Page 1 of Hell to Slay

Chapter One

Jackson

My brother and I had fought our fair share of demons, bloodsuckers, and even fellow vampires over the years as demon hunters. We’d even contained and distracted bloodcrazed vampires until our fellow agents could bring them bloodbags and help them regain their sanity after their initial frenzy.

But I’d certainly never tried to maneuver a bloodcrazed vampire I cared about to a different location while he was still caught in the frenzy.

Nico wildly snapped at us through the opening between the back of the van and the cab. And every time, Hudson used his innate fire magic to drive Nico back until he inevitably tried again.

It wasn’t just Nico we were worried about. Mel was in danger, and if we didn’t reach her in time…

Urgency zapped around my body, demanding I act. My coven-mate was in danger, and I needed to get to hernow. Instead, all I could do was hold on as Hudson overrode the automated vehicle’s safety protocols to drive across sidewalks and through the park’s carefully manicured shrubs.

He told the AV to back up as close as it could toward the containment wall. Then we both jumped out and slammed our doors closed to keep Nico trapped inside the van.

“Are we really doing this?” Hudson asked as we both ran around to the back.

I explained my wild idea. “Nico went into the frenzy because of Mel. He won’t stop until he gets to her.”

“Do we reallywanthim to get to her?”

A roar from inside of the van warned us of Nico’s next charge as he threw himself against the metal, denting the rear doors. If he kept using his entire bodyweight like that, it was only a matter of time before he broke out… whether or not we wanted him to.

“What other choice do we have?” I asked, my heart in my throat.

If we couldn’t contain Nico, he might attack someone and drain them dry, killing them. We couldn’t let that happen, which would only leave us with one other option — the one Nico himself had once begged of us. I hoped Hudson wouldn’t bring that up. No way would I let him kill Nico. Not if there was still a chance…

“Take these then.” Hudson tossed me what looked like two sticks — flares.

“Seeing Mel will break his frenzy,” I promised Hudson. “It has to.”

“Let’s hope so, because we’ll need him,” Hudson said, reminding me that we had an even bigger problem on our hands — the devil that had attacked Mel.

“Let’s go, then.” I ripped the back door open and then took a giant leap backward to give Nico space.

My flares sizzled to life as Nico smashed through the now-open back doors of the van. Without hesitation, he lunged toward Hudson with his fangs fully extended, but my brother’s flames forced him to reconsider. Self-preservation was the only thing that would help us get Nico up the stairs of the containment wall so he could see Mel.

Hudson used his innate elemental fire magic while I was left with handheld flares to drive Nico away from me. As usual, my innate sensate magic and arcane teleportation offered little to help in this situation. The flares proved effective enough to Nico’s altered state of mind, however. Together, Hudson and I ping-ponged Nico toward the stairs.

Getting Nico up the steps took all of our concentration, so at first we didn’t notice the Wildes coven was being attacked. But when we got to the top of the wall, I saw Mel had fallen to the ground. I dropped my flares and rushed toward her as she climbed to her feet… pulling up short when my gaze caught on her eyes — black from lid to lid.

The final member of our coven had been turned into a vampire like the rest of us.

“Mel, it’s us,” I said, raising my hands in a placating gesture, just as I had with Nico.

Her head tilted to the side, her mouth open, revealing her fangs. With Nico behind us, we were now pinned between two bloodcrazed vampires — our coven-mates.

And just like Nico, Mel lunged toward me, unable to recognize her own coven-mate.

Chapter Two

Mel

Unaware of anything but my insatiable hunger, I lunged toward my prey, ready to sink my fully extended fangs into soft flesh. But my mouth closed on nothing, throwing me off balance.

Something disappeared and then reappeared a few feet away, confusing my hunger-addled mind.

“That’s right, follow me,” the woman said, her metal arm glinting in the faint rays of dawn.

---