Page 88 of Peacemaker

“The vampires who attacked the city weren’t our vampires,” I began. “They weren’t even vampires, really. They’re cousins of the vampires, and until recently, they’ve been imprisoned somewhere secure. But they’re breaking free, and they’re coming for us.”

I paused, but no one said a word. “They’re not sensitive to silver,” I continued. “They won’t be stopped by your guns. There’s only one thing that can defeat them.”

“What’s that?” the human asked me, hatred in his eyes. “Your sword, I suppose?”

“Vampires,” I answered calmly. “Only vampires can fight and defeat the rifters. They’re mortal enemies. The vampires—our vampires—sent them to their prison the last time they fought for Red Valley, and they can do it again.”

I told them. With my hunters and Al standing behind me, the captain at my side, I told the people what they needed to know.

Rifters were coming, and they couldn’t keep them out. They could only do the best they could to prepare.

“We expect them to break free tomorrow night.” I looked into the cameras, and I made every human watching a promise. “We won’t give them the city. The rifters will die, and I will be one of the people to kill them. My hunters, the supernaturals, the vampires—we will protect you. I swear it.”

“The mayor said you were refusing to help,” one of the reporters called. “That you were not allowing the supernaturals to aid us.”

The captain caught my eye and shook his head, just slightly.

He needn’t have worried. I wasn’t about to tell them the mayor was dead. There was too much panic as it was.

I hesitated. “I wanted the mayor to be kinder to the ones he expects to save him,” I said, finally.

“Maybe after this,” another reporter said, “he will be.”

I shook my head. “I don’t see him changing his mind.”

“Then we’ll have to change it for him,” he replied. “We can be persuasive when we want to be.”

I returned his smile, happy with his answer. After all, another mayor would soon be appointed. “I like the way you think, sir.”

Then just as quickly, I sobered. The city might not survive the night.

I turned back to the small mob. They’d gone quiet and grim as they’d listened. “It’s going to be bad. It’s going to be…” I swallowed, sudden tears springing to my eyes at the realization of what would come. “It’s going to be so bad. But remember that nothing can stop the sun. And when the sun arrives, the rifters will sleep, or they will burn. Hang on to that thought. The sun will come.”

The leader of the group shook his head. “That’s bullshit, and you’re a traitorous cunt.” He slammed the stock of his shotgun into my face.

I reeled backward, too shocked to cry out, my face going numb after its initial shriek of pain. I heard Angus roar, and I heard his darkness.

It was terrifying.

He scattered the group when he barreled through them, Leo at his back. Everyone seemed to move in slow motion—the cops, my men, the crowd—and I couldn’t take my stare from Angus.

Clayton grabbed the man who’d attacked me, but Angus bellowed “Drop him!” and Clayton barely had time to open his hand and back away before Angus had the man by the throat.

Angus’s voice was like gravel. “You hit a woman,” he said. “You hit my woman.”

Clayton and Shane lifted me from the ground and when my legs wouldn’t at first hold me, they kept me upright. My head was swimming, but I couldn’t pass out. I refused to pass out.

Cops were battling the group of men, who’d apparently taken their leaders sucker punch as a signal. The reporters screamed and scattered at the first wild shots, and Leo and Alejandro helped the cops handle the crazed group of men.

I could only hang in my hunters’ grips and watch Angus.

He turned his stare, his dark, dark stare to me, and as I watched him and he watched me, he broke the man’s neck. He tossed him away, and the last I saw of that man was his body being trampled by his friends as they decided they were outmatched and should run the fuck away.

“Angus,” I whispered.

He strode to me and pulled me into his arms, and all around us was chaos but there in his arms was only…

Everything.

Then the master vampire was there, his fangs flashing, his eyes wide, his fear like a living thing.

“The wall has shattered,” he said. “They’re here.”

The rifters had broken through.

The rifters had come.

And we were without our army of vampires.