Page 23 of Blood Illusions

A lump rose in my throat. Without thinking, I reached forward and closed her eyelids, a silent apology for not being there in time.

“You really don’t have to do this,” Justice insisted behind me. “No one would think you’re not tough as nails.”

I glanced over my shoulder. “This is my job. I can take care of myself.” It had taken all my strength to keep my voice steady.

“Maybe you should let someone take care of you.” His words were like a soft caress, but I kept my guard up. Mom had fallen for such talk, luring her away from Dad to her death.

I gritted my teeth. “I’m fine.” I lifted the machete and brought it down on the poor woman’s throat again and again.

The machete sliced through the air. A sickening thud sounded as it made contact with her neck. I kept going until, with the fourth strike, her head rolled away from her body.

Justice snatched her head and tossed her headless body over his shoulder. He sped away, turning into a blur as he left the cave.

I drew a sobering breath and moved on to two smaller victims, a boy and a girl. They didn’t even look like they were out of elementary school. They had the same bone structure, and I wondered if they were brother and sister. My stomach churned at knowing what I was about to do. Like the dead woman, I knelt and closed their eyes. Tears blurred my vision, but I forced myself to do the grisly deed at hand.

I raised my machete to lop off the girl’s head, but someone grabbed my wrist hard.

“Let me,” Justice offered, his eyes pleading. “Please.”

“I can do it.” I wanted my voice to be stronger, but it shook uneasily.

He gave me a surly smile. “I know you can, but please let me do this. You can do the next one.”

I wanted to argue, but hacking up children wasn’t on my fun-to-do list.

He gently took the machete from me. “Why don’t you go find the next body? I don’t think you want to watch me do this.” His gentle voice was low, laced with sincerity and something that warmed my insides.

I hugged my body with my arms and tried to ignore the two thuds I heard behind me. A tear slid down my cheek, then another one. I bit my trembling lower lip. Those poor kids didn’t deserve to have their lives cut so short. Like the woman, I wouldn’t be able to forget their terrified looks. This was Mom all over again. She didn’t deserve to have her life cut short, either.

I hated vampires. I fucking hated them.

Damon’s warm hand brushed against my arm. He searched my face for the truth. “Sawyer, are you all right? Where’s Justice?”

I swallowed the bile in my throat. “I guess I am a closet withering violet. Justice took care of those two kids.”

His eyebrows knitted together, then he embraced me in a comforting hug. “I would have done it. All you needed to do was ask.”

Tears stung my eyes as I exhaled a shaky breath. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t know why this is affecting me so badly.”

He squeezed my hand tightly. A sweet look of understanding shone from his deep blue eyes. “Because it reminds you of Mom, and you’re worried about Dad.”

I looked up at his taut face. Tight lines tugged at his eyes and mouth. I tilted my head and gave him a small smile. “I’m not the only one.”

Soft footsteps approached us. “How many more are there?” Justice sounded weary as if what he’d done was hard for him, too.

Damon glanced over his shoulder. “I took care of six, but I think there’s a dozen more. These vamps were hungry and messy.”

I stretched out my hand. “I’ll take that back now, please.”

“I can do it,” Justice protested as he kept his arm close to his side.

Damon pushed him with his palm. “No, you’re on pickup patrol. Give her the machete.”

Justice sighed but reluctantly gave the weapon to me.

For the next hour, we trudged through the cave and scoured every nook and cranny for more dead bodies. My arm throbbed, and my clothes clung to me in soggy patches as I imagined what horrors these vampires must have inflicted on their victims. The vamps must have been having a feeding frenzy. They were ten times worse than sharks.

We stepped from the cave, and I squinted my eyes after being in the darkness for so long. Every muscle inside me hurt, and my stomach swished back and forth uneasily, but not as badly as my heart. Damon and I hadn’t been able to save these people, and they died horrible deaths.

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