GABRIEL AND HALINA blurred away, streaking toward their assigned hiding place. Dad started Grandpa’s truck and drove the rest of us to the library in silence. Nika’s mind was spinning, her emotions shifting from one extreme to the other. I could scarcely imagine how I would feel if I were in her position. If Raquel turned out to be a vampire hunter hell bent on destroying our family…or if Arianna was a hunter…well, torn wouldn’t even begin to describe my feelings.
Thinking of both of those women in that context gave me pause. In a way, I was just as conflicted as Nika, but on a much smaller scale. Try as I might, I couldn’t deny that I felt something for Arianna. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it was growing with every passing second that I spent with her. I ran a finger over my lips, remembering the softness of her mouth pressed against mine; I was still tingling from the contact.
Unlike Raquel, Arianna knew what I was, and even more shocking than that—she’d accepted me, told me I fit, told me I belonged. I didn’t know if Raquel would feel the same if she knew. There was a nagging knot in my stomach that told me she wouldn’t.
Nika was right. Raquel would most likely never accept me. But Arianna…
We arrived at the library while my thoughts were still spinning as rapidly as my sister’s. Dad drove past the library and parked the truck nearly a mile away. He didn’t want our vehicle to tip off Hunter. Not that Hunter knew what Grandpa’s truck looked like, but better safe than sorry. Besides, with our super-speed, it didn’t matter how far away we parked. We could be there in seconds.
Keeping to the shadows as much as possible, we blurred toward the plaza. When we got there, we stopped across the street, where the cathedral-like county building was nestled in a clump of trees surrounding Washington Square. Ben couldn’t move as fast as the rest of us, so Mom carried him. After she set him down, he grinned and said, “I’ll never get used to that.”
Dad smirked at his friend, then reconfirmed the plan. “Gabriel and Great-Gran are checking out the area to make sure Hunter is alone.” I couldn’t feel Gabriel, but I felt Halina, and Dad was right, she was flitting over the property, checking every nook and cranny she came across.
Dad’s jaw clenched as he studied Nika and me. “You two stay close together, watching each other’s backs.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Your mother and I will be right there with you, as close as we can get. You’ll be perfectly safe.”
Even though butterflies were tickling my stomach, I nodded. Nika raised her chin. Her voice loud enough that our grandmother would hear, she told Dad, “Since he’s my boyfriend, I think I have the right to say…” her eyes shifted to lock onto the spot where we all felt Halina, “no one touches him until I give the word.”
A low growl in the night air lifted the hairs on the back of my neck. Clearly, Halina didn’t like Nika’s command. Nika didn’t back down though. Determination in her eyes, she turned back to Dad. “Unless I’m in danger, no one makes a move on him without my permission.”
I could feel the fear and desperation coming from Nika, but I couldn’t see it. On the surface she was calm, focused, in control…powerful. She was a force to be reckoned with as she bravely stood her ground. She made me proud.
Dad glanced back at Mom, a small smile on his lips. “She remind you of anyone?” he whispered to her.
Mom returned his knowing smile. “Every day,” she answered.
Dad briefly grinned at Mom before schooling his features. His pale eyes as determined as my sister’s, he nodded. “All right, Nika. We’ll play this your way. As long as you’re safe, we won’t touch him…until you say the word.”
Relief melted Nika’s rigidness. Our parents vanished with Ben into the darkness, leaving Nika and me alone. Well, they left us to ourselves, since we weren’t really alone. I felt our family’s presence shadowing us as we walked along the path that led to the meeting place.
In the plaza next to the impressive steel and glass library was a wall of steps where water continuously flowed. Even I had to admit it was a beautiful piece. I might not be into art and nature like my sister, but I still appreciated the calming rhythm of the cascading water, enjoyed the sparkle of the spotlights reflecting off the fine layer of mist hovering near the bottom of the fountain.
Nika’s eyes were contemplative as she stared at the slick stones. Her mood turned dark and I squeezed her hand. When she looked up at me, a tear fell to her cheek. She didn’t have to explain why she was crying…I knew. I knew all too well how jumbled her insides were, how badly she wanted to see Hunter, how badly she wanted to run from him. It was our gift, our curse—I knew it all.
Feeling my sympathy and support, Nika nodded at me, and we silently watched the fountain while we waited for Hunter. The water seemed like a solid sheet as it washed down the steps, but my sharp eyes caught cracks and separations in the stream, where one section deviated from the rest to run around an obstacle in its path. As I picked out more breaks in the continuity, I began to see a violent pattern churning under the surface. Maybe Nika’s turmoil was darkening my thoughts, but the soothing fountain suddenly seemed metaphoric of our situation, an omen. No obstacle could stand in the water’s path. There was no deterrent that it couldn’t find a way around, no barrier that it couldn’t eventually penetrate. In the end…water always found a way.
“Nika?”
A voice behind us drew our attention from the fountain, and I immediately twisted around. Nika hesitated before she turned to look at her boyfriend. Hunter’s eyes were pitch-black in the night. The thick jacket he wore was dark, as well, and there were bulges in the pockets that I assumed were weapons. Stakes maybe, although it wouldn’t surprise me if he still had his gun on him. His brow was creased as he took me in. “Julian? What are you doing here?”
Feeling my family start to close in, I stood tall and straight. “I wasn’t about to let Nika sneak off and meet you on her own.” Glancing at Hunter’s empty hands, I added, “Who knows what you might have done to her.”
“I’m not here to hurt her.” He exposed his palms to me. My eyes locked onto the odd jewelry he was wearing. Every finger had a ring on it and every ring was connected to the bracelet around his wrist by thin chains that gleamed silver in the moonlight. I hadn’t spent a whole lot of time around Hunter, but I was sure I’d never seen him wearing those before. “I only want to talk to her,” he said.
Nika dropped my hand and stepped up to him. I had to restrain myself from pulling her back. “Well, here I am. Start talking.”
Hunter sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “I…”
He faltered, seemingly at a loss for words. My sister wasn’t. Anger surging through her, she spat, “You shot my father! In a high school!”
Hunter flinched at the menace in her tone, but he didn’t back down. “A vampire was coming at me. I panicked…it was instinct.”
Nika crossed her arms over her chest. “He wasn’t going to hurt you.”
Hunter mimicked her position. “He was only going to erase my mind, right? Destroy everything about me that makes me who I am.” He shook his head. “How can you say that’s not hurting me?”
Nika deflated a little under his reasoning. “You would have lived…”
Hunter’s expression turned inquisitive. “Would have? Is letting me live not an option anymore?”
Nika’s chin dropped, along with the rest of her anger. “I don’t know. It’s not my decision.” She peeked her eyes up at him. “Would you let us live?”
Hunter turned his head away from Nika, surveying the plaza. He looked like he was pondering Nika’s question, but I knew he was searching for signs of trouble. He wouldn’t find any, not yet. My family was well hidden, waiting for Nika to give the command to put her boyfriend down. Sympathy welled in me. Nika’s situation gave a whole new meaning to the expression stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Twisting back to face her, Hunter whispered, “It’s not my decision either, Nika. I’m sorry.”
Nika nodded, the moisture in her eyes thickening. Wanting to provide comfort, I took a step toward her. She discretely held up her hand to stop me. Hunter surveyed us for a moment, then said, “I’m sorry my father fired on you.” Genuine concern softened his face as he focused on Nika’s blood-stained jacket. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she whispered, not looking him directly in the eye.
“Nika…I need to know how badly you were hurt. Show me, please?” he pleaded.
Nika hesitated, then slowly unzipped her jacket. Shrugging it off her shoulder, she exposed her injured arm. Gabriel’s bandage around her bicep was thick, but a trace amount of blood was seeping through it. The pain from it still burned through Nika, and I grit my teeth. What she referred to as a “graze” was much deeper than that, almost a through and through.
Hunter inhaled a quick breath as he took in her wound, then he shut his eyes, like he couldn’t bear to look at it anymore. “I can’t believe he… I’m so sorry, Nika.”
Ignoring his apology, Nika slipped her jacket back up and changed the subject. “Are you and your father the ones who are answering ads for feeders?”
Hunter’s jaw dropped as he opened his eyes. “You know about that?”
Nika swallowed, getting her answer in his question. “So, you are killing vampires…”
Hunter took a step toward her, and, from somewhere in the night, a low growl filled the air. Hunter’s eyes snapped to me, and that was when I realized that I’d made the intimidating sound. Abashed, I straightened from the half-crouch I’d unknowingly ducked into. Keeping his distance from Nika, Hunter responded, “I’m hunting monsters. That’s what I do.”
Nika settled her hands on her hips. “They aren’t running through the night ripping out throats, Hunter. They’re taking small amounts of blood from willing participants. You’re oversimplifying things again.”
Hunter narrowed his eyes. “And you’re being naïve again. You think all of those ‘willing’ participants get to leave? You think they all realize what they’re giving up when they walk in the door? Vampires don’t come out and ask for blood. It’s a lot subtler than that.”
Face defiant, my sister snapped, “You would know.”
Hunter gave her a stiff nod. “Yes, I would know. I’ve been doing this a really long time, and I’ve seen things that would make you change your mind.”
“Like what?” Nika challenged.
“Like children.”
The words hung in the air, and Nika and I both stared at Hunter in disbelief. I wasn’t sure what he meant by his statement, but it sent a shiver down my spine. Nika’s too. Shuddering, she asked, “What do you mean?”
Seeing Nika’s anger diminish, Hunter stepped toward her again. This time I let him. In a low, comforting voice, he said, “I knew this girl who was obsessed with vampires.” He smirked. “‘Twilight-crush’ is what Dad and I call it. Anyway, she came across an ad that we found, and she snuck out to meet the bloodsucker…”
Hunter’s eyes misted over and his lip began to tremble. Nika raised her hand to touch him, then stopped herself. “By the time Dad and I got there…she was dead…drained.” Hunter sniffed, then lowered his head. “She was thirteen, Nika, and completely—”
“Innocent?” Nika whispered, cutting him off. “She was the innocent girl your dad was referring to last night, wasn’t she?”
Hunter lifted his head, then nodded. “I tried to get her to see what they really were, but I failed, and she paid the price.” Dark memories clouded his face, as he looked out over the empty plaza. Well, empty to him. I felt the pinpricks of my family out there, waiting to pounce. I also felt Nika’s turmoil. She wasn’t sure if she could do this to Hunter. A part of her wanted to tell him to run.
Unaware, Hunter continued reminiscing. “Dad and I tore up the city after that, destroying any nest we could find.” He looked back at Nika. “We would still be down there, but things got a little…hot, and we had to make a run for it.” His jaw clenched, and it was pretty easy to see he didn’t enjoy running from a fight.
Knowing what he was referencing, I asked, “Los Angeles, right? You got kicked out of L.A.?”
Hunter’s irritated eyes snapped to mine. “We didn’t get kicked out…but, yes, we had to leave. They got too close to…” His eyes narrowed again. “How did you know that?”
A surge of cockiness hit me, and I crooked a grin. “You have your sources, I have mine.”
Hunter let out a controlled exhale. “That prick vampire is here, isn’t he?” His dark eyes shifted between my sister and me. “The ancient one. The one who leads the largest nest in Los Angeles. They say he’s well-connected, almost impossible to kill. You two know him, don’t you?”
I bit my lip and glanced at Nika. I’d said too much, and now Hunter was aware that Gabriel was here in Salt Lake. I doubt he knew Gabriel was currently lurking in the plaza with my grandmother, but he knew that the vampire who’d chased him out of L.A. was close by. It didn’t matter, though. After tonight, what Hunter did or didn’t know would be irrelevant. He’d be a clean slate once Halina was done. He might not even remember his own name.
Nika took a step forward, until she was directly in front of Hunter. Hunter’s scowl evaporated at her nearness. My family members all surged forward, but Nika held up a finger behind her back, and they stopped. I wasn’t sure what to do. It was my responsibility to keep Nika safe; I was her first layer of protection. But she was so close to him now that he could potentially drive a stake through her before I could yank her away. Nika clearly didn’t think he would, but I wasn’t as convinced.
Even though her expression was calm, Nika’s heart was racing. Whether that was from excitement or fear, I couldn’t tell. I was on edge when she asked, “What really happened to your sister?”
Hunter closed his eyes. “She died. I don’t know how many times you want me to say it.”
“By a vampire?”
Hunter opened his eyes, a frown on his lips. “No…cancer.”
Perplexed, Nika asked, “Then why are there fangs on her urn?”
Hunter’s lips curved into a slight smile. “It’s tradition in my family. A badge of honor, so to speak. All hunters’ graves or urns are marked with the symbol.” He shrugged. “Mine will be too, some day.”
Nika’s face fell. “So, she was a hunter, like you?”
Hunter scoffed and shook his head. “No, she was much better than I’ll ever be. She was amazing.”
“Oh.” Nika swallowed and backed up a half-step. A small smile on his face, Hunter didn’t seem to notice she was retreating.
“Yeah, she’s the one who realized vampires were placing ads for victims. She’s the one who came up with the idea of answering the ads.” A prideful smile on his face, Hunter shook his head. “And she’s the one who realized they’d be easier for us to stake if they were busy eating. She volunteered her blood, let them bite her.” Hunter’s smile faltered. “I didn’t want her to take that chance, but she was already dying so she said it didn’t matter if they killed her. She told me that if it meant Dad and I could destroy the monsters without a fight, without us even getting a scratch…then she’d gladly die.”
Expression solemn, Hunter whispered, “She was a hero, Nika.” Grabbing the collar of his shirt, he pulled the fabric over to expose his shoulder. Above his collarbone was a vampire bite. It was faded, nearly-healed, but my sharp eyes still knew what it was. “I only hope I can be half the hunter she was someday.”
Nika gasped, her hands flying to his clothes to examine the aged wound more closely. I bristled at her touching him, but Hunter didn’t move as her fingers traced the bite mark. “Are you insane, Hunter?” she murmured. “You’re letting them bite you?”
Hunter shrugged. “With my sister gone, someone has to be the bait.” Ducking down, Hunter met Nika’s eye. “And what’s the problem? You seem concerned that I’m letting ‘harmless’ vampires take a small amount of blood from a ‘willing’ participant.”
Nika froze and removed her fingers from Hunter’s shirt. Irritation flared in her at hearing Hunter use her words against her. Just as she seemed about to respond, Hunter’s expression shifted to confusion. He grabbed her hand when she pulled away, clenching her tight. My reflexes kicked in, and I blurred to her side. Fangs lowered, I shoved Hunter away from her. Another one of my growls ripped through the night as Hunter was propelled backward a few feet. Nika turned to me while Hunter crashed to the ground.
“He wasn’t going to hurt me, Julian,” she reprimanded.
As I gaped at her, she rushed to Hunter’s side. I looked over to where I could feel my father. Even though I couldn’t see him, I lifted my hands in a What the hell? expression. I had to believe Dad wasn’t happy that Nika was tending to her injured boyfriend. If she got too close to Hunter, Dad might go back on his word and attack him without her permission. Actually, I was a little surprised they were still holding back…especially Halina; I could sense her pacing in agitation as she waited for Nika’s word.
Kneeling beside Hunter, Nika helped him sit up. Hunter glared at me, then shifted his focus to Nika. “I don’t understand you,” he whispered. He held up his hand, showing me his bare palm. Well, bare except for the slim metal chains that connected his rings to his wrist. Slowly, deliberately, he placed his palm against Nika’s cheek. Other than furrow her brow, Nika didn’t react. Hunter shook his head, even more confused than before. “You’re a vampire, I’ve seen that much, but why don’t you react to silver?”
Removing his hand, he grabbed a metal strand. “All vampires react to silver. That’s a basic fact that even the most simple-minded person knows. It’s Vampirology 101.”
My eyes widened as I stared at his jewelry. It wasn’t just jewelry…it was another weapon. If a vampire was close enough for him to touch them with those silver chains lacing his palm, he could hurt them enough that they’d back away. A hazy memory formed as I stared at those chains. A vague recollection of Hunter touching my face with them broke through my drug-induced fog of the Halloween party.
Irritated, I pointed at his hand. “You touched me with those! You tested me!”
Hunter looked up at me. “Your fangs weren’t plastic knockoffs. They looked so real…I had to know if you’d been turned.” His brow scrunched. “But you didn’t react to the silver.” He looked between Nika and me. “I’ve seen both of you in the sunlight, I’ve watched both of you eat food… Vampires aren’t supposed to be able to do either of those things. I don’t understand…what are you?”
Nika sighed as she sat back on her heels. “I told you, I’m a mixed species…a half-breed.” She pursed her lips. “Or a sixteenth breed…something like that.”
Hanging his wrists over his knees, Hunter shook his head. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Ever. I’m blown away by you.”
Nika flushed, taking that as a compliment. Hunter glanced at me, then slowly reached out to touch her again. I was on high alert, but I let him. Nika held her breath as his fingers touched the artery in her neck; it was surging with blood as her heart pounded in her chest. I was pretty sure it was from excitement this time.
Amazed, Hunter whispered, “You have a heartbeat. You’re alive?”
Nika grabbed his hand, holding it in hers. “I told you I was. I’m completely alive, Hunter.”
His face fell into despair. “But you have fangs? You drink blood?”
Nika averted her eyes for a moment. When she returned her gaze to his, her fangs were lowered. Hunter instinctively shot to his feet and backed away from her. She stood with her hands out in placation. “I’ve never had human blood, and I’ve never bitten anything. But yes, it’s in my nature. It’s a part of who I am…but it’s not all I am.”
Hunter grunted and ran his hands through his hair. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. You were just supposed to be this sweet, beautiful girl I was falling for…”
Nika grabbed his hands, her heart in her eyes and pain in her chest. “That’s who I am! I’ve never lied to you!”
Hunter jerked his hands free, and I felt Nika’s heart crack. “All you’ve ever done is lie to me!”
A tear rolled down Nika’s cheek as she lamented, “This is how I was born! I haven’t hurt anyone! Why do I deserve a stake in my heart when I haven’t done anything wrong?”
Hunter flinched at her words, but raised his chin as he answered her. “You’re…unnatural.”
Pain and anger battled within my sister’s soul. Pressing her body against Hunter’s, she bit out, “Does this feel unnatural? Did it feel unnatural when you were kissing me? When you told me you wanted to rip my clothes off and take me?”
I heard a low growl in the night that didn’t come from me this time. Luckily, Hunter was so absorbed in Nika that he missed it. I was pretty sure Dad was restraining himself from zipping over here and tossing Hunter into the next county.
It was clear by his befuddled expression that Hunter was at a loss. Their bodies still flush together, he finally sputtered, “It didn’t feel unnatural then. But it does now…”
Nika choked back a sob as she stepped away from him. “I thought you said you were in love with me?”
Looking like he was holding back a sob of his own, Hunter told her, “I am in love with you. I love you so much…and I hate myself for it.”
Shaking her head at him, Nika whispered, “Go ahead, Dad. We’re done here.”
I instantly felt the multiple streaks rushing toward Hunter. Now that Nika had given my family the okay, Hunter would be taken down and erased in a matter of seconds. He’d be out of our lives for good. Nika’s heart was shattering. She’d opened herself up to Hunter, and he couldn’t accept what she was. Hunter couldn’t see past the fangs, to the beautiful person Nika was underneath. No, that wasn’t entirely true. Hunter could see the person Nika was, and he did love her, despite her heritage. But he resented himself for loving her. He couldn’t accept himself…and that was almost worse than him not being able to accept my sister.
I started to move toward Nika, to offer her whatever consolation I could, but somewhere in the night, a strange twang sounded. A breath later, a heavy shaft of wood sailed through the air. Frozen in curiosity and terror, I watched its flight. Even though my family was a hairsbreadth from my sister and me, they weren’t close enough to protect us, and my sister screamed when a crossbow bolt lodged into her shoulder. Her pain brought me to my knees.
Mom and Dad were instantly at Nika’s side, while Gabriel rushed over to help me to my feet. I couldn’t see my sister as my parents hovered around her, but I smelled her blood in the air and I felt the pain rocketing through her body. Another twang and whistle floated through my brain. Gabriel snarled as he snatched an arrow out of the air, right before it penetrated his chest. Another foot, and it would have hit my chest.
Frantically searching the skyline around the plaza, Hunter yelled, “Father, stop!” but I heard the telltale sound of another arrow being released. This one hit my mother in the back as she kneeled over Nika. She let out an anguished cry, and Dad blurred to her side. He immediately pulled out the arrow, his eyes wide and fearful. A centimeter or two to the left, and the arrow’s sharp point would have punctured my mother’s heart. Hunter’s father was an excellent marksman, and he was swiftly correcting his aim. Somehow, I knew his next shot wouldn’t miss.
Slower than the vampires, Ben finally ran into the plaza. Ducking under the footpath that led to the library’s garden rooftop, Ben hid as much of his body as he could. He scanned the area, searching for the source of trouble, but it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where the attack was coming from. My heart thudded in my ears as I waited for the next barrage. Instead of a twang and a whistle, though, I heard a man scream in pain. My head snapped over to Hunter. Halina was behind him, her mouth firmly attached to his neck. Hunter struggled beneath her, but she was much stronger. Acting fast, Hunter reached up to burn her face with his silver-laced palms, but Gabriel rushed over to him, grabbed his wrists, and yanked the cursed metal contraptions from his body. The silver stinging him, Gabriel immediately tossed the weapons to the ground.
Not giving up, Hunter tried to pull Halina off him with his bare hands, but in the span of a few heartbeats, she drained enough blood from him that he didn’t have the strength to fight her. Hunter’s eyes rolled back as his knees gave way. Holding him upright, Halina pulled her mouth away. Dark red blood flowed from the gash at his jugular, making his black T-shirt glisten in the moonlight. His blood ran in rivulets down Halina’s chin. The gruesome sight made my skin crawl, gave me goosebumps.
Eyes lifted to the night sky, Halina snarled, “Launch another arrow at my family, and I will drain him dry!”
The answering silence was deafening.