“State your business,” the vampire to my left spat.
“Hey, dude,” Shayna greeted him from the backseat. “We’re here to see Misha. He invited us over.”
This made the vampire smile. “For dinner?”
This was not the night to piss me off. I rolled my window completely down and yanked the idiot closer—by his throat. “No, we’re here to help save your master’s life,” I snapped. “So either you open the gate or you explain to Misha why you’re missing your arms and your buddy has my tire marks running up his chest.”
“Let them through,” a disembodied voice commanded. I realized the gargoyles were more than decorative features. Someone watched us from strategically placed surveillance cameras in each.
I released my grip on the vampire’s neck. He hissed threateningly, but stepped back to let us pass. “Pansy-ass bastard!” Taran yelled as we drove through the gate.
Anger extinguished my fear, and now my inner beast prowled, restless to prove herself, but as I entered the property, my trepidation returned once more. Blue slate lined the double-wide driveway. We crossed over a stone bridge before finally circling an enormous fountain. Water cascaded over the beautiful stone waterfall and into the fountain’s pool. I drove most of the way around the circle and parked facing the exit in case we needed a quick escape. We stepped out to the monstrosity Misha called home.
The exterior of Misha’s compound resembled a well-manicured park, and the house was a three-story, Mountain Craftsman–style masterpiece. The soaring wood trusses at the entry and art glass doors drew me to the rustic elegance. The rooflines were layered with deep eaves and ornately carved gables. The foundation of the house appeared to be stacked stone, and the facade was either cedar shake or timber. I shook my head as I gawked at the porch supports built with stone bases and massive hewn-wood columns. Crap, did he take down a forest to build it?
“Dude,” Shayna whispered. “This has to be a lodge. He can’t possibly live here.”
I couldn’t blame Shayna for thinking that. There must’ve been a lot of money to be made among the bloodsucking elite.
Petro rushed down the front stairs as I stepped out of the car. A few of his family trailed behind him. My God, he looked awful. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and perspiration drizzled down the sides of his face. He hurried to my side and gripped my hands. “My brother seeks to destroy Zhahara.”
“I know, Petro. That’s why I’m here.”
His jaw slackened before a glimmer of hope flashed across his terrified face. “Will you help him, Celia?” He glanced back at my sisters. “Will all of you?” Tears welled in his eyes. “Misha cannot defeat such an opponent alone, but he considers me weak and refuses my help.”
I took in Petro’s crumbling state. It was a wonder he could stand with how badly his anxiety battered his small form.
Petro’s voice cracked. “Please help him, Celia. I don’t want to be alone.”
Emme gasped softly behind him. Yeah. Petro seemed to share our same fears. “I’ll see what I can do. But I’m not making any promises.” The hope he carried slowly faded from his features, but he nodded and released me. I watched as his family helped him into the limo, wondering whether Misha had played a role in keeping him alive all these years.
My sisters followed my lead up the stone steps to a set of massive carved doors. Two more vampires appeared. They pushed open the doors and we stepped into an elegant foyer with a cathedral-style timbered ceiling and floored with huge blocks of bluestone.
I continued forward with Taran to my right. Shayna and Emme followed no more than two steps behind us.
Misha approached with five vampires behind him, wiping his bloodied hands on a thick white towel. Deep-set lines shadowed his beautiful face, and the scent of a fresh kill lingered on his clothes. A female vampire meekly approached and took the soiled towel from his hands. She kept her head low and quickly scurried away, careful to avoid Misha’s increasing rage.
I let out a breath. “How many did you kill tonight, Misha?”
“Five. Not including the three killed by wolves this evening…And the one who just revealed herself to me.”
“You’re down twenty-one vampires.” It wasn’t a question. I could do the math.
Misha answered with a stiff, furious nod. “Again, forgive me for not taking your call when you first sought me. My priority at the time was to hunt those who attempted to escape.” He motioned to a large entryway on our left. “Ladies, if you will join me in the next room.”
Misha escorted us to a dining room roughly the size of Delaware. Four vampires dressed like naughty Catholic schoolgirls offered us food and beverages. We declined. And not just because of their creepy outfits.