WHEN I WISHED FOR a distraction to take my mind off of everything, this wasn’t what I had in mind.
Hunter, Cora, and myself are on our way back to Red Thorne. Since leaving, I honestly haven’t thought much about the place. It was never the town I was overly interested in. It was the answers I was hoping to find there to lead me to Cora. Now that I’ve found her, I don’t exactly know how I feel about the place.
It truly terrified me when I first arrived there. Now I’ve become the very thing I was afraid of.
My eyes drift toward the rear-view mirror, and I stare at Cora. She is looking out the window, arms folded across her chest, jaw tight. I hardly recognise her. She isn’t the sister I grew up with. She’s a shell of herself. Cold, empty, and haunted. Nothing like the warm, loving sister that I looked up to, and leaned on for support so many times.
She was basically the one who raised me, since our mum was always working, trying to keep food on the table, and our rent paid. I suppose that’s why I felt so immensely lost when she was gone. I didn’t know how to live without her. Now, everything is screwed up. Beyond anything I could have imagined.
I switch my gaze to Hunter. I’ve never seen him look so tense, so troubled. I know there are a lot of things on his mind. All of us have a lot on our minds.
‘I don’t get it,’ Cora says after about an hour of silence.
Yanking out my earbud, I flick a glance up to the rear-view mirror, to see she is still staring vacantly out the window.
‘Get what?’ I ask, the tension between the two of us thick and heavy.
‘Why didn’t Theo leave town, if he knew people were after him?’ she questions, referring back to the conversation Hunter had with us earlier, briefing us both about the situation that Theo has himself in. ‘It doesn’t make sense.’
‘That’s what I thought, too,’ Hunter murmurs in agreement. ‘It doesn’t add up. He’s hiding something, but I don’t know what.’
‘He basically asked for it,’ she continues, shaking her head.
‘I can say the same about you,’ I mutter, but since everybody in this car has perfect hearing, it doesn’t exactly go unnoticed.
Cora lets out a sigh, but says nothing. Placing my headphones back in, I lean my forehead against the glass and close my eyes, hoping we aren’t about to walk into yet another shit show, but I know in my heart that we are.
Hunter and I have gone over a lot of training, in a short amount of time. I’m still getting used to the vampire way of life, but I feel like I’ve gotten a good grasp on things, rather quickly. I’m feeling confident I can hold my own in whatever we are about to get ourselves into.
The moment we cross the line into Red Thorne, it seems like the temperature drops five degrees. Not that I exactly feel hot, or cold, anymore. It just has an eerie feel about it, even when I am now one of the creatures of the night that people whisper about.
When we drive past the small apartment Alex and I had lived in together, acidic bile rises in my throat. My eyes burn and I close them, trying to hold back the painful ache in my chest. I still can’t comprehend the fact that Alex is gone.
My eyes snap open at the feel of Hunter’s hand on my thigh, and as I turn to face him, he gives me a soft, tender smile. As always, he knows exactly what to do to make me feel better. Placing my hand over his, I squeeze it, and turn to gaze back out the window.
The more I think about what awaits us, the more my nerves intensify. I might be stronger, and much better off now, but I know better than anyone that things can go wrong very quickly.
I could not live with myself if anyone else died.
‘Raya.’
A shiver rolls down my spine. The sound of my name on his lips, in his rich, deep voice, does things to me. Looking back at Hunter, he is looking at me, his eyes filled with concern.
‘Are you ready for this?’ Hunter asks, in his cool, calm, and collected tone that has my shoulders unwinding.
‘As ready as I can be.’
It doesn’t take long to reach Hunter’s house. I pause, staring out the windshield. Well-manicured lawn, white picket fence, and gorgeous burnt-orange bricks. It looks totally normal. You’d never suspect that multiple vampires took up residence here. It would be a perfect suburban home for a family.
‘This house is so . . . normal?’ I question, my eyes sliding to his. ‘I expected a house that looks like Cas’s.’
Hunter flinches at the mention of his friend. Arching a brow, he lifts an eyebrow. ‘We aren’t exactly going to have a banner over the front door saying “Vampires Live Here” now are we?’
‘Guess not,’ I say with a weak smile as I exit the car.
Hunter, Cora, and I exchange a weighted glance before we trail toward the door. It swings open before we reach it. A woman I don’t recognise stands there with kohl-rimmed, blood-shot eyes. She is gorgeous, with her raven black hair, and legs that are almost longer than my entire body.
‘Hunter,’ she chokes out before launching at him. She wraps her arms tightly around him, and he awkwardly pats her shoulder.
‘Lucy,’ Hunter says.
She steps back, wiping her eyes. Turning, she stares at me. Offering her a tentative smile, I stay where I am, unsure what to make of her expression. I can’t tell if she is curious about me, or hates me. Probably a mixture of both.
‘This is Raya,’ Hunter says, touching my arm tenderly. ‘She is one of us now.’
Lucy’s eyes quickly assess me, moving quickly as they travel up from my shoes, over my body, and to my face. Not changing her expression, she gives a quick nod. ‘I see that.’
‘And I’m Cora,’ Cora says, giving her an obvious once-over, as Lucy just did to me. ‘Her sister.’
Lucy briefly glances at her. ‘Pleasure.’ Her tone indicates it is anything but. ‘Come in.’
We follow her inside, and my eyes roam everywhere. It’s a little darker and edgier inside, not matching the exterior at all. Long maroon curtains cover the floor to ceiling windows, blocking out any natural light. Tall arch ways lead us to the high-ceiling living room. A fire softly glows, casting the room in a golden glow.
‘Tell us what happened,’ Hunter says, getting straight to the point.
Lucy draws in a deep breath, as if trying to collect herself for a moment. Running her tongue across her lower lip, she tosses her hair over her shoulders, turning to face us. ‘We had just gotten back from a night out. I hadn’t even taken my shoes off yet, and these two vampires came straight through the front door. Literally opened it, walked inside, and knocked Theo out. They didn’t even look at me.’ She shakes her head, her voice trembling. ‘I tried to attack them, but they stabbed me.’ She scowls, glancing down at her thigh, but there isn’t anything but smooth, unscarred skin, since it would have healed quickly. ‘They have him. Those vampires that have been terrorising the town.’
‘You said he’s still in Red Thorne,’ Hunter says, looking extremely calm right now, considering the information he’s just been given. He is definitely the person to lead the team through a crisis, nothing ever phases him. Well, unless the bond interferes. ‘How do you know that? They could have taken him anywhere.’
Lucy stills for a moment, then shakes her head. ‘No, he’s here.’
‘How do you know?’ Hunter frowns.
‘Theo can’t leave Red Thorne.’
I look at Hunter, but he is still staring at Lucy, looking puzzled. Folding his arms across that deliciously muscled chest, he tilts his head.
‘Can’t leave?’
‘No,’ Lucy murmurs, eyes nervously glancing at Cora for a moment, who straightens under Lucy’s gaze, looking over at me in confusion. ‘He can’t.’
‘Can’t leave, or won’t leave?’ Cora demands.
‘Can’t!’ Lucy snaps in irritation. ‘Kian compelled him to stay here, and he was meant to keep you here.’ She steps closer to Hunter. ‘That’s why he was so distraught when you left, Hunter. He was being controlled.’
‘What?’ I exclaim, as Hunter blinks in silent shock. ‘How can that be? Theo is a vampire. Compulsion doesn’t work on us.’
‘Kian turned him,’ Lucy explains, looking frustrated that we aren’t understanding this quicker. ‘He has power over him because of this. I never knew it was possible, but it’s true. When a vampire makes another vampire, the “maker” has a certain level of persuasion when it comes to the vamp they created. Theo cannot leave Red Thorne unless Kian tells him to.’
‘That makes no sense,’ Hunter argues, shaking his head. ‘If that were true, then Theo should have been able to stop me since he turned me.’
‘Don’t you wonder why you never left, even though you were so desperate to?’ Lucy questions, giving him a pointed look. ‘You always wanted to get away from here, but you never left. Not until the bond overpowered it. Because Theo had persuasion over you. That’s why Theo was so desperate to try and convince you to stay without force, because he knew if he tried to physically stop you, it would only make you suspicious, and wouldn’t work anyway.’
I feel the mix of confusion and shock swirl deep in Hunter as he collapses onto the lounge, mouth hanging open. The way Cora looks, I can tell she has experienced this compulsion first hand. My heart aches for her, and I realise I really have no idea what she has been through.
‘Fuck,’ Hunter mutters, looking pained. ‘I feel like a dick.’
‘Well, yeah, you were.’ Lucy huffs.
I take a step toward her, and she flinches, actually looking a little weary.
‘Woah,’ Cora breathes. ‘Your eyes just did this weird demonic thing, Raya.’
Stopping, I shake myself, not really understanding what just happened. All I know is that I felt an irrational amount of anger towards Lucy for saying that to Hunter.
‘Raya,’ Hunter says with calm authority, and I instantly step down, returning to his side. Lucy eyes us with fascination.
‘Now that everyone is caught up, we really need to make a plan,’ Lucy continues, planting her hands on her hips. ‘The longer we leave this, the worse it will be.’
‘You’re saying he is in Red Thorne,’ Hunter says, rubbing his fingers across his chin. ‘Do you have any idea where?’
Lucy nods. ‘There is a house a little out of the main part of town. I’ve heard rumours that a new group of vamps hold parties out there a lot. I’ve been trying to get an invite, but any of the humans that know anything about it end up dead soon after.’
I bristle, feeling unnaturally cold as I listen to her words, understanding very well that these rogue vampires are extremely dangerous.
‘You think he is there?’ Hunter questions.
Again, she nods. ‘Yeah. It makes sense. There is always someone there to watch over the place, lots of bodies as a distraction, and far enough out of town that people won’t accidentally stumble across it.’
‘Yeah, okay,’ Hunter agrees, seeming to realise she has done her homework on the group, and their location. ‘We will try there, then.’
‘Their parties are exclusive. Invite-only,’ she says. ‘But, I have been tracking a vampire who is in charge of recruiting humans. I think we can fool him into inviting us. Compulsion won’t work obviously but I think we could charm him into inviting us. What do you think?’
Cora shrugs. ‘People are stupid. I think that’s a solid plan.’
Sighing, I exchange a heavy glance with Hunter. I don’t really like the sound of this. Any part of it. Though I understand the importance of rescuing Theo. He is Hunter’s best friend. As much as they have had their differences recently, I know he means the world to him. And if he means a lot to Hunter, he means a lot to me, too.
We spend the next half an hour organising who will do what, and by when. At the end of it, we have a plan. I can’t say it’s a good plan, but it’s a plan nonetheless.
As we part ways to get ready, my heart plunges into my stomach at the thought that one of us might not make it out alive tonight.
As I lean over the pool table, my shirt rises, causing my skin to brush against the rough baize material.
Hunter’s intoxicating scent washes over me as he presses my back to his chest. His long arms snake around me, steadying the pool cue with his hands over mine. He swiftly hits the ball into the socket, his breath fanning my ear as he tilts his head toward me, grazing his teeth along my earlobe. Desire sizzles through me, making me wish we weren’t on a mission right now and surrounded by others.
‘I do know how to play pool, you know,’ I say with a teasing smile, even though I’m certainly not complaining about his proximity right now.
‘I just wanted an excuse to touch you,’ he murmurs, and even though I’m not meant to have any changes to my body temperature, I’m positive I’m flushed right now. Pushing himself back, I twist to face him.
Every time we meet eyes, I fall in love with him a little bit more.
I tune in to Cora’s low, sultry voice as she leans in close to one of the vampires who is our target of the night. There’s two of them. Lucy says they often come here first and scout for humans to take back to the house. She is outside, surveying the premise, while we find a way to be invited.
‘A party?’ I hear her ask, and sneak a glance to see her tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. It shimmers under the light, and the guy’s eyes are focused on her mouth as she smiles at him.
‘Yeah. You want to come?’ he asks her, and I want to roll my eyes at how easily Cora has always gotten male attention. I’m sure it’s only worse now that her natural beauty is heightened by her immortality.
‘I would love to,’ she replies, her voice silken. ‘Can I bring friends?’
‘Depends,’ the guy answers after a beat. ‘It’s an invite-only kind of thing. Who are your friends?’
Hunter moves away from me, melting into the crowd of humans on the dance floor. I calmly stroll towards a guy with a similar height and build to Hunter. Placing a hand on his arm, I brush around him.
‘Hey,’ the guy grins down at me.
‘Hey,’ I say.
‘My sister,’ Cora says, and even though she is at the other end of the room, her voice is as clear as if she is standing right next to me. ‘And her new . . . friend,’ she says, and the way she says it implies that the boy in front of me is my meal for the night. ‘We are just looking for people to party with who have similar . . . tastes.’
‘Well,’ the guy says, and I hate the way I can hear the smirk in his voice. ‘My party sounds like the place for you girls, then.’
‘Perfect,’ Cora replies smoothly. ‘When does it start?’
‘I was thinking about heading there soon, but the party is already underway.’
‘In regards to the humans,’ Cora says, leaning in close. ‘Do I need to bring my own, or are there plenty to go around?’
My skin crawls at her words. She is a little too good at playing the part. The guy grins, obviously loving how forward Cora is. That kind of vampire is who they obviously want around.
‘I’ll share with you,’ he promises, winking. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at how desperate he is.
‘Even better,’ she purrs.
He prattles off the address, and I meet eyes with Hunter, who does a subtle nod, telling me he heard it, too.
‘Come outside for a smoke?’ the boy in front of me asks, and I sort of forgot for a moment that he was there.
‘Sure.’
Cora sidles up to me and we both follow the guy outside. We calmly leave him when he starts talking to a friend of his who is already out there. My skin prickles, and I feel Lucy’s eyes on me, even though I can’t see her.
Hunter drives Cora and I to the location the man gave us, and Lucy is tracking us there on foot, but with her speed, she would easily be able to keep up with the pace of the car. We didn’t want to risk anyone seeing her get out of the car when we arrive in case they recognise her.
When we arrive, there’s a vampire at the door, and his eyes narrow as we pile out of the car. Hunter keeps his head low, and his shoulders hunched, trying to appear as unthreatening as possible, although with his height and broad shoulders, it’s near impossible. The vampire’s eyes are trained on him as we approach.
The bass thumps loudly from within the house, causing it to vibrate in time with the beat. The deafening level of the music is almost painful with my sensitive hearing. Drawing in a deep breath, I focus, tuning the music out, and after a moment, it isn’t so loud inside my head, allowing me to think clearly again.
‘Hi!’ Cora smiles and waves at the vampire, whose eyes are raking over her appreciatively.
‘Cora, is it?’ the man asks, obviously having expected us.
‘The one and only.’ She smiles sweetly.
After a quick assessment, it appears he is the only one guarding the door, which means our plan is ready to go ahead.
At a speed quicker than should be possible, Hunter and Cora advance on the vampire in what looks like a choreographed dance. Hunter is behind him, twisting his neck, while Cora plunges a stake straight into his heart. The vampire is inexperienced and appears inebriated. He never saw it coming.
My hand flies to my chest and I clench my teeth, looking away. For a while now, I’ve wanted to become a vampire, to be able to protect myself, and equal out the power-play between Hunter and I. I wanted this life. This power. But I can’t stomach seeing someone murdered right in front of me, even if they would have killed me at the first chance they got.
Hunter disappears with the body at the same time Lucy appears, her perfect hair looking windblown. She flicks it over her shoulder.
‘Nice,’ she compliments, nodding at Cora.
‘That seemed almost too easy,’ Cora replies, shifting nervously as her eyes dart around.
Hunter appears back at the doorstep. He touches a hand to my shoulder, and the rising panic soon dissipates, as if he absorbed it straight out of me.
‘Legata una,’ he murmurs, I turn to face him, and I would be blushing right now at his words spoken in front of the others, if I could blush. ‘You good?’
‘Yes,’ I whisper.
Assessing me quickly, he nods after a moment. ‘Let us know if we can follow. Stay quiet, stay smart.’ He brings two fingers up to his temple, tapping it. ‘Stay sharp.’
I nod. Cora and I exchange a quick glance before she walks inside with me hot on her heels. It is so dark in here, I have to squint, but thankfully my vampire eyesight focuses quickly, making everything clear once more. Neon lights dart haphazardly across the room. Stale cigarette and flavoured vape scents clog the air, overwhelming my senses. Shoving the sensory overload to the back of my mind, I do my best to level myself out, trying my best to stay on task.
The house is packed with people. More human than not. My stomach twists when I recognise some faces from the few classes I attended. They probably have no idea the danger they are in right now.
My insides freeze over when I see a girl who used to sit in the row in front of me, draped over the lap of a man who has his fangs in her neck. Swallowing, I look away, battling with my own fierce, rising hunger, mixed with the disgust I feel towards the man. It’s confusing to think and feel one way, only to also feel the opposite at the same time. I’m starting to understand why Hunter struggled with so much inner turmoil when we first met.
Hunter and Lucy enter behind us, as quiet and deadly as if walking on thin ice, and one minor movement could cause it to crack.
I can sense a few vampires strolling through the room, but they’re all in a blood and alcohol haze; light headed and dazed. None of them spare us a glance as we walk in, but perhaps they’re confident of the vampire guard at the front to patrol any unwanted guests.
A door to the right opens, one I didn’t realise was there, and a vampire strolls out, his knuckles coated in blood. He swipes a beer straight from a human’s hand without a second glance at him as he beelines to the centre of the room. He reaches for a blonde girl and pulls her to his chest.
By the time I look back, Lucy has slipped through the door and disappeared down the staircase. Hunter sighs, and briefly meets my gaze, before shifting to Cora’s. He nods, and then follows her.
After confirming no one is paying any attention to us, we head down the stairs too. It’s still loud and musky down here, but not as bad as upstairs. The room is dusty, and filled with broken, old furniture. In the middle of the room, suspended from the ceiling, is Theo. I recognise him from the pictures Hunter showed us earlier, when he was telling us about him. His wrists are bound by chains, and there is so much blood I can barely make out his face. I only recognise that ashy blond hair from the time I briefly met him on campus, when he was talking to Hunter that day I borrowed his pen.
‘Baby!’ Lucy exclaims, rushing toward him.
She barely makes it a few steps before four vampires step out from the shadows, one by one. I’m instantly wired, bracing myself as they flank Theo. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t sense their presence as soon as we entered the room, but from the look of surprise on Hunter’s and Cora’s faces, I wasn’t the only one.
I feel a shiver along the back of my neck as they fix their black eyes on me, and it’s then that I realise that they were waiting for us. They knew we were coming.
‘Hunter.’ One of the men smiles, stepping forward. He is taller than the others, with messy, salt and pepper coloured hair, and black, lifeless eyes. Two fangs appear, and he holds his arms out in a welcoming pose, as if he has invited us over for tea. ‘I’ve been a patient man waiting for you to come find us. You sure took your sweet-ass time.’
I glance at Hunter from the corner of my eye, and see the muscles of his jaw twitch as he stares at the vampires. His eyes linger on one of the men to the side, and I wonder if he recognises him. ‘Who are you?’ Hunter asks, although I’m sure he already knows who he is.
‘Adrian Black.’ The man smiles, tilting his head to the side as his eyes appraise Hunter slowly, looking darker than midnight sky under these dim lights. ‘You may have heard of me.’
Hunter’s chin jerks in a sharp nod. ‘You’re the one responsible for the dead bodies around town.’
Adrian offers a lazy shrug. ‘The newbies had to have some practice, and a little fun.’
Hunter scoffs. ‘Yeah. Right.’
‘You see,’ Adrian continues, stepping forward once more, placing his hands behind his back. ‘Your friend here crossed me. And no one gets away with that.’
My eyes dart to Hunter, who stares unblinkingly back at Adrian, not giving anything away, his expression cold. He’d told me about Theo and about the woman Theo had fed on and left for dead. Theo didn’t know at the time, but she belonged to a dangerous vampire. Adrian, to be more specific.
‘What do you want?’ Hunter asks, his voice firm, and a little frosty. A tone I have very rarely heard come from my bonded one’s mouth.
‘We want Theo,’ he says matter-of-factly. ‘And we don’t want trouble from you.’
‘That’s never going to happen,’ Hunter deadpans.
‘Exactly.’ The man nods in agreement. ‘That’s why I wanted you to come. So we can,’ Adrian’s lips twist into a wry smile, and he looks over to one of his men, as if they are having a silent conversation. ‘Dispose of you.’
‘Why not just kill Theo?’ Cora interjects, raising an eyebrow, and having the audacity to cock her hip. ‘Why are you keeping him here like your own, little pet? You knew we’d come for him. Why risk your own lives, keeping him alive?’
‘I enjoy torturing the man who killed my girl,’ Adrian snarls, stepping forward, looking as though he really doesn’t appreciate Cora’s two cents. ‘And I cannot kill Theo because his maker is a vampire I don’t dare to go up against.’
Hunter exhales. ‘Kian. Of course.’ His eyes glance to Cora. ‘It always comes back to Kian.’
‘Kian didn’t make you?’ Cora questions, turning to face Hunter, as if there aren’t four malicious looking vampires sizing us up less than a few metres away.
Hunter shakes his head. ‘Theo did.’
Slowly, Cora nods, looking surprisingly calm given that four vampires are inching closer to us with our deaths on their mind.
‘So, you can’t kill me, then.’ Cora smiles, but as usual, it’s cold and empty, not hosting any of the warmth it once had. ‘Since he’s my maker, too.’
‘Maybe not,’ one of the other vampires says, his shoulders broad enough that they’re almost double the width of mine. ‘But we can still hurt you.’
Cora’s smile widens. ‘Try it. I’ve been trained by the best psycho in town.’
‘Cute,’ Adrian replies mockingly. ‘But having a smart mouth won’t get you a head start around here.’
He lunges toward her, the other three on his heels. I duck, sliding across the floor on my knees. While the others fight, I swipe at the ankle restraints holding Theo and manage to break one of his legs free, before one of the vampires yanks me back by the shoulder. Turning, I kick him straight in the chest, launching him across the room.
I dive back towards Theo and unbolt the other shackle just as quickly. Next, I move up to his wrists, when my hair is pulled, snapping my head back so violently, I momentarily black out. Within seconds, I blink back awake, my neck aching, and as I look up, I see Hunter stake the man straight in the eye. Blood spurts over Hunter’s face as he drives it so deeply that the sharp end appears through the back of the vampire’s skull.
‘Touch her again, and I’ll chop your body into bits and feed it to you,’ he snarls, and in that moment, I don’t recognise him. I feel I might empty my stomach on the floor, but the adrenaline coursing through me pushes away the nausea, and I remind myself that this is not the time to freak out.
Leaping to my feet, I dart around them, and continue unchaining Theo. Groggily, his eyes blink open, and he peers at me.
‘Bonded blood bag,’ he chokes out, the corner of his mouth lifting. ‘I have to say, I’m surprised to see you.’
‘Thanks for such a warm welcome.’ I huff, yanking him free with a grunt of effort, since the chains were harder to unlatch than I initially thought.
He drops to the ground like a bag of lead, too weak to even stand.
When a vampire runs at me, I duck and weave out of his way, realising that Lucy is no longer in the room. All three of us are fighting the three vampires that are here, with the one Hunter stabbed now dead, another stake deep in his chest – though I don’t know who did that.
Grunting, I take a hit from a vampire that jars me to the core, and I stumble back a step.
‘What’s wrong with your eyes?’ the vampire hisses at me, squinting, trying to get a closer look.
Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, I let him approach, waiting until we are only inches apart before I slam my forehead into his. He reels back, landing on his ass, his eyes wide as he grasps his shattered nose. I can’t help but give him a satisfied smirk. As much as it hurt, it also felt really fucking good. For the first time in my life, I’m able to truly protect and depend on myself.
‘Fucking bitch!’ he hisses. Before I can retaliate, a blur of motion darts past me, and I almost shoot silver straight at Lucy as she whips around me, dragging a human with her. She throws the human at an almost unconscious Theo.
Turning to the vampire who is now advancing on me, Lucy hurls herself at him, knocking him to the ground.
‘Stake him!’ she demands, pinning his arms down.
Numbly, I yank the stake out of the dead vampire, the plastic handle smooth in my hand. Swiftly, I drop to one knee and slam the stake straight into his heart. My eyes never leave his as I watch the light fade within them before his head slumps to the side.
The door above the stairs bangs open, and another five or so vampires fly down the stairs, flooding the room.
‘Oh, shit,’ Lucy mutters, and she’s off racing towards them head-first.
‘Don’t worry,’ a voice whispers in my ear, and I yelp, turning to see Theo smirking down at me. Pretty silver eyes blink through the blood and grime that streak his face. He looks nothing like the almost-dead person he was a minute ago. ‘We can take them.’
Fangs lengthening, he takes off, and I scream when he swings an axe – God knows where he even got that from – and beheads the blond, broad-shoulder vampire. The blood sprays across my face, and I stagger back, feeling repulsed and sickened at the sight before me. It truly is a bloodbath.
An arm wraps around me, dragging me backward and down onto the ground as the vampire behind me tries to snap my neck. This one I don’t recognise, he must be one of the new-comers from upstairs.
Ramming my elbow into his side, I hear a satisfying crunch as his ribs crack. He loosens his hold just long enough for me to spin on my heel, and thrust the other stake I had stashed straight into his heart. A garbled noise escapes him as blood bubbles from his parted lips and he collapses to the floor.
A shriek to my left alerts me to another vampire lunging at me. Another one from upstairs. A wild afro of dark curls block my line of sight as he slams me hard against the wall. I jerk my head out of his grasp, and am distracted for a moment when I see two vampires advancing on Hunter.
Cora materialises, her eyes filled with rage as she hurtles towards the vampire pinning me. Before she can strike, he reaches out and grabs her by the throat, and in one swift motion, snaps her neck. I scream as she drops to the ground. Her dark hair spills across the floor, her dead eyes staring through me.
I try to get to her, but the vampire pins me once more, trying to get his hands around my neck to do the same thing to me. I make the mistake of grabbing his arms, and the vampire’s lips twist into a sneer as he lunges at my exposed neck like a rabid wolf, tearing through my skin. Everything slows for a minute as he takes a long drink from me, and my eyes dim in and out of focus as I observe everyone around me.
Lucy, is being held down on the ground by a vampire with stunning ruby red hair, and murderous eyes that look darker than the depths of hell. Lucy grits her teeth, shoving with all her might. She turns her head, shouting for Theo.
Hunter grunts as two vampires slam into him from either side. Theo’s chest heaves as his eyes bounce between the two as though unable to decide who needs his help the most.
After a moment, he runs to Hunter’s side. His hand curls around the back of one of the vampire’s necks, and he tugs it back so hard, the vampire’s spine dislodges.
Snarling, the vampire gripping me reels back, slamming a fist into the side of my head.
The vampire pauses, blinking at me, as if only just truly seeing me. ‘Your eyes . . .’ he trails off, studying me intently. ‘What the hell is wrong with your eyes?’
That’s when I strike.
Flattening him onto his back, I drive the stake through his chest. He gasps as he claws at my hands, and I press harder against the blade, watching the blood squirt over my hands and pooling across the fabric of his shirt.
Wiping my hands madly across my skirt, I realise that was my last stake.
Theo and Hunter are swinging and grunting as they wrestle with the two vampires who seem to grow angrier by the second. When Lucy screams, I take off towards her, knocking the red-headed vampire off of her. Kicking my leg out, I slam my heel into her nose, which shatters on impact. Lucy gets to her knees, lifting her arms over her head before she slams the dagger down over and over again. I wince, shielding my face as best I can from the onslaught of blood. Lucy goes way beyond piercing the vampire’s heart.
We stare at each other breathlessly, and she brushes her hair out of her eyes before we look over at the two boys as they continue their fight.
‘He chose to go help Hunter,’ Lucy whispers, face hardening. ‘He always chooses Hunter over me.’
My heart sinks at the pain in her eyes.
‘Hunter had two on one,’ I try to justify. ‘I don’t think it was about who, rather than how many.’
Lucy lets out a scoff. ‘No, he chose Hunter. After everything I have done for him . . .’ Running a tongue over her teeth, she shakes her head, standing.
Theo and Hunter are quick to kill the last two vampires. The sudden silence left in the wake of our fighting is beyond eerie. Suddenly my legs start shaking and I lean heavily against the wall, trying to keep upright. Blood runs into my eyes, and when I close them, images of all the horrific things I just witnessed flash through my mind.
Forcing myself to move, I stumble toward Cora, falling to my knees. I roll her onto her back. She groans, rubbing her neck.
‘Fucking stupid mother fucker,’ she hisses, sitting upright, while glowering down at the dead vampire next to her. ‘I’d kill you ten times over if you weren’t already dead.’
Reaching for her, I yank her toward me, throwing my arms around her. I sob into her shoulder. Her shoulders tense, but after a second, she hugs me back. She runs her hand down the back of my head like she used to when I was little.
‘It’s okay,’ she murmurs, and for the first time since she’s been back, I let myself enjoy the comforting presence of her. ‘It’s done now. It’s all done now.’
I feel Hunter before I see him. His presence wraps around me like a warm blanket, even though he isn’t even touching me. He gently helps me to my feet.
‘Legata una,’ he murmurs, and I step back, taking a shaky breath. Those gorgeous eyes stare down at me, the mirror-image of my own, and the exact comfort and warmth I need right now. He opens his arms and I fall into them, pressing my cheek to his hard chest. He wraps his arms tightly around me, holding me to him.
His familiar scent makes it easier to breathe, and slowly, I detach from him. Staring around the room, I watch as everyone slowly assembles together, all looking like we just walked through a warzone.
‘Well,’ Theo says, planting his hands on his hips. ‘Thanks for coming for me. Glad none of you died.’ He grins, revealing two rows of shiny, white teeth amongst the blood and dirt that is covering every inch of him. ‘Job well done, team.’
Cora breathes a laugh, shaking her head. ‘Yeah, thanks.’
‘Theo,’ he says, throwing his hand out to her, letting it hover between them. ‘How do you do?’
She stares down at it for a moment. ‘Cora.’
‘And who exactly are you, Cora?’ Theo asks. ‘Where do you fit in,’ he continues, waving a lethargic hand in mine and Hunter’s direction, ‘with these guys?’
‘I’m her sister,’ Cora replies. ‘And if I ever hear you call her a bonded blood bag again, I’ll skin you and wear you like a coat.’
Theo’s grin widens. ‘Feisty. I like it.’
‘Fuck. You.’ A voice trembles, and we turn to see Lucy glaring at Theo. His face falls, crumpling in concern. She turns her back on us and flees the room faster than my eyes can barely keep up with.
Theo looks baffled as his eyes linger on the stairs for a moment. ‘What the hell is her problem? Thought she would be happy to see me.’
‘You chose to save Hunter over her,’ I say. ‘And probably because you just spoke to everyone here except her, and she was the one who rallied us together to rescue you.’ I shrug. ‘Just a wild guess.’
Theo has the audacity to roll his eyes, as if Lucy being upset is a major inconvenience for him right now.
‘Why is she upset? We should be partying!’ he protests, and I can’t help but shake my head at him, my heart breaking for Lucy.
Cora pats Hunter on the shoulder. ‘Great friends you have.’
‘Hey!’ Theo exclaims, looking offended.
‘Let’s get the fuck out of here,’ Cora says, wiping her bloodied hands on her soiled dress. ‘I’m starving.’
I mumble in agreement as she strides towards the stairs, although I’m unsure I could stomach anything after what just happened. As I place my foot on the bottom step, I look over my shoulder at the dead bodies scattered gruesomely across the dirty, cement floor.
‘Raya.’ Cora’s voice is sharp as she stares down at me. ‘Let’s go.’
With a sigh, I walk up the stairs, trying my best to leave it all behind me.