Darklove

Part Eight BLOODBATH

There really aren’t dark seedy dregs in Inverness. The city is pretty clean and kept up. But because Rhine knows the underground fight circuit, as well as which clubs operate from the back room, so to say, he knows a few places to hit. The kind of place that might be harboring a vampire or two. Maybe even Carrine.

I refuse to say Eli’s name with hers now. It’s totally clear to me that he’s being controlled by her; she has some ancient witch power that makes him do what he does. But he proved to me the night before that something in his brain still remembers me. The way he looked at me, as if trying so hard to remember. Despite his bloodred eyes—totally opposite of how he typically is when he turns, which is white eyes with red pinpoint pupils. We’ll fix this. Make it right. Once and for all.

One place Rhine knows in particular is tucked away near the outer city limits, in the upper floor of an older apartment building. I’ve been in places just like it back home. We encountered a place very similar in Charleston, and the vampire fight club.

Sometimes you just can’t keep the rotten apples out of the barrel.

Even with the Ness boys around.

By now, I’ve called Noah and him and his group has joined us. I quickly tell him about my head convo with Gilles, and that Phin and Luc are on their way over now.

Noah nods. “Good. I told Andorra we needed to separate Eli from the female and get him back home to Preacher.” He looks at me. “It’s going to be one hell of a plane ride back.”

“No doubt,” I answer, then glance up at the darkened apartment complex. Chunks of sandstone and brick are missing; the window is cracked on the entrance doorway. “We gotta clean this mess up first.”

Noah inclines his head. “Ladies first.”

I give him a sidelong glance. “You know, I really miss the old Noah.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “What old Noah?”

I grin. “You know. The one who used to egg me on in a fight? Remember how proud you were in Charleston when I killed my first newling?” I chuckle. “Remember that nasty fight club we went into there?” I mock-glare at him. “You were ringside, laughing. Cheering me on.”

Noah grins. “Yeah. That was before the vow.”

My eyes soften at him. “Yeah. I know.”

Memories light his silvery eyes, though, and he punches my arm. “That was some crack shoot- in’ in that ring, though, Poe.”

I shake my head. “That’s what you said then, too.”

“I know.”

“Ri, you’re not fighting tonight, are you?” Seth asks.

I shake my head. “Not if I don’t have to.”

“These fights move round fair quick,” Rhine offers. Seth is standing beside him. “Rough bunch of lads, ya ken? They’re in it for the money. An’ you dinnae fook wi’ their quid.”

“I ken,” I answer. “Just a quick appearance. Just to see if we can flush her out.”

Her meaning Carrine.

We slip into the complex and climb the stairs. Shouts, swearing, and the acrid scent of blood, sweat, and cigarette smoke fill the air in the corridor. The moment we clear the stairwell, I see a large, bald, inked guy standing outside one of the rooms.

I look at him. Move over and let us in. Don’t follow.

By the time we near him, he glances away, steps aside, and we walk directly into a large room. Dimly lit, smoke filled, and after a quick glance it looks like several rooms gutted out. Fifty humans fill the area, and it’s shoulder to shoulder as we all separate and scan the arena.

So far, nothing but humans. Mean, tough-as-shit, fighting humans. But still humans. Music thumps, hard, heavy, and mixes with yells carrying through the room. Two guys fight in the center of a human ring of onlookers. Bare from the waist up, and barefoot, both of their faces already bloodied. Both of equal size, I can barely tell them apart. Both have close-shaven heads. One has a chunk of chain mail inked into his shoulder. There. That’s the only difference I can make out.

That same guy lands an elbow punch to the other guy’s nose and blood starts spurting. He hits the floor, writhing in pain. He doesn’t get up. Cheers fly from the patrons’ mouths; money is exchanged.

Then the lights flicker. Several glance upward, to the bare bulbs swinging overhead. One by one, the bulbs crackle and break, until the very last one lighting the room pops out. The room is cast into darkness.

Noah, get my brother out of here.

Too late. The room is filling with newbloods. I can sense them now. Ravenous. Crazed.

I sense her. Carrine.

The screams begin.

Filled with shadows and terror, it’s total chaos in the closed-in makeshift arena. I can’t see. I can’t move. I’m getting knocked from all sides, trapped in a sea of panicking human bodies. Had she followed us here? Followed me here? What’s her drive? I’m lost, but one thing I know for sure. I can’t let these people die. And my brother is in here. Rhine. Noah. The other Ness boys.

Souls I love and care about.

I brace myself, standing with my legs apart, stiff, and I inhale. I close my eyes, ignore the bodies slamming into me, and push all of my focus, my power, my concentration, to my center. My core. I feel it, burning as if I’ve swallowed gasoline, followed by a lit match. It scorches me until I throw my hands up and release it.

Before it leaves me, I stop it. Midair. Suspended.

Everyone is still. Frozen. I can’t see faces, and I can’t see who is who. But I can tell no one is moving.

I focus my words, choose them carefully. All humans, leave. Now.

Immediately, bodies start to hustle. Heartbeats have slowed down to normal, and they’re all around me. Feet are shuffling out of the door.

After a few moments, I can see how many figures are left. I see Noah’s dreads. Beside him, Seth and Rhine. I can plainly tell them from the other four left standing. All males.

And they’re vampires.

We’re trapped in a dark building with four other vampires.

I feel my control slipping.

“That’s because you’re weak,” a female voice carries to me. “Pathetic and weak.”

“What do you want?” I ask Carrine in the dark. She can read my mind. She thinks she can control me. She’s got another goddamn think coming.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she says. “Eli? What do I want?”

My heart drops at his name on her lips.

Silence.

My eyes shift as I wait. Eli’s resisting her again. He’s getting stronger. My heart soars with hope.

“Eli!” Carrine screams. The sound vibrates within my chest. Makes the fine hairs on my neck stiffen. Witchpire. More like banshee in full-blown menopause.

“Her blood, sliding down your throat,” my fiancé growls from the shadows. I hear the hesitation, the contempt in his voice. He’s fighting her.

Carrine laughs. “Oh, my love, you know me oh so well.”

Sickness pools in my stomach. None of this makes sense. My mind whirls as I struggle to hold the other vampires in the room in place. Yet my thoughts race around the fact that there’s no good reason Carrine wants me, out of all the blood she can choose from. Why?

I hold my concentration, and I’m straining every internal muscle I have to do it. “Why me?” I ask her.

“Your unique blood could empower me beyond conception,” Carrine admits. “I would never have to be under another’s control again, like I have been for so many centuries. It’s a private hell, a torture I’ll no longer endure. Now bring her to me,” she commands.

I see his figure weaving between the dead-still bodies of my loved ones, and the other four vampires. I know his swagger, no matter that it’s bloodlust driven. Eli’s fiery gaze lights on me, close. He pauses, those bloodred eyes fixated on mine.

A blinding light accompanies a sonic boom, and we’re separated, all of us knocked backward. The light remains, and the bodies are stirring. Eli stands before me, confusion darkening his reddened eyes. I duck beneath him, pulling my blades, and by the time I reach Carrine I’ve left three of the rogue vampires convulsing on the floor.

Carrine’s eyes flash the tiniest bit of fear; then she laughs, swipes her hand out, and another boom knocks me backward. I land on my backside and skid hard. The wall stops me, stuns me for a second.

The light is still blaring when I look up. There is no sign of Carrine and Eli.

Seth takes out the rogue who lunges at him, driving a silver blade deep into its heart.

And standing in the center of the room is someone I don’t expect.

It’s not my light, my boom that just chased away Carrine.

My eyes blink, and I walk toward Athios.

A once-fallen angel. Now condemned to . . . something. Somewhere. I’m not entirely sure what. He’s nothing short of breathtaking. Tall. Elegant, yet very masculine. The white long-sleeved linen shirt pulls at his broad shoulders and grips his biceps. Thick, muscular thighs are encased by perfectly tailored dove gray slacks. Long silvery blond hair hangs straight past his shoulders, and he wears it pulled half back and secured with a silver clip. His eyes are nearly the same color as his hair, a shade darker maybe. Silvery. Not mercury, like Noah’s. He’s . . . beautiful.

“I’ve no’ much time,” Athios says, and grasps my shoulders. His eyes fall on my face, and he pulls me to him in a tight embrace. I allow it. He kisses my temple and pushes me gently back. “Forgive me for that. I cannot help myself. And it pleases me that you think me beautiful. Not that it does me any good in the long run.”

“Believe it or not, I’m so glad to see you. What are you doing here?” I ask him. Noah, Seth, and Rhine have joined me.

“Your skills are no’ honed enough,” he says to me. “And I couldna allow her to kill you, Riley.”

I give a short laugh. “Well, thank you for that,” I say.

“You’ve got to lure them,” Athios says quickly. “Back into the realm. There, you must kill Carrine. She is no’ here naturally.”

I look at him, his pure illumination making his face chiseled, beautiful in the shadows. “What do you mean?”

“Valerian Arcos,” Noah answers for him. “Am I right?”

Athios spares Noah a glance. “You are.” He looks back at me, and his eyes soften. “I couldna see it before, clearly. But I finally broke through Carrine’s mind. She had a fiercely guarded charm protecting it, but I saw. Valerian has resurrected Carrine. But she’s far more powerful than even Arcos suspected.”

“She was a witch, aye? As well as a bloodsucker?” Rhine asks.

Athios faces Rhine. “Aye, a lethal combination.”

Rhine slides a glance to me.

“Valerian Arcos encountered Carrine centuries ago. The dark evil she delved in as a witch rivals that of the Black Fallen. Combined with her beauty, she became an obsession for Valerian.” He glances at everyone, then back to me. “Even back then, the magic controlled her. Nothing mattered more to her. She convinced Valerian to change her—that the combined powers of a witch and a vampire would leave them invincible. Like now, she grew too greedy. Valerian entombed her. But . . .” Athios strokes my chin with his knuckles. “You rise above all of that. Your blood, Riley. Your DNA. It’s like a moth to light for Valerian Arcos. He felt she, of all souls, could be the one to defeat you. But Arcos didna count on Carrine’s lust for power to overcome her. She’s an ancient, with Pict blood and dark magic coursing through her. She hungers now for your unique and powerful blood, Riley,” Athios continues. “She is overpowering Arcos. She’s using her witchery to fight against him, even though he’s been commanding her. She’s breaking free.”

“What about Eli?” I ask. I grasp his hands. “Please, Athios.”

His profound stare sinks straight through me. “It’s because of my love for you that I cannot see you suffer,” he claims. “Whilst Carrine is strong, Eli is, also, extremely powerful. He’s resisted killing innocents. But Carrine has fed him. Her victims. She’s shared, and their blood has inevitably turned him into full bloodlust.” Athios’s eyes soften. “Valerian is forbidden to kill Eli. Which is why he’s engaged Carrine into trying to force you to do the deed. You were lured here by the killing of innocents. Carrine has beckoned the rogues, and has turned a few newbloods herself. You must lure them both—Carrine and Eli—into the realm, and be prepared for a fight. You have to kill her in there, and ’twill no’ be an easy task tae accomplish. She will have all of her faculties about her, Riley. But you’ll also have yours as well. You’re as strong as she. And you must kill her.” He looks hard at me. “And leave your love inside.”

“Leave Eli inside the realm?” I ask.

“Until you kill Arcos.” Athios glances up. “I must go. ’Tisna safe. For any of us.” He kisses me again, briefly, and nods. “Until—” he says.

The light snuffs out, and we’re alone once more.

“Why does everyone love you so much, Riley?” Rhine asks in the shadows. “Have you bewitched every male around you?”

“Nah,” I answer, and I’m searching for the way out. “It’s the ink.”

Noah chuckles. “This way, Poe,” he says.

We find our way out of the darkened complex and run the streets until dawn. Now that I know Carrine, originally controlled by Valerian Arcos, has been pulling away from his control. Causing the disturbances in the city without his command.

And Eli is trapped in the middle.

All because of some insane obsession Valerian Arcos has with me? Rather, my blood. That’s the trigger. Not me, Riley, the person. Arcos doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know that I love The Goonies, can quote most of Young Guns, and like to bake. He doesn’t know me at all. It’s all warped and twisted around my dumb-ass blood. He’s always wanted it, even while entombed in Savannah, before he and Vic were set free. And now that my DNA has Strigoi and Black Fallen traits, he’s insane with wanting it. He’ll never get it.

Some of the other Ness boys had called it quits earlier. Jobs. Real life. I’m pretty impressed they’re all juggling it so well. So organized, for such a young group of humans. Males at that. The rest of us, Rhine included, encountered a few stray rogues Carrine had set upon us earlier. Two more innocents had died while we fucked around in that complex. We ran until we flushed them out. One male, one female. Rhine shocks me with his speed and accuracy with the silver. The Inverness police were already busy at the scenes, and by the time they find the vampiric remains, they see it as nothing more than little piles of ash. It’s all over the news, and even in the café we stop in to grab coffee, it’s the talk of the shop. Serial killer running amok in Inverness.

People are scared. I can smell their fear.

“You look tired, Ri,” my brother says as we walk up the sidewalk. He drapes an arm over my shoulder. The people of Inverness are hustling about, going to work, school, getting on with their lives.

“Yeah, I’m feeling it,” I answer, and meet Seth’s worried gaze. “How you holding up, bro?”

Seth ducks his head. “Holdin’. Riggs told me to tell you he misses you,” he says with a grin. “Zetty, too. And of course Preacher and Estelle, and Nyx.” He scratches his head. “And all of the Duprés, I guess.” He chuckles. “Pretty much everyone.”

With a sigh, I lay my head on my brother’s shoulder. “I miss them all, too.” Sliding an arm around his waist, I squeeze. “I’ve missed you most, though.”

Seth kisses the top of my head. “I’ve missed you, too, sis. All this will be over soon. It’ll be right again. I know it.”

“Gosh, you two are just so darn sweet,” Noah says from behind us.

Rhine chuckles.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck bristles. My gaze lifts, away from the sidewalk I’m walking on, and it cuts across the street.

Nothing.

But everything inside me screams Eli. He’s watching me, curious.

Back at the Crachan, I shower, change, and in thirty minutes meet the others downstairs. I’m starting to wind down, feel weary, but I want to go with Seth, Noah, and Rhine to pick up Eli’s brothers at the airport. I’ve missed them. And, I confess, there’s some comfort in having Luc and Phin close. Almost like having a piece of Eli with me.

We take two Rovers, and I ride with Rhine. Although the sun is hidden, the gray-white of daylight is bright. He wears a dark pair of shades as he weaves through the streets to Inverness’s airport. Noah and Seth follow behind us in the other Rover.

“I can go wi’ you, ya know,” Rhine says. “Inside the realm.” His gaze is straight ahead, on the road, but I can tell by the clenching of his jaw that he’s worried.

“It’s too dangerous,” I tell him. “You’re strong, and fast as hell with the silver.” I cover his hand with mine. “But no way could you keep up in there. I’d constantly be worried about what you were doing instead of concentrating on what I had to do.”

An amused grin lifts one side of his mouth. “You worry about me, Poe?”

I punch his arm. “Hell yeah, I worry.”

I can’t see his eyes behind the shades, but his mouth gives it all away. He full-out grins. “That makes me sor’ o’ feel like a baby. Havin’ a lass worry o’er me so much.”

Rhine’s accent is heavy, and at times I have to concentrate on what he’s saying to get the meaning. “Get used to it,” I say. “It’s what I do. Ask anyone who knows me.”

Rhine hits the volume to the radio, and a tune filters through the speakers of the Rover. His gravelly, unique voice overtakes the artist’s, and he claims the song. I listen, amazed, and when he pulls into a parking spot and shoves the Rover into park, I smile at him. “I think I could listen to you sing for hours,” I admit. “You’ve got to send me some music when I leave.”

Rhine takes off his shades, and green eyes study me. “I’m gonna hate tae see you go.”

I shake my head. “You probably say that to all your band groupies.”

Opening the door, he steps out. “Only tae you.”

Noah and Seth join us, and together the four of us hurry into the small airport to await Phin and Luc’s flight. It’s on time, thankfully, and just hit the tarmac. I stand, staring out of the huge Plexiglas overlooking the runway, and watch other planes land and take off. Memories assault me, and I can’t help tracing time back to the day I first met the Dupré family. The first time I understood that vampires existed. Luc and Phin were both so eager to show off their skills. I remember how they leaped like frogs on crack across Gilles’s parlor. Scared the holy shit out of me back then. Cracks me up to think about it now. Seems like I’ve known them all for years. Eli? Forever.

“Hey, come on outta there,” Noah says by my side. “Before you start bawling all over the airport.” He drops his arm over my shoulders and gives me a shake. “Look at Luc and Phin. They’re tripping over each other to get to you first.”

My memory of Eli and our first official introduction simmers inside me as I focus on the present, and Eli’s two younger brothers pushing past each other and the passengers filing out. Each has a duffel swung over his shoulder. Phin’s dark blond buzz cut and black shades stand in contrast with his perfect pale skin. Luc, whose hair is longer, brushing the collar of his black leather jacket, has a wide white smile. Both are making a beeline straight to me. When they reach me, they drop their duffels in unison. Phin reaches me first, throws his arms around my waist, and picks me off the floor. I fall into his embrace and squeeze.

“Jesus Christ, Poe,” he mutters against my neck. “I’ve missed the holy hell outta you!”

A wash of emotion hits me, and I breathe in his familiar scent. “I’ve missed you, too.”

In the next instant, I’m pulled directly out of Phin’s arms and am now enveloped into Luc’s strong embrace. “Sis,” he says against my hair. He’s a little quieter than the rowdy Phin, and his French accent is a little stronger. Every feeling he has rushes through me, too. He pulls back and kisses me on the cheek. The trademark Dupré cerulean blue eyes stare down at me, so much like Eli’s it almost hurts to see them. “It’s not been the same without you guys around.”

Phin laughs. “It’s been flat-out boring as hell at home without you.”

Luc kisses my cheek once more. “That is for Gilles and Elise. They miss you terribly.”

I stare into his gaze. “We’ll all be home soon.”

Noah and Seth exchange manly bro shakes and side hugs with Eli’s brothers, and then introductions are made between the Duprés and Rhine, and we make our way through the semicrowd of people filing out of baggage claim.

As we leave the building, I’m sandwiched between Eli’s brothers, each with an arm draped over my shoulders. We cross the parking lot, and at the Rovers, Phin doesn’t let me go. He inclines his head to the backseat, and we climb in. Luc shoots him a glare and then jumps in the front with Rhine. We head back to the Crachan, and by the time we arrive, I’ve updated Luc and Phin on all the events to date in Inverness. They are not surprised when I tell them Valerian Arcos is behind it all, and that he resurrected Carrine to control Eli, making me believe my only choice was to kill him. Fury makes their eyes turn dark, and I know that if Valerian makes the mistake of showing back up, he won’t survive.

And that, of course, will start an epic war between the vampire families.

They needed to stand in line, though. I’ve already had fanciful visions of shoving silver into Valerian’s heart myself.

Luc and Phin are completely impressed with Rhine and the Ness boys’ work in the city, and by the time Rhine pulls into the drive, they’re pretty much up to speed.

Noah and Seth join us, and we all walk in. Pete is squating down in front of the hearth, stoking a roaring fire. Two other Ness boys are plopped onto chairs, eating bowls of cereal. I’m pretty sure, by the furtive glances Pete and the others pass Luc and Phin when they’re introduced, they’re freaked out by their houseful of vampires.

We sit on the sofa, Luc and Phin on either side of me. Noah and Seth fall into chairs. Rhine throws himself down in front of the hearth, onto the floor.

We discuss our next move.

“If Carrine is everything you say she is,” Phin says, rubbing his buzz-cut head, “she’ll know when you try to get to St. Bueno’s to fill those cartridges.”

“That’s why me and a few of the other lads should go alone,” Rhine offers. “She’ll focus on you, Riley.” He inclines his head to Luc and Phin. “And on you.”

“He’s right,” Noah agrees. He looks at Rhine. “You’ve got to do this now.” He inclines his head to me. “The longer she waits, the stronger Carrine becomes.”

“Why do you have to go in alone, Ri?” Seth asks. His green eyes are hazy with worry. “I don’t get it.”

“Well,” I answer my baby brother, “our theory is, since Carrine was a powerful witch before she became a vampire, she can manipulate inside the realm. I saw a piece of it before.” I smile at him wryly. “What if she, I don’t know”—I incline my head to Luc—“manipulated him to act against me?” I shake my head, the thought making me sick inside. “I couldn’t face having to fight one of you.”

“Well, I for one am dying to see this scatha of yours,” Phin says. He looks at Rhine. “When will you leave?”

“The sooner the better,” Rhine says in his brogue. He glances at me. “An’ from the looks o’ it, lads, Riley here is about tae crash.”

I focus on the handsome young Scotsman, and realize my vision has in fact gone blurry.

“Yeah, look at that goofy look on her face,” Phin says, leaning back and staring at me. He lifts his hand in front of me. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

I stare. “One. And your mother would beat you if she saw that,” I say.

I am feeling weary, though. “I’d feel better if Seth went with Rhine and the others,” I mumble, and lay my head over onto Luc’s shoulder. “Make sure at least . . . eight of you go, huh?” I try to focus on Rhine, but his face has become distorted. My eyelids grow heavier and heavier.

“Och, there she goes,” Rhine says, his voice fainter now. His voice sounds like he’s talking from a concrete tunnel.

“I’ll take her up,” Noah says, his voice even fainter. “You boys will find some V8 in the fridge.”

I feel my body go weightless as Noah leans down and slides his arms under my knees and shoulders, lifting me into the air. The room is spinning as he’s taking me upstairs, and I concentrate on his features to keep from becoming dizzy. “There’s gotta be a way to fix this narcolepsy,” I mumble. “Don’t like it.”

My head rests against Noah’s chest, and his deep rumble vibrates against my ear as he chuckles. “None of us like it, Ri. It’s dangerous.” He stares down at me. “We’ll get Preach to figure something out once we get home.”

We’re moving down the corridor now, and I feel like I’m floating, Noah’s movements are so fluid and graceful.

“Why, thank you, ma’am,” he says, grinning. His white teeth flash in the shadowy hallway as he makes his way to my room.

“Key’s in my pocket,” I mumble.

The slight pressure of his fingers slipping into my back pocket keeps me focused. He unlocks my door, and we ease inside. When he lowers me to my bed, he pulls off my boots, unfastens my leather holster, and pushes the straps over my shoulders and sets it aside. His hands search for blades, find them, and set them on the bedside table. Silver free, he pushes me back and pulls the woolen plaid blanket up to my chin. He tucks me in.

Through my fading consciousness, I grin and ease my hand out from beneath the wool. I graze his cheek. “Thanks, Noah. What would I do without you?”

The room is gray and shadowy, but I can still see his face. With his hands, he grasps both sides of my face, lowers his mouth to mine, and kisses me gently. I’m conscious enough to know it’s not a sexual gesture—surprising, since it’s coming from Noah. When he lifts his head, the mercury silver of his eyes soften. “You won’t ever have to find out, darlin’.”

I turn my head into my pillow and the weightiness of sleep lulls me in. “I’m going to tell Eli you kissed me like that,” I manage to mutter. “He’s gonna kick your ass.”

Noah’s soft chuckle is the last thing I hear. “He’ll understand completely.”

Then I’m swallowed up in shadows. In my sleep, unavoidable memories assault me as I lie here helpless. Memories of Eli. The first time he touched me. The first time I had him inside me . . . and the first time he told me he loved me.

“Tell me.”

My eyes flutter open, and I’m no longer in my bedroom at the Crachan. I’m . . . nowhere. In darkness. Suspended in weightless pitch. But the voice I know. I should be fearful, but I’m not. It’s Eli.

“I saw you through my storefront window, back home,” I say.

“Where’s that?” he asks.

“Savannah. You’re one of the city’s guardians, Eli. You and your brothers, Luc and Phin. Your little sister, Josie. And your parents. Gilles and Elise.” I sigh, and it hurts my chest.

“Guardians for what?” he asks.

“Against rogue vampires. You keep the humans safe, Eli.”

At first, he’s silent. Several moments pass. “I want to know more about . . . you.”

I blink back tears, but I’m in sheer darkness and can’t even tell if they fall onto a surface. I’m suspended, like floating on a cloud. “I’m your fiancée, Eli. We’ve . . . been through a lot together. You’ve saved my life more than once.”

“What about . . . us?” Eli inquires. I can tell he’s treading on treacherous ground. He’s curious. Not trusting. Unsure of himself. Of me.

“Can you touch me in here?” I ask. “In this place?”

He pauses. “Oui.”

My insides are shaking like crazy. “Come here, then.”

I can’t see him; don’t see him move. But I feel a shift in atmosphere, and in the next instant, Eli’s here, in front of me. “Be still,” I command. “Don’t move.”

“Not . . . safe,” he mutters. I can tell he’s losing control.

“You won’t hurt me,” I say. I’m not completely sure of that, but I can’t help trying this. I lift both my hands, and my palms grasp his firm, stubbled jaw. Energy radiates from him, and fear rolls off him in waves. I pull his head down, closer to mine. Gently, I press my lips to his.

The moment of contact feels like lightning. The current that surges through me, through Eli, is palpable. Energy pings through every nerve ending, shooting down my legs, out of my arms, and harboring in my core. I gasp, and he does, too. I kiss him gently, and in that kiss, I show Eli every raw emotion I possess. All for him. At first, he holds dead still. He’s so still I wonder if he’s ready to sink his fangs into my flesh. To kill me. To lose his will to fight.

Then, hesitantly, he kisses me back.

Although I can’t see him, he’s everywhere. His lips move almost shyly against mine, as though it’s a teenage boy’s first kiss. Endearing. Heartfelt. And I drink him in.

I press my body toward his, seeking comfort. The comfort of Eli.

“Get away from her, Eli,” Carrine’s voice interrupts.

Eli goes still, but his lips remain against mine.

A surge of power fills the weightless space we’re suspended in, and her bansheelike scream fills my body.

“Move!”

Fear and instinct make me force the energy building from my core out of my limbs, and now I’m hurling through the darkness, so fast I’m dizzy. . . .

“Calme, l’un a peint enbas,” a voice says gently. A hand grips my shoulder. “Riley, wake up.”

My eyes flutter open. Phin is staring down at me, the lamplight spilling over his chiseled features as he studies me. I smile. “Painted One. I haven’t heard that one in a while.” He’d said quiet down, Painted One. Something Eli had said to me. It’s what the Gullah and the Guardians all call me. Painted One. Because of my ink. That seems like such a long, long time ago.

“You were . . . dreaming,” Phin says with a half-cocked grin. “I’m pretty sure it was of my brother—ow!” Phin rubs his forehead where I’ve just thumped him.

Although I’m joking at first, my humor fades and is quickly replaced by an almost . . . panic. Pain. Dread. “Phin, I miss him.” My eyes sting from tears. “I have to get him back. Just then, he was trying to remember me. Us. Our life before all of this.”

Phin traces the inked wing at the corner of my eye. “He will, sis.” His mouth tilts in a grin. “My brother’s will is stronger than you think. And his love for you is a powerful thing. I gotta say, though. He’s one lucky bastard.”

I roll my eyes and push the tears from my cheeks. “That’s borderline perverted of you to pitch a tent in my dreams about your brother. My fiancé, don’t forget.”

Phin shudders. “I didn’t stay long.” He eyes me. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. At first, you were calm. Then you started to freak out. So I woke you. You’ve not been sleeping that long. Less than fourteen hours.” He pushes my hair back, picks up a fuchsia strand, rubs it between his fingers. “Think you can make it, chère?”

I push up on my elbows and stretch. “Yeah, I’m ready to get on with it. Did Rhine and Seth and the guys get the cartridges filled?”

Phin nods. “Oui.” He reaches down and pulls up the scatha, and grins. “I couldn’t wait. This thing is sick.”

Luc pokes his head in the door. “You woke her?” he asks, eyeing his sibling.

“It’s a good thing I did,” Phin says, grinning at Luc’s puzzled expression. I slap his arm. He holds the scatha up to his brother. “Check it out.”

The bed sags as the other Dupré brother sits down. He grasps the weapon and turns it over, thoroughly inspecting it. I tell them of Edinburgh, and how two ancient knights—one a once-Earthbound angel to boot—taught the WUP team how to properly use a broadsword. Both were now completely mortal, but badass to the bone and a wealth of knowledge. “Gawan told us where to find the mystical sacred water to fill the cartridges.” I reach over to the medieval-designed crossbow and show them where the cartridges load. They both watch on in interest. Phin’s buzz cut and Luc’s fashionably longer-haired heads both bent over the scatha. “And he instructed me to seek out the alternative realm there. I want this to be over. I . . . need Eli back.”

Both of Eli’s brothers look up, understanding and love making their eyes glassy. Luc grabs my shoulder and squeezes. “I know, sis. We’ll get him.”

I lean my head against Phin’s shoulder. “It’s so easy sometimes to just want to . . . walk away. Be normal.” I incline my head toward the window. “Like them. Everyday people, going about their daily lives without a clue. Ignorant.” I inhale Phin’s unique scent. His vampiric scent. Reminds me of a cedar fire. “I want to be ignorant sometimes. But that’s so damn selfish. I hate even thinking it.”

Luc ducks his head. “We’ll get him, ma chère,” he says. “I vow it.”

Then, at once, I stiffen. Luc and Phin feel it, too, because both of their backs go straight, and Luc stands and walks to the window.

“Something’s not right,” I say, and I kick out of the covers and stand. A draft catches the skin on my legs, and I glance down, not remembering Noah taking off my pants. I spy them at the foot of the bed, and I hastily shove my legs into them. Grabbing my boots, I sit on the bed and yank them on, too. I’m crossing the room now, and I find my silver holster and shrug into it, stuffing blades in all their proper places. When I’m finished, I leave the leather halter I’m wearing in place, forgo the jacket, and hurry to the window. Next to Luc I stand, peering out. Shadows shift, stretch.

Movement. Above us, below us.

A sinking feeling crashes over me. Familiar. Terrifying.

“This place is surrounded,” Phin says, peering over my head. “Fucking bloodsuckers.”

It barely registers in my head that my soon-to-be brother-in-law, who is a vampire, is calling other vampires bloodsuckers. The Gullah would be so proud.

“Luc, take the stairs. Tell Noah and the others what’s going down,” I say, pushing up the window as easy as I can. “Phin?” I stick my leg out, straddling the sill, and make eye contact with Luc. “Watch Rhine and my brother,” I ask. “Please.”

“You know I will,” Luc says, and he disappears from my room. I give Phin a silent nod, and he’s blurring with rage. Pulling my legs up, I grasp the ledge and push hard. My body flips upward and I land on the roof. Crouching, I search the darkness. Phin lands beside me, and together we move over the top of the Crachan, keeping low.

I see them.

It’s almost too many to believe.

It’ll be a goddamn bloodbath.

Just then they swarm. From the wood, the surrounding trees, the street. And at the same time, Noah, Luc, Seth, Rhine, and the Ness boys fill the Crachan’s courtyard.

Like a medieval war, both sides charge.

Without waiting for Phin, I leap down, draw a blade, and jump in. Just as I land, I’m grabbed, and as curses and screams fill the air, I’m forcefully dragged into the shadows.