“Unlike you,” I say.
Vittoria ignores the sarcasm. “I wanted all she wants, but I never enjoyed the confines of being human. I didn’t change. Just learned.”
“Let’s get this done.”
Her expression is long-suffering, but the redhead just sighs and beckons Elliot to follow her. “This way.”
Alone, I prowl the perimeter, slipping through the iron gate and into the backyard that disappears into trees.
But I don’t get far.
Beyond the elegant sweep of stone patio and manicured hedges sits something obscene in its innocence. A swing set, its chains unmoving, and a towering wooden treehouse nestled in the branches of an old oak. Entirely out of place against the fortress of stone behind it.
Then I see the light.
Two narrow beams flicker behind the slatted wood, cutting through the dark. Flashlights. My jaw tightens.
I close my eyes and let the world sharpen. The night exhales. Blood speaks.
Two rhythms reach me. Small. Quick.
Fuck.
Children.
There weren’t supposed to be children here. How had Vittoria and Andrew missed that during their sweep?
I rip my phone out of my pocket to send Vittoria a message, just as gunfire cracks from inside the estate. High-pitched screams pierce the dark from the treehouse, and a figure darts across the grounds.
A flash of gold curls confirms my fears.
Two small girls scramble down the rope ladder, more falling than climbing, and their terror rides the night air. When they spot Elliot barreling toward them, they shriek and scatter in opposite directions.
I’m already moving, sprinting for Monty.
She pivots, instinct narrowing her focus to a single target, and lunges for one of the children. I collide with her mid-lunge and drive us both into the ground. The impact rips the breath from her in a sharp, broken grunt as dirt and grass explode beneath us.
The surprise throws the little girl off balance and her small body pitches forward. Trapped beneath my weight, Elliot claws for her.
I crush her with my power of compulsion.
“Stay the fuck down.”
Snarling, Elliot freezes in place.
I’m on my feet in seconds and standing over the child. Her mouth opens to scream again as she stares up at me, but I hush her.
“It’s okay, no one’s going to hurt you,” I say. I push more power into my words to mesmerize her. “What’s your name?”
“O-Olivia,” the kid says, sniffling.
“It’s going to be all right, Miss Olivia. Look at me and you won’t remember any of this. You and your little friend just had a nightmare from too many scary stories.”
“I want my mommy…”
Fuck. I bet her mother is the woman Vittoria had mentioned was inside the house.
I stare at the girl until her breathing calms, her heartbeat returning to normal.
