A Spell of Time (A Shade of Vampire #10)(12)

I hurried from chamber to chamber, looking for Corrine. I found her sitting in the kitchen area, at the dining table, deep in conversation with Ibrahim. They both looked up as I entered.

“So?” Corrine said. “How did it go?”

“It went well,” I replied. “Kiev accepted Derek’s apology.” I slumped down in a chair and looked from Corrine to Ibrahim.

“And now what?” Ibrahim asked.

“I invited Kiev and Mona to come to lunch tomorrow, at four o’clock.” I looked anxiously at Corrine. “So I guess now I just have to wait here until I turn back. I hope that Derek and Kiev won’t bump into each other in the meantime. I should be myself again by dinner tonight, right?”

She peeled back her sleeve and looked at her wristwatch.

“Yes, you should be.”

And so I waited there at the table with Corrine and Ibrahim, passing the time in conversation as we waited for me to turn back. We waited one hour. Then two. Then three. Then four.

As time pushed on, even Corrine was no longer able to keep the worried expression from her face. My stomach was in knots.

I stood up and walked over to a mirror, getting up close and staring at Derek’s face, rubbing his skin, willing myself to see even the slightest bit of transformation.

Come on, Derek.

It was now almost ten o’clock. I’d missed preparing the twins’ dinner. They would be wondering where on earth I was. Derek might even be out searching for me now.

“Why am I not changing back?” I asked, wringing my sweaty hands.

Even Ibrahim looked worried now.

“Where did you get that hair of Derek’s?” Ibrahim asked.

“From his head.”

His brows furrowed. “And where did you get Kiev’s?”

“Mona plucked one of his leg hairs.”

“Hm.”

“What?”

“See, I suspect that hair from the head is more potent than leg hair.”

My throat went dry. “How much longer will it take?” I croaked. “Will I be myself again in time for lunch tomorrow?”

“I don’t know.”

“But isn’t there some antidote? Can’t you just force me back?”

“We can,” Corrine said, walking over to me and placing an arm around my shoulder. “But this type of spell is best left to wear off naturally. Sometimes, forcing reversion of a spell of this type can have… negative side effects.”

“What side effects?”

“Well… let’s just say that Queen Sofia could end up with some rather unsightly stubble.”

I cursed beneath my breath. I looked up at the clock again. Thank God I didn’t invite them over for dinner.

“Can’t Mona do something? Surely she must—”

“I’m sure she can. But again, it’s not without the risk of side effects, same as if I tried to force you back.”

“But I will turn back, right?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“Yes,” Ibrahim said. “Don’t worry. The spell will wear off. It’s just a matter of time.”

Time. That’s just what I don’t have.

Chapter 9: Caleb

As we were hauled up into the belly of the helicopter, I looked around the dim aircraft. Three men stood dressed in black. Masks covered their faces. The door closed beneath us and they began circling the cage.

“Who are you?” I snarled.

The man nearest me approached the bars, his light blue eyes boring into mine.

“It was foolish of you to come to this beach again.”

“Answer me.”

He chuckled and exchanged glances with the other men. “Let’s go!” he shouted.

The aircraft lurched, and we began ascending. Blood pounded in my ears, my mouth parched, heart racing.

“You can tell them who we are,” a brown-eyed man said, looking me over.

Blue Eyes approached the cage again. Withdrawing a dagger from his belt, he ran it across my fingers where they gripped the bars, slitting a line through my skin. It stung, but I refused to flinch.

“You’ve hit this beach one too many times, vampire. You should have expected that someone would have clued in by now. You think you can just rip apart families with no consequences?”

“Who are you?” I repeated.

He paused, looking back at the other men before answering. “As you are snakes, we are hawks.”

Hawks. I caught a glimpse of a black tattoo on his wrist. The brand of a hawk.

So these are hunters. In all our years of kidnapping, we’d never once met a hunter. Their order had been shut down almost two decades ago. I supposed it was only a matter of time before we provoked them enough to reform.

“What are you going to do with us?” Demarcus grunted, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Ignoring him, the hunters exited the chamber through a door to our left. I stared at the eight vampires who shared the cage with me. Frieda whimpered in one corner. She looked close to unconsciousness.

I’d known it was a mistake going to that beach again. I’d felt it in my bones. And yet I’d risked it anyway—my life, and those of my fellow vampires.

None of us exchanged a word until the aircraft started to descend. My stomach lurched as we took a dive, and several minutes later, the aircraft shuddered as we hit land.