The Dark Vampire: Last True Vampire 3 (40 page)

Ten minutes and one near-head-on collision later, Jenner hopped off his bike and hustled to where Naya and Jenner waited for him.

“I think she knows we’re tracking her.” Naya blew out
a frustrated breath. Her brows drew together over her dark eyes. Her agitation nearly matched Jenner’s. “I can hear her music, but I can’t track her. It’s crazy. Dark magic is already unpredictable, but a necromancer is like dark magic times a thousand. She’s close, though. A block, maybe two at the most.”

It was still too much ground to cover.

“We’ll head south,” Ronan said. “You go north.”

Jenner took off at a slow jog, careful to keep to the shadows. He headed down Flower, past Wilshire, and managed to cover four blocks when he stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn’t explain it, but somehow he felt as though something was leading him away from Bria. Like a dog gathering up sheep, that force pushed and directed Jenner where it wanted him to go. This was wrong.
Damn it!
How could he have let his own instinct take a backseat to the magic that manipulated him now?

With a snarl he turned and backtracked the way he’d come. Jenner’s feet pounded on the pavement as he ran at what might have been an acceptable human speed but still far too slow for his vampiric peace of mind. The false impression that he’d gone the wrong way pushed at his mind, filling Jenner with an unease that made him sick to his stomach. Instead of allowing that sensation to repel him, he forced himself to run headlong toward it. Magic pulsed hot and thick around him, weighing down the air until his lungs refused to take in oxygen.

It wouldn’t have mattered, but Jenner needed to scent the air for any trace of Bria. His lungs worked overtime as he dragged the heavy air in through his nose only to find it void of the familiar honeyed lilac scent. He hooked a right and headed down Sixth. Jenner stumbled as an invisible force pressed against him. His head throbbed and his vision blurred. His secondary fangs ripped down from his gums as a sense of danger overtook him. His gut
twisted as every inch of him screamed to turn around and go the opposite direction. Jenner fought the urge and pushed forward. His steps slowed as his feet became lead weights that scraped along the sidewalk.

Someone put a lot of gods-damned energy into making sure Jenner stayed the hell away from this part of the city. He wondered if Ronan and Naya had encountered the same issue. If so, they’d been led away from the epicenter of the witch’s power. Then again, Naya had an advantage that Jenner didn’t. With any luck, Ronan’s mate hadn’t been fooled. Bria was close. Jenner
knew
it.

Jenner’s stomach heaved as he crossed South Grand over to Seventh. His eyes watered, tears streamed down his cheeks. Pain exploded in his skull and vibrated through his limbs. He dragged in ragged gulps of breath through his nose, the air so thick to his keen senses it might as well have been sludge. It soured on his tongue and Jenner choked. He breathed in again and his muscles twitched as he caught the barest of scents.

Bria.

The unmistakable sweetness of his mate’s scent was a godsend. Jenner fortified himself against the pull of magic and continued down Seventh toward two large buildings that flanked a narrow alleyway. Heat burst in his chest and a bright light ignited in his soul. Relief cascaded over him, banishing the darkness that fought to keep Jenner at bay. He’d found her.
Thank the gods.
And the witch who’d tried to keep him from her was going to pay with her life.

Jenner
had never been so relieved to feel Bria’s presence. It burned through him, igniting his soul with a heat that rivaled that of the sun. His fangs throbbed in his gums; his bloodlust mounted with every step. His mate was close, but even worse, the evil that hunted her was closer. How Bria had wound up in this dimly lit, quiet portion of the city was beyond him. Had the necromancer lured her out? Drawn Bria from the safety she might have found in the press of people who crowded downtown in the same way she’d tried to push Jenner away? An enraged shriek rent the night air, causing the hackles to rise on his neck.

His pace increased as Jenner pushed himself harder. The magic that bound him melted away and he ran until the sidewalk blurred beneath his feet. He rounded the corner and came to a stop where a high concrete wall dead-ended the street. Bathed in moonlight, his mate swung out with her right arm, a glint reflecting off the steel of her dagger with the motion. A woman, tall and lean, with unnaturally silver hair, parried the thrust with nothing more than a flick of her hand. Jenner rushed forward,
ready to tear the necromancer’s head from her shoulders, when a low warning growl sounded from his left.

Son of a bitch.
The wendigo emerged from the shadows and snarled. Its scaly, grayish skin quivered and the accompanying sound reminded him of a rattlesnake’s warning. Jenner didn’t bother to draw his Ruger. The wendigo was already dead; it wouldn’t matter how many bullets he drilled into its body. If he wanted the damned thing gone once and for all he’d have to kill the one who commanded it. He’d cut the bitch’s black heart from her chest and show it to her while it still beat in his palm.

Bria’s gaze flitted to him. Silver flashed in her eyes and she bared her fangs as she swung out with her dagger once again. Jenner rushed to her aid, but the wendigo blocked his path. Its jaws snapped down and the sheen of its milky eyes followed his every movement. It would be impossible to take down an unbeatable foe. He didn’t need to beat it, though. All he needed was a momentary distraction.

“Bria, focus, damn it!” Until he could get to her she had to defend herself. He’d trained her well, but she wouldn’t be worth a damn if she didn’t keep her head in the fight. Worrying about him would only get her killed.

The wendigo lunged at him and Jenner jumped back. A low growl rumbled in its chest and another strange shiver vibrated its scaly skin. Their battle dance ensued as they walked a wide circle around each other. Jenner transferred the dagger from one hand to the other. He was proficient with both and the repetitive motion helped to center him. The wendigo feinted left, but Jenner didn’t take the bait. He followed the creature’s movement, gauged its eyes, the shift of its limbs, and mirrored his opponent’s actions.

Hang on, Bria. You can do this.
He’d ordered her to focus, but he found it difficult to follow his own advice. He kept the wendigo in the periphery of his vision so that
he could be assured that Bria hadn’t been hurt in the fight. Trepidation tightened Jenner’s muscles until they twitched. The witch hadn’t made a truly aggressive move yet. She played with Bria. Taunted her. It would only be a matter of time before Astrid unleashed the full force of her power upon his mate.

He couldn’t allow that to happen.

In all of his years Jenner had never had the misfortune to cross a wendigo. As rare as the witches who controlled them, the beasts were rumored to contain a deadly venom in their claws and sharp incisors. He wasn’t interested in testing that theory out, though. The wendigo lunged at him again, but this time it wasn’t for show. Jenner braced for impact, his dagger at the ready, as its large frame crashed into him, taking him down to the pavement.

“Oh my gods. Jenner!”

“Bria!” Jenner grunted as all 250 pounds of his assailant landed on his chest. “Keep your head . . . in the game!”

If the witch was indeed the master she instructed her puppet well, creating the distraction needed to draw Bria’s focus from defending herself. Jenner brought his dagger up and the blade deflected off the wendigo’s armored flesh. An indestructible creature created by magic. How could he hope to gain the upper hand?

The blade might not have been effective, but Jenner wasn’t above reducing the fight to brute force. His inability to see Bria—to assure himself that she was safe—sent a renewed surge of panic through him. He pulled his arm back and threw every ounce of force he could into the punch. His fist connected with the wendigo’s chin, narrowly missing the sharp points of its teeth. The beast reeled back and a snarl tore from its throat.

With a roar the wendigo came up on its legs as it prepared to pounce on top of him. Jenner rolled to the side, his legs tangling in the wendigo’s. He avoided the
razor-like tips of its claws by inches as its open palms smacked down. The pavement gave way under the force and the wendigo pulled one hand and then the other from the fissures it created in the asphalt. It came at Jenner again, but he was ready and dodged out of the way.

Fucking bullshit.

Bria’s panted breaths grated in Jenner’s ears and his rage mounted with every one of her pained grunts, every frustrated cry. He threw another punch and then an uppercut that managed to knock the wendigo from on top of him. It rolled away but recovered in an instant, ready to renew its attack and take Jenner down once and for all.

He bent low at the knees to help with his center of gravity and braced for the attack. Arms held wide, the dagger clutched in his right hand, he’d be damned if he died in some dirty back alley at the hand of a creature created from murder. “Come on, you fucker!” Jenner railed. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

A force of raw energy barreled over Jenner, taking him to the ground. It hit the wendigo with the same intensity. The creature rolled like tumbleweed in a strong wind and came to a stop some thirty yards away. The necromancer paused as well. She held out a hand and Bria froze as though suspended in time.
Fucking bitch!
Jenner knew that she’d been playing with Bria all along. Entertaining herself while his mate fought to save her own life.

“I have to admit, I hadn’t realized you were even here, vampire.” Astrid gave him a slow appraisal, her cold blue gaze raking over him. “Come out, little white witch!” Astrid crooned into the night. Silence answered. Not even a breeze stirred the air and she turned toward Jenner with a superior smirk. “Your friend must be shy.”

Jenner took a step toward Bria. Astrid held out her other hand and stopped him dead in his tracks. His muscles seized up. His blood boiled in his veins. He gritted
his teeth against the pain and fought like he’d never fought before to move even his little toe. How could he possibly kill Astrid if he couldn’t even get to her?

“William. Come.” The command was merely a murmur, but the wendigo rushed to its mistress as though on punishment of death. It nuzzled her leg almost lovingly before it raised its head to her and snarled. Astrid looked down on the pathetic creature, her eyes narrowed. “Find the witch,” she said with venom. “And kill her.”

He took off like a shot, but it did him no good. Another wave of energy crested over them like a tidal wave. The force of it knocked them all on their asses—Astrid included—and the break in her concentration was enough to free both Jenner and Bria from her control.

He rushed to Bria’s side and tucked her behind his body. It might not have done him a damned bit of good, but he’d do whatever he could to protect her. Magic tingled over his skin and Jenner said a silent prayer. Ronan might not have wanted his mate in the thick of the action, but Naya had given them aid nonetheless. She was more powerful than Jenner had given her credit for.

Ronan rounded the corner, fangs bared, his eyes alight with silver. The wendigo crouched and regarded him for a single moment before throwing its head back to let loose a vengeful roar. Naya stepped out of the shadows behind him. In her right hand she held a dagger with a strange blade. The citrine glow of the weapon illuminated her face, casting sinister shadows on her usually calm expression. A sphere of energy hovered just above her left palm, pulsing with a cold golden light.

Equal parts concern and relief swirled within Jenner. They were now a force of four versus an immortal killer and a witch whose power seemed immeasurable. Their odds of success were pretty gods-damned bleak.

But Jenner would take bleak over impossible any fuck
ing day of the week. Astrid regained her footing and a fiery rage reflected in her gaze. “I’m going to consume your souls,” she seethed.

Jenner leveled his gaze and his lip curled back into a sneer. “I’d like to see you try.”

Bria should have felt relief that Jenner placed his body in front of hers. Protected her. That Ronan and Naya had come to help. Instead, fear coursed cold through her veins. The thought of losing any one of them was unbearable. The thought of losing Jenner crippled her. She wouldn’t allow them to potentially sacrifice themselves for her. Again, Bria was struck with the notion that she’d been living on borrowed time. Running from an outcome she couldn’t escape.

But maybe . . . just
maybe
it was time that she take control of her own fate.

She rose on her tiptoes and placed a kiss to the back of his neck. “I love you,” she murmured against his heated flesh.

Every muscle in Jenner’s body went taut and he said, “Bria, whatever you’re thinking,
don’t
do it.”

Bria smiled.
My mate is so fierce.
“You can have me!” she called out to Astrid. Bria stepped out from behind Jenner and dropped her daggers to the pavement. They landed with a clatter of metal, the sound stark in the quiet that descended with her words. Jenner reached for Bria and Astrid raised her palm, stilling him in an instant. His rage, his worry, reached out through their tether and Bria steeled herself against his emotions lest she change her mind. “You said it yourself; a bargain struck must be honored. I only ask that you let the others live.”

“You’re more honorable than both your mother and her cowardly brother,” Astrid remarked. “Come closer, Bria.”

Bria cast a tentative gaze at her mate. Jenner’s
expression bespoke murder and retribution and for a moment she wondered if it would be her or Astrid on the receiving end of his rage. Surely he was ready to throttle her. A wan smile curved her lips. He’d have plenty of time to berate her for her choices later. At least she hoped so.

“Bria, don’t do this!” Naya’s concerned shout sent a ripple of anxiety through Bria’s bloodstream. Naya knew Astrid’s power better than anyone.