Destined for an Early Grave

Bones didn't glance away from whatever he'd been looking at in the distance. "Then now is the best time. Fabian, keep a lookout on the road. At the first sign of Gregor or his men, you come warn us."

The ghost nodded, his see-through features taking on a determined expression. "I won't fail you."

For about the dozenth time today, I wished I could hug Fabian. Never did I expect to be so indebted to a ghost, but I owed Fabian more than I could repay. After the disastrous party, Fabian had the presence of mind to follow Gregor, haunting the trunk of whatever vehicle Gregor drove or hitchhiking on various people who happened to be near Gregor. True to undead prejudice, Gregor hadn't seemed to realize he was being spied on, even if he or one of his people might have glimpsed the ghost. Always pride before a fall.

Fabian's hardest task after finding Gregor's hiding place was to contact us and let us know about it. It's not like a phantom could use a phone, e-mail, or pass on a letter. Factor in the same dismissal of ghosts that had made his spying possible, and Fabian had had a hell of a time getting a vampire ally to listen long enough to start the chain of calls that eventually reached Bones.

Until we arrived, we hadn't even been sure that Gregor would still be in this house. It took a full day and a half from the time Fabian left the vicinity to the time Bones was handed that cell phone from the very bewildered member of Mencheres's staff. Then another several hours to get to Moldova, then a couple hours of reconnaissance to determine this wasn't a trap. Not that I doubted Fabian's loyalty, but there was always the chance that Gregor had recognized the ghost and put two and two together. So far, though, it seemed like those in the house had no idea they were about to be attacked.

I gave a worried glance at the sky. All that was good news. The bad news was, dawn was only about half an hour away.

As if hearing my thought, Bones met my gaze. "You should stay back, Kitten."

My first instinct was to argue. Vehemently, and with lots of profanity. That was my mother trapped in the house, so I damn well wasn't going to sit back and just hope things went okay.

Then I looked around the faces staring back at me. Everyone here was risking their lives on my mother's behalf, plus breaking undead laws on top of that, and I was the only one susceptible to the dawn. Sure, now I could stay awake and even walk when sunlight hit, but fight? No. Not even if my mother's life - or mine - depended on it.

"I'll stay," I said, seeing Bones's brows go up like those were the last words he expected to hear from me. "Give me the detonator. We might need the diversion if Gregor returns before we have my mom safely away."

Spade nodded, handing over the detonator he'd had located in his belt. Several packs of TNT had been strapped to the trees, as close to the house as we dared to plant them without being seen. In a fight, the explosions wouldn't harm any vampires or ghouls, unless they happened to be right next to the trees when the bombs went off, but they would make a hell of racket. And sometimes, distraction made all the difference between life and death - or escape and capture.

Bones gave me a quick, hard kiss. "I won't return without her," he promised.

"Don't say that." The words were out of my mouth at once. "If something happens, if it's too dangerous to get her now, you come back to me. We'll find another way."

Rodney began crawling through the brush. Spade gave me a somber look and followed. Bones caressed my face once, then left as well. So did Fabian. I stayed where I was, not needing binoculars to watch their progress toward the house. There were four guards outside and, according to Fabian, at least eight more inside, plus Cannelle. The element of surprise would be all the advantage they had, outnumbered four to one, and I doubted Gregor had left weak vampires or ghouls as guards.

Even though the distance was less than two miles, it took the three men over ten minutes to crawl there, barely disturbing the long grass around them. I was almost a wreck by the time they approached the house. A jumble of fear, hope, frustration, and nerves made me feel like I could jump out of my own skin. Did the guards have instructions to kill my mother at once if there was an attack? Could Bones, Spade, or Rodney get to her in time, without getting themselves killed in the process? Oh God, please, let this work.

I couldn't help it; I began to crawl closer, promising myself to only get within a mile. Just close enough to really see what was going on. The scattering of trees made for a skewed view of the house.

The ground was free of tall grass within thirty yards of the house, so there was no more coverage for Bones, Rodney, and Spade to sneak up in. Everything in me tensed as I saw the three men rise at the exact same time to charge the house.

Shouts of alarms came from the four guards, but I was savagely pleased to see how fast they were cut off. Bones took two down himself, one from a distance by throwing silver into his chest, and the other by an up-close twist of the same metal through the guard's heart. Spade and Rodney made short work of their two guards, then, from different angles, the three men entered the house.

More shouts came from inside. I crawled faster, keeping low but within eyesight of the house. Gunshots barked in terrifying staccato from what sounded like automatic weapons. A feminine voice rose in a furious, accented screech. Cannelle. Remembering her kicking my mother while holding a leash made me want Cannelle dead almost as much as Gregor.

I'd made it to the mile mark when Fabian came streaking toward me, waving his ghostly arms.

"Gregor's returned!" he exclaimed.

Oh shit. "Go tell Bones," I said, taking the detonator out of my belt. I eyed the sky with mounting despair. Definitely too close to dawn for me to risk jumping into the fight, but I could still press some buttons. That much I could do to help.

Fabian disappeared through the structure of the house, not bothering to use one of the smashed front windows as an entry point. I waited, counting off the seconds in a frenzy of tension until he came out, hovering near the roof. It looked like he pointed to my left, which was where the screech of tires had come from. Damn Gregor for being a clever bloodsucker. He wasn't going to drive right up to the house and provide an easier target. No, he'd come through the trees and brush to make his own ambush instead.

I waved at Fabian, careful to stay low, and the ghost dove down and seemed to disappear into the ground. He came up moments later right in front of me, startling me at how he was all of a sudden inches from my face.

"Tell me where they are," I whispered.

Fabian disappeared below the dirt again. I waited, the following seconds like a blowtorch on my nerves. Then Fabian's ghostly head popped up from the dirt like a hazy gopher.

"They're circling around." His voice was so soft, I could hardly hear him. "They're heading this way, but a little farther up than you are."

I smiled grimly. That would put them right near the TNT strapped to the trees. Come on, Gregor. Show me where you are.

My wish came true when I heard the stealthy sounds of movement in the brush not fifty yards from me. I waited, counting off the distance. Twenty yards. Ten. Almost there. Almost...

I blew the charges right as Gregor and his guards passed the closest to the most-heavily-rigged trees. The explosions went off, one after the other, scattering Gregor and the others with their confusion over what might blow up next. It was also my very loud signal to Bones that they had to pull out, now, whether they had my mom or not. With the dozen guards Gregor had with him, it would be dicey making it out alive ourselves. We couldn't afford to wait any longer.

I glanced at the ever-brightening sky with loathing. If only it were an hour earlier, I could fight! I could help get my mother, or draw off some guards, or just do something, other than hide to keep a bad situation from getting far worse by being captured.

A window in the house exploded outward, two forms hurtling through it onto the ground. I recognized them and had a second of cold satisfaction when I saw Bones, his arm locked around Cannelle's throat, give a hard twist, jerking Cannelle's head off. Adieu, bitch, I thought, seeing him shove her lifeless body aside. But my moment of victory was short-lived. Gregor shouted an order in French and all twelve of his guards rushed at Bones.

I was already on my feet, forgetting about staying hidden, when Spade burst out of the house. He flung silver knives at the undead horde who'd descended on his best friend, drawing their attention to him instead of only on Bones. Coward, I thought viciously, seeing Gregor stay where he was near the far corner of the house. What will you do, Dreamsnatcher? Will you run while you have a chance, or risk your life to stay and fight?

The front door was kicked open. I gasped, seeing Rodney come out with my mother in his grip. Her arms were around his neck, and she was moving. She's alive. Oh, thank God.

Gregor snarled something and drew out a sword. Rodney paused, swinging around with my mother still in his arms. Gregor's sword seemed to flash in the predawn light as he strode toward them.

Bones and Spade were each battling half a dozen vampires apiece. Neither one of them could help Rodney. I ran, pulling knives from my belt while cursing. Gregor was too far away for me to hit him. God, why couldn't I run any faster?

Rodney set my mother down, caressing her bloodstained cheek for just an instant, then turned to meet Gregor. He only had two knives left in his belt, and Gregor was far stronger than he.

"Gregor," I yelled.

That ash-blond head jerked up as he saw me running flat out toward them. "Catherine," I saw more than heard Gregor say.

In that moment of distraction, Rodney flung one of his knives. It hit Gregor in the chest, but from how quickly Gregor pulled it out, I knew it hadn't pierced his heart. Gregor spun back to face Rodney, his sword slicing the air between them.

Instead of ducking back, Rodney charged. He barreled into Gregor with all of his undead force behind him. Gregor staggered, but didn't go down. The knife Rodney rose to slam into Gregor's chest never made it. Gregor grasped Rodney's wrist with his free hand and flipped him brutally to the ground, using Rodney's own momentum against him. That long sword flashed down in a straight, merciless line.

My mother rushed forward. "Rodney, no!" she cried.

Gregor didn't look up. Not until that blade arced its path all the way through Rodney's neck and came up bloody on the other side. Then Gregor looked right at me. And smiled.

I didn't look away from Gregor's emerald gaze. Not when he kicked Rodney's severed head at my mother, or when he started walking toward me with a measured, unhurried stride.

As if in a dream, I stopped running. Dropped my knives and watched Gregor come. I heard Bones's shout, but it seemed to be from far away. A dull booming began in my chest that I recognized as my heart starting up again, but even that didn't matter. All I could focus on was the unadulterated hatred pouring through my veins, surging in ever-increasing waves, until it felt like I'd explode where I stood.

Which was why it didn't seem unusual to me when the grass around me burst into flames. Through the red haze that dropped over my vision, it made perfect sense. The grass shouldn't exist to be able to soak up Rodney's blood. The house Gregor had used to torture and kill my mother in shouldn't exist, either. In fact, everything here needed to burn. Every. Last. Thing.

Orange-and-red flames raced up the short grass to lick up the sides of the house, tangling out to cover the roof in a writhing carpet of flame. Then the grass around Gregor became an arena of fire, shooting up his legs. Seeing Gregor's legs on fire pleased me, but it wasn't enough. I wanted to see Gregor's skin crackle and split. See everything around him burned into smoldering ash. And I wanted it now.

The trees next to me exploded, but I didn't glance away from Gregor. Burn. Burn. It was all my mind was capable of thinking. Nothing seemed real anymore. Not my mother crying over Rodney's body in great, wracking sobs, or Gregor screaming as flames covered his entire body.

"Catherine, stop!" Gregor yelled.

A part of me was bemused. Why did Gregor think I was responsible for this lovely fire? Spade must have set some new explosives on his way in. Or Bones had. I should get my mother away from here, now that Gregor was occupied with being on fire. But I couldn't make myself move. Those hot, glorious waves of rage pulsing through me had me rooted to the spot. Burn. Burn.

"Kitten!"

Bones's voice broke my trance. I looked at him, surprised that he seemed to be colored red and blue. So was everything else. Bones ripped his blade through the vampire in front of him and threw him to the side. With nothing obstructing my view of him, I saw his face tighten with shock.

His gaze was fixed by my waist. I glanced down - and gasped. My arms were blue from the elbow down, covered in pulsating flames that I somehow couldn't even feel. Orange and scarlet shot out of my hands, scorching everything in my path from my feet all the way to the roof of the house.

Bones ran to me, yanking me against him, ignoring the flames that continued to sprout from me.

"Charles, take Justina!" he shouted, then my feet abruptly left the ground. Through the red/blue haze of my vision, I watched Spade snatch my mother and shoot into the air. Gregor and the house still burned below us, but even now, I saw Gregor rolling on the nonburning part of the earth, dousing the old flames fast enough to keep the new ones from consuming him.

Murderer, I thought, that savageness rising in me again. Red smothered my gaze, and Gregor screamed, rolling faster as more flames erupted on him.

Clouds shifted, allowing a beam of sunlight to sear across my face. It hit me like a roundhouse kick to the head, clearing some of the red from my vision. And at the same instant, Bones sank his fangs into my neck, sucking hard.

The last thing I saw was the blazing colors of the dawn, looking like the flames still burning below us on the ground.