Page 93 of Destined for Shadows
“The place is protected,” he said, directing his attention to Lucas. “Try flashing there.”
The nephilim knitted his brows. After a minute, his expression turned disgruntled. “I can’t.”
“But I don’t senseanythingthere. I should be able to pick up a spell or something,” Melena argued.
It was more than a little strange for the sensor to be affected by the spell as well. She might have angel blood in her, but it shouldn’t have mattered with her immunity to magic.
“It appears he’s found a way to thwart all of our abilities,” Lucas replied, taking his mate’s hand. “This isn’t only about Cori anymore. We need to know what he’s doing and how to stop it before our enemies use such an advantage against us.”
Derrick and several werewolves joined them, followed by Micah, Tormod, and the rest of the nerou a few minutes later. Lucas and Melena gave them an update while Bartol continued to watch the house for any signs of life. All was calm as if Griff was waiting for them.
“It will be dawn in forty minutes,” Derrick said, glancing at his watch.
“Damn.” Kariann’s lips thinned. “That means I can’t stay long.”
She was the only vampire who’d made the journey because they’d feared they wouldn’t return before sunrise. Derrick wouldn’t have let her come either, but she’d been rather adamant and agreed to a few conditions.
“You can stay out here for twenty more minutes, but after that you will run back to town and crawl into the body bag in the van.” The master stared her down. “Understand?”
She nodded. “Absolutely. I don’t want to die either, but I want to help if I can.”
Just like a nephilim, she could move very quickly when motivated. Bartol estimated it wouldn’t take her more than five or six minutes to get to safety when the time came. He was impressed she was willing to cut it that close for Cori, though. Most vampires refused to be anywhere outdoors an hour before dawn.
After a few final instructions, they set off toward the house. With the whole group being supernatural, they were able to move fast until they got within a hundred feet of the place. Then it became as if they were moving through a swamp. Bartol felt his powers drain away and each step seemed as if his feet were weighted in cement. He glanced over and noted only the werewolves and Kariann didn’t appear to be struggling. They’d slowed with the rest of the group, but they appeared confused by the slower pace.
“Wait!” a young werewolf shouted when they’d gone about fifty feet. He flared his nose several times. “I smell explosives.”
Another in wolf form barked his own confirmation and pawed at the ground.
Derrick tested the air. “I’m not smellin’ anything.”
Micah grimaced and stared at his hands. “None of our enhanced abilities are working now.”
The young werewolf in human form pointed to a spot a few paces ahead. “There’s a landmine right there.” He adjusted the direction of his finger. “And another there. I’m catching them all over the place.”
They were still not close enough to the house. None of them could flash, and most couldn’t even run. The distance was too far for the wolves to leap. They had no way of knowing exactly how to get through the field without risking setting off a mine, and it was possible their rapid healing was suppressed as well.
“I wouldn’t come any closer,” a man called out.
He came through the front door and onto the porch, hauling a woman in front of him. It took a moment for Bartol to recognize Cori with her face swollen and covered in blood. Rage filled him at the sight of her. He’d known her former husband was hurting her but seeing it was an entirely different matter.
Without thinking, he rushed forward, uncaring of the landmines. All he knew was that he had to get to his mate and take her from that monster. If Bartol’s movements were slower than usual, so be it. He pushed with everything he had to make each step.
“Bartol, no!” Melena cried.
He didn’t make it more than half a dozen steps when an explosion went off. Pain erupted in his body as the flesh was torn from his legs, arms, and torso. He went flying through the air, landing not far from where he started. Pain infused his body. He’d not felt this bad since the last time Kerbasi tortured him.
Kariann hurried over to where he lay. “I’ve got this.”
Picking Bartol up, she ran until she’d put a couple of hundred feet between them and the others. He felt his strength begin to return, though his body didn’t heal as fast as he would have liked. Normally, explosives didn’t take a toll quite this bad on him.
“Here,” she said. “Drink.”
He turned his face away. “I do not…”
“If you want to save your woman, do it!” Kariann jerked his face back toward her, bit into her wrist, and pressed it to his mouth.
Bartol had not needed to replenish himself with vampire blood for healing since he was young. It was something a nephilim might do during their first couple of centuries before they grew stronger, but not something they did after they became powerful.
