Page 89 of A Debt of Darkness

He pulls the hood back and I recognize the dark brown hair. Dark eyes lock onto mine and I exhale, relieved it’s Damon standing in front of me. I’ve known our head of security for years and I’m sure he’s here to help me. He wouldn’t hurt me and always kept me safe, even when the threat came from inside.

My heart leaps and then my stomach sinks. This makes no sense. It isn’t logical. He shouldn’t be here, and as much as he’s highly skilled, he shouldn’t be a match for a vampire coven.

“How the fuck did you get in?”

“We don’t have time, Ivy. There’s about five minutes to getyou out of this fucking mess before all hell breaks loose. You’re dead if you stay here, and you’ve got to trust me now. You can do whatever the fuck you want when this is all done.”

“Henry…”

“Is a vampire,” he says, surprisingly calm. “I know everything. All of it. Rowan has allied himself with a second coven and they’re about to launch an attack. Let’s go.”

I hesitate and stare at the door.

“You love him then,” Damon says, sighing. “You can do whatever you want when this is done, but you’ve got to be alive to make that choice. Let’s go.”

Damon pulls two silver daggers from his back and slides them through my belt loops. They’re the perfect weight for me and although I’m far from expert with them, I’ve got a basic understanding of how to use them. Sharp point in. Aim for the heart or throat.

I swallow. “How’d you get through the door, Damon?”

He turns and his eyes darken. “Henry isn’t as cunning as he thinks he is, and I’m not without my skills. I promised I’d keep you safe. I meant it, Ivy. Let’s go.”

I don’t like this. It doesn’t feel safe. Or right. But staying here feels worse. It’s more dangerous and my instincts tell me I’ve got no choice. Not anymore. I’ve got to trust him and that leaves me no choice but to walk towards whatever the fuck is out there.

“I know what I’m doing.”

I wish I did.

My feet move and I follow Damon, creeping behind him as he opens the door. He checks for danger and we move towards the stairs, quickly descending past the pictures without pausing to consider their presence.

Damon’s alert and on guard. I’ve seen him move like thisin training, but this isn’t a drill. I let my eyes drift down him and finally clock the arsenal of weapons strapped to him. He isn’t fucking around and when he draws knives of his own, I know he’s senses something I wish he hadn’t.

“Change of plan,” he says. “Follow me.”

He leads me into one of the sitting rooms and shuts the door behind us before racing to the window. He pulls a tool from his pocket and kneels, working on the lock keeping the window closed. Seconds later, he frees the mechanism and lifts the sash window. The shutter takes longer and he curses under his breath until he finally swings the heavy metal open.

“We’ll take cover in the woods,” he hisses. “Sprint hard and don’t look back.”

I nod.

“When I say.”

I nod a second time.

The door bursts open and I turn, watching the horror unravel before me. Men burst through it, except they’re not men. Their faces are twisted and vicious, their teeth are bared and their fangs extend, threatening violence as they roar and march forward.

“Run,” Damon yells.

I clamber through the window, dropping to the floor and looking back, expecting to see Damon following. His back is turned and he’s braced, ready to hold back the vampires and buy me time. Precious seconds I’m wasting like a fucking idiot, doing the thing he told me not to.

I turn and run. Hard and fast. My legs stretch and ache as I build up an oxygen debt, stinging as lactic acid accumulates. I ignore their fucking protests and pretend the burning in my chest isn’t there, pushing harder as I charge across the lawn.

The dark gives me some cover, but that won’t matter now,not when whichever coven gets past Damon. He won’t be a match for them, despite his skill, but there isn’t time to stop and grieve. He knew the cost of staying, paying it to give me this chance, and I refuse to waste it.

I reach the tree line and dart into the woods, ducking beneath the branches as I race forward. I’ve made this run before and last time Henry found me. This time, the consequences of being caught could prove fatal.

The woods are darker tonight. There’s no moon and it’ll give whoever’s chasing me an advantage. Their vision will be better, but they hardly need the advantage. They’re already stronger, faster, and more experienced than me and vampires can track by scent.

The odds aren’t in my favor.

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