Davina (Davy Harwood #3)

The Immortal walked across the grass for where the Mori children played. Suhnah was halfway back to their home when she stopped. She turned, holding Lily, and fear slivered through her like she had never experienced before.

Tracey couldn’t move, not at first. The same fear everyone felt was paralyzing her, but then her instincts kicked in and she placed herself in The Immortal’s path. She raised her chin up, challenging, and said, “You will not go any further.”

The Immortal stopped a few feet away and cocked her head to the side. Her eyes ran over the warrior vampire and then she grinned. “You are Talia’s sister. At last, we meet.” The way The Immortal stood there, her hair billowing from the wind, flying behind her and around her, the image was beautiful, but chilling at the same time. Her white dress was clean, as if she wasn’t a creature of the world. It was like she was above them, a god among them, but Tracey knew that wasn’t right. She was beneath them. She had been created and stuffed inside a human to keep her powers controlled. She was a murderer.

The Immortal laughed softly. She shook her head. “You are wrong, Tracey, sister to Talia. I’m fighting for my existence. That is all. You would do the same.”

“I wouldn’t,” she growled back.

“You would.” The Immortal’s voice dipped to a low warning. “You would kill anything that stood in your way of living. It is the very essence of who you are.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You are a vampire. You take blood from those living to live yourself.”

“I do not kill them.”

“You would if you were starving. You wouldn’t be able to control yourself and you would justify it later when you were of sound mind. You had to live. They were the weaker species. It is the hierarchy of life.”

She was right. Tracey hated it, but she had killed. When she first turned, before she could control herself, and though she felt guilt, it hadn’t stayed with her long. She was fighting to live. “Shut up.”

The Immortal laughed again. The sound was eerie. “You’re angry because you know I am right. I am only trying to live.”

“You are life itself. You will live even if you are inside another human.”

“That is not life. That is surviving. That is entrapment.” Her eyes flashed in anger. She drew closer, and as she did, the winds picked up. They slammed behind her, rushing past and assaulting Tracey. The Immortal added, “I am only trying to exist. That is all.”

“It won’t be enough.”

Others were gathering. The longer they spoke, Tracey saw more and more Mori standing around them to watch. All had fear in their eyes. All had a sense of helplessness. Tracey couldn’t stomach it. They weren’t even going to fight. It came down to her and her alone. Her gut twisted into a knot and the ends were yanked savagely, tightening. For a moment, she felt tears swimming in her eyes. This was the end. She couldn’t do anything except try, but she had to. Suhnah had taken her niece away. Tracey only hoped they were hiding the child as she stalled The Immortal.

“But you are not.”

She heard The Immortal, and her heart sank. “What do you mean?”

The Immortal tapped her head. “I can hear your thoughts, if you didn’t realize it already. They are not hiding the child.” She bobbed her head down, indicating behind Tracey’s shoulder.

Tracey turned and that knot withered and died.

Suhnah was bringing Lily to them.

“No!” She held her hand out. “Don’t. Run. Hide. Try something to save Lily.”

Suhnah stopped, still holding onto the child tightly, but The Immortal crooked a finger. She made a motioning signal to her. “Come, Suhnah. Bring me the child.” She said to Tracey as Suhnah did as she commanded, “There is no more fight. They can all sense it. They are offering a sacrifice instead for their livelihood.”

“How do you know?” Tracey couldn’t speak. Her throat was raw. “You can’t know . . .” But it was. She saw the resignation and defeat in Suhnah. The Mori vampiress was crying. Tears streamed down her face in a steady line, but she never faltered. She closed the distance until she was right in front of her child’s would-be murderer.