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My dad comes running to her side and picks her up. He tries to pick me up, but Sebastian stands between us.
“Get your wife out of here! I’ll stay with her,” Sebastian shouts over the roar of the volcano.
My father nods, picking up mother like a princess and turning to shadow. All around me my family is darting away, dodging burning rocks and lava flow as it pours from the mountain and onto the edge of the cliff. Zombies walk into it blindly, like heat seeking missiles, and paths open up for my family and the humans to flee.
I’ve stopped us from falling by creating a huge mountain to guard our backs.
Great flaming rocks collide with Monroes, knocking them from the air and burning them alive. “Die, Angelica!” I scream, laughter bubbling in my throat.
Fear like nothing I could have ever imagined crosses her face and she drops my dear friend toward the ruined castle just before the cloud of destruction covers the building.
“We have to go!” Sebastian pleads, tugging me to my feet.
I smile, imagining Angelica burning to death in the lava. I may not have been able to save Mara, but at least I can kill the bitch who did this to her. I turn and fall into my man’s arms, letting him pick me up just like Father did for Mother.
All around me my brothers and their wives are running back, grabbing humans and escorting them to safety as fast as they can. No human, even if they’re vampire hunters, is going to be left behind today. Devion dashes down out of the air and snatches Rodrick who was running beside us, saving the last human still on the grounds.
We run and run, fast and far, until I see another looming castle in the distance. This one splits the night, not imposing but welcoming, and some deep inner part of me recognizes this as my family home.
For the first time in my life, I cross the threshold of the place I would have grown up in if I’d been with the rest of my family. Humans are scattering around, their white uniforms quickly becoming covered in soot and blood. I see June’s face in passing as Sebastian carries me through the house, crying against a man’s shoulder. I feel terrible for her, for us, for everything and everyone lost today.
“It’s finally over…” I whisper, tucking my head against Sebastian’s neck and closing my eyes.
“I hope so…” he mutters.
Fear stirs in my heart again. “You think I didn’t kill her?”
“Angelica is wily… I think she could have escaped. Until we see her body, I won’t be satisfied.”
Chapter21
Sebastian
“Where is her body?” Zarius roars, and the throne room seems to tremble with his rage.
I step in front of Fayla as if my defense means anything against an infinitely old vampire on a rampage.
“She’s dead, she has to be dead, no one could have survived that!” I shout.
Everyone looks at Fayla behind me and she snuggles up to my back to hide. “It’s not like I meant to! I didn’t know that would happen!” she cries.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Adam says, coming up in front of me respectfully.
If he would have gone behind me and straight to her, I don’t know how I would have reacted besides the fact that it would end in bloodshed. Adam sees this and holds his palms up to me, a softness in his eyes that I never imagined I would see from the likes of him.
“All the women in this family have discovered powers they never knew they had after bonding.”
“You fit right in, kid. It’s hot!” Dixie says, winking at her pun, and I feel Fayla smile slightly behind me. “Besides, you only killed the bad guys!”
“Umm, excuse me?” Rodrick says from the back of the room and I turn to see him poking his head through the door. His eyes flash with a healthy dose of terror but he still steps in the room. “Sorry to interrupt…”
“What is it, Rod?” I ask, walking over to him and taking him under my arm. I stare at each and every one of my new dangerous family members in warning, but they seem disinterested in killing my second in command.
“Brec and Xanthe just got back, they have that…girl with them.” He swallows hard as he mentions Mara, and before I can react Fayla shadows out of the room and disappears.
“Fayla!” I roar, but there's no answer. She’s running through the house, running for her friend. “It’s not safe!” I call after her, sprinting into the hallway. I can see the front door open from here, the artificial light outside backlighting the doorway as Brec walks in. He’s struggling, holding something in his arms, and Xanthe is beside him making shushing and calming noises.
“Mara!” Fayla cries.
