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“Who’s this?” The Vampire gave me a smile, but I couldn’t return it.
“It’s okay, Brynn.” Chris gave me a reassuring smile, and I relaxed that he was between me and the men. He looked back at the men I didn’t know. “This is Brynn. She’s Adam’s mate. Brynn, this is the Vampire Overlord, Victor, and the Warlock, Nathaniel Turnclaw. Nate also happens to be Tessa’s father. They won’t hurt you. They’re friends.”
Tessa’s father was the Warlock? Well, that was kind of cool.
I raised my hand and gave a little wave. “Hi.”
“Hello, Brynn. It’s nice to meet you.” The Warlock’s smile was kind.
My nod back was all I could reply with before Chris tapped my bottle. I tipped it back against my lips and closed my eyes as more water entered my stomach. The room disappeared as I drank the bottle dry.
“Okay, we’re on our way.” Carmon stood. He looked terrible, but I wasn’t about to be the one to mention that or ask how he thought he could save his brother in his condition. “There’s been a slight change in plan. Half of us will be going with Nate to save Jeff. The other half will go save Drew in Dark territory. He’s been working his way east to us, but with the creatures, it’s been slow going. I don’t know why the Elementals won’t help us.”
“They don’t trust each other,” I said before realizing I’d spoken. “At least, that’s the vibe I got from Lord Lightning.”
Carmon nodded before giving out orders again. “Tessa, Nate, get Jeff. You can teleport, or whatever it is you do, to him, or close enough. Chris and Sophie will go with you as they can also jump and Jeff will need a healer.
“Jazz, you and the babies will come with Sylee and me to grab Drew. We have a vehicle at our disposal, but just one. The babies will be safer in a vehicle than on foot.
“The rest of you, Dalton, Grace, Brynn, and Victor, meet us in the field outside Bard’s Forest on the opposite side from Cambria. Dalton will know where I’m talking about.” Dalton nodded to confirm Carmon’s words. “Good luck, everyone. Time is running out, and there’s a bad feeling in my gut. Keep Adam in your thoughts. We might be struggling, but he’s the one who really needs luck.”
Everyone gathered their things. Jazz, Carmon, and Sylee each took a baby and headed downstairs to whatever vehicle waited for them. Tessa, with tear-streaked cheeks, stood hand in hand with her father. Then, they were just gone.
Sophie squeezed my hand, worry creasing her brow. “Adam will be okay. He’s smart and strong.”
I could only nod, stuck in some sort of shock.
Chris pulled Sophie to her feet. Dalton and Grace looked away from them. Deciding to follow suit and remembering the bright light in Demon’s Ridge, I looked away just in time to keep from being blinded.
“Okay, looks like it’s just the four of us.” Dalton wrapped his arm around Grace’s back and let his hand rest on her hip. What I wouldn’t give to have Adam here to do that with me. “Let’s go. We’re on foot. Cal gave Nate enough blood that he’ll have the energy to transport Jeff to the clearing by teleporting. We only have hours left before the chaos begins. Let’s make every second count.”
Dalton led Grace down the stairs while I pulled myself to my feet.
“Here.” The Vampire held his arm out to me so I didn’t collapse as I wobbled on my feet as I walked.
“Thanks.” A year ago, I would have laughed at the idea of me holding the arm of a Vampire as we walked out of a safehouse on our way to Bard’s Forest to meet up with my Elemental in-laws. Especially the Vampire Overlord. My life had tipped upside down and shaken itself up. How was I still standing, even with help? Life had thrown a curveball at me.
The house we’d stayed in was about average size and nothing spectacular. The old woman who lived there didn’t see us off but locked the door behind our group after we’d all exited. Hiding these days seemed to be the best option for those who couldn’t fight. Being Neutral, I couldn’t tell if she was Light or Dark without her telling me. Only Light and Dark could identify each of the three human races. Well, Witches were human, but in a different way.
Dalton and Grace set a grueling pace. Victor helped me keep up as best I could. He held a bag filled with water bottles for me. At this rate, I’d have to stop to pee every other mile at least. I couldn’t argue with the treatment, though. Walking without falling over was still impossible.
Was I that dehydrated, or was something else wrong with me?
After hours of more walking, the blisters on my feet were producing blisters. I’d never walked so much in such a short amount of time. My muscles cramped up, and Grace helped me stretch them out when I struggled to walk further. She was kind enough to not make me feel bad. I had a feeling that this hadn’t always been Grace, though.
More miles passed under our feet, and the stench of smoke reached us. Smoke differs by what’s being burned. This smelled like wood burning.
Grace and Dalton smelled it first. Then Victor. My sense of smell wasn’t as good as theirs, they explained so I wouldn’t feel even worse. I wasn’t an Air Elemental like them. Victor was a Vampire. He hunted by smell.
Smoke began to roll toward us over a grassy hill. We hadn’t walked through a forest in a long time. How would we know when we reached the designated field outside of Bard’s Forest? How would we recognize the forest as that particular one? But, Dalton seemed to know where he was going.
The gray smoke made me cough, along with the others. Right now, a heightened sense of smell wouldn’t be my first option for an advanced power.
My eyes watered enough I didn’t make out the fact a town sat over the rise we’d climbed until we were almost on top of it. Fires burned everywhere. Houses, businesses, everything was on fire. My body responded to the flames, and they pulled my body toward them.
I didn’t stop before sticking my hands into the coals of a burned-down house. The heat radiated up my arms and spread throughout my body, giving me strength once again. Now, I felt like I could run a hundred miles or more.
My eyes were closed so I couldn’t see who came to kneel beside me.
