“I’ll bring the car around,” Shepherd finished, predicting Viktor’s command. “But I gotta go home. I can’t leave Hunter there. I have to know he’s okay.”
Viktor stroked his beard. He kept it short and meticulously groomed, but the silver whiskers on his chin were long enough to pinch. “Then go. But remember we are vulnerable for the next few hours. Be smart. Take the Porsche. We need the Jeep to find a safe place.”
“What safe place?” Blue asked. “If people find out they can kill us, they’ll be visiting every one of our hangouts.”
I looked toward the house when I heard someone running.
When Christian reached us, he searched our faces. “I heard people chattering. Is it true?”
I held up my hand to show him the hourglass.
Viktor looked nonplussed as he tilted his head. “Youheard? You are not affected?”
Christian showed him his palms. No hourglass.
Lenore put her hands on her hips. “Exactly where were you?”
He gave me a loaded glance before answering her. “I had something I needed to take care of. I couldn’t get back inside because of that fecking wall.”
Wyatt stood and dusted off his tights. “You could have bounced through it. Mage light doesn’t affect Vampires.”
Christian stroked his beard. “Perhaps when I saw a man’s bones turn to dust, I decided not to take any chances. Besides that, I drank the cider. I don’t have my powers. When people came running out, I only heard fragments of the story. Are you dead?”
“We have no time to explain.” Viktor watched another car speed away.
Gem pulled off a wet leaf that was stuck to her shoe. “Do you think he really seized Keystone?”
Lenore headed toward the house. “I need to go back inside.”
Viktor gripped her arm. For the first time ever, Lenore was too weak to break from his grasp. “It is too dangerous.”
“So is wandering the streets without a place to stay,” she pointed out. “I need cash.”
Christian folded his arms. “Let’s wait until all the numpties clear out. Then you can go in and we can part ways.”
She smiled condescendingly at Christian. “There’s absolutely no way I’m staying here with those depraved leeches in my house. Aside from that, my guests will be looking to blame someone. I’m not staying here a minute longer than I have to.”
“Christian, go with her.” Viktor released her arm. “Hurry back. We’ll have the cars waiting.”
On cue, Shepherd and Claude sprinted toward the vehicles parked on the other side of the property.
Christian wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.
“What’s this about?” I whispered.
“I always wanted to do this without shattering your vertebrae.”
“You’re still pretty strong,” I grunted.
He drew back and gave me a rueful smile before catching up with Lenore.
“Careful,” I whispered.
But he couldn’t hear me.
“Welp, at least I don’t have to see any freshies for the next few hours.” Wyatt’s jovial attitude in grim circumstances was so typical. “I bet those clowns who dove into the wall and fried themselves are still hanging around, wondering what happened. There’s not even enough of them left to sweep up. Do you know how crazy people get when they don’t see their body after death? They live in denial forever. That’s a therapy session I ain’t got time for.”
“Is that so?” Blue said. “Because you’re one of them now.”
