Page 5 of Vampire Visions

Tuesday Early Morning

I was still trying to wake up as I hustled down the stairs. All the fucking stairs. Taking the route that led me to the larger section of the basement, I hurried past the pool and out the side door. What awaited me outside wasn’t what I was expecting. I couldn’t comprehend the situation at first. I knew something had woken me from a dead sleep, but I wasn’t sure what it was until I laid my eyes upon Sloane.

Grim had her stretched out on the ground next to the pool. I didn’t know how she got the wounds, but her body was pouring blood. Novak sat in the puddle with her head in his lap. I watched Grim work his magic alongside her own, even though she appeared unconscious. Her wounds began to knit together from the inside out. The process was fascinating and really disgusting.

I slumped down beside Novak and stared at her beautiful face, trying my best to not study the bullet hole in her head. It didn’t help my immense dread, though. I couldn’t think of anyone brave enough to test her, or her hellhounds, for that matter. There was a magical barrier around her property as well. It wasn’t like you could just walk right up to the front door. I don’t know what kind of magic it was, but I knew it was strong. I could see it shimmering like a thin veil of fabric when we crossed the property line. I never felt it, so I just assumed that was because we had permission to be here.

I didn’t take my eyes off of her as I spoke to Novak. “Your vision?” The scene was almost exactly as he’d described it to me so many years ago. The images he told me about had been in the back of my mind since the night we’d left Baton Rouge.

“Yeah.” That was all he needed to say. It was happening, but he didn’t know how it ended. I couldn’t help him with how that unknown made him feel, but I could listen to him talk it out later, if he wanted to.

The rest of the guys weren’t far behind me. Briggs took one look at her and lost control of his shift. Cronus growled low in warning at the large black wolf now standing where Briggs had been only a second ago. The wolf took one threatening step over the tattered remains of his shorts, baring his teeth possessively in response.

Grim cut in to split them up. “Find Jack, Briggs. He went after the shooter alone.” His words pushed Briggs into motion. He lunged forward, a dark streak across the bright green grass. His abnormally large form ate up the distance between us and the tree line before he vanished into the shade from the canopy above.

Palmer began pacing as soon as he spotted our unresponsive mate. With every pass he made near Sloane, he turned sad, stormy gray eyes to her. He pulled at his hair and muttered to himself about spells and books, only stopping long enough to ask us if she would be okay. When Grim answered with an affirmative sound, Palmer nodded his head and bolted for the door. He called over his shoulder in excitement, “I’m going to find a healing spell.”

Stone was vibrating with rage. Steam rose from his body, and patches of leathery, black demon skin kept popping up across his arms and bare torso. His eyes shifted from his normal lapis color to an odd mix of red and pitch black as he looked Sloane over. I’d never seen his eyes look like that. It was like staring into two bottomless pits, fire flickering in the distance but not enough to gauge the depths. With every inhale, he held his breath and released it slowly, trying to calm his darkening thoughts. It wasn’t working for him. Stone’s horns pierced through his hair, winding up and out, as he battled with his demon for control.

We heard muffled shouting from the woods, and Stone morphed into his demon form quicker than my eyes could follow. .With a crack of his wings, he took to the sky and tore out chunks of concrete where he’d been standing. As the smaller debris rained down, Novak folded over Sloane to keep the pieces from hitting her.

I took a moment to glance around, wondering out loud, “Where’s the druid? I didn’t see him come out.”

“He was out here when it happened,” Novak informed me. “He’s the one who called Jack and Grim. Then he went with Franklin to find Atlas and Helios. Whoever shot Sloane was able to knock them out or injure them. We don’t know yet.”

“They’re just knocked out.” York’s voice came from around the corner of the house before he stepped into view. “It’s some heavy duty sleeping potions, though. Atlas has a gash on his head, so I’m guessing his endurance helped him fight it off longer than the attacker was planning for. He’s fine, by the way. I stitched him up, and Franklin moved them to Sloane’s room.”

He looked like he was going to say something else, but we were interrupted by distant talking. It was a voice I was all too familiar with. I peeked over my shoulder, spotting four bodies emerging from the wooden area past Sloane’s yard.

Briggs pushed Taylor Caplin, with his arms twisted tightly behind his back, in front of him. Jack stood in between the human and a very enraged demon. Smoke spiraled around Stone’s legs, arms, and horns. His hands and feet were both lit with hellfire, the latter leaving burning prints in the earth behind him. Sloane was going to be pissed about the destroyed yard.

“Why are you naked?” Taylor demanded before whining, “You're hurting me.”

“I don’t give a fuck.” Briggs pushed him harder, making Taylor stumble.

Stone leaned past Jack to glare at the back of Taylor’s head. “Just let me kill him.” The demon looked strange when he shrugged his wings and shoulders at the same time.

“No,” Jack bit out. “We need answers first.”

“I know a necromancer,” Stone bartered. “We can get answers after he’s dead.”

“No.” Jack said again, exasperation lacing his voice.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I groaned. “We should have killed that motherfucker when we had the chance,” I whispered to the group around me.

Before they got too close, Franklin exited the basement in a blur of motion, heading straight for Sloane. “I’m going to take her upstairs now. I’ll leave you to handle this.”

He scooped her up gently and started to walk toward the door as Grim spoke. “Her leg is still bleeding a little, but it should stop in a few minutes. Jack will come up and put some clothes on her after we deal with whoever this asshole is.”

“Okay,” Franklin agreed, turning his head to look at Grim over his shoulder. The old vampire nodded his head once without turning his body any further. “Tell him to come get me first so I can change her sheets before he finishes.” He pushed out one short whistle. “Come on, Cronus. The boys will be looking for you soon.”

Cronus shifted his eyes from Taylor to Sloane and back again before following Franklin through the door with a huff. The look on that hellhound’s face clearly said he’d rather fuck Taylor up than leave him alive, but he wouldn’t leave Sloane’s side. I had a feeling that if Franklin had waited long enough, Cronus would have destroyed Taylor before the guys got him to the pool patio we were all standing on. That made me like the hound a little more.

“She’s going to be ravenous when she wakes up,” Grim stated quietly.

Novak turned to me with raised brows. “How do you taste?”

“I’m sorry?” I shook my head. “What did you just ask me?” Staring wide eyed at him, I waited for Novak to elaborate on his weird fucking question.