At Grave's End

Uh oh, there she goes. Some New Year’s wishes would never come true.

 

I sighed. “If you don’t like being surrounded by these vampires and ghouls, imagine how much more you wouldn’t like it if it were Patra’s vamps and ghouls.”

 

“I’m not a child, Catherine,” she replied in her usual sharp tone. “Don’t speak to me like one.”

 

The tenseness of the past several days caught up with me, even though I of all people knew better.

 

“You’re not a child? That is news, considering you’ve acted like one most of my life.”

 

Denise’s mouth dropped at my rejoinder. She gulped her champagne, settling back in her chair for a better view.

 

“That’s it,” my mother announced, furious. “I’m leaving!”

 

Why couldn’t I just learn to keep my trap shut? With resignation, I followed her as she marched to the front door, grabbing a coat.

 

“Mom, be sensible. It’s about six degrees outside, you’ll freeze to death. Where do you think you’re going, anyway?”

 

“I’ve had enough of this,” she spat. “Go here, do that, stay still, silly little mortal, tricks are for kids! Well, I am through being carted around for guilt’s sake.”

 

During her tirade, she had pushed past me and marched straight out onto the lawn. I didn’t stop her, partly because I didn’t want to have to get physical and also so our grievances could be aired in semi-private. The living room was hardly the place for this kind of family circus.

 

“You’re wrong, Mom,” I said, trying to ignore the biting wind. I hadn’t bothered to don a coat, and the chill cut straight through my sweater and pants. “Can you be a pain in the ass? Yeah. Do I wish you weren’t in my life? Of course not. Now, really, let’s get back inside, it’s freezing out—”

 

“I’ll walk to the nearest house, street, town, whatever,” she snapped, not mollified in the least.

 

We reached the trees, the fallen snow silvery in the moonlight. My breath came in plumes of smoke. “There’s nothing around for at least twenty miles,” I pointed out in a calm tone. “Believe me, I know. Mencheres picked this place for a reason. You can’t walk it, you’d be overcome by hypothermia inside of five. We’re out in the middle of nowhere, trust me, there’s nothing around…”

 

And then I stopped, frozen to the spot and not from the temperature. My sudden unyielding grip on her prevented her from going another step. She rounded on me angrily before ceasing at my expression.

 

“What?” she whispered.

 

“Shhh.”

 

It was barely audible to her, but sounded way too loud for my comfort. Then again, our bitching over the past fifty yards hadn’t been quiet. Neither were the heavy footfalls in the distance, disturbing the night with how noisy they were.

 

I narrowed my eyes, focusing all my energy toward those sounds. No heartbeat, no breathing, but also no feeling of encroaching power. They were moving slowly. A whole hell of a lot of them. Why didn’t I feel anything? Every vampire or ghoul gave off an aura of power, but there was nothing. What the fuck were they?

 

Without waiting to find out, I snatched her up and ran for the house. Zero and Tick Tock were already at the door, sensing trouble from my rapid pace.

 

“Get everybody downstairs now,” I barked, shoving my mother in that direction for emphasis. “Something’s coming.”

 

“What?” Denise began, rising from her chair.

 

Randy was quicker on the draw and went to her, pulling her up. Zero gestured to the stairs, ever respectful but urgent.

 

“Please, this way.”

 

When my mother didn’t move, I shot her a single glare. “Awake or unconscious, you’re going with them.”

 

She muttered something but went after them, her shoulders stiff.

 

“Tick Tock,” I breathed, still straining to listen to those figures. “Get Bones and the others.”

 

Two minutes later Bones came, Spade and Rodney close behind him. I ignored the stains on him and pointed to the window.

 

“Do you hear them? I can’t feel anything, but there are a lot of them. Headed right this way.”

 

Bones narrowed his gaze, staring into the darkness with green pinpoints in his eyes. After a few seconds he let out a grunt.

 

“Can’t feel anything, either, Kitten, but they’re stomping around like a herd of elephants. Whatever they are, they aren’t human. Charles?”

 

“I have no idea, Crispin. That curls my stones in my sack.”

 

Rodney gave Spade a grimly supportive glance. “I’m right there with you.”

 

“All right.” Bones cracked his knuckles, his eyes all green. “Let’s get ready to greet them. We’ll need knives, swords, crossbows, guns…quickly. A few of them sound like they’re ahead of the pack. We’ll be finding out soon what’s come to call.”

 

“Why don’t we just leave?” I asked on the way to the armory.

 

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