closed it down,” Bobby explained. “The staircases are new.”
But surely the vampires would know about these. “We better expect a guard at the top.”
“Good point,” Nox said.
And then he and Nix took the lead, blades at the ready. I went next, and Bobby made up the rear.
“No one up top,” Nix whispered back.
“Just be careful.” My senses were going haywire, screaming that danger was close. Too close. Like almost on us, and then the scent of magic hit me. My vision blurred. There was a shadow up ahead. A glint of silver.
I grabbed the back of Nox’s and Nix’s shirts. “Get down!”
They both ducked as something silver whizzed over our heads.
A muffled curse drifted down the staircase, and then a feral growl filled the stairwell. A dark shape shot over our heads from behind. There was a shriek and a snarl followed by the nasty sound of flesh tearing. We ran up the stairs to find a slender dark wolf standing over the prone form of a man. The man’s throat was ripped out. He was dead.
Bobby lifted his canine head, brown eyes glowing amber, maw coated with blood, as if to ask, did I do good?
I resisted the urge to pet the wolf and settled for nodding.
“Vamp,” Nox said.
“He was invisible,” Nix added. He gestured at a green gem hanging around the vamp’s neck. “More fucking magic.” His gaze slid my way. “You smelled it.”
Later. “We have to keep moving.”
We were on a landing, and another archway was farther up to our left.
Bobby bounded in front and through the arch. He led us through an empty room and then slowed down as we approached a door.
“There’s nothing you can give us, Loup,” the female vamp called out. “Let this be a lesson to you. The Pires are rising. No longer will we cower and hide. No longer will we scavenge for scraps. Together we are strong.”
“We can come to an arrangement.” Dean’s voice drifted up to us.
This was the top balcony. The one that looked down on the main chamber. It was beyond this door. I sidled up to it and peered through quickly. Five vamps? Maybe six with their backs to us and, oh, God … They had Grayson, bound and bleeding on his knees. So much blood. His golden hair was spattered with it, falling across his cheeks like a curtain to hide his face.
My stomach churned, and my chest filled with rage.
“But he tastes so good,” the female vamp drawled.
One of the other vamps yanked back Grayson’s head and sank his teeth into the alpha’s neck. Grayson didn’t make a sound, but his face contorted in agony, and my body burned with the need to rush onto the balcony and attack.
I pulled back instead, eyes burning with suppressed rage. Vampires liked Loup blood? I’d have thought the opposite. There was still so much I didn’t know.
My comm lit up. Sariah must be at the other arch on the upper floor. She had a different vantage point.
I see six vamps.
I messaged back, hands trembling with suppressed rage.
We can take them.
I drew my dagger and nodded at my companions. Bobby’s haunches bunched, ready to attack, but I placed a hand on his back to stall him. Stealth first. We could get more of them if we used stealth.
I indicated for him to stay back, and then the guys and I slipped onto the balcony. Moving silently on the balls of our feet, we came up behind the vamps.
Don’t look at Grayson. Don’t let the anger take hold. Focus. Think. Act.
We took down three of the vamps simultaneously. Grabbed hair, yanked back heads, and slit their throats.
The three that were left turned on us with snarls and fangs. They attacked, but we were ready. I caught a flash of movement to my left, but there was no time to check it out. Vamps taken unaware were one thing, vamps in full fight mode were another. The fuckers were fast, like a blur-in-your-face fast. Bobby’s snarls and growls were a symphony as I allowed my body to take over. Slash and stab, duck and dive.
My back hit the balcony as one of them slammed me up against the barrier. He gripped my dagger wrist and smashed that against the railing. My comm crunched, but I kept hold of my dagger. The vampire grinned triumphantly as he opened his mouth to bite, but Azazel had taught me a trick or two. I pulled my head back and then whipped it forward,