Page 121 of Slayer

“I’m calling this in,” Celia said immediately, already on her phone. “We need backup stat,” she barked into her phone.

“It won’t come in time!” I told our unit. “Why aren’t they inside yet? They can shadow portal anywhere.”

Luna studied the building, head tilted to the side. “Protective runes. They’re old. Been there a while. Not sure they’ll hold if the vamps have an arcanist on their side.”

Crap.

I walked over to Asher, letting the harpoon gun hang from my neck as I wrapped my hand around a stake. “I’m not waiting for backup while some sick kids get drained.”

He swallowed hard, then nodded. “I’m with you.”

“Hang on, kids,” Celia said sharply to us. “Let’s slow down. There are over twenty vampire heat signatures. I can have a team here in fifteen minutes.”

One of the blue vampire heat signatures breached an outside door.

“They’re in,” Luna said.

“We don’t have fifteen minutes. Follow me!” I called and started running. Screw the test. Screw the rules. Everything changed when innocent kids’ lives were in danger. It was like a universal code within every species, something ancient and unbreakable that rose up and overrode fear, rank, and consequence.

Protect the young.

I burst through the hospital doors and peered over at Jax, who rushed in behind me. “Keep this exit clear so we have a safe escape route. And take your skin-protection wafer.”

He nodded, standing like a sentinel at the doors, weapons drawn, shoulders squared as if he could physically hold the world back if he had to.

Our roles felt so natural, like we were made to do this. Once inside the entry of the hospital, I turned to Luna.

“Give me the strongest wafer you have. Something that will help me fight twenty vamps without dying,” I told her. Sure, I had these permanent powers in me now, but to fight off twenty vamps, I was going to need to become a superhero.

Her eyes bugged as she flipped through the wafer tin, fingers moving fast and not nearly steady enough. Meanwhile, Asher, Harper, and I took our skin-protection wafers. The wafer dissolved on my tongue as I swallowed, my pulse thudding in my ears.

“Give me something strong too.” Asher held out a hand to her.

Luna’s fingers shook as she handed him two Ferro wafers with runes that I recognized from my studying as enhanced aim, explosive strike impact, and silent footsteps.

He tossed them back into his mouth in one fell swoop, and then Luna stopped and turned to me, hesitation freezing her in place.

“I don’t want to hurt you but…”

“Give me a Celestis wafer or whatever you got. I could handle it last time,” I urged her.

Luna thought about it, eyed the runes on my arm, and then placed four wafers in the palm of my hand. “Temporary armor, triple boost of your own powers, predator instinct, and this one.” She tapped a rune wafer that looked like two waves crashing into each other. “It’s your Hail Mary. Only take it if you are sure you think you can handle⁠—”

I popped all four into my mouth.

“Stella!” The blood drained from Luna’s face. She scanned my body as if waiting for me to spontaneously combust, muscles tensing like she was ready to tackle me to the ground if something went wrong. When I didn’t react, when my skin didn’t crack or burn, she exhaled shakily. “I was about to say, you will be temporarily able to control the vamps.”

My eyes bugged. Control the vamps? How? Like compulsion? I guessed I should have asked more before swallowing this thing, because the warmth spreading through my chest was already intensifying, my senses sharpening to a razor edge.

“We’ve got a full breach. Five inside, I repeat, five inside,” Harper barked.

No time to regret my actions. Time to move.

“We’re with you.” Celia and Derek appeared behind us, weapons drawn, faces hard and focused like this was just another night in hell.

“Down the hall and to the right,” Harper said. “Southeast entrance. They’re huddled together, coordinating.”

Asher took the lead, and I was right behind him, harpoon gun in hand. Twenty vampires was a lot, especially not knowing how many were drinkers or sires or what, but there was no chance in hell I was leaving these kids defenseless tonight. Even if it cost my life. The runes on my arms felt like they were vibrating now, heat humming beneath my skin as power pooled in my chest, heavy and alive.