Innocent blood was on my hands too. I would not make the error of having a holier than thou attitude toward Linden. My mistakes were just that though. Mistakes. When I hunted with the intent to lure and kill, I chose ones with blood on their own hands.
Touching base with Arys, I assured him I was fine. He and Jenner had found Roscoe who had yet to give them anything on Linden. Arys was still of the mind that he needed to come for me. Having to stay away and wait it out was driving him mad. I refused to put the kids at greater risk. There was no way to predict what Linden may do if Arys arrived on the scene.
My palm grew sweaty on the dagger handle. I was nervous but eager. I didn’t have to wait much longer for a vampire to return with the rest of the children. Standing behind the door, I waited for it to close and expose me.
I was on the guy before he could react to seeing me out of the cell. Shoving the dagger into its sheath, I grabbed his head and snapped his neck, letting him fall. Then I swiped his phone, keys and gun so they wouldn’t be lost in the destruction of his body when I dusted him.
“Who knows how to use this?” I offered the gun to the first guy who held up a hand with a semblance of confidence. “You take the rear. Cover everyone else on the way out. Especially the kids and that lady there.” I motioned to the pregnant lady who wore a hard, stern expression. She was braver than I ever would have been in her place. “A gun isn’t the best weapon against vampires, but a good face shot or two can buy you some time.”
A broken neck also wouldn’t keep a vampire down long. A quick swipe of the Dragon Claw’s blade ensured he wouldn’t be a future problem. His dusty remains had both the kids and adults fascinated. They would never look at the world the same again after this night.
“Stay here until Shaz comes back for you,” I reminded them one last time. “We’ll clear a path out of the warehouse.”
I met Shaz’s calm green eyes. He inclined his head in a wolfish nod, and I slowly eased the door open. I could see half of the lengthy table from the tiny crack in the door. Just one vampire sat there. He was engrossed in whatever was on his smartphone screen. A few others lingered near the door. It creaked as I opened it, and they turned to catch me sneaking up on them.
So much for a sneak attack. I flung the door wide, hands crackling with power. Shaz raced past me, lunging at the closest vampire. Hitting him full in the chest, Shaz took him down with a snarl, tearing the guy’s throat out with a vicious snap of jaws.
I hit the others with a fiery blast that engulfed them all. An exhilarating rush of power flowed from me, seeking and finding its target. It was a relief to rid myself of the angelic force. It didn’t belong to me, and I needed it out of my head.
A shout rang out from the one at the table. I threw a flaming psi ball at his head, and it hit with an uncanny precision and strength. His head burst into flames, the rest of him was quick to follow. The smartphone clattered to the floor.
My last experience with angel blood hadn’t gone quite this smooth. Either this was dumb luck or my control was improving. Considering how bad it had once been, this was nice. I could get used to the power.
With the Dragon Claw, I finished off the one with his throat splayed open. Shaz and I turned to find half a dozen or so blocking the main exit. We could handle those odds.
With every shot of Falon’s power that I used, the pressure in my head subsided. I hit the entire group of them with a blast that almost winded me. They all went down in a flaming pile. I didn’t doubt for a moment that Falon could throw fire. However, I’d never witnessed it myself. I was a little bummed that it wasn’t one of my abilities. It was damn handy.
“Go, get them out of here,” I told Shaz, turning to find a few more vamps heading in from the back of the building. “I’ve got these guys.”
The newcomers got hit with a face full of fire. One of them fell against the couch, and the flames began to spread. I expected more and found the brief reprieve to be unsettling. Was that all Linden had for manpower here?
I wiped my bleeding nose with the back of my hand. When I became a vampire, I would never miss that side effect of a mortal using immortal power.
Shaz led the captives in a steady line to the front exit. They ran for their lives, following the white wolf that promised them freedom.
Smoke was beginning to fill the warehouse. I coughed and tried to limit my breaths. My eyes burned and began to water. The fire consumed the couch and jumped to the next flammable thing in its path.
I ran back to the prison room to confirm that everyone was out. It was empty. I ran back to the dirty little bathroom to double check. Empty. Relief crushed me.
I turned and fled the room, intent on the exit. Linden stepped out in front of me, and I had to jerk to a halt to avoid colliding with him. On his face was a giant, shit-eating grin, and in his arms was a struggling child.