Blinding Light (The Bloodmarked Trilogy Book 2) (31 page)

He lifted a hand to flick the tip of my nose, but I dodged it easily. “You better be quicker than that,” I taunted.

His eyes grew dark with promises to come, and I thought he might lunge for me. But he stepped back, biding his time. “I’ll see you in the sparring room, Lucille.”

Oh, shit. He wasn’t going to go easy on me.

A thrill shot through me, and I whirled around and darted toward my room. Now was so not the time to fantasize about all the fun times to be had
sparring
with Gavin. Tonight, I needed to be prepared for battle. People could die, and I had to stay focused on preventing that from happening.

I stopped by the kitchen before meeting up with Gavin, fully expecting it to be deserted. The staff had strict orders to evacuate this morning when the storm cleared. But when I passed through the swinging door, my sneakers squeaked to a halt on the tile floor.

Chef stood in front of the stove, whistling as he poured seasonings into a giant stockpot, looking happy as a clam and completely oblivious to the dangers of being here.

“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped.

He turned to me with a big grin. “Oh, hey Little Hunter.”

“
Hey?
That’s it? You should be on a bus or a train out of here by now.”

“Why would I leave here? It’s my home.”

“Yeah, and it’s about to be invaded by a group of ruthless killers with far superior strength and speed. So like I said, what the hell are you still doing here?”

His expression sobered with understanding and what appeared to be obligation. I knew I was going to hate whatever he was about to say.

“Lucy, I know what you’re up against. I won’t abandon you now when you didn’t abandon me.”

“Well, I didn’t save your life so you could die fighting my fight,” I argued.

“That’s just it, Little Hunter. It’s not just your fight. It’s everyone’s.”

I sagged in defeat. It was pointless to object at this point. I couldn’t convince him otherwise. “Do me a favor?”

“What’s that?” he asked, smiling at my resignation.

“Stay as far away from the action as possible.”

“No guarantees.”

“Do you know what’s in the walk-in?” I asked when another thought occurred to me.

“I know every nook and cranny of this kitchen. Of course I know what’s in there. I’m the only one though.”

“Good. I suppose you know your way to town from there?”

“Of course,” he confirmed.

“I’m going to need your help, then. I want you to be ready to guide the others to safety when the time comes. Can you do that for me?”

He pondered my request thoughtfully. “Absolutely, but I want you to promise you’ll be right behind us.”

“You know I can’t make any promises about the outcome of tonight.”

He waited a beat before responding. “At least promise to give ‘em hell.”

I laughed despite the gravity of the situation. “That, I
can
promise.”

He nodded and handed me a to-go thermos, sending me off. I still had time until I was supposed to meet with Gavin, so I flashed upstairs to make one more stop.

Sophie’s door hung open halfway, and I heard her typing on her laptop before I saw her. Stepping into the doorframe, I crossed my arms over my chest and scolded her. “Not you too.”

She lifted her gaze from the computer screen and smiled sheepishly at me. “Hey, Lucy.”

“Is there something in the water? Why is everyone favoring bravery over rational thinking?” I asked, mostly to myself.

“Look, Lucy, I know you wanted me to leave with the others, but I feel… important when I’m helping. I just can’t turn my back on everyone when I know what’s really going on out there. I’ve seen too much already, and I can’t ignore it. Last night, I realized how many people count on my research. I felt it.”

“And college?” I asked, already knowing her decision.

“I thought it was right at first, because I would be safe, but honestly, I think it’s safer here. Knowing what’s out there, I would probably have a panic attack if I were on my own. Besides, I wanted to make a difference in the world, and I know I could make the biggest impact here.”

“But you could have left with the others this morning and met up with the group later. It would have been safer.”

“I know it’s dumb. I know I’m not a fighter, but more harm could come to me out there than with the Keepers. At least here, I’m surrounded by other fighters… and you’re here. Safety in numbers, right?” she said timidly.

Her belief in me mirrored Gavin’s. My throat clogged with responsibility, and I barely choked out a response. “Right.”

“So you’re not mad?” she asked.

“No,” I replied quickly. “I understand where you’re coming from.” And I did. I understood the need to find purpose. “I want you to stay with Chef in the kitchen tonight. It’ll be safe there.”

Sophie didn’t question it, only nodded in agreement. I glanced at the time on her laptop and gave her a quick goodbye before rushing toward the sparring rooms.

Running along the back hall full of windows to the courtyard, I noticed the dreary, overcast sky. The storm moved south this morning, but the clouds remained, tinting the world in monochrome lifelessness.

Gavin stood with his well-defined back to me, his t-shirt stretching across the bunched muscles in his shoulders and upper back. It fell down his tapered waistline, where it met black sweatpants that hugged his backside in a very drool worthy way. That was the type of scenery I could stare at all day.

He held a broadsword in his right hand and practiced various technical moves. I took it as the perfect opportunity to practice sneak attacks. Without a single sound, I crept over the hardwood, carefully avoiding shoe squeak. I dropped low, positioning myself for a full-on linebacker tackle.

I sprang into action like a shot, barreling toward him at half speed so as not to break the house. At the last second, he dropped the sword and spun to face me. He sidestepped my advances and hooked an arm around my middle. My momentum twisted us both around, and we landed on the mat ten feet away.

He took the weight of the fall but gave me no chance to take full advantage of the upper hand. He rolled on top of me, capturing my face in one hand, his firm grip nearly squishing my lips into a fish pucker.

His self-satisfied grin intact, he leaned down to press a sweet kiss against my pout. He released his grip but ran his hand around the back of my head to wind through my bun, loosening it and releasing a few stray hairs.

“Haven’t you learned our connection makes it impossible for you to sneak up on me?” he asked.

“I was kind of hoping you were concentrating so hard you wouldn’t be tuned in to me,” I admitted truthfully.

He chuckled and it was the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. “I’m always tuned in to you. You should at least know that by now. Or haven’t I made my feelings for you clear?”

I focused on the wall filled with blunt weapons to hide the blush. Jesus. When did I become so girly?

“Mmm, I love that color on you. We need to get to work before I tackle you in the fun kind of way.”

He helped me stand and we debated on which combat tactics to focus our attentions. I knew throwing knives were my specialty, so we didn’t need to waste time on those. Instead, we decided to stick with simple hand-to-hand combat, since that was my next go-to style. I needed to focus more on what I was comfortable with but could improve on, rather than cramming in more lessons regarding weapons I’ve never used in real world scenarios.

As we sparred, I thought back to our plan for the night. Helen was supposed to arrange for vehicles to be waiting in town by the tunnel’s exit point. When night falls, the others were to post up at various windows around the house with crossbows on the ready. We’d wait for the assassins to advance on the property within firing range and then flip on the UV lights.

No one was to leave the mansion for any reason. Gavin and I would draw the fight outside when they got too close to the house. The others were to fall back and head for the tunnels. They all complained about wanting to do more, but I managed to convince them it was safer to stick together in the group.

It was an ill-conceived plan, and it would be a miracle if everything went accordingly. It was exactly the type of plan I was accustomed to, but considering our resources and sitting duck status, we didn’t have much of a choice. These walls housed every chance at survival we had.

Oomph!

I landed hard on the thin mat after succumbing to an arm bar takedown.

“Where did you go?” Gavin asked, extending a hand to hoist me up. In one swift motion, he pulled me upright without any effort on my part.

“Sorry, just going over the plan again.”

“Lucy, we can’t predict the future. All we can do is try our hardest to achieve the outcome we hope for. Look at me,” he said, grasping the sides of my face in his hands.

“Whatever lies ahead of you tonight, don’t panic. Fight. And then fight harder. Don’t defeat yourself, because you’re the only one who can do that. You’re strong enough. You always have been. You don’t have to block your anger. You never needed to. I was wrong to think it would get you killed. It’s part of your power. Use it and you’ll be unstoppable. Show them your fire, love.”

Hope and love crept into my heart at his words, but trepidation was hot on their tails. “What if it’s not good enough? What if I’m not good enough?”

“You are,” he said with so much conviction, his voice scared away the clinging doubt. “
You
are all you need to survive this. I promise you that.”

The corner of my mouth twitched. I peered directly into those beautiful cerulean eyes. “That’s not true. I need something even more than my own will to live. More than my soul,” I added softly, knowing he could sense my love for him pouring out of me.

“You have me. You always have, and you always will,” he vowed, and I held back the tears of joy.

I replaced my genuine smile with a wry grin. “Well, I was going to say 3,000-thread count Egyptian cotton. But you’re a close second.”

The corners of his mouth spread instantly into a diabolical smile. He gave no other warning before flipping me back onto the mat and coming down on top of me. His weight pressed into mine as he lowered his mouth to mine.

“You know, it can really wound a man’s ego when he comes second to his sheets, especially when it involves a woman’s reasons for getting into bed. What do I have to do to be your only reason to get into bed?”

His gaze dropped to my mouth. He brushed his soft lips across my aching ones. Still in a playful mood, I maneuvered my way on top of him and looked down into his shocked eyes.

“Try harder,” I challenged.

His grin grew positively wicked, and he held my body away from his, far enough to work his feet under me. In a lightning move, he fit his soles to my hips and heaved my slender frame up and over him. He held my arms in his grip as I swung over top of him and came to a bouncing thud on the ground. He rolled into a backwards somersault to, once again, cover my body with his.

“Well, how was that? Am I number one yet?”

I steeled my expression. “You do know how much I love those sheets, right?” I teased.

He growled before claiming my mouth with his. This kiss wasn’t chaste or careful like the more recent ones had been. This was feverish and filled with longing and possibilities for what our future could be like together.

I felt our combined restraint slipping and wrenched my mouth away from his before we became consumed. I wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled him into a vice like hug. I tried steadying my breathing and heard him panting just as hard as I was. Our chests fit so snugly together I had to take shallower breaths.

He had one hand on my cheek and the other on my hip, but they both moved to the mat on the sides of my face in order to brace himself. He lifted slightly off of me to look into my eyes. When the lust cleared, he gently brushed a loose strand of hair out of my eyes and trailed his fingers across my face.

His eyes followed his touch. Both were reverent, like he was worshiping me. “Lucy,” he breathed. The tone was rough and a bit hesitant. “I…” he started. “I-” He struggled with his words before a loud crash startled us both.

Max burst through the door, seeking me out. Gavin and I made it into an upright position on our feet before his eyes could process anything else. His gaze locked onto mine, panic evident in his expression.

“Lucy, something’s happening. The motion sensors,” he began, sounding out of breath, or stunned, or both.

“What about them?” I asked.

“They just went off,” he finished.

“Which ones?”

He looked back and forth between Gavin and me. “All of them.”

Gavin and I shared a similar, meaningful expression before turning to look out the window at the cloudy sky that hadn’t yet turned into night.

All hell broke loose. We dashed into the safety of an interior meeting room, where two-way radios and weapons already awaited us. People rushed in as the news spread through the house. Helen was busy rounding up the others, and I wasted no time barking orders.

“Everyone knows where you’re stationed. Grab a radio, crossbow, or gun if you’re comfortable with it, and make sure you have your hand held UV flashlights and as much holy water as you can carry. Are any of you wearing your watch? We need the spot lights up and running as soon as possible.”

“I already flipped the switch,” Wade answered from the opposite end of the table we gathered around.

“Good. We don’t know exactly what we’re up against. We may very well be outnumbered, so if you see any signs of movement, don’t hesitate to shoot,” I commanded.

With their orders, they all left to take up their designated posts. As others filtered in, I relayed the instructions and sent them to their tasks.

I grabbed a vest and pulled it on over my thermal. Gavin and I returned to the practice room to collect our arsenal for the evening. I stocked up on as many throwing knives and stars as my boots, jeans, and new tactical vest could hold. My clothes sagged with the excess weight, but I could still move comfortably.

When I suggested posting up in my turret for a farther scope, Gavin convinced me to stick with him and centralize ourselves on the upstairs sitting area. From there, we could see the foyer and hear the other parts of the house better.

We ducked behind the floor to ceiling drapes for cover and watched for movement beyond the courtyard. Scanning the tree line, I saw no sign of life, or undead, and looked to Gavin for confirmation. He shook his head, indicating the same stillness on the opposite side.

“I thought ancient vampires were scared of any amount of sunlight. Why risk the exposure?” I asked.

“I don’t know. This is definitely extreme for them. I think we may have underestimated their determination to follow orders.”

“Or they just really hate me,” I muttered.

He didn’t respond, but his posture stiffened and his jaw clenched tightly. We waited, watching as the sky turned from dreary grey, to charcoal, and finally to ebony. After an hour, I had almost given up on seeing any more action tonight and briefly wondered if the motion detectors malfunctioned.

“I’m bored.”

The corner of his mouth quirked. “Better than the alternative.”

“Is it? Because I happen to miss the fight.”

One day, I would learn to hold my tongue before speaking too soon.

Every light inside and outside flickered off, bathing us in complete blackness. Gavin assured me the generators would kick on, but after minutes ticked by, he cursed, and I knew they had cut the power to them as well, which meant they had some pretty big cojones to get that close to the house. Terror consumed me at the thought of how thoroughly they disabled our only outer defenses.

When little pinpricks of light flashed from several windows in the house, I realized the others were using their UV flashlights to see. “Conserve your batteries,” I instructed over the two-ways. We had a long night ahead of us.

Or possibly, a rather short night.

Before I had finished talking, screams of horror echoed through the vast corridors. Others joined in, but they all originated from three distinct parts of the house.
Oh my Gods
were whispered through the radios. Footsteps pounded down the halls along with people shouting various death threats and curses.

I glanced at Gavin’s dark form opposite me. The shadows concealed his features, but my eyesight sharpened on him. He faced the window looking a bit shaken.

I turned to follow his gaze, and my eyes landed on an obscure mass against the grayish colored snow. It was a body, unmoving. I knew without question it was one of the hostages. I would bet my entire blood supply the other two were scattered around the lawn in the places where the initial shouting began.

The heavy footsteps converged at the top of the steps, and I moved to block them. “Stop!” I shouted.

Brody was the first to reach the stairs, and I yanked him away roughly.

“Get out of my way, Lucy!”

“They’re baiting us! If you go out there, you die!”

“She’s out there! I have to save her!” he cried in desperation.

I lowered my voice. “She’s already gone, Brody. I’m sorry. We have to stick together, now more than ever.” Acid burned in the back of my throat to admit our losses.

The others stood by watching the scene unfold. Gavin’s voice broke their trance. “Everyone get back to your posts!”

The rest complied, but Brody stood his ground, eyeing me with brutal hostility. I felt his burning hatred on a bone-deep level, and a spark of dormant vengeance rekindled the stifled wrath. I hadn’t forgotten all those people I’ve watched suffer and die over the years, and I once blamed myself for all of it. Not tonight. Tonight, the monster inside me craved something more than human blood.

If I looked back and had to mark this very instant on the timeline of my life, I would call it the moment when my destiny was set into motion. In the past, I have fought for many things. Vengeance. Sorrow. Crushing failure. Those shortcomings chose my course for me, weighing me down with guilt or responsibility. They held power over me.

But now, no matter what I fought for, I would choose to do it. I refused to let it choose me anymore. I wasn’t lying when I told Gavin I missed the fight. I cherished it. I worshiped at its alter.

“I promise you I will make them regret ever touching her, and Carrie, and Lee.” Whatever Brody saw in my expression made him pause. He locked his jaw, nodding once and tromped back to his assigned window.

Gavin spied me from his position by the bookcase, measuring me up and down before a slow smile split his stoic façade.

“What?” I asked.

“Welcome back, Ms. Masters,” he praised, his eyes leaving mine to roam the rear lawn. He knew as well as I did that the fight was a part of me, and damn if it didn’t feel good to get it back.

I watched the beginning of the battle unfold as arrows sailed through the dark night. Most of them missed their targets. The assassins broke free from the trees and advanced slowly. There were ten that I could see, all fanned out, creating a semi-circle across the lawn. Tuning my hearing, I listened to the same whistling arrows being launched from the front of the house as well.

The ancient vampires closed in, completely unfazed by the raining projectiles. A few struck them in a shoulder or a leg, but the bastards knew they were faster than the arrows.

“This isn’t working,” a crackling, disembodied voice said.

Helen’s voice came through next. “Everyone fall back to the kitchen. We need to make our escape now before it’s too late.”

I didn’t argue. I preferred to get everyone out before the vampire army descended on the mansion. Everyone trickled from their hideouts, and Gavin guided them downstairs. I waited for the stragglers and followed when each Keeper was accounted for.

We snuck closer to the kitchen and kept our eyes glued to the windows. Groups of three bolted across the expanse of hallway exposed to the outdoors. Once the first group ducked into the great room, the next set went. The first four groups made it without incident.

When Jada, Brody, and Nick went, things took a severe turn for the worst. They scurried toward the checkpoint, but as soon as I turned to scan our surroundings, the ear piercing sound of exploding glass came from their direction.

I whipped my head around to witness Brody and Nick catching Jada’s limp form before it hit the floor. A spear pierced her abdomen and blood stained her clothes, spreading outward from the wound.

Screams reverberated through the corridors, and the remaining groups darted forward. I rushed ahead to help Brody and Nick carry Jada to a couch in the great room. Gavin closed the doors behind us, trapping us in a space with zero access to the escape tunnels.

“Everyone away from the windows!” shouted Helen. People huddled between an interior wall, filled with built in bookcases, and the large sectional.

I knelt beside Jada when she wheezed and coughed up blood. “Lucy,” she gasped.

“Yeah, I’m here,” I assured her. Her eyes roamed the room aimlessly and unseeing.

“Finish…it. Don’t…stop un-until…they’re…all…dead.” She exhaled one last time and her head lolled to the side. Her gaze stopped roaming, and she stared lifelessly at the ceiling.

“No.” I sagged to the floor.

John, Rachel, and a few others crawled around the couch. Rachel’s hands muffled her sobs, and she shook her head back and forth in disbelief. John sat motionlessly by Jada’s side, his eyes brimming with unshed tears and his fists clenching and unclenching involuntarily.

Unfair as it was, we were given less than a minute to grieve. The windows shattered under the force of massive stones. I shot forward and angled my body in front of the mourners, shielding them from debris and further attack. Shrieks of surprise filled the room as people frantically dove for cover. A rush of cold air blasted through the open space.

The assassins wasted no time with their next wave of assault. Flaming arrows tore through the air and lodged into the far wall. Fiery tongues licked the wood paneling and aged tomes, basking the room in a dancing amber glow.

The first vampire charged through the broken window wielding an axe. Leather clad and lethal, he towered well above my small frame. So much for their debilitating fear of fire and sunlight.

I sprang into action. No way was I about to let these assholes take over our house without getting a little blood on my hands. I tossed my first knife, but the behemoth shifted, blinking quickly out of its path.

It nicked his shoulder, and he turned his black, fathomless eyes on me. He charged and I crouched low. I managed a successful leg sweep, and as he came down, I snaked an arm underneath his fall, plunging a knife in his heart on the upswing.

My focus has never been sharper, and my speed was unreal, like taking charge of my own fate has unlocked parts of myself that were once unreachable. Over the past few weeks, my strength unfurled like a slow blooming flower, and it now rivaled the power of an ancient vampire, possibly surpassing it.

Swiveling to face my friends, I saw Gavin trapped in a death match against two opponents. He held his own as he avoided being pinned down. The man had skills and lightning fast reflexes.

Another assassin paced at a distance around the huddle of housemates. They held him off with their UV flashlights while some trained their crossbows on him. He looked like a caged animal searching for holes in the fence.

I rushed him. He was shorter than the goliath I killed, but brawny. He raised an axe to strike, but I caught his wrist and averted a killing blow to my abdomen. As I wrestled with him, he wrapped his free hand around my throat. Grabbing his forearm, I dug my nails into his flesh to loosen his grip. At the same time, I moved him into the perfect position. It probably looked like we were waltzing instead of combating.

After some finagling I lined him up for the artillery squad and yelled, “Now!”

The zings of crossbow rounds pierced through both the roar of the fire and the grunts of Gavin’s three-way tussle. Brawny man latched onto me with a blood stopping grip, but he suffered a seizure like fit due to the onslaught of sharp pointy things. He shifted to the right, pulling me with him, and I took an arrow to the bicep.

“Ow,” I chided.

“Sorry, Lucy,” called Max. “You moved.”

“It wasn’t exactly on purpose. Does someone want to finish this guy already?” My hands were a bit tied up holding him steady.

Brody jumped out from the cover of the couch and unsheathed a freaking machete from behind his back. Interesting weapon of choice, but I wasn’t about to nitpick when I spotted the murderous gleam in his eyes.

Without a word, he charged forward and swung the blade in a wide horizontal arc. Brawny dude’s head toppled to the floor, followed by his body in a blazing heap.

“Get back,” I warned Brody. Humans never handled third degree burns well.

He leapt back in time to avoid major injury, but he hissed and patted down his pant leg when it caught fire. I tore the arrow from my arm, biting back a growl of my own. It healed within seconds.

“A little help here, love,” Gavin pleaded.

Oh, shit!

They managed to pin him down. He was on his knees, and a huge dark haired vampire held him in place with one arm around his neck. His other arm pulled Gavin’s head sideways at an awkward angle. A female vampire stood in front of him with a dagger raised above her head.

I ripped a knife from my vest and flung it at her. It struck true, embedding in her shoulder. She released an agonized howl and tugged the blade free with her good arm. I tackled her to the ground, and we both rolled out of the fall seamlessly.

We traded the upper hand several times until she kicked me into the wall. Before I could right myself, she was on me. Her dainty hand wrapped around my neck, nixing any attempt to verbalize my pain.