Page 108 of Obsessed in Blood
No one guarded the scarred wooden door at the back of the basement. Devon pried it open, and the first thing that hit me was the damp, earthy smell of what I imagined a grave would smell like six feet under. I thought I picked up the scent of the sea, but my imagination was playing tricks.
“Stay directly behind me, and I’ll help you around any obstructions. Otherwise, just walk normally.” He took my hand and led me into the darkness.
“Do you know how long the tunnels are?”
“A hundred yards or so. Maybe a bit longer.”
I checked my watch. We were behind schedule, and Devon moved quickly but cautiously. He slowed several times to talk me over or around obstacles, and I tripped over small rocks, but Devon kept me upright.
It seemed like we were walking forever before he came to an abrupt stop.
“Are we there?” I whispered, not sure if there were vamps or some other impediment, but then I smelled it. The salty air. And if I listened, I could vaguely hear the sound of waves. He moved slowly now as we crept toward the exit to the beach.
A low light emanated from the entrance, the quarter moon providing enough light for me to make out shadows and rocks.
“Stay close to me. I can’t see them, but I don’t think we’re alone.”
“Decker and Lucas?”
“I don’t think so.”
Great. More vamps. Lorenzo must have been expecting this, or just covering his bases. Did Lucas, Raquel, and Hamilton escape, or were they lying dead on the beach?
We crept out, keeping to the side of the cave, and then once outside, stuck close to the wall of the cliff that ran straight up. There would be no exit that way without climbing gear. I squinted where I heard the soft waves hit the shore but didn’t see a boat.
Two shadows raced from the far side of the beach, dodging around rocks, and Devon ran to meet them. I followed and whipped out my dagger, preparing for their attack strategy, and almost face-planted into the rough terrain.
One of them turned toward Devon, who had taken a defensive posture with no weapon. Pure brute force was his only offense. It typically worked.
The second one sported a sloppy grin if I was seeing him well enough in the low light. He looked like someone who’d drawn the long straw and I was his reward. He ran full bore, not slowing the closer he got. I stood my ground until his smile began to fade, no doubt wondering if I knew something he didn’t. I did.
When he was within striking distance, I dropped to dodge his grab and twisting to my left, swung out my right leg, tripping him. I hated the move because it would leave a lovely bruise on my shin, but it was effective. I jumped up and slammed my foot on his back, wishing I’d worn more substantial shoes. But it did the job, and I stabbed his lower back, aiming for a kidney. He went slack, and I assumed I hit my mark.
I turned to find Devon rushing toward me, but when he was within a couple of feet, he turned around. And I saw them.
A dozen vamps came at us. There was no way we could beat back that many. They didn’t rush but branched out to circle us. I glanced at Devon, and he nodded.
I wish I’d practiced what I was going to do with more than a handful of willing vamps. But I had to believe, so I sheathed my dagger and reached for the necklace that hid beneath my bodysuit. I grabbed the medallion in my fist and, taking a deep breath to settle my nerves, closed my eyes and called for Colantha.
Within seconds, a construct appeared.
We were in a dark circular ceremonial room. Long, narrow black tapestries hung on the stone walls and circled the room, each with a large red graphic symbol that repeated in threes—the Blood Poppy, an ibis, and a dagger. Spotlights were above each tapestry, illuminating the symbols. The floor was stone, and the only furniture were fifteen tall-backed, heavy wooden chairs that repeated the circle formation in the middle of the room. Colantha, Devon, and I took up three, and Lorenzo’s vamps occupied the other twelve.
The vamps were wide-eyed as their eyes bounced around the room, maybe searching for a door where there wasn’t one. The only way in and out of this construct was through Colantha. Not that the vamps could move. They were held against the chairs as if some invisible force were at play. And in a way, that was a fairly accurate assessment.
Colantha’s eyes were pure white. I’d never seen that before, but she must be using a massive amount of power to hold the twelve vamps in place. Suddenly, one disappeared, and a minute later, I screamed as something slammed down on my right hand, and I heard the crunch of bone. Tears sprang to my eyes as I comprehended what had happened. One of the vamps had somehow escaped and must have stomped on my hand or slammed a rock on it. But if they’d hoped to pull me out of the construct, I refused to give them the satisfaction.
Seconds after I’d given the blood-curdling yell, Devon disappeared.
“Stay with us, Cressa. Trust in Devon.”
I held my breath, then released it in short gasps as the pain throbbed mercilessly, and when I glanced down, several fingers were clearly broken, already swelling along with tinges of a bruise. Then the pain was gone.
My gaze flashed to hers.
She shook her head. “I can’t heal you, but I can remove the pain, at least temporarily.”
I nodded. I’d take whatever relief she could provide.
