Page 12 of Blood Illusions

Their claws scratched the asphalt in a frenzy, casting eerie, bioluminescent light. It was as if their very veins pulsed with an otherworldly force, propelling them faster than any lore had ever described. They left glowing trails in their wake, painting the night with a ghostly luminescence, all converging toward the Fairlane.

“Noooo! One of those things bit his shoulder.” My scream tore through the night as I struggled against Justice’s iron grip. I kicked and pushed, fueled by sheer desperation. But it was futile. His strength was unyielding.

The Fairlane’s headlights flickered in the distance, growing dimmer with each passing second. Damon seemed to move in slow motion, an agonizing contrast to our supernatural speed.

“Stop struggling,” Justice growled, his voice a mix of irritation and command.

My heart pounded fiercely, defiance coursing through my veins. “I’m not going to let my brother die,” I spat back, determination steeling my voice.

“I’ll save your brother,” Justice replied, his tone solemn, unexpectedly gentle.

I snorted in disbelief. “Like I’d trust a vampire.”

His grip didn’t waver as he maneuvered us to a rocky embankment near a river’s edge. “Stay here,” he commanded before darting back toward the chaos.

As if I’d obediently wait while my brother’s life hung in the balance. Fury and fear warred within me, but I knew one thing for certain. I wouldn’t be sidelined in this nightmare.

I tucked my dagger into the sheath at my belt, then scrambled up the jagged rocks of the embankment. Painful shards dug into my palms, but I kept going, driven on by the creatures’ cries and the diamond-blade roar of Damon’s engine. I knew he’d never leave me, but fear that he might do something stupid gnawed at me.

Panting, I clawed up the embankment and unleashed my dagger. Damon skidded the Fairlane to a stop, spraying dirt and pebbles onto our enemies.

Justice threw creatures left and right, keeping away from the car. Blood spurted into the air. I couldn’t tell if it was his blood or theirs. There were too many of them, and they turned on the vampire.

I scrambled to the passenger side and hopped inside. Damon peeled away, leaving Justice to his fate.

I whirled in my seat to look back. “We should help him. He saved our lives.”

Damon stared directly ahead and poured on the speed.

“He’s a bloodsucker like the others.” I heard the guilt in his voice. He didn’t like leaving Justice any more than I did.

Damon never liked running away from a fight.

Two things were for sure. We were outmatched, and Damon was wounded.

A bat rose from the horde of creatures and flew toward the moon. Its flight was crooked. I expected the creatures to change into bats and chase Justice, but they retreated into the cave.

I settled back into my seat, and a tremor of fear raced through me. Damon and I had fought vampires before, cleaning out nests, but we had never fought anything like this. No wonder the other hunters didn’t return.

Damon glanced in the rearview mirror as a smirk crossed his lips. “Well, that’s new.” His voice was laced with his typical mix of sarcasm and understated alarm.

“Damon, you need to pull over so I can fix your wound.”

“I’m fine.” He glanced over at me, his expression turning more serious. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a whole new level of freaky to deal with. These vamps aren’t playing by the rules we know.”

“Please, pull over.” I knew how to get him to stop. “You’re bleeding all over your car.”

Damon relented and parked the car. He put his hand on his shoulder, and blood seeped through his fingers.

I opened my door. “Pop the trunk.”

He didn’t argue and did as I asked. I got out and circled the car, grabbed the medical bag, and slammed the trunk shut. In this line of work, I’d learned how to mend all kinds of wounds. Unless it was fatal, we rarely went to the hospital.

I examined Damon’s shoulder, and he sucked in his breath.

“Sorry,” I muttered.

He stared up at the roof. “Just get it done.”

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