Dead Spots (Scarlett Bernard #1)(82)

“Let’s get out of here while they’re all distracted,” Jesse said, moving toward Corry.

She whimpered, clutching Scarlett harder, and he felt like an unspeakable tool. Yeah, move quickly toward the scared girl with the broken arm, he scolded himself.

But Scarlett was shaking her head. “I can’t go,” she said quietly. “You have to take her out of here.”

“What? Why?”

“Beatrice,” Scarlett said, nodding down toward the other end of the table. “She can’t fight Ariadne unless they’re both human; Ariadne’s way too powerful. I can’t let her die.”

Jesse cursed in Spanish.

“She’s a vampire!” “She’s also kind of my friend. And I can save her.” She met his eyes. “Get Corry out of here; get her to safety. Check on her family. Please, Jesse.”

He searched her face for a long moment, then sighed and nodded.

Scarlett saw his acquiescence and bent her head to whisper in Corry’s ear. Jesse heard her say, “He’s a good man, honey, and he’s going to get you out of here. He won’t hurt you, I swear to God.”

Corry sobbed, nodding, and Jesse handed Scarlett the Taser and gently gathered Corry into his arms.

“Go,” Scarlett said, and he gave her one more look and limped toward the door.


In the kitchen, Jesse staggered toward the interior door and tried to get his bearings. “Albert!” he hollered impatiently, and he was surprised to see Albert actually come running. “How do I get out of here?” he demanded.

“Go down this hallway, take the last left, and the first right after that puts you in the foyer.” Albert pointed.

“Give me my gun.”

The vampire hesitated.

“Take the ammo, Albert, just give me the damned gun!”

“Okay, okay.” Albert fumbled the clip out of Jesse’s police-issue Glock and handed it over, grip first.

“Thanks. Go help your master. You might get there in time to look like you’re actually trying.”

“Fuck you,” Albert said, but he took off running back into the kitchen. Jesse watched him go, said a prayer for Scarlett, and fled the house with Corry.





Chapter 34


As soon as Jesse was through the door, I bolted across the patio, running parallel to the table on the opposite side from where Dashiell and the vampire I didn’t know were still fighting. I pushed hard, putting all my years of running into the sprint. In a snatch of conversation, I heard Dashiell call the other vampire a dishonorable pawn—who talks like that?—but I didn’t slow down as I passed the two men. As I hurried toward Beatrice, I saw both of the women jerk suddenly, their faces beginning to glow with power as Corry moved out of range, and I sprinted the last few steps as fast as I’ve ever run. Just as Ariadne recovered and turned on Beatrice again, I got close enough to get both of them back within my radius. Behind me, I heard the two male vampires cry out as I got far enough away again. They would be finishing their fights as vampires, God help us. I hoped Dashiell was up for it.

As I ran up, Beatrice recovered from becoming human again, a beat faster than Ariadne, and scrambled to her feet. She flashed me a grateful look and jumped back as Ariadne bellowed with fury. The goth girl rose and lowered her head like a bull’s, charging straight for Beatrice. Positioned behind her, I saw what Bea couldn’t—a long, wicked-looking sliver of glass clutched in Ariadne’s hand. The charge was just a distraction. “No!” I yelled, but I was too late. Ariadne tackled Beatrice and drove the long piece of glass into her stomach, angling up to get the heart.

Ariadne’s hand was bleeding hard from the edges, but she must have found her mark—Beatrice dropped like a stone in water, a tangled Ariadne falling with her. I realized that I was just standing there, and ran forward, grabbing Ariadne’s wrist and dragging her off Beatrice. Ariadne crouched on all fours, panting, as I turned back.

“Bea? Bea!” I yelled, but Beatrice’s eyes didn’t so much as flutter in response. “Fuck,” I groaned, and beside me, Ariadne began to cackle. I heard Dashiell screaming behind me, and the other vampire yelling in response, and then both of their cries were cut off suddenly as my temper flared and I felt the barriers of my power begin to swell. And swell.

The vampires behind me were human again, too, and I heard the sharp pop of a gunshot behind me. I turned and saw Dashiell standing over Hugo’s body, holding the dead vamp’s gun. It was pointed at the vampire he’d been fighting, who was crumpled on the ground. I could see the blood from this far away.

I didn’t register any of that, though, because something was happening inside me. The edges of my aura had grown and grown and still wanted more ground. I felt it all, in that moment—my rage, my guilt, my sorrow for my parents, all of it rose and rose within me, and I poured it into my power, into the circle that had ceased to be a circle at all. Then I looked to Ariadne, who gazed up at me in sudden fear, and I turned that power toward her.

And then something broke inside me, and I felt a warm rush of blood from my nose as the world went dark.





Chapter 35


When I woke up, I could hear rain pattering against the window. Weird, I thought sleepily. Then I opened my eyes, squinting them into focus, and realized that I was lying down, that I wasn’t wearing my clothes, and that I was in an unfamiliar bed, in that order. As my mind began to clear, I noticed the details—the disinfectant smell, the squeaking of tennis shoes on linoleum, the generic decor—and put together that I was in a hospital room. If it sounds as if I came to this realization very slowly...Well, I did.