Page 13 of Awakening the Dhampir

Elliott’s truck pulled into the overgrown parking lot of what looked like an abandoned hotel or maybe a large bed and breakfast. Tall light poles illuminated the area just enough to showcase the aging building and a dozen or so cars in the lot. It wasn’t what we’d initially expected.

Conrad’s vampire kiss employed several non-vampires to keep the estate during the day, but they seemed to be gone. We’d even assumed we’d encounter a few vampires once the sun set, but no one showed themselves.

“Didn’t Jonah say there would be guards?” I asked.

“Yeah,” Elliott replied. “Can you sense anyone?”

I rolled down my window and let my magic drift on the slight breeze. I couldn’t sense a single magical signature on the grounds.

“Nothing,” I said. “The hotel is covered by a ward. If they’re inside, I can’t feel them.”

Elliott pulled up to the front door and put the truck in park. We waited for several minutes, but when no one came out to greet us, a pool of dread settled in my stomach.

“What if they took Lorna and moved to another location?” I asked.

Elliott and Damon both growled. Nathan stared at the front of the hotel.

“Can you take down the ward, Kenrid?” our boss asked.

“I can try,” I offered. I wouldn’t know until I put my hands on it.

“Alright.” Nathan opened the front passenger door. “We’ll watch your back.”

We piled out of the truck, and I let my magic stretch farther, just in case I missed something. I couldn’t feel a single supernatural creature. But I could feel the ward around the hotel. It encompassed the entire building, keeping unwanted guests from even reaching the front door.

“Stay here,” I warned. “The ward butts right up against the parking lot.”

Stepping forward, I extended my hands until my palms were mere inches from the barrier. My magic specialization let me see most spells and how they were woven. The more talented magic users could hide their weaves, but that wasn’t the case here.

It looked like Conrad purchased a mid-grade ward to protect his home. Which was stupid. Even if his kiss couldn’t afford to maintain the large estate, they should’ve found the money to protect it. He was the vampire master of the entire region, so how did he not have the funds?

More likely, this was a secondary location selected specifically for its isolation. We were in the middle of the Vermont countryside. The nearest town was at least an hour away. The realization only made me more certain that Lorna wasn’t here.

Time to find out for sure. I let my magic mingle with the spell’s thread. As soon as I found the end, I tugged. It unraveled way too easily. Yes, I was extremely talented, but that was too simple.

“The ward was a joke,” I said, dropping my hands as the ward fell. “Even a low-rated witch could’ve unraveled it in seconds.”

“Then we proceed with even more caution,” Nathan said, striding past me to the front door.

He didn’t bother to knock. He pushed on the levered handle, and the door swung open. It wasn’t even locked. Elliott and Damon shrugged, then followed Nathan inside.

So much for caution.

I hurried after them, nearly slamming into Damon’s back just through the threshold.

The smell of blood made my stomach turn over several times. I pressed my hand over my mouth and stepped around Damon’s massive form. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the sight in front of us.

I’d seen the results of a dhampir massacre before, but I’d never cared for anyone involved. Until today. Bloodied bodies lay scattered among the groups of chairs. Some of them had to still be alive. Vampires turned to dust when they permanently died.

I followed the trail of carnage with my eyes until I reached Lorna. Blood and gore covered every inch of her. Had my magic not been calling to her, I wouldn’t have recognized the creature sprawled out on a loveseat with a bloody vampire draped across her legs.

Conrad Roane might have been alive but just barely. It looked like she opened every vein on his arms and neck. Strips of his shirt fell in shreds across his chest and abdomen, revealing deep cuts that hadn’t healed, probably because he’d lost too much blood. His body couldn’t recover fast enough.

The creature cradling his head in her hands looked up and finally noticed us. A pair of black eyes scanned our group and landed on Nathan. The longing in her gaze sent shivers down my spine. She was a predator, and Nathan would be her prey.

“Nathan, you need to leave,” I whispered. “You and Damon, both.”

My boss nodded and nudged Damon’s side. “We’ll find some gas to use as an accelerant. No one can know what happened here.”

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