Deceived By the Others

chapter 33


I’ve held up to a lot in my day. Psychotic magic-users, crazy vampires, and cheating boyfriends are no walk in the park. Being bound by blood to a vampire, losing myself to him, and then having that closeness ripped away from me in the agony of withdrawal was quite possibly one of the most physically and emotionally painful experiences I’ve ever had.

None of those things prepared me for being disowned by my father.

Once the immediate edge of shock wore off, I didn’t take the time to consider what I could do to fix it. I didn’t pause to consider the consequences of my actions. I didn’t stop to think holy-hell-what-am-I-doing?

Instead, I went straight to my room and donned every last piece of hunting equipment I owned. A few drops of Amber Kiss perfume would ensure my scent would be dulled to supernaturals, while the body armor would protect me from claws and fangs, giving me a fighting chance at surviving things no mortal should ever have to face. My guns went into the shoulder holster, soon hidden beneath my trench coat, a replacement after the last one was shredded in a fight for my life.

The belt came last. Though in the course of my breakdown it felt like it had been a long time since the sun went down, it wasn’t quite midnight yet. There were a lot of hours left to the night.

A lot of hours left to hunt.

The belt knew what I wanted.

On silent feet, I left the apartment. No one was in the hall. Whoever was on guard duty did not notice my stealthy exit.

Instead of trying to sneak past whoever was on watch at the front door, I headed to the back of the hall and took the stairs two at a time, pausing on the landing of the second floor. The sounds of heavy music, a car chase, and laughter came from the last door on the right side of the hall. The door was open, and I could hear the undertones of a few voices beneath the soundtrack of mayhem; the party was in there. Sara would be with those people, enjoying herself, safe for now in the shadow of the vampires who had seen fit to take us in. I’d have to pass by that open door to reach the window at the end of the hall, right above the roof of the foyer. There was a chance I might be seen by one of the vampires old and fast enough to stop me, even with the benefits granted by the belt.

It was a chance I’d have to take. If I stayed here, Royce and the other vampires wouldn’t let me do what needed to be done.

I ran—fast—faster than I could ever remember running before. The doors to either side of me were nothing but blurs, and all I did to protect myself was cover my eyes with my arm at the last moment, right before I leapt through the window.

Glass shattered with a sound so sharp it hurt my ears, so newly attuned to the quieter sounds of the night. Sheer momentum was carrying me much farther than expected. I was airborne.

For one heart-stopping moment, I was terrified.

Then, the utter rapture of the belt kicked in, reminding me that—with its help—I was now something more than human.

We flew, reveling in the wind making our hair stream, cutting through the material of the body armor as a cold caress, making the trench coat flare behind us like dark wings. As light as a bird, we landed on the roof of a car parked in front of the building, using it as a lever to leap off before it could be crushed under our weight.

There were shouts and cries from behind me, but I didn’t stop running.

The hunt for those who had wronged me was on.