Page 35 of The Cursed Fae

The first fireball hit Fishnets between her shoulder blades. She emitted a tinny, high-pitched yowl that could've raised the dead. Instead, it dropped the undead. Seconds later, three more agonized shrieks joined the chorus and her death song.

Mouth agape, I watched with equal parts fascination and horror as fire consumed the undead creatures and purple, blue, and orange smoke filled the night.

More flaming orbs lit up the cove from above, like the heavens rained falling stars to aid in the fight against evil. The reality was less celestial, but way more impressive. Two figures stood side-by-side at the top of the bluffs, launching fireballs as fast as they could conjure them—Morgan and Chance.

I released the breath I'd been holding since Astrid lost her footing. Maybe my promises to Laz weren't lies. Help had arrived, and more of our classmates turned to fight instead of fleeing from the vampires. For a moment, I dared to hope the worst was behind us. Nope. The worst was actually ten feet in front of us. The vampire from California stalked toward Laz and me, oblivious to the fact his band of predators had turned to prey.

Leaping to my feet, I stood in his path, backing up until my heels were against Laz's side.

Our eyes locked, his manic crimson gaze pinning me in place. Blood thundered in my ears. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. My body refused to obey instinct. In my periphery, I saw a flash of light arcing toward the vampire. At first, I let myself believe he didn't see the fireball. That he would join the others in wailing a death tune before turning to ash.

I was naïve. It was always my downfall.

The vampire batted the fireball away with a flick of his wrist, never once breaking eye contact with me. I knew I should feel scared, but I felt hollow inside. A part of me knew this was the end. That part didn't care whether I lived or died. Nothing mattered in that moment. Something in the depths of my soul called to him. He called to mine. Did he have a soul? Was he there to take mine?

“Winter, do something!”

It was only the sound of Archer's voice that broke the spell I was under. Archer. I hadn't seen him since the attack started. With considerable effort, I tore my gaze from the undead monster determined to end my life. Tina and Archer both sprinted through the melee, dodging classmates and bloodsuckers alike. Tina screamed Laz's name, and Archer screamed mine.

Amusement danced in the vampire's crimson eyes. He raised his left hand and twisted his wrist, sending streaks of green lightning toward Tina and Archer. Both dodged the first attack, though Archer had a narrow miss.

The thought of another person laying injured on that beach, particularly Archer, caused something inside me to snap. It was all my fault. The vampires came for me. Innocent people were paying my debts in blood. No more.

Power built fast and furious at my core, bursting out of my pores as an inhuman howl of rage clawed from my throat. A deep-rooted survival instinct took over, guiding my actions. I crouched down and slammed my palms against the icy sand. The power coursing through my veins intensified until I was drunk off the magic. And yet, I continued to draw strength from the elements to fuel my fury.

A translucent gray fog appeared, engulfing me as it spread. The vampire in front of me faltered. Cries of surprise rang out all around us. My pursuer blinked and then turned in a circle.

In a whiplash-inducing sequence of events, he conjured an ice dagger and leapt in my direction. My reflexes were too slow. The dagger pierced my right shoulder. Only, there wasn't any pain. I felt literally nothing. When I looked down, expecting to see the object protruding from my coat, it wasn't there. The dagger was several feet behind me, its blade tip wedged into the sand. What the hell?

The vampire grinned. “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he sang, still searching in the fog. “Dear sister, where did you go? It is time to come out and play.”

My heart sank as his silken words wound around me and squeezed. Time stood still.

I dared a glance at the other vampires. Of the dozen that landed on our shores, only four remained standing. Like the one in front of me, the others were blind to their prey. It wasn't just me who'd disappeared. Whatever I did had affected all living beings on the beach; I could see them, we could see each other, but the vampires had lost sight of the living.

My classmates stood frozen, afraid to make a sound and alert the vampires we were all still there. I was just as scared that we weren't. What had I done?

“What happened? Where'd they all go?”

The California vampire shook his head, a wry smile toying at the edges of his mouth. “It's the girl. Seems she's learned to tap into all that power.”

“What do we do, sire?” asked the only female vampire still standing.

Sire?

Before the one in charge could answer, another barrage of fire soared from the embankment. Four more fae stood with Morgan and Chance, including my great-grandmother. Three of the four monsters erupted into flames, but my vampire was too quick. He was a blur of motion as he zipped toward the closest boat and took off.

Nana Essie waved her hand to produce a bow and arrow made of ice, and then she sent one very pointy projectile hurtling through the air. The vampire turned and caught the arrow right before it planted between his eyes. Using the same pale, bony hand, he blew a kiss toward the beach while locking my gaze with his scarlet one.

A warm hand covered mine. With the danger gone, my magic and adrenaline disappeared in an instant. My head spun until I could no longer see my surroundings clearly. Then there was nothing but darkness.

Chapter twelve

Your Pies Taste Like Lies

Light streamed through the gauzy curtains, pulling me from a dreamless sleep. I rolled over and buried my face in a pillow that smelled like cinnamon. That was the first clue to my location, but my mind wasn't quite ready to greet the day. Then I heard the voices: Nana Essie and my mother.

“She needs to rest, Colleen,” Nana insisted.

---