It was especially bright today, the stone floors radiating sunlight that reflected off the snow. I’d forgotten how beautiful Keystone was in the day. How spacious and full of light with its numerous arched windows. How the halls seemed to be never-ending. The only thing notably missing was the residual smell the oil lanterns left behind. They hadn’t been burning them. The statues of winged men observed us, their swords in hand, ready to strike. We rounded the open area by the stairs but didn’t get close enough that someone might glimpse us from below.
With only one impalement stick left and a houseful of Vampires, my hands were surprisingly steady. We’d left a few in strategic locations, deciding if they chased us back upstairs, we wouldn’t be unarmed. This mission required an abundance of patience and careful planning.
I took a deep breath when I reached the door to the interior balcony, which overlooked the front of Keystone. The circular driveway, the private road, and the gate were all within view. This time of day in winter, the stone balustrade railing threw shadows across the floor. That worked in our favor—the intense light would make it difficult for any Vampire to endure for a long period of time. Even Christian couldn’t tolerate being out there on sunny days and often wore dark shades.
I yanked open the door and flashed out, but I stopped halfway when I didn’t see anyone.
“Behind you!” Blue shouted.
A dark man charged at me from the cool shadows near the door. Our bodies clashed, and he fell on top of me, his fangs out. The wooden stake rolled out of view. I thrust my arm out in a right-hand choke hold and squeezed tight, but when I saw him make a fist, I flung him off me. The Vampire went flying toward Blue, who retreated inside. When he struck the wall, pieces of stone crumbled to the ground.
Instead of showing confusion and asking what I was, he came at me again. We fell into a dance—a combination of street fighting and martial arts that Niko had taught me. Everything came instinctually. I thwarted every punch and delivered a powerful kick when he tried to sweep my leg. His double punch took me by surprise, one fist striking my face and the other my shoulder. Pain radiated in my cheekbone, but I felt it healing as I socked him in the gut. He doubled over, gripping his stomach. I flashed behind him and punched him in the kidney.
The Vampire spun around, lifted me up by the throat, and flung me against the wall. When my feet hit the ground, I grabbed his arm and yanked it hard, exchanging places so I wasn’t pinned against the house. This guy was fast and didn’t pause for a second. He reached for my leg but got a handful of my dress instead. The fabric ripped, and I twirled off-balance before landing on my back. As he crouched over me, I kicked him in the face and scrambled out of reach. So much adrenaline was pumping through me that I barely felt the broken bones that were continually mending.
The man erupted with anger, and we started grappling. Vampire blood gave me strength, but if I let him unleash a solid blow on my head or heart, that could knock me unconscious.
He widened his arms, trying to cage me against the wall so I couldn’t flash around him. Blue watched helplessly from the door, constantly looking over her shoulder. But small spaces were familiar territory. It forced me to think and act fast.
I frantically searched for the impalement wood. When I spied it just behind him, I dove under his arm. Everything from that point moved in slow motion. When he noticed me going for the stake, he kicked it with his heel. The wood slid between the balusters and teetered like a seesaw before sliding off.
I jumped to my feet and we clashed. Like something out of a dream, Blue’s cape swished as she anchored her hand on the railing and jumped over the edge.
The Vampire shoved me against the wall and raised me up. He had the advantage of height, but I had legs of steel. I wrapped those babies around his chest and locked them so tight that he wheezed.
“How’s that feel?” I growled. “I can break open a watermelon with these thighs.”
Desperation set in when his ribs cracked, and he let go of my neck. But he failed miserably at getting me to release the death grip I had around his middle. Seconds later, Blue’s falcon swooped into view with the impalement weapon in her talons. She dropped it, and it fell into my hand. I gave him another tight squeeze with my legs, cracking more ribs as I drove the stake through his shoulder.
My enemy groaned and staggered backward before dropping to his knees, my legs still wrapped around him. Making sure the wood didn’t dislodge, I held on until he hit the ground. Once he was incapacitated, I stood up, my hands shaking as pain racked my body.
“Fuck,” I whispered, out of breath.
That fanghole had shaded himself from the sun, and I wanted to kick myself for not checking. Christian had taught me that when entering a room, I should always look behind me. But despite that one mistake, I was proud of myself. Even more, I loved how easy it was working with Blue. We bounced ideas off each other without egos getting in the way.
A trumpet sounded—one like I’d never heard. The note was long and steady, so loud that it put chills down my spine. It was followed by two sharp notes that sounded primal, like an elephant. Blue shifted to human form and approached the ledge.
“What the hell is that?” I asked, joining her side.
My blood ran cold when I looked down and saw Vampires forming a wall around Keystone. If they circled the mansion, there had to be at least two hundred.
“That’s a war trumpet,” she said. “They used them in ancient battles.”
“Where did they all come from? Did you know there were that many?”
She covered her mouth. “No.”
My heart pounded as the trumpet continued the same rhythmic sound, loud enough to wake demons.
An explosion rocked the front of the property. Vampires at the source scattered like debris. Gem flashed up the driveway toward the throng of Vampires and stopped halfway. She wielded an energy ball unlike any I’d seen before. When she threw it, the ball split three ways and sailed toward them. Some of the Vampires moved out of the way, but those who didn’t were incinerated.
I gripped the railing when I caught sight of Christian on my left, powering across the snowy terrain. He was firing a gun, and Vampires toppled over one by one. The team spread out. Niko had his katana drawn, while Shepherd and Wyatt must have been armed with impalement wood. It was hard to make out from this distance what they might be carrying.
When the trumpets changed their pitch and tempo, the Vampires swarmed my team.
Though outnumbered, Christian savagely fought multiple men at once. My heart ricocheted in my chest when an arrow whistled past and landed near his feet.
“The archers!” Blue backed away from the ledge. “If that arrow gets him, it’s all over.” She ran toward the balcony and jumped off. The transformation was seamless. As she shifted, her falcon ascended to the skies and out of sight.
