Page 47 of Hunt the Dusk
She took a step forward, her lips a sneer. “I’m not the one who’s delusional, Tepes.” The moonlight dimmed, then flared bright and Emelie was no longer a beautiful princess but a bedraggled woman in a mud-smeared gown, hair in wild disarray and a bloody wound on her neck.
The other specters around her changed too, their crisp, clean clothing becoming muddy or torn, their throats mangled and bloody.
“When you stole our lives, you were at your full strength,” Emelie said. “We were too weak to stop you. But now you’re newly awakened, and we have a century’s worth of power between us.” The wind picked up and the moon ducked behind a cloud as if to avoid witnessing what was to come. “Tonight, we will claim our vengeance.”
Yeah, I couldn’t allow that. I grabbed my sword and stepped out of the carriage.
Ezekiel’s shoulders tensed, and I didn’t need to look at his face to know he was pissed off with me for disobeying his order.
But I didn’t take orders from him.
Emelie jolted in surprise at the sight of me, then fixed Ezekiel with a disgusted glare. “You fiend.” Then to me, “Come, we will protect you.”
The ghosts moved closer, bringing with them the crackle of static and the acrid scent of ozone. Every hair on my body stood to attention, dread pooling in my belly even though I was pretty sure they meant me no harm.
I took a step forward, and Ezekiel grabbed my arm.
“Unhand her!” The air whipped past my face as some unseen force slammed into Ezekiel, knocking him back several steps and dragging me with him.
“No!” Emelie’s chest heaved, and I knew instinctively that she was about to blast him again.
“Stop! I’m not a victim.”
“Not yet you aren’t. But you will be. He’ll toy with you, and then he’ll drain you dry just like he did me.” Black stuff leaked from her eyes and dripped down her cheeks. “He’ll make you believe he isn’t a monster. He’ll tell you he’s simply misunderstood, then he’ll take you into the middle of nowhere and tell you to run, to run as fast as you can because he prefers to hunt his prey.”
Ezekiel’s eyes flinched in what I might have thought was a wince of remorse if I didn’t know him better. But I’d witnessed his atrocities firsthand, so Emelie’s story, although horrific, didn’t surprise me.
I yanked my arm out of his grip. “You make me sick. The more I learn the more I wish I hadn’t taken this fucking job.”
“We can discuss your feelings later, Miss Lighthart. Rest assured they are invaluable to me; however, now is not the time for a heart-to-heart.”
“You have no heart,” Emelie said.
“You can’t kill me. You know that,” Ezekiel said coolly.
“I know,” Emelie said. “But I can ruin your year. Damage you so badly that you’re unable to continue. No more victims. No more innocents need die.” Then to me, “Run!”
I was lifted off my feet and thrown to one side. Ezekiel’s bellow of rage was cut off by a loud whoosh. I scrambled up to see him pinned to the ground by an invisible force. His teeth clenched, and his body vibrated.
“Stop!” I scrambled to my feet. “You have to stop.”
Why weren’t the bat boys helping? Dammit, Ezekiel must have ordered them not to interfere. They obviously took his orders seriously, unlike me, and just as well.
I ran at Emelie, swiping my sword through her form.
She misted into nothing, but Ezekiel remained trapped. Blood was leaking from his nose now.
“No!” I swiped at another ghost, and another. They misted only to reform again, continuing their collective assault on the vampire king.
Ice gripped my nape, and Emelie appeared beside me. “What is wrong with you? Did you not hear my account? Can you be so taken with this monster that you would fight for him?”
“I’m not taken with him. I know exactly who he is and what he’s done, but he’s my charge. Mine to protect by The Order of Helsing, and I won’t allow you to hurt him.”
Her eyes flinched at the mention of the Order. “You can’t stop us.”
The atmosphere crackled with dark energy, and it was all directed at Ezekiel, whose eyes had gone glassy, his form almost slack beneath the assault. He didn’t have long, and my blade was useless against these specters.
“You’re right, I can’t stop you. But you can. You talk about protecting the innocent, right? Well, I’m an innocent doing my job. Protect me.”
