His pent up breath rushed out of him when he realized they didn’t know he was watching. Who had they heard? He had no clue what they meant, but he wasn’t about to sit around and find out. He slid down the tree with reckless abandonment for his own safety and ran for the base. Whatever just happened, Cole would understand it, he was sure of it.
CHAPTER 19
Mitchell, Amelia screamed through the bond with a head-splitting shriek. Since her return, Fiona had made sure she was in the center of everything, especially Amelia’s love life. So how had she not noticed that Fiona was MIA? How had any of them missed it?
Amelia closed her eyes and focused on Mitchell, feeling him tuning in to her cries. She heard the beginning of a reply, but then he stopped and Megan’s voice echoed through her mind, Eric, Fiona’s missing.
Warmth washed over Amelia, and then an uncomfortable, almost blistering heat sizzled along her skin.
What do you mean Fiona is missing? Mitchell demanded.
Fiona’s missing? Eric questioned, panic settling into his voice.
Amelia’s eyes snapped open, and she was surprised by the blinding energy that had encircled her. She spun on her heels to her right and gasped. The light wasn’t just coming from her, but also from Megan. It was as if their power was intertwining and blending them together as one massive energy source. She could clearly see the silky strands of energy leaving her and entering her cousin, tying them together and balling around them.
Megan must have seen the same thing. She reached out to touch one of the silky, glowing strands, and shock flashed across her face. She pulled her head up, meeting Amelia square on, and in unison they said, “I could hear him.”
Right then, Mitchell and Eric burst into the room, confusion marring their gorgeous faces. “How did you do that?” Mitchell asked hoarsely.
“Do what?” Lola asked, looking between the four of them. Her knees were bent slightly; her brow pulled tight, and her muscles looked as if they were rolling under her skin, preparing to pounce if needed.
“Megan called me through the bond, and when I focused in I could hear Mitch and Millie,” Eric said. “It was like…like we were all connected.”
“This is awesome,” Megan said, her face lighting up as if she had just found the prize at the bottom of a cereal box. “Do you know what this means? I’m not the secret weapon. We are.” Just as quickly as it lit up, her face clouded over with concern.
“We have to find Fiona,” Amelia said, and she was sure that Megan was thinking exactly the same thing.
For the second time in the last few days, Amelia’s typically calm family lost it, and chaos took over. The difference this time was that the chaos was somewhat organized but not completely. They all launched into strategy planning and prepping as Amelia’s adventure into town was quickly pushed forward. Her solo mission was quickly turning into a full-scale operation. Amelia’s simple trip to the blood bank would now test her multi-tasking skills instead; get the blood, search for Fiona, and make several public appearances that would hopefully lure the vampire hunters out of hiding. She would be leaving in just a few minutes, braving the town at night. It seemed strange to Amelia to be nervous of the night given that she lived with what most people considered to be creatures of the night, but as strange as it was, the looming shadows she saw through the windows looked sinister and creepy.
“It’s all set,” Angelle said, hanging up the phone. She hovered over the map with a pen. “The surveillance teams are all in place, posted at each stop, here, here, and here.”
“Well, I guess I should go then,” Amelia said, slowly standing up.
“Be careful,” Mitchell said, pulling her into his arms.
Amelia let the warmth of his embrace calm her jumping nerves, and she stood on her tiptoes, brushing her lips quickly against his and murmured, “Always.” And then, before she could lose her nerve, she wiggled out of his arms, and without looking back, she headed out the door and went for the Jeep, jumped in, and started it up.
Amelia’s nerves were shot. Besides the fact that she had really only just learned how to drive and had never actually done it alone, there was also the fact that it was her idea to go out and try to get the hunters’ attention—alone.
Where the hell did I get that genius idea from? she wondered. She may be daring when she fought with Mitchell, but if she told herself the truth, she knew, even in the beginning, he wouldn’t have really hurt her, even when he was acting like a crazy bloodsucking vampire with no control over his emotions. So having a backbone with him didn’t really count.
Before she knew it, she had pulled into the parking lot behind Basket of Beans. Not ready to get out, she glanced around the parking lot, trying to spot the groups of officers that were supposed to be watching her. The sun had already set. It was closing in on 9:30, and Amelia could barely make out the shadowy figures as she peered out the window.
Love, try to relax. You’ll give them away, Mitchell’s voice sounded in her mind.
His warning made her realize that she had squished her nose against the window in her search for a friendly face.
She tried to respond to him, but her mind was jumping around just as much as her stomach. So, instead, she glanced at the warm glow of the lights coming from the diner and the heavy stream of customers coming in and out. The Friday night crowd was already there; she recognized a few familiar faces huddling around the doors smoking and laughing.
Amelia’s hands shook as she pulled her keys from the ignition, and they rattled together as she tossed them into her purse. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, slung her purse over her shoulder, and then pushed the car door open.
A soft breeze ruffled her hair as she inched her way around the car, double-checking that she had parked far enough back so that the trunk was hidden by the shadows. She tried the trunk, making sure it was unlocked. Mitchell’s contact was due to arrive shortly to load the blood supply that she was supposed to bring home.
She shuffled around the few items that were in the trunk, tossing the windshield washer fluid and windshield scraper over the seat and then pushing the back seat down to allow for more room. For just a second she thought about driving home and getting the Hummer. There just didn’t seem to be enough room in her Jeep. How would she be able to bring enough home? Even though the thought seemed logical, she knew it was just her brain trying to procrastinate. Mitchell had set up the drop. He had told her which car to take. Obviously, she would have enough room.
Amelia slammed the trunk, gave her hands a little shake, and rolled her shoulders a few times, and then, only because she couldn’t think of another reason not to, she walked across the dimly lit parking lot, passed the smokers, and stepped into Basket of Beans.
During the day, Basket of Beans was a cozy little diner, but in the evening, especially on the weekends, it was the popular place to go for pre-drinking and meeting up with friends before heading out to the real party. According to Mitchell, it had also been one of Fiona’s favorite places to pick up a snack. He explained that by the time people filed out in search of the next party, they were usually pretty tipsy which made them easy pickings and also willing participants. Although he swore he had never participated and was just telling her what Fiona had said, Amelia had made note to check that out later. With any luck, Fiona would be in there, and at least that part of the mission would be over.
After scouting out the place and seeing no signs of Fiona, Amelia slid into an empty corner booth and began to glance over the drink menu. Maybe I’ll get lucky and Fiona will just magically appear, and then the hunters will come in and call a truce, she thought.
“Amelia,” Sarah said, bounding towards her with a wide smile. “What a pleasant surprise. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without one of your hunky roommates.”
“Hi, Sarah,” Amelia said, returning the smile.
Sarah slid onto the bench across from Amelia and reached across the table, taking her hand. “I’m sorry for your
loss. I know you and Mabel were close. Have you set a date yet for the service?” Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders and dangled across their hands, tickling Amelia’s thumb as it swished past.
Amelia sighed and pulled her hand away. “We can’t really do anything until they finish with the investigation. Officer McLean said it would be at least five days before we can take her.”
“Oh, that’s awful. Poor Mitchell,” Sarah's singsong voice lilted. She blushed slightly, giving away the crush the young waitress had for Mitchell. Sarah blushed even brighter when she caught the knowing look Amelia was giving her. She rushed on, her words spilling out so quickly they hardly even sounded like words, and if it wasn’t for living with Angelle and Erin, Amelia was sure she wouldn’t have caught any of it. “I’m sure he’s just a mess over all this. He works so hard at keeping us safe. He really loves this town. I just can’t believe this happened. I mean here, in Willowberg. I guess I just figured if someone died it would be because, well, you know,” Sarah said, miming fangs. “Is it true that two of them died as well?”
The door chimed and Amelia spun around, her heart leaping to her throat. It’s okay, love. You’re doing great, Mitchell’s reassuring voice filled her thoughts, and she took a deep breath.
Feeling more relaxed, Amelia said, “Sarah, I’m sorry but I can’t talk about it right now.” She looked back at the drink menu for a second, scanning through the options. “Could I get a soda with no ice?” She raised her gaze and smiled.
Sarah quickly popped up and nodded. “Yeah, of course,” she said and then swiftly left the table.
The diner was packed, which Amelia thought was strange. Given the recent murders, she really hadn’t expected so many people to be out and about. Sarah was back within minutes to drop off Amelia’s drink, and then she went about her work.
It wasn’t long before people made their way over to her, offering condolences, asking about the service for Mabel, and wondering if the rumors of vampire deaths were true. Everyone wanted to know how Mitchell was holding up, if she knew anything or if there were any leads. The most surprising thing was that despite the deaths, the people believed in Mitchell so blindly that there really was no fear. It was as if they couldn’t seem to understand there was a killer on the loose.
Amelia sipped at her soda, frequently glancing out the window and at the door waiting for something to happen. She had been at the diner for just over thirty minutes and was starting to think she should move on to the next spot. Surely, the blood delivery would be loaded in her car by now.
She drank the last mouthful, emptying her glass, and was just about to get up when Jake and a few of his buddies staggered over, obviously a bit tipsy. Amelia forced a smile. She liked Jake. He was a few years older than her and was a TA in one of her classes at school. Most of the time he was harmless, but she had found out at a party that when he drank he could get a bit on the grabby side, and he had absolutely no word filter.
“You tell Mr. Lang that we all stand by his decision. He has our one hundred percent support.” Amelia looked at him blankly, unable to wrap her head around what Jake was trying to say as he stopped in front of her table. “We know what he did, Ma’am, and frankly, we’re all glad he’s watching out for us. It’s reassuring to know that he won’t let his vamps kill and get away with it. He did the right thing getting rid of Jessica and Justin.” Then he leaned in closer, and Amelia almost gagged on the thick smell of beer on his breath. “I always thought something was wrong with those two. They were far too nice. I’m just sorry to hear they got to your housekeeper before he could stop them. Between you and me, I think they knew Mr. Lang was gonna,” he said, bringing his finger up to his neck and slicing it across, “and they struck out in fear. The old lady was probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Amelia opened her mouth and then closed it when no words would come out. Suddenly Jake lunged across the table at her, covering her with his body. “Get off of me,” she screeched, as she tried to push him off her, but she could barely move, wedged between him and the booth. And then she heard the sound of shattering glass and the explosion, and she froze.
Screams erupted all around her, and another explosion reverberated through the diner. Amelia barely had a second to comprehend what was happening when Jake jumped to his feet, yanking her up with him. His crowd of friends surrounded her, barricading her from any danger as they rushed her out into the night.
“Where’s your car?” Jake demanded as soon as they were outside. The sirens of approaching fire trucks could already be heard in the distance.
Amelia was about to point at her Jeep when another explosion erupted from inside. Thick black smoke began to cloud the open doorway, and the flames jumped in height, consuming the exit. Through the flames, she could see people trapped inside, their panicked screams drowning out the rescue vehicles’ high-pitched wails.
Instinct took over. Before Amelia’s brain registered her actions, she had squirmed away from her ‘security detail’ and was racing around the back of the building, searching for a way to get in. Pounding footsteps followed her and she heard Jake yelling at her to stop, but she ignored him and kept moving.
She scanned the windows, trying to find one that she could break, but they were all too small; she would just barely be able to squeeze through, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to get the stranded people out that way. Amelia kept on moving until she found the back door, the kitchen entrance, and she reefed it open. A pungent, metallic smell assaulted her nose, and her eyes burned as she hit a cloudy wall of smoke.
Amelia’s brain flooded with her seventh grade teacher’s voice as she tried to remember what he had said when they had taken that field trip to the fire station. Stay below the smoke, that sounded right, and she immediately dropped to her hands and knees and pushed herself forwards in a crawl, trying to stay under the smoke. A hand wrapped around her ankle and someone called her name, but she quickly kicked the hand off and kept on moving. Her heart was pumping on overdrive as she fought against her lungs to keep her breath small so she wouldn’t choke on the smoke, and she blindly crawled through the kitchen.
Amelia’s throat burned. Her eyes watered, and she couldn’t stop the hacking cough, but she kept moving forwards. After what felt like hours, she spotted the large swinging door that she knew would lead her to the dining room. She was just about to push the door open when she realized how quiet it was. The screams, the sirens, even the crackling of the fire was gone. It was as if her ears had been filled with cotton; the only sounds she could hear were her raspy breathing and her thumping heart.
Was she too late? Her mind just couldn’t accept that idea, especially since she was in the building. If it was too late for them, then she wouldn’t still be… Amelia shook her head violently, ridding herself of the thoughts and pushed the door open, propelling herself into the dining room with a new determination to get everyone out of the burning building.
She had just crawled over the threshold when she heard him say, “I was beginning to think you were going to let them burn.”
CHAPTER 20
It was happening again. His worst nightmare. It was as if he was living through that day, the day he had lost her, all over again. The paralyzing fear consumed him. He wanted to shout to her, stop her from going into the blazing fire, but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, the vivid image of Amelia tied to a pole, flames licking at her face, and the cold hatred in her eyes filled his vision.
“Mitchell, snap out of it,” Eric yelled and slapped him across the face with bone breaking force.
He felt the pop as his fangs pierced through his gums, and he knew his eyes were blazing as brightly as the crimson fire that surrounded Amelia, but he couldn’t pull it back. He locked Eric into his sights and sprang from his chair, sending it crashing to the floor with a clatter. Every muscle in his body was ready, coiled as tight as a spring, and he crouched ready to attack, but before he could advance, Amelia’s beautiful face st
epped in front of him, and the fury evaporated just as quickly as it came on.
“Pull it together, Mitch,” Amelia said, placing a soft hand on his cheek. He pulled her into his arms and relief washed over him. It had only been a nightmare. She was here, safe in his arms.
Mitchell’s relief was short lived. “Get your hands off Megan,” Eric growled menacingly. Just as he heard the words, Mitchell noticed the red hair and the missing skin tingling feeling that happened any time he touched Amelia. He let his arms drop to his sides, releasing his grip on Megan.
“Shut up, Eric,” Megan snapped. And then she reached up and cupped Mitchell’s face in her hands. “We can’t see anything. She stopped pushing the pictures through, and she won’t talk to me. I need you to tell me what’s happening.”
“She’s…the diner…” Mitchell started. His throat felt tight, and he tried to swallow the lump that had formed, but it just wouldn’t move. His eyes prickled and his chest hurt. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing away the threatening tears.
He replayed the last few minutes, seeing Jake jump on top of Amelia, wrapping his body around her, hearing the explosion, watching him drag her to safety, and then seeing her rush back into the flames. He caught a blurry glimpse of some people standing just inside the flames, and suddenly he knew what she was going in after. He pulled on the image and using his heightened vision, he zoomed in, squinting through the thick layer of smoke. He had expected to see panic and terror on the faces of the people who were trapped within the flames, but to his horror, that was not what he found. His heart dropped and his gut twisted. It was a trap.
This all happened in less than a second, and, just as quickly, he knew what he had to do. He would not let her die again, not like this, and he didn’t care if he died trying to get her out.
Luke slid to a stop in front of him. His normally calm and thoughtful eyes were stained with pain and terror. “McLean just called,” Luke said, his voice giving way to his fear. “There’s a fire at the diner.”