To Kill a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,44

haven’t seen her since …” Gabriel’s lips turn down as he studies the dirt.

Since he proposed.

I nod and without a word, I begin stalking toward the ocean, my eyes scanning the forest with each step I take.

She sidesteps in front of me as if appearing from the air I breathe. President Docile’s lips slash up in a wicked smile.

“You’re stronger than I gave you credit for.” A gleam strikes through her red eyes as she appraises me. My lips curl as her gaze flashes over the dirt that clings to my body. “You’d make an excellent addition to the Capitol.”

Anger coils through me, my fists clenching at my sides as I remember what’s kept in the basement of that building.

Erratically I strike out at her, nothing but rage and unsteady movements control my shaking body. In a flash she turns from me, a taunting laugh poised against her lips.

“Race me to her,” she whispers in my ear, catching me by surprise with her closeness. I turn toward her voice, but her unnaturally fast movements are too hard to track. “Race me to her, and whoever wins … decides her fate.”

My heart pounds frantically in my chest as I realize what she’s saying.

“Ready?”

“No.” My jaw clenches shut as I storm toward her.

“Set.”

Ragged breaths fall from my lips as my feet thrash through the dry leaves, trying to close the space between us.

“Go.”

I push myself to move faster, knowing how useless every step is. My eyes strain to keep track of the blurred movements of the vampire soaring through the forest ahead of me. A shaking and weak breath catches in my lungs when we finally arrive on the bank of the Emerald Ocean.

Blood smears the rocky shore. The white waves stained red as they drift back out to sea. It takes me less than a second to shift through the lifeless bodies and the small group of vampires to find Fallon.

She lies at Atticus’ feet, her petite body flung protectively over a pool of blood.

Declan.

My lips part with unspoken words at the sight of the one mystic I wished like hell would fall off the face of the planet. Fallon’s breaths come in uncontrollable gasps as she pushes his blonde hair back from his closed eyes.

Pain strikes through my chest at the sight of her tears, her sorrow stopping me dead in my tracks. Suddenly I wish I could take back every terrible thing I ever said to him. If we had worked together, would this still have been the outcome?

Around Fallon stand the last remaining vampires. They stare almost awkwardly at each other from several yards away. The composure the president once held now droops from her fallen shoulders.

The sneering smile on Atticus’ face seems to confuse President Docile, her eyes fluttering around the shadows as if expecting more vampires to come crawling out of the night.

“Mary, it has been a long time, darling.”

President Docile – Mary – clears her throat, her thin hand smoothing her crisp black gown.

“Atticus,” she says almost cordially. “I see you’ve found a new play thing.” The way she nods indifferently toward Fallon makes me want to rip her tongue out.

Atticus cradles his arm peculiarly to his chest. “She has proven to be very troublesome to train,” he says with a disapproving shake of his head. His eyes slip toward her. “Similar to you, Mary,” he adds with a sickening smile that makes my stomach turn.

I choke down my breaths and take a stealthy step toward Fallon.

“Don’t.”

The single command grips my attention, my gaze snapping toward the centuries old vampire. Ruby red eyes haunt my mind, and in a pleasant but almost painful way the tension tears from my body. The anxious breaths that labored my lungs just seconds ago now fall leisurely. I feel light and weighted all at once, like I’m drifting out to sea, ready to sink to the bottom at any moment.

Fallon leaps to her feet, already half way to me, when Mary flashes to stand before her, raising the Crimson Sword to her chest, and pins Fallon against the cliff wall.

Atticus’ lips crease with a proud smirk, and he stalks toward me the way a lion would its prey. I should run. I should use the sword at my side. I should slaughter this creature before he does me.

And yet, I remain immobile.

With a relaxed body and a frantic mind, I wait for whatever might come next. More than anything I want to make sure Fallon is okay. If I