Shadow Lake Vampire Society - Wendi Wilson Page 0,75

same time Mom yelled, “Piper, don’t!”

But I couldn’t just let them tear Levi to pieces. It was two against one, and he’d do the same for me in a heartbeat. I knew I was weak, but I’d killed Sarah. I could help.

Before I could change my mind, I ran forward, lifted the stake in my fist, and jammed it into Chloe’s back.

I expected her to slump and die as Sarah had, but, instead, Chloe whirled on me, taking the stake in her back with her. She showed no weakness from the wound I’d inflicted as she clamped her hand on my throat and began squeezing. With eyes black and filled with hatred, she began to choke the life out of me.

I gagged and tried to dig her fingers away, but they were a vice. Not a single drop of air squeezed by.

“Piper!” True screamed, but already the world was beginning to dim. I fought to stay conscious as I tried in vain to free myself.

Suddenly, Chloe’s hand was gone along with the rest of her. I stumbled forward, sucking in a huge gasp of air through my raw throat. My gazed dragged up from the floor to the scuffle happening in front of me. Levi stood above Chloe, one hand on her shoulder and the other on her head. His hands jerked, and there was an awful crack as Chloe’s head twisted nearly all the way around. She went limp and Levi whirled, scanning for more enemies.

But they were all dead. Lars had a huge hole in his chest, punched all the way through to the other side, and Chloe’s neck was broken. Her unseeing eyes stared at the door almost as if she’d wished she’d ran rather than staying to fight.

I winced and turned from the carnage. Four dead right at my feet.

Levi was at my side in an instant. “Piper.” Gentle hands touched my shoulders. The same hands that had ruined Lars and Chloe.

I lifted my head, staring up into his eyes, trembling and still a little afraid of him. “Is it over?”

He pulled me to his chest as his arms circled me, safe and comforting. It was only then that tears slid down my face. I sagged into him.

I’d nearly died. We’d all nearly died.

My fingers probed the wound on my neck. I flinched at the pain, then froze.

“Will I become a vampire, now?” I asked, keeping my head pressed against Levi’s chest.

I didn’t want to see pity in his eyes if the answer was yes.

“No,” he murmured, rubbing a hand over my back. “In order to turn a human, a vampire has to drain their blood to the point of death, while injecting venom into the vein.”

“Oh,” I replied.

“Sarah didn’t take enough blood from you or your mother, and she wouldn’t have given you venom. She wanted you both dead.”

“Mom,” I said, pulling back as I realized I hadn’t checked on her. He let me go as we both turned in her direction.

She stood beside the broken table as she took in the desiccated vampire bodies. All four were in various stages of decay with Micah now just a pile of ash in the outline of a body.

Mom tore her eyes from the decimation, glancing up at us. “What… Piper, what’s going on?”

“It’s okay, Mom,” I said, not sure if it was really true.

Speaking of True, she stepped tentatively toward us, keeping her eyes on the bodies. “Are they…?”

“They’re dead,” Levi offered quietly. “Well, Chloe might survive, but then her fate is up to The Society. They’re here.”

I hadn’t heard a thing, but a moment later, the cabin’s front door slammed open, and Warren Thornberry stepped in wearing an expensive suit with the collar unbuttoned and his tie loosened as if he’d just left a board meeting. His pulled-together appearance was in stark contrast to the destroyed cabin and torn-apart vampires.

In a quick sweep, he took everything in while, behind him, Dean Purty, Nurse Barbara and two vampires I didn’t know slid in.

“Levi,” the dean said, nodding at him. “Explain.”

“It was Sarah, sir,” Levi replied, his voice even. “She kidnapped Piper’s mother and brought her here. Lars and Chloe helped her do it.”

“That explains the mess,” Warren added as he leaned down to examine Sarah’s decaying body. “Stake through the heart?” He glanced at Levi, arching an eyebrow.

Levi put a hand on my back lightly. “That was Piper. She killed Sarah. Self-defense.”

Warren straightened up as he took me in, one corner of his mouth curling up.