Vampires Dead Ahead

TWENTY-SEVEN



It had been twelve days since Rodán was bitten a second time.

Two days since Rodán should have risen as one of the undead.

Four days since we returned from Otherworld.

I closed my eyes and rubbed the bridge of my nose before looking out my bedroom window again at Central Park, which would soon be dark with the deepening evening. Spring, a time of renewal, had made the park green with life.

But right then what I saw were the branches that were not yet budding, the dead grass not yet taken over by green, the dead leaves still on the ground, and the darkness coming to steal away whatever was good.

All I could think about was Rodán as one of the undead. The beautiful Rodán I’d known didn’t exist anymore.

My phone rang. I had turned off the theme to Rocky in favor of a traditional ring. Knowing that Rodán should have come out of the grave by now made my heart ache too much for silly ringtones.

The phone number on the caller ID wasn’t one I recognized. I glanced out the window as I answered. “This is Nyx.”

“Nyx.”

I went rigid at the sound of the familiar voice. “Rodán?”

“Are you all right?” Concern was in his tone as I tried to get my bearings. “Is everything okay with you and the other Trackers?”

“What?” I blinked. This was in no way like anything I had expected. “We’re fine.” I cleared my throat. “What about you? Are you …” I didn’t know how to finish.

“I am good.” Rodán lowered his voice. “I escaped from nearly being turned and I have been in hiding.”

“Really?” Hope bubbled inside of me.“You got away?”

“Yes.” He said the word with no hesitation. “I need to see you. Tonight.”

I paused. Inside I knew he wasn’t telling the truth. “Rodán, please don’t lie to me and make this worse. You are a Vampire.”

A pause. “Why do you say this?”

“Desmond showed us what happened in a hologram. We saw it all, Rodán. The girls with the potion, the fight with Volod and Monique, and Volod biting you. We saw it all. Don’t lie.”

Another pause. “You are right. I was afraid to tell you because you might not believe me.”

My heart sank as I let him go on. “But it is not what you think. I want to meet with you. I need to get to you before Volod does. I will not harm you but I’m afraid Volod will kill you, Nyx. Do you at least believe that I would never hurt you?”

I bit my lower lip before I said, “I want to believe that, but how can I?”

“Nyx, you know that Vampires have controlled themselves without attacks for decades,” Rodán said. “I can also.”

I remained quiet, not knowing what to say.

“Volod has a bull’s-eye on your back,” Rodán continued. “I want to meet and protect you.”

Confusion made my mind fuzzy. Part of me wanted to say yes, but after all that had happened, I didn’t dare jump into anything. Yet what if he was telling the truth?

“Where is it you want to meet?” I asked. “What time?”

“Central Park.” As he said it, I looked back out the window. He added, “Cherry Hill Boat Landing. Midnight.”

It was a secluded location … a perfect hideaway or trap.

“How about the Gapstow Bridge?” I said. Much more open yet secluded enough for a meeting like this.

He paused. “Yes, that would be a good location.”

“Rodán?” I needed to be sure it was him. No matter how familiar his voice sounded, there are things in this world not to be trusted. “What did my father say when you told him you wanted to recruit me to be a Night Tracker?”

Rodán laughed. It was so good to hear that sound, it almost made me smile. “He said he would never allow his daughter to leave with the likes of me.”

I did smile then. It was him. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll be there at midnight.”

“Nyx.” He sounded more serious. “Come alone.”

I opened my mouth to answer then stopped. Alone?

“Rodán.” I spoke slowly. “Others have been tricked. You know I can’t come alone. Why are you asking this of me?”

“It is important that you follow my direction.” He sounded like the Proctor who had always been on the lookout for his Trackers. “You will be safe.”

I paused before I said, “All right.”

“I will see you tonight,” Rodán said then disconnected.

The phone felt hard and cool in my hand as I continued holding it to my ear a few seconds longer. My mind whirled.

Rodán would never ask me to put myself in possible danger. He would be the first person to tell me to not go alone, to bring backup with me.

Still, what he’d said was true. Vampires had the ability to suppress their natures and had done so for countless years. Rodán himself was one of the strongest beings I had ever known, and he had never done anything to harm me.

With a frown I turned away from the window. No, I would not go alone. But how I could I bring backup without Rodán sensing it?

I would choose Dopplers with animal forms that you’d find in a park, and Shifters who could choose any animal form they wanted.

What about the gift the Witch had given me? Would I be able to hear Rodán’s thoughts? I hadn’t been able to over the phone, but maybe it didn’t work like that.

I looked at my phone and dialed the first person who came to mind. “Colin,” I said. “I need to see you.”

Thanks to his Dragon ability to transfer, Colin was knocking at my front door a moment later.

I let him in then hugged him when he closed the door.

“Are you all right?” Colin held me by my shoulders and looked at me. “Something’s wrong.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, wondering if I was telling the truth. “But you’re right, something is wrong.”

I explained to Colin about the phone call with Rodán—or at least who I thought was Rodán. “He knew what my father said to him when he recruited me as a Tracker,” I said, partly to myself, partly to Colin. “So it really is him … I just don’t know for sure if he was telling the truth.”

Colin looked grim. “He might be, but meeting him alone would be foolish. We have to assume he is not being truthful.”

“I agree,” I said. “Angel can come as a squirrel and Lawan in cat form.” I ran through the Trackers. “Ice can be a falcon, and I believe both Gentry and Hades could choose a park animal form.”

“Don’t forget Nakano. And Kelly is a rabbit—and Phyllis is a Were,” Colin said. “And I don’t think Joshua can be spotted as shadow.”

I nodded. “Yes. That gives us eleven counting you and me.” I cocked my head. “Although you’re a Dragon. How would Rodán not sense you?”

Colin rubbed my shoulders. “He might sense me as a human, but a lot of humans go through that park. As long as there’s only one of me, I think it’ll be okay.”

He added, “What about Armand and his team?”

I shook my head. “Armand plans to kill Rodán the moment he spots him.”

Colin released my shoulders. “I can’t help but think we can use all of the help we can get.”

I said, “We won’t be able to find out if Rodán is really all right if Armand kills him. Rodán might be the key to us getting to Volod.”

“That’s true,” Collin said.

My skin started to tingle as the sun lowered in the sky. I had maybe ten minutes before I shifted. “Let’s start making some calls.”





My senses were heightened as I walked through the park to Gapstow Bridge at the northeast end of what was named simply “the Pond.” I didn’t sense Vampires, but that didn’t mean they weren’t waiting someplace else to come swooping down on me.

We had sent out a recon team. They’d found nothing and had returned to my apartment just minutes ago.

But as I walked through the darkness, and even though I knew I had teammates out there, I still felt alone … and like I was headed for a trap.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe I should have said no.

My heart wanted to believe so badly that Rodán really was okay, that he hadn’t been turned. This was our chance to find out the truth.

When I reached the foot of the stone bridge, I thought of the small bridge in Otherworld where I’d seen the Great Guardian just days ago. I thought of what she’d told me—that sacrifices must be made. That sometimes one must be sacrificed for the good of all. That this would cost me my blood.

I walked to the center of the bridge, the stone firm beneath my boots. Water sloshed up against the stone below, a quiet sound that moved in time with the brush of wind through the surrounding trees. I scented the air and caught nothing more than leaves, water, and earth.

Even without moonlight, my keen Drow vision allowed me to see my surroundings. My internal clock told me it was now midnight.

Hair at my nape prickled. Someone was behind me.

I drew my Dragon-clawed dagger so quickly that it was in my hand at the same time I whirled to face whatever had come up behind me.

“Rodán?” He stood there looking more beautiful even than I remembered. He wore all black, his long, white-blond hair a bright contrast to his tunic. His eyes looked clear, green, and beautiful.

His hair rose from his shoulders in the light wind. I smelled rain in the air and the coolness of the night on my skin.

And then his thoughts came to me and chills rolled through my body.

I will not hurt her, he told himself. I will never harm Nyx.

Confusion made my mind spin as I clenched the hilt of my dagger. What did he mean? Why would he be worried about hurting me?

I am what I am now. His thoughts were as clear as if they were my own. That will not change.

Then came a turn in his thoughts I sensed more than heard. His thirst for blood, his desire to take a paranorm, but his will to never take that step. He would fight it. He would survive on synthetic paranorm blood, should a way be found to make it.

I took a step back. I’d been so shocked by his thoughts that I hadn’t thought about the real danger I was in.

“They really did get to you.” My throat ached from the pain of saying those words. “You’re one of them now.”

“Yes. But it is unlike anything I have ever known.” Rodán’s voice was low, urgent. “I never expected this. The beauty of it is almost more than I can believe. The feeling. The power. It is amazing.”

I shook my head. “No. I can’t believe you’d go to their side and like it.”

“It is freeing.” Rodán held his hands out to me and I took another step back. “There is nothing even close to being a Vampire paranorm. But I will force no one to join me.”

“No.” I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “No.” I wouldn’t believe it. Couldn’t believe it.

“Come with me, Nyx.” He stretched out one arm, extending a hand as if to take mine. “Come with me now and join me.”

I remembered what Armand said about killing those we care about when it was too late for them. But I couldn’t bring myself to take the dagger I held and use it against Rodán, no matter how much danger I faced at that moment.

His voice turned urgent. “It’s safer for you if you come with me now. It is not safe for you out in the world alone. If Volod bites you, you will be drawn to him. You will be his.”

“Going off with a Vampire is not what I’d call safe,” I said.

I prepared to turn and run.

The place where Volod had bitten me all those months ago started to tingle and burn and I went stiff.

Volod was here.