The Vampire Hunter's Daughter: Complete Collection(48)

I picked up my speed as much as I could, running like I’d never run before. I knew the wall was coming soon, and I had no idea what I was going to do except try to jump. I heard more footfalls behind me.

Damned vampire speed.

When I was about three yards away from the walled fence, I willed my weight to be as light as I could. I sprang into the air and almost made it, but not quite high enough.

I caught the edge of the stone fence with my hands and held on. My legs dangled halfway down for anyone to grab and yank me down. My hands hurt like hell, but I managed to swing my legs up and over just when one of the vampires reached the fence and grabbed for me. I literally fell over the other side and down onto a ton of branches and bushes.

“Ouch!” I cried out, feeling a stick jab its way into my leg. I didn’t take any time to worry about it. I turned over on my hands and knees, getting ready to stand, when suddenly my head was yanked backward by my hair.

“Gotcha!” a male voice cried out triumphantly. “Got her,” he called even louder.

I tried to turn my head, but his grasp was too tight.

“Let me go!” I screamed, willing the energy again. I tried to pull it over my whole body. A sudden ripping noise echoed through the darkness and unlike the times before when I didn’t expect it, I willed the fire to engulf me, feeling it surround me like a force field.

The guard released my hair and I was free. I began to run again, pulling the fire out with my mind as I flew over twigs, fallen branches and rocks of the forest floor.

Then there was a gunshot.

My mind told me to stop, but my feet kept going. It never occurred to me they might try to shoot me.

“Stop this instant, Chloe!” It was Trevor’s voice carrying through the air, but I didn’t stop. “I will shoot you. I do not have to kill you to stop you. I can shoot you in the leg.”

I didn’t want to get shot, especially if he wasn’t going to kill me. Yeah, that’s right; he wanted me alive for some reason.

I stopped.

“Go ahead!” I cried out, turning around to face him. I spread my arms wide open and pulled some flames up for him to see. “Shoot me, and we both go down in flames.”

I watched him step forward across the forest floor, his white face so pale against the night. “Do you really think that power you possess could possibly reach farther than a bullet from this weapon?”

I hated him more than ever.

He shook his head. “Now, come with me back to the house and we will talk.”

“The last thing in the world I want to do is talk to you. Just let me go.”

“I’m sorry, but I need you far too much to let you go anywhere.”

Discreetly, I placed my feet and prepared to run again.

“I wouldn’t do that.” He waggled the gun in his hand. “Let’s go.”

I had no choice but to follow him. I wasn’t going to be able to get away. My superpower wasn’t so super after all if a modern weapon could outdo it.

“You would really shoot me, your own daughter?”

I swallowed the fear and stepped toward him.

“If I had to I would, as long as it kept you alive.”

I continued past him in the direction of the house. “You’re sick, Trevor, like…mental institution sick.”

He followed behind me a few steps. “Possibly,” he replied.

Once we were back at the fence, we followed it around until we reached a guard who punched a key code into a little pad on the fence. The gate of the fence swung open. With a nudge from Trevor, I stepped through the opening and onto the lawn.

I could see the vampire guests and Oscar standing on the porch, looking in our direction. Things were getting serious and it looked like my chances of killing Trevor had just gone straight down the tubes.

As we approached the porch I watched Vanessa eyeball me and Constance raised her eyebrows, turning her lips up in a smug grin. I grinned back and pointed at her. “Watch out for those two, Trevor, I heard them talking about taking me for themselves and how they do all your work so you don’t deserve to have the power.”

If anything about that night was satisfying, it would have to be getting them in trouble with Trevor. It was awesome. I watched both of their mouths drop open and their eyes widened with fear. Only then did it occur to me that maybe they didn’t know that I’d heard the whole conversation they had in the bathroom until I busted them out.

Oscar followed me with his eyes as I walked past him in my torn and dirty dress.

“You knew too?” I whispered, aware all the vampires were watching us.

Oscar didn’t lower his eyes in shame or turn away, but he said nothing.

“Trevor planted you here, didn’t he?” Without taking his eyes off me, he nodded. Aside from Alice being a traitor too, Oscar being a spy was something I didn’t see coming and was far more disappointing than I would have expected. If I got the chance, I'd kick his ass too.

“Go on. Move. Get in the house.” I felt the nudge of Trevor’s gun in my back. “I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid the evening must come to an end now. I have an issue with my daughter I need to address.”

“It was so nice to meet you all,” I called out sarcastically and even took a chance of getting shot by waving to them as I stepped into the house. Trevor kept the gun pressed into my back, following right on my heels. “Can you put that thing down? I’m not going to try anything.”