Davina (Davy Harwood #3)(33)

“What are you waiting for? Tell me the truth.”

Fury and impatience ebbed into resignation. The first two emotions slid away like a wall inside of me, opening up to the back room where she was. I felt her honesty then, and she said, “It was you, Davy.”

“Me what?”

“You brought them here.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. That was preposterous . . . But I couldn’t argue with her, because as soon as she said those words, I felt it inside of myself. She was right. I backtracked in my memory, looping back over the last two days. I was walking through the woods. I was tired, hungry, alone—there. I felt the instant I did it. I had stepped the wrong way on a rock and my foot went one way while my ankle went the other. I cried out, grabbed onto my ankle, and I wished for someone else in that split second to come. I wanted to be normal, not in that place where I was traipsing back to vampire territories.

I wanted someone that reminded me of my humanity, where I was normal again.

The Immortal reached out for me. As I mended my own ankle, she found a group of hikers. She picked up two and brought them so they were right in my path. They didn’t even know it themselves, but I made them get lost. Their group wasn’t even in this same area. They’d been in another country.

I had done that.

The Immortal did it on a whim.

I gaped at them now, feeling the guilt coursing through me. I choked out, “I am so sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” Spencer echoed me again. “For what?”

“I did this.”

They shared another look, and both edged back one more step. Spencer asked, “Did what?”

“I brought you here.” And I had to take them back, but I didn’t know how.

“What do you mean, you brought us here?” Cal spoke this time.

I couldn’t explain. I shook my head. “Come on.” I grabbed my bag, turning toward the river. “When we get there, I’ll fix it. I’ll have to, somehow.”

“Not to be mean, but you’re sounding like a nutcase.”

Cal nodded in agreement. “I second that. You’re not making any sense.”

“Let’s go.” I pointed ahead. “When we get to the river, I’ll explain everything.” Regret flared up. “I owe you that much, at least.”

“You owe us?”

I wasn’t listening anymore. I started for the river, and the other two scrambled to get all their stuff together. I should’ve helped, but I used the extra time to try to send them back. Once they were ready and walking behind me, I knew it was going to be harder than I imagined. The entire trek to the river was in silence. I kept trying to send them back, but once I heard the sounds of the water rushing ahead of us, I had to admit the truth. I had little to no control over my powers again. Getting both of them back to their group, an entire country over, was beyond my capabilities. The only way I could do it was if it was on a whim, just how I brought them here in the first place. I needed to wish both of them back there, and the closer we drew to the water, I kept trying. Nothing happened. They were still with me.

I was frustrated, and I had no idea what to do now. They couldn’t go into Mori territory with me. I never looked at the river. I knew we were there. I’d have to cross it and they couldn’t, and I was gearing myself up for a fight when I turned around and looked up at them.

They weren’t looking at me.

Both of them were frozen in place, their eyes wide and fixed on a spot behind me.

“Whoa,” Spencer said under his breath.

Cal closed his mouth, but a vein bulged out in his neck. Fear that I hadn’t experienced since before Lucan took me blasted from him. I gasped, falling back from the intensity of it, and I felt Spencer’s fear mixing with Cal’s before I whirled around.

And, right there, standing on the other side of the river, was the reason.

Three Mori vampires stared back at me.





Three things happened at the same time.

The Mori lunged for us, leaping the river in one bound. Cal and Spencer wet their pants. And I flung my arms out at the same time a scream ripped from my throat. With it and the motion of my arms, two spells burst from me at once. One swept behind, picking up Cal and Spencer and carrying them far back to where it was safe. The other came from the scream, and it slammed the three vampires backwards. They fell the same distance that I threw Cal and Spencer, and both groups landed at the same time.

Cal and Spencer had to scramble back to their feet, but they stayed back.

The vampires did neither. As soon as they touched down on ground, their feet firmly planted in place, all three launched at me once again.

I was ready.

My arms swept forward, pulling the same power I cast Cal and Spencer backwards, I propelled it forward. It hit the vampires back once again, but they fought this time. They were prepared for my onslaught and magic sparked from one of them, breaking my spell in half. It still moved them back, but not far enough.

They were too quick and too powerful.

They were on me within seconds, and I could only stare at them as they leapt over the river. They were in the air, and their fangs were out. Their mouths were open, and they’d be on me—then they were shoved back once more, but not by me. I didn’t have a spell ready to throw back.

I had a second’s warning as a deep roar sounded from behind me, before three bodies leapt over me, meeting the Mori vampires in the air.