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“Shit,” Giguhl said. I wasn’t sure if it was his feline sense of smell or his innate demon instincts that alerted him, but I was too busy trying to locate the source.
“I can’t tell how many, but judging from the concentration of the scent, there’s several vamps nearby.”
Adam tensed and searched the darkness. “Can you tell how close they are?”
I shook my head. “No, but look alive.”
He nodded and we started walking again, our eyes alert for signs of attack. We crossed the street and turned left toward the Gremlin squatting in front of a lichencovered cemetery wall. The streetlight above shone down accusingly, like it was exposing an anachronism.
One second, the path to the car was clear. The next, a wave of static was our only warning before eight vampires materialized in a circle around us. I did a quick survey. In addition to those, four more crouched on the cemetery wall. Eight males and four females total. Old, judging from the varying shades of deep red— not a strawberry among them. None held weapons in their hands, but a couple had visible blades ready to be drawn.
Blood pumped fast with adrenaline through my veins. My gun appeared in my hand as if, instead of merely relying on instinct, I’d conjured it. Luckily, I’d reloaded it with fifteen apple-cider bullets before we’d headed out.
“What the hell do you want?” I demanded. Next to me, Adam dropped Giguhl to the ground and tensed for action.
I didn’t recognize any of the vamps. Not surprising, given we weren’t on my turf. But judging from their confident postures, we weren’t dealing with a garden-variety gang trolling for fast food.
A pale vamp, with hair so darkly auburn it was almost black, stepped forward. “The favor of your company has been requested.”
I wasn’t sure which part amused me more— his outdated mode of speech, or the stupid cape he wore like Count Effing Dracula. He even had a widow’s peak, for chrissakes. And the cane he leaned on was nothing more than an affectation.
“And whom, might I ask, issued such a thoughtful invitation?” I asked.
The Count tilted his head, as if I’d asked a stupid question. “Lavinia Kane.”
My heart fluttered with anticipation. Now we were getting somewhere. I lifted a finger to my lip. “Hmm,” I said. “If I might make another suggestion.”
His lips formed a courteous smile, and one glossy eyebrow rose in question.
“How about you and your friends go f**k yourselves and we’ll call it a night?”
The female who stood slightly behind him lurched forward with a snarl. She looked like something straight out of every sword-and-sorcery geek’s wet dream. The sides of her long maroon hair were pulled back to create a spiky half ponytail, while the rest fell in straight sheets down her back. Instead of a cape, she wore black leather pants and a leather-and-chain-mail bustier. I could only see the hilt from where I stood, but she also had a blade strapped to her back. It wasn’t one of those sleek Japanese jobbies, either. We’re talking full-on broadsword action.
The Count held up a hand to stay her. Red Sonja complied immediately, but the daggers in her gaze told me she had plans for the sword that included me.
The caped wonder clucked his tongue at me in reproach. “The Domina predicted you would scoff at her summons.” He nodded to his comrades, who started closing in like a noose. The metallic slide of blade against leather echoed as the female drew her sword. The Count followed suit, pulling his own steel from within his cane. “Which is why we’ve been instructed to kill the mage to ensure your full cooperation.”
Screw that shit , my mind screamed. My response was a squeeze of the trigger.
The Count’s pale hand shot up with preternatural speed. The bullet stopped midair and fell uselessly to the cracked sidewalk.
Ignoring my shock over the unexpected magic use, I squeezed the trigger three more times in quick succession. Again with the hand wave. And again, three bullets hit the asphalt.
The vamps surrounding us didn’t change expression. Not a smile or a laugh or a gloat among them. They just stood there like creepy statues, watching us with shark eyes.
Just as I considered throwing the gun at the guy to see what he’d do, a shock of energy slammed into my hand. The gun ripped from my grasp and flew to the Count. With a reptilian smile, he crumpled the weapon like an aluminum can.
Something was seriously off with these guys. And if this was a preview of what Lavinia had up her sleeve, we were in deeper shit than I realized.
Fine, I thought. He wanted to play “Who’s got the biggest magic wand”? Fine. “Hey, Adam?”
“I’m on it.”
Pins and needles stung the air as he called up his magic. Our opponents’ black eyes glinted, but no one made a move to run or protect themselves. The sudden rise of magical power made my ears pop, and their lack of reaction made my chest tighten. But before the spell could burst out of Adam like a sonic boom, the vamps raised their hands in unison. A circle of magic rose from the street and coned over our heads like an invisible prison.
“Adam?” I said, my voice sounding more panicked than I’d intended.
“What the f**k?” he said.
Vampires aren’t supposed to be able to cast circles. In fact, vampires aren’t supposed to do magic at all. The only exception would be if they fed from a mage, like Lavinia had done with Maisie. And these guys worked for Lavinia. But there were too many of them to feed from one mage. Plus, Lavinia wasn’t exactly known for sharing. Surely she wouldn’t allow lower vampires to feed off a food source as powerful as my mixed-blood sister. She’d want all of the advantages to herself. And the Hekate Council had demanded that all mages report to the Queen’s court, so they weren’t feeding off local magic users. Which left me with no choice but to echo Adam’s sentiment: What the f**k ?
Adam and I fell in back-to-back, circling inside the shimmering dome of magic. “Hey, Giguhl,” I said.
“Yeah?” the cat said.
“Change now, please.”
A pop and a puff of smoke should have followed my request. But nothing happened.
“Um, Sabina?” Giguhl hissed.
“What?” I said, my eyes on Red Sonja. She smiled evilly as she stroked the hilt of her sword.
“Nothing’s happening.”
I glanced over my shoulder. Sure enough, Giguhl remained a cat. “Shit.”
“The circle is blocking magic,” Adam said. “Which means I’m useless, too.”
