A Chase of Prey (A Shade of Vampire #11)(6)

“I would have paid for the jacket,” I said through gritted teeth. “But there wasn’t enough money.” I paused, trying to calm myself. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“I wasn’t out in the sun for long…”

He stopped swimming and groaned.

“What’s wrong?”

“My eyes. The sun is blazing into them.”

It was terribly bright. The sun’s rays were reflecting on the waters, casting harsh glares on us. Having nothing else I could use, I placed a hand against his forehead like the brim of a baseball cap. I doubted its effectiveness, but Caleb kept moving, albeit slower than before.

We both drifted off into our own thoughts as Caleb continued swimming up the river. Buildings surrounded us, and we seemed to be in a more urban area. I hoped there weren’t as many leeches in these waters. Or alligators, for that matter.

Chapter 3: Rhys

I’d become convinced that the wolf was deliberately slowing us down. I didn’t know whether he had actually formed some attraction for Rose before I stole him away from The Shade, but as we arrived through the gate, he began moving through the rainforest at an excruciatingly slow pace.

I’d given him whiffs of both samples before we’d leapt through the crater. He knew exactly what the vampire and human girl smelled like. And I knew better than anyone that werewolves’ ability to smell was unparalleled. Even vampires’ ability to smell paled in comparison.

Werewolves could detect a scent for up to twenty-four hours after the target had left their location. It didn’t matter how briefly Caleb and Rose might have traveled through a place. If they’d been there, this wolf would know it. This also meant that we should never be more than a day behind the couple. After twenty-four hours, the scent would become weaker in an outdoor location, and after forty-eight, it would vanish completely. Indoor locations, of course, were a different matter. In any case, my plan was to catch up with them well before twelve hours had passed, while their trail was freshest.

But if we kept going at this speed, we might lose track of them altogether. I’d even fed Micah precious human meat before we left, knowing it would sharpen his senses and fuel him for the journey.

“Ungrateful beast,” I snarled, kicking his hind legs.

He growled at me and gnashed his teeth. He thought now that he was in his wolf form, he’d be stronger in defending himself against me.

He was in for a rude awakening.

Manifesting a knife, I caught hold of his tail and sliced it off in one swift motion. Blood gushed from the wound as he fell to the ground, howling and writhing like a dog.

Although his tail was of no particular use for my purposes, I regretted injuring the animal. I’d hoped that my first attempt at taming him might be enough, because I hadn’t wanted to do anything that might eat into his strength. I needed him to be swift and alert for the journey. I was dependent on him.

I grimaced at the thought.

A warlock dependent on a dumb brute.

Such a notion would have been sacrilege only a few thousand years ago. It just showed how much our own kind had brought us to ruin, and so quickly. I had suffered from the complacency of our authorities in The Sanctuary. I had been one of the later generations born after the Ancients had already passed on… except for the most tenacious of them.

If it hadn’t been for my aunt, Isolde, I never would have seen the light. I never would have had eyes to see the destruction we were causing ourselves by following The Sanctuary’s so-called leaders.

I scowled. It was thanks to them that I hadn’t yet mastered the ability to pinpoint a person’s location just by will alone, along with countless other powers the witches of our Ancients’ time simply took for granted. Powers that would have seemed elementary back then. It was painful to imagine how easy this task would have been if I hadn’t been brought up in such a pathetic, spineless society. One of the many reasons our mission was so important.

Our leaders in The Sanctuary were bringing us to ruin, creating shadows of our former selves. My blood boiled just thinking about all the propaganda they’d spread about the culture of our Ancients. They’d turned away potential revivalists before they’d had a chance to discover for themselves what the way of our Ancients truly was. The very Ancients who gave them life. Their own ancestors. It made me sick to my stomach.

I breathed deeply, trying to calm down and bring myself back to the present moment.

The time will come when our powers will rise above all others, when we will need nothing and no one. And it will be soon. Very soon.

Now I just need to focus on the task at hand… One step leads to another.

I looked down at the werewolf still whining on the ground. Pathetic creature. I tugged on his leash, forcing him to stand up.

“Move, dog.”

Chapter 4: Rose

Caleb swam for another half hour before drifting back toward the bank. When we got out of the water, we climbed up a sandy slope, through a thicket of bushes, and found ourselves standing at the side of a busy highway. Vehicles whizzed past, leaving trails of dust and smoke.

I looked up at Caleb, who was still wearing the flap over his face. I could just about make out his eyes, squinting behind the thin mesh.

“Now what?” I said.

He took the wallet from me and sifted through its soggy contents. As much as I’d tried to keep it above water, the notes had deteriorated beyond recovery. We had some coins left, but not many. He didn’t seem to be concerned about the notes. He pulled out the leaflet that had been tucked into the wallet and unfolded it. That too was falling apart.