“You’re right. We can’t continue on this way to the cave once her tracks stop. We’ll go up the hill then,” Daniel said.
William’s heart sank at Daniel’s words. Daniel was faster than most humans. Their entire family had always been faster than normal, thanks to what was most likely partial vampire DNA from a distant ancestor. However, as humans, they weren’t fast enough to evade a pack of vampires for much longer. Daniel knew it too, knew going up the hill could spell his death, but he was much like their father with his unfailing devotion to doing what must be done and protecting those he loved. Their father was gone though, and William would not lose his brother too.
“Standing here isn’t helping,” Ashby said impatiently. “The king and queen must be protected above all else, no matter what.”
William inhaled deeply, a habit he still hadn’t managed to break from the days when he’d been a human. Gripping Tempest’s hand tighter, he fled further down the gulch. When he found where Aria’s tracks ended in the snow, he turned to face the steep hillside. Thick trees covered the embankment, allowing only a little snow to have slipped through during the last storm.
The ground would be loose beneath their feet, but at least it wouldn’t be slippery, and the trees would help shelter them from any arrows unleashed on them. Hopefully the top of the hill would be as thick with trees so they could hide their tracks and lose themselves in the forest.
Tempest’s almond-shaped, doe brown eyes were apprehensive when she tilted her head back to look at him. Her silvery blonde hair tumbled about her shoulders. The press of her full lips had caused them to thin out, and her pretty face radiated strain, but she remained stoic as she watched him.
“We’ve been in worse than this before,” he said and drew her forward to kiss her forehead.
“Yes,” she agreed.
Releasing her, he stepped back and gestured toward the hill. He kept Tempest in front of him to shelter her as he nudged her up the hillside. “Don’t look back.”
Her feet slipped in the leaves and loose dirt, but she kept her gaze focused ahead as she climbed before him.
“We’ll carry you once we get to the top,” William said over his shoulder to Daniel.
“I’m not riding anyone’s back,” Timber grumbled as he struggled up the hillside.
“I don’t think anything short of a horse could carry you,” Ashby replied. Placing his hand on the small of Timber’s back, he propelled the man faster up the side of the hill.
William had to agree. Timber was by far the largest man he’d ever seen at nearly seven feet, if not seven. His broad back and thighs the size of tree trunks made him the biggest target. Despite his massive size, he moved with relative ease up the hill, though his permanently crooked nose whistled with every ragged inhalation he made. His shaggy brown hair fell forward over his shoulders to nearly trail in the snow as he remained low to the ground.
They made it to the top of the hill as the twang of more arrows being released filled the air. Diving forward, William enclosed his arm around Tempest’s waist and shoved her to the ground. He rolled toward a white pine. The needles pricked his back when he came up against it, but no arrows pierced his flesh.
Rolling over, he discovered Ashby and Melinda rising to their feet beside him. Usually immaculate, Ashby had leaves and pine needles sticking to his face and dark blond hair. His green eyes were flashing with red when they met William’s. Melinda’s knee-length, golden blonde hair was a tangled mess as she pushed it back from her forehead. Her normally dove-gray eyes were the color of rubies.
“They’re coming,” Melinda said as she stared down the hill. “When the time comes, I’m going to enjoy killing every one of these bastards.”
“All in due time, dear,” Ashby replied in his unruffled manner as he slid his arm through Melinda’s and hurried her forward. “But first let’s work on getting you away from them.”
William glanced back down the hill at the vampires already making their way up. Their white cloaks were far more noticeable in the growing night. They were as loud as if they were riding a dozen horses through the trees.
“You won’t have to carry anyone. We’ll lose them easily in the dark,” Daniel said from beside him.
“Yes,” William agreed. “Let’s go.”
He reclaimed Tempest’s hand and fled through the forest. All of those with him were accustomed to having to move through the trees with stealth. He barely detected their movement. Behind him, trees and branches snapped as the vampire’s trailing topped the hill and came for them.
***
Aria