A Valley of Darkness (A Shade of Vampire #52)(64)

“Hansa, stay with me.” Jax’s voice pierced through the darkness enveloping me.

I heard the clang of a sword, and footsteps rushing around.

“Patrik, help!” Jax cried out.

Then I felt the softness of a bed. My limbs were numb, and I was too drowsy to open my eyes, but my ears could still capture the sounds and words thrown around me. Jax hissed, and I felt soft skin against my lips.

The warm, metallic taste of blood invaded my mouth. A cool blade cut through my combat suit, and solid pressure was applied to my thigh, where the daemon had stabbed me with its claws.

“Harper…” I murmured.

“Stay with me, Hansa, please.” Jax’s voice soothed me.

The darkness didn’t want to let go. I didn’t want to let go, either.

“Jax… I need you.” I sighed, fearing I’d never get to say everything I wanted to say to him before my life came to an end.

Is this the end?

“Hansa… You’ll be okay,” he whispered in my ear, his lips tickling my lobe. “My blood will help… Just stay with me, darling…”

I wanted to. I drifted slowly, his arms wrapped around me.





Harper





(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)





I didn’t have time to be shocked. My masked savior had shown up out of nowhere and had stopped a second daemon from tearing into me. I was back on my feet, my back against the stranger, my side throbbing a little, my swords out and my blood boiling.

“They’re fast, and they can attack and defend themselves at the same time, so don’t let your guard down,” he breathed out, his voice low and raspy. I tried to compare it to other voices I’d heard, but it sounded too rough to be Caspian’s, for example. Or Vincent’s, for that matter. I caught a glimpse of his jade eyes but didn’t have time to further analyze him.

Ice trickled down my spine as I noticed a third daemon coming to join its two friends.

Rewa reached the top of the stairs, crying and screaming for help from above.

Good, that’ll get the lights on and everyone out.

All three daemons charged us at once. I hacked and slashed wherever I saw the red glowing eyes. I hit one for sure, as my blades were covered in dark crimson blood. I managed to duck a few hits and drove my swords into one of the beasts’ heads. It growled as the other two jumped at me.

My savior intervened and brought his blade up. It hit the second daemon, but the third cut him, blood spurting out from his chest.

I pushed out another barrier with a grunt. It threw the daemon back, and it was enough to make all three creatures scatter. I wanted to go after them, but not even my True Sight could help me. They were too fast, and invisible to my sentry eye.

Lights went on all over the alley, as Rewa’s screams pierced the night sky. Footsteps rumbled down the stairs. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Correction Officers rushing down from above.

My savior was bent forward, dressed in black and holding his chest. I moved to help him, but he raised his sword at me.

“What the hell?” I growled. “I’m trying to help!”

Our eyes met for a second, and a familiar intensity burned through me. His gaze was rough and cold. I wanted to use my True Sight and peek beneath the mask, internally slapping myself for not having had quick enough reflexes to do it sooner.

But before I could, he zoomed off—as Imen and Maras came down. Voices erupted from above, while the Correction Officers drew their swords.

“No way I’m letting you split again!” I muttered, and darted down the alley after him.

He turned a tight corner and vanished between buildings, but, thanks to my True Sight, I stayed hot on his trail as he climbed up buildings and jumped from roof to roof, going up the mountain.





Harper





(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)





It took him about ten minutes to reach the top level, where the Five Lords’ mansions stood proudly before their sculpted fountains and rich flower gardens. My stomach churned as I finally realized where I’d seen those jade eyes before.

I stayed behind, far enough to let my savior think he’d lost me, but I could see him clearly. He landed on the cobblestone and ran down the narrow space between the Kifo and Obara mansions. My heart was beating frantically as I put two and two together.

Jade eyes were relatively common among the Maras. But the indigo horse I’d seen him ride on the way back from the Valley of Screams wasn’t—there were stables filled with them up here, belonging to the Five Lords. And while the voice he’d used beneath the mask was lower, raspier than any I’d heard, his general demeanor was awfully familiar…

Could it be?

I followed my masked savior to the back and lost track of him for a second, as he jumped onto the roof of one of the stables, then vanished on the other side. I only caught a glimpse of a dark shadow moving with my True Sight, and his back was to me, so I couldn’t get a proper look at his face beneath the mask. I ran and jumped over the fences between two stables, then came to a halt as I realized I’d reached the woods leading up to the top of the mountain. It was dark and cold up there, and I could see the snow cap from here.

Branches broke to my left. I looked and noticed another flicker of movement. I had a feeling it was him. And I needed to make sure my hunch was right. He couldn’t hide in there forever.