Chapter Twenty-One
The streets were empty this time of night. Miranda started to say a prayer of thanks, but thought better of it. She didn’t know who was listening.
Her chest hurt from the way her heart was pounding. Her neck ached from constantly looking over her shoulder at Eden curled up on the backseat, watching her breathe—willing her to keep breathing.
There had been no encroaching fog in Eden’s future. No signs of an impending change or important events. Just silence. Darkness.
Miranda could feel it pressing on her, like a bubble surrounding Eden’s fate. A bubble that was about to pop.
Now she knew what the future looked like for someone who was moments away from death. She would never mistake it again.
Shade’s house was on the outskirts of town. Darren blew through traffic lights, as if he could sense Miranda’s fear. She didn’t want to say anything out loud and upset Eden.
Outwardly, Eden seemed okay. Maybe a little winded, but no worse than Miranda had seen her before. Something had changed and was speeding her descent.
Following Eden’s instructions, they drove up a long curved drive. Shade’s house—mansion—was at the top of a hill. Lights were on, and a man was standing on the front steps. He was wearing a really nice suit, hands in his pockets. His casual stance made it seem like he’d been expecting them.
“Vampire business must be good.” Darren stopped the car, then turned to Miranda and said, “Maybe you two should wait here.”
Eden’s pale face appeared between them. Her eyes were unfocused until she saw Shade.
She smiled faintly. “I need to introduce you.”
“She’s right.” It was just an excuse, but Miranda didn’t want to say what she was really thinking.
There’s no time.
Miranda opened her door, then pulled her seat forward so she could help Eden from the back. As they emerged, Miranda realized both men were suddenly standing right next to them. She turned around to see them glaring at each other.
She let Eden push away and stumble toward Shade. He caught her up against his chest.
“Eden, are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Eden said.
She smiled so sweetly, it tugged on Miranda’s heart. Miranda wasn’t sure if Eden was trying to reassure Shade or didn’t realize how close she was to death.
“You need to turn her right now,” Miranda said.
Shade’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“Turn her into a vampire,” Miranda said. “Now.”
Shade laughed, but the sound was uneasy. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We don’t have time for this,” Miranda said.
“This is Miranda.” Eden’s voice sounded breathless and her lips were tinged with blue. “She’s an oracle. And my best friend. You can trust her.”
Miranda’s heart was in her throat. She knew that Eden was her best friend. She didn’t know that Eden felt the same way about her.
“And what about him?” Shade asked.
Miranda shrugged. “He’s a werewolf. And Eden doesn’t have much time left.”
“A werewolf?” Shade’s smile faded. “Well, that’s a surprise, Mr. Calverton.”
“Wait, you two know each other?” Miranda asked.
“We met briefly,” Shade said. “Amid talk of vengeance.”
“Mr. Reece.” Darren started to let out a low, steady growl. “So, you’re a centuries’ old vampire. Is that why you’re interested in antiquities?”
“At the moment, I’m more interested in vehicles.” Shade nodded toward Darren’s car. “I can’t help but notice you’ve had a little fender-bender. That’s a very odd shape pressed into what’s left of your grill.”
Darren shrugged. It was a casual gesture, except his shoulders stayed a little hunched, his arms curved at his sides as if he was ready to launch himself at Shade.
At the park, she’d seen Darren’s speed. And again just now as they exited the car. Shade must have seen it, too. He must know what he was dealing with.
“I hit an animal,” Darren said.
Shade laughed again, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He shifted Eden so that she was at his side, then angled his body to partially block her from view. “What kind of animal?”
“The kind that turns into a man.” Darren was glaring at Shade. The tension between them building.
“That’s a dangerous breed,” Shade said. “When did it happen?”
“The night after the coins were stolen.” Darren’s shoulders hunched up further and his lips curled back from his teeth. Very sharp teeth. “But then, I’m guessing you already know all about that.”
“These are my friends,” Eden said. “You can trust them.”
Shade’s smile became more forced. “I’m glad you and Miranda worked out your differences, but you don’t know what you’re dealing with when it comes to her boyfriend.”
“None of us do,” Miranda said. “The werewolf he hit bit him. Darren is still figuring out how to manage the change. We need your help. But Eden needs you now.”
“I’ll take care of Eden.” Shade glanced at her briefly, as if he didn’t want to take his eyes off of Darren for more than a moment. “But that’s all I can do.”
If Shade refused to help them, Miranda didn’t know where they would turn. Darren was handling his change okay at the moment, but they had no idea how the full moon would affect him. Eventually, Mr. Morrison would have holding cells available that could handle a werewolf, but that was months away.
“Afraid of what your boss would say about you helping us out?” Darren said.
Shade didn’t rise to his bait. “As a matter of fact, I am. And you should be, too.”
Crap. Shade was working for the Fairy Lord.
“You look like you’re holding it together,” Shade said. “Congratulations on that. But the full moon coming up will be more than you can handle on your own. My advice to you is find the werewolf who bit you. You’ll do less damage as part of a pack.”
Darren shook his head. “That’s kind of a problem, since the guy’s dead.”
“Dead how?” Shade’s brow furrowed.
“Someone shoved one of those silver coins into him,” Darren said. “And that was before I hit him with my car.”
“You killed a werewolf two days ago?” Shade stepped away from Eden. Darren mirrored the movement.
Miranda didn’t like where this was going. She wasn’t sure if it would count in their favor or against them if Shade thought they had killed a Knight of Antares. It didn’t seem wise to take credit for it, given that Forester was probably the one who had managed to capture Niall and put the silver coin in him.
“The fairy who put the silver in him killed him,” Miranda said. “The werewolf was doomed before Darren hit him.”
“I don’t suppose you know the name of this mystery werewolf?” Shade chuckled, but the sound made her even more uneasy.
“Niall,” Miranda said.
Shade’s lips peeled back from his teeth. Miranda hadn’t remembered his canines being so long and pointed.
“You killed Niall.” Shade let out a roar and leapt at Darren, hitting him in the chest and slamming him back into his car. The car slid a few feet across the drive.
Darren looked dazed, but only for a moment. He shook his head, then growled.
“Oh no,” Miranda said.
Darren grabbed Shade by his arms and threw him over the car, then leapt onto its roof. Shade must have not missed a beat when he hit the ground on the other side.
It seemed the moment Darren reached the roof, Shade impacted him again. They both flew through the air, hitting the ground and digging a deep groove as they landed.
Miranda ran to Eden. They held onto each other.
Shade was pounding on Darren, driving his head deeper into the earth. Darren reached out and slashed Shade across the chest. Blood sprang from the wounds. Shade staggered back and Darren leapt to his feet.
His skin turned gray, his teeth lengthening as his face started to morph. Fur sprouted everywhere Miranda could see. His fingertips ended in long claws, blood dripping from them to the ground. The change was happening faster than the last time. Darren didn’t seem to be fighting it.
“Oh my God,” Eden said. “They’ll kill each other.”
Punctuating her statement, Darren leapt at Shade, striking out with those deadly-sharp claws. Shade seemed to vanish.
One moment, he was right in front of Darren, the next he was landing in a crouch behind him. It was like watching a live-action anime.
Miranda had no idea what to do. With the threat Shade presented, she was sure there’d be no reasoning with Darren, no getting him to back down from this. They had to figure out a way to reach one of them. Shade seemed the only option.
“Why did Shade attack him?” Miranda said. “How did he even know Niall?”
“Niall was his best friend.” Eden seemed to pale even further as she spoke, turning almost to a dull gray. “I assumed they were both vampires, but…”
“He was the werewolf who turned Darren.” Miranda led them to the porch, half supporting Eden.
Eden made a visible effort to draw in a breath to speak. “Did Darren really kill him?”
“Of course not.” Miranda hoped that Shade was listening. “Niall was already dying when Darren hit him—and even that was an accident. Darren tried to help, but ended up being bitten. Before Niall died, Darren said he was horrified at what he’d done—that he’d turned Darren.”
Shade had been fending off Darren’s attacks to that point. When Darren lunged at Shade again and the vampire tried to leap away, Darren lashed out and caught his ankle, yanking Shade back to the ground.
“We have to get them to stop,” Miranda said.
“Get Eden into the house,” Shade yelled.
Darren twisted Shade’s leg around at an impossible angle. The sound it made—the way Shade screamed—made bile rise in the back of Miranda’s throat.
“Shade!” Eden tried to run forward, but Miranda held her back.
It would be too terrible if Darren killed Shade. Aside from the fact that he was Eden’s lover, if Niall and Shade were best friends, Shade was probably a Knight of Antares as well. He was their best hope of help for Darren.
The entire fight was based on a misunderstanding. Darren wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if he killed Shade.
She hoped.
Because that was the flip side of this. If Darren killed Shade and didn’t feel bad about it, it would mean part of his humanity had slipped away.
“Darren, stop,” she yelled. “You have to stop.”
Shade had seemed distracted when Miranda explained Niall’s death. Maybe he’d been listening and understood what had happened. If she could just get Darren to back off and calm down...
“Stay here,” Miranda said. “I’m going to—”
Something changed in Eden. Her breathing hitched as her legs buckled. Miranda had to struggle to keep her from falling. She helped her sit on the smooth wood of the porch, propping her up against the railing.
“No no no,” Miranda chanted.
Shade was supposed to turn Eden. She wasn’t supposed to die. What had changed?
The only thing Miranda could think was that she and Darren were here. If they hadn’t come along, Eden would have called Shade and they would have handled things together. Instead, Eden was freaking out—for very good reason. It must be aggravating her symptoms.
Miranda would not be the reason her best friend died. She turned and ran toward the combatants.
Shade had managed to grab both of Darren’s wrists, keeping his claws at bay, but Darren was snapping at him with those jaws. As she neared, she saw his ears and face extend farther, the change progressing even more.
She threw herself on his back. She knew she didn’t have a chance of overpowering him, so she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck.
“Please, Darren, please.” She sobbed. She couldn’t stop herself. “Let him go. Please let him go to Eden.”
Darren barely seemed to register her presence.
Shade dared a glance toward his house, where Eden had slumped to her side on the porch.
“Eden? Eden!” Shade yelled.
He turned back to Darren, eyes pinched tight as he took a deep breath. When he opened them, he seemed in control. Desperate, but in control.
“Darren, I need you to listen to me,” Shade said. “I understand what happened with you and Niall. I heard Miranda explain. If we keep fighting now, Eden will die. And be assured, after that, I will kill you. And then you won’t be around to protect Miranda.”
Darren growled and flexed his fingers, still trying to reach Shade. The vampire seemed to be gaining space, though, slowly pushing Darren back.
“You are a neophyte. You’re dangerous. I can help you. Help you protect Miranda. But you have to control yourself. Right now.”
Throughout his change, Darren had talked about their bond helping him. It seemed Shade knew exactly what buttons to push to help Darren calm himself down.
She felt his muscles tense beneath her. He stopped trying to bite Shade, but was still growling.
“Darren, please,” Miranda said. “You can do this. I know you can.”
Darren shifted his weight, standing and pulling Shade halfway off the ground with him. Miranda kept her arms around Darren’s neck, her feet dangling.
Shade’s eyes were wide. He looked like he didn’t know if it was a good sign or not. Miranda didn’t either.
Darren released him. Shade grunted as he hit the ground.
She let out a breath, leaning against the back of Darren’s head. He lifted one hand to her arm and touched it—so gentle it surprised her—then nuzzled her cheek.
Shade pulled himself onto all fours. The leg that Miranda was sure Darren had broken was still at an odd angle, but as Shade turned, it popped back into place. He let out a small grunt, then ran to Eden so fast he blurred. Darren followed at a slower pace, still holding Miranda’s arm to keep her in place on his back.
“Eden, hold on,” Shade said.
Miranda’s stomach felt leaden. They couldn’t have come so close to saving Eden and then fail. There had been too much loss already.
“You need to turn her right now,” Miranda said. “If there’s any chance—”
Shade cut her off. “Not without her permission.”
He spoke so vehemently, she knew he wouldn’t budge. But if Eden couldn’t wake up, how could she give it?
“Then Darren will do it,” Miranda said.
“No,” Shade yelled.
Darren shocked Miranda by forming words in his mostly-changed state. His voice was guttural, but he said, “You’d rather lose her than have her be a werewolf?”
Her heart sank further. If Shade thought it was worth letting Eden die rather than having her become a werewolf, Darren might have second thoughts about turning Miranda.
“I wouldn’t care if she became a chupacabra,” Shade said. “But she has to give permission first. It has to be her choice.”
“What if she’s beyond that now?” Miranda said. “What if she can’t?”
“She can,” Shade said. “She will.”
He lifted Eden to his lap, cradling her face in his hands. “Eden, sweetheart. I need you to open your eyes. I need you to talk to me. Just one word.”
He bent to her ear, whispering so quietly Miranda couldn’t make out the words. But Darren’s grip on her arm tightened.
He sucked in a breath, then let it out slowly. As he did, the dark fur covering his skin retreated. His muscles and bones shifted back into place as he shrank to his normal proportions.
Miranda slid down his back, but couldn’t bring herself to let go. She was terrified.
Darren managed to twist in her embrace, wrapping his arms around her and tucking her into his side. He still seemed tense, watching the intimate scene before them playing out.
Finally, Shade let out a sigh and lowered his forehead to Eden’s. Darren squeezed Miranda closer against his side.
“It’s okay,” Darren said. “He got his answer.”
Shade didn’t waste any time. He lifted his wrist to his mouth and tore a deep gash with his…fangs. He pressed the wound to Eden’s lips.
“Come on,” Shade said. “Please.”
Her brow furrowed at first, but then relaxed as she started to drink. Shade let out a breath, slumping a bit as he pulled her closer.
Miranda felt a little sick to her stomach. It was one thing to read about vampires biting people and sharing blood, or even to see it in movies. In person it was more…gruesome than she expected. Still, she was so relieved that Eden was going to be okay, she felt a little giddy.
“That’s enough for now.” Shade pulled his wrist away from Eden’s mouth, then rose, lifting her into his arms. “You have my gratitude. And incredible respect. I seriously don’t know how you managed to rein yourself in like that.”
“I get that a lot,” Darren said.
Shade cast a cock-eyed grin at them. “I was sure I was going to have to kill you.”
“Yeah, I hear that a lot, too.” Darren grinned back at Shade. It wasn’t exactly what Miranda would call a pleasant expression. “Nobody’s managed it so far.”
She wasn’t sure this was safe territory for them to be wading into. She didn’t want Darren to be set off again, so she brought the conversation back to Eden.
“Is she going to be okay?”
“She will,” Shade said. “My blood will keep her out of danger. She just needs some time for it to regenerate her system. As soon as she wakes up, we can proceed, but the rest of the change is going to take a while and is…a private matter.”
“We’ll come back tomorrow night,” Miranda said.
“There are a few things we need to go over first.” Shade turned and started toward the house. “Starting with you telling me everything you know about what happened to Niall.”