Page 18 of Blood Illusions

I narrowed my eyes. “What kind of markings?”

He ran his hand through his thick hair. “I don’t know what they are. I took pictures of them and texted them to Dr. Gould. He didn’t recognize them either, and he’s researching them as we speak.”

“That’s a nice little bedtime story you’re telling us,” Damon stated as he edged closer. “I want to see for myself.”

I blurted, “Were there any people down there?”

Please say no, please say no, please say no.

Justice hesitated and looked away as if trying to block out what he had seen. “Yes.” His affirmative confirmed my worst fears.

I swallowed back my trepidation. “How many?”

He met my worried gaze. “Too many.”

Damon flashed his blade underneath Justice’s throat. “Where the hell is our dad?”

Justice didn’t even flutter an eyelash and only raised one eyebrow, unruffled by the cold blade of metal pressed against his skin. “You really think I’m going to tell you anything with a blade at my throat? Kill me, and you’ll never know what happened to your father.” His calm voice didn’t hold a hint of fear.

It should have. Damon’s favorite supernatural to hunt down and kill were vampires.

My lips thinned into a hard line as I glared at him. “Damon,” I drawled out his name.

Damon lowered his sword. “Talk, bloodsucker.”

“Stop calling me bloodsucker.” The hot vampire’s jaw clenched, and he narrowed his eyes. “My name is Justice.”

Damon gave him an I-couldn’t-care-less shrug.

“Stop it.” I stared at Justice. “Where is our dad?”

He kept his focus on Damon. “Someplace safe.”

Damon inched forward, pushing Justice back a step with his stance alone. “You’re cruising to get a stake in your heart, Justice.”

“Look, I’ll take you to your father after we see the cave.”

Damon and I looked at each other warily. The vampire’s voice seemed earnest, but this could be a trap. Vampires were known for winding their glamour around their victims and leading them to their deaths. That was what happened to my mom. Even though she was an experienced hunter, she fell for the trap.

Damon eyed Justice suspiciously. “Why are you so anxious for us to see this cave?”

“Like I told you, there are things in there I’ve never seen before. Not even Dr. Gould knows what they are. But you’re hunters, and maybe you’ve stumbled across this.”

Damon snorted. “I thought the PMC was all-knowing.”

Justice gave him a you’re-pissing-me-off glare. “We never claimed to be omniscient,” he growled. “Our job is to protect supernaturals and humans. Including you, hunter.”

My brother’s face tensed, and fire flickered in his eyes. Justice’s fists were knotted at his sides like he wanted nothing more than to punch Damon’s lights out. Every muscle in my body tensed with anticipation as I waited for World War III to explode between these two.

I held my breath as I watched them square off. It was like watching two wolves silently challenge each other to become the alpha of the pack. The roar of engines passing on the nearby highway seemed to mimic my own beating heart. The bright sunlight illuminated their faces but did nothing to thaw the icy tension simmering between them. My palms began to sweat as I waited for one of them to make the first move.

Someone honked on the highway, and I gasped, my bones nearly jumping out of my skin. I put my hand over my chest, trying to keep my heart from running away.

Justice finally broke the tension. “Do you want to stand here all day, or do you want to go see the cave?”

I clasped Damon’s arm. “Please. We need to find out what happened to Dad.”

He wrestled free from my grasp and headed back to the driver’s side. I glanced around the overlook parking lot. The only car here was ours.

---