“I won’t. I promise, I won’t leave you,” he lied.
No longer having the strength to move it, his hand rested on her head. Mentally, Foxx reached inside himself. Snagging one of the outside threads that was often used to store and transfer energy, he broke it in two, and attached the end to the little girl’s center thread.
Swallowing hard, his vision flickered as what was left of his energy began to be used to keep Melody from the edge of death.
Harlow…please, hurry up… he thought, as his consciousness slipped away.
* * *
With a large groupof hunters and werewolves behind him, Harlow burst through the doors of the seemingly small and normal-looking church. And it did seem normal enough. But according to the priest who managed to survive being tortured—for now—it was actually connected to a hidden underground tomb.
Just as before, priests rushed to the front, demanding they leave. Despite plans that showed the church was just supposed to be one building with an area for worship, an office, and two bathrooms, more priests spilled out from the back than had even been at the large, multiple building monastery. Ultimately, it confirmed that there was more here than just a church.
A man with graying black hair, dark brown eyes, and pale skin stood firm in front of them all, looking smug and arrogant. “I am Father Samuel. What is the meaning of this?”
Arms crossed, Harlow glared. “I don’t have time for your bullshit. You know why we are here. Show us where you are keeping the vampires. Know that if you refuse, we will not hesitate in using extreme measures to force cooperation.”
“I smell the bodies of a few of those who died in the clearing,” Zane, the red-headed wolf, growled. His pack leader was standing on the other side of him.
“More importantly…Father Samuel has the stench of Foxx’s blood on him,” Santiago said loudly.
Harlow growled, taking a step towards the priest.
Father Samuel stiffened, before snapping, “You dare to let beasts enter this holy place! I’m calling the police.”
Harlow sneered. “You do that, see what they will do. Meanwhile, I’ll be looking around.”
“You have no permission to do so! Block their way!” the man snapped.
The priests moved to action. Standing firm, they formed a blockade with their bodies, stopping them from going further into the church.
Harlow pulled out a pack of papers and tossed them at the man. “Warrants. Now, move.” He didn’t give him time to read them or respond, he just started to push through. At the first punch that came his way, he dodged it. Latching onto the man’s arm, Harlow twisted until he heard it break, before shoving him screaming into the other priests.
What followed…was a riot. Priests shoving, hitting, and screaming. Harlow kept moving forward, mind locked on what the witch had said—that time was running out.
There was a flash of something out of the corner of his eye, and without hesitation, he unholstered his gun and shot. The priests screamed, diving out of the way as the body of one of their own collapsed to the floor, a bullet hole right between his eyes. Harlow stared down at the body, at the knife in the man’s hand, and felt nothing as he watched the blood begin to form a pool near the head.
“You murderer!” Father Samuel cried, while the rest remained shocked but still. The will to fight seemed to have been drained right out of them.
“Looked like self-defense to me,” he heard Iggy say from somewhere in the crowd.
Another hunter he didn’t know chuckled loudly. “He pulled a knife. Hundred percent self-defense.”
“You all are insane!” a random priest cried.
Harlow’s gaze flicked to him, and he moved before the guy knew what was happening, yanking him toward him by his collar. “You will take me to the vampires, now!”
The guy’s eyes widened, but he hesitated.
“You will do nothing!” Father Samuel bellowed.
Harlow swung his gun towards the other priest and shot him in the leg, with a smile on his face. The guy cried out, dropping to the floor, grasping at his wound. “Say one more word and my next shot will be through your head. Though, maybe I should hurt you first? You hurt my partner, didn’t you?”
The man stared, looking horrified and confused. “You…you can’t do this.”
Harlow threw his head back and laughed. “Try me,” he threatened before turning his shark-like grin on the guy in his hold. He pressed his gun to the man’s temple, slowly releasing his collar. “Take. Me. To. The. Vampires.”
Gun pressed to the back of the priest’s head, Harlow followed him into a small office. It looked normal enough; desk, chairs, crosses on the walls. But then the man slid the bookcase aside, revealing a secret entrance to a stone passageway. A group of hunters, human and vampire alike, followed them down into the dark, damp tunnel. The vampires seemed to grow increasingly agitated the deeper they went. They ran across a few priests, but no trouble otherwise.
