Vampires Dead Ahead (23 page)

TWENTY-SEVEN

It had been twelve days since Rodán was bitten a second time.

Two days since Rodán should have risen as one of the undead.

Four days since we returned from Otherworld.

I closed my eyes and rubbed the bridge of my nose before looking out my bedroom window again at Central Park, which would soon be dark with the deepening evening. Spring, a time of renewal, had made the park green with life.

But right then what I saw were the branches that were not yet budding, the dead grass not yet taken over by green, the dead leaves still on the ground, and the darkness coming to steal away whatever was good.

All I could think about was Rodán as one of the undead. The beautiful Rodán I’d known didn’t exist anymore.

My phone rang. I had turned off the theme to
Rocky
in favor of a traditional ring. Knowing that Rodán should have come out of the grave by now made my heart ache too much for silly ringtones.

The phone number on the caller ID wasn’t one I recognized. I glanced out the window as I answered. “This is Nyx.”

“Nyx.”

I went rigid at the sound of the familiar voice. “Rodán?”

“Are you all right?” Concern was in his tone as I tried to get my bearings. “Is everything okay with you and the other Trackers?”

“What?” I blinked. This was in no way like anything I had expected. “We’re fine.” I cleared my throat. “What about you? Are you …” I didn’t know how to finish.

“I am good.” Rodán lowered his voice. “I escaped from nearly being turned and I have been in hiding.”

“Really?” Hope bubbled inside of me.“You got away?”

“Yes.” He said the word with no hesitation. “I need to see you. Tonight.”

I paused. Inside I knew he wasn’t telling the truth. “Rodán, please don’t lie to me and make this worse. You are a Vampire.”

A pause. “Why do you say this?”

“Desmond showed us what happened in a hologram. We saw it all, Rodán. The girls with the potion, the fight with Volod and Monique, and Volod biting you. We saw it all. Don’t lie.”

Another pause. “You are right. I was afraid to tell you because you might not believe me.”

My heart sank as I let him go on. “But it is not what you think. I want to meet with you. I need to get to you before Volod does. I will not harm you but I’m afraid Volod will kill you, Nyx. Do you at least believe that I would never hurt you?”

I bit my lower lip before I said, “I want to believe that, but how can I?”

“Nyx, you know that Vampires have controlled themselves without attacks for decades,” Rodán said. “I can also.”

I remained quiet, not knowing what to say.

“Volod has a bull’s-eye on your back,” Rodán continued. “I want to meet and protect you.”

Confusion made my mind fuzzy. Part of me wanted to say yes, but after all that had happened, I didn’t dare jump into anything. Yet what if he was telling the truth?

“Where is it you want to meet?” I asked. “What time?”

“Central Park.” As he said it, I looked back out the window. He added, “Cherry Hill Boat Landing. Midnight.”

It was a secluded location … a perfecn outt hideaway or trap.

“How about the Gapstow Bridge?” I said. Much more open yet secluded enough for a meeting like this.

He paused. “Yes, that would be a good location.”

“Rodán?” I needed to be sure it was him. No matter how familiar his voice sounded, there are things in this world not to be trusted. “What did my father say when you told him you wanted to recruit me to be a Night Tracker?”

Rodán laughed. It was so good to hear that sound, it almost made me smile. “He said he would never allow his daughter to leave with the likes of me.”

I did smile then. It was him. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll be there at midnight.”

“Nyx.” He sounded more serious. “Come alone.”

I opened my mouth to answer then stopped. Alone?

“Rodán.” I spoke slowly. “Others have been tricked. You know I can’t come alone. Why are you asking this of me?”

“It is important that you follow my direction.” He sounded like the Proctor who had always been on the lookout for his Trackers. “You will be safe.”

I paused before I said, “All right.”

“I will see you tonight,” Rodán said then disconnected.

The phone felt hard and cool in my hand as I continued holding it to my ear a few seconds longer. My mind whirled.

Rodán would never ask me to put myself in possible danger. He would be the first person to tell me to not go alone, to bring backup with me.

Still, what he’d said was true. Vampires had the ability to suppress their natures and had done so for countless years. Rodán himself was one of the strongest beings I had ever known, and he had never done anything to harm me.

With a frown I turned away from the window. No, I would not go alone. But how I could I bring backup without Rodán sensing it?

I would choose Dopplers with animal forms that you’d find in a park, and Shifters who could choose any animal form they wanted.

What about the gift the Witch had given me? Would I be able to hear Rodán’s thoughts? I hadn’t been able to over the phone, but maybe it didn’t work like that.

I looked at my phone and dialed the first person who came to mind. “Colin,” I said. “I need to see you.”

Thanks to his Dragon ability to transfer, Colin was knocking at my front door a moment later.

I let him in then hugged him when he closed the door.

“Are you all right?” Colin held me by my shoulders and looked at me. “Something’s wrong.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, wondering if I was telling the truth. “But you’re right, something is wrong.”

I explained to Colin about the phone call with Rodán—or at least who I thought was Rodán. “He knew what my father said to him when he recruited me as a Tracker,” I said, partly to myself, partly to Colin. “So it really is him … I just don’t know for sure if he was telling the truth.”

Colin looked grim. “He might be, but meeting him alone would be foolish. We have to assume he is not being truthful.”

“I agree,” I said. “Angel can come as a squirrel and Lawan in cat form.” I ran through the Trackers. “Ice can be a falcon, and I believe both Gentry and Hades could choose a park animal form.”

“Don’t forget Nakano. And Kelly is a rabbit—and Phyllis is a Were,” Colin said. “And I don’t think Joshua can be spotted as shadow.”

I nodded. “Yes. That gives us eleven counting you and me.” I cocked my head. “Although you’re a Dragon. How would Rodán not sense you?”

Colin rubbed my shoulders. “He might sense me as a human, but a lot of humans go through that park. As long as there’s only one of me, I think it’ll be okay.”

He added, “What about Armand and his team?”

I shook my head. “Armand plans to kill Rodán the moment he spots him.”

Colin released my shoulders. “I can’t help but think we can use all of the help we can get.”

I said, “We won’t be able to find out if Rodán is really all right if Armand kills him. Rodán might be the key to us getting to Volod.”

“That’s true,” Collin said.

My skin started to tingle as the sun lowered in the sky. I had maybe ten minutes before I shifted. “Let’s start making some calls.”

My senses were heightened as I walked through the park to Gapstow Bridge at the northeast end of what was named simply “the Pond.” I didn’t sense Vampires, but that didn’t mean they weren’t waiting someplace else to come swooping down on me.

We had sent out a recon team. They’d found nothing and had returned to my apartment just minutes ago.

But as I walked through the darkness, and even though I knew I had teammates out there, I still felt alone … and like I was headed for a trap.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe I should have said no.

My heart wanted to believe so badly that Rodán really was okay, that he hadn’t been turned. This was our chance to find out the truth.

When I reached the foot of the stone bridge, I thought of the small bridge in Otherworld where I’d seen the Great Guardian just days ago. I thought of what she’d told me—that sacrifices must be made. That sometimes one must be sacrificed for the good of all. That this would cost me my blood.

I walked to the center of the bridge, the stone firm beneath my boots. Water sloshed up against the stone below, a quiet sound that moved in time wived

Even without moonlight, my keen Drow vision allowed me to see my surroundings. My internal clock told me it was now midnight.

Hair at my nape prickled. Someone was behind me.

I drew my Dragon-clawed dagger so quickly that it was in my hand at the same time I whirled to face whatever had come up behind me.

“Rodán?” He stood there looking more beautiful even than I remembered. He wore all black, his long, white-blond hair a bright contrast to his tunic. His eyes looked clear, green, and beautiful.

His hair rose from his shoulders in the light wind. I smelled rain in the air and the coolness of the night on my skin.

And then his thoughts came to me and chills rolled through my body.

I will not hurt her,
he told himself.
I will never harm Nyx.

Confusion made my mind spin as I clenched the hilt of my dagger. What did he mean? Why would he be worried about hurting me?

I am what I am now.
His thoughts were as clear as if they were my own.
That will not change.

Then came a turn in his thoughts I sensed more than heard. His thirst for blood, his desire to take a paranorm, but his will to never take that step. He would fight it. He would survive on synthetic paranorm blood, should a way be found to make it.

I took a step back. I’d been so shocked by his thoughts that I hadn’t thought about the real danger I was in.

“They really did get to you.” My throat ached from the pain of saying those words. “You’re one of them now.”

“Yes. But it is unlike anything I have ever known.” Rodán’s voice was low, urgent. “I never expected this. The beauty of it is almost more than I can believe. The feeling. The power. It is amazing.”

I shook my head. “No. I can’t believe you’d go to their side and like it.”

“It is freeing.” Rodán held his hands out to me and I took another step back. “There is nothing even close to being a Vampire paranorm. But I will force no one to join me.”

“No.” I couldn’t stop shaking my head.
“No.”
I wouldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe it.

“Come with me, Nyx.” He stretched out one arm, extending a hand as if to take mine. “Come with me now and join me.”

I remembered what Armand said about killing those we care about when it was too late for them. But I couldn’t bring myself to take the dagger I held and use it against Rodán, no matter how much danger I faced at that moment.

His voice turned urgent. “It’s safer for you if you come with me now. It is not safe for you out in the world alone. If Volod bites you, you will be drawn to him. You will hi>His vo be his.”

“Going off with a Vampire is not what I’d call safe,” I said.

I prepared to turn and run.

The place where Volod had bitten me all those months ago started to tingle and burn and I went stiff.

Volod was here.

TWENTY-EIGHT

My heart beat faster and faster. I turned just enough that my back was to the side of the bridge.

Rodán was on my right.

Volod on my left.

Blocking my way down each side of the bridge.

“What are you doing here?” Rodán was looking at Volod. “You told me I could handle this my way, yet you followed me.”

As Rodán spoke, I could hear his thoughts as if he were saying them out loud. He was angry at Volod. He hated Volod but he was not going to show his disdain. Rodán felt fear for me. He wanted to protect me from Volod.

This was why I had been given the gift of reading minds. I understood that now. I needed to trust Rodán.

“I told you your way would not work.” Volod looked at me. “I have been watching and hearing you. One does not talk a paranorm into becoming a Vampire. One turns a paranorm by attacking. Your method does not work.”

Adrenaline rushed through me as the two Vampires closed in on me.

I sucked in my breath.

And backflipped off the side of the bridge.

Before I could hit the water, I grabbed a protruding stone near the underside of the bridge with one hand.

Blood rushed in my head as if water roared under the bridge.

My other hand still gripped my dagger. I held on to the stone with my upper-body strength as I sheathed my dagger so that I could use both hands on the bridge.

I started to make my way hand over hand to my right but I saw a Vampire waiting there. I looked to my left—another Vampire.

Not just any Vampires, but Vampire paranorms. Shifters.

The only way for me to go was down, into the water.

“Nyx,” Rodán called from the bridge. “It will be so much better for you if you come with me.”

“Too late for that.” Volod’s power hummed and as he looked down at me. “We will take her.”

My heart beat so hard now that my chest hurt. I had been on the receiving end of Volod’s power and I didn’t like the idea of being there again.

Tension sparked in the ad at d of Vir from my teammates, who waited for my signal.

I dropped into the water. My body cut into its icy chill. I used my water elemental magic to drive me away from the bridge, far enough that it would be safe to get out.

My team members would have come to my aid, but I didn’t want to put them in more danger. It was time to cut our losses and get out of there.

Before I had a chance to leave the water, an invisible blast of Volod’s power slammed into me.

I cried out as my chest burned and the blast slammed me up against the bank. I tried to get to my feet, but his power had pinned me in the mud and slime.

Vampires were coming at me from the bank above me.

A terrible roar broke through the night as a great Dragon came from the trees and slammed into the Vampires on the bank.

Colin.

And then I heard fighting. The sound of shouts and yells, of sword clanging against sword. The sounds of fierce animals fighting as Shifters fought Shifters.

I tried to move again but Volod’s power was too strong. I ground my teeth and raised one arm. I clenched my fist as I called upon my water element again.

A great fist of water rose from the pond. It towered over Volod and Rodán, who were both still on the bridge.

I slammed the water fist down on Volod. It pounded the Master Vampire onto the bridge. With a loud crack and smashing sound, the fist drove Volod through the bridge, down into the water.

His hold on me broke.

I looked up the bank at Colin, in his human form, as he fought against seven Vampires. Where had all these Vamps come from? I had never sensed them. None of us had or we wouldn’t be there.

Then I realized what had happened—these were Vampire paranorms, but they didn’t smell of Vampire. As Shifters, they would have the same abilities to blend into the forest as our paranorm Trackers had.

One Vampire-Shifter could have been a frog on the edge of the pond, another could have been a swan with its head tucked under its wing, supposedly asleep in a small cove. They could have been anything, anywhere.

Mud and slime coated me as I scrambled up the bank. I didn’t have much time. What I’d done to Volod would only piss him off.

Colin used a sword to fight off the Vampire paranorms who were coming at him from all sides.

I drew my dagger, raced up behind one of the Vampires, swung the blade at his neck, and sliced his head clean from his body.

The Vampire next to him whirled. In the same motion he shifted into a Bengal tiger. With a roar it leapt, straight at me.

I called to my air element and shielded myself with it. The tiger slammed into my shield and dropped with catlike grace to the ground, where it watched me.

Hiding behind a shield while my fellow Trackers fought was not an option.

I dropped the shield and called to my water element, then drove it toward the tiger. Before I could use a fist of water to slam into the tiger, it pounced.

While it was still in the air, I dove forward under its great body and came out behind it. The tiger landed and spun. It stared at me, tail twitching.

Behind me was the pond. Directly in front of me was the tiger. Behind it, Colin battled four Vampires.

To my right Lawan fought two Vampires. Beyond her had to be another ten Vampire paranorms who fought several of my teammates. We were unbelievably outnumbered.

Both Volod and Rodán were nowhere to be seen, but the bitch Vampire, Elizabeth, stood off to the side. Beside her was a beautiful Vampire-Elvin female. I’d seen her in the vision—Monique, the San Francisco Proctor.

All of that I absorbed in a flash while still keeping focused on the tiger.

As I leapt toward it, I ordered my earth element to drive the ground beneath the tiger up. The beast was caught off guard.

I jumped on its back, straddling it. The big cat twisted in the air and I had to press my knees in tight to keep from falling off. No human could have managed it, but I’m not wholly human.

The tiger tried to shake me off. I raised my dagger and brought down the blade on its neck.

The tiger shrieked but its neck was so great that my dagger only made it halfway. It was already healing as I brought my dagger down again.

This time the blade sliced the rest of the way through its neck. The tiger collapsed. I jumped and landed on my feet before it hit the ground.

As soon as it did, the great cat’s body and head vanished. In its place was the male Shifter’s human form and his head.

I didn’t look back, just started after another Vampire that was fighting Colin.

Lawan cried out. I pivoted and saw her, pinned up against a Vampire paranorm who had his fangs buried in her neck.

“No!” I shouted as the Vampire dropped her and she slumped to the ground.

I bolted toward the Vampire paranorms who now stood over Lawan’s body.

Blood was still on the fangs of the Vampire who had bitten her and rage tore through me. Was she dead?

I grasped the oval buckler at the front of my weapons belt and had it off and flying through the air before I reached the two Vampires. It sliced the head off one of them.

The Vampire paranorm who had bitten Lawan had a wild light in his eyes. I raised my dagger to swing at him.

He morphed into an enormous gray pit bull—at least twice the size of a normal pit bull.

I came up short as the horrendous dog charged. My heart thrumme hengs d and I had to keep my focus about me. This was no normal, average, everyday, number-one most vicious dog alive. No, this was probably ten times worse.

Its short neck was so thick, so full of sinew and muscle, that I wondered if my blades could slice through it all.

The pit bull barreled toward me. I dodged to the side—barely. The Vampire-Shifter moved faster than I’d ever have believed.

I was so focused on the dog that I didn’t see the Vampire-Shifter who came up from behind me until it was too late.

He knocked my dagger from my hand as he pinned me to him, my arms to my sides, and the pit bull rushed at me again. I struggled to break free as I saw those huge jaws coming straight for my throat—

I called to my earth and water elements at the same time. Water slammed into the pit bull. Jagged rocks thrust up from the earth. My air shield blocked me from the front.

The combination of the water pounding down and the rocks thrusting up impaled the pit bull on the sharpest of them. The dog yelped, its cry long and fierce.

I slammed the back of my head against the face of the Vampire-Shifter who had ahold on me. That gave me just the fraction of a second I needed to break free. I wheeled around at the same time I pulled a wooden stake from my belt then drove it through the heart of the Vampire-Shifter. He dropped.

I turned again, another stake in my hand. The pit bull had shifted back into a male who was impaled on the stone. I took the stake and rammed it into his heart.

The bite mark on my neck burned and I spun. Volod was directly behind me. I turned to run. A Vampire paranorm blocked my way. Then Elizabeth and Monique were on either side of me. I was boxed in.

Real terror tore through me as I twisted around, trying not to let any of them touch me. No matter which way I turned, a Vampire was behind me.

There was no room to jump up. No room to use any of my weapons.

My heart pounded so hard it felt on the verge of exploding. Heat burned in my neck like white-hot flame. I faced Volod. I’d never been so terrified in my life as I was at that moment.

The transference. I’d use it to get away.

I tried to focus on it, but it wouldn’t come. It felt like someone was blocking me with their magic. When I saw Monique’s expression, I knew it was her.

They were all moving toward me. Closer. Closer yet. So close I could almost feel the press of their bodies to mine. I could smell the ancient dirt and must smells so strong, I could barely breathe.

I didn’t know what else to do. I jerked a stake from my weapons belt and dove for Volod.

Strong hands gripped my shoulders from behind, stopping me cold.

Monique and Elizabeth each grasped one of my arms.

I fought against their holds as Volod bared his fangs. Their strength was too much. There o mf thwere too many.

Volod moved toward me. I could smell his breath. I could feel his excitement. Could see the thrill of victory in his eyes.

“No!” I screamed and tried to kick, but Volod was too close.

I heard Colin shout my name. I heard piercing wails.

I heard the screams of the dying.

Hopelessness and horror closed in on me.

I wouldn’t give up without a fight. I wouldn’t—

Volod moved so fast. He had been standing before me, then in a blink he had one hand on the back of my head. The other hand on my shoulder.

I screamed and tried to fight.

My neck burned where he’d bitten me before.

I felt the slide of his fangs into my flesh.

No.
No.
This couldn’t be happening.

I felt the draw of my blood leaving my body as Volod drank of it.

My body started to go limp.

My vision grew cloudy.

Nothing.