Page 47 of Wind with a Chance of Wolfsbane

“Fromthebook,” I said softly. “Our ancestor.”

Mina’s nostrils flared. She glared into the darkness. “I am so sick and tired of people talking about that stupid book! That is not my name!”

In that moment, I wasn’t entirely sure the baddie in the darkness was going to win. My sister looked mad enough to take on the world.

The baddie from the cave laughed more.

I shuddered and, for a second, I was positive bugs were crawling all over me. I jerked around and slapped at myself, trying to get them off me, only to realize nothing was there.

Helen laughed. “Unnerving, isn’t it?”

I shook my head, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of being right. “Why are you doing this? You can’t possibly want to free the demon in here. You have to know that’s crazy, right?”

“I know I’m tired of playing peacekeeper when what runs through my veins is the blood of centuries’ worth of warriors,” she said, sounding certifiable. “Rules and sanctions tie our hands. We fight alongside those who should be our enemies. It’s wrong. Unnatural even.”

“Kind of like aligning yourself with the evil thing in the dark there?” I asked, finding my backbone. “And coming up with an idea to sacrifice us to it? That’s not unnatural?”

Mina snorted. “We’re not going to be human sacrifices for your pet demon thing.”

“I am no one’s pet,” said the voice from the darkness. “They live now because they have the power to free me from this prison. I do not serve them.”

“Really?” I demanded. “If you’re such a baddie, then walk out of here.”

He hissed.

Mina stepped back, pushing on me as she did. She guided us in the direction of the cave opening. Toward the Weird Sisters and Naked-Guy.

“They can’t help you,” said Helen as her smile widened.

A second later, the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air came from behind us.

Spinning, I found Naked-Guy there, with a silver arrow through his upper right chest. I wasn’t sure where it had come from or who had shot it.

Another arrow came at him from the tree line, and the blonde vampire plucked it from the air inches before it would have struck him. A wooden arrow struck her, knocking her off balance. She staggered and fell at the opening of the cave, only to strike an invisible barrier and slide slowly down it.

“Sister!” shouted Raven-Hair, twisting around to look wildly at the forest.

Redhead bent near the blonde, showing real concern.

Naked-Guy didn’t appear to be too injured despite having taken an arrow to the chest. He looked pissed. His bare backside was to us as he faced the forest. “The other hunters surround us now.”

Redhead stood quickly and put her hands out at her sides, her back to us as she hissed toward the woods.

A cold shudder ran through me at the noise she made. If I’d ever had any doubt about how dangerous a vampire could be, it was gone now.

Naked-Guy put his hand on her shoulder.

A wooden arrow whizzed out of the tree line and went directly at Redhead’s face. She caught it and snapped it in half, hissing at whoever was in the woods.

Raven-Hair knelt near Blondie. She yanked the wooden arrow free from her sister and threw it aside before hissing and turning into bats. She reappeared near the tree line, ripping one of Helen’s hunters from the brush. The vampire flashed fangs and tore into the man’s neck with her teeth. She lifted him and flew, holding him by the neck and dropping his body in front of her sister. “Drink. Heal.”

Lester used that moment to come at us. Me specifically.

I’d spent years with my nose in books, not in training rooms. There was no way I could take on Lester and win, but that didn’t leave me running. No. I glared at him as if daring him to touch me.

Mina tried to run interference, but Helen was to her in the blink of an eye. She kicked Mina into the wall of the cave.

I screamed and tried to go for Mina as Lester backhanded me. I went down hard, my ears ringing. He leaned over me and struck me again, shaking his head. “You think you’re so smart.”

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