Page 24 of Blood Illusions

We slowly made our way to the graves. Justice had piled the bodies in one hole and the heads in the other. Gaping wounds on many of the corpses told tales of terrible suffering before death had mercifully taken them. Flies buzzed around us, and my stomach churned uneasily at the gruesome sight.

Justice glanced at us. “What are you going to do?”

Damon shrugged. “Burn and salt them,” he replied grimly. “It’s the only way to make sure the heads don’t find their way back to their bodies.”

Justice cocked his eyebrow. “Salt?”

I nodded. “It’s considered a pure substance, and it repels impurity, which includes…” I hesitated. “Any malevolent forces.”

“You mean like me.” He turned his head away.

Damon pulled a large gasoline can and a metal salt shaker from the trunk of his car. The pungent, sharp odor of gasoline filled the air, setting my nerves on edge. I took the salt shaker, its faint mineral scent barely noticeable beneath the gasoline’s chemical dominance. As I opened it and began sprinkling salt onto the graves, the air seemed to thicken, the salt’s subtle, oceanic hint lost in the moment.

I wished we could contact the victim’s families and let them know where their loved ones were, but sometimes ignorance was bliss. Most people didn’t know the supernatural world existed, and that was what kept them safe. Knowledge was dangerous.

Damon moved with a grim determination, standing over each grave to pour gasoline in long, sweeping arcs. The gasoline’s smell grew even more overpowering, stinging my nostrils and making my eyes water. The thick, acrid odor seemed to stick to the inside of my throat, a constant reminder of the task at hand.

Justice’s jaw tensed, and his eyes lost their spark as he slowly dipped his chin. Silence filled the air, and I knew Justice understood this was the only way to ensure evil supernaturals were not resurrected. I wanted to say something to him, but no comforting words came to mind.

Damon stepped back to light matches and tossed them in. The scent of burning wood and cloth quickly joined the mix. The smoky, charred aroma was harsh and unrelenting, merging with the more acrid, chemical-like smell of the burning fabrics. With every breath I took, I tasted smoke and gasoline.

As the flames flickered and rose, the air became heavy with the most distressing odor yet. Burning flesh. My eyes watered, and I coughed from the sickening, sweetly charred scent. I never got used to the smell.

I watched, fighting the urge to turn away, as the flames engulfed the bodies. Damon’s expression was unreadable, but the flicker of the fire reflected in his eyes, a stark reminder of the grim reality we faced.

The fire eventually began to wane, but the smells lingered, a haunting presence. Damon, Justice, and I stood there in silence, watching until the last ember faded, the weight of what we had done hanging heavy in the air.

This new breed of vampires was powerful, more powerful than any species we’d ever encountered. What if we couldn’t stop them? How many more bonfires would we have to make? There had to be a way.

CHAPTER NINE

Damon grabbed a shovel. I reached for the other one, but Justice beat me to it with a graceful sweep.

His gaze locked on mine.

“I know you can do it, but let me do this.” He grinned, his fangs glimmering in the light.

I glanced at Damon, who was busy shoveling dirt onto the victim’s burned heads. My arms were already aching with fatigue, and every muscle in my body felt like lead. The last thing I wanted to do was to bury the dead and face who we failed to protect.

“It’s all yours.” I stepped away and hugged my body with my arms.

I sat on the car bumper and numbly watched my brother and the vampire shovel dirt.

Justice was twice as fast as Damon. His movements were fluid, inhumanly quick. Each scoop of earth fell perfectly into place as if guided by an invisible hand. The graves were finished in record time. Then again, Justice was a vampire and had used his vampire speed.

Damon met my tired eyes. “We have one more small task to do.”

Justice frowned in confusion. “What?”

Damon glanced over his shoulder. “We’re going to blow up the vamps’ home sweet home.”

Justice looked at him as if Damon had grown three heads. “Are you serious?”

Damon snatched the shovel from Justice and narrowed his eyes. “Deadly.”

Justice held up his hands in an effort to make peace. “They’ll only find another location.”

An evil smirk spread across Damon’s lips. “I don’t care,” he spat.

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