“Fiannar,” I breathed as the kelpie ran past a stunned Jordan to grab the second vampire who shrieked in terror as he was dragged into the water. The water guardian stopped beside me and gave a slight bow before he disappeared beneath the surface with his struggling captive.
Farther out, the first vampire recovered from his shock and started swimming frantically back to shore. Out of the water rose the black head of Feeorin. The kelpie latched onto the vampire and dragged him screaming underwater.
The whole attack had lasted no more than a minute, and I was left staring at the dark river where the two kelpies had been a moment ago.
“What the fuck was that?”
I faced Jordan, who stood with her knife hanging limply from her hand. She sounded like herself for the first time since we’d entered the river.
I started climbing the riverbank. “That was Feeorin and his brother, Fiannar. They’re the kelpies who guard the river.”
“Oh, is that all?” She tucked her knife away and followed me. “Friends of yours?”
“You could say that.”
Almost numb from the cold, we pulled ourselves over the top of the riverbank. We lay there for a minute to catch our breath before we set off running toward the buildings. There could be more vampires lurking around the property, and we had to find help before someone else was attacked. I didn’t want to think about Roland and Peter out in the woods dealing with God only knew what. Or Nikolas. Or Nate.
My pace picked up. I had to get to Nate.
Shouts and screams reached us as soon as we left the roaring river behind. Cold blossomed in my chest and I sprinted around the nearest building and came up short at the sight in front of me.
“Oh, God!”
The unimaginable had happened. Westhorne was under attack, and everywhere we looked, warriors battled vampires. The vampires were slow, new, but they made up for that in their numbers. Most warriors fought three or four at one time, their swords glinting in the moonlight as they cut down one vampire after another with deadly precision. The warriors without swords fought with knives or bows. I watched one punch a hole through a vampire’s chest with his bare fist. It was a bloodbath.
Movement by a corner of the main building drew my attention. I gasped when I saw Tristan decapitating one vampire only to have two more take its place. Beside him, Celine wielded a sword with deadly accuracy, despite her long red dress. I harbored no love for Celine, but I had to admit the woman could fight and I was glad Tristan had her at his back.
I scanned the grounds for Nikolas, but there was no sign of him or Chris. Knowing them, they were out here somewhere in the middle of all the bloodshed. More than anyone, Nikolas could take care of himself in a fight, but that did not prevent the knot of fear from settling in my stomach. God, let him be okay.
Two more warriors joined the fight, and my heart leapt into my throat when I recognized Terrence and Josh. Immediately, the two boys were attacked by three vampires. Terrence swung his sword, and one of the vampires screamed when his arm fell to the ground. Josh leapt to one side, his sword flashing, and one of the vampires staggered back holding his gut. Two of the three vampires howled in pain, but they didn’t retreat. Josh moved until he and Terrence were back-to-back, and they waited for the next attack.
“We have to do something,” I said. Our friends were fighting for their lives; the people I cared most about in the world were under attack. Nate was inside that building. I just got him back; I could not lose him again.
Jordan opened her mouth to reply when a girl screamed off to our right.
“That’s Olivia.” She took off in the direction of the scream, away from the main battle. There was nothing to do but follow her. Nate and the others were a big question mark, but Olivia was here and she needed us now.
“Get away from her, you bastard!” Jordan screeched, throwing herself at the vampire latched onto Olivia’s throat. The male released Olivia who crumbled to the ground like a rag doll. He swung his arm, and Jordan flew half a dozen feet to land on her back in the snow.
The vampire ignored her and advanced on me. “All this sweet young Mohiri blood . . . delicious,” he hissed. He wavered slightly on his feet as if he was drunk and drops of blood – Olivia’s blood – dripped from his chin onto the snow. Bile rose in my throat, and my eyes darted to the girl who lay motionless a few feet away. Please be alive, I pleaded silently as I backed away from the vampire stalking me hungrily.
My heel struck something, and I flailed as I almost went down. Righting myself, I looked behind me and choked when I saw Mark’s sightless eyes and ravaged throat. He and I had not been friends, but something inside me snapped at the sight of his lifeless body. Instead of Mark, I saw my dad lying in the snow covered in his own blood.