Trey carried the bodies of the two rogues, while I grabbed their heads, out of the tunnels to the mouth of the cave. Stacking them in a pile, we covered them in lighter fluid and lit them up, watching them closely so the flames didn’t spread to any of the nearby trees. It took a while for the fire to die down, and we made sure it was out completely before starting the long trek back through the woods. I was exhausted by the time Skye’s house came into view. My cousin’s blood donation had gone a long way to restoring my strength, but that was over two hours ago. I was running on very little sleep in the past couple of days, not to mention facing off against rogues three different times, and my energy was quickly depleting. I needed sleep, but the moment I stepped out of the trees, I knew that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Numerous cars were parked by Trey’s Mustang, and several others lined the long drive. There must have been close to a hundred people milling around. It seemed as if what was left of the small town was now standing in Skye’s yard. Men, women, children, they were all there.
Dad stood surrounded by a large group of men. Someone had given him a different coat, and I was glad to see his arm was in a sling. He turned to us when we emerged from the timber, and I winced inwardly at the lines of fatigue that were etched into his face. My dad was strong, but I could tell his recent fight with Drago had drained him. He was doing a good job of hiding it from everyone else, but he couldn’t keep it from me.
I gave Dad a nod when he raised an eyebrow in question, indicating the job was done, and I was aware that all eyes were on us as Trey and I walked over to him. His gaze went to my arm where the crudely made bandage was still wrapped around it. “You okay?”
“I’m fine, Dad,” I promised, shrugging it off. “You?”
“Just a scratch.”
“Is it gone?” someone asked, a deep voice in a crowd of strangers.
“They both are,” Trey replied, stepping closer to me as if to protect me from the entire town. With the way I was feeling, I appreciated it, even though I knew it was unnecessary. No one here was going to try to hurt us.
“Both of them?” a woman gasped. “There was more than one?”
Realizing my dad and Skye must not have relayed much of what had happened in the caves, I nodded. “Yes, there were two rogue vampires, but they are gone now. They can’t harm you anymore.”
The woman’s eyes misted with tears as she whispered, “Thank you, Huntress.”
Before I could reply, the door slammed open and one of the Jensen boys ran out of the house and down the steps to us. He slid to a stop in front of me, breathing heavily, his eyes wide. I recognized him as Seth, the oldest. His voice shook in fear when he whispered, “Did you find him?”
Kneeling down, I smiled gently. “Yes, I found him. You don’t ever have to be afraid of either of them again.”
The boy’s eyes widened, and he came closer to me. “My mommy said you’re a hunter. That you save people from bad guys like the ones who took us.”
“She’s right,” I told him, motioning toward my father and Trey. “This is my dad and cousin. They help me.”
“They’re a part of your team,” the boy said, looking over at them in awe. “Like on TV. You’re superheroes.”
I laughed, feeling a small piece of happiness creep into my soul for the first time since I found out who I really was. “I need a cape!”
A small giggle slipped free as he nodded his head vigorously. “Yes, you all do!”
I glanced up, expecting to see Trey grinning mischievously, only to see him already glaring at me. He knew what was on my mind without me even saying it.
“Don’t even think about it.”
My laughter filled the air again. “Come on, Trey. You’d look good in tights.”
“Seriously,” a voice broke in, and I looked over at a man who stepped through the crowd of people, “you are heroes to all of us.” I saw tears in his eyes as he looked down at the boy standing in front of me. “Thank you for saving our sons, Huntress. For saving our town. We’d almost lost hope.”
The child launched himself forward, his small arms wrapping around my neck. I winced at the pain the sliced through my arm when he accidentally hit it, but I returned his hug.
“Thank you,” he whispered, holding me tightly.
“You’re welcome, Seth,” I said softly, giving him one more hug before pulling back.
“Are you leaving now?”
It was another man, staring at me from where he stood, his arm curled around the waist of a beautiful, blonde woman.
“It’s time.”
As tired as I was, the need to get to Angel’s Pass was pressing on me. I was going to have to sleep in the car. We still had a long way to go, but now that I knew I could withstand the sun, maybe we could cut our time in half if I could convince Trey to let me or my dad behind the wheel some.
The door to the farmhouse opened again and Skye came out, a duffle bag in one hand, a backpack thrown over her shoulder. “I’m ready,” she said, taking the steps two at a time, then made her way through the small crowd to get to me.
“You’re sure?” I asked, even though I’d planned on asking her to join our fight all along. She had the heart of a huntress, the will to do what needed to be done, and nothing keeping her here. She could be trained to fight with us, and I knew she would be a huge asset, and I was going to need the help.
“Positive.”
“Skye,” one of the women interjected, her voice wavering with uncertainty, “you could come stay with us.”
Skye shook her head, taking one last look behind her at the house she’d grown up in. “Thank you, Mrs. Martin, but no.”
“But you’re so young. You need a stable home.”
“I’m seventeen, and I know what I need,” Skye told her quietly. “It isn’t going to happen here.”
Trey reached out and took the duffle from her. “You girls are going to have to ride in the back seat.”
Skye barely spared him a glance as she skirted around him and walked over to the Mustang. Opening the door, she slid into the back, waiting for us.
“This is going to be fun,” Trey muttered, following her to toss her bag in the trunk.
“Wait!” I looked over to see a woman descending the porch steps, the youngest Jensen boy in her arms. She was dressed in scrubs, a stethoscope around her neck. I realized she must have been the one who patched up my dad. “Do you need me to look at your arm before you go, Huntress?”
My hand went to the bandage that was covering a wound already healing itself. One of the finer points of being a vampire. It could use a few stitches, but I didn’t need a nurse to do them. “No, thank you. My dad will take care of it.”
“But where will you go?”
Not wanting to drag anyone else into our fight, I answered vaguely, “Where we are needed.”
She hesitated before nodding. “Good luck. To all of you.”