Chapter
Nineteen

The erupting screams hurt my ears as people and vampires jump from their chairs.

“Mentis!” someone shrieks.

“Get the women and children out of here,” the King shouts. “Anima, protect the humans at all costs.”

A hand snatches my arm and yanks me away from the King. I barely have time to scream before I realize it’s Sebastian. His eyes have turned black, his muscles tight. “Do not leave my side, Charlie. Do you understand?”

Fear has my throat in a stranglehold, so I’m only able to nod my reply.

Opal runs up to us, gun in her outstretched hands. She waves it back and forth, eyes sweeping over the room. “Is it true? Are the Mentis here?”

Sebastian closes his eyes and inhales. “Five of them. Approaching as we speak.” Opening his eyes, he emits a low growl and pushes me behind him.

Opal aims her gun at the door. Beside us, several guardsmen have surrounded the King. In front of them, Delaney stands with her spear raised. Her eyes have turned as black as Sebastian’s. “Protect the King at any cost,” she snarls.

Behind us, the barn continues to empty of humans until all that remain are black-eyed snarling Anima. To the front, three men and two women step into the open doorway. I recognize two of the Mentis as the same ones who kidnapped my aunt. All five wear gray suits, the men with ties, and dark sunglasses.

The same man who first stepped into my cabin moves forward. With a smirk, he removes his sunglasses and tucks them into his jacket. His gray eyes blaze. “What a quaint reception, King Matteo. Truly, you shouldn’t have.”

“How dare you enter my compound and start a fight.” Matteo’s fingers dig into the wooden arms of his throne. “Let it be known that it is your last.”

“Easy, your highness.” The Mentis clasps his hands behind his back as he surveys the room. “We didn’t come here to wage war. We’ve come to collect what is ours. Unfortunately, your little bird there,” he motions to the dead vampire on the floor, “wasn’t receptive to the idea.”

“Should I kill them now?” Delaney asks, spinning her spear in a slow arc.

Matteo holds up his hand to stop her. “There is nothing of yours here.”

“Is that so?” The Mentis turns his attention on me. Sebastian pushes me farther behind him. “Sebastian?” A slow grin creeps over the Mentis’ face. “How good to see you’re faring your captivity so well. The Queen will be most relieved to know you’re all right.”

Sebastian’s jaw tightens. “Frederick.”

Frederick faces Matteo. “How about an exchange? We’ll take the girl and Sebastian. In exchange, we’ll give you Rachel back in human form.”

An ice pick of fear drives through my heart.

“Failure to accept our offer,” Frederick continues, “will result in our keeping Rachel.” He grins, exposing his long fangs. “Forever.”

“No.” I push in front of Sebastian. “I’ll go. Just please don’t hurt her.”

“Charlie, no.” Sebastian grabs my arm. “They will torture you.”

Frederick cocks his head. “Now that’s not very nice. We’ve always been more than accommodating to you, our little wayward son.”

Baring his fangs, Sebastian snarls.

Frederick laughs. “I think you’ve spent a little too much time with the Anima, boy. You’re turning sentimental.”

“Maybe I’m just remembering things clearly for once.”

The smile melts off the other vampire’s face. “Enough. We’ve wasted enough time already. Let’s go.” He snaps his fingers.

“If I go peacefully, then you leave Charlie out of it,” Sebastian says.

“No deal.” Frederick shakes his head. “The Queen was very specific with her terms. If the girl stays, then her aunt joins us forever.”

“Screw you, assholes.” Opal runs forward, firing a shot that cracks the silence. One of the female Mentis grunts before falling over. “You’re not taking anyone anywhere.”

Frederick glances at the fallen vampire and shrugs. “We’ll accept her death as payment for the loss of one of your own. Any more violence, and we’ll be forced to take action.” He looks at me. “Girl, are you coming?”

Opal aims her gun at him and I push it down. “They’ll only send more.” If I leave with them, I’m not dumb enough to think they won’t torture me or kill me. But if I allowed them to change my aunt, knowing I could have stopped it, I’d never be able to live with the guilt. “Yes. I’ll go.”

“Not without me,” Matteo says.

“What an interesting offer.” Frederick tilts his head, considering. “We accept.”

There’s a collective gasp among Anima vampires, followed by cries of protest.

Matteo slices his hand through the air, silencing them. “You would dare argue with the will of a king.” He looks at me, and I swear I see him wink. Or maybe I imagined it.

The Anima fall silent, except for Delaney, whose fists shake at her sides. “You know the Mentis Queen will kill you immediately, if the journey there doesn’t do it first. How do you expect to travel in your condition?”

“I need you to cut the part of the stake pinning me to the throne.”

“That’s insane. If the stake moves, you’ll die.”

He reaches out and clasps her arm. “Perhaps, but as Anima, we vow to protect humanity, especially when the humans are part of our family. Where Charlie goes, I go.”

Snarling, Delaney whips out a knife. “This is suicide.”

“Perhaps,” Matteo answers. “And if it is, I name you successor. Continue with the mission.”

She startles, the black draining from her eyes, leaving them blazing green. “Of course. I-I am honored.”

Closing his eyes, Matteo bows his head. “Do it. Make it fast.”

Delaney raises the dagger. “Do not move. Do not breathe.”

Opal runs up beside me and squeezes my arm. “Get the hell out of here while they’re distracted,” I hiss.

She has her eyes narrowed at the Mentis. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Dammit, she’s stubborn, but I love her all the more for it.

We inhale together as Delaney brings the knife down at Matteo’s back. There’s a crack of splintering wood. With a grunt, Matteo grips his chest and falls forward. Blood trickles between his fingers.

I start forward, but Matteo holds up a bloody hand to stop me. “I am fine—I’ll be fine.”

“You’re going to have to help him,” Delaney tells the Mentis. “He can’t walk. And if any of you decide to hurt him, I will personally feed you your own hearts.”

“What a silly threat,” Frederick says. “King Matteo is Queen Seraphina’s brother. He will be treated accordingly.” Raising his arm in the air, he snaps.

Two of the male Mentis step over their fallen companion and grab Matteo by the arms, hoisting him over their shoulders.

Scowling, Delaney grips her spear. Her lips ripple as a low growl emanates from her chest.

“Come, Sebastian,” the Mentis snaps again. “Come, girl.”

Sebastian grabs my wrists. “Don’t do this, Charlie. Say the word and I will kill them all.”

I shake my head. “They’ll only send more.”

“Then I will kill them, too.”

Something in my heart softens. “And then they’d hurt my aunt.”

He brings his mouth to my ear, breath tickling warm and hot against my neck. “Then I will kill the whole goddamned clan for you. Just please, don’t do this.”

Maybe he could do it, and he’d die in the process—something else I couldn’t live with. “I can’t risk it,” I say. “My aunt is only human, and I’m—not. I stand a better chance at survival.”

Muttering a curse—something about stupid, stubborn girl—he releases me. “If they separate us, I will find you. Remember that—especially when things are darkest.”

I swallow hard and nod.

Opal holsters her gun. “I’m going, too.”

I whirl on her. “No, you’re not. I’m not putting any more people I care about at risk.”

“That’s a shame.” Frederick grins. “There’s always room on the farm for one more human. Especially a spunky one.” He licks his lips.

Opal jerks forward like she might attack him, and I grab her by the shoulders. “You’re smart,” I tell her. “You have intel on the other clans, and you know how to hunt them. I need you on the outside, okay? Come up with a plan. I know you can do it.”

She looks like she might argue, before her shoulders slump. With a sigh, she nods. “I won’t let you down.”

“I know.” I pull her to me, squeezing hard. Never in my life could I imagine having such an amazing friend, one who would put herself in such danger to protect me. So, not everything has been awful since the cabin. This thought gives me a thread of hope that I might survive the next destination as well.

When I release her, Sebastian takes my hand, weaving his fingers through mine. “I’m going to keep you with me as long as I can.”

I look at our entwined fingers, for the first time wishing the flash of light would come. But it never does.

“Enough stalling,” Frederick says. “I’m eager to leave this dirt camp and return to more civilized surroundings.” He motions the other Mentis forward, and they exit the barn, carrying the King between them.

Several of the King’s guards shift into crows, screaming as they follow them into the night.

Dread swells inside my body, threatening to anchor me to the ground. I feel anything but brave, and yet I manage to hold my head up as I follow the Mentis out the barn doors with Sebastian at my side.

“Remember,” he says again. “I will find you.”

I give his hand a squeeze. “Not if I find you first.”