Page 31 of Beautiful Madness

“Yeah. And Lennon.” I hurriedon before he could ask. “Yes, she’s frozen and missing a wand, but I believethat somehow, she used her power to manipulate not only Eli but her magic.Somehow, she’s behind Jared’s disappearance.”

“How can you find out whatthey’ve done?”

I glanced at him, then away.“Sam,” I said.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered, andthen he nodded. “I get it. But eventually, Kait, I’m going to need him to die.”

I changed the subject, hopingto take his mind off the shapeshifter. “There was a fight at Shadowfield. Elicame at me, and I took him down. He’s in a cell beneath Jared’s house rightnow. When he heals, I’m taking Sam to visit him.”

“I could use a Sam,” he toldme.

I lifted an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Absolutely not. Forget I saidthat.”

I smiled, then sobered. “Zachand Joe…” I swallowed when my fear rose immediately to choke me, then hurriedon. “They were injured in the battle.”

His stare sharpened. “Injured?Will they be okay?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“They’re human,” he told me.“You need to accept that someday, they’re going to get into a fight they won’tcome out of, honey. I’m surprised they haven’t had their heads ripped offalready.”

“What should I do?” I asked,heaviness in my heart. “Create a crew of nonhumans?” I nodded before he couldsay anything. “I know I should. These men should not be fighting at my side.They should not be in my world.”

“They will do what they want,Kait. They’re not children. They know the risks, and they wouldn’t have it anyother way.” His stare pinned mine and wouldn’t let go. “We wouldn’t have it anyother way. Now. Tell me how I can help you.”

But then something else got myattention. I smelled them before I saw them. “Daywalkers are coming,” I said. Ilifted my nose to the air, and I didn’t even wonder what he must have thoughtof me for sniffing the air like a dog. “They have humans. I need you to gettheir food away from them before they’re turned. Stack them against the car andthen get inside and lock your doors. If the humans turn, they’re a little likemindless baby zombies, at least at first. They won’t get to you. I’ll deal withthe daywalkers.”

“Got it.”

I pulled one of my blades andhanded it to him. “Ready?”

“I’m ready.”

He really was. He was out ofthe car before I was, and we worked together—I attacked the two mutant vampireswho were in the process of having dinner on the riverbank, and Rick stood readyto pull the humans to safety.

Each one of the vampires had ahuman—and neither human appeared to be conscious. These were Axton’sdaywalkers. Axton’s magic. I believed that if we could save a human before hewas turned, he wouldn’t remember anything about his attack.

That was the hope.

I caught the attention of thetwo mutants, swinging my blade and drawing them a little further away so Rickcould drag the humans to safety. I’d later watch them to see if they wouldturn, die, or be okay. It never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be able to takeout the daywalkers.

It never occurred to me that Iwas in danger.

I had to admit that I played withthem a little, happy to release some pent-up energy, any wounds I receivedmerely increasing my energy and joy for the battle. One daywalker down, oneabout to join him. I spun, dragged my blade across his belly, and as he leanedforward, his hands to his abdomen as he tried to contain his spilling guts, Ithrust my sharp stake into his chest, ending him.

Easy.

But as he exploded into dust, Isaw something behind him that made me lose my breath, my balance, and, for afew seconds, my hunger for the fight.

The scent clogging my brain hadblinded me to the fact that there were at least two dozen more daywalkers inthe area, and that they were rushing to the aid of their brothers.

“Son of a bitch,” I yelled,then, “Rick, forget the humans and get the fuck out of here.”

Whatever answer he gave me waslost in the abrupt arrival of two dozen very fast, very vicious daywalkers, andI had time to think that wherever they’d holed up had to be close—I was ontheir feeding ground now. Their killing grounds. I was standing on or very neartheir nest. And that wasn’t good at all.

Because Rick was right in themiddle of it with me.