Chapter 22

Tyra had a lot of fighting experience, but there were too many enemies on the shelter playground to handle easily. She spun on the blacktop but the hit she’d taken had landed on that special spot right on her cheekbone. Her head swam. Pain exploded behind her eye, and the swelling obscured her vision immediately.

It wasn’t a big deal. As soon as she could feed, that would heal. A wave of sadness washed over her even as she cracked two wizards in the kneecaps. Where did things stand with Anton?

One problem at a time, Ty.

A wizard grabbed from behind, and she held tight to his arms as she walked up the front of another wizard who had approached from the front. She smashed her size-ten boots in the second wizard’s face before flipping back over the first one and kicking him between the legs. He went down hard on a faded hopscotch design, red faced and sputtering, “Bitch.”

Sure. They were trying to kill her, but she was the bitch.

“Miss Tyra!”

She had to get to Selena, who was still crouched on the far end of the playground by her mother’s body. “Selena, stay right there. Do you hear me?”

Tyra couldn’t hear an answer and could only pray that the little girl did indeed get the message. And shit, the shouting from the girl had gotten one of the wizard’s attention. One of the smarter ones had broken from the pack. Tyra stopped fighting back and stood still. “Okay, fine, guys. You win.”

Hardly any of them were smart enough to stop and wonder why she’d done that. As soon as they closed in, she went invisible and teleported outside of the cluster, dropping a bundle of fireballs in her wake. There was a lot of screaming and rolling around and “what the fucks” as they tried to put each other out. That’d keep ’em busy for a while.

Poor Selena. The girl was terrified and gripping her mother’s limp arm for dear life. Tears stung Tyra’s eyes. She was within arm’s reach of the girl when the frigid wind stirred, and there was Anton’s father. The Master. He appeared behind Selena too quickly for Tyra to react, and while his stance was casual, his grip on those small shoulders was firm and unyielding.

His previously charming smile was one hundred percent sinister. “It’s time to go, Miss Tyra. I doubt you’ll want little Selena here to leave without you.”

Selena’s eyes were wide and questioning. Tyra glanced around, looking down at Selena’s mother, who was clearly in poor shape, and then back to the wizard’s grip on Selena. There was no option here, and Tyra knew that.

She reached forward and took hold of the girl’s hand. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” she said.

***

They were a sad pair, but working together, Anton and Xander managed to stagger in the direction of the main road.

“I appreciate the help. I think we need to get the hell outta here before I get a nasty sunburn.”

Anton shrugged out of his leather jacket and handed it to Xander. “Here, throw this over your head.”

The vampire snorted. “That’s awfully undignified.”

“Huh. Well…” He pressed a finger to the back of Xander’s forearm; it left a white spot on his skin that was already turning pink. “Would you rather be undignified, or would you rather go up in flames?”

“Shit.” Xander searched his pockets and located a pair of gloves. “Alright, let’s hurry. This’ll only work for so long.”

The sky was getting lighter, and neither of them was exactly in peak physical condition. Xander’s phone buzzed insistently from Anton’s pocket. He’d borrowed it to call Thad and let him know what was going on. Sure enough, it was Thad again.

“What’s the status?”

“We’re traveling along Route 9 as fast as we can, but Xander is already starting to burn, I’m afraid.”

“Where are you along Route 9? Do you see any signs?”

Anton scanned through the trees. “I see a gas station less than a quarter mile up the road and a sign for Route 29, I think.”

“Jimmy’s Shell station. Get there. Fast.” Thad ended the call.

“Shit, okay. Not much of a talker, that king of yours.” Anton hooked an arm under Xander to help steady the big, drooping, near-deadweight. “Let’s move, my friend. We’ve been given orders.”

Xander groaned. Anton wasn’t sure exactly what sun exposure did to a vampire, but it was clearly already happening. That Xander had recently been blasted in the head couldn’t have helped matters.

“Okay, Xander, the gas station with the yellow signs up there. There’s an overhang with shade, and I’m guessing Thad has some sort of plan for getting us back to your home. So just focus on that sign and go as fast as you can. You hear me?”

“Right,” Xander mumbled. “I hear ya.” The vampire was sweating, and they were going to have to cross the road where there were no trees for cover.

“Let’s go,” Anton said. He shouldered Xander’s weight and pushed him as fast as he could. The sooner they got there, the better.