Survivor - By Kaye Draper Page 0,84

him.

I dropped to my hands and knees and started to crawl, then took control again and wrapped my arms around myself, falling forward to hit my face on the floor. I curled up in the fetal position, refusing to move. The black thing inside me clawed at my brain. It tried to tear me to shreds from the inside out. Raw, brutal screams reached my ears through the haze of pain, and I dimly realized that they were my own.

I felt Peter’s aura grow and knew he was about to try to control me. I risked a glance and saw that he was still guarding Leah. Some of her vampires had come into the room and they were heading our way. Haine stood before me, shielding me.

“Haine,” I panted, still fighting for control. It was hard to focus on the outside world. Everything kept wanting to go black. “Keep him away from me. “

His sharp silver eyes darted behind us, looking for enemies and I lifted weak hand toward Peter. “Don’t.”

Haine moved in a flash, knocking Leah’s vampires aside, and squaring off with Peter. I could feel the hostility in the room. No one quite trusted Haine. “Peter,” he said urgently. “Don’t touch her aura. Leave her be!”

Peter’s eyes were snapping with rage. “Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do with my child?” Aw shit, he was going territorial. Haine rushed to explain, even as he continued to beat down the vampires that were trying to get at me. I couldn’t hear what he said. I couldn’t stay out there anymore.

The inside of my skull felt like it was on fire. I mustered up my anger at being used like this and pushed back. Leave us. I demanded, putting force behind my thoughts.

The foul thing screamed and raged in my mind. I thought of pressure, of crushing and suffocating, of squashing the thing inside me. I drew from my aura, sending power tingling through my body and slowly, painfully, began to beat him back. I could see him then, lying huddled in the darkness somewhere, while my consciousness entered his mind. He was fading, filled with bitterness and hatred, and hopelessness. He wanted to take the legacy of his enemy to the grave with him. He wanted the world to fall into chaos. He loathed the vampires John and Leah cultivated. Qualities like gentleness and mercy only equated to weakness.

And yet, he was the one cowered, fading and alone. Weak. With a twang, I left his mind and returned to my own, leaving the old thing wasted and spent. I realized I was lying face down on the floor, gasping, though I didn’t really need to breathe.

I pushed myself up onto my knees and stayed there, swaying. A roomful of vampires stood staring down at me with looks ranging from suspicion to outright hostility. They stood outside a circle of about eight feet, as close as they could get with Haine defending me like a jealous lover.

“Melody?” It was Peter’s voice, and I found him still at Leah’s side. Always where a good soldier should be. I let out a soft, bitter laugh. Haine was over here protecting me. Of course, it was Haine’s fault that I needed protecting in the first place. Damn it.

“It’s her.” Haine’s rich voice was close. His arms enfolded me and he scooped me up off the floor. I was starting to shake.

Leah’s voice rose, telling everyone to back the fuck up. She’d had a rough night. I thought maybe the old vampire had broken something inside me. I felt dizzy, and the room was getting all red around the edges. God help me if I suffered blood lust twice in one evening. Peter had come to us. I could smell him, and feel the stress in his aura- fear, hurt, anger. “Give her to me. Please.” He sounded desperate.

Haine turned his back to Peter, shielding me. “No, the price is mine to pay.” My eyes met Peter’s over Haine’s broad shoulder, as I sank my teeth into his neck. The pain in my head eased instantly and I closed my eyes, filling myself with Haine’s rich power.

My protector took me across the room and collapsed into an overstuffed chair. He was the only one who understood the horror of what I had just been through- of having something so deeply evil take over your mind. I shifted closer, making sure I didn’t break my connection, and drank my fill,