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Charlotte sighed while twirling her daggers in her hands. “Stun them, Adam. Please.”
“No promises.”
The humans descended on us much as the vampires had back at the ranch. Metal weapons clanged together while grunts broke the silence of the tunnels. On the other side of the gaping room, I heard the two wolves fighting valiantly to keep the humans off. They were trying to be careful, too.
And while I wanted desperately to rip these snack bags to shreds, I couldn’t deny Charlotte’s request.
Even if I was angry at her.
Even if I wasn’t surewhyI was angry at her.
My human enemy put up a good fight. He was waving a spear, lunging the tip of it at my gut every chance he got. Each jab inspired my next step, barely avoiding the poisoned blade. When he charged, I dodged the attack and smacked the spear, loosening it from his grip. The defense distracted him, giving me space to lodge my fist into his cheek.
He went down with a loud grunt. While he was on the ground, I kicked his sides, nudging the spear slowly away from him. One of the other humans recovered the spear and tried to stab me. I skittered out of the way in time to grab the length of the spear and yank it from his hands. I snapped it in half and threw the pieces away.
My eyes glowed with irritation. “Where’s the kid?”
The human shuddered while retreating toward one of the tunnels. Nina pointed out which way to go, but there was no guarantee that Henry was on the other side.
“You’re such a smart doggy,” the human teased through chattering teeth. “Can’t you smell your own kin?”
My nostrils flared. “No, it smells like death down here.”
“Ah, what a shame,” the human sighed. “I suppose you’ll never find him if you kill us.”
Anger rammed me at all sides. As my vision tunneled with red ink, I charged toward the human, pinning him to the ground with a vicious growl. It wasn’t until Charlotte yanked me off the writhing skeletal form that I realized I had nearly choked him to death.
The other humans were in an injured heap in the center of the room. While the wolves circled the collection of groaning forms, Charlotte grabbed the human I almost killed and held him up by his collar.
“I’m sure your masters will punish you either way,” she snapped. “You can point us to the child and we can release you of your bonds, or you can stick around to find out what they might do to you.”
At that, the frail human pointed shakily at the same tunnel Nina had indicated.
“I knew it,” Nina grunted. “Alright, let’s move.”
Charlotte dropped the human. For a moment, it looked like she wanted to do more than just injure him. But the moment slipped past as any other and she knocked him unconscious, motioning to the two wolves following us to keep close.
“Where did Lucius go?” Nina inquired. She paused near the lip of the tunnel while sniffing the air. “I can’t scent a damn thing down here.”
“All I can smell is death and sweat,” I told her. “I can’t get a grip on anything.”
Charlotte sighed. “Bruise mentioned earlier we might encounter this. We have to adjust our plans and keep moving.”
Silence bristled between the three of us. One wolf guarded the rear while another darted ahead. Barks echoed through the tunnel, but it was unclear where the sound was originating. It was a maze down here.
And we were stuck wandering through it.
My feet started sticking to the ground where gravel gave way to mud. Candlelight flickered up ahead, beginning as a dim pinch in the darkness and then growing magnificently. I jogged forward.
“He’s there,” I stated confidently. “I can feel it.”
And Icouldfeel it. My son’s energy sang to me, leading me toward him. It was reduced well below its usual shimmer, but it was there regardless, and I heaved forward with all the might of a parched man discovering an oasis.
“Henry!” I shouted. “Where are you?”
Charlotte shushed me. “Adam, don’t—”
“It’s too late,” Nina said while joining my side. “There are vampires. Three of them. We’re going to have to pull together.”
