Page 16 of Blood Illusions

I couldn’t stop thinking about that place. “Tim, do you think there are people trapped inside that mine?”

“Even if there were, what could you do about it?” he asked softly. “From what you said, those things are ten times more powerful than any vampire either you or anybody else has gone up against.”

Damon put his hand on my shoulder. “If we tried, Sawyer, we’d end up prisoners or dead.”

“I don’t like abandoning the victims. It…it brings back…” My voice choked, and I cleared my throat. “It’s like what happened to Mom all over again.”

Damon’s jaw clenched tight, and his blue eyes darkened with pain like they always did when he thought about Mom. He folded his arms and turned away from me.

I hurriedly brushed the wetness off my cheeks. I had to stay focused, but sometimes I slipped back into being that little girl again who discovered her mommy was dead. Especially when it involved vampires.

He braced his back and glanced over his shoulder. “We have to wipe out the nest.”

Tim looked between us. “What do you need?”

Damon turned, the pain hidden under his mask again. “Explosives. We’re going to blow that vampire hideout. Make it go boom, like the grand finale of a Zeppelin concert. Gotta love a good show, right?”

“Well, come with me.” Tim slid off the chair and motioned.

Tim’s eyes widened, and a wide grin stretched across his face when he reached the wall adorned with a large oil painting of Elvis Presley, hand draped over the neck of his guitar. His fingertips longed to touch the strings as if to make them sing. He traced their outline with reverent admiration. Then, as if by magic, the door slid open, and we slipped inside to an arsenal of weapons for hunters.

There were no guns, of course. To kill a supernatural, you had to get up close and personal. Swords, daggers, bows and arrows, axes—anything with metal, preferably silver.

Explosives were another matter. Fire could kill most of them except dragons. Vampires were allergic to fire and became crispy critters if ignited. Yet there were so many of them at the Shadow Mine that I wasn’t sure if Tim had enough explosives to kill them all.

Damon nodded, a smirk playing on his lips despite the gravity of the situation. He began gathering the explosives, a mix of dynamite and C4. “When in doubt, blow it up,” he quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

He picked up a remote detonator and waved it at Tim. “This the magic button to make things go boom?” Damon’s tone was casual, but his eyes were all business.

Tim handed him a digital timer. “Set this for a delay if you need more time to hightail it out of there.”

“Timer, detonator, explosives. Feels like Christmas came early.” Damon packed the materials into a bag.

He glanced at me. “All right, sis, let’s paint this creepy mine with a bit of dynamite charm. We’ll give these bloodsuckers a fireworks show they won’t forget.”

I nodded, hoping there weren’t any human victims in there. “Setting the timer for a grand exit. Fifteen minutes should give us a front-row seat to the show, far from the blast.”

“Then let’s do this,” Damon announced as he headed for the exit.

I clasped Tim’s arm, my gaze pleading. “You’ll find out if Justice was telling the truth?”

Tim nodded. “I will. You two, be careful. This isn’t the normal walk in the park with these assholes. We don’t even know if that blast is going to kill them.”

I dropped my arm. “That’s a comforting thought.”

Tim’s eyes were wide and full of emotion, an intense mix of fear, love, and concern that no words could convey. He took my hands in his and squeezed gently. “Be careful. I don’t want to lose you or your brother.” He tilted his head toward the exit. “Keep Mr. Hothead under control.”

I forced a brave smile onto my face. “Always do.”

“Let’s get a move on,” Damon called from the bar.

I stayed for one more second, hoping this wasn’t goodbye forever.

CHAPTER SIX

Damon and I climbed back into the car, and he started the engine, filling the cabin with a gentle hum. I wished I could curl up in the backset and sleep for days, but that wasn’t an option. Outside the windows, the black night sky pressed in like a heavy blanket, blotting out what few stars managed to peek through the clouds. The sun wouldn’t show her face for another couple of hours.

I couldn’t shake the uneasiness gripping me and glanced at Damon. “Do you think it’s wise for us to do this at night?”

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