Everdark

Part Eight Melee

“Whoa!” I barely shouted. Then I ducked, lunged, pushed with my feet, and bounded off the sink, then the wall, and landed across the bathroom in a low crouch.

The she-vamp crashed into the mirror. Glass shards fell into the porcelain sink.

It didn’t make her very happy.

A strangled, pissed-off, inhuman sound emerged from her throat, and she lunged at me again—damn, she was fast—with fangs long and face weirdly distorted, some gross juicy stuff dripping from the corner of her mouth, her dreads flying all over like so many Medusa snakes; she wanted me and wanted me bad. I wasn’t wasting any time with her. I ducked and dodged again, bounded off the far wall, ran the length of all five sinks, broke a few faucets; reached down the back of my pants, drew my blade, and, the moment I landed, turned, aimed, and released.

The look of shock as my silver buried to the hilt in her heart was picture-worthy.

Dropping to the floor as though every bone in her body had melted, she immediately began to convulse.

The bathroom door flung open and crashed against the wall. Eli stood there. Luc and Noah ran up behind him, staring. Luc’s face showed concern. Noah, well, he was smiling, as usual. Eli looked pissed.

“Sick, sick!” Noah said, like a proud daddy. “You just nailed your first Charles Town bloodsucker, babe.” He slapped my shoulder. “Sweet.”

“Riley, what the hell?” Eli said, as if something were my fault. I had to freaking pee! That was it! He read my thoughts, and his gaze softened a little.

“Sir, excuse me,” the waitress from out front said behind the door. She was trying to look over Luc’s shoulder. “What’s going on in there?”

Luc turned and backed out. “Oh, my sister, ma’am. She’s sick. Threw up all over the floor. Flu, I think. You gotta mop? I’ll take care of it.”

“Just a minute,” I heard her say. “You’ll clean that up, right?”

Luc glanced at me over his shoulder. “Sure, no problem.”

I watched yet another vamp turn to dust, this time right in the freaking Denny’s women’s restroom. What a way to go.

“Let’s get out of here,” Eli said, grasping my elbow. He did a lot of that lately, and I couldn’t decide if it was endearing or annoying.

“I need to clean it up,” I said.

Luc cleaned up the mess; he literally swept the dust into a ziplock and pocketed it. Then we left.

“Ever see her before?” Luc asked Noah, behind us.

He shook his head. “She was a totally random rogue; I didn’t recognize her, and apparently she’d been lying in wait in the bathroom for her next victim.” He grinned at me. “Bet she wasn’t expecting a vampire slayer strapped with pure silver to have to pee.”

I looked at him. “Vampire slayer with tendencies, dude.” I shook my head. “I’m just glad she at least let me finish peeing first.”

Back on the rooftop across from Denny’s, Seth paced. The moment I swung up, he rushed at me. “Ri! What’s freaking wrong with you?” he said, anger burning in his eyes. “Why do you have to keep doing that?”

“Whoa, whoa,” I said, gently. “I didn’t do anything. Had to go to the bathroom.”

He shoved his hand in his hair. “You can’t seem to do much of anything anymore, without getting into trouble. Next time take Josie. Into the restroom. Please?”

I hugged my brother. “Okay. Promise.” I glanced at Josie. She simply shrugged and grinned. “Now, let’s go.”

We ran into the city and hit a club called Meter 59, a hole-in-the-wall punk club just on the edge of the historic district. We filed in, and the music, the lights, thumped through my body. The place was packed with more black leather, black lace, spiked hair and severe piercings than I’d seen in years. This was a rough bunch. We spread out. Eli, of course, stayed on my tail.

Eli grabbed me by the hips and pushed me into the crowd of dancers; we moved to the music. His hooded gaze locked on mine, and I almost forgot we were there to scout newlings, or those in their quickening. We brushed, not touching but seductively close, and as he turned me, his hand trailing down my back to my ass, I spotted them—three in all; two guys, one girl.

“I see them,” Eli said, his mouth brushing my ear, making me shiver and making it hard to concentrate. His hands skimmed my ribs. “I’ve told the others. They’re looking for more. We’ll keep our eyes on these three.”

I nodded, and, keeping with the blasting tunes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I moved my backside against Eli’s front. To others we looked like a normal, average horny couple dancing and enjoying the music. Well . . . we were all that. But we also had our sites locked on almostvampires. I knew from experience they were mean little fuckers. They wouldn’t be easy to take down.

“You’re driving me crazy,” he said against my ear. His hand settled seductively over my stomach, then slipped lower over my hip. “Jesus, Ri.”

I smiled at that. My insides quivered. I wanted him. And from the hardness pressing against my back, he wanted me, too.

A low growl rumbled in Eli’s chest.

Then, the three started to move to the back. They had two mortals with them. “Let’s go,” I said, and began to weave through the crowd.

We followed them through the dancers, to the back exit. They’d already managed to get out into the alley by the time we hit the door. The moment I stepped out, the scent of old trash, urine, and brine mixed in my senses. I could have easily barfed, it was so pungent. One of the guys had a knife and was ready to use it on the kid they’d convinced to follow them. The three almost-newlings looked up. The biggest one glared at me.

“Get the fuck outta here,” he warned.

I sighed. “I don’t think so.”

Eli lunged before I did as all three came at me. The girl skirted Eli, hit the ground, rolled, and shot up running. Crazed and out of control, I braced myself for her. Summoning all of my strength, I clotheslined her as she lunged. She snapped back and hit the concrete flat on her back. She leapt right back up in one motion, teeth gnashing and gnarling. I didn’t have time to see what Eli was doing. The one I had was a handful.

We fought. She was strong as hell, but I swept her legs out from under her and she fell again. This time, I pinned her throat with my foot, retrieved one of my blades, and held it to her face. “Chill,” I instructed.

Opaque eyes stared crazed up at me. She didn’t move. I glanced over at Eli. His face had contorted. Both almost-newlings were out cold.

Noah and Phin burst out of the exit door and ran to us. “I’ve already called Garr’s guys,” Noah said. They’re on their way.”

Eli, his face returned to normal—well, at least my normal—locked his gaze on mine. “You okay?”

I glanced down at the girl, whose face looked murderous, inhuman. I pressed my foot a little harder into her throat. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

By the time the ruckus finally wrapped up, it was close to four a.m. Garr’s guys came to collect the three, and we ran the roofs till nearly dawn before heading back to the battery. We encountered no further rogue vampires, no further newlings or those in the quickening, and although I wanted them off the streets, I was glad. Exhaustion began its descent, and I wanted nothing more than to crash. We said good-bye to Noah and his group, split, and headed to Jake’s.

Inside, my brother grabbed my arm. “Are you okay, Ri? Seriously?” Seth asked. “You don’t look so good.”

“Sure, squirt. I’m cool. Just tired. See ya in a bit, huh?”

He nodded. “I’m not tired yet, so I’ll hang with Josie down here. Call me if you need me, though.” He glanced at Eli, who stood directly behind me. “Take care of my sister.”

“I will,” Eli said gently. “I got her.”

I gave my sweet brother a smile and trudged up the stairs, Eli’s hand resting possessively against the small of my back the whole way up. With each step I wondered how in hell I’d made it through the night, jumping from buildings like a freaking monkey, fight after fight. Adrenaline had obviously kept me going. Well, that had worn off now, and I felt like Indiana Jones after one of his big fights. I hurt everywhere. Now that the action was over, I felt like a wet noodle. I needed a shower, then rest. I made it to my room and pushed inside.

“I’ll be right back,” Eli said. “I need a word with my brothers. For just a few minutes.”

“Okay,” I answered, my tongue feeling heavy in my mouth. Eli left out, and I scanned my room—Jake’s room.

Lamplight from the riverfront streamed in through my balcony door, casting a narrow beam across the floor. I eased to the bench at the foot of the bed and sat down softly, pushed my Vans off with each opposite foot, peeled my socks off, and just . . . sat for a second. Every muscle, every joint, even my skin ached. Slowly, I shrugged out of my tank, stood and peeled off my jeans, and dropped them on the floor. With my blades still sheathed to my various body parts, and in only my bra and panties, I hobbled to the balcony door, opened it, and stepped out onto the veranda. A slight breeze lifted my ponytail, and I reached up, pulled off the elastic band holding it together, and let my hair down. Overhead, thunder boomed; a few seconds later, a streak of lightning lit the sky. Red blinking lights flashed in the harbor as shrimp boats and fishing boats headed out to sea. As the briny breeze caught the palm fronds, they crackled, rubbing against one another. I let the sounds and smells and sights of normalcy wash over me. I leaned against the veranda’s railing and closed my eyes. I stood there for a while; how long, I didn’t know.

“Riley.”

My eyes flashed open, and my heart leapt at the voice. A dream. Of Eli. In my head. I’d fallen asleep standing up on the veranda.

“No,” Eli said against my ear with a soft laugh. “Not a dream.”

Gently, with both hands, Eli grasped my face and tilted my head up. He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine. The lamplight gleamed in their blue depths, and a small smile tipped his sexy mouth. “I missed you, Riley Poe.”

“Ow,” I said as he pressed closer. “Easy, easy. Not so hard.” My body ached everywhere.

“I’ll be gentle,” he whispered against my lips.

“Ah,” I said, flinching. Even my damn lips hurt. I wanted him inside me. I wanted to taste his skin. I wanted him to kiss me. But I freaking hurt.

Eli’s gaze searched mine. He kissed me gently; yet I felt the power he used to restrain himself. He pulled back, searching my eyes. “I’ll stop if you hurt too much.”

I looked at him, puzzled. “Are you crazy?”

In his eyes shined possession, fierce longing, and something way deeper I had no desire to dwell on at the moment. “Come in here,” he said, grasping my hand and pulling me into the room. I followed.

Inside, he stood me next to the long antique dresser facing one wall. “Stand still.”

I did as he asked.

Slowly, and one by one, Eli’s deft fingers moved over my skin to the blades I had sheathed against my body. Loosening each one, he removed them and set them on the dresser. My eyes closed as his fingers trailed down each hip, unclasped the sheath, moved to the next ones, lower on my thighs, then on my shins. When they were all removed, he stood there, simply staring. He grasped my hand. “Come with me.”

Leading me across the floor, my gasped breath hitching with each step as the pain in my body shot through me, Eli drew me into the massive bathroom. A large, walk-in tiled shower with multiple water jets faced one wall; a claw-footed bathtub faced the other. Eli walked to the shower, turned on the jets, adjusted the water temperature, then dimmed the lights. When he returned to me, he stood there, staring down, his eyes devouring me. I felt it; I craved it. I craved him.

A small smile lifted his mouth at the corner. “I love how unshy you are.”

Steam quickly filled the room; Eli grasped his shirt at the hem and yanked it over his head. In fascination I watched the muscles pull and grow taut with movement. His eyes never left mine. In less than five seconds he had his jeans and boots off and shoved against the wall. My vampire stood there, looking at me with wild hunger and desire in his eyes and not wearing a stitch of clothing.

My body involuntarily shook.

He came to me, then; close, his body brushed mine. His fingers eased over my shoulders, across my collarbone, down the front where my bra clasped between my breasts. He released it, eased the straps down, and, as I held my arms straight, I winced. With a gentleness that no longer surprised me, he pushed the silky material off my body and dropped it to the floor.

Inside, I was dying; outside, my body raged with pain.

“I know, baby,” he said, slipping his fingers through the waistband of my panties and easing them to the floor. “I’m going to fix that.”

My heart leapt.

Slowly, Eli grasped my shoulders and walked me into the shower. Although it was equipped with pulsating, massaging jets, he’d adjusted the water stream to a soft, soothing, and very, very hot waterfall. Guiding me beneath it, he followed. “Close your eyes,” he whispered. I did.

With gentle fingers, Eli tilted my head back, and soothing hot water glided over my head and my face; it soaked my hair and drenched my body. His hands smoothed my wet hair back; his fingers traced my nose, my jaw, the column of my throat. Already, the tension in my body began to seep out.

An aroma of jasmine and verbena filled the air; I realized quickly it was the shampoo that filled Eli’s palms. Gently, he lathered my hair; blunt, strong fingers dug into my scalp, massaged it, and I thought I’d fall asleep standing there.

“No, don’t do that,” he whispered. “Stay with me, Riley.”

I sighed. “I’m trying.”

His seductive mouth against my wet skin made my nerves leap. “Try harder.”

“Rinse.” He pushed me beneath the cascade of water and rinsed my hair. Next, the air filled with the same aroma as he lathered his hands. “Now be still. Don’t move.”

Then, he lathered my body.

I stood and allowed it for a little while.

Eli’s hands, slick with water and soap, glided over my shoulders, down my arms, intertwined his fingers with mine, and drew me close. His wet body pressed close to me, his lips sought the top of my shoulder, my throat, my ear, jaw, and slid to my mouth. In a slow, erotic kiss, his tongue grazed mine, his teeth scraped my lips, captured the bottom one, suckled gently.

Inside, I grew heavy with desire; my knees weakened, and I lifted my arms to his chest, trailed the muscles there; his breath caught in his throat; he captured my hands in his hands and lowered them.

“Not yet, Riley,” he said, his voice strained, his accent more prominent, his breath brushing against my ear. “You touch me, I’ll explode. Just . . . be still.”

“Then don’t kiss me like that,” I said.

I felt his smile against my skin. “No promises there.”

I sighed.

“Turn around,” he said against my cheek.

I did, and he pushed my hair over one shoulder and lathered my back, his fingers kneading deep into the sore muscles. I gasped with pleasure and pain, and it took every ounce of strength I had to remain upright. It took even more not to touch Eli.

There was a wet, sexy, naked vampire in the shower with me.

Eli’s low chuckle as he read my thoughts resonated against the tile, and his fingers continued to work magic. For now, I didn’t think of carnage, vampiric attacks, monsters, or fight clubs; I thought of nothing but Eli, his touch, and the craving he stirred within me. His hands glided over my body, every inch passed made my eyes roll back in bliss; I wanted him everywhere, inside, out, and I never, ever wanted him to leave me again.

His hands moved over my hips, encircled my stomach, and pulled my body against his. I felt his muscles pressing into my spine; his hardness pressing against the small of my back. His arms tightened around me, his mouth at my jaw. “I swear, I’ll never leave you again,” he whispered, his voice strained, somewhat painful.

I turned in his arms, and together we stepped out of the mainstream waterfall; steam rose all around us, and I locked my gaze on his. His dark, wet hair fell across his eyes, and I reached up and pushed it aside; I grazed his jaw and ran my thumb over his sexy lips. “Don’t,” I said quietly. “Don’t ever again, Eli.”

His mouth sought mine. “I promise,” he whispered, his tongue tasting mine.

I pushed him back. “Now you be still.”

A small smile tilted his mouth. “Yes, ma’am.”

I gathered a handful of liquid soap. “Sorry.” I ran my hands over his chest, his shoulders, down his arms, over his stomach. “You’re gonna smell like a girl.”

He ducked his head and captured my mouth. “I don’t care,” he said, in between sensual kisses and nips. I lost myself in his drugging kiss; my hands glided over the muscles in his back, over his tight ass, his hips. The feel of his tongue against mine, his teeth scraping my lips, made me hot, wet, crazy. Blind with need, the pain of my battered body forgotten, I moved my soap-slickened hands over the cut ridges of his abdomen, lower, and grasped his slick hardness. He gasped in my mouth, groaned, kissed me deeper.

“Jesus, Riley,” he said, pained. “Control’s slipping.” He pushed me against the tiled wall, his hands roaming all over me.

“Don’t care,” I muttered against his throat, my hands stroking him. “Need you,” I panted, pressing my body to his. “Now, Eli.”

Without words, he lifted me; as I wrapped my legs around his hips, I slid over his hard length until Eli filled me completely. My head dropped back, drugged, weightless. Beneath the waterfall, Eli’s mouth tasted my skin, his tongue teased the hardened, sensitive peaks of my breasts; first one, then the other. With his fingers digging into my hips, he moved me effortlessly, the feel of his hardness sliding inside me making me crazy high. His mouth caressed me as his cock moved within me.

“Eli,” I gasped, and held on, our rhythm matching, and somewhere deep within me, an intense orgasm began like a faraway storm. We moved beneath the steaming water, fast, out of control, until the storm grew in strength and finally crashed. Wave after wave of climax claimed us both. I lost my breath, and spasms wracked my body. Eli held me close, his mouth pressed to my throat. The world tilted still; Eli’s lovemaking had that effect on me. I could do nothing more than hold on to him. I knew if he wasn’t holding on to me so tightly, I’d slip to the tiles below.

“I’d never let that happen,” he whispered against me.

“I know,” I answered, and ran my fingers through his soft, slick hair, tracing the shell of his ear.

Without words, Eli reached down with one hand and turned off the waterfall. Through the steam, his eyes searched mine. Slowly, he lowered his head, captured my mouth, and kissed me. Now, his control had returned, and he used it to savor my lips and my tongue, speaking to me with just his mouth; they were actions that spoke volumes over any words he could have whispered.

Still wet from the shower, and with me still clinging to him, Eli walked to the bed and followed me down into the softness of the down comforter. We shifted, and he pulled me close against him, my head resting on his chest, his arm completely around me and holding me to his body. He pulled back, just enough so that I could see his face without it being blurry.

Serious, cerulean eyes bore into mine. “I love you, Riley Poe.” He brushed a thumb over my lips. “Don’t forget that.” He kissed me, slowly, erotically, then looked at me again. “Ever.”

I opened my mouth to tell Eli how I felt, but his fingers over my lips stopped me.

“No, Riley,” he said gently. “Another time. When you’re really ready.”

Before I could respond, he pulled me against him again; resting his chin on top of my head. “Go to sleep, mostly mortal woman. We have a busy few days ahead of us.”

Prick , I said in my head.

Eli laughed, squeezing me a little tighter, and I closed my eyes, smiling.

Finally, I fought the exhaustion no more. I was content. I mean, how could I not be? Eli was naked. I was naked. We’d just had mind-blowing, soul-searching sex. The only thing better right now would be . . . I don’t know. Some corn dogs, maybe. Or a bag from Krystal.

“God, you’ve become such a hog,” Eli said, shaking with laughter. “Go to sleep, girl. I’ll get you food after you’ve rested.”

I laughed. “Okay.” I snuggled against him. His body temperature was perfect—not too warm, and definitely not too cool.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Sleep.”

Just before sleep claimed me, I felt relief that the monster hadn’t killed again; it was nearly daybreak, anyway.

How very wrong I was.

I experienced two kills, back-to-back. It was almost too much for me to handle.

I’d just felt that wave of exhaustion and contentedness wash over me.

I found myself walking along the city market. In the harbor, a tugboat blasted its horn, but I paid little attention and continued up the walk. Most of the stores hadn’t opened yet, but in the French Quarter a little café opened its doors to early risers; they weren’t about yet, but I slipped along the wall, to the back entrance of François Patisserie. Silently, I eased inside. The scent of freshbaked bread and pastries filled the café, but that wasn’t what made my stomach ache with need. In the back, near the double ovens and beside a long stainless steel counter, stood a plump, middle-aged woman, pulling a fresh batch of croissants from the oven. She had no idea I was in the kitchen with her. Rising on pudgy tiptoes, she reached for the top shelf over the sink, grasped a plate, then slid a hot croissant onto it. She smiled, moved to the counter, and removed the lid from a ceramic butter tray. With a knife she buttered her already-buttery croissant and took a big bite. She groaned with pleasure.

A feeling of impatience came over me, and I knew it was his feeling, not mine. I did the usual—scream, holler, but nothing came out, nothing worked, and I could not warn the plump baker that her death was coming.

No sooner had the baker woman swallowed her bite of croissant than I moved directly behind her. She must have sensed a presence, for slowly, she turned.

Her scream died in her throat.

The monster wasted no time. He lunged, held his hand over the woman’s mouth, and ripped right through her white cotton blouse. He sank his fangs into the flesh of her chest before finding the pulse of her heart. As he pierced the pumping organ, her warm blood gushed into his mouth and slid down his throat; fast at first, then slower, slower until her life force was no more. He dropped her on the floor, wiped his mouth with a rag left on the counter, and left.

The moment he stepped outside and noticed the jogger heading toward the river, I knew he’d kill again. I don’t know how, but I did. I thrashed, bile rising in my throat at the memory of the poor woman in the bakery, her blouse doused with blood, her dead face contorted in shock and terror.

Thankfully, the next kill was swift. The shirtless man jogging along the river was young, extremely fit, his chest cut with muscle, a six-pack to die for. He wore a Gamecocks ball cap as he ran, his iPod jamming in his ears. The moment he turned off the river and down an alley to cut through to another street, the monster was there. He stepped out, bumping into the man. The jogger stumbled, his blue eyes shocked to see someone else along his path. The monster waited for nothing. He changed; I knew this because of the horror on the jogger’s face. The monster ripped into him just as he’d ripped into the baker woman, nearly snatching the man’s heart out with his fangs. But the moment the hot metallic fluid pumped into him, he relaxed; he drank fully, and, when he was finished, he threw the jogger against the brick wall and walked away.

The last thing I remember before waking and separating from the monster, was his laugh.

It was oddly familiar. . . .

I bolted up in bed, my surroundings unfamiliar for a split second. Only then did I notice Eli was gone. I looked around, noticing how dim it still was outside. Eli must have slipped out the moment I’d drifted off. The exhaustion I felt was too real, too thick, and no way could I get out of bed right now. I must have closed my eyes at the exact moment the monster decided to feed; unless he knew me and was torturing me on purpose. If Eli was right, and Valerian, despite how Eli and his brothers had destroyed him, had manifested himself into one of his newlings, then he was the monster. He did know me. And I was pretty fucking sure he wanted to torment me to the fullest. He was succeeding.

There was nothing else I could do; no one I could save. I needed sleep. As selfish as it sounds, I lay back down, pulled the sheet up to my chest, and closed my eyes, allowing slumber to take me. Hopefully, Eli would return and pull me into his arms. I slept so much better with him wrapped around me. My eyes grew heavy; Sleep claimed me again.

I slept for some time; I don’t know how long.

When I woke, I emerged in yet another dream state. I was sitting in the dark. A dark room, a closet; I was on the floor, my back against . . . something. I felt a presence, though; someone was with me. Immediately, I knew who.

“Where have you been?” I asked angrily.

Victorian’s low, sexy soft laugh filled the dark empty space. “Why? Have you missed me?”

I thought about it. “Yes. And no.”

“Please, tell me why yes first.”

“I have no freaking idea, other than you’re my connection to why I behave and feel the way I do, since it’s your DNA clinging to mine. Yours and Valerian’s. And I sort of like you. When you’re not being so pervy. And I’m glad Eli didn’t kill you.” His soft sigh filled the shadowy space we occupied together. “And that pleases you?”

“Well, I don’t exactly want you dead,” I said. “Not sure why, but somehow . . . it doesn’t seem right.”

He laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment, I suppose.”

“If you want,” I said. “But believe me, I’m the only one who feels that way.”

“No doubt. And why not?” he continued.

His presence seemed closer; I can’t explain it, since we were in total darkness, but I felt as though his body was very close to mine. I shrugged, even though we were in total blackness. “Because it seems whenever I experience a terrible vision of the monster making a kill, it’s not long after that you appear. That concerns me.”

I felt the brush of his whisper against the column of my neck when he spoke. “Do you still think he and I are one and the same?”

I shook my head. “No, not at all. I’ve seen his skin, his arms—they’re not yours. But they’re Valerian’s, aren’t they? Manifested in another newling he created?”

“That you’ve paid such close attention to my physical detail makes me happy,” Victorian said, and that warm breath brushed my cheek. “Very happy. And to agree, yes. I fear your monster is my brother. He’s even more powerful than I ever was.”

“Well, hold on there, Tonto,” I said. “Don’t get too wound up. It’s kinda noticeable that you have youthful pale skin. The monster has older, tanned-like-leather skin. Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.”

He laughed. “You wound me.”

“Whatever,” I said, resting my head against whatever hard thing was behind me. “Where are you?”

“Here, with you,” he answered. “And see what a good boy I’m being? Not once have I asked you to grope me.”

“Freaking miracle,” I answered, and he laughed again.

“It should hopefully win me points,” he said.

“I didn’t know we were working on a points system.”

“I’d work on anything to get in your good graces,” he said somberly. “If only you knew how much so.”

“Well, Vick, you’re not too difficult to read,” I answered. “How is it you’re able to totally block Eli from reading my thoughts, or yours, when we have these rendezvous?”

“Hmm. Is that what you consider our encounters? I think that turns me on, Riley.”

I chuckled. “What doesn’t turn you on, Vick? Now answer the question please.”

Victorian sighed. “Very well. It’s my strigoi nature. That part of my DNA is more potent than you can possibly imagine. You, Riley, have powers that have simply not manifested yet. When they do, you will . . . Let’s just say you will be amazed. Anyway, I am able to implant my thoughts, myself, into your thoughts and mind and keep any and all intruders out. I’m selfish that way.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” I said. “And it also leads me to know that you have complete control over me. You can make me do whatever you want, can’t you?”

“I confess, it’s true. But because I’m a gentleman, I restrain.”

I chuckled. “You get another point, then, I guess.”

“Something’s bothering you,” he said next. “I can tell. What is it?”

I sighed. “You mean besides my being linked in a killer’s body while he feeds?” I asked.

With a soft chuckle, Victorian answered. “Yes.”

“I killed a vampire tonight,” I said. “She was young, and it bothers me.”

“Why?” he asked. “It was either you or her, and I for one am more than glad you emerged the victor.”

I laughed. “God, Victorian, you’ve got to brush up on your modern lingo. You sound like an old fart talking that way. Sometimes I forget you’re so old.”

Victorian laughed. “Perhaps I do. Maybe you should teach me your modern lingo? Now, finish telling this old fart why killing the female vampire bothered you.”

I thought for a second. “Because she was young. Before she was a vampire, a killer, she was a human. Someone’s sister, someone’s daughter. Someone’s loved one. It just makes me sad.”

“We all were, Riley Poe.”

I sighed again. “I know that.”

“Well, as much as I’d love to use my wiles to win your heart, or better yet,” he said seductively, “just do as I want with you, I shall not. To show you my restraint, I will leave you now, untouched, unkissed, and without orgasm—although it pains me to do so. You are a breathtaking beauty while in the throes of passion. It’s a vision I see inside my head all the time. A true vision of beauty. Good night, Riley Poe.”

“Later, Vick,” I said. “I’m impressed.”

“Aren’t you going to stop me?” he pressed.

I laughed. “No. Get out of here—wherever here is.”

“It’s wherever you want it to be....

The week passed—flew by actually. We worked well as a newling/vamp/quickening victim recovery team. We hit every seedy club after hours we could find and rounded up at least a dozen and a half newlings and almost-newlings. Only two were destroyed, but it was unavoidable. They were freaking everywhere, and not all were being ruled by the monster. I call him the monster, even though I know he was a newly manifested Valerian. We still haven’t tracked him, but we will. He’s here. We all feel it.

We hit the fight club on the appointed night. The newlings were looking for me. Why I had impressed them so much, I had no clue. There were some pretty badass chicks in the club; none with the same DNA as me, I guess, and that made a difference. I quickly rose to the top as a club favorite. Seth hated it. Eli hated it. Noah and Luc loved it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were taking bets on the side. Phin and Zetty were unreadable. I’d be in the ring, fighting a guy, a girl—didn’t matter. My gaze would scan, catch either of theirs, and I’d see pride mixed with a hooded scolding look that nearly cracked me up.

Zetty—now that was a fighter right there. I’m pretty sure his unique tats across his forehead and his sheer size made him a ringside favorite, just like mine did. He was a silent fighter, though. His expression hardly changed at all, even when some crazy ass high on crack would slug him in the jaw. I swear, he was probably exactly the same even before he had tendencies. Zet-Man was cool as shit, and I was damn glad he was on our side.

Eli’s fighting fascinated me. I know, that sounds sick. But he’s, well, a sick fighter. What can I say? Maybe it’s the fact that I know he’s holding back, and using a fuck-load of restraint to do so. The newlings wanted him to fight. They didn’t suspect he was anything other than a cocky mortal, but because of his beauty, I imagine, they wanted him in that ring. I even think they wanted someone to take him out. And I was pretty damn sure they wanted that someone to be me.

I wasn’t surprised when they had us fight each other.

They didn’t give us any time to dispute it.

The crowd roared. Eli frowned.

I glanced out at the spectators and found Noah. A smile lifted his mouth. Dick .

Inside my head, I spoke to Eli. “Don’t worry. Land a few on me for show. It won’t hurt too much. But obviously, I have to win. So be ready to hit the floor.” I grinned.

By the look on Eli’s face, I knew he hated this.

Not one punch landed on me. His knuckles grazed the air next to my chin, enough to make my head snap back out of reflex. But mine landed. We danced and played for several minutes as if we were killing each other. Then, Eli hit the ground. He stayed. I won.

The newlings, despite their sunglasses, zeroed in on me. We were to come back for the final rally in two more nights. Meanwhile, we ran the city.

And I, unfortunately, witnessed three more kills.

We’d been in Charleston more than a week now, and, after the last run, I hit the bed, exhausted. Eli was always there, attentive, seductive, sexy as hell. He awakened my tired body, making me feel more alive than ever. Just the brush of his lips over my skin aroused me. He was one drug I never wanted rehab from. Finally, spent from mind-blowing sex, I fell into a deep slumber. No dreams awakened me. Even Victorian left me alone.

When I finally did rise, I was surprised to find it was nearly one p.m. I was also surprised to find Eli gone.

Deciding he must be out with his brothers, I yawned, content.

I’d thought mortals with tendencies didn’t require as much sleep as regular Joe Schmoe mortals. Guess I was the exception. I showered; memories of last night with Eli swamped me, and, as corny as it sounds, they made me feel whole. Then, I wrapped a towel around my wet body and wandered out onto the veranda. A large leaf-shaped paddle fan whirred in the breeze above my head, and the long fronds of the Boston ferns swayed in white wicker baskets. I leaned over the balcony as though I weren’t here with a load of vampires hunting evil newling vampires and one sadistic vampire, and I peered at the harbor, the sparkling water of the Atlantic, the palm-lined walk of the battery. For a solid second, I closed my eyes and indulged, pretending to be on a weekend getaway with—

“Mornin’, sunshine.”

I jumped and turned to find Noah standing directly behind me. I narrowed my eyes. Only then did I inhale that weird spicy scent of his that kept me from humping his leg. “What are you doing here?”

Noah laughed, then pushed a stray dread behind his ear. I always had the perception that dreads were gross—stinky clumps of unwashed hair. Noah’s were anything but. They actually smelled good.

He grinned. “Thank you. I try to take care of myself. And to answer your other question, nothin’, babe. Just chillin’.” He gave my toweled body the once-over—a long once-over. “You got any silver hidden under all that fluff?” he asked, inclining his head toward my oversized white towel. His silver eyes winked in the daylight.

“Piss me off and find out,” I answered.

He laughed again. “Always a tough ass, huh?”

“Pretty much.”

“Turn around.”

I glanced at him. “What?”

He rolled his eyes. Yes—the dead-sexy vampire with dreads rolled his freaking eyes. “Oh, dead sexy, yeah?” He chuckled. “I said, turn around. I want to see the dragon on your back.”

I laughed but dropped my towel a bit in the back and turned around. “Dude, that line is lame. I get twenty requests a day to check out my dragon.” I shook my head. “Vampires, dudes, undead, humans—all the same.”

Noah’s breath and fingertips brushed my bare back as he inspected—cough cough—my dragon tattoo. “What do you mean?”

I turned back around and met his mercury gaze. “Weenies! You all think with your weenies!”

Noah’s eyes softened and held mine. A slight smile lifted the corner of his mouth. He shook his head and turned away. “Like I said”—he glanced back over his shoulder at me—“Eli’s one lucky fuck. It’s too bad he found you first.”

I lifted a brow.

His grin spread to full-on, white-teeth-bared brightness. He laughed.

And then he walked away.

I stared after him.

“There’s a sack full of Krystal’s down here,” he called over his shoulder.

“Yes!” I said happily, flung my towel off, and got dressed. Quickly fishing out a pair of loose green khaki hipsters with a wide leather belt and a burgundy halter, I left my hair down to dry, pulled on a pair of socks and my Vans, and hurried downstairs. Led by my growling stomach, I found the kitchen. By now it was two p.m. Seth sat at the table, chowing down. I glanced around.

“Where’s Eli?” I asked Phin, who was propped against the counter. I must have had a worried expression on my face.

“Calm down, Poe,” he said. “He tried to tell you this morning, but you were too sacked out.” He rubbed a hand over his head. “He ran out to Garr’s with Jack and Tuba. There were a few things they needed before tonight.”

I crammed nearly half the burger into my mouth. Yes, hoggish, but I didn’t care. Hot, squishy greasy bread—heaven. I was starving. “What’s tonight?” I mumbled.

Noah dropped into the chair beside me and flung an arm over my shoulder. “Well, darlin’, a lot of things,” he said, his mercury eyes all but glowing. “First, a little dirty runnin’. Then, a little bit of Gullah-Gullah.” He grinned. “Hoodoo.”

I chewed. I only halfway understood.

I decided I’d know when it came.

Noah threw back his head and laughed.

The afternoon passed relatively fast. I dropped a call to Preacher and Estelle. They’d already spoken to Eli and knew of our plans. I promised my surrogate grandparents we’d stay safe and return soon.

“So,” I said, finally full. I wiped my mouth on a napkin and swigged down several gulps of Coke. “What sort of Gullah-Gullah are we up to tonight?”

Noah grinned. “You’ll see.”

By the time the sun began to set, Eli, Jack, and Tuba returned. Eli walked in through the kitchen, spied me, and strode purposefully straight to me. Without missing a beat, he pulled me into his arms, and, despite my Krystal breath, kissed me full-on in front of everyone. Several whistles and yells filled the kitchen; all of which I imagined were everyone’s except Noah’s. When I looked at him, his gaze held mine, and he simply shook his head and mouthed, Lucky fuck . I laughed.

With Eli’s arms like steel bands around me, I leaned back and looked into his eyes. “What sort of hoodoo are we about tonight?” I asked.

A slow grin spread across his sexy features. “A little grave robbing is all.”

I lifted a brow. He laughed. “The only way to end Valerian’s reign is to entomb him again. That’s not going to be easy. But there are things we will need.”

I nodded, accepting.

Soon, night fell.

Everyone except Jack and Tuba left Jake’s on foot and free-ran the city. Oddly enough, we encountered nothing—no vamps, not even a mugging. Even stranger was that I didn’t have a vision of Valerian the monster. I referred to it as a monster now because there were obvious character differences in vampires. At present I was living under the same roof with four, and at night kept company with eight in all. I trusted them all with Seth’s and my life. Even the monster’s own brother, to me, was safe. I fully believed he loved me, and although I didn’t return the sentiment, I did like him. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me despite what Eli and his family thought. And Eli and his kin, Noah and the others? They were Gullahvamps, as I started referring to them; Preacher’s cousin Garr treated Noah and his bunch just as Preacher treated the Duprés. A pact to keep the city safe meant keeping the vampires safe. Not only did their centuries-old traditions of hoodoo magic keep their cravings to a controlled minimum, but it made them . . . more like their true human characters, I believe. Take Noah. I can’t imagine he was much different in life as he is now, as an undead. Crazy fuck. I liked him, though—freaking fine as all double hell, with or without his weird antihump-me powder. He was a helluva free-runner, and an even better fighter—a regular Tyler Durden with dreads if you ask me. I loved having the secret that he was a vamp concealed by some special hoodoo juice. As was the truth about Seth’s and Zetty’s and my tendencies. It was all pretty fantastic if you asked me.

We finished running the streets, and it was well past two a.m. when we descended the buildings and entered the Circular Church Cemetery in the historic district. Any cemetery, in my book, was creepy at night; the Circular had to top the list as most creepy. A mist had sidled in from the harbor and sifted through the aged trunks of the live oaks, between the marble and slate headstones covered in black decay and draped with moss. Swear to God, it looked like something out of a freaking movie. We closed the front gate behind us and eased deeper into hallowed ground.

“Why is it you guys can come in here?” I asked.

Eli glanced at me, his hand tightly holding mine. “What do you mean?”

“You know. Hallowed ground and all that,” I answered in a whisper.

He grinned. “We’re not evil spirits, Riley. Besides, Garr fixed the cemeteries here a long, long time ago. Just like Preacher did the ones in Savannah.”

“Gotcha,” I said.

We continued on.

At one particular grave, Luc, who was leading, stopped. Jack and Tuba knelt beside it, murmuring Gullah words I couldn’t understand. With a pocket knife, Jack scraped some of the headstone into a plastic cup with a screw lid; Tuba, with his hands, pulled at some of the sod until he reached dirt. Retrieving a bag from his back pocket, he opened it and sprinkled the contents all around the grave; then dug a few handfuls of dirt, dropping them into a ziplock.

I was beginning to see the value of a ziplock.

Moonlight shined down through the canopy of trees and shot darts of illuminated glow throughout the gravestones. Seth elbowed me, and pointed; I followed his finger to a Gothic-y square-sided spire, jutting into the sky.

“The Unitarian Church of Charleston,” Noah said beside me. “Sort of reminds me of Notre Dame.”

I had to agree.

“Whose grave is that?” I asked Noah.

He glanced down at me. His face grew somber in the moonlight. “Elizabeth Mont Frey. Once, a very beautiful, highly respected woman of Charles Towne.” He glanced at the headstone. “She didn’t make it through her quickening before she was killed. Garr was saved by his daddy,” Noah looked at me. “They were taken at the same time, by the same vampire. You can imagine back then, a Gullah man and a prominent white woman, together.” He sighed. “They were crazy in love, those two. Things haven’t changed all that much, I’m afraid. Anyway, despite her blood being tainted by a vampire, Garr insisted she have a Christian burial. Even in death, her body exudes mystics only Garr knows how to use.” Noah’s eyes bore into mine. “Almost as if she knows his desires, and allows only him to utilize her gifts.”

I stared into the silver depths of Noah’s gaze. I nodded in understanding.

We’d only just stepped out of the Circular Cemetery when Eli’s back stiffened. Phin, Luc, Josie, and Noah glanced around, peering through the darkness. Saul, Jenna, Cafrey, and Tate, also on alert, began to move around the rest of us in a circle.

Then, they descended from the trees above us—six newlings; all punks, all rogues, all ravenous.

Eli shoved me—hard. “Get down, Riley!” he ground out. I flew several feet away and landed on my backside. I jumped right back up and ran to stand beside the one person I knew would let me fight—Noah.

Eli growled. It almost made me laugh, how protective he was. Even after seeing me fight, he still wanted me out of the fray. The newlings lunged, Eli swore in French, and the fight began.

I quickly learned why Eli was so concerned; they all seemed to hone in on me . I’m talking long-jawed, fangs dropped, faces grossly distorted, hideousness. Slobbering and rabid, they all lunged straight for me. Eli grabbed one by the throat and threw him against a tree. His body hit hard, but in a split second he was up, eyes seeking me out.

It gave me just the time I needed to grasp the blade from my back sheath, aim, and fling it at him. I threw hard. The blade hit its mark and pinned him to the tree.

He screamed in agony; I ignored him and turned to the others.

All of my vamps had changed. I tried not to focus on that.

I found Seth and we stayed back-to-back; Jack, Tuba, and Zetty formed a circle and did the same. Rogue vamps fell from the trees like flies. Where they all came from, I had no clue. I didn’t recognize even one of them from the fight club. They were rabid, out of control, and lunging almost faster than my vamps could catch them.

Seth whipped a blade directly at one I swear was no more than three feet away. My brother was strong, and the blade hit hard, knocking the she-vamp back at least ten feet. Another blade flew by; Zetty had thrown that one and damn, he was one strong man. The vamp he nailed flew back and over the wrought-iron fence of the cemetery. It lay there, writhing, screaming, gurgling, until finally, it was silent.

Some of the rogues looked barely older than Seth. It made me sick; I’d puke later. Now, we had to survive. I nailed four more with blades, one rapid-fire shot after another. I no longer waited to see if I’d hit my mark; I knew I had.

I glanced to my left; Noah, whose beautiful face had contorted into something I’d rather not remember, grabbed a rogue just as it lunged past him, headed directly for me. In one shake he’d snapped its head off—clean freaking off, like a dandelion head. He dropped the body and turned to me, eyes white, red pupil dead center.

I could’ve sworn his lips curled into a smile.

The count had lowered, and although the remaining newlings continued to lunge toward me, my vamps took them all. Jenna and Saul had a pair; Cafrey and Tate had another. Although it felt like hours, only minutes had passed.

Before I knew it, the fight was over.

Garr’s men came and collected the writhing, pawing, scratching newlings. That was a sight all its own. I had a hard time believing they could be detoxed. But with Preacher and Garr, anything was possible. They left in a van, leaving us with the mess.

Eli was suddenly at my side, his flawless face returned to normal. His hands searched my body for injury; his eyes followed. When he was satisfied I wasn’t hurt, he pulled me into his arms and pressed his mouth to my temple. “You scared the shit outta me,” he murmured against my hairline. “Such a badass, huh?”

“Survivalist,” I corrected, but slipped my arms around his waist. His arms went around me, tightly, protectively. I confess I enjoyed it.

Luc approached. “All mostly mortals accounted for?”

Seth chuckled, and he, Jack, Tuba, and even Zetty murmured, “Yeah.”

“Good,” Luc said, and glanced around. “Let’s clean this mess up and make like a tree and get outta here.”

One more thing I hated about killing vamps: cleanup. You did not leave vampire waste lying around. It was a valuable hoodoo ingredient, and we salvaged every dust bit possible. Not to mention, Preacher and Garr now both believed that even a small fraction of a vamp left behind would be potential for resurrection later on.

To that I say, No, thank you, Monster.

Cleanup took longer than the kill. By the time we finished, the first church bell tolled from St. Michael’s. It was six a.m., nearly light outside, and the group of us were toting around dusty vampire guts in ziplocks.

We hurriedly departed.

As we left the historic district, Eli ran on one side of me; Noah, on the other. Noah glanced over at me. “So,” the Charleston vampire said, mercury eyes catching the first rays of daybreak, “beautiful, huh?” He was referring to my earlier thought.

I shook my head and looked straight ahead. “Oh my God, the ego.”

Eli laughed beside me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me faster.

Noah’s voice trailed behind us. “You’d better keep a good grip on that hand, Dupré!”

He didn’t have to finish. I knew exactly what was on Eli’s mind.

Noah’s laughter followed us to the battery, where he turned and departed with his crew, back to the dregs of the city.

I later learned he preferred it there so to keep a closer eye on things.

Apparently, Noah Miles took care of disobedient humans just as much as rogue vampires.

As we entered Jake’s, we all filed in through the kitchen. Eli led me straight upstairs.

“I’m not going to ravage you this morning,” he said, smiling. “But only because we’ve business at Garr’s this morning.”

I looked at him. “Who’s staying here with us?”

“Josie will be here. Noah’s only a head-shout away,” he said, then frowned. “But I doubt you’ll need him.”

I gave Eli a slow smile. “Okay. Hurry back, then.”

He pulled me against him and kissed me long, slow, and just when my hands crept up his neck and into his hair, he pushed me gently away. “I’ll see you later,” he said, with another quick kiss and an even quicker exit.

I looked at the door he’d just left through and smiled.

Quickly, I showered and fell into bed. I slept. I needed it. Late afternoon arrived too soon. Once we all were ready and the mortals had eaten, we headed out to the city. This time, we walked the historic district before it grew dark. We strolled through the city market, and Eli and his brothers and sister visited with some of the Gullah women selling baskets. They all knew the Duprés; I could tell they thought fondly of them.

Soon, darkness settled over the city, and we headed out of the historic district.

Atop the city, we ascended the buildings; Noah and his group met us close to the old burned-out church where the fights took place.

Eli grabbed me and spun me around. His expression tight, he looked . . . angry. “You can’t imagine how I hate your going in here,” he said, his eyes searching mine. “Stay close, Riley. And watch yourself. I mean it. I don’t want to have to kill someone.”

“Don’t worry, Eli,” I said, and grazed his jaw. His eyes darkened at my touch. “I don’t exactly have a death wish, you know.”

“You guys ready?” Noah asked.

“Yep,” Phin answered, and he and Jack and Tuba pushed in ahead of us. Music thumped from inside the hollowed walls, and I knew tonight would be way different from the other night.

Apparently, they sparred at the fight club three nights a week and, after that third night, they chose—chose, and then fed. I was ready for it.

At least, I thought I was.

Noah suggested that Eli take Seth and Josie, Luc stay with me, Phin with Zetty, Noah with Jack and Tuba, and the rest scatter. Eli hesitantly agreed. We filed into the crowd, and I spotted the shade-wearing newlings immediately. They spotted me, too. I moved slightly away from Luc; I didn’t want them thinking I had backup in any form. Immediately, the one newling from two days earlier approached.

“I see you made it back,” he said, his lips curling into a grin that caused a shiver. “Jump in whenever you see opportunity.”

“You know I will,” I said, chin lifted.

I waited; I watched a few fights; I watched Eli over the crowd. Every time I looked at him, he was looking at me. How he kept his thoughts trained on the club, I had no idea. I tried not to dwell on it.

The fights were more vicious this night than the others.

The weak had indeed been weeded out.

Luc and I were standing close but not together. We’d all managed not to be linked and had stayed apart while at the club. It had taken some convincing, but Eli finally conceded and didn’t stand glued to my side. I guess he was sort of starting to trust my abilities.

Victorian, though, did not. He suddenly interrupted my concentration.

“Honestly, Riley. I don’t understand why you have to fight. Let the others do it. You’re too delicate, and I couldn’t stand the thought of your getting hurt.”

In my head, I answered. “You’ve apparently not seen me fight, Vick. I got it. No sweat. Besides, Eli wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

“He’s good for something, I suppose. Still. Be careful.”

“Later, Vick.”

“I love that you have a nickname for me now. Makes me feel special.”

Victorian finally left me alone, and my concentration zoned back to the fights. Some kid hadn’t liked the way Seth had looked and had challenged him. We watched them spar now.

If that was what you wanted to call it.

I watched my baby brother take it all easy, slow, not show-offy like me. He reflected and ducked more than he fought; but when it came down to dirty business, Seth fought, and fought hard. I could feel his restraint with each punch, so much so that the ridges in his abdomen were flexing. He knew the force of his power, his tendencies, and no matter how much of a prick his opponent was, he didn’t want them too badly hurt.

I was proud of him for that.

Seth roundhouse kicked the guy, who was at least a foot taller than he was, right in the chest and sent him sprawling. The movement knocked several spectators back. Seth followed him down, choked him with one leg, and dared him to move. No rules meant no rules, and when the kid tried to buck Seth off, Seth popped him in the nose. I heard the bone break from where I was standing.

Seth won that fight, but it was his last.

I saw opportunity in the form of another Billy Badass, and I jumped in. I heard Eli’s hiss of disapproval from across the ring.

Too bad. This was why we were here. I wanted it to end—tonight. We’d rounded up dozens of newlings and those in the quickening. We needed to take the main vein of threat out—now.

Pushing through the crowd, who recognized me from the before, I shoved the weaker fighter out. The crowd roared. My opponent was a big, burly, helluva guy; midthirties, shaven head, muscles on top of muscles. He stood no less than six feet six inches.

He slowly rounded on me, the roar of the spectators so loud, I couldn’t think. I kept my eyes trained on him. He grinned.

“Fightin’ you is gonna be more fun than fuckin’ you,” he said in a thick, country-fried drawl. “Maybe I’ll do both.” He cracked his neck.

I simply grinned. What a big, brainless dick. “If you think you can,” I egged him, “come on.”

The big idiot circled me. He wore a dingy-white wife beater, cheap jeans, big leather boots. He wore chunky gold—probably fake—rings on four fingers, on each hand. He stuck out his tongue. It was extra long, extra gross, and he must’ve thought extra sexy, with the gold ball pierced through it. Inwardly, I cringed. He probably had a little pecker.

I saw Eli in my peripheral. Noah stood beside him, probably to restrain him.

A punch flew my way and I ducked; he missed me, and I dipped and popped up behind him. With a roundhouse I kicked him in the shoulder blades, and he stumbled forward. The crowd laughed.

He did not.

Foul words flew from his mouth, along with a disgusting amount of spit; I did not entertain him with some of my own. I watched him close. For a big guy, he moved with more grace than I’d have given him credit for. He swung a few more times, and I nimbly dodged his fists. The last thing I wanted was my juicy delicious blood, tainted though it might be, spilled on the fight club floor with newlings all around. I let him get close, then swung upward with both fists clenched, landed it into his nose, two elbows to the gut, and once he was bent over at the waist, I kicked his knees out. He hit the mat with a yelp and a curse.

He tried to get up.

I landed a solid punch to his jaw. He teetered, swayed, then fell back. Out cold.

With the crowd cheering, I left the ring.

Across the ring, I saw Eli’s face. Mad was not the term I’d use to describe his expression. He was . . . more like a half inch away from changing. Tee-total pissed off—at me or the dickhead, I couldn’t say.

“You are so sexy when you kick ass,” Luc said in my ear. “Too bad my big brother wants to wring your neck for it.”

“Whatever,” I said. We watched a few more fights. I got in a few of them. Despite how good I was at it, I really, really hated it. I wanted it to end, the night to be over, the newlings put in their places, the monster caught—not necessarily in that order.

Eventually, the familiar newling—who I guessed was a leader of sorts—approached me.

“So, how have the pussies managed?” he asked over the roaring crowd.

I shrugged. “I’m still here.”

The smile he gave me chilled me. “And you’ve only fought one decent opponent. Come to ringside.”

I glanced at Luc, and he nodded forward. I glanced upward, at the next level, and met gazes first with Eli, Phin, Seth, then Noah. Zetty and Josie were on our level and in the corner.

They all had my back.

I shrugged and followed the newling.

And then stepped into the ring with a newling.

The moment I saw her, I knew it’d be a challenge; she was lithe, young, and obviously had contacts in to mask her opaque eyes. But I knew. I could sense her undeadliness. She wore head-to-toe black leather, like some freakish postapocalyptic catwoman, and the look of sheer confidence in her face could have chilled me, had I allowed it. I did not.

I’d learned a while back not to wear restrictive clothing to fight in; it was easier to withdraw my silver in baggy clothes. And since they were all hidden below the waist, I stripped off my tank, to the roar and whistles and cries of the mostly male crowd, leaving me to fight in a black sports bra. My opponent’s eyes were nailed to mine as she circled me; I circled her. When she attacked, I held back not one ounce of strength.

She was a fury of fists and long-legged kicks; so fast I almost had a difficult time keeping up. Her abilities challenged me, provoking my adrenaline to rush through me, and I gave back just as good as she offered. She roundhouse kicked me in the jaw; I’d almost managed to duck, but she caught me with the heel of her foot and it sent me reeling. The moment I landed on the floor, she was on me. I bucked her off and straddled her; she did the same. We both landed on our feet again. I lunged this time, not waiting for her. I came down, both fists clenched, and smashed into her jaw. She yanked me by my ponytail and brought my face close to hers.

“I know what you are, bitch,” she said. “You know what I am?”

“Oh yeah,” I muttered, and elbowed her in the gut. She dropped me.

“We’ll fight, then,” she said. “Like mortals.”

Our fight continued over the cheers of the crowd.

Suddenly, another joined in.

I now faced two female newlings.

With a quick glance, I found Eli. Noah physically had his hands on Eli’s arms. He was holding him back. And Eli’s face looked thunderous. I ignored it.

I took one helluva whipping, but I kept them both off me. At least, I kept their fangs from probing into my flesh. It was almost as if they dared me to make them morph; I have no idea if they knew I carried silver. But because of the number of mortals in the room, I wasn’t about to drop them.

I could have, but I didn’t.

My body was rushed by both; I leapt and cleared them. The crowd cheered.

Then, the crowd grew silent.

Then, they started to scream.

Only then did I notice why.

The newlings had begun their attacks on mortals. I guess my cover, and probably those of the others, were now officially blown. I didn’t glance around; I didn’t have time. The two newlings in the ring with me were now determined to make me one of them. They lunged, simultaneously, and I had to concentrate and zone the screams out, focusing just on them if I wanted to stay alive.

As a mortal with tendencies; not a newling.

I bounded off one of them—using her face as a springboard as I grasped the silver from my hip in midair and plunged it at the she-vamp lunging toward me. The moment she dropped, I did the same, crouched, grasped another blade from the other hip, and threw it at the other. She was ready for me, though, and caught it.

I grasped another, aimed, but before it left my hand, she lunged; a body flew in front of me, directly at her. They collided. Chaos was all around me, and all I could do was stand there and stare, dumbfounded.

Eli.

He ripped the she-vamp’s heart out, as it was the only way to instantly kill besides using a silver blade. When he turned and spared me a look, it truly frightened me.

It wasn’t just that his face had contorted. I dare not even say what I really thought.

“Get out of here, Riley,” he ordered, his voice a deep growl.

I set my jaw.

“Luc! Get her the fuck out of here!” he yelled over the crowd.

I turned and ran, but not away. Blood and killing were all around me; the metallic scent of human blood tainted the air, along with the screams. I was going to take out as many newlings as possible before I let any Dupré take me outside. I found one, his fangs about to pierce the throat of a boy no older than twenty. I was close. With Five Finger Death Punch’s “Hard to See” slamming in some random boom box and mixing with mortal screams and blood gurgling, I lunged, plunging my silver blade directly into his heart, just before his fangs made contact. I didn’t wait for reaction. I sought another.

Mentally counting my blades, I totaled nine left. In my peripheral, I saw Seth and Zetty, both with gleaming blades in their own hands. I glanced and saw Noah’s beautiful face transformed once again; Phin’s and Luc’s as well. And Josie’s. I didn’t look for Eli; I knew he’d be one pissed-off vampire. I’d worry about it later. After this.

This was over in less than thirty minutes.

I knew it was over when all was quiet. Some mortals had escaped. The ones who’d been bitten remained inside; Garr’s people would be here soon to collect them. I knew that because Noah had already morphed back into his human form and was talking on the cell phone. I zoned in and listened long enough to know that an assload of bitten mortals would be taken to Garr’s version of Da Island this night. At least a lot would be saved. But this was still not over. Far from over—just ... this was over. For now.

I glanced around at the ones who would never see life again. They lay in heaps of mangled flesh, blood, and bone; some with their chest cavities ripped wide open, their hearts pierced. Some even still pumped blood, and I had to wonder for a split second how Noah, his folks, and the Duprés could stand being in such close proximity of so much blood and not go . . . nuts. That was the power of hoodoo and the conjuring of Preacher and Garr, I suppose. Pretty cool shit.

Without my permission, my body gave out; I dropped to both knees and simply looked around. I’d used all of my blades; I was still covered in mortal blood and vamp goo. I felt as if I’d been in a medieval melee, as if I’d been fighting alongside William Wallace or something. This had to be close to what that’d been like.

Minus the vampire aspect, of course.

I was drained. My head throbbed. I no longer had the capability to filter out all of the exaggerated sounds and scents of the city. I resisted the urge to cover my ears.

“I wish someone—anyone—would turn that fucking boom box off,” I yelled.

I waited; no one did, so I got up, pushed my way through the bodies of mortals and dusty piles of vampire newlings, and found the music. I love some Five Finger Death Punch, don’t get me wrong. But I was drained; irritable beyond belief, and . . . something else I couldn’t define. PMS? Who the fuck knows.

I picked the box up and threw it against the wall.

I felt my body falling then, completely out of gas.

Strong arms caught me before I hit the floor.

When I looked, it was Eli’s painfully beautiful face I saw, and I inhaled deeply. He smiled down at me, lines of worry etched into his brow. “Hey, gorgeous,” he said.

The beauty of his smile gave me energy.

A lot of energy.

I tilted, regained my footing, and Eli steadied me on my feet. He moved to wrap me in an embrace I knew—knew—I’d melt into. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance.

I passed the hell out.