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We stepped back as he pulled off a seal and tossed it onto Wisteria's chest. There was a sudden flare and her body blazed with a light so bright it hurt my eyes. A few seconds later, the light faded. All that was left of our little troublemaker was a pile of ashes.
"I want some of those firebombs!" Delilah said.
Roz snorted. "As if I'd give you any."
"What other surprises do you have under that coat?" Camille asked, scooting close to him and peeking in his coat.
"Any time you want to know, babe, I'll be glad to give you a taste of what else I've got hidden under here." Roz's voice was cushioned in silk and he batted his eyes at Camille. "Want to play show-me-yours now?"
"Enough. Let's get moving." I pushed ahead of them.
We headed into the thicket and Camille once again raised her hand. "The willows are quiet now. Wisteria was the one stirring them up. They're watching. Just watching."
The undergrowth surrendered to a path that had been hidden from the walkway. No doubt they'd gone to a lot of trouble to forge a trail out of sight to passersby. Snow-covered huckleberries and ferns shimmered in the dark of the wood, while scuttling noises announced the presence of squirrels and other night creatures who lived on the outskirts of the zoo.
"This way," I said. I could smell the faint whiff of vampire on the wind. All vamps had a scent. Not quite decay, not quite perfume, we smelled like graveyard dust and old bones and lilacs and yew trees and the faint promise of passion in the night. A vamp could always smell a vamp, which meant that if they were near enough, if they were paying attention, the newborns knew that I was on the way.
As we pushed on through the bushes, Camille tapped me on the shoulder. "Over there—see?"
I squinted, staring into the darkness. There it was: the entrance to an underground vault with stone steps leading down to the door. Probably a utility shed sunk into the ground for protection, or maybe an old foundation to a house long forgotten. Whatever it was, the newborns were using it. Which meant that the floraeds had probably scouted it out for them at Dredge's request.
"Let's go. Stakes at the ready. Watch your backs." I wiggled my finger at Roz. "Come on. We take the front. I'm the least likely to get hurt by this bunch, and you're next in line. Camille and Morio, you fall in behind Roz. Then Chase. Delilah, bring up the rear and keep a close watch on our backs."
The steps had cracked, with weeds growing through the fractures in the concrete. Patches of ice and snow dappled the dark cement, and I slowly began to descend the narrow stairwell, hand resting on one of the stakes in my belt. The door at the base of the stairs was dimly lit by a single touch light that hung at a lopsided angle on the side of the wall. Whatever this place was, it barely extended above the surface. We were almost fully underground.
I frowned at the door. Metal, it had a vaultlike wheel for a door handle, reminding me of the submarines we'd seen on late night World War II movies.
"A bunker," Chase said, his voice low.
"What?"
"Fallout shelter. I'll bet you this was built in the fifties during the Cold War." He let out a sigh. "Whoever owned this land must have sold it to the zoo at some point and forgot to tell them this was here."
Cold War. I vaguely knew the reference, but it wasn't important. What was important were the vamps waiting for us on the other side. I could smell them now, thickly. I couldn't tell how many might be inside, but my guess was that we'd be facing at least four.
"Be careful. I don't want any more company on my side of the fence," I said, raising my foot. With one well-placed kick, I smashed the door open, the metal shrieking as hinges twisted and the door crashed in against the wall.
As I rushed in, Roz followed me. A blur of motion greeted us.
We were in a short hall that opened into a larger room, two more doors on the other side. A quick count told me we were facing three vamps. I took on one while Roz spun into the room, aiming at the second. The third rushed past in a blur, headed for Camille who was standing behind me. And the fight was on.
My opponent was a woman. She let out a long hiss and backhanded me before I could dodge to the right. Shit, I thought, flying back. A martial arts freak. She must have had an extensive background in it before she died. The moment I touched the ground, I rolled and flipped, coming to my feet again as I circled around to get a better angle while staying out of her reach. I learned fast. Once kicked, twice as quick.
"Why are you helping them?" She beckoned me to move closer. "Come over to our side, sister. You are one of us."
"I'm no more one of you than I am an ogre," I said, spitting at her feet. "I'd offer you the chance to live, to learn how to control the thirst, but something tells me you wouldn't be able to handle it."
"Why should I? Our sire's promised us a playground." And then she struck again, but this time I was watching every twitch and was ready for her. I turned to the side just as she lunged, grabbing her arm as it shot past me.
"So sorry to cut this short, but I don't have time to play," I said. She might be stronger than when she'd been alive, but I was a long sight more powerful and I yanked her to my side.
Fighting me, she lurched into my arms.
I thrust the stake up into her chest, watching her eyes as she realized what was happening. And then, like lava hitting the ocean, she burst into a thousand ash flakes. I snatched up the stake and turned to see how the others were faring.
Roz was tangled with one of the men. As I turned, he'd just managed to stake him. Two down, one to go.
The other vamp had hold of Camille's throat and was trying to bite her. As I moved in to help, Morio dropped his stake and before you could say fox, he started to shift.
