I exclaim. “What are you doing here?”
“You can’t trust them, Wren.”
“Trust who?”
“The Russos. I did more digging into those demon deaths because I couldn’t just sit still at home…” He grabs my hands and looks around, eyes wide with fear and paranoia. “You need to get away from them. We need to get out of here like we talked about. Go away, for good.”
“Okay,” I just say, eager to get Devon out of here. I pull my keys from my pocket and turn to start heading toward my car. But then three dark figures rise from the shadows. The parking-lot lights shine down on us, making it hard to see anything beyond their pools of light.
Devon steps next to me, holding out his hand to try and push me back behind him.
I blink rapidly, watching the figures come closer.
“That’s him!” someone says, and I instantly recognize the voice: Leo. His face slowly comes into view, along with Ryder and Antonio. “That’s the vampire who took her!”
Ryder raises the crossbow.
“No!” I scream, throwing out my hand. “He’s not—”
But it’s too late. The arrow releases and flies through the air and hits Devon in the middle of his chest. His blood splatters on my face and he reaches for me, fingers touching mine for just a fleeting moment before his eyes go blank and he falls to the ground.
* * *