Authors: Marissa Farrar
The air seemed to vibrate around them and Serenity’s hair lifted from its roots, her skin prickling with a sensation close to pins and needles. The experience was uncomfortable, but not painful. She glanced at Elizabeth, hoping the prickling wasn’t hurting her, but Elizabeth’s attention remained focused on the ring.
“
Integer
possessorem
!”
Iona declared, her voice sounding older, stronger. “Find her!”
The ring began to spin, speeding up and becoming a blur of gold. Around the circle of metal, specs of multi-colored dust began to gather, whirling around the object. More dust gathered, a mini sandstorm in the middle of a double-
wide
trailer. Before their eyes, the movement seemed to erode a hole into the trailer floor, the tip of the twister digging deeper as the sides grew higher.
Serenity gasped, her hold on both Elizabeth and Bridget’s hands tightening.
“Show us!” Iona cried. A wind whipped up around them, blowing their hair from their faces. Bridget’s long skirt wrapped tight around her legs. Serenity expected the dust to lash against her face, clog her throat and scratch her eyes, but, strangely, she didn’t feel it at all.
Though she could see the specks as clearly as the room around her, the dust itself seemed to have no form.
The spiral grew wider, enveloping them. Serenity twisted her head to check behind her. The twister wrapped around the group, reaching right up to the trailer’s ceiling. The hole in the floor spread, causing them to edge back.
“Don’t break the circle!” Iona yelled above the wind.
Their arms were stretched, Serenity’s fingertips barely clasping Elizabeth’s. If the hole before them grew any larger, she’d have no choice but to break the circle and she’d do so by pulling Elizabeth into her arms.
But the hole remained the same size, like a twister on the ocean.
“Show us the location of the owner of this ring.”
Where before, the spiral of dust had been a whirl of color, the colors now began to separate and gather, forming shapes and patterns. The wind continued lashing around their bodies, yet the gusts didn’t disperse the molecules. Instead, behind them and below their feet, pictures began to appear, as clear as if Serenity were looking through a window and seeing a view outside.
A white sign post reading
Serra Mesa Recreation Center
.
A small airfield.
Rows of citrus groves, a horse stable nestled in between.
A freeway signpost for the Interstate 5 Freeway to San Diego.
Then the expanse of gray industrial buildings.
Suddenly, the wind stopped and the twister dropped into small piles of dust around them. The hole vanished, leaving the polished wood floors intact.
Breathing hard, Iona dropped Elizabeth and Bridget’s hands, breaking the circle.
“Did you see what you needed?” she gasped, bent over, her hands on her knees as she looked up at Serenity.
Serenity pressed her lips together and nodded. “I think so. She’s definitely in Serra Mesa, in San Diego. I can only assume we’ll find her in one of the industrial buildings.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to find the right one?”
Vincent spoke up. “If you get me close enough, I’ll be able to sense her.”
Serenity turned to him, hope lightening her heart. “Are you sure?”
He gave a surly nod. “I’ll chase her out like a weasel from a hole.”
Sebastian’s eyes shot open.
Serenity rushed to his side, relief flooding through her. Though she hadn’t wanted to admit it out loud, she’d been terrified he might not find his way home this time.
“Hey.” She smiled at him. “You’re back.”
He tried to return the smile, but his expression seemed to be forced. The patch of dried skin had spread upward, creeping over his jaw and cheek. Serenity thought if she touched his cheek, flakes would come away on her fingertips, like the wing of a butterfly or moth.
Sebastian looked around at all the faces watching him, his green eyes dull. With effort, he pushed himself to sitting and struggled to his feet.
“Excuse me,” he said, muscling his way through the room, not looking at anyone. “I need some space.”
“Daddy?”
Elizabeth stared after him, worry written all over her small face.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” said Serenity. “Stay here a minute, okay? I’m just going to talk to your father.”
The little girl’s lower lip trembled. “He’s not going to die, is he?”
“No, Elizabeth.” She tried to be firm, tried to make herself believe her own words as well. “No one is going to die.”
Iona, Bridget and Vincent all glanced at one another, but Serenity tried to ignore the implication of their expressions. Instead, she followed Sebastian from the trailer. She almost expected Iona’s men to be surrounding him, but they were nowhere to be seen. Neither was Sebastian.
She went in search, her panic mounting. What if he didn’t have full control? What if the demon affected the way he acted? Then she saw his familiar shape sitting on a low wall at the back of the camp and sighed with relief.
He sat with his elbows rested on his knees, his head sunk below his shoulders. The position offered Serenity a view of the back of his neck and, in the moonlight, she noticed that the flaky, white patch of skin had grown once again, disappearing down below his shirt collar. The thought of how far the patch had spread over his beautiful skin made her want to cry.
Sebastian already seemed defeated.
“Hey,” she said softly as she approached. She nodded to the spot on the wall beside him.
“That seat taken?”
Sebastian lifted his eyes to her. The brilliance had gone out of his green gaze, a milky film starting to form over his irises. A fist clutched at her heart, a painful lump tightening in her throat.
How could someone do this to him?
Serenity swallowed her emotions, knowing she needed to be strong. She sat down close, their thighs touching. Wanting to get his attention, she gave his leg a nudge with hers.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m frightened,” he admitted, casting his gaze to the ground, ashamed to even look at her. “Of what’s going to happen.”
“When the daytime comes?”
Sebastian nodded. “I’ll sleep and then this thing will take control. I can’t stop it, Serenity. I’m scared of what I might do.”
She laced her fingers through his and he lifted his eyes to hers once more. “Everything will be fine. We’ve got Iona now to stop you if the demon tries to control you.”
“She’s only a girl, barely older than Elizabeth.”
“But she’s powerful. She controlled the demon, made it tell her about Natasha. Don’t doubt her abilities, Sebastian.”
“I’ve never been like this before. Never been helpless or at the mercy of something else.” His eyes burned. “I hate it.”
She squeezed his large hand and pressed her lips together, trying to stem the tears threatening to overwhelm her. She hung her head so her hair fell over her face and stared at the ground, willing them away. Her self-control wasn’t enough and the ground blurred.
“Serenity.
Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”
He pulled her against him and she allowed herself to be held, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her face into his shoulder. He still felt so solid beneath her face, still so
him
. If she didn’t look at him, she could almost imagine there was nothing wrong—that he was still just Sebastian with nothing dark lurking beneath the surface.
“I’m sorry.” She sniffed, lifting her face. “I wanted to be strong for you. It’s you who is suffering and I’m the one blubbering like a baby.”
He cupped her face between his hands, holding their faces level. “I’d cry if I could, Serenity. Believe me.”
She closed her eyes briefly and nodded. When she opened them again, he leaned forward and placed a smooth, cool kiss on her lips.
“I love you,” he said, brushing her remaining tears from her cheeks.
“I love you too.”
They locked eyes, their hands held,
the
intimacy of the moment more than any words could contain.
Sebastian broke the moment with a sad smile. “So what now?” he asked.
“Iona located Natasha.”
Immediately, he sat up straight.
“Where?”
“San Diego. We think she’s in an industrial area in Serra Mesa.”
“So, she’s close,” said Sebastian. “Convenient.”
“Perhaps she wanted to be near in case something went wrong.”
“Well, what are we waiting for? We should go now!”
She shook her head. “You’re not going. You need to stay here with Elizabeth.”
“Why?”
“We don’t know how long we’ll be or how much control Natasha has on the demon. Taking you to her might be asking for trouble.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “So, who is going to take on Natasha?”
“Bridget and Elizabeth will stay here with you and I’ll go with Iona and Vincent. We’ll make Natasha take this thing back.”
“It won’t be easy, Serenity,” he warned. “You know that.”
“I know.” She gritted her teeth. “But if she doesn’t cooperate, she won’t be the first vampire I’ve had to kill.”
He shook his head. “Just be careful.”
“I will. I’ve got Vincent and Iona to protect me.” She stood and put her hand out to him.
Sebastian took her hand, rising from the wall. He followed her back into Iona’s trailer, where everyone regarded him anxiously as he walked in.
“Daddy!”
Elizabeth rushed to his side and took the hand Serenity wasn’t holding. “You’re going to be okay, I know you are.”
He smiled weakly down at her. “Have you seen anything, Elizabeth?”
She understood what he meant and shook her head. “Not yet. I still see you in that other place.
Still lost.”
He smiled again. “I was hoping for something a little more positive.”
She wrinkled her nose and gave an apologetic shrug.
“Sorry, Daddy.”
Iona stepped in. “We’ve only got about six hours of night left. I’m not sure we’re going to be back before it gets light. I’m worried about what will happen when day comes and the demon can take over.”
Sebastian nodded. “I understand. Is there anywhere I can go if you’re not back before daybreak?”
“There’s a crawl space below the trailer,” she said. “You won’t be comfortable, but you’ll be protected from the light.”
“That’s fine. Thank you.”
Serenity squeezed his hand and he turned to her. “We’ll be back before then. You won’t have to go through another day with this thing inside you.”
He forced a smile. “I hope you’re right.”
Serenity released Sebastian’s hand and crouched down to her daughter. “You
be
good for Bridget and your dad, okay?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
“Yes, Mom.
I’m not a baby anymore, you know.”
Serenity grinned. “I know, but you’ll always be a baby to me—even when you’re twenty.”
Elizabeth’s face scrunched up. “That’s really old, Mom.”
She laughed, the first time in a while.
“Yeah, ancient.”
“We need to get moving,” said Iona.
Serenity scooped Elizabeth up in a final hug, imprinting the memory of her daughter’s soft hair beneath her face, her arms around her neck in a tight squeeze, on her mind. Elizabeth hugged her back, hard.
Serenity untangled herself and stood straight. She turned and kissed Sebastian goodbye, aware of all the eyes in the room on her.
“Be careful,” he told her.
“You too.”
The small group divided into two—Bridget, Elizabeth and Sebastian all staying at the trailer, while Serenity, Iona and Vincent headed to the car. Henry and Conner were back, flanking the trailer door like two doormen at a club. Their presence was for Bridget’s benefit—just in case the others didn’t get back in time for sunrise.
Serenity climbed into the driver’s seat. Vincent slid in beside her around the passenger side and Iona climbed in the back. It felt strange to have another girl sitting in the spot where Elizabeth should be.
With her stomach in knots, she started the vehicle and maneuvered a three-point turn to head back the way they’d
come
.
Before long, they left the town and the trailer camp far behind, driving along the open, empty desert road.
“We’ll reach San Diego within a few hours,” said Iona from the back seat, as though sensing Serenity’s anxiety about not only being parted from the two people she loved best in the world, but also having to face another vampire who wanted her dead. “This Natasha won’t stand a chance against us. My magic is stronger than a solitary vampire will ever be.”
“And even if it isn’t,” interjected Vincent. “I’m as strong as she is. We were created at the same time by the same vampire. No one else in the world is more her equal than me.”
“So, she’s like your sister,” Iona said, pursing her lips and casting her gaze upward.
Vincent snorted. “I guess she suffers from a bad case of sibling rivalry. She didn’t like anyone else being close to our maker. She wanted to be the only one. We were never exactly going to be friends, but then Demitri learned of my mother’s powers and forced her into Sebastian’s home. He threatened to keep me locked beneath ground, to starve me, if I didn’t get my mother to do as he wanted and find out more about the girl.”
“Elizabeth,” Serenity
said,
her voice hard. She’d also not forgotten that Vincent had played his part in keeping her daughter captive, even if he had been threatened himself. “Her name is Elizabeth.”
“Sorry.” The big vampire looked away, glancing out the window. “Anyway, Natasha couldn’t believe her luck when she found out about Demitri blackmailing my mother and me. In her twisted little mind, she figured Demitri’s actions meant he loved her best, that I was only being used. The stupid creature didn’t understand Demitri used everyone eventually. Her turn simply hadn’t come yet. But then you
killed him, so her turn would never come. She’ll never truly understand what Demitri was about.”
Serenity allowed his words to sink in. The monologue was the longest she’d ever heard him speak.
He turned to Serenity, fixing her with his gray gaze. The vampire dwarfed the inside of the large car, his presence overwhelming her in the same way Sebastian’s did—as though he took up more space than regular people, and not just because of his physical size. “I’m sorry for what I did to you daughter. I want to make things right.”
“Thank you, Vincent.” She paused for a moment. “What about Sebastian? It’s unlikely we’ll return before daybreak. We’ve got to drive to San Diego and back and still find and confront Natasha.”
“They’ll be fine until daybreak,” said Iona. “Sebastian has been able to keep the demon at bay when he’s been awake. Only when he’s asleep does the demon take control.”
“And what happens if we’re not going to make it back for morning?”
Vincent set his jaw. “If we’re running out of time, we’ll have to dump the car and I’ll run with you.”
“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that,” said Iona.
He twisted in his seat to face her. “Well, unless you can do some kind of transportation spell, I’m afraid we don’t have many other choices.”
“Don’t worry, Iona,” said Serenity, keeping her eyes on the road. “I’ve traveled that way with a vampire before. The speed takes some getting used to, but
it’s
safe.” Sensing the tension radiating off the young sorceress, she changed the subject. “I’m worried whether we made the right choice about how we separated.”
“I need you with me,” said Iona. “You’re the one with experience killing vampires. And I’m sure as hell not approaching one vampire without another one on our side. Besides, I’m sure you don’t want Elizabeth involved in all of this. Leaving her behind was for the best. Bridget is strong enough to protect her and my people are around in case she needs help.”
“So, you don’t think Sebastian should be with us?”
She shook her head.
“Too dangerous.
We don’t yet understand the sort of control this Natasha might have over the demon. Putting the two in the same room may create all sorts of consequences.”
Serenity sighed. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’m just terrified about how all of this will turn out.” She took her eyes off the road briefly to glance at Iona.